GB2402871A

GB2402871A - Modular seat with releasable seat cover.

Info

Publication number: GB2402871A
Application number: GB0314036A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Rosamund Margaret Best
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-06-17
Filing date: 2003-06-17
Publication date: 2004-12-22
Anticipated expiration: 2023-06-17
Also published as: GB0314036D0; WO2004112546A1; GB2402871B; EP1635674A1

Abstract

A modular type seat unit has a backrest (1) and a seat cushion (2) pivotably connected together via a hinge type of connection (34), the hinge may take the form of a gusset. The backrest and the seat cushion may be disposed in a first seat configuration with the backrest angled with respect to the seat cushion forming a seat. A cover sheet (40) is attached at one end (41) to the rear (36) of the backrest and extends over the front of the backrest , the upper part of the seat cushion and is releasably affixed to the cushion ( 42 / 43 ). The cover thereby retains the cushion and the seat back in a first configuration. The seat surface and the backrest may be generally convex and may be semi - cylindrical in shape. The backrest and the cushion may be arranged to form a pouffe. Additional seating components may be attached to the first seat component and are held in position using further covers (see fig 3 ). The additional seating arrangement may take the form of a chaise - longue.

Description

240287 1 i A seat unit The present invention relates to a seat unit and,

in particular, relates to a seat unit comprising a plurality of conjoined portions which can be selectively arranged in a plurality of different configurations including, for example, a seat configuration and a folded configuration. In some embodiments, a plurality of seat units according to the invention may be joined together and configured to form an extended piece of furniture, such for example, as a chaise-longue.

US-A-4518203 discloses convertible cushion furniture comprising four substantially parallelopipedal cushions which are arranged end-to-end, with each cushion being hinged to its neighbouring cushion(s), such that all of the hinges are substantially parallel. Three of the four cushions are of substantially the same size and shape, whilst the fourth cushion is approximately half the size each of the other three. A reverse face of the fourth half-size cushion is joined to two opposite sides of the middle cushion of the other three cushions by two adjustable length, elongated "tension members" (or straps).

According to US-A-4518203, the cushions may be arranged and releasably secured by means of the straps in a plurality of relatively angularly adjusted positions for forming different kinds of cushion furniture. In one position, two of the full-size cushions may be placed flat on the ground to form a seat-and-leg rest, with the third full-size cushion angled to the first and second cushions to form a back-rest. The fourth half-size cushion is folded over to lie flat against the third cushion, and the straps thus prevent rearward movement of the back-rest in use to retain the back-rest in its angled position relative to the seat-and-leg rest. The straps do not prevent forward movement of the back-rest.

The cushion furniture of US-A-4518203, and particularly the straps used for supporting the back-rest in use, have a practical appearance and are not particularly aesthetically pleasing. The convertible cushion furniture of US-A-451823 is apparently suitable for use "out-of-doors", e. g. for camping.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel seat unit.

A particular object of the present invention is to provide a seat unit which is aesthetically pleasing and is suitable e.g. for domestic use.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a seat unit which can be selectively arranged in a plurality of different configurations including a seat configuration.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a seat unit which can be releasably secured to one or more other similar seat units to provide further possible different configurations.

According to the present invention therefore there is provided a seat unit comprising a seat portion defining a seat surface having first and second opposite ends, a back-rest portion defining a back-rest surface having first and second opposite ends, hinge means for hinging the seat portion proximate one end of the seating surface to the back rest portion proximate one end of the back-rest surface, such that said seat and backrest portions can be arranged in a first seat configuration with the backrest and seating surfaces angled with respect to one another to form a seat, and a cover sheet that is connected or connectable at one end to the back-rest portion proximate the other end of said back-rest surface, and comprises first releasable securing means proximate another end, which first releasable securing means are adapted to cooperate with second releasable securing means on said seat portion proximate the other end of the seating surface for releasably securing the cover sheet to the seat portion, which cover sheet is configured to be selectively arranged to extend over the back-rest surface, and said seating surface, and releasably secured to said seat portion by said first and second releasable securing means, thereby to retain the seat and back-rest portions in said first seat configuration. Thus, in use, the cover sheet is anchored at one end to proximate the other end of the back-rest surface, and at the other end, proximate the other end of the seating surface, and serves to prevent rearward movement of the back-rest portion, thereby to support a user's back.

The cover sheet is preferably fixedly secured to the back-rest portion, and is releasably securable to the seating portion. The cover sheet extends over the seating surface of the seat portion, and thus, in use, is trapped between the seat portion and a user's legs and bottom, which thus serves to prevent slippage of the cover sheet over the seating surface in the unlikely event that the first releasable securing means may become detached.

