U.S. patent number 3,822,078 [Application Number 05/275,098] was granted by the patent office on 1974-07-02 for furniture unit.
This patent grant is currently assigned to IP Industria Chimica Per L'Arredamento S.P.A.. Invention is credited to Pierluigi Spadolini.
United States Patent |
3,822,078 |
Spadolini |
July 2, 1974 |
FURNITURE UNIT
Abstract
Furniture unit consisting of a table having a circular top and a
central supporting column, and a plurality of chairs. The chairs
are defined by a shaped continuous wall having a height less than
that of the table top and having seat and back parts contained
within two inclined planes. The upper edges of the back parts are
arcuate and are preferably centered on a line of intersection of
the inclined planes, and have a radius substantially equal to that
of the table top.
Inventors: |
Spadolini; Pierluigi (Firenze,
IT) |
Assignee: |
IP Industria Chimica Per
L'Arredamento S.P.A. (Roma, IT)
|
Family
ID: |
11132807 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/275,098 |
Filed: |
July 25, 1972 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Jul 31, 1971 [IT] |
|
|
9632/71 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
297/140; D6/337;
297/DIG.2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47C
5/12 (20130101); A47B 83/0215 (20170801); Y10S
297/02 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47C
5/00 (20060101); A47C 5/12 (20060101); A47B
83/02 (20060101); A47B 83/00 (20060101); A47b
039/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;297/140,141,142,143,144,DIG.2 ;108/150 ;D6/42 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: McCall; James T.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Waters; Eric H.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A furniture unit comprising a table including a circular top and
a substantially central column supporting the latter, and a
plurality of chairs, each of said chairs having continuous wall
means defining respective seats, backs and supports, said column
having a reduced section substantially at the level of said seats,
the height of said backs being less than that of said table top,
whereby said chairs can be accommodated beneath said table top, the
upper edges of said backs being arcuate and having a radius not
larger than that of said table top, and the side edges of said
chairs being contained within two inclined planes, whereby said
chairs can be arranged around said column and beneath said table
top with said seats adjacent said reduced section of the
column.
2. The furniture unit as defined in claim 1, wherein said upper
edges of the backs are centered on a line of intersection of said
inclined planes, the radius of said upper edges being substantially
equal to that of said table top.
3. The furniture unit as defined in claim 1, wherein said chairs
include two flanges extending from said upper edges of the backs
and lying on opposite sides of said seats, said flanges defining
rear support means for said chairs, adjacent ones of said flanges
of two adjacent chairs being contiguous when the latter are located
beneath said table top.
4. The furniture unit as defined in claim 1, comprising six of said
chairs, said planes of the side edges being inclined by
60.degree..
5. The furniture unit as defined in claim 1, wherein said supports
in the wall means of said chairs include continuous walls defining
front wall portions and side wall portions, said front wall
portions being concave and displaced rearwardly of the front edges
of said seats, and said wall portions having a double curvature.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to furniture units including a table a
plurality of chairs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, there is provided a furniture
unit including a table, and a plurality of chairs each having a
seat part, the table comprising a circular table top, and a column
supporting the table top, the cross-section of the column being
reduced substantially at the level of the seat parts of the chairs,
and each chair comprising a continuous wall defining the seat part,
a back part, and a supporting parts, the height of the back part
being less than the height of the table top, whereby the chairs can
be accommodated beneath the table top, the upper edges of the back
parts being arcuate and having a radius not larger than that of the
table top, and the side edge of each chair being contained within
two inclined planes, whereby the chairs can be arranged around the
column and beneath the table top with the seat parts lying adjacent
the reduced section of the column.
The upper edges of the back parts can be centered on the line of
intersection of the plane and can have a radius substantially equal
to the radius of the table top.
Each chair can have two flanges extending from the upper edge of
the back part and lying on opposite sides of the seat part.
