seat comprising a backrest and a seat which automatically rise to a vertical position.

Abstract

Title: seat with a backrest and a seat that automatically rises to a vertical position. The invention relates to a seat (1) intended to be placed outdoors, comprising at least one leg (4), a seat (3) and a backrest (2) fixed to at least one upright (6), the seat being mounted on at least one straight support (9) extending towards the rear of the seat by a pivot element (11), each upright comprising in the lower part at least one blade (8) pierced with a hole receiving the axis of the pivot element, the seat pivoting around said axis of rotation to take a first substantially horizontal position allowing a person to sit on the seat and a second position for which the plane of the seat is substantially vertical, characterized in that the seat further has a return means (12; 20; (30, 31, 32, 35), 40) raising the seat and holding it in the second position when no weight is exerted on the top of the seat (3). Abstract figure: Fig. 1

Description

Title of the invention: seat comprising a backrest and a seat which rises to a vertical position automatically.

[0001] 1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The invention relates to a seat having a seat and a backrest and intended to be placed outdoors. The invention relates more particularly to the fact that the seat is mobile and automatically places itself in a vertical position when the person sitting on the seat stands up.

[0003] 2. TECHNOLOGICAL BACKGROUND

[0004] The field of the invention is that of seats intended to be placed outdoors, in parks for example, or any public place usually frequented by pedestrians. This equipment comprises one leg, or two legs or more, a substantially horizontal seat, a substantially vertical backrest, and optionally two armrests on each side. Being placed outdoors, this equipment must be weatherproof, such as rain, snow and wind. Therefore, this equipment is preferably made of metal (steel, iron, cast iron, aluminum, etc.) covered with a protection (paint for example), or of plastic (Polyvinyl Chloride or PVC for short, for example) or composite with a metal frame and a wooden seat and backrest.These devices are fixed to the ground by concrete blocks for example, or placed on hard, horizontal ground. In this case, they must be heavy enough to be stable and not fly away in the wind.

[0005] To facilitate transport and installation, these devices are made up of hollow elements while maintaining minimal rigidity to support the weight of seated persons.

[0006] It is known that, to avoid the accumulation of snow or rainwater, the seat is pivotally mounted and can be placed in a vertical position. In this position, rain and snow slide off the surface and fall to the ground. The user takes care after getting up from the seat to raise the seat. Subsequent users must then lower the seat before sitting down, but it is then dry and free of snow.

[0007] A first problem arises when the user forgets to raise the seat, which therefore remains unprotected from the weather.

[0008] Another problem to be solved is the fact that the seats can serve as perches for birds and receive droppings from these animals. Even in an upright position, birds can land on the upper edge of the seat and droppings can stick to its surface as they fall.

[0009] There is therefore a real need to improve existing seats or benches for make it more comfortable for users and cleaner, so that at least the seat does not remain wet for long and is not soiled by the droppings of birds that come to land on it.

[0010] 3. OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The present invention therefore aims to resolve as best as possible the drawbacks listed above, to provide a type of seat which limits as much as possible the adhesion of rain, snow or droppings from birds which come to land on it.

[0012] 4. PRESENTATION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The invention relates to a seat intended to be placed outdoors comprising at least one leg, a seat and a backrest fixed to at least one upright, the seat being mounted on at least one straight support extending towards the rear of the seat by a pivot element, each upright comprising in the lower part a blade pierced with a hole receiving the axis of the pivot element, the seat pivoting around said axis of rotation to take a first substantially horizontal position allowing a person to sit on the seat and a second position for which the plane of the seat is substantially vertical, characterized in that the seat further has a return means raising the seat and holding it in the second position when no weight is exerted on the top of the seat.

[0014] In this way, the seat comes into an upright position when a seated person stands up.

[0015] According to a first improvement, the seat in a vertical position is placed below the backrest, the planes of the seat and the backrest then merging. In this way, the backrest protects the seat from above and birds do not come and land on it.

[0016] According to another improvement, the backrest and the seat each comprise at least two horizontal slats spaced apart by the same distance, the distance between the highest slat of the seat in the vertical position and the lowest slat of the backrest being the same as the distances between the slats of the seat and the seat slats. In this way, the seat with its seat raised offers a beautiful visual effect, it appears as a wall of horizontal and regularly spaced slats.

[0017] According to another improvement, the support extends towards the rear of the seat and on the other side of the axis of the pivot element by a straight wing, a counterweight provided with a mass being fixed to the end of said wing. In this way, the return means is very simple and has high reliability.

