Abstract:
A piece of seating and/or reclining furniture for the outside, includes at least one cover and a framework having at least two struts. The at least one cover extends or can extend at least in some sections between the at least two struts. The piece of seating and/or reclining furniture is designed in such a manner that the at least two struts can be moved relative to one another at least in some sections and can be fixed relative to one another at least in a tensioned position of the cover.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to a piece of seating and/or reclining furniture for the outside.  
         [0002]     Pieces of seating and/or reclining furniture of the abovementioned type are designed, for example, as a chair and can be provided with a textile cover, two lateral struts which have a groove into which thickened ends of the textile cover are placed in each case being provided. If the textile cover is damaged, it can generally only be repaired at the factory due to the great tension under which the cover is attached to the struts, a repair of this type thus being associated with high costs.  
         [0003]     A problem addressed by the present invention is the provision of a piece of seating and/or reclining furniture which can be more easily repaired.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     This is achieved, according to the invention, by a piece of seating and/or reclining furniture of the type mentioned by the defining features.  
         [0005]     Owing to the fact that the struts, in particular the lateral struts, can be moved relative to one another at least in some sections, the tensioning of the cover can be reduced in such a manner that the user can remove the cover and replace it for a new cover.  
         [0006]     In this connection, provision can be made for the struts to have a groove which extends in their longitudinal direction and into which, in particular, a thickened end of the cover is placed or can be placed.  
         [0007]     Furthermore, provision can be made for the struts to be connected to one another via at least one cross strut.  
         [0008]     Provision can be made for the connection between at least one of the struts and the at least one cross strut to be releasable. Release of the connection between the cross strut and at least one of the struts enables the tensioning of the cover to be reduced using extremely simple means in such a manner that the cover can be exchanged.  
         [0009]     For example, provision can be made for the connection between at least one of the struts and the at least one cross strut to be designed as a screw connection. A screw connection of this type can easily be released and produced again by the user.  
         [0010]     One preferred embodiment can make provision for at least one of the struts and/or the at least one cross strut to have at least one bevel which makes it possible, when the struts are connected to the at least one cross strut, for the cover to be tensioned. This at least one bevel or at least two bevels which are operatively connected to each other can be arranged in such a manner that, for example when the screw connection is being tightened, the bevels slide along one another in such a way that the cover is tensioned. This enables the cover to be tensioned using extremely simple means.  
         [0011]     An alternative embodiment can make provision for the piece of seating and/or reclining furniture to include additional connecting means with at least one bevel, said connecting means contributing to the connection between at least one of the struts and the at least one cross strut in such a manner that the cover can be tensioned when the struts are connected to the at least one cross strut. The arrangement of the at least one bevel on additional connecting means can afford the same functional advantages as the arrangement of the bevels directly on the at least one cross strut and/or at least one of the struts.  
         [0012]     In this connection, provision can be made for at least one of the connecting means to have a pin which can engage in a corresponding hole in the at least one cross strut. This pin enables at least one of the connecting means to be positioned at the desired location on the cross strut using extremely simple means.  
         [0013]     Provision can be made for the piece of seating and/or reclining furniture to have a cross connecting bow with two lower projections which can be placed into upper openings of the at least two struts. The projections can, in particular, taper conically downward, with the result that the insertion of the projections into the openings can cause the upper ends of the struts to be pressed apart, so that the cover is tensioned.  
         [0014]     Examples of the piece of seating and/or reclining furniture within the meaning of the invention can include a folding chair or stacking chair for the outside or else a garden lounger or the like.  
         [0015]     In the case of the piece of seating and/or reclining furniture according to the invention, the cover can also consist essentially of textiles. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0016]     Further advantages and features of the present invention will become clear through the following description of preferred exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached figures, in which  
         [0017]      FIG. 1  shows a schematic side view of a first embodiment of a piece of seating and/or reclining furniture according to the invention in the form of a chair;  
         [0018]      FIG. 2  shows a section through the rear part of the chair depicted in  FIG. 1  in the untensioned state of the cover;  
         [0019]      FIG. 3  shows a section corresponding to  FIG. 2  in the tensioned state of the cover;  
         [0020]      FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of a piece of seating and/or reclining furniture according to the invention in the form of a chair;  
         [0021]      FIG. 5  shows a view from the behind of the chair according to  FIG. 4 ;  
         [0022]      FIG. 6  shows a side view of the chair according to  FIG. 4 ;  
         [0023]      FIG. 7  shows a plan view of a cross strut of the chair according to  FIG. 4 ;  
         [0024]      FIG. 8  shows a side view of the cross strut according to  FIG. 7  with lateral struts shown by dashed lines;  
         [0025]      FIG. 9  shows a perspective view of the cross strut according to  FIG. 7 ;  
         [0026]      FIG. 10  shows a sectional view according to the arrows X-X in  FIG. 7 ;  
         [0027]      FIG. 11  shows a perspective view of the embodiment according to  FIG. 4  with the cross connecting bow taken off; and  
         [0028]      FIG. 12  shows a sectional view according to the arrows XII-XII in  FIG. 5 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0029]     The chair which can be seen in  FIG. 1  is designed as a folding chair. The chair has a backrest  1  which can be pivoted relative to a seat part  2  about an axis  3 . Armrests  4  and chair legs  5  are attached pivotably in a customary manner to the backrest  1  and the seat part  2 .  
