Portable chair

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10874219-B2
Application number	US-202016797964-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2020
Priority date	Jan 12, 2018
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 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. 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 trigger and a projection can be configured to rotate the projection out of a slot formed in the inner leg.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A folding chair leg locking system comprising:
a housing configured to mount to an outer leg;
a trigger pivotably mounted to the housing, the trigger having an actuation surface;
a latch comprising a latch projection, the latch received in the trigger and pivotably mounted to the housing; and
a bushing configured to mount to an inner leg, the bushing comprising a slot for receiving the latch projection of the latch, the bushing defining a longitudinal axis;
a biasing member for biasing the trigger into engagement with the slot of the bushing;
wherein an upward force on the actuation surface causes the trigger and the latch to rotate and the latch projection to move away from the slot in the bushing.

2. The folding chair leg locking system of claim 1 wherein the trigger and the housing define a co-planar angular shape.

3. The folding chair leg locking system of claim 2 wherein angular shape is greater than 90 degrees.

4. The folding chair leg locking system of claim 1 wherein the bushing defines a frustoconical shape.

5. The folding chair leg locking system of claim 1 wherein the trigger and the latch rotate on the same pivot.

6. The folding chair leg locking system of claim 1 wherein the bushing that defines the longitudinal axis is neither parallel nor perpendicular to the actuation surface of the trigger.

7. 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; and
wherein each of the vertical legs include a leg locking system for locking the outer leg to the inner leg when the chair is in an unfolded position.

8. The folding chair of claim 7 wherein the leg locking system includes a trigger housing, a trigger, and a latch, wherein the latch is configured to engage a bushing on the inner leg.

9. The folding chair of claim 8 wherein the trigger and the trigger housing are substantially upside-down “L” shaped.

10. The folding chair of claim 8 wherein the bushing on the inner leg further includes a slot, and wherein the latch further includes a lower projection configured to engage the slot in a locked position.

11. The folding chair of claim 10 wherein the trigger is pressed upwards to rotate the lower projection out of the slot in the bushing thereby unlocking the inner leg.

12. The folding chair of claim 10 wherein the slot is generally rectangular shaped and further includes a plurality of notches configured to engage the lower projection, and wherein the plurality of notches corresponds to a plurality of different telescoping leg positions.

13. The folding chair of claim 7 wherein the inner leg telescopes out of the outer leg when the leg locking system is in an unlocked position, and wherein the chair is foldable in the unlocked position.

14. The folding chair of claim 7 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.

15. The folding chair of claim 7 wherein the backrest includes a tensioner configured to maintain the backrest in a tensioned position, the tensioner comprising a rear tensioner handle, and a pair of rear tensioner arms.

16. The folding chair of claim 15 wherein the tensioner further comprises at least one internal stop and a plurality of pivot points.

17. The folding chair of claim 16 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.

18. The folding chair of claim 17 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.

19. A leg locking system for a folding chair comprising:
a trigger housing;
a trigger;
a latch; and
a pair of vertical legs for a folding chair;
wherein at least one of the vertical legs comprises 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 the leg locking system for locking the outer leg to the inner leg;
wherein a bushing on the inner leg further includes a slot; and
wherein the latch further includes a lower projection configured to engage the slot in a locked position.

20. The leg locking system of claim 19 wherein the trigger is pressed upwards by a user to rotate the lower projection out of the slot in the bushing thereby unlocking the inner leg.

21. The leg locking system of claim 20 wherein the inner leg telescopes out of the outer leg when the leg locking system is in an unlocked position, and wherein the chair is foldable in the unlocked position.

22. The leg locking system of claim 19 wherein the trigger and the trigger housing are substantially upside-down “L” shaped.

23. The leg locking system of claim 22 wherein the trigger is configured to fit substantially within the trigger housing when the trigger is engaged with the trigger housing.

24. The leg locking system of claim 19 further comprising a spring, wherein the spring is configured to bias the lower projection in the locked position.

25. The leg locking system of claim 19 wherein the pair of vertical legs both comprise an inner leg and an outer leg and the inner leg is configured to telescope out of the outer leg and each of the pair of vertical legs is provided with the leg locking system for locking the outer legs to the inner legs.

26. 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

Assignees

• Yeti Coolers Llc

Inventors

• Winterhalter Andrew J
• Cieszko Michael
• Goldberg Evan
• Sullivan Derek
• 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