DE20017633U1 - Sitting and reclining furniture - Google Patents

Description

M. Seeger: Seating and reclining furniture ·>· ··· ···· 12.10.2000

Mr. Manfred Seeger, Kirchstr. 19, 7 5387 Neubulach-Martinsmoos

Seating and lounge furniture

The invention relates to a piece of seating and reclining furniture, in particular a sofa, according to the preamble of claim 1.

Furniture known as a sofa, for example, has a box-like, hollow, predominantly rectangular base frame, possibly standing on feet, with front and side panels that prevent a view underneath the sofa and a plate arranged on top of this that supports the seat cushion, e.g. a foam plate. The backrest can be hollow, for example, due to the correspondingly raised rear wall of the base frame and a plate arranged at a distance in front of it, running diagonally forwards to the seat, with a foam pad forming the backrest cushion, and cushions can also be placed in front of the backrest. The backrest can be extended all the way to the sides of the sofa, or there can be lower-height armrests there.

Such sofas are usually quite sober, functional pieces of furniture. Because of their predominantly straight-lined shape, they do not usually give a really cozy, homely impression, nor do they invite you to cuddle up, for example, by pulling your head and limbs towards your body in order to snuggle up to something that is curved, which is precisely what is missing from conventional sofas.

In order for two or three people to fit on one of the conventional two- or three-seater sofas with the usual rectangular floor plan, they must sit straight next to each other and

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upright with their backs leaning against the backrest, which becomes uncomfortable when sitting for long periods. If they want to look at each other, for example when talking, they should actually twist their upper bodies, which is also uncomfortable.

On the other hand, only one person can lie stretched out on one of these traditional straight sofas, and they often prefer to lie on their side. In this position, they like to lie bent over with their legs drawn up, but there is no equivalent on the back of the sofa.

For example, the short L-shaped corner sofas, which have a central corner, and the long L-shaped "living landscapes" which take up a lot of space are not ideal for cuddling. These sofa or couch combinations often convey a cool elegance rather than an impression of coziness.

The invention is based on the problem of creating a piece of seating and reclining furniture, such as a sofa, which can have one of the known conventional floor plan shapes, but which can be changed at any time into at least another shape without this being obvious, so that it is possible, for example, to turn at least one of its corner areas into a cozy, snuggly corner without great effort and without requiring any special skill. If the changed furniture shape is no longer required, the basic shape of the furniture can be restored in the same convenient way.

The invention solves this problem with the features specified in claim 1. Advantageous further developments are the subject of the subclaims.

The invention is based on the idea of creating a corner area of a conventional seating and reclining furniture, such as a sofa.

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fas, to be able to create a cozy, snuggly corner, for example, by making such a piece of furniture out of at least two individual pieces of furniture of the same or different widths and having an additional seat element and an additional backrest element. This means that the piece of furniture is no longer just an object that is not very cozy due to its usual straight, rigid shape, the shape of which is to be accepted as unchangeable and to which the user must adapt as best as possible when using it. Instead, the basic shape of the furniture, which is now formed by two pieces of furniture and is determined, can be changed at any time in a predetermined way if required. For example, at least one of the two pieces of furniture can be moved forwards into the space in front of the piece of furniture in relation to the other, so that its outer end is closer to the other piece of furniture. The "bend" in the sofa that can be created in this way initially gives it an unusual, usually much more comfortable shape and, for example, when it is "converted" it can invite you to snuggle up in the cozy corner that has been created.

The fact that in a first arrangement of the two pieces of furniture, which represents the basic shape of the furniture, a dividing line is provided between them, running from the front to the back of the furniture, along which they are essentially flush with one another, ensures that this dividing line is not particularly noticeable. It can even be concealed by suitable upholstery to such an extent that the inherent transformability of this piece of furniture, partly due to the dividing line, is not immediately apparent and thus the dignified, cozy impression it may give off is not impaired, which then makes the surprise effect all the greater when the arrangement is changed.

On the other hand, such a separation point provides a favorable design of the furniture for the purpose provided in the invention.

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Pivotability of at least one of the two furniture parts is achieved. This is because the opposing, adjacent front sides of the two furniture parts, which are provided to form this separation point, can, in conjunction with the intended articulated connection in the area of their front panels, form a radius for a circular pivoting curve, whereby a relatively short pivoting movement of one furniture part relative to the other can, for example, create a clear cozy corner between the two furniture parts.

