Furniture system recliner assembly with sled rails

• US 10,123,621 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2017
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lovesac Company
• Original Assignee: Lovesac Company
• Inventors: Nelson, Shawn, Underwood, David, Kuchler, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Wendell, Mark R
• Application Number:
  US15/667,967
• Publication Number:
  US 20180000244A1
• Time in Patent Office: 467 Days
• Field of Search: 312107, 312108, 312111, 2974401, 297 86
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03211 by electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/0347 characterised by the backrest-seat unit or back-rest slidingly movable in the base frame, e.g. by rollers
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/0352 characterised by coupled seat and back-rest slidingly movable in the base frame, e.g. by rollers
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 13/005 Modular seating chairs connectible into a row A47C1/124
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 17/04 Seating furniture, e.g. sofas, couches, settees, or the like, with movable parts changeable to beds; Chair beds
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 17/17 with coupled movement of back-rest and seat

Abstract

A furniture system with a reclining assembly including a modular furniture assembly and a reclining assembly. A passageway in the reclining assembly allows coupling to a slit in the modular furniture assembly with a coupler. The reclining assembly includes a housing and a footrest assembly that moves with respect to the housing. An additional base can be coupled to the front end of the footrest assembly, with one or more (e.g., two) sled rails mounted on an underside of the additional base, such that the additional base slides on the sled rails as the footrest assembly moves from the compressed non-reclined position to the extended position.

Claims

1. A furniture system, comprising:

a modular furniture assembly having footprint specifications which identify the footprint of the modular furniture assembly, the modular furniture assembly comprising a base and a transverse member that can be selectively coupled to each other; and

a reclining assembly configured to be selectively coupled to the modular furniture assembly, wherein the reclining assembly is configured to be mounted adjacent to the modular furniture assembly such that the reclining assembly can be selectively coupled to the modular furniture assembly to form a convenient, useful, and aesthetically pleasing sofa,

wherein, in a compressed, non-reclined position, the reclining assembly has substantially the same footprint specifications as the footprint specifications of the modular furniture assembly;

wherein the reclining assembly includes (i) a housing;

(ii) a footrest assembly; and

(iii) a recliner mechanism configured to selectively move the footrest assembly with respect to the housing,

an additional base mountable to a front end of the footrest assembly of the reclining assembly, the additional base moving when the base of the reclining assembly moves, wherein the additional base includes at least one sled rail mounted on an underside of the additional base.

2. A furniture system as recited in claim 1, wherein the additional base includes two sled rails mounted on the underside of the additional base.

3. A furniture system as recited in claim 2, wherein the sled rails are elongate in shape, and are mounted on the underside of the additional base at opposed sides thereof.

4. A furniture system as recited in claim 1, further comprising at least one felt shoe mounted or mountable to an underside of the at least one sled rail, between the sled rail and a floor surface on which the additional base is supported.

5. A furniture system as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one sled rail includes a hole at each opposed end of the sled rail, the holes being configured to receive a foot of the additional base, coupling the sled rail to the additional base.

6. A furniture system as recited in claim 5, further comprising at least one felt shoe mounted or mountable to an underside of the at least one sled rail, between the sled rail and a floor surface on which the additional base is supported, wherein the felt shoe includes a hole that is aligned with one of the holes of the sled rail, such that the foot of the additional base is configured to pass through the hole of the sled rail and the hole of the felt shoe.

7. A furniture system as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one sled rail is tapered so as to be narrower adjacent a bottom face thereof as compared to a top face thereof.

8. A furniture system as recited in claim 7, wherein the tapering includes a curved outer edge adjacent the bottom face of the sled rail.

9. A furniture system as recited in claim 1, wherein a passageway extends between the housing and the footrest assembly such that a coupler is selectively mountable within the passageway and within a corresponding slit of the modular furniture assembly, so as to couple the housing of the recliner assembly to the modular furniture assembly.

10. A furniture system as recited in claim 9, wherein a U-shaped coupler selectively couples the reclining assembly to the modular furniture assembly upon insertion into the passageway and the slit.

11. A furniture system as recited in claim 1, wherein a first coupler selectively couples the reclining assembly to the modular furniture assembly, the first coupler being configured to remain in a stationary position when the footrest assembly of the reclining assembly moves back and forth between extended and non-extended positions, and wherein a second coupler selectively couples the additional base to the reclining assembly, the second coupling being configured to move when the footrest assembly of the reclining assembly moves back and forth between extended and non-extended positions.

12. A furniture system as recited in claim 11, wherein the first and second couplers are U-shaped couplers that are substantially identical to one another.

13. A furniture system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a controller assembly at least partially mounted on a removable cover of a cushion of the recliner assembly and electrically linked to the reclining mechanism.

14. A furniture assembly as recited in claim 13, wherein the controller assembly is comprised of buttons mounted on an outer surface and corresponding buttons mounted on an inner surface of the removable cover of the cushion.

15. A method for mounting a recliner assembly adjacent a modular furniture assembly comprising:

providing a modular furniture assembly with reclining assembly as recited in claim 1;

providing a first coupler configured to be placed within the modular furniture assembly and the reclining assembly;

providing a second coupler configured to be placed within the reclining assembly and the additional base;

placing the modular furniture assembly adjacent the reclining assembly and the additional base adjacent the reclining assembly;

mounting the first coupler within the modular furniture assembly and the reclining assembly, coupling them to one another; and

mounting the second coupler within the reclining assembly and the additional base, coupling them to one another.

16. A method as recited in claim 15 wherein:

(i) the modular furniture assembly and the reclining assembly have a slit and passageway, respectively, therein, the first coupler being configured to be selectively mounted within the slit and passageway;

(ii) the reclining assembly and the additional base each have a respective slit therein, the second coupler being configured to be selectively mounted within the slits.

17. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein the first coupler selectively couples the reclining assembly to the modular furniture assembly, the first coupler being configured to remain in a stationary position when the footrest assembly of the reclining assembly moves back and forth between extended and non-extended positions, and wherein the second coupler selectively couples the additional base to the reclining assembly, the second coupling being configured to move when the footrest assembly of the reclining assembly moves back and forth between extended and non-extended positions.

18. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the first and second couplers are U-shaped couplers that are substantially identical to one another.

19. A furniture system, comprising:

a modular furniture assembly having footprint specifications which identify the footprint of the modular furniture assembly, the modular furniture assembly comprising a base and a transverse member that can be selectively coupled to each other; and

a reclining assembly configured to be selectively coupled to the modular furniture assembly, wherein the reclining assembly is configured to be mounted adjacent to the modular furniture assembly such that the reclining assembly can be selectively coupled to the modular furniture assembly to form a convenient, useful, and aesthetically pleasing sofa,

wherein the reclining assembly includes (i) a housing;

(ii) a footrest assembly that moves relative to the housing as the reclining assembly moves from a compressed, non-reclined position to an extended position; and

(iii) a recliner mechanism configured to selectively move the footrest assembly with respect to the housing, wherein the footrest assembly includes at least one sled rail mounted on an underside of the footrest assembly.

20. A furniture system as recited in claim 19, wherein the footrest assembly includes an additional base that is separable from the remainder of the footrest assembly, the at least one sled rail being mounted on the underside of the additional base.