Field of the Invention

The invention relates to the field of the furniture used in outdoor or indoor areas such as home, office, especially to the furniture with plastic body parts or furniture with a main body made of plastic.

The State of the Art

The main body or parts of the furniture assemblies usually have a frame formed by connecting high strength profiles such as metal, wood or composite materials. The frame allows the construction of the furniture to resist pressure stresses and other static loads caused by the user's weight or its own weight. Connection of profile structures with each other is ensured by methods such as welding processes or joining with other fasteners. Afterwards, a sponge is firstly coated on the frame, then a fabric is covered and finally, the furniture is formed. Furniture production operation requires intensive hand workmanship and the use of fittings and the suitability of the production to automation is low.

WO2018038689 discloses a furniture assembly comprising a base which supports a soft seating element. In the furniture assembly, the base is produced in one piece by rotational molding. Base beds may be wide or narrow in support of a soft seating element such as a bed or cushions of a sofa. The soft seating element is better supported by additional support members such as rods, frames or tie-pieces. The base bed produced by rotational molding structure is light and rigid. Detailed Description of the Invention

The object of the invention is to allow a plastic, wood or paperboard frame/body that forms a frame in furniture assemblies to be covered easily and rapidly with a soft material and a textile material with sealing properties.

In line with the said object, the invention relates to a furniture assembly comprising a hollow or full plastic body/frame. The preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a polyurethane or soft material layer (60) fixed directly by injection, such that it defines a predetermined softened area on an outer skin (45) of the plastic body/frame. The soft material, plastic, wood or paperboard can either cover the entire body/frame or a surface thereof or a limited area on a surface thereof. Also, since the polyurethane or soft material layer (60) has a softer structure than the body/frame hardness on the plastic, wooden or paperboard body/frame (40), the predetermined area is called a softened area. It is possible to apply polyurethane or soft material layers (60) of different density or prescription in order to form sections with different hardness. In these applications, one or more sections with a higher hardness than the hardness of the plastic, wooden or paperboard body/frame (40) may also be formed. The plastic, wooden or paperboard body (40) may be the main body/frame of the furniture assembly, or it may be the body/frame of only one module or a part thereof. In a possible embodiment, the furniture assembly includes seating groups or parts thereof, bed headboards, bed bases or different furniture elements used in the home or office that can be used in indoor or outdoor areas where a soft area is needed in the outer skins (45) that the user contacts with.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the polyurethane or soft material layer (60) has a thickness of 0.5 to 200/1,000 mm, preferably 1-400 mm. In one embodiment of the invention, the polyurethane or soft material layer (60) preferably has a thickness of 1-10 mm. The selected polyurethane or soft material layer (60) has preferably a polyurethane or soft material layer (60) thickness that is suitable for the conditions of use of furniture used in indoor or outdoor areas such as home or office, and which shows the best adhesion qualities to plastic, wooden or paperboard body (40).

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the polyurethane or soft material layer (60) is in the form of softened regions that covers the top part of the plastic, wooden or paperboard body (40) fully or partially, wherein it extends at the top part, at the bottom part or at the lateral regions or it extends to cover all of them. Thus, the need for an additional flexible material, for example, a sponge, in any part on the furniture body that the user would contact with is eliminated.

In a preferred embodiment, the invention preferably comprises a second opening (68) provided on the polyurethane or soft material layer (60) that opens to a fixing hole (47) of the plastic, wooden or paperboard body (40). The second opening (68) allows fixing furniture pieces directly to the plastic, wooden or paperboard body (40), for example fixing elements used for fixing the feet to the body preferably without damaging polyurethane or soft material layer (60).

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the plastic, wooden or paperboard body (40) comprises at least one first recess (32) or protrusion (34) form provided by forming/giving any form to the outer skin (45). The first recess (32) or protrusion (34) form also increases the structural strength, such that it prevents plastic, wooden or paperboard body (40) from being deformed, preferably when in contact with a hot polyurethane or soft material layer (60). In order to achieve the said object, a preferred embodiment of the invention relates to a production method for furniture assembly. The production method comprises the following process steps: receiving the body into a second bed (53), preferably of a polyurethane or soft material mold (50) such that a molding chamber (55) spaced from the outer skin (45) of the plastic, wooden or paperboard body (40) is limited; supplying a polyurethane or soft material-based material, which is formulated to expand in the free state, to the molding chamber (55); curing of the expanding polyurethane or soft material on the one side, such that it directly adheres to the plastic, wooden or paperboard body (40) in the molding chamber (55); releasing the body adhering to the polyurethane or soft material layer (60) from the polyurethane or soft material mold (50). This method eliminates the need to fix sponges on the body frame of the furniture assembly, which requires intensive hand workmanship and material consumption. Moreover, by changing the molding area boundary form, it is possible to create a softened area with different geometries and desired shapes on the plastic, wooden or paperboard body (40). After this process, ready-to-use furniture is obtained by fixing textiles preferably on a layer of polyurethane or soft material layer (60) and plastic, wooden or paperboard body (40).

