EP4262666A1

EP4262666A1 - Seating device for assisting an individual in a seating furniture, and a seating furniture using such seating device

Info

Publication number: EP4262666A1
Application number: EP21911676.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Fritz WALLIS; Rickard JOHNSSON
Original assignee: Ikea Supply AG
Current assignee: Inter Ikea Systems BV
Priority date: 2020-12-21
Filing date: 2021-12-21
Publication date: 2023-10-25
Also published as: WO2022139669A1; SE544834C2; SE2051521A1

Abstract

Seating device (1000) for assisting an individual in a seating furniture is provided. The seating device comprises a base part (100); a seating part (200) pivotably connected to the base part (100); a biasing arrangement (300) acting between the base part (100) and the seating part (200) and biasing the seating part (200) towards a raised lifting position; a locking arrangement (400) comprising a stopping member (401) pivotably connected to one of the base part (100) and the seating part (200). The locking arrangement (400) is configured to be set between a released position and a locked position, in which locked position the stopping member (401) engages a locking portion (205) of the other of the base part (100 and the seating part (200), thereby maintaining the seating part (200) in a lowered seating position. A maneuvering arrangement (500) is provided to pivot the stopping member (401), thereby setting the locking arrangement (400) from the locked position to the released position.

Description

SEATING DEVICE FOR ASSISTING AN INDIVIDUAL IN A SEATING FURNITURE, AND A SEATING FURNITURE USING SUCH SEATING DEVICE

Technical field

The present invention refers to a seating device for assisting an individual in a seating furniture, and also to a seating furniture using such seating device.

Technical background

It is well known in the art with chairs, or armchairs having a lift apparatus to make it more feasible for user having a physical impairment. This is typically made by the seating being tiltable. One such solution is disclosed in US 5 082 327 which discloses a portable device which easily can be moved from one furniture to another. The portable device comprises a frame comprising a pivotable seating surface. The seating surface is biased towards a tilted position so that the user when trying to stand up gets a gentle push from behind towards a standing position. The seating surface is released by linearly pulling a lever.

There is however a need for a seating device which is configured to be integrated in a seating furniture and which as such is not visible to the user. This is not only an aesthetic matter but also a safety matter to avoid injuries caused by movable parts. Further, the seating device should be ergonomic to use, since a physical impairment in most cases is caused by a combination of different physical ailments.

There is accordingly a need to find a solution which meets the issues mentioned above.

Summary

An object of the present invention is to provide a seating device that may be integrated in a seating furniture.

Another object is to provide a seating device where the assisting force is easily adaptable to different individual’s need for assistance.

Yet another object is to provide a seating device which allows the position of the maneuvering mechanism to be positioned where it best fits the overall design of the seating furniture and which allows a good ergonomic to the user.

These and other objects are provided for by a seating device for assisting an individual in a seating furniture, the seating device comprising: a base part; a seating part pivotably connected to the base part; a biasing arrangement acting between the base part and the seating part and biasing the seating part towards a raised lifting position; a locking arrangement comprising a stopping member pivotably connected to one of the base part and the seating part, and wherein the locking arrangement is configured to be set between a released position and a locked position, in which locked position the stopping member engages a locking portion of the other one of the base part and the seating part, thereby maintaining the seating part in a lowered seating position; and a maneuvering arrangement configured to pivot the stopping member, thereby setting the locking arrangement from the locked position to the released position.

The seating device may be provided as a stand-alone portable device or be integrated in a seating furniture of any suitable type. The seating furniture may by way of example be a chair, an armchair or a sofa, or even a stool.

No matter application, by setting the maneuvering arrangement, the stopping member will be pivoted and the locking arrangement will be set from the locked position to the released position. By the biasing arrangement, the seating part will thereby automatically tilt towards its raised lifting position. This tilting will be experience by the user as an assisting lifting force as the user moves from a sitting position to a standing position. As the user sits down, the weight of the user will counteract the biasing of the biasing arrangement, whereby the stopping member automatically will engage the protrusion and set the locking arrangement to its locked position.

The stopping member may be biased towards the locked position in which it engages the locking portion of the seating part.

