WO2005102113A1

WO2005102113A1 - Improvements in, or related to furniture

Info

Publication number: WO2005102113A1
Application number: PCT/AU2005/000512
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mark Snyders
Original assignee: Mark Snyders
Priority date: 2004-04-27
Filing date: 2005-04-11
Publication date: 2005-11-03

Abstract

The swing chair illustrated has the length of its seat extended by parallel telescopic assemblies (7, 13 and 15) which are attached to the undersides of seat support members (5) by looped sections (8) of respective ropes (6) which support the weight of the swing chair. Each telescopic assembly has a central open-ended first tube (7) from opposite end of which can be telescopically extended two, independently slideable second tubes (13). A flexible fabric (15) extends between the two second tubes (13) and, when the tubes are telescopically extended provide an extension at each end of the chair seat, as shown at the left-hand side of figure 2. Retraction of the second tubes (13) into the first tubes (7) is accompanied by gathering of the fabric (15) into folds as shown in the right-hand end of figure 2.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN. OR RELATING TO FURNITURE

Field of the Invention

THIS INVENTION relates to furniture and is more specifically concerned with the means to enhance the functionality of a swing chair.

State of the Art

In my United States Patent No. 6,623,081 B2 is described a swing chair which can be transported in a compact form and composed of few parts which can be quickly assembled by a purchaser to provide a fully adjustable swing chair for use indoors or outdoors.

The swing chair provides seat-support members threaded to the lower ends of ropes or cords, which extend vertically upwards through vertically moveable armrests to upper platen-support members. The seat of the chair, its flexible, back, and a shade which extend over the seat are all formed by a single platen constructed from elements such as tubes, rods or slats, which are flexibly-connected, and which is draped over the platen support members and the seat support members. The platen is held in place by portions of the ropes. During transportation of the swing chair, the members providing the support for the shade and the seat are placed together and the platen is then wrapped around them to form a compact assemblage. The ropes or cords can be used to hold the assemblage together.

The length of the assemblage is determined by the length of the elements of the platen. Normally the seat's length is designed to support two people sitting side-by-side. If the length of the seat is made too large, the swing chair becomes somewhat unwieldy, the structural strength of the platen may be impaired and the assemblage becomes difficult to manage.

Object of the Invention

An object of this invention is to temporarily increase the length of a swing chair seat at times when this is felt to be desirable. The Invention

In accordance with the present invention, a swing chair has its seat formed by a platen of substantially parallel elements connected flexibly to one another to enable the platen to flex in a direction perpendicular to the lengths of the elements which maintain it rigid in the direction of their lengths, the platen seat being supported by rigid or semi-rigid members which extend beneath marginal end-portions of the elements of the platen providing the seat, and, a pair of parallel rigid telescopic assemblies extending beneath the seat platen and held against its support members by return loops of respective ropes used to carry the weight of the swing chair; each telescopic assembly comprising a first tube having a length which is not greater than the lengths of the elements of the platen, a second tube or rod which can be telescopically retracted with respect to the first tube, and, a length of flexible fabric spanning between the two second tubes or rods which are arranged at one end of the seat; the arrangement of the telescopic assemblies being such that the two second tubes or rods together with their length of flexible fabric can be concealed and located within the dimensions of the platen so that they do not extend beyond the length of the package provided by the parts of the swing chair.

Preferred Features of the Invention

Preferably both ends of each of the first tubes are open and each tube is designed to receive telescopically a portion of the length of a second tube or rod. Means may be provided to limit the extent to which the second tubes or rods can be drawn out of their ^e respective first tubes when the seat extensions are to be utilised. The flexible fabric portion extending between the two second tubes or rods provides a soft surface on which cushions or other objects can be placed and effectively increases the length of the seat at each side by as much as an additional 300cm or thereabout. When not required for use, the second tubes or rods, when extended, may either be physically removed from the first tubes. Alternatively they may be designed to be telescopically retracted inside them. The flexible fabric extending between the second tubes or rods is then gathered together into folds which may be accommodated beneath the marginal edge-portions of the platen seat. Suitably the exposed ends of the second tubes or rods are covered by soft rubber caps and these may be used to hold in place and conceal one pair of ends of two wire strands which are conveniently arranged to extend through the interiors of the first tubes and to be fixed at respectively intermediate positions to the first tubes. The strands then effectively limit the extent to which the second tubes or rods can be telescopically withdrawn from the first tubes.

