EP0979626A1 - Underframe for furniture - Google Patents

Abstract

The assembly consists of three or more legs (121, 122, 124. 125) and at least two struts (131, 132, 133, 134) to support a table top (100), chair seat or other article of furniture. The struts are positioned between crosspieces (111, 112) under the table top and the legs, and the resulting triangular supports are held together by a system of cords (140, 150) with winding rods (141, 151) to tension them or adjustable threaded rods. The assembly can be made from wood, plastic, metal or other material with similar strength and rigidity.

Description

The present invention relates to a base for any type of removable furniture such as tables, chairs, pedestal tables or stools by example.

The current trend of furniture manufacturers consists of making removable furniture suitable for be stored and delivered flat. So the furniture disassembled have a small footprint, so that their storage in warehouse and their delivery are facilities. However, all removable furniture that currently exist on the market require the use of specific tools, in particular screws and screwdrivers, for mounting. In addition, very often the customer who purchases this type of furniture must follow scrupulously the indications of a relatively plan complex if he wishes to obtain a piece of furniture assembled from reliably and solidly.

The problem that the invention solves therefore consists in making a removable piece of furniture intended for be delivered flat and to be reassembled easily and quickly, without using any tool specific.

For this, the invention offers more particularly a base for furniture, said furniture including a tray, at least three feet and at least two flying buttresses, the platform being provided with at least a lateral cross member on its underside, the flying buttresses being arranged between one (of) cross (s) of the tray and feet to form triangulations tray - feet - flying buttresses, characterized in that a variable tension fixing system allows to assemble and immobilize each triangulation.

Thanks to the base according to the invention, the furniture are not only removable, to be stored and delivered flat, but they can also be easily and quickly reassembled without using a any tool.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the variable tension fixing system includes minus a cord and a rod intended to twist said cord to stretch it.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the variable tension fastening system includes a winding on rod cylinder.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the variable tension fastening system has a marine hardware system.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the variable tension fastening system has a metal tension system.

• la figure 1, une table munie d'un piètement selon un premier mode de réalisation de l'invention,
• la figure 2, une vue éclatée de la table de la figure 1,
• la figure 3, un tabouret muni d'un piètement selon un autre mode de réalisation de l'invention,
• la figure 4, une autre table munie d'un piètement selon une variante de réalisation de l'invention.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the description given by way of illustrative but nonlimiting example and made with reference to the appended figures which represent:

• FIG. 1, a table provided with a base according to a first embodiment of the invention,
• FIG. 2, an exploded view of the table of FIG. 1,
• FIG. 3, a stool provided with a base according to another embodiment of the invention,
• Figure 4, another table provided with a base according to an alternative embodiment of the invention.

A first embodiment of a base according to the invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 which represents a table designated by the general reference 100. Good the base according to the invention is not limited to tables, but it can be performed on any type of furniture such as tables, chairs, stools or pedestal tables, of all shapes, of all sizes, whether they are made of wood, metal or plastic.

According to this first embodiment, the table 100 comprises a tray 110 provided with lateral crosspieces 111, 112, 113, 114 on its underside. These sleepers are intended to serve as stops for the base according to the invention. In the example of the figure 1, there are four but this number is in no way limiting and they may be more or less numerous.

Legs 121, 122 and 124, 125 of table 100 can be joined two by two by a cross, referenced respectively 123 and 126, to form two sets 128 and 129 of two feet. Of course, the number feet is also not limited to four, it may be higher or lower. It is preferably at least equal to three.

Flying buttresses 131, 132, 133, 134 are arranged between the internal crosspieces 111, 112 of the plate 110 and the sleepers 123, 126 of the sets 128, 129 of feet. The number of flying buttresses is preferably at least equal to two. Thus, the tray 110, the feet 121, 122 and the flying buttresses 131, 132 form a first triangulation 190; and the tray 110, the feet 124, 125 and the flying buttresses 133, 134 form a second triangulation 180.

Two fixing systems with variable tension, referenced 140, 141 and 150, 151, then allow to immobilize triangulation 190 and the triangulation 180.

The way to mount this table 100 is shown in exploded form in Figure 2. Each stand 121, 122, 124, 125 has a lug 127 provided to fit into holes 161 made in the lateral crosspieces 113, 114 of the outer edges of tray 110.

Each flying buttress 131, 132, 133, 134 has a groove 135 at one end and a bevel 136 at the other end. The bevel 136 allows the flying buttress to rest both against the plate 110 and against the side of an internal cross member 111, 112 of the plate. The groove 135 allows the flying buttress to rest on the crosses 123, 126 of a set 128, 129 of feet.

The cross members 112, 113 and 111, 114 of the platform and sleepers 123 and 126 of each set 128 and 129 feet have two holes marked A, B and Al, B1. These two holes A, B and A1, B1 allow to make pass a cord referenced respectively 140 and 150. A tension rod, referenced respectively 141 and 151, is also associated with each cord 140, 150. This rod 141, 151 is provided for twisting the cord 140, 150 associated with it and generate a variation in its tension. Cord 140, 150 and the associated rod 141, 151 thus form a system of variable tension fixing and allow to immobilize triangulations 190, 180. This immobilization of triangulations is imparted by the distributed voltage in the cord 140; 150 in torsion and applied to triangulations.

