The present invention relates to load bearing surfaces, and more particularly to elastomeric fabric load bearing surfaces, such as the seat or back of a chair or bench, or the support surface of a bed, cot or other similar body-supporting product.
There is a continuing effort to develop new and improved load bearing surfaces for use in body-supporting applications, such as the support surfaces in seating, cots and beds. It is desirable for load bearing surfaces to be, among other things, comfortable, durable and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and assemble.
There is an increasing use of elastomeric load bearing fabrics in the seating industry. For example, there are a variety of office chairs available from well-known suppliers that include seat and back portions manufactured from elastomeric fabric. In a conventional application of this type, a layer of elastomeric fabric is stretched across a frame over an opening. In use, the elastomeric fabric elastically deflects to provide a resilient, somewhat cushion-like response to a load. Elastomeric load bearing fabrics are typically manufactured from a weave of elastomeric monofilaments and multifilament yarns, but may include other woven and non-woven constructions. For example, some elastomeric fabrics are woven entirely from elastomeric monofilaments (i.e. the fill yarns are replaced by elastomeric filaments). Elastomeric load bearing fabrics provide a comfortable, elastic, ventilated surface. Although elastomeric fabric surfaces can be quite comfortable in many applications, they are not ideal in all body-support applications. Conventional elastomeric fabric surfaces typically deflect like a sling when a load is applied. Some ergonomists refer to this type of deflection as “hammocking” and consider it undesirable because it can cause the hips to rotate upward. This rotation of the hips can cause discomfort, particularly over extended periods. To minimize the degree of hammocking, many elastomeric fabric surfaces are stretched even more tightly than might otherwise be desired. Although this can reduce the amount of deflection that occurs under load (and therefore reduce the degree of hammocking), it can have an unintended negative impact on comfort. More specifically, stretching the fabric tighter will reduce the cushion-like feel of the surface making it feel more like a tightly stretched drum.
Accordingly, there remains a need for an elastomeric fabric load bearing surface that overcomes the limitation of existing constructions.
The aforementioned problems are overcome by the present invention which provides an elastomeric fabric load bearing surface with a tunable, non-linear force/deflection profile. More particularly, the present invention provides an elastomeric fabric load bearing surface having a non-linear change in deflection in response to increased loads.
In one embodiment, the present invention provides a multi-layer load bearing surface in which the various layers cooperate to define a non-linear force/deflection profile. In this embodiment, the load bearing surface includes at least one layer of an elastomeric fabric coupled with one or more additional support layers. The additional support layers may also be elastomeric fabric, but may alternatively be other load bearing materials, such as elastomeric membranes or conventional fabrics. As a load is increasingly applied to the first layer, the second and any additional layers become increasingly engaged by the load. This results in a surface that provides greater support in response to greater deflection. The specific force/deflection profile of the load bearing surface can be controlled by varying the number and characteristics of the various layers.
In one embodiment, at least one of the various layers is provided with different support characteristics in one or more specific regions. This permits a high degree of regional control over the overall profile of the load bearing surface. For example, in a two-layer embodiment, the lower layer can define one or more openings. The openings can be positioned to coincide with the gluteal portions of the occupant's body, thereby reducing pressure on the ischium bones and providing a more cushion-like feel to the occupant. The number of layers, material selection and other characteristics of the load bearing surface can be controlled to provide the desired force/deflection profile.
In a second embodiment of the present invention, the load bearing surface includes a load bearing fabric that is configured in a non-linear pattern. For example, the fabric may follow a wave-like pattern. As the load increasingly deflects the fabric, more and more of the fabric becomes engaged by the load. As a result, the fabric provides increasing support for greater loads in a non-linear manner. The size, location, configuration and other characteristics of the wave, as well as the characteristics of the fabric can be varied to provide control over the profile of the surface.
The present invention provides a comfortable, highly tunable elastomeric fabric load bearing surface. The elastomeric fabric load bearing surface is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and provides a light-weight surface that can be ventilated to inhibit heat retention. The present invention provides a load bearing surface having a non-linear force/deflection profile that can be tuned to exhibit support characteristics that are particularly well suited for use in seating applications. If desired, the load bearing surface can be tuned to closely mimic the support characteristics of conventional cushion sets. Further, if desired, select regions of the load bearing surface can be varied to provide localized control over the characteristics of the surface. For example, in multilayer applications, one or more of the layers may include openings to provide reduced pressure in select regions. As another example, in applications with non-linear fabric, the configuration of the fabric can be varied from region to region to provide the regions with different load bearing characteristics.
