Oh, patents! Noguchi's Rocking stool

 Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Isamu Noguchi’s Rocking stool, designed for the Swiss furniture company Vitra in the 1950s, was re-issued by the American furniture company Knoll, from 2001 to 2009. The stool was manufactured in two sizes, low and high, made of maple on top and chrome-plated steel rods. The stool rocks gently as the base is cambered. 

The Noguchi Rocking stool design is patented. The US design patent, USD182038, titled Stool, was awarded on February 4,1958, to Isamu Noguchi. As a reminder, a US design patent only covers the ornamental aspects of an invention, or the way the invention looks. In contrast, a US utility patent covers the way an invention works and/or is produced. 

The patent Figure 1 show a perspective view of the inventive design. An early advertisement of the rocking stool is also included.

References
Knoll (company website)
www.knoll.com 
The Noguchi Museum (The Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum in Long Island City, NY.)
https://www.noguchi.org/
Vitra (company website)
www.vitra.com