Abstract:
A rocking chair conversion component having at least one arcuate member and at least one socket. In one embodiment, the socket has planar members positioned such that a gap forms between each of the planar members, allowing the socket to sandwich a flange occurring at the bottom of a chair, thus coupling the chair to the rocking chair conversion component and producing a stable rocking chair.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to components that can be used to convert a chair into a rocking chair. More specifically, the invention relates to a rocker rung component that attaches to the base of a chair without need for extensive fastening. In addition, the invention relates to a chair and rocker component forming a rocking chair. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Rocking chairs are a pleasant means of relaxation; however rocking chairs by themselves have a number of drawbacks. Their arcuate bottom rungs do not allow adjustment, and rocking chairs are therefore not amenable to stable sitting without elaborate wedging or fastening of the rungs. Further, rocking chairs are more difficult to manufacture than normal chairs, as well as more difficult to ship to customers. Although rocking chairs are enjoyed in many homes, they can not fill all of the sitting needs of a household. Other chairs must therefore be available in addition to a rocking chair, requiring additional space. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide an improved component for converting a normal chair into a rocking chair. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved component for converting a normal chair into a rocking chair that does not require complicated fastening or extensive effort to attach. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved component for converting a normal chair into a rocking chair that prevents the chair from slipping during rocking. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved component for converting a normal chair into a rocking chair that is easy to manufacture. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved component for converting a normal chair into a rocking chair that is easy to ship. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved rocking chair composed of a normal chair affixed to a rocking chair conversion apparatus. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Some of the various embodiments of the invention are depicted in the Figures, in which like reference numerals denote like components throughout and in which: 
     FIG. 1 a side perspective view of an embodiment rocker rung component. 
     FIG. 2 is a side perspective of an embodiment showing a chair connection to a rocker rung component. 
     FIG. 3 is a cut-away side perspective view of an empty chair-leg socket of a rocker rung component. 
     FIG. 4 is a cut-away side perspective view showing a chair-leg socket of a rocker rung component with a chair leg therein. 
     FIG. 5 is a cut-away side perspective view of an empty chair-leg socket of a rocker rung component. 
     FIG. 6 is a cut-away side perspective view showing a chair-leg socket of a rocker rung component with a chair leg therein. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 1. A rocking chair conversion component  100  (hereinafter “component  100 ”) is shown with arcuate members forming rocker rungs  104  and  108 . The component  100  also has rung connectors  112  and  116 , front chair-leg sockets  120  and  124  and rear chair-leg sockets  128  and  132 . The component  100  can be coupled to the bottoms of the legs of a normal chair to convert the normal chair into a rocking chair. 
     The rocker rungs  104  and  108  are also curved to allow rocking as in a conventional rocking chair. The rungs  104  and  108  are can be positioned parallel to one another to create a uniform sitting base, or can be non-parallel to the fit different chair-leg spacing (see FIG.  2 ). In the present embodiment, the rungs  104  and  108  are substantially parallel, but the distance between the rungs  104  and  108  narrows toward the front of the component  100 . The rung connectors  112  and  116  provide stability and prevent torsional forces from destroying the spatial relationship of the rungs  104  and  108 . The front chair-leg sockets  120  and  124  allow the insertion of part of a chair leg, as do the rear chair-leg sockets  128  and  132 , and this feature is described in more detail hereinafter. 
     The preferred embodiment component  100  shown in FIG. 1 is designed so that the center of gravity of a chair  200  (see FIG. 2) affixed to the component  100  will cause the component  100  to rest on a central portion of the arcuate rocking rungs  104  and  108 , causing the chair  200  to begin in a normal sitting position. The placement of the sockets  120 ,  124 ,  132  and  128  can be varied throughout the length, depth and width of the rocker rungs  104  and  108  according to the requirements of the particular chair involved and the restrictions placed upon the component  100  by manufacturing, shipping and aesthetic considerations. 
     In the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the component  100  is advantageously molded from plastic via injection molding or any other conventional manufacturing process to create a single-piece unit. A four piece unit is also contemplated as advantageous. Of course, a variety of manufacturing techniques and component arrangements are possible and will be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art. 
     FIG. 2 shows the coupling of the chair  200  to the component  100 . The chair  200  has legs  204 ,  208 ,  212 , and  216 , with leg flanges  220 ,  224  (hidden from view),  228  (hidden from view) and  232 . The component  100  has again four sockets  120 ,  124 ,  128  and  132 . The rocking chair  200  can be affixed to the component  100  by sliding the flange  228  rearwards underneath the socket cover  504  (see FIG. 5) of the socket  128  (shown in more detail in FIGS.  5  and  6 ), sliding the flange  232  rearwards underneath the socket cover  504  (see FIG. 5) of the socket  132 , sliding the flange  220  sideways underneath the socket cover  304  (see FIG. 3) of the socket  120  (shown in more detail in FIGS.  3  and  4 ), and by sliding the flange  224  sideways underneath the socket cover  304  (see FIG. 3) of the socket  124 . In the embodiment as shown in FIG. 2, the chair  200  is made from plastic or other material flexible enough so that the legs  204 ,  208 ,  212  and  216  can be bent during the coupling process. The legs  204 ,  208 ,  212  and  216  are, however, endowed with sufficient elastic memory of their original shape, such that the chair legs  204 ,  208 ,  212  and  216  are contained by the sockets  120 ,  124 ,  128  and  132 , and will not slip during rocking motion. 
