EP2149320A1

EP2149320A1 - Foot control mechanism, particularly for a sofa or armchair with a sliding seat

Info

Publication number: EP2149320A1
Application number: EP09166095A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Donato Moramarco
Original assignee: Gruppo Industriale Styling Meccanismi Brevettati Per Salotti e Materassi Srl
Current assignee: Gruppo Industriale Styling Meccanismi Brevettati Per Salotti e Materassi Srl
Priority date: 2008-07-28
Filing date: 2009-07-22
Publication date: 2010-02-03
Anticipated expiration: 2029-07-22
Also published as: DE602009000460D1; EP2149320B1; ATE492187T1; ITMI20081387A1; IT1390841B1

Abstract

A foot control mechanism (100) is disclosed, in particular for sofas, such as sofa beds and sofas with a sliding seat. The mechanism comprises a tube (1) provided with a slot (13) and adapted to be connected to a fixed frame (6), a first lever (2) provided with a slot (20), mounted slidably with respect to the tube (1) and adapted to be connected to a movable frame (7), a second lever (3) provided with a sliding pin (35) which engages in the slots (13, 20) of the tube (1) and of the fist lever (2), and a foot (4) pivoted to the second lever (3) and to a fork (48) adapted to be connected to a the movable frame (7). The slots (13, 20) of the tube and of the first lever (2) arc shaped so as to impart a specific movement of the foot (4), during sliding of the movable frame (7).

Description

The present invention refers to a foot control mechanism, in particular for a sofa or armchair with a sliding seat, and likewise for a sofa or armchair bed.
Even if specific reference will be made herein to a sofa, it is readily apparent that the invention can extend to any item of furniture provided with feet in which forward sliding of the feet must be provided, such as, for example, an extending table, a pull-out shelf and the like.
As is known, a common sofa, with which no movement is associated, does not risk any tilting thanks to its weight and to the stability imparted by the feet on which it rests.
Known to the art are sofas provided with a sliding seat which comprise a seat frame that can slide with respect to a fixed supporting frame. The seat frame is pulled out from the front side of the fixed frame of the sofa. If the seat frame is a few centimetres (from 1 to 4 cm) from the floor, as opening thereof proceeds, the sofa risks incurring downward tilting, especially if further external weights are considered, such as persons or objects placed on the seat.
In this case the problem can easily be solved with the aid of commonly used accessories, such as, for example, wheels disposed in the lower part of the sliding frame which, constantly resting on the floor, run with the frame, supporting it. These accessories will be easily hidden and not visible from the outside, thanks to their limited dimensions and the nearness of the sliding frame to the ground.
However, it is difficult to use such accessories in the case of sofas with a raised seat, in which a large open space is left between the seat and the floor. In fact, in this case the rollers or other accessories would have to have very large dimensions and therefore could not be hidden, with the result of a very poor aesthetic impact. At the same time, the downward movements of the seat will be greater, given that its distance from the ground is increased.
Also known to the art are solutions providing sofas that have feet connected to the sliding seat frame. When the sliding frame is in the retracted position, the feet are arranged in a configuration occupying the minimum space, substantially parallel to the frame. Only when the sliding frame reaches the end of the pull-out stroke are the feet rotated manually to be disposed in a position resting on the ground. It is readily apparent that such a system does not ensure any stability during opening. In fact the sofa can easily tilt during the first step of the pull-out stroke of the movable frame.
To overcome these drawbacks at least in part, it is known to the art to use weights to act as ballast at the level of the sofa back, to ensure the necessary balance, without using further supports beneath the movable frame. However, the introduction of ballast weights leads to new drawbacks. Suffice it to think, in fact, that if a sofa seat is caused to slide completely to fulfil the bed function, the structure will be subjected to high stresses for long times, with resulting deformations and folds due to bending thereof.
Object of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks of the prior art by providing a foot control mechanism, in particular for a sofa with a sliding seat, that is safe for the user and able to ensure stability of the sofa throughout opening.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a foot control mechanism that is able automatically to hide the feet during closure.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a foot control mechanism that is versatile and can be applied in a simple manner to a wide range of products.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a foot control mechanism that is cheap, of simple design and easy to produce.
These objects are achieved in accordance with the invention with the characteristics listed in appended independent claim 1.
Advantageous embodiments of the invention are apparent from the dependent claims.
The mechanism according to the invention allows feet to be operated to support a movable frame mounted slidably with respect to a fixed frame raised from the ground. Such a mechanism comprises:

a tube provided with a slot and adapted to be connected to said fixed frame,
a first lever provided with a slot, mounted slidably with respect to the tube and adapted to be connected to said movable frame,
a second lever provided with a sliding pin that engages in the slots of the tube and of the first lever, and
a foot pivoted to said second lever and to a fork adapted to be connected to the movable frame.

