Abstract:
A chair pad that can have foldable panels for ease of movement and shipment. A hard wood chair pad formed from multiple elongated rigid planks that have been processed like hardwood flooring or other process depending on the material. The chair pad provides a substantially rigid surface but the pad can be folded up for ease of transport and shipping. The rigid planks utilized to construct the chair pad are similar to planks in hardwood flooring and have sufficient thickness such that when they are bonded in an adjacent side by side abutting manner along the longer lengthwise edges similar to some hardwood flooring and further bonded to a backing in an adjacent side by side manner, the planks form a substantially rigid surface is provided. The planks can be adjacently connected lengthwise along their long side edges, and further adjacently connected end to end along the short side edges.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/741,990, filed Dec. 2, 2005 the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of Invention  
         [0003]     This invention relates generally to chair pads and, more particularly, to wood chair pads.  
         [0004]     2. Background Art  
         [0005]     Chair pads are used as a protective covering for a floor area on which a chair rests or some other furniture item. The chair pad is utilized to protect the underlying floor from damage due to wear and tear caused by the chair and/or the occupant of the chair moving about within the floor area on which the chair rests. A typical chair pad is made of plastic.  
         [0006]     Most chair pads are a unitary one piece flattened body. Most chair pads as indicated are made of plastic. Very few chair pads are made from wood product and none are mass produced. Hardwood chair pads, however, are not flexible. Existing wood chair pads, particularly larger ones, are difficult to move about and very difficult to ship because of the special packaging required and freight restraints that do not allow non-flexible wood chair pads from shipping via shippers such as UPS, FedEx and DHL. Our folding and portable wood chair mats will typically be manufactured from hardwoods including but not limited to various species of bamboo, cherry, oak or mahogany, teak and rubber tree, which can also be utilized for a chair pad.  
         [0007]     Bamboo and teak have many uses such as substituting commercially for wood, plastics, and composite materials in structural and product applications.  
         [0008]     There are various types of bamboo and teak flooring including tongue and groove and the type that needs to be butted together. The lacquered flooring tiles are finished using wear resistant UV coating or polyurethane and the unlacquered flooring tiles need to be coated/waxed and polished after installation. The strength of bamboo and teak boards can be stronger than common wood board because of its special high steam kiln pressure process. The board has excellent water resistance because of its reduced shrinking and expanding rate. Its water-absorbing rate, humidity resistance and smooth finish are superior to any wood product available anywhere.  
         [0009]     There are also various types of hardwood or bamboo chair pads made of flat elongated planks or strips arranged side by side length wise and attached along abutting adjacent edges binding them together in a side by side arrangement. There is also usually a cloth or felt backing or some other fibrous material bonded to the underside. This item has patents pending with the same applicant as this current patent application.  
         [0010]     The bamboo and other hardwood material is very durable for chair pad application, however, the construction of many bamboo pads are rigid lacking the capability to flex or bend. A novel bamboo chair pad construction is needed and is found in this patent application.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
       [0011]     The invention is a hard wood chair pad formed from multiple elongated rigid planks that have been processed like hardwood flooring or other process depending on the material in order to form panels of the foldable chair pad. The chair pad provides a substantially rigid surface but the pad can be folded up for ease of transport and shipping. The rigid planks utilized to construct the chair pad panels are similar to planks in hardwood flooring and have sufficient thickness such that when they are bonded in an adjacent side by side abutting manner along the longer lengthwise edges similar to some hardwood flooring and further bonded to a backing in an adjacent side by side manner, the planks form a substantially rigid surface is provided. The planks can be adjacently connected lengthwise along their long side edges, and further adjacently connected end to end along the short side edges. Please note, bamboo is included as one of the species of wood that will be used in one version of the chair pad and that bamboo is scientifically considered a grass. . . not a wood.  
         [0012]     The planks can be assembled to construct rigid panel sections that can be hinged together such that they are foldable onto an adjacent panel. The chair pad can be constructed of two or more foldable hinged panels. The embodiment shown in the drawing herein includes a center panel and left and right side wing panels, each hinged on opposing sides of the center panel. The left side panel can be adjacently connected by a hinge to the left side of the center panel lengthwise along the side edges of the panels. Similarly, the right panel can be adjacently connected by a hinge to the right side of the center panel lengthwise along the side edges of the panels. When the side panels are hingedly attached, the become foldable left and right side flaps of the chair pad such that the side flaps can be folded over onto the center panel for ease of movement and shipping. The chair pad can also be constructed from two, four or more foldable hinged panels without departing from the scope of this invention.  
