Hinged Chair

Abstract

A chair, couch or bench with a backrest that is pivotally attached by hinge to the seat. When folded down, the backrest covets itself, the seat and the armrests.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to folding outdoor chairs. More specifically, this invention relates to methods of keeping outdoor chairs clean.

Description of the Prior Art

There are currently only three methods for keeping outdoor chairs clean. They can be covered with a special cover or basic tarp. They can be folded and stored in a clean, dry place. Lastly, they can be stored outside and be cleaned before every use.

Many people will spend the money to buy expensive covers for their outdoor chairs especially if they have spent a lot of money on the chairs themselves. However, there is little market for covers designed for plastic outdoor chairs because the cover could possibly cost as much or more than the chair. Covers and tarps are also a hassle to fold and store.

Chairs are often made collapsible so as to make them easy to place into storage in a clean, dry place. One of dozens of such patents is U.S. Pat. No. 10,064,491. Storage requires pulling items from often cramped and crowded indoor spaces which can be a hassle. People also may not want to sacrifice premium indoor storage space for something that is designed to be used outdoors.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,494,539 is an example of a backrest that folds down to cover the seat, however it is designed for purposes related to fishing on a boat and is unrelated to maintenance. It is also the case that the average toilet has a cover that folds down over the seat, however the purpose of this type of cover is also unrelated to maintenance.

Many cleansers specialize in the cleaning of outdoor furniture including plastic chairs. This is time consuming and expensive and can only keep outdoor chairs clean if they are regularly maintained.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a novel approach to the maintenance of outdoor seating. The object of the present invention is to use one or more hinges on a backrest and potentially the armrests of outdoor seating to cover the backrest, seat and armrests ultimately protecting them from debris and moisture found in outdoor settings. The advantages of the present invention are that by folding the backrest down, the seating can be easily covered and kept clean without the need to purchase a relatively expensive cover. Also, there are no hassles with folding covers, storage issues and frequent cleanings. While the present invention may certainly be used on more expensive furniture, the preferred embodiment is that of an inexpensive plastic chair. This is due to the fact that people who buy plastic furniture are typically trying to save money and are therefore less likely to purchase a relatively expensive cover.

The chair may also have a spring mounted recessed seat cushion that recesses into the lower compartment of the chair for outdoor storage keeping the chair clean and dry until use. Another option is to have a spring mounted recessed backrest cushion that recesses into the backrest when in the closed position. The spring mounted recessed backrest cushion can then pop out when the backrest is raised to the open position. The advantage of this option is that no locking mechanism is required to prevent the cushion from recessing when in use as is the case with the recessing seat. The spring mounted recessing backrest acts as added cushioning for the occupant.

The spring mounted recessing seat or backrest cushions may be mounted on four or more tracks that glide up and down the inside of the lower compartment or the inside recesses of the backrest. The tracks may have locking hinges to prevent the downward recession of the seat or backrest while an occupant is sitting. The locking hinges are automatically released when the backrest is folded forward and down to the lower compartment ultimately recessing the seat or backrest and closing the seat. A latch to prevent the spring mounted seat or backrest from popping up is employed to keep the seat closed when not in use.

The backrests of the chairs are ideally designed to extend or protrude over the edge of the seat and armrests to ensure complete protection from the debris and moisture found in outdoor settings.

There may be a gasket around the edges of the seat and/or backrest to further protect the seat from the elements.

The backrests and seats may be made of any material including flexible, moisture resistant fabric.

The seat may have ventilation holes to aid in the drying of the seat, backrest and armrests if moisture builds up as the result of dew.

The backrests may be designed to prevent the collection of water by shaping them to also provide lumbar support for the back and a comfortable form fitting mold for the buttocks.

The backrest hinges of the chair may be designed to allow for reclining to a plurality of positions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of embodiment 1 of the chair in the open and closed positions.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of embodiment 2 of the chair in the open position.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of embodiment 2 of the chair in the closed position.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of embodiment 1 of the hinge in the open and closed positions.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of embodiment 2 of the hinge in the open and closed positions.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of embodiment 3 of the chair in the open and closed positions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The preferred embodiments of the present invention are chairs 10, 12 and 18.

FIG. 1 shows the chair 10 in both the open and closed positions. The backrest 20 is pivotally attached by a simple hinge 24 to the seat 22. This allows the backrest 20 to be folded down and cover the seat 22 and protect it from debris and moisture found in outdoor environments. The backrest 20 is shown to be larger and therefore overhang the seat 22 to allow for better coverage. A gasket may be used to further protect the chair from debris and moisture. The backrest 20 may be made of any material including flexible, moisture resistant fabric.

FIG. 2 shows the chair 12 in the open position. The backrest 20 is pivotally attached by rack and pinion locking hinges 14 or deadbolt locking hinges 16 to the lower compartment 26. One or more springs 24 are mounted to the bottom of the seat 22 or back of the backrest 20 which causes the seat 22 or backrest 20 to automatically rise to operational level when the backrest 20 is opened. The seat 22 or backrest 20 is stored in the lower compartment 26 or the recesses of the backrest 20 when the chair 12 is not in use.

