US 4,976,492 A · Foldable outdoor chair

Abstract

A foldable outdoor chair movable from a position of use to a collapsed position is provided. The chair has a combined seat bottom and rear leg assembly including a seat bottom and laterally spaced side rails, a seat back assembly including a seat back, a front leg assembly including a pair of laterally-spaced front legs, and a pair of arm rests. The outdoor chair also includes a lever assembly to facilitate folding which includes a pair of levers. Each lever is pivotally connected at a first pivot point to the seat back assembly below the seat bottom and is also pivotally connected at a second pivot point to one of the side rails below the center axis of the side rail. The chair is foldable when an upward force is applied to the seat back assembly to disengage the seat back from the side rails and subsequently a forward force is applied to the seat back such that a clockwise rotation is imparted to the first pivot point whereby the chair is moved to an intermediate position. The chair is then moved to its collapsed position when a downward force is applied to the seat back such that the levers are pivoted counterclockwise causing the seat bottom and leg assembly, seat back assembly, front leg assembly and pair of arm rests to be in a substantially horizontal orientation generally parallel to one another.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A foldable chair movable between a position of use and a collapsed position, comprising a combined seat bottom and rear leg assembly including a seat bottom and laterally spaced side rails;

a seat back assembly including a seat back operatively connected to said side rails, said seat back assembly being in abutting engagement with said seat bottom in the use position;
a front leg assembly including a pair of laterally spaced front legs operatively connected to said seat bottom and rear leg assembly;
a pair of arm rests operatively connected to said front leg assembly and said seat back assembly;
and a lever assembly to facilitate folding, including a pair of levers, each lever being pivotally connected to the seat back assembly at a first location, said first location defining a first pivot point which is positioned below said seat bottom in the use position of the chair, each said lever also being pivotally connected to a respective one of said side rails at a second location at an opposite end of each said lever from said first location, said second location defining a second pivot point which is positioned below the center axis of said side rails;
said chair being movable between said use position and an intermediate position, wherein said seat back is initially raised upwardly and pushed forwardly such that said lever is pivoted clockwise about said first pivot point, and its collapsed position, wherein said lever is pivoted counterclockwise about said second pivot point.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Foldable outdoor chair

Life of this patent

Foldable outdoor chair

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19