Knockdown Chair

Abstract

A seating structure including readily assembled and disassembled components with each of the components to be upholstered provided with upholstered portions consisting of suitably cushioned upholstery covers secured on the upholstered portions by means of coacting "Velcro" strips completely hidden from view when the components of the seating structure are in assembled relation. The components of the seating structure include a base supported horizontal seat cushion assembly, an upstanding backrest assembly and a pair of upstanding opposite side arm assemblies. The backrest and cushion assemblies include coacting latching means for releasably latching the backrest to the cushion assembly upon movement of the former toward the latter along a predetermined path to a position operably juxtaposition said cushion assembly and the cushion and side arm assemblies include coacting support means for stationarily releasably supporting the arm assemblies from the cushion assembly in operative juxtaposition relative thereto. In addition, the arm assemblies and the backrest assembly include coacting structure releasably anchoring a position of the backrest assembly spaced above its lower end to the rear end portions of the arm assemblies against rearward movement relative to the latter. A first form of the invention further includes coacting locking structure carried by the seat cushion assembly, the arm assemblies and the backrest assembly for locking the arm assemblies in their supported positions juxtaposition the seat cushion in response to movement of the backrest portion toward its supported position operably juxtaposition the seat cushion assembly.

Parent Case Text

This application comprises a continuation-in-part of my co-pending application U.S. Ser. No. 858,489, for Chair With Detachable Components, filed Sept. 16, 1969, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,615,154.

Description

The present invention relates to knockdown seating furniture of the type including a horizontal seat cushion assembly, an upstanding backrest assembly and a pair of upstanding opposite side arm assemblies.

Although the present invention may be utilized in conjunction with fully upholstered furniture including the above mentioned components, the principles of the invention may also be utilized in conjunction with seating furniture that does not include an upholstered upstanding backrest assembly. Also, the instant invention resides in seating structure which may be readily assembled and disassembled without the use of tools and two alternate forms of the invention disclosed include juxtapositionable components which may be secured together by the utilization of simple hand tools.

In the form of the invention disclosed which may be assembled and disassembled without the utilization of hand tools and in substantially an automatic manner merely by placing the various components of the seating furniture in their proper positions relative to each other, the structure by which the arm assemblies are anchored relative to the seat cushion assembly coacts with the upstanding backrest assembly in anchoring the latter to the rear ends of the upstanding arm assemblies in a manner bracing the back rest assembly against rearward movement of its upper portion relative to the arm rest assemblies.

The prior art includes a wide variety of knockdown furniture consisting of component parts that can be assembled by inner engaging various types of hardware components. However, in order to assemble such furniture, special tools are necessary and the process is time consuming. Also, a certain amount of skill is required.

Certain of the prior art devices utilizing knockdown construction do so to enable disassembly of the various components when reupholstering is necessary. Generally, hooks and other mechanical fasteners retain the covering material around the components so that opening of sown seams and resewing are unnecessary. However, it has been found that the use of mechanical fasteners such as hooks causes an uneven stretching of the fabric which makes it obvious that the reupholstering job is other than professionally done.

The present invention resides in the provision of knockdown furniture of a type that may be readily disassembled and including components which may be fully upholstered by the utilization of individual coverings closed and retained in place by the utilization of "Velcro" strips whose prepositioning renders them completely hidden from view when the various components of the furniture are assembled.

The present invention can be completely upholstered by persons not skilled in the upholstering art within 30 minutes and without the use of special tools of any type. The various forms of the invention disclosed may be readily disassembled either without the use of tools of any kind or by the utilization of the simplest of hand tools and the upholstered portions of the furniture components are constructed so that they may be readily covered by preformed slip cover type components closed and anchored in position by means of the aforementioned "Velcro" strips which are then completely hidden from view as the various components of the furniture are reassembled. Thus, the upholstery covering for the various components may be tailor-made to predetermined configuration and readily slipped over the various upholstered components and secured in position with little effort and in a manner free of uneven stretching of the fabric. Thus, when the furniture has been reupholstered or covered and the various components thereof have reassembled with the closing and anchoring "Velocro" strips of the upholstery coverings hidden from view, a clean professional appearance is realized.

