EP3513685B1

EP3513685B1 - Coupling mechanism for a detachable chair

Info

Publication number: EP3513685B1
Application number: EP19152524.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Bart Vestjens
Original assignee: Veba Event Products
Current assignee: Veba Event Products
Priority date: 2018-01-18
Filing date: 2019-01-18
Publication date: 2021-11-10
Anticipated expiration: 2039-01-18
Also published as: EP3513685A1; DE202018100290U1

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to seating products, more specifically to chairs and chair components, especially suitable for the event industry.

BACKGROUND

Typically, when organizing an event, the venue where the event takes place is a significant factor for its success. Unfortunately, a lot of venues come without furniture, or with furniture that is less decent or comfortable than one would have hoped for. Therefore, a lot of players on the event market provide their own set of chairs and tables, which possess a certain amount of added comfort and class. However, these comfortable chairs are often quite large and are potentially heavier than their more commonly used counterparts. This significantly complicates logistics and extends the time which is needed to set up the event venue and clean up afterwards. To improve logistics, chairs could be disassembled into smaller parts, therefore being better stackable in e.g. a truck or warehouse. However, as disassembly and assembly requires the use of tools, the time needed to set up and clean up the venue is prolonged. US2007284930A1 and CN201029628Y disclose coupling mechanisms similar to the one of the present invention.
Therefore, there is a need for compact and light chairs, preferably chairs which can be disassembled in smaller parts without the use of tools, which can be easily transported and set up, without sacrificing comfort.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a first aspect, the present invention provides a coupling mechanism for a chair having a seat and a base according to claim 1, comprising an upper part and a lower part, said upper part being connected to the seat of the chair and said lower part being connected to the base of the chair, whereby said lower part comprises a spring-loaded quick-release system, allowing the assembly and disassembly of the upper and lower parts of the chair without the use of additional tools.
A second aspect of the invention concerns a chair with a detachable seat according to claim 8, whereby said chair is provided with a coupling mechanism comprising a spring-loaded quick-release system.

