US3866976A

US3866976A - Sitting furniture and structural units therefor

Info

Publication number: US3866976A
Application number: US386500A
Authority: US
Inventors: Folke E H Ohlsson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-08-10
Filing date: 1973-08-08
Publication date: 1975-02-18
Anticipated expiration: 1992-02-18
Also published as: SE372697B

Abstract

A structural unit for use in a piece of sitting furniture as back rest and lateral parts comprises three integrally formed panel section, viz, a substantially vertical upper panel section, a substantially vertical lower panel section for supporting the unit from the floor, and a horizontal shelf panel section extending between the lower edge of the upper panel section and the upper edge of the lower panel section for forming a support for a seat frame, said shelf panel section having the outline of an isosceles trapezoid, the long base of which is the merging line between the shelf panel section and the upper panel section, the short base of which is the merging line between the shelf panel section and the lower panel section, and the non-parallel sides of which form an angle of substantially 45* with the long base of the trapezoid. A piece of sitting furniture comprises at least one such structural unit and a seat frame supported on and connected to the shelf panel section of such structural unit.

Description

[ 1 Feb. 18, 1975 SITTING FURNITURE AND STRUCTURAL UNITS THEREFOR [76] Inventor:

Atherton, Calif. 94025 [22] Filed: Aug. 8, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 386,500

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Aug. 10, 1972 Sweden 10370/72 [52] US. Cl. 297/445 [51] Int. Cl. A47c 7/00 [58] Field of Search 297/440, 445, 417, 418, 297/452, 460, DIG. 2, 455, 456

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,603,276 7/1952 Lorenz et a1 297/418 X 2,672,923 3/1954 McCormick 297/456 3,298,741 1/1967 Lepard et a1. 297/D1G. 2 3,423,772 1/1969 Mainguy 297/440 3,575,465 4/1971 Dolby 297/440 3,658,382 4/1972 Anderson 297/445 3,674,311 7/1972 Miller 297/452 Folke E. H. Ohlsson, 302 Selby Ln.,

Primary Examiner-Paul R. Gilliam Assistant ExaminerDavid H. Corbin ABSTRACT A structural unit for use in a piece of sitting furniture as back rest and lateral parts comprises three integrally formed panel section, viz, a substantially verticalupper panel section, a substantially vertical lower panel section for supporting the unit from the floor, and a horizontal shelf panel section extending between the lower edge of the upper panel section and the upper edge of the lower panel section for forming a support for a seat frame, said shelf panel section having the outline of an isosceles trapezoid, the long base of which is the merging line between the shelf panel section and the upper panel section, the short base of which is the merging line between the shelf panel section and the lower panel section, and the non-parallel sides of which form an angle of substantially 45 with the long base of the trapezoid.

A piece of sitting furniture comprises at least one such structural unit and a seat frame supported on and connected to the shelf panel section of such structural unit.

6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures SITTING FURNITURE AND STRUCTURAL UNITS THEREFOR The present invention relates to sitting furniture in the form of armchairs or sofas having one or more back rests and with or without lateral parts.

Sitting furniture of this type and of varying construction and appearance is already known. However, most of it suffers from the disadvantage that each individual piece comprises a plurality of differently designed and comparatively complicated parts. Another disadvantage encountered in many prior art types of sitting furniture is that it may be difficult or even impossible to pack the furniture into readily handled parcels, and this may cause considerable problems in connection with stock-keeping and shipping.

The present invention has for its object to provide a structural unit for use in a piece of sitting furniture as back rest and lateral parts. With one or several such structural units it is possible to provide a piece of sitting furniture which can be optionally formed as an armchari or sofa, with or without lateral parts, and which is so designed that it can be readily disassembled and packed into handy parcels.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a structural unit suited for rationalized and inexpensive production, for instance by injection or compression molding of plastics materials.

