Abstract:
A seating device to cradle a single human sitter includes a hexagonal seating platform, a vertical wall of predetermined height enclosing five of the six sides of the hexagonal seating platform. The vertical wall of predetermined height forms substantially right angle with the hexagonal seating platform, and the seating device is for only a single user. The seating device is adaptable to simultaneously support the leg, and arm and a back of the single user.

Description:
PRIORITY  
       [0001]     The following application is a continuation in part of Ser. No. 11/156,942 which was filed on Jun. 13, 2005. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to an armchair, more specifically to an armchair that facilitates the draping of one or more legs over an arm of the armchair while maintaining good back and arm supports that result in the body being in a curled up position.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     The conventional armchair is an upholstered seating platform fitted with two arms and back. Modifications to the conventional armchair have been made to accommodate different ways of sitting. The chase lounge is an armchair with an elongated seating platform. Sometimes one or both arms are removed to facilitate entry and exit from the chase. Reclining chairs are armchairs that have movable parts that allow it to convert from an armchair to a chase lounge while being occupied. The rocking chair is a chair with a modified bottom which provides a rocking motion to the entire chair. In bookstores, libraries, and homes, one can observe people finding their own comfortable ways of sitting in different armchairs. Some of these ways have not been addressed by chair manufacturers and designers. Although it is possible to change sitting positions in a big, comfortable armchair, it is always better to have a chair designed specifically for your favorite way of sitting as evidenced by the popularity of ottomans and the recliner.  
         [0004]     In order to accommodate the drape-a-leg sitter, a separate extension of the top in the arm must be placed in front of the chair U.S. Pat. No. 1,229,980 to Leavitt discloses a split panel that rises from the bottom of the seating platform to block off the front of the seating platform.  
         [0005]     U.S. Pat. No. 1,486,813 to Tallman discloses placing barriers entirely across the front of the chair to prevent babies or hospital patients from falling out.  
         [0006]     U.S. Pat. No. 4,145,082 to Daly discloses a similar chair  
         [0007]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,619,746 to Roslund discloses adjustable arms  
         [0008]     None of the patents mentioned discloses positioning of these arms for the specific purpose of draping a leg over them.  
         [0009]     Chairs with swing-bars are being offered for sale as high chairs for small children. Although, they use the swing bar to close the front of the chair, it is not intended for draping legs over it. Most of the time, the swing bar is also the table for the baby to eat from.  
         [0010]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,441 to Byersmith discloses that chase lounge, reclining chairs are sometimes fitted with a feature that raises the knees of the occupant to achieve more comfort by curling the body slightly, but the lower legs actually rest on the raise seating platform. Although the system recognizes the comfort advantages of the curled-up body position, the chair itself is a chase lounge with a raised middle. This effect is similar to sitting in any chase lounge and putting the pillow under one&#39;s knees.  
         [0011]     The conventional thought in seating design is to provide maximum access to the seating platform by making the front of the chair open equal to the widest points of the chair in order to accommodate any size or type of body of the user with both feet on the ground.  
       OBJECT OF THE INVENTION  
       [0012]     No chair is known that is designed specifically to facilitate the draping of one or both legs over an arm of the chair with lower legs and feet dangling while the arms and back of the occupants are being supported.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0013]     The present invention provides a chair that is intended for single sitter to drape one or both legs over the arm of the chair while simultaneously providing back arm and elbow support which results in the single sitter having a body in the curled up position.  
         [0014]     The present invention provides a decorative chair and a good replacement for armchairs in libraries, bookstores, hotels rooms or homes by avoiding the use of specialized accessories such as book holding platforms or leg supports.  
         [0015]     The present invention provides a decorative corner chair.  
         [0016]     The present invention provides a comfortable chair for women to nurse babies by taking advantage of the curled up body position.  
