WO2002017750A1 - Chaise a bascule pliable - Google Patents

Chaise a bascule pliable Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2002017750A1
WO2002017750A1 PCT/US2000/023989 US0023989W WO0217750A1 WO 2002017750 A1 WO2002017750 A1 WO 2002017750A1 US 0023989 W US0023989 W US 0023989W WO 0217750 A1 WO0217750 A1 WO 0217750A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
leg
rocking chair
chair
legs
rocker
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2000/023989
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Edward Zheng
Original Assignee
Tofasco
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Tofasco filed Critical Tofasco
Priority to PCT/US2000/023989 priority Critical patent/WO2002017750A1/fr
Priority to US10/363,362 priority patent/US7100975B1/en
Publication of WO2002017750A1 publication Critical patent/WO2002017750A1/fr

Links

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
    • A47C3/00—Chairs characterised by structural features; Chairs or stools with rotatable or vertically-adjustable seats
    • A47C3/02—Rocking chairs
    • A47C3/029—Rocking chairs with curved rocking members resting on the floor

Definitions

  • the field of the invention is collapsible furniture.
  • Folding chairs have been known for many years, if not centuries.
  • the distinguishing feature is that the chair can be manipulated between a folded disposition in which the back is pivoted to approximate the seat, and an open disposition in which the back is disposed more or less perpendicular to the seat.
  • US patent no. 4807926 to Brunn depicts a folding rocking chair in which the back legs are pivoted against the rockers, and the front legs slide along the rockers towards the back leg/rocker pivots to approximate the seat and legs to the rockers.
  • US patent no. 3114572 to Hopkins depicts a folding rocking chair in which the back legs are fixed in position with respect to the rockers, and front legs that are pivotally disposed with respect to the rockers.
  • Collapsible chairs are different from folding chairs in that the legs can be manipulated to approximate each other in close parallel or substantially parallel relationship. The back may optionally fold against the seat, but such motion is not necessarily included in collapsible chairs.
  • US patent no. 3124387 to Maclaren (March 1964) depicts an early collapsible chair in which the seat and back are formed from a continuous piece of fabric. These are so-called sling type chairs.
  • hinged lawn chairs such as that described in US patent no. 4715650 to Berman et al. (Dec. 1987), and US patent no. 5058950 to Mann (Oct. 1991).
  • the present invention provides methods and apparatus in which a collapsible rocking chair has legs that translate towards and away from each other to configure the chair between open and collapsed dispositions, and at least one leg that slidably articulates with a rocker.
  • Preferred embodiments have four legs.
  • the left back leg slidably articulates with a left rocker, and the right back leg slidably articulates with a right rocker.
  • the front legs are pivotally coupled to the respective rockers at fixed points.
  • the back frame is preferably coupled to the left and right legs at pivots, allowing the back to approximate the seat during folding.
  • Both back and seat are preferably formed from a fabric material, and more preferably from a single continuous piece of fabric.
  • Preferred rocking chairs also include left and right armrests, supported at least in part by the back frame.
  • Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a collapsible rocking chair according to a preferred embodiment.
  • Fig. 2 is a front view of the collapsible rocking chair of Fig. 1.
  • Fig. 3 is a top view of the collapsible rocking chair of Fig. 1.
  • Fig. 4 is a side view of the collapsible rocking chair of Fig. 1.
  • Fig. 5 is a side view of the collapsible rocking chair of Fig. 1 in a collapsed disposition.
  • a rocking chair 10 generally has a seat 12A, a back 12B, arms 11,
  • the seat 12A is positioned by back frame elements 13 and 31, legs 15, 17, 29, 30, and leg support frame elements 20, 21, 26, 27.
  • the back 12B is positioned by back frame elements 13 and 31, legs 17, 30, and leg support frame elements 26, 27.
  • the seat 12A and back 12B are both advantageously made from a material that is very flexible, while having sufficient strength and durability to accommodate expected use. It is especially useful if the material dries rapidly, and is relatively easy to clean. Preferred materials include natural material fabrics such as processed cotton, rayon, and so forth, as well as plastic or other synthetic materials, including rip stop nylon.
  • One or both of the seat 12A and back 12B may be colored in an interesting pattern, or contain some sort of logo or other image.
  • the seat 12A and back 12B are portions of the same piece of material, and form a sling type seatback. Dimensions are contemplated to be ordinary dimensions for a rocking chair, where the seat 12A is about one and a half to three two feet off the ground, and between one and a half to two feet both in width and depth.
  • the back support frame elements 13, 31 are movable towards and away from each other by pivoting of the corresponding legs about pivots 24, 28.
