U.S. patent application number 11/954467 was filed with the patent office on 2009-06-18 for ganging device for folding chair.
Invention is credited to Mei Chuen LIN, Tzu Mei Wang.
Application Number | 20090152919 11/954467 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40752225 |
Filed Date | 2009-06-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090152919 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
LIN; Mei Chuen ; et
al. |
June 18, 2009 |
Ganging Device For Folding Chair
Abstract
A ganging device for connecting folding chairs and enlarging a
gap between chairs includes a main member, a slot fastener and a
knob fastener. A first frame side of the main member includes a
fixing element and an engaging protrusion, and a second frame side
of the main member includes a frame slot having a neck portion. The
slot fastener, which includes an engaging slot having a neck
portion, is mounted on a first side of the chair. The knob
fastener, which has an engaging knob, is mounted on a second side
of the chair. The fixing element and the engaging knob are engaged
with the neck portions of the slot fastener and the main member,
respectively. The engaging protrusion is fitted into the engaging
slot. Therefore, the chairs are connected and a gap between
connected chairs is provided to offer comfortable seating.
Inventors: |
LIN; Mei Chuen; (Taoyuan,
TW) ; Wang; Tzu Mei; (Taoyuan, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
RABIN & Berdo, PC
1101 14TH STREET, NW, SUITE 500
WASHINGTON
DC
20005
US
|
Family ID: |
40752225 |
Appl. No.: |
11/954467 |
Filed: |
December 12, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
297/248 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47C 1/124 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
297/248 |
International
Class: |
A47C 3/00 20060101
A47C003/00 |
Claims
1. At least one ganging device for connecting a first chair with a
second chair and enlarging a gap between the chairs, and being
disposable between respective leg frames of the chairs, each chair
having a slot fastener mounted on a first side of the leg frame,
the slot fastener comprising an engaging slot having a neck portion
and a body portion, each chair further having an engaging knob
disposed on a second side of the leg frame, the ganging device
comprising: a main member including: a first portion, a second
portion, a third portion, and a fourth portion interconnected to
form a frame, a fixing element disposed on the first portion, an
engaging protrusion formed on the first portion, the engaging
protrusion having a rectangular base, the base having a side with a
length being substantially equal to a width of the body portion of
the engaging slot, and a frame slot formed on the second portion,
the frame slot having a neck portion and a bottle portion, the neck
portion of the frame slot having a width smaller than a width of
the bottle portion; wherein the fixing element is insertable into
the engaging slot on the first chair and is engageable with the
neck portion of the engaging slot, with the engaging protrusion
being fittable into the body portion of the engaging slot on the
first chair; and wherein the engaging knob on the second chair is
insertable into the frame slot and is engagable with the neck
portion of the frame slot, so that the chairs are connected and are
kept a distance away from each other.
2. (canceled)
3. The ganging device as claimed in claim 1, wherein two ganging
devices are disposable between the leg frames of the first chair
and the second chair; one of the ganging devices being disposable
at upper portions of the leg frames and the other ganging device
being disposable at lower portions of the leg frames.
4. An arrangement, comprising: a first chair having a first leg
frame, a second chair having a second leg frame, a slot fastener
mounted on the first leg frame, the slot fastener comprising an
engaging slot having a neck portion and a body portion, an engaging
knob disposed on the second leg frame, a ganging device for
connecting the first chair with the second chair and enlarging a
gap between the chairs, the ganging device being disposable between
the first and second leg frames, the ganging device comprising a
main member, the main member including: a first portion, a second
portion, a third portion, and a fourth portion interconnected to
form a frame, a fixing element disposed on the first portion, an
engaging protrusion formed on the first portion, the engaging
protrusion having a rectangular base, the base having a side with a
length being substantially equal to a width of the body portion of
the engaging slot, and a frame slot formed on the second portion,
the frame slot having a neck portion and a bottle portion, the neck
portion of the frame slot having a width smaller than a width of
the bottle portion; wherein the fixing element is insertable into
the engaging slot of the first chair and is engagable with the neck
portion of the engaging slot, with the engaging protrusion being
fittable into the body portion of the engaging slot; and wherein
the engaging knob is insertable into the frame slot of the second
chair and is engagable with the neck portion of the frame slot, so
that the chairs are connected and are kept a distance away from
each other.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a ganging device for a
folding chair, and in particular to a ganging device that can
enlarge a gap between connected chairs to offer comfortable
seating.
