EP4088620B1 - Method for producing a seat - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for producing a piece of seating furniture which consists at least partially of a sheet-like material. The finished seating furniture includes legs, a seat and a backrest.

Such seating furniture is known in a wide variety of embodiments and designs from the prior art. Known seating furniture is usually made of wood, metal and/or plastic. For the production of the known seating furniture, a support structure is usually produced first. The seat and/or the backrest are manufactured separately. In a further production step, the seat and/or the backrest are then attached to the support structure. If available, seat or back cushions made of a soft plastic with a covering of plastic, fabric or leather can be arranged on the seat and/or backrest. This type of production is relatively time-consuming and material-consuming. The production of the support structure, the seat and/or the backrest each requires a large number of production steps and different trades.

Seating furniture is also known from the prior art, which consists at least partially of a sheet-like material. Examples of this are, for example, various chairs from Thonet, for example S160, S43 and S33, in each of which a seat and a backrest made of bent wood are attached to a metal support structure. In the Thonet 118 chair, a seat and backrest made of bent wood are attached to a wooden support structure. What all these chairs have in common is the relatively complex and expensive manufacturing process. Seating furniture made of sheet material is made, for example FR2707279A1 and BE491612A known.

The object of the present invention is to propose a method for producing a piece of seating furniture that allows the piece of seating furniture to be produced as simply, quickly and inexpensively as possible.

• Bereitstellen eines im Wesentlichen rechteckigen plattenförmigen Materials,
• Verformen des im Wesentlichen rechteckigen plattenförmigen Materials, damit es nach dem Verformen die Form eines umgedrehten "U" annimmt,
• Herausschneiden eines Teils aus dem umgedrehten "U", wobei das herausgeschnittene Teil eine Aufnahmeöffnung in dem umgedrehten "U" hinterlässt, die zu allen Seiten hin durch nicht herausgeschnittenes verformtes plattenförmiges Material begrenzt ist, und
• Drehen des herausgeschnittenen Teils und Befestigen des gedrehten herausgeschnittenen Teils in der Aufnahmeöffnung, sodass das in der Aufnahmeöffnung befestigte herausgeschnittene Teil die Sitzfläche und die Rückenlehne des fertigen Sitzmöbels bildet, wobei Schenkel des umgedrehten "U" (28) die Beine des Sitzmöbels bilden.

To solve this problem, a method according to claim 1 is proposed. The manufacturing process according to the invention comprises the following steps:

• providing a substantially rectangular plate-shaped material,
• deforming the substantially rectangular sheet material to assume an inverted "U" shape after deforming,
• cutting out a portion of the inverted "U", the cut out portion leaving a receiving opening in the inverted "U" bounded on all sides by uncut deformed sheet material, and
• rotating the cut-out portion and securing the rotated cut-out portion in the receiving aperture so that the cut-out portion secured in the receiving aperture forms the seat and back of the finished chair, with legs of the inverted "U" (28) forming the legs of the chair.

• Biegen des im Wesentlichen rechteckigen plattenförmigen Materials um mindestens eine Biegeachse, sodass es in einer Schnittebene quer zu der mindestens einen Biegeachse die Form eines umgedrehten "U" annimmt,
• Herausschneiden eines Teils aus dem gebogenen plattenförmigen Material, sodass das herausgeschnittene Teil eine Aufnahmeöffnung in dem umgedrehten "U" hinterlässt, die zu allen Seiten hin durch nicht herausgeschnittenes gebogenes plattenförmiges Material begrenzt ist, wobei das herausgeschnittene Teil einen Teil lediglich eines Schenkels des umgedrehten "U" und zumindest einen Teil einer Basis des umgedrehten "U" umfasst, und
• Drehen des herausgeschnittenen Teils um eine Drehachse und Befestigen des gedrehten herausgeschnittenen Teils in der Aufnahmeöffnung an dem nicht herausgeschnittenen gebogenen plattenförmigen Material, sodass der der Basis des umgedrehten "U" entsprechende Teil des herausgeschnittenen Teils die Sitzfläche oder die Rückenlehne und der dem Schenkel des umgedrehten "U" entsprechende Teil des herausgeschnittenen Teils die Rückenlehne bzw. die Sitzfläche des Sitzmöbels bildet.

It is preferably proposed that the manufacturing method comprises the following steps after the provision of the essentially rectangular plate-shaped material:

• Bending the essentially rectangular plate-shaped material about at least one bending axis, so that it assumes the shape of an inverted "U" in a sectional plane transverse to the at least one bending axis,
• cutting out a portion of the bent sheet material such that the cut portion leaves a receiving opening in the inverted "U" bounded on all sides by uncut bent sheet material, the cut portion including a portion of only one leg of the inverted "U". " and at least part of a base of the inverted "U", and
• Rotating the cut-out part around an axis of rotation and fixing the rotated cut-out part in the receiving hole on the uncut curved sheet material so that the part of the cut-out part corresponding to the base of the inverted "U" is the seat or backrest and the part corresponding to the leg of the inverted "U" corresponding part of the cut-out part forms the backrest or the seat of the chair.

