EP2775071B1 - Hall, in particular a multi-purpose auditorium - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a room in particular a multipurpose auditorium generally delimited by essentially vertical walls and equipped with a set of seats divided into several parallel rows.

In each of these rows the seats are classically divided into several groups of seats arranged side by side, which are separated by corridors.

Such a room is known from the documents WO 02/07566 A1 and FR 2 746 435 A1 .

Sometimes rooms are used to allow the public to attend various events such as theatrical performances, concerts, conferences ... in which case they must be arranged in a stepped configuration in which the seats of the different rows are staged and set back from each other, but also in the context of other events, such as sales, banquets, balls ... in which case these rooms must be equipped with a perfectly flat rigid floor.

It is therefore desirable to have systems for easily converting quickly and safely a room arranged in a stepped configuration in a room arranged in a configuration that allows him to have a flat floor or planar configuration.

For this purpose, it has already been proposed to equip rooms, in particular multipurpose auditoriums, with a set of support beams for moving horizontal seats generally having an essentially rectangular section which are arranged in parallel one behind the other and are lined with trim panels defining the floor of the room in the planar configuration.

It should be noted that in the context of this description, the terms front, back, up, down ... relate to the room arranged according to the stepped configuration.

More specifically, each of these beams generally carries a plurality of independent bearing blocks respectively constituted by a group of seats mounted side by side on a common mobile base and is equipped with lifting means for moving in vertical translation.

The bearing blocks are each equipped, each with tilting means for moving the groups of seats between a deployed position above the covering panels of the carrier beams and secondly a retracted position to the lower part of these panels.

It should be noted that the beams can of course bear only one carrier block without departing from the scope of the invention.

The combined operation of the lifting means of the carrier beams and the tilting means of the carrier blocks makes it possible to arrange the room either according to the stepped configuration in which the groups of seats are deployed above the covering panels and the beams. carriers are staggered and recessed relative to each other, or according to the planar configuration in which the cladding panels are arranged in the immediate vicinity of each other in the same plane so as to define a rigid floor.

In such a system, the lifting means of the carrier beams are conventionally constituted by vertical lateral rails allowing for example the guide of rollers cooperating with motorization means, or, if the mounting of guide rails is impossible for reasons of steric hindrance by scissor type elements which are well known especially in the theatrical field.

Such lifting means known in themselves have been found to be generally satisfactory.

On the other hand, it is currently proposed to associate with these lifting means means of tilting carrier blocks which generally allow to control a rotation of 180 ° groups of seats, unfit to give complete satisfaction and comprising a series of disadvantages.

The first of these disadvantages is related to the fact that given the standard ratio between the height of the seats and the width of the rows, these seats can not pass between them during their rotation between the deployed position and the retracted position when the supporting beams are located essentially at the same height.

Therefore, to change the layout of the room between the stepped configuration and the planar configuration, it is necessary to lower some carrier beams and lift others, which causes problems of synchronization of lifting movements carrier beams and tilting bearing blocks.

However, these problems significantly increase the duration and cost of changing the layout of the room.

The second of the aforementioned drawbacks is related to the fact that the tilting means of the known bearing blocks can not adapt to all the shapes of beams, in particular the curved shapes, so that the carrier beams must necessarily be straight to allow rotation groups of seats.

Therefore, when the geometry of the room prohibits the mounting of straight beams, they must be subdivided into several straight sections arranged side by side and offset angularly, which complicates the system and is also not satisfactory from the point from the aesthetic point of view.

A third disadvantage of the tilting means of known bearing blocks is related to the fact that these means are not adaptable to the row of rear seats to the extent that this row is located in the immediate vicinity of a vertical wall; as a result, so that the location of this last row is not lost the only possibilities are to dig niches in the rear wall, make it retractable or to manually disassemble the seats of the latter row and carry them elsewhere this which is particularly long and expensive in manpower.