The supporting part of each chair can be formed by double curvature
front and side wall portions, the front wall portions being concave
in horizontal cross-section, and being located rearwardly with
respect to the front edges of the seat parts. The double curvature
of these wall portions serves to stiffen the continuous wall.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of
example only, with reference to the accompanying schematic
drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a table of a furniture unit in
accordance with the invention;
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the table;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary diametral cross-section of the table;
FIG. 4 is a front elevation of a chair of the furniture unit;
FIG. 5 is a plan view of the chair;
FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the chair;
FIG. 7 is a plan view partially in section showing several chairs
in position beneath the table table (three of them being visible in
the cut-away right-hand half of the table);
FIG. 8 is a section showing the arrangement of FIG. 7; and
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the unit showing some chairs
located beneath the table and one chair withdrawn from the
table.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a table of the furniture unit comprises a
central column 1 supporting a circular table top having a working
surface 3. Externally, the column 1 has a concave profile developed
so as to have a restricted section in an intermediate position
substantially at the level of the seat part of a chair 5. The lower
end portion of the column forms a base 1A, having a circular
profile, and the upper end portion of the column forms a rim 1B
engageable against an annular abutment 3A on the underside of the
table top to which the column can be firmly connected.
Along the outer surface of the column 1 extend tapered ribs 1C
which are enlarged at their end portions to be joined with the base
1A and the rim 1B. The column, as can be seen in FIG. 3, is hollow
and is formed by a relatively thin wall, which can be reinforced by
means of an intermediate partition 1E, which may be used as a
container. The table top can carry a pivot for a rotatable
disc-shaped tray.
The chair seatc is illustrated in detail in FIGS. 4 to 6, and is
formed with a continuous wall of a substantially uniform thickness
and shaped with rounded corners, projections and recesses so as to
define a back part 5A with a substantially horizontal upper edge
5B, provided with an outer arcuate convex rim 5B.sub.1. The back
part 5A is formed with a portion of large curvature joined to a
seat part 5C, whose development in plan cambers, form of an arc
also ceere long the lie 7,c has a convex front edge portion 5E of a
relatively large curvature and lateral edges 5E.sub.1. 79
From the edges 5E, 5E.sub.1 there extends a supporting and base
portion of the chair, which is in the form of a continuous wall
having portions of different curvature to define a front wall 5F
which is slightly concave with a double curvature, corner portions
5F.sub.1 flanking the front wall 5F and side walls 5F.sub.2 also
having a double curvature and being developed continuously from the
edges 5E.sub.1.
The side walls 5F.sub.2 carry, at their rear edges, relatively wide
flanges 5H which extend to the sides of the upper edge 5B of the
back part, the flanges 5H being divergent from one another and
being inclined rearwardly to ensure a firm supporting polygon for
the chair.
The sides of the chair are contained within inclined lateral planes
7A which intersect along a line 7B. When the table is to be used
with six chairs, as shown in one half of FIG. 7, where three of the
chairs appear, the planes 7 are inclined at 60.degree.; the center
of curvature of the rim 5B.sub.1 lies along the line 7B and the
lower edge of the front wall 5F is in the form of an arc also
centered along the line 7B, the radius of curvature of this latter
lower edge being not less than that of the base 1A of the column
1.
Of the described structures, at least those of the column 1 and of
the chair can be formed by means of a hot molding process, using
solid or expanded synthetic resins, or by means of other techniques
such as a cold molding process using a polyester resin subsequently
reinforced by glass fibers. The table top can also be formed using
any one of the foregoing processes, or by other processes.
According to the quality of the material, the thicknesses, the
chambers, the flanges and ribs can be differently accentuated. The
flanges 5H also impart strength to the side walls 5F.sub.2.
The height of the back part 5A is such that it can be accommodated
under the table top 3, the rim 5B being aligned with, or lying
slightly within, the peripheral edge of the table top when the
chair is inserted under the table. The front edge portion 5E of the
seat part 5C is arranged to lie adjacent the narrowest intermediate
zone of the column 1, and sid lower edge of the front wall 5F is
arranged to lie adjacent the edge of the base 1A. said chairs
69
Under these conditions six chairs can be accommodated under and
around the table, each occupying a volume contained within the
planes 7A inclined at 60.degree., the planes 7A containing the
lateral surfaces of the flanges 5H and the edges 5E.sub.1, and
extending tangentially with respect to the edge 5E.
The flanges 5H of two adjacent chairs arranged beneath the table
top are thus contiguous so as to form together a rounded rib, the
bottom portion of which can extend outwardly below the edge of the
table top. When the chairs are accommodated under the table top,
the unit occupies a space which is practically equal to the volume
bounded within the table top.
* * * * *