Patent Publication Number: US-9888776-B2

Title: Seating/reclining furniture

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This patent application is a 371 of International Application No. PCT/EP2014/070481, filed Sep. 25, 2014 which claims the priority of German Application No. 102013219659.8, filed Sep. 27, 2013, each of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
     The present invention relates to seating/reclining furniture in accordance with the preamble of claim  1 . 
     Such furniture is generally known, for example from EP 1 327 400 A2. 
     It is also known that a footrest is coupled via a fitting to a back part or to a seat part such that a change of the relative position of the back part and of the seat part with respect to one another effects a pivoting of the footrest. 
     In the non-pivoted state, the footrest is in this respect substantially oriented perpendicular to the seat part, which is disadvantageous, for example, with respect to esthetics. 
     The free movement of a user&#39;s feet is also prevented in this position. 
     It is furthermore disadvantageous that the footrest is only extended in a reclining position. It can, however, also be desirable for reasons of comfort to utilize the footrest, for example, in an upright position or in an intermediate position of the back part. 
     It is therefore an object of the invention to improve seating/reclining furniture with respect to comfort. 
     The object is satisfied by seating/reclining furniture having the features of claim  1 . 
     In accordance with the invention, the first footrest section, together with the second footrest section, is in particular pivoted by means of a first fitting, independently of a change of the relative position of the back part and of the seat part relative to one another. A relative movement of the second footrest section to the first footrest section also takes place by means of a second fitting independently of a movement of the back part or of the seat part. 
     In this manner, the footrest can also be folded outward and/or extended when the backrest is located in an upright position. There is thus also a high degree of comfort when seated or in an intermediate position. 
     It is furthermore possible that the footrest is not extended when the backrest is located in a reclining position. 
     The seating/reclining furniture is consequently variably adaptable to the needs of the user due to the independent adjustability of the footrest. 
     The first fitting and the second fitting can in particular be components of a common fitting. 
     The fittings can in particular be compulsorily coupled with one another. If the drive apparatus is consequently actuated, both the first footrest section can be pivoted relative to the support frame and the second footrest section can be extended or retracted via the fittings, preferably using a single movement. The second footrest section can be connected to the first footrest section, for example, via a slot guide. 
     The drive can in particular take place manually, e.g. by means of a lever. An electric drive is, however, also conceivable, for example, which can preferably be controlled via a control unit connected to the seating/reclining furniture or in wireless contact therewith. 
     Reference is made with respect to the mode of operation and to possible embodiments of the footrest apparatus and its fittings per se to DE 696 07 918 T2 whose disclosure content in this respect is herewith explicitly referenced. 
     It was extremely surprising and unexpected for the skilled person that a drive apparatus can also be used together with a footrest apparatus, the two simultaneously implementing a pivot movement and extension movement, in seating/reclining furniture having a cantilever support structure such as is defined in the preamble of claim  1 . 
     Seating/reclining furniture having a cantilever support structure namely always have a seat part whose frame is formed from a tube bent round. It therefore did not appear possible due to this basic structure and due to the low height of the seat part to arrange a corresponding footrest apparatus together with the drive apparatus beneath the seat part. 
     This is in particular made possible in accordance with the invention in that the seat part can have a rectangular basic structure and, for example, forms a kind of box or mount for a footrest apparatus. The footrest apparatus or at least the support frame can thus in particular be stowed beneath the seat part like a cassette or a drawer. 
     To have sufficient space available to pivot the footrest sections outward, the frame of the seat part is in particular not formed from a bent tube, but rather from angled border plates. A front edge of the seat part can preferably be flat, and in particular straight, in order in this manner to achieve a relatively tall height or front ground clearance for the pivot movement or extension movement of the footrest. 
     In this manner, the footrest sections do not contact the floor while they are pivoted. 
    
