Abstract:
A portable furniture combination and carrier comprising a shell having a back wall, a bottom, a first fixed side and a second fixed side, and a flexible base having a first wing detachably connectable to the first fixed side and hingedly connectable to the base and capable of standing perpendicular to the base. A second wing is detachably connectable to the second fixed side, and hingedly connectable to the base and capable of standing vertically, and an elongated bottom wing hingedly connected to the base at its end opposite the back wall, the bottom wing foldable to create a foot box and a top cover attachably connectable to the wings to form a box for holding a mattress. Alternatively, the combination comprises a chair having a footrest formed by folding the base, and a backrest formed by folding a top flap upwards from the interior of the shell.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application claims priority from provisional application Ser. No. 60/697,340, which was filed on Jul. 7, 2005, and which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to a convertible furniture unit that can be used as a bed, a chair or folded for storage and, more specifically, to a portable furniture combination and integral carrier comprising a plurality of cushions, and a shell with handles for ease of carrying the unit. The storage shell unfolds to create a back, a bottom, three fixed sidewalls, and a flexible base that can be unfolded to create a mattress, or a camping bed configuration that shelters a user from the elements in a box structure that surrounds the user, any bed linens he or she wishes to use, and the plurality of cushions disposed in an end-to-end arrangement. For outdoor use, the camping bed configuration may have an optional face cover, such as a mosquito netting or a thermal screen that can be added across a remaining opening in the box to prevent entry therein, thus creating a self-sufficient shelter. Alternatively, the unit can be folded to create a comfortable, portable chair, which can be used as an additional chair for guests, for camping or for any other occasion requiring additional seating. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   In the past, providing these sleeping accommodations whether to additional guests or on outdoor camping excursions has meant having an additional bed on hand or accommodating visitors on uncomfortable sofa beds, sleeping bags, cots, air mattresses or a combination of these. When camping, persons often use these same cots or air mattresses to prevent themselves from having to lie on the ground in a conventional sleeping bag. These options have the disadvantage of being uncomfortable when used for long periods of time or by persons who are not physically fit or have problems with stiffness when exposed to changes in temperature. Moreover, additional seating in camping situations has meant that separate pieces of furniture for bedding and for seating have to be carried to the campsite and stowed. 
   The concept of portable furniture, particularly portable beds and chairs, is known in the industry. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,518,203, White teaches the use of four substantially parallelepiped cushions, disposed end-to-end to create a mattress. The mattress is convertible to a sort of chaise by the attachment of straps to orient one of the cushions to provide back support. The entire unit is foldable and can by held together with straps for storage. 
   The addition of a tote bag is also known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,984,906 to Little describes a multi-purpose utility tote. The tote can be used for storage when closed or opened to provide a t-shaped pad suitable for changing a baby&#39;s diaper. Legrendre in U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,625 also describes a multiple part, multipurpose bag that can be converted into a rudimentary chair or mattress. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention advantageously improves upon the field by comprising a self-contained, light-weight, waterproof bed comprising a plurality of cushions foldable to create a mattress, which provides both body support and insulation from ground dampness, and a storage shell with handles for ease of carrying the folded bed. The storage shell unfolds to create a bottom, a back, two opposed fixed sidewalls and a flexible base, which can be unfolded and attached together to create a box to surround the mattress and a user. An optional face cover, such as mosquito netting can be added across an opening across a user&#39;s face to prevent the entry of pests into the bed unit when it is used outdoors. When completely folded, there is enough space remaining in the shell to store a pillow and blanket. 
