US2593319A - Foldable furniture unit - Google Patents

Description

April 15, 1952 B. LEVlTlN ET AL 2,593,319

FOLDABLE FURNITURE UNIT Filed May 4, 1950 W 5. INVENTORSI 8 Irving WPeepZes & BY fiery B. Pe 6 056.5

M0 4' am 744 ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 15, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,593,319 FoLDABtE FURNITURE UNIT Benjamin Levitin, James G. Brown, irving W. Peeples, and Mary B. Peeples, Washington, D. 0.

Application May 4, 1950, se -m1 No. 159,964 4 Claims. (01. -33 'l) The present invention relates to a new unit of household furniture adapted for selective use as a seat, back rest, or lounge, and also adapted to be combined with a similar unit to form a hassock.

More specifically, the invention relates to a foldable furniture unit having a predetermined geometrical configuration enabling the same to be used in different ways according to the character of support desired by the user.

One of the principal features of the invention resides in making the unit of two complementary sections flexibly connected together and designed so that the sections can be opened or unfolded to provide a substantially full length support for a body in a reclining or lying down position, and folded up or closed for use as a seat or a simple inclined back rest.

The principal object of the invention is toprovide a furniture unit for supporting a body in a comfortable, relaxed, informal position before a fireplace, television set. etc.

Another object of the invention is to provide a furniture unit of predetermined geometrical configuration such that it can be combined with a unit of similar geometrical configuration to form a diiferent item of household furniture, to wit, a hassock.

Another object of the invention is to provide a furniture unit that can be used as a lounge, and which can be readily folded to a smaller size and used as a seat or inclined back rest, and which occupies a small space when folded, so that it can be stored away in a closet or placed out of the way in a corner of a room.

A further object of the invention is to provide a foldable, cushioned furniture unit which has a supporting surface preshaped to conform generally to the contour of a reclining human body when the unit is unfolded and used as a lounge.

Other objects and features of the invention will .be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a hassock including two furniture units embodying the principles of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the novel furniture unit per se, but illustrating the same in a folded or closed condition and turned over on its base to serve as a back rest;

Fig. 3 is a View illustrating the furniture unit of Fig. 2 opened up or unfolded ready for use as a lounge; v

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view through the forward section of the furniture unit taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view through the rear section of the furniture unit taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

The furniture unit embodying the principles of the invention may have any desired geometri cal configuration or appearance, such as a triangular prism, an ungula, etc-., so that when two of the units are placed together, they will form a hassock resembling a parallelepiped, a cylinder, etc. It is preferable, however, in the interest of simplicity of construction, to form the basic furniture units as right triangular prisms and Fig. 1 illustrates two such units I and I arranged to form a hassock ensemble generally identified by the numeral 2. The two units I and I are adapted to be detachably connected together to form the hassock 2, which can be divided diagonally along the line 3, corresponding to the hypotenuse of the units, as will be explained more fully hereinafter.

The units I and I are identical and the unit I is illustrated in detail in Figs. 2 to 5 to which reference will now be made. The unit I comprises a pair of sections 4 and 5 of complementary design but presenting, when in a closed or folded condition, the general appearance of a right triangular prism. The sections 41 and 5 may both be made in the form of frameless cushions having the external appearance or configurations illustrated, but in order to impart substantial rigidity to the unit, it is preferable to incorporate a suitable frame structure in each section. By way of example, and not limitation, the frame of the section 4 is illustrated as made of wood and includes a flat bottom wall 6 and a pair of upstanding side walls 1 and B disposed along the longitudinal sides of said bottom wall. A rear wall 9 is disposed between the side walls I and 8 at the rear end of the bottom wall 6. The upper edges I0 and I I of the side walls I and 8 slope downwardly from the rear wall 9 toward the forward end I2 of the bottom wall 6. The upper edge I3 of the rear wall 9 is bevelled to correspond to the slope of the upper edges II] and II of the side walls I and 8. A partition I4 is diagonally arranged at the back end of the section 4 and is disposed generally parallel with the upper edges of the side walls I and B. The bottom wall 6, side walls I and 8, rear wall 9 and partition I4 can be glued, nailed or otherwise permanently fastened together. The outer exposed surfaces of the frame of the section 4 are covered with cloth; leatherette, plastic or other suitable upholstery material I5, padding l6 preferably be ing disposed between the covering and the side walls of the frame. The covering material I5 may be tacked or otherwise suitably secured to the wooden frame structure.

A cushion I! (Fig. 3) is shaped to fill the space above the partition I4 and bottom wall 6 and between the side walls I and 8 and the rear wall I3, the upper surface of the cushion having a slightly concave contour conforming to that of the upper edges I and II of the side walls I and 8.

The section comprises a bottom wall 6 which is bevelled at its forward end I8 and has its rear end I9 positioned adjacent the forward end I2 of the bottom wall 6 of the section 1. The bottom Walls 6 and 6 are fastened together in the relation specified by a pair of hinges 20. Side Walls I and I3 (Fig. 4) are glued or otherwise suitably fastened to the side edges of the bottom wall 6 The side walls l and 8 have upper edges Iii and H that are convex and complemental to the upper edges It and II of theside walls 'I and 8. The exposed outer surfaces of the bottom wall (5 and the side walls I and 3 are covered by a covering material ZI of a nature similar to the covering I5, and padding material 22 is preferably interposed between the covering 2| and the side walls i and W, as illustrated in Fig. 4. A cushion 23 is disposed above the bottom wall ti between the side walls l and 8 and its upper surface is contoured to a convex shape to conform with that of the curvature of the upper edges Ill and II of the side walls i and 8*. As will be apparent from Fig. 3, the cushion 23 extends from the rear end I9 of the bottom wall 6 to the forward bevelled edge I8 of said bottom wall, and forms a longitudinal continuation of the cushion IT. The end I9 is bevelled in a direction away from the adjacent end I2 of the bottom wall 6, so that it lies in a plane substantially perpendicular to said bottom wall when the unit is in its folded condition shown in Fig. 2. The cushion I! may be adhesively bonded, tacked, or otherwise secured to the section t and the cushion 23 may be similarly secured to the section 5. If desired, the cushions I! and 23 can be joined together at their adjacent ends or formed as a one-piece cushion structure.

