US20240251951A1 - Collapsible office furniture - Google Patents
Collapsible office furniture Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20240251951A1 US20240251951A1 US18/634,058 US202418634058A US2024251951A1 US 20240251951 A1 US20240251951 A1 US 20240251951A1 US 202418634058 A US202418634058 A US 202418634058A US 2024251951 A1 US2024251951 A1 US 2024251951A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- seat
- legs
- leg
- configuration
- chair
- 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.)
- Pending
Links
- 230000007246 mechanism Effects 0.000 claims description 71
- 230000033001 locomotion Effects 0.000 claims description 57
- 230000005484 gravity Effects 0.000 claims description 6
- 230000004044 response Effects 0.000 claims description 2
- 210000001364 upper extremity Anatomy 0.000 description 18
- 230000008901 benefit Effects 0.000 description 3
- 230000008878 coupling Effects 0.000 description 3
- 238000010168 coupling process Methods 0.000 description 3
- 238000005859 coupling reaction Methods 0.000 description 3
- 230000000717 retained effect Effects 0.000 description 3
- 230000009471 action Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000008859 change Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000006835 compression Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000007906 compression Methods 0.000 description 1
- 210000005069 ears Anatomy 0.000 description 1
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000002093 peripheral effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000001360 synchronised effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000007704 transition Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000005303 weighing Methods 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- 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
- A47C4/28—Folding chairs with flexible coverings for the seat or back elements
- A47C4/286—Folding chairs with flexible coverings for the seat or back elements foldable side to side and front to back, e.g. umbrella type
-
- 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
- A47C4/18—Folding chairs with inflexible seats having a frame made of metal
- A47C4/20—Folding chairs with inflexible seats having a frame made of metal with legs pivotably connected to seat or underframe
-
- 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
- A47B13/00—Details of tables or desks
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47C—CHAIRS; SOFAS; BEDS
- A47C1/00—Chairs adapted for special purposes
- A47C1/02—Reclining or easy chairs
- A47C1/031—Reclining or easy chairs having coupled concurrently adjustable supporting parts
- A47C1/032—Reclining or easy chairs having coupled concurrently adjustable supporting parts the parts being movably-coupled seat and back-rest
- A47C1/03255—Reclining or easy chairs having coupled concurrently adjustable supporting parts the parts being movably-coupled seat and back-rest with a central column, e.g. rocking office chairs
-
- 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
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47C—CHAIRS; SOFAS; BEDS
- A47C7/00—Parts, details, or accessories of chairs or stools
- A47C7/002—Chair or stool bases
- A47C7/006—Chair or stool bases with castors
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47C—CHAIRS; SOFAS; BEDS
- A47C7/00—Parts, details, or accessories of chairs or stools
- A47C7/36—Support for the head or the back
- A47C7/40—Support for the head or the back for the back
- A47C7/407—Support for the head or the back for the back of collapsible type
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47C—CHAIRS; SOFAS; BEDS
- A47C7/00—Parts, details, or accessories of chairs or stools
- A47C7/36—Support for the head or the back
- A47C7/40—Support for the head or the back for the back
- A47C7/46—Support for the head or the back for the back with special, e.g. adjustable, lumbar region support profile; "Ackerblom" profile chairs
Definitions
- the present invention relates to furniture and, more particularly, to office furniture for use or storage in compact spaces or work areas.
- Office furniture commonly includes work desks and chairs. Many desks and chairs have been designed and marketed for home office use, such as by a person who as converted a bedroom or similar-sized room of their home for work use. However, many people do not have a room in their home that can be dedicated to use as a home office, and even if a portion of a room can be used for work, the furniture available for such use often takes up excessive space, especially during times outside of work hours, when the office furniture does not have a purpose.
- the present invention provides a collapsible office chair and desk/storage unit with the size, functionality, and convenience of regular home office furniture, but which are configurable to a compact storage configuration to minimize the space they occupy during periods of non-use.
- the chair's legs can provide a four-leg base with swiveling caster wheels, height adjustability, and a fixed or rotatable seat with backrest providing limited tilt for comfort, yet the chair's legs, seat, and backrest can all be pivoted or otherwise moved to occupy substantially less lateral “footprint” and vertical height for storage, such as inside a storage area of the desk/storage unit, under a table, or in a closet.
- the desk/storage unit has a movable work surface that can be extended to a horizontal or sloped configuration for use, and can be retracted to a vertical or upright or non-extended position for storage.
- the desk/storage unit may be capable of fully enclosing the chair in the stowed configuration. Additional interior storage may be provided for a computer, peripherals, or papers inside the desk/storage unit, while an upper surface may remain available for storage of a computer monitor or decorative objects to provide a more aesthetically pleasing appearance.
- FIG. 1 A is a perspective view of a collapsible office furniture system in accordance with the present invention, shown in a use configuration;
- FIG. 1 B is another perspective view of the collapsible office furniture system collapsible office furniture system of FIG. 1 A , shown with the collapsible chair in a stowed configuration;
- FIG. 1 C is another collapsible office furniture system of FIG. 1 A , shown in a stowed configuration;
- FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the collapsible chair in the stowed configuration in a box with exemplary stowed dimensions shown;
- FIG. 3 A is a perspective view of the collapsible chair in the stowed configuration, shown underneath a work table or desk;
- FIG. 3 B is a perspective view of two of the collapsible chairs in their stowed configuration and nested together under a work table or desk;
- FIG. 3 C is a perspective view of the collapsible chair with seat back in a stowed configuration and positioned underneath a table or desk;
- FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of the collapsible chair in the use configuration
- FIG. 5 is a left side elevation view of the collapsible chair of FIG. 4 ;
- FIG. 6 A is another left side elevation view of the collapsible chair of FIG. 4 , with seat back in the stowed configuration;
- FIG. 6 B is another left side elevation view of the collapsible chair of FIG. 4 , with seat and seat back both in the stowed configuration, and leg assembly in the use configuration;
- FIG. 7 is a front-left perspective view of the collapsible chair of FIG. 6 B ;
- FIG. 8 is another front-left perspective view of the collapsible chair of FIG. 7 , shown with the leg assembly in the stowed configuration;
- FIG. 9 is a left side elevation view of the collapsible chair of FIG. 8 ;
- FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the collapsible chair of FIG. 8 ;
- FIG. 11 A is a front perspective view of a leg assembly of the collapsible chair, shown in the use configuration
- FIG. 11 B is another front perspective view of a leg assembly of the collapsible chair, shown in the stowed configuration
- FIGS. 12 A-D are left side perspective views of the collapsible chair, depicting movements from the use configuration to the stowed configuration;
- FIGS. 13 A-D are left side perspective views of the collapsible chair, depicting movements from the stowed configuration to the use configuration;
- FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of the collapsible chair
- FIGS. 15 A-C are left side elevation views of the collapsible chair, showing internal structures and depicting movements from the use configuration to the stowed configuration;
- FIGS. 16 A and 16 B are enlarged side elevation views of a rear portion of the seat and lower portion of the seatback of the collapsible chair, showing internal structures, and with the seat back in the use and stowed configurations, respectively;
- FIGS. 17 A and 17 B are additional enlarged side elevation views of a rear portion of the seat and lower portion of the seatback of the collapsible chair, shown with the seat back in the use and stowed configurations, respectively;
- FIGS. 18 A and 18 B are enlarged side elevation views of a middle region of the collapsible chair in the use and stowed configurations, respectively;
- FIG. 19 is a top perspective view of a work table in accordance with the present invention, having its work surface partially opened to show internal structure and storage;
- FIG. 20 is a front perspective view of two work desk and storage units in accordance with the present invention, shown with cabinet doors open and an upper work surface in extended and retracted positions;
- FIG. 21 is a series of left side perspective views of another collapsible chair in accordance with the present invention, depicting movements from the use configuration to the stowed configuration, and labeled with optional movement limitations;
- FIG. 22 is a series of left side perspective views of the collapsible chair of FIG. 21 , depicting movements from the stowed configuration to the use configuration, and labeled with optional movement limitations;
- FIG. 23 is another series of left side perspective views of the collapsible chair of FIG. 21 , depicting movements from the use configuration to the stowed configuration to the use configuration, and labeled with optional movement limitations;
- FIG. 24 is a left side elevation of another collapsible chair in accordance with the present invention, shown in a deployed configuration
- FIG. 25 is a front-left perspective view of a seat back and base latch and release mechanism of the collapsible chair of FIG. 24 ;
- FIG. 26 is a front-right perspective view of a rotary latch of the seat back and base latch and release mechanism of FIG. 25 ;
- FIG. 27 is a front-left perspective view of a latch pin of the seat back and base latch and release mechanism of FIG. 25 ;
- FIGS. 28 A- 28 C are a series of left side elevation views of the collapsible chair of FIG. 24 , with the seat and back shown moving from partially stowed to fully stowed positions;
- FIG. 29 is a top plan view of the chair legs and leg mechanism of the collapsible chair of FIG. 24 ;
- FIGS. 30 A- 30 C are a series of back-right perspective views depicting operation of a base latch
- FIG. 31 is an enlarged back-right perspective view of the chair leg mechanism of FIG. 29 ;
- FIGS. 32 A- 32 C are a series of top plan views of the chair legs and leg mechanism of FIG. 29 , showing movement from deployed to stowed positions;
- FIGS. 33 A- 33 C are a series of back-right perspective views of the leg mechanism and locking mechanism that secures the seat back and base in stowed positions while the legs are stowed;
- FIGS. 34 A- 34 C are a series of right side elevation views of the collapsible chair of FIG. 24 , showing deployment of the chair from the fully-stowed configuration to fully-deployed configuration;
- FIGS. 35 A- 35 E are a series of right side elevation views of another collapsible chair in accordance with the present invention, showing deployment of the chair from the fully-deployed configuration to fully-stowed configuration, and with details omitted;
- FIG. 36 A is a rear-right perspective view of the collapsible chair of FIG. 35 A , showing details omitted from FIGS. 35 A- 35 E ;
- FIG. 36 B is another rear-right perspective view of the collapsible chair of FIG. 35 A , shown with the seat pan released and partially moved to the stowed configuration, and with an enlarged inset view of a central region of the chair;
- FIGS. 36 C and 36 D are additional rear-right perspective views of the collapsible chair of FIG. 35 A , shown in final stages of seat movement to the fully-stowed configuration, with legs remaining in the deployed position;
- FIGS. 37 A- 37 C are a series of front perspective views of the collapsible chair of FIG. 35 A , showing movement of the seat pan and seatback from fully-stowed configuration to fully-deployed configuration;
- FIG. 38 is an enlarged front perspective view of the seat pan and mechanism portions of the collapsible chair of FIG. 35 , shown just prior to reaching the fully-stowed configuration;
- FIG. 39 is top plan view of the base of the collapsible chair of FIG. 35 A , with the legs shown in the fully deployed configuration and a lockout plunger disengaged from the leg-release mechanism;
- FIG. 40 A is a top plan view of the central hub portion area designated XL in FIG. 39 , showing the leg-release mechanism with cover removed;
- FIG. 40 B is a top plan view of the central hub portion and leg-release mechanism of FIG. 40 A , with a lockout plate of the leg-release mechanism omitted to show underlying structure;
- FIG. 40 C is another top plan view of the central hub portion and leg-release mechanism of FIG. 40 A , shown with the lockout plunger initially engaging the leg-release mechanism;
- FIG. 40 D is another top plan view of the central hub portion and leg-release mechanism of FIG. 40 A , shown with the lockout plunger fully engaging the leg-release mechanism;
- FIG. 40 E is another top plan view of the central hub portion and leg-release mechanism of FIG. 40 A , shown with the front legs moving partially toward their stowed configuration;
- FIG. 40 F is another top plan view of the central hub portion and leg-release mechanism of FIG. 40 A , shown with the front legs fully in the stowed configuration and the leg-release mechanism leaving the lockout plunger secured in the leg-release mechanism;
- FIG. 41 is a front elevation view of another seat pan support and latching mechanism, shown in the fully deployed configuration
- FIGS. 42 A and 42 B are front partial-sectional elevation views of the seat pan support and latching mechanism of FIG. 41 , shown with the seat pan support in respective positions when unweighted and weighted by a user;
- FIG. 43 A is a side elevation view of the backrest assembly of the collapsible chair of FIG. 35 A , shown in a middle-height position;
- FIG. 43 B is a side partial-sectional elevation view of the backrest assembly of FIG. 43 A , showing the adjustment mechanism;
- FIG. 44 is a top plan view of the backrest assembly of FIG. 43 A , showing the adjustment mechanism
- FIGS. 45 A and 45 B are additional side elevation views of the backrest assembly of FIG. 43 A , shown in the lowered and raised positions;
- FIG. 46 A is a front perspective view of a storage and desk unit in accordance with the present invention, shown with front doors open and top work surface retracted;
- FIG. 46 B is another front perspective view of the storage and desk unit of FIG. 46 A , shown with the top surface extended;
- FIG. 47 A is a sectional right side view of another collapsible chair in accordance with the present invention, shown in a fully deployed configuration;
- FIG. 47 B is another sectional right side view of the collapsible chair of FIG. 47 A , shown in a fully collapsed configuration;
- FIGS. 48 A to 48 J- 2 are top plan views of the central hub portion and leg mechanism of the collapsible chair of FIGS. 47 A and 47 B , shown moving progressively from a deployed and locked configuration to an unlocked and retracted configuration, in which a synchronizing plate is omitted from FIGS. 48 F- 2 , 48 G- 2 , 48 H, 48 I, and 48 J- 2 ;
- FIGS. 49 A- 49 C are side sectional views of the leg mechanism of the collapsible chair of FIGS. 48 A and 48 B , depicting ball detent operation while moving the front legs from the fully deployed configuration to the fully collapsed configuration;
- FIGS. 50 A- 50 F are top plan views of a work table or desk with work surface omitted, and the collapsible chair of FIGS. 47 A- 48 B , forming a collapsible office furniture system, depicting steps of storing the collapsible chair into the work table or desk; and
- FIGS. 51 A- 51 D are perspective views of the collapsible office furniture system of FIGS. 50 A- 50 F , depicting steps of storing the collapsible chair into the work table or desk.
- a collapsible office furniture system 100 includes a collapsible chair 110 and a collapsible desk unit 120 , both of which can be configured between respective deployed or “use” configurations and stowed configurations, such as shown in FIGS. 1 A- 1 C .
- FIG. 1 A- 1 C a collapsible office furniture system 100 includes a collapsible chair 110 and a collapsible desk unit 120 , both of which can be configured between respective deployed or “use” configurations and stowed configurations, such as shown in FIGS. 1 A- 1 C .
- collapsible chair 110 includes a seat 112 , a seat back 114 , a seat post 116 , and a leg assembly 118
- collapsible desk unit 120 has a cabinet-like form including a top portion or panel 122 , a pair of spaced-apart upright supports or legs 124 extending downwardly from the top portion 122 , a rear panel or support 126 , a pair of doors 128 opposite the rear panel 126 , and a movable work surface 130 .
