Swing having seat units with tiltable backrests

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6786829
  • Patent Number
    6,786,829
  • Date Filed
    Friday, May 16, 2003
    21 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, September 7, 2004
    20 years ago
Abstract
A swing includes two seat units swingably connected to an upright support frame through suspending members. Each seat unit includes a seat frame disposed between inner and outer side frames, and a backrest frame pivoted to the seat frame. Inner and outer engaging plates are fixed respectively to the inner and outer side frames, and are each formed with a plurality of intercommunicated engaging grooves. Inner and outer operating arms are respectively disposed adjacent to the engaging plates. Each of the operating arms has a rear arm section pivoted to the backrest frame and a front arm section formed with an engaging tongue that engages a selected one of the engaging grooves in the respective engaging plate.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




The present invention relates to a swing, more particularly to a swing having seat units with tiltable backrests.




2. Description of the Related Art




A conventional swing includes a seat unit and an upright support frame unit. The support frame unit has left and right support frames and a transverse rod fixed to top ends of the frames. The seat unit includes left and right side frames swingably connected to the transverse rod through suspending members, such as cords or chains. A seat frame is disposed between the left and right side frames, and is fixed to a backrest frame.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The object of this invention is to provide a swing having seat units with tiltable backrests.




According to the present invention, a swing includes a pair of seat units and an upright support frame. Each of the seat units includes front and rear connecting rods extending in a longitudinal direction, and spaced apart inverted U-shaped inner and outer side frames that extend in a transverse direction relative to the longitudinal direction and that respectively have inner and outer front legs connected to the front connecting rod, and inner and outer rear legs connected to the rear connecting rod, each of the seat units further including a seat frame disposed between the inner and outer side frames, a first pivot, a backrest frame extending upwardly from and pivoted to the seat frame through the first pivot, and an inclination-adjusting unit including a second pivot that is parallel to and that is disposed at an elevation above the first pivot, opposite inner and outer engaging plates that are fixed respectively to the inner and outer side frames and that extend in the transverse direction, and opposite elongated inner and outer operating arms that extend in the transverse direction and that are disposed respectively adjacent and parallel to the inner and outer engaging plates, each of the inner and outer engaging plates being formed with a plurality of intercommunicated engaging grooves, each of the inner and outer operating arms having a rear arm section that is pivoted to the backrest frame through the second pivot, and a front arm section that is formed with an engaging tongue extending transversely therefrom and engaging a selected one said engaging grooves in a respective one of the engaging plates, thereby positioning the backrest frame at a desired angle relative to the seat frame. The upright support frame has opposite top and bottom ends, and left and right suspending members having upper ends connected swingably to the top end of the support frame, and lower ends connected swingably and respectively to the outer side frames of the seat units.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




Other features and advantages of this invention will become more apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of this invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:





FIG. 1

is a schematic side view of the preferred embodiment of a swing according to the present invention;





FIG. 2

is a perspective view of two seat units of the preferred embodiment;





FIG. 3

is a fragmentary side view of the preferred embodiment, illustrating how a backrest frame is tilted forward in order to adjust position of the same relative to a seat frame;





FIG. 4

is a fragmentary side view of the preferred embodiment, illustrating how the backrest frame is tilted rearward in order to adjust an inclination of the same relative to the seat frame; and





FIG. 5

is a fragmentary side view of the preferred embodiment, illustrating how two elongated operating arms are moved relative to side frames in order to adjust the inclination of the backrest frame relative to the seat frame.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




Referring to

FIGS. 1 and 2

, the preferred embodiment of a swing


10


according to the present invention is shown to include a pair of seat units


2


and an upright support frame


12


.




As illustrated, each of the seat units


2


includes front and rear connecting rods


21


,


22


extending in a longitudinal direction, spaced apart inverted U-shaped inner and outer side frames


32


,


31


, a seat frame


24


, a backrest frame


52


, two first pivots


53


, a pair of brackets


25


, and an inclination-adjusting unit


6


.




The inner and outer side frames


32


,


31


extend in a transverse direction relative to the longitudinal direction, and respectively have inner and outer front legs


321


,


311


connected to the front connecting rod


21


, and inner and outer rear legs


321


,


311


connected to the rear connecting rod


22


.




The seat frame


24


is disposed between the inner and outer side frames


32


,


31


, and is connected to the front and rear connecting rods


21


,


22


.




The brackets


25


are fixed to the rear connecting rod


22


. The backrest frame


52


extends upwardly from and is pivoted to the brackets


25


of the seat frame


24


through the first pivots


53


.




