U.S. patent application number 15/588775 was filed with the patent office on 2018-11-08 for folding chair.
This patent application is currently assigned to Zenithen USA. LLC. d/b/a Z Company, Zenithen USA. LLC. d/b/a Z Company. The applicant listed for this patent is Zenithen USA LLC d/b/a Z Company, Zenithen USA LLC d/b/a Z Company. Invention is credited to Andrew David Frankel, Shi-Ping Zheng, Tian-Xia Zheng.
Application Number | 20180317656 15/588775 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 64014306 |
Filed Date | 2018-11-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180317656 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Frankel; Andrew David ; et
al. |
November 8, 2018 |
FOLDING CHAIR
Abstract
A type of improved folding chair includes brackets and seat
fabric. Brackets on the four facades are each composed of
intersecting diagonal bars. Right and left facades consist of
intersecting long bars and medium-sized bars with the upper curved
portion of the long bars providing support for the backrest. A
fabric seat for the chair comprises an attached cushion, a backrest
and side bags where the side bags form a triangular shape, which is
sewn onto both the adjacent sides of the cushion and the backrest.
When the chair is opened, the tightened side bags form a third
structure allowing for an arm rest.
Inventors: |
Frankel; Andrew David;
(Yorba Linda, CA) ; Zheng; Shi-Ping; (Fuzhou,
CN) ; Zheng; Tian-Xia; (Fuzhou, CN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Zenithen USA LLC d/b/a Z Company |
Upland |
CA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Zenithen USA. LLC. d/b/a Z
Company
|
Family ID: |
64014306 |
Appl. No.: |
15/588775 |
Filed: |
May 8, 2017 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47C 4/283 20130101;
A47C 4/38 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A47C 4/30 20060101
A47C004/30; A47C 7/18 20060101 A47C007/18 |
Claims
1. a folding chair having brackets and a fabric seat supported by
brackets; the brackets are divided into four separate facades, each
fitted with two intersecting diagonal bars; the diagonal bars of
each facade are connected to the adjacent facades by means of hinge
joints; the brackets on the right and left facades comprise two
intersecting bars that are long in length, whereas the two
intersecting bars on the front and back facade are short bars; the
above stated short bars situation on the front and back facades are
connected via a hinge joint close the ends of the longer diagonal
bars.
2. The chair of claim 1 further including: the two long diagonal
bars on the right and left sides consist of long and medium-sized
bars; the long bar is curved near the upper end, which is utilized
to provide support for the backrest; the medium-sized bar is curved
near the lower end, which provides support for the chair resting on
the ground; the above stated fabric seat consists of a cushion, a
backrest, and a side bag; the front portion of the above stated
seat cushion fits onto the ends of the middle-sized bars; the upper
portion of the above stated fabric seat fits onto the ends of the
long bars; the above stated side bags are triangular in shape, and
are sewn onto both sides seat cushion and backrest; when the chair
unfolds, the upper ends of the long and middle-sized bars stretch
out, resulting in the side bags forming arm rests.
3. The chair of claim 1 wherein the hinges that connect the
intersecting middle-sized rods are covered with a protective
sheath; and wherein when the chair is in the open position, the
sheath protrudes below the long bar to provide additional
support.
4. The chair of claim 1 wherein the short intersecting bars on the
rear facade are connected by hinge to the long bars at the point of
curvature and are connected by hinge on the other end to the
medium-sized bars.
5. The chair of claim 1 wherein: the back corners of the cushion
portion of the fabric seat contain a stitched strip, which is
attached to the upper ends of the long bars. Once the chair is
unfolded, this stitching allows for a tightening of the cushion
portion.
6. The chair of claim 1 wherein: the front portion of the seat
cushion and the upper edge of the backrest portion are respectively
formed into a thickened structure, which is filled with an foam
material.
7. The chair of claim 5 wherein: the underside of the seat cushion
is sewn with a pocket, which is slipped on to the ends of the
medium-sized bars and is affixed by means of rivets; a leather
pocket is sewn onto the upper sides of the backrest, which slipped
onto the upper ends of the long bars and is also affixed by means
of rivets.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
[0001] This invention is related to the field of leisure furniture,
and consists specifically of an improved folding chair.
