Outdoor seat with integrated protective cover

Abstract

The invention discloses an outdoor seat with an integrated protective cover. An outdoor seat includes a frame, a seat cushion, a back cushion, and a cover. The frame includes a rear rail defining a rear bottom portion of the frame. The back cushion includes a drooping cloth having a bottom section including a storage pocket. The cover is fixed to the drooping cloth within the storage bag. The cover has a packaged state in which the cover is enclosed in the storage bag, and an expanded state in which the cover encloses the frame, the seat cushion, and the back cushion therein.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to outdoor seating, and more particularly to outdoor seating with integrated protective covers. Background Art

[0002] By nature, outdoor furniture is exposed to the elements. Therefore, when not in use, many users cover their outdoor furniture to protect or preserve the outdoor furniture from the elements. Protecting the outdoor furniture can prevent the outdoor furniture from discoloring or fading. Protecting the outdoor furniture can prevent or reduce the possibility of water accumulation on the outdoor furniture, so that the outdoor furniture is dry when in use.

[0003] The protective cover must be stored separately from the outdoor furniture when not in use. Storing the protective cover separately from the outdoor furniture may result in damage to the cover when not in use and / or cause the cover to become misplaced or lost. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present disclosure generally relates to an outdoor chair with an integrated protective cover that can be stored and hidden when not in use. When not in use, the cover can be placed within the frame of the outdoor chair so that the cover and a storage bag containing the cover are hidden from view.

[0005] In one aspect of the present disclosure, an outdoor chair includes a frame, a seat cushion, a back cushion, and a cover. The frame includes a rear rail defining a rear bottom portion of the frame. The back cushion includes a drop cloth having a bottom section including a storage pocket. The cover is secured to the drop cloth within the storage pocket. The cover has a packed state, in which the cover is enclosed in the storage pocket, and an expanded state, in which the cover encloses the frame, the seat cushion, and the back cushion therein.

[0006] In various aspects, the drop cloth has a stowed position in which the storage bag is placed within the frame in front of the rear rails so that the storage bag is concealed within the frame. The cover can be secured to the interior surface of the drop cloth within the storage bag. The cover can be non-removably or removably secured to the interior surface of the drop cloth within the storage bag.

[0007] In some aspects, the back cushion includes a mounting section that is positioned around the back support of the frame. The mounting section is slidably removable from the back support of the frame. The drop cloth can extend from the mounting section.

[0008] In a specific aspect, the cover has an open bottom end, which is disposed below the frame when the cover is in the deployed state. The open bottom end of the cover includes a tensioning element. The tensioning element can pull the open bottom end inward in the deployed state of the cover so that the open bottom end is substantially within the footprint of the frame.

[0009] In another aspect of the present disclosure, an outdoor chair includes a frame, a back cushion, and a cover. The frame has a front rail, a rear rail, and a back support. The back cushion includes a mounting section and a drop cloth. The mounting section is placed above the back support to secure the back cushion to the frame. The drop cloth extends from a bottom edge of the mounting section. The drop cloth has a bottom section including a storage bag. The cover is secured to the drop cloth within the storage bag. The cover has a packaged state and an expanded state, in which the cover is enclosed in the storage bag and in which the cover wraps the frame and the back cushion therein.

[0010] In various aspects, the drop cloth has a stowed position in which the storage bag is placed within the frame in front of the rear rails so that the storage bag is concealed within the frame. The cover can be secured to the interior surface of the drop cloth within the storage bag. The cover can be non-removably or removably secured to the interior surface of the drop cloth within the storage bag.

[0011] In some aspects, the cover is attached to the interior surface of the drop cloth along an attachment line. The attachment line can be closer to the center of the cover than the open bottom end of the cover. The mounting section can be slidably removed from the back support of the frame. The drop cloth can include a retention system that holds the drop cloth in a raised position in which the bottom section of the drop cloth is adjacent to the top of the back cushion.

[0012] In some aspects, the cover has an open bottom end that is disposed below the frame when the cover is in the deployed state. The open bottom end of the cover may include a tensioning element that pulls the open bottom end inward in the deployed state of the cover so that the open bottom end is substantially within the footprint of the frame.

[0013] In another aspect of the present disclosure, a method of covering an outdoor chair includes removing a cover from a storage bag with the cover attached to an inner surface of a drop cloth of a back cushion. The drop cloth may extend downwardly from a mounting section of the back cushion. The mounting section is secured to a back support of a frame of the outdoor chair. The method also includes deploying the cover over the frame, back cushion, and seat cushion of the outdoor chair and maintaining the cover attached to the inner surface of the drop cloth when deployed.

