Covered portable chair assembly and methods of use and manufacture

Abstract

Various embodiments of a covered portable chair assembly and related methods are disclosed. One apparatus embodiment, among others, comprises a collapsible chair having a plurality of arms and first and second frame supports on each of the plurality of arms, a collapsible frame assembly having a first frame, a second frame, a first and second set of connecting members hingably connected to the first and second frame, respectively, the second set of connecting members in slidable engagement with the first set of connecting members, the first set of connecting-members at least partially supported by the first frame supports, the second set of connecting members in pivotal relation with the second frame supports, and a cover detachably connected to the collapsible frame, wherein when the collapsible chair and the collapsible frame assembly are in a collapsed position, all or a portion of the cover is sandwiched between the first frame and the first and second set of connecting members and any remaining portion of the cover is sandwiched between the second frame and the first frame.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to copending U.S. provisional application entitled, “COVERED PORTABLE CHAIR AND METHODS OF USE AND MANUFACTURE” having Ser. No. 60/692,052, filed Jun. 16, 2005, which is entirely incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

There exists many examples today where surveillance, or other monitoring activities, are implemented under cover. Such coverage may be used to protect a participant and/or equipment from environmental elements, such as weather elements and/or nature (e.g., insects). For example, in recreational endeavors such as hunting, many hunters construct hunting blinds in trees, whereby the hunter sits in a framed or canvas enclosure, protected from rain or other environmental elements while remaining obscured from view from deer or other animals that comprise the object of the hunter's interest. Another example includes the field of photography. For instance, a photographer may set up a tent or other shelter from which he or she is protected from the environmental elements while blending into the environment in such a manner that wildlife can be photographed in close proximity to the photographer.

These structures and others that exist today are often cumbersome to construct and may be subject to deterioration over time (e.g., in circumstances where such structures are permanent fixtures in the environment).

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a covered portable chair assembly and related methods of use and manufacture.

Briefly described, one embodiment of the apparatus, among others, comprises a collapsible chair having a plurality of arms and first and second frame supports coupled to each of the plurality of arms, a collapsible frame assembly having a first frame, a second frame, a first and second set of connecting members hingably connected to the first and second frame, respectively, the second set of connecting members in slidable engagement with the first set of connecting members, the first set of connecting members at least partially supported by the first frame supports, the second set of connecting members in pivotal relationship with the second frame supports, and a cover detachably connected to the collapsible frame, wherein when the collapsible chair and the collapsible frame assembly are in a collapsed position, all or a portion of the cover is sandwiched between the first frame and the first and second set of connecting members and any remaining portion of the cover is sandwiched between the second frame and the first frame.

Other apparatus, methods, features, and advantages of the present invention will be or become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional apparatus, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the present invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

Many aspects of the disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a covered portable chair assembly.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram that illustrates an embodiment of a frame assembly for the covered portable chair assembly of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3A-3B are schematic diagrams that illustrate an embodiment of a chair assembly that can support the frame assembly of FIG. 2.

FIGS. 4A-4D are schematic diagrams that illustrate a method embodiment for collapsing the covered portable chair assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram that illustrates another embodiment of a frame assembly for the covered portable chair assembly of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 6A-6C are schematic diagrams that illustrate a swivel mechanism for a chair assembly to be used in the covered portable chair assembly of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Disclosed herein are various embodiments of a covered portable chair assembly, and methods of manufacture and use of the same. Such a covered portable chair assembly may be assembled and disassembled quickly and easily in recreational and vocational applications, among other applications. Although described below in the context of providing camouflaged cover in a hunting implementation, it would be understood that other uses that require surveillance or other monitoring activities under cover are considered within the scope of this disclosure. Note that “under cover” or similar phrases or terms may refer to obscuring a user wholly or partially from view and/or protecting a user from weather related elements (e.g., rain, sleet, snow, cold, etc.) or other environmental elements (e.g., insects, wildlife, etc.).

