Chairs and seats – Having detachably interfitting parts or components; i.e.,...
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-24
2001-03-27
Cuomo, Peter M. (Department: 3624)
Chairs and seats
Having detachably interfitting parts or components; i.e.,...
C297S440120
Reexamination Certificate
active
06206473
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to furniture, and more particularly to the construction of knockdown furniture from lightweight and foldable panel material such as fiberboard or cardboard and the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There is a fairly diverse market for lightweight, portable furniture such as tables and chairs that can be easily transported and assembled or erected on site and that can be disassembled or “knocked down” for easy disposal or stored for another day. Such furniture finds particular application for picnics, parties and college student living quarters. Such furniture should be easy to assemble or erect and knock back down to a storage condition. It should also be inexpensive to ship in bulk and easy to display in a variety of different stores, such as hardware stores, drug stores, department stores, variety stores, and bookstores. Furniture that is shipped and sold in a generally flat, unassembled condition and is made of cardboard or fiberboard or the like is ideal for such purposes.
Over the years, a number of furniture constructions have been developed whereby the furniture piece is erected or constructed from one or more components made of cardboard or a similar material and from a generally flat, and unassembled or folded condition. Examples of these and similar furniture constructions may be found in the following U.S. Patents:
Patent No.
Inventor
1,662,121
Moncrieff
2,279,865
Eide
2,361,875
Sachs
3,262,405
Sutton
3,566,808
Slate Jr.
3,620,175
Crane et al.
3,714,908
Notko
3,724,399
Notko et al.
3,866,550
Geschwender
4,078,502
Barna
4,084,517
Guess
4,138,951
Nelson
4,348,052
Roland
4,632,040
Sheffer
4,632,345
Barley
4,841,882
Ehrman
4,926,759
Vitsky et al.
5,018,454
Negus
5,069,144
Williford
5,263,766
McCullough
5,580,131
Ribot
5,682,623
Fenoglio
JP406237832 A
Maruni Kagu Kogyo K.K.
GB2151473 A
Jedzinski
FR002505636 A3
Roch
The articles of furniture disclosed in the above-referenced patents are assembled from either a single cut blank with fold lines and assembly tabs and slots, or from two or more pre-cut and/or pre-assembled sections that are interfitted together using a series of shaped tabs and slots. In each case, it is believed that the resulting structure may be made lighter and easier to assemble, or may be pre-packaged in a smaller, easier to carry package. In furniture of this type, it is desirable to reduce the weight and bulk of the components, while at the same time increasing the strength and stability of the assembled product. Furthermore, it is desirable that assembly of the article of furniture be sufficiently uncomplicated so that a person could assemble the furniture article with little or no instructions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Generally speaking, there is provided an apparatus and method for constructing furniture from a lightweight, rigid and foldable material such as fiberboard or cardboard where the components are in a substantially flat and compact storage condition and may be assembled therefrom into a substantially rigid furniture piece.
An article of collapsible furniture includes a top member and a base having multiple panels, each of the panels being hingedly connected to at least one other of the panels, and wherein the base has a collapsed storage condition wherein the panels are folded atop one another, and the base has an expanded load supporting condition wherein the panels are unfolded to form, in horizontal cross-section, a central load-supporting polygon, the polygon being a concave octagon. A connection assembly includes a series of slotted tabs that engage with a corresponding series of hooked slots to releasably lock the top member in a load supporting position atop the base.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved article of furniture that is assembled from a generally flat, folded condition.
It is further object of the present invention to provide an improved article of paperboard furniture.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1662121 (1928-03-01), Moncrieff
patent: 1776071 (1930-09-01), Horwath
patent: 1854663 (1932-04-01), Nebel
patent: 1903631 (1933-04-01), Morrison
patent: 2279864 (1942-04-01), Eide
patent: 2361875 (1944-10-01), Sachs
patent: 2806514 (1957-09-01), Smith
patent: 2940513 (1960-06-01), Holden
patent: 2955647 (1960-10-01), Smith
patent: 3121588 (1964-02-01), Beckman et al.
patent: 3126140 (1964-03-01), Lizan et al.
patent: 3220362 (1965-11-01), Downes
patent: 3262405 (1966-07-01), Sutton
patent: 3566808 (1971-03-01), Slate et al.
patent: 3620175 (1971-11-01), Crane et al.
patent: 3714908 (1973-02-01), Notko
patent: 3724399 (1973-04-01), Notko et al.
patent: 3729244 (1973-04-01), Butler
patent: 3837719 (1974-09-01), Barron
patent: 3866550 (1975-02-01), Geschwender
patent: 3871726 (1975-03-01), Stegner
patent: 4078502 (1978-03-01), Barna
patent: 4084517 (1978-04-01), Guess
patent: 4085970 (1978-04-01), Klein
patent: 4138951 (1979-02-01), Nelson
patent: 4267998 (1981-05-01), Weirich
patent: 4340251 (1982-07-01), Geoffroy-Dechaume
patent: 4348052 (1982-09-01), Roland
patent: 4546941 (1985-10-01), Hildebrand
patent: 4632040 (1986-12-01), Sheffer
patent: 4632345 (1986-12-01), Barley
patent: 4841882 (1989-06-01), Ehrman
patent: 4875737 (1989-10-01), Cardenas
patent: 4926759 (1990-05-01), Vitsky et al.
patent: 4984848 (1991-01-01), Scalisi et al.
patent: 5018454 (1991-05-01), Negus
patent: 5069144 (1991-12-01), Williford
patent: 5263766 (1993-11-01), McCullough
patent: 5382081 (1995-01-01), Henry
patent: 5394810 (1995-03-01), Howard et al.
patent: 5580131 (1996-12-01), Ribot
patent: 5682623 (1997-11-01), Fenoglio
patent: 5697675 (1997-12-01), DeWitt et al.
Cuomo Peter M.
White Rodney B.
Woodard Emhardt Naughton Moriarty & McNett
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