Introduction to the Drawings

The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of a preferred embodiment, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:-

In the Drawings FIGURE 1 is an end view of an extended swing chair of the type illustrated in my abovementioned United States patent specification, but provided at each end with a telescopically-retractable extension used to increase, when required, the length of the seat of the swing chair; FIGURE 2 is a front view of the swing chair of figure 1, and shows the seat extension at one end of the swing chair in full outline in its extended position, and in its telescopically retracted position at the other end of the swing chair; and,

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged vertical section, partly broken away, through a telescopically retractable assembly used to support one side of the seat extension at each end of the seat.

Description of Preferred Embodiment

Figures 1 and 2 show a swing chair of the same basic construction as shown in figure 5 of my United States Patent No. 6,623,081 B2. The swing chair provides a seat 4 designed to enable two people to sit side-by-side on a portion of a platen 1 composed of parallel inflexible bamboo elements 2 which extend between opposite ends of the seat. Elements of other material may be used in place of bamboo. The elements are interconnected by flexible connections as described in the above patent, and which run between the elements to ensure that the platen is rigid in a plane containing the axes of the elements 2 but flexible in all other planes. Bamboo is a particularly attractive material for making the elements as it is visually pleasing, it has great strength to withstand compression and bending, and it is relatively cheap and durable.

The seat 4 of the chair is formed by a lower portion of the platen 1 resting on two, similar, spaced rigid or semi-rigid support members 5 respectively disposed beneath opposite marginal edge-portions of the platen as shown in figure 2. The platen 1 is prevented from sliding along the support members 5 by sections of two support ropes 6 arranged parallel to one another at each side margin of the platen and which respectively pass through gaps between the portions of the elements 2 of the platen as shown in figure 1. The ropes 6 are normally tensioned by the weight of a person sitting on the seat 4. The ropes are threaded through holes in the seat support members 5 and are then looped around respective first tubes 7 as shown in figure 2. The tubes 7 extend parallel to one another beneath each marginal side-edge of the platen and engage the undersides of the seat-support members. The tubes 7 are held in position by the looped sections 8 of the ropes 6 which extends through the seat-support members 5. The end portion of each rope 6 is suitably threaded through a set of holes in the associated support member 5 and then, if desired, may be knotted as illustrated at 9 to hold it more securely in position although in most cases such knots are unnecessary as the tension and friction of the rope section in each return bend is sufficient to hold the adjacent portion of the first tube 7 firmly against the underside of the associated seat-support member 5.

As shown in figure 2, the first tube 7 has its ends terminating short of the marginal side- edges of the platen 1 so that they do not project beyond the side-edges.

Portions of the ropes 6 extend upward from the seat 4 and pass through a pair of arm rests 10 adjustably positioned above the seat 4 as shown in figure 1. The chair's weight is thus supported by the four ropes 6 which extend upwards from the respective corner portions of the seat 4 and carry the arm rests 10. The arm rests 10 are provided by rigid members which are suitably shaped and have obliquely inclined holes 11 through which the ropes 6 and its friction, respectively pass. As these holes are obliquely inclined, the tension in each rope 6 when someone is seated on the seat 4, causes the associated arm rest 10 to be held firmly in its selected position. However, if there is no weight on the seat 4, the tension in the ropes is relaxed and this enables the arm rests 10 to be adjusted vertically to new positions, if desired.

