US20230309710A1

US20230309710A1 - Dual use device and furniture module

Info

Publication number: US20230309710A1
Application number: US17/859,246
Authority: US
Inventors: Liang Chou Chen
Original assignee: Foremost Homes Inc
Current assignee: Foremost Homes Inc
Priority date: 2022-03-10
Filing date: 2022-07-07
Publication date: 2023-10-05
Also published as: CN116763079A

Abstract

A dual use device and a furniture module including the dual use device are disclosed. The dual use device is adapted to be used with furniture, and includes two covering elements and a cover body. The two covering elements are partially connected and are selectively closed together or opened. When the two covering elements are closed together, an internal space is formed between the two covering elements, the cover body is foldably received in the internal space, and the dual use device serves as a throw pillow or a bolster pillow. When the two covering elements are opened, the cover body is adapted to be unfolded and cover the furniture.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the priority benefit of Chinese Application No. 202210234453.5, filed on Mar. 10, 2022. The entirety of the above-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this specification.

BACKGROUND

Technical Field

The disclosure relates to a dual use device applied to furniture and a furniture module including the dual use device.

Description of Related Art

Generally speaking, to protect furniture that is temporarily not in use, a user may cover the furniture with a bag. However, due to a relatively large size or unique shape of the furniture, it is difficult for a readily available bag to cover the furniture completely. Although a bag body as an original factory accessory can cover the furniture relatively well, it also needs to be specially reserved, and the storage location is also likely to be forgotten. Moreover, inconvenience may be caused since it is often necessary to rummage through containers when the bag body is to be used.

SUMMARY

The disclosure is directed to a furniture module and a dual use device. The dual use device may serve as a protective cover for furniture in one use state, and may serve as a throw pillow or a bolster pillow in the other use state. Therefore, the dual use device can provide different functions for the furniture under different use states, and can be used with the furniture without separate storage.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, a dual use device is adapted to be used with furniture, and includes two covering elements and a cover body. The two covering elements are partially connected and are selectively closed together or opened. When the two covering elements are closed together, an internal space is formed between the two covering elements, the cover body is foldably received in the internal space, and the dual use device serves as a throw pillow or a bolster pillow. When the two covering elements are opened, the cover body is adapted to be unfolded and cover the furniture.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, a furniture module includes furniture and a dual use device. The dual use device includes two covering elements and a cover body. The two covering elements are partially connected and are selectively closed together or opened. When the two covering elements are closed together, an internal space is formed between the two covering elements, the cover body is foldably received in the internal space, and the dual use device serves as a throw pillow or a bolster pillow. When the two covering elements are opened, the cover body is unfolded and covers the furniture.
In the dual use device according to an embodiment of the disclosure, the cover body is fixed to at least one of the two covering elements.
In the dual use device according to an embodiment of the disclosure, the two covering elements include a first connecting element and a second connecting element located at two boundaries and detachably fixed to each other. When the two covering elements are closed together, the first connecting element is fixed to the second connecting element to maintain a closed state of the two covering elements, and the cover body is stitched to a portion of the two covering elements close to the two boundaries when the two covering elements are unfolded.
In the dual use device according to an embodiment of the disclosure, the first connecting element and the second connecting element include a zipper set, a combination of a button and a buttonhole, snap and snap clasp, or a hook-and-loop fastener combination.
In the dual use device according to an embodiment of the disclosure, at least a part of the cover body includes an inner-layer structure and an outer-layer structure. The inner-layer structure is fixed to the at least one of the two covering elements.
In the dual use device according to an embodiment of the disclosure, the cover body includes two first portions, and a second portion and a third portion connected to the two first portions. The first portions cover a side surface of the furniture, the second portion covers a front surface of the furniture, and the third portion covers a rear surface of the furniture. The second portion is fixed to the at least one of the two covering elements.
In the dual use device according to an embodiment of the disclosure, the cover body includes an opening and a third connecting element close to the opening. When the cover body is unfolded and covers the furniture, the third connecting element is fixed to the furniture.
In the dual use device according to an embodiment of the disclosure, the third connecting element includes an elastic band, a binder, an attachment strip, hook and loop fastener, or a snap strip.
In the dual use device according to an embodiment of the disclosure, when the two covering elements are closed together, the dual use device is in a shape of a square, a rectangle, a circle, or an ellipse.
In the dual use device according to an embodiment of the disclosure, the furniture includes a chair, a table, ottoman, bench, chaise lounge or a bed.
In the dual use device according to an embodiment of the disclosure, an outline of the cover body after being unfolded corresponds to an outline of a portion of the furniture.
In the disclosure, the dual use device of the furniture module of the disclosure has two use states. When the two covering elements are closed together, the cover body is foldably received in the internal space, and the dual use device may serve as a throw pillow or a bolster pillow. When the two covering elements are opened, the cover body is adapted to be unfolded and cover the furniture, and may serve as a protective cover or a dust cover. If the cover body is not needed by the user to cover the furniture, the cover body may be received directly by the two covering elements without the additional need for looking for a bag. In addition, the dual use device after being received may also directly serve as a throw pillow or a bolster pillow and be used with the furniture to improve comfort of the user. If it is needed to cover the furniture, since the dual use device may be directly placed on the furniture, the dual use device may also be obtained directly and quickly without the need for rummaging through containers, and the overall design is convenient.
To make the aforementioned more comprehensible, several embodiments accompanied with drawings are described in detail as follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing showing a dual use device of a furniture module according to an embodiment of the disclosure in its stored state in the shape of a throw pillow .

FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing showing the dual use device according to an embodiment of the disclosure in its stored state placed to begin the transition to its protective state.

FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing showing the dual use device according to an embodiment of the disclosure with its two connecting elements unsecured.

FIG. 4 is a schematic drawing showing the dual use device according to an embodiment of the disclosure with its two covering members completely opened to expose a folded cover body.

FIG. 5 is a schematic drawing showing the dual use device according to an embodiment of the disclosure the cover body partially unfolded.

FIG. 6 is a schematic drawing showing the dual use device according to an embodiment of the disclosure with the cover body completed unfolded and covering the furniture.

FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the cover body of the dual use device of the furniture module of FIG. 1 .

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numerals are used in the drawings and descriptions to refer to the same or similar parts.
FIG. 1 to FIG. 6 are schematic diagrams showing a dual use device of a furniture module according to an embodiment of the disclosure changing from a throw pillow state into a protective cover state. First, with reference to FIG. 1 , a furniture module 10 includes furniture 20 and a dual use device 100. In this embodiment, the furniture 20 is a chair, for example. A single chair is taken as an example for the furniture 20 shown in FIG. 1 , but the number of seats of the chair is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the furniture may also be a chair with two seats, three seats, or four seats. In addition, in other embodiments, the furniture may also be a table, an ottoman, a chaise lounge, a bench or a bed. The table may be in a form of a coffee table, a side table, or the like, which is not limited. Dimensions of the bed, ottoman, chaise lounge or bench are not limited, either.
In this embodiment, a bottom cushion 30 and a back cushion 35 may be selectively provided on the furniture 20. In other embodiments, the bottom cushion 30 and the back cushion 35 may also be omitted. In addition, in this embodiment, the dual use device 100 in the collapsed or stored state may serve as a throw pillow or a bolster pillow, for example. In other embodiments, the throw pillow or the bolster pillow may also be presented with decorations such as dolls or other ornamentation, and the form is not limited.
As can be seen from FIG. 1 , in this embodiment, the dual use device 100 is placed on the furniture 20 in the form of a throw pillow or a bolster pillow, and may serve as a home accessory and/or improve comfort of the user when sitting down. The following is a step-by-step description of how the dual use device 100 is transformed into a protective cover or a dust cover for covering the furniture 20. In other words, the dual use device 100 serves two different functions for the furniture 20.
With reference to FIG. 2 , in this embodiment, when the dual use device 100 is to be transformed, the user may first flip the back cushion 35 onto the bottom cushion 30 to provide support for the dual use device 100. In other embodiments, even without the bottom cushion 30 and the back cushion 35 below the dual use device 100, the following operations may still be performed.
With reference to FIG. 3 , in this embodiment, the dual use device 100 includes two covering elements 110 and a cover body 120. The two covering elements 110 are partially connected and can be selectively closed together or opened. Specifically, in this embodiment, the covering member 110 is in a shape similar to a rectangle, for example, where one of the long sides of the covering member 110 above is connected to one of the long sides of the covering member 110 below, and the remaining three edges (a boundary 114) of the covering member 110 above may be separated from the remaining three edges (the boundary 114) of the covering member 110 below.
When the two covering elements 110 are closed together (i.e., the stored state), an internal space 112 is formed between the two covering elements 110, and the cover body 120 is foldably received in the internal space 112. In other words, when the two covering elements 110 are closed together in the stored state as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , the two covering elements 110 together serve as an outer shell of the cover body 120. At this time, the entire dual use device may serve as a throw pillow or a bolster pillow.