  • the back support frame elements 13, 31 must, of course, be strong enough to keep the back 12B from bending excessively when a person leans back in the chair 10.
  • leg support frame elements 20, 21 are joined by an intermediate pivot 24, and the leg support frame elements 26, 27 are joined by another intermediate pivot 28.
  • Pivots 24, 28 are considered to be intermediate because they are disposed between the ends of the joined frame elements, rather than at their ends.
  • Left legs 15, 17 are joined by pivot 23, and right legs 29, 30 are joined by pivot 25.
  • Other pivots 18, 22, 24, 28, 35, 36 couple elements as shown in the figures.
  • a collapsible rocking chair may advantageously comprise: a seat supported at least in part by a left leg and a right leg, at least one of which is slidably articulated with a rocker; wherein the left and right legs are coupled by a frame that accommodates translation of the left and right legs towards and away from one another. Additional legs are contemplated, including at least one additional leg that is not slidably articulated with the rocker.
  • the chair have four legs, in which the left and rights back legs are slidably articulated with the left and right rockers, respectively, and the left and right front legs are pivotally coupled to the left and right rockers at a joint that is not movable, or at least not readily movable with respect to the left and right rockers, respectively.
  • the front legs may also be slidable with respect to the rockers.
  • the chair need not be symmetrical with respect to a vertical plane passing front to back through the center of the chair.
  • the various legs and support frame elements can be made of any suitable material, and preferably a material that is both strong and lightweight. Aluminum and stainless steel are preferred for these reasons, although wood, plastics, composites, and other materials are also contemplated. Materials that do not rust, or at least are rust resistant, are preferred.
  • the legs and support frame elements are of suitable lengths to produce desirable overall dimensions of the chair 10. They are also preferably round and hollow to achieve desirable strength to weight ratios, although other cross-sectional shapes such as oblong or rectangular are also contemplated. Protective and/or decorative coatings are also contemplated.
  • the back legs 15, 29, are slidably articulated with rockers 14, 32 at sliding articulations 16, 34, respectively.
  • the front legs 17, 30 are not slidably articulated with the rockers, and are instead pivotally coupled to the rockers 14, 32 at joints 19, 33, respectively.
  • any of the back and front legs may be releasably engaged with the respective rockers, in preferred embodiments the all of the legs are non-releasably engaged with the respective rockers
  • the various pivots 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 28, 33, 35, 36, as well as sliding articulations 16, 34 may comprise any suitable materials or combinations of materials, including metals, plastics, composites, and so forth. Plastics with plastic or metal pins are especially preferred. Preferred pivots are engineered to withstand expected weight loads, repeated movement, and to operate satisfactorily in sandy or dirty environments without lubrication or excessive cleaning.
  • Figure 5 depicts the collapsible rocking chair 10 in a collapsed. This is achieved by sliding the sliding articulations 16, 34 along rockers 14, 32 toward rocker pivot joints 19, 33, respectively. This in turn causes the left and right pairs of legs 15, 17 and 29, 30 to pivot against each other at pivots 23, 25, respectively. The chair 10 can then be further collapsed by pushing the left legs 15, 17 and right legs 29, 30 towards each other.
  • An interesting aspect of Figure 5 is that it shows that in the collapsed disposition, the legs 13, 15, 17, 20 do not extend out lengthwise beyond the rocker 14.
  • a preferred rocking chair is thus configurable between an open disposition in which the left and right rockers are disposed substantially under the left and right legs, respectively, and a collapsed disposition in which the left and right legs do not extend lengthwise beyond the left and right rockers.
  • the rocking chair 10 is preferably configurable between an open disposition in which the sliding articulation is relatively farther from the fixed position and a collapsed disposition in which the sliding articulation is relatively closer to the fixed position.
  • a novel method of collapsing a rocking chair comprises: providing the chair 10 with a first leg 15 that slides against a rocker 14 at first joint 16; providing the chair with a second leg 17 that pivots against the rocker 14 at a second joint 19; and manipulating the chair in a manner that reduces a distance between the first and second joints.
  • the method may advantageously also provide the first and second legs 15, 17 with a mutual pivot such as that depicted as pivot 23.
  • a preferred method may provide the chair with a third leg 30, and a pivoting frame 20, 21 that couples the second and third legs, and pivoting the frame at pivot 24 to bring the second and third legs closer together.
  • a preferred method may provide a back frame 13 that pivots against the first leg 15 at pivot 18.

