Upholstery Construction For Adjustable Chairs

Abstract

An upholstery construction particularly adapted for chairs used by doctors' patients, such chairs having a head-back support, a seat support and a leg support which are pivotally interconnected for relative angular movement between a position in which the patient is supported in a sitting position and a position in which the patient is supported in a reclined position, the upholstery having corresponding cushions which are interconnected and relatively movable to conform to the chair; the upholstery including a longitudinally extending centrally disposed strap construction connected to the upholstery cushions to permit limited longitudinal movement and is yieldably secured to the head-back, seat and leg supports to permit change in the relative position of the cushions to correspond to change in angular relation of the supports.

Description

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention is directed to upholstery which is particularly adapted for use in conjunction with my copending application, Ser. No. 824,819, filed May 15, 1969, for a Patient's Chair, in which the chair elements, comprising a head-back support, seat support and a leg support are interconnected for relative angular movement between a position in which a person is supported in a seated position and a position in which the person is supported in a reclined position.

The invention is summarized in the following objects:

First, to provide an upholstery construction for foldable chairs such as are used in doctors' offices in which three cushions, corresponding to the three supporting portions of the chair, at least a pair of which is joined together by special foldable portions which permit limited change in the spatial relation of the cushions as the chair is folded or extended.

Second, to provide an upholstery construction of the type indicated in the preceding object which incorporates a novel strap structure extending the length of the connected cushions, centrally thereof, the strap construction including stretchable loop elements adapted to extend between and under selected ends of the chair elements to secure the cushions in place, yet permit the limited movement with respect to the chair elements.

Third, to provide an upholstery construction for patients' chairs which may be readily attached thereto or removed therefrom.

Fourth, to provide an upholstery construction as indicated in the preceding objects which incorporates a novelly arranged headrest which is slidably mounted on a portion of the strap structure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the upholstery construction, shown in its flat condition, separated from the chair on which it is mounted.

FIG. 2 is an edge view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view thereof.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal fragmentary sectional view of the head-back cushion, taken through 4--4 of FIG. 1, the cushion being shown attached to the head-back supporting member of the chair, and also showing an attachment strap in edge elevation.

FIG. 5 is a similar enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the head-back cushion and the seat cushion, taken through 5--5 of FIG. 1, and showing the cushion mounted on the head-back supporting member and the seat member of a patient's chair, and also showing the securing strap in edge elevation, the members of the patient's chair being shown in their relative positions assumed when the chair is arranged to support a patient in a seated position.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view, similar to FIG. 5, showing the cushion and the chair members in the position assumed when supporting a patient in a reclined position.

FIG. 7 is another enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the seat cushion and leg cushion, shown mounted on the seat member and leg-supporting member of a patient's chair, also with the securing strap shown in edge elevation.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view, similar to FIG. 7, showing the cushions and the chair members in their relative positions assumed when the patient is supported in a reclined position.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary bottom view, taken from 9--9 of FIG. 6, showing one of the attachment loops and its manner of connection to a member of the chair.

The upholstery construction is intended primarily to be mounted on the patient's chair more fully described in the aforementioned copending application. The upholstery construction includes a head-back cushion 1, intended to cover the head-back-supporting member 2 of the patient's chair. The cushion 1 includes a narrow end portion 3 which underlies the neck and head of a patient.

The cushion 1 is joined to a seat cushion 4, which overlies the seat member 5 of a patient's chair. Adjacent margins of the cushions 1 and 4 form connecting portions 6, joined by a seam 7.

A leg cushion 8 is provided which overlies the leg supporting member 9 of the patient's chair. Adjacent margins of the seat cushion 4 and leg cushion 8 are provided with confronting folded connecting portions 10, joined by a seam 11.

As indicated in FIG. 1, each of the cushions 1, 4 and 8 includes a bottom sheet 12 and a top sheet 13, preferably formed of plastic material. The sheets receive therebetween foamed plastic padding 14. In forming the cushions, portions of the two sheets are pressed together to form a predetermined pattern and the intervening foamed plastic padding is compressed in these regions to produce a quilted effect. The two sheets and the padding are bound together by heat-sealing or by use of appropriate adhesives.

