AU2016200293A1 - Made to order furniture - Google Patents

Abstract

A made-to-order article of furniture 10 includes at least one frame component 12. At least one end component 14 is adjustably mounted relative to the frame component 12 to alter at least one dimension of the article of furniture 10. The end component 14 comprises a shell 44 mountable over an end of its associated frame component 12. A mounting arrangement 46 is carried by the shell 44 for mounting the shell 44 to its associated frame component 12 and comprises at least one connecting pin 48 projecting from the shell 44. The mounting arrangement 46 includes a spacer arrangement associated with the connecting pin 48, the spacer arrangement comprising a set of differently sized spacer elements for spacing the end component 14 at a desired position relative to its associated frame component 12. A cover arrangement is receivable over the components 12, 14 for covering the components 12, 14. Fig. 2

Description

"Made to order furniture"

Cross-Reference to Related Applications [0001] The present application claims priority from Australian Provisional Patent Application No 2015900167 filed on 21 January 2015, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field [0002] This disclosure relates, generally, to an article of furniture and, more particularly, to a made-to-order article of furniture and to a method of manufacturing an article of furniture.

Background [0003] There is an increasing tendency for consumers to require bespoke articles of furniture in sizes suiting their requirements. Problems arise in manufacturers of the furniture having to manufacture furniture in a wide range of sizes. These problems include having to change production jigs for manufacturing the bespoke furniture and/or to maintain a stock of a wide range of sizes of furniture. Due to the voluminous nature of the articles of furniture, this requires large warehouses with the resultant cost penalties and could also result in supply chain logistics issues.

[0004] Also, if the furniture is manufactured off-shore, there are increased expenses associated with shipping the furniture due to its weight and volume.

[0005] If someone wanted an uncommon size of the furniture, the costs associated with producing that size of furniture could therefore be very high.

[0006] Also, in time, the purchaser may tire of the appearance of the furniture and/or the layout of a room in which the furniture is located but may not want to go to the expense of obtaining a totally new set of furniture.

Summary [0007] Throughout this specification the word "comprise", or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.

[0008] In a first aspect, there is provided a made-to-order article of furniture which includes at least one frame component defining an occupant portion of the article of furniture; at least one end component removably mounted relative to the frame component, the at least one end component being adjustably mountable relative to the frame component to alter at least one dimension of the article of furniture to correspond with a desired size of the article of furniture as ordered by a user, the at least one end component comprising a shell mountable over an end of the at least one frame component; a mounting arrangement carried by the shell for mounting the shell to its associated frame component, the mounting arrangement comprising at least one connecting pin projecting from the shell, the at least one connecting pin being received by a socket of the associated frame component, the mounting arrangement including a spacer arrangement associated with the connecting pin, the spacer arrangement comprising a set of differently sized spacer elements, selected spacer elements being mounted on the connecting pin for spacing the end component at a desired position relative to its associated frame component to obtain the desired size of the article of furniture, and a cover arrangement receivable over the components, when assembled, for covering the components.

[0009] The term “occupant portion” means, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, a part of the article of furniture occupied by an occupant, or occupants, when the article of furniture is in use. Further, it will be appreciated that there is not an infinite number of desired sizes that can be provided. A desired size as requested by a user is subject to constraints such as a finite number of differently sized spacer elements.

[0010] The article of furniture may include a plurality of releasably interconnected frame components. At least some of the frame components may differ in size from one another further to enable the desired size of the article of furniture to be realised.

[0011] The at least one end component may comprise a shell mountable over an end of the at least one frame component and a mounting arrangement carried by the shell for mounting the shell to its associated frame component.

[0012] The at least one frame component may be collapsible, the at least one frame component being stored and/or transported in a collapsed configuration and being erected for use.

[0013] The at least one frame component may include a suspension assembly for providing comfort to the occupant. In an embodiment, the at least one frame component may be a seat component of the article of furniture and may include a seat portion and a backrest portion, the suspension assembly comprising a spring arrangement surrounded by a foam material in the backrest portion and a seat suspension arrangement surrounded by a foam material in the seat portion.

