U.S. patent application number 12/480214 was filed with the patent office on 2009-09-24 for furniture construction with tensioned fabric.
This patent application is currently assigned to Homecrest Outdoor Living LLC. Invention is credited to Donald L. Bottemiller.
Application Number | 20090236895 12/480214 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35311222 |
Filed Date | 2009-09-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090236895 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bottemiller; Donald L. |
September 24, 2009 |
Furniture construction with tensioned fabric
Abstract
A furniture construction and a method of placing a section of
fabric in tension on the furniture construction includes providing
a pair of rigid members each having a slot extending along one
side. A rigid edge portion is provided on opposite sides of the
section of fabric. Each rigid edge portion is then inserted into
the slot of each rigid member such that the fabric overlies an
adjacent side surface of each rigid member. The rigid members are
then moved in opposing directions thereby place the fabric in
tension. The edge portion of the fabric is sufficiently rigid to
retain the fabric within the slot and thereby retain the fabric in
tension. The rigid members are then secured to the furniture
construction.
Inventors: |
Bottemiller; Donald L.;
(Wadena, MN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WESTMAN CHAMPLIN & KELLY, P.A.
SUITE 1400, 900 SECOND AVENUE SOUTH
MINNEAPOLIS
MN
55402
US
|
Assignee: |
Homecrest Outdoor Living
LLC
Fargo
MN
|
Family ID: |
35311222 |
Appl. No.: |
12/480214 |
Filed: |
June 8, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10834294 |
Apr 28, 2004 |
7556317 |
|
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12480214 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
297/440.11 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 29/49867 20150115;
A47C 7/282 20130101; A47C 31/023 20130101; Y10T 29/486 20150115;
A47C 7/24 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
297/440.11 |
International
Class: |
A47C 7/02 20060101
A47C007/02 |
Claims
1-4. (canceled)
5. A furniture construction including a ground engaging framework,
the construction comprising: a pair of spaced apart rigid members
attached to the framework, each rigid member being longitudinal in
length and having a slot extending longitudinally along one side; a
section of fabric having opposing end portions, each end portion
being rigid and disposed within a slot of the rigid members; and a
portion of the section of fabric extending out of the slot and
overlying a side of the rigid member adjacent to the slot wherein
the section of fabric between the rigid members is in tension.
6. The construction of claim 5 and further comprising: two sets of
tabs extending from the framework, the sets being spaced from each
other and within each set the tabs being spaced from each other and
wherein the rigid members are secured to the tabs.
7. A chair construction comprising: a framework having four ground
engaging legs; a seat portion attached to the framework and
comprising a section of fabric in tension attached to two rigid
substantially horizontal seat members, each rigid seat member
having a slot extending along the length thereof, and wherein the
sections of fabric having opposing rigid edge portions are disposed
within the slots of the rigid members; and a back portion extending
substantially vertically from the framework.
8. The chair construction of claim 7 wherein the slots of the rigid
seat members are downwardly facing.
9. The chair construction of claim 7 wherein the slots of the rigid
seat members are upwardly facing.
10. The chair construction of claim 7 wherein the back portion
includes a second section of fabric in tension attached to two
rigid substantially vertically disposed back members, each rigid
vertically disposed back member having a longitudinal slot
extending along the length thereof, and wherein the second section
of fabric has opposing rigid edge portions disposed within the
slots of the rigid substantially vertically disposed members.
11. The chair construction of claim 1 wherein the slots of the back
members are rearwardly facing.
12. The chair construction of claim 10 wherein the slots of the
back members are forwardly facing.
13-22. (canceled)
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to furniture construction, in
particular, it relates to tensioning fabric in furniture
construction.
[0002] Furniture having strips of flexible material or entire
sheets of flexible material stretched over a framework are popular.
Some methods of stretching flexible sheets of material over chair
frames are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,371,142, 4,456,301,
4,592,126, 6,341,822 and 6,345,482.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The present invention includes a furniture construction and
a method of placing a section of fabric in tension on the furniture
construction. The section of fabric is placed in tension between
two spaced apart rigid members, each of the rigid members having a
slot extending along one side. A sufficiently rigid edge portion is
provided on opposite sides of the section of fabric. Each
sufficiently rigid edge portion is then inserted into the slot of
each rigid member such that the fabric overlies an adjacent side
surface of each rigid member. The edge portion of the fabric is
sufficiently rigid to retain the fabric within the slot. The rigid
members are then moved in opposing directions thereby placing the
fabric in tension. The rigid members are then secured to the
furniture construction.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] FIG. 1 is perspective view of the present invention.