A preferred embodiment of the invention relates to the final furniture product that can be used indoors or outdoors and production process thereof, wherein the final furniture has plastic, wooden or paperboard body/frame (40), preferably polyurethane or textile with soft material and sealing properties and ready-to-use plastic, wooden or paperboard body/frame (40), wherein the body/frame are fixed with soft material and accordingly the fabric is fixed on the soft material manually or by automation in the mold. In this preferred embodiment of the invention, the production method is as follows: a sealed textile is placed on a mold, which is formed or unformed; the textile takes the shape of vacuum- or hand-shaped or unformed mold, then the material is provided/received/placed/injected to get a soft layer formed on the fabric and the plastic, wooden or paperboard body/frame (40) is preferably placed on the polyurethane or soft material layer (60), which takes the form and gains the volume of the formed or unformed mold, and at the end of these process steps, ready-to-use furniture for indoor or outdoor use is obtained. The production method and the final product resulting therefrom is taken under protection. Subsequent to the textile having sealing properties is laid on the formed or unformed mold, then the textile takes the shape of the mold by vacuum or hand and thereafter the soft material is placed thereon and upon the soft material gains volume, the plastic, wooden or paperboard body (40) is placed on the textile and the soft material in the mold, thereby taking the shape of the said mold and getting fixed to each other and the resulting textile having sealing properties that took the form of the mold and the body/frame fixed on the volumized soft material that is fixed on the textile provide the final product. In this production method, different materials such as plastic, wood and paperboard can be used as the body/frame.

The invention briefly includes a final furniture product and production method thereof in which the textile is fixed to the soft material and the soft material itself is fixed to the plastic, wooden or paperboard body/frame (40).

A preferred embodiment of the invention is preferably a polyurethane or soft material mold (50) for the production method. The polyurethane or soft material mold (50) comprises on the one side, a first part (52) in which the mold second bed (53) is provided in the form of a recess and a second part (54) which preferably covers and seals the second bed (53) molding chamber (55) with preferably polyurethane or soft material by combining with the first part (52). Polyurethane or soft material mold (50), when used in accordance with the production of furniture, provides simple and direct fixation of the softened area on the plastic, wooden or paperboard body/frame (40).

A preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a sleeve (56) extending from the first part (52) to the molding chamber (55) then to the plastic, wooden or paperboard body (40). The sleeve (56) preferably forms an area that the polyurethane or soft material cannot pass, making it possible to form a hole that extends easily to the body on the polyurethane or soft material layer (60).

The development of the invention is described by references only to better explain the subject without intending to cause any limitations.

Figure 1 shows the perspective view of a two-part plastic injection mold in the open state. The plastic injection mold includes a mold upper half (10) and a mold lower half (20) that the former is seated and covers thereon. The mold upper half (10) has a cap-like structure. An outer wall (12) of the mold upper half (10) has a planar structure and covers a core (30) fixed on the mold lower half (20) along its peripheral walls. An internal wall (14) of the mold upper half (10) opposite the outer wall (12) has a pool-like structure and it is located distantly to the core (30) such that a small gap is kept between them. On the side of the mold upper half (10), there is an inlet (15) for the space surrounded by the internal wall (14). The inlet (15) consists of a hole in the middle of a narrowing half cone. The mold upper half (10) has a front section (16) and a handle-like form. The mold lower half (20) is in symmetrical form to the mold upper half (10). It carries the injection mold on a base formed by a planar lower wall (22). A core (30) on the mold lower half (20) is in the form of the arm part of a furniture assembly. On the lateral face of the core (30), first recesses (32) and the protrusions (34) between them are formed in a structure of channels parallel to each other. A peripheral edge (36) forming the transverse part of the core (30) curvilinearly completes the upper part of the U-like form, one edge of which is short, thereby providing an armrest-like form. In this figure, a first bed (24), an opening section (26) are presented.

Figure 2 shows the perspective view of the mold lower half (20) alone. The female form (not shown) of the core (30) is engraved on the corresponding internal wall (14). A half- conical nozzle (25) that matches with the inlet (15) and integrates into the conical form opens into the injection cavity that surrounds the core (30) and remains between when the mold upper half (10) is seated in its place. The molten plastic material provided by the injection machine (not shown) over the nozzle (25) to the injection cavity surrounds the core (30) and cools and solidifies. After this process, the mold upper half (10) is lifted over the mold lower half (20) and the hollow plastic body (40) surrounding the core (30) shown in Figure 3 is taken out. The hollow plastic body (40) has a planar base (42) and an outer skin (45) rising over it. By forming second recesses (43) in the channel structure parallel to each other on the outer skin (45), the structural resistance of the plastic, wooden or paperboard body (40) against deformations is increased. The upper part of the plastic, wooden or paperboard body (40) has a two-stage structure with curved corner sections between them. A first top part (44) connects to a vertical and planar front wall (46) with a rounded corner. The front wall (46) joins the base (42) by its lower edge.