         [0013]     Various recessed hinges that are well known in the art can be utilized without departing from the scope of the invention to attach the chair pad panels. Recessed hinges that can be recessed or counter sunk in a recess extending inward from the side edge of the panels can be utilized, which makes the hinge substantially transparent to the user when the chair pad is placed on the floor with the flaps extended. Also the seam or space between adjacent panels is less noticeable. One embodiment of a recessed hinge as disclose herein comprises left and right mounting members where each of the mounting members further comprise a support plug portion for insertion in a recess. The support plug having a mounting flange plate attached to one end of the plug. The mounting members have cut out areas in the mounting flange plate and plug portion for receiving the cross-link support arm. The recessed hinge can have multiple cross-link support arms that are pivotally interconnected by a bearing pin or hinge pin at intermediate portions of the support arms. One end of each support arm can be pivitolly journaled to one of the mounting members and the opposing end can be pivotally connected to a cam-follower hinge pin, where the cam-follower hinge pin is slidable within a longitudinal slot within the plug portion of the mounting member. The recessed hinge as described can pivotally attach two panels of a chair pad in a side by side manner. This type of hinge offers a stronger and more stable office chair mat.  
         [0014]     The bamboo chair pad can be manufactured from 100% Anji Mountain bamboo from China. The bamboo is all treated with various protective coatings to add resistance to natural factors including water, sun and dirt. All bamboo chair pads are made from the harder portions of the bamboo trunk. (Some bamboo used for indoor purposes are manufactured from the softer fibers of the inside of the bamboo trunk). This portion of the bamboo trunk is not utilized for this invention. The bamboo utilized in the present invention can be taken from the harder part of the bamboo trunk to assure maximum endurance and longevity. The bamboo used may be horizontal, vertical or braided (twisted) bamboo. These terms refer to the actual process and physical characteristics of the bamboo. The lower trunk portion of the bamboo plant is harder and less porous. Other wood having sufficient hardness and strength or other materials can also be utilized to manufacture the planks and the panels.  
         [0015]     The bamboo for the present invention can be kiln dried to reduce the chance of warping and remove moisture that can cause future warping. Certain styles of bamboo are oxidized in a boiling vat of liquid to bring out different variations of color vs. the common method of spray staining the bamboo planks to a particular color. The oxidation process also makes the bamboo less porous to moisture. A UV coating can also be applied to the bamboo planks. One embodiment of the invention can have 7 coats of UV protection or a number of coats of polyurethane. The bamboo can be arranged with a series of planks lying next to one another and then assembled into a chair pad utilizing the same manufacturing processes and machinery utilized for some hardwood flooring.  
         [0016]     One embodiment of the invention is an chair pad comprising at least two hinged foldable side by side panels where the at least one recessed hinge is pivotally attaching the at least two foldable panels where said at least one recessed hinge has first and second mounting members pivotally hinged with respect to each other and each opposingly mounted and counter sunk in opposing recesses extending inwardly into opposing facing adjacent side edges of the at least two hinged foldable side by side adjacent panels. The first and second mounting members each can have a central cavity area. This embodiment can further comprise at least one cross-link support arm pivotally attaching the first and second mounting members, where said cross-link support arm members are substantially retractable within the central cavity when the foldable panels are pivotally extended to an abutting side edge by side edge relationship such that the at least one recessed hinged is substantially hidden from view.  
         [0017]     Another embodiment of the invention can be a foldable chair pad comprising a center panel, a left side panel pivotally attached to the center panel at a left side edge of the center panel and an adjacent side edge of the left side panel and a right side panel pivotally attached to the center panel at a right side edge of the center panel opposite the left side edge and an adjacent edge of the right side panel. The left side panel and the right side panel are pivotally attached to the center panel by left and right recessed hinges respectively where said left recessed hinge having first and second mounting members are pivotally hinged with respect to each other and said right recessed hinge having third and fourth mounting members are pivotally hinged with respect to each other and each first and second mounting member opposingly mounted and counter sunk in opposing recesses extending inwardly into opposing facing adjacent side edges of left side panel an the center panel. Each third and fourth mounting member is opposingly mounted and counter sunk in opposing recesses extending inwardly into opposing facing adjacent side edges of the right side panel an the center panel.  
