CUSHION SECURING DEVICE

Abstract

The present invention comprises a weighted apparatus, with a non-skid bottom, that uses an attachment device, a clip in this embodiment, to secure itself to pillows, blankets or other furniture accessories for the purpose of maintaining the positioning of decorative pillows (or other furniture accessories) on low friction furniture surfaces such as leather, pleather and vinyl. The invention is non-damaging to both the pillow and the furniture.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

The present application derives priority from U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 62/566,728 filed Oct. 2, 2017, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The invention relates primarily to fastening means for furniture. More specifically, the present invention is a securing mechanism for maintaining the position of pillows or other decorative objects on furniture while maintaining the intended aesthetic appeal of the pillow on the furniture.

Description of the Background

Leather, pleather, vinyl and other forms of low friction, smooth, material are used frequently for the upholstery of both home and commercial furniture. Decorative pillows or other decorative items, upholstered or otherwise (for example, blankets, stuffed animals, remote control holders, and the like), are often placed on the furniture to enhance the appearance of the furniture or decor of the room. Typically, but not always, these pillows are placed upright in the corners or middle of the furniture. Inevitably, due to the low friction of both the pillow/decorative item and the furniture surface, the pillow will slide from its intended position on the furniture. This often results in a pillow that was originally placed upright sliding down until it's flat on the seating surface of the furniture.

Because pillows fail to stay in the intended position many people either abandon using pillows on furniture with low friction upholstery like leather, pleather and vinyl and the like. Alternatively, many people resort to “home remedies” such as tape or safety pins to secure pillows or other decorative items the surface of a sofa or other piece of furniture. However, these types of attachment means can permanently alter or even damage the furniture and/or the pillows or other decorative items. When considering the cost of both the pillows and the furniture, such as leather couches, it's obvious that these potentially damaging “home remedies” are less than desirable. Moreover, such attachment means may prevent the pillow or decorative item from being easily moved from place to place on a given piece of furniture or from one piece of furniture to the other because the “tackiness” of a sticky solution such as tape may wear out over time or over multiple relocations, and repeated placement and movement of a safety-pin type attachment means may provide additional opportunities for the attachment means to damage the furniture and/or pillow surface, not to mention that safety pins and the like are small, can be dangerous to children, and pets if accidentally opened, and can be difficult to repeatedly open and close by people with limited dexterity, such as people with arthritis of the hand.

In addition, decorative pillows and other items are often used as elements of decor with a specific end “look” envisioned by the homeowner (or business owner, decorator, etc.). Therefore, any remedy for maintaining the placement of a or other decorative object in a given position on a piece of furniture should he invisible when the pillow or other decorative object is in place on the furniture.

Previous solutions have been proposed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,591,306 to Sherman discloses a method for maintaining a pillow in a desired position on a seat, back for home or automobile use. However, Sherman's solution requires a strap that leads from the back of the cushion over the top of the back surface of the seat, which is then anchored by a weight dangling from the other end of the strap at the back surface of the seat back as shown in Sherman's FIG. 4. Such a configuration involving may detract from the visual appeal of the pillow on the furniture (i.e., the strap running up the back of the seat) and/or may provide an obstacle or hazard based on the placement of the weight, which may, i.e., be subject to snagging by passers-by or pets, resulting in the movement of the cushion, or which may prevent the furniture from being placed in a certain position in the room, i.e. against a wall, to allow the weight room to hang.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,708,475 to Krewson suffers from a similar issue in that it requires a flexible strap (34) to extend over the seat back of the furniture in question in order to properly secure the cushion, thereby also detracting from the visual appeal of the pillow on the furniture.

What is needed then is a non-damaging means for securely attaching a pillow or other decorative object to a piece of furniture while maintaining the position of such pillow or object on a desired location on the furniture.

It would also be an improvement over the prior art if such an attachment means was invisible to the eye while in use securing a pillow or other object to a piece of furniture.

It would also be an improvement over the prior art if such an attachment means was capable of being moved from place to place on a given piece of furniture to secure the same or a different pillow or decorative object in a different location on said furniture or on another piece of furniture easily, without causing damage to either the pillow or the furniture, and without losing its ability to securely fasten the pillow or other object to the furniture over time.

