Patent Application
20180000246
The embodiments disclosed herein relate to collapsible chairs for compact storage and transportation.
The increasing popularity of outdoor recreational activities continues to broaden the demand for all types of portable, compact furniture. In particular, portable and compact furniture is not only in high demand by seasoned outdoor enthusiasts but is also desired for recreational activities such as casual camping, spectator sports, and fishing. Nonetheless, most existing portable, outdoor furniture usually falls into one of two categories: (1) ultra-lightweight, compact furniture designed for backpacking, which typically compromises comfort for reduced size and weight and often requires complex set up; or (2) more sturdy, comfortable furniture that may be portable, but is not particularly lightweight or well suited for storage.
Traditionally, rocking chairs are used to relax in a soothing and comfortable home environment. As casual camping and relaxed outdoor pursuits become more common, several configurations of folding rocking chairs have been designed to enable users to transport traditional rocking chairs to campsites, parks, sports events, concerts, and other outdoor arenas. Although folding chairs are generally easier to transport than traditional, non-folding furniture, the existing folding rocking chairs are particularly cumbersome and awkward. This is in part because the rocker rails are typically large and their length and curvature is ill-suited for folding. In addition, rocker rails on folding chairs require additional hinges and add weight. Accordingly, the available configurations of outdoor, portable rocking chairs are not particularly convenient nor are they well-suited for compact storage and transportation.
Conversely, lightweight, easy-to-use, compact camping chairs do not have the appeal or serve the same function as a traditional rocking chair around a campfire. Not only are there no existing configurations of these lightweight chairs that facilitate rocking, but because these chairs often sacrifice comfort, ruggedness, and ease-of-use for size and weight, adding rocking rails to such ultra-lightweight chairs is an unappealing alternative for casual campers, sports spectators, and other users.
Consequently there is a need and a demand for configurations of portable rocking chairs that are both comfortable and sturdy but are also compact and lightweight enough to be transported to a variety of locations and events and easily stored while not in use.
Exemplary embodiments described herein provide for collapsible rocking chairs, comprising: a plurality of chair arms that each have a proximal end and a distal end; a seat that is removably coupled to and supported by the distal ends of the plurality of chair arms; and a rocker assembly for supporting the chair arms and seat, and enabling a rocking motion of the chair.
Each rocker assembly includes, without limitation, a first rocker rail and a second rocker rail, one or more cross bars coupled to the rocker rails, and a plurality of arm ports, each of which can removably receive the proximal end of a chair arm. In some embodiments, the rocker assembly also comprises a first hub and a second hub, with arm ports of the rocker assembly being located on these hubs and each hub being coupled to one of the rocker rails. The hubs in certain configurations are coupled to the one or more cross bars. In configurations with two cross bars, each of the first hub and the second hub include two cross bar ports for removably receiving one end of one or more cross bars. In certain embodiments the rocker assembly also comprises at least one threaded rod located within and running the length of each cross bar. Each threaded rod is received into a fastener on the first rocker rail and on the second rocker rail. Each threaded rod is couplable to both rocker rails. In some embodiments, each rocker rail has a curved arc front portion and a flat tail portion for stopping.
Certain configurations of the rocking chair have two back-supporting arms and two seat-supporting arms, where the back-supporting arms are longer than the seat-supporting arms. In some embodiments the distance between the distal ends of the back-supporting arms is less than the distance between the distal ends of the seat-supporting arms. The distance between the distal end of a back-supporting arm and the distal end of the seat-supporting arm on the same side of the chair (i.e., where both the back-supporting arm and the seat-supporting arm are coupled to the same rocker rail) is, in certain configurations, greater than distance between the proximal ends of those two chair arms.
Each chair arm of the exemplary embodiments described herein comprises at least one hollow pole segment and an elastic cord that runs through each hollow pole segment. In one embodiment the first end of the elastic cord terminates within one of the arm ports of the rocker assembly and the second end terminates at the distal end of the chair arm receivable in that arm port. In a different embodiment, the first end of the elastic cord terminates at the distal end of one chair arm and the second end terminates at the distal end of a second chair arm which is coupled to the same rocker rail. In rocking chair configurations where each chair arm comprises a plurality of hollow pole segments, these segments are removably coupled to each other via the elastic cord.
