Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02479101 2004-09-13 PCT/SG03/00048
WOO.i/075717 1 Received 2~ ~=~bruary 2004
Compact Folding Chair
Field of Invention
S The present invention relates to a folding chair that has an
improved folding manner for easy transport and with less space
of storage in the folded position.
Background of the Invention
Chairs are widely used in daily activities. A conventional
type of chair will not able to provide comfort for user and
often not stored after used. It is therefore the foldable
chairs have the advantage of being folded and for easy
IS transport and storage.
The use of folding chairs is known in the prior art. Folding
chairs are devised and utilized for the purpose of providing a
seat that folds up for easy storage and transport. It is
basically consisting of familiar, expected and obvious
structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of
designs encompassed by most prior art which have been
developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and
requirements.
There are varieties of folded chairs have been made in the
market. These folding chairs normally require big volume of
space during transportation and storage. This will lead to the
increase in the storage space as well as the transportation
fee and space.
It is the general object of the present invention ~s to
provide compact folding chair to facilitate transport and
storage of the folding chair.
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Still another object of the present invention ~ to provide
locking element where the chair will lock automatically once
the chair is in an unfolded or opened out position. The opened
out position is extremely stable and eliminates the
possibility of collapsing when the chair is being placed into
such position of use.
A further object of the present invention is to provide
improved ,mufti position chair having an adjustable inclined
backrest to enable user to adjust the desirable position of
inclination according to their comfortability.
Summary of Invention
The preferred embodiment of present invention essentially
comprises of a sitting base being pivotally connected to the
backrest by a plurality of connecting means and supported by a
plurality of legs. The said legs consist of a pair of rear
legs and a set of front legs, whereby the upper end of the
front legs are connected to the said sitting base by
~onnectlng means.
A pivoting bar is provided to connect the said backrest and
said rear legs by a plurality of connecting means in order to
the said backrest to be rested on the said rear legs. The
opening and closing of the chair is governed by a tie bar
which link the lower part of the said backrest and said front
legs, wherein to prevent the said backrest from expanding to
further unstable position. A set of blocks is placed between
the said pivoting bar and the said tie bar in order to
parallel the connecting of the said backrest to the said front
legs.
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The said two pair of legs, sitting base, backrest, tie bars,
pivoting bars and blocks can be brought together thereby
producing an extremely compact folded position to the chair
for less space during transport and storage.
The said chair is locked automatically when in opened position
by a locking mechanism comprises of a locking bar which is
mounted on the underside of the said sitting base. The locking
must be manually moved into release position in order to
unlock and fold the chair.
The alternative embodiment of the present invention comprises
of a backrest, whereby the said backrest is cut into two to
form an upper portion and a lower portion, and connected by a
bracket having at least two holes in order to provide inclined
position for the said upper portion of backrest; and a sitting
seat base being pivotally connected to the said lower portion
of backrest by a plurality of connecting means and supported
by a plurality of legs. The said legs consist of a pair of
rear legs and a pair of front legs.
A pair of armrests is pivotally connected to the said upper
portion, wherein each of said armrest has a track with
plurality of stop notches at the lower side of the said
armrest.
The said rear legs is pivotally connected to the front end
side of the said sitting base by connecting means and to the
said lower portion of backrest by a set of pivoting bars with
connecting means.
The said pair of front legs is pivotally connected to the
front end side of the said sitting base with connection means.
The upper end side of the said front leg is attached with a
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CA 02479101 2004-09-13
PCT/SG03/00048
. W00f/075717 4 Received 25 February 2004
connector, whereby the said connector is served as a guide
element to slide within the said track to enable the user to
adjust positions in relation of comfortability to the
horizontal plane or the seat of the chair.
A first set of pivoting bars is pivotally connected at the
lower end side of said backrest and to the said rear legs in
order to enable the backrest to be rested on the said rear
legs when in open out position. A second set of pivoting bars
is pivotally connected at the front end side of the said
sitting base and to the second set of tie bars.
A first set of level blocks is mounted at the first set of the
said pivoting bars with connecting means. A second set of
level blocks is mounted at the said rear legs with connecting
means . Both sets of the said level blocks are used to provide
parallel level for the connection of two components.
A first set of tie bars is pivotally connected to the said
front legs and to the first set of the said block; so as to
keep the said backrest resting on the said rear legs when in
open out position. A second set of tie bars is pivotally
connected to the sec~md set of the said pivoting bars and to
the first set of said block in order to provide stability of
the said sitting base in open out position.
Brief Description of the Drawing
Figure 1 is a side view of the folding chair according to the
preferred embodiment of the present invention in its open
condition.
Figure 2 is a front view of the sitting base.
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CA 02479101 2004-09-13
PCT/SG03/00048
.W003/075717 5 Received 25 February 2004
Figure 3 illustrates the locking mechanism with the locking
bar in its locking position.
Figure 4 illustrates the locking mechanism with the locking
bar in its release position.
Figure 5 is a side view of the folding chair according to the
preferred embodiment of the present invention in its folded
condition.
Figure 6 is a side view of the folding chair according to the
alternative embodiment of the present invention in its open
condition.
Figure 7 is a side view of the folding chair according to the
alternative embodiment of the present invention in its folded
condition.
Detailed Description of the Invention
Figure 1 shows the compact folding chair of the preferred
embodiment. A sitting base (2) being pivotally connected to
~e a backrest (1) having an inclined surface at the lower end
with connection means (10) which could be nuts and bolt
2S assemblies, fasteners, screws, snaps, clamps, clips or other
such equivalents that could be used to secure one surface to
another.
A pair of inclined rear legs (3) is pivotally connected to the
front end of the said sitting base (2) with pivotal means
(11), whereby the said inclined surface of the said backrest
(1) is rested on the said rear legs (3) when in open out
position. A pair of inclined front legs (4) is pivotally
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connected to the front end of the said sitting base (2) at the
same pivotal means (11) of the rear legs (3).
A set of pivoting bars (7) is pivotally connected to the lower
end side of the said backrest (1) with a first connecting
means (6) and the other end is pivotally connected to the said
rear legs (3) with a second connecting means (8) to enable the
said backrest (1) to be rested on the said rear legs (3) when
in open out position. A set of level blocks (5) is mounted at
the said pivoting bars (7) with the first connecting means (6)
at the same position with the said pivoting bars (7) and the
said backrest (1). A set of tie bars (9), wherein one end of
the said tie bars ( 9 ) is pivotally connected ( 12 ) at the said
front legs (4) and the other end is pivotally connected to the
said level blocks (5) in order to prevent the said backrest
(1) from collapse and retract to folded position.
Figure 2 shows the front view of the sitting base (2). Figures
3 and 4 show the cross sectional inner side view of the said
sitting base (2) and a locking bar (14). The sitting base
includes the downwardly extending flange (2a). The inward
faces of the side of the flanges (2a) adjacent the front edge
are provided with a pair of recesses (l~). The locking
mechanism comprises the locking bar (14) extending laterally
across the width of the said sitting base (2) with its ends
located loosely in the recesses (15) preferably a triangular
shape recesses on the underside of the said sitting base (2) .
A notch (25) is formed on the top .end of the inclined front
leg (4). In the locked condition, the said locking bar (14) is
is caught into the notch (25) and biased into the locking
position as shown in Figure 3 under the action of gravity, as
represented by the arrow (13). Under this condition, the
locking bar (14) is rests on the inclined edge of the
triangular recesses (15). In order to close the chair, the
CA 02479101 2004-09-13
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user must temporarily dislodge the said locking bar (14) by
lifting the said locking bar (14) into release position, as
shown by the arrow (16) in Figure 4.
In the operation of opening the chair, the front leg (4) is
pivot to the front direction. As the end of the said front leg
(4) approaches the final position wherein the said tie bar (9)
is parallel to the said sitting base (2) horizontally, the
said locking bar (14) drops down to the locking position in
which the lower edge of the said locking bar (14) is located
within the notch (25) of the front leg (4) . The chair is now
on the locked condition shown in Figure 3, The said backrest
(1) is prevented from collapse to the folded position and the
chair is locked automatically in the course of opening the
chair .
In order to close the chair, the user must temporarily
dislodge the locking bar (14) from the notch (25) by lifting
the said locking bar (14) into the release position. The said
front legs (4) are then free to move backward to close the
chair. Once the said front legs (4) have disengaged from the
locking bar (14), the latter will drop back under the action
of gravity. The chair is now in folded posits on with the size
of the said backrest ( 1 ) and the said rear legs ( 3 ) f rom the
side view as shown in Figure 5.
Figure 6 and 7 showed an alternative embodiment of the folding
chair of the present invention. A backrest (17) comprises of
upper portion (17a) and lower portion (17b) having inclined
surface at the Lower end whereby the upper portion (17a) and
the lower portion are connected by a bracket (24) having at
least two holes. The said upper portion (17a) is connected to
the upper end of said bracket (24) by a first connecting means
(28) and the said lower portion (17b) is connected to the
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lower end of said bracket (24) by a second connecting means
(29) . A pair of multi position armrest (18) having a multiple
position track (22) at the bottom surface of the said armrest
(18) is connected to the lower end side of the said upper
S portion (17a) by connecting means (27).
A pair of inclined rear legs (20) is pivotally connected to
the front end of the said sitting base (19) with pivotal means
(33), whereby the said inclined surface of the said lower
portion (17b) is rested on the said rear legs (20) when in
open out position. A pair of inclined front legs (21) is
pivotally connected to the front end of the said sitting base
(19) at the same pivotal means (33). The upper end side of the
said front leg (21) is attached with a guide pin (23), which
serves as a guide element to slide within the said track (22)
so as to enables each armrest (18) to pull forward and push
backward when the chair is in its open out position. The said
track (22) having plurality of stop notches which cooperates
with the said guide pin (23) to enable a user to have various
desired inclined positions of the backrest by simply adjusting
both armrest (18).
Two sets of pivoting tars, two sets of tie bars and two sets
of level blocks are used in this alternative embodiment. The
first set of pivoting bars (26) is pivotally connected at the
lower end side of the said lower portion (17b) with an upper
first connecting means (31) and the other end is pivotally
connected to the said rear legs (20) with a lower first
connecting means (32) to enable the said lower portion (17b)
to be rested on the said rear legs (20) when in open out
position. The second set of pivoting bars (35), wherein one
end of the said second set of pivoting bar (26) is pivotally
connected at the front end side of the said sir_ting base (19)
with an upper second connecting means (33) and the other end
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is pivotally connected the first set of tie bars (36) with
lower second connecting means (38).
The first set of level blocks (39) is mounted at the said
first set of pivoting bars (26) at the upper first connecting
means (31) at the same position with the said pivoting bars
(26) and the said lower portion (17b) to parallel the level
between the said first set of pivoting bars (26) and the
second set of tie bars (36a).
The said first set of tie bars (36), wherein one end of the
said first set of tie bar (36) is pivotally connected at the
lower end side of the said lower portion (17b) with the upper
first connecting means (31) and the other end is pivotally
connected to the said lower end of the second set of pivoting
bars (35). The second set of the said tie bars (25) having one
end pivotally connected at the said front legs (21) with
connecting means (34) and the other end is pivotally connected
at the said lower portion (17b) with the upper first
connecting means (31) in order to provide stable condition and
avoid collapse of the chair.
The locking mechanism of the alternative embodiment is the
same as the preferred embodiment.
In the operation of opening the chair, the front leg (21) is
pivot to the front direction. As the end of the said front leg
(21) approaches the final position wherein the said first set
of tie bar (36) and second set of tie bar (36a) is parallel to
the said sitting base horizontally, the said locking bar (14)
drops down to the locking position in which the lower edge of
the said locking bar (14) is located within the notch (25) of
the front leg (21). The chair is now on the locked condition.
The said backrest (17) is now prevented from collapse to the
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folded position and the chair is locked automatically in the
course of opening the chair.
In order to close the chair, the user must temporarily
dislodge the locking bar (14) from the notch (25) by lifting
the said locking bar (14) into the release position. The said
front legs (21) are then free to move backward to close the
chair. Once the said second set of tie bars (35) have
disengaged from the locking bar (14), the latter will drop
back under the action of gravity. The chair is now in folded
position with the size of the said backrest (1) and the said
front legs from the side view as shown in Figure 7.
It is to be understood that the present invention may be
embodied in other specific forms and is not limited to the
sole embodiment described above. However modification and
equivalents of the disclosed concepts such as those which
readily occur to one skilled in the art are intended to be
included within the scope of the claims which are appended
thereto.
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