Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02779812 2014-03-31
STACKABLE CHAIR WITH INTEGRAL PLATE - OR CUP - HOLDERS
BACKGROUND
The preferred embodiments relate generally to a stackable chair.
Inexpensive, molded plastic lawn or patio chairs are used for
outdoor events and gatherings. These stackable, one-piece chairs have
become standard equipment for consumer households as well as a wide
variety of organizations, institutions, and establishments ranging from bars
and caterers to schools and churches. The molded stackable chairs are
lightweight and inexpensive, easy to move and store, and quite durable for
the price. But, when used for events at which food and drink are served
and consumed, the standard design of such chairs comes up short.
Attempting to enjoy a plate of barbecue and a soft drink while sitting in
such a chair, the guest must hold the plate in his or her lap, and either hold
the drink or set it on the ground. As a result, drinks and plates get spilled,
guests' clothing gets soiled, and the entire event becomes less enjoyable
than it might have been.
SUMMARY
In a stackable chair system, a plurality of chairs are provided, each
chair having a back, a seat, and first and second armrests all integral with
one another in an injection-molded thermal plastic construction. Each first
armrest has an integral molded round first cup-holder positioned in a
region of an outer end of the first armrest. Each second armrest has an
integral molded plate-holder or an integral molded second round cup-
holder positioned in a region of an outer end of the second armrest. Each
seat is contoured downwardly forming a seat depression. Each chair is
dimensioned so that the chairs can be stacked on top of one another in
nested fashion.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a stackable chair,
constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment;
Fig. 2A is a perspective view of a stack of the stackable chairs
according to the preferred embodiment of Fig. 1;
Fig. 2B is a top view of the stackable chair of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a top partial view of the plate-holder in Fig. 1;
Fig. 4 is a side partial view of the plate-holder of Fig. 1;
Fig. 5 is a side partial view of an alternative plate-holder;
Fig. 6 is a top partial view of the cup-holder in Fig. 1;
Fig. 7 is a side partial view of the cup-holder of Fig. 1;
Fig. 8 is a perspective view illustrating another embodiment of a
stackable chair; and
Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a stack of the stackable chairs
according to the another embodiment of Fig. 8.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of
the invention, reference will now be made to the preferred
embodiments/best mode illustrated in the drawings and specific language
will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that
no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, and such
alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device and such
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further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated as
would
normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates are
included.
As illustrated in Fig. 1, the present preferred embodiment is a
stackable chair for greater versatility.
As more particularly shown in Fig. 1, the stackable chair 10 of the
present preferred embodiment is a one-piece, molded plastic, stackable
upright patio or lawn chair, similar in design and construction to those
found in common use throughout the country, but incorporating design
features making the chair unique and far more useful and versatile than
the standard chair. The stackable chair 10 features a molded beverage or
cup-holder 11A built into the left-hand armrest 17 for receiving a cup 20A
and a plate-holder 12 built into the right-hand armrest 18 for holding a
plate 21.
The stackable chair 10 of the present preferred embodiment is
approximately three (3') feet in height, with a width of approximately two
(2') feet and a depth of approximately two (2') feet; a one-piece, injection-
molded thermoplastic construction which is weatherproof and UV-
resistant, sturdy and durable; a rounded or angular chair back 13 with
stylish slats 14, and a contoured, comfortable seat 15, also with slats 50.
At the end 16 of the left armrest 17, the stackable chair features the cup-
holder 11A which is at least two (2") inches but which may be up to four
and one-half (4 IA") inches in depth, with a width of at least two inches (2")
and preferably about three (3") inches, and designated to hold a beer or
soft-drink bottle or can, or a Styrofoam or plastic picnic cup 20A.
The chair's right armrest 18 has the molded plate-holder 12 which is
at least four (4") inches but preferably six (6") inches in diameter, and has
a flat recessed floor 39 having a depth of at least one-sixteenth (1/16")
inch for accommodating and securing a paper, plastic, or Styrofoam picnic
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plate 21. The plate-holder is at the end of the right armrest and a portion
of its outer peripheral edge forms the outer end of the armrest.
