JP2004508076A - Sheet and furniture elements and methods of making them - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention comprises the steps of cutting the sheets 10, 22 from leather or imitation leather strips of soft and stretchable natural or synthetic materials, the contour of which depends on the desired final form or smaller size. , Cutting through the surface of the sheets 10, 22 to obtain through cuts or holes 12, 24, and stretching and tensioning the sheets 10, 22 for the same connection to the support frame 16. This is a method of manufacturing a sheet and a furniture element including various steps.

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing seats and furniture elements.
The invention also relates to the sheet and the furniture element thus obtained.
Further, the present invention may be composed of only one part or several parts and combined with a frame made of wood, metal, bamboo, plastic material or other material to form seats, armchairs and other furniture elements. And a method for manufacturing a sheet.
[0002]
The term "furniture element" as used in the description and claims herein is used indoors, for example, as bed-heads and beds, armchair covers, hammocks, screens and panels. It is intended to represent any part of furniture.
The method according to the invention is particularly applied to flexible and extensible materials, constituted by one or more layers, connected to a non-rigid felt and a support as far as possible.
[0003]
[Prior art]
As is known, in the field of furniture, in order to embody furniture parts such as chairs, armchairs and sofa beds, leather and materials similar to either natural or artificial leather are used. Use is traditionally widespread.
These materials can provide high quality products, especially if they are natural, and are also prized and have resistance properties. Their use is not limited to the implementation of a cover for a piece of furniture as described above, but in particular in the case of chairs and armchairs, makes it possible to form the entire seat.
[0004]
In these applications, the preferred material is leather of suitable thickness and can be sewn or molded by a suitable mold to obtain a comfortable shape.
Conventional forming methods of this kind make it possible to obtain a complete body, that is to say a body with a real seat, a backrest and possible sides with arms.
This method of formation has the disadvantages while at the same time providing a robust molded one-piece body that can be subsequently assembled to a support frame.
[0005]
One such drawback is that the workpiece so formed has poor elastic properties, whether it consists of only one part or a separate part, for example with a seat or backrest, and Despite being shaped with engineering in mind, it does not always provide a direct and appropriate comfort to all users. Due to the stiffness described above, their morphology is not preferred for subjects with different physical characteristics.
[0006]
A further disadvantage is that in order to obtain a unitary body or to separate the sheet elements, it is necessary to have a large number of materials, i.e. an expanded leather surface, at the disposal since the start, which leather surface is This creates considerable waste or marginal zones and non-reusable cutouts.
[0007]
This drawback is severe. That is, the leather available on the market has limited dimensions and therefore it is not possible to obtain a workpiece with a greater elongation than said leather, and consequently such a stretched workpiece. In order to embody, it is necessary to use several leather parts joined to each other.
A further disadvantage relates to the appearance of the resulting workpiece, in which the uniform and monotonous surface finish of said workpiece is often limited in terms of the overall harmony of the furniture.
[0008]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned disadvantages.
More specifically, the object of the present invention is to provide sheets and similar materials from leather, imitation leather and natural and synthetic leathers having high properties in comfort, softness and elasticity with appropriate stress resistance. It is to provide a method for embodying a furniture element.
[0009]
A further object of the invention makes it possible to obtain a sheet or cover surface having a greater elongation than the initial elongation of the material used, thus significantly reducing the required amount of said material and consequently reducing waste. It is to reduce the losses and to provide a method which is within the conditions of directly using leather strips available on the market.
[0010]
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method which allows the construction of materials to be used according to many alternatives from an aesthetic point of view.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide seats and furniture elements, in particular armchairs and chairs, which have the properties of flexibility and elasticity, each of which is suitable for ensuring a high degree of comfort for users of a good size. is there.
It is a further object of the present invention to obtain seats and furniture elements which exhibit good aesthetic effects.
[0011]
According to the present invention, the above object and still other objects which will become apparent from the following description are a method of manufacturing a seat and a furniture element, comprising leather and imitation of a soft and stretchable natural or synthetic material. Cutting the sheet (10,22) from the leather such that its contour depends on the desired final form and smaller size, and cutting the sheet (10,22) to obtain through cuts or holes (12,24). By a method of manufacturing sheets and furniture elements comprising a continuous step of cutting on the surface and stretching and tensioning the sheets (10, 22) for the same connection to the support frame (16). Achieved.
[0012]
Preferably, the material used is leather or tanned leather.
