U.S. patent number 3,912,210 [Application Number 05/289,454] was granted by the patent office on 1975-10-14 for composable support structure for tables and the like.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Kartell S.p.A.. Invention is credited to Olaf von Bohr.
United States Patent |
3,912,210 |
von Bohr |
October 14, 1975 |
Composable support structure for tables and the like
Abstract
A support structure for tables and likewise, comprising a
support frame for the table top provided with support legs at the
angles, in which the said structure has a tubular section, and
comprises four parts of structure distinguished, composable
thereamong. Each part of structure showing two arms arranged
perpendicularly therebetween, and being formed by a first and a
second half-shell which can be coupled one to the other along the
longitudinal edges. Each single part of the said structure
connecting to the parts of structure contiguous by means of a tenon
joint.
Inventors: |
von Bohr; Olaf (Milan,
IT) |
Assignee: |
Kartell S.p.A. (Milan,
IT)
|
Family
ID: |
11223983 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/289,454 |
Filed: |
September 15, 1972 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
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Sep 15, 1971 [IT] |
|
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28668/71 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
248/188.1;
108/156; 108/159 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B
13/06 (20130101); A47B 1/08 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47B
1/00 (20060101); A47B 13/00 (20060101); A47B
1/08 (20060101); A47B 13/06 (20060101); F16M
011/20 () |
Field of
Search: |
;108/156 ;312/108,111
;248/188,188.1 ;297/440 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Frazier; Roy D.
Assistant Examiner: Marquette; Darrell
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Fleit & Jacobson
Claims
What I claim is:
1. An assemblable table structure comprising a support frame for a
working surface having four corners with legs at each of said four
corners, said structure having four parts adapted to be connected
together to define said support frame and said legs, said four
parts each comprising three mutually perpendicular arms, the first
and second of said arms lying in a first plane and forming a
portion of said support frame, said first arm being longer than
said second arm, the third of said arms lying in a second plane
perpendicular to said first plane and forming one of said legs, the
third arm of each of said four parts being of the same length, each
of said arms of said four parts comprising a tubular shell formed
by external and internal half-shells, and a tenon joint for
connecting the first arm of each one of said four parts to the
second arm of another one of said four parts.
2. The structure of claim 1 in which each half-shell is formed from
a single piece of molded plastic.
3. The structure of claim 1 in which the arms of each half-shell
form a C-shaped structure.
4. The structure of claim 1 in which said external and internal
half-shells are joined together by tongue and groove joints.
5. The structure of claim 4 in which said tongue and groove joints
comprise two parallel and spaced groove flanges along the
longitudinal edge of at least one of said arms of said external
half-shell and a corresponding tongue flange formed along the
longitudinal edge of at least one of said arms of said internal
half-shell.
6. The structure of claim 5 in which each half-shell has two
parallel and spaced groove flanges along one longitudinal edge of
each arm and a corresponding tongue flange along the other
longitudinal edge of each arm.
7. The structure of claim 1 in which said legs are L-shaped in
transverse cross section.
8. The structure of claim 1 in which said tenon joint comprises a
tenon part, said tenon part having a notch at one end adapted to be
engaged by a corresponding internal projection in one of said first
and second arms connected together by said tenon part, said tenon
part also having an opening at its other end and a corresponding
traverse piece received in said opening.
9. The structure of claim 8 in which said traverse piece has a
threaded hole through which a set screw can be inserted for
connecting said four parts together.
10. The structure of claim 1 in which said tenon joint comprises at
least two tenon parts.
11. The structure of claim 1 in which a plurality of internally and
longitudinally separated projections are provided in one of said
arms of each of said four parts of said structure.
12. An assemblable table structure comprising a support frame for a
working surface having four corners with legs at each of said four
corners, said structure having four parts adapted to be connected
together to define said support frame and said legs, said four
parts each comprising three mutually perpendicular arms, the first
and second of said arms lying in a first plane and forming a
portion of said support frame, said first arm being longer than
said second arm, the third of said arms lying in a second plane
perpendicular to said first plane and forming one of said legs, the
third arm of each of said four parts being of the same length, each
of said arms of said four parts comprising a tubular shell, and
means for connecting the first arm of each one of said four parts
to the second arm of another one of said four parts.
