AU770864B2 - Prefabricated modular furniture - Google Patents

Description

P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: Details of Associated Provisional Application(s) No(s): RICHARD JAMES THOMAS RICHARD JAMES THOMAS

INTELLPRO

Patent Trade Mark Attorneys Level 7, Reserve Bank Building 102 Adelaide Street BRISBANE, QLD, 4000 (GPO Box 1339, BRISBANE, 4001) PREFABRICATED MODULE FURNITURE Australian Patent Application No. PQ1694 filed 16 July 1999.

The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: 2 PREFABRICATED MODULAR FURNITURE FIELD OF THE INVENTION THIS invention relates to prefabricated modular furniture and associated methods of construction of modular furniture. The methods employed in the present description may be applied to any furniture but are exemplified herein in relation to a gaming machine console and in particular but not limited to a gaming machine console for a so called "Poker Machine". It will however be appreciated that the invention may suitably be applied to shelving, display stands and the like.

10 BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION Poker machines are commonly mounted on a box-like stand herein referred to as a console. Present consoles are manufactured at the factory and shipped to site where the gaming machine is mounted on top of the console.

Machines are usually configured in an array side-by-side along a wall or side-byside and in back-to-back groupings. It is usual to fit as many machines in a given space as possible without degrading player comfort too much.

The present arrangements of consoles suffer from disadvantages arising 0 from the mode of construction which adds to overall costs. Transport costs are high and the consoles lack the flexibility often required by interior designers who may from time-to-time wish to alter the visual appearance of a gaming area and consequently change the position, arrangement or outer appearance of the consoles to provide a fresh gaming experience to return participants.

3 The same or similar problems apply in a general sense to other types of prefabricated furniture and it would be desirable to provide a system of construction that made possible simple fabrication of component parts and their on-site assembly into the desired furniture.

OUTLINE OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to alleviate to at least to some degree the above mentioned problems of the prior art.

In one broad form the invention resides in a system for production of a transportable flat pack item of furniture for assembly on site, the pack including 10 at least side panels, bridging panels and panel connection means, the panel connection means comprising tab slots in some of said panels and associated co-operating tabs in other ones of said panels, the tabs being adapted to project through said tab slots, the tabs having wedge slots positioned to be operatively ooo.

eo proud of the panels adjacent said tab slots when the tabs project through said 15 tab slots and to receive a locking wedges projecting through said wedge slots *ooe to hold said panels in operative position in said assembled furniture.

In one example, the present invention resides in a gaming console assembly comprising at least two modular consoles and a console spacer holding the consoles in predetermined spaced relation.

Preferably, each of the modular consoles and the console spacer are made from prefabricated panels able to be transported as a flat pack for on site assembly.

The console spacer is preferably a spacer selected from the following: 4 a curved configuration spacer adapted to provide a curved array of modules when multiple modules and spacers are used together; or (ii) a straight configuration spacer adapted to provide a straight array of modules when multiple modules and spacers are used together.

Each module preferably comprises a base unit to which a front and top can be secured.

In one preferred embodiment an array of modules share a common front.

The front panel being removable as a unit to simplify renovation or design S 10 changes that may be required from time-to-time without disassembly of the S.entire console array.

~BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order that the present invention can be more readily understood and be put into practical effect reference will now be made to the accompanying 15 drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment of the present invention and wherein:- Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating a typical layout for panels to be cut from a single sheet of panel board; Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of a typical module; Figure 3 is a plan view illustrating modules set out in a curved layout; Figure 4 is a plan view illustrating modules set out in a straight layout; Figure 5 illustrates a typical curved configuration spacer; Figure 6 is drawing illustrating a typical straight configuration spacer; Figure 7 illustrates a front panel of a typical base unit; Figure 8 is a runner mount for a draw insert; Figure 9 is a locking mount and front spacer; Figure 10 is typical base panel; Figure 11 is a typical back panel; Figure 12 is a typical side panel; Figure 13 is a plan view of an assembled base unit; and Figure 14 is typical top panel.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawings as illustrated in Figure 1 there is shown a layout diagram 10 comprising a sheet of panel board 11 where panels of a console base unit are outlined and have been designed to minimise wastage. The layout diagram can be prepared for any desired item of furniture. The panels in this o case include a U-shaped front panel 12, side panels 13, a back panel 14, a floor panel 15 and a top panel 16. Twenty-four wedges are provided at 17, each wedge being designated by the number 18 which refers to individual wedges, a pair of spacers and lock mountings 19 and draw runners 20. The panels include :°oooo tabs 21 and apertures 22 through which the tabs project, each tab includes a small rectangular aperture 23 enabling a wedge 18 to be pushed through the aperture 23 to retain the tabs in position in the apertures 22.

Apertures 24 are provided in the side panels 13 for the purpose of engaging spacers (not shown) the excess portions of the panel 11 illustrated in 6 Figure 1 can be used to cut out the spacers depending upon the spacers desired to be used.

Figure 2 illustrates examples of two particular spacers. In the illustrated embodiment like numerals are used to illustrate like features.

