Abstract:
Seat units in a row of seat units are each connected to an operating bar that is rotationally mounted on a support surface. Rotation of the operating bar causes the seat units of the row of seat units to move from a use orientation, wherein the seat elements thereof are oriented essentially parallel to the support surface, to a cleaning orientation, wherein the seat elements of the seat units are oriented at an oblique angle to the support surface whereby the seat units are moved to an orientation in which cleaning beneath the seat units can be effected.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to the general art of furniture, and to the particular field of movable and collapsible furniture. 
     2. Discussion of the Related Art 
     Attending sporting events, as well as attending concerts, theater, and the like, are extremely popular forms of entertainment. In all of these situations, people are seated for at least part of the performance. Therefore, the design of seats used at such events have received attention in the furniture art. There have been several innovations in this art in recent times. For example, stadium seating has been used in theaters and the like. 
     However, while there have been advances in several areas of such seating, there has been one area that seems to have been overlooked and is in need of improvement. That area involves the cleaning of a stadium or a theater after the people leave. People often eat at their seats before, during, and after an event. In fact, such action is often greatly encouraged by most event promoters. While food consumption may have many advantages, the debris left behind is a disadvantage. Clean-up crews often spend many hours cleaning a stadium or a theater after an event. This is a costly and time-consuming operation and may affect the scheduling of later events at the same venue. Therefore, anything that will improve the efficiency of a clean-up operation may have significant advantages. 
     Cleaning around and under seats is especially difficult and time-consuming. Workers often must actually get down on their hands and knees to be sure that areas under all seats are completely clean. This difficulty is exacerbated when there is a long row of seat. Gaining access to the areas beneath seats in a long row of seats can be very difficult and awkward. 
     Therefore, there is a need for a means to make cleaning under seats in a row of seats easy and expeditious. 
     PRINCIPAL OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a main object of the present invention to provide furniture that is easily manipulated for cleaning purposes. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide rows of seats that are easily manipulated. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide rows of seats that can be easily manipulated from a use orientation to an orientation which provides access to the area under the seats in the row of seats. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     These, and other, objects are achieved by an anchored, releasably tiltable row of seats which comprises a support surface; a row of seat units having a plurality of side-by-side seat units on the support surface; an operating bar fixedly connected to each seat unit of the plurality of seat units, the operating bar having a longitudinal axis and a first end having key-accommodating elements therein; an operating bar support bracket mounted on the support surface, the operating bar being rotationally mounted on the operating bar support bracket to be rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the operating bar; a key element sized and shaped to be accommodated in the key-accommodating elements of the operating bar to rotate the operating bar via the key element. The seats units of the plurality of seat units being movable with the operating bar to move between a first orientation having a seat of each seat unit oriented parallel to the support surface and a second orientation having the seat of each seat unit oriented at an oblique angle to the support surface. 
     The seat units can thus be oriented in a use orientation for accommodating seating, but can be easily moved into a cleaning orientation in which a great part of each of the seat units is in an orientation that frees the space beneath the seat units for access. Cleaning, or the like, can thus be effected beneath the out-of-the way seat units. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a row of seats which are movable in accordance with the teaching of the present invention and which are in a use orientation. 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a seat in a tilted orientation in accordance with the teaching of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 shows a key used to move the row of seats from the FIG. 1 use orientation to the FIG. 2 tilted orientation. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. 
     As shown in the figures, the present invention is embodied in an anchored, releasably tiltable row of seats  10  that can be moved between a use orientation suitable for seating and a cleaning orientation in which the area beneath the present invention  10  is accessible. The anchored, releasably tiltable row of seats  10  comprises a first seat unit  12  which includes a first side  14  having, in a use orientation shown in FIG. 1, a bottom edge  16  of the first side  14 , a top edge  18  of the first side  14 , a front edge  20  of the first side  14 , a rear edge  22  of the first side  14 , a transverse axis  24  of the first side  14  extending between the front edge  20  of the first side  14  and the rear edge  22  of the first side  14 , a longitudinal axis  26  of the first side  14  extending between the bottom edge  16  of the first side  14  and the top edge  18  of the first side  14 , an inside surface  30 , and an outside surface  32 . 