Other than the cover sheet, which can be designed to match the back-rest and seat portions, the seat unit in accordance with the present invention does not require any other means for retaining the back-rest portion in position in use. In particular, the seat unit of the present invention does not require any straps or other tension members of the kind disclosed by US-A45 1 8203.

Said cover sheet may extend over a substantial portion of the back-rest and seating surface. Said cover sheet may be attached to the back-Ores" portion at or towards said other end of the back-rest surface, intermediate two opposite sides of the back-rest portion.

Preferably the back-rest surface is generally convex.

Preferably the seating surface is generally convex.

In some embodiments, each of said seating and back-rest surfaces may be substantially semi-cylindrical.

Advantageously, in the first seat configuration, the back-rest surface abuts the seating surface proximate the respective one end thereof which abutment serves to prevent forward movement of the back-rest portion in the first seat configuration.

Preferably each of the seat and back-rest portions comprises a substantially planar rear surface, and said hinging means are adapted to allow said seat and back-rest portions to be configured in a second folded configuration in which the respective rear surfaces of the seat and back-rest portions are mutually contiguous.

In some embodiments each of said seat and back-rest portions may be substantially semi-cylindrical, such that in said second folded configuration, the seat and back-rest portions may together form a cylinder. Said cylinder may be stood on one end for use as a pouffe.

Conveniently, said hinging means may comprise a gusset which can be extended in the first seat configuration to space the seat and back-rest portions one from the other, and can be folded between the seat and backrest portions in the second folded configuration.

Suitably, the back-rest portion may comprise third releasable securing means proximate said one end of the back-rest surface, which third releasable securing means are adapted to cooperate with the first releasably securing means on the cover sheet for releasably securing the cover sheet thereto; wherein said cover sheet can be selectively arranged to extend around the seat portion, over the seating surface, when the seat and back-rest portion are disposed in said second folded configuration, and secured to said third releasable securing means, thereby to retain the seat and back-rest portions in the second folded configuration.

In some embodiments, said seat portion may comprise a tab proximate said other end of the seating surface, said tab comprising fourth releasable securing means that are adapted to be releasably secured to the third releasable securing means on another similar seat unit for joining two seats together.

Thus, in another aspect of the present invention there is provided a chaise-longue comprising two seat units in accordance with the present invention, wherein one of the seat units can be selectively arranged in a third seat-and-leg rest configuration in which the seat and back-rest portion are disposed side-by-side in substantially the same attitude, and the other seat unit is arranged in the second folded configuration juxtaposed the seat portion of the one seat unit; the fourth releasable securing means of the one seat unit are releasably secured to the third releasable securing means of the other seat unit, thereby to join releasably the two seat units one to the other; the cover sheet of the other seat unit is arranged to extend over the seating surface of the seat portion of the other seat unit and the seating surface of the seat portion of the one seat unit, the cover sheet of the one sheet unit is arranged to extend over the back-rest surface of the back-rest portion and the seating surface of the seat portion of the one unit, and the first releasable securing means of the two cover sheets are adapted to be releasable joined to one another to retain the two seat units in a chaise- longue configuration.

Preferably the first releasable securing means of the two cover sheets of the one and other seat units are joined to one another over the seating surface of the seat portion of the s one seat unit such that, in use, the joint between the first releasable securing means of the two cover sheets is trapped under the legs and bottom of a user to resist slippage of the cover sheets rearwardly, thereby to retain the other seat unit in its desired position relative to one seat unit, forming a back-rest.

Conveniently each of said first, second, third and fourth releasable securing means may comprise a first joining element and a juxtaposed second cooperating element, which first joining and second cooperating elements are adapted to cooperate one another to form a releasable joint therebetween, whereby any pair of said first, second, third and fourth releasable securing means can be releasably secured together.

In some embodiments, each of said first, second, third and fourth releasable securing means may comprise a first strip of a "hook" type material and a juxtaposed second strip of a cooperating "loop" type material. Suitable "hook" and "loop" type materials are available commercially under the trade name "Velcro)".

The following is a description by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings of embodiments of the present invention.

In the drawings: FIG. 1 is a side view of a seat unit in accordance with the present invention in a first seat configuration.

FIG. 2 is another side view of the seat unit in accordance with the present invention in a second folded configuration.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of a two seat units in accordance with the present invention which are joined together and suitably configured to form a chaise-longue.

