Patent Publication Number: US-6213555-B1

Title: Adjustable angle chaise lounge construction

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to the field of lounge chair constructions in general, and in particular to a unique angularly adjustable chaise lounge construction. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     As can be seen by reference to the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,994,093; 3,897,102; 4,470,630; 5,926,871; and 5,950,259, the prior art is replete with myriad and diverse lounge chair constructions. 
     While all of the aforementioned prior art constructions are more than adequate for the basic purpose and function for which they have been specifically designed, they are uniformly deficient with respect to their failure to provide a simple, efficient, and practical pivoted leg assembly that can support the main lounge support panels at a variety of different angular orientations relative to one another, as well as the horizontal plane. 
     While all of the prior art devices include at least one horizontally disposed support panel that coincides with the user&#39;s mid torso, there are many instances wherein it would be desirable to dispose the seat portion of the lounge chair at an angle other than the horizontal plane. 
     As a consequence of the foregoing situation, there has existed a longstanding need for a new and improved type of adjustable angle chaise lounge construction that employs a unique leg support arrangement that permits the three main lounge panels to be disposed at a variety of angles relative to one another, and the provision of such a construction is a stated objective of the present invention. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Briefly stated, the adjustable angle lounge chair construction that forms the basis of the present invention comprises in general, a lounge chair unit and a pair of adjustable length support units that are adapted to selectively engage and support different portions of the lounge chair unit at different heights and angular orientations. 
     As will be explained in greater detail further on in the specification, the lounge chair unit comprises an articulated tubular framework member which includes a head rest segment, an upper torso segment, a lower torso segment, and a foot rest segment which are connected to one another by a plurality of adjustable pivot arrangements that are adapted to dispose the segments of the articulated tubular framework member at different angular orientations relative to one another. 
     In addition, each one of the pair of support units includes a pair of generally rectangular adjustable length support leg members pivotally connected to one another wherein each of the adjustable length support leg members has a generally U-shaped lower leg portion that telescopically receives a generally U-shaped upper leg portion which is adapted to be releasably engaged in selected clamp elements disposed on the underside of each of the segments of the articulated tubular framework member for maintaining the segments at desired heights relative to one another. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These and other attributes of the invention will become more clear upon a thorough study of the following description of the best mode for carrying out the invention, particularly when reviewed in conjunction with the drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the angularly adjustable lounge chair construction that forms the basis of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the lounge chair construction; 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged detailed view of the detent mechanism that allows the length of the leg assemblies to be variably adjusted; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one side of one of the leg assemblies; 
     FIG. 5 is an isolated detail view of the operative engagement between the upper end of a leg assembly and one of the tubular framework; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of one side of the lounge chair construction; 
     FIG. 7 is an isolated detail view of the tubular framework adjustment member; and 
     FIG. 8 is an isolated side view of the arrangement depicted in FIG.  5 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As can be seen by reference to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1, the angularly adjustable lounge chair construction that forms the basis of the present invention is designated generally by the reference number  10 . The construction  10  comprises in general, an articulated lounge chair unit  11 , and a pair of adjustable support units  12 . These units will now be described in seriatim fashion. 
     As shown in FIGS. 1,  2 , and  6 , the lounge chair unit  11  comprises an articulated generally rectangular tubular framework member  20  which includes a generally U-shaped head rest segment  21 , an upper torso segment  22 , a lower torso segment  23 , and a generally U-shaped foot rest segment  24  which are pivotally connected to one another in a sequential fashion by a pivot arrangement designated generally as  30 . 
     As can best be seen by reference to FIG. 1, both the head rest segment  21 , and the foot rest segment  24  comprise a U-shaped tubular section  25  whose opposite sides are connected to one another by a plurality of plastic strap elements  26 . Each of the upper and lower torso segments  22 ,  23  comprise a pair of widely spaced tubular sections  27 ,  28  which are also provided with strap elements  26 . 
     As shown in FIG. 7, each of the pair of tubular sections  27 ,  28  are connected to one another by a pivot adjustment arrangement  30 . Each tubular section  28  has a slot  31  and a transverse threaded aperture  32  formed on one end  28 ′ and an apertured flange  33  formed on the other end  28 ″. The slot  31  is dimensioned to receive the apertured flange  33  and the apertured flange  33  and the transverse threaded apertures  32  are dimensioned to receive the threaded stem  34  of an angular pivot adjustment knob  35 . 
     Turning now to FIGS. 1,  2 ,  5 , and  8 , it can be seen that the underside of each of the segments  21 ,  22 ,  23 , and  24  of the articulated framework member  20  are provided with a plurality of spaced clamp elements  29  whose purpose and function will be explained in greater detail further on in the specification. 
     As shown in FIGS. 1,  2 , and  4 , each of the pair of adjustable support units  12  comprise a pair of generally rectangular adjustable length support leg members  40 ,  40 ′ which are pivotally connected to one another. Each of the support leg members  40 ,  40 ′ include a hollow U-shaped lower leg portion  41  which is dimensioned to telescopically receive a smaller diameter U-shaped upper leg portion  42 . 
     In addition, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 8, each of the clamp elements  29  on the underside of the articulated framework member  20  are adapted to selectively captively engage the top of each of the upper leg portions  42  of the support leg members  40 ,  40 ′. 
     As can best be appreciated by reference to FIGS. 1 through 4, the length of each support leg member  40 ,  40 ′ is independently adjustable to maintain the adjacent framework segments  21 ,  22 ,  23 , and  24  at various angular dispositions relative to one another in conjunction with the pivot adjustment arrangements  30 . 
     As shown in FIG. 2, the pivot adjustment arrangements  30  determine the angular disposition between adjacent framework segments  21 ,  22 ,  23 , and  24  while the adjustable support units  12  determine the height of the respective framework segments  21 ,  22 ,  23 ,  24  above the ground so that the lounge chair construction  10  can have an infinite number of angular adjustments to suit any possible need of the user. 
     Turning now to FIGS. 3 and 4, it can be seen that in the preferred embodiment of the invention, the upper leg portion  42  of each of the leg members  40 ,  40 ′ are provided with a plurality of apertures  43  which are dimensioned to receive a spring loaded detent  44  which rests upon a bearing plate  45  disposed within the interior of each of the lower leg portions  41  of each of the leg members  40 ,  40 ′. 
     In addition, in one version of the preferred embodiment depicted in FIG. 3, it can be seen that the support leg members  40 ,  40 ′ are pivotally connected together by a fixed pivot rod  50  depicted in solid lines. In an alternate version of the preferred embodiment depicted in FIGS. 3 and 4, both the upper  42  and lower  41  portions of each of the support leg members  40 ,  40 ′ are provided with a plurality of alignable transverse apertures  46  that are dimensioned to receive an elongated removable pivot rod  50 ′ depicted in phantom. 
     In the alternate version of the preferred embodiment, the selective placement of the removable pivot rod  50 ′ will allow an added degree of adjustability to the angularly adjustable lounge chair construction  10 . 
     Although only an exemplary embodiment of the invention has been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the following claims. 
     Having thereby described the subject matter of the present invention, it should be apparent that many substitutions, modifications, and variations of the invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that the invention as taught and described herein is only to be limited to the extent of the breadth and scope of the appended claims.