SEATS AND METHODS TO ASSEMBLE SEATS
Seats and methods to assemble a seat are disclosed. A method to assemble a seat includes positioning a left arm and a right arm over a seat frame, each of the left and right arms having fabric that covers a left side and a right side of the respective arm. The method also includes wrapping the fabric of the left arm around a left side of the seat frame to cover the left side of the seat frame, and wrapping the fabric of the right arm around a right side of the seat frame to cover the right side of the seat frame. The method further includes positioning a back frame over the seat frame, wrapping fabric of the back frame around a back side of the seat frame to cover the back side of the seat frame, and securing the left and right arms to the seat frame.
The present disclosure relates generally to assembled seats and methods to assemble a seat.
Fully assembled seats, such as fully assembled sofas, couches, loveseats, as well as other types of seats, are seats that are assembled before they are delivered to customers. The shipping cost of fully assembled seats are typically high due to the size and dimensions of the fully assembled seats. Further, fully assembled seats are also susceptible to damage during transit, thereby increasing the costs to manufacturers and sellers of the fully assembled seats.
The following figures are included to illustrate certain aspects of the present disclosure, and should not be viewed as exclusive embodiments. The subject matter disclosed is capable of considerable modifications, alterations, combinations, and equivalents in form and function, without departing from the scope of this disclosure.
The illustrated figures are only exemplary and are not intended to assert or imply any limitation with regard to the environment, architecture, design, or process in which different embodiments may be implemented.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTSIn the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that logical structural, mechanical, electrical, and chemical changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. To avoid detail not necessary to enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments described herein, the description may omit certain information known to those skilled in the art. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the illustrative embodiments is defined only by the appended claims.
The present disclosure relates to seats and methods to assemble seats. As referred to herein, a seat refers to any furniture configured for sitting. Examples of seats include, but are not limited to, sofas, couches, loveseats, lounges, as well as other types of furniture configured for sitting. In some embodiments, a seat is partially upholstered. In some embodiments, a seat is fully upholstered. Components of a seat include a seat frame, a left arm, a right arm, and a back frame, and fasteners used to attach components to the seat frame. As referred to herein, “left” refers to left of an individual sitting on a seat where the individual's back is reclined on the back frame, or cushions that rest on the back frame, whereas “right” refers to right of the individual sitting in the same position. For example, the left arm is an arm of the seat to the left of the individual whereas the right arm is an arm of the seat to the right of the individual. Further, a “top side” of a component refers to a side of the component that is further from the ground relative to a “bottom side” of the component after the component is assembled, whereas a “bottom side” of a component refers to a side of the component that is closer to the ground relative to a “top side” of the component after the component is assembled. Further, a “front side” of a component refers to a side of the component that is closer to the front of the seat relative to a “back side” of the component after the seat is assembled, whereas a “back side” of a component refers to a side of the component that is closer to the back of the seat relative to a “front side” of the component after the seat is assembled.
The left arm and the right arm each has fabric that covers the left side and the right side of the respective arm. Examples of fabrics include, but are not limited to microfiber, suede, top grain leather, chenille, linen, vinyl, and other types of textiles. The left arm and the right arm are positioned over the top side of the seat frame such that the fabrics of the left arm and the right arm cover the left side and the right side of the seat frame, respectively. Further, the back frame also has fabric that covers the back side of the back frame. The back frame is positioned over the top side of the seat frame such that the fabric of the back frame covers the back side of the seat frame. In some embodiments, slots and inserts are placed on the sides of the back frame, left arm, and right arm to secure the back frame to the left arm and the right arm. As referred to herein, a slot is any mechanism having an aperture or slit configured for an object to be inserted into the slot, whereas an insert is any protrusion configured to be inserted into the slot. In some embodiments, a slot is a track or a rail, whereas an insert is a rod or a slider configured to fit into or slide through the track or rail. In some embodiments, the slot has a smooth interior surface and the insert has wheels configured to roll along the interior surface of the slot. In some embodiments, the slot and insert have grooved surfaces. In some embodiments, the insert has teeth configured to grip on to the slot. In some embodiments, the arms are bolted to the back frame.
