阅读说明：本技术 包括模制家具部件的带装饰的家具 (Upholstered furniture comprising moulded furniture parts ) 是由 蒂莫西·A·布兰特纳 尼古拉斯·J·罗宾逊 于 2019-07-29 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种带装饰的家具件,包括框架,所述框架具有前框架构件、相对的靠背、以及位于前框架构件和靠背的相反端部处的两个臂,其中所述前框架构件和相对的靠背中的至少一个包括木质部件,并且其中所述臂由模制塑料制成,并且所述臂中的至少一个臂被耦接至所述木质部件。所述带装饰的家具件包括覆盖材料,其中所述臂中的所述至少一个臂的至少一部分由覆盖材料覆盖。(A upholstered piece of furniture comprising a frame having a front frame member, an opposing back rest, and two arms at opposite ends of the front frame member and the back rest, wherein at least one of the front frame member and the opposing back rest comprises a wood component, and wherein the arms are made of molded plastic and at least one of the arms is coupled to the wood component. The upholstered piece of furniture comprises a covering material, wherein at least a portion of the at least one of the arms is covered by the covering material.)

1. A method of assembling a upholstered sofa comprising:

providing a pair of one-piece, polymeric armrest forms, each of said armrest forms being hollow, said arm members being disposed at a spaced distance relative to each other;

attaching a back frame and a seat base with a plurality of cross wood frame members, each of the cross wood frame members having a length greater than the separation distance, attaching the back frame and seat base comprising: inserting an end of the cross-over wood frame member into a recess defined in a respective armrest profile and securing the end to the respective armrest profile;

providing a plurality of trim portions that are form-fit to each of the pair of armrest form pieces and the back frame; and

attaching the trim portion to the pair of armrest moldings and the backrest frame.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the plurality of ornamental portions are received from a venue remote from an assembly venue of the sofa.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the cross-machine wood frame member comprises a lower front rail and a lower rear rail, and the method further comprises: mounting the lower front rail to a lower front edge of each of the polymeric armrest moldings and mounting the lower rear rail to a lower rear edge of each of the polymeric armrest moldings.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising: installing a seat platform having front and rear spring plates and one of a metal spring and a woven plate extending fore and aft between the front and rear spring plates, the installing accomplished by: securing the front spring plate to the front rail along its length and securing the rear spring plate to the lower rear rail by at least two upright back frame members extending from a lower edge of the rear rail and an inner surface of the rear rail to a top of the back.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the front and rear spring plates each have two ends, and further comprising: inserting each of the two ends of the front and rear spring plates into a corresponding positive-fit recess in each of the pair of armrest moldings.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising: each end of the rear spring plate engages a rearward facing stop surface on an interior wall portion of a respective pair of armrest moldings.

7. The method of claim 5 or 6, further comprising: each end of the rear spring plate engages a rearward facing stop surface on an interior wall portion of a respective pair of armrest moldings.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the method further comprises: four floor engaging feet are attached to the sofa frame below each end of the lower front and rear rails.

9. The method of any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 8, further comprising: adding a plurality of pads to the seat stand, each pad having a decorative covering selected to mate with the plurality of decorative portions that are form fit with each of the pair of armrest moldings and the back frame.

10. The method of any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 8, wherein attaching the trim portion to each of the pair of armrest moldings does not include adding padding to each armrest molding prior to attaching the trim portion.

11. The method of any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 8, wherein the trim portion for each of the pair of armrests is configured as a soft jacket, and attaching the trim portion to each of the pair of armrest moldings comprises sliding the respective trim portion around and down the armrest molding.

12. The method of any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 8, further comprising: each of the pair of armrest moldings is molded by blow molding.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: the blow molding is controlled such that each armrest form has an average wall thickness of 1.5mm to 6 mm.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising: controlling the blow molding such that each armrest mold piece of the pair weighs between 8 pounds and 14 pounds.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising: controlling the blow molding such that each armrest mold piece of the pair weighs between 9.5 pounds and 12 pounds.

16. The method of any of claims 4-6, further comprising: an attachment chest plate extending between and seated into respective chest plate recesses in each armrest molding of the pair of armrest moldings.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein each of the breast plate recesses is a slot extending vertically on an inward facing surface of the respective armrest molding and having an upward facing surface, and further comprising: engaging each of two ends of the chest plate with a respective said upwardly facing surface.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein each of the plurality of upright back frame members has a recess defined in part by a downwardly facing surface, and wherein the method further comprises: engaging the chest plate with the downwardly facing surface and attaching the chest plate to each of the respective upright back frame members.

19. A method of assembling a upholstered sofa comprising:

blow molding a pair of one-piece, polymeric armrest forms, each of said armrest forms being hollow, said arm members being disposed a spaced distance relative to each other;

attaching a plurality of cross wood frame members between the pair of armrest moldings, each cross wood frame member of the plurality of cross wood frame members having a length greater than the separation distance, the attaching comprising: inserting an end of the cross-over wood frame member into a recess defined in a respective armrest profile and securing the end to the respective armrest profile;

wherein the plurality of cross-machine wood frame members comprise a lower front rail and a lower rear rail, and the method further comprises: mounting the lower front rail to a lower front edge of each of the polymeric armrest moldings and mounting the lower rear rail to a lower rear edge of each of the polymeric armrest moldings.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the cross frame member comprises a front spring plate and a rear spring plate, and the method further comprises: inserting ends of the front and rear spring plates into mating recesses in the pair of armrest moldings.

21. The method of claim 19 or 20, wherein the method further comprises: four floor engaging feet are attached to the sofa frame below each end of the lower front and rear rails.

22. A method of assembling a upholstered sofa comprising:

providing a pair of one-piece, polymeric armrest forms, each of said armrest forms being hollow, said arm members being disposed at a spaced distance relative to each other;

attaching a backrest frame and a seat base between respective armrest profiles;

providing a pair of trim portions, each trim portion having an outer trim material and an inner liner that are form-fit to each of the pair of armrest moldings; and

attaching the trim portion to the pair of armrest moldings without adding additional padding to the armrest moldings.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the trim portion for each of the pair of arm rests is configured as a soft jacket, and attaching the trim portion to each of the pair of arm rest moldings comprises sliding the corresponding trim portion around and down around the corresponding arm rest molding.

24. The method of claim 19, 20, 22 or 23, further comprising: the blow molding is controlled such that each armrest form has an average wall thickness of 1.5mm to 6 mm.

25. The method of claim 19, 20, 22 or 23, further comprising: the blow molding is controlled such that each armrest form weighs between 8 pounds and 14 pounds.

26. The method of claim 19, 20, 22 or 23, further comprising: the blow molding is controlled such that each armrest form weighs between 9.5 pounds and 12 pounds.

