IMPROVED CHAIR WITH HEADREST

Abstract

The invention relates to a chair (1) comprising: a structure (2) supporting a seat (3) and a backrest (4) configured to define a seating area (5); a headrest (6) associated with the backrest (4) by means of two articulation units (20) configured to allow rotation of the headrest (6) relative to the backrest (4). The headrest can be arranged in a functional configuration (a) in which it is arranged projecting from the upper part of the backrest (4), relative to which it is arranged at rest and with which it is aligned and substantially coplanar, and in a non-functional configuration (b) in which it is arranged substantially parallel to the backrest (4) and turned towards the backrest (4) on the opposite side of the seating area (5).Each joint unit (20) includes a cylindrical ring (10), rotationally associated with the upper part of the structure (4a) which delimits the backrest (4), and a projecting rod (9) belonging to the headrest (6), configured to be slidably inserted into a through opening (10a) which is in a corresponding cylindrical ring (10).

Description

[0001] The invention regards an improved chair provided with headrest.

[0002] Chairs provided with headrest in which the presence of the headrest makes sitting particularly comfortable and relaxing are known and widely available in the market. For instance, a chair of this type is known from GB2132479 A. This is the reason why chairs with headrest are most commonly used in the outdoor furnishing industry, particularly gardens, swimming pools, cafeterias and the like.

[0003] The headrest is usually stably fixed to the upper part of the backrest and this constitutes a limitation to the use of the chair in all cases where the user intends to use it without the headrest.

[0004] Thus, chairs in which the headrest is fixed to the backrest through removable connection means that make it detachable are available in the market.

[0005] Thus, the user may apply or remove the headrest from the chair at will. However, the chairs provided with removable headrest reveal the known drawback lying in that, when the headrest is demounted from the respective chair, it should be kept so as to be immediately available when needed.

[0006] In addition, another drawback lies in the fact that, when the headrest is demounted, it may be easily lost.

[0007] Last but not least, another drawback lies in the fact that, in case of loss of the headrest, the respective chair remains incomplete and disjointed with respect to any other chairs.

[0008] The present invention aims at overcoming the aforementioned drawbacks.

[0009] In particular one of the objects of the invention is to provide a chair that can be transformed from a chair with headrest to a chair without headrest and vice versa, without having to install and remove the headrest from the chair. Another object of the invention lies in the transformation of the chair that can be carried out in a quick manner with respect to the known chairs provided with removable headrest.

[0010] Last but not least, another object of the invention lies in reducing the possibility that the headrest be lost.

[0011] The objects above are attained by a chair having the characteristics described in the main claim to which reference shall be made.

[0012] Other characteristics of the chair of the invention are described in the dependent claims.

[0013] Advantageously the chair of the invention is more functional with respect to chairs of the known type equivalent thereto.

[0014] The aforementioned objects shall be more apparent from the description of a preferred embodiment of the chair of the invention outlined hereinafter by way of non-limiting example with reference to the attached drawings, wherein: figs. 1 and 2 represent two different axonometric views of the chair of the invention; figs. 3 to 12 represent details of figs. 1 and 2 in different operating positions and in different views.

[0015] The chair of the invention is represented in two axonometric views in figs. 1 and 2 where it is indicated in its entirety with 1 .

[0016] It should be observed that it comprises a framework 2 supporting a seating plane 3 and a backrest 4 which are configured to define a seating area 5 . According to the invention, the chair 1 comprises a headrest 6 associated to the backrest 4 through at least one hinge unit 20 configured to allow the rotation of the headrest 6 with respect to the backrest 4 .

[0017] Regarding the headrest 6 the following configurations are defined: an operating configuration A visible in figs. 1 and 2 and in detail in fig. 3 in which the headrest 6 is arranged projecting from the upper part of the backrest 4 with respect to which it is arranged - resting thereon - and with respect to which it is aligned and substantially coplanar; an inoperative configuration B visible in particular in the detail figures 6 and 7 in which the headrest 6 is arranged substantially parallel to and facing the backrest 4 on the opposite side of the seating area 5 . According to the invention, the chair 1 comprises two hinge units 20, each of which comprises a cylindrical bushing 10 rotatably associated to the upper part of the frame 4a which delimits the backrest 4 and a projecting rod 9 belonging to the headrest 6, configured to be slidably inserted in a through opening 10a present in the cylindrical bushing 10.

[0018] It should be observed, in particular in fig. 9 and in fig. 10, that each cylindrical bushing 10 is provided with end pins 10b which are configured to rotatably connect it to the frame 4c of the backrest 4 .

[0019] The chair 1 also comprises means for constraining the headrest 6 to the backrest 4 in both configurations A and B , respectively operative and inoperative, described previously.

[0020] In particular there are identified first means, indicated in their entirety with 7 , for constraining the headrest 6 to the backrest 4 in the operating configuration A and second means, indicated in their entirety with 8, for constraining the headrest 6 to the backrest 4 in the inoperative configuration B .

[0021] The first constraint means 7 are particularly observed in figs. 4, 5 and 10 and comprise two abutment reliefs 7a spaced from each other and projecting from the backrest 4 on the opposite side of the seating area 5 , which are configured to receive - resting thereon - the two rods 9 projecting from the headrest 6, as observed in figures 1 to 3 and 9.

[0022] In addition, each projecting rod 9 is provided with a recess 9a visible in figs. 3, 9, 10 and 11, which is configured to receive a corresponding one of the aforementioned abutment reliefs 7a when the headrest 6 is arranged in the inoperative configuration B visible in figs. 6 and 7.

[0023] As regards the second constraint means 8, figs. 5, 7 and 8 show that they comprise a projecting relief 8a belonging to the framework 2 and arranged on the opposite side with respect to the seating area 5 and a shaped seat 8b which is obtained in the headrest 6 .

[0024] The projecting relief 8a and the shaped seat 8b are configured to be mutually snap-coupled.

[0025] In addition, the presence of a safety cap 12 which can be removably associated to each projecting rod 9 at the end thereof through joining means 13 is observed, in particular in figures 9 to 12.

[0026] In particular, figs. 3 and 12 show that the safety cap 12 has a perimeter extension greater than that of the perimeter edge of the end of the respective projecting rod 9 so that the perimeter edge 12a thereof perimetrally projects from the end of the projecting rod 9 when the safety cap 12 and the projecting rod 9 are coupled to each other.

[0027] Thus, the perimeter edge 12a which projects from the perimeter edge of the end of the projecting rod 9 hinders the slipping off of the projecting rod 9 from the through opening 10a of the cylindrical bushing 10 and hinders the separation of the headrest 6 from the backrest 4, as better clarified hereinafter. As regards the means 13 for joining each safety cap 12 to the projecting rod 9, they comprise a male body 14 belonging to the safety cap 12 and a female seat 15 belonging to the end of the projecting rod 9, which have sections that can be joined to each other and shaped according to a configuration essentially similar to the shape of a locking hole 16 observable in figs. 11 and 12.

[0028] Operatively, the headrest 6 is coupled to the backrest 4 by inserting the projecting rods 9 it is provided with through the through openings 10a present in each respective cylindrical bushing 10 .

[0029] After the insertion, a respective safety cap 12 is coupled to the end of each projecting rod 9 mutually joining them through the joining means 13 .

[0030] This allows obtaining the configuration observable in figures 1 to 3.

[0031] It should be observed that the locking hole 16 configuration of the joining means 13 allows coupling and decoupling thereof only through the translation movement according to a direction X orthogonal to the longitudinal axis Y of each projecting rod 9 , as observable in figs. 9 and 10.

[0032] The removal of the cap 12 may thus only be carried out intentionally by the operator and thus avoiding the danger of inadvertent separation of the safety cap 12 from the respective projecting rod 9 .

[0033] After the coupling of the safety caps 12 , the headrest 6 is arranged in the operating position A represented in figs. 1 and 2 and in fig. 3, resting on the frame 4a of the backrest 4 and the projecting rods 9 being arranged opposed against the abutment reliefs 7a which represent the first constraint means 7 .

[0034] In this position, the headrest serves the function of supporting the head of a seated person.

[0035] Should the user not wish to use the headrest, it is sufficient that the latter be lifted from the frame 4a of the backrest 4 , as observable in fig. 4, and be rotated clockwise as observable in fig. 5, up to arranging it in the configuration of fig. 6.

[0036] It should be observed that the rotation of the headrest 6 shown in fig. 5 is allowed by the presence of the cylindrical bushings 10 which rotate with respect to the frame 4a of the backrest through the end pins 10b .

[0037] In addition, during the lifting of the headrest 6 , observable in fig. 4, and its subsequent arrangement in the configuration observable in fig. 6, the presence of the safety caps 12 prevents the projecting rods 9 from slipping off from the through openings 10a of the respective cylindrical bushings 10 due to an excessive inadvertent lifting of the headrest 6 with respect to the backrest 4 by the user, or due to gravity when the headrest is arranged in the inoperative configuration B .

[0038] In addition, in the inoperative configuration B represented in fig. 6, the headrest is constrained to the backrest 4 by the second constraint means 8 which are observed in the detail of figs. 7 and 8 and which, as mentioned, comprise the projecting relief 8a belonging to the framework 2 which is snap-coupled in a shaped seat 8b obtained in the headrest 6 .

[0039] Obviously if the user intends to arrange the headrest 6 in the operating position A represented in figs. 1 and 2 again, it is sufficient to lift the headrest 6 from the inoperative configuration B represented in figs. 7 and 8 so as to release the shaped seat 8b of the headrest 6 from the projecting relief 8a of the framework 2 and then rotate it in the anticlockwise direction, opposite to the direction represented in fig. 5.

[0040] When the headrest 6 is in vertical position, it is arranged in the operating configuration represented in fig. 3 resting on the frame 4a of the backrest 4 , with the projecting rods 9 resting on the abutment reliefs 7a which constitute the previously mentioned first constraint means 7 .

[0041] According to the information above, it is clear that the chair of the invention attains all objects of the patent.

[0042] In particular, the invention allows attaining a chair in which the headrest may be arranged in raised operating position and parallel to the backrest or folded in an inoperative position at the user's will, so as to allow the use of the chair without the headrest.

[0043] The headrest is thus always associated to the chair and this hinders the headrest from being lost as it occurs in chairs of the known type provided with removable headrest which is more subject to being lost.

[0044] Lastly, the transformation of the chair with headrest from the operating position to the inoperative position and vice versa may be carried out in a few seconds and with extremely simple manoeuvres that can be carried out by any one. During construction, the improved chair of the invention may be subjected to modifications and / or variants not represented in the attached drawings and not described in the text.

[0045] It should be observed that should these variants and / or modifications fall within the scope of protection of the claims that follow, they shall be deemed protected by the present patent.

[0046] Should the technical characteristics indicated in the claims be followed by reference signs, the latter are present solely with the aim of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and, thus, these reference signs have no limiting effect on the scope of protection of the element subject of identification by way of example.

Claims

1. Chair (1) comprising: - a framework (2) supporting a seating plane (3) and a backrest (4) configured to define a seating area (5); - a headrest (6) associated to said backrest (4) through at least one hinge unit (20) configured to allow the rotation of said headrest (6) with respect to said backrest (4) and to define: - an operating configuration (A) wherein said headrest (6) is arranged projecting from the upper part of said backrest (4) with respect to which it is arranged resting and with respect to which it is aligned and substantially coplanar; - an inoperative configuration (B) wherein said headrest (6) is arranged substantially parallel to and facing said backrest (4) on the opposite side of said seating area (5), characterised in that said hinge unit (20) comprises at least one cylindrical bushing (10) rotatably associated to the upper part of the frame (4a) which delimits said backrest (4) and at least one projecting rod (9) belonging to said headrest (6) configured to be slidably inserted in a through opening (10a) present in a corresponding cylindrical bushing (10).

2. Chair (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises: - first constraint means (7) of said headrest (6) with respect to said backrest (4) in said operating configuration (A); - second constraint means (8) of said headrest (6) with respect to said backrest (4) in said inoperative configuration (B).

3. Chair (1) according to claim 2, characterised in that said first constraint means (7) comprise two abutment reliefs (7a) spaced from each other and projecting from said backrest (4) on the opposite side of said seating area (5), configured to receive - resting thereon - two projecting rods (9) of said headrest (6).

4. Chair (1) according to claim 3, characterised in that each of said projecting rods (9) is provided with a recess (9a) configured to receive a corresponding one of said abutment reliefs (7a) when said headrest (6) is arranged in said inoperative configuration (B).

5. Chair (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterised in that said second constraint means (8) comprise a projecting relief (8a) belonging to said framework (2) and arranged on the opposite side with respect to said seating area (5) and a shaped seat (8b) obtained in said headrest (6), said projecting relief (8a) and said shaped seat (8b) being configured to be mutually snap-coupled.

6. Chair (1) according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 5, characterised in that said at least one cylindrical bushing (10) belongs to the frame (4a) which delimits the perimeter of said backrest (4) and it is provided with end pins (10b) configured to rotatably connect said cylindrical bushing (10) to said frame (4a).

7. Chair (1) according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 6, characterised in that it comprises a safety cap (12) which can be removably associated to the end of each of said projecting rods (9) through joining means (13).

8. Chair (1) according to claim 7, characterised in that said safety cap (12) has the perimeter edge (12a) projecting from the end of said projecting rod (9) and configured to hinder the slipping off of said projecting rod (9) from said through opening (10a) of said cylindrical bushing (10).

9. Chair (1) according to any one of claims 7 or 8, characterised in that said joining means (13) comprise a male body (14) belonging to said safety cap (12) and a female seat (15) belonging to the end of said projecting rod (9) having sections that can be joined to each other and shaped to form a locking hole (16).