Collapsible sun shade for a chair

• US 7,048,333 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2002
• Issued: 05/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert E. Martinez
• Original Assignee: Robert E. Martinez
• Inventors: Martinez, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Canfield, Robert
• Application Number:
  US10/139,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20030106577A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,481 Days
• Field of Search: 135/96, 135/125, 135/126, 135/136, 135/93, 135/33.7, 541/8, 297/184.1, 297/184.11, 297/184.15, 297/184.13, 224/155
• US Class Current: 297/184.11
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/66 Means to protect against weather
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 15/003 Bathing or beach cabins

Abstract

A collapsible sun shade adapted to be used with a chair is disclosed. The shade is made of spring steel or equivalent material and is adapted to be affixed to cover the seat portion of a lounge chair. The shade is unfolded under the force of the compressed spring and attached to the chair to provide shade over the seat of the chair.

Claims

1. A shade adapted to be used with a chair having a seat, comprising:

a ring made of spring material having a membrane attached to and disposed within the ring, where the ring may be moved between an open position and a closed position under spring tension and at least two parts of the ring are adapted to be attached to a chair having a seat to cover at least a portion of the seat of the chair, wherein the ring is tensioned to retain the attachments to the chair, and

where the attachments are parts of the ring being formed to be mated directly to the chair while in the open position to cover the portion of the seat of the chair.

2. The shade of claim 1 where the membrane further has a flap or screen incorporated into the membrane.

3. The shade of claim 1, wherein the shade further comprises a front end having one or more cords adapted to be affixed to the chair, and a rear end, adapted to be affixed to the chair such that the one or more cords may be cinched to the chair so that the shade bends to cover at least a portion of the seat of the chair.

4. The shade of claim 1, where one part of the ring is formed to be directly mated to the seat, a backrest or to an armrest of the chair.

5. The shade of claim 4, further comprising a system including a chair having a seat and a backrest or armrests wherein the chair backrest or the armrests of the chair are adjustably attached to the seat to allow the chair to be moved from a first open position to a second collapsed position and the chair further has left and right straps affixed to the chair that are adapted to allow a user to fit his arms through the straps to carry the chair as a backpack when the chair is in the collapsed position.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the left and right straps are affixed to a first side of the chair when it is in the collapsed position and a pouch is affixed to a second side of the chair distal the first.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the pouch is an ice chest.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein a spritzer bottle is affixed to the system.

9. The system of claim 4 wherein the armrests are made from tubing and the seat is made from tubing with a membrane affixed to the tubing and wherein the tubing of the seat and the armrests of the chair, when the chair is in the collapsed position, extend at their furthest protruding portions to be substantially the same distance from a user when the system is carried as a backpack.

10. A system for a shade adapted to be used with a chair having a seat, comprising:

a shade comprising a ring made of spring material having a membrane attached to and disposed within the ring, where the ring may he moved between an open position and a closed position under spring tension and is adapted to be affixed to a chair when in the open position to cover at least a portion of the seat of the chair, and the chair has a backrest and the shade has a front end, the front end having one or more cords adapted to be affixed to the chair, and a rear end that has a fastener adapted to be attached to the chair, whereby when the fastener is attached to the backrest of the chair and bent over the backrest in the direction of the seat, the one or more cords may be cinched to the chair so that the shade bends to cover at least a portion of the seat of the chair.

11. The system of claim 10, further having a support band affixed to the backrest of the chair and an elevating support affixed to the backrest of the chair or the support band, wherein the elevating support adjustably extends upwardly from the top of the backrest, whereby when the shade is bent in the direction of over the backrest the elevating support will interfere with the shade to raise the rear portion of the shade higher than the backrest.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the support band is affixed as a loop over the backrest and supports the elevating support member by having left sleeve and right sleeve, the elevating support member comprises left and right support poles that may be inserted in the sleeves and adjustably extended upwardly to raise the shade.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the shade is of sufficiently reduced size in the closed position to be placed between the support band and the backrest for storage.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the fastener is a clip and the clip may be passed between the backrest and the support band and affixed to the chair.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the chair further has left and fight armrests positioned on each side of the seat substantially perpendicular to the backrest, the one or more cords are a left cord and a right cord, and the left cord is affixed to the left armrest and the fight cord is affixed to the right armrest.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the seat and the backrest of the chair are adjustably attached to allow the chair to be moved from a first open position to a second collapsed position.

17. The system of claim 16 where the chair further includes armrests, and the armrests are made from tubing and the seat is made from tubing with a membrane and wherein the tubing of the seat and the armrests of the chair, when the chair is in the closed position, extend at their furthest protruding portions to be substantially the same distance from a user when the system is carried as a backpack.

