CHAIR

A chair includes a frame for supporting a seat and a backrest. The frame is provided with legs for resting on the ground. The chair includes the seat and the backrest. At least the backrest is fixed to the frame by virtue of interlocking elements.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 (b) to Italian Patent Application No. 102023000015105, filed on Jul. 19, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present invention relates to a chair.

Nowadays, a considerable quantity of types of chairs are widely available on the market.

These usually have a frame, provided with legs for resting on the ground, which supports a seat and a backrest and couples them together.

Normally, the backrest and the seat are joined to the frame using fixing means such as screws, bolts, nails, pegs, etc.

The sight of such fixing means leads to an unpleasant visual impact.

Furthermore, the need to fix the backrest and/or the seat to the frame using such fixing means entails a process of providing the chair that is long and inconvenient, and the necessity to use tools.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The aim of the present invention is to provide a chair which is capable of improving the known art in one or more of the above-mentioned aspects.

Within this aim, an object of the invention is to provide a chair in which there are no means present for fixing the seat or the backrest to the frame, such as screws and/or nails and/or pegs, or such fixing means are hidden from view.

Another object of the invention is to provide a chair that can be assembled more easily and rapidly with respect to similar, conventional chairs, limiting the use of tools compared to such conventional chairs.

A further object of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks of the background art in a manner that is alternative to any existing solutions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a chair that is highly reliable, easy to implement, and at low cost.

This aim and these and other objects which will become more apparent hereinafter are achieved by a chair, which comprises:a frame for supporting a seat and a backrest, said frame being provided with legs for resting on the ground,said seat,said backrest,said chair being characterized in that at least said backrest is fixed to said frame by virtue of interlocking means.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

With reference to the figures, a chair according to the invention is generally designated by the reference number10.

The chair10comprises:a frame11for supporting a seat12and a backrest13, the frame11being provided with a plurality of legs14for resting on the ground,such seat12,such backrest13.

One of the peculiarities of the invention consists in that at least the backrest13is fixed to the frame11using interlocking means15.

The expression “interlocking means” refers to means that make it possible to fix by simple interlocking/form-fit coupling, and without the use of elements such as nails, screws, pegs, etc. which require the use of one or more tools.

In embodiments not shown in the figures, both the backrest and the seat are fixed to the frame solely using interlocking means.

In particular, the frame11has two portions16a,16b, which are mirror-symmetrical with respect to the sagittal plane of the chair10.

In the present description, the expression “sagittal plane” refers to the plane that runs in the fore-and-aft direction dividing a body into two parts: right and left.

Each one of the portions16a,16bof the frame comprises:a substantially C-shaped section17a,17b, which is substantially parallel to the seat12and has in turn:a core18a,18b, from which two wings19a′,19a″,19b′,19b″ extend,such two wings19a′,19a″,19b′,19b″,two legs14, each one of which extends from a respective free end of a corresponding one of such wings19a′,19a″,19b″,19b″, such legs14extending in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the plane of arrangement of the substantially C-shaped section17a,17b, below the seat12,an appendage20a,20b, which extends proximate to the free end of a corresponding one of such wings19a′,19a″,19b′,19b″, proximate to/facing the backrest13, the appendage20a,20bextending in a direction at right angles to the plane of arrangement of the substantially C-shaped section17a,17band in a direction that is opposite to that of the legs14.

In the present description, the terms “upper”, “lower”, “above”, “below”, etc. refer to the configuration for use of the chair10.

Advantageously, the portions16a,16bof the frame11are fixed to each other at the respective core18a,18b.

The frame11is preferably made of metallic material.

The seat12is composed of two shells:a first, lower shell21, associated with the frame11, at the substantially C-shaped sections17a,17b,a second, upper shell22, which is complementary to the first lower shell21and defines the user's horizontal resting surface.

Advantageously, the first lower shell21has a substantially quadrangular profile with:contoured zones23adapted to provide insertion/interlocking seats for the substantially C-shaped sections17a,17b,stiffening ribs24.

