Chair seat with firm but resilient front edge

Abstract

A chair having a seat formed from two spaced-apart rails extending along opposing sides and unsupported along a forward portion of the seat. A flexible and elastic fabric extends between and is held in tension by the two spaced-apart rails. A flexible and relatively inelastic elastic border extends along a peripheral edge of the along a forward edge of the fabric. The border extends between and is held in tension by the two spaced-apart rails to restrict the stretch of the fabric to support a seated user's legs.

1 . A chair having a seat comprising: 
 two spaced-apart rails extending along opposing sides and unsupported along a forward portion of the seat between the two spaced-apart rails;    a flexible fabric extending between and held in tension by the two spaced-apart rails, the flexible fabric capable of stretching in at least one direction; and    a border along a forward edge of the flexible fabric, the border extending between and held in tension by the two spaced-apart rails, the border having sufficient strength to support a seated user's legs.    
     
     
         2 . The chair of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible fabric is an envelope comprising: 
 two sheets of the flexible fabric attached along the peripheral edges with the border; and    an opening in one of the two sheets.    
     
     
         3 . The chair of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 cross-braces disposed along the two spaced apart rails at a spacing intervals for connecting the two spaced-apart rails and for maintaining separation between the two spaced-apart rails.    
     
     
         4 . The chair of  claim 1 , wherein the border is less elastic than the flexible fabric.  
     
     
         5 . The chair of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible fabric and the border each have a characteristic elasticity.  
     
     
         6 . The chair of  claim 5 , wherein the flexible fabric and the border define defining an elasticity ratio of approximately 6 to 1.  
     
     
         7 . The chair of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 one or more ground engaging mechanisms attached to the two spaced apart rails.    
     
     
         8 . The chair of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a resilient wire connecting the two spaced rails at one end to form a head rest area.    
     
     
         9 . The chair of  claim 1 , wherein the rails are formed from a unitary piece of material, and are shaped in substantially an L-shape.  
     
     
         10 . A method of assembling a chair comprising: 
 assembling at least one end of a chair frame having two spaced apart-rails that form a seat portion having an unsupported forward edge;    tensioning a flexible fabric having a border over the chair flame such that the border extends between the two spaced apart rails along the unsupported forward edge;    wherein the border is less elastic than the flexible fabric.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the border is flexible.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the step of tensioning comprises: 
 inserting the at least one assembled end of the chair frame into a fabric envelope having an opening;    advancing the chair frame through the opening until the at least one assembled end of the chair frame can advance no further inside the envelope; and    attaching cross-braces at predetermined locations along the spaced-apart rails in order to fixedly position the spaced-apart rails at a distance from one another.    
     
     
         13 . A contoured chair having a seat comprising: 
 two rails spaced apart by cross-braces in a substantially parallel position to one another;    an elastic material extending between the two rails to form a seat portion that is unsupported structurally at a forward edge; and    a border material extending between the two rails at the forward edge, the border material being less elastic than the elastic material, the border material providing support for a user's legs.    
     
     
         14 . The chair of  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 legs attached to the two rails.    
     
     
         15 . The chair of  claim 13 , wherein the elastic material has a different modulus of elasticity in a weft direction than in a warp direction.  
     
     
         16 . The chair of  claim 13 , wherein the elastic material is a woven from all-weather, vinyl-coated, flexible and elastic polyester yarn.  
     
     
         17 . The chair of  claim 13 , wherein the border material restricts a stretch of the elastic material when weight is placed on the seat portion of the chair.  
     
     
         18 . The chair according to  claim 13 , wherein the border material and the elastic material have a ratio of elasticity of approximately one-sixth.