GB2344510A

GB2344510A - Bed-chair or other support means

Info

Publication number: GB2344510A
Application number: GB9826633A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Clifford Royston Fox
Original assignee: Fox Design International Ltd
Current assignee: Fox Design International Ltd
Priority date: 1998-12-03
Filing date: 1998-12-03
Publication date: 2000-06-14
Also published as: GB9826633D0

Abstract

A bedchair or other support means comprising a frame (10) of rigid elongate material to which is attached and across which extends a sheet (66) or other membrane by means of a lace, cord or other elongate flexible material (72) extending between the sheet (66) or other membrane and the frame (10). The frame (10) is provided with a plurality of attachment means (58) spaced apart around the frame (10). Each of these attachment means (58) is so shaped as to embrace the rigid elongate material (12) of the frame (10) loosely at its position of attachment thereto in such a manner that it is free to rotate about that part of the frame (10). Each of these attachment means (58) is also so shaped as to provide retaining means by which a portion of the flexible elongate material (72) is retained. The said retaining means (58) is in the form of an open loop (60) or hook.

Description

Bedchair or other support means The present invention relates to a bedchair or other support means comprising a frame of rigid elongate material to which is attached and across which extends a sheet or other membrane by means of a lace, cord or other elongate flexible material extending between the sheet or other membrane and the frame, in which the frame is provided with a plurality of attachment means spaced apart around the frame, each of which attachment means is so shaped as to embrace the rigid elongate material of the frame loosely at its position of attachment thereto in such a manner that it is free to rotate about thane part of the frame, and which is also so shaped as ro provide retaining means by which a portion of the flexible elongate material is retained.

Such a construction is described in our G3-A2,219,934, in which each attachment means forms a closed loop which is generally circular but has a V-shaped portion, viewed in section, to accommodate a portion of the flexible material between the frame and the attachment means.

A problem arises with such a construction that considerable time and expense is required to thread the flexible material through the attachment means.

The present invention seeks to obviate this problem.

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a bedchair or other support means having the construction set out in the opening paragraph of the present specification, in which said retaining means is in the form of an open loop or hook.

With such a construction, the membrane may have the elongate flexible material threaded onto it, substantially the whole way around the perimeter thereof, and then the membrane may be attached to the frame at a different site from the one in which the threading took place, by inserting respective portions of the elongate flexible material into the retaining means whilst the elongate material remains threaded on the membrane.

At this same time, the benefit of the construction previously described in GB-A-2,219,934 is not lost, namely, that when somebody lies, sits, jumps or otherwise rests on the sheet or membrane, as the lace or cord or other elongate material takes the strain and is angled from a horizontal position, the attachment means is free to rotate so that the part of it which holds the flexible elongate material is correspondingly directed below a horizontal position. There is thus substantially no torque applied to the frame, and the said part of the attachment means is free to keep in line with the direction of pull exerted on it by the flexible elongate material.

Preferably, the attachment means are each in the form of a plastics ring or collar, for example an injection-moulded plastics ring, which can be threaded and which fits loosely on the rigid elongate material of the frame. The retaining means may be moulded integrally with the ring or collar or whatever constitutes the rest of the attachment means.

It is desirable for the open loop or hook to have internal surfaces which define a main hole which receives the elongate material and a gap which is narrower than the main hole, viewing the attachment means in crosssection, through which the elongate material can be passed to reach the main hole. Thus these internal surfaces may define a key-hole shape, for example.

Preferably, the frame is tubular and is made of aluminium or an aluminium alloy. The flexible elongate material may be an elasticated cord, for example a multistranded rubber cord of approximately 6mm diameter surrounded by an elasticated polypropylene sheath.

The retaining means may be smoothed at least on their interiors to reduce wear on the flexible elongate material. They may also be rounded on their outsides to reduce wear on the user's clothing.

The sheet or other membrane which may be tensioned across the frame in the manner stated may be provided with a number of eyelets through which the flexible elongate material may be threaded, in which case the number of attachment means provided on the frame will be sufficient to provide one ring for each eyelet, for example about seventy or substantially in the range from sixty-five to seventy-five. The attachment means may be readily slid along the frame to positions corresponding to those of the eyelets or slightly displaced therefrom.