The slots in the tube and in the first lever are shaped so that during sliding of the movable frame the foot passes through:

an initial section wherein it is maintained in a closed configuration in a horizontal position,
an intermediate section in which it is rotated to bring itself into an opening configuration in a substantially vertical position, and
a final section in which it is kept in an open configuration in a substantially vertical position.

The advantages of the mechanism according to the invention which controls a specific movement of the foot, which opens to rest on the ground, during sliding of the movable frame, so as to avoid tilting of the movable frame, are readily apparent.
Further characteristics of the invention will be made clearer by the detailed description that follows, referring to a purely exemplifying and therefore non limiting embodiment thereof, illustrated in the appended drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view, illustrating the foot control mechanism according to the invention;
Figure 2 is a side view of a tube of the mechanism of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a side view of a flat lever of the mechanism of Figure 1;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a shoe destined to be applied to the flat lever of Figure 3;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of a stopper destined to be applied to the tube of Figure 2;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of a connecting lever of a foot;
Figure 7 is an axial sectional view of the connecting lever of Figure 6;
Figure 8 is a perspective view of a foot of the mechanism of Figure 1;
Figure 9 is a side view of the foot of Figure 8;
Figures 10, 11 and 12 are three perspective views of a frame structure according to the invention, in which the sliding seat frame is illustrated in the retracted position, in the intermediate position during forward sliding and in the forward end-of-stroke position, respectively.
Figure 13 is a diagrammatic enlarged view showing three different positions of the flat lever of Figure 3 in the tube of Figure 1 during sliding of the seat.