The main object of this invention is to provide knockdown furniture which may be readily disassembled and reassembled with little effort when desired.

Another object of this invention is to provide knockdown furniture in accordance with the preceding object and including upholstered components thereof which may be readily reupholstered by persons not skilled in the upholstery art.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide knockdown furniture in accordance with the preceding objects and including upholstering coverings for the upholstered components thereof which may be readily slipped over the components to be upholstered and closed and secured in position in a manner completely concealing all evidence all the reupholstering task performed upon reassembly of the various components of the furniture.

Still another object of this invention is to provide reupholstering covers for use in conjunction with the knockdown furniture including "Velcro" strips for closing and attaching the upholstery covers to the upholstered components in areas of the upholstered components hidden from view when the furniture is full assembled.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide knockdown furniture in accordance with the preceding objects which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to disassemble and reassemble so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free to reupholster.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a first form of seating furniture constructed in accordance with the present invention and with the upholstery of the various upholstered components thereof removed and certain of the components themselves removed, broken away and illustrated in horizontal section;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the assemblage of FIG. 1 in section as taken upon a front to rear extending upstanding plane passing through the center of the furniture;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 3--3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 4--4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view on somewhat of an enlarged scale taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 5--5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 6--6 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 7--7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the seating structure illustrated in FIGS. 1-7;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating one manner in which the various upholstered components of the seating structure may be covered by an upholstery cover during reupholstering operations and by the utilization of "Velcro" strips;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view similar to FIG. 5 but illustrating a modified form of the invention wherein adjustable cam latches are utilized to anchor the opposite side arm assemblies to the seat cushion assembly; and

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view similar to FIGS. 5 and 10 of the drawings but illustrating a second modified form of the invention.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates a seating structure in the form of a chair. The chair 10 includes a base 12 from which a seat cushion assembly referred to in general by the reference numeral 14 is supported and a pair of opposite side arm assemblies referred to in general by the reference numerals 16 and an upstanding seatback assembly referred to in general by the reference numeral 18 are supported from the opposite side and rear marginal portions of the seat cushion assembly 14. The base 12 may include stationary legs, if desired, but in this instance is provided with a legged lower base assembly 20 from which the base 12 is swivelly supported.

The seat cushion assembly 14, the arm assemblies 16 and the seatback assembly 18 include their own individual support frame structures. The support frame structure of the seat cushion assembly 14 is referred to in general by the reference numeral 22 and includes upstanding opposite side members 24 interconnected at their rear ends by means of a rear transverse member 26. The arm assemblies 16 include frame assemblies referred to in general by the reference numeral 26 and each frame assembly 26 includes upper and lower front to rear extending members 30 and 32 and an upstanding rear member 34. Finally, the seatback assembly 18 includes an upstanding panel-like member 36.

Each of the assemblies 14, 16 and 18 may have suitable cushioning panels positioned relative thereto so as to enclose corresponding frame members thereof and each assembly includes its own upholstered covering. The covering of the assembly 14 is referred to by the reference numeral 14', the coverings of the assemblies 16 are referred to by the reference numerals 16' and the covering of the assembly 18 is referred to by the reference numeral 18'. Each of these coverings may be preconstructed of the proper size and shape in the form of a slipcover for the corresponding assembly and each covering, such as the covering 16' illustrated in FIG. 9, may have one open side 17 to enable the covering to be applied over the corresponding assembly 16 and closeable by means of a covering closure panel 19, the peripheral edges of the covering 16' extending about the open side 17 thereof being provided with a "Velcro" strip 17' and the peripheral edges of the closure panel being provided with a second "Velcro" strip 19' with the "Velcro" strips 17' and 19' being releasably engageable with each other to secure the cover panel 19 over the open side of the covering 16'. In this manner, the tensioning of the covering 16' when disposed over the assembly 16 may be even throughout with the covering 16' having the appearance of being professionally applied although it may, of course, be readily applied to the assembly 16 by persons not having skills in the upholstering art. Further, the covering 16' as well as the other coverings may have edge panels thereof open and closable by means of closure panels such as the closure panel 19 which these edge closure panels disposed lowermost or rearmost.