   Alternatively, the unit can be folded to create a comfortable, portable chair, which can be used as an additional seat for guests, seating outdoors for camping or outdoor concerts, or any other occasion requiring additional seating. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Some of the features, advantages, and benefits of the present invention having been stated, others will become apparent as the description proceeds when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, presented solely for exemplary purposes and not with intent to limit the invention thereto, and in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a view of a portable furniture shell in its stowed configuration showing a shell with a pair of handles for carrying, a plurality of folded cushions, a blanket and a pillow stowed in their folded conditions; 
       FIG. 2  is a view of the shell being opened and unfolded after a top and front side of the shell are unfastened and folded down to create a base that aligns with the with a bottom of the shell, the base having a first extended length at least as great as twice the height of the fixed sidewalls; 
       FIG. 3  shows the opened base being unfolded from its first extended length to the full length of the plurality of cushions as they are disposed end-to-end to create a mattress; 
       FIG. 4  is a view of a first side wing and a second side wing being raised so that they stand perpendicular to the base, the first side wing is then attached to the first fixed sidewall of the shell, and the second side wing is then attached to the second fixed sidewall of the shell; 
       FIG. 5  shows a blanket and pillow stored in the shell being stacked at the foot of the base and a plurality of cushions being unstacked and unfolded to form a mattress; 
       FIG. 6  illustrates that once the mattress is put into place an awning can be unfolded from the interior of the back of the shell, so that a pillow can be laid on top of the mattress inside the space defined by the back and two opposed fixed sidewalls of the shell; 
       FIG. 7  depicts the awning being folded down and attached to the two opposed fixed sidewalls and creating a shelter for a person&#39;s head, a top cover is then brought back over the mattress and attached to the side wings, creating a box that holds the mattress and provides shelter to the user; 
       FIG. 8  shows that an optional face cover may be made from mosquito netting to prevent the entry of insects or small animals into the box; 
       FIG. 9  illustrates that the mattress may be refolded after use and stored inside the space defined by the original shell, or may be removed, as shown, to form the chair configuration; 
       FIG. 10  shows that after detaching the first side wing from the first fixed sidewall of the shell, and the second side wing from the second fixed sidewall of the shell, the first side wing and the second side wing may be lowered so that they lie on top of the base; 
       FIG. 11  shows that the awning may be lifted from the back of the shell and allowed to stand vertically to create a backrest, and the base may be first folded and then folded again to form a footrest, 
       FIG. 12  illustrates the final chair configuration in use; and 
       FIG. 13  shows that a pillow and blanket may optionally be stored on top of the mattress in the stowed configuration, the awning is folded down on top of the stack, and then the half-folded base is folded over the awning, and attached along a first side, the top of the back side and a second side to form the front and top of the shell. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter, in which description preferred embodiments of the invention are discussed. Unless otherwise defined, technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. Although methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, suitable methods and materials are described below. In addition, the materials, methods and examples given are illustrative in nature only and not intended to be limiting. Accordingly, this invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the illustrated embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these illustrated embodiments are provided solely for exemplary purposes so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, and from the claims. 
   General Overview 
   In operation, the apparatus is used as follows. A top panel and a front panel of the shell may be unattached from two opposed fixed sidewalls and the back wall of the shell. Inside the shell is any optionally stored bed linen and a plurality of cushions arranged in a stack. The top and front panels are folded down comprising a flexible base that is unfolded to a first extended length. The base is again unfolded to the full length of a mattress. 
   Two side wings lying on the top of the unfolded shell are then raised so that they stand essentially perpendicular to the plane of the base. Any bed linen, such as pillows or blankets, that may have been stored in the case for transport, is removed. A mattress, which is made from the unfolded cushions disposed in an end-to-end arrangement, may then be laid on the base. The remaining portion of the shell is folded over the top of the mattress and attached to the sidewalls using a zipper, Velcro™ or any other conventional means. An enclosing panel, such as a mosquito netting or thermal shield, may be added to the opening at the top of the enclosure to prevent pests from entering the bed when in use or to provide shelter and thermal protection. 
   Alternatively, the folded cushions may be left in the main portion of the shell and the base twice folded to form a footrest. A top flap taken from the interior of the shell may be set on top of the folded mattress to create a backrest and provide support when the unit is used as a chair. 
