GB2150428A

GB2150428A - Furniture

Info

Publication number: GB2150428A
Application number: GB08429406A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jan Triska
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-11-22
Filing date: 1984-11-21
Publication date: 1985-07-03
Also published as: GB8429406D0; IT1214450B; FR2555152A1; FR2555152B1; IT8323807A0; DE3441601A1; GB2150428B

Abstract

A process for the manufacture of arm-chairs, sofas and similar padded articles of furniture comprises forming a framework comprising one or more mesh elements so shaped as together to define most of the desired final volume of the desired article of furniture and providing a padding layer, e.g. of spongy material, on at least a part of said framework. Preferably the mesh elements are formed from electrically welded metal grating and are removable for transportation and storage together with the padding.

Description

SPECIFICATION Furniture The present invention relates to the manufacture of arm-chairs, sofas and similar padded articles of furniture, as well as such articles of furniture.

Padded arm-chairs and sofas having a rigid supporting framework are already known. The framework is of wood, metal, plastics or the like, to which shaped padding elements made of rubber of the like are fixed so as to give the arm-chair or the sofa the desired shape, comfort and bulk.

This universally adopted technique provides articles of furniture which are slightly resilient, very heavy and therefore difficult to handle as well as being very cumbersome for storage and transport.

Moreover the total cost of the rigid framework and the parts designed to form the required volume with the relevent supports, is very high.

We have now found it possible to provide a lowcost process for the maufacture of arm-chairs, sofas or the like having a large bulk or volume and considerable resilience, while maintaining sufficient strucural rigidity.

In one aspect, the invention provides a process for the manufacture of arm-chairs, sofas and similar padded articles of furniture which comprises forming a framework comprising one or more mesh elements so shaped as together to define most of the desired final volume of the desired article of furniture; and providing a padding layer, e.g. of spongy material, on at least part of said framework. Sufficient padding is provided to give the desired bulk, comfort and shape of the article of furniture.

In another aspect, the invention provides a padded article of furniture which comprises a framework comprising one or more mesh elements so shaped as together to define most of the desired volume of the article of furniture, and a padding layer, e.g. of spongy material, on at least a part of said framework.

The use of the mesh elements to obtain most of the volume or bulk and resilience of the arm-chair, sofa or the like allows the use of the padding, e.g.

foamed material, to be limited compared to prior art techniques with a subsequent excellent effect on the resilience and comfort of the arm-chair, sofa or the like. The mesh elements are preferably in the form of electrically welded metal grating elements.

The use of an electrically welded metal grating to form the framework allows the selection of the optimum structural rigidity and flexibility of the framework. If desired, additional shaped tubes or rods having a larger diameter than the metal wire or rods of the grating may be used, e.g. at the edges and/or sides of the framework, to increase the structural rigidity of the framework. In this case the arrangement of the surface as well as the dimensions of the grating mesh define the flexibility and resilience of the front surfaces of the framework.

Arm-chairs, sofas or the like made according to the invention are very light and may be produced economically.

The mesh elements forming the framework of the arm-chairs, sofas and similar padded furniture may conveniently be fastened to each other by screws or bolts in pairs of connecting plates fixed to each element.

Each pair of connecting plates is fixed to a mesh of the grating element, the plates being opposed and joined together by a rivet or the like having at least one axially threaded hole.

This fastening method allows the elements to be fixed to each other in a very simple way and allows the elements to be padded and/or cloth-covered before they are fixed together.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure I is a perspective view of a framework of a sofa according to the invention with part of its back-rest lined with a padded layer; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a framework of an arm-chair according to the invention; Figure 3 is a perspective view and a cross-section of the grating from which the framework of the sofa and the arm-chair shown in Figures 1 and 2 is made; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the sofa obtained from the framework of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a perspective view of a pair of connecting plates before they are fixed to a grating mesh; Figure 6 is a perspective view of the pair of connecting plates of Figure 5, fixed to the grating mesh; and Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of two mesh elements fixed to each other by a screw threaded in the connecting plates shown in Figures 5 and 6.

