US 4,191,424 A · Support grid for upholstered seating

Abstract

A support grid for upholstered seating of the "bucket" type, consisting of a series of closely space transversely extending spring cross wires defining the main cushion area of either a seat bottom or a seat back, connected at their respective ends to a pair of side spring wires, and angled upwardly and outwardly from the side wires to form the seat "wings" or bolsters, the novelty of the invention lying in the connection of the cross wires to the side wires, in which each cross wire has an S-bend formed therein in a plane normal to the main cushion area, the loop of the S-bend adjoining the main cushion area containing the associated side wire, whereby loading of the associated wing portion tends to open said loop rather than clamping it more tightly about the side wire, so that metal fatigue is reduced, and the other loop of the S-bend opening outwardly, tending to distribute the flexure strains along a longer section of the wire to further reduce metal fatigue, selection of the radius of curvature of this last named loop serving to adjust the stiffness or resistance to flexure of the wing portion. The grid may be used as a spring base for upholstery padding by suspending the side wires thereof resiliently from a rigid seating frame, or may be completely encapsulated in an elastic foam pad supported in a "pan" formed by the seating frame, in which case it serves as reinforcement for the pad.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A support grid for an upholstered seat bottom or seat back structure having a transversely central main seating area and side wing portion seating areas at the sides of said main seating area and inclined outwardly and upwardly from said main seating area, said grid comprising a wire fabric including:

a. a series of closely spaced, generally parallel spring cross wires extending transversely of said seating structure, the central portions of said cross wires defining said main seating area, and the end portions of said cross wires being angled upwardly and outwardly to define said wing seating areas, each of said cross wires being twice rebent on itself at each side of said main seating area to form an S-bend disposed in a plane generally normal to said seating areas and each including an inwardly opening lower loop and an outwardly opening upper loop, and
b. a pair of resilient side strands extending transversely to said cross wires respectively at each side of said main seating area and each confined in said inwardly opening lower loops of the S-bends of said cross wires at its associated side of said main seating area, the cross wires continuing outwardly from said upper loops to define said wing seating areas, whereby top-loading of said wing seating areas flexes said cross wires, tending to restrict said upper loops, expand said lower loops, and loosen the engagement of said side strands in said lower loops, said grid being covered by a layer of padding material.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Support grid for upholstered seating

Life of this patent

Support grid for upholstered seating

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims6