U.S. patent application number 11/556442 was filed with the patent office on 2007-05-17 for glider.
This patent application is currently assigned to HNI TECHNOLOGIES INC.. Invention is credited to Jeremy Franklin Foreman, Daniel Grabowski, John Henry Heyder, Michael A. Johnson, Aaron Jon Schradin.
Application Number | 20070108814 11/556442 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42140001 |
Filed Date | 2007-05-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070108814 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Grabowski; Daniel ; et
al. |
May 17, 2007 |
GLIDER
Abstract
A glider has a chair frame that provides support to a seat and
back rest. The frame includes a glider structure that is connected
to each side frame member and includes a glider rail and a first
and second elongate arcute glider tracks, a first and second wheel
assembly, where the glider rail is attached to the backrest and the
seat and enables gliding movement of the backrest and seat as the
wheel assembly moves through a curved profile in the glider track.
The glider chair can also be part of a modular system of components
that enable one or more seating units to be in a spanned or ganged
configuration.
Inventors: |
Grabowski; Daniel; (Grand
Rapids, MI) ; Heyder; John Henry; (Orleans, IN)
; Foreman; Jeremy Franklin; (Bedford, IN) ;
Johnson; Michael A.; (Burlington, IA) ; Schradin;
Aaron Jon; (Holland, MI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FAEGRE & BENSON, LLP;PATENT DOCKETING
90 SOUTH SEVENTH STREET
2200 WELLS FARGO CENTER
MINNEAPOLIS
MN
55402
US
|
Assignee: |
HNI TECHNOLOGIES INC.
408 East 2nd Street
Muscatine
IA
52761
|
Family ID: |
42140001 |
Appl. No.: |
11/556442 |
Filed: |
November 3, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60733864 |
Nov 3, 2005 |
|
|
|
60733866 |
Nov 4, 2005 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
297/258.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47C 4/02 20130101; A47C
7/14 20130101; A47C 3/0257 20130101; A47C 7/62 20130101; A47C 4/028
20130101; A47C 13/005 20130101; A47C 7/42 20130101; A47C 3/027
20130101; A47C 1/022 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
297/258.1 |
International
Class: |
A47C 3/02 20060101
A47C003/02 |
Claims
1. A glider chair comprising: a chair frame comprising front and
rear frame members, and two parallel side frame members, each side
frame member attachable to the front and rear members; a seat
supported by at least two frame members; a backrest supported to at
least one frame member; a pair of legs wherein at least two frame
members are connected to the legs; and a pair of glider structures
connected to each side frame member comprising a glider rail and a
first and second elongate arcute glider tracks, a first and second
wheel assembly, wherein the glider rail is attached to the backrest
and the seat and enables gliding movement of the backrest and seat
as the wheel assembly moves through a curved profile in the glider
track.
2. The glider chair of claim 1 wherein the backrest includes a
backrest support structure.
3. The glider chair of claim 1 wherein the chair further comprises
cross tubes and cross tube couplers for maintaining dimensional
spread, providing additional structural rigidity and multiple
widths.
4. The glider chair of claim 1 wherein the wheel assembly comprises
a wheel.
5. The glider chair of claim 4 wherein the wheel assembly comprises
a wheel bearing.
6. The glider chair of claim 1 wherein the glider track comprises a
top inner edge chamfer and a bend in the glider rail.
7. The glider chair of claim 1 wherein the glider tracks are a
larger in height than the diameter of the wheel assembly and a
upper and lower bearing surfaces of the tracks are upwardly curved
with a constant radius of curvature and the upper and lower bearing
surfaces are parallel to each other.
8. The glider chair of claim 1 wherein the first and second glider
tracks lie in the same plane comprising a series of concentric
radii R.sub.1 to R.sub.2.
9. The glider chair of claim 1 wherein the front and rear members
include front, rear and bottom glider covers that fit over the
glider assembly.
10. The gliding chair of claim 1 wherein the glider is part of a
modular system.
11. The gliding chair of claim 9 wherein the one or more chair
gliders are assembled in a spanned configuration or a ganged
configuration.
Description
CLAIM OF PRIORITY
[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. provisional
application Ser. No. 60/733,864, filed Nov. 3, 2005, entitled
"Glider," and from U.S. provisional application Ser. No.
60/733,866, filed Nov. 4, 2005, entitled "Modular Furniture
Construction," both incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention relates generally to chairs and more
specifically to chair with a compact glider mechanism. It is
desirable in some environments, particularly in lobbies of seating
that is comfortable to the user. Additionally, it is important that
any options or features that add to the comfort be incorporated
into the chair construction in a way that minimizes the number of
parts and maximizes the use of common parts among different
options, maximizes efficiencies of manufacturing and assembling,
maximizes ease of adjustment and yet that results in a visually
pleasing design.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] One embodiment of the invention includes a glider chair that
includes: [0004] a chair frame comprising front and rear frame
members, and two parallel side frame members, each side frame
member attachable to the front and rear members; [0005] a seat
supported by at least two frame members; [0006] a backrest
supported to at least one frame member; [0007] a pair of legs
wherein at least two frame members are connected to the legs; and
[0008] a pair of glider structures connected to each side frame
member comprising a glider rail and a first and second elongate
arcuate glider tracks, a first and second wheel assembly, wherein
the glider rail is attached to the backrest and the seat and
enables gliding movement of the backrest and seat as the wheel
assembly moves through a curved profile in the glider track.
[0009] Another embodiment of the invention includes a glider that
can be part of a modular system.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] The present invention will hereinafter be described in
conjunction with the appended drawing figures wherein like numerals
denote like elements.
[0011] FIG. 1a is a perspective view of a fully-assembled
chair;
[0012] FIG. 1b is an exploded perspective view of a chair, in which
the seat, seat cushion and backrest cushion have been removed;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a perspective view thereof, in which the seat and
backrest cushions are translucent in order to show the internal
parts of the chair;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a perspective view thereof, in which the seat
cushion, backrest cushion and seat panel have been removed;
[0015] FIG. 4 is a perspective view thereof, in which the front,
rear and bottom glider covers have been removed;
[0016] FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial sectional view taken along
line 5-5 of FIG. 4 in which the center cross-tubes are removed;
[0017] FIG. 6 shows an further-enlarged partial view of FIG. 5;
[0018] FIG. 7 is a partial sectional view taken along line 7-7 of
FIG. 4; and
[0019] FIG. 8 is an enlarged partial view of the glider track and
wheel shown in FIG. 7.
[0020] FIG. 9 is a partially exploded perspective view of a glider
chair, in which the glider frame, covers, seat, seat cushion and
backrest cushion have been removed;
[0021] FIG. 10 is a partially exploded perspective view of a glider
chair, in which the glider covers and supports are removed and the
seat cushion is shown translucently in order to show the internal
parts of the chair;
[0022] FIG. 11 is partially exploded perspective view of two chair
units arranged in a spanned configuration;
[0023] FIG. 12 is partially exploded perspective view of two chair
units and a loveseat unit arranged in a ganged configuration;
[0024] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the chair shown in FIG. 1,
shown with an IV stand attached to the right arm;
[0025] FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of the portion of FIG. 14 shown
in area 14-9;
[0026] FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the chair shown in FIG. 1,
shown with a plug covering the exterior holes in the right arm;
and
[0027] FIG. 16 is an enlarged view of the portion of FIG. 15 shown
in area 16-1 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0028] The ensuing detailed description provides exemplary
embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope,
applicability, or configuration of the invention. Rather, the
ensuing detailed description of the exemplary embodiments will
provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for
implementing the preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention.
It being understood that various changes may be made in the
function and arrangement of elements without departing from the
spirit and scope of the invention.
[0029] To aid in describing the invention, directional terms may be
used in the specification to describe portions of the present
invention (e.g., upper, lower, left, right, etc.). These
directional terms are merely intended to assist in describing and
claiming the invention and are not intended to limit the invention
in any way. In addition, reference numerals that are introduced in
the specification in association with a particular drawing figure
may be repeated in one or more other figures without additional
description in the specification, in order to provide context for
other features.
[0030] FIGS. 1a and 1b shows an embodiment of a chair 10 of the
present invention, which includes two support members 12 and 14, a
backrest 16 and a seat 18. The support members 12 and 14 are
preferably made of wood, but could be made of other structurally
suitable metallic or polymer materials and may be covered with
other hard or soft materials. The support members 12 and 14 may be
a common part, providing economies of scale and ease of
manufacturing or they may have differing features depending upon
the intended functionality of the final product. In either case,
the support members 12, 14 provide an attachment point for the
frame 32, which is described in greater detail herein. The support
arms 12, 14 provide the legs, armrest and structure for the
mounting of the seat 18.
[0031] If the support members 12, 14 are a common part, the
mounting holes 15 on the outer side of each of the arms 12, 14 are
preferably arranged in the same configuration as the inner mounting
holes 13. If the support members 12, 14 are provided in left and
right versions, mounting holes 15 on the outer side of each support
member 12, 14 may be provided in a different configuration than the
inner mounting holes 13, or may be omitted. If the support members
12, 14 are provided in left and right versions, a center version
(see arms 112, 114, FIG. 12) having mounting holes 15 on the outer
side of each of the support members 12, 14 arranged in the same
configuration as the inner mounting holes 13, is preferably
provided for use in ganging configurations (defined below).
[0032] The backrest 16 is best shown in FIG. 2. Its components
include a backrest cushion 20 and a backrest support structure 22.
In this embodiment, the backrest cushion 20 is shown as a fabric
cover over a foam core, but could alternatively comprise other
suitable materials, such as wood, polymer, vinyl, leather, for
example. The backrest support structure 22 consists of two side
panels 24 and 26, a top rail 28 and a bottom rail 30. Two filler
pieces not shown may optionally be included with the side panels 24
and 26. The filler pieces are generally rectangular in cross
section and have a length approximately equal to the slot in the
lower portion of the side panels 24 and 26. The filler pieces
provide increased bearing area for the slots and, if necessary,
fill a gap between the side panels 24 and 26 and any mating
components. In the case of the wood version shown, these components
are assembled and the fastened with conventional techniques, such
as slots or grooves in the mating pieces, mechanical fasteners or
adhesives. The backrest cushion 20 is attached to the backrest
support structure 22 with conventional means.
[0033] In some embodiments of the invention, the backrest 16 is
secured to the arms 12, 14 via right and left backrest brackets 54,
55, respectively. Each of the backrest brackets 54, 46 includes a
mounting flange 57, which includes holes formed therein that line
up with at least two of the inner holes 13 on the arm 12, 14 to
which it is to be attached using screws, bolts or other suitable
attachment means. Each of the brackets 54, 46 also includes a
backrest flange 69 which slides into a complimentary slot 61 formed
in the backrest 16. Any suitable means, such as a screw, may be
used to prevent the backrest flange 59 from being removed from the
slot 61.
[0034] Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the frame 32 includes right
and left side frame members 34, 36 and front and rear frame members
40, 46, which are preferably welded together. The frame 32 provides
the primary structural support for the seat 18 and backrest 16, as
well as attachment points for components of the seat 18. The front
and rear frame members 40, 46 each include mounting flanges 42, 48
at each end for mounting the frame 32 to the arms 12, 14. The side
members 34, 36 and the front and rear frame members 40, 46 are
preferably of tubular metallic construction. The front and rear
flanges 42 and 48 are made from metallic bars and include holes for
attaching the frame 32 to the arms 12 and 14. The left side frame
member 36 preferably includes holes, or other attachment points,
for enabling the left glider track 68 (FIG. 4). The right side
frame member 34 is a mirror image of the left side frame member 36
and includes the same features.
[0035] The seat 18, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is, in this embodiment,
comprised of a seat cushion 50 (described above) and a seat panel
52. The seat panel 52 is made of sheet material (such as plywood)
suitable to provide support for the weight of the seated user as
well as a means of general attachment for the seat 18.
[0036] The frame 32 shown in FIGS. la and lb is 24 inches in width
(from arm 12 to arm 14). Other frame widths could be provided for
alternative embodiments, such as 20, 32 or 40 inch frames
widths.
[0037] Referring now to FIGS. 3-5, the glider structure includes
right and left glider rails 54 and 56, a left glider track 68,
front , center and rear cross tubes 70, 74 and 78, cross tube
couplers 72, 76 and 80, a front wheel assembly 82, a front wheel
axle 88, and front, rear and bottom glider covers 98, 99 and 100
(see FIG. 7). The details of the rear wheel assembly, rear track
profile and the right glider track and components are not visible
in the drawings, but it should be understood that these features
are substantially similar to the front wheel assembly, front track
profile, left glider track and components, respectively. That is,
the rear elements of the left glider track are substantially the
same as the described front elements and the right side glider
elements mirror the described left side elements.
[0038] Gliding motion of the seat 18 and backrest 16 (i.e.,
movement of the seat 18 and backrest 16 forwardly and rearwardly)
is enabled by rotation of a front wheel assembly 82 and the rear
wheel (not shown) in the curved profile or track provided in glider
track 68. Referring to FIG. 6, the front wheel assembly 82 is shown
consisting of an elastomeric outer wheel 84 and a wheel bearing 86
for optimum ease and smoothness of operation. Alternatively, the
wheel assembly 82 could be a one piece design (i.e., without a
bearing). The outer wheel 84 could be metallic or polymeric in
construction. An axle 88 provides the means of transforming the
rotational motion of the front wheel 82 into linear motion of the
left glider rail 56. The wheel axle 88 is preferably a metallic rod
of appropriate diameter and strength to carry the weight of the
seated user.
[0039] FIGS. 6 and 8 show detail cross sectional and plan views of
the left glider track 68. The glider track 68 could be precision
molded or cast or machined from metallic or polymeric materials,
but in the present invention is molded of polymeric material such
as ABS.
[0040] The glider track 68 is generally rectangular in cross
section with details as required for specific functionality, which
includes, in this case, a top inner edge chamfer 71 to provide
clearance with the bend 57 in left glider rail 56, a perimeter edge
cut 73 to provide clearance with glider covers (FIG. 3), a lower
inside surface protrusion 75 to minimize sliding contact area and
thereby friction between the left glider rail 56 and the left
glider track 68, the glider track profile 77, and lastly, the
glider track front attaching hole 95 to allow use of a suitable
fastener such as a cap screw for attachment to the left frame side
member 36.
[0041] The glider track profile 77 is preferably defined by
concentric radii R.sub.1, and R.sub.2, which result in a constant
track height, providing the preferred minimal clearance for the
front wheel assembly 82 and the desired dual axis gliding motion.
The ends of the glider track profile 77 are defined by radii
R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 which are preferably equal to each other and
arithmetically to (R.sub.1-R.sub.2)/2 to provide a smooth track
profile. Other details of the glider track profile 77 cross section
(see FIG. 6) includes a profile depth 89, a rear wall 97, a lower
wheel surface 91 and an upper wheel surface 92, all providing
sufficient space for front wheel assembly 82. The rear wall 97 is
preferably vertical. The lower wheel surface 91 is defined by
radius R.sub.1, already described, an inside contour radius R.sub.5
which is selected to complement the front wheel assembly 82 and the
track depth 89. The upper wheel surface 92 is preferably
perpendicular to the rear wall 97 and is defined by radius R.sub.2
and profile depth 89. The radii of curvature R.sub.1, and R.sub.2
of the lower and upper wheel surfaces 59, 60 are preferably in the
range of 30-35 inches. Such curvature provides sufficient curvature
so that the wheel 52 tends to return to a position at the center of
the lower wheel surface 59 (referred to herein as the "neutral
position") when the user is not applying any forward or rearward
forces to the seat 18 or backrest 16 and so that the wheel 52 does
not bump against the front or rear end surfaces 61, 62 during
normal use. In one embodiment, the upper and lower wheel surface
are parallel to each and have a constant radius of curvature.
During normal use the upper and lower wheel surface are fixed with
respect to one another.
[0042] FIG. 7 shows the left glider track 68 and track profile 77
with the front and rear wheel assemblies 82 and 87 in the neutral
position of the glider motion.
[0043] The right and left glider rails 54 and 56 shown in FIGS. 2-5
provide structural support for, and connection between, the
backrest 16 and the seat 18. The left glider rail 56 and associated
parts will be described with the understanding that the right
glider rail 54 includes similar components and is a mirror image of
the left glider rail 56.
[0044] The left glider rail 56 is preferably a single piece
fabrication, cut and formed from sheet of metallic material such as
0.125-0.250 inch thick steel. Alternatively, it could be
constructed as a multi-piece welded metallic structure or a
single-piece molded part of appropriate strength polymer materials.
The left glider rail 56 is comprised of a left lateral tab 79, a
left vertical tab 81, a left horizontal leg 83 and a left vertical
leg 85. Each tab and leg is orthogonal to its adjacent feature.
[0045] The left lateral and vertical tabs 79 and 81 provide the
attaching structure for the backrest 16. The left lateral tab 79
slides into a correspondingly-shaped slot (not numbered in the
figures) formed in the left side panel 26. A screw or other
fastener is preferably provided to prevent the left side panel 26
from unintentionally disconnecting from the left lateral tab
79.
[0046] The left horizontal leg 83 of the left glider rail 56
enables attachment of the seat 18 at a key hole slot 58 and a hole
62. The attachment is accomplished with conventional fasteners,
such as screws.
[0047] The left vertical leg 85 provides the front and rear
mounting holes 64 and 66. The front and rear mounting holes 64 and
66 are preferably a close fit with the front and rear wheel axles
88 and 90. The left horizontal leg 83 and left vertical leg 85
share the profile of the cross tube cutout 60 and, as such, provide
the mounting pocket for the end of the center cross tube 74. The
left horizontal leg 83 is approximately the same length as the left
frame side member 36, with a width providing full support for seat
18 and clearance for the arm 14. The left vertical leg 85 is
preferably shorter in length, extending slightly past the front
wheel assembly 88 and the rear wheel assembly (not shown), and
preferably has a width sufficient to cover the left glider track
68. The shorter length of the left glider rail vertical leg 85
provides clearance with the frame 32 when the seat 18 is at the
extremes of the gliding motion.
[0048] FIGS. 3 and 4 show the front, center and rear left cross
tubes 70, 74 and 78, front center and rear cross tube couplers 72,
76 and 80 and front, center and rear right cross tubes 61, 65 and
67. The cross tubes and cross tube couplers form members that span
between the right and left glider rails 54 and 56 maintaining the
dimensional spread and minimizing any movement of the right and
left glider rails 54 and 56 that would allow undesirable
displacement of the front wheel assembly 82 or rear wheel assembly
from the glider track profile 77 shown in FIG. 6. The front and
rear left cross tubes 70 and 78 also provide support for the front
and rear wheel axles 88 and 90 shown in FIG. 5. The cross tube
couplers maintain dimensional spread, and provide additional
structural rigidity and multiple widths.
