FOLDING LAWN CHAIR WITH TRAY-SUPPORTING ARMS

Abstract

A folding chair having a frame constructed to allow a generally planar seat part and a generally planar back part to fold from a working position in which they are generally at right angles to each other to a stored position in which the seat part and the back part are generally parallel, the folding chair having arms, and arm extensions attached to the chair arms, the chair extensions being constructed to support a tray between them at a tray position at least substantially forward of the chair arms, the arm extensions being moveable to a position at which they do not extend substantially beyond the chair arms.

Description

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to folding chairs, and in particular to folding chairs that include a folding, light-weight tubular frame defining legs, a back rest area, a seat area, and arms. A seat, a back, and arm rests are attached to the tubular frame. The seat and back are frequently webs made of woven strips of material such as flexible plastic or woven fabric. Seats and backs may also be formed as slats or mesh rectangles. Such chairs are known commonly as lawn chairs or picnic chairs. It will be understood that in addition to traditional lawn chairs, similar chairs having extended seats are sometimes known as lounge chairs, and similar chairs having shorter legs are sometimes known as beach chairs. As used herein, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, the term “lawn chair” is used to describe all such chairs. Lawn chairs are convenient to fold and carry about, and are reasonably comfortable for an occupant to sit in. When the occupant wishes to carry out an activity such as eating from a plate, drinking from a glass, writing, or working on a portable computer or electronic tablet, however, the chair is of little or no help.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, generally stated, a folding lawn chair is provided having extendible arms, formed to hold a tray, table, or desk between the extensions of the arms. The arm extensions of the invention hold the tray, table, or desk in position for easy use, while allowing the occupant easy access to the chair without assistance from anyone else.

In an embodiment, the arm extensions are slidably mounted with respect to the arms. In an illustrative embodiment, the arm extensions are slidable in housings attached along the arms, preferably outboard of the arms. In this embodiment, the arm extensions may include a lock constructed to hold the arm extensions releasably in an extended position. In this embodiment, the arm extensions include upward protrusions at their forward ends proportioned to limit movement of a tray off the forward end. The protrusions may be in the form of knobs which allow the arm extensions to be pulled out easily.

In other embodiments, the arm extensions are hinged at the front of the chair's arms and fold out to an extended position.

The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention as well as presently preferred embodiments thereof will become more apparent from the reading of the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings which form part of the specification:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of an embodiment of a folding lawn chair in accordance with the invention, the lawn chair having telescopically mounted arm extensions mounted in slides attached to the outboard sides of the chair's arms, and further including telescopically mounted extension arms for a side tray and a back pack sized to hold front and side trays when they are not in use.

FIG. 2 is a view in side perspective of the chair of FIG. 1 in a folded position.

FIG. 3 is a view in perspective of the chair of FIGS. 1 and 2 in an unfolded position, with the arm extensions extended.

FIG. 4 is a view in perspective of the chair of FIGS. 1-3 with a tray placed on the arm extensions.

FIG. 5 is a view in perspective of the chair of FIGS. 1-4 showing telescoping side tray supports in an extended position.

FIG. 6 is a view in perspective of the chair of FIGS. 1-6 showing a side tray placed on the telescoping side tray supports and a main tray on the telescoping arm extensions.

FIG. 7 is a view in rear perspective of the chair of FIGS. 1-7 showing the back pack mounted on the back of the chair, a tray on the arm extensions, the side tray extensions pulled out for placement of a side tray, and the side tray stowed in the back pack.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view in perspective of another embodiment of a chair having an arm and an arm extension in accordance with the invention, with the arm extension being hinged to the arm of the chair.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary view in perspective corresponding to FIG. 8, showing the arm extension folded out to receive a tray.

Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The following detailed description illustrates the invention by way of example and not by way of limitation. The description clearly enables one skilled in the art to make and use the invention, describes several embodiments, adaptations, variations, alternatives, and uses of the invention, including what is presently believed to be the best mode of carrying out the invention.

A first embodiment is shown in FIGS. 1-6, attached to a lawn chair 30. The lawn chair 30 is illustratively of a common design having a frame constructed to allow a generally planar seat part and a generally planar back part to fold from a working position in which they are generally at right angles to each other to a stored position in which the seat part and the back part are generally parallel. In the illustrative embodiment, the frame is made of aluminum tubing, although frames of steel tubing and wood, for example, are also well-known. Numerous constructions of such chairs are known.

In this embodiment, the folding chair 30 has a frame formed of a U-shaped forward leg tube 33, a U-shaped rear leg tube 39, a U-shaped seat tube 45, and a U-shaped back tube 47. The free ends of the leg tubes 33 and 39 are hinged to elongate plastic brackets 37, and intermediate portions of the back tube 47 are hinged to the back ends of the brackets 37. The seat tube 45 and back tube 47 are rotatably attached to the rear leg tube 39 by sheet metal brackets 49. A rod 51 extending through brackets 49 has spools 57 at its ends, which act as stops when the seat and back are fully opened. The rod 51 provides a stretcher for strips 53 of flexible plastic webbing forming the seat and back of the chair 30. This construction allows the chair to be folded from an operative position shown in FIG. 1 to a folded storage position shown in FIG. 2. This is one standard form of folding lawn chair.

