SITTING OR LYING FURNITURE

Abstract

A piece of sitting or lying furniture including a support frame; an operating device configured for a user to sit on, lie on or lean against, wherein the operating device includes a self-supporting main textile part configured to react forces imparted upon the operating device into the support frame self-acting by tensions formed in the main textile part, wherein the main textile part is configured as a flat contexture, wherein the operating device includes at least one auxiliary unit group including at least two auxiliary units which are directly and jointly connected with at least one edge of the main textile part at least in sections, so that the main textile part is directly supported at the at least two auxiliary units.

Claims

1. A piece of sitting or lying furniture, comprising: a support frame; an operating device configured for a user to sit on, lie on or lean against, wherein the operating device includes a self-supporting main textile part configured to react forces imparted upon the operating device into the support frame self-acting by tensions formed in the main textile part, wherein the main textile part is configured as a flat contexture, wherein the operating device includes at least one auxiliary unit group including at least two auxiliary units which are directly and jointly connected with at least one edge of the main textile part at least in sections, so that the main textile part is directly supported at the at least two auxiliary units, wherein the at least two auxiliary units are attached at the support frame so that the main textile part is indirectly supported by the at least two auxiliary units at the support frame, and wherein the at least two auxiliary units run from the at least one edge of the main textile part to different attachment locations at the support frame.

2. The piece of sitting or lying furniture according to claim 1, wherein the at least one edge of the main textile part includes at least two edges, wherein the at least one auxiliary unit group includes two auxiliary unit groups wherein the main textile part cooperates at least along opposite edges of the at least two edges respectively with the at least one auxiliary unit group, wherein a first edge of the opposite edges of the main textile part cooperates with an auxiliary unit of a first auxiliary unit group of the at least two auxiliary unit groups and with a second auxiliary unit of the first auxiliary unit group and a second edge of the opposite edges of the main textile part cooperates with a first auxiliary unit of a second auxiliary unit group of the at least two auxiliary unit groups and with a second auxiliary unit of the second auxiliary unit group of the at least two auxiliary unit groups.

3. The piece of sitting or lying furniture according to claim 1, wherein the at least two auxiliary units form at least an outer edge portion of the operating device or are arranged in at least one outer edge portion of the operating device.

4. The piece of sitting or lying furniture according to claim 1, wherein the support frame is configured from different support frame parts, so that the at least two auxiliary units of the at least one auxiliary unit group are respectively attached at the different support frame parts.

5. The piece of sitting or lying furniture according to claim 1, wherein the at least two auxiliary units of the at least one auxiliary unit group are respectively formed by flat auxiliary contextures, and wherein auxiliary textile surfaces of the at least two auxiliary units are arranged at opposite slant angles starting from the at least one edge of the main textile part and measured relative to the main textile surface in a cross section perpendicular to a main textile surface of the main textile part.

6. The piece of sitting or lying furniture according to claim 5, wherein the at least two auxiliary units act jointly at each connection location of the at least one edge of the main textile part where the at least two auxiliary units are connected with the main textile part.

7. The piece of sitting or lying furniture according to claim 5, wherein at least the main textile part, and at least one of the at least two auxiliary units is formed by a woven material, knitted material or warp knitted material.

8. The piece of sitting or lying furniture according to claim 5, wherein the main textile part and at least one auxiliary unit of the at least two auxiliary units of the at least one auxiliary group, or the main textile part and plural similar auxiliary units of different auxiliary unit groups of the at least one auxiliary unit group are formed by a single piece of flat contexture.

9. The piece of sitting or lying furniture according to claim 5, wherein the at least two auxiliary units of the at least one auxiliary unit group are formed by a single piece flat contexture.

10. The piece of sitting or lying furniture according to claim 5, wherein the main textile part and all the auxiliary units of all the auxiliary unit groups are respectively formed by separate flat contextures, and wherein the main textile part and all the auxiliary units are sewn together or welded together.

11. The piece of sitting or lying furniture according to claim 5, wherein a tensile stiffness of the main textile part is smaller than a tensile stiffness of at least one auxiliary unit of the at least two auxiliary units of the at least one auxiliary unit group, or greater than a tensile stiffnesses of all auxiliary units.