In this embodiment, the dual use device 100 is exemplified by taking a rectangle as an example. In other embodiments, the dual use device 100 may also be in a shape of a square, a circle, an ellipse, or in other shapes. In addition, the covering member 110 may be a slightly rigid cloth material, or may also be a soft cloth material to improve comfort.
In addition, as can be seen from FIG. 3 , in this embodiment, the two covering elements 110 include a first connecting element 116 and a second connecting element 118 located at or near at least a portion of the two boundaries 114 and detachably fixed to each other. When the two covering elements 110 are closed together, the first connecting element 116 is fixed to the second connecting element 118 to maintain a closed state of the two covering elements 110.
Specifically, in this embodiment, the first connecting element 116 and the second connecting element 118 include two zipper strips. The first connecting element 116 and the second connecting element 118 may be fixed together or separated by a slider 115. In other embodiments, the first connecting element 116 and the second connecting element 118 may also include a combination of a button and a buttonhole, a snap and snap clasp, or a hook-and-loop fastener combination. The forms of the first connecting element 116 and the second connecting element 118 are not limited thereto.
In this embodiment, the cover body 120 is fixed to at least one of the two covering elements 110. The cover body 120 may be stitched to a portion of the two covering elements 110 close to the two boundaries 114 when the cover body is unfolded. In other embodiments, the cover body 120 may also be fixed to only one of the covering members 110. The cover body 120 may also be fixed to the covering member 110 through thermocompression bonding or adhering, and is not limited to being stitched. In an embodiment, the cover body 120 may also be separated from the two covering elements 110. In other words, the two covering elements 110 and the cover body 120 are two pieces of structures that are not connected or are removably connected (such as with hook and loop fasteners) together.
With reference to FIG. 4 , the two covering elements 110 may be opened to a flattened state. Next, with reference to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 , the cover body 120 originally received between the two covering elements 110 may be gradually unfolded to cover the furniture 20. As can be seen from FIG. 4 , the furniture 20 (e.g., a chair) may be divided into two side surfaces 22, a front surface 24 (the front surface 24 here refers to a portion that may be in contact with a back, buttocks, and legs of the user when the user sits on the chair) located between the two side surfaces 22, and a rear surface 26 located between the two side surfaces 22 and behind the furniture 20.
As shown in FIG. 6 , in this embodiment, an outline or shape of the cover body 120 after being unfolded corresponds to an outline or shape of a portion of the furniture 20. The cover body 120 includes two first portions 121, and a second portion 122 and a third portion 123 connected to the two first portions 121. The first portions 121 cover the side surfaces 22 of the furniture 20, the second portion 122 covers the front surface 24 of the furniture 20, and the third portion 123 covers the rear surface 26 of the furniture 20. During manufacturing, the two first portions 121, the second portion 122, and the third portion 123 of the cover body 120 may first be cut out separately, and then be stitched together. As the form and the shape of the furniture 20 differ, the shape and the corresponding portions of the cover body 120 also change accordingly. Also, some of the portions may be formed integral with one another, for examiner portions 122 and 123.
In addition, in this embodiment, since the cover body 120 is covered from the upper side toward the lower side of the furniture 20, the cover body 120 includes an opening 126 located at the bottom of FIG. 6 and a third connecting element 127 close to the opening 126. When the cover body 120 is unfolded and covers the furniture 20, the third connecting element 127 is fixed to the furniture 20 or tightenable to improve the fixation. If the furniture 20 is placed outdoors, the cover body 120 may be well fixed to the furniture 20 by the third connecting element 127 in case of being blown away by strong winds.