FIG. 3 shows the chair 12 in the closed position. The backrest 20 is pivotally attached by rack and pinion locking hinges 14 or deadbolt locking hinges 16 to the lower compartment 26. One or more springs 28 are mounted to the bottom of the seat 22 or back of the backrest 20 which are depressed by the backrest 20 depressing the seat 22 and are locked closed with the latch 30. When the latch 30 is not locked, the backrest 20 rises slightly due to the depressed springs 28 which place the chair 12 in a position ready to be opened and used. In the case of a recessing backrest 20, no locking mechanism is required to prevent the backrest cushion 20 from recessing when an occupant is leaning against it. When the chair 12 is in the closed position, debris and moisture are prevented from entering keeping the chair 12 clean, dry and ready for use. A gasket may be utilized to further seal the backrest to the lower compartment to improve protection from the debris and moisture found in outdoor environments.

FIG. 4 shows the rack and pinion locking hinge 14 in the locked and unlocked positions. Connection point 32 is attached to the backrest 20 and is also the outer hinge cover. The inner hinge cover 34 is rigidly attached to the back of the lower compartment 26. Connection point 50 is attached to the seat 22. Attached to the axle 36 is the rack 38 and pinion 40. The rack 38, when activated by raising the backrest 20 and turning the pinion 40, slides into the rail track hole 46 and the rail hole 48 ultimately locking the seat 22 and preventing it from recessing down into the lower compartment 26. The four or more rail tracks 42 are rigidly attached to the inside of the lower compartment 26. The rail 44 is attached to the seat 22 by the seat connection 50 within the rail track 42.

FIG. 5 shows a deadbolt locking hinge 16 in the locked and unlocked positions. The backrest 20 is pivotally attached to the axle 36. The seat 22 is attached to the connection point 50. The deadbolt 52 is attached to the axle 36 within the hinge cover 54. The deadbolt 52 slips into the rail track hole 46 and the rail hole 48 when the chair 12 is in the open position ultimately locking the seat 22 in place preventing the seat 22 from recessing into the lower compartment 26.

FIG. 6 shows a hinged chair 18 with armrests and supports 56 and 60. The chair 18 has simple hinges 24 attached to the backrest 20. The armrests 56 and 60 are pivotally attached to the backrest 20 and the seat 22. When the chair 18 is in the closed position, the backrest 20 overlaps and covers the seat 22, the armrests 56 and 60 and the backrest 20 also covers itself ultimately keeping the chair clean, dry and ready for use.

Claims

1. A chair (10, 12 or 18) with a backrest (20) that is pivotally attached by hinge to a seat (22) such that when the chair (10) is in the closed position the backrest (20) overlaps and covers the seat (22) with a weather resistant seal.

2. A chair (12) as in claim 1, further comprising a cushioned, spring mounted, recessing seat (22) or backrest (20) which rise out of the lower compartment (26) or the recesses of the backrest (20) to the ready position when the backrest (20) is completely opened.

3. A chair (18) as in claim 1 or 2, further comprising armrests (56 and 60) that are pivotally attached to the backrest (20) and the seat (22) such that when the chair (18) is in the closed position the armrests (56 and 60) fold along with the backrest (20) and cover the backrest (20), armrests (56 and 60) and the seat (22) with a weather resistant seal.

4. A chair (10 or 18) as in claim 1 or 3, further comprising ventilation holes extending downward through the seat (22) to aid in drying precipitation.

5. A chair (10, 12 or 18) as in claim 1, 2 or 3, further comprising a sloped backrest (20) such that when the chair (10, 12 or 18) is in the closed position moisture is unable to collect on the back of the backrest (20).

6. A chair (10, 12 or 18) as in claim 5, further comprising a shape that provides lumbar support for the back and form fitting support for the buttocks in the seat (22).

7. A chair (10, 12 or 18) as in claim 1, 2 or 3, further comprising a hinge that allows for a plurality of reclining angles.

8. A chair (10, 12 or 18) as in claim 1, 2 or 3, further comprising a seat (22) or backrest (20) made of flexible, weather resistant fabric.

9. A chair (10, 12 or 18) as in claim 1, 2 or 3, further comprising a gasket to seal the backrest (20) and the seat (22) together when closed.

10. A chair (12) as in claim 2, further comprising a rack and pinion locking hinge (14) that locks the seat (22) or backrest (20) in place preventing it from recessing downward into the lower compartment (26) or recesses of the backrest (20) while in use.

11. A chair (12) as in claim 2, further comprising a deadbolt locking hinge (16) that locks the seat (22) or backrest (20) in place preventing it from recessing downward into the lower compartment (26) or recesses of the backrest (20) while in use.

12. A chair (12) as in claim 2, further comprising four or more rails (42 and 44) rigidly attached to the inside walls of the lower compartment (26) or inside recesses of the backrest (20) such that the attached seat (22) or backrest (20) can easily glide up and down ultimately facilitating the opening and closing of the chair (12).

13. A chair (12) as in claim 2, further comprising a latch (30) that is attached to the backrest (20) and the lower compartment (26) which prevents the spring loaded seat (22) or backrests (20) from popping up when it is meant to be in the closed position.