FR2788420A1 - Furniture height adjusting device comprises water-fed hydraulic jack which moves slide attached to the item along tubular runner - Google Patents

Abstract

Device has slide made up of smooth tubular runner (1) and concentric slide (2) sliding along it. Slide is spaced from runner by self-lubricating fittings (8). Runner is attached to support (9) and slide is attached to movable part of item of furniture (6). Hydraulic jack (3) is attached to runner at one end and to slide at other. Jack is connected to low pressure water supply by three-way tap allowing water to be removed via outlet pipe.

Description

-1- The invention is part of the concept of dynamic furniture and concerns

  particularly a furniture animation mechanism, suitable for operating

in living rooms.

  Usually, furniture and fixtures are designed to maintain a constant height of use, which is predetermined by the manufacturer when one of

  their parts rest on the ground, or stopped by the installer when they are fixed to a support.

  So they are established for medium-sized individuals, ignoring others, the difference in size linked to sex, children whose bodies are evolving, and the physically handicapped. This is the case for most sanitary appliances, kitchen furniture, storage, beds etc. These are the people who have to adapt to the object, hence difficulties for many. Movable furniture usually requires muscle strength and sometimes requires skill or safety precautions for its

  handling, including ironing tables.

  The animated furniture and sanitary appliances simplify everyday life, they bring comfort, they optimize the living space, and they allow everyone to live effortlessly, big weak and physically handicapped included. However, these obvious and desired known advantages are rarely exploited because of the insufficiency of

adapted animation techniques.

  The mechanisms required to animate furniture, and sanitary fixtures, must generally produce slow linear movements that are perfectly controllable. Their use by all, including children, imposes on them more than the respect of the standards of security of the people in the dwellings. The reliability essential to their daily function commands them to have a robustness capable of withstanding overloads

  significant and even blockages without deterioration, especially as they become incidental-

  play objects. Their environment prohibits noise, electromagnetic pollution, electrical risks for people, and the possibility of dirtying their environment. These requirements are not met in most standard motorized mechanisms, constituting the state of the art, which are more suited to workshops than to dwellings, and the cost of their adaptation to dwellings makes the furniture lively.

  financially inaccessible to the greatest number of their rarity.

  The motorized device, object of the present invention, which is well suited to animation and assisted control of the change of position of furniture and

  sanitary appliances, aims to compensate for the lack of suitable mechanisms. With soft-

  -2- slow linear events thanks to a motor insensitive to overloads and blockages, its originality is to transform into mechanical energy the latent energy of a general water distribution network under low pressure, about two bars, by the through a suitable cylinder. This technique offers the advantage of using a non-polluting non-dirtying fluid that is so inexpensive that it eliminates the need to keep it in a closed circuit, the water used is deemed

  consumed is simply discharged.

  The use of a general water distribution circuit as an energy distribution network eliminates the need for proximity to power plants.

  production of traditional systems such as electric motors and hy-

  oil hydraulics, and thus eliminate the electrical risks, electromagnetic wave emissions and potential dirt inherent in these systems while taking advantage

  an ideal operating silence.

  Another particularity is to systematically use self-lubricating wipers with a low coefficient of friction, such as fluorinated resins, associated with smooth non-corrodible surfaces to isolate and guide the moving parts, in order to allow the

  production of clean, simple, durable and maintenance-free clean machines.

  The appended drawings illustrate an application of the invention suitable for assisted control of the height adjustment of a sink:

  Figure 1 shows, in elevation, an overview of said motorized device.

  Figure 2 shows the same view as Figure 1 with the addition of a telescopic column

  of dressing of the lower part.

  Figure 3 shows, in section, the lower part and the telescopic covering column

  of Figure 2. In these three figures the essential elements are identified from (1) to (10).

  With reference to these drawings, the device intended for the animation and the seated control

  Tee of the change of position of furniture and sanitary fixtures includes, in combination, a slide and a hydraulic cylinder (3), to which is sometimes added a covering when said device is not included in a closed space. When part of the said device remains visible or directly accessible, it is covered by a column

  telescopic (4) which isolates it for personal safety and aesthetics.

  Said slide is made up of two parts, the slide (1) and the slide (2). The slide, preferably anchored to a fixed element, is an open or closed tube, often made of stainless steel, of a length suitable for the required movement, and the cross section of which is dictated by resistance. Said slide comprises fixing elements (9) to a support, -3 -

  which can be a part of the furniture on which the device is installed or a wall or the floor.

  The slide (2) is of the same profile as said slide but of slightly different section, concentric with said slide along which it moves. It is provided with anchoring devices (6) (7) for fixing the movable part of the piece of furniture or of the sanitary appliance in which the device is integrated, and of the body of the jack or of its rod. Said slide is both guided on said slide and isolated therefrom by self-lubricating linings and with a low sliding coefficient (8), like fluorinated resins, said linings are maintained in housings provided for this purpose in said slide and ensure the sliding between the slide and the slide, while supporting the pressures due to the torques generated by the eccentricity of the loads applied to the

slide thus formed.

  The hydraulic cylinder (3) fixed on one side to said slide and on the other to said slide ensures their relative movement. Said cylinder made of non-corrodible materials whose slip is not altered by water is intended to be connected simultaneously to a general water distribution network under low pressure, about two bars, and to an evacuating conduit by through a multi-way valve, piloted or manual, fitted with a

  non-return valve when the water in the supply network is deemed to be potable.