Because the two pieces of furniture are connected to one another in an articulated manner across the separation point in the area of their adjacent front panels and a second defined arrangement is provided for at least one of the two pieces of furniture that can be assumed by a pivoting movement, in which it at least partially protrudes forwards into the space in front of the piece of furniture and accordingly encloses at least an acute pivoting angle with the other piece of furniture, a fixed pivoting curve is specified for this pivoting, on which one piece of furniture can be pivoted around the other. The other piece of furniture holds it on this path through the articulated connection with it, so it cannot break out of it when pivoting until it has assumed the defined cozy corner position, for example. Both pieces of furniture are therefore held together and cannot detach or move away from one another.

This forced guidance during pivoting simplifies and speeds up the process of changing the basic shape of such a piece of furniture, e.g. into a cozy corner position, for example, for the person who wants to do it, because he cannot do anything wrong: the part of the furniture intended for pivoting can only be moved or pivoted back and forth between the first and a predetermined second position, held in place by the other part of the furniture.

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Because in the first arrangement of the two furniture parts the additional seat element is in a lowered position in a cavity that is open at least below the seat of one of the two furniture parts towards the separation point in a storage arrangement, from which it can be raised in the second arrangement either immediately or only after a sideways pivoting movement out of the cavity into the seat gap created by pivoting in order to bridge it with its shape adapted to it, and because the additional backrest element is pushed into a cavity that is open at least in the backrest of one of the two furniture parts towards the separation point in a storage position from which it can be pulled out sideways in order to bridge the backrest gap with its shape adapted to it, it is achieved that the "conversion" measure for transferring the furniture from the first to the second arrangement of its two furniture parts and vice versa can take place at any time and quickly. This is because the two additional elements which bridge the gaps created in the seat and backrest formed by both furniture parts are, according to the invention, kept at least in the immediate vicinity of these gaps in the furniture itself, arranged in the correct position and hidden for this purpose.

Possible limited space in the cavities beneath the seat of the furniture can result in the additional seat element raised into the seat gap not only being able to be lowered vertically into a position beneath the seat gap before the pivoted furniture part is pivoted back into its original position, but also having to be moved or pivoted sideways and horizontally into a storage position in a cavity beneath one of the two furniture parts, specifically beneath the possibly larger or non-pivotable furniture part.

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According to the invention, none of these gap-bridging elements have to be stored somewhere else when not in use, e.g. in an adjoining room, and consequently they do not have to be fetched from somewhere where they may not be easily found when needed, but they are always immediately available at the place of use and therefore cannot be lost, for example.

Because all the parts or elements required to change the arrangement of the furniture are always available at the required location, you can switch between the different arrangements at any time as you wish.

The fact that the two additional gap-bridging elements are stored in a way that is immediately functional and ready for use according to the invention also prevents the user from being unclear or, for example, forgetting how to use the two additional gap-bridging elements correctly when the furniture modification option is used less frequently, which can have a very positive effect on the acceptance of such a transformable piece of furniture.

Thanks to the two additional seat and backrest elements, each designed and adapted to bridge gaps, the furniture remains a fully functional piece of furniture that can be used without restrictions even after it has been changed, e.g. into a cozy corner arrangement, especially since the design of these elements can be chosen in such a way that they do not immediately stand out as "gap fillers". In addition, they also increase the seating or lying area of the furniture, and also ensure that the two pieces of furniture, which are brought closer together by swiveling, form a cozy corner, which not only invites cuddling, but also allows two people to sit quite close to each other, or even two people to sit in a cuddling position on this

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Furniture can sleep. This type of convertible seating and reclining furniture is therefore particularly interesting for single-person households that occasionally receive visitors and only then need, for example, an additional place to sleep.

Just as the furniture can be changed from its inconspicuous basic form into a cozy corner shape, for example, it can also be converted back into its basic form thanks to the design and arrangement of the two gap-bridging elements provided by the invention. To do this, these elements only have to be brought into their specified starting position in the backrest of at least one piece of furniture or underneath the seat of the furniture, where they are then safely available at any time without taking up any additional space, but still kept invisibly.

It should be noted at this point that instead of the additional seat element, another object can be kept available underneath the furniture seat in order to be raised when one of the pieces of furniture is swiveled, such as a small table on which to place glasses and bottles of drinks, bowls of sweets or pastries, or ashtrays, a vase and the like. Such a table can also be used as a game table for card games or can be designed in the form of a chessboard to play chess on.

