Patent CA-3167901-A1 (CA)
Inventor: SWAROOP BYLAHALLY VISWESWARAIAH
IPC: A47B96/20
Filed: 2022-07-15
Abstract: Corrugated plastic sheets, characterized by a system of parallel walls sandwiched between two face-sheets, are one of the most lightweight, versatile, and shock-absorbent structural materials. My inventions are the corrugated plastic sheet furniture design and assembly system fabricated with corrugated plastic sheets (made of polypropylene or another kind of plastic) of varying sheet thickness in a unique structural construction arrangement. The corrugated plastic sheets used in the furniture could be either of virgin plastic or from dismantled or used advertising or election signboards for a lower environmental footprint.  The corrugated plastic sheet furniture offers portability, comfort, customization, modularity, and scalability. The furniture can be easily assembled without any tools. This furniture is suitable in numerous formal and informal settings such as urban spaces (apartments, events, offices, and airports), homes (living, patio, bedroom, dining, and casual spaces), daycares and schools, summer camps, trade shows, exhibits, outdoors spaces hospitals and urgent care facilities as well as short-term emergency housing facilities. BACKGROUND: Conventional furniture and its assembly systems are fabricated by combining several materials such as metals, wood, plywood, laminated wood, particle boards, oriented strand boards, plastics, medium density fiberboards, and other materials. Wood and metal furniture pieces are usually completed with finishing like varnish, veneer, paint or fabric/mattress layers, leather, and other cushioning materials for protection and aesthetic purposes. While conventional furniture is sturdy, structurally sound, and durable, but may lose geometric fit with time and with multiple assembly cycles. Often, they are bulky and heavy to handle and transport, and involve several assembly procedures involving joints, bolts, screws, and multiple tools. Conventional furniture can be costly with the costs depending on the materials used, its manufacturing supply chain, aesthetics, and brand. Many times, the shipping costs form a significant portion of the production costs. Some furniture systems incorporate modularity in their designs, which allows for the reconfiguration of the furniture pieces, but a total change in the appearance or the utility can be a costly proposition. The maintenance and repair of conventional furniture can be costly too. When conventional furniture becomes obsolete or worn out if it cannot be resold, it is frequently discarded in a landfill as separation and recycling of combined materials is not trivial. The supply chain, the extensive use of cushioning elements, the use of metals, and the disposal render conventional furniture unsustainable from the environmental perspective.  Another class of furniture system involves plastic, primarily injection-molded to the shape desired, usually with structural reinforcements in the form of ribs and webs. This system employs virgin or recycled plastic material and is an attractive and low-cost alternative.  However, injection molded plastic furniture offers limited customization options, involves high transportation costs, and seldom offers scalability and modularity in its designs.