EP0084386B1

EP0084386B1 - A furniture system

Info

Publication number: EP0084386B1
Application number: EP83200004A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Mathieu Jacobus Gerardus Gielen; Jacobus Hendrik Achterberg
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-01-07
Filing date: 1983-01-05
Publication date: 1986-07-23
Also published as: ATE20815T1; EP0084386A1; DE3364552D1; NL8200032A

Abstract

The invention relates to a chest of drawers or a similar cupboard comprising a top plate (12) and two vertical partitions (1, 2) supporting the table top whereby the partitions are releasably connected with the top plate and are designed so that after release of the top plate and after a turn through 90 DEG they can be used as head partitions for a bed.

Description

The invention relates to a furniture system in accordance with the pre-characterizing part of claim 1.
From NL-A-7107932 is known such a furniture system using as a base element a square frame provided with holes so that various square frames can be connected to each other.
Said system is intended to give a child the possibility to make various children's furniture by using said square frames in combination with further elements. So in fact all types of furniture which can be made by the elements disclosed in said reference will be used only during a relatively short period of the lifetime of the child.
Contrary thereto it is an object of the present invention to obtain a furniture system by which can be made various pieces of furniture which can be used in successive periods of the lifetime of a child.
The furniture system of the present invention is accordingly characterized by the features in the characterizing part of claim 1.
Such a chest of drawers or, cupboard having the top plate at working level can be employed in the washing and/or dressing of babies and for the storing of children's wear or the like. As the end structures are each formed by a single piece there will be obtained a solid structure of said chest or drawers or the like. Such a piece of furniture is, however required only for a particular period of time and is often less appropriate for other uses.
However in using the system according to the invention the end structures can be used as head and foot ends of a bed after releasing said end structures from the top plate without altering in shape by sawing or the like, whereby also a solid construction of the bed will be obtained in view of the fact that also the head and foot ends each will be formed by only one end structure.
It is noted that from US-A-2.677.832 there is known a bed from which the sizes can be adapted in accordance with the length of the user of the bed. However the bed has a rather complicated structure and is made from many loose parts which can be easily lost.
The invention will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying Figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a cupboard embodying the invention suitable for use as a baby's chest of drawers.
Figure 2 is a front view in the direction of the arrow II in Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of a bed built up by using parts of the cupboard shown in Figures 1 and 2.
Figure 4 is an elevational view in the direction of the arrow IV in Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a side elevation of the top plate of the cupboard shown in Figures 1 and 2 in conjunction with supporting beams for fastening the top plate to the wall.
Figure 6 is an elevational view in the direction of the arrow VI in Figure 5.

