Ready to assemble furniture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10874222-B2
Application number	US-201816138468-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2018
Priority date	Sep 22, 2017
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

A ready-to-assemble (“RTA”) sofa suitable for outdoor use comprising a seat base and a back rest that can be reconfigured between a use configuration in which the sofa has a conventional L-shaped cross-section and a shipping or storage configuration in which the sofa is arranged in a more efficiently stacked rectangular cross-section. The rectangular cross-section allows the sofa to be more efficiently stacked with other sofas during shipping or storage. In addition, the rectangular cross-section reduces the dead spaces created when an L-shaped sofa is inserted into a box that can collapse during shipping or storage. Moreover, providing a single rigid integral component, the seat base, as an internal skeletal component, provides vertical support extending substantially the height of the box at the opposing ends, provides a highly robust boxed package.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A boxed ready to assemble sofa suitable for outdoor use, the sofa having a shipping configuration and a use configuration, the boxed RTA sofa comprising:
a cardboard box containing the sofa in the shipping configuration;
a seat base in the box, the seat base having a rectangular footprint with a top side, a bottom side, a back side, a left side, and a right side, the seat base comprising a rectangular seat base framework formed of rectangular metal tubing welded together, a left armrest and a right armrest, each armrest having an inverted U-shape, the left armrest being welded to the rectangular seat base framework at the left side and the right armrest being welded on the right side of the seat base, each armrest comprising a downward rearward leg portion and a downward forward leg portion, each extending downwardly with respect to the rectangular seat base framework, each armrest further comprising an upper rearward portion and an upper forward portion with a horizontal portion extending therebetween, and, the seat base further comprising an intermediate leg formed of metal tubing welded to the rectangular seat base framework at the back side positioned in-between the left side and right side extending downwardly from the rectangular seat base framework and the intermediate leg having an open rectangular tubing end facing upward at or above the rectangular seat base framework, wherein the box conforms to the seat base with a height of the horizontal portion substantially corresponding with an inside height of the box, and a length of the seat base substantially corresponding to the inside length of the box;
a back rest in the box, the back rest having a rectangular back rest framework with a top frame member, a lower frame member, a left side frame member and a right side frame member, each of the left side frame member and the right side frame member welded to the top frame member and the lower frame member, the back rest further having at least one intermediate column portion having an open rectangular tubing end face facing downward when the back rest is assembled to the seat base, the open rectangular tubing end face of the at least one column portion configured to abuttingly mate with the open rectangular tubing end face of the intermediate leg;
at least one joining component for extending between the intermediate leg and the intermediate column when the back rest is assembled to the seat base, the at least one joining component and abutting tubing end faces precluding rotation between the intermediate column and the intermediate leg and constraining the intermediate column with respect to the intermediate leg and seat base forwardly, rearwardly, leftwardly, rightwardly, and downwardly;
plurality of seat cushions and a plurality of back rest cushions in the box;
instructions in the box; and
a plurality of fasteners in the box.

2. The sofa of claim 1 wherein the intermediate leg and intermediate column portion are both formed of matching rectangular tubing each with at least one internal divider defining a plurality of parallel passageways each passageway with a rectangular cross section, and wherein the at least one joining component is a rectangular post conforming to and extending between connecting passageways when the back rest is assembled to the seat base.

3. The sofa of claim 1 wherein the upper rearward portion of the armrests are formed of rectangular tubing and the left side frame member and the right side frame member of the back rest are formed of rectangular tubing, and wherein when the back rest is assembled to the seat base, the upper rearward portion of the left armrest has a forward facing surface and the left side frame member of the back rest has a forward facing portion that is flush with the forward facing surface of the left arm rest and the left arm rest and back rest are securable together with one of the plurality of fasteners.

4. The boxed RTA sofa of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of back cushions, the plurality of seat cushions, the seat base, and the back rest are in a vertical stack in the box.

5. The boxed RTA sofa of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate leg is a first intermediate leg and the seat base further comprises a second intermediate leg formed of metal tubing welded to the rectangular seat base framework at the back side of the rectangular seat base framework and positioned in-between the left side and right side, and wherein the intermediate column portion is a first intermediate column portion and the back rest further comprises a second intermediate column portion, the second intermediate column portion and the second intermediate leg configured to abuttingly mate together whereby there are two intermediate leg and intermediate column portion junctures.

6. The boxed RTA sofa of claim 1 , wherein the back rest is removably attachable to the arm rests and columns by a plurality of threaded fasteners.

7. The boxed RTA sofa of claim 1 , wherein the back rest is positioned above the seat base and cushions when in the shipping configuration.

8. The boxed RTA sofa of claim 1 , wherein the sofa has a shipping configuration and wherein the shipping configuration the seat cushions are stowed in the seat base, and the back rest cushions are stowed atop the seat cushions and between the arm rests, and the back rest is laid horizontally across the back rest cushions.

9. An RTA sofa comprising
an integral welded seat base and an integral welded back rest;
the integral welded seat base comprising a single rigid integral component with a plurality of legs welded to a seat base framework, the seat base framework comprising a rigid cushion platform for supporting seat cushions;
the integral welded back rest comprising rigid cushion support webbing;
the integral welded back rest connecting to the integral welded seat base by way of one or two socket connections at a back side of the seat base intermediate left and right sides of the seat base, the back rest further connecting with the seat base with a first fastener extending between the back rest and a left arm rest, and a second fastener extending between the back rest and a right arm rest, the left arm rest and right arm rest each integral with the seat base; and
at least one cushion on the connected integral welded back rest and integral welded seat base, wherein the one or two socket connections each have a rectangular tubing portion of the back rest abutting a rectangular tubing portion of the seat portion and a rectangular post is conformingly positioned within both rectangular tubing portions, and

wherein the one or two socket connections each have a rectangular tubing portion of the back rest abutting a rectangular tubing portion of the seat portion and a rectangular ring extending around the abutted connection.

10. The RTA sofa of claim 9 wherein the at least one cushion comprises two seat cushion on the rigid platform of the seat base and two cushions against the rigid back rest support webbing.

11. The RTA sofa of claim 9 wherein the integral welded back rest and integral welded seat base comprise rectangular aluminum tubing.

12. The RTA sofa of claim 9 wherein the integral welded back rest is secured to the seat base exclusively at the one or two socket connections and by the first and second fasteners.

13. A method of assembling an RTA sofa comprising:
removing an integral welded seat base, an integral welded back rest, and a plurality of fasteners from a box, the seat base including a plurality of legs welded to a seat base framework;
plugging one or more intermediate column portions of the back rest into corresponding socke

Assignees

• Ashley Furniture Ind Inc

Inventors

• Adams Brian

Classifications

• A47C1/14

  Beach chairs {; Chairs for outdoor use, e.g. chairs for relaxation or sun-tanning} · CPC title

• A47C5/10

  Tubular chairs of foldable, collapsible, or dismountable type · CPC title

• A47C17/02

  Sofas, couches, settees, or the like, without movable parts · CPC title

• A47C7/42 Primary

  of detachable {or loose} type · CPC title

• A47C11/00

  Benches not otherwise provided for · CPC title