Thereby, as a safety measure, the seating device will automatically be set into a locked, non-tilted position, when the user sits down. Further, this locked position will be maintained as long as the maneuvering arrangement is not operated.

The maneuvering arrangement may comprise a bendable wire connected to the locking arrangement. The bendable wire may further be configured to be capable of exerting a pulling force on the stopping member, thereby setting the locking arrangement from the locked position to the released position.

By the bendable wire, a great freedom is provided as to where the maneuvering arrangement may be arranged in view of the seating device or the seating furniture. Especially, in the event the seating device is integrated in a seating furniture, the maneuvering arrangement may be arranged in a position where it is easy, and ergonomically accessible to the user. Thereby it is possible to better meet any user-specific needs such as any physical impairment.

The bendable wire may be slidably received in a sheath extending between the maneuvering arrangement and the base part.

By arranging the bendable wire in a sheath, the freedom of arrangement of the maneuvering arrangement may be further improved since there is no need of tailor-making the length of the wire to a specific seating furniture or a specific position of the maneuvering arrangement to ensure a tension of the wire. Also, the sheath will act as a bushing protecting the wire and also protecting a furniture from wear caused by the wire. The seating device and/or the seating furniture may be provided with one or more brackets for attachment of the ends of said sheath.

The maneuvering arrangement may comprise a mounting bracket configured to be fixedly mounted to the base part of the seating device or to be fixedly mounted to a structural part of a seating furniture, and a lever, the lever being pivotable relative to the mounting bracket between a seating locking position and a seating releasing position, wherein the lever when pivoting from the seating locking position to the seating releasing exerts the pulling force on the stopping member thereby setting the locking arrangement from the locked position to the released position.

The mounting bracket may be arranged on any suitable surface of the seating furniture. The surface may by way of example be a surface on a structural part of the seating furniture, which surface is non-visible from the exterior of the seating furniture. The lever may be operable by a handle which is supported by the seating furniture. The handle may be arranged on an exterior surface of the seating furniture where it is easy accessible to the user.

The lever may comprise a T-shaped profile with one stop member on each side of a longitudinally extending element, and wherein one of the stop members is configured to abut a first portion of the mounting bracket when the lever is pivoted to the seating locking position, and the other of the stop members is configured to abut a second portion of the mounting bracket when the lever is pivoted to the seating releasing position.

Thus, the lever may be set, by pivoting the same, between two positions, depending on if the seating device should be set to a locked lowered seating position or a raised lifting position.

The lever may be biased relative to the mounting bracket, to be set either into the seating locking position or into the seating releasing position. The biasing may be provided by using a spring. One end of the spring may be connected to a free end portion of the lever and the other end of the spring may be connected to the mounting bracket of the maneuvering arrangement in a position being displaced in view of the pivoting point of the lever. Thereby the spring will actively pivot the T- shaped profile of a lever to a position where one of its stop members abuts either the first or the second portion of the mounting bracket. Any intermediate position will be made impossible by the inherent in-balance.

The maneuvering arrangement may further comprise at least one, and preferably two, pressure balls acting between the lever and the mounting bracket, thereby causing a tactile and/or audial signal when setting the maneuvering arrangement. Thus, as the lever pivots from one position to another, the at least one pressure ball will at least temporarily be elastically displaced inwardly to allow the lever to pass. This will cause a tactile and/or audial signal to the user. In the event of two pressure balls, one may be elastically displaced inwardly to allow the lever to pass, whereas the other pressure ball may be elastically displaced outwardly as the lever has passed. Thus, in the event of two pressure balls, they may alternatingly be elastically pressed inwardly and outwardly depending on the position of the lever.

The biasing of the biasing arrangement may be adjustable. The adjustment of the biasing arrangement allow adjustment of a force by which the biasing arrangement biases the seating part towards the raised lifting position.

The biasing arrangement may comprise at least one spring, and more preferred at least two springs, extending between the seating part and a sliding member, the sliding member being slidable connected to the base part, thereby allowing adjustment of a force by which the biasing arrangement biases the seating part towards the raised lifting position.

