Folding chair

Abstract

A folding chair includes a front leg frame, a rear leg frame and a backrest frame pivotally coupled to a seat. The rear leg frame is slidably coupled to a pair of spaced apart slots on a bottom portion of the seat. Each component is positioned such that in an open configuration the backrest frame is supported by the front leg frame, and the rear leg frame engages front ends of the slots such that the front leg frame forms an X-shape with respect to the rear leg frame, and in a folded configuration the front leg frame, rear leg frame, backrest frame and seat are positioned substantially co-planar to each other.

1 . A folding chair configurable into an open configuration and a folded configuration, the folding chair comprising:
 a front leg frame comprising a pair of spaced apart front legs in a substantially parallel arrangement;   a rear leg frame comprising a pair of spaced apart rear legs in a substantially parallel arrangement, the front and rear leg frames pivotally coupled to each other;   a seat comprising opposing top and bottom portions, and a pair of opposing side portions, a pair of opposing side members each extending from a corresponding side portion, the bottom portion comprising a pair of spaced apart slots extending between front and rear portions of the seat, upper ends of each rear leg slidably coupled to a corresponding slot; and   a backrest frame comprising a pair of spaced apart upper backrest support members in a substantially parallel arrangement, lower ends of each upper backrest support member connected by a lower backrest support member, a backrest disposed on upper portions of each upper backrest support member, lower portions of each upper backrest support member and upper portions of each corresponding front leg collectively fixedly pivotally coupled to a rear portion of each side member of the seat;   wherein in the open configuration the backrest is substantially upright and the lower backrest support member contacts the front leg frame, and each rear leg upper end engages a front end of a corresponding slot such that the front leg frame forms an X-shape with respect to the rear leg frame, and   wherein in the folded configuration the backrest frame pivots toward and overlaps with the seat, each rear leg upper end engages a rear end of a corresponding slot such that the front and rear leg frames are pivoted toward each other to a substantially parallel arrangement, and the overlapped backrest and seat are further collectively pivoted toward and overlap with the substantially parallel front and rear leg frames.   
     
     
         2 . The folding chair of  claim 1 , wherein the rear leg frame having a width narrower than the front leg frame, the rear leg frame positioned on an inner portion of the front leg frame. 
     
     
         3 . The folding chair of  claim 1 , wherein in the folded configuration, the front leg frame, the rear leg frame, the backrest frame and the seat side members are positioned substantially co-planar to each other. 
     
     
         4 . The folding chair of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the front and rear leg frames further comprises a transverse leg support member fixedly connected to the pair of legs. 
     
     
         5 . The folding chair of  claim 1 , wherein the seat is constructed by a method selected from a group comprising blow molding and injection molding. 
     
     
         6 . The folding chair of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of reinforcement ridges formed on the bottom portion of the seat. 
     
     
         7 . The folding chair of  claim 6 , wherein each slot is formed on a seat frame fixedly connected to the bottom portion of the seat between two of the plurality of reinforcement ridges. 
     
     
         8 . A folding chair configurable into an open configuration and a folded configuration, the folding chair comprising:
 a front leg frame comprising a pair of spaced apart front legs in a substantially parallel arrangement;   a rear leg frame comprising a pair of spaced apart rear legs in a substantially parallel arrangement, the front and rear leg frames pivotally coupled to each other;   a seat comprising opposing top and bottom portions, the bottom portion comprising a pair of spaced apart slots in substantially parallel arrangement, each slot extending between front and rear portions of the seat, upper ends of each rear leg slidably coupled to a corresponding slot, upper ends of each front leg pivotally coupled to the seat; and   a backrest frame comprising a pair of spaced apart upper backrest support members in a substantially parallel arrangement, the backrest frame being independent and separate from the front and rear leg frames, lower ends of each upper backrest support member having a lower backrest support member extending substantially perpendicular therefrom, lower portions of each upper backrest support member pivotally coupled to the seat.   
     
     
         9 . The folding chair of  claim 8 , wherein in the open configuration the backrest frame is substantially upright and each lower backrest support member contacts the front leg frame, and upper ends of each rear leg engages a front end of a corresponding slot such that the front leg frame forms an X-shape with respect to the rear leg frame. 
     
     
         10 . The folding chair of  claim 8 , wherein in the folded configuration the backrest pivots toward and overlaps with the top portion of the seat, each rear leg upper end engages a rear end of a corresponding slot such that the front and rear leg frames are pivoted toward each other to a substantially parallel arrangement, and the overlapped backrest and seat are further collectively pivoted toward and overlap with the substantially parallel front and rear leg frames. 
     
     
         11 . The folding chair of  claim 8 , wherein each slot is formed on a seat frame fixedly connected to the bottom portion of the seat. 
     
     
         12 . The folding chair according to  claim 8 , wherein a lower portion of the backrest frame and an upper portion of the front leg frame are collectively fixedly pivotally coupled to the seat. 
     
     
         13 . The folding chair according to  claim 8 , wherein each lower backrest support member is connected to each other. 
     
     
         14 . The folding chair according to  claim 8 , further comprising a pair of opposing side members each extending from opposing side portions of the seat. 
     
     
         15 . The folding chair of  claim 14 , wherein in the folded configuration the front leg frame, the rear leg frame, the backrest frame and the seat side members are positioned substantially co-planar to each other. 
     
     
         16 . The folding chair according to  claim 14 , wherein lower portions of each upper backrest support member and upper portions of each corresponding front leg are collectively fixedly pivotally coupled to a rear portion of each side member of the seat. 
     
     
         17 . The folding chair of  claim 8 , wherein the rear leg frame has a width narrower than the front leg frame, the rear leg frame positioned on an inner portion of the front leg frame. 
     
     
         18 . The folding chair of  claim 17 , wherein the bottom portion of the seat comprises a plurality of reinforcement ridges. 
     
     
         19 . The folding chair of  claim 18 , wherein a pair of outer channels are formed by the plurality of reinforcement ridges for receiving corresponding adjacent front and rear legs in the folded configuration. 
     
     
         20 . A folding chair configurable into an open configuration and a folded configuration, the folding chair comprising:
 a front leg frame comprising a pair of spaced apart front legs in a substantially parallel arrangement;   a rear leg frame comprising a pair of spaced apart rear legs in a substantially parallel arrangement, the front and rear leg frames pivotally coupled to each other;   a seat comprising opposing top and bottom portions, and opposing side portions, the bottom portion comprising a pair of spaced apart slots in substantially parallel arrangement, each slot extending between front and rear portions of the seat, upper ends of each rear leg slidably coupled to a corresponding slot, upper ends of each front leg pivotally coupled to the seat; and   a backrest frame comprising a pair of spaced apart upper backrest support members in a substantially parallel arrangement, the backrest frame being independent and separate from the front and rear leg frames, lower ends of each upper backrest support member having a lower backrest support member extending substantially perpendicular therefrom, lower portions of each upper backrest support member pivotally coupled to the seat;   wherein in the open configuration the backrest frame is substantially upright and each lower backrest support member contacts the front leg frame, and upper ends of each rear leg engages a front end of a corresponding slot such that the front leg frame forms an X-shape with respect to the rear leg frame, and   wherein in the folded configuration the backrest frame pivots toward and overlaps with the top portion of the seat, each rear leg upper end engages a rear end of a corresponding slot such that the front and rear leg frames are pivoted toward each other to a substantially parallel arrangement, and the overlapped backrest frame and seat are further collectively pivoted toward and overlap with the substantially parallel front and rear leg frames such that the front leg frame, the rear leg frame, the backrest frame and the seat side portions are positioned substantially co-planar to each other.