Abstract:
Presented herein is lightweight furniture that is designed to be decorated with cloth or fabric. The decoratable furniture provides for removable ultimate fabric decoration of the furniture. The furniture has a body that attaches to a leg arrangement. The body has at least one flat surface, a top surface, and an edge structure located about the perimeter of the top surface. The edge structure has a cloth receiving channel into which cloth, or fabric, may be inserted and removably, yet securely, held in place. Thus, the fabric may be easily removed for cleaning or changing.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to the field of decoratable furniture. More specifically, the present invention relates to lightweight furniture that is designed to be decorated with cloth or fabric. The present invention relates generally to decoratable furniture and, more particularly, to a new and improved furniture design that provides for removable ultimate fabric decoration of the furniture. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Traditional furniture designs include heavy and expensive wood or metal frames to provide stability and rigidity to the furniture shape. These traditional designs are durable but generally difficult to move and come in a limited fabric selection. Moreover, these traditional designs are expensive to clean, since either an outside cleaning crew must be retained or a bulky and difficult to use cleaning machine must be rented. 
     Light weight and generally inexpensive furniture is known in the related art, but generally has used either a solid core of compressed particle board or of foamed polyurethane or polyethylene. Either a permanent fabric cover is pre-attached to the furniture or a portion of cloth is merely thrown over the furniture (as a cover). While this functions as furniture, there is no capability to customize or enhance the decorative look of the furniture. 
     The present invention is an innovation in the furniture art that allows the benefits of a light weight core and further provides for a capability to customize or enhance the decorative look of the furniture. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a device and method that allow for one to easily and removably decorate a piece of furniture. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a piece of furniture that has a body and an attached leg arrangement. The body further having at least one flat surface, the top surface, and an edge structure located about the perimeter of the top surface. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a piece of furniture with an edge structure that has a channel bottom and two channel side walls. 
     It is a yet another object of the present invention to provide a piece of furniture with an edge structure that has two channel side walls that are substantially parallel and meet the channel bottom to form an angular connection. 
     It is a still yet another object of the present invention to provide a piece of furniture with an edge structure that has two channel side walls that are substantially parallel and substantially continuously merge into the channel sides walls to form a smooth connection. 
     It is a still yet a further object of the present invention to provide a piece of furniture with an edge structure that has two channel side walls that converge away from the channel bottom and meet the channel bottom to form an angular connection. 
     It is an even further object of the present invention to provide a piece of furniture with an edge structure that has two channel side walls that converge away from the channel bottom and substantially continuously merge into the channel sides walls to form a smooth connection. 
     The novel features that are considered characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its structure and its operation together with the additional object and advantages thereof will best be understood from the following description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Unless specifically noted, it is intended that the words and phrases in the specification and claims be given the ordinary and accustomed meaning to those of ordinary skill in the applicable art or arts. If any other meaning is intended, the specification will specifically state that a special meaning is being applied to a word or phrase. Likewise, the use of the words “function” or “means” in the Description of Preferred Embodiments is not intended to indicate a desire to invoke the special provision of 35 U.S.C. § 112, paragraph  6  to define the invention. To the contrary, if the provisions of 35 U.S.C. §112, paragraph  6 , are sought to be invoked to define the invention(s), the claims will specifically state the phrases “means for” or “step for” and a function, without also reciting in such phrases any structure, material, or act in support of the function. Even when the claims recite a “means for” or “step for” performing a function, if they also recite any structure, material or acts in support of that means of step, then the intention is not to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C. §112, paragraph  6 . Moreover, even if the provisions of 35 U.S.C. §112, paragraph  6 , are invoked to define the inventions, it is intended that the inventions not be limited only to the specific structure, material or acts that are described in the preferred embodiments, but in addition, include any and all structures, materials or acts that perform the claimed function, along with any and all known or later-developed equivalent structures, materials or acts for performing the claimed function. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side view of the body of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a top view of the body of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the body of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is one illustration of the structural channel according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 is an illustration of an alternate embodiment of the structural channel according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 6 is an illustration of another alternate embodiment of the structural channel according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 7 is one illustration of yet another alternate embodiment of the structural channel according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 8 is one illustration of still yet another alternate embodiment of the structural channel according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 9 shows an example table leg arrangement made from two parts; 
     FIG. 10 shows one of the two parts for the two part table leg arrangement illustrated in FIG. 9; 
     FIG. 11 shows the remaining part for the two part table leg arrangement illustrated in FIG. 9; 
     FIG. 12 show another embodiment for the table leg arrangement; 
     FIG. 13 shows yet another embodiment for the table leg arrangement. 
     FIG. 14 is a perspective, with a partial cut-away of the fabric, of the furniture according to the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention is a device and method for the decoration of furniture, such as tables, benches, and the like. 