The furniture advantageously has a kidney-shaped curved floor plan with almost quarter-circle-shaped rounded side ends and backrests. This is because such a curved shape facilitates the creation of a cozy corner, for example, as the elliptical basic curvature of the furniture, which is already present due to the kidney shape, can be used when the

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a piece of furniture actually only needs to be continued, for which a swivel movement up to a sharp swivel angle of just 45° can be sufficient. This in turn reduces the effort required for the two additional gap-bridging elements, which accordingly need to be made less wide, for example, in order to bridge the gaps between the backrests and the seats of the two pieces of furniture corresponding to such a swivel angle. Then less space or hollow space is also required for their storage in the furniture itself, for example in the backrest of the swiveling piece of furniture, which is curved due to the kidney shape. This also enables a less extensive swivel movement, which means that less space is required in front of the furniture for swiveling, and thus other furnishings do not have to be cleared to the side beforehand. This means that this new type of furniture can also be transformed into a cozy corner on one side in a smaller room, for example, which can be particularly interesting for young people who live in a small apartment.

On the other hand, a slightly curved section of the backrest of one of the two pieces of furniture, which may accommodate the additional backrest element alone, means that this section is also curved accordingly and can therefore advantageously perform its function of bridging the gap between the two pieces of furniture when the furniture is in a swivel position. This is because when it is pulled out of this section of the backrest, it moves in a circular path and can thus connect directly, i.e. without lateral offset, to the adjacent front side of the backrest of the other piece of furniture. In this case, for example, joints that might otherwise be required can be dispensed with.

In this case, the additional backrest element can be designed as a rigid, appropriately curved plate-like body, which in turn allows the backrest to be pulled out and back in again.

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Inserting it into the backrest cavity is simplified and easier and can also make special guides in the backrest or in front of it superfluous, as it can be guided by the equally curved backrest itself. This simplifies the manufacturing effort and thus saves costs.

The part of the furniture that is to be swiveled is preferably only half as wide as the other part of the furniture. This means that it can be swiveled more easily, for example manually, thanks to its lower weight, while the larger part of the furniture, due to its correspondingly greater weight, can better fulfil its intended holding function via the joint connection for the part of the furniture that is to be swiveled. In turn, it is more likely to maintain its position when the other part of the furniture is swiveled, thus shortening this process, since, for example, both parts of the furniture do not have to be pushed back together after swiveling.

On the other hand, a piece of furniture with this smaller width can be swiveled more in conjunction with the previously mentioned kidney-like curvature of the entire piece of furniture without having to protrude too far into the space in front of the piece of furniture, which, as already mentioned, allows the cozy corner character to emerge more quickly. This in turn has a positive effect on the width of the gaps to be bridged between the seats and the backrests of the two pieces of furniture and thus on the width or size of the gap-bridging elements. These can be dimensioned accordingly and can therefore be stowed more easily in the maximum possible cavities in the backrest or under the seat of the furniture.

With this width ratio of 2:1 of the two furniture parts, the additional wedge-shaped seat element is not located under the part of the furniture intended for pivoting, but preferably under the larger other part, because it is not possible to store it there for reasons of space.

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which is easier to accomplish than with the part of the furniture intended for swiveling, which has a narrow, almost quarter-circle-shaped backrest. In addition, the additional backrest element is already housed in the backrest, and space is also required for its substructure.

Changing between a first and a second arrangement of a piece of furniture made up of two pieces of furniture, for example, can be made even easier and faster if, when one piece of furniture is pivoted relative to the other, the additional backrest element is automatically moved from its storage position to its position that fills the gap between the backrests of the two pieces of furniture that is created when pivoting, and the lowered additional seat element is moved at least to a position that coincides with the gap in the seat that is created, even if this does not correspond to its storage arrangement anyway. For this purpose, the additional backrest element can be coupled to the other piece of furniture that is not intended for pivoting, e.g. firmly connected, e.g. on its adjacent front side, and the additional - wedge-shaped - seat element can be arranged on a wedge-shaped support plate that corresponds to its shape because of the joint pivoting, which is connected, e.g. to the front side of the furniture part intended for pivoting that forms the dividing point between the two pieces of furniture.

To swing the furniture part that has been swivelled into the cosy corner position back into its original position, all you have to do is remove any cushions placed in front of the additional gap-bridging backrest element and lower the additional seat element from the seat gap to below the seat level so that the swivelling furniture part can be swung back into its original position, e.g. pushed back.

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then, due to the previously mentioned connections or couplings provided, the additional backrest element can simultaneously be pushed into, for example, the backrest of the furniture part that has been swung back and the additional seat element can be pushed under, for example, the seat of the furniture part that has not been swung back.

However, a change in the basic shape of a piece of seating and reclining furniture can also be easily brought about, for example, in the case of a sofa with a rectangular floor plan formed according to the invention from two or even three pieces of furniture. However, as will be explained below using an example, the backrests of the two pieces of furniture are straight, so the one or two additional backrest elements that are to be accommodated therein for storage must also be able to be straight. So that these can maintain the connection to the backrest of the second or third piece of furniture, which bends opposite it, when pulled out of the straight backrest section, they must also be able to bend accordingly, for which they must have a joint or a joint device, for example.