In this embodiment, the third connecting element 127 is, for example, an elastic band stitched to the lower edge of the cover body 120. In other embodiments, the third connecting element 127 may also be a binder, an attachment strip, a snap strip, or a hook and loop fastener, and may be fixed or wound around chair legs, table legs, or bed legs of the furniture 20.
In addition, to adapt to the outdoor environment, the cover body 120 may also include a windproof and waterproof material to provide the furniture 20 with relatively great protection. The material of the cover body 120 is not limited thereto as long as the cover body 120 is foldable.
As can be seen from FIG. 6 , stitches are not shown in appearance between the second portion 122 of the cover body 120 and the two covering elements 110 (FIG. 4 ), which is relatively eye-pleasing. FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the cover body of the dual use device of the furniture module of FIG. 1 . With reference to FIG. 7 , in this embodiment, at least a part (e.g., the second portion 122) of the cover body 120 includes an inner-layer structure 124 and an outer-layer structure 125. After the cover body 120 is unfolded, the outer-layer structure 125 is located on the outside, i.e., is visible from FIG. 6 . The cover body 120 is stitched with the two covering elements 110 through the inner-layer structure 124 of the second portion 122, while the outer-layer structure 125 is not stitched with the two covering elements 110, so that the cover body 120 is relatively eye-pleasing after being unfolded. Also, the inner-layer structure 124 may be made from a soft material such as cloth, to protect against damage to the furniture, while the outer-layer structure 125 s preferably made from a more durable material less likely to be damaged form exposure to the environment. If the cover body is to be exposed to water, such as being used outdoors, the outer-layer structure 125 is preferably water resistant or waterproof.
In other embodiments, the two covering elements 110 may also be fixed to the first portion 121 or the third portion 123 of the cover body 120, and is not limited thereto. In addition, in other embodiments, it is also possible that the entire cover body 120 includes the inner-layer structure 124 and the outer-layer structure 125, or the portion connected to the two covering elements 110 includes the inner-layer structure 124 and the outer-layer structure 125, and not limited to the above.
In addition, since the area covered by the second portion 122 of the cover body 120 is relative large, the second portion 122 may be manufactured with two pieces of material combined. In other embodiments, the second portion 122 of the cover body 120 may be manufactured with a single piece of material if the size of the material is sufficient.
In summary of the foregoing, the dual use device of the furniture module of the disclosure has two use states. When the two covering elements are closed together, the cover body is foldably received in the internal space, and the dual use device may serve as a throw pillow or a bolster pillow. When the two covering elements are opened, the cover body is adapted to be unfolded and cover the furniture, and may serve as a protective cover or a dust cover. In an embodiment, since the cover body is fixed to the covering elements, the cover body may not be separated from the covering elements. If the cover body is not needed by the user to cover the furniture, the cover body may be received directly by the two covering elements without the additional need for looking for a bag. In another embodiment, the cover body may also be separated from the two covering elements, and the cover body may still be received between the two covering elements by the user. In addition, the dual use device after being received may also directly serve as a throw pillow or a bolster pillow and be used with the furniture to improve comfort of the user. If it is needed to cover the furniture, since the dual use device may be directly placed on the furniture, the dual use device may also be obtained directly and quickly without the need for rummaging through containers, and the overall design is convenient.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the disclosure covers modifications and variations provided that they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A dual use device, adapted to be used with furniture, and comprising:

two covering elements, partially connected and being selectively closed together or opened, wherein when the two covering elements are closed together, an internal space is formed between the two covering elements; and

a cover body, wherein when the two covering elements are closed together, the cover body is foldably received in the internal space, and the dual use device serves as a throw pillow or a bolster pillow,

wherein when the two covering elements are opened, the cover body is adapted to be unfolded and cover the furniture.

2. The dual use device according to claim 1, wherein the cover body is fixed to a portion of at least one of the two covering elements.

3. The dual use device according to claim 2, wherein the two covering elements comprise a first connecting element located along at least a portion of a boundary of one of the covering elements, and a second connecting element located along at least a portion of a boundary of the other of the covering elements, the first connecting element and the second connecting element being detachably fixed to each other, and wherein when the two covering elements are closed together, the first connecting element is fixed to the second connecting element to maintain a closed state of the two covering elements, and the cover body is stitched to a portion of the two covering elements close to the two boundaries when the two covering elements are unfolded.

4. The dual use device according to claim 3, wherein the first connecting element and the second connecting element comprise a zipper set, a combination of a button and a buttonhole, or a hook-and-loop fastener combination.

5. The dual use device according to claim 2, wherein at least a part of the cover body comprises an inner-layer structure and an outer-layer structure, and the inner-layer structure is fixed to the at least one of the two covering elements.

6. The dual use device according to claim 2, wherein the cover body comprises two first portions, and a second portion and a third portion connected to the two first portions, the first portions cover a side surface of the furniture, the second portion covers a front surface of the furniture, the third portion covers a rear surface of the furniture, and the second portion is fixed to the at least one of the two covering elements.

7. The dual use device according to claim 1, wherein the cover body comprises an opening and a third connecting element close to the opening, and when the cover body is unfolded and covers the furniture, the third connecting element is fixable to the furniture.

8. The dual use device according to claim 7, wherein the third connecting element comprises an elastic band, a binder, an attachment strip, a hook and loop fastener, or a snap strip.

9. The dual use device according to claim 1, wherein when the two covering elements are closed together, the dual use device is in a shape of a square, a rectangle, a circle, or an ellipse.

10. A furniture module, comprising:

furniture; and

a dual use device, comprising:

a cover body,

wherein when the two covering elements are closed together, the cover body is foldably received in the internal space, and the dual use device serves as a throw pillow or a bolster pillow, and

when the two covering elements are opened, the cover body is unfolded and covers the furniture.

11. The furniture module according to claim 10, wherein the cover body is fixed to a portion of at least one of the two covering elements.

12. The furniture module according to claim 11, wherein the two covering elements comprise a first connecting element located along at least a portion of a boundary of one of the covering elements, and a second connecting element located along at least a portion of a boundary of the other of the covering elements, the first connecting element and the second connecting element being detachably fixed to each other, and wherein when the two covering elements are closed together, the first connecting element is fixed to the second connecting element to maintain a closed state of the two covering elements, and the cover body is stitched to a portion of the two covering elements close to the two boundaries when the two covering elements are unfolded.

13. The furniture module according to claim 12, wherein the first connecting element and the second connecting element comprise a zipper set, a combination of a button and a buttonhole, or a hook-and-loop fastener combination.

14. The furniture module according to claim 11, wherein at least a part of the cover body comprises an inner-layer structure and an outer-layer structure, and the inner-layer structure is fixed to the at least one of the two covering elements.

15. The furniture module according to claim 11, wherein the cover body comprises two first portions, and a second portion and a third portion connected to the two first portions, the first portions cover a side surface of the furniture, the second portion covers a front surface of the furniture, the third portion covers a rear surface of the furniture, and the second portion is fixed to the at least one of the two covering elements.

16. The furniture module according to claim 10, wherein the cover body comprises an opening and a third connecting element close to the opening, and when the cover body is unfolded and covers the furniture, the third connecting element is fixable to the furniture.

17. The furniture module according to claim 16, wherein the third connecting element comprises an elastic band, a binder, an attachment strip, a hook and loop fastener,or a snap strip.

18. The furniture module according to claim 10, wherein when the two covering elements are closed together, the dual use device is in a shape of a square, a rectangle, a circle, or an ellipse.

19. The furniture module according to claim 10, wherein the furniture comprises a chair, a table, an ottoman, a chaise lounge, a bench, or a bed.

20. The furniture module according to claim 10, wherein a shape of the cover body after being unfolded corresponds to a shape of the furniture.