Patent Publication Number: US-2016220026-A1

Title: Foldable chair

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a foldable chair, and more particularly to a foldable chair having backrest. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Chairs are widely utilized for various occasions in dairy life due to their high applicability. For example, like furniture, the chairs may be fixed at predefined spaces. On the other hand, small and light chairs are also developed for the ease of portability upon, for example, decorating a temporary occasion. However, the chairs are rigid and would occupy certain spaces. As a result, the conventional chairs are stacked with each other when not in use. Nevertheless, in storage, the volume of the chairs cannot be reduced efficiently for being received in a limited space. Consequently, the conventional chairs are inconvenient for storage. 
     The present invention is, therefore, arisen to obviate or at least mitigate the above mentioned disadvantages. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     One object of the present invention is to provide a foldable chair comprising two side supports with backrest structure and several foldable members connected to the side supports. The foldable chair can be folded to reduce the occupation space for the ease of storage. 
     To achieve the above and other objects, a foldable chair is provided and comprises two side supports, a plurality of connecting members, and a seat plate. The two side supports are distantly and oppositely disposed from each other. Each of the side supports has a first supporting portion, and a second supporting portion is extending upward from one end of the first supporting portion of each of the side supports. Each of the connecting members comprises two first combining portions pivoted with each other, and a first folding line is defined at the jointing portion between the two first combining portions. The two first combining portions of each of the connecting members are respectively, one by one, pivoted with the two side supports. The seat plate comprises two second combining portions pivoted with each other. A second folding line is defined at the jointing portion between the two second combining portions. Each of the second combining portions has a pivoting portion, and the two second combining portions are respectively, one by one, pivoted with the two side supports via the pivoting portions. Wherein, the first folding line and the second folding line are at the same plane, and the distance from the plane to the two side supports are the same. The two first combining portions of each of the connecting members are folded along the first folding line, and the two second combining portions of the seat plate are folded along the second folding line, such that the distance between the two side supports is reduced. 
     In some implementation aspects, some of the connecting members are assembled to the first supporting portions of the side supports, and the rest connecting members are assembled to the second supporting portions of the side supports. 
     In some implementation aspects, two first through holes are respectively defined at the two first supporting portions of the two side supports, and wherein the two first through holes correspond to each other. 
     In some implementation aspects, two second through holes are respectively defined at the two second combining portions of the seat plate, the two second through holes are located close to the second folding line and correspond to each other. 
     In some implementation aspects, the seat plate has two sides distant from the second folding line, and the two pivoting portions of the seat plate are located close to the two sides of the seat plate, such that the seat plate is located at the first supporting portions of the two side supports. 
     The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which show, for purpose of illustrations only, the preferred embodiment(s) in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of a foldable chair according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates an exploded view of the foldable chair according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates an enlarged view of an A portion shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates an operational view ( 1 ) of the foldable chair; and 
         FIG. 5  illustrates an operational view ( 2 ) of the foldable chair. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Please refer to  FIG. 1 , illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a foldable chair according to the present invention. The foldable chair comprises two side supports  1 , several connecting members  21 A,  21 B,  22 , and a seat plate  3 . The connecting members  21 A,  21 B,  22  and the seat plate  3  are foldable so that the space occupied by the foldable chair can be reduced for storage. The structure of the foldable chair according to the present invention is described in detail as follows. 
     Firstly, for the sake of convenience, a three dimensional (X, Y, and Z) Cartesian coordinate is defined. Each two dimensions are orthogonal. The X dimension stands for longitudinal direction, the Y dimension stands for transversal direction, and the Z dimension stands for height direction. As shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the two side supports  1  are distantly and oppositely disposed from each other along the X direction. Each side support  1  has a first supporting portion  11 . Each first supporting portion  11  has a front end  111  and a rear end  112  along the Y direction. Two supporting rods  12  are respectively extending from the front and rear ends  111 ,  112  of each of the first supporting portions  11 , and the two supporting rods  12  are extending toward a direction opposite to the Z direction (i.e., the −Z direction). A second supporting portion  13  is extending from the rear end  112  of the first supporting portion  11  of each of the side supports  1 . The second supporting portions  13  are extending toward the Z direction. 