[0003] 2. The Prior Arts
[0004] The folding chairs are arranged in rows for indoor and
outdoor events such as meeting, party, and reception. In order to
provide an orderly seating arrangement, the folding chairs are
neatly lined up and then interconnected with ganging devices.
Referring to FIG. 6, a conventional ganging device for a folding
chair include a metal L-bar A and a metal loop B respectively
disposed at both sides of the folding chair. The L-bar A is fitted
into the loop B on another chair, thereby connecting two chairs
together. Taking advantage of the L-bar A and the loop B, a
plurality of folding chairs are neatly lined up and connected side
by side. The disadvantage of the folding chairs connected by the
conventional ganging devices is that the gap between the connected
chairs is small. When people, especially overweight or heavily
built people, sit down, they are too close to each other. When
trying to enlarge the gaps to offer more spacious seating for
greater comfort, the chairs are lined up one by one and are not
connected with the ganging devices. However, it is hard to keep the
folding chairs in a row neatly without the ganging devices.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a
ganging device mounted between folding chairs. The ganging device
not only connects the chairs together but also keeps an ample
distance between the chairs allowing spacious seating.
[0006] The solution of the present invention is to provide a frame
as a main member of the ganging device. A first side of the main
member includes an engaging protrusion, a fixing hole and a fixing
element corresponding to the fixing hole. A second side of the main
member includes a bottle-shaped frame slot having a narrow neck
portion and a wide body portion. Moreover, a slot fastener is
welded to a front leg frame of the chair. The slot fastener
includes a bottle-shaped engaging slot having a body portion and a
neck portion. An engaging knob is disposed on another folding
chair.
[0007] The fixing element includes a screw, a nut and a washer. A
screw head of the screw is inserted into the body portion of the
engaging slot and then the screw is glided down the neck portion of
the engaging slot. Then, a shank of the screw passes through the
fixing hole and the engaging protrusion is fitted into the body
portion of the engaging slot. The washer and nut of the fixing
element are screw into the screw, thereby fixing the main member
with the front leg frame of the chair. The engaging knob on another
chair is inserted into the body portion of the frame slot of the
main member and is glided down to the neck portion of the frame
slot of the main member, thereby connecting the engaging knob with
the main member. Therefore, the chairs are connected side by
side.
[0008] The ganging device for enlarging a gap between folding
chairs according to the present invention uses knobs and slots to
quickly connect the chairs together. If trying to disconnect the
folding chairs, it only needs to disengage the knobs and slots. It
is quick and convenient.
[0009] A width of the main member of the ganging device is about 5
cm and the ganging device mounted between the folding chairs can
keeps a distance between the chairs. Thus people sitting next to
each other can enjoy the spacious seating and will not feel be
confined in a small space.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in
the art by reading the following detailed description of a
preferred embodiment thereof, with reference to the attached
drawings, in which:
[0011] FIG. 1 is an exploded view showing a main member of a
ganging device for a folding chair in accordance with the present
invention;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing two chairs and the
ganging device according to the present invention mounted between
the chair;
[0013] FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing two chairs connected by
the ganging device according to the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing two chairs connected by
two set of the ganging device according to the present
invention.
[0015] FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing the ganging devices
according to the present invention ganging a plurality of chairs;
and
[0016] FIG. 6 shows a conventional ganging device connecting two
chairs.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0017] A ganging device 4 for a folding chair in accordance with
the present invention is mounted between two folding chairs to
enlarge a gap between the connected folding chairs. The ganging
device 4 includes a main member 1 to increase the gap, and a slot
fastener 2 and a knob fastener 3 located at respectively associated
opposite sides of a front leg frame of the folding chair.
