EP3310210B1

EP3310210B1 - A system comprising an article of furniture and a floor-fitting system

Info

Publication number: EP3310210B1
Application number: EP16736919.8A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Mario Nanni
Original assignee: Viabizzuno SRL
Current assignee: Viabizzuno SRL
Priority date: 2015-06-17
Filing date: 2016-06-15
Publication date: 2019-05-01
Anticipated expiration: 2036-06-15
Also published as: WO2016203391A1; EP3310210A1

Description

Technical field

This invention relates to a floor-fitting system of articles of furniture.
More specifically, this invention relates to a floor-fitting system of articles of furniture supporting electrical devices.

Background art

In the case of display areas, both in commercial premises and in museums, the prior art teaches the use of showcases, display units and also tables which also support lighting or computer appliances dedicated to the display of the items, whether they are products on sale or works of art or the like, which are on show.
The possibility of displaying the items on display counters or tables not necessarily located next to the perimeter walls of a room allows best use to be made of the display surface available.
Although locating these articles of furniture in the middle of a space allows a better use of the space, on the other hand it is also true that problems can arise related both to the unstable positioning of the articles of furniture as well as the connection to the electricity supply or computer network of the appliances supported by them.
Consider, for example, a table for containing items equipped with a transparent surface and having lighting elements inside which require an electricity supply.
The first problem with this article of furniture is related to the provision of the electricity supply, which is normally achieved with cables passing inside suitable guides which can be walked on resting on the floor.
The guides, since they necessarily have a certain thickness, constitute an evident obstruction for the users, whose attention in display areas is certainly not being addressed to the floor but to the items on display. Precisely in order to be more visible, these guides are made in particularly conspicuous colours, thereby becoming particularly inconvenient even in terms of appearance.
Moreover, the same table, if it is struck, for example even by the users who approach them to view the items displayed, is subject to movements which might be harmful for the above-mentioned cables, exposing the entire room to obvious critical issues.
US200804222 A1 discloses a system with male and female fittings to fix a lectern to the floor.

Disclosure of the Invention

The aim of this invention is to provide a system according to claim 1 which comprises an article of furniture and a floor-fitting system capable of overcoming the above-mentioned drawbacks and which is also efficient and practical to use and simple to install. According to claim 9 an installation method of articles of furniture is provided using a system according to any one of claims 1-8.

Brief description of the drawings

The technical features of the invention, according to the aforesaid aims, are clearly disclosed in the claims below, and their advantages will become more evident in the detailed description that follows, with reference to the accompanying drawings which represent one embodiment provided as a non-binding example, wherein:

Figure 1 is a schematic front elevation view of a preferred embodiment of the floor-fitting system of the system according to this invention;
Figure 2 is a cross section view through the line II-II of Figure 1;
Figure 3 illustrates the floor-fitting system of Figure 1 in a different configuration of use;
Figure 4 is a cross section view through the line IV-IV of Figure 3;
Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view of an article of furniture using the floor-fitting system of the previous drawings;
Figures 6 and 7 illustrate, in respective schematic front elevation views, respective articles of furniture which are different to that of Figure 5 and use the floor-fitting system of the previous drawings.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention

With reference to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 denotes in its entirety a floor-fitting system of articles of furniture as being part of the system according to this invention.
The fitting actuated by the floor-fitting system 1 is a removable fitting.
Figure 5 illustrates an example of an article of furniture, consisting of a container table 2 equipped with a transparent surface 3 through which it is possible to view articles 4 contained inside the table 2.
The container table 2 supports a lighting body 5, housed inside it to adequately illuminate the above-mentioned articles 4.
The table 1 has a plurality of support legs 6.
As illustrated in particular in Figure 2, one of the legs 6 is hollow inside it and houses a first portion 7 of a cable for electrical power supply to the lighting body 5.
At a lower end 6a of the leg 6 there is a first fitting 8 extending with axial symmetry.
Advantageously, the first fitting 8 is rotatably connected to the leg 6 to rotate about an its central axis A1.
As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the first fitting 8 comprises a portion 8a distal from the leg 6 defining a threaded ring nut, and a proximal movement portion 8b, having a portion 9 for engaging with a tool.
The engagement portion 9, illustrated in the accompanying drawings in the form of a hole, allows the partial insertion of a tool, not illustrated, so as to rotate the first fitting 8.
Again at the above-mentioned lower end 6a of the leg 6, emerging from the above-mentioned first fitting 8, there is a first electrical connector 10 to which is electrically connected an end of the above-mentioned first portion 7 of the power cable.
As illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the floor-fitting system 1 comprises a base box 11 which is integrated to the floor P of a room.
Preferably, the base box 11 is integrated inside the floor.
More specifically, the base box 11, depending also on its extension in height may extend downwards even below the level of the floor P, touching if necessary the slab S on which the floor P rests.
With reference to the accompanying drawings, in a relative upper part 11a the base box 11 supports a bushing 12 constituting a second fitting extending with axial symmetry.
Advantageously, the bushing 12 has a threaded cylindrical inner wall 13 which screwably engages the above-mentioned ring nut 8a, as described in more detail below.
Advantageously, according to the preferred embodiment illustrated, the bushing 12 is designed to be positioned flush with the floor P in such a way that, when not used, it may be covered with a suitable cap, not illustrated, without forming any obstruction for the users of the floor P. The first and second fittings 8, 12 are shaped to match to fit one inside the other and define a stable mechanical coupling so as to define a predetermined position for the leg 6.
The fact that the first fitting 8 is rotatably connected to the leg 6 to rotate about its central axis A1, combined with the fact that both the fittings 8, 12 have an axial symmetrical extension contributes to making substantially rotatable the leg 6, and hence the article of furniture integral with it, relative to the above-mentioned central axis A1, so as to be able to position the article of furniture according the needs of the user.
In other words, the above-mentioned stable mechanical coupling is in any case, apart from the locking means described in more detail below, a rotatable coupling about the above-mentioned central axis A1, designed to allow the required orientation of the article of furniture.
More in detail, with reference to preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the first fitting 8 defines a male fitting whilst the second fitting 12 defines a female fitting designed to house the male fitting 8, as clearly illustrated for example in Figure 2.
The base box 11 is advantageously made of sheet metal and defines, inside it, a compartment V for housing a second portion 14 of the above-mentioned electricity supply cable.
The floor-fitting system 1 also comprises, connected to the second portion 14 of the cable, a second electrical connector 15, protruding inside the bushing 12 which defines the second female fitting.
As clearly illustrated in Figure 4, the first electrical connector 10 and the second electrical connector 15 are designed to connect to each other to allow the electricity supply of the lighting body supported by the table 2. The second electrical connector 15 is located substantially concentric relative to the bushing 12 defining the second fitting or female fitting.
In use, starting from the configuration illustrated in Figure 1, the leg 6 of the table 2 is placed above the bushing 12 forming the female fitting.
The leg 6 is firstly lowered, fitting the first electrical connector 10 inside the bushing 12 until determining the electrical connection of the first connector 10 with the second connector 15 integral with the base box 11.
Once the electrical connection has been made between the first and second connectors 10, 15 the mechanical connection between the male and female fittings 8, 12 is stabilised.
To do this, as mentioned above, the threaded ring nut 8a is rotated to screwably engage with the above-mentioned threaded cylindrical inner wall 13 of the bushing 12.
In order to rotate the threaded ring nut 8a, the user acts on the proximal movement portion 8b as described above, that is to say, introducing a suitable tool, not illustrated, in the engagement portion 9 so as to make the screwing of the ring nut 8a more advantageous.
In this way, at the end of the screwing, there is the mechanical connection between the two male and female fittings 8, 12 thus defining a stable position for the leg 6 of the table 2.
The above-mentioned threaded ring nut 8a defines, for the floor-fitting system 1, respective means for locking the mechanical coupling between the male and female fittings 8, 12.
Alternative embodiments, not illustrated, of the locking means comprise snap-on type retaining means.
The above-mentioned lighting body 5 defines an example of an electrically powered device supported by the container table 2, in the same way that the container table 2 constitutes an example of a possible article of furniture which can be connected to the system 1 according to the invention.
Further articles of furniture which can be connected with the floor-fitting system 1, and not illustrated, are, for example, showcases, lamps, display cabinets, clothes racks, mirrors and the like.
According to alternative embodiments, not illustrated, of this invention, the base box 11 protrudes at least partly from the floor, with the bushing 12 therefore positioned substantially inside the box 11.
Figures 6 and 7 are further examples of articles of furniture, different from the container table shown in Figure 5, and using the floor-fitting system 1 of the system according to the invention.
More specifically, Figure 6 illustrates as the article of furniture 2 a mirror supported by a respective support leg 6.
At a relative upper continuation, the leg 6 supports a lighting body 5.
Figure 6 illustrates, on the other hand, as an article of furniture 2, a bookcase comprising a central leg 6 from which extend a plurality of shelves.
At its top end, the leg 6 supports a lighting body 5.
Further electrically powered devices different from the lighting bodies may consist of computer equipment, cash registers, audio apparatuses. In these cases, a cable can emerge from the base box 11 designed for data and/or audio transmission in addition to or alternatively to the electrical connection cable described above.
Further, an electrically powered device not illustrated consists in a support for phone or tablet apparatuses equipped with a multiplicity of sockets for recharging the apparatuses, advantageously USB type sockets.
The invention as described above brings important advantages and achieves the intended aims.
More specifically, thanks to the floor-fitting system 1 a stable positioning is obtained of the article of furniture consisting of the table 2.
A further advantage is the absence of electrical cables on view. Moreover, with the floor-fitting system 1 according to this invention it is possible to connect alternatively a multiplicity of different articles of furniture. Further, by locating a multitude of base boxes 11 in various points of a display area, with respective second fittings 12 and second connectors 15 it is possible to increase the versatility of the room, making it suitable to receive various articles of furniture, depending on the needs which gradually manifest themselves.
Moreover, as mentioned above, the rotatable mechanical coupling between the fittings 8 and 12, combined with the fact that the first fitting 8 is rotatably connected to the leg 6, allows the user to orient as required the article of furniture, thus further increasing the versatility of the room in which the article of furniture is inserted.
In this regard, it is important to note how, for example, in the setting up of the above-mentioned display area, the modification of the spatial orientation of the article of furniture can considerably increase its ability to transform and adapt to the current requirements. For the purpose of this specification, the term floor is intended in a broad sense to mean any wall of a building, whether it relates to an actual floor or a vertical wall, or a ceiling.

