Patent Application
20220354263
Often when mediating, a person sits cross legged. Generally, this requires the person to be seated on a floor as the seating surfaces on typical chairs are neither wide nor deep enough to accommodate a user seated in this position. Floors can be dirty and a people are often hesitant about sitting on a floor without an additional covering, such as a yoga mat. When sitting on a floor a person does not have support for his/her back. Chair seating surfaces (and floors for that matter) are usually flat and do not provide support for the knees and laterally extended portions of the legs when sitting cross legged.
Embodiments of the present invention comprise a chair having a seatback and a raised seating surface. The raised seating surface has a front to back dimension (depth) substantially measuring in one variation approximately 0.8 meters. The seating surface further has a left to right side dimension (width) of approximately 0.8 to 0.9 meters depending on where the width is measured. The seating surface is further curved upwardly on the left and right sides relative to the front to back center of the seating surface. In one variation, the radius of curvature pertaining to the curve is about 0.5 meters. The ample width of the chair, as well as, its depth allows the totality of a user's buttock and legs to be supported on the seating surface while sitting cross legged. Further, the curvature of the surface provides support for the portions of the leg proximate and including the user's knees when in the same position. The seatback permits a user to more comfortably sit cross legged while leaning back slightly: something that cannot typically be done while sitting cross legged on the ground.
The terms and phrases as indicated in quotation marks (“ ”) in this section are intended to have the meaning ascribed to them in this Terminology section applied to them throughout this document, including in the claims, unless clearly indicated otherwise in context. Further, as applicable, the stated definitions are to apply, regardless of the word or phrase's case, to the singular and plural variations of the defined word or phrase.
The term “or” as used in this specification and the appended claims is not meant to be exclusive; rather the term is inclusive, meaning either or both.
References in the specification to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “another embodiment”, “a preferred embodiment”, “an alternative embodiment”, “one variation”, “a variation” and similar phrases mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment or variation, is included in at least an embodiment or variation of the invention. The phrase “in one embodiment”, “in one variation” or similar phrases, as used in various places in the specification, are not necessarily meant to refer to the same embodiment or the same variation.
The term “couple” or “coupled” as used in this specification and appended claims refers to an indirect or direct physical connection between the identified elements, components, or objects. Often the manner of the coupling will be related specifically to the manner in which the two coupled elements interact.
The term “directly coupled” or “coupled directly,” as used in this specification and appended claims, refers to a physical connection between identified elements, components, or objects, in which no other element, component, or object resides between those identified as being directly coupled.
The term “approximately,” as used in this specification and appended claims, refers to plus or minus 10% of the value given.
The term “about,” as used in this specification and appended claims, refers to plus or minus 20% of the value given.
The terms “generally” and “substantially,” as used in this specification and appended claims, mean mostly, or for the most part.
Directional and/or relationary terms such as, but not limited to, left, right, nadir, apex, top, bottom, vertical, horizontal, back, front and lateral are relative to each other and are dependent on the specific orientation of an applicable element or article, and are used accordingly to aid in the description of the various embodiments and are not necessarily intended to be construed as limiting.
The front and back leg sections 115 are each generally planar and comprise a concavely curved top edge that effectively dictates the curvature of the seating surface 122. The seating surface being defined as the top surface of the seat cushion 120 or other surface on which the user directly sits. A recessed lip 117, as seen in
Along the bottom edge of each leg section 115 left and right legs 108 are formed by way of a cutout portion. The form and shape of the legs are largely a matter of design preference and in some variations the entire bottom edge may be configured for contact with floor or ground surface forming either a front leg or a rear leg. As can be appreciated, the height of the chair and the seating surface are largely dictated by the height of the leg sections. In the illustrated embodiment, the height of the front and back leg sections are the same, but variations are contemplated wherein the height of the back leg section is less than the front leg section causing the seating section to incline slightly towards the seatback assembly 104.
The planar leg sections 115 can be made of any suitable material and have thicknesses corresponding to the strength, stiffness, and other properties of the chosen material. For instance, the leg sections can be made of wood, composite laminate, plywood, reinforced or unreinforced plastic, and metal. In other embodiments and variations, the leg sections need not be planar or unitary pieces.
As indicated above the leg sections 115 are spaced apart and attached to each other by way of the seat slats 125 & 130 that together form part of a seat base. The chair comprises left and right end slats 125 that are wider than middle slats 130 and include a finished curved edge that extends beyond the corresponding left or right edge of the leg sections 115. As indicated by their name the left and right end slats are secured to the leg sections in the recessed lips 117 proximate the respective left or right edges thereof. The middle slats are rectangular in shape. The middle slats are evenly spaced along and secured to the recessed lips 117 between the end slats. Generally, the slats are fastened to the leg sections by way of threaded fasteners or nails. Alternatively or additionally, the slats can be adhesively bonded in place. Depending on the construction of the leg sections and the slats, other joining technologies can be utilized as well.