     The connecting members  21 A,  21 B,  22  are assembled between the two side supports  1 . Parts of the connecting members are assembled to the first supporting portions  11  of the two side supports  1 , and the rest connecting members are assembled to the second supporting portions  13  of the two side supports  1 . In this embodiment, the connecting member  21 A is assembled to the front ends  111  of the two first supporting portions  11 , and the connecting member  21  B is assembled to the rear ends  112  of the two first supporting portions  11 , such that the base of the foldable chair for standing on the ground is formed. In addition, the connecting member  22  is assembled to the two second supporting portions  13  and formed as the backrest of the foldable chair. 
     Accordingly, each of the connecting members  21 A,  21 B,  22  comprises two first combining portions  23  pivoted with each other. Specifically, the first combing portions  23  are plate shaped. For each connecting member, the two first combining portions  23  are pivoted with each other, and a first foldable line  24  extending along the Z direction is defined at the jointing portion between the first combining portions  23 . Therefore, the two first combining portions  23  are pivoted with each other using the first folding line  24  as the pivot shaft, such that the connecting members  21 A,  21 B,  22  can be bent and folded. Accordingly, the connecting members  21 A,  21 B,  22  can be in a folded state or in a flattened state. Besides, the two first combining portions  23  of each of the connecting members  21 A,  21 B,  22  are respectively, one by one, pivoted with the two side supports  1 . 
     The seat plate  3  is assembled between the two side supports  1 . The seat plate  3  comprises two second combining portions  31  pivoted with each other. Specifically, the second combing portions  31  are plate shaped. The two second combining portions  31  are pivoted with each other, and a second folding line  32  extending along the Z direction is defined at the jointing portion between the second combining portions  31 . Therefore, the two second combining portions  31  are pivoted with each other using the second folding line  32  as the pivot shaft, such that the seat plate  3  can be bent and folded. Accordingly, the seat plate  3  can be in a folded state or in a flattened state. 
     Besides, each of the second combining portions  31  of the seat plate  3  has a pivoting portion  33 . In this embodiment, the seat plate  3  has two sides  34  distant from the second folding line  32 , and the two pivoting portions  33  are located close to the two sides  34  of the seat plate  3 , such that the seat plate  3  is located at the first supporting portions  11  of the two side supports  1 , and the two pivoting portions  33  are pivoted with the tops of the first supporting portions  11 . Accordingly, as shown in  FIG. 3 , when the seat plate  3  is in the flattened state, the first supporting portions  11  of the two side supports  1  are completely enclosed by the seat plate  3 . Therefore, with the support of the first supporting portions  11  and the connecting member  21 A, the stability of the seat plate  3  is further enhanced. 
     Moreover, the first folding lines  24  at each of the connecting members  21 A,  21 B,  22  and the second folding line  32  at the seat plate  3  are at the same plane (i.e., the YZ plane), and the distance from the plane to the two side supports  1  are the same. In other words, the two side supports  1  are symmetrical about the plane defined by the first folding lines  24  and the second folding line  32 . 
     Based on the above, the two first combining portions  23  of each of the connecting members  21 A,  21 B,  22  are folded along the first folding line  24 , and the two second combining portions  31  of the seat plate  3  are folded along the second folding line  32 , such that the distance between the two side supports  1  is reduced along the X direction, as shown in  FIG. 4 , and eventually the foldable chair can be folded as shown in  FIG. 5 . Accordingly, the space occupied by the foldable chair can be greatly reduced when the foldable chair is folded. As a result, a great number of the foldable chairs according to the present invention may be stored in a limited space. 
     Furthermore, two first through holes  14  are respectively defined at the two first supporting portions  11  of the two side supports  1 , and the two first through holes  14  correspond to each other. Therefore, when the foldable chair is not folded, the first through holes  14  would allow the user to take or hold the foldable chair. Additionally, two second through holes  35  are respectively defined at the two second combining portions  31  of the seat plate  3 , and the two second through holes  35  are located close to the second folding line  32  and correspond to each other. Therefore, when the foldable chair is folded, the second through holes  35  would allow the user to take or hold the foldable chair. 
     Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.