The disclosure generally relates to articles of outdoor furniture and, more particularly, to outdoor chairs.
This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Adirondack chairs are a very popular larger type of chair. For many years, these chairs were made of wood with the pieces of the chair nailed, glued, bolted, or screwed together to form a single unit. The Adirondack chair style typically has a straight back that is formed by multiple wooden planks that extend from a seat at an angle. Most wooden Adirondack chairs are not foldable. They are also heavy and very difficult to stack.
More recently, some Adirondack chairs have been made of plastic. These chairs are molded to look like the wooden Adirondack chairs. Such molded plastic chairs are lighter and may be more weather resistant than their wooden predecessors. Further, the molded plastic chairs may be stored more efficiently since the molded plastic chairs may often be stacked on top of one another.
However, the designs of currently available molded plastic chairs lack certain accommodations to enhance the enjoyment and use of the chairs. For instance, the currently available molded plastic chairs are unaccommodating for users that are using hand-held objects, such as a beverage and/or a mobile device. These hand-held objects are frequently engaged by users in an outdoor setting where the currently available molded plastic chairs are commonly used. For example, molded plastic chairs are often used at social settings where beverages are consumed. Many currently available molded plastic chairs do not include any features to support beverage containers. This lack of support causes the beverage containers to be prone to spilling when set down next to the chair or on a flat arm rest of the chair.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved outdoor chair that adequately supports one or more hand-held objects and may be manufactured more economically.
In concordance with the instant disclosure, an improved outdoor chair that adequately supports one or more hand-held objects and may be manufactured more economically, has been surprisingly discovered.
An article of outdoor furniture, which has a unitary body, is provided. The article of outdoor furniture includes a first recess formed in the unitary body. The first recess has a first opening and a first bottom wall. A surface area of the first opening is greater than a surface area of the first bottom wall. An article of outdoor has a second recess formed in the unitary body. The second recess has a second opening and a second bottom wall. The second opening has a first length and a first width, where the first length is greater than the first width.
A method of using an article of outdoor furniture includes providing an article of outdoor furniture and placing one of a beverage container in the first recess and a mobile device in the second recess.
Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
The following description of technology is merely exemplary in nature of the subject matter, manufacture and use of one or more inventions, and is not intended to limit the scope, application, or uses of any specific invention claimed in this application or in such other applications as may be filed claiming priority to this application, or patents issuing therefrom. Regarding methods disclosed, the order of the steps presented is exemplary in nature, and thus, the order of the steps can be different in various embodiments, including where certain steps can be simultaneously performed. “A” and “an” as used herein indicate “at least one” of the item is present; a plurality of such items may be present, when possible. Except where otherwise expressly indicated, all numerical quantities in this description are to be understood as modified by the word “about” and all geometric and spatial descriptors are to be understood as modified by the word “substantially” in describing the broadest scope of the technology. “About” when applied to numerical values indicates that the calculation or the measurement allows some slight imprecision in the value (with some approach to exactness in the value; approximately or reasonably close to the value; nearly). If, for some reason, the imprecision provided by “about” and/or “substantially” is not otherwise understood in the art with this ordinary meaning, then “about” and/or “substantially” as used herein indicates at least variations that may arise from ordinary methods of measuring or using such parameters.
Although the open-ended term “comprising,” as a synonym of non-restrictive terms such as including, containing, or having, is used herein to describe and claim embodiments of the present technology, embodiments may alternatively be described using more limiting terms such as “consisting of” or “consisting essentially of.” Thus, for any given embodiment reciting materials, components, or process steps, the present technology also specifically includes embodiments consisting of, or consisting essentially of, such materials, components, or process steps excluding additional materials, components or processes (for consisting of) and excluding additional materials, components or processes affecting the significant properties of the embodiment (for consisting essentially of), even though such additional materials, components or processes are not explicitly recited in this application. For example, recitation of a composition or process reciting elements A, B and C specifically envisions embodiments consisting of, and consisting essentially of, A, B and C, excluding an element D that may be recited in the art, even though element D is not explicitly described as being excluded herein.
As referred to herein, disclosures of ranges are, unless specified otherwise, inclusive of endpoints and include all distinct values and further divided ranges within the entire range. Thus, for example, a range of “from A to B” or “from about A to about B” is inclusive of A and of B. Disclosure of values and ranges of values for specific parameters (such as amounts, weight percentages, etc.) are not exclusive of other values and ranges of values useful herein. It is envisioned that two or more specific exemplified values for a given parameter may define endpoints for a range of values that may be claimed for the parameter. For example, if Parameter X is exemplified herein to have value A and also exemplified to have value Z, it is envisioned that Parameter X may have a range of values from about A to about Z. Similarly, it is envisioned that disclosure of two or more ranges of values for a parameter (whether such ranges are nested, overlapping, or distinct) subsume all possible combination of ranges for the value that might be claimed using endpoints of the disclosed ranges. For example, if Parameter X is exemplified herein to have values in the range of 1-10, or 2-9, or 3-8, it is also envisioned that Parameter X may have other ranges of values including 1-9, 1-8, 1-3, 1-2, 2-10, 2-8, 2-3, 3-10, 3-9, and so on.
When an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “engaged to,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected, or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engaged to,” “directly connected to” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer, or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer, or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer, or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments.
Spatially relative terms, such as “inner,” “outer,” “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the FIGS. is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.
