CN115844153A

CN115844153A - Composite structural panel and furniture including the same

Info

Publication number: CN115844153A
Application number: CN202211659134.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 冷鹭浩
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2017-08-30
Filing date: 2017-08-30
Publication date: 2023-03-28
Also published as: CN109419193A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a composite structural panel and furniture including the same, the composite structural panel comprising: a panel having a main portion located substantially in the same plane and a peripheral portion bent downward from the main portion to surround the main portion, the panel having an upper surface and a lower surface; a base plate having a plurality of substantially uniformly distributed integrally formed protrusions, the lower surface of the panel being attached to and supported on the top surfaces of the protrusions; and a reinforcing member fixedly connecting the peripheral portion of the panel and the base plate, wherein at least a part of the reinforcing member is fixedly connected to the base plate, and at least another part thereof is fixedly connected to at least a part of the lower surface of the peripheral portion of the panel. The composite structure plate can further enhance the strength of the composite structure plate while reducing the number of components, and greatly reduces the production cost.

Description

Composite structural panel and furniture including the same

The application is a divisional application of patent applications with application numbers of 201710766295.7, application dates of 2017, 8 and 30 months, and the name of composite structural plates.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a composite structural panel formed from a reinforcement and a plastics panel for use in the furniture industry and to furniture comprising the composite structural panel.

Background

Solid wood panels and curved wood panels are materials commonly used in furniture manufacturing, and may be used, for example, to form the seat and back of a table, a chair, the shelf or cabinet, the shelf, the drawer panel, etc. However, the use of these materials consumes a large amount of wood, and the application place and the service life are limited.

Nowadays, more and more furniture products use plastic boards instead of wood boards for the purpose of environmental protection and production cost reduction. The plastic plate may be made by injection molding or blow molding. Injection molded plastic panels typically have only limited strength. Although blow-molded plastic panels are compact in appearance and easy to clean, the molded blow-molded panels are relatively thick. Especially for larger furniture products, the production period of the blow-molded plate is long, and the production efficiency is low. In addition, larger blow-molded panels also require very large molds and blow-molding machines to perform the complex manufacturing process. Accordingly, the production costs of blow-molded plastic panels are relatively high. In the manufacture of furniture, directly formed sheet metal is also used. However, the machined metal plate has a single surface color and texture, and the use occasion is limited.

The inventor of the application discloses in the invention patent CN 102987726B of the Chinese patent, a desktop plate comprising a three-layer structure, which comprises a faceplate, a reinforcing plate and a reinforcing frame arranged between the faceplate and the reinforcing plate in sequence, wherein the reinforcing frame is made by bending a pipe with a square cross section, is supported in an annular cavity formed by the peripheries of the faceplate and the reinforcing plate, and is matched with the overlapping part of the faceplate, the reinforcing plate and upper and lower flanges formed on the faceplate and the reinforcing plate to realize the limiting. The composite board needs to be respectively bent at the peripheries of the panel and the reinforcing plate so as to form an annular cavity between the panel and the reinforcing plate, and then the reinforcing frame is inserted into the cavity, so that the three different components are matched with each other, the processing process is complex, the cost is high, and the combination mode of the three components needs to be further enhanced in strength.

Thus, there is a need for composite structural panels having better strength but which allow for simplified processing, reduced cost, and longer product life.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention provides a composite structural panel comprising: a panel having a main body portion located substantially in the same plane and a peripheral portion formed by bending the main body portion downward to surround the main body portion, the panel having an upper surface and a lower surface; a bottom plate having a plurality of substantially uniformly distributed integrally formed protrusions, the lower surface of the panel being attached to and supported on the top surfaces of the protrusions; and a reinforcing member fixedly connecting the peripheral portion of the panel and the base plate together, wherein at least a part of the reinforcing member is fixedly connected to the base plate, and at least another part of the reinforcing member is fixedly connected to at least a part of a lower surface of the peripheral portion of the panel. Such a structure can maximize the advantages of the plastic panel and the reinforcement, greatly enhance the strength of the plastic panel, simplify the manufacturing process, and thus significantly reduce the production cost.

