Abstract:
Multifunctional device can be used, inter alia, as a stool, table, bench, or toilet, and can be carried on one&#39;s back. There are also many accessories that, in embodiments, are added to the basic structure, such as a back rest, a shooting stick with adjustable height, an umbrella, a hunting blind attachment, a privacy skirt, and toilet paper holders. The basic structure contains, in embodiments, shaped functionality for propping elongate items, e.g., a rifle or fishing pole.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This non-provisional utility patent application claims priority of U.S. design application Ser. No. 29/491,406, filed May 21, 2014. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     REFERENCE TO A BIOLOGICAL SEQUENCE LISTING 
     Not applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     This invention is in the fields of: horizontal supports, more specifically, chairs, tables, and benches; and camping, hunting and fishing equipment. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     The related art describes foldable chairs and benches of various types. U.S. Pat. No. 7,434,874 to Jordan describes a bench/table combination suitable for picnic tables and the like which is easily collapsible and is strong when erected. The folding action allows the table top, legs and benches to be folded to assume a generally vertical position, the table top being made of two halves and hinged about a central axis, a pair of legs attached to each table top half and being pivotally attached to their respective table top half, and bench supports extending between each pair of legs being pivotally attached to the legs. 
     A familiar sight in outdoor environments around the United States is the foldable beach chair with the amenity of one or more cup holders in the arm rests. There are patented foldable seats or benches comprising other amenities, such as U.S. Pat. No. 7,648,196 to Degelman, et al., which describes an elongate seat or bench with a back rest and sheltering canopy. It comprises a collapsible bench and canopy having a seat frame made up of a plurality of crossing pairs of seat tubes pivotally connected to each other supporting a fabric seat. A fabric back rest is supported by back tubes attached to the seat frame and a canopy is supported by the back tubes to provide shelter to occupants of the collapsible bench. The bench and canopy can be collapsed in one piece by pivoting down the canopy and then moving the crossing pairs of seat tubes so that each pair is substantially aligned. U.S. Pat. No. 6,009,571 to Battiston et al. describes a foldable chair that can be used as a commode. This device comprises a platform having a pair of slotted members depending from the bottom, each slotted member defining a race extending from front to rear; a first U-shaped leg member having a pair of legs connected by a bight portion slidably disposed in the races; a second U-shaped leg member having a pair of legs connected by a bight portion, the top portions being pivotally mounted on opposite sides of the rear end of the platform, wherein the middle portion of each of the legs of the second U-shaped leg member is pivotally attached to the middle portion of a respective one of the legs of the first U-shaped leg member; a receptacle support member disposed intermediate the front and rear ends of the platform; and a receptacle which depends from the receptacle support member. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Objects of the Invention 
     Our increasingly outdoor and sports-oriented culture demands not only portable equipment related to specific activities such as climbing, beach-going and camping, but also has created a need to support the involvement of individuals and small groups in one or more such activities without the burdens of (a) having to decide for each occasion which portable devices pertain to a given outing; (b) making sure they are gathered together and packed for the occasion; and (c) making sure the packed gear, which the prior art may or may not have provided in portable form, is portable. The principal object of the present invention is to satisfy this need. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a multifunctional device that can be used, inter alia, as a stool, table, bench, or toilet, and that can be carried on one&#39;s back. There are also many accessories that, in embodiments, can be added to the basic structure, such as a back rest, a shooting stick with adjustable height, an umbrella, a hunting blind attachment, a privacy skirt, and toilet paper holders. The basic structure contains, in embodiments, shaped functionality for propping elongate items, e.g., a rifle or fishing pole. 
     Other uses for the various embodiments will become evident as the invention is described more fully below. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         1 . Top perspective of present invention in folded configuration. 
         2 .  FIG. 1  with the legs unfolded. 
         3 .  FIG. 2  with the bench-back in the raised position. 
         4 .  FIG. 3  with the toilet seat open. 
         5 . View of a person with the folded bench portable strapped to his back. Accessories can be seen strapped to the back of the folded bench using Velcro straps, rope, or the like. 
         6 . View of a person using the gun rest. 
         7 . Perspective view of the bench with the legs unfolded showing the accessory back rest, drink holder, and umbrella. 
         8 . Rear detail of  FIG. 7  highlighting the umbrella mounting as well as how the back rest support pole nests between the leg struts giving it stability. 
         9 . Front view of bench with the legs down and the bench-back up. 
         10 . rear view of  FIG. 9 . 
         11 . Side view of folded bench. 
         12 . Side view of  FIG. 9 . 
         13 . Top view of  FIG. 9 . 
         14 . Bottom view of  FIG. 9 . 
         15 . Bottom perspective view of the bench with the legs down and the bench-back up. 
         16 . Detail of leg lock components. 
         17 . Top view of bench in folded configuration. 
         18 . Front view of  FIG. 17 . 
         19 . Bottom view of  FIG. 17 . 
         20 . Bottom perspective view of  FIG. 17 . 
         21 . View showing the accessory support pole and the gun rest support apart. 
         22 . View showing the support pole and the gun rest assembled. 
         23 . View showing the back rest support pole and back rest cushion apart. 
         24 . View showing the back rest support pole and back rest cushion assembled. 
         25 . Perspective view showing the accessory hunting blind draped over the bench and umbrella. 
         26 . Perspective view showing the accessory skirt ready to be assembled to the bench. 
         27 . Perspective view showing skirt assembled to bench. 
