US3220362A - Collapsible seats, stands or the like - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 30, 1965 A. J. DOWNES 3,220,362

COLLAPSIBLE SEATS, STANDS OR THE LIKE Filed June 5. 1964 F0 LD ED SEAT 2 1 0 ii, 16 25/ INVENTOR. Am /1on4 1T. :Dm/vnes BY United States Patent C) 3,220,362 COLLAPSIBLE SEATS, STANDS OR THE LIKE Anthony J. Downes, 2627 4 Ellendale Place, Los Angeles, Calif. Filed June 5, 1964, Ser. No. 372,808 Claims. (Cl. 108-112) This invention relates to novel articles of manufacture and is directed to novel collapsible seats, stands or the like.

An object or" this invention is to provide novel seats, stands or the like which may be easily and readily pro duced at low cost, and are easily and readily collapsible to form compact units which may be stored in small space.

A further object of the present invention is to provide collapsible seats, stands or the like, which are light-weight and cheap and therefor are economically disposable or after intial use may be stored for reuse and in collapsed condition are very compact whereby only a small amount of space is required for storage.

These and other objects of this invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of an embodiment of this invention when in collapsed condition.

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, but with the article of manufacture being in condition for use.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the article of manufacture shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the collapsed article of manufacture shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a blank from which the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1-4 may be formed or produced and also shows two strips of adhesive tape coupled therewith.

The illustrative embodiment of the invention, in the position of use, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 comprises a first pair of like vertical approximately rectangular panels and 11, a second pair of like vertical approximately rectangular panels and 21, and a pair of like approximately triangular top panels and 31.

The panel 10 has a horizontal bottom end or edge 12, a

pair of parallel vertical ends or edges 13 and 14 and a horizontal upper end or edge 15; and the panel 11 has a bottom horizontal end or edge 16, a pair of parallel vertical ends or edges 17 and 18 and a horizontal upper end or edge 19. The panels 10 and 11 are disposed in diverging relationship and at an acute angle with respect to each other, with the corresponding vertical ends 13 and 17 thereof being located near each other and hinged together by any desirable hinging means, which in this instance is a narrow strip or panel-hinge whereby said panels 10 and 11 are swingable towards each other to the collapsed position shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. The panel 20 has a horizontal bottom end or edge 22, an inner vertical end or edge 23, an outer vertical end or edge 24 and a horizontal top end or edge 25; and the panel 21 has a bottom end or edge 26, an inner vertical end or edge 27, an outer vertical end or edge 28 and a horizontal top end or edge 29. The ends or edges 25 and 29 and/or ends or edges 15 and 19 may be straight as shown or they may be slightly concave. The widthwise dimension of each of the panels 20 and 21 is materially and significantly less than the corresponding dimension of each of the panels 10 and 11.

The panels 20 and 21, like panels 10 and 11 are disposed in diverging relationship with respect to each other, with the angle of divergence therebetween being greater than that between the panels 10 and 11. With said panels 20 and 21 so disposed the inner verticals ends 23 and 27 of panels 20 and 21 are disposed within the space between the panels 10 and 11 and are hingedly coupled together by a hinging means, such as a flexible strip 46 adhesively secured thereto. The outer vertical ends 24 and 28 of panels 20 and 21 are hingedly connected to the vertical ends 14 and 18 respectively of panels 10 and 11 with any convenient hinging means, such as strips 47 and 48 of flexible material adhesively secured thereto. In this construction, the panels 20 and 21 are swingable about the hinging means 46 and about the hinging means 47 and 48 to swing said diverging panels 20 and 21 towards each other to collapsed position. As shown in FIGS 2 and 3, the internal angle of divergence between the panels 20 and 21 is materially less than 180 and is appreciable greater than that of the panels 10 and 11; and the panels 20 and 21 extend inwardly a considerable distance into the space between the panels 10 and 11.

