GB2336302A - Collapsible seat - Google Patents

Abstract

A collapsible seat comprises articulated frame members 11, 21 which are hinged together such that pieces of flexible sheet material 12, 22 extending between spaced-apart frame members form a back and a base 10, 20 in an unfolded condition. The seat is foldable into a substantially flat configuration in which the frame members are positioned side-by-side. Preferably, the middle of each frame member is jointed and legs (70, Fig. 7) may be incorporated to lift the seat from the ground. Means 42 may be further provided to limit the angle between the back and base when the seat is in the unfolded position.

Description

Collapsible seat 2336302 This invention relates to a collapsible seat

comprised of rigid members and flexible sheet material; the members being jointed (for example in the middle) and hinged together, in such a way that they unfold into a base and back support, and fold up compactly for carrying; the folding resulting in the parts of the members coming together side by side into two flatly packed rows. (The rigid members are preferably made of light metal, plastics or other suitable material; the flexible sheet material is preferably made of fabric, canvas, cloth, nylon, plastic or other soft material.) There are numerous examples of folding seats or chairs. Many are designed to "d up small so that they are easily portable. They remain, however, sufficiently large to prevent their being stowed in a pocket, unless made entirely of soft material, in wbich case they dispense with a rigid structure.

The present invention provides a collapsible seat with rigid members. The joints and hinges allow the seat to be folded up and unfolded. When unfolded, the members provide the structure of a seat with a backrest. Flexible sheet material (fabric, plastic, or other suitable material) is strung between the back members and the base members.

The particular arrangement of the joints and the hinges allows the seat to be sufficiently rigid when open, but to be particularly compact when folded, allowing the folded seat to be carried in a pocket or other container.

It is also envisaged that two future developments of the seat may be made, in which the seat is provided with extra members, being: Development 1: members giving extra rigidity to the base, or the back, or both, and Development 2: legs on which the seat may be supported.

Both these developments are described below.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention, showing the seat in its open position; Figure 2 is a view of the seat shown in Fig. 1 in a partly-foided state; Figure 3 is a view of the seat of Figs. 1 and 2 in its fully-folded state; Figure 4 is a side elevation of the seat, drawn to a larger scale; Figure 5 is a rear elevation of the seat, on the same scale as Fig. 4; Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view of part of another embodiment of the invention; Figure 7 is a diagrammatic side elevation of another embodiment of the invention, and Figure 8 is a side elevation of the seat of Fig. 7, in a nearly-folded position.

As shown in the drawings, the seat comprises a backrest (10) and a base (20). The backrest (10) is made up of two back supports (11) which are hinged to a lateral member (30) by a hinge (50); and a piece of flexible sheet material (12) which is strung between the two back supports (11). The material 12 is secured to the supports in order to prevent it from being displaced accidentally as the seat is stored, carried and used. The manner in which this is done does not form part of the subjectmatter of this invention, and so will not be decscribed in any further detail herein.

The base (20) is made up of two side members (21), which are hinged to a lateral member (30), and at least one piece of similar flexible sheet material (22) strung between the two members (21).

The back supports (11), the side members (21), and the lateral member (30) are all constructed of two parts which are jointed together with hinges (51) (for example, in the middle or thereabouts). In addition there are two body members (23) each of which is rigidly fixed to a back support (11), and hinged to a side member (21) by a hinge (52).

The various joints and hinges are so arranged that the back supports (11) and the side members (21) both fold inwardly, towards each other. The function of the body member (23) is to form a spacer which creates room for the side members (21) and the back supports (11) to fold towards each other. Figure 4 illustrates this.

As is shown in Figure 3, the hinges are so arranged that, when folded up, the back supports (11) and the side members (21) on each side of the seat take up the position of a flat assembly of four rods side by side. When the lateral member (30) is folded, these two assemblies come together side by side; and each half of the lateral member (30) joins its nearest assembly as a fifth rod.

When the back supports (11), the side members (21) and the lateral member (30) are unfolded, the users weight (when sitting on it) keeps the joints in their in-line positions.

The hinges (51) used for jointing the various members are of such a construction that (particularly when extended) they have lateral rigidity.

Means are provided to brace the individual members at their hinge ends, to ensure that, when in use, the two back supports and the two side members do not fold inwards towards each other, by keeping the angles between them and the lateral member open (at approximately 900). These means may, for example, consist of collapsible anti-closing stays (40) between the back supports 11 and the lateral member 30-, hinged anti-closing stays (41) between the side members (21) and the lateral member (30), or a hinge (50) between back supports (11) and lateral member (30), which is of a construction rigid enough to prevent inward lateral movement of the side members.

