Actively dynamic seating furniture

Abstract

The invention relates to an item of actively dynamic seating furniture (1) comprising a spring-mounted rocking mechanism (20) for a seat part, having a seat shell (2) of an item of seating furniture for performing movements using the seat part, wherein the seat part is mounted so as to be tiltable in a sprung manner via a base (B) on a central suspension leg (F), wherein the spring-mounted rocking mechanism (20) forms at least two lifting arms (21a, 21b), which extend to the front part of the seat part, and two oppositely oriented lifting arms (22a, 22b), which are fastened to the base (B) and to which the seat shell (2) is fastened.

Description

[0001] Active dynamic seating

[0002] Description:

[0003] The invention relates to a rocking mechanism for an active-dynamic seating piece, in particular a seat or a chair, for enabling a rocking movement of the seat of the seating piece, as well as to a seating piece equipped with such a rocking mechanism. Seating devices and chairs that can be tilted or moved forwards and backwards are already known, for example, in the field of stand-up aids and, in their usual design, comprise electrically assisted elements such as servomotors, gas pressure cylinders, springs or other lifting devices. These are controlled by the user or another person and support the user of the furniture by reducing physical exertion and self-movement when leaving the sitting position. Such solutions have so far mostly been implemented using movement sequences via curves around a fixed axis of rotation.In order to maintain the mobility of elderly and mobility-impaired people as much as possible when standing up and sitting down, well-known products such as stand-up chairs, self-contained stand-up aids for chairs, etc. are mainly used.

[0004] However, these mechanisms are designed to facilitate leaving the sitting position, not to perform dynamic movements while sitting. In addition to this support function, there is also a growing need for movement options for the user on a chair. In particular, movements while sitting should be possible, improving circulation in the legs, changing the sitting position, changing posture, etc.

[0005] Chairs are also known in practice in which the seat, including the backrest, can be tilted backwards around a tilt axis, for example between a working position and a so-called relaxed position. The tilt fittings required for this are often complex and require a considerable installation height, so that such functional fittings are accepted on office chairs and similar functional chairs, for example, but are often undesirable in the home or private sector for purely aesthetic reasons. Furthermore, such seats do not offer any movement options within the meaning of the present invention. The starting point is to allow the seat occupant to move forwards and backwards in an active and dynamic manner, and preferably also to move sideways on the seat. In addition, it is known to be difficult to achieve a coordination of the mobility between the seat and the backrest.It is also known to provide two areas in the backrest that are movable relative to one another, in that an upper section of the backrest can be angled backwards relative to a lower section.

[0006] From DE 202011000805 U1, for example, a chair with a seat and a backrest, as well as with a base frame supporting the seat and backrest, is known. The seat is mounted relative to the base frame so that it can be tilted about a horizontal tilting axis, and the backrest has two sections arranged one above the other that are movable relative to one another, the upper section of which can be angled relative to the lower section about a tilting axis that is also horizontal. This solution, however, allows for different adjustability of the tilting movement of the seat and backrest, so that, in particular, the tilting mobility of the seat and the tilting mobility of the backrest sections are possible depending on the user's body weight, whereby an adjustment of the actuating forces for the tilting movements of the seat and backrest is made possible.

[0007] However, the proposed tilting and adjustment mechanism is complex and time-consuming, which leads to high costs for such a chair.

[0008] There is a need to provide a chair with a stable, yet easy-to-manufacture tilt mechanism that can be used for different seat shell shapes and chair types. Furthermore, the mechanism should be designed as attractively as possible so that these chairs can be tilted, for example, in a variety of positions.

[0009] B. can also be used in private living areas or in areas with a certain demand for attractive design. The invention further aims at a movement pattern that, in physiognomy, most closely corresponds to dynamic sitting. The invention is therefore based on the object of solving the aforementioned problems and providing a chair, in particular with a height adjustment using a rocking mechanism, which has the additional features of being aesthetically pleasing, simple and cost-effective to manufacture, and also ensures sufficient stability for seat users with a higher body weight during movement.

[0010] This object is achieved by the combination of features according to claim 1.

[0011] A basic idea of ​​the invention is to provide an elastically springy rocking mechanism at the head of a spring strut, with a seat part being attached to the rocking mechanism to enable active-dynamic vertical and rocking movements of the seat occupant. The rocking mechanism according to the invention is formed by opposing, preferably intersecting lever arms, by means of which a rocking movement with the seat part can occur forwards and backwards, and preferably also laterally.

[0012] According to the invention, a rocking mechanism for a seat is provided, as well as a piece of seating furniture with such a rocking mechanism. When used on a chair, the chair is designed with a spring strut as the central column, which supports the seat part with a seat surface. The movement of the seat, which is connected to such a rocking mechanism at the upper end of a central column designed as a spring strut, can be described as a rocking movement with a dynamically reciprocating axis of rotation.

[0013] The resilient rocker mechanism forms a first bracket comprising at least one lever arm, and a second bracket with at least one lever arm, wherein the lever arm(s) of the first bracket extend substantially in a forward direction (obliquely upward), while the lever arm(s) of the second bracket extend substantially in a rearward direction (obliquely upward). A kinematic reversal would also be conceivable.

[0014] This creates a crossing of the lever arms of the two brackets.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the seat part (or the underside of the seat part) is held on the spring-loaded rocking mechanism in such a way that the seat surface can be actuated against the spring force from an initial position into a deflected position tilted forwards or backwards. During a forward rocking movement, the front edge of the seat part is moved downwards, while the rear edge of the seat part remains at its relative height or is moved upwards, so that a backrest connected to the seat part tilts forwards. During a backward tilting movement, the rear edge of the seat part is moved downwards, while the rear edge of the seat part remains at its relative height or is moved downwards, so that a backrest connected to the seat part tilts backwards. During this rocking forwards and backwards movement, the lever arms are elastically deformed.

[0016] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that at least one of the brackets has two lever arms and the two lever arms of this bracket are connected to one another in a U-shape by a connecting arm.

[0017] Furthermore, it is advantageous that both brackets each have two lever arms, each connected to a U-shaped connecting arm. Preferably, one bracket extends diagonally through the U-shaped opening of the other bracket, so that the lever arms of the brackets cross each other.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment, the spring strut is connected at the lower end closest to the floor to several, in particular five, star-shaped legs. This creates a stable base while simultaneously allowing multi-dimensional mobility of the seat.

[0019] The desired elasticity of the rocking mechanism can be adjusted depending on the material and geometry of the elastic elements involved.

[0020] Other advantageous developments of the invention are characterized in the subclaims or are presented in more detail below, together with the description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, with reference to the figures. They show:

[0021] Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of a side view of a rocking mechanism;

[0022] Fig. 2 shows a chair with a rocking device according to the invention;

[0023] Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the chair in Figure 2.

[0024] In the following, the invention is described in more detail using exemplary embodiments with reference to Figures 1 to 3, wherein the same reference numerals indicate the same structural and / or functional features.

[0025] Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a side view of a rocking mechanism 20.

[0026] The rocking mechanism 20 is designed to be arranged or integrated into a support frame 10, as shown in Figure 1. In this context, reference is made to Figure 3, in which an active-dynamic chair 1 with a seat 2 and with a support frame 10 is shown, which supports the seat 2, wherein the support frame 10 is formed with a resilient rocking mechanism 20.

[0027] By means of such a design, the seat surface 2 or the entire seat with the seat surface 2 is mounted on the support frame 10 in a spring-loaded manner so that it can be tilted.

[0028] The resilient rocker mechanism 20 comprises a base B, which is mounted off-center on the central column, namely the spring leg F. The resilient rocker mechanism 20 further comprises a first bracket 21 consisting of two lever arms 21 a, 21 b, each connected to the base B.

[0029] Furthermore, the rocking mechanism 20 has the two opposing spring arms 22a, 22b, which are also attached to the base B.

[0030] As can be further seen in Figure 1, it is advantageous if, for the desired tilting effect, the lever arms 21a, 21b and 22a, 22b cross each other in an approximately x-shape when viewed from the chair side by means of the resilient tilting device 20.

[0031] It can be seen that the two lever arms 21a, 21b extend essentially in a forward direction, while the two lever arms 22a, 22b extend essentially in a rearward or opposite direction. The term "rear" in the context of the present invention refers to the area of ​​the chair where the backrest or the rear chair legs are located, while "front" defines the correspondingly opposite area on the chair, as is also apparent from the figures.In general terms, the design can be described as follows: a base B consists of two V-shaped arms, base parts A, each of which has two fixed points for the lever arms 21a, 21b, 22a, 22b; a holder for the spring strut is located at least partially between the two rear fixed points provided for the forward-facing spring lever arms on the base B; the forward-projecting lever arms 22a, 22b are bent outwards at the ends so that the end fixed points FP on the seat shell are positioned in projection on an imaginary line along the rearward-facing lever arm 21a, 21b, as can be clearly seen in the bottom view; optionally, the lever arms 21a, 21b are integrally connected by a cross brace between the fixed points FP on the seat shell.

[0032] The two arms A of the base B form a support for the spring strut F at their connection point. In the non-deflected state, the base B is aligned approximately parallel to the ground and essentially flat. The forward-facing spring arms 22a, 22b, viewed in the horizontal direction, extend beyond the base B with their preferably end-side fixing points (for attachment to the seat shell).

[0033] Preferably, the active-dynamic seating furniture is designed in such a way that the spring leg is aligned in the vertical direction and is preferably height-adjustable in addition to spring movements possible in the vertical direction.

[0034] The invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments described above. Rather, a number of variants are conceivable that utilize the presented solution even in fundamentally different embodiments.

[0035] *****

Claims

Patent claims 1 . Active dynamic seating furniture (1 ) with a resilient rocking mechanism (20) for a seat part with a seat shell (2) of a piece of seating furniture for carrying out movements with the seat part, wherein the seat part is mounted in a spring-movable tiltable manner via a base (B) on a central spring leg (F), wherein the resilient rocking mechanism (20) forms at least two lever arms (21 a, 21 b) which extend towards the front part of the seat part, as well as two oppositely oriented lever arms (22 a, 22 b) which are fastened to the base (B) and to which the seat shell (2) is fastened.

2. Active dynamic seating furniture (1) according to claim 1, wherein the lever arms (21a, 21b) extend substantially in a forward direction, while the lever arms (22a, 22b) extend substantially in a rearward direction and cross over each other.

3. Active dynamic seating furniture (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the seat part is held on the resilient rocking mechanism (20) in such a way that the seat shell (2) can be actuated from an initial position into a deflected position tilted both forwards and backwards against the spring force of elastically deformable bearings, and in the height direction resiliently against the spring force of the spring strut (F).

4. Active dynamic seating furniture (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the base (B) is formed from or has two arms, in particular V-shaped arms, and a holder for the spring leg (F) is provided at the connecting region thereof.

5. Active dynamic seating furniture (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the two lever arms (22a, 22b) are connected to one another by a connecting arm (22c), in particular in a U-shape.

6. Active dynamic seating furniture (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the forwardly projecting spring arms project beyond the base (B) when viewed in the horizontal direction.

7. Active dynamic seating furniture (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the spring leg (F) is aligned in the vertical direction and is preferably also height-adjustable in addition to spring movements possible in the vertical direction.

8. Active dynamic seating furniture (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at the lower end of the spring leg (F) several, in particular 5, star-shaped arranged chair legs are provided, further preferably provided with chair castors or gliders at their end.

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