US20050225131A1

US20050225131A1 - Billiards chair with drawer

Info

Publication number: US20050225131A1
Application number: US10/822,421
Authority: US
Inventors: Michael Hynes
Original assignee: Brunswick Bowling and Billiards Corp
Current assignee: Brunswick Bowling and Billiards Corp
Priority date: 2004-04-12
Filing date: 2004-04-12
Publication date: 2005-10-13

Abstract

A billiard chair in accordance with one aspect of the present invention includes a seat, a plurality of legs, a back, a support system, a drawer, and a footrest. The seat has an upper sitting surface and a lower horizontal bottom surface, and is positioned at a first height. The legs each have a base end configured to engage the floor and a support end configured to support the seat. The back extends from the seat. The support system is adjacent the lower surface of the seat and the drawer is configured to reciprocate on the support system between open and closed positions. The footrest is at a height located between the base end of the legs and the drawer. The height of the seat is selected such that when the drawer is extended, the drawer remains above the base end of legs.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a billiard chair, and in particular, a billiard chair with a drawer underneath the seat.
2. Discussion of Related Art
The game of billiards has been around for well over a century. The game is simple enough that it can be played in a social setting or individually. While playing billiards, individuals may experience a broad spectrum of socialization that may incorporate the experiences of eating, drinking, talking, watching television, and more. In today's rapid work and family life, families are trying to make time for quality family activities. Many families are recognizing the appeal of billiards as a family game and are acquiring billiard tables for home use. Utilizing basements, spare bedrooms, dens, and family TV rooms, homeowners are creating rooms that serve as personal retreats, social centers and entertaining game rooms. There also remains the appeal to create game rooms at various business establishments.
Along with the creation of entertaining game rooms is the acquisition of a billiard table. In addition, some individuals and businesses are also purchasing additional furniture pieces, such as billiard chairs, to complete their game rooms. Typical billiard chairs do not provide for additional storage of various billiard accessories, such as brushes or balls, etc. Because of the desire to create a game room with an inviting atmosphere, while being cognizant of a potential lack of storage, it is desirable to acquire billiard chairs that provide additional storage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a billiard chair.
A billiard chair in accordance with one aspect of the present invention includes a seat, a plurality of legs, a back, a support system, a drawer, and a footrest. The seat has an upper sitting surface and a lower surface and is positioned at a first height. The legs each have a base end configured to engage the floor and a support end configured to support the seat. The back extends from the seat. The support system is adjacent the lower surface of the seat and the drawer is configured to reciprocate on the drawer support system between open and closed positions. The footrest is located between the base end of the legs and the drawer. The height of the seat is selected relative to the base end of the legs such that the drawer remains above the base end of the legs when the drawer is opened.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a billiard chair in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the one side of a billiard chair in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the front of a billiard chair in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a billiard chair in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of a billiard chair in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention showing the hidden drawer in an open position;
FIG. 6 is an elevational view of the one side of a billiard chair in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention showing the hidden drawer in an open position;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a billiard chair from the bottom side in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention showing the hidden drawer in an open position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals are used to identify identical components in the various views, FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a billiard chair assembly 5 in accordance with the present invention. Assembly 5 is suitable for use in proximity to a billiard table (not shown) although assembly 5 can be used in numerous environments where various other games are played. Assembly 5 includes a seat 10, a plurality of legs 20, 21, 22, 23 a back 30, arms 32, 33 a drawer support system 40, a drawer 50, and a footrest 60.
Referring to FIG. 4, seat 10 has an upper sitting surface 12 and a lower generally flat, horizontal surface 14. The upper sitting surface 12 can include cushioned support 16 and be made from conventional materials such as leather, vinyl, cotton, polyester, etc. As shown in FIG. 1, seat 10 may contain ornamental features such as studs. The lower surface 14 of seat 10 forms a base for attaching the upper sitting surface 12 material. The lower surface 14 of seat 10 also acts as a cover for drawer 50. Lower surface 14 can be made from conventional materials such as wood. The height 18 of lower surface 14 in relation to the floor may vary. The Billiard Congress of America (BCA) governs the sport of pocket billiards and regulates the sizes of billiard tables. The BCA equipment specifications require the standard billiard table bed playing surface, when measured from the bottom of the table leg, to be 29¼ inches minimum to 31 inches maximum. In one embodiment of the present invention, the height 18 of the lower surface 14 is large enough so that an occupant sitting in the assembly 5 can easily view the top of a billiard table.
