Outdoor furniture piece with temperature control

Abstract

An outdoor furniture piece, including members coupled together to form a structure of the outdoor furniture piece; a cushion positioned adjacent to first members of the members of the structure; a heating element associated with the cushion; a control unit comprising first magnetic coupling members and a power source in electrical communication with the heating element such that the power source provides electrical energy to the heating element; a bracket coupled to a second member of the members, the bracket including second magnetic coupling members, wherein the control unit is removably coupled to the bracket, wherein when the heating element receives the electrical energy from the power source, the heating element converts electrical energy to thermal energy at the cushion, wherein when the control unit is coupled to the bracket, the second magnetic coupling members of the bracket are coupled with corresponding first magnetic coupling members of the control unit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An outdoor furniture piece, including:
 a plurality of members coupled together to form a structure of the outdoor furniture piece;   a cushion positioned adjacent to one or more first members of the plurality of members of the structure;   a heating element associated with the cushion;   a control unit comprising first magnetic coupling members and a power source in electrical communication with the heating element such that the power source provides electrical energy to the heating element; and   a bracket coupled to a second member of the plurality of members, the bracket including one or more second magnetic coupling members,   wherein the control unit is removably coupled to the bracket,   wherein when the heating element receives the electrical energy from the power source, the heating element converts the electrical energy to thermal energy at the cushion,   wherein when the control unit is coupled to the bracket, the second magnetic coupling members of the bracket are coupled with corresponding first magnetic coupling members of the control unit.   
     
     
         2 . The outdoor furniture piece of  claim 1 , wherein the second member is one of the first members. 
     
     
         3 . The outdoor furniture piece of  claim 1 , wherein the second member is distinct from the first members. 
     
     
         4 . The outdoor furniture piece of  claim 1 , wherein the power source is a rechargeable battery. 
     
     
         5 . The outdoor furniture piece of  claim 4 , wherein the power source further includes an input power source outlet to receive input power to charge the rechargeable battery. 
     
     
         6 . The outdoor furniture piece of  claim 1 , wherein the power source further includes the first magnetic coupling members, wherein when the power source is coupled to the bracket, the first magnetic coupling members are coupled to the second magnetic coupling members such that the power source provides the electrical energy from the first magnetic coupling members to the second magnetic coupling members. 
     
     
         7 . The outdoor furniture piece of  claim 6 , wherein the bracket further includes third magnetic coupling members that are in electrical communication with the second magnetic coupling members such that the electrical energy provided by the power source is transmitted through the second magnetic coupling members to the third magnetic coupling members. 
     
     
         8 . The outdoor furniture piece of  claim 7 , wherein the heating element further includes fourth magnetic coupling members, wherein when the heating element is in electrical communication with the power source, the third magnetic coupling members are coupled to the fourth magnetic coupling members such that electrical energy provided by the power source is transmitted through the third magnetic coupling members to the fourth magnetic coupling members. 
     
     
         9 . The outdoor furniture piece of  claim 8 , wherein when the heating element is in electrical communication with the power source, the electrical energy provided by the power source is transmitted through the fourth magnetic coupling members to wiring of the heating element to convert the electrical energy to thermal energy at the cushion. 
     
     
         10 . The outdoor furniture piece of  claim 9 , further including:
 an additional cushion positioned adjacent to one or more third members of the plurality of members of the structure; and   an additional heating element coupled to the additional cushion,   wherein the additional heating element is in electrical communication with the heating element such that the additional heating element receives the electrical energy from the power source through the heating element, the additional heating element converting the electrical energy to thermal energy at the additional cushion.   
     
     
         11 . The outdoor furniture piece of  claim 10 , wherein the heating element includes fifth magnetic coupling members that are in electrical communication with the wiring of the heating element such that electrical energy provided by the power source is transmitted through the wiring to the fifth magnetic coupling members. 
     
     
         12 . The outdoor furniture piece of  claim 11 , wherein the additional heating element includes sixth magnetic coupling members, wherein when the additional heating element is in electrical communication with the heating element, the sixth magnetic coupling members are coupled to the fifth magnetic coupling members such that electrical energy provided by the power source is transmitted through the fifth magnetic coupling members to the sixth magnetic coupling members. 
     
     
         13 . The outdoor furniture piece of  claim 2 , wherein when the additional heating element is in electrical communication with the power source, the electrical energy provided by the power source is transmitted through the sixth magnetic coupling members to additional wiring of the additional heating element to convert the electrical energy to thermal energy at the additional cushion. 
     
     
         14 . The outdoor furniture piece of  claim 1 , wherein the structure of the outdoor furniture piece is a chair. 
     
     
         15 . The outdoor furniture piece of  claim 1 , wherein the control unit further includes:
 a microcontroller in communication with the power source, the microcontroller controlling the electrical energy provided by the power source; and   a physical button in communication with the microcontroller, the physical button located on the control unit,   wherein, in response to user input at the physical button, the microcontroller is additionally configured to adjust the electrical energy output by the power source.   
     
     
         16 . An outdoor furniture piece, including:
 a plurality of members coupled together to form a structure of the outdoor furniture piece;   a cushion positioned adjacent to one or more first members of the plurality of members of the structure;   a heating element associated with the cushion;   a control unit, comprising:
 first magnetic coupling members; 
 a power source in electrical communication with the heating element such that the power source provides electrical energy to the heating element; 
 a microcontroller in communication with the power source, wherein, in response to user input, the microcontroller is configured to adjust the electrical energy provided by the power source; and 
   a bracket coupled to a second member of the plurality of members, the bracket including second magnetic coupling members,   wherein the control unit is removably coupled to the bracket;   wherein when the heating element receives the electrical energy from the power source, the heating element converts the electric energy to thermal energy at the cushion,   wherein when the control unit is coupled to the bracket, the second magnetic coupling members of the bracket are coupled with corresponding first magnetic coupling members of the control unit.   
     
     
         17 . The outdoor furniture piece of  claim 16 , wherein the power source is a rechargeable battery. 
     
     
         18 . An outdoor furniture system, including:
 an outdoor furniture piece, including:
 a plurality of members coupled together to form a structure of the outdoor furniture piece; 
 a cushion positioned adjacent to one or more first members of the plurality of members of the structure; 
 a heating element associated with the cushion; 
 a control unit comprising:
 first magnetic members; 
 a rechargeable battery in electrical communication with the heating element such that the rechargeable battery provides electrical energy to the heating element; 
 a microcontroller in communication with the rechargeable battery; 
 
 a bracket coupled to a second member of the plurality of members, the bracket including second magnetic coupling members, 
 wherein the control unit is removably coupled to the bracket, 
 wherein when the heating element receives the electrical energy from the rechargeable battery, the heating element converts the electrical energy to thermal energy at the cushion; 
   a computing device, separate from the outdoor furniture piece, in communication with the microcontroller, the computing device configured to:
 i) receive user input indicating one or more control settings associated with the thermal energy at the cushion; and 
 ii) provide a communication to the microcontroller indicating the user input, 
   wherein the microcontroller is further configured to receive the user input, and in response, adjust the electrical energy provided by the rechargeable battery based on the control settings,   wherein when the control unit is coupled to the bracket, the second magnetic coupling members of the bracket are coupled with corresponding first magnetic coupling members of the control unit.   
     
     
         19 . The outdoor furniture system of  claim 18 , wherein the second member is one of the first members. 
     
     
         20 . The outdoor furniture system of  claim 18 , wherein the second member is distinct from the first members.