Foldable chair

Abstract

To provide a foldable chair having high safety and excellent design.SOLUTION: A foldable chair 1 includes: a pair of right and left front leg parts 10; a front leg connection part 20 for connecting the front leg parts 10 at both of right and left end parts; a pair of right and left rear leg parts 30; and a seat part 50 on which a user sits. A rear side 50B of the seat part 50 is rotatable around a rotation axis P1 with respect to the rear leg parts 30. The foldable chair 1 is changeable from a sitting posture to sit on the seat part 50 to a standing posture of the seat part 50 by rotating a front side of the seat part 50 upward. The front leg parts 10 and the rear leg parts 30 are rotatably connected around a rotation axis O1 above the seat part 50 in the state of the sitting posture. The front leg connection part 20 supports the seat part 50 in the state of the sitting posture. The front leg connection part 20 and a lower side connection part 50a1 located behind the front leg connection part 20 and also in front of the rotation axis P1 on a lower surface 50a of the seat part 50 are connected to be relatively movable via a link mechanism 60.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a folding chair. [Background technology]

[0002] Many techniques relating to folding chairs have been disclosed in the past. For example, as shown in Fig. 13, a folding chair 100 disclosed in Patent Document 1 below includes a pair of front legs 110 (left and right), a pair of rear legs 130 (left and right), and a seat 150 on which a person can sit. The rear lower end portion of seat 150 is rotatably attached to the upper end portions of each rear leg 130 via a rotation pin 151 extending in the left-right direction. The middle portion of seat 150 in the front-rear direction is rotatably attached to the middle portion of each front leg 110 in the up-down direction via a rotation pin 111 extending in the left-right direction.

[0003] In this folding chair 100, an upper portion of each front leg 110 located above the middle portion thereof is connected to the upper end of each rear leg via a link mechanism 160 so as to be relatively movable. Specifically, in link mechanism 160, a front end of link member 161 is rotatably attached to the upper portion of each front leg via a rotation pin 162, and a rear end of link member 161 is rotatably attached to the upper end of each rear leg 130 via a rotation pin 163. In this way, in folding chair 100, as shown in FIG. 13, by rotating the front side of seat portion 150 upward, it is possible to change from a seated posture in which seat portion 150 can be seated to an upright posture (folded state) in which seat portion 150 is upright, as shown in FIG. 14. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5131600 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Incidentally, in the folding chair 100 described above, the link member 161 is disposed outward in the left-right direction from the seat portion 150 and is exposed. Therefore, when the folding chair 100 changes between the seated position and the standing position, there is a risk that fingers may be pinched between the link member 161 and the front leg portion 110 or between the link member 161 and the rear leg portion 130. In addition, the link member 161 is easily visible, which is not desirable from an appearance perspective.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a folding chair that is highly safe and has an excellent design. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention provides A pair of left and right front legs, A pair of left and right hind legs, a seat portion that can be sat on, a rear side of the seat portion is rotatable about a rotation axis extending in the left-right direction relative to each of the rear legs; A folding chair that can take a seated position in which the seat can be sat on and a standing position in which the front side of the seat rotates upward from the seated position to stand up, The front legs and the rear legs are connected to each other so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis extending in the left-right direction above the seat when the seat is in the seated position, a front leg connecting portion extending in the left-right direction and connecting the front leg portions at both left and right ends, the front leg connector supports the seat when in the seated position, This folding chair is characterized in that the front leg connecting portion and a lower connecting portion on the underside of the seat, which is rearward of the front leg connecting portion and forward of the rotation axis, are connected to each other via a link mechanism so that they can move relative to each other. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a folding chair that is highly safe and has an excellent design. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a folding chair in a seated position according to the present embodiment, as viewed from the front side. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a folding chair in a seated position according to the present embodiment, as seen from the rear side. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a side view of a folding chair in a seated position according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a front view of a folding chair in a seated position according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the folding chair in the seated position according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a folding chair in an upright position according to the present embodiment, as viewed from the front side. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the folding chair of the present embodiment in an upright position, as seen from the rear side. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a side view of the folding chair of the present embodiment in an upright position. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a front view of a folding chair in an upright position according to the present embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the folding chair in the standing position according to the present embodiment. [Figure 11A] 10 is a diagram showing the positional relationship of each member when the folding chair is in a seated position. FIG. [Figure 11B] 10 is a diagram showing the positional relationship of each member when the folding chair is in an intermediate position. FIG. [Figure 11C] 10 is a diagram showing the positional relationship of each member when the folding chair is in an upright position. FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a side view of the folding chair in a seated position in a second mode. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a side view of a folding chair in a conventional seated position. [Figure 14] FIG. 1 is a side view of a conventional folding chair in a standing position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] <First form> Below, the folding chair 1 of the first embodiment (hereinafter also referred to as "this embodiment") will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. In the following, the up-down direction or left-right direction of each part of the folding chair 1 will be described based on the up-down direction or left-right direction when the folding chair 1 is viewed from the front, as shown in FIG. 1. Also, the front direction of each part of the folding chair 1 will be described as the direction toward a person facing the folding chair 1, and the rear direction of each part of the folding chair 1 will be described as the direction away from a person facing the folding chair 1.

