Convertible piece of upholstered furniture with chair and bed function

• US 7,083,235 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2004
• Issued: 08/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hans Fiedler
• Original Assignee: Hans Fiedler
• Inventors: Grimm, Eberhard, Fiedler, Hans, Becher, Karl
• Primary Examiner(s): BARFIELD, ANTHONY DERRELL
• Application Number:
  US10/868,460
• Publication Number:
  US 20050052067A1
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: 297/71, 297/118, 297/408, 297/423.2, 297/423.21, 297/423.22, 297/423.23, 297/423.24, 5 1/81, 592/7, 561/6, 561/8
• US Class Current: 297/423.21
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03211 by electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/035 in combination with movably coupled seat and back-rest, i.e. the seat and back-rest being movably coupled in such a way that the extension mechanism of the foot-rest is actuated at least by the relative movements of seat and backrest
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 17/134 by lifting or tilting
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 17/165 with forward tiltable back-rest, e.g. back cushion
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 17/207 with seat cushion consisting of multiple superposed parts, at least one lower hidden part being used to form part of the bed surface
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 17/2073 by sliding forward
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 17/2076 by lifting or tilting

Abstract

A convertible piece of upholstered furniture can be converted via motorized conversion aids from a seat function into a bed, by way of any desired number of intermediate stages, and vice versa. All movable parts can be fully stressed by a person during conversion, even when a person is sitting or lying on the piece of furniture. These changes can take place even when the piece is being used by a person, whereby each movable part of the piece of upholstered furniture can be changed by means of a motor drive having a control. The footrest and the seat part are configured so that they can move out of a base frame with their metal fittings. A lever construction arranged on the metal fitting of the footrest and a motor drive adjusts the height and angle of the footrest and moves the piece of furniture to the various positions.

Claims

1. A convertible piece of upholstered furniture comprising:

(a) a plurality of movable upholstered parts comprising a seat, a backrest, a headrest and a footrest;

(b) a plurality of respective arrangements of lever constructions and motorized conversion aids for adjusting said seat, said backrest, said headrest, and said footrest to a plurality of positions comprising a chair function position, a chaise lounge function position, and a plurality of intermediate positions, said backrest and said headrest being adjustable without causing said backrest and said headrest to contact a wall adjacent to said piece of upholstered furniture, one of said lever constructions being arranged on a bottom frame of said footrest for adjusting height and angle of said footrest; and

(c) a support frame for said footrest;

wherein said piece of upholstered furniture is adjustable even when being used by a person and said plurality of arrangements comprises at least one motor drive having a control for adjusting each movable part of said piece of upholstered furniture;

wherein said at least one motor drive comprises a motor drive for adjusting said footrest into a slanted position, for subsequently adjusting said footrest in a continuous motion into a horizontal position level with seat height, and for thereafter adjusting said footrest into an upwardly inclined position relative to said seat;

wherein said lever construction arranged on said footrest comprises

two bracket elements mounted at each outer side of said piece of upholstered furniture, each of said bracket elements comprising a bottom bracket element mounted in the bottom frame of said footrest and a top bracket element mounted in said support frame,

two profiles, each profile making a connection between a respective bottom bracket element and a corresponding bottom bracket element on an opposite side of said piece of upholstered furniture, and

a motor having a telescoping cylinder arranged between said connections;

wherein one of the top bracket elements comprises a stop comprising an extension to the lever construction of said footrest, and the bottom frame of said footrest comprises a counter-stop at a corresponding location for determining a maximum position of movement of said lever construction.

2. The convertible piece of upholstered furniture according to claim 1 further comprising a base frame wherein said footrest and said seat are movable with their respective lever constructions out of said base frame.