As with the leg sections 115, the slats 125 & 130 can be made of any suitable material including any one or combination of the materials provided above for the leg sections 115.
The seatback arms 110 are secured to the back leg section 115 at a proximal end thereof typically using threaded fasteners, although any suitable means of attachment including adhesive bonding, nailing, and welding can be utilized, The pair of seatback arms extended upwardly in parallel and can be canted rearwardly a few degrees (typically 0-15 degrees) off of orthogonal with the seating surface 122. A backrest 105 is attached to the arms generally proximate the distal ends of the arms by any suitable means, such as threaded fasteners.
As with the leg sections, the seatback arms 110 and the backrest 105 can be made of any suitable material including any one or combination of the materials provided above for the leg sections 115. Further, the configuration of the seatback 104 can vary significantly and substantially in other embodiments and variations. In one embodiment, the seatback or a portion of it, such as the seatback arms, can be integrated into the base assembly. For instance, the seatback arm can comprise a portion of the back leg section extending upwardly to form the seatback arm. In yet another variation, the backrest can be further integral with the seatback arm. The backrest can be other shapes than that of the round backrest illustrated. The backrest need not be planar but can have a curved contour. A single seatback arm can also replace the pair in variations.
The seat cushion 120 is received over the slats 125 & 130. It can be of any suitable construction but typically comprises a open or closed cell foam that is covered in a flexible material, such as but not limited to fabric, vinyl, simulated leather and leather. The seat cushion can be substantially flat or planar wherein it takes on the curve of the underlying base assembly 102 when installed thereon, or the cushion can be fabricated with a curve that is complimentary with the corresponding curve of the base assembly. The cushion can be either fixedly or removably secured to the underlying slats. In yet another variation, the cushion may simply rest on the slats. For instance in some variations, the seat cushion can be secured to the slats at select locations using hook and loop material strips.
The backrest cushion 135 is received on and substantially covers a front face of the backrest 105. Like the seat cushion, it typically comprises an open or closed cell foam that is covered in a flexible material, such as but not limited to fabric, vinyl, simulated leather and leather. The backrest cushion can be secured to the backrest by any suitable means including hook and loop strips, adhesive and mechanical fastening. Some variations of the chair may not include a backrest cushion.
The overall dimensions of the chair and more particularly the dimensions associated with the seating surface 122 can vary from embodiment to embodiment and variation to variation; however, at least one embodiment exhibits the dimensions and combination of dimensions described herein. The depth of the seating surface 122 from the front edge to the back edge thereof is sufficient to permit an adult 200 to assume a crossed leg stance while sitting on the chair 100 wherein his/her legs are fully supported by the seat cushion on the seating surface as best illustrated in
The left to right horizontal width of the seating surface 122 is also wider than most prior art chairs to accommodate a person sitting cross legged. At its shortest, the left to right horizontal width is about 0.75 meters, and at the center of the end slats which curve outwardly towards their middle, the width is a little longer at about 0.8 meters. Widths that are longer are also contemplated.
The actual length of the arc extending between the left and right edges is longer. The radius of the arc extending left to right on the seating surface 122 is similar to the radius of the arc of the top edge of the leg sections 115 decreased by the thickness of the seating cushion. The extent of the arc from right to left is approximately 90-120 degrees, more preferably approximately 100-110 degrees and most preferably approximately 105 degrees. The arc causes the left and right portions of the seating surface to be raised up relative to the center thereof providing support for the portions of a user's legs proximate and including his/her knees that when in a crossed leg seating position tend to naturally want to be disposed above the user's buttock. This can increase the comfort of sitting in a chair cross legged when compared to a flat seating surface. As described herein, the arc of the seating surface as well as the curvature of the seating surface are described in terms of an arc and radius of a circle. It is to be appreciated that the curve need not completely approximate a portion of a circle, but can comprise, for instance, a portion of an oval.
The base panel 325 is typically comprised of a relatedly thin sheet material that has been shaped such that its upper surface has similar dimensions and curvatures to the corresponding portions of the base section of the first embodiment permitting it to be used in a substantially similar manner as the first embodiment. The panel is typically curved at a radius of about 0.50 meters although tighter and looser radii of curvature are contemplated in variations thereof. It can be comprised of any suitable material having a thickness commensurate with the properties of the material from which it is constructed but thickness less than approximately 1.5″ and more preferably less than 1″ are most common. Variations of the panel can comprise, but are not limited to, laminated wood, laminated composite materials, reinforced or unreinforced plastics, and metal.