27. The method of claim 19, 20, 22 or 23, further comprising: polyethylene is chosen as the polymer to be blown.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising: a high molecular weight polyethylene is selected.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising: polyethylene comprising at least 90% reground polyethylene from the recovery drum is used.

30. A method of assembling a upholstered sofa comprising:

providing a pair of one-piece, polymeric armrest forms, each of said armrest forms being hollow, said arm members being disposed at a spaced distance relative to each other;

attaching a plurality of cross wood frame members between the pair of armrest moldings, each cross wood frame member of the plurality of cross wood frame members having a length greater than the separation distance, the attaching comprising: inserting an end of the cross-over wood frame member into a recess defined in a corresponding armrest molding;

wherein the plurality of cross-over wood frame members comprise lower front and rear rails, a chest plate, front spring plates and rear spring plates.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising: mounting the lower front rail to a lower front edge of each of the polymeric armrest moldings and mounting the lower rear rail to a lower rear edge of each of the polymeric armrest moldings.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the method further comprises: four floor engaging feet are attached to the sofa below each end of the lower front and rear rails.

33. The method of any of claims 30 or 31, further comprising: providing a pair of trim portions configured as a sock and form-fitting with each of the pair of armrest moldings; and

attaching the trim portion to the pair of armrest moldings by sliding the trim portion around and down the armrest moldings.

34. A upholstered sofa comprising:

a pair of unitary, polymeric armrest forms, each of said armrest forms being hollow and disposed a spaced distance relative to one another;

a back frame and a seat base having a plurality of cross wood frame members extending between the pair of armrest profiles, each of the cross wood frame members having a length greater than the separation distance, each end of the cross wood frame members being positioned into a suitable recess defined in the corresponding armrest profile;

a pair of trim portions that are form-fit to and respectively attached to each of the pair of armrest molding members.

35. The upholstered sofa of claim 34, wherein the cross-frame wood frame member comprises a lower front rail and a lower rear rail, and wherein the lower front rail is mounted to a lower front edge of each of the polymer armrest moldings, and the lower rear rail is mounted to a lower rear edge of each of the polymer armrest moldings.

36. The upholstered sofa of claim 34, wherein the cross-spanning wood frame member includes front and rear spring plates, the front spring plate being connected to and extending between the pair of armrest moldings, and one of a metal spring and a textile plate extending fore and aft between the front and rear spring plates, the rear spring plate being connected to and extending between the pair of armrest moldings.

37. The upholstered sofa of claim 35, wherein the cross-spanning wood frame member comprises a front spring plate and a rear spring plate, the front spring plate being connected to and extending between the pair of arm rest profiles, and one of a metal spring and a textile plate extending back and forth between the front and rear spring plates, the rear spring plate being connected to and extending between the pair of arm rest profiles, the front spring plate being secured to the front rail along its length and the rear spring plate being secured to the lower back rail along its length by at least two upright back frame members extending from the lower edge of the back rail to a top of the back rest.

38. The upholstered sofa of any of claims 34-37, wherein each of the cross-spanning wood frame members has an end with an outwardly facing surface and each end engages a recess in one of the pair of armrest moldings, wherein the recess is defined in part by an inwardly facing surface that faces the corresponding outwardly facing surface.

39. The upholstered sofa of any of claims 34-37, further comprising a chest plate extending between and seated into the respective chest plate recesses in each of the pair of armrest moldings.

40. The upholstered sofa of claim 39, wherein each chest plate indentation is a vertically extending groove on an inward facing surface engaging each of the two ends of the chest plate.

41. The upholstered sofa of claim 40, further comprising a plurality of upright back frame members having a recess defined in part by a downwardly facing surface, and wherein the chest plate is engaged with the downwardly facing surface and attached to each corresponding upright back frame member.

42. The upholstered sofa of claim 35 or 37, further comprising:

four floor engaging feet attached to the sofa, each floor engaging foot located below each end of the lower front and rear rails.

43. The upholstered sofa of any of claims 34-37, wherein each upholstered portion has a cushion therein prior to being mounted on the respective armrest molding.

44. The upholstered sofa of any of claims 34-37, not comprising adding padding to each of the armrest moldings prior to attaching the trim portions.

45. The upholstered sofa of any of claims 34-37, wherein the trim portion for each of the pair of armrests is configured as a soft jacket, and attaching the trim portion to each of the pair of armrest moldings comprises sliding the corresponding trim portion down around the respective armrest molding around the armrest molding.

46. The upholstered sofa of any of claims 34-37, wherein each armrest molding of the pair of armrest molding is molded by blow molding.

47. The upholstered sofa of any of claims 34-37, wherein each armrest molding has an average wall thickness of 1.5mm to 6 mm.

48. The upholstered sofa of any of claims 34-37, wherein each arm molding of the pair of arm moldings weighs between 8 pounds and 14 pounds.

49. The upholstered sofa of any of claims 34-37, wherein each arm molding of the pair of arm moldings weighs between 9.5 pounds and 12 pounds.

50. A upholstered seat comprising a pair of arm rests, a seat pan being positioned between the pair of arm rests, each arm rest comprising a blow moulded arm rest formation comprised of polyethylene, being hollow and having an average wall thickness of 1.5mm to 8mm, each arm rest further comprising an upholstered sock having an outer upholstered covering and at least one integrated padding layer, the upholstered sock being form fitted with and attached to the respective arm rest formation, the arm rest having no additional padding between the upholstered sock and the arm rest formation.

51. A upholstered seat according to claim 50, wherein the seat is a recliner and includes a recliner mechanism bolted to each armrest formation.

52. The upholstered seat of claim 50, further comprising a polymeric foot rest attached to the recliner mechanism, the foot rest being upholstered.

53. The upholstered seat of claim 50, wherein each armrest form is integrally molded and comprises a single piece of polymeric material.

54. A upholstered seat comprising:

a seat box, a backrest, and two arms on opposite sides of the front seat box and the backrest, wherein the seat box comprises a plurality of cross-over wood frame members and each of the arms comprises a polymer armrest molding having a plurality of recesses for receiving ends of the cross-over wood frame members, the ends of the cross-over wood frame members being attached to the polymer armrest molding;

a trim covering a top, sides, front, and rear of the seat including the armrest form.

55. The upholstered seat of claim 54, wherein the backrest is comprised of molded plastic and the backrest is covered by a cover material.

56. A method of constructing a upholstered seat comprising:

simultaneously blow molding a pair of armrest molding and backrest molding,

attaching a recliner mechanism to the pair of armrest and backrest profiles,

covering the armrest and backrest profiles with a decoration.

