GB2098058A - Upholstered furniture - Google Patents

Abstract

An item of upholstered furniture, such as a chair, comprising integral heating means (7) and associated thermal insulation means. The heating means (7) can comprise electrical resistance coils contained in tubular supports, mineral insulated electrical resistance cables or conduits through which a heating medium can be passed. In one embodiment of chair, there is provided a canopy (3) provided with internal ducts (6) for conveying convected air therethrough from the heating means (7) which is associated with the seat (1) and/or the arms (2). A foot rest (8) contains a portion of the heating means (7) and is provided with apertures (9) in its upper surface for enhancing the upward flow of heat. A table (4) is hinged to one arm (2) and is provided with a skirt for sealing between the chair and floor, thereby excluding unwanted draughts. The thermal insulation means may comprise fibreglass matting wrapped around the contours of the furniture item beneath the outer fabric thereof. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Upholstered furniture This invention relates to items of furniture for sit ting, lying or reclining, such as, chairs, beds or set tees, hereinafter defined generally as "upholstered furniture". The invention is especially, but not exclu sively, related to a chair for combatting hypothermia in elderly people.

In accordance with the invention, there is provided an item of upholstered furniture, as hereinbefore defined, comprising integral heating means and associated thermal insulation means.

The heating means can take any convenient form, such as, electrical resistance coils contained in tubu lar supports, mineral insulated resistance cables, or radiator-type heaters with a hot or warm heating medium, such as, water or air, being passed through suitably shaped conduits. If the item of furniture is a chair, then the heating means may be located in or below the seat and/or within the arms. Also, an integral hood for the chair may be provided, in which case, ducts in the hood are used to convey convected air therethrough from another form of heating means in or in the region of the seat and/or arms.

Furthermore, the chair can be supplied with a foot rest into which the heating means extends, holes preferably being provided in the upper surface of the foot rest to enhance the flow of heat to the persons feet resting thereon from the associated portion of the heating means.

Although the normal upholstery of the item of furniture will provide some heat insulation, it is intended to provide additional forms of such insulation, such as, flexible fibreglass matting wrapped around the contours of the chair, bed or settee.

Indeed, any other suitable form of heat insulating material may be used for this purpose.

In order to enhance the visual appearance of the item of upholstered furniture, the outer surface of the heat insulating layer can be covered with a suitable decorative material.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood, a chair in accordance therewith will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a side view of the chair in partial cross section; Fig. 2 is a perspective front view of the chair of Fig.

1; Fig. 3 is a front view ofthe chair of Figs. 1 and 2 in partial section.

Figs. 4A and 4B are respective top views of an arm/seat portion and a table portion of the chair; Fig. 5 is a bottom perspective view of a portion of a canopy associated with the chair; and Fig. 6 is a general layout of heating means which can be incorporated in the chair.

Referring firstly to Figs. 1 to 3, a chair for combatting hypothermia in elderly people comprises generally a seat 1, a pair of arms 2, a canopy 3, a table 4, and an apron 14.

The seat 1 is in the form of a supported, upholstered squab and the arms 2 have internai heating ducts 5 which open at the upper surfaces thereof and lie in register with corresponding ducts 6 in the canopy 3. The ducts 5 receive convected air from heaters 7 in the arms 2 of the chair and ducts 6 can extend throughout the canopy 3 to provide an even heat distribution thereover.

The heater 7 is constituted by an electrical resistance coil contained within supporting tubing which extends downwardly from the upper region of each arm 2 to the respective lower region of the chair in an S-shaped configuration. The lower portion of the heater 7, at the base of the chair, has a configuration as shown in Fig. 6, although this arrangement may also or alternatively be located just below the seat 1.

Suitable means (not shown) for connecting the heater7 to an electric mains supply is provided at the rear of the chair.

The heater 7, at the base of the chair, extends forwardly within a foot rest 8 provided with an array of apertures 9 in its upper surface, in order to enhance the flow of heat to the feet of a person using the chair.

The table 4 has a skirt 10 extending downwardly along three sides thereof to the floor to provide a seal between the floor and chair for excluding draughts, the table itself being hinged at 11 to the right-hand arm 2 of the chair. Three casters 12 permit the table to be pivoted about the hinge 11 to allow access to the chair, the sides of the foot rest 8 being tapered slightly inwardly to permit such a pivoting movement of the table 4. A catch 13 is provided on the left-hand arm 2 for retaining the table 4 in its closed position, whilst the apron 14 can be fastened to the arms 2 and canopy 3, when in use, to ensure a flow of heated air for breathing by the occupant or fastened below the table 4, when not in use.

