Patent Application
20190343285
The present disclosure relates to chairs. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to chairs of the chaise lounge type. Even more particularly, the present disclosure relates to chaise lounge seating suitable for outdoor use.
Customers continue to seek unique, functional seating for furnishing indoor and outdoor living environments at homes, businesses, and hospitality environments. For outdoor use in particular, chaise lounge seating has been popular poolside because such seats often provide the user an adjustable backrest to allow the user to select the angle of recline from an upright position to a substantially flat configuration as they enjoy leisure time.
There remains a need for seating, particular outdoor seating, with even further enhanced functionality.
One embodiment of the present disclosure describes a chair comprising an elongated, substantially planar seat frame having a front distal end and a rear distal end. An imaginary mid-plane bisects the seat frame between the front distal end and the rear distal end. The chair also includes a backrest frame. The backrest frame is attached proximate to the rear distal end of the seat frame. The backrest frame may be reclineable relative to the seat frame. A swivel base supports the seat frame such that the seat frame is capable of rotating relative to a support surface about a rotation axis. The rotation axis is substantially normal to the seat frame and the support surface, and the rotation axis intersects the seat frame rearward of the imaginary mid-plane. The chair also includes at least one support leg extending downward from the seat frame at a location forward of the imaginary mid-plane for selectively contacting the support surface.
Another embodiment of the present disclosure includes an outdoor chaise lounge comprising an elongated, substantially planar seat frame having a front distal end and a rear distal end. An imaginary mid-plane bisects the seat frame between the front distal end and the rear distal end. The outdoor chaise lounge also includes a backrest frame. The backrest frame is attached proximate to the rear distal end of the seat frame. The backrest frame may be reclineable relative to the seat frame. A swivel base supports the seat frame such that the seat frame is capable of rotating relative to a support surface about a rotation axis. The rotation axis is substantially normal to the seat frame and the support surface, and the rotation axis intersects the seat frame rearward of the imaginary mid-plane. At least one support leg extends downward from the seat frame at a location forward of the imaginary mid-plane for selectively contacting the support surface. The front distal end of the seat frame may be fixed relative to the rear distal end of the seat frame. The backrest frame may be capable of being positioned substantially parallel with the seat frame.
These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after a reading of the following description of the preferred embodiments, when considered in conjunction with the drawings. It should be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed.
Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are described below and illustrated in the accompanying figures, in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views. The embodiments described provide examples and should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention. Other embodiments, and modifications and improvements of the described embodiments, will occur to those skilled in the art and all such other embodiments, modifications and improvements are within the scope of the present invention. Features from one embodiment or aspect may be combined with features from any other embodiment or aspect in any appropriate combination. For example, any individual or collective features of method aspects or embodiments may be applied to apparatus, product or component aspects or embodiments and vice versa.
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The chair 20 may be constructed from materials that render the chair suitable for outdoor use. For example, the chair 20 may comprise an aluminum framework 24. The framework 24 may alternatively be constructed from other weather-resistant materials, such as synthetic resin, treated wood, composites designed to imitate wood, or other metal or coated metal materials. One or more cushions 28 may be optionally supported by the framework 24. In one embodiment, the cushions 28 are removable from the framework 24 so the cushions can be brought indoors during bad weather or for cleaning purposes.
The framework 24 may generally include a seat frame 32 and a backrest frame 36. Optional arms 40 are illustrated attached to and extending from the seat frame 32. The seat frame 32 has a front distal end 44 and a rear distal end 48. Between the front distal end 44 and the rear distal end 48, the seat frame 32 provides a substantially planar configuration that is elongated in the front-to-rear direction. For example, the seat frame 32 may have a length in the front-to-rear direction that is at least twice the width of the seat frame measured perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction. The plane P, as defined by the seat frame 32, may be bisected by an imaginary mid-plane M half way between the front distal end 44 and the rear distal end 48. In one embodiment, the front distal end 44 of the seat frame 32 is fixed relative to the rear distal end 48 of the seat frame. Further, the elongated nature of the seat frame 32 provides a configuration suitable for supporting the legs of a user without a separate footrest being pivotably attached proximate to the front distal end 44 thereof. Again, this configuration allows a user to sit at the front distal end 44 of the seat frame 32, where an adjustable footrest or an elongated seat frame that was not planar may not be capable of supporting a person on the front end of the chair.
The backrest frame 36 may be attached to the seat frame 32 proximate to the rear distal end 48 thereof. As used herein to describe the location of the backrest frame 36, “proximate” means closer to the rear distal end 48 than the front distal end 44. In one embodiment, the backrest frame 36 is able to pivot relative to the seat frame 32 about a pivot axis R that is offset from the rear distal end 48 of the seat frame. Due to the provided pivoting function, the backrest frame 36 may be considered capable of reclining relative to the seat frame 32. In one embodiment, as shown in
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The swivel base 60 may be configured to accommodate the specific challenges of supporting a chaise lounge due to the elongated nature of chairs of this type in combination with the shifting center of mass as a result of the ability for the backrest frame 36 to recline resulting in supporting the user in various states of repose. In one example, the plates 74 and 80 are selected in size and gauge to accommodate the weight of the chair 20 and an adult user. In another example, the bottom 88 of the support frame 70 may be circular, and the diameter of the bottom 88 of the support frame 70 may be larger than the width of the seat frame 32, excluding the optional arms 40. Further, the support frame 70 may be configured similar to a truncated cone, tapering upward from the widest point at the bottom 88 toward the location of the first plate 74.
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In another embodiment (as shown in
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Although the above disclosure has been presented in the context of exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be utilized without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as those skilled in the art will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