In order to be able to pivot at least one piece of furniture relative to the other between two positions conveniently and in particular without human effort, appropriate electrically driven devices, such as winches, can be provided, as well as for raising and lowering the additional seat element. These can also be connected in such a way that immediately after the sofa parts provided for this have been pivoted using a switch, the additional seat element(s) are automatically raised into the gaps in the seat that are created. Conversely, the seating and reclining furniture can be returned from its pivoted position to its basic shape by triggering a switch, if necessary.

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also with the button on a remote control, the lowering of the additional seat element(s) from the gap(s) in the seat is triggered and then the swinging back of the sofa part(s) concerned into the basic position is automatically triggered.

The invention is explained in more detail below using schematic drawings of exemplary embodiments. It shows:

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a three-seater sofa formed by two sofa parts in their first arrangement corresponding to their basic shape;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the sofa according to Fig. 1 in the second setup arrangement of its two sofa parts and with an additional seat and additional backrest element arranged to bridge the gap between them;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a stylized seating and reclining furniture formed by at least two furniture parts in their first installation arrangement;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the seating and reclining furniture according to Fig. 3 in the second setup arrangement of the two furniture parts shown and with an additional seat and additional backrest element arranged to bridge the gap between them;

Fig. 5 is a view of a stylized cross-section through the left sofa part of the sofa according to Fig. 1 in the region of the additional backrest element inserted into its backrest, seen towards the left end of the left furniture part;

Fig. 6 is a view of a stylized cross-section through the sofa according to Fig. 2 in the area of the two gap-bridging elements arranged between the two furniture parts.

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additional seat and backrest elements, seen towards the left-hand part of the furniture;

Fig. 7 is a stylized combined side-Z cross-sectional view through the right sofa part of the sofa according to Fig. 1 in the area of the additional seat element lowered below the seat, seen towards the end of the right furniture part;

Fig. 8 is a stylized combined side/cross-sectional view in the area of the additional seat element raised into the seat gap between the furniture parts, seen towards the end of the right furniture part;

Fig. 9 shows a perspective view of a spring locking mechanism for lifting the additional seat element into the seat gap;

Fig. 10 shows a detail in a view from below of the actuating aid for the spring locking mechanism according to Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a plan view of a three-seater sofa with two side parts arranged so as to be pivotable forwards on a central part in their first arrangement corresponding to its basic shape and

Fig. 12 is a plan view of the sofa according to Fig. 11 in the second setup arrangement with side parts pivoted forwards and additional seat and backrest elements arranged to bridge gaps between these and the middle sofa part.

The seating and reclining furniture shown in Fig. 1 is a three-seater sofa with a kidney-shaped basic shape, whereby the curvature of its backrest is elliptical from the middle of the sofa to the sides, directed forward, increasingly rounded to an almost circular arc.

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increases until it tapers off at the ends to an almost quarter-circle shape.

The sofa consists of two individual sofa parts 1 and 2, each of which forms a sofa seat part 3 or 4 and a section 5 or 6 of the sofa backrest and has a front panel 7 or 8 belonging to its base frame.

Between the two sofa parts 1 and 2 of different widths, in their arrangement shown in Fig. 1 and corresponding to the basic shape of the sofa, a separation point 9, indicated as a line in Fig. 1, runs cross-sectionally and thus as short as possible from the front to the back of the sofa, where they essentially connect flush with one another. As a result, the separation point 9 is not noticeable as such in this basic sofa shape, which is why the cozy impression it creates due to its curved shape is not impaired.

The right sofa part 2 is approximately twice as wide as the left sofa part 1. Due to the kidney shape of the sofa and its correspondingly elliptically curved backrest, the left sofa part 1, from the dividing point 9, is more curved than the right sofa part 2.

The base frames of the two sofa parts 1, 2, which stand on feet 10 and determine the curved basic shape of the sofa shown, each enclose a possibly subdivided hollow space and each carry a plate on which a foam padding plate forming the respective seat surface 3, 4 is arranged.

In the basic configuration of the sofa shown in Fig. 1, as indicated by dashed lines, there is an additional wedge-shaped cavity formed by the base frame of the right sofa part 2, which is covered by the front panel 8 and open towards the separation point 9, below the seat 4 of the right sofa part 2.

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tes seat element 12 is hidden in a lowered arrangement. Also hidden is an additional backrest element 13, curved like the backrest 5, inserted from the separation point 9 into a cavity in the backrest 5 of the left sofa part 1 that is open towards the separation point 9.

