COLLAPSIBLE CANOPY ALONG WITH ARTICLE OF FURNITURE AND METHOD INCORPORATING THE SAME

• US 20100102600A1
• Filed: 12/12/2008
• Published: 04/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ShelterLogic Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bravo Sports
• Inventors: Lovley, Jack II
• Granted Patent: US 8,186,755 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/184.150
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 4/286 foldable side to side and front to back, e.g. umbrella type
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/66 Means to protect against weather

Abstract

A canopy for an article of furniture, such as a chair, having a seat portion and a back portion. The canopy includes a pair of arm structure and a flexible covering extending therebetween. Each arm structure includes an upright member including a proximal end portion extending from the back portion of the chair, a distal end portion, and a medial portion extending therebetween. The arm structure also includes a cantilever member pivotable about the distal end portion and a brace pivotably attached to the cantilever member and selectively positionable along the medial portion, thereby providing angle adjustment of the cantilever member relative to the seat portion. The flexible covering may include a plurality of panel sections, extending between the pair of arm structures and retained thereto by a pair of tethers or tabs each connecting to one of the cantilever members.

Claims

1. A canopy for an article of furniture having a seat portion and a back portion, comprising:

(A) an arm structure including;

(i) an upright member including a proximal end portion extending from the back portion, a distal end portion, and a medial portion extending therebetween;

(ii) a cantilever member pivotable about said distal end portion; and

(iii) a brace pivotably attached to said cantilever member and selectively positionable along said medial portion, thereby providing angle adjustment of said cantilever member relative to the seat portion; and

(B) a flexible covering supported by said cantilever member.

2. A canopy according to claim 1 including a pair of said arm structures and said flexible covering extending between said pair of arm structures.

3. A canopy according to claim 1 wherein said proximal end portion is pivotably attached to said back portion whereby said canopy is movable between a stowed state and a deployed state.

4. A canopy according to claim 3 wherein said proximal end is pivotably attached to a mounting fitting securable to the back portion.

5. A canopy according to claim 4 wherein said mounting fitting includes a retainer for selectively retaining said upright member in the deployed state.

6. A canopy according to claim 5 wherein said retainer includes a pair of opposing tangs spaced and configured such that said upright member snaps into said retainer.

7. A canopy for an article of furniture having a seat portion and a back portion, comprising:

(A) a pair of arm structures, each including;

(i) an upright member including a proximal end portion mountable to the back portion, a distal end portion, and a medial portion extending therebetween;

(ii) a slide fitting slidably disposed along said medial portion;

(iii) a cantilever member pivotable about said distal end portion; and

(iv) a brace pivotably attached to said cantilever member and pivotably attached to said slide fitting, thereby providing angle adjustment of said cantilever member relative to the seat portion; and

(B) a flexible covering extending between said arm structures.

8. A canopy according to claim 7 wherein said slide fitting includes a slide retainer for selectively retaining said slide fitting at a desired position along said medial portion.

9. A canopy according to claim 8 wherein said slide retainer includes a detent operative to engage said medial portion at discrete locations.

10. A canopy according to claim 8 wherein said retainer is a latch mechanism operative to engage said medial portion at discrete locations.

11. A canopy for an article of furniture having a seat portion and a back portion, comprising:

(A) a pair of arm structures, each including;

(i) an upright member including a proximal end portion mountable to the back portion and a distal end portion;

(ii) a cantilever member pivotable about said distal end portion; and

(iii) a brace extending between, and selectively positionable along, one of said cantilever member and said upright member; and

(B) a flexible covering, including a plurality of panel sections, extending between said pair of arm structures and retained thereto by a pair of tethers each connecting to one of said cantilever members.

12. A canopy according to claim 11 wherein said tethers are each in the form of a pouch attached to said flexible covering.

13. A canopy according to claim 11 wherein said flexible covering includes an auxiliary panel aligned with said upright members and including a pair of sleeves for receiving said upright members therethrough.

14. A canopy for an article of furniture, comprising:

(A) a pair of collapsible arm structures, each including;

(i) a first elongate member rotatably connected to said article of furniture;

(ii) a second elongate member coupled to a first location on said first elongate member; and

(iii) a third elongate member having a first end portion pivotably connected to a second location on said first elongate member, and a second end portion pivotably connected to a first location on said second elongate member; and

(B) a flexible covering extending between said pair of collapsible arm structures.

15. A canopy according to claim 14 wherein said third elongate member is slidably connected at one of said first and second end portions.

16. An article of furniture, comprising:

(A) a chair having a seat portion and a back portion extending therefrom, wherein said chair is configurable between a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration;

(B) a canopy including;

(1) a pair of collapsible arm structures, each including;

(i) an upright member including a proximal end portion rotatably attached to the back portion, whereby said canopy is movable between a stowed state and a deployed state, a distal end portion, and a medial portion extending therebetween;

(ii) a slide fitting slidably disposed along said medial portion;

(iii) a cantilever member pivotable about said distal end portion; and

(iv) a brace pivotably attached to said cantilever member and pivotably attached to said slide fitting; and

(2) a flexible covering, including a plurality of panel sections, extending between said pair of collapsible arm structures and retained thereto by a pair of tabs each connecting to one of said cantilever members.

17. An article of furniture according to claim 16, wherein said flexible covering is sized and configured to enclose said chair and said pair of collapsible arm structures when said canopy is in the stowed state and said chair is in the stowed configuration.

18. A canopy for an article of furniture having a seat portion and a back portion, comprising:

(A) a pair of cantilever arms extending over the seat portion;

(B) a flexible covering supported by said cantilever arms; and

(C) a pair of tethers each attached at a first end to one of said cantilever arms and secured at a second end to said flexible covering.

19. A canopy according to claim 18 wherein said tether is a pouch.

20. A method for deploying a canopy covering over an article of furniture having a seat portion, comprising:

securing a flexible covering to a pair of cantilever arms;

moving said pair of cantilever arms to an elevated position over said article of furniture;

adjusting said pair of cantilever arms to an angled position relative to the seat portion; and

releasably retaining said pair of cantilever arms in said elevated and angled positions.

21. A method according to claim 20 wherein said angled position of each cantilever arm is releasably retained independently of the other, and independently of said elevated position.