Two-way foldable chair

A two-way foldable chair comprising:

• an articulated foldable frame;
• a flexible chair seat material mounted on said frame;
• and
• a flexible chair back material mounted on said frame;
• said frame being adapted for resting on a generally horizontally oriented surface in a set-up position with said flexible chair seat material defining a generally horizontally disposed chair seat and said flexible chair back material defining a generally upwardly extending chair back for accommodating a seated chair occupant;
• said frame having a pair of side assemblies disposed in generally parallel and transversely spaced apart relation to each other in said set-up position, each of said side assemblies having a plurality of generally axially elongated side members, said side members of each of said side assemblies being disposed within longitudinally extending generally parallel vertical planes and each member being connected with at least one other member for pivotal movement relative to each other about generally transversely extending pivotal axes;
• said frame having a plurality of generally axially elongated connecting elements extending between and connected to said side assemblies by at least one of a pivot connection and a slide connection and supporting said side assemblies for transverse movement toward each other and into a generally transversely compressed condition and away from each other and to said generally transversely spaced apart condition;
• said chair being movable from said set-up position to a first folded position wherein said chair back generally overlies said chair seat and said side assemblies remain in said generally transversely spaced apart condition so that said frame has a generally flat configuration;
• said chair also being movable from said set-up position to and from a second folded position wherein said chair forms a bundle with all of said side members and all of said connecting elements having generally common directions of extent and said seat material and said back material forming a part of said bundle, each having a flaccid condition;
• said chair further being directly movable from said set-up position to said second folded position by moving said side assemblies to said generally transversely compressed condition and thereafter moving said side assemblies to a generally vertically compressed condition with all of said side members and all of said connecting elements having generally parallel directions of extent;
• said chair also having a latching device mounted on said frame for releasably retaining said side assemblies in said transversally spaced apart condition and thereby preventing said chair from being moved to said second folded position, wherein said latching device includes an operating handle;
• and
• said chair at all times being movable between said set-up position and said first foldable position.