WO1996014784A1

WO1996014784A1 - Device useful in the production of settee-beds for the transformation of a flat surface into a system of three surfaces forming angles with each other of between 90° and 180°

Info

Publication number: WO1996014784A1
Application number: PCT/IT1995/000188
Authority: WO
Inventors: Aldo Ciabatti
Original assignee: Emu Group S.P.A.
Priority date: 1994-11-15
Filing date: 1995-11-15
Publication date: 1996-05-23
Also published as: ITMI942310A1; ITMI942310A0; IT1275659B1

Abstract

Device for the transformation of a flat surface into a system of three substantially adjacent surfaces forming angles with each other of between 90° and 180° comprising at least one pair of variable-length links (4, 5, 6; 4', 5', 6'; 14) between one flat element shaped substantially like a triangle (2) or sector of a circle and two trapezoidal flat elements (1, 1'). The shorter bases of the two trapezoidal flat elements (1, 1') are connected by a means (3) which allows them to rotate about an axis parallel to and substantially coincident with the said shorter bases, the axis of rotation being translatable either in a straight line or along an arc of circumference. A means is provided for blocking at least one of the trapezoidal flat elements in the position defined after the translation and rotation about its shorter base. The device is useful in the construction of settee-beds.

Description

"DEVICE USEFUL IN THE PRODUCTION OF SETTEE-BEDS FOR THE TRANSFORMATION OF A FLAT SURFACE INTO A SYSTEM OF THREE SURFACES FORMING ANGLES WITH EACH OTHER OF BETWEEN 90° AND

180°" * * *

The present invention relates to a device for the transformation of a flat surface into a system of three substantially adjacent surfaces forming angles with each other less than 180° and greater than 90°. In particular, the present invention relates to a device for transforming a flat surface, usually a sleeping surface, into a settee with two arms, and vice-versa, by a simple movement without the need for springs or dismantling and separating the parts.

Although devices have been known for a long time for transforming a settee into a sleeping surface and vice-versa, such devices have required rotating arms or arms which remain fixed and form part of the bed structure, which is aesthetically negative and reveals the provisional nature of the piece of furniture.

Settees are also known which form sleeping surfaces by simply lowering the back, but such settees do not have arms.

The objective of the present invention is a device to transform a settee with one or two arms into a sleeping surface, and vice-versa, without the drawbacks of known devices mentioned above.

The device according to the present invention provides for at least one pair of variable- length links between one flat element shaped substantially like a triangle or sector of a circle and two trapezoidal flat elements, the shorter bases of the two trapezoidal flat elements being connected by a means which allows them to rotate about an axis parallel to and substantially coincident with the said shorter bases, the axis of rotation being translatable either in a straight line or along an arc of circumference; a means is provided for blocking at least one of the trapezoidal flat elements in the position defined after the translation and rotation about its shorter base. The movement illustrated above transforms the bed into a settee in which the flat element shaped substantially like a triangle or sector of a circle forms an arm and one of the two trapezoidal flat elements, which rotates about an axis parallel to its shorter base, forms the back while the other trapezoidal flat element forms the seat.

To give the device greater stability, the point of the flat element shaped like a triangle or sector of a circle could rotate about a pivot solidly fixed to the means which permits the rotation of the trapezoidal flat elements.

A similar device could be a provided for the opposite ends of the trapezoidal flat elements thus giving a sleeping surface which can transform into a settee with two arms and vice-versa. The links between the element or elements shaped like a triangle or sector of a circle and the trapezoidal flat elements, defined above as of variable length, could be provided by an elastic means such as a metal spring but, for the sake of simplicity, are preferably double-jointed links in which the central section between the joints could fold adjacent to the other two sections in the position of reduced length, and all three sections could align along the same straight line in the extended length position. The means of translation of the axis of rotation could comprise a paired links, one end of which can rotate on pivots mounted on the trapezoidal elements, while the other end can rotate on the supporting structure of the bed or settee, alternatively, the means of translation could comprise projecting elements, fitted rigidly to the trapezoidal elements, which run in suitable tracks cut into the supporting structure of the bed or settee and profiled in the pattern of movement the axis of rotation has to follow.

While the means of blocking the system comprised by the two trapezoidal elements could be any form which serves to interrupt the movement of axis translation and the rotation of the trapezoidal element which forms the back, it is preferably a bar fixed to or drawn out from the supporting structure at the end-point of the travel of the axis translation movement and so positioned as to maintain the back trapezoidal element at the desired angle to the seat trapezoidal element. The back trapezoidal element comes to rest at and remains resting against the said means of blocking.

In another embodiment provision is made for two means of blocking, one for the back trapezoidal element and one for the seat trapezoidal element. The blocking of the device in the bed configuration is achieved by resting the trapezoidal elements on the supporting structure of the bed or settee. The height of the structure might be reduced by providing a means of blocking the means of rotation and axis-translation by acting on the rotating links so as to maintain the sleeping surface raised with respect to the structure.

The upholstery of the settee, which also serves as a mattress, can be attached to the triangular and trapezoidal elements in any way already known to the art. The upholstery of the settee need not be the same as that for the bed and may be substituted by the latter before or after the transformation of the frame.

When the same upholstery is used for both settee and bed, it will be advantageous to have yielding areas corresponding to the crease lines of the settee configuration. Such yielding areas may be obtained by substituting comparatively rigid upholstery with more flexible material.

Where the original upholstery is itself quite flexible, this procedure may not be necessary.

The invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings which show embodiments of the present invention but which should not be interpreted as limiting the same in any way.

