Abstract:
A fabric suspension and replacement arrangement for a chair assembly. The chair assembly comprises at least a seat frame supported on a pedestal. The fabric suspension and replacement arrangement comprises an extruded peripheral member arranged for attachment to the frame of the chair assembly. The extruded peripheral member defines a central portion with a web of flexible material disposed thereacross. A lip member extends off of the seat frame to receivingly engage the extruded peripheral member to support the peripheral member therearound and thereby support the web of flexible material on the frame.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    This invention relates to methods and apparatus for manufacturing, installing and/or replacing fabric on the back and/or seat portions of a chair assembly or manufacturing and/or replacing architectural fabric elements.  
           [0003]    2. Prior Art  
           [0004]    In the typical chair assembly, whether used for commercial or residential purposes, the first problem with that chair arises with the fabric of the seat or the back, not usually the frame or leg portion of that chair assembly. The fabric may become dirty, torn, discolored, or misshapen after almost an insignificant period of use. This situation is all the more conspicuous in public facilities such as waiting rooms in hospitals, schools, libraries and the like. Public care and appreciation for such furniture is minimal.  
           [0005]    There exists a need for an inexpensive and efficient arrangement to replace the fabric on chair seats and chair backs to provide clean and comfortable seating for subsequent users thereof. Typically cleaning of such fabric after it has been utilized, is often ineffective, or hazardous to the cleaner, because of chemical agents being utilized, and the time and space required for doing such a cleaning. Such unpleasant tasks are often deferred or not done at all.  
           [0006]    Other methodologies to correct dirt or contamination or worn fabric on a chair would include having that chair re-upholstered or replaced. Such alternatives are also expensive or likely not to be done when they should be done.  
           [0007]    It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved chair fabric maintenance arrangement over that which currently exists in the art.  
           [0008]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for simply and inexpensively providing the original and/or a replacement fabric arrangement for a chair assembly.  
           [0009]    It is yet a still further object of the present invention to provide a fabric arrangement for a chair assembly which maintains its fit and support for a particular chair of curvilinear configurations, suitable for all accommodations and particularly for public facilities.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0010]    The present invention comprises a fabric suspension and replacement arrangement for a typical chair assembly. Such a chair assembly normally has a base comprised of a plurality of legs, a pedestal or other support assembly to maintain the chair assembly in an appropriate seating position. The support assembly or pedestal may support a mounting plate which supports a seat and back frame portion. The seat frame and the back frame portions may be curvilinear or they may be somewhat oval-shaped, and they may often define a curved surface on which to sit and rest one&#39;s back.  
           [0011]    In the chair assembly utilized with the present invention, the frame portion may be preferably comprised of a peripheral tubing which may define the entire periphery of both the seat portion and the back portion of that chair assembly. That frame is supported by the support assembly such as the pedestal portion of the chair assembly as aforementioned. The tubing may be of circular cross section, of generally square cross section, or it may be of another geometrical cross section.  
           [0012]    In the fabric suspension arrangement of the present invention, in a first embodiment thereof, a plurality of clips are attached along an upper portion of those frame members a spaced distance apart from one another. Each clip comprises a base portion by which the clip is attached to the frame. The clip also has a lip portion which may be slightly curvilinear and arranged at a slight angle with respect to the plane of the base portion. The clips may be attached to the frame portion by welding, fusion or by an adhesive or a mechanical securement system such as a bolt threaded therethrough. The clip may be attached to the frame so that the lip portion extends and points generally radially away from the geometric center of the frame configuration.  
           [0013]    A further preferred embodiment of the lip comprises an extruded frame portion with a lip portion extended tangentially therefrom, so as to be unitary with that frame component.  
           [0014]    The fabric suspension arrangement preferably comprises an extruded or molded plastic or metal trim member having generally similar dimensional and contour characteristics of the frame of the chair seat or chair back to which it is to be applied. The extruded trim of the fabric suspension arrangement is of the generally J-shape in cross section. The fabric or web is attached across the central portion defined by the peripherally extending extruded trim and is attached to the trim by stitching, sewing, adhesives or by a unitary prefabrication with the J-shaped trim itself.  
           [0015]    The web of fabric is preferably attached to the lowermost side of the linear portion of the J-shaped trim. This permits a small gripping edge surface to be disposed around the innermost periphery of the extruded trim, so as to permit it to be manipulably attached to the frame component by a gripping tool.  
           [0016]    The gripping tool for the application of a fabric suspension arrangement to a chair assembly comprises an elongated handle having a first end and a second end. The second end has a distally extending web portion having a hook component at its distalmost edge. The hook component is arranged so as to engage the innermost gripping edge surface of the J-shaped extruded trim along its innermost side.  
           [0017]    The extruded plastic trim with its web stretched across its centralmost portion is first placed on one side of the frame assembly with the J-shaped portion engaging and receiving the distal lip extending outwardly from the frame. The hook of the applicator tool is arranged to engage and pull on the small inner edge of the inner flange on the extruded trim so as to pull the J-shaped portion over the lips of the respective clips on the opposite side of the frame which is already attached. Thus those tools permit ready attachment and removal and subsequent replacement of a web of fabric with its pre-configured supportive extruded trim.  