[0018] According to another embodiment variant, the support extends towards the rear of the seat and on the other side of the axis of the pivot element by a straight wing, the return means consists of at least one straight spring, one end of which is connected to the end of said wing and the other end is connected to the foot of the seat. In this way,

[0019] According to another variant embodiment, the support extends towards the rear of the seat and on the other side of the axis of the pivot element by a straight wing, the return means consists of a sliding electric jack, one end of which is connected to the end of said wing and the other end is connected to the upright of the seat, the control of said electric jack to raise the seat to a vertical position being triggered when a user gets up from the seat. In this way, the raising of the seat is perfectly automatic.

[0020] According to another improvement, the wing and the support form an angle of 45 degrees + / - 10 degrees. In this way, the support protrudes less at the rear of the seat when the seat is horizontal or vertical.

[0021] According to another embodiment, the return means comprises a cable surrounding at least one pulley, one end of said cable being fixed to a weight and the other end of said cable is connected to the right support at a determined distance from the pivot element on the other side of the part of the seat intended for sitting. In this way, the raising of the seat is perfectly automatic, and the force can easily be adjusted by changing the weight.

[0022] According to another embodiment, the return means consists of a helical spring, one end of which is fixed to the seat and the other to the foot or upright of the bench. In this way, the return means takes up little space.

[0023] According to another improvement, the return means is housed in a housing formed by the interior of the upright and / or the foot. In this way, the return means is perfectly protected from the weather.

[0024] 5. DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0025] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the following description, given as an indicative and non-limiting example and the appended drawings, in which:

[0026] -[Fig.l]: [Fig.l] shows a diagram of a seat seen in profile, with the seat horizontal, according to a preferred example of embodiment of the invention.

[0027] -[Fig.2]: [Fig.2] represents a diagram of a seat seen in profile with the seat at the vertical, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

[0028] -[Fig.3]: [Fig.3] represents a diagram of a seat seen from the front with the seat in a vertical position, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

[0029] -[Fig.4]: [Fig.4] describes a diagram of a seat seen in profile with the seat in position vertical, according to another exemplary embodiment of the invention, in which the return means is a jack.

[0030] -[Fig.5]: [Fig.5] describes a diagram of a seat seen in profile with the seat in a horizontal position in which the jack is housed in the upright.

[0031] -[Fig.6]: [Fig.6] describes a diagram of the same seat seen in profile with the seat in vertical position in which the jack is housed in the upright.

[0032] -[Fig.7]: [Fig.7] describes a diagram of a seat seen in profile, according to another example embodiment of the invention, in which the return means comprises pulleys and a cable.

[0033] -[Fig.8]: [Fig.8] describes a diagram of a seat seen in profile, according to another exemplary embodiment of the invention, in which the return means comprises an electric jack

[0034] 6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT

[0035] 6.1 General principle

[0036] The invention relates to a seat intended to be placed outdoors comprising at least one leg, a seat and a backrest fixed to at least one upright, the seat being mounted on at least one straight support extending towards the rear of the seat by a pivot element. Each upright comprises in the lower part a blade pierced with a hole receiving the axis of the pivot element, the seat pivoting around said axis of rotation to take a first substantially horizontal position allowing a person to sit on the seat and a second position for which the plane of the seat is substantially vertical. The seat further has a return means raising the seat and maintaining it in the second position when the person stands up and generally when no weight is exerted on the top of the seat.This way, the seat is automatically raised when a seated person gets up, thus preventing rain, snow or animal droppings from soiling the top.

[0037] 6.2. Preferred embodiment

[0038] [Fig.l] shows a diagram of a seat according to the invention, seen in profile and with the seat horizontally, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. The seat 1 typically comprises a backrest 2, a seat 3 and at least one leg 4, preferably two legs. There are also seats with four legs and armrests, placed in a public place; they are referred to more as benches. The backrest 2 is a substantially vertical flat surface to support the back of a person sitting on the seat. The backrest is composed, for example, of at least two elongated slats 5 parallel to each other and spaced apart by a determined distance, 2 centimeters for slats 8 centimeters wide, these figures being given for information purposes only. The slats are fixed to straight uprights 6 which extend downwards to form the legs 4.The feet are sealed to the ground by screws or embedded in a concrete sole 7 for example, to give the seat 1 perfect stability. Alternatively, the feet 4 slide in tubes sealed in the sole, the inner surface of which matches the outer surface of the foot with a slight clearance. According to this variant, the seat 1 can easily be removed from the place where it is used, by lifting it vertically, for winter storage or for maintenance. Vertical blades 8 located at . the intersection of the legs and the uprights extend towards the front of the seat and are pierced with a hole approximately in the center which receives an axis used for the connection with the seat 3. These slats 8 have a height of approximately 8 centimeters and advance 8 centimeters beyond the upright 6. The seat 3 is a flat surface fixed on two straight supports 9 extending towards the rear to make the connection with the vertical slats 8. In the position illustrated by the figure, the plane of the seat can vary by 5 degrees around a perfect horizontality. The seat is for example made up of at least two elongated slats 10 spaced apart by a determined spacing, fixed at right angles to the two straight supports 9. Advantageously, the slats 10 of the seat 3 have the same dimensions and the same appearance as the slats 5 of the backrest 2, and they are spaced apart by the same spacing

