SAID SUPPORT STRUCTURE

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION STATE OF THE ART

The present invention relates to the sector of furniture. In particular, the present invention concerns the field of table production.

In detail, the present invention concerns a bearing structure for tables with tilting top.

DESCRIPTION OF THE STATE OF THE ART

In the state of the art applications in the sector of table production bearing structures are used, which are typically made of a light material and on which a plane constituting the supporting surface of the table is fixed.

Tables are known in the state of the art, in which the supporting plane is of the tilting type, meaning that during normal usage the supporting plane is in horizontal position, while it can assume a vertical or substantially vertical position when it is not in use.

In the configuration in which it is not in use, the table has reduced overall dimensions and can be comfortably stored and kept ready to be used at a later moment.

For this purpose, the bearing structures of the tables carried out according to the known technique are provided with a mechanical tilting system suited to be activated by the user that when necessary makes it possible to position the supporting plane in the above mentioned horizontal and vertical positions.

Depending on the dimensions of the supporting plane, the bearing structures of known type are made to measure and sized so as to guarantee the desired mechanical resistance and the desired stability. Said stability is obtained, in particular, by arranging the feet of the bearing structure at suitable distances from one another.

The solution provided according to the state of the art, however, poses some drawbacks.

A drawback posed by the tables with tilting tops of known type lies in the construction complexity deriving from the need to provide different bearing structures depending on the size of the supporting plane to which they are applied.

This requires the availability of sufficient space for storing bearing structures having different dimensions or, alternatively, requires the specific design of different bearing structures for each type of plane to which they are applied. This affects the design costs of the bearing structures and the production and delivery times of the same.

The main object of the present invention is thus to solve or at least partially overcome the problems mentioned above that characterize the bearing structures of known type.

In particular, it is one object of the present invention to propose an innovative solution regarding a bearing structure usable in the sector of tilting tables that can be adapted in a simple manner to supporting planes of different sizes.

It is another object of the invention to propose a bearing structure that makes it possible to reduce design and production times and/or costs of the bearing structures.

It is a further object of the invention also to propose a bearing structure that makes it possible to reduce delivery times compared to the known technique.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention is based on the general consideration that the problems found in the state of the art can be at least partially overcome by means of a bearing structure for a supporting surface that can be adapted to supporting surfaces of different types.

According to a first embodiment, the subject of the present invention is thus a bearing structure for a supporting surface comprising:

- bearing means suited to be arranged on the ground on two or more contact areas;

- connection means suited to connect said bearing means to said supporting surface in two or more connection areas;

- means for moving said connection means, suited to allow them to be positioned in a first position corresponding to a condition of usage of said supporting surface and in a second position corresponding to a condition in which said supporting surface is not in use,

wherein the structure comprises adaptation means suited to allow said bearing structure to adapt to different dimensions of said supporting surface.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the adaptation means comprise displacement means suited to move the contact areas of the bearing means near or away from one another. The adaptation means preferably comprise displacement means suited to move the connection areas near or away from one another.

Advantageously, the displacement means comprise telescopic means.

The connection means suitably comprise two or more brackets suitable for connection to the supporting surface.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the displacement means comprise means for rotating the connection means.

The structure preferably comprises locking means associated with the displacement means in order to allow them to be locked in the first position. Advantageously, the locking means comprise two or more manoeuvring elements arranged on different areas of the bearing structure.

The adaptation means preferably comprise displacement means suited to move the manoeuvring elements near or away from one another.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the bearing means comprise two or more legs and the adaptation means comprise one or more interconnection elements of the telescopic type.

The condition of usage of the supporting surface suitably corresponds to the horizontal position of the supporting surface.

The condition in which the supporting surface is not in use preferably corresponds to the substantially vertical arrangement of the supporting surface. According to another aspect of the invention, it concerns a furniture element comprising a supporting surface and a bearing structure for the supporting surface, wherein the bearing structure is of the type described above.

Said furniture element is preferably constituted by a table.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further advantages, objects and characteristics, as well as further embodiments of the present invention are defined in the claims and will be illustrated in the following description, with reference to the enclosed drawings; in the drawings, corresponding or equivalent characteristics and/or components of the present invention are identified by the same reference numbers. In particular:

- Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a table comprising a bearing structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention in the usage position;

- Figure 2 shows the table with the bearing structure of Figure 1 in a position ready for storage;

- Figure 3 shows three tables of the type shown in Figure 2 in the storage position;

- Figure 4 shows a partially exploded view of the table shown in Figure 1;

- Figure 5 shows a partially exploded view of Figure 4;

- Figure 6 shows a partially exploded view of the bearing structure shown in Figure 5;

- Figure 7 shows an enlarged detail of Figure 4;

- Figure 8 shows the detail shown in Figure 7 in a different operating condition;

- Figure 9 shows an exploded view of Figure 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

Although the present invention is described below with reference to its embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described below and illustrated in the drawings. On the contrary, the embodiment described below and illustrated in the drawings clarifies some aspects of the present invention, the scope of which, however, is defined in the claims.

