Patent Application
20230041113
The present invention relates to an upholstery furniture member. Further, the invention relates to a method for manufacturing said furniture member.
Upholstery furniture, such as headboards for bedframes, sofas, chairs and cushions, are popular among consumers since they provide comfort and an esthetical appearance. Especially, upholstery headboards are appealing since they provide an exclusive look to the bed. Buttons arranged in symmetrical patterns are used to keep upholstery in place on the headboard and to provide a certain style to the headboard.
In known upholstery headboards, each button is attached to a pin that penetrates the foam and creates an indent in the foam. Prior art concerning upholstery members comprising indents are for instance disclosed in the documents GB 2176997 A, GB 1411972 A, and GB 1260254 A.
However, upholstery headboards require a rather thick layer of foam. The foams used are typically low cast foams made from plastic based materials, which can be non-environmentally friendly and difficult to recycle.
Hence, there is a need for an upholstery headboard being more sustainable.
The present invention seeks to mitigate, alleviate, eliminate or circumvent one or more of the above identified deficiencies in the art and disadvantages singly or in any combination by providing an upholstery member, which comprises a base board having at least one base board opening, a fixation arrangement, and a resilient wadding. The wadding is pressed at least to some extent through the base board opening and is connected to the fixation arrangement, thereby forming an indent in the upholstery member. This upholstery member is advantageous since the base board opening and fixation arrangement allows for the formation of indents with the use of less wadding while still providing the same appearance. Since wadding materials often consist of plastic based materials, less use of such material is preferably considering environmental aspects.
The fixation arrangement may comprise a fastener configured to engage the wadding from the exterior side of the upholstery member, and an associated attachment device configured to receive the fastener.
In one embodiment, the attachment device is tapered, e.g. in the form of a cup, and it comprises a cavity configured to receive the wadding.
The depth of the cavity is preferably greater than the thickness of the wadding.
The fastener is preferably longer than the thickness of the wadding.
In another embodiment, the attachment device is configured to fit in the base board opening such that the attachment device is arranged on a rear side of the base board. This is beneficial since the attachment device will not be seen from the exterior side of the upholstery member visible for the user.
In yet another embodiment, the attachment device comprises a circumferential flange having a diameter DF being substantially equal to a diameter DB of an inner circumference of the base board opening. This is advantageous since it provides that the attachment device fits snugly within the base board opening.
The attachment may further comprise an outer slit that allows for a deformation of said attachment device when compression force is applied thereto. This facilitates the fitting of the attachment device into the base board opening.
In one embodiment, the fastener comprises a pin and a connectable locking member. At least a part of the pin is configured to pass through the wadding, the base board opening and the attachment device whereby the locking member is configured to fixate the position of the pin relative the attachment device.
The attachment device may further comprise a centre opening configured to receive the pin.
In one embodiment, the attachment device further comprises at least one outer recess. The outer recess is advantageous since it enables the use of less plastic material for forming the attachment device.
The centre opening may be associated with the outer recess through a centre slit. Hence, the outer opening and the centre slit are advantageous in that the pin may be inserted into the outer recess and subsequently inserted into the smaller centre opening through the centre slit. Hence, the fixation of the fastener is facilitated.
In one embodiment, the pin further comprises a loop configured to receive the locking member. This simplifies the fastening of the pin.
In another embodiment, there is provided a cover sheet covering at least the exterior side of the wadding.
In yet another embodiment, the upholstery member is an upholstered furniture member, or a sound absorbing panel. Preferably, the upholstery furniture member is a headboard of a bed, a back seat, an arm rest, or a cushion seat of a sofa or chair.
In a further embodiment, the wadding has a thickness of preferably between 1 cm and 5 cm, more preferably between 1.5 cm and 4 cm, and most preferred about 2 cm. This thickness of the wadding is beneficial since less wadding material is used to form indent in the upholstery members. Hence, the upholstery member becomes more environmentally friendly and cheaper to produce.
In a second aspect, there is provided a method for manufacturing an upholstery member having at least one indent. The method comprises the steps of providing a base board having at least one base board opening and being covered with a wadding on a front side of said base board, passing the wadding through the base board opening, whereby the indent is formed, and securing the position of the wadding relative the base board. This method is advantageous since it is possible to form an upholstery member having indents with the use of a much thinner layer of wadding material.
In one embodiment, the method further comprises a step of arranging an attachment device on a rear side of the base board using a fixation arrangement before passing the wadding through the base board opening.
In another embodiment, the method comprises that, during the arranging step, the attachment device is fitted in the base board opening
In yet another embodiment, the method comprises that, during the passing step, the fastener engages and forces at least parts of the wadding through the base board opening and the fastener is fixed on a rear side of the base board with the aid of the attachment device.
In one embodiment, the method comprises that, during the passing step a pin of the fastener is pushed through the wadding and through the base board opening. Preferably, the fastener is pushed also through a centre opening of the attachment device.
In another embodiment, there is provided a method wherein the pin is fixed on a rear side of the attachment device. Preferably, the pin is fixed by using a locking member.
Further advantageous features of the invention are elaborated in embodiments disclosed herein. In addition, advantageous features of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.
These and other aspects, features and advantages of which the invention is capable of will be apparent and elucidated from the following description of embodiments of the present invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Hereinafter, certain embodiments will be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. The invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided by way of example so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention, such as it is defined in the appended claims, to those skilled in the art.
With reference to
A cross-sectional view of a prior art upholstered headboard 200 is shown in
With reference to
The attachment device 110 may have a substantially conical shape, independently of other features such as recesses 111 and slits 112, 114. The attachment device 110 is in such embodiments preferably tapered from a large diameter end towards a small diameter end. The attachment device 110 is thus configured as having two opposing ends, whereby one end is smaller than the other end.
Preferably, the cross-section of the attachment device 110 is circular, whereby one end of the attachment device 110 has a larger diameter than the opposite end.
The fastener 105 has a button or head 108, a pin 106 and a releasable locking member 107. A part of the pin 106 is configured to be inserted into the centre opening 113, or alternatively, inserted into the large recess 111 associated with the centre opening 113 through the centre slit 114, and moved through the centre slit 114 into the centre opening 113. The recesses 111 also enable less use of the material of which the cup 110 is formed. A more detailed description of how the fixation arrangement 140 is assembled will be described more in the following. It should be noted that the fastener 105 does not necessarily need to be provided with the button or head 108, as long as it has some means for not being pulled through the wadding as will be described later.
In another embodiment not shown herein, the attachment device 110 is snap fitted into the base board opening 116. In such case, the cup 110 for instance has, in addition to the circumferential flange 115 the circumferential rim 118, at least one lateral snap fit projection extending from the rim 118 in parallel with the flange 115. The flange 115, the rim 118 and the lateral projection together forms a U-shaped socket in which the inner circumference of the base board opening 116 fits. Thus, when the attachment device 110 of this embodiment is fitted into the base board opening 116, the flange 115 and the lateral snap fit projection will hold the attachment device 110 in place. Hence, the attachment device 110 cannot be pushed out of the base board 101 during the formation of the indents. The attachment device 110 may comprise other features enabling a snap fit attachment of the device 110 to the base board 101.
The base board 101 is preferably made of a wood board, such as plywood, a medium density fibre (MDF) board, a high density fibre (HDF) board or any other sustainable material of similar rigidity as an HDF board. A thickness of the base board 101 is preferably in the range of 1 mm to 10 mm, more preferable in the range of 1.5 mm to 7 mm, most preferred between 2 mm and 5 mm. The diameter DB of the base board openings 116 are preferably in the range of 40 mm to 200 mm, more preferably in the range of 50 mm to 150 mm, and most preferred between 60 mm and 100 mm.
The wadding 102 is in the form of a resilient, soft material such as a foam material and may be made of for instance of polyester fibres. A thickness TW of the wadding 102 is typically in the range of 1 cm to 5 cm, such as in the range of 1.5 cm to 4 cm, preferably about 2 cm. A surface density of the wadding 102 may be in the range of 20 to 500 g/m2, more preferable between 50 and 450 g/m2 and most preferred between 100 and 400 g/m2.
The attachment device 110 is preferably made of a flexible material, such as a plastic. The plastic may be for instance polystyrene. The outer slit 112 allows for the cup 110 to be compressed such that the diameter DF of said flange 115 is decreased. Upon release of the applied pressure, the cup 110, and thus the flange 115, will expand back to its original shape and diameter DF. A depth (i.e. the distance between the two opposing ends) of the attachment device 110 is large enough such that the wadding 102 need not fill the entire cavity 120 of the attachment device 110 when an indent 130 is formed (as shown in
The flange 115 is provided with an axially protruding circumferential rim 118, extending away from the flange 115. By compressing the diameter of the cup, also the flange 115 will be compressed. While being deformed, the flange 115 can be inserted into the base board opening 116 from the rear side, until the rim 118 abuts the rear side of the base board 101. A laterally facing edge 117 (shown in
To form an indent 130 (not shown), a part of the pin 106 of the fastener 105 is inserted into and through the wadding 102. Further, the pin 106 is inserted through the base board opening 116 and through the centre opening 113 of the cup 110. The resilient wadding 102 will be forced into the cavity 120 of the cup 110, and the locking member 107 is connected to the pin 106 from the rear side of the base board 101. As the wadding 102 is urged to return to its original planar form, the wadding will actually apply a pulling force to the pin 106, which thereby pulls the locking member 107 towards the rear side of the cup 110, which in turn is pulled against the rear side of the base board 101. Consequently, an indent 130 is formed (see
A length L of the pin 106 is of a dimension such that the wadding 102 has to be compressed if the pin 106 is to extend through the thickness of the wadding 102 and the base board 101. Hence, a length L of the pin 106 is smaller than the combination or sum of the thickness of the wadding 102, the base board 101 and the thickness (or depth) of the cup 110 at the centre opening 113 (i.e. its total depth). In a preferred embodiment, the length L of the pin 106 is smaller than the depth of the attachment device 110. The length L of the pin 106 is preferably greater than the thickness of the wadding 102, such that there will be a space between the inner side of the wadding 102 and the small-diameter end of the attachment device 110, as indicated in
The formation of an indent 130 is shown in
In
The tapered cup 110 contributes to a smoother compression of the wadding 102, and thus decreases the risk of tearing or damaging the wadding 102. If a tear in the wadding 102 during formation of the headboard 100 occurs, the wadding 102 have to be exchanged and the formation process have to be repeated. This is both time consuming and not cost effective. However, the tapered cup 110 prevents this issue. Moreover, the tapered cup 110 makes the formation of the indents 130 easier, which renders the formation of indents 130 effective.