  The range of motion of the movable part of the furniture or sanitary appliance

  is given by the stroke of the cylinder, either directly or via accessories

  bent between said slide and the movable part to be moved and intended to multiply or divide the stroke of the jack, such as for example levers or traction cables on simple or hauled pulleys, and which also make it possible to change the orientation or the

  positioning of the slide with respect to the load and its movement.

  A preferred embodiment provides, for the vertical movements to be controlled on the move, a configuration adapted to the variation in height of the furniture and sanitary appliances, that is to say for the majority of uses. In this case the slide (1) is fixed in a vertical position to its support, the body of the jack (3) is suspended at the top of said slide by a Cardan suspension (5) consisting of two round tubes, the first of which crosses said slide on which it is supported, the second fixed to the rear bottom of said cylinder passes through the first tube and is supported on it. The positioning of the two tubes is ensured by stop devices which allow rotation such as, by way of non-exhaustive example, pinned rings placed on the tubes of said suspension. The rod of said jack is connected to said slide by an adjustable fixing, the jack (3) works by pulling -4- for the rise, the descent is carried out by gravity under the weight of the load of the furniture or the appliance sanitary pressing the slide (2). The operation command is

  very simple, a three-way valve connects the cylinder to the water supply and to an evacuation pipe.

  The first position of the valve connects the cylinder and the water supply, it is the rise by pulling. The second position closes all the circuits, the slide is immobilized, pressing on the jack. The third position puts the cylinder in communication with the evacuation duct, the weight of the mobile assembly presses on the piston of the cylinder by means of the cylinder rod and of the said slide to which it is subject, the piston flushes the water in the

  spillway, this is gravity descent.

  The telescopic covering column is of a shape adapted to the piece of furniture in which it is integrated, it encloses the directly accessible or visible part of said device, to ensure the safety of people and the aesthetics. This column is made up of interlocking bodywork elements, the two ends of which are connected one to a fixed part, the other to

  a movable part, and all the elements of which are provided with grooves and spreading fingers

  spacer (10) in self-lubricating materials which move in said grooves to ensure the driving and guiding of the intermediate elements. Number and length

  elements depend on the amplitude of the movement and the space available.

  The three attached figures show said device and a telescopic column suitable for supporting a sink and its environment adjustable in height. The telescopic U-shaped column shown in Figures 2 and 3 is located under the bowl, it prevents someone from slipping under this bowl or inserting a finger into the mechanism, for the safety of people, it also hides the siphon and the pipes

  supply and discharge hoses for aesthetics.

  Another example is that of a telescopic column made of interlocking tubes, equipped with annular seals and guide in self-lubricating materials, intended for the passage of a fluid, and which ensures the connection between the piece of furniture or the sanitary appliance in which said device is integrated and a pipe, such as the evacuation of a

toilet bowl.

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Claims (4)

  1) Device for animation and assisted control of the change of position of furniture and sanitary appliances, characterized in that it comprises, in combination, on the one hand a slide composed of a slide (1) in smooth tube, open or closed, of length appropriate to the required displacement, and a slide (2) of the same profile as said slide but of slightly different section, concentric with said slide along which it moves, said slide is both guided on said slide and isolated therefrom by self-lubricating linings with low friction coefficient (8), like fluorine resins, said linings are maintained in housings provided for this purpose in said slide, and ensure the sliding between said slide and said slide while supporting the pressures due to the torques generated by the eccentricity of the loads applied to the slide thus formed, and on the other hand a hydraulic cylinder (3) fixed on one side to said slide and on the other to said slide and made of non-corrodible materials whose slipperiness is not affected by water, said cylinder is intended to be connected simultaneously to a general distribution network of water under low pressure and to an evacuation pipe via a multi-way valve, piloted or manual, fitted with a non-return valve when the water in the supply network is deemed to be potable , and in that said slide and said slide comprise elements for fixing to a support (9) on the one hand and to the movable part of the piece of furniture or of the sanitary appliance to be controlled on the move (6) on the other hand, said device thus ensures the displacement of the mobile part   of the furniture or sanitary appliance in relation to its fixed part and its support.   2) Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a telescopic covering column (4) of shape adapted to the furniture in which it is integrated, which encloses the directly accessible or visible part of said device, for ensure   personal safety and aesthetics, a column which is made up of coach elements   interlocking rie whose two ends are connected one to a fixed part the other to a movable part and all of whose elements are provided with grooves and spacing fingers (10) of self-lubricating materials which move in said grooves, to ensure   driving and guiding the intermediate elements.   3) Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a telescopic column of interlocking tubes, equipped with annular seals and   guide in self-lubricating materials, intended for the passage of a fluid, and which ensures the rac-   -6- connection between the furniture or the sanitary appliance in which said device is integrated and   an evacuation pipe, such as the evacuation of a toilet bowl.   4) Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the movement of the   movable part of the furniture or sanitary appliance to be controlled while traveling being vertically   cal, the slide (1) being fixed in a vertical position to its support, the jack (3) working by pulling for the ascent, the descent is effected by gravity under the weight of the load of the furniture or sanitary appliance applied to the slide (2), the rod of the said jack being connected to the said slide by an adjustable fixing, the body of the said jack is suspended at the top of the said slide by a Cardan suspension (5), consisting of two round tubes, of which the first crosses said slide on which it rests the second fixed to the rear bottom of said jack crosses the first tube and rests on it, the positioning of the tubes is ensured by stop devices which allow rotation such that, as a non-exhaustive example, pinned rings.