Chairs and seats – Collapsible chair; i.e. – relatively folding bottom – back,... – With folding armrest
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-04
2001-04-17
Nelson, Jr., Milton (Department: 3636)
Chairs and seats
Collapsible chair; i.e., relatively folding bottom, back,...
With folding armrest
C297S035000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06217111
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a foldable chair assembly, more particularly to a foldable chair assembly which has a significantly reduced thickness and which occupies a relatively small amount of storage space when folded.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1
illustrates a conventional chair assembly
1
which includes a seat member
2
, a backrest member
3
, a pair of elongated armrest members
13
(only one is visible) a pair of front leg members
11
(only one is visible), and a pair of rear leg members
12
(only one is visible). The backrest member
3
has a lower end connected pivotally to a rear end portion of the seat member
2
by means of a pair of pivot plates
20
disposed on lateral sides of the chair assembly
1
and by means of pivot pins
201
,
202
that extend through the pivot plates
20
such that the seat member
2
is foldable toward the backrest member
3
and is stretchable from the backrest member
3
. The armrest members
13
have rear ends extending respectively to lateral sides of the backrest member
3
above the pivot plates
20
and connected pivotally to the backrest member
3
by means of pivot pins
133
. The front and rear leg members
11
,
12
are disposed respectively on lateral sides of the seat member
2
. Each of the front leg members
11
has an upper end connected pivotally to a front end of a respective one of the armrest members
13
by means of a pivot pin
131
, a lower end to be supported on a ground surface, and an intermediate portion connected pivotally to the seat member
2
by means of a pivot pin
21
. Each of the rear leg members
12
is disposed rearwardly of a respective one of the front leg members
11
, and has an upper end connected pivotally to an intermediate portion of a respective one of the armrest members
13
by means of a pivot pin
132
, a lower end to be supported on the ground surface, and an intermediate portion connected to an adjacent one of the pivot plates
20
by means of a pivot pin
22
. Referring to
FIG. 2
, to fold the chair assembly
1
, the seat member
2
and the armrest members
13
are turned rearwardly to pivot toward the backrest member
3
. After the chair assembly
1
is folded, the seat member
2
is folded on and is disposed in front of the backrest member
3
, the armrest members
13
are disposed respectively on the lateral sides of the backrest member
3
, and the front leg members
11
are disposed in front of and adjacent to the rear leg members
12
, respectively. The chair assembly
1
, in its folded state, has a thickness which is measured between front and rear sides of the chair assembly
1
in the folded state and which is generally equal to the combined thickness of the backrest member
3
and an adjacent pair of the first and second leg members
11
,
12
. It is desirable to further reduce the thickness of the chair assembly in its folded state so as to reduce the storage space occupied thereby.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a foldable chair assembly which has a significantly reduced thickness in its folded state such that the chair assembly occupies a relatively small amount of storage space when folded.
Accordingly, the foldable chair assembly of the present invention includes a backrest member, a seat member, a pair of elongated armrest members, a pair of front leg members, a pair of rear leg members, and a pair of pivot members. The backrest member has a lower end, an upper end, and an intermediate portion between the upper and lower ends. The seat member has a rear end portion connected pivotally to the lower end of the backrest member, and a front end portion extending forwardly from the rear end portion. The armrest members are disposed respectively on two opposite lateral sides of the seat member. Each of the armrest members has a rear end which extends to a respective one of the two opposite lateral sides of the backrest member and which is connected pivotally to the intermediate portion of the backrest member. Each of the armrest members further has a first portion which is proximate to the respective one of the lateral sides of the seat member, and a second portion which is distal to the respective one of the seat member in a transverse direction transverse to a longitudinal direction of the armrest member. The front leg members are disposed respectively at the lateral sides of the seat member. Each of the front leg members has an upper end mounted pivotally on the first portion of a respective one of the armrest members, a lower end which is adapted to be disposed on a ground surface, and an intermediate portion extending between the upper and lower ends and connected pivotally to the front end portion of the seat member. The rear leg members are disposed respectively at the lateral sides of the seat member, and are disposed rearwardly of the front leg members, respectively. Each of the rear leg members has an upper end mounted pivotally on the second portion of a respective one of the armrest members, a lower end adapted to be disposed on the ground surface, and an intermediate portion extending between the upper and lower ends of the rear leg member. The pivot members are disposed respectively at the lateral sides of the backrest member. Each of the pivot members has a first end mounted pivotally on the lower end of the backrest member, and a second end mounted pivotally on the intermediate portion of a respective one of the rear leg members. The chair assembly is movable between an unfolded state, in which the backrest member and the front and rear leg members are substantially upright, and the seat member and the armrest members are substantially horizontal, and a folded state, in which the backrest member, the seat member, the armrest members and the front and rear leg members are substantially upright and in which the front leg members are disposed between the rear leg members and are generally parallel to the rear leg members.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2072074 (1937-02-01), Travers et al.
patent: 2072075 (1937-02-01), Travers et al.
patent: 3715142 (1973-02-01), Lay et al.
patent: 5735570 (1998-04-01), Tseng
patent: 6062639 (2000-05-01), Hill
Jr. Milton Nelson
Ladas & Parry
Shin Yeh Enterprise Co., Ltd.
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