Flexible seating surface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9414681-B2
Application number	US-201514939514-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 12, 2015
Priority date	Mar 27, 2012
Publication date	Aug 16, 2016
Grant date	Aug 16, 2016

Abstract

A seat has a first ischial region, a second ischial region, a tailbone region and a thigh transitional region, each having at least one slot. Each slot generally opens outward, away from a center of the seat. Each slot may have an elongated central portion and two distal portions extending from the central portion. The central portion and distal portions may have a specific configuration relative to each other to provide desired support characteristics. The slots may allow flexing and cantilevering of portions of the seat to dynamically contour the seat based on the weight of the user.

First claim

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A seat comprising:
a longitudinal axis generally extending from a front of the seat to a rear of the seat and generally dividing the seat into two equal halves;
a first ischial region located on a first side of the longitudinal axis, a second ischial region located on a second side of the longitudinal axis, a tailbone region located rearward of the first and second ischial regions, and a thigh transitional region located forward of the first and second ischial regions;
a center of the seat located between the first ischial region, the second ischial region, the tailbone region, and the thigh transitional region;
a plurality of first ischial slots defined within the seat in the first ischial region and generally opening outwardly, away from the center of the seat, wherein each of said first ischial slots includes an elongated central portion, a first distal portion defined adjacent a first end of the central portion, and a second distal portion defined adjacent a second end of the central portion, at least one of the first and second distal portions extending at an angle with respect to the central portion, wherein the first ischial slots do not cross the longitudinal axis; and
a plurality of second ischial slots defined within the seat in the second ischial region and generally opening outwardly, away from the center of the seat, wherein each of said second ischial slots includes an elongated central portion, a first distal portion defined adjacent a first end of the central portion, and a second distal portion defined adjacent a second end of the central portion, at least one of the first and second distal portions extending at an angle with respect to the central portion, wherein the second ischial slots do not cross the longitudinal axis;
wherein each slot extends through the seat.

2. The seat of claim 1 including a tailbone slot defined within the seat in the tailbone region, the tailbone slot extending across the longitudinal axis.

3. The seat of claim 2 wherein the tailbone slot generally opens outwardly, away from the center of the seat.

4. The seat of claim 1 including a thigh transitional slot defined within the seat in the thigh transitional region, the thigh transitional slot extending across the longitudinal axis.

5. The seat of claim 4 wherein the thigh transitional slot generally opens outwardly, away from the center of the seat.

6. The seat of claim 1 wherein each of the slots are generally curved.

7. The seat of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of each of the first ischial slots extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis,
wherein at least a portion of each of the second ischial slots extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis,
wherein the tailbone region includes a tailbone slot and wherein at least a portion of the tailbone slot extends at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis, and
wherein the thigh transitional region includes a thigh transitional slot and wherein at least a portion of the thigh transitional slot extends at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis.

8. The seat of claim 1 wherein the angle between the at least one of the first and second distal portions and the central portion of the first ischial slots is substantially equal to the angle between the at least one of the first and second distal portions and the central portion of the second ischial slots.

9. The seat of claim 8 wherein the first ischial slot central portions and the second ischial slot central portions are substantially parallel to each other.

10. A seat comprising:
a longitudinal axis generally extending from a front of the seat to a rear of the seat and generally dividing the seat into two equal halves;
a first ischial region located on a first side of the longitudinal axis, a second ischial region located on a second side of the longitudinal axis, a tailbone region located rearward of the first and second ischial regions, and a thigh transitional region located forward of the first and second ischial regions;
a center of the seat located between the first ischial region, the second ischial region, the tailbone region, and the thigh transitional region; and
a plurality of slots defined within the seat in at least one of the first ischial region, the second ischial region, the tailbone region and the thigh transitional region, wherein each of said slots includes an elongated central portion, first and second distal portions on opposite sides of the central portion, and a pair of end portions, each of the end portions associated with and extending from an end of one of the distal portions opposite the central portion, each of the end portions designed to relieve stress in the seat material surrounding the end portions, wherein the end portions have a rounded shape;
wherein each slot extends through the seat.

11. The seat of claim 10 wherein each of the plurality of slots defines a slot width, and wherein each of the end portions defines an end portion width, the end portion width being greater than the slot width.

12. The seat of claim 10 wherein each of the end portions is circular.

13. The seat of claim 12 wherein each of the slots is generally curved.

14. The seat of claim 10 wherein the first and second distal portions of each of the slots extend at an angle with respect to the central portion.

15. The seat of claim 10 wherein the plurality of slots are defined in at least the first ischial region and the second ischial region.

16. The seat of claim 15 wherein the plurality of slots are defined in each of the first and second ischial regions, the tailbone region, and the thigh transition region.

17. A seat comprising:
a longitudinal axis generally extending from a front of the seat to a rear of the seat and generally dividing the seat into two equal halves;
a first ischial region located on a first side of the longitudinal axis, a second ischial region located on a second side of the longitudinal axis, a tailbone region located rearward of the first and second ischial regions, and a thigh transitional region located forward of the first and second ischial regions;
a center of the seat located between the first ischial region, the second ischial region, the tailbone region, and the thigh transitional region;
at least three ischial slots defined within the seat in the first ischial region and having a shape that generally opens outwardly with respect to the center of the seat, away from the center of the seat, wherein each of said first ischial slots includes an elongated central portion, wherein the first ischial slots do not cross the longitudinal axis, and wherein the central portions of each of the slots in the first ischial region are spaced equidistant from one another; and
at least three ischial slots defined within the seat in the second ischial region and having a shape that generally opens outwardly with respect to the center of the seat, away from the center of the seat, wherein each of said second ischial slots includes an elongated central portion, wherein the second ischial slots do not cross the longitudinal axis, and wherein the central portions of each of the slots in the second ischial region are spaced equidistant from one another; and
wherein each slot extends through the seat.

18. The seat of claim 17 including a tailbone slot in the tailbone region, the tailbone slot extending across the longitudinal axis.

19. The seat of claim 18 includ

Assignees

• Haworth Inc

Inventors

• Bellingar Teresa A
• Wilkerson Larry A
• Beyer Peter J

Classifications

• A47C7/16

  Seats made of wooden, plastics, or metal sheet material; Panel seats · CPC title

• A47C7/025 Primary

  Springs not otherwise provided for in A47C7/22 - A47C7/35 · CPC title

• A47C7/22

  Straps or the like for {direct user support or for} carrying upholstery · CPC title

• A47C7/50

  Supports for the feet or the legs (reclining or easy chairs having coupled adjustable supporting parts including a leg-rest or foot-rest A47C1/034; reclining or easy chairs having coupled adjustable supporting parts including a head-rest in combination with a leg-rest or foot-rest A47C1/037) · CPC title

• A47C7/022

  Human Necessities · mapped topic