Foldable dual-chair

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6231119
  • Patent Number
    6,231,119
  • Date Filed
    Friday, September 15, 2000
    24 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, May 15, 2001
    23 years ago
Abstract
A foldable dual-chair includes a pair of seat frames and a pair of back frame constructed to support a pair of fabric seats thereon respectively wherein a connecting frame is foldably supported between the two seat frames. The connecting frame includes a pair connecting leg posts each having an outer tube frame and an inner tube frame upwardly extended therefrom in a vertical movable manner. So, the connecting leg posts are capably of slidably adjusting their height in such a manner the foldable dual-chair is capable of folding up into a compact unit for easy storage and carriage.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION




1. Field of Invention




The present invention relates to foldable chair, and more particularly to a foldable dual-chair which is facilitated to be folded into a compact unit for storage and carriage.




2. Description of Related Arts




Since a conventional foldable chair can be quickly and easily unfolded for use and folded into a compact unit for carriage, a user can carry the foldable chair to everywhere such as campground or beach. However, when two or more person may join together to have an outdoor activity, they must need to bring more foldable chair in order to occupy their own chair. Even though each foldable chair is folded into a compact size, it is difficult for the user to carry two or more foldable chairs at the same time. Thus, the foldable chairs are bulky for storage and transportation especially when the user put them into a limited space of a vehicle's trunk.




Some improved foldable chairs increase their sizes in order to support two people sitting thereon. However, such foldable chairs have their drawbacks. First, the foldable chair may fail to well support the users because of the increase of user's weight. In order to well support the user, the foldable chair must provide a rigid cross-support structure of the construction tubes that may increase the weight of the foldable chair. Second, more metal tubes are needed to be constructed the foldable chair in order to increase its seat frame section for supporting two persons. However, the foldable chair cannot be folded into a compact unit which is bulky and difficult to carriage.




SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION




A main object of the present invention is to provide a foldable dual-chair, which provides a strong frame structure that can well support two users sitting on the foldable dual-chair.




Another object of the present invention is to provide a foldable dual-chair which can be quickly and easily folded into a compact unit for carriage and storage and unfolded for use.




Another object of the present invention is to provide a foldable dual-chair, which has a simple construction that every individual is able to fold and unfold the foldable dual-chair in one single motion.




Accordingly, in order to accomplish the above objects, the present invention provides a foldable dual-chair, comprising a pair of seat frames and a pair of back frame constructed to support a pair of fabric seats thereon respectively.




Each seat frame comprises an inter-side frame leg, an outer-side frame leg, and a construction frame leg foldably supported between the inter-side frame leg and the outer-side frame leg wherein a connecting frame is foldably supported between the two inter-side frame legs. Each of inter-side and outer-side frame legs comprises a front side crossed leg and a rear side crossed leg pivotally connected together where they cross, a front upper frame joint pivotally connected to a top end of the rear side crossed leg, and a front base frame joint pivotally connected to a lower end of the front side crossed leg.




The connecting frame comprises a pair of connecting leg posts slidably passing through the two front frame joints of the two inter-side frame legs respectively wherein each connecting leg post comprises an outer tube frame having a lower end connected to the front base frame joint and an inner tube frame coaxially and upwardly extended from the outer tube frame in a slidably movable manner and penetrating through the respective front upper frame joint.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a perspective view of a conventional folding chair.





FIG. 2

is a perspective view of a foldable dual-chair according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.





FIG. 3

is a perspective view of a front upper inter-frame joint of the foldable dual-chair according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention.





FIG. 4

is a perspective view of a front lower inter-frame joint of the foldable dual-chair according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention.





FIG. 5

is a perspective view of a connecting frame of the foldable dual-chair according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention.





FIG. 6

is a perspective view of a sliding joint of the connecting frame of the foldable dual-chair according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




Referring to

FIG. 2

of the drawings, a foldable dual-chair


1


according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated, which comprises a pair of seat frames


10


and a pair of back frame


30


constructed to support a pair of fabric seats


1


A thereon respectively.




Each seat frame


10


comprises an inter-side frame leg


11


and an outer-side frame leg


12


, and a construction frame leg


13


foldably supported between the inter-side frame leg


11


and the outer-side frame leg


12


. Each of the inter-side frame leg


11


and the outer-side frame leg


12


comprises a front side crossed leg


111


,


121


and a rear side crossed leg


112


,


122


pivotally connected together where they cross.