As shown in figure 3 each of, the first tubes 7 has a central hole 17 into which is pressed a plastics stud 12 of the kind used to secure trim panels in place in a motor car.

A strand of thin inextensible flexible wire 16 has its central portion twisted around the plastics stud 12 to anchor it in position, and its respective end portions pass outwardly Ω towards its ends by way of the bore of the tube 7.

At each end of the seat the first tubes have telescopically retractable extensions provided by second tubes 13 of smaller diameter. The tubes 13 have rubber cups 14 fitted over their exposed ends and these hold in place respective end-portions of the wire 16. The opposite end-portions of the wire thus limit the extent to which the second5 tubes 13 can be telescopically extended from the first tubes 7.

The two parallel second tubes 13 at each end of the seat 4 have spanning between them a flexible length of fabric 15. When these tubes 13 are telescopically extended from the tubes 7, as shown on the left-hand side of figure 3, the fabric 15 provides an extension of about 300 millimetres in length at each side of the seat of the swing chair. _n The fabric 15 lies in a plane slightly beneath the upper surface of the platen providing the seat 4. This difference in height and length providing extra space for items such as books or cushions to be placed conveniently on the seat extensions. Also, the extensions increase the length of the seat for a person to recline fully on it, possibly with cushions placed on the extensions. When one extension is in use, the adjacent arm5 rest 10 can be lifted along the ropes 6 to a position well above the seat 4 so that it is out of the way. With both extensions in use and the arm rests 10 raised, there is sufficient space for a person to lie full length along the seat 4 with the head supported by the cushions on the extension at one end, and the persons' feet resting on the fabric 13 spanning between the second tubes 15 of the extension at the other end of the seat 4.

When the extensions to the swing chair seat are not required, they can be telescopically inserted by hand pressure into the two first tubes 7 (as shown on the right hand side of figure 3). The second tubes 13 are naturally a comfortable sliding fit in the first tubes 7. The fabric 15 of the extension then gathers into a folded condition beneath the adjacent portion of the platen as illustrated on the right of figure 3.

During transportation of the swing chair, a compact assemblage is provided as the two tubes 13 can be telescopically inserted into the first tubes 7 which can then be placed alongside one another. The flexible fabric 15 of the extension can then be wrapped around them so that the dimensions of the seat extensions can be accommodated within overall dimensions of the rolled-up platen. Likewise, as the first tubes are shorter in length than the elements 2 of the platen they can be accommodated within the rolled-up platen, which facilitates compactness of storage and transportation.

Claims

Claims:

1. A swing chair having its seat formed by a platen of substantially parallel elements connected flexibly to one another to enable the platen to flex in a direction perpendicular to the lengths of the elements which maintain it rigid in the direction of their lengths, the platen seat being supported by rigid or semi-rigid members which extend beneath marginal end-portions of the elements of the platen providing the seat, and, a pair of parallel rigid telescopic assemblies extending beneath the seat platen and held against its support members by return loops of respective ropes used to carry the weight of the swing chair; each telescopic assembly comprising a first tube having a length which is not greater than the lengths of the elements of the platen, a second tube or rod which can be telescopically retracted with respect to the first tube, and, a length of flexible fabric spanning between the two second tubes or rods which are arranged at one end of the seat; the arrangement of the telescopic assemblies being such that the two second tubes or rods together with their length of flexible fabric, can be located within the dimensions of the platen so that they do not extend beyond the length of the package provided by the parts of the swing chair.

2. A swing chair as set forth in claim 1 in which the first tubes are each open at both ends and receive the second tubes or rods with a close sliding fit.

3. A swing chair as set forth in claim 2 including means in the first tubes for limiting the extent to which the second tubes or rods can be extended from the ends of the first tubes.

4. A swing chair as set forth in claim 3 in which said means includes a flexible inextensible strand attached to the interior of the first tube and connected to the interiors of each of the second tubes telescopically retractable into it.