Seating and / or reclining furniture and assembly for such furniture

Abstract

An item of seating and / or reclining furniture and an assembly (1) for an item of seating and / or reclining furniture are proposed. The assembly (1) comprises a base (2), a seat support part (3) connected to the base (2), and a backrest support part (4) pivotably connected to the seat support part (3) so as to be pivotable relative thereto, wherein the base (2) is configured to rest on a floor (5) and the seat support part (3) is configured to be raised and simultaneously pivoted relative to the base (2) by means of a first drive (6), and wherein the backrest support part (4) is configured to be pivoted relative to the seat support part (3) by means of a second drive (6).

Description

[0001] HOEFER & PARTNER 194-152

[0002] OAC241101 PCT-38 / FI

[0003] November 26, 2024

[0004] Applicant:

[0005] Pampero AG

[0006] Seedammstr. 3 8808 Pfäffikon

[0007] Seating and / or reclining furniture, as well as components for such furniture

[0008] Description

[0009] The present invention relates to a seating and / or reclining piece of furniture and an assembly for such a seating and / or reclining piece of furniture. In particular, the present invention relates to a design for an armchair with an integrated stand-up aid.

[0010] Seating and / or reclining furniture is increasingly being equipped with electric drives to adapt the furniture's design and configuration to the user's current wishes or needs. Older people, in particular, often have difficulty getting up from comfortable armchairs. This is due to a lack of coordination and / or declining physical strength. The better the armchairs with integrated lift assistance are tailored to the required functions, the more significant the design restrictions become, especially regarding visual appearance. In other words, armchairs with integrated lift assistance currently available tend to be bulky and space-consuming. Furthermore, depending on the configuration, the sometimes complex mechanism may be visible, which can detract from the overall visual impression and potentially create safety hazards.Especially when using scissor fittings, crushing of body parts is always possible.

[0011] It is an object of the present invention to alleviate or avoid the aforementioned disadvantages. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide the best possible functionality of a seating and / or reclining furniture, especially an armchair with integrated lift-up assistance, while at the same time ensuring the greatest possible design freedom for the engineers and designers.

[0012] The aforementioned problems are solved by an assembly for a seat and / or reclining furniture with the features according to claim 1, and by a seat and / or reclining furniture comprising such an assembly with the features according to claim 12. The dependent claims describe preferred embodiments of the invention. According to the first aspect, an assembly for a seat and / or reclining furniture is proposed, which can be understood as a "kinetic assembly," "functional assembly," "skeleton," or "motorized skeleton" of the seat and / or reclining furniture. It comprises a base which is designed to rest on the floor. In other words, the base represents the connection of the assembly to the floor. The base can comprise a metal frame, a tubular construction, a wooden construction, and / or a plastic construction. A buttock support is provided to support the user's buttocks.The buttocks support is thus a load-bearing component of the furniture's seat. The buttocks support is pivotally connected to a backrest support. The backrest support can be understood as a load-bearing / functional component defining the backrest of the reclining furniture. The backrest support can be articulated to the buttocks support to provide an electrically operated tilt adjustment relative to the buttocks support. Furthermore, the buttocks support is designed to be raised and simultaneously pivoted relative to the base by means of a drive, particularly an electric one. In other words, the buttocks support is motor-driven to move relative to the base in such a way that it performs a lifting and simultaneously a rotational movement, such that the end of the seat closest to the user's knees is positioned lower than the end closer to the user's back. Specifically, during lifting and pivoting, the buttocks support is moved relative to the base by means of a motor.By means of an electric motor, both ends of the buttocks support are raised relative to a standard sitting position, with the rear end (closer to the back) being raised more than the front end (closer to the user's knees). This raises the user's buttocks and shifts their center of gravity over their feet, thus significantly facilitating standing up compared to previously known chairs with a stand-up aid. By designing the backrest to be pivoted relative to the buttocks support by means of a separate electric drive, a considerably more comfortable stand-up aid can be provided compared to previously known arrangements, as the pivoting motion of the buttocks support does not have to be fully completed by the backrest.This prevents the user's upper body from necessarily leaning forward as much as with prior art chairs with integrated stand-up assistance. In other words, according to the invention, it is possible to superimpose an opposing swivel movement of the back support element on the swivel movement of the buttock support element, allowing the user to maintain an upright body position during the stand-up assistance process. A forced coupling or an optional coupling can be predefined for this purpose in the control system. This can be done at the factory and / or by user input from a seating and / or reclining furniture already in use by the customer. The electric drive provided for swiveling / raising the buttock support element relative to the foot can be mechanically completely separate from the electric drive provided for swiveling the back support element relative to the buttock support element.In particular, the first electric drive can be articulated at a front end of the buttock support, while the second electric drive can be articulated at a rear end. Specifically, fittings can be provided at the front and rear ends of the buttock support, respectively, which engage with or pivot to the respective drive housings. The first electric drive for pivoting and raising the buttock support relative to the foot can be articulated at a rear end of the foot or interact with a fitting located behind the center or center of gravity of the foot. For example, this fitting could be a sheet metal part that engages with a plastic housing of the first drive and can be pivoted relative to the drive housing by a motor.

[0013] When the present invention refers to a "drive" or "electric drive" which has a housing, the drive can be configured as a gearbox, in particular as a "threaded drive," or comprise a threaded drive. This gearbox is arranged within the housing, which can be, for example, an injection-molded plastic housing, a die-cast metal housing, or otherwise configured. The gearbox can be coupled to an electric motor, which is also located in the housing. Preferably, however, an electric motor is provided externally to the housing of the drive, by means of which power is introduced into the drive via a mechanical shaft. For this purpose, the electric motor can be arranged in a separate housing, which is, in particular, rigidly connected to a housing of the electric drive.This does not preclude the possibility that the power of the electric motor is transmitted to the aforementioned or subsequently mentioned drives via a shaft or other mechanical positive and / or frictional connection. For example, the drives can receive power via a common (or individual) mechanical shaft, which, for instance, extends through the housing of the electric motor. This does not preclude the electric motor housing also being designed as an injection-molded part, optionally incorporating a gearbox, and comprising an electric machine (rotary electric machine, in particular with a voltage range between 12 volts and 48 volts, especially between 12 volts and 24 volts). Most preferably, the electric motor is used to actuate two drives arranged in parallel simultaneously and synchronously in order to initiate the aforementioned pivoting and / or lifting movements.Possible configurations of the drives, the electric motors, and their interaction are discussed in more detail in the following disclosure. Preferably, the first drive can have a housing in which a fitting is also mounted, which will subsequently be referred to as the "proximal fitting." The proximal fitting is attached to the buttock support. Within the scope of this disclosure, the buttock support is considered the center or central component of the assembly or the seating and / or reclining furniture according to the invention, which is why the components facing it are referred to as "proximal" and the components facing away from it as "distal." The aforementioned proximal fitting is pivotably mounted in the housing of the drive. The fitting can have a metal component, in particular a sheet of steel, which is connected to other components of the assembly (for example, a side guide, a steel frame, a plastic frame, a wooden frame, etc.).) is connected. The stability of the buttock support can be provided or ensured via the aforementioned components. The fitting can be attached to similar materials via spot welds or a weld seam. Attachment via screw connections, rivet connections, or the like is also generally possible. The drive for pivoting the buttock support relative to the foot can, in particular, include a distal fitting mounted in the housing, which is attached to the foot. The distal fitting thus forms a mechanically fixed connection to the foot. The drive can, in particular, be configured to rotate the fittings in the same direction, whereby an identical rotational speed is not necessarily required. Rather, the rotational speed of the distal fitting may lag behind that of the proximal fitting.If the foot is considered stationary, this results in a lifting of the drive housing at the end where the proximal fitting is located. The proximal fitting is thus positioned closer to the user's knees or foot section. Since the proximal fitting has a higher rotational speed than the distal fitting, the seat surface is lifted, particularly by the rotation of the distal fitting, and pivoted within the drive housing, as described above, by the rotation of the proximal fitting. This results in a particularly ergonomic kinematic mechanism for providing the standing aid. The aforementioned pivoting movements are oriented such that they occur around axes parallel to the axis around which the back support section pivots relative to the seat support section. In other words, the axes are essentially perpendicular to the front of the seat.The second drive is oriented transversely to the user's longitudinal axis. Preferably, a second drive can have a second housing, and the second drive can be fundamentally identical in design to the first drive. The second drive also has a proximal fitting and, in particular, a distal fitting. The proximal fitting allows the second drive to pivot the back support relative to the buttocks support. For example, the second drive's housing is located on the back support, while the proximal fitting of the second drive is rotatably attached to the buttocks support. If the proximal fitting is now pivoted within the housing of the second drive by an electric motor, this design results in the back support being pivoted relative to the buttocks support.Conversely, the second drive unit could also be fixed to the buttock support section with its housing, while the pivoting fitting mounted within the housing is rotationally fixed to the back support section. This allows for a choice, depending on the desired design and design freedom, as to whether the drive unit's volume is less detrimental in the buttock support section or the back support section.

[0014] As described above, a leg support element, particularly at the buttocks support, can also be deflected and equipped with a separate drive to pivot relative to the buttocks support. For this purpose, the drive can have a housing that is optionally fixed to either the leg support or the buttocks support. A pivoting fitting is mounted within the housing and can be moved relative to the housing by an electric motor. If the housing and the fitting are attached to different parts of the seating and / or reclining furniture or assembly, the leg support element can be pivoted relative to the buttocks support element by means of the third drive. This offers several advantages: First, the leg support element can be raised to bring the user's legs into a comfortable sitting and / or reclining position.Furthermore, the leg support can be lowered to visually conceal the foot. From this essentially vertical position, the leg support can be raised slightly by an electric motor or pivoted upwards relative to the buttocks support when the latter is moved and pivoted upwards for the purpose of the stand-up assistance function. This prevents the leg support from colliding with the foot. In other words, the electric motor ensures that the leg support remains in a vertical position while the buttocks support is pivoted. In particular, this prevents the surface of the leg rest (the upper surface of the leg support) from acquiring a negatively oriented surface normal. As with the backrest, a forced electric coupling can be set at the factory or by the user.Corresponding memory entries could be stored in a control unit. Similarly, for the leg support component, the housing of the drive unit intended for its pivoting can be fixed to either the buttock support or the leg support component, provided only the pivoting fitting within the housing is fixed to the other component. Thus, with regard to the leg support component as well, the functionality of a standing aid can be provided flexibly, depending on further boundary conditions. For all the drives discussed above, depending on the boundary conditions and the design of the skeleton or assembly, it is possible to provide a single drive unit (drive unit and motor assembly) or two parallel drives, each with its own motor assembly.When multiple motor assemblies are used, electronic, information technology, or electrical synchronization can be particularly advantageous to ensure that the movements of the left and right fittings are always precisely coordinated. If a single motor assembly or a single motor is used for a pair of drives, the motor can be attached to one of the drive housings (for example, by means of screws, rivets, or a click / snap / lock connection), and the forces can be transmitted to the drives via a shaft, particularly a square shaft. Within the gearboxes, the motor can, for example, drive a worm gear which, in conjunction with a threaded spindle or two slides / nuts riding on the threaded spindles, is configured to pivot the respective fittings (or even just one fitting) relative to the respective housing.This results in a stable, extremely slim, and reliable design that does not have the large number of moving parts found in previously known designs of this type, thus reducing the risk of pinching or crushing for the user. Whether using a housing with fittings on both sides or only one side is advantageous for the drive unit can be determined by a specialist in each specific application.

[0015] If drives with threaded spindles are used, the respective threaded spindle can be oriented essentially parallel to a surface of the buttock support and / or perpendicular to a pivot axis defined between the buttock support and the backrest. In particular, the threaded spindles are thus located essentially parallel to a longitudinal axis of those parts of the user's body that are positioned on the respective support element of the assembly during its intended use. This results in a very slim and compact design for each drive.

[0016] The buttock support element can, in particular, have left and right side guides. The side guides can also be referred to as stiles, longitudinal elements, frame side elements, or similar. They can, in particular, provide the stability for attaching further support elements (leg support element, back support element, neck support element, head support element, etc.). A fabric or similar material can be stretched between the side guides, or a plurality of profiles, in particular plastic profiles, can be provided, which connect the left and right side guides to each other. In particular, the plastic profiles can be extruded plastic profiles, which are tailored to the stability and other requirements of the assembly according to the invention.The profiles can be arranged on the user-facing (upper) side of the respective support elements, so that the drives, motor units, and electric machines discussed above are located on a side of the assembly opposite the user with respect to the profiles, or between the side guides thereof. This results in a particularly convenient and design-flexible configuration of the assembly according to the invention.

[0017] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a seating and / or reclining furniture is proposed, which can, for example, be designed as an armchair with an integrated stand-up aid. The seating and / or reclining furniture comprises an assembly according to the first aspect of the invention. In addition to the support elements described in detail above, the seating and / or reclining furniture can also have armrests. The armrest can, in principle, be fixedly connected to the base, so that it is not designed to participate in the stand-up aid function or the related movement. In this way, the armrests can be used to conceal the base and to stabilize the furniture, while the other components perform the intended movement to provide the stand-up aid function.Alternatively, and preferably, the armrests can be rigidly connected to the seat support, thus mirroring the movements described above for the seat support. The armrest can be designed as a full-surface element or side panel between the floor and the armrest. Alternatively, the armrest can have a more delicate shape and / or only individual connections between the armrest and the seat support. In particular, the armrest can be designed to stabilize the assembly in a sitting or resting position and thus have its own base. This prevents the assembly, or most of its components, from twisting in a sitting or resting position, as the base would otherwise have rotational freedom around a vertical axis.Alternatively, a rotation of the foot (in itself or relative to the buttock support) can be automatically blocked, particularly in response to an operating state of the drives or motors, when the assembly straightens up to provide the integrated standing aid function, and remain blocked until the assembly has moved into a resting or sitting position.

[0018] The assembly according to the invention enables a flat design of a buttocks support element, a back support element, a leg support element, a foot support element, and a neck support element or a head support element of an electrically adjustable seat and / or reclining furniture. In particular, the housings have a height between 60 mm and 100 mm, especially in the range between 65 mm and 75 mm. More preferably, the housings have a width (in the direction of the pivot axis between the buttocks support element and the back support element) of 30 mm to 60 mm, especially between 35 mm and 55 mm. More preferably, the housings (of the drives) have a length between their proximal and distal ends (i.e., the ends to which, for example, the fittings are attached) of between 250 mm and 500 mm, especially between 300 mm and 450 mm. The drives or motors contained in the assembly according to the invention...Motor units can be powered via a common electrical connection, while control commands are generated via a wired or wireless remote control to move the drives to the desired position and provide the optional forced coupling described above for certain motion states.

[0019] Further details, advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawing. It shows:

[0020] Fig. 1 shows an almost complete embodiment of a seating and / or reclining furniture according to the invention, in which a right armrest has been omitted to allow a view of the components behind it;

[0021] Fig. 2 shows the configuration depicted in Fig. 1, in which all upholstery and the left armrest have been omitted to allow a view of the components behind them; and

[0022] Fig. 3 shows an embodiment of an assembly according to the invention with a left side support, wherein the buttock support part rests on the foot in a sitting or resting position.

[0023] Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of a seating and / or reclining furniture according to the invention in a position in which assistance is provided to a user to stand up. The assembly 1 located under the cushions has side guides 17, which are connected to each other by profiles 18 oriented perpendicular to the side guides 17 in order to support the cushion surfaces. In other words, the side guides 17 constitute load-bearing components between the opposing axes of the respective support part. The side guides 17 are supplemented, partially replaced, or interrupted in the back support part 4 by two housings 8 of a respective drive 6. Threaded spindles (not shown separately) are arranged in the drive 6 or within the housing 8, which are configured to pivot the fittings 12, 11, 13, 14 and thereby pivot the head support part 23 relative to the back support part 4 or the back support part 4 relative to the buttock support part 3, respectively.The buttock support section 3 is moved relative to the leg support section 15, in particular pivoted. The fittings 11, 12, 13, 14 are guided by the respective housings 8 in such a way that lateral stabilization is achieved by opposing housing shells. The housings 8 of the drives 6 are pivotally mounted about axes 20 on the fittings 11, 12, 13, 14 (and vice versa). The assembly 1 is supported on the base 5 by a tubular structure as a foot 2. In the position shown, the armrest 22 is also raised from the base 5. This has proven advantageous for the acceptance of the integrated standing aid, as the user (not shown) can also lean on the armrest and stabilize their position using it. Motor units 7 are arranged between the foot 2 and the buttock support section 3 or on the back support section 4. Their housings are screwed to the housings of the drives.An electric motor, designated as motor 9, is visibly installed longitudinally in the motor unit 7 within the back support section 4. It is configured to rotate a shaft (not shown) between a left and a right side guide, or the drives 6 located therein, via a gearbox. An advantageous arrangement of two drives 6 is shown between the leg support section 15 and the buttock support section 3. These are arranged in pairs parallel to a single motor unit 7 and mechanically synchronized with each other by means of a square-section shaft 19.

[0024] Fig. 2 shows the representation shown in Fig. 1 without the upholstery and armrest. This also shows the parallel arrangement of the drives 6 in the backrest and the parallel arrangement of the side guides 17. Axles 20 are provided for pivoting the side guides 17 relative to each other. A screw connection 20, by which two parts / shells of a housing 8 are joined together, is also shown by way of example. The remaining components thus correspond to those already shown in Fig.

[0025] The first element shown and discussed has been covered, so further explanations are omitted to avoid repetition.

[0026] Fig. 3 shows an embodiment of an assembly 1 designed according to the invention in a sitting or resting position of the buttock support part 3, the side guide 17 of which rests on the foot 2. The configuration of the other support parts is unchanged from those shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so that the leg support part 15 and the back support part 4 have an approximately 45° arrangement to the horizontal. This results in a relaxed lying position for the user (not shown). The drives 6 between the foot 2 and the buttock support part 3 are in a position inclined towards the foot end because the axes 20 on the rear fitting 12 are arranged higher than the axes (not shown) on the front fitting 11. The remaining components are shown in conjunction with Figures 1 and 2.

[0027] Section 2 has already been described in detail, therefore a further discussion of the same is omitted. In addition to the preceding written description of the invention, explicit reference is hereby made to the graphic representation of the invention in the figures for its supplementary disclosure.

[0028] Reference symbol list

[0029] 1 assembly

[0030] 2 feet

[0031] 3. Buttock support section 4. Back support section

[0032] 5 Floor

[0033] 6 Drive

[0034] 7 Motor unit

[0035] 8 Housing 9 Motor

[0036] 11, 12, 13, 14 Fitting

[0037] 15 Leg support section

[0038] 16, 17 Fitting

[0039] 18 Profile 19 Shaft

[0040] 20 axle

[0041] 22 Armrest

[0042] 23 Headrest part

Claims

Claims 1. Assembly (1) for a seating and / or reclining furniture comprising . one foot (2) . a buttock support part (3) connected to the foot (2) and . a back support part (4) which is pivotably connected to the buttock support part (3) relative to it, wherein the foot (2) is arranged to rest on a base (5) and the buttock support part (3) is arranged to be raised and pivoted relative to the foot (2) by means of a first drive (6), and wherein the back support part (4) is arranged to be pivoted relative to the buttock support part (3) by means of a second drive (6).

2. Assembly (1) according to claim 1, wherein the first drive (6) has a housing (8) in which a proximal fitting (11) is also pivotably mounted relative to the housing (8) by means of the first drive (6), wherein the proximal fitting (11) is attached to the buttock support part (3).

3. Assembly (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first drive (6) has a housing (8) in which a distal fitting (12) is also pivotably mounted relative to the housing (8) by means of the first drive (6), wherein the distal fitting (12) is attached to the foot (2).

4. Assembly (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the second drive (6) has a housing (8) in which a proximal fitting (13) is also pivotably mounted relative to the housing (8) by means of the second drive (6), wherein the proximal fitting (13) is attached to the buttock support part (3).

5. Assembly (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the second drive (6) has a housing (8) in which a distal fitting (14) is also pivotably mounted relative to the housing (8) by means of the second drive (6), wherein the distal fitting (14) is attached to the back support part (4).

6. Assembly (1) according to one of the preceding claims further comprising a leg support part (15) pivotably connected to the buttock support part (3) relative to the buttock support part (3), wherein the leg support part (15) is arranged to be pivoted relative to the buttock support part (3) by means of a third drive (6).

7. Assembly (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the third drive (6) has a housing (8) in which a proximal fitting (16) is also provided by means of the third drive (6) is pivotably mounted relative to the housing (8), with the proximal fitting (16) being attached to the buttock support part (3).

8. Assembly (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing (8) comprises a threaded spindle which is configured to pivot the proximal fitting (11 , 13, 16) and / or the distal fitting (12, 14) relative to the housing (8).

9. Assembly (1) according to claim 8, wherein the threaded spindle is oriented substantially parallel to a surface of the buttock support part (3) and / or perpendicular to a pivot axis defined between the buttock support part (3) and the back support part (4).

10. Assembly (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the buttock support part (3) has a left and a right side guide (17) which are connected by means of profiles (18) oriented perpendicular to the side guides (17), in particular plastic profiles.

11. Assembly (1) according to one of the preceding claims further comprising a shaft (19) by means of which two drive units (6) arranged parallel to each other can be operated synchronously by means of a motor (9).

12. Seating and / or reclining furniture comprising an assembly (1) according to any of the preceding claims.

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