   Structural Detail 
   As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the invention comprises a portable furniture combination that may be used as either a bed or a chair and an integral carrier  10 , which in a stowed configuration  10  appears as a shell  12  with a pair of handles  14 . The shell should be made of a wind-proof, water resistant material if intended for outdoor applications. Use of a treatment, such as a durable water repellant, may be used to prevent improve insulation and water resistance. By way of non-limiting examples, typical shell materials may include: nylon, polyester, microfiber, Dryloft and Gore-Tex. The shell has a bottom  16 , two opposed sidewalls affixed to opposed side edges at of the bottom at their bottom edges  18 ,  20 , and a back wall  22  affixed at opposite side edges to respective side edges of the sidewalls and at a bottom edge to a back edge of the bottom  16 , and further having a top flap or awning  24 , flexibly affixed at a back edge to a top edge of the back wall  22 , and removably affixable at opposed side edges to corresponding top edges of the sidewalls  18 ,  20  to cover at least a portion of the open top. An openable top panel  26  and an openable front panel  28  comprise the remaining faces of the shell  12 . The top  26  and front  28  are hingedly connected to one another so that the shell  12  may be opened and used to create the furniture configurations, namely, the bed configuration, the camping bed configuration, and the chair configuration. Inside the shell  12 , a plurality of folded cushions  30  is stowed. The plurality of cushions  30  may be made of natural down, cotton, wool, or made-made synthetic fill materials. By way of non-limiting examples, these synthetic fill materials may include: Polarguard 3D™, Primaloft Sport™, Thermolite Extreme™, Quallofil™, Lite Loft™, Dacron 88, Holofil II™, DuPont Fiberfill II™, Permaloft™, Microloft™, Acryloft™, and DN500, as well as others known in the art. The loft of the cushions will depend on the application involved, but should be of sufficient depth to assure the comfort of the user. Sufficient room is available so that a folded blanket  32  and a pillow  34  may also be placed on top of the plurality of cushions  30  arranged in a stack and stored for later use. 
     FIG. 2  shows a view of the shell being opened and unfolded after the top  26  and front  28  panels are unfastened and folded down to create a flexible base  36  affixed to the shell bottom  16  at its front edge, the base  36  having a pair of side wings  38 ,  40  each flexibly affixed at a bottom edge to respective side edges of the base  36  and removably affixable at rear edge to a corresponding fixed sidewall  18 ,  20  for maintaining upward extension of the wings  38  so that they are able to stand essentially perpendicular to the base  36 . 
   The base  36  extends forward of the shell bottom  16  and has a first extended length  37  at least as great as twice the height of the fixed sidewalls  18 ,  20 .  FIG. 3  shows the opened base  36  being unfolded a second time to the full length of the plurality of cushions  30  as they are disposed end-to-end to create a mattress  42 . 
   In the bed configuration  50 , the base  36  extends forward of the shell  12 , the side wings  38 ,  40  extend upwardly, each of the side wings rear edges affixed to the respective shell sidewalls  18 ,  20 , and the top side or awning edges are affixed to the corresponding top edges of the sidewalls. As depicted in  FIG. 4 , a first side wing  38  and a second side wing  40  are raised from an interior of the unfolded base  36  so that they stand perpendicular to the base. The first side wing  38  is then attached to the first fixed sidewall  18  of the shell  12 , and the second side wing  40  is then attached to the second fixed sidewall  20  of the shell. Fixing each of the side wings  38 ,  40  to its respective sidewall  18 ,  20  provides added stability. The attachment means will include zippers; Velcro™ or any other conventional means may used to attach the wings to the sidewalls. Those skilled in the art will recognize that in low temperature applications, a zipper draft tube that runs the entire length of the attachment may be necessary to prevent unnecessary heat loss. 
     FIG. 5  shows an optional blanket  32  and a pillow  34  stored in the shell  12  being stacked at the foot  44  of the base and a plurality of cushions  30  being unstacked, unfolded and laid end-to-end to form a mattress  42 . This completes the bed configuration  50  and is fully serviceable for use indoors. 
