Modular seating system

Abstract

A seating system includes several individual seating units that are coupled together with at least one bracket, where the bracket extends between two seating units.

1 . A bracket for a sofa, the sofa comprising a plurality of seating units, the plurality of seating units including at least one recliner seating unit and one stationary seating unit coupled thereto, the reclining unit including a motion unit configured to rest upon the ground and a seat and a back coupled thereto, and a stationary unit coupled to the reclining unit, the bracket comprising: 
 an elongate member having first and second ends, the member being configured to extend between the motion unit of the recliner seating unit and the stationary seating unit;    a first coupling disposed at the first end of the member and configured to be coupled to a first of the plurality of seating units; and    a second coupling disposed at the second end of the member and configured to be releasably coupled without fasteners to a second of the plurality of seating units that abuts the first one.    
   
   
       2 . The bracket of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of seating units includes three seating units, and further wherein the bracket is configured to couple only two of the three seating units.  
   
   
       3 . The bracket of  claim 1 , further comprising a vertically extending member disposed at the second end the vertically extending member being configured to receive and be coupled to the second one of the plurality of seating units when the second seating unit abuts the first seating unit and is slid with respect to the first seating unit in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal extent of the sofa.  
   
   
       4 . The bracket of  claim 3 , wherein the direction perpendicular is vertical.  
   
   
       5 . The bracket of  claim 1 , wherein the bracket is configured to prevent relative movement of the second unit with respect to the first unit both toward and away from the first unit in a direction parallel to the longitudinal extent of the sofa and to permit relative movement of the first unit with respect to the second unit in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal extent of the sofa.  
   
   
       6 . The bracket of  claim 1 , further comprising two vertically extending members that define a space therebetween configured to receive a frame member of the second seating unit.  
   
   
       7 . The bracket of  claim 1 , wherein the first end of the bracket is configured to the threadedly fastened to a longitudinal member of the motion unit.  
   
   
       8 . A bracket configured to couple together two adjacent units of multi-unit upholstered sofa having at least one recliner seating unit including a motion unit, the bracket comprising: 
 an elongate member having first and second ends and a length in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal extent of the sofa less than the width of two seating units;    a first coupling means disposed at the first end of the elongate member and configured to couple the elongate member to a frame of a motion unit; and    a second coupling means disposed at the second end of the elongate member and configured to couple the elongate member to a frame of a second seating unit.    
   
   
       9 . The bracket of  claim 8 , wherein the first coupling means is configured to receive threaded fasteners extending between the first coupling means and the frame of the motion unit, and wherein the second coupling means is configured to releasably engage the frame of the second seating unit.  
   
   
       10 . The bracket of  claim 9 , wherein the second coupling means is configured to prevent movement of the second seating unit with respect to the recliner seating unit in a direction parallel to the longitudinal extent of the sofa and to permit the second seating unit to be uncoupled from the first seating unit by sliding the second seating unit with respect to the first seating unit in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal extent of the sofa.  
   
   
       11 . The bracket of  claim 8 , further comprising a first vertically extending surface configured to engage the frame of the second seating unit, the first vertically extending surface being disposed perpendicular to a longitudinal extent of the sofa.  
   
   
       12 . The bracket of  claim 11 , further comprising a second vertically extending surface opposing the first vertically extending surface and configured to engage the frame of the second seating unit.  
   
   
       13 . A bracket for coupling two seating units together, the bracket comprising: 
 an elongate member having one end configured to couple to a front-to-rear member of a motion unit;    a first vertical member coupled to the elongate member and configured to engage one surface of a sidewall of an adjacent seating unit; and    a second vertical member coupled to the elongate member and configured to engage another surface of the sidewall of an adjacent seating unit.    
   
   
       14 . The bracket of  claim 13  wherein the first member and the second member define a gap therebetween that is configured to receive the sidewall.  
   
   
       15 . The bracket of  claim 13 , wherein the first member is configured to be coupled to a front-to-rear frame member of the motion unit.  
   
