Compactly transportable article of furniture

Abstract

An article of furniture includes two rigid parallel panels spaced apart by removable rigid members and each having a convex under edge serving as a rocker. A platen of spaced and relatively inflexible elements, such as bamboo rods, is draped over the upper edges of the two panels so that it overlaps the panels and provides a surface on which a person can recline. A massaging assembly between the panels is reciprocable along tracks so that the undersides of the elements are engaged in turn by wheels of the assembly to provide a massaging effect on the underside of a person reclining on the platen.

1 - 11 . (canceled)  
   
   
       12 . An article of furniture comprising two rigid and upright side panels of similar external outline and held in spaced relationship by disconnectable rigid members, each panel providing an under edge or surface for resting on a floor and an opposit edge or surface for supporting a respective marginal edge-portion of a flexible platen of parallel elongated and relatively inflexible elements extending between opposite sides of the platen and held together by flexible ties enabling the platen to be rolled up to form a compact transportable assembly with the side panels and the disconnected rigid members during transportation, and to be unrolled to cover said opposite edges or surfaces of the side panels after attachment of the rigid members to provide an upper or frontal surface to the article.  
   
   
       13 . An article as claimed in  claim 12 , in which the under edges of the side panels are convexly curved.  
   
   
       14 . An article as claimed in  claim 12 , in which said opposite edges of the panel are covered with a soft resilient foam strip.  
   
   
       15 . An article as claimed in  claim 12 , in which each of the rigid members has a wheel-support mechanism mounted on it which is manually moveable between two positions at the first of which the wheels extend beneath the underside of the article to enable it to be rolled along the ground, and at the second position of which the wheels are stowed wholly between the two outlines of the panels so that the article can rest on convex under edges of the panels.  
   
   
       16 . An article as claimed in  claim 15 , in which the wheel-support mechanism includes a coil spring surrounding the rigid member and manually rotatable about its longitudinal axis between two locations determined by radially projecting components on the rigid member and which correspond to the two positions of the wheels.  
   
   
       17 . An article as claimed in  claim 12 , in which each of the panels is provided with an upwardly-opening mounting slot enabling a lower end-portion of a support to be inserted into the slot to attach a frame or handle temporarily to the article.  
   
   
       18 . An article as claimed in  claim 12 , in which the platen comprises spaced elements selected to resonate at different sonic frequencies when struck to provide the notes of the scale.  
   
   
       19 . An article as claimed in  claim 12 , incorporating a track on each of the opposed faces of the panels and along which a massage assembly can reciprocate; a drive mechanism for reciprocating the massage assembly; and, wheels having resilient rims which engage, and engage the undersides if the elements of the platen consecutively when the assembly is reciprocated along the tracks to produce a gentle massaging action on a person reclining on the platen.  
   
   
       20 . An article as claimed in  claim 19 , in which each track includes a stowage position in the form of a bayonet slots in which the assembly can be located when it is not required.  
   
   
       21 . An article as claimed in  claim 19 , in which the assembly comprises a platform reciprocable by the drive mechanism and having two, upwardly-spring parallel axles on each of which are two axially-spaced wheels for performing the massaging effect.  
   
   
       22 . An article as claimed in  claim 21 , in which the platform is bodily moveable to a lower position at which the upper surfaces of the wheels are disengaged from the platen, and the lower surfaces of at least one of the axles has its wheels protruding beneath the under edges of the panels.