[0049] The front, center and rear left and right cross tubes 70,
74, 78, 65, 67, and 69 are metallic and circular in cross section
and may be identical to each other, for manufacturing simplicity
and minimization of part proliferation. The corresponding front,
center and rear cross tube couplers 72, 76 and 80 are also
metallic, circular in cross section, and each have an inside
diameter sized to just slide over the outside diameter of the
mating cross tubes. Conventional metallic tubing products are
available that could meet these requirements. The front, center and
rear cross tube couplers 72, 76 and 80 may be attached to the
corresponding cross tubes 70, 74, 78, 65, 67, and 69 by a number of
conventional mechanical means, depending upon manufacturing and
assembly practices and preference. In this embodiment, the couplers
72, 76 and 78 are attached to corresponding cross tubes 70, 74, 78,
65, 67, and 69 via screws and overlapping holes (not shown). In
this embodiment, the front and rear cross tubes 70, 78, 65, and 69
are welded to the wheel axles 88 and the center cross tubes 67, 74
are welded to the cross tube cutouts 60.
[0050] The front and rear glider covers 98 and 99 are shown in FIG.
3, and bottom glider cover 100 is shown in FIG. 7, which fit into
the glider track 68, overlap to completely close off the bottom and
extend far enough in on top to provide aesthetic coverage when the
seat 18 moves through the gliding motion. In this example they are
shown as thin sheet metallic parts with an irregular periphery and
multiple bends to provide the clearance and coverage functions
desired. The material could be sheet steel of 0.031-0.093
thickness, but alternatively might be a polymer such as ABS. In
this embodiment, the covers 98 and 99 are provided to prevent
injury from a user's contact with the internal moving parts of the
glider structure.
[0051] A preferred method of assembling the glider structure
comprises assembling the right and left glider rails 54 and 56,
left glider track 68, right glider track, front, center and rear
cross tubes 70, 74 and 78 on the left and right sides, cross tube
couplers 72, 76 and 80, the front wheel assembly 82, front wheel
axle 88, as well as the left rear and right front and rear wheel
and axle assemblies, then moving the entire glider structure into
position in the frame 32 and attaching the left glider track 68 and
right glider track to the frame 32.
[0052] Embodiments of the present invention also include a modular
system of components that enable one or more seating units to be
assembled in a spanned configuration or a ganged configuration
using the same parts as are used for each unit when assembled in a
single-unit configuration. See U.S. provisional application Ser.
No. 60/733,866, incorporated herein by reference. As used herein, a
"spanned" configuration refers to a furniture configuration in
which multiple frames are joined without arms located between the
joined frames (see FIG. 11). In a spanned configuration, the two
arms are located at each end. As used herein, a "ganged"
configuration refers to a furniture configuration in which multiple
frames are joined with arms located between each of the joined
frames (see FIG. 12). In a ganged configuration, the number of arms
is usually one greater than the number of joined frames in the
configuration.
[0053] As used herein, the term seating "unit" refers to any
furniture items that can be assembled in a single-unit
configuration, most often with a single-piece frame. The parts and
single-configuration assembly for each of these seating units are
briefly described herein.
[0054] A spanned configuration comprising two chair units 110 and
111 is shown in FIG. 11. This configuration includes two frames
132, 133 which are jointed by bolting their adjoining front flanges
142, 143. As in the chair embodiment (FIG. 1), the outer ends of
the frames 142, 143 are bolted to right and left arms 112, 114. A
center backrest bracket 155 is bolted between the rear flanges 148,
149 and provides an attachment point for the right backrest 116 and
the left backrest (not shown). The center backrest bracket 155
includes two opposing backrest flanges 162, 163. In this
embodiment, the left backrest is identical to the right backrest 1
16. As in the chair embodiment, a right backrest bracket (not
shown) and a left backrest bracket 156 are attached to the right
and left arms 112, 114, respectively, and the backrests are, in
turn, attached to the backrest brackets. In order to provide
additional stability, a center leg 170 may be located between the
frames 132, 133 and affixed thereto using any suitable means of
attachment, such as a bolt or pin, for example. Alternatively, a
single, wider backrest (see e.g., FIG. 12) could be used an the
spanned configuration instead of two backrests. In order to provide
even spacing between the frames 132, 133 from front to rear, a
spacer (not shown), equal in width to the portion of the center
backrest bracket 155 located between the rear flanges 148, 149, may
be provided between the front flanges 142, 143.