- the desk unit's main components cooperate to define a chair storage area 132 that is sized and shaped to receive the chair 110 when it its stowed configuration, such as shown in FIG. 1 B .
- Desk unit 120 may be free-standing, or may be secured to a wall or ground surface to prevent movement.
- the ability to reconfigure the collapsible chair 110 allows it to assume a very compact stowage or “non-use” configuration with a significantly reduced footprint (occupied floor area) for times when the chair is not in use, making the collapsible office furniture system 100 particularly well-suited for small work spaces that are also used as dwelling spaces, such as in apartments, dormitories, or other dwellings where space is limited. Thus, dwelling spaces that would not normally be considered sufficient in size to have a dedicated work area may nonetheless be provided with a temporary dedicated work area that can be stowed or reconfigured to a compact size when not in use.
- the chair 110 may be used and stored independently of desk unit 120 , such as underneath a narrow work desk or table 134 a ( FIG.
- FIGS. 3 A and 3 C When chair 110 is in its stowed configuration, it may be nested with other chairs 110 of the same design, such as shown in FIG. 3 B .
- Alternative tables or desk units are shown in FIGS. 19 and 20 .
- the collapsible chair's seat 112 includes a seat pan 136 coupled to a seat bracket 138 along a bottom surface thereof, optionally with a set of resilient bumpers 140 disposed between the seat pan 136 and bracket 138 to permit limited tilting movement of seat pan 136 relative to seat bracket 138 when the seat 112 is in the use configuration.
- a forward Z-bracket 142 a and rearward mounting plate 142 b are provided for securing seat pan 136 to seat bracket 138 with a rearward tilt to the seat pan 136 as shown in FIG. 5 .
- the collapsible chair's seatback 114 includes a backrest 144 and a backrest bracket 146 for coupling backrest 144 to seat bracket 138 .
- backrest 144 is secured to bracket 146 with a backrest mounting plate 148 , a thumbscrew 150 , and another pair of resilient bumpers 140 that allow limited pivoting movement of backrest 144 relative to backrest bracket 146 and mounting plate 148 , for comfort.
- Backrest bracket 146 is generally J-shaped and includes a longitudinal slot 152 through which a shaft of thumbscrew 150 passes to provide height adjustment for the backrest 144 relative to the bracket 146 .
- backrest bracket 146 defines a tubular pivot-pin receiver 154 and a laterally-extending pivot tongue 156 .
- tubular pivot pin receiver 154 and a corresponding bracket pivot pin receiver 158 at a rear portion of seat bracket 138 are designed to align coaxially with one another and receive a backrest pivot pin 160 .
- pivot tongue 156 defines a pair of release pin receiver openings 162 that align coaxially with a corresponding bracket release pin receiver 164 that is forward of the bracket pivot pin receiver 158 , to receive a backrest release pin 166 , which can also be used to secure backrest bracket 146 in its stowed position as shown in FIGS. 16 B and 17 B .
- Pivot tongue 156 may engage a compressible and resilient pad 167 , which is positioned between an upper surface of pivot tongue 156 and an upper surface of seat bracket 138 ( FIG. 17 A ) to permit limited rearward pivoting movement of backrest bracket 146 and backrest 144 , for comfort.
- Seat post 116 may be a conventional component that optionally provides height adjustability for seat 112 relative to leg assembly 118 .
- seat post 116 is a gas-charged unit having an upper portion 116 a with an inner piston 168 and release button 170 , and an upper seat post bracket 172 that supports a release lever 174 for selectively actuating the release button 170 and allowing the inner piston 168 to be raised or lowered relative to a lower portion 116 b that includes a cylinder 176 that receives piston 168 .
- Upper seat post bracket 172 is coupled to seat bracket 138 via an intermediate bracket 178 .
- Intermediate bracket 178 includes seat pivot pin holes 180 that align with corresponding pivot pin holes 182 at a lower region of seat bracket 138 so that both sets of holes 180 , 182 receive a seat pivot pin 184 .
- Intermediate bracket 178 further includes seat release pin lower holes 186 a that align with corresponding release pin holes 188 at the lower region of seat bracket 138 so that both sets of holes 186 , 188 receive a seat release pin 190 when seat 112 is in the use configuration of FIGS. 4 - 6 A, 12 A, 12 B, 13 C, 13 D, and 18 A .
- intermediate bracket 178 defines seat release pin upper holes 186 b that receive the seat release pin 190 only when seat 112 is in the stowed configuration of FIGS. 6 B, 7 - 9 , 12 C- 13 B, and 18 B .
- leg assembly 118 includes a structural center tube 192 that receives the seat post lower portion 116 b and supports four legs that extend radially outwardly from an upper region thereof, such as shown in FIGS. 4 - 9 and 11 A- 14 .
- the legs include two fixed legs 194 that are rigidly coupled to center tube 192 , and a pair of pivotable legs 196 a , 196 b that are movable between a use configuration ( FIGS. 1 A, 3 C, 4 - 7 , 11 A, 12 A- 12 C, 13 B -D, and 14 ) and a stowed configuration ( FIGS. 1 B- 3 B, 8 - 10 , 11 B, 12 D, and 13 A ).
- a pair of partial-disc-shaped brackets 198 extend radially outwardly from a first or front side of center tube 192 , and are received in corresponding slots 200 formed at inboard or proximal ends of the pivotable legs 196 a , 196 b , such as shown in FIGS. 5 - 6 B, 8 , 9 , 11 B, and 12 A- 14 .
- Pivotable legs 196 a , 196 b are coupled to disc brackets 198 by respective leg pivot pins 201 ( FIGS. 11 A and 11 B ).
- disc brackets 198 may define circumferential slots, grooves, or ridges (not shown) that are engaged by corresponding shapes (not shown) at the pivotable legs' slots 200 , so that the pivotable legs 196 a , 196 b can be pivoted circumferentially around center tube 192 while remaining secured thereto.
- a releasable lock mechanism is provided to secure pivotable legs 196 a , 196 b in their deployed or use configuration.
- a spring-loaded release pedal 202 may be coupled to center tube at its front or first side and covering central regions of the disc portions 198 .
- Release pedal 202 includes a ramped latch-hook 204 at each side, for engaging a lower portion of each pivotable leg 196 a , 196 b and securing the pivotable legs in their use configuration, such as shown in FIGS. 4 , 7 , and 11 A .
- Release pedal 202 may be pushed downwardly to overcome spring force and disengage latch hooks 204 from the pivotable legs 196 a , 196 , thereby allowing the pivotable legs to be moved out of their use configuration and into their stowed configuration, such as shown in FIGS. 8 - 10 and 11 B .
- the pivotable legs 196 a , 196 b may be returned to their use configuration by manually pivoting them away from the stowed configuration until each pivotable leg fully engages its corresponding latch hook 204 , which lowers during initial engagement and snaps up to secure the leg once the latch hook is fully engaged.
- the pivotable legs 196 a , 196 b are selectively repositionable between a use configuration in which they are spaced a first distance away from corresponding fixed legs 194 , and a stowed configuration in which the pivotable legs are moved closer to the corresponding fixed legs 194 . In the stowed configuration, the pivotable legs 196 a , 196 b extend outwardly away from one another.
- the center of gravity of the chair is between the stowed pivotable legs 196 a , 196 b and the fixed legs 194 so that the chair remains stable and can be moved around by a user without tipping, even when the pivotable legs 196 a , 196 b are stowed.
- seat bracket 138 and the other components coupled thereto are not rotatable or pivotable about a vertical axis extending through seat post 116 , such that seat 112 is only pivotable to the stowed configuration in the direction toward fixed legs 194 , which ensures that the chair's center of gravity moves aft toward fixed legs 194 when the seat 112 is stowed.
- FIGS. 12 A- 12 D depict basic chair movements from the use configuration of FIG. 12 A to the stowed configuration of FIG. 12 D
- FIGS. 13 A-D depict the basic chair movements from the stowed configuration ( FIG. 13 A ) back to the use configuration ( FIG. 13 D )
- various release and lockout mechanisms may be provided for safety, and to ensure that the chair's stowage mechanisms are only operated in a desired order, with one stowage step completed before the next stowage step may be initiated, for example.
- FIGS. 21 and 22 provide additional details on such release and lockout mechanisms. For example, in reference to the first (left-most) drawing of FIG.
- the seat 112 and legs 118 are not movable to their stowed positions while the seatback 114 is in the use configuration, the seat 112 may be lowered by a seated person, and the first stowage step must therefore be to move the seatback 114 forward to a first detent position as shown in the second drawing of FIG. 21 , at which point the chair 110 may be stored under a conventional desk or table, for example.
- the seat 112 Before the seat 112 can be pivoted rearwardly from the use configuration to the stowed configuration in the third drawing of FIG. 21 , the seat 112 is lowered on seat post 116 , the seatback 114 is moved further forward and down to a second detent position in the second drawing of FIG.
- the seat 112 and seatback 114 may be latched or retained in their stowed configurations until the pivotable legs have been moved and secured in their use configuration (first and second drawings of FIG. 22 ).
- the seatback 114 may be retained in its stowed configuration until the seat 112 has been fully moved to its use configuration, such as depicted in the second and third drawings of FIG. 22 .
- its height may be adjusted using release lever 174 to adjust seat post 116 , the pivotable legs are locked against moving out of the use configuration, and the seat 112 cannot pivot out of the use configuration.
- one chair movement action may enable the next, or one chair movement may inhibit another chair movement, in order to ensure safe and stable use and stowage of the chair.
- FIGS. 24 - 34 C another collapsible chair 400 having a seat 412 and seatback 414 supported on a seat post 416 , and a leg assembly 418 that supports the seat post 416 .
- Leg assembly 418 includes a leg stowage and deployment mechanism that allows a front pair of legs 420 to pivot simultaneously between an extended or deployed configuration ( FIGS. 24 , 28 A- 29 , 32 A, and 34 C ) and a retracted or stowed configuration ( FIGS. 32 C and 34 A ).
- the leg stowage and deployment mechanism captures a pin 429 on a seat back bracket 417 ( FIGS.
- FIG. 28 C depicts the seat 412 and seatback 414 in the fully stowed configuration, prior to moving the front legs 420 to their stowed position that will capture the pin as shown in FIGS. 33 A- 33 C , and as shown in FIGS. 34 A- 34 C when viewed in reverse order. This prevents a user from deploying the seat 412 and/or seatback 414 when the legs 420 are not deployed, so that the chair 400 cannot be used when the legs 420 are in the less stable stowed configuration.
- a user first releases two latches 405 , 407 as shown in FIGS. 25 - 27 .
- a rotary latch 405 may be cable-actuated ( FIGS. 25 and 26 ) and a spring-loaded plunger pin 407 may be actuated by a release handle 409 to release the pin 407 from a bore 411 ( FIGS. 25 and 27 ).
- Both latches 405 , 407 are released simultaneously by a user in order to initiate the movement of the seat 412 and seatback 414 from the deployed configuration to their stowed configuration via a four-bar mechanism 419 between the seat pan and seat back bracket 417 as shown generally, and with superimposed broken lines, in FIGS. 28 A- 28 C .
- the risk of a user unintentionally releasing the seat 412 and seatback 414 is reduced, as releasing either one of the rotary latch 405 or the plunger 407 will have no effect until the other is also released.
- a base latch 421 is urged from its latched position ( FIG. 30 A ) toward its unlatched position ( FIG. 30 C ).
- the base latch 421 secures a slidable base plate 423 that can otherwise slide fore and aft relative to seat post 416 ( FIG. 31 ).
- the base plate 423 has two sets of teeth 425 opposite the base latch, the sets of teeth serving as gear racks for pinion gears 427 that rotate with the respective front legs 420 .
- the front legs 420 are enabled for movement to their stowed configuration by application of a force F ( FIGS. 32 A- 32 C ).
- the base plate 423 maintains the base latch 421 in the released position such that the base latch 421 will not prevent the base plate 423 and legs 420 from moving back to the deployed position.
- the base plate 423 and its teeth 425 slave the movement of the front legs 420 together, so that pushing on one leg 420 with force F causes both legs to move toward the stowed configuration.
- the pin 429 that is associated with the seat back bracket 417 lowers into horizontal alignment with a pair of hooks or ears 431 , which extend up from the base plate 423 , when the seat back bracket 417 reaches its fully stowed configuration (compare FIG.
- collapsible chair 600 includes a seat 612 and seatback 614 supported on a seat post 616 , and a leg assembly 618 that supports the seat post 616 .
- collapsible chair 600 requires that a user take affirmative steps, in a specified order, to move the chair from the fully deployed configuration of FIGS. 35 A, 36 A, and 37 C , to the fully stowed configuration of FIGS. 35 E, 36 D, and 37 A .
- the chair's mechanisms prevent a user from sitting in seat 612 while leg assembly 618 is retracted, and prevent leg assembly 618 from retracting while the seat 612 is deployed or in-transit from deployed to stowed.
- leg assembly 618 must be deployed before seat 612 and seatback 614 can be moved to their deployed position. As a result, chair 600 cannot be used until it is fully in the deployed configuration.
- collapsible chair 600 utilizes a four-bar linkage 619 to guide the movement of seat 612 and seatback 614 between the deployed and stowed configurations as shown in FIGS. 35 A- 35 E . Referring to FIGS.
- four-bar linkage 619 includes a lower link 619 a coupled between a forward-upper portion of a seat support piece or bracket 658 (mounted at an upper portion of the seat post 616 ) and a rear link 619 b , the rear link 619 b coupled between lower link 619 a and a rear portion of a seat frame piece or seat bracket 656 , a portion of the seat frame 656 extending between rear link 619 b and an rearward-upper portion of the seat support bracket 658 , and the upper portion of the seat support bracket 658 between the coupling points of the seat frame 656 and the lower link 619 a .
- FIGS. 35 C- 35 E depict a seat pan 636 of seat 612 , such as shown in FIGS. 35 C- 35 E .
- seat 612 and seatback 614 With seat 612 and seatback 614 in this configuration, they are not usable for sitting. Only after seat 612 and seatback 614 have reached their fully stowed configuration of FIG. 35 C , can a pivotable front pair of legs 620 be moved out of their deployed configuration of FIG. 35 C and toward their fully stowed configuration of FIG. 35 E .
- FIG. 35 D depicts an in-transit position of legs 620 .
- a leg-release mechanism 622 ( FIGS. 40 A- 40 F ) is actuated by a lockout plunger 624 located along a lower region of backrest bracket 646 as shown in FIGS. 36 A- 36 C .
- plunger 624 moves down and forward relative to seat post 616 and leg-release mechanism 622 at a central hub portion 618 a of leg assembly 618 , as shown progressively in FIGS. 36 A- 36 C , until plunger 624 is received into an opening 625 along the upper-rear portion of the central hub portion 618 a of leg assembly 618 .