12. The piece of sitting or lying furniture according to claim 5, wherein a tensile stiffnesses of the at least two auxiliary units of the at least one auxiliary unit group are different, and wherein a tensile stiffness of a first auxiliary unit of the at least two auxiliary units that extends upward at a slant angle relative to the main textile surface is greater than a tensile stiffness of a second auxiliary unit of the at least two auxiliary units that extends downward at a downward slant angle relative to the main textile surface.

13. The piece of sitting or lying furniture according to claim 5, wherein the main textile part and/or at least one auxiliary unit of the at least two auxiliary units of the at least one auxiliary unit group is configured with heat shrinking properties or formed by a heat shrinkable fabric.

14. The piece of sitting or lying furniture according to claim 5, wherein an angle enclosed by auxiliary textile surfaces of the at least two auxiliary units of the at least one auxiliary unit group and the main textile surface at the at least one edge of the main textile part is between 5 and 90, or between 25 and 85 degrees, or between 40 and 80.

15. The piece of sitting or lying furniture according to claim 5, wherein the main textile part and/or at least one auxiliary unit of the at least two auxiliary units of the at least one auxiliary unit group is formed by an elastic textile material capable of elastically absorbing elongations of at least 2% or at least 2.5% or at least 3%.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0055] The invention is now described based on advantageous embodiments with reference to drawing figures, wherein:

[0056] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a piece of sitting furniture according to the invention;

[0057] FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic view of an operating device of the piece of sitting furniture according to FIG. 1 supported at a support frame of the piece of sitting furniture according to FIG. 1;

[0058] FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic view of an alternative operating device where a main textile part and plural auxiliary units are formed by a single piece flat contexture;

[0059] FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic view of an alternative operating device where plural auxiliary units of an auxiliary unit group are formed by a single piece flat contexture; and

[0060] FIG. 5 illustrates a schematic view of an alternative operating device where several auxiliary units are formed by multi-layer auxiliary textile parts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0061] An embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 relates to a piece of sitting or lying furniture 1 according to the invention which is configured as a piece of sitting furniture configured as an office chair. The piece of sitting furniture 1 includes a support frame 2 and an operating device 3. The operating device 3 is for a user of the piece of sitting furniture to sit on. Therefore the operating device 3 in the illustrated embodiment forms a sitting surface of the piece of sitting furniture which is an arm chair in this embodiment. The piece of sitting furniture includes a standing base 17 that sits on the ground.

[0062] As evident from the schematic view of FIG. 2 the operating device 3 includes a main textile part 5 and two auxiliary unit groups 4 respectively including two auxiliary units 8, 9. The main textile part is formed by a heat shrinkable flexible fabric having a rectangular shape with a total of four edges 10 in this embodiment. Thus, a length 6 and a width 7 of the main textile part 5 substantially exceed its thickness. In the illustrated embodiment the width of the main textile part 5 is approximately 50 cm, whereas the length 6 is approximately 45 cm. The thickness of the main textile part 5 corresponds to a thickness of a fabric forming the main textile part 5. Thus, the thickness in the illustrated embodiment is only a few millimeters.

[0063] The main textile part 5 is configured self-supporting. This means that a force 16 impacting the main textile part 5 is reacted towards the support frame exclusively by the main textile part 5 itself. Consequently the operating device 3 is free from support structures or similar in the portion of the main textile part 5, wherein the support structures would help a force reaction towards the support frame 2. Instead, forces 16 that impact a main textile surface 13 of the main textile part 5, in particular forces 16 that act in a direction perpendicular to the main textile surface 13 are exclusively reacted in that tension is formed in the main textile part 5 and the resulting force is reacted to edges 10 of the main textile part 5. Since the main textile part 5 has a rectangular shape it includes a total of four edges 10 in the illustrated embodiment.

