Seating furniture

Abstract

The invention relates to an item of seating furniture, which comprises at least one seat (1,21) in the manner of a seat pedestal (1) or in the manner of a stool and also at least one seat cushion (5). The seat has a hard core (22) and a soft outer layer (23-26), wherein the hard core is preferably composed of at least one hard foam plastic and the outer layer is preferably composed of at least one soft foam plastic. The seat cushion has a filling of microspheres composed of hard foam plastic and having a diameter of less than 2 mm.

Claims

1. An item of seating furniture, comprising at least one seat configured in a manner of a seat pedestal or a stool and at least one seat cushion, wherein the seat has a core composed of at least one hard foam plastic, and an outer layer in a form of a soft foam plastic extending all sides of the core, the seat has a shape of cuboid or cube having a top surface, and the top surface is flat, the core has a volume between 40% and 95% of a volume of the seat, and the seat cushion has a filling of microspheres composed of a hard foam plastic and having a diameter of less than 2 mm, wherein the seat has at least two flats surfaces for use as seating surface, and the at least two flat surfaces for use as seating surface have at least two different hardness.

2. The item of seating furniture of claim 1, wherein the at least one hard foam plastic in the core is a polyurethane (PUR/PIR) foam or a polystyrene (PS) foam.

3. The item of seating furniture of claim 1, wherein the at least one soft foam plastic is a polyurethane (PUR) foam or a polyurethane (PUR) composite foam.

4. The item of seating furniture of claim 1, wherein the core of the seat is composed of a polystyrene (PS) foam having a density p of between 10 and 35 kg/m.sup.3 and/or having a compressive stress at 10% compression of ≥30 kPa.

5. The item of seating furniture of claim 1, wherein the outer layer of the seat is composed of a polyurethane (PUR) foam having a compression hardness (at 40%)≥15 kPa.

6. The item of seating furniture claim 1, wherein the microspheres of the filling of the seat cushion have a diameter of less than 1.5 mm.

7. The item of seating furniture of claim 1, wherein the microspheres of the filling of the seat cushion are composed of EPS hard foam plastic.

8. The item of seating furniture of claim 1, wherein the seat is a cuboidal seat and its dimensions (edge lengths) a, b, c are between 50 and 130 cm (a), between 50 and 90 cm (b) and between 20 and 50 cm (c).

9. The item of seating furniture of claim 1, wherein the volume of the core is between 60% and 90% of the volume of the seat.

10. The item of seating furniture of claim 1, wherein the seat cushion has a round or an oval cross-sectional area.

11. The item of seating furniture of claim 1, wherein the seat cushion has a diameter between 20 and 40 cm, wherein the seat cushion has a height of between 10 and 20 cm.

12. The item of seating furniture of claim 1, wherein the at least one hard foam plastic in the core is an EPS hard foam.

13. The item of seating furniture of claim 1, wherein the compression hardness (at 40%) is between 15 and 40 kPa.

14. The item of seating furniture claim 1, wherein the microspheres of the filling of the seat cushion have a diameter of between 0.5 mm and 1.5 mm.

15. The item of seating furniture of claim 1, wherein the volume of the core is between 75% and 85% of the volume of the seat.

16. The item of seating furniture of claim 1, wherein the seat cushion has a diameter between 30 and 35 cm.

17. The item of seating furniture of claim 1, wherein the core of the seat has a shape of cuboid or cube, the outer layer of the seat comprises six panels adhesively bonded to the core.

18. The item of seating furniture of claim 17, wherein the six panel includes a top panel, wherein the top panel is thicker than any other panel.

19. The item of seating furniture of claim 1, wherein the seat is sized and configured to enable a user to be positioned a various heights above a supporting surface, and is suitable for different users of different heights.

20. A seating furniture, comprising at least one seat configured in a manner of a seat pedestal and at least one seat cushion, wherein the seat has a core composed of at least one hard foam plastic, and an outer layer in a form of a soft foam plastic extending all sides of the core, the seat has a shape of cuboid or cube having a top surface, and the top surface is flat, the core has a volume between 40% and 95% of a volume of the seat, and the seat cushion has a filling of microspheres composed of a hard foam plastic and having a diameter of less than 2 mm; wherein the seat has at least two flat surfaces for use as seating surface, the at least two flat surfaces for use as seating surface have at least two different hardness; and wherein the seat has no backrest support above the top surface.

21. The seating furniture of claim 20, wherein the seating furniture has no foot attached with a bottom surface of the seat.

Description

(1) In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B show the schematic illustration of a preferred embodiment of the item of seating furniture according to the invention with seat (FIG. 1A) and seat cushion (FIG. 1B), and

(3) FIG. 2 shows an exploded-style schematic illustration of a preferred embodiment of a seat according to the invention.

