Armrest for a chair

An armrest construction for a chair, comprising:

• a tubular support post having an elongate main section along a major length thereof wherein said main section has a circular thin-walled profile defined by inner and outer tube surfaces of a tube, said support post further having an armrest mount defined at a free end of said main section, said armrest mount being formed by reshaping said circular thin-walled profile of said tube said free end to provide said armrest mount with a non-circular outer peripheral profile defined by said outer tube surface, said free end being hollow so as to define a peripheral interior post surface defined by said inner tube surface which is unthreaded, said interior post surface defining a plurality of peripherally spaced and inwardly projecting apexes which lie on a circle which defines a central opening which opens end-wise of said free end;
• and
• an armrest assembly comprising an armrest body mountable to said armrest mount of said post, said armrest body comprising a hub mountable to said armrest mount and a support arm positioned to support a chair occupant, said hub defining an open socket which comprises a seat which receives said armrest mount therein, said seat being defined at an inner end by a socket end wall and having a non-circular inner peripheral profile which conforms to and mates with said non-circular outer peripheral profile defined by said outer tube surface of said armrest mount to non-rotatably position said hub relative to said armrest mount, said armrest assembly further comprising a fastener projecting through said socket end wall and fixedly engaging said central opening of said armrest mount to fixedly secure and prevent removal of said armrest body from said post, said fastener having a shank which bites into said unthreaded interior post surface at said apexes for fixed engagement therewith.

An armrest construction for a chair, comprising:

• a support post having an elongate main section along a major length thereof and an armrest mount defined at a free end of said main section, said post being a thin-walled tube and said free end being hollow so as to define a peripheral interior post surface, said free end being shaped to define a non-circular outer peripheral profile when viewed from said free end which said profile is defined by a plurality of peripherally spaced lobes separated from each other by elongate channels, said interior post surface defining a central opening which opens end-wise from said free end and said free end has an end face which defines an outer peripheral edge;
• and
• an armrest assembly comprising an armrest body mountable to said armrest mount of said post, said armrest body comprising a hub mountable to said armrest mount and a support arm positioned to support a chair occupant, said hub defining an open socket which comprises a seat which receives said armrest mount therein, said seat being defined at an inner end by a socket end wall and having a non-circular inner peripheral profile defined by a plurality of ribs spaced apart by grooves which said ribs and grooves respectively conform to and mate with said channels and lobes of said armrest mount to non-rotatably position said hub relative to said armrest mount, said inner peripheral profile of said socket being defined by an interior surface which said interior surface includes thin ridges projecting therefrom, said ridges interfering with said peripheral edge of said post such that said peripheral edge effects removal of portions of said ridges upon insertion of said armrest mount into said socket to provide a tight-fitting engagement therebetween.

An armrest construction for a chair, comprising:

• an elongated support post defining a longitudinal axis and including a hollow free end defining an armrest mount, said free end being deformed so as to define a plurality of peripherally spaced lobes and a plurality of peripherally spaced and outwardly opening channels, one of said channels being disposed between each adjacent pair of said lobes such that said channels and said lobes are disposed in an alternating manner with one another about the longitudinal axis, said free end having portions which define said channels along an exterior surface of said free end, said portions additionally defining respective inner surfaces disposed within an interior of said free end, each said inner surface being radially aligned with, and facing away from, one of said channels, said inner surfaces together defining an engagement opening within said free end and opening in an axial direction;
• and
• an armrest assembly including a support arm disposed to support the arm of chair occupant and a hub connected to said support arm and mounted to said armrest mount of said post, said hub defining an open socket having an inner end defined by an end wall of said hub, said end wall of said hub defining a seat in which said armrest mount is disposed, said seat having a plurality of peripherally spaced ribs and a plurality of peripherally spaced and inwardly opening grooves, one of said grooves being disposed between each adjacent pair of said ribs such that said grooves and said ribs are disposed in an alternating manner with one another about a central axis of said hub, said ribs and grooves having shapes which conform and mate with respective ones of said channels and said lobes of said armrest mount to non-rotatably fix said armrest mount within said hub, said armrest assembly further including a fastener projecting through said end wall and into said engagement opening of said armrest mount to fixedly secure and prevent removal of said support arm from said post.