Finally, means are provided (for example, by collapsible anti-opening stays (42)) to restrict the extent to which the backrest (10) and the base (20) can open out away from each other. To accommodate the wishes of each individual user, means are provided to adjust these stays, or the amount of restriction they impose, so allowing the user of the seat to adjust the angle between backrest (10) and base (20) (for example, a sliding anchor point on the base edges, or a limiter to the length of the stays or the angle through which the stays can move).

Two further developments are foreseen, which may be introduced either separately or in conjunction with each other. The first is, in order to increase rigidity, further transverse members (60) may be provided for the base, or for the backrest, or for both. These will be in two (or more) parts jointed together (for example, in the middle or thereabouts), and they will be hinged (to the forward ends of the base edges (21) andlor the upper ends of the back supports (11).

The joints and hinges will be arranged in such a way that, when the seat is folded up, these transverse members will come into the two flat assemblies, i.e. side-by-side with the side members (21) and back supports (11). An example of this embodiment is shown in Figure 6, in which the transverse members 60 are shown. A transverse member may be constructed between the back supports, in a similar manner. As a further development, a transverse member on the backrest may be in three or more pieces so as to assume a bowed shape, in order to hold it away from contact with the user's back when in use.

In another embodiment, it is foreseen that legs (70), to take the seat off the ground, may be added. These would, for example, be hinged, with appropriately-shaped hinges (53, 54), to the side members (21) and body members 23, in such a way that, when in use, the weight of the user would keep them in their in- line position; and that, when folded up, they would come into an assembly, side by side, with the side members to which they are attached.

Two side views of these embodiments are shown in Figures 7 and 8: in Figure 7 with the seat open, and in Figure 8 with it almost folded.

In these embodiments, most of the area of the base would be made of one piece or two pieces 22 of flexible sheet material (not shown in Figures 7 or 8) secured to the side members and extending between them.

In this arrangement, the weight of the user would be supported, not by the ground as in the embodiment shown in Figs. 1-6, but by the material 22 extending between the side members (21), wflich would in turn be supported by the legs (70). So that the weight of the user would keep the scat in the proper, working (i.e. unfolded) position, the joint (51) in the side members (21) mould be re-orientated, so as to operate in the reverse direction to the joint in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, as shown in Figures 7 and 8.

The construction of the side members (21) is also adjusted, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, so as to allow the legs, when folded, to fall into an assembly side-by-side with the side members.

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Claims (9)

Claims

1. A collapsible seat comprised of rigid longitudinal members and pieces of flexible sheet material held under tension; the members being jointed and hinged together in such a way that they may be unfolded into a position in which the sheet material extending between spaced-apart component members forms base and back supports, and they may be folded into a carrying position. the folding resulting in the members coming together into substantial ly-f lat assemblies in which the rigid members are positioned side-by-side.

2. A collapsible seat as claimed in Claim 1, in which the rigid members are made of lightweight metal, plastics or other suitable material; and are jointed approximately in the middle.

3. A collapsible seat as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the flexible sheet material is fabric, canvas, cloth, nylon, plastics or like material.

4. A collapsible seat as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the rigid members take the form of side members jointed (either directly or indirectly) to a lateral member which functions to hold the members on one side of the seat apart from those on the other side of the seat.

5. A collapsible seat as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein means are provided for restricting the angle which the base and the back- support subtend when the seat is in its fully-open position.

6. A collapsible seat as claimed in Claim 5, wherein means are provided to adjust the said angle.

7. A collapsible seat as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the hinges are so orientated that the weight of the user keeps the base and the back supports in -7 their working positions.

8. A collapsible seat as claimed in any preceding claim, wflerein additional jointed members are provided to join the free ends of the side members.

9. A collapsible seat as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein additional jointed members are provided to join the free ends of the back supports.

A collapsible seat as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the side members include legs for holding the seat off the ground.

11 A collapsible seat as claimed in Claim 10, wherein the orientation of the joints in the base edges is reversed from those in Claim 1 in order that the weight of the user keeps the seat in the unfolded posKion.

12 A collapsible seat substantially as described herein with reference to, and as shown in, Figures 1-8 of the accompanying drawlings.