The sliding member may be guided in slots arranged in opposite wall portions of the base part. As the sliding member is moved away from the pivotal connection between the base part and the seating part, the at least one spring, or at least two springs will be tensioned, whereby the assisting lifting force will be increased. Contrary, as the sliding member is moved closer to the pivotal connection between the base part and the seating part, the at least one spring will be relaxed, whereby the assisting lifting force will be decreased. The degree of pre-tensioning may be illustrated by an indicator arm with a pointer which is supported by the sliding member and which pointer will be displaced in view of a fixedly arranged scale as the sliding member is moved.

The sliding member may be arranged to be accessible via the underside of the seating device or the underside of the seating furniture in the event the seating device is integrated in a seating furniture.

The position of the sliding member may be adjustable in view of the base part by setting a setting screw. The setting screw may be arranged to be accessible via the underside of the seating device or the underside of the seating furniture in the event the seating device is integrated in a seating furniture. The adjustment may be made by threading the setting screw in and out of engagement with a threaded tube which is fixedly connected to the sliding member.

According to another aspect, a seating furniture is provided which comprises a seating device with the features described above. The features and advantages of the seating device as such have been thoroughly discussed above. These arguments are equally applicable to a seating furniture which is provided with such seating device. Hence, to avoid undue repetition, reference is made to the arguments above.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be obvious to a person skilled in the art reading the detailed description given below describing different embodiments.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will be described in detail with reference to the schematic drawings.

Fig. 1 is an exploded view of the seating device and its components.

Figs. 2A discloses the locking arrangement when set to its locked position.

Fig. 2B discloses the locking arrangement when set to its released position.

Figs. 3A-3D disclose the operation of the seating device.

Figs. 4A-4C disclose the operation of the biasing arrangement.

Figs. 5A and 5B disclose two perspective views of the maneuvering arrangement when the locking arrangement is set to the locked position.

Figs. 6A and 6B disclose two perspective views of the maneuvering arrangement when the locking arrangement is set to the released position.

Detailed description

In the following one embodiment of the seating device 1000 according to the present invention will be described. The seating device 1000 is configured to assist an individual to raise to a standing position when sitting in a seating furniture.

Starting with Fig. 1, an exploded view of the seating device 1000 is disclosed. The seating device 1000 comprises a base part 100 and a seating part 200 which is pivotably connected to the base part 100, a biasing arrangement 300, a locking arrangement 400 and a maneuvering arrangement 500. The base part 100 is configured to be supported by seating furniture. The seating part 200 is configured to directly or indirectly support a seat cushion of a seating furniture.

The biasing arrangement 300 comprises a plurality of elastic members 301 and a sliding member 302. The biasing arrangement 300 is arranged to act between the base part 100 and the seating part 200 to thereby bias the seating part 200 towards the raised lifting position which will be discussed below.

The locking arrangement 400 comprises a stopping member 401 which is pivotably connected to the base part 100. The locking arrangement 400 is configured to be set between a released position and a locked position, in which locked position the stopping member 401 engages a locking portion 205 of the seating part 200, thereby maintaining the seating part 200 in a lowered seating position.

The maneuvering arrangement 500 is configured to pivot the stopping member 401 of the locking arrangement 400 to thereby set the locking arrangement 400 from the locked position to the released position.

The design of the individual arrangements and their interaction will now be described below.

In the description to follow, the term “front end’ will, unless nothing else is said, refer to the part of a seating which in a seating furniture is closest to the knee of a sitting person. Correspondingly, the term “rear end” will refer to the part of a seating which in a seating furniture is closest to the back of a sitting person.

Starting with the base part 100. The base part 100 comprises a frame 101 which is configured to be supported by the seating of a seating furniture. The frame 101 comprises two parallel supporting rails 102 which extend between the front end and the rear end. Further, the base part 100 comprises a transverse rail 103 which extends between the two supporting rails 102. The base part 100 is configured to be fixedly arranged to a seating furniture by two or more bolts 105 extending through holes 106 in the respective supporting rail 102.

The transverse rail 103 supports the locking arrangement 400 which will be further discussed below with reference to Figs. 2A and 2B.

The two supporting rails 102 further supports the sliding member 302 which is part of the biasing arrangement 300. The sliding member 302 is slidable received in slots 104 which are arranged in the respective supporting rails 102.

