EP2510838A1

EP2510838A1 - Sofa with moveable armrests

Info

Publication number: EP2510838A1
Application number: EP12163371A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Carlo Molteni
Original assignee: Molteni and C SpA
Current assignee: Molteni and C SpA
Priority date: 2011-04-08
Filing date: 2012-04-05
Publication date: 2012-10-17
Also published as: ITMI20110586A1

Abstract

A sofa (1) comprises a seat (2) having an upper surface (3) suitable for a user's seat, as well as a backrest (4) suitable for allowing to rest the back of a user sitting on said seat (2) and arranged in the proximity of the back side (B) of the seat (2); and at least one armrest (5) arranged in the proximity of the flank (S) of the seat (2), in which said armrest has an armrest seat delimiting surface (6); and in which said armrest is movable from a use position (7), in which said armrest (5) delimits said seat (2), to a folded position (8), in which said armrest (5) is arranged at least partially below said upper sitting surface (3), and in which said armrest seat delimiting surface (6) is oriented towards the upper direction (U) or to the upper sitting surface (3).

Description

The present invention relates to a sofa with movable armrests.
In particular, the present invention relates to a sofa bed in which the armrests can be moved, thus facilitating the use of, particularly the access to the bed.
In fact, the need to implement a piece of furniture capable of being turned from a comfortable sofa, provided not only with backrest, but also with armrests, into a bed which is easily used and accessible is highly felt. In fact, the inhabiting space are more and more reducing in size, and the restricted environments are transformed during the day, thus creating spaces and seats, while the same area is transformed in a bed area during the night, which however has to ensure an easy accessibility to the pieces of furniture arranged therein.
With reference to these needs and problems, pieces of furniture have been long proposed, which are capable of being turned from a sofa into a bed.
For example, the document GB190805855 describes a sofa bed having a seat box forming an upwardly open seat, from which the seat can be lifted and turned over, thus transforming it into a bed structure. The armrests of the sofa can be turned over away from the seat, so as to eliminate the barrier arranged above the seat and at the bed sides.
While being satisfactory under many points of view, however, this solution is particularly bulky, and prevent the approaching to the bed from the area that was the sofa side, for example preventing to pull bedside tables up to the sofa.
Similarly, also the documents AT 9 621 U1 , JP 60 079352 U , DE 78 18 200 U1 , and FR 1 102 835 A show solutions for the partial turning over of the armrests. However, the partially turned over armrests remain arranged beside the seat, emcumbering and preventing a free use thereof also laterally.
From the document JP9238778 , a sofa bed having a seat which can be turned into a bed is known, in which the armrests and the backrest can rotate around vertical pins, thus releasing the seat, while remaining at the same height. This solution, although being satisfactory under many points of view, does not allow accessing the seat from the sides of the sofa; in fact, it suggest bringing the backrest portions of the sofa so as to form sides thereof.
The documents JP11046925 , DE201115555U1 , EP0931483 , DE29921260U1 , and GB2442276 also show solutions in which the backrest or the armrests rotate, temporarily changing position according to the use of the structure as a sofa or as a bed.
However, although being satisfactory under many points of view, all these solutions do not allow eliminating the encumbering volume of the armrests when the piece of furniture is turned from a sofa into a bed.
The document FR2883715 describes a sofa bed structure, in which the seat is turned over, bringing with itself also the backrest. This solution, although being satisfactory, has a very complex implementation, and it does not suggest any solution for the armrests, which are not provided for in the sofa, and the sofa turns out to be, when the bed structure is folded, deprived of armrests.
. The document DE10205023241 shows a solution in which the backrest and the armrests pass from a raised position, in which they project above the seat, to a lowered position, in which they are inserted into seats that are provided for in the seat, until being in plane therewith. This structure, although being satisfactory under many points of view, bind to a very bulky solution, which provides for leaving a space around the unusable seat and intended to receive armrests and backrest.
Similar solutions are also known from the documents EP2062506 and DE202003013932U1 .
