Portable chair

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10722034-B2
Application number	US-201916247121-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 14, 2019
Priority date	Jan 12, 2018
Publication date	Jul 28, 2020
Grant date	Jul 28, 2020

Abstract

A folding chair can include a seat pan being formed by a pair of seat bars. The seat pan can be tensioned by a pair of vertical legs. The chair can also include a backrest formed by a pair of diagonally extending backrest bars, a front frame formed by a pair of cross bars, a rear frame formed by rear cross bars, and a pair of armrests. In one example, the seat pan and the backrest can be formed of a suspension fabric. The vertical legs can each be provided with a lower leg and an upper leg. The inner leg can be configured to telescope out of the outer leg and at least one of the vertical legs can be provided with a latch for locking the outer leg to the inner leg. The latch can include a rocker and a projection can be configured to rotate the projection out of a slot formed in the inner leg. The backrest can be provided with a tensioner for maintaining the backrest in the unfolded position. The tensioner can include a pair of linkages, and an insert can be configured to hold the pair of linkages in a tensioned position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A folding chair comprising:
a seat pan being formed by a pair of seat bars, the seat pan being tensioned by a pair of vertical legs;
a backrest being formed by a pair of diagonally extending backrest bars;
a front frame formed by a pair of cross bars;
a rear frame formed by rear cross bars; and
a pair of armrests;
wherein the seat pan and the backrest are formed of a suspension fabric wherein the suspension fabric has an overlap and a core placed into a hollow section created by the overlap and wherein the core in the hollow section is secured in a notch asymmetrically located in a top portion of the pair of diagonally extending backrest bars;
wherein the vertical legs are each provided with an inner leg and an outer leg and the inner leg is configured to telescope out of the outer leg;
wherein at least one of the vertical legs is provided with a latch for locking outer leg to the inner leg, the latch comprising a rocker and a projection configured to rotate the projection out of a slot formed on the inner leg, and
wherein the latch further comprises a first biasing member for maintaining the projection in the slot of the inner leg.

2. The folding chair of claim 1 wherein the suspension fabric further comprises:
a first yarn;
a second yarn; and
a thermoplastic polyurethane film;
wherein the first yarn is a polymer and the second yarn is more elastomeric than the first yarn;
wherein the thermoplastic polyurethane film is heat pressed to the first yarn and second yarn.

3. A folding chair comprising:
a seat pan being formed by a pair of seat bars, the seat pan being tensioned by a pair of vertical legs;
a backrest being formed by a pair of diagonally extending backrest bars;
a front frame formed by a pair of cross bars;
a rear frame formed by rear cross bars; and
a pair of armrests;
wherein the seat pan and the backrest are formed of a suspension fabric;
wherein the vertical legs are each provided with an inner leg and an outer leg and the inner leg is configured to telescope out of the outer leg and at least one of the vertical legs is provided with a latch for locking the outer leg to the inner leg, the latch comprising a rocker and a projection configured to rotate the projection out of a slot formed in the inner leg;
wherein the backrest includes a tensioner configured to maintain the backrest in an unfolded position or a tensioned position, the tensioner comprising a rear tensioner handle, and a pair of rear tensioner arms.

4. The folding chair of claim 3 wherein the backrest suspension fabric has an overlap and a core placed into a hollow section created by the overlap wherein the suspension fabric further comprises:
a first yarn;
a second yarn; and
a thermoplastic polyurethane film;
wherein the first yarn is a polymer and the second yarn is more elastomeric than the first yarn;
wherein the thermoplastic polyurethane film is heat pressed to the first yarn and second yarn.

5. The folding chair of claim 4 wherein the core in the hollow section is secured in a notch asymmetrically located in a top of the pair of diagonally extending backrest bars.

6. The folding chair of claim 3 wherein the tensioner further comprises at least one internal stop and a plurality of pivot points.

7. The folding chair of claim 6 wherein the tensioner is configured to move to the tensioned position when a user applies an increasing downward force to the rear tensioner handle until the tensioner exceeds an over-center point and contacts the internal stop and wherein the tensioner is retained in the tensioned position solely by the suspension fabric.

8. The folding chair of claim 6 wherein the tensioner is configured to disengage the tensioned position when a user applies an increasing upward force to the rear tensioner handle until the tensioner exceeds an over-center point and the tensioner is disengaged from the tensioned position into a folded position.

9. The folding chair of claim 3 wherein the tensioner further comprises a safety gap between a surface within the tensioner and one of the tensioner arms.

10. The folding chair of claim 9 wherein the tensioner arms each having a cam guided in slots defined in a tensioner housing and wherein during release of the tensioner the slots limit a movement of the tensioner arms to maintain the safety gap.

11. The folding chair of claim 9 wherein the tensioner is retained in the tensioned position solely by the suspension fabric.

12. The folding chair of claim 3 wherein when the tensioner is in the tensioned position, the pair of tensioner arms form a bottom angle greater than 180 degrees and a top angle less than 180 degrees.

13. The folding chair of claim 3 wherein the tensioner defines a housing having a pair of pivots for receiving the tensioner arms and wherein the pair of pivots are located internally within the housing such that the pivots are not exposed to a user.

14. The folding chair of claim 3 wherein the handle extends upward from the tensioner.

15. A folding chair comprising:
a seat pan being formed by a pair of seat bars, the seat pan being tensioned by a pair of vertical legs;
a backrest being formed by a pair of diagonally extending backrest bars;
a front frame formed by a pair of cross bars;
a rear frame formed by rear cross bars; and
a pair of armrests;
wherein the seat pan and the backrest are formed of a suspension fabric;
wherein the backrest suspension fabric has an overlap and a core placed into a hollow section created by the overlap, and wherein the core in the hollow section is secured in an asymmetrical notch in a top of the pair of diagonally extending backrest bars;
wherein the suspension fabric overlap further includes a first yarn, a second yarn, and a thermoplastic polyurethane film wherein the first yarn is a polymer and the second yarn is more elastomeric than the first yarn and wherein the thermoplastic polyurethane film is heat pressed to the first yarn and the second yarn;
wherein the vertical legs are each provided with an inner leg and an outer leg and the inner leg is configured to telescope out of the outer leg and at least one of the vertical legs is provided with a latch for locking the outer leg to the inner leg, the latch comprising a rocker and a projection configured to rotate the projection out of a slot formed in the inner leg;
wherein the backrest includes a tensioner configured to maintain the backrest in an unfolded position or a tensioned position.

16. The folding chair of claim 15 wherein the tensioner comprises a pair of arcuate slots and a pair of arms each having a projection and wherein the arcuate slots limit a movement of the pair of arms such that the pair of arms and a surface within a housing define a safety gap on the tensioner.

17. The folding chair of claim 15 wherein the suspension fabric maintains the tensioner in the tensioned position.

18. The folding chair of claim 15 wherein the tensioner further comprises a pair of stops and wherein the suspension fabric solely biases the pair of arms against the pair of stops.

Assignees

• Yeti Coolers Llc

Inventors

• Winterhalter Andrew J
• Cieszko Michael
• Goldberg Evan
• Sullivan Derek G
• Desroches Donald Edward

Classifications

• A47C4/48

  with cross legs · CPC title

• A47C4/38

  with cross legs · CPC title

• A47C4/30 Primary

  Attachment of upholstery or fabric to frames · CPC title

• A47C4/286 Primary

  foldable side to side and front to back, e.g. umbrella type · CPC title

• A47C4/42

  having a frame made of metal · CPC title