Patent Publication Number: US-9408473-B2

Title: Portable sun shaded folding chair

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The industrial field of this disclosure relates to chairs of the type for relaxation and especially out of doors such as on the beach or in a part setting. This disclosure particularly is directed to a sling type chair and importantly, a chair that is easily folded into a compact bundle for ease in moving the chair and convenience in storage. Sling chairs are known in the prior art, but a sling chair that uses the ground service for user support and that is able to be folded into a compact mutually parallel arrangement of struts and also unfolded quickly for use is not known. Also, such a sling chair that provides a retractable and vertically positionable sun shade is not known. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an example perspective view of the presently described apparatus as fully wrapped by a ground cloth and straps, ready for carrying; 
         FIG. 2  is an example perspective view thereof as unwrapped; 
         FIG. 3  is an example perspective view of a frame thereof partially unfolded; 
         FIG. 4  is an example partial perspective view of the ground cloth thereof; 
         FIG. 5  is an example perspective view of the frame thereof fully unfledged and positioned for use; 
         FIG. 6  is an example partial perspective view thereof showing the ground cloth draped over the frame; 
         FIG. 7  is an example partial perspective view thereof showing the frame inserted into a pocket of the ground cloth; 
         FIG. 8  is an example perspective view thereof showing the frame engaged with a sun shade, the shade in a non-shading position; 
         FIG. 9  is an example perspective view thereof showing the shade in a shading position; 
         FIG. 10  is an example perspective view thereof showing the apparatus in use; and 
         FIG. 11  is an example perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a sun shape strut coupler. 
     
    
    
     Like reference symbols in the drawing figures indicate like elements. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The presently described apparatus and method of use is a folding chair  10 , an apparatus for resting on a ground surface  20 . As shown in  FIG. 1  the chair  10  may be bundled into a compact form with bundling straps  30  and a carry strap  40 . The outer wrap may be a beach towel or other sizable cloth; a ground cloth  50 , which use, beside for bundling the chair  10  will be described. 
     When unwrapped, the chair  10  is, as shown in  FIG. 2 , a number of inter-joined folded-together struts made of a structural material such as metal or plastic. This folded arrangement wherein the struts are in close mutual proximity and in mutual parallel alignment provides for easy carrying and convenient storage.  FIG. 3  shows the bundle of struts partly separated and as laid on the outer wrap; cloth  50 . 
       FIG. 4  illustrates the underside of cloth  50  which may be rectangular in shape and which may have pocket pairs including a first pair of pockets  52 , fixed, as by being sewn at one end  56  of cloth  50 , and also plural second pocket pairs as shown by pockets  54  engaged with cloth  50  in the same manner at medial positions of cloth  50 . The pockets  54  typically contact ground surface  20  when ground cloth  50  is engaged with said struts and when a user sits on a top surface of cloth  50 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , when the struts are fully drawn apart and positioned in their unfolded positions, said struts may include a pair of main struts  60 , a pair of hinged supporting struts  70 , a pair of hinged bracing struts  80 , and a pair of hinged cross-linking struts  90 . As shown, the struts may be arranged in the folded arrangement shown in  FIG. 2  and alternately in the unfolded arrangement shown in  FIG. 5  where, in the latter configuration, they form the structural portion of chair  10 .  FIG. 5  shows that main struts  60  are spaced apart in an upright posture with first ends resting on the ground surface  20  and having terminal upper ends. As shown, each supporting strut  70  may extend between a main strut  60  with a free end of each supporting strut  70  in contact with, the ground surface  20  in a first direction designated in  FIG. 5  by arrow “A.” Each bracing strut  80  may extend between a main strut  60  and a support strut  70  and in the first direction “A”. Each cross-linking strut  90  may extend between the main struts  60  in a second direction shown in  FIG. 5  by arrow “B.” Directions “A” and “B” may be mutually orthogonal or nearly so. 
     The ground cloth  50  may extend between the main struts  60  and the ground surface  20  in the first direction “A” by engaging the pair of first pockets  52  with the terminal upper ends of main struts  60  and then letting cloth  50  drape down to ground surface  20  as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     Each supporting  70 , bracing  80 , and cross-linking  90  strut is hinged with at least one said main strut  60 , and each bracing strut  80  is also hinged with a support strut  80  as is well shown in  FIG. 5  and also  FIG. 8 . Hinges are not shown in the drawing figures as they are well known in the art and may be of one or another alternate types including hinge pins  100  fed through the struts and also through structural webs  110  as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
     As said, plural second pairs of pocket pairs, i.e., pockets  54  are medially attached to cloth  50  and may be spaced apart in the first direction “A” as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . As shown in  FIG. 7 , free ends of struts  70  may rest on ground surface  20  and may be engaged within one or another of the second pairs of pockets  54  of ground cloth  50 . When cloth  50  is fixed to the tops of main struts  60  and also to the ends of support struts  70  a portion of cloth  50  is maintained above ground surface  20  and it is this portion that functions as a back rest for a user as shown in  FIG. 10 . It is pointed out that couplers  65  are able to slide frictionally along struts  60  and may be fixed at a desired location on struts  65  by thumb screws or any other common clamping hardware. Referring to  FIG. 5  it is clearly shown that as couplers  65  are moved from the position shown in  FIG. 5  to a higher position on struts  60 ; struts  70 ,  80  and  90  all move to a more vertical upright attitude and when couplers  65  are moved down, the converse occurs. When free ends  72  of struts  70  are engaged with pockets  54  which are more distant than pockets  52 , couplers  65  are lowered to thereby extend ends  72  further in first direction A and this tends to raise a backrest portion of cloth  50  for the convenience of a heavier or a taller user. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 8, 9, and 10 , folding chair  10  may utilize a cloth sun shade  150  supported by a pair of first shade struts  170  engaged along opposing sides of shade  150  by a common attachment means. Struts  170  may be engaged in a sliding relationship with main struts  60  so shade  150  may be raised or lowered to provide for the convenience of children and adults.  FIG. 8  shows that shade  150  may be folded back and out of the way when not needed as couplers  160  may readily accommodate such rotation as those of skill will find a routine matter of mechanics. In fact shade  150  may be rotated backward into a vertical position behind chair  10  for ground clearance. When in use, coupler  65  may allow shade  150  to assume the position shown in  FIG. 9  where it covers cloth  50  and a user as it extends from the main struts  60  forward in first direction “A.” 
     As shown in  FIG. 9  it is preferred to form sun shade  150  so that it has a front transverse edge  152 , a rear transverse edge  154 , a pair of side panels  156 , and a top panel  158 , the side panels  156  being approximately triangular in shape with a diminishing height moving away from the main struts  60  in the first direction “A” assuming the position of shade  150  is as shown in  FIG. 9 . The triangular sides of shade  150  provide for .user protection from wind, blown sand when used on the beach, privacy and from the rays of a low sun. To accommodate the taller aspect of the rear portion of shade  150  a further embodiment of coupler  160  may be employed as shown in  FIG. 11 . In this embodiment coupler  165  has a central hole  166  for receiving strut  60 , and a groove  167  for receiving first shade strut  170  in a pivotal relationship so that sun shade  150  may be rotated to the back area of chair  10  as previously described. A further groove  168  is provided for receiving second shade strut  180 . Strut  180  is also able to rotate along with strut  170  and is long enough to support the deep end of shade  150 . 
     Embodiments of the subject apparatus and method have been described herein. Nevertheless, it will be understood that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and understanding of this disclosure. Accordingly, other embodiments and approaches are within the scope of the following claims.