U.S. patent number 3,792,501 [Application Number 05/370,919] was granted by the patent office on 1974-02-19 for air chairs and convertible sofas.
Invention is credited to Edmund Kery.
United States Patent |
3,792,501 |
Kery |
February 19, 1974 |
AIR CHAIRS AND CONVERTIBLE SOFAS
Abstract
An air chair consisting of a frame having a seat support over a
base chamber and a back support before a rear chamber in
communication with the base chamber, with an inflatable cushion on
the seat support in air communication with a bellows-shaped air
spring in the base chamber through an intermediate tube, and an
inflatable back cushion in air communication with a second similar
air spring in the base chamber through an intermediate tube. The
air springs are tensioned against entry of air from the cushions
except under body pressure, the air forced back into the cushions
when pressure is lifted. Air lines pump air initially into the
cushions through valves. A convertible sofa of three cushions
secured together as a unit and three back cushions similarly
united, with above described air systems. The sofa back section is
selectively rotative with respect to the seat section to lie on the
same plane and form a bed, or pivoted to form the back rest of the
sofa.
Inventors: |
Kery; Edmund (Brooklyn,
NY) |
Family
ID: |
23461730 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/370,919 |
Filed: |
June 18, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
5/12.1; 5/37.1;
297/452.41; 5/655.3; 5/713; 5/706; 297/DIG.3 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47C
4/54 (20130101); A47C 17/16 (20130101); A47C
27/18 (20130101); Y10S 297/03 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47C
27/08 (20060101); A47C 17/16 (20060101); A47C
17/00 (20060101); A47c 027/08 (); A47c
017/14 () |
Field of
Search: |
;5/DIG.2,12,37R,42,348,349 ;297/284,355,456,DIG.3 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Nunberg; Casmir A.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Schlessel, Esq.; Sydney B.
Claims
Having described my invention, I claim:
1. An air chair comprising a frame provided with a seat support, a
back support and a chamber disposed below and seat support and
extending behind the back support, an aperture in the seat support
and an aperture in the back support opening into the chamber, an
inflatable cushion disposed on the seat support, an air spring
disposed in the chamber, an intermediate tube connecting the air
spring and the seat cushion through the seat aperture to afford air
intercommunication thereinbetween, an inflatable cushion disposed
on the back support, a second air spring disposed in the chamber,
an intermediate tube connecting the second air spring and the back
cushion through the back support aperture to afford air
intercommunication thereinbetween, and means to selectively inflate
the cushions individually, the air springs being bellows-shaped and
adapted to be expanded by displacement of air thereinto from their
respective cushions under pressure exerted on the latter, and to
contract to force the displaced air back into the respective
cushions on withdrawal of the pressure, the expansion and
contraction of the air springs regulated by spring means secured to
the respective air springs and adapted to tension them against
expansion.
2. An air chair as described in claim 1, the means to inflate the
air cushions comprising an air line connected to each of the
intermediate tubes and leading to an air valve disposed on the
chair frame.
3. An air chair as described in claim 2, the spring tensioning
means for each air spring comprising a pair of coil springs secured
in parallel to the chamber wall opposite the air spring-retaining
wall, with the free end of each coil spring secured to a cable
passed around a pulley disposed on the air spring-retaining wall,
the other ends of the cables secured to the sides of the air spring
at its free ends, thereby to retain the latter normally in a
contracted state and to permit expansion of the latter upon the
forcing of air thereinto under pressure exceeding the tension of
the coil springs.
4. An air chair as described in claim 3, each of the inflatable
cushions formed with flexible stays in the interior thereof to
support the cushion walls.
5. An air chair as described in claim 3, the interior of each of
the cushions provided with porous material adapted to shape the
cushions.
