Reclining seat with concealed mechanism

Abstract

The present invention relates to a piece of seating furniture including a seat 12 with a seat body 4, pivotally supported at a back bottom end 11a of a back 11 at a rear part 12b of the seat 12 at a rotation point B. A seat front part 12a is supported in at least one longitudinally movable support element at a support point A, supported by a base portion 1. A back is pivotally supported in the base portion 1 in a rotation point back-bridge C at a position at a distance between the rotation point seat-back B and a back top end 11b. A back body 7, covering the rotation point back-bridge C, forms a part of the back 11.

Description

RECLINING SEAT WITH CONCEALED MECHANISMTechnical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a chair or a sofa with a reclining seat and a concealed reclining mechanism.Background Art

[0002] Reclining chairs are well known and are typically large chairs with an elaborate mechanism extending on under and / or the outside of the seat and the back of the chair.

[0003] It is a purpose of the present invention to provide a piece of seating furniture with a strict outline typically reassembling a seating furniture with a fixed relationship between the seat and the back, while at the same time have the functionality of a piece of seating furniture with a reclining function.

[0004] It is also a purpose of the present invention to provide a piece of seating furniture with a clean outline where the motion or inclination is controlled by a user leaning backwards or forwards.

[0005] KR 10-2199892B1 discloses a chair with two armrest frames disposed on top of two upright supporting boards. Rods are respectively mounted between the two upright supporting boards and the associated armrest frame. The back frame is pivotally connected to the two armrest frames and the chair seat. The back frame is be movable with respect to the seat and the arm rests to change the reclining angle.Summary of invention

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a piece of seating furniture including a seat with a seat body, pivotally supported at a back bottom end of a back at a rear part of the seat at a rotation point seat-back B. A seat front part is supported in at least one longitudinally movable support element at a support point A, supported by a base portion. A back is pivotally supported in the base portion in a rotation point back-bridge C at a position at a distance between therotation point seat-back B and a back top end. A back body, form a part of the back covering the rotation point back-bridge C.

[0007] The seat body forming a part of the seat, may cover the support point A of the longitudinally movable support.

[0008] The rotation point seat-back B between the back bottom end of the back and the rear part of the seat may be covered by at least one of: the seat body and the back body.

[0009] The longitudinally movable support element at the support point A may include at least one sliding guide forming a part of the base portion and a sliding device slidably fixed to the at least one sliding guide and pivotally supported in the support point A.

[0010] The seat front part may be fixed to the sliding device by a snap feature with a snap action securing the seat front part to the sliding device.

[0011] The seat body may be made of foam with a seat body recess.

[0012] The back body may be made of at least one of: foam with a back body recess, molded plastic, and wood.

[0013] The seat may furthermore include a seat frame inside the seat body, wherein the rotation point seat-back B at the rear part of the seat forms a part of the seat frame.

[0014] The back may furthermore include a back frame inside the back body. The rotation point seat-back B at the back bottom end of the back, and the rotation point back-bridge C at a position at a distance between the rotation point seat-back B and a back top end may form parts of the back frame.

[0015] The base may furthermore include a bridge, and the back may be pivotally supported in the bridge in the rotation point back-bridge C. The bridge may furthermore include the at least one tubular, parallel, forward, sliding guide.Short description of the drawings:

[0016] Fig. 1 is a side view of a chair according to the invention, in an upright position;

[0017] Fig. 2 is the chair of fig. 1 , partly cut through to show the internal components;

[0018] Fig. 3 is a top view of the chair of fig. 2, with the seat body and the back body partly removed;

[0019] Fig. 4 corresponds to fig. 2, showing the chair in a reclined position; and

[0020] Fig. 5 shows a detail of the chair.Detailed description of an embodiment of the invention with reference to the drawings:

[0021] Fig. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of a chair of the invention. The chair includes a back 11 and a seat 12 shown in an upright position. The internal reclining mechanism is covered and is not shown as the mechanism is embedded in a seat body 4 of the seat 12 and of a back body 7 of the back 11 . A base 1 is shown with four legs. A frame forming a bridge 3 forms a part of the base 1 and forms attachment points for the seat 12 and the back 11 .