The through cuts or holes obtained in the sheet surface may have any shape and size, and may extend along at least a portion of the sheet.
[0013]
Preferably, the through cuts or holes are arranged in rows, extend along concentric lines, are staggered relative to each other, and are substantially parallel to at least a portion of the frame (16) joining the sheets. In a way that is More preferably, one row of each through cut or hole is disposed between two adjacent through cuts or holes, each in an adjacent row.
[0014]
The through cuts or holes may have the same shape over the entire surface of the sheet, or may have different shapes from zone to zone, depending on the properties desired. Further, the through cuts or holes may be obtained by removing the material forming the eyelets.
Sheets of leather, imitation leather or similar natural or synthetic flexible and stretchable materials may be connected, in whole or in part, to a connected or coated fabric or fabric.
[0015]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
The method of manufacturing seats and furniture elements of the present invention, as well as the features of the seats and furniture elements manufactured by this method, result in the following described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate preferred non-limiting examples. Will give you a better understanding.
Referring to FIGS. 1-3, which illustrate the present invention, a sheet initially cut from a strip of a flexible and extensible material, preferably leather, and generally designated 10, has a contour that has the desired final shape. It has contours that vary according to form and dimensions smaller than the dimensions of the sheet or furniture element to be embodied.
[0016]
In the example shown in the above figure, the leather seat 10 has a tendency to have a circular contour, losing continuity between the integrated body, ie the seat and the opposite side in the front part. It is used for the formation of a body consisting of an extended backrest.
[0017]
According to the method of the present invention, sheet 10 obtains the above-described configuration, ie, a predominantly circular surface, from a single material by manual or mechanical cutting operations.
Thereafter, the sheet 10 enters a cutting step in which a plurality of through cuts 12 are developed on the surface, preferably along concentric lines. The cuts 12 are staggered at an interval from each other and are arranged along concentric lines. The cuts 12 may be formed along the entire surface of the sheet 10 or along only a part of the sheet 10. FIG. 1 shows, by way of example, a sheet 10 in which cuts 12 are provided only in the peripheral zone, i.e. only in the parts of the sheet 10 corresponding to the backrest and the sides of the sheet 14.
[0018]
The seat 10 is then stretched and tensioned and connected to a support frame 16, preferably made of metal rods, to form an armchair with an integrated body.
Elongation of sheet 10 occurs with the opening of cut 12 having the same number of slits formed on the surface of sheet 10. Such elongation may be constant, variable, or alternating. As an example, such an elongation is preferably in the range of 10-70 mm, while the distance present between the concentric lines of cuts 12 is preferably in the range of 3-13 mm. The cut 12 is embodied according to a preferred embodiment by die-cutting, ie, using a sharp metal template pressed onto the sheet 10. The punching that determines the position where the through cut 12 is formed on the sheet 10 can be embodied in a single operation step or a continuous step according to the punching width.
[0019]
Rows of cuts 12 of appropriate length and orientation depending on the result to be obtained may alternatively be formed automatically by water jet or laser.
The orientation of the cuts 12 in any case will result in being parallel or tendencyly parallel to at least a portion of the frame 16 to which the sheet 10 is subsequently joined, such that throughout the stretching. The cut 12 is open to form a variable width, for example, a diamond-shaped slit indicated by reference numeral 18 in FIG.
[0020]
The peripheral zone of the sheet 10 defining the cut 12 is integral and constitutes a sufficiently rigid edge 20 to form a connection line with the frame 16. The height of the edge 20 is preferably, for example, in the range of 20 to 80 mm.
The next step consists in applying the manual stretching of the seat 10 to the frame 16. That is, the sheet 10 is unfolded and the cut 12 opens to approximately a significant width according to the stretching applied to its various parts.
[0021]
The connection of the sheet 10 to the frame 16 is embodied by means known per se, for example by screwing or pinching, alternatively the edge 20 of the sheet 10 can be stripped of a similar material May be inserted and doubled to form a continuous pocket to be mounted on the upper portion of the frame 16.
FIGS. 4 and 5 schematically show a sheet of the second embodiment obtained by the method of the present invention.
[0022]
In this embodiment, the seat 22 is for forming a seat support for a conventional chair and has a substantially square basic configuration.
On the surface of the sheet 22, a plurality of through holes 24 are formed, for example, oriented in the same direction, forming a staggered shape, and extending along parallel lines. Said cut is embodied by punching, laser or water jet cutting, as for a sheet cut, and is demarcated, for example, by an integral or continuous edge 26 without slit bands.