The inclination-adjusting unit


6


includes two second pivots


63


, opposite inner and outer engaging plates


61


, and opposite elongated inner and outer operating arms


62


. The second pivots


63


are parallel to and are disposed at an elevation above the first pivots


53


, respectively. The inner and outer engaging plates


61


extend in the transverse direction and are fixed respectively to armrest portions


322


,


312


of the inner and outer side frames


32


,


31


. The elongated inner and outer operating arms


62


extend in the, transverse direction, and are disposed respectively adjacent to the inner and outer engaging plates


61


. Each of the inner and outer engaging plates


61


is formed with a plurality of intercommunicated engaging grooves


652


,


653


,


654


. Each of the inner and outer operating arms


62


has a rear arm section


622


pivoted to the backrest frame


52


through a respective one of the second pivots


63


, and a front arm section


621


formed with an engaging tongue


64


that extends transversely therefrom and that engages a selected one of the engaging grooves


652


in a respective one of the engaging plates


61


, thereby positioning the backrest frame


52


at a desired angle relative to the seat frame


24


, as best shown in FIG.


3


.




The upright support frame


12


has opposite top and bottom ends, and left and right suspending members


11


that have upper ends connected swingably to the top end of the support frame


12


, and lower ends connected swingably and respectively to the armrest portions


312


,


322


of the outer side frames


31


of the seat units


2


.




Preferably, a horizontal support plate


4


is disposed on and cooperates with the inner side frames


32


to serve as a tea table.




In this preferred embodiment, each of the inner and outer engaging plates


61


is formed with a straight elongated slot


651


that extends in the transverse direction and that is spatially communicated with the engaging grooves


652


,


653


,


654


. In addition, a reinforcing rod


66


extends between and interconnects the inner and outer operating arms


62


, and is disposed rearwardly of the backrest arm


52


so as to facilitate operation of the inner and outer operating arms


62


.




Referring to

FIG. 3

, when it is desired to adjust the position of the backrest frame


52


relative to the seat frame


24


of one of the seat units


2


, the backrest frame


52


is moved forward to result in disengagement of each of the engaging tongues


64


of the inner and outer operating arms


62


from a selected one of the engaging grooves


652


,


653


,


654


in a respective one of the inner and outer engaging plates


61


and subsequent movement of the same into the elongated slot


651


in the respective one of the engaging plates


61


. Under this condition, the backrest frame


52


can be pushed rearward by body weight of the seated person, and the inner and outer operating arms


62


can be pressed downward so as to permit the engaging tongue


64


of each of the inner and outer operating arms


62


to engage another selected one of the engaging grooves


652


,


653


,


654


, thereby positioning the backrest frame


52


at a different inclination with respect to the seat frame


24


, as shown in

FIGS. 4 and 5

.




With this invention thus explained, it is apparent that numerous modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention. It is therefore intended that the invention be limited only as indicated in the appended claims.



Claims
  • 1. A swing comprising:a pair of seat units, each of said seat units including front and rear connecting rods extending in a longitudinal direction, spaced apart inverted U-shaped inner and outer side frames extending in a transverse direction relative to said longitudinal direction and respectively having inner and outer front legs connected to said front connecting rod, and inner and outer rear legs connected to said rear connecting rod, a seat frame disposed between said inner and outer side frames, a first pivot, a backrest frame extending upwardly from and pivoted to said seat frame through said first pivot, and an inclination-adjusting unit including a second pivot that is parallel to and that is disposed at an elevation above said first pivot, opposite inner and outer engaging plates that are fixed respectively to said inner and outer side frames and that extend in said transverse direction, and opposite elongated inner and outer operating arms extending in said transverse direction and disposed respectively adjacent to said inner and outer engaging plates, each of said inner and outer engaging plates being formed with a plurality of intercommunicated engaging grooves, each of said inner and outer operating arms having a rear arm section pivoted to said backrest frame through the second pivot, and a front arm section formed with an engaging tongue that extends transversely therefrom and that engages a selected one said engaging grooves in a respective one of said engaging plates, thereby positioning said backrest frame at a desired angle relative to said seat frame; and an upright support frame having opposite top and bottom ends, and left and right suspending members having upper ends connected swingably to said top end of said support frame, and lower ends connected swingably and respectively to said outer side frames of said seat units.
  • 2. The swing as defined in claim 1, further comprising a horizontal support plate that is disposed on and that cooperates with said inner side frames of said seat units to serve as a tea table.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Number Name Date Kind
427900 Pearson May 1890 A
531472 Shorey Dec 1894 A
572271 Nelsen Dec 1896 A
5306072 Caldwell Apr 1994 A
5957780 Grazioli Sep 1999 A
6348005 Tseng Feb 2002 B1
6585319 Tseng Jul 2003 B2
6648768 Tseng Nov 2003 B1