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Title:
MECHANICAL DEVICE FOR INSTALLATION ON FURNITURES AND FURNISHING ELEMENTS TO MOVE FLAT TV DISPLAYS OR THE LIKE TO ANY DIRECTION ON A VERTICAL PLANE
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2007/122663
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
A device able to allow a LCD or plasma TV set and the like to slide on a vertical plane to any direction which can be installed or embodied in furniture (1) and other furnishing elements comprises a panel (P) to support at least a television set (TV) or a painting, which panel is able to slide vertically and/or horizontally with respect to the furniture by suitable mechanical or electromechanical guide means including at least a kinematic chain for the vertical and/or horizontal sliding. Advantageously, such a solution makes the room of the furniture behind the display available.

Inventors:
DE SANTI AMORENO (IT)
Application Number:
PCT/IT2007/000298
Publication Date:
November 01, 2007
Filing Date:
April 20, 2007
Export Citation:
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Assignee:
SANTI S N C DI DE SANTI AMOREN (IT)
DE SANTI AMORENO (IT)
International Classes:
A47B81/06
Foreign References:
EP1407688A22004-04-14
GB2412061A2005-09-21
US20040164659A12004-08-26
EP1084651A12001-03-21
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
SARPI, Maurizio (Via Collina n. 36, Roma, IT)
Download PDF:
Claims:
Claims

1. A device able to allow a LCD or plasma TV set and the like to slide on a vertical plane to any direction which can be installed or embodied in furniture (1) and other furnishing elements, characterized in that there is provided a panel (P) to support at least a television set (TV) or a painting, which panel (P) is able to slide vertically and/or horizontally with respect to furniture (1) by suitable mechanical or electromechanical guide means including at least a kinematic chain for the vertical and/or horizontal sliding.

2. The device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that support panel (P) can slide vertically and said mechanical guide means able to move panel (P) to the vertical direction includes a worm screw/nut screw system (V, M) able to move at least a trolley or flange (3) to which the sliding panel (P) carrying the TV is rigidly fastened.

3. The device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that worm screw (V) is a threaded bar disposed vertically and turning between two end thrust bearings (2) , while nut screw (M) or guide and pulling lead nut is integral with trolley or flange (3) and cannot rotate with respect to the latter but can be moved vertically by the rotation of screw (V) to which it meshes.

4. The device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that there is provided a guide bush (4) able to slide along vertical worm screw (V) during the rotation of the latter.

5. The device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that TV-carrying panel (P) is able to be fastened in a known manner to said nut screw (M) or guide and pulling lead nut meshed to worm screw (V) as well as to said further guide bush (4) sliding along the same worm screw (V) .

6. The device according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that said guide and pulling lead nut (M) and said guide bush (4) are disposed above each other at a predetermined distance along said worm screw (V) .

7. The device according to any claim from 2 on, characterized in that there is provided an electric motor or geared motor (MT) of the know type which is able to rotate worm screw (V) to both directions to lift or to lower the TV support panel (P) with respect to furniture (1) to which the device disclosed is fastened, said motor (MT) being operated by the user.

8. The device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said motor (MT) is operated by a remote control of the known type.

9. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that support panel (P) is sliding vertically and that said mechanical guide means able to move panel (P) to

the vertical direction includes a chain kinematics (5) and wheels or pulleys (6, 8).

10. The device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that there are provided two side chains (5) , each said chain sliding about at least one respective upper pulley (6) and at least a respective lower pulley (8) .

11. The device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that to avoid undesired inclinations of TV support panel (P) at least one lower (6) or upper (8) pulley of each side chain (5) is toothed and mechanically synchronized with a corresponding pulley of the other chain so that the rotations of both pulleys coincide.

12. The device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that side chains (5) are disposed on respective vertical planes which are perpendicular to the sliding plane of TV support panel (P) .

13. The device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that lower pulleys (8) are toothed and synchronized by a horizontal shaft (9) to which they are both splined.

14. The device according to claim 11 or 13, characterized in that said pulleys synchronized to each other are also capable to pull side chains (5) .

15. The device according to the preceding claim,

characterized in that said vertical TV support panel

(P) is connected to synchronized side chains (5) , thus providing that panel (F) is lifted/lowered upon moving pulleys (8) manually or by a motor (MT) of the known type.

16. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that at least a counterweight (7) is connected to said chains (5) to balance the weight of the TV set and to reduce the force or mechanical power necessary to lift/lower the TV set fastened to vertically sliding panel (P) , panel (P) being connected to the branch of chain (5) opposite to the branch to which counterweight (7) is fastened.

17. The device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that counterweight (7) is dimensioned to balance exactly the weight of the TV set and panel P to which it is fastened, thus providing that any position between upper and lower limit stops of panel (P) is a position of stable eguilibrium.

18. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that support panel (P) is sliding horizontally and that said mechanical guide means able to move panel (P) to the horizontal direction includes at least a horizontal guide.

19. The device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that sliding panel (P) is provided with a horizontal lower rack (10) to which a pinion gear (11) of a motor or geared motor (MT) of the known

type meshes, said pinion being recessed in furniture (1) behind panel (P) .

20. The device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said motor (MT) can be operated by a remote control of the known type.

21. The device according to any preceding claim, characterized in that housings or canalisations for the passage of cables to connect the TV set to power supply, antenna and at least a SCART socket so that such cables do not interfere with the movement of sliding panel (P) and/or with the moving parts of the guide and shift means .

Description:

Mechanical device for installation on furnitures and furnishing elements to move flat TV displays or the like to any direction on a vertical plane

The present invention relates essentially to the furnishings and particularly a mechanical device able to allow a vertical panel to slide on a vertical plane. The panel can carry, for example, a "flat" TV set such as LCD or plasma TV set, paintings etc., so that the room of the furniture behind the panel can be usable.

The furniture that presently is in the living rooms of dwellings have a space for the TV set. If the latter is of the old type with cathode-ray tube, its depth size usually takes up the whole room of the furniture. Also in case the old TV set with cathode-ray tube is replaced by a modern LCD or plasma TV set which has, as known, an extremely reduced depth compared with the former, the present furniture does not make the room behind the TV set available. Under such circumstances it should be noted that especially in case of TV sets of new generation with 20" or 32" displays the free room behind them is considerable.

The present invention seeks to overcome the above- mentioned drawbacks by providing a mechanical device able to allow a suitable vertical panel supporting a LCD or plasma TV set or a painting or other object with a small thickness but a considerable front size to slide on a vertical plane.

This has been achieved according to the invention by providing a device preferably able to be installed on

a furniture and comprising a panel supporting at least a TV set or a painting and being able to slide vertically and/or horizontally with respect to the furniture by suitable mechanical guide means including at least a kinematic chain for the vertical and/or horizontal sliding.

A better understanding of the invention will result from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings that show some preferred embodiments thereof only by way of a not limiting example. In the drawings:

Figure' 1 is a three-dimensional view of a first embodiment of the invention in which the sliding panel supporting LCD or plasma TV set can slide to the vertical direction;

Figure 2, similar to the previous one, shows a second embodiment of the finding in which the sliding panel supporting LCD or plasma TV set can slide to the horizontal direction;

Figure 3 is a front yiew of the front side of a furniture on which the finding of fig. 1 is installed, the panel being in its lowest position;

Figure 4 is a cross section of the furniture of fig. 3 along horizontal plane C-C;

Figure 5 is a front view of the front side of a furniture on which the finding of fig. 1 is installed,

the panel being in its intermediate position;

Figure 6 is a cross section of the furniture of fig. 5 along horizontal plane D-D;

Figure 7 is a front view of the front side of a furniture on which the finding of fig. 1 is installed, the panel being in its highest position;

Figure 8 is a cross section of the furniture of fig. 7 along horizontal plane E-E;

Figure 9 is similar to fig. 7 in which the lower cover is removed;

Figure 10 is a cross section of the furniture of fig. 9 along horizontal plane F-F;

Figure 11 is a side view of the finding showing at the same time three positions corresponding to figs. 3, 5 and '7 which can be taken up by LCD or plasma TV set according to the present invention;

Figure 12 is a side view of the furniture of fig. 1 showing a first embodiment of the means for the vertical movement of the sliding panel;

Figure 13 is an enlarged view of a detail of fig. 12;

Figure 14 is a partial section of fig. 12 along horizontal plane A-A;

Figure 15 is an enlarged view of a further detail of fig. 12;

Figure 16 is a partial section of fig. 12 along horizontal plane B-B;

Figure 17 is a rear view of the means for moving the sliding panel of fig. 12;

Figure 18 is a front view similar to the previous one;

