Collapsible stool for hunting and outdoor use

Abstract

A stool includes a collapsible frame, a triangular seat and a back. The frame includes a bottom hub with three telescopingly adjustable legs and enlarged feet. A top hub is rotatably coupled to the bottom hub for 360 degree rotation, and includes three seat-supporting arms that extend from the top hub, and a pair of uprights that extend from two of the arms. The seat hook-attaches to loops on ends of the arms, and the back extends between the uprights. The legs and arms are pivoted to their respective hubs, but the pivots are slightly frictional so that the arms and legs remain in adjusted positions, with stops on the hubs stopping the legs and arms in their upwardly-pivoted use positions. The frictional pivots include lubricious plastic that facilitates quiet unfolding of the stool, which is important when hunting.

1 . A stool comprising:
 a frame and a seat supported on the frame;   the frame including a top hub and seat-supporting arms extending from the top hub, the frame further including a bottom hub and legs extending from the bottom hub, the top and bottom hubs being rotationally connected so that the seat and seat-supporting arms can be rotated without changing a position of the legs.   
   
   
       2 . The stool defined in  claim 1 , wherein the seat-supporting arms and the legs each are movable between an upward use position for use, and a downward storage position where the arms and legs extend generally parallel each other in a collapsed storage position. 
   
   
       3 . The stool defined in  claim 1 , including a pair of uprights extending from ends of two of the seat-supporting arms, the arms and uprights being movable between a raised position for use and a lowered position where the arms and legs extend parallel each other in a collapsed storage position; and a back attached between the uprights. 
   
   
       4 . The stool defined in  claim 1 , wherein the arms and seat include an attachment system that supports the seat in a hammock-simulating manner, the attachment system including shackles that are releasably engaged to support the seat. 
   
   
       5 . The stool defined in  claim 1 , wherein the seat is a flexible thermoformed construction with at least three hooks for engaging mating structure on the frame for supporting the seat in a hammock-simulating arrangement. 
   
   
       6 . The stool defined in  claim 1 , wherein the frame includes uprights; a back supported on the uprights; the back including a thoracic-supporting section extending between the uprights and a lumbar-supporting section extending between the uprights, and further including a strap that connects the thoracic-supporting section to at least one of the lumbar-supporting section and the seat, the strap being one of adjustable or rotatable to change an amount of support received from the one section. 
   
   
       7 . A foldable stool comprising:
 a frame and a seat supported on the frame;   the frame including at least one hub, seat-supporting arms extending from the at least one hub, and legs extending from the at least one hub; the seat-supporting arms and the legs each being movable between a raised position for use and a lowered position where the arms and legs extend parallel each other in a collapsed storage position.   
   
   
       8 . The stool defined in  claim 7 , including a pair of uprights extending from ends of two of the seat-supporting arms, the arms and uprights being movable between a raised position for use and a lowered position where the arms and legs extend parallel each other in a collapsed storage position; and a back attached between the uprights. 
   
   
       9 . The stool defined in  claim 7 , wherein the arms and seat include an attachment system that supports the seat in a hammock-simulating manner, the attachment system including shackles that are releasably engaged to support the seat. 
   
   
       10 . The stool defined in  claim 7 , wherein the seat is a flexible thermoformed construction with at least three connectors for engaging mating structure on the frame for supporting the seat in a hammock-simulating arrangement. 
   
   
       11 . The stool defined in  claim 7 , wherein the frame includes uprights; a back supported on the uprights; the back including a thoracic-supporting section extending between the uprights and a lumbar-supporting section extending between the uprights, and further including a strap that connects the thoracic-supporting section to at least one of the lumbar-supporting section and the seat, the strap being one of adjustable or rotatable to change an amount of support received from the one section. 
   
   
       12 . A stool comprising:
 a frame including seat-supporting arms extending from a hub and a pair of uprights extending from ends of two of the seat-supporting arms, the arms and uprights being movable between a raised position for use and a lowered position where the arms and legs extend parallel each other in a collapsed storage position;   a seat attached to the seat-supporting arms; and   a back attached between the uprights.   
   
   
       13 . The stool defined in  claim 12 , wherein the arms and seat include a releasable attachment system that supports the seat in a hammock-simulating manner, the attachment system including several first connectors shaped to releasably engage several mating connectors. 
   
   
       14 . The stool defined in  claim 12 , wherein the seat is a flexible thermoformed construction with at least three hooks for engaging mating structure on the frame for supporting the seat in a hammock-simulating arrangement. 
   
   
       15 . The stool defined in  claim 12 , wherein the frame includes uprights; a back supported on the uprights; the back including a thoracic-supporting section extending between the uprights and a lumbar-supporting section extending between the uprights, and further including a strap that connects the thoracic-supporting section to at least one of the lumbar-supporting section and the seat, the strap being one of adjustable or rotatable to change an amount of support received from the one section. 
   
   
       16 . A foldable stool comprising:
 a frame and a seat supported on the frame;   the frame including at least one hub, and seat-supporting arms extending from the at least one hub; and   the arms and seat including a releasable attachment system that supports the seat in a hammock-simulating manner on the frame, the attachment system including several first connectors shaped to releasably engage mating connectors.   
   
   
       17 . The stool defined in  claim 16 , wherein the seat is a flexible insulated padded construction, the first and mating connectors including at least three hooks for engaging mating structure on the frame for supporting the seat in a hammock-simulating arrangement. 
   
   
       18 . The stool defined in  claim 16 , wherein the frame includes uprights; a back supported on the uprights; the back including a thoracic-supporting section extending between the uprights and a lumbar-supporting section extending between the uprights, and further including a strap that connects the thoracic-supporting section to at least one of the lumbar-supporting section and the seat, the strap being one of adjustable or rotatable to change an amount of support received from the one section. 
   
   
       19 . A stool comprising:
 a frame and a seat supported on the frame;   the seat being a flexible insulated padded construction with at least three hooks for engaging mating loops on the frame for supporting the seat in a hammock-simulating arrangement.   
   
   
       20 . A stool comprising:
 a frame including seat-supporting arms and uprights;   a seat supported on the arms and a back supported on the uprights;   the back including a thoracic-supporting section extending between the uprights and a lumbar-supporting section extending between the uprights, and further including a strap that connects the thoracic-supporting section to at least one of the lumbar-supporting section and the seat, the strap being adjustable to change an amount of support received from the one section.