Patent Application
20250214765
The invention relates to the field of home and utility furniture and more specifically to a space-saving foldable piece of furniture and a method for folding and unfolding such a piece of furniture.
Items of furniture such as cupboards and the like are used to store objects which are placed inside the furniture after a door has been opened, after which the door is closed again. Accordingly, the furniture has a housing and an interior space enclosed by this housing, with at least part of the housing being designed as a door to provide a lockable access to the interior space.
If the piece of furniture is not in use, it normally continues to occupy the same space. Especially when moving or if the piece of furniture is unused for a longer period of time, it is advantageous if it can be dismantled. For this purpose, the walls, base and lid are typically separated from each other, usually using detachable connecting means such as screws or plug-in connections. The individual parts, which are then essentially flat, can then be laid flat on top of each other so that only a minimum of space is required for the furniture when it is disassembled and assembled.
A piece of furniture that can be disassembled without tools and more frequently is known from document DE 20 2014 100 622 U1. To enable easy disassembly, the furniture has connecting strips fitted with magnets. The connecting strips arranged at the edges of a furniture element hold together the parts to be arranged between the connecting strips, which form the base, walls and lid of a furniture element, by means of a tongue and groove connection and magnetic forces.
The disadvantage of the known solutions is that disassembly takes a relatively long time due to the many mechanical connections. In addition, depending on the size and weight of the parts, a relatively large amount of force is also required to loosen the connections and/or hold the parts while they are being detached from each other. Assembly is also made more difficult due to the need to locate and allocate the many, often similar, individual parts. In addition, frequent loosening and reconnecting of the parts leads to wear and tear of the connections, so that they can show defects even after a small number of disassembly and reassembly processes, and the piece of furniture can no longer be assembled firmly or deforms under moderate mechanical stress. Tools, sometimes even special ones, are often required for assembly and disassembly.
A foldable and stackable drawer element of a shelving system consisting of two separate parts is known from the publication DE 10 2006 059 748 A1. It comprises a holding frame with foldable supports and base and lid parts. The drawer element has side parts as well as a front and a rear side, the latter being foldable in their centre in order to be able to fold the drawer element together.
The disadvantage of this solution is that the proposed device consists of two separate parts and that the front and rear sides must not be continuous, as the drawer element would otherwise no longer be foldable.
Publication U.S. Pat. No. 8,998,246 B2 discloses a mobile and foldable wardrobe, which also has foldable supports. However, the side walls are made of a textile-like material and are therefore not very suitable for fixed furniture. In addition, the supports are not designed to absorb (higher) compressive forces.
US 2003/0 052 158 A1 describes a collapsible box which is used, for example, for moving and for the permanent storage of objects. This box has a rear side that is dimensionally stable, but can no longer be opened when assembled, and a front side that is also dimensionally stable, but must be pulled out of a gap located under the inside of the lid and then swivelled downwards in order to close the box. This means that the corresponding space must remain free and the box cannot be filled to the top.
Another box with collapsible walls is known from publication DE 20 110 692 U1. However, this solution also uses walls that have to be folded in the centre. In order to be able to open the front side in the assembled state, it has an integrated sliding door.
Accordingly, the invention is based on the object of providing an apparatus and a method which avoids the disadvantages of the prior art.
Accordingly, the invention is intended to provide a piece of furniture with a defined interior, which can be reduced to a storage configuration when not in use in the most space-saving manner possible, whereby the reduction should be as simple and quick as possible. The same applies to reassembling the furniture into an upright configuration for use. The furniture should also be able to absorb vertical compressive forces that can significantly exceed its own weight. The wall surfaces of the furniture should be continuous and dimensionally stable, and the full internal height of the furniture should be usable both when closed and when open. Furthermore, the furniture should be in one piece.
Firstly, the furniture according to the invention is described. This is followed by a description of the method according to the invention.
The furniture serves to provide a defined interior space, whereby it is clear that this interior space can also be defined merely by the presence of edges and does not necessarily have to be closed. Accordingly, a shelf or even a support frame also serves to provide such an interior space.
