Reposing furniture
O United States Patent 11 1 1111 3,877,750  
 Scholpp 1 Apr. 15, 1975 1 1 REPOSING FURNITURE 2,651,058 9/1953 Almoslino 5/110 3,057,660 10/1962 Schneider 297/452 [751 lnventor- Werner lP 3,123,396 3/1964 Searle 297/284 x stuttgart-welllmdorf, Germany 3,170,730 2/1965 Beckman 297/452 x 3 3,230,012 1/1966 Beckman 297/452 X [73] Abslgnee&#39; gi g j g &#39;f l&#39; ga 3,314,200 4/1967 Schuster 5/82 x 3,446,532 5/1969 Cramer 297/313 X stungan&#39;zuffenhausem Germany 3,492,768 2 1970 Schuster 5/82 22 i 6, 1973 3,565,482 2/1971 Blodee 297/284 [21] Appl. No.: 385,703  
  Primary ExammerFranc1s K. Zugel Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Craig &amp; Antonelli [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Aug. 5, 1972 Germany 2238675 [57] ABSTRACT 297/284; 2233133; A resting furniture which includes an adjustable unit [58] Fie&#39;ld 377 452 and a support frame; the adjustable unit includes sev- 297/458 460 110 eral members that are connected with each other by joint means and by a support installation, whereby the [&#39;56] References Cited members are held in position at the support installa- UNITED STATES PATENTS tion by means of fixing mechanisms.  
 1,516,811 11/1924 Edwards 297/284 30 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures /B 12 l l 15 II A l I}.  
 PATENTEU APR 1 5 1875 REPOSING FURNITURE The present invention relates to a resting furniture with an adjustable unit and a support frame.  
  So-called reclining chairs are known in the art in which the body support surface is adapted to be changed into different positions for seating and reclining purposes. However. the disadvantage exists with this type offurniture that the body support surface cannot be adapted individually to the body shape of persons of different size.  
  The aim of the present invention therefore consists essentially in providing a piece of resting furniture. by means of which the aforementioned disadvantage is eliminated and which can be used in a versatile manner.  
  This is achieved according to the present invention in that the adjustable unit includes several members which are connected with each other by way of joint means and a support installation and whereby the members are held in position at the support installation by means of fixing or clamping devices. For that purpose the joint means are mounted at the longitudinal edges of the members of the unit whereas the support installation extends in a center longitudinal plane ofthe unit. The joint means are provided in the plane of the body support surface of the unit and the support installation extends with a parallel spacing to the joint means. The support installation is formed by one or several rods adapted to be bent in the longitudinal direction of the unit and adapted to be loaded either in tension or compression or by a cable-like part. The joint means of the members are represented by a continuous band. In the alternative the joint means of the members are hinges. The fixing devices are formed by clamping connections. The members are constructed band-like and are wider within the area of the joint means than within the area of the support installation. Additionally. the members are provided in the center longitudinal plane of the unit with enlargements that are provided with apertures for the support installation.  
  The advantages primarily achieved by the present invention reside in that the adjustable unit of the resting furniture can be adjusted selectively for persons with differing heights. As a result thereofthe piece of resting furniture is not only usable for purposes of resting but also for medicinal and therapeutic purposes. The members and their cooperation with the joint means and the support installation enable a large number of positions of the unit which can be readily adjusted.  
  These and further objects. features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing which shows. for purposes of illustration only. several embodiments in accordance with the present invention. and wherein:  
  FIG. I is a side elevational view of a piece of resting furniture in accordance with the present invention:  
  FIG. 2 is a partial view taken in the direction ofarrow A of FIG. 1;  
  FIG. 3 is a partial side elevational view. on an enlarged scale. illustrating the details of circle B of FIG. 1&#39;.  
  FIG. 4 is a partial side elevational view. corresponding to FIG. 3 ofa modified arrangement in accordance with the present invention:  
  FIG. 5 is a partial view in the direction of arrow C of FIG. 4;  
 FIG. 6 is an elevational view taken in the direction of arrow D of FIG. 5;  
  FIG. 7 is a side elevational view corresponding to FIG. I with a different configuration of the resting furniture of the present invention; and  
  FIG. 8 is a side elevational view corresponding to FIG. I of a further configuration ofthe resting furniture in accordance with the present invention.  
  Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference numerals are used throughout the various views to designate like parts. the piece of resting furniture generally designated by reference numeral 1 includes a support frame generally designated by reference numeral 2 and an adjustable unit generally designated by reference numeral 3. The support frame 2 is constituted by tubular frame members 4. 5 which are connected together at 6. The tubular frame member 4 is rigidly connected with a cross-frame 7 (FIG. 2) whereas the tubular frame member 5 is pivotally provided at the crossframe 7. Additionally the tubular frame members 4 and 5 are constructed displaceable in a telescopic-like manner and adapted to be fixed by devices 8 and 9 and are rigidly connected with the adjustable unit at I0 and are rotatably connected thereto at 11.  
  The adjustable unit 3 includes several members I2 placed one adjacent the other. which are connected with each other by way ofjoint means 13 and a support installation 14. The members 12 include fixing or clamping devices 15 by means of which the members 12 are retained in position at the support mechanism 14.  
  The joint means I3 are provided at the longitudinal edges 16 of the adjustable unit 3 whereas the support installation 14 is arranged in a center longitudinal plane EE thereof. Additionally the joint means I3 are disposed in the plane of the body support surface F of the unit 3 and the support installation 14 extends with a parallel spacing G (FIG. 3) to the body support surface F. Asa result of this construction a support of the members 12 takes place by way of the joint means 13 and the support installation 14.  