The section 5 is adapted to be swung on the hinges 20 from the unfolded condition of the unit shown in Fig. 3, 'into its folded position overlying the section l, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The unit I then rests on its base or bottom wall 6 and may be used as a sloping back rest, with the body resting against the sloping wall fi If a more upright back rest is desired, the unit I can obviously be stood on end with the rear wall I3 parallel with the floor, in which event the wall 5, will again be engaged by the back of the body.

The units I and i when folded, may also be placed upon their sides, that is to say, with either the side walls 'I-'l or the side walls ild lowermost and the uppermost side walls used as a flat seat, or the units I and I may be positioned as illustrated in Fig. l with the hypotenuses thereof disposed adjacent each other and the two sections fastened together by flaps 24, as will now be described.

One flap 24 (formed of leather, heavy cloth or any other suitable material) has one end thereof secured to the covering I5 by stitching 25 (Fig. 1) and is also preferably securely fastened to the rear wall 9 by a row of tacks 28 in a region remote from the bottom wall 6. The other end of the flap I'I carries a plurality of conventional snap fastener elements 21 which engage with coacting fastening elements 21 secured to the bottom wall of the other unit I so that the units I and I can be readily connected together in the relationship illustrated to form the hassock 2. It will be observed that the flap 24 is long enough to extend from the rear of one unit around the adjacent end of the other unit, to thus conceal the joint at the hinged end of the other unit.

This feature provides a neat and attractive appearance, particularly if the flap 24 has a color which harmonizes with the color of the coverings I5 and 2|. It will also be observed that the flap 24 hangs downwardly at the rear of the unit I when the units I and I are detached, asin Fig. 3.

Should it be desired to use the units I and I separately, the flaps 24 can be quickly unfastened by separating the snap fasteners 2'I--2'I to permit separation of the units I and I along the diagonal line 3, and the units then unfolded so that the sections 4 and 5 are in longitudinal alignment and form a low lounge, with the bottom walls 6 and 6 thereof disposed in a horizontal plane and resting upon the floor. The cushions I1 and 23 are purposely shaped to generally conform to the contour of a human body in a reclining position and, therefore, provide a very comfortable support for the body.

It will be understood that various changes may be made in the details of construction and in the configuration of the sections 4 and 5 of the basic unit I, without departing from the principles of the invention or the scope of the annexed claims.

We claim:

1. A foldable furniture unit having the external appearance of a geometrical solid, said unit including two cushion sections interconnected at one end, said cushions being disposed with a face of one cushion confronting a face of the other when the unit is folded, and with one cushion disposed in longitudinal alignment with the other when the unit is unfolded for supporting a body in a reclining position, the face of said one cushion being concave and the face of said other cushion being convex and complemental thereto.

2. A furniture unit having the general appearance of a right triangular prism, said unit comprising two complementary sections having faces arranged in confronting relation; means hingedly connecting said sections together at one end thereof, the face of one of said sections being concave and the other being convex, said hinge means providing for swinging one of said sections into longitudinal alignment with the other so that the convex face of one section forms a longitudinal continuation of the concave face of the other section.

3. A furniture unit, comprising: two complementary sections jointly presenting the external appearance of a substantially right triangular prism, one of said sections including a frame having a bottom wall, side walls and a rear wall, and the other section having a frame including a bottom wall and side walls; hinge means connecting the forward end of the bottom wall of the frame of said one section with one end of the bottom wall of the frame of said other section, so that one section can be swung into position in longitudinal alignment with the other section with the two bottom Walls disposed in a common plane and with the side walls extending upwardly from said bottom walls, each of said sections having cushion means disposed between the side walls of the frame thereof for supporting a body in a reclining position.

4. A furniture unit, comprising: two complementary sections arranged in the form of a substantially right triangular prism, one of said sections including a frame having a bottom wall, side walls and a rear wall, and the other section having a frame including a bottom wall and side walls; hinge means connecting the forward end of the bottom wall of the frame of said one see:

5 tion with one end of the bottom wall of the frame of said other section so that one section can be swung into position in longitudinal alignment with the other section, the side walls of said one section having concave edges and the side walls of said other section having convex edges substantiallycomplemental to the convex edges of said one section, and each of said sections having cushion means disposed between the side walls thereof with the outer surface thereof substantially conforming to the curvature of the edges of the side walls associated therewith.

BENJAMIN LEVI'I'IN. JAMES G. BROWN. IRVING W. PEEPLES. MARY B. PEEPLES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,296,930 Darling Mar. 11, 1919 2,013,481 Stonehill Sept. 3, 1935 2,047,035 Rosenberg July '7, 1936 2,108,241 Wallace Feb. 15, 1938 2,531,724 Cevasco Nov. 28, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 491,261 Great Britain Aug. 30, 1938

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