US3720568A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Seating and sub-assembly for seats and backs
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1971-03-22
•
Granted: 1973-03-13
•
Expires: 1991-03-22
Abstract
Abstract Seats and backs for chairs and other seating units are made as a sub-assembly of sinuous spring wires. For example, a rim, typically having straight ends joined by usually parallel sides shaped as circular arcs, encloses, and its straight ends are attached to, the opposite ends of each of a series of the sinuous spring wires, which extend between them in a circular arc paralleling those of the rim sides. Each of the two extreme spring wires is preferably tangent at each cycle to one of those sides, and each wire touches its adjacent wire at least once per cycle. A thin sleevelike plastic coating surrounds the wires and follows their sinuous shape. It also surrounds the rim and links the wires and the rim together and links the wires themselves together wherever they touch, into a unitary assembly shaped as a cylindrical arc and intended to be flattened somewhat when installed on a chair frame, to place the springs in tension along a flatter cylindrical arc. The ends serve to mount the assembly on the frame, and the parallel sides enclose the springs and minimize their catching on clothing, while the tension provides one of the main forces retaining the assembly in place. In preferred forms of the invention the plastic coating has an Ascale Shore durometer between 45 and 90, so that the assembly is held together by the plastic coating without substantially restraining the flexing of the spring wires, while the coating also provides a spring action itself between the adjacent wires, by stretching and contracting, giving a two-way stretch.
Inventors
- 👤 D Rowland
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 13:32
CPC Classifications
A; A47; A47C; A47C7/00; A47C7/02; A47C7/28; A47C7/282; A47C5/00; A47C5/04; A47C5/06; A47C7/16; A47C7/285; A47C7/30; D; D01; D01H; D01H7/00; D01H7/02; D01H7/04; D01H7/045; D01H7/048; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/12; Y10T428/12333; Y10T428/24; Y10T428/24008
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 54
Claim 1
Independent Claim
151 words
An assembly useful as a seating member or back member when installed on a frame, comprising: a series of arcuate, continuous, sinuous spring metal wires, each having two ends, each said wire closely approaching each of is immediately adjacent said wires at frequency intervals, rigid fastening means for firmly securing said wires adjacent their ends and for positively preventing relative movement of the wires to said fastening means, and a thin sleeve plastic coating surrounding said wires and said fastening means, following the sinuosity of said wires and joining said wires together where they closely approach each other, said approaches being close enough for effective bridging between them by said coating, whereby said wires, fastening means, and plastic coating comprise a unitary assembly defining a cylindrical arc which will be flattened somewhat when said assembly is installed on said frame, thereby placing the springs in tension along a flatter cylindrical arc.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
151 words
An assembly useful as a seating member or back member when installed on a frame, comprising: a series of arcuate, continuous, sinuous spring metal wires, each having two ends, each said wire closely approaching each of is immediately adjacent said wires at frequency intervals, rigid fastening means for firmly securing said wires adjacent their ends and for positively preventing relative movement of the wires to said fastening means, and a thin sleeve plastic coating surrounding said wires and said fastening means, following the sinuosity of said wires and joining said wires together where they closely approach each other, said approaches being close enough for effective bridging between them by said coating, whereby said wires, fastening means, and plastic coating comprise a unitary assembly defining a cylindrical arc which will be flattened somewhat when said assembly is installed on said frame, thereby placing the springs in tension along a flatter cylindrical arc.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
151 words
An assembly useful as a seating member or back member when installed on a frame, comprising: a series of arcuate, continuous, sinuous spring metal wires, each having two ends, each said wire closely approaching each of is immediately adjacent said wires at frequency intervals, rigid fastening means for firmly securing said wires adjacent their ends and for positively preventing relative movement of the wires to said fastening means, and a thin sleeve plastic coating surrounding said wires and said fastening means, following the sinuosity of said wires and joining said wires together where they closely approach each other, said approaches being close enough for effective bridging between them by said coating, whereby said wires, fastening means, and plastic coating comprise a unitary assembly defining a cylindrical arc which will be flattened somewhat when said assembly is installed on said frame, thereby placing the springs in tension along a flatter cylindrical arc.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
151 words
An assembly useful as a seating member or back member when installed on a frame, comprising: a series of arcuate, continuous, sinuous spring metal wires, each having two ends, each said wire closely approaching each of is immediately adjacent said wires at frequency intervals, rigid fastening means for firmly securing said wires adjacent their ends and for positively preventing relative movement of the wires to said fastening means, and a thin sleeve plastic coating surrounding said wires and said fastening means, following the sinuosity of said wires and joining said wires together where they closely approach each other, said approaches being close enough for effective bridging between them by said coating, whereby said wires, fastening means, and plastic coating comprise a unitary assembly defining a cylindrical arc which will be flattened somewhat when said assembly is installed on said frame, thereby placing the springs in tension along a flatter cylindrical arc.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