[0014] The article of furniture may include a retention mechanism for retaining the at least one end component in position relative to the at least one frame component. The retention mechanism may include a retaining member adjustably arranged on one of the end component and the frame component and an engaging member to be engaged by the retaining member carried by the other of the end component and the frame component. The retaining member may be in the form of a retaining arm having a pivoting attachment point at a first end and a threaded handle screw-threadedly received on an opposed end of the retaining arm. An operatively inner end of the handle may carry a radially outwardly extending flange for engaging the engaging member.

[0015] In an embodiment, the retaining member is carried by the end component and is located within the shell of the end component. The engaging member may be a fork-shaped bracket carried by the frame component.

[0016] The article of furniture may include at least one connector for connecting two of the frame components together, the at least one connector further mounting a leg of the article of furniture. The at least one connector may be configured to mount the leg inwardly of a periphery of the frame component to reduce the visibility of the leg, in use.

[0017] The cover arrangement may comprise a cover for covering the components. The cover may be removably received over the components to enable a user to erect and assemble the article of furniture without the need for any special tools and/or expertise. The cover arrangement may further include at least one cushion, the cushion comprising a resiliently flexible filling material and being free of suspension components.

[0018] In a second aspect, there is provided a method of manufacturing a made-to-order article of furniture as described above, the method including maintaining a supply of frame components and end components of the article of furniture; taking an order for an article of furniture of a desired size; fabricating a cover arrangement for the article of furniture of the desired size; and selecting the frame components, end components and spacer arrangement to form the article of furniture of the desired size and providing the article of furniture to a purchaser.

[0019] The method may include fabricating the frame components and the end components in a jurisdiction where it is cost-effective to do so and either maintaining the fabricated components in that jurisdiction or in another jurisdiction. Thus, the method may involve fabricating the components in a country where labour costs are lower and then shipping to, and storing the components in, another jurisdiction, for example, where the furniture is to be sold.

[0020] The method may include fabricating the frame components to be collapsible so that they can be shipped and/or stored in a space saving manner.

[0021] The method may include, on receipt of an order from the purchaser, having the cover arrangement fabricated in accordance with desired dimensions. The cover arrangement may include a cover and at least one cushion and the method may include fabricating the at least one cushion free of any suspension components to reduce the weight and the volume of the cover arrangement. It will therefore be appreciated that this reduces the cost of air freight, if applicable, in transporting the cover arrangement to the jurisdiction in which the purchaser is located.

[0022] The method may include providing the components and the cover arrangement to the purchaser in a knocked down kit form to be assembled by the purchaser.

[0023] In a third aspect, there is provided a retention mechanism for retaining a first component and a second component in position relative to each other, the retention mechanism including an elongate body member having an attachment formation at a first end and a handle displaceably arranged at an opposed end, the attachment formation being displaceably attachable to an attaching member carried by one of the components to cater, together with the displaceably arranged handle, for different spacings of the second component relative to the first component; a receiving formation carried by the other of the components; and an engaging member carried by the handle, the engaging member being acted on by the handle for urging the engaging member into engagement with the receiving formation.

[0024] The mechanism may include the attaching member, the attaching member being secured to said one of the components. The attaching member may comprise a hook with the attaching formation of the body member comprising an eyelet defining element defining an eyelet in which the hook is received in a manner to enable the body member to pivot relative to the hook. Such an arrangement also allows the body member to be replaced easily if the body member requires replacement.

[0025] At least the opposed end of the body member may be threaded and the handle may be screw-threadedly received on the threaded end of the handle. The entire body member may, conveniently, be screw threaded with at least a central portion of the body member being covered by a sleeve to inhibit soiling of surrounding fabric.

[0026] The engaging member may comprise a radially outwardly extending element arranged intermediate the handle and the attachment formation. The radially outwardly extending element may be a radially outwardly extending flange arranged at an operatively inner end of the handle. In an embodiment, the flange may be formed integrally with the handle.

[0027] The receiving formation may comprise a fork-shaped bracket defining at least one slot shaped to receive the body member with the engaging member bearing against the bracket under the action of the handle.

[0028] In a fourth aspect, there is provided a connector for connecting two components together, the connector including a body member; a pair of spaced connector elements carried by, and extending from, the body member, each connector element being receivable in a receiving formation of one of the components for connecting the components together; and a receiver arranged operatively inwardly of the connector elements, the receiver defining a receiving formation for receiving a part of a leg which spaces the connected components from a substrate and the arrangement of the receiver proximate an operatively inner end of the body member resulting in reduced visibility of the leg, in use.

