Convertible Adirondack-Style Chair

Abstract

The present invention relates to an Adirondack-style chair capable of converting between a chair and an individual-sized table/chair combination. The chair has a seat for supporting a user, a back supporting portion for supporting a back of a user sitting on the seat, a pair of front legs, a pair of arm rests, a pair of rear legs and a pair of angled chair-supporting members. The back supporting portion is hinged to the fulcrums for pivotal movement for transitioning from a slanted position to a substantially horizontal position. The fulcrums are configured to move along channels disposed in the rear legs and enable the secure horizontal positioning of the back portion. For supporting the back portion in a substantially horizontal position, back supporting members are accommodated inside the chair-supporting members and are pivotally moved to substantially vertical positions to support the back portion in the horizontal position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A table and chair combination comprising:
 a chair comprising a seat portion and a back portion;   wherein said back portion is slanted relative to said seat portion at an angle from about 100 degrees to about 130 degrees when said chair is in a chair configuration;   wherein said chair further comprises a pair of front legs extending from a front of said seat portion, and a pair of rear legs extending from a rear of said seat portion;   wherein said back portion is pivotally coupled to said pair of rear legs using a pair of fulcrums that pivots said back portion from said slanted orientation to a generally horizontal orientation;   wherein said seat portion pivots from a first declined orientation to a second generally horizontal orientation when said back portion is pivoted to said generally horizontal orientation;   wherein said seat portion provides a seat to said table when said convertible chair is converted to said table and chair combination;   wherein said back portion in said generally horizontal orientation is a table;   wherein each of said pair of fulcrums is disposed in a first position of a channel when said back portion is in said slanted orientation and disposed in a second position of said channel when said back portion is in said generally horizontal orientation; and   wherein said pair of fulcrums slide from said first position to said second position when said back portion moves from said slanted orientation to said generally horizontal orientation.   
     
     
         2 . The table and chair combination of  claim 1 , wherein said pair of fulcrums move linearly in said channel. 
     
     
         3 . The table and chair combination of  claim 2 , wherein said channel include a curved end stop for securing said pair of fulcrums in said second position. 
     
     
         4 . The table and chair combination of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said pair of front legs and at least one of said pair of rear legs are supported by a first common horizontal bottom support bar attached at a bottom of said at least one of said pair of front legs and at a bottom of said at least one of said pair of rear legs. 
     
     
         5 . The table and chair combination of  claim 4 , wherein at least another of said pair of front legs and at least another of said pair of rear legs are supported by a second common horizontal bottom support bar attached at a bottom of said at least another of said pair of front legs and at a bottom of said at least another of said pair of rear legs. 
     
     
         6 . The table and chair combination of  claim 1 , wherein said table is an individual-sized table. 
     
     
         7 . The table and chair combination of  claim 1  further comprising a pair of arm rests provided for supporting arms of a user sitting on the chair, wherein each said arm rest is attached to a select one of said pair of front legs and at least one of said pair of rear legs. 
     
     
         8 . The table and chair combination of  claim 7 , wherein said pair of fulcrums is positioned at a rear end of said pair of arm rests and aligned at a junction of said pair of arm rests and said pair of rear legs. 
     
     
         9 . The table and chair combination of  claim 1 , wherein said chair is constructed of a material selected from a group consisting of a wood, a polywood, and a metal. 
     
