Abstract:
An easy-to-assemble sofa along with a method of packaging its components so as to consume the smallest possible space during shipping. The sofa includes arms and rails that may be assembled to form a frame. A seat deck and rear deck are installed to the arms and rails. Cushions are placed atop the seat deck, and foam cushions are placed in front of the rear deck to form the sofa&#39;s seating surfaces. To conserve space during shipping, the compressible seat cushions and rear cushions are placed between the rigid seat deck and rear deck. The entire assembly is banded with woven bands to maintain it in a compact compressed condition during shipping, which may all be in a single cardboard container. This method of packing allows the parts of the sofa to be packed in as compact a container as possible, saving money on shipping and storage.

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/443,472, filed Feb. 16, 2011. The entirety of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/443,472 is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    This disclosure relates generally to furniture, and more specifically, to an easy-to-assemble sofa and a method of packing the sofa parts together in a highly compact manner. 
       BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0003]    Furniture items generally, and sofas in particular, have traditionally been fully assembled in a factory, then shipped to retailers and delivered to the consumer in the fully assembled condition. A fully assembled sofa is bulky and, therefore, a significant portion of the total cost of a sofa sold at retail is the cost of shipping and storage. Presented here is an easy-to-assemble sofa that may be packed into a single, extremely compact, shipping box and assembled either by a retailer or by a consumer after shipping. By packing the sofa in a manner specially devised to conserve space, the cost of shipping is lowered and the amount of warehouse space necessary to store the sofa is reduced. Shipping the entire sofa, including all structural, aesthetic, and comfort-enhancing components, in a single box is convenient for the retailer and the consumer. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0004]    The disclosed devices and methods of use may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals identify like elements in the several figures and in which: 
           [0005]      FIG. 1  is a perspective, exploded view of an easy-to-assemble sofa of the present disclosure; 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the sofa of  FIG. 1 , fully assembled; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2A  is a cross-sectional side view of the easy-to-assemble sofa of  FIG. 2 , taken along lines  2 A- 2 A of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a side perspective view of selected sofa components packed for shipping; 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a side perspective view of selected sofa components packed for shipping; 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a side perspective view of selected sofa components packed for shipping; and 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is an exploded perspective view of sofa components being packed in a container for shipping. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0012]    The easy-to-assemble sofa  10  of the present disclosure, illustrated in  FIG. 2 , is shipped unassembled in order to make it more compact during shipping, with all unassembled components fitting within a single rectangular cardboard box. The components of the sofa  10  are sized and arranged so that they may be fit into as compact a container as possible. Additionally, certain techniques are employed to save additional space when the sofa components are packed for shipping. An exploded view of the components of sofa  10  is illustrated in  FIG. 1 , and a cross-sectional view of an assembled sofa  10  is illustrated in  FIG. 2A . 
         [0013]    The sofa  10  has two arms  12  which form the ends of the completed sofa  10 . Each of the arms  12  is a minor image of the other, such that each arm  12  has an outward-facing surface, and an inward facing surface that faces the inward facing surface of the opposite arm  12  when the sofa  10  is fully assembled. The inward facing surface of each arm  12  connects to an end of a front rail  14  near the front edge of each arm  12 , and to an end of a rear rail  16  near the rear edge of each arm  12 , so as to form a rectangular shaped frame when viewed from above. 
         [0014]    The front rail  14  may be provided with a pair of L-shaped brackets including mounting plates  13  extending perpendicular to the axis of the front rail  14 , one of the mounting plates  13  extending from either end of the front rail  14 . Each of the mounting plates  13  has at least two keyhole-shaped openings  15  therethrough to securely receive bolts projecting inwardly from the arms  12 . The front rail  14  may be provided with recessed portions  17  at the ends, to which a portion of the L-shaped brackets extending perpendicularly to the mounting plates  13  may be secured, in order to minimize the extent to which the mounting plates  13  project beyond the maximum thickness of the front rail  14 , thereby facilitating compact packaging of the sofa components. 
