Patent Publication Number: US-2007120402-A1

Title: Assembly for removably fixing a cloth in a furnishing article

Description:
This application is a Continuation of pending International Application No. PCT/IT2004/000282 filed May 19, 2004. International Application No. PCT/IT2004/00282 filed May 19, 2004 is incorporated herein, in its entirety, by this reference.  
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention concerns an assembly for removably fixing a cloth to a substantially rigid frame of a furnishing article. In particular, the invention relates to furnishing articles which are provided with a frame onto which a cloth is fixed which completes the article.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      Typical examples of such furnishing articles are chairs, armchairs, cots, deckchairs or the like, principally but not exclusively destined to outdoor furnishing, for example in beach resorts, swimming pools, etc.  
      In this type of articles, the frame is generally made in a plastic material, for example in polypropylene (PP), while the cloth may be made not only with fabrics made of woven fibers, but also with “fabrics” realized as a continuous sheet in a plastic material, as for example polyvinylchloride (PVC), by way of known materials and methods which make it possible to obtain a substantially flexible and particularly strong sheef-like material.  
      Later on, the word “cloth” will be herein adopted in its larger meaning to both identify a cloth made with woven fibers, and a continuous cloth made as a sheet of a plastic material.  
      In the aforesaid furnishing articles it is seasonable for the cloth to be securely joinable to the frame, because the same cloth has to uphold high loads anyway. However, it is often preferable for the cloth to be easily removable from the frame when its replacement is required.  
      For these reasons, different fixing devices have been hereto provided in the technique, wherein snap locking means are utilized coupled in various ways to the cloth and are suitable to engage the frame in order to keep the same cloth into position.  
      For example, it is known to realize a beach cot wherein the cloth is pre-shaped according to the contour of a groove provided on the rigid frame. A semi-rigid reinforcing belt is applied on the cloth perpendicularly positioned with respect to the plane of the cloth and suitable to be inserted in the groove of the frame. The removably fixing device comprises snap locking means located along a single piece cornice, also shaped according to the contour of the frame groove, and suitable to engage corresponding through holes provided on the bottom of the groove.  
      A system of this kind is particularly expensive to assemble because of the numerous processings necessary for shaping and prearrange the cloth. Moreover, the fixing and the removal of the cloth to/from the frame are difficult because possible irregular arrangements of the cloth and/or of the single piece cornice in any point of the groove impose to make subsequent locking and unlocking attempts of the cornice. This also increases the possibility for the single piece cornice to be damaged, thus compromising the correct fixing of the cloth to the frame.  
      Also systems are known wherein the cloth is fixed to one or more bars, in plastic material, through metallic self-tapping screws near the peripheral edges of the cloth. The bars include snap coupling means which are then engaged in corresponding holes provided in one or more corresponding grooves of the frame.  
      Also in this case, costs and production time are considerable, mostly because of the need of screwing the cloth to the bars. The look of the product realized in this way is moreover unattractive and gets worse naturally as time passes because of oxidation of the metallic screws.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      It is an object of the present invention to provide an assembly which allows for removably fixing a cloth to the frame of a furnishing article in a particularly simple and economic way.  
      Another object of the present invention is to provide an assembly of the aforesaid type which is easy to use.  
      A further object of the present invention is to provide an assembly of the aforesaid type which permits to obtain a final product having a pleasant and lasting look.  
      These objects are achieved by the present invention, which concerns an assembly for removably fixing a cloth in a furnishing article, wherein the furnishing article comprises at least one substantially rigid frame, the assembly comprising a cloth, snap locking means integral with at least one bar and projecting from it, the snap locking means being suitable to be engaged into holes having corresponding shape and dimensions provided on the frame of the furnishing article, characterized in that the snap locking means projecting from the bar (or the bars) are inserted in slots having corresponding shape and dimensions provided within the cloth.  
      The invention allows to achieve, in a particularly easy and economic way, the coupling between the bars comprising the snap locking means and the cloth, with considerable advantages from the point of view of the economy and the simplicity of the processing.  
      The slots are provided near one or more peripheral edges of the cloth. The latter is preferably folded around the bar (or the bars) and the terminal free edge can be eventually fixed to the same cloth in order to form a closed section wherein the bar (or the bars) is (are) lodged.  
      The bar (or the bars) and the portions of the cloth folded around it (them) are preferably concealingy inserted into a groove provided within the frame of the furnishing article. In this way, the portions of the cloth folded around the bar (or the bars) are blocked between the bar and the lateral sides of the groove, ensuring in this way a particularly steady and secure fastening.  
      According to another aspect of the present invention, at least two bars are removably joinable one to the other, through snap locking means, in correspondence of respective ends in order to form a unique element suitable to adapt to a longer fixing length. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      Further features and advantages of the present invention will be more evident from the following description, made as an illustrative, non limitative, example with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, wherein:  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective exploded view of a possible embodiment of a fixing assembly according to the present invention, wherein some particulars are omitted;  
       FIG. 2  is a cross section view which shows the mounting of an assembly like the one represented in  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of another possible embodiment of a fixing assembly according to the present invention, wherein some particulars are omitted;  
       FIG. 4  is a cross section view which shows the mounting of an assembly like the one represented in  FIG. 3 ;  
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view which shows the linking arrangement between two consecutive bars according to a possible embodiment of the present invention; and  
       FIG. 6  is a schematic cross section view of another possible embodiment of a fixing assembly according to the present invention applied to the backrest of a seat. 
    
