Abstract
A frameless furniture assembly adapted to be converted between an unfilled configuration and a filled configuration including: an outer liner having an inner surface and an outer surface; a plurality of pieces of fill material, wherein the fill material is retained withi n the outer liner; and a container holder associated with the outer liner. The frameless furniture assembly is preferably adapted to support a human in a seated position.
Claims
1. A frameless furniture assembly adapted to be converted between an unfilled configuration and a filled configuration, comprising: an outer liner having an inner surface and an outer surface; a plurality of pieces of fill material, wherein the fill material is retained within the outer liner; a container holder associated with the outer liner, wherein the container holder comprises a left flap member having an outer surface, an inner surface, and at least one elastic loop, a right flap member having an outer surface, an inner surface, and at least one elastic loop, a bottom flap member having an outer surface, an inner surface, and at least one elastic loop positioned on a top surface of the bottom flap member, and an elastic band threaded through each elastic loop of the left flap member, the right flap member, and the bottom flap member; wherein the outer surface of the bottom flap member contacts the inner surface of both the left flap member and the right flap member when the container holder is void of a container; and wherein the frameless furniture assembly comprises a chair adapted to support a human in a seated position; and wherein the chair comprises a seat member, a back support member, a left arm, a right arm, a floor-engaging base member, a left side, a right side, a front side, and a back side.
2. The frameless furniture assembly according to claim 1, wherein the floor-engaging base member comprises a zipper.
3. The frameless furniture assembly according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of pieces of fill material comprise polystyrene.
4. The frameless furniture assembly according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the left and right sides comprise an accessory pocket.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) The invention will now be described with reference to the drawings wherein:
(2) FIG. 1 of the drawings is an isometric view illustrating the front right portion of a frameless furniture assembly in accordance with the present invention;
(3) FIG. 2 of the drawings is an isometric view illustrating the front left portion of a frameless furniture assembly in accordance with the present invention;
(4) FIG. 3 of the drawings is a front view of a frameless furniture assembly in accordance with the present invention;
(5) FIG. 4 of the drawings is a back view of a frameless furniture assembly in accordance with the present invention;
(6) FIG. 5 of the drawings is a left side elevation of a frameless furniture assembly in accordance with the present invention;
(7) FIG. 6 of the drawings is a right side elevation of a frameless furniture assembly in accordance with the present invention;
(8) FIG. 7 of the drawings is a top view of a frameless furniture assembly in accordance with the present invention;
(9) FIG. 8 of the drawings is a bottom view of a frameless furniture assembly in accordance with the present invention;
(10) FIG. 9 of the drawings is a fragmented right side view of a frameless furniture assembly in accordance with the present invention illustrating a container holder in an open and unlaced configuration;
(11) FIG. 10 of the drawings is a fragmented right side view of a frameless furniture assembly in accordance with the present invention illustrating a container holder in a closed and unlaced configuration;
(12) FIG. 11 of the drawings is a fragmented right side view of a frameless furniture assembly in accordance with the present invention illustrating a container holder in a closed and laced configuration adjacent to an accessory pocket; and
(13) FIG. 12 of the drawings is a fragmented right side view of a frameless furniture assembly in accordance with the present invention illustrating a container holder in a closed and laced configuration securing a water bottle therein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
(14) While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will be described herein in detail, one or more specific embodiments with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiments illustrated.
(15) It will be understood that like or analogous elements and/or components, referred to herein, may be identified throughout the drawings by like reference characters. In addition, it will be understood that the drawings are merely schematic representations of one or more embodiments of the invention, and some of the components may have been distorted from their actual scale for purposes of pictorial clarity.
(16) Referring now to the drawings, and to FIG. 1 in particular, frameless furniture assembly 10 (e.g., a chair adapted to support a human in a seated position) is shown which generally comprises outer liner 12 having an inner surface (not shown) and an outer surface 14, a plurality of fill material 16 (e.g., polyurethane, polyester, polystyrene, hybrids of the same, etcetera) retained within outer liner 12, and container holder 18.
