Title: Fully upholstered, ready-to-assemble article of furniture
Abstract: A fully upholstered, ready-to-assemble article of furniture which may be custom ordered by a consumer, packaged by the seller for shipment to the consumer by a parcel delivery service, and then assembled by the consumer from the packaged components. The article of furniture includes a frame of a plurality of interlocking, planar frame members which are secured together by fasteners received in push-in connector elements. Upholstery coverings, the design of which is custom selected by the consumer, are attached to the frame and secured to one another by hook and loop fasteners. Foam elements are received within a second plurality of upholstery covers which have large openings for receiving the foam elements to provide cushions for the article of furniture. The frame members, upholstery covers, and foam elements are packaged in first, second, and third containers, respectively, which are each light enough to be shipped for home delivery by a parcel delivery service.
Patent Number: 6,981,747 Issued on 01/03/2006 to Wieland, et al.
| Inventors:
|
Wieland; Blaine L. (Spencerville, IN);
Wieland; Blair (Leo, IN)
|
| Assignee:
|
Home Reserve, Inc. (Grabill, IN)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
360160 |
| Filed:
|
February 6, 2003 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
297/440.11; 297/440.15; 312/263; 312/265.5 |
| Current Intern'l Class: |
A47C 7/00 (20060101) |
| Field of Search: |
403/403,382,353,350
297/440.23,440.1,440.11,440.15,463.1,440.13,440.14
312/111,140,263,264,265.5
29/911,525.02,525.03,525.04,525.11
|
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Madan et al., "The effects of grouping parts ready-to-assemble products on assembly
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|
Primary Examiner: Bryant; David P.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Baker & Daniels LLP
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a Divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/588,000,
filed on Jun. 6, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,568,058, which claims the benefit under
Title 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of Application Ser. No. 60/185,581, filed Feb. 28, 2000.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An article of furniture, comprising:
a frame, said frame including a plurality of planar frame members, each said
planar frame member including a plurality of edges and a pair of opposed parallel
planar surfaces, two said planar frame members perpendicular to one another;
at least one of said frame members including a recess in one of its planar surfaces,
said recess defining an edge aperture in an edge of said at least one frame member,
at least one other of said frame members having a through aperture in its planar surfaces;
a push in planar connector element disposed in said recess, the thickness of
said connector element substantially equal to the thickness of said at least one
frame member, said connector inserted into said recess in a direction perpendicular
to the plane of said at least one planar frame member, said connector also substantially
filling said edge aperture, said connector including a connector aperture oriented
parallel to the plane of said at least one planar frame member, said connector
element larger than said edge aperture whereby said connector cannot pass through
said aperture; and
a threaded fastener disposed in said through aperture and threadedly engaged
with said connector element.
2. The article of furniture of claim 1, wherein said frame members are made of
medium density fiberboard (MDF).
3. The article of furniture of claim 1, wherein said frame members further include
projections and cutouts, said projections insertable into said cutouts for interlocking
said frame members.
4. The article of furniture of claim 1, wherein at least one of said frame members
includes a projecting foot, and a cap disposed on said foot.
5. The article of furniture of claim 1, wherein said frame members form a storage compartment.
6. The article of furniture of claim 1, wherein at least one of said frame members
includes a cutout therethrough, said cutout shaped as a number.
7. The article of furniture of claim 6, wherein a plurality of said frame members
include said cutouts therethrough, said cutouts defining a sequentially numbered
set of frame members.
8. The article of furniture of claim 1, further including an upholstery cover,
said upholstery cover adapted to connect to said frame.
9. The article of furniture of claim 8, wherein said upholstery cover includes
a pocket which is adapted to slide over a frame member.
10. The article of furniture of claim 9, wherein said upholstery cover includes
flaps having hook and loop fasteners.
11. The article of furniture of claim 10, wherein said upholstery cover includes
a skirt portion.
12. The article of furniture of claim 11, wherein said skirt encloses a weighted beading.
13. The article of furniture of claim 10, further including a padding element
adapted to form a cushion for said article of furniture.
14. The article of furniture of claim 13, further including a second upholstery
cover for covering said padding element to form said cushion.