The proposed manufacturing process is particularly simple and inexpensive. In addition, there is only a very small amount of production waste due to the cutting of material for the seating furniture. First of all, a flat, plate-shaped material blank is assumed, which has an essentially rectangular shape. The panel material may be made of wood, plastic (eg, acrylic glass, ^Corean® , ^Resopal® ), metal (eg, aluminum), glass, paper, resin, a composite material, adhesive, and/or binders. The material can be brought into its sheet form from various components, for example under heat, moisture and/or pressure. The sheet-like material can be brought into the desired rectangular shape during production or only afterwards.

If the plate-like material is solid, the strength must be chosen so large that the material can withstand the usual stresses in its later function as a leg, seat or backrest of the chair when the chair is intended to be used. Usual stresses can e.g. based on an estimated weight of a user of the seating furniture of 120 kg. It has been shown that--depending on the material used--material thicknesses of the plate-like material in a range of approximately 10 mm - 30 mm can ensure sufficient stability of the finished seating furniture.

The plate-like material does not have to be solid, but can have any desired stabilizing structure, for example a honeycomb structure, between thin cover plates or cover foils. The plate-like material can also consist of several different components and/or structures, which are joined together to form a composite plate, for example under heat, moisture and/or pressure.

Then, in a subsequent step, the substantially rectangular plate-shaped material is bent about at least one bending axis in a "U" shape. In this case, the plate-shaped material is preferably bent with a radius >0 around the at least one bending axis. Depending on the desired design of the finished piece of seating furniture, the radius is preferably in a range between 1 cm and 75 cm.

When bending the plate-like material around only one bending axis with a radius of 50 cm, the plate-like material is brought into a "U" shape with a bent base by about 180°, in which the two legs - at least in sections - are at a distance of are arranged about 100 cm.

If the plate-shaped material is bent about a plurality of bending axes, the bending axes are preferably parallel to one another. When bending the plate-shaped material about two bending axes with a distance of 50 cm from each other and a radius around the bending axes of 5 cm, the plate-shaped material is bent at each bending axis by about 90° into a "U" shape with a substantially flat base brought. The base has a length of about 50 cm. From opposite sides of the base, the two legs are bent in a radius of about 5 cm. The two legs are consequently - at least in sections - arranged at a distance of about 60 cm (= 50 cm + 2 × 5 cm). If there are several bending axes, the radii with which the sheet-like material is bent around the bending axes can be different.

The two legs do not necessarily have to run parallel to one another in order to be able to speak of a "U" shape within the meaning of the present invention. In the finished piece of seating furniture, deviations of up to 45° from the course of one leg to the course of the other leg can result in a sectional plane viewed transversely to the bending axes.

Of course, the sheet-like material can also be bent around more than two bending axes, for example to slightly bend one of the legs of the "U" shape again, in order to achieve a special design or a special stability of the seating furniture. Furthermore, it is conceivable that the plate-shaped material is bent not only with one radius, but with different radii in sections. Each of the sections would then have its own bending axis. In total, however, the “U” shape of the deformed plate-like material mentioned also results in this case.

Depending on the type of material, very different methods can be used to bend the sheet-like material. The bending of the material preferably takes place under the influence of heat, moisture and/or pressure. For each of the possible materials described above, at least one bending method is known in the prior art, which bends the material by about 180° (for one bending axis) or by 2 x about 90° (for two bending axes) without damaging or distorting the material allowed.

After the bending process, the sheet-like material remains in the bent shape even under mechanical stress from a user when the seating furniture is used as intended within a temperature window of the ambient temperature of about -20°C to +50°C. When the plate-shaped material is bent, it undergoes plastic deformation.

Then, in a subsequent step, a part is cut out of the deformed sheet material. The excision can be done in any way. Sawing, water jet cutting, plasma cutting, laser cutting, or punching are all considered here.

The part cut out forms the seat and backrest of the finished piece of seating furniture. In this sense, the cut-out part comprises a part of only a leg of the inverted "U" and at least a part of a base of the inverted "U". The cut-out portion of the leg of the inverted "U" preferably forms the backrest of the finished chair, and the cut-out portion of the base of the inverted "U" preferably forms the seat bottom of the finished chair. Of course, it would also be conceivable the other way around that the cut-out part of the leg of the inverted "U" forms the seat and the cut-out part of the base of the inverted "U" forms the backrest of the finished piece of seating furniture. Depending on the intended use of the part cut out of the deformed sheet material and the desired shape (or curvature) of the seat and backrest, the sheet material must be bent around one or more bending axes in the previous step. Depending on the desired shape of the outer perimeter of the seat and backrest, a correspondingly shaped part must be cut out of the bent plate-shaped material in the previous step.