         [0017]     The foregoing objects can be accomplished by providing a chair which includes a seating platform in the shape of a compressed hexagon for the single user which is formed by truncating two opposing corners of a square in unequal sizes. This results in a shape roughly approximating that of human arms when carrying another human with the elbows at 90° and the hands separated. The shorter truncated side of the seating platform will be at the back of the chair, and the side parallel to and opposite to the back will be the front of the chair. The resulting symmetrical but irregular hexagon will have two opposing 90° angles formed by the remaining two corners of the original square that have not been truncated. The arms and back of the chair include upright walls of a predetermined height along the perimeter of the chair. The chair of the present invention includes a wall along one end of the front of the chair, a wall that continues along the side of the chair, a wall that continues along the back of the chair, a wall that continues along the other side of the chair and a wall that continues along the front of the chair on the other end of the chair. A portion of the front of the chair is left open for access to the seating platform. When viewed from the top, the arms and back approximate the letter ‘C’ rather than the conventional ‘U’ or ‘V’.  
         [0018]     The present invention includes a more restricted front that is sufficiently wide for someone to just gain access to the seating platform. It is acceptable for the user of the chair of the present invention to have both thighs touch each end of the front walls of the present invention. The intent of the present invention is to provide a chair that is comfortable after the person has been seated rather than when entering the chair.  
         [0019]     With the present invention, a single person sitting in a chair of the present invention will have the option of leaving both feet on the ground, draping one leg over the arm, or draping both legs over the arm. When draping the legs is uncomfortable, one leg can rest on the arms in any personally preferred position. It is also possible to rest one or both feet on the seating platform and tuck them against the arms of the chair while simultaneously supporting the users back against the arm of the chair. The advantage of the present invention is the comfort and support is simultaneously provided to the users back, arms, elbows while sitting face forward or face sideways.  
         [0020]     Most people have their own favorite way of sitting in chairs for reading. The present invention does not presume that there is only one way of sitting in the chair for comfort. When the user of the chair of the present invention has both feet on the ground, the single sitter has simultaneous back, arm and elbow support all within reach of the user. When placing a back against either arm of the chair and with the user being parallel to the front and back of the chair, the arms, legs, back, and elbows are simultaneously comfortably supported by the arms of the chair. This support is accomplished by curving the sides of the back of the chair continuously around the sides of the chair and around the front of the chair to oppose the arms around the back of the chair.  
         [0021]     The chair of the present invention can be upholstered and decorated, allowing it to match and blend in with the decor of the environment. The chair of the present invention does not necessarily look bulky and can match thin-line furniture designs.  
         [0022]     The chair of the present invention is smaller in size, yet it has the appearance of being larger because the front is viewed from the diagonal perspective of a square, giving the chair width equal to the diagonal of a square chair. The depth of the chair of the present invention by using the front-to-back measurement is approximately equal to conventional chairs. The shape makes it possible to place the chair in a corner where it will take less space than other chairs. The chair of the present invention is substantially square with truncated corners. This design eliminates the corner of the square that sticks out in the room.  
         [0023]     The chair of the present invention is instantly recognizeable due to its unusual shape, and the lines of the chair does not conform to conventional chair design. The sides of both arms are clearly visible from the front since they face the front at an approximate 45° angle. Having a portion of the sides of the arms visible from the front makes it feasible to place logos, trademarks or initials on the sides of the chairs. The chair of the present invention has a unique design with great width and a narrow front edge.  
         [0024]     The chair of the present invention addresses a way of sitting rather than creating a new way of assembling or decorating a chair. The leg draping chair is different as a chase lounge is different to an armchair. The chair of the present invention accommodates a different way to sit in the chair. It simultaneously supports the posture of the human body in a different way by simultaneously supporting the back, the arms and the legs of the user. The legs may be simultaneously supported above the knees or behind the knees so that the leg can suspend without resting on anything else. This ability for the suspension of the lower leg while simultaneously supporting the arms and back is an advantage of the present invention.  
         [0025]     It is expected that the chair of the present invention will create a significant market.  
         [0026]     One aspect of the chair of the present invention is the substantially hexagonal seating platform. However several modifications can be included in order to more fully describe the present invention.  
         [0027]     The present invention does not require to have an open front exit on the chair. Consequently, a movable panel can be raised from the seating platform or swung out from both arms to completely enclose the front end. This would create a tube like seating device.  
         [0028]     The same swing into position panel system could be employed to partially enclose the front of the chair making it possible to enter or exit the seating platform while one or both panels are in the operating positions.  
