U.S. patent number 3,790,241 [Application Number 05/273,410] was granted by the patent office on 1974-02-05 for modular furniture structure.
Invention is credited to Joseph T. Messina.
United States Patent |
3,790,241 |
Messina |
February 5, 1974 |
MODULAR FURNITURE STRUCTURE
Abstract
A modular furniture structure comprising a plurality of
furniture modules, each module having a pair of square sidewalls
connected at a point offset from their mid-section by a transverse
wall member to form a cubic envelope having an H-shaped cross
section. The furniture modules may be stacked one upon the other
with the edges of the sidewalls of one furniture module being
adapted to support the edges of the module thereabove with a
selected number of the modules being disposed at different
orientations with respect to adjacent furniture modules to define
different shelf depth and shelving configurations with at least one
horizontally disposed transverse shelf member being carried between
a pair of horizontally spaced furniture modules. The furniture
modules may be so arranged as to have their sidewalls interlocking
in a selected manner with the upper edges of the sidewalls
supporting a horizontally disposed member to form a table, desk or
the like.
Inventors: |
Messina; Joseph T. (Normantown,
WV) |
Family
ID: |
23043826 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/273,410 |
Filed: |
July 20, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
312/111;
D6/683.1; 312/198; 312/195; 297/440.14 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F16B
12/24 (20130101); A47B 87/0253 (20130101); A47B
2220/02 (20130101); A47B 2230/0037 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47B
87/02 (20060101); A47B 87/00 (20060101); F16B
12/00 (20060101); F16B 12/24 (20060101); F16b
012/00 (); A47b 077/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;312/107,108,111 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Mitchell; James C.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Andrew R. Basile et al.
Claims
1. A furniture module comprising:
first and second opposed sidewalls, said first sidewall having the
same length, width and thickness respectively as said second
sidewall, the length and width of said sidewalls being equal to
form square sidewalls;
a rectangularly shaped transverse member having opposing lengthwise
edges respectively attached to the opposing faces of said sidewalls
for maintaining said sidewalls in a spaced parallel relationship
with the lengthwise edges of said sidewalls being parallel, said
transverse member being perpendicular to both of said sidewall
faces, said transverse member lengthwise edges having a length
equal to the length of said lengthwise edges of said sidewalls and
being parallel to said lengthwise edges, said transverse member
edges being attached to their respective sidewalls along a line
offset from the mid-section of said sidewalls, the distance between
the outer faces of said opposing sidewalls being equal to the
length of said sidewalls such that said furniture module defines a
cubic envelope.
2. A furniture module defined in claim 1 wherein said sidewalls and
said
3. The furniture module defined in claim 2 wherein said integrally
formed sidewalls and transverse member are fabricated from a
polyurethane foam.
4. The furniture module defined in claim 2 wherein said integrally
formed sidewalls and transverse member are formed from a material
selected from the group consisting of polyester, polyether,
polyureas, foamed phenolic
5. A modular furniture structure comprising a plurality of
furniture modules each furniture module comprising first and second
opposed rectangularly shaped sidewalls, said first sidewall having
the same length, width and thickness as said second sidewall; a
rectangularly shaped transverse member having opposing lengthwise
edges respectively attached to the opposing faces of said sidewalls
for maintaining said sidewalls in a spaced parallel relationship
with the lengthwise edges of said sidewalls being parallel, said
transverse member being perpendicular to both of said sidewall
faces, said transverse member lengthwise edges having a length
equal to the length of said lengthwise edges of said sidewalls and
being parallel to said lengthwise edges, said transverse member
edges being attached to their respective sidewalls along a line
offset from the midsection of said sidewalls; a selected number of
said modules being stacked one upon the other with the edges of
said sidewalls of one of said modules being supported above the
edges of the module immediately therebelow, a selected number of
said modules being disposed in different orientations with respect
to adjacent modules; and at least one transverse member carried in
a horizontal plane and supported by a
6. The module furniture structure defined in claim 5 wherein a pair
of adjacent modules are supported on their sidewall edges and a
second module has one sidewall edge supported on the transverse
member of one of said modules while the other sidewall of said
second module has its sidewall edge supported on a transverse
member of the other of said pair of modules such that the
transverse member of said second module extends above the
7. The module furniture structure defined in claim 5 wherein the
sidewalls and transverse members of each of said modules are of an
integral one
8. The module furniture structure defined in claim 7 wherein
said
9. The module furniture structure defined in claim 7 wherein said
integrally formed sidewall and transverse members are formed from a
material selected from the group consisting of polyester,
polyether,
10. The module furniture structure defined in claim 5 wherein the
length and width of the sidewalls of each module are equal whereby
each module has square sidewalls and the distance between the outer
faces of the sidewalls of each module is equal to the length of a
sidewall such that
11. The furniture module structure defined in claim 5 wherein each
of said module units are releasably attached to adjacent upper and
lower modules and selectively to said horizontally disposed
transverse units.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a new modular furniture structure
having stackable furniture modules from which furniture, wall
shelves and the like may be constructed, each furniture module
being fabricated on a mass production basis from a high strength
moldable material.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, numerous module constructions have been employed for
such things as file cabinets, bookcases, stackable containers and
the like, such as the structures disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos.
