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Furniture, in particular seating furnitureFurniture, in particular seating furniture description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080018157, Furniture, in particular seating furniture. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a continuation of application no. PCT/EP2005/012956, filed Dec. 3, 2005, which claims the priority of German application no. 10 2005 001 877.7, filed Jan. 14, 2005, and each of which is incorporated herein by reference. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The invention relates to a piece of furniture, in particular a seat. More particularly, the invention relates to a piece of furniture, in particular a seat, including a first part, and a second part that may be adjusted relative to the first part of the piece of furniture, and a drive device for adjusting the second part relative to the first part. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Such pieces of furniture are known in the form of seats adjustable by means of drive motors comprising pieces that can be adjusted relative to one another, for example a calfrest that is adjustable relative to a seat part and that supports the person sitting in the chair in the area of the leg and/or calf region respectively. To adjust the parts of the piece of furniture relative to one another there is a drive device including a drive unit with an electric motor. OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0004] An object of the invention is to provide a piece of furniture, in particular a seat, including a first part, and a second part that may be adjusted relative to the first part of the piece of furniture, and a drive device for adjusting the second part relative to the first part, and in which the second part can be adjusted relative to the first part across a large adjustment range. [0005] The object of the invention is achieved with the teaching of a piece of furniture according which includes a first part, and a second part that may be adjusted relative to the first part of the piece of furniture in an adjustment movement. There is a drive device, the drive device being configured for adjusting the second part relative to the first part. The drive device includes at least two drive units allocated to the second part. In a first kinematic phase of the adjustment movement, the adjustment is carried out by use of a first drive unit, and in a second kinematic phase of the adjustment movement the adjustment is carried out by use of a second drive unit, the second part moving relative to the first part in the first kinematic phase and carrying out a substantially equivalent adjustment movement in the second kinematic phase. [0006] The invention is freed from the thought that the adjustment of the second part relative to the first part of the furniture in an adjustment range in which the first part carries out a substantially equivalent adjustment movement relative to the second part, for example a pivoting movement, is carried out by use of only one drive unit. Rather, the invention is based on the concept of providing the second part with at least two drive units, wherein in a first kinematic phase of the adjustment movement the adjustment is carried out by means of a first drive unit, and in a second kinematic phase of the adjustment movement the adjustment is carried out by means of a second drive unit with the second part moving relative to the first part in the first kinematic phase and in the second kinematic phase carrying out a substantially equivalent adjustment movement, for example a pivoting movement. By combining two drive units, for example drive units that each include an electric motor, for obtaining one substantially equivalent adjustment movement, the teaching according to the invention provides especially large adjustment ranges. According to the invention different kinematic phases of one substantially equivalent adjustment movement, for example a pivoting movement, or a linear translation movement, are effected by different drive units. [0007] Another advantage of the teaching of the invention is that an adjustment mechanism through which the drive units are connected in an effective manner to the second part of the furniture that is to be adjusted, can be particularly compact and space-saving because, contrary to known furniture in which the adjustment movement is carried out only via one drive unit, it is possible to use an adjustment mechanism with short and simple levers. [0008] According to the invention two drive units, or if necessitated by the respective requirements more than two drive units, can be used that are allocated to the second part. According to the invention allocating the drive units in relation to the second part means that the drive units are used to adjust the second part. In this connection, the drive units allocated to the second part can be arranged on the same. However, according to the invention it also is possible to arrange parts of, or all of, the drive units that are allocated to the second part on a different part of the furniture, for example on the first part or a base body. [0009] According to the respective requirements the adjustment movement carried out by the second part relative to the first part can follow any suitable kinematics. For example, the substantially equivalent adjustment movement carried out by the second part in the first and the second kinematic phase can be a linear translation movement or a combination of a linear translation movement and a pivoting movement. An advantageous further development of the teaching according to the invention provides that the adjustment movement is a pivoting movement. In this embodiment the drive units allocated to the second part together form a pivoting drive that allows for especially large pivoting angles of