Patent Publication Number: US-8528971-B2

Title: Seating spacers for seating systems

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/068,031, filed Mar. 4, 2008. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The use of seating systems for arenas, auditoriums, gymnasiums, and other venues is well known. Such seating systems can include both telescopic and fixed systems. Telescopic seating systems have multiple rows of seating affixed to moveable segments commonly referred to as platforms. In use, a telescopic seating system may be extended from the wall of the facility to provide a full seating capacity. When not in use, the telescopic seating system may be folded back against the wall with each telescopic platform, in turn, being positioned under the platform located directly above so that all platforms are stacked in compact arrangement just in front of the wall, thereby providing additional usable floor space. Fixed seating systems comprise multiple rows of seating mounted to tiered, stationary platforms. 
     Bench-type seating is commonly used in both telescopic and fixed seating systems. Traditional bench-type seating configurations utilize long rows of metal or wooden planks affixed to the platforms. More recently, bench-type seating configurations have employed individual molded plastic seating units arranged in a row as an alternative to the traditional metal or wooden planking. Such seating units are generally designed to accommodate a single person and are attached to the underlying platform adjacent to each other to form a continuous row of seating. The molded units typically have a compound curved shape for improved comfort. While these seating units are generally made of a width designed to accommodate an average person (an 18-inch seat width is the industry standard), many users can still experience a lack of personal space, particularly insufficient hip, elbow and shoulder room. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of one embodiment of a seating system, having bench-type seating, in its operational or extended state. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the seating system in its storage or retracted state. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a row of seats for a seating system having bench-type seating. 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of the row of seats of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is an elevation view of the row of seats of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of one embodiment of a seating spacer. 
         FIG. 7  is another perspective view of the seating spacer of  FIG. 6  showing its attachment to the platform of a seating system. 
         FIG. 8  is a top view of another embodiment of a row of seats for a seating system having bench-type seating. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the drawings wherein identical reference numerals denote the same elements throughout the various views,  FIGS. 1 and 2  show an exemplary embodiment of a seating system  20  having bench-type seating. Although the seating system  20  of the illustrated embodiment is a telescopic seating system, it should be noted that this is for purposes of illustration only and the present invention is applicable to all types of seating systems including fixed systems. The telescopic seating system  20  includes a number of tiered platforms  22  supported by suitable understructure. The understructure is provided for movably supporting the seating system  20  on the floor, and the platforms  22  cooperate such that each can slide in relation to its adjacent platforms so that the seating system  20  may move between an extended or operational state shown in  FIG. 1  and a retracted or storage state shown in  FIG. 2 . Movement of the seat system  20  may be accomplished either manually or by a powered means. 
     Each platform  22  supports a row of seating mounted on the upper surface thereof, with each row comprising a number of individual seating units or seats  24 . In general, each seat  24  is molded from extremely tough, strong, durable, and inert polymeric thermoplastic or a similar material. Such material can be made in a wide variety of attractive colors and can be given any desired texture, such as a simulated grain surface. It is stain resistant, impervious to moisture, and easily cleaned. Such material is also scratch and dent resistant and resistant to impacts. The upper surface of each seat  24  is contoured for the comfort of the seat occupant. The seats  24  are attached at nose or front edge of the respective platform  22  using any suitable fastening system, which typically includes bolts and mounting brackets. 
       FIGS. 3-5  show a row of seats  24  as attached to a single platform  22  (not shown in  FIGS. 3-5 ). It is noted that the row of seats  24  could be mounted to a platform in a telescoping or fixed seating system. The seats  24  are arranged in a substantially side-by-side manner, with a seating spacer  26  placed between each set of adjacent seats  24 . The seating spacers  26  are configured to fit between two seats  24  and increase comfort by providing seat occupants more personal space, specifically more hip, elbow and shoulder room. In this example, the row comprises five seats  24  and four spacers  26 . However, this is just for purposes of illustration and it should be understood that the present invention could encompass any number of seats and an appropriate number of spacers. 
