WO2002028227A2 - Collapsible chair with resilient support elements - Google Patents
Collapsible chair with resilient support elements Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2002028227A2 WO2002028227A2 PCT/US2001/031275 US0131275W WO0228227A2 WO 2002028227 A2 WO2002028227 A2 WO 2002028227A2 US 0131275 W US0131275 W US 0131275W WO 0228227 A2 WO0228227 A2 WO 0228227A2
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- resilient
- frame
- collapsible chair
- back support
- uprights
- Prior art date
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
- A47C4/00—Foldable, collapsible or dismountable chairs
- A47C4/28—Folding chairs with flexible coverings for the seat or back elements
- A47C4/42—Folding chairs with flexible coverings for the seat or back elements having a frame made of metal
- A47C4/44—Folding chairs with flexible coverings for the seat or back elements having a frame made of metal with legs pivotably connected to seat or underframe
- A47C4/48—Folding chairs with flexible coverings for the seat or back elements having a frame made of metal with legs pivotably connected to seat or underframe with cross legs
- A47C4/50—Folding chairs with flexible coverings for the seat or back elements having a frame made of metal with legs pivotably connected to seat or underframe with cross legs of adjustable type
Definitions
- the present invention relates generally to recreational furniture, and more particularly to collapsible chairs.
- Collapsible chairs have been used for recreational purposes for many years and have become popular for their portability and ease of storage. There have been many varieties of collapsible chairs from the very early folding lawn chairs to more stylish modern designs. One modern example is shown in U.S. Patent No. 5,893,605 to Chang which shows a foldable chair with a cup holder.
- Another object of the invention is to provide a collapsible chair which has flexible elements, including back-support elements.
- Another object of the invention is to provide a collapsible chair which is adaptable to the body shapes and weights of a variety of users.
- one preferred embodiment of the present invention is a collapsible chair, having a frame assembly including a number of angled frame members.
- the upper ends of the angled frame members are pivotally attached to upper connectors, and the lower ends are pivotally attached to feet.
- the frame assembly as a whole is configured to expand outwardly from a central area.
- the frame assembly further includes back support uprights and rear comer upright members. Each of the rear comer upright members has an upper end which is pivotally connected to one of said back support uprights at a flexible joint.
- the chair also includes a support surface, having a back portion which is held in position by the back support uprights.
- the flexible joint includes a resilient support assembly which biases the back portion to an upright position.
- This resilient support assembly may include a number of different biasing mechanisms including an external spring, an internal spring, an internal strut, one or more resilient rods, a ball-and-socket joint, a hinge, a leaf-spring or a resilient sleeve.
- the back support framework may include a cross bar linking the two sides or there may be two separate back support posts.
- An advantage of the present invention is that it includes a flexible back portion which adapts to the users weight and body shape.
- FIG. 1 shows an isometric view of a first embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 2 illustrates a detail view of the resilient assembly of the present invention
- FIG. 3 shows a further detail view of the resilient assembly of the present invention
- FIG. 4 is a detail exploded view of the elements of a resilient assembly
- FIG. 5 is a detail view of the assembled resilient assembly, as seen later in detail circle D of Fig. 7;
- FIG. 6 shows an isometric view of a second embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 7 shows an isometric view of the framework of the second embodiment of the present invention from which the fabric covering has been removed
- FIG. 8 is a detail view of the foot shown in detail circle A of Fig. 7;
- FIG. 9 is a detail view of the rear upper comer connector shown in detail circle B of Fig. 7;
- FIG. 10 is a detail view of the front upper co er connector shown in detail circle C of Fig. 7;
- FIGS. 11 A-D show detail views of various resilient support assemblies in use wit the present invention.
- a preferred embodiment of the present invention is a chair with a resilient back portion. As illustrated in the various drawings herein, and particularly in the view of FIG. 1, a form of this preferred embodiment of the inventive device is depicted by the general reference character 10.
- FIG. 1 illustrates a chair with resilient support elements 10. It generally includes a framework 12 and a fabric covering 14.
- the framework 12 includes a lower framework 16 having four feet 20, which include pivot assemblies 22, and a number of angled frame members 24 having pivots 26 located at or near the midpoints of the angled frame members 24.