These and other objects, advantages, and features of the invention will be readily understood and appreciated by reference to the detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the drawings.
A load bearing surface 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown in
As noted above, the load bearing surface 10 generally includes an upper layer 12 (See
The lower layer 14 may be spaced apart from the upper layer 12, in whole or in part, so that the spaced-apart region(s) do not interact with the load until the upper layer 12 has deflected a determined amount under load. Although the lower layer 14 may be an elastomeric fabric, it may alternatively be other types of load bearing materials. For example, the lower layer 14 may be a non-elastomeric fabric, such as canvas, or an elastomeric membrane, such as a molded elastomeric film. Although the illustrated embodiment includes two layers, the number of layers may vary from application to application. For example, the load bearing surface 10 may include a third layer (not shown) positioned below lower layer 14 to allow further control over the force/deflection profile of the load bearing surface once the third layer becomes engaged by the load.
In the embodiment shown in
The load bearing surface 10 resulting from the combination of upper layer 12 and lower layer 14 provides a non-linear force/deflection profile. More specifically, as a load is initially applied to the surface, it engages only the upper layer 12. As the load increases and the upper layer 12 deflects, it moves toward the lower layer 14. When the upper layer 12 deflects a sufficient amount, it comes into engagement with the lower layer 14. Once this happens, the upper layer 12 and lower layer 14 cooperate to support the load. As a result of the additional support provided by the lower layer 14, the overall support of the load bearing surface 10 increases in a non-linear manner upon engagement of the lower layer 14. The spacing between the upper layer 12 and lower layer 14 may be varied to provide some control over the load required to engage the lower layer 14. Further, the spacing may be varied in different regions of the load bearing surface 10 to provide region control over the force required to engage the lower layer 14.
If desired, one or more layers of the load bearing surface 10 can be provided with regions of differing support. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the lower layer 14 defines a plurality of openings 20, 22, 24 and 26. These openings are positioned on the lower layer 14 to coincide with select pressure points, such as the ischium bones. As a result, the support characteristics of the load bearing surface 10 are different in these regions once the lower layer 14 is engaged by the load. More specifically, these openings 20, 22, 24 and 26 provide the lower layer 14 with regions that exhibit less resistance to deflection, relying essentially on the upper layer 12 for support. Accordingly, they minimize pressure points in the open regions. The number, size and location of the openings may vary from application to application as desired to tune the characteristics of the load bearing surface 10 to a specific application. The support characteristics of any given layer can be varied from region to region in alternative ways. For example, in applications were the layer to be tuned is a sheet material, the thickness of the sheet may be varied from region to region or the sheet may be perforated in select regions. In applications were the layer to be tuned is a fabric, examples include varying the characteristics of the fabric strands from region to region, stretching the fabric different amounts in different regions, adding additional support strands in select regions, welding the intersecting strands of the fabric together only in select regions or, as noted above, by varying the spacing of the layers in select regions.
The various layers 12 and 14 of the load bearing surface 10 can be secured to a support structure in essentially any way capable of supporting the intended loads. In the illustrated embodiment, the load bearing surface 10 includes a frame 16 and a single carrier 18 for attaching the layers 12 and 14 to the frame 16. The frame 16 is a relatively rigid component providing a majority of the structural support for the seat. The frame 16 may be manufactured from suitable structural plastics, for example, by injection molding. The frame 16 may define a channel 30 to receive the carrier 18. The carrier 18 of this embodiment provides a structure for securing the layers 12 and 14 to the frame 16. During manufacture, the carrier 18 may be interconnected with the upper layer 12 and the lower layer 14 and then the assembly may be connected to the frame 16. For example, the carrier 18 may be connected to the frame 16 within the channel 30 by fasteners, adhesives or through the use of slots and locking tabs (not shown) built into the carrier 18 and frame 16. Alternatively, the two layers 12 and 14 may be attached to separate carriers (not shown) and then each carrier (not shown) can be separately secured to the frame 16.
The various layers 12 and 14 can be secured to the carrier 18 (or carriers) in essentially any way capable of supporting the intended loads. In one embodiment, the carrier 18 is molded in situ about the two layers 12 and 14. In one specific example of this construction, the two layers 12 and 14 are secured to the carrier 18 by pre-stretching the two layers 12 and 14 and then holding the two layers 12 and 14 in the stretched state within the carrier mold (not shown) while the carrier 18 is molded in situ onto the layers 12 and 14. U.S. Pat. No. 6,702,390 to Stumpf et al discloses structure for performing a similar manufacturing process including only a single layer of fabric. The apparatus of U.S. Pat. No. 6,702,390 can be readily modified for use with the present invention by incorporating a second loom for holding the second layer. U.S. Pat. No. 6,702,390 is incorporated by reference into this application in its entirety. If desired, a separate carrier may be molded to each layer so that each layer may be separately attached to the frame.
