Folding chair

Abstract

To provide a folding chair capable of self-supporting in a folded state and being stably used, and being placed on a floor surface or the like without applying damage to a backrest part.SOLUTION: A folding chair has front legs 1, rear legs 3, a seat part 11, and a backrest 14 which are coupled so as to be folded. On lower ends of the front legs 1, forward bent parts 17 are provided, and on lower ends of the rear legs, rearward bent parts 18 are provided. A length of the forward bent part 17 and a length of the rearward bent part 18 are formed in a length at which the front legs 1, the rear legs 3, the seat part 11 and the backrest 14 can be accommodated in an upper part in a minimum separation interval L2 between respective grounding parts 20, 21 of the forward bent parts 17 and the rearward bent parts 18 in a folded state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a folding chair, and more particularly to a folding chair that can stand on its own in a folded state.

Background Art

[0002] A folding chair in which a front leg, a rear leg, and a seat are connected so as to be foldable is widely known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The folding chair described in Patent Document 1 has a front leg having a pair of front leg rods whose lower ends are in contact with the floor, a rear leg pivotally attached to an intermediate portion of the front leg so as to be foldable and having a pair of rear leg rods whose lower ends are in contact with the floor, and a seat rotatably incorporated so as to move between a seating position and a spring-up position during a folding operation. A backrest is provided above the front leg. When this chair is folded, the front surface of the rear leg contacts the rear surface of the front leg, and the lower ends of the front leg and the rear leg are close to each other, but only the lower end of the rear leg protrudes downward, so that the rear leg alone cannot stand on its own with respect to the floor surface. Therefore, in the normal case, folding chairs are often stacked on top of each other upward in a folded state for storage, or leaned against a storage support stand in a parallel state for storage. Further, in such a folding chair, since the separation distance between the grounding portions where the lower ends of the front leg and the rear leg contact the floor surface is small, it may be unstable in the front-rear direction when seated. In particular, when the height of the seat is set lower than normal, the separation distance between the grounding portions becomes shorter and more unstable, and even when the seat is set higher than normal, it becomes unstable as well.

[0003] In addition, although various configurations are known for the backrest provided above the front leg, as shown in FIG. 8, when the lower end of the backrest 50 is provided to protrude rearward from the rear leg 51 by a fixture, when the front leg 52 and the rear leg 51 are folded and placed on the floor surface 53 or the like, or overlapped, the skin of the backrest 50 may be rubbed and torn or damaged on the floor surface or the like.

[0004] There has also been proposed a folding chair configured to increase the separation distance between the grounding portions of the lower ends of the front legs and the lower ends of the rear legs in the folded state (see, for example, Patent Document 2). The folding chair described in Patent Document 2 includes a front leg member formed in a substantially S shape by forming bending portions above and below a long body that is long in the vertical direction, and similarly, a rear leg member formed in a substantially reverse S shape by forming bending portions in the opposite direction. The upper bending portions are pivotally connected by a hinge in a facing state to form an armrest portion. According to this configuration, when assembled, the lower bending portions extend in a direction away from each other, so it is described that the stability is improved compared to the case where there are no bending portions. However, in the folded state, the lower bending portions approach and move in a direction to be adjacent to each other, so the separation distance between the grounding portions of the front end on the front side of the bending portion of the front leg side member and the rear end on the rear side of the bending portion of the rear leg side member is significantly reduced compared to the use state. Moreover, since the upper portions of the front leg member and the rear leg member in the folded state protrude outside this separation distance, the load from the leg member, seat portion, etc. acts outside the grounding portion. In addition, the seat portion and the backrest hang forward and are biased from the front leg member, so it is unstable to stand on its own, prone to tipping over, and difficult to store compactly.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a folding chair that can stand on its own in the folded state, can be efficiently stored, is stable in the use state, and can be placed on a floor surface or the like without damaging the skin or the like even for a chair in which a part of the backrest protrudes rearward.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0007] According to the present invention, there are provided a front leg having a pair of front leg rods, a rear leg having a pair of rear leg rods foldably connected in parallel with the front leg, a seat portion rotatably supported by the front leg and the rear leg at a folded position and a seating position standing upright in parallel with the front leg, a back frame formed on the upper portion of the front leg rod, and a backrest supported by the back frame. A front bending portion that bends forward and contacts the floor surface is provided at the lower end of the front leg rod, and a rear bending portion that bends backward and contacts the floor surface is provided at the lower end of the rear leg rod. When the front leg and the rear leg are folded, the front bending portion and the rear bending portion are formed to have a length that can accommodate the folded front leg, rear leg, seat portion, and backrest in the upper portion within the minimum separation distance between the front grounding portion where the front bending portion contacts the floor surface and the rear grounding portion where the rear bending portion contacts the floor surface. There is provided a folding chair, and the above problem is solved.

[0008] Preferably, the lower portion of the backrest is rotatably supported by the rear leg rod by a fixture, and the upper portion is housed in front of the back frame. A support rod is pivotally attached to the middle portion of the front leg, and the support rod is slidably inserted into the tip of the rear leg and the rear leg and the front leg are foldably connected by a cylinder method. More preferably, the lower portion of the backrest is located on the rear leg rod side with respect to an imaginary line connecting the back frame and the tip of the rear bending portion of the rear leg, and grounding caps are attached to the front bending portion and the rear bending portion, and grounding protrusions protruding downward are provided on the grounding caps.

