Patent ID: 8272684

Claim:
A folding chair comprising (a) a primary control tree including (i) a first elongate control shaft, said control shaft including an elongate centerline, an upper end, a lower end, and a central section intermediate said upper end and said lower end, (ii) a first control collar including an upwardly extending body, and a first aperture formed therethrough, said collar mounted on said control shaft with said control shaft slidably extending through said first aperture, (iii) a second control collar with a second aperture formed therethrough and mounted on said control shaft with said body slidably extending through said second aperture to slide along said control shaft simultaneously with said first control collar, and rotate about said body of said first control collar and about said centerline independently of said first control collar (iii) a third control collar mounted on said upper end of said control shaft to rotate about said centerline, and (iv) a fourth control collar mounted on said lower end of said control shaft; (b) at least three legs each including a proximate end pivotally attached to said first control collar; (c) at least three upwardly extending support arms each including a proximate end pivotally attached to said second control collar; (d) a pliable foldable seat structure attached to said support arms; (e) at least three elongate support members each operatively associated with a different one of said legs and including a first distal end pivotally attached said one of said legs and a second proximate end pivotally attached to said fourth control collar; (f) at least three elongate brace members each operatively associated with a different one of said arms and including a primary distal end pivotally attached to said one of said arms and a secondary proximate end pivotally attached to said third control collar; said control shaft slidable through said first aperture between at least two operative positions, (g) a first operative position with (i) said chair stowed and folded, (ii) said fourth control collar upwardly displaced toward said first control collar such that said second proximate ends are positioned above said first distal ends, (iii) said third control collar upwardly displaced away from said first control collar such that said secondary proximate ends are positioned above said primary distal ends, and (h) a second operative position with (i) said chair deployed and unfolded, (ii) said fourth control collar downwardly displaced away from said first control collar such that said second proximate ends are generally positioned level with or below said first distal ends, and (iii) said third control collar downwardly displaced toward said first control collar such that said secondary proximate ends are generally positioned level with or below said primary distal ends.