[0055] As should be evident from comparing FIGS. 1-2 with FIG. 11,
many of the components of the spanned configuration are the same as
those used in single unit chairs 10. The frame 32, arms 12, 14,
backrest 16, backrest brackets 54, 57 and seat 18 used in the
stationary chair 10 can be the same as the corresponding parts used
in the spanned configuration. In this embodiment, the only parts
that are unique to the spanned configuration are the center leg
170, the center backrest bracket 155 and the optional spacer
located between the front flanges 142, 143.
[0056] The spanned configuration shown in FIG. 11 could incorporate
frames of different lengths. When using a glider unit (FIGS. 9, 10)
as part of a spanned configuration more than two frames is not
recommended, due to the additional lateral and dynamic stress
associated with the glider units.
[0057] A ganged configuration of the present invention is shown in
FIG. 12, which comprises two chair units 210, 211 and a seat unit
217, which includes a single 40-inch wide frame 238. The seat unit
217 can accommodate either two 20-inch seats or a single 40-inch
seat. As shown in FIG. 12, a ganged configuration is constructed by
having adjoining units share a single arm. In this embodiment, two
center arms 280, 281 are provided. The right chair frame 232 is
attached to the out side of the right center arm 280 and the right
end of the double-seat frame 238 is attached to the inner side of
the right center arm 280. Similarly, the left chair frame 233 is
attached to the out side of the left center arm 281 and the left
end of the double-seat frame 238 is attached to the inner side of
the left center arm 281.
[0058] Left and right arms 212, 214 are attached to the outer ends
of the right and left frames 232, 233, respectively. In this
embodiment, the left and right arms 212, 214 are identical to the
center arms 280, 281 (i.e., having mounting holes on both sides).
This would allow for additional part efficiency. Alternatively, the
left and right arms 212, 214 could have mounting holes only on
their inner sides.
[0059] The two chair units 210, 211 include backrests 216, 217,
backrest brackets 251, 253, 254, 257 and seats (not shown), which
are the same as the corresponding parts used in the single unit
chair 10. The frames 232, 233 and arms 212, 214 are also preferably
the same as the corresponding parts in the single chair 10.
Similarly, the double-seat unit 217 uses the same frame 238,
backrest 219, backrest brackets, seat (not shown) as in a single
unit double seat (not shown).
[0060] Many other possible ganged configurations are possible,
including, but not limited to, recliner or glider units, ganging
more than three frames, providing right-angle corner frames.
[0061] FIGS. 13-16 show optional uses of the mounting holes 315 on
the outer sides of the arms 312, 314. FIGS. 13-14 show an IV pole
380 attached to the right arm 312 by two mounting brackets 382,
383, which are secured to arm 312 at the mounting holes 315 by
screws 384. The IV pole 380 shown in FIGS. 13-14 is merely intended
to be exemplary of the multitude of accessories that could be
attached to the arms 312, 314, such as magazine racks, drain bags,
trays, or flexible lighting, for example.
[0062] FIGS. 15-16 shows a cover 387 which can be used to cover the
mounting holes 315 when they are not being used to support
accessories. Each cover 387 preferably spans two mounting holes 315
and includes a tapered plug 385 for each covered mounting hole 315.
The cover 387 prevents debris and other foreign objects from
damaging the mounting holes 315, as well as providing an attractive
appearance and space to display a product name or other trademark
thereon.
[0063] While the principles of the invention have been described
above in connection with preferred embodiments, it is to be clearly
understood that this description is made only by way of example and
not as a limitation of the scope of the invention.
* * * * *