15. The article of furniture of claim 14, wherein said upholstery cover includes
a relatively large opening adapted to receive said padding element, and a fastener
disposed around said opening for closing said upholstery cover.
16. An article of furniture, comprising:
a frame, said frame including a plurality of planar frame members, each said
planar frame member including a plurality of edges and a pair of parallel opposed
planar surfaces;
at least one of said frame members including a recess in one of its planar surfaces,
said recess disposed adjacent said edge, and defining an edge aperture in an edge
of said at least one frame member, and at least one other of said frame members
having a through aperture oriented perpendicular to its planar surfaces and parallel
to said at least one planar frame member;
a planar push in connector element disposed within said recess, the thickness
of said connector element substantially equal to the thickness of said at least
one frame member, said connector element having two planar surfaces which are substantially
flush with the planar surfaces of said at least one frame member, at least a portion
of said connector element disposed substantially flush with said edge, said connector
element larger than said aperture; and
a fastener disposed in said through aperture and threadedly engaged with said
connector element portion to connect said frame members.
17. The article of furniture of claim 16, wherein said frame members are made
of medium density fiberboard (MDF).
18. The article of furniture of claim 16, wherein said frame members further
include projections and cutouts, said projections insertable into said cutouts
for interlocking said frame members.
19. The article of furniture of claim 16, further including an upholstery cover,
said upholstery cover adapted to connect to said frame.
20. An article of furniture, comprising:
a frame, said frame including a plurality of planar frame members, each said
planar frame member including a plurality of edges and a pair of opposed planar surfaces;
at least one of said frame members including an oblong-shaped recess in one of
its planar surfaces, said recess open to an edge of said at least one frame member
and defining an edge aperture therein, and at least one other of said frame members
having a through aperture in its planar surfaces, said through aperture parallel
to the plane of said at least one planar frame member;
a planar, oblong-shaped, push in connector element disposed within said recess,
the thickness of said connector element substantially equal to the thickness of
said at least one frame member, said connector element having two planar surfaces
which are substantially flush with the planar surfaces of said at least one frame
member, said connector element larger than said edge aperture; and
a fastener disposed in said through aperture and threadedly engaged with said
connector element to connect said plurality of frame members.
21. The article of furniture of claim 20, wherein said frame members are made
of medium density fiberboard (MDF).
22. The article of furniture of claim 20, wherein said frame members further
include projections and cutouts, said projections insertable into said cutouts
for interlocking said frame members.
23. The article of furniture of claim 20, further including an upholstery cover,
said upholstery cover adapted to connect to said frame.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to custom ordered furniture and the packaging
of such furniture for shipment and storage. More particularly, the invention relates
to fully upholstered, ready-to-assemble furniture which may be custom ordered by
a consumer, packaged by the seller for shipment to the consumer by a parcel delivery
service, and then assembled by the consumer from the packaged components.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ready-to-assemble furniture is furniture which is packaged for
shipment and storage in disassembled form, with assembly to be done by the consumer
or end user. Examples of existing ready-to-assemble non-upholstered furniture include
bookcases, television stands, and simple chairs and benches. Furthermore, mass
merchandised ready-to-assemble furniture is expected to be rather less expensive
to the consumer than comparable pre-assembled furniture or to have distinctive
functional features generally not available with its pre-assembled counterpart.
The genre of ready-to-assemble furniture packaged for mass merchandising retail
sale and home delivery has generally been limited to pieces of furniture which
are utilitarian or hard-surfaced, and which are available in only limited colors
or surface finishes. As such, prior ready-to-assemble furniture does not satisfy
the need for primary pieces of fully upholstered furniture which may be custom
ordered by the consumer, and either delivered to the household of the consumer
by a parcel delivery service, or taken home by the consumer from a retail location.