The interior of the canopy 3, which is detachable from the remaining components of the chair, is provided with an ionizer unit 15 and a strip light 16.

The heater 7 is formed integrally with the chair, whilst the sides of the arms 2, the back of the seat 1 and the sides and back of the canopy 3 are formed or lagged with a heat insulating material, such as flexible fibreglass matting. Such insulation reduces sub stantially the escape of heat from inside the chair to the atmosphere, whereby a person using the chair can be maintained at a suitable temperature for long periods at a greatly increased heat storage efficiency.

It has been found that a person using the chair, with the table 4 in its closed position and the apron 14 in use, can be maintained at a temperature of approximately 70C Fahrenheit, with a power rating for the heat 7 of less than 250 Watts.

Referring now to Fig. 4A, there is shown a perspective view of the seat assembly and arms 2 with the canopy removed, thus showing the ducts 5 extending upwardly from the heater in the arms. Fig. 4B is a top view of the table, showing the hinge 11 and three casters 12, together with the foot rest 8 and its inwardly tapered sides which permit the table to be pivoted into an open position permitting access to the chair.

The bottom view of the canopy 3 is shown in Fig.

5, wherein the heated air ducts 6 can clearly be seen.

Humidifier means (not shown) may be provided in the form of a reservoir of water placed beneath the seat 1 and open to permit evaporation of the water, in which case, a weighted skirt 17 is provided at the front of and below the seat 1, to provide access to such a reservoir.

The exterior of the chair may be covered in any suitable decorative material to enhance its visual appearance.

Although the heater 7 is in the form of electrical heating means, any suitable heater may be used. For example, hot circulating air can be employed, in which case, the heater 7 is replaced by air ducts, such as those extending through the canopy 3. Also, means may be provided for connecting these air ducts to a warm air-type central heating system.

It will be appreciated that, although the preferred embodiment of the invention described above is in the form of a chair, similar principles may be employed in connection with other items of upholstered furniture, for instance, beds and settees.

Also, it is to be understood that the arrangement and construction of certain components of the chair described above may be modified to suit particular situations and circumstances. For instance, the table 4 may be hinged to the left-hand arm 2 of the chair, as opposed to the right-hand arm, as described above, in which case, the catch 13 will then be located on the right-hand arm.

Claims (17)

1. An item of upholstered furniture, as hereinbefore defined, comprising integral heating means and associated thermal insulation means.

2. An item of upholstered furniture as claimed in claim 1, in which said integral heating means comprises electrical resistance coils contained in tubular supports.

3. An item of upholstered furniture as claimed in claim 1, in which said integral heating means comprises mineral insulated, electrical resistance cables.

4. An item of upholstered furniture as claimed in claim 1, in which said integral heating means comprises conduits through which a heating medium can be passed.

5. An item of upholstered furniture as claimed in any preceding claim, in which said thermal insulation means comprises fibreglass matting wrapped around the contours of the furniture item beneath the outer fabric th ereof.

6. An item of upholstered furniture as claimed in any preceding claim in the form of a chair, in which said integral heating means is located in or below the seat thereof.

7. An upholstered chair as claimed in claim 6, in which said heating means is located within the arms thereof.

8. An upholstered chair as claimed in claim 6 or 7 including acanopy provided with internal ducts for conveying convected airtherethrough from said heating means associated with the seat and/or arms, as the case may be.

9. An upholstered chair as claimed in claim 6,7 or 8 including a foot rest into which said heating means extends.

10. An upholstered chair as claimed in claim 9, in which the footrest has holes in its upper surface, to enhance the upward flow of heat from said heating means.

T1. An upholstered chair as claimed in any of claims Sto 10 including a table having a skirt extend ing dbwnwardly on three sides thereof, to provide a seal between a floor, upon which the chair can be stood in use, and the chair for excluding draughts.

12. An upholstered chair as claimed in claim 11, in which the table is hinged to one arm ofthe chair.

13. An upholstered chair as claimed in claim 12, in which the table has casters to enable the table to be pivoted about the hinge, thereby providing access to the chair.

14. An upholstered chair as claimed in claim 8 or in any of claims 9 to 13, when dependent upon claim 8, in which the canopy is provided with an ionizer unit.

15. An upholstered chair as claimed in claim 8 or in any of claims 9 to 14, when dependent upon claim 8, in which the canopy is provided with lighting means.

16. An item of upholstered furniture as claimed in any preceding claim including humidifier means.

17. An upholstered chair substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.