A CHAIR The present invention relates to a chair, settee, sofa or other form of seating, for convenience all referred to hereinafter as a chair. According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a chair comprising a frame defining the shape of the chair and an upholstery covering over at least a part of the frame wherein associated with the frame is an upholstery location channel and a portion of said covering locates through the channel and is associated with securement means which are attached to said frame.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention there is provided a chair comprising: a frame defining the shape of the chair and having an upholstery location channel extending around the back and sides of the frame, an upholstered seat assembly locating between the side of the frame, and an outer frame covering provided around the exterior sides of the frame wherein said seat assembly and said covering each have respective portions locating through said channel and said portions have securement means attached to said frame whereby the seat assembly and covering are located in position.

Preferably, the upholstery location channel is provided along the upper edges of the arms of the frame structure and extends also along the upper rear edge of the frame.

The location channel is preferably a "gap" defined by two, rigid elements of the frame structure. It is however possible for one or both of the elements defining the channel to be a filament (eg. a cord) supported on the frame.

In one embodiment of the chair, the location channel is defined by elements which are supported on a single frame structure. It is however also possible, in accordance with the invention, to construct a chair from an outer frame (which provides a frame element defining one side of the location channel) and a second frame which provides the other element for defining the location channel. In this arrangement, the second frame (which may be pre-upholstered) will removably seat within the first frame so that the upholstery location

channel is defined between adjacent channel defining elements of the two frames.

In all cases, the upholstery covering has a portion which passes through the upholstery location channel and is associated with securement means (eg. cords) which may be affixed to frame members (eg. by suitable fastening devices) to secure the covering in place. With this arrangement, it is possible to upholster the frame quickly and easily, with all securement being effected within the frame behind the upholstery covering. Such securement is therefore out of sight. The securement means may be releasably affixed to the frame so that the upholstery covering may be easily removed and replaced. Thus the upholstery covers may be readily removed and replaced by clean covers and/or covers of a different design.

Therefore, in accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided sets of covers for fitting to a chair in accordance with the first aspect of the invention.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a chair frame having a seat frame pivotally mounted at a first side on the chair frame and at the opposite second side being suspended from a fixed frame member of the chair frame by an elongate resilient support means which passes alternately around successively spaced regions of the fixed frame member and the second side of the chair frame.

The resilient support means (which is preferably elasticated webbing) extends in a generally "zigzag" manner between its ends alternately around the fixed frame and the second side of the chair frame. This arrangement ensures that the tension in the resilient support means is constant along its length in the event of uneven distribution of weight on the seat.

The third aspect of the present invention (ie. the resilient support of the pivotal seat) is particularly suitable for use in a chair in accordance with the first aspect of the invention.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a chair which comprises two upholstery elements which meet along a line wherein the chair has a frame having a channel positioned at the meeting of said upholstery elements, and there is a deformable decorative piping positioned above said channel to disguise

the join, the piping being secured through said channel to the chair frame.

This decorative piping arrangement is particularly suitable for use in a chair in accordance with the first aspect of the invention.

The invention will be further described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a chair frame which, when upholstered, is a chair in accordance with the first aspect of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the frame shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 illustrates the upholstering of the frame shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 illustrates the upholstered chair; and

Fig. 5 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the chair.

Referring to Figure 1, there is illustrated a chair frame 1 which when fitted with upholstery covers (in the manner described below) produces an armchair as illustrated in Figure 4.

Frame 1 is constructed of various tubular frame members and in particular includes a base 2 having a front 3, left and right sides 4 and 5 (respectively), and a back 6 which extends in generally arcuate form between the rear ends of the sides 4 and 5. Towards each end of the base front 3 are two upright frame members 7 and 8 which towards their upper ends diverge away from each other and then turn into generally parallel left and right upper side edge portions 9 and 10 for the frame, these side edge portions then turning inwards to form an upper back edge portion 11 of the frame. Struts 12-15 are provided as shown to support the side edge portions 9 and 10 and the back edge portion 11 above the base 2.

An important feature of ;.he illustrated frame is the provision of a rail 16 which closely follows (but is spaced inwardly from) the shape defined by the upper edge portion 11, the side edge portions 9, 10 and the uprights 7, 8 down to the level of a cross-rail 17 which

extends between the uprights 7 and 8. The rail 16 defines a gap 18 between itself and those outer edge portions of the frame which it follows. The purpose of this gap will be described below. The rail 16 is supported by small struts 16a which branch from the aforementioned struts 12-15.

At the level of the cross-rail 17 there is provided a seat frame 19. This seat frame is pivotally mounted at its front edge just behind the rail 17 so that an upholstery location channel in the form of a gap 20 is defined between the rail 17 and the front edge of the seat. The rear of the seat 19 is suspended from a cross-rail 21 (extending between the struts 13 and 14) by a length of resilient webbing 22. In more detail, the ends of the webbing 22 are attached to the rear of the seat (towards opposite ends thereof) and intermediate its ends the webbing passes alternately over the cross -rail 21 and under the rear edge of the seat 19. Additional webbing 23 is provided on the seat 19 to provide a support area above which a person will sit (in the finally upholstered chair). This seat arrangement is in accordance with the second aspect of the invention.

Also as illustrated in Figure 1, additional rails 24 are provided towards the upper edge of the frame and rails 25 are provided between the base 2 and the level of seat frame 19.

A further point to be noted about the frame 1 is the provision of four bars 26 each of which is affixed to the upper side of the frame members of the base 2, and each of which extends generally across a corner thereof. There is thus a small distance between the floor contacting surface of the base 2 and the undersurface of the bars 26, each of which is drilled with a hole 27.

