Back to results
US 4,792,181 AGranted
Foldable armchair with adjustable backrest and footrest
AssigneeGrosfillex Sarl
InventorJean-Paul Guichon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneeGrosfillex Sarl
InventorJean-Paul Guichon
Estimating the term…
This invention relates to a foldable armchair incorporating adjustable backrest and footrest, in which the connecting elements which control orientation of the footrest are connected to the backrest by pivoting crank pins provided with bearing faces cooperating with stops on said backrest, so as to make a unidirectional angular connection which ensures modification of the orientation of the footrest during any angular modification of the backrest, while allowing the armchair to be completely folded.
A foldable armchair including adjustable backrest and footrest which are pivotally connected to the forward and rear portions of a seat so as to be extendable from and collapsible with respect thereto in which the improvement comprises, a pair of spaced longitudinally connecting elements disposed beneath the seat and extending generally between the forward and rear portions thereof, said connecting elements having front and rear ends, first pivot means for pivotally connecting said first ends of said connecting elements to said footrest, a pair of crank means having upper and lower ends, second pivot means for pivotally connecting said lower end of said crank means to said rear ends of said connecting elements, the backrest having upper and base portions, third pivot means for pivotally connecting said crank means to the seat adjacent the rear portion thereof and to the backrest adjacent the base portion thereof, a pair of spaced stop means formed along and extending from and in substantial alignment with said base portion of the backrest, said upper ends of each of said crank means including a bearing surface face which is selectively engageable with said pair of spaced stop means of the backrest, said bearing surface faces having a configuration so as to be drivingly engaged by said stop means when the backrest is pivoted to extend away from the seat but which permits the free rotational movement of the backrest when the backrest is pivoted so as to be collapsible with respect to the seat.
A foldable armchair including adjustable backrest and footrest which are pivotally connected to the forward and rear portions of a seat so as to be extendable from and collapsible with respect thereto in which the improvement comprises, a pair of spaced longitudinally connecting elements disposed beneath the seat and extending generally between the forward and rear portions thereof, said connecting elements having front and rear ends, first pivot means for pivotally connecting said first ends of said connecting elements to said footrest, a pair of crank means having upper and lower ends, second pivot means for pivotally connecting said lower end of said crank means to said rear ends of said connecting elements, third pivot means for pivotally connecting said crank means to the seat adjacent the rear portion thereof, the backrest having upper and lower portions, stop means formed along said lower portion of the backrest, said upper ends of each of said crank means forming shaped bearing surfaces which are selectively engageable with said stop means of the backrest, said bearing surfaces having a configuration so as to be drivingly engaged by said stop means when the backrest is pivoted to extend away from the seat but which permits the free rotational movement of the backrest when the backrest is pivoted so as to be collapsible with respect to the seat, the seat including a pair of spaced openings therethrough adjacent the rear portion thereof, said crank means being extended through said openings, said third pivot means including two pairs of spaced opposing flanges which are joined to the seat, and pin means extending through said upper ends of said crank means and said opposing flanges.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
Drawings are temporarily unavailable. Open the PDF at USPTO
No related US applications are recorded in the indexed filing history.
With cross legs: of adjustable type
The parts including a leg-rest or foot-rest: in combination with movably-coupled seat and back-rest
Chairs
Term ended 28 Jul 2007 (estimated)
USPTO file history isn’t available for this patent, so only indexed dates are shown.
The present invention relates to armchairs, particularly for use in the open air, in which the footrest, pivotally attached to the front edge of the seat, is connected to the backrest articulated on the legs, so that any modification of the inclination of the backrest brings about a corresponding modification of the inclination of the footrest.
It is an object of the invention to produce an armchair of the type set forth hereinabove which, while being of simple and rugged construction, is capable of being folded into small dimensions for transport, storage or stowing.
The armchair of the invention is essentially noteworthy in that the rear end of each of the longitudinal connecting elements which, in conventional manner, connect the backrest and the footrest, is articulated on a pivoting crank pin which is angularly connected or abutted to said backrest only in one direction of rotation so as to remain free to pivot in the opposite direction when the whole of the chair is folded.
The invention will be more readily understood on reading the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a side view of an armchair according to the invention, shown in the position where its backrest is most upright.
FIG. 2 reproduces FIG. 1, in the most inclined position of the backrest.
Referring now to the drawings, reference 1 designates the seat of the armchair of which the edges are articulated at 2 on the front legs 3 which are pivotally assembled at 5 on the rear legs 4 in order to define a foldable support formed by two braced lateral legs in the form of a downwardly open V. On the rear, narrowed part of the seat 1 is articulated at 6 (cf. FIG. 4), the base 7' of the inclinable backrest 7 which is supported by the rear legs 4 by means of two projecting pins 8 (shown in FIG. 4 in the form of simple lines of axis) slidably engaged in slideways 4a. The slideways are made longitudinally in the inner wall of the rear legs 4, each slideway 4a presenting at its upper end a transverse step for retaining the corresponding pin 8 and for holding the seat 1 in substantially horizontal position, while allowing the armchair to be folded.
Adjustment of the inclination of the backrest 7 and immobilization thereof at the chosen inclination are effected by means of two armrests 9 articulated at 10 on said backrest 7. The downwardly turned face of each armrest 9 comprises a rack toothing adapted to cooperate selectively with a fixed tooth provided on one or the other of the legs 3 or 4, above the pivot 5.
This arrangement is well known in practice and, in addition, has been described in detail in Applicant's French patent application No. 86 04634 filed on Mar. 26, 1986.