WO2002069760A1 - Chaise de plage pliante multi-positions pourvue de solides accoudoirs - Google Patents

Chaise de plage pliante multi-positions pourvue de solides accoudoirs Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2002069760A1
WO2002069760A1 PCT/US2001/007821 US0107821W WO02069760A1 WO 2002069760 A1 WO2002069760 A1 WO 2002069760A1 US 0107821 W US0107821 W US 0107821W WO 02069760 A1 WO02069760 A1 WO 02069760A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
support rods
seat
legs
coupled
back support
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2001/007821
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/US2001/007821 priority Critical patent/WO2002069760A1/fr
Priority to US10/469,924 priority patent/US6814403B2/en
Publication of WO2002069760A1 publication Critical patent/WO2002069760A1/fr

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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

Definitions

  • the field of the invention is collapsible furniture.
  • Folding chairs are relatively popular, in part because they can be stored with considerably reduced space requirements when compared to non-folding chairs. Nevertheless, folding chairs still require relatively large space, since the dimension of the folding chair is generally reduced only along one space coordinate (e.g., reduced length). To further reduce the space requirement, collapsible chairs have been developed, in which further size reduction is achieved by folding the chair along at least two space coordinates (e.g., length and width). Various collapsing chairs are known in the art.
  • Cook et al. describes a collapsible chair with a foldable backrest, in which the chair has four legs that support the corners of a flexible square seat. The legs are movably attached to each other at about their respective midpoints, and the seat is collapsed in width and depth by turning the legs around the midpoint. While Cooks chair is relatively easy to unfold and collapse, Cooks chair provides relatively little stability and is prone to tipping over.
  • Chen's chair advantageously collapses to a relatively compact form.
  • the position of the back support is limited to a vertical position, which may not be comfortable over a prolonged period.
  • Lee's chair provides an angled backrest, although it lacks a seat support entirely.
  • the present invention is directed to a collapsible chair with a solid armrest in which the back reclines independently of the seat.
  • the collapsible chair has a pair of front legs, a pair of rear legs, and a pair of seat support rods.
  • a pair of back support rods is coupled to the rear legs
  • a seat is coupled to the seat support rods
  • a pair of solid armrests is coupled to the rear legs and the back support rods.
  • the front legs are coupled to the seat support rods with a first pair of cross braces
  • the rear legs are coupled to the back support rods with a second pair of cross braces
  • the back support rods recline among a plurality of predetermined positions. All elements of contemplated chairs are coupled in a manner such that the chair collapses in a single movement in which the front legs approximate each other when the front legs pivot towards the rear legs.
  • the rear legs are slidably coupled to the seat support rods and the backrest, and the front legs are pivotally coupled to the seat support rods.
  • the back support rods recline independent of the front legs, the rear legs, and the seat support rods, and it is especially preferred that at least one of the solid armrests is a stepped armrest and coupled to a back support rod such that the back support rod reclines in two or more fixed positions.
  • the seat is a tensioned seat that may or may not be coupled to the backrest to form a continuous supporting surface.
  • Especially preferred seats and backrests are fabricated from weather resistant material, and the front legs, the rear legs, the cross braces, the back support rods, and the seat support rods are preferably manufactured from aluminum.
  • the armrest is rotatably coupled to the back support rod and engages with the rear leg in one of at least 2 different positions, wherein the different positions are determined by the solid armrest.
  • a method of imparting coUapsibility into a chair has one step in which a pair of front legs, a pair of rear legs, and a pair of seat support rods are provided.
  • a pair of back support rods are coupled to the rear legs, and a seat is coupled to the seat support rods, and in yet another step, a pair of solid armrests is coupled to the rear legs and/or the back support rods such that the back support rods recline among a plurality of predetermined positions.
  • the front legs, the rear legs, the solid armrests, the back support rods, and the seat support rods are coupled to each other such that the chair collapses in a single movement in which the front legs approximate each other when the front legs pivot towards the rear legs.
  • Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a collapsible chair according to the inventive subject matter.
  • a collapsible chair with a solid armrest has a backrest that reclines independently from the seat, and it is further contemplated that the chair collapses in a single movement.
  • a collapsible chair 100 has apair of front legs 110 and apair of rear legs 120. Apair of seat support rods 130, and a pair of back support rods 140 are coupled to the pair of rear legs 120.
  • a first cross brace 190 couples the front legs 110 to the seat support rods 130, and a second cross brace 180 couples the rear legs 120 to the front legs 110.
  • a backrest 170 (not shown) is coupled to the back support rods 140, and a seat 150 (not shown) is coupled to the seat support rods 130.
  • the solid armrests 160 are coupled to the back support rods 140 and the rear legs 120.
  • the front legs 110 are rotatably coupled to the seat support rods 130 and the rear legs 120.
  • the armrests 160 are rotatably coupled to the back support rods 140, and further engage with the rear legs 120 via a recess (i.e. cutout) in the armrests 160.
  • the rear legs 120 are rotatably and slidably coupled to the seat support rods 130 and the back support rods 140.
  • the first cross brace 190 is rotatably coupled to the front legs 110 and rotatably (and optionally slidably) coupled to the seat support rods 130, while the second cross brace 180 is rotatably coupled to the rear legs 120 and rotatably (and optionally slidably) coupled to the front legs 110.
  • the seat and the backrest are fabricated from a weather resistant material, preferably a woven synthetic polymer (e.g. , Nylon) and is uniformly colored (e.g., blue).
  • a weather resistant material preferably a woven synthetic polymer (e.g. , Nylon) and is uniformly colored (e.g., blue).
