GB2203937A - Collapsible chairs - Google Patents

Abstract

A collapsible chair comprises pair of upper side members 16 and 18 which extend downwardly from either side of a handle 14, and a pair of lower side members 20 and 22 extend downwardly from the upper side members with the lower side members being connected together by a bar 24. To move the chair from the erect position shown in Figure 1 a locking bar 50 is slid upwardly and rearwardly to move that bar out of a pair of upwardly open notches formed on different brackets (54, fig. 4) at the lower end of each of the upper side members 16 and 18. The brackets are located beneath pivots 56 and 58 which connect the upper and lower side members to allow the upper side members 16 and 18 to pivot in a clockwise direction such that they eventually overlap the lower side members 20 and 22. <IMAGE>

Description

CHAIRS The present Invent Ion relates to chalrs and In particular, although not exclusively to portable chairs on which a person may sit and be moved, which chairs are also collapsible to enable them to be stored.

An existing chair which Is portable and collapsible includes an elongate member at either side, which. when the chair Is in the position In which a person may be seated, affords a handle above and behind the seat and a front support for the chair In the reglon of the ground. When the chair is folded to a storage position the remaining parts of the chair lie generally alongside the elongate members but the elongate members, belng of considerable length as they extend from the handle to the front support, take up considerable storage space.

According to one aspect of the present InventIon a collapsible chair includes a pair of elongate members extending along either side thereof each of which, when the chair is In an erect position, extend up the back of the chair and towards the ground In the regIon of the front of the chair, the chair Including releasable locking means arranged to co-operate wlth each elongate member which, when released, permit each elongate member to be moved to a storage position In which a portion of each elongate member overlaps another portion of the same elongate member. Wlth such a chair, the extent of the chair In the storage position can be signifIcantly less than that of prior chairs in which each elongate member is fixed and not able to have Its overall length reduced.

The locking means may Include a single element arranged to co-operate wlth both elongate members. The single element may extend between the elongate members, and may be located beneath a seat port Ion when the seat Is In the erect position. The single element may be biased into a position In which, when the chair Is erect, the locking means are on.

The locking means may be arranged to move to the locking position automatically upon movement of the chair to the erect position.

Each elongate member may Include, when the chalr Is in the erect positIon, a lower portion and an upper portion pivotally connected together. In the erect position elther of the lower or upper portions may extend beyond the pivotal connectlon, and the locking means may be arranged to co-operate wlth that part of the portion extending beyond the pivotal connectlon.

The elongate members may be connected together at what is the top or the bottom or both the top and the bottom of the chair, when In the erect position.

The chair may include a pair of leg members each extending along either side of the chalr between, In the erect position, the region of the ground at the rear of the chair and the forward port Ion of a seat, witch each leg portion being pivotally connected to an adjacent elongate member. Each leg portion may be pivotally connected to a side seat portion, each of which side seat portlons may themselves be pivotally connected to one of the elongate members.

The Invention may be carried into practice In various ways, but one embodiment will now be descrlbed, by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying drawings In which Figure 1 Is a schematic perspective vlew of a chalr In an erect position, Figure 2 Is a schematic side vlew of the chair In a partially collapsed position, Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 of the chair completely collapsed, and Figure 4 Is a detailed view of the locking mechanism In the released position wlth the chair partially collapsed.

As shown In Figure 1, the chair Includes a fabric seat and back support designated 10 and 12 respectively.

The chair Includes a frame of tubular metal comprising an upper rear horizontal handle 14, a pair of upper side members 16 and 18 extending downwardly from elther side of the handle, and a pair of lower side members 20 and 22 extending downwardly from the upper side members and connected together by a bar 24 located on the floor Just beyond the front of the seat. A palr of seat members 26 and 28 respectively each extend forwardly from a pivot 30 and 32 on the upper side members 16 and 18 to respective pivots 34 and 36 on the upper reglon of spaced legs 38 and 40 respectively. The legs 38 and 40 are pivotally connected at 42 and 44 to the lower side members 20 and 22 In their mid region and extend downwardly and rearwardly to support a different wheel 46 and 48.

In use, a person Is able to sit on the seat 10 wlth thelr back resting agalnst the back support 12. The chair Is able to be moved by a second person tllting the chair backwards about the wheels 46 and 48 by manoeuvering the handle 14 and then pushing or pulling the chair to cause it to roll on the wheels.

