U.S. patent application number 11/143144 was filed with the patent office on 2006-12-21 for furniture connector.
This patent application is currently assigned to Pride Outdoor Products Group, Inc.. Invention is credited to Steven M. Lowsky.
Application Number | 20060284469 11/143144 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37572691 |
Filed Date | 2006-12-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060284469 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lowsky; Steven M. |
December 21, 2006 |
Furniture connector
Abstract
A system for assembling furniture includes a first attachment
member having a plurality of spaced apart protrusions. A second
attachment member has a plurality of spaced apart depressions. The
first attachment member is adapted to mate with the second
attachment member with the protrusions positioned in the
depressions. Engagement structure is provided for securing the
first attachment member to the second attachment member. The first
attachment member is provided on a first furniture piece and the
second attachment member is provided on a second furniture piece.
The first attachment member is mated with the second attachment
member to properly position the first furniture piece relative to
the second furniture piece. The engagement member engages the first
attachment member to the second attachment member to secure the
first furniture piece to the second furniture piece. A method for
securing a first furniture piece to a second furniture piece is
also disclosed.
Inventors: |
Lowsky; Steven M.;
(Hollywood, FL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
AKERMAN SENTERFITT
P.O. BOX 3188
WEST PALM BEACH
FL
33402-3188
US
|
Assignee: |
Pride Outdoor Products Group,
Inc.
Ft. Lauderdale
FL
|
Family ID: |
37572691 |
Appl. No.: |
11/143144 |
Filed: |
June 2, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
297/440.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F16B 12/10 20130101;
A47B 13/003 20130101; F16B 12/52 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
297/440.1 |
International
Class: |
A47C 7/00 20060101
A47C007/00 |
Claims
1. A system for assembling furniture comprising: a first attachment
member having a plurality of spaced apart protrusions; a second
attachment member having a plurality of depressions; the first
attachment member being adapted to mate with the second attachment
member with the protrusions positioned in the depressions;
engagement structure for securing the first attachment member to
the second attachment member; the first attachment member being
provided on a first furniture piece and said second attachment
member being provided on a second furniture piece and said first
attachment member being mated with said second attachment member to
properly position said first furniture piece relative to said
second furniture piece, said engagement structure engaging said
first attachment member to said second attachment member to secure
said first furniture piece to said second furniture piece.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein said protrusions are elongated
and said depressions comprise elongated grooves.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein said protrusions and said grooves
comprise substantially an X shape.
4. The system of claim 3, wherein said engagement structure
comprises a bolt, said attachment members having apertures to
receive said bolt.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first attachment member has a
length and a width, the length being greater than the width.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the second attachment member has
a length and a width, the length being greater than the height.
7. A system for assembling furniture comprising: a first attachment
member having a mating surface with a plurality of elongated
protrusions, said protrusions comprising elongated bearing surfaces
and having a long axis, the long axis of all of the protrusions
intersecting at an intersection; a second attachment member having
a mating surface with a plurality of elongated grooves, said
grooves having a long axis, the long axis of the grooves
intersecting at an intersection; the first attachment member being
adapted to mate with the second attachment member with the
protrusions positioned in the grooves, and said mating surfaces in
contact; engagement structure for securing the first attachment
member to the second attachment member; the first attachment member
being provided on a first furniture piece and said second
attachment member being provided on a second furniture piece and
said first attachment member being mated with said second
attachment member to properly position said first furniture piece
relative to said second furniture piece, said engagement member
engaging said first attachment member to said second attachment
member to secure said first furniture piece to said second
furniture piece.
8. Furniture, comprising: a first furniture piece having a first
attachment member comprising a mating surface with a plurality of
spaced apart protrusions; a second furniture piece having a second
attachment member comprising a mating surface with a plurality of
spaced apart depressions; the first attachment member being adapted
to mate with the second attachment member with the protrusions
positioned in the depressions; engagement structure for securing
the first attachment member to the second attachment member; the
first attachment member on said first furniture piece being mated
with said second attachment member on said second furniture piece
to properly position said first furniture piece relative to said
second furniture piece, said engagement structure engaging said
first attachment member to said second attachment member to secure
said first furniture piece to said second furniture piece.
9. The furniture of claim 8, wherein said protrusions are elongated
and said depressions comprise elongated grooves.
10. The furniture of claim 9, wherein said protrusions and said
grooves comprise substantially an X shape.
11. The furniture of claim 10, wherein said engagement structure
comprises a bolt, said attachment members having apertures to
receive said bolt.
12. The furniture of claim 8, wherein the first attachment member
has a length and a width, the length being greater than the
width.
13. The furniture of claim 8, wherein the second attachment member
has a length and a width, the length being greater than the
height.