To connect the seat 22 to the chair frame, the borderline edge 26 is intended to form a plurality of integral extensions 28 for subsequent tensioning with screws or similar means.
[0023]
However, the seat 22 may also be provided with a continuous borderline similar to the edge 20 for connection by any means to the support frame of the chair. In such an alternative, the sheet 20 would not be an enlargement 28 that forms an indentation.
According to the tension and stretching, the cut 24 opens and unfolds, resulting in a sheet as shown in FIG.
[0024]
By using the sheets 10, 22 provided with the cuts 12, 24 obtained according to the method of the invention, a sheet is obtained which has the characteristics of a high adaptability to the body and the flexibility due to the elasticity caused by the formation of said cuts. Can be
In addition, the sheet thus obtained is well-ventilated and therefore clean and accentuates the aesthetic properties of the cut continuity which opens to some extent. Depending on the design and frequency of the cuts 12, 24, the sheets 10, 22 may have differentiated elasticity in the zone where some stretching and stretching is applied.
[0025]
A further non-negligible advantage provided by the method according to the invention relates to the saving of material, which makes it possible to obtain a larger surface than the initial surface.
Although the invention has been described above with reference to a non-limiting embodiment and some specific embodiments merely reported by way of illustrations, it will be understood that many modifications and variations can be introduced in light of the above description. Will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
[0026]
For example, the cuts 12, 14 may have different developments and arrangements relative to those described and illustrated above, and / or by removal of materials having differently shaped zones, or eyes. It may have a resulting opening.
In addition, although it is particularly advantageous for sheet realization, the method of the present invention can be used to obtain other types of products, such as furniture elements, covers, hammocks, screens, bedheads, and the like. Is also good.
[0027]
The connected or coated fabric or fabric may be connected to leather or imitation leather or natural or synthetic material used for all or part of the enlargement of the sheets 10,22.
Accordingly, the present invention includes all alternatives and modifications that fall within the spirit and scope of the following claims.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic exploded plan view of materials utilized to embody, for example, an integrated body for an armchair according to the method of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of an armchair provided with an integrated body obtained according to the method of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a schematic enlarged view of a part of a body constituting the armchair of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a further schematic exploded plan view of a material suitable for embodying a sheet according to the method of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view obtained by developing the material of FIG. 4 to form a chair as an example.

Claims (10)

A method for the production of sheets and furniture elements, comprising the steps of: forming a sheet (10, 22) from a strip of leather or imitation leather made of a flexible and stretchable natural or synthetic material, the contour of which is in the desired final form or smaller. A process of cutting out depending on the size,
Cutting through the surface of said sheet (10,22) to obtain through cuts or holes (12,24);
A method of manufacturing a sheet and furniture element comprising a continuous step of stretching and tensioning the sheets (10, 22) for the same connection to the support frame (16). The method of claim 1, wherein the through cuts or holes (12, 24) extend along at least a portion of a surface of the sheet (10, 22). The through cuts or holes (12, 24) are arranged in rows, extend along concentric lines, stagger with respect to each other, and in the frame (16) joining the sheets (10, 22). A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it is oriented in a manner substantially parallel to at least a part thereof. 4. The method according to claim 3, wherein each row of through cuts or holes is arranged between two adjacent through cuts or holes in each adjacent row. A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the through cuts or holes (12, 24) have different shapes in different zones of the sheet (10, 22). 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sheets (10, 22) are connected, in whole or in part, to connected or coated fabrics and fabrics. It is composed of a sheet (10, 22) made of leather, imitation leather, and a natural or synthetic flexible and stretchable material, and at least a part of its surface is provided with a slit or opening (18) expanded by stretching. , 24) are provided. The slits or holes (18, 24) are arranged in rows, extend along concentric lines, are staggered relative to each other and at least in the frame (16) joining the sheets (10, 22). The seat or furniture element according to claim 7, characterized in that it is oriented in a manner that is substantially parallel to the part. 9. Seat according to claim 7, wherein the seat (10) forms an integral body (14) which is made up on the opposite side while maintaining continuity with the backrest extended forward. The sheet (10, 22) is provided with securing means for a support frame (16) selected from the integral peripheral zones (20, 26), the integral peripheral zones being at least part of the cuts (12, 24). 10. A sheet according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that it defines a plurality of integral borderline enlargements (28).