Abstract:
Sturdy and easily adjustable lawn furniture provides for use on sloped surfaces ranging from zero to thirty degrees. Provisions are made so that adjustment of the furniture made be effected while in use. Additional features include a drink holder and a holder for printed materials.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/137,318, filed Jun. 3, 1999. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     This invention relates to rugged, yet lightweight, outdoor furniture that is continuously adjustable to accommodate being employed on varying terrain. 
     Attendees of outdoor spectator events, such as golf, baseball, soccer, fireworks displays and parades, for example, typically use lawn furniture for seating during the event. Seating is commonly placed on nearby grass areas which may or may not be flat. A broad range of portable, folding and compact outdoor furniture is available in today&#39;s market but their designs are optimized for level or horizontal surfaces. The furniture is not the problem, rather it is the way the furniture is ill-suited to be used on sloping ground. 
     Depending on the angle of the ground or slope, the seat of most chairs remains roughly parallel (actually around 6°) relative to the ground upon which it is situated. As the slope of the ground increases, the angle of an individual&#39;s seated position relative to horizontal decreases. As the seating angle approaches zero and becomes negative, the seated individual&#39;s constant attempt to brace himself to keep from sliding out of the chair or to keep the chair from toppling forward does not create a situation of relaxed comfort, the goal of sitting in a chair in the first place. At some point of discomfort individuals, having nothing more than a fixed-leg lawn chair, may completely abandon the chair and elect to sit on the ground or try to find flatter ground for their chairs rather than fight the slope. Unfortunately, flatter ground simply may not exist, may be occupied by others or may offer an inferior viewing perspective of the event being observed. 
     In order to compensate for various grades or slopes, the legs of a chair should be easily and continuously adjustable to adapt to a wide degree of slopes in order to maintain a somewhat normal and comfortable seating angle. In addition, since the configuration and appearance of a portable chair may be subject to rules and restrictions at certain spectator events, a chair&#39;s capacity to adapt to sloping terrain seating may be subject to certain other physical limitations. For example, the current rules governing portable seating at the Memorial Golf Tournament held at the Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio prohibit, among other things, chairs with arms and chairs over a certain height. 
     Attempts to solve this seating problem have resulted in several patents being granted patents for adjustable portable chairs. However, as will be evident from the discourse below, each of these attempts have shortcomings which have prevented them from fully achieving a solution to the slope problem. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,772,068, issued to Gleckler et al., discloses a portable folding chair intended for use on sloping terrain by fisherman and campers. Glecker et al.&#39;s chair employs an adjustable extension which is limited to three fixed positions, which accommodates three different degrees of slope. The chair is not easily adjustable from the multiple, fixed seated positions and appears relatively complicated. In addition, the chair has arms which would prevent it from being used at certain events. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,494,333, issued to Wilson, discloses a chair which provides either three or four individually adjustable legs such that the chair can be used on a variety of terrain. Like Gleckler et al. the number of positions is fixed and thus cannot conform continuously to a wide degree of slopes. The legs do not appear to be easily adjustable by a user from a seated position. Like the Glecker chair, the Wilson chair has arms and thus would not conform to events accepting only portable chairs without arms. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,642, issued to Herzog, discloses a folding stool, with individually adjustable legs, that is adaptable for use on various sloped terrains. However, like the other chairs in the cited patents, the legs are not adjustable from a seated position and adjustment is limited to fixed number of angles based upon predetermined, fixed hole spacings. While Herzog has no arms, its ability of increasing the height of the stool for better viewing over crowds would violate chair policies for events regulating maximum allowable seat height for portable seating. 
     What is needed is sturdy, portable lawn furniture that is easily and quickly adjustable to accommodate varying slopes of terrain. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides sturdy, portable lawn furniture that is easily and quickly adjustable to accommodate varying slopes of terrain. The furniture is provided with embodiments that can be used as either chairs or tables, depending upon whether the structure is provided with a back rest. 
     The disclosed invention provides numerous features and advantages over the prior art in a number of embodiments including: 
     A chair for maintaining a normal seated position on flat, horizontal ground continuously up to thirty degree grades or slopes by utilizing a quick and sturdy rear leg leveling adjustment, 
     A chair that is adjustable from a seated position, 
     Solid construction, high quality materials, light-weight and portable, 
     A portable chair that folds flat for storage and easy portage, 
     A portable chair designed within specified limitations on chair seat height and width and chair back height for select events prohibiting certain chairs, i.e., lawn chairs, solid chairs and chairs with arms, 
     Suitability for commercial and rental applications with sleek look, durability, function and design, 
     Ability to be used on flat or horizontal ground in addition to sloped terrain, 
     An integral beverage holder that swivels from its stored position to accept a standard, tapered, paper or plastic cup, 
     A front slot for captively retaining a card, such as a golf pairing sheet or course description, wedding program, event program, etc., 
     Portible furninture that can be provided with or without a back support, in which case, it can be employed as a stool or a table that is also readily adaptable for use on sloped terrain. 