The furniture comprises a rectangular base part, a rectangular lid part and four supports that are arranged or can be arranged vertically in the corners of the furniture. The base and lid part can be closed or open. They have at least one lid frame defining the edge of the respective part. At least this lid frame also has a circumferential/continuous structure. It does not consist of two halves, but is connected to all supports simultaneously at all times. “Rectangular” here also means that the envelope drawn from straight lines forms a rectangle; it is therefore also conceivable that the outer edges of the base or lid part have indentations, curves or cut-outs. At least connections between the ends of the edges, the “corners” of the furniture so to speak, result in a rectangular (or cuboid) basic shape. The supports are connected to the base part and the lid part. This means that there is a connection in each case that can absorb compressive and preferably also tensile forces. All supports are also connected to both the base part and the lid part at all times. The base part, but also the lid part, at least the circumferential frame of the same, therefore connect all supports to each other at their lower or upper edge.
According to the invention, each support comprises at least two segments, of which a lower segment is articulated to the base part and an upper segment is articulated to the lid part. According to the invention, adjacent segments of a support are also connected to one another in a articulated manner via a segment joint.
“Articulated connection” means that the orientations of the segments to each other and to the cover and base part can change, whereby mechanical contact, which can also transmit tensile forces, is preferably ensured at all times. For example, (in particular single-joint) hinges can be considered for this purpose, but also internal, i.e. hidden, multi-joint hinges, the advantage of which is that they do not visually impair the external appearance of the furniture due to visible joints or rounded edges. Straps made of flexible materials (plastic, rubber, textile) or magnetic connections that allow the two components to be bent at an angle can also be used. With magnetic connections in particular, however, it should be ensured that the connection is prevented from separating, for example by means of mechanical aids.
The “articulated connection” within a support means that the longitudinal axis of a support, which is perpendicular to the base and lid part when the furniture is assembled, can initially be divided into several partial longitudinal axes, with each segment having its own partial longitudinal axis. The partial longitudinal axes can then be brought from the orientation perpendicular to the base and lid part into an orientation that is not perpendicular to these parts, and in particular essentially parallel to them. In this case, the segments preferably continue to “hang” on one another at all times, as well as (with the ends of the support) on the base or lid part.
In this way, the supports can be folded together in such a way that they can be folded in the direction of the interior space while remaining articulated to the base part and the lid part and the segments to one another. In accordance with the invention, it is also provided that the ends of the segments of neighbouring supports, which in each case carry the segment joint, are spaced apart from one another even in the fully folded state of the furniture, in which the segments of a support are positioned adjacent to one another, possibly abutting one another. In other words, different supports do not touch each other in the folded state. This can be achieved in particular by ensuring that the lengths of the segments are sufficiently short. If the segments of a support are approximately the same length, which is preferred, and if they run along the shorter edges of the furniture when folded together, their length should be less than half the depth of the furniture. It is clear that these values are only approximate, as slightly smaller or larger dimensions can lead to the desired result depending on the thickness of the parts and supports, arrangement of the joints, etc.
As a result, the base and lid part can come very close together, as the supports—when “laid flat”—are only a fraction of their original height with a correspondingly small thickness. The supports are still connected to the base and lid part and are therefore not completely removed, as is the case with furniture known from the prior art. This means that the supports can neither be lost, nor do they have to be inconveniently positioned and orientated when the furniture is reassembled. Instead, they find their way—automatically, so to speak—into the appropriate configuration. Switching between these configurations is very easy and quick. No tools are required here, as the supports can be folded in and re-erected manually. The supports can be easily constructed in such a way that they can absorb considerable compressive forces in the upright configuration, as described in detail below. Simple measures can also be taken to ensure that shear forces acting between the base and lid part can be absorbed by the furniture and do not lead to unintentional folding of the same; this will also be discussed below.
According to the invention, the supports are designed to absorb compressive forces. This means that they cannot, or at least not only, absorb essentially normal forces acting on them, but in particular forces acting axially, such as occur when the furniture is loaded on its upper side (lid part) with forces that are greater than the weight of the lid part itself. This is the case, for example, if several pieces of furniture according to the invention are to be stackable on top of each other, or if other objects, e.g. books or hi-fi equipment, are placed on the furniture.