  In FIG. 3 the joint means 13 are represented by a continuous band which is made of any appropriate material. known as such.  
  According to FIG. 4 the joint means are constructed as hinges 17. The fixing devices 15 are constituted by clamping connections which include a screw or bolt element l8 and a threaded bush 19. However. rapid locking devices with toggle-type action which operate by way of a dead-center point may also be provided.  
  The support installation 14 is constituted by a rod which is adapted to be loaded in tension and compression and is bendable in the longitudinal direction. However. the support installation 14 may also be constituted by a cable or the like.  
  According to FIGS. 5 and 6 the members 12 are con structed band-like and are wider at the edges 16 of the unit than in the center longitudinal plane EE whereby the same can also be adjusted with respect to each other in an extreme manner. Additionally they include enlargements 20 (FIG. 6) which are provided with apertures 21 for the support installation 14.  
  In FIG. 7 the unit is adjusted into S-shape and is carried by supports 22 and 23 whereby it is necessary that the rod adapted to be stressed in tension and compression is provided as support installation.  
  According to FIG. 8 the unit is adjusted into a straight plane and the supports 22 and 23 engage re spectively at the members disposed at the end of the unit. For that purpose a cable suffices since the support installation is loaded exclusively in tension.  
  While I have shown and described several embodiments in accordance with the present invention. it is understood that the same is not limited thereto but is susceptible of numerous changes and modifications as known to those skilled in the art and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the details shown and described herein but intend to cover all such changes and modifications as are encompassed by the scope of the appended claims.  
 I What I claim is:  
  l. A resting furniture which comprises an adjustable unit and a support frame. characterized in that the adjustable unit includes several members which are connected with each other by way of joint means and support means. and in that the members are held in position at the support means by fixing means. and in that the joint means are provided at the longitudinal edges of the unit whereas the support means extend substantially in the center longitudinal plane of the unit. said members being spaced apart from adjacent members at.  
 center portions thereof.  
  2. A resting furniture according to claim 1. characterized in that the joint means are provided in the plane of the body support surface of the unit and the support means extend at a distance substantially parallel to the joint means.  
  3. A resting furniture according to claim 2. characterized in that the support means is constituted by at least one rod means bendable in the longitudinal direction of the unit and loadable in tension and compression.  
  4. A resting furniture according to claim 3. characterized in that several rod means are provided as support means.  
  5. A resting furniture according to claim 2. characterized in that the support means is constituted by at cable-like part.  
  6. A resting furniture according to claim 2. characterized in that the joint means of the members are constituted by a continuous band.  
  7. A resting furniture according to claim 2. characterized in that the joint means of the members are hinge means.  
  8. A resting furniture according to claim 2. characterized in that the fixing means are constituted by clamping connections.  
  9. A resting furniture according to claim 2. characterized in that said members are constructed band-like.  
  10. A resting furniture according to claim 9. characterized in that said members are wider within the area of the joint means than within the area of the support means.  
  11. A resting furniture according to claim 10. characterized in that said members are provided with enlargements in the center longitudinal plane of the unit which are provided with apertures for the support means.  
  12. A resting furniture according to claim 11. characterized in that the fixing means are constituted by clamping connections.  
  13. A resting furniture according to claim. l l,&#39; characterized in that the support means is constituted by at least one rod means bendable in the longitudinal directionof the unit and loadable in tension and compression.  
  14. A resting furniture according to claim 11, characterized in that the support means is constituted by at cable-like part.  
  l5.-A resting furniture according to claim 11. characterized in that the joint means ofthe members are constituted by a continuous band.  
  16. A resting furniture according to claim 11. characterized in that the joint means of the members are&#39;hinge means.  
  17. A resting furniture according toclaim 1, characterized in that the support means is constituted by at least one rod means bendable in the longitudinal direction of the unit and loadable in tension and compression.  
  18. A resting furniture according to claim 17. characterized in that several rod means are provided as support means.  
 19. A resting furniture according to claim [.characterized in that the support means is constituted by a cable-like part.  
 20. A resting furniture according to claim 1. characterized in that the joint means of the members are constituted by a continuous band.  
  21. A resting furniture according to claim 1. charac terized in that the joint means of the members are hinge means.  
  22. A resting furniture according to claim 1. characterized in that the fixing means are constituted by clamping connections.  
 23. A resting furniture according to claim Lcharacterized in that said members are constructed band-like.  
  24. A resting furniture according to claim 1. characterized in that said members are wider within the area of the joint means than within the area of the support means.  
  25. A resting furniture according to claim 1. characterized in that said members are provided with enlargements in the center longitudinal plane ofthe unit which are provided with apertures for the support means.  
  26. A reclining furniture arrangement comprising: a plurality of individual members for forming a body support surface. each of said individual members including spaced longitudinal edges defining the widthof the body support surface and an upper planar surface defining a body contacting surface; joint means provided at each of the longitudinal edges of each of said individual members for joining adjacent individual members to each other at the longitudinal edges; a support means disposed substantially centrally of said longitudinal edges and extending parallel to said edges for supporting said individual members. said individual mem-. bers being spaced apart from adjacent individual mem-. bers at center portions thereof. said support means consisting of at least one additional member which is bendable in the longitudinal direction of the body sup-. port surface and loadable in tension and compression;  
 and means for fixing said individual members on said at least one additional member.  
  27. An arrangement according to claim 26, wherein said individual members each include means for maintaining said at least one additional member in spaced parallel relation to the body contacting surface.  
 members.  
  30. An arrangement according to claim 28. wherein saidjoint means consists of individual hinge means disposed at the respective longitudinal edges of the indi vidual members.