U.S. patent number 3,685,465 [Application Number 05/147,533] was granted by the patent office on 1972-08-22 for modular furniture structures.
Invention is credited to Carlo Haumer.
United States Patent |
3,685,465 |
Haumer |
August 22, 1972 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
MODULAR FURNITURE STRUCTURES
Abstract
Modular furniture is disclosed which is made up by linking
together a series of hollow, internally ribbed panel elements,
which are adapted to function as walls and partitions and shelves,
through elongated, rectangular joint members which are interposed
between the adjacent edges of each pair of panel members; each
joint member being provided with a set of fingers and fins
projecting from each of its faces that borders on edge of a panel
member so that such fingers and fins project, respectively, into
sockets and slots formed by the internal ribbing and walls of that
panel member and hold it in position. Each finger is preferably
formed with two elastic prongs whose facing sides slope toward each
other so that they can be spread apart by a wedge member associated
with the socket in the panel which that finger enters, to force
those prongs against the walls of that socket.
Inventors: |
Haumer; Carlo (Mompiano
(Brescia), IT) |
Family
ID: |
26328585 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/147,533 |
Filed: |
May 27, 1971 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
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May 29, 1970 [IT] |
|
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25268 A/70 |
Jul 21, 1970 [IT] |
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27676 A/70 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
108/60; 403/173;
403/297; 312/111; 403/295 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F16B
12/46 (20130101); A47B 47/042 (20130101); A47B
47/0041 (20130101); F16B 12/24 (20130101); Y10T
403/555 (20150115); Y10T 403/344 (20150115); Y10T
403/557 (20150115) |
Current International
Class: |
A47B
47/04 (20060101); A47B 47/00 (20060101); F16B
12/00 (20060101); F16B 12/46 (20060101); F16B
12/24 (20060101); A47b 047/04 () |
Field of
Search: |
;108/111,60,114,59,64,101 ;312/257,111,140.3,263,108 ;287/54C,54A
;211/177,148 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Zugel; Francis K.
Claims
I claim:
1. Modular furniture structure comprising elements moulded in
plastic slotted in to each other, including flat sections 1 linked
together by means of joints 2, each of the flat sections being
hollow and having two series of three internal ribs 3, each series
forming two sockets or slots 4 and two intermediate internal ribs 5
which in their turn form two sockets or slots 6 and two grooves or
notches running lengthwise on the upper and lower surfaces of the
section itself located towards the rear side.
2. Modular furniture structure conforming with claim 1 in which
each of the joints is made up of square-shaped bar 10 on each side
of which are located two pairs of elastic vanes 11 extending
normally to the axis of the bar and sections of vanes running
lengthwise and parallel to each other 12 projecting sideways and
forming the relative ends 13 of the slots where the intermediate
ribs 5 of the flat section are housed.
3. Modular furniture structure conforming to claim 2 in which the
joint element presents a notch or groove 14 running around the
entire perimeter of the element, located towards the end of the
bar, and which corresponds to the groove which is to be found on
the flat section.
4. Modular furniture structure conforming to claim 2 in which the
elastic vanes 11 of the joint element 2 are elastically coordinated
to the slots 4 of the flat section while the parallel vanes running
lengthwise 12 are in their turn matched to the slots or sockets 6
formed by the internal intermediate ribs of the said flat section.
Description
The object being examined consists of a piece of furniture such as
for example, shelves, a bookcase, a small table, etc., which can be
assembled using sections moulded in suitable plastic material,
these sections being slotted into each other. There are two main
sections, one of which is flat and can be used to form the vertical
walls and partitions as well as the horizontal surfaces of the
structure. The second element consists of a joint which locks the
flat sections together where these meet. One of the main features
of the invention in question is that the flat sections have a
series of slots or sockets. Into these slots are fitted the pairs
of vanes which are to be found on the joint section in line with
the axis of the same and extending in the direction of the flat
section (walls, partitions, or shelves) in such a way as to link
one section to the next.
Another feature of the invention is that the joint element may have
pairs of vanes on two, three or all four sides according to whether
two, three or four flat sections are to be locked together.
Yet another feature of this invention are the grooves which are to
be found on both the flat section and the joint element and which
serve to house and fix the panel which is designed to form the rear
wall of the resulting piece of furniture. These grooves are
coordinated and aligned with each other.
With reference to the drawings enclosed which are merely to give an
idea and are not limitative in which:
FIG. 1 shows in perspective an example of the interlocking of
several sections;
FIG. 2 shows an example of the piece of furniture obtained;
FIG. 3 shows a joint element in perspective;
FIG. 4 shows a cross-section of FIG. 1 obtained with a normal plane
at the intersection of the flat sections;
FIG. 5 shows a joint element and also a detail of the assembling of
two shelves in partial section; and
FIG. 6 shows a transverse section of the flat section which is used
to form the walls, shelves and partitions of the piece of
furniture.
