Abstract:
A lightweight, compact foldable beach chair is presented. The present invention beach chair features an upper seatback portion and a lower sand engagement portion. The seatback portion forms the backrest of the chair and the sand engagement portion anchors the chair in sand. The beach sand itself serves as the seat support for a user. The seatback and sand engagement portions are interconnected by a hub such that the seatback portion and sand engagement portion can rotate about the hub from an open, ready for use position, to a closed position for carrying. The new beach chair includes a detent system such that the seatback and sand engagement portions lock together when in the open and closed positions.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to the field of heath chairs, and in particular to a lightweight, durable and foldable beach chair. 
     2. Background of the Invention 
     Folding beach chairs are well known in the art. Typical beach chairs are foldable “lounge” style chairs which include hack and seat support frames which typically comprise assemblies of tubular metal rods. Upon, the back and seat support frames are mounted flexible hack and seat supports, which typically comprise a mesh of flexible fabric bands. The back and seat support frames are generally hinged such that the chairs can be folded for carrying and unfolded for use. 
     A variety of folding beach chair designs using the general construction described above have been manufactured. Most such designs suffer from certain common drawbacks. In particular, because the chairs need to be lightweight in order to allow for easy transportation to and from, typically, a user&#39;s vehicle and the beach, the tubular metal rods used to form the frames are made relatively thin to reduce weight and are therefore relatively weak, bend easily, and generally cannot withstand rough handling. The tubes used to make the frames of prior art beach chairs are frequently made of steel and consequently tend to rust over time, which leads to jamming of the folding mechanism and degradation of the device as a whole. 
     The hinged joints of typical prior art beach chairs are also an area of weakness. The joints typically comprise pins through holes in the tubular members which form the frames. With repeated folding and unfolding and repeated loading with the weight of an occupant. The holes become elongated around the pins and thus become loose over time. The use of pins through holes in tubular members also makes prior art beach chairs highly susceptible to becoming jammed with sand which causes further impairment, and often complete impairment, to the folding function. The hollow, tubular members of prior an beach chairs also become a repository for sand, and when the chair is brought inside a car or home, sand then is carried into that location, often spilling out of the chair onto the floor. The use of a large number moving parts in prior art chairs also leads to a rapid breakdown of the chair and the folding mechanism, often to the point of non-usability. 
     The mesh of fabric bands which form the seating supports and backrest supports of prior art beach chairs is another area of weakness. These supports typically tend to stretch and sag and lose their resiliency over time after repeatedly be loaded with a user&#39;s weight. As the fabric bands which form the supports stretch and sag, the chairs become uncomfortable. The seat fabric is also susceptible to becoming degraded and moldy due to repeated exposure to not only the elements but also moisture after a user has come back from swimming in the ocean and sits in the chair. 
     When using a foldable prior art beach chair, the user may only remain in the seated position. Therefore, if a user chooses to lie down in the sand, they must set out a separate towel in a separate space, causing the user to have to get up and move in order to lie down. The heat of the sun may also cause metallic components of a prior art beach chair to heat up to temperatures that are uncomfortable to a user. Due to their inherent deficiencies, prior art folding beach chairs tend to be disposed of by consumers after a relatively short period of time. 
     In view of the aforementioned deficiencies in typical prior art beach chairs, there is a need for a new type of folding beach chair that dispenses with the rod and fabric band style of construction, typical of the prior art. Such a new chair design should be comfortable, lightweight and foldable, yet also durable and able to withstand rough handling. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention solves the problems of prior art beach chairs by providing a beach chair of an entirely new design that dispenses with the tubular rod frame and fabric mesh designs of the past and their inherent weaknesses. The present invention beach chair features an upper seatback portion and a lower sand engagement portion. The seatback portion forms the backrest of the chair. The sand engagement portion anchors the beach chair in the sand. The beach sand itself serves as the seat support for a user. In use, after anchoring the seatback in the sand, a user sits on the sand and leans his back against the seatback portion. 
     The seatback and sand engagement portions are interconnected by a hub such that the seatback portion and sand engagement portion can rotate about the hub from an open, ready for use position, to a closed position for carrying. The new beach chair includes a detent system such that the seatback and sand engagement portions lock together when in the open and closed positions. 
