Patent Publication Number: US-6341816-B1

Title: Collapsible rocking chair

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The present invention relates to the art of rocking chair and more particularly to a collapsible rocking chair intended for children. 
     2. Related Art 
     Conventionally, rocking chairs for children are classified as rocker supported rocking chairs and spring supported rocking chairs. A rocker supported rocking chair has a curved member on the bottom for allowing a rocking movement. As to spring supported rocking chairs, a number of prior art disclose such rocking chairs e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,553,768, 5,187,826, 5,269,591 and 5,503.458. Generally speaking, a spring supported rocking chair comprises a bottom frame, a seat frame and a back frame. The bottom frame disposes on the ground and a back frame connects to the bottom frame. The fabric covers on seat frame and back frame. Back frame keeps an angle or a distance with the bottom frame such that children seated or recumbent on the chair may rock up and down. 
     However, the previous designs suffered from a disadvantage. That is bottom frame. seat frame and back frame are affixed one another. It is understood that a considerable receiving space is required for such rocking chair when it is not in use. There is an improved detachable rocking chair available now. But it is unsatisfactory for the purpose for which the invention is concerned because the assembly and disassembly thereof are tedious. 
     Thus, it is desirable to provide a novel collapsible rocking chair in order to overcome the above drawbacks of prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a collapsible rocking chair. The collapsible rocking chair is collapsed to a compact storage position when it is not in use. 
     The collapsible rocking chair of the present invention is collapsed from an unfolded position for children to use to a folded position for storage. This collapsible rocking chair comprising an upper frame, a lower frame and a seat frame that pivotally mounted by pair of latches. In the unfolded position, rocking chair is adapted for children to sit or lie thereon. Upper frame, lower frame and seat are collapsed to a compact storage position by pivoting about latches when rocking chair is not in use. 
     Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention will become fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a first preferred embodiment of collapsible rocking chair according to the invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the assembled FIG. 1 rocking chair; 
     FIG. 3 is a side view of latch of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4A is a side view of the FIG. 1 rocking chair in an unfolded position; 
     FIG. 4B is similar to FIG. 4A wherein the FIG. 1 rocking chair is partially collapsed; 
     FIG. 4C is similar to FIG. 4A wherein the FIG. 1 rocking chair is collapsed; 
     FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a latch of collapsible rocking chair of a second preferred embodiment according to the invention; 
     FIG. 6A is a side view of the assembled FIG. 5 latch in an unfolded locked position of rocking chair; and 
     FIG. 6B is similar to FIG. 6A wherein the FIG. 5 latch has shifted to a second position for enabling to collapse the rocking chair; and 
     FIG. 7 is side view of the collapsed FIG. 5 rocking chair. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIGS. 1,  2 , and  3 , there is shown a collapsible rocking chair constructed in accordance with the invention comprising an upper frame  10 , a lower frame  20 , a seat frame  30  and a pair of latches  40 ,  40 ′. 
     Upper frame  10  is generally a U-shaped metal tube having two ends  102 ,  103  and forms a backrest  101  covered by a fabric pad  50 . Lower frame  20  is generally a U-shaped metal tube comprising two opposite bars  201 ,  202  and a cross bar  203  connected one end of the two opposite bars  201 ,  202  for sustaining on the ground. Two curved flexible portions  205 ,  206  are extended from another end of the opposite bars  201 ,  202 . Two attachment members  207 ,  208  are extended from the flexible portions  205 ,  206 . Seat frame  30  is also generally a U-shaped metal tube having two ends  302 ,  303  and forms a seat portion  301  covered by a fabric pad  50 . 
     Note that latch  40 ′ is a mirror image of latch  40 . Thus, only latch  40  is described below for the sake of brevity. 
     Referring to FIG. 3 specifically, latch  40  comprises a first connection portion  401  having a hole  4011  and a second connection portion  402  having a tube member  4021 . A positioning member  4012  on the outer surface adjacent the hole  4011  whose two sides formed the two fixed positions and a stopping member  4013  on the inner surface. Referring to FIG. 2 specifically, the attachment member  207  pivotally connects to the hole  4011  of the latches  40  by a pin  60 . The pin  60  inserts through the latch  40  to pivotally mount the seat frame  30  on reverse side of the first connection portion  401 . The two ends  102 .  103  of upper frame  10  inserts to the tube member  4021  of the second connection portion  402 . Such that rocking chair is configured to allow a child to sit or lie thereon. Also, lower frame  20  keeps an angle or a distance to upper frame  10  by the flexible portions  205 ,  206 . The attachment member  207  is against the positioning member  4012  in the first fixed position and seat frame  30  is against the stopping member  4013 . As a result, referring to FIG. 4A the seated or recumbent child may rock up and down a little about the flexible portions  205 ,  206 . 
     Referring to FIG. 4B, in collapsing the rocking chair, first fold seat frame  30  toward upper frame  10  with respect to latches  40 . Then fold lower frame  20  toward upper frame  10  with respect to pins  60  until the attachment members  207  is against positioning members  4012  in a second fixed position. Referring to FIG. 4C, finally fold seat frame  30  and lower frame  20  toward upper frame  10 , thus forming a compact rocking chair for facilitating storage. 
     It is found that upper frame  10  is not moved during collapsing since it is inserted in tube member  4021  and in a fixed relationship with respect to the latch  40 . As such, rocking chair is not collapsed to its minimum storage space. Accordingly, this second embodiment is provided as a modification of the first one aimed at changing the position of upper frame  10  during collapsing so as to fold the rocking chair in its minimum storage space when not in use. Referring, to FIG. 5, there is shown a latch  40  of collapsible rocking chair of a second preferred embodiment according to the invention. 
     A pivot base  404 , a cover  405 , and a press button  406  are provided on latch  40 . Pin  70  is inserted through tube member  4021 , cover  405 , press button  406 , and pivot base  404 . As such, cover  405  is pivot with respect to pivot base  404  about pin  70 . Press button  406  comprises a press member  4062  and a positioning member  4061 . Pivot base  404  has a center recess  4041  and two positioning channels  4042 ,  4043  each communicating between the recess  4041  and the periphery of pivot base  404 . Cover  405  has an opening  4051 . In a configuration, positioning member  4061  is inserted into opening  4051  and positioning channel  4042  to reach recess  4041 , while press member  4062  is on the outside of opening  4051 . Also, spring  80  is anchored in positioning member  4061  for providing an elastic movement of the positioning member  4061  when it is activated. 
     Referring to FIGS. 6A,  6 B, and  7 , the collapsing operation of the FIG. 5 rocking chair is now described. First, press down the press member  4062  to cause positioning member  4061  to clear positioning channel  4042  (i.e., first position) as shown in FIG.  6 A. Then rotate the press member  4062  to alien with the other positioning channel  4043 . At the same time, release the press member  4062  to cause positioning member  4061  to move upward into the other positioning channel  4043 . Thus, cover  405  is secured in this second position as shown in FIG.  6 B. As a result, upper frame  10  is moveable between first and second positions. Finally, perform a collapsing operation the same as that described above in the first embodiment. Thus, a collapsed rocking chair is obtained. As shown in FIG. 7, upper frame  10  is aligned with latch  40  as compared to the acute angle formed between upper frame  10  and latch  40  in FIG.  4 C. As an end, the rocking chair is collapsed to a more compact storage position. 
     The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.