- FIG. 36 D the plunger 624 is fully received in opening 625 and mechanism 622 .
- plunger 624 is not illustrated in FIGS. 35 A- 35 E , but if the plunger 624 were present in those views it would be fully received in the opening and the leg-release mechanism in the positions depicted in FIGS. 35 D and 35 E .
- Leg-release mechanism 622 is normally obscured from view by a cover 623 ( FIG. 39 ), and is shown with the cover removed in FIGS. 40 A- 40 F .
- plunger 624 is spaced above and behind leg-release mechanism 622 , such as shown in FIGS. 40 A and 40 B .
- Each movable leg 620 has a pivotable mount 626 at its proximal end, with a radially-extending lobe 628 extending in the direction opposite the respective leg 620 , as best shown in FIG. 40 B .
- Each lobe 628 supports a respective vertical pin 630 that is received in a respective forward slot 632 of a synchronizing and locking plate 634 (plate 634 not shown in FIG.
- Synchronizing plate 634 defines a large central opening 636 having a curved forward edge 636 a that conforms to the round outer surface of seat post 616 , parallel side edges 636 b that are spaced apart by approximately the diameter of seat post 616 , a flat rear edge 636 c , and a rear opening or slot 636 d for receiving plunger 624 .
- a pair of ramped retainers 638 are spring-biased inwardly, to the position shown in FIGS. 40 A and 40 B , to secure synchronizing and locking plate 634 in its rearward-most position of FIG. 40 A .
- a pair of downwardly-extending pins 640 at a rear portion of plate 634 , engage rear surfaces 638 a of ramped retainers 638 when legs 620 are in their fully extended positions and plunger 624 has not been inserted into opening 625 of the central hub portion 618 a of leg assembly 618 or the slot 636 d formed in plate 634 .
- the synchronizing and locking plate 634 is prevented from moving forwardly due to pins 640 , which in turn secures movable legs 620 in their extended positions because the pins 630 at each lobe 628 of pivotable mount 626 are trapped in forward slots 632 of plate 634 . Therefore, movable legs 620 cannot be moved to their retracted or stowed positions while seat 612 and seatback 614 (and therefore plunger 624 ) are in their deployed configuration or in an in-transit position.
- a forwarded tip of plunger 624 is inserted into opening 625 of the central hub portion 618 a of leg assembly 618 , and also into slot 636 d of plate 634 , as seat 612 and seatback 614 approach their fully-stowed configuration.
- Plunger 624 includes a pair of outwardly-biased ramped latch tabs 642 , which are forced inwardly by surfaces that define upright sides of opening 625 in the central hub portion 618 a of leg assembly 618 , as plunger 624 is inserted as shown in FIG. 40 C . In the plunger's position of FIG.
- the synchronizing and locking plate 634 is free to move forwardly in response to pivoting movement of legs 620 away from their fully-deployed positions.
- This movement of legs 620 is substantially synchronized by plate 634 , which is prevented from pivoting around seat post 616 by respective guide surfaces 648 of the central hub portion 618 a of leg assembly 618 , which are located along respective sides of plate 634 .
- plunger 624 is shown fully inserted into leg-release mechanism 622 , such that the plunger's ramped latch tabs 642 are spring-biased outwardly in front of the surfaces that define opening 625 along the upper-rear portion of the central hub portion 618 a of leg assembly 618 .
- Ramped latch tabs 642 thus secure plunger 624 in the fully inserted position, thereby securing seat 612 and seatback 614 in their fully-stowed configuration until latch tabs 642 are retracted by a subsequent leg-extension step, described below.
- the plunger 624 is no longer actuating any part of leg-release mechanism 622 . Instead, the movements of mechanism 622 from FIG.
- FIG. 40 D to FIG. 40 E and from FIG. 40 E to FIG. 40 F , are caused by manual movement of legs 620 from their fully deployed positions of FIG. 40 D to their fully stowed positions of FIG. 40 F .
- movable legs 620 have been pivoted part-way from deployed to stowed, causing pins 630 to traverse approximately halfway through their respective slots 632 in plate 634 , and drawing plate 634 forwardly so that the rearward portions of plate 634 defining slot 636 d allow the plunger's spring-biased ramped latch tabs 642 to begin to extend outwardly to secure plunger 624 as described above.
- This forward motion of plate 634 also causes pins 640 engage the ramped inner surfaces 638 b of ramped retainers 638 .
- leg-release mechanism 622 does not allow plunger 624 to be withdrawn from opening 625 or slot 636 d , and therefore does not allow seat 612 and seatback 614 to be moved away from their stowed configuration.
- plunger 624 In order to move seat 612 and seatback 614 away from their stowed configuration, plunger 624 must be freed to move out of opening 625 and slot 636 d , which can only be accomplished by retracting the plunger's ramped latch tabs 642 . To do this, legs 620 must be manually moved to their deployed positions of FIG. 40 D , which forces plate 634 rearwardly by engagement of pins 630 in slots 632 .
- FIGS. 37 A- 37 C show a spring-biased thumbscrew 650 that is used to secure seat 612 in the deployed configuration.
- Thumbscrew 650 has a knurled gripping portion 652 that is accessible to a user by reaching under seat pan 636 , and a threaded tip portion 654 .
- Thumbscrew 650 passes through the seat frame piece or seat bracket 656 , where a spring (not shown) urges thumbscrew 650 in an inboard direction when the spring force is not overcome by an outward-pulling force applied by a user to gripping portion 652 . Referring to FIG.
- the spring force causes tip portion 654 to engage and slide along a ramped surface 658 a of the seat support piece or bracket 658 (to which four-bar linkage 619 is attached) as seat 612 is pivoted toward the fully-deployed configuration of FIG. 37 C .
- a bore 660 is formed in an outboard surface of support piece 658 , and receives tip portion 654 as seat 612 reaches its fully deployed configuration.
- the spring force of thumbscrew 650 forces tip portion 654 into bore 660 so that seat 612 is retained in the deployed configuration once reached.
- the user will then grasp gripping portion 652 and rotate thumbscrew 650 until a male threaded portion of tip portion 654 is threadedly engaged with a corresponding female threaded portion of bore 660 , so that's tip portion 654 cannot be inadvertently pulled out of engagement with bore 662 release seat 612 .
- legs 620 With seat 612 and seatback 614 secured in their deployed configuration of FIG. 37 C , legs 620 are prevented from retracting by leg-release mechanism 622 , described above. In fact, during most of the transition travel of seat 612 and seatback 614 , legs 620 are secured against movement away from their deployed positions by plate 634 , which is held in its rearward-most position by ramped retainers 638 as described above. This prevents seat 612 from being used for seating at substantially all times that legs 620 are not fully deployed.
- Thumbscrew 650 provides a two-step device for securing seat 612 in the deployed configuration, so that a single inadvertent movement of thumbscrew 650 cannot release seat 612 for movement to the stowed configuration.
- a user must first rotate thumbscrew 650 to disengage the threads from bore 660 , and then pull thumbscrew 650 outwardly to disengage tip portion 654 from bore 660 , which allows seat 612 and seatback 614 to be pivoted toward their stowed configuration along travel motions dictated by four-bar linkage 619 .
- FIGS. 41 - 42 B a partially-toothed plunger tip 662 is received in a partially-toothed bore 660 ′ of a seat support piece 658 ′ that has a ramped surface 658 a ′, which correspond to like-numbered components discussed above.
- Plunger tip 662 is received in a tubular support 664 that contains a coil spring 666 for biasing plunger tip 662 into bore 660 ′.
- Plunger tip 662 is coupled to an L-shaped handle 668 having a horizontal shaft portion 668 a that passes through spring 666 and tubular support 664 , and an angled gripping portion 668 b that extends outwardly from tubular support 664 .
- the engagement of plunger tip 662 and horizontal shaft portion 668 a with tubular support 664 exhibits sufficiently low friction such that the weight of angled gripping portion 668 b is sufficient to cause gripping portion 668 b to rotate downwardly as shown in FIGS. 41 - 42 B when not being grasped and manipulated by a user.
- the teeth along the partially-toothed plunger tip 662 are arranged along the same side as the direction of angled gripping portion 668 b , so that the teeth face downwardly when gripping portion 668 b is angled downwardly as shown in FIGS. 42 A and 42 B .
- the teeth of partially-toothed bore 660 ′ are arranged along a lower surface thereof ( FIGS. 42 A and 42 B ) so that they can only be engaged by the teeth of plunger tip 662 when angled gripping portion 668 b is angled downwardly as shown.
- plunger tip 662 and handle 668 operate in much the same way as thumbscrew 650 , to the extent that handle 668 must be initially rotated to disengage teeth of plunger tip 662 from the teeth of bore 660 ′, before the handle 668 can be pulled outwardly to disengage plunger tip 662 from bore 660 ′ and allowing seat 612 two pivoted away from the deployed configuration.
- seat 612 may be biased slightly upwardly relative to seat support piece 658 ′ so that plunger tip 662 is urged into engagement with and upper surface of bore 660 ′ when a user is not seated.
- This causes the teeth of plunger tip 662 to disengage the teeth of bore 660 ′ when the chair 600 is not in use, and allows a user to pull outwardly on the handle 668 , and thereby disengage plunger tip 662 from bore 660 ′ even without rotating gripping portion 668 b away from the downward-angled orientation.
- FIG. 42 A and 42 B seat 612 may be biased slightly upwardly relative to seat support piece 658 ′ so that plunger tip 662 is urged into engagement with and upper surface of bore 660 ′ when a user is not seated.
- a single outward-pulling a motion on handle 668 is all that is needed to release seat 612 and seatback 614 from their deployed configuration.
- this overcomes the upward-biasing force of the seat-to-support-piece coupling and causes seat 612 to move slightly downwardly relative to seat support piece 658 ′ so that the teeth of plunger tip 662 engage the teeth of bore 660 ′.
- This engagement prevents a seated user from releasing plunger tip 662 to initiate the stowage motion, unless they deliberately rotate handle 668 first.
- handle 668 may be prevented from rotating when the circumferential ends of the plunger tip teeth contact the circumferential ends of the bore teeth, which will occur only if sufficient weight is placed on seat 612 .
- the teeth of plunger tip 662 in the teeth of bore 660 ′ are sized and shaped such that, even when no weight is placed on seat 612 ( FIG. 42 A ), handle 668 may not be withdrawn horizontally to disengage plunger tip 662 from bore 660 ′ until handle 668 is sufficiently rotated (such as by about 90°) to fully disengage the teeth from one another. In that manner, a user is entirely prevented from releasing handle 668 while seated, and may only release handle 668 when not seated, by first rotating the handle to fully disengage the teeth and then pulling it outwardly to fully disengage the plunger 662 from the bore 660 ′.
- 41 - 42 B is therefore easy to use, returns itself to a fully secured position by a combination of spring force and gravitational force, is not operable while a user is seated, and requires a simple but two-step motion (only possible when the seat is unloaded) to initiate the stowage sequence.
- Collapsible chair 600 may be stored inside a storage and desk unit 720 having a pair of front doors 728 that, once pivoted open as shown in FIG. 42 A , can be retracted rearwardly into a chair storage area 732 along interior surfaces of respective spaced-apart upright supports or sidewalls 724 . Doors 728 can pivot to a fully closed position when chair 600 is located in storage area 732 , presenting the appearance of a conventional storage cabinet.
- a top panel 722 extends between top edges of sidewalls 724 , and is extendable in a forward direction as shown in FIG. 46 B to provide a convenient work surface for a person seated at a chair.
- An internal storage tray 730 is located at an upper-rear region of storage area 732 , and is revealed when top panel 722 is moved to its forward position.
- Storage tray 730 may include one or more pass-throughs for electrical cords, electrical power and/or data outlets, divided storage areas, and the like, which are closed off and not visible when top panel 722 is moved to its closed or rearward position of FIG. 46 A .
- a recessed area 722 a along a rear edge portion of top panel 722 provides a gripping surface for pulling top panel 722 to its forward position, and also provides a cord pass-through for any electrical or electronic devices or lighting that may be positioned atop top panel 722 .
- seatback 614 provides height adjustability for backrest 644 relative to backrest bracket 646 using a friction mechanism 670 operated using a hand-operated nut 672 .
- Hand-operated nut 672 is threadedly engaged with a threaded shaft portion 674 a of a T-bolt 674 , which has an enlarged head portion 674 b movably coupled to backrest 644 at a vertical C-shaped channel 675 , as best shown in FIG. 44 .
- a smooth shaft portion 674 c is located between threaded shaft portion 674 a and enlarged head portion 674 b , and is received through an opening 676 formed in backrest bracket 646 when hand-operated nut 672 is sufficiently loosened.
- enlarged head portion 674 b may traverse through C-shaped channel 675 and allow backrest 644 to move between a fully lowered position ( FIG. 45 A ) and a fully raised position ( FIG. 45 B ), and along a continuum of intermediate positions including the middle position of FIGS. 43 A and 43 B .
- another collapsible chair 800 includes a seat 812 and seatback 814 supported on a seat post 816 , and a leg assembly or mechanism 818 that supports the seat post 816 .
- the seat 812 and seatback 814 will move from a deployed position ( FIG. 47 A ) to a collapsed position ( FIG. 47 B ) once a user is no longer seated at chair 800 , such as due to gravity (the combined center-of-gravity of seat 812 and seatback 814 being located behind a pivot 858 b ) or spring-biased force.
- FIG. 47 B it is then possible to retract or collapse the front legs 820 as shown in FIG. 47 B .
- the chair's mechanisms prevent the front legs 820 from moving to the collapsed or retracted position of FIG. 47 B when a user is seated at chair 800 .
- legs 820 must be deployed before seat 812 and seatback 814 can be moved to their deployed position.
- chair 800 cannot be used until legs 820 , seat 812 , and seatback 814 are in the deployed configuration of FIG. 47 A .
- collapsible chair 800 utilizes a four-bar linkage to guide the movement of seat 812 and seatback 814 between the deployed and stowed configurations as shown in 47 A and 47 B.
- the four-bar linkage includes a lower link 819 a coupled between a forward pivot 858 a at seat support bracket 858 (bracket 858 being mounted at an upper portion of the seat post 816 ) and a rearward pivot 853 where lower link 819 a couples to a rear link 819 b .
- the rear link 819 b is pivotably coupled to lower link 819 a and is rigidly coupled with a rear bracket 855 that supports backrest bracket 846 and a lockout plunger 824 .
- Rear bracket 855 includes another pivot 857 to which a rear portion of seat frame 856 is pivotably coupled.
- Seat frame 856 has a central portion pivotably coupled to a rearward pivot 858 b of seat support bracket 858 , the rearward pivot 858 b positioned rearwardly and above forward pivot 858 a .