The cut out part leaves a receiving opening in the inverted "U" bounded on all sides by uncut out deformed plate material of the inverted "U". The cut-out part is arranged in this receiving opening in a subsequent step and fastened in the desired position. This should be taken into account when choosing the position and course of the cut for the cut-out part.

Finally, in a final step, the cut-out part is rotated about an axis of rotation and the rotated cut-out part in the Receiving hole attached to the uncut portion of the inverted "U" so that the cut portion of the base of the inverted "U" forms the seat or backrest and the cut portion of the leg of the inverted "U" forms the backrest or seat of the chair. The rotation can take place, for example, by approximately 180° about an axis of rotation parallel to the at least one bending axis. Alternatively or additionally, the part cut out can also be rotated about one or more other axes of rotation. It would also be conceivable, for example, to rotate the cut-out part by about 180° around a first axis of rotation running parallel to the base on which the inverted "U" stands and by about 180° perpendicular to the at least one bending axis and also around a vertical to the substrate and perpendicular to the at least one bending axis extending second axis of rotation. According to the invention, a rotation of about 180° includes a rotation about the axis of rotation in a range of about 150° to 210°, depending on how steep or sloping the backrest or how horizontal or sloping the seat of the finished piece of seating furniture should be.

For attachment of the cut-out portion to the uncut-out portion of the inverted "U", it may be sufficient if the cut-out portion is attached to the uncut-out portion of the inverted "U" at two locations preferably located on opposite sides of the cut-out portion. These points are preferably arranged on the seat surface of the finished piece of seating furniture. In this case, the backrest would lean against a corresponding cut edge of the exception opening with its rear side. The backrest could be movably mounted at the cut edge, so that if a suitable material was selected, a spring effect could be realized in the seat surface of the finished piece of seating furniture. The spring effect would result from an elastic deformation of the material.

In this sense it is proposed that the rotated cut-out part is fixed only in a forward-facing area of the seat bottom to non-cut-out parts of the leg of the inverted "U" located on either side adjacent to the cut-out part. That is preferred The rotated cut-out portion is fixed only at a front edge of the seat bottom to the uncut-out portions of the leg of the inverted "U" located on both sides adjacent to the cut-out portion. This results in the mentioned spring effect of the finished piece of seating furniture.

Accordingly, it is further proposed that the rotated part that has been cut out is brought into contact with a rear side of the backrest at least in sections against a cut edge of the part of the deformed sheet material that has not been cut out and preferably runs parallel to the at least one bending axis. The cutting edge does not necessarily have to be straight, but can also be curved. The back of the backrest can rest against the cut edge over the entire surface or only at certain points. The back of the backrest preferably slides against the cut edge. In this way, the rear side of the backrest can be moved relative to the cut edge when the finished piece of seating furniture is weight-loaded, for example by a person sitting on it, whereby said spring effect can be realized.

However, it can also be provided that the turned, cut-out part is fastened to the back of the backrest, at least in sections, on the cut edge of the part of the deformed plate-shaped material that has not been cut out. The attachment can be detachable or fixed. Accordingly, the cut-out part is fastened on the one hand to two locations preferably arranged on opposite sides of the seat and on the other hand to the backrest of the finished piece of seating furniture on the uncut-out part of the inverted "U". The attachment of the backrest of the finished chair to the uncut portion of the inverted "U" can be done at two locations preferably located on opposite sides of the backrest. Alternatively, the backrest can also be fastened along a support edge formed on the back of the backrest, via which the backrest lies against the corresponding cut edge of the cut-out opening when the part cut out is arranged in the receiving opening. The Fastening can be done along the entire support edge or only along part of the support edge.

The attachment of the cut-out part in the receiving opening to the uncut-out part of the inverted "U" can be done in different ways depending on the plate-shaped material used. Welding, soldering, laminating, gluing, screwing, nailing, riveting, etc. would also be conceivable Fastening bolt is introduced. The bolt or bolts can be arranged in the bores so that they can be displaced along their longitudinal axes, so that the fastening can also be released again. It is also conceivable to use other fasteners, such as angle brackets or the like, which are attached to the parts to be fastened together, for fastening the cut-out part in the receiving opening to the uncut-out part of the inverted "U".