The control mechanism of the feet, in particular for a sofa or armchair with a sliding seat according to the invention, designated as a whole with reference numeral 100, is described with the aid of the figures.
With reference for now to Figure 1, the mechanism 100 comprises a main tube 1, a first lever 2 mounted slidably inside the main tube 1 and a second lever 3 connected to a movable foot 4.
The main tube 1 is substantially rectangular in cross section and is hollow on the inside, so as to define a channel within which the first lever 2, which is shaped as a flattened rod and therefore will henceforth be called the flat lever, can slide.
At one end of the tube 1 a hole 10 is formed (Figure 2) to receive a pin 11 (Figure 1) for fixing of a hook 12 having a stepped shape. The hook 12 is designed to be hooked to a fixed frame (Figure 10), as will be described hereunder.
With reference also to Figure 2, the tube 1 comprises a longitudinal slot 13 formed on the two opposite major sides of the tube 1. The longitudinal slot 13 extends for about two-thirds of the length of the tube, from a rear end of stroke stop 13a to a front end of stroke stop 13b. The distance between the rear end of stroke stop 13a and the rear end of the tube 1 is greater than the distance between the front end of stroke stop 13b and the front end of the tube 1.
The slot 13 defines a specific path comprising three suitably shaped sections 14, 15 and 16, namely a rectilinear back section 14, a rectilinear front section and a slanted intermediate section 15 which connects the back section 14 to the front section 16.
The back section 14 and the front section 16 are rectilinear, parallel to the axis of the tube 1 and disposed on two different levels. The back section 14 is disposed near the top end of the tube 1; whereas the front section 16 is disposed near the lower end of the tube 1. The back section 14 is slightly longer than the front section 16.
The intermediate section 15 is about one-third of the length of the front section 16 and is inclined with respect to the axis of the tube 1 by an angle between 20° and 60°, preferably 45°. In the figure an angle of 30° is shown, so that a first curve 17 of about 150° is defined between the back section 14 and the intermediate section 15 and a second curve 18, again about 150°, is defined between the intermediate section 15 and the front section 16.
Obviously the measurements of the slot 13 and of the sections 14, 15 and 16 thereof refer to the application illustrated in Figure 2 and can change according to specific applications.
Even if a single, slanted intermediate section 15 has been illustrated in the figure, a plurality of slanted intermediate sections with different inclinations can be provided. Alternatively, in an entirely equivalent fashion, the slanted intermediate section 15 can be replaced by one or more curved sections, with different radii of curvature.
With reference to Figure 3, the flat lever 2 has a slanted slot 20 disposed near its rear end. The slot 20 extends from a rear end of stroke stop 20a to a front end of stroke stop 20b. The rear end of stroke stop 20a is lower down than the front end of stroke stop 20b.
The slanted slot 20 is inclined with respect to the axis of the flat lever 2 by an angle between 20° and 60°, preferably 45°. The inclination of the slanted slot 20 is opposite to the inclination of the intermediate portion 15 of the slot 13 of the tube.
Therefore, when the flat lever 2 is inserted into the tube 1, the slanted slot 20 of the flat lever and the intermediate section 15 of the slot 13 of the tube cross so as to form a St. Andrew's cross, preferably with an angle of 90° between the directrixes of the slots 15 and 20 as will be explained hereunder.
Since the flat lever 2 is smaller in height and thickness than the channel of the tube 1, a sliding block 21 (Figure 4) is fixed to the rear end of the flat lever 2 to allow centred sliding of the flat lever 2 inside the tube 1 and minimise sliding friction. The sliding block 21 takes the form of a parallelepiped block with substantially U-shaped cross section, so as to define a gap 22 into which the rear end of the flat lever 2 is restrained.
After the sliding block 21 has been inserted inside the tube 1, the front end of the tube 1 is closed by means of a stopper 5 (Figure 5) in the form of a rectangular plate, provided with a slot 50 adapted to allow sliding of the flat lever 2.
Both the stopper 5 and the 2 sliding block 1 help to avoid jamming between the tube 1 and the flat lever 2 during sliding of the flat lever 2 inside the tube 1, reducing friction to a minimum.
At the front end of the flat lever 2 is formed a hole 23 (Figure 3) designed to receive a pin 24 (Figure 1) for assembly of a U-shaped fork 25 adapted to be anchored to a movable frame as will be described hereunder.
With reference to Figures 6 and 7, the second lever 3, henceforth called the connecting lever, is obtained from a flattened plate which has a rectilinear back section 30, a rectilinear front section 32 and a slanted intermediate 3 section 1 which connects the front section 32 to the back section 30.
The connecting lever 3 is slightly shorter in length than the flat lever 2. The rectilinear back section 30 is about five times longer than the rectilinear front section 32 and the slanted section 21 is about as long as the front section 31. Respective holes 33 and 34 are formed at the rear and front end of the connecting lever 3.
Obviously the measurements of the connecting lever 3 refer to the application illustrated in the figures and can change according to specific applications.
With reference to Figure 1, a sliding pin 35 is inserted into the rear hole 33 of the connecting lever 3. The sliding pin 35 passes through the slot 13 in the tube 1 and through the slanted slot 20 in the flat lever 2. A second pin 36 is inserted into the front hole 34 of the connecting lever 3 to pivot at the top end of the foot 4. In this manner the connecting lever 3 is kept substantially parallel to the flat lever 2 (in a top view) and is disposed outside the tube 1.
With reference to Figures 8 and 9, the foot 4 consists of a metal sheet having a substantially U-shaped cross section, so as to define a space 40. The foot 4 has a hole 41 in its upper end to receive the pin 36 (Figure 1) of the front end of the connecting lever 3 which is disposed in the space 40 of the foot.
The foot 4 has a second hole 42 in its lower end to receive a pin 45 (Figure 1) to which is pivoted a roller 46 that can turn in the space 40 of the foot.
In the central part of the foot 4 there is a rectangular cut-out 43 which accommodates the slanted portion 31 of the connecting lever 3, when the foot 4 is disposed parallel to the connecting lever 3, in a configuration occupying the minimum space.
Slightly above the cut-out 43 there is provided a third hole 44 adapted to receive a pin 47 (Figure 1) for fixing of a U-shaped fork 48 designed to be connected to a movable frame.
As shown in Figure 9, the upper part of the foot 4, enclosed in the hatched rectangle A, has fixed dimensions which must be respected to ensure operation of the mechanism 100. The lower part of the foot 4, enclosed in the hatched rectangle B, on the other hand, can vary in length, according to the distance of the movable frame from the ground. This feature of variability of the lower dimensions of the foot 4 allows the height of the foot 4 and consequently of the whole kinematics system to be managed.