Referring back to FIG. 1, the legs 20, 21, 22, 23 are provided to support seat 10 and support an occupant sitting in seat 10. Legs 20, 21, 22, 23 may be made from conventional materials such as wood or metal. Although legs are square in the illustrated embodiment, legs 20, 21, 22, 23 can be any shape, such as triangular or round. It should be understood to those skilled in the art that the shape of the legs 20, 21, 22, 23 can vary while still staying within the scope of the present invention. The legs 20, 21, 22, 23 each have a base end 26 and a support end 28. The base end 26 is configured to engage a floor. Base end 26 may include additional embellishments (not shown), such as rubber caps, to protect the base end 26 and the floor or provide additional ornamentation. Support end 28 is configured to be adjacent the lower surface 14 of the seat 10. Legs 20, 21 may extend beyond seat and form part of back 30.
Back 30 is provided to support the assembly 5 occupant's back while seated on assembly 5. Back 30 may be made from conventional materials such as wood or metal and may include cushioning and material coverings similar to that provided for in the seat. Back 5 extends upward from seat 30 and may be connected to seat 10 in any manner. Back 30 may be perpendicular in relation to the floor, or may be angled in an outward position relative to seat 10 as shown in FIG. 2.
Arms 32, 33 are provided to support the assembly 5 occupant's arms and are at a height 34 greater than the height 18 of the lower surface 14 of seat 10. Arms 32, 33 may be made from conventional materials such as wood or metal and may include cushioning and material coverings similar to that provided for in the seat. While arms 32, 33 are shown flat in appearance, it should be known to those skilled in the art that arms 32, 33 may be a variety of shapes. Arms 32, 33 may be supported by the seat 10 or the back 30, or a combination of the seat 10 and the back 30. Arms 32, 33 may also include one or more cup holders 36 and one or more cue stick retainer notches 38. As will be recognized by one skilled in the art, the positioning of the cup holders 36 and cue stick retainer notches 38 on the arms 32, 33 can vary. As shown in FIG. 2, legs 22, 23 may extend beyond seat and form part of arm supports. Arms 32, 33 and their support may contain various ornamental features such as side brackets 39.
Drawer support system 40 is provided to support and conceal drawer 50. Support system 40 is adjacent the lower surface 14 of the seat 10. Support system 40 may be made of conventional materials such as wood. In one embodiment of the present invention, best shown in FIG. 7, support system 40 has a rear wall 42, a first sidewall 44 and a second sidewall 46. The rear wall 42, first sidewall 44 and second sidewall 46 may be configured as skirt members beneath seat 10 and located between the legs 20 & 21, 23 & 20, and 22 & 21 of assembly 5. As shown in FIG. 1, the support system 40 may appear to be assembly 5 cross-members. The support system 40 may be configured to create a housing for the drawer 50.
First sidewall 44 and second sidewall 46 of support system 40 are configured to support drawer 50 when drawer 50 is in the closed position (FIG. 1) and provide a means for support while drawer 50 is being opened and in the open position (FIG. 5). As shown in FIG. 7, one method of supporting drawer 50 is to configure the bottom portions of the first sidewall 44 and second sidewall 46 in an L-shaped pattern 48 such that the bottom portion of the L supports the drawer 50. It should be understood that other structural relationships between support system 40 and drawer 50 (such as tongue and groove) could be created to support and open drawer.
Referring to FIGS. 5-7, drawer 50 is provided for storage of various items. Drawer 50 may be configured to receive various accessories for billiards such as a billiard table brush (not shown), a billiard ball retainer box (not shown) and a billiard chalk retainer box (not shown), or any combination thereof. Drawer 50 may be constructed of conventional materials such as wood. Drawer 50 is configured to reciprocate on the drawer support system 40 between open and closed positions. Drawer 50 may include a drawer front 52, a drawer back 54, a first drawer side 56, a second drawer side 58, and a drawer base 59.
Drawer front 52 may be configured similarly to rear wall 42, first sidewall 44 and second sidewall 46 of drawer support system 40 in that drawer front 52 may appear to be a skirt member beneath seat 10 located between two of the legs 23 & 22 of assembly 5. Drawer front 52 may appear to be a cross-member of assembly 5. Drawer back 54, the first drawer side 56, and the second drawer side 58 are configured to be housed within drawer support system 40 such that the drawer back 54, first drawer side 56 and second drawer side 58 are not visible to an observer of the assembly 5 when the drawer 50 is closed (FIG. 1). When drawer 50 is closed, the drawer 50 and its contents are completely concealed and the drawer front 52 appears to be a cross-member of assembly 5 and a casual observer of the assembly 5 is unaware that a drawer exists. The drawer base 59 may be positioned in relationship to the drawer front 52 such that a slight lip 64 is formed at the bottom portion of the drawer front 52. This lip 64 can be used to open the drawer 50 when in a closed position. Alternatively, any other hidden method of opening the drawer 50 may be utilized.
Footrest 60 is provided to allow a seat occupant to rest feet upon. Footrest 60 is at a third height 62 and is positioned intermediate the base end 26 of two legs 23, 22 and the drawer 50. Footrest 60 may be made from conventional materials such as wood or metal. Footrest 60 may also be covered with ornamental materials such as copper or brass. Foot rest may have further ornamental features such as brackets 69.
Again, while the invention has been shown and described with reference to one or more particular embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of skill in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A billiard chair assembly comprising,