To achieve the above-mentioned objects of the invention, a structural unit for use in a piece of sitting furniture as back rest and lateral parts comprises three integrally formed panel sections, viz, an upper panel section having substantially rectangular outline, an intermediate shelf panel section protruding at substantially right angles from said upper panel section and having substantially the outline of an isosceles trapezoid, the long base of which is the merging line between said intermediate shelf panel section and said upper panel section, and the non-parallel sides of which form an. angle of substantially 45 with the long base of the isosceles trapezoid, and a lower panel section having substantially rectangular outline and protruding at substantially right angles from said intermediate shelf panel section, the merging line between said intermediate shelf panel section and said lower panel section forming one of the long sides of the rectangular outline of said lower panel section and the short base of the isosceles trapezoid outline of said intermediate'shelf panel section, means on said lower panel section for supporting the structural unit on the floor, and connecting means on said shelf panel section for fastening a seat frame on said shelf panel section.

The invention also serves to provide a piece of sitting furniture in which the back rest or rests and, where appropriate, the lateral parts consist of structural units of the above-mentioned type which have identically the same shape and are manufactured each in one piece, are designed to support the piece of furniture on the floor and have connecting means for supporting a seat frame holding the piece of furniture together.

The invention will now be described in more detail in the following, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a number of embodiments of the invention and in which:

FIG. 1 shows a structural unit for making up a piece of sitting furniture;

FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of a structural unit;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an armchair with lateral pieces, made up of the structural unitsshown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an armchair without lateral parts, made up of the structural unit shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a three-seat sofa having lateral parts and made up of the structural units shown in FIG. 2.

The structural unit according to FIG. 1, generally designated 1, has been designed for high production efficiency, for instance by injection molding of a plastics material. The structural unit comprises three essen tially

flat panel sections

3, 4 and 5 manufactured in one piece. The upper panel section 3 serves as a back rest or lateral part and is generally rectangular in shape. For greater strength and for aesthetic reasons, the rectangular section 3 is provided along its free margins with a low flange 7 which, in the assembled piece of furniture, is facing inwardly. Furthermore, the rectangular section 3 preferably is slightly curved outwardly, thereby increasing the strength of the structural unit 1 and the aesthetic value of the piece of furniture. From the lower margin of the rectangular section 3 there extends, inwardly and horizontally, a shelf panel section 4 which, in the assembled state of the piece of furniture, supports a seat frame 8 serving on the one hand, as is indicated by its name, to support the upholstery or seat cushion of the piece of furniture and, on the other hand, to hold together the various structural units 1 of which the piece of furniture is made up. The shelf panel section 4 generally is in the form of a long and narrow isosceles trapezoid, the long base of which is the slightly curved merging line between the upper panel section 3 and the shelf panel section 4. The angles between the long base and the two non-parallel sides of the isosceles trapezoid amount to approximately 45. In this manner, two structural units 1 can be mounted closely together at a corner 15. The shorter base of the isosceles trapezoid is the merging line between the shelf panel section 4 and a lower panel section 5. The lower panel section 5 which is in the form of an elongate rectangle, extends vertically downwardly from the shelf panel section 4. Along the free margin of the lower panel section 5 there is provided, for the same reason as at the margin of the upper panel section 3, a low flange 6. Furthermore, the lower panel section 5, like the upper panel section 3, may be slightly curved outwardly. In this manner, the merging line between the lower panel section 5 and the shelf panel section 4 will be slightly curved. The lower margin of the lower panel section 5 may be formed for directly engaging the floor, or provided with cushion slides.