Wooden arms 29 are attached by screws to the tops of brackets 37. Rectangular sheet metal tubes 11, similar in cross-section to a standard curtain rod, are secured to the outboard faces of the arms 29. As shown in FIG. 3, an inner wall of the tube 11 may be extended and bent over the forward end of the wooden arms 29 as shown at 61 then secured with screws. As shown in FIG. 7, an outer wall of the tube 11 may be extended and bent over the rearward end of the wooden arms 29 as shown at 62 then secured with screws.

A rectangular extension arm 19 is slidably mounted in each tube 11. Preferably, each extension arm includes a spring-loaded stud 13 extending through an opening 14 in the arm 19 and sized to engage an opening in the tube 11, designed to hold the arm 19 in its extended position. Such spring-loaded stops are widely known and used for positioning telescoping tubes, as show, for example, in Kazmark, Sr., U.S. Pat. No. 3,998,476 and in Huang, U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,811. Alternatively, a simple stop may be provided to prevent the extension arm from pulling completely free, such as is shown in Goeke, U.S. Pat. No. 3,981,404.

Each extension arm 19 may have an outer wall extended and bent inward as shown at 63 to accommodate a knob 27, held by a screw, as shown in FIG. 3.

When extended, the extension arms 19 provide support for a main tray 15. The tray 15 includes a transverse rib 21 depending from its lower face, as shown in FIG. 7. The rib 21 stiffens the tray and prevents the tray from slipping transversely across the extension arms 19. The knobs 27 prevent the tray 15 from sliding forward off the extension arms 19. As shown particularly in FIGS. 3-6, this embodiment allows a user, without assistance, to convert the chair from a normal position in which the arm extensions are closed to a position in which the extended arms can support a tray situated to allow the user to eat or work in comfort. It also allows the user, carrying the tray 15, to sit down and place the tray without assistance.

As an additional feature, transverse tubes 71 and 73 are mounted to the upturned free ends of front leg 33 and rear leg 39, respectively. The tubes 71 and 73 hold telescopically mounted side extension arms 75 and 77, respectively, each provided with a knob 79 at its free proximal end. The transverse tubes 71 and 73 are illustratively round, and the side extension arms 75 and 77 are rods. The extension arms preferably have stops or plungers at their distal ends to prevent them from falling out of the tubes 71 and 73 and to retard their sliding out of the tubes. Such stops can be the same as those described in the previously mentioned Kazmark, Sr., Huang, and Goeke patents. When extended as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the side extension arms provide horizontal supports for a side tray 81 as shown in FIG. 6. The tubes 71 and 73 also stiffen and stabilize the front and back legs 33 and 39.

It will be seen that the side arms 75 and 77 may be pulled out before or after the user is seated in the chair 30, and that the side tray may be easily reached while the user is seated, with or without extending the extension arms 19. When the side tray is not in use, the side arms 75 and 77 may be pushed out of the way, back into the tubes 71 and 73.

The chair 30 also includes a back pack 60 which acts as a receptacle for the trays 15 and 81 when they are not in use. The back pack 60 has a pocket 90 across its upper edge for receiving a mounting rod 91. The mounting rod is mounted between openings 93 at the upper end of the back tube 47. A closure strap 95 is preferably provided.

A second embodiment is shown in FIGS. 7-8. In this embodiment, a folding chair 130, which may be the same general type shown in FIGS. 1-6, has arm extensions 113 which are hinged at the fronts of the chair's arms 129. The arm extension 113 may be part of an extension assembly 111 including a supplemental arm 112 and the arm extension 113.

The supplemental arm 112 is illustratively a block of wood having a length and width similar to those of the chair's arm 129. The supplemental arm 112 may be held to the structural arm 129 of the chair 130 by Velcro straps, or by bolts run through holes bored through the arms 129 and supplemental arms 112 and secured by nuts, or by screws extending through the arms 129 and into the wooden arms 112. A cross-bore is provided at the forward end of the supplemental arm 112. Preferably, the supplemental arm 112 extends a short distance ahead of the structural arm 129, for reasons which will become apparent.

The arm extension 113 is channel-shaped, having sides 116 and a web 118. Holes in the sides 116 align with the cross bore of the supplemental arm 112, permitting bolts 120 to pass through the holes and cross bore; the bolt 120 acts as a hinge pin. A tongue 124 on the end of the arm extension 113 engages the lower face of the supplemental arm 112 when the arm extension 113 is opened and gives it support. It will be appreciated that other supports may be provided, such as a slide-out support mounted to the bottom of the supplemental arm 112. A protrusion 126 on the outside of the outer arm extension side 116 provides a hand-hold for flipping the arm extension from a closed to open position. It also acts as a stop for engaging a forward foot on the tray and preventing the tray from sliding forward off the arm extension 113.