The present invention aims to overcome these disadvantages by providing a room, especially a multipurpose auditorium of the aforementioned type in which the carrier beams are equipped with conventional lifting means while the independent bearing blocks are equipped with tilting means groups of seats compatible with these conventional lifting means but designed to allow the room to be easily passed through, quickly and safely from a flat configuration to a stepped configuration or vice versa, without requiring any particular synchronization between the different movements, and moreover of a nature to make it possible to take advantage of the totality of the available surface and to adapt to all forms of beams, whether straight or curved.

It should be noted that in the context of this description the terms "stepped configuration" and "planar configuration" must be understood in a very broad and non restrictive sense.

Indeed, according to the invention all possible configurations of the room can be envisaged and also by way of example a floor without seats but having several steps each defined by several neighboring beams located at the same level ("cabaret" type configuration) ) or a floor where only one out of every two rows is equipped with seats ("conference type" configuration) or a flat floor equipped with seats etc ...

According to the invention, the tilting means of the groups of seats are constituted, for each of the independent bearing blocks by at least one pantograph mechanism comprising a fixed support integral with the carrier beam and a movable support integral with the carrier block and the group. of seats and a control linkage for moving the group of seats between an extended position and a position retracted by rotation around the fixed support.

The control rod is constituted by two parallel actuating arms connecting the fixed support and the movable support, and articulated on these supports around pivot pins at their respective ends so as to define a deformable parallelogram.

According to a preferred feature of the invention, at least one of these pivot pins or engine pivot pivot which can be mounted on the fixed support or on the mobile support is driven by control means, in particular by a electric geared motor while the other hinge pins are inert mounting pins.

The rotation of the motor articulation pivot causes the rotation of the actuating bottom on which it is mounted around the fixed support either directly or under the action of the applied torque while the other arm makes it possible to transmit this rotation to the carrier block and to the group of seats.

It should be noted that, depending on its length and weight, each of the bearing blocks may be equipped with only one pantograph mechanism, but is generally equipped with two pantograph mechanisms respectively located at each of its ends, or in addition to one or more medial auxiliary pantograph mechanisms.

In accordance with the invention, the group of seats rests on the cladding panel in the deployed position but necessarily raises a little of this panel at the beginning of its tilting towards the retracted position or at the end of its tilting towards the deployed position.

In order for this tilting to be carried out in a satisfactory manner while minimizing the bulk of the space during it, it is essential to adjust and optimize the geometry of the pantograph mechanism, in particular the inclination and the length. fixed support and the length and spacing of the actuating arms.

Independently of the foregoing, it should be noted that the tilting movement of the carrier blocks and the groups of seats between the deployed position and the retracted position comprises a singular point for which the four articulation pivots are aligned.

However, in such a situation, the control means can indifferently control the rotation of the pantograph mechanism in one or the other direction, and it is therefore necessary to equip this mechanism with compensation means to overcome this difficulty. .

According to the invention, these compensation means may advantageously be constituted by a synchronizing arm connecting the actuating arms to their median part and articulated on these arms. its respective ends around synchronization pivots offset relative to the pivot pins.

Other compensation means may, however, also be provided without departing from the scope of the invention, such as for example second control means, in particular a second electric gear motor, or means for connecting the pivots fitted to each of the supports. for example by sprocket and chain systems or pulley and belt.

According to the invention, the tilting carrier blocks and groups of seats is generally carried out at the rear part of the carrier beams, but it happens however that such a tilting from the rear is impossible, particularly because steric hindrance caused by the proximity of a wall.

The invention also makes it possible to overcome this difficulty and consequently to use all the space available for the implantation of rows of seats.

For this purpose, and according to another characteristic of the invention, the tilting means of the bearing blocks cooperate with inversion means for combining the tilting of the groups of seats around the fixed support of the pantograph mechanism with a translation of these groups of seats along the cladding panels so that the tilting takes place not at the rear part of the supporting beams but at the front part thereof.

According to the invention, these reversing means are advantageously constituted by a plate provided with a slide fixed on the underside of the trim panel and by a knife fixed on the base bearing the group of seats and penetrating into this slide passing through a slot pierced in the trim panel to the right thereof to allow the translation of this base and the group of seats along the upper face of this panel.

