Patent Application
20180279792
The disclosed embodiments relate generally to stools, and more particularly to stools with removable covers.
Typically, stools are used for support. For example, a stool may be used to support a seated person. In another example, the stool may be used as a table on which items, such as food, can be placed. Some stools may be covered, such as with a table cloth, to protect their surfaces and to facilitate cleaning.
According to one embodiment, a stool is disclosed. The stool includes a top having a top surface, a base supporting the top, a plurality of coverings stacked on the top surface, and a retaining member attached to at least one of the top and the base, and biased in a direction toward the top of the stool. The retaining member is arranged to hold the coverings to the top of the stool.
According to another embodiment, method of holding a covering on a stool is disclosed. The stool includes a top, a base supporting the top, and a retaining member attached to at least one of the top and the base and biased in a direction toward the top of the stool, the retaining member arranged to hold one or more coverings to the top of the stool. The method includes moving the retaining member in a direction away from the top of the stool to an extended position, inserting the retaining member through an opening of a first covering, and placing the first covering on the top of the stool.
It should be appreciated that the foregoing concepts, and additional concepts discussed below, may be arranged in any suitable combination, as the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.
The foregoing and other aspects, embodiments, and features of the present teachings can be more fully understood from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Stools may be used to support various types of items and people. For example, a stool may be used to sit on or as a place to set books, foods, and/or beverages. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the stool may function as a chair and/or as a table. Stools may become dirty with use. For example, when a stool is used to serve food, the stool may become soiled by food residue and need cleaning. Stools may be covered with a piece of paper or fabric place over the top of the stool, the paper or fabric being removed after use. Paper table cloths are typically thrown out after use, and fabric table cloths are typically reusable, though the table cloth is typically washed after use. The table coverings are often stored in a separate location from the table, such as on a shelf or in a cabinet.
Applicant has recognized that providing a stool with removable coverings which are held to the stool may provide advantages. For example, such a removable covering allows for efficient cleaning as the user may be able to remove the dirty covering at the top of the stack to reveal a fresh, clean covering underneath. Additionally, because the unused coverings are maintained on top of the stool, no separate storage location is required. This arrangement also may allow the user to keep track of the number of clean coverings because the coverings are visible on top of the stool, and helps avoid losing coverings. Finally, as the coverings are held to the stool during use, instances of the covering being accidentally removed from the stool, such as by a child, may be reduced.
Accordingly, embodiments disclosed herein include a stool having a top, a base, a retaining member, and a plurality of coverings that are held to the stool by the retaining member. As will be appreciated, a stool may include a table, an ottoman, or another suitable structure with a surface for supporting one or more articles, such as food items.
For purposes herein, being held to the stool means that a stack of coverings is maintained on top of the stool via a retaining member. For example, a retaining member may hold the stack of coverings to the top of the stool such that the coverings do not substantially move relative to the stool. In such an example, the coverings may remain aligned with one another and with the top of the stool via the retaining member. In some embodiments, the coverings may move slightly relative to the stool during use. For example, one or more coverings may be moved (e.g., rotated or translated) relative to the top surface. In embodiments in which the coverings do move relative to the table, such as during use, the user may manually adjust the position of the coverings. For example, the user may rotate or translate the stack of coverings, or one of the coverings in the stack, back to an aligned position.
The coverings may be sized to fit on the top of the stool. In some embodiments, the coverings may cover at least part of the top of the stool. For example, the coverings may be sized to cover the entire top of the stool. In other embodiments, the coverings are larger than the size of the top of the stool. For example, at least a portion of the coverings may extend beyond a periphery of the top of the stool to cover at least a portion of a side of the stool.
In some embodiments, the coverings may be attached to one another in the stack. For example, the stack of coverings may be bound together at a portion of the perimeter. For example, the edges of the coverings may be fixed together by an adhesive or other attachment means, such as wax. In other embodiments, at least a portion of each covering may have an adhesive, such as an adhesive on a portion of a bottom surface of the covering, positioned such that a first covering may stick to an adjacent covering. As will be appreciated, in such embodiments, removal of a covering from the stack may comprise tearing, unsticking, or otherwise unfastening the covering from the stack. In such embodiments, even if each of the coverings are attached to one another, each covering is still held to the top of the stool via the retaining member.
In other embodiments, the coverings may not be individually attached to one another. In such embodiments, the coverings may be formed of a material, such a felt, that resists movement of one covering relative to an adjacent covering when the coverings are stacked on top of one another. In such embodiments, the covering may be removed from the stack by simply grasping and moving the covering in a direction away from the top of the stack.
In some instances the coverings may be disposable, such that the user may discard the used covering after use. In other embodiments, the coverings may be reusable. In such instances, the coverings may be collected, washed, and then restacked on top of the stool at a later time.
The coverings may all have the same size, shape, and color, or the characteristics may differ among the coverings. For example, a user may attach coverings of different materials depending on the use. In one such example, the user may place a disposable paper covering on the table to be used to take notes during a meeting and may place a cloth covering on the table for use as a table cloth. The user also may attach a covering having different colors for decorative purposes.
