GB2204232A - Foldable structure - Google Patents
Foldable structure Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2204232A GB2204232A GB08707732A GB8707732A GB2204232A GB 2204232 A GB2204232 A GB 2204232A GB 08707732 A GB08707732 A GB 08707732A GB 8707732 A GB8707732 A GB 8707732A GB 2204232 A GB2204232 A GB 2204232A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- frame member
- members
- frame
- chair
- edge
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47B—TABLES; DESKS; OFFICE FURNITURE; CABINETS; DRAWERS; GENERAL DETAILS OF FURNITURE
- A47B3/00—Folding or stowable tables
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47C—CHAIRS; SOFAS; BEDS
- A47C4/00—Foldable, collapsible or dismountable chairs
- A47C4/04—Folding chairs with inflexible seats
- A47C4/08—Folding chairs with inflexible seats having a frame made of wood or plastics
Landscapes
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
- Special Chairs (AREA)
Abstract
A foldable, self-supporting structure, such as a chair or table, comprising at least three members, said members including a first frame member (10) defining a first frame area therewithin, a second frame member (11) hingedly connected to said first frame member (10) and, in a folded state, lying within the first frame area, the second frame member (11) defining a second frame area therewithin, and a third member (13) hingedly connected to the second frame member (11) and, in a folded state, lying within the first frame area, the members being arrangeable to form a self-supporting structure.
Description
FOLDABLE STRUCTURE
The invention relates to foldable structures.
According to the invention, there is provided a
foldable, self-supporting structure comprising at least
three members, said members including a first frame member
defining a first frame area therewithin, a second frame
member hingedly connected to said first frame member and,
in a folded state, lying within the first frame area, the
second frame member defining a second frame area therewithin,
and a third member hingedly connected to the second frame
member and, in a folded state, lying within the second
frame area, the members being arrangeable to form a self
supporting structure.
According to another aspect of the present invention
there is provided a foldable self-supporting structure
comprising a series of at least three frame members, each
frame member being hingedly connected to at least one
other frame member, said frame members being arrangeable
in either a folded state where the frame, members lie next
to one another such that there is substantially no void
space between adjacent frame members, or in an erect state
to form a self-supporting structure.
There is preferably an odd number of members, with
all except the last member being frame members, the size
of the members reducing progressively from first to last.
The last member may also be a frame member.
The hinged connections between adjacent members
preferably lie on parallel axes.
The members may be all cut from a single piece of stock material which may save wastage of material in production. The members may be rectangular, although it will be appreciated that other shapes can be used.
The hinged connections of a particular member are
preferably spaced apart such that the connection with a
larger member is at one end of the particular member and the connection with a smaller member is at an opposite end.
The members may be planar. and the members when folded are preferably coplanar.
Each member preferably has a flange to ensure that it may only be unfolded in one direction.
With five or more members, the foldable structure preferably takes the form of a truss having trihedral sections of reducing dimensions between the first section and the last section.
The structure may act as a first structure onto which further structures may be added.
When the members of the structure are arranged to form a self-supporting structure i.e. when they are unfolded, the structure may be three dimensional and there may be provided a releasable locking means to maintain the integrity of the structure.
According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a folding chair including a foldable self-supporting structure according to the invention having five hingedly connected members movable between an erect position in which the members form a bi-trihedral truss and a folded position in which the members are coplanar, seating means extending across one of the frame members.
The five members are preferably all frame members, and preferably rectangular, although the smallest member may not be.
The second frame member is preferably hingedly connected at or adjacent a first edge to the first frame member at or adjacent one edge thereof, the third frame member is preferably hingedly connected at or adjacent a first edge to the second frame member at or adjacent an edge opposite the first edge thereof, the fourth frame member is preferably hingedly connected t or adjacent a first edge to the third frame member at or adjacent an edge opposite the first edge thereof, and the fifth member is preferably hingedly connected at one edge to the fourth frame member at an edge opposite the first edge thereof.
The chair preferably includes a releasable locking means for holding the members in the erect position.
The seating means may be an area of flexible material, such as fabric, or may comprise a base portion and a back portion hingedly connected together. The hinged connection may consist of flexible tapes or may include a suitable sliding means as described hereinafter.
The seating means may extend across the second frame member.
In the erect position, the arrangement is preferably such that the first frame member provides a rear, substantially upright portion, the second frame member slopes downwardly and forwardly from the top of the first frame member, the third frame member extends between the lower end of the second frame member and the lower end of the first frame member, the fourth frame member extends forwardly from the lower end of the third frame member, and the fifth member extends between the forward end of the fourth frame member and the lower end of the second frame member to provide support there for.