[0014] In various aspects, the method includes accessing the storage bag by removing a drop cloth from within a frame, wherein the storage bag is concealed within the frame. Accessing the storage bag may include removing the storage bag from a stowed position in which the storage bag is positioned in front of a rear rail of the frame.

[0015] Furthermore, any embodiment or aspect described herein may be used in combination with any or all other embodiments or aspects described herein, to the extent consistent. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Various aspects of the present disclosure are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and are incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification, in which:

[0017] Figure 1 is a rear perspective view of an outdoor chair provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the storage bag is in a stowed position;

[0018] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A rear perspective view of an outdoor chair of , wherein the storage bag is in a free position suspended from a drop cloth of the outdoor chair;

[0019] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A rear perspective view of an outdoor chair of , wherein the storage pocket is positioned adjacent to a top portion of a back support;

[0020] Figure 4 is a top perspective view of the storage bag with the storage bag opening closed, thereby showing the cover positioned within the cavity of the storage bag;

[0021] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 A rear perspective view of an outdoor chair with the cover substantially removed from the storage bag;

[0022] Figure 6 yes Figure 1 a side view of an outdoor seat, wherein a cover is placed over the outdoor seat;

[0023] Figure 7 is a flow chart of a method of covering an outdoor chair using an integrated cover according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0024] Figure 8 is a flow chart of a method of storing an integrated cover for an outdoor chair according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The present disclosure will now be described more fully below with reference to example embodiments of the present disclosure and with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference numerals represent identical or corresponding elements in each of the multiple views. The description of these exemplary embodiments makes the present disclosure thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. Features from one embodiment or aspect may be combined with features from any other embodiment or aspect in any appropriate combination. For example, any single or combined feature of a method aspect or embodiment may be applied to an apparatus, product or component aspect or embodiment, and vice versa. In fact, various embodiments of the present invention may be embodied in many different forms, and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein; on the contrary, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will meet applicable statutory requirements. As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "one", "an", "the", etc. include multiple references unless the article explicitly states that it is a single. In addition, although quantitative measurements, values, geometric relationships, etc. may be referenced herein, unless otherwise stated, any one or more of these (if not all) may be absolute or approximate to illustrate acceptable changes that may occur, such as changes caused by manufacturing or engineering tolerances, etc.

[0026] Reference now Figure 1 , an outdoor chair 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is provided. The outdoor chair 10 includes a frame 20, a seat cushion 40, and a back cushion 50. The frame 20 may include a front rail 22, a rear rail 24, and a side rail 28 extending between the front rail 22 and the rear rail 24. The frame 20 may include a back support 26 and a seat support (not shown). The back support 26 and the seat support (not shown) may be fixed or may be movable between an upright configuration and a tilted configuration. The front rail 22, the rear rail 24, and the side rails 28 of the frame 20 define a coverage area of ​​the frame 20, which is an area below the boundaries of the frame 20. The rear rail 24 may define a rear bottom portion 25 of the frame 20.

[0027] Additional References Figure 2 , the back cushion 50 includes a back pad 52 and a mounting section 56. The mounting section 56 is secured to the back support 26 so that the back pad 52 is positioned in front of the back support 26. The mounting section 56 may be removably secured to the back support 26. In some embodiments, the mounting section 56 may be non-removably secured to the back support 26. The back cushion 50 includes a drop cloth 60 extending downwardly from the rear side of the back cushion 50. The drop cloth 60 includes a storage pocket 64 defined along a bottom section 62 of the drop cloth 60. The bottom section 62 including the storage pocket 64 has a storage position ( Figure 1), where the bottom section 62 is placed in the frame 20 in front of the rear rail 24 so that the storage bag 64 is hidden or not visible. The bottom section 62 can have a free position ( Figure 2 ), where the drop cloth 60 hangs freely from the mounting section 56. In the free position, the storage bag 64 can be visible.

[0028] Reference now Figure 3 and Figure 4 , the storage bag 64 may include a closure 65 to close the storage bag 64. The closure 65 may be arranged along the bottom edge of the drape 60. In some embodiments, the closure 65 is along the top edge of the storage bag 64 and is therefore spaced apart from the bottom edge of the drape 60. The closure 65 may be a zipper, a hook and loop fastener system, a buckle system, or a button system. The closure 65 selectively closes the storage bag 64 to allow or prevent access to the contents of the storage bag 64.