[0039] According to the invention, the seat 3 pivots around an axis of rotation passing through the blades 8. The seat is provided with at least one pivot element 11, preferably two, which consists of a hole passing through the support 9 of the seat, the hole in the center of the blades 8 and a cylindrical rod slid into these two holes. In the example illustrated by [Fig.l], the seat 1 has two uprights 5 and therefore two pivot elements 11 on each side, the axes of the two cylindrical rods being advantageously coincident. The supports 9 of the seat extend towards the rear of the seat 1, beyond the pivot element to form a counterweight provided at the end with a mass 12 of a determined weight. The mass of the counterweight generates by gravity a downward force which drives the seat 3 in rotation and raises it to a vertical position as shown by the arrow in [Fig.l].The weight of the mass is calculated to keep the seat in an upright position and allow it to be easily tilted before sitting down.

[0040] The uprights, feet, slats and supports are made of metal, preferably metallic (steel, iron, cast iron, aluminum, etc.) covered with a protection (paint for example), or made of a material having great rigidity. The slats 5 and 10 can be made of plastic that is more flexible than metal, made of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC for short) for example, or of wood, which offers greater comfort for the seated person.

[0041] [Fig. 2] represents a diagram of a seat seen in profile with the seat vertically, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. This figure represents the state of the seat 1 when a person gets up from the seat 3, the latter pivots automatically with the aid of the counterweight and the mass 12. In this position, rain or snow cannot settle on the top of the slats 10 of the seat and wet them. In the position illustrated by the figure, the plane of the seat can vary by 5 degrees around a perfect verticality.

[0042] At the end of the seat raising, the slats 10 come into abutment against the vertical uprights 6. The planes of the seat 3 and the backrest 2, represented by a vertical line dotted lines are thus merged. In this way, the slats 10 of the seat are perfectly below the slats 5 of the backrest 3, preventing birds from landing anywhere on the seat 3, and thus preventing them from being soiled by their droppings.

[0043] It can be seen from this figure that at rest, the vertical occupation of the seat is very low, which allows a mower to move as close as possible to the feet and to mow the lawn at the location of the seat when it is used in a park. In addition, the volume occupied by the seat during delivery or storage is minimal.

[0044] [Fig. 3] shows a diagram of a seat 1 seen from the front with the seat in a vertical position, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. The seat (or more precisely the bench) is 0.90 meters high and 1.50 meters wide. In this position, we see the underside of the slats 10 of the seat 3 secured to each other by the straight supports 9, and the front of the slats 5 of the backrest 2. The distance between the upper edge of the highest slat of the seat and the lower edge of the lowest slat of the backrest having the same value as the spacing between the slats of the seat and the slats of the backrest. The similarity of the spacings between the slats when the seat is raised offers a beautiful visual effect. Indeed, seen from a distance, the seat appears as a wall of horizontal and regularly spaced slats.The number of two slats is given for information only, this number may vary and the number of slats in the backrest and that of the seat are not necessarily identical.

[0045] According to an alternative embodiment, to increase the solidity of the pivot element 11, the upright comprises two blades 8 parallel to each other and pierced with a hole, the support 9 is a vertical plate pierced with a hole which slides between the two blades 8, the three holes are aligned and receive the axis of the pivot element.

[0046] According to an alternative embodiment, when the seat is very wide, its strength is increased by the addition of a central leg which has the same shape as the legs and uprights placed on each side of it. The seat also has a central support. According to this alternative and advantageously, the counterweight 12 is placed on the central support to make the forces symmetrical on each side of the seat.

