CHAIR WITH METAL BODY

Abstract: The invention relates to a chair with a metal frame. The chair comprises the metal frame (1) of the chair, a seat (25), a back (4) and plugs (9, 10), the back tubes of the metal frame (1) comprising longitudinal notches (2, 3) which the back (4) engages between the two back tubes to form an integral unit. The back (4) comprises notched lower edges (7, 8) to support the notches (7, 8) at the lower edge of the back (4) on the notches (2, 3) in the back tubes of the metal frame (1).

Description: Chair with metal body The invention relates to a chair with a metal frame of a new type, which provides better durability, ease of assembly and also enhanced appearance and usability compared with previous chair solutions. The chair with a metal frame of the invention is usable for the same purposes of use as conventional chairs with a metal frame. Serially produced chairs are subject to a number of various requirements. These requirements involve durability, ease of use and also relative comfort. The chairs should have a stable and solid construction, while being straightforward and inexpensive and easy to manufacture. During production, the number of chair components should be small and easy to assemble. In some cases the chairs are assembled only on the buyer's premises, thus cutting down packaging and transport expenses, since this allows a large number of chairs to be transported collapsed in a smaller space. One of the vital aspects in terms of chair requirements is the appearance of the chair, which cannot be neglected. Thus, the industrial design and appearance of a chair should meet the users' requirements, in addition to its other characteristics. Currently, one of the most popular chair designs is a chair with a metal frame. A chair with a metal frame usually has only three central parts, i.e. the metal frame, the seat and the back. In a chair with a metal frame, the frame comprises a metal tube sealed with plastic plugs at its ends. In most cases, it is fairly easy to attach the seat and the back to a chair with a metal frame. The seat is usually attached with e.g. screws on top of a kind of tubular latticework so that the fixing screws are hidden. A chair with a metal frame has the advantage of a small number of components. In prior art chairs with a metal frame the attachment of the back has constituted a problem. In prior art chair designs with a metal frame, the back has usually been attached with screws to the back tube of the metal frame. The screw attachment is conventionally performed from the front. Alternatively, the screw attachment can be performed laterally so that the back is placed between the tubes. The back can also be attached to fixing flaps located on the rear legs. Prior art backrest attachments involve the problem of the means of attachment being unpleasantly visible. The attachment may also affect the sitting comfort and have a negative effect on the appearance of the chair. Screw attachments also involve the drawback of fatigue or rupture of the attachment point in the course of time. Screw attachments require a screwdriver to be used as a tool in the assembling step. The back of a chair assembled with screw attachment does not increase the stability and solidity of the chair adequately. In prior art chairs the screw-heads remain visible, and with bad luck, it may even tear the user's cloths. Besides the requirements above, universal furniture used in most varying circumstances, such as chairs with a metal frame, are required to have reliable and flexible function and also to be versatile and easy to use. For this reason, there has arisen a need for chairs with a metal frame of a new type, which provides hihger durability and greater ease of assembly, while having enhanced appearance and usability. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a chair with a metal frame which is an improvement on previous solutions and which resolves the problems and overcomes the inconveniences above. To achieve this, the chair with a metal frame of the invention is characterised by the fact that it comprises a metal frame, a seat part, a backrest and plugs, the back tubes of the metal frame comprising longitudinal notches which the back engages between the back tubes, forming thus an integral unit, and that the back comprises notched lower edges to support the notches in the lower edge of the back on the notches in the back tubes of the metal frame. The invention will be described in greater detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which figure 1 shows the chair with a metal frame in accordance with the invention and the