WO2019072508A1

WO2019072508A1 - Protection system for armchairs and sofas

Info

Publication number: WO2019072508A1
Application number: PCT/EP2018/075340
Authority: WO
Inventors: Pasquale Natuzzi; Massimo CORRADO; Leonardo RUGGIERO; Saverio LOSIGNORE
Original assignee: Natuzzi S.P.A.
Priority date: 2017-10-12
Filing date: 2018-09-19
Publication date: 2019-04-18

Abstract

A protection system (1) applicable to a moving system inserted in seating mechanisms of a sofa or armchair for moving the footrest of said sofa or armchair synchronously with the seat between a maximum retraction position and a maximum extension position, the system (1) comprising a fixed cover element (10) fixable to a side surface of the seat and a plurality of movable cover and protection elements (13, 14, 15) extending from the fixed cover element (10) to the footrest and following the movement of the moving system in the transition from the maximum extension to the maximum retraction of the footrest, and vice versa, wherein the movable cover and protection elements (13, 14, 15) are positioned one after the other and are each fixable to the moving system by means of fastening means (11), wherein the plurality of movable cover and protection elements (13, 14, 15) is configured to laterally cover the moving system in the maximum extension position of the footrest, in the maximum retraction position of the footrest, and in any intermediate position between these two positions, and wherein two consecutive movable cover and protection elements (13, 14; 14, 15), during the movement of the moving system, form at least one variable-size overlapping region (R1; R2), such that during the transition from the maximum extension position to the maximum retraction position, and vice versa, said overlapping region (R1; R2) avoids the formation of variable-size openings or cavities capable of closing and crushing or damaging a body positioned near said region (R1; R2).

Description

Protection system for armchairs and sofas

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a protection system applicable to a moving system inserted in the seating mechanisms of armchairs and sofas for moving the footrest of said armchairs or sofas synchronously with the seat. The present invention also relates to an armchair or a sofa provided with said protection system.

STATE OF THE ART

In the furniture sector, armchairs and/or sofas provided with a moving mechanism with lever systems coming out of the single seat for raising the footrest are extremely useful, allowing the legs of a seated person to stretch out. Almost always, the raising of the footrest is accompanied by the reclining of the back of the seat so as to ensure a lying or almost lying position of the seated person. A moving mechanism of this kind is usually operated either mechanically through a dedicated lever system by using a motor or manually. The lever system is represented by a sort of pantograph and connects the footrest to the rest of the mechanism mounted in the corresponding seat. When the footrest is fully lowered, i.e. when it is in a configuration that is approximately orthogonal to the seat, the pantograph system is fully retracted and the lever system elements are overlapped and packaged. On the other hand, when the footrest is fully raised, i.e. when it is in a configuration that is approximately parallel to the seat, the pantograph system is fully extended and the lever system elements are arranged in a maximum extension configuration. During the movement of the pantograph system in the transition from a maximum retraction configuration to a maximum extension configuration, and vice versa, regions or openings can form between the lever system elements, which by varying their size may cause the so-called "shearing effect". Such an effect can be extremely dangerous if a body is close to these regions or openings.

In fact, imagining the fingers or toes or the tail of a pet, these would inevitably be seriously wounded if inserted in the above-mentioned regions during the movement of the pantograph. Likewise, if the body placed between these regions or openings is an extremely rigid body, such as for example an iron or steel bar, the action of the pantograph would be blocked, possibly damaging the motor system connected thereto.

In addition, in the systems known in the literature, the configuration of the pantograph system is such as to create regions in which it is possible to directly touch the moving metal components.

In order to solve these problems, protection systems have been devised, which essentially consist of a side curtain cover descending from the footrest to the floor. However, such a solution is not able to effectively protect all types of bodies. In fact, if properly pushed towards the openings or regions formed by the lever elements, the body would still be damaged regardless of the presence of this type of protection .

Alternatively, systems are known which comprise a protective shielding element attached to a side surface of the seat. However, these types of systems are not able to shield and protect the entire region extending from the seat to the footrest throughout the movement of the pantograph, thus making the protective effect de facto limited to a single region of the pantograph system.