The two sofa parts 1, 2 are movably connected to one another by a joint 14 which is arranged at the inner corners of their front panels 7, 8 and bridges the separation point 9. This allows the shorter sofa part 1, which has a more pronounced curve in its backrest area from the separation point 9 than that of the sofa part 2, due to the separation point 9 running cross-sectionally through the sofa, to be pivoted around this joint 14 on a circular path with a radius corresponding to the length of the separation point 9 until it partially projects forwards into the space in front of the sofa, as shown in Fig. 2. In this position, in which it forms an acute pivoting angle of e.g. B. 45°, it is so close to the right sofa part 2 with its almost quarter-circle-shaped curved end that both sofa parts 1, 2 form a very comfortable cuddle corner of almost 90°, inviting you to cuddle up, due to their backrests that are increasingly rounded towards the front.

In the pivoted arrangement of the left sofa part 1 shown in Fig. 2, the gap created between its backrests 5, 6 is bridged inconspicuously by the additional backrest element 13 and the gap created between its seat surfaces 3, 4, widening in a wedge shape from front to back, is bridged unobtrusively by the additional seat surface element 12, which is adapted to it and is also wedge-shaped.

The section of the backrest 5 of the sofa part 1 beginning at the separation point 9, intended to accommodate the additional backrest element 13 and correspondingly hollow

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has an initially uniform, arched curvature over a sufficient length, whereby the equally curved additional backrest element 13 can be pushed into and pulled out of the backrest 5 from the separation point 9 without getting caught.

As shown in Fig. 5 in a stylized cross-section, the additional backrest element 12 has the same, only weaker dimensioned cross-sectional shape as the backrest 5 that accommodates it and accordingly a thinner foam padding 15. It has a rigid box-like substructure 16, whereby it forms a shell-like curved rigid body that can be moved sideways in the backrest 5.

When pulled out of the backrest 5, the additional backrest element 13 can be located either behind the additional seat element 12 or above it. It is located behind it, for example, if cushions are provided for the backrest upholstery, which can then compensate for the step that occurs between it and the backrests 5 and 6 of the two sofa parts 1 and 2. It runs above it if the backrest upholstery is fixed, i.e. no loose cushions are provided. In this case, the rigid element substructure 16, as shown in Fig. 5 and 6, can be guided on its underside by means of a guide pin 17 guided in a guide groove so that at the end of the sliding movement of the additional backrest element 13, it is pushed so far forward in its position bridging the backrest gap that the upholstery of the additional backrest element 13 is aligned with that of the two adjacent backrests 5 and 6, as shown stylized in Fig. 6, in order to avoid the formation of steps between them.

The gap shown in Fig. 6 between the upholstery of the additional backrest element 13 and the raised seat surface

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The gap visible in the additional seat element 12 may still be covered by so-called upper material not shown here.

At its upper end, the additional backrest element 13 can be guided by a rounded block 18 in order to prevent its covering material from rubbing and wearing out on the inside of the outer wall of the backrest frame.

The additional backrest element 13 is rigidly attached, e.g. screwed, with its front side 19 to the corresponding front side of the backrest 6 of the right sofa part 2. As a result, when the left sofa part 1 is pivoted from its first setup shown in Fig. 1 to the second setup shown in Fig. 2, it is automatically pulled out from the right sofa part 2 from the backrest 5 of the left sofa part 2 to bridge the gap that arises between the backrests 5 and 6 of the two sofa parts 1 and 2, or it is released from the backrest 5, so to speak, and is thus automatically correctly positioned to bridge the gap. When the sofa part 1 is pivoted back to its starting position, it is also automatically pushed back by the right sofa part 2 into its backrest 5 or picked up by it.

The additional seat element 12 is, as shown in Fig. 7 and 8, arranged on a device which in turn is attached to a horizontal support plate 21 which widens in a wedge shape from the front to the back like the gap in the seat. This support plate 21, which may be supported by a foot, is firmly connected to the left sofa part 1 at its front side which forms the separation point 9. In the arrangement position of the two sofa parts 1 and 2 shown in Fig. 1, it is located together with the additional seat element 12 below the part of the sofa adjacent to the separation point 9.

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Seat 4 of the right sofa part 2, as indicated by dashed lines in Fig. 1.

When the left sofa part 1 is pivoted forwards into the second setup position shown in Fig. 2, not only does the additional backrest element 13 automatically assume its gap-bridging position by moving out of the backrest 5, but the additional seat element 12 is also simultaneously pulled out from the left sofa part 1 under the right sofa part 2. The pivoting movement of the sofa part 1 is stopped, e.g. by a corresponding stop, when the additional seat element 12 has completely emerged from the cavity under the right sofa part 1, whereby the pivot angle between the two sofa parts 1 and 2 and thus also the size of the seat gap that is to be bridged by the additional seat element 11 is defined, and here has a magnitude of approximately 45°.

