U.S. patent application number 15/122386 was filed with the patent office on 2017-03-09 for mobile piece of furniture, in particular a chair.
The applicant listed for this patent is CASCADE DESIGNS, INC.. Invention is credited to ARMIN SANDER, CHRISTOPHER SCHMIDT.
Application Number | 20170065084 15/122386 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 53801301 |
Filed Date | 2017-03-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170065084 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
SCHMIDT; CHRISTOPHER ; et
al. |
March 9, 2017 |
MOBILE PIECE OF FURNITURE, IN PARTICULAR A CHAIR
Abstract
The invention relates to a mobile piece of furniture (1), in
particular a chair, with leg (2) exhibiting a number of swivelable
foot elements (2a) as a first functional part and with a number of
support struts (3, 4) that are mountable in joint connections (19)
to the leg (2) as well as with a flexible, especially textile,
covering (5) as a second functional part that is provided with,
especially pocket-like, holding elements (6) to attach the support
struts (3.4) to the strut ends (7), wherein one of the functional
parts is provided and set up to take on the additional function of
packing the other functional part and the support struts (3,
4).
Inventors: |
SCHMIDT; CHRISTOPHER;
(Numberg, DE) ; SANDER; ARMIN; (Furth,
DE) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
CASCADE DESIGNS, INC. |
Seattle |
WA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
53801301 |
Appl. No.: |
15/122386 |
Filed: |
March 2, 2015 |
PCT Filed: |
March 2, 2015 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/US2015/018354 |
371 Date: |
August 29, 2016 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47C 4/28 20130101; A47C
4/30 20130101; A47C 4/022 20130101; A47C 4/286 20130101; A47C 1/14
20130101; A47C 3/12 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A47C 4/28 20060101
A47C004/28; A47C 4/30 20060101 A47C004/30; A47C 4/02 20060101
A47C004/02; A47C 1/14 20060101 A47C001/14; A47C 3/12 20060101
A47C003/12 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 28, 2014 |
DE |
DE102014002916.6 |
Claims
1. Mobile piece of furniture (1), in particular a chair, with a leg
comprising a number of swiveling foot elements (2a) as a first
functional part, and with a number of support struts (3, 4) that
are mountable at joints (19) on the leg (2), as well as with a
flexible, especially fabric, covering (5) as a second functional
part that is provided with, especially pocket-like, holding
elements (6) to attach to the strut ends (7) of the support struts
(3, 4), wherein one of the functional parts is provided and set up
to take on the additional function of packing the other functional
part and the support struts (3, 4).
2. Piece of furniture (1) as in claim 1, characterized in that the
foot element (2) comprises a holding element (2b) onto which the
foot elements (2a) are hinged.
3. Piece of furniture (1) as in claim 2, characterized in that the
holding element (2b) comprises a joint stop (16) against which the
respective foot element (2a) is swivelable on the joint side at a
maximum swiveling angle (.alpha.) of less than 90.degree.,
especially between 15.degree. and 75.degree., and preferably
approximately 45.degree., and is blocked beyond the specified
swiveling angle (.alpha.).
4. Piece of furniture (1) as in any of claims 1 through 3 with at
least three foot elements (2a) that are each formed in a bowl shape
and in folded position form a concave or interior space (12) to
receive the support struts (3, 4) and the covering (5).
5. Piece of furniture (1) as in any of claims 1 through 3 with two
pairs of foot elements (2c) that are mountable spaced from each
other via a cross brace (21), wherein the foot elements (2a) of the
pairs of foot elements (2c) are formed in a bowl shape and in
folded position form a concave space (12) to receive the support
struts (3, 4) and the covering (5).
6. Piece of furniture (1) as many of claims 1 through 5,
characterized in that the leg (2) comprises a number of plug
openings (19) corresponding to a number of support struts (3, 4)
into which the ends of the support struts (3, 4) are
insertable.
7. Piece of furniture (1) as in any of claims 1 through 6,
characterized in that the support struts (3, 4) comprise a number
of partial struts (3a and 4a) that are joinable with each other in
the longitudinal direction of the struts, especially in the manner
of a plug connection.
8. Piece of furniture (1) as in claim 7, characterized in that the
length of the partial struts (3a, 4a) and, where applicable, the
cross brace (21) is less than or equal to the length of the foot
elements (2a).