The top panel 30 has an outer end 32 of approximately the same length as the horizontal end 15 of panel 10 and an inner side end 33 at an acute angle, as shown 30, to end 32 and a rear end 34 which may be at to the end 33; and the top panel 31 has an outer end or edge 35, an inner end 36, as shown at 30, to end 35 and a rear end 37 which may be at 90 to the end 36. The most acute corner of each of the triangular panels 30 and 31 are cut away as shown in FIG. 5. The outer end 32 of panel 30 is supported by and hingedly secured to the horizontal upper end 15 of the panel 10 by a hinging means such as a strip 49 of flexible material adhesively secured thereto; and the outer end 35 of panel 31 is supported by and hingedly secured to the upper end 19 of the panel 11 by a hinging means, such as a strip 50 of flexible material adhesively secured thereto. The top panels 30 and 31 extend outwardly beyond the upper ends 25 and 29 of the panels 20 and 21 and are disposed one alongside the other, with the inner ends 33 and 36 thereof being near each other and located in the space between said panels 10 and 11. These panels 30 and 31 are supported by both pairs of panels 10-11 and 20-21 and are hingedly connected together at the inner ends 33 and 36 thereof by a flexible strip 51 adhesively secured thereto. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, said top panels 30 and 31 are dimensionally approximately alike, are approximately horizontally disposed, are connected to each other and to the approximately dimensionally alike panels 10 and 11 and are of such widthwise dimensions as to prevent approximately dimensionally alike panels 20 and 21 from moving outwardly beyond the space between panels 10 and 11 and to limit the maximum internal angle of divergence between panels 20 and 21 to materially less than The aforedescribed article of manufacture, in condition of use, may be easily and readily collapsed into a compact item, shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. For that purpose, the user merely need press together with the fingers of only one hand the panels 10 and 11 whereupon the following will simultaneously occur: the panels 10 and 11 will swing to collapsed position, the panels 20 and 21 will swing to collapsed position in the space between the panels 10 and 11 in such position and the panels 30 and 31 will swing upwardly into collapsed position where they will be located outside of that space.

The novel article shown in FIG. 4 may be easily transported and/or stored for future use. When it is to be re-used, the article in collapsed condition is merely placed on a supporting surface and then the panels 30 and 31 are pushed down by one hand to horizontal position whereupon the panels 10 and 11 and panels 20 and 21 will simultaneously be swung outwardly away from each other to the positions shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

In the foregoing embodiment of the invention, all of the panels 10, 11, 20, 21, 30 and 31 may be separate individual elements which may .be composed of any appropriate material of the requisite strength and rigidity. However, I prefer that all of these panels be of commercially available and cheap, rugged and study corrugated cardboard. The cardboard consists of a pair of facing sheets of newsboard or heavy Kraft paper adhesively secured to a sturdy corrugated paper board therebetween thus presenting a sandwich effect. Such corrugated cardboard is so well known that further description or any illustrations thereof are obviously superfluous. All of said panels may be coated with a very thin protective coating or film which may be of any desired color or colors to make the article more durable and attractive in appearance and/ or may have imprinted or otherwise applied thereto advertising or other type written matter.