[0029] The body member may be in the form of a plate. The plate may be stepped defining a pair of staggered lands, a first of the lands carrying the pair of connector elements and the second of the lands carrying the receiver.

[0030] Each connector element may be in the form of a pin projecting substantially normally from the body member.

[0031] The receiver may be a sleeve, a passage of the sleeve defining the receiving formation. A liner of a synthetic plastics material may be received in the passage of the sleeve for retaining the part, which may be a pin, of the leg in a substantially non-slip manner.

Brief Description of Drawings [0032] Embodiments of the disclosure will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- [0033] Fig. 1 shows a perspective, front view of an embodiment of an article of furniture; [0034] Fig. 2 shows a perspective, semi-exploded view of a frame of article of furniture with one of the end components of the article of furniture omitted; [0035] Fig. 3 shows a perspective, rear view of the article of furniture; [0036] Fig. 4 shows, on an enlarged scale, the part of the article of furniture encircled by Circle ‘A’ in Fig. 3 of the drawings; [0037] Fig. 5 shows a perspective view from above of the article of furniture with seat cushions and back cushions of the article of furniture omitted; [0038] Fig. 6 shows a perspective view from below of the article of furniture; [0039] Fig. 7 shows a perspective view of an end component of the article of furniture; [0040] Fig. 8 shows, on an enlarged scale, the part of the end component of Fig. 7 encircled by Circle ‘B’ in Fig. 7 of the drawings; [0041] Figs. 9A and 9B show a selection of spacer elements for use with the end component of Fig. 7 of the drawings; [0042] Fig. 10 shows a perspective, bottom view of the frame of the article of furniture indicating how the end components of the article of furniture are retained with respect to frame components of the article of furniture; [0043] Fig. 11 shows, on an enlarged scale, the part of a retention mechanism of the article of furniture encircled by Circle ‘C’ in Fig. 10 of the drawings; [0044] Fig. 12 shows a sectional, side view of a part of the retention mechanism; [0045] Fig. 13 shows a schematic, sectional side view of a frame component of the article of furniture in an erected, operative configuration; [0046] Fig. 14 shows a schematic, sectional side view of the frame component in a collapsed, shipping or storage configuration; [0047] Fig. 15 shows a schematic, sectional side view of the article of furniture showing how a pair of frame components are connected together; [0048] Fig. 16 shows a perspective, bottom view of the article of furniture of Fig. 15 showing the connecting together of the frame components; [0049] Fig. 17 shows, on an enlarged scale, the part of the article of furniture of Fig. 16 encircled by Circle ‘D’ in Fig. 16 of the drawings; [0050] Fig. 18 shows a perspective view of a connector of the article of furniture; [0051] Fig. 19 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of the article of furniture; [0052] Fig, 20 shows a perspective view of an end component of the article of furniture of Fig. 19 and [0053] Fig. 21 shows a perspective, semi-exploded view of a further embodiment of the article of furniture.

Detailed Description of Exemplary Embodiments [0054] In the drawings, reference numeral 10 generally designates an embodiment of a made-to-order article of furniture. As illustrated, the article of furniture 10 is a two-seater sofa and the disclosure will be described with reference to that application. It will, however, be appreciated that the article of furniture could have other forms such as, for example, an armchair, a two and a half seater sofa, a three seater sofa, or the like. Still further, the disclosure may in certain circumstances be applicable to other articles of furniture, such as a chaise, a bed, an ottoman, or the like.

[0055] The sofa 10 comprises a pair of frame components 12 (Fig 2), it being a two seater sofa. It is to be noted that, in Fig 2 of the drawings, parts of the frame components 12 are omitted for the sake of clarity. For different sized sofas a greater or fewer number of frame components 12 are used and, even in the case of the two seater sofa 10, the sofa 10 could comprise a greater or fewer number of frame components 12. In addition, the sofa 10 includes a pair of opposed end components, one of which is shown at 14 in Fig 2 of the drawings. In the case of a sofa 10 having two arm rests 16, two end components 14 are provided on opposed sides of the frame components 12. In the case of the sofa 10 forming part of a module, one of the end components 18 (Figs 19 and 20) merely closes off an end of the sofa 10 without defining an arm rest portion of the sofa 10.

