EP0256064A1

EP0256064A1 - Chair with a seat and an elastically yielding back support.

Info

Publication number: EP0256064A1
Application number: EP87901025A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Hartmut Lohmeyer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-02-13
Filing date: 1987-02-05
Publication date: 1988-02-24
Anticipated expiration: 2007-02-05
Also published as: DE3762795D1; EP0256064B1; WO1987004909A1; US4856846A; DE3604534A1

Abstract

Chaise comportant un siège (3) et un dossier (5) élastique en soi, lequel est constitué de plusieurs nervures transversales (9, 10) séparées les unes des autres par des espaces intermédiaires (11, 12, 13) et situées approximativement dans la région des hanches. Ces nervures (9, 10) sont maintenues ensemble par des éléments de liaison (17, 18, 19) de telle manière que lesdites nervures transversales sont rotatives les unes par rapport aux autres autour d'axes horizontaux et que les éléments-liaison (17, 18, 19) sont constitués de charnières (24) du type à membrane qui surmontent les espaces intermédiaires (11, 12, 13), lesdites charnières étant pourvues d'éléments (26, 27) limitant la rotation. Le siège (3) conjointement avec le dossier (5) et ce dernier conjointement avec les nervures transversales (9, 10) sont moulés d'une pièce en plastique grâce à des sections deformables constituées par les charnières (24) du type à membrane et les éléments à ressort (25) correspondants.Chair comprising a seat (3) and a backrest (5) elastic in itself, which consists of several transverse ribs (9, 10) separated from each other by intermediate spaces (11, 12, 13) and located approximately in the hip area. These ribs (9, 10) are held together by connecting elements (17, 18, 19) in such a way that said transverse ribs are rotatable with respect to each other around horizontal axes and that the connecting elements (17 , 18, 19) consist of hinges (24) of the membrane type which surmount the intermediate spaces (11, 12, 13), said hinges being provided with elements (26, 27) limiting the rotation. The seat (3) together with the backrest (5) and the latter together with the transverse ribs (9, 10) are integrally molded in plastic thanks to deformable sections constituted by the hinges (24) of the membrane type and the corresponding spring elements (25).

Description

Bes chr ibung

Seating with one seat and one elastic in itself. yielding backrest

The invention relates to a piece of seating furniture with a seat and a resilient, yielding backrest which, for example in the hip area, consists of a plurality of transverse ribs which are separated from one another by intermediate spaces and which are held together by connecting members such that the transverse ribs are mutually horizontal ^" Axes are rotatable.

Such seating is shown in European patent application 107 627. As the drawings of this publication in particular show, the creation of the known seating furniture in the area of the connecting links requires considerable technical effort, due in particular to spring elements arranged in the area of the connecting links, for which primarily leaf springs are used are seen. The specially introduced spring elements each require special technical means for their attachment and their freedom of movement, so that overall there is a structurally complex design. In claim 32 of the cited European patent application, reference is made to the possibility of integrating the known seating furniture in one piece from one material. shape, in which two leaf springs are embedded, using an embedding material that must be correspondingly compliant. This embedding does not, however, reduce the design effort inside the seating furniture; the embedding merely creates an all-round enclosure of the construction elements, which has to maintain the requirement to have the same mobility as the leaf springs.

The invention is based on the object of designing seating in the manner of the design described at the outset in such a way that it can be produced more easily and more cost-effectively with less design effort.

The problem is solved in that the connecting links consist of film hinges with rotation-limiting elements that bridge the spaces in one piece, the seat being integrally formed together with the transverse ribs made of plastic via flow cross-sections, which are attached to the film hinges and to them Arms of the film hinges are formed spring elements.

Because of this design, there is the possibility of integrally molding the individual elements required for the seating furniture without the need for any components which are necessarily embedded in the plastic. This results in a readily controllable process fabrikationstechήisch ^'forming, ins¬ particular by injection molding, wherein essential parts of the chair, namely, the rotation of the Querrip¬ pen against each other enabling components and the Fe¬ the elements are formed by the flow cross-sections. The plastic bridges between the transverse ribs required for the molding of plastic are thus designed in the form of flow cross sections in such a way that they form essential elements of the seating furniture, as a result of which a separate Structural installation of components otherwise required is not necessary. The result is a piece of seating furniture that can be produced fully automatically in one work step with regard to its seat and backrest.

Up to about three transverse ribs in the hip region of the backrest are normally required for the creation of the backrest. With a usual load on the backrest by leaning back of a seated person, this results in approximately angular changes between the individual transverse ribs, which are in the range of up to approximately 3 ^β . It follows from this that the film hinges and the spring elements assigned to them are exposed to only relatively slight deflections and thus mechanical loads which can be easily carried by appropriate plastics, such as, for example, polypropylene.