[0029] The storage bag 64 defines a cavity that is sized and dimensioned to hold the cover 80 when the cover 80 is in the packaged state. The cover 80 is placed in the storage bag 64 when the closure 65 is closed. The cover 80 is secured to the drop cloth 60 ( 100 ) along the attachment line 84 within the storage bag 64. Figure 5 The attachment line 84 can be positioned relative to the cover 80 so that the drop cloth 60 is in a position such as when deployed over the outdoor chair 10. Figure 5 60 is shown in the raised position, with the bottom section 62 positioned adjacent the top of the back support 26 of the frame 20. As shown, the attachment line 84 is secured to the interior surface 61 of the drape 60, which interior surface 61 faces the inside of the frame 20 when the drape 60 is placed within the frame 20. In some embodiments, the cover 80 can be sewn to the drape 60. In such embodiments, the cover 80 can be considered non-removable. In certain embodiments, the cover 80 can be secured to the drape 60 by a hook and loop fastener system, a buckle fastener system, buttons, or a zipper. In such embodiments, the cover 80 can be considered removable. A portion 82 of the cover 80 can form the interior surface 61 of the storage pocket 64. As shown Figure 4 As shown, in the stowed state, the cover 80 is placed within the storage bag 64 .

[0030] In some embodiments, the drop 60 includes a retention system that holds the drop 60 in a raised position in which the bottom section 62 of the drop 60 is adjacent to the top of the back support 26, such as Figure 3-5As shown. The retention system includes a first part or button 63 placed in the bottom section 62 of the drape 60. The button 63 can be a metal or polymer button. The button 63 can be secured to the interior surface 61, the exterior surface, or the bottom of the bottom section 62. The retention system also includes a second part or buckle 67 secured to the top of the back support 26. The buckle 67 can be secured to a piece or strip of fabric extending from the top of the back support 26. The first part 63 and the second part 67 are configured to engage with each other to secure the drape 60 in its raised position. In some embodiments, the first part can be a fabric loop or tie, and the second part can be another fabric loop or tie configured to engage the first part so as to secure the drape 60 in the raised position.

[0031] Reference now Figure 5 and Figure 6 , the cover 80 is substantially removed from the storage bag 64 so that the material of the cover 80 is expanded from the storage state. The size and dimensions of the cover 80 are made to fit over the outdoor chair 10, such as Figure 6 In the expanded state, the cover 80 forms an outer upper surface of the entire outdoor chair 10 to protect the outdoor chair 10 from environmental influences. When in the expanded state, the cover 80 is secured to the drop cloth 60 causing the drop cloth 60 to be folded upward so that the bottom section 62 of the drop cloth 60 is adjacent to the top of the back pad 52, as shown. Figure 5 In some embodiments, the cover 80 can include a tensioning element 88 that extends at least partially around the open bottom end 86 of the cover 80. The tensioning element 88 can be a thin cord disposed within a channel that allows the open bottom end 86 to be tensioned or pulled closed so that the cover 80 is retained over the outdoor chair 10. When pulled closed, the open bottom end 86 can be disposed below the frame 20 of the outdoor chair 10, for example, substantially within the footprint of the frame defined by the side rails 28, the front rails 22, or the rear rails 24.

[0032] As shown, outdoor seat 10 is shown as a single seat or chair, but outdoor seat 10 can be a multi-person seat, such as a sofa, a reclining chair or a modular sofa. When outdoor seat 10 is a multi-person seat, cover 80 can be stored in a single storage bag of the seat, similar to the cover 80 of outdoor seat 10 above, and cover 80 covers multiple seats. In some embodiments, multi-person seats can have multiple covers 80, each of which covers one or more seats of multi-person seats. In certain embodiments, multiple covers 80 can be fixed together so that multiple covers 80 protect the entire multi-person seat.

[0033] As shown, the outdoor chair 10 is shown as a single position, but the outdoor chair 10 may be capable of having multiple positions. For example, the outdoor chair 10 may have Figure 1-6The upright position shown in the figure, and may have one or more inclined positions, in which the backrest is inclined relative to the seat. In certain embodiments, in the one or more inclined positions, the seat can be reclined and or translated relative to the backrest.

[0034] refer to Figure 7 ,refer to Figure 1-6 The outdoor chair 10 of the present disclosure describes a method for deploying an integrated protective cover for an outdoor chair according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and is generally referred to as method 700. To deploy the cover 80, the storage pocket 64 of the drop cloth 60 is accessed by lifting the drop cloth 60 (step 710). To access the storage pocket 64 of the drop cloth 60, the drop cloth 60 can be pulled so that the bottom section 62 of the drop cloth 60 is withdrawn from the frame 20, such as Figure 2 Access to the storage bag 64 may include lifting the bottom section 62 of the storage bag 64 so that the storage bag 64 is placed adjacent to the top of the back support 26, such as Figure 3 shown.