[0056] Still further, the end component 14 could adopt different shapes such as, for example, shown at 20 in Fig 21 of the drawings where an operatively front region of the end component 20 is cut away (as shown at 22 to accommodate a cushion having a laterally extending tab (not shown) such as what would be, in the case of an armchair, a T-cushion.

[0057] The frame components 12 are provided in a number of different widths. The Applicant, typically, provides two sizes of frame components, one having a width of approximately 600mm and the other having a width of approximately 900mm. Depending on the size of the sofa 10 ordered by a user, either two 600mm frame components, two 900mm frame components or one 600mm frame component and one 900mm frame component are used. In a further embodiment, a single frame component 12 could be provided ranging in size from 900mm up to 2400mm. Typically, frame components 12 increasing in size by 300mm increments are available.

[0058] It will be appreciated that the width dimensions of 600mm and 900mm are the standard dimensions selected by the Applicant but the disclosure is not limited to frame components having those width dimensions and extends to frame components having any width dimensions.

[0059] The sofa 10 includes a cover arrangement 24 comprising a cover 26, seat cushions 28 and backrest cushions 30. As shown more clearly in Figs 3 and 4 of the drawings, the cover 26, at its rear, has a pair of spaced zippers 32. In use, once the frame components 12 and end components 14 have been assembled and secured together, the cover 26 of the cover arrangement 24 is pulled over the assembled components 12, 14 and the zippers 32 are closed to retain the cover 26 as a tight fit over the assembled components 12 and 14. In another embodiment, the cover 26 may be a pull-on cover, having a degree of stretch, and the zippers 32 are omitted.

[0060] The frame components 12 and the end components 14 are covered in a suitable wear resistant fabric such as tricot, the fabric of the frame components 12 being shown at 34 and the fabric of one of the end components being shown at 36 in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings. The cover 26 includes a first strip 38 of a hook and loop fastener system to secure it to an upper region of the fabric 34 and 36 of the frame components 12 and the end components 14 respectively. Further, an underside of the cover 26 includes a second strip 40 (Fig 6) of hook and loop fastener system for securing a bottom edge of the cover 26 to the fabric 34 and 36 of the frame components 12 and the end components 14, respectively. The fabric 34, 36, itself, acts as the second part of the hook and loop fastener and assists in retaining the cover 26 in position on the components 12 and 14. It is noted that the strips 38 and 40 are shown externally of the cover 26 but this is for illustrative purposes only. In practice, the strips 38 and 40 are arranged on an internal surface of the cover 26.

[0061] As shown more clearly in Figs 7 and 8 of the drawings, each end component 14 comprises a frame 42 supporting a moulding or shell 44 of a synthetic plastics material. The shell 44 is, typically, of a reasonably resiliently flexible material to “give” when a force is applied to it. The material of the shell 44 is, for example, a synthetic plastics material such as a polypropylene material. This is particularly applicable in the case of the shell 44 used for the end component 18 on a modular sofa 10 where an occupant may be seated at least partially on the end component 18 (covered by a cushion 28). The shell 44 is covered by the fabric 36. The shell 44, being a moulding, is able to be moulded in various shapes to suit the style of the article of furniture and/or the customer’s wishes. Thus, for example, the shell 44 could have a rolled arm shape, an English padded style shape, or the like.

[0062] The frame 42 of the end component 14 supports a mounting arrangement 46 in the form of a plurality of parallel, spaced pins 48 projecting laterally from the frame 42. Each pin 48 is received in a socket 50 (Fig 13) of its associated frame component 12. Each pin 48 supports a spacer arrangement, or spacer element, in the form of a sleeve 52 of the desired length to provide the final size of the sofa 10. The desired length of the sleeves 52 is selected depending on the width ‘W’ (Fig. 10) of the sofa 10 ordered by the user and enables the user to specify the size of sofa 10 required.

