This application claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. § 119, of German patent application DE 10 2018 129 550.2, filed Nov. 23, 2018; the prior application is herewith incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The present invention pertains to a chair comprising a seat having a seat shell and a frame for supporting the seat.
By way of example, chairs have a seat with a seat shell and a frame for supporting the seat. For mounting the seat shell on the frame, the frame has, for example, on its side facing the seat, at least one mounting strut running parallel to the plane of the seat shell. In such a chair construction, it is known to provide the underside of the seat shell facing the frame with a receiving profile for form-fittingly receiving at least part of the mounting strut of the frame and to fix the mounting strut in the receiving profile with the aid of clamps screwed to the seat shell.
It is an object of the invention to provide a chair having an improved mounting system of the frame to the seat.
According to an aspect of the present invention, the chair comprises a seat having a seat shell and a frame for supporting the seat, wherein the frame comprises, on its side facing the seat, at least one mounting strut running parallel to the plane of the seat shell, and an underside of the seat shell facing the frame comprises a receiving profile for receiving at least part of the mounting strut of the frame. The chair of the present invention is characterized in that the receiving profile comprises a fastening section extending from a circumferential edge of the seat shell parallel to the plane of the seat shell into the interior of the seat shell and having an access opening at the circumferential edge of the seat shell, and there is provided a clamping strip for clamping the mounting strut in place in the fastening section of the receiving profile of the seat shell, which is slidable from the access opening of the fastening section at the circumferential edge of the seat shell into the fastening section on a side of the mounting strut of the frame facing away from the seat shell and in a direction parallel to a longitudinal direction of the fastening section and is fixed in an end position of the clamping strip in the fastening section in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the seat shell.
The chair according to the invention is characterized by a simply constructed mounting system for the frame to the seat, with which one or more mounting struts of the frame can be clamped in place in the receiving profile of the seat shell of the seat in a simple way. The clamping of the mounting strut(s) can be carried out by simply sliding the clamping strip(s) from the circumferential edge of the seat shell into the receiving profile and thus advantageously without additional tools (e.g. screwdriver, etc.) and without additional fastening elements (e.g. screws, etc.) in addition to the clamping strip.
Preferably, the receiving profile is formed as at least one recess or groove in the seat shell underside, i.e. it is located substantially completely within the thickness of the seat shell. Preferably, the receiving profile has no additional elements attached to or integrally formed with the underside of the seat shell which protrude from the underside.
In a preferred embodiment, the mounting strut of the frame is substantially form-fittingly received in the receiving profile of the seat shell. Preferably, the mounting strut of the frame is also form-fittingly clamped by the clamping strip.
In a preferred embodiment, the mounting strut is an integral part of the frame. Preferably, the mounting strut of the frame is designed in the form of a tube or a rod, preferably having a substantially circular cross-sectional shape. The material of the frame and its mounting strut is basically arbitrary, preferably selected from metal, plastic and wood. The material of the seat shell is basically arbitrary, preferably selected from plastic and wood, preferably manufactured as a plastic blow-molded shell. The material of the clamping strip is basically arbitrary, preferably metal or plastic.
In a configuration of the invention, the fastening section of the receiving profile comprises a first guiding element extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the fastening section, and the clamping strip comprises a second guiding element extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the fastening section and, in the end position of the clamping strip in the fastening section, engaging with the first guiding element on the fastening section. By the interlocking of the two guiding elements, the clamping strip is fixed in the fastening section of the receiving profile in a simple way in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the seat shell. The first guiding element extends optionally over the entire length, over a partial length or in sections over several partial lengths of the fastening section. The second guiding element extends optionally over the entire length, over a partial length or in sections over several partial lengths of the clamping strip.
Preferably, the second guiding element on the clamping strip engages with the first guiding element on the fastening section even during sliding the clamping strip into the fastening section. In this way, the mounting of the clamping strip can be simplified or supported.
In a configuration of the invention, the fastening section of the receiving profile comprises a first locking element, and the clamping strip comprises a second locking element which, in the end position of the clamping strip in the fastening section, engages with the first locking element on the fastening section in order to lock the clamping strip in the longitudinal direction of the fastening section.
The mounting concept of the invention for the frame to the seat allows the mounting strut of the frame and the clamping strip to be preferably embedded in the receiving profile of the seat shell. I.e. neither the mounting strut nor the clamping strip protrude noticeably from the underside of the seat shell. This has the advantage that with certain frame forms such as C-shaped chair legs, it is possible to stack several chairs on top of each other and/or place a chair with its seat on a table top (so-called “up-chairing”) without any problems and without the risk of damaging the lower chair or the table top or the clamping strips. To achieve this, only a sufficient thickness of the seat shell and a sufficient depth of the receiving profile in the seat shell underside are to be provided.
In a configuration of the invention, the clamping strip comprises, on its side facing the seat shell, a receiving profile running parallel to the longitudinal direction of the fastening section and form-fittingly enclosing a circumferential section of the mounting strut.
In another configuration of the invention, the clamping strip comprises, on its side facing away from the seat shell, an intake groove in which an auxiliary element for sliding the clamping strip into the fastening section of the receiving profile and locking the clamping strip in the fastening section of the receiving profile can engage. In this way, the mounting of the clamping strip can be simplified or supported. The auxiliary element is, for example, a type of pin or bolt that can be hit, for example, with a hammer to drive the clamping strip into the fastening section.
In another configuration of the invention, there are provided a plurality of clamping strips for preferably form-fittingly clamping the mounting strut in a plurality of fastening sections of the receiving profile of the seat shell. In this way, the stability of the mounting of the mounting strut on the seat shell can be increased.