According to the invention, the furniture comprises a separate front part different from the supports and/or a correspondingly separate back part, each part being foldable in the direction of the interior. This means that the front and back part also has an articulated connection at its upper or lower edge, about which it can be swivelled or folded, with the folding direction running in the direction of the interior. In this way—assuming a suitable design—the front and back part can also be arranged between the base and lid part when folded, resulting in a compact and easily transportable piece of furniture in a storage configuration.
The front and back parts are dimensionally stable so that they can absorb mechanical forces to a certain extent. In addition, the two parts are one piece, i.e. they do not have a central folding mechanism, for example, by means of which their height could be reduced. Nevertheless, the parts can be folded in towards the interior without changing their shape. The advantage of this embodiment lies in the flush and aesthetically pleasing surface, as is often desired in the field of furniture. This requirement can only be met by the arrangement of the supports described above with the flat parts located between them (front and back parts, and possibly the side parts, which are described below).
The invention thus avoids the disadvantages known from the prior art.
The invention provides a piece of furniture with a definable interior space, which can be reduced to a storage configuration in a very space-saving manner when not in use, whereby the reducing is as simple and quick as possible. The same applies to reassembling the furniture into an upright usage configuration. The furniture is suitable for absorbing compressive forces that can significantly exceed its own weight. The wall surfaces of the furniture are unbroken and dimensionally stable, and the full internal height of the furniture can be utilised both when closed and when open. Finally, the furniture is also one-piece, i.e. it does not consist of individual components that have to be assembled before erecting and separated before folding.
Various embodiments of the invention are described in more detail below.
According to the invention, the supports can be folded in in the direction of the side edges. This means that the supports or the longitudinal axes of their segments run in the direction of (i.e. parallel to) the long, or preferably in the direction of (or parallel to) the short side edges of the furniture. The lowest segment of a support then rests against the side edge of the base part, and the highest segment of a support then rests against the side edge of the lid part.
It would also be conceivable to fold the supports clockwise or anti-clockwise, for example the front left support over the long side, the front right support over the short side, the rear right support over the long side and the rear left support over the short side. However, this alternative would have the consequence that, if a front and back part were preferably present, the front and back parts would have to be offset inwards by the thickness of the front left support and the rear right support in order to continue to enable the folding mechanism. This would result in considerable unfavourable adjustments regarding the depth of the furniture; in addition, this would also impair the aesthetic impression, as the furniture would no longer have smooth and continuous surfaces in the usage configuration, which is, however, explicitly desired.
A support preferably has two segments. However, three, four or more segments are also conceivable, with even numbers being preferred. The segments of a support preferably have approximately the same length. The end faces of the segments are preferably designed in such a way that they can absorb compressive forces when interacting with the end faces of the adjacent segments or the base and lid part. This can be achieved particularly easily using flat surfaces whose normal coincides with the longitudinal axes of the segments. In other words, the segments of a support stand with their end faces on top of each other, and the support stands with its lower end face on the base part, and the lid part rests on the upper end face of the support. As long as no or only low lateral forces act, the segments standing on top of each other in this way can absorb considerable compressive forces. Slipping of the segments can be easily prevented by the segment joint(s). The articulated connection to the base and lid part also prevents the support from slipping on the corresponding part.
According to a preferred embodiment, the end faces of the segments of a support are designed as flat surfaces whose normal coincides with the longitudinal axes of the segments. This means that a support, which is placed flat on the base part and on whose uppermost segment the lid part is seated, can absorb compressive forces in the direction of the (collinear) longitudinal axes of the segments.
The person skilled in the art is aware that other shapes of the end faces also permit a transmission of compressive force. These can be, for example, end faces of which the first has a lying S-shape, a hemispherical or semi-cylindrical shape, a sawtooth or pyramidal shape, or a stepped profile, and the other has a corresponding complementary shape. However, flat end faces can be combined particularly well with joints that allow the segments to fold in, as described above, with their side faces in lateral contact. For this purpose, the segments preferably have a rectangular base surface (profile).