In order to enable the chair to be moved from the erect position shown in Figure 1 through the position shown in Figure 2 to the storage position shown In Figure 3 a locking bar 50 Is slid upwardly and rearwardly, when vlewed In Figure 1, 'to move the bar out of a pair of upwardly open notches 52 (shown In Figure 4) formed on different brackets 54 at the lower end of each of the upper side members 16 and 18.

The brackets 54 are located beneath pivots 56 and 58 connecting the upper side members 16 and 18 with the lower side members 20 and 22 respectively. The bar 50 is slidably mounted on a palr of rods 60 extending parallel to the lower side members 20 and 22 on brackets 62 secured to those members. The bar is normally biased towards an end 64 of the brackets under the Influence of compression sprIngs 66 surrounding the rods, and that biasing force Is overcome In order to move the bar upwardly and rearwardly Into the position shown In Figure 4.

When the locking bar Is clear of the notches the handle can be pushed forwardly to cause the handle to move downwardly towards the bar 24 located on the floor.

At the same time as that collapsing movement occurs the pivots 30 and 32 connecting the upper side members to the seat members 26 and 28 are moved forwardly, when vlewed In Figure 3 to allow the pivots 34 and 36 connecting the seat members to the legs 38 and 40 to move forwardly and downwardly towards the bar 24 located on the floor until the position shown In Figure 3 is reached.

In the position shown In Figure 3 the upper and lower side members, the legs and the seat members extend In a substantlall-y common direction and an extremely compact arrangement convenient for storage is provided.

Assembly of the chair is a reversal of the above described sequences and Is achleved by lifting the handle and moving the locking bar to the position shown in Flgure 4 Just before the parts reach the position shown in Figure 1 In order to enable the locking bar to clear the end 68 of the brackets 54. The locking bar Is then caused to return automatically, under the action of the compression springs 66, to lie within the notches 52 and retaln the chair In the configuratIon shown In Figure 1.

In an alternative arrangement, (not shown) the ends 68 of the brackets 54 are angled slightly more than is shown In Figure 4 to afford a camming surface against which the locking bar engages and is caused to move upwardly along the supporting rods 60, when the chair Is moved to the erect position before the bar drops down Into the noztches. This avoids the need for manual manipulatlon of the locking bar when the chair Is moved to the erect position.

Claims (14)

CLAIMS.

1. A collapsible chair Including a pair of elongate members extending along elther side thereof each of which, when the chair Is In an erect position, extend up the back of the chair and towards the ground In the region of the front of the chair, the chair Including releasable locking means arranged to co-operate witch each elongate member which locking means, when released, permit each elongate member to be moved to a storage position in which a port ion of each elongate member overlaps another portion of the same elongate member.

2. A chair as clalmed In Claim 1 In which the locking means Includes a single element arranged to cooperate with both elongate members.

3. A chair as claimed in Clalm 2 in which the single element extends between the elongate members.

4. A chair as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3 In which the single element Is located beneath the seat portion, when the seat Is In the erect position.

5. A chair as claimed In any of Claims 2 to 4 In which the single element Is biased into a position In which, when the chair Is erect, the locking means are applled.

6. A chair as claimed In any preceding claim In which the locking means are arranged to move to the locking position automatically upon movement of the chair to the erect position.

7. A chair as claimed In any preceding claim in which each elongate member Includes, when the chair Is In the erect position, a lower portion and an upper portion pivotally connected together.

8. A chair as clalmed In Clalm 7 in which, In the erect position, elther of the lower or upper portions may extend beyond the pivotal connectIon, and the locking means may be arranged to co-operate with that part of the portion extending beyond the pivotal connection.

9. A chair as claimed In any preceding claim in which the elongate members are connected together at what is the top of the chair, when in the erect position.

10. A chalr as claimed In any preceding claim in which the elongate members are connected together at what Is the bottom of the chair, when in the erect position.

11. A chair as claimed in any preceding claIm Including a palr of leg members each extending along either side of the chair between, In the erect posItion, the region of the ground at the rear of the chalr and the forward portion of a seat, with each leg member belong pivotally connected to an adjacent elongate member.

12. A chair as clalmed In Claim 11 In which each leg member Is pivotally connected to a side seat portion.

13. A chalr as claimed In Clalm 12 In which each of the side seat portions are plvotally connected to one of the elongate members.

14. A collapsible chalr substantially as hereln described, with reference to, and as shown In Flgures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.