Claims

A system comprising an article of furniture such as table or the like, supporting at least an electrically-powered device (5), provided with at least a support leg (6), wherein said system further includes a floor fitting system which comprises:
- a male fitting (8) having an axial symmetrical extension fixed to one from between a floor (P) and a lower end (6a) of a leg (6) of the article of furniture (2);

- a female fitting (12) having an axial symmetrical extension fixed to another from between the floor (P) and a lower end (6a) of a leg (6) of the article of furniture (2), said male and female fittings (8, 12) being able to co-penetrate one another so as to determine a stable rotatable mechanical coupling defining a determined position for the leg (6),

- a first electrical connector (10) arranged in the leg (6);

- a second electrical connector (15) combined with the fitting, between the male fitting (8) and the female fitting (12), fixed to the floor, the first and second connectors (10, 15) being connectable to one another so as to enable electrical supply to the electrical device (5) supported by the article of furniture (2).
The system of claim 1, characterised in that it comprises a base box (11) stably incorporable to the floor (P) and supporting the fitting, either the male (8) or female fitting (12), that is fixed to the floor (P).
The system of claim 2, characterised in that the base box (11) at least partly houses an electrically conductive cable (14) terminating with the second electrical connector (15).
The system of any one of claims from 1 to 3, wherein the fitting fixed to the floor is the female fitting (12), characterised in that the female fitting (12) comprises a bushing, the bushing being substantially fittable flush to the floor (P) so as not to constitute an obstacle when not connected to any male fitting (8).
The system of claim 4, characterised in that the first and the second electrical connectors (10, 15) are stably connected respectively to the male fitting (8) and the female fitting (12) so that the inserting of the male fitting (8) internally of the female fitting (12) determines a contextual connecting between the first and the second connector (10, 15) so as to enable electrical supply to the devices (5) supported by the article of furniture (2).
The system of any one of claims from 1 to 5, characterised in that it comprises blocking means of the rotatable mechanical coupling between the male fitting (8) and the female fitting (12).
The system of claim 6, characterised in that the blocking means comprise a threaded washer (8a).
The system of claim 6, characterised in that the blocking means comprise a snap-fit retaining organ.
An installation method of articles of furniture (2), using a system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising steps of:
- inserting the male fitting (8) and the female fitting (12) one inside another,

- connecting the first and second connector (10, 15) to one another, so as to enable electrical supply of the electrical supply devices (5) supported by the articles of furniture (2).
The installation method of claim 9, wherein the support leg (6) has its own central axis (A1), characterised in that it comprises the step of orienting the article of furniture (2), rotating it relative to the central axis (A1).