6. A convertible sofa comprising an elongated frame formed of a
back section and a seat section, means to selectively pivot the
back section from a position angular to the seat section to a
position to lie on the same plane therewith, means to lock the back
section in each position, a chamber disposed below the seat
section, a plurality of inflatable seat cushions disposed on the
seat section, an aperture in the seat section below each seat
cushion, opening into the chamber, an air spring disposed in the
chamber beneath each seat cushion, an intermediate tube connecting
each air spring with its corresponding seat cushion through a seat
aperture to afford air intercommunication thereinbetween, a
plurality of inflatable back cushions disposed on the back section,
an aperture in the back section behind each back cushion and a
corresponding aperture in the rear wall of the chamber, a secondary
air spring disposed in the chamber beneath each back cushion, an
intermediate tube connecting each secondary air spring with its
corresponding back cushion through the apertures provided to afford
air intercommunication thereinbetween, and means to selectively
inflate the cushions, the air springs being bellows-shaped and
adapted to expand by displacement of air therein from their
respectively engaged cushions under pressure exerted upon the
latter, and to contract to force the displaced air back into their
respectively engaged cushions on withdrawal of the pressure, the
expansion and contraction of air springs being regulated by spring
means secured to the respective air springs and adapted to tension
them against expansion, the intermediate tubes connecting each
secondary air spring with its respective back cushion being
bellows-shaped to permit pivotal movement of the back section of
the sofa without disengagement.
7. A convertble sofa as described in claim 6, the means to
selectively pivot the back section comprising a plurality of hinges
secured to the abutting edges of the back and seat sections and
mounted upon a central axle.
8. A convertible sofa as described in claim 6, the means to
selectively inflate the seat and back cushions comprising an air
line connected to each of the respective intermediate tubes and
leading to an air valve mounted in the sofa frame.
9. A convertible sofa as described in claim 6, the spring
tensioning means for each air spring comprising a pair of coil
springs secured in parallel to the chamber wall opposite the air
spring-retaining wall, with the free end of each coil spring
secured to a cable passed around a pulley disposed on the air
spring-retaining wall, the other ends of the cables secured to the
sides of the free end of the spring, thereby to retain the latter
normally in a state of contraction and adapted to permit expansion
of the air springs upon the forcing of air thereinto under pressure
exceeding the tension of the coil springs.
10. A convertible sofa as described in claim 6, the means to
selectively inflate the seat and back cushions comprising an air
line connected to each of the respective intermediate tubes, all of
the air lines leading to and coupled to a single air valve mounted
in the frame.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of furniture, and has for its
objective the creation of upholstered chairs and convertible sofas
where basic support for body weight and pressure lies in the
provision of air-filled seats and back rest cushions, with
provision made for the temporary displacement of a portion of the
air contained in the seat and backrest cushions when weight is
applied, such as by a seated body, and for the return of the
displaced air into the respective cushions when the weight is
removed, thereby returning the chairs and sofas to their normal and
original shape and resiliency. The provision for the temporary
displacement of a portion of the air contained in the cushions
provides for greater ease and comfort to the seated to reclining
person than is possible with merely the compression, under
pressure, of all of the contained air in the cushions, without
temporary escape, in which event an uncomfortable resistance to the
body weight may be experienced.