57. The method of claim 56, further comprising: blow molding a leg rest section molding simultaneously with the pair of armrest moldings and the back molding.

58. The method of claim 57, further comprising: attaching the leg rest formation to the recliner mechanism and covering the leg rest formation with a decoration.

59. A method of making a upholstered seat comprising:

providing a seat frame comprising a front frame member, an opposing backrest, and two arms at opposite ends of the front frame member and the backrest, wherein at least one of the front frame member and the opposing backrest comprises a wood component, and wherein the arms are comprised of molded plastic;

coupling each of the arms to the wood part; and

the arms are covered with a decoration.

60. A upholstered seat comprising: a pair of upholstered armrests, an upholstered seat base having a cushion thereon, the upholstered seat base positioned between the armrests, the upholstered back extending upwardly from the seat base and positioned between the armrests;

wherein each armrest comprises a one-piece molded polymer armrest form covered with upholstery, each one-piece molded polymer armrest form having an underside with an underside surface, an inward side with an inward side surface, a front side with a front side surface, and a bottom side with a bottom side surface;

wherein the seat base includes a forward plurality of cross-over wood frame members extending between and attached to the armrest moldings, wherein the plurality of cross-over wood frame members includes a front rail having a length, a height, and a thickness, the front rail further having a bottom surface, a top surface, a front surface, and a rear surface, and further having opposing ends with outwardly facing end surfaces,

wherein the front rail is attached to each armrest profile at a front rail recess, wherein a bottom surface of the front rail is flush with a bottom surface of each respective armrest profile, and wherein the front surface of the front rail is flush with a front side surface of each armrest profile.

61. Wherein each end of the front rail has an upper corner that is conformably received in a mating corner of a respective front rail recess defined by the polymer armrest form.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to upholstered furniture and, more particularly, to upholstered furniture comprising one or more molded parts.

Background

A upholstered seating having almost all exposed furniture items covered by a decorative covering is one of the largest volume items sold in the retail interior furniture market (if not the largest volume item), thereby providing one of the highest revenue sources for the retail furniture store. The market for such upholstered seating is highly competitive and any improvements in manufacturing result in improved products, higher value to the customer and/or lower manufacturing costs that would be welcomed by the industry. In manufacturing such upholstered seating articles, such as sofas, couches, lounges and the like, the structure of the upholstered furniture article is provided by a frame or chassis, which provides structural support to the furniture and provides its basic shape. Traditionally, frames for upholstered furniture items have typically been constructed from wooden materials, such as hardwood, softwood, engineered wood (e.g., plywood, chipboard, millboard, chipboard, and fiberboard). Portions of the wooden frame may typically be covered by padding or padding (such as foam), and may be subsequently covered with fabric, leather, hybrid fibers, faux leather, micro fibers, or other ornamentation. Wooden furniture frames are often heavy and have long assembly times due to the large number of parts and their material weight, in part because they include a large number of parts. For example, a single arm for upholstered chairs, couches and sofas may include up to and in excess of 10 or 15 different wood parts that do not include the numerous fasteners required for assembly. Of course, each wood part needs to be cut accurately. In addition, a single backrest for chairs, recliners, and sofas may include up to and in excess of 10 or 15 different wood parts that do not include the numerous fasteners required for assembly.

In addition, attaching the trim to the complex shaped wooden sofa frame arms can be very tedious because the wooden frame has gaps that need to be covered with cardboard or the like, the trim components (including the pad) do not slide over the wooden frame for positioning, and thus, the trim needs to be accurately positioned manually. Furniture manufacturers would be highly receptive to improvements that would facilitate the attachment of trim components to the sofa frame arms.

Furthermore, there is wood non-uniformity, the use of multiple pieces of wood in the construction of sofas and chair parts (such as arms) is only as strong as the weakest piece of wood, and can present difficult quality control problems. Further, when fasteners are driven into multiple pieces of wood during assembly of the furniture article, the pieces of wood may crack.

The process of manufacturing a upholstered furniture item described above is time consuming and expensive as the multiple parts must be assembled manually to construct the final upholstered furniture item. Thus, there is a need for a simplified method for manufacturing upholstered furniture items that provides a product that provides adequate support or improved levels of support and comfort to the user while reducing labor and material costs.

While efforts have been made to utilize plastic components in seating, such efforts have not been commercially successful in upholstered seating, and have not utilized the corresponding attributes and disadvantages of plastic and wood.

Disclosure of Invention

Embodiments of the present disclosure include upholstered seating in which the number of parts that need to be assembled is minimized for easier assembly, in which assembly time is minimized, and in which the finished product is robust and robust. The inventors have determined the optimal and cooperative use of polymeric structural components and non-polymeric structural frame components (such as wood frame members) to provide such attributes.

In an embodiment, a upholstered seating article configured as a sofa includes a seat base having a seat cushion, a upholstered back, and a pair of armrests having padding. The seat base, the cushion, and the pair of armrests are all covered with upholstery over all visually exposed areas, specifically the top and sides of the sofa. The sofa has a sofa frame or chassis including a pair of blow-molded armrest moldings spaced apart by a separation distance, and a plurality of cross-over wood frame members each extending between the pair of molded armrests, each cross-over wood frame member having a length greater than the separation distance and having wood frame member ends that are nested within recesses in the respective blow-molded armrest moldings. One or more of the plurality of wood frame members are attached to each of the pair of blow molded armrest moldings by a plurality of metal screws extending into a plurality of metal threaded inserts in the respective armrest moldings. An upright back frame member and a seat component are supported by and attached to the cross frame member. The upholstery covers the side armrest molding, the backrest, and the cushion such that substantially all of the exposed area of the sofa is covered by the upholstery.

Features and advantages of embodiments are: an article of furniture includes a pair of opposed arm member profiles, each integrally formed from a single piece of polymeric material. This structural arrangement provides ease of assembly and cost efficiency by minimizing the number of parts and minimizing the number of assembly steps. In an embodiment, a wooden cross member extends between the pair of opposing arm member profiles. In an embodiment, each arm member defines a plurality of respective recesses, each of the respective recesses being sized and positioned to receive an end portion of a wooden cross member. In an embodiment, a plurality of threaded metal inserts are supported by each of the arm members. Each of the threaded metal inserts may receive a threaded fastener that helps to constrain the wooden cross member relative to the arm members.

Features and benefits of the embodiments are: the upholstered article of furniture has a covering material in the form of an upholstered pocket positioned on at least a portion of the upholstered article of furniture, including each of the arm portions. In an embodiment, the trim pocket comprises a cushion that provides a higher level of comfort to a user of the upholstered article of furniture. In an embodiment, the upholstered article of furniture further comprises a liner: wherein at least a portion of each arm portion is covered by the pad such that the pad is located between the molded component and a covering material.