The rear transverse member 26 includes a horizontally disposed upper portion 40 having an upwardly and rearwardly inclined socket 42 defined therein with which a spring urged ratchet dog 44 is operatively associated for lateral movement into and out of socket 42. The ratchet dog 44 has an actuating lever 46 operatively associated therewith including a handle end 48 receivable in a rearwardly opening recess 50 formed in the member 40 and the ratchet dog 44 is spring urged toward an operative position projecting into the socket 42 by means of a compression spring 52, the actuating lever 46 being normally disposed in the solid line position thereof illustrated in FIG. 7 of the drawings with the ratchet dog 44 in its operative position but oscillatable to the phantom line position thereof illustrated in FIG. 7 with the handle end 48 depressed inwardly of the recess 50 for retracting the ratchet dog 44 laterally outwardly of the socket 42.

The lower marginal edge portion of the panel-like member 36 has a depending anchor pin 54 supported therefrom by means of a mounting plate 56 suitably attached to the panel member 36 and the anchor pin 54 is provided with longitudinally spaced ratchet teeth 58 with which the ratchet dog 44 is engageable. Accordingly, the seatback assembly 18 may be supported from the seat cushion assembly 14 by downward displacement of the anchor pin 54 into the socket 42 with the ratchet dog 44 serving to maintain the anchor pin 54 within the socket 42 against upward displacement therefrom. Of course, when the actuating lever 46 is displaced to the phantom line position thereof illustrated in FIG. 7 of the drawings, the ratchet dog 44 is retracted laterally of the socket 42 and the anchor pin 54 is free to be withdrawn from the socket 42.

The opposite side edge portions of the seatback assembly 18 include slightly outstanding downwardly opening U-shaped anchor plates 60 for a purpose to be hereinafter more fully set forth and the side members 24 of the seat cushion assembly 14 include pairs of keyhole openings 62, there being backing plates 64 secured to the inner surfaces of the side members 24 provided with similar keyhole openings 66 registered with the keyhole openings 62 and the backing plates 64 include downwardly opening laterally outstanding semi-circular abutment plates 68 conforming to and registered with the upper portions of the keyhole openings 66.

The members 32 of the seat cushion assembly 14 include longitudinally spaced bearing blocks 70 and 72 carried by the front and rear portions, respectively, of the members 32 and a front to rear extending operating shaft 74 has its opposite ends journalled in each pair of corresponding bearing blocks 70 and 72. Spur gears 76 and 78 are mounted on the front and rear ends of each of the shafts 74 for rotation therewith and disposed within cavities provided therefor in the blocks 70 and 72. In addition, the rear end of each shaft 74 has a second spur gear 80 mounted thereon. The bearing blocks 70 and 72 have supporting and locking bolts 82 and 84 guidingly supported therefrom for longitudinal reciprocation transversely of the assemblies 16 and the bolts 82 and 84 are provided with rack gear teeth 86 with which the spur gears 76 and 78 are meshed. The inner ends of the bolts 82 and 84 are provided with diametrically enlarged removable and axially adjustable heads 88 and the heads 88 and the adjacent portions of the bolts 82 and 84 project horizontally outwardly from the inner sides of the assemblies 16 for reception in the keyhole openings 62 and 66. Of course, oscillation of the shafts 74 causes reciprocation of the bolts 82 and 84 and thus the operating shafts 74 may be rotated to extend the bolts 82 and 84 from the inner sides of the assemblies 16 preparatory to the head ends of the bolts being passed through the enlarged upper end portions of the openings 62 and 66 after which the shank portions of the bolts 82 and 84 adjacent the heads 88 thereof may be slid downwardly in the narrow portions of the keyhole openings 62 and 66 to seated positions in the lower ends thereof such as that illustrated in FIG. 5. In this manner, the assemblies 16 may be removably supported from the opposite side marginal edge portions of the assembly 14 and subsequent to the positioning of the assemblies 16 adjacent the assembly 14 with the former supported from the latter by means of the bolts 82 and 84 being seated in the lower ends of the keyhole openings 62 and 66 the shafts 74 may be rotated so as to retract the bolts 82 and 84 and thus clamp the assemblies 16 to the opposite side portions of the assembly 14.