- Seat frame 856 thus forms the upper link of the four-bar linkage, allowing seat frame 856 and seat pan 836 to pivot together while seatback 814 , seatback bracket 846 , rear bracket 855 and lockout plunger 824 all travers an arcuate path together, substantially without changing orientation.
- a resilient bumper stop 861 protrudes upwardly from seat support bracket 858 , above and behind forward pivot 858 a , and provides a soft landing surface for a cross-plate 863 that extends laterally below seat pan 836 with opposite ends coupled to respective laterally spaced-apart portions of seat frame 856 .
- seatback 814 tilts forward relative to seat 812 until a backrest 844 of seatback 814 lies in close proximity to a seat pan 836 of seat 812 , such as shown in FIG. 47 B .
- a pair of rotational dampers 859 coupled to seat bracket 856 are positioned at opposite sides of rearward pivot 858 b .
- FIG. 47 B Only after seat 812 and seatback 814 have reached their fully stowed configuration of FIG. 47 B , can a pivotable front pair of legs 820 be moved out of their deployed configuration of FIGS. 47 A and 48 A and toward their fully stowed configuration of FIGS. 47 B, 48 J- 1 , and 48 J- 2 , with FIGS. 48 B- 48 I depicting in-transit positions of legs 820 , as will be described in more detail below.
- a leg-release mechanism 822 ( FIGS. 48 A to 48 J- 2 ) is actuated by a lockout plunger 824 located along a lower region of backrest bracket 846 as shown in FIGS. 48 A and 48 B .
- plunger 824 moves down and forward relative to seat post 816 and leg-release mechanism 822 at a central hub portion 818 a of leg assembly 818 , as shown progressively in FIGS. 48 A to 48 J- 2 , until plunger 824 is received into an opening 825 along the upper-rear portion of the central hub portion 818 a of leg assembly 818 .
- FIGS. 48 A to 48 J- 2 In FIGS.
- FIGS. 47 A, 47 B, and 49 A- 49 C the plunger 824 is fully received in opening 825 and mechanism 822 .
- Leg-release mechanism 822 is normally obscured from view by a cover 823 ( FIGS. 47 A, 47 B, and 49 A- 49 C ), and is shown with the cover removed in FIGS. 48 A to 48 J- 2 .
- plunger 824 is spaced above and behind leg-release mechanism 822 , such as shown in FIG. 47 A .
- Each movable leg 820 has a pivotable mount 826 at its proximal end, with a radially-extending lobe 828 ( FIGS.
- Synchronizing plate 834 defines a large central opening 836 having a curved forward edge 836 a that conforms to the round outer surface of seat post 816 , parallel side edges 836 b that are spaced apart by approximately the diameter of seat post 816 , a flat rear edge 836 c , and a rear opening or slot 836 d for receiving plunger 824 .
- a pair of ramped retainers 838 are biased inwardly by respective springs 839 , to the position shown in FIG. 48 A , to secure synchronizing and locking plate 834 in its rearward-most position of FIG. 48 A .
- Plunger 824 has a rounded forward surface 824 a for smoothly engaging inwardly-directed ramped surfaces 838 a of ramped retainers 838 ( FIG. 48 D ), pushing the ramped retainers 838 apart and compressing springs 839 and plunger 824 is moved further inwardly as shown in FIGS. 48 E to 48 F- 2 .
- ramped retainers 838 When ramped retainers 838 are biased inwardly by springs 839 , ramped retainers 838 secure locking plate 834 against forward movement relative to seat post 816 , which prevents the movable front legs 820 from pivoting out of their fully deployed positions of FIGS. 48 A to 48 F- 2 .
- Plunger 824 includes a pair of outwardly-biased ramped latch tabs 842 , which are forced inwardly by surfaces that define upright sides of opening 825 in the central hub portion 818 a of leg assembly 818 , as plunger 824 is inserted as shown in FIGS. 48 A- 48 E .
- release elements 840 allow plunger 824 to be removed rearwardly from opening 825 as long as front legs 820 are extended forwardly such that locking plate 834 is moved fully rearwardly by vertical pins 830 in forward slots 832 of locking plate 834 ( FIGS. 48 F- 1 and 48 F- 2 ).
- ramped retainers 838 are fully displaced outwardly by rounded forward surface 824 a of plunger 824 ( FIGS. 48 F- 1 to 48 G- 2 ).
- locking plate 834 is released by ramped retailers 838 for forward movement, because the inwardly-directed ramped surfaces 838 a of ramped retainers 838 are moved outboard of respective ramped outwardly-facing surfaces 840 a of release elements 840 (e.g., compare FIG. 48 E to FIGS. 48 F- 1 and 48 F- 2 ).
- release elements 840 only move with locking plate 834 , locking plate 834 is prevented from moving forwardly, thus preventing front legs 820 from moving rearwardly, until ramped surface 838 a are outboard of ramped surfaces 840 a .
- forward legs 820 may be pivoted rearwardly about their pivotable mounts 826 , causing their lobes 828 to move forwardly and thus urge locking plate 834 forwardly, which in turn causes ramped surfaces 840 a to slidingly engage ramped surfaces 838 a , as shown in FIGS. 48 H to 48 I , until ramped surfaces 840 a fully pass ramped surfaces 838 a in the forward direction as shown in FIG. 48 J- 2 (with FIG.
- 48 J- 1 being an equivalent view with locking plate 834 fully shown). While this movement is occurring, the forward movement of release elements 840 has also caused their inner surfaces to release the plunger's latch tabs 842 for spring-biased outward movement, which secures plunger 824 inside the central hub portion 818 a . This prevents seat 812 and seatback 814 from being pivoted back to the deployed configuration while forward legs 820 are retracted as shown in FIGS. 48 H to 48 J- 2 . A user must first extend the forward legs 820 fully, causing release elements 840 to retract plunger latch tabs 842 , before the user can release plunger 824 from central hub portion 818 a and return the seat 812 and seatback 814 to the deployed configuration of FIG. 47 A .
- a collapsible desk unit 920 is similar to those of FIG. 20 , including a moveable work surface 922 , a pair of sidewalls 924 , a pair of front doors 928 , and a back panel 926 .
- Desk unit 920 includes a pair of leg-receiving rails 930 that serve to center and collapse the chair's front legs 920 when the chair 800 is pushed into a chair storage area 932 of desk unit 920 , which is progressively illustrated in FIGS. 50 B- 50 F .
- Leg-receiving rails 930 define outboard recesses 930 a that receive the respective distal ends 820 a of pivotable forward chair legs 820 when the chair legs 820 are fully collapsed and chair 800 is fully receives in chair storage area 932 , such as shown in FIGS. 50 E and 50 F . This way, chair 800 may be pushed into chair storage area 932 with legs 820 deployed, and legs 820 move to the collapsed configuration upon engagement with leg-receiving rails 930 .
- a ball-detent mechanism 860 serves to releasably retain front legs 820 in the deployed and retracted configurations.
- Ball-detent mechanism 860 includes a ball 862 that is urged upwardly by a biasing member such as a spring 864 received and held in compression in a tubular bore 866 .
- Balls 862 which can also be seen in FIGS. 48 F- 2 and others in which most of locking plate 834 is omitted, are urged upwardly into engagement with a lower surface of the synchronizing and locking plate 834 .
- the lower surface of synchronizing and locking plate 834 defines a pair recesses 868 on each side, which align with respective balls 862 when the legs 820 are pivoted forwardly (extended configuration) and rearwardly (retracted configuration).
- Spring-biased engagement of balls 862 with recesses 868 causes a haptic feedback to the user when legs 820 reach their fully extended and fully retracted positions, and gently retains the legs 820 in the retracted or extended position until sufficient force is applied to overcome the springs 864 and urge the balls 862 out of the recesses 868 by moving the synchronizing and locking plate 834 .
- the collapsible furniture of the present invention provides sturdy furniture suitable for daily use, which is collapsible to a substantially smaller configuration for storage, and which is readily convertible from a deployed or in-use configuration to a stowed or non-use configuration.
- mechanisms may be used to help ensure that a user does not inadvertently put the furniture into an unsafe condition, such as collapsed chair legs while the seat is still positioned for use.
- two-step actuation may be required to initiate a change from the deployed configuration to the stowed configuration, while mechanisms help ensure a desired order of steps.
Landscapes
- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Dentistry (AREA)
- General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Chairs For Special Purposes, Such As Reclining Chairs (AREA)
Abstract
A collapsible office chair and reconfigurable work desk can assume compact stowage configurations to minimize floor space occupied during periods of non-use. The chair includes a seat and leg assembly both coupled to a seat post. The seat is pivotable from a use configuration to a tilted or stowed configuration that occupies less floor space. The leg assembly includes a plurality of legs coupled to a lower portion of the seat post, with one or more of the legs typically being movable from a use configuration that provides a suitably wide base for the seat in its use configuration, to a compact stowed configuration that occupies less floor space but can still support the chair in a freestanding manner. Optionally, a seat back is attached to the seat and is also repositionable between use and stowed configurations, the latter occupying less floor space and less vertical height.
Description
- The present application is a continuation-in-part of International Application PCT/IB2022/059828, filed Oct. 13, 2022, which claims the priority benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 63/393,955, filed Jul. 31, 2022, and of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 63/255,154, filed Oct. 13, 2021, all of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. The present application also claims the priority benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 63/460,601, filed Apr. 19, 2023, and of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 63/458,934, filed Apr. 12, 2023, both of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
- The present invention relates to furniture and, more particularly, to office furniture for use or storage in compact spaces or work areas.
- Office furniture commonly includes work desks and chairs. Many desks and chairs have been designed and marketed for home office use, such as by a person who as converted a bedroom or similar-sized room of their home for work use. However, many people do not have a room in their home that can be dedicated to use as a home office, and even if a portion of a room can be used for work, the furniture available for such use often takes up excessive space, especially during times outside of work hours, when the office furniture does not have a purpose. With more workers doing their work from home, including apartments or other small dwellings that do not have space to easily accommodate traditional office furniture, oftentimes a choice must be made between using home furniture (such as a dining table and chair) for work, or dedicating an undesirably large amount of floor space to work furniture that becomes an inconvenient obstruction during hours outside of work.
- The present invention provides a collapsible office chair and desk/storage unit with the size, functionality, and convenience of regular home office furniture, but which are configurable to a compact storage configuration to minimize the space they occupy during periods of non-use. For example, the chair's legs can provide a four-leg base with swiveling caster wheels, height adjustability, and a fixed or rotatable seat with backrest providing limited tilt for comfort, yet the chair's legs, seat, and backrest can all be pivoted or otherwise moved to occupy substantially less lateral “footprint” and vertical height for storage, such as inside a storage area of the desk/storage unit, under a table, or in a closet. The desk/storage unit has a movable work surface that can be extended to a horizontal or sloped configuration for use, and can be retracted to a vertical or upright or non-extended position for storage. The desk/storage unit may be capable of fully enclosing the chair in the stowed configuration. Additional interior storage may be provided for a computer, peripherals, or papers inside the desk/storage unit, while an upper surface may remain available for storage of a computer monitor or decorative objects to provide a more aesthetically pleasing appearance.
- These and other objects, advantages, purposes and features of the present invention will become apparent upon review of the following specification in conjunction with the drawings.