     In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the sockets  128  and  132  are raised along the depths of the rungs  104  and  108  relative to the corresponding front sockets  124  and  120 , and further require a different angle of entry by the chair flanges  228  and  232 . The overall coupling of the chair  200  with the component  100  can therefore be accomplished by first sliding the back flanges  228  and  232  rearward into the sockets  128  and  132 , and then bending the chair legs  204  and  208  inward (toward one another), and sliding the flanges  220  and  224  underneath the socket covers  304  (see FIG. 3) of sockets  120  and  124  respectively. Alternately, the legs  204  and  208  can be first installed, followed by the coupling of the legs  212  and  216  with the sockets  128  and  132  respectively by bending each of the legs  212  and  216  toward the front leg and sliding each of the flanges  228  and  232  into their respective sockets  128  or  132 . This arrangement of the sockets  120 ,  124 ,  128  and  132  is advantageous in that slipping from front to back and side to side during rocking is prevented by the walls of the sockets  120 ,  124 ,  128  and  132 . In addition, the forces generated when the legs  204 ,  208 ,  212  and  216  are bent inward are used advantageously by the embodied arrangement shown in FIG.  2 . The arrangement, placement and shape of the sockets, however, can be varied from the arrangement, placement and shape depicted in this embodiment while still producing a slip-free rocking chair. 
     Details of the coupling between the chair  200  and the component are shown in FIGS. 3 through 6. FIG. 3 shows the rocker rung  104  with the socket  124  that can be used with embodiments of the invention. The socket  124  has the socket cover  304 , a socket opening  308 , a socket depth  312 , and a socket bottom  316 . 
     The chair-leg flange  220  (shown in FIG. 4) can fit between the socket cover  304 , the edge of which is curved to match the shape of the inner wall of a chair leg, and the socket bottom  316 , thereby fitting into the socket opening  308 . The chair-leg flange  220  (shown in FIG. 4) preferably has a thickness of less than or approximately equal to the socket depth  312 . Of course, the exact placement and shape of the socket are advantageous but not critical so long as the simplicity and slip-free character of the design is maintained. 
     FIG. 4 shows the coupling of the chair leg  204  with the socket  120  in the rocker rung  108 . The socket  120  again has the socket cover  404  and the socket bottom  316  (see FIG.  3 ). The chair leg flange  220  of FIG. 4 fits between the socket cover  404  and the socket bottom  316 . The force created by the bending of the leg  204  prevents the leg  204  from slipping parallel to the surfaces of the socket cover  404  and the chair-leg flange  220 . The socket cover  404  and the socket bottom  316  prevent vertical slipping. 
     FIG. 5 shows the rocker rung  104  with an alternate form of the socket  128 . The socket  128  has a socket cover  504 , a socket opening  508 , a socket depth  512 , and a socket bottom  516 . A chair-leg flange  232  (shown in FIG. 6) can fit between the socket cover  504  of FIG.  5  and the socket bottom  516  into the socket opening  508 . The chair-leg flange has a thickness of less than or approximately equal to the socket depth  512 . Of course, the exact placement and shape of the socket  128  are not critical, but are designed and placed advantageously as shown to retain simplicity and a slip-free character. It should be noted in particular that the of design the socket  128  of FIG. 5 is interchangeable (depending on the requirements of the particular chair) with the design of the socket  124  of FIG. 3, and these two designs illustrate that a number of embodiments are possible by varying the shape, size and placement of the sockets  128 . 
     FIG. 6 shows the coupling of the chair leg  216  with the socket  132  in the rocker rung  108 . The socket  132  again has the socket cover  604 , and the socket bottom  516  (hidden from view). The chair leg flange  232  fits between the socket cover  604  and the socket bottom  516  (see FIG.  5 ). The force that would be produced by the bending of the leg  216  prevents the leg  216  from slipping inwardly, parallel to the surfaces of the socket cover  604  and the chair-leg flange  232 . The socket cover  604  and the socket bottom prevent vertical slipping. 
     While several preferred embodiments have been shown and described, it is understood that changes and modifications can be made without departing from the invention&#39;s broader aspects. For example, the shape of the rocker rungs can be varied, the rocker rungs can be a made to a single piece, the placement and shape of the sockets can be varied, the number of sockets can be varied (for instance two sockets can be used with a hinge or fastener hinge system), the shape of the chair-leg flanges can vary in design or position, or a latch, pin or other simple connector can be used within the sockets to further ensure a lack of slipping, or to ensure no slipping in the absence of elastic counterforces. Thus it is apparent that alternate embodiments will be available to those skilled in the relevant art with the present disclosure.