In case the frame of the chair comprises a plurality of mounting struts, preferably at least one fastening section in the receiving profile and at least one clamping strip are provided for each of this plurality of mounting struts.
In another configuration of the invention, the receiving profile has a plurality of different fastening sections for receiving mounting struts of differently designed frames. This means that one version of a seat or a seat shell can be used in combination with various versions of frames.
With the above and other objects in view there is also provided, in accordance with the invention, a system that includes a seat shell for a chair, wherein an underside of the seat shell comprises a receiving profile for receiving at least part of a mounting strut of a frame of the chair, and wherein the receiving profile comprises a fastening section extending from a circumferential edge of the seat shell parallel to the plane of the seat shell into the interior of the seat shell and having an access opening at the circumferential edge of the seat shell; and a clamping strip for clamping the mounting strut of the frame in place in the fastening section of the receiving profile of the seat shell, wherein the clamping strip is slidable from the access opening of the fastening section at the circumferential edge of the seat shell into the fastening section in a direction parallel to a longitudinal direction of the fastening section, and wherein the clamping strip is fixed in an end position of the clamping strip in the fastening section in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the seat shell.
With the above and other objects in view there is also provided, in accordance with the invention, a method for mounting a seat shell of a seat for a chair on a frame for supporting the seat, wherein the frame comprises, on its side facing the seat, at least one mounting strut running parallel to a plane of the seat shell, comprises providing an underside of the seat shell facing the frame with a receiving profile for receiving at least part of the mounting strut of the frame, wherein the receiving profile comprises a fastening section extending from a circumferential edge of the seat shell parallel to the plane of the seat shell into the interior of the seat shell and having an access opening at the circumferential edge of the seat shell; and clamping the mounting strut in place in the fastening section of the receiving profile of the seat shell by sliding a clamping strip from the access opening of the fastening section at the circumferential edge of the seat shell into the fastening section on a side of the mounting strut of the frame facing away from the seat shell and in a direction parallel to a longitudinal direction of the fastening section, wherein the clamping strip is fixed in an end position in the fastening section in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the seat shell.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a chair, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first, particularly, to
Each of the chairs 10 has a seat 12 with a seat shell 13 and a backrest 15 formed in one piece with the latter. The seat 12 is formed, for example, as a blow-molded shell made of plastic. The seat 12 is respectively supported by a frame 16, which is attached to an underside 14 of the seat shell 13.
In
The receiving profile 22 is preferably formed by recesses or grooves in the underside 14 of the seat shell 13 so that it is located substantially completely within the thickness of the seat shell 13. The receiving profile 22 has several fastening sections 23, 24 each running from a circumferential edge of the seat shell 13 to the interior region of the seat shell 13. The two fastening sections 23 in the rear area of the seat shell 13 facing the backrest 15 each have a longitudinal direction 24; and the two fastening sections 25 in the front area of the seat shell 13 facing away from the backrest 15 each have a longitudinal direction 26. The fastening sections 23, 25 each start at an access opening 27 at the circumferential edge of the seat shell 13.
In the design variants of
Referring to
For clamping the mounting strip 19 in place in this fastening section 23 of the receiving profile 22, there is provided a clamping strip 30, which is exemplarily illustrated in
As illustrated in
As shown in
Thus, the clamping strip 30 is, in its end position in the fastening section 23, locked in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the seat shell 13 as well as in the longitudinal direction 24 of the fastening section 23 and is thus fixed in the latter. Thus, the fastening of the mounting strut 19 of the frame 16 in the receiving profile 22 in the underside 14 of the seat shell 13 is secured.
As especially shown in
In order to simplify sliding and locking the clamping strip 30 into/in the fastening section 23, the clamping strip 30 optionally comprises an intake groove 36 on its outer side facing away from the seat shell 13. An auxiliary element, for example in the form of a bolt, can be pushed into this intake groove 36 and then be hit, for example, with a hammer to drive the clamping strip 30 into the fastening section 23.
Referring to
For clamping the mounting strut 19 in place in this fastening section 25 of the receiving profile 22, there is provided a clamping strip 31 which is exemplarily shown in
As illustrated in
As shown in
Thus, the clamping strip 31 is, in its end position in the fastening section 25, locked in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the seat shell 13 as well as in the longitudinal direction 26 of the fastening section 25 and is thus fixed in the latter. Thus, the fastening of the mounting strut 19 of the frame 16 in the receiving profile 22 in the underside 14 of the seat shell 13 is secured.
In order to simplify sliding and locking the clamping strip 31 into/in the fastening section 25, the clamping strip 31 optionally comprises an intake groove 36 on its outer side facing away from the seat shell 13. An auxiliary element, for example in the form of a bolt, can be pushed into this intake groove 36 and then be hit, for example, with a hammer to drive the clamping strip 31 into the fastening section 25.
The features of the two design variants of
The mounting of the frame 16 of the chair 10 of
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2018 129 550.2 | Nov 2018 | DE | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
7380879 | Fletcher | Jun 2008 | B2 |
8757725 | Schneider | Jun 2014 | B2 |
10021981 | Zheng | Jul 2018 | B1 |
10485350 | Lenhart | Nov 2019 | B2 |
20020047298 | Brauning | Apr 2002 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
202010007149 | Aug 2010 | DE |
102016222653 | May 2018 | DE |
102016222653 | May 2018 | DE |
202020002848 | Aug 2020 | DE |
1897467 | Mar 2008 | EP |
1494770 | Sep 1967 | FR |
1176032 | Jan 1970 | GB |
1176032 | Jan 1970 | GB |
2011029161 | Mar 2011 | WO |
WO-2011029161 | Mar 2011 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20200163459 A1 | May 2020 | US |