Landscapes

  • Chairs Characterized By Structure (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un appareil et des procédés selon lesquels une chaise à bascule pliable (10) possède des pieds (15, 17, 29, 30) qui se rapprochent les uns vers les autres et s'éloignent les uns des autres pour configurer la chaise entre des positions ouverte et fermée, et au moins un pied qui s'articule de manière coulissante avec un patin incurvé. Dans des modes de réalisation préférés, la chaise possède quatre pieds. Le pied arrière gauche (15) s'articule de manière coulissante avec un patin incurvé gauche (14), et le pied arrière droit (29) s'articule de manière coulissante avec un patin incurvé droit (32). Les pieds avant sont couplés de manière pivotante aux patins incurvés respectifs en des points fixes. Le bâti arrière (13, 31) est de préférence couplé aux pieds gauche et droit au niveau de pivots, permettant que le dossier se rapproche du fond durant le pliage. A la fois le dossier (12B) et le fond (12A) sont de préférence formés à partir d'une étoffe, et de préférence encore à partir d'une pièce unique et continue d'étoffe. De préférence, les chaises à bascule comprennent également des accoudoirs gauche et droit (11, 37), soutenus au moins en partie par le bâti arrière (13, 31).
PCT/US2000/023989 2000-08-30 2000-08-30 Chaise a bascule pliable WO2002017750A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/US2000/023989 WO2002017750A1 (fr) 2000-08-30 2000-08-30 Chaise a bascule pliable
US10/363,362 US7100975B1 (en) 2000-08-30 2000-08-30 Collapsible rocking chair

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/US2000/023989 WO2002017750A1 (fr) 2000-08-30 2000-08-30 Chaise a bascule pliable

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2002017750A1 true WO2002017750A1 (fr) 2002-03-07

Family

ID=21741731

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US2000/023989 WO2002017750A1 (fr) 2000-08-30 2000-08-30 Chaise a bascule pliable

Country Status (1)

Country Link
WO (1) WO2002017750A1 (fr)

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US9060611B2 (en) 2012-10-05 2015-06-23 Gci Outdoor, Inc. Collapsible and portable rocking chair
US20160296022A1 (en) * 2015-04-08 2016-10-13 Heb Grocery Company Lp Folding chair
US10874217B2 (en) 2017-10-18 2020-12-29 Gci Outdoor, Inc. Collapsible and portable rocking chair
US11241097B2 (en) 2019-06-04 2022-02-08 Yeti Coolers, Llc Portable chair
US11534000B2 (en) 2019-11-24 2022-12-27 Westfield Outdoor, Inc. Foldable chair with springs

Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4047753A (en) * 1975-11-06 1977-09-13 Uchida Sharyo Co., Ltd. Foldable chair with rocking means

Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4047753A (en) * 1975-11-06 1977-09-13 Uchida Sharyo Co., Ltd. Foldable chair with rocking means

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US9060611B2 (en) 2012-10-05 2015-06-23 Gci Outdoor, Inc. Collapsible and portable rocking chair
US20160296022A1 (en) * 2015-04-08 2016-10-13 Heb Grocery Company Lp Folding chair
US9596938B2 (en) * 2015-04-08 2017-03-21 Heb Grocery Company, Lp Folding chair
US10874217B2 (en) 2017-10-18 2020-12-29 Gci Outdoor, Inc. Collapsible and portable rocking chair
US11241097B2 (en) 2019-06-04 2022-02-08 Yeti Coolers, Llc Portable chair
US11534000B2 (en) 2019-11-24 2022-12-27 Westfield Outdoor, Inc. Foldable chair with springs

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