The document DE7836605U1 shows a sofa in which the armrests rotate, moving to the side of the seat. In this case also, the solution turns out to be particularly bulky, and prevents the use of the area surrounding the sofa both for accessing the bed and for positioning, for example, bedside tables beside it.
The document AT403428B also shows a solution similar to the previous one.
Therefore, a highly felt need is to manufacture a piece of furniture, particularly a sofa, and still more particularly a sofa bed, in which it is possible to have not only a backrest, but also comfortable armrests when it is used as a seat, which however can be totally removed from the seat area and its surroundings, thus allowing the access to the seat also laterally.
Therefore, it is the object of the present invention to devise a sofa which has such structural and functional characteristics as to meet the above-mentioned needs, while obviating to the drawbacks mentioned with reference to the prior art.
Such a problem is solved by a sofa according to claim 1, by a sofa bed according to claim 7, and by a method for using a sofa according to claim 8.
In accordance with a general embodiment, a sofa comprises a seat having an upper surface suitable for a user's seat. Said seat defines an upper direction oriented from the seat surface away from the sofa, as well as a side arranged behind the seat, that is, arranged on the opposite direction with respect to the side approaching a user's seat, and also a flank arranged on a side of the seat and adjacent to the side arranged behind that, as well as a lower sitting part arranged below said upper sitting surface.
The sofa further comprises a backrest suitable for allowing to rest the back of a user when sitting on said seat. Such backrest is arranged in the proximity of the seat back side.
Said sofa further comprises at least an armrest arranged in the proximity of the seat flank, in which said armrest has a seat delimiting surface.
Advantageously, said armrest is movable from a use position, in which said armrest delimits said seat and has its seat delimiting surface oriented towards the seat, or substantially orthogonal thereto, to a folded position, in which said armrest is arranged totally below said upper sitting surface, and in which said armrest seat delimiting surface is oriented towards the upper direction or to the upper sitting surface facing said lower sitting part, preventing it from projecting laterally to said seat.
Advantageously, this solution allows moving the armrest away from the seat without laterally encumbering the sofa, thus allowing the side access to the seat.
The proposed solution is capable of allowing the maximum usability of the sofa when it is used as a seat element, ensuring the use of armrests which ensure a higher comfort of use of the sofa, as well as, at the same time, the maximum usability of the sofa when it is desired to use the seat by accessing laterally thereto, thus allowing approaching the seat without any lateral encumbering volume. Furthermore, advantageously, the proposed solution is aesthetically pleasant, both when it is in a seat element configuration, and when it is in a bed configuration, where the rollaway of the armrests makes the piece of furniture completely similar to a traditional, fixed bed.
Furthermore, advantageously, the proposed solution turns out to be easily used, and adaptable to environments having reduced or very reduced dimensions, anyhow again ensuring the accessibility to the side of the sofa or bed.
Further characteristics and advantages of the sofa according to the invention will be more clearly apparent from the description reported below, in its preferred implementation examples, given by way of indicative, non-limiting example, with reference to the annexed Figures, in which:
- Fig. 1 represents in a perspective view a sofa according to the invention;
- Fig. 2 represents the sofa of Fig. 1 in an intermediate position, in which the armrests are rotated away from the seat;
- Fig. 3 represents, again in a perspective view, the sofa of Fig. 1, in which the armrests are at the end of the rotation and are translated below the seat;
- Fig. 4 represents in a perspective view a sofa according to a further embodiment of the invention;
- Fig. 5 shows in a perspective view the sofa of Fig. 1 in which also the positions of the armrests during the roto-translation thereof are drawn in phantom lines, in order bring them below the seat, while simultaneously an extension prolonging the seat is frontally extracted;
- Fig. 6 represents the sofa of Fig. 4 at the end of the roto-translation of the armrests below the seat and of the complete extraction of the extension prolonging the seat,
- Fig. 7 represents in a perspective view a sofa bed structure with armrests in the use position or arranged beside the seat structure,
- Fig. 8 represents in a perspective view the structure of the sofa bed of Fig. 7, in which the armrests are in the folded position and a structure of an extension is extracted.