With reference to the aforementioned Figures, embodiments of the process according to the invention first of all provide a framework made of an electrically welded metal grating having substantially similar shape as the desired final shape of the arm-chair or sofa and having a volume constituting the greatest part of the final bulk of the armchair or the sofa itself.

Such a framework is formed, preferably but not exclusively, by fixing together several box-like elements constituting the back-rest, the seat and the sides of the framework respectively. This allows the arm-chair or the sofa to be dismantled into various pieces which, together with the cushions, may be at least partly put one into the other to reduce the overall dimensions and therefore the costs of storage and transport.

According to their position and function in the framework, the box-like elements will have certain properties of structural and flexibility and superficial resilience which can be obtained by varying the structural parameters. For example, structural rigidity can be varied according to the shape of an element, in particular by introducing sharp edges or rounded features; by placing tubes or rods having a larger diameter than that of the grating wires at the edges and/or sides of the elements; by forming completely closed box-like elements or having one or more open sides; and so on.The flexibility of the furniture surface may be varied, for example, by modifying the mesh size and/or the diameter of the rods forming the grating; by creating surfaces of considerable surface complexity or by interrupting said surface with tubes or rods; or by forming at least a part of the element surface with open-mesh grating, instead of closedmesh grating.

The frameworks of the sofa and the arm-chair of Figures 1 and 2 are formed by the combination of different box-type elements constituting the backrest 1, the seat 2 and the sides 3, respectively.

The elements constituting the sides 3, which also act as legs, should have high structural rigidity and are therefore formed in a box-like shape closed on all sides and with sharp edges. The side elements 3 may have shaped rods at their edges and are formed from an electrically welded grating with very fine mesh size.

The element forming the seat 2 should have considerable structural rigidity and at the same time its upper surface should be highly flexible. For this purpose the side walls and the lower surface are made of an electrically welded grating with a fine mesh size bent with sharp edges, while the upper surface is formed by a tubular framework fixed to the side walls and supporting a wire net with springs.

The element constituting the back-rest 1 should have good superficial and structural flexibility and therefore its front surface has a considerable superficial development and is made of an electrically welded grating with a large mesh size. In particular, the grating mesh has a rectangular shape with its longer sides vertically oriented.

The element constituting the back-rest may have a box-like shape with open sides in order to allow the element to spring out of shape and to slightly lean backwards.

The framework is provided with a padding layer 5 made of spongy material with differentiated density in order that the desired final shape and volume are reached.

The padding layer is fixed to the mesh framework and is covered with cloth or equivalent material in a known way to give a final furniture component as shown in Figure 4.

The mesh elements forming the framework are fixed to each other by screws threaded through pairs of connecting plates fixed to each element.

With reference to Figures 5 to 7, a pair of con necting plates 6 are shown which may be fixed to a mesh opening of the grating 7 forming the ele ment, the plates 6 being opposed and joined together by a rivet 8 having a axially threaded hole 9.

The surface of the plates 6 is equivalent to that delimited by the sides 10 and 11 of the grating mesh and a groove 12 is provided on each of two opposite sides of plate 6. The grooves 12 in plate 6 cooperate with the wires or rods constituting the corresponding sides of the grating mesh.

In each pair of opposed plates 6, the grooves 12 of one plate cooperate with the verticle sides 11 of the grating mesh, while the grooves 11 of the other plate cooperate with the horizontal sides 10 of the same grating mesh.

When the grating meshes have a square shape, the two plates 6 are equal and placed at right angles to one another; when the grating meshes have a rectangular shape, the two plates 6 are different and the grooves 12 of one plate are provided on its longer sides while the grooves of the other plate are provided on its shorter sides.

Figure 7 shows two elements of the framework fixed together by means of a screw 13 threaded in connecting plates 6. In detail, at least a pair of plates 6 is fixed to each of the two elements to be joined. The plates 6 are fixed to each in such a way that, when the elements are in their fastening position, the rivets 8 of the corresponding pairs of plates 6 are coaxial. A screw 13 is then threaded through both rivets 8.

The connecting plates can also be used to fix accessories such as foam or similar to the framework.