What is needed is comfortable, fully upholstered, ready-to-assemble, and inexpensive
furniture of high quality which may be packaged in a compact, easily storable and
transportable way, for distribution by mass merchandising and home delivery channels
and which can be custom ordered by the purchaser to accommodate a wide variety
of consumer decorating tastes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides fully upholstered, ready-to-assemble furniture
which may be custom ordered by a purchaser, shipped directly to the home of the
purchaser by a parcel delivery service, and then easily and quickly assembled by
the purchaser. The furniture includes a frame having a plurality of planar frame
members which are interconnected by interlocking protrusions and cutout portions,
as well as by threaded fasteners received in push-in connector elements which are
held in recesses within the frame members. A first plurality of upholstery covers
cover the frame and are attached to one another by hook and loop fasteners. A second
plurality of upholstery covers cover padding elements to form cushions for the
article of furniture. For shipment, the article of furniture may be packaged such
that the frame members, connector elements, and fasteners are packaged in a first
container, the padding elements are packaged in a second container; and the upholstery
covers are packaged in a third container. Each one of the first, second, and third
containers weigh about 70 pounds or less to allow them to be delivered directly
to the home of a consumer by a parcel delivery service.
Further, the present invention uses reduced volume padding in a method of
making a kit which provides high quality, ready-to-assemble upholstered furniture.
The kit includes a lightweight, compact, easy to handle package or packages well-suited
to the shipping, storage and display needs of the mass merchandising industry.
The kit, when assembled, provides an article of comfortable, fully upholstered
furniture which can match a variety of decors. Interchangeable, fitted decorative
coverings are separately provided to cover the furniture and provide continued
flexibility and variety in accommodating the consumer's decorating tastes.
The lightweight, compact and maneuverable package or packages are advantageous
because they can be efficiently stocked on the display or inventory shelves of
mass merchandising retailers, and additionally, the packages meet the size and
weight limitations of parcel delivery service to allow home delivery of the furniture.
Accommodating various consumer decorating tastes by having a variety
of interchangeable, fitted upholstery covering fabrics for the furniture is another
advantage associated with the present invention. The upholstery covers are custom
selected by the consumer, and can be also sold separately alongside the package
containing the article of furniture. Further, the upholstery covers may be returned
separately from the other components if the customer desires a different covering.
Also, individual pieces of the upholstered covering, if damaged or stained for
example, may be selectively ordered by the consumer and shipped to the consumer
for replacement.
The ease of transportation of the compact kits by merchants or carriers reduces
shipping costs and/or labor. Further, the compact nature of the kits allows consumers
the option of either receiving home delivery of the furniture by a parcel delivery
service, or to easily take the furniture home from a retail location at the time
of sale in their own vehicles, rather than requiring them to wait for much later
delivery by the retailer.
Conventional, pre-assembled upholstered furniture can be generally
classified as having high quality and high cost, or low quality and low cost. The
present invention provides ready-to-assemble upholstered furniture of high quality
and low cost. In addition, the above advantages enable the novel approach to the
sale of fully upholstered furniture involving the custom ordering of furniture
by a consumer over an internet website for quick home delivery by a parcel delivery service.
In one embodiment, an article of furniture is provided, including a frame having
a plurality of planar frame members; one of said frame members including a recess;
and a connector element disposed in the recess, the connector element adapted to
receive a fastener for interconnecting the frame members.
In another embodiment, an article of furniture is provided including a frame
having
a plurality of planar frame members, the frame including a seat back panel and
an arm panel; and an upholstery cover covering the frame, including a seat back
cover slidably disposed over the seat back panel, and an arm cover slidably disposed
over the arm panel.
In a further embodiment, a method of packaging a ready-to-assemble article of
furniture is provided, including providing an unassembled frame including a plurality
of planar frame members; packaging the frame members in a first container; providing
a padding element adapted to form a cushion for the article of furniture; packaging
the padding element in a second container; providing an upholstery cover adapted
to attach to the frame; and packaging the upholstery cover in a third container.
A still further embodiment provides a method of assembling a ready-to-assemble
article of furniture, including providing a disassembled frame including a plurality
of planar frame members, the frame members including interlocking portions, recesses
and apertures; a plurality of push-in connector elements; and a plurality of fasteners;
pushing the connector elements in the recesses; connecting the interlocking portions
of the frame members; and securing the frame members by inserting the fasteners
through the apertures and into the connector elements.