Appropriately, the arms of the film hinges merge into the seat, the backrest and the transverse ribs. In this case, the spring elements are directly actuated when the film hinges are moved.

A practical design of the film hinges with the spring elements is obtained if they are formed as mutually opposite components of tubes running along the interspaces, the tube sections between the film hinges and the spring elements being essentially rigid.

Another possibility of the formation of the film hinges is the gaps in the _. To form the area of the connecting links as grooves, each of which has the film hinge in its base.

Another possibility for the design of the spring elements is to use them as a side next to the connection to form articulated bridges between the transverse ribs. In this case, there are flow cross sections which are distributed over the length of the transverse ribs, which is conducive to the flow of the plastic during injection molding. In addition, the bridges give the transverse ribs an additional stability, so that the bridges can also be used if the spring elements are, for example, components of the above-mentioned tubes.

In the case of the design of the film hinges with the spring elements as tubes, the rotation limiting elements can advantageously be designed as mutually directed projections in the tubes. If the backrest is bent back, the projections then collide and thus limit the movement of the transverse ribs to one another.

In the case of the design of the interspaces between the connecting members as grooves, these can expediently be designed such that the grooves on the rear side of the backrest are open and the groove walls on the side facing away from the base of the grooves form the rotation limiting elements. When the backrest is bent, the grooves close on their side facing away from their base until the groove walls meet.

In addition, there is the possibility of bridging the grooves on the sides facing away from the film hinges by means of flexible, essentially inextensible bands as flow cross sections, which in their extended position form the rotation limiting elements. In this case, the reasons for the grooves lie in the connecting links in such a way that when the backrest is bent, the grooves open on their side facing away from their bases, as a result of which the straps bridging the grooves are stretched and, in their extended position, a further bending of the grooves Prevent backrest. These straps can simultaneously be designed as spring elements, which in their rest position have a bend from which they come into the extended position under load against an inherent spring tension. In this case, the function of the spring elements and the rotation limiting elements is combined.

The connecting links can be run in the middle of the backrest, so that there is a kind of spine in the backrest, but it is also possible to arrange the connecting links as a symmetrical pair in the lateral area of the backrest.

In order to achieve special effects of the anatomical adaptation, the spring tension of the spring elements can be designed differently from one space to another. For example, it is advantageous to make the spring elements along the backrest increasingly harder from top to bottom, so that when leaning back, the upper part of the backrest initially bends back and then increasingly also the lower parts.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown in the figures. Show it:

1 is a perspective view of the seating furniture with connecting members running in the middle of the backrest,

2 shows a longitudinal section running in the middle through the backrest and the seat of the seating furniture according to FIG. 1, specifically cut according to line II from FIG. 1, 3 the same longitudinal section under a rearward load,

4 shows a section of the backrest according to FIG. 1, specifically in the area of the film hinge and the spring element, cut along the line II-II from FIG. 1,

5 shows the same section as FIG. 2, but under t load,

6 shows a longitudinal section through the backrest and seat with grooves as spaces between the connecting links in the rest position,

7 shows the same section under load in the rearward direction,

8 is a top view of the backrest according to FIGS. 6 and 7 with bridges lying laterally next to the connecting members as spring elements,

Fig. 9 is a 'perspective view of a piece of furniture, in which the connecting links on the side

The edges of the backrest run according to FIG. 10 a rear view of the backrest with a seat

Fig. 9, cut along the line III-III

Fig. 9,

11 is a partial rear view of the seat back with a different design of a connecting member,

12 is a side view of the arrangement of FIG. 11 in the rest position, Fig. 13 shows the same arrangement under load.

1 shows the seating furniture in a perspective view, the illustration of the base frame being largely dispensed with. This is the state of the art. The upper part of a bogie 1 and a tubular steel frame 2a are shown. The seat 3 is attached to the frame 2a. In the construction shown, in a known manner, an axis of rotation results for the seat 3 approximately in the region of the cross strut 2b of the frame 2a such that the seat 3 can spring about the cross strut 6 when loaded.

The seat 3 goes over the fillet 4 in the backrest 5, which is curved in a known manner so that its edges 6 and 7 are slightly advanced laterally. The backrest 5 also has a curvature 8 in longitudinal section adapted to the anatomy of the spine. In the area of this curvature 8, the two transverse ribs 9 and 10 are arranged, which are separated from one another by the intermediate spaces 11, 12 and 13 and from the adjoining parts of the backrest 5 and the fillet 4.