Each of the assemblies 16 includes a mounting bracket 90 supported from its upper member 30 and from which the upper end of an upstanding operating rod 92 is slidingly supported for longitudinal reciprocation. The lower end of each operating rod 92 is slidingly received through an upstanding bore 94 provided in the corresponding bearing block 72 and provided with rack gear teeth 96 meshed with the corresponding spur gear 80. In addition, a compression spring 98 is disposed about the mid-portion of each operating rod 92 between the upper surface of the corresponding bearing block 72 and a cross anchor pin 100 carried by the operating rod 92 whereby the springs 98 serve to yieldingly bias the operating rods 92 upwardly.

The mid-portion of an actuating lever 102 is pivotally supported from the upper end portion of each operating rod 92 as at 104 and one end of each lever 102 includes an outstanding horizontal abutment pin 106 operable through an arcuate slot 108 formed in the corresponding covering 16'. The other end of each lever 102 includes an upper bearing surface or fulcrum surface 110 disposed in engagement with the under side of a laterally outwardly projecting abutment 112 supported from the corresponding mounting bracket 90. In addition, each arm assembly 16 includes an upper rear internal bracket 114 having a downwardly opening notch 116 formed therein in which the corresponding abutment pin 106 is seatingly engageable.

After the arm assemblies 16 have been positioned and loosely supported on the opposite sides of the seat cushion assembly 14 by means of the bolts 80 and 82 (extended), the seatback assembly 18 is displaced downwardly toward the member 40 so as to project the pin 54 downwardly into the socket 42. However, during final downward movement of the seatback assembly 18 toward its lowermost position, the abutment plates engage the abutment pins 106 (which are normally disposed in the uppermost positions thereof illustrated in FIG. 3 of the drawings) with the latter being seated in the downwardly opening notches defined by the U-shaped abutment plates 60 and the abutment pins 106 and the corresponding ends of the levers 102 are thus swung downwardly as the seatback assembly 18 reaches its lowermost position and is secured therein by means of the ratchet dog or detent 44. Of course, downward movement of the rear ends of the levers 102 causes the operating rods 92 to be downwardly displaced and the shafts 74 to be rotated so as to retract the bolts 82 and 84 to clamp the arm assemblies 16 to the opposite sides of the seat assembly 14 at the same time the seatback assembly 18 is secured in its lowermost position relative to the rear marginal edge portion of the seat cushion assembly 14. In this manner, the seating structure 10 may be fully assembled, the seat cushion assembly 14 being suitably anchored in any convenient manner (not shown) to the base 12. Of course, when it is desired to disassemble the seating structure 10, the operating lever 46 is swung to the phantom line position thereof illustrated in FIG. 7 of the drawings to release the seatback assembly 18 for upward disengagement from the rear marginal edge portion of the seat cushion assembly 14, during which upward disengagement the levers 102 are allowed to swing from the phantom line positions thereof illustrated in FIG. 3 of the drawings to the solid line positions illustrated in FIG. 3 so as to extend the bolts 82 and 84 and thus release the arm assemblies 16 for ready disengagement from the opposite sides of the seat cushion assembly 14. In disengaging the assemblies 16 from the assembly 14, the assemblies 16 are merely upwardly displaced until the heads 88 engage the abutments 68 after which the assemblies 16 may be readily displaced laterally outwardly from the opposite sides of the assembly 14 so as to withdraw the heads 88 through the upper larger diameter portions of the openings 62 and 66.

