EP0534908A1

EP0534908A1 - Chair or divan construction with a foot-rest fixture and the like

Info

Publication number: EP0534908A1
Application number: EP92830162A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Gino c/o Magix di Xodo Gino & C. S.n.c. Xodo
Original assignee: Magix Di Xodo Gino & C SNC
Current assignee: Magix Di Xodo Gino & C SNC
Priority date: 1991-09-17
Filing date: 1992-04-02
Publication date: 1993-03-31
Also published as: ITMI910798V0; ITMI910798U1; IT222726Z2

Abstract

There is disclosed a chair or divan construction (1) with a foot-rest fixture (7) and the like comprising a supporting base (2) which supports a frame (3) comprising a seat element (4) and a back-rest element (5).

The construction is also provided with a fixture, associated with the supporting base and including a panel, which can be withdrawn from a home position, in which it is concealed at the bottom of the seat, toward an use position in which it is arranged near the seat, from the portion thereof opposite to the back-rest, in order to form a foot-rest element, an article bearing element or the like.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a chair or divan construction which includes a foot-rest fixture, an article supporting fixture and the like.
There are already known chairs or divans which include foot-rest elements which are usually formed by autonomous elements, that is elements having a construction separated from the construction of the chair or divan.
Prior foot-rest elements, however, have a large size and bulk and, accordingly, they do not encounter a broad favour by the users.
In fact, prior foot-rest elements, in a not use condition thereof, occupy, as stated, a great space, which is undesirable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the aim of the present invention is to overcome the above mentioned drawbacks, by providing a chair or divan construction including therein a foot-rest fixture or element which, in a not use condition, does not occupy any appreciable space.
Within the scope of the above mentioned aim, a main object of the present invention is to provide such a chair or divan construction including therein a foot-rest element, wherein this foot-rest element can also be used as an article supporting element or for other uses.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a chair or divan construction which, as required, can be easily transformed into a bed.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the above mentioned aim and objects, as well as yet other objects, which will become more apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a chair or divan construction, including therein a foot-rest or article supporting fixture, said construction comprising a supporting base supporting a frame comprising a seat and a back-rest, characterized in that said fixture is associated with said supporting base and includes a panel which can be withdrawn from a home position therein it is concealed at the bottom of said seat, toward an use position thereof, therein it is arranged near said seat from a portion thereof opposite to said back-rest, in order to provide a foot-rest or article supporting capability.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further characteristics and advantages of the chair or divan construction according to the present invention will become more apparent hereinafter from the following detailed disclosure of a preferred, though not exclusive, embodiment thereof, which is illustrated, by way of an indicative, but not limitative example, in the figures of the accompanying drawings, where:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a divan construction including two foot-rest fixtures;
Figure 2 is an elevation side view illustrating the construction according to the present invention with the mentioned fixture in a not use condition;
Figures 3 and 4 are further side elevation views illustrating the construction with the fixture in an use condition thereof;
Figure 5 is further side elevation view illustrating the subject construction transformed into a bed;
Figure 6 is a perspective view illustrating the fixture with its panel in a partially withdrawn condition;
and
Figure 7 is a further perspective view illustrating the fixture with its panel in a fully withdrawn condition.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to the figures of the accompanying drawings, the chair or divan construction according to the present invention, which has been generally indicated at the reference number 1, essentially comprises a supporting base 2 which supports, in a known way, a frame 3 including a seat 4 proper and a back-rest 5 which are suitably covered by a wadding 6.
The frame 3 can be of a type adapted to be transformed into a bed and having, for example, its portion which defines the back-rest 5 pivoted to a side of the portion forming the seat 4 so as to allow the back-rest 5 to be easily adjusted in its inclination with respect to the seat, with the possibility of arranging the back-rest and seat in the same horizontal plane, as it is clearly shown in Figure 5.
As shown, the chair or divan construction according to the invention further comprises a fixture, generally indicated at the reference number 7, which includes a panel 8 which can be arranged at the bottom of the seat 4 so as to not provide any hindrance, said panel being moreover adapted to be arranged near the seat 4, on the opposite side thereof, with respect to the back-rest 5, in order to be used as a foot-rest or article supporting element.
More specifically, the fixture 7 comprises two guides 9a and 9b which are connected, for example by welding or any other known connecting systems, to the supporting base 2 and extending, parallel to one another, transversely of the joining side which joins the back-rest and the seat.
Inside the guides 9a and 9b there are slidably housed two arms 10a and 10b which support, near an end portion thereof, that is that end thereof which is opposite to the back-rest, the panel 8.
This panel 8 is mounted on two small plates 11a and 11b which are affixed to the mutually facing sides of the arms 10a and 10b.
At the mentioned plates 11a and 11b, the guides 9a and 9b are longitudinally cut-out so as to allow the arms 10a and 10b to be fully recovered within the guides 9a and 9b notwithstanding the provision of the panel 8 which slides on the top of the mentioned guides.
As shown, the panel 8 is connected to each of the plates 11a and 11b by means of a pair of connecting rods 12a and 12b which are arranged as the two opposite sides of an articulated parallelogram, in a substially vertical plane, so as to allow the panel 8 to be raised with respect to a plane, parallel to the seat plane, in which lay the two arms 10a and 10b supporting it.
In this connection it should be apparent that, in a case of a divan, it will be possible to provide two or more fixtures which, with the divan transformed into a bed, can be used as article supporting elements or the like.
The two arms 10a and 10b are connected, at their end portions supporting the panel 8, by a cross element 13 which stiffens the assembly comprising the arms and the panel.
Moreover, the arms 10a and 10b can also be provided with small teeth 14a and 14b sliding in the longitudinal cuts 15a and 15b of the guides 9a and 9b, the same being provided for the sliding of the plates 11a and 11b, so as to precisely guide the sliding movement of the arms.
In particular, it should be pointed out that the panel 8 can be withdrawn from the supporting base and arranged on the front of the seat portion of the divan or chair, in order to be used as a foot-rest or article supporting element, or it can be restrained or housed within the base, under the seat portion, in order not to provide any hindrance in its not use condition, and this by simply causing the arms 10a and 10b to slide along their guides 9a and 9b and causing the panel 8 to pivot with respect to the arms 10a and 10b.
From the above disclosure it should be apparent that the invention fully achieves the intended aim and objects.
While the invention has been disclosed and illustrated with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it should be apparent that the disclosed embodiment is susceptible to several modifications and variations all of which will come within the spirit and scope of the appended Claims.