With reference to the above-mentioned figure, in accordance with a general embodiment, a sofa 1 comprises a seat 2 having an upper surface 3 suitable for a user's seat.
Advantageously, said seat defines an upper direction U, oriented from the upper sitting surface 3 away from the sofa, as well as a rear side or sitting back side B arranged on the opposite direction with respect to a front side or side F approaching a user's seat.
Advantageously, said seat further defines a flank S arranged on a side of the seat 2 and adjacent to the sitting back side B, as well as a lower sitting part D arranged below said upper sitting surface 3.
In accordance with one embodiment, said sofa 1 further comprises a backrest 4 suitable for allowing to rest the back of a user when sitting on said seat 2. Advantageously, said backrest 4 is arranged in the proximity of the back side B of the seat 2.
. In accordance with one embodiment, at least an armrest 5 is arranged in the proximity of a flank S of the seat 2. Advantageously, said armrest 5 has an armrest seat delimiting surface 6.
In accordance with one embodiment, said armrest 5 is movable from a use position 7, in which said armrest 5 delimits said seat 2 and has said armrest seat delimiting surface 6 oriented towards or facing or substantially orthogonal to said upper surface 3, to a folded position 8, in which said armrest 5 is arranged at least partially below said upper sitting surface 3, and in which said armrest seat delimiting surface 6 is oriented towards the upper direction U or to the upper sitting surface 3.
In accordance with one embodiment, said armrest is moved by means of a device which allows for the roto-translation of the armrest 5 around a side or flank S of the seat 2, thus avoiding to go above said seat 2 or above said upper sitting surface 3.
In accordance with one embodiment, said armrest comprises an armrest body and said device comprises guides which are secured to the seat 2 and inserted within said body, which allow sliding blocks integral to said armrest to slide on said guides, thus bringing it from said use position 7 to said folded position 8.
In accordance with one embodiment, said guides have stop positions, in which said sliding blocks halt in a stable resting position corresponding to said use position 7 and/or said folded position 8.
In accordance with one embodiment, said armrest 5, when it is in said folded position 8, is arranged totally or entirely below said upper sitting surface 3.
In accordance with one embodiment, two armrests 5 are provided for, which are arranged on the sides of the seat 2 facing one another when they are in said use position 7. In accordance with one embodiment, both said armrests 5 are arranged at least partially, preferably, but not necessarily entirely, below said upper sitting surface 3 when they are in said folded position 8.
In accordance with one embodiment, said seat 2 comprises an extension 9 which can be extracted from the seat 2 and suitable for serving as a supporting plane 11, for example, a bed 10.
In accordance with one embodiment, said extension 9, when it is extracted from said seat 2, forms a supporting plane 11 with its extension upper surface 12 which is preferably arranged coplanar to said upper sitting surface 3.
In accordance with one embodiment, said extractable extension 9 can be extracted frontally or from the front side F of said seat 2, for example, but not necessarily, with a forward translation movement.
In accordance with one embodiment, a mechanism 15 is provided for, which allows, during the extraction of the extension 9 from said seat 2, bringing the at least an armrest 5 to said folded position 8, thus turning the sofa 1 into a sofa bed 13 deprived of armrests arranged on the sides of the bed surface.
In accordance with one embodiment, said at least one armrest 5, when it is in said folded position 8, arranges in such a way as to occupy part of a seat 14 provided for in said seat 2 suitable for receiving said extractable extension 9 when it is arranged in said seat 2.
In accordance with one embodiment, said sofa as described above in any one of the embodiments forms a sofa bed.
The description of a method for using a sofa with a movable armrest according to the invention is set forth herein below.
Said method for moving at least an armrest 5 of a sofa 5 provides for the use of a sofa comprising:
- a seat 2 having an upper surface 3 suitable for a user's seat;
- said seat defining an upper direction U, oriented from the upper sitting surface 3 away from the sofa; a rear side or sitting back side B arranged on the opposite direction with respect to a front side or side F approaching a user's seat; a flank S arranged on a side of the seat 2 and adjacent to the sitting back side B; a lower sitting part D arranged below said upper sitting surface 3. Said sofa further comprises a backrest 4 suitable for allowing to rest the back of a user sitting on said seat 2 and arranged in the proximity of the back side B of the seat 2. Said sofa also comprises at least an armrest 5 arranged in the proximity of the flank S of the seat 2, in which said armrest has an armrest seat delimiting surface 6.
