Patent Publication Number: US-2004046428-A1

Title: Folding chair with detachable table

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0001] The present invention relates, in general, to a folding chair with a detachable table and, more particularly, to a folding chair connected to a table which may be detached therefrom to improve ease in carrying and storage and handling convenience.  
       BACKGROUND ART  
       [0002] In general, a conventional folding chair is constructed in such a way that several pairs of crossed beam legs are foldably assembled by coupling their upper and lower portions by means of coupling components and support components, back posts are erectly coupled to the rear coupling and support components, and a seat sheet and a back rest sheet are held on the coupling components and the back posts, respectively.  
       [0003] The major function of such conventional folding chairs is to be folded and unfolded to afford ease of carriage and storage in leisure activities and the advantage of less spaced used saving. Such chairs having folding mechanisms have been embodied in various ways.  
       [0004] Nowadays, many techniques for increasing convenience of the above type folding chairs are developed. One of the developed techniques, Korean Patent Application No. 99-4055, which is filed by the applicant, discloses a folding chair with an integral detachable table.  
       [0005] The folding chair with a detachable table disclosed in the patent application is designed to be constructed by providing a rotatable table part between two folding chair parts. However, because it is impossible to change orientations of the folding chairs and remove them from the table, the complex chair has disadvantages in that the folding chair is cumbersome when used in a narrow space and has to be used when being equipped with the table.  
       [0006] Furthermore, since a space defined between the table part and the folding chair part is defined to a certain dimension, it is inconvenient for a larger person to sit where the table part is normally installed.  
       DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007] Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a folding chair with a detachable table which is equipped with an attaching and detaching mechanism for allowing the folding chairs and the table to be combined with each other and to be separated from each other to maximize its handling convenience.  
       [0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide a folding chair with a detachable table which is adapted to improve the rotating capability of the folding chairs so as to accommodate persons of larger size.  
       [0009] In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a folding chair with a detachable table, in which the table includes a table plate capable of being rearwardly swung to be opened, vertical posts disposed at corners of a seat of the chair and X-shaped crossed links disposed among the vertical posts, and the chair includes rear vertical posts and X-shaped crossed links, comprising: means for detachably and rotatably connecting the folding chair to the table. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0010] The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
     [0011]FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a folding chair with a detachable table to which connecting means of the invention is applied;  
     [0012]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the folding chair with a detachable table in which the folding chair is separated from the table;  
     [0013]FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing the connecting means of the invention;  
     [0014]FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a rearward turning operation of the folding chair of the invention;  
     [0015]FIG. 5 is an enlarged side view showing the connecting means of the invention, which is partially shown in section; and  
     [0016]FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the connecting means according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION  
     [0017] Reference now should be made to the drawings, in which the same reference numerals are used throughout the different drawings to designate the same or similar components.  
     [0018] Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a folding chair with a detachable table according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the drawing, a mediate table 1 is supported by four pairs of crossed legs  3 , i.e. front crossed legs, rear crossed legs and both side crossed legs, and four vertical legs  4  and  4 ′, i.e. two front vertical legs  4  and two rear vertical legs  4 ′, each of which is linked into an “X” shape by means of a hinge element  2 . Each of the rear vertical legs  4 ′ is provided with a guide leg  5  disposed parallel thereto such that the guide legs  5  can guide the movement of the table 1. Since the above-mentioned configuration is identical to that of a prior art, detailed explanation of its components will be omitted.  
     [0019] The table 1 is provided at its both sides with two folding chairs in a detachable manner. It will be appreciated that the folding chair may have any type of a triangle or rectangular seat, and may or may not include a back rest, in accordance with user&#39;s preference.  
     [0020] Each of the side folding chairs is also supported by appropriate pairs of crossed legs. In the drawing, the right folding chair is supported by three pairs of crossed legs  13  and the left folding chair is supported by four pairs of crossed legs  23 . The right and left folding chairs are provided at their rear corners with vertical posts  14  and  24 , respectively. Back rests  15  and  25  are attached to the vertical posts  14  and the vertical posts  24  such that each of the back rests is positioned between the two corresponding vertical posts.  
     [0021] As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the mediate table  1  and the right and left folding chairs are provided at upper and lower ends of their crossed legs with connecting brackets  7 ,  17  and  27 , respectively, which are adapted to join the corresponding crossed legs. The connecting brackets  17  and  27  coupled to the rear and inner vertical posts  14  and  24  are formed with snap hooks  16  having opened sides. Also, the connecting brackets  7  coupled to both of the rear vertical posts  4 ′ are formed with snap projections  30  which are to be fitted on the corresponding snap hooks  16 . Therefore, the folding chairs can be coupled to or detached from the mediated table  1  by means of the snap fitting mechanism.  
     [0022] Each of the snap fitting projections  30  is provided at its upper end with a hemispherical fitting guide  32 , which has a diameter lager than that of the snap projection  30 , thereby forming a step portion therebetween. A stopper  33  is formed at each of the rear connecting brackets  7  such that the stopper  33  encircles a part of a periphery of the snap projection  30  so as to limit the rotating angle of the snap hook  16 .  
     [0023] Furthermore, the table  1  is provided among its crossed legs  3  and under its table plate with a storage net  6  for receiving miscellaneous articles.  
     [0024] An operation of the above-mentioned folding chair with a detachable table according to the present invention will be described hereinafter.  
     [0025] The chief components of the present invention, i.e. the table  1  and the folding chairs can be stored separately, and can be combined with each other, if necessary.  
