Patent Application
20140138990
The present disclosure relates generally to collapsible articles such as tables and resting apparatuses such as chairs, benches, stools, hammocks, slings, and other apparatuses for perching, sitting, lying, or otherwise resting. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to collapsible articles that are portable and adapted for carrying from one location to another such as during camping, hunting, fishing or other outdoor activities. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to collapsible chairs and still more particularly to collapsible director's type chairs.
Portable chairs are generally known. However, there is room for improvement with respect to the size, stability, and comfort of portable chairs. Still further, some types of chairs, while foldable, are not very portable. For example, director's chairs or folding chairs, for example, may fold in only one direction causing the folded shape to be relatively flat, but also relatively broad. Still further, many portable chairs suffer from geometric limitations. That is, for example, in some cases, each side of a portable chair may have the same length allowing the chair to fold up. The present disclosure includes several improvements relating at least to the above drawbacks of current chairs and offers additional advantages as well. It is to be appreciated that any given embodiment may be directed to one or more of the above drawbacks or toward a separate advantage and nothing in the above background should be construed to limit the claimed invention.
In one embodiment, a collapsible director's chair may include a frame comprising a plurality of generally upright supports, a plurality of collapsible side brace assemblies arranged between pairs of the plurality of generally upright supports and each defining a respective plane, a seat tube arranged generally in-plane with a first side brace of the plurality of side braces, and an arm rest arranged generally in-plane with the first side brace. The seat tube and the arm rest may each include a hinge allowing the chair to be collapsed in the respective plane of the first side brace and the chair may also include a supporting element arranged on the frame.
In another embodiment, a collapsible director's chair may include a frame comprising a plurality of generally upright supports and a plurality of side brace assemblies arranged between pairs of the plurality generally upright supports. In one embodiment, at least one of the side brace assemblies may include a Y-brace frame and the chair may include a supporting element arranged on the frame. The frame may be collapsible in at least two directions.
In another embodiment, a collapsible chair may include a frame comprising a pair of Y-brace frames, a pair of X-brace frames arranged generally orthogonally relative to the Y-brace frames, and a foldable seat side member.
In another embodiment, a collapsible article, may include a pair of Y-frames where each of the Y-frames includes a pair of overlapping Y-shaped assemblies. Each of the assemblies may include a crossing member and a support brace member pivotally intersecting the crossing member along its length. The crossing members of each of the respective Y-shaped assemblies may pivotally engage one another and extend to opposing support brace members. The crossing members may be slidably coupled to the opposing support brace members.
In still another embodiment, a collapsible chair may include a pair of arching wire supports and a back rest. The back rest may include a membrane stretched between the pair of arching wire supports to provide lumbar support to a user seated in the chair.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are for purposes of example and explanation and do not necessarily limit the present disclosure. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate subject matter of the disclosure. Together, the descriptions and the drawings serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.
The present disclosure, in one embodiment, relates to a collapsible director's type chair. The director's chair may include a substantially flat and taut seat and may also include armrests and a substantially taut backrest. This embodiment is in contrast to other collapsible chairs that provide draping, sagging, or more hammock-like support. The seat and backrest of the presently disclosed chair may include a fabric spanning between opposing seat tubes and upright members, respectively, and the seat and backrest may be drawn taut to resist out of plane loads and thus support the user's bottom and back. Unlike known director's chairs, the presently disclosed chair may collapse in multiple directions. That is, the chair may collapse by drawing the sides of the chair closer to one another, but it may also simultaneously collapse by drawing the front of the chair toward the back of the chair. The collapsibility in the front-to-back direction may be provided by including a break point or hinge point in the front-to-back extending armrests and seat tubes. In addition to the front-to-back collapsibility, the presently disclosed chair may also include overlapping Y-frames on the front and back that allow the height of the collapsed chair to be reduced compared to other collapsible chairs. The presently disclosed chair may be advantageous by providing a director's-type chair with a taut seat and backrest that also collapses into a remarkably small (both in height and in footprint) collapsed position for storage and transportation. It should be appreciated that while much of the present application is presented in the context of collapsible chairs, similar approaches and structures may be used for other types of collapsible furniture including hammocks, tables, benches, stools, slings, and other articles.
Referring now to
The upright supports 102 may each establish a corner of the collapsible article 100. For example, in the present embodiment, each of the upright supports 102 establish one of four corners of the footprint of the article 100. The upright supports 102 may be generally elongate and columnar and may have a foot end 120 and an upper end 122 opposite the foot end 120. The upright supports 102 may be configured for collecting and carrying the load imposed on the article 100 to the supporting surface. The foot end 120 of the supports may engage a foot 124 adapted to be connected to the supports 102 and further adapted to distribute load from the upright supports 102 to a supporting surface.
The loads impose on the article 100 may be carried, in part, to the upright supports 102. Accordingly, the upright supports 102 may include a plurality of connection points along their length configured for securing of horizontally extending members, bracing, and the like. The pair of front upright supports 102A, 102B may have a length approximately equal to a height 126 of a seat portion 114 of the article 100 plus the distance 127 between the armrest portion 112A, 112B of the article 100 and the seat portion 114 of the article 100. The pair of back upright supports 102C, 102D may have a length equal to the front upright supports 102A, 1028 plus a distance equal to approximately half the depth 128 of the article 100 measured from the front of the seat 114 to the back of the seat 114. As will be appreciated when reviewing the figures and discussion relating to collapsing the article 100, the length of the pair of back upright supports 102C, 102D may define and/or may match or be approximately equal to the overall height of the article 100 in its collapsed position.
Each of the side members 110, 112 (i.e., including the seat side members 110A, 110B and the arm rest members 112A, 112B) may be arranged to extend between a front upright support 102A, 102B and a back upright support 102C, 102D. The side members 110, 112 may have a length between a front end and a back end that establishes the depth of the article 100 from the front to the back of the article 100. The length of the seat side members 110 and the arm rest members 112 may be substantially the same. The seat side members 110 may each be arranged at a distance along the front and back upright supports 102 measured from the foot end 120 of the supports 102 and defining a seat height 126 of the article 100. The arm rest members 112 may be spaced from the seat side members 110 by a distance defining the arm rest height 127 of the article 100 and, as such, may be arranged at a distance along the front and back upright supports 102 measured from the foot end 120 of the supports 102 by a distance equal to the seat height 126 plus the arm rest height 127. The side members 110, 112 may each be pivotally coupled to a front upright support 102A, 102B at a front end and to a back upright support 102C, 102D at a back end. The front end of the arm rest members 112, 112B may each be coupled to the upper end of one of the front upright supports 102C, 102D. The pivotal coupling of the side members 110, 112 may include a pinned connection where the side member is positioned out-of-plane and adjacent to the upright support member 102 and a pin extends through each member. In other embodiments, a collar and saddle may be provided where a collar is positioned on the upright support 102 with a saddle secured to and positioned to the side of the collar. The side member 110, 112 may nest within the saddle and a pin may be positioned through the side plates of the saddle and through the side member 110, 112 to provide a pinned connection. Still other out-of-plane and in-plane connections may be provided to pivotally couple the side members 110, 112 to the upright supports 102.
Each of the side members 110, 112 (i.e., including the seat side members 110A, 110B and the arm rest members 112A, 112B) may include a hinge 130, 132 along its length allowing the side member 110, 112 to be folded. In some embodiments, the hinge 130, 132 may be positioned at the mid-length of each of the side members 110, 112. In other embodiments, the hinge 130, 132 may be positioned at a different location along the length of each of the side members 110, 112. The hinge 130, 132 may include a pinned connection between a front portion and a back portion of the side member 110, 112 or a hinge element may be positioned between a front portion and a back portion. Still other devices and systems for creating the hinge 130, 132 may be provided.
In some embodiments, a pair of side member links 134 or vertical ties may be provided as shown. Each of the side member links 134 may be connected to a seat side member 110 and a respective arm rest member 112 at or near the position of the hinge 130, 132 in each of the side members 110, 112. In some embodiments, as shown in
As shown in
Turning now to the front and back frames 106, as shown in
The support brace member 144 may include a bottom end 148 and a top end 150 and may have a length measured from the bottom end 148 to the top end 150. The support brace member 144 may be an elongate member and may be relatively columnar similar to the upright support members 102. The bottom end 148 may be pivotally secured to an upright member 102 near the foot end 124 of the upright member 102. In some embodiments, the bottom end 148 of the support brace member 144 may be pivotally secured to the foot 124 of the upright member 102. The top end 150 of the support brace member 144 may be pivotally engaged with the crossing member at an intermediate point along the length of the crossing member 146 causing the support brace 144 and crossing member 146 to form a T or inverted Y shape when expanded as shown.