         [0015]    The arms  12 , front rail  14 , and rear rail  16  are preferably built with an internal frame composed of a rigid material such as metal or wood, and are upholstered on their exterior. Foam or other padding may be included below the upholstered outer surfaces of arms  12 , front rail  14 , and rear rail  16 , if desired, to enhance appearance and/or comfort. Alternatively or in addition to upholstery, the arms  12 , front rail  14 , and rear rail  16  may include exposed solid surfaces, such as finished wood, for decorative purposes. Threaded fasteners (not shown) may be used to attach the front rail  14  and rear rail  16  to the arms  12 . 
         [0016]    Four or more legs  18  may be provided, if desired, to stand the sofa  10  off of the floor. Legs  18  are mounted to the bottom surface of arms  12 , front rail  14 , or rear rail  16 , but most preferably, two legs  18  are installed to the bottom surface of each of the arms  12  near the four outer corners of the sofa  10 . As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , threaded fasteners extending from the tops of legs  18  may be used to firmly attach the legs  18  to the bottom surface of arms  12 . 
         [0017]    A center brace  19  is securable, such as by threaded fasteners, to upper central portions of the front rail  14  and the rear rail  16 . The center brace adds stability and transmits vertical loads from the seat deck  20  to the front and rear rails  16 , and ultimately to the arms  12  and legs  18 . 
         [0018]    The seat deck  20  and rear deck  22  are each comprised of a substantially rectangular, rigid metal outer frame with rigid cross-members spaced at equal intervals within the outer frame, the cross-members being substantially parallel to the short sides of the rectangular outer frame. Both the outer frame and cross-members of seat deck  20  and rear deck  22  are preferably constructed of tubular steel. The rigid metal outer frame comprising seat deck  20  and rear deck  22  includes holes  23  in various places to accept threaded fasteners. Preferably, the seat deck  20  is adapted to receive a single bolt  25  (or similar threaded fastener) through each of two holes  23  for securement to respective seat brackets  36 , one of which seat brackets  36  is mounted on each of the arms  12 . The seat deck  20  and rear deck  22  may be of any size and shape to create a particular style or design of sofa, but are preferably rectangular and of the same size and shape. If desired, the seat deck  20  and rear deck  22  may be identical, though preferably, the rear deck  22  is secured to each of two rear brackets  24  mounted to the arms  12  by a pair of bolts or other threaded fasteners, as opposed to the single bolt  25  or other threaded fastener employed to secure the seat deck  20  to each seat bracket  27 . 
         [0019]    A plurality of strap bands  21 , made of a webbing of a fabric material, a non-woven material, hook-and-loop fastener material, or other material with noise-dampening characteristics, are preferably attached to the seat deck  20 , in a direction perpendicular to the cross-members of the seat deck  20 . The strap bands  21  serve to dampen undesirable sound that may otherwise occur when one sits on the sofa  10 . The strap bands  21  may be attached to the seat deck  20  prior to shipment, or alternatively, if the individual strap bands  21  are continuous, they may be installed during assembly of the sofa  10  by slipping them over a side of the seat deck  20 , as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . If the strap bands are discontinuous, each may be secured lengthwise about the seat deck  20 . The individual strap bands  21  may be coiled, as illustrated in  FIG. 6 , so as to be compact for shipment. 
