Safety and adjustment device for inclination in foldable deckchairs

Abstract: The invention concerns a safety and adjustment device for the inclination of foldable deckchairs, of the so-called rocker type. This consists of at least one locking device composed of a rod having a side bearing positioning teeth (21), engaging a fixed crosspiece (17) to define various inclinations for use of the backrest, and a terminal hook (22) intended to intercept from the bottom upwards such crosspiece (17) to prevent accidental tipping forward of the backrest towards the seat.

Description: Filed of the invention The present invention relates to fordable deckchair, so called "rocker, chairs, and more particularly a safety and adjustment device for positioning the back of said chairs. State of the Technique The document DE-A-19857752 discloses a foldable chair, corresponding to the preamble of claim 1 and comprising a pair of front legs, a pair of rear legs which are pivotally connected to the top of the front legs and provided with arm-rests, a seat frame pivoted to an intermediate section of the front legs, a back frame pivotally connected to a rear part of the seat frame, and a cloth applied to the seat and back frames to constitute the seat and backrest, and wherein said back frame in movable at least between and upright position and a backwards reclined position. Said foldable chair further comprises a safety device that includes at least a locking means pivotally connected to the back frame and designed to engage with one crosspiece or indexing elements fixed to the seat rear legs. The locking means is provided with a control rod or lever which extends upwards to the level of the chair arm rest and has an end facing frontward on which a sitting person may act with an arm or an elbow in order to disengage the locking means from the crosspiece or indexing elements, thus modifying the position of the back frame. In such a construction, the back frame finds a stable support on the crosspiece or indexing elements when it is in position for use, but may, however, be accidentally tipped forward, onto the seat frame, which is not admissible for safety purposes of the chair. Also the document US-A-2 696 862 discloses a structure of a foldable chair having a back supporting unit which engages with notched plates fixed to rear legs to vary the inclination of the back frame. But, this structure of foldable chair does not disclose nor suggest the presence of safety members suitable to prevent the back frame may be accidentally tipped up to the seat frame, too. Object of the invention. The object of the present invention is to obviate the disadvantage of the prior art and provide a chair with a safety and adjustment device which may be controlled with an elbow and prevents the backrest from tipping forward up to the seat when it is in position for use. The object is achieved by a safety and adjustment device for a chair according to the characterising part of claim 1. Brief Description of the drawings wherein: Figs. 1 and 2 show a perspective view and a side view, respectively, of a chair in position for use and complete with a safety device; and Fig. 3 shows a detailed view of the safety device. The said designs show a so-called "rocker" chair including, in the known construction, a pair of fore legs 11; a pair of back legs 12 convergent and hinged to the top of the fore legs 11 and having each an extension forming the arm-rests 13; a seat frame 14 hinged to an intermediate section of the fore legs 11; a backrest frame 15 hinged to the back part of the seat frame 14; and a cloth 16 applied to the frames 14, 15 to form the seat and the backrest of the chair. The chair structure according to this configuration is foldable to reduce the volume when not in use, and when it is unfolded for use the backrest frame 15 may be positioned and locked in at least two extreme positions: an upright position for the use of the structure as a chair, and a backwards reclined position for use as a lie-down. The backrest frame 15 may also be locked in one or more intermediate positions between the said extreme positions. A crosspiece or element 17 is fixed to the back legs 12 and a locking device 19 intended to be engaged with said crosspiece 17 so as to constitute the safety and positioning device is hinged, in 18, to least one side arm of the backrest frame 15. In particular, the locking device 19 comprises a rod 20 having a side bearing locking teeth configured to engage with the crosspiece 17 thus blocking the backrest 15 in upright position and in one or more other backwards reclined positions. The figures illustrate, as an example, a locking device 19 with three teeth 21 to define, in addition to the extreme positions, upright and reclined backwards, an intermediate position. At its lower end the rod 20 is provided with a hook 22 intended to intercept from the bottom upwards the crosspiece or element 17 so as to prevent the backrest from accidentally tipping forward. The upper end of the rod 20, above the hinging point 18 with the backrest frame, is bent forward horizontally so as to form a lever 23 to allow the user to operate the locking device 19 with an elbow, while remaining sitting on the chair. In practice it is possible to disengage the locking device 19 from the crosspiece 17 in order to change inclination of the backrest or to free the end hook 21 from the crosspiece or element for a voluntary folding of the chair by just pushing the lever 23 downwards. The locking rod, furthermore, may be provided with two pins 24 jutting transversally one from the external side of the rod and the other from the internal side, intended to intercept respectively a back leg 12 of the chair and the side arm of the backrest frame on which the rod is hinged, thus maintaining the locking device 19 in position for use even when it is free to rock. Finally, it should be noted that the deckchair may be provided, if necessary, with two locking devices 19, one for each side of the backrest 15, connected to each other by a crosspiece for simultaneous movement thereof.

Claims: A foldable seat comprising: a pair of front legs (11), a pair of rear legs (12) which are pivotally connected to a top of the front legs and provided with arm-rests, a seat frame (14) pivoted to an intermediate section of the front legs (11), a back frame (15) pivotally connected to a rear part of the seat frame, a cloth (16) applied to the seat and back frames (14, 15) to constitute chair seat and backrest, and at least a locking means (19) pivotally connected to the back frame (15) and designed to engage with at least one crosspiece or indexing element (17) fixed to the rear legs (12) so as to define and stabilize the angular positions of the back frame, and wherein the locking means has a control lever (22) that extends upwards and forward at the level of the chair arm-rest so as to support an arm or elbow of a sitting person to cause disengagement of the locking means (19) from the crosspiece or indexing elements, thus modifying the angular positions of the back frame, characterized in that said locking means (19) is formed of a rod (20) having a number of positioning teeth (21) selectively engaging said crosspiece or indexing element (17) to define various angular position of the backrest, and a terminal hook (22) intended to intercept from below upwards said crosspiece or indexing element (17) and prevent accidental tipping of the backrest towards the seat. A foldable chair according to claim 1, wherein said rod of the locking device is provided on opposite sides with the projections (24) that extend transversally with respect to the chair so that one intercepts the back leg of the chair and the other the backrest frame to limit the rocking of the locking device when not hooked to the crosspiece.

Inventors: FAVAGROSSA FRANCESCO, FAVAGROSSA, FRANCESCO
Applicants: FIAM SPA, FIAM S.P.A.
Application year: 2001
Main classification: A47C4
IPC codes: A47C1, A47C4