Collapsible swivel chair

Abstract

A collapsible swivel chair (10) having an upper frame assembly (32), a lower frame assembly (34), and a swivel assembly (28) which joins the upper frame assembly (32) and the lower frame assembly (34). The swivel assembly (28) includes an upper plate (36) having a number of sockets (46). The sockets (46) include pivots (48) for pivotal attachment of members (54, 56) of an upper frame assembly (32). The swivel assembly (28) also includes a lower plate (38) having a plurality of sockets (46), which including pivots (48) for pivotal attachment of members (24) of a lower frame assembly (34). The upper plate (36) and the lower plate (38) are rotatably attached to each other such that the upper plate (36) and the upper frame assembly (32) can be swiveled in relation to the lower plate (38) and the lower frame assembly (34). Also a swivel assembly (28) for use in a collapsible swivel chair (10).

Description

[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/272,533, filed Feb. 28, 2001, which has the same inventor as the present application.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present invention relates generally to portable furniture and specifically to collapsible chairs.

BACKGROUND ART

[0003] There is increasing sophistication in the field of portable furniture. One of the first types of portable furniture was the folding lawn chair. It basically had hinged members which allowed the chair back to fold down to meet the seat. This has been replaced in recent years with collapsible chairs, whose structure is based on a series of joined “X” cross members, which have hinges at the corners and at centers of the crosses. This type can collapse into a compact shape, which is easily portable, and has become very popular in recent years.

[0004] Neither of these types of chairs have the ability to swivel to allow the user to face in different directions, without picking the chair up completely and re-aligning it in the preferred direction. There have been, of course, swivel chairs for home and office use for many years, but these are generally bulky and usually not thought of as portable. Their use has thus been mainly restricted to indoor use, and particularly in offices, where a desk may be partly surrounded by a wrap-around desk, or by filing cabinets. In such situations, it is very useful to be able to remain seated, and by using only the slightest effort, swivel around to face in whatever other direction is desired.

[0005] This same advantage would be desirable in a portable chair, for use, say, on a backyard deck. The user could be seated facing in any preferred direction, and then easily swivel to any other direction in which the user's attention is required, maybe for attending children, etc. On camping trips, it may also be desired to be able to change direction of the chair, for instance, to admire a scenic feature, while periodically checking on the safety of a camp fire, or personal possessions, etc.

[0006] There have been several attempts at making portable swivel chairs. U.S. Pat. No. 6,048,029 to Percoco discloses a swivel beach chair with a frame and swivel mechanism that appear bulky and inconvenient to transport. U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,335 to Wunderlich describes a swivel beach chair made from P.V.C. pipe. U.S. Pat. No. 5,567,014 to Fitch discloses a folding swivel chair.

[0007] All of these devices appear to be bulky and difficult to transport, although generally more portable than the typical office swivel chair. Part of the difficulty with these chairs is that for a chair, and especially a swivel chair to be stable enough that a user is comfortable trusting his weight to it, the chair legs need to have a fairly broad base of support. Thus, the base in Wunderlich is a large circular hoop, which allows no collapsing or compression. In Percoco, the base appears to be a solid block, which may provide stability, but at the expense of weight. The folding swivel chair in Fitch has legs that fold into a more compact configuration, but are attached to a square frame, which is still bulky, as are the seat and the swivel mechanism.

[0008] Thus there is a need for a swivel chair which is collapsible and easily portable, yet provides a broad support base that is unlikely to tip over and which is stable on terrain which is other than perfectly flat.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

[0009] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a chair which is collapsible to a compact configuration.

[0010] Another object of the invention is to provide a chair that swivels.

[0011] And another object of the invention is to provide a chair, which is very stable when expanded, yet easily transportable.

[0012] A further object of the present invention is to provide a chair, which transforms quickly and easily from a collapsed to an expanded configuration.

[0013] An additional object of the present invention is to provide a chair which is attractively designed and which could serve as interior furniture as well as backyard or camping furniture.

[0014] Briefly, one preferred embodiment of the present invention is a collapsible swivel chair having an upper frame assembly, a lower frame assembly, and a swivel assembly which joins the upper frame assembly and the lower frame assembly. The swivel assembly includes an upper plate having a number of sockets. The sockets include pivots for pivotal attachment of members of an upper frame assembly. The swivel assembly also includes a lower plate having a plurality of sockets, the sockets including pivots for pivotal attachment of members of a lower frame assembly. The upper plate and the lower plate are rotatably attached to each other such that the upper plate and the upper frame assembly can be swiveled in relation to the lower plate and the lower frame assembly.

[0015] Also disclosed is a swivel assembly for use in a collapsible swivel chair.

[0016] An advantage of the present invention is that it is collapsible, yet swivels easily and smoothly.