   However, for use outdoors, particularly without the benefit of a shelter, a camping bed configuration  60  may be preferable.  FIG. 6  shows that once the mattress  42  is put into place, an awning  24  can be unfolded from the interior of the shell  44 , so that a pillow  34  can be laid on top of the mattress inside the space defined by the back wall  22  and the two opposed fixed sidewalls of the shell  18 ,  20 . The awning  24  is folded down and attached to the two opposed fixed sidewalls along their top edges  18 ,  20  to create a shelter for a person&#39;s head, as shown in  FIG. 7 . A bottom wing  46  connected at the foot of the base  48  is raised perpendicular to plane of the base  36  so that a first portion  52  creates a back wall of a foot box  54 . Because the feet are extremely vulnerable to changes in thermal conditions, additional thermal insulation can be added to the first portion  52  of the bottom wing  46 , or to the base  36  itself. An optional structural frame  56  for a foot box  54  may be added at the point of connection between the first portion  52  and the base  36 . The structural frame  56  should assure a natural position for the user&#39;s feet, and allow for the feet to project at right angles to the legs. The structural frame  56  may be made of bone, metal, resin, a plastic or other material appropriate to the application. A remainder of the bottom wing  46 , referred to hereafter as a top cover  58 , is then folded back over the mattress  42 , and attached to the side wings  38 ,  40  along their forward, vertical standing edges at the foot of the base  48  and along their top edges to create a box  62  that encloses the user. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the base  36 , wings  38 ,  40 , the first portion  52  and the top cover  56  are preferably made of materials that are both lightweight and thermally appropriate for the application, season, and geographic location in which the camping bed  60  will be used. As depicted in  FIG. 7 , the box  62  holds the mattress  42 , the user and any bed linen that the user desires and provides shelter to the user.  FIG. 8  shows that an optional face cover  62  may be made from a mesh, net, or mosquito netting to prevent the entry of insects or small animals. A thermally insulating mesh material may be used as appropriate for the climate in which use is contemplated. 
   After use, the plurality of cushions  30  may be refolded into a stack, and stored inside the space defined by the bottom  16 , the two opposed fixed sides  18 ,  20  and the back wall  22  of the shell, or the cushions may be refolded, as shown in  FIG. 13 , to form the chair configuration  70 . 
   An Alternate Configuration 
   One specific embodiment of the invention that comprises the same elements arranged in a slightly different manner to create a chair configuration  70 . As illustrated in  FIG. 10 , the first side wing  38  is detached from the first fixed sidewall  18  of the shell  12 , and the second side wing  40  from the second fixed sidewall  20 , the first side wing  38  and the second side wing  40  may be lowered so that they lie on top of the base  36 . 
   Starting from the stowed configuration  10 ,  FIG. 11  shows that a top flap  64 , which was previously referred to as an awning  24 , is lifted from the back  22  of the shell and allowed to stand vertically to create a backrest  66 . The base  36  is folded to a first extended position  37  and then folded again to form a footrest  66 .  FIG. 12  illustrates the final chair configuration  70  in use. 
   When neither the chair nor the bed is needed, the unit may be refolded into the stowed configuration as shown in  FIG. 13 . Starting from the chair configuration  70 , the footrest is unfolded to the first extended position  37 . The top flap  64  is then folded down on top of the plurality of cushions  30 , and the optional blanket  32  and the optional pillow  34 , if present. The base  36  is then folded over on top of the top flap  64  and is attached to the first sidewall  18  along the sidewall&#39;s front edge and top edge, to the back  22  along its top edge, and to the second sidewall  20  along its top edge and front edge. Although attachment will generally be by a zipper, the skilled will recognize that any suitable attachment means such as Velcro™ is possible. 
   In the specification there have been disclosed typical preferred embodiments of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, the terms are used in a descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. The invention has been described in some detail, but it will be apparent that various modifications and changes can be made within the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the foregoing specification.