Such composite structural panels for use in furniture comprise an integral plastic panel, a reinforcement member formed from at least one metal sheet, and plastic face and base panels and the reinforcement member may be joined together after forming by adhesive or other processes. The reinforcement will reliably support the peripheral portions of the plastic panel and the bottom panel, thereby providing greater strength to such composite structural panels.

Preferably, the peripheral portion of the panel extends downwardly in a direction substantially perpendicular to the main portion as an extension, the reinforcement is a hollow frame-like structure having a rectangular cross section with a top surface substantially parallel to the main portion of the panel and abutting against and fixedly secured to the lower surface of the bottom panel, the outermost vertical surface of the reinforcement abuts against and fixedly secured to the inner surface of the extension of the peripheral portion, and the lower end of the vertical surface projects outwardly to form a flange on which the free end of the extension of the panel is supported.

Preferably, the outer periphery of the bottom plate is a flat portion without a protrusion, and the flat portion is recessed in a direction toward the panel to form a recessed portion having a flat bottom surface and a width greater than a width of the reinforcing member, and a top surface of the reinforcing member is fixedly connected to a bottom surface of the recessed portion of the bottom plate.

Preferably, the outer periphery of the bottom plate is a flat portion having no projection, a top surface of the flat portion and a top surface of the projection are on the same plane, and the flat portion is sandwiched between the top surface of the reinforcement and the lower surface of the panel.

Preferably, the reinforcement is an L-shaped hollow frame structure upright in cross section, one leg of the L-shaped hollow frame structure being innermost with respect to the peripheral portion of the panel and perpendicular to the panel, the lowermost end of the outside-located stepped surface of the L-shaped hollow frame structure projecting outwardly to form a flange; the peripheral portion of the panel is bent downwardly in a direction substantially perpendicular to the main portion into a stepped extension having a shape matching the shape of the stepped surface of the L-shaped frame structure, and the free end of the extension is supported on the flange; the outer periphery of the bottom plate is a flat portion without a projection, which is sandwiched between the top surface of the reinforcement and the lower surface of the panel.

Preferably, the lower surface of the panel is adhered and supported on the top surfaces of the plurality of protrusions by thermal welding.

Preferably, the stiffener is a frame-like structure of generally back-to-back double L-shape in cross-section, the double L-shapes sharing a common vertical edge extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the main portion into abutment with the lower surface of the panel and extending against the inner surface of the peripheral portion and inboard thereof, the laterally outwardly extending base of the outboard L-shaped structure being bent upwardly around the lowermost end of the extension of the peripheral portion so as to surround the bottom side edge of the peripheral portion.

Preferably, the ends of the vertical sides of the double L-shape are bent horizontally inwards in a direction substantially parallel to the main body portion to press tightly against the edges of the bottom plate.

Preferably, the enclosed area of the perimeter portion of the panel occupies one fifth, one fourth, one third of the perimeter portion of the panel in a direction substantially perpendicular to the body portion.

Preferably, the flange surrounds the entire edge of the peripheral portion of the panel along the circumference of the panel, or intermittently surrounds the edge of the peripheral portion of the panel.

Preferably, the panel is a plastic sheet and the base plate with the uniformly distributed protrusions is an integrally formed plastic sheet.

Preferably, an adhesive is further included to bond the panel to the base plate.

Preferably, the reinforcement is made of metal or rigid plastic.

Preferably, the reinforcing member made of metal is formed by bending and pressing a thin plate-like metal material plate.

Preferably, the reinforcement is made of steel.

Preferably, the top surface of the panel has a surface texture that mimics natural wood or stone.

Preferably, a recessed catch is formed in the panel.

Preferably, the clasp is ergonomically configured.

Preferably, the stiffener is formed by stretching and crimping or bending.

Preferably, the composite structural panel is rectangular.

The invention also provides a piece of furniture comprising at least a top panel made from the composite structural panel provided in any of the embodiments.

