Group lounge furniture

Abstract

Improvements are disclosed for lounge furniture wherein a plurality of different furniture modules may be formed from a number of elements of identical construction to minimize the total number of parts required. The furniture modules may be ganged together into a unitary structure. A structure is also disclosed for a soft, luxurious yet strong cushion.

Description

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

The present invention relates to improvements in furniture; and more particularly, it relates to improvements in furniture modules, whether they be chairs or desks, wherein the modules are formed from a minimum of structural elements which are used repeatedly to manufacture the different modules. The modules may then be formed into a unit, if desired.

In brief, the advantages of the present invention are achieved by means of a frame structure and cushion construction which cooperate to form a chair, and wherein a side leg structure is used as a common support means for two separate furniture modules connected side by side.

A chair, for example, has two side frames, each having an upright forward leg, a horizontal floor runner, and an upright rear leg. The upper portion of the forward leg is formed rearwardly to provide a brace, and the upper portion of the rear leg is bent slightly rearwardly. A connecting frame member completes the frame side by extending in a generally L-shaped fashion between the upper portion of the front leg and the upper portion of the rear leg for each side frame member; and it is used not only to form a rigid side frame, but to attach separate seat and back cushions and arm rests as well, if they are desired. The forward and rear legs of each side frame are provided with tabs which extend sideways; and these tabs or plates are used for securing stretchers to hold the frame together, or, alternatively, as connectors for adjacently positioned furniture modules.

The cushion structure, when it is used as a seat cushion, lower back cushion or upper back cushion includes a support or foundation pan having upwardly turned sides and laterally extending ribs for strength. The strengthening plate is spot welded to each of the upwardly turned sides; and a body of foam material is placed in the pan and extends well above it. A thin layer of fiberboard is placed beneath the ribbed pan; and the structure is then enveloped in a foam sheathing and covered with an exterior covering. The upwardly turned, strengthened sides of the pan are then used to secure the cushion to the connecting frame members extending between the forward and rear legs of the side frame structures of the chair.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment accompanied by the attached drawing wherein identical reference numerals will refer to like parts in the various views.

THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a three-quarter frontal perspective view of a chair incorporating the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a three-quarter frontal perspective view of a frame for the chair of FIG. 1 taken from the other side;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an ottoman;

FIG. 4 is a three-quarter front perspective view of a second chair incorporating the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a closed arm rest;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of an armless lowback chair illustrating the procedure of assembling a chair;

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of a table as a part of a chair row grouping;

FIG. 8 is an exploded view of a cushion;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view of an assembled cushion;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary sectional view showing one method of mounting a cushion to a support bar;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary section view showing an alternate method of attaching a cushion to a support bar; and

FIG. 12 is a side view of a mounting pin.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1a, the lounge chair 20 has a metal frame 21 with arm rests 22 formed tubular members bent into a closed path as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The frame member 21 is formed of a tubular member of cross section similar to the arm rest and including a rearwardly extending brace 21a, a front leg 21b, a runner 21c, an upright rear leg 21d, and a slightly rearwardly inclined portion 21e. The arm rest may be omitted as indicated in FIG. 12, or it may be closed with an insert as shown in FIG. 11. The chair includes a seat and a back cushion 25.

The embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 is referred to as a lowback lounge chair. A similar high back lounge chair 26 shown in FIG. 5 has a head rest cushion 27 in addition to the others.

The frame includes a right side chair side frame 28r (FIG. 2), a left side chair side frame 29l, a right side connector frame 29r, a left side connector frame 29l, and front and rear stretchers 30. Each of the connector frames 29r, 29l, have a generally horizontal seat portion attached to the brack 21a, and an upwardly extending back portion attached to the inclined portion 21e of the side frame 21.

There are three types of chair side frames, right-hand 28r, left-hand 28l, and intermediate 32a (see FIG. 7). The a refers to a side frame without arms as in FIGS. 6 and 7. The differences are determined by the location of the front and rear stretcher attachment plates or tabs designated 33 in FIG. 6. On a right-hand chair side frame 28a, the plates 33 are welded to the left side of the leg tubes 34. On a left-hand chair side frame 29a the plates 35 are on the right side of the leg tubes 36. On an intermediate chair side frame 32a, FIG. 7, the plates 37r and 37l are on the right and left sides respectively of the leg tube 38.