A further advantage of the present invention is the avoidance of welding the attachment means to the frame enabling aluminium or an aluminium alloy to be used and a consequently much lighter construction.

The frame may be provided with legs extending downwardly therefrom to the lower ends of which are attached respective swivel feet in the manner described in our GB-C-2,129,288, each by means of an integral collar which may be positioned on the leg to prevent the foot from being twisted off in transit, whilst still allowing the swivel foot to function.

A backrest part of the frame may be provided which can be inclined relative to the rest of the support means in he manner disclosed in our GB-C-2,129,288 with the use of hand wheels. In that case, the tensioning of the sheet or membrane on different parts of the frame can be made such as to effect automatic separation of the two toothed parts of the hand wheel mechanism when the latter is loosened, to facilitate quick and easy adjustment.

The advantages set out herein for the support means in its broadest construction and also in the various preferred constructions are particularly beneficial in an angler's bedchair.

The present invention extends to a method of manufacturing a bedchair or other support means having the construction set out in the opening paragraph of the present specification and having the said retaining means in the form of an open loop or hook, in which the elongate flexible material is first secured to the sheet or other membrane around substantially the whole of the perimeter thereof, and subsequently the flexible material is inserted into the retaining means of the attachment means spaced apart around the frame.

An example of a bedchair made in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective partly exploded view of parts of the bedchair; Figure 2 is a perspective partly exploded view of further parts of the bedchair in a more advanced stage of assembly ; Figure 3 is a further perspective partly exploded view of yet further parts of the bedchair with the frame thereof almost completely assembled; Figure 3a is a perspective view on a larger scale of a detail of the bedchair shown in Figure 3; Figure 4a shows a perspective end view of attachment means of the frame, Figures 4b and 4c show end and top views, respectively, of a modified form of attachment means; Figure 5 shows an end view of a further modified form of attachment means; and Figure 6 is an underneath view of part of the bedchair in a completed stage of assembly showing the manner in which an elasticated cord is attached to the frame of the bedchair by the attachment means.

With reference to the Figures, an aluminium alloy tubular frame 10 of a bedchair shown in Figure 3 comprises two elongate circular-sectioned tubular side rails 12 which are substantially parallel to one another and are spaced apart and held in that position by forward and rearward leg constructions 14 and 16. The latter each comprise a pair of aluminium alloy square-sectioned telescopic legs 18 the lower end of each of which is provided with a swivel foot 20. The legs of each pair are secured to one another by means of cross-struts 22, and the upper ends of each leg are provided with channel portions 24 each for receiving an associated end of one of the side rails 12. Apertures 26 (shown in Figure 2) are provided at one end of each channel portion 24 to enable them to be pivotally attached to the associated end of a side rail 12 by means of plastics injection moulded studs 28 provided with washers 30. The frame 10 further comprises an aluminium alloy circular-sectioned tubular U-shaped leg support 32 pivoted at its ends to front ends of the side rails 12 respectively by means of aperture anchorages 34 at the front ends thereof, holes in the free ends of the U-shaped leg support 32 in registration with those of the anchorages 34, and further plastics injection moulded studs 28 provided with washers 30 and extending through the apertures in the anchorages 34 and the holes in the free ends of the leg support 32.

An aluminium alloy circular-sectioned tubular Ushaped back support 36 is pivotally attached to the rear ends of the side rails 12. The pivotal attachment here is slightly more complex, in that it comprises circular portions 38 at the ends of the U-shaped back support 36 with outwardly directed teeth or serrations 40 and outwardly directed screw-threaded spigots 42. The latter are inserted through circular central apertures 44 in further circular portions 46 at the rear ends of the side rails 12. These circular portions 46 have inwardly directed teeth or serrations 48 which engage the outwardly directed teeth or serrations of the circular portions 38 on the back support 36. Large hand-wheel nuts 50 engage the screw-threaded spigots 42 with respective washers 52 positioned between the nuts and the circular portions 46 at the ends of the side rails 12.

Thus, when the hand-wheels 50 are tightened, the teeth or serrations of the circular portions 38 and 46 engage more tightly fixing the relative angle between the back support 36 and the side rails 12. Release of the handwheels 50 enables the angle of the back support 36 to adjusted, and re-tightening of the hand-wheels 50 fixes the back support 36 at the selected angle.

