Spring devices – Spring panel – With cantilevered surface extension – i.e. – 'soft edge'
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-06
2001-07-24
Graham, Matthew C. (Department: 3613)
Spring devices
Spring panel
With cantilevered surface extension, i.e., 'soft edge'
C005S247000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06264179
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to seat assemblies which are used in items of furniture such as love seats and couches. More particularly this invention relates to a seat assembly utilizing modular springs rather than conventional coil springs.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Seating products utilizing modular springs which extend between the front and back rails of a generally rectangular seating frame are known. Such modular springs are conventionally attached at the front end to the front rail and attached at the back end to the rear rail. Additionally, each modular spring is bowed between the front and rear rails so as to provide a desired degree of resiliency in the seating product. The ends of each modular spring are secured to the frame rails with any of a number of mechanisms, the most common being clips secured to the front and back rails of the generally rectangular frame into which the ends of the modular springs are inserted. These modular springs may either be sinuous springs such as are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,247,089 and 4,586,700, or irregularly shaped springs such as are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,856,989 and 2,934,133.
Oftentimes, due to the distance between the front and rear rails of the seating frame (the distance the modular springs must span), it is desirable to support the center of the modular springs. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,247,089 and 4,586,700 disclose wire members which pass diagonally under bowed sinuous springs to which are attached support members midway between the front and rear rails in order to better support the arched sinuous wires extending between the front and rear rails of the seating frame.
Rather than using a wire member passing diagonally underneath the sinuous springs spanning the length of the seating product, several seating assemblies have a frame including a center support member extending generally parallel the front and rear frame rails which is secured to a pair of opposed side rails of the frame. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,856,989 and 2,934,133 disclose such a center support rail. In each of these patents a portion of the modular springs spanning the length of the seating product, i.e., from the front rail to the rear rail, also has a downwardly extending portion which is supported by the center rail.
Another patent which discloses a frame having at least one center rail parallel the front and rear rails is U.S. Pat. No. 5,61 5,869.
This patent discloses a pair of intermediate rails parallel the front and rear rails of the frame. A plurality of modular springs extend between the front and rearmost intermediate rail rather than between the front and back rails of the frame. A plurality of conventional coil springs secured to the forwardmost intermediate rail of the frame provide additional support to the user. These coil springs extend upwardly from the forwardmost intermediate rail and are secured to a pair of lateral wires which are secured to the modular springs as well. Because the spring assembly disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,615,869 utilizes both modular springs and conventional coil springs, and additionally includes two intermediate rails extending parallel the front and back rails of the frame, it is expensive and time consuming to manufacture and assembly this spring assembly.
Therefore, it has been one objective of the present invention to provide a seat assembly for use in furniture and the like which utilizes a minimum number of components and which may be quickly and easily assembled in order to make the seat assembly.
It has further been an object of the present invention to provide a seat assembly utilizing modular springs which have a resilient center section secured to an intermediate rail of a generally rectangular frame, without the rear end of the modular spring being secured to the rear rail of the frame, thereby minimizing assembly and manufacturing costs and maximizing seating comfort of the resulting product.
It has further been an object of the present invention to provide a seating assembly which may be modified slightly in order to manufacture seats of differing lengths.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention of this application which accomplishes these objectives comprises a seat assembly having a generally rectangular frame and a plurality of modular springs secured to the frame.
The generally rectangular frame includes a front and rear rail, a pair of opposed side rails generally perpendicular the front and rear rails. A center rail extends between the opposed side rails and is generally parallel the front and rear rails. In addition, the frame may include at least one stretcher rail, each stretcher rail extending between the front and rear rails and being generally parallel the opposed side rails of the frame.
A plurality of modular springs are secured to the frame. Each of the modular springs is made of one piece of wire and has a front section, a front connecting section, a resilient center section and a rear cantilevered unsupported section. The front section is secured to the front rail of the frame. Preferably the front section of each modular spring is engaged with a clip secured to the front rail of the frame, but any other means of attachment may be used as well.
The front connecting section extends between the front section and the resilient center section is generally planar and has a generally square wave form configuration.
The resilient center section of each modular spring comprises a pair of opposed legs which converge at a bottom bar of the modular spring.
The resilient center section of the modular spring is secured to the center rail. More particularly, the bottom bar of the modular spring is either stapled directly to the center rail of the frame or secured to a clip which is secured to the center rail of the frame in order to secure the center rail of the frame and the resilient center section of the modular spring together.
Extending rearwardly from the resilient center section is a generally planar cantilevered unsupported rear section of the modular spring. This rear section is spaced above the frame and unattached to any of the rails of the frame. Overall, and particularly between the resilient center section and front section of the modular spring, the modular spring has a generally square wave form comprising a plurality of transverse bars and plurality of longitudinal bars.
In order to provide increased stability and strength, a stiffener may be secured to the resilient center section of the modular spring. The stiffener extends between the opposed legs of the resilient center section of the modular spring and is clipped thereto with conventional three-pronged clips. Other methods of attachment may be used as well.
The last component of the seat assembly of the present invention is a wire grid comprising a plurality of intersecting members secured to the generally planar portions of the modular springs. More particularly, the grid is secured to the generally planar portions of the modular springs with conventional three-pronged clips but may be secured to the modular springs using any other fastener.
When constructing the seat assembly of the present invention, the front section of each modular spring is secured to the front rail before the resilient center section of the modular spring is secured to the center rail and pretensioned against the inside surface of the front rail when the spring is pulled downwardly and secured to the center rail of the frame. This pretensioned front edge of each modular spring increases the resilient support at the front of the seat assembly.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2685330 (1954-08-01), Handren, Jr. et al.
patent: 2815797 (1957-12-01), Flint
patent: 2856989 (1958-10-01), Pawlikowski
patent: 2934133 (1960-04-01), Pawlikowski
patent: 3098244 (1963-07-01), Rothbauer, Jr.
patent: 3681794 (1972-08-01), Ciampa et al.
patent: 3888474 (1975-06-01), Mandusky et al.
patent: 3998442 (1976-12-01), Keane et al.
patent: 422899
Graham Matthew C.
L&P Property Management Company
Wood Herron & Evans LLP
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