2. Prior art
In the present state of the art there are to be found numerous
forms of air cushions and mattresses. Some of these structures
provide for inflation as a single unit, so that, when pressure is
applied to the unit, as by a seated or a reclining body, the
contained air merely compresses, and in some instances is forced
from the weighted area to an unweighted one, with the greatest
compression and cavity beneath the greatest weight, obviously not
uniformly, with the result that the air cushion or mattress assumes
a grotesque shape and, with the shifting of the weight, becomes
wobbly and uncomfortable. In some other known forms the inflatable
portion of the cushion or mattress has been subdivided by
partitions into pockets, requiring each pocket to be in dividually
inflated. Wobble, and shift of compresed air, by changes in weight
distribution is thus restricted, but in view of the fact that the
air is confined in smaller pockets, the air becomes resistant to
compression when weight is applied, since it remains confined in
the pockets, limiting resiliency of the cushion or mattress and
thereby reducing comfort of the user. In still other forms chairs
and recliners have been made solely of a vinyl material, with the
entire structure, including the base, inflatable with air. With the
application of body weight such as when a person sits or reclines
on the chair or sofa, there is not only compression of air in the
weighted areas but displacement, as well, into other portions,
including the base, frequently causing the chair or sofa to topple
over or, or, at best, to provide uncomfortable support. In all of
these forms, it is to be noted, no provision is made for the
temporary displacement of a portion of the contained air into an
area not subject to pressure from the applied weight, such as an
auxiliary reservoir adapted to accomodate air only under pressure,
thereby avoiding the discomfort of overcompression of the air
contained in the cushion or sofa, and attendant disadvantages.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The aforementioned disadvantages are overcome by my invention which
provides, in one form, for an upholstered chair of which the seat
cushion and back rest cushion are formed of inflatable material,
overlaid by standard supporting materials, such as foam rubber and
upholstery material, with provision below the seat for a chamber
containing air springs or bellows, one in air communication with
the seat cushion and one with the back rest cushion, and acting as
temporary air reservoirs, whereby weight applied, respectively, to
the seat or back rest will cause temporary displacement of a
portion of the compressed air into the respective air spring, or
communicating reservoir, and whereby, with the removal of the
weight, the displaced air will be forced back into the respective
seat and back rest cushion, to return them to their original shape.
In another form my invention comprises a convertible sofa, which is
convertible into a bed, of similar construction and function but
comprised of two or three seat cushions secured together and a
similar number of back rest cushions, similarly secured together,
on a frame large enough to support them, with the supports for the
seat cushions and the back rest cushions adjustable from a position
at an angle to one another to a position of lying on the same
plane, so as to provide a bed surface.
It is therefore the principal object of my invention to provide an
air chair or convertible sofa wherein the body supporting portions
are filled with air, with provision for temporary displacement of
portions of the air, underpressure, to communicating air
reservoirs, or air springs, to be returned to the body supporting
portions upon removal of the pressure.
A second important object of my invention lies in the provision of
an air chair or convertible sofa wherein the resiliency or buoyancy
of the body supporting portions is adjustable to any degree of
firmness or softness, dependent upon the amounts of air
introduced.
A third important object of my invention lies in the provision of
an air chair or convertible sofa as above described, wherein the
shifting of body weight will cause an even distribution of air
displacement from the seat or body rest cushion
Still another important object of my invention lies in the
provision of a convertible sofa as above described, wherein the
back rest portion can be lowered to lie level with the seat portion
so as to form a bed.
Yet another important object of my invention lies in the provision
of an air chair or convertible sofa which is economical to produce
and simple to prepare for use.
These and other salient objects, advantages and functional features
of my invention, together with the novel features of construction,
composition and arrangement of parts, will become more readily
apparent from an examination of the following description, taken
with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side, cross-sectional view of an air chair made in
accordance with my invention;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on lines 2--2 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view, taken on lines 3--3 of FIG.
1;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged view, in section, showing construction of one
of the air springs or reservoirs disposed below the chair seat and
within the chair framework;
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of a convertible sofa made
according to my invention;
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view, taken on lines 6--6 of FIG.
6;
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view, taken on lines 7--7 of FIG.
6;
FIG. 8 is an enlarged side perspective view of one of the cushions,
partly broken away to show inner construction; and
FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 of a modified form of
construction.
Similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout the
different views.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF FIRST EMBODIMENT
Illustrative of the embodiment shown by FIGS. 1-4, there is shown
an air chair 10 comprising a frame 12, preferably of wood, although
other suitable materials may serve as well, on which are secured a
seat cushion 14 and a back rest cushion 16, both of the cushions 14
and 16 formed of flexible material, such as rubber, vinyl plastic
or the like, defining internal chambers adapted to be filled with
air, as shown in FIG. 1. The frame 12 is formed with an enclosed
base 18 defining a chamber 20, with the roof 22 of the base 18
forming the support for the seat cushion 14 and the enclined back
24 forming, with a rear wall 26 a wedge-shaped chamber 28
connecting with chamber 20, and the back 24 forming the support for
the back rest cushion 16. Arm rests 30 are provided for the sides
of the frame 12. The top surfaces of seat cushion 14 and back
cushion 16 are formed with an integral layer of foam rubber 32, to
give body and resiliency to these members and provide a resilient
support for the chair occupant, with the seat cushion 14 and back
cushion 16, as well as other portions of the chair 10 thereafter
covered with upholstery material (not shown), as is well known in
the art. The seat support 22 is provided with a central opening 34
in registry with an opening 36 leading into the interior of seat
cushion 14, and through the opening 34 there is disposed a flexible
plastic tube 38 which is engaged, at its upper end, to the seat
cushion opening 36 and at its other end to an air spring or
reservoir 40, mounted on a support member 40a and disposed in the
base chamber 20, to provide air communication between the interior
of the seat cushion 14 and the air spring 40. The air spring 40 is
preferably made of plastic material and in the form of a bellows
adapted to expand and contract in accordance with air pressure and
tension, as will be hereinafter described. Referring particularly
to FIGS. 2 and 4, the air spring 40 is supported in a horizontal
position and is reciprocally mounted on a pair of guide rails 42,
secured to the front and rear wall of the base 18, by means of a
plate 44 secured to the free end of the air spring 40 and which is
provided with adjustable lugs 46 through which the respective guide
rails 42 pass. A cable 48 is secured to each of the lugs 46 and
extends to the rear of base 18, to encicle and ride in a pulley 50
which is mounted on the rear wall 26 of the base 18, the other end
of each cable 48 being attached to a spiral tension spring 52,
whose other end is secured to the front wall 54 of the base 18, the
spring 52 being so tensioned as to force the air spring 42 into a
contracted state, as shown in FIG. 4, but extensible to permit
selective expansion of the air spring 40 when air is forced into it
from the seat cushion 14 through communicating tube 38. Air is
introduced into, and may be expelled from, the seat cushion 14
through an air line 56 leading into the tube 38 from an air valve
58 disposed in arm rest 30.
Air is similarly introduced into, and may be expelled from, the
back cushion 16 by its engagement, through opening 60 in the
inclined back 24 of the chair 10, to a plastic tube 62 which, in
turn, is secured to an air spring or reservoir 64, mounted on a
support member 64a and disposed in the chamber 20, as shown in
FIGS. 2 and 3, the air spring 64 being of similar construction as
the air spring 40, but smaller in diameter since less body pressure
is generally applied to the back of the chair than to its seat, and
the air spring 64 being similarly mounted and reciprocatively
extended and contracted as by guide rods 42 through lugs 40 of end
plate 44, with cables 48 attached to lugs 44 and spiral tension
springs 52 around pulleys 50. The tube 62 is disposed in chamber 28
which opens into chamber 20. Air is introduced into the back
cushion 16 by an air line 66 providing communication between the
tube 62 and an air valve 58 seated in arm rest 30.
As shown by FIGS. 8 and 9, the seat cushion 14 and back cushion 16
may either be formed with horizontal stays 68 and vertical stays 70
of flexibility, to provide shaping structure for the seat and back
cushions 14 and 16, as shown in FIG. 8, or the interiors may be
filled partially with foam rubber or other porous material enabling
air to pass freely around and through the material, as seen in FIG.
9.
Referring now to the modified embodiment shown by FIGS. 5-7, there
is shown a three-sectional, or three-seater, convertible sofa 72 (a
two-section recliner sofa is likewise within the scope of the
invention), only a portion deemed sufficient to disclose structure
and operation being shown by the figures, the construction and
disposition of the seat cushions 14 and back cushions 16, and their
respective air springs 40 and 64, as well as the structures for
expansion and contraction of the latter being identical with those
shown in the first embodiment, except that the seat cushions 14 are
secured together as a unit, and the back cushions 16 are likewise
secured together as a unit, and tubes 62a, uniting the back
cushions 16 with their respective air springs 64, being
bellows-shaped, for reasons to be hereinafter disclosed.
