US-20260123754-A1 - Omni-Directional Flexible Swivel Chair

US20260123754A1US 20260123754 A1US20260123754 A1US 20260123754A1US-20260123754-A1

Abstract

A chair assembly includes a seat, a base having a post, and a bracket attaching the seat to the base. The bracket includes a plate attached to the seat, a retainer, and an absorber. The retainer includes a receiving portion receiving the post of the base and a flange extending radially from the receiving portion. The absorber includes an annular shape and is disposed about the receiving portion and between the flange and the plate. The absorber is configured to flex between the flange and the plate to accommodate pivotal movement of the seat relative to the post in directions transverse to a longitudinal axis of the post.

Inventors

Steven M. Samikkannu

Assignees

AMTAB MANUFACTURING CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251030

Claims (20)

1 . A chair assembly, the chair assembly comprising: a seat; a base having a post; and a bracket attaching the seat to the base, the bracket comprising: a plate attached to the seat; a retainer including (i) a receiving portion receiving the post of the base and (ii) a flange extending radially from the receiving portion; and an absorber including an annular shape and disposed about the receiving portion and between the flange and the plate, the absorber configured to flex between the flange and the plate to accommodate pivotal movement of the seat relative to the post in directions transverse to a longitudinal axis of the post.
2 . The chair assembly of claim 1 , wherein the absorber accommodates pivotal movement of the seat relative to the post in the directions transverse to the longitudinal axis of the post within 360 degrees of range about the longitudinal axis of the post.
3 . The chair assembly of claim 1 , wherein the absorber resists pivotal movement of the seat relative to the post equally in the directions transverse to the longitudinal axis of the post.
4 . The chair assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plate comprises a first portion and a second portion, the retainer disposed between the first portion and the second portion, and the absorber comprising a first portion disposed between a first side of the flange and the first portion of the plate and a second portion disposed between a second side of the flange and the second portion of the plate.
5 . The chair assembly of claim 1 , wherein the seat comprises one selected from the group consisting of (i) a chair having a seat bottom and a backrest and (ii) a stool.
6 . The chair assembly of claim 5 , wherein the seat bottom and the backrest are integrally formed with one another.
7 . The chair assembly of claim 5 , wherein the chair comprises arms attached to the seat bottom.
8 . The chair assembly of claim 1 , wherein the base comprises one selected from the group consisting of (i) a stationary base and (ii) a mobile base.
9 . The chair assembly of claim 1 , wherein a footrest ring is disposed along the post.
10 . The chair assembly of claim 1 , wherein the seat is pivotable relative to the base about the longitudinal axis of the post.
11 . A chair assembly, the chair assembly comprising: a seat; a post extending from the seat; a base; and a bracket attaching the seat to the base, the bracket comprising: a plate attached to the base; a retainer including (i) a receiving portion receiving the post and (ii) a flange extending radially from the receiving portion; and an absorber including an annular shape and disposed about the receiving portion and between the flange and the plate, the absorber configured to flex between the flange and the plate to accommodate pivotal movement of the seat and the post relative to the base in directions transverse to a longitudinal axis of the post.
12 . The chair assembly of claim 11 , wherein the absorber accommodates pivotal movement of the seat and the post relative to the base in the directions transverse to the longitudinal axis of the post within 360 degrees of range about the longitudinal axis of the post.
13 . The chair assembly of claim 11 , wherein the absorber resists pivotal movement of the seat and the post relative to the base equally in the directions transverse to the longitudinal axis of the post.
14 . The chair assembly of claim 11 , wherein the plate comprises a first portion and a second portion, the retainer disposed between the first portion and the second portion, and the absorber comprising a first portion disposed between a first side of the flange and the first portion of the plate and a second portion disposed between a second side of the flange and the second portion of the plate.
15 . The chair assembly of claim 11 , wherein the seat is pivotable relative to the base about the longitudinal axis of the post.
16 . A bracket for a chair assembly, the bracket comprising: a plate; a retainer including (i) a receiving portion configured to receive a post of a chair assembly and (ii) a flange extending radially from the receiving portion; and an absorber including an annular shape and disposed about the receiving portion and between the flange and the plate, the absorber configured to flex between the flange and the plate to accommodate pivotal movement of a seat of the chair assembly relative to a base of the chair assembly in directions transverse to a longitudinal axis of the post.
17 . The bracket of claim 16 , wherein the absorber is configured to accommodate pivotal movement of the seat relative to the base in the directions transverse to the longitudinal axis of the post within 360 degrees of range about the longitudinal axis of the post.