The slot thus pierced may if necessary be closed after translation, for example, by a manual or motorized shutter system.

• la figure 1 est une vue en perspective d'une poutre porteuse,
• les figures 2a et 2b sont des vues en perspective schématiques illustratives d'une première variante des moyens de levage, représentant la poutre porteuse de la figure 1 respectivement en position basse et en position haute,
• les figures 3a et 3b sont des vues en perspective similaires aux figures 2a et 2b mais illustrant une seconde variante des moyens de levage,
• la figure 4 est une vue en perspective d'une poutre porteuse portant un bloc porteur équipé d'un groupe de chaises représenté en position escamotée et des moyens de basculement à chacune de ses extrémités,
• la figure 5 représente les détails « A » de la figure 4,
• les figures 6a à 6f sont des schémas illustratifs du mouvement de basculement par l'arrière d'un siège entre la position déployée représentée sur la figure 6a et la position escamotée représentée sur la figure 6f,
• la figure 7 est un schéma illustratif du point singulier,
• les figures 8a, 8b, 8c et 8d sont des schémas correspondants aux figures 6a à 6f illustratifs de la variante de réalisation de l'invention dans laquelle le basculement des sièges s'effectue par l'avant,
• la figure 9 est une vue en perspective représentant un détail des moyens d'inversion.

The characteristics of the room in particular of the multi-purpose auditorium which is the subject of the invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying non-limiting drawings in which:

• the figure 1 is a perspective view of a load-bearing beam,
• the Figures 2a and 2b are schematic perspective views illustrative of a first variant of the lifting means, representing the carrying beam of the figure 1 respectively in the low position and in the high position,
• the Figures 3a and 3b are perspective views similar to Figures 2a and 2b but illustrating a second variant of the lifting means,
• the figure 4 is a perspective view of a carrying beam carrying a carrier block equipped with a group of chairs shown in the retracted position and tilting means at each of its ends,
• the figure 5 represents the details "A" of the figure 4 ,
• the Figures 6a to 6f are illustrative diagrams of the tilting movement from the rear of a seat between the deployed position shown on the figure 6a and the retracted position shown on the figure 6f ,
• the figure 7 is an illustrative diagram of the singular point,
• the Figures 8a, 8b, 8c and 8d are diagrams corresponding to Figures 6a to 6f illustrative embodiments of the embodiment of the invention wherein the tilting of the seats is carried out from the front,
• the figure 9 is a perspective view showing a detail of the inversion means.

According to figure 1 , the theater is equipped with a set of parallel horizontal supporting beams 1 of which only one is represented; these carrier beams 1 have a rectangular section and are covered with cladding panels 2 which define the floor of the room in a flat position.

The carrier beam 1 carries a plurality of independent bearing blocks 3 each consisting of a group of seats 4 mounted side by side on a common mobile base 5.

In the example shown on the figure 1 , the carrier beam 1 carries three independent bearing blocks 3 ₁ , 3 ₂ and 3 ₃ .

Tipping means whose configuration will be described in more detail later in this description can move the carrier blocks and the group of seats 4 between a deployed position above the cladding panel 2 of the carrier beam 1 and a retracted position at the bottom of this panel 2.

In the exemplary embodiment shown on the figure 1 , The carrier blocks 3 ₁ and 3 ₃ are shown in the deployed position while carrying 3 block ₂ is shown in the retracted position.

According to Figures 2a, 2b, 3a and 3b , lifting means can move the carrier beam 1 between a low position shown on the Figures 2a and 3a in which it bears against a base 6 and a high position shown on the Figures 2b and 3b .

According to the exemplary embodiment shown on Figures 2a and 2b , the lifting means of the carrier beam 1 are constituted by two vertical side rails 7 for guiding unrepresented rollers which are mounted at the respective ends of the beam 1 and cooperate with motorization means.

