US2931052A - Convertible article of furniture such as a sofa, settee and chair - Google Patents

Description

Apnl 5, 1960 c. TODOROVIC 2,931,052

CONVERTIBLE ARTICLE OF FURNITURE SUCH AS A SOFA, SETTEE. AND CHAIR Filed April 26, 1957 INVE N TOR B CEDOMIR TODOROVI C United States Patent CONVERTIBLE ARTICLE OF FURNITURE SUCH AS A SOFA, SETTEE AND CHAIR Cedomir Todorovic, Brooklyn, NY.

Application April 26, 1957, Serial No. 655,380

1 Claim. (Cl. 5-29) This invention relates to a convertible article of furniture such as a sofa, settee and chair.

The invention applies to articles of furniture which may be used both for sitting and reclining purposes. The furniture is convertible in the sense that it may be used as a sofa, settee, chair or the like and may be converted for use as a couch or bed. The invention is not limited to any particular style of furniture or to any particular material of which it may be made. The particular structure shown in the drawing and described in the specification is purely illustrative and should not be viewed as limiting the invention in any way whatsoever, subject only to the limitations imposed by the claim.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of a convertible article of furniture which may be used either for sitting or reclining purposes and which is pro vided with an inclined headrest. This inclined headrest is exposed for use only when the article of furniture is converted for reclining purposes. When it is re-converted for sitting purposes, the inclined headrest is itself converted either into a backrest or into a side arm, depending upon the relative location of said inclined headrest on the article of furniture as a whole.

In one form of the invention, the article of furniture is a sofa having a backrest and a pair of side arms. The back-rest may be converted into an inclined headrest. Each of the side arms may also be converted into an inclined headrest. Thus, when the sofa is opened up to serve as a bed, the user has his choice of reclining lengthwise thereon with his head at either end of the sofa or he may recline transversely of the sofa.

As has already been indicated, an article of furniture, such as a sofa, made in accordance with this invention, may be provided with three inclined headrests, one at the back and convertible into a backrest and the other two at the two ends of the sofa and convertible into side arms. But this is merely illustrative and it will be understood that a sofa may be made in accordance with this invention with only two convertible headrests, for example, one at each end and none in the back. By the same token, a sofa may be made in accordance with this invention with only a single headrest, situated, for example, at the back and convertible into a headrest. In such case, the sofa would have no side arms at all or it may be provided with conventional side arms which do not convert into inclined headrests of the character herein described and claimed.

The purpose and function of each such inclined headrest is to provide an inclined head support which would take the place of a conventional pillow. It is to be understood that the inclined headrest herein claimed is upholstered, padded or-otherwise cushioned so as to provide a comfortable support for the head. To be sure, pillows may be used to supplement such headrest and to provide a more steeply inclined support for the head, should this be desired. But under normal conditions of use the headrest herein claimed may be used alone and without the aid of conventional pillows.

2,931,052 Patented Apr. 5, 1960 Stated briefly, a headrest made in accordance with this invention consists of two parts: The first is fixed to the article of furniture and is not intended to be moved relative thereto. The second is hingedly connected to the first part and is movable to and between two positions. In the first position, the two parts are superimposed flat upon each other and they then function not as a headrest but as a backrest or side arm as the case may be. In the second position, the movable part is moved 180 degrees away from its original position and into alignment with the fixed part along their respective surfaces which previously had been superimposed fiat upon each other. These surfaces, when in alignment, are continuous with each other and they are inclined relative to the horizontal to any desired angle such as 30 degrees. This angle of inclination may be varied in accordance with ing in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a convertible sofa made in accordance with this invention, portions thereof being broken away to expose the hinged elements thereof.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of one end of said sofa showing one of the side arms of said sofa converted to an inclined headrest.

Fig. 3 is another fragmentary perspective view showing one of the back corners of said sofa, wherein the backrest is converted to a headrest.

Fig. '4 is an end view of said sofa, showing the backrest converted to a headrest and showing the seat portion converted to a footrest.

Sofa 10 merely illustrates the various articles of furniture to which the present invention applies. 1 The particular style, shape, dimensions and other qualities and aspects of this sofa as shown in the drawing are intended merely to illustrate and not to limit the application of this invention. The basic construction of the sofa, the nature of its upholstery, the type of materials used, are all subject to individual preferences and requirements. Only the convertible features shown in the drawing and hereinafter described in detail are claimed as the invention.

Sofa 10 has a backrest 12 mounted on a frame 14 and a pair of side arms 16 and 18 which are also mounted on said frame 14. In addition, there is a seat portion 20 which is also mounted on the frame and which extends substantially the full distance between the two side arms and from the front of the sofa to said backrest 12;

As shown in the drawing, both side arms are provided with the convertible feature herein claimed. The backrest is also provided with said feature. But this is purely illustrative. For example, the sofa might be made with only a convertible backrest and with conventional side arms. Or it may be made with a conventional backrest and with two side arms as shown, namely, with the convertible feature. Another possibility is to provide the sofa with only one convertible side arm and with or without a convertible back-rest. These variations are matters of preference and individual requirements.

Turning now to the convertible feature of the present invention and particularly to side arm 16 embodying such feature, it will be noted that said side arm comprises two separate elements joined by a hinge 22. The hinge shown is of the piano type, extending the full length of the hinged elements but this too is illustrative and other types is the upper part of the side arm on which a person sitting on the sofa would rest his arm.