Effect of the Invention

[0009] The present invention is configured as described above, and connects a front leg having a pair of front leg rods and a rear leg having a pair of rear leg rods so that they can be folded in a substantially parallel state. By the folding operation, the seat portion is rotatably supported between the front and rear legs in a seating position and a folded position substantially parallel to the front legs, and a backrest frame is formed on the upper part of the front leg rods to hold the backrest. And, since a front bending portion is provided at the lower end of the front leg rod to bend forward and contact the floor surface, and a rear bending portion is provided at the lower end of the rear leg rod to bend backward and contact the floor surface, when the front and rear legs are deployed, a front grounding portion where the front bending portion contacts the floor surface and a rear grounding portion where the rear bending portion contacts the floor surface are widely separated in the front-rear direction, and the maximum separation distance can be widened by the front bending portion and the rear bending portion compared to a conventional folding chair. Therefore, it is possible to sit in a more stable state compared to a conventional chair.

[0010] When folded, the front grounding portion of the front bending portion and the rear grounding portion of the rear bending portion move in a direction closer to each other, but the minimum separation interval between the grounding portions can be increased compared to a conventional folding chair without a bending portion. Moreover, since the front bending portion and the rear bending portion are configured to have a length that can accommodate the front and rear legs, the seat portion, and the backrest in the folded state in the upper portion within the minimum separation interval between these grounding portions, the load from the front and rear legs, the seat portion, the backrest, etc. in the folded state is stably supported between the separated front bending portion and rear bending portion, and the chair can be made to stand on its own. Since it can stand on its own in the folded state in this way, efficient and compact storage is possible when storing.

[0011] Furthermore, if the lower part of the backrest is provided on the side of the rear leg rod rather than on the virtual line connecting the backrest frame and the tip of the rear bending portion of the rear leg, a space can be formed between the floor surface and the lower part of the backrest when placed on the floor surface or the like in the folded state, so there is no risk of damaging the skin of the backrest or the like. Also, if grounding caps are attached to the front bending portion and the rear bending portion, and grounding protrusions protruding downward are provided on the lower surface of the grounding caps, the floor surface will not be damaged, and the grounding caps themselves can also be used for a long time.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of the folding chair of the present invention. In the present invention, the side facing forward when seated is referred to as "front" and the back side as "rear" for explanation. As shown in FIG. 1, a front leg 1 having a pair of front leg rods 2 formed of pipe materials with a circular cross-section, and a rear leg 3 having a pair of rear leg rods 4 pivotally attached to the middle part of the front leg 1 so as to be foldable are provided. The left and right front leg rods 2 and rear leg rods 4 are respectively connected by a front leg connecting rod 5 and a rear leg connecting rod 6. Above the front leg 1, a back frame 7 is formed which extends continuously with the left and right front leg rods 2 while curving rearward.

[0014] The rear leg 3 is connected to be foldable along the front leg 1 in a substantially parallel state. As a means of connection, various configurations can be adopted. Preferably, as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1, the rear leg 3 and the front leg 1 are connected by a cylinder method. That is, a support rod 8 is pivotally attached to the middle part of the front leg 1 with a pin 9, and the lower end of this support rod 8 is slidably inserted into the rear leg rod 4. With this configuration, when folding, the rear leg rod 4 serves as a cylinder, and the rear leg 3 can slide while rotating in the vertical direction to be deployed and folded. In the deployed state, the inner tip of the support rod 8 (not shown in the figure) is configured to abut against a stopper 10 to prevent finger jamming (not shown in the figure).

[0015] The seat portion 11 has its middle part pivotally attached to the front leg 1 with a pin 12, and its rear part pivotally attached to a bracket 13 provided on the upper part of the rear leg 3, and is provided to be rotatable. With this configuration, as shown in FIG. 1, in the deployed state of the folding chair, the seat portion 11 is held in a substantially horizontal seating position. When folding, as the rear leg 3 rotates and moves downward, the front part of the seat portion 11 is bounced upward and moves to a folded position where it stands almost parallel to the front leg 1 (see FIG. 3).

[0016] A backrest 14 is supported on the back frame 7. The backrest 14 can be configured in various ways. Preferably, as shown in the embodiment, the upper part of the backrest is housed in the front side of the back frame 7 so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and the lower part is configured to extend in the direction of the rear leg rod. As shown in the side view of FIG. 2 and the like, a substantially L-shaped fixture 15 is provided on the lower part of the backrest 14, and the fixture 15 is pivotally attached to the inner side surface of the rear leg so as to be rotatable. With this configuration, when folding, as the rear leg 3 rotates and moves downward, the backrest 14 moves downward along the back frame 7, and moves upward when deployed.