The seat of rocking chair includes pockets for removably receiving the distal ends of the chair arms that support the seat. In some embodiments, the seat is comprised of two fabric panels. The fabric seat of one described embodiment is hammock-shaped. The length of the seat measured between the midpoint between the distal ends of two back-supporting arms of the rocking chair and the midpoint between the distal ends of two seat-supporting arms is greater than length of the seat measured between the distal end of the back-supporting arm and the distal end of the seat-supporting arm on at either side of the seat. (i.e., where both the back-supporting arm and the seat-supporting arm are coupled to the same rocker rail).
One embodiment of a rocking chair described herein is contained within a bag, satchel, a backpack, or a tote.
Various configurations of rocking chairs described herein are collapsible and allow for compact transportation and storage without sacrificing comfort. These embodiments may overcome the limitations of existing folding rocking chairs and also go beyond the mere addition of rocking rails to the lightweight camping chairs.
Rocker assembly 115 comprises two rocker rails 135, 136 with each rocker rail removably coupled to proximal ends 120 of one or more chair arms 105. Proximal ends 120 are removably received in arm ports 145 of rocker assembly 115. Chair arms 105 can each extend radially out from rocker assembly 115 to support seat 110. Alternatively, in other embodiments, two chair arms 105 extend at an angle to cross one another to form an x-shape, which is held in place by a clip or equivalent attaching mechanism holding the chair arms together at the center of the x.
In some exemplary embodiments, rocker assembly 115 comprises at least one cross bar 140 coupling rocker rails 135 and 136 to each other. Certain configurations of rocker assembly 115 have one cross bar 140, other configurations have two cross bars 140, and still other configurations have three or more cross bars. Each end of each cross bar is received into a cross bar port 155 of rocker assembly 115. The number of cross bar ports 155 of rocker assembly 115 is double the number of cross bars. Some rocker assemblies have cross bars fixed to each cross bar port; in others, the ends of the one or more cross bar(s) are removably coupled in the cross bar ports.
Certain configurations of rocker assembly 115 also include one or more hubs 150 attached to rocker rail 135 and rocker rail 136. Some embodiments have one hub attached to each rocker rail; other embodiments have two or more hubs attached to each rocker rail. In rocking chairs of the present description that include hubs 150, the hubs are coupled to the rocker rails and the one or more cross bar is coupled to each hub. Cross bar ports 155 are located on each hub 150. Certain rocker assemblies with hubs also have arm ports 145 formed in the hubs 150 (instead of in the rocker rails). For example, in one exemplary embodiment, rocker rail 135 is coupled to hub 150 which comprises two arm ports 145 and one or more cross bar ports 155.
The one or more cross bars of a rocker assembly of the present description can be coupled to the rocker rails and/or hubs by various methods and mechanisms, including without limitation, glue, tension, one or more fasteners, one or more threaded rods, or one or more elastic cords. In one embodiments, the one or more cross bars are removably received into the cross bar port(s) of each rocker rail and coupled to the hub or rocker rail by an elastic cord located within and running the length of each cross bar. In another embodiment, the one or more cross bar(s) are coupled to a rocker rail by the exemplary configuration shown in
Similarly, the chair arms of certain embodiments are removably coupled to the rocker assembly via an elastic cord.
Pole segments 315 and 325 are also removably couplable to each other via elastic cord 330. Pole segments 315, 325 can be pulled apart so that a disclosed rocking chair can be collapsed into a more compact and portable configuration. Similarly pole segment 315 can be removed from arm port 340 to collapse a rocking chair of the present description. When the pole segments are collapsed, elastic cord 330 maintains a connection between the pole segments and rocker assembly 300. Accordingly, elastic cord 330 helps prevent pole segments 315, 325 from getting separated from one another or from arm port 340 or getting lost when a collapsed rocking chair is being stored or transported. In addition, elastic cord 330 enables a rocking chair to be reconstructed quickly and efficiently because the correct ends of pole segments 315, 325 of chair arm 320 are already linked to one another and to rocker assembly 300 via elastic cord 330.
