Folding bench with or without back

Abstract

The present invention is a folding bench where two side pieces fold substantially flat against a back piece in a closed or folded position and fold outwardly about a hinge to an open position. Support means for a seat secured against the back piece and side piece is completed with removable means for easy assembly and low cost construction.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A folding bench capable of being easily unfolded from a closed or folded position to an open position and further capable in a fully assembled position to support the weight of one or more persons comprising: 
 (a) a lower back piece having three equally spaced apart lower vertical back legs of about the same length forming a vertical plane with two end legs, all three back legs connected at top ends by a back piece L-shaped seat support, the lower vertical back legs connected about halfway down their lengths with a horizontal bar, where bottom ends of the lower vertical back legs are adapted to support the bench on a ground surface;    (b) two lower side pieces, each in the open position supporting from the lower back piece a vertical front leg adapted to be substantially parallel to an end leg and spaced in a perpendicular direction from the vertical plane, thereby both legs providing the rest of the supportive contact between the bench and the ground surface, where each front leg is connected at a top end by an end of a side piece L-shaped seat support extending from that top end to near an end of the back piece L-shaped seat support, whereby in an open position the L-shaped seat supports are adapted to support and laterally contain three sides of a rectangular seat;    (c) two hinge means, each providing the sole supportive connection between the back piece and a side piece such that each hinge means permits independent movement of a side piece from an open to a closed position; and    (d) two removable struts, each having means for removable attachment to, at a first end, a point substantially on or near the front leg at about half of its length and, at a second end, at a point underneath the seat about six inches or more from the top of the front leg and substantially within a plane formed by the front legs in the open position, the attachment of both such removable struts and placing of the seat in the L-shaped seat supports forming the bench in the fully assembled position.    
     
     
         2 . The bench of  claim 1  wherein the lower back piece extends vertically upward to form an upper back piece.  
     
     
         3 . The bench of  claim 2  wherein the upper back piece is adapted to be a back rest for the one or more persons.  
     
     
         4 . The bench of  claim 1  wherein the lower side pieces are extended upward to form armrests for the one or more persons.  
     
     
         5 . The bench of  claim 4  wherein the lower back piece extends vertically upward to form an upper back piece adapted to be a back rest for the one or more persons.  
     
     
         6 . The bench of  claim 5  wherein the hinge means extend from a rear portion of an upper side piece to an end portion of the upper back piece.  
     
     
         7 . The bench of  claim 6  wherein the lower side pieces each comprise a welded strut connected at a first end at about the location on the front leg as the location of the removable connection for the removable strut.  
     
     
         8 . The bench of  claim 7  wherein each welded strut further comprises a second end connected to an underside of a side piece L-shaped seat support close to a rearward end thereof.  
     
     
         9 . The bench of  claim 1  wherein each side piece comprises a substantially rectangular support frame with a top portion of the front leg being a front edge thereof and an opposite rear edge thereof having extending therefrom a portion of the hinge means, the complementary portion of the hinge means extending from an end leg.  
     
     
         10 . The bench of  claim 9  wherein a top support of the rectangular support from is the side piece L-shaped seat support and the opposite support is a rod connected at about midpoints of the front and end legs.  
     
     
         11 . A folding bench capable of being easily unfolded from a closed or folded position to an open position and further capable in a fully assembled position to support the weight of one or more persons comprising: 
 (e) a lower back piece having three equally spaced apart lower vertical back legs of about the same length forming a vertical plane with two end legs, all three back legs connected at top ends by a back piece L-shaped seat support, the lower vertical back legs connected about halfway down their lengths with a horizontal bar, where bottom ends of the lower vertical back legs are adapted to support the bench on a ground surface;    (f)two lower side pieces, each in the open position supporting from the lower back piece a vertical front leg adapted to be substantially parallel to an end leg and spaced in a perpendicular direction from the vertical plane, thereby both legs providing the rest of the supportive contact between the bench and the ground surface, where each front leg is connected at a top end by an end of a side piece L-shaped seat support extending from that top end to near an end of the back piece L-shaped seat support, whereby in an open position the L-shaped seat supports are adapted to support and laterally contain three sides of a rectangular seat;    (g) two hinge means, each providing the sole supportive connection between the back piece and a side piece such that each hinge means permits independent movement of a side piece from an open to a closed position; and    (h) a removable rod connectable at near top ends of each front leg in the open position and adapted to support from underneath the remaining edge of the seat; and    (i) removable tensioning means for preventing collapse of the bench attachable at about midpoints of the front and end legs, therefrom extending to a center connection, such that, in the open position, connection of the removable rod and tensioning means along with placing of the seat upon the L-shaped supports and the removable rod places the bench in the fully assembled position.    
     
     
         12 . The bench of  claim 11  wherein the lower back piece extends vertically upward to form an upper back piece.  
     
     
         13 . The bench of  claim 12  wherein the upper back piece is adapted to be a back rest for the one or more persons.  
     
     
         14 . The bench of  claim 11  wherein the lower side pieces are extended upward to form armrests for the one or more persons.  
     
     
         15 . The bench of  claim 14  wherein the lower back piece extends vertically upward to form an upper back piece adapted to be a back rest for the one or more persons.  
     
     
         16 . The bench of  claim 15  wherein the hinge means extend from a rear portion of an upper side piece to an end portion of the upper back piece.