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 décor, 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.

1 . A decorative cover for a metal office furniture component having a physical feature, said cover comprising: 
 a magnetic sheet; and    a decorative layer laminated to said magnetic sheet to form a lamination dimensioned to cover the component substantially completely, said decorative layer selected from fabric, vinyl, leather, veneer, or laminate, said lamination defining an aperture positioned to be aligned with the physical feature when the lamination is mounted on the component.    
   
   
       2 . (canceled)  
   
   
       3 . The decorative cover as defined in  claim 1  wherein said magnetic sheet is flexible.  
   
   
       4 .- 10 . (canceled)  
   
   
       11 . A method for altering the appearance of a metal office furniture article having a plurality of components comprising the steps of: 
 providing a magnetic cover for each of the components, each cover having dimensions substantially the same as the dimensions of the corresponding component, each decorative cover having a decorative layer including at least one of fabric, vinyl, leather, veneer, or laminate;    aligning each cover with the corresponding component; and    allowing each aligned cover to magnetically adhere to the corresponding component to substantially cover the entire component.    
   
   
       12 . The method as defined in  claim 11  wherein said providing step includes providing at least one of the covers with a cutout aligned with a physical feature of the corresponding component when the cover is aligned with the 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, the decorative layer selected from the group of fabric, vinyl, leather, veneer, and laminate; and    cutting the lamination to desired overall dimensions for the cover.    
   
   
       14 . (canceled)  
   
   
       15 . The method m as defined in  claim 13  wherein said cutting step includes cutting cutouts in the lamination within the overall dimensions of the cover.  
   
   
       16 . The method as defined in  claim 13  wherein said cutting step includes at least one of laser cutting and die-cutting.