-By way of example, one embodiment of a self-supporting foldable structure in the form of a chair, and a larger structure according-to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a plan view of a chair in an erect position;
Figure 2 is a front view of the chair of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a side view of the chair of Figures 1 and 2;
Figure 4 is an isometric view of the chair of
Figures 1 to 3;
Figure 5 is a view illustrating the chair when folded;
Figure 6 is a side view of the seat of the chair showing the connection of the base to the back of the seat; and
Figure 7 is a sketch view of an alternative structure in an open position.
Figures 1 to 6 show a specific embodiment of a foldable, self-supporting structure according to the invention. The structure in this embodiment takes the form of a chair with the structure itself having five members which, in an erect position, support a seating portion.
The configuration of the members is perhaps best seen initially in Figure 3 where a first frame member 10 forms a rear, substantially upright portion of the chair, a second frame member 11 is hingedly connected at 12 to the first frame member 10 and extends forwardly and downwardly therefrom. A third frame member 13 is hingedly connected at 14 to the second frame member 11 and extends downwardly and rearwardly therefrom to abut a lower portion of the first frame member 10 along a line 15.
Locking means such as a catch are provided to hold together the first and third frame members 10 and 13 at the line 15. A fourth frame member 16 is hingedly connected to the third frame member 13 at 17 and extends substantially forwardly therefrom with a leading edge 18 lying on the ground, floor or other surface on which the chair sits. A fifth member 19, in this case a frame member also, is hingedly connected to the fourth frame member 16 at 20 and extends upwardly therefrom to support a lower portioD of the second frame member 11 along line 21. Further locking means in the form of a catch or the like are provided to hold the fifth frame member 19 to the second frame member 11 or indeed the third frame 13 at the line 21.
Mounted on the second frame member 11 is a seating assembly having a base 25 hingedly connected to the second frame member 11 along the edge 26 and a back portion 27 hingedly connected to the second frame member 11 at edge 28. The base 25 and the back portion 27 are connected by flexible coupling links 29 which take the form of lengths of fabric or other flexible but substantially inextensible material. This arrangement allows the seat portion to be hinged upwardly above the plane of the second frame member 11 when it is wished to fold the chair.
Figures 1, 2 and 4 show other views of the chair, from which it will be seen that the frame members 10, 11, 13, 16 and 19 are all rectangular, the dimensions being such that their external dimensions are progressively reduced so that the smallest frame member 19 can fit inside the fourth frame member 16 which in turn can fit inside the third frame member 13 which in turn can Tit inside the second frame member 11 which in turn can fit inside the first frame member 10. The seating portion is well illustrated, particularly In Figure 4 which shows now the base 25 is connected to the back portion 27 by coupling links 29 of fabric or other flexible but substantially inextenslble material.
Figure 5 shows the chair In a folded state viewed from the side away from that on which the seat portion lies, the position occupied by the base 25 and back portion 27 being shown in chain lines in Figure 5.
To transfonmthe chair from the folded position of
Figure 5 to the erect position of Figures 1 to 4, the following sequence is adopted:
1) the second frame member 11 is swUfig out from the first frame member 10 to approximately its final position
2) the third frame member 13 is swung downwardly from the second frame member 11 and held on to the first frame member 10
3) the fourth frame member 13 is lowered from the third frame eber 11 until it touches the ground or floor
4) the fifth frame member 19 ,e raised and held against the second frame member 11 or the third frame member 13 5) the base 25 of the seat is pushed downwardly into the position shown in Figure 4 if it has not fallen there due to gravity.
This sequence 5 reversed to fold the chair, although it will be appreciated that other sequences might be used.
It will be appreciated that variations as to the precise manner of construction of the chair may be made.
For example, variations can be made to the precise positions at wh h the frame members are locked together.
Also instead of using coupling links, 29 a single coupling link of flexible but substantially inextensible material may be used.
Another manner in which the base 25 may be connected to the back 27 is provided by a hinged means in combination with a sliding link attached to the back 27, as illustrated in Figure 6.
Merely as an illustration, Figure 7 shows a larger structure which includes a plurality of members hingedly connected together but capable of fitting inside one another. All except for the smallest member are frame members and the smallest member may also be a frame member. The connection sequence is as follows:
Largest member 40 is connected to second largest
member 41 which is connected to third largest member 42
which is connected to fourth largest member 43 which is
connected to fifth largest member 44, which is connected
to sixth largest member 45 which is connected to seventh
largest member 46 which is connected to eighth largest
member 47 which is connected to ninth largest member 48
which is connected to tenth largest member 49 which is
connected to eleventh largest member 50 which is
connected to smallest member 51.The structure produced
has a multitude of uses, for example, a temporary mast,
scaffolding, a bridge support, a car ramp, ladder or steps,
or a tower crane. The structure may be fitted to a
lorry or trailer. If this is done, when the structure is
folded its planar surface may be used as a deck. Many
other possibilities exist and the advantage associated
with the structure is that it is capable of holding
within itself to occupy no more space than the largest
frame member.