It will be seen that this embodiment also allows a user, without assistance, to convert the chair from a normal position in which the arm extensions are closed to a position in which the extended arms can support a tray situated to allow the user to eat or work in comfort.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

For example, in embodiments, the arm extensions may be slidably mounted in the structural arm tubes of the chair. In other embodiments, the arm extensions are detachably attached to the chair arms, as by hook-and-loop straps or by snapping onto the chair arms, either with or without folding or sliding relative to the chair arms.

The frame of the chair may take many forms, including those presently known in the art, such as those shown in FIGS. 13A-L and those developed hereafter. The chair may, less preferably, be a lounge chair having an extended seat supporting the user's legs or a beach chair having shorter legs. The chair may have wooden or plastic slats defining the back support or seat surface, or both. The tubular frame is preferably made of round aluminum tubing, but may be of other materials and other cross-sectional shapes such as rectangular.

The arm extensions may be made of other materials, such as wood or plastic. The tray or the arm extension or both may have interconnections to keep the tray from sliding forward, left, or right; many such interconnections are known or will be immediately envisioned, like grooves in the bottom of the tray or protrusions on the arm extensions. The chair may, in some embodiments, may have arms but not be a folding chair.

These variations are merely illustrative.

Claims

1. In combination, a folding chair having a frame constructed to allow a generally planar seat part and a generally planar back part to fold from a working position in which they are generally at right angles to each other to a stored position in which the seat part and the back part are generally parallel, the folding chair having arms, andarm extensions attached to the chair arms, the chair extensions being constructed to support a tray between them at a tray position at least substantially forward of the chair arms, the arm extensions being moveable to a position at which they do not extend substantially beyond the chair arms.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the arm extensions are telescoped into housings which are attached to the chair arms or are the chair arms.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein the arm extensions are constructed and arranged to allow a user to extend the arms, place a tray on them, sit, and access an item on the tray without external aid.

4. In combination, a chair having arms and arm extensions attached to the chair arms, the chair extensions being constructed to support a tray between them at a tray position at least substantially forward of the chair arms, the arm extensions being moveable to a position at which they do not extend substantially beyond the chair arms, the arm extensions being either: telescoped into housings which are attached to the chair arms or are the chair arms, orhinged to a forward end of the chair arm or to a supplemental arm attached to the chair arm.

5. The combination of claim 4 comprising supplemental arms held to the chair arms by quick connect connectors, the supplemental arms being removable and attachable by a user by hand without the use of tools, the arm extensions being held by the supplemental arms for movement toward and away from the supplemental arms.

6. The combination of claim 4 wherein the arm extensions are telescoped into a housing.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein the housing is attached to the chair arms.

8. The combination of claim 4 wherein the arm extensions are hinged to the forward ends of the arms or supplemental arms.

9. The combination of claim 8 wherein the arm extensions are U-shaped in cross section, the arm extensions having sides connected by a web, the sides embracing the arms or supplemental arms when the arm extensions are retracted.

10. The combination of claim 9 further comprising a support for holding the arm extension when the arm extension is extended.

11. The combination of claim 10 wherein the support comprises a tongue on the arm extension, the tongue being configured to engage an underside of the chair arm or the supplemental arm.

12. The combination of claim 4 wherein the arm extensions comprise a protrusion on an outboard side of each arm extension, the protrusions being sized to engage a foot on the tray and prevent the tray from sliding forward on the arm extensions.

13. The combination of claim 4 wherein the arm extensions are constructed and arranged to allow a user to extend the arms, place a tray on them, sit, and access an item on the tray without external aid.

14. A foldable chair comprising a seat, a back, two arms, and legs, the chair further comprising arm extensions slidably mounted with respect to the arms, the arm extensions being slidably extendible to hold a tray between them forward of the arms.

15. The foldable chair of claim 14 comprising arm housings attached to the chair generally parallel with the arms and outboard of the arms, the arm housings telescopically supporting the arm extensions.

16. The foldable chair of claim 15 further comprising secondary housings attached between legs and extending generally parallel to the back, each secondary housing telescopically holding a secondary arm extension, the secondary arm extensions being extendible to a side of the chair to hold a side tray between them.

17. The foldable chair of claim 16 further comprising a back pack attached to an upper end of the back and extending behind the back, the back pack being sized to hold the tray and the side tray.

18. The foldable chair of claim 15 further comprising a lock mechanism which locks the extendible arm in a fixed position with respect to the arm housing when the arm extensions in an extended position.

19. The foldable chair of claim 14 wherein each arm extension includes a tray-retaining protrusion at its forward end, the protrusion extending above an upper surface of the arm.

20. The foldable chair of claim 14 wherein the arms are immovable with respect to the seat when the chair is in an unfolded use position and wherein upper surfaces of the arm extensions are generally coplanar with upper surfaces of the arms when the arm extensions are in an extended position forward of the seat.