GB2310799A

GB2310799A - Collapsible chair

Info

Publication number: GB2310799A
Application number: GB9604810A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Bernard Heppenstall
Original assignee: Faversham Furniture Ltd
Current assignee: Faversham Furniture Ltd
Priority date: 1996-03-07
Filing date: 1996-03-07
Publication date: 1997-09-10
Anticipated expiration: 2016-03-07
Also published as: GB9604810D0; GB2310799B

Description

(Dollapsible Chair This invention relates to chairs, More specifically, the invention relates to collapsible chairs, and in particular mechanisms which allow collapsible chairs to function in an improved manner.

Collapsible chairs as such are known, and these may typically comprise a back portion which comprises a pair of parallel back members which themselves are integral with a pair of leg members, and a back support portion, which may be rigid or flexible, and which is supported between the pair of parallel back members. The chair additionally comprises a pair of seat support members which are also integral with a pair of leg members. Such a collapsible chair also comprises a seat portion, which is hingibly connected to the ends of the seat support members. The leg members depending from both the back members and the seat support members on each side of the seat portion are rotatably connected to each other by a rotatable hinge. When the chair is assembled for use, the seat portion (which may typically be square or rectangular in shape) may be supported at or near its corners on the ends of the seat support members, and on one or more seat rest members depending from the back members. The one or more seat rest members may typically take the form of projections attached to the insides of each of the parallel back members, or a bar which runs between each of the parallel back members, on which the back of the seat portion rests.

A disadvantage of such collapsible chairs is that, once assembled, they can suffer from a degree of instability. In particular, because the seat portion may be left simply to rest on the one or more seat support members located on the back members and is not engaged or secured in any way, the chairs have a tendency to collapse when they are not intended to, for example if the user tries to move the chair either towards or away from a table. In addition, such chairs are relatively cumbersome and awkward to move, since it is necessary to support both the back portion and the seat portion of the chair whilst moving it, to prevent it collapsing. Such an operation usually requires the user to use both hands.

It is an object of the invention to overcome some of the difficulties associated with prior designs of chair.

Thus, according to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a collapsible chair comprising a back portion, which comprises a pair of back members, each back member having attached thereto a leg member, a pair of seat support members, each seat support member also having attached thereto a leg member, a back support portion supported between the back members, a seat portion hingibly attached to each of the seat support members on each side of the seat portion, the leg members from the back member and the seat support member on each side of the seat portion crossing and being connected to each other by a rotatable hinge, characterised in that the collapsible chair comprises a seat support mechanism comprising at least one seat location projection located on the back member, at least one recess in the side of seat portion, a seat support means, and a seat stop means.

Preferably, the seat support mechanism comprises a seat location projection on each of the back members, and a recess in the seat portion for each of the seat location projections on the sides of the seat portion.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention either the seat support means, or the seat stop means, or both may comprise a bar which runs across the width of the collapsible chair.

In a further preferred aspect of the invention the back members are parallel or substantially parallel, as are the attached leg members.

Likewise, it is preferred that the seat support members are parallel or substantially parallel, along with their associated leg members.

Collapsible chairs according to the invention have the advantage that, once assembled, they are less inclined to collapse when they are not wanted to collapse, for example when a user is sitting on the chair. and moving it around. In addition, it is relatively easy to move the chair around once it is assembled without risk of it collapsing, and also to do so with one hand. Such chairs having the seat support mechanism described are certainly unique in the market place.

The invention will now be further described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a collapsible chair according to the invention; Figure 2 shows a cross sectional view of the collapsible chair of figure 1 partially assembled, and Figure 3 shows a further cross sectional view of the chair of figure 2 in a fully assembled position.

Referring generally to the figures, a collapsible chair according to the invention comprises a pair of back members la, ib, which are integral with leg members 2a, 2b. Back members la, 1b and integral leg members 2a, 2b, are generally rectangular in cross section, and are slightly bowed over their length. The back members la, ib, and integral leg members 2a, 2b, could however be of any convenient cross-sectional shape, such as oval cross section. Attached to leg members 2a, 2b, by rotational hinges 3a, 3b are leg members 4a, 4b, which are integral with seat support members 5a, 5b, and which are also generally rectangular in cross section, and are slightly bowed over their length. Back members la, lb, seat support members 5a, 5b, and their associated leg members could however equally be straight.

In this embodiment the pairs of back members la, ib, and the associated leg members 2a, 2b, and the seat support members 3a, 3b, and their associated leg members 4a, 4b, are parallel.

