GARDEN FURNITURE

Abstract: An item of garden furniture incorporating a seat or seats. In order that the item of furniture can be particularly useful, it is capable of being converted from a table (12) with benches (10 and 14) at its opposite sides into a garden seat, the table part (12) in partly inverted condition becoming the seat back.

Description: The invention relates to an item of garden furniture, that is to say a garden seat which can be converted into a table with benches at its opposite sides, as described in the preamble part of claim 1. There are a number of devices in use which can be erected to form a picnic table with benches at its opposite sides. These are generally able to be collapsed to occupy a small space for stowage when not in use, although it is in fact known from United States patent specification No. 4 382 627 to provide an item of garden furniture which can be converted from use as a garden seat to use as a table with benches at its opposite sides. This known item of garden furniture includes a somewhat complex linkage arrangement, however, and this gives it a rather unattractive appearance. The invention as claimed is intended to provide a remedy. It solves the problem of how to design an item of garden furniture which can be converted from a garden seat into a table with benches at its opposite sides and which is of a simple and attractive appearance, according to the characterising part of claim 1. The main advantage offered by the invention is that there is provided, in a single article of a relatively simple construction and attractive appearance, either a garden seat or a table with benches at its opposite sides, whichever the user requires at the particular time. One way of carrying out the invention is described in detail below with reference to drawings which illustrate by way of example only, specific embodiments, of which:- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the item of furniture in use as a table with benches, Figure 2 is a similar view of the item of furniture in use as a garden seat, Figure 3 is a semi-diagrammatic side view which illustrates how the conversion takes place, Figures 4 and 5 are views similar to Figures 1 and 2 which illustrate a possible modification of the arrangement, and Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 3 which illustrates a further possible modification. Referring now to Figure 1 of the drawings, the item of garden furniture there illustrated is in three main pieces pivotally connected together, that is to say a trestle type bench generally indicated 10, a table part, generally indicated 12, pivotally connected to the bench 10, and a second bench part, generally indicated 14, pivotally connected to the table part. It will be seen that in this illustrated embodiment, each bench part is provided with a single pair of spaced slats 16. However, these are adequate for sitting at the table for a picnic meal. The heights of the seats and of the table are standard for garden furniture of this general kind. Referring now to Figure 2, it will be seen that the item of garden furniture previously described has been converted into a garden seat. The trestle type bench part 10 has provided the two rearmost slats of the garden seat, the second bench part 14 has provided the two foremost slats of the garden seat, and the table part 12, in partly inverted condition, has provided the seat back. The geometry of the arrangement to enable the conversion to be made in the manner described is best seen in Figure 3. It will be seen in this view that the end frames of the table are of substantially L-shape with the leg of the L pivotally connected at 18 to a forwardly projecting portion of the trestle type bench. (However, it will be understood that it is important that the pivots 18 located forwardly of the slats 16 are located rearwardly of the foot of each adjacent trestle leg since otherwise the weight of the table part and anything laid on it would tend to tip the bench forwardly). It will be understood that the inclined legs 20,20 of the second bench part lock with the table part when the two bench parts have been moved apart to their fullest extent. In other words, when the table part has been brought to a horizontal position, a forward portion of the table part bears downwards on stop members 22,22 which are fixed to the inclined legs 20,20 and extend forwardly therefrom, preventing further pivotal movement. When the arrangement has been converted into a garden seat, the members 22,22 become arm rests. Various modifications may be made. For example, other means could be devised for limiting the pivotal movement between the inclined legs 20,20 and the table part. In this event the upper ends of the inclined legs 20,20 could conceivably be pivotally connected to the table part nearer to the free edge of the latter although this would probably not enhance the appearance of the arrangement in the garden seat mode. In Figures 4 and 5 there is illustrated the addition of a canopy 24, this being fixed to upstanding struts 26,26 which have been clamped to the inclined legs 20,20 of the second bench part. As shown, the advantage of connecting the struts to the inclined legs 20,20 is that the canopy remains in the required position throughout the conversion of the arrangement from one mode to the other. Whilst the seating portions of the benches and the table top in the illustrated embodiment are shown to have been constituted by spaced slats of wood (and in fact this is preferred because the article then has a rustic appearance) it will be understood that this is not essential. They could be fully timbered or indeed they could be made of other materials. It will also be understood that if it was found desirable to make the benches rather wider, that is to say for example of four slat width, the seating portions of the two benches could be brought into overlying relation instead of side by side relation in the garden seat mode. By a very small change in the geometry, it could if preferred be arranged for one of the benches to be slightly lower than the other, this lower bench being a bench intended especially for children. The seats may be provided with cushions. In Figure 6 the item of garden furniture there illustrated is illustrated in the table and benches mode and is shown to be provided with cushions 28,28, these each being of substantially the same width as the pair of slats on which they rest. In the garden seat mode shown in chain-dotted lines, both the cushions are used one behind the other to cover substantially the entire seat. A further cushion 29 is shown to be provided solely for use in the garden seat mode, this being a seat back cushion. As shown, the underside of the table part 12 (which has provided the seat back in the garden seat mode) has been provided with an extra slat of timber 30. In the garden seat mode this prevents the seat back cushion from slipping down. Also shown in Figure 6 is the addition of a seat back stop 32 which is fixed across the back of the bench part 10. A further very minor variation is that the stop members 22 have each been made from a single piece of timber.

Claims: An item of garden furniture which can be converted from one mode of use to another, the item of furniture being in three main pieces pivotally connected together, that is to say a first bench part (10), a table part (12) pivotally connected to said first bench part, and a second bench part (14) pivotally connected to the table part (12) whereby the arrangement can be converted into a garden seat, the underside of the table part (12) in a partly inverted condition becoming the seat back, the two bench parts being moved together so that the first bench part becomes the rearmost seating portion of the garden seat and the second bench part becomes the forward seating portion of the garden seat, characterised in that the first bench part is a trestle type bench and the table part (12) has end frames of substantially L-shape with the leg of the L being pivotally connected (18), in a plane offset from the plane of the table part, to a forwardly projecting portion of the first bench part 10, the second bench part (14) having inclined legs (20,20) which are pivotally connected to the table part in or close to the plane of said table part, the arrangement being such that the inclined legs of said second bench part lock with the table part, by virtue of a forward portion of said table part bearing down on stop members (22,22), when the two bench parts have been moved apart to their fullest extent, whereby as the arrangement is converted into a garden seat, the stop members (22,22) become arm rests for a person seated on the garden seat. An item of garden furniture according to claim 1, further characterised in that the two bench parts (10 and 12) are of slatted construction, each bench part having two spaced slats (16) and the garden seat thus having four spaced slats when the two bench parts have been moved together. An item of garden furniture according to any one of the preceding claims, further characterised in that the table part (12) which becomes the seat back of the garden seat, is of slatted construction. An item of garden furniture according to any one of the preceding claims, further characterised in that it is provided with a canopy (24). An item of garden furniture according to claim 4, further characterised in that the canopy (24) is carried by upstanding struts (26) clamped to the second bench part (14) so that the canopy can remain in the required position throughout the conversion of the arrangement from one mode of use to the other.

Inventors: BOGG, GEOFFREY MICHAEL
Applicants: BOGG, GEOFFREY MICHAEL
Application year: 1987
Main classification: A47C11
IPC codes: A47C7, A47B83, A47C11, A47C13