In the middle of the backrest 5, this contains a trough-like recess 14/15, in the middle of which the web 16 runs in the longitudinal direction of the backrest 5 and ensures the required rigidity of the backrest 5 in this area. If necessary, several such webs can be arranged side by side. In the area of the recess 14/15, a connecting member 17, 18 and 19 is arranged in the extension of the intermediate spaces 11, 12 and 13, which extends over the entire width of the recess 14/15 and also passes through the web 16 . With the help of the connecting links 17, 18 and 19 Cross ribs 9 and 10 and these hold together with the adjacent parts of the backrest 5 or the fillet 4. The connecting links 17, 18 and 19 are designed in such a way that in the area between the spaces 11, 12 and 13 they can be rotated about horizontal axes, which gives the backrest an elastic resilience with which the backrest leans back can adapt anatomical conditions of a seated person. It should be pointed out that the backrest 5 with its rounding 4, the transverse ribs 9 and 10 and the seat 3 in principle form rigid construction elements, which is due to the choice of a suitable plastic, for example polypropylene, and corresponding ^" known stiffeners the underside of the seat and the back of the backrest .5 are readily possible. Such stiffeners are shown in FIG. 1 in connection with the backrest, they are the stiffeners 20, 21 and 22 that are shown in FIG The longitudinal direction extends the edges of the recess 14/15. If necessary, further stiffeners can be provided, in particular on the edges 6 and 7 of the backrest 5 and under the seat 3.

The structural design of the connecting links 17, 18 and 19 will now be explained with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. 2 shows a section along the line I-I from FIG. 1, that is to say a longitudinal section running longitudinally through the backrest 5, the rounded portion 4 and the seat 3, which runs in the middle of the web 16. 2 shows seat 3 and backrest 5 in an unloaded position, whereas FIG. 3 shows seat and backrest 5 under load.

Due to the curvature of the backrest 5, the front surface of the backrest 5 is drawn in FIG. 2 to the left of the cut stiffener 21, up to that Edge 7 (see Fig. 1). A corresponding representation also results in the area of the seat 3, which in a known manner also has a curvature in accordance with the anatomy of a seated person. The connecting members 17, 18 and 19 shown in FIG. 2 here consist of tubes 23, each of which forms the film hinge 24 on its side facing the front of the backrest 5, while the opposite side of the tubes 23 form the respective spring element 25 . The areas in between, which adjoin the web 16, are stiff because of this connection with the web 16. The same naturally also applies to the areas of the tubes 23 in which these pass from the recess 14/15 into the adjacent parts of the backrest 5 or the rounding 4 and the transverse ribs 9 and 10. As a result, when the backrest 5 is loaded, as shown in FIG. 3, there is only a deformation of the tubes 23 in the area of the film hinges 24 and the spring elements 25. The film hinges 24 undergo a slight kinking, whereas the spring elements 25 bulged outwards.

The total deflection of the backrest 5 is relatively small if one takes into account the deformation of the spine when a person sitting on the seating furniture leans back. So that there is no overloading of the film hinges 24 and the spring elements 25, rotation limiting elements are provided, which, however, are not shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 for reasons of simplification of the representation. An embodiment of a rotation limiting element will now be discussed with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

4 and 5 each show a tube 23 according to FIGS. 2 and 3, into which protrusions 26 and 27 protrude, which act as a rotation limiting element. Here are the cuts sets _of Figs. 4 and 5 ge according to lines II-II of Fig. 1, so that the web 16 as seen from the side vision panel bares part is drawn. 4 there is a distance between the projections 26 and 27, which disappears when the tube 23 is loaded due to the complete approach of the projections 26 and 27, the projections 26 and 27 abutting one another and thus the rotational limitation in the region bring about the tube 23. In FIG. 5 the angle a_ is also shown, by which the degree l of the bending in the region of the tube 23 is represented.

This is a somewhat exaggerated representation in order to make the angle a_ clear. As already mentioned at the beginning, these are angles of at most about 3 ^β . 5 also shows that the spring element 25 has bulged slightly compared to the illustration in FIG. 4, as a result of which the spring element 25 is given the necessary restoring force.

It is also clear from FIGS. 2 to 5 that the film hinges 24 and the spring elements 25 form flow cross sections for the flow of plastic, in particular during injection molding. There is thus the possibility of forming the seat 3 and the backrest 5 with the associated elements in one piece, the material from the sprue, which may be under the seat 3, for example, over all parts of the flow cross-sections mentioned Seat 3 and backrest 5 can spread out.