[0011] 1 and 5, the folding chair 1 includes a pair of left and right front legs 10, a front leg connector 20 that connects the front legs 10, a pair of left and right rear legs 30, a rear leg connector 40 that connects the rear legs 30, a seat 50 that can be sat on, and a link mechanism 60. The folding chair 1 can be changed between a seated position in which the seat 50 can be sat on, and an upright position (folded state) in which the seat 50 is upright.

[0012] Figures 1 to 5 show the folding chair 1 in a seated position, and Figures 6 to 10 show the folding chair 1 in an upright position. First, the structure of the folding chair 1 in the seated position will be described below. Each of the front legs 10, the front leg connecting parts 20, each of the rear legs 30, and each of the rear leg connecting parts 40 are made of beech wood so that they have high strength, durability, and bending resistance.

[0013] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, each front leg 10 includes a front leg 11 extending vertically and a curved, plate-like backrest 12. Each front leg 11 is rod-shaped and extends obliquely upward and rearward from its lower end 11a. The backrest 12 includes a back support portion 12a curved to fit the shape of a person's back, and connecting portions 12b extending forward from both left and right ends of the back support portion 12a. The back support portion 12a of the backrest 12 is curved to fit the shape of a person's back, enhancing the comfort of a person sitting on the folding chair 1. Each connecting portion 12b of the backrest 12 is connected to the upper end 11b of the corresponding front leg 11 via two connecting pins 13 (see FIG. 1). Thus, the pair of left and right front legs 11 and the backrest 12 are integrally configured.

[0014] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the front leg connector 20 is formed in the shape of a flat plate that is long in the left-right direction, with its left end connected to the front leg 11 located on the left side and its right end connected to the front leg 11 located on the right side. The front leg connector 20 is provided below the seat 50, and a horizontal upper end surface 20a is formed at the upper end of the front leg connector 20 (see Figure 6). The upper end surface 20a is used to support the seat 50 of the folding chair 1 when it is in a seated position.

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , each rear leg 30 includes a rear leg 31 extending vertically and an armrest 32 extending longitudinally. Each rear leg 31 is rod-shaped and extends obliquely upward and forward from its lower end 31a. The upper portion of each rear leg 31 is rotatably connected to a connecting portion 12b of the backrest 12 via a rotation pin 33 extending laterally. This allows each front leg 10, which is integrally assembled with the backrest 12, and each rear leg 30 to be connected to each other for relative rotation around a rotation axis O1. Each armrest 32 is a flat plate elongated in the longitudinal direction to support the arms of a seated person, and is connected to the upper end of each rear leg 31. In other words, the upper surface of each armrest 32 is a horizontal surface extending longitudinally to allow the seated person to easily rest their arms on it.

[0016] As shown in Figures 2 and 5, the rear leg connector 40 is formed in the shape of a flat plate that is long in the left-right direction, with its left end connected to the rear leg 31 located on the left side and its right end connected to the rear leg 31 located on the right side. The rear leg connector 40 is provided below the seat 50, and a horizontal upper end surface 40a is formed at the upper end of the rear leg connector 40 (see Figure 6). The upper end surface 40a is used to support the seat 50 of the folding chair 1 when it is in a seated position.

[0017] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the seat section 50 supports the buttocks of a seated person, is made of, for example, urethane, and has a generally rectangular shape in a plan view. As shown in Figure 6, the rear end of the underside 50a of the seat section 50 is connected to the front surface 40b of the rear leg connecting section 40 via a pair of left and right hinges 51. In this way, the rear side 50B of the seat section 50 is assembled to the rear leg connecting section 40 so as to be rotatable about the rotation axis P1 of the hinge 51 extending in the left-right direction (see Figure 6). In other words, because the rear leg connecting section 40 and each rear leg 30 are assembled integrally, the rear side 50B of the seat section 50 is rotatable about the rotation axis P1 relative to each rear leg 30.

