1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a modular sofa assembly and, more particularly, to a sofa assembly having a pair of rocking-reclining chair sections removably secured to a low-profile center console section by a mounting apparatus in a side-by-side configuration.
2. Discussion
Present day sofas often incorporate one or more seating sections which function as recliners to provide a significant degree of added comfort when compared with conventional sofas which incorporate a single fixed seating arrangement. Such sofa assemblies incorporating one or more reclining seating sections enable the owner to "customize" a sofa assembly to fit his/her specific needs and lifestyle.
In this regard, U.S. Pat. No. 5,326,153 to Muffi discloses a sectional sofa arrangement that includes a glider/rocker recliner. However, certain comfort features of the rocker recliner are given up when utilized in this configuration. For example, the inboard arm rest of the rocker recliner is removed to enable the end unit chair to be assembled in the sofa assembly. Additionally, it would be advantageous to provide table top and storage areas proximate to the seating units.
With sofa assemblies as described above, it has heretofore been necessary to secure the various independent sections together via use of a permanent frame, usually constructed integrally with the various seating sections at the factory. Accordingly, the sofa assembly must be shipped as a single, relatively large structure.
While the permanent frame has proved to provide adequate structural strength to the sofa assembly, it would be desirable to provide means for securing the various sections of a modular sofa assembly together after the assembly has reached its destination. This would significantly ease the shipping and handling of such sofa assemblies as the various components thereof could be shipped and handled independently. At the destination, the ability to individually position the components of the assembly would contribute to its transportation, for example, within hallways and through doorways of rooms in a home, apartment or office. This ability would also allow a sofa assembly to be placed in rooms which previously were inaccessible for the unitary, large and cumbersome assemblies. The overall weight of these unitary assemblies would make a typical sofa difficult to handle and transport, whereas the individual components are easily handled and transported when detached from the sofa assembly.
It would further be desirable if such a frame-like mounting apparatus as described above incorporated some means of enabling the modular sections of the sofa assembly to be laterally adjusted to compensate for variations in thicknesses of fabric and padding of individual components, as well as design differences between dissimilar components. The need for allowing some adjustability in a frame-like mounting apparatus as described above is particularly acute when one or more rocker recliner chair sections are included in the modular sofa assembly. The rocker recliner sections must be able to rock and recline freely with a minimum amount of friction from adjacent modular components, and yet the clearance between the rocker recliner sections in other components must not be so great as to create unsightly gaps between adjacent sections of the sofa assembly.
An advantage of such a frame-like mounting apparatus would be the flexibility in changing the configuration of the sofa assembly as the needs of the owner change. For example, if the sofa assembly was originally purchased with three sitting sections, the center seat section could, at a later time, be replaced with a center console section, or vice versa. Accordingly, there would be no need for the owner to order an entire new sofa assembly if the owner desired to utilize the sofa in a different configuration than originally purchased.
Still additional advantages would be derived from a mounting apparatus which is secured to the individual frame components associated with each individual section. The mounting apparatus of each individual component could be used to easily and rigidly interconnect the frame members of each seating section. The mounting apparatus should be small and lightweight such that the average homeowner would easily be able to assemble the modular unit.
It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide a sofa assembly which includes a pair of rocking reclining chairs positioned on either side of a center console section.
A further object of the present invention provides an arm rest which may be fixedly or movably positioned in a use position on the inboard side of the chair.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a low-profile center console section which facilitates rocking reclining motion of a seated occupant.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a mounting apparatus for a modular sofa assembly which allows various sections of a modular sofa assembly to be removeably secured together at the factory or at the destination where the sofa assembly is to be installed.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a mounting apparatus which may be secured to various sections of a modular sofa assembly, quickly, easily and without requiring special tools.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a mounting apparatus which enables independent seating sections to be easily and conveniently shipped and handled and subsequently secured together to form a modular assembly.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a mounting apparatus which is very inexpensive to produce and which does not add appreciably to the overall complexity of the modular sofa or its assembly.