In order to fasten the cut-out part in the receiving opening to the part of the inverted "U" that has not been cut out, it would also be conceivable to arrange or form guide rails along opposite lateral cut edges of the receiving opening, by which guide bolts arranged on opposite sides in a front area of the seat surface are received. so that the bolts are slidable along the length of the rails. A stop is preferably provided in each of the guide rails, which corresponds to the position of the seat surface of the finished piece of seating furniture in the ready-to-use position. In the ready-to-use position, the guide bolts rest on the stops. In the absence or releasable attachment of the backrest to the uncut portion of the inverted "U", the guide pins can be guided along the guide rails from the ready position. At the same time, the part that has been cut out can be rotated about an axis of rotation defined by the guide bolts. In this way, the cut-out part can be moved to a rest or storage position in which the cut-out part completely fills the receiving opening (except for the cut edges) and is flush with the part of the inverted "U" that has not been cut out. In this position, the chair can be easily stacked, so that it takes up very little space for storage and transport. Of course, it would also be conceivable within the framework of a kinematic reversal to arrange the guide rails on the lateral cut edges of the part that has been cut out and the guide bolts on the lateral cut edges of the part that has not been cut out of the inverted "U".

In order to realize the stackability of the seating furniture item, it is proposed in particular that the rotated part that has been cut out is only fixed in a forward-facing area, in particular on a front edge, of the seat surface on the uncut parts of the leg of the inverted "U" that are arranged on both sides next to the cut-out part. rotatably mounted. The rotated cut-out part is preferably only in a forward-facing area, in particular at a front edge, of the seat surface on uncut-out parts of the leg of the inverted "U" arranged on both sides next to the cut-out part, longitudinally displaceable along a longitudinal extension of the uncut-out parts of the leg of the inverted "U" and slidably longitudinally along a length of the uncut portions of the base of the inverted "U". The longitudinal displaceability is preferably realized by said guide rails in cooperation with the guide pins.

The seating furniture according to the invention can be manufactured particularly easily and quickly. Depending on the dimensions of the plate-shaped material, the type of bending, the position and dimensions of the cut edge to form the receiving opening and the fastening position of the cut-out part in the receiving opening, the seating furniture can be used as a dining room chair, as an armchair or lounge chair, as a Children's chair, designed as a bench or the like. An important aspect of the chair is that the portion cut from the inverted "U" of the deformed sheet material forms the seat and back of the finished chair. The distal ends of the Legs of the part of the inverted "U" that is not cut out stand on a base in the finished piece of seating furniture and form the legs of the seating furniture, so to speak.

Of course, the finished piece of seating furniture produced by the method according to the invention is open to further processing steps. For example, it would be conceivable to attach upholstery to the seat surface, armrests and/or the backrest. A cushion preferably comprises a foam core with a covering of a suitable material (e.g. leather, fabric (e.g. made of cotton, silk, wool, synthetic fibers), or plastic (e.g. microfiber or Alcantara)) and is preferably glued, nailed or stapled on . It would also be conceivable, for example in the case of seating furniture designed as a children's chair, to attach a T-shaped restraining belt or a restraining rod to the armrests and optionally also in the front area of the seat. It would also be conceivable to arrange one or more wheels or rollers at the distal end of at least one leg of the uncut part of the inverted "U" so that the chair can be moved more easily over the ground.

In addition, it would also be conceivable to cut further parts out of the cut-out part and/or out of the uncut-out part of the deformed plate-shaped material in order to create a handle opening, a drainage opening for liquid in a transition area between the seat and the backrest, ventilation openings in the seat and /or to form discrete legs of the seat at the distal ends of the legs of the inverted "U". For example, a handle opening may be formed in an upper portion of the seat back or in the distal end of at least one of the legs of the inverted "U". The cutting out of further parts from the cut out part and/or from the uncut out part of the deformed sheet material can also serve to reduce the weight of the finished piece of seating furniture.

According to an advantageous development of the invention, it is proposed that the cut-out part of the leg of the inverted "U" is longer than that Cut-out part of the base of the inverted "U". This means that when the cut-out part of the thigh forms the backrest and the cut-out part of the base of the inverted "U" forms the seat, the backrest is longer than the seat in the finished piece of seating furniture, the length of the backrest is its height and the length of the seat is its depth, even if the transition area between the seat and the backrest does not have an edge but a curvature, ie the plate-like material in this area around a bending edge with a radius > 0 has been bent, the length of the seat bottom and backrest can be measured by extending (or extrapolating) the surface extent of the seat bottom toward the backrest and extending (or extrapolating) the surface extent of the backrest toward the seat bottom.The distance from the cutting edge of the two extrapolated surfaces to the distal end of the seat surface or the backrest corresponds to the length of the seat surface or the backrest.