           [0018]    The tools may at their distalmost ends have a lowermost jaw portion in addition to the hook shaped distalmost upper portion. Such a lowermost jaw portion would function as a mechanical assist by permiting the tool to slidably pivoting about the outside perimeter of the frame assembly to permit the pivoting of the extruded extended handle around the frame as the hook captures and pulls outwardly upon the edge of the extruded trim. Such an elongated gripping tool may also have replacement heads therefore, to permit different size frame assemblies to be maintained or supplied with replacement web fabrics.  
           [0019]    Thus what has been shown has been a unique fabric suspension arrangement to permit fabric to be readily applied to the frame of a chair seat or chair back and also replaced with an alternative fabric in another extruded trim, with minimal time and effort therefore. The fabric and trim in a further embodiment, may be roughly pre-configured to fit certain multiple respective chair assemblies or the fabric may be elasticized appropriately so as to permit distortion of the extruded trim to mate with a variety of chair frame configurations.  
           [0020]    The invention thus comprises a fabric suspension and replacement arrangement for a chair assembly. The chair assembly comprises at least a seat frame supported on a base support such as a pedestal. The fabric suspension and replacement arrangement comprises an extruded peripheral member arranged for attachment to the frame of the chair assembly. The extruded peripheral member defines a central portion with a flexible web of material disposed thereacross. A lip member arrangement extends off of the seat frame which lip arrangement receivingly engages the extruded peripheral member to support the peripheral member therearound and thereby supports the flexible web of material on the frame. The extruded peripheral member may be comprised a “J” shaped extrusion. The “J” shaped extrusion has a flange portion for receipt of the web of flexible material thereon. The lip member may be comprised of an elongated clip which has a base portion and a lip portion, the base portion being attached to the frame. The inwardly directed flange portion of the “J” shaped extrusion has an inner edge surface which provides a gripping surface for a fabric suspension and replacement arrangement installation and removal tool. The fabric suspension and replacement arrangement includes a fabric suspension and replacement arrangement installation and removal tool. The tool may comprise an elongated handle having a first end and a second end, the second end having a distalmost tip with a hook-shaped uppermost portion for gripping the inner edge surface of the extruded peripheral member. The second end of the tool may have a “jaw” shape configuration thereto, to permit the second end to engage the frame portion and the extrusion simultaneously. The second end of the tool may be replaceable by a substitute second end of different jaw size dimension or upper jaw portion only.  
           [0021]    The invention also comprises a method of readily replacing fabric on a seat and/or back frame portion of a chair assembly, the frame having a peripheral contour, the method comprising the steps of: forming a channel shaped extrusion into the peripheral contour of the seat or back frame portion of the chair assembly; attaching a fabric across the shaped extrusion; forming a lip arrangement on an upper edge of the frame portion; and pulling the shaped extrusion with its attached fabric over and onto the lip arrangement for securement thereon. The lip arrangement may be comprised of a plurality of spaced-apart clips attached to the frame portion. The frame portion may alternatively be comprised an extruded tube or extrusion of generally “X” or “L” shape in cross-section. The shaped peripheral extrusion is pulled over the outwardly directed lip arrangement by a pulling tool with a hook on a distal end thereof. The channel shaped extrusion is preferably of “J” shape to permit the fabric to be readily attached thereto. The fabric may be attached to an inner flange of said “J” shaped extrusion by stitching thereto. The fabric may also be attached to an inner flange of the “J” shaped extrusion by adhesive or other means therebetween.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0022]    The objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent when viewed in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a typical chair assembly which may be used with the present invention for public accommodation purposes;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a seat back and seat base configured according to the principles of the present invention;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 2A is an alternative embodiment of the frame;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of a seat back or seat base frame arrangement with a fabric web suspension arrangement attached thereto, and a tool for attaching the suspension arrangement to the back or base;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a clip member for attachment to a frame of a chair;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of an elongated applicator tool for attaching an extruded trim periphery and fabric web to a frame.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0029]    Referring now to the drawings in detail, and particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown the present invention that comprises a fabric suspension and replacement arrangement  10  for a typical chair assembly  12 . Such a chair assembly  12  normally has a base  14  comprised of a plurality of feet or legs  16  to maintain the chair assembly  12  in an appropriate seating position. The feet  16  may be attached to a base support assembly or pedestal  18 , which supports a frame portion  21 , to which is attached a seat frame  22  and a seat back frame  24  which may be joined by a connecting member  20 . The seat frame  22  and the back frame  24  may be curvilinear, as shown in FIG. 2, or they may be somewhat oval-shaped, and often defining a curved surface on which to sit and rest one&#39;s back, as embodied in FIG. 1.  