With reference to the FIG. 1, a seat unit 10 in accordance with the present invention comprises a seat portion 12 and a back-rest portion 14. Each of said seat and back-rest portions 12, 14 is of substantially the same size and shape as the other one. Thus, each of the seat and backrest portions 12, 14 has a substantially centrally cylindrical shape having a first semi-cylindrical surface 21, 22 and a substantially planar, rectangular second surface 23, 24. Each of said seat and back-rest portions 12, 14 further comprises two opposite semi-circular side walls 25, 26. (Only one side wall of each of the seat and back-rest portions 12,14 is visible in FIG. 1).

Each of the seat and back-rest portions 12, 14 comprises a cushion which can be made in any manner known to those skilled in the art. For example, each of the seat and back-rest portions 12, 14 may comprise a plurality of fabric panels which are stitched together to form an hollow interior, which hollow interior is filled with a suitable filling such for example as foam, the filling serving to give each cushion its shape as defined by the panels, and to provide a comfortably resilient body which is suitable for supporting a user as a piece of furniture, particularly a seat.

As best seen in FIG. 1, one end 31 of the seat portion 12 is fixedly secured to one end 32 of the back-rest portion by a rectangular piece of material 34 which serves as a gusset. The gusset 34 is dimensioned to allow the seat and back-rest portion 12, 14 to be arranged in a seat configuration as shown in FIG. 1 in which the planar surface 24 of the back-rest portion 14 extends substantially orthogonally to the planar surface 23 of the seat portion 12. In the seat configuration, the semicylindrical surfaces 21, 22 of the seat and back-rest portions 12, 14 abut one another proximate the one end 31, 32 at 35 to prevent forward movement of the back-rest portion 14 relative to the seat portion 12.

An elongate rectangular cover sheet 40 is fixedly secured at one end 41 to the other end 36 of the back-rest portion 14 intermediate the two side walls 26. In the seat configuration, the cover sheet 40 extends over a substantial portion of the semi-cylindrical surface 22 of the back-rest portion 14 and the semi-cylindrical surface 21 of the seat portion 12 as shown in FIG. 1 and is releasably secured at another end 43 to the seat portion 12 at 42 proximate the other end 37 of the seat portion 12 by any suitable releasably securing means. The semi-cylindrical surfaces 21, 22 of the seat and back-rest portions 12, 14 form a V-shaped recess therebetween, and the cover sheet 40 may be arranged to follow the contours of the surfaces 21, 22 into said recess.

Whilst any releasable securing device may be used for releasably securing the other end 43 of the cover sheet 40 to the seat portion 12, in some embodiments a "hook and loop" type fastener may be used.

Preferably the semi-cylindrical surface 21 of the seat portion 12, at 42, carries two juxtaposed strips, one of "hook" type material and the other of "loop" type material. An underside 44 of the cover sheet 40 at its other end 43 carries two complementary strips of "loop" and "hook" type material which are arranged to cooperate with the strips on the seat portion 12 for releasably securing the other end 43 of the cover sheet 40 thereto.

In the seat configuration, the seat unit 10 is configured to support a user in a seated position, with the user's bottom supported on the seat portion 12, and the user's back supported by the back-rest portion 14. The cover sheet 40 is thus trapped, or anchored, between the seat portion 12 and the user's bottom, thus reinforcing the joint between the cover sheet 40 and the seat portion 12 preventing slippage rearwardly of the cover sheet 40, and thus retaining the back-rest 40 in its angled position relative to the seat portion 12.

With reference to FIG. 2, the seat unit according to the present invention can be re arranged in a folded configuration. The releasable securing means on the other end 43 of the cover sheet 40 and on the semicylindrical surface 21 of the seat portion 12 at 42 are detached from one another, and the seat and back-rest portions 12, 14 are folded about the gusset 34 until the planar surfaces 23, 24 of the seat and back-rest portions 12, 14 abut one another. Conveniently, the gusset 34 may be folded between the opposing planar surfaces 23, 24. The cover sheet 40, which remains fixedly secured to the one end 36 of the back rest portion 14 at 41 is wrapped around the seat portion 12, with its underside 44 outermost. The one end 32 of the back-rest portion 14 carries a short rectangular tab 51 which is stitched to the back-rest portion 12 at substantially the same point as the gusset 34. The tab 51 carries releasable securing means, preferably two juxtaposed strips of "loop" and "hook" material of the kind described above, which are arranged to cooperate with the "hook" and "loop" strips of material on the other end 43 of the cover sheet 40 for releasably securing said other end 43 of the cover sheet 40 thereto, such that the cover sheet 40 is held tightly about the seat portion 12 for releasably securing the seat and back rest portions 12, 14 together in the folded configuration. In this configuration, the seat unit in accordance with the present invention has a more convenient shape for storage.