The convertible sofa 72 comprises a framework 74 formed of a base
or seat section 76 and a back or support section 78, which are
pivotally secured together at their abutting edges as by hinges
(not shown) secured around a central axle 80, as is well known in
the art. The base section 76 is provided with arm rests 82 having
semi-circular rear surfaces extending into channels 86 acting as
guides and retainers for projections (not shown) extending
therethrough from the sides of the back section 78, permitting
rotation of the back section 78 from its position as shown by the
solid lines of FIG. 5 to the position shown by the broken lines of
the FIG. 5, the rear surface 88 of back section 76 being so formed
as to have its bottom portions 90 abut against the back of the base
section surface 98, to support the back section 76 with its
cushions 16 level with cushions 14, thereby to define a sleeping
surface from both cushions 14 and 16. The projections (not shown)
extending from the sides of back section 78 terminate in lock
members 92 adapted to lock within slots 94 in the arm rests 82,
when the back section 78 is raised, as shown by the solid lines of
FIG. 5, to serve as a sofa instead of a bed. The back section 78 is
further provided at each end with a leg 100 pivotally mounted
thereon and adapted, when the back section 78 is lowered, to pivot
gravitationally to a vertical position to support the back section
78, as shown in FIG. 5.
As is to be noted, plastic tube 62a connecting each back cushion 16
with its respective air spring 64, is bellows-shaped, permitting it
to flexibly conform to the shape required when the back section 78
is raised and when it is lowered. Air lines 56 connect each of the
tubes 38 and 62a to an individual air valve 58, with all six valves
mounted in a panel fitted into one of the arm rests 82, and
individually designated with respect to the cushion 14 or cushion
16 to which it functions.
OPERATION OF THE INVENTION
In the utilization of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4, the cushions 14
and 16 are inflated through their respective air valves 58, either
by a manual pump or by an air compressor, to the selected air
pressure required to fill the cushions 14 and 16 to a firm buoyancy
while retaining their respective air springs 40 and 64 contracted,
due to the tension imposed by the springs 52, so that the
introduced air remains almost entirely within the cushions 14 and
16. When pressure is applied to these cushions 14 and 16, as by the
weight of a seated body, air is forced thereby out of the cushions
14 and 16, in accordance with the amount of pressure applied,
forcing a portion of the contained air to escape into the
respective air springs 40 and 64, thereby extending them against
the tension of the springs 52, and providing a comfortable
resiliency to the seat and back cushions 14 and 16. When the
weights are removed, as when the seated person arises, the release
of the weight permits the springs 52 to force the displaced air
from the air springs 40 and 64 back into the respective cushions 14
and 16, thereby restoring them to normal firmness and shape.
The convertible sofa 72 is similarly inflated with air introduced
into seat cushions 14 and back cushions 16, for use as a sofa. When
it is desired for use as a bed the lock members 92 are released and
the back section 78 lowered to the position shown by the broken
lines of FIG. 5, with the feet 100 falling into place to support
the back section 78.
It is to be noted that while same has not been described, provision
may be made, as by removeable panels, for ready access to the
interior chambers 20 and 28 of the air chair 10, and the
corresponding chambers in the convertible sofa 72. It is also to be
noted that while the seat cushions and back cushions are disposed
as units, they are not attached to one another, although securely
fixed. They may, however, be removeably secured together as by
snaps or zippers, as is well known in the art.
Further modifications are to be considered as within the scope of
the invention. For example, the air lines 56 and 66 in both the
chair 10 and sofa 72 may be coupled to a single air valve 58, for
simultaneous inflation of both the cushions 14 and 16. In the
embodiment of FIGS. 1-4 the chamber 20 housing the air springs 40
and 64 may be entirely behind the back rest 24. In the embodiment
of FIGS. 5-7 the convertible sofa 72 may be constructed as a bed,
in that the seat section 76 and back or support section 78 may be
constructed as a single, rigid framework forming a flat level
surface for the cushions 14 and 16.
As is therefore apparent, from the foregoing, the embodiments shown
and described are by way of illustration and not of limitation, and
that various changes may be made in the construction, composition
and arrangement of parts without limitation upon or departure from
the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing any of the
advantages thereof inherent therein, all of which are claimed.
* * * * *