Chair and method of making the chair

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11944208-B2
Application number	US-202217825612-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2022
Priority date	Jun 14, 2021
Publication date	Apr 2, 2024
Grant date	Apr 2, 2024

Abstract

A chair can include a base having at least one chair back attachment mechanisms that attach a back of the chair to the base of the chair. The chair back attachment mechanisms can be positioned on an upper portion of the frame of the base of the chair to support the chair back. In some embodiments, there may be a single chair back attachment mechanism or only a pair of chair back attachment mechanisms to attach the chair back to the base. The chair back can be positioned via the chair back attachment mechanisms so that there is a gap between the lower portion of the chair back and the seat. Embodiments of the chair can be armless. Other embodiments can include arms positioned above the seat on opposite sides of the seat to support arms of a user sitting on the seat of the chair.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A chair comprising:
a seat;
a chair back spaced apart from the seat to define a gap between a bottom portion of the chair back and a rear portion of the seat;
a base that supports the chair back and the seat, the base having a frame, the seat attached to the frame, the chair back attached to the frame via at least one chair back attachment mechanism, the at least one chair back attachment mechanism including:
an intermediate chair back attachment body having intermediate chair back attachment body fastener holes defined therein that are each sized and configured for receiving a chair back attachment body fastener so that the chair back attachment body fastener is passable through the intermediate chair back attachment body so a head end of the chair back attachment body fastener is in contact with or engagement with a front portion of the intermediate chair back attachment body and a shaft end of the chair back attachment body fastener is positionable within a hole defined in a chair back attachment receptacle of the frame, the front portion of the intermediate chair back attachment body facing toward the chair back and a rear portion of the intermediate chair back attachment body being opposite the front portion;
the intermediate chair back attachment body also having a chair back fastener hole that is between the spaced apart chair back attachment body fastener holes to receive a shaft portion of a chair back fastener that is passed through an upper portion of the chair back, a head of the chair back fastener being positioned at a front of the chair back, a rear of the chair back being opposite the front of the chair back, the rear of the chair back facing toward the front portion of the intermediate chair back attachment body;
wherein the frame of the base comprises:
a plurality of legs that include a front right leg, a front left leg, a rear left leg and a rear right leg;
a plurality of seat support members connected to the legs, the seat support members positioned to support the seat and define an opening between the seat support members;
at least one back support member positioned for connection to at least one of the legs to support the chair back and facilitate attachment to the intermediate chair back attachment body for the at least one chair back attachment mechanism;

wherein the at least one chair back attachment mechanism comprises a first chair back attachment mechanism spaced apart from a second chair back attachment mechanism;
wherein the at least one back support member comprises an n-shaped back support member having a left side portion that extends from the left rear leg and a right side portion that extends from the rear right leg and an upper portion that extends between the right side portion and the left side portion, the rear portion of the intermediate chair back attachment body facing toward the upper portion and the first chair back attachment mechanism attached to the upper portion adjacent the right side portion of the n-shaped back support member and the second chair back attachment mechanism attached to the upper portion adjacent the left side portion of the n-shaped back support member;
wherein the first chair back attachment mechanism includes an annular conical washer positioned between the head of the chair back fastener of the first chair back attachment mechanism and the chair back within a first hole of the chair back so that the head of the chair back fastener is recessed relative to an outer surface of the front of the chair back;
wherein the second chair back attachment mechanism includes an annular conical washer positioned between the head of the chair back fastener of the second chair back attachment mechanism and the chair back within a second hole of the chair back so that the head of the chair back fastener is recessed relative to the outer surface of the front of the chair back; and
the first hole of the chair back being spaced apart from the second hole of the chair back.

2. The chair of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate chair back attachment body has an ovoid shape and the chair back fastener hole is positioned within a central portion of the intermediate chair back attachment body between the intermediate chair back attachment body fastener holes.

3. The chair of claim 2 , wherein there are two intermediate chair back attachment body fastener holes and a single chair back fastener hole.

4. The chair of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate chair back attachment body has an ovoid shape or a polygonal shape.

5. The chair of claim 1 , wherein the frame is an integral body comprised of a polymeric material.

6. The chair of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate chair back attachment body is comprised of a metal.

7. The chair of claim 1 , wherein the chair back is an upholstered chair back and the seat is an upholstered seat.

8. A chair comprising:
a seat;
a chair back spaced apart from the seat to define a gap between a bottom portion of the chair back and a rear portion of the seat;
a base that supports the chair back and the seat, the base having a frame, the seat attached to the frame, the chair back attached to the frame via at least one chair back attachment mechanism, the at least one chair back attachment mechanism including:
an intermediate chair back attachment body having intermediate chair back attachment body fastener holes defined therein that are each sized and configured for receiving a chair back attachment body fastener so that the chair back attachment body fastener is passable through the intermediate chair back attachment body so a head end of the chair back attachment body fastener is in contact with or engagement with a front portion of the intermediate chair back attachment body and a shaft end of the chair back attachment body fastener is positionable within a hole defined in a chair back attachment receptacle of the frame, the front portion of the intermediate chair back attachment body facing toward the chair back and a rear portion of the intermediate chair back attachment body being opposite the front portion;
the intermediate chair back attachment body also having a chair back fastener hole that is between the spaced apart chair back attachment body fastener holes to receive a shaft portion of a chair back fastener that is passed through an upper portion of the chair back, a head of the chair back fastener being positioned at a front of the chair back, a rear of the chair back being opposite the front of the chair back, the rear of the chair back facing toward the front portion of the intermediate chair back attachment body;
wherein the frame of the base comprises:
a plurality of legs that include a front right leg, a front left leg, a rear left leg and a rear right leg;
a plurality of seat support members connected to the legs, the seat support members positioned to support the seat and define an opening between the seat support members;
at least one back support member positioned for connection to at least one of the legs to support the chair back and facilitate attachment to the intermediate chair back attachment body for the at least one chair back attachment mechanism;

wherein the at least one back support member comprises a left side back support member that extends above the left rear leg, a right side back support member that extends above the right rear leg, and a curved upper support member between an upper end of the right side back support member and an upper end of the left side back support member, the rear portion of the intermediate chair back attachment body facing toward the curved curbed upper support member;
wherein the at least one chair back attachment mechanism comprises a first chair back attachment mechanism spaced apart fro

Assignees

• Knoll Inc

Inventors

• Snyder Ronald
• Deskevich Adam
• Max Nick

Classifications

• A47C7/24 Primary

  Upholstered seats (A47C7/18 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A47C3/04 Primary

  Stackable chairs or nesting chairs · CPC title

• A47C7/40

  for the back · CPC title

• A47C7/448

  with resilient blocks · CPC title