Flexible structural component and use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11820258-B2
Application number	US-202017598932-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 1, 2020
Priority date	Apr 1, 2019
Publication date	Nov 21, 2023
Grant date	Nov 21, 2023

Abstract

A structural component may have a flexible structure with at least one adjusting mechanism, which may be formed at least from a plurality of folded elements or lever elements and spacing elements that are coupled to one another in such a way that their upper surfaces are connected to one another by an upper flat element and their lower surfaces are connected to one another by a lower flat element. The upper flat element and the lower flat element may be configured to be moved in a defined manner in the event of a tilting movement of the flexible structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A structural component comprising:
a flexible structure having at least one adjusting mechanism which is formed at least from a plurality of folding elements or lever elements and
spacer elements which are coupled together such that their upper surfaces are connected together by an upper surface element and their lower surfaces are connected together by a lower surface element,

wherein the spacer elements alternate between being connected only at an upper end to the upper surface element and only at a lower end to the lower surface element,
wherein the upper surface element and the lower surface element are set up to move in a defined manner in the event of an inclination movement of the flexible structure.

2. The structural component as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the adjusting mechanism is formed as a folded construction made up of a plurality of folding elements or lever elements and a plurality of spacer elements that are coupled together in terms of movement.

3. The structural component as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one folding element is configured as an extensive or strip-like folding element with at least a 1-fold mechanism or a multi-fold mechanism.

4. The structural component as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the folding element is arranged between two spacer elements or against one spacer element.

5. The structural component as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the folding elements or lever elements are connected to the spacer elements in different orientations.

6. The structural component as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a plurality of folding elements or lever elements, which are arranged in an offset manner with respect to one another, are arranged between two spacer elements.

7. The structural component as claimed in claim 6 , wherein at least two folding elements or lever elements are arranged in an offset manner with respect to one another such that their folded edges or joint axes are perpendicular to one another.

8. The structural component as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the spacer element(s) is/are configured as hollow and/or profile elements.

9. The structural component as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the spacer elements are coupled together in terms of movement by the folding elements or lever elements.

10. The structural component as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the mutual spacing of the spacer elements changes in the event of an inclination movement of the flexible structure.

11. The structural component as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the upper surface element and the lower surface element are each formed from such a flexible material and/or with such a material thickness that they are each able to be bent or inclined in a defined radius through at least 90 degrees.

12. The use of a structural component as claimed in claim 6 as a movable component, including a movable door, an adjustable partition wall, an adjustable seat with or without an adjustable contour, a seat with an adjustable contour, a movable display unit, a movable display screen, an adjustable table, an adjustable armrest, an adjustable lamp.

13. A seat component, including a backrest or seating part, wherein the seat component comprises at least:
a supporting structure,
a covering comprising a padding and/or a cover element, and
a structural component as claimed in claim 1 .

14. The seat component as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the structural component, including the upper surface element, is coupled in terms of movement to the covering.

15. The seat component as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the structural component is arranged between the supporting structure and the covering.

16. A seat comprising at least two seat components that are movable relative to one another, of which at least one of the seat components comprises a structural component as claimed in claim 1 .

Assignees

• Adient Eng & Ip Gmbh
• Adient Us Llc

Inventors

• Bahr Daniel
• Frotz Thomas
• Hemmelrath Rudolf Wilhelm

Classifications

• B60N2/22 Primary

  the back-rest being adjustable {(B60N2/2878 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• A47C3/021

  having elastic frames · CPC title

• B60N2/686

  Panel like structures · CPC title

• B60N3/001

  of tables or trays · CPC title