[0005] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the
chair construction illustrated in FIG. 1.
[0006] FIG. 3a is a sectional view of rigid member with fabric
attached thereto.
[0007] FIG. 3b is a sectional view of an alternative embodiment of
the rigid member with fabric attached thereof.
[0008] FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating a method of placing the
fabric section in tension.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0009] A chair construction of the present invention is generally
indicated at 10 in FIG. 1. Like reference characters will be used
to indicate like elements in the drawings. Although a chair
construction is specifically illustrated, it is understood that the
present invention is applicable to other furniture constructions.
The present invention also includes a method of placing a section
of fabric 12 in tension between two rigid seat members 14 and 16.
As specifically illustrated, the section of fabric 12 and the rigid
seat members 14 and 16 form a seat portion 18 of the chair
construction 10. The method of the present invention is also used
to form a back portion 34 of the chair construction. Although a
single seat chair is illustrated, the method of the present
invention may be used for chairs providing for more than single
occupancy or which have more than one seat and back portion.
[0010] The chair construction 10 includes a framework 20 that can
be made of plastic, aluminum or steel. The framework includes legs
22, 24, 26 and 28. A front crossbrace 25 and a rear crossbrace 27
extend between and connect the legs 26 and 28 and the legs 22 and
24, respectively. In the embodiment illustrated, the legs 26 and 28
have upper portions 30 and 32 which serve as arms and which are
integrally conjoined behind the back portion 34. The particular
construction of the framework 20 is not especially important to the
present invention, and is described herein as one exemplary type of
framework for which the present invention is suitable.
[0011] To form the seat portion 18, the rigid seat members 14 and
16 are provided with a downwardly facing slot 36 as best
illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. The slot 36 runs the length of the
rigid members. The section of fabric 12 includes a semi-rigid or
rigid edge portion 38 that extends along the length of opposing
edge portions. The fabric section 12 overlies the seat member 16
along an outwardly facing side 31 adjacent to the slot 36 and
extends over an upwardly facing side 41, as illustrated in FIG. 3.
Although only the seat member 16 is specifically illustrated in
FIG. 3, the seat member 14 is similar as a mirror image in both
construction and how the fabric section 12 overlies the seat member
14.
[0012] An alternative embodiment of the seat member 16 is
illustrated in FIG. 3b. In FIG. 3b, the fabric section 12 overlies
a seat member 16'. The semi-rigid or rigid edge portion 38 is
positioned in an upwardly facing slot 36'. The fabric 12 covers the
edge portion 38. Similarly, as with respect to member 16, a mirror
image member (not illustrated) of member 16' receives a similar
opposing edge portion 38 of the fabric 12.
[0013] The semi-rigid or rigid edge portion 38 is made sufficiently
rigid to secure the section of fabric 12 to the seat member 16 by
engagement with the slot 36. Preferably, the edge portion 38 is
made of a section of plastic 40 that is attached to an edge portion
42 of the section of fabric 12 by a method that is well known such
as sewing, gluing or thermo welding using ultrasonic or electronic
means. For example, such rigid edge portions are provided to canvas
tops for Jeep Wrangler vehicles made by Chrysler-Daimler to secure
the canvas in certain places along the vehicle by engaging
selectively positioned slots. It should be understood that other
constructions and methods are included within the present invention
to make the edge portion 38 sufficiently rigid to secure the fabric
to either seat member 14 or 16. By sufficiently rigid is meant that
once the edge portion is positioned within the slot and the fabric
is placed along the adjacent side 31, the edge portion is retained
within the slot since the edge portion cannot slide out due to its
rigidity.
[0014] The edge portion 38 is also retained within slot 36' of FIG.
3b since the edge portion 38 cannot slide out due to its rigidity
and that the tension on the fabric 12 is essentially perpendicular
to the longitudinal plane of the slot.
[0015] The section of fabric 12 is made of a fabric normally used
in the construction of outdoor furniture of a stretch fabric woven
from an all-weather, vinyl-coated, flexible and elastic polyester
yarn, such as PHIFERTEX.RTM. fabric made by Phifer Wire Products,
Inc. of Tuscaloosa, Ala. An example of a stretchable fabric useful
in this invention is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No.
10/369,444, entitled Chair Seat With Firm But Resilient Front Edge,
filed on Feb. 19, 2003, which is herein incorporated by reference
in its entirety.
