Laterally Expandable Couch

Abstract

A laterally expandable couch comprising two framed seat sections. Each seat section has a plurality of slide rails secured thereto aligned with slide rails secured to the adjacent seat section. A plurality of slide bars is slidably held within adjacent pairs of aligned slide rails to enable the seat sections to be laterally moved with respect to each other.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to expandable furniture and in particular to a laterally expandable couch comprising two framed seating sections.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Laterally expandable chairs or seats wherein one seat portion is movable with respect to the other are known. One such seat is shown in U. S. Pat. No. 2,242,617 to Parry. The patent discloses a chair comprising two side arms, a seat portion and a back. The side arms of the chair are relatively movable away from one another and the seat portion and back are extensible to allow the chair as a whole to be extended laterally to accommodate one or more additional occupants. Each of the seat portions contains a hingedly attached seat extension which automatically pivots into place to support an additional occupant as the corresponding side arm, within which the extension normally fits, is moved laterally outwardly. The back of the chair is also provided with two hingedly mounted extensions, which are automatically pivoted into place to support the back of an occupant when the chair is in the extended position. The entire operation of extending the seat is controlled by links whereby the arm can only remain in one of two positions, i.e., fully opened or fully closed.

U. S. Pat. No. 1,530,420 to W. Schmitt discloses a convertible chair having side frames which are connected by a plurality of slidably interengaging bars. One of the bars carries a pivoted back member. The slidable, telescopic engagement of the interengaging bars permits the frames to be pulled apart any desired distance. The chair may also be provided with a cross strut connected on the underside of a pair of slidable sections, if the expanded length of the chair is more than a certain amount. When extended into a predetermined open position, the pivoted back member is folded down onto the slidable bars to act as one of the load engaging frames. Therefore, in the fully extended position, the convertible chair of the patent may be used as a bed, but fails to disclose a couch or seating member having a back support.

The expandable couch of the present invention distinguishes from the prior art by the provision of a plurality of slidable supporting bars secured in hollow portions in both the back and seating sections whereby the couch may be extended a predetermined distance from either end, and the hollow portions may be used for storage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a laterally expandable couch having two framed seat sections connected together by a plurality of slide bars slidably held within a plurality of pairs of aligned slide rails secured in the adjacent seat sections, whereby the seat sections are slidably movable relative to each other and to their connecting slide bars.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an important object of the present invention to provide an expandable couch frame having two separate framed seat sections which are extendable relative to each other to provide a further framed seating portion.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a strengthened expandable couch which is laterally supported in all of its extended positions.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a laterally expandable couch having two separately movable seat sections with a wide range of possible lateral extensions of the seat sections.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a rigid, rugged expandable couch frame which can stand up under severe use and to which a large variety of seating materials may be applied.

And still a further object of the present invention is to provide an expandable couch and a separate ottoman, which ottoman may be inserted into the open portion of the fully extended couch to provide a seating portion therefor.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent when the expandable couch of the present invention is considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the frame of the expandable couch of the present invention in the closed position having the back and seating portion of one seat section thereof covered by supporting boards or slats;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the couch of FIG. 1 in the fully expanded position;

FIG. 3 is a side plan view, partly in cross-section, of the expandable couch of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view, partly in cross-section, showing the cooperation of the slide rails and slide bars of the couch of the invention in the fully extended position, together with the coaction of the dowels and slot arrangement which limit the movement of the rails with respect to the bar;

FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of the expandable couch of FIG. 1 carrying cushions and having material covering the arms and other edge portions thereof;

FIG. 6 shows a separate ottoman which in one embodiment of the present invention, is used to form the central seating portion of the expandable couch in its fully open position; and

FIG. 7 illustrates the fully extended couch of FIG. 5 showing the central seating portion with a back cushion and a seating cushion or the ottoman of FIG. 6 inserted between the extended seat sections.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 4, there is illustrated an extendable frame 11 comprising two separate framed seat sections 13,15, preferably made from plastic or wood. Although only one seat section 13 is shown clearly and described hereinafter, it is to be understood that each of the seat sections is a mirror image of the other section. Each seat section 13,15 includes a back or rear portion comprised of a top board 17, a side board 19, and a back board 21 forming a substantially hollow chamber or portion 23 therebetween. Supported within the hollow portion are a plurality of slide rails 25,27,29, two of which 25,27 are vertically disposed and one of which 29 is horizontally disposed therein. Each of the slide rails contains a dovetail shaped groove. The two vertically disposed rails 25, 27 are fixed near the top and bottom of the back board 21, in any convenient manner, such as by gluing or nailing. The horizontally extending slide rail 29, which preferably rests partly within and partly without of the rear chamber 23, is supported by end blocks, only one of which 31 is shown. The end blocks are secured to and supported by a baseboard 33, in any suitable manner.