         [0020]    Rear deck  22  is fastened to the arms  12  using two or more rear brackets  24 . The rear brackets  24  have an L-shaped cross-section with a 90 degree bend at their center, holes to receive one or, preferably, two bolts (or similar threaded fasteners) to secure the rear deck  22  to the arms  12 , and the rear brackets  24  are preferably made of steel. One plate of each rear bracket  24  mounts flush against the inward-facing side of each arm  12  such that the other plate of the rear bracket  24  extends inward from arm  12 . Threaded fasteners (not shown) are used to mount the rear brackets  24  to the inward facing surfaces of arms  12 , and to mount the rear deck  22  to the rear brackets  24 . As illustrated in  FIG. 2A , the rear brackets  24  may be mounted against the inward facing side of arms  12  so as to hold the rear deck  22  vertical, or more preferably, they may be angled, such as at an angle α in the range of 95 degrees to 105 degrees from a horizontal plane, so as to hold the rear deck  22  in a slightly reclined position. The seat brackets  36  are also formed of L-shaped steel brackets, with the plates that face the seat deck  20  being preferably slanted at an angle θ in the range of 5 degrees to 20 degrees from a horizontal plane so that the seating surface is somewhat reclined from the horizontal plane. The seat brackets  27  and rear brackets  24  provide for accommodation of a variety of sofa styles, thereby providing a modularity, with the ability to select among a plurality of different sizes and types of sofa components to be packaged and shipped in a single box. 
         [0021]    Like the rear deck  22 , the seat deck  20  is also fastened to the inward facing surfaces of arms  12 . One or more seat brackets  36  are mounted to the inward-facing surface of each arm  12 . The seat brackets  36  are L-shaped metal brackets with a 90-degree angle, and have one or more holes to receive threaded fasteners on either side of the bend. The seat brackets  36  are preferably identical in construction to the rear brackets  24  to simplify manufacturing and reduce costs. One side of each seat bracket is mounted flush against the inward facing surface of each arm  12  using threaded fasteners (not shown). The other side of each seat bracket  36  extends inward from the inward facing side of arms  12 , and provides a supporting surface for seat deck  20 . The seat deck  20  is placed between the arms  12  such that the seat deck  20  rests upon the front rail  14  and the seat brackets  36 . The seat deck  20  is then attached to the seat brackets  36  and, if desired, to the front rail  14 , with threaded fasteners (not shown) to hold the seat deck  20  in place. The seat brackets  36  may be mounted so as to hold the seat deck  20  parallel to the floor, or preferably may be mounted slightly lower than the front rail  14  to decline the seat deck slightly, as illustrated in  FIG. 2A . 
         [0022]    To form the seating surfaces of the sofa  10 , one or more seat cushions  26  are placed atop the seat deck  20  to provide the seating surface of the sofa  10 . One seat cushion  26  of approximately the same length and width as the seat deck  20  may be employed, or alternatively, two or more seat cushions which may be placed side-by-side so as to completely cover the seat deck  20  may be employed instead. The one or more seat cushions  26  may be of foam or of a coil-spring design as is well known in the art, and are covered with upholstery. The sofa also includes one or more rear cushions  28 . Like the seat cushions  26 , one rear cushion  28  of approximately the same length and width as the rear deck  22  may be employed, or alternatively, two or more rear cushions  28  which may be placed side-by-side so as to completely cover the rear deck  22  may be employed instead. The one or more rear cushions  28  are made of a polyester fiber material, sized to approximately cover the rear deck  22  when installed. Rear cushion cover  30  is made of upholstery material and includes one cushion pocket  32  for each rear cushion  28  in its front face. Each cushion pocket  32  holds a rear cushion  28  within. The rear cushion cover  30  also includes a deck pocket  34 . The deck pocket  34  is on the rear face of rear cushion cover  30 , and its opening faces downward. One or more rear cushions  28  are placed within the cushion pocket(s)  32  of rear cushion cover  30 . Next, the deck pocket  34  of rear cushion cover  30  is lowered onto the sofa rear deck  22 . If desired, snaps, hook-and-loop fasteners, zippers, or some other device may be used to affix the upholstery of rear cushion cover  30  to the arms  12  and/or rear rail  14  of sofa  10  once the rear cushion cover  30  has been slid over the top of rear deck  24 . 
         [0023]    Both the seat and rear cushions, by nature, tend to be highly compressible, and therefore, certain techniques such as those disclosed herein may be employed to assemble them into the most densely packed assembly possible for shipping. 