The crossing member 146 may include a bottom end 152 and a top end 154 and may have a length measured from the bottom end 152 to the top end 154. The crossing member 146 may be an elongate member and may be relatively columnar similar to the upright support members 102. The top end 154 of the crossing member 146 may be pivotally secured to the seat side member 110 as shown in more detail in
The associated Y-shaped arrangement may be a mirror image of the described Y-shaped arrangement reflected about a line extending vertically and passing through the point where the crossing member 146 is pivotally secured to the opposing crossing member 146. The pair of Y-shaped arrangements each having a support brace 144 and a crossing member 146 may form the Y-brace frame. A same or similar Y-brace frame may be provided at the back of the collapsible article 100.
Another way to describe the Y-brace frames 106 is as follows. When viewed in the expanded position, the Y-brace frames 106 may include two support brace members 144. The support brace members 144 may each include a bottom end 148 positioned in the lower left and lower right bottom corners of the frame 106. Each of the support brace members 144 may extend upwardly from the bottom corners to a top end 150. Each of the support brace members 144 may be tipped inwardly toward the other support brace member 144. The support brace members 144 may be tipped inwardly from a vertical position by an angle ranging from approximately 5 degrees to 45 degrees, or from approximately 15 degrees to approximately 30 degrees or from approximately 20 degrees to approximately 35 degrees. At the top end 150, the support brace members 144 may each intersect and pivotally engage a respective crossing member 146. The respective crossing members 146 may have a top end 154 arranged at an upper left or upper right corner, respectively, of the frame 106 and the crossing members 146 may extend inwardly and downwardly across the frame 106 toward one another. Starting from the upper corners of the frame 106, the crossing members 146 may extend inwardly and downwardly, across the top 150 of the support brace member 144 to an intersection point 166 with the other crossing member 146 and further to an intersection point with the opposing support brace member 144 defining the bottom end 152 of the crossing member 146. The crossing members 146 may be pivotally engaged where they intersect one another and may be pivotally and slidingly engaged with the opposing support brace member 144 at their bottom ends 152.
As shown in
It is to be appreciated that the collapsibility of the article 100 may depend in part on suitable lengths being selected for the several members of the article 100. For example, the sum of the lengths of the support brace member 144 and the upper portion 164 of the crossing member 146 may define a collapsed frame height 168 (See
The upright support members 102, frame members 136, 144, 146, side members 110, 112, links, and other members of the article 100 may include tubular or solid structures and may include most any cross-sectional shape including round, square, rectangular, triangular, hexagonal, octagonal, ovular, oblong, elliptical, and other shapes and combination of these shapes may be provided. The members may be constructed from most any material including metals such as steel, aluminum, metal alloys and the like. Other materials may include polymers, composite materials, carbon fiber materials and the like. Still other shapes and sizes and material types may be used.
The back rest 116 may be configured to be drawn taut between the opposing arching wires 118 to form an arching back rest offering lumbar support to a sitting user. As shown in
The overlapping nature of the Y-frames 106 creates a resistance to out of plane loads taking advantage of the lateral bending resistance of each of the brace and cross members. That is, a lateral load on any one of the Y-frame members 144, 146 will be resisted at one end of the member 144, 146 by tying the end member into the side of the article 100 where it is resisted by the front to back frames 108 and at the other end by support along the length of one of the other cross or brace members 144, 146. As such, the other cross or brace member may support this end of the loaded member through bending resistance. The overlapping Y-frames 106, when compared to the double-V frames of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/409,543 have remarkably better strength in an out of plane direction. As discussed, the overlapping nature of the Y-frames 106 takes advantage of the out of plane bending resistance of the members to resist out of plane loads.
Also, the angle of the cross members 146 relative to the seat 114 are relatively shallow relative to horizontal, particularly when compared to an X-frame 108. That is, the cross members 146 make an angle with the seat 114 that ranges from approximately 10 degrees to approximately 45 degrees. As such, the tensile force of the seat 114 is resisted substantially by compression in the cross members 146 causing little to no deflection in the member 146 and resisting a tendency for the frame members 144, 146 to walk inwardly over time/use. Also, the angle of the brace members 144 relative to the supporting ground may be relatively steep relative to the horizontal causing the forces in this member to be substantially compressive forces too, thereby causing little to no deflection. The overlapping Y-frame 106 may have a substantially shorter collapsed length than an X-frame 108 too. Accordingly, the overlapping Y-frames 106 form a very strong support frame that is also resistant to out of plane loads and further, has a collapsed height substantially less than a standard X-frame.