In another embodiment, the present invention provides a method of packaging disassembled
upholstered furniture by disposing individual frame members, reduced volume padding
and the requisite fasteners into a kit which can be easily shipped, stored, displayed
on retail shelves, and transported by the consumer. This embodiment contemplates
a variety of fitted covers separately available alongside the kit containing the
disassembled furniture.
In another embodiment, the present invention provides an article of upholstered
furniture assembled from the components which are disposed in the above-described
kit via the present invention method.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above mentioned and other features and objects of this invention, and the
manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention itself will
be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of
the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is an exploded view illustrating the contents of one embodiment of the
kit of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the frame of one embodiment produced from the
present invention kit;
FIG. 3 is a view showing the vacuum-packaged foam pieces of one embodiment of
the present invention in their compressed and expanded states;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the fitted fabric covering for one of the foam
pieces of one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a view showing assembly of an upholstered piece to the frame of one
embodiment of an article of furniture produced from the present invention kit;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of an upholstered article
of furniture produced from the present invention kit;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of an upholstered article
of furniture produced from the present invention kit;
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of an upholstered article
of furniture produced from the present invention kit;
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a cushion for an article of
furniture provided by the present invention;
FIG. 10 is a side view of the cushion of FIG. 9;
FIG. 11 is a sectional view of the cushion of FIG. 10 along line 11—11;
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a cushion for an article
of furniture provided by the present invention;
FIG. 13 is a side view of the cushion of FIG. 12;
FIG. 14 is a sectional view of the cushion of FIG. 13 along line 14/15—14/15;
FIG. 15 is an alternative sectional view of the cushion of FIG. 13 along line 14/15—14/15;
FIG. 16 is an exploded view of the frame of a fifth embodiment of an article
of furniture;
FIG. 16A is a fragmentary view of a portion of the frame of FIG. 16, showing
the attachment of individual adjacent frame members;
FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the assembled frame of FIG. 16;
FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the fifth embodiment of an article of furniture,
showing the attachment of upholstery covers to the frame of FIG. 17;
FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the fifth embodiment of an article of furniture,
showing the assembly of cushions therefor;
FIG. 20 is a perspective view of an assembled article of furniture of the fifth
embodiment; and
FIG. 21 is a schematic view of a method of packaging the disassembled article
of furniture of FIG. 20.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout
the several views. Although the drawings represent embodiments of the present invention,
the drawings are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be exaggerated
in order to better illustrate and explain the present invention. The exemplifications
set out herein illustrate embodiments of the invention in alternative forms, and
such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention
in any manner.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The embodiments disclosed below are not intended to be exhaustive or limit the
invention to the precise forms disclosed in the following detailed description.
Rather, the embodiments are chosen and described so that others skilled in the
art may utilize its teachings.
Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 1, kit 33
having all necessary frame members 22-30, padding 32 in the
form of vacuum-packed foam cushions and package 34 containing any required
fasteners for the frame or assembly instructions is packaged into carton 31
or other suitable container of appropriate size. In one embodiment of the present
invention, individual frame members 22-30 are individually wrapped
in paper or other suitable material (not shown) to prevent scratches, and are then
stacked inside carton 31 in a compact, orderly manner. Reduced volume padding
32 is then placed inside carton 31 such that it substantially occupies
the remaining volume of carton 31. Package 34 is envisioned to be
rather small and is placed in whatever space then remains inside carton 31.
In this manner, a piece of upholstered ready-to-assemble furniture which, when
assembled, is comparable in size to a conventional, pre-assembled piece of furniture,
may be compactly packaged. Alternatively, the disassembled frame and the reduced
volume padding comprising the kit may be packaged in separate cartons in cases
of the volume requirements of each being such as to make inefficient the use of
a single carton as shown in FIG. 21, and described below.
The number, size and shape of frame members 22-30 will vary depending
on the article of furniture to be produced from the kit of the present invention,
but in all embodiments, the frame members are a suitable supporting material, such
as pre-finished plywood. Alternative frame member embodiments using materials such
as solid wooden boards, laminated particle board, preformed plastic or metal pieces,
varieties of fiberboard or strandboard, structural cardboard or honeycombed paperboard.