18 . The bracket of claim 16 , wherein the absorber is configured to resist pivotal movement of the seat relative to the base equally in the directions transverse to the longitudinal axis of the post.
19 . The bracket of claim 16 , wherein the plate comprises a first portion and a second portion, the retainer disposed between the first portion and the second portion, and the absorber comprising a first portion disposed between a first side of the flange and the first portion of the plate and a second portion disposed between a second side of the flange and the second portion of the plate.
20 . The bracket of claim 16 , wherein the plate is configured for attachment to the seat of the chair assembly, the post extending from the base of the chair assembly.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION The present application claims the filing benefits of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 63/715,050, filed Nov. 1, 2024, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD This disclosure relates to a swivel chair, and more particularly to a swivel chair having an omni-directional flexible seat. BACKGROUND It is known to provide a swivel chair or stool, where a seat rotates relative to a base, for use in environments such as offices, classrooms, laboratories, workshops, and the like. The rotational aspect of the chair may grant the user a greater reach while remaining seated. However, these chairs may often be used in environments where users are seated for long spans of time, which can lead to adverse physical and mental health effects. While some chairs may include a backrest that is adjustable and/or flexible relative to the seat, this movement is typically limited to a forward and backward range of motion that does not alleviate the effects of remaining sedentary or significantly improve the reach of the seated user. SUMMARY One aspect of the disclosure provides a chair assembly. The chair assembly includes a seat, a base having a post, and a bracket attaching the seat to the base. The bracket includes a plate attached to the seat, a retainer, and an absorber. The retainer includes a receiving portion receiving the post of the base and a flange extending radially from the receiving portion. The absorber includes an annular shape and is disposed about the receiving portion and between the flange and the plate. The absorber is configured to flex between the flange and the plate to accommodate pivotal movement of the seat relative to the post in directions transverse to a longitudinal axis of the post. Implementations of the disclosure may include one or more of the following optional features. In some implementations, the absorber accommodates pivotal movement of the seat relative to the post in the directions transverse to the longitudinal axis of the post within 360 degrees of range about the longitudinal axis of the post. In some examples, the absorber resists pivotal movement of the seat relative to the post equally in the directions transverse to the longitudinal axis of the post. In some implementations, the plate includes a first portion and a second portion. The retainer is disposed between the first portion and the second portion. The absorber includes a first portion disposed between a first side of the flange and the first portion of the plate and a second portion disposed between a second side of the flange and the second portion of the plate. In some examples, the seat includes a chair having a seat bottom and a backrest or a stool. In further examples, the seat bottom and the backrest are integrally formed with one another. In other further examples, the chair includes arms attached to the seat bottom. In some aspects, the base includes a stationary base or a mobile base. In some implementations, a footrest ring is disposed along the post. In some examples, the seat is pivotable relative to the base about the longitudinal axis of the post. Another aspect of the disclosure provides a chair assembly. The chair assembly includes a seat, a post extending from the seat, a base, and a bracket attaching the seat to the base. The bracket includes a plate attached to the base, a retainer, and an absorber. The retainer includes a receiving portion receiving the post and a flange extending radially from the receiving portion. The absorber includes an annular shape and is disposed about the receiving portion and between the flange and the plate. The absorber is configured to flex between the flange and the plate to accommodate pivotal movement of the seat and the post relative to the base in directions transverse to a longitudinal axis of the post. This aspect may include one or more of the following optional features. In some implementations, the absorber accommodates pivotal movement of the seat and the post relative to the base in the directions transverse to the longitudinal axis of the post within 360 degrees of range about the longitudinal axis of the post. In some examples, the absorber resists pivotal movement of the seat and the post relative to the base equally in the directions transverse to the longitudinal axis of the post. In some implementations, the plate includes a first portion and a second portion. The retainer is disposed between the first portion and the second portion. The absorber includes a first portion disposed between a first side of the flange and the first portion of the plate and a second portion disposed between a second side of the flange and the second portion of the plate. In some examples, the seat is pivotable relative to the base about the longitudinal axis of the post. Yet another aspect of the disclosure provides a bracket for a chair assembly. The bracket includes a plate, a retainer, and an