Mounting apparatus for securing independent sections of a sectional sofa assembly

• US 5,544,938 A
• Filed: 03/10/1994
• Issued: 08/13/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: La-Z-Boy Incorporated
• Original Assignee: La-Z-Boy Chair Company
• Inventors: LaPointe, Larry P., Marshall, Richard E., Saul, Jonathan R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelson, Jr., Milton
• Application Number:
  US08/209,159
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: 297/440.1, 297/440.14, 297/233, 297/248, 297/463.1, 297/232, 297/257, 297/249, 297/85, 248/222.4, 248/223.1, 248/223.2, 248/501, 403/205
• US Class Current: 297/248
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 13/005 Modular seating chairs connectible into a row A47C1/124
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 15/002 Corner seating furniture, e.g. corner sofas changing corner couches into double bed A47C17/36

Abstract

A mounting apparatus and method for releasably securing together adjacent seating sections wherein the mounting apparatus includes a bracket having a key-hole like opening formed therein and a fastener having an enlarged head and a shaft. The mounting apparatus is disposed between a first and second seating section such that the enlarged head and a portion of the shaft extend through the key-hole like opening and engaged the bracket to releasably secure together the adjacent seating sections to form the modular sofa assembly.

Claims

1. An apparatus for securing a first and second independent modular seating section of a modular sofa assembly together, wherein the first seating section includes a first side wall and the second seating section includes a second side wall, said apparatus comprising:

bracket means for interdisposing between the first side wall and the second side wall, said bracket means including a first wall portion having a closed key-hole like opening formed therein and a second wall portion having an opening formed therein;

a first fastening member for securing said second wall portion to the first side wall; and

a second fastening member for securement to the second side wall, said second fastening member including a shaft portion and an enlarged head portion having a greater diameter than said shaft portion;

whereby when the first seating section is positioned closely adjacent the second seating section said second fastener member is caused to extend into said closed key-hole like opening and releasably secure together the first and second seating sections.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first wall portion includes a pair of closed key-hole like openings formed therein;

wherein said first fastening member further includes a frame rail secured to said first side wall of a reclining seating section; and

wherein said second wall portion protrudes generally perpendicularly of said first wall portion and is adapted to be secured to said frame rail.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said second wall portion extends generally parallel to said first wall portion;

and

wherein said apparatus further includes a connecting wall portion for connecting said first and second wall portions in the shape of a generally inverted U-shaped bracket.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further including an aperture formed in said first wall portion for engaging with a stud portion of a frame rail member of a recliner seating section to thereby help prevent movement of said bracket means relative to said frame rail member.

5. An apparatus for securing a first and second independent modular seating section of a modular sofa assembly together, wherein the first seating section includes a first side wall and the second seating section includes a second side wall, said apparatus comprising:

first fastener means having a shaft portion and an enlarged head portion, said first fastener means for securement to the first side wall and protruding outwardly therefrom;

second fastener means having an elongated shaft portion and an enlarged head portion, said second fastener means for securement to the second side wall and protruding outwardly therefrom, the second side wall being adapted to be disposed closely adjacent the first side wall when the first and second modular seating sections are assembled together to form the modular sofa assembly; and

bracket means for interdisposing between the first side wall and the second side wall for securing the first and second modular seating sections together, said bracket means including;

a first wall portion;

a first closed key-hole like opening formed in said first wall portion and being adapted to receive said enlarged head portion of said first fastener means therethrough such that said bracket means is releasably secured to said first fastener means;

a connecting wall portion extending from said first wall portion;

a second wall portion extending from said connecting wall portion; and

a second closed key-hole like opening formed in said second wall portion, said second key-hole like opening receiving therethrough said enlarged head portion of said second fastener means when the second side wall is positioned closely adjacent the first side wall, to thereby releasably lock the first and second modular seating sections together.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said bracket means comprises an inverted U-shaped bracket.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said first and second key-hole like openings are positioned in longitudinal alignment with one another.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein each of said first and second key-hole like openings comprises an enlarged, generally circular portion;

and

a slot portion having converging wall portions extending radially outwardly from said generally circular portion.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said slot portion of each one of said first and second key-hole like openings has a width sufficient to enable said shaft portion of each one of said first and second fastening means to pass therethrough but which is smaller than a diameter of said enlarged head portion of each one of said first and second fastener means.

