This application claims priority of European Patent Application No. EP-97114117.1 filed Aug. 14, 1997, and PCT Application No. PCT/EP98/05157 filed on Aug. 13, 1998. which is incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to shaped bodies, which can be employed in many technical fields. They may, for example, be used in backrests of seat furniture, in order to permit, for example, the individual adaptation of the backrest curvature to the persons sitting on the furniture at that time.
2. Description of Related Art
From German Patent Reference DE 33 24 655 A1 a seat including a lumbar support is known, having an adjustable spring metal sheet acting on the back rest upholstery, with different deformation rigidities in the upper and lower region.
From PCT International Publication WO 94/08492 an adjustable back support including a panel is known, adjustable using an upper and a lower tensioning element, adapted to be adjusted individually.
The shaped bodies can also be used to construct supports of differently shaped building components, during assemblies serving as supports for securing packagings, for the prevention of damage to goods, in the medico-technical field, and for example for couches, orthopaedic shoes and the like in all fields, where certain space configurations should be capable of being modified for optical, technical, medical reasons, and also for example adaptable supports.
It is one object of this invention to provide three-dimensionally shaped bodies with an integrated convexity, which are able to adopt in a simple and easy manner different space configurations, deviating from the original shape and/or which are adaptable to provide adequate support functions.
This object is attained by a shaped body, having at least one shaped body, with an unloaded three-dimensional inherent volume configuration that includes at least one one-sided integrated convexity, displaceable by means of at least one flexible active element connected along the convexity with the shaped body, by way of applying a variable compressive and/or tensile force onto the flexible active element and/or wholly or partly convertible into a different three-dimensional volume configuration by displacement into itself.
Advantageous embodiments of this invention are discussed in and apparent from the following specification and the claims.
In this invention a shaped body, the unloaded three-dimensional inherent configuration of which has at least one integrated convexity, e.g. any desired triangular cross-sectional shape, can convert wholly or partly into a shaped body with a different inherent configuration by applying force, in which case this applied force and as a result the spatial transformation can take place continuously or incrementally. Maximum deformation is attained by maximum permissible force application; when reducing the force application the deformation is reduced until the original inherent shape is attained again, when completely unloaded.
For example, a wire, ribbon, cord, belt or a strip of plaited artificial or natural fibres or even metal threads, a round or profiled rod of plastics or metal, a sheet metal strip or the like may be used as the active element, in which context merely an adequately flexible resilience and resistance force sufficient for the forces to be applied must be present, at least in the direction of attack and transmission of a force. It is also possible to provide a tensile or pressure element in the direction of tension or pressure with different elasticities, for example by using spring elements, such as for damping and/or to subdivide it, in which case any suitable device may be included between the parts for applying forces to the active elements.
The shape-variable shaped body, may also be a spatial body, having one or more parts, suitable to absorb supporting forces and to transmit these forces to the active elements or vice versa. It may be made of plastics, in particular foam plastics, it may take the form of a cushion body and it may also include nondeformable parts. The shaped body may be composed of individual elements, which themselves form shaped bodies again, which individually or in groups may be movable or stationary in relation to one another, in which context the arrangement on a holding means or carrier or with a flexible cover or in a flexible envelope is possible; the latter may even be elastic. The deformable parts of the shaped body may also be provided on top of or on a non-deformable part, e.g. a core of wood, metal or plastics or they may be composed of a plurality of rigid parts movable in relation to one another. Rests, seats, couches, optical and other advertising means, stage sets, camouflage devices, tools, tool apparatus, support structures and all types of frames, a mattress part, a bed frame, a packing container or a container, shoes and many more may, for example, serve as support means or a carrier. A shaped body may likewise be composed of individual rigid segments, which are connected loosely next to one another or in an articulate manner to an active element, a support, holding means or the like. The latter may be one part, and it may be made of plastics.
Any device, capable of exerting force on the shaped body or bodies by way of the active element, may serve for the modification of the forces to be applied, in which case the active elements may in the process be both stressed and unstressed. An arrangement permitting the application of pressure onto each shaped body is likewise possible. The device may be driven mechanically or by a motor and may be operated directly or by remote control, e.g. by means of a Bowden cable or rods or even pneumatically, hydraulically, electrically or by wireless means.
The connection between the shaped bodies and each active element may be effected in any desired way, e.g. by adhesives, welding, riveting etc., in individual cases also by mere friction, e.g. if the shaped body is arranged in a closed envelope.