Figure 4 shows the polyurethane or soft material mold (50) in the open position, in which the plastic, wooden or paperboard body (40) is preferably combined with a polyurethane or soft material layer (60), defining a softened area. The polyurethane or soft material mold (50) comprises a first part (52) that can be opened and closed, and a second part (54) compatible with it. On the first part (52), there is a second bed (53) compatible with the outer form of the plastic, wooden or paperboard body (40). In the second bed (53), the plastic, wooden or paperboard body (40) is fitted such that it holds the transverse half. The second bed (53) holds the plastic, wooden or paperboard body (40) lying on it over a lateral wall by its rear wall (48) and a base (42) adjacent thereto. The softened area will be formed in the first top part (44) of the plastic body (40) and its outer skin (45), which includes a lateral wall. Accordingly, the polyurethane or soft material mold (50) provided the molding chamber (55) in both the first part (52) and the second part (54) such that a distance is kept between the molding chamber (55) and the plastic, wooden or paperboard body (40). Thus, when the first part (52) is closed on the second part (54), the molding chamber (55) is provided in the form of a cavity with both the outer skin (45) comprising a side wall of the plastic, wooden or paperboard body (40) and the first top part (44). The polyurethane or soft material mold (50), when in a closed state, extends to the outer skin (45) such that two hollow cylindrical extensions, in the form of a sleeve (56), spaced from each other pass from the second part (54) through the molding chamber (55). Thus, the sleeve (56) is opened from the external environment to a fixing hole (47) formed in the outer skin (45) of the plastic, wooden or paperboard body (40). The first part (52) is closed at one end with a hinged planar cover (51) in the form of L. As shown in Figure 6, when in a closed state, the cover (51) helps to hold the plastic, wooden or paperboard body (40) in the second bed (53) by resting on the base (42) and partially on the front wall (46). In this figure, a first opening (59), a sealing gasket (57) are presented.

When the first part (52) is in a opened state, the plastic, wooden or paperboard body (40) is seated on the second bed (53). Then, while the expandingly-reacted material, preferably polyurethane or soft material is poured into the molding chamber (55), the first part (52) is closed on the second part (54). Thus, the polyurethane material expands and advances on the plastic, wooden or paperboard body (40) on one side, and on the other side, enters the corresponding surfaces of the molding chamber (55) in the first and second parts (52, 54). When the expansion is complete, the polyurethane material is allowed to cure at a certain time, for example for 5 to 15 minutes, preferably for 10 minutes. By opening the cover (51), the plastic, wooden or paperboard body (40) is removed from the second bed (53) and discharged from the polyurethane or soft material mold (50). In this case, the part of the furniture assembly shown in Figure 5 is revealed. This part comprises a hollow plastic body (40) which preferably includes polyurethane or soft material layer (60) partially or completely. The polyurethane or soft material layer (60) covers a second upper portion (64), a first top part (44) of the plastic, wooden or paperboard body (40) having a strip structure and partly the front wall (46) between a first end (62) and an opposed second end (66). In addition, a second opening (68) is formed on the polyurethane or soft material layer (60) to provide direct access to the plastic, wooden or paperboard body (40). Especially when a bed (not shown) for fasteners is mounted inside a fixing hole (47), this makes it possible to directly access the fixing hole (47) without cutting the polyurethane or soft material layer (60).

Explanations of the Figures

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of an injection mold of a plastic, wooden or paperboard body (40) of an arm to be used in a representative embodiment of the furniture assembly of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the lower half of the injection mold including the core (30) shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a hollow plastic body of the furniture assembly produced by the plastic injection mold shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an illustration of a polyurethane or soft material mold (50), preferably in which a polyurethane or soft material is injected, of an arm of a furniture assembly according to the invention in an open position with the arm assembled.

Figure 5, is a perspective view of an arm belonging to a furniture assembly in which a polyurethane or soft material along the area softened with a polyurethane or soft material mold (50) shown in Figure 4 is injected/placed.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the pre-discharge condition of the polyurethane mold shown in Figure 5.

Explanations of Reference Numbers in Figures

10 Mold upper half 12 Outer wall

14 Internal wall

15 Inlet

16 Front section Mold lower half Lower wall First bed Nozzle Opening section Core First Recess Protrusion Peripheral edge Plastic, wooden or paperboard body Base Second Recess First top part Outer skin Front wall Fixing hole Rear wall Polyurethane or soft material mold Cover First part Second bed Second part Molding chamber Sleeve Sealing gasket First opening Polyurethane or soft material layer First end Second upper part Second end Second opening