GB2473819A - Reconfigurable furnishing made from hinged cushion elements - Google Patents
Reconfigurable furnishing made from hinged cushion elements Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2473819A GB2473819A GB0916655A GB0916655A GB2473819A GB 2473819 A GB2473819 A GB 2473819A GB 0916655 A GB0916655 A GB 0916655A GB 0916655 A GB0916655 A GB 0916655A GB 2473819 A GB2473819 A GB 2473819A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- hinge
- furnishing
- reconfigurable
- cushion
- cushion elements
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
- 239000004744 fabric Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 3
- 239000004793 Polystyrene Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 229920002223 polystyrene Polymers 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 5
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 3
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 3
- 230000009286 beneficial effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000006260 foam Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000004033 plastic Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229920003023 plastic Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000002356 single layer Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000009182 swimming Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000002023 wood Substances 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47B—TABLES; DESKS; OFFICE FURNITURE; CABINETS; DRAWERS; GENERAL DETAILS OF FURNITURE
- A47B85/00—Furniture convertible into other kinds of furniture
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47C—CHAIRS; SOFAS; BEDS
- A47C13/00—Convertible chairs, stools or benches
- A47C13/005—Modular seating
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47C—CHAIRS; SOFAS; BEDS
- A47C17/00—Sofas; Couches; Beds
- A47C17/04—Seating furniture, e.g. sofas, couches, settees, or the like, with movable parts changeable to beds; Chair beds
- A47C17/045—Seating furniture having loose or by fabric hinge connected cushions changeable to beds
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47C—CHAIRS; SOFAS; BEDS
- A47C27/00—Spring, stuffed or fluid mattresses or cushions specially adapted for chairs, beds or sofas
- A47C27/001—Spring, stuffed or fluid mattresses or cushions specially adapted for chairs, beds or sofas with several cushions, mattresses or the like, to be put together in one cover
Landscapes
- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Nursing (AREA)
- Mattresses And Other Support Structures For Chairs And Beds (AREA)
Abstract
A reconfigurable furnishing 10 comprising at least six cushion elements 12 with each cushion element 12 being engaged with neighbouring cushion elements 12 by a hinge 14. The cushion elements 12 can be configured to adopt at least a single column condition 36, a single chair condition with base and back, a sofa condition having at least two seats and a back, a corner sofa condition having at least three seats and an L-shaped base, and a double bed condition. Hook and loop fasteners may be provided on the edges of the cushions to temporarily secure the edges together and they may also fold over onto themselves when not in use. The hinges may be provided at the meeting of the edge surfaces and the upper or lower surfaces of the cushions and may be fabric. The furnishing may be weatherproof for outside use and have buoyant elements.
Description
Reconilgurable Furnishing The present invention relates to a furnishing which can be reconfigured to adopt a plurality of different seating or lying forms.
It is known to connect three cushion elements together via hinges which extend along opposite parallel sides so that the a top cushion element can be folded up to form a single chair with squab and back, or the three cushion elements can be unfolded to form a flat single mattress.
However, this arrangement has significant limitations in that it cannot provide a double side-by-side seating or lying arrangement for two people, and it cannot provide a corner sofa which extends in two directions at right angles to each other.
The present invention seeks to provide a versatile fUrnishing solution to these problems.
According to the invention, there is provided a reconfigurable furnishing comprising at least six cushion elements, each cushion element being engaged with a neighbouring said cushion element by a hinge, a first said hinge being at right angles or substantially right angles relative to a neighbouring second hinge on one side, and parallel or substantially parallel with a neighbouring third hinge on the other side, the third hinge being opposite the first hinge, so that the cushion elements can be configured to adopt at least a single column condition, a single chair condition with squab and back, a sofa condition having at least two seats with squab and back, a corner sofa condition having at least three seats and having an L-shaped squab, and at least a double bed condition.
Preferable and/or optional features of the invention are set forth in claims 2 to 14, inclusive.
The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic perspective view of a first embodiment of a reconfigurable furnishing, in a stacked single column condition and in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 shows the reconfigurable furnishing in a first single-person chair condition; Figure 3 shows the reconfigurable furnishing in a second single-person chair condition; Figure 4 shows the reconfigurable furnishing in a first two-person sofa condition; Figure 5 shows the reconfigurable furnishing in a second two-person sofa condition; Figure 6 shows the reconfigurable furnishing in a corner sofa condition; Figure 7 shows the reconfigurable furnishing in a double bed condition; Figure 8 diagrammatically shows temporary engagement means of a second embodiment of a reconfigurable furnishing; and Figure 9 is an enlarged plan view of the temporary engagement means.