[0022] Fig. 2 corresponds to fig. 4 and shows the chair in greater detail. The seat 12 includes the seat body 4 and a seat frame 5. The back 11 includes the back body 7 and a back frame 8. The seat body 4 and the back body 7 are typically made of foam or another formable material.

[0023] The base 1 with the legs of the chair and the bridge 3 form a frame. The bridge 3 includes a forwards directed, sliding guide 3a and two rear pivot points forming rotation point back-bridge C for a back frame 8. The back frame 8 is covered by the back body 7 formed by a back foam part with a back body recess 9 for the bridge 3. The rotation point back-bridge C for the back frame 8 is thus fixed in relation to the base 1 and the bridge 3. The back 11 incudes a bottom end 11a forming the bottom portion of the back 11 and a top end 11b forming the upper portion of the back 11 . The rotation point back-bridge C is located between rotation point B and top end of the back 11 b. The back body recess 9 for the bridge 3 is located between the rotation point back-bridge C and the bottom end 1 la.The back body recess 9 may be formed as one or several cavities inside the back body 7. Theback body 7 may thus be formed as a hollow shell with an inner cavity concealing the rotation point back-bridge C.

[0024] The bridge 3 thus includes two upwards extending elements 21 inside the back body recess 9 in the back 11 up to the rotation point back-bridge C. The two upwards extending elements 21 of the bridge 3 are provided with sufficient room in the back body recess 9 in both the upright and the reclining position of the back.

[0025] The back frame 8 covered with the back body 7 provides rigidity to the back 11 and a support for the two pivot points.

[0026] The rotation point back-bridge C is allowed to pivot due to two plain bearings between the back frame 8 and the bridge 3. Two brackets secured to the tubular back frame 8 provide attachment points for the two plain bearings. The back frame is bent backwards at the position of the rotation points C and the brackets to adapt the back frame 8 to a shape of the back body 7 to make the back body 7 comfortable for a back of a user.

[0027] A seat frame 5 covered by the seat body 4 formed in seat foam is movable in relation to the base 1 and the bridge 3. A sliding device 2 surrounding the tubular, parallel, forward, sliding guide 3a of the bridge 3 is pivotally secured to a forward part 12a of the seat 12. The sliding guide 3a is slanted upwards in a direction towards the forward part 12a of the seat 12. The chair may include several sliding guides 3a and sliding devices 2.

[0028] A rear part 12b of the seat 12 is pivotally secured to the bottom end 11a of the back 11 with the back frame 8 in rotation point seat-back B. The rotation point seat back B between the back frame 8 and the seat frame 5 includes two plain bearings.

[0029] The seat frame 5 is covered by the seat body 4. A seat body recess 6 for the bridge 3 in the seat body 4 allows the bridge 3 to move inside the seat body 4 while covering the bridge 3. The bridge 3 is not clearly visible during ordinary use of the chair. The seat 12 is allowed to move in relation to the bridge 3 as the recess 6 for the bridge 3 allows room for relative motion between the bridge 3 and the seat frame 5 with the seat foam forming the seat body 4.

[0030] Fig. 2 shows the back in the upright position and the seat 12 in its rearward position with the sliding device 2 in a lower and rearward position on the sliding guide 3a.

[0031] Fig 3 is a top view of the chair of fig. 2 with the seat body 4 and the back body 7 only outlined to show the internal components. The bridge 3 is located on the inside of the back frame 8 and the seat frame 5. The back frame 8 is U-shaped with two side portions joined with a top portion. Similarly, the seat frame 5, is U-shaped with two side portions joined with a front portion. A plain bearing 14B in each rotation point seat-back B allows the seat back frame 8 to pivot in relation to the seat frame 5. A plain bearing 15C in each rotation point back-bridge C allows the back frame 8 to pivot in relation to the bridge 3. A plain bearing 13A in each rotation point seat-bridge A allows the seat frame 5 to pivot in relation each sliding device 2 and thus in relation to the bridge 3. Sliding device 2 is secured to the U-shaped seat frame 5 with at least one rotation point.

