Site News  |   Monitor Keywords  |   Monitor Archive  |   Organizer  |   Account Info  |

Sling chair construction having non-weight bearing material and method of constructing same

Sling chair construction having non-weight bearing material and method of constructing same description/claims

The present invention relates to a chair construction. In particular, the present invention relates to a chair with an envelope having a layer of non-slingable material and a method of constructing the chair.

One type of outdoor furniture that has become popular is a sling style chair. Typically, a sling style chair includes a sheet or sheets held in tension between two longitudinal bars. The bars are typically held apart by a number of external braces.

Because the sheet or sheets are held in tension and also must bear the weight of the person sitting on the chair, only certain types of material can be used as the sheet or sheets on a sling style chair. These materials are known as “slingable” materials. Slingable materials are load-bearing materials that have sufficient strength to withstand the forces exerted by a person sitting on the chair as well as sufficient resiliency to withstand the tension placed on the material due to the chair's construction. Further, a slingable material is able to withstand the force of a person repeatedly sitting on the chair over a long period of time without sagging or drooping.

Due to the strength and resiliency of slingable materials, slingable materials typically do not readily accept patterns and dyes. Certain materials, such as acrylic, which readily accept patterns and/or dyes of vibrant colors, are non-slingable materials which are not typically utilized in the construction of a sling style chair. Because of the patterns and/or color, many consumers would prefer to have a sling style chair utilizing non-slingable materials. In tension, non-slingable materials do not withstand the forces on the material and are susceptible to tearing, stretching. Over time a non-slingable material will begin to sag which is detrimental to the appearance and comfortability of the chair.

The present invention includes a chair construction having a chair frame comprising a seat portion and a back portion. A flexible envelope encompasses the chair frame where the envelope includes first and second layers both of which have a first selected width between first left and right edges. The first and second layers are constructed of a slingable material. A third layer is constructed of a non-slingable material where the third layer has a second selected width between second left and right edges where the second selected width is shorter than the first selected width of the first and second layers. The first and second left edges and the first and second right edges are aligned and the layers are secured together proximate the left and right edges to form the flexible envelope. The chair frame is positioned between the first and second layers and into a selected position. With the envelope positioned over the frame, each of the three layers is stretched taut to a width of the chair. The third layer of non-slingable material is stretched a greater distance than the first and second layers, such that the non-slingable layer is able to withstand the forces placed upon the material including the tension on the material due to the chair's construction and a load that is applied to the non-slingable material when a person is seated or object is placed on the envelope.

The present invention also includes a flexible envelope for positioning on a chair frame, the envelope comprises a first layer comprising a slingable material having a first selected width, a second layer comprising a slingable material having a width substantially the same as the first selected width of the first layer and a third layer comprising a non-slingable material having a second selected width that is shorter than the first selected width of the first and second slingable materials. Side edges of the first, second and third layers are substantially aligned and folded over to form a six-layer composite where the layers of non-slingable material are adjacent. A hem is produced by sewing through the six-layer composite along the side edges to form the envelope.

The present invention also includes a method of constructing a sling style chair that includes providing a frame having a back portion and a seat portion. The method includes providing first and second layers of slingable material positioned adjacent each other and having a first selected width and providing a non-slingable material having a second selected width that is shorter than the first selected width of the slingable material. The side edges of the three layers are aligned and the material is folded over to form a six-layer composite along the side edges where the layers of non-slingable material are adjacent. A hem is produced by sewing through the six layer composite proximate the side edges. The envelope is then positioned over the back portion and seat portion and the envelope is sufficiently stretched such that the non-slingable material remains taut throughout use and is able to withstand the forces applied thereto when an object or person is seated in the chair.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sling style chair of the present invention having an envelope attached thereto.

FIG. 2 is another perspective view of a sling style chair of the present invention having an envelope attached thereto.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the layers of material of the envelope of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a left side edge of the envelope of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the envelope of the present invention in a slack configuration.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the envelope of the present invention encompassing the frame in a taut configuration.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

• What Is a Patent?
• What Is a Trademark or Servicemark?
• What Is a Copyright?
• Patent Laws