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US 6,059,368 AGranted
Office chair
AssigneeHerman Miller, Inc.
InventorsWilliam E. Stumpf, Rodney C. Schoenfelder, Donald Chadwick, Carolyn Keller, Timothy P. Coffield, Randy J. Sayers, Jeffrey W. Bruner, Eric Cammenga
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A support assembly for supporting the body of a user in a chair including a frame member having a channel. A prestretched membrane comprising an elastic material is attached to a carrier member, which is inserted in the channel. A method is also provided for manufacturing a chair including a frame member, a membrane and a carrier member.
Claims59
A chair comprising:
- a frame member having a central opening therethrough and a channel formed around at least a portion of a perimeter thereof;
- a carrier member;
- and
- a stretched membrane comprising an elastomeric material attached to the carrier member, wherein said carrier member with said stretched membrane attached thereto is inserted in said channel and wherein said stretched membrane is not otherwise attached to said channel, wherein said stretched membrane covers the central opening.
1 more element
A chair comprising:
- a frame member having a central opening therethrough and a channel formed around at least a portion of a perimeter thereof;
- a one-piece deformable carrier member;
- and
- a stretched membrane of elastic material having an edge portion attached to the carrier member, said carrier member with said stretched membrane attached thereto inserted in said channel, wherein said stretched membrane is not otherwise attached to said channel and wherein said stretched membrane covers the central opening.
1 more element
A method of manufacturing a chair comprising:
- providing a frame, said frame having a central opening therethrough and a channel formed around at least a portion of a perimeter thereof;
- providing a membrane comprising an elastomeric material;
- stretching said membrane from an unstretched condition to a stretched condition;
- attaching a carrier member to said membrane when said membrane is in said stretched condition;
- and
- inserting said carrier member into said channel after attaching said carrier member to said stretched membrane.
3 more elements
A chair comprising:
- a frame member having a channel;
- a carrier member press fitted in said channel, said carrier member and said channel having corresponding contours wherein said channel is shaped to receive said carrier member by said press fit;
- a stretched membrane comprising an elastomeric material and an edge portion molded with said carrier member.
A chair comprising:
- a frame member having a central opening and a channel formed around the perimeter thereof;
- a stretched membrane of elastic material;
- and
- a carrier member attached to said stretched membrane around its entire periphery, said carrier member with said stretched membrane attached thereto inserted in said channel, wherein said stretched membrane is not otherwise attached to said channel and wherein said stretched membrane covers the central opening.
1 more element
A method of manufacturing a chair comprising:
- providing a frame comprising a channel formed along a portion thereof;
- providing an elastic membrane;
- stretching said membrane from an unstretched condition to a stretched condition;
- attaching a carrier member to said membrane while said membrane is in said stretched condition;
- and
- inserting said carrier member into said channel after said membrane is attached thereto.
3 more elements
A chair comprising:
- a frame member having an opening therethrough and a channel formed around at least a portion of a perimeter thereof;
- a carrier member;
- and
- a stretched membrane comprising an elastomeric material and an edge portion molded with said carrier member, wherein said carrier member with said stretched membrane attached thereto is inserted in said channel, wherein said stretched membrane covers the opening.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.