It is an object of the present invention to partially or completely overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks of the known systems and provide a protection system that is more efficient and functional.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Herein is provided a protection system and an armchair or sofa equipped with said system according to the independent claims .

The system according to the present invention is applicable to a moving system inserted in the seating mechanisms of a sofa or armchair for moving the footrest of said sofa or armchair synchronously with the seat between a maximum retraction position and a maximum extension position.

In this context, the seating mechanism of an armchair or sofa refers to the whole set of mechanical parts, some fixed and some movable, constituting inter alia the base, the seat, the back, the "lower" sides, the footrest and the pantograph lever system/set joining the footrest to the sides of the mechanism. In this case, the term seat is intended to mean the region of the sofa or armchair corresponding to the place where a person can sit.

The system comprises a fixed cover element that can be fastened to a side surface of the seat and a plurality of movable cover and protection elements extending from the fixed cover element to the footrest and following the movement of the moving system in the transition from the maximum extension position to the maximum retraction position of said footrest, and vice versa, wherein the movable cover and protection elements are positioned one after the other and are each fixable to the moving system by means of fastening means.

In particular, the plurality of movable cover and protection elements is configured to laterally cover the moving system in the maximum extension position of the footrest, in the maximum retraction position of the footrest, and in any intermediate position between these two positions. Specifically, two consecutive cover and protection elements, during the movement of the moving system, form at least one variable-size overlapping region, such that during the transition from the maximum extension position to the maximum retraction position, and vice versa, said overlapping region avoids the formation of variable-size openings or cavities capable of closing and crushing or damaging a body positioned near said region.

In this way, it is possible to effectively shield the moving system, thus avoiding the shearing effect and preventing access to the moving metal components over the entire region between the seat and the footrest and throughout the movement process of the moving system. In fact, considering said moving system as a pantograph lever system, the variable-size regions or openings formed by the lever system elements are protected and shielded by the movable cover and protection elements. Advantageously, said movable cover and protection elements are fixed to some parts of the moving system and follow the movement of this system in order to carry out their protective function constantly throughout the movement of the moving system. In addition, the movable cover and protection elements are configured such as to prevent them from forming regions or openings, for example crescent-shaped regions or openings, capable of closing like shears and interfering with one another and with the rest of the mechanical parts of the mechanism, thus ensuring synchronous movement of the parts. Therefore, should any body happen to be near these movable cover and protection elements, at any stage of the movement process of the moving system, it would be sufficiently protected from the risk of damage. These cover and protection elements, in fact, prevent access to any dangerous regions with moving levers. Ultimately, the movable cover and protection elements are shaped and arranged in reciprocal positions such that, in the context of a multilayer lever system of the (pantograph) moving system, the synchronous movement of this plurality of elements ensures the function of avoiding simple contact with moving mechanical components, with no interference with each other. The fixed cover element is a protection element that does not follow the movement of the moving system. This element is applied and anchored at the side of the seat by suitable means such as for example staples for U-shaped staplers and/or nails and/or rivets.

The cover and protection elements are referred to as movable because, by following the movement of the moving system, they can move relative to the seat of the sofa or armchair. The movable cover and protection elements represent shields and may be variable in number. Depending on the structure of the moving system, these elements may be two, three, four, five, or even more. It should be noted that each movable cover and protection element is independent of and isolated from the adjacent elements.

In one embodiment of the system according to the present invention, during the movement of the moving system, each movable cover and protection element rotates relative to the adjacent cover element, whether it is another movable cover and protection element or the fixed cover element. In this way, the movable cover and protection elements can follow the movement of the moving system, thereby covering at all times each potentially dangerous region of the elements of the pantograph lever system.

In one embodiment of the system according to the present invention, which can be combined with any preceding embodiment, each movable cover and protection element has an oblong shape bevelled at the corners. The fixed cover element, which can be fastened to the seat, has also an oblong shape bevelled at the corners. In particular, these elements can take a shape similar to the contour of a human ear. Thanks to this particular shape, sharp-edged areas and potentially dangerous regions in which a body could remain stuck are avoided.

Advantageously, the movable cover and protection elements have an average length comprised between 15 and 30 cm and a thickness comprised between 1 mm and 3 mm, depending on the type of material used.

