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Snap-on leg rest mechanism for furniture member

Snap-on leg rest mechanism for furniture member description/claims

The present disclosure relates to leg rest extension mechanisms for articles of furniture including chairs, sofas, and loveseats.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.

Conventionally, reclining type articles of furniture (i.e., chairs, sofas, loveseats, and the like) require a mechanism to bias a leg rest assembly in extended and stowed positions. Known mechanisms commonly include a large number of moving parts that tend to increase the manufacturing time and costs associated with the furniture member. Linkage assemblies that provide one or more extended positions of the leg rest assembly are commonly assembled using metal brackets and fasteners to attach the linkage members to a support shaft provided to help extend the leg rest assembly.

Because these parts move to extend and stow the leg rest assembly, the parts require alignment relative to one another and lubrication to ensure proper operation. Moreover, the quantity of parts adds weight making the furniture member more difficult to move and transport. When the connecting parts are metal-to-metal, the moving parts also tend to generate noise as the user extends (or stows) the leg rest assembly.

According to several embodiments of a snap-on leg rest mechanism for furniture member of the present disclosure, a snap-on bushing adapted to rotatably connect a mechanism link of a furniture member to a shaft includes opposed first and second homogenously joined legs elastically displaceable with respect to each other, the legs defining a U-shape having a shaft receiving aperture therebetween. Opposed first and second wings are adapted to abut opposite sides of the mechanism link. The first wing homogenously extends from a first side of the bushing and the second wing homogenously extends from a second side of the bushing.

According to further embodiments, a snap-on leg rest mechanism for a furniture member includes a link having an elongated slot proximate an engagement end, and opposed first and second sides. A polymeric bushing is slidably received in the elongated slot. The bushing includes opposed homogenously joined first and second legs elastically displaceable with respect to each other, the legs defining a U-shape having a shaft receiving aperture therebetween. Opposed first and second wings are each adapted to abut one of the first and second sides of the link when the bushing is receiving in the elongated slot. The first wing homogenously extends from a first side of the bushing and the second wing homogenously extends from a second side of the bushing. A shaft rotatably received in the shaft receiving aperture is retained by the bushing when the bushing is received in the elongated slot of the link.

According to still further embodiments, a method for engaging a shaft of a leg rest mechanism of a furniture member to a mechanism link includes creating an elongated slot in the link. The method further includes elastically displacing opposed legs of a bushing to position the shaft between the legs, and sliding the bushing with the shaft positioned therein into the elongated slot until the opposed first and second wings of the bushing abut opposed sides of the link.

Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a furniture member having a snap-on leg rest mechanism member of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of an operating mechanism assembly shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side elevational view of the operating mechanism assembly of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional side elevational view of the furniture member operating mechanism at section 4 of FIG. 3 adapted to provide for an extensible leg rest;

FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of a portion of the mechanism at area 5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a snap-on device and shaft connected position of the snap-on device of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of the connected position of the snap-on device of FIG. 6 shown prior to installation with a modified link member;

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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