FIELD OF INVENTION This invention relates to a chair bracing apparatus for bracing the legs of a chair.

BACKGROUND TO INVENTION

A problem encountered with chairs having legs is that such chairs sometimes have no or insufficient bracing for the legs. As a result, the legs are known to break or deform when a relatively heavy load is applied to the seat, for example, when a relatively heavy person is seated thereon. More specifically, such chair legs are known to split along the lengths thereof and lower ends thereof are known to slide outwardly as the chair collapses. The legs of such chairs are particularly prone to sliding outwardly when the chairs are supported on relatively smooth floor surfaces. In addition to the chair being damaged, persons seated thereon may be seriously injured when the legs break.

It is an object of the present invention to ameliorate the abovementioned problem associated with chairs having legs. SUMMARY OF INVENTION

According to the invention there is provided a chair bracing apparatus for bracing legs of a chair, the chair bracing apparatus including: at least two leg holding formations which are each configured for holding a lower end region of a different one of the legs of the chair; and a bracing structure extending between the leg holding formations for holding the leg holding formations in a fixed spacial relationship relative to one another.

Each leg holding formation may include a hoop within which a lower end of a different one of the legs of the chair, is received. More specifically, each leg holding formation may have a cup-shaped configuration wherein the leg holding formation comprises a base wall and wherein the hoop comprises at least one side wall which extends operatively upwardly from the base wall.

The bracing structure may comprise a bracing strut extending between the leg holding formations, with the leg holding formations being fixedly connected to opposite end regions of the bracing strut. For a chair having four legs, the chair bracing apparatus may include four leg holding formations for holding each of the legs of the chair and the bracing structure may include a number of struts which are fixedly connected to the leg holding formations. More specifically, the bracing structure may include two struts which each extend between a different two of the leg holding formations, one of the struts crossing over the other strut. Yet more specifically, the struts may be fixedly connected to one another in a region of the crossover.

For a chair wherein the four legs of the chair are disposed such that two legs are located at a rear end of the chair and the other two legs are located at a front end of the chair, the bracing structure may include an additional bracing strut which is fixedly connected at opposite ends thereof to the leg holding formations for holding the rear legs of the chair, so as to extend between the leg holding formations for bracing the rear legs of the chair.

The chair bracing apparatus may be of plastics material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features of the invention are described hereinafter by way of a non-limiting example of the invention, with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying diagrammatic drawings. In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a three dimensional view of a chair bracing apparatus in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 shows a top plan view of the chair bracing apparatus of Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 shows a side view of the chair bracing apparatus of Figure 1 , as viewed along direction indicator line A of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 shows a three dimensional view of the chair bracing apparatus of Figure 1 , illustrating the manner in which the legs of a chair are braced by the chair bracing apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to the drawings, a chair bracing apparatus in accordance with the invention, is designated generally by the reference numeral 10. The chair bracing apparatus 10 is of plastics material and comprises, broadly, four cup-shaped leg holding formations 12 and a bracing structure 14 extending between the leg holding formations 12 for holding the leg holding formations in a predetermined fixed spacial relationship relative to one another.

The chair bracing apparatus 10 is configured for bracing the legs 16 of a chair 18. The chair 18 is of moulded plastics of a type configured for nesting with other similar chairs in an arrangement wherein a seat and legs of a chair nesting under the chair 18 are received in a space below the seat 20 within an area bounded by the legs 16. Chairs of this type, due to the nesting requirement, typically do not have any bracing structures for bracing the legs in a region under the seat 20. As a result, the legs of such chairs are prone to deformation or breaking, causing not only damage to the chair but in many instances, injury to persons seated on the chair when the legs deform or break.

Each leg holding formation 12 comprises a disc-shaped base wall 13 and a hoop in the form of a cylindrical side wall 15 extending operatively upwardly from a peripheral edge region of the base wall. A lower end of one of the legs 16 of the chair 18 is received within each leg holding formation. More specifically, the lower end of the rear leg 16.1 of the chair is received within the leg holding formation 12.1 , the lower end of the rear leg 16.2 is received within the leg holding formation 12.2, the lower end of the front leg 16.3 of the chair is received within the leg holding formation 12.3 and the lower end of the front leg 16.4 is received within the leg holding formation 12.4.

The bracing structure 14 comprises two elongate bracing struts 22.1 and 22.2 which extend between and which are fixedly connected at opposite end regions thereof to the leg holding formations 12.2 and 12.4 and the leg holding formations 12.1 and 12.3, respectively. The strut 22.2 crosses over the strut 22.1 at a central region of the bracing structure intermediate the lengths of the struts 22.1 and 22.2. The struts 22.1 and 22.2 are fixedly connected to one another in the region of the cross over.

The bracing structure 14 further includes an additional bracing strut 24 which is fixedly connected at opposite end regions thereof to the leg holding formations 12.1 and 12.2. The side walls 15 of the leg holding formations 12 are dimensioned and configured so as to be slightly larger than a lower end region of a particular leg of the chair so as to restrain the legs against outward displacement which may result in breaking or deformation of the legs when a relatively large load is applied to the seat 20, for example, when a relatively heavy person is seated thereon. The spacing between the leg holding formations 12 is determined by the relative positions of the lower ends of the legs 16 of the chair such that each of the legs is received within a different one of the leg holding formations. In use, the chair bracing apparatus is laid flat on a substrate surface on which the chair 18 is to be supported. The lower ends of the legs 16 of the chair are located in each of the leg holding formations 12 thereby providing a relatively inexpensive yet effective bracing structure for bracing the legs of the chair. The Applicant has found that the chair bracing apparatus is particularly effective in preventing the legs of a chair from sliding outwards when the chair is located on a smooth floor surface. The chair bracing apparatus is also effective in instances where a chair is supported on a soft ground surface such as the sand on a beach as the chair bracing apparatus enhances stability of the chair when supported on such a soft surface, preventing the legs from sinking into the soft surface.