Folding massage chair structure

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6435607
  • Patent Number
    6,435,607
  • Date Filed
    Thursday, November 30, 2000
    24 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, August 20, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Cuomo; Peter M.
    • Edell; Joseph
    Agents
    • Troxell Law Office PLLC
Abstract
A folding massage chair structure, the innovative features of which includes the fixing of guide sleeves at the rear surface of the chair back. The guide sleeves have inserted through them guide rods and the center sections of the guide rods are conjoined to the seat cushion. The lower sections of the guide rods are conjoined to the chair leg. There are support plates installed on the lower guide sleeves, with the upper ends of the support plates conjoined to rear end of the seat frame. When the seat cushion is pulled upward, the pivotably interconnected structure allows the massage chair to be completely folded.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1) Field of the Invention




The invention herein relates to a folding massage chair structure for medical treatment and health care applications that can be conveniently folded when not utilized to minimize the square area occupied and, furthermore, reduce production cost, lower the marketed price, and thereby provide economic advantages.




2) Description of the Prior Art




Massage chairs currently available on the market are typically of similar sofa stylings and although users are more comfortable seated on them, since the physical dimensions are quite ample and the weight is heavier, shipping and moving them are inconvenient and, furthermore, their marketed price is expensive and they are not economically worthwhile.




In view of the design shortcomings and inconvenient aspects of conventional massage chairs, the inventor of the invention herein, based on experience and specialized technical knowledge gained from numerous years of engagement in the relevant industries, conducted research and development to innovate a massage chair having greater practicality and, furthermore, that meets the requirements of economical pricing.




TECHNOLOGICAL CONTENT




The innovative features of the folding massage chair structure of the invention herein include: The massage chair back has installed at its two sides an upper and a lower guide sleeve, with the said upper and lower guide sleeves respectively conjoined to two guide rods; the lower ends of the said guide rods utilize a rod to conjoin them to a chair leg and a roller wheel is ensleeved onto the said rod; the center sections of the guide rods are conjoined to connector plates and the front ends of the connector plates are conjoined to a seat frame by a another rod; the said seat frame has disposed on it a seat cushion and armrests and at the rear end of the said seat frame is yet another rod, the said seat frame utilizing the said rod for its conjoinment to support plates and rear support rods; the lower ends of the said rear support rods are conjoined to the chair leg by the same aforesaid rod; and the said support plates have at their lower ends an additional rod that conjoins them onto the lower guide sleeves; when the seat cushion is pulled upward, since the seat frame conjoined to the connector plates by the said rod share the same axis, the front section of the seat frame turns upward and rear end of the seat frame also moves upward, at which time the seat frame braced by the support plates is moved upward and the connector plates on the said seat frame cause the guide rods to slide upward along the guide sleeves. Meanwhile, the downward motion of the seat frame rear end moves the rear support rods downward and folds the chair leg upward. When the seat cushion is folded flat against the chair back, the guide rods are retracted upward along the upper and lower guide sleeves, while the chair leg is also folded down against the rear surface of the chair back such that the entire massage chair is complete folded.




Furthermore, the motive power structure of the invention herein is installed at the lower extent of the chair back rear surface and, furthermore, extends to the lower surface of the seat cushion, with the said structure capable of maintaining in position a massage wheel at the lower surface of the seat cushion while it is not utilized.




The said structure enables the massage chair to be folded up when not utilized such that its physical size is significantly reduced which minimizes the space it would normally occupy and facilitates easier moving and storage practicality and, furthermore, allows for economical pricing.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The objective of the invention herein is to provide a folding massage chair structure which when not being utilized is foldable to decrease the amount of surface area it would otherwise occupy and, furthermore, has a low production cost, is easy to promote due to its inexpensive price, and is economically advantageous.




To enable the examination committee to further understand the functions, structure and other innovative features of the invention herein, the most preferred embodiment of the invention herein presented is accompanied by the brief description of the drawings below and followed by the detailed description of the invention.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is an orthographic drawing of the invention herein when opened, as viewed from a lateral perspective.





FIG. 2

is an orthographic drawing of the invention herein when folded, as viewed from a lateral perspective.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION




Referring to FIG.