A greater length of the backrest has the advantage that the part cut out the other way around can only be attached to the part of the inverted "U" that is not cut out, preferably on opposite sides in the front area of the seat of the finished piece of seating furniture, and the backrest with its Rear can lean against the corresponding cut edge of the exception opening. If the seat is loaded, for example by a person sitting down, the backrest can move up or down along the cut edge depending on the weight of the load, so that when a suitable material is selected, a spring effect can be achieved in the seat of the finished piece of seating furniture . The longer backrest prevents the backrest from slipping under the cut edge of the receiving opening when the seating furniture is loaded.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention it is proposed that uncut parts of the base of the inverted "U" arranged on both sides next to the cut-out part form armrests of the finished chair. The shape of the armrests can thus also be influenced by the type of bending of the plate-shaped material. Through the orientation and By fastening the cut-out part in the receiving opening, the position and inclination of the armrests in relation to the seat can be adjusted. Preferably, the armrests (and thus also the base of the inverted "U") have a horizontal extension parallel to the ground on which the finished seating furniture stands.

The invention also relates to a piece of seating furniture made of a plate-shaped material, the seating furniture comprising legs, a seat and a backrest. The seating furniture is manufactured according to the method according to the invention. As a result, an inexpensive, optionally resilient and stackable piece of seating furniture can be realized.

Further features and advantages of the present invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the figures. It is emphasized that the features shown in the figures and described below can each be essential to the invention, even if this is not expressly mentioned.

Fig. 1

ein plattenförmiges Material als Ausgang für die erfindungsgemäße Herstellung eines Sitzmöbels;

Fig. 2

ein um Biegeachsen gebogenes plattenförmiges Material;

Fig. 3

ein gebogenes plattenförmigen Material mit einer darin ausgebildeten Aufnahmeöffnung, die durch Herausschneiden eines Teils aus dem gebogenen plattenförmigen Material gebildet wird;

Fig. 4

ein Beispiel für ein nach dem erfindungsgemäßen Verfahren hergestellten Sitzmöbels in einer perspektivischen Ansicht von einer ersten Seite;

Fig. 5a

mehrere übereinander gestapelte Sitzmöbel aus Fig. 4, wobei sich die Sitzmöbel jeweils in einer Ruhe- oder Lagerstellung befinden;

Fig. 5b

das Sitzmöbel aus Fig. 4 in einer gebrauchsfertigen Stellung in einer perspektivischen Ansicht von einer anderen Seite;

Fig. 6a

eine Ausgestaltung des erfindungsgemäßen Sitzmöbels als Kinderstuhl;

Fig. 6b

eine Ausgestaltung des erfindungsgemäßen Sitzmöbels als Esszimmerstuhl; und

Fig. 6c

eine Ausgestaltung des erfindungsgemäßen Sitzmöbels als Lounge-Chair.

The figures show:

1

a plate-like material as a starting point for the production of a piece of seating furniture according to the invention;

2

a plate-shaped material bent about bending axes;

3

a bent sheet material having a receiving hole formed therein by cutting out a portion of the bent sheet material;

4

an example of a piece of seating furniture produced by the method according to the invention in a perspective view from a first side;

Figure 5a

several pieces of furniture stacked on top of each other 4 , wherein the seating furniture are each in a rest or storage position;

Figure 5b

the seating furniture 4 in a ready-to-use position in a perspective view from another side;

Figure 6a

an embodiment of the chair according to the invention as a child's chair;

Figure 6b

an embodiment of the seating furniture according to the invention as a dining room chair; and

Figure 6c

an embodiment of the seating according to the invention as a lounge chair.

The invention relates to a method for producing a piece of seating furniture 10 and a piece of seating furniture 10 that has been produced using the method according to the invention. The procedure is described below using the Figs. 1-4 explained in more detail.

How to use the 4 can see, the finished chair includes 10 legs 12, a seat 14 and a backrest 16. The chair 10 from 4 is embodied as a dining room chair. However, other configurations are also conceivable (cf. Figs. 6a, 6b and 6c ). The following statements apply equally to any type of seating furniture.

The chair 10 consists at least partially of a plate-shaped material 18 (cf. 1 ). The sheet material 18 may include, for example, wood, plastic, metal (eg, aluminum), paper, resin, glue, and/or binders. The sheet material 18 is preferably solid. However, it would also be conceivable for it to have any desired stabilizing structure, for example a honeycomb structure, between thin cover plates or cover foils. The plate-shaped material 18 can also consist of several different components and/or structures, which are joined together to form a composite panel, for example under heat, moisture and/or pressure.

The production method according to the invention is explained in more detail below. In a first step, a substantially rectangular plate-shaped material 18 is provided. The rectangular plate-like material can already be obtained from a supplier in the desired rectangular shape, or it can be brought into the desired rectangular shape by a manufacturer of the seating furniture item 10 . This can be done, for example, by cutting or punching.