Alternatively, the carrier 18 can be molded in situ about two layers 12 and 14 when the two layers are in a relaxed state. In this embodiment, the carrier 18 may be manufactured from a stretchable material that permits the carrier 18 and the layers 12 and 14 to be stretched together. The stretched assembly of carrier 18 and layers 12 and 14 may be attached to the frame 16, which retains the assembly in the stretched condition. U.S. Pat. No. 6,540,950 to Coffield discloses an attachment structure of this type and is incorporated by reference into this application in its entirety. In applications where the two layers 12 and 14 are to be subject to the same stretch, a single carrier 18 can be simultaneously molded to both layers 12 and 14. In applications where each layer 12 and 14 is to be subjected to a different stretch (e.g. stretched in different directions and/or stretched to different amounts), separate carriers (not shown) can be molded to each layer 12 and 14, and the two carriers can be separately stretched and attached to the frame 16.
In another alternative, the attachment construction may include a single carrier 18 having two halves that are closed about the layers 12 and 14 to hold them in place. An attachment construction of this type is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,511,562 to Coffield, which is incorporated by reference into this application in its entirety. If there is a desire to space the layers 12 and 14 apart from one another along the edges, the carrier may include one or more additional parts (not shown) positioned between the layers 12 and 14. For example, if it is desirable to space two layers, the carrier may include a third part corresponding in overall shape with the two carrier halves. This third part may be positioned between the layers 12 and 14 and between the two carrier halves. The various carrier parts and layers may be interconnected by fasteners, such as screws, or by adhesives, such as cement.
In another alternative, the carrier(s) can be eliminated and the layers can be directly attached to the support structure (e.g. frame 16). For example, the frame 16 can be molded in situ directly onto the upper and lower layers 12 and 14. As another example, the frame 16 may include two halves that clamp about the edges of the layers 12 and 14. If desired, additional frame parts (not shown) may be sandwiched between the various layers to provide spacing between the layers. The present invention is not limited to applications in which the layers 12 and 14 are secured to a single frame 16. Rather, the load bearing surface 10 may be supported on multiple frames, for example, by incorporating a separate frame for each layer.
Another embodiment in accordance with a second aspect of the present invention is show in
The load bearing surface 100 of the illustrated embodiment is intended for use as a seat for a chair (not shown). As shown, this particular embodiment includes four largely identical undulations 110 that run parallel to one another and are intended to run from left to right in the assembled chair. In this embodiment, the fabric 102 is stretched in a direction that is coincident with the longitudinal extent of the undulations 110. The degree of stretch applied to the fabric 102 may vary from application to application to provide the desired load bearing characteristics. In this embodiment, the fabric 102 follows a repeating wave-like pattern in which each undulation 110 of the fabric 102 includes angled leading and trailing portions, 112 and 114 respectively, (collectively referred to as transition portions) that are joined by a generally planar central portion 116 (or support portion) (See
The elastomeric fabric 102 may be mounted to a support structure in essentially any manner. In the embodiment of
The number, size, shape and configuration of the undulations in the fabric can be selected to provide control over the force and deflection profile of the load bearing surface. These changes can be uniformly implemented over the entire load bearing surface or may be varied from one region to another across the surface to provide localized control over the support characteristics of the surface. For example, the undulations 110′ in the fabric 102′ may vary in depth (or height) as necessary to accommodate the desired range of loads, as shown in
Although this second aspect of the present invention is described in connection with elastomeric fabrics, it may also be implemented with other types of elastomeric membranes, such as elastomeric films. A wide variety of elastomeric materials are suitable for forming alternative elastomeric membranes. These membranes may be molded, cast, extruded or otherwise formed using conventional techniques and apparatus.
The present invention is illustrated in connection with load bearing surfaces intended to extend in a substantially horizontal orientation. The present invention may, however, be incorporated into load bearing surfaces extending at other orientations. For example, the present invention is well-suited for use in vertically extending applications, such as a chair back.
The above description is that of various embodiments of the invention. Various alterations and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and broader aspects of the invention as defined in the appended claims, which are to be interpreted in accordance with the principles of patent law including the doctrine of equivalents. Any reference to claim elements in the singular, for example, using the articles “a,” “an,” “the” or “said,” is not to be construed as limiting the element to the singular.
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