6 and 7 sections are shown similar to those of FIGS. 2 and 3, but in particular the connecting links are designed differently. In the representation and designation of the arrangement according to FIGS. 6 and 7, the design and the reference numerals from FIGS. 1 to 3 were used as far as possible. However, it should be emphasized that the 1 guide form according to FIGS. 6 and 7 has three transverse ribs 16 (in contrast to two transverse ribs according to FIG. 1). The number of transverse ribs depends on the desired anatomical adaptation and, if appropriate, the technical one

5 shaping options. In the embodiment according to FIGS. 6 and 7, the spaces 34, 35, 36 and 37 are located next to the grooves 31 (one space more than in the embodiment according to FIG. 1 because of the only two provided there)

Cross ribs 9 and 10). These spaces 34, 35, 36 and 37 forming spring elements are bridged by the / bridges 33, that is to say they connect the transverse ribs 28, 29 and 30 lying next to one another and the adjacent sections of the backrest 5 and the rounding 4. The bridges 33 are shaped with a deflection according to the rest position shown in FIG

15 that they allow stretching, thereby causing their spring tension. This will be discussed in more detail in connection with FIG. 8. When leaning back, the film hinges 32 are bent slightly until the walls 38, 39 (see FIG. 7) of the grooves 31 on the film hinges

«0 Touch 32 opposite sides. In this way, the design of the grooves also creates the rotation limiting element.

8 shows a plan view of a section of the _j . Backrest 5, namely the central area with the grooves 31 and adjoining the area of the backrest with the spaces 34, 35 and 36 (space 37 according to FIG. 6 is no longer shown in FIG. 8). The hatching shown in FIG. 8 was used to represent visible material of the backrest. About that

30 also contains an upper and a lower part, separated by the space X which has been left open in the drawing. The lower part shows the backrest in the unloaded state, while the upper part shows the backrest in the loaded state. Accordingly, those in the intermediate space 36 are drawn

35 th bridges 33 drawn as they relax the Bridge gap 36. In the upper part, however, it is a loaded backrest, so that the bridges 33 shown in the spaces 34 and 35 are drawn more stretched. In the stretched position shown, the bridges 33 are tensioned and in this way exert their desired restoring force. The bridges 33 can additionally take on the function of the rotation limiting elements, since the bridges 33 practically do not allow any further extension in the fully extended position, whereby the rotation limitation is achieved. It is therefore also possible, if the grooves 31 are used, to dispense with using their wall ends as rotation limiting elements (see FIG. 7).

As can be seen, the film hinges 32 and the bridges 33 form flow cross sections for the plastic, so that, in the embodiment according to FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, the seat 3 and backrest 5 with the associated elements are also in one piece via the flow cross sections mentioned can be shaped. It should also be pointed out that the box-shaped structures 40 shown in FIG. 8 are ribs formed on the back of the backrest 5, which serve to stiffen the transverse ribs 28, 29 and 30.

FIG. 9 shows a further exemplary embodiment, in which the tubular frame 41 serves as the supporting frame and, with its upper spars 42, allows a certain amount of suspension for the seat 3 in a known manner. The seat 3 is attached to the spars 42. Here, the connecting links are arranged in the area of the backrest 5 on the side edges thereof. The connecting links here essentially consist of the film hinges 32, which are formed at the bottom of grooves 31, which in this respect in principle results in a construction according to that from FIG. 6. The grooves 31 are in edge reinforcements 44, 45 are provided, which appear in cross section as a box open to the rear, the grooves 31 being provided in a wall 43 of the respective edge reinforcement 44 and 45, respectively. The grooves 31 and the film hinges 32 act like the components with the same designation according to FIGS. 6 to 8.

In the backrest 5 between the edge reinforcements 44 and 45, the two transverse ribs 46 and 47 are arranged, which are separated from one another by the spaces 48, 49 and 50. In the area of the spaces 48, 49 and 50, the spring elements are arranged in the center, specifically as bridges 51, which bulge on the rear side of the backrest. This will be discussed in detail in connection with FIG. 10.

FIG. 10 shows a rear view of the backrest 5 with seat 3, specifically cut along the line III-III from FIG. 9. The backrest 5 is shown in an unloaded position. 10 shows a stabilization of the backrest 5, namely through the transverse reinforcements 52, 53, 54 and 55 and the longitudinal reinforcements 56 which run in the edge reinforcement 44. Corresponding stiffeners naturally run in the edge reinforcement 45 (not shown in FIG. 10).