back design of the chair dismantled, figure 2 shows a chair with a metal frame in accordance with the invention assembled, figure 3 shows the means of attachment of the back of the chair with a metal frame in accordance with the invention, figure 4 shows me back design of the chair with a metal frame in accordance with the invention, figure 5 shows an optional back design of the chair with a metal frame in accordance with the invention, and figure 6 shows a second optional back design of the chair with a metal frame in accordance with the invention. Figure 1 shows the chair with a metal frame in accordance with the invention and the back design of the chair in a dismantled state. The chair with a metal frame in accordance with the invention comprises the metal frame 1 of the chair, a seat, a back 4 and plugs 9, 10. For the sake of clarity, the figure does not show the seat. The back tubes of the metal frame 1 of the chair of the invention comprise longitudinal notches 2, 3, which the back 4 engages. The back 4 comprises notched lower edges 7, 8, the notches 7, 8 of the lower edge of the back 4 being supported by the notches 2, 3 in the back tubes of the metal frame 1. In addition, the back 4 comprises notched upper edges 5, 6 so as to allow the back 4 to be attached by its upper edge to the notches 5, 6 and to be secured with the aid of plugs 9, 10 fitted into the ends of the back tubes of the metal frame 1. The plugs 9, 10 have a special design such that the plugs 9, 10 seal the ends of the back tube of the metal frame 1 and bind the upper edges of the tubes to the back 4. When the back 4 is fitted into position, it forms a joint with the metal frame 1 which assembles the back and the back tubes of the frame. Figure 2 shows the chair with a metal frame of the invention in assembled state.The chair with a metal frame in accordance with the invention comprises a metal frame 1, a seat 25, a back 4 and plugs 9, 10. In the new chair design with a metal frame in accordance with the invention, the back 4 is attached between the two back tubes to form a unit, the means of attachment being invisible after the assembly. Figure 3 shows the means of attachment of the back of the chair with a metal frame in accordance with the invention. The means of attachment of the chair with a metal frame in accordance with the invention comprises a chair back 4, a plug 9 and a back tube of the metal frame having a longitudinal notch 2 which the back 4 engages. The back 4 has a notched lower ege 4, the notch 7 in the lower edge of the back 4 being supported by the notch 2 in the back tube of the metal frame. In addition, the back 4 comprises a notched upper edge 5 allowing the back 4 to be attached by its upper edge to the notch 5 and to be secured by means of a plug 9 fitted into the end of the back tube of the metal frame 1. Figure 4 illustrates the back design of the chair with a metal frame in accordance with the invention. The back design of the chair with a metal frame in accordance with the invention comprises the back tubes of the metal frame of the chair, the back 4 and the plugs 9, 10. The back tubes of the metal frame of the chair in accordance with the invention comprises longitudinal notches 2, 3, which the back 4 engages. The back 4 comprises notched lower edges 7, 8 such that the notches 7, 8 in the lower edge of the back 4 are supported by the notches 2, 3 in the back tubes of the metal frame. In addition, the back 4 comprises notched upper edges 5, 6 allowing the back 4 to be attached by its upper edge to the notches 5, 6 and to be secured by means of plugs 9, 10 fitted into the ends of the back tubes. Figure 5 shows an optional back design of the chair with a metal frame in accordance with the invention. The optional back design of the chair with a metal frame in accordance with the invention comprises the back tubes of the metal frame of the chair, the back 4 and plugs 15, 16. The back tubes of the metal frame of the chair in accordance with the invention comprises longitudinal notches 11, 12 which the back 4 engages. The notches 11, 12 in the back tubes do not extend over the entire height of the tubes. The back 4 comprises notched lower edges 7, 8 allowing the notches 7, 8 in the lower edge of the back 4 to be supported by the notches 11, 12 in the back tubes of the metal frame. In addition, the back 4 has notched upper edges 13, 14 allowing the back 4 to be attached by its upper edge to the notches 13, 14 and to be secured by means of plugs 15, 16 fitted into the ends of the back tubes of the metal frame. The plugs 15, 16 and the notched upper edges 13, 14 of the back 4 are specially shaped