DESCRIPTION

The present invention concerns a coupling mechanism for a chair having a seat and a base. The mechanism is provided with a spring-loaded quick-release system, thereby allowing the assembly and disassembly of the chair without the use of additional tools. Unless otherwise defined, all terms used in disclosing the invention, including technical and scientific terms, have the meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. By means of further guidance, term definitions are included to better appreciate the teaching of the present invention.
In a first aspect the present invention concerns a coupling mechanism for a chair having a seat and a base, comprising an upper part and a lower part, whereby said upper part is connected to the seat of the chair and said lower part is connected to the base of the chair. The mechanism is provided with a spring-loaded quick-release system, thereby allowing the assembly and disassembly of the upper and lower parts of the chair without the use of additional tools. Since no tools are needed, assembly and disassembly is very straightforward, fast and efficient, which is a significant advantage in event logistics. Upon arrival at an event venue, large numbers of chairs can be assembled in a short amount of time. Likewise disassembly of the event chairs improves stackability, allowing the transportation of a larger number of chairs for the same transport volume. As no tools are needed, manpower is not limited to the availability of tools.
The spring-loaded quick-release system is coupled to the lower part of the mechanism and comprises a shaft coupled to the lower part of the coupling mechanism and a pin, which is mounted through said shaft. Said pin is key to locking and unlocking the coupling mechanism and does not require tools to be handled.
The pin and the shaft are connected to each other by a spring. Said spring is provided in such way that the pin is pulled inside the shaft, which allows automated locking of the coupling mechanism. By pulling the pin out, the mechanism is unlocked, allowing disassembly of the coupling mechanism.
The upper part and lower part of the coupling mechanism comprise an upper sheet and a lower sheet, whereby the lower sheet comprises three upstanding rims, one open end and an opening and whereby said upper sheet comprises one upstanding rim, three open ends and an opening. Both sheets are preferably made of metal and can additionally be provided with one or more screw holes in order to connect the mechanism to the chair seat and base. As both sheets can be made very thin, the coupling mechanism is hardly visible on a chair in the coupled state.
A further embodiment of the invention concerns the upper sheet being slidable and/or mountable into the lower sheet, whereby the shape of the lower sheet perfectly accommodates the shape of the upper sheet and whereby said openings are perfectly aligned. The sliding motion has the advantage of being simple and self-evident. Due to this specific shape of both sheets, the lower sheet can be regarded as a female sheet, while the upper part can be considered to be the male sheet.
In a further embodiment, due to the perfect alignment of the holes present in both sheets, said pin is able to protrude both the lower and the upper sheet, thereby locking both sheets in their mounted state. The spring present in the quick-release system allows automated locking by pushing the pin through both sheets. The user can manually, and without the use of tools, unlock the system by pulling the pin outward.
In a further or another embodiment of the current invention, said pin is provided with a spindle and two extents, while the shaft is provided with two large indents and two small indents. Due to this specific design, the spring-loaded quick-release system can be disengaged from its automated locking mode. In case the extents are aligned with the large indents of the shaft, the pin is pulled inward by the spring, thereby automatically locking the mechanism. In case needed however, the user can rotate the pin inside the shaft in order to align the extents with the small indents of the shaft. In this state, the pin cannot protrude the shaft and is not able to lock the mechanism. The possibility to disengage the automated locking feature can be practical in the case a lot of chairs have to be assembled and/or disassembled at the same time. This way a user can sequentially put a large number of chair seats on bases while the quick-release system is unlocked, subsequently rotating the pin and locking all chairs. This procedure could be considered more efficient and fast for large numbers of chairs.
In a further or another embodiment of the current invention said upper sheet and lower sheet have a rectangular, trapezoidal, triangular or square shape. The shape of the sheets simplifies the sliding of the upper sheet into the lower sheet. By preference their shape is trapezoidal, as this shape is most advantageous concerning the sliding motion of the upper sheet into the lower sheet.
In a further or another embodiment, the mechanism is made of a metal, preferably aluminum and/or stainless steel.
In a further or another embodiment, the mechanism is produced by molding. This insures a perfect fit of the upper part into the lower part and simplifies the production process.
A second aspect of the invention concerns a chair with a detachable seat, whereby said chair is provided with a coupling mechanism comprising a spring-loaded quick-release system according to any of the previous embodiments. Said chair can be assembled and/or disassembled without the use of additional tools. Disassembly of said chairs has the advantage of improving stackability which is particularly useful in the case a large number of chairs has to be transported. Said chairs are ideally suited for use as event chairs as they can be assembled and disassembled in a simple and fast way, allowing them to be stacked in a limited space, for example for transportation or storage. As no tools are needed for said assembly and disassembly, the occupation of manpower is not limited to the availability of tools.

DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

Figure 1 shows a top view of a coupling mechanism according to an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention.
Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a coupling mechanism according to an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention.
Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a chair with a detachable seat in a disassembled state according to an embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention.
Figure 4 shows a perspective view of a chair with a detachable seat in an assembled state according to an embodiment of the second aspect of the current invention.
Figure 5 shows a detailed frontal view of a spring-loaded quick-release system according to an embodiment of the current invention.
Figure 6 shows a detailed side view of a spring-loaded quick-release system according to an embodiment of the current invention.

