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Folding furniture and methods of assembling the same

Folding furniture and methods of assembling the same description/claims

This invention relates generally to articles of furniture, and more particularly, to foldable chairs that are adjustable to accommodate being used on varying terrain.

Spectators at outdoor events, such as sporting events, fireworks displays, and/or beachgoers, often use portable, foldable lawn furniture for seating during their time at such locations. At such locations, seating is commonly placed on grassy areas, beaches, or other terrain that may not be flat. Depending on the terrain of the ground, it may be difficult to set the furniture in a position that provides comfort to the user.

To accommodate uneven or sloped ground, at least some known portable furniture includes an adjustment mechanism that facilitates keeping the seat of the chair roughly parallel relative to the horizontal and to the ground upon which the chair is situated. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,494,333 to Wilson describes a chair which includes three or four adjustable legs. However, the number of adjustment positions is fixed, such that sloped terrain usage may be limited. Other known adjustable chairs include individually adjustable legs that are not adjustable by a seated user. In addition, other known adjustable chairs include adjustment mechanisms that are fairly complicated assemblies that are difficult to use and/or assemble, that are costly, that are positioned such that they limit an amount of folding of the chair for storage, and/or that must be manually readjusted each time the location of the chair is changed. Moreover, depending on the materials used in fabricating the adjustment mechanisms, over time the tolerances between moving components may loosen, thus reducing the effectiveness of such mechanisms.

In one aspect, a chair is provided. The chair includes a pair of rear side frame members, a pair of forward side frame members, a pair of adjustment members, and a seat. The pair of rear side frame members are coupled together in a mirrored relationship. The pair of forward side frame members are coupled together in a mirrored relationship. Each of the adjustment members includes an elongate slot defined therein. Each of the forward side frame members is slidably coupled to each of the adjustment member slots. Each of the rear side frame members is pivotally coupled to an opposite end of the pair of adjustment members. The seat is suspended from the pair of rear side frame members and the pair of forward side frame members. The chair is foldable from an in-use position to a generally flat storage position.

In another aspect, a foldable article of furniture is provided. The article of furniture includes a pair of rear side frame members, a pair of forward side frame members, a pair of adjustment members, and a seat. The pair of rear side frame members are coupled together in a mirrored relationship such that the pair of rear side frame members are substantially parallel. The pair of forward side frame members are coupled together in a mirrored relationship such that the pair of forward side frame members are substantially parallel. Each of the adjustment members includes an elongate slot defined therein. Each of the forward side frame members is slidably coupled to each of the adjustment member slots at a first end of each of the pair of adjustment members, such that a radially inner surface of each of the forward side frame members is positioned adjacent a radially outer surface of each of the pair of adjustment members. Each of the rear side frame members is pivotally coupled to an opposite second end of the pair of adjustment members, such that a radially outer surface of each of the forward side frame members is positioned adjacent a radially inner surface of each of the pair of adjustment members. The seat is suspended from the pair of rear side frame members and the pair of forward side frame members, such that the pair of rear side frame members are each between the seat and each of the pair of forward side frame members.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary foldable chair in an open position.

FIG. 2 is side view of the chair shown in FIG. 1 and in a closed position.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of the chair shown in FIG. 1 and taken along area 3.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary foldable chair 10 in an open position 12. FIG. 2 is side view of chair 10 in a closed or storage position 14. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of chair 10. In an alternative embodiment, chair 10 includes a pair of rocker rails. Moreover, as one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, the present invention may be adapted for use with a plurality of different chairs and other furniture without departing from its scope. As such, the present invention is not limited to any particular article of furniture.

As best seen in FIG. 1, chair 10 includes a plurality of jointed members 20 that are pivotally coupled together with respect to each other. Specifically, in the exemplary embodiment, chair 10 includes a pair of rear side frame members 22 and a pair of forward side frame members 30. In the exemplary embodiment, the rear side frame members 22 are substantially identical, and, as described in more detail below, are oriented in a mirrored relationship with respect to each other. Similarly, in the exemplary embodiment, the forward side frame members 30 are substantially identical, and, as described in more detail below, are oriented in a mirrored relationship with respect to each other.

In the exemplary embodiment, members 22 and members 30 are coupled together by a pair of arm-support members 36 and by a pair of adjustment members 38, as described in more detail below. Specifically, in the exemplary embodiment, each arm-support frame member 36 is pivotally coupled to each member 30 in proximity to an upper end 40 of each member 30, and to each member 22 in proximity to a mid-point region 42 of each member 22. As used herein, the term “midpoint region 42” refers to an area of each member 22 that is approximately midway between an upper end 46 and a lower end 48 of each member 22.

Members 22 are also coupled together in the exemplary embodiment by a lower structural support member 50 and by an upper structural support member 52. More specifically, in the exemplary embodiment, structural support member 50 is fixedly secured to each member 22 at the lower end 48 of each member 22, and structural support member 52 is coupled to each member 22 at the upper end 46 of each member 22. Members 50 and 52 provide structural support to members 22 and to chair 20. Moreover, because members 50 and 52 each have approximately the same length L1, in the exemplary embodiment, members 50 and 52 facilitate maintaining members 22 in position relative to chair 20. Alternatively, members 50 and 52 may be fabricated with different lengths L1. Specifically, in the exemplary embodiment, members 22 are coupled to members 50 and 52 at approximately the same relative location with respect to the length L1 of members 50 and 52, such that members 50 and 52 facilitate maintaining members 22 in a spaced-apart mirrored orientation, wherein the members 22 are substantially parallel to each other and are substantially perpendicular to each member 50 and 52.

Similar to members 22, members 30 are coupled together in the exemplary embodiment by a lower structural support member 60 and by an upper structural support member 62. More specifically, in the exemplary embodiment, structural support member 60 is fixedly secured to each member 30 adjacent a lower end 64 of each member 30, and structural support member 62 is coupled to each member 30 adjacent the upper end 40 of each member 30. Members 60 and 62 provide structural support to members 30 and to chair 20. Moreover, because members 60 and 62 each have the same length L2, in the exemplary embodiment, members 60 and 62 facilitate maintaining members 30 in position relative to chair 20. Alternatively, members 60 and 62 may be fabricated with different lengths L2. Specifically, in the exemplary embodiment, members 30 are each coupled to members 60 and 62 at approximately the same relative location with respect to the length L1 of members 60 and 62, such that members 60 and 62 facilitate maintaining members 30 in a spaced-apart mirrored orientation, wherein the members 30 are substantially parallel to each other and are substantially perpendicular to each member 60 and 62.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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