Piece of seating and / or reclining furniture with height adjustment and / or standing aid

Abstract

The invention relates to a piece of seating and / or reclining furniture and to a swivel chair with height adjustment and / or standing aid, comprising: a seat (2) having a first side part (3) with a first cavity (4) and a second side part (5) with a second cavity, a foot part (7), and a first lever arrangement (8) connecting the foot part (7) and the seat (2) in the first cavity (4) and a second lever arrangement connecting the foot part (7) and the seat (2) in the second cavity, wherein the first lever arrangement (8) and / or the second lever arrangement are configured to raise and / or swivel the seat (2) relative to the foot part (7) by means of an electric motor.

Description

[0001] HOEFER & PARTNER 194-147

[0002] OAC250201PCT 02 / 06 / 2025 Applicant:

[0003] Pampero AG

[0004] Seedammstr. 3

[0005] 8808 Pfäffikon

[0006] Seating and / or reclining furniture with height adjustment and / or stand-up function h life

[0007] Description

[0008] The invention relates to a seating and / or reclining furniture, in particular a swivel chair with height adjustment and / or a stand-up aid. Specifically, the present invention relates to a swivel chair with an attractive, compact design and a wide range of functions. In particular, a large range of motion is to be provided for the electric adjustability.

[0009] In current technology, seating and / or reclining furniture is equipped with electric actuators for various reasons. For example, backrests and / or footrests can be adjusted to suit the intended use. Stand-up aids are particularly common for elderly and / or disabled people, where the chair is lower in a seated position but, in an assistive configuration, is raised and / or tilted to facilitate standing up.

[0010] The designs known in the prior art are sometimes bulky and / or significantly restrict the design freedom due to their construction.

[0011] It is an object of the present invention to provide a space-saving adjustment mechanism for a seating and / or reclining furniture, in particular a swivel chair, for height adjustment and / or standing assistance.

[0012] The aforementioned problem is solved according to the invention by a seating and / or reclining furniture with the features according to claim 1. The dependent claims describe preferred embodiments of the invention.

[0013] The seating and / or reclining furniture can, for example, be designed as a swivel chair. An alternative design is a couch / lounger, which can also be designed as a treatment couch. While the following discussion focuses in particular on height adjustment and / or swiveling of a seat (for example, to provide a standing-assist function), those skilled in the art know that further adjustment mechanisms and motors can be provided to allow additional adjustments to the wishes and preferences of a user. According to the invention, a seat or a seating surface is provided on which the user's buttocks rest. The seat can therefore also be described as a buttock support element. Connected to the seat are a first side panel with a first cavity and a second side panel with a second cavity.The cavities can be designed as substructures and may include chipboard, OSB panels, plastic and / or metal components, which enclose or at least partially enclose the lever arrangements according to the invention described below. The cavities can have structural elements that define and enclose the cavity upwards, forwards, downwards, and backwards, as well as towards the user and outwards, thus providing a mounting surface for a decorative cover, a panel, or other surfaces known in furniture construction. A foot section is provided to connect the seat to the floor. The foot section may, for example, have legs, include a base, and have an anti-slip coating for placement on wooden and stone floors.Alternatively or additionally, the foot section can have a roller and / or glider to minimize the forces resisting horizontal relative movement to the floor. A lever assembly is provided between the foot section and the seat, which is located, at least for the most part and / or at least in certain configurations, within the cavity during use of the seating and / or reclining furniture. In other words, the first lever assembly is located between an upper and a lower boundary element, as well as between a front and a rear boundary element of the cavity. Preferably, the lever assembly is also located between an inner and an outer boundary element of the cavity. In particular, the lever assembly can be supported by a recess in a lower boundary element of the cavity or mounted on the foot section.A support structure can project from the foot section into the cavity, with the lever assembly positioned between the support structure and the cavity's boundary. The same applies to a second lever assembly in a second cavity of the seating and / or reclining furniture. For example, the seating and / or reclining furniture can be symmetrically constructed with respect to a longitudinal axis or median plane of a user resting on it. In other words, the first cavity is arranged opposite the second cavity from the user's perspective and features the second lever assembly, which is (always) essentially symmetrical to the first lever assembly with respect to the user's median plane. The first and / or the second lever assembly are configured to raise and / or pivot the seat relative to the foot section by means of an electric motor, preferably several electric motors.In this arrangement, the electric motor can generate a torque between a first lever of the first lever assembly and the base, thereby pivoting and / or raising, or pivoting and / or lowering, the cavity and, with it, the seat. In other words, the first lever assembly (as well as the second lever assembly) can each have at least two levers that can be pivoted relative to the base by an electric motor. Specifically, the levers of the lever assembly can be pivoted exclusively relative to the base. For this purpose, the levers of the first and second lever assemblies can be articulated about a pivot axis on the base. The articulated end is also referred to as the "proximal end" of the lever, and the end of the lever opposite the proximal end is referred to as the "distal end." A fitting can be articulated to the distal end of the lever, which in turn is attached to the cavity or an inner surface of the cavity.Preferably, however, a tab or a further lever element is arranged between the fitting and the distal end, each pivotally connected to the distal end and to the fitting. In other words, two levers are connected to the foot section, which in turn are connected to the seat and the side section via tabs. Possible embodiments of the seating arrangement according to the invention are discussed in detail below. By arranging the elements required for height and / or swivel adjustment largely in the side sections or their cavities, the foot, the seat, a backrest, and the other components of the seating and / or reclining furniture can be designed to be extremely slim and aesthetically pleasing. This allows for considerably greater design freedom than with the drives and arrangements of the prior art.

[0014] The first and second side panels can function as armrests. In other words, the upper boundary surface of the cavity serves as an armrest for the user. The cavity itself is located below the armrest. Therefore, the cavity can have a width of at least 30 mm, a length of at least 400 mm, and a height of at least 350 mm. Since significantly larger armrest components are common in practice, the installation space required for the arrangement according to the invention does not pose a significant design restriction.

[0015] The lever assembly can include various gear arrangements. In particular, the levers themselves can include gear elements located within a housing. For example, a spindle drive can be provided to apply considerable forces / torques. The spindle drive can be arranged within the lever, particularly in the longitudinal direction of the lever, while the lever housing handles the actual force transmission between its proximal and distal ends. A spindle nut can be moved on the spindle, pivoting an actuating element located at the distal and / or proximal end of the lever relative to the lever housing. A compressive and / or tensile force can be exerted on a periphery of the lever to pivot the lever relative to the base and / or cavity or seat.

[0016] To ensure the swivel chair is always essentially symmetrically aligned and driven, corresponding levers in the first and second cavities can be synchronized. In other words, synchronization between the first and second lever arrangements is provided such that a front lever of the first arrangement is always driven and adjusted synchronously with a front lever of the second arrangement. The same applies to each rear lever. Synchronization can be achieved electrically, mechanically, and / or electronically. For example, electrical synchronization measures can ensure that the electric motors in each lever arrangement are driven by identical electrical signals.In particular, the electric motors can also be monitored via Hall sensors, which are, for example, arranged in an integrated circuit (IC), and adjusted or synchronized as needed. An alternative synchronization method involves the use of shafts, especially square shafts, or Bowden cables. However, a more advanced synchronization method is intended, in which sensors in the levers have end stops that detect when the gears reach an end position. Based on these reference points, Hall sensors can monitor the actuation of the left lever and its corresponding right lever (front lever in the lever arrangements and rear lever in the lever arrangements, respectively).The information technology synchronization can comprise a data line, in particular an electrical and / or optical line, between the first cavity and the second cavity. For example, such a cable can be routed from the first cavity through a volume in the seat surface into the second cavity. The aforementioned cable routing can, for example, be combined with an electrical cable for transmitting electrical energy for the electromechanical adjustment. In other words, the seating arrangement or swivel chair according to the invention has a mains connection, while the electrical energy drawn from the power supply network is distributed between the first and second cavities via electrical cables. Electric motors arranged in the two lever assemblies can thus be operated independently of one another. In particular, the front levers are always moved synchronously via a synchronization mechanism.The same applies to the respective rear levers. Such synchronization may require a separate cable or wire through which the synchronization signals are transmitted from the first cavity to the second cavity (and / or vice versa). The lever arrangement can be designed to be particularly simple, cost-effective, and lightweight if the tabs arranged between the distal ends of the levers and the respective cavity boundary surface are always subjected to tensile stress. This is especially the case if the distal end of the levers is permanently or at least predominantly located higher than the corresponding fitting on the cavity boundary surface. For this purpose, the fitting can be fixed, in particular, to a lower inner boundary surface of the cavity. The same applies to fixing the fitting or the distal end of the tab to a lower section of the front or rear cavity.the posterior boundary surface of the cavity. In this way, the tab can be designed as a relatively thin metal sheet, since it only has to transmit tensile forces, not moments. Alternatively, the distal end of the tab can be positioned on an upper boundary surface of the cavity. The same applies to the upper regions of the anterior and posterior boundary surfaces of the cavity. In this case, however, the tab is subjected to compressive stress, which necessitates ensuring its stabilization against bending.