1


and

FIG. 2

, the massage chair back


1


has fixed at its two sides an upper guide sleeve


2


and a lower guide sleeve


20


; respectively inserted through each set of said upper and lower guide sleeves


2


and


20


is a guide rod


4


; inserted through the lower ends of the guide rods


4


and conjoining them to a chair leg


22


is a rod


17


, with the said rod


17


at the same time also inserted through a roller wheel


18


; said guide rods


4


have installed at their center sections fastening screws


5


and


6


that fix a connector plate


14


onto the said guide rods


4


; and having another fixing function, the said fastening screws


6


are situated against the rear end of a seat frame


12


when the chair is in the opened state, but are also capable of maintaining the position of the entire folded structure. Utilized at the front end of the said connector plates


14


is a rod


13


that conjoins them to the seat frame


12


serves as a rotation axis of the seat frame


12


. The seat frame


12


has disposed on it a seat cushion


11


and armrests


10


, and the said seat frame


12


has installed at its rear end a rod


7


, the said seat frame


12


utilizing the rod


7


for its conjoinment to support plates


21


and rear support rods


8


, and the said support plates


21


have at their lower ends a rod


16


that conjoins them onto the lower guide sleeves


20


. The said structural components are assembled into a foldable structure. When the seat cushion


11


is pulled upwards, the seat frame


12


turns upward on the rod


13


serving as the axis and the rear end of the seat frame


12


moves downward, at which time the seat frame


12


braced by the support plates


21


is forced upward such that the connector plates


14


cause the upper guide sleeves


2


and the lower guide sleeves


20


to slide upward along the guide rods


4


. Meanwhile, the downward motion of the seat frame


12


rear end moves the rear support rods


8


downward and folds the chair leg


22


upward on the rod


17


of axis and when the seat cushion


11


is folded flat against the chair back


1


, the guide rods


4


are retracted upward along the upper and lower guide sleeves


2


and


20


, while the chair leg


22


is also folded down against the rear surface of the chair back


1


such that the entire massage chair becomes completely folded.




In the structure of the invention herein, the motive power structure


19


is installed at the lower extent of the chair back


1


rear surface and, furthermore, extends to the lower surface of the seat cushion


11


, with such a design enabling a massage wheel


15


to be maintained at the lower surface of the seat cushion


11


when not utilized.




In summation of the foregoing section, since the disclosed structure and arrangement of folding massage chair structure of the invention herein is fully capable of achieving the claimed objectives and functions and, furthermore, was not observed in publications or in public utilization prior to patent application, the present invention meets the new patent requirements of originality and progressiveness and is, therefore, submitted for review and the granting of the commensurate patent rights.




However, the said detailed description and drawings of the disclosure only concerns one embodiment of the invention herein which shall not be construed as a limitation on the actual claims of the present invention and all modifications based on the structural features and functions in the said descriptions and following claims shall remain within the patented scope and claims of the invention herein.



Claims
  • 1. A folding massage chair comprising:a) a chair back having two opposite lateral sides, each opposite lateral side having an upper and a lower guide sleeve mounted thereon; b) two guide rods, each guide rod slidably passing through the upper and lower guide sleeves on one of the two opposite lateral sides of the chair back, each guide rod having a lower end; c) a connector plate attached to each guide rod; d) a chair seat including a seat frame pivotally connected to the connector plates so as to be movable between a use position and a folded position in which the chair seat is pivoted toward the chair back; e) a chair leg pivotally connected to the lower end of each guide rod; and, f) a rear support rod connected between the seat frame and each chair leg, whereby pivoting movement of the chair seat toward the folded position slides the guide rods with respect to the associated guide sleeves and moves the rear support rods such that the chair legs are pivoted toward the chair back.
  • 2. The folding massage chair of claim 1 further comprising roller wheels mounted to the lower ends of the guide rods.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Number Name Date Kind
105253 Rodgers Jul 1870 A
146523 Formica et al. Jan 1874 A
398943 Crandall Mar 1889 A
4386790 Kassai Jun 1983 A
4576149 Otuka et al. Mar 1986 A
5833590 Chiu et al. Nov 1998 A