Cushion and method

• US 4,679,851 A
• Filed: 07/31/1985
• Issued: 07/14/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 3M Company
• Original Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co (3M Company)
• Inventors: Solie, O. B., Pyle, Godfrey J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorner, Kenneth J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown, Peter R.
• Application Number:
  US06/761,000
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 297/452, 297/219, 297/DIG. 1, 297/DIG. 6, 5/470, 5/471, 5/472, 29/91.1, 29/91.5
• US Class Current: 297/218.2
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/026 passing through the upholstery, e.g. upholstery nails or buttons
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 297/01 Foam
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 297/06 Hook and loop type fastener
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 5/923 Bedclothing

Abstract

A cushion including a resiliently compressible pad having one or more openings through and disposed at about a right angle to its front surface, an enclosure assembly surrounding the pad and comprising a front cover overlaying the front surface of the pad and having a part extending into the opening, and fastener means for retaining the part of the front cover in the opening including a first hook headed fastener portion attached in the opening and a second fastener portion with loops engaged around the hook heads of said first fastener portion attached to the part of the cover in the opening.

Claims

1. A cushion comprising a resiliently compressible pad having major front and rear surfaces and at least one opening through and disposed at about a right angle to the front and rear surfaces, an enclosure assembly having an inner surface surrounding and comprssing the pad comprising a rear cover overlying the rear surface of the pad and a front cover overlaying the front surface of the pad and having a part extending into said opening, and fastener means for retaining said part of the front cover in the opening to compress the pad comprising a first fastener portion including a backing, stems projecting from the backing, and heads at the ends of the stems opposite the backing with hook like parts projecting along the stems toward said backing, and a second fastener portion having a backing with a front surface and a multiplicity of loops projecting from said front surface engaged around the hook like parts of said first fastener portion, one of said fastenfer portions being attached to a part of said rear cover at said opening and the other of said fastener portions being attached to the part of said front cover in said opening.

2. A cushion according to claim 1 wherein said fastener portion attached to said rear cover is positioned in said through opening with its backing generally at a right angle with respect to said front surface.

3. A cushion according to claim 1 wherein said fastener portion attached to said rear cover at said opening is positioned with the backing of the fastener portion generally parallel with respect to said front surface.

4. A cushion according to claim 1 wherein said opening is elongate and said first and second fastener portions extend along essentially the entire length of said opening.

5. A cushion according to claim 4 wherein said elongate opening is arcuate.

6. A cushion according to claim 1 wherein said pad has a plurality of openings, said cover has a plurality of parts extending into said openings and said cushion comprises fastening means for retaining the parts of said cover in said openings.

7. A cushion according to claim 1 wherein the depth of said opening from said front surface of the pad when normally expanded is over two inches.

8. A cushion according to claim 1 wherein the depth of said opening from said front surface of the pad when normally expanded is over four inches.

9. A cushion according to claim 1 wherein the depth of said opening from said front surface of the pad when normally expended is over twelve inches.

10. A cushion according to claim 1 wherein said rear cover is rigid and generally planar.

11. A cushion according to claim 1 wherein said second fastener portion is about 5/8 inch wide.

12. A cushion according to claim 1 wherein said rear cover is flexible and the part of said rear cover to which the fastener portion is attached extends into said opening.

13. A method for forming a cushion comprising:

providing a resiliently flexible pad having major front and rear surfaces and an opening through and disposed at about a right angle to the front and rear surfaces at a predetermined location; and

an enclosure assembly having an inner surface adapted to surround the pad comprising a flexible front cover adapted to overlay the front surface of the pad and a back cover adapted to overlay the rear surface of the pad;

a first fastener portion having a backing, stems projecting from the backing, and heads at the ends of the stems opposite the backing with hook like parts projecting along the stems toward the backing, and a second fastener portion having a backing with a front surface and a multiplicity of loops projecting from the front surface of the second fastener portion;

attaching one fastener portion to a part of the inner surface of the front cover that will be inserted in the opening when the cushion is assembled;

attaching the other fastener portion to a part of the back cover that will be positioned at the opening when the cushion is assembled;

positioning the enclosure assembly around the pad; and

pressing the part of the cover to which the fastener portion is fastened into the opening in the pad to compress the pad and engage the fastener portions.

14. A method according to claim 13 wherein the opening and the first and second fastener portions are elongate and of about the same lengths, and said pressing step includes pressing the fastener portions together along their entire lengths.