[0047] [Fig. 4] describes a diagram of a seat seen in profile, according to another embodiment of the invention, in which the return means is a mechanical jack 20. One end of said jack 20 is connected to an upright 6 at the rear of the blade 8 by a stud 21 perpendicular to said blade. The other end of said jack 20 is connected by another stud 21 to the end of the support 9 in place of the mass 12 described in the first embodiment. When a person wants to sit on the seat, he lowers the seat 3 forward onto the seat, which has the effect of compressing the jack and accumulating potential energy there. When the person stands up, the jack releases its accumulated energy and extends, pushing the end of the support 9 forward. This movement pivots the seat, which rises and comes to a vertical position. The cylinder is of the spring or gas type, and at rest has its greatest length, its power is for example 400 newtons. Advantageously, the power of the cylinder is adjustable to adapt to more or less heavy seats, the aim being that the cylinder keeps it in a vertical position and that its power does not require a large horizontal tilting effort for the person who wants to sit down.

[0048] [Fig. 5] describes a diagram of a seat seen in profile with the seat in a horizontal position in which the jack is housed in the upright. In this embodiment, the upright 6 and the foot 4 are made of hollow metal tubes, of rectangular section for example. The jack 20 is placed vertically inside the upright 6 above the horizontal plane of the seat 3. The upper end of the jack is a ring in which a threaded rod 25 slides which passes through the upright on both sides and opens out on each side to receive nuts. The support 9 extends towards the rear of the seat by a wing 26 forming a bend at 45 degrees + / - 10 degrees relative to the direction of the support 9, the end of this wing is provided with a stud 27 for connection with the other end of the jack 20. The axis of the pivot element 11 is located at the intersection of the support 9 and the wing 26 extending it.The end of the support 9, the wing 26 and the pivot element 11 are located in a housing 28 forming a projection at the intersection of the upright 6 and the foot 4. The interior of said housing 28 is accessible by a cutout at the rear which is closed by a plate 29 held by screws. In this way, the installation of the jack 20 is easy and maintenance facilitated.

[0049] [Fig. 6] depicts a diagram of the same seat seen in profile with the seat in a vertical position in which the jack is housed in the upright. The seated person has stood up and the jack 20 has released its potential energy to take its maximum travel. The assembly formed by the support 9, the wing 26 and the pivot element 11a pivoted 90 degrees inside the housing 28. This assembly offers the advantage that certain moving parts and the return element are protected from the weather.

[0050] [Fig.7] describes a diagram of a seat seen in profile, according to another exemplary embodiment of the invention, in which the return means comprises pulleys and a cable. In this embodiment, the upright 6 and the foot 4 are made of hollow metal tubes, of rectangular section for example. The part of the pivot element 11 of the seat comprises a pulley 30 centered on the axis of rotation of the seat and secured to the support without being able to rotate. A cable 31 partly surrounds said pulley and heads towards a second pulley 32 located below the horizontal plane of the seat and in the foot 4. The cable 31 winds around the lower part of the second pulley and rises vertically towards a third pulley 33 housed in the upright 6. The axes of the two pulleys 32 and 33 consist of rods 34 threaded in its ends which open on each side of the upright and the foot to receive nuts fixing. The cable 31 is wound around the upper part of the third pulley 33 and falls back, ending in a loop to which a weight 35 of a few kilograms is attached. This weight pulls the cable 31 downwards by gravity and rotates the pulleys 32 and 33, which allows the seat to be raised when no one is sitting on it. The interior of the upright 6 and the foot 4 is open to access the pulley 32 in the lower part and the pulley 33 in the upper part, which allows an operator to access the cable, install it and possibly replace it if it breaks. The opening made by cutting at the rear of the upright and the foot is closed by a plate 36 held by screws.

[0051] According to an improvement, one of the pulleys 32 or 33 is provided with a brake to slow down the cable at the end of its travel and prevent the seat from striking the upright 6 too violently.

[0052] According to an alternative embodiment, there is a single pulley 32 and the weight 35 is housed in the foot 4.

[0053] [Fig.8] describes a diagram of a seat seen in profile, according to another embodiment of the invention, in which the return means comprises an electric jack. In this embodiment, the upright 6 and the foot 4 are made of hollow metal tubes, of rectangular section for example. The electric jack 40 is placed vertically inside the upright above the horizontal plane of the seat 3. The upper end of the jack 40 is a ring into which a threaded rod 41 is slipped, which passes through the upright on both sides and opens out on each side to receive nuts. The movable part of the jack is a rod which is extended at its end by an elongated metal loop 42, forming two semicircles at its ends and two straight elements connecting these semicircles. The support 9 is extended towards the rear of the seat by a metal wing 43 forming an elbow at approximately 45 degrees.The axis of the pivot element 11 is located at the intersection of the support 9 and the wing 43 extending it, the end of this wing is provided with a stud 44 which is housed in the loop 42. The stud 44 is free to move in the loop 42, the latter moves under the action of the jack 40 between a low position as shown in the figure and a high position. In the low position, the jack 40 exerts downward pressure on the wing 43 and forces the seat 3 to rise; in the high position, the seat can take any position. A force sensor detects the presence of a weight on the seat. As soon as this weight disappears, then an automation launches an operating cycle consisting of increasing the length of the jack 40 then decreasing it. When the piston extends, the loop 42 pushes the stud 44, raises the seat and brings the wing 43 into contact with a magnet 45.When the jack is contracted, the wing 43 is kept in contact with the magnet and the seat remains in the vertical position. As in the previous embodiments, the end of the support 9, the wing 43 and the jack 40 are located in a housing 28 forming a projection at the intersection of the upright 6 and the foot 4. Automation of the cycles pe . periodic actuation of the cylinder takes into account the fact of only starting the raising of the seat if the force sensor does not detect any weight on it.

