Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16B—DEVICES FOR FASTENING OR SECURING CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS OR MACHINE PARTS TOGETHER, e.g. NAILS, BOLTS, CIRCLIPS, CLAMPS, CLIPS OR WEDGES; JOINTS OR JOINTING
  • F16B12/00—Jointing of furniture or the like, e.g. hidden from exterior
  • F16B12/40—Joints for furniture tubing
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16B—DEVICES FOR FASTENING OR SECURING CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS OR MACHINE PARTS TOGETHER, e.g. NAILS, BOLTS, CIRCLIPS, CLAMPS, CLIPS OR WEDGES; JOINTS OR JOINTING
  • F16B12/00—Jointing of furniture or the like, e.g. hidden from exterior
  • F16B12/40—Joints for furniture tubing
  • F16B2012/403—Joints for furniture tubing with inserts for joining tubes coaxially

Definitions

• This invention relates to supporting frames and components for such frames and more particularly to supporting frames and components for furniture, although not restricted thereto.
• furniture having supporting frames constructed from plastic plumbing pipe and connecting joint or fittings have become increasingly popular, especially as outdoor furniture and increasingly as indoor furniture.
• the furniture is sold as a kit of parts for subsequent assembly by the purchaser.
• adhesive In assembling the furniture frame it is necessary to apply adhesive to the secured lengths of pipe and connecting joints as the frame components are assembled-. It is of course important that each joint be accurately positioned on the pipe before the adhesive sets to ensure that the opposite end of the pipe is at the correct position to accept the remaining frame components.
• the connecting joint should be accurately located at 90 to the attached pipe although in some cases other angles may be required, for example, where the connecting joints supports a bracing strut.
• the invention provides a set of frame components comprising a plurality of generally elongate, hollow members of generally symmetrical cross-section and a plurality of connecting members each having at least two spigots extending therefrom and dimensioned to be received in said hollow members, each said spigot having at least one longitudinal groove or spline in its outer surface disposed at a predetermined angular relationship to the remainder of the connecting member, and said hollow members each having a longitudinal spline or groove formed internally thereof and dimensioned to co-operate with the or each groove or spline in said spigots.
• the spigots are. formed with four grooves or splines arranged at 90 to each other about the periphery of the spigot and aligned with a predetermined directional axis of the connecting member.
• the outer configuration of the elongate hollow members is preferably the same as the outer configuration of the connecting members at a position adjacent the spigots. In this way, the outer surfaces of the connecting members an attached hollow members are substantially continuous whereby the unsightly discontinuities of the prior art are avoided.
• additional grooves may be arranged at 45 , 22% or at any other desired angle to suit the specific requirements of the frame to be constructed from the hollow members and connecting members.
• the elongate hollow members are most preferably tubular. While a tube formed with only one locating spline is believed to be adequate, two or more splines arranged in alignment with the respective grooves in the spigots of the connecting members may be provided.
• the tubes and connecting members are most suitably moulded from pvc or some other suitable plastic material and are fixed together by means or a suitable adhesive.
• the tubes, or for that matter the connecting members may be made from other materials such as cast and extruded aluminium, wood or the like in which case any suitable method of connection may be used.
• the connecting members may be formed in any desired configuration to provide for the desired connections between adjacent tubes of the frame.
• the spigots on the connecting members are predominantly arranged at 90 to each other. Examples of various preferred connecting members are described in greater detail below.
• the provisio of connecting spigots having grooves with which splines in the elongate frame components may co-operate means that the various components may be assembled by an unskilled person without substantial risk of the frame components being incorrectly positioned relative to each.other.
• the most common error in assembly is the displacement of a frame component slightly off the 90 position required and this eventually is completely avoided by means of the present invention.
• the present invention also provides a kit of parts for constructing a frame comprising the generally elongate hollow members and connecting members defined in greater detail above together with a set of suitable instructions as to their assembly.
• Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first connecting member embodying the invention
• Figure 2 is an end view of the connector showing the grooves in the spigot
• FIG 2A is a perspective view of one end of a frame tube embodying the invention
• Figures 3 to 9 are perspective view of further connecting members embodying the invention
• Figure 10 is a perspective view of a table incorporatin a frame embodying the invention.
• Figure 11 shows the assembly instructions for assembling the table of Figure 10 from a kit of components embodying the invention.
• the connecting member embodying the invention will be seen to comprise a generally tubular member having a central body portion 1 from which two identical spigots 2,3 extend.
• Each spigot is formed with four longitudinally extending grooves 4 which are spaced about the periphery of each spigot 2,3 at 90° intervals.
• Each spigot 2,3 is slightly chamfered at 5 to enable easy interconnection between the connecting member 1 and the other frame components which are in the form of tubes 6 as shown in Figure 2A of the drawings.
• the frame tube 6 is formed with an internal spline 7 which extends longitudinally of the frmae tube 6 throughout its length.
• the frame tube 6 is preferably extruded from pvc which is preferably UV stabilised.
• the connecting member 1 is injection moulded from a similar grade of UV stabilised pvc.
• FIG. 3 shows a T-connector in which an additional aim and associated spigot 8 are added to the right angle connector of Figure 3.
• an additional leg and associated spigot 9 extends in the opposite direction to the spigot 2 and at right angles to the spigots 3 and 8.
• a rurrner arm ana associated, spigot 10 extends in a direction mutually perpendicular to the spigots 2,3 and in the case of the embodiments of Figures 7,8 and 9, additional arms and associatedspigots 11,12 and 13 are provided as clearly shown in the respective figures.
• FIGS. 3 and 4 are the most commonly used for the construction of furniture frames and a typical table having a supporting frame embodying the invention .is shown in Figures 10 and 11. It will be noted from Figure 11 that the table, of Figure 10 is intended to be constructed from a kit of frame components .comprising nine tubes 6, four right angle connectors 1A and two T- connectors IB as well as a table top T having sockets S adapted to receive the ends of the leg tubes 6.
• the frame components are not limited to use in constructing furniture frames and may be used for example in shop display frames, storage racks and the like.
• a connecting member having an arm and associated spigot extending 45° to one of the existing arms and spigots may be provided whereby a bracing member may be inserted in the frame.
• the grooves 4, or additional similar grooves may be arranged at 45 intervals to enable right angle connectors to extend at 45 for bracing purposes.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Assembled Shelves (AREA)
• Furniture Connections (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=3698085

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (1)

Families Citing this family (13)

Family Cites Families (9)

• 1983
  • 1983-12-23 WO PCT/AU1983/000198 patent/WO1984002560A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1983-12-23 JP JP50036384A patent/JPS60500344A/ja active Pending
  • 1983-12-23 EP EP19840900264 patent/EP0131008A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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