The fastening method described above allows the framework of the furniture components to be a unit system and, if desired, the elements forming the framework may be padded and/or cloth-covered before fastening together.

As herein before described, the grating forming the framework elements may have fine or large mesh sizes; fine mesh sizes generally being in the range from 2 x 2 cm to 6 x 6 cm and preferably 4 x 4 cm, while larger mesh sizes are generally in the range from 2 x 4 to 6 x 12 cm and preferably are of 4 x 8 cm. The preferred diameter of the grating rods is from 0.5 to 4 mm, e.g. 2 mm.

The present invention allows articles of furniture to be manufactured for lower costs than for present techniques. The furniture of the invention incorporate structures having high resilience, reduced weight, high bulk or volume, good rigidity and properties of flexibility which can be chosen according to specific requirements.

The sofa and the arm-chair shown in the Figures are only two examples of furniture of the present invention, and the process can be used to manufacture a very wide range of arm-chairs, sofas, chairs, stools and similar padded furniture components.

Claims

1. A process for the manufacture of arm-chairs, sofas and similar padded articles of furniture which comprises forming a framework comprising one or more mesh elements so shaped as together to define most of the desired final volume of the desired article of furniture and providing a padding layer on at least a part of said framework.

2. A process according to claim 1, wherein the mesh elements are formed from an electrically welded metal grating, the rods or wires of which have a diameter of from 0.5 to 4 mm.

3. A process according to claim 2 wherein the rods or wires have a diameter of about 2 mm.

4. A process according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the element(s) of the framework is (are) obtained by forging or bending the mesh and has (have) a rounded shape with sharp edges, according to the required rigidity.

5. A padded article of furniture which comprises a framework comprising one or more mesh elements so shaped as together to define most of the desired volume of the article of furniture, and a padding layer on at least a part of said framework.

6. An article according to claim 5 wherein the mesh elements are formed from an electrically welded metal grating.

7. An article according to either of claims 5 and 6 wherein the mesh elements have a box-like shape with closed or open sides.

8. An article according to claim 7, wherein said box-like elements form the seat, the back-rest and the sides, respectively, of an arm-chair, sofa or the like.

9. An article according to either of claims 7 and 8, wherein said box-like elements have a tube or a rod of a diameter greater than that of the grating wires or rods at their borders or edges.

10. An article according to any one of claims 7 to 9 wherein one or more walls of said box-like elements have stiffening tubes or rods fixed to the grating.

11. An article according to claim 8, wherein the element forming the seat has an upper surface formed by a tubular framework provided with a wire net with springs fixed to the side walls of the element.

12. An article according to claim 8, wherein the element forming the back-rest has a box-like shape and the front surface is made of an electrically welded grating with a large mesh size.

13. An article according to claim 12, wherein the mesh size of the grating is from 2 x 4 cm to 6 x 12 cm.

14. An article according to either of claims 12 and 13 wherein the meshes of the grating have a rectangular shape with their longer sides vertically disposed.

15. An article according to claim 8, wherein the elements forming the sides of the arm-chair, sofa or the like have a box-like shape closed on all sides have stiffening tubes or rods at their borders, and are made of an electrically welded grating with a fine mesh.

16. An article according to claim 15, wherein the mesh size of the grating is from 2 x 2 cm to 6 x 6 cm.

17. An article according to any one of claims 5 to 16 wherein the elements forming the framework are fastened to each other by screws or bolts in pairs of connecting plates fixed to the meshes of each element.

18. An article according to claim 17, wherein the plates forming each pair of connecting plates are opposed and joined together by a rivet having at least one axially threaded hole, the surface of the plates being equivalent to that defined by the sides of the mesh, and a groove cooperating with the wires or rods of the mesh is provided on each of two oppositie sides of each of said plates.

19. An article according to any one of claims 5 to 18, wherein the elements forming the framework are removable and can be placed, together with the covering and the cushions, at least partly the one into the other for transportation and storage.

20. A process according to claim 1 substantially as herein described.

21. An article of furniture according to claim 5 substantially as herein described.

22. An article of furniture substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

23. Each and every novel process, article, method, apparatus, product and combination as herein disclosed.