     The seatback portion has a forward face (i.e. a face that engages a user&#39;s back) that is contoured inwardly in a generally concave manner so as to conform to the shape of a users back. The inward curvature of the seatback provides substantial comfort to a user without the need for the flexible band type of back support of the prior art. The upper most edge of the seatback portion has an inwardly curving and rolled surface that cups a user&#39;s neck and head and holds them in a comfortable and ergonomic position. On the backside of the seatback portion, the rolled surface at the upper edge, rolls over the backside to form a carrying handle for the beach chair when the seatback and sand engagement portions are in the folded position. 
     The sand engagement portion of the present invention each chair features a scalloped area that eases engagement of the sand engagement portion with the sand. This feature is particularly desirable on beaches which have hard packed sand. Another desirable feature of the present invention beach chair is the hollow hub design. The hollow hub design, in addition to allowing the seatback and sand engagement portions of the beach chair to rotate with respect to one another, also allows a user to drive the sand engagement portion into the sand with his foot. The hollow hub may also serve as a convenient means for carrying a beach towel. The beach chair of the present invention may also be equipped with optional features such as art array of LED (or other type) of lights on the backside of the seat back portion. 
     The beach chair of the present invention has several advantages over those of the prior art. For example, the present invention each chair allows a user sit up or lie down in the same location without having to set up a towel in a different location. Due to its construction of plastic, the new beach chair can be washed easily with water without sustaining damage due to rust or other types of corrosion. Due to the plastic materials used in the exemplary embodiment of the new beach chair, it will not heat up in the sun like metal chairs. Due to the new chair&#39;s minimal use of moving parts, it is less likely to degrade due to wear over time. 
     Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent with reference to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the beach chair of the present invention, shown in use, on a beach. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the beach chair of  FIG. 1 , showing a lower portion of the chair embedded in sand. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the beach chair of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a front facing perspective view of the beach chair of  FIG. 1 , showing the chair in its deployed position. 
         FIG. 5  is a rear facing perspective view of the beach chair of  FIG. 1 , showing the chair in its deployed position. 
         FIG. 6  is a rear facing perspective view of the beach chair of  FIG. 1 , showing the chair in its closed position. 
         FIG. 7  is a back view of the upper portion of the beach chair of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 8  is a sectional view, taken along the line  8 - 8 , of the upper portion of the beach chair, as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 9  is a front view of the lower portion of the beach chair of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 10  is a sectional view, taken along the line  10 - 10 , of the lower portion of the beach chair, as shown in  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 11  is a section view taken along the line  11 - 11  of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 12  is a detail of a portion of the section view of  FIG. 11 , of the area shown by circle  12 . 
         FIG. 13  is a schematic, view of a light bar suitable for use with the beach chair of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. The invention may, however, may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1-2 , the beach chair of the present invention  10  comprises a seatback portion  12  and a sand engagement portion  14 . The seatback portion  12  and sand engagement portions  14  are interconnected by a hub  16 . The seatback and sand engagement portions are, rotatable about the hub  16  between an open position and a closed position. ( FIG. 6  shows the beach chair  10  in the closed position.) 
     In use, the sand engagement portion  12  is driven into the sand, by a user. Once placed, the user may sit on the sand and lean his or her back against the seatback portion  12  of the beach chair  10 . The hub  16  is hollow, which allows a user to use his foot to assist in anchoring the sand engagement portion  14  at least partially below the plane of the sand, i.e. in the sand. The hollow hub  16  also provides a convenient means for carrying a beach towel, i.e. the towel can rolled up and pulled about half-way through the hub, or an unrolled towel can simply pulled about half-way through the hub. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 3-6 , the seatback portion  12  of the beach chair  10  features an inwardly curving or convex front side  28 . The inwardly curving front side  28  is shaped to generally conform to a user&#39;s back and therefore provides substantial comfort to a sitting user for long periods of time. The seatback  12  also features an inwardly curved upper edge portion  26 . The inwardly curved upper edge portion  26  serves to cup and cradle a user&#39;s neck and head in a comfortable, ergonomic position. With particular reference to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the upper edge portion  26  rolls over the back of the seatback  12  to create a handle portion  29 . The handle portion  29  allows for easy carrying of the present invention beach chair  10 , when in the closed position. (See  FIG. 6 .) 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the sand engagement portion  14  of the beach chair  10  functions like a shovel blade in the sense that it is intended to be driven into the sand, which allows it to support the seatback  12 . The sand engagement portion  12  has an inwardly curving or concave front side  31  and a backside  30 . The back side  30  features a scalloped area  32 . The scalloped area forms an edge  34  on the sand engagement portion  12 . The edge  34  and the scalloped portion  32 , aid in anchoring the seatback  14  in hard packed sand. As discussed, the hollow hub  16  also assists in anchoring the sand engagement portion  14  in sand because it allows a user to place his or her foot in the hollow of the hub  16  and thereby drive the sand engagement portion  14  into the sand, like a shovel blade. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , the hub  16  is comprised of a first hub ring  18  and a second hub ring  20 . The first and second hub rings  18  and  20  have upper, circular edges  24  and lower circular edges  22 . The first hub ring  18  is configured to mate with a corresponding circular opening  36  in the seatback portion  12 , and the second hub ring  20  is configured to mate with a corresponding circular opening in the sand engaging portion  14 . The first and second hub rings  18  and  20  are placed within their respective openings  36  and  38  in the seatback and sand engaging portions  12  and  14 . 
