U.S. patent application number 10/531548 was filed with the patent office on 2006-07-06 for light weight seating furniture construction with so-called memory effect.
Invention is credited to EdwinJ Niekel, Taco Regtien.
Application Number | 20060145526 10/531548 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32105707 |
Filed Date | 2006-07-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060145526 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Niekel; EdwinJ ; et
al. |
July 6, 2006 |
Light weight seating furniture construction with so-called memory
effect
Abstract
Light weight seating furniture (5) construction with a very high
memory effect. The seating furniture is light weight and when
constructed as a sphere completely shape-retaining after the
removal of the seating load and thereof easy to transport, e.g. by
rolling over the floor. The light weight seating furniture (5, 9)
construction comprises a shell construction which is deformable
under seating load and which is filled up with an number of
relatively small shape-retaining particles for support and
advancement of the temporary shape-retaining property of this shell
construction when a person is positioned thereupan. The shell
construction consists of geometrically shaped air permeable shell
shaping sheet elements (7, 8) manufactured from porous natural or
plastic material with spring back property, as a resuit of which
the shell construction obtains the property of a flexible skeleton
structure with memory effect. The particles are manufactured from
natural of plastic materials (like polystyrene foam particles) and
are optionally packed in a suitable air permeable cover. The
external surface of the shell construction may be provided with a
desired decorative appearance, like a cover (10) or a printing
Furthermore the seating furniture (5, 9) can have a high aesthetic
value and is therefore also suitable for advertising and marketing
purposes.
Inventors: |
Niekel; EdwinJ; (Amstelveen,
NL) ; Regtien; Taco; (Amsterdam, NL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KNOBBE MARTENS OLSON & BEAR LLP
2040 MAIN STREET
FOURTEENTH FLOOR
IRVINE
CA
92614
US
|
Family ID: |
32105707 |
Appl. No.: |
10/531548 |
Filed: |
October 15, 2003 |
PCT Filed: |
October 15, 2003 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/NL03/00693 |
371 Date: |
December 12, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
297/452.14 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47C 3/16 20130101; A47C
27/086 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
297/452.14 |
International
Class: |
A47C 7/02 20060101
A47C007/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 17, 2002 |
NL |
1021674 |
Claims
1. Light weight seating furniture construction, comprising: a. a
shell construction which is deformable under seating load, which
construction consists of geometrically shaped air permeable shell
shaping sheet elements manufactured from porous natural or plastic
material having the property to spring back in its original shape,
and wherein the shell construction is provided internally with a
hollow internal space which is partially filled with b. a number of
relatively small shape-retaining particles for support and
advancement of the temporary shape-retaining property of the shell
construction once a person is seated thereupon, which particles are
manufactured from natural or plastic material and which particles
are optionally packed in a suitable air permeable cover.
2. Light weight seating furniture construction with memory effect
according to claim 1, wherein the shell structure is obtained with
a plurality of geometrically shaped air permeable sheet elements
together shaping the shell, which are mutually interconnected into
a three-dimensional geometrical shell by adhesive means.
3. Light weight seating furniture construction with memory effect
according to claim 1, wherein the high memory effect operation of
the shell is obtained by fully integrating to suitable different
skeleton segments into the shell construction as
three-dimensionally shaped geometrical segments.
4. Light weight seating furniture construction according to claim
1, wherein the geometrically shaped three-dimensional shell
elements of the shell construction are provided with a
geometrically polygonal shape.
5. Light weight seating furniture construction according to claim
1, wherein the shell construction has the appearance of an
imperfect sphere-shape of a tetrahedron, cube, octahedron,
dodecahedron, icosahedron, truncated tetrahedron, cuboctahedron,
truncated cube, truncated octahedron, small rhombicuboctahedron,
great rhombicuboctahedron, snub cube, icosidodecahedron, truncated
dodecahedron, truncated icosahedron, small or great
rhombicosidodecahedron, or of a combined (hybrid) shape
thereof.
6. Light weight seating furniture obtained by using the light
weight seating furniture construction according claim 1, wherein
said furniture is in the shape of a great playing ball ball or as a
celestial body (globe, moon, etc.) and/or is provided on it
external surface with one or more images, color area's,
advertisements, or logos.
7. Light weight seating furniture obtained by using the light
weight seating furniture construction according to claim 1, wherein
geometrically shaped air permeable shell shaping sheet elements
having an external diameter between 50 and 200 cm and a wall
thickness of at least 3 to 20 cm.
Description
[0001] This invention relates to light weight seating furniture
with a very strong memory effect. The seating furniture obtained by
application of this seating furniture construction is of light
weight and when constructed as a sphere completely shape-retaining
after the removal of the seating load and thereby easy to
transport, e.g. by rolling over the floor. Furthermore the seating
furniture may have a high aesthetic value and is therefore also
suitable for advertising and marketing purposes.