Preferably, the front part is articulated to the base part at its lower edge and the back part is articulated to the lid part at its upper edge. The above-mentioned joint types, for example, are again used as joints.
This means that the front part can be “folded down” so that its side facing the interior (“inside”) can be placed against the base part. Similarly, the back part can be “folded up” and can thus be placed against the lid part. Tests have shown that this design offers particular advantages in terms of construction. This is particularly true if the front part comprises a frame, as explained in more detail below. In this case, the lower edge of said frame can be “sunk” into the base part in a cut-out of the base part, so that a problematic step can be avoided when loading and unloading the furniture with objects.
It is further conceivable that the front and back parts are hinged to the same side (lid part or base part). In this case, it is preferable that the attachment of one of the two parts to the lid or base part should be vertically offset, preferably just by the thickness of the other part. However, it should be noted that this can lead to visual imbalances and have a detrimental effect on the aesthetics.
Due to the design, it is therefore advantageous that one side can be attached to the lid part and the other to the base part for better collapsibility.
It is also conceivable that both the front and back parts could each consist of or include a frame. However, this would mean that at least one of the two sides (front or back part) would have an interfering shoulder with respect to the inner base part surface when a frame is used. Alternatively, the base on the side on which the back or front part is connected to the lid part by a joint can be recessed according to the folding angle and the height of the frame, but this results in an angled unevenness towards the outer edge of the base part.
According to another embodiment, the back part is articulated at its lower edge to the base part, and the front part is articulated at its upper edge to the lid part. In this case, the above applies analogously (front part can be folded up, back part can be folded down).
For the front and back parts to be foldable, it is preferred that the height of the front and back parts is less than or equal to the depth of the base and lid part (the heights are preferably substantially the same, and the depths are also preferably substantially the same, so that it is possible to speak of one height and one depth). Thus, both parts can be folded in towards the interior when the supports are folded out. Due to the lower height compared to the depth, the (shorter) front and back part does not protrude beyond the (longer) base and lid part even in the folded-in state, in which the base and lid part on the one hand and the front and back part on the other no longer run perpendicular to each other but parallel to each other. This means that the depth of the furniture does not change when it is folded.
It must be ensured that the front and back parts do not interfere with each other when they are being folded. In other words, a component that has already been folded, e.g. the front section, must be kept at a distance from the component that has not yet been folded, e.g. the back section, at all times. This applies in particular to avoiding possible contact between the edges of the parts remote from the joint.
Further, the furniture comprises one or two side parts, each side part being articulately connected at its lower or upper edge to the base part or the lid part, so that it can be folded in towards the interior. The hinge types described above can also be used here.
The two side parts are preferably attached to the shorter side of the lid part. They therefore fold upwards when the furniture is folded. The corresponding joints are then arranged so that the front or preferably the back part can then be folded upwards, whereby at the end of the folding movement, the inside of the front or back part rests against the outside of the side parts and the inside of the side parts rest against the inside of the lid part.
If the furniture comprises two side parts as described above, the heights of the side parts are preferably dimensioned in such a way that they are spaced apart from each other in the folded state, in which they are arranged parallel to the base and lid part. This means that the side parts at least just do not touch each other in the folded state, as this would lead to an overlap and thus to an increase in the final height of the furniture in the storage configuration, as the side parts would lie at an angle to each other in the folded state. In addition, a corresponding compressive load (from above) and the resulting leverage would exert considerable forces on the material, which could lead to breaking. However, if the two side parts lie next to each other in this configuration, their thicknesses do not add up. In order to avoid an addition of thickness with a possibly increased height of the side parts, it would therefore be necessary to adjust the width of the furniture accordingly. Accordingly, there is a proportional dependency between the height of the side parts and the width of the furniture (height of the side parts=maximum half width of the furniture).
Alternatively, it is also possible for the side parts to be interlocked, for example in the manner of two grilles, with one grille arranged in the gaps of the other grille. A greater height of the side parts is then also possible, although it is clear that these are then not completely closed and would lead to a visual impairment of the outside of at least one side part.