In another embodiment of the system according to the present invention which can be combined with any preceding embodiment, the fastening means for connecting the movable cover and protection elements to the moving system are metal rivets, hooks, screws, bolts, slots and slits on the structure of the cover and protection (or shield) elements or means that perform similar functions. The number of fastening means ranges from one to four for each movable cover and protection element.

In a further embodiment of the system according to the present invention which can be combined with any preceding embodiment, during the movement of the moving system, the movable cover and protection elements slide one over the other without getting stuck together and without getting caught up with all the levers and elements constituting the mechanism as a whole, and in particular with the pantograph moving system.

The particular sliding configuration of the movable cover and protection elements induces maximum efficiency in the protection of potentially dangerous regions due to the "shearing effect" since it allows a continuous side covering of the pantograph system through a fluid movement that follows the natural extension and retraction movements of the footrest .

In one embodiment of the system according to the present invention which can be combined with any preceding embodiment, in the maximum retraction position of the footrest, the overlapping region between the movable cover and protection elements has the maximum size. In this way, when the footrest is fully lowered, the movable cover and protection elements are arranged in a lateral region of the armchair or sofa, occupying as little space as possible . In one embodiment of the system according to the present invention which can be combined with any preceding embodiment, the movable cover and protection elements are made of a rigid or semi-rigid material. Preferably, these elements can be made of soft plastic material to reduce any residual risks at all times and in all cases.

In another embodiment of the system according to the present invention which can be combined with any preceding embodiment, at least one movable cover and protection element includes at least one slit at an edge region to facilitate the connection between one element and the next, and that to the pantograph system. In this way, it is possible to override any occurring lever and/or hook to it. The armchair or sofa according to the present invention is provided with a moving system inserted in the seating mechanisms of said armchair or sofa. This moving system is configured to come out of the seat, moving the footrest between a maximum retraction position and a maximum extension position. In particular, the armchair or sofa comprises a protection system according to any one of the preceding embodiments.

These and other aspects of the present invention will become more apparent in the light of the following description of some preferred embodiments described below.

Figures la-e show a schematic representation of the system according to the present invention in a fully retracted configuration (a) , a first intermediate configuration (b) , a second intermediate configuration (c) , an extended configuration (d) and a fully extended configuration (e) ; and

Figures 2a-d show the fixed cover element (a) and three movable cover and protection elements (b-d) .

Figures la-le show a side view of the system 1 according to the present invention applied to an armchair or sofa. In particular, Figure la shows the system 1 when the footrest (not shown in the figure) is in a maximum retraction position. In this case, the footrest is oriented orthogonal to the seat. In fact, the element 6 in contact with the footrest is orthogonal to the longest side of the lateral structure 5 of the sofa or armchair.

The armchair (or sofa) comprises a seating mechanism (partially shown in the figure with the reference number 4) including a pantograph moving system (not shown in the figure) between the footrest and the seat, which allows the footrest to come out of its maximum retraction position until orienting parallel to the seat. From Figure la it can be seen that the system 1 comprises a fixed cover element 10 fixed to a lateral region of the armchair (or sofa) . In this position, the movable cover and protection elements 13, 14, 15 are fully inserted in the lateral region of the armchair in the vicinity of the fixed cover element and are therefore not visible .

Figures lb and lc show that in an intermediate movement stage of the pantograph moving system, the movable cover and protection elements 13, 14, 15 begin to be visible and extend from the fixed cover element 10 to the footrest, i.e. to the element 6 in contact with the footrest. The movable cover and protection elements 13, 14, 15 are three and are fixed to the pantograph moving system by fastening means 11, and are positioned one after the other. Lastly, Figures Id and le show the system in the maximum extension position of the pantograph moving system. Specifically, Figure le shows the configuration in which the whole seating mechanism 4 is moved forward. Accordingly, the set of movable cover and protection elements 13, 14, 15 is also in its maximum extension.

Observing both Figure la and Figures lb-le it is noted that in any case the movable cover and protection elements 13, 14, 15 cover the pantograph moving system in the area between the seat and the footrest, preventing access to regions and openings formed by elements of the pantograph lever system that are potentially dangerous due to the so-called "shearing effect", and preventing direct contact with the moving metal components .

