Abstract:
A break-down sofa having a frame that is adapted to be disassembled to facilitate transport and storage in a substantially flat shipping configuration. The frame of the sofa includes a seat platform to support the weight of a user, a front panel detachably connected to the front of the seat platform, opposing side panels detachably connected to opposite sides of the seat platform, and a back panel detachably connected to the back of the seat platform. To better enable the back panel to withstand a rearward pushing force applied thereagainst by a user who is seated upon the seat platform, complementary male and female interlocking members are moved into mating engagement with one another to hold the back panel in place between the opposing side panels. The male interlocking member includes a post affixed to and projecting from each side wall of the back panel, and the female interlocking member includes a keyway affixed to the opposing side panels to removably receive therewithin and capture respective ones of the posts.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention relates to a break-down sofa having a frame that is adapted to be disassembled to facilitate transport and storage in a substantially flat shipping configuration. The sofa frame may be easily reassembled by the purchaser for use at its final destination. 
   2. Background Art 
   Large pieces of furniture, such as chairs, sofas, and the like, are typically shipped from a location of manufacture to a location of distribution to a location of sale to the public. The large and bulky natures of these articles contribute to the purchase price paid by consumers. That is to say, as a consequence of their space-consuming size, relatively large shipping vessels are required to move the furniture from place-to-place. Moreover, relatively large storage facilities are necessary to accommodate the furniture while in transit from location-to-location. Unlike smaller articles that are capable of being transported and stored in compact shipping containers, larger pieces of furniture are often not suitable to be palatized. In addition, more than one workman may be necessary to handle the loading and transport of the furniture from its initial point of manufacture to its final point of sale. In this same regard, purchasers may not be able to easily lift and carry their furniture from the location of purchase to the location of use. 
   Accordingly, what would be desirable is a means to enable typically large and bulky articles of furniture to be shipped, stored and carried home in one or more space-efficient and generally flat shipping containers that are adapted to be palatized, handled by a limited number of workmen while in route, and easily moved by the purchaser, whereby to reduce the cost and inconvenience normally associated with transport of the furniture from manufacture to use. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In general terms, a break-down sofa is disclosed having a frame that is capable of being easily disassembled so as to be moved from place-to-place in one or more space-efficient and generally flat shipping containers that facilitate transport and storage. The frame of the break-down sofa includes a seat platform and a front panel, a back panel, and a pair of opposing side panels that are all detachably connected to the seat panel by means of suitable fasteners (e.g., bolts). The usual seat cushions can be laid upon the seat platform, and backrests can be placed against the back panel of the assembled frame to ready the sofa for use. 
   To help prevent the backrest from tilting away and being unintentionally separated from the seat panel in response to a rearward pushing force generated by users, a supplemental attachment means is connected therebetween. The supplemental attachment means includes a restraint affixed to each of the side walls of the back panel of the frame and a complementary receptacle affixed to each of the opposing side panels. In the assembled sofa configuration, a restraint is moved into face-to-face mating engagement with a receptacle to hold the back panel in place between the opposing side panels. 
   Each restraint of the supplemental attachment means has a support plate secured to a side wall of the back panel. A stud projects outwardly from one end of the support plate, and a male post projects outwardly from the opposite end. A relatively wide head is carried by the male post. The complementary receptacle of the supplemental attachment means has a base plate secured to each of the opposing side panels. A female keyway runs longitudinally along the base plate, and a relatively wide keyhole is formed at one end of the keyway. 
   Initially, the back panel is held above the opposing side panels. As the back panel is lowered towards the side panels to complete the assembly of the frame for the sofa, the heads carried by the male posts of the restraints are received in respective keyholes of the female keyways of the receptacles. Both the stud and the post of a restraint will ride through the keyway of a receptacle until the head that is carried by the post is seated at one end of and captured by the keyway to hold the restraint and receptacle together. Each restraint and its complementary receptacle cooperate with one another in the supplemental attachment means to resist tilting of the back panel away from the opposing side panels between which the back panel is held. What is more, the studs which project from the support plates of the restraints prevent the back panel from wobbling back and forth after the frame of the break-down sofa has been fully assembled. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  shows one example of a break-down sofa according to the present invention having a detachable frame in a fully assembled, ready to use configuration; 
       FIG. 2  shows the detachable frame of the break-down sofa of  FIG. 1  in a disassembled configuration; 
       FIG. 3  shows front and back panels attached to a seat platform of the detachable frame of the break-down sofa; 
       FIG. 4  illustrates the back panel lifted above the frame of the break-down sofa prior to assembly; 
       FIGS. 5 and 6  show a restraint to be affixed to each side wall of the back panel of the break-down sofa; 
       FIGS. 7 and 8  show a complementary receptacle to be affixed to each of the opposing side panels of the break-down sofa to be mated to a respective restraint of  FIGS. 5 and 6 ; and 
       FIGS. 9 and 10  show the face-to-face mating engagement of a restraint at one side wall of the back panel to a complementary receptacle at one side panel, whereby to prevent the back panel from tilting away and separating from the opposing side panels during use of the break-down sofa. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   A preferred embodiment of the break-down sofa  1  which forms the present invention is described while referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2  of the drawings. As will be described in greater detail hereinafter, the sofa  1  includes a frame that is adapted to be disassembled to facilitate shipment and storage in a relatively flat configuration. By virtue of the foregoing, manufacturers and consumers will be able to conveniently ship and easily carry the sofa  1  in its disassembled condition from the point of manufacture to the point of use where the frame of the sofa is removed from its shipping containers and reassembled. 