In some embodiments, each covering has an opening through which the retaining member is passed. In such embodiments, the retaining member is passed through the opening and the covering is placed on top of the stool or on top of a stack of coverings on the stool top. Once the covering is in place, the covering may be sandwiched between the retaining member and the top of the stool, or between the retaining member and the covering previously at the top of the stack, such that the covering is held in place. In such embodiments, the retaining member rests on top of the stack of coverings.
The opening in the covering may be a slit, a circle, or another suitably shaped opening. The opening may be cut into the plurality of coverings after the coverings have been stacked on top of one another such that the openings are aligned with one another. The openings also may be formed in each covering during manufacturing, with the coverings being stacked when they are placed on the stool. As will be appreciated, in such embodiments, the openings may be aligned, however, the openings also may be offset in other embodiments depending upon placement of the coverings on the stool. In some embodiments, the area around the opening may be depressed such that the retaining member may rest in the depression when the covering is on the stool.
In some embodiments, the retaining member includes a disk. As will be appreciated, the disk may be any suitable shape, such as circular, rectangular, oval, triangular, other polygonal, or another suitable shape. At least a portion of the disk is sized to fit through the opening in the covering. For example, the retaining member may include an oval disk, with a first dimension that is smaller than the opening and a second dimension that is larger than the opening. In other embodiments, the retaining member may be smaller than the opening. In such embodiments, the opening may include a slit that closes after passage of the retaining member.
In some embodiments, the retaining member may have at least two positions—a holding position and an extended or open position. The holding position is a position in which the retaining member holds the one or more coverings to the top of the stool. In the extended position, the retaining member is moved in a direction away from the top of the stool such that the retaining member may be moveable through the opening in a covering. As will be appreciated, the retaining member may be moveable such that the covering may be placed on top of the stool or may be removed from the top of the stool. For example, in the extended position, the retaining member may be passable through the covering for placement of the covering on the stool. In some embodiments, the retaining member may be positioned substantially parallel to the coverings when the retaining member is in the holding position. The retaining member also may be positioned substantially parallel to the stool top in the holding position. In some embodiments, the retaining member may be positioned at an angle relative to the coverings and to the table when the retaining member is in the extended or open position.
In some embodiments, the retaining member is attached to the table via one or more biasing members, such as elastic bands. In some embodiments, the one or more biasing members may be attached to only one side of retaining member. For example, elastic bands may be attached to the side of the disk that is positioned adjacent to the coverings being held to the stool top. The retaining member also may be hollow, with the one or more biasing members being attached within the retaining members. The biasing members may be removably attached to the retaining member or permanently attached (e.g., by glue or another suitable attachment method). The one or more biasing members may be evenly spaced across the retaining member, or may be unevenly spaced.
The biasing members may bias the retaining member in the holding position, in a direction toward the top of the stool. For example, the biasing members may be taut when the retaining member is flush against the stack of coverings, such that the coverings are held to the top of the stool. In some embodiments, to attach a covering, the user may grasp and pull the retaining member in a direction away from the top of the stool to the extended position to load or remove a covering from the stool top. In such an extended position, the biasing members are stretched. After the covering has been placed in a desired position on the stool or stack of coverings on the stool, or has been removed from the stool, the retaining member is released. When the retaining member is released, the biasing members contract and pull the retaining member toward the top of the stool, back to the holding position.
The biasing members are arranged to be sufficiently stretchable that the retaining member may be moved away from (e.g., lifted off of) the stack of coverings. In some embodiments, for example, the retaining member may be moveable to between 0.5 inches and 3 inches from the top of the stack of coverings. The retaining member also may be moveable to other suitable distances from the top of the stack of covering in other embodiments. As will be appreciated, in embodiments having more than one biasing member, the biasing members may be the same length and apply the same biasing force. The biasing members also may be different lengths and apply different forces. For example, some of the biasing members may be stretchable more than others. The thickness of the biasing members also may be the same or may vary. In some embodiments, irrespective of how few coverings remain in the stack, the number, length and thickness and number of the biasing members are arranged to hold the coverings to the top of the stool.
In some embodiments, the one or more biasing members may be attached to the top of the stool. In other embodiments, the biasing member may be attached to a portion of the base.
In some embodiments, the base may include one or more legs. The base also may be formed in the shape of a pedestal. In some embodiments, the base may be at least partially hollow, such as a hollow pedestal. In such embodiments, the openings in the coverings and the retaining member may align with the hollow portion of the base, such that the one or more biasing members may extend through the hollow portion of the base. In some embodiments, the base may be one integral piece. In other embodiments, the base may be formed of multiple parts that may be screwed, snapped, or otherwise attached to one another. As will be appreciated, the base is arranged to rest stably on a surface.
Turning now to the figures,
In some embodiments, the base and top may be permanently attached to one another (e.g., via glue, screws, etc.). The base also may be integrally formed with the top. In other embodiments, the top may be removably attached to the base.
As shown in
Although the base is shown as being a pedestal in these views, in other embodiments, the base may have other configurations. For example, the base may include a plurality of legs attached to the stool top. In one such example, the base may include four legs that are attached to the bottom surface of the stool top. As will be appreciated, the base may be formed of plastic, wood, metal, or any other appropriate material.