It will be appreciated that the various pivot constructions enable the back support 36 and the leg support 32 to be folded down on to the side rails 12, and the leg constructions 14 to be folded up against the side rails 12.

Each swivel foot 20 is provided with a squaresectioned collar 54 connected thereto via a strip 56. The collar 54 engages the associated leg 18 to prevent the swivel-foot 20 from being lost in the event that it is knocked out of the bottom of the leg during transport.

This collar portion 54 is shown more clearly in Figure 3a.

Spaced apart along the tubular side rails 12, the tubular leg support 32 and the tubular back support 36 are a plurality of synthetic plastics injection-moulded attachment devices 58, one of which is shown more clearly in Figure 4a. This shows how each attachment device 58 comprises a ring portion 59 which loosely surrounds the tubular portion of the frame 10 to which it is attached.

It also has an open loop portion 60 projecting outwardly from the ring portion 59. The internal transverse section of the open-loop portion 60 is of a generally key-hole shape 62. The attachment device 58 has an outside surface 64 which is rounded viewing the ring 58 in axial section.

A sheet 66 having ; an outline conforms conforms the interior of the frame 10, and which is slightly smaller than that interior, has its periphery 68 reinforced and provided with a number of eyelets 70 spaced apart around the periphery. The number of eyelets 70 correspond in number to the rings 58 provided on the various circular sectioned tubular portions of the frame 10. A number of elasticated cords 72 are threaded through the eyelets 70.

Subsequently, possibly at a different site to the one in which the cords 72 were threaded through the holes 70, appropriate portions of the elasticated cords 72, at positions each mid-way between two eyelets 70, are pressed through the neck part of the key-hole shape 62, into the main part of the key-hole shape 62 of respective attachment devices 58 on the frame 10.

It will be appreciated that each ring portion 59 loosely surrounds the tubular portion to which it is attached. As a result, when somebody lies on the sheet and the cord takes the strain so that it is angled from the horizontal position, each ring portion 59 is free to rotate until its open-loop portion 60, which retains the cord 72, is correspondingly directed below a horizontal position. Consequently, there is substantially no torque applied to the frame-only an inward pull. The loose attachment of each ring portion 59 to the tubular frame 10 also enables it to be slid along the tubing of the frame. This facilitates correct attachment of the cords 72.

The open-loop portion 60 is smoothed on its inside to reduce wear on the elasticated cords 72.

The cord comprises a moulded strand rubber cord approximately 6mm in diameter surrounded by an elasticated polypropylene sheet.

In the illustrated bedchair, there are a total of about sixty-five plastics attachment devices 58 spaced apart around the frame 10, although any number in the region of seventy is desirable, and it is possible to have many more such devices, or many fewer.

The tension of the sheet 66 when it is attached to the frame 10 may be such as to draw the free ends of the back support 36 towards one another so that loosening of the hand-wheels 50 will automatically result in those two ends being drawn towards one another, and so disengaging the teeth or serrations on the circular portions 38 and 46 to facilitate an easier adjustment in the angle of the back support 36.

Furthermore the tensioning in the sheet 66, caused by the relative dimensioning of the frame 10, the sheet 66 and the cords 72, reduces the risk that a portion of a cord 72 could free itself from one of the loop portions or hooks 60. This is further reduced when the bedchair is in use by virtue of the weight of the person using it increasing the tensioning. The fact that the neck portion of each key-hole shape 62 is narrower than the main portion thereof further reduces this risk, since the cord 72 would have to be stretched locally to be slid back out of the neck portion.

The illustrated bedchair may be packaged and sold in a dismantled state, and subsequently assembled for use in the manner indicated by the accompanying drawings.

Many variations in and modifications to the illustrated bedchair will readily occur to the reader familiar with the art without taking the resulting construction outside the scope of the present invention.

To mention but one example, the leg rest 32 and the associated portion of the sheet 66 could be dispensed with, to provide a chair instead of a bedchair.

The shape of the attachment devices 58 may be modified as shown in Figures 4b and 4c in which the portion of the open loop portion 60 on the side nearer to the ring portion 59 is larger in cross-section than it is in Figure 4c. The axial depth of the open-loop portion 60 is less than that of the ring portion 59, although as shown in Figure 4a in dotted line, it may have the same depth as the ring portion 59.