Features and advantages of embodiments are: an article of furniture includes a pair of opposed arm members, each of the arm members including a hollow shell comprising a polymeric shell wall having inwardly facing surfaces defining a void volume, the polymeric shell wall having a plurality of low friction polymeric outwardly facing surfaces. In an embodiment, the low friction polymer outwardly facing surface provided by the polymeric housing wall facilitates pulling of a trim cover material over the arm portion of the article of furniture. In an embodiment, the polymeric shell wall provides a support structure and provides a basic shape for the arm portion of the article of furniture.

Features and advantages of embodiments are: the article of furniture includes arm portions, each arm portion being integrally formed from a single piece of thermoplastic material. This arrangement allows the arm portion body to be prepared using an automated and efficient thermoplastic injection molding process.

Features and benefits of the embodiments are: an article of furniture includes an arm member having a cross-member receiving recess that orients a wooden cross-member of the furniture. In an embodiment, each of the cross-member receiving recesses is shaped and dimensioned to receive an end portion of a wooden cross member when the wooden cross member is disposed in a predetermined orientation relative to the arm members. In an embodiment, the arrangement facilitates fixture-less alignment and assembly of the sub-components.

Features and benefits of the embodiments are: an article of furniture includes an arm member having a plurality of mounting features. In the described embodiments, the plurality of mounting features allow the arm member to be used with a variety of furniture item types/furniture item models. Examples of items of furniture include sofas, couches, chairs, sectional sofas, seating units, sofa beds, futon frames, and reclining chairs.

Features and benefits of the embodiments are: the article of furniture includes an arm member defining a recess that receives a distal end of a cross member to form a tongue and groove joint. In an embodiment, the groove extends up and down along a groove axis. In an embodiment, the groove is shaped and sized to receive an end portion of a wooden cross member having a uniform thickness along its length. In an embodiment, the wooden cross member may be slid down with each end of the cross member received in a groove defined by opposing arm members to facilitate fixture-less alignment and assembly of the sub-components of the article of furniture.

Features and advantages of embodiments are: an article of furniture has an arm portion with less than three layers of material between the arm portion and the trim cover. In an embodiment, the arm portion has a top curved surface about a horizontal axis. In an embodiment, the layer between the arm portion and the trim cover comprises an EVA base layer and a second layer of fibrous material thereon. A feature and advantage of the arm portion is the absence of a layer of paperboard extending across the wooden frame as in many conventional assemblies.

Features and advantages of embodiments are: the number of parts required to assemble the lounge chair is greatly reduced, the assembly difficulty is greatly reduced, the assembly time is greatly reduced, and the cost is correspondingly greatly reduced, as compared to conventional lounge chairs. Furthermore, the structural integrity is generally greater.

In an embodiment, a method of making a upholstered seat comprises: providing a seat frame comprising a front frame member, an opposing backrest, and two arms at opposite ends of the front frame member and the backrest, wherein at least one of the front frame member and the opposing backrest comprises a wood component, and wherein the arms are made of molded plastic; coupling at least one of the arms to the wood part; and covering at least a portion of the arms with a covering material.

The characteristics and advantages are as follows: the inventors have found that staples can be received comparable to wood frame members using certain polymers, such as polyethylene. This facilitates the use of the polymer armrest molding in existing furniture assembly lines.

Features and advantages of embodiments are: the blow molded handrail stock can have a wall thickness of from 2mm to 6 mm. Such a thickness provides stability and secure retention of the frame members connected thereto while providing a more resilient handrail forming member than prior art wood handrail frames. Such resilience may reduce the amount of cushioning material required as compared to conventional wood frame handrail moldings.

In an embodiment, the attachment of the upholstery is simplified due to the very low coefficient of friction between the sofa arm molding and the upholstery material, allowing for an appropriately sized upholstery arm portion to slide easily over the arm molding. In embodiments, this facilitates construction of a more complete trim kit at a location remote from the final sofa assembly location of the sofa. For example, the trim kit may include an armrest sock portion that already has armrest padding attached to the trim cover material. This may eliminate the step of having to manually attach one or more padding layers at the final sofa assembly site prior to attaching the upholstered portion of the armrest.

Features and advantages of embodiments are: the degree of separation of the manufacturing locations of the components for the upholstered seating article is improved. For example, padding for an armrest may be attached to the armrest trim portion as part of the trim kit, at a location remote from the final seating assembly location. In addition, each of the armrest moldings may be molded at a location remote from the final seat assembly location and transported to the final seat assembly location.

Features and benefits of the embodiments are: an arrangement of furniture items in which the number of parts that need to be assembled is minimized and the assembly time is minimized, and which is robust and robust.

Features and advantages of embodiments are: the specific attributes of polymers and wood have been combined in a synergistic manner to construct a wooden frame or chassis for a upholstered seating. For example, conventional polymers (e.g., polyethylene) suitable for geometrically larger components, such as furniture components, may creep over time and may reduce load bearing strength when subjected to tensile or large shear loads. However, three-dimensional polymer moldings, in particular hollow polymer moldings, have a reasonable compressive load-bearing capacity. Downward loading will generally not cause significant creep of the polymer, making certain polymers (such as polyethylene) suitable for use in handrail moldings. In the case where such armrest moldings are used for some limited downward compressive loading, any reduction in the strength of the polymer over time should not affect the integrity of the sofa frame and sofa. Polymers have great capacity and flexibility in securing components such as discontinuously loaded wood frame members. In an embodiment of the invention, the load from the seat is not isolated from the polymer armrest molding, but rather the load is carried directly downward from the seat deck to a lower front rail and a lower rear rail, both of which are positioned at the lower edge of the sofa. Without feet on the sofa, the load from the seat would be transferred to the floor surface along the length of both the front and rear rails. In the event that there are feet on the sofa, the front and rear rails will act as end supported beams and the floor engaging feet will be positioned under the ends of the front and rear rails and transfer the load through the feet to the floor.

On the other hand, when properly oriented, the timber has a greater load bearing capacity between the support ends. The use of a wood-based cross-frame member in combination with the polymer armrest form to support the weight of a person sitting on a sofa provides sufficient strength to support the person sitting on the sofa and provides sufficient strength to support the person sitting on the sofa with minimal component parts, minimal assembly time, and potentially reduced cost. The optimal solution is to minimize the load bearing of the larger blow molded parts.

Features and advantages of embodiments are: a plurality of cross-over wood frame members are used between a pair of polymer armrest moldings, with the cross-over wood frame members carrying the seat load sitting on the upwardly facing surface of the polymer armrest. In an embodiment, the upwardly facing surface is a load bearing platform portion formed in an interior wall portion of a hollow armrest form, whereby the seat load transmitted to the platform portion through the ends of the cross-over wooden frame member is distributed to the inwardly facing wall portions on the upper, lower, front and rear portions of the platform portion. In an embodiment, the cross frame member may be constructed of metal rather than wood, with some of the same advantages.