  • Particularly preferred seats have a width of about 21 inches and an overall length of about 24 inches.
  • a weather resistant material preferably a woven synthetic polymer (e.g. , Nylon) and is uniformly colored (e.g., blue).
  • a woven synthetic polymer e.g. , Nylon
  • uniformly colored e.g., blue
  • Particularly preferred seats have a width of about 21 inches and an overall length of about 24 inches.
  • various alternative materials, colors, and sizes are also appropriate.
  • alternative materials may include natural and synthetic fabrics and all reasonable combinations thereof.
  • Contemplated materials may further be woven or non-woven and particularly contemplated materials include polyester, polyvinyl chloride, cotton, hemp, and wool.
  • suitable colors need not be restricted to uniform color, but appropriate colors may also include color patterns, prints, or no color at all.
  • the chair according to the inventive subject matter is sized and dimensioned to fit an average adult person, it is also contemplated that appropriate chairs may also accommodate a child, a smaller- or larger-than-average adult, or more than a single person.
  • alternative chairs may have dimensions that are wider than 21 inches, and suitable widths include 21-24, 24-30, and 30-40 inches, and wider, but also 18-21, 14-18, and 8-14 inches, and narrower.
  • the length of appropriate seats may vary between 20-42, 15-10, and 12-15 inches and less, but also between 24-27, 27- 30, and more. It should further be appreciated that contemplated seats may also be tapered from the front end to the back end, or vice versa.
  • the backrest is fabricated from the same material as the seat, and that the backrest is removably or permanently coupled to the seat (e.g., sewed, coupled with a zipper, etc.)
  • the backrest has a width of about 21 inches.
  • a preferred height of the backrest is about 18 inches.
  • the width and height of suitable backrests may vary, and that width and height will depend among other things on the person's size and the number of persons to be seated in the chair.
  • alternative backrests may have a width between 18-12 inches and less, but also between 18-22 and more.
  • contemplated backrests may have a height between 12-18 inches and less, but also between 18- 25 inches and more.
  • the seat and the backrest may be coupled to the legs and seat support rods in numerous ways, including temporary and permanent coupling.
  • Temporary couplings include hook-and-loop type fasteners, snaps, buckles, slidable elements (e.g., a pouch slidably coupled to a post, a ring slidably coupled to a rod, etc.), and threadbly securable elements (e.g., laces threaded through rings).
  • Permanent couplings include sewed or glued elements.
  • the backrest may permanently coupled to the chair via a rivet.
  • the front end of the seat may be temporarily coupled to the front legs via ring-shaped openings that are slid over the top ends of the front legs. It is further, particularly preferred that the seat and the backrest are coupled together to form a continuous supporting surface.
  • the attachment of the seat and/or the backrest to the chair may be directly or indirectly attached.
  • the term “direct” attachment means that the seat and/or the backrest are in immediate contact with the supporting structure, whereas the term “indirect” means that an additional element connects the seat and/or backrest with the supporting structure.
  • the seat may be directly attached to the seat support rods via a slidable pouch.
  • the seat may be indirectly coupled to the seat support rods via a ring- shaped opening in the seat that slidably engages with the rods.
  • legs, seat support rods, and cross braces of contemplated chairs may be manufactured from various materials, including metals, metal alloys, natural and synthetic polymers, and any reasonable combination thereof.
  • the legs, seat support rods, and cross braces are manufactured from black anodized aluminum tubing with a wall strength of about V 32 inch and an outer diameter of approximately ! /_ inch.
  • Preferred alternative materials include stainless steel, fiberglass, and wood.
  • rotatably coupling include coupling of two elements via a common axis, coupling via a hinge wherein the hinge may or may not have a slidable connection to another element, coupling via a ball bearing, etc.
  • rotatable couplings further include additional coupling elements that may or may not operate in a function other than rotatably coupling.
  • the second cross brace and the front legs may be rotatably coupled to an element that also operates as a base plate that contacts the ground when the chair is in the extended configuration.
  • one of the legs, back support rods, seat support rods, or cross braces is slidably coupled to another one of the legs, seat support rods, and cross braces, all known slidable couplings are contemplated to be appropriate, and include a sliding sleeve, slide rails, guiding rings, etc.
  • a collapsible chair has two front legs, two rear legs, and two seat support rods, and two back support rods, wherein a first cross brace couples the front legs to the seat support rods, and a second cross brace couples the rear legs to the back support rods. It is particularly preferred, that all of the front legs, rear legs, back support rods, and seat support rods are coupled through the cross braces in a manner that allows collapsing the chair in a single movement, i.e., that the front legs approximate each other, when the rear legs pivot towards the front legs (side-to-side and concurrent front-to-back movement).
  • the armrests and the seat support rods pivot downwardly and the front legs move apart, when the chair is unfolded in an extended configuration. As viewed from another perspective, it is preferred that the seat and armrests fold upwards when the front legs approximate.
  • various couplings other than rotatable and slidable couplings are also contemplated, and particularly contemplated alternative couplings include telescoping couplings, combined telescoping and sliding couplings, combined telescoping and rotating couplings, foldable elements (i.e., front legs, rear legs, seat support rods, back support rods, cross braces, and armrests), and elements including flexible portions to accommodate for a change in configuration or angle relative to other elements. It is further generally preferred that at least one of the front legs extends upwardly beyond the seat support rods and/or the rear leg, however, in alternative configurations, an additional element may couple the second cross brace to at least one of the rear legs, the front legs, and the seat support rods.