Referring firstly to Figures 1 to 7 of the drawings, there is shown a first embodiment of a reconfigurable furnishing 10 which comprises, in this case, six cushion elements 12 hingably interconnected by hinges 14. The cushion elements 12 are specifically designated by references 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26.
Each cushion element 12 includes a pliantly flexible, typically man-made or natural fabric, bag-like cover 28 having a slide fastener or zip closure element along one side for closing the cover 28. The interior is filled with cushioning material, such as down, wadding, foam or other suitably cushioning material to provide a soft padded support.
The cushion elements 12 are preferably square, and each cushion element 12 preferably has the same or substantially same dimensions.
The hinges 14, in this embodiment, which interconnect neighbouring cushion elements 12 are also pliantly flexible, and are conveniently integrally formed as part of the cover 28s of the cushion elements 12. it is feasible that the hinges 14 are all formed as one-piece with a single blank of material that also forms or forms in part the cushion elements 12.
The hinges 14 are provided along edges of the cushion elements 12 between upper or lower major surfaces 30, 32 and the adjacent side surface 34.
Although integral and permanently engaging the cushion elements 12, the hinges 14 could be releasable, for example, by incorporating a slide fastener, such as a zip, so that the cushion elements 12 can be separated from each other.
Referring in particular to Figure 1, each hinge 14 has a longitudinal extent which is at least at 90 degrees to a neighbouring hinge 14. Tn particular, it can be seen that a first said hinge 14 is at right angles or substantially right angles relative to a neighbouring second hinge 14 on one side, and parallel or substantially parallel with a neighbouring third hinge 14 on the other side, with the third hinge 14 being on an opposite side of the cushion element 12 to the first hinge 14.
The positioning of the hinges 14 is critical to enable the maximum number of reconfigurations possible.
As shown in Figure 1, when the cushion elements 12 are stacked as a single column 36, an uppermost first hinge 14a engaging the two uppermost cushions 16 and 18 is at a first side 38 of the column 36. The following second hinge 14b engaging cushion elements 18 and 20 extends at right angles to the first hinge 14a along a second side 40 of the column 36. The following third hinge 14c engaging cushion elements 20 and 22 extends at right angles to the first hinge 14a and is on a third side 42 of the column 36 which is opposite the second side 40 and opposite the second hinge 14b. The following fourth hinge 14d which engages cushion elements 22 and 24 is parallel to the first hinge 14a on the first side 38 of the column 36, and the final fifth hinge 14e engaging the two lowermost cushion elements 24 and 26 is at right angles to the fourth hinge 14d on the third side 42 of the column 36.
This configuration of the hinges 14 enables the two lowermost cushion elements 24 and 26 to be pivoted about hinge 14d to adopt a first single-person chair condition 44 having a single squab 46 and single back 48, as shown in Figure 2.
From the stacked single column 36 of Figure 1, the two uppermost cushion elements 16 and 18 can be pivoted about hinge 1 4b to adopt a second single-person chair condition again having a single squab 52 and single back 54, as shown in Figure 3.
Again from the stacked single column 36 of Figure 1, the top three cushion elements 16, 18 and 20 can be pivoted about hinge 14c to adopt a first two-person sofa condition 56 having only a double squab 58, as shown in Figure 4.
To provide a second two-person sofa condition 60 having a double squab 62 and double back 64, as shown in Figure 5, the uppermost cushion element 16 and the two lowermost cushion elements 24 and 26 are hinged about hinges 14a and 14d, respectively, so that cushion elements 16 and 26 overlie each other. The arrangement can then be inverted, enabling cushion elements 22 and 24 to be pivoted about their respective hinges 14c and 14e, thereby forming the sofa back 64.
By again inverting the second two-person sofa 60 and laying the sofa back 64 out flat, a two person lounger condition can be adopted.
Figure 6 shows a corner sofa condition 66 having a right-angled or L-shaped squab 68 which extends in two directions at right angles to each other and thus provides a transverse seating arrangement. In this case, from the stacked single column 36 of Figure 1, the two uppermost cushion elements 16 and 18 are pivoted on hinge 14b, and the two lowermost cushion elements 24 and 26 are pivoted on hinge 14d.