[0002] A known spherical light weight seating furniture is
constructed from hollow, non-porous or inflatable spherical parts
manufactured from natural (e.g. rubber) or plastic materials (e.g.
PVC) respectively. To obtain the required sphere-shape the hollow
internal space is filled with a gas, as e.g. air, and sealed with
an air valve mounted on the external surface of the seating
furniture. The spring action, in other words, the seating comfort
of this seating furniture is determined by the combination of the
gas pressure within the completely closed internal space and by the
(usual high) required surface tension of the material concerned. To
reach the required surface tension in the spherical seating
furniture a relatively high gas pressure must be applied, which is
disadvantageous for obtaining an optimal seating comfort. On the
one hand the seating stability becomes too low, and on the other
hand the spring action will remain very limited. Furthermore this
seating furniture is susceptible to variation in the surrounding
temperature which results in a too low/ too high gas pressure in
the internal space thereby directly affecting the shape and its
seating properties. Another restriction lies in the susceptibility
to mechanical damage by a sharp object when the seating furniture
is used outside. In another embodiment, according to U.S. Pat. No.
6,279,184, a spherical seating furniture is provided with thin gas
permeable internal and external segments. The seating furniture is
filled up with a plurality of polyurethanes foam particles for
increasing the seating comfort and shape-retaining property. The
essence of this object is based in the special design of the shell
elements, whereby the sphere-shape is obtained by mutually
interconnecting two parallelly positioned circular segments with a
square shell segment positioned in between. This construction
misses a sufficient, so-called, memory effect, in other words the
property that a deformation caused by the weight load of a sitting
person will disappear when this person rises. Another major
disadvantage is the complex construction with two shells resulting
in a high susceptibility to mechanical damages.
[0003] In its special embodiment according to the invention the new
light weight seating furniture construction with memory effect
offers an optimal solution for the above mentioned problems. This
memory effect is understood as to mean that after the removal of
the sitting load caused by a sifting person, which results in great
deformation, the seating furniture construction completely regains
its original shape.
[0004] The essence of the invention is the application of a special
seating furniture construction, which is provided with a spring
back skeleton comprising a plurality of geometrically shaped, air
permeable, shell shaping, sheet elements that are mutually
interconnected into a spherical shell by means of adhesive means.
The aforesaid sheet elements are constructed from porous, spring
back, natural material, like e.g. foam rubber or plastic material,
like e.g. poly-ethylene, or another usual material for construction
of e.g. mattresses.
[0005] The geometrically shaped, air permeable, shell shaping,
sheet elements used as basic elements, may have all known shapes
like e.g. a triangle, a quadrilateral, a pentagon, hexagon,
heptagon, octagon etc., or a combination thereof. The mutual
interconnection of the flat connecting surfaces of said shell
elements is affected with adhesive means, like e.g. a tixotropic
adhesive, which can be applied and distributed easily over the
connecting surfaces. After the drying/hardening of the adhesive
means, and the inherently increased stiffness at the position of
the interconnections, these connecting surfaces will subsequently
form a skeleton structure for obtaining a high memory effect for
the complete shell construction.
[0006] The hollow internal space enclosed by the shell construction
will be partially filled with an number of relatively small
particles (grains) manufactured from a natural or plastic material,
as e.g. polystyrene foam. These shape-retaining grains essentially
are used to support the temporary shape-retaining property of the
shell construction.
[0007] When a person sits or lies down on the seating furniture thy
shell construction will be deformed and the grains on the inside
will move like a liquid. This results in a stable, and thus
comfortable distribution of the pressure around the body of the
sitting or laying person. When the person rises, the spring back
skeleton will regain its original sphere-shape, whereby the grains
will be displayed again. These grains can be filled directly into
the hollow space of the shell construction, but they may also be
packed in a suitable, air permeable, wide flexible| cover like a
bag or the like.
[0008] In a certain embodiment, e.g. a smaller seating furniture
for children, the furniture construction can be constructed from
two sphere-segments, e.g. two halves of a sphere. The effect of a
flexible skeleton structure with high memory effect property may be
obtained by means of the integration of suitable separate skeleton
segments in said sphere-segments during its manufacture, as e.g.
during the moulding process. These skeleton element, as were the
real bones of a skeleton, may be manufactured e.g. from plastic or
another spring, back material.
[0009] By application of said light weight furniture construction
which maintains its shape-retaining properties during sitting or
lying down, the seating furniture can easily be moved e.g. by
rolling over the floor. Furthermore on the one hand this seating
furniture has a high aesthetic value and is therefore very suitable
for advertisements and marketing purposes. The seating furniture
may be shaped as a playing ball or as a celestial body (globe, moon
etc.) and/or it may be provided on its external surface with one or
more pictures, colour surfaces, advertisements, logo's etc.