Further, fasteners may not be required for interconnecting the frame members. For
example, frame assembly may instead consist of interconnecting frame members which
include slots allowing their mutual engagement, or adhesives may be used to join
the frame members. Still further, that frame members may or may not be pre-finished.
For example, the frame members may consist of unfinished wooded pieces that the
consumers may stain and varnish or paint to suit their individual tastes.
One frame 70, corresponding to an embodiment further described below,
is shown in FIG. 16. Frame 70 includes a plurality of individual frame members
72 which are assembled together to form frame 70. Frame members 72
are planar sheets or panels, and may be made of medium density fiberboard ("MDF").
MDF is made from fibers of various types of wood which are refined and pressed
to form lightweight fiberboard sheets having a strong outer surface which can be
finished with most commercial finishing materials such as sealer, varnish, or paint.
MDF is available in sheets which may range from ⅜" thick to 1½" thick,
for example, and the length and width of MDF sheets may vary widely depending upon
the supplier. One such MDF material is ½" GP Superior, available from Georgia-Pacific
Co., and manufactured at their Sault Ste. Marie plant in Ontario, Canada. However,
MDF is generally widely available from many commercial suppliers.
Frame members 72 may be cut from large sheets of MDF using widely-available
machinery such as computer-controlled cutting saws and routers, for example. As
shown in FIG. 16, frame members 72 generally include base panel 72
a,
interior side panels 72
b, 72
c, arm panels 72
d,
72
e, front panel 72
f, back panel 72
g,
seat back panel 72
h, seat back support panel 72
i, storage
compartment lid panel 72
j, and insert 72
k. Storage
compartment lid panel 72
j includes handle cutout 74 and tongue
76, which is slidingly fitted within slot 78 of seat back panel 72
h
to provide a hinged connection therebetween.
Frame members 72 also include projections 80 and cutout portions
82, which are insertable into one another to connect adjacent frame members
72. As shown in FIG. 16, cutout portions 82 may include slots 82
a
and apertures 82
b. For securing adjacent frame members 72,
recesses 83 are provided, which are adapted to receive push-in connector
elements 84. In addition, apertures 86 are provided, which receive
fasteners 88 cooperating with push-in connector elements 84, as described
below with reference to FIG. 16A. As shown in FIG. 16, it may be seen that each
frame member 72 includes a number cutout 90, with frame members 72
a-72
k
numbered 1-11, respectively, to define a sequentially numbered
set of frame members 72 comprising frame 70. Advantageously, this
numbering of frame members 72 eases assembly of frame 70 by allowing
individual frame numbers 72 to be identified and referred to in a set of
printed assembly instructions, for example.
Additionally, some frame members 72, such as interior side panels
72
b, 72
c as shown in FIG. 16, may include feet 92,
each covered by foot cap 94 which is pressed onto to each foot 92.
Foot caps 94 engage a floor surface to prevent frame 70 from sliding
thereon, and to prevent frame 70 from scratching the floor surface. Foot
caps 94 also serve as a protective "boot" to protect feet 92 from
water or moisture, and to protect feet 92 from contact with other objects
which may cause feet 92 to dent, flake, or delaminate.
FIG. 16A illustrates one method of attaching and securing adjacent frame members
72 to form frame 70. For example, projection 80 of front panel
72
f is received within cutout portion 82 of arm panel 72
e
to interlockingly connect front panel 72
f with arm panel 72
e.
To secure adjacent frame members 72, such as front panel 72
f and
arm panel 72
e, push-in connector elements 84, which may be
formed of any suitable plastic, for example, are pushed into recesses 83
provided in front panel 72
f. Fasteners 88 may then be threaded
through apertures 86 in arm panel 72
e, which are then received
in push-in connector elements 84 within front panel 72
f. Push-in
connector elements 84 act as screw sets for fasteners 88, and also
include oblong portions 96 disposed in recesses 83 to prohibit separation
of adjacent frame members 72.
Frame 70 is shown assembled in FIG. 17, where frame 70 is for
an exemplary chair 98. Assembly of chair 98 is completed by attaching
upholstery covers 100 and cushions 102 thereto, as described below.
