FOLDABLE SUPPORT ELEMENT
A foldable support element for use in, e.g., furniture, is described in the form of a column with three or more sides, where a number of sides on the support element comprise sets of first (10) and second (20) corresponding side plates, where one end of a first side plate (10) and one end of a second side plate (20) are each fastened to a rigid base (30, 40) in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the support element with the help of hinged fastening points (60). The side plates (10, 20) are arranged to be folded outwards in relation to the longitudinal direction of the support element into a folded position, where the side plates (10, 20) lie up to 90° to the longitudinal direction of the column.
The present invention relates to a foldable support element in the form of a column with three or more sides, where a number of sides of the support element comprise two corresponding side plates, where one end of the side plate is connected, by means of hinged fastening points, to one end of the side plate, and where the opposite ends of the side plates are each fastened to a rigid base in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the support element by means of hinged fastening points.
The invention also relates to a support element for use in folding furniture or temporary constructions in buildings or sites.
PRIOR ARTToday, several methods exist for folding together or reducing the length of a column. Prior art methods imply that the column comprises elements of a certain length which are placed in parallel, either in that the elements are hinged or are taken apart and placed in parallel, or in that elements of different diameters are fed into each other according to the telescope principle.
JP 10099171 describes a construction, where legs are used comprising hinged parts that can be folded together. The leg plates are at the same time hinged to end plates.
The barstool “Dennis” on page 171 in IKEA's catalogue for 2003 is folded together in that the legs, which consist of two U-shaped hoops, are placed in parallel with the seat. The disadvantage of this and other known methods for folding a bench or stool is that to achieve normal or higher sitting heights, the legs are often longer than the diameter of the seat. Thus, one does not achieve optimal reduction of the size of the folded piece of furniture.
Another disadvantage of these methods of temporary reducing the length of a column is that they can never be shorter or less than the length of the longest element.
A further disadvantage with the prior art is that such collapsible constructions often have a tendency to be loose in the joints that hold the construction together and can therefore be rather unsteady.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a construction that overcomes the abovementioned disadvantages and other disadvantages, and that is not very space demanding when in a collapsed position.
With the technology according to the invention, a support element can be collapsed so that in the longitudinal direction it is no longer than the thickness of the sidewalls of the support element.
With the technology according to the invention, one achieves that the foot itself, if used in a piece of furniture with a seat, can simply be folded together to an extent where it has a smaller diameter than a normal seat of a bench or a single stool. Thus, the stool or the bench can be folded to a volume that constitutes the plate of the seat multiplied by the thickness of the folded foot.
According to the invention, this is achieved by providing a support element with two or more sides, where each side comprises at least two corresponding side-plates that are fastened to each other at the one end and to a rigid base, which always lies perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the support elements, at the other end. The rigid base that binds them together constitutes the centre of the structure in folded position. The respective rigid parts constitute an upper part and a lower part in extended position.
The different parts which the support element comprises can be dimensioned, perforated and formed in relation to need of load tolerance consideration, design requirements and need of functional solutions for the support element. The support element can be made in plastic, metal or other suitable material according to requirement for strength, texture or the like.
The foldable support element, according to the present invention, is characterised by the characteristic features in the independent claim 1.
Preferred embodiments of the invention are characterised by the characteristic features in the dependent claims 2-9.
The invention is also characterised by the use according to claim 10.
The invention shall now be described in more detail with reference to the enclosed figures, in which:
Each of the different parts are fitted with holes to fasten the respective parts to the support element, in that the side plates 10, 20 comprise two parallel side-edges 12, 22 with holes 24 for fastening the one end of the side plate 10 to the one end of the side plate 20, and in that the rigid bases 30,40 comprise an upwardly and downwardly extending edge in each corner with holes 32 for fastening to the other end of the side plate 10,20 with the help of hole 26.
In
The shape of the rigid bases therefore defines, in the present example, how many sides the support element has. The side plates 10, 20 are fastened to each of the edges of the rigid bases 30,40 so that a structure is provided which is approximately closed in the column circumference in the whole or part of the longitudinal direction of the support element, and where the rigid base 30, 40 can be arranged up to the perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the column. The axises of rotation of the hinged fastening points 50, 60 lie in the plane that lies perpendicular to the longitudinal direction to the support elements.
By closed structure, which is approximately closed in the column circumference in whole or parts of the longitudinal direction of the support element, is meant that that the sides do not need to be connected in the full longitudinal direction of the column, i.e. that either side of the side plates 10, 20 can at least adjoin each other only in certain areas in extended position according to
In
It shall be noted that the construction of the support element shall not be limited to that the side plates 10, 20 form a closed structure in the whole or parts of the longitudinal direction of the support element, as the construction can also be applicable in that one or more of the sides do not encompass side plates, but only represent an open area.