[0064] In the illustrated embodiment the main textile part 5 is indirectly supported at the carrier frame 2, namely by the auxiliary units 8, 9 of the auxiliary groups 4. The auxiliary units 8, 9 for respectively formed by auxiliary textile parts in the illustrated embodiment wherein the auxiliary textile parts are made from textile flat elements. In the illustrated embodiment the auxiliary unit groups 4 are associated with a total of 3 edges 10 of the main textile part 5 wherein the edges 10 are respectively connected with an auxiliary unit group 4 including two auxiliary units 8. 9. FIG. 1 respectively only shows an upper auxiliary unit 8 since the associated lower auxiliary unit 9 is optically covered. The detail of FIG. 2 only shows two opposite edges 10 in order to describe the principle of the invention.

[0065] The auxiliary units 8, 9 are advantageously formed as flat contextures. They form edge portions of the operating device 3. With reference to FIG. 3 opposite edges 10 of the main textile part 5 respectively cooperate with an auxiliary unit group 4 respectively including two auxiliary units 8, 9. Overall, the operating device 3 is attached at three edges at the support frame 2, whereas a front edge of the operating device 3 is directly attached at the support frame 2. A reaction of forces 16 impacting the operating device 3 performed through the auxiliary unit groups 4 is run to the respective sides where the operating device 3 is connected with the support frame 2. In the illustrated embodiment the auxiliary units 8, 9 respectively include one auxiliary element wherein the auxiliary elements are respectively formed by the described flat auxiliary textile part.

[0066] The auxiliary units 8, 9 are continuously connected at a respective edge 10 of the main textile part so that a reaction of forces from the main textile part 5 to the auxiliary units 8, 9 can be performed along the entire respective edge 10 of the main textile part 5. The auxiliary units 8, 9 react the forces into the support frame 2 in that the auxiliary units 8, 9 are attached at their edges 11, 12 at the carrier frame 2 wherein the edges 11, 12 are oriented away from the respective edge 10 of the main textile part 5. Consequently the main textile units 8, 9 are directly attached at the support frame 2, whereas the main textile part 5 is only indirectly attached at the support frame 2 by the auxiliary units 8, 9. Thus, the auxiliary units 8, 9 extend from the edge 10 respectively to different attachment locations 14, 15 at the support frame 2, wherein the auxiliary units 8, 9 are attached line shaped along their outer edges 11, 12 at the support frame 2. The attachment locations 14, 15 are advantageously arranged at different carrier frame parts of the carrier frame 2 as will be described infra, wherein the carrier frame parts 22 are arranged at different sides of the main textile part 5 with reference to the main textile surface 13, so that the attachment locations 14, 15 are positioned differently viewed perpendicular to the main textile surface 13.

[0067] The auxiliary units 8, 9 cooperate with the main textile part 5 at each connection location 24 where they are connected with the respective edge of the main textile part 5. This means that both auxiliary units 8, 9 are connected with the edge 10 of the main textile part 5 at each connection location 24 where the respective edge 10 of the main textile part 5 is supported by a respective auxiliary unit group. Thus, the auxiliary units 8, 9 jointly form a respective auxiliary unit group 4 and jointly react forces from the main textile part 5 into the support frame 2. The support of the main textile part 5 along opposite edges 10 by two auxiliary unit groups 4 facilitates that the auxiliary units 8, 9 provide a tension reaction for the main textile part 5 at the respective edges 10 of the main textile part 5.

[0068] In order to facilitate this the auxiliary units 8, 9 are inclined in opposite directions with reference to the main textile surface 13 of the main textile part 5, this means they extend at opposite slant angles from the associated edge 10 with reference to the main textile surface 13. This means that the auxiliary textile surfaces 18, 19 of the auxiliary units 8, 9 respectively enclose an angle 20, 21 with the main textile surface 13 of the main textile part 5. This is performed in the illustrated embodiment in that the first auxiliary unit 8 extends relative to the at essentially horizontally oriented main textile surface 13 from the respective edge 10 at a slant angle upward, wherein the angle 20 enclosed by the auxiliary textile surface 18 of the first auxiliary unit 8 with the main textile surface 13 is approximately 40 in the illustrated embodiment. Analogously the second auxiliary unit 9 of the same auxiliary unit group 4 extends relative to the main textile part 5 at a slant angle downward, wherein the angle 21 between the auxiliary textile surface 19 of the second auxiliary unit 9 and the auxiliary textile surface 13 is also approximately 40 in the illustrated embodiment. The auxiliary units 8, 9 are advantageously attached at different support frame parts 22 of the support frame 2, wherein the support frame parts 22 are arranged vertically above one another and are arranged on different sides of the main textile surface 13 of the main textile part 5. The support frame parts 22 are advantageously formed herein by support tubes. The support frame parts 22 are connected with one another in a force transferring manner.

