AU632813B2 - Furniture for sitting down, of plastics material - Google Patents

Description

632813 S F Ref: 130560 FORM COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE: Class Int Class Complete Specification Lodged: SAccepted: Published: Priority: Related Art: Name and Address of Applicant: Grosfillex S.A.R.L.

Arbent 01107 Oyonnax

FRANCE

Address for Service: Spruson Ferguson, Patent Attorneys Level 33 St Martins Tower, 31 Market Street Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia Complete Specification for the invention entitled: t Furniture for Sitting Down, of Plastics Material The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us 5845/3 4r 1 1 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A piece of furniture formed of plastics material comprises two sides and at least one shell comprising a seat portion (17), the shell being supported between the sides by assembly means comprising a pair of assembly studs (15,16) or housings (17,18) on each of the sides and a corresponding pair of assembly housings (17,18) or studs (15,16) integrally formed at each lateral edge of the shell each stud (15,16) and corresponding housing (17,18) being adapted for mutual sliding penetration along axes (19,20) parallel to a direction of unmoulding of the shell and sides the axes (19,20) extending obliquely with respect to the seat portion and a screw (41) extending through each stud (15,16) to a hole (45) within the corresponding housing (17,18).

S Fig. 4 e i 4 4* a a •0 S

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1A FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to furniture for sitting upon, made of plastics material, of the type comprising two sides and at least one shell assembled.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The means for assembling and fixing such known furniture comprise journals projecting perpendicularly to the inner face of the sides and penetrating horizontally in holes in the shell which open out on the edges thereof, such fit being completed inside the shell by means of a j screw.

This mode of connection presents the drawback of not being sufficiently rigid and of becoming loose with use, so that the furniture very quickly becomes unsound.

Furthermore, it is not suitable for joining two contiguous shells when the piece of furniture is a bench. Consequently, it is necessary to S. provide longitudinal bars completing the structure, which bars render the I furniture heavy, increase the cost price thereof and are unaesthetic.

Moreover, the mould provided for making the shell is relatively complicated, being given that it must comprise mobile parts to make the 20 holes in the edges.

I In addition, assembly is inconvenient as access to the screws and manoeuvring thereof are difficult.

Finally, the shell cannot be used independently of the sides of an armless seat, without the addition of mouldings on the edges to conceal the holes.

OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION j It is the object of the present invention to overcome or 1 *substantially ameliorate the above disadvantages.

'There is disclosed herein a piece of furniture to be sat upon, i 30 formed of plastics material, comprising two sides and at least one shell comprising a seat portion, the shell being supported between the sides by assembly means comprising a pair of assembly studs or housings on each of the ides, and a corresponding pair of assembly housings or studs integrally formed at each lateral edge of the shell, each stud and corresponding housing being adapted for mutual sliding penetration along axes parallel to a direction of unmoulding of the shell and sides, the ii* S-i f^ 1- 2 axes extending obliquely with respect to the seat portion, and a screw extending through each stud to a hole within the corresponding housing.

If the direction of unmoulding of the or each shell which extends obliquely with respect to the seat element and the backrest is considered, the front and rear assembly housings of this shell advantageously present walls inclined substantially in the direction of unmoulding to allow fit in this direction of the conjugate assembly studs integral with the component to be added.

According to a first embodiment, the front and rear assembly studs are moulded on each side and project on the inner lateral face thereof.

According to a second embodiment, each assembly stud projects on a moulded part also comprising in projection, in a perpendicular direction, a positioning stud adapted to be fitted in a housing for receiving i e* 4 t *1 i It...

I t t t TMS/801 -3the component to be equipped and to be fixed therein by means of a screw, these studs being oriented with respect to one another so that, the two components to be connected being suitably disposed, the assembly stud is located opposite the corresponding assembly housing.

Whatever the embodiment chosen, two twin assembly studs are integral with each of two intermediate rear and front legs, these twin studs being adapted two contiguous shells.

I, Furthermore, in order to improve rigidity, each assembly stud is connected to its support (side, added piece or intermediate leg) by a shoulder adapted to bear against the component defining the assembly housing conjugate with this stud; each positioning stud is connected to the added part by a shoulder 0 iadapted to abut on the component defining the receiving housing conjugate with this stud; the studs have S' 20 sloping faces in order to wedge in their housings.

V pr~e- BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS !-einvention will be more readily understood on reading the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views illustrating an armchair and a bench, respectively, whose components are connected by the assembly device according to the invention.