The sliding member 302 comprises a plurality of holes 303. The holes 303 are distributed along the longitudinal extension of the sliding member 302. Each hole 303 is configured to lockingly receive a first end 301a of one of the plurality of elastic members 301 forming part of the biasing arrangement 300. The seating part 200 comprises a frame 201 which is configured to directly, or indirectly support a non-disclosed seat cushion of the seating furniture. The frame 201 comprises a front-end supporting rail 202, a rear end supporting rail 203 and two parallel side rails 204 connecting the front-end supporting rail 202 and the rear end supporting rail 203.

The rear end supporting rail 203 comprises a locking portion 205 in the form of a protrusion which is configured to interact with the locking arrangement 400 which will be described below with reference to Figs. 2A and 2B.

The front-end supporting rail 202 comprises a longitudinally extending rail 207 having a plurality of through holes 208. The holes 208 are distributed along the rail 207. Each hole 208 is configured to lockingly receive a second free end 301b of one of the elastic members 301 forming part of the biasing arrangement 300.

The longitudinally extending rail 207 is pivotably hinged via two or more hinges 209 to a shaft 220 extending between the two parallel side rails 204.

The front ends of the two parallel side rails 204 are configured to be pivotably hinged to the front ends of the two supporting rails 102 of the base part 100. This is made by bolts configured to extend through holes 213 in the two parallel side rails 204 and corresponding holes 107 in the two supporting rails 102 of the base part 100.

Now turning to Figs. 2A and 2B, the design and the operation of the locking arrangement 400 will be discussed. As given above, the locking arrangement 400 is configured to act between the base part 100 and the seating part 200 and more precisely between the transverse rail 103 in the rear end of the base part 100 and the rear end supporting rail 203 of the seating part 200.

The locking arrangement 400 is configured to be set between a released position and a locked position, in which locked position the stopping member 401 engages the locking portion 205 of the seating part 200, thereby maintaining the seating part 200 in a lowered seating position.

For this purpose, the transverse rail 103 of the base part 100 supports the stopping member 401. The stopping member 401 is pivotably supported by the transverse rail 103 via a protrusion 402. The stopping member 401 is in the disclosed embodiment formed as a hook which is pivotable between the locked position disclosed in Fig. 2A where it lockingly engages the locking portion 205 on the seating part 200, and the released position disclosed in Fig. 2B where the seating part 200 is free to pivot to its raised lifting position, see arrow A..

The stopping member 401 is pivoted by applying a force to the stopping member 401 by pulling, see arrow B, a bendable wire 501 forming part of the maneuvering arrangement 500 to be discussed below. The bendable wire 501 is fixedly mounted to the stopping member 401 by a wire stopper 520 which engages the wire 501 and a recess 403 in the stopping member 401.

The stopping member 401 is biased towards the locked position by an elastic member 404 which acts between two pins 405, 406. Pin 405 is fixed to the transverse rail 103 of the base part 100. Pin 406 is fixed to the stopping member 401. Accordingly, when releasing the pulling force applied to the stopping member 401 via the wire 501, the stopping member 401 will automatically pivot back to its locked position by means of the elastic member 404.

The elastic member 404 is disclosed as a spring. It is however to be stressed that the same function may be achieved by other types of elastic members e.g. rubber bands etc.

The stopping member 401 preferably comprises a chamfered edge profile 407 on its outer free end 408. Thereby, if the stopping member 401 should be set to its locked position without engaging the locking portion 205 on the seating part 200, which will be the case if the seating device 1000 has been set to its raised lifting position to assist a person to stand up, but not has been pressed down to its locked position, the stopping member 401 will, by the biasing in combination with the chamfered edge profile 407 and the locking portion 205, be pivoted sufficiently to allow the locking portion 205 to anew engage the stopping member 401 to thereby maintain the seating device 1000 in its lowered seating position. Accordingly, the chamfering 407 provides a safety measure which ensures that the seating device 1000 automatically will be set into a locked, non-tilted position, when the user sits down. Further, this locked position will be maintained as long as the maneuvering arrangement 500 is not operated. The latter is provided for by the hook of the stopping member 401 and the elastic member 404.

Now turning to Figs. 3A-3D the operation of the seating device 1000 will be discussed.