14. A method for assembling furniture, comprising the steps of:
providing a first furniture piece having a first attachment member
comprising a mating surface with a plurality of spaced apart
protrusions; providing a second furniture piece having a second
attachment member comprising a mating surface with a plurality of
spaced apart depressions; mating the first attachment member with
the second attachment member with the protrusions positioned in the
depressions, and said mating surfaces in contact; securing the
first attachment member to the second attachment member with
engagement structure.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Not applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not applicable.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0003] This invention relates generally to furniture and, more
particularly, to furniture connectors.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] Large furniture items, such as tables, typically must be
shipped in an unassembled configuration in order to reduce shipping
volume and thereby costs. The assembly is typically performed by
retailers and customers, and a sheet of instructions is provided to
assist the customer in assembling the merchandise. The assembly
frequently requires securing the legs to the table top and securing
a support to the legs. Screws and bolts are most often used for
this purpose. Particularly with light weight metal furniture, such
as lawn and patio furniture, the incorrect assembly by the customer
can result in an undesirable product. The customer sometimes
over-tightens screws or nuts and strips the threads. The metal can
be bent from over-tightening. Alternatively, a customer can
under-tighten and the resulting connection is not secure. In any
case, the result is often an unstable construction in which pieces
do not securely engage one another.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] A system for assembling furniture components to each other
includes a first attachment member having a mating surface with a
plurality of spaced apart protrusions. A second attachment member
has a mating surface with a plurality of depressions. The first
attachment member is adapted to mate with the second attachment
member with the protrusions positioned in the depressions and the
mating surfaces in contact. Engagement structure is provided for
securing the first attachment member to the second attachment
member. The first attachment member is provided on a first
furniture piece and the second attachment member is provided on a
second furniture piece. The first attachment member is mated with
the second attachment member to properly position the first
furniture piece relative to the second furniture piece and to
insure correct positioning and correct accurate assembly. The
engagement member engages the first attachment member to the second
attachment member to secure the first furniture piece to the second
furniture piece.
[0006] The protrusions can comprise elongated bearing surfaces and
have a long axis. The long axis of all the protrusions intersect at
an intersection. The depressions can comprise a plurality of
elongated grooves. The grooves have a long axis. The long axis of
the grooves intersects at an intersection. The elongated
protrusions mate with the elongated grooves to align and secure the
joint together. The protrusions and grooves can be substantially in
an X shape, and mated to properly align the furniture pieces.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] There is shown in the drawings embodiments which are
presently preferred, it being understood, however, that the
invention can be embodied in other forms without departing from the
spirit or essential attributes thereof.
[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first attachment member
and a second attachment member according to the invention.
[0009] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the first
attachment member mated to the second attachment member.
[0010] FIG. 3 is a cross-section taken along line 3-3 of FIG.
2.
[0011] FIG. 4 is a cross-section taken along line 4-4 in FIG.
2.
[0012] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a first attachment member
and a second attachment member according to an alternative
embodiment.
[0013] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the first
attachment member mated to the second attachment member.
[0014] FIG. 7 is a cross-section taken along line 7-7 in FIG.
6.
[0015] FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a table with
attachment members according to the invention.
[0016] FIG. 9 is a cross-section taken along line 9-9 in FIG.
8.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0017] There is shown in FIGS. 1-4 a first attachment member 10 and
a second attachment member 14 according to the invention. First
attachment member 10 has a mating surface 18 with elongated
protrusions 22. The elongated protrusions 22 have a long axis which
intersects at an intersection 30. The second attachment member 14
has a mating surface 34 and a number of elongated grooves 38. The
elongated grooves 38 have a long axis that intersects at an
intersection 42. Protrusions 22 have elongated bearing surfaces 46
which cooperate with bearing surfaces 50 of grooves 38. Any number
of cooperating protrusions 22 and grooves 38 are possible. The
elongated protrusions 22 and grooves 38 can have a substantially X
shape, although other shapes and configurations are possible.
[0018] In one arrangement as shown in FIGS. 1-2, the first
attachment member 10 has a length and a width. The first attachment
member 10 also has a height corresponding to the distance that the
protrusions 22 extend. As illustrated, the length of the first
attachment member 10 is greater than the width of the first
attachment member 10. Similarly, the second attachment member 14
has length and a width, and also a height corresponding to the
distance that the mating surface 34 extends. The length of the
second attachment member 14 is greater than the width of the second
attachment member 14. Having components with a length greater than
a width can help ensure that the components are assembled correctly
as the protrusions 22 will not align with the grooves 38 unless
both components are orientated appropriately. If one component is
pre-attached to a piece of furniture, the chances of improper
assembly are reduced or eliminated. Additionally, in other
arrangements, the length can also be less than the width.
[0019] As shown in FIGS. 2-4, the first attachment member 10 and
second attachment member 14 can be mated by positioning the
protrusions 22 in grooves 38. The cooperating aspect of the
protrusions 22 and grooves 38 causes appropriate alignment of the
respective pieces to which they are attached. Also, the protrusions
22 and grooves 38 can fit tightly at the periphery, as shown in
FIG. 3, and more loosely at the juncture of the intersection 30 of
the first attachment member 10 with the intersection 42 of the
second attachment member 14. Furniture pieces that are assembled
together are frequently rotated clockwise or counterclockwise
during the assembly process. The invention limits this rotation by
providing engagement against further rotation between the pieces
when they are in the proper position. Alternative constructions,
such as dowel and hole or tongue and groove, can be provided within
the scope of the invention. Although the attachment members are
shown as separate pieces, such could be formed integrally with the
respective furniture piece.
