EP0305703A2

EP0305703A2 - Seat

Info

Publication number: EP0305703A2
Application number: EP88111372A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Alfio Padovan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-09-02
Filing date: 1988-07-15
Publication date: 1989-03-08
Also published as: IT1214215B; EP0305703A3; IT8783447A0

Abstract

Extensible seat (10) which comprises a stationary framework (11) with feet (14) and a possible seatback (19) and also a seat structure (12) consisting of a first frame (15) and a second frame (16) hinged together along one of their ends (17), the first frame (15) being able to rotate by at least 180° about a first pivot (13) that cooperates with the stationary framework (11), the hinged end (17) of the frames (15-16) being positioned towards the seatback (19) and the frames (15-16) being substantially folded shut together when the seat (10) is in its closed position.

Description

This invention concerns a seat which can be extended forwards. The invention concerns also seats, such as armchairs or divans with places for one or more persons, which can be extended forwards with their supporting surface extending along their whole length.
Many systems are known for extending the seating surface of divans and armchairs. Such extensibility is advantageous because it enables useful conversions to be made for various purposes, for instance so as to obtain single or double beds.
The present applicant too possesses patent rights on this subject.
The known systems consist usually of various kinematic mechanisms, some of them complex, which are burdensome to manufacture and often hard to operate and are likely to cause maintenance problems.
So as to obviate these drawbacks, the present applicant has designed, tested and embodied a very simple device which enables the seating surface of seats such as armchairs and divans to be extended forwards.
The invention provides essentially for two movable frames, of which the first is rotatably pivoted at its sides in a substantially intermediate position on the side members of the stationary framework that forms the fixture structure of the seat.
This first frame, which has its disengaged end towards the front of the seat when the seat is folded shut, is hinged to a second frame, which in the folded state of the seat is positioned above and parallel to the first frame.
The extended position of the seat is obtained by rotation of the first frame about the pivot which anchors it rotatably to the side members of the stationary framework.
In this way the rear end of the first frame becomes the forward end, and the first and second frames together form a succession and lie substantially on the same plane.
According to a variant a movable seatback extension element is included which is connected to the first frame and is able to take up a first and second position. The first position is obtained with the seat folded shut and is substantially vertical or almost vertical, whereas the second position is obtained with the seat opened and is substantially horizontal or almost horizontal.
According to a further variant, reciprocal momentary clamping elements are provided to avoid any danger to a person using the chair owing to the unstable zone of rotation of the first frame when the seat is opened.
The extensible seat is therefore embodied according to the contents of the main claim and one or other of the dependent claims.
Let us now see the idea of the embodiment of the invention with the help of the attached figures, which are given as a non-restrictive example and show the following:-

Fig.1 gives a three-dimensional view of a structure according to the invention;
Figs.2, 3 and 4 show diagrammatic side views of the embodiment of Fig.1 in retracted, intermediate and extended positions respectively;
Fig.5 shows a diagrammatic side view of a variant of the idea of the embodiment of Fig. 1;
Figs.6, 7 and 8 show three-dimensional views of a further variant of the idea of the embodiment of Fig.1.