Technical Background
[0002] Chinese Patent Publication No. CN200620097043.7 describes a
simplified folding chair consisting of brackets and a fabric seat
supported by brackets. The brackets are divided into four separate
facades, each fitted with two intersecting diagonal bars. The
diagonal bars of each side are connected to the adjacent facades
with hinge joints. For the four bracketed facades, one symmetrical
pair of intersecting bars are comprised of short bars, whereas, the
other symmetrical pair of intersecting bars are comprised of long
bars. The ends of the short diagonal bars are hinged near the ends
of the long bars, and the long diagonal bars are hinged close to
the end and have separate footing caps. The symmetrical pair of
long intersecting bars makes up the primary structural support for
the folding chair, and provides support for the seat fabric as well
as the ground. The connection of the other symmetrical pair of
short intersecting bars have a role in sharing the force in the
overall structure of the chair. This will then allow for a
shortening of the interconnected diagonal bars, but will not have
any effect on the function and stability of the chair and will save
resources. Nevertheless, the backrest is still needs two backrest
support bars. Additionally, both sides of the fabric seat are open,
and the sitting posture itself is also appears defective at first
glance. How to improve the efficiency of a traditional folding
chair is therefore an object of this invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] A purpose of this invention is to design an improved folding
chair utilizing right and left side diagonal bars extending
upwardly and forming a backrest support as well as utilizing side
bags.
[0004] The technical plan of this invention was accomplished in the
following manner:
[0005] A new type of improved folding chair consisting of brackets
and a fabric seat supported by brackets is provided.
[0006] The above stated brackets are divided into four separate
facades, each fitted with two intersecting diagonal bars. The
diagonal bars of each facade are connected to the adjacent facades
by means of hinge joints.
[0007] The brackets on the right and left facades consist of two
intersecting bars that are elongated, whereas the two intersecting
bars on the front and back facade are shorter bars.
[0008] The above short bars are situated on the front and back
facades and connected by means of a hinge joint close to the ends
of the longer diagonal bars.
[0009] Some of the invention's special features include the
following:
[0010] There are two elongated diagonal bars on the right and left
sides consisting of long and medium-sized bars.
[0011] The long bar is curved near the upper end, which is utilized
to provide support for the backrest.
[0012] The medium-sized bar is curved near the lower end, which
provides support for the chair resting on the ground.
[0013] The above stated fabric seat consists of a cushion, a
backrest, and a side bag.
[0014] The front portion of the above stated seat cushion fits onto
the ends of the middle-sized bars.
[0015] The upper portion of the above stated fabric seat fits onto
the ends of the long bars.
[0016] The above stated side bags are triangular in shape, and are
sewn onto both sides of the seat cushion and backrest. When the
chair unfolds, the upper ends of the long and middle-sized bars
stretch out, resulting in the side bags forming arm rests.
[0017] The hinges that connect the intersecting middle-sized bars
are covered with a protective sheath. When the chair is in the open
position, the convex portion of this sheath protrudes below the
long bar to provide additional support.
[0018] The above stated short intersecting bars on the rear facade
are connected by hinge to the long bars at the point of curvature
and are connected by hinge on the other end to the medium-sized
bars.
[0019] The back corners of the above stated cushion portion of the
fabric seat contain a strap, which is attached to the upper ends of
the long bars. Once the chair is unfolded, these straps allow for a
tightening of the cushion portion.
[0020] The front portion of the above stated seat cushion and the
upper edge of the backrest portion are respectively formed into a
thickened structure, which is filled with a foam material.
[0021] The underside of the seat cushion is sewn with a pocket,
which is slipped on to the ends of the medium-sized bars and is
affixed by means of rivets or similar fastener; a leather pocket is
sewn onto the upper sides of the backrest, which slipped onto the
upper ends of the long rods and is also affixed by means of
rivets/fasteners.
[0022] A particular characteristic of this invention is that its
structure is clever, reasonable, and light; it can meet the needs
of standard seating but is also constructed in a manner allowing a
form fitting for both sides of the buttocks, which then allows not
only for proper privacy, but also makes the chair suitable for more
solemn occasions. Furthermore, the side bags have utility in
weighted reinforcement in relation to the upper ends of the long
and medium-sized bars to allow for more stability for the seated
person. At the same time, the stretching of these side bags
satisfies the need for arm placement and provides soft arm
rests.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] FIG. 1 shows a front view of the folding chair.
[0024] FIG. 2 shows a rear view of the folding chair.
[0025] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the folding chair in an open
position.
[0026] FIG. 4 is a side view of the folding chair in open
position.
[0027] FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the folding chair in a
collapsed position.
[0028] FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the right-angle rivet.
[0029] Similar reference characters denote corresponding features
consistently throughout the attached drawings. Namely, in the
drawings the following reference numbers refer to the following
part: [0030] 1--short diagonal bar [0031] 2--long bar [0032]
21--long bar curved [0033] 3--medium-sized bar [0034]
31--medium-sized bar curved [0035] 4--Protective sheath [0036]
41--Convex portion [0037] 5--Cushion [0038] 51--Strap [0039]
52--Fabric pocket [0040] 53--Thickened area [0041] 6--backrest
[0042] 61--Leather pocket [0043] 7--Side bag [0044] 71--Tapered
portion [0045] 8--Right-angle rivet
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)
[0046] FIGS. 1 to 6 show at least one embodiment of an improved
folding chair having brackets and a fabric supported by brackets.