The present invention can be especially but not exclusively used in the field of furniture. In particular, the present invention can be especially applied in the production of tables with tilting supporting plane. For this reason, the present invention will be described below with particular reference to a bearing structure for a table with tilting supporting plane. It should however be noted that the present invention is not intended to be used exclusively for a table; on the contrary, the present invention can also be advantageously applied in all the cases where it is necessary to use a supporting plane that can be easily stored when not in use.

Here below is the description of a first embodiment of a bearing structure 1 according to the present invention; in the figures similar or equivalent characteristics and/or component parts are identified by the same reference numbers.

In Figure 1, the bearing structure 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is represented when applied to a supporting plane 50 to define a table 100.

In Figure 1, the table 100 is shown in its usage configuration, with the supporting plane 50 in horizontal position.

In Figure 2, the table 100 is shown in the configuration ready for storage, that is, with the supporting plane 50 in vertical or substantially vertical position. In the storage position shown in Figure 2, in fact, the table 100 has reduced overall dimensions compared to the usage position, and it can be comfortably stored together with other similar tables, as shown in Figure 3.

As already explained, the table 100 comprises a bearing structure 1 arranged under a supporting plane 50, as shown also in Figures 4 and 5.

The supporting plane 50 can consist of a panel in the desired shape, rectangular in the case at hand, and made of a material suitable for its specific use, for example wood, aluminium, glass, etc.

The bearing structure 1, too, will be made of a material suitable for the purpose, which will be able to ensure that the tables 100 has the desired mechanical resistance, the desired lightness and the desired stability in both the conditions described above, that is, with the supporting plane 50 in horizontal or vertical position.

The bearing structure 1 comprises an upper area 2 for connection to the supporting plane 50 and a lower area 3 for resting the structure on the ground.

The lower area 3 comprises contact points 4a-4d, four in the embodiment illustrated herein, suited to give stability to the table 100.

The contact areas 4a-4d are constituted by the ends of corresponding legs 6a-6d and are substantially arranged at the vertices of a rectangle.

The ends of the legs 6a-6d are preferably provided with wheels 7a-7d suited to facilitate the movements of the table 100. In preferred embodiments of the invention at least one of said wheels 7a-7d is provided with a brake element, not illustrated in the figures, suited to lock the table 100 in position once it has been positioned in the desired place.

In variant embodiments of the invention, however, the table legs may not be provided with wheels.

The four legs 6a-6b are advantageously connected to each other in pairs. In particular, the upper portion 8a, 8c of a leg is joined to the upper portion 8b, 8d of the other leg arranged on the same side of the table 100 in a corresponding union area 9, 10.

The union areas 9, 10 of the two pairs of legs 8a, 8b and 8c, 8d are connected at the top by a horizontal connection structure 11, shown in Figure 6 and described in greater detail below.

The legs 6a-6b are joined to the supporting plane 50 through connection means, indicated as a whole by 15. The connection means 15 comprise two side brackets 16, 17 suited to be integrally joined to the supporting plane 50, for example through fixing screws not illustrated in the figures. According to variant embodiments of the invention, said connection can be carried out through different and suitable connection means, for example by glueing, with snap-in connection means, with closure through clamps, clips or rivets.

The two side brackets 16, 17 are connected to each other through a horizontal connection structure 18, described more clearly below.

The side brackets 16, 17 and the horizontal connection structure 18 can be rotated with respect to the legs 6a-6d in order to allow the supporting plane 50 to be arranged in the horizontal and vertical usage positions.

For this purpose, the side brackets 16, 17 and the horizontal connection structure 18 can be rotated around an axis X with respect to the horizontal connection structure 11 of the legs 6a-6d.

More particularly, each side bracket 16, 17 is articulated through a rotation pin 22, 23 with a corresponding projecting bearing element 20, 21 of the horizontal connection structure 11 of the legs 6a-6d.

The supporting plane 50 can thus be arranged from the horizontal position to the vertical position, and vice versa, through its rotation around the rotation pins 22, 23. Said rotation pins 22, 23 are therefore aligned along the above mentioned rotation axis X.

A locking device 24 allows the supporting plane 50 to be maintained safely and securely in its horizontal position. The same device 24, which can be operated manually, allows the supporting plane 50 to be released and brought to the vertical position.

