Dr Dariusz Szpica, Professor of Bialystok University of Technology (PB), Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Operations at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at PB, is the author of the invention “Corner sofa”, which PB has applied for a patent at the Polish Patent Office.

The essence of Prof. Szpica’s invention is a corner sofa with a sleeping function consisting of a sofa arm provided with a folding seat and backrest, side rails on both sides of the shorter sides of the sofa arm and a corner element connected to the sofa arm and provided with a hinged movable cushion, characterised by the movable cushion being swung outwards from the closed position by means of a hinge and positioned vertically parallel to the side rails. Furthermore, when the seat and backrest are unfolded, the box of the corner element is located under the seat of the couch arm.

According to the inventor, the solution provides a compact corner sofa, as when unfolded to realise the sleeping function, the movable cushion, when positioned vertically, is an extension of the side rail, thus not increasing the furniture’s overall dimensions.