To create a double bed condition 70, all of the cushion elements 12 are pivoted about their respective hinges 14, thus forming a wide single-layer mattress 72, as shown in Figure 7.
Referring now to Figures 8 and 9 of the drawings, a modification to the first embodiment of the reconfigurable furnishing 10 is now described. Like references refer to like parts, and therefore further detailed description is omitted.
In this embodiment, to prevent or limit cushion elements 12 which are lying adjacent to each other from moving apart, temporary engagement means 74 is provided which comprises a hook and loop fastening device 76 on side surfaces 34 of cushion elements 12 which abut.
To hide or disguise the hook and loop fastening devices 76 from view when not in use, a hook portion 78 and a loop portion 80 is provided on the side surface 34 of the cushion element 12. One of the hook portion 78 and the loop portion 80 is preferably on a flap 82 which can be folded over to temporarily engage with the adjacent hook portion 78 or loop portion 80 on the same cushion element 12. For use, the flap 82 is simply folded back out, thereby presenting both the hook portion 78 and the loop portion 80 for engagement with corresponding hook and loop portions 78, 80 on an adjacent abutting cushion element 12.
In this way, with the reconfigurable furnishing 10 folded out, for example, to form the double bed, cushion elements 12 with abutting side surfaces 34 which are not connected via hinges 14 can be temporarily interconnected by the hook and loop fastening devices 76.
In a further modification, each cushion element may be surrounded by a rigid side wall, formed for example by wood or plastics. The rigid side wall has a depth which is less than that of the cushion element, so that the upper and lower surfaces of the cushion element remain proud.
In this case, the hinges may be formed from wire connectors. Each connector may project from the main exterior surface of one rigid side wall, or from an upper or lower side edge of the rigid side wall.
The rigid side walls are beneficial in enabling unobtrusive stacking. By including a rigid top panel, the stacked single column can be used as a table or stand.
Preferably, the cushion elements are weatherproof, allowing their use outside.
Furthermore, the cushion elements may be waterproof and buoyant to allow use in a swimming pooi. The filling of the cushion elements would thus be of a buoyant material, such as polystyrene.
Although six cushion elements are described above, further numbers are feasible. The reconfigurable furnishing can have eight cushion elements and even ten cushion elements.
The stacked single column, shown in Figure 1, provides for convenient storage and transportation.
Although preferably a reconfigurable soft furnishing, the furnishing may be formed of more resilient, hard wearing or tough material.
It is thus possible to provide a reconfigurable furnishing which has a plurality of configurations for adopting many different seating and lying configurations. The reconfigurable furnishing can be adapted to provide seating and/or lying for two people as well as for a single person. The reconfigurable furnishing can also be arranged to provide seating which extends around a corner. The reconfigurable furnishing is simple to manufacture, and the single stacked column arrangement enables straightforward storage and cost-effective transportation.
The embodiments described above are provided by way of examples only, and various other modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Claims (15)
- Claims 1. A reconfigurable furnishing comprising at least six cushion elements, each cushion element being engaged with a neighbouring said cushion element by a hinge, a first said hinge being at right angles or substantially right angles relative to a neighbouring second hinge on one side, and parallel or substantially parallel with a neighbouring third hinge on the other side, the third hinge being opposite the first hinge, so that the cushion elements can be configured to adopt at least a single column condition, a single chair condition with squab and back, a sofa condition having at least two seats with squab and back, a corner sofa condition having at least three seats and having an L-shaped squab, and at least a double bed condition.
- 2. A reconfigurable furnishing as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least two cushion elements include a hook and loop fastening device on at least one edge which is a different edge to that with the hinge, so as to temporarily engage the cushion elements when arranged side by side.
- 3. A reconfigurable furnishing as claimed in claim 2, wherein each said hook and loop fastening device on each cushion element includes a hook portion and a loop portion, one of the said hook portion and the loop portion being foldable over to engage the other of the hook portion and the loop portion whilst remaining attached to the respective cushion element.
- 4. A reconfigurable furnishing as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the hinge is provided on or adjacent to an edge between a major upper or lower surface of each cushion element and a perimeter side surface.
- 5. A reconfigurable furnishing as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the hinge is fabric.
- 6. A reconfigurable furnishing as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a rigid side wall which surrounds the cushion element.
- 7. A reconfigurable furnishing as claimed in claim 6, wherein the associated hinge extends from an exterior facing major surface of the side wall.