An armless chair side frame 32a, FIG. 7, includes a leg tube 38 shaped as described above and an L-shaped connector frame or support bar 39, as also described. The connector frame is preferably a thin rectangular tube, whereas the side leg frames are square tubes.

A chair side frame 28 or 29 with arm rests 22, FIG. 2 includes a leg frame 40 as described, an L-shaped connector frame 29l and an arm rest 22 having a metal bar frame 42 of trapezoidal cross section and a padded arm block 43. The arm rests are the same for any of the three types of chair side frames 28, 29 or 32. The closed arm rest 23 has a similar trapezoidal bar frame 44 and is padded on both sides 45 as well as the top 46, see FIG. 5.

The difference between the connector frame members 41r, 41l and 39 is the location of the holes 47 on the edge or edges for the cushion mounting pins 48. The right-hand support bar 41r has the mounting pin holes 47l drilled and tapped on its left edge, see FIG. 2. The left-hand support bar 411 has the mounting pin holes 47r on its right edge. When used to connect two chair modules side by side, the intermediate support bar 39 has the mounting pin holes 47r and 47l drilled and tapped on both sides for the mounting pin locations 48r and 48l and the chair side frame as seen in FIG. 7 as at 32a.

The support bars 41r, 41l and 39 are drilled on their wider, upper surfaces for the attachment of the arm rests. The open arm rests 22 and the closed arm rests 23 are positioned away from the support bars by spacers 49 over long screws turned into blind tapped holes in the arm rest bar 42. When a table is inserted in a chair group, as in FIG. 7a, 14 there are no exposed holes on the upper side edges as at 50 of the connector frames over the table top 51.

Turning now to the table unit of FIG. 7, it may be made an integral part of a row of chairs. The unit includes table top 51 and table frame 52 with two tabs 53 at the rear mounting hole locations 54 so the table top will be level because the lower portion 55 of the support bars slope downwardly toward the rear, as described above. Mounting bolts 56, washers 57 and 58, and spacers 59 attach the table frame 52 to the support bars 39. If the table top 51 is wood or a similar substance, it is fastened to the table frame 52 with several screws 60. If the top is glass or similar substance, it is fastened to the frame with adhesive. In the latter case, there need not be any screw holes as at 60a for the top attachment.

Turning now to FIG. 6, the stretchers 30 are channels with screw holes 68 (see rear stretcher) through the inside wall 69 only. The stretchers 30 are attached to the plates 35 of one side frame 29a, with screws 70 and washers 71. A pair of mounting pins 48r are inserted into the holes 47r of the support bar 41l comprising the connector frame member. The cushions 24 and 25 are slipped onto the mounting pins 48r. The mounting pins 48l are turned into the support bar 41r of the other side frame 28a, then the frame is pushed toward the cushions so that the mounting pins will slip into the grommets 72 and hollow retainer clips 79 (see FIG. 10) in the cushions and the attachment plates 33 will slide into the ends of the channel stretchers 30. The channels are then fastened to the plates with screws 70 and washers 71, as already described.

Referring now to FIGS. 8 and 9, the construction of the cushions will be described. The whole cushion 73 and the weight of the occupant are supported by the cushion foundation or pan 74 which is steel. The pan 74 is provided with two or four stiffening ribs 75 depending upon its fore-and-aft dimension, and is turned upward on both ends at 76 with two holes 77 in each end, just above the ends of two of the ribs 75. There is a steel reinforcement plate 78 attached to each end of the cushion foundation 74 by spot welding. Hollow retainer clips 79 are inserted through holes 80 and into holes 77. When the cushion is placed into a chair frame a mounting pin 48 (FIG. 12) rests inside of each of the four hollow retainer clips 79.

A piece of fiberboard 81 rests against the cushion foundation on its bottom side. A pad of shredded and bonded foam 82 is placed onto the cushion pan, then a plastic foam pad 83 is placed on top. The whole grouping of parts is then wrapped with a fiber covering pad 84.

