This invention relates to a chair construction wherein the structural support members are encased by a soft cushioning layer of foamed plastic or the like.
In prior art open chairs or arm chairs the seating bowl typically consists of an approximately horizontal seating surface and a backrest, the latter being integral with the seating surface or separately supported adjacent thereto as an individual component and sometimes adjustable in height. In many arm chairs a headrest has also been disposed above the backrest, again either integral therewith or separately adjustable in height. The legs or foot supports of such chairs are found in many different forms according to both practical and stylistic or appearance considerations. Thus, for example, both open chairs and arm chairs with four conventional legs or with a central column support and radially extending feet are known, both with or without rollers or casters mounted on the ends of such legs or feet.
In the case of office furniture for desks or typewriter tables the central support column construction with a star-shaped foot configuration, typically having five projecting feet, has been widely adopted. The advantages of such a construction are that the seating surface can easily be adjusted as to height and/or tilt resiliency about a vertical axis, and because a five footed configuration offers a relatively large support base area and is less prone to tipping as when the occupant's center of gravity falls outside of the base area.
To increase the support base area the foot projections are often extended up to 10 centimeters or more beyond or outside of the peripheral area of the seating bowl. When such chairs are equipped with rollers or casters, however, a disadvantage arises in that the projecting ends of the feet often strike and damage other furniture, walls, etc. when the position of the chair is carelessly shifted or moved. Such lengthy feet must also be constructed in a very solid and sturdy manner in order to effectively transmit the weight of the occupant acting on the center support post or column out to the floor engaging rollers or casters at the extremities of the feet. Such foot constructions often involve bent metal stock shaped according to aesthetic considerations, either square or rectangular in cross-section with rounded edges. Despite such edge rounding, however, the rigid metal projections often injuriously strike the feet or ankles of the occupant.