Instead of having the article of manufacture made up of separate panels which are individually combined to provide the article shown in FIGS. 1-4, said novel article may be made from a single flat sheet or blank of cardboard having the configuration shown in FIG. 5. The cardboard sheet shown in FIG. 5 consists of a rectangular body having the approximately triangular panels 30 and 31 extending therefrom at about the mid-length thereof. The inner facing of blank is slit or scored along the vertical doted lines and the horizontal lines shown in FIG. 5. The resulting blank now consists of the panels 10, 11, 21), 30, 31 and 40 which are integral with each other and are bendable along said slit-lines and are hingedly connected to each other thereat. If desired the two slit-lines which are close to each other at the midlength of the body position of blank 10 may be substituted by a singular slit-line at mid-length. However, I prefer that the body have the two central slit-lines as shown so that a narrow panel 40 is provided which makes for having a more compact article of manufacture when in collapsed condition. As shown in FIG. 5, at the slitlines the outer panels 20 and 21 are folded or bent over the inner panels 10 and 11. Then panels 10 and 11 are bent or folded over each other with the panels 20 and 21 therebetween and the panels 30 and 31 will be disposed facing each other with their corresponding edges close to each other. At this stage, strips of woven glass, cloth or paper, like strip 46 and others are adhesively secured to the hinged ends of these panels to act as a hinging reinforcement therefor. The inner ends 23 and 27 of panels 20 and 21 are hingedly connected together by applying such a strip 46 thereto. Then the strip 51 is applied to the inner ends 33 and 36 of panels 30 and 31 which are located close to each other to hingedly connect them together. As shown in FIG. 5, the strips 46 and 51 coated on one side with a pressure sensitive adhesive are applied to the blank before bending or folding.

These novel articles of manufacture when in position for use will support on the support panels 30 and 31 a person weighing 150 pounds or more seated thereon because the panels 10-11, 20-21 and 30-31 are of such sturdy corrugated cardboard or other material as to hold such person or object without collapsing. The lengthwise dimensions of the panels is such that a normal adult person may be comfortably seated on the article as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 or it may be of lesser dimensions for the comfortable seating of children. Consequently the articles of manufacture of this invention find use by children as collapsible seats for watching television, for example, as well as use by adults. In addition, it finds use as a stand in picnicking, etc. While the ends 35 and 36 and the ends 32 and 33 are shown in the illustration as being at about 30 to each other, it is to be understood that this is not given by way of limitation. Such angularity therebetween may vary over a wide range and may be any acute angle of say in the range of about 2060 for most uses. Also while the width of the narrow hinging panel 40 as shown is approximately equal to or a little greater than the thickness of panels 20 and 21 when in collapsed condition, I prefer that the width of panel 40 be about 1-10 times and preferably about 1-4 the combined thickness of the panels 20 and 21.

While the invention has been described in detail, it is not to be limited to the exact construction shown, because various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

I claim:

1. A unitary collapsible seat, stand or the like, in position of use being capable of supporting a person weighing pounds when seated thereon and comprising a first pair of upright panels disposed in diverging relationship and hingedly connected to each other at two corresponding vertical ends thereof whereby they are swingable laterally towards each other to reduce the extent of diver gence therebetween and to dispose them in collapsed position, a second pair of upright panels disposed in diverging relationship and extending inwardly a material dis tance into the space between said first pair of panels, with the internal angle of divergence between said second pair of panels being materially less than and greater than that of said first pair, the width of each panel of said sec ond pair being less than the width of each panel of said first pair, said second pair of panels hingedly connected to each other at corresponding vertical end-s thereof disposed near each other and located in the space between said first pair of panels and hingedly connected to said first pair of panels at the other vertical ends thereof and the other vertical ends of said first pair of panels, where by said second pair of panels are swingable towards each other to collapsed position within the space between said first pair of panels upon swinging of the latter pair to-- wards each other to collapsed position, and a pair of top panels together being a support supported by said two pairs of upright panels, said top panels being approxi mately horizontally disposed, connected to each other and to said first pair of panels, and of such widthwise dimensions as to prevent said second pair of panels from moving outwardly beyond the space between said first pair of panels and to limit the maximum internal angle of divergence between said second pair of panels to materially less than 180, said top panels hingedly connected to each other at a pair of corresponding inner ends thereof, the corresponding outer ends of said top panels being in diverging relationship with respect to each other, said top panels at said outer diverging ends being hingedly connected to the horizontal ends of said first pair of panels, whereby said top panels are swingable towards each other to collapsed position in space outside of the space between said first pair of panels when in collapsed condition, said first and second pairs of panels automatically swinging to said collapsed positions thereof simultaneously with and upon swinging said top panels to said collapsed position thereof, thereby to provide a compact, carriable unit adaptable to be converted to said position of use by swinging said top panels downwardly towards the normally upper ends of said first and second pair of panels thereby to cause said first and second pairs of panels to be swung outwardly and thereby dispose them as hereinbefore defined when said unit is in position of use.