-
FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a collapsible office furniture system in accordance with the present invention, shown in a use configuration; -
FIG. 1B is another perspective view of the collapsible office furniture system collapsible office furniture system ofFIG. 1A , shown with the collapsible chair in a stowed configuration; -
FIG. 1C is another collapsible office furniture system ofFIG. 1A , shown in a stowed configuration; -
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the collapsible chair in the stowed configuration in a box with exemplary stowed dimensions shown; -
FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the collapsible chair in the stowed configuration, shown underneath a work table or desk; -
FIG. 3B is a perspective view of two of the collapsible chairs in their stowed configuration and nested together under a work table or desk; -
FIG. 3C is a perspective view of the collapsible chair with seat back in a stowed configuration and positioned underneath a table or desk; -
FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of the collapsible chair in the use configuration; -
FIG. 5 is a left side elevation view of the collapsible chair ofFIG. 4 ; -
FIG. 6A is another left side elevation view of the collapsible chair ofFIG. 4 , with seat back in the stowed configuration; -
FIG. 6B is another left side elevation view of the collapsible chair ofFIG. 4 , with seat and seat back both in the stowed configuration, and leg assembly in the use configuration; -
FIG. 7 is a front-left perspective view of the collapsible chair ofFIG. 6B ; -
FIG. 8 is another front-left perspective view of the collapsible chair ofFIG. 7 , shown with the leg assembly in the stowed configuration; -
FIG. 9 is a left side elevation view of the collapsible chair ofFIG. 8 ; -
FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the collapsible chair ofFIG. 8 ; -
FIG. 11A is a front perspective view of a leg assembly of the collapsible chair, shown in the use configuration; -
FIG. 11B is another front perspective view of a leg assembly of the collapsible chair, shown in the stowed configuration; -
FIGS. 12A-D are left side perspective views of the collapsible chair, depicting movements from the use configuration to the stowed configuration; -
FIGS. 13A-D are left side perspective views of the collapsible chair, depicting movements from the stowed configuration to the use configuration; -
FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of the collapsible chair; -
FIGS. 15A-C are left side elevation views of the collapsible chair, showing internal structures and depicting movements from the use configuration to the stowed configuration; -
FIGS. 16A and 16B are enlarged side elevation views of a rear portion of the seat and lower portion of the seatback of the collapsible chair, showing internal structures, and with the seat back in the use and stowed configurations, respectively; -
FIGS. 17A and 17B are additional enlarged side elevation views of a rear portion of the seat and lower portion of the seatback of the collapsible chair, shown with the seat back in the use and stowed configurations, respectively; -
FIGS. 18A and 18B are enlarged side elevation views of a middle region of the collapsible chair in the use and stowed configurations, respectively; -
FIG. 19 is a top perspective view of a work table in accordance with the present invention, having its work surface partially opened to show internal structure and storage; -
FIG. 20 is a front perspective view of two work desk and storage units in accordance with the present invention, shown with cabinet doors open and an upper work surface in extended and retracted positions; -
FIG. 21 is a series of left side perspective views of another collapsible chair in accordance with the present invention, depicting movements from the use configuration to the stowed configuration, and labeled with optional movement limitations; -
FIG. 22 is a series of left side perspective views of the collapsible chair ofFIG. 21 , depicting movements from the stowed configuration to the use configuration, and labeled with optional movement limitations; -
FIG. 23 is another series of left side perspective views of the collapsible chair ofFIG. 21 , depicting movements from the use configuration to the stowed configuration to the use configuration, and labeled with optional movement limitations; -
FIG. 24 is a left side elevation of another collapsible chair in accordance with the present invention, shown in a deployed configuration; -
FIG. 25 is a front-left perspective view of a seat back and base latch and release mechanism of the collapsible chair ofFIG. 24 ; -
FIG. 26 is a front-right perspective view of a rotary latch of the seat back and base latch and release mechanism ofFIG. 25 ; -
FIG. 27 is a front-left perspective view of a latch pin of the seat back and base latch and release mechanism ofFIG. 25 ; -
FIGS. 28A-28C are a series of left side elevation views of the collapsible chair ofFIG. 24 , with the seat and back shown moving from partially stowed to fully stowed positions; -
FIG. 29 is a top plan view of the chair legs and leg mechanism of the collapsible chair ofFIG. 24 ; -
FIGS. 30A-30C are a series of back-right perspective views depicting operation of a base latch; -
FIG. 31 is an enlarged back-right perspective view of the chair leg mechanism ofFIG. 29 ; -
FIGS. 32A-32C are a series of top plan views of the chair legs and leg mechanism ofFIG. 29 , showing movement from deployed to stowed positions; -
FIGS. 33A-33C are a series of back-right perspective views of the leg mechanism and locking mechanism that secures the seat back and base in stowed positions while the legs are stowed; -
FIGS. 34A-34C are a series of right side elevation views of the collapsible chair ofFIG. 24 , showing deployment of the chair from the fully-stowed configuration to fully-deployed configuration; -
FIGS. 35A-35E are a series of right side elevation views of another collapsible chair in accordance with the present invention, showing deployment of the chair from the fully-deployed configuration to fully-stowed configuration, and with details omitted; -
FIG. 36A is a rear-right perspective view of the collapsible chair ofFIG. 35A , showing details omitted fromFIGS. 35A-35E ; -
FIG. 36B is another rear-right perspective view of the collapsible chair ofFIG. 35A , shown with the seat pan released and partially moved to the stowed configuration, and with an enlarged inset view of a central region of the chair; -
FIGS. 36C and 36D are additional rear-right perspective views of the collapsible chair ofFIG. 35A , shown in final stages of seat movement to the fully-stowed configuration, with legs remaining in the deployed position; -
FIGS. 37A-37C are a series of front perspective views of the collapsible chair ofFIG. 35A , showing movement of the seat pan and seatback from fully-stowed configuration to fully-deployed configuration; -
FIG. 38 is an enlarged front perspective view of the seat pan and mechanism portions of the collapsible chair ofFIG. 35 , shown just prior to reaching the fully-stowed configuration; -
FIG. 39 is top plan view of the base of the collapsible chair ofFIG. 35A , with the legs shown in the fully deployed configuration and a lockout plunger disengaged from the leg-release mechanism; -
FIG. 40A is a top plan view of the central hub portion area designated XL inFIG. 39 , showing the leg-release mechanism with cover removed; -
FIG. 40B is a top plan view of the central hub portion and leg-release mechanism ofFIG. 40A , with a lockout plate of the leg-release mechanism omitted to show underlying structure; -
FIG. 40C is another top plan view of the central hub portion and leg-release mechanism ofFIG. 40A , shown with the lockout plunger initially engaging the leg-release mechanism; -
FIG. 40D is another top plan view of the central hub portion and leg-release mechanism ofFIG. 40A , shown with the lockout plunger fully engaging the leg-release mechanism; -
FIG. 40E is another top plan view of the central hub portion and leg-release mechanism ofFIG. 40A , shown with the front legs moving partially toward their stowed configuration; -
FIG. 40F is another top plan view of the central hub portion and leg-release mechanism ofFIG. 40A , shown with the front legs fully in the stowed configuration and the leg-release mechanism leaving the lockout plunger secured in the leg-release mechanism; -
FIG. 41 is a front elevation view of another seat pan support and latching mechanism, shown in the fully deployed configuration; -
FIGS. 42A and 42B are front partial-sectional elevation views of the seat pan support and latching mechanism ofFIG. 41 , shown with the seat pan support in respective positions when unweighted and weighted by a user; -
FIG. 43A is a side elevation view of the backrest assembly of the collapsible chair ofFIG. 35A , shown in a middle-height position; -
FIG. 43B is a side partial-sectional elevation view of the backrest assembly ofFIG. 43A , showing the adjustment mechanism; -
FIG. 44 is a top plan view of the backrest assembly ofFIG. 43A , showing the adjustment mechanism; -
FIGS. 45A and 45B are additional side elevation views of the backrest assembly ofFIG. 43A , shown in the lowered and raised positions; -
FIG. 46A is a front perspective view of a storage and desk unit in accordance with the present invention, shown with front doors open and top work surface retracted; -
FIG. 46B is another front perspective view of the storage and desk unit ofFIG. 46A , shown with the top surface extended; -
FIG. 47A is a sectional right side view of another collapsible chair in accordance with the present invention, shown in a fully deployed configuration; -
FIG. 47B is another sectional right side view of the collapsible chair ofFIG. 47A , shown in a fully collapsed configuration; -
FIGS. 48A to 48J-2 are top plan views of the central hub portion and leg mechanism of the collapsible chair ofFIGS. 47A and 47B , shown moving progressively from a deployed and locked configuration to an unlocked and retracted configuration, in which a synchronizing plate is omitted fromFIGS. 48F-2, 48G-2, 48H, 48I, and 48J-2 ; -
FIGS. 49A-49C are side sectional views of the leg mechanism of the collapsible chair ofFIGS. 48A and 48B , depicting ball detent operation while moving the front legs from the fully deployed configuration to the fully collapsed configuration; -
FIGS. 50A-50F are top plan views of a work table or desk with work surface omitted, and the collapsible chair ofFIGS. 47A-48B , forming a collapsible office furniture system, depicting steps of storing the collapsible chair into the work table or desk; and -
FIGS. 51A-51D are perspective views of the collapsible office furniture system ofFIGS. 50A-50F , depicting steps of storing the collapsible chair into the work table or desk. - Referring now to the drawings and the illustrative embodiments depicted therein, a collapsible
office furniture system 100 includes acollapsible chair 110 and acollapsible desk unit 120, both of which can be configured between respective deployed or “use” configurations and stowed configurations, such as shown inFIGS. 1A-1C . Referring toFIG. 1A ,collapsible chair 110 includes aseat 112, a seat back 114, aseat post 116, and aleg assembly 118, whilecollapsible desk unit 120 has a cabinet-like form including a top portion orpanel 122, a pair of spaced-apart upright supports orlegs 124 extending downwardly from thetop portion 122, a rear panel orsupport 126, a pair ofdoors 128 opposite therear panel 126, and amovable work surface 130. The desk unit's main components cooperate to define achair storage area 132 that is sized and shaped to receive thechair 110 when it its stowed configuration, such as shown inFIG. 1B .Desk unit 120 may be free-standing, or may be secured to a wall or ground surface to prevent movement. - The ability to reconfigure the
collapsible chair 110 allows it to assume a very compact stowage or “non-use” configuration with a significantly reduced footprint (occupied floor area) for times when the chair is not in use, making the collapsibleoffice furniture system 100 particularly well-suited for small work spaces that are also used as dwelling spaces, such as in apartments, dormitories, or other dwellings where space is limited. Thus, dwelling spaces that would not normally be considered sufficient in size to have a dedicated work area may nonetheless be provided with a temporary dedicated work area that can be stowed or reconfigured to a compact size when not in use. Thechair 110 may be used and stored independently ofdesk unit 120, such as underneath a narrow work desk or table 134 a (FIG. 3A ) or underneath a wider work desk or table 134 b (FIGS. 3B and 3C ). Whenchair 110 is in its stowed configuration, it may be nested withother chairs 110 of the same design, such as shown inFIG. 3B . Alternative tables or desk units are shown inFIGS. 19 and 20 . - As best seen with reference to
FIGS. 4, 5, and 14 , the collapsible chair'sseat 112 includes aseat pan 136 coupled to aseat bracket 138 along a bottom surface thereof, optionally with a set ofresilient bumpers 140 disposed between theseat pan 136 andbracket 138 to permit limited tilting movement ofseat pan 136 relative toseat bracket 138 when theseat 112 is in the use configuration. A forward Z-bracket 142 a and rearward mountingplate 142 b are provided for securingseat pan 136 toseat bracket 138 with a rearward tilt to theseat pan 136 as shown inFIG. 5 . - The collapsible chair's
seatback 114 includes abackrest 144 and abackrest bracket 146 forcoupling backrest 144 toseat bracket 138. Referring toFIGS. 5 and 14 ,backrest 144 is secured tobracket 146 with abackrest mounting plate 148, athumbscrew 150, and another pair ofresilient bumpers 140 that allow limited pivoting movement ofbackrest 144 relative tobackrest bracket 146 and mountingplate 148, for comfort.Backrest bracket 146 is generally J-shaped and includes alongitudinal slot 152 through which a shaft ofthumbscrew 150 passes to provide height adjustment for thebackrest 144 relative to thebracket 146. At its lower end region,backrest bracket 146 defines a tubular pivot-pin receiver 154 and a laterally-extendingpivot tongue 156. As will be described in more detail below, tubularpivot pin receiver 154 and a corresponding bracketpivot pin receiver 158 at a rear portion ofseat bracket 138 are designed to align coaxially with one another and receive abackrest pivot pin 160. Similarly,pivot tongue 156 defines a pair of releasepin receiver openings 162 that align coaxially with a corresponding bracketrelease pin receiver 164 that is forward of the bracketpivot pin receiver 158, to receive abackrest release pin 166, which can also be used to securebackrest bracket 146 in its stowed position as shown inFIGS. 16B and 17B .Pivot tongue 156 may engage a compressible andresilient pad 167, which is positioned between an upper surface ofpivot tongue 156 and an upper surface of seat bracket 138 (FIG. 17A ) to permit limited rearward pivoting movement ofbackrest bracket 146 andbackrest 144, for comfort. -
Seat post 116 may be a conventional component that optionally provides height adjustability forseat 112 relative toleg assembly 118. In the illustrated embodiment, and as best shown inFIG. 14 ,seat post 116 is a gas-charged unit having anupper portion 116 a with aninner piston 168 andrelease button 170, and an upperseat post bracket 172 that supports arelease lever 174 for selectively actuating therelease button 170 and allowing theinner piston 168 to be raised or lowered relative to alower portion 116 b that includes acylinder 176 that receivespiston 168. - Upper
seat post bracket 172 is coupled toseat bracket 138 via anintermediate bracket 178.Intermediate bracket 178 includes seat pivot pin holes 180 that align with corresponding pivot pin holes 182 at a lower region ofseat bracket 138 so that both sets ofholes seat pivot pin 184.Intermediate bracket 178 further includes seat release pinlower holes 186 a that align with corresponding release pin holes 188 at the lower region ofseat bracket 138 so that both sets ofholes 186, 188 receive aseat release pin 190 whenseat 112 is in the use configuration ofFIGS. 4-6A, 12A, 12B, 13C, 13D, and 18A . Finally,intermediate bracket 178 defines seat release pinupper holes 186 b that receive theseat release pin 190 only whenseat 112 is in the stowed configuration ofFIGS. 6B, 7-9, 12C-13B, and 18B . - In the illustrated embodiment,
leg assembly 118 includes astructural center tube 192 that receives the seat postlower portion 116 b and supports four legs that extend radially outwardly from an upper region thereof, such as shown inFIGS. 4-9 and 11A-14 . The legs include twofixed legs 194 that are rigidly coupled tocenter tube 192, and a pair ofpivotable legs FIGS. 1A, 3C, 4-7, 11A, 12A-12C, 13B -D, and 14) and a stowed configuration (FIGS. 1B-3B, 8-10, 11B, 12D, and 13A ). A pair of partial-disc-shapedbrackets 198 extend radially outwardly from a first or front side ofcenter tube 192, and are received in correspondingslots 200 formed at inboard or proximal ends of thepivotable legs FIGS. 5-6B, 8, 9, 11B, and 12A-14 .Pivotable legs disc brackets 198 by respective leg pivot pins 201 (FIGS. 11A and 11B ). Optionally,disc brackets 198 may define circumferential slots, grooves, or ridges (not shown) that are engaged by corresponding shapes (not shown) at the pivotable legs'slots 200, so that thepivotable legs center tube 192 while remaining secured thereto. - A releasable lock mechanism is provided to secure
