US3375040A - Chair backrest - Google Patents

Description

March 26, 1968 E. F. HAMILTUYON ETAL I 3,375,040

CHAIR BACKREST Filed July 26, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheebl a I04 l I m I l I INVENTORS 1 EARL F. HAMILTON 1g- 0wm K. MOORE RALPH B. LAY

ATTORNEYS March 26, 1968 E. F. HAMILTON ETAL 3,375,040

CHAIR BACKREST 2 Sheets-Sheet :3

INVENTORS EARL F. HAMILTON EDWINK. MOORE RALPH B. LAY

ATTO RNEYS United States Patent 3,375,040 CHAIR BACKREST Earl F. Hamilton, Boca Raton, Fla., and Edwin K. Moore and Ralph B. Lay, Columbus, Ind., assignors to Hamilton Cosco, Inc., Columbus, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed July 26, 1966, Ser. No. 567,923 Claims. (Cl. 297-460) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A chair backrest in which there is a pair of laterally spaced uprights interconnected by a pair of transverse, opposed channel members. The members are bowed rearwardly and a padded panel is retained between said members in a stressed rearwardly bowed condition with its upper and lower edges received in said members.

This invention relates to a backrest for a chair and has for its objects the provision of a backrest which will be comfortable to the user, which will be of attractive appearance, which can be quickly and easily assembled and disassembled, and which will prove sturdy and durable in use.

In accordance with the preferred form of the invention, there is provided a pair of laterally spaced uprights interconnected by opposed upper and lower rearwardly bowed channel members. Each of said channel members is provided with a forward flange and .a longer rearward flange interconnected by a web, and a padded panel is interposed between said uprights with its upper and lower margins received between the flanges on said members. Said panel has a generally planar configuration, but upon insertion into the channel members, it is bowed rearwardly and releasably retained between said members in a stressed condition.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the more detailed description which follows and from the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a chair having a backrest embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the backrest shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 33 of FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, our backrest is adapted to be employed in connection with any type of conventional chair having a plurality of gr-ound-engageable legs supporting a seat 12. Said backrest comprises a pair of laterally spaced uprights 14 conveniently formed from lengths of metal tubing. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, said uprights constitute upward extensions of the rear legs 10. The uprights 14 are interconnected by upper and lower transverse channels 16 and 18 rigidly connected at their ends to the adjacent inner faces of said uprights. As shown in FIG. 3, channel 1 6 comprises a forward flange 19 interconnected by .a Web 20 to a longer rearward flange 21 whose lower edge projects below the lower edge of flange 19. In a similar manner, channel 18 comprises a forward flange 22 interconnected by a web 23 to a longer rearward flange 24 whose upper edge projects above the upper edge of the forward flange 22. The channels are mounted in the uprights in opposed relationship and are bowed rearwardly with respect to said uprights with channel 18 having a longer radius of curvature than channel 16.

The channels 16 and 18 support a padded panel 26 conveniently formed from a bendable board 27 of hardboard or the like, and having a height greater than the distance between the lower edge of flange 19 and the web ICC 23 and a width approximating the distance between the uprights 14. A compressible foam pad 28 is mounted on the front face of board 27, and a covering 29 extends over the front face of the pad 28 and the rear face of board 27 for thus encapsulating said pad and board. The panel 26 is made as a generally planar sub-assembly and has an overall thickness greater than the spacing between the front and rear flanges on channels 16 and 18.

The panel 26 is inserted into the channels 16 and 18 by disposing the rear face of its upper margin against the downwardly projecting rear flange 21 on channel 16. Said panel is then moved upwardly in channel 16 until its lower margin clears the upper edge of flange 22 on channel 18, whereupon said panel is moved downwardly into channel 18 with its upper margin interposed between flanges 19 and 21 and its lower margin interposed between flanges 22 and 24 and its opposed en-ds abutting the adjacent faces of uprights 14. The panel will be bindingly retained in position in the channels by reason of its pa-d being compressed between the channel flanges and by reason of its being formed in a planar condition but being bowed rearwardly in a stressed condition by the rearward bow of said channels. The rearward bow of the panel further causes the pad 28 on said panel to bulge forwardly to enchance the comfort of the back rest.

As will be apparent, if it is desired for any reason to remove the panel 26, it is merely necessary to slide said panel upwardly in channel 16 until its lower margin clears the upper edge of flange 22 on channel 18, Whereupon the lower end of said panel can be swung forwardly to clear channel 18. With the panel out of engagement with channel 18, it can be slid downwardly out of channel 16.

We claim:

1. A chair backrest comp-rising .a pair of laterally spaced uprights, upper and lower channel members interconnecting said uprights and each having a forward flange and a longer rearward flange interconnected by a web, said members being in opposed relationship and bowed rearwardly with respect to said uprights, and a padded panel having its upper and lower margins received between the flanges on said members, said panel being retained in said members in a stressed rearward bowed condition.

2. The invent-ion as set forth in claim 1 in which said lower member has a greater radius of curvature than said upper member.

3. The invention as set forth in claim "1 in which the height of said panel is greater than the distance between the forward flange on one of said members and the web on the other and less than the distance between the webs on said members.

4. The invention as set forth in claim 11 in which the opposed ends of said panel abut the adjacent inner faces of said uprights.

'5. The invention as set forth in claim 1 in which said panel comprises :a board of bendable material and a compressible pad covering the forward face thereof, said panel having thickness greater than the distance between the forward and rearward flanges on said members.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,930,667 3/1960 Zearfoss 312-304 3,041,110 6/1962 King et a1 297-451 3,135,552 6/1964 Lock-shin 297452 3,147,998 9/1964 Hamilton 297--452 3,288,529 11/1966 Koch 297-460 3,291,529 12/1966 Straits 297-460 X CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner.

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