In this predetermined pivoting position assumed by the sofa part 1 in Fig. 2, the additional seat element 12 can now be raised into the seat gap up to the level predetermined by the seat surfaces 3 and 4 of the two sofa parts 1 and 2, as can also be clearly seen in Fig. 8.

The two figures 3 and 4 are intended to illustrate the previously explained relationships between the arrangement of an additional seat element and an additional backrest element on a sofa such as that shown in figures 1 and 2 and their position changes when pivoting, for example, by 45° forwards a left sofa part intended for this purpose compared to a right sofa part which, however, runs straight here, in two very schematic plan views, wherein the more or less corresponding parts or elements are identified with the same reference numerals as in figure 1, but with an index.

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In order to raise and then lower the additional seat element 12, a comfortable embodiment of the sofa according to the invention provides the winch 23 shown schematically in Fig. 8, driven by an electric motor 22, with two counter-rotating, self-locking spindles 24, 25, wherein the motor 22 can be actuated via a switch, for example, hidden on the sofa.

In a simpler, more cost-effective embodiment, a manually operated spring locking mechanism 23a can be provided for lifting the additional seat element 12, as shown by way of example in Fig. 9. It has two pairs of sleeves 26 and 27 arranged one inside the other, which can each be pushed into a lower position against the force of a compression spring 28, in which they are each held by a locking pin 29 which engages in a corresponding recess in the outer sleeves 26 and is attached to the inner sleeve 27, which in turn are held in the recesses by a tension spring 31 (Fig. 10) acting on an actuating rod 30. This position would correspond to the position of the additional seat element 12 lowered below the level of the seat.

If the actuating rod 30, which is arranged, for example, hidden under the sofa part 1 and extends, for example, close to the back of its front panel 7, is pulled forward against the force of the tension spring 31, the outer sleeves 26 rotate accordingly and release the locking pins 29 so that the compression springs 28 can press the additional seat element 12 upwards into the seat gap, as shown in Fig. 9.

If the actuating rod 30 is released again, it is retracted by the tension spring 31. The outer sleeves 26 rotate anti-clockwise until the locking pins 29 are received in the lower recesses, in which position they

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be held by the tension spring 31 acting on the actuating rod 30, so that the weight of a person sitting on the additional seat element 12 can be absorbed by the locking pins 29 and introduced via the sleeves 26 and 27 into the lower support plate 19.

If the additional seat element 12 is to be moved from the seat gap into its lowered position, the operating rod 30 only needs to be pulled forward, e.g. with the left hand, in order to disengage the locking pins 29 and then, while holding the rod 30 firmly, press the additional seat element 12 downwards with the right hand. If the rod 30 is released again, the locking pins 29 engage in their lower holding position and thus hold the additional seat element 12 in its lowered position again.

In this position, the sofa part 1 can now be pushed back into its first setup arrangement corresponding to the basic shape of the sofa, whereby at the same time the additional backrest element 13 automatically returns to its backrest 5 and the additional seat element 12 is pushed into its storage position under the seat 4 of the right sofa part 2.

The three-seater sofa shown as an example in Fig. 11 and 12 has, as can be seen in Fig. 11, a rectangular basic shape and consists of three sofa parts 32, 33 and 34. The left and right sofa parts 32 and 34 are designed to pivot relative to the middle sofa part 33 into a position in the space in front of it, as shown in Fig. 12. For this purpose, similar to the sofa embodiment described above, two separating points 35 and 36 are provided between the middle sofa part 33 and the two outer sofa parts 32 and 34, each extending diagonally outwards from the front to the back of the sofa.

M. Seeger: Seating and reclining furniture ... .... ·· 12^10.2000

provided, along which the seat surfaces 37, 38 and 39 of the sofa parts 32, 33 and 34 also adjoin each other flush in pairs and via which they are connected to each other in pairs in the region of the adjacent corners of their adjacent front panels by a joint 40 and 41.

In accordance with the rectangular basic shape of the sofa, the sofa backrest formed by the backrests 42, 43 and 44 of the three sofa parts 32, 33 and 34 also runs in a straight line and consequently the two additional backrest elements 45 and 46 which are to be accommodated in this backrest according to the invention in order to bridge the gaps in the backrest which arise when the two sofa parts 32 and 34 are pivoted must run in a straight line, unlike in the sofa embodiment described above.

In order to be able to follow the "bend" that occurs between the sofa parts 32 and 34 and the middle sofa part 33 when they are pivoted forwards, they must be divided accordingly due to their necessary width, here for example vertically into two halves 45a and 45b or 46a and 46b, which are connected to one another again by joint devices 47 and 48, e.g. in the form of hinges.