[0018] Here, the folding chair 1 of this embodiment is characterized in that a link mechanism 60 is provided to change between a seated position and an upright position, and this link mechanism 60 is provided below the seat 50. Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, the link mechanism 60 includes a link member 61 formed in a substantially II shape, a pair of left and right rear leg fasteners 62, and a pair of left and right front leg fasteners 63.

[0019] 5, the link member 61 includes a rear pin portion 61a extending laterally at the rear side, a front pin portion 61b extending laterally at the front side, and a pair of left and right connecting pin portions 61c extending in the front-rear direction. The rear pin portion 61a and the front pin portion 61b are cylindrical (round bar-shaped). The front and rear ends of each connecting pin portion 61c are fixed to the front pin portion 61b and the rear pin portion 61a, respectively.

[0020] As shown in Figure 5, each rear leg fastener 62 is fixed to a lower connecting portion 50a1 located on the underside 50a of the seat portion 50, which is located forward of each hinge 51 (see Figure 6). Both ends of the rear pin portion 61a of the link member 61 are inserted into each rear leg fastener 62. As a result, the rear pin portion 61a of the link member 61 is rotatably assembled to each rear leg fastener 62.

[0021] 5, each front leg fastener 63 is fixed to the rear surface 20b of the front leg connecting section 20. Both ends of the front pin portion 61b of the link member 61 are inserted into each front leg fastener 63. As a result, the front pin portion 61b of the link member 61 is rotatably assembled to each front leg fastener 63.

[0022] As a result, in the folding chair 1, as shown in Fig. 3, the rear surface 20b of the front leg connecting portion 20 and the lower connecting portion 50a1 of the seat portion 50 are connected via the link mechanism 60 so as to be movable relative to each other. In other words, the front leg connecting portion 20 and the seat portion 50 are capable of moving relative to each other while maintaining the distance L3 (see Fig. 11A) between the pin axis Q1 of the front pin portion 61b and the pin axis R1 of the rear pin portion 61a.

[0023] Next, a case where the folding chair 1 is changed from a seated position to an upright position will be described. When the front side of the seat 50 of the folding chair 1 in the seated position as shown in FIG. 1 is lifted upward, the seat 50 rotates about the rotation axis P1 relative to the rear leg connector 40 as shown in FIG. 6. At this time, because the seat 50 and the front leg connector 20 are assembled via the link mechanism 60 and the seat 50 and the rear leg connector 40 are assembled via the hinges 51, the front legs 10 and the rear legs 30 rotate about the rotation axis O1 so as to approach each other from the state shown in FIG. 3 as shown in FIG. 8. In this way, the folding chair 1 assumes an upright position in which the seat 50 is upright, as shown in FIGS. 6 to 10.

[0024] Here, as shown in Fig. 3, the length W1 in the front-to-rear direction when the folding chair 1 is in a seated position is 485 mm. In contrast, as shown in Fig. 8, the length W2 in the front-to-rear direction when the folding chair 1 is in an upright position is 225 mm. Therefore, by changing the folding chair 1 from the seated position to the upright position, the length in the front-to-rear direction can be reduced to half or more, and the folding chair 1 can be made compact in the front-to-rear direction.

[0025] In addition, in the folding chair 1 of this embodiment, the lower ends 11a of the front legs 11 of each front leg portion 10 and the lower ends 31a of the rear legs 31 of each rear leg portion 30 are in contact with the ground not only in the seated position shown in FIG. 1 but also in the standing position shown in FIG. 6 . This allows the folding chair 1 to stand on its own when in the standing position. This eliminates the need to lean the folding chair 1 against a wall or the like when in the standing position. In other words, the ability of the folding chair 1 to stand on its own when in the standing position reduces the risk of the folding chair 1 tipping over compared to when the folding chair is leaned against a wall or the like. Furthermore, when changing the folding chair 1 from the seated position to the standing position, the lower ends 11a of each front leg 11 and the lower ends 31a of each rear leg 31 are in contact with the ground, allowing the folding chair 1 to be folded with stable operation.

[0026] Incidentally, in order to maintain the folding chair 1 of this embodiment in an upright position, a holding mechanism 70 is provided. Specifically, as shown in Figures 3 and 5, the holding mechanism 70 is provided below the seat 50 and is composed of a U-shaped U-section 71 fixed to the front pin section 61b of the link member 61, and a holder 72 fixed to the rear leg connecting section 40.