2. A unitary collapsible seat, stand or the like as defined in claim 1, being of light weight, when in collapsed condition being compact and capable of being carried by one hand, each of said panels being cardboard.

3. A unitary collapsible seat, stand or the like comprising a narrow-upright panel, a first pair of relatively wide upright panels hingedly connected at the corresponding vertical ends thereof to said narrow-upright panel and extending therefrom in diverging relationship with respect to each other, said pair of panels being swingable towards each other to dispose them in col lapsed position, a second pair of panels, the width of each of said second pair of panels being appreciably less than the width of each of said first pair of panels, said second pair of panels disposed in diverging rela tionship, with the internal angle of divergence therebetween being appreciably materially less than 180 and greater than that of said first pair of panels, said second pair of panels hingedly connected to each other at corresponding vertical ends thereof located in space between said first pair of panels and hingedly connected to said first pair of panels and the other Vertical ends of said second pair of panels, said second pair of panels extending a material distance inwardly into the space between said first pair of panels, whereby said second pair of panels are swingable towards each other to collapsed position within the space between said first pair of panels upon swinging of the latter to collapsed position, and a pair of top panels supported by said two pairs of panels, said top panels being approximately horizontally disposed, connected to each other and to said first pair of panels, and of such widthwise dimensions as to prevent said second pair of panels from moving outwardly beyond the space between said first pair of panels and to limit the maximum internal angle of divergence between said second pair of panels to materially less than 180, the corresponding outer ends of said top panels being in diverging relationship, said top panels at said diverging outer ends being hingedly connected to said first pair of panels at the horizontal ends of said first pair of panels, the corresponding inner ends of said top panels being alongside each other and being hingedly connected to each other at said inner ends, said top panels automatically swinging towards each other to collapsed position outside of the space between said first pair of panels and said second pair of panels also automatically swinging to collapsed position between said first pair of panels simultaneously with and upon swinging of said first pair of panels to collapsed position thereby to provide a compact, carriable unit adapted to be converted to said position of use by swinging said top panels downwardly to the normally upper ends of said second pair of panels thereby simultaneously to cause said panels of said first pair to be swung outwardly and the panels of said second pair to be swung outwardly and thereby dispose them as hereinbefore defined when said unit is in position of use.

4. A unitary collapsible seat, stand or the like, in position of use being capable of supporting a person weighing 150 pounds when seated thereon and comprising a first pair of upright panels, corresponding vertical ends thereof disposed near each other, means hingedly connecting said panels to each other at said vertical ends, said panels extending from said ends in diverging relationship to each other, said panels being swingable towards each other about said means to collapsed condition, a second pair of upright panels, the width of each of said second pair of panels being less than the width of each of said first pair of panels, a pair of cor-responding vertical ends of said second pair located in space between said first pair of panels, means hingedly connecting said second pair of panels to each other at said vertical ends, said second pair of panels extending from said vertical ends thereof in diverging relationship to each other, with the internal angle of divergence therebetween being materially less than 180 and greater than that between said first pair of panels, means hingedly connecting said second pair of panels at the other corresponding vertical ends thereof to said first pair of panels at the other corresponding vertical ends thereof, said second pair of panels extending inwardly a material distance into the space between said first pair of panels, and a pair of top panels, said top panel-s being approximately horizontally disposed, connected to each other and to said first pair of panels, and of such widthwise dimensions as to prevent said second pair of panels from moving outwardly beyond the space between said first pair of panels and to limit the maximum internal angle of divergence between said second pair of panels to materially less than 180, the outer end of each of said top panels being at an acute angle to the inner end thereof, and means hingedly connecting said top panels at the outer ends thereof to said first pair of panels at the horizontal ends thereof, said top panels disposed alongside of each other and supported by said two pairs of panels, the inner ends of said top panels disposed near each other and means hingedly connecting said top panels at the inner ends thereof, said second pair of panels automatically swinging towards each other to collapsed position between said first pair of panels and said top panels automatically swinging towards each other to collapsed position outside of the space between said first pair of panels simultaneously with and upon swinging of said first pair of panels towards each other to collapsed position thereby to provide a compact carriable unit whose widthwise dimension is approximately that of one of said first pair of panels, said compact unit adapted to be converted to said position of use by swinging said top panels downwardly to the normally upper ends of said second pair of panels thereby simultaneously to cause the panels of said first pair and those of said second pair to be swung outwardly and thereby to dispose them as hereinbefore defined when said unit is in position of use.