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a covered portable chair assembly 10. The covered portable chair assembly 10 comprises a chair and frame assembly (not shown) and a cover 11. For hunting applications, the cover 11 may include one of several different colors and/or designs that provide camouflage coverage for a hunter, and may provide whole or partial coverage or protection from detection or environmental elements. In one embodiment, the cover 11 may comprise a window 12. Although shown as an expanse across the cover 11, some embodiments of the cover may comprise a smaller opening in place of the window 12. The cover 11 may be comprised of a canvas material, or other well-known materials including nylon mesh, among other synthetic and/or non-synthetic materials. The cover 11 may be attached to a frame assembly (described below) using one of many different attachment mechanisms, such as Velcro®, button snaps, or other known mechanisms that enable attachment and/or detachment from the frame assembly. In some embodiments, the cover 11 may be detachably connected to a chair that is coupled to the frame assembly, or the cover 11 may be detachably connected to both the frame assembly and the chair.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram that illustrates an embodiment of a frame assembly 100a for the covered portable chair assembly 10. The frame assembly 100a may be comprised of a lightweight material, including tubular aluminum or other lightweight metal or non-metal (e.g., wood based, graphite, etc.) materials. The frame assembly 100a may be configured in substantially any geometric configuration, including solid or tubular cylinder or square or other geometries. The frame assembly 100a comprises a back (or rear) frame 102 (also referred to herein as frame A) and a front frame 104 (also referred to herein as frame B), that in one embodiment are configured in a rounded shape (e.g., rounded at the top of the frames where the cover 11 rests). The back frame 102 is hingeably coupled to connecting members 106 and 108. That is, the connecting members 106 and 108 are attached, by known mechanisms or otherwise, to the hinge mechanism 120a-120b. Similarly, the front frame 104 is hingeably connected (e.g., via hinge mechanisms 120c and 120d) to connecting members 110 and 112. For example, the hinge mechanisms 120a-120d may be configured as bolt and/or pin assemblies, molded, etc.

Disposed between opposing sides of the back frame 102 is a brace member 114 proximally located to the hinge mechanisms 120a and 120b. Disposed between opposing sides of the front frame 104 is a support member 116. In some embodiments, the support member 116 may be padded. The support member 116 may be adjustably positioned along a portion or the entire length of the front frame 104 by means of slots (not shown) disposed in the front frame member 104, screw and hole assemblies, among other mechanisms to provide adjustment. Such adjustment of the support member 116 enables a user to adjust the position at which he or she rests an object, such as a rifle or camera lens. Preferably, the support member 116 is positioned such that the object (e.g., rifle, camera, etc.) that rests on the support member 116 is in alignment with the window 12 of the cover 11. In some embodiments, the brace member 114 and/or support member 116 may be omitted.

Disposed between connecting members 106 and 108 is a stop member 118. The stop member 118 is described below. The stop member 118 may be replaced by a pot rivet or other “stop” located within the connecting members 106 and 108, or in some embodiments, omitted.

The connecting members 110 and 112 can be slidably inserted into connecting members 106 and 108, respectively. For instance, connecting members 110 and 112 may have dimensions of approximately 11/16 inch diameter, and connecting members 106 and 108 may have dimensions of approximately ¾ inch diameter. Once inserted, pins 107a and 107b prevent connecting members 106 and 108 from decoupling unintentionally from connecting members 110 and 112. Connecting members 110 and 112 can slide into connecting members 106 and 108 up to stop member 118. To extend connecting members 110 and 112 out from the position of the stop member 118, a user may depress pins 107a and 107b, which enables the connecting members 110 and 112 to be slidably extended. In some embodiments, connecting members 106, 108, 110, and 112 may be slidably engaged without connecting member 110 and 112 fully enveloped by connecting members 106 and 108 (e.g., along a track or other mechanisms).

Exemplary dimensions a-g may be as follows: a (34 inches), b (20 inches), c (4 inches), d (34 inches), e (30 inches), f (34 inches), g (34 inches). Thus, the height of back frame 102 and front frame 104 may be approximately 34 inches in height, with a width between opposing sides of back frame 102 and front frame 104 of 34 inches. Also, connecting members 106 and 108 may be approximately 20 inches in length, and connecting members 110 and 112 may be approximately 30 inches in length. One having ordinary skill in the art would understand in the context of this disclosure that other dimensions may be used in some embodiments.