FIG. 11 shows a modification compared to the embodiment according to FIG. 10, the spring elements and the rotation limiting elements being placed in the laterally arranged connecting members according to FIG. The seat 3 and the backrest 5 are shown in FIG. 11, and only in part, the edge reinforcement 45 running along one edge of the seat 3 and backrest 5 (a corresponding edge reinforcement then lies on the opposite side). In contrast to the embodiment 10, in which the film hinges 32 on the

Arranged on the front of the backrest 5, the film hinges 32 in the embodiment according to FIG. 11 lie on the back of the backrest 5. The film hinges 32 form the apex of surfaces 57 and 58 which are arranged in the manner of a triangle and which open forward like a groove. In the rearward direction, the surfaces 57 and 58 are stiffened with respect to one another, specifically by the stiffeners 59, which extend in the edge reinforcement 45 in the extension of the walls and the stiffener 60. On the side opposite the film hinges 32, the walls 57 and 58 are connected by means of the bands 61, which are slightly bent inwards in the rest position shown in FIG. The bands form both the spring element and the rotation limiting elements, theirs

Function is described below with reference to the explanation of FIGS. 12 and 13. The lateral ribs 46 and 47 with the spaces 48, 49 and 50 extend in a lateral extension next to the film hinges 32 with the surfaces 57 and 58.

12 and 13 show a side view of a section of the edge reinforcement 45 in the area of a film hinge 32 with the surfaces 57 and 58. FIG. 12 shows the arrangement in the rest position, and FIG. 13 shows the arrangement under load. As can be seen, the band 61 shown in FIG. 12 is light, arched inwards. It is transferred under load in the dar¬ asked in Figure 13 stretched position, the transition into the stretched position builds up a spring tension in the band 61, thus this ent folds the effect ^'of the spring ^element, can the position shown in Figure 13 stretched position the band 61 can practically not be stretched, so that it acts as a rotation limiting element in this position. With regard to all the exemplary embodiments, it should be pointed out that the overall design of the seat 3 and backrest 5 can be covered with cushion foam after removal from the mold, on the one hand to make projections invisible due to the reinforcements, and on the other hand in order to prevent them from the outset To create upholstery.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. Seating furniture with a seat and an elastically yielding backrest which, for example in the hip area, consists of a plurality of transverse channels separated by gaps, which are held together by connecting links in such a way that the transverse ribs can be rotated relative to one another about horizontal axes, characterized in that the connecting links (17, 18, 19) consist of film hinges (24) with bridging elements (26, 27) which bridge the spaces (11, 12, 13) in one piece, the seat (3) together with the backrest (5 ) and these are integrally formed together with the transverse ribs (9, 10) made of plastic via flow cross sections which are formed by the film hinges (24) and associated spring elements attached to the arms of the film hinges (24).

Seating furniture according to claim 1, characterized in that the arms of the film hinges (24) merge into the seat (3), the backrest (5) and the transverse ribs (9, 10).

3. Seating furniture according to claim 2, characterized in that the film hinges (24) with the spring elements (25) form mutually opposite components of tubes (23) extending along the interspaces, the tube sections between the film hinges (24) and the

Spring elements (25) are essentially rigid.

4. Seating furniture according to claim 3, characterized in that the rotation limiting elements are designed as mutually directed projections (26, 27) in the tubes (23).

5. Seating furniture according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the gaps in the area of the connecting members consist of grooves (31) which have the film hinge (32) in their base (FIGS. 6 to 8).

6. Seating furniture according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the spring elements are formed by bridges (33, 51) between the transverse ribs (28, 29, 30) lying laterally next to the connecting links.

I 0 7. Seating furniture according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the grooves (31) on the rear side of the backrest / are open and the groove walls on the side facing away from the bottom of the grooves (31) form the rotation limiting elements . 5

8. Seating furniture according to claim 1, 5 or 6, characterized gekenn¬ characterized in that the grooves on the sides facing away from the film hinges (32) are bridged by flexible, essentially non-stretchable bands (61) as flow cross sections, the C in their extended position Form rotation limiting elements (Fig. 11 to 13).

9. Seating furniture according to claim 8, characterized in that the bands (61) - at the same time form the spring elements and have a bend in 3 their rest position, from which they come under load, against them, an inherent spring tension in the extended position.

10. Seating furniture according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the connecting links (17, 18, 19) run in the middle of the backrest (5 / v) (Fig. 1).

11. Seating furniture according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized gekenn¬ characterized in that the connecting links extend as a symmetrical 3 pairs in the lateral region of the backrest (5) (Fig. 9).

12. Seating furniture according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized records that the spring tension of the spring elements of

Interspace to interspace is designed differently.