In said method, the step of moving said armrest 5 is comprised:
. - from a use position 7, in which said armrest 5 delimits said seat 2 and has said armrest seat delimiting surface 6 oriented towards or facing or substantially orthogonal to said upper surface 3,
- to a folded position 8 in which said armrest 5 is arranged at least partially below said upper sitting surface 3, so that said armrest seat delimiting surface 6 is oriented towards the upper direction U or to the upper sitting surface 3.
In accordance with one embodiment of said method, upon the extraction of an extension 9 from said seat 2, the at least one armrest 5 is simultaneously moved, bringing it gradually to said folded position 8, thus turning the sofa 1 into a sofa bed 13 deprived of armrests arranged on the sides of the bed surface.
In accordance with a still further embodiment of said method, said at least one armrest is moved, bringing it to said folded position 8 so that it occupies part of a seat 14 provided for in said seat 2 suitable for receiving the extractable extension 9 when it is arranged in said seat 2.
In accordance with one embodiment, as it can be noticed from the Figures 7 and 8, the sofa has a padding that is supported by a sofa structure, for example, a sofa bed structure 16.
In accordance with one embodiment, the sofa bed structure comprises a seat frame 17 supporting the seat 2. Said seat frame 17 comprises a seat back side beam 19 or backrest supporting beam, which, in accordance with one embodiment, supports frame beams for the backrest, for example, secured to couplings 32 that are integral to the seat back side beam 19.
In accordance with one embodiment, said seat frame 17 comprises two flank beams 20 and a front beam 21. In accordance with one embodiment, said seat frame 17 further comprises feet 33 arranging the frame 17 at a preset height with respect to a floor or supporting surface 34.
In accordance with one embodiment, said seat frame 17 comprises armrest guides 24, which are arranged substantially transversally to said flank beam 20.
In accordance with one embodiment, an armrest frame 23 is swingably and roto-translatably constrained to said armrest guides 24. In accordance with one embodiment, said armrest frame 23 is connected by means of a sliding block joint or armrest sliding block 26 sliding on said armrest guides 24, so that when the armrest frame 23 is extracted from the armrest guides 24, it projects as a cantilever outwardly the seat frame 17 and it is rotatable so as to be able to reach a position orthogonal to the seat frame 17.
In accordance with one embodiment, elastic and/or dampering means 25, for example, but not necessarily, gas springs, urge said armrest frame 23 to bring itself to said use position 7, for example, substantially orthogonal to said seat frame 17.
In accordance with one embodiment, said flank beams 20 have longitudinally arranged extension guides 27.
In accordance with one embodiment, an extractable extension frame 18 is fitted on said seat frame 17, for example, but not necessarily, slidingly connected with said extension guides 27. In accordance with one embodiment, said extension frame 18 has a boxed flank beam 35 fitting on the flank beam 20 of the seat frame 17, telescopically moving thereupon.
In accordance with one embodiment, said extractable frame 18 is connected to said extension guides 27 by means of sliding blocks or extension sliding blocks 28.
In accordance with one embodiment, said extractable extension frame 18 has synchronism guides 29 or parallelism guides for the movement of the extractable extension frame 18 extending from or exiting the seat frame 17. For example, but not necessarily, said synchronism guides 29 are toothed guides, which are engaged in a synchronism or parallelism device 30, for example, but not necessarily, a rotating shaft with toothed wheels at the ends meshed in said toothed guides.
In accordance with one embodiment, an extraction handle 31 is secured to said extractable front beam.
. In accordance with one embodiment, at least one lever 37 or 38 is swingably connected with said extractable frame 18, which retracts said armrest frame during the extraction of the extension frame 18, bringing it from said use position 7 to said folded position 8, for example, making it to slide along said armrest guides 24.
In accordance with one embodiment, two levers 37, 38 are swingably connected with said extractable frame 18, by a first end thereof. Said levers 37, 38 are arranged crossing one another and each being connected at the opposite end to an armrest frame 23 so that, upon the extraction of the extractable frame 18, the armrest frames 23 are returned back from said use position 7 to said folded position 8.