When a user extends the frame assembly 100a upon positioning the same on a chair assembly (described below), the back frame 102 and front frame 104 are opened up to the position shown (or other positions not shown) and the cover 11 is attached to the front frame 104, back frame 102, brace number 114, and connecting members 106 through 112. It would be understood by those having ordinary skill in the art that the location and/or frequency of attachment can be varied in some embodiments.

FIGS. 3A-3B are schematic diagrams that illustrate an embodiment of a chair assembly 200 that supports the frame assembly 100a of FIG. 2. Note that FIGS. 3A-3B show only select portions of the frame assembly 100a (e.g., connecting arms) for purposes of brevity. The chair assembly 200 comprises a chair 201, which preferably is collapsible (e.g., can be folded into a reduced profile, or portions of the chair, such as the legs, etc., can be detached to reduce the profile). The chair 201 comprises a back 202, a seat 206, a front leg 208, a back leg 210, and an arm 204. The front leg 208 and back leg 210 can each be one piece or multi-piece structures (e.g., 2, 3, or more points of contact between the chair legs and the ground or resting surface), or a single leg may be used in some embodiments (e.g., pedestal arrangement). The chair 201 is preferably comprised of a lightweight material, for instance tubular aluminum or other tubular or solid low-weight metal or non-metal materials. The arm 204 (204a and 204b corresponding to each of the two arms, one obscured from view) is configured to support the connecting members (106 through 112) through the use of a rear frame support 214 (each rear frame support designated 214a and 214b) and a front frame support 212 (each front frame support designated as 212a and 212b).

Referring to FIG. 3B, which is a plan view of the chair assembly 200, connecting member 106 is shown supported a defined distance (e.g., approximately 2 inches) from the arm 204 (e.g., 204b), with the understanding that the connecting member 112 is slidably inserted into connecting member 112. Also, it is understood though not shown that connecting member 108 is similarly supported on the opposing side of the chair assembly 200. As shown, the connecting member 106 rests on the front frame support 212b and is slidably inserted through rear frame support 214b. The rear frame support 214 and front frame support 212 may be comprised of substantially any lightweight material (e.g., metal or non-metal, solid or tubular) that can be used to support the frame assembly 100a. In one embodiment, the rear frame support 214 is completely cylindrical and pivotable (e.g., pivotable with respect to the arm 204 or secured to the arm and pivotable with respect to the ring and stem structure of the support 214) to enable the connecting members 108 and 106 to be positioned completely or substantially vertically in a fully-collapsed position. In one embodiment, the front frame support 212 is cylindrical, and preferably configured in a partial cylinder shape (e.g., half-ring shape) that enables the connecting members 106 and 108 to snap in and out of place. One skilled in the art will understand that other shapes and/or configurations may be used for the rear frame support 214 and the front frame support 212. Further, although the supports 212 and 214 are shown inserted (e.g., in screw fashion, freely pivotable in a cavity of the arm, etc.) into the arms 204, other known mechanisms of coupling the supports 212 and 214 to the arms 204 may be used.

FIGS. 4A-4D are schematic diagrams that illustrate one method embodiment, among others, for collapsing (or similarly, disassembly) the covered portable chair assembly 10. Although described in the context of use with the frame assembly 100a, one skilled in the art would appreciate in the context of this disclosure that similar methodology is used when the covered chair 10 comprises other embodiments of the frame assembly (e.g., frame assembly 100b described below in association with FIG. 5). FIG. 4A shows the covered portable chair assembly 10 (with cover 11 represented with dashed line for clarity) in a fully extended position. In other words, the frame assembly 100a is in a fully extended position, and is coupled to the chair assembly 200. When the user is prepared to collapse the covered portable chair assembly 10, the user begins by tilting the frame assembly 100a in the direction of the upright vertical direction at the front frame 104 end, as shown in FIG. 4B. In one embodiment, this tilt operation may comprise unsnapping (or similarly, unbolting, un-adhering, or more generally, disengaging in some embodiments) the connecting members 106 and 108 from the front support members 212, slidably inserting connecting members 110 and 112 into connecting members 106 and 108 until reaching the stop member 118, and sliding connecting members 106-110 through rear support members 214, which pivot in conformity to the required tilt angle. In some embodiments, front support members 212 may be of a C-clamp configuration or other configuration that necessitates unbolting or otherwise unfastening the clamp or other secure element before the tilt operation can be performed. In some embodiments, the raising of the connecting members 106 and 108 from the front support members 212 may occur without any encumbrance (e.g., no structural member to resist the raising of the connecting members 106 and 108).