The left arm and the right arm are fastened to the top side of the seat frame. Examples of fasteners used to fasten the left arm and the right arm include, but are not limited to, screws, nuts and bolts, pins, nails, as well as other types of hardware that attach the left and right arms to the seat frame. In some embodiments, the back frame is also fastened to the top side of the seat frame. In some embodiments, one or more legs are also fastened to the seat frame. In some embodiments, after the seat is assembled, one or more seams of the left and right arms align with one or more seams of the seat frame. In some embodiments, after the seat is assembled, one or more seams of the back frame align with one or more seams of the seat frame. Additional descriptions of seats, components of the seats, and methods to assemble the seats are provided in the paragraphs below and are illustrated in
Now turning to the figures,
In the embodiment of
After left arm 111 and right arm 121 are placed over seat frame 101, left arm 111 and right arm 121 are fastened to top side 106 of seat frame 101. In the embodiment illustrated in
In some embodiments, after left arm 111 and right arm 121 are placed over seat frame 101, at least one seam line (not shown) of fabric 112 of left arm 111 aligns with at least one seam line (not shown) of seat frame 101, and at least one seam line (not shown) of fabric 122 of right arm 121 aligns with at least one seam line (not shown) of seat frame 101. For example, after left arm 111 and right arm 121 are placed over seat frame 101, a seam line of fabric 112 of left arm 111 overlays a seam line on front side 102 of seat frame 101, and a seam line of fabric 122 of right arm 121 overlays another seam line on front side 102 of seat frame 101. In one or more embodiments, after left arm 111 and right arm 121 are placed over seat frame 101, a seam line of fabric 112 of left arm 111 is positioned adjacent to (e.g., within ¼ of an inch, ⅛ of an inch, 1/16 of an inch or another threshold distance) a seam line on front side 102 of seat frame 101, and a seam line of fabric 122 of right arm 121 is positioned adjacent to (e.g., within ¼ of an inch, ⅛ of an inch, 1/16 of an inch or another threshold distance) another seam line on front side 102 of seat frame 101. In one or more embodiments, after back frame 131 is placed over seat frame 101, at least one seam line (not shown) of back frame 131 also aligns with at least one seam line (not shown) of seat frame 101. For example, after back frame 131 is placed over seat frame 101, two seam lines on opposite sides of back frame 131 overlay two seam lines on back side of seat frame 101. In one or more embodiments, after back frame 131 is placed over seat frame 101, two seam lines on opposite sides of back frame 131 are positioned adjacent (e.g., within ¼ of an inch, ⅛ of an inch, 1/16 of an inch or another threshold distance) two seam lines on back side of seat frame 101. In one or more of such embodiments, seam lines are aligned with each other if the seam lines are parallel or substantially parallel to each other on a vertical plane (e.g., directly or substantially directly over or under) relative to the seat or on a horizontal plane (e.g., directly or substantially directly in front or behind) relative to the seat.
In the embodiment of
Although
At block S502, a left arm is positioned over a seat frame. Further, the left arm has fabric that covers a left side of the left arm. During the process to assemble seat 100 of
The above-disclosed embodiments have been presented for purposes of illustration and to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to practice the disclosure, but the disclosure is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the forms disclosed. Many insubstantial modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure. For instance, although the flowchart depicts a serial process, some of the steps/processes may be performed in parallel or out of sequence, or combined into a single step/process. The scope of the claims is intended to broadly cover the disclosed embodiments and any such modification. Further, the following clauses represent additional embodiments of the disclosure and should be considered within the scope of the disclosure.
Clause 1, a method to assemble a seat, the method comprising: positioning a left arm over a seat frame, the left arm having fabric that covers a left side of the left arm; positioning a right arm over the seat frame, the right arm having fabric that covers a right side of the right arm; wrapping the fabric of the left arm around a left side of the seat frame, thereby covering the left side of the seat frame with the fabric of the left arm; wrapping the fabric of the right arm around a right side of the seat frame, thereby covering the right side of the seat frame with the fabric of the right arm; positioning a back frame over the seat frame, the back frame having a fabric that covers a back side of the back frame; wrapping the fabric of the back frame around a back side of the seat frame, thereby covering the back side of the seat frame; and securing, from a bottom side of the seat frame, the left arm and the right arm to a top side of the seat frame.
Clause 2, the method of clause 1, further comprising: aligning a seam line of the fabric of the left arm with a first seam line of the seat frame; and aligning a seam line of the fabric of the right arm with a second seam line of the seat frame.
Clause 3, the method of clause 2, further comprising aligning a third seam line of the back frame with a third seam line of the seat frame.
Clause 4, the method of any of clauses 1-3, further comprising securing one or more legs to the bottom side of the seat frame.
Clause 5, the method of any of clauses 1-4, wherein each of the left arm and the right arm comprises a slot configured to receive an insert, and wherein the back frame comprises a first insert on a left side and a second insert on a right side, the method further comprising: inserting the first insert into the slot of the left arm to secure the back frame to the left arm; and inserting the second insert into the slot of the right arm to secure the back frame to the right arm.
Clause 6, the method of any of clauses 1-5, wherein the left arm comprises a first insert, wherein the right arm comprises a second insert, wherein the back frame comprises a first slot positioned on a left side of the back frame and a second slot positioned on a right side of the back frame, and wherein the first slot and the second slot are configured to receive the first insert and the second insert, respectively, the method further comprising: inserting the first insert into the first slot of the back frame to secure the back frame to the left arm; and inserting the second insert into the second slot of the back frame to secure the back frame to the right arm.
