Patent Publication Number: US-2009236886-A1

Title: Swing assembly

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a swing assembly, more particularly to a swing assembly that has a seat which a user can lie down or recline on. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a conventional swing assembly  1  comprises a main support frame  11 , a swing frame unit  12  hung on the main support frame  11  through left and right hanging assemblies  13 , and a seat unit  14  mounted on and connected to the swing frame unit  12 . The seat unit  14  has a seat frame  141 , and a backrest frame  142  that is pivotable relative to the seat frame  141  between a horizontal position (see  FIG. 1 ) and an inclining position (not shown). In the inclining position, the backrest frame  142  and the seat frame  141  define therebetween an angle that is approximately 90°, so that the user&#39;s back can rest on the backrest frame  142  in an inclining manner relative to the seat frame  141 . In the horizontal position, the backrest frame  142  and the seat frame  141  are horizontally aligned, so that the user can lie flatly on the swing assembly  1 . 
     Although the conventional swing assembly  1  can achieve its intended purpose, the user cannot recline on the seat frame  141  and the backrest frame  142 , so that use of the conventional swing assembly  1  is limited. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a swing assembly that can be used in a number of ways. 
     According to this invention, a swing assembly comprises a main support frame and a swing unit. The main support frame includes left and right upright frames, and a top frame connected to top ends of the left and right upright frames. The swing unit includes a swing chair, and left and right hanging assemblies connected to the swing chair and hung on the top frame. The swing chair includes a seat. The seat has left and right seat portions connected to each other and extending respectively to the left and right hanging assemblies. One of the left and right seat portions is pivotal relative to the other one of the left and right seat portions to move between a substantially horizontal position and an inclining position. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a conventional swing assembly; 
         FIG. 2  is a partly exploded perspective view of a swing assembly according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a fragmentary perspective view of the preferred embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is a fragmentary schematic side view of the preferred embodiment; 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged schematic side view of an adjustable reclining mechanism of the preferred embodiment; 
         FIG. 6  is a view similar to  FIG. 5 , but illustrating an engaging pin engaged to a selected one of inclined teeth; and 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic view of a guide piece of the adjustable reclining mechanism. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 to 7 , a swing assembly according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown to comprise a main support frame  2 , a swing unit  3 , and a roof assembly  5 . 
     The main support frame  2  includes left and right upright frames  21 , and a top frame  22  connected to top ends of the left and right upright frames  21 . 
     The swing unit  3  includes a swing chair  30 , and left and right hanging assemblies  32  connected to the swing chair  30  and hung on the top frame  22  between the left and right upright frames  21 . The swing chair  30  includes a rectangular bottom support  311 , left and right substantially inverted-U shaped armrest rods  312 , and a seat  31 . The bottom support  311  has spaced-apart front and rear bars  3111 , a left bar  3112  connected between left ends of the front and rear bars  3111 , and a right bar  3113  connected between right ends of the front and rear bars  3111 . The armrest rods  312  are connected respectively to the left and right bars  3112 ,  3113  in a known manner. 
     Each of the left and right hanging assemblies  32  has a retaining ring  321  sleeved on the top frame  22 , an S-shaped hook  322  hooked on the retaining ring  321 , and two hanging rods  323  having top ends hung on the hook  322  and bottom ends connected respectively to front and rear ends of the corresponding armrest rod  312 . 
     The seat  31  has front and rear seat sections  6 ,  7  respectively disposed at front and rear sides of the swing chair  30  and supported by the bottom support  311 . The rear seat section  7  is pivotal relative to the front seat section  6  to move between a substantially horizontal position, where the rear seat section  7  is pivoted downwardly so as to align horizontally with the front seat section  6 , and an inclining position, where the rear seat section  7  is pivoted upwardly and forwardly so as to incline with respect to the front seat section  6  to serve as a rear backrest. 
     Since the front and rear seat sections  6 ,  7  have similar constructions, only the front seat section  6  will be described hereinafter. The front seat section  6  has left and right seat portions  62 ,  61  connected to each other and extending respectively to the left and right hanging assemblies  32 . The left seat portion  62  is pivotal relative to the right seat portion  61  to move between a substantially horizontal position, where the left seat portion  62  is aligned horizontally with the right seat portion  61 , and an inclining position, where the left seat portion  62  is inclined with respect to the right seat portion  61  so as to serve as a reclining left backrest. The front seat section  6  further has a fixed frame portion  611  and a movable frame portion  621 . The fixed frame portion  611  has longitudinal front and rear rods  6111 ,  6112 , a left transverse rod  6113  connected between left ends of the front and rear rods  6111 ,  6112 , a right transverse rod  6114  connected between right ends of the front and rear rods  6111 ,  6112 , and spaced-apart left and right cross rods  6115 ,  6116  connected between the front and rear rods  6111 ,  6112 . The right seat portion  61  is fixed to the fixed frame portion  611 , and includes a plurality of spaced-apart longitudinal resilient straps  614  connected between the right transverse rod  6114  and the left cross rod  6115  and passing over the right cross rod  6116 . The right seat portion  61  is thus supported on the front and rear rods  6111 ,  6112 , the left and right transverse rods  6113 ,  6114 , and the left and right cross rods  6115 ,  6116 . The movable frame portion  621  is connected movably to the fixed frame portion  611 , and is pivotal leftward and rightward relative to the fixed frame portion  611 . The movable frame portion  621  has a U-shaped rod provided with front and rear arm sections  6211 ,  6212 , and two pivot rods  613  connecting pivotally and respectively the front and rear arms sections  6211 ,  6212  to the front and rear rods  6111 ,  6112 . The pivot rods  613  extend inwardly and respectively from the front and rear rods  6111 ,  6112  adjacent to the left cross rod  6115 , so that the front and rear arm sections  6211 ,  6212  are disposed between the front and rear rods  6111 ,  6112 . The left seat portion  62  is fixed to the movable frame portion  621 , and includes a plurality of spaced-apart transversal resilient straps  622  connected to and disposed between the left and right arm sections  6211 ,  6212  of the U-shaped rod  621 . The user can lie flatly on the front seat section  6  when the left seat portion  62  is pivoted downwardly and leftwardly so as to be disposed in the horizontal position, as shown in  FIG. 2 , and can recline on the front seat section  6  when the left seat portion  62  is pivoted upwardly and rightwardly relative to the right seat portion  61  so as to be disposed in the inclined position, as best shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     The roof assembly  5  is installed on top of the main support frame  2 . Since the roof assembly  5  is not a main aspect of the present invention, a detailed description of the same is dispensed herewith for the sake of brevity. 