- Arm supports 28 are formed from the upper ends of the angled frame members 24.
- Rear comer uprights 32 are attached at the rear feet 20, and extend in a generally vertical direction.
- a back support framework 18 includes a pair of back support uprights 34. Where the rear corner uprights 32 and the back support uprights 34 meet, they are joined by resilient assemblies 30, to form a flexible joint 48 which will be described in more detail below.
- the fabric covering 14 includes a seat portion 36, a back portion 38 and am s 40, all of which are stretched or extend between various frame members.
- FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate detail views of a resilient assembly 30, including one or more resilient members 42, which in the pictured embodiment is an external steel spring 44. Also included, but not visible in these views, is an internal spring 46 which is positioned inside portions of the rear comer upright 32 and back support upright 34.
- the rear comer uprights 32 and back support uprights 34 are preferably hollow steel tubes.
- the internal springs 46 are then chosen of an appropriate diameter to fit inside the internal diameter of the rear comer upright 32 and back support upright 34, where they lend additional resiliency to the resilient assemblies 30.
- the resilient assembly 30 and the resilient members 42 that are used.
- the resilient members 42 could also be implemented by using hard rubber rods inside the rear corner upright 32 and back support upright 34, or alternately, a hard rubber sleeve could be used on the exterior of the resilient assembly 30.
- the preferred embodiment 10 uses a rear corner upright 32 and back support upright 34 whose ends merely abut each other to form a flexible joint 48.
- an internal strut 47 may be included having pivots 49 at each end. These pivots 49extend through to the rear comer upright 32 and back support upright 34, and can be seen in Fig. 5.
- This internal stmt 47 thus can be useful in limiting the angle of flex that the flexible joint 48 can travel, somewhat in the manner of a hinge.
- the internal stmt 47 is preferably of narrow thickness, so that there is room for the flexible joint 48 to travel a sufficient amount before the internal stmt 47 is encountered. It should be understood that this is but one variation that can be used.
- FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate a variation in frame structure 12.
- This embodiment 50 has a back support framework 18 that terminates in two separate support posts 52 rather than extending in a cross-bar 54, as seen in Fig. 1. This allows for more independent movement of each support post 52 in response to weight distribution, and thus is even more adaptable to variations in body shape and contour.
- This variation can make greater use of the omnidirectional spring 78 variations (to be discussed below), although this is not a requirement.
- the tips of the separate support posts 52 have optional caps 56 which protect the user from accidental abrasions.
- FIG. 7 shows the frame 12 without the fabric covering 14.
- the lower framework 16 and its included pivot assemblies 22 and pivots 26 work to collapse as a unit towards a central point 58 when force in that direction is applied to any of the angled frame members 24.
- FIG. 8 shows a detail view of the foot 20, one variety of pivot assembly 22, shown in detail circle A of Fig. 7. Angled frame members 24, rear comer upright 32 and pivot 26 are also visible.
- FIG. 9 shows a detail view of the rear upper corner connector 60, which is also a pivot assembly 22 and an upper connector 64, shown in detail circle B of Fig. 7. Angled frame members 24, rear comer upright 32 and pivot 26 can also be seen.
- FIG. 10 shows a detail view of the front upper comer connector 62, also a type of pivot assembly 22 and upper connector 64, shown in detail circle C of Fig. 7. Angled frame members 24, and pivot 26 are also visible.
- the frame assembly 12 can be thought of as an extended scissors-frame assembly 90 since the tops and bottoms of each pair of frame members scissor together or apart, hinged at pivots 26. These scissor pairs 88 are then joined in an extended scissor assembly 90 where the ends of multiple pairs are joined at the pivot assemblies 22. They also allow the frame assembly 12 as a whole to be collapsed or expanded in a very easy and efficient manner.
- the pivots 26 allow the frame assembly 16 to move towards a central area 58 from all sides as a unit when the frame 12 is to be collapsed, and to move away from this central area 58 when expanding.
- the central area 58 is thus a relatively small region from which the feet 20 move outwardly, but there should be no inference that all feet must move in a specific lines, such as radially from a single specific center point.
- the expansion is considered to move outwardly from a central area or region, and should not be construed to imply any particular lines of direction, other than generally outward from this central area.