[0017] Another advantage of the present invention is that the collapsed shape of the chair is very compact.

[0018] And another advantage of the present invention is that the frame members are curved to present an aesthetically pleasing configuration which is suitable for both interior and outdoor furniture.

[0019] These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become clear to those skilled in the art in view of the description of the best presently known mode of carrying out the invention and the industrial applicability of the preferred embodiment as described herein and as illustrated in the several figures of the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The purposes and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description in conjunction with the appended drawings in which:

[0021] FIG. 1 shows a front isometric view of the collapsible swivel chair with arms of the present invention;

[0022] FIG. 2 illustrates a detail exploded view of the swivel assembly shown in detail circle A of FIG. 1;

[0023] FIG. 3 shows a side isometric view of the frame of a collapsible swivel chair with arms in expanded configuration, with the support surface removed;

[0024] FIG. 4 shows the frame of a collapsible swivel chair with arms in collapsed configuration, with the support surface removed;

[0025] FIGS. 5-9 show the sequence of moving the lower frame assembly from an expanded configuration to a collapsed configuration;

[0026] FIG. 10 illustrates the complete chair with support surface included which has been collapsed;

[0027] FIG. 11 shows a carrying bag configured for storing a collapsed chair;

[0028] FIG. 12 illustrates a front isometric view of a collapsible swivel chair without arms, of the present invention;

[0029] FIG. 13 shows an isometric view of the frame of a collapsible swivel chair without arms in expanded configuration, with the support surface removed;

[0030] FIG. 14 illustrates a detail view of the collapsible swivel chair with arms in expanded configuration, with the support surface removed; and

[0031] FIG. 15 shows an alternate embodiment collapsible chair with five legs.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0032] FIG. 1 illustrates a collapsible swivel chair 10 of the present invention. The chair shown is in expanded configuration 12. It generally includes a frame 14 and a support surface 16, which includes a back portion 18 and a seat 20. This embodiment of the invention also includes arms 22, although, as will be discussed below, an alternate embodiment exists which has no arms included. The chair 10 preferably rests on four feet 26, although it may be possible to have a chair which is a tripod, or which has five or more feet. A swivel assembly 28 connects an upper frame assembly 32 to a lower frame assembly 34, and provides rotation of the upper frame assembly 32 relative to the lower frame assembly 34.

[0033] FIG. 2 shows an exploded detail view of the swivel assembly 28 as seen in the detail circle A in FIG. 1, with the frame members removed. The swivel assembly 28 includes an upper plate 36 and a lower plate 38, which may be similar, or even identical, in design. A ball bearing race 40 is shown with a number of ball bearings 42. These ball bearings 42 provide a low friction mechanism for the upper plate 36 to rotate relative to the lower plate 38, in the typical manner of ball bearing devices. The plates 36, 38 are fastened together at the center 44 with a bolt or other typical fastener.

[0034] The upper and lower plates 36, 38 both include sockets 46 (not visible in lower plate 38) for receiving the frame members 14 of the upper frame assembly 32 and lower frame assembly 34. The sockets 46 include pivots 48 and guide slots 50, which allow the pivotal movement of the frame members 14 and limit their travel, as will be described below.

[0035] Radial extension lines 2 are shown projecting from the center 44. Lines are also shown connecting the pivots 48 to establish pivot axes 3. The radial extension lines 2 are preferably crossed at approximately right angles by the pivot axes 3, meaning that the legs as they pivot will substantially follow the radial extension lines. This however, is not a requirement, and it will be obvious to one skilled in the art that the pivot axes 3 may lie at some other angle relative to the radial extension lines 2 than at right angles. At an extreme, the pivot axes 3 and the radial lines 2 may even be aligned with each other, and this variation and all others in between are contemplated by the present invention.

[0036] FIG. 3 illustrates the frame 14 of a collapsible chair with arms 10, in an expanded configuration 12. FIG. 4 shows the same chair 10 in a collapsed configuration 52. The upper frame assembly 32 is shown to be made up of back support members 54 and front support members 56, which additionally include arm support members 58 in this embodiment. Both the front and back support members 56, 54 have support blocks 60, which act to support the corners of the support surface 16, specifically the seat portion 20 (see FIG. 1). Without these support blocks 60, the seat portion 20 would be free to slide further downwards toward the swivel assembly 28. Especially when the weight of the user is to be supported by the seat 20, it is important that these support blocks 60 remain stationary, thus they are preferably permanently attached at the locations shown.

[0037] FIG. 4 shows the collapsed configuration 52 of the chair frame 14. The back and front support members 54, 56, as well as the legs 24 are pivoted in their sockets 46 about the pivots 48 (see FIG. 2) so that all the members are collected in a compact bundle. When the chair is to be expanded, the members are pivoted outward from the center 44 until the lip of the guide slots 50 prevents their further movement in an outward direction.