[0063] A plurality of sleeves 52 of different lengths is provided, a sleeve 52.1 of a minimum length being shown in Fig 9A of the drawings and a sleeve of a maximum length being shown in Fig 9B of the drawings. The minimum length of sleeve 52.1 is of the order of less than 10mm, optimally, about 8mm, and the maximum length of sleeve 52.2 is of the order of 160mm, optimally, about 158mm. Intermediate sized sleeves with increments of 5mm are provided such that a set of sleeves comprises 8mm sleeves, 13mm sleeves, 18mm sleeves and so on up to the maximum length of 158mm. It will be appreciated that, with this configuration, a sofa with a minimum width ‘W’ of approximately 1200mm is able to be provided, i.e. with no sleeves 52 on the pins 48 of the end components 14 and two 600mm frame components 12 being used. Conversely, it is possible to provide a sofa 10 having a width of 2,116mm by using two 900mm frame components 12 and the maximum length sleeves 52.2 of 158mm each on the pins 48 of the end components 14. It will be appreciated that these are approximate dimensions as the actual width of the sofa 10 will be slightly longer taking into account the width of the frame 42 and the thickness of the shell 44 as well as the cover arrangement 24.

[0064] Hence, for example, if a person wanted a 1500mm sofa, two 600mm frame components are used together with sleeves 52 of lengths of 143mm on the pins 48 of each of the end components 14 to take into account the width of the frame 42 and the thickness of the shell 44 of each end component 14.

[0065] The sofa 10 includes a retention mechanism 54 for retaining each end component 14 in position relative to its associated frame component 12 as shown in greater detail in Figs. 10 and 11 of the drawings. The retention mechanism 54 comprises an elongate body member in the form of a rod 56. A first end of the rod 56 carries an attachment formation in the form of an eyelet defining element 58. The eyelet defining element 58 defines an eyelet or opening 60. An attaching member in the form of a hook 62 is attached to the frame 42 of the end component 14. The hook 62 is attached proximate an upper end of the frame 42 and is received through the opening 60 of the element 58 so that the rod 56 is suspended from the hook 62.

[0066] A handle 64 is displaceably carried on an opposed end of the rod 56. The rod 56 is screw threaded and the handle 64 has an internal screw threaded bore 66 to be screw threadedly received on the opposed end of the rod 56.

[0067] A receiving formation in the form of a fork-shaped bracket 68 (Fig. 11) is carried by the frame component 12. The bracket 68 defines a slot 70 within which the rod 56 is received The retention mechanism 54 includes an engaging member in the form of a radially outwardly extending flange 72 carried on the rod 56 inwardly of the handle 64. In an embodiment, the flange 72 is formed integrally with the handle 64 or, instead, the flange 72 could be defined by a separate washer arranged on the rod 56.

[0068] In use, once the pins 48 of the end component 14 have been slid into the sockets 50 of the frame component 12, the handle 64 is loosened off to enable the rod 56 to be inserted into the slot 70 of the bracket 68. The handle 66 is screwed on to the rod 56 to cause the flange 72 to bear against the bracket 68 and, in doing so, serving to retain the end component 14 in position relative to its associated frame component 12.

[0069] The retention mechanism 54 includes a sleeve 73 received over the rod 56 in a position intermediate the flange 72 and the element 58. The sleeve covers at least a portion of the rod to inhibit soiling of surrounding fabric of the sofa 10.

[0070] In some embodiments, the retention mechanism 54 is omitted, particularly where the cover 26 of the cover arrangement 24 is a tight fit, or for example, in the case of the embodiment illustrated in Figs 19 and 20 of the drawings where the end component 18 need not be retained in position by a retention mechanism due to that end of the sofa 10 abutting against another component of the modular furniture, in use. In addition, very little, if any, outward force is exerted on the end component 18.

[0071] Each frame component 12 defines a seat of the sofa 10. Thus, each frame component 12 includes a seat portion 74 and a backrest portion 76 of the sofa 10. The seat portion 74 comprises a frame 78 supporting a suspension assembly 80. The suspension assembly 80 comprises a Pullmaflex® base (“Pullmaflex” is a registered trade mark of Pullmaflex UK Limited of Ffordd Y Ryhd, Parc Mamnai, Ammanfordt, SA18 3ER, Dyfed, Wales, United Kingdom). A box spring arrangement 84 is supported on the Pullmaflex base 82 and a layer of textile in the form of calico 86 is overlaid on the box spring arrangement 84. The entire suspension assembly 80 is covered by a resiliently flexible material in the form of a filler of a foam material 88.

[0072] The backrest portion 76 also comprises a frame 90 defining two of the sockets 50 for the pins 48 of the end component 14. The frame 90 supports a lumbar box spring 92 which is also covered by a filler of a resiliently flexible material in the form of a foam material 94.

