US 6,588,842 · Granted 2003-07-08
The Transparent Chair Back That Lets You See the Engineering
Herman Miller patented a chair backrest made with a see-through membrane stretched over an internal support structure. You can literally look through the back of the chair and see how it's built, while the flexible membrane hugs your back for comfort.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a backrest design where a transparent or partially transparent membrane is stretched across a frame and positioned over a back support member. What's protected here is the specific arrangement: the membrane has a body-contacting surface facing the user and an opposite surface that contacts the support structure behind it, and the support structure remains visible through the transparent material. The side members also feature a distinctive bowed or curved section that the membrane mirrors for ergonomic shaping.
Why it matters
This patent represents Herman Miller's approach to combining industrial aesthetics with functional ergonomics in office furniture. By making the internal structure visible through a transparent membrane, the design challenges the typical opaque backrest and creates a distinctive visual identity. For a premium furniture maker, patent protection on such designs guards against competitors copying the exact geometry and material combination that defines the product's look and feel in the marketplace.
Real-world use
When you sit in certain Herman Miller office chairs, you see the sculpted back support structure visible through the semi-transparent backrest material, creating a distinctive look that blends engineering with design.
Original USPTO abstract
A backrest for a chair comprising a frame, a membrane and a back support member. The membrane, at least a portion of which is transparent, is attached to the frame and has a first body-contacting surface and an opposite second surface. The back support member is attached to the frame and has a support surface. At least a portion of the support surface contacts the second surface of the membrane, and at least a portion of the back support member is visible through the membrane from the first body-contacting surface thereof. In another aspect, a backrest for a chair comprises a frame having a pair of side members, wherein each of the side members has a lower section and an upper section. The upper section extends rearwardly and outwardly from the lower section so as to form a bowed section therewith. A flexible membrane is attached to and extends between the side members, and has a bowed section corresponding to the bowed section of the side members. The membrane has a first body-contacting surface and an opposite second surface.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 6,588,842
- Filing date
- 2001-05-17
- Grant date
- 2003-07-08
- Assignee
- Herman Miller, Inc.
- Inventor(s)
- STUMPF WILLIAM E., SCHOENFELDER RODNEY C., CHADWICK DONALD, KELLER CAROLYN, COFFIELD TIMOTHY P., SAYERS RANDY J., BRUNER JEFFREY W., CAMMENGA ERIC
- CPC class
- A47C7/02
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