     
         10 . A chair convertible to a table and chair combination, the chair comprising:
 a seat portion;   a back portion;   wherein said back portion is slanted relative to said seat portion at an angle from about 100 degrees to about 130 degrees when said chair is in a chair configuration;   wherein said chair further comprises a pair of front legs extending from a front of said seat portion and a pair of rear legs extending from a rear of said seat portion;   wherein said back portion is pivotally coupled to said pair of rear legs using a pair of fulcrums that pivots said back portion from said slanted orientation to a generally horizontal orientation;   wherein said seat portion pivots from a first declined orientation to a second generally horizontal orientation when said back portion is pivoted to said generally horizontal orientation;   wherein said seat portion provides a seat to said table when said convertible chair is converted to said table and chair combination;   wherein said back portion in said generally horizontal orientation is a table;   wherein each of said pair of fulcrums is disposed in a first position of a channel when said back portion is in said slanted orientation and disposed in a second position of said channel when said back portion is in said generally horizontal orientation;   a pair of chair-supporting members positioned at an angle and extending from said pair of front legs rearwards to support said chair on a ground surface;   wherein said chair-supporting members are fastened to said pair of front legs and said pair of rear legs, and a terminal end of said chair-supporting members extends behind said pair of rear legs; and   a pair of back supporting members extending generally vertically between said terminal ends of said chair-supporting members and said back portion for supporting said back portion in said generally horizontal orientation.   
     
     
         11 . The chair of  claim 10 , wherein said back supporting members pivotally extend from a generally horizontal position to said generally vertical position. 
     
     
         12 . The chair of  claim 11 , wherein said pair of fulcrums slide from said first position to said second position when said back portion moves from said slanted orientation to said generally horizontal orientation. 
     
     
         13 . The chair of  claim 12 , wherein each of said pair of fulcrums moves linearly in said channel. 
     
     
         14 . The chair of  claim 13 , wherein said channel comprises a curved end stop for securing a select one of said pair of fulcrums in said second position. 
     
     
         15 . The chair of  claim 14 , wherein at least one of said pair of front legs and at least one of said pair of rear legs are supported by a first common horizontal bottom support bar attached at a bottom of said at least one of said pair of front legs and at a bottom of said at least one of said pair of rear legs. 
     
     
         16 . The chair of  claim 15 , wherein at least another of said pair of front legs and at least another of said pair of rear legs are supported by a second common horizontal bottom support bar attached at a bottom of said at least another of said pair of front legs and at a bottom of said at least another of said pair of rear legs. 
     
     
         17 . The chair of  claim 16 , wherein said table is an individual-sized table. 
     
     
         18 . The chair of  claim 17  further comprising a pair of arm rests provided for supporting arms of a user sitting on the chair, wherein each of said pair of arm rests is attached to at least one of said pair of front legs and at least one of said pair of rear legs. 
     
     
         19 . A chair convertible to a table and chair combination, the chair comprising:
 a seat portion;   a back portion;   wherein said back portion is slanted relative to said seat portion at an angle from about 100 degrees to about 130 degrees when said chair is in a chair configuration;   wherein said chair includes a pair of front legs extending from a front of said seat portion and a pair of rear legs extending from a rear of said seat portion;   wherein said back portion is pivotally coupled to said pair of rear legs using a pair of fulcrums that pivots said back portion from said slanted orientation to a generally horizontal orientation;   wherein said seat portion pivots from a first declined orientation to a second generally horizontal orientation when said back portion is pivoted to said generally horizontal orientation;   wherein said seat portion provides a seat to said table when said convertible chair is converted to said table and chair combination;   wherein said back portion in said generally horizontal orientation is a table;   wherein each of said pair of fulcrums is disposed in a first position of a channel when said back portion is in said slanted orientation and disposed in a second position of said channel when said back portion is in said generally horizontal orientation;   a pair of chair-supporting members positioned at an angle and extending from said pair of front legs rearwards to support said chair on a ground surface;   wherein said chair-supporting members are fastened to each of said pair of front legs and said pair of rear legs, and terminal ends of said chair-supporting members extend behind said pair of rear legs;   a horizontal member extending between said chair-supporting members proximal to said terminal ends for supporting said chair-supporting members therebetween; and   a pair of back supporting members extending generally vertically between said terminal ends of said chair-supporting members and said back portion for supporting said back portion in said generally horizontal orientation.   
     
     
         20 . The chair of  claim 19 , wherein said back supporting members pivotally extend from a generally horizontal position to said generally vertical position.