In a second step, the essentially rectangular plate-shaped material 18 is deformed, in particular bent about at least one bending axis 20, 22. In the example shown, the sheet-like material 18 is bent about two bending axes 20, 22. However, it would also be conceivable to bend the sheet-like material 18 only about one or about more than two bending axes 20, 22. Several bending axes 20, 22 preferably run parallel to one another. The bending about the bending axes 20, 22 preferably takes place with a radius R>0. In the example, the sheet-like material 18 is bent with a first radius R1 around the first bending axis and with a second radius R2 around the second bending axis. The radii Ri assigned to the various bending axes i can be the same or different. In the example shown, the first radius R1 is larger than the second radius R2.

If there is only one bending axis, the sheet-like material 18 is preferably bent by approximately 180° around a relatively large radius. In the sense of the present invention, bending through approximately 180° includes bending the end sections 24, 26 of the sheet-like material 18 relative to one another in a range of approximately 150° to 210° about one bending axis.

With two bending axes 20, 22, the sheet-like material 18 is preferably bent by approximately 90° around each bending axis 20, 22 by a smaller radius R1 or R2. The smaller radius R1; R2 is smaller than the large radius with only one bending axis. The radii R1, R2 are preferably in a range of about 10 mm up to 50 cm. Even with two bending axes 20, 22, the end sections 24, 26 of the sheet-like material 18 are bent by a total of approximately 180° relative to one another, which encompasses a range of approximately 150° to 210°.

Viewed in a sectional plane that runs perpendicularly to the at least one bending axis 20, 22, the bent sheet-like material 28 assumes the shape of an inverted "U" (cf. 2 ). You can use the 2 recognize that the legs 12 of the finished chair 10, formed by the end portions 24, 26 of the sheet material 18, need not necessarily be parallel to one another. Likewise, the legs 12 do not necessarily have to be perpendicular to a base 30 (cf. the right leg 12, which is formed by the end section 26), but can also run at an angle to it (cf. the left leg 12, which is formed by the end section 24 becomes).

It would also be conceivable for the plate-shaped material 18 to be bent not only with a radius Ri (i=1 or 2), but also in sections for each bending section j with different radii Ri.j. Each of the sections j of the bend would then have its own bending axis i.j. In total, however, the above-mentioned shape of the inverted "U" would also result for the deformed plate-like material 28 in this case.

The bending of the plate-shaped material 18 can be carried out using conventional methods known per se from the prior art. Depending on the material used for the sheet material 18, the bending can occur under the influence of heat, moisture and/or pressure.

In a third step, a part 32 is then cut out of the bent sheet-like material 28 . The cut-out portion 32 preferably comprises part of only one leg (in the example the leg formed by the end portion 26) of the inverted "U" 28 and at least part of a base (between the end portions 24, 26 and the bending axes 20, 22 respectively) of the inverted "U" 28. The cut out part 32 leaves a receiving opening 34 (cf. 3 ) in the inverted "U" 28. The receiving opening 34 is preferably bounded on all sides by uncut curved sheet material 36 of inverted "U" 28.

The part 32 can be cut out in any manner known per se, for example sawing, water jet cutting, plasma cutting, laser cutting or punching. The shape and dimensions of the cut-out portion 32 will depend on the desired shape and dimensions of the seat bottom 14 and/or backrest 16 . The cut is preferably as small as possible so that the cut portion 32 can be easily and inexpensively attached to the remaining uncut portion 36 of the inverted "U" 28 in the receiving opening 34 in a subsequent step.

In a fourth step, the part 32 that has been cut out is rotated by approximately 180° about an axis of rotation and the rotated part 32 that has been cut out is fixed in the receiving opening 34 to the bent plate-shaped material 36 that has not been cut out (cf. 3 ) attached. The axis of rotation can be arranged anywhere in space. In addition to the rotational movement, a translatory movement of the cut-out part 32 can also take place. The axis of rotation preferably runs parallel to the at least one bending axis 20, 22. However, it would also be conceivable for the axis of rotation to run perpendicular to the at least one bending axis 20, 22. Crucially, after rotation, the cut-out portion 32 can be fitted into the receiving opening 34 such that the portion of the cut-out portion 32 corresponding to the base of the inverted "U" 28 is the seat 14 or back 16, and correspondingly that to the thigh of the inverted "U" 28 corresponding part of the cut-out part 32, the backrest 16 and the seat 14 of the chair 10 forms.

Securing the rotated cut-out portion 32 within the receiving opening 34 can be accomplished in a variety of possible locations and/or in a variety of different ways. In the example of 4 For example, member 32 is secured in a forward facing portion 38, preferably at a front edge 40, of seat bottom 14 to an uncut portion 36 of the inverted "U". Fastening is preferably done with the two opposite ones End sides of the front edge 40 on the lateral parts 36 that are not cut out, preferably on the lateral cutting edges 44, in the area of the leg formed by the end section 26.