         [0018]     The present inventions construction provides a product that is easily packaged, transported, shipped and moved about to the flexibility of the chair pad and ability to fold up. These and other advantageous features of the present invention will be in part apparent and in part pointed out herein below. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0019]     For a better understanding of the present invention, reference may be made to the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0020]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the chair pad with a chair resting thereon;  
         [0021]      FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the chair pad;  
         [0022]      FIG. 3  is a side perspective view of the beveled perimeter edge;  
         [0023]      FIG. 4  is a bottom perspective view of the chair pad with the left side panel partially folded for illustration;  
         [0024]      FIG. 5  is a side perspective view with the right side panel folded over onto the center panel;  
         [0025]      FIG. 6  is a bottom plan view with the left and right panels folded over onto the center panel;  
         [0026]      FIG. 7  is a side perspective view of a recessed hinge attaching the center panel to the right side panel and the right side panel is folded over;  
         [0027]      FIG. 8  is a top-side perspective view of the recessed hinge partially inserted in the recess;  
         [0028]      FIG. 9  is a side perspective view of the counter sunk recess extending inward from the side edges of the panels inward within the panels; and  
         [0029]      FIGS. 10-16  are various views of the recessed hinge. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION  
       [0030]     According to the embodiment(s) of the present invention, various views are illustrated in  FIG. 16  and like reference numerals are being used consistently throughout to refer to like and corresponding parts of the invention for all of the various views and figures of the drawing. Also, please note that the first digit(s) of the reference number for a given item or part of the invention should correspond to the Fig. number in which the item or part is first identified.  
         [0031]     One embodiment of the present invention comprising a center, a left and a right hard wood panel hingedly interconnected to form a chair pad and teaches a novel apparatus and method for a chair pad that is highly flexible for moving about and shipping.  
         [0032]     The details of the invention and various embodiments can be better understood by referring to the figures of the drawing. Referring to  FIG. 1 , a perspective view of the chair pad with a typical office chair resting thereon is shown.  FIG. 1  is representative of the chair paid  100  lying on a flat surface with a chair  108  resting thereon. This embodiment of the chair pad is shown with a center panel  102  and a left side panel  104  and a right side panel  106 . This embodiment shows the center panel having an extension portion  110  which extends beyond the left and right side panels.  
         [0033]     Referring to  FIG. 2 , a top plan view of the chair pad is shown.  FIG. 2  is shown as a top plan view and is representative of a chair pad lying on a flat surface. Again, the chair pad is shown having a center panel  102  and left and right side panels  104  and  106 , respectively. This embodiment shows the chair pad having a substantially flat finished surface  202 . Referring to  FIG. 3 , a side perspective view of the beveled perimeter edge is shown. This side perspective view of the right side panel  106  reveals that the chair pad can have a beveled edge  300 . The angle of he beveled edge can vary. The chair mat can be folded with the top surface being folded inward or the top surface being folded outward.  
         [0034]     Referring to  FIG. 4 , a bottom perspective view of the chair pad with the left side panel partially folded for illustration is shown. This bottom side perspective view, as shown in  FIG. 4 , again shows the left and right side panels and the center panel. This figure also reveals the seam  400  between the left side panel  104  and the center panel  102 . This figure reveals the ability to fold the left side panel  104 . The left side panel is shown partially folded back onto the center panel  102 . The right side panel  106  has a similar seam and is also hingedly attached to the center panel such that the right side panel can also fold over onto the center panel  102 .  
         [0035]     Referring to  FIG. 5 , a side perspective view with the right side panel folded over onto the center panel is shown. The side perspective view of  FIG. 5  shows the right side panel folded over onto the back side of the center panel  102 . This view also reveals that the right side panel  106  is hingedly attached to the center panel along their respective side edges by a recessed hinge  108 . In this embodiment, the right side panel  106  is shown having its longer side edge  502  hingedly attached to the center panel&#39;s longer side edge  504 . Each of the side edges  502  and  504  have a hinge mounting plate or fastening flange recessed therein.  
         [0036]     Referring to  FIG. 6 , a bottom plan view with the left and right panels folded over onto the center panel is shown. The bottom plan view of  FIG. 6  shows the left and right side panels folded completely over onto the back side of the center panel  102 . Alternatively, the hinges  108  can be installed such that the left and right side panels fold in the opposite direction onto the top side of the center panel  102 . As shown, the center panel  102  has an extension  110  that extends beyond the length of the left and right side panels. The extension  10  of the center panel  102  creates left and right side wings  602  and  604  of the center panel such that the apparatus has the form factor of a standard chair pad.  