[0017] The number of different parts is reduced if the two levers of the first lever assembly and the two levers of the second lever assembly are essentially identical. In the case of electrical and / or information technology synchronization, an electric motor is also required at each of the four levers. In the case of mechanical synchronization via a shaft, Bowden cable, or similar device, it is generally possible to provide an electric motor at the front and rear levers of one lever assembly and to directly transfer the mechanical energy to the levers of the other lever assembly. Each lever preferably has a spindle drive to exert a compressive and / or tensile force on the base. The compressive force is applied, in particular, offset by one lever arm relative to the point where the levers are attached to the base.

[0018] If the lever housing or the levers themselves possess sufficient rigidity, they can withstand both compressive and tensile stresses. Compressive stress always occurs when the proximal end of the lever is lower than the distal end. Conversely, tensile stress always occurs when the proximal end of the lever is higher than the distal end. For example, stiffening structures can be incorporated into the lever to provide sufficient rigidity for absorbing compressive forces. Particularly in the case of injection-molded plastic housings, ribs can be incorporated to make the front and rear levers of both lever assemblies sufficiently rigid to absorb compressive forces.Preferably, the front and rear levers of the first lever assembly (and correspondingly the levers of the second lever assembly) are configured to pivot in opposite directions relative to the footrest to raise the seat. The pivoting occurs, in particular, in the same plane. Because the two levers are mounted close together at their proximal ends on the footrest, an upward pivoting in opposite directions simply raises the seat. This requires that the kinematics (alignment of the levers of the first lever assembly and rotational speed) are coordinated. If, for example, the levers have identical lengths but each has the same angle relative to the vertical, an identical pivoting speed can result in the seat simply being raised.If the initial positions (angles) are different or different swivel speeds prevail, lifting may be accompanied by a swiveling of the seat around a horizontal transverse axis.

[0019] If, however, the front lever is pivoted in the same direction as the rear lever, or if different pivoting speeds are used with comparable orientations, the seat will inevitably pivot around a horizontal transverse axis of the swivel chair. The same applies if one of the two levers is stationary while the other pivots up or down. By controlling the swivel chair and activating the levers of the lever arrangement accordingly, lifting and / or lowering movements can be performed as an alternative or additional to swiveling / tilting movements, even though only four motorized pivoting levers need to be installed in the seat and / or reclining furniture.

[0020] The base section can, for example, have a plinth resting on the ground. Two masts are designed to extend into the respective cavities. This does not preclude the possibility of additional components (such as a single, shared mast) in a lower (base-adjacent) area between the plinth and the masts, and a transverse structure between the single mast and the two masts above the transverse structure. Hybrid forms are also conceivable, in which two masts, extending at an angle to a vertical, rise from a central root area on the plinth and are designed to extend distally into the respective cavities.

[0021] To further increase the user's degrees of freedom, the base can be designed to allow the two masts to rotate around a common vertical axis relative to the base. This can be achieved by a swivel bearing or a swivel bearing assembly between the base and the two masts. An optional locking mechanism prevents accidental rotation (for example, when getting up from or sitting down in the chair). The base and / or masts can be made of metal, wood, and / or plastic. Metal, in particular, provides the structure with maximum durability and rigidity while maintaining slim dimensions.

[0022] The masts can be connected to the lever assemblies via a rigid sheet metal element, which is guided within the housings of the front and rear levers to define the lever trajectory. In particular, the sheet metal elements can be designed and positioned on the mast such that the lever housings can pivot freely enough to lower their distal ends relative to the proximal ends, resulting in angles of up to 45° to the vertical (or even smaller angles). This allows for high stiffness of the base section with comparatively high degrees of kinematic freedom.

[0023] Further details, advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawing. Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a swivel chair according to the invention in a forward-tilting stand-assist configuration;

[0024] Fig. 2 shows a cut-out detail view of a guide plate on a mast with two levers of a first lever arrangement;

[0025] Fig. 3 is a cut-out side view of an embodiment of a swivel chair according to the invention in a medium-height configuration; Fig. 4 is a cut-out side view of an embodiment of a swivel chair according to the invention in a high configuration; and Fig. 5 is a cut-out side view of an embodiment of a swivel chair according to the invention in a maximally lowered configuration (showing the left side or second lever arrangement).

[0026] Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of a seat and / or reclining furniture 1 in the form of a swivel chair with height adjustment or a stand-up aid in a raised and forward-swiveled configuration to provide a stand-up aid function. The swivel chair has a seat 2 with a backrest 33 and two side panels 3, 5, which function as armrests 26, 27. The armrest surfaces 26, 27 provide upper boundary surfaces 15 of respective cavities 4, 6, within which lever assemblies 8 with a front lever 11 and a rear lever 12, a front tab 13 and a rear tab 14, and fittings 32 are accommodated. The levers 11, 12 are pivotably arranged on a guide plate 28 via axes 29, which in turn rests on two masts 24, 25. The levers 11, 12 are pivotably attached to the tabs 13, 14 via axes 30.The first cavity 4, shown in a cutaway view, is defined, in addition to the upper boundary surface 15, by a front boundary surface 18, a rear boundary surface 17, and two parts of a lower boundary surface 16. An inner side surface is provided in the direction of the user (not shown), which is opposite the outer side surface (not shown) with respect to the first lever arrangement 8. The masts 24, 25 rest on a rotatable component of the base 7, designed as a turntable 23, and are rotatably mounted on a base 21, which is fixed to the floor, via a bearing 22. For clarity, the cables, electric motors, synchronization lines, switches, and other electrical components are not shown. The electric motor drives for the levers 11, 12 and their effect on the configuration of the swivel chair are described below in conjunction with Fig. 2.

[0027] Fig. 2 shows a cutaway detail view of the two levers 11, 12, whose rear housing shell of the housing 19 accommodates ball bearings 35, 37, 39, a threaded spindle 34, and an electric motor 10 with a shaft 36, as well as a threaded spindle 40, and defines their relative arrangement. A slide 42 is rotatably coupled to the guide plate 28 via an axis 43. The slide 42 is guided in the housing 19 by plastic structures acting as guides 41. The housing 19 is pivotally connected to the guide plate 28 via axes 44. The shaft 36 of the electric motor 10 drives a worm gear 38, which is rotationally coupled to the threaded spindle 34, 40. The slide 42 is designed as a threaded nut and, depending on the direction of rotation of the electric motor, is either pushed towards the guide plate 28 or pulled towards the ball bearing 39. This results in a torque with respect to the axis 44, causing the housing halves 19 to pivot the lever 11, 12 about the axes 44.Via the illustrated, electrically driven spindle drive 20, the lever 11, 12 is thus able to pivot, so that tabs (not shown) attached to the axis 45 at the distal end can be used to raise or lower or pivot the seat.

[0028] Fig. 3 shows a cutaway side view of an embodiment of a seating and / or reclining furniture 1 designed according to the invention in the form of a swivel chair with height adjustment and / or stand-up assistance. The elements have already been described in detail in connection with Fig. 1, therefore, reference is made to Fig. 1 to avoid repetition. The position shown corresponds to a mean height, which is evident from the fact that the tabs 13, 14 are essentially vertical above the fittings 32, to which they are pivotably hinged via axes 31. The front lever 11 and the rear lever 12 of the first lever arrangement 8 are subjected more to tension than to compression, since their distal ends are arranged lower than their proximal ends.

[0029] Fig. 4 shows the view depicted in Fig. 3, after the levers 11, 12 of the first lever arrangement 8 have been pivoted upwards in opposite directions. The distal ends of the levers 11, 12 are now positioned higher than the proximal ends. This results in a tendency for compressive forces to act on the housings of the levers 11, 12, which are applied to the tabs 13, 14 on the axes 30. Since the distal ends of the levers 11, 12 are connected to the side parts 3 via substantially vertically oriented tabs 13, 14, the seat 2 shown is positioned considerably higher than the configuration shown in Fig. 3.

[0030] Fig. 5 shows the arrangement depicted in Fig. 3, viewed from the left side, after the levers 11, 12 of the second lever arrangement 9 (as well as the levers 11, 12 of the first lever arrangement 8, not shown here) have been lowered to their maximum extent. The mast 24 now projects maximally into the second cavity 6 of the second side panel 5, so that the upper boundary surface 15 rests on the guide plate 28. This results in a particularly stable, firm, and play-free configuration and feel for the swivel chair. The reference numerals used in Fig. 5 either correspond to those used in Figures 1, 3, and 4 or show the correspondingly modified reference numerals for the respective components. Unless otherwise specified, a seating and / or reclining furniture according to the invention is always essentially symmetrical with respect toto design a body mid-plane of the user in order to provide, on the other hand, an appealing appearance, the greatest possible use of identical parts and a mechanics that is as easy to control as possible.

