Patent Application
20240239584
The present disclosure relates to packaging for a furniture assembly, and more particularly, to a packaging device for a console of a furniture assembly.
This section provides background information related to the present disclosure and is not necessarily prior art.
A furniture assembly (e.g., a chair, sofa, loveseat, etc.) may include a console. For example, the console could be a center console of a sofa or an armrest console of a chair. The console could include one or more storage compartments, one or more cupholders, one or more electrical outlets, and/or one/or more motion-control interfaces (e.g., switches, buttons, knobs, etc.), for example.
The present disclosure provides a packaging device that is configured to retain and protect a portion of the furniture assembly, such as the console. The present disclosure also provides a method of making the packaging device and a method of installing the packaging device onto the furniture assembly.
This section provides a general summary of the disclosure and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.
The present disclosure provides a packaging device for a furniture assembly. The packaging device may include a body, a first leg, and a second leg. The body may be configured to at least partially cover a portion of the furniture assembly. The first and second leg may extend from the body. Each of the first and second legs may include a retention feature configured to engage the furniture assembly. The retention features may be movable between a first position in which the retention features allow the first and second legs to be inserted into respective first and second spaces between components of the furniture assembly and a second position in which the retention features restrict removal of the first and second legs from the respective first and second spaces the furniture assembly.
In some configurations of the packaging device of the above paragraph, the first and second legs extend from opposing ends of the body. A first end of the first leg may be attached to the body. A first end of the second leg may be attached to the body. The retention features may be disposed at second ends of the first and second legs, respectively.
In some configurations of the packaging device of either of the above paragraphs, the first and second legs are spaced apart from each other when the packaging device is installed on the furniture assembly.
In some configurations of the packaging device of any one or more of the above paragraphs, the body, the first leg, and the second leg are formed from a sheet of material.
In some configurations of the packaging device of any one or more of the above paragraphs, the retention features are formed from the sheet of material.
In some configurations of the packaging device of any one or more of the above paragraphs, the body, the first and second legs, and the retention features are integrally formed as a single piece.
In some configurations of the packaging device of any one or more of the above paragraphs, each of the retention features includes a first flap and a second flap attached to the first flap.
In some configurations of the packaging device of any one or more of the above paragraphs, the first flaps are movable relative to the first and second legs.
In some configurations of the packaging device of any one or more of the above paragraphs, the second flaps are movable relative to the first flaps and the first and second legs.
In some configurations of the packaging device of any one or more of the above paragraphs, the first position is a compressed position in which the first and second flaps of each retention feature are at a first angle relative to each other.
In some configurations of the packaging device of any one or more of the above paragraphs, the second position is an uncompressed position in which the first and second flaps of each retention feature are at a second angle relative to each other. The first and second angles are different from each other.
In some configurations of the packaging device of any one or more of the above paragraphs, the sheet of material is cardboard.
In some configurations of the packaging device of any one or more of the above paragraphs, the body and the first and second legs are configured to allow the first leg to be inserted between a first seat portion of the furniture assembly and a console assembly of the furniture assembly and to allow the second leg to be inserted between a second seat portion of the furniture assembly and the console assembly. The console assembly may be disposed between the first and second seat portions.
In some configurations of the packaging device of any one or more of the above paragraphs, the body is configured to span across and at least partially cover the console assembly.
In some configurations of the packaging device of any one or more of the above paragraphs, at least one of the components of the furniture assembly is a support beam of a base frame of the furniture assembly, and at least one of the retention features engages the support beam in the second position to restrict removal of the packaging device from the furniture assembly.
In some configurations of the packaging device of any one or more of the above paragraphs, at least one of the components of the furniture assembly is an adjustment assembly of the furniture assembly, and at least one of the retention features engages the adjustment assembly in the second position to restrict removal of the packaging device from the furniture assembly.
The present disclosure also provides a method that may include providing a sheet of material; forming a body, a first leg, and a second leg by making a pair of folds in the sheet of material; making a first cut in the first leg and a second cut in the second leg; folding the sheet of material at the first and second cuts to form a resiliently compressible first retention feature on the first leg and a resiliently compressible second retention feature on the second leg; and inserting the first and second legs into respective first and second spaces in a furniture assembly. The first and second retention features may be movable between a first position in which the first and second retention features allow the first and second legs to be inserted into the respective first and second spaces and a second position in which the first and second retention features restrict removal of the first and second legs from the respective first and second spaces.
In some configurations of the method of the above paragraph, the first and second legs extend from opposing ends of the body.
