BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a furnishings construction with a floating working table.

As known, in the furnishings or fittings field, there is an increasing need of improving the furnishings products both from an aesthetic and functional standpoint. In designing furnishings elements such as beds, sofas, chairs, seats and so on, it is very important to assure good ergonomic and comfort characteristics, jointly with a proper aesthetic aspect to distinguish the furnishings products or articles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the aim of the present invention is to provide such a novel furnishings or fittings construction having both a good functionality and an original aes- thetic aspect.

Within the scope of the above aim, a main object of the present invention is to provide such a furnishings or fittings construction which may be used for making different use or application furnishings or fittings products or articles.

Another object of the present invention is to provide such a furnishings con- struction which, owing to its specifically designed structural features, is very reliable and safe in operation.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the above mentioned aim and objects, as well as yet other objects, which will become more apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a furnishings construction with a floating working table, char- acterized in that said furnishings construction comprises a support table supported by supporting elements comprising magnetic means adapted to generate a magnetic force supporting in a floating manner said support table.

The inventive furnishings or fittings construction comprises guising means for guiding said working table to prevent said working table from being laterally displaced while leaving said table free to float in a vertical direction.

Said guiding means may comprise one or more guiding means walls made of a transparent or clear material, thereby highlighting an apparent absence of the working table supports.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent hereinafter from the following detailed disclosure of a preferred, though not exclusive, embodiment of the invention, which is illustrated, by way of an indicative, but not limitative, example in the accompanying drawings, where:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a furnishings or fittings construction, in particular a chair, according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation view of the chair shown in figure 1 ;

Figures 1a and 2a are respectively a top and plan perspective view showing another embodiment of the chair of figures 1 , 2 and 3;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectioned side elevation view of the chair shown in the preceding figure;

Figure 4 is a further perspective view of a furnishings construction, in particular a bed, according to the present invention;

Figure 5 is a bottom perspective view of the bed shown in figure 4;

Figure 6 shows a side perspective view of a chair having a chair backrest; and

Figures 7 and 8 show two stools having the same structure features as those of the above chair and bed, that is a panel or table held in a suspended condition by using a plurality of permanent magnets operating to repel or drive the back of the seating plane from the chair supporting framework. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to the number references of the above mentioned figures, a furnishings or fittings construction, according to the present invention, which has been generally indicated by the reference number 1 , comprises a table or panel 2, supported by supporting elements 3, which comprise magnetic means adapted to generate a magnetic force for supporting in a floating manner the support panel or table 2.

5 More specifically, said support elements 3 comprise each a magnet operating against a further magnet embedded in the supporting panel or table 2 and having an opposite polarity.

Said magnet may comprise a ferromagnetic body which is magnetized either in an artificial or natural manner.

io As known, some materials only are suitable to acquire, by suitable processes, a satisfactory permanent magnetization.

Among the above materials, in addition to regular steel materials having poor operating characteristics, it is possible to use a broad range of special steels, and also an iron free alloy comprising copper, manganese and aluminium (the so-called i s Heusler alloy).

The magnetic supports used for floatably supporting the support panel or table are provided in a number suitable for the furnishings construction type.

The arrangement of said magnetic supports, moreover, also depends on the size and type of furnishings construction to be made.

0 According to the present invention, the furnishings construction preferably comprises guiding means for guiding the support table 2 preventing said support table or panel from laterally moving, while leaving it free of floating in a vertical direction.

Figures 1-3 show a furnishings construction 1 , defining a seating assembly, 5 such as a chair or pit-stall.

Said chair comprises four chair uprights, constituting the support elements 3, encompassed by a wall 4 which, at a top thereof, defines the chair backrest 5 and arms 6.

Said uprights 3 comprise a magnet, not shown in the figures, operating0 against respective further magnets 7 associated with the support table or panel 2 which, in this case, constitutes the seating portion of the construction.

The wall 4 is advantageously made of a transparent or clear material, such as Plexiglas, thereby to underlying the apparent absence of the seating panel 2 supports.

The provision of said wall 4 assures the vertical moving features of the support panel, thereby preventing the latter from being sidewise displaced.

The construction guide means may also be made in a different manner, for example by telescopically coupling the uprights 3 and support panel 2.

The magnetic repulsion support used for the seating panel provides a very comfortable construction owing to a soft and progressive elastic reaction provided by the magnets, which are suitably arranged and sized.

Figures 4 and 5 show another furnishings or fittings construction 1 constitut- ing a bed or the like.

In this case, the furnishings construction comprises a plurality of uprights 31 arranged at the bed head portion, and a further plurality of uprights 32 arranged at the bed foot portion.

Each said upright 31 and 32 comprises a magnet 7 operating in opposition to a respective further magnet T associated with the bed support panel 2.

Said support panel 2, in particular, comprises a plurality of electric contacts and light sources which are switched on as a person leaves the bed thereby closing a lighting circuit.

In this case, the construction guiding means comprise a head wall 41 and a foot wall 42, having wall edges so shaped as to at least partially encompass the support panel sides.

Also in this case, the walls may be made of a transparent or clear material to highlight the absence of apparent supports of the panel 2.

With reference to figure 6, it shows a chair 54 including chair legs 50 support- ing a magnet 51 repelling a plurality of further magnets 52 applied at the bottom portion of the seating panel 53 of the chair 54.

Said chair 54 further comprises a chair backrest 55 and chair arms 56.

Said magnets, of like polarity, may be also applied to stools, shown in figure 7, including a base or bottom panel or plane 60, uprights 61 supporting a plurality of magnets, repelling yet other magnets applied to the bottom portion of the panel 62 operating as a seating assembly.

Figure 8 shows yet another stool having stool legs 80 supporting fitting elements 81 , therein are housed magnets 82 repelling corresponding magnets 84 ap- plied to the bottom portion of the panel 83.

It has been found that the invention fully achieves the intended aim and objects.

In fact, the invention provides a furnishings or fittings construction character- ized in that the support panel or table is supported by a repulsive magnetic force, thereby leaving an illusion of an actual absence of any physical supports.

Jointly with the particular aesthetic and original aspect, the furnishings construction according to the present invention also provides very good comfort characteristics, as it is used for making beds, sofas, chairs, seats and the like construc- tions.

In practicing the invention, the used materials, provided that they are compatible to the intended application, as well as the contingent size and shapes, can be any, depending on requirements.