Patent ID: 6860556

Claim:
A chair frame for a stackable chair, said chair frame comprising: a seat support portion; first and second front legs secured to said seat support portion; first and second rear legs secured to said seat support portion; first and second upper support members secured to said seat support portion, each said first and second upper support member having an upper surface, at least a portion of said upper surface defining a curvilinear surface portion; and first and second stacking bars, said first stacking bar being disposed between said first front leg and said first rear leg, and being selectively spaced below said first upper support member, said second stacking bar being disposed between said second front leg and said second rear leg, and being selectively spaced below said second upper support member, each said first and second stacking bar having a lower surface, at least a portion of said lower surface defining a curvilinear surface portion configured to closely engage at least a portion of said curvilinear surface portion of said upper surface of one said upper support member of another said chair frame to facilitate the stacking of said chair frame in a spaced position relative to a seat support portion on another said chair frame, said curvilinear surface portions of said first and second upper support members being configured and disposed relative to said first and second front legs and said first and second rear legs such that when said curvilinear surface portions of said first and second upper support members of said chair frame closely engage said curvilinear surface portions of said lower surfaces of said first and second stacking bars of a second said chair frame stacked thereon, said second chair frame is releasably restrained from sliding along the length of said first and second stacking bars of said chair frame upon which it is stacked and said first and second front legs and said first and second rear legs of said second chair are releasably maintained in a spaced relationship with respect to said first and second front legs and said first and second rear legs, respectively, of said chair frame upon which said second chair frame is stacked; whereby during stacking of said chair frame, said seat support portion of said chair frame is maintained in said spaced position relative to the seat support portion on another said chair frame thereby avoiding contact with each seat support portion on respective stacked chair frames, and whereby said second chair frame is releasably restrained from sliding along the length of said first and second stacking bars of said chair frame upon which it is stacked and said first and second front legs and said first and second rear legs of said second chair are releasably maintained in a spaced relationship with respect to said first and second front legs and said first and second rear legs, respectively, of said chair frame upon which said second chair frame is stacked.