     [0026] More specifically, assembly of the table  1  and the folding chairs is achieved in such a way that the snap projections  30  formed at the rear connecting brackets  7  coupled to upper and lower ends of the rear vertical posts  4 ′ supporting the table  1  are fitted on the snap hooks  16  formed at the rear connecting brackets  17  and  27  coupled to the rear vertical posts  14  and  24 .  
     [0027] Since each of the snap hooks  16  is opened at its side to have a predetermined resilience, the snap hook  16  is widened by the hemisphere-shaped fitting guide  32  and then closely fitted on the snap projection  30  during a snap fitting operation with the snap projection  30 . Therefore, the snap hooks  16  cannot be separated from the snap projections  30  owing to the hemispherical fitting guides  32 .  
     [0028] Referring to FIG. 5, there is shown a cross-sectional view of the snap hook  16  and the snap projections  30  which are fitted to each other.  
     [0029] By such a simple fitting operation, the table and the folding chairs according to the invention can achieve their assembly as shown in FIG. 1.  
     [0030] On the other hand, a user may experience inconvenience in using the folding chairs assembled into the state as shown in FIG. 1, if the user is of larger size.  
     [0031] In the above case, a user can rearwardly turn the chair about the fitting axis, i.e. the axis of the fitted snap projection so that there is a wider space between the folding chair and the table  1 , as shown in FIG. 4. Consequently, the user can have a more comfortable seating posture by a simple turning operation of the chair.  
     [0032] If there is a space not enough to accommodate the folding chair with a detachable table according to the invention, or if two users desire to face each other with the table interposed therebetween, the folding chairs are separated from the table  1  and then disposed to face each other.  
     [0033] More specifically, if the folding chairs are required to be completely separated from the table  1 , the chairs are rearwardly turned to a angle of 60° or more by a user. At this point, the snap hook  16  is turned while being engaged at its neck portion with an rear one of two ends defining the mouth of the stopper  33 , so that the snap hook  16  is smoothly separated from the snap projection  30 , thereby allowing the folding chair to be separated from the mediate table  1 .  
     [0034] Consequently, the folding chairs and the table  1  of the present invention can be separated from and combined with each other without difficulty.  
     [0035] In another application of the folding chair with a detachable table according to the present invention, the storage net  6  can be used as a versatile container such as a ball basket in a tennis game or a basket for clothes to be washed when the table plate of the table  1  is upwardly swung open.  
     [0036]FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of a combining mechanism for the folding chair with a detachable table according to present invention.  
     [0037] As shown in the drawing, another embodiment comprises a male bracket  40  coupled to each of the rear vertical posts  14  or  24  of the folding chair, and a female bracket  40 ′ coupled to each of the rear vertical posts  4 ′ of the table  1 . The female bracket  40 ′ has an inserting passage  41  into which a projection of the male bracket  40  is inserted, a turning guide  42  eccentrically mounted on a rotating shaft at a side of the inserting passage  41 , a blocker  43  for limiting the turning angle of the male bracket  40 , a guide groove  45  for guiding turning motion of the male bracket  40 , and a connecting handle  44  having a supporting pin  44   a  fixed to an end thereof, and biased toward the male bracket  40  by a coil spring  46  mounted on the rotating shaft of the connecting handle  44  such that the connecting handle  44  is turned together with the male bracket  40  when the bracket  40  is turned.  
     [0038] An operation of the another embodiment of the present invention will be described hereinafter.  
     [0039] When the connecting handle  44  is turned in the direction of arrow “B” in FIG. 6, the turning guide  42 , which is eccentrically mounted on the rotating shaft of the connecting handle, is turned together with the connecting handle  44 , thereby causing the inserting passage  41  to be widened. In this state, the male bracket  40  is inserted into the inserting passage  41  and then the connecting handle  44  is released. At this point, the connecting handle  44  and thus the turning guide  42  are turned back in the direction of arrow “B” in FIG. 6 by the resilience of the coil spring, so that the male bracket  40  cannot be separated from the female bracket  40 ′.  
     [0040] In this coupled state of the male bracket  40 , rearward turning motion of the folding chair will cause the male bracket  40  and thus the connecting handle  44  engaged with the male bracket to be rearwardly turned along the guide groove  45 . By this rearward turning motion of the male bracket  40 , a space is afforded between the folding chair and the table  1 .  
     [0041] When a turning angle of the folding chair exceeds 60°, the folding chair can be separated from the table  1 , as is the case with the first embodiment.  
     [0042] That is, when the folding chair is turned to a angle of 60° or more, the male bracket  40  is guided by the guide groove  45  and then engaged at its rear side with the blocker  43 . At the same time, the turning guide  42  is also eccentrically turned by the connecting handle  44 , so that the inserting passage  41  is widened, thereby allowing the male bracket  40  to be separated from the inserting passage  41  by using the blocker  43  as a fulcrum.  
     [0043] Consequently, the second embodiment of the invention can also efficiently fulfill attachment and separation operations of the folding chairs and the table 1.  
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY  
     [0044] As described above, the present invention provides a folding chair with a detachable table, which is capable of achieving easy attachment and separation of the folding chair and the table, thereby improving convenience of its carriage and storage, and its operational efficiency.  
     [0045] Furthermore, since the folding chair can be turned to afford additional space while being attached to the table by the attaching and detaching mechanism.  
     [0046] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions of the folding chair with a detachable table are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.