CA1112377A - Furniture unit - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
The invention relates to a furniture unit comprising a bed convertible into a seat. The unit comprises a flexible cover containing a deformable filling material such as plastics granules and comprises closure means defining a separates seat portion and a separate bed portion. When the unit is in use a bed all the filling material is containing within the bed portion of the outer cover but the redundant seat portion remains attached and is conveniently stored in a pocket of the bed. When the unit is in use as a seat all the filling material is contained within the seat portion of the outer cover but the redundant bed portion remains attached and is conveniently held in place by a flap.

Description

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1 This invention relates to a Eurniture unit.
More particularly this invention relates to a furniture unit of a type which comprises an outer cover of a flexible material such as a -textile or plastics material and an inner filling material which is deformable, for example, plastics ~ranu]es or textile remnants.
This type of furni~ure unit has conventionally been used as a seat. In use the inner filling material adapts to the shape of the person using the seat.
The present invention relates to a modification of the type of furniture unit which is adapted for dual use as a seat and as a bed.
Accordingly the present invention provides a furniture unit comprising an outer'flexible cover and an inner, deformable filling material, the cover being provided with closure means adapted to define a seat portion and a bed portion, whereby when the furniture unit is in use as a bed the filling material is contained within the bed portion of the cover and the seat '~
portion is redundant but remains attached and when the furniture unit is in use as a seat the illing material is contained within the seat portion of the cover and the bed portion is redundant but remains attached.
' The furniture unit according to the invention comprises an outer flexible cover which may be of any suitable material such as plas~ics or textile materials which are conventionally used as upholstery,materials. ' The cover is provided with an ' opening which may conveniently be provided in the bed portion of the cover through which the whole unit is originally illed ~ wi~h a filling'materialO The opening may be closed by a zip ~, 3~ or like fastening device. ' . ' '.

~ J'7 1 The inner filling material may be any filler or stuffing material conventionally used in -furniture units o~
this type. I~ is desirable for the illing material to have characteristics which enable easy transEerence of the material from the bed portion to the seat portion and vlce versa. Plastics granules especially polystyrene granules have been found to be particularly suitable for this purpose.
The closure means may be any suitable means for dividing the cover into its two portions, such as pr~ss studs -or a zip. However~ according to a preferred embodiment of the invention the closure means is provided by a self~sealing closing material. For example, two strips of such a material may be arranged on opposite sides of the internal surface of the cover and may be pressed into mutual contact to provide a sealing line.
The volumes of the two portions of the furniture unit must be substantially identical since the same volume of filling material is a variable whether the unit is in use as a bed or as a seat. As will be appreciated the unit is adapted for alternative use as a bed or seat, and may not be used simultane-ously as bo-th a bed and seat.
The seat portion of the unit may be simply a round or square bag but according to a preferred embodiment the seat portion is made in the form of an armchair comprising a seat~
a back and side arm rests with the seat being raised from the floor.
The bed portion o the unit is elongated and preferably has the shape of a conventional airbed or mattress~

When the unit is in use as a hed the empty and .redundant seat portion can be simply tucked under the bed.

1 Alternatively a pocket can be provlded in which the redundant seat portion .is held.
When the unit is in use as a chair the empty and redundant bed is preferably tucked away under the chair and may be held in place by a flap~
In order to transform the unit from a bed to a seat the closure means are opened and the filling material is shakan from the bed portion to the seat portion. When all the filling material i5 contained within the seat portion the closure means 1~ are closed, the redundant bed portion is tucked away under the seat and the unit is ready for use as a seat~ The reverse procedure is adopted to convert the uni-t from a seat into a bed.
The invention is further illustrated by the drawings which accompanied the provisional specification in which:
Figure 1 shows the furniture unit according to the invention in use as a bed;
Figure 2 shows a first stage in the transformation of the unit from a bed to a chair;
Pigure 3 shows a second stage in the transfoxmation:

2~ and Figure 4 shows the furniture unit in use as a chair.
Figure 1 illustrates the unit in use as a bed with a bed portion 1 filled. The bed portion 1 is provided at one .
end 4 with an opening (not shown) closable by a zip for originally filling the unit, and at the opposite end with : :
closure means 3 separating the bed portion 1 from a seat portion 2. In Figure 1 the seat portion 2 is redundant and is tucked under the bed portion.
In Figure 2 the redundant seat portion 2 has ~een removed from under the bed portion 1 preparatory to transforming

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1 the unit from a bed to a seat.
In Figure 3 the closure means 3 has beerl opened and the filling material (not shown) is shaken from the bed portion 1 to the seat portion 2. When all the filling material is contained in the seat portion 2 the closure means 3 are closed and the redundan-t bed portion is then folded and held in place by means of a flap 5 located on the unders:ide 6 of the seat portion.
In Figure 4 the transformation is complete with the unit in use as a seat with the bed portion being tucked out of si~ht under the seat portion 2 and held in place by ~ .
the flap ~ (not shown). The seat unit comprises a seating section 7, a back 8 and arm moundings 9.
The unit can, if desired, also include a loose cover which is removable for cleaning.
The unit according to the invention thus provides a convenient chair and bed which is simple to manu~ac-ture and which is economical in terms of both money and space.

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Claims (8)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A furniture unlt comprising an outer inflatible flexible cover, said cover comprising a seat portion and a separate and distinct bed portion connected to one end of said seat portion, a passage communicating with the interior of said bed and seat portions, deformable filling material in said cover movable between said seat and bed portions, and selectively operable closure means in said passage for closing said passage to prevent movement of said filling material from one portion to the other portion.

2. A furniture unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the deformable filling material comprises plastics granules.

3. A furniture unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein the plastics granules are polystyrene granules.

4. A furniture unit as claimed in claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein the closure means is provided by a self-sealing closing material.

5. A furniture unit as claimed in claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein the seat portion is in the form of an armchair comprising a raised seat, a back and side arm rests.

6. A furniture unit as claimed in claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein the bed portion is elongated.

7. A furniture unit as claimed in claims 1, 2 or 3, further comprising a pocket for storing the seat portion when the seat portion is deflated.

8. A furniture unit as claimed in claims 1, 2 or 3, further comprising a flap for holding the bed portion in position when the bed portion is deflated.