Patent Publication Number: US-2023157454-A1

Title: Privacy chair assembly

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed towards chairs and related furniture that have privacy capabilities. 
     Often times a person will be seated in a crowded area or a public area that offer a lack of privacy. Generally this is not an issue, but there are times when a more secluded apace or area is desired. For example, in an airport, it could be desirous to have more privacy when a person wishes to sleep or work while waiting for a flight. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a privacy device for use with an individual chair or seating arrangement. The privacy device has a pivotal interior lid that will allow the individual to have a visual and audio barrier while being seated in the chair. 
     The present invention generally comprises a base connected to a hood. The hood is formed from an interior and exterior lid, with the interior lid pivotable from an open position to a closed position. The interior lid can be maintained at any position between the open and closed position without the need for a locking mechanism. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of a privacy seat having a hood according to the present invention. 
         FIG.  2    is a perspective view of the seat of  FIG.  1    with the hood in a closed position. 
         FIG.  3    is a perspective view of the seat in  FIG.  1    with a person sitting in the seat. 
         FIG.  4    shows the seat in  FIG.  3    with the person moving the hood to a closed position. 
         FIG.  5    is an exploded view of the invention shown in  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  5 A  is an exploded view of a gear assembly used in the present invention. 
         FIG.  6    is an exploded partial side view of the invention, showing the sliding mechanism of the present invention. 
         FIG.  7 A  depicts a side view of the invention in an open position. 
         FIG.  7 B  depicts a side view of the invention in a partially closed position. 
         FIG.  7 C  depicts a side view of the invention in a closed position. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Although the disclosure hereof is detailed and exact to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, the physical embodiments herein disclosed merely exemplify the invention which may be embodied in other specific structures. While the preferred embodiment has been described, the details may be changed without departing from the invention, which is defined by the claims. 
       FIG.  1    depicts a privacy system  10  according to the present invention. The system  10  generally comprises a chair  12  and a support structure  14 . The support structure  14  is designed to provide a privacy shroud for a person as they sit in the chair  12 . That is, the support structure  14  provides an enclosure for a person when sitting in the chair. The support structure  14  has opposing sidewalls  16  and  13  and a hoed  20  connecting the sidewalls  16 ,  13 . Unless otherwise indicated, description of various features of each of the sidewalls  16  and  13  are intended to refer to the other sidewall, as well. The hood  20  generally comprises an interior lid  22  end an exterior lid  24 , which are pivotally connected to one another. 
     As shown in  Figure  2   , the interior lid  22  is pivoted downwardly into a closed position from an open position ( FIG.  1   ) Thus, the privacy system  10  allows the user to keep out external physical senses, such as sound and light when sitting m the chair  12 . 
       FIGS.  3  and  4    demonstrate the support structure  14 , designed with sufficient room to allow a person to sit in the chair  12  and move the interior lid  22  from an open position ( FIG.  3   ) to a closed position ( FIG.  4   ). The interior lid  22  can he moved by the person by gripping the interior lid  22 , preferably by gripping a handle  25  located on the interior lid  22 , and moving the user&#39;s arms in a downward direction. The handle  25  cars be of any design, such as a lip or bar that the user can grasp and position the interior lid  22 . As will be appreciated, the user can easily glide the interior lid  22  between an open position ( FIG.  3   ) and a closed position ( FIG.  4   ) while retaining the interior lid at any position between the fully open and closed positions. 
       FIG.  5    is an exploded view of the system  10 . The support structure  14  is preferably designed and formed from separate sections. That is, the hood  20 , more specifically the exterior lid  24 , and the side walls  16 ,  13  are preferably separate sections that; are attached to form the support structure  14 , which can then be secured to one another. However, it is understood that; the support structure  14  could be designed as a single, integral structure. Furthermore, the support structure  14  could also comprise features for retaining the chair  12  within the support structure  14 . The support structure  14  may comprise a rear backwall  26  and a bottom or base section  28  (see  FIG.  4   ) that will be situated below the chair  12 , if desired. The base section  28  may be used so that the chair  12  would be seated upon the system  10  and be moved together with the system  10 . The rear backwall  26  can be connected to the sidewalls  16 ,  18  with the use of a support tube  30 . The support tube  30  may be pivotally attached to the sidewalls  16 ,  18 , so that the chair  12  could be slid into place within the structure  14 . Provided the support, structure  14  forms a privacy shroud as discussed herein, the arrangement and design of the structure  14  would fall within the scope of the present invention. 