Furthermore, the semi-circular side walls 25, 26 of the seat and backrest portions 12, 14 cooperate to form two opposite, substantially circular surfaces. If desired, the seat unit in the folded configuration may be supported on one of the circular surfaces, and the other, opposite circular surface may be used to support a seated user, such that the seat unit in the folded configuration may be used as a pouffe.

At the other end 37 of the seat portion 12, the seat portion 12 carries a second tab of material which comprises two juxtaposed strips of "hook" and "loop" material for the purpose described below. In the folded configuration as shown in FIG. 2, said second strip 52 may be conveniently interposed between the two opposing planar surfaces 23, 24 of the seat and back-rest portions 12, 14.

It will be appreciated that two or more seat units 10 in accordance with the present invention, each arranged in the seat configuration as described above, may be positioned side-by-side to form a laterally extended seat such as a bench or sofa. In the folded configuration, said two or more seat units 10 may be stacked end-on-end in the manner of a column.

With reference to FIG. 3, two seat units 10, 10' according to the present invention may be configured as described below to form a chaise-longue 60. One of the seat units 10 is arranged with the seat and back-rest portions 12, 14 arranged side-by-side in substantially the same attitude, such that the planar rectangular surfaces 23, 24 of the seat and back- rest 12, 14 are substantially co-planar and may rest, for example, on a floor or other suitable flat surface. The other seat unit 10' is arranged substantially in its folded configuration as described above, with the seat portion 12' of the other seat unit 10' abutting the seat portion 12 of the one seat unit 10 at 65, whereby the one seat unit 10 in its extended configuration forms a seat-and-leg rest portion, whilst the other seat unit 10' forms a back-rest. The second tab 52 of the one seat unit 10 is arranged to extend outwardly from the seat portion 12, and the cover sheet 40' of the other seat unit 10' is detached from the first tab 51'of the seat unit 10'. The second tab 52 of the one seat unit is releasably secured to the first tab 51' of the other seat unit 10 in order to secure releasably two seat units 10, 10' together, one adjacent the other. The abutment of the other seat unit 10' on the one seat unit 10 serves to prevent the other seat unit 10' from moving forwardly with respect to the one seat unit 10.

The cover sheet 40' of the other seat unit 10' is arranged to extend from the other end 36' of the back-rest portion 14' of the other seat unit 10' over the semi-cylindrical surface 21'of the seat portion 12' of the other seat unit 10', and over the semi-cylindrical surface 21 of the seat portion 12 of the one seat unit 10. The cover sheet 40 of the one seat unit 10 extends from the other end 36 of the back-rest portion 14 of the one seat unit 10, over the semi-cylindrical surface 22 of the back-rest portion 12 of the one seat unit 10, and the two other ends 43, 43' of the two cover sheets 40, 40' are releasably secured to one another by engaging the "hook and loop" strips provided thereon. The joint between the other ends 43, 43' of the two cover sheets 4O, 40' is positioned over the semi-cylindrical surface 21 of the seat portion 12 of the one seat unit 10, and serves to hold the back-rest portion 14' of the other seat unit 10' tightly in abutment with the seat portion 12' of the other seat unit 10'.

As can be seen from FIG. 3, the two seat units 1O, 10' thus form a chaiselongue, and the joint between the two other ends 43, 43' of the two cover sheets 40, 40' is trapped in use between the legs and bottom of a person using the chaise-longue to prevent slippage rearwardly of the cover sheet 43' of the other seat unit 10 in the event that the two ends 43, 43' become detached, thereby serving to retain the other seat unit 10' in its desired position.

As with the seat configurations described above, two or more pairs of seat units 10, 10' in the chaise-longue configuration may be arranged side-by-side to form a laterally extended, sofa-like chaise-longue for use by two or more people.

The present invention thus provides a modular seating system in which one or more seat units can be arranged in a plurality of different configurations, including folded and seat configurations and, where two or more seat-units are employed, to form a chaise longue. The desired configuration in each case, is maintained by means of a cover sheet 40 which can be releasably secured in its required position to another part of the seat unit, or to another cover sheet in the case of the chaiselongue. Furthermore, in use, the cover sheet(s) is trapped between the bottom of a person using the furniture and one or more of the seat units in order to resist unwanted movement of the cover sheet, and thereby retaining the furniture in its required configuration.