Starting with Fig. 3A, the seating device 1000 is disclosed as being arranged in a seating furniture 1 in a position between the seat cushion 2 and a support 3. The seat cushion 2 and the support 3 are disclosed in cross section to facilitate understanding. The maneuvering arrangement 500 is arranged with all parts but its handle 502 concealed in the frame 4 of the seating furniture 1. The only visible part is the handle 502 which is arranged on an exterior side wall portion 5 of the seating furniture 1. Thus, all moving parts are effectively concealed and prevented from causing injuries to the user. As is noted from Fig. 3A, the support 3 is provided with a recess 6 on its lower side where access is provided to the seating device 1000, e.g. for adjusting the biasing force of the biasing arrangement 300.

As can be seen from Fig. 3A, the maneuvering arrangement 500 comprises a bendable wire 501. The bendable wire 501 is operatively connected to the locking arrangement 400, preferably via the stopping member 401. of the maneuvering arrangement 500 allows the maneuvering arrangement 500 as such to be arranged in a position different from the rest of the seating device 1000. Especially, by the wire 501, the maneuvering arrangement 500 must not be arranged in parallel with the stopping member 401 to allow a pivoting movement thereof. In the disclosed embodiment, the handle 502 is arranged in the front end of the seating furniture 1 adjacent the knees of a sitting person, whereas the stopping member 401 forming part of the locking arrangement 400 is arranged adjacent the back of the sitting person.

Now turning to Fig. 3B, the seating device 1000 is a disclosed in its lowered seating position. To facilitate understanding, the seating furniture 1 is omitted.

The maneuvering arrangement 500 is disclosed as being set to its locked position whereby the wire 501 does not apply any pulling force to the stopping member 401. Thus, the stopping member 401 lockingly engages the locking portion 205 on the rear frame portion 201 of the seating part 200.

As can be seen in this view, the bendable wire 501 is slidably received in a sheath 503 extending between the maneuvering arrangement 500 and the base part 100. By arranging the bendable wire 501 in a sheath 503, the freedom of arrangement the maneuvering arrangement 500 may be further improved since there is no need of tailor-making the length of the wire 501 to a specific seating furniture or to a specific position of the maneuvering arrangement 500 to ensure a tension of the wire 501. Also, the sheath 503 will act as a bushing protecting the wire 501 and also protecting a furniture from wear caused by the wire 501.

The ends of the sheath 503 are connected to brackets 560, 561 via nuts 562, 563. The first bracket 561 is, in the disclosed embodiment, supported by the transverse rail 103 of the base part 100. The second bracket 561 is supported by the maneuvering arrangement 500. By fixedly connecting the two ends of the sheath 503 to fixed brackets 560, 561 , the length of the wire 501 may be overlong while still allowing transferring of a controlled pulling force between the two free ends of the wire 501.

Further, one of the free ends 501a of the wire 501 is as given above fixedly connected to the stopping member 401 of the locking arrangement 400 by a wire stopper 520. The other free end 501 b of the wire 501 is fixedly connected to the maneuvering arrangement 500 by wire stopper 517 as is best seen in Fig. 5A.

Accordingly, by the bendable wire 501, a great freedom is provided as to where the maneuvering arrangement 500 may be arranged in view of the seating device 1000 and the seating furniture 1. Especially, in the event the seating device 1000 is integrated in a seating furniture 1, the maneuvering arrangement 500 with its handle 502 may be arranged in a position where it is easy, and ergonomically accessible to the user’s hand. The position can be adapted to the user’s physical impairment. The maneuvering arrangement must not even be supported by the seating furniture 1. Thereby it is possible to better meet any user-specific needs such as any physical ailment.

Now turning to Figs. 3C, the seating device 1000 is disclosed in its raised lifting position. This position is achieved by turning the handle 502 of the maneuvering arrangement 500 in the forward direction. By turning the handle 502, a pulling force will be applied to the wire 501 which thereby pivots the stopping member 401 of the locking arrangement 400 out of engagement with the locking portion 205 on the seating part 200. The seating part 200 will thereby, as a result of the biasing arrangement 300 be set towards the raised lifting position by the tension in the elastic members 301 of the biasing arrangement 300. A seated person will thereby be assisted to stand up from the seating furniture 1 by tilting the seating cushion 2.

