Ganging device for folding chair

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a ganging device for a folding chair, and in particular to a ganging device that can enlarge a gap between connected chairs to offer comfortable seating.

2. The Prior Arts

The folding chairs are arranged in rows for indoor and outdoor events such as meeting, party, and reception. In order to provide an orderly seating arrangement, the folding chairs are neatly lined up and then interconnected with ganging devices. Referring to FIG. 6, a conventional ganging device for a folding chair include a metal L-bar A and a metal loop B respectively disposed at both sides of the folding chair. The L-bar A is fitted into the loop B on another chair, thereby connecting two chairs together. Taking advantage of the L-bar A and the loop B, a plurality of folding chairs are neatly lined up and connected side by side. The disadvantage of the folding chairs connected by the conventional ganging devices is that the gap between the connected chairs is small. When people, especially overweight or heavily built people, sit down, they are too close to each other. When trying to enlarge the gaps to offer more spacious seating for greater comfort, the chairs are lined up one by one and are not connected with the ganging devices. However, it is hard to keep the folding chairs in a row neatly without the ganging devices.

A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a ganging device mounted between folding chairs. The ganging device not only connects the chairs together but also keeps an ample distance between the chairs allowing spacious seating.

The solution of the present invention is to provide a frame as a main member of the ganging device. A first side of the main member includes an engaging protrusion, a fixing hole and a fixing element corresponding to the fixing hole. A second side of the main member includes a bottle-shaped frame slot having a narrow neck portion and a wide body portion. Moreover, a slot fastener is welded to a front leg frame of the chair. The slot fastener includes a bottle-shaped engaging slot having a body portion and a neck portion. An engaging knob is disposed on another folding chair.

The fixing element includes a screw, a nut and a washer. A screw head of the screw is inserted into the body portion of the engaging slot and then the screw is glided down the neck portion of the engaging slot. Then, a shank of the screw passes through the fixing hole and the engaging protrusion is fitted into the body portion of the engaging slot. The washer and nut of the fixing element are screw into the screw, thereby fixing the main member with the front leg frame of the chair. The engaging knob on another chair is inserted into the body portion of the frame slot of the main member and is glided down to the neck portion of the frame slot of the main member, thereby connecting the engaging knob with the main member. Therefore, the chairs are connected side by side.

The ganging device for enlarging a gap between folding chairs according to the present invention uses knobs and slots to quickly connect the chairs together. If trying to disconnect the folding chairs, it only needs to disengage the knobs and slots. It is quick and convenient.

A width of the main member of the ganging device is about 5 cm and the ganging device mounted between the folding chairs can keeps a distance between the chairs. Thus people sitting next to each other can enjoy the spacious seating and will not feel be confined in a small space.