Seat front edge construction

Abstract

A chair includes a perimeter frame with side, front and rear sections defining an open area. A support structure includes slats and/or resilient wires supported on the perimeter frame and bridging between the side sections. A cushion of non-uniform thickness has a relatively thinner rear portion supported on the support structure and a relatively thicker front portion supported on the front section adjacent its rearwardly-facing edge. The thin rear portion of the cushion combines with the support structure to provide a transition region over the inwardly-facing edge of the front section. By this arrangement, a seated user does not sense a sudden change in supportive force across the transition region.

1 . A seat construction for a seated user, comprising:
 a seat frame including a front frame section and an open area rearward of the front frame section;   a resilient support structure positioned in the open area and operably supported on the frame, the resilient support structure defining a flexible support surface that when unstressed is located in a home position that is a predetermined distance higher than a center top surface of the front frame section, the resilient support structure being flexible downwardly to a plurality of stressed positions, with at least some of the stressed positions placing a front of the support surface closer to horizontal alignment with the top surface of the front frame section and at a relative location defining a shorter distance than the predetermined distance; and   a cushion having a rear portion supported on the support structure and a front portion supported on the front frame section, the cushion combining with the resilient support structure to provide distributed support across a transition region extending from the open area onto the front frame section.   
   
   
       2 . The seat construction defined in  claim 1 , wherein the support structure includes a plurality of resilient supports that extend across the open area. 
   
   
       3 . The seat construction defined in  claim 2 , wherein each of the resilient support are independently flexible and have ends operably supported on the side sections. 
   
   
       4 . The seat construction defined in  claim 3 , wherein the resilient supports each include a polymeric slat and a resilient wire coupled to flex with respective ones of the slats. 
   
   
       5 . The seat construction defined in  claim 3 , wherein the resilient supports include only wires. 
   
   
       6 . The seat construction defined in  claim 3 , wherein the frame includes side frame sections, and ends of the resilient supports slidably engage the side frame sections. 
   
   
       7 . The seat construction defined in  claim 3 , wherein the frame includes side frame sections, the side frame sections and the ends including mating bearing structures rotatably supporting the ends on the side frame sections, one of the mating bearing structures including a pair of protrusions straddling the other of the mating bearing structures. 
   
   
       8 . The seat construction defined in  claim 1 , where the seat frame includes a floor panel and a perimeter frame around the floor panel, the perimeter frame including the front frame section, the floor panel supporting the flex limiter. 
   
   
       9 . The seat construction defined in  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined distance is at least one half inch measured vertically from a center of the front frame section. 
   
   
       10 . The seat construction defined in  claim 1 , including an upholstery cover that covers the cushion. 
   
   
       11 . The seat construction defined in  claim 1 , wherein the cushion has a non-uniform thickness, including a thickened part on a rear of the front frame section near the open area. 
   
   
       12 . The seat construction defined in  claim 1 , wherein the open area is defined by a rear frame section and side frame sections that combine with the front frame section to define a perimeter frame extending around the open area. 
   
   
       13 . The seat construction defined in  claim 1 , wherein the frame includes a floor panel positioned under the open area. 
   
   
       14 . The seat construction defined in  claim 1 , including a base frame, the frame being a seat frame supported on the base frame, the seat frame including a dished center region under the open area and the seat frame being integrally formed to include the center region. 
   
   
       15 . A seat construction, comprising:
 a perimeter frame defining a front frame section and further defining an open area positioned rearward of the front frame section;   a support structure supported by the perimeter frame, the support structure including a plurality of resilient supports positioned rearward of the front frame section and extending transversely across the open area, at least a forward one of the resilient supports being higher than the front frame section when in an unstressed home position; and   a cushion positioned on the perimeter frame and having a first portion positioned over the resilient supports and a second portion positioned on the front frame section, a vertical thickness of the second portion of the cushion being greater than a vertical thickness of the first portion of the cushion by an amount approximately equal to a vertical spacing of the resilient supports above the front frame section.   
   
   
       16 . The seat construction defined in  claim 15 , including a cover positioned over the cushion. 
   
   
       17 . The seat construction defined in  claim 15 , wherein the frame includes marginal material extending around the open area and forming an opening. 
   
   
       18 . The seat construction defined in  claim 15 , wherein the frame includes a floor panel defining a space below each of the resilient supports for receiving the resilient supports when the resilient supports are flexed. 
   
   
       19 . A seat construction, comprising:
 a frame including spaced apart side sections and a front frame section; and   a plurality of independently-bendable resilient supports positioned rearward of the front frame section and operably supported at ends by the side sections so as to extend across and bridge therebetween, the resilient supports when unstressed being located in a home position that is a predetermined distance higher than a top surface of the front frame section, the resilient supports each being flexible downwardly to a plurality of individually stressed positions, with at least some of the individually stressed positions placing several of the resilient supports closer to the top surface of the front frame section than others of the resilient supports.   
   
   
       20 . The seat construction defined in  claim 19 , including a cushion including first and second supported on the front frame section and on the resilient supports, respectively.