Turning to Fig. 3D, the details of the assisted lifting function will be described.

As previously discussed, the biasing arrangement 300 comprises a plurality of elastic members 301 which are acting between the longitudinally extending rail 207 of the seating part 200 and the sliding member 302 of the biasing arrangement 300. The sliding member 302 is received in the slots 104 in the two opposing supporting rails 102 of the base part 100. The sliding member 302 is arranged in a locked position along the slots 104. The elastic members 301 will by their tension act towards pivoting the seating part 200 towards its raised lifting position as will be described below.

The pivoting between the base part 100 and the seating part 200 takes place around bolts 212 or rivets engaging the holes 213 in the seating part 200 and corresponding holes 107 in the base part 100. Also, during the pivoting of the seating part 200 in view of the base part 100, the longitudinally extending rail 207 of the seating part 200 which supports the elastic members 301 is allowed to pivot as a result of the hinges 209 engaging the shaft 210. The distance X between the holes 107 and the shaft 210 acts as a lever that promotes the pivoting effect. The biasing of the biasing arrangement 300 is preferably adjustable, see Figs. 4A-4C. In the embodiment of Fig. 4A, the adjustment is made by a setting screw 320, which acts between a front edge 304 of the sliding member 302 and a rear surface 108 of the transverse rail 103 of the base part 100. The setting screw 320 supports a washer 321 and a nut 322 which form a physical stop. As is best seen in Fig. 4C, the setting screw 320 is received in a threaded tube 325 which is fixedly arranged to the sliding member 302. Accordingly, by turning the setting screw 320, the distance L between the sliding member 302 and the transverse rail 103 will be changed. The setting may be made by a suitable tool, such as an Allen key 600.

During this setting, see Fig. 4B, the elastic members 301 will either be stretched or relaxed. In Fig. 4B the elastic members 301 are disclosed as being stretched, see arrows, which means that the assisted lifting force of the seating base 200 is increased when the locking arrangement 100 is released. Note that the seating base 200 has been omitted in Fig. 4B to facilitate understanding.

The biasing arrangement 300 comprises an indicator arm 305 which is supported by the sliding member 302. The free end of the indicator arm 305 comprises a pointer 306 which interacts with a scale arranged on one of the supporting rails 102. The scale is very simple by indicating a maximum and a minimum biasing.

Accordingly, as the sliding member 302 is moved away from the pivotal connection between the base part 100 and the seating part 200, the springs 301 will be tensioned, whereby the assisting lifting force will be increased. Contrary, as the sliding member is moved closer to the pivotal connection between the base part 100 and the seating part 200, the springs 301 will be relaxed, whereby the assisting lifting force will be decreased.

The sliding member 302 with the setting screw 320 may be arranged to be accessible via the underside of the seating device 1000 or the underside of the seating furniture 1 in the event the seating device 1000 is integrated in a seating furniture 1. This is seen in Fig. 3A.

The setting screw 320 is one preferred embodiment of how the biasing of the biasing arrangement 300 may be configured to be adjustable. The skilled person will appreciate, after digesting the teachings of this disclosure, that other options for providing an adjustable bias for the biasing arrangement 300 exist. In some embodiments, the tension of the elastic member 301 may be controlled by e.g. pulling the sliding member 302 and locking it in position by means of e.g. inserting a pin (not shown) through one of a plurality of holes (not shown) arranged along the arm supporting the pointer 306 and into a matching hole (not shown) in the transverse rail 103 such that the pin locks the arm, and thereby the sliding member 302 relative to the transverse rail 103.

In the following, the maneuvering arrangement 500 will be explained. Figs. 5A and 5B disclose the maneuvering arrangement 500 when set to its locked position, i.e. when the locking arrangement 400 is in its locked position. Fig. 6A and 6B disclose the maneuvering arrangement 500 when set to its released position, i.e. when the locking arrangement 400 is in its released position. The two positions are shifted between by using the handle 502.

Starting with Figs. 5A and 5B the overall design of the maneuvering arrangement 500 will be explained.

