Abstract: An upholstered sofa comprises a sofa frame covered with fitted upholstery. The fitted upholstery provided by a form fit upholstery cover or covers formed of upholstery material and comprising stitched upholstery panels and pieces, the cover having upholstery edge portions with attachment means for securement of the edge portion without staples to the sofa frame. The attachment means may be a resilient polymer channel sewn to the upholstery material. The attachment means may be a plurality of elastic cords with connectors on distal ends of the cords. The elastic cords may be stretched and attached to features on the sofa frame or to features on the upholstery cover thereby keeping the upholstery cover assembly taught on the sofa frame.

Abstract: An adjustable lumbar support system for a chair having a single swing bar. An actuator is mounted between the lumbar support base and the chair frame and may be motorized. Extending the extension shaft of the actuator provides additional support to a user seated in the chair.

Abstract: A motion furniture side mechanism includes a side plate and a pivotable swing arm pre-aligned with the side plate for insertion of a driver tube using an automated or manual assembly operation. The swing arm includes a pivotable driver arm, and a driver tube socket is defined on the driver arm. One or more bushings disposed between the side plate and the swing arm or driver arm provides a mechanical retainer to prevent the swing arm or driver arm from becoming inadvertently angularly misaligned prior to assembly. The pre-aligned side mechanism allows automated insertion of a driver tube without the need to identify a misaligned linkage or re-align a linkage prior to driver tube insertion. A method of assembly furniture includes providing a side mechanism with a pre-aligned linkage member such as a swing arm or driver arm positioned for driver tube insertion.

Abstract: A frame for motion furniture includes a first side frame and a second side frame. A first plurality of connecting flanges extends from the first side frame toward the second side frame, and a second plurality of connecting flanges extends from the second side frame toward the first side frame. A plurality of cross support members span between the first and second side frames in a horizontal direction, each of the cross support members positioned against a corresponding connection flange of the first plurality of connection flanges and against a corresponding connection flange of the second plurality of connection flanges. A plurality of fasteners connects corresponding cross support members to corresponding connection flanges. Each fastener has a longitudinal axis that is oriented in a direction that is transverse to the horizontal direction. A method of assembling furniture having the disclosed cross support connection structure is provided.

Abstract: An upholstered piece of furniture including a frame having a front frame member, an opposing back rest, and two arms at opposite ends of front frame member and backrest, wherein at least one of the front frame member and opposing back rest includes a wood component, and wherein the arms are made of molded plastic and at least one of the arms is coupled to the wood component. The upholstered piece of furniture includes covering material, wherein at least a portion of the at least one of the arms is covered by the covering material.

Abstract: A upholstered sofa covered by a form fitting upholstery sack where the upholstery sack incorporates a supportive material panel that has integrated support webbing into the material panel. The support webbing comprising a plurality of webbing straps. With the upholstery sack properly positioned on the back rest portion, the supportive material panel is positioned on the front of the back rest portion frame. The material panel with webbing is incorporated as a component of the upholstery sack where the upholstery sack is pre-formed to snugly fit over the back rest portion of a furniture frame. The back rest portion or the frame is inserted into the sack and the material panel with integrated webbing is attached to the frame. Once the material panel is positioned and fastened, the remaining components, for example, the back panels and side panels, of the upholstery sack are attached to the frame at the back rest portion.

Abstract: Furniture, such as a bed, dresser, cabinetry has a display system affixing a stack of interchangeable decorative panels to the furniture. The display system has an overlaying panelar frame that captures the stack of panels and has at least one elongated fastener securing the overlaying panelar frame on to a surface of the furniture item. The stack of interchangeable panels are each visually different such as having different colors and/or patterns and can be sandwiched between the overlaying panelar frame and the mounting surface in a pocket to immovably maintain the interchangeable panels against the furniture component. The stack of interchangeable panels can be rearranged such that a different panel is placed on top of the stack or the outermost position and thereby be visible through the opening in the overlaying panelar frame.

Abstract: An upholstered component, such as panels, assembled onto a furniture frame or a chair mechanism by way of a connection system provides a robust connection and economical manufacturing process. The connection includes a T-nut and a spacer attached on opposite sides of a wood form to be upholstered. The threaded barrel of the T-nut inserted in a hole through the wood form and with T-nut prongs embedding into a surface of the side of the wood form that will be facing outwardly on the furniture. The spacer is inserted into the hole at the opposite side of the wood form and is retained therein by an interference fit. The wood form is upholstered and is then attached to the furniture frame or mechanism with a bolt connecting to the furniture frame or mechanism and then extending through the spacer, into the hole and into the threaded barrel of the T-nut.

