Patent Publication Number: US-2020297117-A1

Title: Folding mechanism and a sofa

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application 201910205367.X, filed on Mar. 18, 2019. Chinese Patent Application 201910205367.X is incorporated herein by reference. 
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present disclosure relates to the field of household products and in particular to a folding mechanism of a storage portion and a sofa. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     In existing folding mechanisms of a storage portion, such as disclosed in Chinese Patents CN201480633U and CN2577688Y, a turnover panel comprises a support frame and a panel. The support frame is disposed with a first connecting member, and the panel is disposed with a second connecting member. A first end of a lower bending piece is movably connected to a lower end of the first connecting member, and a second end of the lower bending piece is movably connected to an internal end of the second connecting member. A first end of an upper bending piece is movably connected to an upper end of the first connecting member, and a second end of the upper bending piece is movably connected to an external end of the second connecting member. The above-mentioned folding mechanism of a storage portion has poor support stability and is not sufficiently smooth during folding and unfolding. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present disclosure provides a folding mechanism and a sofa to solve deficiencies of the existing techniques. 
     One of the technical solutions adopted by the present disclosure to solve the aforementioned technical problems is a folding mechanism connecting a storage portion and a support portion. The folding mechanism comprises a first link bar, a second link bar, a third link bar, and a fourth link bar. The first link bar and the third link bar are respectively pivotally connected to the support portion. The second link bar and the fourth link bar are respectively pivotally connected to the storage portion. The first link bar and the third link bar are pivotally connected, the second link bar and the fourth link bar are pivotally connected, and the second link bar and the third link bar are pivotally connected. 
     In a preferred embodiment, a first end of the first link bar and a first end of the third link bar are respectively pivotally connected to the support portion. A first end of the second link bar and a first end of the fourth link bar are respectively pivotally connected to the storage portion. A second end of the first link bar and a second end of the third link bar are pivotally connected. A second end of the second link bar and a second end of the fourth link bar are pivotally connected. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the second link bar, the third link bar, the fourth link bar, and the storage portion cooperate to form a first four-bar linkage. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the first link bar, the second link bar, the third link bar, and the support portion cooperate to form a second four-bar linkage. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the second link bar, the third link bar, the fourth link bar, and the storage portion cooperate to form a first four-bar linkage, and the first link bar, the second link bar, the third link bar, and the support portion cooperate to form a second four-bar linkage. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the folding mechanism further comprises a driving mechanism. The driving mechanism is connected to the first link bar to drive the first link bar to rotate. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the driving mechanism comprises a driving portion and an abutting portion slidably connected to the driving portion. The driving portion is pivotally connected to the support portion, and the abutting portion is pivotally connected to the first link bar. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the driving mechanism comprises an electric push rod, and a push rod of the electric push rod is the abutting portion. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the storage portion comprises a sensor for determining whether an object is present on the storage portion, and the sensor is communicatively connected to the driving mechanism. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the storage portion comprises a storage surface and a protrusion base protruding from the storage surface. The sensor is disposed on the protrusion base, and the sensor is at least one of an infrared sensor, a microwave sensor, a laser sensor configured to determine whether the object is present on the storage portion. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the storage portion comprises a sensor for determining whether an object is present on the storage portion. At least one of the storage portion or the support portion comprises an alarm unit, and the sensor is communicatively connected to the alarm unit. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the storage portion comprises a storage panel. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the storage portion comprises a storage panel and a fixed base fixed to a back surface of the storage panel, and the second link bar and the fourth link bar are pivotally connected to the fixed base of the storage portion. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the storage portion comprises a wireless charging module. 
     A second technical scheme in the present disclosure to solve the aforementioned technical problems is a folding mechanism connecting a storage portion and a support portion. The folding mechanism comprises a first link bar, a second link bar, a third link bar, and a fourth link bar. The second link bar, the third link bar, the fourth link bar, and the storage portion cooperate to form a first four-bar linkage. The first link bar, the second link bar, the third link bar, and the support portion cooperate to form a second four-bar linkage. 
     A third technical scheme in the present disclosure to solve the aforementioned technical problems is a sofa comprising a sofa body comprising a support portion and a folding mechanism. The folding mechanism connects a storage portion and the support portion. The folding mechanism comprises a first link bar, a second link bar, a third link bar, and a fourth link bar. The first link bar and the third link bar are respectively pivotally connected to the support portion. The second link bar and the fourth link bar are respectively pivotally connected to the storage portion. The first link bar and the third link bar are pivotally connected, the second link bar and the fourth link bar are pivotally connected, and the second link bar and the third link bar are pivotally connected. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the sofa body comprises a seat portion and two armrest portions respectively located at opposite sides of the seat portion. A first armrest portion of the two armrest portions is disposed with the support portion. 
