Sofa bridge

An upholstered modular bridge section for use with an article of furniture having at least one adjacent seat section, comprising:

• a seat frame;
• a seat back assembly having a back member detachably secured to said seat frame and a table member movable between an upright closed position and a horizontal open position;
• a pair of linkage assemblies coupling said table member to said back member for movement between said closed and open positions, said linkage assemblies being located on each side of said table member and including first and second links operably connected at their opposite ends between said back member and said table member, said first and second links having curved outer ends pivotably connected to table mounting means for securing said table member, and said first and second links having pivot means for connecting to said back member for enabling said table member to be selectively moved back and forth from said upright closed position to said horizontal open position;
• a crossmember fastened to said first links at a location intermediate the opposite ends of said first links, and between said first links, for rigidly securing said linkage mechanism and said table member in a substantially rectangular alignment, said crossmember having a pair of vertically disposed mounting tabs for engaging a vertical surface of said first links;
• and
• an upholstered cover secured to said seat back assembly above said linkage means at one end and secured to said table member at an opposite end, whereby said upholstered cover conceals said linkage means from view of a seat occupant.

A linkage mechanism suitable for use with a retractable sofa table comprising:

• bracket means for mounting said mechanism to a sofa frame;
• a first link pivotably interconnected to said bracket means, said first link having a first stop tab and a second stop tab;
• table mounting means pivotable interconnected to said first link and adapted for securement to a table member;
• and
• a second link pivotably interconnected between said bracket means and said table mounting means, said second link having stop means secured to an intermediate portion thereof, whereby said first stop tab engages said stop means when said table member is in an upright closed position and said second stop tab engages said stop means when said table member is in a horizontal open position, said first and second stop tabs forming a pair of positive stops;
• and
• an upholstered cover secured to said sofa frame above said linkage mechanism at one end and secured to said table member at an opposite end, whereby said upholstered cover conceals said linkage mechanism from view of a seat occupant.

An upholstered modular bridge section for use with an article of furniture having at least one adjacent seat section, comprising:

• a seat frame;
• a seat back assembly having a back member detachably secured to said seat frame and a table member movable between an upright closed position and a horizontal open position;
• a pair of mechanisms for moving said table member between said upright closed position and said horizontal open position, each of said mechanisms including:
• bracket means adapted for mounting said mechanism to said back member, said bracket means having a first longitudinally extending shoulder stud;
• a first link pivotably interconnected to said bracket means spaced apart from said first shoulder stud, said first link having a second longitudinally extending shoulder stud at one end;
• table mounting means pivotably interconnected to said first link and adapted for securement to a table member;
• a second link pivotably interconnected to said bracket means at one end, and pivotably interconnected with said table mounting means at the opposite end;
• spring means for counter-balancing said table member in an over-center relationship retainingly secured to said longitudinally extending shoulder stud of said bracket means at one end and retainingly secured to said longitudinally extending shoulder stud of said first link at an opposite end thereof, whereby said spring means assists a seat occupant in moving said table member between said upright closed position and said horizontal open positions.

A linkage mechanism suitable for use with a retractable sofa table comprising:

• bracket means adapted for mounting said linkage mechanism to a sofa frame, said bracket means having a longitudinally extending shoulder stud;
• a first link pivotably interconnected to said bracket means and having a longitudinally extending shoulder stud spaced apart from the interconnection between said first link and said bracket means;
• table mounting means pivotably interconnected to said first link and adapted for securement to a table member;
• a second link pivotably interconnected to said bracket means at one end, and pivotably interconnected at an opposite end to said table mounting means;
• spring means for counter-balancing said table member in an over-center relationship retainingly secured to said longitudinally extending shoulder stud of said bracket means at one end and retainingly secured to said longitudinally extending shoulder stud of said first link at an opposite end thereof for enabling a seat occupant to manipulate said table member from a closed upright position to an open horizontal position.

An upholstered modular bridge section for use with an article of furniture having at least one adjacent seat section, comprising:

• a seat frame;
• a seat back assembly having a back member detachably secured to said seat frame and a table member movable between an upright closed position and a horizontal open position;
• a pair of mechanisms for moving said table member between said upright closed position and said horizontal open position, each of said mechanisms comprising:
• bracket means for mounting said mechanism to said seat frame, said bracket means having a first attachment point;
• a first link pivotably secured at an intermediate portion thereof to said bracket means at an upper bracket pivot, said first link having a second attachment point at an inboard end, said first link further including a first stop tab and a second stop tab;
• table mounting means pivotably interconnected to said first link and adapted for securement to said table member;
• a second link pivotably secured to said bracket means at one end, and pivotably secured to said table mounting means at the opposite end, said second link having stop means secured to an intermediate portion thereof, whereby said first stop tab engages said stop means when said table member is in said upright closed position and said second stop tab engages said stop means when said table member is in said horizontal open position, said first and second stop tabs forming a pair of positive stops;
• and
• spring means retainingly secured between said first attachment point of the bracket means and said second attachment point of said first link for counter-balancing said table member in an over-center relationship;
• an upholstered cover secured to said seat back assembly above said pair of mechanisms at one end and secured to said table member at an opposite end, whereby said upholstered cover conceals said linkage means from view of a seat occupant;
• and
• whereby said spring means assists in moving said table member between said upright closed position and said horizontal open position.