Outdoor seat cushions

Abstract

An embodiment of a cushioning pad for use on the seat backs and seat bottoms of outdoor stadium seating is described along with embodiments of stadium seats incorporating the cushioning pads. Additionally in another embodiment, a method of retrofitting stadium seating is further described. One embodiment of the cushioning pad comprises a self-skinning polyurethane foam having attachment fasteners integrally formed therein.

1 . An outdoor stadium seat comprising: 
 a support structure, the support structure being adapted to be secured to a ground surface;    a seat back, the seat back being coupled with the support structure and being adapted to support a back of a person sitting in the outdoor stadium seat;    a seat bottom, the seat bottom being coupled with the support structure and being adapted to support the person sitting thereon; and    a first cushioning pad, the first cushioning pad comprising (i) a self-skinning foam polymeric material and (ii) a first plurality of fasteners around which the self skinning foam polymeric material is at least partially molded;    wherein the first plurality fasteners are fixedly coupled with one of the seat back and the seat bottom on a seating surface thereof.    
   
   
       2 . The outdoor stadium seat of  claim 1 , wherein the seat bottom is pivotally coupled to the support structure and is adapted to move between a generally horizontal orientation and a generally vertical orientation.  
   
   
       3 . The outdoor stadium seat of  claim 1 , further comprising a second cushioning pad, the second cushioning pad comprising (i) the self-skinning foam polymeric material and (ii) a second plurality of fasteners around which the self skinning foam polymeric material is at least partially molded, wherein the second plurality fasteners are fixedly coupled with the other of the seat back and the seat bottom on a seating surface thereof.  
   
   
       4 . The outdoor stadium seat of  claim 1 , wherein the first cushioning pad is 0.75″-1.25″ thick.  
   
   
       5 . The outdoor stadium seat of  claim 4 , wherein the self-skinning foam polymeric material includes a foam portion and a skin portion, the foam portion having a density of about 10-14 pounds per cubic foot, and the skin has a density of about 40-90 pounds per cubic foot.  
   
   
       6 . The outdoor stadium seat of  claim 1 , wherein the self-skinning foam polymeric material comprises polyurethane.  
   
   
       7 . The outdoor stadium seat of  claim 6 , wherein the first cushioning pad further includes an ultraviolet radiation resistant layer overlying the self-skinning foam polymeric material.  
   
   
       8 . The outdoor stadium seat of  claim 7 , wherein the ultraviolet radiation resistant layer comprises an aliphatic material that integrally bonds with the self-skinning foam polymeric material during the formation of the first cushioning pad.  
   
   
       9 . The outdoor stadium seat of  claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of fasteners each comprise a plastic ratchet fastener.  
   
   
       10 . A row of interconnected seats in an outdoor stadium comprising the stadium seat of  claim 1 .  
   
   
       11 . A section of stadium seating comprising a plurality of the rows of interconnected seats of  claim 10 .  
   
   
       12 . A cushion adapted for use in outdoor stadium seating, the cushion comprising: 
 a generally rectangularly-shaped pad 0.75-1.25″ thick comprising a self skinning polyurethane material and including an integrally formed skin and foam portions, the skin portion having a density of about 40-90 pound per square foot with a thickness of 0.90″-0.135″, the foam portion having a density of about 10-14 pounds per cubic foot; and    a plurality of plastic ratchet fasteners with a shank extending generally perpendicularly outwardly from a first face of the pad, each ratchet fastener including a head, the pad being molded around the head during fabrication of the cushion.    
   
   
       13 . The cushion of  claim 12 , wherein the skin portion further comprises a ultraviolet radiation resistant layer, the ultraviolet radiation resistant layer covering substantially the entire exterior surface of the pad and being about 0.004-0.007″ thick.  
   
   
       14 . The cushion of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of plastic ratchet fasteners comprise Catalog Number PC47617 from Index Fasteners, Inc. of Ontario, Calif.  
   
   
       15 . The cushion of  claim 12 , wherein the ultraviolet radiation resistant layer comprises an aliphatic polyurethane material.  
   
   
       16 . A method of retrofitting a plurality of seats in an outdoor stadium, the method comprising: 
 determining the size of a cushioning pad to be added to the seats by measuring one of (i) a representative seat of the plurality of seats and (ii) an old cushion from the representative seat;    determining the type, location and number of fasteners to be included on the cushioning pad based on one of (a) the location and type of fastening points on the representative seat relative to the old cushion, and (b) the size of a seating surface on the representative seat on which the cushioning pad is to be fitted;    fabricating a plurality of cushioning pads, each cushioning pad being generally rectangularly shaped and comprising (1) a self skinning polyurethane material including integrally formed skin and foam portions, and (2) a plurality of fasteners molded into the self skinning urethane material during fabrication of the cushioning pad;    installing the plurality of cushioning pads on a plurality of seats.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising: removing a plurality of old cushions from the plurality of seats.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising preparing each seat of the plurality of seats to receive the cushioning pad by drilling a plurality of holes in the seating surface of the seat corresponding to locations of the plurality of fasteners on an associated cushioning pad of the plurality of cushioning pads.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein each cushioning pad is 0.75-1.25″ thick and includes a skin portion and a foam portion, the foam portion having a density of about 10-14 pounds per cubic foot, and the skin portion having a thickness of about 0.90″-0.135″ with a density of about 40-90 pound per square foot.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the skin portion of each cushioning pad includes an ultraviolet radiation resistant layer cover the exterior of the cushioning pad, the ultraviolet radiation resistant layer being 0.004-0.007″ thick and comprising an aliphatic polyurethane material.