The structure being examined is made up of flat sections 1 which
are coordinated with each other to form the vertical walls and
partitions as well as the horizontal surfaces of the structure plus
a number of joint elements 2 which serve to link together the flat
sections at the corners where they meet. Each of these flat
sections, which are moulded in plastic so as to be preferably
hollow, has the following features: two sets of three internal
longitudinal ribs which form two slots or sockets in the headpiece
of the flat sections 3 and 4; two intermediate internal ribs also
running lengthwise 5 and which in their turn form slots or sockets
6; and two grooves 7 which are to be found on the upper and lower
surfaces of the flat sections 8 and 9 located towards the rear part
of the section.
Each of the joint elements has the following features: each joint
consists of a square-shaped bar 10 also moulded in suitable plastic
material; on each side of this bar are located two pairs of elastic
vanes which run lengthwise to the body of the bar, perpendicular to
its axis; there are also sections of parallel vanes running
lengthwise along the body of the bar, projecting sideways in relief
12 and which form 13. At at least one end of the bar there is a
notch or groove which runs around the whole perimeter of the bar
14.
When assembling these sections so as to construct a piece of
furniture as, for example, shelves, a bookcase, a small table or
the like, the flat sections are placed in an ordered manner so as
to form the walls, partitions and shelves and, at the corners where
these meet, the joint elements are used to link them together 2.
They are assembled in such a way that the pairs of vanes are
embedded in the slots of the section to be linked 4, these being
formed by the series of internal ribs 3, while the sections of the
vanes running along the sides of the joint element are fixed into
the slots 6 formed by the internal intermediate ribs 5.
The scaling of the various coordinated parts is such that a rigid,
stable unit is obtained which is then completed with a panel (not
shown) which forms the rear wall of the piece of furniture. This
panel is inserted and fixed in the grooves or notch 7, 14 of the
flat section 1 and the joint elements 2.
This invention may also be used to construct in another manner
which represents an improvement on the one mentioned above. This
concerns a modular piece of furniture which can be assembled using
sections which can be used to constitute the vertical walls and
horizontal surfaces of the structure and joint elements which have
pairs of elastic vanes on each side, these being then embedded in
suitable sockets or slots located in the headpiece of the flat
sections to be linked together.
To go into more detail, a particular type of joint is involved in
the construction of this type of modular furniture. The joint
conforming to the present invention is also made up of an element,
e.g. square-shaped; on each side and/or headpiece of this element
is located, or fixed, a pin which is perpendicular to the axis of
the element itself and which is split lengthwise so that two
elastic vanes are formed. The facing sides of these vanes slope
towards each other. The pin itself is coordinated with a core or
pin which is fitted in the hole in the headpiece of the section
which is to be linked. The core or pin inside this hole engages in
the split in the pin of the joint element in such a way as to force
apart the elastic vanes of the pin, thus making these vanes adhere
forcibly to the internal surfaces of the hole in the flat section
to be linked and in this way to other elements of the
structure.
The aim of the invention being examined is to achieve an improved
joint of the type given above and performing the same functions,
also moulded preferably in plastic so as to be hollow, and which
can be used easily to link together elements generally to construct
modular furniture such as, for example, bookcases, shelves,
etc.
With reference to the drawings enclosed in which:
FIG. 7 shows in perspective the linking together of several
sections;
FIGS. 8 and 9 show in perspective two types of joint;
FIGS. 10 and 11 show a cross-section of the linking together of
joint and section to be linked; and
FIG. 12 shows in cross-section the linking of a joint to a tubular
element.
The joint being examined consists of a body 16; on at least one
side of this and/or on at least one of its headpieces is located or
fixed a pin 17 which is perpendicular to the relative headpiece.
The aforementioned pin 17 is split lengthwise 18 of a suitable
length and this split forms two elastic vanes 19 whose internal
facing surfaces slope towards each other 20.
As mentioned above, the joint is moulded in plastic material
preferably and should be hollow and is used to link together
various sections in order to construct modular furniture. With this
in mind, each of the joint elements, which may also be moulded in
plastic material, has at least one hole or slot 22 which extends
lengthwise inside the section and which may be square or round.
This hole or slot corresponds to the pins of the joint elements.
Inside the hole is located or fixed, depending on the case, a core
or pin 23 which is lodged in the split in the pin of the joint
element 18, thus engaging the two elastic vanes of the aforesaid
pin 19.
In order to assemble the elements in such a way as to construct a
piece of furniture, the pins of the joint element are housed in the
holes of the sections to be linked so that the relative core or pin
23 (see FIG. 9) engaging the sloping surfaces of the pins of the
joint elements forces apart these elastic vanes which thus adhere
forcibly to the internal surfaces of the hole so as to ensure a
secure linking and perfect interlocking of the joint and the
element. In order to increase the adherence of the pins of the
joint element to the internal surfaces of the relative hole or
slot, the lateral surfaces of the pins may be suitably knurled.
FIG. 9 represents a joint with only one pin, this being
particularly suitable for the linking together in line of elements
used to construct, for example, coatstands, parts of stairs,
stools, etc., forming the uprights or beams of these
structures.
FIG. 12 shows the way in which the joint described and a tubular
element are linked together, the tubular element 21 being provided
with a pin 23 which engages the elastic vanes of the pin of the
joint element 19 and 17 as described above. In this case, the
tubular element may also be made of metal.
* * * * *