Clause 7, the method of any of clauses 1-6, further comprising: securing the fabric of the left arm to the left side of the seat frame; and securing the fabric of the right arm to the right side of the seat frame.
Clause 8, the method of any of clauses 1-7, further comprising securing the fabric of the back frame to the back side of the seat frame.
Clause 9, the method of any of clauses 1-8, further comprising placing one or more back cushions on the seat frame, wherein the one or more back cushions cover a section of a front side of the back frame after the one or more back cushions are placed on the seat frame.
Clause 10, the method of any of clauses 1-9, further comprising placing one or more seat cushions over the top side of the seat frame, wherein the one or more seat cushions cover a section of the top side of the seat frame after the one or more seat cushions are placed over the top side of the seat frame.
Clause 11, a seat, comprising: a seat frame having a top side, a bottom side, a left side, a right side, and a back side; a left arm having a left side that is covered by fabric, wherein the left arm is positioned over the left side of the seat frame such that the fabric of the left arm wraps around the left side of the seat frame to cover the left side of the seat frame; a right arm having a right side that is covered by fabric, wherein the right arm is positioned over the right side of the seat frame such that the fabric of the right arm wraps around the right side of the seat frame to cover the right side of the seat frame; a back frame having a back side that is covered by fabric, wherein the back frame is positioned over the back side of the seat frame such that the fabric of the back frame wraps around the back side of the seat frame to cover the back side of the seat frame; and one or more fasteners that attach the left arm and the right arm to the top side of the seat frame.
Clause 12 the seat of clause 11, wherein after the left arm and the right arm are attached to the seat frame, a seam line of the fabric of the left arm is aligned with a first seam line of the seat frame, and a seam line of the fabric of the right arm is aligned with a second seam line of the seat frame.
Clause 13, the seat of clause 12, wherein after the back frame is attached to the seat frame, a seam line of the fabric of the back frame is aligned with a third seam line of the back frame.
Clause 14, the seat of any of clauses 11-13, further comprising one or more legs having one or more fasteners that attach the one or more legs to the seat frame.
Clause 15, the seat of any of clauses 11-14, wherein each of the left arm and the right arm comprises a slot configured to receive an insert, and wherein the back frame comprises a first insert on a left side that is configured to slide into the insert of the left arm to secure the back frame to the left arm, and a second insert on a right side that is configured to slide into the insert of the right arm to secure the back frame to the right arm.
Clause 16, the seat of any of clauses 11-15, wherein the back frame comprises a first slot positioned on a left side of the back frame and a second slot positioned on a right side of the back frame, wherein each slot is configured to receive an insert, wherein the left arm comprises a first insert configured to slide into the first slot of the back frame to secure the left arm to the back frame, and wherein the right arm comprises a second insert configured to slide into the second slot of the back frame to secure the back frame to the right arm.
Clause 17, the seat of any of clauses 11-16, further comprising one or more back cushions that are placed on the seat frame, wherein the one or more back cushions cover a section of a front side of the back frame after the one or more back cushions are placed on the seat frame.
Clause 18, the seat of any of clauses 11-17, further comprising one or more seat cushions that are placed over the top side of the seat frame, wherein the one or more seat cushions cover a section of the top side of the seat frame after the one or more seat cushions are placed over the top side of the seat frame.
Clause 19, the seat of any of clauses 11-18, wherein the back frame comprises padding on a front side of the back frame.
Clause 20, the seat of any of clauses 11-19, wherein the left arm comprises padding on a right side of the left arm, and wherein the right arm comprises padding on a left side of the right arm.
Unless otherwise specified, any use of any form of the terms “connect,” “engage,” “couple,” “attach,” or any other term describing an interaction between elements in the foregoing disclosure is not meant to limit the interaction to direct interaction between the elements and may also include indirect interaction between the elements described. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Unless otherwise indicated, as used throughout this document, “or” does not require mutual exclusivity. It will be further understood that the terms “comprise” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification and/or the claims, specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. In addition, the steps and components described in the above embodiments and figures are merely illustrative and do not imply that any particular step or component is a requirement of a claimed embodiment.
It should be apparent from the foregoing that embodiments of an invention having significant advantages have been provided. While the embodiments are shown in only a few forms, the embodiments are not limited but are susceptible to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof.