pivotable legs FIGS. 4, 5, and 7-9 , a spring-loadedrelease pedal 202 may be coupled to center tube at its front or first side and covering central regions of thedisc portions 198.Release pedal 202 includes a ramped latch-hook 204 at each side, for engaging a lower portion of eachpivotable leg FIGS. 4, 7, and 11A .Release pedal 202 may be pushed downwardly to overcome spring force and disengage latch hooks 204 from thepivotable legs 196 a, 196, thereby allowing the pivotable legs to be moved out of their use configuration and into their stowed configuration, such as shown inFIGS. 8-10 and 11B . Thepivotable legs corresponding latch hook 204, which lowers during initial engagement and snaps up to secure the leg once the latch hook is fully engaged. - The
pivotable legs legs 194, and a stowed configuration in which the pivotable legs are moved closer to the correspondingfixed legs 194. In the stowed configuration, thepivotable legs seat 112 and seat back 114 stowed, is between the stowedpivotable legs legs 194 so that the chair remains stable and can be moved around by a user without tipping, even when thepivotable legs seat bracket 138 and the other components coupled thereto (includingseat 112,seatback 114, and seat post bracket 172) are not rotatable or pivotable about a vertical axis extending throughseat post 116, such thatseat 112 is only pivotable to the stowed configuration in the direction toward fixedlegs 194, which ensures that the chair's center of gravity moves aft toward fixedlegs 194 when theseat 112 is stowed. - While
FIGS. 12A-12D depict basic chair movements from the use configuration ofFIG. 12A to the stowed configuration ofFIG. 12D , andFIGS. 13A-D depict the basic chair movements from the stowed configuration (FIG. 13A ) back to the use configuration (FIG. 13D ), it is envisioned that various release and lockout mechanisms may be provided for safety, and to ensure that the chair's stowage mechanisms are only operated in a desired order, with one stowage step completed before the next stowage step may be initiated, for example.FIGS. 21 and 22 provide additional details on such release and lockout mechanisms. For example, in reference to the first (left-most) drawing ofFIG. 21 , theseat 112 andlegs 118 are not movable to their stowed positions while theseatback 114 is in the use configuration, theseat 112 may be lowered by a seated person, and the first stowage step must therefore be to move theseatback 114 forward to a first detent position as shown in the second drawing ofFIG. 21 , at which point thechair 110 may be stored under a conventional desk or table, for example. Before theseat 112 can be pivoted rearwardly from the use configuration to the stowed configuration in the third drawing ofFIG. 21 , theseat 112 is lowered onseat post 116, theseatback 114 is moved further forward and down to a second detent position in the second drawing ofFIG. 21 , which releases theseat 112 to pivot to the stowed configuration in the third and fourth drawings ofFIG. 21 . Optionally, friction joints, a bumper-stop, or a damper may be used to slow the pivoting movement and/or avoid an abrupt stop in the fully collapsed position. The act of tilting theseat 112 andseatback 114 fully rearwardly, as depicted in the third drawing ofFIG. 21 , releases the pivotable legs from a locked use configuration, and allows them to be pivoted to the stowed configuration of the fourth drawing ofFIG. 21 , in which the chair'sseatback 114,seat 112, andlegs 118 have all assumed their fully stowed configurations. Optionally, springs, latches, push-to-release mechanisms, and dampening devices may be used to facilitate movement between use and stowed configurations. - Similarly, and with reference to
FIG. 22 , theseat 112 andseatback 114 may be latched or retained in their stowed configurations until the pivotable legs have been moved and secured in their use configuration (first and second drawings ofFIG. 22 ). Theseatback 114 may be retained in its stowed configuration until theseat 112 has been fully moved to its use configuration, such as depicted in the second and third drawings ofFIG. 22 . Once the seat is fully in its use configuration, as depicted in the fourth drawing ofFIG. 22 , its height may be adjusted usingrelease lever 174 to adjustseat post 116, the pivotable legs are locked against moving out of the use configuration, and theseat 112 cannot pivot out of the use configuration. Similar stowage (fold) and out-of-storage (unfold) steps are illustrated and described inFIG. 23 . Thus, one chair movement action may enable the next, or one chair movement may inhibit another chair movement, in order to ensure safe and stable use and stowage of the chair. - Referring now to
FIGS. 24-34C , anothercollapsible chair 400 having aseat 412 andseatback 414 supported on aseat post 416, and aleg assembly 418 that supports theseat post 416.Leg assembly 418 includes a leg stowage and deployment mechanism that allows a front pair oflegs 420 to pivot simultaneously between an extended or deployed configuration (FIGS. 24, 28A-29, 32A, and 34C ) and a retracted or stowed configuration (FIGS. 32C and 34A ). When thefront legs 420 are stowed, the leg stowage and deployment mechanism captures apin 429 on a seat back bracket 417 (FIGS. 33A-33C and 34A-34C ) to retain theseat 412 andseatback 414 in the stowed configuration ofFIG. 34A .FIG. 28C depicts theseat 412 andseatback 414 in the fully stowed configuration, prior to moving thefront legs 420 to their stowed position that will capture the pin as shown inFIGS. 33A-33C , and as shown inFIGS. 34A-34C when viewed in reverse order. This prevents a user from deploying theseat 412 and/orseatback 414 when thelegs 420 are not deployed, so that thechair 400 cannot be used when thelegs 420 are in the less stable stowed configuration. - To reconfigure the
chair 400 from its deployed or use configuration to its stowed or non-use configuration, a user first releases twolatches FIGS. 25-27 . In the illustrated embodiment, arotary latch 405 may be cable-actuated (FIGS. 25 and 26 ) and a spring-loadedplunger pin 407 may be actuated by arelease handle 409 to release thepin 407 from a bore 411 (FIGS. 25 and 27 ). Both latches 405, 407 are released simultaneously by a user in order to initiate the movement of theseat 412 andseatback 414 from the deployed configuration to their stowed configuration via a four-bar mechanism 419 between the seat pan and seat backbracket 417 as shown generally, and with superimposed broken lines, inFIGS. 28A-28C . By requiring that two separately-actuatedlatches seat 412 andseatback 414, the risk of a user unintentionally releasing theseat 412 andseatback 414 is reduced, as releasing either one of therotary latch 405 or theplunger 407 will have no effect until the other is also released. - As the
seat 412 tilts back toward its stowed configuration, abase latch 421 is urged from its latched position (FIG. 30A ) toward its unlatched position (FIG. 30C ). Thebase latch 421 secures aslidable base plate 423 that can otherwise slide fore and aft relative to seat post 416 (FIG. 31 ). Thebase plate 423 has two sets ofteeth 425 opposite the base latch, the sets of teeth serving as gear racks for pinion gears 427 that rotate with the respectivefront legs 420. By tiltingseat 412 to its stowed configuration and causing thebase latch 421 to release the base plate 423 (FIG. 30C ), thefront legs 420 are enabled for movement to their stowed configuration by application of a force F (FIGS. 32A-32C ). Thebase plate 423 maintains thebase latch 421 in the released position such that thebase latch 421 will not prevent thebase plate 423 andlegs 420 from moving back to the deployed position. Thebase plate 423 and itsteeth 425 slave the movement of thefront legs 420 together, so that pushing on oneleg 420 with force F causes both legs to move toward the stowed configuration. Thepin 429 that is associated with the seat backbracket 417 lowers into horizontal alignment with a pair of hooks orears 431, which extend up from thebase plate 423, when the seat backbracket 417 reaches its fully stowed configuration (compareFIG. 34B toFIG. 34C , and observe pin lowering inFIGS. 30A-30C ). When thefront legs 420 are moved to their stowed position ofFIGS. 32C and 34A , thehooks 431 move forward to capture the pin 429 (seeFIG. 33 , compareFIG. 33B toFIG. 33A , and compareFIG. 34A to 34B ). Thus, stowing thefront legs 420 locks theseat 412 andseatback 414 in the stowed position as thebase plate 423 and associatedgear teeth 425 translate forward due to movement of thelegs 420, so that hooks 431 capture thepins 429. Theseat 412 andseatback 414 cannot be returned to the in-use deployed position until thefront legs 420 are again moved to their deployed position. - Referring now to
FIGS. 35A-45B , anothercollapsible chair 600 includes aseat 612 andseatback 614 supported on aseat post 616, and aleg assembly 618 that supports theseat post 616. As will be described in more detail below,collapsible chair 600 requires that a user take affirmative steps, in a specified order, to move the chair from the fully deployed configuration ofFIGS. 35A, 36A, and 37C , to the fully stowed configuration ofFIGS. 35E, 36D, and 37A . The chair's mechanisms prevent a user from sitting inseat 612 whileleg assembly 618 is retracted, and preventleg assembly 618 from retracting while theseat 612 is deployed or in-transit from deployed to stowed. Oncechair 600 is in the fully stowed configuration,leg assembly 618 must be deployed beforeseat 612 andseatback 614 can be moved to their deployed position. As a result,chair 600 cannot be used until it is fully in the deployed configuration. - Much like
chair 400 that is described above with reference toFIGS. 28A-28C ,collapsible chair 600 utilizes a four-bar linkage 619 to guide the movement ofseat 612 andseatback 614 between the deployed and stowed configurations as shown inFIGS. 35A-35E . Referring toFIGS. 35D and 37A , four-bar linkage 619 includes alower link 619 a coupled between a forward-upper portion of a seat support piece or bracket 658 (mounted at an upper portion of the seat post 616) and arear link 619 b, therear link 619 b coupled betweenlower link 619 a and a rear portion of a seat frame piece orseat bracket 656, a portion of theseat frame 656 extending betweenrear link 619 b and an rearward-upper portion of theseat support bracket 658, and the upper portion of theseat support bracket 658 between the coupling points of theseat frame 656 and thelower link 619 a. Asseat 612 tilts backwards,seatback 614 tilts forward relative toseat 612 until abackrest 644 ofseatback 614 lies in close proximity to aseat pan 636 ofseat 612, such as shown inFIGS. 35C-35E . Withseat 612 andseatback 614 in this configuration, they are not usable for sitting. Only afterseat 612 andseatback 614 have reached their fully stowed configuration ofFIG. 35C , can a pivotable front pair oflegs 620 be moved out of their deployed configuration ofFIG. 35C and toward their fully stowed configuration ofFIG. 35E .FIG. 35D depicts an in-transit position oflegs 620. - A leg-release mechanism 622 (
FIGS. 40A-40F ) is actuated by alockout plunger 624 located along a lower region ofbackrest bracket 646 as shown inFIGS. 36A-36C . During movement ofseat 612 andseatback 614 to the stowed position,plunger 624 moves down and forward relative toseat post 616 and leg-release mechanism 622 at acentral hub portion 618 a ofleg assembly 618, as shown progressively inFIGS. 36A-36C , untilplunger 624 is received into anopening 625 along the upper-rear portion of thecentral hub portion 618 a ofleg assembly 618. InFIG. 36D theplunger 624 is fully received inopening 625 andmechanism 622. It should be appreciated thatplunger 624 is not illustrated inFIGS. 35A-35E , but if theplunger 624 were present in those views it would be fully received in the opening and the leg-release mechanism in the positions depicted inFIGS. 35D and 35E . - Leg-
release mechanism 622 is normally obscured from view by a cover 623 (FIG. 39 ), and is shown with the cover removed inFIGS. 40A-40F . Whenseat 612 andseatback 614 are fully deployed,plunger 624 is spaced above and behind leg-release mechanism 622, such as shown inFIGS. 40A and 40B . Eachmovable leg 620 has apivotable mount 626 at its proximal end, with a radially-extendinglobe 628 extending in the direction opposite therespective leg 620, as best shown inFIG. 40B . Eachlobe 628 supports a respectivevertical pin 630 that is received in a respectiveforward slot 632 of a synchronizing and locking plate 634 (plate 634 not shown inFIG. 40B ). Synchronizingplate 634 defines a largecentral opening 636 having a curvedforward edge 636 a that conforms to the round outer surface ofseat post 616, parallel side edges 636 b that are spaced apart by approximately the diameter ofseat post 616, a flatrear edge 636 c, and a rear opening or slot 636 d for receivingplunger 624. - A pair of ramped
retainers 638 are spring-biased inwardly, to the position shown inFIGS. 40A and 40B , to secure synchronizing and lockingplate 634 in its rearward-most position ofFIG. 40A . A pair of downwardly-extendingpins 640, at a rear portion ofplate 634, engagerear surfaces 638 a of rampedretainers 638 whenlegs 620 are in their fully extended positions andplunger 624 has not been inserted into opening 625 of thecentral hub portion 618 a ofleg assembly 618 or theslot 636 d formed inplate 634. With rampedretainers 638 at their inward positions ofFIGS. 40A and 40B , the synchronizing and lockingplate 634 is prevented from moving forwardly due topins 640, which in turn securesmovable legs 620 in their extended positions because thepins 630 at eachlobe 628 ofpivotable mount 626 are trapped inforward slots 632 ofplate 634. Therefore,movable legs 620 cannot be moved to their retracted or stowed positions whileseat 612 and seatback 614 (and therefore plunger 624) are in their deployed configuration or in an in-transit position. - Referring to
FIG. 40C , a forwarded tip ofplunger 624 is inserted into opening 625 of thecentral hub portion 618 a ofleg assembly 618, and also intoslot 636 d ofplate 634, asseat 612 andseatback 614 approach their fully-stowed configuration.Plunger 624 includes a pair of outwardly-biased rampedlatch tabs 642, which are forced inwardly by surfaces that define upright sides of opening 625 in thecentral hub portion 618 a ofleg assembly 618, asplunger 624 is inserted as shown inFIG. 40C . In the plunger's position ofFIG. 40C , forward corners ofplunger 624 make initial contact with respective rampedsurfaces 638 b of rampedretainers 638. Further forward movement ofplunger 624 causes rampedlatch tabs 642 fully retract as they slide intoslot 636 d ofplate 634, and begins to force rampedretainers 638 outwardly so that they are no longer engaged bypins 640 ofplate 634. At the position depicted inFIG. 40D ,seat 612 andseatback 614 are almost fully stowed, with only a small amount of further travel remaining to urgeplunger 624 into full engagement with leg-release mechanism 622, as shown inFIGS. 40E and 40F . - Referring again to
FIG. 40D , with rampedretainers 638 retracted outwardly by the leading corners ofplunger 624, the synchronizing and lockingplate 634 is free to move forwardly in response to pivoting movement oflegs 620 away from their fully-deployed positions. This movement oflegs 620 is substantially synchronized byplate 634, which is prevented from pivoting aroundseat post 616 by respective guide surfaces 648 of thecentral hub portion 618 a ofleg assembly 618, which are located along respective sides ofplate 634. Therefore, only after a user has first movedseat 612 andseatback 614 to the fully stowed position is theplunger 624 fully inserted into leg-release mechanism 622 so thatmovable legs 620 can be manually retracted, thus drawingplate 634 forward by engagement ofpins 630 with the plate'sslots 632. Untilplate 634 is free to move forward because rampedretainers 638 have been forced outwardly (by plunger 624) to disengagepins 640, themovable legs 620 remain locked in their deployed positions. - In
FIGS. 40E and 40F ,plunger 624 is shown fully inserted into leg-release mechanism 622, such that the plunger's rampedlatch tabs 642 are spring-biased outwardly in front of the surfaces that define opening 625 along the upper-rear portion of thecentral hub portion 618 a ofleg assembly 618. Rampedlatch tabs 642 thussecure plunger 624 in the fully inserted position, thereby securingseat 612 andseatback 614 in their fully-stowed configuration untillatch tabs 642 are retracted by a subsequent leg-extension step, described below. InFIGS. 40D-40F theplunger 624 is no longer actuating any part of leg-release mechanism 622. Instead, the movements ofmechanism 622 fromFIG. 40D toFIG. 40E , and fromFIG. 40E toFIG. 40F , are caused by manual movement oflegs 620 from their fully deployed positions ofFIG. 40D to their fully stowed positions ofFIG. 40F . ComparingFIG. 40E toFIG. 40D , it can be seen thatmovable legs 620 have been pivoted part-way from deployed to stowed, causingpins 630 to traverse approximately halfway through theirrespective slots 632 inplate 634, and drawingplate 634 forwardly so that the rearward portions ofplate 634 definingslot 636 d allow the plunger's spring-biased rampedlatch tabs 642 to begin to extend outwardly to secureplunger 624 as described above. This forward motion ofplate 634 also causespins 640 engage the rampedinner surfaces 638 b of rampedretainers 638. - Final forward motion of