     These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of one embodiment of the claimed invention detected on level ground; 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of one embodiment of the claimed invention adjusted to accommodate a sloped terrain of 30 degrees; 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of one embodiment of the invention depicting a backless chair or table; 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-section of the slotted channel being engaged by an engaging bolt; and 
     FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of one embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the Figures, a chair  10  incorporating the present invention is there shown employed on level ground. Front leg assembly  12  consists of two parallel and symmetrical side members  14 ,  14 ′, extending the entire height length of chair  10 , permanently connected together at the bottom by a horizontal cross brace  16  and at the top by a horizontal back support  18 . Lower horizontal cross brace  16  is preferably fixed nominally one inch above the lower extent of side members  14 ,  14 ′ (also referred to as front legs  15 ,  15 ′) in order to provide structural stability, a solid foot rest and to limit the amount the front legs penetrate soft ground. Upper horizontal back support  18 , located between side members  14 ,  14 ′ at their upper extents, further strengthens and stabilizes the front leg assembly  12  and provides sufficient back support to a seated user in the embodiment of the invention having a back. 
     The rear leg assembly  20  consists of two separate assemblies  22  and  32 . The upper or forward rear assembly  22  comprises two symmetrical and parallel vertical members  24 ,  24 ′ pivotally fixed adjacent to both the front leg assembly  12  and the seat body  26 . To provide stability, cross brace  28  is fixed horizontally near the lower extent of and between forward rear assembly leg members  24 ,  24 ′. Attached to the rear facing sides of each member of fixed forward rear assembly  22  is a slotted channel  30 ,  30 ′ sized to accept the continuously adjustable lower rear assembly  32 . Channels  30 ,  30 ′ may be provided as commercially available by UNISTRUT®. Referring additionally to FIG. 4, stop pins, such as dipicted at  34 , are attached near the lower extent of each of the channels  30 ,  31 ′ to prevent the lower rear leg assembly  32  from completely disengaging the channels during adjustment. The location of stop pin  34  provides a user with a chair having a seat  26  at a nominal 6 degrees above horizontal. 
     Lower rear assembly  32  comprises two symmetrical and parallel vertical leg members  36 ,  36 ′ permanently connected by upper and lower horizontal cross braces  38 ,  40 . Lower cross brace  40  is located nominally one inch above the lower extent of the leg members  36 ,  36 ′ to provide stability and to limit the amount the leg members penetrate soft ground. In addition, each rear leg member  36 ,  36 ′ has a fixed bolt  42 ,  42 ′ secured with a locknut  44 ,  44 ′ near the top and an engaging bolt  47 ,  47 ′ secured with two-inch knobs  46 ,  46 ′ near the bottom to engage the upper rear assembly  22  and provide continuously variable and easy adjustment of the angle of the chair  10 . Engaging bolts  47 ,  47 ′ may be provided with either a round, square or hexagonal type heads. 
     Seat body  26  comprises numerous slats, as at  48 , preferably evenly spaced and fixed to seat frame  50 . The front sides of the seat body  26  are pivotally attached near the top of the upper rear legs  36 ,  36 ′. The rear portion of seat body  26  is wider than the front portion of the seat in order to slide within longitudinal channels, as at  19  and  19 ′, routed or otherwise located along the inside faces of the front leg assembly  12 . Channels  19  and  19 ′ receive a guide pins  21 ,  21 ′ located near the rear on each side of the seat body  26 . This configuration enables the chair  10  to be folded in a relatively flat plane for easy storage and also provides a stop point for the seat body  26  when unfolded. A through slot  52  is provide within the front horizontal face  27  of the seat body  26  to receive and captively retain flat, printed materials, such as score cards, golf pairing sheets, event programs, and the like. A flexible material (not shown), having a slot corresponding to through slot  52  is attached to the back face of the front side of seat frame  50 , over through slot, to secure any materials inserted into the slot. On the side of seat  26 , and preferably pivotally attached to its underside, is a drink holder  54  which may be constructed out of solid material, such as wood, plastic or metal with a hole that accommodates various sized beverage containers. When not in use, beverage holder  54  is rotated out of site and stored under seat body  26 . 
     The chair  10  is sturdy having been weight tested up to 300 lbs. It may be constructed from metal, wood, composite materials or molded from a variety of plastics. 
     It is to be understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangements of parts described and shown.