9. Piece of furniture (1) as in any of claims 1 through 8,
characterized by a rope-type fastening element (8) with a number of
fastening ends (10) that can be inserted into these provided joints
(9) to attach to the foot elements (2a).
10. Piece of furniture (1) as in any of claims 1 through 9, as a
chair with two pairs of support struts of different strut lengths,
wherein the comparatively short support struts (3) of the one pair
of support struts are connected in a detachable way with the leg
(2) in the joint (19) forming a seat support, and wherein the
comparatively long support struts (4) of the other pair of support
struts are connected in a detachable way with the leg (2) in the
joint (19) forming a back support.
Description
PRIORITY CLAIM
[0001] This application claims priority from German patent
application DE 10 2014 002 916.6 filed on 28 Feb. 2014, which is
incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention relates to a mobile piece of furniture,
especially in the manner of a folding chair, folding stool, or
folding table. Mobile piece of furniture here means a
transportable, assemblable, and disassemblable or at least
partially foldable, dismantlable, and assemlable piece of
furniture, for example for camping- or picnic style uses.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Such mobile furniture or pieces of furniture should in
principal be able to be shifted from their intended state of use
into a comparatively space-saving state for transportation and
storage. To this end, in the case of folding chairs or folding
tables, it is common for rotary shafts to be provided with legs
that cross over each other like scissors and that are thus
connected at joints in order to move the folding furniture from
opened to folded position and vice versa. As such the crossing
points provided with rotary shafts can be arranged on the sides,
front, or back of the folding furniture.
[0004] A folding chair with legs that are connected at joints like
scissors and with a seat and back are known, for example, from
German patents DE 10 2004 028 178 B4 or from DE 20 2009 007 137
U1.
[0005] The underlying object of the present invention is to specify
an especially space-saving, collapsible mobile piece of furniture
in the manner of a folding chair or folding table.
[0006] This object is achieved according to the present invention
by the elements in claim 1. Advantageous embodiments, further
developments, and variants are the subject of the subclaims.
[0007] To this end, the mobile piece of furniture comprises a leg
with swivalable foot elements and a number of support struts that
are mountable at articulated joints on the leg as well as a
flexible, especially fabric, covering that is provided with
preferably pocket-like holders to attach to the strut ends of the
support struts. The leg especially forms a functional part that is
provided and set up to take on the additional function of packing
the other pieces of furniture, especially the support struts and
the covering. The covering can also take on the additional packing
function for the other pieces of furniture, namely, the support
struts and the leg.
[0008] An advantageous embodiment exhibits the leg as a holding
element onto which the foot elements are connected at articulated
joints. According to the first variant, the leg comprises at least
three foot elements held together via joints that are swivelable
opposite the holding element with their foot or leg ends facing
away from the joints, forming a tripod or quadrupod. The maximum
swiveling angle is less than 90.degree., advisably between
30.degree. and 60.degree., preferably approximately 45.degree..
[0009] According to a further variant, two pairs of foot elements
are provided for that are mountable via a joint in the form of a
cross brace, especially a crosspipe or crossbar, spaced from each
other. The foot elements, which are hinged in pairs onto each
holding element, again forming a maximum swiveling angle, form the
leg together with this and the strut-type connecting element.
[0010] In both variants, the foot elements are preferably formed in
a bowl shape. They form a concave space in folded position, i.e.
swiveled against each other, which serves to receive the strut ends
and the covering and thereby constitutes the packing of the piece
of furniture.
[0011] Also in both variants, the holding element conveniently
exhibits a joint stop that the respective foot element hits at a
maximum swiveling angle on the joint side in order to block the
foot elements from swiveling beyond the maximum swiveling
angle.
[0012] The joint of the support struts is conveniently implemented
in the manner of a plug connection. To this end, the support
element exhibits a number of, for example, collar- or sleeve-type
plug openings, corresponding to the number of the support struts in
the area of the foot elements and/or of holding element, into which
plug openings the respective support strut is inserted using the
corresponding strut end in assembly position.
[0013] In the assembly position, the support struts are positioned
diagonal from the vertical, i.e., oriented diagonally pointing
upward. As such, the angle of inclination can be greater or less
than the set-up angle corresponding to the right angle from the
horizontal. A 45.degree. angle from vertical or horizontal is
suitable.
