FOLDING MECHANISM

Abstract

A folding mechanism contains a rail which forms a guide for a series of runners which are slideable in relation to each other on the rail, whereby each runner or at least a part thereof is provided with a rib which is attached hingeably on the runner around a shaft largely perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rail between an open position whereby the ribs are turned away from the rail and a closed position whereby the ribs are turned towards the rail and whereby at least some of the ribs lying on the same side of the rail are connected with each other using a transmission which, when sliding the runners towards or away from each other on the rail, makes the ribs hinge on the runners.

Claims

1. Folding mechanism, comprising a rail (4) which forms a guide for a series of runners (5) which are slideable in relation to each other on the rail (4), whereby each runner (5) or at least a part of each runner is provided with a rib (6) which is attached hingeably on the runner (5) around a shaft (7) largely perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (X-X′) of the rail (4) between an open position whereby the ribs (6) are turned away from the rail (4} and a closed position whereby the ribs (6) are turned towards the rail (4) and whereby at least some of the ribs (6) located on the same side of the rail (4) are connected with each other by means of a transmission (8) which, when sliding the runners (5) towards or away from each other on the rail (4), makes the ribs (6) hinge on the runners (5),

2. The folding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the transmissions (8) are such that they keep the ribs (6) parallel to each other while opening and closing the folding mechanism (1).

3. The folding mechanism according to claim 2, wherein a transmission (8) is formed by an articulated connection (9) connecting two ribs (6) with each other via a hinge connection (11) with each of the two ribs (6) around the longitudinal axis of the ribs (6), whereby the articulated connection (9) between the ribs (6) is provided with at least one articulation (10) with a shaft that .runs parallel with the ribs (6).

4. The folding mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the articulated connection contains two articulated parts with a central articulation (10), whereby the shaft of this central articulation (10) runs parallel with the shafts of the hinge connections (11) with the ribs (6).

5. The folding mechanism according to claim 4, wherein the articulated connection (9) is composed of two articulated parts (9a and 9b) in the form of two slats which are connected with each other at one end by a said articulation (10), the shaft of which is positioned at an angle in relation to the longitudinal direction of the slats (9a and 9b), and which are provided with a said hinge connection (11) with the ribs on their other end, whereby the hinge connections (11) with their shafts run parallel with and at the same orthogonal distance (8) from the shaft of the articulation (10).

6. The folding mechanism according to claim 4, when the folding mechanism (1) is open, the articulated parts (9a and 9b) of each transmission (9) lie in or almost in the continuation of each other and run parallel or practically parallel with the rail (4).

7. The folding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the orthogonal distance between each pair of consecutive ribs (6) is the same.

8. The folding mechanism according to claim 3, wherein one or more additional intermediate ribs (12) are provided, each in the continuation of or on the shaft of an articulation (10) of a transmission (9).

9. The folding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein at least one rib (6) is of a different length compared to the other ribs (6).

10. The folding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the folding mechanism (1) is provided with a drive to slide at least one of the runners (5).

11. The folding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the folding mechanism (1) is provided with a drive to slide at least one of the runners (5) and that this at least one runner (5) is connected with other runners via a sequential mechanism (15) to slide these runners (5) in a synchronised manner towards or away from each other on the rail (4).

12. The folding mechanism according to claim 11, wherein the drive to slide at least one of the runners (5) contains a motor.

13. The folding mechanism according to claim 11, wherein the drive to slide at least one of the runners (5) contains a pulley system over which a cord is guided which is connected with this at least one driven runner (5).

14. The folding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the runners (5) on both sides of the rail (4) are provided with ribs (6) which are attached hingeably thereon and are connected in pairs by means of a said transmission (8).

15. The folding mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising a cloth (3) that is fixed to one or more ribs (6) in such a way that, by opening and closing the folding mechanism (1), the cloth (3) is folded open or shut.

16. The folding mechanism according to claim 15, wherein the folding mechanism is a folding mechanism (1) of a sunshade or a wind shield.

17. The folding mechanism according to claim 15, wherein the folding mechanism is a folding mechanism (1) for a sail on a sailing boat.

18. The folding mechanism according to claim 15, wherein the folding mechanism is a folding mechanism (1) for a foldable bed.

19. The folding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the folding mechanism is a folding mechanism (1) of an artificial tree (19) whose branches are formed by the ribs (6) of the folding mechanism (1).

20. The folding mechanism according to claim 5, wherein, when the folding mechanism (1) is open, the articulated parts (9a and 9b) of each transmission (9) lie in or almost in the continuation of each other and run parallel or practically parallel with the rail (4).