Supported between back members la, lb, is a back support portion 6, which is made of a rigid material, and is attached to back members la, lb, by conventional means. Back support 6 could however be readily made of a flexible material, such as a textile fabric.

Seat portion 8 is substantially square in shape and rigid, and has attached to its underside mounting blocks 15a, 15b. Located in mounting blocks 15a, 15b, are rotational hinges 7a, 7b, which are also connected to the tops of seat support members 5a, 5b. Mounting blocks 15a, 15b, are attached to the underside of the seat adjacent to corners 9a, 9b. Rotational hinges 3a, 3b and 7a, 7b, are conventional in nature, and can be attached by conventional means.

By "hinge" in the context of the invention is meant any structural feature which allows the two hinged members to rotate relative to each other. As such hinges can be as simple as a retained peg which runs through close fitting holes in both hinged members, and allows them to rotate relative to each other.

Joining leg members 2a, 2b and bracing together the two sides of the chair frame is brace member 1 0a, which is rigid, and attached to leg members 2a, 2b by conventional means. A similar brace member 10b joins leg members 4a, 4b. With regard to materials from which the chair could be constructed, if for example the back members, seat support members, seat portion and leg members are all made of wood, brace members 10a, 10b can also be made of wood, and can for example be joined to the leg members by glued mortice and tenon joints.

Alternatively, the back members, seat support members, seat portion, leg members and brace members can be made for example out of metals, or moulded plastics materials. Combinations of suitable materials such as those described above are also contemplated.

Located between the back members la, lb, is a seat support means 11. In this embodiment seat support means takes the form of a rigid bar, though it could take the form ofprojections depending from the insides of back members la, lb, on which the seat portion can rest when the chair is assembled. However, it is preferred that the seat support means is in the form of a rigid bar which extends between back members la, lb. This is because in the form of a bar, the seat support means has extra strength and is therefore less likely to break, and also confers extra rigidity to the assembled chair, because of the bracing effect it provides between the two back members, la, lb.

Depending from the insides of back members la, 1b (ie those sides of the back members which face each other) are seat location projections 12a, 12b. These are cylindrical in cross section, are approximately 2cm long, and are attached to the back members la, lb by conventional means.

Seat portion 8 also has attached to its under side a seat stop means 13, which is in the form of a bar. Seat stop means 13 could however take any suitable form, such as being short sections of a bar, protruding studs, and so on. Seat stop means 13 is located adjacent to the back edge of the seat portion 8, remote from the corners 9a, 9b of the seat portion 8 where it is hingibly attached to the seat support members Sa, 5b.

Seat portion 8 also has two recess portions 14a, 14b, located on the sides of the seat portion 8 adjacent the back edge of the seat. Recess portions 14a, 14b are any convenient shape such as semi circular, and must be sufficiently big to allow seat location projections 12a, 12b to pass through them when the seat portion is rotated towards them about hinges 7a, 7b, when the seat location projections 12a, 12b, and recess portions 14a, 14b, are correctly aligned.

The exact location of seat location projections 12a, 12b on back members la, ib is important. They must be located on the back members la, 1b above where the seat support means 11 is attached to back members, la, ib, between where the seat support means 11 and back support portion 6 meet the back members la, ib, and must be located a distance above the seat support means 11 which is not less than the thickness of the seat portion 8. However, the distance between the seat location projections 12a, 12b, and the seat support means 11 on the back members la, lb, must be sufficient to retain the combined thickness of the seat portion 8 and the seat stop means 13, in order to retain the seat portion 8 when the chair is assembled. In practice this means that the distance between the seat location projections 12a, 12b, and the seat support means 11 must be less than about the combined thickness of the seat portion 8 and the seat stop means 13.

The collapsible chair according to the invention can be stored substantially flat. That is, the chair as shown in figure 1 can have its seat portion 8 brought towards back support 6, which is enabled by the rotation of hinges 3a, 3b and 7a, 7b. In such a configuration the chair takes up relatively little space, and is suitable for storage.

Figure 2, shows the chair of figure 1 in a partially assembled state.

That is, leg members 2a, 2b, 4a, 4b are caused to rest on a surface, and seat portion is rotated about hinges 7a, 7b, until part of the underside of the seat portion 8 rests on seat location projections 12a, 12b.

However, the chair is fully assembled by manipulating the seat portion 8, which is permitted by the rotation of hinges 3a, 3b, 7a, 7b, to cause the seat portion 8 to hingibly move towards seat support 11. This is only possible when seat location projections 12a, 12b, are aligned with and caused to pass through recess portions 14a, 14b. Once this is done, the seat is again manipulated by pulling its front edge adjacent hinges 7a, 7b forward, until the seat stop means 13 engages on seat support means 11.