5. A unitary collapsible seat, stand or the like comprising a first pair of approximately rectangular and approximately dimensionally alike upright panels disposed in diverging relationship and hingedly connected together at one of the corresponding ends thereof whereby they are swingable laterally towards each other to reduce the extent of divergence therebetween thereby to dispose them in collapsed position, a second pair of approximately rectangular and approximately dimensionally alike upright panels, the width of each of said second pair of panels being appreciably less than the width of each of said first pair of panels, said second pair of panels disposed in diverging relationship, with the internal angle of divergence therebetween being appreciably materially less than and greater than that between said first pair of panels, said second pair of panels hingedly connected to each other at corresponding vertical ends thereof located in space between said first pair of panels and at the other vertical ends thereof being hingedly connected to said first pair of panels at the other vertical ends of said first pair of panels, said second pair of panels extending inwardly a material distance into the space between said first pair of panels and a pair of approximately triangular top panels being dimensionally approximately alike, approximately horizontally disposed, connected to each other and to said first pair of panels, and of such widthwise dimensions as to prevent said second pair of panels from moving outwardly beyond the space between said first pair of panels and to limit the maximum internal angle of divergence between said second pair of panels to materially less than 180, said top panels being supported by said two pairs of upright panels and together forming a support and disposed one alongside the other, with the corresponding inner ends thereof disposed near each other and being hingedly connected together, the corresponding outer ends thereof being in diverging relationship and hingedly connected to the horizontal upper ends of said first pair of panels whereby when said first pair of panels are swung towards each other to collapsed position, they will simultaneously cause said second pair of panels to be swung towards each other to collapsed position in the space between said first pair of panels in collapsed position and said top panels to be swung towards each other in collapsed position outside of said space between said first pair of panels in collapsed position thereby to provide a compact carriable unit whose widthwise dimension is approximately that of one of said first pair of panels, said compact unit adapted to be converted to said position of use by swinging said top panels downwardly to the normally upper ends of said second pair of panels thereby simultaneously to cause the panels of said first pair and those of said second 7 pair to be swung outwardly and thereby to dispose them as hereinbefore defined when said unit is in position of use.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 641,500 1/1900 Davidson 22922 648,008 4/ 1900 Wellman 22918 1,455,569 5/1923 Caminoni 108-112 1,811,674 6/1931 Longiey 108112 FRANK B. SHERRY,