- Fig.1 shows a schematic partial plan view of the settee-bed according to the present invention in the bed configuration;

- Fig.2 shows a side view of the settee-bed according to fig.1.

- Fig 3 shows a schematic partial plan view of the settee-bed according to the present invention in the settee configuration;

- Fig 4 shows a side view of the settee-bed according to fig.3.

Corresponding elements are identified by the same reference numbers in the illustrations. In fig.1 the trapezoidal elements 1 and 1' form the seat and back respectively in the settee configuration. The triangular element 2 forms the arm in the settee configuration. The elements 1, 1' and 2 comprise the sleeping surface when arranged horizontally.

The triangular element 2 is attached to the trapezoidal elements 1 and V by supports through fixed pegs 4 and 4' on which are mounted the links 6 and 6' which can rotate about the axes indicated in fig.1 and are similarly attached to pegs 5 and 5' fixed to the trapezoidal elements 1 and 1'. The shorter bases of the trapezoidal elements 1 and V are connected by hinge 3 and can rotate about an axis parallel to and substantially coincident with the said shorter bases. The triangular element 2 can rotate about an axis perpendicular to that of hinge 3 by means of a pivot 8 fixed to the same triangular element 2.

Fig. 2 shows the means of translation of the axis of rotation and of blocking the trapezoidal elements in the desired position. The elements 13 and 13' in fig.2 block the trapezoidal elements 1 and 1' respectively in the bed configuration. The trapezoidal elements 1 and 1' are connected to the support structure 10 by the links 11, 11' and 12 respectively which can rotate about the respective fixing pivots 16, 17 and 18 solid with the trapezoidal elements 1 and l'and the respective fixing pivots 16', 17' and 18' solid with the support structure 10. The link 11' is shown cranked to contribute to the blocking of the translation of the axis parallel to the shorter bases of the trapezoidal elements.

Figs. 3 and 4 show the settee-bed in the settee configuration. The blocking mechanism is not shown for the sake of simplicity. Fig.3 shows one of the connections 14 between the trapezoidal element comprising the seat and the triangular element in the position shown. This connection is formed by the elements 4, 5 and 6, the element 6 having undergone a rotation of circa 180° about the axes 7 and 7'.

The illustration shows only one device according to the invention but it is obvious that a similar or identical device can be used in the opposite position thus producing a settee- bed with two arms in the settee configuration. The upholstery, which may be removable from the settee-bed frame, has been omitted from the illustrated schematic drawings for the sake of simplicity. It is obvious that many variations on the device illustrated above are possible without exceeding the scope of the invention, e.g. the triangular element may be heart-shaped, shaped as a sector of a circle or some other shape according to the particular aesthetic requirements of the configurations.

Claims

1. Device for the transformation of a flat surface into a system of three substantially adjacent surfaces forming angles with each other of between 90° and 180° comprising at least one pair of variable-length links between one flat element shaped substantially like a triangle or sector of a circle and two trapezoidal flat elements, the shorter bases of the two trapezoidal flat elements being connected by a means which allows them to rotate about an axis parallel to and substantially coincident with the said shorter bases, the axis of rotation being translatable either in a straight line or along an arc of circumference, a means being provided for blocking at least one of the trapezoidal flat elements in the position defined after the translation and rotation about its shorter base

2. Device according to Claim 1, characterized by the system of three adjacent surfaces constituting a settee in which the element shaped like a triangle or sector of a circle comprises the arm, one of the trapezoidal elements (which rotates about an axis parallel to and substantially coincident with their shorter bases) forms the back and the other trapezoidal element forms the seat

3 Device according to Claim 2, characterized by the point of the flat element shaped like a triangle or sector of a circle being rotatable about a pivot solidly fixed to the means which permits the rotation of the trapezoidal flat elements

4. Device according to the preceding Claims, characterized by the blocking in the bed position being achieved by resting the trapezoidal elements on the supporting structure

5. Device according to Claims 1 to 4, characterized by the blocking in the settee position being achieved by a means of blocking which acts on the means of axial-translation and rotation.

6. Device according to Claim 2, characterized by a second flat element shaped like a triangle or sector of a circle being used opposite the first to transform a flat surface into a settee with two arms 96/14784 PCMT95/00188

7. Device according to Claims 2 or 3, characterized by the variable-length connections between the element or elements shaped like a triangle or sector of a circle and the trapezoidal elements comprising double-jointed links in which the central section between the joints could fold adjacent to the other two sections in the position of reduced length, and all three sections could be aligned along the same straight line in the extended length position.

8. Device according to Claims 2 or 3, characterized by the variable-length connections being metal springs.

9. Device according to the preceding Claims, characterized by the means of enabling axial translation and rotation being paired links, one end of which rotates on pivots on the trapezoidal elements the other end being pivoted on the supporting structure of the settee-bed.

10. Device according to Claims 2 to 4, characterized by the means of translation comprising projecting elements, connected rigidly to the trapezoidal elements, which run in corresponding tracks cut into the supporting structure of the settee-bed and profiled in the same pattern as the desired movement of the axis translation.

1 1. Device according to the preceding Claims, characterized by the means of blocking the system comprising the two trapezoidal elements being one or more bars fixed to the support structure or drawn out from it at the end-point of the movement of axis translation so as to maintain the trapezoidal element forming the back at a desired angle to the trapezoidal element forming the seat by the trapezoidal element forming the back coming to rest at and remaining resting against the said means of blocking.

12. Settee-bed incorporating the device according to any of the preceding Claims.