     In a preferred embodiment, an outer wall of the first armrest portion is recessed to define an accommodating chamber. The storage portion is movable between an unfolded state and a folded state by the folding mechanism. The storage portion and the folding mechanism are located in the accommodating chamber when the storage portion is in the folded state. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the folding mechanism further comprises a driving mechanism. The driving mechanism is connected to the first link bar to drive the first link bar to rotate. The first armrest portion comprises a control panel, and the control panel is communicatively connected to the driving mechanism. 
     Compared with existing techniques, the technical solution provided by the present disclosure has the following advantages. 
     The first link bar and the third link bar are respectively pivotally connected to the support portion, and the second link bar and the fourth link bar are respectively pivotally connected to the storage portion. The first link bar and the third link bar are pivotally connected, and the second link bar and the third link bar are also pivotally connected. The folding and unfolding of the storage portion are smooth, labor-saving, and convenient, and support of the storage portion is stable and reliable. 
     The second link bar, the third link bar, the fourth link bar, and the storage portion cooperate to form a first four-bar linkage, and the first link bar, the second link bar, the third link bar, and the supporting portion cooperate to form a second four-bar linkage. The folding and unfolding of the storage portion are smooth, labor-saving, and convenient, and support of the storage portion is stable and reliable. 
     The driving mechanism is connected to the first link bar to drive the first link bar to rotate, which can realize automatic folding and unfolding of the folding mechanism without manual operation, and the storage portion is convenient to use. 
     The driving mechanism comprises an electric push rod, and the push rod of the electric push rod forms an abutting portion. The electric push rod can realize self-locking to ensure that the storage portion is maintained in an unfolded state or a folded state. 
     The second link bar and the fourth link bar are pivotally connected to the fixed base of the storage portion for convenient assembly and high connection strength. 
     The outer wall of the first armrest portion is recessed to define an accommodating chamber, and the storage portion and the folding mechanism i are located in the accommodating chamber when the storage portion is in the folded state, thereby increasing the use of space and providing an attractive appearance. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       The present disclosure will be further described below with the combination of the accompanying drawings and the embodiments. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a storage panel of a sofa of Embodiment 1 in an unfolded state. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing the storage panel of the sofa of the Embodiment 1 in a half-folded state. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing the storage panel of the sofa of the Embodiment 1 in a folded state. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a folding mechanism of the Embodiment 1, in which the storage panel is indicated by a broken line. 
         FIG. 5  is a side view showing the folding mechanism of the Embodiment 1 in an unfolded state. 
         FIG. 6  is a side view showing the folding mechanism of the Embodiment 1 in a half-folded state. 
         FIG. 7  is a side view showing the folding mechanism of the Embodiment 1 in a folded state. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view showing a folding mechanism of Embodiment 2 in a folded state. 
         FIG. 9  is a side view showing a folding mechanism of Embodiment 3 in a folded state. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     Embodiment 1 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4-7 , a folding mechanism connects a storage portion  10  and a support portion  20 . The folding mechanism comprises a first link bar  31 , a second link bar  32 , a third link bar  33 , a fourth link bar  34 , and a driving mechanism  40 . A first end of the first link bar  31  and a first end of the third link bar  33  are respectively pivotally connected to the support portion  20 . A first end of the second link bar  32  and a first end of the fourth link bar  34  are respectively pivotally connected to the storage portion  10 . A second end of the first link bar  31  and a second end of the third link bar  33  are pivotally connected, and a second end of the second link bar  32  and a second end of the fourth link bar  34  are pivotally connected. The second link bar  32  and the third link bar  33  are also pivotally connected to make the second link bar  32 , the third link bar  33 , the fourth link bar  34 , and the storage portion  10  cooperate to form a first four-bar linkage. The first link bar  31 , the second link bar  32 , the third link bar  33 , and the support portion  20  cooperate to form a second four-bar linkage. The first four-bar linkage and the second four-bar linkage are linked together. The driving mechanism  40  drives the first link bar  31  to rotate relative to the support portion  20 . 
     In this embodiment, the storage portion  10  comprises a storage panel  11  and a fixed base  12  fixed to a back surface of the storage panel  11 . The second link bar  32  and the fourth link bar  34  are respectively pivotally connected to the fixed base  12  of the storage portion  10 . The storage panel  11  is a table panel or other storage component, such as a cup holder, a bracket, or the like. 