[0010] The invention will now be described, by means of embodiments
thereof, with reference to the accompanying drawings 1-11
wherein:
[0011] FIG. 1 is an known spherical seating furniture according ti
U.S. Pat. No. 6,279,184;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a seating furniture during use, according to the
invention;
[0013] FIG. 3 is a side view of a number of mutually interconnected
shell shaping sheet elements of the spherical light weight seating
furniture construction with increased memory effect according to
the invention;
[0014] FIG. 4 is a side view of a greater number of mutually into
connected shell shaping sheet elements than shown in FIG. 3;
[0015] FIG. 5 is a side view of the spherical light weight seating
furniture construction with increased memory effect whereby only
one sheet element is missing according to the invention;
[0016] FIG. 6 is a side view of spherical light weight furniture
construction with increased memory effect, partially enclosed
(covered) wish a decorative/protective cover layer;
[0017] FIG. 7 is a side view of complete seating furniture/obtained
by applying the spherical light weight seating furniture
construction;
[0018] FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a number of other
three-dimensional embodiments of the light weight seating
construction with increased memory effect;
[0019] FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a number of other embodiments
of the nearly spherical light weight seating construction wits
increased memory effect;
[0020] FIG. 10 is a schematic view of a number of embodiments of
the patterns of the base elements for use in the spherical light
weight seating construction with increased memory effect;
[0021] FIG. 11 is a schematic view of a number of other embodiments
of patterns of the base elements for use in a spherical light
weight seating furniture construction with increased memory
effect.
[0022] According to FIG. 1 the known seating furniture X in U.S.
Pat. No. 6,279,184 is provided with thin, gas permeable, internal
and external surface segments --a left segment 1 and a right
segment 2--and interposed a square shell segment 3. Square shell
segment 3 and also the free ends of the internal surface segments
(not shown) are closed by means of an oblong portion 4.
[0023] A seating furniture 5 according to the invention with a
thereon seated person 6 is shown in FIG. 2, whereby the dimensions
and the spring back of the seating furniture 5 are adjusted for use
by a grown up person 6.
[0024] In another embodiment of the seating construction according
to the invention the pentagonal and hexagonal base elements are in
such a way combined and mutually interconnected, that the known
shape of a soccer ball (older types) is obtained. [FIGS. 3-7 show
some phases of the assembly of the seating furniture construction
and seating furniture resulting there from]
[0025] FIG. 3 shows a base pattern of shell shaping sheet elements
7,8 constructed from a central pentagonal element 7 which is
surrounded by five hexagonal elements 8. According to FIG. 4 this
base pattern may be extended further by a number of pentagonal
elements 7 or hexagonal elements 8 respectively thereby enclosing
sphere-shape 9. According to FIG. 5 the pentagonal elements 7 and
hexagonal elements 8 assembled seating furniture 9 misses the last
closing pentagon element. In this phase the seating furniture
construction 9 may be partially or completely filled with a number
of relatively small shape-retaining grains (not shown) manufactured
from natural or plastic material and thereupon sealed with a
pentagonal element (not shown). Furthermore this seating furniture
construction may be finished with a decorative/protective cover 10,
as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. In FIG. 6 the seating furniture
construction 9 is a partially enclosed (covered) version with a
cover 10. According to FIG. 7 the cover is completely mounted and
as an enclosing cover mounted on the seating furniture 9
respectively, thereby completing the seating furniture as shown in
FIG. 2.
[0026] An overview of other alternative possible three-dimensional
embodiments of the seating furniture according to invention is
shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. In FIG. 8 are shown the tetrahedron 11,
cube 12, octahedron 13, dodecahedron 14, icosahedron 15, truncated
octahedron 16, cuboctahedron 17, truncated cube 18, and truncated
octahedron 19. Further in FIG. 9 are shown small
rhombicuboctahedron 20, great rhombicuboctahedron 21, snub cube 22,
icosidodecahedron 23, truncated dodecahedron 24, truncated
icosahedron 25, small rhombicosidodecahedron 26 an great
rhombicosidodecahedron 27. Some of the different possible
pattern-shapes for use in a seating furniture construction
according to invention are shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. Shown are
patterns constructed from: hexagon/semi-triangle 28,
hexagon/quadrilateral/triangle 29, dodecagon/hexagon/quadrilateral
30 and octagon/quadrilateral 31. Furthermore in FIG. 11 are shown
two shape variations of a quadrilateral/triangle pattern 32a and
32b and also two shape variations of a hexagon/triangle 33a and
33b.
[0027] It is obvious that within the scope of the invention an
unlimited amount of similar solutions will be possible. For
advertising purposes the seating or lying down furniture may have
the shape of a beer can or of a magnum ice cream or similar. When a
small three-dimensional shape as e.g. a baby chair is chosen, it
can be established by experiment how the thickness of the wall of
the skeleton material corresponds to the required seating
shape-retaining property and even if the filling with grains can be
omitted. With a cylindrical three-dimensional shape the seating
furniture can offer place to two or more persons or can be used as
a couch. To put it shortly many applications may be thought of
based on the same principles of the invention.
* * * * *