Figure 19 is a side view of the furniture of fig. 1 showing a variation of the first embodiment of the means for the vertical movement of the sliding panel;

Figure 20 is a front view corresponding to the previous figure;

Figures 21-23 are three enlarged views of as many details of fig. 20;

Figure 24 is a front view similar to fig. 7 showing a variation of the means for moving the sliding panel shown in fig. 19;

Figure 25 is a front view of the front side of a furniture on which the finding of fig. 2 is installed, the panel being in its intermediate position;

Figure 26, similar to the previous one, shows a second embodiment of the means for moving the sliding panel horizontally;

Figure 27 is a cross section of the furniture of fig. 26 along horizontal plane G-G;

Figures 28 and 29 are two side views of the furniture of fig. 25 relative to the motorized and manual variants of the second embodiment of the finding, respectively.

With reference to figures 1 and 3 to 18 relative to a first embodiment of the invention, support panel P can slide vertically, whereby mechanical guide means able to move the panel to the vertical direction includes a worm screw/nut screw system able to move a trolley or flange 3 to which the sliding panel P carrying the TV set is rigidly fastened.

In the embodiment shown worm screw V is a threaded bar disposed vertically and turning between two end thrust bearings 2, while nut screw or guide and pulling lead nut M is integral with trolley or flange 3 and cannot rotate with respect to the latter but can be moved vertically by screw V to which it meshes. It is preferable to provide also a guide bush 4 able to slide along vertical worm screw V during the rotation of the latter.

According to the finding TV-carrying panel P is able to be fastened in a known manner to said nut screw or guide and pulling lead nut M meshed to the worm screw as well as to said further guide bush 4 sliding along the same worm screw V.

Said guide and pulling lead nut M and said guide bush 4 are disposed above each other at a predetermined

distance along said worm screw V.

According to the invention there is provided an electric motor or geared motor MT of the know type which is operated preferably by a remote control so that it rotates worm screw V to both directions to lift or to lower the TV support panel P with respect to furniture 1 to which the device disclosed is fastened. A variation of this first embodiment of the invention providing a vertical sliding of TV support panel P includes a chain kinematics 5 and wheels or pulleys with at least a counterweight 7 to balance the weight of the TV (figures 19-24) as an alternative to the worm screw/nut screw transmission kinematics. In the latter case, the embodiment shown provides two side chains 5 disposed preferably on respective vertical planes which are perpendicular to the sliding plane of TV support panel P, each said chain 5 slides about at least one respective upper pulley 6 and at least one respective lower pulley 8. According to the invention, to avoid undesired inclinations of TV support panel P at least one lower 6 or upper 8 pulley of each side chain 5 is toothed and mechanically synchronized with a corresponding pulley of the other chain so that the rotations of both pulleys coincide.

In the embodiment shown lower pulleys 8 are toothed and synchronized.

Said pulleys synchronized to each other, for example, by a horizontal shaft 9 to which they are both splined, are also capable preferably to pull side chains 5 disclosed above. As disclosed above, upon moving pulleys 8 manually or

by a motor MT of the known type, vertical TV support panel P which is connected to synchronized side chains 5 is lifted/lowered.

In the embodiment shown, at least a counterweight 7 is connected to said chain 5 to reduce the force necessary to lift/lower the TV set fastened to vertically sliding panel P. A reduction in the requested force involves of course a reduction in the power of motor MT and/or a lower effort for the user. Under such circumstances, it should be noted that if counterweight 7 is correctly dimensioned with respect to the weight of the TV set and panel P to which it is fastened, any position between upper and lower limit stops is a position of stable equilibrium. In a second embodiment of the invention shown in figures 2 and 25-29, TV support panel P is sliding to the horizontal direction.

In the latter embodiment, panel P slides sidewise on at least a horizontal guide if it is driven manually, and if sliding panel P is driven by a motor, it is provided with a horizontal lower rack 10 to which a pinion' gear 11 of a motor or geared motor MT of the known type meshes, said pinion gear being operated preferably by remote control and said motor MT being recessed in furniture 1 behind the TV set.

At last, it should be appreciated that the vertical sliding of panel P both by manual and motor drive can be obtained by a double-shoulder construction of the furniture with chain 5 or threaded bar V as disclosed by the two embodiments, or by one-shoulder construction containing only one chain 5 or threaded bar V placed in the central portion of the furniture.