This is the configuration shown in figure 3.

In this configuration, because of the pre-set distance between the seat support means 11 and the seat locating projections 12a, 12b, being sufficient to retain the combined thickness of the seat portion 8 and seat stop means 13, it is not possible for the seat portion to be pulled further forward, and thereby causing the chair to collapse. Indeed the only way for the chair to be collapsed is to reverse the procedure described above.

That is, the chair is manipulated by pushing the front of the seat portion back towards the back members la, lb, and aligning seat locating projections 12a, 12b with recesses 14a, 14b. The back of the seat can then be lifted, causing the seat locating projections 12a, 12b to pass through recesses 14a, 14b, and thereby disengaging the back of seat portion 8 generally from seat support mechanism.

Chairs with the mechanism as described above have proved to be more stable than conventional collapsible chairs, being less prone to unintentional collapsing, and have proved relatively easy to move around.

Claims

1. A collapsible chair comprising a back portion, which comprises a pair of back members, each back member having attached thereto a leg member, a pair of seat support members, each seat support member also having attached thereto a leg member, a back support portion supported between the back members, a seat portion hingibly attached to each of the seat support members on each side of the seat portion, the leg members from the back member and the seat support member on each side of the seat portion crossing and being connected to each other by a rotatable hinge, characterised in that the collapsible chair comprises a seat support mechanism comprising at least one seat location projection located on the parallel back member, at least one recess in the side of seat portion, a seat support means, and a seat stop means.

2 A collapsible chair according to claim 1, having a seat location projection located on each of the back members, and a recess in the seat portion for each of the seat location projections on the sides of the seat portion.

3 A collapsible chair according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the distance between the at least one seat location projection and the seat support means is not less than the thickness of the seat portion, and is sufficient to retain the combined thickness of the seat portion and the seat stop means.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. A collapsible chair comprising a back portion, which comprises a pair of back members, each back member having attached thereto a leg member, a pair of seat support members, each seat support member also having attached thereto a leg member, a back support portion supported between the back members, a seat portion hingibly attached to each of the seat support members on each side of the seat portion, the leg members from the back member and the seat support member on each side of the seat portion crossing and being connected to each other by a rotatable hinge, characterised in that the collapsible chair comprises a seat support mechanism comprising at least one seat location projection located on the parallel back member, at least one recess in the side of seat portion, a seat support means, and a seat stop means.

2. A collapsible chair according to claim 1, having a seat location projection located on each ofthe back members, and a recess in the seat portion for each of the seat location projections on the sides of the seat portion.

3. A collapsible chair according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the distance between the at least one seat location projection and the seat support means is not less than the thickness ofthe seat portion, and is sufficient to retain the combined thickness of the seat portion and the seat stop means.

4. A collapsible chair according to any of the preceding claims wherein there is a seat location projection on each side of the seat.

5. A collapsible chair according to any of the preceding claims wherein the seat support means, or the seat stop means, or both comprise a bar which runs the width of the chair.

6. A collapsible chair according to any of the preceding claims wherein the back members are parallel or substantially parallel.

7. A collapsible chair according to claim 6 wherein the leg members associated with the back members are parallel or substantially parallel.

8. A collapsible chair according to any of the preceding claims wherein the seat support members are parallel or substantially parallel.

9. A collapsible chair according to claim 8 wherein the leg members associated with the seat support members are parallel or substantially parallel.

10. A collapsible chair according to any of the preceding claims wherein the back support portion is flexible.

11. A collapsible chair according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the back supports portion is rigid.

12. A collapsible chair according to any of the preceding claims wherein the back members have integral leg members.

13. A collapsible chair according to claim 12 wherein the back members and integral leg members are straight.

14. A collapsible chair according to claim 12 wherein the back members and integral leg members are bowedl

15. A collapsible chair according to any of the preceding claims wherein the seat members have integral leg members.

16. A collapsible chair according to claim 15 wherein the seat members and integral leg members are straight.

17. A collapsible chair according to claim 15 wherein the seat members and integral leg members are bowed.

18. A collapsible chair according to any of the preceding claims wherein the leg members are supported by one or more brace members.

19. A collapsible chair according to any claim wherein the distance between the seat location projections and the seat support means is less than the combined thickness of the seat portion and the seat stop means.

20. A collapsible chair as constructed and arranged as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.