FIG. 4C represents a stage of a collapsing method whereby the front frame member 104 is collapsed onto the frame assembly 100a. In one embodiment, the cover 11 may be detached at the front frame 104 before or while the front frame 104 is collapsed. Alternatively, the cover 11 may be detached at the back frame 102 such that the entire cover is sandwiched between the front frame 104 and the connecting members. In another embodiment, the cover 11 may remain completely attached to the frame assembly 100 when the front frame 104 is collapsed. In some embodiments, the cover 11 may be configured in multiple pieces such that, for example, a first piece is coupled to the back frame 102, a second piece is coupled to the front frame 104, and a center piece can be detached (e.g., via Velcro® or button snap, etc.) from the first piece and second piece and folded within the collapsed frame assembly 100a. In some embodiments, the cover 11 may be configured in a first piece coupled to the back frame 104 and a second piece coupled to the front frame 104, wherein the first and second piece are detachably connected in the middle (at ends opposing attachment to the front and rear frames).

Continuing, collapsing the front frame 104 sandwiches all or a portion of the cover 11 between the front frame 104 and connecting members 106, 108, 110, and 112 (e.g., with connecting members 110 and 112 inserted in connecting members 106 and 108). The user collapses the back frame 102 over the front frame 104 and any remaining portion of the cover 11, then collapses the chair 201 in known manner. One skilled in the art would understand in the context of this disclosure that the order of collapsing the various elements of the covered chair 10 may be reversed in some embodiments, and/or additional, fewer, or different steps may be carried out in some embodiments.

FIG. 4D shows the covered portable chair assembly 10 in a completely or substantially collapsed position. In other words, the frame assembly 100a has been fully or significantly collapsed with the cover 11 sandwiched within, and the chair assembly 200 has also been collapsed by folding the legs 210 and 208 and chair back 202 and, in one embodiment, snapping the legs 208 and/or 210 into the front support members 212. In the collapsed state, the covered portable chair assembly represents a lightweight, small profile (e.g., approximately 34 inches in length and 6 inches in depth, represented with the letter “h”). The user may secure this small profile using a bungee cord, or button snaps (not shown) that may be attached to the chair back 202, among other securing mechanisms known in the art. The user may strap the covered portable chair assembly 10 over his or her shoulder, similar to a backpack-type configuration using backpack straps or other carrying mechanisms attached to the chair assembly 200.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram that illustrates another embodiment of a frame assembly 100b for the covered portable chair assembly 10 of FIG. 1. Frame assembly 100b is similar in structure and operation to the frame assembly 100a described in association with FIG. 2, with differences noted below. The frame assembly 100b comprises a back frame 502, a front frame 504, connecting members 506 through 512, a brace member 514, a support member 516, a stop member 518, hinge mechanisms 520a through 520d, pins 507a through 507b, as well as additional structure. In particular, back frame 502 and front frame 504 comprise peg slots 534 and 536, respectively. Although described using peg slots 534 and 536, one having ordinary skill in the art would understand in the context of this disclosure that other slot mechanisms may be employed in some embodiments. The peg slots 534 and 536 are dimensionally configured to receive a support rod 530, which extends between peg slots 534 and 536 in the fully extended position. Additional support rods and peg slots may be used in some embodiments.

In one embodiment, the support rod 530 is of a telescoping configuration, with a push pin 532 centrally disposed in the support rod 530. The support rod 530 may be beneficial in supporting the cover 11, particularly during heavy rainfall to prevent sagging of the cover 11. During initiating the collapse of the covered portable chair assembly 10, the support rod 530 is compressed upon pushing the push pin 532, and may be placed in a pouch (not shown) in the back of the chair assembly 200. Note that peg slots and one or more support rods may be used in some embodiments of frame assembly 100a.