Features and advantages of embodiments are: a blow molded polymer armrest form has a plurality of vertical recesses in the wall portion for increasing the structural strength of the armrest form. Features and advantages of embodiments are: polyethylene is used for the armrest form and the threaded insert has an internally threaded surface for receiving a screw that extends through the cross frame member to secure the cross frame member to the polymeric armrest form placed at the attachment point of the cross member in the polymeric wall portion. In an embodiment, the threaded insert has an external thread and is screwed into the polymer wall portion of the handrail forming member. In an embodiment, the attachment point of the cross member is located at a recess in the wall portion of the armrest profile, whereby an end of the cross member will be embedded in the recess, the embedder providing a secure fixation of the component relative to the armrest profile.

Features and advantages of embodiments are: a furniture seat article has a rectangular base, opposing side polymeric structural supports defining opposing short sides of the polymeric base, and a wood-based panel defining a long side of the rectangular base, ends of the wood-based panel being connected to the polymeric structural supports, and wherein the rectangular base supports a seat platform and a backrest, and wherein all load bearing components of the furniture seat article are connected directly to at least one of a front non-polymeric support and a rear non-polymeric support, or through metal or wood components. In other words, none of the loaded components will transfer any load on them exclusively to the polymeric structural support, such load being shared or primarily carried by the non-polymeric frame structure. In an embodiment, floor engaging feet are placed under the four ends of the wood base plate to support the load of the seat item. With the feet, the loads due to sitting are not carried by separate stand-alone polymer structures (such as legs) other than the sofa feet to carry the load of the furniture seating item.

In an embodiment of the invention, the armrests for a stationary upholstered seating article (such as a sofa) each have a hollow polymeric armrest form weighing from about 6 to 10 pounds, saving 10 to 16 pounds for both armrest forms compared to conventional wood frame armrest forms. In embodiments of the present invention, a lounge armrest molding may save 14 to 19 pounds with two blow-molded armrests as compared to a conventional wood frame armrest molding. In reclining chairs, the armrest can be reduced in weight by 50% compared to conventional wood frame armrests by using a blow molded polymer armrest form.

The above summary is not intended to describe each illustrated embodiment or every implementation of the present disclosure.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure. The drawings are only illustrations of certain embodiments and do not limit the disclosure.

Fig. 1A is a perspective view of a upholstered sofa according to an embodiment.

Fig. 1B is an exploded view of the sofa of fig. 1A according to an embodiment including two molded polymeric armrest forms.

FIG. 1C is a perspective view of a reclining chair with upholstery, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 1D is an exploded view of the upholstered recliner of FIG. 1C.

Fig. 2A is a perspective view of a prior art sofa frame constructed primarily from wood components.

Fig. 2B is an exploded view of the prior art sofa frame of fig. 2A.

Fig. 3A is a perspective view of the rear side of the sofa frame shown in fig. 1B.

Fig. 3B is a front perspective view of another sofa frame according to an embodiment.

Fig. 3C is a rear perspective view of the sofa frame of fig. 3B.

Fig. 4A is an exploded view of the sofa frame of fig. 3A and 3B.

Fig. 4B is a cross-sectional view showing a wall portion of the molded armrest molding for receiving a recess of the cross-over wood frame member.

Fig. 5 is a front outside perspective view of the armrest molding of the sofa frame of fig. 3B and 3C.

Fig. 6 is a front elevational view of the armrest molding of the sofa frame of fig. 3B and 3C.

Fig. 7 is a rear elevational view of the armrest molding of the sofa frame of fig. 3B and 3C.

Fig. 8 is an outside elevational view of the armrest molding of the sofa frame of fig. 3B and 3C.

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the armrest molding of the sofa frame of fig. 3B and 3C.

Fig. 10 is an inside elevational view of the armrest molding of the sofa frame of fig. 3B and 3C.

Fig. 11 is a bottom plan view of the armrest molding of the sofa frame of fig. 3B and 3C.

Fig. 12 is a front outside perspective view of the armrest molding of the sofa of fig. 1A, and the sofa frame of fig. 3B and 3C further including padding and cushioning material.

Fig. 13 is a front inside perspective view of the armrest molding of the sofa of fig. 1A, and another embodiment of the sofa frame of fig. 3B and 3C further including arm fabric and a decorative covering material.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the upholstered sofa arm sock taken at line 14-14 of FIG. 1B.

FIG. 15A is a cross-sectional view of the trim cover of the backrest taken at line 15A-15A of FIG. 1B.

FIG. 15B is a cross-sectional view of the deck chair trim cover taken at line 15B-15B of FIG. 1D.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a prior art lounge frame that does not include any molded plastic components.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a chair frame, such as shown in FIG. 1D, with a seat of the chair and a chair mechanism, according to an embodiment including a molded backrest portion and two molded armrest moldings.

FIG. 18A is an exploded view of the recliner component of FIG. 17.

FIG. 18B is a rear exploded view of the lounge chair of FIG. 17.

Figure 19 is a front perspective view of a back portion according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Figure 20 is a front perspective view of the back molding of the chair frame of figure 19.

Figure 21 is a right side elevational view of the back molding of the chair frame of figure 19.

Figure 22 is a rear elevational view of the back molding of the chair frame of figure 19.

Figure 23 is a front elevational view of the back molding of the chair frame of figure 19.

Figure 24 is a front outside perspective view of the armrest molding of the chair frame of figure 17.

Figure 25 is a rear elevational view of the armrest molding for the chair frame of figure 17.

Figure 26 is an inside elevational view of the armrest molding of the chair frame of figure 17.

Fig. 27 is a bottom plan view of the armrest molding of the sofa frame of fig. 17.

Figure 28 is a perspective view of a single mold of the four molded components of the chair frame of figure 17, including the molded back portion, molded foot rest, and two molded arms.

While embodiments of the disclosure are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the intention is not to limit the disclosure to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the disclosure.

Detailed Description

Referring to fig. 1A, a upholstered sofa 30 is illustrated. The sofa 30 generally has a seat base 32 with a seat deck 33, a seat cushion 34 on the seat deck, an upright back 38 extending from the seat base, and a pair of armrests 40, 42 connected to opposite ends 46, 47 of the seat base. Upholstery 50(upholstery) covers the exposed portions of the armrests, seat base, back rest, and seat cushion. That is, the top 52, left 53, right 54, back 55 and front 56 sides of the sofa have upholstery thereon. The bottom side 57 may have a trim panel folded and attached to the frame, but is typically not completely covered by trim. The sofa feet 59 attach to the sofa on the bottom side and provide separation of the sofa base from the floor surface. As used herein, upholstery includes fabric, leather, synthetic fiber fabric, artificial leather, microfiber, or other sheet material used as a covering for sofas.