[0073] The frame component 12 further includes a kick board assembly 96 arranged at an operatively front edge of the frame 78 of the seat portion 74 of the frame component 12. The kick board assembly 96 comprises a support arrangement 98 defining a further one of the sockets 50 for a pin 48 of the end component 14. The support arrangement 98 is covered by a foam material 100.

[0074] The foam materials 88, 94 and 100 of each frame component 12 are all covered by the fabric 34.

[0075] The frame component 12 is a collapsible structure and is collapsible from the erected configuration as shown in Fig. 13 of the drawings to the collapsed configuration shown in Fig. 14 of the drawings. For this purpose, the frame 90 of the backrest portion 76 is pivotally secured to the frame 78 of the seat portion 74 of the frame component 12 at a pivot point 102. Similarly the kick board assembly 96 is pivotally connected relative to the frame 78 at a pivot point 104. For storage and/or shipping purposes, the frame components 12 are stored or shipped in their collapsed configuration and are provided to the purchaser in that collapsed configuration. Thus, the sofa 10 is provided, in use, to the purchaser in a “flat pack” - type configuration as will be described in greater detail below.

[0076] The sofa 10 includes connectors, one of which is shown at 106 in Fig. 18 of the drawings, for connecting the two frame components 12 together. Each connector 106 comprises a body member in the form of a plate 108. The plate 108 is stepped, as shown at 110, to define a pair of staggered lands 112, 114. The land 112 supports a pair of spaced connector elements, each in the form of a pin 116. The pins 116 are received in associated sockets 118 (Fig. 17) of the frame component 12. More particularly, the kick board assembly 96 of each frame component 12 has a member 120 which projects downwardly, when the frame component 12 is in its erected configuration as shown in Fig. 15 of the drawings, the member 120 defining the socket 118 within which the pin 116 is received at the front of the sofa 10.

[0077] At the rear of the sofa 10, the frame 90 of the backrest portion 76 of each frame component 12 has a downwardly extending member 122 which also defines a socket 118 within which one the pins 116 of an operatively rear connector 106 is received.

[0078] The connector 106 further supports a receiver in the form of a sleeve 124 (Fig. 18) on the land 114. The sleeve 124 defines a passage 126. A leg 128 (Figs. 15-17) of the sofa 10 has a pin 130 projecting from it which is received in the passage 126 of the sleeve 124. It is to be noted that, in use, the connector 106 is oriented so that the receiver 124 is arranged operatively inwardly of the pins 116. Hence, when the pin 130 of the leg 128 is received into the passage 126 of the sleeve 124 of the connector 106, the leg 128 is arranged further inwardly of a periphery 132 (Fig. 16) of the sofa than the other legs 134 of the sofa 16 as shown more clearly in Fig. 15 of the drawings. There is therefore a reduced likelihood of seeing the leg 128 than of seeing the other legs 134.

[0079] It will be appreciated that it is desired to minimise visibility of the leg 124 particularly in cases where the sofa 10 has an asymmetrical arrangement of frame components 12, i.e. one frame component being 600mm wide while the other is 900mm wide and/or different spacer elements 52 are used with the end components 14 at either end of the sofa 10. In such a situation, the legs 128 are not aligned with the gap between the seat cushions 28 and backrest cushions 30 of the sofa 10 which adversely impacts the aesthetics of the sofa 10.

[0080] In use, a supply of frame components 12 is fabricated together with a supply of end components 14, 18 and 20. The frame components 12 are shipped, in a collapsed configuration, and are stored in that collapsed configuration. By having the frame components 12 collapsible, the volume occupied by the frame components 12 for shipping and/or storage is reduced. A supply of different lengths of spacer elements 52 is also kept in storage. Instead, the spacer elements 52, which are made of a plastics material, are cut to size when an order is placed and are shipped together with the cover arrangement 24.

[0081] When a purchaser places an order for a sofa 10, the purchaser specifies the dimensions of the sofa required, in particular, the width dimension ‘W’ of the sofa. Again, using the example of a 1500mm sofa, the vendor places an order for the sofa 10. The supplier provides two 600mm frame components 12and two end components 14, 16 and/or 18, as the case may be, together with spacer elements 52 of the appropriate length. At the same time, the vendor places an order for the desired cover arrangement 24, as selected by the purchaser, with the supplier. The manufacturer of the cover arrangement 24 may be located offshore and fabricates the cover arrangement 24 on receipt of the order.