- 8. A reconfigurable furnishing as claimed in claim 6, wherein the associated hinge extends from a side edge of the side wall.
- 9. A reconfigurable furnishing as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cushion elements and hinges are weatherproof for outside use.
- 10. A reconfigurable furnishing as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein each cushion element includes a buoyant element for floatation.
- 11. A reconfigurable furnishing as claimed in claim 10, wherein the buoyant element includes polystyrene.
- 12. A reconfigurable furnishing as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein eight said cushion elements are provided.
- 13. A reconfigurable furnishing as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein ten said cushion elements are provided.
- 14. A reconfigurable furnishing as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein, when the cushion elements are stacked as a single column, an uppermost first hinge engaging the uppermost two cushion elements is at a first side of the column, the following second hinge extends at right angles to the first hinge along a second side of the column, the following third hinge extends at right angles to the first hinge and is on a third side of the column which is opposite the second side and opposite the second hinge, the following fourth hinge is parallel to the first hinge on the first side of the column, and the following fifth hinge engaging the lowermost two cushion elements is at right angles to the fourth hinge on the third side of the column.
- 15. A reconfigurable furnishing substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Priority Applications (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB0916655.4A GB2473819B (en) | 2009-09-23 | 2009-09-23 | Reconfigurable furnishing |
PCT/GB2010/051590 WO2011036483A1 (en) | 2009-09-23 | 2010-09-22 | Reconfigurable furnishing |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB0916655.4A GB2473819B (en) | 2009-09-23 | 2009-09-23 | Reconfigurable furnishing |
Publications (3)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
GB0916655D0 GB0916655D0 (en) | 2009-11-04 |
GB2473819A true GB2473819A (en) | 2011-03-30 |
GB2473819B GB2473819B (en) | 2013-06-05 |
Family
ID=41327423
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
GB0916655.4A Expired - Fee Related GB2473819B (en) | 2009-09-23 | 2009-09-23 | Reconfigurable furnishing |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
GB (1) | GB2473819B (en) |
WO (1) | WO2011036483A1 (en) |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US11246423B2 (en) * | 2019-08-28 | 2022-02-15 | Milliard Enterprises Limited Liability Company | Convertible couch, twin bed, and queen bed |
US11375821B1 (en) * | 2021-06-19 | 2022-07-05 | Tangie Purvis | Convertible meditation cushion |
Citations (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP0076874A1 (en) * | 1980-06-02 | 1983-04-20 | Margaret Castle Hrubec | Unitary furniture element |
DE4344589A1 (en) * | 1993-12-24 | 1995-06-29 | Roland Stecher | Folding furniture article |
Family Cites Families (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB2009594B (en) * | 1977-08-26 | 1982-02-24 | Wentelbed Co Ltd | Convertible furniture |
US5867849A (en) * | 1996-04-03 | 1999-02-09 | Pontrello; Dominica N. | Transformable living system |
DE20115671U1 (en) * | 2001-09-24 | 2001-12-13 | Feldmann, André, 22395 Hamburg | Upholstered furniture |
ITFO20020009A1 (en) * | 2002-04-04 | 2003-10-06 | Stefania Guardigli | MODULAR SYSTEM FOR PADDED OR INFLATABLE CUSHIONS. |
US20070052276A1 (en) * | 2005-09-06 | 2007-03-08 | Hurvich E R | Interactive Cube Furniture |
-
2009
- 2009-09-23 GB GB0916655.4A patent/GB2473819B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
2010
- 2010-09-22 WO PCT/GB2010/051590 patent/WO2011036483A1/en active Application Filing
Patent Citations (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP0076874A1 (en) * | 1980-06-02 | 1983-04-20 | Margaret Castle Hrubec | Unitary furniture element |
DE4344589A1 (en) * | 1993-12-24 | 1995-06-29 | Roland Stecher | Folding furniture article |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US11246423B2 (en) * | 2019-08-28 | 2022-02-15 | Milliard Enterprises Limited Liability Company | Convertible couch, twin bed, and queen bed |
US11375821B1 (en) * | 2021-06-19 | 2022-07-05 | Tangie Purvis | Convertible meditation cushion |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
GB2473819B (en) | 2013-06-05 |
GB0916655D0 (en) | 2009-11-04 |
WO2011036483A1 (en) | 2011-03-31 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
PCNP | Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee |
Effective date: 20160923 |