It would be a further improvement over the prior art if such an attachment means was capable of use by people with limited dexterity and did not provide a snagging or catching hazard for passers-by, pets, children or the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, there is provided a secure, non-damaging, movable means for attaching a pillow or other decorative object to a sofa or other piece of furniture, especially those upholstered with low fiction, smooth material(s).

In addition, there is provided such an attachment means which is invisible to the eye while in use securing a pillow or other object to a piece of furniture.

In addition, there is provided such an attachment means which is capable of being moved from place to place on a given piece of furniture to secure the same or a different pillow or decorative object in a different location on said furniture or on another piece of furniture easily, without causing damage to either the pillow or the furniture, and without losing its ability to securely fasten the pillow or other object to the furniture over time.

Moreover, there is provided an attachment means for, securely attaching a pillow or other decorative object to a piece of furniture that is capable of use by people with limited dexterity and did not provide a snagging or catching hazard for passers-by, pets, children or the like.

The secure attachment mean according to the present invention comprises a non-skid, weighted anchor mechanism for securely attaching a pillow or other decorative object to a piece of furniture without damaging either pillow or furniture. The anchor means adheres to the pillow or other decorative object with an (optionally) removable attachment means such as a clothes hanger or other clip, and maintains the position of the pillow in an upright position on the surface of a given piece of furniture adherence of the weighted, non-skid port on of the inventive device to the furniture surface. Once in place the weighted'structure combined with the on-skid surface will keep the pillow in its intended, original placement.

The foregoing objects, features and attendant benefits of this invention will, in part, be pointed out with particularity and will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment and certain modifications thereof when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top view of an improved cushion securing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of an improved cushion securing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side perspective view of an improved cushion securing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the improved cushion securing device according to the present invention shown as attached to a decorative pillow.

FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of the improved cushion securing device according to the present invention shown as attached to a decorative pillow and fixed on a piece of furniture where the improved cushion securing device is hidden from view to the naked eye behind the pillow.

FIGS. 6 is a side perspective view of the improved cushion securing device according to the present invention shown as attached to a decorative pillow and fixed on a piece of furniture where the improved cushion securing device is hidden from view to the naked eye behind the arm of the piece of furniture.

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of an improved cushion securing device according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a top view, with inset of the clip detail, of an improved cushion securing device according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an exploded side view of an improved cushion securing device according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a side perspective view of the improved cushion securing device according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention shown as attached to a decorative pillow and fixed on a piece of furniture where the improved cushion securing device is hidden from view to the naked eye behind the arm of the piece of furniture.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Collective reference is now made to FIGS. 1-3 which illustrate the inventive cushion securing device in isolated view. As shown particularly in FIGS. 1 and 3, the cushion securing device comprises a body portion 15 which is preferably formed from two comparably-sized round elements (a top 7 and a bottom 10, respectively) joined at their outer edges along all sides thereof to form a device body 15 that is round when viewed from the top (FIG. 1 and has a nominal thickness T when viewed from the side (FIG. 3). Body 15 is preferably so formed such that it can be weighted by, i.e., being filled with a filling material having a sufficient weight or density to achieve the desired weight for body 15 to allow body 15 to stay securely positioned on a piece of furniture despite it or the pillow or decorative object to which it is attached being bumped or otherwise subject to moderate force by people using the furniture as will herein be described. When designed in this configuration, top 7 and bottom 10 portions of body 15 will have a sufficient seal at the edges thereof to maintain all of the desired filling (not shown) inside the interior of body 15 despite any shaking, tugging or other force that body 15 may encounter during use. Body 15 is preferably from 1 to 12 inches in diameter, and more preferably between 2 and 4 inches in diameter, and with a thickness T of from ¼ to 3 inches, and more preferably from approximately ¾ to 1 inch.

In addition to a weighted filling to achieve the desired weight of body 15 as will herein be described, body 15 may also be “stuffed” with a soft filling to allow body 15 to compress under the weight of a user leaning on the pillow when placed on a sofa or other piece of furniture, preventing body 15 from being felt by the user as an uncomfortable hard obstacle hidden behind the pillow (see FIG. 6).