It is also possible to make the side parts thinner at the end facing away from the joint, so that the thin areas can overlap each other without increasing the overall thickness when folded. It is clear that this may be accompanied by a reduction in mechanical stability, but this is not a problem in all cases.
Preferably, both side parts are connected to the lid part at the upper edge, or both side parts are connected to the base part at the lower edge. Such a construction is easier for a user to handle, especially when folding, than a construction in which one side part is arranged on the lid part and one on the base part.
According to a particularly preferred embodiment, according to which the furniture also comprises a front part, the front part has a front frame in which (at least) one door is arranged. The door is secured in the front frame by means of suitable hinges which allow the door to be folded out (opened). For its part, the front frame is hinged to the base or lid part so that it can be brought into the storage configuration as described above, but together with the (closed) door. It should be noted once again that the front part (i.e. front frame with door) is dimensionally stable throughout, i.e. it cannot be folded along its centre, for example, in order to save space in this way. Instead, the solution according to the invention allows the use of continuous, flat components for the front frame and door.
The lower edge of the (folded out) front frame can be sunk into a corresponding cut-out in the base part. This provides a flat floor surface when the door is open, which is advantageous when loading and unloading the furniture and also offers an aesthetic benefit.
The door can preferably be hinged on the left or right to accommodate different installation situations. For this purpose, the frame has correspondingly mirrored mounts for hinges or joints. A double door can also be easily realised in this way.
According to one embodiment, the lid part comprises a lid frame in or on which a cover plate is arranged or can be arranged. In other words, the lid part does not essentially consist of a continuously closed panel, but comprises a frame on which a panel can be placed and to which it can be connected if the corresponding situation so requires. Particularly in the case of a number of units of the same type stacked on top of each other, it is advantageous if only the top unit also has the cover plate. The other pieces of furniture located below do not require a cover plate, as the base part of the piece of furniture located above also fulfils the function of the cover plate of the piece of furniture located below.
Preferably, the lid frame has fastening means that enable it to be mechanically connected to the cover plate. Preferably, these fastening means can also co-operate with the underside of the base part, so that a mechanically stable stack of several pieces of furniture can be formed.
Preferably, both the lid frame and the lid and base have fastening means to mechanically connect the furniture to each other in the horizontal plane, i.e. laterally.
The invention also relates to a method for folding a piece of furniture as defined above. To avoid repetition, reference is made to the above description.
The procedure comprises the following steps:
In other words, as the supports are folded in, reducing their overall vertical length, the base and lid parts that are still connected to the supports move closer together until the supports are finally completely “folded”.
After folding in the supports, the base and lid parts are thus positioned parallel and as close as possible to each other, which means that the furniture has the smallest possible volume. The thinner the supports are, the lower their final height after folding; however, on the one hand, care must be taken to ensure sufficient mechanical stability and, on the other hand, it is not necessary to aim for a final height of the supports that is too low, as a certain distance between the base and lid part may be desirable anyway, as shown below.
If the furniture also includes the side, front and back parts described above, these also require a certain amount of space, which must be provided between the lid and base part when the furniture changes to the storage configuration.
In this case, the following steps must be carried out, although the sequence does not necessarily have to be as specified below:
As a result, after the supports have been folded in, the base and lid parts are positioned parallel to each other, and the front, back and side parts are arranged between them, so that the folded furniture has the smallest possible volume. Particularly preferably, the front, back and side parts are also arranged between the folded supports, so that the height of the folded supports determines the space provided for the remaining parts. It is particularly preferable that the two dimensions correspond approximately to each other in order to minimise dead volume.
If the furniture is unfolded from the folded storage configuration, the above steps must be carried out in reverse order. It is also possible that the sequence can be changed, for example if the front part can be unfolded both before and after the back part, and so on.
In the following, the invention is explained by way of example with the aid of figures. It shows
The furniture comprises a rectangular base part 1, a rectangular lid part 2 and four supports 3 that are arranged or can be arranged vertically in the corners of the furniture. To better visualise the geometry, the hidden inner edges are shown as dashed lines.