The seating portion of each of the seating sections 13,15 includes the base board 33, a front board 35, and a side board 37, which, together with the back board 21, form a bottom chamber or hollow portion 39 therebetween. The bottom hollow portion is provided with two vertically extending rails 41,43 secured to the base board 33. Each of the rails 41,43 have dovetail shaped grooves formed therein. The slide rails 41,43 are preferably arranged so as to face each other in the hollow 39 (see FIG. 3), with one slide rail 43 also being fixed to the front board 35. To further strengthen the couch frame, vertical and horizontal frame members 45,47 are provided along the inside edge of each seat section. The outside end of each seat section frame is provided with an arm rest frame comprising three vertically extending support members 51, a horizontally extending top member 53, and a bottom side board 55, fixing the bottoms of the three vertically extending members 51 together. Vertically extending feet portions 57, of any desired shape are secured to the four corners of each seating section.

As shown in the right-hand section of FIGS. 1 and 2, and in cross-section in FIG. 3, the hollow portions 23,39 are covered by a plurality of cushion supporting boards or slats 59. If considered suitable, a single large cushion supporting board may be provided to replace the plurality of slats. Furthermore, the single or plurality of supporting boards may be secured to the end boards in any suitable manner, such as by nailing, to thereby form a rigid hollow seating section. In the preferred embodiment shown, however, the plurality of slats 59 are merely slipped into place. This enables each of the slats to be easily removed from the frame to allow cushions, linen, or other materials to be stored within the hollow portions 23,39. In addition, further slats to be used to form cushion supports for back and seating portions of an extended portion 61 of the couch (see FIG. 2) may be stored therein.

Some of the slide rails 25,29,35 are provided with extending lip portions 63,65,67 for supporting the ends 69 of the slats 59 when they are placed on the couch frame. As shown, the ends 69 of each of the slats are preferably of reduced cross-section to facilitate insertion thereof onto the back and seating portions.

If suitable, the vertically extending rail 41 also may be provided with an extending lip 71 for further support of the slats 59 forming the seating portion of the seating sections 13,15.

As shown, each of the seating sections 13,15 contains five slide rails 25,27,29,41,43 secured therein. Each of these rails is aligned with a corresponding slide rail secured in the adjacent seating section, and each of the aligned pair of slide rails is provided with a slide bar 73,75,77,79,81. The slide bars have a dovetailed cross-section which fits into the dovetail shaped groove formed in the slide rails to thereby slidably connect the seating sections 13,15. It should be understood that any number of slide bars and rails may be provided to connect the seating sections, depending on the size and kind of couch frame to be built. These rails, however, must be of such a size and so positioned that they provide the assembled couch frame with the same ease of expansion, rigidity, and strength provided by the assembly shown.

Turning now to FIG. 4, the coaction of each of the slide bars within its rails is more clearly illustrated. Both ends of a slide bar, such as 79, are provided with a dowel 83 which is carried in a slot 85 formed in each of the aligned slide rails 41. The movement of the dowels 83 in the slots 85 is limited by the length of the slots, thereby limiting the outward movement of the slide rails 41, from the contacting position shown in phantom line. In the same manner, each of the slide rails shown in FIGS. 1-3 is limited in outward movement, thereby limiting the possible expansion of the couch frame 11.

When it is desired to expand the couch frame 11, either or both of the seating sections is slid outwardly with respect to the other. If sufficient force is applied to an arm rest of a seating section, the slide rails of the seating section slide over the connecting slide bars, until the dowels at the end of the slide bars strike the end of the slots within which they ride. Therefore, if sufficient slat members as well as back and seating cushions of the proper size, are available to fit into the space formed between the two seating sections in their different extended positions, a couch of any desired length may be formed.

If considered desirable, the slots formed within each of the slide rails may be replaced by a plurality of holes, spaced apart predetermined increments. The dowels may be slidably mounted within the slide bars whereby the dowels may be slid into and out of the holes when aligned therewith. In this manner, each of the seating sections may be limited in outward movement to predetermined increments, to form different extended central seating portions of known width.

