GB2240919A

GB2240919A - Folding seat or table

Info

Publication number: GB2240919A
Application number: GB9003498A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Chen Shui-Chuan
Original assignee: SHUI CHUAN CHEN
Current assignee: SHUI CHUAN CHEN
Priority date: 1990-02-15
Filing date: 1990-02-15
Publication date: 1991-08-21
Also published as: FR2658706A1; GB9003498D0; DE9002259U1; FR2658706B3; CA2010342C

Abstract

A seat device having a flexible seat member 3 and a seat support for supporting and stretching the seat member. The center of legs of the seat support are banded together within a positioning holder 1 which allows the legs to be assembled in a compact upright state while the seat device is folded or in an off-set state so as to fully open and stretch the seat device. In one example the flexible seat member 3 is replaced by a table top. <IMAGE>

Description

SEAT DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a seat device, and more particularly. to easily assembled and disassembled seat device of improved construction, stability and adjustability.

A known chair 4, as shown in FIG. 1, includes a seat member 41 made of a flexible material such as a canvas, and a supporter 43 for supporting and streching the seat member 41. The supporter 43 comprises three rigid tubular legs 44 made of stainless steel or ,plastic material, and a positioning holder 45 for pivotally holding together the legs 44 at mid portions thereof.

The positioning holder 45 is a rigid plate evenly formed with three holes for receipt of the legs 44.

Said holes function as a fulcrum for the legs 44 so that ends of the legs 44 can be spread outwardly to form a base with the lower ends for stably positioning the chair 4. All that is needed to complete the assembly of chair 4, is to slip flexible seat member 41 down between upper portions of the legs 44 while releasbly engaging loops or other proper retainers over the top ends of the legs 44.

This known chair constitutes a disadvantage, since, upon a body being located on the seat member 41 thereof, the legs 44 have a tendency to pit, that renders the chair 4 unstable and rapidly depreciate in appearance and in function. To this end, the inventor has attempted to make an improved seat device to overcome the drawbacks of a known chair.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION An object of this invention is to provide a seat device which can diminish the disadvantages of a known chair.

It is another object of this invention to provide a seat device which is readily, rapidly Rnd easily assembled, adjusted, disassembled and stored in a minimum of space and time without the use of tools.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present preferred exemplary embodiment. will be described in detail with respect to the following drawings, wherein: FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a known chair; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a first preferred embodiment according to this invention; FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing a positioning holder of this invention; FIG. 4 is a schematic side elevation of the first preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 2; FIG. 5 is a schematic side elevation of the first preferred embodiment which is in folded state; FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a second preferred embodiment according to this invention; and FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a further preferred embodiment of this invention wherein the seat member is integrally formed with a back.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The following is a detailed description of the best presently contemplated embodiment of the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention.

Referring now to FIGs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings, a first preferred embodiment of the improved seat device of the present invention is schematically depicted therein. Thus, seat device is shown which comprises a flexible seat member 3 made of canvas or other durable material and a supporter for supporting and stretching the seat member 3. The supporter comprises four identical tubular legs 2 and a positioning holder 1 pivotally holding together the legs 2 at mid portions thereof.

The positioning holder 1 is a solid cuboid preferably a square in horizontal cross-section and is formed with four guide holes 11 therein. The four guide holes 11 are divided into two pairs of opposed holes.

Each of guide holes 11 extends vertically through the body of the positioning holder 1 and is divergent upwardly and downwardly from a mid horizontal plan of the body 1.

The guide hole 11 has vertical inner side walls 112 and slanting inner side walls 111, and a leg 2 is pivotally fixed in the the guide hole 11 by means of a bolt. The guide hole 11 so constructed allows the leg 2 pivotally fixed therein to swing about the bolt and along a vertical plan parallel to the vertical side wall adjacent to the guide hole 11 of the body 1 between a vertical position whereat the leg 2 is confined to the vertical inner side walls 112 and a slanting position whereat the leg 2 is confined to the slanting inner side walls 111 of the guide hole 11.

FIG. 5 shows the deat device of this invention with its legs 2 assembled in a compact upright form, while the seat member 3 is folded in a compact position.

All the four legs 2 swing along the same rotating direction such as clockwise or counterclockwise from their vertical position to their slanting positions.

Ends of the legs can be spread outwardly and the lower ends thereof form a base for stably positioning the seat device and the top ends thereof are ready for engaging loops or other proper retainers thereover so as to complete the assembly of seat device or, as shown in FIG. 6, for supporting a table top 31 which has two halves joined with hinge means 32 and four right-angled stoppers 33 mounted to the underside and in the four corner portions of the table top 31.

As shown in FIG. 7, two adjacent legs 2 are longer than the rest two legs 2 so as to form a back within the seat member 3 as the seat member 3 is fully opened and stretched.

The looseness of fit between the legs and the positioning holder 1 permits, upon a body being located on the seat member 3, slight angling of the legs 2 to (a) rest the mid portions thereof tightly against the slanting inner side walls of the guide hole 111 of the positioning holder 1 (b) increase the stability of the device, (c) automatically adjust the device for proper support of the weight of the user of the seat device.

While the invention has been described with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiment, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, which scope is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structure.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A seat device comprising: a seat support comprising four identical tubular legs collectively defining at one common end thereof a base support for said device, a positioning holder for holding together the legs at pid portions thereof, having a solid body preferably a square shape in crosssection and formed with four guide holes therein, each of said guide holes being divergent upwardly and downwardly from a mid port of thickness thereof to form a passage between a vertical position and a slanting position for a leg, means for pivotally securing legs in the guide holes at mid portions of the legs1 whereby the legs are adapted to swing from their vertical positions into slanting positions along same direction; and a flexible seat member of extended surface area releasbly connected to said legs along the length thereof remote from said base support, whereby said seat member hangs between said legs above said base support.

2. A seat device as claimed in Claim 1 wherein a table top is mounted on the seat support of the seat device.