Although shown herein with a round top/bottom profile of approximately 2-4 inches in diameter, it will be understood that body 15 can take any shape and size sufficient to achieve the function of securely anchoring an attached pillow or other decorative item in an upright position on a piece of furniture. For example, the top profile can be square, triangular, octagonal, ovoid, or any number of different shapes, and the diameter or major axis length can range from 1 inch to 12 inches or more, provided that body 15 is preferably smaller than an average decorative pillow to allow the device to be hidden discretely behind the pillow or other decorative object while in use, While body 15 is described with a preferred thickness of from ¾ to 1 inch, it will also be understood that body 15 may have a much greater or lesser thickness T provided that body 15 is not so thick as to “push” the bottom of a pillow or other decorative object away from the surface of the furniture while in use, yet is thick enough so that body 15 can comprise a sufficient weight to serve the desired purpose of securing a pillow, or other decorative object to the surface of a piece of furniture as will herein be described. Body 15 may, for example, be a “flat” square pad formed of a non-skid material having a weight sufficient to achieve the desired functionality of body 15. The preferred weight range for body 15 is from 1 to 12 ounces, and most preferably approximately 4 ounces. The filling material 16 may be any type of material capable of achieving the desired weight of body 15 within the desired size and profile of body 15, and a preferred filling material is natural aquarium gravel, preferably hot sealed in plastic to prevent it from spilling during use. In other preferred embodiments, such, as that shown in FIG. 9, the filling is sand. Ball bearings, uncooked beans, other small metal or polymer pellets or any other material known in the art sufficient for this purpose may also be utilized as filling as will be understood.

In addition, body 15 need not be formed from joinder of separate top 7 and bottom 10 pieces, but may be instead a single unitary element either wrapped around or coexistent with an internal constituent (not shown) that possesses the weight necessary to achieve the desired functionality for body 15. Alternatively, body 15 may be formed of a single unitary component that possesses the desired weight and anti-skid characteristics as will herein be described.

For example, FIGS. 7-9 show a preferred embodiment of the present invention wherein the seal between top and bottom portions is shown in detail. In the instant embodiment, body portion 115 is formed of two round elements, a top 107 and a bottom 110, wherein top 107 is formed with an outer lip 107a (best shown in FIG. 9) which folds up and over the outer edge of bottom 110 and is sealed thereupon by sewing, an adhesive, or other attachment means known in the art.

At least one surface of body 15 is preferably formed from a non-skid material such as polyurethane, rubber, polymer, micro- or nano-fibrillar materials or other high surface friction possessing material. Although a polyurethane sticky gel pad is preferred, any material which can reliably adhere to a low-friction surface such as vinyl or leather under moderate stress, and which preferably is flexible enough to mold to the exterior surface of body 15 and provide a sufficiently comfortable sitting or leaning surface when placed behind a coach pillow, is capable of being utilized for the present invention. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7-9, bottom surface 110 is formed of a sticky gel pad material. Further, it is not required that the entirety of one or more surfaces of body 15 are formed from non-skid material as described herein. For example, as referenced above, in a preferred embodiment, top 7 and bottom 10 of body 15 are formed from marine vinyl, preferably two 2-4 inch rounds joined together at their edges, wherein bottom 10 of body 15 further comprises a polyurethane sticky gel pad, preferably a 1-3 inch round, adhered to bottom 10 with a permanent adhesive of the type known in the art. Thus it will be understood that the non-skid characteristics of bottom 10 may only extend across a portion of either top 7 or bottom 10. In the preferred embodiment described herein, the materials used to form body 15 (as well as the remainder of the device) are waterproof in order to allow the device to be cleaned with water, such as in the case where a polyurethane sticky gel pad is used as a non-skid element of body 15, and such a pad is cleaned from lint or other debris by running it under water.