Each seat frame


10


further comprises a front upper inter-frame joint


21


A pivotally connected to a top end of the rear side crossed leg


112


of the inter-side frame leg


11


, a front upper outer-frame joint


21


B pivotally connected to a top end of the rear side crossed leg


122


of the outer-side frame leg


12


, a front base inter-frame joint


22


A pivotally connected to a lower end of the front side crossed leg


111


of the inter-side frame leg


11


, and a front base outer-frame joint


22


B pivotally connected to a lower end of the front side crossed leg


121


of the outer-side frame leg


12


. Thus, a back upper frame joint


23


A,


23


B is pivotally connected to a top end of the front side frame leg


111


,


121


, and a back base frame joint


24


A,


24


B is pivotally connected to a lower end of the rear lower frame leg


112


,


122


.




The construction frame leg


13


comprises a pair of front crossed legs


131


,


132


pivotally connected together where they cross and a pair of rear crossed legs


133


,


134


pivotally connected together where they cross. Four top ends of the front and rear crossed legs


131


,


132


,


133


,


134


are pivotally connected to the two front upper frame joints


21


A,


21


B and the two rear upper frame joints


23


A,


23


B respectively. Four lower ends of the front and rear crossed legs


131


,


132


,


133


,


134


are pivotally connected to the two front base frame joints


22


A,


22


B and the two rear base frame joints


24


A,


24


B respectively.




Each back frame


30


comprises a pair of back frame legs


31


,


32


slidably penetrating through the two rear upper frame joints


23


A,


23


B of the respective seat frame


10


respectively wherein two lower ends of the two back frame legs


31


,


32


are respectively extended downwardly to connect to the two rear base frame joint


24


A,


24


B.




The foldable dual-chair


1


further comprises a connecting frame


40


foldably supported between the two seat frames


10


wherein the connecting frame


40


is pivotally connected between the two inter-side frame legs


11


of the two seat frames


10


respectively. As, shown in

FIG. 5

, the connecting frame


40


comprises a pair of connecting leg posts


41


each slidably passing the front upper inter-frame joint


21


A of the inter-side frame leg


11


of each seat frame


10


wherein each connecting leg post


41


comprises an outer tube frame


411


having a lower end connected to the respective front base joint


22


A and an inner tube frame


412


coaxially and upwardly extended from the outer tube frame


411


in a slidably movable manner and slidably passing through the front upper inter-frame joint


21


A, wherein the outer tube frame


411


has a diameter larger than a diameter of the inner tube frame


412


such that the inner tube frame


412


is slidably disposed in the outer tube frame


411


in a vertical movable manner. It is worth to mention that the foldable dual-chair


1


is lengthened when it is in a folded state, so that the inner tube frame


412


are capable of increase the height of the connecting leg posts when the inner tube frames


412


are upwardly extended from the outer tube frames


411


respectively. Thus, the inner tube frame


412


is slidably penetrated through a predetermined position of the fabric seat


1


A, so as to hold the fabric seat


1


A in position when the fabric seat


1


A is stretched out in the unfolded state of the foldable dual-chair


1


.




Moreover, a stopper


413


is affixed on a top end of each inner tube frame


412


, which is positioned above the respective front upper inter-frame joint


21


A, for ensuring the respective front upper inter-frame joint


21


A slid along the inner tube frame


412


in a folding process.




The foldable dual-chair


1


further comprises a fabric flap


50


foldably supported between two seat frames


10


. The fabric flap


50


has a predetermined size and shape wherein one of the respective back frame legs


31


from each back frame


30


is slidably penetrated through a rear end of the fabric flap


50


and a front end of the fabric flap


50


is affixed to the two stoppers


413


of the connecting leg posts


41


in such a manner the fabric flap


50


is adapted to be horizontally and flatly stretched out when the foldable dual-chair


1


in the unfolded state such that the fabric flap


50


is capable of forming an arm rest between the two seat frames


10


, so as to support the user's arm when he or she sits on the foldable dual-chair


1


. At least a holder


501


such as cup holder is mounted on the fabric flap


50


. Moreover, a supplementary fabric extension


51


having at least a pocket provided thereon is frontwardly extended from the front end of the fabric flap


50


for storing the user's accessories.




