Chairs and seats – Bottom or back – Framework
Patent
1990-03-15
1991-02-05
Aschenbrenner, Peter A.
Chairs and seats
Bottom or back
Framework
297462, 52DIG9, 248575, A47C 1600
Patent
active
049899163
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to an upholstered article of furniture.
the invention has been developed primarily, though not exclusively, with a view to provide a commerical outlet for scrap tires used on road vehicles, and especially worn tires used on motor cars.
The disposal of worn tires is a major problem, as can be evidenced by the large stock piles of worn tires which can be seen in scrap yards around the country. The tire manufacturers have no need for worn tires, as the product is not one which can readily be recycled at economic cost. There is a demand for the ground-down rubber dust which can be buffed-off from whatever remains of the "tread" of a worn tire, but this only comprises up to one third of the overall weight of the tire, and there still remains the bulk of the tire for which there is little or not economic value, but which presents a substantial disposal problem.
Therefore, there would be evident substantial environmental and economic advantages to be derived if a useful commerical outlet could be found for worn vehicle tires.
To this end, the present invention provides an economic and technically viable use for worn tires in upholstered articles of furniture, in which the properties of resilience which are inherent in a tire (even when worn) are used as a substitute for metal springs and/or plastics foam presently used in upholstered furniture, such as armchairs and sofas.
According to the invention there is provided an upholstered article of furniture which comprises a base, a tire mounted generally horizontally on the base, upholstery, and padding arranged at predetermined locations between the tire and the upholstery.
The padding will be arranged at any required locations in order to impart a satisfactory surface appearance to the upholstery, as well as making the article fit for the particular function which it is intended to carry out.
When the article of furniture includes a generally horizontal seat or support portion, the padding will be such as to cushion the load applied and to provide an acceptable "feel", so that the effect of the tire is cushioned. However, the tire itself, which is arranged generally horizontally i.e. with its axis of rotation extending substantially vertically, imparts rigidity and stability to the article, but also has a certain degree of resilience so as to simulate the type of response to an applied load which would be provided by conventional springs, or foamed plastics, in existing articles of furniture i.e. it functions rather as a rubber spring.
It will be particularly economical for the tire to be obtained from a supply of scrap tires, but in order to reduce the weight of the tire, and also to derive a commercial return for the only portion of a scrap tire of any appreciable value, it will be preferable for the tread of the tire to be buffed-off to produce rubber dust, and therefore the tire as supplied to the furniture manufacturer will be a substantially smooth (untreaded) tire.
In one preferred construction according to the invention, the article of furniture comprises a "pouffe" i.e. a backless seat or footrest, in which a plurality of tires are stacked one upon the other, and preferably with adhesive bonding between the interengaging sufaces of the tires. Horizontal padding may then be applied above the uppermost tire of the stack, and also generally vertical padding may be arranged around the stack e.g. in a circular band.
A circular cross-section pouffe can therefore be obtained, which is stable, robust, has necessary yielding properties in a vertical sense, and has a satisfactory "feel" and appearance by virtue of the padding.
The padding may take any form which is employed in conventional upholstered furniture, such as polyurethane foam. However, it is particularly preferred that non-inflammable, or at least non-toxic (upon combustion) components should be inncorporated in the construction of the article of furniture, in which case the use of tires is advantageous over known plastics foams, some of which give-off lethal cyanide gaseous fumes
REFERENCES:
patent: 2612942 (1952-10-01), Simjian
patent: 3125377 (1964-03-01), Bridges
patent: 3848853 (1974-11-01), Way et al.
patent: 3951384 (1976-04-01), Hildreth, Jr.
patent: 4099771 (1978-07-01), Mathews
patent: 4785577 (1988-11-01), Lederbauer
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