         [0029]     A chair can be adapted to employ the teachings of the present invention by pivoting the arms of the chair outwards, creating an outward angle of arm. This angled arm result can also be accomplished by making the front of the arm inward movable. The back portion of the arm can be movable but does not necessarily have to be moved.  
         [0030]     A further embodiment of the invention includes a solid or partial swing bar that swings from the back to the front of the seat to provide the support for the draping leg.  
         [0031]     External attachments can be added to any chair to provide the leg draping capability in a similar way that an ottoman can be placed near the front of a chair to create a faux chase lounge.  
         [0032]     The art of the chair is ancient. The 21st century presents vast choices in hardware in order to accommodate the modifications for chair that includes a leg draped capabilities  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0033]     The invention may be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which, like reference numerals identify like elements, and in which:  
         [0034]      FIG. 1A  illustrates a perspective view of the chair for single user of the present invention;  
         [0035]      FIG. 1B  illustrates a cross-sectional view of the top of the present invention;  
         [0036]      FIG. 2  illustrates the origin of the hexagonal shape;  
         [0037]      FIG. 3  illustrates a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0038]      FIG. 4  illustrates a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0039]      FIG. 5  illustrates a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0040]      FIG. 6  illustrates a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0041]      FIG. 7A  illustrates a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0042]      FIG. 7B  illustrates a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0043]      FIG. 8  illustrates a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0044]      FIG. 9  illustrates a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0045]      FIG. 10  illustrates a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0046]      FIG. 1A  illustrates the leg draping chair  100  of the present invention. The leg draping chair  100  is sized so that only one person can comfortably use the leg draping chair  100 . The leg draping chair  100  includes a seating platform  10  which may be hexagonal in shape, a left arm  40  which is shown as extending from the floor, a left back wall  36 , a middle back wall  32 , a right back wall  34  and a right arm  38  which is shown extending from the floor. The left arm  40  and the right arm  38  may include a foot. The left arm  40  and the left back wall  36  form a left edge  44 , and the right arm  38  and the right back wall  34  form a right edge  42 . The left edge  44  and the right edge  42  define the widest points of the leg draping chair  100  and define the width of the chair  100 . The left arm  40 , the left back wall  36 , the middle back wall  32 , the right back wall  34  and the right arm  38  form a continuous simultaneous support in the approximate shape of the letter ‘C’ for the arms of the user, the legs of the user or the back of the user. Consequently, the back of the user, the arms of the user and the legs of the user may be simultaneously supported.  FIG. 1  additionally shows the front edge  26  of the seating platform  10  open so that the user of the leg draping chair  100  can enter and exit the seating platform  10 . The front edge  26  may measure approximately one third (⅓) of the width of the chair, may measure approximately three quarters (¾) of the width of the chair, or may measure between approximately one third (⅓) of the width of the chair to approximately three quarters (¾) the width of the chair. The front edge  26  may measure between 6 and 22 inches. The sum of the length of the left back wall of  36 , the middle back wall  32  and the right back wall  34  may be greater than the sum of the length of the left arm  40  and the right arm  38 .  
         [0047]      FIG. 1B  illustrates a bisecting line ab through the right edge  42  and the left edge  44  to divide the seating platform  10  between front and back. The left arm edge  48  and the right arm edge  46  define the width of the front edge  26  of the seating platform  10 . The front edge  26  of the seating platform  10  may extend beyond the right arm edge  46  and the left arm edge  48 .  
         [0048]      FIG. 2  illustrates how the hexagonal shape is derived from a square with two opposing corners  28 ,  30  which have been truncated in unequal sizes.  
         [0049]     The right arm  38  is connected to side  22  of the seating platform  10 , and the right wall back  34  is connected to the side  18  of the seating platform  10 . The middle back wall  32  is connected to the back side  16  of the seating platform  10 . The left back wall  36  is connected to the side  20  of the seating platform  10 , and the left arm  40  is connected to the side  24  of the seating platform. Points  12 ,  14  illustrates where the back walls  34 ,  36  of the leg draping chair  100  meets the arms  38 ,  40 .  