such that the plugs 15, 16 seal the ends of the back tubes of the metal frame and bind the notched upper edges 13, 14 of the tubes to the back 4. When the back 4 is fitted into position, it forms a joint with the metal frame which assembles the back 4 and the back tubes of the metal frame. Figure 6 illustrates a second optional back design of the chair with a metal frame in accordance with the invention. The second optional back design of the chair with a metal frame in accordance with the invention comprises the back tubes of the metal frame of the chair, the back 4 and plugs 23, 24. The back tubes of the metal frame of the chair in accordance with the invention comprises longitudinal notches 17, 18 which the back 4 engages. The notches 17, 18 in the back tubes do not extend over the entire height of the tubes nor over the entire length of the back 4. The lateral parts of the back 4 comprises notched lower edges 21, 22 allowing the notched lower edges 21, 22 of the lateral parts of the back 4 to be supported by the notches 17, 18 in the back tubes of the metal frame. In addition, the lateral parts of the back 4 has rounded upper edges 19, 20, allowing the back 4 to be inserted by its upper edge into the notches 19, 20 in the back tubes. The plugs 23, 24 merely seal the ends of the back tubes of the metal frame. The second optional back design of the chair with a metal frame in accordance with the invention is easy to assemble. Yet the design described above is relatively solid, because the main force of attachment is provided between the notched lower edges 21, 22 of the lateral parts of the back 4 and the notches 17, 18 in the back tubes. The back of of the chair with a metal frame in accordance with the invention can be firmly attached without screws or any other visible means of attachement affecting its appearance. The back of the chair with a metal frame in accordance with the invention enhances the stability and solidity of the chair markedly. The chair with a metal frame of a new type in accordance with the invention provides better durability, greater ease of assembly and also better appearance and usability than conventional chairs. The chair with a metal frame in accordance with the invention can be used for the same purposes of use as conventional chairs with a metal frame.

Claims: Claims 1. A chair with a metal frame, characterised in that it comprises the metal frame (1) of the chair, a seat (25), a back (4) and plugs (9, 10), the back tubes of the metal frame (1) comprising longitudinal notches (2, 3) which the back (4) engages between the two back tubes to form an integral unit, and that the back (4) comprises notched lower edges (7, 8) to support the notches (7, 8) in the lower edge of the back (4) on the notches (2, 3) in the back tubes of the metal frame (1). 2. A chair with a metal frame as defined in claim 1, characterised in that the back (4) comprises notched upper edges (5, 6), the back (4) being attached by its upper edge to the notches (5, 6) and secured by plugs (9, 10) fitted into the ends of the back tubes of the metal frame (1). 3. A chair with a metal frame as defined in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the plugs (9, 10) are specially shaped to seal the ends of the back tubes of the metal frame (1) and to bind the upper edges of the tubes to the back (4) so as to provide a joint between the back (4) and the back tubes of the metal frame (1) when the back (4) is fitted into position. 4. A chair with a metal frame as defined in claim 1, 2 or 3, characterised in that the plugs (15, 16) and the notched upper edges (13, 14) of the back (4) are specially shaped to seal the ends of the back tubes of the metal frame and to bind the notched upper edges (13, 14) of the tubes to the back (4). 5. A chair with a metal frame as defined in claim 1, 2 or 3, characterised in that the lateral parts of the back (4) comprise notched lower edges (21, 22) to support the notched lower edges (21, 22) of the lateral parts of the back (4) on the notches (17, 18) in the back tubes of the metal frame. 6. A chair with a metal frame as defined in claim 5, characterised in that the lateral parts of the back (4) comprise rounded upper edges (19, 20) so as to allow the back (4) to be inserted by its upper edge into the notches (19, 20) in the back tubes. 7. A chair with a metal frame as defined in claim 5 or 6, characterised in that the ends of the back tubes of the metal frame are sealed with plugs (23, 24).

Inventors: RABE WULF, RABE, WULF
Applicants: RABE WULF, WULF RABE DESIGN OY, RABE, WULF
Application year: 1999
Main classification: A47C5
IPC codes: A47C5, A47C7