Swing chair assembly with a table unit

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to a swing chair assembly, more particularly to a swing chair assembly having a swingable seat unit that is provided with a table unit to permit placing of food, drinks, and other objects on the table unit.

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0005] A conventional swing assembly includes a pair of spaced-apart upright side frames, a horizontal bar extending between upper ends of the side frames, and a seat unit disposed among the side frames and the horizontal bar and suspended on the horizontal bar. The seat unit is provided with a chair member with a horizontal seat portion and an upright backrest portion. The seat unit of the conventional swing assembly is not provided with a table for placing of food, drinks and other objects thereon. Since the swing chair assembly is usually installed outdoors, and since many outdoor activities require the serving of food and refreshments, it is thus desirable to provide a table on the swing chair assembly to permit the placing of food, drinks, and other objects thereon.

[0006] Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to provide a swing chair assembly having a seat unit with a table unit adjacent to a chair member.

[0007] Accordingly, the swing chair assembly of the present invention includes a support unit, a seat unit, and a pair of linking units. The support unit includes a pair of spaced-apart upright side frames with lower end portions adapted to be supported on a ground surface, and upper end portions, and a horizontal bar extending between and interconnecting the upper end portions of the side frames. The seat unit is disposed among the side frames and the horizontal bar. The linking units are spaced-apart along a longitudinal direction of the horizontal bar. Each of the linking units has an upper end connected pivotally to the horizontal bar, and a lower end connected pivotally to the seat unit, thereby suspending the seat unit swingably above the ground surface. The seat unit includes a seat frame pivoted to the lower end of the linking units, at least one chair member, and a table unit mounted on the seat frame. The chair member includes a horizontal seat portion with a rear end, and an upright backrest portion extending upwardly from the rear end of the seat portion. The table unit is disposed adjacent to the seat portion of the chair member, and has a horizontal table top which is disposed in a raised position with respect to the seat portion of the chair member.

[0008] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of the swing chair assembly of the present invention;

[0010] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a second preferred embodiment of the swing chair assembly of the present invention;

[0011] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a table unit of the swing chair assembly of the second preferred embodiment;

[0012] FIG. 4 is a schematic side view illustrating the table unit of FIG. 3 in a closed position; and

[0013] FIG. 5 is another schematic side view illustrating the table unit of FIG. 3 in an open position.

[0014] Before the present invention is described in greater detail, it should be noted that like elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the disclosure.

[0015] Referring to FIG. 1, the first preferred embodiment of the swing chair assembly of the present invention is shown to include a support unit 1, a seat unit 3, and a pair of linking units 2. The support unit 1 includes a pair of spaced-apart upright side frames 11 with lower end portions 111 adapted to be supported on a ground surface, and upper end portions 112. A horizontal bar 12 extends between and interconnects the upper end portions 112 of the side frames 11. The seat unit 3 is disposed among the side frames 11 and the horizontal bar 12. Each of a pair of elongated hanger plates 13 extends between the horizontal bar 12 and the upper end portion 112 of an adjacent side frame 11. The linking units 2 are spaced-apart along a longitudinal direction of the horizontal bar 12. Each of the linking units 2 is in the form of a spring in the present embodiment, and has an upper end connected pivotally to one of the hanger plates 13, and a lower end connected pivotally to the seat unit 3 for suspending the seat unit 3 swingably above the ground surface.

[0016] The seat unit 3 includes a seat frame 30 which has two spaced-apart armrest frame portions 32, each having an upwardly extending section 321 with an upper end connected to the lower end of a respective one of the linking units 2. The seat frame 30 further has front and rear bottom rails 31, 31′ parallel to the horizontal bar 12 and extending between the armrest frame portions 32, and a horizontal backrest support rod 33 disposed above the rear bottom rail 31′ and extending between the upwardly extending sections 321 of the armrest frame portions 32. The seat unit 3 further includes a pair of chair members 34 disposed adjacent to the armrest frame portions 32, respectively, and a table unit 4 disposed between the chair members 34. Each of the chair members 34 includes a horizontal seat portion 341 and an upright backrest portion 342 extending upwardly from a rear end of the seat portion 341. The seat portion 341 is disposed to rest on the front and rear bottom rails 31, 31′, and the backrest portion 342 lies against the backrest support rod 33. The table unit 4 is disposed between the seat portions 341 of the chair members 34, and includes a leg unit with four upright legs 46. Lower ends of an anterior pair of the legs 46 are connected, such as by welding, to the front bottom rail 31. Lower ends of a posterior pair of the legs 46 are connected to the rear bottom rail 31′, such as by welding. The table unit 4 further includes a horizontal table top 45 which is in the form of a flat panel. The table top 45 is welded to upper ends of the legs 46 such that the table top 45 is disposed in a raised position with respect to the seat portions 341 of the chair members 34. The table top 45 thus permits the placing of food, drinks, and other objects thereon.