The following description of the figures of specific embodiments of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present teachings, their application or uses. Throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features.
A top view of an embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 1 . On the right side a top view of the lower part 2 is shown. Said lower part comprises a lower sheet 4 which is provided with three upstanding rims 9, 10a, 10b, an open end 8 and a hole 14. The lower sheet is also provided with four screw holes 12 allowing the lower part to be permanently connected to the base portion of a chair. Accordingly, on the left side, a top view of the upper part 1 is shown. The upper part comprises an upper sheet 3 which is provided with one upstanding rim 5, three open ends or edges 7a, 7b, 6 and a hole 13. The upper sheet is additionally provided with four screw holes 11 which allow the upper part to be permanently connected to the seat portion of a chair. Both sheets have a trapezoidal shape, whereby both parts perfectly accommodate each other and both holes are aligned upon insertion of the upper part into the lower part.
To further exemplify the insertion of the upper part into the lower part of the coupling mechanism, a perspective view of an embodiment of the first aspect of the invention is shown in Figure 2 . From this view, it is clear that the coupling of both parts is simple and self-evident as a result of the specific design of both parts. Due to the trapezoidal shape and the upstanding rims 10a, 10b, 9 the upper part can be slid unambiguously into the lower part whereby both holes 13, 14 are perfectly aligned. The spring-loaded quick-release system 15 is linked to the lower sheet 4 underneath the hole 14 in the lower sheet. Further reference is made to Figure 5 in which a detailed frontal view of said quick-release system is shown. Upon insertion of the upper sheet into the lower sheet, the locking of both sheets is achieved by the protrusion of a spindle 20 through the holes in both sheets. In the locked state, the upper sheet is firmly mounted into the lower sheet due to the spatial constrictions imposed by the upstanding rims 9, 10a, 10b and the spindle 20.
Figure 3 and Figure 4 both present an embodiment of the second aspect of the current invention, namely a chair with a detachable seat in the disassembled state and the assembled state respectively. The upper part 1 of the coupling mechanism is permanently connected to the seat portion 16 of the chair, while the lower part 2 of the coupling mechanism is permanently connected to the base portion 17 of the chair. As the coupling mechanism comprises two thin sheets which can be mounted into each other, it is clear that the mechanism is hardly visible in the assembled state. This feature makes said chair especially suitable for use at a broad range of events. While the chair has a detachable seat, which has the advantage of efficient stacking and is beneficial regarding transportation, the coupling mechanism is modest and subtle; hence it does not interfere with the design or comfort of the chair.
Figure 5 and Figure 6 present a detailed frontal view and side view of a spring-loaded quick-release system according to an embodiment of the current invention. The spring-loaded quick-release system 15 comprises a pin 18, a shaft 23 and a spring 21. The spring connects both the shaft and the pin, pulling the pin inwards the shaft. Said pin is provided with a spindle 20, two extents 22 and a knob 19. Said shaft comprises two large indents 24 and to small indents 25. This specific configuration of both the pin 18 and the shaft 23, allows two positions of the pin inside the shaft. In case the extents 22 are aligned with the large indents 24 of the shaft, the pin is allowed to be inserted into the shaft, thereby locking the coupling mechanism. Moreover, locking is automated in this position, as the spring is able to pull the pin inwards the shaft. Another position concerns the case whereby the extents 22 are aligned with the small indents 25. In this position the pin cannot enter the shaft. As a consequence the mechanism is unlocked until the position is switched. The unlocked position is especially useful in case a large number of chairs have to be assembled at the same time. The assembly process can possibly be conducted in a more efficient and faster way by first putting all seat portions on top of the base portions, followed by the consequent locking of all mechanisms.

Claims

A coupling mechanism for a chair having a seat and a base, comprising an upper part (1) and a lower part (2), said upper part being connectable to the seat (16) of the chair and said lower part being connectable to the base (17) of the chair, wherein said mechanism comprises a spring-loaded quick-release system (15), allowing the assembly and disassembly of the upper and lower parts without the use of additional tools, and wherein said spring-loaded quick-release system is coupled to the lower part (2) of said mechanism and comprises a shaft (23) coupled to said lower part (2) and a pin (18), whereby said quick-release system (15) comprises a spring (21) which connects said pin and said shaft to each other, and wherein said pin is mounted through said shaft, characterized in that, said upper part (1) and said lower part (2) respectively comprise an upper sheet (3) and a lower sheet (4), wherein said lower sheet comprises three upstanding rims (9,10a,10b), one open end (8) and an opening (14) and wherein said upper sheet comprises one upstanding rim (5), three open ends (6,7a,7b) and an opening (13).
Coupling mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that said upper sheet (3) is slidable and/or mountable into said lower sheet (4), whereby the shape of the lower sheet perfectly accommodates the shape of the upper sheet and whereby said openings (13,14) are aligned.
Coupling mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said pin (18) is able to protrude both the lower sheet (4) through said opening (14) and the upper sheet (3) through said opening (13), thereby locking both sheets in their mounted state.
Coupling mechanism according to any of the previous claims 1-3, characterized in that said pin (18) is provided with a spindle (20) and two extents (22) and whereby said shaft (23) is provided with two large indents (24) and two small indents (25).
Coupling mechanism according to any of the previous claims 1-4, characterized in that said upper sheet (3) and lower sheet (4) have a trapezoidal shape.
Coupling mechanism according to any of the previous claims 1-5, characterized in that said mechanism is made of aluminum and/or stainless steel.
Coupling mechanism according to any of the previous claims 1-6, characterized in that said mechanism is produced by molding.
A chair with a detachable seat, characterized in that said chair is provided with a coupling mechanism according to any of the claims 1-7.