The periphery of the composite structural plate is provided with the closed frame type reinforcing piece, so that the integral bearing capacity of the composite structural plate is greatly enhanced, the reinforcing piece of the composite structural plate is simple in structure, the manufacturing process is simplified, the assembly is convenient, and the production cost is obviously reduced. In addition, since the composite structural panel of the present invention has no distinct protruding flanges, it does not cause damage or injury to surrounding people or clothing.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a first embodiment of a two-layer composite structural panel of the present invention;

fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion a of the two-layer composite structural panel shown in fig. 1;

FIG. 3 is a second embodiment of a two-layer composite structural panel of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial view of a third embodiment of a two-layer composite structural panel of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a fourth embodiment of a two-layer composite structural panel of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of section C of the two-layer composite structural panel shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the top surface of a two-layer composite structural panel of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a cabinet assembled from the double-layer composite structural panels of the present invention; and

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of another exemplary cabinet assembled from the double-layer composite structural panels of the present invention;

figure 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a reinforcement member in a fifth embodiment of a two-layer composite structural panel of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Any description herein relating to directions such as "up/down," "left/right," "top/bottom," etc. are for convenience of description based on the orientation of the drawing itself and do not limit the invention.

In a first embodiment according to the invention, as shown in fig. 1 and 2, the composite structural panel 1 is mainly composed of three components: a panel 2 facing outwards in normal use, a base plate 3 fixedly joined to the panel by adhesive or any other means possible, and a reinforcement 4 provided at peripheral portions of the panel 2 and the base plate 3.

The panel 2 has a main body portion 2c located substantially in the same plane and a peripheral portion 2a formed by bending the main body portion 2c downward to surround the main body portion, and the panel 2 has an upper surface facing outward in normal use and a lower surface facing inward in normal use. The bottom plate 3 is formed with a plurality of protrusions or protrusion arrays 3a integrally formed substantially uniformly distributed, wherein the lower surface of the panel 2 is adhered and supported on the top surfaces of the plurality of protrusions 3a by thermal welding, and the peripheral edge of the bottom plate 3 abuts against the inner surface of the panel peripheral portion 2a in the horizontal direction. Preferably, an adhesive is coated on the top surface of the protrusion 3a so as to form a spot-like bond with the lower surface of the panel 2.

The panel 2 may be a plastics sheet or may be formed by an injection moulding process and the base plate 3 may be formed by the same moulding process as the panel, but some are integrally formed by a plastics process. Although the bottom plate 3 is shown as having truncated conical projections or projection arrays 3a formed thereon in a uniformly staggered manner, the shape, depth or arrangement of the projections 3a may be adjusted and varied according to actual needs.

The reinforcement 4 is preferably made of metal, more preferably steel, but may equally well be made of rigid plastic, provided that it achieves the purpose of providing increased strength to the composite structural panel.

Although the composite structural panel as described above is formed of three components, a composite structural panel in which such strength to be protected is significantly improved and the number of component parts is reduced is referred to as a "double-layer composite structural panel" in the present application because the reinforcing member 4 between the face sheet 2 and the bottom sheet 3 is actually interconnected with both only at the periphery of the composite structural panel.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion a in fig. 1, and specifically shows a specific structure of the reinforcing member 4 and a connection manner of the panel 2 and the bottom plate 3. The stiffener 4 in this embodiment is a frame-like structure having a rectangular or square cross-section, which may be hollow, or the stiffener 4 may be in the shape of a closed frame. The peripheral portion 2a of the panel 2 continues to extend downwardly after being bent downwardly, while the outermost vertical edge of the stiffener 4 abuts the downwardly peripheral portion 2a and projects slightly outwardly in a horizontal direction at its bottom end to form an integral flange 4a, the free end 2b of the downwardly extending portion of the panel bearing snugly against the flange 4a so that the end of said flange 4a is substantially flush with the outer surface of the extension.

More specifically, the peripheral portion 2a of the panel 2 formed by bending the main portion 2c downward extends downward as an extension in a direction substantially perpendicular to the main portion 2c of the panel 2, the top surface of the reinforcement 4 is substantially parallel to the main portion 2c of the panel 2 and abuts against the lower surface of the bottom plate 3, and the outermost vertical surface of the reinforcement 4 abuts against the inner surface of the vertical extension of the peripheral portion 2a, and projects outward at the lower end of the vertical surface to form a flange 4a, and the free end 2b of the extension of the panel 2 is supported on the flange 4 a.