[0082] Because the frame components 12 contain the necessary suspension assemblies, the cushions 28 and 30 merely contain foam filler material and, hence, do not weigh much and do not occupy large volumes. The manufacturer manufactures the cover arrangement 24 to order to cover the chosen size of sofa 10. Hence, the cover arrangement 24 is made in accordance with just-in-time principles. This principle was developed initially in assembly lines for, for example, motor vehicles and means making only what is needed when it is needed and in the amount needed so that manufacturers need not maintain large inventories.

[0083] When the vendor receives the cover arrangement 24 and the spacer elements 52 from the manufacturer, the vendor 24 sources the required frame components 12, end components 14, 16 or 18, as the case may be. These are then packed together and supplied to the purchaser in a “flat pack” manner with instructions on how to assemble the sofa 10.

[0084] Assembly of the sofa 10 is reasonably straightforward. The purchaser unpacks the frame components 12 and attaches the legs 128 and 134. The frame components 12 are erected from their collapsed configuration and are connected together using the supplied pair of connectors 106.

[0085] Once the frame components 12 have been connected together, the spacer elements 52 are slid over the pins 48 of the end components 14, 16 or 18, as the case may be, after which the pins 48 of the end components 14 are inserted into the sockets 50 of the frame components 12.

If the end components 14, 16 include the retention mechanism 54, the retention mechanisms 54 are connected to retain each end component 14, 16 in position relative to its associated frame component 12.

[0086] The cover 26 is placed over the assembled components 12, 14 and the zippers 32 are closed to retain the cover 26 in position over the assembled components 12, 14. Once this has been completed, the assembly of the sofa 10 is complete.

[0087] No special skills or tools are required for assembling the sofa 10 and the sofa 10 is able to be assembled with minimal effort.

[0088] Hence, it is an advantage of the described disclosure that a made-to-order article of furniture is provided which reduces the amount of stock a vendor or supplier needs to hold and which is more easily shipped and supplied to the vendor and from the vendor to a purchaser than other articles of furniture of which the applicant is aware.

[0089] In addition, should the purchaser tire of the appearance of the article of furniture itself, and/or a room in which the article of furniture is located, the purchaser can either change the cover arrangement 26 and/or change the size of the article of furniture quite easily merely by changing the spacer elements 52 and/or getting a new cover arrangement 24. Hence the versatility of the article of furniture is also improved.

[0090] It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments, without departing from the broad general scope of the present disclosure. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

Claims (28)