         [0050]      FIG. 3  illustrates another embodiment which is shown as a leg draping chair  300 . The leg draping chair  300  includes a continuous curved support  302  for the legs, arms and back of the user so that the arms, legs, and back can be simultaneously supported by the continuous curve support  302 .  
         [0051]      FIG. 4  illustrates an additional embodiment of the leg draping chair  400 .  FIG. 4  illustrates a panel  50  positioned on the front of the leg draping chair  400  which can be moved between a first position  402  and a second position  404 . With the panel  50  positioned in the second position  404 , the user of the leg draping chair  400  can enter the leg draping chair  400 , and with the panel  50  positioned in the first position  402 , the user of the leg draping chair  400  has continuous support around the entire periphery of the leg draping chair  400  for the legs, arms and back simultaneously. The leg draping chair  400  is a single user chair.  
         [0052]      FIG. 5  illustrates another embodiment to allow continuous support around the entire periphery of the leg draping chair  500 . The leg draping chair  500  is a single user chair that allows simultaneous support of the legs, arms and back of the user.  FIG. 5  illustrates left adjustable panel  54  to be attached to the leg of the leg draping chair  500  at a second position  504  or attached to the arm of the leg draping chair  500  at the first position  502 .  FIG. 5  additionally illustrates a right adjustable panel  52  which can be attached in a similar fashion as the left adjustable panel  54  is attached or can be attached to the side of the arm of the leg draping chair  500  and a shown as panel  53 .  
         [0053]      FIG. 6  illustrates another embodiment of the leg draping chair  600 . The leg draping chair  600  is a single user chair that provides for continuous support around the periphery of the leg draping chair  600  to simultaneously support the arms legs and back of the user.  FIG. 6  illustrates an adjustable front bar  56  which rotates between a first position  602  and a second position  604 . With the adjustable front bar  56  in the first position  602 , the user has continuous support around the entire periphery of the leg draping chair  600 . With the adjustable front bar  56  in the second position  604 , the user can enter and exit the leg draping chair  600 . The adjustable front bar  56  in the second position  604  can be positioned in slot  610  in the leg of the chair  600 .  
         [0054]      FIG. 7A  illustrates another embodiment for the leg draping chair  700  for a single user.  FIG. 7A  shows a swing bar  58  which can be rotated between a first position  702  and a second position  704 . When the swing bar  58  is in the second position  704 , the user can enter and exit the leg draping chair  700 . When the swing bar  58  is in the first position  702 , the single user can have continuous simultaneous support for the arms, legs and back of the user around the entire periphery of the leg draping chair  700 . The swing bar  58  can be positioned within the slots  710  formed in the arms of the leg draping chair  700 .  
         [0055]      FIG. 7B  illustrates a swing bar  60  formed to extend only over one arm of the leg draping chair.  
         [0056]      FIG. 8  the illustrates another embodiment of the leg draping chair  800 .  FIG. 8  shows the left arm  68  and the right arm  70  which can be moved between a first position  802  in which the left arm  68  and a right arm  70  are substantially parallel to the sides of the seating platform  10  and a second position  804  in which the left arm  68  and the right arm  70  has been rotated inwards to provide for support for the legs, arms and back of the single user.  
         [0057]     The position of the left arm  68  and the right arm  70  are adjustable in order to provide the most comfortable position for the user.  
         [0058]      FIG. 9  illustrates another embodiment for the leg draping chair  900 .  FIG. 9  shows that the left and right arms of the chair  900  includes a first portion  72  and a second portion  74 . The second portion  74  of the arm moves between a first position  902  and a second position  904 .  
         [0059]      FIG. 10  illustrates another embodiment of the leg draping chair  1000 . The leg draping chair  1000  includes a first portion  78  and a second portion  80  of the arm of the leg draping chair of  1000 . At the first position  1002 , the first portion  78  and the second portion  80  are substantially parallel to the side of the seating platform  10 . At the second position  1004 , the first portion  78  and the second portion  80  both rotate inwards and remain connected at a hinge  76 . Since both the first portion  78  and the second portion  80  are adjustable, the first portion  78  and a second portion  80  can be formed to approximate the leg draping chair as illustrated in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0060]     While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed.