Outdoor seating

Abstract

A backrest for a seat is disclosed having a first plurality of forwardly facing openings 8 arranged in an array 7 and second plurality of protrusions 10 arranged in a second array 9. The arrays are rectangular with substantially equal spacing so that the openings and protrusions are inter-mingled. The arrangement reduces solar heating of the unoccupied seat and allows air flow and perspiration drainage of the occupied seat.

1 . A backrest for outdoor chairs including stadium seats, said backrest comprising a first plurality of forward facing openings formed in the front of said backrest, and a second plurality of protrusions formed on the front facing inter-opening portions of said backrest, said openings reducing the area of said backrest front on which sunlight can be incident and said protrusions reducing the area of contact of said backrest with a sitter. 
     
     
         2 . The backrest as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said openings extend through said backrest to each define a corresponding passageway having a rear facing aperture. 
     
     
         3 . The backrest as claimed in  claim 2  wherein each said passageway slopes upwardly from rear to front so that the forward facing opening of each passageways is located above the corresponding rear facing aperture. 
     
     
         4 . The backrest as claimed in  claim 3  wherein each said passageway is of substantially regular cross-sectional shape and each said rear facing aperture has a lower edge which extends below a bottom surface of said passageway. 
     
     
         5 . The backrest as claimed in  claim 1  wherein each said protrusion is substantially convex and has an upper and a lower edge with a relatively more gradual curve on said upper edge and a relatively more pronounced curve on said lower edge. 
     
     
         6 . The backrest as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said backrest has a rear surface which is inclined rearwardly. 
     
     
         7 . The backrest as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said first plurality of openings and said second plurality of openings each form an array which is substantially rectangular and has substantially equal spacings so that each pair of said forward facing openings has a protrusion located therebetween, and each pair of protrusions has a forward facing opening located therebetween. 
     
     
         8 . The backrest as claimed in  claim 1  wherein each said protrusion has a triple crown formed thereon. 
     
     
         9 . A seat having a backrest as claimed in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         10 . A method of cooling a seat having a backrest subjected to solar radiation, said method comprising:
 (i) forming a first plurality of forward facing openings in the front of said backrest, and   (ii) forming a second plurality of protrusions on the front facing inter-opening portions of said backrest,   wherein said openings reduce the area of said backrest front on which sunlight can be incident and said protrusions reduce the area of contact of said backrest with a sitter.   
     
     
         11 . The method as claimed in  claim 10  including the further step of:
 (iii) extending said openings through said backrest to form corresponding passageways each having a rear facing aperture. 
 
     
     
         12 . The method as claimed in  claim 11  including the further step of:
 (iv) sloping each of said passageways upwardly from the rear so that the forward facing opening of each passageway is located above the corresponding rear facing aperture. 
 
     
     
         13 . The method as claimed in  claim 12  including the further step of:
 (v) forming each said passageway to be of substantially regular cross-sectional shape such that each said rear facing aperture has a lower edge which extends below a bottom surface of said passageway. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method as claimed in  claim 10  including the further step of:
 (vi) forming each said protrusion to be substantially convex such that each said protrusion has an upper edge and a lower edge with a relatively more gradual curve of said upper-edge and a relatively more pronounced curve of said lower edge. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method as claimed in  claim 10  including the further step of:
 (vii) inclining said backrest rearwardly. 
 
     
     
         16 . The method as claimed in  claim 10  including the further step of:
 (viii) forming said first plurality of openings into a first substantially rectangular array, 
 (ix) forming said second plurality of openings into a second substantially rectangular array, 
 said first and second arrays having substantially equal spacings so that each pair of said forward facing openings has a protrusion located therebetween, and each pair of protrusions has a forward facing opening located therebetween. 
 
     
     
         17 . The method as claimed in  claim 10  including the further step of:
 (x) forming a triple crown on each said protrusion.