Mather 108115 Bowman 108115 Calabrese 108--115 Frankenstein 229-22 Sanchez 108-112 Lizan 108-115 Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A UNITARY COLLAPSIBLE SEAT, STAND OR THE LIKE, IN POSITION OF THE USE BEING CAPABLE OF SUPPORTING A PERSON WEIGHING 150 POUNDS WHEN SEATED THEREON AND COMPRISING A FIRST PAIR OF UPRIGHT PANELS DISPOSED IN DIVERGING RELATIONSHIP AND HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO EACH OTHER AT TWO CORRESPONDING VERTICAL ENDS THEREOF WHEREBY THEY ARE SWINGABLE LATERALLY TOWARDS EACH OTHER TO REDUCE THE EXTENT OF DIVERGENCE THEREBETWEEN AND TO DISPOSE THEM IN COLLAPSED POSITION, A SECOND PAIR OF UPRIGHT PANELS DISPOSED IN DIVERGING RELATIONSHIP AND EXTENDING INWARDLY A MATERIAL DISTANCE INTO THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID FIRST PAIR OF PANELS, WITH THE INTERNAL ANGLE OF DIVERGENCE BETWEEN SAID SECOND PAIR OF PANELS BEING MATERIALLY LESS THAN 180* AND GREATER THAN THAT OF SAID FIRST PAIR, THE WIDTH OF EACH PANEL OF SAID SECONE PAIR BEING LESS THAN THE WIDTH OF EACH PANEL OF SAID FIRST PAIR, SAID SECOND PAIR PANELS HIGEDLY CONNECTED TO EACH OTHER AT CORRESPONDING VERTICAL ENDS THEREOF DISPOSED NEAR EACH OTHER AND LOCATED IN THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID FIRST PAIR OF PANELS AND HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST PAIR OF PANELS AT THE OTHER VERTICAL ENDS THEREOF AND THE OTHER VERTICAL ENDS OF SAID FIRST PAIR OF PANELS, WHEREBY SAID SECOND PAIR OF PANELS ARE SWINGABLE TOWARDS EACH OTHER TO COLLAPSED POSITION WITHIN THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID FIRST PAIR OF PANELS UPON SWINGING OF THE LATTER PAIR TOWARDS EACH OTHER TO COLLAPSED POSITION, AND A PAIR OF TOP PANELS TOGETHER BEING A SUPPORT SUPPORTED BY SAID TWO PAIRS OF UPRIGHT PANELS, SAID TOP PANELS BEING APPROXIMATELY HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED, CONNECTED TO EACH OTHER AND TO SAID FIRST PAIR OF PANELS, AND OF SUCH WIDTHWISE DIMENSIONS AS TO PREVENT SAID SECOND PAIR OF PANELS FROM MOVING OUTWARDLY BEYOND THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID FIRST PAIR OF PANELS AND TO LIMIT THE MAXIMUM INTERNAL ANGLE OF DIVERGENCE BETWEEN SAID SECOND PAIR OF PANELS TO MATERIALLY LESS THAN 180*, SAID TOP PANELS HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO EACH OTHER AT A PAIR OF CORRESPONDING INNER ENDS THEREOF, THE CORRESPONDING OUTER ENDS OF SAID TOP PANELS BEING IN DIVERGING RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER, SAID TOP PANELS AT SAID OUTER DIVERGING ENDS BEING HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO THE HORIZONTAL ENDS OF SAID FIRST PAIR OF PANELS, WHEREBY SAID TOP PANELS ARE SWINGABLE TOWARDS EACH OTHER TO COLLAPSED POSITION IN SPACE OUTSIDE OF THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID FIRST PAIR OF PANELS WHEN IN COLLAPSED CONDITION, SAID FIRST AND SECOND PAIRS OF PANELS AUTOMATICALLY SWINGING TO SAID COLLAPSED POSITIONS THEREOF SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH AND UPON SWINGING SAID TOP PANELS TO SAID COLLAPSED POSITION THEREOF, THEREBY TO PROVIDE A COMPACT, CARRIABLE UNIT ADAPTABLE TO BE CONVERTED TO SAID POSITION OF USE BY SWINGING SAID TOP PANELS DOWNWARDLY TOWARDS THE NORMALLY UPPER ENDS OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND PAIR OF PANELS THEREBY TO CAUSE SAID FIRST AND SECOND PAIRS OF PANELS TO BE SWUNG OUTWARDLY AND THEREBY DISPOSE THEM AS HEREINBEFORE DEFINED WHEN SAID UNIT IS POSITION OF USE.

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