The upholstery from the chair is provided in two parts, namely an outer frame cover 40 (Figure 3) and a unitary seating assembly 60. Referring to Figure 3, the frame cover 40 is comprised of a "base" 41 (having a aperture 42) corresponding in shape to the base 2 of the frame 1, a body 43 corresponding in shape to the back and two sides of the frame 1, and a panel 44 corresponding in shape to the rectangular aperture defined below the cross-rail 17.

The body 43 and the panel 44 are each formed of the fabric in which the frame is to be upholstered whereas the base 41 may be formed of any other fabric since it will be hidden from view in the

finally assembled chair.

Provided around the free peripheral edge of the body 43 is a fly 45 to which are attached a plurality of cords 46 with terminal fastening devices 47 which are engageable with complementary devices 48 on the rails 21,24 or 25. Similarly, the panel 44 has a fly 49 along its edge opposite to that by which it is attached to the base 41, and this fly is provided with cords 50 with fastening devices 51 for engaging complementary fasteners 48 on rail 25.

It will be appreciated that the body 43 and panel 44 are sewn to the base 41. It will also be appreciated that the cover 40 will in fact normally lie flat but for the purpose of clarity the cover 40 has been illustrated (in Figure 3) in its "3-dimensional" assembled form.

Reference is now made to the unitary seating assembly 60. As illustrated, this is constructed so as to "drop" into the frame 1 and be "seated" therein. As such the seating assembly 60 comprises a seat 61, a back 62, and sides 63, the upper "edges" of which provide arm rests 64. The whole seat assembly is constructed of cushion material which is sewn within the upholstery fabric (which will generally be the same as that from which the body 43 and panel 44 (of cover 40) are formed.)

A piping 66 in the form of length of circular section foam covered in the upholstery fabric is provided as shown, ie fixed to ,and extending along the upper rear edge of the assembly 60, along the upper side edges and down onto the front edges of the arms. Attached to the seam by which the piping is joined to the main body of seat assembly 60 is a strip of material forming a fly 67 provided with a plurality of cords 68 having terminal fastening devices 69 engageable with complementary devices 48 provided on rail 25.

The upholstery of the frame is effected by the following sequence of steps.

The cover 40 is fitted over the base 2 of frame 1 and the sides of the body 43 pulled up around the frame (see Fig. 3) so that the fly 45 with its attached cords 46 may be inserted down through the gap 17. As a result the cords 46 may be pulled down so that their fasteners 47 may engage with the complementary fastener) devices 48 on the rail 24 or 25 whichever is more convenient.

Additionally, the rectangular panel 44 will have been raised so

that its fly 49 can be inserted down through the gap between the cross rail 17 and the seat 19. The cords 50 of this fly may now be fastened to the rail 24 by means of the aforementioned complementary fastening device 51 and 48.

This completes positioning of the cover 40 on the frame 1. In the next step, the seat assembly 60 is lowered into the frame with the fly 67 (and attached cords 68) being passed through the gap 18. The fastening device 69 of the cords 68 now need to be attached to the complementary fasteners 48 on the rails 25. For this purpose, access is gained to the interior of the frame 1 via the aperture 42 in the base of the cover 40. As the cords 68 are pulled down, the piping 66 is drawn downwards so that it sits in, and conceals, any trace of the gap 18.

To complete assembly of the chair, a board 70 is fitted between the sides 3-6 of the base. The board 70 is of a depth corresponding to the spacing between the under side of bars 26 and the underside of rails 3-6. The board may be fixed in position by screws which pass through the fabric base 41 (of the cover 40) and are engaged in the apertures 27 in the bars 26.

It will be appreciated that the fastening devices used for fastening the cords to the rails may take a form other than those illustrated. For example, these fastening devices may be in the form of a plastics strip which may be pulled through an aperture such that formations on the strip grip within the aperture.

It will also be appreciated from the foregoing description that assemble of the upholstery onto the frame 1 is easy. Conversely, once the board 70 has been removed, the upholstery is readily removable for cleaning purposes. This opens the possibility of having a spare set of covers of a different upholstery design which may be fitted as desired to the frame.

The mounting of the seat frame 19 by the webbing 22 (ie. in accordance with the second aspect of the invention) ensures that there is a uniform tension throughout the webbing 21 in the event that more load is applied to one area of the sear frame than another. Furthermore, the piping 60 (provided in accordance with the third aspect of the invention) seats in the groove 18 which is therefore concealed.

In a modification of the chair frame illustrated in Fig. 1, the rail 16 could be replaced, for example, by a flexible cord defining one edge of the gap 18. Similarly, the other edge of the gap could if desired also be defined by a flexible cord.

Although Fig.l illustrates an armchair construction, the above described principles may also be embodied in a "multiple" seat arrangement eg. a settee, sofa etc.

Reference is now made to Fig. 5 which illustrates a chair which is constructed of an outer frame 100 incorporating an upper peripheral frame member 101, and a seat assembly 102 (for location in the frame 100) which incorporates a peripheral frame member 103. With the seating assembly 102 located in the frame 100, the respective peripheral frame members 103 and 101 define an upholstery location channel 104.

The seating assembly 102 may be "pre-upholstered" with edges of the upholstery covering being located around the peripheral frame member 103. An outer covering for the frame 100 may be provided in a form generally similar to the cover 40 illustrated in Fig. 3. This exterior cover is not illustrated in Fig. 5 but would have edge portions locating through the channel 104 and will have fastening cords to be removably fixed to frame members 105 to which cords 106 provided on the seat assembly 102 may also be attached. The cords 106 may however be omitted if desired.

If desired, the seating assembly 102 may be constructed so as to be capable of lying somewhat flatter than the configuration illustrated in Fig. 5 so that the seat may be packaged and supplied in a "flat pack". Similarly, the frame 100 may be of demountable construction so that it may also be included in the "flat pack".