The locking device 24 comprises two coupling elements, only one of which is shown in the Figures from 7 to 9 and indicated by number 25, suited to be engaged in corresponding coupling seats 26, 27 obtained in the projecting bearing element 20, 21.

Each coupling element 25 can be positioned in a coupling configuration, as shown in Figure 7, in which it is housed in the corresponding coupling seat 26, 27 in the projecting bearing element 20, 21. In this coupling configuration, the supporting plane 50 is maintained securely and stably in horizontal position.

The coupling elements 25 can be rotated through corresponding manoeuvring elements 28, 29 constituted by handles. Advantageously, the operation of one of the two handles 28, 29 allows the rotation of both the coupling elements 25 in order to enable them to be released from the coupling seat 26, 27 in the bearing element 20, 21, as shown in Figure 8, and thus make the supporting plane 50 free to be rotated around the rotation pins 22, 23.

The integral rotation of both the coupling elements 25 is obtained through an interconnection element 30 that joins the handles 28, 29.

An elastic element 31 interposed between the coupling element 25 and the side bracket 16, 17, preferably constituted by a helical spring, maintains the coupling element pushed in its coupling position, as shown in Figure 7.

According to the present invention, the horizontal connection structure 11 of the union areas 9, 10 of the two pairs of legs 6a, 6b and 6c, 6d preferably comprises two tubular portions 11a, 1 lb that can be coupled with and engaged in each other in a telescopic way.

Depending on the extent to which the two tubular portions 11a, 1 lb are inserted in each other, it is possible to arrange the two pairs of legs 6a, 6b and 6c, 6d at the desired distance, starting from a minimum distance with the tubular portions 11a, l ib completely inserted in each other.

The two tubular portions 11a, l ib are preferably maintained at the desired distance by means of suitable locking elements, not shown in the figure, like for example locking pins, fixing screws, with closure through clamps, clips or rivets. Said horizontal connection structure 11 of the telescopic type allows the distance between the legs 6a-6d of the bearing structure 1 to be regulated. This makes it possible to adapt the same bearing structure 1 to different measures of the supporting plane 50 guaranteeing the correct distance between the legs 6a-6d and the consequent stability of the table 100.

Advantageously, it will be possible to produce a single bearing structure 1 that from time to time, during the assembly stage, will be adapted to the supporting plane selected to make the table.

This reduces the design and production times and costs of the bearing structure. Furthermore, a single bearing structure makes it possible to satisfy any request for any type of supporting plane, with the consequent reduction of delivery times for the manufacturer of said bearing structures.

Always according to the present invention, the horizontal connection structure 18 of the side brackets 16, 17 preferably comprises two portions 18a, 18b that can be coupled to each other in a telescopic way. In particular, the two portions 18a, 18b have a conjugated V-shaped profile.

Depending on the distance selected between the two pairs of legs 6a, 6b and 6c, 6d, as described above, it will thus be possible to arrange also the two side brackets 16, 17 at the correct distance.

The two V-shaped portions 18a, 18b are preferably maintained at the desired distance by means of suitable locking means, not shown in the figure, like for example locking pins, fixing screws, with closure through clamps, clips or rivets. Always according to the present invention, the interconnection element 30 of the handles 28, 29 preferably comprises two tubular portions 30a, 30b that can be coupled to and inserted in each other in a telescopic way.

The two tubular portions 30a, 30b preferably have a conjugated shape, substantially square in the embodiment illustrated herein, suited to allow their integral rotation when one of the two handles 28, 29 to which they are connected is rotated.

Depending on the distance selected between the two pairs of legs 6a, 6b and 6c, 6d, as described above, it will thus be possible to adapt the locking device 24 to the selected configuration. In particular, the locking elements 25 will be arranged at the correct distance and at the level of the projecting bearing elements 20, 21. The two tubular portions 30a, 30b are preferably maintained at the selected distance by means of suitable locking means, not shown in the figure, like for example locking pins, fixing screws, with closure through clamps, clips or rivets. It should be noted that in different embodiments of the invention the locking device may be different from the one described herein. For example, there may be just one locking element and just one corresponding locking seat, in this case preferably arranged in a central area of the structure.

Alternatively, again, it is possible to use equivalent locking devices of the type that can be operated through wires, connection bars with tie rods, etc..

The above thus shows that the bearing device that is the subject of the invention makes it possible to achieve the set objects, and in particular makes it possible to adapt a single structure to supporting planes having different dimensions in a simple way.

While the present invention has been described with reference to the particular embodiment shown in the figures, it should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiment illustrated and described herein; on the contrary, further variants of the embodiment described herein fall within the scope of the present invention, scope which is defined in the claims.