  • backrest or back support rods recline independently from the seat or seat support rods means that the backrest or back support rods recline from a first position to a second position while angle and/or lateral position of the seat or seat support rods relative to the front and rear legs remain substantially constant.
  • a cross brace may be slidably coupled to the front legs and rotatably coupled to the seat support rods.
  • the armrests may be coupled to the seat support rods.
  • the seat is tensioned when the front legs move apart, and that the seat remains substantially tensioned when the seat supports a person.
  • tensioned seat means that the seat is substantially level when the chair is in the open configuration, wherein the term “substantially level” means that the vertical distance between any point of the seat and the seat support rod is no more than one 1 inch, more preferably no more than 0.5 inch, and most preferably no more than 0.25 inch.
  • open configuration refers to the configuration of the collapsible chair in which the front legs have a maximum distance from each other when the chair is opened using reasonable force (i.e. without damaging the mechanical structure).
  • the term “remains substantially tensioned” means that the vertical distance between the lowest point of the seat and the seat support rod increases no more than 1.5 inches, preferably no more than 0.75 inch, more preferably no more than 0.5 inch, and most preferably no more than 0.25 inch. Thus, it should be especially appreciated that the tension of the seat is predominantly determined by the firmness of the material of the seat.
  • the tension in the seat remains substantially tensioned due to mechanically coupling an approximating movement of the seat support rods with a simultaneous movement of at least one of the rear legs relative to the front leg and a movement of the front legs relative to each other.
  • contemplated collapsing chairs are folded in a single movement (comparably to the collapsing of an umbrella).
  • contemplated modes of coupling the front leg with the rear leg and the seat support rod prevent loss of tension of the seat when a person is supported by the chair.
  • the armrest is a solid armrest.
  • solid armrest means that the armrest is fabricated from a sufficiently stiff material to substantially maintain the shape of the armrest while the chair is being folded or unfolded.
  • substantially maintain the shape means that the shape of the armrest is deformed no more than 20%, preferably no more than 10% and even more preferably no more than 5% in any dimension (i.e., length, width, or thickness).
  • a wooden or metal armrest is considered a solid armrest under the scope of this definition, because such armrests are fabricated from a material with sufficient stiffness to maintain the shape of the armrest.
  • a woven or textile armrest is not considered a solid armrest under the scope of this definition because such armrests will deform (i.e. change their shape) while the chair is folded or unfolded.
  • the armrest is coupled to the rear leg via a cutout in the armrest through which a bolt extends, wherein the bolt is attached to the rear leg.
  • the cutout in the solid armrest is shaped such that the bolt (or other structure extending from the rear leg through the cutout) can engage with the cutout in various predetermined positions.
  • the inclination of the backrest / back support rods may be changed among a plurality of predetermined positions.
  • Such predetermined positions may be fixed predetermined positions where the cutout provides multiple bays with which the bolt from the rear leg can engage (the armrest is then a stepped armrest).
  • the predetermined positions may be variable where the cutout provides a channel in which the bolt from the rear leg can move among an infinite number of positions (and thus provides an infinite number of reclining degrees for the back support rods).
  • the cutout is a channel, it is especially contemplated that the bolt has an additional lock through which the relative position of the armrest to the rear leg can be secured.
  • a method of imparting coUapsibility into a chair has one step in which a pair of front legs, a pair of rear legs, and a pair of seat support rods are provided.
  • a pair of back support rods is coupled to the rear legs, and a seat is coupled to the seat support rods.
  • a first cross brace is coupled to the front legs and the seat support rods, while a second cross brace is coupled to the rear legs and the front legs.
  • a pair of solid armrests are coupled to at least one of the rear legs and the back support rods such that the back support rods recline among a plurality of predetermined positions, and all elements are coupled such that the chair collapses in a single movement in which the front legs approximate each other when the front legs pivot towards the rear legs.
  • the front leg on one side of the chair may be coupled to the seat support rod on the other side of the chair via a cross brace, wherein the cross brace is on one end rotatably coupled to the front leg, and on the other end rotatably and slidably coupled to the seat support rod.
  • each of the seat support rods may - lo ⁇
  • the armrest (preferably a solid armrest) is rotatably coupled to the back support rod and engages with the rear leg in one of at least 2 different positions, wherein the at least 2 different positions are determined by one or more cutouts in the solid armrest.
  • the rear leg is slidingly coupled to a seat support rod and a back support rod, and the front leg is rotatably coupled to the rear leg and the seat support rod.
  • the number of legs, and/or seat supports may vary considerably.
  • the chair is sized and dimensioned to accommodate more than one person, three, four, or more legs, and/or seat supports may be included.
  • three or more seat support rods may be included in a chair with two front legs and two rear legs.
  • the number of cross braces may vary, and while some chairs may have only one pair of cross braces, other chairs may include three, four, or more cross braces.
  • the second cross brace may also be coupled to an element that couples the cross brace to the front leg and/or the rear leg.
  • the coupling may very depending on the particular configuration of contemplated chairs. For example it is contemplated that all of the couplings may be rotatable and slidable. Alternatively, where slidable couplings are less desirable, alternative couplings may be employed and suitable couplings especially include temporary couplings such as snap connectors, connectors that are secured with a pin or other removable element, etc.
  • the coupling may be done via an intermediate rod, that rotatably couples two elements together.