According to Figures 3a and 3b , the guide means consist of motorized elements of scissors type 8 fixed to the lower part of the carrier beam 1.

The combined operation of the lifting means 7, 8 of the carrier beams 1 and tilting means of the carrier blocks 3 and the groups of seats 4 which will be described in more detail in the remainder of this description makes it possible to arrange the room either according to a stepped configuration is in a planar configuration in which the cladding panels 2 of the respective carrier beams 1 are arranged in the immediate vicinity of each other in the same plane.

According to figure 4 , the carrier block 3 is equipped with tilting means 9 of a seat group 4 at each of its ends.

According to figure 5 these tilting means 9 are each constituted by a pantograph mechanism comprising a fixed inclined support 10 secured to the carrying beam 1 (also shown on the Figures 6a to 6f ) and a movable support 11 secured to the carrier block 3 and thus to the base 5 carrying the group of seats 4.

The fixed support 10 and the mobile support 11 are connected by two parallel actuating arms 12, 12 'articulated on these supports 10, 11 around four pivot pins 13, 14 at their respective ends so as to define a deformable parallelogram .

One of the pivot pins 14 which is mounted on the movable support 11 is a motor pivot driven in rotation by a geared motor 15 while the other three pivot pins 13 are inert mounting pins.

The rotation of the motor articulation pivot 14 causes the rotation of the actuating arm 12 at one end of which it is connected in rotation, around the pivot pivot 13 mounted at the other end of this arm 12 on the fixed support 10 under the action of the couple thus applied.

This rotation is transmitted to the carrier block 3 and the seat group 4 by the other actuating arm 12 'so as to tilt this group of seats 4 to the rear part of the carrier beam 1 between the deployed position over the cladding panel 2 shown on the figure 6a and the retracted position below this panel shown on the figure 6f through the intermediate positions represented on the Figures 6b to 6 ^e , especially the position represented on the figure 6b in which the base 5 carrying the group of seats 4 lifts a little from the covering panel 2.

It should be noted that the geometry of the pantograph mechanism 9 is chosen so as to limit as much as possible the size of the group of seats 4 during this switchover.

According to figure 7 , during the switching of the seat group 4 between the deployed position shown on the figure 6a and the retracted position shown on the figure 6f there is a singular point for which the three mounting pins 13 and the motor pivot 14 are aligned.

In this position, the engine pivot 14 may induce the further rotation of the hinge arm 12 on which it is mounted in one direction or the other, so that it is necessary to equip the pantograph mechanism 9 compensation means for overcoming this singular point.

According to figures 5 and 7 these compensating means are constituted by a synchronizing arm 16 connecting the actuating arms 12, 12 'to their median part and articulated on these arms at its respective ends around synchronization pivots 17 offset from the pivot pins 13, 14 of the actuating arms 12, 12 '.

Another possibility also represented on the figure 7 consists in connecting the two pivots 13, 14 respectively mounted on the fixed support 10 and on the mobile support 11 by means of chains or belts 18.

According to Figures 8a to 8d , a steric hindrance caused by the proximity of a vertical wall 19, prohibits the tilting of the rear row of rear seats 4 from the rear position between the deployed position and the retracted position illustrated in FIGS. Figures 6a to 6f .

In this case, this tilting is effected not by the rear of the carrier beam 1 but by the front thereof, and the pantograph mechanism 9 'has a configuration similar to that of the pantograph mechanism 9 shown in FIG. the figure 5 but reversed.

In addition, reversing means make it possible to combine the tilting of the bearing blocks 3 and of the groups of seats 4 between the deployed position and the position retracted to a translation of these blocks along the covering panel 2 as represented by the arrows. I and II.

According to FIGS. 8a to 8d and 9, these reversing means are constituted by an additional plate 20 provided with a guide slide not shown attached to the underside of the trim panel 2 and by a knife 22 fixed on the base 5 carrying the group of seats 4.