     The swing assembly of the present invention further comprises an adjustable reclining mechanism  4  to adjust an inclination angle of the left seat portion  62  relative to the right seat portion  61 . In this embodiment, four adjustable reclining mechanisms  4  are employed. Two of the adjustable reclining mechanisms  4  are disposed respectively on the front and rear sides of the front seat section  6 , while the other two of the adjustable reclining mechanisms  4  are disposed respectively on the front and rear sides of the rear seat section  7 . Since the operation and structure of each of the adjustable reclining mechanisms  4  are similar, only one of the adjustable reclining mechanisms  4  that is disposed on the front side of the front seat section  6  will be described hereinafter. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 3 to 7 , the adjustable reclining mechanism  4  includes a main rod  41  pivoted to an inner face of the front rod  6111  in proximity to the left rod  6113 , and a slide  42  connected telescopically to the main rod  41  and pivoted to an outer face of the left arm section  6211  of the U-shaped rod  621 . The main rod  41  is formed as a hollow rod having two parallel walls  411  provided respectively with a longitudinal extending slide hole  414 , a plurality of spaced-apart inclined teeth  412  extending into the slide hole  414 , and a plurality of recesses  415  each formed between two adjacent ones of the inclined teeth  412  and communicating spatially with the slide hole  414 . The slide  42  has a longitudinally extending plate  421  inserted slidably between the two parallel walls  411 , and a pawl member  422  connected movably to the plate  421  and having a transverse engaging pin  423  to engage releasably a selected one of the inclined teeth  412 . The pawl member  422  is placed within an aperture  420  in the plate  421 , and is provided with a hook end  426  inserted movably into a notch  425  adjacent to the aperture  420 , thereby connecting movably the pawl member  422  to the plate  421 . A guide piece  43  is disposed slidably between the plate  421  and one of the walls  411 , and has a guide hole  431  with a small left-end hole section  4311  and a large right-end hole section  4312 . The engaging pin  423  extends into the guide hole  431  with two opposite ends thereof received respectively in the slide holes  414  of the walls  411 . A biasing spring  424  is disposed between the walls  411 , and has one end abutting against a top face of the pawl member  422 , so that the engaging pin  423  is urged to move to the selected inclined tooth  412 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 5 , when the plate  421  is pulled rightwardly from the main rod  41 , the plate  421  moves the guide piece  43  and the pawl member  422  therealong, and the engaging pin  423  is situated in the large-end hole section  4312  of the guide hole  431 . As the engaging pin  423  slides over the inclined teeth  412 , the biasing spring  424  is compressed (see  FIG. 5 ). When the engaging pin  423  falls into one of the recesses  415  (see  FIG. 6 ), the biasing spring  424  expands, thereby retaining the engaging pin  423  within the corresponding recess  415 . The left seat portion  62  is therefore fixed to a desired inclination angle relative to the right seat portion  61 . 
     If the plate  421  is to be moved leftward, the plate  421  must be slid rightward first so as to move to the rightmost end of the slide hole  414 . The pawl member  422  and the guide piece  43  are thus moved along with the engaging pin  423 , and the engaging pin  423  is moved to the left-end hole section  4311  of the guide hole  431 . In this state, the plate  421  can be pushed leftward. 
     Since the adjustable reclining mechanism  4  is known, any other suitable adjustable reclining mechanism may be employed to adjust the inclination angle of the left seat portion  62  relative to the right seat portion  61 . Hence, the adjustable reclining mechanism  4  should not be limited to the disclosed embodiment. 
     In use, with reference to  FIG. 2 , when an included angle between the front and rear seat sections  6 ,  7  is approximately 90°, the user can sit on the front seat section  6  with his/her back resting on the rear seat section  7 , and can then swing the swing unit  3  forwardly and rearwardly. When the rear seat section  7  is pivoted rearwardly and downwardly so as to be disposed in the horizontal position, the user can lie flatly either on the front or rear seat section  6 ,  7 . When lying flatly on either one of the front or rear seat section  6 ,  7 , the user may lie such that his/her head and back rest on the left seat portion  62  and his/her feet rest on the right seat portion  61 . When the user wishes to recline on the left seat portion  62  of either one of the front or rear seat section  6 ,  7 , the left seat section  62  is pivoted rightwardly relative to the right seat portion  61  and is adjusted to a desired inclination angle through the respective adjustable reclining mechanisms  4 . 
     It is worth mentioning that the present invention may be installed with a retaining mechanism (not shown) between the main support frame  2  and the swing unit  3  to arrest movement of the swing unit  3  relative to the main support frame  2 , so that safety is enhanced during use of the present invention. 
     While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.