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US 9,801,470 B2Granted
Molded chair with integrated support and method of making same
AssigneeHNI Technologies Inc.
InventorsDavid Mehaffey, Jeremy Rolfs
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A molded chair assembly includes a molded chair shell and a plurality of legs coupled to the molded chair shell. The molded chair shell further includes a plurality of individual and separate integrated hollow support members extending along the molded chair shell and providing the same with increased durability and stability, while maintaining flexibility. The integrated hollow support members may be formed in a gas assist injection molding process conducted in association with an injection molding process to form the molded chair shell.
Claims20
A chair comprising:
- a seat portion configured to accommodate a seated user;
- a back portion configured to support a back of the seated user;
- a transition portion located between the seat portion and the back portion, the seat portion, the back portion, and the transition portion being integrally formed;
- a first support member located along a first side of the transition portion, the first support member being integrally formed with the transition portion such that the first support member and the transition portion form a first hollow enclosure, the first hollow enclosure having a length, a cross-sectional shape factor, and a width, wherein the cross-sectional shape factor of the first support member is constant along a substantial portion of the length of the first hollow enclosure, and the width of the first hollow enclosure is largest at the transition portion and decreases along the length of the first hollow enclosure along the back portion to a width that is smallest at a termination point furthest from the transition portion;
- and
- a second support member located along a second side of the transition portion laterally opposite the first side, the second support member being integrally formed with the transition portion such that the second support member and the transition portion form a second hollow enclosure, the second hollow enclosure having a length, a cross-sectional shape factor, and a width, wherein the cross-sectional shape factor of the second support member is constant along a substantial portion of the length of the second hollow enclosure, and the width of the second hollow enclosure is largest near the transition portion and decreases along the length of the second hollow enclosure along the back portion to a width that is smallest at a termination point furthest from the transition portion, and wherein the second hollow enclosure is separate and independent from the first hollow enclosure, the first support member being laterally separated from the second support member.
3 more elements
A chair comprising:
- a seat portion having an inner facing surface and an outer facing surface;
- a back portion having an inner facing surface and an outer facing surface and including a first side portion, a second side portion laterally opposite the first side portion, and a middle portion separating the first side portion from the second side portion;
- a transition portion interconnecting the seat portion and the back portion;
- a first support member integrally formed with the outer facing surface of the back portion and extending along the first side portion of the back portion, the first support member including a plurality of structural support walls, a first one of the structural support walls of the first support member extending outwardly from a first joint located along the first side portion between the first support member first structural support wall and the outer facing surface of the back portion, the first joint being situated on the middle portion between the first and second side portions of the back portion, wherein the plurality of structural support walls of the first structural support member form a first hollow enclosure with the outer facing surface of the back portion and defines a width, the first hollow enclosure extending along the first side portion of the back portion, the width of the first hollow enclosure the largest at a location near the transition portion and smallest at a location furthest from the transition portion, the first hollow enclosure terminating at a top section of the back portion;
- and
- a second support member integrally formed with the outer facing surface of the back portion and extending along the second side portion of the back portion such that the second support member is laterally offset and separate and independent from the first support member at the transition portion, the second support member including a plurality of structural support walls, a first one of the structural support walls of the second support member extending outwardly from a second joint located along the second side portion between the second support member first structural support wall and the outer facing surface of the back portion, the second joint being situated on the middle portion between the first and second side portions of the back portion and being laterally offset from the first joint such that the second support member is integrally formed with the back portion independent of the first support member, the plurality of structural support walls of the second structural support member form a second hollow enclosure with the outer facing surface of the back portion and defines a width, the second hollow enclosure extending along the second side portion of the back portion such that the second hollow enclosure is separate and distinct from the first hollow enclosure and separated from the first hollow enclosure, the width of the second hollow enclosure the largest at a location near the transition portion and smallest at a location furthest from the transition portion, the second hollow enclosure terminating at a top section of the back portion.
3 more elements
A method of manufacturing a chair, comprising:
- forming a chair back, a chair seat, and a transition portion located between the chair back and chair seat through a gas assist injection molding process, wherein forming the chair back and the chair seat includes forming a plurality of enclosed independent hollow structural support members integrally with the chair back and transition portion;
- wherein a first one of the plurality of independent hollow structural support members is formed along a first side of the chair back, has a length, a cross-sectional shape and a width, wherein the cross-sectional shape of the first support member remains constant along the length of the first support member, and the width of the first support member reaches a maximum near the transition portion and reaches a minimum at a location along the length of the first support member farthest from the transition portion at a terminal end;
- wherein a second one of the plurality of independent hollow structural support members is formed along a second lateral opposite side of the chair back, has a length, a cross-sectional shape, and a width, wherein the cross-sectional shape of the second support member remains constant along the length of the second support member, and the width of the second support member reaches a maximum near the transition portion and reaches a minimum at a location along the length of the second support member farthest from the transition portion;
- and
- wherein the first one of the plurality of independent hollow structural support members is spaced from the second one of the plurality of independent hollow structural support members by a lateral distance such that a hollow enclosure of the first one of the independent hollow structural support members is separate and distinct from a hollow enclosure of the second one of the independent hollow structural support members, and separated from the first hollow enclosure by a portion of the transition portion;
- and
- coupling legs to the chair seat.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.