Claims
1. A method to assemble a seat, the method comprising:
- positioning a left arm over a seat frame, the left arm having fabric that covers a left side of the left arm;
- positioning a right arm over the seat frame, the right arm having fabric that covers a right side of the right arm;
- wrapping the fabric of the left arm around a left side of the seat frame, thereby covering the left side of the seat frame with the fabric of the left arm;
- wrapping the fabric of the right arm around a right side of the seat frame, thereby covering the right side of the seat frame with the fabric of the right arm;
- positioning a back frame over the seat frame, the back frame having a fabric that covers a back side of the back frame;
- wrapping the fabric of the back frame around a back side of the seat frame, thereby covering the back side of the seat frame; and
- securing, from a bottom side of the seat frame, the left arm and the right arm to a top side of the seat frame.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
- aligning a seam line of the fabric of the left arm with a first seam line of the seat frame; and
- aligning a seam line of the fabric of the right arm with a second seam line of the seat frame.
3. The method of claim 2, further comprising aligning a third seam line of the back frame with a third seam line of the seat frame.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising securing one or more legs to the bottom side of the seat frame.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the left arm and the right arm comprises a slot configured to receive an insert, and wherein the back frame comprises a first insert on a left side and a second insert on a right side, the method further comprising:
- inserting the first insert into the slot of the left arm to secure the back frame to the left arm; and
- inserting the second insert into the slot of the right arm to secure the back frame to the right arm.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the left arm comprises a first insert, wherein the right arm comprises a second insert, wherein the back frame comprises a first slot positioned on a left side of the back frame and a second slot positioned on a right side of the back frame, and wherein the first slot and the second slot are configured to receive the first insert and the second insert, respectively, the method further comprising:
- inserting the first insert into the first slot of the back frame to secure the back frame to the left arm; and
- inserting the second insert into the second slot of the back frame to secure the back frame to the right arm.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
- securing the fabric of the left arm to the left side of the seat frame; and
- securing the fabric of the right arm to the right side of the seat frame.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising securing the fabric of the back frame to the back side of the seat frame.
9. The method of claim 1, further comprising placing one or more back cushions on the seat frame, wherein the one or more back cushions cover a section of a front side of the back frame after the one or more back cushions are placed on the seat frame.
10. The method of claim 1, further comprising placing one or more seat cushions over the top side of the seat frame, wherein the one or more seat cushions cover a section of the top side of the seat frame after the one or more seat cushions are placed over the top side of the seat frame.
11. A seat, comprising:
- a seat frame having a top side, a bottom side, a left side, a right side, and a back side;
- a left arm having a left side that is covered by fabric, wherein the left arm is positioned over the left side of the seat frame such that the fabric of the left arm wraps around the left side of the seat frame to cover the left side of the seat frame;
- a right arm having a right side that is covered by fabric, wherein the right arm is positioned over the right side of the seat frame such that the fabric of the right arm wraps around the right side of the seat frame to cover the right side of the seat frame;
- a back frame having a back side that is covered by fabric, wherein the back frame is positioned over the back side of the seat frame such that the fabric of the back frame wraps around the back side of the seat frame to cover the back side of the seat frame; and
- one or more fasteners that attach the left arm and the right arm to the top side of the seat frame.
12. The seat of claim 11, wherein after the left arm and the right arm are attached to the seat frame, a seam line of the fabric of the left arm is aligned with a first seam line of the seat frame, and a seam line of the fabric of the right arm is aligned with a second seam line of the seat frame.
13. The seat of claim 12, wherein after the back frame is attached to the seat frame, a seam line of the fabric of the back frame is aligned with a third seam line of the back frame.
14. The seat of claim 11, further comprising one or more legs having one or more fasteners that attach the one or more legs to the seat frame.
15. The seat of claim 11, wherein each of the left arm and the right arm comprises a slot configured to receive an insert, and wherein the back frame comprises a first insert on a left side that is configured to slide into the insert of the left arm to secure the back frame to the left arm, and a second insert on a right side that is configured to slide into the insert of the right arm to secure the back frame to the right arm.
16. The seat of claim 11, wherein the back frame comprises a first slot positioned on a left side of the back frame and a second slot positioned on a right side of the back frame, wherein each slot is configured to receive an insert, wherein the left arm comprises a first insert configured to slide into the first slot of the back frame to secure the left arm to the back frame, and wherein the right arm comprises a second insert configured to slide into the second slot of the back frame to secure the back frame to the right arm.
17. The seat of claim 11, further comprising one or more back cushions that are placed on the seat frame, wherein the one or more back cushions cover a section of a front side of the back frame after the one or more back cushions are placed on the seat frame.
18. The seat of claim 11, further comprising one or more seat cushions that are placed over the top side of the seat frame, wherein the one or more seat cushions cover a section of the top side of the seat frame after the one or more seat cushions are placed over the top side of the seat frame.
19. The seat of claim 11, wherein the back frame comprises padding on a front side of the back frame.
20. The seat of claim 11, wherein the left arm comprises padding on a right side of the left arm, and wherein the right arm comprises padding on a left side of the right arm.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 28, 2019
Publication Date: Apr 29, 2021
Inventor: Todd CARTER (Ormond Beach, FL)
Application Number: 16/666,151