The structure of the foot 4 can be simplified with respect to that shown in the figures. In particular the cut-out 43 can be omitted if the connecting lever 3 has a completely rectilinear course, without the slanted section 31, in which case the end of the lever 3 is pivoted externally to the wall of the foot 4.
With reference to Figures 10, 11 and 12, a frame structure designated as a whole with reference numeral 200 is illustrated. The frame structure 200 comprises a fixed supporting frame 6 and a movable seat frame 7 mounted slidably on the fixed frame 6. The movable frame 7 consists of a rectangular frame comprising two longitudinal members 72 connected by a front crosspiece 70 and a rear crosspiece 73.
The fixed frame 6 comprises two brackets 60 that are L-shaped in cross section. The brackets 60 are provided with rollers which engage from the inside in C-shaped grooves formed in the longitudinal members 72 of the movable frame 7 to allow sliding of the movable frame 7. The longitudinal members 72 are preferably semi-oval in profile to reduce friction due to sliding of the seat.
The brackets 60 are connected to each other by means of staves 62, 63 in the form of tubes with a rectangular section, disposed parallel to each other. In the embodiments in the figures a rear stave 62 and a front stave 63 are illustrated.
In the figures the left seat of a sofa (with respect to a seated user) has been schematised. For this purpose two feet 61 are illustrated supporting a left side member 80 which has a side 65 for mounting of an arm. This side member 80 can act as a side support of the fixed frame 6 to which it is constrained.
However, a frame structure 200, like that shown in the figures, is of the modular type and can be placed side by side with other similar frame structures to form a sofa with a plurality of seats.
For example, if a sofa with two seats is to be composed, the left seat can be placed alongside a right seat which has a right side member with respective side for assembly of the arm. If, on the other hand, a sofa with three or more seats is to be composed, one or more intermediate seats without side members with arms can be disposed between the left seat and the right seat. In this case the fixed frame 6 will be supported directly on the ground, by means of proper feet not visible in the figures.
A cylinder 64 inside which a piston 71 can slide telescopically is hinged on the central part of the stave 62 of the fixed frame. The end of the piston 71 is fixed to the central part of the front crosspiece 70 of the movable frame 7.
Again on the stave 62 of the fixed frame, there are hinged two mechanisms 100 according to the invention, disposed symmetrically with respect to the central cylinder 64, near the respective brackets 60 of the fixed frame. It should be noted that the rear hook 12 of each tube 1 hooks on to the rear stave 62 of the fixed frame. The fork 25 of the flat lever 2 and the fork 48 of the foot 4 of each mechanism 100, on the other hand, are fixed to the front crosspiece 70 of the movable frame 7.
Operation of the mechanism 100 according to the invention is described hereunder.
As shown in Figure 10, in an initial situation the movable frame 7 is in a retracted position on the fixed frame 6. The piston 71 is retracted inside the cylinder 64 and the flat lever 2 of each mechanism 100 is retracted inside the respective tube 1; thus the sliding pin 35 is in abutment against the rear end of stroke stop 13a of the slot 13 of the tube 1 and against the front stop 20b of the slanted slot 20 of the flat lever 2. In this situation, the feet 4 are disposed in their closed configuration occupying the minimum space, in a horizontal position, parallel to the tube 1. The slanted part 31 of the connecting lever 3 is disposed inside the rectangular cut-out 43 of the respective foot 4.
With reference to Figure 11, when the movable frame 7 is caused to translate forward, in the direction of the arrow F, the piston 71 is extracted telescopically from the cylinder 64 and at the same time the flat levers 2 are extracted from the respective tubes 1. The sliding pin 35 travels along the first rectilinear back section 14 of the slot of the tube 1, imparting a rectilinear stroke also to the connecting lever 3, which advances synchronously with the flat lever 2. As a result, the feet 4 remain integral with the connecting lever 3 in their closed configuration occupying the minimum space, with the axis substantially horizontal.
When the sliding pin 35 passes the first curve 17 of the slot 13, it begins to travel along the slanted section 15 of the slot 13. In order to allow rectilinear sliding of the flat lever 2 inside the tube 1, as it travels along the slanted section 15 of the slot 13 of the tube, the sliding pin 35 is forced to move along the slanted slot 20 of the flat lever 2 from the rear end of stroke point 20b to the front end of stroke point 20a.
As a result the connecting lever 3 is retracted with respect to the flat lever 2, then the foot 4 is pulled by the connecting lever 3 and begins to rotate around the central pin 47 (Figure 1) of the fork 48 integral with the front crosspiece 70 of the movable frame. Consequently the foot 4 makes a rotation in the direction of the arrow θ (Figure 11) and is disposed in a substantially vertical direction or slightly inclined forward and the roller 46 touches the ground, avoiding tilting of the movable frame 7.
As shown in Figure 13, an angle α of 90° is preferably formed between the axis of the intermediate section 15 of the slot 13 of the tube and the axis of the slot 20 of the flat lever, since the flat lever 2, as it travels in the seat opening direction, imparts to the sliding pin 35 a force P which directs it perfectly along the directrix of the intermediate section 15 of the slot 13 of the tube, avoiding any blocking of the mechanism.
In order to maintain orthogonality between the axes of the slots 13 and 20 not only in the slanted section 15 but also in the second curve 16 and in the subsequent rectilinear front section 16 of the slot 13, the rear end of stroke stop 20a of the slot 20 consists of a vertical extension of said slot. In this manner, clearances of the pin 35 in the slots 13, 20, which would cause undesired movements of the foot 4 when the latter is in the open position and slides on the floor (rectilinear section 16 of the slot 13), is eliminated or reduced to a minimum.
The second curve 18 of the slot 13 also has a greater radius than the first curve 17 so as to bring the pin 35 gently into the return step from the vertical end 20 to the slanted section of the slot 20.
Furthermore, the intermediate section 15 of the slot 13 of the tube can include a plurality of inclined sections at different angles, to obtain opening of the foot 4 in a plurality of steps.
When the sliding pin 35 passes beyond the second curve 18 of the slanted section 15 of the slot 13, it begins to travel along the front rectilinear section 16 in which the foot 4 is kept in a vertical position and the roller 46 rolls on the ground supporting the movable frame 7 as it advances.
Therefore, the slot 13 of the tube and the slanted slot 20 of the flat lever are sized so as to have sliding of the closed foot 4 integral with the connecting rod 3 and at the same time opening of the foot 4 with respect to the connecting rod 3, splitting the stroke into three steps:

Step 1: the foot 4 doses not undergo any change in position, travelling integrally with the seat frame 7 (the foot remains in a horizontal position);
Step 2: the foot 4 continues to translate integrally with the seat frame 7 and at the same time rotates, passing from the starting position to the completely open position.
Step 3: the foot 4 translates integrally with the seat frame 7 in the open position until the stroke is completed.

The three steps are repeated in reverse, making the seat frame 7 slide from the forward position to the retracted position.
The overall length of the slot 13 present on the tube 1 (length of the slot projected on an axis) is dictated by the total stroke of the seat frame 7. In fact the sliding pin 35 will travel inside the slot 13 for the entire stroke of the seat frame 7.
Varying the length of the rectilinear back section 14 of the slot 13 acts on step 1 by setting the starting point for rotation of the foot 4. Varying the length of the slanted section 15 of the slot 13, on the other hand, acts on step 2 by setting the degrees of rotation of the foot 4, which can be changed according to specific requirements. The length of the front rectilinear section 16 regulates step 3 and is set according to the sliding remaining for the seat to reach the end of the forward translation stroke.
The mechanism 100 has been specifically designed to operate the feet 4 to support sliding seats 7 of sofas raised from the floor and to remedy tilting of the sofa during sliding of the seat 7. This mechanism can be applied to sliding seat frames 7 both with limited strokes and with long strokes, in the case of sofa beds.
However, the mechanism 100 proves an ideal support for any extending system consisting of a sliding frame, subject to high loads, which cannot be supported by fixed feet, eliminating folding and bending of the entire structure during opening.
Furthermore, the versatility of the mechanism 100 is also appreciated during the design and sizing of systems that require supports in the open position of a movable frame and in which such supports must be hidden automatically in the closed position of the movable frame.
The possibility of having a percentage of the stroke of the foot in the horizontal (closed) position and at the same time of varying it, allows obstacles to be overcome, such as for example the front band of the fixed frame of a sofa situated beneath the seat and immediately after having overcome the obstacle, to bring the foot into the open position.
Thanks to the structure of the mechanism 100, sizing thereof proves quite schematic. In fact by simply modifying the length of the respective sections of slot 14, 15 and 16 which correspond to the related movement, the following parameters can be changed:

initial sliding of the closed foot, before opening thereof,
opening of the foot from the start to the end of rotation, and
remaining part of the stroke with the foot open.

Another advantage of the mechanism 100 according to the invention is represented by the fact that by modifying the length of the foot 4 in its lower part, the mechanism 100 can be adapted to any required height of the sliding frame.
Numerous variations and modifications of detail within the reach of a person skilled in the art can be made to the present embodiment of the invention without thereby departing from the scope of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

A foot control mechanism (100) for the support of a movable frame (7) mounted slidably with respect to a fixed frame (6), the mechanism (100) comprising:
- a tube (1) provided with a slot (13) and adapted to be connected to said fixed frame (6),

- a first lever (2) provided with a slot (20), mounted slidably with respect to the tube (1) and adapted to be connected to said movable frame (7),

- a second lever (3) provided with a sliding pin (35) which engages in the slots (13, 20) of the tube (1) and of the first lever (2), and

- a foot (4) pivoted to said second lever (3) and to a fork (48) adapted to be connected to a movable frame (7),
the slots (13, 20) of the tube and of the first lever (2) being shaped so that during sliding of the movable frame (7), the foot (4) travels along:

- an initial section in which it is maintained in a closed configuration in the horizontal position,

- an intermediate section in which it is rotated to be brought into an open configuration in a substantially vertical position, and

- a final section in which it is kept in said open configuration in a substantially vertical position.
The mechanism according to claim 1, characterised in that said first lever (2) is flat and is mounted slidably inside the tube (1).
The mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that said second lever (3) has a rectilinear back section (30) and a rectilinear front section (32) parallel to each other and an intermediate section (31) inclined with respect to the front and back sections and in that said foot (4) comprises a cut-out (43) which is engaged by the slanted intermediate part (31) of the second lever, when the foot (4) is in the closed configuration.
The mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that said second lever (3) has a rectilinear course and is pivoted externally to said foot (4).
The mechanism according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said slot (13) of the tube (1) comprises a rectilinear back section (14) disposed at a different level with respect to a rectilinear front section (16) and an intermediate section (15) which connects the back section (14) to the front section (16).
The mechanism according to claim 5, characterised in that the front and back sections (14, 16) of the slot (13) are parallel to the axis of the tube (1) and said intermediate section (15) comprises at least one portion inclined with respect to the axis of the tube (1).
The mechanism according to claim 6, characterised in that said intermediate section (15) comprises a plurality of sections inclined at different angles, to obtain opening of the foot (4) in a plurality of steps.
The mechanism according to claim 6, characterised in that said intermediate section (15) is inclined at an angle between 20° and 60°, preferably 45° with respect to the axis of the tube (1).
The mechanism according to claim 6 or 8, characterised in that said slot (20) of the first lever (2) is inclined with respect to the axis of the lever (2) with an opposite inclination to the inclination of the intermediate section (15) of the slot (13) of the tube (1) and has a vertical rear extension (20a).
The mechanism according to claim 9, characterised in that an angle (α) of about 90° is formed between the axis of the slot (20) of the first lever (2) and the axis of the intermediate section (15) of the slot (13) of the tube (1).
The mechanism according to any one of claims 2 to 10, characterised in that it comprises a sliding block (21) integral with said first lever (2) and slidable inside said tube (1).
The mechanism according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said foot (4) comprises a roller (46)at its lower end.
The mechanism according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said movable frame (7) is the frame of a seat of a sofa or armchair with a sliding seat.
A frame structure (200), comprising a movable frame (7) mounted slidably with respect to a fixed frame (6) characterised in that it comprises at least one foot operating mechanism (100) according to any one of the preceding claims.
A sofa or armchair with a sliding seat, characterised in that it comprises at least one foot operating mechanism (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 13.