a plurality of legs, a seat, a back, a support system, a drawer, and a footrest;

said plurality of legs each having a base end configured to engage a floor and a support end configured to support said seat;

said seat having an upper sitting surface and a lower surface opposite said upper surface at a first height relative to said base end of said legs;

said back extending from said seat;

said support system disposed proximate said lower bottom surface of said seat and configured to allow said drawer to reciprocate in fore and aft directions relative to said plurality of legs between open and closed positions, said support system including a rear wall and opposing first and second sidewalls;

said drawer including a base with opposing drawer front and back members extending therefrom and opposing first and second drawer sides extending therefrom to define a drawer interior;

said footrest being disposed intermediate said base end of said legs and said drawer;

wherein said rear wall, said first and second sidewalls and said drawer front member define a skirt for said seat such that said drawer is concealed when said drawer is in said closed position; and

further wherein said first height is selected such that said drawer remains above said base end of said legs when said drawer is in said open position.

2. The billiard chair assembly of claim 1 further comprising arms at a second height greater than said first height and supported by one of said seat or said back.

3. The billiard chair assembly of claim 2 wherein said arms include one of a cue stick retainer notch and a cup holder.

4. The billiard chair assembly of claim 1 wherein said drawer has an interior that is configured to accommodate any one of a billiard table brush, a billiard ball retainer box and a billiard chalk retainer box.

5. (canceled)

6. The billiard chair assembly of claim 1 further comprising arms at a second height greater than said first height and supported by one of said seat or said back.

7. The billiard chair assembly of claim 6 wherein said arms include one of a cue stick retainer notch and a cup holder.

8. The billiard chair assembly of claim 1 wherein said drawer has an interior that is configured to accommodate any one of a billiard table brush, a billiard ball retainer box and a billiard chalk retainer box.

9. The billiard chair assembly of claim 1 wherein said drawer base is positioned relative said drawer front such that said drawer front extends beyond said drawer base in a direction toward said leg base to form a lip for opening said drawer.

10. The billiard chair assembly of claim 9 further comprising arms at a second height greater than said first height and supported by one of said seat or said back.

11. The billiard chair assembly of claim 10 wherein said arms include one of a cue stick retainer notch and a cup holder.

12. The billiard chair assembly of claim 9 wherein said drawer has an interior that is configured to accommodate any one of a billiard table brush, a billiard ball retainer box and a billiard chalk retainer box.

13. A billiard chair assembly comprising,

said seat having an upper sitting surface and a lower surface opposite said upper surface at a first height relative to said base end of said legs and said first height is selected such that said drawer remains above said base end of said legs when said drawer is in an open position;

said back extending from said seat;

said support system is disposed proximate said lower bottom surface of said seat and includes a rear wall and opposing first and second sidewalls, said first and second sidewalls L-shaped for support of said drawer when said drawer reciprocates in fore and aft directions relative to said plurality of legs between closed and said open positions;

said footrest being disposed intermediate said base end of said legs and said drawer; and

wherein said rear wall, said first and second sidewalls and said drawer front member define a skirt for said seat such that said drawer is concealed when said drawer is in said closed position.

14. The billiard chair assembly of claim 13 further comprising arms at a second height greater than said first height and supported by one of said seat or said back.

15. The billiard chair assembly of claim 14 wherein said arms include one of a cue stick retainer notch and a cup holder.

16. The billiard chair assembly of claim 13 wherein said drawer has an interior that is configured to accommodate any one of a billiard table brush, a billiard ball retainer box and a billiard chalk retainer box.

17. The billiard chair assembly of claim 13 wherein said drawer base is positioned relative said drawer front such that said drawer front extends beyond said drawer base in a direction toward said leg base to form a lip for opening said drawer.

18. The billiard chair assembly of claim 17 further comprising arms at a second height greater than said first height and supported by one of said seat or said back.

19. The billiard chair assembly of claim 18 wherein said arms include one of a cue stick retainer notch and a cup holder.

20. The billiard chair assembly of claim 17 wherein said drawer has an interior that is configured to accommodate any one of a billiard table brush, a billiard ball retainer box and a billiard chalk retainer box.