         [0037]     Referring to  FIG. 7 , a side perspective view of a recessed hinge attaching the center panel to the right side panel is shown and the right side panel is folded over as shown.  FIG. 7  provides a close up of the side edges  504  and  502  in the hinge area. The recessed hinge  108  is shown having a left hinge mounting plate or fastening flange  709  and a right hinge mounting plate or fastening flange  708 . The left fastening flange  709  is shown counter sunk or recessed into the side edge  504  of the center panel. The right fastening flange  708  is shown counter sunk or recessed into the side edge  502  of the right side panel  106 . The fastening flanges of the hinge are shown being mounted by a screw, for example screw  712 , and the screws are counter sunk in the fastening flanges  709  and  708 . The fastening flanges are shown having a countersink for example  710 . The left and right fastening flanges  709  and  708  act as a mounting means for mounting the left and right mounting members which are recessed inward from the side edges  504  and  502  in a recess for example  704 . This recessed hinge embodiment  108  is also shown having multiple crosslink support arms which configure a crosslink support arm assembly  706 . The cross-link support arm assembly  706  is operable to hingedly attached the two mounting members and thereby hingedly attaching the center panel to the right panel and the crosslink support arms are further operable to recess within the recess  704  when the right side panel is fully extended for lying flat on a surface such as a floor.  
         [0038]     Referring to  FIG. 8 , a top-side perspective view of the recessed hinge partially inserted in the recess  704  is shown. This side perspective view is illustrative of how the recessed hinge is installed by insertion into the center panel side edge recess and the right side panel side edge recess  704 .  
         [0039]     Referring to  FIG. 9 , a side perspective view of the counter sunk recess extending inward from the side edges of the panels inward within the panels is shown.  FIG. 9  shows a close up of the side edge  504  of the center panel and the side edge  502  of the right side panel without the recessed hinge installed.  FIG. 9  further reveals the recessed  704  and the recessed  902 . Each recess has a flange counter sunk recess area  906  for receiving the mounting flange of the hinged mounting member. Each recess also includes a plug recess area  904  for receiving the plug portion of the recessed hinge mounting member.  
         [0040]     Referring to  FIGS. 10-16  various views of the recessed hinge is shown.  FIG. 10  shows a detailed view of the recessed hinge  108 . Each recessed hinge  108  can include a left and right mounting member  1000  and  1001  respectively. Each mounting member will include a mounting flange, for example  708 . Each flange can include countersinks for receiving mounting screws such as for example  710 . The mounting members are hingedly attached by a crosslink support arm assembly  706 . The crosslink support arm assembly can include multiple crosslink support arms. The multiple support arms can be pivotally interconnected by a central hinge pin  1002 . In this embodiment, the crosslink support arm assembly  706  is shown with a plurality of crosslink support arm pairs, for example  1008  and  1004 . Further, crosslink support arm pairs are shown such as  1004 ,  1006 ,  1008  and  1010 . Each support arm pair is shown having a fixed pivot end such as for example  1020  and  2022  and opposing cam following pivoting end. The cam following pivoting end of the crosslink support arm is pivotally interconnected about a cam follower hinge pin such as for example  1012  and  1014 . Each of the mounting members  1000  and  1001  can have cut out areas in the mounting flange plate and the plug portion for receiving the crosslink support arms.  
         [0041]      FIG. 11  shows a different view of the recessed hinge. The cut out areas  1016  and  1018  are shown for receiving the crosslink support arms. As indicated above, the crosslink support arms can be pivotally interconnected on one end as shown at  1022 . The pivotal interconnection is shown in the area of the mounting flange  708 . The opposing end of the crosslink support arm can be pivotally interconnected to a cam follower hinge pin, for example  1014 .  
         [0042]     The plug portion  1104  of the mounting member is shown having a cam slot  1102  along which the cam follower hinge pin travels. When the side panels are extended outward for lying flat on a floor surface, the crosslink support arm can pivot about the cam follower hinge pin and the cam follower hinge pin can travel along the cam slide  1102  such that the crosslink support arms are recessed within the center and side panel.  