[0014] The support struts are conveniently composed of a number of
partial struts that are joinable with each other in the
longitudinal direction of the struts, especially in the manner of a
plug connection. As such, the length of the partial struts is less
than or equal to the length of the foot elements. The partial
struts here are advisably held to each other using rope-type and,
if applicable, elastic elements in an undetachable way. The plug
connection can be formed here by a reduction in the cross-section
or a reduction in the outer diameter of one of the joint ends of
the foot elements, while a plug-in foot element is thus formed like
a collar at its joint end, i.e., it exhibits a cross-section
surface adjusted to this with a corresponding inside diameter.
[0015] For later stabilization, a rope-type connecting element can
be provided with a number of joint ends that are put into these
provided joint positions to attach to the foot elements. If the
connection element is mounted to the foot ends of the foot
elements, then the risk of the furniture sinking into a soft,
sandy, or granular surface is also reduced.
[0016] In the embodiment of the piece of furniture as a chair, two
pairs of support struts are conveniently provided for at different
strut lengths. As such, the comparatively short support struts of
the one pair of support struts are connected in a detachable way
with the leg in the joint forming the front side of the surface of
a seat, and the comparatively long support struts of the other pair
of support struts are connected in a detachable way with the leg in
joint forming the back. The covering is put onto the strut ends of
the pair of support struts sticking up and diagonally in assembly
position by means of the covering's holding elements, preferably in
the form of holding pockets at the corners, so that a bowl-shaped
flexible seat and back surface is produced in a practical way.
[0017] The advantages achieved with the present invention consist
especially in that the packing space required for the pieces of
furniture in collapsed position is considerably reduced due to the
construction design of the mobile piece of furniture with a leg and
with multiple, especially four, support struts joinable with it.
Thus, the dimensions of the packed piece of furniture are reduced
to the size of the leg in the preferred variants where the leg
takes on the dual function of the central support part when in the
intended position of use and assembly position and of packing when
in the collapsed or disassembly position.
[0018] The length of the leg, which corresponds more or less to the
length of the foot elements, is only a fraction of the usual leg
length of this type of chair or table. Accordingly, the dimensions
of the piece of furniture according to the present invention when
in collapsed and packed position is considerably reduced in
comparison to common folding furniture, especially folding chairs.
Thus, the packing length of the collapsed mobile piece of furniture
is only approximately the length of a "Knirps.RTM." brand
telescoping umbrella.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] The embodiment examples of the invention are explained in
more detail below using drawings. They show:
[0020] FIG. 1 A perspective projection of a chair as a mobile,
collapsible piece of furniture in assembled position with a leg,
support struts, and a seat and back covering;
[0021] FIG. 2 The chair without covering in a representation
according to FIG. 1;
[0022] FIG. 3 A perspective projection of the leg in the form of a
tripod with foot elements swiveled out against the stops of a
holding element (joint stops);
[0023] FIG. 4 The leg with folded-in foot elements;
[0024] FIG. 5 The leg in longitudinal section looking at the joint
connections of two foot elements with the holding element;
[0025] FIG. 6 A variant of the chair as a mobile piece of furniture
with a leg composed of two pairs of foot elements and a cross
brace, including covering; and
[0026] FIG. 7 The chair according to FIG. 6, without covering.
[0027] The parts corresponding to each other are labeled with the
same references in all of the figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0028] FIG. 1 shows the chair as a mobile piece of furniture 1 with
a leg 2 and with a number of support struts 3, 4 joined with this
by plug connections, as well as with a flexible, for example
fabric, covering 5. This is put onto the free ends 7 opposite the
joint ends (FIG. 2) of the support struts 3, 4 in the shown
assembly position by means of holding pockets 6 at the corners,
thereby forming a seat surface 5a and a back surface (back rest) 5b
as well as two lateral covering surfaces 5c. In the embodiment
example, the leg 2 comprises three foot elements 2a that are hinged
swivelably onto a central holding element 2b.
[0029] The support struts 3, 4 run diagonally upward and outward in
the shown assembly position, where in FIG. 1 an angle of
inclination .beta. from the vertical V is less than a set-up angle
.beta.' corresponding to the 90.degree. angle from the horizontal
H. The seat and back surfaces 5a, 5b are specified in a practical
way from the length and inclination of the support struts 3, 4.