Description

[0039] With the intention of better showing the characteristics of the invention, some preferred embodiments of a folding mechanism according to the invention and it applications are described hereinafter, by way of an example without any limiting nature, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0040] FIG. 1 shows a perspective of a mechanism folded open on one side and used as a canopy or horizontal sunshade with a cloth;

[0041] FIG. 2 shows a top view according to the arrow F2 in FIG. 1;

[0042] FIG. 3 shows a side view according to the arrow F3 in FIG. 2;

[0043] FIG. 4 shows on a larger scale the part that is indicated in FIG. 1 by the frame F4;

[0044] FIG. 5 shows the folding mechanism from FIG. 1 without a cloth and in a folded-up state;

[0045] FIG. 6 shows a top view according to arrow F6 in FIG. 5;

[0046] FIG. 7 shows a side view according to arrow F7 in FIG. 6;

[0047] FIG. 8 shows on a larger scale the part that is indicated in FIG. 5 by the frame F8;

[0048] FIG. 9 shows the sunshade from FIG. 8 in a partly folded state;

[0049] FIG. 10 shows a folding mechanism such as the one in FIG. 1 but made double-sided as a horizontal sunshade supported by a supporting pole on a base and provided with a drive;

[0050] FIG. 11 shows a variant of the folding mechanism in FIG. 10;

[0051] FIG. 12 illustrates an application of a folding mechanism in the embodlment of a foldable artificial Christmas tree.

[0052] The folding mechanism 1 shown as an example in FIG. 1 is a folding mechanism of a parasol 2 with a cloth 3.

[0053] The folddng mechanism 1 contains a rail 4 with longitudinal direction X-X′ which forms a guide for a series of runners 5 that are slide able in relation to each other on the rail 4.

[0054] Each runner 5 is provided on one side of the rail with a rib 6 which is attached hingeably on the runner 5 by means of a shaft 7 which extends, according to the longitudinal direction Y-Y′ perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction X-X′ of the rail 5, between an open position, as shown in the FIGS. 1 to 4, whereby the ribs 6 in a plane on one side of the rail 5 are turned away from the rail 5, and a closed position, as shown in the FIGS. 5 to 8, whereby the ribs 6 are turned towards the rail 5 and extend practically parallel with the rail 5 close to each other.

[0055] Adjacent ribs 6 are connected two by two with each other through a transmission 8 which, when sliding the runners 5 towards or away from each other on the rail 5, makes the ribs 6 automatically hinge around the shaft 7 on the runners 5 and which preferably keeps the ribs 6 parallel to each other when opening and closing the folding mechanism.

[0056] In doing so the ribs 6 always move in parallel to one another.

[0057] Each transmission 8 is formed by an articlated connection 9 with two articulated parts 9a and 9b in the form of two slats which are connected at one end to each other by means of an articulation with a geometric axis which extends according to the direction Z-Z′ and which encloses an oblique angle A to the longitudinal direction of the slats 9a and 9b as shown in FIG. 4.

[0058] On their other end, the slats 9a and 9b are provided with a hinge connection 11 with the ribs 6, whose hinge axis in the continuation of the ribs 6 runs parallel with the axis Z-Z′ of said articulation 10, whereby the hinge connections 11 are located at the sate orthogonal distance B from the central articulation 10.

[0059] Preferably all transmissions are identical to each other, so that all ribs 6 lie at the same distance C from each other.

[0060] When the folding mechanism is an open position as shown in the FIGS. 1 to 4, the articulated parts 9a and 9b of each transmission lie in or almost in the continuation of each other and run parallel or practically parallel with the rail 4.

[0061] In the continuation of the axes Z-Z′ of the articulation 10 intermediate ribs 12 can be provided which may, for example, be shorter than the other ribs 11.

[0062] The ribs 11 do not necessarily need to be of the same length.

[0063] Operation of the folding mechanism 1 is simple and as follows.

[0064] Starting from the open state shown in the FIGS. 1 to 4, runners 5 on the rail 4 are slid to one end of the rail 4 as shown in the FIGS. 5 to 8.

[0065] In this way the runners 5 are slid closer together whereby the articulated connections 9 fold shut away from the rail 4, more specifically in the case of the FIGS. 5 to 8 fold down and thus away from in-between the ribs 6.

[0066] In this way the ribs 6 hinge on the runners 5 towards the rail 4 up to the position in the FIGS. 5 to 8, whereby in the closed position they extend in parallel against or almost against each other beside the rail 4 in a position that runs practically parallel with the longitudinal direction X-X′ of the rail 4.

[0067] The axes Z-Z′ of the articulations 10 and the intermediate ribs 12 extending in the continuation thereof have also turned parallel to each other towards the rail 4, given that shafts of the articulations 10 run parallel with the ribs 6 due to their construction.

