GB2147202A

GB2147202A - Article of furniture

Info

Publication number: GB2147202A
Application number: GB08422667A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gerald Wiffen
Original assignee: Dunlop Ltd
Current assignee: Dunlop Ltd
Priority date: 1983-10-03
Filing date: 1984-09-07
Publication date: 1985-05-09
Also published as: GB8422667D0; GB2147202B

Abstract

An article of furniture comprises a base cushion (8), a seating surface cushion (10), a backrest cushion (12), a backrest supporting cushion (14) and a pair of arm rest cushions (16). The backrest supporting cushion (14) is flexibly joined by upholstery fabric to one end of the base cushion (8) and the seat cushion (10) is similarly joined to the opposite end of the base cushion (8). The backrest cushion (12) is likewise joined to the opposite end of the seat cushion (10). The various connections enable the article of furniture to be placed in a first, assembled, configuration to form a chair and in a second, extended, configuration to form a bed. The arm rests may be joined to opposite edges of the seat cushion by means of an upholstery fabric, or may be entirely separable from the other cushions. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Article of Furniture This invention relates to an article of furniture.

The present invention will be more particularly described with reference to a chair which is convertible to a bed, but is not to be construed as being limited thereto.

Chairs which convert to a bed have long been known. These chairs are formed from a plurality of upholstered blocks of predetermined size made from a resilient material such as a foamed synthetic resinous cushioning material, The upholstery fabric covering the material forms a junction between contiguous blocks, the blocks being capable of being arranged in one particular configuration to form a chair and, in another configuration, to be laid flat on a floor surface to form a bed. This arrangement is, however, possibly disadvantageous in that the chair does not include armrests.

It is accordingly an object of this invention to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantage.

Thus, the present invention provides an article of furniture comprising a plurality of resilient, upholstered cushions of predetermined size adapted, in a first, assembled, configuration to provide a chair and, in a second, extended, configuration, to provide a bed, in which a further pair of similarly upholstered cushions are releasably attached to opposite sides of the cushion constituting the seating surface in the assembled, chair, configuration, thereby to provide armrests.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an article of furniture comprising a base cushion, a seating surface cushion adapted to be disposed above the base cushion in the assembled, chair, configuration, a backrest cushion, a backrest supporting cushion also adapted to be disposed above the base cushion in the assembled, chair, configuration and armrest cushions, each of said cushions being covered with an upholstery fabric which provides a flexible joint between adjacent cushions and permits relative movement thereof so that the cushions may be stacked in a first, assembled, configuration to form a chair and may lie in a second, extended, configuration upon a surface to form a bed.

The backrest supporting cushion may, in the said second, extended, configuration, constitute a pillow for the bed.

Preferably the seat cushion is of small dimensions than the base cushion and the backrest supporting cushion, together with the seat cushion, is adapted in the said first, assembled, configuration, to overlie the base of the chair.

It will, however, be apparent that the arrangement of the invention is not limited to that described above and, for example, the backrest supporting cushion could be omitted and the seat cushion could be of the same dimensions as the base cushion.

Preferably, the backrest cushion is flexibly joined to the seat cushion on that side of said seat cushion opposite to the base cushion, so that the backrest can be disposed above the backrest supporting cushion in the said first, assembled, chair configuration.

The armrest cushions may be joined to opposite edges of the seat cushion by means of an upholstery fabric.

In addition, the armrest cushions may be releasably attached to the other cushions of the chair by strategically-located securing means, such as a complementary hook-and-eye material (for example, the material available under the Registered Trade Mark Velcro), so that in the said second, extended, configuration, the armrests can be made to lie upon the ground.

The application of breaking force to release the connection between the hooks and eyes will release the complementary material and permit the cushions to be extended to form a bed.

The securing means is not limited to that described above and, for example, the armrests may be secured to the other cushions in said first, assembled, configuration by means of buttons adapted to engage buttonholes. Alternatively, the armrest and cushions may be entirely removable and so capable of being stored separately.

Preferably, a flap of the upholstery fabric is provided on that end of each armrest cushion which is to be adjacent the back of the chair, to permit engagement of securing means on the flap with complementary securing means on the back of the backrest cushion of the chair.

Additional securing means may be provided at each edge of the seat cushion and on the underside of each armrest cushion in the said assembled, chair, configuration.

With this arrangement, armrests may be provided for a convertible chair.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will be illustrated, merely by way of example, in the following description and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an assembled chair in accordance with the invention, one armrest being shown to be flexibly joined to the seating cushion; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the chair of Figure 1 in a released condition, and Figure 3 is a perspective view of the chair of Figure 1 in an extended configuration.