The entire cushion is then enveloped by a cover 85 having a zipper 86 sewn into it on the bottom side of the back cushion 25 and the head rest cushion 27, or the back side of the seat cushion 24. There is also a welt core 87 attached to the top or front of the cushion. A grommet 88 and washer 89 (FIG. 8) are inserted at each opening 90 on the sides of the cushion, to be aligned later with the retainer clips 79 when the mounting pins 48 are inserted. The cover 85 is pulled over the parts of the cushion and the zipper is closed. If desired, tufting buttons 91 on nylon cord 92 may be added to the cushion on both sides. The construction of all cushions is similar. The size depends upon the type of cushion; whether it is a seat cushion, a back cushion, or a head rest cushion. The back cushion 25 and head rest cushion 27 have two tufting buttons 91 and two ribs 75 in the cushion foundation, while the seat cushion 24 and ottoman cushion have four tufting buttons and four ribs in the cushion foundation.

The mounting pin 48, FIG. 10, consists of a short threaded portion 93, a shoulder rib 94, a long smooth cylinder portion 95 with a groove 96, and a slot 97 in the end for a screwdriver.

FIG. 8 shows one method of attaching a cushion foundation 74 and reinforcement plate 78 to a support bar 98 by turning the mounting pin 48 into the threaded hole 47, and then pushing the cushion so that the mounting pin slides into the hollow retainer clip 79.

FIG. 9 shows an alternate method of inserting a retainer clip 99 into a larger hole 100 in the support bar 98, threading the mounting pin into the reinforcement plate 78 and cushion foundation, and pushing the mounting pin into the retainer clip.

Having thus described in detail a preferred embodiment of the present invention, persons skilled in the art will be able to modify certain of the structure which has been illustrated and to substitute equivalent elements for those disclosed while continuing to practice the principle of the invention; and it is, therefore, intended that all such modifications and substitutions be covered as they are embraced within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

I claim:

1. A chair comprising first and second side frames of tubular metal, each forming a front leg, a rearwardly extending brace at the top of said front leg, a floor-engaging runner at the bottom of said front leg, an upwardly extending rear leg, and a slightly rearwardly extending portion at the top of said rear leg; first and second connector frame members having a generally L-shape, each connected to an associated side frame at the brace and the upper portion of said rear leg thereof; an inwardly extending tab on each leg; first and second channel-shaped stretchers extending respectively between the tabs on the pair of front legs and the tabs on the pair of rear legs; a seat cushion extending betwen the generally horizontal portions of said connector members; and a back cushion extending between the generally upright portions of said connector members; each of said cushions comprising a metal pan having upwardly turned side portions; a body of foam filling said pan and extending above the upper edges of said sides thereof; a sheet of foam material encompassing said body and said pan; first and second strengthening plate members connected respectively to the upwardly turned sides of said pan; and fastener means for attaching the sides of said pan to an associated connector frame members through an associated strengthening plate.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said pan is transversely ribbed for strength, and wherein said cushion further comprises a sheet of rigid material interposed between the ribs of said pan and said sheeting.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said fasteners comprise a pin having a threaded end and an insert end, the threaded end thereof being connected either to said pan or to said connector frame, and the other end of said pin being received in an annular sleeve fitted into the other of said pan or said connector member.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising arm rest means including a closed tubular member conforming to the shape of an associated connector frame member and secured thereto, an upright forward portion and a horizontal arm portion.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of said side frame members is provided with a pair of outwardly extending tabs adjacent respectively of said forward and rear legs thereof; and further comprising a second furniture module secured to said outwardly-extending tabs of said side frame member.

6. A plurality of chairs connected side-by-side, comprising first and second side frames and an intermediate frame of tubular metal, each frame forming a front leg, a rearwardly extending brace at the top of said front leg, a floor-engaging runner at the bottom of said front leg, an upwardly extending rear leg, and a slightly rearwardly extending portion at the top of said rear leg; a connector frame member having a generally L-shape connected to each frame at the brace and the upper portion of said rear leg thereof; an inwardly extending tab on each leg of said side frames and a pair of laterally extending tabs on each leg of said intermediate frame; first and second channel-shaped stretchers extending respectively between the tabs on the front legs and the tabs on the pair of rear legs; a seat cushion for each chair extending between the generally horizontal portions of said connector members on the associated chair; and a back cushion for each chair connected between the generally upright portions of said connector members for each chair.