The assembly of claim 1 wherein said fastening means comprises a pair of parallel straight rim end members and means for securing them to the ends of said wires.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
The assembly of claim 2 wherein said means for securing comprises friction lock means fastening each wire at each end to a said rim end member and preventing withdrawal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
32 words
The assembly of claim 2 wherein said means for securing comprises a series of welds, each welding a said wire closely adjacent its end to a said rim end member of metal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
The assembly of claim 2 wherein said means for securing comprises a close fitting tubular member as said rim end member and spring means for snapping a wire end thereinto.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
34 words
The assembly of claim 2 haviNg arcuate rim side members joining said rim end members together and describing an arc identical to those of said wires and secured at intervals to the extreme wires.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
The assembly of claim 1 wherein said metallic fastening means comprises a series of weldments securing successive said wires to each other adjacent each end of each said wire.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
26 words
The assembly of claim 1 wherein said metallic fastening means comprises a continuous rim member secured to said wires adjacent each end of each said wire.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
19 words
The assembly of claim 8 wherein said rim member is welded to each said wire adjacent each said wire.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
The assembly of claim 1 wherein said plastic coating has a Shore A durometer in the range of 45 to 90.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
16 words
The assembly of claim 10 wherein said coating has a Shore A durometer of about 75.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
26 words
The assembly of claim 1 wherein said spring metal wires have a silhouette area of between 17 and 75 percent of the area of said assembly.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
17 words
The assembly of claim 1 wherein some of said wires are of different vibration frequency than others.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
14 words
The assembly of claim 13 wherein some wires are of different thickness from others.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
15 words
The assembly of claim 13 wherein some wires are of different arc-cycle length from others.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
15 words
The assembly of claim 13 wherein some wires are of different spring tension from others.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
26 words
The assembly of claim 1 wherein the thickness of said coating is from about one-fifth of the wire thickness to about equal to the wire thickness.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
27 words
The assembly of claim 1 wherein the empty space between the coated wires occupies from about 2 to about 75 percent of the area of the assembly.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
18 words
The assembly of claim 1 wherein the wire diameter is in the range of 0.05 to 0.15 inch.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
26 words
The assembly of claim 1 wherein the force required to pull apart said ends for installation upon a chair frame is between 340 and 680 pounds.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
85 words
A seat assembly for installation upon a chair frame, comprising a series of sinuous spring wires set beside each other and approaching each other very closely and surrounded by and bridged by a thin coating of plastic, said assembly being a cylindrical segment that is flattened to a larger radius segment when installed and requiring between 340 and 680 pounds to so flatten it, thereby placing the springs in tension so that they provide resilient support to the center along a relatively flat cylindrical arc.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
85 words
A seat assembly for installation upon a chair frame, comprising a series of sinuous spring wires set beside each other and approaching each other very closely and surrounded by and bridged by a thin coating of plastic, said assembly being a cylindrical segment that is flattened to a larger radius segment when installed and requiring between 340 and 680 pounds to so flatten it, thereby placing the springs in tension so that they provide resilient support to the center along a relatively flat cylindrical arc.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
158 words
An assembly useful as a seating member or back member when installed on a frame, comprising: a series of arcuate, continuous, sinuous wires, each having two ends, each said wire closely approaching each of its immediately adjacent said wires at frequent intervals, at least some of said wires being springs, rigid fastening means for firmly securing said wires adjacent their ends and for positively preventing relative movement of the wires to said fastening means, and a thin sleeve plastic coating surrounding said wires and said fastening means, following the sinuosity of said wires and joining said wires together where they closely approach each other, said approaches being close enough for effective bridging between them by said coating, whereby said wires, fastening means, and plastic coating comprise a unitary assembly defining a cylindrical arc which will to be flattened somewhat when said assembly is installed on said frame, thereby placing the springs in tension along a flatter cylindrical arc.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
158 words