In some configurations of the method of either of the above paragraphs, a first end of the first leg is attached to the body.
In some configurations of the method of any one or more of the above paragraphs, a first end of the second leg is attached to the body.
In some configurations of the method of any one or more of the above paragraphs, the retention features are disposed at second ends of the first and second legs, respectively.
In some configurations of the method of any one or more of the above paragraphs, the first and second legs are spaced apart from each other while the first and second legs are received in the furniture assembly.
In some configurations of the method of any one or more of the above paragraphs, the sheet of material is cardboard.
In some configurations of the method of any one or more of the above paragraphs, each of the first and second retention features includes a first flap and a second flap attached to the first flap.
In some configurations of the method of any one or more of the above paragraphs, the first flaps are movable relative to the first and second legs.
In some configurations of the method of any one or more of the above paragraphs, the second flaps are movable relative to the first flaps and the first and second legs.
In some configurations of the method of any one or more of the above paragraphs, the first position is a compressed position in which the first and second flaps of each retention feature are at a first angle relative to each other.
In some configurations of the method of any one or more of the above paragraphs, the second position is an uncompressed position in which the first and second flaps of each retention feature are at a second angle relative to each other.
In some configurations of the method of any one or more of the above paragraphs, the first and second angles are different from each other.
In some configurations of the method of any one or more of the above paragraphs, inserting the first leg into the first space includes inserting the first leg and the first retention feature between a first seat portion of the furniture assembly and a console assembly of the furniture assembly.
In some configurations of the method of any one or more of the above paragraphs, inserting the second leg into the second space includes inserting the second leg and the second retention feature between a second seat portion of the furniture assembly and the console assembly.
In some configurations of the method of any one or more of the above paragraphs, the console assembly is disposed between the first and second seat portions.
In some configurations of the method of any one or more of the above paragraphs, the body spans across and at least partially covers the console assembly.
In some configurations of the method of any one or more of the above paragraphs, at least one of the first and second retention features engages a support beam of the furniture assembly when in the second position to restrict removal of the first and second legs from the furniture assembly.
In some configurations of the method of any one or more of the above paragraphs, at least one of the first and second retention features engages an adjustment assembly of the furniture assembly when in the second position to restrict removal of the first and second legs from the furniture assembly.
Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary 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 illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are not described in detail.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “including,” and “having,” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as a required order of performance. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.
When an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “engaged to,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engaged to,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments.
Spatially relative terms, such as “inner,” “outer,” “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.
With reference to
The console assembly 16 may be disposed between the first and second seat portions 12, 14 and may include a console base frame 26 and a movable member 28. The console base frame 26 may be attached to or a part of the base frame 11. In some configurations, the console base frame 26 may include a storage compartment, a cupholder, a locking or latching mechanism, an electrical outlet, motion control interfaces (e.g., switches, buttons, knobs, etc. for controlling motion of the furniture assembly 10) and/or a tray table, for example. The movable member 28 may be movably attached to the console base frame 26. The movable member 28 may be or include a lid for a storage compartment, a foldable tray table, a cover for electronic components, and/or a movable armrest cushion, for example. In some configurations, the movable member 28 may include a peg (or other protrusion) 30 extending therefrom.
In some configurations the furniture assembly 10 may include one or more adjustment assemblies 34 (
The packaging device 50 may be constructed from any of a variety of materials. The packaging device 50 may be made from a material suitable to retain and/or protect the furniture assembly 10 from damage during the packaging, transporting and/or shipping of the furniture assembly 10. In some configurations, the packaging device 50 may be made from a material that can be deformed (e.g., by cutting and/or folding). In some configurations, the packaging device 50 may be made from a flat sheet of material 49, as shown in
As shown in
In the configuration shown in
Each of the first and second legs 54, 56 of the packaging device 50 may include one or more resiliently compressible retention features 60. The retention features 60 may be disposed at distal ends of the respective first and second legs 54, 56 (e.g., at ends of the leg 54, 56 opposite the ends of the legs 54, 56 that are attached to the body 52). As will be described in more detail below, when the packaging device 50 is installed onto the furniture assembly 10, the retention features 60 may releasably engage components of the furniture assembly 10 to retain the packaging device 50 on the console assembly 16.
As shown in
The retention features 60 may be movable (e.g., by bending or moving about hinges 66, 68) relative to the legs 54, 56 between a compressed position (shown in
It will be appreciated that some of steps 120-170 could be performed in different orders than in the order described above and shown in
The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.
