FOLDING RECLINING CHAIR

Abstract: A folding reclining chair (1) comprising a back rest (8) capable of angular adjustment in relation to a seat (7) and preferably a leg support (10), which are carried by a supporting base (2) and are lockable by means of a locking arrangement (19). The invention solves, amongst other things, the problem of being able to lie comfortably on one's stomach in the chair. An articulation (9) acting between the seat (7) and the back rest (8) is so arranged as to be free to move in the vertical sense in relation to said supporting base (2), so that the chair (1) can adopt an essentially convex form.

Description: Folding reclining chair The present invention relates to a folding reclining chair comprising a back rest capable of angular adjustment in relation to a seat and preferably a leg support, 5 which are carried by a supporting base and are lockable by means of a locking arrangement. A reclining chair of the kind indicated above is previously disclosed under the trade name Baden-Baden, in which the back rest and the leg support can be adjusted to various 10 inclined positions in relation to the horizontal plane and the seat in question. It is also provided with arm rests which exhibit a locking rail which is capable of being released manually from a lock after actuation of same so as to permit the parts of the chair to be locked in the desired inclined position. A reclining 15 chair of this kind provides both a comfortable seat position and a comfortable back position. The chair is uncomfortable if it is wished to lie on the stomach, for example, in order to sun the back. The principal object of the present invention is 20 thus primarily to make available a reclining chair of the kind indicated above which resolves said problems and which is easy to lock in the position to which it has been adjusted. Said object is achieved by means of a reclining chair in accordance with the present invention, which is 25 characterized essentially in that an articulation acting between the seat and the back rest is so arranged as to be free to move in relation to said supporting base. The invention is described below as a preferred illustrative embodiment, in conjunction with which reference is 30 made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a reclining chair in the extended position for lying on the stomach, viewed in perspective; <r Fig. 2 shows a side view of the chair in the sitting position; 35 Fig. 3 shows a side view of the chair in the position for lying on the back; Fig. 4 shows a side view of the chair in the position for lying on the stomach; Fig. 5 shows the chair capable of moving as a unit; Fig. 6 shows a side view of the chair during its folding phase; Fig. 7 shows the chair in its folded position; Fig. 8 shows the presence of the movement—limiting device in a chair; and Fig. 9 shows said device separately. A reclining chair 1 arranged according to the invention consists of a supporting base 2, which in the embodiment in question is executed as two U—shaped leg hoops 4, 5 articulated so as to pivot relative to one another about a common joint 3, in which the limbs 4A, 4B and 5A, 5B of the tubular leg hoops 4, 5 constitute the legs of the chair ' . The two leg hoops 4, 5 are connected to one another via a tape 6 or some other suitable Limiting device functioning as a tensioner device, which restricts the maximum amount of pivot of the hoops when the chair 1 with said leg hoops 4, 5 is in its extended position. Also present are a seat 7 on which a back rest 8 is articulated about an articulation 9, and preferably a leg support 10 which is articulated about a front articulation 11 capable of angular adjustment in relation to the seat 7. Said leg support 10 is connected at a pivoting point 12 to a strut 13 which is connected at a pivoting point 14 on a lower part 8A of the back rest 8. Said supports 10, 7, 8, which have the function of supports 15 for the body, which can be formed from bent tubes which between them carry springs 16 or other functional holding devices, can be locked in a desired position by means of a manually actuated locking device 19 preferably acting between the supporting common joint 3 and the arm rests 17, which are pivotally mounted about joints 18 attached to the back rest 8, said locking device preferably consisting of a lock 19A situated at the top of the part 3, which lock is so arranged as to engage in appropriate recesses in a locking rail 19B on the underside of the respective arm rests 17. Thus, by changing the position of the lock after moving the arm rests 17, the inclined position of the back rest can be varied to and locked in the desired inclined position. Shown in Fig. 2 is the uppermost of the positions to which the back rest 8 can be adjusted, the so-called sitting position I. In this position the seat 7 and the back rest 8 form an internal angle A which is about 90°. This angle A can be increased by moving the lock 19A along the locking rail 19B of the respective arm rest to a so-called position for lying on the stomach, position II, shown in Fig. 4, which position is the lowest possible position. Shown in Fig. 3 is the previous lowest possible position, the so—called position for lying on the back, position III, which could be set in the case of previously disclosed reclining chairs of similar kind thanks to the presence of a link 20, which is shown as dotted and dashed lines in Figs. 2 and 3 and which acts between the rear leg 5 and the articulation 9. In this position III, as shown in Fig. 3, it is possible to lie comfortably on one's back in the chair, although if one turns onto one's stomach, the position becomes uncomfortable because the point 9 is situated too low and the back is curved backwards because the angle A is less than 180°. In a chair 1 in accordance with the invention the articulation 9 is free to move to a desired position in relation to the supporting base 2. Because the articulation 9 is able to move upwards to the position shown in Fig. 4, the so—called position for lying on the stomach, position II, is easily set in the chair 1 to provide a comfortable position for lying on the stomach. Arranged so as to be capable of acting between the seat 7 and the supporting base 2 is a movement—restricting device which restricts the downward pivoting movement of the seat relative to the supporting base 2. Said device may, for example, consist of a stop 21 which is securely attached to the seat 7. The downward pivoting movement of the seat is restricted through the stop 21 coming up against the rear leg hoop 5, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Because the stop 21 is free or is capable of being detached from the leg hoop 5, allowing it to move upwards with the seat 7, the chair 1 can also be put into the position for lying on the stomach, position II, as s own in Fig. 4, and into the position for lying on the stomach shown in Figs, 1, 4 and 6. This can take place automatically if one turns over completely in the chair 1 from the position for lying on the back, position III, and if one adopts the position for lying on the stomach, position II, that is to say with the stomach against the seat 7, with the chest againsthe back rest 8, and with the legs against the leg rest 10. By pushing with the arms against the back rest 8, the back rest 8 is caused to drop from the position for lying on the back, position III, as shown in Fig. 3, in which a -so-called "concave" form is produced between the seat 7 and the back rest 8, to produce the position for lying on the stomach, position II, as shown in Fig. 4, in which a so—called "convex" form is produced between the seat 7 and the back rest 8. Such a comfortable surface for supporting the body is formed by the supporting components 10, 7, 8, which allow a comfortable position lying on the stomach to be adopted in the chair 1 if it is wished to sun one's back, for example. Fig. 4 shows that the pivoting joints/between the strut 13 and the back rest 8 are capable of movement past an imaginary straight line 22 which extends through the pivoting joints 12 between the foot rest 10, the strut 13 and through the articulations 9, so as to produce a so—called over—centre locking effect. However, the locking effect produced must not be so great as to cause the chair 1 to return automatically to the position for lying on the back, position III, shown in Fig. 3 when one turns over in the chair from the position for lying on the stomach, position II, shown in Fig. 4. This is achieved by the lower part 8A of the back rest when in this position coming up against the seat 7 in such a May that the locking effect is adequate through direct or indirect interaction. Illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9 is a variant of an angular locking arrangement for locking the chair in the desired inclined position set between the seat 7 and the back rest 8, more specifically in the form of a manually actuated hook 22. Said hook limits the movement of the articulation 9^ when the hook 22 is in engagement with a part 23 of said articulation 9^. The back rest β * ' and the seat 7^ are permitted to move for a certain distance in a vertical sense, which is limited by hook parts 22A, 22B when the hook 22 is in the engaged position. Illustrated in Fig. 9 is an alternative for a movement—restricting device 21^ in the form of a hook or a similar securing device which is capable of manual actuation through being attached to the front leg ^ via a link 24. Pivoting of the leg 4^ also produces pivoting of the locking hook 21 " '. The joint 18 is able to pivot along, amongst other things, an arc 25 essentially in a vertical sense, as shown in Fig. 5, after releasing the locking device 19. The chair 1, angled into essentially convex form, is thus permitted to move as a unit and to be set to the desired inclined position, retaining the setting of the position for lying on the stomach, as also shown in Fig. 5. The chair is shown in a fully folded position in Fig. 7. A reclining chair 1 as described above is thus so arranged as to be capable of automatic adjustment to a suitable and comfortable position for the body of the user, for example when one turns over fully in the chair, for example from the position for lying on the back, position II, to the position for lying on the stomach, position III, in conjunction with which the seat 7, which is supported so that it is free to move in relation to the supporting base 2, and the back rest 8, which is supported so that it is free to move about an articulation 9 in relation to said seat, are capable of being adjusted between concave form, as shown in Fig. 3, and convex form, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. This is made possible thanks to the fact that the articulation 9 is so arranged as to be capable of βoving freely in a vertical sense, so that the respective parts 7A and 8A facing the articulation 9 are adjusted in respect of both their level and their angle. The invention is not restricted to the illustrative embodiments described above and shown in the drawings, but may be varied within the scope of the Patent Claims without departing from the idea of invention.