When the cord 140; 150 is enough tense and when the triangulations are well stabilized, the rods 141, 151 having been used to twist the cords 140, 150 are not bothersome because they are pressed against the bottom surface of the tray 110.

In the case where the feet are not secured two by two by a cross, the flying buttresses rest directly on these feet and the cord of the variable tension fastening system passes through holes made directly in said feet.

The table which has just been described is one of the modes preferred embodiments according to the invention. However, in an alternative embodiment, one can very well consider making a base whereby the feet fit directly into holes practiced in the plateau and the four flying buttresses press on the sides of a single crosspiece lateral arranged in the middle of the lower surface of the tray. In this case, we can plan the use a single cord, and a single associated rod, to immobilize the two triangulations.

Figure 3 shows another embodiment of a base according to the invention. This base is made on a smaller piece of furniture, such as a stool 200 for example. In this case, due to its relatively small dimensions, cabinet 200 has only two lateral crosspieces 211, 212 arranged on the edges of the underside of its plate 210. The feet 221, 222 on the one hand and 224, 225 on the other hand fit together in these two sleepers 211, 212. They can be linked in pairs by a cross member referenced 223 and 226 respectively. As in the example previous, this cross is not essential for the realization of the base according to the invention.

The flying buttresses 231, 232, 233, 234 are arranged between the crosspieces 211, 212 of the plate 210 and those 223, 226 which connect the feet. Because of the small dimensions of this piece of furniture, the four flying buttresses 231, 232, 233, 234 can for example be combined two to two so that they form two crosses, such as illustrated in Figure 3.

Ports referenced A, B are made in sleepers 223, 226 as well as in sleepers 211, 212 of tray 210 for passing the system there variable tension fixing 260.

This fixing system 260 can for example be consisting of a cord and an associated rod as in the previous example, but it can also be a metal tension system, such as a cable by example, which we can tighten.

In an alternative embodiment, the system of variable tension fixing can also include a winding on rod cylinder.

In another variant, the fastening system to variable voltage is constituted by a system marine hardware, such as a hoist system by example.

Figure 4 shows a base according to another variant applied to a designated table by the general reference 500.

This embodiment differs from the first example, illustrated in Figure 1, by the fact that the feet 521, 522 and 524, 525 are no longer perpendicular but they are inclined relative to the surface of the plate 510. In addition, these feet rest against the crosspieces. internal lateral 512 and 513 of plate 510, while that the flying buttresses referenced 531, 532 and 533, 534 rest respectively between the external sleepers 514, 511 from platform 510 and crossbeams 523, 526 connecting feet 521, 522 and feet respectively 524, 525.

In addition, in this embodiment, the systems variable tension fixing F1, F2 allowing of real estate respectively triangulations 580, 590 each have at least two threaded rods connected by a piece with two bolts, said two bolts having a screw thread reversed with respect to each other to allow for closer spacing between the two rods and thus vary the tension applied on each triangulation.

The base according to the invention can be applied to any type of furniture, any size, such as for example to pedestal tables, chairs, tables or stools. It can also be made of wood, metal, plastic or any other material having properties of similar strength and rigidity.

Claims (9)

Furniture base (100, 200, 500), said furniture comprising: a tray (110; 210; 510), at least three feet (121, 122, 124, 125; 221, 222, 224, 225; 521, 522, 524, 525), and at least two flying buttresses (131, 132, 133, 134; 231, 232, 233, 234; 531, 532, 533, 534), the plate (110; 210; 510) being provided with at least one lateral crossbar (111, 112, 113, 114; 211, 212; 511, 512, 513, 514) on its lower face; and the flying buttresses being arranged between one (s) lateral crosspiece (s) of the plate and the feet, to form triangulations (180, 190; 580, 590) plate - feet - flying buttresses, characterized in that a variable tension fixing system (140, 141, 150, 151; 260; F1, F2) allows each triangulation to be assembled and immobilized. Base according to claim 1, characterized in that the feet are connected two by two by one cross (123, 126; 223, 226; 523, 526). Base according to claim 1, characterized in that the variable tension fixing system includes at least one cord (140, 150) and a rod (141, 151) intended to twist said cord for the tender. Base according to claim 1, characterized in that the variable tension fixing system includes a winding on rod cylinder. Base according to claim 1, characterized in that the variable tension fixing system has a marine hardware system. Base according to claim 1, characterized in that the variable voltage system has a metal tension system (260, F1, F2). Base according to claim 6, characterized in that the metal tension system (F1, F2) has at least two threaded rods connected by a two-bolt part, said two bolts having a pitch of screw inverted with respect to each other for allow to narrow the spacing between the two threaded rods. Base according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it is made of wood, metal, plastic or any other material having similar strength and stiffness properties. Base according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the feet are arranged either perpendicularly, either at an inclination, by compared to the surface of the plate.

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