FIG. 2 shows a structural unit 2 which is slightly different from the unit shown in FIG. 1. As will be seen from the Figure, the upper panel section 30f the structural unit 2 has a greater curvature than the corresponding part of the structural unit according to FIG. 1. Furthermore, the upper panel section 3 of the structural unit 2 immediately beneath its center, as seen in the vertical direction, has a smooth outward bend (rearwardly and laterally, respectively); the surface of the upper panel section 3 thus is curved in two directions. In this manner, a greater rigidity is attained for the structural unit 2 than for the structural unit as shown in FIG. 1 so that, if desired, the structural unit according to FIG. 2 can be made thinner than the structural unit 1. To compensate for the reduced rigidity in the more planar portions of the structural unit 2, resulting from a reduction in thickness, the lower portions of the upper panel section 3, the shelf panel section 4 and the lower panel section 5 are provided with vertical stiffening ribs 9; see FIG. 2. Those portions of the stiffening ribs which extend across the shelf panel section 4 have their horizontal upper edges 13 lying in a common plane parallel to and spaced from the shelf panel section 4. In the assembled state of the piece of sitting furniture, the seat frame 8 which holds the structural units together, rests upon these horizontal edges 13 of the stiffening ribs 9. Furthermore, it appears from FIG. 2 that the structural unit 2 has a vertical slot 10 extending downwardly from the upper margin of the upper panel section 3 and serving to hold a back cushion or an arm rest cushion 12. The cushion 12 is held in position by a bottom 11 attached to a short string extending through the slot 10 of the structural unit so that the button 11 and the cushion 12 will lie on either side of the structural unit 2. If desired, it is of course also possible to use more than one slot 10 in each structural unit 2, and naturally also the structural unit according to FIG. 1 may be provided with one or more slots.

FIG. 3 illustrates the basic construction of an armchair with lateral parts. The armchair illustrated by the Figure is made up of three structural units according to FIG. 1 and a seat frame 8, but could just as well be made up of three structural units according to FIG. 2. As will appear from the Figure, the structural units 1 or 2 are attached to the seat frame 8 by means of, e.g., screws 14 extending through the shelf panel sections 4 of the structural units. Because the short sides of the shelf panel sections 4 are inclined through 45 inwardly, the structural units 1 or 2 may be'mounted closely together at the corner 15 of the piece of furniture. Furthermore, the Figure shows that the piece of furniture rests upon the floor via the lower panel section 5 of the structural units 1 or 2 or, if desired, via cushion slides. The upholstered parts of the piece of furniture, such as the arm rest cushion 12, are shown with dash and dot lines.

FIG. 4 shows an armchair which has no lateral parts and is made up of a structural unit according to FIG. 1, although it could just as well be made up of a structural unit according to FIG. 2. Like the piece of sitting furniture illustrated in FIG. 3, the armchair has a seat frame 8 which preferably is upholstered also on its outer side. As the two structural units at the sides of the armchair are lacking, and thus also the supporting lower panel sections 5, there must be provided in their place longitudinal, additional lower panel sections 16.

FIG. 5 shows a three-set sofa made up of five structural units according to FIG. 2. Naturally, the structural units according to FIG. 1 could have been used just as well. The Figure clearly shows that the seat frame 8 extends along the entire length of the sofa, and that the margins of the structural units 2 at the corners 15 of the piece furniture are mounted closely together. Furthermore, it is clearly apparent how, e.g., the arm rest cushion 12 is secured to the structural unit by means of a button 11 and the slot 10.

Combinations of structural units, other than those described above and illustrated in the drawings, are also possible. For instance, it is possible to make up from three structural units a two-seat sofa having but one arm rest, a sofa which is well suited to be placed in a corner group together with a normal sofa. Common to all of these structural units combined into pieces of sitting furniture, in accordance with the present invention, are the considerable advantages that are obtained in the form of aesthetically attractive pieces of furniture, rationalized and inexpensive production, as well as low storage and shipping costs.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent l. A structural unit for use in a piece of sitting furniture as back rest and lateral parts, comprising three integrally formed panel sections, viz, an upper panel section having substantially rectangular outline, an intermediate shelf panel section protruding at substantially right angles from said upper panel section and having substantially the outline of an isosceles trapezoid, the long base of which is the merging line between said intermediate shelf panel section and said upper panel section, and the non-parallel sides of which form an angle of substantially 45 with the long base of the isosceles trapezoid, and a lower panel section having substantially rectangular outline and protruding at substantially right angles from said intermediate shelf panel section, the merging line between said intermediate shelf panel-section and said lower panel section forming one of the long sides of the rectangular outline of said lower panel section and the short base of the isosceles trapezoid outline of said intermediate shelf panel section, means on said lower panel section for supporting the structural unit on the floor, and connecting means on said shelf panel section for fastening a seat frame on said shelf panel section.