plate 634, caused by final stowage movement of thelegs 620, causes a forward edge ofplate 634 to contact aforward surface 635 of thecentral hub portion 618 a ofleg assembly 618 as shown inFIG. 40F , which prevents further rearward-to pivoting movement oflegs 620 so that thelegs 620 remain forward of the chair's center of gravity. This final forward movement ofplate 634 also forces rampedretainers 638 to their maximum outboard positions (FIG. 40F ), and allows the plunger's rampedlatch tabs 642 to extend fully outwardly. In this position withlegs 620 retracted, leg-release mechanism 622 does not allowplunger 624 to be withdrawn from opening 625 or slot 636 d, and therefore does not allowseat 612 andseatback 614 to be moved away from their stowed configuration. In order to moveseat 612 andseatback 614 away from their stowed configuration,plunger 624 must be freed to move out ofopening 625 and slot 636 d, which can only be accomplished by retracting the plunger's rampedlatch tabs 642. To do this,legs 620 must be manually moved to their deployed positions ofFIG. 40D , which forcesplate 634 rearwardly by engagement ofpins 630 inslots 632. Asplate 634 slides rearwardly, its rearportion defining slot 636 d slides along the ramped outboard surfaces of rampedlatch tabs 642 retract them inwardly (FIG. 40E compared toFIG. 40F ) until they are fully retracted (FIG. 40D ) and can pass rearwardly throughopening 625 oncelegs 620 are fully extended and a user begins to moveseat 612 andseatback 614 away from their stowed configuration. - The movement of
seat 612 andseatback 614 from stowed configuration to deployed configuration are depicted inFIGS. 37A-37C , which show a spring-biasedthumbscrew 650 that is used to secureseat 612 in the deployed configuration.Thumbscrew 650 has a knurled grippingportion 652 that is accessible to a user by reaching underseat pan 636, and a threadedtip portion 654.Thumbscrew 650 passes through the seat frame piece orseat bracket 656, where a spring (not shown) urgesthumbscrew 650 in an inboard direction when the spring force is not overcome by an outward-pulling force applied by a user to grippingportion 652. Referring toFIG. 38 , the spring force causestip portion 654 to engage and slide along a rampedsurface 658 a of the seat support piece or bracket 658 (to which four-bar linkage 619 is attached) asseat 612 is pivoted toward the fully-deployed configuration ofFIG. 37C . Abore 660 is formed in an outboard surface ofsupport piece 658, and receivestip portion 654 asseat 612 reaches its fully deployed configuration. The spring force ofthumbscrew 650 forces tipportion 654 intobore 660 so thatseat 612 is retained in the deployed configuration once reached. Desirably, the user will then grasp grippingportion 652 and rotatethumbscrew 650 until a male threaded portion oftip portion 654 is threadedly engaged with a corresponding female threaded portion ofbore 660, so that'stip portion 654 cannot be inadvertently pulled out of engagement withbore 662release seat 612. Withseat 612 andseatback 614 secured in their deployed configuration ofFIG. 37C ,legs 620 are prevented from retracting by leg-release mechanism 622, described above. In fact, during most of the transition travel ofseat 612 andseatback 614,legs 620 are secured against movement away from their deployed positions byplate 634, which is held in its rearward-most position by rampedretainers 638 as described above. This preventsseat 612 from being used for seating at substantially all times thatlegs 620 are not fully deployed. -
Thumbscrew 650 provides a two-step device for securingseat 612 in the deployed configuration, so that a single inadvertent movement ofthumbscrew 650 cannot releaseseat 612 for movement to the stowed configuration. A user must first rotatethumbscrew 650 to disengage the threads frombore 660, and then pullthumbscrew 650 outwardly to disengagetip portion 654 frombore 660, which allowsseat 612 andseatback 614 to be pivoted toward their stowed configuration along travel motions dictated by four-bar linkage 619. - It will be appreciated that other two-step devices for securing
seat 612 may be envisioned, such as shown inFIGS. 41-42B . In those drawings, a partially-toothed plunger tip 662 is received in a partially-toothed bore 660′ of aseat support piece 658′ that has a rampedsurface 658 a′, which correspond to like-numbered components discussed above.Plunger tip 662 is received in atubular support 664 that contains acoil spring 666 for biasingplunger tip 662 intobore 660′.Plunger tip 662 is coupled to an L-shapedhandle 668 having a horizontal shaft portion 668 a that passes throughspring 666 andtubular support 664, and an angled gripping portion 668 b that extends outwardly fromtubular support 664. Preferably, the engagement ofplunger tip 662 and horizontal shaft portion 668 a withtubular support 664 exhibits sufficiently low friction such that the weight of angled gripping portion 668 b is sufficient to cause gripping portion 668 b to rotate downwardly as shown inFIGS. 41-42B when not being grasped and manipulated by a user. - The teeth along the partially-
toothed plunger tip 662 are arranged along the same side as the direction of angled gripping portion 668 b, so that the teeth face downwardly when gripping portion 668 b is angled downwardly as shown inFIGS. 42A and 42B . The teeth of partially-toothed bore 660′ are arranged along a lower surface thereof (FIGS. 42A and 42B ) so that they can only be engaged by the teeth ofplunger tip 662 when angled gripping portion 668 b is angled downwardly as shown. In this way,plunger tip 662 and handle 668 operate in much the same way asthumbscrew 650, to the extent that handle 668 must be initially rotated to disengage teeth ofplunger tip 662 from the teeth ofbore 660′, before thehandle 668 can be pulled outwardly to disengageplunger tip 662 frombore 660′ and allowingseat 612 two pivoted away from the deployed configuration. - Optionally, and as shown in
FIGS. 42A and 42B ,seat 612 may be biased slightly upwardly relative toseat support piece 658′ so thatplunger tip 662 is urged into engagement with and upper surface ofbore 660′ when a user is not seated. This causes the teeth ofplunger tip 662 to disengage the teeth ofbore 660′ when thechair 600 is not in use, and allows a user to pull outwardly on thehandle 668, and thereby disengageplunger tip 662 frombore 660′ even without rotating gripping portion 668 b away from the downward-angled orientation. Thus, when no user is seated, as would be the case inFIG. 42A , a single outward-pulling a motion onhandle 668 is all that is needed to releaseseat 612 andseatback 614 from their deployed configuration. When a user is seated and weighing uponseat 612, this overcomes the upward-biasing force of the seat-to-support-piece coupling and causesseat 612 to move slightly downwardly relative toseat support piece 658′ so that the teeth ofplunger tip 662 engage the teeth ofbore 660′. This engagement prevents a seated user from releasingplunger tip 662 to initiate the stowage motion, unless they deliberately rotatehandle 668 first. However, becausebore 660′ only has teeth along its lower surface, handle 668 may be prevented from rotating when the circumferential ends of the plunger tip teeth contact the circumferential ends of the bore teeth, which will occur only if sufficient weight is placed onseat 612. - Optionally, the teeth of
plunger tip 662 in the teeth ofbore 660′ are sized and shaped such that, even when no weight is placed on seat 612 (FIG. 42A ), handle 668 may not be withdrawn horizontally to disengageplunger tip 662 frombore 660′ untilhandle 668 is sufficiently rotated (such as by about 90°) to fully disengage the teeth from one another. In that manner, a user is entirely prevented from releasinghandle 668 while seated, and may only releasehandle 668 when not seated, by first rotating the handle to fully disengage the teeth and then pulling it outwardly to fully disengage theplunger 662 from thebore 660′. The seat release mechanism ofFIGS. 41-42B is therefore easy to use, returns itself to a fully secured position by a combination of spring force and gravitational force, is not operable while a user is seated, and requires a simple but two-step motion (only possible when the seat is unloaded) to initiate the stowage sequence. -
Collapsible chair 600 may be stored inside a storage anddesk unit 720 having a pair offront doors 728 that, once pivoted open as shown inFIG. 42A , can be retracted rearwardly into achair storage area 732 along interior surfaces of respective spaced-apart upright supports orsidewalls 724.Doors 728 can pivot to a fully closed position whenchair 600 is located instorage area 732, presenting the appearance of a conventional storage cabinet. Atop panel 722 extends between top edges ofsidewalls 724, and is extendable in a forward direction as shown inFIG. 46B to provide a convenient work surface for a person seated at a chair. Aninternal storage tray 730 is located at an upper-rear region ofstorage area 732, and is revealed whentop panel 722 is moved to its forward position.Storage tray 730 may include one or more pass-throughs for electrical cords, electrical power and/or data outlets, divided storage areas, and the like, which are closed off and not visible whentop panel 722 is moved to its closed or rearward position ofFIG. 46A . A recessedarea 722 a along a rear edge portion oftop panel 722 provides a gripping surface for pullingtop panel 722 to its forward position, and also provides a cord pass-through for any electrical or electronic devices or lighting that may be positioned atoptop panel 722. - Referring to
FIGS. 43A-45B ,seatback 614 provides height adjustability forbackrest 644 relative tobackrest bracket 646 using afriction mechanism 670 operated using a hand-operatednut 672. Hand-operatednut 672 is threadedly engaged with a threadedshaft portion 674 a of a T-bolt 674, which has an enlarged head portion 674 b movably coupled tobackrest 644 at a vertical C-shapedchannel 675, as best shown inFIG. 44 . A smooth shaft portion 674 c is located between threadedshaft portion 674 a and enlarged head portion 674 b, and is received through anopening 676 formed inbackrest bracket 646 when hand-operatednut 672 is sufficiently loosened. When hand-operatednut 672 is sufficiently loose, enlarged head portion 674 b may traverse through C-shapedchannel 675 and allowbackrest 644 to move between a fully lowered position (FIG. 45A ) and a fully raised position (FIG. 45B ), and along a continuum of intermediate positions including the middle position ofFIGS. 43A and 43B . - Referring now to
FIGS. 47A and 47B , anothercollapsible chair 800 includes aseat 812 andseatback 814 supported on aseat post 816, and a leg assembly ormechanism 818 that supports theseat post 816. As will be described in more detail below, theseat 812 andseatback 814 will move from a deployed position (FIG. 47A ) to a collapsed position (FIG. 47B ) once a user is no longer seated atchair 800, such as due to gravity (the combined center-of-gravity ofseat 812 andseatback 814 being located behind a pivot 858 b) or spring-biased force. Onceseat 812 andseatback 814 are collapsed as shown inFIG. 47B , it is then possible to retract or collapse thefront legs 820 as shown inFIG. 47B . The chair's mechanisms prevent thefront legs 820 from moving to the collapsed or retracted position ofFIG. 47B when a user is seated atchair 800. Oncechair 800 is in the fully stowed configuration,legs 820 must be deployed beforeseat 812 andseatback 814 can be moved to their deployed position. As a result,chair 800 cannot be used untillegs 820,seat 812, andseatback 814 are in the deployed configuration ofFIG. 47A . - Much like
chair 400 that is described above with reference toFIGS. 28A-28C , andchair 600 described above with reference toFIGS. 35A-35E ,collapsible chair 800 utilizes a four-bar linkage to guide the movement ofseat 812 andseatback 814 between the deployed and stowed configurations as shown in 47A and 47B. The four-bar linkage includes alower link 819 a coupled between aforward pivot 858 a at seat support bracket 858 (bracket 858 being mounted at an upper portion of the seat post 816) and arearward pivot 853 wherelower link 819 a couples to a rear link 819 b. The rear link 819 b is pivotably coupled tolower link 819 a and is rigidly coupled with arear bracket 855 that supportsbackrest bracket 846 and alockout plunger 824.Rear bracket 855 includes anotherpivot 857 to which a rear portion ofseat frame 856 is pivotably coupled.Seat frame 856 has a central portion pivotably coupled to a rearward pivot 858 b ofseat support bracket 858, the rearward pivot 858 b positioned rearwardly and aboveforward pivot 858 a.Seat frame 856 thus forms the upper link of the four-bar linkage, allowingseat frame 856 andseat pan 836 to pivot together whileseatback 814,seatback bracket 846,rear bracket 855 andlockout plunger 824 all travers an arcuate path together, substantially without changing orientation. A resilient bumper stop 861 protrudes upwardly fromseat support bracket 858, above and behindforward pivot 858 a, and provides a soft landing surface for a cross-plate 863 that extends laterally belowseat pan 836 with opposite ends coupled to respective laterally spaced-apart portions ofseat frame 856. - As
seat 812 tilts backwards,seatback 814 tilts forward relative toseat 812 until abackrest 844 ofseatback 814 lies in close proximity to aseat pan 836 ofseat 812, such as shown inFIG. 47B . Optionally, a pair of rotational dampers 859 coupled toseat bracket 856 are positioned at opposite sides of rearward pivot 858 b. Once a person is no longer seated, gravity and/or spring force causes a rear portion of theseat 812 to drop while the dampers 859 slow the movement ofseat 812 andbackrest 814 from the deployed configuration ofFIG. 47A to the collapsed ofFIG. 47B . Withseat 812 andseatback 814 in the collapsed configuration (FIG. 47B ),chair 800 is not usable for sitting. Only afterseat 812 andseatback 814 have reached their fully stowed configuration ofFIG. 47B , can a pivotable front pair oflegs 820 be moved out of their deployed configuration ofFIGS. 47A and 48A and toward their fully stowed configuration ofFIGS. 47B, 48J-1, and 48J-2 , withFIGS. 48B-48I depicting in-transit positions oflegs 820, as will be described in more detail below. - A leg-release mechanism 822 (
FIGS. 48A to 48J-2 ) is actuated by alockout plunger 824 located along a lower region ofbackrest bracket 846 as shown inFIGS. 48A and 48B . During movement ofseat 812 andseatback 814 to the stowed position,plunger 824 moves down and forward relative toseat post 816 and leg-release mechanism 822 at acentral hub portion 818 a ofleg assembly 818, as shown progressively inFIGS. 48A to 48J-2 , untilplunger 824 is received into anopening 825 along the upper-rear portion of thecentral hub portion 818 a ofleg assembly 818. InFIGS. 48F-1 to 48G-2 theplunger 824 is fully received inopening 825 andmechanism 822. Leg-release mechanism 822 is normally obscured from view by a cover 823 (FIGS. 47A, 47B, and 49A-49C ), and is shown with the cover removed inFIGS. 48A to 48J-2 . Whenseat 812 andseatback 814 are fully deployed,plunger 824 is spaced above and behind leg-release mechanism 822, such as shown inFIG. 47A . Eachmovable leg 820 has apivotable mount 826 at its proximal end, with a radially-extending lobe 828 (FIGS. 48F-2, 48G-2 to 48I and 48J-2 ) extending in the direction opposite therespective leg 820. Eachlobe 828 supports a respectivevertical pin 830 that is received in a respectiveforward slot 832 of a synchronizing and lockingplate 834. Synchronizingplate 834 defines a largecentral opening 836 having a curvedforward edge 836 a that conforms to the round outer surface ofseat post 816, parallel side edges 836 b that are spaced apart by approximately the diameter ofseat post 816, a flatrear edge 836 c, and a rear opening or slot 836 d for receivingplunger 824. - A pair of ramped
retainers 838 are biased inwardly byrespective springs 839, to the position shown inFIG. 48A , to secure synchronizing and lockingplate 834 in its rearward-most position ofFIG. 48A .Plunger 824 has a roundedforward surface 824 a for smoothly engaging inwardly-directed ramped surfaces 838 a of ramped retainers 838 (FIG. 48D ), pushing the rampedretainers 838 apart and compressingsprings 839 andplunger 824 is moved further inwardly as shown inFIGS. 48E to 48F-2 . When rampedretainers 838 are biased inwardly bysprings 839, rampedretainers 838secure locking plate 834 against forward movement relative to seatpost 816, which prevents the movablefront legs 820 from pivoting out of their fully deployed positions ofFIGS. 48A to 48F-2 .Plunger 824 includes a pair of outwardly-biased rampedlatch tabs 842, which are forced inwardly by surfaces that define upright sides of opening 825 in thecentral hub portion 818 a ofleg assembly 818, asplunger 824 is inserted as shown inFIGS. 48A-48E . Once plunger is fully inserted intoopening 825, rampedretainers 838 are fully displaced outwardly and the plunger'slatch tabs 842 are held compressed inwardly by a pair of downward-extendingrelease elements 840.Release elements 840 allowplunger 824 to be removed rearwardly from opening 825 as long asfront legs 820 are extended forwardly such that lockingplate 834 is moved fully rearwardly byvertical pins 830 inforward slots 832 of locking plate 834 (FIGS. 48F-1 and 48F-2 ). - Once ramped
