GB2313775A - Bed chair - Google Patents

Abstract

A bed chair is disclosed having a folding frame formed of a central section 10 which in use is supported on the ground and two further sections 12, 14 hinged to the central section to act one as a head and back support 12 and the other as a leg support 12. The head and back support section of the folding frame is articulated along its length to allow the head 12b and back 12a support regions of this section 12 to be pivoted relative to one another.

Description

Bed Chair The present invention relates to a bed chair having a folding frame formed of a central section which in use is supported on the ground and two further sections hinged to the central section to act one as a head and back support and the other as a leg support.

The bed chair of the invention is especially intended for use by anglers. Because anglers may spend long periods in both a seated and a reclined position, it is important for the bed chair not only to be robust but also ergonomically efficient.

According to the present invention, there is provided a bed chair having a folding frame formed of a central section which in use is supported on the ground and two further sections hinged to the central section to act one as a head and back support and the other as a leg support, characterised in that the head and back support section of the folding frame is articulated along its length to allow the head and back support regions of this section to be pivoted relative to one another.

Bed chairs with folding frames are conventionally formed of three sections that are hinged to one another. The central section has pivoting legs to support the bed chair on the ground. A rigid one-piece back and head support section is hinged at one end to the central section, the hinge allowing this section to be collapsed flat against the central section for transportation or pivoted to an inclined or horizontal position. A leg support section is hinged to the opposite end of the central section and here the hinge need only allow this section to pivot by 1800 so that the section may either be collapsed flat against the central section for transportation, or pivoted to a horizontal position to form a bed.

The present invention improves on this design by replacing the single rigid head and back support section by one that is articulated to allow the position of the head and the back to be adjusted separately thereby affording greater comfort to the user.

In particular, when used as a bed, the head support region can be raised to act as a pillow while the back support region remains horizontal.

When used as a chair especially by taller people, there is a tendency for the occupant of a conventional bed chair to slide down the length of the bed. In the present invention, the back support region can be raised to a less vertical position than the head support region so that a taller person may sit further up the chair and be better supported.

The invention will now be described further by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figs la and ib show different attitudes that can be adopted by the sections of a conventional bed chair, and Figs 2a, 2b and 2c show attitudes that can be adopted by the sections of a bed chair of the present invention.

The details of the constructions of the frame of the bed chair have not been shown in the drawings as they are generally conventional and well known to the person skilled in the art. Generally, the frame is formed of tubes that are connected to one another by hinges that can be locked in different positions. A canvas is strung within the frame by means of an elastic cord somewhat in the manner of a trampoline. The tubes on each side of the central section are pivotably connected to two pairs of legs, the legs in each pair being braced to one another by a cross bar. The legs serve not only to support the central section of the chair on the ground but also to hold the tubes at the sides of the chair apart.

Conventionally, the frame is articulated at only two points along each side to form three sections 10, 12 and 14 as shown in Figures la and lb. The central section 10 is the only one connected to the legs. The leg support section 14 can be set in a horizontal position as shown in Figure la and Figure lb. The head and back support section 12 can be set in a horizontal position as shown in Figure la or in any upwardly inclined position as shown in Figure ib.

Additionally, the sections 12 and 14 can be folded to lie flat against the central section 10 for transportation. The conventional bed chair design therefore allows the occupant to lie flat in the position of Figure la, or to sit up in bed in the position of Figure lb.

The bed chair of the invention as shown in Figure 2a differs from a conventional chair in that two further hinges are provided in the frame along the length of the head and back section 12 to divide this section into two regions 12a and 12b that can be pivoted relative to one another. The advantage of this construction is that in addition to the positions shown in Figures la and lb, the bed chair can be adjusted to positions such as those shown in Figures 2b and 2c.

In Figure 2a the head support region 12b is tilted but not the back support region 12a. The head support region can act as a pillow to raise the occupant's head without the need to sit up in the position of Figure ib. Furthermore, the section 12b can be used as an upper back support by taller persons who can now lie further up the bed.

Also, as shown in Figure 2c, both regions 12a and 12b can if desired be tilted to different angles to allow the occupant greater freedom in positioning the various sections of the bed chair to maximise comfort and support and eliminate the tendency to slide down the bed chair when in a seated or reclining position.

Claims (2)

1. A bed chair having a folding frame formed of a central section which in use is supported on the ground and two further sections hinged to the central section to act one as a head and back support and the other as a leg support, characterised in that the head and back support section of the folding frame is articulated along its length to allow the head and back support regions of this section to be pivoted relative to one another.

2. A bed chair constructed substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.