1. CLAIMS:

   1. A made-to-order article of furniture which includes at least one frame component defining an occupant portion of the article of furniture; at least one end component removably mounted relative to the frame component, the at least one end component being adjustably mountable relative to the frame component to alter at least one dimension of the article of furniture to correspond with a desired size of the article of furniture as ordered by a user, the at least one end component comprising a shell mountable over an end of the at least one frame component; a mounting arrangement carried by the shell for mounting the shell to its associated frame component, the mounting arrangement comprising at least one connecting pin projecting from the shell, the at least one connecting pin being received by a socket of the associated frame component, the mounting arrangement including a spacer arrangement associated with the connecting pin, the spacer arrangement comprising a set of differently sized spacer elements, selected spacer elements being mounted on the connecting pin for spacing the end component at a desired position relative to its associated frame component to obtain the desired size of the article of furniture, and a cover arrangement receivable over the components, when assembled, for covering the components.
2. 2. The article of furniture of claim 1 which includes a plurality of releasably interconnected frame components.
3. 3. The article of furniture of claim 2 in which at least some of the frame components differ in size from one another further to enable the desired size of the article of furniture to be realised.
4. 4. The article of furniture of any one of the preceding claims in which the at least one frame component is collapsible, the at least one frame component being stored and/or transported in a collapsed configuration and being erected for use.
5. 5. The article of furniture of any one of the preceding claims in which the at least one frame component includes a suspension assembly for providing comfort to the occupant.
6. 6. The article of furniture of claim 5 in which the at least one frame component is a seat component of the article of furniture and includes a seat portion and a backrest portion, the suspension assembly comprising a spring arrangement surrounded by a foam material in the backrest portion and a seat suspension arrangement surrounded by a foam material in the seat portion.
7. 7. The article of furniture of any one of the preceding claims which includes a retention mechanism for retaining the at least one end component in position relative to the at least one frame component.
8. 8. The article of furniture of claim 7 in which the retention mechanism includes a retaining member adjustably arranged on one of the end component and the frame component and an engaging member to be engaged by the retaining member carried by the other of the end component and the frame component.
9. 9. The article of furniture of claim 2 or claim 3 which includes at least one connector for connecting two of the frame components together, the at least one connector further mounting a leg of the article of furniture.
10. 10. The article of furniture of claim 9 in which the at least one connector is configured to mount the leg inwardly of a periphery of the frame component to reduce the visibility of the leg, in use.
11. 11. The article of furniture of any one of the preceding claims in which the cover arrangement comprises a cover for covering the components, the cover arrangement further including at least one cushion, the cushion comprising a resiliently flexible filling material and being free of suspension components.
12. 12. A method of manufacturing a made-to-order article of furniture as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, the method including maintaining a supply of frame components and end components of the article of furniture; taking an order for an article of furniture of a desired size; fabricating a cover arrangement for the article of furniture of the desired size; and selecting the frame components, end components and spacer arrangement to form the article of furniture of the desired size and providing the article of furniture to a purchaser.
13. 13. The method of claim 12 which includes fabricating the frame components to be collapsible so that they can be shipped and/or stored in a space saving manner.
14. 14. The method of claim 12 or claim 13 which includes, on receipt of an order from the purchaser, having the cover arrangement fabricated in accordance with desired dimensions.
15. 15. The method of any one of claims 12 to 14 in which the cover arrangement includes a cover and at least one cushion and in which the method includes fabricating the at least one cushion free of any suspension components to reduce the weight and the volume of the cover arrangement.
16. 16. The method of any one of claims 12 to 15 which includes providing the components and the cover arrangement to the purchaser in a knocked down kit form to be assembled by the purchaser.
17. 17. A retention mechanism for retaining a first component and a second component in position relative to each other, the retention mechanism including an elongate body member having an attachment formation at a first end and a handle displaceably arranged at an opposed end, the attachment formation being displaceably attachable to an attaching member carried by one of the components to cater, together with the displaceably arranged handle, for different spacings of the second component relative to the first component; a receiving formation carried by the other of the components; and an engaging member carried by the handle, the engaging member being acted on by the handle for urging the engaging member into engagement with the receiving formation.
18. 18. The mechanism of claim 17 which includes the attaching member, the attaching member being secured to said one of the components.
19. 19. The mechanism of claim 18 in which the attaching member comprises a hook with the attaching formation of the body member comprising an eyelet defining element defining an eyelet in which the hook is received in a manner to enable the body member to pivot relative to the hook.
20. 20. The mechanism of any one of claims 17 to 19 in which at least the opposed end of the body member is threaded and the handle is screw-threadedly received on the threaded end of the handle.
21. 21. The mechanism of any one of claims 17 to 20 in which the engaging member comprises a radially outwardly extending element arranged intermediate the handle and the attachment formation.
22. 22. The mechanism of claim 21 in which the radially outwardly extending element is a radially outwardly extending flange arranged at an inner end of the handle.
23. 23. The mechanism of any one of claims 17 to 22 in which the receiving formation comprises a fork-shaped bracket defining at least one slot shaped to receive the body member with the engaging member bearing against the bracket under the action of the handle.
24. 24. A connector for connecting two components together, the connector including a body member; a pair of spaced connector elements carried by, and extending from the body member, each connector element being receivable in a receiving formation of one of the components for connecting the components together; and a receiver arranged operatively inwardly of the connector elements, the receiver defining a receiving formation for receiving a part of a leg which spaces the connected components from a substrate and the arrangement of the receiver proximate an operatively inner end of the body member resulting in reduced visibility of the leg, in use.
25. 25. The connector of claim 24 in which the body member is in the form of a plate.
26. 26. The connector of claim 25 in which the plate is stepped defining a pair of staggered lands, a first of the lands carrying the pair of connector elements and the second of the lands carrying the receiver.
27. 27. The connector of any one of claims 24 to 26 in which each connector element is in the form of a pin projecting substantially normally from the body member.
28. 28. The connector of any one of claims 24 to 27 in which the receiver is a sleeve, a passage of the sleeve defining the receiving formation.