         28 . Perspective view showing a rifle and a fishing pole resting in the rests cut into the bench. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like elements among the drawings,  FIG. 1  shows a top perspective view of the first embodiment  10  of the present invention, folded configuration. Features visible in this view are bench seat  40 , bench back  50 , fabric or flexible plastic bench back support folds  110  when bench is in the “back down” configuration, auxiliary gear bags  120  and straps  130  for fastening same to legs (not visible in this view), and carrying handle  140 . Straps with snaps  150  ensure that bench-back remains secured to bench seat when in “back down” configuration. Shoulder straps  160  to be used for carrying like a backpack are shown here. Also visible are cup holder ports  190  (in bench back only), accessory male snap fittings  200  for skirt, blind, etc. (see below), accessory pole support ports  180  in bench seat and bench back (which can be used for lamp hangers, tiki or insect repellent torches) and gun and fishing rod rests  290 , which are cut into both the bench seat and the bench back. 
       FIG. 2 . shows the features of  FIG. 1  with legs  70  unfolded for use as a second embodiment  20 . 
     Legs  70  are deployed using leg brace  80  and leg strut  90  restrained by leg lock ring  100 . An accessory bucket  170  and gear bags  120  are also visible, fastened to legs  70  with, e.g., Velcro® straps  130 . 
       FIG. 3 . shows  FIG. 2  with the bench-back  50  in the raised position in accordance with the third embodiment of the present invention. Hinged toilet lid  230  is visible, which normally fully covers the toilet opening (see  FIG. 4 ). However, lid  230  is equipped with a trash or game cut-out  260  separate from the toilet which can be used for disposing trash or putting away game while seated anywhere on the bench  40 . Seat back cut-out  280  aligns vertically with cut-out  260  to allow trash or game to be handled with the seat back down. Bench-back hinges  240  are also visible in this view. Support struts  210  and  215  are shown here holding rolls of toilet paper  250  but they may be used to support gun or fishing rod racks. Additional male snap fittings  270  are also visible, placed for use in securing accessories as described below. 
       FIG. 4 . shows  FIG. 3  with hinged toilet seat lid  230  raised making toilet cut-out  220  available. Toilet lid hinge  300  is shown as well. 
       FIG. 5 . is a view of a person  310  with the portable folded bench first embodiment  10  strapped to his back. Accessories such as, by example and not limitation, support pole  350 , gun rest  360 , back rest cushion  320 , and umbrella  410  can be seen strapped to the back of the folded bench using Velcro® or other straps, rope, or cords  500 . 
       FIG. 6 . is a view of a person  310  using a specially-arranged version of the second embodiment  20  after having mounted the gun rest  360  in it. It is inserted into support pole  350  and secured to the desired height by height adjustment means  370 . Person  310 , using rifle  340 , may lean back against back rest cushion  320 , which is in turn supported by back rest support pole  330 . 
       FIG. 7 . is a perspective view of the special arrangement of the second embodiment shown in  FIG. 6 . Back rest frame  380  is visible from this angle, showing the accessory back rest cushion  320  secured to the frame  380  by straps  390 . Frame  380  is supported in turn by support pole  330  passing through support port  180 . A drink holder  190  (with cup  420 ) and an umbrella  410  are in use. Umbrella  410  is secured by accessory support loop  400 . Note that rifle  340  is placed on struts  210 . 
       FIG. 8 . is a rear detail of the special arrangement of the second embodiment shown in  FIG. 7  highlighting the umbrella mounting as well as how the back rest support pole  330  nests between the leg struts  190  giving it stability. 
       FIG. 9  is a front view of bench with the legs down and the bench-back up (third embodiment  30 ). 
       FIG. 10  is a rear view of third embodiment  30 . 
       FIG. 11  is a side view of folded bench (first embodiment  10 ). 
       FIG. 12  is a side view of third embodiment  30 . 
       FIG. 13  is a top view of third embodiment  30 . 
       FIG. 14  is a bottom view of third embodiment  30  showing seat frame  60 . 
       FIG. 15  is a bottom perspective view of the third embodiment  30 . Leg securing straps  430  are visible in this view. 
       FIG. 16  is a detail of leg lock components. Frame mounting screw  440  is visible here. 
       FIG. 17  is a top view of bench in folded configuration (first embodiment  10 ). 
       FIG. 18  is a front view of first embodiment  10 . 
       FIG. 19  is a bottom view of first embodiment  10 . 
       FIG. 20  is a bottom perspective view of first embodiment  10 . 
       FIG. 21  is a view showing the accessory support pole  350  and the gun rest support  360  apart. 
       FIG. 22  is a view showing the support pole  350  and the gun rest  360  assembled. 
       FIG. 23  is a view showing the back rest frame  380  and back rest cushion  320  apart. 
       FIG. 24  is a view showing the back rest frame  380  and back rest cushion  320  assembled. 
       FIG. 25  is a perspective view showing the accessory hunting blind  450  of the present invention draped over the special arrangement of the second embodiment shown in  FIG. 7 . 
       FIG. 26  is a perspective view showing the accessory skirt  460  ready to be assembled to the bench. The accessory skirt drapes over the bench and snaps to male snap fittings on bench seat (not shown) using female snap fittings  470  attached to skirt. 
       FIG. 27  is a perspective view showing skirt  460  assembled to second embodiment  20 . 
       FIG. 28  is a perspective view showing a rifle  340  and a fishing pole  490  resting in the rests  290  cut into the bench. 
     It is clear from the above description and figures that there can be many uses in addition to those mentioned, such as for hobby work (e.g., providing a measuring and/or cutting surface, seating for gardening) and leisure (sunbathing, napping, outdoor eating) or whatever else the various possible arrangements bring to mind.