- the direction arrows and central area 58 shown in Figs. 1 and 7, are therefore not provided to show specific lines of movement which must be followed, but merely a general direction of movement towards, or away from, a general central area 58.
- FIGS. 11A-D show cross-sectional views of some variations in the resilient support assembly 30 having varying resilient members 42.
- the resilient member 42 can thus be one or more resilient rods 70, perhaps made of hard rubber, which then function as a form of internal spring 46. If a rod 70 which is circular in cross-section is used, then each back support upright 34 is free to pivot in all directions normal to a longitudinal axis 8, and is able to rotate as required by the demands of weight and user shape.
- Such a spring will be referred to as an omni-directional spring 78.
- the resilient member 42 can be a flat strip, in the manner of a leaf-spring 80. In this case, there would be a preferred direction of movement towards the thinner dimension, and the spring would not be said to be omni-directional. It will be obvious to one skilled in the art that a resilient member 42 configured as a rod 70 could have many cross-sectional shapes including rectangular, circular, elliptical, or any regular or irregular geometric shape.
- a similar result may be produced by using a resilient sleeve 72, shown in Fig. 1 IB, which then acts as a form of external spring 44.
- This resilient sleeve 72 may also be made of hard rubber, fiberglass, etc.
- the resilient sleeve 72 may be used alone, with an internal spring 46, resilient rod 70 or in combination with a ball-and-socket joint 74, shown in Fig. 1 lC.
- a ball and socket component 74 that joins the rear corner upright 32 and back support upright 34, could keep them from separating, while resilient sleeve 72 acts to bias the chair back to an upright position.
- Many of these variations can be configured as omni-directional springs 78. However, as shown in Fig.
- a conventional-style hinge 76 at this joint may be used, such a hinge limiting motion to within a plane.
- the two hinges of the back support framework 18 would then preferably be parallel so that the back 38 will tilt backwards in the manner of a reclining chair, but with the advantage that there is a biasing force which acts to return the back to an upright position, thus giving support.
- a similar result occurs when using a leaf-spring 80 (Fig. 11 A).
- the present collapsible chair with resilient support elements 10, 50 is well suited for application in the home, backyard, or on camping trips and picnics.
- the collapsible chair with resilient support elements 10, 50 has a frame assembly 12 which includes angled frame members 24, the upper ends of the angled frame members 24 being pivotally attached to upper connectors 64, and the lower ends being pivotally attached to feet 20.
- the frame assembly 12 also includes upright members 32 and as a whole expands outwardly from a central area 58.
- a back support framework 18 includes a pair of back support uprights 34. Where the rear corner uprights 32 and the back support uprights 34 meet, they are joined by resilient support assemblies 30, to form a flexible joint 48.
- the resilient support assembly 30 may include any of a number of varying resilient members 42 including an external spring 44, an internal spring 46, an internal stmt 47, one or more resilient rods 70, a ball-and-socket joint 74, a hinge 76, a leaf-spring 80 or a resilient sleeve 72.
- the chair 10, 50 When the chair 10, 50 is to be used, it is set up so that it rests on its feet 20. Force is then directed at any one of the comers, causing movement in all the other comers, so that there is movement of the whole frame assembly 12 in either an inward or outward direction, relative to the central area 58.
- the pivots 26 allow the frame assembly 16 to move towards a central area 58 from all sides as a unit when the frame 12 is to be collapsed, and to move away from this central area 58 when expanding.
- the chair 10, 50 is expanded and ready to use.
- the resilient support assemblies 30 allow the back portion to flex somewhat in response to the weight and bodily configuration of a user. By allowing the back to deform slightly, while still maintaining good back support, the chair 10, 50 is more adaptable to a larger range of body sizes and types than a conventional chair.
- the chair 10 which has a cross bar 54 is generally constrained to a hinge motion in one plane which allows the back portion 38 to lean back slightly.
- the second embodiment of the chair 50 has separate support posts 52 for more independent movement of each support post 52 in response to weight distribution, and thus is even more adaptable to variations in body shape and contour. This variation can make use of the omni-directional spring 78 variations.
- the present collapsible chair with resilient support elements 10, 50 can be set up very quickly, has no loose parts to keep track of, and is uniquely adaptable to a great variety of shapes and sizes of users. It has many uses in the home, backyard, or on camping trips and picnics.
