GB2469315A

GB2469315A - Foldable chair

Info

Publication number: GB2469315A
Application number: GB0906151A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Chun-Hsien Tseng
Original assignee: Chin JWU Enterprise Co Ltd
Current assignee: Chin JWU Enterprise Co Ltd
Priority date: 2009-04-09
Filing date: 2009-04-09
Publication date: 2010-10-13
Anticipated expiration: 2029-04-09
Also published as: GB2469315B; GB0906151D0

Abstract

A foldable chair includes a seat frame 3, and two leg frames 4 each including front and rear leg portions 431, 432 connected pivotally and respectively to front and rear bottom faces of the seat frame 3 through front and rear pivot seats 41, (42), respectively. A foot portion 434 interconnects the front and rear leg portions 431, 432. The leg frames 4 are foldable inwardly and independently toward each other to a folded position. The foot portions 434 of the leg frames 4 are movable inwardly toward the seat frame 3 when the leg frames 4 are pivoted to the folded position. The rear pivot seat (42) has a stop plate (423) that abuts against a rear top end (4321) of the rear leg portion (432) to prevent the rear leg portion (432) from turning outward excessively when the leg frames (4) are unfolded. Two u-shaped cover members (5) including a bight (51) portion are provided and connected to the rear pivot seats (42).

Description

FOLDABLE CHAIR

The invention relates to a foldable chair.

Referring to Figure 1, a conventional foldable chair includes a looped seat frame 10, a front leg frame 11 having top ends connected telescopically and pivotally to a rear bottom face of the seat frame 10, and a rear leg frame 12 having top ends connected pivotally to a front bottom face of the seat frame 10. The front and rear leg frames 11, 12 are connected pivotally to each other in such a manner that the front and rear leg frames 11, 12 intersect each other when unfolded.

Although the aforesaid conventional foldable chair can achieve its intended purpose, there is a need to provide a foldable chair with a more simple and reliable structure.

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a foldable chair that has a simple and reliable structure.

According to this invention, a foldable chair comprises a seat frame, two spaced-apart front pivot seats connected fixedly to a front bottom face of the seat frame, two spaced-apart rear pivot seats, two leg frames, and two substantially U-shaped cover members.

Each rear pivot seat has a top plate connected fixedly to a rear bottom face of the seat frame, front and rear plates extending downwardly and respectively from front and rear ends of the top plate, a stop plate connected between outer ends of the front and rearplates, a locking hole provided in the rear plate, and a guide plate proj ecting from an inner end of the rear plate and bending in a direction away from an inner end of the front plate.

Each leg frame includes a front leg portion having a front top end connected pivotally to a respective front pivot seat, a rear leg portion having a rear top end extending between and connected pivotally to the front and rear plates of a respective rear pivot seat, and a foot portion interconnecting bottom ends of the front and rear leg portions. The leg frames are foldable inwardly and independently toward each other to a folded position, and are free of an intersection point. The foot portions of the leg frames are movable inwardly toward the seat frame when the leg frames are pivoted to the folded position. The rear top ends of the rear leg portions of the leg frames abut respectively against the stop plates of the rear pivot seats when the leg frames are unfolded so that the rear leg portions of the leg frames are prevented from turning outward excessively. Each cover member includes front and rear plates extending respectively over and connected pivotally to the front and rear plates of the respective rear pivot seat, a bight portion interconnecting outer ends of the front and rear plates of a respective cover member, and a bottom plate connected to bottom ends of the bight portion and the front and rear plates of the respective cover member and extending below the stop plate. The rear legportion is provided with a resilient locking element having a locking head projecting outwardly from the rear top end and resiliently extending intothelockingholetolocktherearlegportionagajnst movement when the leg frames are unfolded. The rearplate of each cover member is provided with a projection that projects inwardly to abut against the locking head when the leg frames are unfolded. Each cover member is operable to press the projection into the locking hole and forcing the locking head out of the locking hole, thereby permitting movement of the rear leg portion relative to the respective rear pivot seat.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional foldable chair; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a foldable chair according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 3 is a schematic side view of the preferred embodiment; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of the preferred embodiment; Fig. 5 is a schematic view of the foldable chair of the present invention in a folded state; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of the preferred embodiment, illustrating a projection of a cover member abutting against a locking head of a resilient locking element when leg frames of the preferred embodiment are unfolded; Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view of the preferred embodiment, illustrating a rear leg frame abutting against a stop plate of a rear pivot seat when unfolded; Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 6, but illustrating the cover member being pressed to push the projection into a locking hole so as to force the locking head out of the locking hole; Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 7, but illustrating the rear leg frame in a folded state; and Fig. 10 is a fragmentary sectional view of the preferred embodiment, illustrating the rear leg frame abutting against a bottom plate of the cover member when pivoted to an unfolded state.

Referring to Figs. 2 to 10, a foldable chair according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown to comprise a seat frame 3, two spaced-apart front pivot seats 41 (only one is visible in Figs. 2 and 3), two spaced-apart rear pivot seats 42, two leg frames 4, and two cover members 5.

The seat frame 3 is ring-shaped. \ cushion 32 covers the seat frame 3 to facilitate sitting of a user.

Each of the front pivot seats 41 is an inverted-U shaped metal piece, and has a top plate 411 connected fixedly to a front bottom face of the seat frame 3, and front and rear plates 412, 412' extending downwardly and respectively from front and rear ends of the top plate 411.

Each of the rear pivot seats 42 has a top plate 421 connected fixedly to a rear bottom face of the seat frame 3, front and rear plates 420, 422 extending downwardly and respectively from front and rear ends of the top plate 421, a stop plate 423 connected between outer ends of the front and rear plates 420, 422, a locking hole 425 formed in the rear plate 422, and a guide plate 424 projecting from an inner end of the rear plate 422 and bending in a direction away from an inner end of the front plate 420. In this embodiment, the top plate 421 is fixed to the rear bottom face of the seat frame 31 through the use of a bolt-and-nut fastener 401.

The leg frames 4 are disposed respectively and symmetrically on left and right sides of the seat frame 3. Each leg frame 4 includes a front leg portion 431 having a front top end 4311 extending between and connected pivotaliLy to the front and rear plates 412, 412' of a respective front pivot seat 41, a rear leg portion 432 having a rear top end 4321 extending between and connected pivotally to the front and rear plates 420, 422 of a respective rear pivot seat 42, and a foot portion 434 interconnecting bottom ends of the front andrear legportions 431, 432 andadaptedtoabut against the ground. The front topend43ll is connectedpivotally to the front and rear plates 412, 412' of the respective front pivot seat 41 through the use of a pivot pin 413.

The rear top end 4321 is connected pivotally to the front and rear plates 420, 422 of the respective rear pivot seat 42 through the use of a pivot pin 402. Through such connections, the leg frames 4 are foldable inwardly and independently toward each other to a folded position, as shown in Fig. 5, andarefreeofanintersectionpoint, i.e., the leg frames 4 are not connected pivotally to each other such that when the leg frames 4 are pivoted to an unfolded position, as shown in Fig. 2, they do not intersect each other, unlike as in the case of the conventional foldable chair shown in Fig. 1.

Further, the foot portions 434 of the leg frames 4 are movable inwardly toward the seat frame 3, and the front and rear leg portions 431, 432 of the leg frames 4 are disposed substantially horizontal below the seat frame 3 when the leg frames 4 are pivoted to the folded position, as best shown in Fig. 5. The rear leg portions 431 of the leg frames 4 abut respectively against the stop plates 423 of the rear pivot seats 42 when the leg frames 4 are unfolded (only one of the leg frames 4 is shown abutting against the stop plate 423 of the respective rear pivot seat 42 in Fig. 7), so that the rear leg portions 432 are prevented from turning outward excessively.

In this embodiment, the rear legportion 432 is formed with a through hole 433 in a rear face of the rear top end 4321, and is provided with a resilient locking element 44. The through hole 433 is aligned with the locking hole 425 when the leg frames 4 are unfolded.

Further, the foot portions 434 of the leg frames 4 are curved downwardly, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, so that the leg frames 4 and the seat frame 3 can rock forward and rearward like a rocking chair when the leg frames 4 are unfolded. With reference to Figs. 4 and 6, the resilient locking element 44 has a V-shaped resilient portion 441 disposed inside the rear top end 4321, and a locking head 442 projecting outwardly from one end of the resilient portion 441 through the through hole 433.

With reference to Figs. 4, 6, and 7, each of the cover members 5 is made of plastic, and has front and rear plates 52, 52' extending respectivelyover and connected pivotally to the front and rear plates 420, 422 of the respective rear pivot seat 42, a bight portion 51 interconnecting outer ends of the front and rear plates 52, 52', and a bottom plate 53 connected to bottom ends of the front andrearplates 52, 52' and thebightportion 51 and extending below the stop plate 423. Hence, each cover member 5 has a horizontal cross section that is U-shaped with an opening 55 facing the rear pivot seat 42 of the other leg frame 4, is pivotable outwardly relative to the respective rear pivot seat 42, and is mounted coaxially with the rear leg portion 432 of the respective leg frame 4. In this embodiment, the rear plate 52' is provided with a projection 54 that projects inwardly to abut against the locking head 442 when the leg frames 42 are unfolded.

When the leg frames 4 are pivoted to the unfolded position, asshowninFig. 2, the lockinghead442 extends resiliently into the locking hole 425 to lock the rear leg portion 432 (and thus the leg frame 4) against movement (see Fig. 6) . To fold the leg frames 4, the cover member 5 is pressed in a direction of an arrow shown in Fig. 8, so that the projection 54 is pushed into the locking hole 425 to force the locking head 442 out of the locking hole 425, thereby permitting the rear leg portion 432 (and thus the leg frame 4) to pivot inwardly to the folded position shown in Fig. 5.

The present invention uses the locking head 442 that projects resiliently into the locking hole 425 so as to retain the leg frame 4 in the unfolded position, and uses the cover member 5 to press the projection 54 into the locking hole 425 and force the locking head 442 out of the locking hole 425 so as to permit folding movement of the leg frame 4. Further, since a user's finger is pressed against the cover member 5 and is not in direct contact with the locking head 442, the user's finger is protected from injury, i.e., from being pinched between the locking head 442 and the locking hole 425.

When the leg frame 4 is in the folded position, as shown in Fig. 9, the bight portion 51 of the cover member abuts against the stop plate 423, and the bottom plate 53 covers a bottom side of the rear pivot seat 42. When the leg frame 4 is pivoted from the folded position shown in Fig. 9 to the unfolded position shown in Fig. 7, the rear top end 4321 of the rear leg portion 432 first abuts against the bottom plate 53, as shown in Fig. 10, and then pushes the cover member 5 to pivot outwardly until the rear top end 4321 abuts against the stop plate 423 and is positioned thereat. During pivoting of the leg frame4, theuser'sfingerispreventedfromaccidentally extending into the rear pivot seat 42 and from being pinched between the rear top end 4321 and the stop plate 423.

Moreover, with reference to Figs. 4 and 9, when the leg frame 4 is pivoted from the folded position to the unfolded position, as the locking head 442 moves near the rear pivot seat 42, the guide plate 424 guides the locking head 442 to move into the through hole 433, thereby preventing the locking head 442 from bumping against the rearplate 422 whichmaycausemalfunctioning of the chair. Hence, the service life of the foldable chair of the present invention may be prolonged.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A foldable chair comprising: a seat frame; two spaced-apart front pivot seats connected fixedly to a front bottom face of said seat frame; two spaced-apart rear pivot seats each having a top plate connected fixedly to a rear bottom face of said seat frame, front and rear plates extending downwardly and respectively from front and rear ends of said top plate, a stop plate connected between outer ends of said front and rear plates, a locking hole provided in said rear plate, and a guide plate projecting from an inner end of said rear plate and bending in a direction away from an inner end of said front plate; two leg frames each including a front leg portion having a front top end connected pivotally to a respective one of said front pivot seats, a rear leg portion having a rear top end extending between and connected pivotally to said front and rear plates of a respective one of said rear pivot seats, and a foot portion interconnecting bottom ends of said front and rear leg portions, said leg frames being foldable inwardly and independently toward each other to a folded position and being free of an intersection point, said foot portions of said leg frames being movable inwardly toward said seat frame when said leg frames are pivoted to said folded position, saidreartopendsofsaidrearlegportjons of said leg frames abutting respectively against said stop plates of said rear pivot seats when said leg frames are unfolded so that said rear leg portions of said leg frames are prevented from turning outward excessively; and two substantially U-shaped cover members each including front and rear plates extending respectively over and connected pivotally to said front and rear plates of the respective one of said rear pivot seats, a bight portion interconnecting outer ends of said front and rear plates of a respective one of said cover members, and a bottom plate connected to bottom ends of said bight portion and said front and rear plates of the respective one of said cover members and extending below said stop plate; said rear leg portion being provided with a resilient locking element having a locking head projecting outwardly from said rear top end and resiliently extending into said locking hole to lock said rear leg portion against movement when said leg frames are unfolded; saidrearplateofeachofsaidcovermembersbeing provided with a projection that projects inwardly to abut against said locking head when said leg frames are unfolded, each of said cover members being operable to press said projection into said locking hole to force said locking head out of said locking hole, thereby permitting movement of said rear leg portion relative to the respective one of said rear pivot seats.
2. The foldable chair of Claim 1, wherein said foot portion is curved.
3. The foldable chair of Claim 1, further comprising a seat cushion for covering said seat frame.
4. The foldable chair substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 2 to 10 of the accompanying drawings.