[0027] As shown in Figure 5, the U-shaped portion 71 is provided in the left-right center of the front pin portion 61b of the link member 61, and both left and right sides of the U-shaped portion extend diagonally downward toward the rear from the front pin portion 61b (see Figure 3). The rear side of the U-shaped portion 71 extends in the left-right direction and has a circular columnar (round bar) cross section. In this way, the U-shaped portion 71 is attached to the front leg connecting portion 20 via the link member 61 and the front leg fastener 63, and therefore moves integrally with the movement of the front leg connecting portion 20 and each front leg 10.

[0028] As shown in Fig. 5, the holder 72 is attached to the center in the left-right direction of the rear leg connecting part 40. This holder 72 is made of synthetic resin, and as shown in Figs. 3 and 8, the front side of the holder 72 is roughly U-shaped in side view. The holder 72 is configured to hold the rear side of the U-shaped part 71 by sandwiching it from above and below (see Figs. 8 and 10). In other words, the positional relationship between the rear side of the U-shaped part 71 and the holder 72 is set so that the rear side of the U-shaped part 71 can be held by the holder 72 when the folding chair 1 is in an upright position.

[0029] Thus, when the folding chair 1 is in the seated position, the rear side of the U-shaped portion 71 and the retainer 72 are spaced apart in the front-to-rear direction, as shown in Figures 3 and 5. When the folding chair 1 changes from the seated position to the standing position, the front legs 11 and the front-leg connectors 20, and the rear legs 31 and the rear-leg connectors 40 rotate to approach each other, causing the rear side of the U-shaped portion 71 to approach the retainer 72. As a result, the rear side of the U-shaped portion 71 moves rearward, pushing against the retainer 72. When the folding chair 1 is in the standing position, the rear side of the U-shaped portion 71 is held so as to be sandwiched by the retainer 72, as shown in Figures 8 and 10. As a result, the front leg connectors 20 and the rear leg connectors 40 are connected via the holding mechanism 70, and the standing position of the folding chair 1 can be maintained.

[0030] As described above, when the folding chair 1 is in an upright position, the upright position can be made more stable by the holding mechanism 70. In other words, when the folding chair 1 is in an upright position, the holding mechanism 70 can prevent the front legs 10 and the rear legs 30 from accidentally rotating about the rotation axis O1 so as to move away from each other, and from attempting to return to a seated position.

[0031] When changing the folding chair 1 from an upright position to a seated position, the front side of the seat 50 is rotated downward. At this time, the front legs 11 and the front leg connectors 20, and the rear legs 31 and the rear leg connectors 40 rotate so as to move away from each other, causing the rear side of the U-shaped portion 71 to be pulled forward relative to the holder 72. This releases the holder 72 from holding the rear side of the U-shaped portion 71, and the U-shaped portion 71 and the holder 72 move away from each other in the front-to-rear direction. In this way, the holding mechanism 70 of this embodiment can easily release the hold between the U-shaped portion 71 and the holder 72.

[0032] Next, side views of the folding chair 1 as it changes from a seated position to an upright position will be described with reference to Figures 11A, 11B, and 11C. Figure 11A shows the folding chair 1 in a seated position, Figure 11B shows the folding chair 1 in an intermediate position between the seated position and the upright position, and Figure 11C shows the folding chair 1 in an upright position. Figures 11A, 11B, and 11C show the states in which the folding chair changes from the seated position to the intermediate position and then to the upright position while maintaining the distance L1 between the rotation axis O1 and the pin axis Q1, the distance L2 between the rotation axis O1 and the rotation axis P1, the distance L3 between the pin axis Q1 and the pin axis R1, and the distance L4 between the rotation axis P1 and the pin axis R1.

[0033] In the seated position shown in Fig. 11A, the seat 50 is substantially horizontal. Therefore, the height of the pin axis R1 and the height of the rotation axis P1 are substantially the same. The seat 50 is supported between each front leg 11 and each rear leg 31 by the front leg connectors 20 and the rear leg connectors 40, and each front leg 11 and each rear leg 31 are in the most open position in the front-to-rear direction. Thus, in the seated position, an isosceles triangle is formed by the rotation axis O1, the lower end 11a of the front leg 11, and the lower end 31a of the rear leg 31, as shown by the two-dot chain line N1 in Fig. 11A.