However, many articles of fully upholstered furniture may be made other than chair
98 using the teachings herein, such as loveseats, couches, ottomans, sofabeds,
or daybeds, among others.
Individual padding elements appropriate to the article of furniture to
be produced from kit 33 are reduced in volume, such as by being vacuum-packed
or by being compressed between plates, or by a combination of these methods, into
compressed form which greatly reduces the volume otherwise necessary to package
kit 33. The padding should be reduced by approximately two thirds (⅔)
from its original, expanded size to properly practice one embodiment of the present
invention, but further reduction is desirable and the amount of volume reduction
achievable may vary by padding material. By the above-mentioned volume reduction
methods, the volume of urethane foam padding, for example, can be reduced to approximately
one sixth (⅙) of its natural, expanded size. Although the padding elements
may be made from urethane foam, Dacron or any other suitable, compressible materials
may be used. Further, different materials may be used for different cushions. For
example, in a given article of furniture the seat cushion(s) may be made of urethane
foam, while the back and/or arm cushions may be made of Dacron.
The amount of compression foam padding undergoes affects its ability to subsequently
expand to its original size. For example, in experiments in which a 12 inch cubic
block of urethane foam material having an indentation load deflection (ILD) rating
of 35 (i.e., 35 pounds of force is required to deflect the foam by 25 percent)
and a density of 1.5 pounds per cubic foot was compressed into a 12 inch square
slab 1.5 inches thick, the material expanded to 96 percent of its original volume
after 24 hours. Further expansion beyond that time was negligible. In an otherwise
identical experiment using urethane foam having a density of 1.2 pounds per cubic
foot, the material expanded to 90 percent of its original volume. Compression to
a lesser extent would have resulted in each of these samples expanding more nearly
to its original volume. Furthermore, where heavy compression takes place in a high
humidity environment, plastic deformation in the shape of the expanded urethane
foam cushions may result. Therefore, it should be noted that to ensure the foam
expands properly to its final shape and size, its compression should take place
in a low humidity environment.
Furthermore, compression of the foam material adversely affects its
quality. For example, the 1.5 pound per cubic foot urethane foam block subjected
to the above described compression test incurred a 2 pound degradation in its ILD
rating, dropping from 35 to 33. The 1.2 pound per cubic foot sample had its ILD
drop from 35 to 28 under the same conditions. Thus it can be seen that a denser
urethane foam better retains its load bearing capability after compression than
its lighter weight counterpart. Compression to a lesser extent would have resulted
in each of these samples exhibiting a less pronounced degradation in its ILD rating.
This degradation in quality manifests itself primarily through reduced longevity
of the padding's resilience, and does not necessarily affect the initial comfort
it provides.
For urethane foams of a given ILD rating and chemical composition, a denser foam
costs more than a lighter weight foam. From the foregoing it can then be understood
that, because the cushions' post-expansion sizes, upon which the proportions of
the finished article of furniture are determined, and longevity are dependent on
their original densities and the extent to which they are compressed, there are
tradeoffs to be made between their cost, quality and package. Also, it must be
emphasized that the intended post-expansion size of each cushion and its desired
life are factors which must be considered in developing the component padding elements
of the present invention.
As the compressed padding elements are unpackaged and allowed to expand, each
will take on a size and shape appropriate to upholster frame 36 (FIG. 2).
For example, the embodiment of kit 33 contains vacuum-packed foam pieces
for padding 32 which, when unpackaged and allowed to expand to their approximate
original sizes and shapes, will provide back cushion 38, seat cushion 40
and two arm cushions 42 (FIG. 3).