     A second side  40  is spaced apart from the first side  14  and has, in the use orientation shown in FIG. 1, a bottom edge  42  of the second side  40 , a top edge  44  of the second side  40 , a front edge  46  of the second side  40 , a rear edge  48  of the second side  40 , a transverse axis  50  of the second side  40  extending between the front edge  46  of the second side  40  and the rear edge  48  of the second side  40 , and a longitudinal axis  52  of the second side  40  extending between the bottom edge  42  of the second side  40  and the top edge  44  of the second side  40 . The second side  40  further includes an inside surface  54  and an outside surface  56 . A width direction  58  extends between the first side  14  and the second side  40 . 
     A first arm rest  60  is located on the top edge  18  of the first side  14 , and a second arm rest  62  is located on the top edge  44  of the second side  40 . 
     A first front foot  66  is located on the bottom edge  16  of the first side  14  near the front edge  20  of the first side  14  and a second front foot  68  is located on the bottom edge  42  of the second side  40  near the front edge  46  of the second side  40 . A first rear foot  70  is located on the bottom edge  16  of the first side  14  near the rear edge  22  of the first side  14 , and a second rear foot  72  is located on the bottom edge  42  of the second side  40  near the rear edge  48  of the second side  40 . The second rear foot  72  is identical to the first rear foot  70 . 
     A back support element  74  of the first seat unit  12  is fixed to the rear edge  22  of the first side  14  of the first seat unit  12  and to the rear edge  48  of the second side  14  of the first seat unit  12  and extends from the rear edge  22  of the first side  14  of the first seat unit  12  to the rear edge  48  of the second side  40  of the seat unit  12 . The back element  74  also extends in the direction of the longitudinal axis  26  of the first side  14  of the first seat unit  12 . 
     A seat element  76  of the first seat unit  12  is fixed to the inside surface  30  of the first side  14  of the first seat unit  12  and to the inside surface  54  of the second side  40  of the seat unit  12  and extends from adjacent to the front edge  20  of the first side  14  of the first seat unit  12  to adjacent to the rear edge  22  of the first side  14  of the first seat unit  12  and adjacent to the back support element  74  of the first seat unit  12 . The seat element  76  of the first seat unit  12  is located between the top edge  18  of the first side  14  of the first seat unit  12  and the bottom edge  16  of the first side  14  of the first seat unit  12 . 
     A second seat unit  90  is located adjacent to the first seat unit  12 . Additional seat units are also included but will not be discussed as those skilled in the art will understand what elements are included in such additional seat units from the teaching of the present disclosure. The second seat unit shares the second side  40  of the first seat unit  12  as a common side  92  with the outside surface  56  of the second side  40  of the first seat unit  12  being an inside surface of the common side  92  of the second seat unit  90 . The second seat unit  90  also shares the second front foot  68  of the first seat unit  12  as a common front foot  94 . The second seat unit  90  shares the second rear foot  72  of the first seat unit  12  as a common rear foot. 
     The second seat unit  90  includes a third side  96  spaced from the second side  40  of the first seat unit  12  in the direction of the width direction  58  of the first seat unit  12 . Second unit  90  has, in a use orientation, a bottom edge  98  of the third side, a top edge  100  of the third side  96 , a front edge  102  of the third side  96 , and a rear edge  104  of the third side  96 . A transverse axis  106  of the third side  96  extends between the front edge  102  of the third side  96  and the rear edge  104  of the third side  96 , and a longitudinal axis  108  of the third side  96  extends between the bottom edge  98  of the third side  96  and the top edge  100  of the third side  96 . An inside surface  110  and an outside surface  112  are also included on third side  96 . 
     A back support element  114  of the second seat unit  90  is fixed to the rear edge  48  of the second side  40  of the first seat unit  12  and to the rear edge  104  of the third side  96  of the second seat unit  90 . The back element  114  of the second seat unit  90  also extends in the direction of the longitudinal axis  52  of the second side  40  of the first seat unit  12 . The back support element  114  of the second seat unit  90  is substantially co-planar with the back support element  74  of the first seat unit  12 . 