Moreover, it is noted that two successive movable cover and protection elements, for example 13 and 14 or 14 and 15, form at least one variable-size overlapping region Rl, R2 during the movement of the moving system. The configuration of the movable cover and protection elements and the overlapping regions is such that during the transition from the maximum extension position to the maximum retraction position, and vice versa, this region not only avoids the formation of variable-size, crescent-shaped openings or cavities, which by closing could trap a body positioned near said openings, but also avoids contact with moving metal components and minimizes the risk of penetration of foreign bodies between the levers or within the mechanism. Of course, the same effect is also encountered in overlapping regions formed between the fixed cover element 10 and the neighbouring movable cover and protection element 13.

Figure 2a shows the fixed cover element 10 in detail. This takes roughly the shape of a trapezium with rounded corners at the smaller base and is fixable to the lateral region of the armchair, with the larger base facing upwards.

On the other hand, Figures 2b, 2c, and 2d show the movable cover and protection elements 13, 14 and 15 in detail. In particular, Figure 2b shows the rear protection 13 positioned at the fixed cover element 10. Figure 2d shows the front protection 15 or footboard protection positioned at the footrest 3. Lastly, Figure 2c shows the intermediate protection 14 positioned between the front protection 15 and the rear protection 13.

Figures 2b, 2c and 2d show that the movable cover and protection elements 13, 14 and 15 have an oblong shape with rounded corners. In the case of the front 15 and rear 13 protections, one or more slits (or grooves) 16 are positioned in a region of the edge of these elements. Moreover, it can be seen that the movable cover and protection elements 13, 14 and 15 include two holes 17 for fixing to the pantograph moving system by fastening means 11.

A person skilled in the art, in order to meet further and contingent requirements, may effect several further modifications and variations to the system described above, all however comprised within the scope of protection of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A protection system (1) applicable to a moving system inserted in seating mechanisms (4) of a sofa or armchair for moving the footrest of said sofa or armchair synchronously with the seat between a maximum retraction position and a maximum extension position, the system (1) comprising: a fixed cover element (10) fixable to a side surface of the seat and a plurality of movable cover and protection elements (13, 14, 15) extending from the fixed cover element (10) to the footrest and following the movement of the moving system in the transition from the maximum extension to the maximum retraction of the footrest, and vice versa, wherein the movable cover and protection elements (13, 14, 15) are positioned one after the other and are each fixable to the moving system by means of fastening means (11), wherein the plurality of movable cover and protection elements (13, 14, 15) is configured to laterally cover the moving system in the maximum extension position of the footrest, in the maximum retraction position of the footrest, and in any intermediate position between these two positions, and wherein two consecutive movable cover and protection elements (13, 14; 14, 15), during the movement of the moving system, form at least one variable-size overlapping region (Rl; R2), such that during the transition from the maximum extension position to the maximum retraction position, and vice versa, said overlapping region (Rl; R2) avoids the formation of variable-size openings or cavities capable of closing and crushing or damaging a body positioned near said region (Rl; R2) .

2. The system (1) according to claim 1, wherein during the movement of the moving system, each movable cover and protection element (13, 14, 15) is rotatable or pivotable relative to the adjacent cover and protection element (13, 14, 15) .

3. The system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each movable cover and protection element (13, 14, 15) has an oblong shape bevelled at the corners.

4. The system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the moving system is a pantograph lever system.

5. The system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fastening means (11) are metal rivets or other means having a similar function.

6. The system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein during the movement of the moving system, the movable cover and protection elements (13, 14, 15) are slidable one over the other without getting stuck together and without getting caught up with the levers, the metal components of the mechanism and all the elements of the seat.

7. The system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein in the maximum retraction position of the footrest, the overlapping region (Rl; R2) between the cover and protection elements (13, 14, 15) has the maximum size.

8. The system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the movable cover and protection elements (13, 14, 15) are made of plastic material, the material being as soft and flexible as possible in areas where the probability of interference/collision is maximum, and rigid or semi-rigid elsewhere.

9. The system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein one or more movable cover and protection elements (13, 15) may include one or more slits (16) at an edge region in order to override a lever and/or hook to it.

10. An armchair or sofa equipped with a moving system inserted in the seating mechanisms (4) of said armchair or said sofa comprising a protection system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.