Description
This invention relates to a composable support structure in
general, and to a support structure for tables, trolleys, and other
supports for furniture particularly; hereunder, for the objects of
this invention and for facility in speaking, reference to a table
is always made; however, this invention is not restricted to
it.
A first object of this invention is to provide a structure for
table, of the composable type, in a manner that each single parts
disassembled may be arranged and packaged for storaging and for
shipping, capable of minimize the overall dimensions, and therefore
a major saving in space.
A further object of this invention is to provide a support
structure according to the type above specified, wherein tables
with different dimensions and forms depending on the requirement,
may be composed.
A support structure for tables and the like, according to this
invention comprises a support quadrangular frame for a resting top,
said frame being equipped at its angles with support legs, and is
characterized by the fact that it has a tubular section comprising
four distinguished parts, composable one to the other, each single
part of structure showing three arms arranged according to the
edges of a trihedron, two arms of which horizontal and suitable to
form part of the support frame for the said top, and a vertical arm
suitable to form a support leg; each part of the structure being
moreover formed by two half-shells which therebetween cab couple
along their edges each single part of the structure and finally
connecting to the parts of contiguous structures by means of a
foxtail wedging.
The composable support structure object of this present invention
will now be illustrated hereunder in detail, with reference to the
accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a partially exploded perspective view showing the
composable structure according to the invention;
FIG. 2 is a cross-section essentially according to the line 2--2 of
FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a cross-section essentially according to the line 3--3 of
FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a cross-section essentially according to the line 4--4 of
FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is a cross-section according to the line 5--5 of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a longitudinal cross-section showing a leg, essentially
according to the line 6--6 of FIG. 3;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the foxtail wedging;
FIG. 8 is a perspective and partial view showing the internal
shell;
FIG. 9 is a partial perspective view showing the internal side of
the external half-shell;
FIG. 10 shows an alternative of the foxtail wedging for the parts
comprising the table structure.
Referring now to the above figures, and to the FIG. 1 in
particular, a support structure for tables and the like, according
to this invention, comprises essentially four parts of structure
composable thereamong and indicated, respectively, by the numerals
1 to 4 in FIG. 1, which parts define a substantially quadrangular
frame for a support top of the table and four support vertical
legs, arranged at the angles of the said frame.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, each part of the structure is equipped
with three arms, indicated respectively by the numerals 5, 6 and 7,
perpendicular thereamong, that is arranged with the edges of a
trihedron angle, and the arms 5, 6 of which are arranged
horizontally in order to form a part of the support frame of the
table top, while the third arm 7 forms one of the support legs.
As clearly shown in FIG. 1, the two horizontal arms 5, 6 have
different extensions, that is, the arm 6 is extended for the
largest part of the length, respectively of the width of the table,
while the second horizontal arm 5 projects for a very reduced
portion, and such that when added to the length of the longer arm 6
of the contiguous part of structure, will define the width,
respectively the length of the structure of the said table. In this
manner, the overall dimensions of packaging can be minimized for,
by arranging the four parts of the table structure with their legs
7 and their longer arm 6 according a same plane, the packaging will
have a thickness substantially equal to the length of the said
shortest arms 5.
Each single part of the structure, as clearly shown in the drawings
herewith enclosed, has a tubular section for permitting the
connection of the parts by means of groove-and-tongue joints which
comprise, as shown in the execution illustrated in FIG. 1, a
separated tenon 8 suitable to be inserted and secured into the arms
5, 6 opposite of two parts of contiguous structure.
FIG. 3 shows each leg equipped with a tubular section substantially
L-shaped, while as shown also in the upper part of FIG. 2, each
horizontal arm 5, 6 has a substantially rectangular section with
overlapped a tubular, longitudinal edge 9 with a width less than
and slightly extending inwardly, in a manner as to form a ledge or
support seat 10 reserved for a support top of the table (not
shown).
Referring now to FIGS. 2 through 9, a more detailed description of
the execution of each single part of structure 1, 2, 3 and 4 above
stated, will be given. Being the parts of the same configuration, a
single description is given.
The table structure is tubular and made in moulded plastics.
Accordingly, as per this invention, each part of structure 1, 2, 3
and 4 has been executed in a manner of two half-shells, external
and internal respectively, which can be coupled thereamong by
jointing along their longitudinal edges.