[0017] At the lower end of the front leg rod 2, a front bending portion 17 is provided which bends forward and extends in a direction contacting the floor surface 16, and at the lower end of the rear leg rod 4, a rear bending portion 18 is provided which bends rearward and extends in a direction contacting the floor surface 16. Preferably, a grounding cap 19 is attached to the tip of each bending portion 17, 18. When the folding chair is unfolded, the front bending portion 17 and the rear bending portion 18 move largely apart in the front-rear direction, and the distance between the front grounding portion 20 where the front bending portion 17 contacts the floor surface 16 and the rear grounding portion 21 where the rear bending portion 18 contacts the floor surface 16 becomes the maximum separation interval L1. Also, when the front legs 1 and the rear legs 3 are folded, the front grounding portion 20 and the rear grounding portion 21 approach each other, and the minimum separation interval L2 is formed between the front and rear grounding portions. This minimum separation interval L2 is much larger than the interval between the grounding portions when a conventional folding chair is folded. And the lengths of the front bending portion 17 and the rear bending portion 18 are formed to be such lengths that the front legs 1, the rear legs 3, the seat portion 11 and the backrest 14 in the folded state can be accommodated in the upper part within the minimum separation interval L2 between the front grounding portion 20 and the rear grounding portion 21.

[0018] The grounding cap 19 attached to the front bending portion 17 and the rear bending portion 18 is formed of a plastic material, and on the lower surface of the grounding cap, a grounding protrusion 22 with a required thickness protruding downward toward the floor surface 16 is provided. With this grounding cap 19, the floor surface 16 is not damaged, and the grounding protrusion 22 also enables the grounding cap 19 itself to be used over a long period.

[0019] As shown in the embodiment, when the lower part of the backrest 14 is attached to the rear leg rod 4 of the rear leg 3 by the fixture 15, the rear surface of the upper part of the backrest 14 is supported by the back frame 7, but the rear surface of the lower part is located behind the rear leg rod 4. Therefore, when placed on the floor surface 16 in the folded state, the skin of the backrest 14 may be rubbed and damaged. Thus, as shown in FIG. 3, in the present invention, the lower part of the backrest 14 is provided on the side of the rear leg rod 4 rather than on the virtual line 23 connecting the rear end of the back frame 7 and the rear bent portion 18 of the rear leg 3. With this configuration, as shown in FIG. 6, since the virtual line 23 is substantially coincident with the floor surface 16, the lower part of the backrest 14 does not contact the floor surface 16, and damage can be prevented.

[0020] With the above configuration, in the folding chair of the present invention, in the use state, the front bent portion 17 and the rear bent portion 18 are separated in the front-rear direction, so that the maximum separation distance L1 between the front and rear grounding portions 20, 21 is larger than that of the conventional folding chair, and thus it is possible to sit in a stable state. Also, in the folded state, the rear leg 3 and the seat portion 11 are folded substantially parallel along the front leg 1, but the minimum separation distance L2 between the grounding portions 20, 21 of the front bent portion 17 and the rear bent portion 18 is larger than the minimum separation distance in the case of the conventional folding chair, and the lengths of the front bent portion 17 and the rear bent portion 18 are formed to be such that the front leg 1, the rear leg 3, etc. in the folded state can be accommodated in the upper portion within the minimum separation distance L2. Therefore, it is possible to make the folding chair stand on its own without falling over. And when storing a plurality of chairs in the front-rear direction, if the center of the second chair is shifted by the thickness of the pipe of the rear leg of the first chair and stacked, and the third chair is stacked in alignment with the center of the first chair, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, they can be efficiently stored.

[0021] FIG. 7 shows another embodiment, which shows a folding chair with casters 24 attached to the front bent portion 17 and the rear bent portion 18. When such casters 24 are attached, since the bent portions 17, 18 extend in the front-rear direction, the attachment is easy and the running stability can also be ensured.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0022] 1 Front leg 2 Front leg rod 3 Rear leg 4 Rear leg rod 7 Back frame 11 Seat part 14 Backrest 17 Front flexion part 18 Rear flexion part 19 Grounding cap 20 Front grounding part 21 Rear grounding part

Claims

Claim 1 a front leg having a pair of front leg rods, a rear leg having a pair of rear leg rods foldably connected in parallel with the front leg, a seat portion rotatably supported by the front leg and the rear leg at a folding position and a seating position standing parallel to the front leg, a back frame formed on an upper portion of the front leg rod, a backrest supported by the back frame, a front bending portion that bends forward and contacts the floor surface is provided at a lower end of the front leg rod, a rear bending portion that bends rearward and contacts the floor surface is provided at a lower end of the rear leg rod, when the front leg and the rear leg are folded, the front bending portion contacts the floor surface at a front grounding portion, and an upper portion within a minimum separation interval between the front grounding portion and a rear grounding portion where the rear bending portion contacts the floor surface, the front bending portion and the rear bending portion are formed to have a length capable of accommodating the folded front leg, rear leg, seat portion and backrest, further, a lower portion of the backrest is rotatably supported by the rear leg rod by a fixture, an upper portion is housed in a front surface of the back frame, and a lower portion of the backrest is positioned on a rear leg rod side with respect to a virtual line connecting a rear end of the back frame and a rear bending portion of the rear leg. A folding chair characterized by this.

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