It is important to note that the fixed portion 16b of side arm 16 is provided with an inclined surface 16c. This inclined surface may be disposed at any desiredangle relative to the horizontal, for example, an angle of 30 degrees or a smaller or larger angle. The test is what angle would be most comfortable in supporting the head of a reclining person.

Along the upper edge of fixed portion 16b of the side arm 16 is the hinge 22 and it will be noted that said hinge is disposed transversely of the sofa as a whole. The movable part 16a of said side arm is secured to said hinge 22 in the manner shown and it will now be observed that said movable part 16a is provided with a surface 16d which lies flat upon the inclined surface 160 when the movable part 16a is in its closed or Fig. 1 position. The movable portion 16a may be swung in counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1 a full 180 degrees to the open position shown in Fig. 2. Stop means may be provided to prevent movement of said movable part beyond said 180 degree position. In the illustrated form of the invention, wall portion 16c of the movable part 16a will abut the wall portion 167 of the fixed part 16b to prevent such movement beyond 180 degrees.

It will now be observed that when the movable part 16a of the side arm 16 is pivoted to its open position as shown in Fig. 2, its surface 160' is aligned with inclined surface 16a to form a substantially continuous inclined surface which is well and fully adapted to serve as a headrest for a person reclining on the sofa.

The other side arm 18 shown in this illustrated form of the invention is also provided with a hinge 24 and a fixed portion 18a and a movable portion 18b. The fixed portion 18a is either part of or connected to the frame 14 and the hinge is secured thereto. The movable portion 18b is supported by the hinge and is pivotally movable a full 180 degrees from its closed position shown in Fig. 1 to an open position corresponding to that shown in Fig. 2.

The backrest 12 is of a similar construction, comprising a fixed portion 12a which is either part, of or secured to the frame 14, a hinge 26 secured to said fixed portion 12a, and a movable portion 12b which is supported by said hinge. Figs. 1 and 2 show the movable portion 12b of the backrest in closed position. It will be observed in Figs. 3 and 4 that the movable portion 12b may pivot an angular distance of 180 degrees to an open position corresponding to the open position of the side arm shown in Fig. 2.

The wall portion 12c of the movable portion 12b of the backrest abuts the wall portion 12d of the fixed part 12a of the backrest when said movable portion is in its open position to prevent movement thereof beyond the 180 degree limit above mentioned. It will now be seen that fixed portion 12a of the backrest has an inclined surface 12:: and it will be understood that the angle of inclination may be 30 degrees or any other suitable angle. By the same token, the movable portion 12b has a surface 12] which lies flat upon inclined surface 12e when the movable part 12b of the backrest is in'its closed position as shown in Fig. 2; When said movable portion 12b isin its open position as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, surface 12f becomes aligned with inclined surface 12e, thereby forminga substantially continuous inclined surface against whichaperson reclining on the sofa, transversely thereof, may rest his head.

In connection with the last mentioned use of the backrest, it will be understood that seat 20 is mounted for movement from its Fig. 1 position to its Fig. 4 position. In its latter position, it serves to extend the width of the sofa so that a person may recline thereon with his head resting on the inclined surface 12e, 12 and his legs resting on said seat. More specifically, a hinge 30 is secured to the frame 14 along its upper front edge and said hinge is also secured to the corresponding front edge of seat 20. The seat may pivot on said hinge a distance of degrees from its Fig. 1 position toits Fig. 4 position. In order to support the seat in its Fig. 4 position, folding legs 32 are provided. These legs are pivotally connected to seat 20 by means of pins 34 or any other suitable means. The legs may fold into recesses 36 formed in the seat to be stored out of the way when the seat is in its closed position as shown in Fig. l. The legs may be pivoted out of these recesses when the seat is brought to its Fig. 4 position in order to support the seat in such position.

The foregoing is illustrative of a preferred form of this invention and it will be understood that this preferred form may be modified and other forms may be provided within the broad spirit of the invention and the broad scope of the claim.

I claim:

An article of furniture which is convertible for reclining purposes, said article of furniture being provided with three inclined headrests adapted for use when said article of furniture is converted for reclining purposes,

each of said inclined headrests consisting of an inclined portion which is fixed to the main body of said article of furniture and a second inclined portion which is hingedly connected to said first inclined portion for' pivotal move ment about a horizontal pivotal axis, said second inclined portion being movable into alignment with the first inclined portion to provide a continuous inclined surface therewith adapted to function as a headrest, said second inclined portion being movable into superimposed position relative to the first inclined portion to convert the article of furniture for sitting purposes without an inclined headrest one of said inclined headrests being provided along the back and one of the others along each end of said article of furniture, the headrest at the back of the article of furniture being adapted to function as a backrest when the second inclined portion thereof is superimposed upon the first inclined portion thereof, the

headrests at the ends of said article of furniture being.

adapted to function" as side arms when the second inclined portion thereof is superimposed upon the first'inclined portion thereof, said article of furniture being also provided with a seat which is hingedly connected along its forward edge tothe forward edge of the article of furniture, said seat being swingable 180 degrees from its normal seating position on the article of furniture to a forwardly projecting position in front of the article of furniture, to extend its'proportions and enable it to serve as a bed, a plurality of legs being pivotally secured to said seat within recesses formed in said seat, said legs being normally disposed within said recesses in a common plane with said seat when the seat is in normal seating position on the article of furniture, said legs being swingable to positions at right angles to said seat in its forwardly projecting position in order to support the'seat in said position.

References Cited in the file'of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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