As shown in the figures, both the external and the internal shell
11 and 12, respectively, partially shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, and
pertaining to each part of structure, have the arms 5 and 6,
respectively, with a transversal section C-shaped with the side
flanges of the said sections of each part of the arm overlapping
and engaging mutually, in order to define a substantially tubular
section of rectangular form. Precisely, the external half-shell 11,
as shown in FIG. 5 and in FIG. 9, shows along the lower edge of its
horizontal arms 5 and 6, and along the edges of the relevant leg 7,
a pair of flanges 13, 14, parallel and separated, one more extended
than the other, and which define a seat whereinto the corresponding
lower flange 15 of a horizontal arm will engage, along with the
corresponding side flanges 15' of the leg of an internal half-shell
12; likewise, along the upper arm of the internal half-shell dual
tongues 16, 17 will result with the purpose of defining a seat
whereinto the corresponding upper flange 18 of an external
half-shell will engage, as clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the
drawings attached herewith.
Moreover, the external half-shell shows, along the upper edge of
its horizontal arms, a C-shaped part 19 inwardly directioned of the
table, and cooperating with a vertical tongue 20 obtained at the
upper portion along the horizontal arms of the internal shell 12,
with the purpose of forming the said tubular edge 9, and defining
the support seat 10 of the table top, as detailed above with
reference to FIG. 1.
As shown in FIG. 6, with the purpose of preventing that the
half-shells can slide one respect the other in the course of the
assembling, and also when the table is assembled, a fact which will
impair both the stability and the aspect of the table, along the
two flanges 15, 15' of the internal half-shell 11, some recesses
have been executed and which will engage with some corresponding
extensions 21 obtained into the relevant seat on the other
half-shell, which are homogeneously and longitudinally separated
thereamong -- in this specific case -- wherein the connection of
the parts of the structure of the tables is obtained by means of
groove-and-tongue joint comprising a tenon 25, shown in FIGS. 7, 2,
and 4, which tenon is inserted into the opposite arms 5 and 6 of
two parts of structure which are contiguous. The said tenon 25
shows close to one of its ends, two lateral recesses 26, one of
which will engage with a projection 30, with similar form (FIG. 4),
formed on a side flange of one of the two half-shells 11, 12. The
tenon 25 shows, at its other end, two opposite lateral openings 27
(a single one is shown in FIG. 7), into which a small piece 28
(FIG. 4) provided with a threaded hole is inserted, and whereto a
screw 29 is threaded, the latter serving for securing the said
tenon 25 to the external half-shell of the other part of structure
of the table which is contiguous to the previous one. In this
manner tension rods are provided, serving for stiffening the table
when assembled. Naturally, during the assembling, the different
half-shells can be glued thereamong along the contacting
flanges.
The said tenon 25, as stated above, shows some notches, one of
which will engage with the projection 30 similarly executed on the
longer horizontal arm 6 of each part of structure, while at the
same time the said tenon 25 is secured by means of a screw into the
contiguous part of structure; thus, when required, the table can
easily be disassembled for transport purpose and reassembled.
Moreover, this means for securing will permit the execution of
tables having different dimensions.
Actually, it will be sufficient to provide a plurality of
projections 30 longitudinally each horizontal arm 6 of each part of
structure, as for example shown in FIG. 2, thus the said arms can
be shortened all of the same quantity or of different quantity, for
obtaining support structures which are smaller or with different
configuration, for instance, square or rectangular shaped.
In this manner, by means of a single set of moulds prepared for a
structure of larger module, structure of minor module and differing
compared the original one, can be executed.
An alternative to the system for connecting by tenon as previously
illustrated is shown in FIG. 8, wherein the tenon 25' has been
formed into two shells, each solidal with the relevant half-shell.
It is clear that in this manner, the dimensions of a table cannot
be changed.
With reference to the above illustration and to the accompanying
drawings, it is clear that a structure of a table or other similar
support structures have been provided, of a new execution which
will permit an ease and rapid assembling and disassembling of the
parts by which it is executed, and moreover to minimize the overall
dimensions of the table disassembled, thus reducing the transport
expenses and the storaging room.
Of course various changes or modifications may be made to the above
illustrated embodiment, for example, the two half-shells can be
divided therebetween according to longitudinal planes, without
departing from the scope of the invention, as defined in the
appended claims.
* * * * *