The cup-holders 11A and the plate-holder 12 are positioned
laterally toward the outer sides of the two armrests. The cup-holder 11A
and the plate-holder 12 are both separate from respective front legs 27A
and 27B, respectively, and more particularly are separate from upper
portions 27AA and 27BB of these legs where they continue up and
connect with the respective arm rests 17 and 18. In one embodiment, a
stackable chair system, comprising: a plurality of chairs, each chair having
a back, four legs, a seat, and first and second armrests all integral with
one another in an injection-molded thermal plastic construction; each first
armrest having an integral molded first round non-movable cup-holder
positioned in a region of an outer end of the first armrest; each second
armrest having an integral molded non-movable plate-holder or an integral
molded second round non-movable cup-holder positioned in a region of an
outer end of the second armrest; the back, seat, four legs, first and second
armrests, first cup-holder, and plate-holder or second cup-holder all being
an integral single molded piece; each seat portion being contoured
downwardly forming a seat depression; each chair being shaped and
dimensioned so that the chairs can be stacked on top of one another in
nested fashion; the first cup-holder being located at an end of the first
armrest and outwardly of an upper portion of a respective front leg of said
four legs joining to the first armrest at the end of the first armrest and
wherein the upper portion has an angled smoothly rounded concave
cross-section, and wherein said smoothly rounded concave cross-section
substantially conforms to a portion of an outer diameter of the first round
cup-holder; and the plate-holder or the second cup-holder being located at
an end of the second arm rest and outwardly of an upper portion of a
respective front leg joining to the second arm rest at the end of the second
arm rest and wherein the upper portion has an angled smoothly rounded
concave cross-section.
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In a further embodiment, a stackable chair system, comprising: a
plurality of chairs, each chair having a back, a seat, four legs, and left and
right armrests all integral with one another in an injection-molded thermal
plastic construction; each left armrest has an integral molded first round
non-movable cup-holder for accommodating a cup and is at least 2 inches
in depth and positioned such that a central vertical axis of the cup lies at
least 1/2 inch outwardly of a longitudinal center line of the left armrest;
each right armrest has an integral molded non-movable plate-holder for
accommodating a plate, or an integral molded second round non-movable
cup-holder for accommodating a cup and which is at least 2 inches in
depth, the plate-holder or the cup-holder being positioned such that a
central vertical axis thereof lies at least 1/2 inch outwardly of a
longitudinal
center line of the right armrest; the back, seat, four legs, first and second
armrests, first cup-holder, and plate-holder or second cup-holder all being
an integral single molded piece; each seat being contoured downwardly
forming a seat depression; each chair being dimensioned so that the
chairs can be stacked on top of one another in nested fashion such that
rear legs of said four legs pass through a gap between the respective
armrest and a respective outer lateral edge of the seat, and wherein a
maximum gap between a front of each seat of adjacent chairs when
stacked is no greater than four inches; and the plate-holder or the first and
second cup-holders being located at an end of the respective armrest and
outwardly of an upper portion of a respective front leg of said four legs
joining to the armrest at the end of the armrest and wherein the upper
portion has an angled smoothly rounded concave cross-section, said
smoothly rounded concave cross-section at the left armrest substantially
conforming to a portion of an outer diameter of the first round cup-holder,
and wherein the front legs and the rear legs have angled cross-sections
forming respective grooves permitting sliding of the legs over one another
during stacking.
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,
In yet a further embodiment, a stackable chair system, comprising:
a plurality of chairs, each chair having a back, a seat, and first and second
armrests all integral with one another in an injection-molded thermal
plastic construction; each first armrest having an integral molded first
round cup-holder positioned in a region of an outer end of the first armrest;
each second armrest having an integral molded plate-holder positioned in
a region of an outer end of the second armrest; each seat portion being
contoured downwardly forming a seat depression; each chair being
shaped and dimensioned so that the chairs can be stacked on top of one
another in nested fashion; a portion of an outer periphery of said plate-
holder forms an end of the second armrest and the plate-holder has a
central vertical axis which is outwardly of a longitudinal center line of the
second armrest; and said portion of said outer periphery of said plate-
holder at said end of the second armrest merges into an upper portion of a
front leg of the chair and said upper portion has an angled smoothly
rounded concave cross-section forming a groove adjacent to a round
recessed floor of the plate-holder, said concave cross-section substantially
conforming to a portion of an outer diameter of the round recessed floor.