[0018] Referring to FIG. 1, the main member 1 is a frame and
includes a first frame side and a second frame side opposing to the
first frame side. The first frame side of the main member 1
includes an engaging protrusion 11 protruded out of the main member
1 and a fixing hole 14 disposed below the engaging protrusion 11.
The engaging protrusion 11 has a rectangular base. The fixing hole
14 is for a fixing element 12. The second frame side of the main
member 1 includes an inverted-bottle-shaped frame slot 13. The
frame slot 13 has a lower neck portion and an upper body portion.
The fixing element 12 includes a screw 121 passing through the
fixing hole 14, a washer 122, and a wing nut 123. The screw 121
includes a screw head and a shank with a helical thread.
[0019] Referring to FIG. 2, the slot fastener 2 is welded on a
first side of the front leg frame. The slot fastener 2 comprises an
inverted-bottle-shaped engaging slot 21. The engaging slot 21 has a
lower neck portion and an upper body portion. The knob fastener 3
is welded on a second side of the front leg frame at a location
corresponding to the slot fastener 2. The knob fastener 3 comprises
an engaging knob 31 having a knob head and a neck portion. The
width of the engaging protrusion 11 is corresponding to that of the
body portion of the engaging slot 21. The diameter of the screw
head of the screw 121 is smaller than the width of the body portion
of the engaging slot 21 and larger than the width of the neck
portion of the engaging slot 21. The diameter of the knob head of
the engaging knob 31 is smaller than the width of the body portion
of the frame slot 13 and larger than the width of the neck portion
of the frame slot 13.
[0020] When the main member 1 is mounted to the slot fastener 2 on
a first chair, the screw head of the screw 121 is inserted into the
body portion of the engaging slot 21 and the screw 121 is pushed
down to the neck portion of the engaging slot 21, thereby holding
the screw head of the screw 121 between the slot fastener 2 and the
front leg frame. The shank of the screw 121 is inserted into the
fixing hole 14 of the main member 1 and the engaging protrusion 11
is fitted into the body portion of the engaging slot 21 of the slot
fastener 2. Then, the washer 122 is sleeved on the shank of the
screw 121 and the nut 123 is securely screwed down the screw 121.
Therefore, the main member 1 is connected with the slot fastener 2
and is securely mounted on the front leg frame of the first chair.
Because the engaging protrusion 11 is fitted into the body portion
of the engaging slot 21, the main member 1 can not be rotated
relative to the slot fastener 2. The engaging knob 31 of the knob
fastener 3 on a second chair is inserted into the body portion of
the frame slot 13 on the main member 1 and the engaging knob 31 is
pushed down to the neck portion of the frame slot 13. Thus, the
knob fastener 3 on the second chair is engaged with the main member
1 mounted on the first chair. Therefore, the first chair and the
second chair are connected by the ganging device according to the
present invention as shown in FIG. 3. The gap between the two
chairs is the width of the main member 1 that is about 5 cm.
[0021] However, when two chairs are connected by only one ganging
device 4, the chairs may shift relative to each other. The solution
of the problem mentioned above, is to provide more than one ganging
devices 4 to connect the first chair and the second chair.
Referring to FIG. 4, two ganging devices 4 connect the two chairs
together at an upper portion and a lower portion of the leg frames
of the chairs, respectively.
[0022] Referring to FIG. 5, a plurality of folding chairs are
connected by the ganging devices 4 and lined up in a row. People
sitting next to each other will have a spacious gap between them.
The engaging knob 31 and the fixing element 12 of the ganging
device according to the present invention can quickly connect or
disconnect the chairs.
[0023] Although the present invention has been described with
reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it is apparent to
those skilled in the art that a variety of modifications and
changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present
invention which is intended to be defined by the appended
claims.
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