An assembly useful as a seating member or back member when installed on a frame, comprising: a series of arcuate, continuous, sinuous wires, each having two ends, each said wire closely approaching each of its immediately adjacent said wires at frequent intervals, at least some of said wires being springs, rigid fastening means for firmly securing said wires adjacent their ends and for positively preventing relative movement of the wires to said fastening means, and a thin sleeve plastic coating surrounding said wires and said fastening means, following the sinuosity of said wires and joining said wires together where they closely approach each other, said approaches being close enough for effective bridging between them by said coating, whereby said wires, fastening means, and plastic coating comprise a unitary assembly defining a cylindrical arc which will to be flattened somewhat when said assembly is installed on said frame, thereby placing the springs in tension along a flatter cylindrical arc.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
29 words
The assembly of claim 22 wherein said fastening means comprises a pair of parallel straight rim end members and means for securing them to the ends of said wires.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
28 words
The assembly of claim 22 wherein said fastening means comprises a series of weldments securing successive said wires to each other adjacent each end of each said wire.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
25 words
The assembly of claim 22 wherein said fastening means comprises a continuous rim member secured to said wires adjacent each end of each said wire.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
209 words
An assembly useful as a seating or back member when installed on a frame, comprising a rim defining a closed area of a cylindrical surface, arched in one direction and straight in another direction normal to said arched direction, and having springy flexing action along said arched direction, a series of sinuous spring wires each positively anchored at opposite ends to said rim and extending across said rim in a generally circular arc parallel to the arching of said rim, the longitudinal axes of said wires being parallel to each other, each said wire very closely approaching its adjacent said wires at least once each cycle, a thin sleeve plastic coating surrounding each said wire and following its sinuous shape and bridging two wires wherever they closely approach each other and also surrounding said rim, linking said wires together and to said rim in a unitary assembly shaped as a cylindrical arc having a radius of curvature less than that desired in a seat or back and will be flattened somewhat when said rim is secured to a said frame, to place the spring wires in tension along a flatter cylindrical arc, said rim serving to mount said assembly on a said frame and to enclose the sinuous springs.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
209 words
An assembly useful as a seating or back member when installed on a frame, comprising a rim defining a closed area of a cylindrical surface, arched in one direction and straight in another direction normal to said arched direction, and having springy flexing action along said arched direction, a series of sinuous spring wires each positively anchored at opposite ends to said rim and extending across said rim in a generally circular arc parallel to the arching of said rim, the longitudinal axes of said wires being parallel to each other, each said wire very closely approaching its adjacent said wires at least once each cycle, a thin sleeve plastic coating surrounding each said wire and following its sinuous shape and bridging two wires wherever they closely approach each other and also surrounding said rim, linking said wires together and to said rim in a unitary assembly shaped as a cylindrical arc having a radius of curvature less than that desired in a seat or back and will be flattened somewhat when said rim is secured to a said frame, to place the spring wires in tension along a flatter cylindrical arc, said rim serving to mount said assembly on a said frame and to enclose the sinuous springs.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
29 words
The assembly of claim 26 wherein said rim has portions with tubular receptacles and openings through which said wires extend into said tubular receptacles, where they are positively anchored.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
21 words
The assembly of claim 27 wherein the positive anchoring comprises friction locking means forming part of said rim engaging said wires.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
17 words
The assembly of claim 27 wherein the positive anchoring comprises welds securing said wires to said rim.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
15 words
The assembly of claim 26 wherein said rim comprises wire members welded to said wires.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
174 words
An assembly useful as a seating member or back member, for installation upon a frame, comprising a rim having spaced-apart straight ends joined by parallel sides shaped as circular arcs, a series of sinuous spring wires each attached at their opposite ends to said rim ends and each extending between them in a circular arc parallel to those of said rim sides, each of the two extreme spring wires being substantially tangent at each cycle to one of said sides, each wire substantially touching its adjacent wires at least once per cycle, and a thin sleeve plastic coating surrounding said wires and following their sinuous shape and bridging the wires where they substantially touch and also surrounding said rim and linking said wires and said rim together into a unitary assembly, shaped as a substantially cylindrical arc which will be flattened somewhat when installed on a chair frame at each of said ends to place the springs in tension along a flatter cylindrical arc, said ends serving to mount said assembly on said frame.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
174 words
