GB2078103A

GB2078103A - Folding child's seat

Info

Publication number: GB2078103A
Application number: GB7942893A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: KATZLER RON JACOB
Current assignee: KATZLER RON JACOB
Priority date: 1979-12-12
Filing date: 1979-12-12
Publication date: 1982-01-06

Abstract

The seat comprises a seat member 1 and a black member 2 hinged along adjacent edges, an inverted U-shaped member 3, 5 hinged near the lateral edges of the seat member 1, two arms 7 extending from the back member 1 to the U-shaped member 3, 5, and an upright member 6 extending from the base of the U-shaped member 3, 5 to the seat member 1. Parts 3, 5, 6, 7 may be rigid or of flexible material such as rope. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Folding seat This invention relates to folding structures, more particularly folding chairs and seats for children.

Previously and currently, childrens' seats and high chairs have tended to be cumbersome. Those that do collapse are not easily portable. Parents have difficulties in transporting them from one place to another such as restaurant or friends' homes. They have been difficult to store because of their size, presenting problems for restaurants and hotels, for example. Their design, when collapsable, has involved hinges and connections of the type which may cause accidental injury due to fingers getting caught in tight joints or scratched on sharp edges.

In view of the above disadvantages, it is an object of this invention to provide a children's seat able to replace the conventional high chair, which incorporates an improved folding, portable child's seat that is inexpensive, stable and long lasting.

The invention comprises a child's seat including (a) a seat member and a back member joined along a common edge in such a way as to allow them to be folded together when not in use, making the seat easily portable, or, when in use, to permit an angle of approximately 90" one to the other (b) an inverted U-shaped member hinged near the lateral edges of the seat member at positions along those edges (c) two arms extending from the back member to the shoulders of the U-shaped member and (d) an upright member extending from the centre of the U-shaped member to the seat member, the upright member being attached to the seat member in a position out of alignment with the points at which the U-shaped member is hinged to the seat member.

The seat remains erect as a result of the forces created by the angles between the upright member extending from the centre of the U-shaped member to the seat member which also prevents the child from sliding orfalling offthefront of the seat, and the two arms extending from the back memberto the shoulders of the U-shaped member and the two limbs of the U-shaped member which are hinged to the seat member which prevent the child from falling or sliding off the sides of the seat.

The seat may be provided with its own legs attached to the back member to form a chair.

The seat may be provided with a tray for use as a table surfact by the child.

The seat may be provided with a wheeled structure for conversion to a pushchair.

The U-shaped member may be constructed of three pieces, a solid cross-piece and two tubular struts extending from the ends of the cross-piece to the seat member The arms may be formed by lengths of rope which pass through transverse holes in the ends of the cross-piece, then through the tubular struts and finally secured by knotting them under the seat member after passing through holes in the seat member.

Figure 1 : Perspective side view in erected position Figure2 : Perspective rearviewfrom beneath Figure 3: Perspective view of the seat in collapsed position.

An example ofthe invention represented in the appended drawings comprises a seat member 1, a back member 2, a horizontal rod 3, being the crosspiece at the front of the seat, a pair of hooks 4 at the rear of the seat member which enables the seat to be suspended on the back of a conventional dining chair, a pair of tubes 5 which are raked back at approximately 45" from the horizontal cross-piece to the seat member, a length of rope 6 connecting the front of the seat member to the centre of the horizontal cross-piece, a length of rope 7 passing through the back and seat members, the rear hooks, the tubes and the horizontal cross-piece, knotted in such a way as to connect all the above mentioned component parts, a length of rope 8 connecting the two hooks at the rear of the back member in order to prevent them from splaying, on a hoop backed chair, for example.

1. The seat may be upholstered for more comfort.

2. The seat and back members may be of different configurations, for example shaped to accommodate the legs in two indentations of the front edge of the seat member, or a hemispherical back member.

3. The materials from which the back and seat members are made may be wood, plastic, fibreglass, fabric on a frame, or any combination of these materials.

4. The arms, hooks at the rear of the back member, horizontal cross-piece and all upright members may be made of wood, rope, webbing, metal wire, rod, tube or chain, plastic, fibreglass or any combination of these materials.

5. The connection ofthevarious component parts may be effected by metal or plastic hinges, rope, bolts or glue.

6. The arms, upright member connecting the horizontal cross-piece to the centre of the seat member, the U-shaped member and its possible components and the hooks at the rear of the back member may be of flexible material such as rope or rigid material such as metal rod.

7. The hinging positions on the seat and back members of the members connected thereto, may be relocated to any other position where, when the seat is used, they may provide a safe and stable seat for a child.

8. A means may be provided where the seat can be suspended to provide a swing.

9. A seat may be provided with a means for supporting it on an adult for transporting the child.

10. The components may be supplied unassembled with instructions for the owners to assemble it themselves.

New claims or amendments to claims filed on 3rd September 1981 New or amended claims: 1. An article offurniture of the kind intended for supply in assembled or disassembled form compris

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Folding seat This invention relates to folding structures, more particularly folding chairs and seats for children. Previously and currently, childrens' seats and high chairs have tended to be cumbersome. Those that do collapse are not easily portable. Parents have difficulties in transporting them from one place to another such as restaurant or friends' homes. They have been difficult to store because of their size, presenting problems for restaurants and hotels, for example. Their design, when collapsable, has involved hinges and connections of the type which may cause accidental injury due to fingers getting caught in tight joints or scratched on sharp edges. In view of the above disadvantages, it is an object of this invention to provide a children's seat able to replace the conventional high chair, which incorporates an improved folding, portable child's seat that is inexpensive, stable and long lasting. The invention comprises a child's seat including (a) a seat member and a back member joined along a common edge in such a way as to allow them to be folded together when not in use, making the seat easily portable, or, when in use, to permit an angle of approximately 90" one to the other (b) an inverted U-shaped member hinged near the lateral edges of the seat member at positions along those edges (c) two arms extending from the back member to the shoulders of the U-shaped member and (d) an upright member extending from the centre of the U-shaped member to the seat member, the upright member being attached to the seat member in a position out of alignment with the points at which the U-shaped member is hinged to the seat member. The seat remains erect as a result of the forces created by the angles between the upright member extending from the centre of the U-shaped member to the seat member which also prevents the child from sliding orfalling offthefront of the seat, and the two arms extending from the back memberto the shoulders of the U-shaped member and the two limbs of the U-shaped member which are hinged to the seat member which prevent the child from falling or sliding off the sides of the seat. The seat may be provided with its own legs attached to the back member to form a chair. The seat may be provided with a tray for use as a table surfact by the child. The seat may be provided with a wheeled structure for conversion to a pushchair. The U-shaped member may be constructed of three pieces, a solid cross-piece and two tubular struts extending from the ends of the cross-piece to the seat member The arms may be formed by lengths of rope which pass through transverse holes in the ends of the cross-piece, then through the tubular struts and finally secured by knotting them under the seat member after passing through holes in the seat member. Figure 1 : Perspective side view in erected position Figure2 : Perspective rearviewfrom beneath Figure 3: Perspective view of the seat in collapsed position. An example ofthe invention represented in the appended drawings comprises a seat member 1, a back member 2, a horizontal rod 3, being the crosspiece at the front of the seat, a pair of hooks 4 at the rear of the seat member which enables the seat to be suspended on the back of a conventional dining chair, a pair of tubes 5 which are raked back at approximately 45" from the horizontal cross-piece to the seat member, a length of rope 6 connecting the front of the seat member to the centre of the horizontal cross-piece, a length of rope 7 passing through the back and seat members, the rear hooks, the tubes and the horizontal cross-piece, knotted in such a way as to connect all the above mentioned component parts, a length of rope 8 connecting the two hooks at the rear of the back member in order to prevent them from splaying, on a hoop backed chair, for example. CLAIMS 1. The seat may be upholstered for more comfort. 2. The seat and back members may be of different configurations, for example shaped to accommodate the legs in two indentations of the front edge of the seat member, or a hemispherical back member. 3. The materials from which the back and seat members are made may be wood, plastic, fibreglass, fabric on a frame, or any combination of these materials. 4. The arms, hooks at the rear of the back member, horizontal cross-piece and all upright members may be made of wood, rope, webbing, metal wire, rod, tube or chain, plastic, fibreglass or any combination of these materials. 5. The connection ofthevarious component parts may be effected by metal or plastic hinges, rope, bolts or glue. 6. The arms, upright member connecting the horizontal cross-piece to the centre of the seat member, the U-shaped member and its possible components and the hooks at the rear of the back member may be of flexible material such as rope or rigid material such as metal rod. 7. The hinging positions on the seat and back members of the members connected thereto, may be relocated to any other position where, when the seat is used, they may provide a safe and stable seat for a child. 8. A means may be provided where the seat can be suspended to provide a swing. 9. A seat may be provided with a means for supporting it on an adult for transporting the child. 10. The components may be supplied unassembled with instructions for the owners to assemble it themselves. New claims or amendments to claims filed on 3rd September 1981 New or amended claims:

1. An article offurniture of the kind intended for supply in assembled or disassembled form compris ing: a seat member and a back member joined in such a way as to allow them to be folded together when not in use, making the seat easily portable, or, when in use, to permit an angle of approximately 90" one to the other; an inverted 'u' shaped member hinged near the lateral edges of the seat member at positions along those edges; two arms extending from the back member to the shoulders of the 'u' shaped member; an upright member extending from the centre of the 'u' shaped member to the seat member, the upright member being attached to the seat member in a position out of alignment with the points at which the 'u' shaped member is hinged to the seat member.

2. An article as claimed in claim 1 which may be upholstered or padded or of soft material for more comfort.

3. An article as claimed in claim 1 in which the seat and back members may be of different configurations, for example a hemispherical back member to accommodate the back more comfortably or shapes to accommodate the legs and bottom in indentations and depressions in the seat member.

4. An article as claimed in claim 1 the components of which may be made of many materials for example, wood, plastic, ffbreglass, fabric, metal, wire, tube, chain or rod, or any combination of these materials.

5. An article as claimed in claim 1, the various components of which may be connected or joined by methods including metal or plastic hinges, rope, bolts and glue.

6. An article as claimed in claim 1, where legs may be provided, to which the article may be attached so as to provide a free-standing article.

7. An article as claimed in claim 1 where a tray may be provided for attachment to the article for use as a table surface by the article's occupant.

8. An article as claimed in claim 1, where a wheeled frame may be provided so as to convert the article into a push chair.

9. An article as claimed in claim 1, where a method of suspension may be provided so as to convert the article into a swing.

10. An article as claimed in claim 1, where the hinging position on the seat and back member of the members converted thereto, may be relocated to any other position, where, when the seat is used, they may provide a safe and stable seat for a child.

11. An article as claimed in claim 1, which may be provided with a means for supporting it on an adult for transporting the child.

12. A folding structure substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings contained in the application for a patent.