The side plates 10, 20 can be fastened to each other and to the rigid bases 30, 40 with the help of, for example, one or more bolts. The parts can also be fastened to each other in that pins on the one part snap into suitable recesses or holes on the other part. Other ways of hinging parts also exist, such as, for example, that the parts are equipped with a gliding section that fits concentrically into each other and thus eliminates the need to have material along the axis of rotation in the hinged fastening points.
In folded position according to
The side plates 10, 20 can be made such that they partially or completely go into each other in folded position. In the example according to
In extended position (
When the end edges of the side plates 10, 20, which border each other, meet each other the movement of the side plates 10, 20 stops in extended position.
When the side edge of the side plate 10 meets the edge of the rigid base 30 and that the side edge of the side plate 20 meets the rigid base 40, the movement stops in folded position.
The rigid base 30 is formed such that the hinged fastening point 60 is orientated according to the profile of the side plate 10 without coming into conflict with the side plate 20 in folded position and that the rigid base 40 is formed such that the hinged fastening point 60 orientates itself according to the profile of the side plate 20 without coming into conflict with the side plate 20 in folded position.
In extended and folded position, it will be possible to lock the position of the support elements by several techniques. Only one of these is described here.
By fitting several support elements after each other, it will be preferential that a rigid base is constructed onto which it is possible to fit side plates in both directions along the longitudinal direction of the support element.
One embodiment form, which is shown in
The two side plates 500, 510 of the support element according to
This embodiment of the invention represents an alternatively shaped construction of the support element according to
It shall be pointed out that the side plates are not limited to having a flat surface, but that any arbitrary surface form or surface structure of the side plates is possible, such as an arch-shaped form or other suitable forms.
Other alternative application areas for the support element according to the invention can be appropriate if the support element is dimensioned and adapted for different use, such as within offshore installations, cranes, temporary constructions, permanent towers, to mention but a few.
The column can also have application characteristics in connection to movements between completely extended and completely folded position, for example, in lifting of different equipment or in chopping trees.
Claims
1. Foldable support element with three or more sides, where each side of the support element comprises two corresponding side plates, where one end of the one side plate is connected to one end of the other side plate by means of hinged fastening points, and where the opposite ends of the side plates are each fastened to a rigid base in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the support element by means of hinged fastening points, wherein the parts together form a structure which at least is approximately closed in circumference of the support element, each side being arranged to be folded outwards in the hinged fastening points in relation to the longitudinal direction of the support element to a folded position, where the side plates lie up to 90° to the longitudinal direction of the support element.
2. Foldable support element according to claim 1, wherein the side plates are hinged to each other and to the rigid bases with the help of one or more bolts.
3. Foldable support element according to claim 1, wherein the side plates comprise two parallel side edges with holes for fastening the one end of the one side plate to the one end of the other side plate, and that the rigid bases comprise an upwardly/downwardly extending edge in each corner with holes for fastening of the other end of each of the side plates.
4. Foldable support element according to claim 1, wherein the side plates are locked in relation to each other on extended and/or folded position.
5. Foldable support element according to claim 3, wherein the side plates are locked in extended position in that the one side plate is arranged with oblong holes at the hinged fastening point, where the radius at each end of the hole corresponds to the radius of the bolt, and that the side edges of the side plates are extended corresponding to the length of the oblong hole, where the extended side edges of the one side plate are arranged on the inside of the other side plate.
6. Foldable support element according to claim 5, wherein the whole of one side edge of the side plates adjoin one another and that the whole of the other side edge of the side plates adjoin the rigid base in extended position.
7. Foldable support element according to claim 1, wherein one or more support elements are connected together in the longitudinal direction of the support element.
8. Application of the support element according to claim 1, in furniture.
9. Foldable support element according to claim 2, wherein the side plates comprise two parallel side edges with holes for fastening the one end of the one side plate to the one end of the other side plate, and that the rigid bases comprise an upwardly/downwardly extending edge in each corner with holes for fastening of the other end of each of the side plates.
10. Foldable support element according to claim 2, wherein the side plates are locked in relation to each other on extended and/or folded position.
11. Foldable support element according to claim 3, wherein the side plates are locked in relation to each other on extended and/or folded position.
12. Foldable support element according to claim 2, wherein one or more support elements are connected together in the longitudinal direction of the support element.
13. Foldable support element according to claim 3, wherein one or more support elements are connected together in the longitudinal direction of the support element.
14. Foldable support element according to claim 4, wherein one or more support elements are connected together in the longitudinal direction of the support element.
15. Foldable support element according to claim 5, wherein one or more support elements are connected together in the longitudinal direction of the support element.
16. Foldable support element according to claim 6, wherein one or more support elements are connected together in the longitudinal direction of the support element.
17. An article of furniture comprising the foldable support element of claim 2.
18. An article of furniture comprising the foldable support element of claim 3.
19. An article of furniture comprising the foldable support element of claim 4.
20. An article of furniture comprising the foldable support element of claim 5.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 6, 2005
Publication Date: Sep 10, 2009
Inventor: Lars Urheim (Bergen)
Application Number: 11/720,918
International Classification: A47B 96/00 (20060101);