Furniture member having flexible seatback

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10568428-B2
Application number	US-201715831865-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2017
Priority date	Apr 7, 2017
Publication date	Feb 25, 2020
Grant date	Feb 25, 2020

Abstract

A furniture member may include a stationary frame assembly and a seatback cushion. The stationary frame assembly may include a stationary base frame, a pair of stationary armrest frames and a stationary seatback frame that is fixed relative to the stationary base frame and the stationary armrest frames. The seatback cushion may include upholstery attached to at least one of the armrest frames. The upholstery may include a portion disposed between the at least one of the armrest frames and the seatback cushion. The portion of the upholstery may be expandable to allow movement of the seatback cushion relative to the stationary base frame, the stationary armrest frames and the stationary seatback frame between an upright position and a reclined position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A furniture member comprising:
a stationary frame assembly including a stationary base frame, a pair of stationary armrest frames and a stationary seatback frame that is fixed relative to the stationary base frame and the stationary armrest frames; and
a seatback cushion including upholstery attached to at least one of the stationary armrest frames, wherein the upholstery includes a portion disposed between the at least one of the stationary armrest frames and the seatback cushion, and wherein the portion of the upholstery is expandable to allow movement of the seatback cushion relative to the stationary base frame, the stationary armrest frames and the stationary seatback frame between an upright position and a reclined position.

2. The furniture member of claim 1 , further comprising a seat bottom assembly supported by the stationary base frame and movable relative to the stationary base frame between a nominal position and a tilted position.

3. The furniture member of claim 2 , further comprising another seat bottom assembly and another seatback cushion,
wherein the seat bottom assemblies are movable between the nominal and tilted positions independently of each other,
wherein the seatback cushions are movable independently of each other between the upright and reclined positions, and
wherein the stationary seatback frame includes a single, continuous seatback rail that extends from one of the stationary armrest frames to the other of the stationary armrest frames such that the furniture member lacks split lines between the seatback cushions and lacks split lines between the seatback cushions and the stationary armrest frames.

4. The furniture member of claim 3 , wherein the seatback rail is disposed vertically higher than the stationary armrest frames.

5. The furniture member of claim 2 , wherein the seatback cushion moves between the upright and reclined positions in response to movement of the seat bottom assembly between the nominal and tilted positions.

6. The furniture member of claim 5 , further comprising backrest support springs that flex in response to movement of the seat bottom assembly between the nominal and tilted positions, wherein the seatback cushion is mounted to the backrest support springs.

7. The furniture member of claim 6 , wherein each of the backrest support springs includes a first end and a second end, wherein the first end fixedly attached to the stationary seatback frame, and wherein the second end is movable relative to the stationary seatback frame in response to movement of the seat bottom assembly between the nominal and tilted positions.

8. The furniture member of claim 7 , wherein the second end of each of the backrest support springs is fixedly attached to the seat bottom assembly.

9. The furniture member of claim 8 , wherein the stationary base frame includes a plurality of rollers, wherein the seat bottom assembly is supported by the stationary base frame and is rollingly movable on the plurality of rollers relative to the stationary base frame and the stationary seatback frame between the nominal and tilted positions.

10. The furniture member of claim 9 , further comprising a legrest mechanism supported by the stationary base frame and movable relative to the stationary base frame and the stationary seatback frame among a retracted position, a first extended position and a second extended position.

11. The furniture member of claim 10 , wherein a portion of the legrest mechanism is spaced apart from the seat bottom assembly when the legrest mechanism is in the retracted position, wherein the portion of the legrest mechanism contacts the seat bottom assembly when the legrest mechanism is in the first extended position and pushes the seat bottom assembly from the nominal position to the tilted position as the legrest mechanism moves from the first extended position to the second extended position.

12. The furniture member of claim 10 , wherein the legrest mechanism includes a legrest platform, a mid-ottoman platform, and legrest upholstery attached to and extending between the legrest platform and the mid-ottoman platform, and wherein the legrest upholstery folds and unfolds as the legrest platform rotates relative to the mid-ottoman platform.

13. A furniture member comprising:
a stationary frame assembly having a motor bracket pin;
a motor pivotably mounted to the motor bracket pin;
a battery electrically connected to the motor; and
a battery tray assembly including a bracket and a shelf, the bracket pivotably engaging the motor bracket pin, the shelf attached to the bracket and defining a shelf surface configured to support the battery.

14. The furniture member of claim 13 , wherein the battery tray assembly is disposed below a seat bottom assembly of the furniture member and hangs downward from the motor bracket pin.

15. The furniture member of claim 14 , wherein the bracket includes a base and a pair of ears extending from the base, wherein the ears include slots that rotatably receive the motor bracket pin, and wherein the base is attached to the shelf.

16. The furniture member of claim 15 , wherein the bracket includes a protrusion that abuts a cross member of the stationary frame assembly, and wherein contact between the protrusion and the cross member restricts rotation of the battery tray assembly relative to the stationary frame assembly.

17. The furniture member of claim 16 , wherein the motor engages the motor bracket pin between the ears.

18. The furniture member of claim 17 , further comprising a dust cover attached to the stationary frame assembly below the seat bottom assembly, wherein the dust cover includes an aperture providing access to the battery tray assembly.

19. The furniture member of claim 18 , wherein the shelf includes a plurality of lips that at least partially define a periphery of the shelf surface.

20. The furniture member of claim 13 , further comprising a seat bottom assembly and a legrest mechanism, wherein the motor drives movement of the seat bottom assembly and the legrest mechanism relative to the stationary frame assembly.

Assignees

• La Z Boy Inc

Inventors

• Marshall Richard E
• Cole Ii Eugene O
• Ramasubramanian Chandrasekar
• Brown Stephen
• Rains Jason
• Bryson Jason

Classifications

• A47C1/0352 Primary

  characterised by coupled seat and back-rest slidingly movable in the base frame, e.g. by rollers · CPC title

• A47C17/04

  {Seating furniture, e.g.} sofas, couches, settees, or the like, with movable parts {changeable to beds}; Chair beds · CPC title

• A47C1/0242

  by electric motors · CPC title

• A47C7/506

  of adjustable type · CPC title

• A47C1/0345

  characterised by foot-rests actuated by lazy-tongs · CPC title