[0034] In the intermediate position shown in Fig. 11B, the front side of the seat section 50 is rotated upward about the rotation axis P1 compared to the seated position shown in Fig. 11A. Therefore, the height of the pin axis R1 is higher than the height of the rotation axis P1. Accordingly, the front legs 11 and the front leg connectors 20, and the rear legs 31 and the rear leg connectors 40 have rotated about the rotation axis O1 so as to be closer to each other than in the state shown in Fig. 11A. Thus, in the intermediate position, an isosceles triangle is formed by the rotation axis O1, the lower ends 11a of the front legs 11, and the lower ends 31a of the rear legs 31, as shown by the two-dot chain line N2 in Fig. 11B.

[0035] In the upright posture shown in FIG. 11C, the front side of the seat 50 is rotated upward about the rotation axis P1 compared to the intermediate posture shown in FIG. 11B. Therefore, the height of the pin axis R1 relative to the rotation axis P1 is higher than in the state shown in FIG. 11B. Accordingly, the front legs 11 and the front-leg connectors 20, and the rear legs 31 and the rear-leg connectors 40, have rotated about the rotation axis O1 to move closer to each other than in the state shown in FIG. 11B. Thus, in the upright posture, an isosceles triangle is formed by the rotation axis O1, the lower ends 11a of the front legs 11, and the lower ends 31a of the rear legs 31, as shown by the two-dot chain line N3 in FIG. 11C.

[0036] Thus, in the folding chair 1 of this embodiment, the isosceles triangle formed by the rotation axis O1, the lower end 11a of the front leg 11, and the lower end 31a of the rear leg 31 is always maintained during the process of folding from the seated position shown in Fig. 11A to the intermediate position shown in Fig. 11B to the standing position shown in Fig. 11C. Therefore, the folding chair 1 can be folded with a constantly stable operation from the seated position shown in Fig. 11A to the standing position shown in Fig. 11C.

[0037] 14, in a side view in an upright position (folded state), a pseudo isosceles triangle is formed by a pseudo imaginary line K1 connecting the axial center of rotation pin 111, the axial center of rotation pin 151, and bottom ground contact point 130a of rear leg 130, a virtual line K2 connecting the axial center of rotation pin 111 and bottom ground contact point 110a of front leg 110, and a virtual line K3 connecting bottom ground contact point 110a of front leg 110 and bottom ground contact point 130a of rear leg 130. This pseudo isosceles triangle enables folding chair 100 in an upright position to stand on its own.

[0038] However, the pseudo isosceles triangle described above is only formed in the standing posture shown in Fig. 14, and the pseudo isosceles triangle is not always formed in the process from the sitting posture shown in Fig. 13 to the standing posture shown in Fig. 14. Therefore, the folding chair 1 of this embodiment, in which an isosceles triangle is always formed from the sitting posture shown in Fig. 11A to the standing posture shown in Fig. 11C, can be folded with a more stable operation than the conventional folding chair 100.

[0039] Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described. According to the folding chair 1 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the front legs 10 and the rear legs 30 are connected to each other above the seat 50 in a seated position so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis O1 extending in the left-right direction. The rear side 50B of the seat 50 (see FIG. 6) is rotatable about a rotation axis P1 extending in the left-right direction relative to each of the rear legs 30. The front leg connectors 20 connecting the front legs 10 at both left and right ends support the seat in a seated position, as shown in FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 3, the front leg connectors 20 and a lower connector portion 50a1 on the underside of the seat 50, which is rearward of the front leg connectors 20 and forward of the rotation axis, are connected via a link mechanism 60 so as to be relatively movable.

[0040] In this way, when the front side of the seat 50 is rotated upward from the seated position shown in Figure 3, the link mechanism 60 causes the seat to assume an upright position while maintaining the distance L1 between the pivot axis O1 and the pin axis Q1, the distance L2 between the pivot axis O1 and the rotation axis P1, the distance L3 between the pin axis Q1 and the pin axis R1, and the distance L4 between the pin axis R1 and the rotation axis P1, as shown in Figures 11A, 11B, and 11C.

[0041] As described above, in the folding chair 1 of this embodiment, the link mechanism 60 is provided below the seat 50, and is not located further outward in the left-right direction than the seat 150, as in the conventional folding chair 100 shown in Figures 13 and 14. Therefore, there is no risk of fingers being pinched by the link member 61 when the folding chair 1 changes between a seated position and an upright position. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the link mechanism 60 is not exposed further outward in the left-right direction than the seat 50, which simplifies the appearance of the folding chair 1 and improves its design. Therefore, a folding chair 1 that is highly safe and has excellent design can be provided.