The first lower shell21has two first through holes25, each one for the insertion of a respective appendage20a,20bat/proximate to the corners of the substantially quadrangular profile that are proximate to the backrest13.

The first lower shell21is fixed to the frame11by inserting/interlocking the substantially C-shaped sections17a,17bin the respective contoured zones23, and fixing the wings19a′,19a″,19b′,19b″ to the first shell21with respective collars, not shown in the figures, connected to the shell with respective screws, also not shown in the figures, screwed into corresponding second holes26in the first lower shell21.

The interlocking means15comprise two association elements27a,27b, which are mirror-symmetrical with respect to the sagittal plane of symmetry of the chair10.

Each one of such association elements27a,27bhas an elongated body which is provided, along its axis of extension, with:a first section28, which is tubular and is provided with a third through hole29with an axis of extension that is parallel to the axis of extension of the elongated body,a second section30, provided with a lateral opening31, in communication with the third through hole29.

The association elements27a,27bcomprise a coupling portion32for coupling to the first lower shell21.

This coupling portion32extends from the free end of the first section28of the respective association element27a,27b, and lies on a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the axis of extension of the elongated body thereof.

The coupling portion32has a C-shaped profile adapted to interlock with a respective contoured zone23, on the opposite side with respect to the side of insertion of the respective substantially C-shaped section17a,17b.

Furthermore, such coupling portion32has a fourth through hole33for the insertion of a respective screw, not shown in the figures, for fixing to the first lower shell21.

The backrest13has two portions34for association with the frame11(of which only one is shown in the figures), each one of which is inserted in the opening31of a respective association element27a,27band is substantially shaped complementarily to such opening31.

The association portions34have a substantially vertical configuration for use and an axis of extension that is substantially parallel to the plane of arrangement of the backrest13.

Advantageously, each association portion34has shapes and dimensions that are such as to produce an interlocking/form-fit coupling with the respective opening31, into which it is inserted.

Each one of the association portions34has a fifth through hole35, which is adapted to correspond to the third hole29of the first section28of the corresponding association element27a,27b, for the insertion of a respective appendage20a,20bof the frame11.

The seat12, the backrest13and the association elements27a,27bare made of plastic material.

FIGS.4to8show the steps of assembling the chair10, according to the invention.

The assembly of the chair10according to the invention is as follows.

First of all the association elements27a,27bare installed on the first shell21of the seat12, interlocking the coupling portion32with a respective contoured zone23, so as to make the third holes29correspond to the respective first holes25(FIGS.4and5).

Then the association elements27a,27bare fixed to the first lower shell21using fixing screws (not shown in the figures) inserted in the fourth holes33.

Subsequently, the backrest13is connected to the association elements27a,27b, by inserting the association portions34into the respective openings31, arranging the fifth holes35at the respective third holes29(FIGS.6and6a).

At this point the whole is fixed to the frame11by inserting the appendages20a,20bthereof into the respective first holes25, third holes29and fifth holes35(FIG.7).

In this manner, it is no longer possible to remove the backrest13from the association elements27a,27b, and therefore from the first lower shell21, without removing the frame11.

The frame11is then fixed to the first lower shell21, optionally by means of collars for clamping the wings19a′,19a″,19b′,19b″ and screws inserted into the second holes26from the lower surface of the first lower shell21, therefore hidden from view in the configuration for use of the chair10.

Finally, the second shell22of the seat12is fixed/interlocked to the first shell21(FIG.8).

In practice it has been found that the invention fully achieves the intended aim and objects by providing a chair in which there are no means present for fixing the seat or the backrest to the frame, such as screws and/or nails and/or pegs, or such fixing means are hidden from view.

According to the invention a chair has been devised that can be assembled more easily and rapidly with respect to similar, conventional chairs, limiting the use of tools compared to such conventional chairs.

The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, all the details may be substituted by other, technically equivalent elements.

In practice the materials employed, provided they are compatible with the specific use, and the contingent dimensions and shapes, may be any according to requirements and to the state of the art.