Figure 2 illustrates the use of a pie shaped connector 25 and the alternative of a parallel sided connector 26, it will be appreciated that the pie shaped connector 25 will be able to bridge a connection between adjacent modules via the tabs 26 on the connector 25 and the apertures 24 in the side panels 13 of adjacent modules and that the modules will be configured in a non- 10 straight array. On the other hand connector 26 will arrange adjacent modules in fixed space relation but set array in a straight line. It will be appreciated that oooo S"many arrangements of connectors might be used in the present invention to give rise to various shaped arrays. For example, a quadrant connector may be used so that adjacent modules have their centre lines at right angles. The quadrant connector may be made from a right angled connector, the shape of the connector being irrelevant, the position of the tabs being the relevant factor.

It will be appreciated that once the base unit of Figure 2 is assembled, the front edges 27 of each side wall in an array, connected together using the spacers 26, and the front edges 28 of locking units 19 will be aligned, these aligned edges can be used to support a removable and interchangeable front evenly along the full array of modules. The front (not shown) can include a door enabling access to a cash drawer (not shown) travelling on the runners 20 of each module. The whole front can be changed for design purposes from time-totime without any need to interfere with the console bases or the machines.

Examples of curved and straight arrays are illustrated in Figures 3 and 4.

The wedges 18 can be seen in position, it will be appreciated in Figures 3 and 4 that the lock mounting sections 19 have been omitted. Figures 5 to 12 illustrate typical actual dimensions of individual panels and again like numerals illustrate like features.

Figure 13 illustrates a base unit showing wedges both in horizontal and vertical orientation.

10 Figure 14 illustrates the top 16 which includes various apertures and fittings to accommodate gaming machines.

S°Whilst the above has been given by way of illustrative example of the present invention many variations and modifications thereto will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the broad ambit and scope of the invention as set out in the appended claims.

:°°ooo *oo

Claims (14)

1. A system for production of a transportable flat pack item of furniture for assembly on site, the pack including at least side panels, bridging panels and panel connection means, the panel connection means comprising tab slots in some of said panels and associated co-operating tabs in other ones of said panels, the tabs being adapted to project through said tab slots, the tabs having wedge slots positioned to be operatively proud of the panels adjacent said tab slots when the tabs project through said tab slots and to receive a locking wedges projecting through said wedge slots to hold said panels in operative S 10 position in said assembled furniture.

2. A system according to claim 1 comprising a gaming console assembly including at least two modular consoles and a console spacer holding the consoles in predetermined spaced relation.

3. A system according to claim 1 comprising a gaming console assembly *e including at least two modular consoles and a console spacer holding the consoles in predetermined spaced relation, each of the modular consoles and the console spacer being made from prefabricated panels able to be transported oo: as a flat pack for on site assembly.

4. A system according to claim 1 comprising a gaming console assembly including at least two modular consoles and a console spacer holding the consoles in predetermined spaced relation, the console spacer comprising a curved configuration spacer adapted to provide a curved array of modules when multiple modules and spacers are used together. 9 A system according to claim 1 comprising a gaming console assembly including at least two modular consoles and a console spacer holding the consoles in predetermined spaced relation, the console spacer comprising a straight configuration spacer adapted to provide a straight array of modules when multiple modules and spacers are used together.

6. A system according to claim 1 comprising a gaming console assembly including at least two modular consoles and a console spacer holding the consoles in predetermined spaced relation wherein each module comprises a 9%oo free standing base unit to which an interchangeable front can be secured. oo

7. A system according to claim 1 wherein.the panels and wedges are cut **°from the same sheet of material using a layout diagram to minimise waste.

8. A system according to claim 1 wherein the panels and wedges are cut from the same material.

9. A system according to claim 1 wherein the furniture has opposed side panels, a first bridging panel extending between the side panels, a second bridging panel extending between the side panels and a back panel, the side panels having tab slots and the bridging panels have tabs fitted into the tab slots in the side panels, the back panel having tab slots and tabs, tabs of at least one of said bridging panels being fitted into the tab slots of the back panel and the tabs of the back panel being fitted into slots in said side panels. A system according to claim 1 wherein the furniture has opposed side panels, a first bridging panel extending between the side panels, a second inverted U-shaped bridging panel extending between the side panels opposite a back panel, the side panels having tab slots and the bridging panels have tabs fitted into the tab slots in the side panels, the back panel having tab slots and tabs, tabs of at least one of said bridging panels being fitted into the tab slots of the back panel and the tabs of the back panel being fitted into slots in said side panels.

11. A system according to claim 1 comprising a gaming console assembly including at least two modular consoles and a console spacer holding the consoles in predetermined spaced relation, the consoles having adjacent side panels, the adjacent panels having spaced tab slots corresponding to tabs projecting from the console spacer and retained in said spaced tab slots by :**respective locking wedges.

12. A system according to claim 1 further including spaced draw runners, each draw runner having spaced tabs fitted into slots in a shelving panel and retained by locking wedges.

13. A system according to claim 1 including draw runners, a front panel and a back panel and wherein all the panels, draw runners and wedges are cut from the same sheet of material using a layout diagram to minimise waste.

14. A system for production of a transportable flat pack item of furniture for assembly on site substantially as described.

15. A system for production of a transportable flat pack gaming console for assembly on site substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

16. A gaming console substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this 17th day of July 2000 RICHARD JAMES THOMAS By his Patent Attorneys INTELLPRO