In yet another exemplary embodiment shown in
Seat 520 is removably coupled to and supported by the distal ends of seat supporting arms 501, 502 and of back supporting arms 503, 504. In certain embodiments, seat 520 is comprised of fabric, including without limitation canvas, cotton, nylon, polyester, or other synthetic materials. In one embodiment, seat 520 is comprised of two panels, for example, seat supporting panel 521 and back-supporting panel 522. In different embodiments, seat 520 is comprised of a left panel and a right panel.
Some exemplary embodiments of seat 520 have a hammock shape, which is designed for comfortable sitting and rocking. In these embodiments, the length of seat 520 measured from the midpoint (523) between the distal ends of back-supporting arms 503, 504 to the midpoint (524) between the distal ends of seat supporting arms 501, 502 is greater than the length of seat 520 measured between the distal end of back-supporting arm 503 and the distal end of seat-supporting arm 501.
In some configurations, arm ports 621, 622 are on rocker rails 506, 505 of rocker assembly 620; in other configurations arm ports 621, 622 are on one or more hubs each coupled to rocker rails 506, 505. In certain rocking chairs of the present description the distance measured between the distal ends of chair arms 503, 504 (i.e., “back distal width”) is greater than the distance measured between the proximal ends chair arms 503, 504 (i.e., “back proximal width”). In one embodiment the width measured between the proximal ends of seat-supporting chair arms (i.e., “front proximal width”) is substantially the same as the back proximal width, but the width measured between the distal ends of seat-supporting chair arms (i.e., “front distal width”) may be shorter than, the same as, or longer than the back distal width.
In some embodiments, rocker rails 505, 506 are comprised of wood, including by non-limiting example, beech, bamboo, pine, oak, maple, or other wood. In other embodiments, rocker rails 505, 506 may be made of a metal or a synthetic material, such as, for example, injection plastics. Metal rocker rails 505, 506 can be stamped, extruded, milled, forged, or bent. In yet other embodiments rocker rails 505, 506 are comprised of a combination of materials, including without limitation, any combination of wood, metal, and/or synthetic material. The rocker rails 505, 506 have a curved arc 730 along the bottom side for rocking front-to-back. In certain embodiments curved arc 730 transitions to a flat tail portion 735 on the underside of the rocker rails. Flat tail portion 735 helps prevent rocking chair from being rocked too far backwards.
Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing of lengths, distances, and so forth used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about.” Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the specification and attached claims are approximations that may vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by the present disclosure. At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims, each numerical parameter should at least be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of the disclosure are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as possible. Any numerical value, however, inherently contains certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements.
The terms “a,” “an,” “the” and similar referents used in the context of describing the exemplary embodiments (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. Recitation of ranges of values herein is merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range. Unless otherwise indicated herein, each individual value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein is intended merely to better illuminate the exemplary embodiments and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the exemplary embodiments otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element essential to the practice of the exemplary embodiments.
Groupings of alternative elements or embodiments disclosed herein are not to be construed as limitations. Each group member may be referred to and claimed individually or in any combination with other members of the group or other elements found herein. It is anticipated that one or more members of a group may be included in, or deleted from, a group for reasons of convenience and/or patentability. When any such inclusion or deletion occurs, the specification is deemed to contain the group as modified thus fulfilling the written description of all Markush groups used in the appended claims.
Certain embodiments are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the exemplary embodiments. Of course, variations on these described embodiments will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the embodiments to be practiced otherwise than specifically described herein. Accordingly, this disclosure includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the disclosure unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.
Specific embodiments disclosed herein may be further limited in the claims using consisting of or and consisting essentially of language. When used in the claims, whether as filed or added per amendment, the transition term “consisting of” excludes any element, step, or ingredient not specified in the claims. The transition term “consisting essentially of” limits the scope of a claim to the specified materials or steps and those that do not materially affect the basic and novel characteristic(s). Exemplary embodiments so claimed are inherently or expressly described and enabled herein.
In sum, the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative of the principles of the present disclosure. Other modifications that may be employed are within the scope of the disclosure. Thus, by way of example, but not of limitation, alternative configurations of the present exemplary embodiments may be utilized in accordance with the teachings herein. Accordingly, the present exemplary embodiments are not limited to that precisely as shown and described.
This application is a continuation of prior U.S. application Ser. No. 14/727,635, filed Jun. 1, 2015, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 14727635 | Jun 2015 | US |
| Child | 15703051 | US |
