Folding 3-piece chair with link control

A chair foldable between an open position for use and a folded position for storage, comprising only three frame members, a seat and a back rest carried on said frame members, and a pair of control links, the chair comprising:

• a first frame member extending from a front lower part of the chair, diagonally upwardly along the sides of the chair, and upwardly at the rear of the chair and carrying the back rest, and including a cross piece supporting a rear portion of the seat;
• a second frame member extending from a rear lower part of the chair, diagonally upwardly along the sides of the chair, and upwardly at the front of the chair and including a cross piece supporting a front portion of the seat, and the second frame being pivotally joined to the first frame member at centers of the diagonal parts of each;
• a third frame member pivotally joined to the second frame member above the seat at the front of the chair and extending in the open position behind the back rest and in the closed position hanging downwardly from the second frame behind the chair;
• and
• a pair of rigid connecting links each having a first end pivotally joined to the first frame adjacent the rear cross piece thereof and a second end pivotally joined to the third frame, the connecting links connecting and supporting the third frame in spaced relation to the first frame in the open position and in all partly and fully folded positions.

A folding chair having a front, a rear, and sides and being foldable between an open position for use and a closed position for storage, the chair comprising:

• a seat having a front edge and a rear edge and side edges extending between the front and rear edges;
• a back rest having a lower edge and a top edge and side edges extending between the lower and top edges;
• a first frame comprising:
• a front lower cross piece extending from one side of the chair to the other and generally parallel to the front edge of the seat and spaced a distance below said front edge in the open position of the chair,
• a pair of lower side pieces affixed to the front lower cross piece and extending diagonally upwardly and rearwardly therefrom at the sides of the chair to the rear edge of the seat,
• a pair of upper rear side pieces each affixed to the corresponding lower side pieces and extending upwardly along the side edges of the back rest to the top edge of the back rest, and
• a rear cross piece extending between the junctions of the lower and upper side pieces at either side of the chair and supporting the rear edge of the seat;
• a second frame comprising:
• a rear lower cross piece extending from one side of the chair to the other generally parallel to the rear edge of the seat and spaced a second distance therebelow in the open position of the chair,
• a pair of lower side pieces affixed to the rear lower cross piece and extending diagonally upwardly and forwardly therefrom at the sides of the chair to the front edge of the seat,
• a pair of upper side pieces each affixed to the corresponding lower side piece and extending upwardly to a free end, and
• a front cross piece extending between the junctions of the lower and upper side pieces at either side of the chair and supporting the front edge of the seat, and wherein
• each of the corresponding lower side pieces of the first and second frames are pivotally joined to one another at approximately the middle of each, whereby the first and second frames in the open position have their lower cross pieces and the front or rear, seat-supporting cross pieces spaced apart at distances less than the corresponding spacing distances in the closed position of the chair;
• a third frame comprising:
• a pair of elongated side pieces each pivotally joined at one end thereof to one of the free ends of the upper side pieces of the second frame and extending along and generally parallel to a side edge of the seat in the open position of the chair and slidably engaged with the upper rear side pieces of the first frame in the open position, and
• a rear cross piece affixed to the ends of the side pieces and extending across the chair behind the back rest in the open position of the chair;
• and
• a pair of rigid control links each having first and second ends, said first ends pivotally engaging said first frame member adjacent said seat and said second end pivotally engaging and supporting said third frame in the open position of the chair.