         [0030]    In the chair assembly  12  utilized with the present invention, a portion of which is represented in FIG. 2, the frame portion  20  may be constructed of a peripheral tubing  26  which may for descriptive purposes comprise the entire periphery of either or both the seat portion  22  and the back portion  24  of that chair assembly  12 . That tubing  26  is supported by the pedestal portion  18  of the chair assembly  12 , as shown in FIG. 1, as aforementioned. The tubing  26  may be of circular cross-section as is shown in FIG. 3, or it may be of generally square cross section, or alternatively, it may be of another geometrical cross section, as numeral  27  such as for example, of “X” shape in cross section, shown in FIG. 2A with its unitary lip  25 .  
         [0031]    In the fabric suspension arrangement  10  of the present invention, in a first embodiment thereof, a plurality of clips  30  are attached along an upper portion of the tubing  26  comprising those frame members  22  or  24 , each clip  30  being a attached to the frame tubing  26  a spaced distance apart from one another, as may be seen in FIG. 3. Each clip  30  comprises a base portion  32  by which the clip  30  is attached to the tubing  26 . Each clip  30  also has a lip portion  34  which may be slightly curvilinear and arranged at a slight angle with respect to the plane of the base portion  32 , as may be seen in FIG. 4. The base portion  32  of the clips  30  may be attached to the tubing  26  by welding or by an adhesive or a mechanical securement system such as a bolt threaded therethrough. The clip  30  may be attached to the frame so that the lip portion  34  extends and points generally radially away from the geometric center of the frame configuration  22  or  24 .  
         [0032]    A further preferred embodiment of the lip comprises an extruded frame portion  27  with a lip portion  25  extended tangentially therefrom, so as to be unitary with that frame component, as aforementioned where the “tubing” or extrusion is of “L” or “X” shape (shown in FIG. 2A) and has a unitary outwardly extending portion  25  already thereon, comprising the “lip”.  
         [0033]    The fabric supporting element of the fabric suspension arrangement comprises an extruded plastic or metal trim member  40  having generally similar dimensional and contour characteristics of the frame (tubing)  26  of the chair seat  22  or chair back  24  or alternatively to a one piece seating frame, not shown, to which it is to be applied. The extruded trim  40  of the fabric suspension arrangement is of generally J-shape or channel shape in cross-section as may be seen in FIG. 3. The fabric or web  42  is attached across the central portion defined by the peripherally extending extruded trim  40  and is attached to the trim  40  by a stitching, sewing, adhesives  44  or by a unitary prefabrication with the J-shaped trim  40  itself.  
         [0034]    The web of fabric  42  is preferably attached to the lowermost side of the linear portion of the J-shaped trim  40 . This permits a small gripping edge surface  48  to be disposed around the innermost periphery of the extruded trim  40 , so as to permit it to be manipulably attached to the frame component (tubing)  26  by a gripping tool  50 , as represented in FIG. 3 and in FIG. 5.  
         [0035]    The gripping tool  50  for the application of a fabric suspension arrangement  10  to a chair assembly  12  comprises an elongated handle  52  having a first end  54  and a second end  56 . The second end  56  has a distally extending web portion  58  having a hook component  60  at its distalmost edge. The hook component  60  is arranged so as to engage the innermost gripping edge surface  48  of the J-shaped extruded trim  40  along its innermost side.  
         [0036]    The extruded plastic trim  40  with its web  42  stretched across its centralmost portion is first placed on one side of the frame assembly  22  or  24  with the J-shaped member  40  engaging and receiving the distal lip  34  of the clip  30  extending outwardly from the tubing  26  of the frame members  22  or  24 . The hook  60  of the applicator tool  50  is arranged to engage and pull on the small inner edge  48  of the inner flange  46  on the extruded trim  40 , as may be envisioned in FIG. 3, so as to pull the J-shaped portion  47  over the lips  34  of the respective clips  30  from the opposite side of the frame  22  or  24  to which it is already attached. Thus those tools  50  permit ready attachment and removal and subsequent replacement of a web of fabric of pre-configured extruded trim replacement arrangement  10 .  
         [0037]    The fabric replacement tools  50  at their distalmost ends  58  may in one embodiment have a lowermost “jaw” shaped jaw portion  62  in addition to the hook  60  shaped distalmost upper portion, as may be seen in FIG. 5. Such a lowermost jaw portion  62  would permit the pivoting of the extended handle  50  around the tubing  26  of the frame portions  22  or  24 , as the hook  60  captures the edge  48  of the extruded trim  40 . Such an elongated gripping tool  50  in a further embodiment, may also have a replacement head  64  therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, to permit different size jaw arrangements to grip the extruded trim  40  so as to permit various size chair assemblies  12  to be maintained or supplied with initial or replacement web fabric arrangements  10 .  
         [0038]    Thus what has been shown has been a unique fabric suspension arrangement  10  to permit fabric to be readily applied to the tubing  26  comprising frame portions  22  or  24  of a chair seat or chair back or to a single curvilinear frame comprising both the seat and back portions, such as a lounger, and also replaced with an alternative fabric in another extruded trim, with minimal time and effort therefore. The nominally resilient fabric and trim are pre-configured to fit certain respective chair assemblies as needed in the art.