[0030] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the support struts 3, 4 for the
flexible covering 5 are each composed of at least two partial
struts 3a, 4a, in that they are pluggable into the ends of each
other in the longitudinal direction of the struts. To this end, at
least some of the partial struts 3a, 4a exhibit plug shafts 3b and
4b on their ends. These are locked in a detachable way into
corresponding bushing-, collar-, or sleeve-shaped plug-in sections
3c and 4c of a partial strut 3 and 4 that are adjacent in the
longitudinal direction of the strut, while producing a
corresponding joint.
[0031] To stabilize the swiveled foot elements 2a of the leg 2
shown in the assembly position, a rope- or band-type connection
element 8 can be prepared that is pulled tight in a star or spider
web pattern with the foot elements 2a. To this end, these exhibit
corresponding joints at a suitable position, as needed, to which
the connection ends 10 of the connection element 8 can be attached.
A central surface element 11 in the neutral point of the
star-shaped connection element 8 in the embodiment example offers
an additional contact surface so that additional protection from
the leg 2 or its foot elements 2a sinking into a soft, sandy, or
granular surface is provided when making the intended use of the
mobile chair or piece of furniture 1.
[0032] FIGS. 3 through 5 show different representations of the leg
2. In the design according to FIG. 3, the central holding element
2b is recognizable from a number, which corresponds to the number
of foot elements 2a, of, for example, curved single-piece partial
segments connected with each other, and the foot elements 2a are
formed with a smooth surface on the outside, while the central
holding element 2b is embodied as discs in the embodiment example
according to FIGS. 1 and 2, and the foot elements 2a are provided
with surface structures running in the longitudinal direction of
the feet.
[0033] In principal, however, the foot elements 2a of the leg 2 are
formed in a bowl shape so that a concave or interior space 12 is
created when leg 2 with foot elements 2a swiveled against each
other on the inside of the leg 2 is in the folded position shown in
FIGS. 4 and 5. The support struts 3 and 4 that have been collapsed
into partial struts 3a and 4a, as well as the covering 5, and, if
applicable, the connection element 8, can be moved into this
interior space 12 of the leg 2 so that the leg 2 takes on the
additional function of packing the piece of furniture composed in
the embodiment example as a chair in the folded position. The strut
length of the partial struts 3a and 4a has been adjusted here to
the length L drawn in FIG. 5 of the foot elements 2a and concave
space 12 of the leg 2.
[0034] The swivelability of the foot elements 2a of the leg 2
opposite the central holding element 2b is produced by articulated
joints 13. To this end, joint heads 14 are shaped to the foot
elements 2a on their foot ends facing the holding element 2b, which
are seated on joint pins 15 of the central holding element 2b. In
order to block the swiveling of the foot elements 2a beyond a
maximum swiveling angle .alpha. from the central axis from vertical
V of the leg 2 as illustrated in FIG. 3, stops or stop contours
(joint stops) 16 are provided for on the holding elements 2b. In
the embodiment example, these are formed by at least partially
circumferential arch-shaped indented collar contours 13 oriented
against the joint connections, which engage the groove-shaped and
correspondingly arched recesses or seat contours 17 of the joint
heads 14 of the foot elements 2a, while the foot elements 2a swivel
outward. The maximum swiveling angle .alpha. is specified by the
positioning of corresponding groove bottoms 18 of the groove-type
recesses 17 of the joint heads 14, and when the maximum swiveling
angle is reached, further swiveling of the foot elements 2a is
reliably blocked.
[0035] The leg 2 exhibits a number, which corresponds to the number
of support struts 3, 4, of collar- or sleeve-type plug openings 19
to produce the joints while mounting the support struts 3, 4. In
the embodiment example, these are inserted into these at the joint
end of the foot elements 2a on the outside and are designed like a
bushing. This ensures the secure seating of the support struts 3, 4
in the leg 2.
[0036] To form the concave or interior space 42 within the leg 2,
the legs 2a are formed at least on the inside with a
correspondingly arched interior wall 20 (FIG. 3), which are
complemented by an at least partially closed, preferably
cylinder-shaped, interior wall when the foot elements 2a shown in
FIGS. 4 and 5 are in the swiveled-in position.