         [0030]     Both the backrest  1  and the seat part  2  are provided with a cover  6  which is designed, in particular, as textile upholstery. The cover  6  can be seen in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 . Both the rear part  1  and the seat part  2  comprise outer lateral struts  7 ,  8  to which the cover  6  can be attached. For this purpose, the struts  7 ,  8  have a groove  9  which extends in the longitudinal direction of the struts  7 ,  8  and into which a thickened end  10  of the cover  6  can be placed from one end, for example. The thickened end can be realized, for example, by means of a rod, in particular a flexible rod, around which the end of the cover  6  extends.  
         [0031]     The struts  7 ,  8  are connected to each other via cross struts  11  in the usable state of the chair. It can be seen from  FIG. 1  that two cross struts  11  are arranged in the region of the backrest  1  and three cross struts  11  are arranged in the region of the seat part  2 , the central cross strut of the cross struts  11  serving in the region of the seat part  2  at the same time for coupling to the chair legs  5 .  
         [0032]     The usable state of the chair is illustrated in  FIG. 3 , in which the cover  6  is in the tensioned state. In this state, the cross strut  11  is connected fixedly via a screw  12  and a blind rivet nut  13  to the struts  7 ,  8 , which are designed as longitudinal struts. To exchange the cover  6 , the screws  12  can be released on one side, for example, so that the strut  7 , for example, can be taken off the cross struts  11 . On this side, the thickened end  10  of the cover can then easily be pulled out of the groove  9  because the cover  6  is then no longer under tension. Following this, the thickened end  10  can then also be pulled out of the groove  9  of the opposite strut  8 .  
         [0033]     After insertion of a new cover, the strut  7  can again be connected to the cross struts  11 . Tightening of the screws  12  causes the cover to be tensioned. The tensioning action is undertaken, in particular, by means of the bevels  14  (which are clearly apparent in  FIG. 2 ) on the cross struts  11 , said bevels interacting with corresponding bevels  15  on the struts  7 ,  8 .  
         [0034]     The chair which is depicted in  FIG. 4  to  FIG. 12  is designed as a “stacking chair” having a continuous framework. In the figures, identical parts are, in particular, provided with the same reference numbers as in  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 3 .  
         [0035]     The chair which can be seen, for example, in  FIG. 4  likewise has a backrest  1  and a seat part  2  and also armrests  4  and chair legs  5 . Furthermore, the backrest  1  and seat part  2  are provided with a continuous cover  6 . The cover  6  is secured by lateral struts  16 ,  17  which are bent in a L-shape. In the exemplary embodiment depicted, said struts are connected to each other at the upper end of the backrest  1  by means of a removable cross connecting bow  18  (see, for example,  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 11  in this respect). The chair legs  5  arranged on one side are connected to each other to form a framework by the armrests  4  running above and essentially parallel to the lateral struts  16 ,  17  of the seat part region.  
         [0036]     In the region of the seat part  2 , the chair legs  5  arranged on one side are connected in each case to the chair legs  5  arranged on the other side via cross struts  19  which are welded fixedly to the framework of the chair legs  5 . These cross struts  19  are clearly apparent in detail in  FIG. 7  to  FIG. 10 . The cross struts  19  and those sections of the lateral struts  16 ,  17  which are arranged in the region of the seat part  2  can be connected to one another via connecting means  20 ,  21 . A bevel  22 ,  23  is arranged both on the connecting means  20  and on the connecting means  21 , these two bevels  22 ,  23  being able to slide on each other and therefore interacting in order to tension the cover  6  arranged between the lateral struts  16 ,  19 .  
         [0037]     The connecting means  20 ,  21  can be manufactured, for example, from plastic, in particular in the form of shaped plastic parts. The lower connecting means  21  in  FIG. 8  can, in particular, have a pin  24  which can engage in a corresponding hole in the cross strut  19 .  
         [0038]     The connecting means  20 ,  21  can be connected to each other in a manner similar to how the strut  7  is connected to the cross struts  11 , via a screw  25  and a blind rivet nut  26  (see, for example,  FIG. 8 ,  FIG. 10  and  FIG. 12  in this respect).  
         [0039]     The cross connecting bow  18  has two projections  27 ,  28  which taper conically downward and can be inserted into corresponding upper openings  29 ,  30  of the lateral struts  16 ,  17  (see  FIG. 11  in this respect). After the cross connecting bow  18  has been pulled out, the upper ends of the lateral struts  16 ,  17  can be moved toward each other. In contrast, the conicity of the projections  27 ,  28  means that the lateral struts can be pressed apart by the insertion of the projections  27 ,  28  into the upper openings  29 ,  30 .  
         [0040]     To remove the cover  6 , the connecting means  20 ,  21 , for example on one of the two lateral struts  16 ,  17 , can therefore be released. As a result, the lateral struts  16 ,  17  can be moved toward each other in such a manner that the tension is taken away from the cover  6 . This makes it easily possible for the cover to be taken out of the corresponding grooves of the lateral struts  16 ,  17 .  
         [0041]     After a new cover  6  has been placed into the corresponding grooves of the lateral struts  16 ,  17 , the connecting means  20 ,  21  can be connected to each other again, the cover  6  being tensioned again by the interaction of the bevels  22 ,  23 . Furthermore, the cross connecting bow  18  can be re-attached, so that, as a result, the upper ends of the lateral struts  16 ,  17  are also pressed apart to tension the cover  6 .  
         [0042]     As an alternative to the abovementioned embodiments, there is the possibility of also using the invention on garden loungers or the like.