FIGS. 1-3 and 8 further illustrate the attachment means between body 15 and the decorative abject or pillow to which body 15 will be attached during use. Specifically, attachment means preferably comprises an attachment device 9 and a linkage arm 8 securing attachment device 9 to body 15. Although shown in FIGS. 1-3 as a clip akin to a clothespin, it will be understood that attachment device 9 may comprise any form of removable, non-damaging attachment means for securing an object to a pillow or other hard or soft decorative element, such as a hook and look fastener (i.e. Velcro™), etc. Moreover, depending on the type of attachment device 9, arm 8 may be eliminated or of varying lengths to allow attachment device 9 to be coexistent with or a specified distance away from body 15. In the embodiment shown in, i.e. FIG. 1, arm is preferably a cord having a length of approximately 1-5 inches to allow attachment device 9 to be flexibly secured to a pillow or other decorative object 11 (with reference to FIG. 6). In alternative embodiments, arm 8 may be formed of an elastic band or other materials having varying degrees of elasticity to allow body 15 to maintain its position on a piece of furniture despite stresses applied to pillow 11 by a person sitting on the furniture. In another preferred embodiment, attachment device 9 may be formed from a swivel bull dog clip of the type known in the art. Arm 8 may he of various lengths and include attachment points for manufacturer tags, etc.

Attachment device 9 may be formed of any material, including plastic or, in preferred embodiments, metal. In the embodiment shown FIG. 8, arm 8 may be a fabric, plastic, vinyl or polyurethane (or other flexible material known in the art) “tag” with a rectangular metal loop at one end for attachment by the attachment device 9 using a flexible cord.

In use, then, and with reference to FIGS. 4-6, attachment device 9 is affixed to pillow (or other decorative object) 11, preferably at a lower edge of the rear thereof, prior to said pillow 11 being placed on a low friction surface such as a leather chair or sofa, as shown in FIG. 4. As can be seen, the inventive cushion securing device according to the present invention can be moved from pillow to pillow by attachment and detachment of attachment device 9. Once body 15 is secured to pillow 11 via attachment means 9, pillow (or other decorative object 11) can be placed on the surface of a sofa or other piece of furniture with the entirety of the device including body 15 and attachment means 9, hidden behind it. This arrangement is shown in FIG. 6 wherein body 15 is preferably placed at the corner of seat back 14 and seating surface 12; in FIG. 6 body 15 is shown behind furniture arm 13.

In the position shown in FIGS. 5-6, the device, when secured to the back of a pillow 11 at its lower edge, by virtue of the weight and non-skid bottom surface 10 of body 15, prevents the bottom edge of the pillow 11 from sliding forward to a lie-flat position on the seating surface 12 of the furniture on which the pillow 11 is arranged as may otherwise be the natural physical reaction of pillow 11, over time, to being placed on a low friction surface such as a leather sofa. However it is also envisioned that other attachment positions between body 15 and pillow (or other decorative item) 11 can achieve the same desired effect.

While the device disclosed herein is particularly useful for use in securing decorative objects, it is within the scope of the invention disclosed herein to adapt the device to use in other fields.

This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains.

Claims

1. A device for securely attaching and maintaining the position of a decorative object on a seating surface, the device comprising:

a weighted body portion; and

a removable attachment mechanism;

wherein said body portion comprises at least one surface constructed of a non-skid material.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said weighted body portion comprises a sealed body tilled with a filling material.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein said filling material is sand.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein said sealed body additionally comprises a top portion and a bottom portion, wherein an outer lip of said top portion folds around outer edges of said bottom portion and radially inward along an outer, surface of said bottom portion, and is sealed thereon to form a secure closure.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein said outer lip of said top portion is sewn to said outer surface of said bottom portion.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said removable attachment mechanism is configured to attach to a pillow.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein said body portion is sized to fit underneath a throw pillow resting on a piece of furniture without obstruction a position of said throw pillow on said piece of furniture.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein said removable attachment mechanism comprises a clip means for removable attachment to a soft surface, and a flexible connector releasably securing said clip meats to said weighted body portion.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein said clip means is made of metal.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein said clip means is made of plastic.

11. The device of claim 4, wherein said outer lip of said top portion is adhered to said outer surface of said bottom portion using an adhesive.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein said weighted body portion is between 1 and 12 inches in diameter.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein said weighted body portion is between 2 and 4 inches in diameter.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein said weighted body portion has a thickness T of from ¼ to 3 inches.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein said thickness T is between ¾ and 1 inch.