Referring to fig. 1B, additional components of the sofa are shown and include a structural frame 60, a seat back trim portion 62, arm trim portions 64, 65, a front base trim portion 67 attached to the seat 33. The seat may be a textile seat as described in WO2018/081471, WO2018/081471 owned by the owner of the present application and incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. Alternatively, the seat may comprise a conventional steel spring as is well known. The structural frame 60 includes one-piece polymer arm moldings 68, 69(unitary polymer arm rest forms) discussed in detail below.

Referring to fig. 1C, a reclining chair 70 has a seat portion 72 with a seat cushion 73, a pair of armrests 74, 75, a backrest 78 and a footrest 80. Referring to fig. 1D, the lounge chair also has a lounge chair frame 84 comprising a pair of polymer arm moldings 87, 88 and a backrest molding 90. The armrest forms are each one-piece and are molded by blow molding. The back trim cover portion 92 and the side arm cover portions 93, 94 cover the frame. The seat portion includes a seat stand 95, and the seat stand 95 may include a frame member 96 and a metal spring 97; a recliner mechanism 99 is positioned below the seat.

Although in fig. 1B and 1D, the back trim portion, arm trim portion, and base trim portion (in the sofa) are drawn as separate trim components to be attached to the sofa frame. In embodiments, however, they may be combined into an integral decorative covering having separate portions attached prior to installation on the sofa or lounge frame. In embodiments, the upholstery for the sofa and lounge may be provided as a kit that is manufactured at a location remote from the final assembly location of the sofa. As used herein, "portion" may be all or part of something. Parts are not to be considered as limiting.

Referring to prior art fig. 2A and 2B, a wood structural frame 100 for a conventional sofa is depicted. Certain portions of the frame 100, such as the arm portions, once assembled, may be covered by cardboard (cardboard) or fiberboard to provide further shape and close the opening, and may be further covered with padding or padding, such as foam. The frame 100 is then covered with fabric, leather, hybrid fabric, imitation leather, micro-fiber, or other decorative or covering material. Such padding and covering materials are not depicted in fig. 1 and 2. As depicted, the frame 100 includes many different parts. These parts may include, for example: one or more front rails 102 (which may be made of oriented strand board or "OSB") that make up the front of the sofa frame 100; one or more rear or back bars constituting the rear of the sofa frame 100 are, for example, a chest bar 104 (which may be made of oriented strand board or "OSB"), a top rear bar 106 (which may be made of hardwood or "HW"), a lower rear bar 107 and a spring bar 108 (which may be made of hardwood or "HW"). The front and rear portions of the frame 100 may be connected by two arms 110 and one or more seat frames 112 (which may be made of metal). The rear portion of the frame 100 may also include one or more uprights 114 (which may be made of oriented strand board or "OSB") that also constitute the rear portion of the sofa frame 100. The frame 100 may include a plurality of connection blocks 116 (which may be made of hardwood or "HW") for connecting the components of the frame 100 together and maintaining proper positioning and angulation of the frame 100. The large number of wood parts require precision forming by sawing or grinding and are typically joined with fasteners such as staples (staples) and sometimes with adhesives.

Each prior art armrest frame 110 may include a plurality of components, including a front post 118 and a rear post 120 (which may be made of oriented strand board or "OSB") that provide the shape of the arm 110, the front post 118 and the rear post 120 being connected by one or more leg bars 122 (which may be made of oriented strand board or "OSB") and one or more wall pulls 124 (which may be made of hardwood or "HW"). Each of the arm frames 110 may include one or more connection blocks 126 (which may be made of hardwood or "HW") for connecting the components of the arm together and maintaining the positioning and angulation of the arms 110. As depicted, each arm 110 of the sofa frame 100 includes as many as 10 or 15 pieces, or even more, that are connected with a large number of fasteners (such as staples).

Referring to fig. 3A-4A, the structural frame 60 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes two molded polymer components, specifically, two armrest moldings 68, 69. The frame 60, once assembled, may be covered by padding or padding (such as load polymer, arm fibers, and/or foam), and may be subsequently covered with fabric, leather, hybrid fabric, faux leather, microfiber, or other upholstery or covering material (including the arms 210, which are depicted with covering material in fig. 12-13).

As depicted, the frame 60 may include: one or more spanning wood frame members 201, the spanning wood frame members 201 may be configured to form a front column 202 (which may be made of oriented strand board or "OSB") of a front portion of the frame 60; one or more rear or lower back bars 203, chest bars 204 (which may be made of oriented strand board or "OSB"), top back bars 206 (which may be made of hardwood or "HW"), and spring bars 208 (which may be made of hardwood or "HW") that make up the rear portion of the frame 60. The front and rear of the cross wooden frame member 201 are received in recesses 207, said recesses 207 being defined in wall portions of two handrail profiles 210. The recess 201.2 captures, constrains and positionally secures the end 201.2 of the cross wooden frame member 201. Differently configured recesses 201.2 are illustrated in the armrest moulding of fig. 5-11. Many of the recesses are defined by wall portions comprising an upwardly facing surface 207.3 on which the cross-wise wooden frame members are seated, see in particular fig. 9 and 10.

Referring to fig. 3A and 4A, the handrail portions 210 are separated by a distance D1, and the cross-type wood frame members have lengths L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6 that are each greater than the handrail separation distance D1. The cross-over wood frame member may be a one-piece wood panel, including OSB and plywood (plywood).

The frame 60 may include one or more seat frames 212 (which may be made of metal). The rear of the frame 60 may also include one or more upright frame members 214 (which may be made of plywood or oriented strand board or "OSB"), the frame members 214 further constituting a rear portion of the frame 60. The frame 60 may include one or more connection blocks 216 (which may be made of hardwood or "HW") for connecting the components of the frame 60 together and maintaining the positioning and angulation of the frame 60.

The molded component (here, armrest molding 210) may be connected to the other components of the sofa frame 60 depicted in fig. 3A-4A by various fasteners, such as brackets, screws, clips, pegs, and other fasteners. Referring to fig. 4B, a metal insert 217 having a threaded hole 217.4 may be driven into a hole 217.6, the hole 217.6 being formed in the wall portion 217.8 of the blow molded armrest molding or other blow molded component. See U.S. patent nos. 9,651,080 and 9,028,185, each of which is incorporated herein by reference. The metal threaded insert 217 may receive a bolt 217.9, such as, by way of example only, 1/4-20 bolt, to connect the molded part to other parts. Such connections may be between the blow-molded part and other parts made of materials such as, for example: hardwood, softwood, engineered wood (such as plywood, hardboard, millboard, particle board, and fiberboard), metal, and plastic. In particular, the insert may securely attach the cross-spanning wood frame member 201.