[0035] With access to the storage bag 64, the cover 80 is removed from the storage bag 64 (step 720). To remove the cover 80 from the storage bag 64, the closure 65 of the storage bag 64 can be actuated to access the cover 80 received within the storage bag 64. Actuating the closure 65 can include pulling apart or separating two sides of the closure 65 to access the cavity of the storage bag 64. With access to the cover 80, the cover 80 is substantially removed from the storage bag 64, such as Figure 5 shown.

[0036] With the cover 80 substantially removed from the storage bag 64, the open bottom end 86 of the cover 80 is pulled over the outdoor chair 10 so that the open bottom end 86 surrounds the bottom of the outdoor chair 10, such as Figure 6 As shown (step 730). As described in detail above, the cover 80 is placed within the storage bag 64 to the drop cloth 60 so that when the open bottom end 86 surrounds the bottom of the outdoor chair 10, the cover 80 can cause the drop cloth 60 to reach a raised position so that the bottom section 62 of the drop cloth 60 is adjacent to the top of the back support 26. In some embodiments, the method 700 includes securing the drop cloth 60 in the raised position using a retention system before the open bottom end 86 of the cover 80 surrounds the bottom of the outdoor chair 10. The drop cloth 60 in the raised position can increase the tension of the cover 80 over the seat cushion 40 so that liquid flows off the cover 80 and prevents liquid from pooling on the seat cushion 40. Preventing liquid from pooling on the seat cushion 40 can keep the seat cushion 40 dry when covered and / or prevent liquid from penetrating through the cover 80.

[0037] With the cover 80 deployed over the outdoor chair 10, the open bottom end 86 of the cover 80 can be tied around the frame 20 (step 740). The tensioning element 88 can include a string or other mechanism to reduce the size of the open bottom end 86 so that the open bottom end 86 is substantially below the footprint of the frame 20. The tensioning element 88 can include a lock, such as a slide lock, to maintain tension in the tensioning element 88. In some embodiments, the tensioning element 88 can be an elastic band that is secured around the open bottom end 86 so that when the open bottom end 86 is placed under the frame 20, the tensioning element 88 pulls the open bottom end 86 of the cover 80 within the footprint of the frame 20. In such embodiments, the open bottom end 86 of the cover 80 can be self-tightening or self-biasing. Tying the open bottom end 86 can tension a portion of the cover so that liquid flows off the surface of the cover 80 and / or prevents liquid from accumulating on the cover 80. In some embodiments, the cover 80 may be sized and dimensioned to match the contours of the frame 20 and / or the seat cushions 40 , 50 of the outdoor chair 10 .

[0038] Reference now Figure 8 ,refer to Figure 1-6 A method of stowing an integrated protective cover for an outdoor chair 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is described and is generally referred to as method 800. When the integrated cover 80 is in an expanded state, the open bottom end 86 of the cover 80 can be secured or tied around a frame. In such an embodiment, method 800 includes releasing a tensioning element 88 of the cover 80 so that the open bottom end 86 can be lifted past the front of the outdoor chair 10 (step 810). In some embodiments, a lock of the tensioning element 88 can be released to allow the open bottom end 86 to be lifted past the front of the outdoor chair 10.

[0039] With the open bottom end 86 lifted past the front of the outdoor chair 10, the outdoor chair 10 is uncovered so that the seat cushion 40 and the back cushion 50 are exposed and the cover 80 is positioned over the rear of the outdoor chair 10, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 As shown (step 820). With the seat uncovered, the cover 80 is packed into the cavity of the storage bag 64 (step 830). The cover 80 can be packed by folding, rolling, stuffing, or any combination thereof, so that the cover 80 is placed in the cavity of the storage bag 64. As described in detail above, the cover 80 is secured to the drop cloth 60 along an attachment line 84 located within the storage bag 64, so that the cover 80 is integrated into the drop cloth 60. The cover 80 being secured to the drop cloth 60 can facilitate packing the cover 80 into the storage bag 64. For example, the securing of the cover 80 can allow a user to roll the cover 80 into the storage bag 64. In some embodiments, the securing of the cover 80 can facilitate the user to fold the cover 80 into the storage bag 64.

