Following the resounding commercial success of our sofa Jason, we faced high expectations with our second model for Walter Knoll. Our idea was that a sofa should not only provide excellent seating but also be a comfortable place to lie down. So we experimented with configurations in which the seat could be pulled forward to create more space and the armrest could be raised to become a backrest. In the prototype, however, the turn-and-lift mechanism we had developed for this purpose proved quite impractical as the movement was too complicated and unnatural. In our second attempt, we concentrated on how someone intuitively takes a lying cushion in their hands and lifts it in an upright position. At the very last minute, we were able to translate this movement into a mechanical solution, and the sofa could be presented in Cologne immediately thereafter.
Drawings for the armrest mechanism patent.
1/3
A joint made of steel plates connected to four pivot points raises the armrest.
2/3
The seat can be pulled out at the front to increase the depth and transform the sofa into a daybed.
3/3