[0038] The sequence of actions involved in collapsing the legs is shown in FIGS. 5-9. It should be noted that although in FIGS. 5-7, there appear to be only three legs, this is because the point of view taken has both a front and rear leg exactly aligned, a fact that becomes apparent only in FIG. 8, as the rear leg is brought forward toward the center. In FIG. 9, the front-most leg has also been folded towards the center, again obscuring the rear-most leg, which is directly behind it.

[0039] The sequence of actions for collapsing the members of the upper frame assembly is similar to the actions for collapsing the legs. It should be understood that the sequence of actions shown in FIGS. 5-9 should not be taken as a limitation, and that no particular leg must be folded first, and indeed all the legs may be folded at once if desired. Similarly, no limitation should be inferred in the folding of the upper members as well.

[0040] As speed and ease of assembly is a prime consideration in this invention, it is preferred that the support surface 16 remain attached to the frame 14, while it is being collapsed, and afterward, when it is being stored. The support surface 16 may be made to detach from the frame 14, perhaps by slipping upwards off of the frame members 54, 56, where it can perhaps be laundered. However, in normal use, it is preferred that the support surface 16 remain in place while the chair 10 is collapsed. FIGS. 10 and 11 show the collapsed chair 10 with the support surface 16 bundled up with the frame 14. It may then be easily stored in a carrying bag 62.

[0041] FIG. 12 shows a second embodiment of a collapsible chair 70, this time without arms. The basic elements are the same as before, and are referred to by the same element numbers as before, where possible. Again, the chair 70 is shown in expanded configuration 12. As before, it includes a frame 14 and a support surface 16, having a back portion 18 and a seat 20, four feet 26, and a swivel assembly 28 which connects an upper frame assembly 32 to a lower frame assembly 34. The detail of circle B is identical to that seen in FIG. 2, described above.

[0042] FIGS. 13 and 14 show the frame 14 of the collapsible swivel chair without arms in expanded configuration 12 with the support surface removed. The elements again are as described above, with the absence of arm supports. The swivel assembly 28 is shown in more detail in FIG. 14, but is again nearly identical to that described before. Legs 24, upper and lower plates 36, 38, support blocks 60, and front and back support members 54, 56 are again visible in both figures.

[0043] In both embodiments 10, 70, (see FIGS. 1 and 12) the curved shape of the chair legs 24 allow the chairs to have a very broad and stable spread to the feet 26, while also allowing the legs 24 to collapse to a very compact bundle. The curved legs 24 also give an attractive an aesthetically pleasing appearance to the chairs 10, 70 of either embodiment.

[0044] FIG. 15 shows a further variation on the collapsible swivel chair 80, having five legs 24, demonstrating that the number of legs is not limited to four. In this embodiment 80, the upper frame assembly 32 thus has four members, and the lower frame assembly 34 has five members. Referring now also to FIG. 2, the upper plate 36 thus has more sockets 46 than the lower plate 38, and thus the upper and lower plates 36, 38 are not interchangeable as in the earlier embodiments. The number of legs or upper members is also not limited to five, and there may be as few as three legs. All such variations are contemplated by the present invention as being obvious variations. Additionally, the five-legged variation 80 can be used with arms 22, as shown or without, as in the previous embodiment 70.

[0045] While various embodiments have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not limitation. Thus, the breadth and scope of a preferred embodiment should not be limited by any of the above described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

[0046] The collapsible swivel chair 10 of the present invention can be used in a number of indoor and outdoor applications.

[0047] Users of swivel chairs have come to enjoy the ability of the chairs to swivel to allow the user to face in different directions, without picking the chair up completely and re-aligning it in the preferred direction. It is very useful to be able to remain seated, and by using only the slightest effort, swivel around to face in whatever other direction is desired. There have been, of course, swivel chairs for home and office use for many years, but these are generally bulky and usually not thought of as portable.

[0048] The same advantages of traditional swivel chairs would be desirable in a portable chair, for use, say, on a backyard deck. The user could be seated facing in any preferred direction, and then easily swivel to any other direction in which the user's attention is required, maybe for attending children, etc. On camping trips, it may also be desired to be able to change direction of the chair, for instance, to admire a scenic feature, while periodically checking on the safety of a camp fire, or personal possessions, etc.

