Seating unit with novel pivot mounts and method of assembly

A seating unit assembly comprising:

• a base assembly including opposing side arms;
• a back frame having opposing end sections pivoted to the side arms at back pivots for rotation about a back-tilt axis;
• a seat pivoted to the end sections at seat pivots for rotation about a seat-tilt axis;
• and
• the back pivots including a pair of inwardly-facing studs on the side arms, a pair of outwardly-facing frustoconically-shaped pockets formed in the opposing end sections for receiving the studs, a pair of bushings fit mateably into the frustoconically-shaped pockets, and lubricious bearing elements positioned in the bushings that rotatably support the studs, the bushings having an outer frustoconically-shaped surface for mateably engaging the frustoconically-shaped pockets from an assembly direction defined by a concavity of the frustoconically-shaped pockets, the bushings being deformable and movable so that, when the studs are misaligned with the back-tilt axis, the bushings flex and deform to reduce binding and stress in the base assembly and the back frame upon recline of the back frame.

A seating unit assembly comprising:

• a base assembly including opposing side arms;
• a back frame having opposing end sections pivoted to the side arms at back pivots for rotation about a back-tilt axis;
• a seat pivoted to the end sections at seat pivots for rotation about a seat-tilt axis;
• and
• the seat pivots including a pair of outwardly-facing studs on the seat, a pair of inwardly-facing frustoconically-shaped pockets formed in the opposing end sections for receiving the studs, a pair of bushings fit mateably into the frustoconically-shaped pockets, and lubricious bearing elements positioned in the bushings that rotatably support the studs, the bushings having an outer frustoconically-shaped surface for mateably engaging the frustoconically-shaped pockets from an assembly direction defined by a concavity of the frustoconically-shaped pockets, the bushings being deformable and movable so that, when the studs are misaligned with the seat-tilt axis, the bushings flex and move to reduce binding and stress in the seat and the back frame upon recline of the back frame.

A seating unit assembly comprising:

• a base assembly including side arms;
• a back frame having end sections pivoted to the side arms at back pivots for rotation about a back-tilt axis, the back frame being flexible enough to permit the end sections to be flexed apart during assembly, the end sections and the side arms having adjacent faces, one of which has a frustoconically-shaped recess therein;
• and
• a bearing arrangement at each back pivot pivotally connecting the side arms to the respective end sections, the bearing arrangement including a stud that extends into a large end of the recess, and a bearing element rotatably engaging the stud, the bearing element being removable from the recess through the large end of the recess, but held therein in part by the proximity of the adjacent faces and by the strength of the back frame.