Collapsible bench or seating with canopy

• US 7,648,196 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2006
• Issued: 01/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 101149612 Saskatchewan, Ltd., Derek Mlodzianowski, Foldingbench
• Original Assignee: 101149612 Saskatchewan, Ltd.
• Inventors: Degelman, Scott, Senko, Perry
• Primary Examiner(s): WHITE, RODNEY BARNETT
• Application Number:
  US11/909,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20090140556A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,408 Days
• Field of Search: 297/45, 297/232, 297/233, 297/248, 297/184.1, 297/184.11, 297/184.12, 297/184.15
• US Class Current: 297/45
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 11/00 Benches not otherwise provided for school forms A47B39/00
• 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 collapsible bench and canopy has a seat frame made up of a plurality of crossing pairs of seat tubes pivotally connected to each other supporting a fabric seat. A fabric back rest is supported by back tubes attached to the seat frame and a canopy is supported by the back tubes to provide shelter to occupants of the collapsible bench. The bench and canopy can be collapsed in one piece by pivoting down the canopy and ten moving the crossing pairs of seat tubes so that each pair is substantially aligned.

Claims

1. A collapsible bench and canopy frame apparatus comprising:

a seat frame comprising;

a plurality of pairs of seat tubes, each pair of seat tubes comprising first and second seat tubes pivotally attached to each other at a mid point thereof such that the seat tubes can pivot from a substantially aligned position to a crossed position;

a plurality of upper and lower joint blocks, each joint block pivotally attached to ends of at least two seat tubes;

wherein the seat tubes and joint blocks are configured such that the seat frame is movable from a collapsed position, wherein the seat tubes are substantially aligned and adjacent to each other, to a seating position, wherein each pair of seat tubes is in the crossed position and seat spaces are defined between adjacent upper front and rear joint blocks, wherein the seat frame forms a support for a fabric seat defining at least three seating positions for accommodating at least three persons in a conventional seated posture;

a back rest frame comprising;

a substantially vertical back tube extending up from each lower rear joint block slidingly through a corresponding upper rear joint block to a location above the seat frame; and

a canopy frame comprising;

at least two vertical canopy tubes, each vertical canopy tube concentrically slidably arranged within a corresponding back tube and extending telescopically upward from an open top end of the corresponding back tube;

at least two lateral canopy tubes, each lateral canopy tube pivotally attached at a rear end thereof to a top end of a corresponding vertical canopy tube, wherein the lateral canopy tubes are movable from an extended position, extending forward from top ends of the corresponding vertical canopy tubes, to a collapsed position substantially aligned with the vertical canopy tubes; and

a collapsible lateral canopy brace extending between the at least two lateral canopy tubes.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the seat frame comprises front and rear upper and lower end joint blocks at each end thereof, each upper and lower end joint block pivotally attached to two seat tubes, and comprises front and rear upper and lower middle joint blocks at intervals between the ends thereof, each upper and lower middle joint block pivotally attached to three seat tubes.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein seat tubes attached to each joint block are oriented substantially perpendicular to each other when in the crossed position.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein each lower front end joint block is pivotally attached to a seat tube extending upward and rearward and is pivotally attached to a seat tube extending upward and toward the opposite end of the seat frame, and wherein each upper front end joint block is pivotally attached to a seat tube extending downward and rearward and is pivotally attached to a seat tube extending downward and toward the opposite end of the seat frame.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein each lower front middle joint block is pivotally attached to a seat tube extending upward and rearward and is pivotally attached to a seat tube extending upward and toward a first end of the seat frame and is pivotally attached to a seat tube extending upward and toward a second end of the seat frame, and wherein each upper front middle joint block is pivotally attached to a seat tube extending downward and rearward and is pivotally attached to a seat tube extending downward and toward the first end of the seat frame and is pivotally attached to a seat tube extending downward and toward the second end of the seat frame.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the seat tube extending downward and toward the opposite end of the seat frame from each upper front end joint block further comprises a tube extension extending upward and outward from the corresponding upper front end joint block and includes an upper end adapted for attachment thereto of an arm rest fabric.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lateral canopy brace comprises a scissor assembly attached at each end thereof to one of the at least two lateral canopy tubes.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the scissor assembly comprises:

a pair of right scissor legs pivotally attached at mid-points thereof, an inside end of one right scissor leg fixed to a right lateral canopy tube and an inside end of the other right scissor leg slidingly engaged on the right lateral canopy tube; and

a pair of left scissor legs pivotally attached at mid-points thereof, an inside end of one left scissor leg fixed to a left lateral canopy tube and an inside end of the other left scissor leg slidingly engaged on the left lateral canopy tube;

wherein outside ends of the right scissor legs are pivotally attached to corresponding outside ends of the left scissor legs, such that the scissor legs can move from a collapsed position wherein the scissor legs and lateral canopy tubes are substantially aligned and adjacent to each other, to a crossed position.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the back rest frame comprises right and left end vertical back tubes, and the corresponding concentrically arranged vertical canopy tubes telescopically extend upward from the top end of each of the right and left end back tubes and a canopy extends entirely over the fabric seat.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the back rest frame comprises a vertical canopy tube extending upward from a top end of alternating back tubes between the right and left end back tubes.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the canopy extends entirely over the fabric seat in a substantially parallel planar arrangement with the fabric seat when the collapsible bench is in a completely extended position.

12. A collapsible bench and canopy apparatus comprising:

a seat comprising;

a plurality of pairs of substantially equal length seat tubes, each pair of seat tubes comprising first and second seat tubes pivotally attached to each other at a mid point thereof such that the seat tubes can pivot from a substantially aligned position to a crossed position;

a plurality of upper and lower joint blocks, each joint block pivotally attached to ends of at least two seat tubes;

wherein the seat tubes and joint blocks are movable from a collapsed position, wherein the seat tubes are substantially aligned and adjacent to each other, to a seating position, wherein each pair of seat tubes is in the crossed position and seat spaces are defined between adjacent upper front and rear joint blocks;

the seat spaces defining at least three seating positions for accommodating at least three persons in a conventional seated posture;

a seat fabric attached to the upper joint blocks and configured such that the seat fabric is substantially tight when the seat tubes and joint blocks are in the seating position, and such that the seat fabric is folded when the seat tubes and joint blocks are in the collapsed position;

a back rest comprising;

a substantially vertical back tube extending up from each lower rear joint block slidingly through a corresponding upper rear joint block to a location above the seat, and a back rest fabric supported by the vertical back tubes; and

a canopy comprising;

at least two vertical canopy tubes, each vertical canopy tube concentrically slidably arranged within a corresponding back tube and extending telescopically upward from an open top end of the corresponding back tube;

at least two lateral canopy tubes, each lateral canopy tube pivotally attached at a rear end thereof to a top end of a corresponding vertical canopy tube, wherein the lateral canopy tubes are movable from an extended position, extending forward from top ends of the corresponding vertical canopy tubes, to a collapsed position substantially aligned with the vertical canopy tubes;

a collapsible lateral canopy brace extending between the at least two lateral canopy tubes; and

wherein the corresponding concentrically arranged vertical canopy tubes telescopically extend upward from the top end of each of the right and left end back tubes and a canopy fabric supported by the lateral canopy tubes extends entirely over the fabric seat in a substantially parallel planar arrangement with the fabric seat when the collapsible bench is completely extended in the seating position.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein a rear edge of the seat fabric is connected to a bottom edge of the back rest fabric.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, comprising back pockets defined by an upper portion of the back rest fabric and wherein upper ends of the vertical back tubes are located inside the back pockets.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, comprising canopy pockets defined by a front portion of the canopy fabric and wherein front ends of the lateral canopy tubes are located inside the canopy pockets.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the canopy fabric extends downward along the vertical canopy tubes to a location above the back rest fabric.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the canopy fabric extends downward along the vertical canopy tubes and vertical back tubes to a location below the top edge of the back rest fabric.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, comprising an outer seat tube including a tube extension, the outer seat tube extending downward and toward a left end of the seat from an upper front right end joint block and the tube extension extending upward and outward from the upper front right end joint block, and an arm rest fabric attached to a top end of the tube extension and attached to a corresponding right end vertical back tube.