Claims

A chair or divan construction, including therein a foot-rest or article supporting fixture, said construction comprising a supporting base supporting a frame comprising a seat and a back-rest, characterized in that said fixture is associated with said supporting base and includes a panel which can be withdrawn from a home position therein it is concealed at the bottom of said seat, toward an use position thereof, therein it is arranged near said seat from a portion thereof opposite to said backrest, in order to provide a foot-rest or article supporting capability.
A chair or divan construction according to Claim 1, characterized in that said fixture comprises a pair of parallel arms which are slidably associated with a pair of guides affixed to said supporting base, under said seat,and transversely arranged of a coupling side connecting said seat and back-rest, said pair of arms supporting the panel applied near the end portions thereof facing the opposite portion from the back-rest.
A chair or divan construction according to Claim 2, characterized in that said pair of arms are arranged in a plane which is parallel to the plane of said seat and in that said panel is associated with each said arm by means of a pair of connecting rods which are arranged in an articulated parallelogram configuration in a substantially vertical plane in order to arrange said panel at a higher level than that of the laying plane of said two arms.
A chair or divan construction according to Claim 3, characterized in that said connecting rods are pivoted to plate elements connected to said arms on their mutually facing sides and that said guides are provided with a longitudinal cut or groove, at said plates, in order to allow said arms to be fully withdrawn inside said guides.
A chair or divan construction according to Claim 1, characterized in that said back-rest is articulated to said supporting base or to said seat in order to allow the inclination of said back-rest to be changed with respect to said seat.
A chair or divan construction according to Claim 1, characterized in that said back-rest can be arranged in the same horizontal plane as said seat in order to provide a bed arrangement.