[0037] FIGS. 6 and 7 show a variant of the mobile piece of
furniture embodied as at chair with, again, a leg 2 and support
struts 3, 4 that are joined in a removable way with the leg 2 as
well as with a seat and back covering 5 that are put onto the strut
ends 7 of the support struts 3, 4 using the pocket-type holding
elements 6 and is thereby held onto these in a detachable way. The
support struts 3, 4 are again composed of partial struts 3a and 4a,
joinable with each other in the manner of plug connections.
[0038] As in the embodiment example according to FIGS. 1 through 5,
in assembly position the front support struts 3 are shorter than
the rear support struts 4. The seat surface 5a and back 5b are
formed this way in connection with the installed covering 5. When
collapsing the support struts 3, 4, their partial supports 3a and
4a are held to each other via rope-type and, for example, elastic
connections in an undetachable way and in a manner not further
illustrated.
[0039] In the variant according to FIGS. 6 and 7, the leg 2 is
formed by two pairs of foot elements 2c, each with two foot
elements 2a, and a cross brace 21 that extends when in assembly
position between the two pairs of foot elements 2c. The joint of
the cross brace 21 with the pairs of foot elements 2c is
implemented using as central holding element 2b formed accordingly
from two partial elements 2d, wherein the partial elements 2d are
swivelably connected with the foot elements 2a of the respective
pair of foot elements 2c, again via joint connections 13. The joint
of the cross brace 21 with the partial elements 2d of the central
holding element 2b is again advisably embodied as a plug
connection. To this end, corresponding plug openings 22 are
provided for in the partial elements 2d, which each receive one of
the strut ends of the cross brace 21 when in assembly position.
[0040] The invention is not limited to the embodiment examples
described above. Instead, other variants of the invention can also
be derived by the person skilled in the art, without abandoning the
object of the invention. In particular, all individual elements
described in conjunction with the embodiment examples are
combinable in the future without abandoning the object of the
invention.
[0041] Thus, for example, the leg 2 embodied in FIGS. 1 through 5
as a tripod can also be formed as a quadrupod, accordingly with
four foot elements 2a. In addition, the plug openings 19 of the leg
2 can also be positioned at other locations. Thus, these plug
openings 19 for the support struts 3, 4--similar to the embodiment
example according to FIGS. 6 and 7--can also be provided with a
central bolding element 2b, accordingly designed. The rope-type
connection element 8 that is provided for, if needed can also be
made of multiple parts and, for example, connected in a cross
connection with the foot elements 2a in their middle area or
joint-end area, on the one hand, and in the free-end foot area, on
the other.
[0042] In addition, the support struts 3, 4 can be embodied at the
same length, and the covering 5 can be provided as a flat covering
element. In this way, instead of the chair shown, a stool, i.e. a
backless chair, or a table can be assembled as a mobile piece of
furniture 1 whose seat or table surface is formed from the covering
element. With regard to this, only an accordingly modified covering
must be provided, and with the comparatively long support struts 4
only a partial strut 4a must be omitted, so that both a table and a
chair are assemblable and the individual parts jointly packable in
leg 2 with the represented and described parts.
[0043] While the leg 2 as a functional part takes on the additional
packing function in the described embodiment examples, this can be
taken on by the covering 5 as well. To this end, this can be
provided with a zipper or Velcro closure in order to close
accordingly the covering 5 receiving the remaining parts for the
purpose of transportation and storage.
REFERENCE LIST
[0044] 1 piece of furniture/chair [0045] 2 leg [0046] 2a foot
element [0047] 2b holding element [0048] 2c pair of foot elements
[0049] 2d partial element [0050] 3 (short) support strut [0051] 3a
partial strut [0052] 4 (long) support s [0053] 4a partial strut
[0054] 5 covering [0055] 5a seat part [0056] 5b back part [0057] 5c
side part [0058] 6 holding pocket [0059] 7 strut end [0060] 8
connecting element [0061] 9 joint [0062] 10 connection end [0063]
11 surface element [0064] 12 concave/interior space [0065] 13 joint
connection [0066] 14 joint head [0067] 15 joint pin [0068] 16
stop/contour [0069] 17 recess/seat contour [0070] 18 seat/groove
bottom [0071] 19 plug opening [0072] 20 interior wall [0073] 21
cross brace [0074] 22 plug opening [0075] .alpha. swiveling angle
[0076] .beta. angle of inclination [0077] .beta.' set-up angle
[0078] L length
* * * * *