As shown in phantom line in FIG. 3, cushions may be provided on the slat or support boards 59 and the front board 35 and the top board 17 may be covered with any desired material. Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the side arms of each of the seating sections may also be covered with material to enhance the appearance of the couch.

FIG. 6 illustrates a hassock or ottoman 87, preferably formed with slots (not shown) which fit over the extended slide bars 79,81 of FIG. 2. The ottoman is insertable over the slide bars 79,81 into the bottom of opening 61 to form the central seating portion shown in FIG. 7.

An important advantage of the present invention resides in the design of a two-section expandable couch that is easily broken down into its component parts.

A further advantage of the present invention is the provision of a rigid, rugged expandable couch having a plurality of slide rails and slide bars whereby the couch may be easily expanded.

Another advantage of the present invention is provided by the limited lateral expansion of the couch.

A still further advantage of the present invention resides in the provision of storage areas formed within each of the seating sections of the couch to store cushions, linen, support members for the cushions, and the like.

Yet another advantage of the present invention resides in the use of a separate ottoman designed to be used as a seat or a foot rest, and which may be inserted into the open bottom portion of the fully expanded couch to form the seating portion thereof.

It is still a further advantage of the present invention to provide an aesthetically pleasing, easily extended couch which may conveniently handle any extra company but which does not take up an unnecessary amount of room in its unexpanded position.

Various modifications are possible and may obviously be resorted to by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as hereinafter defined by the appended claims, as only a preferred embodiment thereof has been disclosed.

Claims

What is claimed is

1. An expandable couch comprising

two separate framed seat sections slidably movable relative to each other, each of said seat sections including a back portion, a seat portion, supporting legs, and at least two slide rails secured thereto in aligned relationship with slide rails secured to the adjacent seat section,

slide bars slidably interlocked with the aligned pairs of adjacent slide rails whereby said seat sections are capable of being expanded relative to each other by the movement of said slide rails with respect to said slide bars,

means preventing said sections from being slid apart beyond slightly more than the width of an insert ottoman and back cushion,

an ottoman formed for straddling the slide rail/bars and being removably disposed between said seat sections, said ottoman matching said seat sections whereby when said ottoman is in place, it effectively elongates said two section couch into a three section couch,

a matching back cushion for insertion between the back portions of said seat sections, and

extensible back support means for supporting said back cushion.

2. The expandable couch of claim 1 wherein each of said seat sections is provided with a plurality of removable cushion supporting members on the back and seat portions thereof.

3. The expandable couch of claim 1 wherein each of said separate seating section frames have a plurality of slide rails secured thereto in aligned relationship with a plurality of slide rails secured to the adjacent seating section, at least one of said slide rail/bars forming a back support member for supporting the back cushions.

4. The expandable couch of claim 3 wherein each of said slide rails includes a slot of predetermined length formed therein and each of said slide bars includes a dowel at each end thereof, said dowels being insertable into adjacent slots whereby the outward movement of said seating sections with respect to each other is stopped when said dowels reach the end of said adjacent slots.

5. An expandable couch frame comprising two adjacent separate seating section frames, each of said seating frames having a rectangular back frame portion, a rectangular seat frame portion fixed to said rectangular back frame portion, a support leg fixed at each of the four corners of said seat frame portion, and an arm support rail attached to said seating sections at the outside edge of said back frame and said seat frame portions,

at least two slide rails being mounted in the back frame portion of each of said seating sections and at least two slide rails being mounted in each of said seat portions, said slide rails mounted in each of said seating sections being in aligned relationship with the slide rails in the adjacent seating section,

corresponding slide bars slidably interlocked with the aligned slide rails mounted within each of said seating sections whereby said seating sections may be moved relative to each other and to said slide bars to thereby extend said couch from either of its ends,

a slot of predetermined length formed in each of said slide rails,

a dowel at each end of said slide bars insertable into one of said slots whereby the outward movement of said seating sections with respect to each other is stopped when said dowels reach the end of said slots,

an ottoman formed for straddling the slide rail/bars mounted in and extending between each of said seat portions, said ottoman being removably disposed between said sections and matching said seat sections whereby when said ottoman is in place, it effectively elongates said two section couch into a three section couch, and

a matching back cushion for insertion between the back portions of said seat sections on top of said ottoman.