U.S. patent number 3,902,759 [Application Number 05/453,606] was granted by the patent office on 1975-09-02 for convertible easy chair.
Invention is credited to Maurizio Monteforte, Emilio Maras Picot.
United States Patent |
3,902,759 |
Monteforte , et al. |
September 2, 1975 |
Convertible easy chair
Abstract
A convertible easy chair structure comprising a number of
upholstered cushion members having a substantially parallelepiped
configuration. Each of the cushion members is provided with
coverings and connected in succession to adjacent ones of cushion
members by joining their respective coverings along a seam line
coincident with horizontal corner edges of the confronting faces of
the cushion members. The dimensions of said cushion members and the
seam line connections being such as to permit the folding of
respective cushion members to form an easy chair.
Inventors: |
Monteforte; Maurizio (Milan,
IT), Picot; Emilio Maras (Milan, IT) |
Family
ID: |
11175184 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/453,606 |
Filed: |
March 21, 1974 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
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|
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Mar 22, 1973 [IT] |
|
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20998/73 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
297/452.16;
5/12.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47C
17/045 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47C
17/00 (20060101); A47C 17/04 (20060101); A47C
007/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;297/118,456
;5/12,352,357 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Mitchell; James C.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Modiano; Dr. Guido Josif; Dr.
Albert
Claims
We claim:
1. A convertible easy chair structure comprising a number of
upholstered cushion members having a substantially parallelepiped
configuration, each of said cushion members being provided with
coverings and connected in succession to adjacent ones of said
cushion members by joining their respective coverings along a seam
line coincident with horizontal corner edges of the confronting
faces of said cushion members, wherein said cushion members all
have the same height and width, and when viewed laterally with
respect to the erected easy chair, comprise a first cushion member
of substantially square cross-section, a second cushion member of
rectangular cross-section, a third cushion member of rectangular
cross-section having a length which when added to the length of
said first cushion member equals the length of said second cushion
member, and a fourth cushion member of rectangular cross-section
such that by adding the length thereof and the length of said third
cushion member a dimension is obtained which equals the sum of the
lengths of said first and second members, said first, second and
third cushion members being joined together along horizontal corner
edges thereof which lay in a plane that does not include the seam
line between said third and fourth cushion members.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to easy chairs of the kind that can be
converted into beds or couches, and more particularly to a novel
type of convertible easy chair structure specially, but not
exclusively, suitable for modern style interior furnishing and
decoration.
There exists a growing demand in the furniture field for utility
items of a practical and versatile nature. Properly designed items
of furniture provide, in fact, for a more flexible and
non-specialized utilization of the room space available, e.g.,
through their employment in a number of different ways in the
course of a 24-hour day, in order to save space and/or solve a
variety of problems connected with housekeeping or the temporary
adaptation of a room to meet emergency requirements.
Moreover, when such items of furniture can be given different
comely shapes, they effectively contribute toward a personalized
character in interior architecture to suit a variety of tastes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention, in agreement with the above concept, provides a
convertible type of easy chair, which not only may be turned into a
bed or couch, but also be rearranged in a plurality of ways to take
a remarkable and unusual number of changed positions.
Another important object of the invention is to provide a
convertible easy chair structure which is both strong and
functional, requires no framing or rigid support members to
position or adjust its elements, and thereby to provide an
extremely simple structure, design-wise homogeneous, and easy and
quick to convert and reconvert.
A further object of the invention is to provide a convertible easy
chair, which can be manufactured easily and economically in large
quantities.
These and other objects, which will become apparent hereinafter,
are achieved by a convertible type of easy chair according to this
invention, characterized in that it comprises a number of
upholstered cushion members of substantially parallelepiped
configuration, each of which cushion members is connected
hinge-fashion to its adjacent cushion member or members at a seam
line running along horizontal corner edges of the confronting
parallelepiped faces, the dimensions of said cushion members and
the hinge connected edges thereof being such as to allow the
cushions to be folded up, thereby forming an easy chair.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
Further advantages and features of the invention will become
apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment
of the easy chair according to this invention, to be taken in
connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:
FIG. 1 is a pictorial representation of an easy chair according to
the invention;
FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the easy chair of FIG. 1; and
FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6 illustrate four different conversions of the
easy chair of FIG. 1 being obtained by rearranging the relative
positions of the cushion members.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
With reference to FIGS. 1 to 6, there is shown a number of
upholstered cushion members substantially in the shape of
parallelepipeds having the same height and width dimensions. Such
cushion members, when viewed laterally (i.e., as in FIGS. 2 to 6),
comprise a first cushion member 1 of substantially square
cross-section, a second cushion member 2 of rectangular
cross-section, a third cushion member 3, also of rectangular
cross-section, the length of cushion member 3 plus the length of
cushion member 1 being equal to the length of cushion member 2, and
a fourth cushion member 4 of rectangular cross-section, the length
of cushion member 4 when added to the length of cushion member 3
being equal to the added lengths of cushion members 1 and 2.
Cushion members 1, 2, 3 and 4 are interconnected by joining
together their coverings along one horizontally extending corner
edge of the confronting face of each adjacent cushion member. In
other words, cushion member 1 is joined to cushion member 2 along a
first seam line 5, cushion member 2 is joined to cushion member 3
along a second seam line 6, and cushion member 3 is joined to
cushion member 4 by a third seam line 7. Seam lines 5 and 6 lay in
a plane that does not include seam line 7. The cushion member
coverings are joined together as above by techniques such as
sewing, lacing, thonging, or means like rings, circular folds, or
zippers, all of which are well known in the art and ensure a
hinge-like type of connection.
In operation, thanks to the arrangement of the seam lines, 5, 6 and
7, and to the relative dimensions of the cushion members, it
becomes possible to position the four cushion members so as to
produce an easy chair configuration. In this condition, cushion
member 2 acts as a bottom or base portion of the easy chair,
cushion member 3 is the seat portion, cushion member 4 is the
backrest, and cushion member 1 serves as a support or filling
portion between members 2, 3 and 4, as is best shown in FIGS. 1 and
2. The resulting easy chair configuration owes its stability to the
mass and weight of the cushion members themselves. It is to be
noted, moreover, that the above structure, when viewed frontally,
exhibits a distinctly unitary appearance, there being no gap
portions left between adjacent cushion members, i.e., the base,
seat and backrest portions. In order to convert said easy chair
according to the invention into a couch or bed, it only requires
that the cushion members be extended and laid down onto a suitably
flat area (FIG. 5). FIG. 6 shows how a headrest may be provided
merely by folding up cushion member 1. This same easy chair
structure lends itself quickly to conversion into a deep chair or
lounge, simply by folding cushion member 4 under cushion member 3
to a desired extent, as shown by way of example in FIG. 4.
Furthermore, it is possible to rearrange the four cushion members
in a superimposed configuration or overlap disposition, thus
forming a large-size general purpose seating structure (FIG. 3),
whereon several people, e.g., guests in the house, are apt to be
accommodated at one time.
In actual practice, the materials used and the dimensions of the
structure described hereinabove may be any ones to suit different
requirements and individual preferences.
* * * * *