GB2176997A

GB2176997A - Cushion

Info

Publication number: GB2176997A
Application number: GB08516132A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Clive George Wildsmith
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-06-26
Filing date: 1985-06-26
Publication date: 1987-01-14
Also published as: GB8516132D0; GB2176997B

Abstract

A cushion for garden furniture includes an inner cushion (10) having a waterproof plastic material cover (12), having upper and lower cover sheets (14, 16), the inner cover being filled with a stuffing. Eyelets (20) are formed at spaced locations in said inner cushion, said eyelets connecting the upper and lower cover sheets. An outer, decorative cover, encloses the inner cushion and has upper and lower layers (22, 24) adjacent the upper and lower cover sheets of the inner cover, respectively. Retainers pass through the upper and lower layers of the outer cover and through the eyelets of the inner cover to hold the outer cover in place. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Cushion The present invention relates to cushions, in particular for garden furniture.

The very nature of garden furniture cushions is that they are liable to be subjected to the vagaries of the weather and from time to time become very wet and spoiled so that they have to be thrown away. A typical cushion for garden furniture, for example, a recliner or lounger chair, includes a filling which may, for example, be of block foam or chipped foam, provided with a fabric material covering and, in good quality cushions, the decorative effect is enhanced by having cushions of a buttoned type.

However, for the reasons outlined above, such cushions are not generally satisfactory.

It is now proposed, according to the present invention, to provide a cushion for garden furniture, said cushion comprising an inner cushion including a waterproof plastics material inner cover, having upper and lower cover sheets, said inner cover being filled with a stuffing, eyelets formed at spaced locations in said inner cushion, said eyelets connecting the upper and lower cover sheets, an outer, decorative cover, enclosing said inner cushion, said outer cover having upper and lower layers adjacent the upper and lower cover sheets of the inner cover, respectively, and retainers passing through the upper and lower layers of the outer cover and through the eyelets of the inner cover to hold the outer cover in place.

Such a cushion is made largely weatherproof, insofar as the inner cover is waterproof and is itself protected from the sunlight by the outer cover. For this reason, the stuffing of the inner cushion is substantially unaffected by weather and even if the outer cover does become damaged due to becoming wet, for example, it can be removed and either washed or replaced by a separate new cover.

The cost of the outer cover would normally be of the order of 25 to 35% of the cost of the whole cushion and, thus, if it does become damaged, the user is not put to too great an expense to replace this outer cover alone. The provision of the eyelets in the inner cover enables one readily to provide buttoning or seaming by passing retainers through the eyelets.

To assist in this, the upper and lower layers of the outer cover are preferably provided with additional eyelets positioned to be in register with the eyelets of the inner cover.

The retainers may comprise buttons, one on each outer face of the outer cover, and a shank passing through the eyelet of the inner cover. Alternatively, the retainers may, for example, comprise at least one cord threaded through the eyelets of the inner cover and, where provided, the eyelets of the outer cover.

The inner cover is preferably formed by welding the external seams of the upper and lower sheets, and by welding the eyelets in place. The stuffing of the inner cushion may be formed, for example, from foam blocks or from chipped foam although other stuffing materials are contemplated.

Preferably, the outer cover is provided with a side or end opening, to allow entry of the inner cushion, and means are provided to close the opening. These may, for example, be in the form of a sliding clasp fastener or of other eyelets through which buttons or cord may be passed.

In order that the invention may more readily be understood, the following description is given, merely by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of cushion for garden furniture according to the invention; and Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary expioded section through the cushion of Figure 1.

Referring first to Figure 2, there is illustrated the inner cushion 10 of a cushion for garden furniture according to the invention, this inner cushion including an inner cover 12 comprising upper and lower sheets 14, 16, of plane waterproof material, such as PVC, this surrounding an internal stuffing 18. At spaced intervals, the inner cushion is provided with eyelets 20 which may be welded into place on the cushion. The eyelets may, for example, be formed of a plastics material, but is preferably formed of metal of a non-corrosive type.

The cushion shown in Figure 1 is for a recliner/lounger and additional eyelets 21 are provided in a straight line, closely spaced from one another, at, say one inch intervals, to provide a ready fold line.

Referring again to Figure 2, the cushion illustrated therein includes, in addition to the cover 10 the upper and lower layers 22, 24 of a decorative material outer cover. These upper and lower layers are provided with eyelets 26, 28 in register with the eyelets 20 and a press-fit plastic button having a head 30 and a shank 32 which can be pressed through the eyelets 26, 20 and 28 and be press-fitted into a further button head 34to provide a buttoning effect. The buttons 30, 32, and 34 thus provide retainers for retaining the outer cover at spaced locations on the inner cover.

As can be seen from Figure 1, the outer cover is provided with an opening which is closed at 36, for example, by a sliding clasp fastener, or, by fasteners similar to the press-fit plastic button arrangements 30 to 34.

Instead of having such press-fit plastic buttons or other buttoning arrangement, the outer cover may be retained on the inner cover by passing one or more cords through the eyelets. While the eyelets 26, 28 are preferred, to prevent fraying of the outer cover, they are not essential and the retainers could be passed through the fabric of the outer cover without there being provided eyelets therein.

It will be appreciated that shouid such a cushion be subjected to rain, overbright sunlight or some other unsatisfactory treatment, the outer cover can be removed and either washed and replaced or can be discarded and a fresh cover put in its place. Since the inner cover will constitute about two thirds of the cost of the cushion as a whole, there will thus be a substantial saving in cost to the user.

The outer cover is shown as having, in addition, to the upper and lower layers 22, 24, side panels 36 to give a box cushion effect. Alternatively the upper and lower layers 22, 24 could be welded or sewn together. The inner cover 12 could also be formed in either of these ways.

Claims

1. A cushion for garden furniture, said cushion comprising an inner cushion including a waterproof plastics material inner cover, having upper and lower cover sheets, said inner cover being filled with a stuffing, eyelets formed at spaced locations in said inner cushion, said eyelets connecting the upper and lower cover sheets, and outer, decorative cover, enclosing said inner cushion, said outer cover having upper and lower layers adjacent the upper and lower cover sheets of the inner cover, respectively, and retainers passing through the upper and lower layers of the outer cover and through the eyelets of the inner cover to hold the outer cover iri place.

2. A cushion according to claim 1, wherein the inner cover is formed by welding the external seams of the upper and lower cover sheets, and by welding the eyelets into place.

3. A cushion according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the stuffing comprising foam blocks or chipped foam.

4. A cushion according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the upper and lower layers of the outer cover are providedwith additional eyelets positioned to be in register with the eyelets of the inner cover.

5. A cushion according to any preceding claim, wherein the retainers comprise buttons, one on each outer face of the outer cover and a shank passing through the eyelet of the inner cover.

6. A cushion according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the retainers comprise at ieast one cord threaded through the eyelets of the inner cover and, where provided, of the outer cover.

7. A cushion according to any preceding claim, wherein the outer cover is provided with a side or end opening to allow entry of the inner cushion, and wherein means are provided to close the end opening.

8. A cushion substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.