Convertible seating furniture
AssigneeKrueger International, Inc.
InventorJames E. Barefoot
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An article of seating furniture including an extendable support assembly that is movable to convert the assembly from an upright position to a supine position. The extendable support assembly includes a pedestal having a pair of guide tracks with upwardly extending notches disposed on opposite sides of the pedestal. The notches in each guide track are engageable with rollers disposed on a frame of the article of seating furniture, in order to guide the pedestal during movement toward and away from the chair. A backrest assembly is pivotally connected between the frame and the pedestal and moves in conjunction with the pedestal between the upright position and the supine position. The assembly is maintained in the upright position by engagement of the rollers on the frame within the notches in the tracks on the pedestal.
Claims23
A convertible furniture arrangement for placement on a support surface, comprising:
- a base including a pair of side members and a rear member interconnected with and extending between the side members,:wherein an open area is defined by the side members and the rear member;
- a pedestal defining an upwardly facing support surface and configured to be received within the open area;
- a back arrangement interconnected between the base and the pedestal, including a first back section pivotably interconnected with the base and a second back section pivotably interconnected with the pedestal, wherein the first and second back sections are pivotably interconnected together;
- wherein the pedestal is movable relative to the base between a retracted position in which the pedestal is received within the open area and an extended position in which the pedestal is moved outwardly relative to the base, and wherein the first and second back sections cooperate to define an upright back arrangement when the pedestal is in the retracted position and an upwardly facing support surface when the pedestal is in the extended position;
- and
- an elevating engagement arrangement interposed between the pedestal and the base, wherein the elevating arrangement is configured and arranged to raise the pedestal upwardly out of engagement with the support surface when the pedestal is moved between the extended position and the retracted position, and to lower the pedestal into engagement with the support surface when the pedestal is moved away from the retracted position toward the extended position.
A convertible furniture arrangement for placement on a support surface, comprising:
- a base including a pair of side members and a rear member interconnected with and extending between the side members, wherein an open area is defined by the side members and the rear member;
- a pedestal defining an upwardly facing support surface and configured to be received within the open area;
- a back arrangement interconnected between the base and the pedestal, including a first back section pivotably interconnected with the base and a second back section pivotably interconnected with the pedestal, wherein the first and second back sections are pivotably interconnected together;
- wherein the base includes a bracket to which the first back member is pivotably connected and wherein the pedestal is movable relative to the base between a retracted position in which the pedestal is received within the open area and an extended position in which the pedestal is moved outwardly relative to the base, and wherein the first and second back sections cooperate to define an upright back arrangement when the pedestal is in the retracted position and an upwardly facing support surface when the pedestal is in the extended position;
- and
- an elevating engagement arrangement interposed between the pedestal and the base for raising the pedestal upwardly out of engagement with the support surface when the pedestal is in the retracted position, and for lowering the pedestal into engagement with the support surface when the pedestal is moved away from the retracted position toward the extended position, and wherein the elevating engagement arrangement includes at least one roller interconnected with the bracket, and a guide track secured to the pedestal, wherein the guide track is arranged to engage the roller when the pedestal is moved to the retracted position and is configured to raise the pedestal when the pedestal is moved from the extended position to the retracted position and to lower the pedestal when the pedestal is moved from the retracted position to the extended position.
An extendible support assembly connectable to an article of seating furniture having a pair of sides and a rear member extending between the sides, the support assembly comprising:
- a bracket adapted to be secured between the pair of sides, each bracket including a guide roller;
- a backrest assembly pivotally secured to the bracket;
- and
- a pedestal pivotally connected to the backrest assembly opposite the bracket, wherein the pedestal is movable between a retracted position and an extended position, wherein the pedestal defines a pair of sides and includes a guide track positioned on each side which is oriented so as to be engageable with one of the guide rollers, wherein each guide track is oriented on the pedestal to extend upwardly at an angle from a front end of the pedestal toward a rear end of the pedestal, and wherein each guide track includes an upwardly extending notch adjacent the front end of the pedestal in which one of the guide rollers is received when the pedestal is in the retracted position, wherein the guide tracks and the guide rollers are oriented to elevate the pedestal when the pedestal is moved from the extended position to the retracted position.
A method for moving an article of seating furniture between an upright position and a supine position, wherein the article of furniture includes a pair of armrests the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a base and an extendable support assembly connected to the base and movably positioned between the armrests, the support assembly including a bracket connected to the base, a guide roller fixed to the bracket, a backrest assembly pivotally connected to the bracket, and a pedestal pivotally connected to the backrest assembly opposite the bracket, wherein the pedestal includes a guide track positioned on a side of the pedestal and engageable with the guide roller, the guide track including a retainer structure with which the guide roller is engaged when the seating furniture is in the upright position;
- disengaging the guide roller from the retainer structure;
- and
- moving the pedestal away from the base to place the seating furniture in the supine position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.