Modular furniture

• US 10,285,505 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2016
• Issued: 05/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Regency Furniture, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Regency Seating, Inc.
• Inventors: Summerville, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Barfield, Anthony D
• Application Number:
  US15/067,664
• Publication Number:
  US 20170020295A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• Field of Search: 297171, 297173, 29718814
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/624 located on side of seat, e.g. on armrest
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/70 of foldable type
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/705 of detachable type

Abstract

Provided is a modular furniture apparatus comprising a chair, a first cup holder engaged with the chair, a first tablet, and a first engagement fixture. The first cup holder may define a substantially cylindrical first cavity having a substantially cylindrical first interior wall elongated along a first cylinder axis, the first interior wall bounded, by an inward-facing first bottom end wall, and by an open aperture opposite the first bottom end wall along the first cylinder axis. The first tablet may have a first tablet surface, and a second tablet surface opposite said first tablet surface. The first engagement fixture may be fixedly engaged with the first tablet, and may have a first protrusion defining a substantially cylindrical first exterior surface adapted to removably and securely engage with the substantially cylindrical first cavity.

Claims

1. A modular furniture apparatus comprising:

a chair;

a first cup holder engaged with the chair, the first cup holder being defined by a substantially cylindrical first cavity having

a substantially cylindrical first interior wall elongated along a first cylinder axis, the first interior wall bounded,

by an inward-facing first bottom end wall, and

by an open aperture opposite the first bottom end wall along the first cylinder axis;

a first tablet having

a first tablet surface, and

a second tablet surface opposite said first tablet surface;

a first engagement fixture, the first engagement fixture

being fixedly engaged with the first tablet, and

having a first protrusion defining a substantially cylindrical first exterior surface adapted to removably and securely engage with the substantially cylindrical first cavity;

wherein the first cup holder is capable of holding a cup in the substantially cylindrical first cavity when the substantially cylindrical first cavity is not securely engaged with the first engagement fixture.

2. The modular furniture apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substantially cylindrical first interior wall has some non-zero draft angle.

3. The modular furniture apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a second cup holder engaged with the chair, the second cup holder being defined by a substantially cylindrical second cavity having a substantially cylindrical second interior wall elongated along a second cylinder axis, the second interior wall bounded;

by an inward-facing second bottom end wall; and

by an open aperture opposite the second bottom end wall along the second cylinder axis.

4. The modular furniture apparatus of claim 3, wherein the substantially cylindrical second interior wall has some non-zero draft angle.

5. The modular furniture apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first exterior surface is adapted to removably and securely engage with both the first cavity and the second cavity in the alternative.

6. The modular furniture apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first cup holder and the second cup holder are of identical geometry.

7. The modular furniture apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first cylinder axis is substantially vertical, and the second cylinder axis is substantially vertical.

8. The modular furniture apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first tablet surface is substantially horizontal when the first exterior surface is engaged with the first cavity or the second cavity.

9. The modular furniture apparatus of claim 8, wherein the tablet is free to rotate about the first cylinder axis when the first exterior surface is engaged with the first cavity.

10. The modular furniture apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first tablet is elongated to define a first tablet end and a second tablet end opposite the first tablet end, and

the first engagement fixture is engaged with first tablet at a location closer to the first tablet end than to the second tablet end.

11. A method of using a modular furniture apparatus comprising:

providing a modular furniture apparatus having

a chair,

a first cup holder engaged with the chair, the first cup holder being defined by a substantially cylindrical first cavity having

a substantially cylindrical first interior wall elongated along a first cylinder axis, the first interior wall bounded,

by an inward-facing first bottom end wall, and

by an open aperture opposite the first bottom end wall along the first cylinder axis,

a first tablet having

a first tablet surface, and

a second tablet surface opposite said first tablet surface,

a first engagement fixture, the first engagement fixture

being fixedly engaged with the first tablet, and

having a first protrusion defining a substantially cylindrical first exterior surface adapted to removably and securely engage with the substantially cylindrical first cavity; and

either

engaging the first exterior surface with the first cavity, or

disengaging the first exterior surface from the first cavity;

wherein the first cup holder is capable of holding a cup in the substantially cylindrical first cavity when the substantially cylindrical first cavity is not securely engaged with the first engagement fixture.