One embodiment of the present invention contemplates having each cushion covered
by a porous, protective cover (not shown) made of a material such as muslin or
denim, which may or may not be decorative, prior to the cushion's volume being
reduced. Each piece of reduced volume padding in the kit would include such a protective
cover. The porosity of the protective cover allows air to exit the cushion during
the reduction of the cushion's volume, prior to its being packaged, and to enter
the cushion during its expansion, upon unpacking it. The porous protective cover
would be fitted to envelop the cushion and be permanently sewn closed or closed
thereon with a fastener. Fasteners appropriate for closing the protective cover
include, for example, zippers or hook and loop fasteners. As the cushions are expanded
during final assembly of the article of furniture, the protective cover would remain
on the cushion and may subsequently be covered by the separately provided decorative
fabric covers as described below. Further, where foam padding is used, the protective
cover will make installation of the decorative fabric covers easier due to the
protective cover's surface having a lower coefficient of friction vis-a-vis the
surface of the uncovered foam. Installation of the decorative covers will also
be made easier where a protective cover is used over padding material having a
loose, fibrous composition, such as Dacron. Further still, the protective cover
provides the additional advantages of retaining any cushion material debris which
accumulates due to normal padding wear or due to fragmentation of loose, fibrous
padding material.
Another aspect of the present invention, exemplified in the figures as relating
to seat cushion 40 although it is applicable to each cushion, contemplates
cushions having flexible bladder 50 (FIGS. 9 and 12) made of a material
such as rubber, for example. As shown in FIGS. 9-11, padding material 52
corresponding to seat cushion 40 may envelop the bladder or, as shown in
FIGS. 12-15, padding material 52 may be adhered to a only portion of the
surface of bladder 50. Bladder 50 is evacuated while the cushion
is packaged, and filled with a fluid such as air or water through closeable valve
54 during final assembly of the article of furniture. Bladder 50
may include baffles 56 to dampen the movement of the fluid. Baffles 56
may be of a type which includes staggered or perforated walls 58 attached
to the inside surfaces of bladder 50 (FIG. 14) or a of a type which uses
a porous filler 60 which is more compressible than the padding material,
such as open cell foam, disposed within bladder 50 (FIG. 15). One advantage
provided by this embodiment is the further reduction in the package volume required
to provide an article of ready-to-assemble upholstered furniture compared to reducing
the volume of the padding alone, as described above. Further, adjusting the quantity
of fluid in the bladder may accommodate varying comfort levels of the consumers.
A cushion having such a bladder may also be used in conjunction with the protective
cover described above. During final assembly of the article of furniture, cushions
having the fluid-filled bladder may be covered by the separately provided decorative
fabric covers as described below.
Accommodating a variety of consumer tastes without requiring excessive
warehouse or shelf space is an object of the present invention. Therefore, it will
be noted that kit 33 contained in carton 31, which includes frame
members 22-30 and reduced volume padding 32, assembles to
produce an unupholstered article of furniture. Finished fabric covers to fit each
individual padding element, or matching sets thereof to outfit an entire article
of furniture, are packaged and can be made available separately for use with kit
33 contained in carton 31. In this way, a stock of kits can be conveniently
warehoused or displayed at retail facilities which, when purchased with one of
several different and separately available fabrics, can accommodate a variety of
decorating tastes.
The separately available fabric covers, designed to fit over the expanded padding
elements from kit 33, are installed by the consumer. Referring to FIG. 4,
a fabric covering 44 is fitted over a foam arm cushion 42 to form
an upholstered piece. Similarly, each foam piece is covered by a corresponding
fabric cover. Alternatively, a fabric cover may be fashioned to cover more than
one padded element. For instance, a single decorative cover may be designed to
accommodate the three back cushions for a sofa.
The fabric covers may be secured around the foam pieces by zippers, hook and
loop fasteners, adhesives or by merely folding excess material of the fabric under
the foam piece itself or into the slotted portion 48 (FIG. 5) of the foam
piece, resulting in an upholstered piece 46. The entire padded portion may
be covered by fabric, or only the portion that would be visible upon final assembly
of the furniture. Notably, the fabrics are interchangeable. The method of making
available fabric covering sets separate from kit 33 in a wide variety of
patterns and colors allows consumers to easily replace the fabric for repair or redecoration.
Once the fabric is applied, each upholstered piece is applied to the frame 36.
As shown in FIG. 5, some upholstered pieces 46 are fitted over portions
of frame 36 shaped to be slidedly received within their slotted portions
48. Other upholstered pieces, such as the seat portion, may be applied to
the frame without such engagemen