     A seat element  120  of the second seat unit  90  is fixed to the outside surface  56  of the second side  40  of the first seat unit  12  and is also fixed to the inside surface  110  of the third side  96  of the second seat unit  90 . Seat element  120  extends from adjacent to the front edge  46  of the second side  40  of the first seat unit  12  and adjacent to the front edge  102  of the third side  96  of the second seat unit  90  to adjacent to the rear edge  48  of the second side  40  of the first seat unit  12  and adjacent to the rear edge  104  of the third side  96  of the second seat unit  90  and adjacent to the back support element  114  of the second seat unit  90 . The seat element  120  of the second seat unit  90  is located between the top edge  44  of the second side  40  of the first seat unit  12  and the bottom edge  42  of the second side  40  of the first seat unit  12 , and is substantially co-planar with the seat element  76  of the first seat unit  12 . 
     The first seat unit  12  and the second seat unit  90 , like all of the other seat units of the present invention  10 , are coupled together via the common side  92  and the common front foot  94  and the common rear foot to be a single unit. 
     First and second seat units  12 ,  90  rest on a support surface S, such as a floor, or the like. 
     A first support foot unit  130  is connected to the first front foot  66  of the first seat unit  12  and includes a base surface  132  which rests on support surface S and a body  134  extending upward from the base surface  132  of the first support foot  130  in the use configuration shown in FIG.  1 . 
     A second support foot  136  is connected to the second front foot  68  of the first seat unit  12  and includes a base surface  138  of the second support foot  136  and a body  140 . The body  140  of the second support foot  136  extends upward from the base surface  138  of the second support foot  136  in the use configuration shown in FIG.  1 . The second seat unit  90  is connected to the second support foot  136 . 
     An operating bar  150  is rotationally supported in the body  134  of the first support foot  130  and is also rotationally supported in the body  140  of the second support foot  136  as well as on further support feet included in the present invention  10 . The operating bar  150  extends in the width direction  58  of the first and second seat units  12 ,  90 . The operating bar  150  has a first end  152  located adjacent to the outside surface  32  of the first side  14  of the first seat unit  12  and a longitudinal axis  154  which extends in the width direction  58  of the first and said second seat units  12 ,  90 . The operating bar  150  is rotatable about the longitudinal axis  154  thereof. The first and second sides  14 ,  40  of the first seat unit  12  and the third side  96  of the second seat unit  90  are fixedly connected to the operating bar  150  for rotational movement therewith. 
     The first and second seat units  12 ,  90 , as well as additional seat units in the present invention  10 , move in the direction indicated in FIG. 2 by arrow  156  as a single unit between a first orientation shown in FIG. 1 with the seat elements thereof oriented horizontally above the support surface S and a second orientation shown in FIG. 2 having the seat units thereof oriented at an oblique angle to the support surface S. In the orientation shown in FIG. 2, the area beneath the seat units, denoted by reference arrow  158 , is accessible for cleaning, or the like. 
     An operating connection  160  on a first end of the operating bar  150  has a plurality of teeth-accommodating holes, such as hole  162 , defined therein. 
     An operating key  164  has teeth, such as tooth  166 , sized and shaped to engage the teeth-accommodating holes  162  defined in the operating connection  160  and a handle  168  connected to the teeth  166  of the operating key  164 . 
     As discussed above, the present invention  10  may include a plurality of seat units, including a third seat unit  180 , which is identical to the second seat unit  90  and moves with the second seat unit  90  as a unit. Furthermore, a first rear foot support  192  may be located on the first rear foot  70  of the first seat unit  12 . 
     Operation of the present invention  10  can be understood from the foregoing. The row of seats is initially in the use orientation shown in FIG. 1 for accommodating people such as at a sporting event or at a theater. In order to clean the floor after the event, the operating key  164  is inserted into the operating connection  160  on the end of a row of seats and is rotated. Rotation of the operating key  164  allows the row of seats to be tilted from the use orientation shown in FIG. 1 in direction  156 ′ into the FIG. 2 cleaning orientation. Once the floor is cleaned beneath the seat units, the operating key is turned in direction  156 ″ to return the seat units to the FIG. 1 use orientation. 
     It is to be understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangements of parts described and shown.