The brackets are divided into four facades, each of which is
composed of two intersecting diagonal bars. A front and back
intersecting diagonal bars consist of short bars (1). Two
intersecting diagonal bars on the right and left facade are long
bars, which are further identified as long bars (2) and
medium-sized bars (3). Back facing ends of the long bars (2) and
medium-sized bars (3) are curved, with this curved section (21) and
forming a support for the backrest. The lower end of the
medium-sized bars also have a curved portion (31) and provide
support for the chair on the ground. Both of these bars were
constructed inwardly.
[0047] Furthermore, a protective sheath (4) is attached on the
hinge at the point where the medium-sized bars (3) intersect. When
the chair is in the open position, the vertical convex portion (41)
of this sheath protrudes below the long bar (2) to provide
additional support and lessens the stress placed upon the point of
intersection of the intersecting bars. The short diagonal bars (1)
on the rear facade are attached by hinge on the curved portion (21)
of long bars, whereas the lower ends are attached by hinge to the
tops of the medium-sized bars, which has the dual use of both
maintaining a strong support for the backrest as well as shortening
the length of the short diagonal bars (1).
[0048] As for the seat portion, it has a connected cushion (5), a
backrest (6) and side bags (7). The side bags (7) are formed in a
triangular shape, with two of its sides being sewed to the both
sides of the cushion (5) as well as the backrest (7). The front
side of the cushion (5) is slipped onto the tops of the medium-size
bars, whereas the backrest (5) is slipped onto the upper ends of
the long bars (2). When the folding chair is opened, the upper ends
of the long bars (2) and middle-sized bars (3) stretch out,
resulting in the tapered portions (71) of the side bags (7) forming
arm rests.
[0049] Furthermore, the rear side of the cushion portion (5) of the
fabric seat extends outwardly. In other words, the cushion portion
(5) is a rectangular shape and the backrest (6) and side bags (7)
are stitched inward along with the cushion (5), that results in the
cushion (5) being divided into an effective area of an isosceles
triangle. Firstly, the backrest (6) is formed in an oblique shape,
thus conforming to the needs of a seated position and can also
effectively support the waist area of the human body, and secondly,
the rear portion provides a convenient attachment to the upper
portion of the long rod (2). That is, the rear corners of the
cushion portion (5) are sewn with a strap (51) with the other end
the strap (51) being riveted to the upper end of the long bar (2).
When the folding chair opens it then tightens the seat cushion
portions (5) by means of the straps (51) with the weight being
transmitted to the middle of the long bar (2).
[0050] In order to assist with assembly, a pocket (52) is sewn onto
the lower side of the front portion of the cushion (5), and the
upper portion of the medium-sized bar 3 is slipped into the pocket
(52) and is affixed by rivets or similar fasteners. A leather
pocket is then sewn onto both sides of the upper portion of the
backrest (6). The leather pocket (61) is then slipped onto the
upper portion of the long bar (2), the location of which is on the
curved portion (21) of the long bar near the top and is then also
affixed by rivet. In this manner, the brackets and the fabric seat
are separate during assembly and processing, and whereas afterwards
the fabric seat can be assembled onto the bracket, with neither
having any effect on the other. Furthermore, the upper edge of the
front portion of the seat (5) and the upper edge of the backrest
(6) combine to form a thickened structure, which is filled with
spongy material adding more thickness to the thickened region (53)
and increasing the comfort of the chair.
[0051] A stated purpose of this application is to optimize the
structure of existing folding chairs. The four bracket facades are
composed of two diagonal bars that intersect each other. These two
diagonal intersecting bars on each facade are attached by a single
rivet, and bars on adjacent facades are then attached by a hinge,
which is made possible by use of a right-angle rivet (8) as shown
in FIG. 6. This can achieve a dual-axis rotation function that can
reduce the traditional use of plastic parts for this purpose, with
the result that no plastic parts obstruct the collapsing of the
chair, as shown in FIG. 5. The curved portions of the long rods (2)
and medium-sized rods (3) and the folded section of the long rod 2
and the middle rod 3 help to minimize the thickness of the chair
when collapsed, which allows for easier storage. One important
feature is the way in which the upper portions of the curved ends
of the long bars (2) are able to provide support to the backrest,
along with the addition of the side bags that allow forming a
closed structure for the fabric chair. The curved portions of the
medium-sized bars (3) also help to move the center of folding chair
forward, as in FIG. 5, in order to maintain an equilibrium for all
the bars.
* * * * *