Pivot fitting for pieces of furniture for sitting and/or lying on

Abstract

A pivot fitting having a stop lever, a ratchet lever, a blocking device and at least one toothed ring. The stop lever and the ratchet lever can be pivoted in relation to one another in an adjustment direction and in a reset direction. The stop lever and the toothed ring are coupled to one another such that pivoting of the stop lever and ratchet lever in the adjustment direction is accompanied by pivoting and/or rotation of the toothed ring in relation to the blocking device. The blocking device has at least two catches, that, in an adjustment position of the pivot fitting, the pivoting action of the stop lever and ratchet lever in the reset direction is countered by form-fitting engagement of at least one catch in the toothed ring.

Claims

1. A pivot fitting having a stop lever, a ratchet lever, a blocking device and at least one toothed ring, wherein the stop lever and the ratchet lever can be pivoted in relation to one another in an adjustment direction and in a reset direction, wherein the stop lever and the toothed ring are coupled to one another such that pivoting of the stop lever and ratchet lever in the adjustment direction is accompanied by pivoting and/or rotation of the toothed ring in relation to the blocking device, wherein the blocking device has at least two catches which engage in the toothed ring in a plurality of adjustment positions, and wherein in each adjustment position of the pivot fitting the pivoting of the stop lever and ratchet lever in the reset direction is counteracted by the form-fitting engagement of at least one catch in the toothed ring, wherein each of the at least two catches in each adjustment position of the pivot fitting engage in the toothed ring to different extents.

2. The pivot fitting according to claim 1, wherein the at least two catches are provided such that upon pivoting of the stop lever and ratchet lever in the adjustment direction at substantially regular angular distances each adjustment position of the pivot fitting is provided.

3. The pivot fitting according to claim 1, wherein upon pivoting of the stop lever and ratchet lever in the adjustment direction between two consecutive adjustment positions defined by one of the at least two catches a second of the at least two catches defines another adjustment position.

4. The pivot fitting according to claim 1, wherein the at least two catches are provided such that upon pivoting of the stop lever and ratchet lever in the adjustment direction each adjustment position is spaced apart by a substantially equal pivot angle of the pivot fitting.

5. The pivot fitting according to claim 1, wherein the at least two catches are spring-loaded in the direction of the at least one toothed ring.

6. The pivot fitting according to claim 1, wherein the at least one toothed ring takes the form of a toothed washer with circumferentially arranged teeth.

7. The pivot fitting according to claim 1, wherein the at least two catches are provided such that, upon pivoting of the stop lever and ratchet lever in the adjustment direction, each of the at least two catches engage in at least two toothed rings.

8. The pivot fitting according to claim 1, wherein the stop lever is held by friction relative to the at least one toothed ring, and wherein under a blocking engagement of at least one catch and the at least one toothed ring, the stop lever and the ratchet lever can be pivoted in the reset direction.

9. The pivot fitting according to claim 1, wherein the stop lever is held by friction relative to the at least one toothed ring, and wherein under a blocking engagement of at least one catch and the at least one toothed ring, the stop lever can be pivoted relative to the toothed ring in the reset direction.

10. The pivot fitting according to claim 1, wherein the stop lever is held by friction relative to the at least one toothed ring.

11. The pivot fitting according to claim 1, wherein a clamping device is provided for application of a clamping force between the stop lever and the at least one toothed ring.

12. The pivot fitting according to claim 1, wherein between the stop lever and the at least one toothed ring a clamping washer is provided.

13. The pivot fitting according to claim 1, wherein the stop lever and the ratchet lever, can be pivoted without engagement between the at least two catches and the at least one toothed ring in the reset direction.