Referring to the drawings (wherein like numerals denote like parts), an article of furniture according to the invention comprises a plurality of cushions covered with upholstery fabric material, the cushions being adapted, in a first, assembled, configuration, to form a chair as shown in Figure 1 and, in a second, extended, configuration, to form a bed as shown in Figure 3. The upholstery fabric with which the cushions are covered constitutes a flexible joint (one of which is indicated by the numeral 6), said flexible joints permitting adjacent cushions to be assembled and extended.

The chair includes a base cushion 8, a seat cushion 10, a backrest cushion 12, a backrest supporting cushion 14 and a pair of armrest cushions 16.

The backrest supporting cushion 14 is flexibly joined by the upholstery fabric to the upper edge of the base cushion 8 at one end thereof. The seat cushion 10 is similarly joined to the opposite end of the base cushion 8. The backrest cushion 12 is similarly joined to the seat cushion 10 at its end opposite to the connection between the seat cushion 10 and the base 8. The armrest cushions 16 are also joined by way of the upholstery fabric along the sides of the seat cushion 10, as shown particularly in Figure 2. A flap of upholstery fabric 18 is provided at the outermost edge of each armrest cushion 16, at the end of the armrest which is adjacent the backrest cushion 12.Securing means in the form of complementary material 20, one of the portions of said complementary hook-and-eye material having a plurality of hooks and the other having a plurality of eyes (not shown), are provided, one portion on the flap 18 and the other portion on the back surface of the backrest cushion 12, as shown particularly in Figure 1.

As stated hereinabove, the article of furniture in accordance with the present invention is capable of providing a chair in a first, assembled, configuration (as shown particularly in Figure 1) and a bed in a second, extended, configuration (as shown particularly in Figure 3). Referring particularly to Figure 1, the chair is shown with one armrest secured and the other armrest released, relative to the backrest cushion 12. When used as a chair, it will be apparent that both the armrest cushions 16 will be secured relative to the backrest cushion 20 by engagement of the two complementary portions of the securing means 20, provided respectively on the flap 18 and the backrest cushion 12.

In order to convert the chair to a bed, the flaps 18 will be pulled away from the backrest cushion 12, thereby to disengage the two portions of the complementary securing means 20. With both arm rests 16 released, they may be turned so their lower edges 22 lie adjacent the seat cushion 10.

Pulling the backrest cushion 12 upwardly relative to the other cushions will result in movement of that cushion and the seat cushion 10 relative to the base, as shown particularly in Figure 2. The backrest supporting cushion 14 may be moved away from the base cushion 8, as also shown in Figure 2.

Further pulling of the backrest cushion 12 towards the edge 24 of the base cushion 8 will result in the full extension of the cushions relative to one another, to form a bed as shown in Figure 3.

Aithough the invention has been described and illustrated herein with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many variations and/or modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. An article of furniture comprising a plurality of resilient, upholstered cushions of predetermined size adapted, in a first, assembled, configuration to provide a chair and, in a second, extended, configuration to provide a bed, in which a further pair of similarly upholstered cushions are releasably attached to the cushions constituting the seating surface in the assembled, chair, configuration, thereby to provide armrests.

2. An article of furniture according to Claim 1, comprising a base cushion, a seating surface cushion adapted to be disposed above the base cushion in the assembled, chair, configuration, a backrest cushion, a backrest supporting cushion also adapted to be disposed above the base cushion in said assembled, chair, configuration and armrest cushions, each of said cushions being covered with an upholstery fabric which provides a flexible joint between adjacent cushions and permits relative movement thereof so that the cushions may be stacked in a first, assembled configuration to form a chair and may lie in a second, extended, configuration upon a surface to form a bed.

3. An article of furniture according to Claim 2, in which the backrest supporting cushion constitutes, in said second, extended configuration, a pillow for the bed.

4. An article of furniture according to Claim 2 or 3, in which the seat cushion is of smaller dimensions than the base cushion and the backrest supporting cushion is adapted, in said first, assembled, configuration, to overlie the base of the chair.

5. An article offurniture according to any one of Claims 2 to 4, in which the armrest cushions are joined to opposite edges of the seat cushion by means of an upholstery fabric.

6. An article of furniture according to Claim 5, in which the armrest cushions are further releasably attached to the other cushions of the chair by complementary securing means.

7. An article of furniture according to Claim 6, in which the complementary securing means comprises a hook-and-eye material.

8. An article of furniture according to Claim 6, in which the complementary securing means comprises one or more buttons adapted to engage one or more buttonholes.

9. An article of furniture according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, in which the armrest cushions are adapted to be entirely separable from the other cushions.

10. An article of furniture according to any one of the preceding claims, in which a flap of upholstery fabric is provided on that end of each armrest cushion which is to be adjacent the back of the chair.

11. An article of furniture according to any one of Claims 2 to 10, in which additional securing means are provided at each edge of the seat cushion and on the underside of each armrest cushion.

12. An article of furniture, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.