(17) In one embodiment of the present invention, and as is best shown collectively in FIGS. 1-8, when frameless furniture assembly 10 is generally filled with fill material 16, frameless furniture assembly 10 generally comprises seat member 20, back support member 22, left arm 24, right arm 26, floor-engaging base member 28, left side 30, right side 32, front side 34, and back side 36. It will be understood that one or more of the above-identified sub-components may be omitted from frameless furniture assembly 10 so long as it remains adapted to support a human in a seated position.
(18) As is best shown in FIG. 8, at least a portion of floor-engaging base member 28 is generally air and/or moisture permeable. Such air permeability facilitates rapid filling of frameless furniture assembly 10 during free-flow and/or pressurized fills. Additionally, the moisture permeability allows frameless furniture assembly 10 to reduce and/or eliminate undesirable growth of, for example, bacteria, spores, mold, mildew, etcetera. In one embodiment, the remainder of frameless furniture assembly 10 is generally air and/or moisture impermeable.
(19) Referring once again to FIG. 8, floor-engaging base member 28 includes zipper 38. Zipper 38 may include a single or double zipper.
(20) In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of pieces of fill material 16 comprise polystyrene. However, it will be understood that the fill material may also comprise polyurethane, natural and/or synthetic materials, and/or fibers.
(21) Referring now to FIGS. 1, 6, and 11, frameless furniture assembly 10 preferably includes accessory pocket 40. Accessory pocket 40 is adapted to retain, for example, a remote control, earphones, headphones, as well as other electronic and non-electronic accessories.
(22) Referring now to FIGS. 1, 6, and 9-12, frameless furniture assembly 10 includes container holder 18 (e.g., a bottle or cup holder). Preferably container holder 18 is associated with at least one of left side 30 and right side 32. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, container holder 18 comprises: (a) left flap member 42 having outer surface 44, inner surface 46, and elastic loops 48; (b) right flap member 50 having outer surface 52, inner surface 54, and elastic loops 56; (c) bottom flap member 58 having outer surface 60, inner surface 62, and elastic loop 64; and (d) elastic band 66 threaded through each elastic loop 48, 56, and 64 of left flap member 42, right flap member 50, and bottom flap member 58, respectively. In this embodiment, elastic band 66 is preferably enclosed and/or securely looped via a knot and/or releasable fastener 68.
(23) Referring now to FIG. 11, in one embodiment of the present invention, outer surface 60 of bottom flap member 58 contacts inner surfaces 46 and 54 of left flap member 42 and right flap member 50, respectively, when container holder 18 is void of a container.
(24) As is best shown in FIG. 12, container holder 18 conveniently and releasably secures container 70 so that a user may retain and/or hold any one of a number of container shapes and sizes.
(25) Frameless furniture assembly 10 may also include an optional inner liner as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,725,482 entitled “Frameless Chair,” and U.S. Pat. No. 6,279,184 entitled “Frameless Chair.”
(26) Referring now to FIG. 1, in one embodiment of the present invention, frameless furniture assembly 10 includes handle 72 which is preferably positioned proximate the top portion of back support member 22.
(27) Referring once again to FIGS. 1-8 and as is highlighted via transparent representation in FIG. 1, outer liner 12 preferably comprises thirteen rectangular swatches and two generally L-shaped swatches which are fastened together proximate their peripheral geometries. Preferably, the swatches of outer liner 12 are stitched together via single-needle lock stitch and/or double-needle top stitch.
(28) In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the outer liner and the optional inner liner may comprise breathable or non-breathable fabrics such as cotton, denim, wool, and/or any one of a number of synthetic fabrics—just to name a few.
(29) The foregoing description merely explains and illustrates the invention and the invention is not limited thereto except insofar as the appended claims are so limited, as those skilled in the art who have the disclosure before them will be able to make modifications without departing from the scope of the invention.
