Hand grip for a seat assembly

Abstract

A seat including a hand grip and a seat back assembly. The seat back assembly has a rigid frame and a trim cover for covering at least a portion of the frame. The hand grip includes an outer surface, an inner surface, a grip area, a flange and a tab. The inner surface is opposite the outer surface. The grip area is defined in the outer surface and is adapted to accommodate a hand of a person. The flange bounds the grip area for concealing a portion or the trim cover during assembly of the hand grip to the seat. The tab extends outwardly from the inner surface of the grip. A distal end of the tab is generally parallel and spaced apart with the inner surface of the hand grip for receiving the frame therebetween.

1 . A hand grip for use with a seat assembly having a frame and a trim cover for covering at least a portion of the frame, the hand grip comprising: 
 an outer surface;    an inner surface opposite the outer surface;    a grip area defined in the outer surface adapted to accommodate a hand of a person;    a flange bounding the grip area for concealing a portion or the trim cover during assembly of the hand grip to the seat assembly;    a tab extending from the inner surface of the grip, at least a portion of the tab being spaced apart from and generally parallel with said flange for retaining the frame therebetween.    
   
   
       2 . The hand grip as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the grip area has an elongated ovular shape extending between opposite sides.  
   
   
       3 . The hand grip as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein the grip area includes opposite and spaced apart upper and lower ends, each of the upper and lower ends extending between the opposite sides of the grip area.  
   
   
       4 . The hand grip as set forth in  claim 3 , wherein the upper end of the grip area is arcuate.  
   
   
       5 . The hand grip as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the grip area is symmetrical about a center axis of the seat assembly.  
   
   
       6 . The hand grip as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the grip area defines a receiving area that is concave with respect to the flange for receiving the fingers of the user therein.  
   
   
       7 . The hand grip as set forth in  claim 3 , wherein the grip area defines a receiving area that is concave and extends upwardly relative to the upper end for receiving the fingers of the user therein.  
   
   
       8 . The hand grip as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the tab has a distal end that is bent so as to be generally parallel and spaced apart with the flange of the hand grip for receiving the frame therebetween.  
   
   
       9 . A seat assembly comprising: 
 a cushion for supporting a user in a seated position spaced above a floor;    a seat back having a frame secured to the cushion for supporting the seat back in a substantially upright position relative to the cushion, the seat back having an upper edge spaced apart from the cushion; and    a hand grip fixedly secured to the seat back to facilitate carrying of the seat assembly by a user's hand, the hand grip comprising: 
 a grip area having an arcuate upper end space apart by a predetermined distance from the upper edge of the seat back such that the palm of the user's hand rests along the upper edge of the seat back when the fingers of the user's hand are placed along the upper end of the grip area;  
 the grip area having a receiving portion that is concave and extends upwardly relative to the upper end for receiving the fingers of the user therein.  
   
   
   
       10 . The seat assembly as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein the grip area is substantially bounded by a flange.  
   
   
       11 . The seat assembly as set forth in  claim 10 , wherein the hand grip includes a tab extending toward the seat back relative to the flange, the tab being bendable to form an L-shape for retaining the frame between the flange and the tab, thereby securing the hand grip to the seat assembly.  
   
   
       12 . The hand grip as set forth in  claim 10 , including a tab that extends from the inner surface of the grip, the tab being generally parallel with and spaced apart from said flange for retaining the frame between therebetween.  
   
   
       13 . A hand grip for use with a seat assembly having a frame and a trim cover for covering at least a portion of the frame, the hand grip comprising: 
 an outer surface;    an inner surface opposite the outer surface;    a grip area defined in the outer surface adapted to accommodate a hand of a person;    a flange bounding the grip area for concealing a portion or the trim cover during assembly of the hand grip to the seat assembly; and    a stem extending orthogonally from the flange, the stem having an end that is threaded for threadingly engaging a nut, thereby retaining the frame between the flange and the nut.    
   
   
       14 . The hand grip as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the grip area has an elongated ovular shape extending between opposite sides.  
   
   
       15 . The hand grip as set forth in  claim 14 , wherein the grip area includes opposite and spaced apart upper and lower ends, each of the upper and lower ends extending between the opposite sides of the grip area.  
   
   
       16 . The hand grip as set forth in  claim 15 , wherein the upper end of the grip area is arcuate.  
   
   
       17 . The hand grip as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the grip area defines a receiving area that is concave with respect to the flange for receiving the fingers of the user therein.  
   
   
       18 . The hand grip as set forth in  claim 15 , wherein the grip area defines a receiving area that is concave and extends upwardly relative to the upper end for receiving the fingers of the user therein.  
   
   
       19 . The hand grip as set forth in  claim 15 , wherein a pair of stems extend outwardly from the flange for securing the opposite ends of the hand grip to the frame.