Abstract

L'invention concerne une chaise pliante (100) pourvue de solides accoudoirs (160), comportant un pied avant (110), un pied arrière (120), une tige de support de siège (130), et une tige de support arrière (140), accouplées ensemble de sorte que la tige de support arrière puisse s'incliner indépendamment de la tige de support de siège, et de sorte que la chaise se plie d'un seul mouvement dans lequel les pieds avant se rapprochent l'un de l'autre, lorsque lesdits pieds avant pivotent en direction des pieds arrière.
PCT/US2001/007821 2001-03-02 2001-03-02 Chaise de plage pliante multi-positions pourvue de solides accoudoirs WO2002069760A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/US2001/007821 WO2002069760A1 (fr) 2001-03-02 2001-03-02 Chaise de plage pliante multi-positions pourvue de solides accoudoirs
US10/469,924 US6814403B2 (en) 2001-03-02 2001-03-02 Multi-position collapsible beach chair with solid armrests

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/US2001/007821 WO2002069760A1 (fr) 2001-03-02 2001-03-02 Chaise de plage pliante multi-positions pourvue de solides accoudoirs

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2002069760A1 true WO2002069760A1 (fr) 2002-09-12

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US2001/007821 WO2002069760A1 (fr) 2001-03-02 2001-03-02 Chaise de plage pliante multi-positions pourvue de solides accoudoirs

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Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0256837A2 (fr) * 1986-08-18 1988-02-24 Christopher John Jacobs Ensemble d'ossature pliante
US4826241A (en) * 1986-01-13 1989-05-02 Barras Lee J Folding chair
US5058950A (en) * 1989-11-05 1991-10-22 Amiram Mann Foldable chair
US6082813A (en) * 1999-06-05 2000-07-04 Chen; Kao-San Foldable chair

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4826241A (en) * 1986-01-13 1989-05-02 Barras Lee J Folding chair
EP0256837A2 (fr) * 1986-08-18 1988-02-24 Christopher John Jacobs Ensemble d'ossature pliante
US5058950A (en) * 1989-11-05 1991-10-22 Amiram Mann Foldable chair
US6082813A (en) * 1999-06-05 2000-07-04 Chen; Kao-San Foldable chair

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