Although the cross-section of the reinforcing element 4 shown in fig. 2 is rectangular or square in shape, it can be considered that it is enlarged in scale for the sake of clear visibility of the position and configuration of the reinforcing element 4. The aspect ratio of the stiffener 4 in a real product may be larger or smaller according to the actual design requirements. In addition, the cross-section of the stiffener 4 shown in fig. 2 is a closed frame-like structure, however in other embodiments the stiffener 4 may be broken at some of its edges, presenting, for example, a back-to-back "double L-shaped" structure.

The top of the reinforcement 4 in fig. 2 may be fixedly bonded to the base plate 3, for example by adhesive or the like, as described above, or may be clamped to the bottom surface of the base plate 3 by machining. . In order to more securely bring the leftmost side of the reinforcement 4 into abutment with the inner surface of the downwardly extending peripheral portion 2a of the panel 2 and hold it in place, an adhesive or the like may also be applied between the left side of the reinforcement 4 and the inner surface of the panel 2, and after being in place, fixed connection may be made by thermal welding.

Fig. 2 also shows that the outermost side of the bottom plate 3 is a flat portion without protrusions, and the portion is slightly recessed upward toward the panel 2, forming a recessed portion 3b having a flat bottom surface and a width greater than that of the reinforcement 4, so that the top end of the reinforcement 4 can be placed in the recessed portion 3b to fixedly connect the top surface of the reinforcement 4 with the lower surface of the recessed portion 3b of the bottom plate 3. Here, the fixed connection can also be achieved by applying an adhesive and subsequently thermally fusing.

Fig. 2 also shows clearly that a flange 4a is formed in the lower left region of the reinforcement 4, by means of which flange a secure positioning and support of the reinforcement 4 relative to the panel 2 can be achieved.

In particular, the reinforcing element 4 has a bottom end, i.e. the lowermost surface seen in fig. 2, which is opposite the top end of the reinforcing element 4, which is connected to the panel 2. When the assembly of the panel 2, the bottom panel 3 and the reinforcement 4 is completed, the lowermost surface of the reinforcement 4 will form the lowermost end of the double-layer composite structural panel, which may for example be a complete coherent reinforcement frame, such as a metal frame or a rigid plastic frame. It is also contemplated that the frame may be an intermittent or segmented reinforcing frame, such as a metal frame or a plastic frame.

The width of the reinforcing frame is far greater than the width of the lower edge of the panel 2, so that the strength of the composite structure plate is enhanced, and the effect of supporting the composite structure plate can be achieved. Furthermore, the thickness of the reinforcement 4 may be 0.2, 0.4 or 1.0 times the thickness of the plastic panel 2.

Fig. 3 shows a second embodiment of the composite structural panel according to the invention, which, like the first embodiment, is formed from three components, namely a panel 2 facing outwards in normal use, a base panel 3 fixedly joined to the panel 2 by any other means possible by means of an adhesive or the like, and a reinforcement 4 arranged at least partially between the panel 2 and the base panel 3.

In the second embodiment shown in fig. 3, the left and right ends of the panel 2 each have a reinforcing member 4 of a hollow frame structure of an L shape inverted in cross section, the reinforcing member 4 on the left side and the reinforcing member 4 on the right side are arranged in mirror symmetry, and one of the right-angled sides of each of the two reinforcing members 4 is parallel to the top panel 2 and abuts against the lower surface of the top panel 2, and an adhesive may be applied at the position abutting against each other, and then further firm bonding is achieved by thermal welding.

Fig. 4 shows a third embodiment according to the present invention, wherein the configuration, relative position and connection manner of each component of the double-layer composite structural panel are the same as or similar to those described in the first and second embodiments, and the main differences are as follows:

first, a recess or catch 5 is formed in the panel 2 or in the outward facing surface thereof, which recess or catch will be located on the outermost surface of the furniture assembled from the composite structural panels, for example on the door of a cabinet, to facilitate opening and closing of the door by a user, or to facilitate grasping of the composite structural panels themselves. Preferably, the shape of the gripping part 5 is designed ergonomically so as to be operated by the user, respectively, thereby enhancing the user's feeling of use.