[0040] When the cover 80 is packed into the cavity of the storage bag 64, the closure 65 of the storage bag 64 is closed (step 840). With the closure 65 of the storage bag 64 closed, the bottom section 62 of the drop cloth 60 (including the storage bag 64) is received in the rear rail 24 of the frame 20, so that the storage bag 64 is hidden in the frame 20, as shown in FIG. Figure 1 as shown (step 850).

[0041] Although method operations or steps are described in a particular order, it should be understood that other operations and steps may be performed between the described operations and steps, the described operations and steps may be adjusted so that they occur at slightly different times, or the described operations and steps may occur in any order unless otherwise specified.

[0042] Although several embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown in the drawings, it is not intended that the present disclosure be limited thereto, as the scope of the present disclosure is as far as the art allows, and the specification should be read accordingly. Any combination of the above embodiments is also contemplated and is within the scope of the appended claims. Therefore, the above description should not be interpreted as limiting, but only as an example of a specific embodiment. Those skilled in the art will envision other modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An outdoor chair, comprising: a frame having a rear rail defining a bottom portion of the frame; Seat cushions; a back cushion comprising a drop cloth having a bottom section, the bottom section comprising a storage pocket; and A cover is secured to the drop cloth within the storage bag, the cover having a packed state in which the cover is enclosed in the storage bag and an expanded state in which the cover wraps the frame, the seat cushion, and the back cushion therein.

2. The outdoor chair of claim 1, wherein the drop cloth has a stowed position in which the storage bag is positioned within the frame in front of the rear rail such that the storage bag is concealed within the frame.

3. The outdoor chair of claim 1, wherein the cover is secured to an interior surface of the drop cloth within the storage pocket.

4. The outdoor chair of claim 3, wherein the cover is non-removably secured to the interior surface of the drop cloth within the storage pocket.

5. The outdoor chair of claim 1, wherein the back cushion includes a mounting section positioned about a back support of the frame.

6. The outdoor chair of claim 5, wherein the mounting section is slidably removable from the back support of the frame.

7. The outdoor chair of claim 5, wherein the drop cloth extends from the mounting section.

8. The outdoor chair of claim 1, wherein the cover has an open bottom end that is positioned below the frame when the cover is in the deployed state.

9. The outdoor chair of claim 8, wherein the open bottom end of the cover includes a tensioning element that pulls the open bottom end inwardly in the expanded state of the cover so that the open bottom end is substantially within the footprint of the frame.

10. An outdoor chair, comprising: a frame having front rails, rear rails, and a back support; a back cushion including a mounting section positioned over the back support to secure the back cushion to the frame, and a drop cloth extending from a bottom edge of the mounting section, the drop cloth having a bottom section including a storage pocket; as well as A cover is secured to the drop cloth within the storage bag, the cover having a packed state in which the cover is enclosed in the storage bag and an expanded state in which the cover encloses the frame and the back cushion therein.

11. The outdoor chair of claim 10, wherein the drop cloth has a stowed position in which the storage bag is positioned within the frame forward of the rear rail such that the storage bag is concealed within the frame.

12. The outdoor chair of claim 10, wherein the cover is secured to an interior surface of the drop cloth within the storage pocket.

13. The outdoor chair of claim 12, wherein the cover is non-removably secured to the interior surface of the drop cloth within the storage pocket.

14. The outdoor chair of claim 10, wherein the cover is attached to the interior surface of the drop cloth along an attachment line that is closer to a center of the cover than to an open bottom end of the cover.

15. The outdoor chair of claim 10, wherein the drop includes a retention system that holds the drop in its raised position wherein the bottom section of the drop is adjacent a top portion of the back cushion.

16. The outdoor chair of claim 10, wherein the cover has an open bottom end that is disposed below the frame when the cover is in the deployed state.

17. The outdoor chair of claim 15, wherein the open bottom end of the cover includes a tensioning element that pulls the open bottom end inwardly in the deployed state of the cover so that the open bottom end is substantially within the footprint of the frame.

18. A method of covering an outdoor seat, the method comprising: removing the cover from the storage bag with the cover attached to an interior surface of a drop cloth of the back cushion, the drop cloth descending from a mounting section of the back cushion, the mounting section being secured to a back support of a frame of the outdoor chair; as well as The cover is deployed over the frame, back cushion and seat cushion of the outdoor chair, the cover remaining attached to the interior surface of the drop cloth when deployed.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising accessing the storage pocket by removing the drop cloth from within the frame, wherein the storage pocket is concealed within the frame.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein accessing the storage bag comprises removing the storage bag from a stowed position in which the storage bag is positioned forward of a rear rail of the frame.

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