     Referring to FIGS. 1,  2 , and  3 , the present invention comprises a piece of furniture  1  with a body  10  that has at least one substantially flat surface. It is preferred that the body  10  have at least two substantially flat surfaces,  12  and  14 , each being substantially parallel to the other thereby forming what will be known as, for purposes of this application, a “top surface”  12  and a “bottom” surface  14  (FIGS.  2  and  3 ). Located at the perimeter  16  of the top and bottom surfaces,  12  and  14 , and clearly illustrated in FIG. 1, is an edge structure  18  that extends between the top surface  12  to the bottom surface  14 . 
     The form of the edge structure  18  is critical to the present invention. Referring to FIGS. 4 through 8, located in the edge structure  18 , and completely running the entire perimeter  16  of the body  10 , is a fabric receiving channel  20 . This fabric receiving channel  20  is generally wide enough to receive and securely, but removably, hold at least one layer of fabric material. The shape of the channel  20  is generally U-shaped with a channel bottom  22  and two channel side walls  24 , FIG.  4 . Alternately, the channel may have a key-hole shape  26 , FIG. 5, or other like shapes sufficient enough to removeably secure at least one layer of fabric material. 
     It is preferred that the channel side walls  24  be either substantially parallel or slightly convergent. This is to provide a structure that can efficiently use friction and/or pressure to securely, but removeably, hold fabric materials that have been inserted within the channel  20 . A channel  20  with diverging side walls  24 , such as a V-shaped channel, falls within the scope of the present invention but is not preferred since the divergence of the side walls  24  offers little structure that functions to hold and retain inserted fabric materials. 
     The channel bottom  22  may be substantially flat, thereby forming a corner  28 , or angular connection, with the channel side walls  24 . Alternately, the channel bottom  22  may have a concave shape  30  and continuously merges into the channel side walls  24  without forming an angular corner. 
     Inset in the bottom surface  14  of the body  10  are leg arrangement receiving channels, generally  32 . These leg arrangement receiving channels are capable of receiving a separate leg arrangement, generally  34 . While it is possible that the leg arrangement  34  be formed integrally with the body  10  and still fall within the scope of the present invention, it is preferred for manufacturing and shipping reasons that the two be separate pieces. 
     The leg arrangements  34  may be formed in a variety of different ways, as illustrated in FIGS. 9 through 13. The leg arrangement  34  may be formed in two pieces  36  and  38  that interconnect orthogonally to form a generally X-shaped structure. Each of the two pieces,  36  and  38 , have feet  40  separated by a curved cut out  42 . Further, piece  36  has a slot  44  that extends from a portion of the curved cut out  42  to about the center of the piece; piece  38  has a slot  46  that extends from a top edge  48  of the piece  38  to about the center of the piece  38 . Thus, the two pieces  36  and  38  can be assembled by crossing the pieces, with piece  36  above piece  38 ; and matching the two slots  44  and  46 ; and sliding piece  36  down onto piece  38 . 
     Alternately, the leg arrangement  34  may be formed in a trigonal structure by connecting at opposite ends respectively, generally  50 , three pieces with two feet  40  separated by a curved cut out  42  to form an single continuous leg arrangement  34 . Additionally, the leg arrangement  34  may be formed in a generally square, or rectangular, structure by connecting at opposite ends  50  respectively, four pieces with two feet  40  separated by a curved cut out  42  connected at opposite ends to form a single continuous leg arrangement  34 . 
     The leg arrangements  34  once assembled are then inserted into the leg arrangement receiving channels  32  located on the bottom surface  14  of the body  10 . It should be recognized that the above described structures may be easily modified to form benches, stools, chairs, and other like pieces of furniture  1 . 
     Once the piece of furniture  1  has been assembled, it is ready for decoration. In decorating the piece of furniture  1 , cloth, or fabric, of a desirable pattern and color are selected. Preferably two pieces are created, a first cloth piece that is sized slightly larger than the top surface  12  of the body  10 . The first cloth piece should be large enough that all of the edges hang down past the edge of the top surface  12  and are capable of being inserted, and indeed are inserted into the receiving channel  20 . A second cloth piece, generally rectangular in shape, is cut and is used to form a “skirt” by inserting a top edge of the second cloth piece into the receiving channel  20 . The second cloth piece may be gathered to form pleats and the like, however the user desires. It should be recognized that a single piece of fabric may be used, with a portion of the middle of the fabric inserted into the receiving channel  20 , to decorate the piece of furniture  1  and still fall within the scope of the present invention. 
     The preferred embodiment of the invention is described above in the Drawings and Description of Preferred Embodiments. While these descriptions directly describe the above embodiments, it is understood that those skilled in the art may conceive modifications and/or variations to the specific embodiments shown and described herein. Any such modifications or variations that fall within the purview of this description are intended to be included therein as well. Unless specifically noted, it is the intention of the inventor that the words and phrases in the specification and claims be given the ordinary and accustomed meanings to those of ordinary skill in the applicable art(s). The foregoing description of a preferred embodiment and best mode of the invention known to the applicant at the time of filing the application has been presented and is intended for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, and many modifications and variations are possible in the light of the above teachings. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application and to enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.