18. A shade adapted to be used with a chair having a seat and a backrest, comprising:

a shade comprising a ring made of spring material having a membrane attached to and disposed within the ring, where the ring may be moved between an open position and a closed position under spring tension and is adapted to be affixed to a chair when in the open position to cover at least a portion of the seat of the chair, the shade has a front end, the front end having one or more cords adapted to be affixed to the chair, and a rear end that has a fastener adapted to be attached to the chair, whereby when the fastener is attached to the chair and bent over the backrest in the direction of the seat, the one or more cords may be cinched to the chair so that the shade bends to cover at least a portion of the seat of the chair.

19. The shade of claim 18, further having an elevating support affixed to the backrest of the chair, wherein the elevating support adjustably extends upwardly from the top of the backrest, whereby when the shade is bent in the direction of over the backrest the elevating support will interfere with the shade to raise the rear portion of the shade higher than the backrest.

20. The shade of claim 19, wherein the one or more cords are a left cord and a right cord, the shade is affixed to a chair having left and light armrests positioned on each side of the seat substantially perpendicular to the backrest, the left cord is adapted to be affixed to the left armrest and the right cord is adapted to be affixed to the right armrest.

21. The shade of claim 19, wherein the elevating support is affixed to the backrest with a support band, wherein the support hand is affixed as a loop over the backrest and supports the elevating support member by having left sleeve and right sleeves, the elevating support member comprises left and right support poles that may be inserted in the sleeves and adjustably extended upwardly to raise the shade.

22. The shade of claim 21, wherein the shade is of sufficiently reduced size in the closed position to be placed between the support band and the backrest for storage.

23. The shade of claim 21, wherein the fastener is a clip and the clip may be passed between the backrest and the support band and affixed to the chair.

24. A method for using a collapsible sun shade adapted to be used with a chair having a seat, comprising the steps of:

providing a shade comprising a ring made of spring material having a membrane attached to and disposed within the ring, where the ring may be moved between an open position and a closed position under spring tension and at least two parts of the ring are adapted to be attached to a chair when in the open position, opening the shade and affixing the shade to the chair to cover at least a portion of the seat of the chair wherein the ring is tensioned to retain the attachments to the chair, and

the attachments are the ring being formed to be mated directly to the chair, and further including the additional steps of bending the shade while in the open position to cover at least a portion of the seat of the chair and mating the shade to the chair.

25. A method for using a collapsible sun shade system adapted to be used with a chair having a seat and backrest, comprising the steps of:

providing a shade comprising a ring made of spring material having a membrane attached to and disposed within the ring, where the ring may be moved between an open position and a closed position under spring tension and is adapted to be affixed to a chair when in the open position,

opening the shade and affixing the shade at least at one point on the shade directly to the chair to cover at least a portion of the seat of the chair by bending the shade while in the open position to cover at least a portion of the seat portion of the chair attaching a first end of the shade to the area of the backrest of the chair, bending the shade over the backrest in the direction of the seat, connecting a second end of the shade to the chair with at least one cord so that the shade bends to cover at least a portion of the seat of the chair.

26. The method of claim 25, further having an elevating support affixed to the backrest of the chair that adjustably extends upwardly from the top of the backrest, further including the step of raising the elevating support whereby when the shade is bent in the direction of over the backrest the elevating support will interfere with the shade to raise the rear portion of the shade higher than the backrest.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the seat and the backrest portions of the chair are adjustably attached to allow the chair to be moved from a first open position to a second collapsed position.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the chair further has left and right straps affixed to the chair that are adapted to allow a user to fit his arms through the straps to carry the chair as a backpack when the chair is in the closed position, further including the step of carrying the system as a backpack.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the seat and backrest include tubing and wherein the tubing of the seat and the backrest of the chair, when the chair is in the closed position, extend at their furthest protruding portions to be substantially the same distance from a user when the system is carried as a backpack, further including the step of placing the system on the ground and resting on the furthest protruding portions.

30. A method for using a collapsible sun shade adapted to be used with a chair having a seat and backrest, comprising the steps of:

providing a shade comprising a ring made of spring material having a membrane attached to and disposed within the ring, where the ring may be moved from an open position to a closed position under increasing spring tension and is adapted to be affixed to a chair when in the open position,

opening the shade and affixing the shade at least at one point on the shade directly to the chair to cover at least a portion of the seat of the chair;

bending the shade while in the open position to cover at least a portion of the seat portion of the chair by

attaching a first end of the shade to the area of the backrest of the chair, to allow the shade to be bent over the backrest in the direction of the seat,

connecting a second end of the shade to the chair with at least one cord so that the shade bends to cover at least a portion of the seat of the chair.

31. The method of claim 30, further having an elevating support affixed to the backrest of the chair that adjustably extends upwardly from the top of the backrest, and futher including the step of raising the elevating support whereby when the shade is bent in the direction of over the backrest the elevating support will interfere with the shade to raise the rear portion of the shade higher than the backrest.