With a rear side of the backrest 16 the cut-out part 32 rests against a rear cut edge 42 of the receiving opening 34 . The back of the backrest 14 can bear against the cut edge 42 over the entire surface or only in sections. Furthermore, the backrest 14 can be movably mounted on the cutting edge 42, so that if a suitable material is selected, a spring effect of the seat surface 14 of the finished piece of seating furniture 10 could be realized when it is mechanically loaded by a person sitting on it. For this purpose, a sliding surface can be configured in certain areas on the back of the backrest 16, for example by applying a PTFE coating. In addition, a stop on the back of the backrest 16 can ensure that the seat surface 14 is not pressed down too far under mechanical stress.

Alternatively, it is also conceivable that the backrest 16 is attached to the part 36 that has not been cut out, in particular to the cut edge 42 of the inverted "U". The attachment can take place over the entire surface or only in sections on the cut edge 42 . However, the attachment can also be attached to the backrest 36, preferably with the lateral cut edges 46 of the cut-out part 32 in the area of the backrest 16, on the lateral, non-cut-out parts 36, preferably on the lateral cut edges 44, in the vicinity of the rear cut edge 42 become. Fastening the backrest 16 to the part 36 that has not been cut out can result in improved stability of the finished piece of seating furniture 10 under mechanical stress.

The attachment of the cut-out portion 32 in the receiving opening 34 to the uncut-out portion 36 of the inverted "U" 28 can be accomplished in a variety of ways depending on the material used. For example, welding, soldering, laminating, gluing, screwing, nailing, riveting, etc. would be conceivable Use of suitable fasteners, such as bolts, brackets, etc. would be conceivable.

How to use the 3 can see, it is also conceivable to provide a guide rail 48 in each of the lateral cutting edges 44 of the opening 34, which is used to accommodate a guide bolt 50 (cf. 4 ) is trained. A guide pin 50 is arranged on each side of the seat surface 14 in the front region 38, preferably at the front edge 40, of the seat surface 14 and protrudes beyond the lateral cutting edges 46 of the cut-out part 32 and into the associated guide rail 48.

The guide rails 48 each have a stop 52 against which the guide bolts 50 rest when the finished piece of seating furniture 10 is in a ready-to-use position (cf. 4 ) is located. The guide rails 48 preferably extend respectively in the lateral cutting edges 44 of the uncut material 36 of the inverted "U" 28 starting from the stop 52 in the region of the leg formed by the end section 26, along the entire base (between the end sections 24, 26) of the inverted "U" up to the rear cutting edge 42.

By attaching the seat backrest 14 by means of the guide rails 48 and the guide bolts 50 and by attaching the backrest 16 in an unforeseen or detachable manner, it is possible to move the seating furniture item 10 from a ready-to-use position (cf. Figure 5b ) into a resting or storage position (cf. Figure 5a ) to bring, in which the seating 10 are stackable. The guide pins 50 provide an axis of rotation about which the cut-out portion 32 can be rotated approximately 180° to move the chair 10 between the ready-to-use position and the rest or storage position.

Uncut portions 36 of the base (between the end portions 24, 26) of the inverted "U" armrests 28 disposed to either side of the cut away portion 32 may form armrests of the finished seating furniture item 10.

It is conceivable that, in addition to the cut-out part 32, further parts 54 are cut out of the cut-out part 32 and/or from the uncut-out part 36 of the bent plate-shaped material 28 in order to create a handle opening 54a in an upward-facing area of the backrest 16 ( see. Figs. 4 and 6b ), at least one drainage opening 54b in a transition area between the seat surface 14 and the backrest 16 (cf. Figure 6c ), vent openings in the seat bottom 14 and/or discrete legs 12 of the seating furniture 10. It would also be conceivable, to facilitate transport of the finished piece of seating furniture 10, to one of the end sections, e.g. end section 24 in Figure 6a , wheels or casters (not shown) and to provide a handle opening 54c at the opposite end portion 26 by which the chair 10 can be lifted and maneuvered by means of the wheels or casters. It would also be conceivable to attach cushions (not shown) to the seat surface 14, the armrests 28 and/or the backrest 16. Finally, as in Figure 6a 1, a restraint belt 56 may also be attached to a forward-facing portion of the side uncut portions (or armrests) 36 and/or to the front portion 38 of the seat bottom 14.

• Verformen (des plattenförmigen Materials 18),
• Herausschneiden (des Teils 32),
• Drehen (des herausgeschnittenen Teils 32),
• Befestigen (des gedrehten herausgeschnittenen Teils 32 in der Aufnahmeöffnung 34).

The manufacturing process according to the invention can be briefly and concisely summarized as follows:

• deforming (the sheet material 18),
• cutting out (of part 32),
• turning (the cut-out part 32),
• Fasten (the turned cut-out part 32 in the receiving hole 34).