The maneuvering arrangement 500 comprises a mounting bracket 504 which is configured to be fixedly mounted to e.g. a structural part of a seating furniture 1.

The mounting bracket 504 is a U-shaped bracket with two projecting ears 521, 522. Each ear 521 , 522 comprises a hole 505 which is configured to receive a non-disclosed screw to allow fixation of the mounting bracket 504 to e.g. the seating furniture 1.

The mounting bracket 504 comprises a first flange 506 with a protrusion 507 configured to support one end of an elastic member 508. The support bracket 504 further comprises a second flange being the bracket 561 which is used for the fixation of the sheath 503 surrounding the wire 501.

The mounting bracket 504 pivotably supports a lever 510. The lever 510 is supported by the mounting bracket 504 via a pivot 511. Said pivot 511 also supports the handle 502 via a handle shaft 512. Thus, the pivot 511 extends through the mounting bracket 504, through the lever 510 and into the handle shaft 512. Thereby, when pivoting the handle 502, also the lever 510 will pivot the same extent.

When the maneuvering arrangement 500 is mounted to a furniture, the shaft 512 is configured to extend from an inner surface of the furniture to which the mounting bracket 504 is attached to an outer surface to which the handle 502 is attached.

The lever 510 further comprises a recess 516 lockingly engaging the wire stopper 517 mounted to the free end of the wire 501.

The lever 510 comprises a longitudinally extending element 513 with one stop member 514A, 514B on each side of a longitudinal centerline CL of the lever 510.

The lever 510 comprises a protrusion 515 which is configured to support the other end of the elastic member 508. The protrusion 515 is displaced in view of the longitudinal centerline CL. As a result of the protrusion 515 being displaced in view of the longitudinal centerline CL, the T-shaped lever 510 is un-balanced and will strive towards either a position where the first stop member 514A abuts the mounting bracket 504 or a position where the other stop member 514B abuts the mounting bracket 504. The abutment will be along either of the two opposing wall portions of the U-shaped portion of the support bracket 504. Thus, the lever 510 may be seen as a pendulum that can take either of two positions by operating the handle 502.

Figs. 5A and 5B disclose the maneuvering arrangement 500 when set to its locked position, i.e. where the locking arrangement 400 is in its locked position. This means that the first stop member 514A abuts the mounting bracket 504. Thus, the lever 510 will not apply any pulling force to the wire 501 and hence no force to the stopping member 401 of the locking arrangement 400.

Turning to Figs. 6A and 6B, the maneuvering arrangement 500 is instead set to its released position, i.e. the handle 502 has been turned, see arrow. By this movement of the handle 502, the spring 508 forces the lever 510 to pivot into a position where instead the second stop member 514B abuts the mounting bracket 504. Thus, the lever 510 now applies a pulling force to the wire 501. This pulling force forces the stopping member 401 of the locking arrangement 400 to release its engagement with the locking portion of the 205 of the seating member 200 whereby this will be set to its raised lifting position as has been discussed above with reference to Figs. 3C and 3D.

The maneuvering arrangement 500 may further comprise see Fig. 6B, at least one, and preferably two, pressure balls 550 acting between the lever 510 and the mounting bracket 504, thereby causing a tactile and/or audial signal when setting the maneuvering arrangement 500. The term “pressure ball" is to be understood as a ball and an elastic member which biases the ball towards a seating. The pressure balls 550 are disclosed highly schematically as dots. Thus, as the lever 510 pivots from one position to another, the at least one pressure ball 550 will at least temporarily be elastically displaced inwardly to allow the lever 510 to pass. This will cause a tactile and/or audial signal to the user. In the event of two pressure balls, one may be elastically displaced inwardly to allow the lever to pass, whereas the other pressure ball may be elastically displaced outwardly as the lever has passed. Thus, in the event of two pressure balls 550, they may alternatingly be elastically pressed inwardly and outwardly depending on the position of the lever.

The seating device has been exemplified as being integrated in an armchair. The skilled person realizes that the seating device may be implemented in any other seating furniture. Non-limiting examples are a chair, an armchair or a sofa, or even a stool. The seating device may also be used as a stand-alone unit and then be provided as a portable unit.