[0068] The cloth 3 is suspended on the ribs 6 and folded up neatly when folding the folding mechanism 1 shut as shown in FIG. 9 with folds that extend downwards as from the ribs 6, the folds being kept in position by intermediate ribs 12 if any.

[0069] It is clear that the folding mechanism 1 can be reopened by sliding the runners 5 back out of each other until reaching the position in the FIG. 1.

[0070] Although not shown in the figures, the folding mechanism 1 can be provided with a stop for the last runner 5 on the rail 4 in order to prevent the articulated connections 9 from extending entirely and in doing so folding shut in the wrong upwards direction when closing.

[0071] The same effect can of course be achieved by ensuring that the cloth 3 is stretched tight before the articulated connections 9 have reached their extended state when folding open the folding mechanism 1.

[0072] FIG. 9 shows an application whereby the folding mechanism 1 is used to open and close a sunshade 2, whereby in this case the rail is attached horizontally to a supporting pole 13 on a base 14.

[0073] In this case the runners 5 on both sides of the rail 5 are provided with ribs 6 which are connected to each other in pairs by means of articulated connections 6, so that the cloth 3 on the ribs 6 on both sides of the rail 4 can be fixed in order to span a greater surface under the sunshade 2.

[0074] In this example in FIG. 9 the folding mechanism 1 is also provided with a drive not shown in the figures used to slide at least one of the runners 5, for example the runner 5 which lies furthest from the supporting pole 13.

[0075] This drive can be realised in many different ways, for example by means of a chain drive, driven by a motor or crank mechanism, in the hollow rail 4 or suchlike.

[0076] Furthermore the folding mechanism 1 is provided with a sequential mechanism 15 that connects the driven runner 5 with the other runners 5 in order to slide all of these runners 5 in a synchronised manner towards or away from each other.

[0077] In the arrangement in FIG. 10 the sequential mechanism 15 is formed with rods 16 which are connected hingeably with each other at their ends 17 and which are each attached hingeably to a runner 5 by a central point 18.

[0078] When the furthest driven runner 5 is moved towards the supporting pole 13 from the position in FIG. 10, the rods 16 between this runner 5 and the subsequent second runner 5 will be forced to rotate on the runners.

[0079] Due to the rotation of the rod 16 on the second runner, the rod 16 is also turned on the third runner whereby the second and the third runner 5 are moved towards each other.

[0080] In this way all runners are pulled towards each other and towards the supporting pole 13 if the runner 5 which is closest to the supporting pole 13 is a fixed runner.

[0081] The alternative embodiment of FIG. 11 differs from the one in FIG. 11 by the fact that in FIG. 11 a sequential mechanism 15 is applied with a double-rod system, each runner 5 having two rods 16 lying cross-ways across each other, like the handles of a pair of scissors, each rod attached hingeably at a central point 18 to the appropriate runner 5.

[0082] The rail 4 and the supporting pole 13 can be made hollow, for example to allow cables for lighting or heating to be attached under the rail 4 or for the integration of the drive and/or a sequential mechanism or part thereof.

[0083] A folding mechanism 1 according to the invention can for example also be used to fold open and shut a foldable bed, whereby the rail 4 is then attached horizontally on a supporting frame and whereby the cloth 3 is supported by the ribs 6 and the intermediate ribs, if any. In this case it is best for the runners 5 to be attached under the rail 4 rather than above it as in the figures discussed.

[0084] The shape of the cloth 3 and the length of the ribs 6 can of course be adapted to obtain a rectangular bed, although other shapes are also imaginable.

[0085] It is clear that the rail 4 does not necessarily need to be set up horizontally but can also be placed in any direction, for example vertically in an application like a wind sail or as a sail on a sailing boat or suchlike.

[0086] In FIG. 12 an example is shown of a vertical arrangement for folding open an artificial foldable Christmas tree 19, whose branches are formed by the ribs 6 and intermediate ribs 12 upon which plastic needles 20 are attached.

[0087] Alternatively the folding mechanism 1 can be used to stretch open a cloth 3 with a silhouette of a Christmas tree as shown with a dotted line in FIG. 12.

[0088] In order to obtain a three-dimensional form it is for example possible for the runners 5 to be provided with ribs which unfold in various planes, for example in two orthogonal planes with four ribs 6 per runner 5, whereby the runners 5 are then for example made as sleeves that fit snugly around the rail 4.

[0089] The present invention is by no means limited to the embodiments described as an example and shown in the drawings, but a folding mechanism according to the invention can be realised in ail kinds of forms, dimensions and applications without departing from the scope of the invention.