Although the base is shown as being a stationary base in these figures, in other embodiments, the base may have one or more wheels, such as casters, or another suitable means for allowing the base to move between locations.
As will be appreciated, although the stool top and lower pedestal member are shown as being substantially circular in these embodiments, the stool top and lower pedestal member may have other suitable shapes. For example, the stool top and lower pedestal member may have an oval, square, triangular, rectangular, other polygonal, or other shape. As will be further appreciated, although the stool top and lower pedestal member are shown as having the same shape, in other embodiments, the shapes may be different. For example, the stool top may have a circular shape while the lower pedestal member may be square in shape. Additionally, although the stool top and lower pedestal member are shown as being different sizes, with the stool top being larger than the lower pedestal member, in other embodiments, the stool top and lower pedestal member also may be the same size, or the lower pedestal member may be larger than the stool top.
In some embodiments, as shown in
As will be appreciated, the coverings 110 may be formed of fabric or paper and cut to the size and shape of the stool top. In some embodiments, the size and shape of the covering may be the same as that of the top. For example, as shown in
The coverings may all have the same size, shape, and color, or may differ. For example, a user may attach coverings of different materials depending on the use. In one such example, the user may place a smaller paper covering on the table to be used to take notes during a meeting or may place a larger cloth covering on the table for use while eating. The user also may attach covering having different colors, of the same type of material, for decorative purposes.
In some embodiments, as shown in
As shown in
In some embodiments, the size and shape of the retaining member corresponds to the size and shape of the opening in the covering. If not already big enough, the opening may stretch or change shape as the retaining member is pushed through such that at least one dimension of the opening is greater than or equal to the smallest dimension of the retaining member. As the retaining member is moveable through the opening, at least one outer dimension of the retaining member may be smaller than that of the opening. In such an example, as shown in
Although the opening is shown as being in the middle of the covering (with the corresponding retaining member being in the middle of the top of the stool), the opening and corresponding retaining member may be placed in any suitable locations. For example, the opening may be placed near an edge portion of the covering.
As will be appreciated, the disk may be formed of any rigid or semi-rigid material. In some embodiments, the disk may be formed of the same material as the top and/or base of the stool. As will be further appreciated, although the retaining member is shown as being a rigid flat disk with at least one outer diameter smaller than the length of the opening in the covering, the retaining member may have other suitable arrangements. For example, the retaining member may be formed of a material that is bendable, such that the retaining member may be larger than the opening. In such embodiments, the user may bend the retaining member such that the retaining member is sized to fit through the opening in the coverings.
As shown in
As shown in
In some embodiments, as shown in
Once the retaining member has been moved into the extended and angled position, the first covering 110a may be moved in a direction away from the stack of coverings (see arrow X), such that the retaining member may be removed from the opening 116a in the covering.
As shown in
Although the retaining member is shown in an angled position to facilitate removal of the covering, it will be appreciated that the retaining member need not be angled. In such embodiments, the covering may be manipulated (e.g., bent and rotated) such that the retaining member may be removed from the opening.
Although not shown in these views, in some embodiments, after the first covering is removed, another covering (not shown) may be placed onto the stack of coverings. For example, a new covering may be moved in a direction opposite to arrow X such that a retaining member may be passed through the opening in the covering and the covering may be placed on the stack.
Once the covering(s) have been removed, the retaining member 112 may be moved (see arrow Z) back to the to the holding position (see
According to another embodiment, a method of holding a covering on a top is disclosed, where the stool includes a top, a base, and a retaining member for holding a plurality of coverings to the top of the stool. In some embodiments, the method includes moving the retaining member in a direction away from the top of the stool to an extended position. The method further includes moving the retaining member through an opening in a first covering. In some embodiments, moving the retaining member to the extended position includes angling the retaining member relative to the top of the stool. The covering then may be moved in a direction away from the top of the stool, and the retaining member may be moved in a direction toward the top of the coverings to a holding position.
While the present teachings have been described in conjunction with various embodiments and examples, it is not intended that the present teachings be limited to such embodiments or examples. On the contrary, the present teachings encompass various alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, as will be appreciated by those of skill in the art. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are by way of example only.
Various aspects of the present invention may be used alone, in combination, or in a variety of arrangements not specifically discussed in the embodiments described in the foregoing and is therefore not limited in its application to the details and arrangement of components set forth in the foregoing description or illustrated in the drawings. For example, aspects described in one embodiment may be combined in any manner with aspects described in other embodiments.
Also, the invention may be embodied as a method, of which an example has been provided. The acts performed as part of the method may be ordered in any suitable way. Accordingly, embodiments may be constructed in which acts are performed in an order different than illustrated, which may include performing some acts simultaneously, even though shown as sequential acts in illustrative embodiments.
Use of ordinal terms such as “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., in the claims to modify a claim element does not by itself connote any priority, precedence, or order of one claim element over another or the temporal order in which acts of a method are performed, but are used merely as labels to distinguish one claim element having a certain name from another element having a same name (but for use of the ordinal term) to distinguish the claim elements.
Also, the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having,” “containing,” “involving,” and variations thereof herein, is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items.