This knife 22 penetrates into the guide rail by passing through a slot 21 pierced in the trim panel 2 to the right of this slide so as to allow the translation of the base 5 and the group of seats 4 as shown on the figures 8a and 8b then the tilting of this set between the deployed position and the retracted position as shown on the Figures 8c and 8d .

NOMENCLATURE

1.

Bearing beam

2.

Dressing panels

3.

Bearer blocks

4.

Groups of seats

5.

Mobile base

6.

Basement

7.

Means of lifting

8.

Means of lifting

9.9.

Pantograph mechanism

10.

Fixed support

11.

Mobile support

12, 12 '.

Actuating arm

13.

Internal articulation pivots

14.

Engine pivot pin

15.

gearmotor

16.

Synchronization arm

17.

Synchronization pivots

18.

Chains or belts

19.

Vertical wall

20.

Slide plate

21.

Slot

22.

Knife

Claims (6)

1. Hall, in particular multipurpose auditorium, generally delimited by substantially vertical walls and equipped with a set of horizontal parallel seat-supporting beams (1) each covered with covering panels (2), each of the beams (1) carrying independent carrier blocks (3) constituted by a group of seats mounted side by side (4) on a common base (5) and being equipped with lifting means (7, 8) allowing it to be displaced in vertical translation, each of the carrier blocks (3) being equipped with swing means (9) allowing the groups of seats (4) to be displaced between, on the one hand, a deployed position above the covering panels (2) of the carrier beams (1) and, on the other hand, a retracted position in the lower portion of the panels in order to allow the hall to be arranged in a tiered configuration or in a planar configuration in which the covering panels (2) of the carrier beams (1) are arranged immediately adjacent to one another in the same plane,
   characterised in that
   the swing means for the groups of seats (4) are constituted, for each of the independent carrier blocks (3), by at least one pantograph mechanism (9) comprising a fixed support (10), which is integral with the carrier beam (1), and a movable support (11), which is integral with the carrier block (3) and with the group of seats (4), as well as a control linkage allowing the group of seats (4) to be displaced between the deployed position and the retracted position by rotation about the fixed support (10), the control linkage being constituted by two parallel actuating arms (12, 12') which connect the fixed support (10) and the movable support (11) and are articulated with those supports about articulation pins (13, 14) at their respective ends so as to define a deformable parallelogram.
2. Hall, in particular multipurpose auditorium, according to claim 1,
   characterised in that
   at least one of the articulation pins, or driving pin (14), is driven by a control means, especially by an electric gear motor (15), so as to allow the group of seats (4) to be displaced between the deployed position and the retracted position by rotation about the fixed support (10), while the other articulation pins (13) are inactive assembly pins.
3. Hall, in particular multipurpose auditorium, according to claim 2,
   characterised in that
   the swing means (9) for the groups of seats (4) comprise compensation means which make it possible to overcome the singular point at which the four articulation pins (13, 14) are aligned during swinging between the deployed position and the retracted position.
4. Hall, in particular auditorium, according to claim 3,
   characterised in that
   the compensation means are constituted by a synchronisation arm (16) which connects the actuating arms (12, 12') in their middle portion and is articulated with those arms at its respective ends about synchronisation pins (17) which are offset relative to the articulation pins (13, 14) of the actuating arms (12, 12').
5. Hall, in particular auditorium, according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
   characterised in that
   in the event of steric hindrance, in particular caused by the proximity of a vertical wall (19), the swing means (9') for the groups of seats (4) cooperate with reversal means which allow the swinging of the groups of seats (4) about the fixed support (10) to be combined with translation of the groups of seats (4) along the covering panels (2).
6. Hall, in particular auditorium, according to claim 5,
   characterised in that
   the reversal means are constituted by a plate (20) provided with a slide fixed to the bottom face of the covering panel (2) and by a blade (22) which is fixed to the base (5) carrying the group of seats (4) and penetrates the slide by passing through a slot (21) made in the covering panel (2) in alignment therewith so as to permit translation of the base (5) and of the group of seats (4) along the top face of the covering panel (2).

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