retainers 838 are fully displaced outwardly by roundedforward surface 824 a of plunger 824 (FIGS. 48F-1 to 48G-2 ), lockingplate 834 is released by rampedretailers 838 for forward movement, because the inwardly-directed ramped surfaces 838 a of rampedretainers 838 are moved outboard of respective ramped outwardly-facingsurfaces 840 a of release elements 840 (e.g., compareFIG. 48E toFIGS. 48F-1 and 48F-2 ). Becauserelease elements 840 only move with lockingplate 834, lockingplate 834 is prevented from moving forwardly, thus preventingfront legs 820 from moving rearwardly, until ramped surface 838 a are outboard of rampedsurfaces 840 a. At that point forwardlegs 820 may be pivoted rearwardly about theirpivotable mounts 826, causing theirlobes 828 to move forwardly and thus urge lockingplate 834 forwardly, which in turn causes rampedsurfaces 840 a to slidingly engage ramped surfaces 838 a, as shown inFIGS. 48H to 48I , until ramped surfaces 840 a fully pass ramped surfaces 838 a in the forward direction as shown inFIG. 48J-2 (withFIG. 48J-1 being an equivalent view with lockingplate 834 fully shown). While this movement is occurring, the forward movement ofrelease elements 840 has also caused their inner surfaces to release the plunger'slatch tabs 842 for spring-biased outward movement, which securesplunger 824 inside thecentral hub portion 818 a. This preventsseat 812 andseatback 814 from being pivoted back to the deployed configuration whileforward legs 820 are retracted as shown inFIGS. 48H to 48J-2 . A user must first extend theforward legs 820 fully, causingrelease elements 840 to retractplunger latch tabs 842, before the user can releaseplunger 824 fromcentral hub portion 818 a and return theseat 812 andseatback 814 to the deployed configuration ofFIG. 47A . - Referring to
FIGS. 50A-51D , acollapsible desk unit 920 is similar to those ofFIG. 20 , including amoveable work surface 922, a pair ofsidewalls 924, a pair offront doors 928, and aback panel 926.Desk unit 920 includes a pair of leg-receivingrails 930 that serve to center and collapse the chair'sfront legs 920 when thechair 800 is pushed into achair storage area 932 ofdesk unit 920, which is progressively illustrated inFIGS. 50B-50F . Leg-receivingrails 930 defineoutboard recesses 930 a that receive the respective distal ends 820 a of pivotableforward chair legs 820 when thechair legs 820 are fully collapsed andchair 800 is fully receives inchair storage area 932, such as shown inFIGS. 50E and 50F . This way,chair 800 may be pushed intochair storage area 932 withlegs 820 deployed, andlegs 820 move to the collapsed configuration upon engagement with leg-receivingrails 930. - Optionally, and as shown in
FIGS. 47A and 47B , and in particularFIGS. 49A-49C , a ball-detent mechanism 860 serves to releasably retainfront legs 820 in the deployed and retracted configurations. Ball-detent mechanism 860 includes aball 862 that is urged upwardly by a biasing member such as aspring 864 received and held in compression in atubular bore 866.Balls 862, which can also be seen inFIGS. 48F-2 and others in which most of lockingplate 834 is omitted, are urged upwardly into engagement with a lower surface of the synchronizing and lockingplate 834. The lower surface of synchronizing and lockingplate 834 defines a pair recesses 868 on each side, which align withrespective balls 862 when thelegs 820 are pivoted forwardly (extended configuration) and rearwardly (retracted configuration). Spring-biased engagement ofballs 862 with recesses 868 causes a haptic feedback to the user whenlegs 820 reach their fully extended and fully retracted positions, and gently retains thelegs 820 in the retracted or extended position until sufficient force is applied to overcome thesprings 864 and urge theballs 862 out of the recesses 868 by moving the synchronizing and lockingplate 834. - Therefore, the collapsible furniture of the present invention provides sturdy furniture suitable for daily use, which is collapsible to a substantially smaller configuration for storage, and which is readily convertible from a deployed or in-use configuration to a stowed or non-use configuration. Despite being readily convertible, mechanisms may be used to help ensure that a user does not inadvertently put the furniture into an unsafe condition, such as collapsed chair legs while the seat is still positioned for use. In some cases, two-step actuation may be required to initiate a change from the deployed configuration to the stowed configuration, while mechanisms help ensure a desired order of steps.
- Changes and modifications in the specifically described embodiments may be carried out without departing from the principles of the present invention, which is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims, as interpreted according to the principles of patent law including the doctrine of equivalents.
Claims (20)
1. A collapsible office chair comprising:
a seat post having upper and lower portions;
a seat pivotably coupled to said upper portion of said seat post, wherein said seat is pivotable between a generally horizontal use configuration and a stowed configuration that is angled at least 45 degrees from the use configuration; and
a leg assembly comprising a plurality of legs coupled to and extending radially outwardly from said lower portion of said seat post;
wherein a first of said legs is selectively repositionable between a use configuration in which said first leg is spaced a first distance away from a second of said legs, and a stowed configuration in which said first leg is spaced a second distance away from said second leg, wherein the second distance is less than the first distance.
2. The collapsible office chair of claim 1 , wherein said seat post has front and back sides located opposite one another, with said first leg located at said front side in said use configuration, wherein when said seat is positioned in the stowed configuration, said chair's center of gravity is offset to said back side of said seat post, and when said first leg is moved away from the use configuration toward the stowed configuration, said first leg is moved from said front side of said seat post in a direction toward said back side.
3. The collapsible office chair of claim 2 , wherein said second leg is non-pivotable, and wherein said leg assembly comprises at least four legs including a third leg that is non-pivotable and a fourth leg that is selectively repositionable between a use configuration and a stowed configuration.
4. The collapsible office chair of claim 3 , wherein when said fourth leg is positioned to the stowed configuration, said fourth leg is moved from said front side of said seat post in a direction toward said back side, and away from said first leg.
5. The collapsible office chair of claim 4 , wherein when said first and fourth legs are in the respective stowed configurations, said first and fourth legs extend away from each other on opposite sides of said seat post, and said first and fourth legs do not extend in the direction of said back side of said seat post.
6. The collapsible office chair of claim 1 , wherein said seat is pivotable about a horizontal axis that is laterally offset from a longitudinal axis of said seat post.
7. The collapsible office chair of claim 6 , further comprising:
a seat post bracket coupled to said upper portion of said seat post; and
a pivot pin extending through said seat post bracket;
wherein said seat comprises a seat pan and a seat bracket extending downwardly from said seat pan, said seat bracket pivotably coupled to said seat post bracket at said pivot pin.
8. The collapsible office chair of claim 7 , further comprising a releasable lock spaced from said pivot pin and movable between a locking position in which said seat bracket is secured against pivoting relative to said seat post bracket, and an unlocked position in which said seat bracket is pivotable relative to said seat post bracket between said use and stowed configurations.
9. The collapsible office chair of claim 1 , further comprising:
a seat back including a backrest and a backrest bracket;
wherein said seat comprises a seat pan and a seat bracket extending downwardly from said seat pan;
wherein said backrest bracket is pivotably coupled to said seat bracket;
wherein said seat back is pivotable between a use configuration in which said backrest is spaced above and laterally away from said seat pan, and a stowed configuration in which said backrest is pivoted at least about 45 degrees toward said seat pan; and
wherein when said seat and said seat back are in their respective stowed configurations, said seat and said seat back lie fully within a lateral footprint defined by respective outermost portions of said plurality of legs.
10. A collapsible office chair comprising:
a seat post having upper and lower portions;
a seat pivotably coupled to said upper portion of said seat post, wherein said seat is pivotable between a use configuration and a stowed configuration;
a leg assembly coupled to said lower portion of said seat post, said leg assembly comprising:
a central hub portion;
a leg mechanism at said central hub portion; and
a plurality of legs extending radially outwardly from said leg mechanism, wherein at least two of said legs are pivotable between deployed and retracted positions;
wherein said leg mechanism is operable to secure said pivotable legs in the deployed position when said seat is in the use configuration, and to permit movement of said pivotable legs to the retracted position when said seat is in the stowed configuration.
11. The collapsible office chair of claim 10 , wherein said leg mechanism is operable to secure said seat in the stowed configuration when said pivotable legs are moved to the retracted position.
12. The collapsible office chair of claim 11 , wherein said leg mechanism is operable to permit said seat to move from the stowed configuration to the use configuration upon movement of said pivotable legs from the retracted position to the extended position.
13. The collapsible office chair of claim 12 , wherein said seat comprises a plunger that engages said leg mechanism when said seat is moved to the stowed configuration.
14. The collapsible office chair of claim 10 , further comprising a seatback pivotably coupled to said seat by a four-bar linkage, wherein said four-bar linkage is coupled to said seat post.
15. The collapsible office chair of claim 14 , wherein said four-bar linkage is configured to pivot said seatback forwardly relative to said seat when said seat is moved to the stowed configuration.
16. The collapsible office chair of claim 15 , wherein said seatback comprises a plunger that engages said leg mechanism when said seat is moved to the stowed configuration.
17. The collapsible office chair of claim 10 , further comprising a seat support bracket coupled between said seat and said seat post, and a securing mechanism operable to maintain said seat at the use configuration, wherein said securing mechanism is releasable in response to a two-step actuation.
18. A work furniture system comprising the collapsible office chair claim 10 , and a reconfigurable desk having a top portion, a pair of spaced-apart upright supports extending downwardly from said top portion, and a movable work surface coupled between said upright supports, wherein said movable work surface is positionable to a stowed configuration in which said movable work surface cooperates with said upright supports and said top portion to define a chair storage area that is sized and shaped to receive said collapsible office chair when said seat is in the stowed configuration and said movable legs are in the retracted positions.
19. A work furniture system comprising:
a collapsible chair comprising:
a seat post;
a seat pivotably coupled to an upper portion of said seat post;
a seatback pivotable relative to said seat; and
a plurality of legs coupled to a lower portion of said seat post;
wherein said seat and said seatback are pivotable between a use configuration and a stowed configuration; and
a reconfigurable desk comprising:
a top portion;
a pair of spaced-apart upright supports extending downwardly from said top portion; and
a movable work surface coupled between said upright supports;
wherein said movable work surface is positionable to a stowed configuration in which said movable work surface cooperates with said upright supports and said top portion to define a chair storage area that is sized and shaped to receive said collapsible chair when said seat and said seatback are in the stowed configuration.
20. The work furniture system of claim 19 , wherein:
said plurality of legs comprise at least four legs extending radially outwardly relative to said lower portion of said seat post;
at least two of said legs are fixed and at least two of said legs are pivotable between a retracted position in which said pivotable legs are closer to respective ones of said fixed legs and an extended position in which said pivotable legs are spaced further from the respective ones of said fixed legs;
said reconfigurable desk comprises a leg-receiving rail that is configured to receive at least one of said pivotable legs and cause it to move to the retracted position as said collapsible chair is urged into said chair storage area.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US18/634,058 US20240251951A1 (en) | 2021-10-13 | 2024-04-12 | Collapsible office furniture |
Applications Claiming Priority (6)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US202163255154P | 2021-10-13 | 2021-10-13 | |
US202263393955P | 2022-07-31 | 2022-07-31 | |
PCT/IB2022/059828 WO2023062583A1 (en) | 2021-10-13 | 2022-10-13 | Collapsible office furniture |
US202363458934P | 2023-04-12 | 2023-04-12 | |
US202363460601P | 2023-04-19 | 2023-04-19 | |
US18/634,058 US20240251951A1 (en) | 2021-10-13 | 2024-04-12 | Collapsible office furniture |
Related Parent Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/IB2022/059828 Continuation-In-Part WO2023062583A1 (en) | 2021-10-13 | 2022-10-13 | Collapsible office furniture |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20240251951A1 true US20240251951A1 (en) | 2024-08-01 |
Family
ID=91965255
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US18/634,058 Pending US20240251951A1 (en) | 2021-10-13 | 2024-04-12 | Collapsible office furniture |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20240251951A1 (en) |
-
2024
- 2024-04-12 US US18/634,058 patent/US20240251951A1/en active Pending
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US9609945B2 (en) | Article of furniture having a latch mechanism | |
CN107669021B (en) | Children high chair and operation method thereof | |
US8459741B2 (en) | Chair having legs that are adjustable independently and in a coordinated manner | |
US8960104B2 (en) | Table | |
JP5468791B2 (en) | Tray latch mechanism for infant chair | |
US7475944B2 (en) | Reclining and convertible seating furniture with trendelenburg feature | |
US6843531B2 (en) | Seating unit having a horizontally positionable seat section | |
US3717375A (en) | Adjustable stow-away table | |
US20160331125A1 (en) | Wall Mounted Deployable Furniture Piece | |
US5050929A (en) | Auxiliary furniture tray system | |
US20090212669A1 (en) | Storage unit with extension mechanism | |
CN219249627U (en) | Height-adjustable folding chair | |
US20080164729A1 (en) | Fold away laptop and keyboard table | |
WO2015065833A1 (en) | Article of furniture and method of stacking the same | |
WO2011133341A1 (en) | Ergonomic work station | |
US11992124B2 (en) | Collapsible adjustable height table | |
JP2021507146A (en) | Deployable equipment, especially stepping stones | |
US7395765B1 (en) | Rotatable table and method of use | |
US20200367658A1 (en) | Foldable wall bed/sofa | |
US20240251951A1 (en) | Collapsible office furniture | |
EP4415583A1 (en) | Collapsible office furniture | |
EP2740388A1 (en) | Outdoor reclining chair | |
JP2024535589A (en) | Foldable office furniture | |
TWM549013U (en) | Dual-purpose furniture structure of bed and chair | |
CN215190542U (en) | Support and child dining chair |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: EUDOKIA DESIGNS LLC, MINNESOTA Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:ALEXANDER, BRIAN;BOOK, WILLIAM GREGORY;JOHNSON, MICHAEL A.;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:067135/0564 Effective date: 20240410 |
|
STPP | Information on status: patent application and granting procedure in general |
Free format text: DOCKETED NEW CASE - READY FOR EXAMINATION |