2. A structural unit according to claim 1, further comprising elongated reinforcement flanges integrally formed with said panel sections and extending across said intermediate shelf panel section and along portions of said upper and lower panel sections adjoining said shelf panel section, said flanges having edge portions lying in a plane parallel to and spaced from said shelf panel section for forming a support for the seat frame.

3. A structural unit according to claim 1, further comprising means forming a slot in said upper panel section, said slot extending from the edge of said upper panel remote from said shelf panel section in a direction towards said shelf panel section for engagement with a button on a cushion.

4. A piece of sitting furniture comprising a seat frame and at least one structural unit, said unit comprising three integrally formed panel sections, viz, a substan' tially vertical upper panel section having substantially rectangular outline, a substantially horizontal intermediate shelf panel section protruding from the lower end of said upper panel section and having substantially the outline of an isosceles trapezoid, the long base of which is the merging line between said shelf panel section and said upper panel section, and the non-parallel sides of which form an angle of substantially 45 with the long base of the isosceles trapezoid,- and a substantially vertical lower panel section having substantially rectangular outline, the merging line between said shelf panel section and said lower panel section forming one of the long sides of the rectangular outline of said lower panel section and the short base of the isosceles trapezoid outline of said shelf panel section, means on said lower panel section for supporting said structural unit from forming a support for said seat frame.

6. A piece of sitting furniture according to claim 4, further comprising means forming a slot in said upper panel section, said slot extending downwards from the upper edge of said upper panel section, a cushion rest ing against one side of said upper panel section, and button means on said cushion in engagement with the slot of said upper panel section.

Claims

1. A structural unit for use in a piece of sitting furniture as back rest and lateral parts, comprising three integrally formed panel sections, viz, an upper panel section having substantially rectangular outline, an intermediate shelf panel section protruding at substantially right angles from said upper panel section and having substantially the outline of an isosceles trapezoid, the long base of which is the merging line between said intermediate shelf panel section and said upper panel section, and the non-parallel sides of which form an angle of substantially 45* with the long base of the isosceles trapezoid, and a lower panel section having substantially rectangular outline and protruding at substantially right angles from said intermediate shelf panel section, the merging line between said intermediate shelf panel section and said lower panel section forming one of the long sides of the rectangular outline of said lower panel section and the short base of the isosceles trapezoid outline of said intermediate shelf panel section, means on said lower panel section for supporting the structural unit on the floor, and connecting means on said shelf panel section for fastening a seat frame on said shelf panel section.

4. A piece of sitting furniture comprising a seat frame and at least one structural unit, said unit comprising three integrally formed panel sections, viz, a substantially vertical upper panel section having substantially rectangular outline, a substantially horizontal intermediate shelf panel section protruding from the lower end of said upper panel section and having substantially the outline of an isosceles trapezoid, the long base of which is the merging line between said shelf panel section and said upper panel section, and the non-parallel sides of which form an angle of substantially 45* with the long base of the isosceles trapezoid, and a substantially vertical lower panel section having substantially rectangular outline, the merging line between said shelf panel section and said lower panel section forming one of the long sides of the rectangular outline of said lower panel section and the short base of the isosceles trapezoid outline of said shelf panel section, means on said lower panel section for supporting said structural unit from the floor, and connecting means for fastening said seat frame on said shelf panel section.

5. A piece of sitting furniture according to claim 4, further comprising elongated reinforcement flanges integrally formed with said panel sections and extending across said intermediate shelf panel section and along portions of said upper anD lower panel section adjoining said shelf panel section, said flanges having horizontal edge portions above said shelf panel section for forming a support for said seat frame.

6. A piece of sitting furniture according to claim 4, further comprising means forming a slot in said upper panel section, said slot extending downwards from the upper edge of said upper panel section, a cushion resting against one side of said upper panel section, and button means on said cushion in engagement with the slot of said upper panel section.