Molded chair with integrated support and method of making same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9801470-B2
Application number	US-201414515340-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 15, 2014
Priority date	Oct 15, 2014
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

A molded chair assembly includes a molded chair shell and a plurality of legs coupled to the molded chair shell. The molded chair shell further includes a plurality of individual and separate integrated hollow support members extending along the molded chair shell and providing the same with increased durability and stability, while maintaining flexibility. The integrated hollow support members may be formed in a gas assist injection molding process conducted in association with an injection molding process to form the molded chair shell.

First claim

The following is claimed:

1. A chair comprising:
a seat portion configured to accommodate a seated user;
a back portion configured to support a back of the seated user;
a transition portion located between the seat portion and the back portion, the seat portion, the back portion, and the transition portion being integrally formed;
a first support member located along a first side of the transition portion, the first support member being integrally formed with the transition portion such that the first support member and the transition portion form a first hollow enclosure, the first hollow enclosure having a length, a cross-sectional shape factor, and a width, wherein the cross-sectional shape factor of the first support member is constant along a substantial portion of the length of the first hollow enclosure, and the width of the first hollow enclosure is largest at the transition portion and decreases along the length of the first hollow enclosure along the back portion to a width that is smallest at a termination point furthest from the transition portion; and
a second support member located along a second side of the transition portion laterally opposite the first side, the second support member being integrally formed with the transition portion such that the second support member and the transition portion form a second hollow enclosure, the second hollow enclosure having a length, a cross-sectional shape factor, and a width, wherein the cross-sectional shape factor of the second support member is constant along a substantial portion of the length of the second hollow enclosure, and the width of the second hollow enclosure is largest near the transition portion and decreases along the length of the second hollow enclosure along the back portion to a width that is smallest at a termination point furthest from the transition portion, and wherein the second hollow enclosure is separate and independent from the first hollow enclosure, the first support member being laterally separated from the second support member.

2. The chair of claim 1 , wherein the first hollow enclosure is laterally offset from a midline of the transition portion toward the first side of the transition portion, and wherein the second hollow enclosure is laterally offset from the midline of the transition portion toward the second side of the transition portion such that a lateral distance separates the second support member from the first support member.

3. The chair of claim 1 , wherein the first support member has three walls.

4. The chair of claim 1 , wherein the first and second hollow enclosures each have a triangular cross-sectional shape factor.

5. The chair of claim 2 , wherein the first support member includes a first wall extending outwardly from a first joint located between the first support member first wall and the back portion of the chair, the first joint being laterally offset from the midline of the transition portion toward the first side of the transition portion, and wherein the second support member includes a first wall extending outwardly from a second joint located between the second support member first wall and the back portion of the chair, the second joint being laterally offset from the midline of the transition portion toward the second side of the transition portion such that a positive lateral distance separates the first joint from the second joint.

6. The chair of claim 1 , wherein the first support member is a mirror image of the second support member.

7. The chair of claim 1 , wherein the first support member is configured to enable the chair to flex along the first side of the transition portion and wherein the second support member is configured to enable the chair to flex along the second side of the transition portion independent of the first support member.

8. The chair of claim 1 , wherein the first support member and the second support member each extend beyond the transition portion to the seat portion and to the back portion.

9. The chair of claim 8 , wherein the width of the first hollow enclosure tapers as the first support member extends outwardly from the transition portion and the width of the first hollow enclosure reaches a maximum at an inflection point located at the transition portion and reaches minimums at the back portion and at the seat portion.

10. The chair of claim 8 , wherein the width of the second hollow enclosure tapers as the second support member extends outwardly from the transition portion and the width of the second hollow enclosure reaches a maximum at an inflection point located at the transition portion and reaches minimums at the back portion and at the seat portion.

11. A chair comprising:
a seat portion having an inner facing surface and an outer facing surface;
a back portion having an inner facing surface and an outer facing surface and including a first side portion, a second side portion laterally opposite the first side portion, and a middle portion separating the first side portion from the second side portion;
a transition portion interconnecting the seat portion and the back portion;
a first support member integrally formed with the outer facing surface of the back portion and extending along the first side portion of the back portion, the first support member including a plurality of structural support walls, a first one of the structural support walls of the first support member extending outwardly from a first joint located along the first side portion between the first support member first structural support wall and the outer facing surface of the back portion, the first joint being situated on the middle portion between the first and second side portions of the back portion, wherein the plurality of structural support walls of the first structural support member form a first hollow enclosure with the outer facing surface of the back portion and defines a width, the first hollow enclosure extending along the first side portion of the back portion, the width of the first hollow enclosure the largest at a location near the transition portion and smallest at a location furthest from the transition portion, the first hollow enclosure terminating at a top section of the back portion; and
a second support member integrally formed with the outer facing surface of the back portion and extending along the second side portion of the back portion such that the second support member is laterally offset and separate and independent from the first support member at the transition portion, the second support member including a plurality of structural support walls, a first one of the structural support walls of the second support member extending outwardly from a second joint located along the second side portion between the second support member first structural support wall and the outer facing surface of the back portion, the second joint being situated on the middle portion between the first and second side portions of the back portion and being laterally offset from the first joint such that the second support member is integrally formed with the back portion independent of the first support member, the plurality of structural support walls of the second structural support member form a second hollow enclosure with the outer facing surface of the back portion and defines a width, the second hollow enclosure extending along the second side portion of the back portion such that the second hollow enclosure is separate and distinct from the first hollow enclosure and separated from the first hollow enclosure, the width of the second hollow enclosure the largest at a location near the transition portion and smallest at a location furthest from the transition p

Assignees

• Hni Tech Inc

Inventors

• Mehaffey David
• Rolfs Jeremy

Classifications

• B29K2101/12

  Thermoplastic materials · CPC title

• A47C3/12 Primary

  with shell-shaped seat and back-rest unit, e.g. having arm-rests · CPC title

• B29L2031/771

  Seats · CPC title

• B29C45/1704

  the fluid being introduced into the interior of the injected material which is still in a molten state, e.g. for producing hollow articles (B29C45/1732 and B29C45/1734 take precedence; injection blow-moulding B29C49/06) · CPC title