3,334,942; 3,347,186; 3,549,020; 3,517,828; 3,655,065; 3,368,856;
3,506,321; 3,644,008; 3,563,624; 3,567,298; and 3,606,506. In
general, these prior art structures consist of two types of
constructions. The first generally comprise a plurality of modules
which are merely stacked one on the other and in some preselected
horizontally sequenced arrangement, all of which have several
disadvantages making them generally unsatisfactory for most
purposes and thus generally accounting for their lack of commercial
success. Their greatest disadvantage consists of the difficulty in
packaging and shipping such modules. In many situations in order to
provide easy packing and shipping, the module is disassembled to
such an extent that the same requires a considerable amount of
assembly effort on the part of the user and thus discourages their
use. If the modules are pre-assembled by the manufacturer, they are
very bulky, expensive and difficult to package and ship. A major
disadvantage of the aforementioned module units due to their design
and shape is that type of stacking arrangement that is permitted is
quite limited, and thus, the user in many instances must assemble
the furniture modules in a limited number of ways not necessarily
in accordance with the taste of the user.
The second type of module constructions are the wall rail type
which consist of a plurality of vertical wall rails that are
attached to a wall at selected horizontally spaced locations
usually conforming to the distance between the wall studs. Each
wall rail has a set of notches or other suitable means for
receiving and holding horizontally and outwardly extending shelf
brackets which are adapted to support horizontally disposed
shelves. Other wall rails have wall brackets adapted to extend into
or support by any suitable means, wall cabinets and the like in
lieu of shelves. Although this type of arrangement has become very
commercially successful, they have many disadvantages, in
particular, the underlying wall rails and the shelf brackets are
visible and owing to their comparatively large width are rather
conspicuous, and as a rule, hardly decorative. In addition, once
the rails have been attached to the wall, it is usually a
semi-permanent structure which, although it may be removed, it
leaves the wall in a rather unsightly condition requiring
subsequent repair. Further, the versatility of such wall rails is
very limited both in the design and location of the wall rails and
the shelf arrangements. The most obvious limition for such wall
rails is that the same may never be used to function as a room
divider and the ability of the user to design, arrange and
rearrange such wall rail type structures is severly limited.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention which will be described subsequently in
greater detail comprises a plurality of individual furniture
modules adapted to be arranged in a selected orientation with
respect to one another either in a vertical or horizontal plane in
conjunction with horizontal shelves for forming tables, room
dividers, wall shelves and the like.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a
module furniture structure fabricated from a plurality of furniture
modules which may be easily assembled and disassembled to form a
variety of furniture structures, for example, bookcases, tables,
desks and the like.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide such a
modular furniture structure which is extremely simple in its design
and construction, and thus, it can be simply and inexpensively
manufactured, packaged, transported and assembled.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a
modular furniture structure which can be assembled into many shapes
or forms limited only by the size of the area in which the
structure is to be located and the imagination of the user.
Other objects, advantages and applications of the present invention
will become apparent to those skilled in the art of module
furniture structures when the accompanying description of one
example of the best mode contemplated for practicing the invention
is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The description herein makes reference to the accompanying drawings
wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the
several views and in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one example of a modular furniture
structure constructed in accordance with the principles of the
present invention;
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a second example of a modular
furniture structure constructed in accordance with the principles
of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a top view of the modular furniture structure illustrated
in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a furniture module employed in the
assembly of the modular furniture structures illustrated in FIGS.
1, 2 and 3;
FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the furniture module
illustrated in FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a top elevational view of the furniture module
illustrated in FIG. 4;
FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the furniture module
illustrated in FIG. 4;
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a horizontal element used in the
construction of the modular furniture structure illustrated in FIG.
