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US 8,721,003 B2Granted
Folding chair with molded components
AssigneeLifetime Products, Inc.
InventorsDonald Waite, Ed VanNimwegen, Rich Howe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A chair may include a seat, a chair back and a frame that may be connected to the seat and/or chair back. The chair back and the frame may include engaging portions and/or receiving portions that may be sized and configured to contact, abut, engage and/or interlock with each other to connect the chair back to the frame. The engaging portions and/or receiving portions may be sized and configured to connect the chair back to the frame using a friction, interference and/or snap fit.
Claims20
A chair comprising:
- a first leg assembly comprising:
- a first leg having a generally tubular configuration and an open upper end;
- a second leg;
- and
- a receiving portion in an upper portion of the first leg, the receiving portion comprising an elongated slot in an outer wall of the first leg, the elongated slot extending from the open upper end along a length of the first leg to an end of the slot;
- and
- a second leg assembly comprising:
- a first leg having a generally tubular configuration and an open upper end;
- a second leg;
- and
- a receiving portion in an upper portion of the first leg, the receiving portion comprising an elongated slot in an outer wall of the first leg, the elongated slot extending from the open upper end along a length of the first leg to an end of the slot;
- a seat connected to the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly;
- and
- a chair back connected to the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly, the chair back constructed from blow-molded plastic, the chair back comprising:
- a first engaging portion extending outwardly and away from a first side of the chair back, the first engaging portion including a base disposed within the slot in the outer wall of the first leg of the first leg assembly and a head disposed within a hollow interior portion of the generally tubular first leg of the first leg assembly, the head being larger than the base to prevent the head from passing through the slot;
- and
- a second engaging portion extending outwardly and away from a second side of the chair back, the second engaging portion including a base disposed within the slot in the outer wall of the first leg of the second leg assembly and a head disposed within a hollow interior portion of the generally tubular first leg of the second leg assembly, the head being larger than the base to prevent the head from passing through the slot;
- wherein the head and the base of the first engaging portion, the head and the base of the second engaging portion and the chair back are integrally formed as part of a unitary, one-piece construction during a blow-molding process;
- wherein the first engaging portion of the chair back is slid into the open upper end of the first leg of the first leg assembly and into the elongated slot in the outer wall of the first leg to connect the chair back to the first leg of the first leg assembly, the base and the slot engaged in an interference fit to secure the chair back to the first leg of the first leg assembly;
- and
- wherein the second engaging portion of the chair back is slid into the open upper end of the first leg of the second leg assembly and into the elongated slot in the outer wall of the first leg to connect the chair back to the first leg of the second leg assembly, the base and the slot engaged in an interference fit to secure the chair back to the first leg of the second leg assembly.
18 more elements
A chair comprising:
- a first leg assembly comprising:
- a first support having a generally hollow configuration and an open upper end;
- a second support;
- and
- a receiving portion in an upper portion of the first support, the receiving portion comprising an elongated opening in an outer wall of the first support, the elongated opening extending from the open upper end along a length of the first support to an end of the opening;
- and
- a second leg assembly comprising:
- a first support having a generally tubular configuration and an open upper end;
- a second support;
- and
- a receiving portion in an upper portion of the first support, the receiving portion comprising an elongated opening in an outer wall of the first support, the elongated opening extending from the open upper end along a length of the first support to an end of the opening;
- a seat connected to the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly;
- and
- a chair back connected to the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly, the chair back constructed from blow-molded plastic, the chair back comprising:
- a first engaging portion extending outwardly and away from a first side of the chair back, the first engaging portion including a base disposed within the opening in the outer wall of the first support of the first leg assembly and a head disposed within a hollow interior portion of the generally hollow first support of the first leg assembly;
- and
- a second engaging portion extending outwardly and away from a second side of the chair back, the second engaging portion including a base disposed within the opening in the outer wall of the first support of the second leg assembly and a head disposed within a hollow interior portion of the generally tubular first support of the second leg assembly;
- wherein the head and the base of the first engaging portion, the head and the base of the second engaging portion and the chair back are integrally formed as part of a unitary, one-piece construction during a blow-molding process;
- wherein the first engaging portion of the chair back is slid into the open upper end of the first support of the first leg assembly and into the elongated opening in the outer wall of the first support to connect the chair back to the first support of the first leg assembly, the head and the slot engaged in an interference fit to secure the chair back to the first support of the first leg assembly;
- and
- wherein the second engaging portion of the chair back is slid into the open upper end of the first support of the second leg assembly and into the elongated opening in the outer wall of the first support to connect the chair back to the first support of the second leg assembly, the head and the slot engaged in an interference fit to secure the chair back to the first support of the second leg assembly.
18 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.