Abstract:
A system for holding furniture cushions to form forts or other structures includes brackets that are sized to engage the edge of one or more cushions. The brackets may include a floor brace to support the bracket and an engaged cushion on the floor. A bracket may be adjustable to positions engaged cushions in a selected configuration.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     Priority is claimed from provisional application U.S. Ser. No. 60/603,787, filed Aug. 23, 2004 by Philip F. Denny, of Chicago, Ill., now pending. The entire specification and all the claims and drawings of the provisional application referred to above are hereby incorporated by reference to provide continuity of disclosure. 
     
    
     FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
       [0002]     [Not Applicable] 
       MICROFICHE/COPYRIGHT REFERENCE  
       [0003]     [Not Applicable] 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     Parents of small children have long known that the common furniture cushion has a higher calling than simply to provide padding between the user of the furniture and the furniture&#39;s structure. Furniture cushions make expedient, soft, and safe building blocks for child-sized forts and tunnels. However, as many young architects have discovered, the typical furniture cushion fort tends to separate and fall apart quite easily. The present invention discloses a system of brackets and connectors to strengthen cushion forts, allowing children and adults to build more elaborate and longer-lasting structures.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     According to the present invention, a cushion bracket/connector system comprises a set of brackets of varying configurations that enhances the experience of building cushion forts. Brackets may connect two cushions at a right angle or in a plane or, connect three cushions to create a snug connection between two “wall” cushions and a “roof” cushion. An adjustable angle bracket that positions two cushions at a selectable angle is also within the scope of the invention. Also within the scope of the invention are connectors with bases that provide stability for cushions that are positioned to extend vertically from the floor.  
         [0006]     Brackets are made of a material that provides adequate structural support for a cushion while preferably being safe for use by children. The brackets are generally sized to provide good support even for especially flexible or soft cushions.  
         [0007]     The brackets according to the present invention may consist of one or more appropriately-sized generally C-shaped structures, designed to hold a sofa cushion in place by engaging opposed surfaces of a cushion, and to allow cushions to be combined in varying numbers and at different angles. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]      FIG. 1  is an isometric view of the basic right-angle bracket according to the invention for connecting two cushions.  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is an isometric view of the basic right-angle bracket of  FIG. 1  in use.  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is an isometric view of a bracket according to the invention for connecting two cushions in a plane.  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  is an isometric view of a floor bracket according to the invention supporting up to four cushions perpendicular to the floor.  
         [0012]      FIG. 5  is an isometric view of a floor bracket according to the invention for supporting one or more cushions perpendicular to a floor.  
         [0013]      FIG. 6  is an isometric view of a floor bracket according to the invention for supporting two cushions at right angles and perpendicular to the floor.  
         [0014]      FIG. 7  is an isometric view of an adjustable angle bracket according to the invention.  
         [0015]      FIG. 8  is an isometric view of a bracket according to the invention connecting three cushions orthogonally to each other.  
         [0016]      FIG. 9  is an isometric view of the bracket shown in  FIG. 8  in use.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0017]      FIG. 1  shows one embodiment of the invention, a cushion bracket  20  engages two cushions and holds them at a right angle to each other. The cushion bracket  20  is formed by two generally C-shaped clamping members  10 . Each clamping member  10  has spaced apart parallel walls  12  and  14  that are sized to overlie a section of a cushion and that are separated by a distance that will permit the walls  12  and  14  of clamping member  10  to hold the cushion therebetween. The parallel walls  12  and  14  extend from an end wall  16  to form the generally C-shaped clamping member  10 . The parallel walls  12  and  14  are sized to hold and support a cushion that is positioned between the walls  12  and  14  and that extends from the clamping member  10 . The end wall  16  of one clamping member  10  is secured to the wall  14  of the other clamping member  10  to form a right angle between the clamping members  10 . Alternatively, the cushion bracket  20  could be formed by securing two parallel walls  12  and  14  to a wall  14  of a first clamping member  10  so that the wall  14  of the first clamping member  10  would function as an end wall  16 .  