At four spaced locations on a bottom surface of the panel 325, leg mounts 345 are provided. Additionally, proximate a back edge of the panel a pair of seatback mounts 340 are secured to the top surface of the panel. These mounts are configured to receive and secure the legs 308 and seatback arms 310 to the panel respectively. The mounts are typically comprised of metal, typically aluminum or steel, and are secured to the panel by way of fasteners, such as screws or rivets, and/or adhesive bonding. The mounts 345 & 340 typically included internally threaded bosses that extend outwardly from the mounts to threadably receive the threaded ends of the legs 308 and seatback arms 310 therein. As can be appreciated, variations of the bosses can also be externally threaded to receive internally threaded leg and seatback arm ends thereover. Additionally the mounts can comprise other mechanisms for securing the legs and seatback arms thereto.
As illustrated, the cylindrical legs 308 are cylindrical and may or may not taper from their widest points at a top end to their thinnest at a bottom end. They can be comprised of any suitable materials, such as metal, wood and composite. In at least one variation, the legs are tubular in construction. As shown, the legs extend outwardly in both a lateral and fore-aft fashion from their respective mounting locations on the bottom of the panel 325 such that the left and right front legs are spaced closer together at their top ends and further apart at their bottom ends. The rear legs are similarly spaced relative to each other.
The pair of cylindrical seatback arms 310 extend upwardly and parallel to each other from the top surface of the panel 325. As best shown in
A backrest panel 305 is attached to the arms 310 generally proximate the distal ends of the arms way of one or more backrest panel mounts 312 which may be separate as illustrated, or may be a single piece that spans between the arms, and in either case is secured to the seatback panels back surface by way of fasteners. The backrest panel 305 can be made of any suitable material with the material typically being similar to the material used in the base panel 320. The backrest can be other shapes than that of the generally round backrest illustrated. The backrest need not comprise a curved contour as shown but can be flat similar to the backrest of the first embodiment 100.
The seat cushion 320 is received over the base panel 325. It can be of any suitable construction but typically comprises an open or closed cell foam that is covered in a flexible material, such as but not limited to fabric, vinyl, simulated leather and leather. The seat cushion can be substantially flat or planar wherein it takes on the curve of the underlying base panel when installed thereon, or the cushion can be fabricated with a curve that is complimentary with the corresponding curve of the base panel. The cushion can be either fixedly or removably secured to the underlying base panel upper surface. The upwardly facing top surface of the seat cushion defines the seating surface of the second embodiment. As can be appreciated the seating surface of this embodiment has similar dimensions as the seating surface of the first embodiment. In a variation that does not have a seat cushion, the top surface of the base panel comprises the seating surface.
The backrest cushion 335 is received on and substantially covers a front face of the backrest panel 305. Like the seat cushion, it typically comprises an open or closed cell foam that is covered in a flexible material, such as but not limited to fabric, vinyl, simulated leather and leather. The backrest cushion can be secured to the backrest by any suitable means including hook and loop strips, adhesive and mechanical fastening. Some variations of the chair may not include a backrest cushion.
Like the first embodiment chair, the overall dimensions of the chair and more particularly the dimensions associated with the seating surface can vary from embodiment to embodiment and variation to variation; however, the second embodiment typically exhibits dimensions and combination of dimensions similar to those described above concerning the first embodiment.
To use the chair, a user typically sits his bottom in the chair in a typical fashion with his legs dangling from the front edge of the seating surface. Next, the user scoots himself rearwardly in the chair until his back is proximate the seatback and his knees are located substantially behind the front edge of the seating surface. The user then folds his legs into the crossed configuration as seen in
As can be appreciated the second embodiment chair 300 as shown in
The various embodiments and variations thereof, illustrated in the accompanying Figures and/or described above, are merely exemplary and are not meant to limit the scope of the invention. It is to be appreciated that numerous other variations of the invention have been contemplated, as would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, given the benefit of this disclosure. Some variations include but are not limited to the following: (1) the backrest can be any suitable shape and need not be round; (2) a single seatback arm can be used to support the backrest; (3) the seatback can be provided without a seatback cushion; (4) the seatback can be partially or wholly integral with the base assembly; (5) the dimensions of the seating surface can vary while remaining within suitable ratios and limits to provide the desired benefits; (6) a seating surface can be provided that does not comprise a cushion but maybe a hard surface; (7) a single piece of shaped wood can replace the plurality of slats connecting the front and back leg sections; and (8) the shape and configuration of the leg section can vary such that in one variation the left and right leg sections are provided instead of front and back leg sections. All variations of the invention that read upon appended claims are intended and contemplated to be within the scope of the invention.
This application is a Continuation in Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/321,416 filed on May 15, 2021, which had the same inventor and same title as the present application.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 17321416 | May 2021 | US |
| Child | 17483352 | US | |
| Parent | 29782835 | May 2021 | US |
| Child | 17321416 | US |