Claims: P a t e n t C l a i m s 1. A folding reclining chair (1) comprising a back rest (8) capable of angular adjustment in relation to a seat (7) and preferably a leg support (10) , which are carried by a supporting base (2) and are lockable in desired positions by means of a locking arrangement (19) , arranged at an arm rest (17) to act between the supporting base (2) and the back rest (8) and that the seat (7) and the back rest (8) are so arranged as to be locked in a so- called sitting position I (Fig 2) , in which position they form an internal angle (A) relative each other which is about 90°, and a so-called position for lying on the back (III) (Pig 3) , in which the back rest (8) is pivoted downward, in that so-called concave form is produced between the seat (7) and the back rest (8), c h a r a c t e - r i z e d in that an articulation (9) acting between the seat (7) and the back rest (8) is so arranged as to be free to move in the vertical sense in relation to said support¬ ing base (2) , that one more angular form is produced between the same, a so-called lying on the stomach position (ID • (Fig 4) . 2. A reclining chair according to Patent Claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that a strut (13) is so arranged as to act between the back rest (8) and the foot rest (10) , which struts are connected via pivoting joints (12, 14) to the respective supports (10, 7, 8), in con¬ junction with which the pivoting joints (14) between said struts (13) and back rest (8) are capable of movement past an imaginary straight line (22) which extends respectively through said pivoting joint (12) for the foot rest (10) and the strut (13) and through said articulation (9) . 3. A reclining chair according to Patent Claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that a manually actuated angular locking device (22) is provided to lock the angle of inclination set between the seat (7 ) and the back rest (8 1 ). 4. A reclining chair according to any of the preceding Patent Claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the seat (7) is supported in such a way that it is able to move in relation to the supporting base (2) , so that pivoting of the back rest (8) relative to the seat (7) will produce a change in level both for said articulation (9) and for each of the parts (7A, 8A) of the seat (7) and the back rest (8) which face the articulation (9) . 5. A reclining chair according to Patent Claim 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that a movement-limiting device (21; 23) is so arranged as to be capable of acting between the seat (7) and the supporting base (2) , which device limits the pivoting movement of the seat downward relative to the supporting base (2) . 6. A reclining chair according to Patent Claim 5, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said device consists of a stop (21) which is arranged to act when the seat (7) is pivoted in one of its directions of pivot. 7. A reclining chair according to Patent Claim 5, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said device consists of a manually actuated hook (21 ) or a similar securing device. 8. A reclining chair according to any of the preceding Patent Claims 2-7, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the part of the chair which has the function of supporting the body, preferably a leg support (10) , a seat (7) and a back rest (8) , is capable of movement as an unit in relation to the supporting base (2) so as to permit adjustment to the desired position for the wanted stomach resting position. 9. A reclining chair according to Patent Claim 8, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that a joint (18) between the arm rest (17) in question and the back rest (8) is capable of pivoting along an arc (25) essentially in a vertical sense. 10. A reclining chair according to any of the preceding Patent Claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the supporting base (2) is formed from two components (4, 5) capable of moving relative to one another, the movement of which is restricted by a tensioner device (6) or some other suitable limiting device (21 , 24) .

Inventors: JOHNSON LARS, JOHNSON, LARS
Applicants: JOHNSON LARS MASK PROTOTYP
Application year: 1987
Main classification: A47C5
IPC codes: A47C1, A47C4