Figure 5 shows a further modified construction of attachment device 58, in which the open-loop portion 60 is in the form of a hook 60.

Claims

Claims : 1. A bedchair or other support means comprising a frame of rigid elongate material to which is attached and across which extends a sheet or other membrane by means of a lace, cord or other elongate flexible material extending between the sheet or other membrane and the frame, in which the frame is provided with a plurality of attachment means spaced apart around the frame, each of which attachment means is so shaped as to embrace the rigid elongate material of the frame loosely at its position of attachment thereto in such a manner that it is free to rotate about that part of the frame, and which is also so shaped as to provide retaining means by which a portion of the flexible elongate material is retained, in which the said retaining means is in the form of an open loop or hook.
2. A bedchair or other support means according to claim 1, in which the attachment means are each in the form of a plastics ring or collar which can be threaded and which fits loosely on the rigid elongate material of the frame.
3. A bedchair or other support means according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the retaining means are moulded integrally with the rest of the attachment means.
4. A bedchair or other support means according to any preceding claim, in which the open loop or hook has internal surfaces which define a main hole which receives the elongate material and a gap which is narrower than the main hole, viewing the attachment means in cross section, through which the elongate material can be passed to reach the main hole.
5. A bedchair or other support means according to claim 4, in which these internal surfaces define a key-hole shape.
6. A bedchair or other support means according to any preceding claim, in which the frame is tubular.
7. A bedchair or other support means according to any preceding claim, in which the frame is made of aluminium or an aluminium alloy.
8. A bedchair or other support means according to any preceding claim, in which the flexible elongate material comprises an elasticated cord.
9. A bedchair or other support means according to claim 8, in which the flexible elongate material comprises a multi-stranded rubber cord surrounded by an elasticated polypropylene sheath.
10. A bedchair or other support means according to claim 9, in which the rubber cord is substantially 6mm in diameter.
11. A bedchair or other support means according to any preceding claim, in which the retaining means are smoothed at least on their interiors to reduce wear on the flexible elongate material.
12. A bedchair or other support means according to any preceding claim, in which the retaining means are rounded on their outsides to reduce wear on the user's clothing.
13. A bedchair or other support means according to any preceding claim, in which the sheet or other membrane is provided with a number of eyelets through which the flexible elongate material is threaded, the number of attachment means provided on the frame being sufficient to provide one ring for each eyelet.
14. A bedchair or other support means according to claim 13, in which the number of eyelets is substantially in the range from sixty-five to seventy-five.
15. A bedchair or other support means according to claim 14, in which the number of eyelets is substantially seventy.
16. A bedchair or other support means according to any one of claims 13 to 15, in which the attachment means are readily slid along the frame to positions corresponding to those of the eyelets or slightly displaced therefrom.
17. A bedchair or other support means according to any preceding claim, in which the frame is provided with legs extending downwardly therefrom to the lower ends of which are attached respective swivel feet.
18. A bedchair or other support means according to claim 17, in which each foot is provided with an integral collar positioned on the leg to prevent the foot from being twisted off in transit, whilst still allowing the swivel foot to function.
19. A bedchair or other support means according to any preceding claim, in which the frame is provided with a backrest part which can be inclined with the use of at least one hand wheel.
20. A bedchair or other support means according to claim 19, in which the tensioning of the sheet or membrane on different parts of the frame is made such as to effect ar automatic separation of two toothed parts of the hand wheel mechanism when the latter is loosened, to facilitate quick and easy adjustment.
21. A method of manufacturing a bedchair or other support means comprising a frame of rigid elongate material to which is attached and across which extends a sheet or other membrane by means of a lace, cord or other elongate flexible material extending between the sheet or other membrane and the frame, in which the frame is provided with a plurality of attachment means spaced apart around the frame, each of which attachment means is so shaped as to embrace the rigid elongate material of the frame loosely at its position of attachment thereto in such a manner that it is free to rotate about that part of the frame, and which is also so shaped as to provide retaining means by which a portion of the flexible elongate material is retained, in which the said retaining means is in the form of an open loop or hook, in which the elongate flexible material is first secured to the sheet or other membrane around substantially the whole of the perimeter thereof, and subsequently the flexible material is inserted into the retaining means of the attachment means spaced apart around the frame.