[0042] The pin axis Q1 is the axial center of the front pin portion 61b of the link member 61, and the front pin portion 61b is fixed to the front leg connecting portion 20 via each of the front leg fasteners 63 (see FIG. 5). Therefore, the position of the pin axis Q1 can be regarded as the position of the front leg connecting portion 20, and the distance L1 between the rotation axis O1 and the pin axis Q1 can also be said to be the distance L1 between the rotation axis O1 and the front leg connecting portion 20 (see FIG. 11A). Similarly, the pin axis R1 is the axial center of the rear pin portion 61a of the link member 61, and the rear pin portion 61a is fixed to the lower connecting portion 50a1 of the seat portion 50 via each of the rear leg fasteners 62 (see FIG. 5). Therefore, the position of pin axis R1 can be regarded as the position of the lower connecting portion 50a1, and the distance L3 between pin axis Q1 and pin axis R1 can also be regarded as the distance L3 between the front leg connecting portion 20 and the lower connecting portion 50a1, and the distance L4 between pin axis R1 and rotation axis P1 can also be regarded as the distance L4 between the lower connecting portion 50a1 and rotation axis P1.

[0043] Next, modified examples will be described. In the description of the modified examples, the same components as those in the first embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. Of course, the components according to the modified examples may be appropriately combined. Furthermore, technical features in the first embodiment and the following modified examples may be appropriately deleted unless they are described as essential in this specification.

[0044] <Second form> A folding chair 1A of the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 12. In the folding chair 1 of the first embodiment described above, as shown in FIG. 6, the rear side 50B of the seat 50 is attached to the rear leg connectors 40 via the hinges 51. This allows the rear side 50B of the seat 50 to rotate around the rotation axis P1 relative to the rear legs 30. In contrast, in the folding chair 1A of the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, the rear side 50B of the seat 50 is attached to each rear leg 31 (each rear leg 30) via the rotation pins 34 extending in the left-right direction. This allows the rear side 50B of the seat 50 to rotate around the rotation axis P1 of the rotation pins 34 relative to the rear legs 30. In this way, in the second embodiment, since the rear side 50B of the seat 50 is attached to each rear leg 31, it is possible to eliminate the need for a rear leg connector 40. The other structures of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment, and therefore detailed explanations will be omitted.

[0045] In the folding chair 1A of the second embodiment, like the folding chair 1 of the first embodiment, the link mechanism 60 is provided below the seat 50. Therefore, similar to the effect of the first embodiment described above, there is no risk of fingers being pinched by the link mechanism 60. Furthermore, because the link mechanism 60 is not exposed outside the seat 50 in the left-right direction, the appearance of the folding chair 1A can be simplified.

[0046] The differences between the folding chair 1 of the first embodiment and the folding chair 1A of the second embodiment are as follows. In the folding chair 1 of the first embodiment, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, when the chair is in a seated position, the seat 50 can be stably supported by both the front leg connectors 20 and the rear leg connectors 40. In contrast, in the folding chair 1A of the second embodiment, as shown in Fig. 12, when the chair is in a seated position, the seat 50 is supported by the front leg connectors 20, the rotation pins 34, and the rear legs 31. Unlike the folding chair 1A of the second embodiment, the folding chair 1 of the first embodiment is not structured so that the rear side 50B of the seat 50 is directly attached to the rear legs 30, but is structured so that the rear side 50B of the seat 50 is rotatably attached around the rotation axis P1 using the rear leg connectors 40 extending in the left-right direction (see Fig. 6).

[0047] <Other variations> In each of the above embodiments, as shown in Fig. 5, the link mechanism 60 includes a link member 61, rear leg fasteners 62, and front leg fasteners 63. However, the configuration of the link mechanism 60 is not limited to that described above and can be modified as appropriate as long as it connects the front leg connecting portion 20 and the lower connecting portion 50a1 of the seat portion 50 so as to be movable relative to each other. For example, it is also possible to provide a single link rod extending in the front-to-rear direction, with the front end of the link rod rotatably assembled to the front leg connecting portion 20 and the rear end of the link rod rotatably assembled to the lower connecting portion 50a1 of the seat portion 50.