[0031] In addition to the foregoing written description of the invention, explicit reference is hereby made to the graphic representation of the invention in the figures for its supplementary disclosure. List of reference symbols

[0032] 1 Seating and / or reclining furniture 2 Seat

[0033] 3 first side panel

[0034] 4 first cavity

[0035] 5 second side panel

[0036] 6 second cavity

[0037] 7 Foot section

[0038] 8 first lever arrangement

[0039] 9 second lever arrangement 10 electric motor

[0040] 11 front lever

[0041] 12 rear lever

[0042] 13 front flap

[0043] 14 rear flap

[0044] 15 upper boundary surface 16 lower boundary surface 17 rear boundary surface 18 front boundary surface 19 plastic housing

[0045] 20 Spindle drive

[0046] 21 sockets

[0047] 22 warehouses

[0048] 23 turntables

[0049] 24, 25 mast

[0050] 26, 27 Armrest

[0051] 28 Guide plate

[0052] 29, 30, 31 axis

[0053] 32 fittings

[0054] 33 Backrest

[0055] 34 threaded spindle

[0056] 35, 37, 39 ball bearings

[0057] 36 wave

[0058] 38 worm gear

[0059] 40 threaded spindle

[0060] 41 Leadership

[0061] 42 sleds

[0062] 43, 44, 45 axis

Claims

Claims 1. Seating and / or reclining furniture (1), in particular swivel chairs with height adjustment and / or stand-up assistance, comprising . a seat (2) with o a first side part (3) with a first cavity (4) and o a second side part (5) with a second cavity (6) . a foot section (7), and . a first lever arrangement (8) connecting the foot section (7) and the seat (2) in the first cavity (4) and . a second lever arrangement (9) connecting the foot section (7) and the seat (2) in the second cavity (6), wherein . the first lever arrangement (8) and / or the second lever arrangement (9) are arranged to raise and / or pivot the seat (2) relative to the foot section (7) by means of an electric motor (10).

2. Seating and / or reclining furniture according to claim 1, wherein the first side panel (3) and the second side panel (5) each provide an armrest (26, 27).

3. Seating and / or reclining furniture according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lever arrangements (8, 9) comprise a respective gear arrangement.

4. Seating and / or reclining furniture according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first lever arrangement (8) and the second lever arrangement (9) electrical and / or mechanical and / or information technology are synchronized with each other.

5. Seating and / or reclining furniture according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first lever arrangement (8) and / or second lever arrangement (9) a front lever (11) and have a rear lever (12), which connect the foot section (7) to the seat (2) via a tab (13, 14), in particular a tab (13, 14).

6. Seating and / or reclining furniture according to claim 5, wherein the tab (13, 14) is always subjected to tensile stress.

7. Seating and / or reclining furniture according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the tab (13, 14) is hinged in the cavity (4, 6), in particular to an upper boundary surface (15) or lower boundary surface (16) of the cavity (4, 6).

8. Seating and / or reclining furniture according to one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the front lever (11) and the rear lever (12) are articulated to the foot section (7) and arranged to be pivoted relative to the foot section (7) by means of a common or a respective electric motor (10).

9. Seating and / or reclining furniture according to one of claims 5 to 8, wherein the front lever (11) and the rear lever (12) each comprise a plastic housing (19) which includes a respective spindle drive (20) and in particular carries or includes a respective electric motor (10).

10. Seating and / or reclining furniture according to claim 9, wherein the spindle drive (20) is configured, a pressure force on the foot section (7) or a pulling force on the foot part (7) to exercise.

11. Seating and / or reclining furniture according to any one of claims 5 to 10, wherein the front lever (11) of the first lever assembly (8) and the front lever (11) of the second lever assembly (9) are synchronized with each other and / or the rear lever (12) of the first lever assembly (8) and the rear lever (12) of the second lever assembly (8) are synchronized with each other.

12. Seating and / or reclining furniture according to one of claims 5 to 11, wherein the front lever (11) and the rear lever (12) are arranged to rotate in opposite directions, preferably in the same plane, to raise the seat (2) relative to the foot section (7).

13. Seating and / or reclining furniture according to one of claims 5 to 12, wherein the front lever (11) and the rear lever (12) are arranged to pivot the seat (2) relative to the foot section (7) independently of each other, in particular in the same direction, preferably in the same plane.

14. Seating and / or reclining furniture according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the foot section (7) has a base (21) and two masts (24, 25), and wherein the two masts (24, 25) connect the base (21) to the first and second lever arrangements (8, 9).

15. Seating and / or reclining furniture according to claim 14, wherein the foot section (7) enables the two masts (24, 25) to rotate about a common vertical axis relative to the base (21).

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