In the event the seating structure 10 does include the lower base assembly 20 from which the base 12 is swivelly supported, in order to provide a stationary seat cushion assembly 14 when the seatback assembly 18 is being downwardly engaged with the rear marginal edge portion of the assembly 14, a retractable leg assembly referred to in general by the reference numeral 120 is provided, see FIG. 2. The leg assembly 120 is supported at its upper end from the transverse member 26 by means of a rotatable mount 122 and is swingable about a generally horizontal front to rear extending horizontal axis relative to the transverse member 26 and also about a second axis transverse to the leg assembly 120 and the axis of oscillation of the mount 122. A first spring clip 124 is provided for releasably retaining the leg assembly 120 in the depending position thereof illustrated in phantom lines in FIG. 2 of the drawings and a second clamp assembly (not shown) for retaining the leg assembly 120 in a raised and retracted generally horizontal position. When it is desired to downwardly displace the seatback assembly 18 into seated engagement with the rear marginal edge portion of the seat cushion assembly 14 and the seat structure 10 is provided with a swivel base, the leg assembly 120 is swung downwardly to the phantom line position thereof illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawings so that its footed lower end 126 may engage the floor surface upon which the structure 10 is disposed to thereby retain the seat cushion assembly 14 stationary while downward pressure is applied to the seatback assembly 18 in mounting the latter on the rear marginal edge portion of the seat cushion assembly 14.

With attention now invited more specifically to FIG. 10 of the drawings, it may be seen that the bolts 82 and 84 and their attendant operating mechanisms may be replaced by a threaded nut 128 with which the threaded shank portion 130 of a shank type fastener 132 provided with a cam latch 134 may be threadedly engaged in order to secure the arm assemblies 16 to the seat cushion assembly 14. In such an instance, a spring clip 136 is carried by each of the members 24 for retaining the cam latch 134 in the operative position thereof illustrated in FIG. 10 of the drawings. Of course, if this modified structure is utilized to secure the arm assemblies 16 to the seat assembly 14, the abutment pins 106 may be stationarily supported on the arm assemblies 16 and the latter may be completely devoid of the bolts 82 and 84 and the actuating mechanisms therefor. Still further, with attention now invited more specifically to FIG. 11, a conventional headed bolt 138 and washer 140 may be utilized in lieu of the fastener 132 and its attendant washer 133. However, if the bolt 138 is utilized, at least some type of rudimentary hand tool will be required to assemble and disassemble the seat structure 10 and no tools are required for assembling and disassembling the seat structure 10 when the fasteners 132 are utilized. Also, not only are no fasteners required in assembling the seating structure 10 when the bolts 82 and 84 are utilized, but the arm assemblies 16 are automatically locked into position on the opposite sides of the seat cushion assembly 14 in response to the seatback assembly 18 being downwardly displaced toward seated engagement with the rear marginal edge portion of the seat cushion assembly 14.

In either form of the invention disclosed, the arm assemblies 16 may be rigidly secured to the opposite side portions of the seat cushion assembly 14 and the seatback assembly 18 may have its lower end portion fixedly anchored to the rear marginal edge portion of the seat cushion assembly 14 and its opposite side marginal edge portions anchored to the rear ends of the arm assemblies 16 against rearward displacement relative thereto.

With attention again invited to FIG. 5 of the drawings, it will be noted that each of the locking bolts 82 and 84 comprises an elongated generally cylindrical body whose inner end i provided with a threaded blind bore 146. It will be further noted that each head 88 includes a threaded shank portion 148 threaded in the corresponding bore 146 and having a jam nut 150 threaded thereon and engaged with the inner end of the corresponding bolt. In this manner, the position of the heads 88 may be adjusted relative to the bolts 82 and 84 so as to insure that each of the four bolts 82 and 84 of the structure 10 will apply the same clamping action in securing the arm assemblies 16 to the opposite side marginal edge portions of the seat cushion assembly 14 as the seatback assembly 18 is downwardly displaced toward its fully mounted position and is secured therein by means of the ratchet dog or detent 44. Further, the mount 122 is secured to the transverse member 26 by means of a clamping fastener 152 whereby the selected pivoted position of the leg assembly 120 is frictionally retained.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