The mounting bracket may be arranged on any suitable surface. The surface may by way of example be a surface on a structural part of a seating furniture, which surface is non-visible. It may also be mounted to a surface remote from the seating furniture.

The wire may be arranged to apply a force to the stopping member also when the maneuvering arrangement is set to its locked position, as long as that force is not high enough to cause a pivoting of the stopping member to such extent that it releases its engagement with the locking portion.

The locking portion interacting with the stopping member has been described as a protrusion. It is to be understood that the locking portion with remained function may have other designs than a protrusion. Non-limiting examples are a hole or a recess.

The stopping member forming part of the locking arrangement has been described as being pivotably connected to the base part whereas the locking portion is a stationary member of the seating part. It is to be understood that the reversed order may be equally applicable, i.e. that the stopping member is pivotably connected to the seating part and the locking portion is a stationary part of the base part.

Claims

1. Seating device (1000) for assisting an individual in a seating furniture, the seating device comprising a base part (100); a seating part (200) pivotably connected to the base part (100); a biasing arrangement (300) acting between the base part (100) and the seating part (200) and biasing the seating part (200) towards a raised lifting position; a locking arrangement (400) comprising a stopping member (401) pivotably connected to one of the base part (100) and the seating part (200), and wherein the locking arrangement (400) is configured to be set between a released position and a locked position, in which locked position the stopping member (401) engages a locking portion (205) of the other of the base part (100 and the seating part (200), thereby maintaining the seating part (200) in a lowered seating position; and a maneuvering arrangement (500) configured to pivot the stopping member (401), thereby setting the locking arrangement (400) from the locked position to the released position.

2. The seating device according to claim 1, wherein the stopping member (401) is biased towards the locked position in which it engages the locking portion (205) of the seating part (200).

3. The seating device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the maneuvering arrangement (500) comprises a bendable wire (501) connected to the locking arrangement (400).

4. The seating device according to claim 3, wherein the bendable wire (501) is capable of exerting a pulling force on the stopping member (401), thereby setting the locking arrangement (400) from the locked position to the released position.

5. The seating device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the bendable wire (501) is slidably received in a sheath (503) extending between the maneuvering arrangement (500) and the base part (100).

6. The seating device according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the maneuvering arrangement (500) comprises a mounting bracket (504) configured to be fixedly mounted to the base part (100) of the seating device (1000) or to be fixedly mounted to a structural part of a seating furniture (1), and a lever (510), the lever (510) being pivotable relative to the mounting bracket (504) between a seating locking position and a seating releasing position, wherein the lever (510) when pivoting from the seating locking position to the seating releasing exerts the pulling force on the stopping member (401) thereby setting the locking arrangement (400) from the locked position to the released position.

7. The seating device according to claim 6, wherein the lever (510) comprises a T-shaped body with one stop member (514a, 514b) on each side of a longitudinally extending element (513), and wherein one of the stop members (514a, 514b) is configured to abut a first portion of the mounting bracket (504) when the lever (510) is pivoted to the seating locking position, and the other of the stop members (514a, 514b) is configured to abut a second portion of the mounting bracket (504) when the lever (510) is pivoted to the seating releasing position.

8. The seating device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the lever (510) is biased relative to the mounting bracket (504), to be set either into the seating locking position or into the seating releasing position.

9. The seating device according to any of claims 6 to 8, wherein the maneuvering arrangement (500) further comprises at least one and preferably two pressure balls (550) acting between the lever (510) and the mounting bracket (504), thereby causing a tactile and/or audial signal when setting the maneuvering arrangement (500).

10. The seating device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the biasing of the biasing arrangement (500) is adjustable.

11. The seating device according to claim 10, wherein the biasing arrangement (500) comprises at least one spring (301), and more preferred at least two springs (301), extending between the seating part (200) and a sliding member (302), the sliding member (302) being slidable connected to the base part (100), thereby allowing adjustment of a force by which the biasing arrangement (300) biases the seating part (200) towards the raised lifting position.

12. The seating device according to claim 11 , wherein the position of the sliding 17 member (302) in view of the base part (100) is adjustable by setting a setting screw (320).

13. A seating furniture, wherein the seating furniture (1) comprises, a seating device (1000) according to any of claims 1-12.