In the basic sofa form shown in Fig. 11, the two additional backrest elements 45 and 46 are each inserted with the part 39a or 40a into a cavity open towards the respective separation point 35 and 36 in the backrests 42 and 44 of the two pivotable sofa parts 32 and 34 and with a part 39b and 40b into two corresponding cavities in the backrest 43 of the middle sofa part 33.

In order to ensure that the two additional backrest elements 4 5 and 4 6 are not only pivoted along a circular path with a radius corresponding to the length of the separation points 35, 36, the two sofa side parts 32 and 34 are pivoted by

M. Seeger: Seating and reclining furniture

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the respective separation point joint 40 and 41 can move forward into the space in front of the sofa and, if necessary, can also be automatically pulled out of the said backrest sections 42, 43 and 44, but when the two sofa parts 32 and 34 are pivoted back into their starting position shown in Fig. 11, they can also be automatically pushed back into this position, if necessary, the parts 45a and 46a of the two additional backrest elements 45 and 46 pushed into the backrests 42 and 44 of the pivotable sofa parts 32 and 34 are each arranged at least on their lower edges on a pull-out guide 4 9 and 50, e.g. in the manner of a full-extension drawer, on which they can be pulled out of the backrests 42 and 44 almost completely, secured against falling out by a stop, and then pushed back in again.

The respective second parts 45b and 46b of the two additional backrest elements 45 and 46, which on the one hand are each supported by the central joint devices 47 and 48 in a freely pivotable manner, are on their other side also secured against being pulled out of the backrest 43 of the middle sofa part 33 or are coupled or connected to it accordingly for this purpose.

In the rectangular sofa shown in Fig. 11, as in the sofa embodiment described above, the two additional seat elements 51 and 52 are each arranged on a support plate which is connected to the pivotable sofa side part 32 or 34 at the relevant separation point 35 and 36, so that when the support plate is pivoted they are automatically pulled out of their lowered arrangement under the seat 38 of the middle sofa part 33 into the position in which they can be raised into the seat gap created in this case, again by means of a device as described above for the other sofa embodiment.

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M. Seeger: Seating and reclining furniture

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As with the sofa design example described above, the division chosen here, depending on the hollow spaces available under the sofa seat for storing additional seat elements on a sofa with the usual depth, means that the two outer sofa parts 32 and 34 can also be swiveled forwards by 45° each, making this sofa particularly inviting to sit on. Because the two sofa sides are brought closer together and form a 90° angle, the user is shielded or isolated from the environment, which leads to a feeling of comfort, in contrast to a straight-lined "open" sofa, on which one sits as if on a silver platter.

Also, with this sofa, as with the previously described sofa, the two sofa side parts 32 and 34 can be moved or pivoted relative to the middle sofa part 33 as well as the two additional seat elements 46 and 47 can be raised and lowered comfortably, e.g. by means of electrically operated devices such as winches.

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Claims (18)

