THIS INVENTION relates to a chair.

According to the invention there is provided a collapsible chair which comprises two pairs of legs; connecting means to which each of the legs is hingedly connected at a position intermediate its length, the connecting means defining two orthogonal pivot axes, with each pair of the legs being connected to the connecting means so as to be pivotally displaceable scissors-fashion about a different pivot axis between a collapsed condition wherein the legs are disposed alongside one another and an operative condition wherein the legs are splayed, with upper and lower ends of the legs being spaced from one another for supporting the chair on a surface; and a seat that is supported on selected legs.

The connecting means may comprise a support structure and four pivot pin sections that are supported on the support structure in an arrangement wherein the pins extend along said pivot axes, with each leg being pivotally connected to a different pivot pin section.

The support structure may comprise a hollow outer support formation having four inner walls having a square inner profile when viewed in plan view, and an inner support formation having four outer walls having a square outer profile when viewed

in plan view, each inner wall of the outer support formation opposing and being spaced from an outer wall of the inner support formation, the pivot pins extending along said pivot axes between opposed walls of the inner and outer support formations, with each leg being located in the space defined between a particular pair of opposing walls of the support formations and being hingedly connected to the pivot pin extending therebetween.

The seat of the chair is in the form of a flexible sheet element that is removably supported on upper ends of selected legs.

The chair may include a back rest comprising a pair of elongate rigid support members that are each hingedly connected to an upper end of a different leg that is disposed rearwardly when the legs are in their operative condition, and a flexible sheet member that is connected to the support members so as to span the support members when the legs of the chair are in their operative condition.

Further features of a collapsible chair in accordance with the invention, are described hereinafter by way of a non-limiting example of the invention, with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

In the drawings: Figure 1 reflects a schematic three-dimensional view, showing hidden detail, of a collapsible chair in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 shows a schematic side view of the chair of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a schematic fragmentary plan view of the legs of the chair and the manner in which the legs are connected to one another; and Figure 4 shows a schematic side view of the chair of Figure 1 in a collapsed condition as viewed along line IV of Figure 2.

With reference to the drawings, a collapsible chair in accordance with the invention, is designated generally by the reference numeral 10. The chair 10 comprises two pairs of legs 12 of aluminium square tubing, connecting means in the form of a connector 14 for connecting the legs to one another at a position intermediate their lengths, and a seat 16 in the form of a flexible nylon sheet element.

The chair includes a back rest designated generally by the reference numeral 18. The back rest 18 comprises a pair of elongated support members 20 of aluminium square tubing and a flexible nylon sheet element 22 that is located on the support members 20 so as to extend between them to provide a back rest for the chair. More particularly, the sheet element 22 is sewn so as to provide two socket formations 24 in which the support members 20 are received for locating the sheet element on the support members.

The connector 14 comprises an outer support formation 26 and an inner support formation 28 that each have square box-like configurations when viewed in plan view, and that are concentrically arranged with respect to one another. As such, the outer support formation comprises four wall sections 26.1,26.2,26.3 and 26.4 and the inner support formation 28 comprises four wall sections 28.1,28.2,28.3 and 28.4 with the wall section 28.1 being spaced from and disposed opposite the wall section 26.1 and so on. The connector 14 includes four pivot pin sections 30.1,30.2,30.3 and 30.4 that extend along each of two pivot axes A and B between opposed wall sections of the inner and outer support formations. Accordingly, each leg 12 of the chair is located in the space defined between opposing walls of the inner and outer support formations and pivotally connected to a particular pivot pin section 30 which passes through apertures defined in the leg for this purpose.

The connector 14 provides for each leg to be pivotally displaceable about a particular pivot pin within the space provided between the inner and outer support formations in an arrangement wherein the legs are displaceable between a collapsed condition (as is illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawings) wherein the legs are disposed alongside one another for easy transport and stowage, and an operative condition wherein the legs

are splayed as is illustrated in Figure 1 and 2 of the drawings. Accordingly, the legs 12 located on the pivot pin sections 30.1 and 30.3 form a pair which are pivotally displaceable scissors-fashion about the pivot axis B, whereas the legs connected to the pivot pin sections 30.2 and 30.4 form a pair that are pivotally displaceable scissors-fashion about the pivot axis A. In the operative condition of the chair, the legs abut against upper and lower sides of the outer support formation as is clearly illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings, thereby locking the legs in this position.

The seat 16 is sewn so as to provide a pair of pocket formations 32 in its which the upper ends of the legs that extend forwardly when the chair is in its operative condition, are located. Rear end corners of the seat 16 are secured to lugs 34 that are connected to the support members 20.

The support members 20 are hingedly connected to the legs that extend rearwardly when the chair is in its operative condition, via hinge connections 36. With the legs 20 being collapsible with respect to one another, the support members 36 being collapsible with respect to the legs and the seat 16 and the sheet element 22 being foldable, the chair can be collapsed so as to occupy a relatively small space.