A structure according to the invention also has many applications for furniture, as well as the chair described with reference to Figures 1 to 6. With different configurations, a structure according to the invention could be used as the supporting portion of a stool, one or more structures according to the invention could be used to support a table, a structure could be used as a light holder or as a folding bed or a folding clothes horse, or indeed a shelving system or a variety of different chairs or settees. All these structures could have the aforementicned advantage of being able to fold within the dimensions of the largest frame member.
A structure according to this invention can of course be made from many materials, such as plastics, wood, metal, tubular steel etc., depending on the circumstances in which it is to be employed.
The members of the structure may be either tight fitting or loose fitting. A locking means could be a pin on one member and a sunken tube with a spring-loaded catch on another, so that the two members may be held firmly together.
Means may be provided for maintaining the structure in the folded position.
It will be appreciated that the foregoing description is by way of example only and that variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention.
Claims (26)
1. A foldable self-supporting structure comprising at least three members, said members including a first frame member defining a first frame area therewithin, a second frame member hingedly connected to said first frame member and, in a folded state, lying within the first frame area, the second frame member defining a second frame area therewithin, and a third member hingedly connected to the second frame member and, in a folded state, lying within the second frame area, the members being arrangeable to form a self-supporting structure.
2. A foldable self-supporting structure comprising a series of at least three frame members, each frame member being hingedly connected to at least one other frame member, said frame members being arrangeable in either a folded state where the frame members lie next to one another such that there is substantially no void space between adjacent frame members, or in an erect state to form a self-supporting structure.
3. A structure as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the hinged connections between adjacent members lie on parallel axes.
4. A structure as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 comprising an odd number of members, all except the last member being frame members, the size of the members reducing progressively from first to last.
5. A structure as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the last member is a frame member.
6. Any preceding claim wherein the members are all cut from a single piece of stock material.
7. A structure as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the members are rectangular.
8. A structure as claimed In any preceding claim
wherein the hinged connections of a particular member
are spaced apart such that the connection with a larger
member is at one end of the particular member and the
connection with a smaller member is at an opposite end.
9. A structure as claimed in any preceding claim
wherein the members are planar.
10. A structure as claimed in claim 9 wherein the
members when folded are coplanar.
11. A structure as claimed in any preceding claim
wherein each member has a flange to ensure that it may
only be unfolded in one direction.
12. A structure as claimed in any preceding claim
including five or more members, the foldable structure
taking the form of a truss having trihedral sections of
reducing dimensions between the first section and the
last section.
13. A structure as claimed in any preceding claim werei the *~~-e acts as a first structure onte which further structures may be added.
14. A structure as claimed in any preceding claim wherein a releasable means is provided for maintaining the structure in a folded position.
15. A folding chair including a self-supporting structure as claimed in any preceding claim having five hingedly connected members movable between an erect position in which the members form a bi-trihedral truss and a folded position in which the members are coplanar, seating means extending across one of the frame members.
16. A chair as claimed in claim 15 wherein the second frame member is hingedly connected at or adjacent a first edge to the first frame member at or adjacent one edge thereof, the third frame member is hingedly connected at "or adjacent a first edge to the second frame member at or adjacent an edge opposite the first edge thereof, the fourth frame member is hingedly connected at or adjacent a first edge to the third frame member at or adjacent an edge opposite the first edge thereof, and the fifth member is hingedly connected at one edge to the fourth frame member at an edge opposite the first edge thereof.
17. A chair as claimed in claim 15 or claim 16, including locking means for holding the members in the erect position.
18. A chair as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 17 wherein the seating means is an area of flexible material
19. A chair as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 17 wherein the seating means comprise a base portion and a back portion and flexible means connecting the portions together.
20. A chair as claimed in claim 19 wherein the flex:e means are tapes.
21. A chair as claimed in any one of claims 15-17 wherein the seating means comprise a base portion and a back portion, said portions being connected by a hinge and a sliding means attached to the back portion.
22. A chair as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 21 wherein the seating means extend across the second frame member.
23. A chair as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 22 wherein, in the erect position, the arrangement is such that the first frame member provides a rear, substantially upright portion, the second frame member slopes downwardly and forwardly from the top of the first frame member, the third frame member extends between the lower end of the second frame member and the lower end of the first frame member, the fourth frame member extends forwardly from the lower end of the third frame member, and the fifth member extends between the forward end of the fourth frame member and the lower end of the second tRame member to provide support therefor.
24. A chair as claimed in any of claims'1 to 23 wherein there is provided a releasable means for maintaining the chair in the folded position.
25. A self-supporting, foldable structure substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figures 1 to 6 or Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings.
26. A chair substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figures 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.