1; and
FIG. 9 is an exploded side elevational view of a modular furniture
structure in partial cross section and embodying the principles of
the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawings and, in particular, to FIG. 4 through
7 wherein there is illustrated a furniture module 10 constructed in
accordance with the principles of the present invention and
comprising as viewed in FIG. 5 left and right sidewalls 12 and 14
connected by a transverse connecting wall member 16. The sidewalls
12 and 14 have a square configuration, that is the length and width
are equal and in the preferred embodiment are a 14-inch square with
a 1-inch thickness. The transverse wall member 16 is connected to
the inner faces 18 and 20, respectively, of the left and right side
walls 12 and 14 at a point offset from the mid-section of the
sidewalls and preferably two-thirds above the lower edges of the
sidewalls as shown at 22. The transverse wall member 16, as can
best be seen in FIG. 6, has a length which is equal to the length
of the sidewalls, that is, a 14-inch length, while the width of the
transverse members, that is a distance between the opposing faces
18 and 20 of the sidewalls 12 and 14, is such that the distance
between the outer faces 24 and 26 of the module 10 is 14 inches,
whereby the envelope defined by the sidewalls is a 14-inch cube.
The four edges of each of the sidewalls 12 and 14 are provided at
each corner with bores 28, each of which is adapted to receive a
connecting pin 30 (FIG. 9) for a purpose which will be described
hereinafter. The modules 10 are preferably of an integral one-piece
construction fabricated with a moldable material such as
polyurethane foam having either a polyester or polyether base.
Other suitable materials include polyureas, formed phenolic resins
and polyester foam.
The furniture module 10 has five basic orientations which may be
employed by the user in order to assemble a modular furniture
structure such as a bookcase, room divider, table or desk as will
be described hereinafter. With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 the first
orientation is the positioning of the bottom edges 32 of the
sidewalls 12 and 14 on a horizontal surface such that the front
view of the module 10 will appear as shown in FIG. 5 creating a
dual shelf effect with the bottom shelf spacing being about twice
as deep as the upper shelf spacing. The second orientation is the
positioning of the sidewall edges 34 on a horizontal surface. That
is the module shown in FIG. 5 would be rotated 180.degree. such
that the transverse member 16 is closer to the bottom surface. The
third orientation as illustrated in FIG. 6 would be the positioning
of the edges 36 of the sidewalls 12 and 14 on the horizontal
surface such that the transverse member is disposed in a vertical
plane with the transverse member 16 being closest to the viewer.
The fourth orientation would be the positioning of the module 10 on
the edge 36 but rotated 180.degree. such that the transverse member
16 is furthest away from the viewer. The fifth orientation would be
the positioning of the module on the edges 36 with one of the
sidewalls 12 or 14 facing the viewer such as illustrated in FIG.
7.
As will be described in greater detail hereinafter with respect to
the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the various
aforementioned orientations of the module 10 provide the user with
a tremendous flexibility in designing and assembling a modular
furniture structure whether the same be a bookcase, table, desk or
room divider.
Referring momentarily to FIG. 8 wherein there is illustrated one
example of a horizontal shelf unit 40 having a width which is equal
to the width of the sidewalls 12 and 14 such that the same may be
placed upon the upper edges of the sidewalls, those edges being
whichever edges are at the upper portion of the sidewalls depending
upon the particular orientation chosen by the user. The thickness
of the shelf member 40 is approximately 1 inch, the same as the
thickness of the sidewalls 12 and 14 for the purposes of uniformity
and decorative appearance. The length of the shelf member 40 may be
of any selected length and it is envisioned that such members will
be fabricated in 1-foot, 2-foot, 3-foot, 4-foot, and 6-foot lengths
to enable the user to purchase whichever lengths are necessary in
order to design and assemble the desired modular furniture
structure such as examples to be described hereinafter. It should
also be noted that the opposite faces of the shelf member 40 are
provided with bores 42 which are placed at distances from each
other that correspond to the four bores on the edges of the
transverse member such that the pins 30 may be inserted into the
bores 28 in the upper edges of the sidewalls 12 and 14 and received
by the pin holes 42 in the transverse member 40 as shown in the
exploded view in FIG. 9.