     As noted above, the interior lid  22  is pivotally connected to the structure  14 . Specifically, the side wails  16 ,  18  comprise a respective pivot holder  31  that will mate with a pivot bushing  32 , which will then be inserted into openings  34  located on the interior lid  22 . The pivot holder  30  and bushing  32  will then be secured to one another with the use of a shoulder screw  36  or other similar fastening means. 
     The interior lid  22  is further connected to the sidewalls  16 ,  18  by way of respective adhesive nuts  40  that are situated within trackways  42  located on the sidewalls  16 ,  18 . The adhesive nuts  40  and the trackway  42  form part of a sliding pulley system of the present invention. Preferably, there is a sliding pulley system located on each of the sides  16 ,  18  of the support structure  14 , with each of the pulley systems being arranged in similar, opposing fashion. The sliding pulley system generally comprises the trackway  42 , with the adhesive nut  40  mating with a movable spring coupler  44  and slidably secured within the trackway  42 . The movable spring coupler  44  is attached to a spring band  46  that is further attached to a spool  46  and secured to the trackway  42 . The spring band  46  is preferably made of a thin, metal material that will coil around the spool  4 S. The trackway  42 , coupler  44 , spring band  46  and spool  46  are situated within a housing  50  and are enclosed with a cover plate  52 . 
       FIG.  5 A  is an up close view of the coupler  44 , noted above. The coupler  44  houses a spring pad  60  and a spring  62 , which ace secured within the coupler  44  with the use or a pad cover  64  that will be secured to the coupler  44  with the use of fasteners, such as screws or pins (not shown). Washers  66  will also be employed for proper biasing of the coupler  44 . The entire assembly will be secured within the housing  50  located on the respective sidewalls  16 ,  18  (see  FIG.  5   ) with the use of a fastener or a screw  66 , e.g. a threaded head screw. The assembly will be further positioned and secured within the housing  50  in a manner that will assist in the positioning of the interior lid  22  and will allow the interior lid  22  to be held in various positions without pawls or other similar locking mechanisms. 
       FIG.  6    shows a aide perspective view of the housing  50 , with the cover plate  52  removed from the housing  50 . The movable coupler  44 , and the secured spool  4 S are connected by spring band  46 , with the spring band  46  being extended and uncoiled, in this arrangement, the interior lid  22  will be in a closed position, as demonstrated in  FIGS.  2  and  4   . The movable coupler  44  could be considered a movable wheel in the pulley system, and the secured spool could be considered a fixed wheel in the general description of the present system. 
     As is demonstrated in  FIGS.  7 A- 7 C , the movable coupler  44  slides along the trackway  42  as the interior lid  22  moves between a closed position ( FIG.  7 C ) and open position ( FIG.  7 A ). The arrangement is designed so that the interior lid  22  may be put in any position between open and closed and remain at that position. For example, as shown in  FIG.  7 B , the interior lid  22  is in a partially closed position, with the movable coupler  44  positioned along the length of the trackway  42 . Because of the arrangement of the coupler  44 , spool,  48  and the band  46 , the interior lid  22  can be maintained in the position shown in  FIG.  7 B  without, requiring any external force, such as a locking mechanism, ratcheting mechanism, the user&#39;s hand, or a pawl arrangement. 
     The system and devices or the present invention provide a unique personal privacy arrangement, for various uses. For example, the present invention could be employed and used during a flight for a person to get some rest or possibly in a public setting, such as a park bench, wherein a person may wish to have some privacy or a barrier so that they may be able to read a message, e-mail, etc., from a screen that may not be easily read outside in the sunlight. The system may also be utilized in a lecture hall or similar room, wherein individual media or audio may be sent to an individual privacy system  20 . That is, the internal wall of the interior lid  22  could be used as a video screen or speakers could be arranged within the privacy system  10 . Provided that a system is designed according to the present invention that provides a movable and adaptable privacy Arrangement, it is understood that the location would not be determinative of the scope of the invention. 
     The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Furthermore, since numerous modifications and changes; will readily occur to these skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described. While the preferred embodiment has been described, the details may be changed without departing from the invention, which is defined by the claims.