         [0018]     The bracket  20  can be used to combine two “wall” cushions of a fort with little separation, or to reinforce a “roof” cushion by connecting it to a “wall” cushion. This is a commonly used embodiment of the invention, since it allows great flexibility in creating cushion structures when multiple brackets are combined with multiple cushions in various configurations.  FIG. 2  shows the bracket  20  in use to connect two sofa cushions  21  at a right angle to each other.  
         [0019]     Another embodiment of the invention is a bracket  30  for connecting two cushions end-to-end as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . Similar to the right-angle bracket  20 , bracket  30  consists of two clamping members  10  formed having a common end wall, perpendicular separator  15 . The two clamping members  10  are formed by two walls  12  and two walls  14  extend oppositely from each other from opposite side of the separator  15 . The bracket  30  is particularly useful in connecting two cushions into an extended roof or wall, providing much greater stability and less separation between cushions than was previously possible.  
         [0020]      FIG. 4  shows a cruciform floor brace  40 , which improves the stability of cushions that are positioned perpendicular to the floor as “wall pieces”. Four clamping members  10  are each formed by separated walls  12  and  14  that extend from and end wall  16 . The clamping members  10  are positioned on a floor support  45  so that the end walls  16  are secured to the floor support  45  and the end walls  12  and  14  extend from the floor support  45 . The clamping members  10  form right angles to each other. The floor support  45  is wider than the clamping members  10  in order to provide greater stability to wall cushions. In use, the floor brace  40  is placed on the floor with the floor support  45  contacting and overlying the floor and the clamping members  10  opening upwardly away from the floor. A cushion is inserted vertically into the clamping members  10 . This configuration allows up to four cushions to be arranged vertically at right angles to each other. The clamping members  10  may be formed by spaced apart parallel walls such as  12  and  14  and an end wall  16  as shown by  FIG. 1  or by spaced apart walls secured to and extending from the floor support  45 .  
         [0021]     Another floor brace  50  for use with one or two cushions is shown in  FIG. 5 . Similar to the construction of floor brace  40 , the floor brace  50  is formed by a clamping member  10  that opens upwardly from the floor from an end wall that is secured to a floor support  55 . As shown, the floor support  55  is sized to extend from the clamping member  10  to provide additional stability in supporting a cushion extending upright from the floor brace  50 .  
         [0022]     Another embodiment providing greater support for “wall” cushions is corner floor brace  60  shown in  FIG. 6 . Two clamping members  10  are positioned at a right angle to each other to open upwardly from a floor support  65 . Each clamping member  10  of corner floor brace  60  accepts a cushion that extends from the floor support  65 . The floor support  65  is broad enough to provide added stability to cushions inserted vertically into the clamping members  10 .  
         [0023]      FIG. 7  shows an adjustable bracket  70  for holding two cushions at an angle that may be adjusted. Two clamping members  10  are connected by an adjustable hinge  75 , allowing the bracket to be adjusted to accommodate a variety of angles between cushions. This embodiment is especially useful for creating unusual angles between two “wall” cushions. With creative use of supports (including more cushions connected with another adjustable bracket), this embodiment can be used to create walls at unusual angles relative to the floor.  
         [0024]      FIG. 8  illustrates a three cushion corner bracket  80  designed to hold three cushions arranged orthogonally and meeting at a common point. The upper chamber  85  is formed by separated generally L-shaped upper wall  81  and generally L-shaped lower wall  82  that extend from corner back wall  83 . The lower chamber  84  extends perpendicularly from the lower wall  82  and is formed by right angled members  86  and  87  that extend from and are connected to the lower wall  82 . The members  86  and  87  are separated to form an L-shaped lower chamber  84  that accepts a cushion within each leg of the L-shaped chamber  84 .  
         [0025]      FIG. 9  shows a three cushion corner bracket  80  connecting two vertical cushions  91  extending from the lower chamber  84  and one horizontal cushion  92  extending from the upper chamber  85 .  
         [0026]     The described embodiments are illustrative of the invention. The invention is not limited to those described embodiments or to described features. Rather the scope of the invention for which a patent is sought is defined solely by the claims to that invention.