Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Seating and Reclining E'urniture
The present invention relates to seating or reclining
furniture.
Many attempt6 have been made to replace the static types
of seating and reclining furniture, 50 widely used up to now, by
dynamic types.
Rocking chairs have been known for a very long time.
Unlike conventional chairs, these have a dynamic component.
Exactly the same thing applies for cradles, which have also been
known for a very long time. Children like these very much because
of their dynamic characteristics, and they have also been found to
promote sleep.
More recently, the waterbed has appeared on the market,
and this is a modern type of dynamic b~d. However, the water bed
has considerable disadvantages, for example, it takes up a great
~deal of room, reacts very slowly to movement, is heavy and very
costly~ and should the water leak out of it, considerable damage
can ensue. Furthermore, a waterbed does not provide continuous
up-and-down movement, nelther can it guarantee a reclining surface
that wi11 remain constantly hori~ontal.
DE-PS 1 124 648 describes a sitting and reclining
rocker; this takes up a great deal of room and, because of its
structure, would constitute a major visual disturbance in a bed-
room.
CH-PS 24~ 273 describes a seat that is mounted on a
pendulum support and is in a state of unstable equilibrium from
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which it can be moved more or less when put under load.
DE-GM 1 708 191 describes a seat that is suspended on a
rocker frame which, in case of need, can be locked up. A rocker
frame o~ this kind, like the device according to the aforemention-
ed DE-PS 1 124 648; is unsuitable for use in either a bedroom or a
living room.
The same applies to a large number of known rocker beds
which either have very bulky frames or have to be suspended from
the ceiling of the room.
GB-PS 692 239 describes a rockiny chair that can be
swung to a specified amount back and forth on a hinged column.
Because of the friction that occurs at the points of articulation,
adjustment requires some force, and any post-oscillation is pre-
cluded.
The present invention undertakes the task of creating
dynamic seating or reclining furniture that for relatively little
weight and a low price, and with a normal appearance provides the
user with movement in three coordinate directions, even in the
presence of small impulses.
According to the present invention, this task has been
solved by seating or reclining furniture with upper and lower
portions that can move relative to each other, the seating or
reclining surface of which is arranged on the upper portion, the
upper portion~ is suspended from the lower portion by means of arms
that are arranged beneath the upper portion and extend downwards,
on at least one set of pendulum cables of equal pendulum length,
the lower portion being adapted to rest either directly or indirect-
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ly on the floor, characterized in that at least one additional set
of pendulum cables is provided, this being functionally in series
with the first set and being of a different length to the first set.
This solution entails the great advantage that in addi-
tion to the small amount of space that it takes up and the relative-
ly low price that is involved, the smallest body movement on the
part of the resting or sleeping person makes a maximum amount of
movement available without any noise being created. This is of
great importance for a person who is trying to get to sleep, since
at night, when ambient noise levels are low, even small amounts of
noise are very disturbing.
Embodiments of the present invention will be described
in greater detail below with reference to the drawings that are
appended hereto. In the drawings:
Figure 1 is a schematic end view of a single-stage
dynamically suspended bedframe, in perspective;
Figure 2 is a schematic representation of a three-stage
dynamically suspended bed-frame, in perspective, and
Figure 3 is a variation of the bedframe as in Figure 2,
20 ~ usein a conventional bedframe.
Figure 1 shows a conventional bedframe 10 that differs
from conventional frames in -that it is suspended on cables 11. In
place of the conventional foot, in this case the foot is broken in
the longitudinal direction. The corresponding parts are connected
to each other through the arms 17 and projecting extensions by the
pendulum cables 11. ~y this means, it is possible to induce a
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swinging movement in all directions in the upper portion 12 of the
frame 10, relative to the lower, fixed portion 13. The configura-
tion of the two parts 12 and 13 of the frame 10 simply has to be
so selected as to preclude any impact of the upper and the lower
portions of the frame 10 during this swinging motion, since this
would be perceived as disturbing.
It is possible, for example, to use soft-rubber padding
to effect a consiaerable reductio~n of such impacts so as to take
care of the eventuality that the pendulum motion that is provided
by the design is exceeded for unforeseeable reasons. However, a
I'counter-pendulum" 14, which is of a length that has considerably
shorter pendulum length than the actual pendulum 11, has proved to
be far superior. Depending on the free length of the counter
pendulum 14 that is available, the pendulum motion of the upper
portion 12 of the frame 10 relative to the lower portion 13 will
be more or less markedly restricted with regard to its travel,
without any impacts being generated between the frame portions
when this is done. The retardation of the pendulum motion cccurs
with increasing counter-force as the travel o the pendulum
increases, although this is done without any jolts. If the effec-
tive pendulum length of the counter-pendulum 14 is adjustable, the
user can adjust the effect that is obtained to suit his own
requirements. As the effectiYe length of the counter-pendulum is
made shorter, so the pendulum motion of the upper portion 12 of
the frame 10 is xeduced, this being done, as has already been
pointed out, without any jolts being caused.
The adjustability o~ the effective pendulum length of
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-the counter pendulum 14 can be made, for example, by means of a
vertically adjustable counter-holder 15, for example in the form
of a collar that encircles the individual lines of the counter-
pendulum 14. This can be done either so as to be infinitely
variable, or incrementally.
As is known, both the length of the pendulum and the
weight of the user have a fundamental effect on the characteris-
tics of the pendulum 11.