Claims

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A seating structure including a base supported horizontal seat cushion assembly, an upstanding backrest assembly and a pair of upstanding opposite side arm assemblies, said backrest and cushion assemblies including coacting latching means for releasably latching said backrest to said cushion upon movement of the former toward the latter along a predetermined path to a position operably juxtaposition said cushion, said cushion and side arm assemblies including coacting support means operable to stationarily releasably support said arm assemblies from said cushion assembly in operative juxtaposition relative thereto and including locking means coacting with said backrest to lock said arm assemblies in said operative juxtaposition relative to said seat cushion assembly in response to movement of said backrest to said position operably juxtaposition said seat cushion assembly.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said predetermined path comprises an upstanding path downwardly along which said backrest assembly is movable from above the rear portion of said cushion assembly into juxtaposition said seat cushion assembly.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said locking means includes vertically shiftable actuator means projecting inwardly of the opposing inner surface portions of the upper rear portions of said opposite side arm assemblies, said locking means further including laterally outwardly projecting abutment portions carried by the opposite side marginal portions of said backrest assembly abuttingly engageable with said actuator means to urge the latter downwardly toward active positions as said seat back assembly is downwardly shifted along said path to operative juxtaposition with the rear marginal edge portion of said seat cushion assembly.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said actuator means are guidingly supported from said arm assemblies for movement along upstanding paths and said abutment portions include downwardly opening upstanding recesses in which said abutment portions are receivable upon movement of s aid backrest assembly into operative juxtaposition with said seat cushion assembly and said actuator means and said downwardly opening recesses in said abutment portions thereby lock the portions of said seat back assembly from which said abutment portions are supported against front to rear shifting relative to said arm assemblies.

5. In combination, a seating structure including a seat cushion assembly, an upstanding backrest assembly, and a pair of opposite side arm assemblies, first means removably supporting the lower marginal portion of said backrest assembly from the rear marginal portion of said seat cushion assembly in operative juxtaposition relative thereto, second means removably supporting said arm assemblies from said cushion in operative juxtaposition relative thereto projecting upwardly from the opposite sides of said seat cushion assembly, said backrest assembly and the upper rear end portions of said arm assemblies including readily releasable means engageable with each other in response to operative juxtaposition of said backrest and arm assemblies relative to said seat cushion assembly locking the opposite sides of the upper portion of said backrest assembly against front to rear shifting relative to the rear portions of said arm assemblies, said arm assemblies and the opposite side marginal portions of said seat cushion assembly including side-by-side abutting structural members, said second means comprising fasteners removably secured through said abutting structural members at points spaced generally horizontally apart in a front to rear extending direction on each side of said seating structure, said fasteners comprising threaded shank portions having over center cam type toggle heads pivotally supported from corresponding ends thereof.

6. In combination, a seating structure including a seat cushion assembly, an upstanding backrest assembly and a pair of opposite side upstanding arm assemblies, means removably supporting the lower marginal portions of said arm rest assemblies to the opposite side marginal portions of said seat cushion assembly, a shank type projection projecting downwardly from the center lower marginal portion of said backrest assembly, the rear marginal portion of said seat cushion assembly including means defining a central upwardly opening socket in which said shank portion is downwardly receivable, the upstanding arm assemblies including rear upstanding marginal areas and the opposite sides of said backrest assembly including upstanding marginal areas, the upstanding marginal areas of said arm assemblies and seat back assembly including coacting slotted brackets and outwardly projecting pins seatable in the slots formed in said brackets upon downward movement of said backrest assembly to a position with said shank type projection seated in said socket, the slots in said brackets being vertically elongated and opening in vertical directions.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said slotted brackets are carried by said backrest assembly.