The present invention relates to a folding chair, e.g. of the type which is used in home environments or similar.

It is known that in such environments free space is a fundamental problem, which is often dealt with by using pieces of furniture which, when in the non-operating condition, i.e. when not needed, take very little room. To this end, tables are available which can be folded, extended or tilted. Likewise, especially in kitchens, folding chairs are often used together with fixed ones.

The most common types of folding chairs are those having a movable seat, which can be rotated and positioned parallel to the backrest. The legs make the same movement in pairs, in a substantially accordion-like fashion, until a parallelepipedon is obtained which is made up of overlapping front legs, rear legs, seat, backrest and various mechanisms that allow for movement, rotation and articulation of the various parts. The chair thus folded still takes up considerable room, in that its height is given by the vertical dimension of the legs plus the vertical dimension of the backrest. Moreover, the overlapping parts also create a rather thick folded chair.

Another type of folding chair is known from BE490462 A.

The Applicant has dealt with the problem of limiting as much as possible the dimensions of a folding chair in the folded condition. Furthermore, the Applicant has also dealt with the problem of simplifying the steps necessary for switching the chair from the unfolded condition to the folded condition and vice versa.

For the purposes of the present invention, an unfolded chair is meant to be a chair in a condition wherein a person can use it to sit down. A folded chair, on the contrary, is meant to be a chair in a condition wherein it takes minimal room.

One aspect of the present invention relates to a folding chair having the features set out in the appended claim 1.

The features and advantages of the chair according to the present invention will become more apparent from the following explanatory and non-limiting description of one embodiment thereof with reference to the annexed drawings, wherein:

• Figure 1 shows the folding chair according to the present invention in the folded condition;
• Figure 2 shows the folding chair according to the present invention in the unfolded condition;

• Figures 3a - 3e sequentially illustrate the various intermediate steps to be carried out in order to switch the chair from the folded condition to the unfolded condition;
• Figures 4a and 4b show some construction details of the connection between the backrest and the seat;
• Figures 5a and 5b show some construction details of the connection between the seat, the backrest and the load-bearing frame of the chair according to the present invention.

With reference to the above-mentioned drawings, the chair according to the present invention comprises a fixed structure 2, substantially shaped like an upside down "U", to which respective articulated support frames 31 and 32 supporting the fixed structure on the ground are constrained on each of the two vertical sides 21 and 22 of the "U". Each frame can rotate relative to its corresponding vertical side, e.g. through suitable pins 23, so that both frames, when the chair is folded, are inside fixed structure 2 and, when the chair is unfolded, are substantially orthogonal to said structure.

A seat 4 is constrained in an articulated way to one of the two support frames 31 or 32; when the chair is unfolded, it is coupled to the other frame 32 or 31, whereas when the chair is folded it is held inside the free space obtained within the frame to which it is constrained.

Preferably, both support frames are made from sections having a rectangular or quadrangular shape, and the seat is constrained to the upper horizontal section of the frame itself.

The seat also comprises at least one sleeve 41 associated with the upper horizontal section of the frame it is integral with. On the opposite side of the seat there is at least one hook 42 that engages the upper horizontal section of the opposite frame, preferably into a suitable housing 33.

The two movable frames substantially act as legs supporting the chair on the ground, and may also be shaped differently with respect to the embodiment shown herein, provided that they are still articulated and foldable by rotating within fixed structure 2. Furthermore, their dimensions must be compatible with the possibility of folding them within the same structure and with the possibility of housing the seat in the central space.

Backrest 5 is constrained to seat 4 in an articulated way; it can rotate relative to said seat about an axis parallel to upper horizontal side 24 of the fixed structure, so as to unfold the chair and be locked, through suitable locking means, in a substantially vertical position or tilted by a few degrees (e.g. up to 10°) relative to the vertical. In the embodiment shown herein, said locking means comprise two vertical bars 51 and 52 between which said backrest is constrained, which rotate relative to the seat through respective pins 53 inserted at the rear corners of the seat itself.

In brief, the folded chair has the backrest folded against the seat; the seat itself is folded and held within the frame it is constrained to, and both frames are folded and held within the fixed structure; all this is done in a manner such that said chair, when folded, becomes a small parallelepipedon, the side surface of which is not bigger than the side surface of the fixed structure, and the thickness of which does not exceed the thickness of the vertical sides of said fixed structure.

When unfolding the chair, one must first unfold the two frames 31 and 32 to form the support legs of the chair as shown in Figure 3a. Afterwards, one must rotate seat 4 in the direction indicated by arrows F1 in Figures 3b and 3c until it reaches its final position shown in Figure 3e, with the hooks secured to the frame section.

Finally, one must rotate the backrest upwards in the direction shown by arrow F2 in Figure 3e, until the locking means lock it in the final unfolded position shown in Figure 2.

Advantageously, the locking means have such a shape that allows the backrest to have some elasticity with respect to the final unfolded position.

The various parts of the folding chair may be made of metal or plastic material. Of course, strong and light materials should be preferred over other materials, e.g. heavier ones. In fact, preferable materials include carbon, aluminium and alloys thereof.