10. For a modular sofa assembly including at least one fixed seating section and at least one recliner seating section, wherein said fixed seating section has a side wall portion and said recliner seating section has at least one frame rail, and wherein at least an end portion of said frame rail and said side wall portion are in close proximity to one another when said recliner seating section and said fixed seating section are disposed in position to form said modular sofa assembly, a bracket member for releasably coupling said recliner seating section and said fixed seating section together when said seating sections are positioned closely adjacent one another, to thereby form said modular sofa assembly, said bracket member comprising:

a first wall portion;

a closed key-hole like opening disposed in said first wall portion;

a second wall portion extending generally perpendicularly relative to said first wall portion;

a connecting wall portion integrally formed with said first and second wall portions and extending generally perpendicular to each of said first and second wall portions, whereby said first wall portion, said second wall portion and said connecting wall portion are orthogonal;

an opening formed in said second wall portion, said second wall portion further being adapted to be positioned on said frame rail;

first fastening means including an elongated shaft and an enlarged head portion having a diameter greater than said elongated shaft for securement to said side wall portion of said fixed seating section and protruding outwardly of said side wall portion;

second fastening means adapted to extend through said opening in said second wall portion to couple said second wall portion to said frame rail; and

whereby said bracket member, when coupled to said frame rail, may be secured to said first fastening means by positioning said recliner seating section such that said enlarged head portion of said first fastening means passes through said key-hole like opening and releasably engages with said key-hole like opening.

11. The bracket member of claim 10, wherein said key-hole like opening comprises an enlarged, generally circular portion having a diameter greater than said enlarged head portion of said first fastener means;

and

a slot having converging wall portions, said slot extending generally radially outwardly of said circular portion, said slot being adapted to receive a portion of said shaft of said first fastener means to releasably lockably couple said first wall portion of said bracket member to said first fastener means, and thereby to releasably couple said recliner seating section closely adjacent said side wall portion of said fixed seating section.

12. The bracket member of claim 11, wherein said opening in said second wall portion comprises an elongated slot to enable said bracket member to be adjustably positioned on said frame rail.

13. A bracket member for releasably securing a first modular seating section and a second modular seating section together to form a modular sofa assembly, wherein said first modular seating section has a first side wall and said second modular seating section has a second side wall, said bracket member comprising:

a first wall portion;

a connecting wall portion integrally formed with said first wall portion and protruding generally perpendicularly therefrom;

a second wall portion integrally formed with said connecting wall portion and protruding generally perpendicularly therefrom, said first wall portion, said connecting wall portion and said second wall portion forming a generally inverted U-shaped configuration;

said first wall portion having a first closed key-hole like opening therein, said first key-hole like opening including an enlarged, generally circular portion and a slot extending generally radially outwardly from said circular portion;

said second wall portion having a second closed key-hole like opening formed therein, said second key-hole like opening including an enlarged, generally circular portion and a slot extending generally radially outwardly from said circular portion, said first and second key-hole like openings further being generally longitudinally aligned with one another;

first fastening means having an elongated shaft and an enlarged head portion having a diameter greater than said elongated shaft portion and being securable to the first side wall of the first modular seating section;

second fastening means having an elongated shaft portion and an enlarged head portion and being securable to the second side wall of the second modular seating section, each one of said first and second fastening means protruding generally outwardly of its associated first and second side wall;

said shaft portion of said first fastening means being adapted to extend through said circular portion of said key-like opening in said first wall portion and within said slot of said first key-hole like opening such that said enlarged head portion engages said first wall portion to secure said bracket member to said side wall of the first modular seating section; and

said shaft portion of said second fastening means being adapted to extend through said circular portion of said second key-hole like opening in said second wall portion and into said slot of said second key-hole like opening such that said enlarged head portion of said second fastening means engages said second wall portion to secure said second wall portion to said side wall of the second modular seating section.