   
       16 . The bracket of  claim 13 , wherein the first and second vertical members extend upward from the elongate member.  
   
   
       17 . The bracket of  claim 13 , wherein the elongate member extends parallel to the ground and adjacent to the ground.  
   
   
       18 . A multi-unit sofa, comprising: 
 a first seating unit including a motion unit configured to recline;    a second seating unit; and    at least one bracket extending between and coupling the two seating units together;    wherein the bracket is configured to couple and uncouple the seating units together without additional fasteners.    
   
   
       19 . The multiunit sofa of  claim 18 , wherein the bracket is fixed to the first seating unit and releasably engages the second seating unit.  
   
   
       20 . The multiunit sofa of  claim 18 , wherein the bracket is fixed to the motion unit and releasably engages a sidewall of the second seating unit.  
   
   
       21 . The multiunit sofa of  claim 18 , wherein the second seating unit is a stationary unit having a vertically extending front-to-rear sidewall, and further wherein the motion unit includes a front-to-rear extending frame member configured to rest upon the ground.  
   
   
       22 . The multiunit sofa of  claim 18 , wherein the bracket extends between two motion units, and does not extend to a third motion unit.  
   
   
       23 . The multiunit sofa of  claim 18 , wherein the first seating unit has an unfinished side, the second seating unit has an unfinished side, and the bracket holds the two unfinished sides in an abutting relationship.  
   
   
       24 . The multiunit sofa of  claim 18 , wherein the bracket couples a side member of the motion unit to a side member of the second seating unit.  
   
   
       25 . The multiunit sofa of  claim 18 , wherein the first seating unit has first and second laterally opposing sides, with an integral armrest disposed at the first side, and the bracket extending from the second side.  
   
   
       26 . A multiunit sofa, comprising: 
 a first seating unit;    a second seating unit;    at least a first bracket extending between and coupling the first and second seating units and not coupling the third seating unit;    a third seating unit; and    at least a second bracket extending between and coupling the second and third seating units and not coupling the first seating unit.    
   
   
       27 . The multiunit sofa of  claim 26 , wherein the first seating unit and the third seating unit are motion units.  
   
   
       28 . The multiunit sofa of  claim 27 , wherein the second seating unit is a stationary seating unit.  
   
   
       29 . The multiunit sofa of  claim 28 , wherein the second seating unit is disposed between the first and third seating units.  
   
   
       30 . The multiunit sofa of  claim 26 , wherein the first bracket holds two unfinished sides of the first and second seating units together.  
   
   
       31 . The multiunit sofa of  claim 30 , wherein the second bracket holds two unfinished sides of the second and third seating units together.  
   
   
       32 . The multiunit sofa of  claim 26 , wherein the first bracket is coupled to a front-to-rear extending member of a motion unit of the first seating unit at one end and is configured to engage a first sidewall of the second seating unit.  
   
   
       33 . The multiunit sofa of  claim 32 , wherein the second bracket is coupled to a front-to-rear extending member of a motion unit of the second seating unit at one end and is configured to engage a second sidewall of the second seating unit.  
   
   
       34 . The multiunit sofa of  claim 26 , wherein each of the first bracket and the second bracket define an open-ended slot extending generally in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal extent of the sofa, wherein the slot supports a member of an adjacent seating unit.  
   
   
       35 . The multiunit sofa of  claim 26 , wherein the first and second seating units have a first pair of mutually abutting sides and wherein the second and third seating units have a second pair of mutually abutting sides, wherein the first and second seating units are uncoupled by sliding the first pair of abutting sides with respect to each other, and wherein the second and third seating units are in coupled by sliding the second pair of abutting sides with respect to each other.  
   
   
       36 . The multiunit sofa of  claim 26 , wherein the first, the second, and the third seating units have removable backs.  
   
   
       37 . The multiunit sofa of  claim 26 , wherein the first, the second, and the third seating units are configured to be separately packaged for shipment.