Figure 3 is a view from underneath of the bench according to Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a vertical elevational section taken along line IV-IV of Figure 1 and showing in synoptic view the assembly of a shell on a side before fit.

Figure 5 is a section similar to Figure 4, but 3 on a larger scale, showing the fixation of the shell 1 ii i -4on the side after fit.

Figures 6 and 7 are sections taken along lines VI-VI and VII-VII respectively of Figure Figures 8 and 9 are partial perspective views illustrating, for the same direction of fit, the added pieces on the said side with a view to mounting the latter on a shell.

Figure 10 is a schematic elevational section showing the assembly of two intermediate front and rear legs, ensuring assembly of two contiguous shells.

Figure 11 is a partial elevation of a rear leg t taken in the direction of arrow F of Figure DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring now to the drawings, and firstly to Figures 1 to 3, the piece of furniture for sitting ey whether it be an armchair or bench, is an assembly of a plurality of modular components of injected r moulded plastics material. The armchair (Figure 1) comprises a shell 1 connected with two symmetrical sides 2 and 3. The bench (Figures 2 and 3) comprises two identical shells 1 joined together by an intermediate rear leg 4 and an intermediate front leg as well as with two symmetrical sides 2 and 3.

Shell 1 is monolithic and comprises frame elements 6, 7 which are lateral sections between which extend substantially horizontal laths 8 to constitute the seat element, as well as crosspieces 9 joined by upright laths '10 to form the backrest.

Sides 2 and 3 present the shape of a bow of which the branches constitute a straight front leg 11 and a concave rear leg 12 joined together, above the level of the seat element, by a rounded part 13 extended rearwardly by an armrest 14. Of course, sides 2 and 3 may take any other appropriate shape as aesthetically desired, as long as the connection means recommended hereinafter can be employed.

As shown clearly in Figures 4 to 6, the connection of each shell 1 with a side 2 or 3 is ensured by means of assembly studs 15 and 16 cooperating with assembly housings 17 and 18.

The assembly studs 15 and 16 are integral with legs 11 and 12 respectively, being spaced apart therefrom and extending upwardly in projection on their inner face. The assembly housings 17 and 18 are defined i 10 by partitionings of the corresponding frame element 6 or 7 of the shell.

i,! r As shown in the example illustrated in Figure I 4, the axes 19 and 20 of the housings 17 and 18 are advantageously parallel to direction F of demoulding of the shell, i.e. to the direction in which the !two parts of the mould are spaced apart from one another to release said shell from the impress,.

i defined by said parts. In this way, the longit. 11 t partitions 21, 22 and 23, 24 of housings 17 and 18 which are in that case substantially parallel (to V within the draft of demoulding or the slope of wedging which are mentioned hereinafter) to the direction F, demould easily.

In the example shown, the assembly studs S. 25 and 16 are U-sections whose cross-section may be inscribed in a square for the rear legs 12 and in a rectangle for the front legs 11, which cross-section corresponds substantially to that of the housings 17 and 18.

0 The longitudinal partitions 21 to 24 are therefore with flat contact parallel to axes 19, 20 and perpendicular to the plane defined thereby. A slope slightly greater than the draft of demoulding may be provided on these partitions which consequently, by cooperating with the flanges of the studs 15, 16 in conjugate

U,

-6slope, cause wedging thereof.

As the sides are relatively large, geometrically deformable moulded parts, the relative positioning of the studs 15 and 16 is not strictly the same for all the sides. Under these conditions, the partitions 21 to 24 are located so that only two of these partitions may bear against the flanges of the studs and 16 when these studs are completely fitted in the housings 17 and 13, a slight clearance in that case appearing between the other two partitions and S said studs.

The housings are also defined by antero-posterior f partitions 25 to 28 extending parallel to the plane defined by axes 19 and 20. They are sloping and spaced apart so that they all bear against studs 15 and 16.

According to a first embodiment (not shown in the drawing), the studs 15 and 16 are moulded with ttr' the sides. The mould must in that case comprise mobile S 20 parts to allow demoulding.

I According to a second embodiment illustrated lItt in Figures 4 to 9, studs 15 and 16 project on moulded parts 29 and 30 respectively. These parts also comprise in projection, in a perpendicular direction, positioning studs 31 and 32. The latter have a tubular shape Sof rectangular section complementary to that of receiving housings 33 and 34 respectively defined by the corresponding side 2 or 3. These housings are very easy to obtain, being given that the sides are demouldable perpendicularly to their lateral faces and the housings may be demoulded in the same direction, the mould half simply presenting fixed projections at the location thereof.