    
     The invention will be described in the following with reference to the drawings. They are in this respect purely exemplary embodiments. Protection is also claimed for the individually described aspects in each case separately from the specific embodiment. 
     An armchair having a seat part  10  and a back part  12  is shown in  FIGS. 1 a  to 2 c   . The seat part  10  and the back part  12  are supported by a cantilever support structure  14 . The cantilever support structure  14  comprises a support hoop  54 , a base section  56 , an at least approximately horizontally extending horizontal section  58  as well as a joint section  60  connecting the base section  56  and the horizontal section  58  to one another and enabling a pivoting of the horizontal section  58  relative to the base section  56 . 
     The back part  12  together with a headrest  16  is always in an upright position in  FIGS. 1 a  to 1 c   , whereas a reclining position is shown in  FIGS. 2 a    to  2   c.    
     The adjustment mechanism for a footrest apparatus  18 , however, takes place independently of whether the back part  12  is inclined or not. 
     The footrest apparatus  18  comprises a support frame  20 , a first footrest section  22  and a second footrest section  24 . 
     The footrest sections  22 ,  24  can be moved via a drive apparatus  26  which comprises a lever  28 . 
     If, for example, the lever  28  is moved counter-clockwise, the first footrest section  22  and the second footrest section  24  fold outward clockwise (cf.  FIGS. 1 b  and 2 b   ). 
     The second footrest section  24  is furthermore also pushed out in a straight line relative to the first footrest section  22  by the movement of the lever  28 . The footrest surface is thereby greatly increased (cf.  FIGS. 1 c  and 2 c   ). 
     If the lever  28  is adjusted back, the second footrest section  24  moves back in and the footrest sections  22 ,  24  are again pivoted beneath the seat part  10 . 
     A footrest apparatus  18  is shown by way of example in  FIG. 3 . The first footrest section  22  is folded outward in this respect. The second footrest section  24  is also pushed out. A rail guide  30  is provided for this purpose. The first footrest section  22  has a longitudinal groove at both sides into which the inner edges  34  of the second footrest section  24  engage. 
     For the pivoting, the drive apparatus  26  comprises a first fitting  36  and a second fitting  38  for extending or retracting the second footrest section  34 . The drive apparatus  26  can furthermore comprise a spiral spring  40  to support the adjustment movement. 
     Guide rails  42  are provided for fastening the substantially rectangular support frame  20  at the seat part  10 . Alternatively, any other fastening possibilities can also be selected, for example perforated metal sheets. 
     A plan view of a seat part  10  is shown in  FIG. 4 a   . The rectangular basic shape is in this respect formed with the aid of border plates  44  and a tube  45 . 
     To obtain sufficient space for the support frame  20  or a fastening for the support frame  20  beneath the seat part  10 , springs  46  are tensioned longitudinally which are transversely tensioned in conventional armchairs having a cantilever support structure. The springs  46  thus extend substantially in parallel with side supports  50  and perpendicular to a front support  48 . 
     The springs  46  can be welded at one side to the seat part  10  at the front support  48  and can be hung on at the other side. 
     A bottom view of the seat part  10  is shown in  FIG. 4 b   . The front support  48  has a smaller height in comparison with the side supports  50 . The front support  48  is flat and folded. This support  48  is also upwardly displaced in comparison with the lower edge of the side support  50  in the installed state. In addition, the front support  48  is straight and not bent. These measures serve to provide sufficient space for a pivot movement of the footrest sections  22 ,  24 . 
     The side supports  50  oriented perpendicular to the front support  48  are higher than the front support  48  since a holding apparatus is provided at them for receiving the guide rails  42  of the support frame  20 . 
     The support frame  20  can consequently be pushed beneath the seat part  10  like a drawer or a cassette and can be fastened there, for example screwed and/or welded. The footrest apparatus thus forms a module. 
     Different views in which the support frame  20  and the seat part  10  are assembled are shown in  FIGS. 5 a    to  6   b.    
     The seat part  10  and the footrest apparatus  18  can be connected to a back part  12 . The individual components can be padded and/or upholstered. 
     The apparatus in accordance with the invention also enables an autonomous adjustment of the footrest with seating/reclining furniture having a cantilever support structure independently of the relative movement between the back part and the seat part, with a high comfort simultaneously being reached for a user. 
     REFERENCE NUMERAL LIST 
     
         
           10  seat part 
           12  back part 
           14  cantilever support structure 
           16  headrest 
           18  footrest apparatus 
           20  support frame 
           22  first footrest section 
           24  second footrest section 
           26  drive apparatus 
           28  lever 
           30  rail guide 
           32  longitudinal groove 
           34  inner edge 
           36  first fitting 
           38  second fitting 
           40  spiral spring 
           42  guide rail 
           44  border plate 
           45  tube 
           46  spring 
           48  front support 
           50  side support 
           52  holding apparatus 
           54  support hoop 
           56  base section 
           58  horizontal section 
           60  joint section