[0017] Referring to FIG. 2, the second preferred embodiment of the swing chair assembly of the present invention has a structure generally similar to that of the first preferred embodiment, and differs from the previous embodiment only in the construction of the table unit 4′.

[0018] With further reference to FIG. 3, the table unit 4′ includes a leg unit 41 welded to the front and rear bottom rails 31, 31′ of the seat frame 30. The leg unit 41 includes four upright leg members 414, a horizontal first connecting rod 413 extending in a direction transverse to the bottom rails 31, 31′ and interconnecting integrally upper ends of a first adjacent pair of the leg members 414, a horizontal second connecting rod 413′ parallel to the first connecting rod 413 and interconnecting integrally upper ends of a second adjacent pair of the leg members 414, and horizontal front and rear bridging rods 412 extending transversely between the first and second connecting rods 413, 413′ and welded to the first and second connecting rods 413, 413′. The bridging rods 412 are spaced apart in a longitudinal direction of the connecting rods 413, 413′. A container 42 is disposed among the first and second connecting rods 413, 413′ and the bridging rods 412. The container 42 has a rectangular bottom wall 421 with left and right edges and front and rear edges, front and rear side walls 422 extending upwardly from the front and rear edges of the bottom wall 421, and left and right side walls 425 extending upwardly from the left and right edges of the bottom wall 421. The side walls 422, 425 constitute a surrounding wall of the container 42, and cooperate with the bottom wall 421 to confine a receiving space with a top opening 423. Each of the left and right side walls 425 has an upper end formed with a hook member 424 that extends outwardly and that curves downwardly for hooking at a respective one of the first and second connecting rods 413, 413′ so as to retain the container 42 on the leg unit 41. A table top 43 is disposed above the container 42, and includes left and right side rods 431, each of which has a downwardly curving rear end formed with a pivot hole 434, and a panel 432 extending between the side rods 431. The panel 432 is formed as a flat screen slat. The rear ends of the side rods 431 are pivoted to upper ends of a posterior pair of the legs 414 of the leg unit 41 by a pair of horizontal pivot pins 44 such that the table top 43 is pivotable with respect to the leg unit 41 about a horizontal pivot axis parallel to the horizontal bar 12 and such that the table top 43 is turnable forwardly for moving to a closed position, as shown in FIG. 4, and is turnable rearwardly for moving to an open position, as shown in FIG. 5. In the closed position shown in FIG. 4, the panel 432 of the table top 43 rests on the first and second connecting rods 413, 413′, and covers the top opening 423 of the container 42. At this time, the table top 43 is oriented horizontally and is disposed in a raised position with respect to the seat portions 341 of the chair members 34 to permit placing of food, drinks and other objects thereon. The distance between the side rods 431 is slightly greater than that between the first and second connecting rods 413, 413′ such that the side rods 431 flank the first and second connecting rods 413, 413′, respectively, when the table top 43 is in the closed position. In the open position shown in FIG. 5, the table top 43 is moved away from the top opening 423 of the container 42 to permit access into the receiving space of the container 42 via the top opening 423.

[0019] It has been shown that the swing chair assembly of the present invention is provided with a table unit 4, 4′ to permit the placing of food, drinks, and other objects thereon. In the second preferred embodiment, a container 42 is provided below the table top 43 for receiving objects therein and is easily accessible by turning the table top 43 upwardly and rearwardly.

[0020] While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.