Secondly, the shape of the stiffener 4 presents an "L" shape as shown in fig. 3, the ratio of the vertical and lateral parts of the L-shaped configuration being adjustable according to the actual requirements, for example, the vertical part may be longer or shorter than the lateral part. That is, in this embodiment, the reinforcing member 4 is of a frame-like structure having an L-shape in cross section, and the bottom end of the outermost vertical side of the L-shape projects outwardly to form a flange 4a, and the downwardly extending free end 2b of the peripheral portion 2a of the panel 2 will be stably supported on the flange 4 a.

More specifically, the reinforcing member 4 is a hollow frame-like structure 4 of an upright substantially L-shape in cross section, one vertical side of which is located on the innermost side near the projection 3a on the bottom plate 3 and perpendicular to the face plate 2, and the lowermost end of the stepped-shape surface on the outer side of which projects outwardly to form a flange 4a, and the peripheral portion 2a of the face plate 2 is bent continuously downward in a direction substantially perpendicular to the main portion 2c into a stepped extension, and the shape of which matches the shape of the stepped surface of the L-shaped frame-like structure. The free end 2b of the stepped extension of the panel 2 is stably supported on said flange 4 a.

In the third embodiment shown in fig. 4, the panel 2 is different in shape at its edge, i.e., the peripheral portion 2a, from those of the first and second embodiments. As is clear from fig. 4, the shape of the peripheral portion 2a of the panel is adapted to the shape of the stiffener 4, i.e. the peripheral portion 2a follows the L-shaped configuration of the stiffener 4 and likewise assumes an L-shaped configuration. Through the mutual matching of the shapes, the shape of the panel 2 is changed and more attractive, and the panel 2 is further fixedly combined with the reinforcing part 4, so that the overall strength of the composite structural plate is enhanced. Of course, the panel 2 may also take the configuration described in the first and second embodiments, i.e. bent only once.

Fig. 5 and 6 show a fourth embodiment of the composite structural panel according to the invention, which, similarly to the first, second and third embodiments described above, is likewise composed of three components, namely a face panel 2 facing outwards in normal use, a bottom panel 3 fixedly joined to the face panel by any other means possible by means of an adhesive or the like, and a reinforcing element 4 arranged at least partially between the face panel 2 and the bottom panel 3.

As can be seen from fig. 5, the left-side reinforcing member 4 and the right-side reinforcing member 4 may be connected to the panel 2 and the floor panel 3 by using two types of reinforcing members having different cross-sectional shapes, respectively, depending on the actual situation. Accordingly, the shape of the panel 2 can also be adapted to the configuration of the stiffener 4. Thus, the assembly in different modes can be realized according to different requirements.

The configuration, relative position and connection manner of the respective members of the double-layer composite structural panel according to the fourth embodiment, the width, thickness, and the like of the reinforcing member 4 are the same as those described in connection with the foregoing first embodiment.

One of the obvious differences between the fourth embodiment and the first embodiment is whether the panel 2 is in close abutment with the base plate 3 or is at a distance from the latter. In the first embodiment shown in fig. 2, it can be seen that above the reinforcement 4, there is a relatively large spacing between the main portion 2c of the panel 2 and the bottom panel 3, between which one or more reinforcing ribs may further be provided, extending transversely or parallel to the longitudinal direction of the reinforcement 4, to further enhance the strength of the composite structural panel. In the second to fourth embodiments, however, it can be seen that the main body portion 2c of the panel 2 is closely fitted to the outer periphery of the bottom plate 3, i.e., there is no gap between the panel, the bottom plate and the reinforcing member at the position where the bottom plate 3 is joined to the reinforcing member 4.

Furthermore, figure 10 shows a fifth embodiment according to the invention, the cross-section of the stiffener 4, as shown, exhibits a back-to-back "double L-shaped" configuration, the double L-shape sharing the same vertical edge 5, the vertical edge 5 extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the main portion 2 into abutment with the lower surface of the panel 2, and the vertical edge extending against and inside the inner surface of the peripheral portion 2a, the laterally outwardly extending base of the L-shaped configuration at the outside being bent upwards around the lowermost end of the extension of the peripheral portion 2a, thereby wrapping around the bottom side edge of the peripheral portion 2 a.

As a preferred embodiment, the ends of the vertical sides of the back-to-back double L-shaped structure in this fifth embodiment are bent horizontally inwards in a direction substantially parallel to the main portion 2c of the panel 2 to press tightly against the edge of the bottom plate 3.

