Rocking furniture with removably secured and adjustable cushions

• US 4,844,541 A
• Filed: 09/21/1987
• Issued: 07/04/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Drovers & Mechanics Bank (Fulton Bank, NA (Lancaster, Pennsylvania))
• Original Assignee: William B. Laird
• Inventors: Laird, William B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Peter R.
• Application Number:
  US07/099,187
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 297/261, 297/264, 297/265, 297/267, 297/300, 297/301, 297/302, 297/440, 297/442, 297/443, 297/444, 297/258, 297/232, 297/325, 297/326, 248/560, 248/580, 248/582, 248/596, 248/603, 248/618-620
• US Class Current: 297/302.4
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 3/0252 connected only by an elastic member positioned between seat and base frame

Abstract

The disclosure pertains to furniture of the chair, loveseat and couch type which includes a frame, first and second members linked with one another and generally parallel to one another, one or more spring members coupling the first and second members with the frame and permitting partial rotation of the first and second members about an axis perpendicular to the first and second members and biasing the members back to an initial orientation when rotated, a cushion received by and supported by the first pair of members, a latch mechanism within the cushion for latching the cushion to at least one of the first and second members receiving the cushion, a mating element on at least one of the members for engaging with the latch and an actuator within the cushion coupled with the latch for disengaging the latch mechanism from the mating element of the members.

Claims

1. Furniture of the chair, loveseat and couch type comprising:

a floor-contacting stationary frame;

first and second rails, each of the first and second rails being generally L-shaped and having first and second intersecting and generally transverse arms;

torsional linkage means secured with each of the first and second rails for biasing the first arms of the first and second rails generally parallel to one another and the second arms of the first and second rails generally parallel to one another;

first spring means for supporting the first and second rails from the frame in an initial orientation with the first arms generally horizontally disposed and the second arms generally vertically disposed, the first spring means permitting partial rotation of the first and second rails on the frame about an axis generally perpendicular to the first and second arms of the first and second rails and biasing the first and second rails back to the initial orientation after being rotated, the first spring means comprises at least one spring coupled only the first rail with the frame and at least another spring coupling only the second rail with the frame;

a first seat cushion removably received by and supported by the first arms; and

a first back cushion removably received by and supported by the second arms.

2. The furniture of claim 1, wherein the torsional linkage means is a hollow tube extending between the first and second rails and secured with each of the rails.

3. The furniture of claim 1 further comprising:

third and fourth rails, each of the third and fourth rails being generally L-shaped and having third and fourth intersecting and generally transverse arms;

linkage means securing the third and fourth rails together with the third arms generally parallel to one another and the fourth arms generally parallel to one another; and

second spring means for supporting the third and fourth rails from the frame in an initial orientation with the third arms of the third and fourth rails generally parallel with the first arms of the first and second rails and the fourth arms of the third and fourth rails generally parallel with the second arms of the first and second rails, the second spring means permitting partial rotation of the third and fourth rails from the initial orientation about an axis generally perpendicular to the third and fourth arms of the third and fourth rails and for biasing the third and fourth rails back to the initial orientation when rotated from the initial orientation, independently of any rotation of the first and second rails;

a second seat cushion received and supported by the third arms of the third and fourth rails;

a second back cushion received and supported by the fourth arms of the third and fourth rails; and

one of the second seat and back cushions received and supported by the arms of the third and fourth rails also including latch means within said one cushion for latching said one cushion with at least one arm of the third and fourth rails receiving and supporting said one cushion, said one arm including mating means for engaging the latch means, the latch means being disengageable from the mating means.

4. The furniture of claim 1 wherein the first arm of each of the first and second rails includes an end distal to the second arm of the same rail and wherein each spring of the first spring means couples a separate one each of the first and second rails to the frame through the first arms of each of the first and second rails proximate the distal end of each of the first arms.

5. The furniture of claim 1 wherein said first spring means are located such that the axis lies proximal ends of the first arms generally remote from the first back cushion.

6. The furniture of claim 1 wherein the first seat cushion internally receives at least a portion of each of the first arms and further comprising spacer means between the springs of the first spring means and each of the first arms for spacing the first arms from the springs sufficiently to permit portions of the first arms to be received from the first seat cushion.

7. The furniture of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first seat and first back cushions including latch means within the one cushion for latching the one cushion with at least one of the arms receiving and supporting the one cushion, the one arm including mating means for engaging said latch means, the latch means being disengageable from the mating means to permit removal of the one cushion from the receiving and supporting arms.

8. The furniture of claim 7 wherein the one arm receiving and supporting the one cushion includes at least two spaced mating means for engaging with the latch means of the one cushion at any one of at least two spaced positions along the one arm.

9. Furniture of the chair, loveseat and couch type comprising:

a floor-contacting, stationary frame;

a first pair of generally parallel and elongated tongue members;

torsional linkage means secured with each of the first pair of tongue members in a spaced relation of the tongue members for biasing the first pair of tongue members parallel to one another;

spring means coupled between each of the tongue members and the frame including at least one spring coupling only one of the tongue members with the frame and at least another spring coupling only the other tongue member to the frame for permitting partial rotation of the first pair of tongue members from an initial orientation around an axis generally perpendicular to the elongated direction of each tongue member and for biasing the tongue members back to the original orientation when rotated; and

a first seat cushion having a pair of spaced openings, each opening receiving a separate one of the first pair of tongue members.

10. The furniture of claim 9 wherein the torsional linkage means comprises a hollow tube secured with each of the first pair of tongue members.

11. The furniture of claim 9 wherein the first cushion is a seat cushion wherein the frame has a front and rear side, wherein each of the first pair of tongue members has a front end proximal the front side of the frame and an opposing rear end proximal the rear side of the frame, and wherein each spring of the spring means is coupled between a separate one of the first pair of tongue members and the frame and only proximal the front end of the one tongue member.

12. The furniture of claim 11 wherein the spring means comprises four coil spring members, separate pairs of the four coil spring members coupling each of the first pair of tongue members with the frame.

13. The furniture of claim 12 further comprising spacer means between the four coil spring members and the first pair of tongue members for elevating the first pair of tongue members above the coil spring members to permit a portion of the first cushion to extend between the first pair of tongue members and the four coil spring members.

14. The furniture of claim 9 wherein the frame has at least one bottom surface for supporting the furniture on a floor surface, the at least one bottom surface defining a perimeter of an area footprint of the furniture and wherein the first and second rails and the spring means lie entirely within the area footprint.

15. The furniture of claim 9 wherein the spring means are located such that the axis lies proximal ends of each of the first pair of tongue members generally remote from the back cushion.

16. The furniture of claim 9 wherein the first seat cushion internally receives at least a portion of each of the tongue members and further comprising spacer means between the springs of the first spring means and each of the tongue members for spacing the tongue members from the spring sufficiently to permit portions of the tongue members to be received from the first seat cushion.

17. The furniture of claim 9 further comprising:

latch means within the first cushion for releasably latching the first seat cushion with at least one of the first pair of tongue members; and

at least one of the first pair of tongue members including mating means for engaging with said latch means and securing the one cushion with the at least one tongue member.

18. The furniture of claim 17 wherein each of the first pair of tongue members includes at least two spaced mating means for engaging with the latch means of the first cushion at any one of at least two separate positions along the first pair of tongue members.