Furniture assembly system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9474381-B2
Application number	US-201414331595-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2014
Priority date	Mar 30, 2011
Publication date	Oct 25, 2016
Grant date	Oct 25, 2016

Abstract

An assembly system permitting separate construction and transport of subcomponents for seating furniture items. The disassembled subcomponents allow for more efficient transportation by eliminating the dead space created by transporting irregularly shaped assembled furniture items. The assembly system includes a seat box having a rectangular frame defining an accessible internal cavity covered by an upper support surface. The assembly system also comprises a back rest having a seat box interface surface and at least arm rest interface surface. The back rest also defines an internal cavity accessible through closable opening for internal access to the arm rest interface surfaces. The assembly system also includes mounting an interface surface to the arm rest for securing the arm rest to the arm rest interface surface of the back rest and the rectangular frame of the seat box.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A ready to assemble furniture item, comprising:
a first subcomponent having at least one first interface plate defining at least one first hole having a diameter;
a second subcomponent having a second interface plate defining at least one second hole corresponding to the at least one first hole; and
a plurality of manual handled threaded fasteners each comprising a handle, an alignment portion and a shaft having a threaded portion, wherein the threaded portion of one of the plurality of manual handled threaded fasteners is insertable through the first hole and into the second hole for threaded engagement with the second subcomponent within the second hole with the threaded portion for affixing the first subcomponent to the second subcomponent; wherein the alignment portion of each of the plurality of manually handled threaded fasteners comprises an enlarged diameter portion corresponding to the diameter of the first hole and a tapered portion extending from the threaded shaft to the enlarged diameter portion whereby the tapered portion may engage an edge of the first hole to shift the first subcomponent relative to the second subcomponent to bring the first subcomponent and the second subcomponent into alignment.

2. The ready to assemble furniture item of claim 1 , further comprising a set of instructions for tool-less assembly of the ready to assemble sofa item.

3. The ready to assemble furniture item of claim 1 , wherein the first subcomponent further comprises an upper support assembly positioned on a rectangular frame to define an interior cavity, wherein the at least one first interface plate defines at least one wall of the rectangular frame.

4. The ready to assemble furniture item of claim 3 , wherein the first subcomponent defines an opening in the bottom of the first subcomponent for accessing the interior cavity of the first subcomponent such that the shaft of the fastener can be inserted through the first hole from within the interior cavity of the first subcomponent.

5. The ready to assemble furniture item of claim 1 , wherein the second interface plate comprises a bushing assembly within the second hole having a bushing portion defining a threaded interior for engaging the threaded portion.

6. The ready to assemble furniture item of claim 5 , wherein the bushing assembly further comprises at least one engagement feature affixable to the second interface plate to maintain the bushing portion within the second hole.

7. A ready to assemble furniture item kit comprising:
a plurality of packaged subcomponents including: a first subcomponent having at least one first interface plate defining at least one first hole; a second subcomponent having a second interface plate defining at least one second hole corresponding to the at least one first hole having a diameter; and a plurality of threaded fasteners each comprising a handle, an alignment portion and a shaft having a threaded portion, wherein the threaded portion of one of the plurality of threaded fasteners is insertable through the first hole and into the second hole for engagement within the second hole with the threaded portion to affix the first subcomponent to the second subcomponent; wherein the alignment portion of each of the plurality of threaded fasteners comprises an enlarged diameter portion and a tapered portion, and wherein the enlarged diameter portion corresponds to the diameter of the first hole and the tapered portion extends from the enlarged diameter portion to the threaded shaft whereby the tapered portion may engage an edge of the first hole to shift the first subcomponent relative to the second subcomponent to bring the first subcomponent and the second subcomponent into alignment.

8. The ready to assemble furniture item kit of claim 7 , wherein the first subcomponent further comprises a flap having a releasable closure mechanism for selectively covering the opening in the bottom of the first subcomponent.

9. The ready to assemble furniture item kit of claim 7 , further comprising a box containing the packaged subcomponents and a set of instructions for tool-less assembly of the ready to assemble furniture item kit.

10. The ready to assemble furniture item kit of claim 7 , wherein the first subcomponent further comprises an upper support assembly positioned on a rectangular frame to define an interior cavity within the first subcomponent, wherein the at least one first interface plate defines at least one wall of the rectangular frame.

11. The ready to assemble furniture item kit of claim 10 , wherein the first subcomponent defines an opening for accessing the interior cavity of the first subcomponent such that the shaft of the fastener can be inserted through the first hole from within the interior cavity of the first subcomponent.

12. The ready to assemble furniture item kit of claim 7 , wherein the second interface plate comprises a bushing assembly within the second hole having a bushing portion defining a threaded interior for engaging the threaded portion.

13. The ready to assemble furniture item kit of claim 12 , wherein the bushing assembly further comprises at least one engagement feature affixable to the second interface plate to maintain the bushing portion within the second hole.

14. A method of assembling a ready to assemble furniture item, comprising: providing a ready to assemble furniture item kit having: a first subcomponent having at least one first interface plate defining at least one first hole, a back rest having a second interface plate defining at least one second hole corresponding to the at least one first hole, wherein the first hole comprises a larger diameter than the second hole, and a plurality of screwed fasteners each comprising a handle, an alignment portion and a shaft having a threaded portion, wherein the alignment portion of each of the plurality of screwed fasteners comprises an enlarged diameter portion and a tapered portion leading to the shaft; positioning the first subcomponent and back rest such that the first and second interface plates are proximate to each other and the first and second holes are in alignment; inserting the shaft of at least one of the plurality of fasteners through the first and second holes until the threaded portion of the shaft engages the second hole; rotating the shaft by twisting the handle to pull the first and second interface surfaces together and affixing the first subcomponent to the back rest; and engaging an edge of the first hole with the tapered surface of the alignment portion for shifting the position of the first subcomponent relative to the back rest to correct any misalignment between the first subcomponent and the back rest.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first subcomponent further comprises an upper support assembly positioned on a rectangular frame to define an interior cavity within the first subcomponent, wherein the first subcomponent also defines an opening in the bottom of the first subcomponent for accessing the interior cavity, wherein the at least one first interface plate defines at least one wall of the rectangular frame.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising: navigating the at least one fastener through the opening in the first subcomponent to position the fastener within the interior cavity defined by the first subcomponent for insertion into the first and second holes.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising: providing a third subcomponent comprising a third interface plate defining at least one third hole; wherein the first subcomponent further comprises a fo

Assignees

• Ashley Furniture Ind Inc

Inventors

• Brandtner Timothy A
• Fynboh Peter J
• Lejcher Christopher Jon

Classifications

• A47C4/028

  Upholstered chairs, e.g. metal, plastic or wooden chairs · CPC title

• A47C17/02 Primary

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

• Y10T29/481

  Method · CPC title

• A47C17/86

  Parts or details specially adapted for beds, sofas or couches not fully covered by any single one of groups A47C17/02 - A47C17/84 · CPC title

• Y10T29/49963

  Threaded fastener · CPC title