The connecting frame


40


further comprises two pairs of connecting crossed legs


42


foldably supported between the two seat frames


10


wherein each pair of connecting crossed legs


42


pivotally connected with each other to form a “X” structure. The lower pair of connecting crossed legs


421


have two bottom ends pivotally connected to the two front base inter-frame joints


22


A respectively and the upper pair of connecting crossed legs


422


also have two top ends pivotally connected to the two front upper inter-frame joints


21


A respectively, wherein the upper and lower pairs of connecting crossed legs


422


,


421


are pivotally connected together by a pair of sliding joints


43


which are slidably connected with the connecting leg posts


41


respectively.




According to the preferred embodiment, each of the front upper inter-frame joint


21


A has a guiding through hole


211


having a diameter slightly smaller than the respective outer tube frame


411


of the connecting leg post


41


for the inner tube frame


412


of the connecting leg post


41


slidably passing through, as shown in

FIG. 3

, such that the front upper inter-frame joint


21


A is sat on a top end of the respective outer tube frame


411


when the foldable dual-chair


1


is in an unfolded state. In other words, the length of the outer tube frame


411


is the height of the foldable dual-chair


1


in the unfolded state. Each front upper inter-frame joint


21


A comprises three walls


212


downwardly and perpendicularly extended therefrom for pivotally connecting the rear side frame leg


112


, the front crossed leg


131


of the construction frame leg


13


, and the connecting crossed leg


42


of the connecting frame


40


respectively.




As shown in

FIG. 4

, each front base inter-frame joint


22


A has a circular holder


221


having a diameter slightly larger than the respective outer tube frame


411


of the connecting leg post


41


for securely holding the lower end of the connecting leg posts


41


. Each front base inter-frame


22


A comprises three supporting walls


222


upwardly and perpendicularly extended therefrom for pivotally connecting the front side frame leg


111


, the front crossed leg


131


of the construction frame leg


13


, and the connecting crossed leg


42


of the connecting frame


40


respectively.




Referring to

FIG. 6

, each sliding joint


43


comprises a slider body


431


having a slider hole


431


A which has a diameter slightly larger than the respective connecting leg post


41


and vertically extended through the slider body


431


for the respective connecting leg post


41


slidably passing through. Each sliding joint


43


further comprises a pivotal arm


432


integrally extended from the slider body


431


for pivotally connecting both the upper and lower connecting crossed legs


422


,


421


together, and an top wall


433


integrally and perpendicularly extended on a top of the pivotal arm


432


so as to limit the rotation angle of the lower pair of connecting crossed legs


421


.




It is worth to mention that two pairs of connecting crossed legs


42


is used instead of a pair of connecting crossed legs because the pairs of connecting crossed legs


42


can provide a better rotation angle thereof. Thus, the two pairs of connecting crossed legs


42


are slidably connected with the two connecting leg posts


41


so as to provide better support between the two seat frames


10


.




When the foldable dual-chair


1


is folded, each side frame leg


11


,


12


and the connecting crossed legs


42


will rotate to narrow the cross structure thereof to near vertical position, as the circumference of the foldable dual-chair


1


is reduced and the height is lengthened. So, the two front upper inter-frame joints


21


A are rendered to move upwardly by the seat frames


10


, so as to upwardly slide along the inner tube frame


412


of the connecting leg posts


41


respectively by pushing the stopper


43


upward. When the foldable dual-chair


1


is in unfolded state, the front upper inter-frame joints


21


A are downwardly slid along the two inner tube frame


412


and sat on top ends of the respective outer tube frames


411


of the connecting leg posts


41


respectively for partially supporting the foldable dual-chair


1


. In other words, the inner tube frames


412


will respectively guide the two front upper inter-frame joints


21


A in a vertical movable manner.




In order to rigidly support the two seat frame


10


together, as shown in

FIG. 2

, the connecting frame


40


further comprises two pairs of additional connecting crossed legs


44


foldably supported between the two rear upper frame joints


23


A and the two rear base frame joints


24


A of the inter-side frame leg


11


wherein each pair of additional connecting crossed legs


44


pivotally connected each other to form a “X” structure. The lower pair of additional connecting crossed legs


441


have two bottom ends pivotally connected to the two rear frame joints


24


A respectively and the upper pair of additional connecting crossed legs


442


also have two top ends pivotally connected to the two rear upper frame joints


23


A respectively, wherein the upper and lower pairs of additional connecting crossed legs


442


,


441


are pivotally connected together by two sliding joints


43


which are slidably connected with the back frame legs


31


of the back frames


30


respectively.



