GB2226237A

GB2226237A - A domestic upholstered seat

Info

Publication number: GB2226237A
Application number: GB8926585A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stuart John Lecomber
Original assignee: J J Le Comber & Son
Current assignee: J J Le Comber & Son
Priority date: 1988-12-23
Filing date: 1989-11-24
Publication date: 1990-06-27
Also published as: GB8926585D0

Abstract

A domestic upholstered seat has at least one removable, height adjustable head support or other removable back support extension (20) positioned on a back support (18) of a seat. In a preferred embodiment, a high back cushion rests against the back support and extends upwardly in front of the detachable support. The detachable support overcomes the problem of transporting high-backed seats through door-ways. <IMAGE>

Description

A Domestic UPholstered Seat The present invention relates to a domestic upholstered seat, for example a domestic upholstered chair, sofa or sofa bed for use in the home.

Hitherto, the backs of such seats have been limited in height to enable the seat to be passed through a door-way of a room in a house, the door-way being of average width (substantially 25 to 27 inches wide) (substantially 635mm to 686mm wide).

The present invention seeks to provide a remedy.

Accordingly the present invention is directed to a domestic upholstered chair, sofa, sofa bed or other domestic upholstered seat having at least one removable head support or other removable back support extension positioned on a back support of the seat.

Preferably, a high-backed cushion rests against the back support and extends upwardly and in front of the or each head support or other back support extension.

Advantageously, the height of the back support is substantially 27 inches (686mm) or less, to enable it to be passed through a doorway of a room in a house.

In the event that the seat is narrower than such a doorway, it can usually be passed therethrough in its normal upright orientation. Therefore, the invention is especially applicable to seats which have an overall width exceeding 27 inches (686mm).

The or each head support or other back support extension may be upholstered to match the rest of the seat.

The overall height of the back of the seat is preferably adjustable by making the height of the or each head support or other back support extension above the back support adjustable.

The or each head support or other back support extension may be provided with one or more straight downwardly extending elongate members resting in corresponding holes or recesses in the back support.

Preferably, the or each elongate member is provided with an adjustable abutment member which may be fixed at any selected one of a plurality of positions spaced apart along the length of the elongate member, the abutment member resting against the top of the back support so that adjustment of the position of the or each abutment member on its associated elongate member adjusts the height of the head support or other back support extension.

With such a seat, the or each abutment member may comprise a ring which slidably engages the associated elongate member, and a tightening screw to fix the ring in a selected position on the elongate member.

Preferably, the height of the back support and the back support extension combined is greater than 27 inches (686mm).

An example of a domestic upholstered seat made in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of such a seat; Figure 2 is a similar view of such a seat with parts thereof removed for the sake of clarity; and Figure 3 shows on a larger scale a perspective exploded diagrammatic see-through view of part of the seat shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figures 1 to 3 show a sofa bed 10 which is about 72 inches (1829mm) wide and which comprises a base 12 which is unfoldable in a conventional manner to provide a bed, respective arm rests 14 at the ends of the sofa bed, substantially horizontal seat cushions 16 supported on the base portion 12 below and between the arm rests 14, an upright back support 18, two head supports 20 removably and adjustably attached to the back support 18, and two high backed generally upright cushions 22 which extend in front of the back support 18 and the head supports 20.

Each head support 20 is mounted on two downwardly extending metal or metal alloy tubular portions 24.

Figure 3 shows more readily how this is effected. The interior framework of the back support 18 comprises a thick substantially horizontal cross-strut 26 through which four generally upwardly extending holes 28 are bored (only one of which is shown in Figure 3), through which extends a tubular portion 30 having an outwardly extending flange 32 at its upper end. The flange 32 is screwed to the strut 26 by means of screws 34 which extend through holes in the flange 32.

The upholstery surrounding the frame of the back support 18 extends between the flange 32 and the strut 26 of the frame, so that the upper end of the tubular portion 30 is accessible from above.

The tubular portion 24 of each head support 20 is of slightly smaller diameter than the tubular portion 30 of the back support 18, so that the former tubular portion is telescopically slideable within the latter tubular portion. Each head support tubular portion 24 is provided with a ring 36 on its outside which may be slid up and down and fixed in any selected position along the tubular portion 24 by means of a thumb screw 38. The part of the head support tubular portion 24 which is below the ring 36 may then be inserted into the tubular portion 30 of the back support, and the head support 20 lowered until the ring 36 abuts the flange 32. It will thus be appreciated that adjustment of the ring 36 along the tubular portion 24 of the head support 20 will alter the height of the latter above the back support 18, by as much as 12 inches for example.

The tubular portions 24 of each head support 20 may be fixed together by means of a metallic cross-strut 40 to which is fixed a wooden frame 42 by means of screws 44. The wooden frame 42 may then be upholstered to match the upholstery of the back support 18.

It will be readily apparent from the foregoing description that the sofa bed may be passed through the door-way of average domestic width by removing the high back cushions 22 and lifting the head supports 20 away from the back support 18 to reduce the overall height of the back of the sofa bed. The latter may now be rotated through 900 and passed through such a door-way end first.

Whilst the present invention has been shown embodied by way of example in a sofa bed, it will be readily apparent that it could readily be embodied in a chair or sofa or any other domestic upholstered seat.

Furthermore, numerous variations and modifications to the illustrated sofa bed will be readily apparent to the person skilled in the art without taking the seat outside of the scope of the present invention. For example, the ring 36 may be omitted and the tubular portion 30 of the back support may be made closed at its lower end so that the height of the head-support 20 above the back support 18 is determined by the amount of the tubular portion 24 that projects above the flange 32 when the bottom end of that portion abuts the closed end of the tubular portion 30 of the back support.

It will be appreciated that what has been referred to as a head support 20 in the foregoing description with reference to the drawings, may be at shoulder height for a tall person. Even for such a person, however, the head support 20 would constitute a back support extension for a sofa bed 10. In a modified construction, such an extension may be intended to do no more than support the shoulders of a person of average height.

Claims

1. A domestic upholstered chair, sofa, sofa bed, or other domestic upholstered seat having at least one removable head support or other removable back support extension positioned on the back support of the seat.

2. A seat according to claim 1, in which a high back cushion rests against the back support and extends upwardly and in front of the or each head support or other back support extension.

3. A seat according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the height of the back support is substantially 27 inches (686mm) or less.

4. A seat according to any preceding claim, in which the or each head support or other back support extension is upholstered to match the rest of the seat.

5. A seat according to any preceding claim, in which the height of the or each head support or other back support extension above the back support is adjustable.

6. A seat according to any preceding claim, in which the or each head support or other back support extension is provided with one or more straight downwardly extending elongate members received in corresponding holes or recesses in the back support.

7. A seat according to claim 6, in which the or each elongate member is provided with an adjustable abutment member which may be fixed at any selected one of a plurality of positions spaced apart along the length of the elongate member, the abutment member resting against the top of the back support so that adjustment of the position of the or each abutment member on its associated elongate member adjusts the height of the head support or other back support extension.

8. A seat according to claim 7, in which the or each abutment member comprises a ring which slidably engages the associated elongate member, and a tightening screw to fix the ring in a selected position on the elongate member.

9. A seat according to any preceding claim, having a width which exceeds 27 inches (686mm).

10. A seat according to claim 9, in which the height of the back support and the back support extension combined is greater than 27 inches (686mm).

11. A domestic upholstered seat substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.