   The frame of the break-down sofa  1  includes a front panel  3 , a back panel  5 , opposing side panels  7  and  9 , and a seat platform  10 . A set of seat cushions  12  are laid upon the seat platform  10  and a (e.g., matching) set of back rests  14  are laid against the back panel  5 . The opposing side panels  7  and  9  may be covered with padded arm rests  16  to enhance the comfort of the user. In this same regard, the front and back panels  3  and  5  may be upholstered to improve the aesthetic appearance of the sofa  1 . 
   To enable the frame of the break-down sofa  1  to be quickly and easily disassembled for shipment and reassembled following delivery, the seat platform  10  is provided with a plurality of bolt holes  20  that are formed through the front, back and side walls thereof (best shown in  FIG. 2 ). The bolt holes  20  through seat platform  10  are axially aligned with corresponding threaded holes  22  that are formed in the front panel  3 , the back panel  5 , and the opposing side panels  7  and  9 . Respective bolts  24  (best illustrated in  FIG. 3 ) are inserted through pairs of axially aligned holes  20  and  22  for the purpose of detachably connecting the seat platform  10  to each of the front panel  3 , the back panel  5 , and the opposing side panels  7  and  9  of the sofa frame. As is also best shown in  FIG. 3 , the bolts  24  are inserted at the underside of the seat platform  10 . 
   During normal use, the relatively tall back panel  5  of the sofa  1  will be subjected to pushing forces as users lean rearwardly thereagainst. In some cases, the bolts  24  which interconnect the back panel  5  to the seat platform  10  may not be sufficient to prevent the back panel  5  from possibly tilting away and separating from the seat platform  10 . Accordingly, and in accordance with an important aspect of this invention, a supplemental attachment means is provided to hold the back panel  5  in place between the opposing side panels  7  and  9  of sofa  1 . More particularly, the supplemental attachment means includes a pair of restraints  26  that are mounted on the back panel  5 . One of such restraints  26  is located at each side wall  27  of the back panel  5  so as to cooperate with a complementary receptacle  28  that is mounted on each of the opposing side panels  7  and  9 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 4  of the drawings, in order to complete the detachable frame of break-down sofa  1 , the back panel  5  is initially lifted above the opposing side panels  5  and  7  and the seat platform  10 . The back panel  5  is then lowered towards the seat platform  10  until the restraints  26  at opposite side walls  27  of back panel  5  slide into mating engagement with the complementary receptacles  28  at the opposing side panels  7  and  9 . With the restraints  26  received by respective receptacles  28  of the supplemental attachment means, a an additional attachment is established to withstand the rearward pushing force to which the back panel  5  will be subjected when the sofa  1  is in use. That is, both the bolts  24  (of  FIG. 3 ) and the cooperation between restraints  26  and receptacles  28  act to reliably hold the back panel  5  in place between the opposing side panels  7  and  9 . 
   Details of the aforementioned supplemental attachment means including the restraints  26  mounted on back panel  5  and the receptacles  28  mounted on the opposing side panels  7  and  9  and the mating engagement therebetween to hold the back panel  5  between side panels  7  and  9  and to prevent the back panel  5  from being pushed away and unintentionally separated from the seat platform  10  are now described while referring to  FIGS. 5-8  of the drawings. As is best shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , each restraint  26  includes a support plate  30  that is affixed to one side wall  27  of the back panel  5  by means of a plurality of (e.g., three) fasteners (e.g., screws)  32 . The support plate  30  may have any suitable contour, such as the curved shape shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , which conforms to the shape of the side wall  27  to which the support plate  30  will be secured. 