The fixed connection between the two is further achieved by the laterally outwardly extending base of the outer L-shaped structure being tightly wrapped around at least a portion of the base side edge of the peripheral portion 2a of the panel 2. This may be done by any known process or with any known tool. The enclosed area vertically occupies, for example, one fifth, one fourth, one third, etc. of the peripheral portion 2a of the panel 2; in the lateral direction, i.e., along the circumferential direction of the panel 2, the entire edge of the peripheral portion 2a of the panel may be wrapped or the edge of the peripheral portion 2a of the panel may be wrapped intermittently.

In any of the above embodiments, the outwardly extending end of the flange 4a may be substantially flush with the outer surface of the extension of the circumferential portion 2 a. Preferably, the formed flange 4a will be slightly outwardly biased with respect to the extension of the circumferential portion 2a, so that the resulting composite structural panel has a more gradual outer edge, whereby scratching of the user or scratching of clothing etc. can be avoided.

Likewise, in the fifth embodiment in which the cross-section of the reinforcement 4 is of a double L-shaped configuration, the lateral edges of the outer L-shape forming the lower edge of the wrapped peripheral portion 2a are also preferably gentle or have rounded corners to avoid scratching the user or scratching clothing and the like.

Fig. 7 shows the top or outermost surface 1a of a panel 2 of a double-layer composite structural panel, which may be a flat structured surface, and is used as the top surface 1a of a cabinet such as that shown in fig. 8 and 9. The top surface 1a of the panel 2, preferably made of plastic, may be attached with a veneer imitating the texture of natural wood or stone, so that the composite structural panel has an appearance imitating a natural material. The surface of the composite structure plate can also be provided with grooves which are formed into various shapes by plastic suction, so that the composite structure plate looks more natural and beautiful. In this case, the complementary surfaces of the reinforcing members 4 may be moulded with corresponding recesses to support the plastics-filled plastics panels and/or pans, whilst increasing the strength of the composite structural panel. The reinforcing element 4 can be formed by stretching and crimping or bending.

Figures 8, 9 illustrate a cabinet assembled from composite structural panels according to any embodiment of the present application. The composite structural panel 1 may be used as a top panel, bottom panel, side panel, etc. of furniture, such as a cabinet.

In various embodiments, the plastic panel and/or the base plate may be a blister or injection molded plastic panel and the reinforcement may be a molded or stretched reinforcement.

Features described in this application with respect to one embodiment may be applied to other embodiments. The composite structural panels described above for cabinets may of course also be used for tables, shelves, backrests, shelves of bookshelves or cabinets, drawers and other furniture parts.

Thus, various embodiments have been shown and described. Various changes and substitutions may of course be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A composite structural panel, comprising:

a panel (2) having a main portion (2 c) located substantially in the same plane and a peripheral portion (2 a) formed by bending the main portion (2 c) downward around the main portion, the panel having an upper surface and a lower surface;

a bottom plate (3) having a plurality of protrusions (3 a) formed integrally, the lower surface of the panel (2) being attached to and supported on the top surfaces of the protrusions (3 a), and the peripheral edge of the bottom plate (3) being adjacent to the inner surface of the panel peripheral portion (2 a) in the horizontal direction; and

a reinforcement (4) fixedly connecting the peripheral portion (2 a) of the panel (2) and the bottom plate (3) together,

wherein the cross-sectional shape of the reinforcing member (4) is a closed frame, at least a part of the upper surface of which is fixedly connected with the bottom surface of the bottom plate (3), and at least a part of the vertical surface of the reinforcing member (4) located at the outer side is fixedly connected with at least a part of the lower surface of the panel peripheral portion (2 a),

wherein the outer periphery of the bottom plate (3) is a flat portion having no protrusion, and the portion is located between the top surface of the reinforcement (4) and the lower surface of the panel (2).