Note that although pins 107a, 107b, 507a, 507b, and 532 are shown, it will be understood that other mechanisms may be used, including a compression-type fitted screw assembly that can be loosened to enable extension and tightened to fix the position of connecting members 506-512, as is true for frame assembly 100a. It is noted that front frame 504 and back frame 502 have a rectangular configuration and are comprised of a material that is lightweight and preferably tubular, although solid materials may be used in some embodiments, as well as other polygonal shapes. By way of illustration, and not limitation, exemplary dimensions are as follows: i (30 inches), j (34 inches), k (4 inches), l (20 inches), m (30 inches), n (30 inches), o (34 inches), p (30 inches), q (46½ inches).

Although the embodiments described herein are described using cylindrical or rectangular, tubular configurations, other geometric (e.g., polygonal) configurations may be used. Further, the frame assemblies 100a and 100b may be comprised of metals or non-metals, or a mixture of both, and either tubular, non-tubular, or a mixture of tubular and non-tubular.

FIGS. 6A-6C are schematic diagrams that illustrate a swivel mechanism 600 for a chair assembly to be used in the covered portable chair assembly 10. That is, the covered portable chair assembly 10 may be configured in some embodiments to comprise a swivel mechanism 600 (600a and 600b) that enables a user to rotate his or her position for viewing, hunting, etc. The entire assembly (frame assembly 100a or 100b, chair assembly 200, and cover 11) comprising the covered portable chair assembly 10 may be rotated from 0° to 360°. Referring to FIG. 6A, a swivel mechanism 600a is shown from a bottom view. The swivel mechanism 600a and 600b (FIG. 6B) is a “lazy-susan” type swivel mechanism, although other swivel mechanisms may be used in some embodiments. The swivel mechanism 600a comprises a swivel assembly 602 that is attached to a platform 610. The swivel assembly 602 may be comprised of metal or other materials, and likewise, the platform 610 may be comprised of a metal or other material. The swivel assembly 602 comprises a ring structure 604 (e.g., approximately 5/16 inch thick) integrated with, or attached to, a base member 606. The base member 606 (e.g., approximately 6 inches×6 inches) is preferably attached to the platform 610 by means of screw, bolt, or other attachment mechanism through holes 608. Note that the various dimensions described are for illustrative, not limiting purposes.

Referring to the top plan view shown in FIG. 6B, the swivel mechanism 600b comprises a second platform 612 that is coupled to platform 610 by bolts 616 positioned through holes 608, although other attachment mechanisms may be used. The swivel mechanism 600b comprises one or more slots or grooves (e.g., one slot 614 is shown), further shown in perspective view in FIG. 6C. The slot 614 is configured to receive a leg (e.g., 210) to enable the chair assembly 200 to be stablely positioned. Sandwiched between the swivel mechanism 600a and swivel mechanism 600b is a ball bearings mechanism (not shown), which may be comprised of steel ball bearings or graphite ball bearings, among other materials, that enable the second platform 612 to rotate with respect to the platform 610. Exemplary dimensions (and not by way of limitation) for the dimensions r through x shown in FIGS. 6A through 6C are as follows: r (16 inches), s (10 inches), t (15 inches), u (7 inches), v (1 inch), w (¾ inch), x (e.g., radius of approximately ¾ inch). In one embodiment, slot 614 may be approximately 1 inch in width and approximately 2 inches from one of the edges of the platform 612.

The fabrication of the covered portable chair assembly may be implemented by hand, by machine, or a combination of both.

Additionally, various components of the covered portable chair assembly 10 can be fabricated and provided as a kit. For instance, the frame assemblies 100a or 100b may be provided alone or with support members 212 and 214 in some embodiments. In some embodiments, kits can be provided that include frame assemblies 100a or 100b, support members 212 and 214, and one or more of the swivel mechanism 600, cover 11, chair 201, and support rod 530, with or without hardware as needed for assembly.

It should be noted that in some alternative implementations, the steps for collapsing (e.g., FIGS. 4A-4D) noted above may occur out of the order noted in this disclosure. For example, steps described herein may in fact be executed substantially concurrently or the steps may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved.