The supports 3 are articulated to the base part 1 and the lid part 2. The joints are not shown for reasons of clarity. Each support 3 comprises two segments 3A, 3B (reference sign only shown on one support). The lower segment 3A is articulated to the base part 1 and the upper segment 3B is articulated to the lid part 2.
The adjacent segments 3A, 3B of a support 3 are also connected to each other via a segment joint 3C (only the position of the segment joint 3C is shown).
The furniture further comprises a front part 4 and a back part 5, each of these parts 4, 5 being foldable towards the interior, as will be shown below. The front part 4 is articulated at its lower edge to the base part 1, and the back part 5 is articulated at its upper edge to the lid part 2 (hinges not shown).
In addition, the furniture comprises two side parts 6, each side part 6 being articulately connected to the lid part 2 at its upper edge so that it can be folded in towards the interior (see next figure).
The front part 4 comprises a front frame 4A, in which a door 4B is arranged. This is attached to the right in the front frame 4A by means of hinges not shown. For its part, the front frame 4A is articulated to the base part 1 at its lower edge by means of its own hinges (also not shown). Preferably, the door 4B and/or the front frame 4A can also be installed rotated by 180° so that the door 4B can be opened to the other side.
The lid part 2 comprises a lid frame 2A, on which a cover plate 2B can be arranged (shown here at a distance). The lid frame 2A has fastening means 2C, which enable a mechanical connection to the cover plate or a base part of another piece of furniture. In the present case, the fastening means 2C are designed as round receptacles, which co-operate with corresponding cut-outs (not visible) in the cover plate 2B or the base part 1 of another piece of furniture, so that lateral slipping of the cover plate 2B is prevented or stacking of several pieces of furniture is made possible.
As the front part 4 is articulated to the base part 1 at its lower edge, it can be folded in towards the base part 1 with its side facing the interior.
It can also be seen that the heights of the side parts 6 are dimensioned in such a way that they are spaced apart in the folded state shown, in which they are arranged parallel to the base and lid parts 1, 2. Otherwise, the overlapping of the lower ends would result in an undesirable increase in the remaining height of the folded furniture. If half the width of the furniture is to be less than the height of the side parts 6, appropriate design measures should be taken to avoid increasing the remaining height. For example, the side parts can be folded along their horizontal centre axis or can be interlocked (not shown in each case).
As can be seen, the height of the front part is less than the depth of the base and lid part 1, 2, so that it can be folded in towards the interior without protruding from it when the supports 3 are folded out. The same applies to the back part 5. The depth is measured in the direction from the front part 4 to the back part 5.
To ensure that the front part 4 and back part 5 can actually be placed against the base part 1 and lid part 2 with their sides pointing towards the interior, the height of the parts 4, 5 in the present case is approximately 20% less than the depth of the base and lid parts 1, 2. The exact value depends on a number of factors. However, it is essential that when one of the parts 4, 5 is in place, it does not prevent the part 5, 4 that is not yet in place from folding in. This is possible, for example, by limiting the said height accordingly. As contact would first occur at the end of the respective part furthest from the joint, it makes sense to provide sufficient space in these areas, for example by tapering this area.
It can also be seen that the end faces of the segments are designed in such a way that they can absorb compressive forces when interacting with the end faces of the adjacent segments or the base and lid part. Here, this is achieved by flat surfaces whose normal coincides with the longitudinal axes of the segments.
In the embodiment shown, the supports 3 can be folded in towards the (in this case short) side edges of the furniture, so that the distance remaining between the supports 3, defined by the width of the front and back parts 4, 5, is maximised. It should be noted that, by definition, the side edges are still part of the interior of the furniture. As can be seen, the collapsible supports 3 lie laterally next to the front and back parts 4, 5, and not on top of them, resulting in a flat “stack” of components, which is desirable.
Finally,
In the simplest case, the end faces are flat, as shown in
As can be seen from the figures, the adjacent end face is designed to complement each other so that the two end faces can interact in a form-fitting manner.