[0054] Other electrical means can be used such as a motor whose rotor is secured to a circular plate whose plane is perpendicular to the axis of rotation and which is provided with a lug which raises the seat during rotation.

[0055] According to an alternative embodiment, not shown, the return means allowing the seat to be raised when no weight is exerted on it consists of a helical spring, one end of which is fixed to the support a few centimeters from the axis of rotation of the seat, the other end of which is secured either to the foot or to the upright of the seat and also a few centimeters from the axis of rotation of the seat. When a person exerts pressure on the seat and rotates it 90 degrees, the helical spring winds up, storing potential energy. When no more pressure keeps the seat in a horizontal position, the spring unwinds, releasing its stored energy and rotating the seat to place it vertically.The variant with a spring has the advantage that the torque to raise the seat is powerful at the beginning of the stroke and more flexible at the end of the stroke, which allows the movement to be slowed down and avoids too much shock when the seat comes up against the seat post. In this way, the moving parts are not overstressed and are less damaged by repeated shocks.

[0056] Although the present invention has been described with reference to the particular embodiments illustrated, it is in no way limited by these embodiments, but is limited only by the appended claims. It will be noted that changes or modifications to the description and the drawings may be made by those skilled in the art.

Claims

Claims

1. Seat (1) intended to be placed outdoors comprising at least one leg (4), a seat (3) and a backrest (2) fixed to at least one upright (6), the seat being mounted on at least one straight support (9) extending towards the rear of the seat by a pivot element (11), each upright comprising in the lower part at least one blade (8) pierced with a hole receiving the axis of the pivot element, the seat pivoting around said axis of rotation to take a first substantially horizontal position allowing a person to sit on the seat and a second position for which the plane of the seat is substantially vertical, characterized in that the seat further has a return means (12; 20; (30, 31, 32, 35), 40) raising the seat and holding it in the second position when no weight is exerted on the top of the seat (3).

2. Seat according to claim 1 characterized in that the seat (3) in the vertical position is placed below the backrest (2), the planes of the seat and the backrest then being merged.

3. Seat according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the backrest (2) and the seat (3) each comprise at least two horizontal slats (5, 10) spaced apart by the same distance, the distance between the highest slat of the seat in the vertical position and the lowest slat of the backrest being the same as the distances between the seat slats and the seat slats.

4. Seat according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support (9) extends towards the rear of the seat and on the other side of the axis of the pivot element by a straight wing, a counterweight provided with a mass (12) being fixed to the end of said wing.

5. Seat according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the support (9) extends towards the rear of the seat and on the other side of the axis of the pivot element by a straight wing (26), the return means consists of at least one straight spring (20) one end of which is connected to the end of said wing (26) and the other end is connected to the foot (4) of the seat.

6. Seat according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the support (9) extends towards the rear of the seat and on the other side of the axis of the pivot element by a straight wing (43), the return means consists of a sliding electric jack (40) one end of which is connected to the end of said wing (46) and the other end is connected to the upright (6) of the seat, the control of said electric cylinder (40) to raise the seat to a vertical position being triggered when a user gets up from the seat

7. Seat according to claim 4, 5 or 6, characterized in that the wing (26; 46) and the support form an angle of 45 degrees + / - 10 degrees.

8. Seat according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the return means comprises a cable (31) surrounding at least one pulley (32; 33), one end of said cable being fixed to a weight (35) and the other end of said cable is connected to the straight support (9) at a determined distance from the pivot element on the other side of the part of the seat (3) intended for sitting.

9. Seat according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the return means consists of a helical spring, one end of which is fixed to the seat (3) and the other to the foot (4) or to the upright (6) of the bench.

10. Seat according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the return means is housed in a housing (28) constituted by the interior of the upright (6) and / or the foot (4).

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