As shown in
As shown in
An enlarged part of a rear view of the assembled fixation arrangement 140 is shown in
A dashed version of the pin 106 in
Once the pin 106 has been inserted through the centre opening 113, the locking member 107 is inserted into the loop 119, whereby the recess 109 may receive the pin 106. When the pin 106 is pulled through the wadding 102 and fixed behind the cup 110 using the locking member 107, the base board 101 and the cup 110, the resilient wadding 102 is brought passed the base board opening 116 and into the cavity 120 of the cup 110. Hence, an indent 130 is formed.
As seen in
With reference to
The method 300 comprises a first step 310 of providing a base board 101 having at least one base board opening 116, and a wadding 102 arranged on a front side of the base board 101.
A second step 320 comprises passing the wadding 102 through the base board opening 116 using the fastener 105. The fastener 105 engages and forces at least parts of the wadding 102 through the base board opening 116 and the fastener 105 is fixed on a rear side of the base board 101 with the aid of the attachment device 110. The pin 106 may be fixed on a rear side of the attachment device 110, preferably by using a locking member 107.
Preferably, the pin 106 of the fastener 105 is pushed through the wadding 102 at a level aligned with the centre opening 113 of the cup 110. The pin 106 of the fastener 105 is pushed through the wadding 102 and through the base board opening 116, and preferably also through a centre opening 113 of the attachment device 110.
During the second step 320, the resilient wadding 102 is compressed and guided into the cavity 120 of the cup 110. The button 108 will aid the guidance of the wadding 102 into the cavity 120 and give an aesthetic character to the formed indent 130.
Alternatively, the pin 106 is passed through the large recess 111 associated with the centre opening 113 through the centre slit 114. In such case, the pin 106 is passed through the recess 111, and threaded through the centre slit 114 to enter the centre opening 113.
A third step 330 comprises securing 330 the position of the wadding 102 relative the base board 101. The wadding 102 is fixed on the rear side of the base board 101. The pin 106 which has been pulled through the base board opening 116 and the centre opening 113 is fixed to the rear side of the cup 110 using the locking member 107. The locking member 107 is inserted into the loop 119 of the pin 106 and the pin recess 109 receives the end of the pin 106 of the loop 119 (as shown in the enlarged portion of
A fourth step 340 comprises arranging 340 an attachment device 110 on a rear side of the base board 101 using a fixation arrangement 140 before passing 320 the wadding through the base board opening 116. During the arranging step 340, the attachment device 110 is fitted in the base board opening 116. Preferably, a compression force is applied to the cup 110 such that the diameter DF of the flange 115 is decreased, the cup 110 is compressed and inserted into the base board opening 116. When the cup 110 has been arranged in the base board opening 116, pressure is released whereby the flange 115 and the cup 110 springs back to its original diameter DF such that a laterally facing edge 117 of the flange 115 abuts against the inner circumference of the base board opening 116. Optionally, the cup 110 is fixed to the base board 101 using an adhesive, such as glue, or by clamping.
The upholstery member 100 disclosed herein may comprise any number of indents 130 arranged in any pattern. The base board opening 116 and the cup 110 need not necessarily be circular, they may have any shape allowing for the formation of an indent 130, such as an oblong or rectangular shape.
Without further elaboration, it is believed that one skilled in the art may, using the preceding description, utilize the present invention to its fullest extent. The preceding preferred specific embodiments are, therefore, to be construed as merely illustrative and not limitative of the disclosure in any way whatsoever.
Although the present invention has been described above with reference to specific embodiments, it is not intended to be limited to the specific form set forth herein. Rather, the invention is limited only by the accompanying claims and, other embodiments than the specific above are equally possible within the scope of these appended claims, e.g. different than those described above.
In the claims, the term “comprises/comprising” does not exclude the presence of other elements or steps. Additionally, although individual features may be included in different claims, these may possibly advantageously be combined, and the inclusion in different claims does not imply that a combination of features is not feasible and/or advantageous.
In addition, singular references do not exclude a plurality. The terms “a”, “an”, “first”, “second” etc. do not preclude a plurality.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951456-1 | Dec 2019 | SE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/SE2020/051189 | 12/10/2020 | WO |