[0069] This way the respective edge 10 of the main textile part 5 that is operatively connected with the auxiliary units 8, 9 is tension reacted towards the support frame 2, wherein portions of the force 16 impacting the operating device 3 perpendicular to the main textile surface 13 can be reacted into the support frame 2 particularly well by the differently oriented auxiliary units 8, 9. This, however, maintains a certain movability or the described movement clearance of the edge 10 of the main textile part 5. Due to the length changes of the auxiliary units 8, 9 that occurs as a matter of principle due to the force reaction into the support frame 2, the edge 10 of the main textile part 5 is not rigidly fixed as would the be case for a direct attachment at a support frame 2. Accordingly, sitting comfort is improved over known pieces of sitting or lying furniture.

[0070] A reaction of forces 16 that impact the operating device 2 wherein the forces are reacted towards the support frame 2 is subsequently described based on an embodiment. The operating device 3 is loaded with a force 16 in a portion of its horizontally oriented main textile part 5, wherein the force acts perpendicular to the main textile surface 13 of the main textile part 5. For example, a user sits on the operating device 3 configured as a sitting surface. This type of loading has the effect that the main textile part 5 deforms and bends between its edges supported by the auxiliary unit pairs 4. Thus, the main textile part 5 expands and forms an approximately parabolic bending line between opposite edges 10. According to the description provided supra, the edges 10 are indirectly supported at the support frame 2 by the auxiliary units 8, 9 of the respectively associated auxiliary unit groups 4, wherein one of the opposite edges 10 cooperates with a first auxiliary unit 8 as well as with a second auxiliary unit 9 of a first auxiliary unit group 4 and the other of the opposite edges 10 cooperates with a first auxiliary unit 8 and a with a second auxiliary unit 9 of the second auxiliary unit group 4. The auxiliary units 8 and 9 are advantageously formed by strip shaped auxiliary textile parts.

[0071] Due to the force impacting the main textile part 5 opposite edges 10 of the main textile part 5 tend to move downward and towards one another. This movement is prevented by the tension reaction of the edges 10 through the auxiliary units 8, 9 towards the support frame 2, wherein the force 16 impacting the main textile part 5 is reacted into the auxiliary units 8, 9 and from there into the support frame 2. The first auxiliary units 8 oriented at a slant angle upward of the two auxiliary unit groups 4 greatly contribute to react the force into the upper support frame parts 22 of the support frame 2 wherein the force initially acts perpendicular to the main textile surface 13.

[0072] Without the second auxiliary unit 9, the operating device 3 would hook in a known manner in a parabola shape between the respective upper support frame parts 22 of the support frame 2 and cause the described hammock effect. This, however, is prevented by the second auxiliary units 9 which tension relief the respective edges 10 of the main textile part 5 in the horizontal direction and at a slant angle downward at the support frame 2, namely at the lower support frame parts 22 and thus support the edges 10 in this way. Due to the elastic deformation of the auxiliary units 8, 9 a loading of the operating device 3 causes a movement of the edges 10 in the three-dimensional space. This movement, however, only occurs with in a certain range that is defined by the elongation stiffness of the auxiliary units 8, 9 and of the main textile part 5. In particular the edges 10 of the main textile part 5 cannot move freely in cooperation with the first auxiliary units 8, so that a kink is established in the presence of a force impacting the operating device at a transition from the main textile part 5 to the auxiliary units 8, 9. The support width over which the main textile part 5 reacts the force to the left and to the right in a direction towards the support frame 2 therefore is smaller than for a direct support of the main textile part 5 at the support frame 2. Accordingly a bending of the main textile part 5 caused by the force is smaller than in the prior art which yields the advantages described supra with respect to increased sitting comfort of the piece of sitting furniture.

