Collapsible chair

Abstract

A chair operable between an extended configuration and a collapsed configuration includes one or more legs, a handle and a locking mechanism. The one or more legs support a seat and the handle extends away from the seat opposite the one or more legs. The locking mechanism includes a lock plug disposed in an elongate trough. Movement of the handle between the extended and collapsed configurations involves depressing the lock plug and flipping the trough to an opposite side of the lock plug.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A chair operable between an extended configuration and a collapsed configuration, the chair comprising:
 one or more legs supporting a seat;   a handle extending away from the seat opposite the one or more legs; and   a locking mechanism including a lock plug disposed in an elongate trough, wherein   moving the handle between the extended and collapsed configurations involves depressing the lock plug and flipping the trough to an opposite side of the lock plug.   
     
     
         2 . The chair of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more legs include a first leg, a second leg, and a third leg, the trough pivotally connecting the handle to the first leg about a handle pivot axis. 
     
     
         3 . The chair of  claim 2 , wherein the trough is configured to wrap around a first side of the first leg when the handle is in the extended configuration, and to wrap around a second side of the first leg opposite the first side when the handle is in the collapsed configuration. 
     
     
         4 . The chair of  claim 2 , wherein each of the legs includes a lower portion, an upper portion, and a central portion connecting the lower portion to the upper portion, the central portion of the first leg being pivotally connected to the central portions of the second and third legs, a front portion of the seat being pivotally connected to the upper portion of first leg about a seat pivot axis, the seat including a slot extending from a rear portion of the seat toward the front portion of the seat, at least one of the upper portions of the second and third legs including a pin slidingly engaged in the slot, and movement of the chair from the extended configuration toward the collapsed configuration involves the pin sliding in the slot toward the seat pivot axis as the lower portions of the second and third legs pivot toward the lower portion of the first leg. 
     
     
         5 . The chair of  claim 4 , wherein the trough pivotally connects the handle to the upper portion of the first leg about the handle pivot axis, and operating the chair from the extended configuration toward the collapsed configuration involves pivoting the handle about the handle pivot axis toward the leg pivot axis to position the upper portions of the first, second, and third legs between the seat and the handle. 
     
     
         6 . The chair of  claim 5 , wherein operating the chair from the extended configuration to the collapsed configuration involves telescoping in the lower portions of the first, second, and third legs toward the trough. 
     
     
         7 . The chair of  claim 6 , wherein the chair in the collapsed configuration has an overall length that is less than or equal to a predetermined longest allowable exterior dimension of a carry-on airline luggage piece. 
     
     
         8 . A chair operable between an extended configuration and a collapsed configuration, the chair comprising:
 one or more legs supporting a seat, and   a handle extending away from the seat opposite the one or more legs, wherein the handle and the seat are pivotally connected to at least one of the legs about a combined pivot axis.   
     
     
         9 . The chair of  claim 8 , the one or more legs includes a first leg, a second leg, and a third leg, each of the legs including a central portion connecting a lower portion to an upper portion, the central portion of the first leg being pivotally connected to the central portions of the second and third legs about a leg pivot axis, the handle and the seat being pivotally connected to the upper portion of the first leg about the combined pivot axis. 
     
     
         10 . The chair of  claim 9 , wherein operating the chair from the extended configuration toward the collapsed configuration involves pivoting of the upper portions of the second and third legs toward the upper portion of the first leg about the leg pivot axis, pivoting of the seat about the combined pivot axis in a first direction, and pivoting of the handle about the combined pivot axis in a second direction opposite the first direction to position the first, second, and third legs between the seat and the handle. 
     
     
         11 . The chair of  claim 10 , wherein the handle includes a trough, the combined pivot axis passing through the trough, the chair including a lock plug operable between an OUT position and an IN position, the OUT position corresponding to the lock plug extending into and frictionally engaging a portion of the trough extending away from the upper portion of the first leg, the IN position corresponding to the lock plug depressed toward the central portion of first leg to allow the handle to pivot about the combined pivot axis. 
     
     
         12 . The chair of  claim 11 , wherein the first leg includes a bore extending from the upper portion of the first leg toward the central portion of the first leg, the lock plug extending further into the bore when the lock plug is in the IN position than when the lock plug is in the OUT position. 
     
     
         13 . A chair operable between an extended configuration and a collapsed configuration, the chair comprising:
 one or more legs supporting a seat;   a handle extending away from the seat opposite the one or more legs; and   a joint pivotally connecting the handle to at least one of the legs about a handle pivot axis, the joint including a locking mechanism for selectively securing the handle in the extended and collapsed configurations.   
     
     
         14 . The chair of  claim 13 , wherein the locking mechanism includes a lock plug and a trough, the lock plug having a distal end, the trough having a central portion disposed between first and second end portions, the lock plug being operable between an IN state and an OUT state, the OUT state corresponding to the distal end of the lock plug positioned proximal the first end portion of the trough when the handle is in the extended configuration such that the lock plug frictionally engages the first end portion of the trough to prevent the handle from moving to the collapsed configuration. 
     
     
         15 . The chair of  claim 14 , wherein the OUT state of the lock plug corresponds to the distal end of the lock plug positioned proximal the second end portion of the trough when the handle is in the collapsed configuration such that the lock plug frictionally engages the second end portion of the trough to prevent the handle from moving to the extended configuration. 
     
     
         16 . The chair of  claim 15 , wherein the central portion of the trough has a greater depth than the first and second end portions of the trough in a direction perpendicular to the handle pivot axis and an elongate direction of the trough, and the IN state of the lock plug corresponds to the distal end of the lock plug depressed to the central portion of the trough to allow the handle to pivot about the handle pivot axis between the extended and collapsed configurations. 
     
     
         17 . The chair of  claim 16 , wherein the lock plug is biased by a spring toward the OUT state. 
     
     
         18 . The chair of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more legs includes a first leg, a second leg, and a third leg, each of the legs including a central portion connecting a lower portion to an upper portion, the central portion of the first leg being pivotally connected to the central portions of the second and third legs about a leg pivot axis, the joint pivotally connecting the handle to the upper portion of the first leg about the handle pivot axis, and operating the chair from the extended configuration to the collapsed configuration involves pivoting the first leg relative to the second and third legs about the leg pivot axis, and pivoting the handle toward the leg pivot axis about the handle pivot axis to position the first leg, the second leg, the third leg, and the handle in a substantially flat configuration. 
     
     
         19 . The chair of  claim 18 , wherein the seat includes a front portion, a rear portion, and a pair of slots extending from the rear portion toward the front portion, the front portion of the seat being pivotally connected to the upper portion of the first leg about a seat pivot axis, the upper portions of the second and third legs including respective pins that are slidingly engaged in the slots, and operating the chair from extended configuration to the collapsed configuration involves the pins sliding toward the front portion of the seat, and the seat pivoting toward the leg pivot axis to position the upper portions of the first, second, and third legs between the seat and the handle. 
     
     
         20 . The chair of  claim 19 , wherein the pins define a sliding axis that is offset from the seat pivot axis in the collapsed configuration, and the handle secured in the collapsed configuration prevents pivoting the upper portions of the second and third legs relative to the upper portion of the first leg and thereby prevents the seat from moving to the extended configuration.