(4) FIGS. 1A and 1B show the combination of a seat 1 and a seat cushion 5, which together form the item of seating furniture according to the invention.

(5) As per FIG. 1A, the seat 1 has the form of a cuboid with the edge lengths a, b and c. As a result of the selection of said form, a total of six flat surfaces which are opposite one another in pairs are configured on the seat 1, all six of which can be utilized as seating surface. The three different surfaces, of which in each case two are provided, are identified in FIG. 1A with the reference designations 2, 3 and 4.

(6) The dimensions of the seat 1 and the inner construction of the seat 1 composed of core and outer layer are not illustrated in any more detail in FIG. 1A. To this end, reference is made to FIG. 2. As explained in the description, the seat 1 can be enveloped by a cover, which protects the outer layer in particular against damage and soiling.

(7) The further constituent part of the item of seating furniture according to the invention, namely the seat cushion 5, is illustrated in FIG. 1B. Said seat cushion 5 has a microsphere filling which is not illustrated in FIG. 1B. Said microspheres are composed of hard foam plastic and have a diameter of less than 2 mm. The seat cushion 5 is not illustrated true to scale in relation to the seat 1 from FIG. 1A. It has dimensioning which is customary for seat cushions, in particular having a diameter of the oval cross-sectional area of between 20 and 40 cm. The height of said cushion is between 10 and 20 cm.

(8) The seat cushion also has an (outer) cover, which is not illustrated in any more detail in FIG. 1B. However, FIG. 1B shows a handle/a strap 6, by means of which the seat cushion can be transported more easily.

(9) FIG. 2 shows the inner construction of a seat 21 according to the invention, which is a constituent part of an item of seating furniture according to the invention.

(10) In this connection, the seat 21 has a core 22 composed of a polystyrene hard foam. The material used is a predominantly closed cell, hard foam.

(11) The edge lengths of the core 22 lie within the ranges specified in claim 11. In the case which is illustrated, preference is given to edge lengths of 88 cm (a) , 68 cm (b) and 36 cm (c).

(12) The outer layer of the seat 21, said layer not being designated in any more detail in FIG. 2 and being provided with its outer surfaces, and possible seating surfaces, around the core 22, is formed by the elements 23, 24, 25 and 26 in the case illustrated in FIG. 2. Said elements are composed of a soft foam plastic, namely a polyurethane (PUR) composite foam. Said composite foam has a substantially lower firmness (hardness) than the hard foam plastic which is used for the core 22.

(13) The panel-shaped elements 23, 24, 25 and 26 are assigned, with the corresponding dimensions, to the side surfaces of the core 22, and can be adhesively bonded for example to the outer surfaces of the core 22. With regard to the abovementioned preferred size of the core 22, the panel elements 23 accordingly have the surface dimensions 68 cm×36 cm, the panel elements 24 the surface dimensions 90 cm×36 cm and the panel elements 25 and 26 the surface dimensions 90 cm×70 cm.

(14) As FIG. 2 shows, the panel element 26 has a greater thickness than the rest of the panel elements. In the preferred case which is illustrated, the panel elements 23, 24 and 25 have a thickness of 1 cm, and the panel element 26 has a thickness of 3 cm. As a result of the greater thickness of the panel element 26, the situation is achieved whereby the flat (bearing) surface, which is formed by said panel element and which can be used as seating surface for the user of the seat 21, has a lower firmness than the rest of the seating surfaces of the seat 21. The seating surface formed by the panel element 26, as a result of the greater thickness of said surface, is thus softer than the rest of the seating surfaces, in the case of which only a 1-cm-thick outer layer of the seat 21 is provided above the hard core 22.

(15) As per FIG. 2, a seat according to the invention, as per FIG. 1A, is thus produced with (overall) dimensions of 90 cm (a), 70 cm (b) and 40 cm (c).

(16) As FIG. 2 shows in a very general manner, the volume occupied by the core 22 within the seat 21 is relatively large. With the preferred dimensions which have been expressly mentioned, the proportion by volume of the core 22 in relation to the total volume of the seat 21 is 85%.

(17) On a seat 1 or 21 which is illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 2, a user can assume the deep squat, heel sit, cross-legged, and straddle sit seating positions, mentioned in the description, in a preferred manner. To this end, depending on the size or preference of the user, the cuboidal seat is placed on one of its side surfaces, and the seating position is assumed on the horizontal seating surface which then lies opposite. In this case, it is possible for the user, inter alia, to select whether they sit down on a softer side surface or on a less soft one.