Cover for metal office furniture

Abstract

A magnetic decorative cover for metal office furniture. The cover is a lamination of a decorative layer to a magnetic sheet. The decorative layer is selected from a wide variety of materials to provide a desired appearance, to coordinate an office decor, or to blend office furniture together. Suitable decorative materials include fabric, vinyl, leather, wood veneer, marker-board surface, and high-pressure laminate. In the preferred manufacturing method, the laminated materials are laser cut and/or die cut to provide crisp, sharp, non-raveling edges.

The embodiments of the invention in which and exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:  
     
         1 . A decorative cover for metal office furniture comprising: 
 a magnetic sheet;    a decorative layer laminated to said magnetic sheet to form a lamination dimensioned to cover a metal office furniture component, said lamination defining an aperture.    
     
     
         2 . The decorative cover of  claim 1  wherein said aperture is dimensioned to correspond to a physical feature of the furniture component.  
     
     
         3 . The decorative cover of  claim 1  wherein said magnetic sheet is flexible.  
     
     
         4 . The decorative cover of  claim 1  wherein said decorative layer is selected from one of fabric, vinyl, leather, veneer, marker-board surface, and high-pressure laminate.  
     
     
         5 . An article of office furniture comprising: 
 a metal office furniture piece including at least one component; and    a magnetic decorative cover overlying substantially all of and attached to said component.    
     
     
         6 . The article of office furniture in  claim 5  wherein said decorative cover includes a magnetic sheet and a decorative material laminated to said sheet.  
     
     
         7 . The article of office furniture in  claim 6  wherein said decorative material is selected from one of fabric, vinyl, leather, veneer, marker-board surface, and high-pressure laminate.  
     
     
         8 . The article of office furniture in  claim 6 , wherein said magnetic sheet is flexible.  
     
     
         9 . The article of furniture in  claim 5  wherein said decorative cover defines a cutout for providing access to a physical feature of the furniture component.  
     
     
         10 . The article of furniture in  claim 5  wherein said decorative cover defines a cutout for providing an aesthetic appearance such as a logo.  
     
     
         11 . A method for altering the appearance of metal office furniture comprising the steps of: 
 providing a magnetic decorative cover having dimensions substantially the same as a component of the metal office furniture;    aligning the cover with the component;    allowing the aligned cover to magnetically adhere to the component to substantially cover the entire component.    
     
     
         12 . The method in  claim 11  wherein said providing step includes providing the cover with a cutout aligned with a physical feature of said component when said cover is aligned with said component.  
     
     
         13 . A method of manufacturing a decorative cover for metal office furniture comprising the steps of: 
 laminating a decorative layer to a magnetic sheet to form a lamination; and    cutting the lamination.    
     
     
         14 . The method in  claim 13  wherein said cutting step includes cutting the lamination to desired overall dimensions for the cover.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  wherein said cutting step includes cutting cutouts in the lamination within the overall dimensions of the cover.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13  wherein said cutting step includes at least one of laser cutting and die-cutting.