14. The pivot fitting according to claim 11, wherein the clamping device is a clamping screw.

15. The pivot fitting according to claim 13, wherein the stop lever and the ratchet lever can be pivoted from a first end position without engagement between the at least two catches and the at least one toothed ring in the reset direction into a second end position.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is explained in more detail below using a drawing showing a mere embodiment. The drawing shows as follows:

(2) FIG. 1 a first pivot fitting according to the invention in a perspective view,

(3) FIG. 2 a sectional view showing the pivot fitting from FIG. 1 in detail,

(4) FIG. 3 an exploded view of the pivot fitting from FIG. 1,

(5) FIG. 4 a second pivot fitting according to the invention in a perspective view,

(6) FIG. 5 a sectional view showing the pivot fitting from FIG. 4 in detail and

(7) FIG. 6 an exploded view of the pivot fitting from FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(8) FIG. 1 shows a pivot fitting 1 in the form of a ratchet clamping joint for upholstered furniture with a stop lever 2 and a ratchet lever 3. The stop lever 2 and the ratchet lever 3 can be connected with various components of a piece of furniture for sitting or lying on, for example a headrest and a backrest or an armrest and a seat. In this way the one component, for example the headrest or the armrest, can be pivoted in relation to the other component, for example the backrest or the seat. Thus the piece of furniture for sitting or lying on can be pivoted into a comfortable position for the user.

(9) The pivot fitting 1 can be pivoted in two opposing directions. Thus the stop lever 2 can be pivoted in relation to the ratchet lever 3 in an adjustment direction E and a reset direction R. In the adjustment direction E the pivot fitting 1 can be quite easily adjusted, until the pivot fitting 1 has reached the desired position. As, in particular, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, during pivoting in the adjustment direction E two toothed rings 4 in the form of toothed washers are rotated in relation to a blocking device 5. Here the toothed rings 4 are retained in a rotating manner on a clamping screw 6. The blocking device 5 comprises two catches 7,7, which through separate spring means 8 are spring-loaded in the direction of the toothed rings 4 and retained in a substantially pivotable manner in seats 9 of the ratchet lever 3. The spring means 8 thus exert on the catches 7,7 a restoring force, which pushes the catches 7,7 against the toothed rings 4. The catches 7,7 are furthermore accommodated and held in separate seats 9 of the ratchet lever 3, such that the toothed rings 4 upon pivoting of the pivot fitting 1 in the adjustment direction E can slide on the catches 7,7 without form-fitting engagement. Here the catches 7,7 pass the toothed rings 4 tooth by tooth and in doing so slide onto at least one flank of the teeth 10.

(10) In each position of the pivot fitting 1 shown, and to that extent preferred, the two catches 7,7 engage to different extents in the toothed rings 4. For the sake of clarity, this is described below using FIG. 2 and just one toothed ring 4, the more so as use of two or more toothed rings 4 is not mandatory, but just optional. In the position shown in FIG. 2 of the pivot fitting 1, the right catch 7 has just passed a tooth 10 of the toothed ring 4 and is engaging to the maximum in the gap between this tooth 10 and the next tooth 10. In doing so, the catch 7 creates a form-fit with the tooth 10 it has just passed in the opposite direction, wherein the catch 7 comes up against on the one hand a flank of the tooth 10 just passed, and the seat 9 in the ratchet lever 3. In this way the catch 7 blocks the further rotation of the toothed ring 4 in one direction of rotation.

(11) The left catch 7 engages only slightly in the toothed ring 4 and in this position does not create a form fit with the toothed ring 4. It is therefore only the right catch 7, and not the left catch 7, that is active in blocking the toothed ring 4.

(12) It would be different, however, if the toothed ring 4 were rotated further, by an angle of rotation that is smaller than the angular range defined by the width of a tooth 10 of the toothed ring 4; then the rotation of the toothed ring 4 in the opposite direction would result in a form-fitting engagement of the left catch 7, as described above for the right catch 7. Here the right catch 7 would then be inactive in terms of the blocking of a further rotation of the toothed ring 4.

(13) Each of the positions, in which a form fit between a catch 7,7 and the toothed ring 4 exists, represents an adjustment position, in which the pivot fitting 1 can be adjusted by pivoting the adjustment direction E and in which the pivot fitting 1 prevents an inadvertent resetting. As a result of the two catches 7,7, despite relatively broader and larger teeth 10 of the toothed ring 4, a larger number of adjustment positions can be provided. Therefore the toothed ring 4 does not have to be further rotated relative to the blocking device 5 by a whole tooth, in order to reach the next adjustment position, only by an angular range corresponding to half a tooth 10.