An assembly useful as a seating member or back member, for installation upon a frame, comprising a rim having spaced-apart straight ends joined by parallel sides shaped as circular arcs, a series of sinuous spring wires each attached at their opposite ends to said rim ends and each extending between them in a circular arc parallel to those of said rim sides, each of the two extreme spring wires being substantially tangent at each cycle to one of said sides, each wire substantially touching its adjacent wires at least once per cycle, and a thin sleeve plastic coating surrounding said wires and following their sinuous shape and bridging the wires where they substantially touch and also surrounding said rim and linking said wires and said rim together into a unitary assembly, shaped as a substantially cylindrical arc which will be flattened somewhat when installed on a chair frame at each of said ends to place the springs in tension along a flatter cylindrical arc, said ends serving to mount said assembly on said frame.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
33 words
The assembly of claim 31 wherein the wires adjacent one side of said assembly are of lighter gauge than the remaining wires, to give less stiffness at the front portion of a seat.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
31 words
The assembly of claim 31 wherein the force required to pull apart said assembly to fit it to a chair frame as a seating member lies between 340 and 680 pounds.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
26 words
The assembly of claim 31 wherein said rim ends have a series of friction lock means each secured to a said wire adjacent the end thereof.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
31 words
The assembly of claim 34 having a series of spaced stop means each abutted by the end of a said wire and serving to obtain the correct spacing of said wires.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
22 words
The assembly of claim 31 wherein said rim ends are welded to each of said wires adjacent the ends of said wires.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
23 words
The assembly of claim 31 wherein said plastic coating has a Shore A durometer of 45 to 90 enabling a two-way stretch action.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
17 words
The assembly of claim 37 wherein said plastic coating has a Shore A durometer of about 75.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
25 words
The assembly of claim 31 wherein said spring wires have a silhouette area of between 17 and 75 percent of the area of said assembly.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
199 words
An assembly useful as a seating member or back member when installed on a frame, comprising a rim having parallel ends joined by parallel sides, said ends being straight line segments, said sides being springy flexible generally circular arcs, a series of sinuous spring wires each attached at their opposite ends to said parallel ends of said rim and extending between them in a generally circular arc parallel to those of said rim sides, each of the two extreme spring wires being tangent at each cycle to one of said sides, each wire touching its adjacent wires at least once per cycle, and a thin sleeve plastic coating surrounding said wires and following their sinuous shape and bridging two wires wherever two wires touch and also surrounding said rim and linking said wires and said rim together into a unitary assembly, shaped as a cylindrical arc which will be flattened somewhat when installed on a said frame at each of said parallel ends to place the spring wires in tension along a flatter cylindrical arc, said parallel ends serving to mount said assembly on said frame and said parallel sides enclosing said springs and minimizing their catching on clothing.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
199 words
An assembly useful as a seating member or back member when installed on a frame, comprising a rim having parallel ends joined by parallel sides, said ends being straight line segments, said sides being springy flexible generally circular arcs, a series of sinuous spring wires each attached at their opposite ends to said parallel ends of said rim and extending between them in a generally circular arc parallel to those of said rim sides, each of the two extreme spring wires being tangent at each cycle to one of said sides, each wire touching its adjacent wires at least once per cycle, and a thin sleeve plastic coating surrounding said wires and following their sinuous shape and bridging two wires wherever two wires touch and also surrounding said rim and linking said wires and said rim together into a unitary assembly, shaped as a cylindrical arc which will be flattened somewhat when installed on a said frame at each of said parallel ends to place the spring wires in tension along a flatter cylindrical arc, said parallel ends serving to mount said assembly on said frame and said parallel sides enclosing said springs and minimizing their catching on clothing.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
26 words
The assembly of claim 40 wherein said rim ends have a series of friction lock means each secured to a said wire adjacent the end thereof.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
31 words
The assembly of claim 41 having a series of spaced stop means each abutted by the end of a said wire and serving to obtain the correct spacing of said wires.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
22 words
The assembly of claim 40 wherein said rim ends are welded to each of said wires adjacent the ends of said wires.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
23 words
The assembly of claim 40 wherein said plastic coating has a Shore A durometer of 45 to 90 enabling a two-way stretch action.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
25 words
The assembly of claim 40 wherein said spring wires have a silhouette area of between 17 and 75 percent of the area of said assembly.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
23 words
The assembly of claim 1 wherein the thickness of the coated wires is between 1/200 and 1/50 the length of said cylindrical arc.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-03-12 | 1976-09-11 | 1977-03-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-03-12 | 1980-09-11 | 1981-03-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-03-12 | 1984-09-11 | 1985-03-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |