GB2471698A

GB2471698A - Collapsible integrated desk and chair unit

Info

Publication number: GB2471698A
Application number: GB0911917A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Patrick Sylvester Davis
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-07-09
Filing date: 2009-07-09
Publication date: 2011-01-12
Also published as: GB0911917D0

Abstract

The present invention provides a collapsible integrated desk and-chair unit that collapses to a substantially flat-pack state for stowage when not in use, wherein the unit comprises: a chair back panel 1, a chair seat panel 2, and a desk top panel 3, the lower in use end of the chair back panel 1 being pivotally coupled 5 to the rear of the chair seat panel 2 and the desk top panel 3 being linked to the chair seat panel 2 by a sliding and pivoting bar support structure 7 whereby the desk top panel 3 may be moved forwardly and upwardly away from the stowed position. The unit may be mounted to a wall for stowing.

Description

Desk-and-chair Unit

Field of the Invention

The present invention concerns improvements in and relating to collapsible integrated desk-and-chair units.

Background to the Invention

Collapsible integrated desk-and-chair units take a variety of different forms, many being adapted primarily for portability and, for example, designed to collapse into a suitcase-like form factor such as in FRi 67978 or a nested arrangement such as in US 6,186,589 where a small bench like chair and folding top desk have an articulated sidearm linking them and can nest into each other to facilitate portability or in US 1,979,173 where the collapsed unit can be carried on the student's back.

The present invention is less concerned with portability but aims more importantly to provide a collapsible integrated desk-and-chair unit that may be used in rooms at home, whether individual bedrooms where floor space is very limited or communal reception rooms that need to be used by several people and for various purposes, so that the desk-and-chair unit can be stowed up against a wall or in a cupboard, in a compact form when not in use. The need for such furniture is increasing in the UK partly as a result of increasing un-affordability of property upsizing over the past decade such that when families grow they invariably now lack adequate numbers of bedrooms for all children The problem is also exacerbated by high land cost and profiteering on the part of developers which cause all new build homes to be built at high density with inadequate accommodation and small room sizes. Furthermore, the trend towards open plan reception rooms and removing partitions between kitchens, dining rooms and living rooms has further limited options for independent study! home work areas.

Sum mary of the Invention In a first aspect the present invention provides a collapsible integrated desk-and-chair unit that collapses to a substantially flat-pack state for stowage when not in use wherein the unit comprises: a chair back panel; a chair seat panel; and a desk top panel, the lower in use end of the chair back panel being pivotally coupled to the rear in use of the chair seat panel and the desk top panel being linked to the chair seat panel by a sliding and pivoting bar support structure whereby the desk top panel may be moved by sliding and tilting from the stowed position to the erected position.

In a second aspect the present invention provides a collapsible integrated desk-and-chair unit that collapses to a substantially flat-pack state for stowage when not in use wherein the unit comprises: a chair back panel; a chair seat panel; and a desk top panel, the chair back panel, chair seat panel and desk top panel being linked and articulated whereby the panels may be brought into compact stacked arrangement, the unit having a wall-mounting at one end to mount the stowed unit to a wall.

Particularly preferably the wall mounting comprises a mounting panel or mounting bracket. The wall mounting preferably is pivotally coupled to an edge of the desk top panel, suitably the front edge of the desk top panel (i.e. the edge remote from the chair back panel).

Suitably the chair back panel and chair seat panel are pivotally coupled together and are linked to the sides of the desk top panel whereby the stowed chair can be unfolded from the desktop panel and erected.

Brief Description of the Drawings

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation view of the wall-mounted collapsible integrated desk-and-chair unit as erected; Figure 2 is a plan view of the erected desk-and-chair unit from above; Figure 3 is a side elevation view of the collapsible integrated desk-and-chair unit as collapsed, stowed against the wall; Figure 4 is a rear perspective view of the mounting panel showing the pivots; Figure 5 is an exploded assembly rear perspective view from above of the chair seat panel and back panel showing the adjustment-knob pivots that pivotally mount the lower end of the chair back panel to the rear end of the chair seat panel; Figure 6 is a side elevation view of the articulating linkage by means of which the chair panels are linked to the desk top panel; Figure 7 is a rear perspective view of the desk top panel; and Figure 8 is a plan view of the legs stowed to the underside of the chair seat panel.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment

Referring to Figure 1, this shows the collapsible integrated desk-and-chair unit comprising four interlinked panels: a chair back panel 1, a chair seat panel 2, a desk top panel 3 and a wall-mounting panel 4. The chair back panel 1 and chair seat panel 2 are preferably formed with a robust and lightweight cellular or honeycomb construction and may be plastics mouldings or of wood or composite materials or else may have a solid board construction. The chair seat panel 2 and optionally also the chair back panel 1 are suitably moulded or sculpted for a degree of anatomic conformity, ie contoured to provide adequate comfort to the posterior and back of the user.

In Figures 1 and 2 the unit is shown in erected configuration standing on the floor F. The wall mounting panel 4 is fastened to the wall by fixings 11 such as screws or bolts.

The panels 1-4 are linked and articulated whereby the panels may be positioned in the erected state shown in Figures 1 and 2, or folded into the compact stacked arrangement stowed up against the wall W, as shown in Figure 3. The chair back panel I and chair seat panel 2 are pivotally coupled together and are linked to the sides of the desk top panel 3 by io support bars! linkages 7a, 7b that pivot and slide relative to each other and to the chair seat panel 2 whereby the stowed chair 1,2 can be unfolded down from the desktop panel 3 to the erected configuration and folded back up again when not required.

The wall mounting panel 4 has at its lower end a wide jawed pivot is arrangement 6 that pivotally couples the front edge of the desk top panel 3 to wall mounting panel 4 and allows the desk top panel 3 to tilt relative to the wall W. The angle of tilt may be selected and locked by tightening down a locking knob of the pivot 6.The pivot 6 is wide-jawed! spaced-coupled whereby the pivot pin 6a is spaced a distance away from the end faces of the wall mounting panel 4 and desk top panel 3 by a tubular stem 6b. The spacing is sufficient to allow the chair back panel 1 to be sandwiched between the mounting panel 4 and desk top panel 3 when the unit is stowed.

In a similar manner the chair back panel 1 and chair seat panel 2 are pivotally coupled together by a wide jawed pivot arrangement 5 where the pivot pin 5a is spaced by a stem 5b so that the desk top panel 3 may be sandwiched between the chair back panel 1 and chair seat panel 2 when the unit is stowed. The unit is thus, as illustrated in Figure 3 reduced to a relatively compact form where the panels 1-4 are stacked intimately face-to-face and hard up against the wall W. Instead of, or in addition to, being mounted to the wall W, the wall mounting panel 4 may serve as a lectern board or book support or may house or couple to a leg structure to provide ground-engaging support at the front end of the desk panel 3.

The collapsible integrated desk-and-chair unit of the present invention is versatile and can be configured to be portable and able to be free-standing when required. As illustrated in hatched line in Figure 1, the mounting panel 4 is pivoted to the desk top panel 3 about the pivot 6, the pivot pin of which engages in a pivot pin socket 6c that extends transversely across io the front of the desk top panel 3. A tightenable threaded adjustment knob is provided at the pivot 6 to secure the pivot at the selected angle.

When the unit is free-standing and not wall-mounted, the mounting panel 4 may be directed downwardly. An extendible! retractable leg 12 that is housed within the mounting panel 4 may then be extended down to reach is the floor F and suitably locked into extended position. In the preferred embodiment the extendable leg 12 is telescopic and has a twist-lock arrangement, but it may alternatively be articulated, hinged or otherwise extendable.

As for the legs of the chair, they are suitably formed of a pair of rods or tubes, each bent to an arched! approximately V-shaped or U-shaped configuration to define a conjoint pair of legs 9 (see Figure 8) and with each rod or tube mounted to the underside of the chair seat panel 2 by a respective hinge cradle 10 SO that each pair of legs 9 may be moved between a stowed position substantially flat against the underside of the 2S chair seat panel 2 and a splayed, erect position extending down to the floor F to provide a sturdy, stable floor-standing support for the unit.

Referring to Figures 6 and 7, the articulating linkage of the chair panels 1, 2 to the desk top panel 3 comprise, on each side of the chair, a pair of pivotally linked support bars 7a, 7b. A first end of each first one 7a of the support bars has a pivot pin 13a mounted into a pivot pin socket 13b extending transversely across the front end of the chair seat panel 2 from one side to the other so that the first bar 7a is anchored close to the front of the chair seat panel 2 on one side of the chair yet able to pivot.

The other end of each first one 7a of the support bars has a pivot pin 1 3a that is mounted into, and slidingly and pivotally captive in, an elongate slot pivot pin socket 1 3b that extends as a track along part of the length of the second bar 7b. A first end of the second bar 7b has a pivot pin 14a mounted into a pivot pin socket 14b extending transversely across the rear end of the chair seat panel 2 from one side to the other so that the second bar 7b is anchored close to the rear of the chair seat panel 2 on one side of the chair yet able to pivot. The pivot pin socket 1 4b across the rear end of the chair seat panel 2 may extend through hollow tubular pivot 5a that couples the chair back panel 1 to the chair seat panel 2.

The other end of each second one 7b of the support bars has pivot pin 7 is that is mounted into and pivotally movable and slidingly movable along, but captive in, an elongate slot-form pivot pin socket 8 that extends as a track along part of the length of the respective side of the desk top panel 3.

By virtue of the articulating linkage described above the chair and desk may be readily folded and unfolded between the compact inter-leaved stowed state of Figure 3 and the extended! erected state of Figures 1 and 2. When in the extended! erected state the unit may be secured in place by tightening the pivot knobs and by latching! clipping of the sliding support bars 7a, 7b at the slide position corresponding to the erected state. As further illustrated in Figure 6, a stay! strut 15 may be provided pivotally attached to one of the support bars 7a and reaching to the other support bar 7b to further support it in place in the erected state. The stay! strut 15 may engage into a socket! keep on the other support bar 7b when the unit is in the erected state.