It shall be apparent that those of ordinary skill in the art, with the aim of meeting contingent, specific needs, will be able to make a number of modifications and variations to the piece of furniture according to the invention, all of which anyhow falling within the protection scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

REFERENCES
1	sofa
2	seat
3	upper sitting surface
4	backrest
5	armrest
6	armrest seat delimiting surface
7	use position of the armrest
8	folded position of the armrest
9	extractable extension
10	bed
11	supporting plane
12	upper extension surface
13	sofa bed
14	seat in seat for extractable extension
15	extraction mechanism of armrests extension and roto-translation
16	sofa bed structure
17	seat frame
18	extractable frame
19	seat back side beam
20	flank beam
21	front beam
22	reinforcing elements
23	armrest frame
24	armrest guides
25	springs and movement dampering means
26	armrest sliding block
27	extension guides
28	extension sliding block
29	synchronism or parallelism toothed guides
30	synchronism or parallelism device
31	extraction handle
32	backrest couplings
33	feet
34	floor
35	boxed flank beam
36	extractable front beam
37	lever
38	lever
U	upper direction
B	seat back side
S	seat flank
D	lower sitting part
F	seat front side

Claims

Sofa (1) comprising:
- a seat (2) having an upper surface (3) suitable for a user's seat;

- said seat defining an upper direction (U), oriented from the upper sitting surface (3) away from the sofa; a rear side or sitting back side (B) arranged on the opposite direction with respect to a front side or side (F) approaching a user's seat; a flank (S) arranged on a side of the seat (2) and adjacent to the sitting back side (B); a lower sitting part (D) arranged below said upper sitting surface (3);

- said sofa further comprising a backrest (4) suitable for allowing to rest the back of a user sitting on said seat (2) and arranged in the proximity of the back side (B) of the seat (2);

- at least an armrest (5) arranged in the proximity of the flank (S) of the seat (2);

- said armrest having an armrest seat delimiting surface (6);
wherein

- said armrest is movable;
characterised in that said sofa comprises a device for moving the armrest (5)

- from a use position (7), in which said armrest (5) delimits said seat (2) and has said armrest seat delimiting surface (6) oriented towards or facing or substantially orthogonal to said upper surface (3),