As shown in
In certain embodiments, the first recess 114 and the second recess 116 may be disposed on the same armrest, for instance, such as where the first recess 114 and the second recess 116 are disposed on the first armrest 110, as shown in
As illustrated in
Advantageously, the second surface area of the first opening 118 may be greater than the first surface area of the first bottom wall 122 to allow the first recess 114 to be more easily molded and more economically manufactured. Further, the beverage container may be more easily disposed into and/or removed from the first recess 114 where the second surface area of the first opening 118 is greater than the first surface area of the first bottom wall 122. Where the second surface area of the first opening 118 is greater than the first surface area of the bottom wall, a portion of the first sidewall 120 connecting the first bottom wall 122 to the first opening 118 may be partially angled relative to a remainder of the first sidewall 120. As shown in
Desirably, an angled portion of the first sidewall 120 connecting the first bottom wall 122 to the first opening 118 may direct accumulated condensation and/or other liquids toward the drain hole 124 of the first bottom wall 122. As illustrated in
Furthermore, the angled portion of the first sidewall 120 may accommodate and accept handles on various beverage containers, such as coffee mugs, so that a bottom surface of the beverage container with the handle may be completely supported on the first bottom wall 122 and not obstructed by the handle contacting the first sidewall 120. In a particular example, the handle of the beverage container may be supported by a recess and/or a ridge forming a downward protrusion within the partially angled portion of the first sidewall 120. In a more particular example, the recess within the partially angled portion of the first sidewall 120 may form a slot in which the handle may be partially disposed.
In certain embodiments, the second recess 116 may be configured to accept a mobile device. For instance, the second recess 116 may have a second opening 126, a second sidewall 128, and a second bottom wall 130. The second bottom wall 130 may have one or more drain apertures 132 disposed therethrough. The second bottom wall 130 and/or the second opening 126 may be substantially rectangular. Substantially rectangular is defined as have a rectangular shape, including four sides, without requiring a strict adherence to 90 degree angles connecting each side to adjacent sides. Substantially rectangular shapes may encompass quadrilaterals including trapezoids, rhombuses, parallelograms, etc. For example, the second bottom wall 130 and/or the second opening 126 may each have four substantially straight portions. The four substantially straight portions may form two sets of parallel planes. Each set of parallel planes may be formed by a substantially straight portion and a substantially straight portion on the opposing side. In a nonlimiting example, each substantially straight portion may be connected to an adjacent substantially straight portion. The substantially straight portions may be connected by rounded, contoured, or beveled edges. In further examples, the substantially straight portions may not form parallel planes, but still form a substantially rectangular shape. It should be appreciated that the shape of the second bottom wall 130 and/or the second opening 126 may encompass a variety of shapes known to those of skill in the art. In particular examples, the shape of the second bottom wall 130 and the second opening 126 may differ, and form non-corresponding shapes. In a specific, non-limiting example, the second opening 126 may have a third surface area and the second bottom wall 130 may have a fourth surface area. The third surface area of the second opening 126 may be greater than the fourth surface area of the second bottom wall 130. Advantageously, where the third surface area of the second opening 126 is greater than the fourth surface area of the second bottom wall 130, the second recess 116 may be more easily molded and more economically manufactured. Desirably, the mobile device may be more easily disposed into and/or removed from the second recess 116 where the third surface area of the second opening 126 is greater than the fourth surface area of the second bottom wall 130.
In certain embodiments, as shown in
For example, certain embodiments may have the same third surface area and same fourth surface area. The second opening 126 and the second bottom wall 130 may respectively form planes which are parallel to each other. In further embodiments, the second sidewall 128 connecting the second opening 126 to the second bottom wall 130 may be non-orthogonal to one or more of the planes, creating an angle. When viewed from the side, the planes may form the angle α, as illustrated in
With continued reference to
With continued reference to
In certain embodiments, the second recess 116 may be configured to support the mobile device in an accessible position. To this end, the second recess 116 may include a second depth D2. The second depth D2 may be defined by a distance between the second opening 126 and the second bottom wall 130. As shown in
As shown in
In certain embodiments, the outdoor chair 100 may militate against liquid from collecting in the first recess 114 and/or the second recess 116. For instance, the drain hole 124 of the first bottom wall 122 and the drain aperture 132 of the second bottom wall 130 may be configured to permit liquid to drain therethrough. In a specific example, the drain aperture 132 of the second bottom wall 130 may include multiple drain apertures 132, such as the three drain apertures 132 shown in the figures. Advantageously, where liquid is drained through the drain hole 124 and the drain aperture 132, the beverage container and the mobile device may be placed therein without concern for liquid accumulation, such as rainwater, for example. In a further example, the first bottom wall 122 and the second bottom wall 130 may be angled, directing accumulated condensation and other fluids towards the drain hole 124 or the drain aperture 132.
One or more drain apertures 132 may be sized and shaped to permit a charging cable to be disposed therethrough. It should be appreciated that one or more drain apertures 132 may be sized and shaped in a suitable manner to accommodate various types of charging cables known to those of skill in the art. In further examples, one or more drain apertures 132 may be sized and shaped to permit a charging cable to be disposed therethrough in one orientation while militating against the removal of the charging cable in other orientations. Desirably, a user may charge their mobile device in a supported position in the second recess 116 where one or more drain apertures 132 may be sized and shaped to permit a charging cable to be disposed therethrough. In a specific example, one or more drain apertures 132 may also be sized, shaped, and/or located on the second bottom wall 130 in a manner that would militate against the second bottom wall 130 from obstructing a sound wave emitted from the mobile device, for instance, where the mobile device is playing music or emits an auditory alert as a notification.
An embodiment of a method 200 of using an outdoor article of outdoor furniture is provided in
Advantageously, the outdoor chair 100 adequately supports hand-held object(s) and may be manufactured more economically and efficiently.
Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms, and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are not described in detail. Equivalent changes, modifications and variations of some embodiments, materials, compositions, and methods can be made within the scope of the present technology, with substantially similar results.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/231,301, filed on Aug. 10, 2021. The entire disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference.
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