Handrail molding 210 can be molded by a molding method such as blow molding (injection blow molding, extrusion blow molding, injection stretch blow molding), and can be molded from different materials including: for example, Polyethylene (PE), such as High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polypropylene (PP), nylon, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), polyphenylene oxide (PPO), nylon/Polyamide (PA), Polycarbonate (PC), polyesters and copolyesters, urethanes and polyurethanes, and acrylics and polystyrenes. In other embodiments, the molded part may be formed by different molding methods, such as injection molding (overmolding), insert molding (insert molding), cold runner injection molding, hot runner molding, rotational molding (rotational molding).

In an embodiment, ballast material (ballast material) may be added to the arm 210 to provide further stability and sound insulation to the arm 210 and frame 60, in general. Such ballast materials may include foam, such as high density foam, sand, cement, or other materials. In an embodiment, ballast may be added to arm 210 through a port or other opening (not depicted) in the armrest molding, which may include a cap or other closure structure that can be permanently or selectively closed.

In embodiments, the frame 60 depicted in fig. 3A-4 may have 10 and more fewer parts, 20 and more fewer parts, or even more fewer parts than the frame 100 depicted in fig. 1 and 2. Furthermore, not only is the number of parts that need to be assembled minimized, but the frame is more convenient to assemble and assembly time is minimized, in part because there are fewer secondary operations. Furthermore, the lighter weight reduces transportation costs in terms of transportation. However, the frame 60 is robust, strong and comfortable.

Blow molded handrail stock 210 is additionally depicted in fig. 5-11. The armrest molding may be formed into any of a variety of desired furniture armrest shapes, including, for example, rails, ruffles (ruched), modern swirls (modern scroll), spacers, pinned rails, keys, modern english, shelter, pleats (padded), and saddles. The armrest molding may include a top 218, a bottom 220, an outer side 222, an inner side 224, a front 226, and a rear 228. Referring to fig. 10, the inner wall portion 224 may include one or more recesses 207 or slots configured for one or more columns, such as, for example, a spring column slot 230 for receiving the spring column 208 and a chest column slot 231 for receiving the chest column 204. The inner wall portion 224 may also include one or more structural recesses 232 that may provide additional structure, robustness, and robustness to the sofa. The inner side 224 may also include one or more holes or openings 233 for use with metal insert threaded connectors for connecting the arm to other components of the furniture structure.

Referring to fig. 5 and 6, the front wall portion 226 may include one or more recesses 207 configured for one or more columns, such as front column recess 234. The front wall portion 226 may also include one or more holes or openings 236 for use with threaded metal inserts 217 used to connect the arm to other components of the furniture structure. Referring to fig. 8, the rear wall portion 228 may include one or more recesses configured for one or more rails or uprights, such as a bottom rear rail recess 238, an upright recess 240, and a spring rail recess 241. The rear wall portion 228 may also include one or more holes or openings 242 for use with connectors for connecting the armrest molding to other components of the furniture structure. The outer wall portion 222 may also include one or more structural recesses 242 for providing additional structure, robustness, and robustness to the sofa frame.

Referring to fig. 12-13, the armrest form may be covered by a pad or cushion (such as a load-bearing polymer, arm fibers, and/or foam), and may then be covered with a covering material. In embodiments such as depicted in fig. 12 and 13, armrest molding 210 may be covered by arm fibers 244 and a cover material 246. In another embodiment depicted in fig. 14 and 15, armrest molding 210 may be covered by a load-bearing polymer 250, arm fibers 246, and a covering material 248. In an embodiment, the load polymer 250 may include a polyvinyl chloride foam. In an embodiment, the arm fibers 246 may comprise dense fibers. The cover material 248 includes fabric, leather, hybrid fabric, artificial leather, microfiber, or other decorative or covering material.

Referring to fig. 1B and 14, a cross-section of the decorative portion 255 configured to decorate the sock has a shape that conforms to the armrest form 68. A layer of cushioning material 257 is integrated on the inner surface of the trim material 256. The upholstered portion with padding can be slid over the armrest form without the need for padding to be pre-attached to the armrest form. Decorative panels 258, 259 may be attached to the bottom side of the sofa frame, such as by staples or other fasteners, to the bottom wall portion of the armrest molding.

Referring to fig. 3A and 15B, a back trim pocket 260 is in cross-section that is form-fit to the back frame 262 and has a cushioning material 264 and back support strap 265 integrated therein. See U.S. patent No. 10,299,606 for an illustration of such a belt and integrated cushioning material. Said patent is owned by the owner of the present application and is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

Referring to fig. 1D and 15A, a back trim portion 267 configured as a trim pocket with integrated cushioning material 268 can be form fit and slide easily over the molded back molding 404 due to the low coefficient of friction of the polymer back molding with many trim materials. Fasteners, such as staples, may be used to secure the trim portion to the back molding 404.

Referring to fig. 16, a prior art structural frame 300 of a lounge chair is depicted. Certain portions of the frame 300, such as the arm portions, once assembled, may be covered by paperboard or fiberboard to provide further shape, and may also be covered by padding or padding (such as loaded polymers, arm fibers, and/or foam), and may be subsequently covered with fabric, leather, hybrid fibers, faux leather, micro fibers, or other decorative or covering materials. As depicted, the prior art chair frame 300 generally includes a seat box 302, a backrest molding 304, two arms 306, and a leg rest 308.

Each prior art armrest frame 306 may include a plurality of components, including an outer boom 310, an inner boom 312, and a plurality of arm fillers 314 connecting the outer boom with the inner boom. A plurality of connection blocks 316 may be included for connecting the components of the wall-only one connection block is depicted in fig. 16. The armrest frame 306 may also comprise cardboard or fiberboard to provide further shape or support to the arm (not depicted in fig. 16). As depicted, each armrest frame may include approximately 19 parts (not including fasteners). Typically, a number of fasteners (such as staples and wood glue) are used to assemble the armrest frame.

The prior art backrest 304 may include a number of components, including a top back rail 318, a bottom back rail or wing mount 320, one or more wings 322, one or more back posts 324, one or more back post stiffeners 326, a back brace 328, a chest rail 330, and a web 332. As depicted, the backrest comprises approximately 15 parts. A number of fasteners, such as staples, are used to assemble the backrest.