Priority Applications (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB08707732A GB2204232A (en) | 1987-04-01 | 1987-04-01 | Foldable structure |
| PCT/GB1988/000233 WO1988007343A1 (en) | 1987-04-01 | 1988-03-28 | Foldable structure |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB08707732A GB2204232A (en) | 1987-04-01 | 1987-04-01 | Foldable structure |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB8707732D0 GB8707732D0 (en) | 1987-05-07 |
| GB2204232A true GB2204232A (en) | 1988-11-09 |
Family
ID=10615021
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB08707732A Withdrawn GB2204232A (en) | 1987-04-01 | 1987-04-01 | Foldable structure |
Country Status (2)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2204232A (en) |
| WO (1) | WO1988007343A1 (en) |
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE4233013A1 (en) * | 1992-10-01 | 1994-04-07 | Jens Peter Randecker | Folding chair with armrests and large base area - consists of nine linked elements forming seat, armrests, backrest and legs |
| GB2399745A (en) * | 2003-03-24 | 2004-09-29 | Jake Phipps | Folding chair |
| JP2013154043A (en) * | 2012-01-31 | 2013-08-15 | Center Peer Corp | Folding chair |
Families Citing this family (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE202008004809U1 (en) * | 2008-04-08 | 2008-07-03 | Janssen, Rainer, Dr. | Height-adjustable device stand |
Citations (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB417893A (en) * | 1932-09-27 | 1934-10-15 | Karl Baumann | Improvements in or relating to folding chairs, tables or the like |
| GB420990A (en) * | 1933-07-03 | 1934-12-12 | Charles Leonard Tolley | Improvements in folding seats |
| GB887944A (en) * | 1959-04-11 | 1962-01-24 | George Henry Rayner | Improvements in or relating to deck chairs |
| US4009903A (en) * | 1972-06-22 | 1977-03-01 | Manspeaker Robert O | Retractable seat |
| US4123101A (en) * | 1975-04-16 | 1978-10-31 | Minsker Lawrence D | Folding chair |
| US4273379A (en) * | 1979-09-05 | 1981-06-16 | The Telescope Folding Furniture Co., Inc. | Collapsible chair |
Family Cites Families (5)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR935923A (en) * | 1946-11-15 | 1948-07-05 | Folding chair | |
| GB1439510A (en) * | 1973-10-30 | 1976-06-16 | Kyte E | Collapsable chair |
| FR2403046A1 (en) * | 1977-09-14 | 1979-04-13 | Roger Tallon | Foldable chair having three flat plates - being hinged together to occupy space equal to thickness of largest part when folded |
| US4390204A (en) * | 1978-01-04 | 1983-06-28 | Gregg Fleishman | Portable furniture |
| US4533179A (en) * | 1983-05-20 | 1985-08-06 | Franklyn M. Markus | Portable seating assembly |
-
1987
- 1987-04-01 GB GB08707732A patent/GB2204232A/en not_active Withdrawn
-
1988
- 1988-03-28 WO PCT/GB1988/000233 patent/WO1988007343A1/en unknown
Patent Citations (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB417893A (en) * | 1932-09-27 | 1934-10-15 | Karl Baumann | Improvements in or relating to folding chairs, tables or the like |
| GB420990A (en) * | 1933-07-03 | 1934-12-12 | Charles Leonard Tolley | Improvements in folding seats |
| GB887944A (en) * | 1959-04-11 | 1962-01-24 | George Henry Rayner | Improvements in or relating to deck chairs |
| US4009903A (en) * | 1972-06-22 | 1977-03-01 | Manspeaker Robert O | Retractable seat |
| US4123101A (en) * | 1975-04-16 | 1978-10-31 | Minsker Lawrence D | Folding chair |
| US4273379A (en) * | 1979-09-05 | 1981-06-16 | The Telescope Folding Furniture Co., Inc. | Collapsible chair |
Non-Patent Citations (1)
| Title |
|---|
| WO 81/02383 * |
Cited By (5)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE4233013A1 (en) * | 1992-10-01 | 1994-04-07 | Jens Peter Randecker | Folding chair with armrests and large base area - consists of nine linked elements forming seat, armrests, backrest and legs |
| GB2399745A (en) * | 2003-03-24 | 2004-09-29 | Jake Phipps | Folding chair |
| GB2399745B (en) * | 2003-03-24 | 2005-06-15 | Jake Phipps | Folding chair |
| US7387334B2 (en) | 2003-03-24 | 2008-06-17 | Jake Phipps | Folding chair |
| JP2013154043A (en) * | 2012-01-31 | 2013-08-15 | Center Peer Corp | Folding chair |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB8707732D0 (en) | 1987-05-07 |
| WO1988007343A1 (en) | 1988-10-06 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAP | Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1) |