In yet a further embodiment, a stackable chair system, comprising:
a plurality of chairs, each chair having a back, a seat, four legs, and two
armrests all integral with one another in an injection-molded thermal
plastic construction; at least one of the armrests of each chair having an
integral molded round non-movable cup-holder or an integral molded non-
movable plate-holder positioned in a region of an outer end of the armrest;
the back, seat, four legs, first and second armrests, and cup-holder or
plate-holder all being an integral single molded piece; each seat portion of
each chair being contoured downwardly forming a seat depression; each
chair being shaped and dimensioned so that the chairs can be stacked on
top of one another in nested fashion; and the cup-holder being located at
an end of the at least one armrest and outwardly of an upper portion of a
respective front leg of said four legs joining to the armrest at the end of
the
armrest and wherein the upper portion has an angled smoothly rounded
concave cross-section, and wherein said smoothly rounded concave
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cross-section substantially conforms to a portion of an outer diameter of
the round cup-holder, or the plate-holder being located at an end of the at
least one armrest and outwardly of an upper portion of a respective front
leg of said four legs joining to the armrest at the end of the armrest and
wherein the upper portion has an angled smoothly rounded concave
cross-section, and wherein said smoothly rounded concave cross-section
substantially conforms to a portion of an outer diameter of a round portion
of the plate-holder.
In yet a further embodiment, a stackable chair system, comprising:
a plurality of chairs, each chair having a back, a seat, and two armrests all
integral with one another in an injection-molded thermal plastic
construction; at least one of the armrests of each chair having an integral
molded round cup-holder for accommodating a cup and is at least 2 inches
in depth and positioned such that a central vertical axis of the cup lies at
least 1/2 inch outwardly of a longitudinal center line of the at least one
armrest; each seat being contoured downwardly forming a seat
depression; each chair being dimensioned so that the chairs can be
stacked on top of one another in nested fashion such that rear legs pass
through a gap between the respective armrest and a respective outer
lateral edge of the seat, and wherein a maximum gap between a front of
each seat of adjacent chairs when stacked is no greater than four inches;
and the cup-holder being located at an end of the at least one armrest and
outwardly of an upper portion of a respective front leg joining to the
armrest at the end of the armrest and wherein the upper portion has an
angled smoothly rounded concave cross-section, and wherein said
smoothly rounded concave cross-section substantially conforms to a
portion of an outer diameter of the round cup-holder.
In yet a further embodiment, a stackable chair system, comprising:
a plurality of chairs, each chair having a back, a seat, four legs, and two
armrests all integral with one another in an injection-molded thermal
plastic construction; at least one of the armrests of each chair having an
integral molded non-movable plate-holder for accommodating a plate, the
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plate-holder being positioned such that a central vertical axis thereof lies
at
least 1/2 inch outwardly of a longitudinal center line of the at least one
armrest; the back, seat, four legs, first and second armrests, and plate-
holder all being an integral single molded piece; each seat being
contoured downwardly forming a seat depression; each chair being
dimensioned so that the chairs can be stacked on top of one another in
nested fashion such that rear legs of said four legs pass through a gap
between the respective armrest and a respective outer lateral edge of the
seat, and wherein a maximum gap between a front of each seat of
adjacent chairs when stacked is no greater than four inches; and the plate-
holder being located at an end of the at least one armrest and outwardly of
an upper portion of a respective front leg of said four legs joining to the
armrest at the end of the armrest and wherein the upper portion has an
angled smoothly rounded concave cross-section, said smoothly rounded
concave cross-section substantially conforming to a portion of an outer
diameter of a round portion of the plate-holder.
As to the plate-holder 12, when viewed from the top as shown in
Fig. 3, it may be observed that the central vertical axis 22 of the plate-
holder 12 is outwardly of the longitudinal center line 24B of the armrest 18
by at least one-half inch (1/2") and preferably approximately one inch (1").
And as to the cup-holder 11A, as shown in Fig. 6, with respect to a
longitudinal center line 24A of the armrest 17, a central vertical axis 25A of
the cup-holder 11A is outwardly offset by at least one-half (1/2") inch from
the longitudinal center line 24A.
The floor 39 of the plate-holder 12 has a rain water drain hole 40.
Similarly the cup-holder 11A has a rain water drain hole 43 in the floor 44.