Referring to fig. 17 and 18, a chair frame 400, in particular a frame for a lounge chair, is depicted according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, including four molded components (in particular, two arms 402, a backrest 404, and a footrest or footpad 406). The frame 400 also includes a recline mechanism 408 for a recline function, and a rear rail 409. As depicted in fig. 1C and 1D, the lounge frame 400, once assembled, may be covered by padding or padding (such as loaded polymer, arm fibers, and/or foam), and may be subsequently covered with fabric, leather, hybrid fibers, imitation leather, micro-fibers, or other decorative or covering materials. Fasteners (such as staples) may be used to attach the cover material to the molded part.

The molded components (here, armrest form 402, backrest form 404, and footrest 406) may be connected to other components of the frame 400 by various fasteners, such as brackets, screws, clips, pegs, and other fasteners. The backrest molding 404 may also be attached to the frame 400 by a steel bracket 410, the steel bracket 410 having a recess 411 such as depicted in fig. 19. Holes or openings (described below) in the molded part may include inserts 217 (shown in fig. 4B) into which bolts (such as, by way of example only, 1/4-20 bolts) may be screwed to connect the molded part to other parts, such as the seat and recliner mechanism.

The molded part may be formed by a molding method such as blow molding (injection blow molding, extrusion blow molding, injection stretch blow molding), and may be formed of different materials including: for example, Polyethylene (PE), such as High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polypropylene (PP), nylon, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), polyphenylene oxide (PPO), nylon/Polyamide (PA), Polycarbonate (PC), polyesters and copolyesters, urethanes and polyvinyl chlorides, and acrylics and polystyrenes. In other embodiments, the molded part may be formed by a different molding process, such as injection molding (overmolding, insert molding, cold runner injection molding, hot runner mold, rotomolding).

In an embodiment, generally, ballast material may be added to the arm 402 to provide further stability and sound insulation to the arm 402 or the chair frame 400. Such ballast materials may include foam, such as high density foam, sand, cement, or other materials. In an embodiment, ballast may be added to the arm 210 through a port or other opening in the arm 402, which may include a cap or other closure structure that can be permanently or selectively closed.

The backrest molding 404 is further depicted in fig. 19-23. The back molding 404 includes a top portion 412 and a bottom portion 414 extending from the top portion 412. The back molding 404 also includes a front wall portion 416, a rear wall portion 418, and a side wall portion 420. The front wall portion 416 and the rear wall portion 418 may include one or more structural recesses 421 to provide further structure, robustness, and robustness to the sofa. The side wall portion 420 may include one or more apertures or openings 422 for use with connectors for connecting the back molding to other components of the furniture structure. In embodiments such as depicted in fig. 19, the back molding includes a bracket 410 for operably coupling the back molding 404 to another portion of the frame 400, such as the recliner mechanism 408 and/or the arm 402. Bracket 410 may be connected to the back molding through hole 422. The back molding 404 or portions thereof may be covered by padding or padding (such as loaded polymer, arm fibers, and/or foam) and may be subsequently covered with fabric, leather, hybrid fabric, faux leather, microfiber, or other decorative or covering material.

The armrest molding 402 is further depicted in fig. 24-27. The armrest form may be formed into any furniture arm shape including, for example, rails, ruffles, modern swirls, pads, pinned rails, keys, modern english, louvres, pleats, and saddles. Armrest molding 402 may include a top 424, a bottom 426, an outer side 428, an inner side 430, a front 432, and a rear 433. Referring to fig. 26, the inner side 430 may include one or more recesses or slots 434 configured for connection with the recliner mechanism 408 or a portion of the seat box. The inner side 430 may also include one or more holes or openings 436 used with connectors to connect the arm 402 to other components of the furniture structure, and a tab 446 containing the holes or openings 436 used to connect the arm 402 to other components of the furniture structure (such as the recliner mechanism 408). Referring to fig. 25 and 26, the rear portion 433 may also include one or more recesses or slots 438 configured for connection with the rear rail 409, and one or more holes or openings 440 used with connectors to connect the arm to other components of the furniture structure. Referring to fig. 24, outer wall portion 428 may include one or more structural recesses 442 that provide further structure, robustness, and robustness to chair frame 400, and an opening 444 for coupling with a portion of recline mechanism 408, such as a handle or lever (not depicted) for operating recline mechanism 408. Referring to fig. 27, the bottom wall portion 426 may include a hole or opening 450. The armrest form 402, or portions thereof, may be covered by a pad or mat (such as a loaded polymer, arm fibers, and/or foam), and may be subsequently covered with fabric, leather, hybrid fabric, faux leather, microfiber, or other decorative or covering material.

Referring to fig. 28, a single molded piece 900(single mold) of the four molded components of the chair frame 400 of the embodiment of fig. 17 is depicted, including molded back molding 404, molded foot rest 406, and two molded armrest molding 402. Once the molded article is completed, the flash 902 will be trimmed and any secondary operations will be performed. The processing time for molding the back molding 404, the molded foot rest 406, and the two molded armrest moldings 402 will be less than about five minutes, preferably less than about three minutes, and most preferably less than one or two minutes. Advantageously, the use of polyethylene for the blow molded parts allows the use of a regrinding drum, which is environmentally and economically advantageous.

Various directional terms used herein are used as a convenient way to discuss the objects shown in the figures. It will be understood that many direction indicating terms refer to the instantaneous orientation of the object being described. It will also be appreciated that the objects described herein may assume various orientations without departing from the spirit and scope of the present embodiments. Accordingly, directional indicators such as "upward," "downward," "forward," "rearward," should not be construed to limit the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

The following U.S. patents are hereby incorporated by reference herein: US patent numbers US7070243, US6854806, US6702391, US6679558, US5582460, US5755489, US5575533, US4775187, US3877087, US3669495, US3658382US10299606, US10117521, US10034554, US9839295, US9474381, US8777319, US8448314, US8438716, US7988236, US7806482, and US 7438362. The entire contents of the above U.S. patent references in all sections of this application are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. The components illustrated in these patents may be used with the embodiments herein. Incorporated by reference, for example, as discussed in MPEP section 2163.07 (B).

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including references incorporated by reference, including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any references incorporated by reference, any appended claims, abstract and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the above embodiments. The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any features which are incorporated in-reference, any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed. The entire contents of the above references in all sections of this application are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

Although specific examples have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that any arrangement which is calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific examples shown. This application is intended to cover adaptations or variations of the present subject matter. It is therefore intended that the invention be defined by the following claims and their legal equivalents, as well as by the following illustrative aspects. The above-described aspect embodiments of the invention are merely illustrative of the principles thereof and are not to be considered limiting. Additional modifications of the invention herein disclosed will occur to those skilled in the corresponding art and all such modifications are considered to be within the scope of the invention.