    
     MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION  
      The reference number  10 , in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , identifies a cloth for a furnishing article which has to be removably fixed to the frame  20  of a furnishing article.  
      The fixing is achieved by a bar  30  comprising snap locking means  35  projecting from the same bar and intended to engage through holes  25 , having suitable shape and dimensions, provided on the bottom wall of a groove  21  of the frame  20 . The bar  30  and the frame  20  may be made for example of a substantially rigid plastic material, as for example polypropylene or the like.  
      According to the invention, the snap locking means  35  are inserted into slots  15 , which also have suitable shape and dimensions, provided within the cloth  10  in order to block the same cloth once the snap locking means are inserted into corresponding holes  25 .  
      In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the slots  15  are provided near the terminal edge  12  of the cloth  10  at a distance sufficient to allow the fixing of the edge  12  to the remaining cloth  10 , for example by sewing, welding, gluing or the like, so as to form a closed section wherein the bar  30  is lodged.  
      In a possible embodiment, represented in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the terminal edge  12  of the cloth  10  is not fixed to the remaining of the cloth but is left free. In this case the slots  15  within the cloth  10  may be provided also at a distance different from that one of the previously described embodiment. The embodiment shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4  is further more economic to be made compared with the one shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , because the fixing of the terminal edge  12  to the remaining of the cloth is not required.  
      Independently from the particular embodiment, the portions of the cloth folded around the bar  30  are in any case restrained between the bar  30  and the lateral sides of the groove  21 , and the set bar/cloth is concealingly inserted in the groove  21 . Consequently, in the case that the terminal edge  12  fixed to the cloth  10  ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ), would separate from the remaining cloth, a secure fixing of the cloth  10  to the frame  20  will be anyhow guaranteed.  
      In  FIG. 5  it is illustrated a further aspect of the present invention, according to which it is provided that two or more bars  20   a  and  20   b  can be connected in a removable way. This can be achieved for example with snap locking means comprising a terminal portion  23  having a wedge shape with a tapering upwardly and a blocking shoulder  24  on the bar  20   a.    
      On the following bar  20   b , instead, it is present an end  26  which provides a window  27  and a guide wall  28 , in such a way that the wedge portion  23  is guided until it enters the window  27  with the shoulder portion  24  abutting against one of the lateral edges of the some.  
      In order to provide the uncoupling between the two bars  20   a  and  20   b  it may be provided, for example, that the guide wall  28  had shape and dimensions such as to guarantee certain elasticity when the blocking shoulder  24  is forced to disengage the window  27 ,  
       FIG. 6  illustrates a possible application of the fixing assembly according to the invention to the backrest of a seat. The frame, herein represented in a schematic way, comprises an upper crossbar  201  and a portion  202  joined to the sitting plane of the seat. In correspondence of the upper crossbar  201 , the cloth  10  is coupled to a bar  300  and thus folded around the crossbar  201  in such a way to cover the same crossbar with the cloth. The fixing in correspondence of the portion  202  of the frame is achieved according to the aforesaid embodiment with reference to Figures from  1  to  4 .  
      Various modifications may be provided for the present invention without departing from the scope of the same invention. For example, the snap locking means  35  of the bars  20  can be made also in a different way from the one so far represented, as well as the slots  15  of the cloth  10  and the holes  25  of the frame. Also the groove  21  of the frame  10  may be provided on the lower part of the frame, or anyhow in a hidden position of the same frame.