3. The convertible piece of upholstered furniture according to claim 2 further comprising:

(a) a plurality of guide rails arranged parallel to sides of said piece of upholstered furniture comprising seat guide rails arranged on said seat and base frame guide rails in said base frame; and

(b) a plurality of support wheels comprising two front footrest support wheels arranged in front corners of said footrest, two rear footrest support wheels arranged in rear corners of said footrest, two front seat support wheels arranged in front corners of said seat, and two rear seat support wheels arranged in rear corners of said seat;

wherein said two front footrest support wheels and said two front seat support wheels are adapted to stand on a floor surface, said two rear footrest support wheels are guided in said seat guide rails, and said two rear seat support wheels are guided in said base frame guide rails; and

wherein the lever construction for said footrest is movable out of the lever construction of said seat and the lever construction of said seat is movable out of said base frame as the lever construction of said footrest moves out of the lever construction of said seat.

4. The convertible piece of upholstered furniture according to claim 1 wherein said backrest is adjustable to a downward position without contact with the wall and said footrest, said seat, and said backrest are adjustable to an end position to form a horizontal lying surface without gaps between said footrest, said seat, and said backrest, and said footrest, said seat, and said backrest are adjustable to a plurality of selected sitting positions.

5. The convertible piece of upholstered furniture according to claim 1 wherein said headrest is adjustable relative to said backrest from a position even with said backrest to a forward or backward position relative to said backrest.

6. The convertible piece of upholstered furniture according to claim 1 further comprising trapezoid-shaped stops arranged between bearing points of the bottom bracket elements in the lever construction of said footrest and between top bearing points of the top bracket elements on said support frame.

7. The convertible piece of upholstered furniture according to claim 1 further comprising a tension spring arranged between said support frame and the lever construction of the footrest.

8. The convertible piece of upholstered furniture according to claim 1 further comprising a base frame wherein said footrest and said seat are movable with their respective lever constructions out of said base frame and a plurality of angled, flat members, each member mounted on the lever construction of said seat and on said base frame on a respective side of said piece of upholstered furniture, said members being mounted at a common point outside said backrest.

9. The convertible piece of upholstered furniture according to claim 1, further comprising a base frame wherein said footrest and said seat are movable with their respective lever constructions out of said base frame, at least one hinge holding said headrest, a brackets an axle carried by said bracket, a motor, and a pinion driven by said motor and engaging said axle;

wherein said backrest comprises a backrest frame at an upper end of said backrest toward said headrest, said backrest frame being disposed at an angle relative to the base frame, said at least one hinge is attached at an upper portion of a side of said backrest frame relative to said seat, and said headrest comprises a bottom frame attached to said bracket.

10. A convertible piece of upholstered furniture comprising:

(a) a plurality of movable upholstered parts comprising a seat, a backrest, a headrest and a footrest;

(b) a plurality of respective arrangements of lever constructions and motorized conversion aids for adjusting said seat, said backrest, said headrest, and said footrest to a plurality of positions comprising a chair function position, a chaise lounge function position, and a plurality of intermediate positions, said backrest and said headrest being adjustable without causing said backrest and said headrest to contact a wall adjacent to said piece of upholstered furniture, one of said lever constructions being arranged on a bottom frame of said footrest for adjusting height and angle of said footrest; and

(c) a support frame for said footrest;

wherein said piece of upholstered furniture is adjustable even when being used by a person and said plurality of arrangements comprises at least one motor drive having a control for adjusting each movable part of said piece of upholstered furniture;

wherein said at least one motor drive comprises a motor drive for adjusting said footrest into a slanted position, for subsequently adjusting said footrest in a continuous motion into a horizontal position level with seat height, and for thereafter adjusting said footrest into an upwardly inclined position relative to said seat; and

wherein said lever construction arranged on said footrest comprises

two bracket elements mounted at each outer side of said piece of upholstered furniture, each of said bracket elements comprising a bottom bracket element mounted in the bottom frame of said footrest and a top bracket element mounted in said support frame,

two profiles, each profile making a connection between a respective bottom bracket element and a corresponding bottom bracket element on an opposite side of said piece of upholstered furniture, and

a motor having a telescoping cylinder arranged between said connections.