         [0024]    The rear cushions  28  are made with a highly compressible polyester fiber. To prepare them for shipping, the rear cushions  28  may be sealed in air-evacuable bags, also known as vacuum bags  42 , which are commonly available. As air is evacuated from the vacuum bags  42 , the rear cushions  28  are compressed and reduced in thickness. Once all evacuable air has been removed from the vacuum bags  42 , the bags are sealed and the rear cushions  28  remain compressed within for shipment. When the sofa parts are unpacked from their shipping container for assembly, the vacuum bags  42  are opened by the customer and the rear cushions  28  are removed. Experience has shown that the polyester fiber rear cushions  28  do not return completely to their original thickness once removed from vacuum bags  42  for installation into the completed sofa  10 ; typically, a polyester fiber rear cushion  28  will only return to about two-thirds of its original thickness once removed from vacuum bag  42 . Therefore, it is preferable to make the rear cushions  28  about 50 percent heavier than would otherwise be necessary so that the rear cushions  28  are of appropriate size at the time of unpacking and assembling sofa  10 . 
         [0025]    Several parts of the sofa  10  are then assembled into a sandwich assembly  40  for shipping. An example of a suitable sandwich assembly is illustrated in  FIG. 3 . First, the seat deck  20  is laid down, then the coil seat cushions  26  are laid down on top of the seat deck  20 . The rear cushions  28 , sealed in vacuum bags  42 , are laid on top of the seat cushions  26 . The rear deck  22  is laid on top of seat cushions  26 . Because the seat deck  20 , rear deck  22 , seat cushions  26 , and rear cushions  28  are of equal or nearly equal length and width, they form a uniform or nearly uniform stack. 
         [0026]    A plurality of sewn woven bands  44  are applied to the stack. The plurality of bands  44  hold the compressed stack together. The contents of the stack tends to expand against the plurality of bands  44 , urging the seat deck  20  and rear deck  22 , which form the outsides of the sandwich assembly, against the bands  44 . 
         [0027]    In other words, the woven bands  44  restrain the stack from expanding and keep the seat cushions  26  and rear cushions  28  from decompressing to their original thickness once the external compressive force is removed. It is desirable to use a plurality of woven bands  44  spaced equally across the length of the stack; for example, a set of six equally spaced woven bands  44  has been used to successfully secure a sandwich assembly  40  for shipping. Once the woven bands  44  have been slipped around the stack and each has been placed in the desired location along the stack&#39;s length, the external compressive force may be removed. 
         [0028]    The completed sandwich assembly  40  may be placed in shipping container  50  for shipping, as shown in  FIG. 4 . Shipping container  50  may be constructed of any suitable material, such as wood or corrugated cardboard. Shipping container  50  is of length and width approximately equal to or slightly greater than the sandwich assembly  40  such that the sandwich assembly  40  may be lowered inside with slight clearance around its edges. Shipping container  50  is of sufficiently greater height than sandwich assembly  40  so as to provide space for the remaining components of sofa  10 . The rear cushion cover  30  is folded and laid on top of sandwich assembly  40 . Next, arms  12  may be placed, side-by-side, on top of rear cushion cover  30 . Front rail  14  and rear rail  16  may be placed side-by-side on top of arms  12 . The remaining components, including the rear brackets  24 , seat brackets  36 , legs  18 , all necessary threaded fasteners (not shown), and assembly instructions, warranty information, or other printed materials, may be sealed in a plastic hardware bag  46 , which may be placed into any available space next to arms  12 , front rail  14 , and rear rail  16 . The shipping container  50  may then be closed and sealed for shipping. 
         [0029]    Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, although the teachings of the invention have been illustrated in connection with certain embodiments, there is no intent to limit the invention to such embodiments. On the contrary, the intention of this application is to cover all modifications and embodiments fairly falling within the scope of the appended claims either literally or under the doctrine of equivalents.