Claims

Claims 1 A seat unit comprising a seat portion defining a seating surface

having first and second opposite ends, a back-rest portion defining a back-rest surface having first and second opposite ends, hinge means for hinging the seat portion proximate one end of the seating surface to the back- rest portion proximate one end of the back-rest surface, such that said seat and back-rest portions can be arranged in a first seat configuration with the back-rest and seating surfaces angled with respect to one another to form a seat, and a cover sheet that is connected or connectable at one end to the back-rest portion proximate the other end of said back-rest surface, and comprises first releasable securing means proximate another end, which first releasable securing means are adapted to cooperate with second releasable securing means on said seat portion proximate the other end of the seating surface for releasably securing the cover sheet to the seat portion, which cover sheet is configured to be selectively arranged to extend over said back-rest surface and said seating surface, and releasably secured to said seat portion by said first and second releasable securing means, thereby to retain the seat and back-rest portions in said first seat configuration.
2 A seat unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one end of the cover sheet is fixedly secured to the back-rest portion.
3 A seat unit as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said back-rest surface is generally convex.
4 A seat unit as claimed in claim 1, claim 2 or claim 3, wherein said seating surface is generally convex.
A seat unit as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each of said seating and back-rest surfaces is substantially semi-cylindrical.
6 A seat unit as claimed in any preceding claim wherein each of said seat and back rest portions comprises a substantially planar rear surface, and said hinging means are adapted to allow said seat and back-rest portions to be configured in a second folded configuration in which the respective rear surfaces of the seat and back-rest portions are mutually contiguous.
7 A seat unit as claimed in claim 6, wherein each of said seat and backrest portions is substantially semi-cylindrical, and in said second folded configuration, said portions form a pouffe.
8 A seat unit as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7, wherein said hinging means comprises a gusset which can be extended in the first seat configuration to space the seat and back rest portions one from the other, and can be folded between the seat and back-rest portions in the second folded configuration.
9 A seat unit as claimed in claim 6, claim 7 or claim 8, wherein said back-rest portion comprises third releasable securing means proximate said one end of the back-rest surface, which third releasable securing means are adapted to cooperate with the first releasable securing means on the cover sheet for releasably securing the cover sheet thereto; wherein said cover sheet can be selectively arranged to extend around the seat portion, over the seating surface, when the seat and back-rest portions are disposed in said second folded configuration, and secured to said third releasable securing means, thereby to retain the seat and back- rest portions in the second folded configuration.
A seat unit as claimed in claim 9, wherein said seat portion comprises a tab proximate said other end of the seating surface, said tab comprising fourth releasable securing means that are adapted to be releasably secured to said third releasable securing means on another similar seat unit for joining two seat units together.
11 A chaise-longue comprising two seat units as claimed in claim 10, wherein one of said seat units can be selectively arranged in a third seat-and-leg-rest configuration in which the seat and back-rest portions are disposed side-by-side in substantially the same attitude, and the other seat unit is arranged in the second folded configuration juxtaposed the seat portion of the one seat unit; the fourth releasable securing means of the one seat unit are releasably secured to the third releasable securing means of the other seat unit, thereby to join releasably the two seat units one to the other; the cover sheet of the other seat unit is arranged to extend over the seating surface of the seat portion of the other seat unit and the seating surface of the seat portion of the one seat unit, the cover sheet of the one seat unit is arranged to extend over the back-rest surface of the back-rest portion and the seating surface of the seat portion of the one seat unit, and the first releasable securing means of the two cover sheets are adapted to be releasably joined to one another to retain the two seat units in a chaise- longue configuration.
12 A chaise-longue as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first releasable securing means of the two cover sheets of the one and other seat units are joined to one another over the seating surface of the seat portion of the one seat unit.
13 A chaise-longue as claimed in claim 11 or claim 12, wherein each of said first, second, third and fourth releasable securing means comprise a first joining element and a juxtaposed second cooperating element, said first joining and second cooperating elements being adapted to cooperate with one another to form a releasable joint therebetween, whereby any pair of said first, second, third and fourth releasable securing means can be releasably secured together.
14 A chaise-longue as claimed in claim 13, wherein each of said first, second, third and fourth releasable securing means comprise a first strip of a 'hook' type material and a juxtaposed second strip of a cooperating 'loop' type material.
15 A seat unit substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
16 A chaise-longue substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in FIG. 3 of the accompanying drawings.