Abstract: A textile deck assembly, method of fabricating, and method of installing onto a seat frame assembly. The textile deck assembly includes a platform portion and a plurality of straps coupled to a rearward edge of the platform portion. The materials of the textile deck assembly are matched so that the plurality of straps undergoes most or all of the elongation under load (e.g., when a person sits thereon), while the platform portion, even though it is flexible and compliant, is stretch resistant and undergoes little or no stretching under load. A battery of durability tests were performed on the textile deck assembly, including deflection testing, fatigue testing, and drop testing, and compared with conventional seat decks that utilize sinuous springs. The durability of the textile deck assembly to was found to outperform conventional seat decks.

Abstract: A metal seat stretcher that is configured for easy mounting to the seat box, and furniture items including the same. The disclosed stretcher may be mounted in such a way so as not be directly mounted to the forward or rearward rails, thus preserving the strength and integrity of the rails by not subjecting them to perforation from a multitude of staples. Instead, the front end of the metal seat stretcher mounts to a clip rail that is secured to the inside of the front rail, and back end of the stretcher is secured to a seat back upright. In some embodiments, securing of the disclosed seat stretcher is done with a single screw at the front end and a single self-tapping bolt at the back end (though more fasteners may also be utilized). This provides for rapid and easy assembly of the furniture item.

Abstract: A ready-to-assemble (“RTA”) sofa suitable for outdoor use comprising a seat base and a back rest that can be reconfigured between a use configuration in which the sofa has a conventional L-shaped cross-section and a shipping or storage configuration in which the sofa is arranged in a more efficiently stacked rectangular cross-section. The rectangular cross-section allows the sofa to be more efficiently stacked with other sofas during shipping or storage. In addition, the rectangular cross-section reduces the dead spaces created when an L-shaped sofa is inserted into a box that can collapse during shipping or storage. Moreover, providing a single rigid integral component, the seat base, as an internal skeletal component, provides vertical support extending substantially the height of the box at the opposing ends, provides a highly robust boxed package.

Abstract: An upholstered sofa comprises a sofa frame covered with fitted upholstery. The fitted upholstery provided by a form fit upholstery cover or covers formed of upholstery material and comprising stitched upholstery panels and pieces, the cover having upholstery edge portions with attachment means for securement of the edge portion without staples to the sofa frame. The attachment means may be a resilient polymer channel sewn to the upholstery material. The attachment means may be a plurality of elastic cords with connectors on distal ends of the cords. The elastic cords may be stretched and attached to features on the sofa frame or to features on the upholstery cover thereby keeping the upholstery cover assembly taught on the sofa frame.

Abstract: Motion furniture includes a frame with a side mechanism having a torsion activator that may be actuated by a user to impart a motion on a frame member or to bias a frame member in a desired position. The torsion activator includes an activator bracket and an activator arm pivotally attached to the activator bracket. A torsion spring is disposed between the activator arm and the activator bracket. The activator bracket is configured for attachment to a frame member on the side mechanism, such as a seat plate. The torsion activator includes an activator bracket having proximal and distal ends, and one or more press-fit fasteners are disposed on each of the proximal and distal ends of the activator bracket. Each press-fit fastener is configured for insertion into a corresponding hole on the frame member allowing uni-directional installation of the torsion activator using manual or automated assembly.

Abstract: A motion furniture side mechanism includes a side plate and a pivotable swing arm pre-aligned with the side plate for insertion of a driver tube using an automated or manual assembly operation. The swing arm includes a pivotable driver arm, and a driver tube socket is defined on the driver arm. One or more bushings disposed between the side plate and the swing arm or driver arm provides a mechanical retainer to prevent the swing arm or driver arm from becoming inadvertently angularly misaligned prior to assembly. The pre-aligned side mechanism allows automated insertion of a driver tube without the need to identify a misaligned linkage or re-align a linkage prior to driver tube insertion. A method of assembly furniture includes providing a side mechanism with a pre-aligned linkage member such as a swing arm or driver arm positioned for driver tube insertion.