     Each seating spacer  26  comprises a substantially block-shaped body that includes a front wall, a rear wall, a top wall and two side walls. The side walls are configured to closely engage a corresponding side of the adjacent seats  24 . The seating spacers  26  are thus positioned flush with the adjacent seats  24  (as shown in  FIGS. 3-5 ) such that the seats  24  and the seating spacers  26  form a contiguous assembly without significant gaps between the seats  24  and the seating spacers  26 . 
     The seating spacers  26  can be made of an injection molded plastic material such as polypropylene or polyethylene. In the illustrated embodiment, the seating spacers  26  have a cup holder  28  formed in the upper surface thereof. The spacers  26  can include other amenities, such as an integral caddy tray for holding small items, instead of, or in addition to, the cup holders  28 . A marker  30  ( FIG. 5 ) can be affixed to the front surface of the seating spacers  26 . The marker  30  can be a donor plate or an advertising panel that can generate revenue for the owner or operator of the venue. The front surface of each seating spacer  26  can have a shallow recess formed therein to receive the marker  30 . Furthermore, a marker or the like could be affixed to the top and/or side surfaces of the spacers  26  instead of, or in addition to, the marker  30  affixed to the front surface. 
     While the seating spacers  26  can be used in all rows of the seating system  20 , it is possible to provide spacers  26  only in limited sections of the seating system  20  (such as the first four rows by way of example) to create luxury or “VIP” seating sections. Furthermore, the rows of seats and spacers can be used with folding backrests. 
     The seating spacers  26  can be any suitable width, which will typically but not necessarily be in the range of about 2-5 inches. Even larger widths, such as 6 or 9 inches, are also possible. In one embodiment, the width of the spacers  26  will be a simple fraction (i.e., a fraction having whole numbers for the numerator and the denominator) of the width of the seats  24 . By way of example, the illustrated embodiment shows the width of the spacers  26  as being equal to one-fourth of the seat width. Therefore, the space occupied by four spacers  26  is equal to the width of one seat  24 . This gives a certain amount of flexibility in setting up a seating arrangement because a row having five seats  24  and four spacers  26  and a row having six seats  24  with no spacers would have the same overall length. The height of each seating spacer  26  is substantially equal to the height of the seats  24 . That is, the spacer height will typically be the same or only slightly less than the seat height. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , one possible embodiment of a seating spacer  26  is shown in more detail. Each spacer  26  typically comprises a single-piece, molded structure or body having integral interlocks adapted for interlocking engagement with the seats  24  adjacent each side of the spacer  26 . In the illustrated embodiment, the left side wall of the spacer  26  has a projection  32  formed thereon and the right side wall has a recess  34  formed therein. Similarly, each seat  24  has a conforming projection (not shown) formed on its left side wall and a conforming recess  36  (one shown in  FIG. 3 ) formed in its right side wall. Thus, when a spacer  26  is arranged in side-by-side abutting relation between two seats  24 , the projection  32  on the left side of the spacer  26  is received in the corresponding recess of the seat  24  to the left of the spacer  26 , and the recess  34  on the right side of the spacer  26  receives the corresponding projection on the seat  24  to the right of the spacer  26 . This interlocking engagement can function to retain the seating spacer  26  in the seating system  20 . As seen in  FIG. 7 , the spacer  26  is mounted to the leading edge of a platform  22  via brackets  38  that are bolted to the platform  22 , thereby providing additional, or alternative, means for retaining the seating spacer  26  in the seating system  20 . 
     It is also possible to have multiple seating spacers  26  between a pair of seats  24 . For example,  FIG. 8  shows two seating spacers  26  between each pair of seats  24 , although more than two seating spacers would also be possible.  FIG. 8  further shows that it possible to include a seating spacer  26  at the end of a row of seats  24  (i.e., not having a seat on each side of the spacer).