US 12,232,632 B2
Self-covering outdoor furniture
Gary Donald Sherman, Medfield, MA (US)
Filed by Gary Donald Sherman, Medfield, MA (US)
Filed on Feb. 15, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/109,907.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/310,640, filed on Feb. 16, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0057775 A1, Feb. 22, 2024
Int. Cl. A47C 7/66 (2006.01); A47C 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC A47C 7/666 (2018.08) [A47C 1/00 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A self-covering outdoor furniture unit configured for human seating, and comprising:
a first side portion having a first side wall and a first-side upper surface;
a second side portion having a second side wall and a second-side upper surface;
a base configured for resting upon a substantially horizontal furniture-support surface, the base including a seating surface extending laterally between the first and second side portions and being configured to accommodate at least one seated person thereon;
a backrest extending upwardly above the seating surface and laterally between the first and second side portions;
a self-supporting, substantially rigid weather-protective primary panel having opposed panel inner and outer surfaces that coextend along a panel plane between a primary-panel rearward-lower edge, a primary-panel forward-upper edge opposite the rearward-lower edge, and laterally opposed primary-panel first and second edges that extend between the primary-panel rearward-lower and forward-upper edges, wherein
(a) the primary-panel rearward-lower edge is retained for linear displacement behind the backrest between a lowermost position and an uppermost position;
(b) when the primary-panel rearward-lower edge is disposed in the uppermost position, the weather-protective primary panel can be pivoted about a panel-pivot axis between vertical and horizontal orientations relative to the furniture-support surface, the vertical orientation being such that the primary-panel forward-upper edge is disposed above the primary-panel rearward-lower edge and the horizontal orientation being such that the primary-panel forward-upper edge is disposed forwardly of the primary-panel rearward-lower edge; and
(c) by virtue of the aforesaid linear displaceability and pivotability, the weather-protective primary panel can be linearly and pivotably displaced between (i) a storage position in which the weather-protective primary panel is vertically disposed behind the backrest such that the panel plane is substantially perpendicular to the furniture-support surface with the primary-panel rearward-lower edge in its lowermost position and (ii) a deployed position in which the weather-protective primary panel is horizontally disposed above the seating surface such that the panel plane is substantially parallel to the furniture support surface.