In the figures a seat 10 comprises a seat structure 12, which forms the seating platform and can be moved and extended forwards, and also a first frame 15 and second frame 16, the frames 15-16 being substantially, but not necessarily, the same as each other.
The frames 15-16 comprise in a known manner an intermediate support structure 33 to which cushions 121 and 21 respectively are applied.
The movable seat structure 12 cooperates with side members of a stationary framework 11 that includes a seatback 19 and feet 14. A suitable cushion 20 is located against the seatback 19.
The first frame 15 includes at its sides in an intermediate position a first pivot 13, which connects it to the framework 11 and enables it to rotate.
The first frame 15 is connected at one end by a hinge 17 to the second frame 16,, so that in the closed position (Fig.2) of the seat the two frames 15-16 are rested against each other, and surfaces 18 which bear respective cushions 121 and 21 diverge as counterparts of each other.
The second frame 16 comprises support feet 114 which are parallel to the feet 14 of the stationary framework 11 when the seat 10 is in its closed position.
In the closed position the first frame 15 is below the second frame 16.
When the second frame 16 is lifted and pulled forwards, by means of the hinge 17 the second frame 16 makes the first frame 15 rotate about the first pivot 13 (Fig.3).
If the second frame 16 is pulled further forwards, it is aligned with the first frame 15 to form one single surface (Fig.4).
In this position the surfaces 18 bearing the cushions and also the cushions 121 and 21 lie one behind the other.
The pivot 13 can be located in a displaced position (Fig.5), so that, when the first frame 15 is rotated, the latter 15 is raised and creates a higher resting surface or a surface at the height of the previous surface obtained with the second frame 16 in its closed position.
If the seatback 19 comprises a movable extension element 22 pivoted on a second pivot 25, it is possible to connect such extension element at a third pivot 24 to a tie rod 23.
The tie rod 23 is connected by a fourth pivot 124 to the first frame 15; in the example shown the fourth pivot 124 is located at an intermediate position between the first pivot 13 and the hinge 17.
In this way the movable extension element 22 is positioned in one of two positions, a first closed position where the movable extension element 22 is substantially vertical or almost vertical, and a second open position where the movable extension element 22 is substantially horizontal or almost horizontal (Fig.5).
Since the first pivot 13 creates an unstable arm 32, the invention provides a variant in which spring catches 29 are included and secure the first frame 15 momentarily by preventing its rotation.
In another variant which includes, for instance, a frontal support 27 able to oscillate about a fifth pivot 28, it is possible to provide connecting rods 30-31 which actuate the spring catches 29 during re-closure of the seat, thus freeing the first frame 15 and enabling the whole seat assembly to be closed readily.
The movable seatback extension element 22 may comprise vertical retention means 26 for the seatback cushion 20.
According to the invention it is possible to displace the second pivot 25 downwards and also to position the fourth pivot 124 on the other side of the first pivot 13.

Claims

1 - Extensible seat (10) which comprises a stationary framework (11) with feet (14) and a possible seatback (19) and also a seat structure (12), the seat (10) being characterized in that the seat structure (12) consists of a first frame (15) and a second frame (16) hinged together along one of their ends (17), the first frame (15) being able to rotate by at least 180° about a first pivot (13) that cooperates with the stationary framework (11), the hinged end (17) of the frames (15-16) being positioned towards the seatback (19) and the frames (15-16) being substantially folded shut together when the seat (10) is in its closed position.

2 - Seat (10) as claimed in Claim 1, in which the first pivot (13) cooperates in an intermediate position with the sides of the first frame (15).

3 - Seat (10) as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, in which the first (15) and second (16) frames are substantially the same as each other.

4 -Seat (10) as claimed in any claim hereinbefore, in which the first pivot (13) cooperates with an intermediate position in the height of the side of the first frame (15).

5 - Seat (10) as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 3 inclusive, in which the first pivot (13) cooperates with a higher position on the first frame (15) when the latter (15) is in its closed position.

6 - Seat (10) as claimed in any claim hereinbefore, in which the two frames (15-16) comprise two surfaces (18) which hold cushions (21-121) and substantially follow each other (Figs.4, 5 and 7) when in the opened position.

7 - Seat (10) as claimed in any claim hereinbefore, in which the seatback (19) comprises a movable extension element (22).

8 - Seat (10) as claimed in any claim hereinbefore, in which the movable extension element (22) is connected to the first frame (15) by a tie rod (23), the position of the first frame (15) conditioning the position of the movable extension element (22).

9 - Seat (10) as claimed in any claim hereinbefore, in which the first frame (15) is clamped momentarily in the open position of the seat by spring catches (29).

10 - Seat (10) as claimed in any claim hereinbefore, in which means (27-28-30-31) are operated momentarily during closure of the seat to disengage the spring catches (29).