1. Seating and reclining furniture, in particular a sofa, with a base-like substructure with hollow spaces enclosed by panels, seat upholstery arranged thereon and a double-walled hollow backrest at least in some areas, characterized in that the furniture has at least - is formed from two individual furniture parts ( 1 , 2 ) of the same or different width and - an additional seat element ( 12 ) and - has an additional backrest element ( 13 ), wherein in a first arrangement of the two furniture parts ( 1 , 2 ) representing the basic shape of the furniture - between the two furniture parts ( 1 , 2 ) there is a separation point ( 9 ) running from the front to the back of the furniture, along which they are essentially flush with one another, whereby the two furniture parts ( 1 , 2 ) are connected to one another in an articulated manner ( 14 ) across the separation point ( 9 ) in the region of their adjacent front panels ( 7 , 8 ), - for at least one of the two furniture parts ( 1 ), a second defined installation arrangement is provided which can be adopted by a pivoting movement, in which it protrudes at least partially forwards into the space in front of the furniture and accordingly encloses at least one acute pivoting angle with the other furniture part ( 2 ), in which arrangement a seat gap or a backrest gap is formed between the seats ( 3 , 4 ) and between the backrests ( 5 , 6 ) of the two furniture parts ( 1 , 2 ), to bridge which the additional seat element ( 12 ) or the additional backrest element ( 13 ) is respectively determined and adapted, - the additional seat element ( 12 ) is located in a lowered position in a cavity which is open at least below the seat ( 4 ) of one of the two furniture parts ( 2 ) towards the separation point ( 9 ) in a storage arrangement, from which it can be raised into the seat gap in the second installation arrangement either immediately or only after a sideways pivoting movement out of the cavity, wherein a device ( 23 ; 23a ) is provided by which it can be locked at least in this raised position and - the additional backrest element ( 13 ) is inserted into a storage position in a hollow space which is open at least in the backrest ( 5 ) of one of the two furniture parts ( 1 ) towards the separation point ( 9 ), and can be pulled out sideways. 2. Seating and reclining furniture according to claim 1, characterized in that the furniture has a kidney-shaped curved floor plan shape with approximately quarter-circular rounded lateral ends and backrests ( 5 , 6 ). 3. Seating and reclining furniture according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the furniture part ( 1 ) intended for pivoting is approximately only half as wide as the other furniture part ( 2 ). 4. Seating and reclining furniture according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the separation point ( 9 ) runs through the furniture in the manner of a cross section. 5. Seating and reclining furniture according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the additional seat element ( 12 ) is arranged in a height-adjustable manner on a support plate ( 21 ) connected to one of the two furniture parts ( 1 ). 6. Seating and reclining furniture according to claim 5, characterized in that the support plate ( 21 ) is connected to the furniture part ( 1 ) intended for pivoting. 7. Seating and reclining furniture according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the additional backrest element ( 13 ) in the first installation arrangement is inserted into the backrest ( 5 ) of the furniture part ( 1 ) intended for pivoting. 8. Seating and reclining furniture according to claim 7, characterized in that the additional backrest element ( 13 ) is coupled to the furniture part ( 2 ) not intended for pivoting. 9. Seating and reclining furniture according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device ( 23 ; 23a ) for locking the additional seat element ( 12 ) is also designed at least for lifting it into the seat gap. 10. Seating and reclining furniture according to claim 9, characterized in that an electrically driven winch mechanism ( 23 ) is provided as the device. 11. Seating and reclining furniture according to claim 9, characterized in that a spring locking mechanism ( 23a ) is provided as the device. 12. Seating and reclining furniture according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that a device is also provided for pivoting the furniture part ( 1 ) intended for pivoting. 13. Seating and reclining furniture according to claim 12, characterized in that an electrically operated screw winch is provided as the device. 14. Seating and reclining furniture according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the additional backrest element ( 13 ) is guided on its displacement path by a guide ( 17 ). 15. Seating and reclining furniture according to claim 14, characterized in that the guide ( 17 ) brings about a transition of the additional backrest element ( 12 ) which is flush with the backrests ( 5 , 6 ) of the two furniture parts ( 1 , 2 ). 16. Seating and reclining furniture, in particular a sofa, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it - is formed from three individual furniture parts ( 32 , 33 , 34 ), one of which is designed and adapted as a central furniture part ( 33 ) and the other two ( 32 , 34 ), arranged on either side of it, are each designed and adapted to pivot opposite it into the space in front of the furniture, and - two additional seat elements ( 51 , 52 ) and - has two additional backrest elements ( 45 , 46 ) which are vertically divided into at least two parts ( 45a , 45b ; 46a , 46b ) connected to one another by hinges ( 47 , 48 ), wherein in a first arrangement of the three furniture parts ( 32 , 33 , 34 ) representing the basic shape of the furniture - two separation points ( 35 , 36 ) are provided between the middle furniture part ( 33 ) and the two outer furniture parts ( 32 , 34 ) from the front to the back of the furniture, along which the relevant furniture parts ( 32 , 33 ; 33 , 34 ) each adjoin one another essentially flush, the three furniture parts ( 32 , 33 , 34 ) being connected to one another in pairs in an articulated manner ( 40 , 41 ) across the respective separation point ( 35 , 36 ) in the region of their adjacent front panels and - the two additional seat elements ( 51 , 52 ) are each located in a lowered arrangement in a hollow space which is open at least below the seat of the middle furniture part ( 33 ) towards the separation point ( 35 or 36 ) and - a part ( 45a or 46a ) of each of the two additional backrest elements ( 45 , 46 ) is inserted into a cavity in the backrest ( 42 or 44 ) of one of the two outer furniture parts ( 32 or 34 ) and a part ( 45b or 46b ) is inserted into a cavity in the backrest ( 43 ) of the middle furniture part ( 33 ), at least one of these parts ( 45a , 46a ) being guided by at least one guide ( 49 , 50 ) which can be pulled out of the cavity with it. 17. Seating and reclining furniture according to claim 16, characterized in that the parts ( 45 a, 45 b) of the two additional backrest elements ( 45 , 46 ) inserted into the backrests ( 42 , 44 ) of the two outer furniture parts ( 32 , 34 ) are guided on an extendable guide ( 49 , 50 ). 18. Seating and reclining furniture according to claim 17, characterized in that the guide ( 49 , 50 ) is designed in the manner of a full-extension drawer.