2. The composite structural panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the peripheral portion (2 a) of the panel (2) extends downwardly in extension in a direction substantially perpendicular to the main portion (2 c), the reinforcement (4) is a hollow frame-like structure rectangular in cross-section with its top face substantially parallel to the main portion (2 c) of the panel (2) and abutting and fixedly secured to the lower surface of the floor (3), the outermost vertical surface of the reinforcement (4) abutting and fixedly secured to the inner surface of the extension of the peripheral portion (2 a), and the lower end of this vertical surface slightly projecting outwardly in the horizontal direction to form an integral flange (4 a), the free end (2 b) of the extension of the panel (2) being supported on the flange (4 a) such that the end of the flange (4 a) is substantially flush with the outer surface of the extension.

3. The composite structural panel as claimed in claim 2, wherein the flat portion is recessed in a direction towards the panel (2) into a recess (3 b) having a planar bottom surface and a width greater than the width of the reinforcement (4), the top surface of the reinforcement (4) being fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the recess (3 b) of the bottom panel (3).

4. Composite structural panel according to claim 1, wherein the top surface of said flat portion is coplanar with the top surface of the protrusion and this portion is clamped between the top surface of said reinforcement (4) and the lower surface of said panel (2).

5. The composite structural panel as claimed in claim 4, wherein the reinforcement (4) is an L-shaped hollow frame structure (4) upstanding in cross-section with one leg innermost with respect to the peripheral portion of the panel (2) and perpendicular to the panel (2), the lowermost end of the outboard stepped surface of the L-shaped hollow frame structure projecting slightly outwardly in a horizontal direction to form an integral flange (4 a); the peripheral portion (2 a) of the panel (2) is bent downwardly in a direction substantially perpendicular to the main portion (2 c) into a stepped extension having a shape matching the shape of the stepped surface of the L-shaped frame structure, and the free end (2 b) of the extension is supported on the flange (4 a) such that the end of the flange (4 a) is substantially flush with the outer surface of the extension.

6. A composite structural panel according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcing member (4) is a frame-like structure of generally back-to-back double L-shape in cross-section, the double L-shapes sharing a common vertical edge which extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the main portion (2) into abutment with the lower face of the panel (2) and which extends against and inwardly of the inner face of the peripheral portion (2 a), the laterally outwardly extending base of the outwardly located L-shape being bent upwardly around the lowermost end of the extension of the peripheral portion (2 a) so as to surround the bottom side edge of the peripheral portion (2 a).

7. Composite structural panel according to claim 6, wherein the ends of the vertical sides of the double L-shape are bent horizontally inwards in a direction substantially parallel to the main portion (2 c) to press tightly against the edges of the bottom panel (3).

8. A composite structural panel according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the wrapped area of the perimeter portion (2 a) of the panel (2) occupies one fifth, one fourth, one third of the perimeter portion (2 a) of the panel in a direction substantially perpendicular to the body portion (2 c).

9. Composite structural panel according to claim 2 or 5, wherein said flange (4 a) surrounds the entire edge of the perimeter portion (2 a) of the panel (2) along its circumference, or intermittently envelops the edge of the perimeter portion (2 a) of the panel.

10. Composite structural panel according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the lower surface of the panel (2) is adhered and supported on the top surface of the protrusions (3 a) by thermal welding.

11. The composite structural panel as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said face panel is a blister or injection moulded plastic panel and said base panel with evenly distributed protrusions is an integrally formed blister plastic panel.

12. The composite structural panel as claimed in any one of claims 1-7, further comprising an adhesive bonding the face sheet (2) to the bottom sheet (3).

13. Composite structural panel according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said reinforcement (4) is made of metal or rigid plastic.

14. The composite structural panel as described in claim 13 wherein said reinforcement member made of metal is formed by bending and pressing a sheet metal material.

15. Composite structural panel according to claim 13, wherein said reinforcement (4) is made of steel.

16. The composite structural panel as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the top face (1 a) of the panel (2) has a surface texture imitating natural wood or stone.

17. Composite structural panel according to any of claims 1-7, wherein a recessed catch (5) is formed on the panel (2).

18. The composite structural panel as claimed in claim 17, wherein the configuration of the gripping tab (5) is ergonomic.

19. Composite structural panel according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said reinforcement (4) is formed by stretching and hemming or bending.

20. The composite structural panel as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the composite structural panel is rectangular.

21. A piece of furniture comprising at least a top panel made of a composite structural panel according to any one of the preceding claims 1-20.