The baby's chest shown in Figures 1 and 2 comprises two vertical end structures 1 and 2, which are formed in the embodiment shown by three vertical boards 3, which are interconnected near the lower and upper ends by horizontal boards 4 and 5 respectively. From Figure 1 it will furthermore be apparent that in this embodiment the front end of the upper board 4 is rounded off downwardly and the front end of the lower board 5 is rounded off upwardly. Of course, other forms of the side partitions are conceivable.
Near their lower ends the end structures 1 and 2 are interconnected with the aid of two relatively parallel rails 6 and 7, which are connected with the end structures 1 and 2, for example with the aid of wooden plugs and/or screws, so as to be readily releasable.
To the top ends of the end structures 1 and 2 are also releasably fastened supporting beams 8 and 9 respectively, for example by means of wooden plugs and/or screws. The rear ends of the supporting beams are interconnected by a tie beam 10 extending between the end structures 1 and 2. With the aid of a hinge 11 a table top or top plate 12 is pivoted to said tie beam 10 so that the top plate 12 can be tilted up out of the position shown in Figures 1 and 2, which the top plate bears on the beams 8 and 9.
In the embodiment shown separate storing cases 13 and 14 are arranged between end structures 1 and 2. These storing cases are supported by the rails 6 and 7.
The piece of furniture described above and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 is particularly suitable for use as a baby's tallboy, whilst it permits laying of the baby on the top plate 12 when it is being attended to. Since the person taking care of the baby is usually standing upright, the table top 12 has to be at the height of at least 80 to 90 cms so that the end structures 1 and 2 have a matching height.
It will, however, be obvious, that the cupboard described above may have a slightly different design, for example, if it is intended only for use as a storing cabinet or the like, whilst furthermore the various component parts such as the end structures may have a different structure, for example they may be completely closed.
When the intended use of the cupboard described above and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 is no longer appropriate, the various parts of the cupboard embodying the invention can be simply and effectively employed for other purposes. The end structures 1 and 2, after being released from the other parts of the cupboard, can be turned through 90°, after which long boards 15, already bought if desired upon purchase of the cupboard shown in Figure 1, can be arranged between the end structures 1 and 2, said boards 15 forming the sides of a bed thus composed of the end structures 1 and 2 and the two boards 15. As is shown in Figure 5, the end structures 1 and 2 will, of course be disposed in the embodiment shown in a manner such that the rounded-off ends of the boards 4 and 5 are located on the top side of the end structures forming the head and foot ends of the bed as will be apparent from Figure 4.
The storing cases 13 and 14 can then be placed one on each side of the bed to serve as night stands.
The top plate 12 of the cupboard shown in Figures 1 and 2 may be effectively used as a writing desk. For this purpose the tie beam 10 is fastened in the manner illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 to two vertical beams 16 and 17, whilst struts 18 and 19 are arranged between said beams 16 and 17 and the top plate in the manner illustrated in the Figures. The beams 16 and 17 may be secured by means of plugs to the wall. The connection between the beams 16 and 17 and the table top 12 with the struts 18 and 19 may be designed so that the table top and the struts 18 and 19 are readily adjustable with respect to the beams 16 and 17 in a direction of height for matching the desired working height. It is efficient to use the tie rails 6 and 7 as the beams 16 and 17.
It will be preferred upon purchase of the cupboard shown in Figures 1 and 2 deliver at the same time the parts 15 to 19 so that when the cupboard shown in Figures 1 and 2 used in particular as a baby's chest of drawers need no longer be employed for this purpose, this cupboard with the additional parts can be readily rebuilt to obtain a bed and optionally a table to be fastened to a wall.

Claims

1. A furniture system comprising two end structures (1,2) which are at least substantially rectangular, boards (15) and a top plate (12); the components of the system being assemblable into a bed using the end structures (1,2) as head and foot ends and the boards (15) as sides releasably interconnecting the end structures; and the components of the system being assemblable into a chest of drawers or cupboard by using the end structures, without altering their shape, as side walls, and the top plate (12) to releasably interconnect the end structures, characterized in that adjacent side of each end structure (1,2) are unequal in length; when assembled as a bed the longer sides of the end structure extend horizontally, each end being formed by a single end structure; and when assembled as a chest of drawers or cupboard, the longer sides of the end structures extend vertically, the length of these sides being such that the top plate is supported thereby at the working level of a standing person.

2. A furniture system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that near their lower sides the end structures (1,2) in the chest of drawers or cupboard are connected with the aid of transverse rails (6,7) releasably connected with the end structures (1,2) and additionally used for supporting case(s) (13,14) arranged between the end structures (1,2).

3. A furniture system as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that and end structure (1,2) is formed by two parallel shorter boards (4,5) interconnected by longer boards (3) extending parallel to each other and substantially vertical to the shorter boards (4,5).

4. A furniture system as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the front ends of the shorter boards (4,5) are rounded-off in a direction towards each other.

5. A furniture system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the components are also assemblable into a writing desk by fastening the top plate (12) to a wall with the aid of vertical beams (16,17) and struts (18,19) arranged between said beams (16,17) and the top plate (12).

6. A furniture system as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that said transverse rails (6,7) are used as said vertical beams (16,17).