It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure, particularly, any “preferred” embodiments, are merely possible examples of implementations, merely set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the disclosure. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiment(s) of without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the disclosure. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A kit, comprising:

a collapsible frame assembly comprising: a front frame; a rear frame; first connecting members hingably connectable to the front frame; and second connecting members hingably connectable to the rear frame and configured for slidable engagement with the first connecting members;

first frame supports configured to be coupled to arms of a chair, said first frame supports configured to at least partially support the first and second connecting members; and

pivotal second frame supports connectable to the first and second arms and configured for slidable relationship with the first and second connecting members, said second frame supports configured to at least partially support the first and second connecting members.

2. The kit of claim 1, further comprising a cover configured for detachable connection to the frame assembly, the chair, or a combination of both.

3. The kit of claim 1, further comprising a collapsible chair.

4. The kit of claim 3, further comprising a swivel mechanism having a grooved platform configured for providing swivel functionality to the chair and frame when assembled.

5. The kit of claim 1, further comprising a support rod configured to fit between the front frame and the rear frame.

6. An apparatus, comprising:

a collapsible chair having a plurality of arms and first and second frame supports coupled to each of the plurality of arms;

a collapsible frame assembly having a first frame, a second frame, a first and second set of connecting members hingably connected to the first and second frame, respectively, the second set of connecting members in slidable engagement with the first set of connecting members, the first set of connecting members at least partially supported by the first frame supports, the second set of connecting members in pivotal relation with the second frame supports; and

a cover detachably connected to the collapsible frame, wherein when the collapsible chair and the collapsible frame assembly are in a collapsed position, all or a portion of the cover is sandwiched between the first frame and the first and second set of connecting members and any remaining portion of the cover is sandwiched between the second frame and the first frame.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein when the collapsible chair and the collapsible frame assembly are in a collapsed position, the first set of connecting members are at least partially surrounded in majority of length by the second set of connecting members.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein when the collapsible chair and the collapsible frame assembly are in a collapsed position, the first and second set of connecting members are surrounded by the second frame supports.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein when the collapsible chair and the collapsible frame assembly are in a collapsed position, one or more legs of the collapsible chair are detachably connected to at least one of the first frame supports.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising one or more slots in the first and second frames.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising one or more support rods coupled between the one or more slots of the first and second frames.

12. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first frame supports are in detachable engagement with the first set of connecting members.

13. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a swivel mechanism upon which the chair rests.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the swivel mechanism comprises a platform having one or more grooves in which one or more legs of the chair are positioned.

15. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the cover is a single piece cover or multi-piece cover.

16. A method of collapsing a covered portable chair assembly, comprising:

tilting a frame assembly to raise first connecting members from first frame supports and to pivot second frame supports in which second connecting members are slidably inserted, the frame assembly comprising first and second frames hingably connected to the first and second connecting members, respectively, the first connecting members in slidable engagement with the second connecting members, the first and second frame supports coupled to arms of a chair;

sandwiching all or a portion of a detachable cover between the first frame and the first and second connecting members by folding the first frame toward the first and second connecting members; and

folding the second frame toward the first frame whereby any remaining portion of the detachable cover is disposed between the first frame and the second frame.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein tilting comprises disengaging the first connecting members from the first frame supports.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein tilting comprises inserting the first connecting members into the second connecting members.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein inserting comprises inserting the first connecting members until a stop mechanism has been reached.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein tilting comprises tilting until the first and second connecting members have reached a substantially vertical orientation.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein sandwiching comprises detaching the cover from the first frame, the second frame, or a combination of both.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein sandwiching comprises detaching a center portion of the cover to derive two portions of the cover.

23. The method of claim 16, further comprising collapsing the chair.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising detachably connecting one or more legs of the chair to one or more of the first support members.

25. A method of manufacturing a covered portable chair assembly, comprising:

providing a collapsible frame assembly having a front frame, a rear frame, first connecting members hingably connectable to the front frame, and second connecting members hingably connectable to the rear frame and configured for slidable engagement with the first connecting members;

providing first frame supports configured to be coupled to arms of a chair, said first frame supports configured to at least partially support the first and second connecting members; and

providing second frame supports pivotably connectable to the first and second arms and configured for slidable relationship with the first and second connecting members, said second frame supports configured to at least partially support the first and second connecting members.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising providing a support rod configured to fit between the front frame and the rear frame.