Alternatively, as shown in the side view of Fig. 5, the plate-holder
may be a planar disc 26 as illustrated. It may have a diameter of at least
four inches (4") but preferably six inches (6").
Figure 4 is a side partial view of the plate-holder 12 of Figs. 1 and 3.
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Figure 7 is a side partial view of the beverage holder 11A of Figs. 1
and 6.
The stackable chair can be produced in a variety of colors and
finishes to suit the range of consumer taste.
As shown in Fig. 2A, the stackable chair 10 is shaped and
dimensioned to be stackable to form a stack 100 for storage and transport,
each chair nesting easily and securely atop the chair beneath it. For
stacking, the rear legs 27C, 27D pass through a gap between the
respective arm rests 17, 18 and lateral side edges of the seat 15. When
vertically stacked, the legs 27A, 27B, 27C, 27D move along and outwardly
of the previous stacked chair legs. Furthermore, since each of the chair
legs 27A, 27B, 27C, 27D has an angled cross-section the resulting groove
guides the chairs during stacking.
Each of the chair legs 27A, 27B, 27C, 27D has rubber feet 60A,
60B, 60C, 60D inserted therein for gripping and protection of the ends of
the chair legs.
The seat 15 also has stylish slats 50 similar to the slats 14 in the
rear back of the chair.
Preferably the stackable chair 10 is dimensioned so that when
stacked, there is gap 28 between the front lower edge 29 of the upper
adjacent chair and front upper edge 30 of the lower adjacent chair of no
more than four inches (4") and preferably of about two inches (2").
In an alternate embodiment shown in Fig. 8, a chair 200 similar to
that shown in Fig. 1 is provided. However, instead of a plate-holder in the
right armrest 18 a second cup-holder 11B is provided identical to the cup-
holder 11A previously described but located in mirror symmetric fashion in
the right hand armrest 18 and thus extends outwardly to the right whereas
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the first cup-holder 11A extends outwardly to the left. Stacking of the chair
200 is shown in Fig. 9 at 300.
A cup 20B may be received in the second cup-holder 11B so that
two cups are held¨namely the cup 20A in the first cup-holder 11A and
cup 20B in the second cup-holder 11B. The cups 20A and 20B could be
different cups or the same cup placed in the second cup-holder 11B
instead of the first cup-holder 11A.
The upper portion of the legs 27A and 27B at 27AA and 27BB is
also angled in cross-section forming a groove, and the downward
extension of the cup-holder 11A for Fig. 1 or 11A and 11B for Fig. 7 has a
periphery portion facing toward the angled groove in the upper leg portions
27AA or 27BB. respectively.
The stackable chair 10 of the present preferred embodiment, which
is a one-piece, molded plastic patio or lawn chair in which the armrests 17
and 18 have been designed to hold the disposable cup 20A and plate 21,
or the additional cup 20B in the case of the alternate embodiment,
presents a number of distinct and significant benefits and advantages.
Foremost, the stackable chair 10 offers the same convenience, ease of
storage and transport, and minimal expense that have made one-piece,
molded plastic outdoor chairs so popular. But the drawback with all such
chairs currently on the market, i.e., the lack of a place for food and drink,
has been overcome with the design of the stackable chair. The chair
does, in fact, hold everything that the outdoor sitter might need at a cook-
out or barbecue, a community concert, or a firehouse or church supper
because the chair gives the sitter a secure, ample cup-, can-, or bottle-
holder 11A in the left armrest 17 for the cup 20A (or cup-holder 11B for the
cup 20B in the alternate embodiment); and the secure holder 12 for the
paper or plastic picnic plate 21 in the right armrest 18. The chair 10 not
only provides a secure place for food and drink, but also is also stackable,
for the convenient storage and transport qualities that have made one-
piece molded chairs such a favorite. For household consumers, for
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catering companies, for bars and restaurants with outside seating, for
church and community groups, schools, concert venues, the chair will
appeal strongly, and very likely become the standard in affordable,
stackable, outdoor seating.
The foregoing exemplary descriptions and the illustrative preferred
embodiments of the present invention have been explained in the
drawings and described in detail, with varying modifications and alternative
embodiments being possible. While the invention has been so shown,
described and illustrated, it should be understood by those skilled in the art
that equivalent changes in form and detail may be made therein without
departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention, and that the
scope of the present invention.
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