The present invention generally relates to furniture and the manufacture thereof. More specifically, the present invention relates to transformable, portable, and foldable furniture.
As modern urban living quarters are becoming smaller and smaller, transformable furniture are gaining popularity as one piece of space-saving furniture may serve different functions depending on its configuration. Most transformable furniture, such as a coffee-dining convertible table, usually have moving parts to enable a flexible structure. Similarly, portable furniture that can be stowed away for easy storage and transportation incorporate at least some form of foldable or collapsible assembly to enable shrinking and shapeshifting. These assemblies are often implemented by using mechanical hinges and joints connecting furniture articles such as beams and panels. However, furniture constructed from these assemblies demand higher construction complexity and number of components than conventional furniture, and these in turn translate to higher manufacturing and material costs, and also likely overall weight increase.
Therefore, there is an unmet need for a method and apparatus for constructing transformable and portable furniture that are structurally flexible, simple in construction, and light in weight.
One of the objectives of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for constructing a transformable and/or portable furniture that is structurally flexible, simple in construction, and light in weight based on integrated hinges connecting articles of the furniture assembly. Each of the integrated hinges comprises a rigid structure enclosed within a three dimensional (3D) flexible membrane that contour around the rigid structure.
In accordance to various embodiments of the present invention, the rigid structure can be two rods arranged in a cross-shaped structure, two rods arranged in a ‘V’-shaped structure, two rods arranged in a ‘T’-shaped structure, three rods arranged in a three-pointed star-shaped structure, or four rods arranged in a four-pointed star-shaped structure. It will be apparent to an ordinarily-skilled person in the art that other shaped rigid structures having different number of rods for facilitating different types of movements of the connecting parts are realizable without deviating from the spirit of the present invention.
The shape of the multi-rod rigid structure of the various configurations is not necessarily fixed by any fixing accessory (e.g. pin, nail, screw, bearing, clamp, etc.), instead the rigid structure is wrapped tightly in the flexible membrane with its 3D contour holding the rigid structure in place. This way, the number of parts of the complete furniture can be kept minimal.
In accordance to one embodiment, the rods of the rigid structure of the integrated hinge function as hinge arms. An article of the furniture assembly, such as a supporting beam, a leg, an apron, a base, a top, a deck, a door, and/or a surface panel is connected to one of the rods of the rigid structure, preferably near an end of the rod distal from the other rod(s) such that the connected articles are allowed to rotate, pivot, and/or shift in respect with one and other or the furniture main body about the rigid structure depending on the configuration of the rigid structure. A foldable or collapsible overall furniture assembly is then constructed using the plurality of integrated hinges connecting the furniture articles.
In accordance to one embodiment, the one or more integrated hinges are integrated with one or more further articles, the flexible membrane encloses the rigid structures of the hinges as well as the one or more furniture articles as one integrated piece.
In accordance to one embodiment, the flexible membrane is made of elastic material such that the integrated hinge serves as a spring hinge with a biased position. The furniture assembly incorporating the integrated hinges and elastic flexible membrane may be able to provide a default configuration without the use of any locking mechanism.
In accordance to one exemplary application, provided is a collapsible infant cradle constructed using a number of integrated hinges, each having a cross-shaped rigid structure. In accordance to another exemplary application, a foldable booster seat is provided, which is constructed using a number of integrated hinges of different shaped rigid structures. It will be apparent to an ordinarily-skilled person in the art that other applications incorporating the integrated hinges in their constructions are realizable without deviating from the spirit of the present invention.
Embodiments of the invention are described in more detail hereinafter with reference to the drawings, in which:
In the following description, methods and apparatuses for constructing a transformable and/or portable furniture that is structurally flexible, simple in construction, and light in weight based on integrated hinges connecting articles of the furniture assembly and the likes are set forth as preferred examples. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications, including additions and/or substitutions may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Specific details may be omitted so as not to obscure the invention; however, the disclosure is written to enable one skilled in the art to practice the teachings herein without undue experimentation.
Referring to
In accordance to one embodiment, the shape of the multi-rod rigid structure of the various configurations is not necessarily fixed by any fixing accessory (e.g. pin, nail, screw, bearing, clamp, etc.), instead the rigid structure is wrapped tightly in a flexible membrane with its 3D contour holding the rigid structure in place. The 3D contour property of the flexible membrane can be achieved by using molding or 3D knitting techniques. For example as shown in
In accordance to one embodiment, the rods of the rigid structure of the integrated hinge function as hinge arms. An article of the furniture assembly, such as a supporting beam, a leg, an apron, a base, a top, a deck, a door, and/or a surface panel is connected to one of the rods of the rigid structure, preferably at near an end of the rod distal from the other rod(s) such that the connected articles are allowed to rotate, pivot, and/or shift in respect with one and other or the furniture main body about the rigid structure depending on the configuration of the rigid structure. A foldable or collapsible overall furniture assembly is then constructed using the plurality of integrated hinges connecting the furniture articles.
In accordance to one embodiment, the one or more integrated hinges are fully integrated with one or more furniture articles, the flexible membrane encloses the rigid structures of the hinges as well as the one or more furniture articles forming one integrated piece of the overall furniture assembly.
In accordance to another embodiment, instead of having the multi-rod structure of the integrated hinge wrapped within the flexible membrane, the multi-rod rigid structure can be fixed by inserting the rods in pipes in a piping system biasedly arranged into the desired shape. The piping system can also provide additional rigidity and/or tensile strength to the integrated hinge.
In accordance to one embodiment, the rods in the rigid structure of the integrated hinge can be made of different materials with different weights, tensile strengths, and/or stiffnesses, to enable certain controlled shape deformations, and/or weight distributions of the furniture assembly incorporating combinations of such integrated hinge(s).
In accordance to one embodiment, the flexible membrane is made of elastic material or fabric such that the integrated hinge serves as a spring or a spring hinge with a biased position. This type of spring or spring hinge can also serve as a movement guide for a furniture article in guiding it back to its original position. The furniture assembly incorporating the integrated hinges and elastic flexible membrane may be able to maintain a default configuration without the use of any locking mechanism. The use of elastic flexible membrane may also provide desirable springiness to the furniture assembly of certain type of furniture such as sofas and beds. In accordance to other embodiments, the flexible membrane can also be of non-elastic material or fabric. The combined use of multiple integrated hinges having mixed flexible membranes made of materials or fabrics of different degrees of elasticity enable a variety of biased positions and parts' movements of the furniture assembly. In other words, the integrated hinge's behavior can be influenced by changing the membrane properties, giving more flexibility and control to the furniture functionality and design.
Referring to
The membrane 206 can be a single piece 3D-knitted fabric with channels to hold in place the piping 204 and 205 and the rods 202 and 203 of the cross-shaped rigid structures of the integrated hinges 201.
Referring to
Other exemplary applications include foldable booster seats, foldable chairs, collapsible sofas, strollers, and other transformable furniture constructed using integrated hinges of different shaped rigid structures. It will be apparent to an ordinarily-skilled person in the art that other applications incorporating the integrated hinges in their constructions are realizable without deviating from the spirit of the present invention.
The foregoing description of the present invention has been provided for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to the practitioner skilled in the art.
The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with various modifications that are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalence.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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19121204.2 | Mar 2019 | HK | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/CN2020/080195 | 3/19/2020 | WO | 00 |