[0016] The section of fabric 12 of the seat portion 18 is placed in
tension by initially inserting the rigid edge portions 38 into the
slots 36 of the rigid seat members 14 and 16. In one example of the
method of construction of the present invention, rigid seat members
14 and 16 each have two sets of apertures 46 and 47 with one set of
aperture positioned near the front crossbrace and one set of
apertures positioned near the rear crossbrace, as best illustrated
in FIGS. 2 and 4.
[0017] The apertures 46 and 47 are engaged by spreader tools 48 and
50. Referring to FIG. 4, the spreader tool 50 is illustrated with
respect to the fabric 12, and in relation to the front crossbrace
25. Both spreader tools 48 and 50 are essentially the same, and
therefore only spreader tool 50 will be described. The spreader
tool 50 includes a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder 52 which
provides a force to move the seat members 14 and 16 in the
direction of arrows 54. The spreader tool 50 at each end includes
pins 56 and 58 which engage apertures 46 and 47 of the rigid seat
members 14 and 16, respectively. Each pin 56 and 58 engages both
the apertures 46 and 47 to prevent the seat members 14 and 16 from
rotating about their axis when the section of fabric is placed in
tension. Both spreader tools 48 and 50 are used to move the seat
members 14 and 16 away from each other to place the section of
fabric 12 in tension.
[0018] To retain the seat members 14 and 16 in position on the
frame 20, the front crossbrace 25 includes retainer tabs 64 and 66.
Similarly, the rear crossbrace 27 includes similar retainer tabs,
only one of which is shown (68). The retainer tabs of the front and
rear crossbraces are positioned from each other at a distance which
matches a selected distance which seat members 14 and 16 are to be
spread apart for the selected tension of the section of fabric
12.
[0019] The spreader tools 48 and 50 spread the seat members 14 and
16 sufficiently far enough so that inside faces 60 and 62 of the
seat members 14 and 16 extend beyond the retaining tabs 64 and 66.
The retaining tabs are preferably permanently secured to the
respective crossbraces such as by welding.
[0020] Once the seat members 14 and 16 are positioned beyond the
retaining tabs of the front and rear crossbraces, the spreader
tools 48 and 50 may be drawn in and the pins disengaged from
apertures 46 and 47. Just prior to the disengagement of the
spreader tools or directly thereafter, the seat members 14 and 16
are secured to the retaining tabs by screws 70 and 72 which extend
through apertures 74 and 75 and into the seat members 14 and 16.
The seat members 14 and 16 are similarly attached to the retaining
tabs of the rear crossbrace 27. The screws 70 and 72 are exemplary
of fasteners that may be used to secure the seat members 14 and 16
in position. Other fasteners or other fastening systems such as
adhesives or welding are included within the present invention.
Detachable fasteners such as screws have the advantage that the
section of fabric may be easily replaced by detaching the seat
members 14 and 16 from the frame 20.
[0021] The back portion 34 is similarly constructed. The back
portion 34 is also made of a section of fabric 76 that is in
tension between back rigid members 78 and 80, as best illustrated
in FIG. 1. The back members 78 and 80 are similar in construction
and have the same cross-section as the seat members 14 and 16
illustrated in FIG. 3a. The section of fabric 76 also includes
rigid end portions similar to the edge portions of fabric 12 that
are placed within the slots of the back members 78 and 80. The
slots of back members 78 and 80 may face rearwardly, or forwardly.
If facing rearwardly, the back member 78 and 80 are of a similar
construction as illustrated in FIG. 3a. If they face forwardly, the
back members 78 and 80 are of a cross-sectional construction
similar to what is shown in FIG. 3b. The section of fabric 76 is
also placed into tension in a similar manner using spreader tools
48 and 50. The back members 78 and 80 are spread sufficiently far
apart to extend beyond retaining tabs 82 and 80 that extend from
the rear crossbrace 27 and retaining tabs 84 and 85 which extend
from arm sections 30 and 32 that extend behind the back portion 34
of the chair. The retaining tabs are preferably fixedly attached to
the crossbrace and arm sections such as by welding.
[0022] Once the back members 78 and 80 are moved beyond the
retaining tabs 81, 84 and 82, 85, the back members 78 and 80 are
attached to the retaining tabs, and the spreader tools are
disengaged from the back members 78 and 80. Screws (not
illustrated) are used in the same manner as screws 70 and 72 to
attach the back members 78 and 80 to the retaining tabs 81, 82, 84
and 85.
[0023] Although the present invention has been described with
reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will
recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
* * * * *