     The driving mechanism  40  comprises a driving portion  41  and an abutting portion  42  slidably connected to the driving portion  41 . The driving portion  41  is pivotally connected to the support portion  20 , and the abutting portion  42  is pivotally connected to the first link bar  31 . In this way, sliding of the abutting portion  42  with respect to the driving portion  41  controls rotation of the first link bar  31  and controls folding and unfolding of the folding mechanism. In some embodiments, other driving mechanisms may be employed, such as a driving gear and a driven gear that is synchronously rotatably connected to a rotating shaft of the first link bar  31 . The driving gear and the driven gear may engage to drive the first link bar  31  to rotate to control the folding and unfolding of the folding mechanism. In the specific embodiment, the driving mechanism  40  is an electric push rod, and a push rod of the electric push rod constitutes the abutting portion  42 . The driving mechanism  40  can also adopt other mechanisms, such as a hydraulic putter or a pneumatic putter, for example. 
     In this embodiment, the storage panel  11  comprises a sensor  101  for determining whether an object is present on the storage panel  11 . The sensor  101  is communicatively connected to the driving mechanism  40 . The driving mechanism  40  is controlled to keep the storage portion  10  in an in-use state when the storage portion  10  is in an unfolded state and the sensor  101  determines that an object is present on the storage portion  10 , thereby preventing the driving mechanism  40  from driving the storage portion  10  to move to a non-use state and thereby preventing the object from falling to the ground. In the embodiment, the storage panel  11  has a storage surface  110  (i.e., a top surface when the storage portion  10  in the unfolded state) from which a protrusion base  111  protrudes. The sensor  101  is disposed on the protrusion base  111 . The sensor  101  may be an infrared sensor  13  for determining whether an object is present on the storage panel  11 , and may be arranged parallel to a length of the protrusion base  111 . The infrared sensor  13  is configured to emit infrared rays, and when an infrared ray encounters an obstacle, feedback is provided to the infrared sensor  13 . The infrared sensor  13  is configured to determine whether an object is present on the storage surface  110  according to whether feedback is received or not. When no feedback is received, no object is present on the storage surface  110 . Other sensors, such as microwave sensors or laser sensors, can be used for the sensor  101  instead of or in addition to the infrared sensor  13 . For example, a pressure sensor  14  may be provided on the storage surface  110  to determine whether there is an object present on the storage surface  110 . 
     In the specific embodiment, the storage portion  10  comprises a wireless charging module  60  to provide a wireless charging function for an electronic device resting on the storage panel  11 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-4 , a sofa comprises a sofa body and the folding mechanism, and the sofa body is disposed with the support portion  20 . The sofa body comprises a seat portion  21 , two armrest portions  22  respectively located at opposite sides of the seat portion  21 , and a back portion  23  provided at a rear of the seat portion  21 . A first armrest portion of the two armrest portions  22  is disposed with the support portion  20 . An outer wall of the first armrest portion of the two armrest portions  22  is recessed to define an accommodating chamber  221 , and the storage portion  10  is movable between the unfolded state and a folded state by the folding mechanism. When the storage portion  10  is in the folded state, the folding mechanism and the storage panel  11  are located in the accommodating chamber  221 . When the storage portion  10  is in the unfolded state, the storage panel  11  partially overlaps a top surface of the first armrest portion of the two armrest portions  22 . This configuration causes the storage panel  11  to avoid interacting with the top surface of the first armrest portion of the two armrest portions  22  during the folding and unfolding process while still enabling a user to conveniently use the storage panel  11  in the unfolded state. 
     In a specific structure, the first armrest portion of the two armrest portions  22  comprises a control panel (the control panel is not shown in  FIGS. 1-7 ), and the control panel is communicatively connected to the driving mechanism  40  to control the storage panel  11  to fold and unfold. In some embodiments, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) charging stand can also be disposed in the control panel. 
     The folding mechanism of the present embodiment can be used not only for a sofa but also for other household items, such as tables, chairs, beds, and the like. 
     Embodiment 2 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 , this embodiment differs from Embodiment 1 in that a second armrest portion of the two armrest portions  22  comprises a control panel  50 , and the control panel  50  is communicatively connected to the driving mechanism  40  to control the storage panel  11  to fold and unfold. 
     Embodiment 3 
     Referring to  FIG. 9 , this embodiment differs from Embodiment 1 in that at least one of the storage portion  10  or the support portion  20  comprises an alarm unit  30 , and the sensor  101  is communicatively connected to the alarm unit  30 . 
     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variation can be made in the present disclosure without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present disclosure cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.