The advantage of such a hinge 7 lies in the possibility of achieving a folding angle of 180°, so that the side surfaces of adjacent segments 3A, 3B of the same support 3 can rest against each other in order to minimise the space required when folded. At the same time, the hinge 7 has the advantage of being largely invisible in the unfolded configuration, which may be particularly desirable for furniture.
Accordingly, in order to achieve a folding angle of 180° between two segments 3A, 3B, a support 3 has an invisible hinge 7 which comprises a plurality of sectors 7A, 7B, 7C which are circular arc segment-shaped and telescopic into one another. “Circular arc segment-shaped” means that each sector 7A, 7B, 7C has an arc shape, with each arc having a centre point M, which in this case lies outside the respective sector 7A, 7B, 7C. The dashed longitudinal axes (without reference signs) of the sectors 7A, 7B, 7C lie on the radii of the arcs. In order for the sectors 7A, 7B, 7C being telescopic, all arcs have the same radius and also the same centre point M.
The start sector 7A is arranged on the end face of the upper segment 3B facing the neighbouring segment 3A. It can be firmly connected to the segment 3B and can also be manufactured integrated with it. At the end face, its longitudinal axis runs collinear with, or at least parallel to, the longitudinal axis of segment 3B. In the case shown of a flat end face (see e.g.
The end sector 7C is arranged in a cut-out 7D of the end face of the lower segment 3A. In the plane of the end face of this segment 3A, the longitudinal axis of the end sector 7C may also be perpendicular to this end face. However, it should be noted that a part of the end sector 7C is arranged in the cut-out 7D. The end sector 7C can be attached to the bottom of the cut-out 7D. This may be possible by means of a rotation joint, but also without such a joint (fixed). The end sector 7C can enclose an angle of approximately 130°±10°, with 65°±5° inside and 65°±5° outside the end face.
The start and end sectors 7A, 7C are telescopically connected to each other by means of an intermediate sector 7B. This means that the start sector 7A has a recess 7E (
As shown, the centres of the circular arc segment-shaped longitudinal axes of the sectors 7A, 7B, 7C lie on a corner edge of the end faces of the segments 3A, 3B at the centre point M; in the figure, this is the right-hand corner edge of the respective end face, in this respect it can also be referred to as a (two-dimensional) “central axis”. To a certain extent, this forms a virtual joint with a degree of rotational freedom around which the two segments 3A, 3B can be swivelled.
In order to avoid blocking before a tilting angle of 0° is reached, the cut-out 7D of the end face of the lower segment 3A is designed to accommodate all the sectors 7A, 7B, 7C that are pushed into each other. Its inner contour can correspond to the outer contour of the start sector 7A, but can also be slightly larger. Particularly preferably, however, it is only so large that it does not exceed the outer surfaces of the segment 3A, so that it remains invisible from the outside, which is desirable.
As can be seen in the figures, such a hinge 7 can also be used to connect the support 3 to the base part 1 (as well as the lid part 2, which is not shown). Here too, such a hinge 7 allows the side surfaces of the segments 3A, 3B to rest against the corresponding part 1 or 2. As only a folding angle of 90° is required here, the start sector 7A can be omitted. To connect the support 3 to the base or lid part 1, 2, however, the intermediate sector 7B must be connected to the corresponding part 1, 2. For this purpose, the part 1, 2 has the cut-out 7E in its end face, which was previously present in the start sector 7A. The end sector 7C can also be connected to the part 1, 2 in a simple manner, e.g. by means of a protruding eyelet (without reference sign). The connection can be made by means of a swivel joint (e.g. pin through eyelet). To increase the mechanical stability, a further additional hinge 8 can be provided, which can be easily attached in an invisible manner (see
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2022 107 776.4 | Apr 2022 | DE | national |
This is a US national phase entry of international patent application no. PCT/IB2023/053302 filed 1 Apr. 2023, which claims priority to German patent application no. 10 2022 107 776.4, filed 1 Apr. 2022; the entire content of each is herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/IB2023/053302 | 4/1/2023 | WO |