[0048] In the above embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 8 , the holding mechanism 70 is composed of a U-shaped portion 71 and a holding device 72. However, the configuration of the holding mechanism 70 is not limited to the above and can be modified as appropriate as long as it can connect the front leg connecting portion 20 and the rear leg connecting portion 40 and maintain the upright posture when the robot is in the upright posture. For example, the front leg connecting portion 20 may be provided with a front leg protrusion that protrudes rearward, and an adhesive sheet member may be attached to the rear surface of the front leg protrusion. Alternatively, the rear leg connecting portion 40 may be provided with a rear leg protrusion that protrudes forward, and an adhesive sheet member may be attached to the front surface of the rear leg protrusion. Then, when the robot is in the upright posture, the adhesive sheet members of the front leg protrusion and the rear leg protrusion are brought into contact with each other and adhered to each other. In this way, the front leg connecting portion 20 and the rear leg connecting portion 40 may be connected to maintain the upright posture.

[0049] In each of the above embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6 , the front leg connector 20 is a single member that connects the front legs 10 at both left and right ends. However, the front leg connector 20 is not limited to being composed of a single member, and may be composed of multiple (two or more) members. For example, the front leg connector may be composed of upper front leg connectors that are connected to the front legs 10 at both left and right ends and support the seat 50 when the user is in the seated position, and lower front leg connectors that are connected to the front legs 10 at both left and right ends below the upper front leg connectors. In this case, the lower front leg connectors and the lower connector portion 50a1 of the seat 50 may be connected via a link mechanism 60 so as to be movable relative to each other.

[0050] In each of the above embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6 , the rear leg connector 40 is a single member that connects each of the rear legs 30 at both left and right ends. However, the rear leg connector 40 is not limited to being composed of a single member, and may be composed of multiple (two or more) members. For example, the rear leg connector may be composed of upper rear leg connectors that are connected to each of the rear legs 30 at both left and right ends and support the rear side of the seat 50 when the robot is in the seated position, and lower rear leg connectors that are connected to each of the rear legs 30 at both left and right ends below the upper rear leg connectors. In this case, a retention mechanism may be provided that connects the front leg connector 20 and the lower rear leg connector when the robot is in the standing position and maintains the standing position.

[0051] In each of the above embodiments, a certain part (e.g., rotation axis P1, pivot axis O1) extending in the left-right direction does not necessarily mean that the part extends in the left-right direction so as to be completely parallel to the ground. In other words, if a certain part appears to extend substantially in the left-right direction, this is included in the meaning that the part extends in the left-right direction even if the part is slightly tilted relative to the left-right direction. Similarly, if a certain part appears to extend substantially in the up-down direction, this is included in the meaning that the part extends in the up-down direction even if the part is slightly tilted relative to the up-down direction. Similarly, if a certain part appears to extend substantially in the front-rear direction, this is included in the meaning that the part extends in the front-rear direction even if the part is slightly tilted relative to the front-rear direction.

[0052] Here, the above-mentioned embodiments include the following inventions of the respective means. In the explanation of the means shown below, the corresponding component names and expressions in the above-mentioned embodiments and the symbols used in the drawings are added in parentheses for reference. However, the components of each invention are not limited to these additions.

[0053] The invention according to means 1 is as follows: A pair of left and right front legs (10); A pair of left and right rear legs (30); a seat portion (50) on which the seat can be seated; The rear side (50B) of the seat (50) is rotatable around a rotation axis (O1) extending in the left-right direction relative to each of the rear legs (30), The folding chair (1) has a seated position in which the seat (50) can be sat on, and an upright position in which the front side of the seat (50) rotates upward from the seated position, causing the seat (50) to stand up, The front legs (10) and the rear legs (30) are connected to each other so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis (P1) extending in the left-right direction above the seat when the seat is in the seated position, a front leg connecting portion (20) extending in the left-right direction and connecting the front leg portions at both left and right ends; The front leg connecting portion (20) supports the seat portion (50) when the seated posture is in place, This folding chair is characterized in that the front leg connecting portion (20) and a lower connecting portion (50a1) on the underside of the seat portion (50), which is rearward of the front leg connecting portion (20) and forward of the rotation axis (P1), are connected to each other via a link mechanism (60) so as to be able to move relative to each other (see Figure 3).