   Projecting outwardly from the top of the support plate  30  of the restraint  26  is a cylindrical stud  34 . The stud may be welded to the support plate  30 . Projecting outwardly from the bottom of the support plate  30  is a threaded post  36 . One end of the threaded post is affixed (e.g., screwed) to the support plate  30 . Post  36  may also be welded to the support plate  30 . A relatively wide head  38  is located at the opposite end of the threaded post  36  for receiving a rotational force in order to attach the post  36  to the support plate  30 . 
   As is best shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the complementary receptacle  28  of the supplemental attachment means includes a base plate  40  that is affixed to one side panel (e.g.,  7 ) through the cushioned arm rest  16  thereof by means of (e.g., two rows of) fasteners (e.g., screws)  42 . In the assembled sofa relationship of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the base plate  40  of receptacle  28  will lie flush against the side panel  7  and opposite the support plate  30  of the restraint  26  that is affixed to one side wall  27  of the back panel  5 . Moreover, the base plate  40  of receptacle  28  that is affixed to the other side panel  9  will lie flush against side panel  9  and opposite the support plate  30  of the restraint  26  that is affixed to the opposite side wall of the back panel  5 . Like the support plate  30  of restraint  26 , the base plate  40  of receptacle  28  may have any suitable (e.g., curved) contour, such as that shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , which conforms to the shape of the side panel  7  to which the base plate  40  will be affixed. 
   Running longitudinally along the base plate  40  of the receptacle  28  is a female keyway  44 . Located at one end of the keyway  44  is a relatively wide keyhole  46 . The keyhole  46  is sized to accommodate therewithin the head  38  of the male post  36  which projects from the support plate  30  of restraint  26 . The keyway  44  is sized to accommodate both the stud  34  and the post  36  which project from support plate  30  in order to hold the back panel  5  between the opposing side panels  7  and  9  and thereby complete the frame assembly of the break-down sofa  1 . In the assembled relationship, the keyway  44  and the keyhole  46  of the base plate  40  of receptacle  28  lie directly over an elongated channel  48  that is formed through each arm rest (e.g.,  16 ) and side panel (e.g.,  7 ). 
   Turning to  FIGS. 9 and 10  of the drawings, the mating engagement is shown between one restraint  26  that is mounted on one of the side walls  27  of the back panel  5  to a complementary receptacle  28  that is mounted on one of the opposing side panels  7  of the frame of sofa  1 . As earlier explained, to complete the assembly of the frame of sofa  1 , the back panel  5  is initially lifted above the opposing side panels, only one of which (designated  7 ) being shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 . The back panel  5  is positioned relative to the side panel  7  so that the head  38  of the male post  36  which projects from the support plate  30  of restraint  26  is aligned for receipt by the keyhole  46  of the female keyway  44  which runs along the base plate  40  of receptacle  28 . 
   As the back panel  5  is lowered towards the opposing side panels (e.g.,  7 ) of the sofa  1 , the relatively wide head  38  of the male post  36  is correspondingly moved through the keyhole  46  of the female keyway  44 . The post  36  will now ride longitudinally through the keyway  44  until the head  38  of post  36  is seated at the bottom of the keyway  44  (best shown in  FIG. 10 ). At the same time that the post  36  is riding through the keyway  44 , the stud  34  which also projects from the support plate  30  of restraint  26  will enter the keyhole  46  and ride through keyway  44 . The head  38  of post  36  and the stud  34  will also be received in and slide through the channel  48  that is formed within the side panel  7 . By virtue of the channel  48  in which to receive the head  38  and the stud  34 , the base plate  40  of receptacle  28  can be held flush against the side panel  7 . The stud  34  acts to stabilize the ride of the male post  36  through the female keyway  44  and the channel  48 . In addition, the receipt of the stud  34  within keyway  44  and channel  48  prevents the back panel  5  from wobbling back and forth after its attachment between the opposing side panels  7  and  9  of the sofa  1 . 
   With the relatively wide head  38  of the male post  36  of the restraint  26  of the supplemental attachment means seated at the bottom of and captured by the female keyway  44  of the receptacle  28 , a complementary restraint and receptacle pair are mated together in face-to-face alignment (best shown in  FIG. 10 ). Accordingly, the back panel  5  will now be detachably connected to the seat platform  10  (best shown in  FIG. 1 ) and held between the opposing side panels  7  and  9  of the break-down sofa  1  so that the various seat cushions and back rests (designated  12  and  14  in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) may be added to ready the sofa for use. Of course, should it be necessary to disassemble the frame of the sofa  1  for additional shipment or storage, the back panel  5  may be easily separated from the opposing side panels  7  and  9  by simply reversing the assembly steps that have just been disclosed above. 
   Although the improvement of this invention has been described with regard to a break-down sofa, it is to be expressly understood that this same improvement is also applicable to other seating articles (e.g., chairs, and the like) which have a detachable back panel.