Claims (14)

1. A method of manufacturing a seat (10) consisting at least in part of a plate-shaped material (18), the finished seat (10) comprising legs (12), a seat surface (14) and a backrest (16), characterized by the following steps:

   - Providing a substantially rectangular plate-shaped material (18),

   - Deforming the substantially rectangular plate-shaped material (18) to assume an inverted "U" shape (28) after deformation,

   - cutting a portion (32) out of the inverted "U" (28), the cut-out portion (32) leaving a receptacle opening (34) in the inverted "U" (28) bounded on all sides by non-cut-out deformed plate-shaped material (36), and

   - rotating the cut-out portion (32) and securing the rotated cut-out portion (32) in the receptacle opening (34) so that the cut-out portion (32) secured in the receptacle opening (34) forms the seat surface (14) and the backrest (16) of the finished seat (10), wherein legs of the inverted "U" (28) form the legs of the seat (10).
2. The method of manufacturing a seat (10) according to claim 1, wherein deforming the substantially rectangular plate-shaped material (18) comprises bending the substantially rectangular plate-shaped material (18) about at least one bending axis (20; 22).
3. The method of manufacturing a seat (10) as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein
   the cut-out portion (32) comprises a portion of only one leg of the inverted "U" (28) and at least a portion of a base of the inverted "U" (28).
4. The method of manufacturing a seat (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein
   the substantially rectangular plate-shaped material (18) is bent about two mutually parallel bending axes (20, 22) to form the shape of the inverted "U" (28).
5. The method of manufacturing a seat (10) according to claim 3, wherein
   the portion of the cut-out portion (32) corresponding to the leg of the inverted "U" (28) is longer than the portion of the cut-out portion (32) corresponding to the base of the inverted "U" (28).
6. The method of manufacturing a seat (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein
   non-cut-out portions (36) of the base of the inverted "U" (28) arranged on both sides adjacent to the cut-out portion (32) form armrests of the finished seat (10).
7. The method of manufacturing a seat (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein
   the turned cut-out portion (32) is fastened only in a forwardly facing region (38) of the seat surface (14), in particular at a front edge (40) of the seat surface (14), to non-cut-out portions (36) of the leg of the inverted "U" (28) arranged on both sides adjacent the receptacle opening (34).
8. The method of manufacturing a seat (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein
   the turned cut-out portion (32) is brought into abutment with a rear side of the backrest (16) at least in sections against a cut edge (42) of the non-cut-out portion (36) of the inverted "U" (28), the cut edge (42) preferably extending parallel to at least one bending axis (20; 22) about which the substantially rectangular plate-shaped material (18) is bent.
9. The method of manufacturing a seat (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein
   the turned out cut portion (32) is fixed with the back of the backrest (16) at least in sections to the not cut out portion (36) of the inverted "U" (28), preferably to a cut edge (42) of the not cut out portion (36) of the inverted "U" (28).
10. The method of manufacturing a seat (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein
    the turned cut-out portion (32) is rotatably fastened only in a forwardly facing region (38), in particular at a front edge (40), of the seat surface (14) to non-cut-out portions (36) of the leg of the inverted "U" (28) arranged on both sides adjacent the receptacle opening (34).
11. The method of manufacturing a seat (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein
    the turned cut-out portion (32) is fastened only in a forwardly facing region (38), in particular at a front edge (40), of the seat surface (14) to non-cut-out portions (36) of the leg of the inverted "U" (28) arranged on both sides adjacent the receptacle opening (34) in a longitudinally displaceable manner along a longitudinal extension of the non-cut-out portions (36) of the leg and the base of the inverted "U" (28).
12. The method of manufacturing a seat (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein

    guide tracks (48) are arranged at two opposite lateral cut edges (44) of the non-cut-out portions (36) of the inverted "U" (28) facing the receptacle opening (34),

    wherein laterally projecting guide studs (50) are arranged in a forward-facing region (38), in particular on a front edge (40), of the seat surface (14) facing the lateral cut edges (44), and wherein

    the guide studs (50) are inserted into the guide tracks (48).
13. The method of manufacturing a seat (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein
    in addition to the cut-out portion (32), further portions are cut out from the cut-out portion (32) and/or from the non-cut-out portion (36) of the deformed plate-shaped material (28) to form a handle opening (54a; 54c), at least one drain opening (54b) in a transition region between the seat surface (14) and the backrest (16), ventilation openings in the seat surface (14) or the backrest (16) and/or discrete legs (12) of the seat furniture (10).
14. A seat (10) made of a plate-shaped material, the seat (10) comprising legs (12), a seat surface (14) and a backrest (16),
    characterized in that
    the seat (10) is manufactured according to any one of the preceding claims.

Images