[0032] Fig. 4 corresponds to fig. 2 but shows the internal reclining mechanism in a reclined position with the seat 12 moved forward in relation to the base and the back 11 at a slanting, reclined angle. The rotation point seat-back B has moved forward, moving the top of the back 11 b backwards, the seat 12 forwards, and the seat front 12a forwards and upwards. The sliding device 2 has moved along the tubular, forward, sliding guide 3a to a forward and lifted position, and the seat 12 to its most forward position. The front of the seat 12a is thus lifted as the seat is moved forward. All parts of the seat frame and the back frame are covered, concealed and hidden inside the seat foam forming the seat body 12 and the back foam forming the back body 11.

[0033] A thickness c of the lower part of the back body is sufficient to provide room for the back to move in relation to the two upwards extending elements 21 of the bridge 3. The thickness c ensures sufficient room for the recess 9 inside the back body 7.

[0034] The present invention is shown as a chair, but the invention may also be utilized on wider furniture such as a sofa or a bench.

[0035] The seat body and the back body are shown and described as seat foam and back foam but may not necessarily be made of foam and the invention may for instance be used for solutions with a molded shell.

[0036] Fig. 5 is a detailed sideview of the sliding device 2. The sliding device 2 is rotatably attached to the seat front support 13a in rotation point A. A snap feature 2a makes it possible to click the sliding device 2 to the seat front support 13a (Fig. 3).

[0037] A damper 16, attached on the sliding device 2 provides a soft stop function when it hits the stopper 10 in the upright position. The damper may include a resilient I soft material attenuating the impact between the stopper 10 and the sliding device 2.

Claims

CLAIMS1 . A piece of seating furniture comprising: a seat (12) with a seat body (4), pivotally supported at a back bottom end (11a) of a back (11 ) at a rear part (12b) of the seat (12) at a rotation point seat-back B; a seat front part (12a) supported in at least one longitudinally movable support element at a support point A, supported by a base portion (1), and wherein the back (11 ) is pivotally supported in the base portion (1 ) in a rotation point back-bridge C at a position at a distance between the rotation point seat-back B and a back top end (11 b); wherein a back body (7), forms a part of the back (11 ), covering the rotation point back-bridge C.

2. The piece of seating furniture of claim 1 , wherein the seat body (4), forming a part of the seat (12), covers the support point A of the longitudinally movable support.

3. The piece of seating furniture of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the rotation point seat- back B between the back bottom end (11 a) of the back (11 ) and the rear part (12b) of the seat (12) is covered by at least one of: the seat body (4) and the back body (7).

4. The piece of seating furniture of one of the claims 1-3, wherein the longitudinally movable support element at the support point A includes at least one sliding guide (3a) forming a part of the base portion (1 ) and a sliding device (2) slidably fixed to the at least one sliding guide (3a) and supported in the support point A.

5. The piece of seating furniture of claim 4, wherein the seat front part (12a) is supported in the sliding device (2) by a snap feature (2a) with a snap action securing the seat front part (12a) to the sliding device (2).

6. The piece of seating furniture of one of the claims 1-5, wherein the seat body (4) is made of foam with a seat body recess (6).

7. The piece of seating furniture of one of the claims 1-6, wherein the back body (7) is made of foam with a back body recess (9).

8. The piece of seating furniture of one of the claims 1 -7 wherein the seat (12) furthermore includes a seat frame (5) inside the seat body (4) and wherein the rotation point seat-back B at the rear part of the seat (12) forms a part of the seat frame (5).

9. The piece of seating furniture of one of the claims 1 -8, wherein the back (11 ) furthermore includes a back frame (8) inside the back body (7), and wherein the rotation point seat-back B at the back bottom end (11a) of the back (11), and the rotation point back-bridge C at a position at a distance between the rotation point seat-back B and a back top end (11 b), form a part of the back frame (8).

10. The piece of seating furniture of claim 4, wherein the base furthermore includes a bridge (3); wherein the back (11 ) is pivotally supported in the bridge (3) in the rotation point back-bridge C; and wherein the bridge (3) furthermore includes the at least one tubular, parallel, forward, sliding guide (3a).

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