[0049] In order to be easily portable, it is important that a swivel chair collapse to a compact configuration. The present invention 10, 70, 80 easily and compactly collapses to such a configuration. FIG. 3 illustrates the frame 14 of a collapsible chair with arms 10, in an expanded configuration 12 and FIG. 4 shows the collapsed configuration 52 of the chair frame 14. To collapse the chair, the back and front support members 54, 56, as well as the legs 24 are pivoted in their sockets 46 about the pivots 48 (see FIG. 2) so that all the members are collected in a compact bundle. When the chair is to be expanded, the members are pivoted outward from the center 44 until the lip of the guide slots 50 prevents their further movement in an outward direction. The sequence of actions involved in collapsing the legs is shown in FIGS. 5-9.

[0050] The collapsible swivel chair 10, 70, 80 thus collapses to a nearly vertical column, which can then be easily inserted into a carrying bag 62. The chair is thus ready to transport for outdoor applications, or for storage in a closet.

[0051] The use of the collapsible swivel chair 10, 70, 80 is by no means restricted to outdoor applications, and can be used in any application for which traditional swivel chairs have been used. The collapsible swivel chair 10, 70, 80 is attractively styled so that it can be used in professional offices and corporations as well as for home use. In addition, due to their compact collapsibility, they can also be used in situations where traditional folding chairs have been used.

[0052] For the above, and other reasons, it is expected that collapsible swivel chair 10, 70, 80 will have widespread industrial applicability. Therefore, it is expected that the commercial utility of the present invention will be extensive and long lasting.

Claims

1. A collapsible swivel chair comprising:

an upper frame assembly;

a lower frame assembly; and

a swivel assembly which joins said upper frame assembly, said swivel assembly including an upper plate which includes a plurality of pivots for pivotal attachment of members of an upper frame assembly, and a lower plate which includes a plurality of pivots for pivotal attachment of members of a lower frame assembly, said upper plate and said lower plate being rotatably attached to each other such that said upper plate and said upper frame assembly can be swiveled in relation to said lower plate and said lower frame assembly.

2. A collapsible swivel chair as in claim 1, wherein:

said upper and lower plates include a plurality of guide slots, said pivots being positioned within said guide slots, said pivots each establishing a pivot axis.

3. A collapsible swivel chair as in claim 2, wherein:

said upper and lower plates include a center of rotation and said pivot axes lie at a right angle to a radial extension line from said center of rotation, such that pivotal motion of the frame members as they collapse follow a path substantially along a radial extension line.

4. A collapsible swivel chair as in claim 2, wherein:

said guide slots include a stop portion which limits pivotal travel of said frame members at the limits of travel in the extended position.

5. A collapsible swivel chair as in claim 1, wherein:

said upper and lower plates are attached by a ball bearing mechanism to enable rotation between said upper plate and said lower plate.

6. A collapsible swivel chair as in claim 1, wherein:

said upper frame assembly includes four members and said lower frame assembly includes four members.

7. A collapsible swivel chair as in claim 1, wherein:

said upper and lower plates are configured to be interchangeable.

8. A collapsible swivel chair as in claim 1, wherein:

said upper frame assembly includes four members and said lower frame assembly includes five members.

9. A collapsible swivel chair as in claim 1, wherein:

frame members are positioned in radial arrangement and follow substantially radial paths in movement between a collapsed configuration and an extended configuration.

10. A swivel assembly for a collapsible swivel chair comprising:

an upper plate, including a plurality of sockets, said sockets including pivots for pivotal attachment of members of an upper frame assembly; and

a lower plate, including a plurality of sockets, said sockets including pivots for pivotal attachment of members of a lower frame assembly;

said upper plate and said lower plate being rotatably attached to each other such that said upper plate and said upper frame assembly can be swiveled in relation to said lower plate and said lower frame assembly.

11. A swivel assembly as in claim 10, wherein:

said upper and lower plates include a plurality of guide slots, said pivots being positioned within said guide slots, said pivots each establishing a pivot axis.

12. A swivel assembly as in claim 11, wherein:

said upper and lower plates include a center of rotation and said pivot axes lie at a right angle to a radial extension line from said center, such that pivotal motion of the frame members as they collapse follow a path substantially along a radial extension line.

13. A swivel assembly as in claim 11, wherein said guide slots include a stop portion which limits pivotal travel of said frame members at the limits of travel in the extended position.

14. A swivel assembly as in claim 10, wherein said upper and lower plates are attached by a ball bearing mechanism to enable rotation between said upper plate and said lower plate.

15. A swivel assembly as in claim 10, wherein:

said upper frame assembly includes four members and said lower frame assembly includes four members.

16. A swivel assembly as in claim 10, wherein:

said upper and lower plates are configured to be interchangeable.

17. A swivel assembly as in claim 10, wherein:

said upper frame assembly includes four members and said lower frame assembly includes five members.

18. A swivel assembly as in claim 10, wherein:

frame members are positioned in radial arrangement and follow substantially radial paths in movement between a collapsed configuration and an extended configuration.