Multi-Purpose Furniture

Abstract

Multi-purpose furniture that can be re-deployed as play-themed structures useable by children is disclosed. The multi-purpose furniture, in one version, includes slab-like cushion elements (e.g., foam cushions). An ornamental graphic having the appearance of vertical wooden logs typical of a fort, large stones typical of a castle wall, or some other graphic is disposed directly on the surface of the foam (if foam is used), or a material encasing the foam (e.g., a woven or nonwoven fabric). These cushion elements may then be connected with one another to assume different configurations, e.g., a comfortable chair, or a structure having the appearance of a fort or other themed context.

1 . Multi-purpose furniture comprising:
 a back cushion; and   a plurality of seat cushions comprising:   a first seat cushion on which is disposed a first ornamental graphic signifying a play context, the first seat cushion comprising a cushion attachment component;   a second seat cushion stacked on the first seat cushion, wherein a second ornamental graphic signifying the same play context is disposed on the second seat cushion, and wherein the second seat cushion comprises a cushion attachment component;   wherein the first seat cushion and the second seat cushion are adapted to be reconfigured into a play structure displaying the first and second ornamental graphics.   
     
     
         2 . The multi-purpose furniture of  claim 1  wherein the play context is a fort, a castle, a log cabin, a space station, a ship, a train, a house, a military base, a cave, a plane, a spaceship, a store, an office, an animal, a forest, water, mountains, desert, beaches, licensed copyrighted subject matter, or some combination thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The multi-purpose furniture of  claim 1  wherein each of the plurality of seat cushions comprises foam. 
     
     
         4 . The multi-purpose furniture of  claim 3  wherein the first and second ornamental graphics are disposed on the foam. 
     
     
         5 . The multi-purpose furniture of  claim 1  wherein each of the plurality of seat cushions comprises a material encased in a fabric. 
     
     
         6 . The multi-purpose furniture of  claim 5  wherein the fabric is a woven or nonwoven material. 
     
     
         7 . The multi-purpose furniture of  claim 6  wherein the first and second ornamental graphics are disposed on the fabric. 
     
     
         8 . The multi-purpose furniture of  claim 1  further comprising a first side cushion and a second side cushion. 
     
     
         9 . The multi-purpose furniture of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the seat cushions, when reconfigured into a play structure, assumes an orientation substantially perpendicular to the orientation of the seat cushion before the seat cushion is reconfigured. 
     
     
         10 . The multi-purpose furniture of  claim 1  wherein the perimeter of at least one of the cushions defines an inwardly concave recess. 
     
     
         11 . The multi-purpose furniture of  claim 1  wherein the seat cushions are releasably engageable to one another. 
     
     
         12 . The multi-purpose furniture of  claim 9  further comprising components for supporting a blanket, fabric, film, or other material over at least one seat cushion assuming an orientation substantially perpendicular to the orientation of the seat cushion before the seat cushion is reconfigured. 
     
     
         13 . Multi-purpose furniture comprising:
 a plurality of seat cushions comprising:   a first seat cushion on which is disposed an ornamental graphic;   a second seat cushion connected to, and stacked on, the first seat cushion so that a portion of the ornamental graphic is not viewable;   wherein the first seat cushion and second seat cushion are adapted to be reconfigured so that the portion of the ornamental graphic that is not viewable becomes viewable.   
     
     
         14 . The multi-purpose furniture of  claim 13  wherein the ornamental graphic signifies a play context for children. 
     
     
         15 . The multi-purpose furniture of  claim 13  wherein each of the plurality of seat cushions comprises foam. 
     
     
         16 . The multi-purpose furniture of  claim 13  wherein each of the plurality of seat cushions comprises a resilient material encased in a fabric. 
     
     
         17 . The multi-purpose furniture of  claim 13  further comprising a combination of a back cushion, a first side cushion, and a second side cushion, wherein the combination is integrally formed. 
     
     
         18 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method of transforming multi-purpose furniture into a play-themed structure, the method comprising the step of re-deploying a parallelepiped-shaped stack of seat cushions into substantially vertically positioned seat cushions, wherein each of the vertically positioned seat cushions are connected to one another. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein an ornamental graphic is disposed on each seat cushion, with both the vertically positioned seat cushions and the ornamental graphic disposed on each seat cushion signifying a play context. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21  further comprising a step of re-deploying a combination of a back cushion and two side cushions into the play context, wherein the combination is integrally formed.