[0073] Advantageously tensile stiffness of the main textile part 5 and of the auxiliary units 8, 9 differs. For example it is conceivable that all parts, for example the main textile part 5 and the respective auxiliary units 8, 9 are formed by separate or different flat contextures which can be configured in different manners. The main textile part 5 and the auxiliary units 8, 9 in this embodiment can be sewed or welded together wherein the auxiliary units 8, 9 are connected at the respective edge 10 of the main textile part 5. It can be particularly advantageous when the tensile stiffness of the main textile part 5 is smaller than the tensile stiffness of the auxiliary units 8, 9.

[0074] As evident from FIG. 3 it is also conceivable that the main textile part 5 and the respective first auxiliary units 8 of the two auxiliary unit groups 4 are jointly formed by a single piece flat contexture. This flat contexture is directly attached at the support frame 2 at outer edges 11 of the first auxiliary units 8. The transition from the main textile part 5 to the auxiliary units 8 is caused by the connection of the second auxiliary units 9 of the two auxiliary unit groups 4 at the flat contexture that forms the main textile part 5 and the first auxiliary units 8. The edges 10 of the main textile part 5 are formed along the lines where the second auxiliary units 9 are connected with the flat contexture, e.g. by sewing, gluing, or welding and form a typical kink at the transition from the main textile part 5 to the auxiliary units 8, 9 due to the tension relief. As a result, the auxiliary units 8, 9 with their auxiliary textile surfaces 18, 19 are oriented at a slant angle 20, 21 relative to the main textile surface of the main textile part 5, wherein the first auxiliary units 8 are sloped upward from the edge 10 and the second auxiliary units 9 are sloped downward from the edge 10 and are attached at their edges 11, 12 oriented away from the main textile part 5 at support frame parts 22 of the support frame.

[0075] Another advantageous embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4 shows auxiliary units 8, 9 of a respective auxiliary unit group 4 formed by a single piece flat contexture. The transition from one auxiliary unit 8, 9 to another auxiliary unit 8, 9 is defined by the connection with the main textile part 5, wherein the flat contexture is e.g. sewed together or welded together with the main textile part 5.

[0076] It is also conceivable that individual auxiliary units 8, 9 are configured with different layers. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5 the first auxiliary units 8 of the auxiliary unit groups 4 are respectively formed with two layers, respectively including a first single piece flat contexture 25 and a portion of a second flat contexture 23, which also forms the main textile part 5. Therefore the second flat contexture 23 as described with reference to FIG. 3 runs between the upper support frame parts 22 of the support frame 2 and thus forms a portion of the auxiliary units 8 as well as the main textile part 5. The auxiliary units 8 respectively additionally include the first flat contexture 25, wherein the flat contextures 23, 25 are arranged overlapping which creates the two-layer configuration. This embodiment facilitates adjusting desired tensile stiffness conditions and ratios between the main textile part 5 and the auxiliary units 8, 9 in a particularly simple manner. The two flat contextures 23, 25 can be connected with one another, in particular glued together, sewn together or welded together.

REFERENCE NUMERALS AND DESIGNATIONS

[0077] 1 piece of sitting or lying furniture [0078] 2 support frame [0079] 3 operating device [0080] 4 auxiliary unit group [0081] 5 main textile part [0082] 6 length [0083] 7 width [0084] 8 auxiliary unit [0085] 9 auxiliary unit [0086] 10 edge [0087] 11 edge [0088] 12 edge [0089] 13 main textile surface [0090] 14 attachment location [0091] 15 attachment location [0092] 16 force [0093] 17 standing base [0094] 18 auxiliary textile surface [0095] 19 auxiliary textile surface [0096] 20 angle [0097] 21 angle [0098] 22 support frame part [0099] 23 flat contexture [0100] 24 connection location [0101] 25 flat contexture