the second part. [0010] A further development of the above embodiment envisions that the second part in a first kinematic phase pivots around a first pivoting angle and in a second kinematic phase pivots around a second pivoting angle. In this embodiment the second part is pivoted by a first pivoting angle by the first drive unit in the first kinematic phase while it is pivoted by a second pivoting angle by the second drive unit in a second kinematic phase. [0011] Advantageous further developments of the above embodiment provide that the first pivoting angle and/or the second pivoting angle is approximately 90.degree. and/or that a third pivoting angle resulting from the first pivoting angle and the second pivoting angle is approximately 180.degree.. Especially the latter embodiment results in an especially large pivoting range of the second part relative to the first part. [0012] In general the pivoting of the second part relative to the first part in the first and in the second kinematic phase can occur around a common pivoting axis. An advantageous further development of the teaching according to the invention provides, however, that the first kinematic phase has a first pivoting axis and the second kinematic phase has a second pivoting axis arranged at a distance from the first pivoting axis such that the second part pivots around the first pivoting axis during the first kinematic phase and around the second pivoting axis during the second kinematic phase. In this embodiment the first drive unit and the second drive unit can be arranged at a spatial distance from one another which increases the design possibilities with regard to the arrangement of the drive units relative to the second part. [0013] An advantageous further development of the above embodiment provides that the first pivoting axis and the second pivoting axis are substantially parallel to each other. This embodiment results in an especially simple design of the adjustment mechanism via which the respective drive unit is in drive connection with the second part. [0014] To make the design of the adjustment mechanism especially simple, it is practical for the first pivoting axis to be a pivoting shaft arranged in a pivoting manner on a base body of the piece of furniture. [0015] An advantageous further development of the above embodiment provides that at least one link rod is connected to the pivoting shaft in a fixed manner, the link rod being in driven connection with the output member of the respective drive unit via an operating element. In this embodiment the pivoting shaft is pivoted by means of the link rod that can be actuated via a linear drive, for example. [0016] A further development of the above embodiment provides that the operating element can withstand pressure and in particular is a rod, or plate, or lever, and that one end of the operating element is articulated and is connected to the first pivoting axis in an eccentric manner with the link rod and that the other end of the operating element is connected in an articulated manner to the output member of the respective drive unit. This embodiment provides an especially simple and robust design with just a few components. [0017] An extraordinarily advantageous further development of the embodiment with the pivoting shaft provides that one end of at least one acting element is connected in a manner fixed against rotation (i.e., nonrotatably) to the pivoting shaft, the other end of the acting element being connected to the second part. In this embodiment the number of spatial possibilities for the arrangement of the first drive unit relative to the second part is even higher. [0018] Further developments of the above embodiments provide that the, or each, acting element is a bracket and/or that the, or each, acting element is bow-shaped. Especially the embodiment with the bow-shaped acting element provides an especially compact design with low height and few components. [0019] Another further development of the teaching according to the invention provides that an axis is connected preferably in a manner fixed against rotation to the, or each, acting element, the axis representing the second pivoting axis around which the second part is arranged in a pivoting manner. In this embodiment the second pivoting axis is connected to the, or each, acting element so that the second part is arranged in a pivoting manner to the first part via the operating element and the first pivoting axis. [0020] A further development of the embodiment with the operating element that is connected to the pivoting axis in a manner fixed against rotation provides that the second drive unit is connected to the second part and that there is an operating element that is operatively connected to the drive device of the second drive unit. In this embodiment the second drive unit is arranged on the second part with the second part being in a driven connection to the output member of the second drive unit via the second operating element. Continue reading about Furniture, in particular seating furniture... Full patent description for Furniture, in particular seating furniture Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Furniture, in particular seating furniture patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Furniture, in particular seating furniture or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Seat assembly with multiple independent seat belts Next Patent Application: Child seat for a motor vehicle Industry Class: Chairs and seats ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Furniture, in particular seating furniture patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.25675 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Software: Finance , AI , Databases , Development , Document , Navigation , Error 174 |
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