Studs 15 and 31 are, of course, oriented with respect to one another so that, taking into account ii i I LLII~LI~ the location of the receiving housing 33 in which the conjugate positioning stud 31 must be fitted, the assembly stud 15 is perfectly aligned with the assembly housing 17. Similarly, the studs 16 and 32 are oriented to take into account the locations of housings 34 and 18.

In order to fix parts 29 and 30 on corresponding' side 2 or 3, screws 35 and 36 pass through holes 37 and 38 made in the bottoms of the positioning studs 31 and 32 and are screwed in holes 39 and in the bottoms of housings 33 and 34 of the corresponding frame element 6 or 7 of the shell i. Consequently, parts 29 and 30 are integral with sides 2 and 3, the parts of one side being symmetrical to the parts of the other side, in the same way as the sides are symmetrical with respect to one another. In this way, these sides 2 and 3 present, in projection, suitably oriented assembly studs 15 and 16.

To assemble the piece of furniture (Figures 1 to the assembly studs 15 and 16 of each of the sides 1 and 2 are fitted in the assembly housings 17 and 18 of the corresponding frame element 6 or 7 of a shell i. Screws 41 and 42 then pass through holes 43 and 44 made in the bottoms of the assembly 25 studs 15 and 16 and are screwed in bushes 45 and 46 of the shell projecting in housings 17 and 18.

In order to improve rigidity of the connection of sides 2 and 3 with the shell 1, the assembly studs and 16 are connected o parts 29 and 30 or to said sides when the latter are moulded with these studs, by shoulders 47 and 48 (Figures 8 and 9) ensuring a wide bearing surface against frame elements 6 and 7 of the shell aind thus improving the fits.

The same means may be employed for improving the fixation of parts 29 and 30 on sides 2 and 3 and,

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cl -8to that end, the positioning studs 31 and 32 are connected to said parts 29 and 30 by shoulders 49 and 50 (Figures 8 and 9) ensuring a wide bearing surface against the sides and thus improving fits.

5 Considering now the bench illustrated in Figure 2, it is important to recall that the two shells 1 are joined together and supported by an intermediate j ,To ensure connection and as shown in Figures 10 and 11, assembly housings 17 aiid 18 of frame element "e 6 of the right-hand shell in Figure 2 and those of the frame element 7 of the left-hand shell are used I to receive two assembly studs 16 integral with a cap 51 surmounting a leg 4 and, respectively, two assembly studs 15 integral with a cap 52 surmounting leg fixing screws being positioned as before.

The means described hereinbefore ensure the rigid Connection of sides 2 and 3, possibly of intermediate legs 4 and 5, with the seat element 8 of shell 1.

The armrests 14 of these sides may also advantageously be fixed on the backrest 9, 10 of shell 1.

To that end, various means may be employed, and in particular a system incorporating studs and housings of the type mentioned above.

Claims (8)

1. A piece of furniture to be sat upon, formed of plastics material, comprising two sides and at least one shell comprising a seat portion, the shell being supported between the sides by assembly means comprising a pair of assembly studs or housings on each of the sides, and a corresponding pair of assembly housings or studs integrally formed at each lateral edge of the shell, each stud and corresponding housing being adapted for mutual sliding penetration along axes parallel to a direction of unmoulding of the shell and sides, the axes extending obliquely with j 10 respect to the seat portion, and a screw extending through each stud to a j hole within the correspnding housing.

2. The piece of furniture of claim 1 wherein each pair of assembly studs is formed integrally with a respective side. i

3. The piece of furniture of claim 1 wherein each pair of assembly studs is formed integrally with a separate part, which part has 4 extending therefrom in a direction perpendicular to said assembly stud, a positioning stud adapted to be received within a recess in a respective side.

4. The piece of furniture of any one of the preceding claims comprising two or more shells, each shell being laterally adjacent the I other, and further comprising an intermediate leg assembly having a pair I o of twin studs extending laterally therefrom and adapted to cooperate with corresponding housings formed in respective edges of each of the two shells. 25

5. The piece of furniture of any one of the preceding claims V 1 wherein each assembly stud extends from a shoulder, which shoulder is adapted to bear against a corresponding assembly housing.

6. The piece of furniture of any one of the preceding claims S t wherein each stud is of square or rectangular section. 30

7. The piece of furniture of any one of the preceding claims wherein the assembly studs have sloping faces to be wedged in a respective housing.

8. A piece of furniture substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this TWENTIETH day of MAY 1992 Grosfillex S.A.R.L. Patent Attorneys for the Applicant I L SPRUSON FERGUSON