Claims
  • 1. A foldable dual-chair, comprising:a pair of seat frames and a pair of back frame constructed to support a pair of fabric seats thereon respectively wherein each seat frame comprises an inter-side frame leg, an outer-side frame leg, and a construction frame leg foldably supported between the inter-side frame leg and the outer-side frame leg, each of said inter-side and outer-side frame legs comprising a front side crossed leg and a rear side crossed leg pivotally connected together where they cross, a front upper inter-frame joint pivotally connected to a top end of said rear side crossed leg, and a front base inter-frame joint pivotally connected to a lower end of said front side crossed leg, and a connecting frame, foldably supported between said two inter-side frame legs of said pair of seat frame, comprising a pair of connecting leg posts slidably passing through said two front upper inter-frame joints of said two inter-side frame legs respectively, each said connecting leg post comprising an outer tube frame having a lower end connected to said front base inter-frame joint and an inner tube frame coaxially and upwardly extended from said outer tube frame in a slidably movable manner and penetrating through said respective front upper inter-frame joint.
  • 2. A foldable dual-chair, as recited in claim 1, wherein said connecting frame further comprises two pairs of connecting crossed legs foldably supported between the two seat frames wherein each pair of connecting crossed legs pivotally connected with each other to form a “X” structure.
  • 3. A foldable dual-chair, as recited in claim 2, wherein said connecting frame further comprises a stopper affixed on a top end of each said inner tube frame of said connecting leg post, which is positioned on top of said respective front upper inter-frame joint, for ensuring said respective front upper inter-frame joint slid along said inner tube frame in a folding process.
  • 4. A foldable dual-chair, as recited in claim 3, wherein said outer tube frame of said connecting leg post has a diameter larger than a diameter of said inner tube frame thereof such that said inner tube frame is slidably disposed in said outer tube frame in a vertical movable manner.
  • 5. A foldable dual-chair, as recited in claim 4, wherein said two pairs of connecting crossed legs comprises a lower pair of connecting crossed legs having two bottom ends pivotally connected to said two front base inter-frame joints respectively and an upper pair of connecting crossed legs having two top ends pivotally connected to said two front upper inter-frame joints respectively, wherein said upper and lower pairs of connecting crossed legs are pivotally connected together by a pair of sliding joints which are slidably connected with said connecting leg posts respectively.
  • 6. A foldable dual-chair, as recited in claim 5, wherein each said sliding joint comprises a slider body having a slider hole which has a diameter slightly larger than said respective connecting leg post and vertically extended through said slider body for said respective connecting leg post slidably passing through, and a pivotal arm integrally extended from said slider body for pivotally connecting both said upper and lower connecting crossed legs together.
  • 7. A foldable dual-chair, as recited in claim 6, wherein said each of said front upper inter-frame joint has a guiding through hole having a diameter slightly smaller than said respective outer tube frame of said connecting leg post for said inner tube frame of said connecting leg post slidably passing through.
  • 8. A foldable dual-chair, as recited in claim 6, wherein said connecting frame further comprises an upper pair of additional connecting crossed legs and a lower pair of additional connecting crossed legs, each of which are pivotally connected each other to form a “X” structure, wherein said upper pair of additional connecting crossed legs having two top ends pivotally connected to two rear upper frame joints respectively and said lower pair of additional connecting crossed legs having two bottom ends pivotally connected to two rear frame joints respectively, and wherein said upper and lower pairs of additional connecting crossed legs are pivotally connected together by two said sliding joints which are slidably connected with said back frame legs of said back frames respectively.
  • 9. A foldable dual-chair, as recited in claim 5, wherein said each of said front upper inter-frame joint has a guiding through hole having a diameter slightly smaller than said respective outer tube frame of said connecting leg post for said inner tube frame of said connecting leg post slidably passing through.