         [0043]     When this occurs, the crosslink support arm essentially disappears within the recess of the panel. Recessed hinges of this type allow for the side panels to be extended for lying flat on the floor and further provides aesthetic appeal because the hinge is not readily visible from the top or bottom side and further the seams between the side panels and the center panel have a smaller width.  
         [0044]      FIG. 12  shows yet another view of the recessed hinge having a plug portion  1104  further having a cam slot  1102  such that the cam follower hinge pin can follow along the cam slot.  
         [0045]      FIG. 13  shows yet another view of the recessed hinge pin. This view reveals the cam follower hinge pins  1300  and  1301 . This figure also reveals the position of the recessed hinge pin when the side panels are extended outward for lying flat on a floor surface. As shown, the cam following hinge pins  1300  and  1301  have traveled along the cam slot such that the crosslink support arms are recessed within the cut out area of the plug portion and further within the recess of the panel.  FIG. 14  shows the opposing side of the recessed hinge revealing the pivotal interconnections  1022  and  1020 .  FIG. 15  further reveals the cam slot and the cam follower hinge pin  1301 . This view also reveals a pair of cam slots  1504  for receiving the crosslink support arms which are operable to follow along these slots  1504 .  FIG. 16  further reveals the cam slots  1102  and  1502  for receiving the cam following hinge pins and further reveals the cam slot pairs for receiving the crosslink support arms.  
         [0046]     All surface and structural material for the chair pad can be manufactured from 100% solid wood, engineered wood, wood laminate, wood veneer or other wood fibers. The most common material used for similar products is manufactured from various types of resin. The wood(s) that can be used in the manufacturing of this produce include but are not limited to various species of bamboo, cherry, teak, rubber tree, oak, eucalytus and mahogany. In some instances, more than one species and type of wood can be used in the construction of a single office chair pad.  
         [0047]     The office chair pad can be constructed with a soft surface backing material that is installed to the bottom portion of the chair pad to help protect the surface on which the office chair pad is placed as well as to act as a deterrent to excess movement or slipping on the floor or other flat surface that the chair pad is placed. The backing material can be made of various material . . . and can be cut to match the footprint of the chair pad. The backing can be bonded to the underside of the chair pad.  
         [0048]     The office chair pad can be generally manufactured as three separate portions or panels and hingedly held together by a horizontal recessed metal hinge that is attached with screws in a counter sunk manner that provides for the three separate panels to hinge together tightly with very nominal visibility from the top surface of any hinge assembly when the unit is in the open or extended position. The recessed installation of the mounting member (mounting flange and plug) provide for added strength and is less visible to the user and reduces the width of the seam between panels.  
         [0049]     The hinge is designed and the multiple sections of the office chair pad is manufactured in such a way that, when assembled, the office chair mat can be produced to fold either inward or outward by simply reversing the hinge. Also, the chair pad can be manufactured with two, three or more hingedly attached panels.  
         [0050]     The surface of the office chair pad surface can be stained, veneered or laminated or more than one of these processes or left to it natural wood finish and coated with either multiple layers of polyurethane or UV coatings. The perimeter of the entire office chair pad can be designed with a reducer effect allowing for a gradual sloping angle (beveled edge) for an office chair with or without wheels or casters to gradually depart the office chair pad when the chair is moved.  
         [0051]     The final product can be both mar and scuff resistant with normal use and care by properly applying the finish.  
         [0052]     The product can also be shipped via a typical overnight parcel carrier based on their limitations on overall dimensions as well as weight because of the foldable feature of the keypad.  
         [0053]     The product can be individually packaged for shipping although it is possible to bulk pack the item on protected pallets or other such items to allow our Customers to present the item as a bulk item as well.  
         [0054]     The various chair pad examples shown above illustrate a novel foldable chair pad construction. A user of the present invention may choose any of the above chair pad construction embodiments, or an equivalent thereof, depending upon the desired application. In this regard, it is recognized that various formns of the subject foldable chair pad could be utilized, such as for example a two panel, or three panel or four panel or greater without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.  
         [0055]     As is evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of the present invention are not limited by the particular details of the examples illustrated herein, and it is therefore contemplated that other modifications and applications, or equivalents thereof, will occur to those skilled in the art. It is accordingly intended that the claims shall cover all such modifications and applications that do not depart from the sprit and scope of the present invention.  
         [0056]     Other aspects, objects and advantages of the present invention can be obtained from a study of the drawings, the disclosure and the appended claims.