WO1999025222A1

WO1999025222A1 - Armchair with an improved power-driven footrest

Info

Publication number: WO1999025222A1
Application number: PCT/EP1998/007337
Authority: WO
Inventors: Daniele Olivieri
Original assignee: Compact Srl
Current assignee: Compact Srl
Priority date: 1997-11-17
Filing date: 1998-11-13
Publication date: 1999-05-27
Anticipated expiration: 2000-05-17
Also published as: IT238043Y1; AU1670799A; ITMI970811U1

Abstract

An armchair (10) comprises a power-driven footrest (11) which is pivotally mounted for drivingly rotating between a lowered position and a raised position. At a free end thereof, the footrest (11) comprises an extension element (14) movable between a retracted position and a position drawn out of the footrest for constituting lengthening thereof. The extension element (14) has a movement actuator (16) between the two retracted and drawn-out positions. Control means (17) receives a signal from a sensor (18) detecting the angular position of the footrest and operates the actuator (16) for movement of the extension element (14) when the angular position is detected to be of a predetermined value. Advantageously, the sensor (18) is also a limit sensor for the lifting movement of the footrest.

Description

ARMCHAIR WITH AN IMPROVED POWER-DRIVEN FOOTREST

The present invention relates to an armchair having a power-driven footrest with a pull-out extension. In the known art armchairs having a footrest pivotally mounted in front of the base seat and powered for rotation between a lowered position and a raised position are known.

Also known are footrests incorporating an extension element to be drawn out before the foot rest. For the purpose of causing the automatic movement of the extension element, the motor for rotation of the footrest also carries further crank mechanisms simultaneously controlling both the footrest rotation and the extension sliding. This however has disadvantages both in terms of costs (due to the crank mechanism complexity) and due to the fact that the footrest rotation is limited by the necessity of moving, by said rotation, the kinematic mechanism for the extension sliding. In addition, with such a structure the pulling-out amount of the extension is too tightly a function of the footrest rotation degree. i is a general aim of the present invention to obviate the above mentioned drawbacks by providing an armchair with a power-driven footrest and a pull-out extension which is independent of the footrest motorization. In view of the above aim, in accordance with the invention an armchair has been devised which comprises a power-driven footrest which is pivotally mounted for drivingly rotating between a lowered position and a raised position, the footrest at a free end thereof comprising an extension element movable between a retracted position and a position drawn out of the footrest for constituting lengthening thereof, characterized in that the extension element has a movement actuator between the two retracted and drawn-out positions, control means receiving a signal from a sensor for detection of the angular position of the footrest and operating the actuator for the extension element movement when the angular position is detected to be of a predetermined value.

For better explaining the innovatory principles of the present invention and the advantages it offers over the known art, a possible embodiment of the invention applying said principles will be given hereinafter by way of non-limiting example with the aid of the sole accompanying figure.

With reference to the drawing, an armchair, generally identified by 10, comprises a footrest 11 pivotally mounted around an axis 12 for drivingly rotating between a lowered position and a raised position (shown in chain lines in the figure), relative to a base seat 13. The footrest is driven by a motor 19 and at its free end comprises an extension element 14, movable between a retracted position and a position drawn out of the footrest for constituting lengthening thereof. The armchair is not herein described in detail as it can be of any known type, as a person skilled in the art can easily envisage. For instance, the armchair may comprise a back 15 also power-driven for controlled adjustment of the reclination. Both the footrest motorization and, possibly, the back motorization are controlled by a control device 22 through commands sent for example from a keyboard 23, as known in the art.

According to the innovatory principles herein claimed, the extension element 14 has an actuator 16 for movement between the two retracted and drawn-out positions (the last-mentioned position being shown in chain lines).

Control means 17 receives a signal from a sensor 18 for detection of the angular position of the footrest and operates the actuator for movement of the extension element when the angular position a is detected to be of a predetermined value.

Use of a linear actuator acting between the footrest and the extension element has been found advantageous for embodying actuator 16. It has also been found advantageous for the position sensor to be embodied by a microswitch 20 which is operated when the footrest reaches said angular position, by means of a cam 21, for example.

If pulling-out of the extension is wished to take place when the footrest is completely raised, the position sensor 20 may also be the limit switch itself signalling to the device 22 for footrest control that the position of maximum lifting has been reached.

At this point it is apparent that the intended purposes have been achieved.

The extension element is pulled out when a predetermined angular position of the footrest has been reached, which angular position can also be easily adjusted, without the existence of kinematic constraints given by the kinematic rotation mechanism of the footrest which is completely separated.

Obviously, the above description of an embodiment applying the innovatory principles of the present invention is given for purposes of illustration only and therefore must not be considered as a limitation of the scope of the invention as herein claimed.

For example, the kinematic mechanism for movement of the footrest can be any mechanism known in the art both of the type providing a direct rotation of the pivot axis and of the type providing movement transmission by crank mechanisms .

Optionally, the control device 17 may be incorporated into the control device 22 itself.

Claims

1. An armchair ( 10)comprising a power-driven footrest (11) which is pivotally mounted for drivingly rotating between a lowered position and a raised position, the footrest (11) at a free end thereof comprising an extension element (14) movable between a retracted position and a position drawn out of the footrest for constituting lengthening thereof, characterized in that the extension element (14) has a movement actuator (16) between the two retracted and drawn-out positions, control means (17) receiving a signal from a sensor (18) for detection of the angular position of the footrest and operating the actuator (16) for the extension element (14) movement when the angular position is detected to be of a predetermined value.

2. An armchair as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the actuator is a linear actuator (16) acting between the footrest and the extension element.

3. An armchair as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the position sensor (18) is embodied by a microswitch (20) which is operated when the footrest reaches said angular position.

4. An armchair as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the position sensor (18) is also an end-of-stroke or limit sensor controlling stopping of the footrest when the latter reaches its position of maximum lifting.