(14) From a purely functional point of view, the pivot fitting 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 offers the same adjustment possibilities as a pivot fitting with just one catch having a toothed ring with twice as many teeth but with half the size. Here the number of adjustment positions could be further increased if further catches were to be provided such that these in the specific positions, in each case in comparison with all other catches, engage to different extents in the toothed ring.

(15) As shown in particular in FIG. 3, the pivot fitting 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is a ratchet clamping fitting. The pivot fitting 1 can therefore, despite the blocking engagement of catch 7,7 and toothed rings 4, be pivoted in the reset direction R, provided sufficient force is applied. That is to say that, the stop lever 2 and the toothed rings 4 are merely held together by friction. If the force applied to the pivot fitting 1 in the reset direction R is sufficiently great, the adhesive friction between the stop lever 2 and the toothed rings 4 is overcome. Then the stop lever 2 is pivoted in relation to the ratchet lever 3 and in relation to the toothed rings 4 in the reset direction R, while the toothed ring 4 and a catch 7,7 remain in blocking form-fitting engagement.

(16) Between the toothed rings 4 the ratchet lever 3 is arranged, having two seats 9 to accommodate the two catches 7,7 and the two spring means 8, which position the catches 7,7 as a result of their restoring force against the toothed rings 4. The catches 7,7 are designed such that the catches 7,7 in each case simultaneously engage in both toothed rings 4 on both sides of the ratchet lever 3. To this end the catches 7,7 protrude sufficiently far on both sides beyond the ratchet lever 3. In order to externally protect the catches 7,7, on each side of the pivot fitting 1 a cover 11 is provided.

(17) In the ratchet lever 3 a free-running bushing 12 is further provided, which in order to reduce jamming between the toothed rings 4 and the ratchet lever 3 has a broader design than the ratchet lever 3 itself. To further reduce the friction between the free-running bushing 12 and the ratchet lever 3 the external diameter of the free-running bushing 12 is smaller than the internal diameter of the opening 13 of the ratchet lever 3 accommodating the free-running bushing 12.

(18) The stop lever 2 encompasses the toothed washers 4 on their external sides with the help of clamping levers 14, wherein between the clamping levers 14 and the toothed rings 4 clamping discs 15 with high coefficients of friction are provided. In so doing, the clamping discs 15 are secured against rotation through protrusions 16 and corresponding openings 17 on the clamping levers 14. In order to be able to provide sufficient frictional force, preventing inadvertent pivoting of the pivot lever 1 in the reset direction R, the clamping discs 15 are pressed on the toothed rings 4 namely as a result of a clamping force applied by a clamping screw 6. The clamping screw 6 is pushed through from one side of the pivot fitting 1 and tightened from the other side of pivot fitting 1 with a nut 18. In the process the longitudinal axis of the clamping screw 6 also forms the pivot axis for the stop lever 2 and/or the ratchet lever 3 when adjusting the pivot lever 1. In addition, adjacent to the nut 18 and the screw head of the clamping screw 6 clamping washers 19 are provided.

(19) FIGS. 4 to 6 show a pivot fitting 1 likewise in the form of a ratchet clamping joint, which is structurally and functionally very similar to the pivot fitting shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. Therefore, for both pivot fittings 1,1 the same references are used. In addition, in the following only the differences between the pivot fitting 1 according to FIGS. 4 to 6 and the pivot fitting 1 according to FIGS. 1 to 3 are considered. This difference is for example that the ratchet lever 3 has a multi-part design and a catch carrier 20. Here the catches 7,7 are fully accommodated in seats 9 of the catch carrier 20. The catches 7,7 do not therefore protrude outwards beyond the catch carrier 20. Outwardly the seats 9 for the catches 7,7 are closed off by two free running levers 21, secured via connecting bolts 22 to the catch carrier 20. Here the free running levers 21 and the catch carrier 20 together form the ratchet lever 3.

(20) A further difference between the pivot fitting 1 according to FIGS. 4 to 6 and the pivot fitting 1 according to FIGS. 1 to 3 is that the ends of the catches 7,7 inserted into the seats 9 of the catch carrier 20 are rounded. The seats 9 of the catch carrier 20 are similarly rounded at the corresponding point, namely in correspondence with the roundings of the catches 7,7.