Chair having flexibility between seat and back

Abstract

A chair includes a support assembly, a chair seat coupled to the support assembly, a chair back and a buckle. A lower portion of the buckle is coupled to the support assembly, while an upper portion of the buckle is coupled to a bottom portion of the chair back. The buckle is configured to orient the chair back at an obtuse angle relative to the seat and is flexible in certain embodiments to vary the angle. The top portion of the chair back includes a top edge and a slot formed in the top edge that extends toward the bottom portion to divide the chair back into left and right portions that can flex relative to each other.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A chair comprising:
 a support assembly;   a chair seat coupled to the support assembly;   a buckle having a buckle upper portion and a buckle lower portion, the buckle lower portion coupled to the support assembly; and   a chair back, wherein:
 a chair back bottom portion is coupled to the buckle upper portion; 
 a chair back top portion includes a top edge; and 
 the chair back top portion further includes a slot formed in the top edge and extending toward the chair back bottom portion, the slot arranged between a chair back left portion and a chair back right portion and configured such that the chair back left portion is movable relative to the chair back right portion. 
   
     
     
         2 . The chair of  claim 1 , wherein the chair back is arranged at an obtuse angle relative to the chair seat and the obtuse angle is variable within a range of angles. 
     
     
         3 . The chair of  claim 2 , wherein the chair seat is flexible and is configured such that applying a downward force to the chair seat increases the obtuse angle. 
     
     
         4 . The chair of  claim 2 , wherein the chair back is flexible and is configured such that applying a backward force to the chair back increases the obtuse angle. 
     
     
         5 . The chair of  claim 2 , wherein the slot is configured to reduce a mechanical tension across the top edge such that applying a backward force to the chair back increases the obtuse angle. 
     
     
         6 . The chair of  claim 2 , wherein the slot is configured such that applying a backward force to the chair back top portion moves the chair back left portion relative to the chair back right portion to increase the obtuse angle. 
     
     
         7 . The chair of  claim 1 , wherein the chair seat and the chair back are polypropylene. 
     
     
         8 . The chair of  claim 2 , wherein the range of angles is approximately 97 through approximately 104 degrees. 
     
     
         9 . The chair of  claim 2 , wherein the chair is configured to be stackable with at least one other identical chair. 
     
     
         10 . The chair of  claim 1 , wherein the slot has a width of approximately 0.4 inches. 
     
     
         11 . The chair of  claim 1 , wherein the slot has a length of approximately 7.6 inches. 
     
     
         12 . The chair of  claim 1 , further comprising a cover plate, wherein the buckle has a buckle front side and a buckle back side, the chair back coupled to the buckle front side, the cover plate coupled to the buckle back side with a snap-fit configuration. 
     
     
         13 . The chair of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the support assembly includes a support bar; and   the buckle lower portion includes a groove configured to receive at least a portion of the support bar.   
     
     
         14 . The chair of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one seat cushion arranged between the support assembly and the chair seat. 
     
     
         15 . The chair of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one back cushion arranged between the chair back and the buckle. 
     
     
         16 . The chair of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 at least one first opening formed on the buckle;   at least one second opening formed on the chair back; and   at least one fastener configured to engage the at least one first opening and the at least one second opening to form a hinge between the buckle and the chair back.   
     
     
         17 . The chair of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one back cushion is arranged between the chair back and the buckle adjacent to the hinge. 
     
     
         18 . The chair of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one fastener is a spring pin configured to bias the chair back relative to the buckle. 
     
     
         19 . A chair comprising:
 a support assembly;   a chair seat coupled to the support assembly;   a coupling assembly comprising:
 a buckle having:
 a buckle upper portion arranged at an angle relative to a buckle lower portion, the buckle lower portion coupled to the support assembly, the buckle upper portion having at least one vertical rail; and 
 a buckle bend portion arranged between the buckle upper portion and the buckle lower portion, the buckle bend portion including a plurality of ribs formed in the buckle and configured to enable the buckle bend portion to flex to vary the angle; and 
 
 at least one vertical panel, the at least one vertical panel configured to slidably mate with the at least one vertical rail; and 
   a chair back coupled to the at least one vertical panel.   
     
     
         20 . The chair of  claim 19  wherein:
 the buckle upper portion has at least one notch; and 
 the at least one vertical panel has:
 at least one raised edge configured to slidably mate with the at least one vertical rail; and 
 at least one tab configured to fit within the at least one notch to fix a position of the at least one vertical panel relative to the buckle. 
 
 
     
     
         21 . The chair of  claim 19 , wherein:
 the buckle upper portion includes two upright portions;   the at least one vertical rail includes two vertical rails formed along each of the two upright portions;   the at least one notch is formed between two vertical rails on at least one of the two upright portions;   the at least one vertical panel includes two vertical panels; and   each of the two vertical panels is configured to slidably mate with one of the two upright portions.   
     
     
         22 . The chair of  claim 19 , further comprising a cover plate, wherein the buckle has a buckle front side and a buckle back side, the at least one vertical rail on the buckle front side, the cover plate coupled to the buckle back side with a snap-fit configuration. 
     
     
         23 . A chair comprising:
 a support assembly;   a chair seat coupled to the support assembly;   a chair back having a chair back front side and a chair back side; and   a coupling assembly comprising:
 a buckle having a buckle upper portion and a buckle lower portion, the buckle lower portion coupled to the support assembly, the buckle upper portion having at least one tab; and 
 at least one slot formed in the chair back side, the at least one slot configured to receive the at least one tab to fix a position of the chair back relative to the buckle. 
   
     
     
         24 . The chair of  claim 23 , wherein the at least one tab includes a hook and the at least one slot includes a hook slot configured to receive the hook such that gravity further fixes the position of the chair back relative to the buckle. 
     
     
         25 . The chair of  claim 23 , wherein the at least one tab is received within the at least one slot in a snap-fit configuration. 
     
     
         26 . A chair comprising:
 a support assembly having a lower portion, a bend portion, and an upright portion, the support assembly including at least one insert configured to be received within the bend portion, the support assembly further including at least one cap configured to extend at least partially within the upright portion;   a chair seat coupled to the lower portion; and   a chair back coupled to the upright portion, wherein the chair back is arranged at an obtuse angle relative to the chair seat.   
     
     
         27 . The chair of  claim 26 , wherein the support assembly is constructed out of one inch by one half inch metal tubing. 
     
     
         28 . The chair of  claim 27 , wherein the at least one insert is configured to prevent deformation in the bend portion. 
     
     
         29 . The chair of  claim 26 , wherein the upright portion includes two upright tubes and the at least one cap is configured to extend at least partially within each of the two upright tubes contemporaneously. 
     
     
         30 . A chair comprising:
 a support assembly;   a chair seat coupled to the support assembly, the chair seat having a left portion, a right portion, a front portion, and a back portion;   chair arms integrally formed with and extending outwardly from the left portion and the right portion of the chair seat, each of the chair arms having an inward portion, an outward portion, a front portion, and a back portion, the front portions and the back portions of each of the chair arms being coincident with the front portion and the back portion of the chair seat, each of the chair arms being tapered such that the front portions and the back portions of each of the chair arms are closer together at the outward portions than at the inward portions;   a coupling assembly coupled to the support assembly; and   a chair back coupled to the coupling assembly.   
     
     
         31 . The chair of  claim 30 , wherein the chair arms have chair arm top sides and the chair seat has a chair seat top side, the chair arm top sides and the chair seat top side covered by a continuous cushion.