12. The method of using a modular furniture apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a second cup holder engaged with the chair, the second cup holder being defined by a second substantially cylindrical cavity having

a substantially cylindrical second interior wall elongated along a second cylinder axis, the second interior wall bounded;

by an upward-facing second bottom end wall; and

by an open aperture opposite the second bottom end wall along the second cylinder axis.

13. The method of using a modular furniture apparatus of claim 12, wherein the substantially cylindrical first interior wall has some non-zero draft angle;

and wherein the substantially cylindrical second interior wall has some non-zero draft angle.

14. The method of using a modular furniture apparatus of claim 13,

wherein the first cup holder and the second cup holder are of identical geometry;

and

wherein the first exterior surface is adapted to removably and securely engage with both the first cavity and the second cavity in the alternative.

15. The method of using a modular furniture apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

either,

switching engagement of the first exterior surface from the first cavity to the second cavity;

or

switching engagement of the first exterior surface from the second cavity to the first cavity.

16. The method of using a modular furniture apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first cylinder axis is substantially vertical, and the second cylinder axis is substantially vertical.

17. The method of using a modular furniture apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first tablet surface is substantially horizontal when the first exterior surface is engaged with the first cavity or the second cavity.

18. The method of using a modular furniture apparatus of claim 17, wherein

the first tablet is elongated to define a first tablet end and a second tablet end opposite the first tablet end, and

the first engagement fixture is engaged with first tablet at a location closer to the first tablet end than to the second tablet end.

19. The method of using a modular furniture apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

either

rotating the tablet about the first cylinder axis when the first exterior surface of the first protrusion is engaged with the substantially cylindrical first cavity;

or

rotating the tablet about the second cylinder axis when the first exterior surface of the first protrusion is engaged with the substantially cylindrical second cavity; and

either,

switching engagement of the first exterior surface from the first cavity to the second cavity;

or

switching engagement of the first exterior surface from the second cavity to the first cavity.

20. A modular furniture apparatus comprising:

a chair;

a first cup holder engaged with the chair, the first cup holder being defined by a substantially cylindrical first cavity having

a substantially cylindrical first interior wall elongated along a substantially vertical first cylinder axis, the first interior wall having a draft angle in the range of 1 degree to 4 degrees, the first interior wall bounded,

by an inward-facing first bottom end wall, and

by an open aperture opposite the first bottom end wall along the first cylinder axis;

a second cup holder engaged with the chair, the second cup holder having geometry substantially identical to that of the first cup holder, the second cup holder being defined by a substantially cylindrical second cavity having

a substantially cylindrical second interior wall elongated along a substantially vertical second cylinder axis, the second interior wall having a draft angle in the range of 1 degree to 4 degrees, the second interior wall bounded;

by an inward-facing second bottom end wall; and

by an open aperture opposite the second bottom end wall along the second cylinder axis,

a first tablet having

a first tablet surface, and

a second tablet surface opposite said first tablet surface;

a first engagement fixture, the first engagement fixture

being fixedly engaged with the first tablet, and

having a first protrusion defining a substantially cylindrical first exterior surface adapted to removably and securely engage with both the first cavity and the second cavity in the alternative;

wherein the first tablet surface is substantially horizontal when the first exterior surface is engaged with the first cavity or the second cavity;

wherein the tablet is free to rotate about the first cylinder axis when the first exterior surface is engaged with the first cavity;

wherein the tablet is free to rotate about the second cylinder axis when the first exterior surface is engaged with the second cavity; and

wherein

the first tablet is elongated to define a first tablet end and a second tablet end opposite the first tablet end;

the first engagement fixture is engaged with first tablet at a location closer to the first tablet end than to the second tablet end; and

the first cup holder is capable of holding a cup in the substantially cylindrical first cavity when the substantially cylindrical first cavity is not securely engaged with the first engagement fixture.