Portable Chair

Abstract

The present invention relates to lightweight collapsible portable chairs. In one embodiment, the portable chair has a sling and a chair frame which includes a first pair of bars and a second pair of bars. Each bar of the first pair of bars includes a joint configured to contact a ground surface. In another embodiment, the chair frame includes a front of bars, a back pair of bars, a pair of joints and a center bar configured to securely couple the pair of back joints to each other. In some embodiments, the chair frame includes a front support assembly. In other embodiments, the chair frame includes a pair of lower bars.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A portable chair, operable between an assembled state and a collapsed state, the portable chair comprising:
 a frame, including:
 two upper contact points defined by the first ends of two upper poles, each upper pole comprising at least one hollow bar; 
 two lower contact points defined by the first ends of two lower poles, each lower pole comprising at least one hollow bar; 
 two joints, each joint configured to receive a second end of an upper pole and a second end of a lower pole in the assembled state; and 
 an elastic cord passing through at least one of the hollow bars, the elastic cord configured to retain the at least one of the hollow bars and the joint in the assembled state until separated into the collapsed state; 
   and a sling, including:
 a seat back portion; 
 a seat bottom portion; 
 two upper frame interfaces, each configured to removably engage an upper contact point of the frame; and two lower frame interfaces, each configured to removably engage a lower contact point of the frame; 
   wherein, in the assembled state, the sling is suspended across the upper contact points and the lower contact points.   
     
     
         21 . The portable chair of  claim 20  wherein the second end of the upper pole is substantially perpendicular to the second end of the lower pole in the assembled state. 
     
     
         22 . The portable chair of  claim 20 , further comprising a second elastic cord, wherein the elastic cord passes through one upper pole and one lower pole, and wherein the second elastic cord passes through the other upper pole and the other lower pole. 
     
     
         23 . The portable chair of  claim 20 , wherein the hollow bars, of the upper and lower poles, comprise an aluminum alloy. 
     
     
         24 . The portable chair of  claim 20 , wherein the seat back and seat bottom portions of the sling are of a fabric material. 
     
     
         25 . The portable chair of  claim 20 , wherein at least one of the upper and lower poles comprises a first hollow bar and a second hollow bar, wherein the first hollow bar includes a first section of a first outer diameter and a second section of a second outer diameter less than the first diameter, and wherein the second section of the first bar is configured to slide into a recess on one end of the second hollow bar, wherein the recess on the one end of the second hollow bar has an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the second section of the first hollow bar. 
     
     
         26 . The portable chair of  claim 20 , further comprising a bag having a length less than 10 inches and a diameter less than 5 inches, the bag configured to hold the sling and the frame in the collapsed state. 
     
     
         27 . A portable chair frame, operable between an assembled state and a collapsed state, the chair frame useful in association with a chair sling, the portable chair frame comprising:
 two upper contact points defined by the first ends of two upper poles, each upper pole comprising at least one hollow bar, wherein each upper contact point is configured to removably engage an upper frame interface of a chair sling;   two lower contact points defined by the first ends of two lower poles, each lower pole comprising at least one hollow bar, wherein each lower contact point is configured to removably engage a lower frame interface of the chair sling;   two joints, each joint configured to receive a second end of an upper pole and a second end of a lower pole in the assembled state; and   an elastic cord passing through at least one of the hollow bars, the elastic cord configured to retain the at least one of the hollow bars and the joint in the assembled state until separated into the collapsed state.   
     
     
         28 . The portable chair frame of  claim 27  wherein the second end of the upper pole is substantially perpendicular to the second end of the lower pole in the assembled state. 
     
     
         29 . The portable chair frame of  claim 27 , further comprising a second elastic cord, wherein the elastic cord passes through one upper pole and one lower pole, and wherein the second elastic cord passes through the other upper pole and the other lower pole. 
     
     
         30 . The portable chair frame of  claim 27 , wherein the hollow bars, of the upper and lower poles, comprise an aluminum alloy. 
     
     
         31 . The portable chair frame of  claim 27 , wherein at least one of the upper and lower poles comprises a first hollow bar and a second hollow bar, wherein the first hollow bar includes a first section of a first outer diameter and a second section of a second outer diameter less than the first diameter, and wherein the second section of the first bar is configured to slide into a recess on one end of the second hollow bar, wherein the recess on the one end of the second hollow bar has an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the second section of the first hollow bar.