GB2422307A

GB2422307A - Convertible seat/mattress

Info

Publication number: GB2422307A
Application number: GB0501238A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Scott Reeves
Original assignee: VENTURA CORP Ltd
Current assignee: VENTURA CORP Ltd
Priority date: 2005-01-20
Filing date: 2005-01-20
Publication date: 2006-07-26
Also published as: GB0501238D0

Abstract

A convertible seat/mattress is disclosed which comprises a sealed flexible container 25 in a removable cover 20. When in the cover the device can be used as a seat and when removed from the cover the container can be laid out flat and used as a mattress. The filling for the flexible container may be pieces of memory foam. Memory foam is relatively compressible which allows the convertible seat/mattress to be compressed to reduce its size for transport purposes.

Description

CONVERTIBLE SEAT/MATTRESS The present invention relates to a bean-bag

style seat which is capable of being converted into a mattress and vice versa. The present invention also relates to a foam material for filling a seat/mattress.

Bean-bags filled with beans or pellets of polystyrene or other similar materials are known. While it may be enjoyable to sit on such bean-bags, they are typically roughly spherical in shape and are thus unsuitable for a person who wishes to lie flat on a cushioned surface. Flat foamed mattresses are also known, which are more suitable for a person wishing to lie flat, but mattresses typically have only a small vertical dimension making them unsuitable for use as a seat. There is therefore a need for a single item of furniture which may be used both by a person wishing to sit comfortably and by a person wishing to lie flat.

Bean-bags and mattresses are bulky items which are typically substantially incompressible. This makes transport, especially shipping from factories based in the Far East to Western markets, costly.

The present invention addresses these problems with known bean-bags and mattresses.

The present invention provides a convertible seat/mattress comprising a sealed cushioned container containing a stuffing material and a repeatably sealable/unsealable bag sized to receive the flexible container, wherein the flexible container may be removed from the bag for use as a mattress and wherein the flexible container may be constrained within the bag for use as a seat.

The present invention also provides a stuffing material for a cushioned object comprising a plurality of pieces of memory foam, preferably viscoelastic memory foam.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 shows a convertible seat/mattress embodying the present invention being used as a seat; Figs. 2 and 3 show the sealed container being removed the bag; Fig. 4 shows the convertible seat/mattress embodying the present invention being used as a mattress.

As shown in Fig. 1, a convertible seat/mattress 10 embodying the present invention may be used as a comfortable seat by a person 15. The convertible seat/mattress 10 comprises a repeatably sealable/unsealable cloth bag 20 and a sealed cloth container 25 (not shown in Fig. 1) containing a stuffing material. In Fig. 1, the sealed container 25 is sealed within the bag 20, thereby constraining the sealed container 25 to assume a shape suitable for sitting.

As illustrated in figs. 2 and 3, the bag includes a zipper 30 or any other suitable re-usable sealing/unsealing device which permits the sealed container 25 to be removed from the bag 20.

Once the sealed container 25 has been removed from the bag 20, as shown in Fig. 4, it may be laid out flat for use as a mattress.

Any suitable filling or stuffing material may be used to stuff the sealed container 25. Preferably however the stuffing material comprises a plurality of pieces of memory foam, more preferably visco-elastic memory foam, such as the foam made under the trade name Instamax (RTM) . The plurality of pieces of the memory foam are preferably made by shredding a larger block of the foam.

Visco-elastic memory foam is a modified polyurethane foam. The foam reacts to body heat and pressure to mould to the body shape, and has a slow recovery after pressure is applied, making the user sink into the foam to a far greater degree than regular polyurethane foam. It cradles the body, relieving pressure and making the foam mattress or the chair more comfortable for longer periods. The preferred Instamax (RTM) foam has a slightly quicker recovery time than other memory foams, hence less memory. This makes for a more comfortable sitting or lying experience whether the convertible seat/mattress embodying the present invention is being used as a seat or as a mattress.

Since memory foam is relatively compressible the convertible seat/mattress may also be compressed to reduce its size for transport purposes.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A convertible seat/mattress comprising: a sealed flexible

container containing a stuffing material; and a repeatably sealable/unsealable bag sized to receive the sealed container; wherein the sealed container may be sealed inside the bag for use as a seat and may be removed from the bag for use as a mattress.
2. A convertible seat/mattress as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bag comprises a zipper to enable repeated sealing/unsealing of the bag.
3. A stuffing material for a cushioned object comprising a plurality of pieces of memory foam.
4. A stuffing material as claimed in claim 3, wherein the memory foam is visco-elastic memory foam.
5. A convertible seat/mattress according to either of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the stuffing material contained in the sealed container is the stuffing material of either of claim 3 or claim 4.
6. A convertible seat/mattress substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows CLAIMS: 1. A convertible sea/r trs corrprigin9.

a sealed ilexljJ!e container containing C sturf material; and a repeatablv bag sized to receive the sealed container; wherein the sealed container may be sealed inside the hag for use as a seat and may be removed from the bag for use as a mattress 2. A convertible seat/mattress as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bag comprises a zipper to enable repeated sealing/unsealing of the bag.

3. A convertible seat/mattress according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the stuffing material comprises a Plurality of pieces of memory foam.

4. A convertible seat/mattress according to claim 3 wherein the memory foam is viscoelastic memory foam.

5. A convertible seat/mattress according to any of the preceding claims wherein the bag constrains the sealed containe to assume a roughly spherical shape when the sealed conti---' is:he bag.

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saa1e: taied:s om the bag.
7. A conrertjb1e seat/mattress substantially as hereinbefore described with reference c the accopanir- drawings