  • 10. A foldable dual-chair, as recited in claim 5, wherein said connecting frame further comprises an upper pair of additional connecting crossed legs and a lower pair of additional connecting crossed legs, each of which are pivotally connected each other to form a “X” structure, wherein said upper pair of additional connecting crossed legs having two top ends pivotally connected to two rear upper frame joints respectively and said lower pair of additional connecting crossed legs having two bottom ends pivotally connected to two rear frame joints respectively, and wherein said upper and lower pairs of additional connecting crossed legs are pivotally connected together by two said sliding joints which are slidably connected with said back frame legs of said back frames respectively.
  • 11. A foldable dual-chair, as recited in claim 5, further comprises a fabric flap having a predetermined shape and size foldably supported between said two seat frames wherein a rear end of said fabric flap is slidably connected to said back frames and a front end of said fabric flap is affixed to said two stoppers of said connecting leg posts in such a manner said fabric flap is adapted to be horizontally and flatly stretched out when said foldable dual-chair in an unfolded state such that said fabric flap is capable of forming an arm rest between said two seat frames, so as to support users' arms while sitting on said foldable dual-chair.
  • 12. A foldable dual-chair, as recited in claim 5, further comprises a fabric flap having a predetermined shape and size foldably supported between said two seat frames wherein a rear end of said fabric flap is slidably connected to said back frames and a front end of said fabric flap is affixed to said two stoppers of said connecting leg posts in such a manner said fabric flap is adapted to be horizontally and flatly stretched out when said foldable dual-chair in an unfolded state such that said fabric flap is capable of forming an arm rest between said two seat frames, so as to support users' arms while sitting on said foldable dual-chair.
  • 13. A foldable dual-chair, as recited in claim 4, wherein said each of said front upper inter-frame joint has a guiding through hole having a diameter slightly smaller than said respective outer tube frame of said connecting leg post for said inner tube frame of said connecting leg post slidably passing through.
  • 14. A foldable dual-chair, as recited in claim 3, wherein said two pairs of connecting crossed legs comprises a lower pair of connecting crossed legs having two bottom ends pivotally connected to said two front base inter-frame joints respectively and an upper pair of connecting crossed legs having two top ends pivotally connected to said two front upper inter-frame joints respectively, wherein said upper and lower pairs of connecting crossed legs are pivotally connected together by a pair of sliding joints which are slidably connected with said connecting leg posts respectively.
  • 15. A foldable dual-chair, as recited in claim 14, wherein each said sliding joint comprises a slider body having a slider hole which has a diameter slightly larger than said respective connecting leg post and vertically extended through said slider body for said respective connecting leg post slidably passing through, and a pivotal arm integrally extended from said slider body for pivotally connecting both said upper and lower connecting crossed legs together.
  • 16. A foldable dual-chair, as recited in claim 2, wherein said outer tube frame of said connecting leg post has a diameter larger than a diameter of said inner tube frame thereof such that said inner tube frame is slidably disposed in said outer tube frame in a vertical movable manner.
  • 17. A foldable dual-chair, as recited in claim 2, wherein said two pairs of connecting crossed legs comprises a lower pair of connecting crossed legs having two bottom ends pivotally connected to said two front base inter-frame joints respectively and an upper pair of connecting crossed legs having two top ends pivotally connected to said two front upper inter-frame joints respectively, wherein said upper and lower pairs of connecting crossed legs are pivotally connected together by a pair of sliding joints which are slidably connected with- said connecting leg posts respectively.
  • 18. A foldable dual-chair, as recited in claim 17, wherein each said sliding joint comprises a slider body having a slider hole which has a diameter slightly larger than said respective connecting leg post and vertically extended through said slider body for said respective connecting leg post slidably passing through, and a pivotal arm integrally extended from said slider body for pivotally connecting both said upper and lower connecting crossed legs together.
  • 19. A foldable dual-chair, as recited in claim 1, wherein said connecting frame further comprises a stopper affixed on a top end of each said inner tube frame of said connecting leg post, which is positioned on top of said respective front upper inter-frame joint, for ensuring said respective front upper inter-frame joint slid along said inner tube frame in a folding process.
US Referenced Citations (4)
Number Name Date Kind
3492046 Wittner et al. Jan 1970
3640568 Suzuki et al. Feb 1972
5570928 Staunton et al. Nov 1996
6082813 Chen Jul 2000