It has been found that a sleeper transmits impulses of
various frequencies to the swi.ngable seating or reclining furni-
tuxe during different phases of sleep. In order to arrive at an
optimal oscillation amplitude of the swinging structure during
these differing impulse frequencies i-t is desirable to have
different characteristic frequencies of the swinging frequencies
during the onset phase of sleep and in the subsequent phases.
However, a timed changeover system cannot be used, since the dura-
tion of the individual onset and subsequent phases of sleep is
different for each individual, and can even vary over time for one
and the same individual.
As is shown in the schematic front view of a bed frame
10 shown in Figure 2, the upper portion 12 and the lower, fixed
portion 13 of the frame 10 can be connected to each other through
a multistage, for e~ample a three-stage, pendulum-type suspension
system. This means that in addition to the pendulum cable 11
there are also pendulum cables 21~and 31, these being connected
: : functionally in s~eries with the pendulum cable 11. The upper
:~ portion 12 is connected first:through the pendulum cable 11, then
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through the pendulum cable 21, and finally through the pendulum
cable 31 to the lower, fixed portion 13. Of course, instea~ of the
three-stage arrangement, it would be possible to use four or even
more stages. The individual stages of the pendulum suspension can
be arranged both on the long and the short sides of the frame, i.e.,
can continue "round the couner." The individual stages can con-
sist of at least three or at least four individual pendulums. The
pendulum cables 11, 21 and 31 shown in Figure 2 are of different
pendulum lengths from stage to stage. ~owever, the pendulum
lengths are equal within any one stage. Of necessity, this then
results in different characteristic frequencies for each individual
stage. In this way, the whole frame 10 is provided with a plural-
ity of characteristic frequencies, so that during changing impulse
frequencies during the individual phases of sleep, the second or
the third stage will be excited with the characteristic fre~uency,
so that even during changing impulse frequencies it is always
possible to guarantee relatively long travel if at least one of the
available multiple stages is excited at the characteristic fre-
quency, or a frequency that approaches this.
;This function will now be described Because of the
pendulum suspension of the upper portion 12 on the lower portion
13 through the pendulums 11, 21, 31, each time the person reclin-
ing on the upper portion 12, in the form of a bed, of the frame 10
; moves, he or she generates impulse-governed pendulum movements.
Depending on the frequency of the impulse, the pendulum stage is
caused to oscillate and the characteristic frequency of these
oscillations approximates most closely the impulse frequency.
This can he the first, second, or third stage. Because of the
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so-exci-ted characteristic frequency of the stage, this will swing
with relatively large amplitudes, eYen if only small impulses are
generated.
This results in the desired effect of keeping the upper
portion 12 in almos-t constant motion, for it has been shown that
during sleep even the heart and pulse beats that are gensrated are
enough to excite such a system.
Figure 3 shows a modified system in which the fixed
lower portion 13 is so configured tha-t it can be installed in a
conventional bed frame. This means that even a conventional bed
frame 19 can be modified without a great deal of conversion work.
In place of the usual spring insert,a flat frame 20 is installed,
and this assumes the function of the lower, fixed portion 13 of
the bed frame; the movable upper portion 12, which corresponds to
the movable portion of the bed frame, is suspended from this with
the help of the pendulum system 11, 21, 31 so as to be able to
swing freely. The action is the same as has been described hereto-
fore.
If, for any reason, the user should not desire the poss-
ible pendulum motion at a specific time, the two portions 12, 13that can move relative to each other can be locked up by means of
a folding or pivotting lug, so that the dynamic bed then functions
solely as a conventional, static bed.
The effects that have been described herein solely with
reference to seating or reclining furniture can also be used for
the installation of delicate machinery and equipment, such as
ehair-desk combinations, boat seats~ vehicle seats, ambulance
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beds, etc.
In a manner that corresponds completely to the mannerdescribed above in connection with the lock-up procedure it is
possible to couple two individual pendulum systems to each other.
Even though it is in principle possible to configure the
counter-pendulu~ as a single line, in many .instances it has been
found to be an advantage to build up the counter-pendulum from a
plurality of lines for then, by virtue of the diferent configura-
tion of the base area for the attachment points o the individual
lines of the counter-pendulum, it will be possible to achieve
different effects in various directions. Whereas no direction is
preferred if a circular base area is used, if a square, rectangu-
lar or oval base area is used the effects of the counter-pendulum
will differ in the individual directions. In the direction of the
long side of the rectangle or oval the effect achieved will for
all practical purposes be that of a longer counter-pendulum 14,
whereas in the direction of the least diameter of the oval,the
effect achieved will be that of a shorter counter-pendulum 14.
This means that pendulum effect in one or the other direction can
be selected by the user. O ~ourse, the longitudinal elasticity
of the individual lines is of great significance for the eect
of the counter-pendulum 14, since it generates th forces required
for retardation or return motion. Within a given range o ampli-
tude the pendulums 11, 21, 31, however, the effects of the
counter-pendulum should be either avoided or should be so small as
to be insignificant.
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The arms 17, 27, 37 that are suspended from the pendulum
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cables ll, 21, 31 area best configured so that they do not
protrude laterally beyond the seating or reclining surface of the
upper portion 12.
The counter-pendulum 14 in ~'igure 1 is adjusted in
effective length by varying height of ring 15 locked onto the
vertically extending element secured to the bottom of the frame
13.
The counter-pendulum 14 in Figures 2 and 3 may be chosen
of a special length, but may not be varied in its length later
on.
Pendulum length of individual pendulums ll, 21 and 31
may be chosen of a special length and moreover may be varied in
effective length by an apparata~ like ring 15 in Figure l.
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