Another advantage of the Y-frame relates to an ability to manipulate the center pivot point 166 and/or the position of the pivot point on the pivotal slide coupling 158. With a Y-frame in a folded upright position, the pivot point 166 and/or 158 can be moved in either horizontal direction. By doing this, a change in the distance between the top ends of the two crossing members 146a, 146b, can be different then the distance between the bottom ends of the two support members 144a, 144b. An example of this could be that a Y-frame, in a folded position, could have the top ends of the crossing members 146a, 146b touching each other while the bottom ends of the two support members 144a, 144b could be one inch apart or vise versa. Being able to manipulate the positions of different members can be advantageous in creating a smaller foot print on a variety of different articles of furniture. An X-brace may not provide this level of adjustability.
It is noted that while the Y-frames 106 have been described as “overlapping”, the Y-frames 106 may overlap in one of several different ways. That is, in some embodiments, the Y-frames 106 may lie in adjacent planes and be pinned together in a common overlapping condition. In some embodiments, the pin may pass through the members or it may pass through brackets or tabs connected to the members. However, in another embodiment, for example, the “overlap” may be provided where the frames lie in a common plane and where the crossing members intersect, one or more side plates may be provided to bridge one crossing member across the crossing member of the opposing frame.
Turning now to
In the front-to-back direction, the X-brace frame 108 may collapse in a scissor motion allowing the article 100 to collapse. As may also be appreciated, the initial lifting of the center portion of the seat side member 110 may create tension in the X-brace frame members 136. That is, the top end 140 of the X-brace frame members 136 may initially travel more upward than inward creating tension in the X-brace frame members 136 and causing the slide connection 142 at the bottom of the members 136 to travel slightly upwardly along the upright support member 102. As the article 100 continues to collapse, the arching motion of the seat side member 110 about the pivotal connection to the upright member 102 may cause the motion of the top end 140 of the X-frame member 136 to travel very little in the upward direction and travel more in the inward direction thereby allowing the bottom 138 of the X-brace frame 136 member to slidingly return to the bottom of the upright support member 102.
In the side-to-side direction, the Y-brace frames 106 may collapse allowing the article 100 to collapse. As shown by comparing
Another embodiment of a collapsible article 200 is shown in
As shown in
The article may also include a tray 220 with a cup holder 222, for example. In other embodiments, the cup holder 222 may be omitted. The tray 220 may include a frame 224 and a membrane 226 drawn taut over the frame 224 . The frame 224 may be substantially rectangular and may be pivotally secured to the inside of the front and back Y-brace frames 208. The frame 224 of the tray 220 may have a front member 228 and a back member 230 that extend generally laterally out the side of the article 200. As can be seen in
It should be appreciated that Y-brace frame described herein allows for the bracing to fold up below the arm rests thereby nesting into the space defined by the side frame 202 and below the top member 206. As shown in
It is noted that while several embodiments of articles or chairs have been shown and described, no particular element of any of the described articles or chairs should be restricted to the embodiment with which it has been described. That is, many of the elements may be combined with, added to, or used with embodiments of the other articles or chairs including those described in related or incorporated applications.
It is believed that the present disclosure and many of its attendant advantages will be understood by the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the components without departing from the disclosed subject matter or without sacrificing all of its material advantages. The form described is merely explanatory, and it is the intention of the following claims to encompass and include such changes.
While the present disclosure has been described with reference to various embodiments, including preferred embodiments, it will be understood that these embodiments are illustrative and that the scope of the disclosure is not limited to them. Many variations, modifications, additions, and improvements are possible. More generally, embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure have been described in the context of particular embodiments. Functionality may be separated or combined in blocks differently in various embodiments of the disclosure or described with different terminology. These and other variations, modifications, additions, and improvements may fall within the scope of the disclosure as defined in the claims that follow.
The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/727,292, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. In addition, the present application is related to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/447,871 filed on Mar. 1, 2011 entitled Collapsible Chair, and U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 13/409,543 filed on Mar. 1, 2012 also entitled Collapsible Chair, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61727292 | Nov 2012 | US |