[0054] In a folding chair with this configuration, when the chair is in a seated position, the front legs and rear legs are connected to each other above the seat and rotatably about a rotation axis extending in the left-right direction. The rear side of the seat can rotate about a rotation axis extending in the left-right direction relative to the rear legs. The front leg connectors, which connect the front legs at both ends, support the seat when the chair is in a seated position. The front leg connectors are connected to a lower connector portion on the underside of the seat, which is rearward of the front leg connectors and forward of the rotation axis, via a link mechanism for relative movement. When the front side of the seat is rotated upward from the seated position, the link mechanism maintains the distance between the rotation axis and the front leg connector, the distance between the rotation axis and the rotation axis, the distance between the front leg connector and the lower connector portion, and the distance between the lower connector portion and the rotation axis, and the distance between the lower connector portion and the rotation axis, thereby achieving an upright position. As described above, by providing the link mechanism below the seat, there is no risk of fingers getting pinched by the link mechanism when the folding chair changes from a seated position to an upright position. Furthermore, because the link mechanism is not exposed to the left or right of the seat, the appearance of the folding chair is simplified and the design can be improved. Therefore, it is possible to provide a folding chair that is both highly safe and has excellent design.

[0055] The invention according to means 2 is as follows: In the folding chair according to Means 1, a rear leg connecting portion (40) extending in the left-right direction and connecting the respective rear leg portions (30) at both left and right ends; The rear leg connecting portion (40) supports a rear side (50B) of the seat portion (50) when the seated posture is in place, The folding chair is characterized in that the rear side (50B) of the seat (50) is attached to the rear leg connecting portion (40) so as to be rotatable around the rotation axis (P1) (see FIG. 6).

[0056] With this folding chair, the seat can be stably supported by both the front and rear leg connectors when in a seated position. Furthermore, rather than assembling the rear side of the seat directly to the rear legs, the rear side of the seat can be assembled to be rotatable around the axis of rotation using the rear leg connectors that extend in the left-right direction.

[0057] The invention according to means 3 is as follows: In the folding chair according to means 2, This folding chair is characterized by being equipped with a retention mechanism (70) that connects the front leg connecting portion (20) and the rear leg connecting portion (40) when in the upright position, thereby maintaining the upright position (see Figure 10).

[0058] With this folding chair, when the chair is in an upright position, the front leg connectors and the rear leg connectors are connected by the retaining mechanism, thereby maintaining the upright position, thereby making the upright position more stable.

[0059] The invention according to means 4 is as follows: In the folding chair according to any one of means 1 to 3, This folding chair is characterized in that when in the upright position, the lower ends (11a) of the front legs and the lower ends (31a) of the rear legs are in contact with the ground, making it self-standing (see Figures 11A, 11B, and 11C).

[0060] With this type of folding chair, the lower ends of the front and rear legs are in contact with the ground when the chair is in an upright position, allowing it to stand on its own. This eliminates the need to lean the folding chair against a wall or other surface when in an upright position. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 1, 1A...Folding chair 10...front leg 11...front legs 11a...lower end 20…Front leg connection part 30... Hind leg 31...hind legs 31a…lower end 40...Rear leg connection part 50...Seat part 50a…Bottom surface 50a1…lower connection part 50B…Back side 60...Link mechanism 70...holding mechanism O1...Rotation axis P1...Rotation axis Q1...Pin shaft R1...Pin shaft

Claims

1. A pair of left and right front legs, A pair of left and right hind legs, a seat portion that can be sat on, a rear side of the seat portion is rotatable about a rotation axis extending in the left-right direction relative to each of the rear legs; A folding chair that can take a seated position in which the seat can be sat on and a standing position in which the front side of the seat rotates upward from the seated position to stand up, The front legs and the rear legs are connected to each other so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis extending in the left-right direction above the seat when the seat is in the seated position, a front leg connecting portion extending in the left-right direction and connecting the front leg portions at both left and right ends, the front leg connector supports the seat when in the seated position, A folding chair characterized in that the front leg connecting portion and a lower connecting portion on the underside of the seat, which is rearward of the front leg connecting portion and forward of the pivot axis, are connected to each other so as to be able to move relative to each other via a link mechanism.

2. The folding chair according to claim 1, a rear leg connecting portion extending in the left-right direction and connecting the rear legs at both left and right ends, the rear leg connecting portion supports the rear side of the seat portion when in the seated posture, A folding chair, characterized in that the rear side of the seat is attached to the rear leg connecting portion so as to be rotatable around the rotation axis.

3. The folding chair according to claim 2, A folding chair characterized in that it comprises a holding mechanism that, when in the upright position, connects the front leg connecting portion and the rear leg connecting portion to hold the upright position.

4. The folding chair according to any one of claims 1 to 3, When the folding chair is in the upright position, the lower ends of the front legs and the lower ends of the rear legs are in contact with the ground, making the chair self-standing.

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