Furniture having landscape contour

Abstract

The invention relates generally to an article of manufacture such as a chair or other furniture piece, and an associated method of manufacturing the article, wherein the furniture piece contains a contour which is derived from a particular scenic silhouette. The landscape contour may be, for example, the ridgeline which is formed by a particular mountain when the mountain is viewed in profile. Thus, a particular mountain may have more than one characteristic ridgeline or profile, depending upon the aspect from which the mountain is viewed. A method of accurately transposing the profile from the natural phenomenon to the furniture piece is also disclosed.

1 . A seating unit comprising: 
 a seat; and    a back, wherein an edge of said back includes an aesthetic portion, and wherein said aesthetic portion is patterned to resemble one of a plurality of preselected scenic silhouettes.    
   
   
       2 . The seating unit of  claim 1 , wherein said back comprises: 
 at least one central portion, said central portion extending longitudinally from a first edge of said back to a second edge of said back, wherein said first edge is the edge which includes said aesthetic portion;    a plurality of filler portions, said filler portions extending longitudinally from said first edge of said back to said second edge of said back, and said filler portions substantially filling a space between said central portion and lateral boundaries of said back.    
   
   
       3 . The seating unit of  claim 1 , wherein said back further comprises: 
 a single planar portion having a forward face and a rear face, said forward face arranged to be facing a seating portion of said seating unit; and    at least one support member operatively attached transversely to said single planar portion, said support member attached proximate said rear face.    
   
   
       4 . The seating unit of  claim 1 , wherein said scenic silhouette represents a feature selected from the group consisting of: a landscape contour, a ridge profile, and a mountain range.  
   
   
       5 . The seating unit of  claim 1 , wherein said seating unit is an Adirondack-style chair.  
   
   
       6 . The seating unit of  claim 1 , wherein said seating unit is an Adirondack-style furniture piece selected from the group consisting of: a love seat, a swing, and a glider, a chaises lounge, a glider, a loveseat, and a tête-à-tête.  
   
   
       7 . The seating unit of  claim 1 , wherein said seating unit is constructed from materials selected from the group consisting of: wood, plastic, metal, resin, wood-adhesive compounds, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       8 . The seating unit of  claim 1 , wherein said back is further adapted to operably receive a cushion assembly.  
   
   
       9 . The seating unit of  claim 1 , wherein said cushion assembly is operatively attached to said seating unit.  
   
   
       10 . The seating unit of  claim 1 , wherein said back is further adapted to be operably supported on said base for movement between an upright position and an angled position.  
   
   
       11 . The seating unit of  claim 4 , wherein said aesthetic portion further comprises descriptive information related to said feature such as a name, elevation, or date.  
   
   
       12 . The seating unit of  claim 4 , wherein said descriptive information is the result of an application of a method selected from the group consisting of: painting, engraving, carving, etching, branding, scoring, embossing, plating, and molding.  
   
   
       13 . The seating unit of  claim 1 , wherein said edge is an upper exposed edge of said planar back, and said aesthetic portion extends along substantially the entire upper edge of said planar back.  
   
   
       14 . A method of constructing a modified seating unit with a characteristic aesthetic portion, said method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a scenic aspect;    deriving a contour line from said scenic aspect;    providing a seating unit, said seating unit having a contourable portion to receive said a contour derived from said contour line;    applying said contour line to said contourable portion of said unmodified seating unit; and    modifying said contourable portion of said unmodified seating unit in accordance with said contour line to produce said modified seating unit.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said step of deriving a contour line from said scenic aspect uses means selected from the group consisting of: a stencil, a computer, an overhead projector, projection equipment, image manipulation software, and a pantograph.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said step of modifying said contourable portion of said unmodified seating unit uses a means selected from the group consisting of: manual modification, power tool, and CNC device.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein, in said step providing a scenic aspect, said medium is selected from the group consisting of: postcards, photographs, online images, magazine images, freehand sketches, and artwork.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said medium is a display device.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said display device is adapted to display at least one scenic aspect.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said contour line is defined by a series of coordinate points located along said contour line, and wherein a series of proportions are present between various coordinate points on said contour line  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising, prior to the step of applying said fitted contour line, the step of manipulating said contour line to produce a fitted contour line, said fitted contour line adjusted to fit said contourable portion of said unmodified seating unit.  
   
   
       22 . A furniture piece comprising: 
 a first portion having an edge formed in a contour shape, said contour shape resembling one of a plurality of preselected topographical contours.    
   
   
       23 . The furniture piece as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein said first portion further comprises a substantially planar portion, and said preselected topographical contours are derived from a profile of a mountain ridgeline.  
   
   
       24 . The furniture piece as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein said furniture piece provides a seat, and said substantially planar portion is a back of said seat.