Furniture with molded frame

Abstract

Furniture having a frame made of a molded article in which the molded article is a shell-structure is described. Preferably the molded article describes a lattice structure in the form of a space frame. The molded article is preferably scaled and contoured providing significant structural integration and torsional strength.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A substantially internal frame for upholstered furniture comprising: 
 a weight-bearing frame for supporting one or more users for seating above a support surface,    the weight-bearing frame having a main loading area adapted to receive compressive load forces from the weight of the one or more users and defining at least one span across a part of the main loading area,    wherein the larger part of the weight bearing frame is one or more molded components, and    wherein the main loading area is substantially a lattice form that is defined by the one or more molded components and that is positioned substantially around all sides of a recessed or open area within the main loading area of the weight bearing frame.    
     
     
         2 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least the larger part of the one or more molded components is structural to support the weight of one or more users.  
     
     
         3 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the one or more molded components structural to support the weight of one or more users is substantially scaled.  
     
     
         4 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the one or more molded components structural to support the weight of one or more users is substantially contoured.  
     
     
         5 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the one or more molded components structural to support the weight of one or more users provide means for substantial structural integration.  
     
     
         6 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein substantially all of the one or more molded components is structural to support the weight of one or more users.  
     
     
         7 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein one or more molded components structural to support the weight of one or more users is substantially scaled.  
     
     
         8 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the one or more molded components structural to support the weight of one or more users is substantially contoured.  
     
     
         9 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein one or more molded components structural to support the weight of one or more users provide means for substantial structural integration.  
     
     
         10 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the one or more molded components provide the substantial structural integration.  
     
     
         11 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the one or more molded components provide means for substantial torsional strength.  
     
     
         12 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the one or more molded components are shell-structure.  
     
     
         13 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the one or more molded components provide the substantial torsional strength.  
     
     
         14 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the one or more molded components are shell-structure.  
     
     
         15 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the lattice form defined is plural.  
     
     
         16 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the one or more molded components define an efficient structure.  
     
     
         17 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the one or more molded components define an optimized structure.  
     
     
         18 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the one or more molded components is substantially flexible.  
     
     
         19 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the one or more molded components is closed shell construction shell-structure.  
     
     
         20 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the frame is an openwork.  
     
     
         21 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein substantially all of the frame comprises one or more molded components and substantially all of the one or more molded components is structural to support the weight of one or more users.  
     
     
         22 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein substantially all weight bearing portions of the frame are molded components.  
     
     
         23 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the one or more molded components define a first depth orientated to provide strength for assuming compressive load forces greater than the strength obtained from at least some other orientation of depth.  
     
     
         24 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least a first portion of the frame defines a load-bearing span having a first shell-structure molded component with a first depth substantially near the center of the span which is greater than a depth of the shell-structure molded component spaced from the center of the span.  
     
     
         25 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the one or more molded component is shaped to transfer loads to regions of load distribution.  
     
     
         26 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the frame comprises a plurality of dissassemblable sections.  
     
     
         27 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein at least some of the disassemble sections are configured to accommodate stacking and/or internesting.  
     
     
         28 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein at least some of the dissassemblable sections are configured to be interchangeable.  
     
     
         29 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the frame is contoured to accommodate stacking and/or internesting with similar frames.  
     
     
         30 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the frame is custom fit and/or scaled to a user.  
     
     
         31 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the frame includes means for providing a therapeutic service selected from the group consisting of massage, pneumatic variable body support and heating.  
     
     
         32 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least two sections of the frame are configured so as to be movable with respect to one another during normal use.  
     
     
         33 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein the frame further comprises means for controlling the relative movement.  
     
     
         34 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the frame includes at least a first joint providing relative movement of portions of the frame, the first joint being integral to the one or more molded components.  
     
     
         35 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the frame includes at least a first joint providing relative movement of portions of the frame, the first joint being non-integral with the coupled to the one or more molded components.  
     
     
         36 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising strapping coupled to the frame.  
     
     
         37 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising strapping coupled to the frame, wherein the strapping provides a function selected from the group consisting of motion control and stress distribution.  
     
     
         38 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more molded components is produced by a molding process which is intrinsically descriptive of shell-structures.  
     
     
         39 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more molded components is produced by a low pressure molding process.  
     
     
         40 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more molded components is produced by a molding process which uses supplemental inflatable forms.  
     
     
         41 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more molded components is produced by a molding process which uses inflatable molds.  
     
     
         42 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more molded components is produced by a molding process selected from the group consisting of blow-molding, rotational molding and foam-molding.  
     
     
         43 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the frame is at least partially upholstered or is substantially upholstered.  
     
     
         44 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a suspension material coupled to the frame.  
     
     
         45 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 44 , wherein the suspension material passes through an opening defined in an inner region of the frame.  
     
     
         46 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 44 , wherein the tension of the suspension material is adjustable.  
     
     
         47 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 44 , wherein the suspension material is a fabric.  
     
     
         48 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a first material with padding properties coupled to the frame.  
     
     
         49 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 48 , wherein the first material is produced in individual molds.  
     
     
         50 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 48 , wherein a first material with padding properties is coupled to the frame using a fabric material extending over at least a first side of the first material.  
     
     
         51 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 50 , wherein the fabric material is joined to the first material in a molding process.  
     
     
         52 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising at least one component of an upholstered furniture unit configured to be manipulated to perform a function selected from the group consisting of assembly, disassembly, adjustment and interchange.  
     
     
         53 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the frame is adapted for supporting more than one user.  
     
     
         54 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the lattice form defines a skeletal framework.  
     
     
         55 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the lattice form defines a lattice structure.  
     
     
         56 . A frame for upholstered furniture, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the lattice form defines a lattice structure that is a space-frame.  
     
     
         57 . A substantially internal frame for upholstered furniture comprising: 
 a weight-bearing frame for supporting one or more users for seating above a support surface,    the weight-bearing frame having a main loading area adapted to receive compressive load forces from the weight of the one or more users and defining at least one span across a part of the main loading area,    wherein the larger part of the frame is one or more molded components that are largely shell structure, which are substantially closed shell-construction shell structure,    the main loading area is largely a lattice form that is defined by the one or more molded components, defines a space-frame and is positioned largely around all sides of a recessed or open area within the main loading area of the weight bearing frame, and    the frame is substantially an openwork.