[0020] The first attachment member 10 is secured to the second
attachment member 14 by engagement structure. The engagement
structure can be any suitable structure for securing the first
attachment member 10 to the second attachment member 14. In one
embodiment, the securing member is a fastener such as a bolt 50.
The bolt 50 can be threaded into a suitable aperture 54 in the
first attachment member 10 and an aperture 60 in the second
attachment member 14 which align to receive the bolt 50. Other
attachment structure, such as adhesives, are possible. Still
further, the protrusions and grooves can be dimensioned such that
the pieces snap-fit together without any need for a fastener.
[0021] There is shown in FIGS. 5-7 and 9 an alternative embodiment
in which a first attachment member 70 is provided with elongated
protrusions 74. A second attachment member 80 is provided with
elongated grooves 84. The protrusions 74 mate with the grooves 84
to secure the first attachment member 70 to the second attachment
member 80. An aperture 90 can be provided in the first attachment
member 70 and aperture 94 can be provided in the second attachment
member 80 to receive a suitable engagement member such as a bolt
92.
[0022] There is shown in FIG. 8 a table 100 according to the
invention. The table comprises legs 104 and a table top 108. First
attachment members 10 are provided on a bottom surface 112 of the
table top 108. It should be noted that the attachment members 10
can be pre-attached to the table top 108, such that attachment by
the user is not necessary. Second attachment members 14 are
provided on an upper portion 116 of legs 104. The protrusions 22
are positioned in the grooves 38 such that the legs 104 are
properly positioned and aligned with respect to each other and the
table top 108. Engagement structure such as screws or bolts 50 are
then utilized to secure the first attachment members 10 to the
second attachment members 14. In an arrangement where the first
attachment members 10 have a length that is greater than the width,
or the second attachment members 14 have a length that is greater
than the width, improper assembly is reduced or eliminated because
a user will be prevented from attaching the legs 104 in an improper
orientation.
[0023] In some table designs, a leg support 120 is provided. The
first attachment member 70 can be provided on the legs 104 and the
second attachment member 80 can be provided on the leg support
structure 120. Engagement structure such as bolt 92 can be provided
to secure the leg support structure 120 to the second engagement
member 80 and the first engagement member 70, and thereby to engage
the leg support structure 120 to the legs 104 in a properly aligned
position.
[0024] The first attachment member and second attachment member can
have any suitable dimension. In general, larger pieces of furniture
may require attachment members having larger dimensions. The size
of the attachment members for attaching legs to a table top, or
wherever greater forces are encountered, may generally be larger
than attachment members used to attach leg support structure or
where lesser forces are encountered. In one embodiment, attachment
members for attaching legs to a table top can have dimensions that
generally correspond to the dimensions of the legs so that portions
of the attachment members do not protrude laterally beyond the
legs. Similarly, attachment members for attaching leg support
structure to table legs can have dimensions that generally
correspond to the dimensions of the leg support structure so that
portions of the attachment members do not protrude laterally beyond
the leg support structure. Other dimensions are possible.
[0025] Alternate configurations of the attachment members are
possible. Spaced apart protrusions are provided on one attachment
member, and spaced apart depressions are provided on the other
attachment member. The protrusions and depressions are aligned and
mated to join the furniture pieces at the proper position,
arrangement and orientation. Engagement structure then secures the
attachment members, and thereby the furniture pieces, together. The
protrusions can have any suitable size and shape. The protrusions,
for example, can be knobs, rods, plates, polygons, and the like.
The depressions can also have any suitable size and shape, so long
as they are capable of suitably mating with the protrusions. The
depressions can, for example, be apertures or grooves.
[0026] During assembly, the protrusions and depressions align and
mate to ensure that the furniture pieces are joined together at the
proper position, arrangement and orientation and can prevent
improper assembly. Also, in the aligned and configuration when
joined, the protrusions and depressions of the furniture pieces
prevent rotation of the pieces relative to each other during
assembly, such as when a screw or bolt is rotated until
appropriately secure, or when in use under the load from the side
of the table. Thus, the protrusions and depressions not only ensure
proper assembly, they also add to the overall stability of the
table.
[0027] The invention is useful for many different kinds of
furniture, including tables, chairs, sofas, end tables, bar stools,
coffee tables, occasional tables, and many other kinds of
furniture. The K invention may also have utility for other items
which must be shipped in an unassembled state and then
assembled.
[0028] The first attachment structure and second attachment
structure can be manufactured from any suitable materials. The
materials are preferably rigid, durable, and rust resistant.
Aluminum, stainless steel, alloys, and plastics are possible.
[0029] This invention can be embodied in other forms without
departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and,
accordingly, reference should be had to the following claims rather
than the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the
invention.
* * * * *