Similarly, as also seen in FIG. 9, the pins 30 are received in the
bores disposed in the upper edges of the module 10 shown in the
lower left-hand corner of FIG. 9 while the upper ends of the pins
30 are received in the bores 28 in the next upper module which, in
turn, has its bores 28 on the upper edges thereof receiving the
pins 30 that, in turn, are received in the bores 40 of the
horizontal member all of which functions to provide a means for
interconnecting the modules 10 and the transverse members 40 to
prevent the same from moving laterally with respect to each other
and provide stability and rigidity to the entire structure
whichever shape or form the same may take. As can also be seen in
FIG. 9, small plugs 43 having a size equal to the shape and depth
of the bores 42 in the shelf member 40 are provided for insertion
within the exposed shelf bores on the upper surface thereof to fill
the same in the event they are not adapted to receive pins that
support a shelf or module thereabove whereby the upper exposed
surface of the shelf member 40 takes on a smooth finished
appearance.
Referring now to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a perspective view of
one example of a modular furniture structure in the form of a
bookcase which may be used either against a wall or as a room
divider. The structure 50 has at the bottom two modules 52 and 54
oriented such that the transverse connecting wall members 16 are
both disposed in a vertical plane with the upper edges 38 of the
modules 10 supporting a shelf member 56 with the pins 30 connecting
the shelf member 56 to the modules 52 and 54 in the manner
aforementioned. On the left-end section as viewed in FIG. 1 a
module 58 is supported on the upper left-end surface of the shelf
member 56 with the module 58 having a similar orientation as the
modules 52 and 54 therebelow. Immediately above and supported on
the upper edges 38 of the module 58 is a square shaped shelf member
60 which, in turn, supports the upper most module 62 having the
same orientation as the module 10 illustrated in FIG. 5. At the
right end of the module structure 50 a module 64 is supported by
the shelf member 56 with the module 64 being oriented such that the
transverse wall member 16 is disposed in a horizontal plane but
closer to the bottom thereof, and the edges 34 rest against the
shelf member 56. Immediately above the module 64, the sidewall
edges 32 thereof support the right end of another horizontal shelf
member 66 which extends across for support by a module 68. The
module 68 is, in turn, supported by the shelf member 56 as shown.
Both the modules 64 and 68 support the horizontal shelf member 66
and are interconnected by means of pins 30 as aforementioned. The
horizontal shelf member 66, in turn, supports three more modules,
70, 72 and 74. The adjacent modules 70 and 72 are disposed in an
orientation such that the transverse connecting members 16 are
disposed in a horizontal plane and the edges 32 rest on the
horizontal shelf member 66, that is, the transverse connecting
members 16 are furthest away therefrom. The modules 70 and 72 have
supporting thereon an upper module 76 which is disposed in the same
orientation but with the sidewalls thereof extending downwards for
support by the transverse connecting members respectively of the
modules 70 and 72 so that there is a certain interlacing of the
modules to achieve a further decorative effect. At the left end of
the horizontal shelf member 66 the module 74 is supported and
disposed in an orientation similar to the lower modules 52 and 54
with the upper edges 38 of the module 74 supporting another
horizontal shelf member 78 which, in turn, has its other end
supported by the upper edges of the module 62. It should be noted
that the insertion of the horizontal member 60 in between modules
58 and 62 maintains the upper edges of the modules 62 and 74 in the
same horizontal plane so that the horizontal shelf member 78 is
properly disposed in a horizontal plane.
FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate a second example of the present invention
in the form of a table 80 which is assembled by positioning a
plurality of modules on a horizontal support with the modules in
the embodiment illustrated all resting on their edges 36 and being
positioned in a selected interlocking geometric relationship to
provide a pleasing visual appearance when viewed through a table
top or support member 82 which is preferably glass so that the
modules, as best can be seen in FIG. 3, are visible through the top
of the table, providing, in addition to the functional aspects of
the design, an ornamentation which is highly esthetic. It should be
noted that the table shown in FIG. 3 could be provided with an
additional number of modules supporting the table top 82 with said
additional modules or any of those illustrated rotated 90.degree.
from the illustrated views to provide shelving arrangements
underneath the table top in the desired fashion.
Thus it can be seen that the present invention has provided a
module furniture structure employing modules that have great
versatility in permitting the construction of tables, bookcases,
wall dividers and the like having shelves of various heights and
depths and all of which can be accomplished in a very simple manner
by the simple orientation of the basic module in any desired place
and location.
It can also be seen that the present invention provides a modular
furniture structure which can be assembled and disassembled and
redesigned in any fashion suitable to the taste of the user and
which is simple and inexpensive in its construction and of long
life and durability.
Although only one form of the present invention which has been
disclosed, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art of
modular furniture structures, that other forms may be had all
coming within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the
appended claims.
* * * * *