The upholstery construction is provided with a longitudinally extending strap structure which includes a headrest guide strap 15, which is essentially nonstretchable. The headrest strap emerges from the head-back cushion through a slit 16 located midway between the ends of the cushion and centered relative to the lateral edges thereof. The exposed portion of the headrest strap 15 extends over the upper end of the head-back supporting member 2 and is secured thereto by a clamp 17. Slidably mounted on the guide strap is a headrest 18 which comprises a base 19 and a padding 20, having a suitable covering. Attached to the base 19 is a cross strap 21, which fits underneath the guide strap 15.

The lower end of the guide strap which is under the head-back cushion is joined to an elastic strap 22, secured by stitching 23 to the seat cushion 4. The elastic strap has sufficient extra length that it may be folded into a loop 24, illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. The loop 24 is folded under the lower edge of the head-back-supporting member 2 and receives a transverse retainer pin 25, secured by screws 26.

The elastic strap continues under the seat cushion 4 and the leg cushion 8 and is joined to the leg cushion by additional stitching 23. The elastic strap 22 is provided with an intermediate loop 27 which may be integral therewith or attached thereto. The intermediate loop is adapted to pass under the forward edge of the seat member 5 and is provided with a second retainer pin 25, secured by screws 26. The elastic strap is provided with a terminal loop 28, which may be stitched thereto or integral therewith. The terminal loop passes under the lower or extended margin of the leg-supporting member 9 and is secured thereto by a third retainer pin 25 and screws 26. To retain the lower margin of the leg cushion 8 in place, a cross strap 29 is provided, through which the elastic strap 22 extends.

The cushions 1, 4 and 8 may be mounted directly on the respective chair members 2, 5 and 9, which may be formed of wood or of high-strength plastic material; or, underpads 30, 31 and 32 may be interposed.

Operation of the upholstery construction is as follows:

The upholstery is easily secured to a chair of the type shown in my copending application by placing the cushions on the chair and securing the end of the headrest strap 15 by the clamp 17. The retainer pins 25 are inserted in the 24, 27 and 28, then by stretching the loops the extremities of the loops may be snapped behind the pairs of screws 26.

It will be noted that the connecting portions 6 have narrow quilting to increase the flexibility in the adjacent regions of the cushions 1 and 4. The connecting portions 10 likewise have narrow quilting.

It is desirable, as indicated in the copending application, that the head-back supporting member 2, seat member 5 and leg-supporting member 9 be transversely concave. This poses no problem in the connection between the head-back and seat members because the connecting portions 6 fold inwardly. However, the connecting portions 9 fold outwardly; consequently, when the upholstery is in the flat condition shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the portions 10 are folded into confronting relation and increase in width toward their lateral margins. Thus, the cushions 4 and 8 conform to the concave-transverse contours of the seat member 5 and leg-supporting member 9 and move slightly to and from each other as the members 5 and 9 move angularly, the side margins of the cushions having greater relative movement than the center.

It will be noted that the headrest strap 15 bears against the underlying cushion to provide sufficient frictional restraint on the cross strap 21, that the headrest 18, while readily adjustable, remains wherever positioned.

The present embodiment of this invention is to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

Claims

I claim:

1. An upholstery construction for patients' chairs having a head-back supporting member, a seat member and a leg-supporting member, said members being rigid, spaced from each other and relatively movable between a position to receive a patient in a seated position and a position to receive the patient in a reclined position, said upholstery construction comprising:

a. a padded cushion means extending the combined lengths of the chair members, said cushion means having foldable portions of reduced thickness spanning the space between the chair members to permit folding of the cushion means in conformity to the chair members throughout the range of their relative movement; and

b. a strap structure extending lengthwise of and secured to said cushion means and having stretchable portions extending between adjacent edges of the chair members, over said edges to the back sides of said chair members and attached thereto, said stretchable portions yieldably securing the cushion means to the chair members to compensate for changes in angular relation and spacing of the chair members.

2. An upholstery construction, as defined in claim 1, wherein:

a. the strap structure further includes a guide portion exposed at the outer side of the cushion covering the head-back member and extending over the top thereof for attachment thereto;

b. and a headrest is slidably adjustable on the guide portion.

3. An upholstery construction, as defined in claim 1, wherein:

a. said strap structure includes a guide strap inserted through the midportion of the head-back cushion to the front side thereof and extending over the head portion thereof for attachment to the chair;

b. and a headrest is slidably supported by the guide strap.

4. An upholstery construction, as defined in claim 1, wherein:

a. the foldable juncture between the seat and leg cushions includes portions folded into confronting relation to permit limited movement of the seat and leg cushions to and from each other.