- to a folded position (8), in which said armrest (5) is arranged totally below said upper sitting surface (3), and in which said armrest seat delimiting surface (6) is oriented towards the upper direction (U) or to the upper sitting surface (3) facing said lower sitting part, preventing it from projecting laterally to said seat.
Sofa (1) according to claim 1, wherein said seat (2) comprises an extension (9) which can be extracted from the seat (2) and suitable for serving as a bed (10), and/or wherein said extension (9), when it is extracted from said seat (2), forms a supporting plane (11) with an extension upper surface (12) preferably arranged coplanar to said upper sitting surface (3).
Sofa (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said extractable extension (9) can be extracted frontally or from the front side (F) of said seat (2).
Sofa (1) according to one of the previous claims, wherein said armrest (5) when it is in said folded position (8) is arranged totally or entirely below said upper sitting surface (3).
Sofa (1) according to any one of the previous claims, wherein two armrests (5) are provided for, arranged on the sides of the seat (2), facing one another when they are in said use position (7) and arranged both at least partially below said upper sitting surface (3) when they are in said folded position (8).
Sofa (1) according to one of the previous claims, wherein a mechanism is provided which allows for, during the extraction of the extension (9) from said seat (2), bringing the at least one armrest (5) to said folded position (8), thus turning the sofa (1) into a sofa bed (13) deprived of armrests arranged on the sides of the bed surface and/or wherein said at least one armrest, when it is in said folded position (8), arranges in such a way as to occupy part of a seat (14) provided for in said seat (2) suitable for receiving said extractable extension (9) when it is arranged in said seat (2).
Sofa bed; comprising:
- a seat (2) having an upper surface (3) suitable for a user's seat;

- said seat defining an upper direction (U) oriented from the upper sitting surface (3) away from the sofa; a rear side or seat back side (B) arranged on the opposite direction with respect to a front side or to a side (F) approaching a user's seat; a flank (S) arranged on one side of the seat (2) and adjacent to the seat back side (B); a lower sitting part (D) arranged below said upper sitting surface (3);

- said sofa further comprising a backrest (4) suitable for allowing to rest the back of a user sitting on said seat (2) and arranged in the proximity of the back side (B) of the seat (2);

- at least one armrest (5) arranged in the proximity of the flank (S) of the seat (2);

- said armrest having an armrest seat delimiting surface (6);
wherein

- said armrest is movable;
characterised in that said armrest (5) can be moved

- from a use position (7) in which said armrest (5) delimits said seat (2) and has said armrest seat delimiting surface (6) oriented towards or facing or substantially orthogonal to said upper surface (3),

- to a folded position (8) in which said armrest (5) is arranged totally below said upper sitting surface (3), and in which said armrest seat delimiting surface (6) is oriented towards the upper sitting direction (U) or to the upper sitting surface (3) facing said lower sitting part, preventing it from projecting laterally to said seat.
Method for moving at least one armrest (5) of a sofa (1), said sofa comprising:
- a seat (2) having an upper surface (3) suitable for a user's seat;

- said seat defining an upper direction (U), oriented from the upper sitting surface (3) away from the sofa; a rear side or sitting back side (B) arranged on the opposite direction with respect to a front side or side (F) approaching a user's seat; a flank (S) arranged on one side of the seat (2) and adjacent to the sitting back side (B); a lower sitting part (D) arranged below said upper sitting surface (3);

- said sofa further comprising a backrest (4) suitable for allowing to rest the back of a user sitting on said seat (2) and arranged in the proximity of the back side (B) of the seat (2);

- at least an armrest (5) arranged in the proximity of the flank (S) of the seat (2);

- said armrest having an armrest seat delimiting surface (6);
wherein the step of moving said armrest (5) is included:

- from a use position (7) in which said armrest (5) delimits said seat (2) and has said armrest seat delimiting surface (6) oriented towards or facing or substantially orthogonal to said upper surface (3),

- to a folded position (8) in which said armrest (5) is arranged totally below said upper sitting surface (3), so that said armrest seat delimiting surface (6) is oriented towards the upper sitting direction (U) or to the upper sitting surface (3) facing said lower sitting part, preventing it from projecting laterally to said seat.
Method according to the previous claim, wherein upon the extraction of an extension (9) from said seat (2) the at least one armrest (5) is simultaneously moved, bringing it gradually to said folded position (8), turning the sofa (1) into a sofa bed (13) deprived of armrests arranged on the sides of the bed surface.
Method according to the previous claim, wherein said at least one armrest is moved bringing it to said folded position (8) so that it occupies part of a seat (14) provided for in said seat (2) suitable for receiving the extractable extension (9) when it is arranged in said seat (2).