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
AU2002211472A AU2002211472A1 (en) | 2000-10-04 | 2001-10-04 | Collapsible chair with resilient support elements |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US23866300P | 2000-10-04 | 2000-10-04 | |
US60/238,663 | 2000-10-04 |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO2002028227A2 true WO2002028227A2 (en) | 2002-04-11 |
WO2002028227A3 WO2002028227A3 (en) | 2002-06-27 |
Family
ID=22898817
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/US2001/031275 WO2002028227A2 (en) | 2000-10-04 | 2001-10-04 | Collapsible chair with resilient support elements |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20020074834A1 (en) |
AU (1) | AU2002211472A1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2002028227A2 (en) |
Families Citing this family (19)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
KR20110049826A (en) * | 2008-07-28 | 2011-05-12 | 더 콜맨 컴파니 인코포레이티드 | Stemmed glass holder |
US7845720B2 (en) * | 2008-08-26 | 2010-12-07 | Carl Wells Randall | Scuba equipment assembly platform |
US7967374B2 (en) * | 2009-08-20 | 2011-06-28 | Idea Nuova, Inc. | Foldable chair |
US8801090B2 (en) | 2012-08-09 | 2014-08-12 | Idea Nuova, Inc. | Foldable chair |
USD691384S1 (en) | 2012-10-18 | 2013-10-15 | Idea Nuova | Foldable chair |
USD716574S1 (en) | 2014-02-28 | 2014-11-04 | Idea Nuova, Inc. | Webbed saucer chair with central pad |
USD712185S1 (en) | 2014-02-28 | 2014-09-02 | Idea Nuova, Inc. | Trampoline chair |
USD718549S1 (en) | 2014-06-11 | 2014-12-02 | Idea Nuova, Inc. | Trampoline saucer chair |
USD720550S1 (en) | 2014-06-11 | 2015-01-06 | Idea Nuova, Inc. | Webbed saucer chair with seat pad |
US9642466B2 (en) * | 2014-07-31 | 2017-05-09 | Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. | Universal media pocket and chair with universal media pocket |
USD755549S1 (en) | 2014-08-15 | 2016-05-10 | Idea Nuova, Inc. | Checkered saucer chair |
USD761605S1 (en) | 2014-08-15 | 2016-07-19 | Idea Nuova, Inc. | Webbed saucer chair with seat pad |
USD756155S1 (en) | 2014-10-15 | 2016-05-17 | Idea Nuova, Inc. | Woven chair |
USD755551S1 (en) | 2014-12-02 | 2016-05-10 | Idea Nuova, Inc. | Wicker web chair |
USD755552S1 (en) | 2014-12-02 | 2016-05-10 | Idea Nuova, Inc. | Wicker saucer chair |
USD756156S1 (en) | 2014-12-02 | 2016-05-17 | Idea Nuova, Inc. | Wicker saucer lounge chair |
USD752890S1 (en) | 2015-01-08 | 2016-04-05 | Idea Nuova, Inc. | Foldable club chair |
USD772698S1 (en) * | 2015-08-07 | 2016-11-29 | Academy, Ltd. | Connector |
US11577766B2 (en) * | 2017-05-09 | 2023-02-14 | Brian Horowitz | Folding wagon |
Citations (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5795091A (en) * | 1996-10-25 | 1998-08-18 | Graco Children's Products Inc. | Recline latch system for collapsible stroller |
US5984406A (en) * | 1997-05-16 | 1999-11-16 | Lee; Howard | Folding chair |
-
2001
- 2001-10-04 WO PCT/US2001/031275 patent/WO2002028227A2/en active Application Filing
- 2001-10-04 US US09/972,348 patent/US20020074834A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2001-10-04 AU AU2002211472A patent/AU2002211472A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5795091A (en) * | 1996-10-25 | 1998-08-18 | Graco Children's Products Inc. | Recline latch system for collapsible stroller |
US5984406A (en) * | 1997-05-16 | 1999-11-16 | Lee; Howard | Folding chair |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
US20020074834A1 (en) | 2002-06-20 |
AU2002211472A1 (en) | 2002-04-15 |
WO2002028227A3 (en) | 2002-06-27 |
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