     With reference to FIGS.  3  and  11 - 12 , in the exemplary embodiment, the first and second hub rings  18  and  20  are made from ABS plastic and are fused together at their lower circular edges  22  by means of ultrasonic welding. As shown in  FIG. 12 , the lower circular edges  22  of the first and second hub rings feature a circular v-shaped ridge  42  and a step  40  formed into the ring. These features, and in particular, the v-shaped ridge  42  serve to ensure that the ABS plastic melts during the ultrasonic welding process to create a strong joint between first and second rings  18  and  20 . The fused rings,  18  and  20 , together form the hub  16 . Those of skill in the art will understand that alternative methods of construction of the present invention beach chair are possible. For example, at least one of the hub rings could be formed as an integral part of either the seatback  12  or the sand engagement portion  14 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the beach chair  10  of the present invention includes a locking feature that allows the chair to be locked in its open and closed positions. The open position is depicted in  FIGS. 1-2  and  4 - 5 . The closed position is depicted in  FIG. 6 . The locking means is comprised of at least one pair of mutually opposed detents  44  spaced about one of the hub openings and at least one protrusion  46  which mates with the detents  44 . 
     In the exemplary embodiment, two mutually opposed pairs of detents  44  are thrilled into a back side of the seatback portion  12 . Two mutually opposed pairs of protrusions  46  are formed on a front side of the sand engaging portion  14 . When the seatback portion  12  and the sand engaging portion  14  are interconnected by ultrasonically welding the hub rings  18  and  20  together to form the hub  16 , the detents  44  and protrusions  46  are spaced such that the protrusions  46  snap into the detents  44  when the seatback portion  12  and sand engaging portion  14  are rotated into their open and closed positions, respectively. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 13 , the beach chair  10  of the present invention may optionally be equipped with a light bar  48  or other lighting arrangement on a back side  64  of the seatback portion  12 . One suitable arrangement is shown in  FIG. 13 . The light bar  48  may comprise a series of light emitting diodes (“LED”)  52  arranged approximately parallel to the back side of seatback  12  and held in a carrier  52  which may include replaceable batteries  62  and an on/off switch  60 . The on/off switch  60  may also include a flashing mode. The carrier  50  may be affixed to a base  54  which ma be attached to the seatback  12  via mechanical fasteners, structural adhesives or the like. Covering the carrier  50  and base  54  is a snap on cover  58  which may include a tactile membrane  64  over the on/oft switch  60 . The light bar assembly may be covered around its perimeter by a decorative cover  56 . 
     In the exemplary embodiment of the present invention beach chair  10 , the seatback portion  12  and the sand engagement portion  14  are made of high density polyethylene. The first and second hub rings  18  and  20  which form the hub  16  are made from ABS plastic. All of the plastic components are coated with a ultra violet (“UV”) blocking polymer coating. Numerous other plastic materials are also suitable for constructing the invention and are known to those of skill in the art. The invention could also be made from aluminum or other metallic materials and could even be made from wood. 
     The foregoing detailed description and appended drawings are intended as a description of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention and are not intended to represent the only forms in which the present invention may be constructed and/or utilized. Those skilled in the art will understand that modifications and alternative embodiments of the present invention which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the foregoing specification and drawings, and of the claims appended below are possible and practical. It is intended that the claims cover all such modifications and alternative embodiments.