EP4360503A1 - Reinforcement for reinforcing a furniture work surface, provided with an opening for receiving equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

The reinforcing frame (5) comprises longitudinal members (6) and at least one telescopic crosspiece (7). The end ends of the beams (6) cooperate by vertical interlocking with a fixing member (8) of the reinforcing frame (5) on a piece of furniture. The end ends of the crosspieces (7) are supported by vertical interlocking on the longitudinal beams (6). A support plane for the work surface on the reinforcing frame (5) is provided by calibrating the vertical interlocking of the crosspieces (7) on the spars (6) and of the spars (6) on the fixing members (8). ).

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to the field of furniture, such as kitchen, bathroom and/or storage furniture for example. The invention relates more particularly to such furniture provided with a work surface which comprises at least one opening for the installation of furniture equipment mounted on the work surface through said opening.

The invention relates more specifically to a reinforcing frame for such a work surface, in particular at the edge of said opening and/or against a deformation of the work surface supporting the furniture installed through the opening. . The invention also relates to a piece of furniture whose work surface is reinforced by such a reinforcing frame, as well as a method of installing said reinforcing frame on such a piece of furniture.

PRIOR ART

• d'un meuble de cuisine dont le plan de travail est équipé d'une plaque de cuisson et/ou d'un évier,
• d'un meuble de salle de bain dont le plan de travail est équipé d'au moins un lavabo de toilette,
• d'un meuble de rangement dont le plan de travail est équipé d'un réceptacle - potentiellement amovible - qui ménage un compartiment de rangement de divers articles ou objets plus ou moins pesants, tels que par exemple des outils ou encore des articles vestimentaires et/ou ludiques.

It is common for furniture to include a box whose upper wall provides a work surface. In the case of certain pieces of furniture for specific uses, the work surface has at least one opening which passes through it according to its thickness, for receiving one or more pieces of furniture. This is the case for examples:

• a kitchen unit whose worktop is equipped with a hob and/or a sink,
• a piece of bathroom furniture whose worktop is equipped with at least one toilet sink,
• a storage unit whose work surface is equipped with a receptacle - potentially removable - which provides a storage compartment for various articles or objects of varying weight, such as for example tools or even articles of clothing and/or or playful.

In such cases following its vertical extension, the piece of furniture has side walls respectively fixed to the ends of a longitudinal rear wall. The front face of the furniture is commonly unobstructed, potentially being closed by doors or curtains providing access to the interior volume of the furniture. The worktop rests via its side edges and its rear edge on the side walls and the rear wall to which the worktop is attached.

It is common for the equipment installed on the work surface it crosses to be heavy and/or to support a heavy mass during use. The work surface is then subjected to stresses that could cause it to deform, which should be avoided. Such constraints may in particular be deleterious at the edge of the opening and/or are likely to cause an overall bending of the work surface, in particular along its longitudinal extension.

This is why it is common to equip the furniture with a reinforcing frame installed under the worktop to provide additional support for the furniture cover. Such a reinforcing frame commonly combines stringers and crosspieces, which are fixed to the vertical extension walls of the piece of furniture and on which the worktop is applied to its underside.

If necessary, it should now be clarified that the notions front and rear on the one hand, and the notions lateral and longitudinal on the other hand, are relative notions considered with regard to the position of an individual facing the piece of furniture. Likewise, the notions superior and inferior - or other related notions such as below, above, below, over and under for example - are relative notions considered with regard to the vertical position of the piece of furniture on the floor.

In this context, a problem posed concerns the tedious nature and the time required for an installer to properly install the worktop on the installation site of the furniture, and a potential risk of a loss of effectiveness of the frame reinforcement to properly support the work surface. In addition, different pieces of furniture typically have different dimensions from each other, and/or manufacturing tolerances which make the preparation and/or installation of the reinforcing frame by the fitter(s) difficult.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In this context, the subject of the invention is a reinforcing frame for a work surface of a piece of furniture which includes at least one opening for installing furniture equipment through it.

The invention also relates to a piece of furniture comprising a work surface which is reinforced by a reinforcing frame conforming to the invention, as well as a method of installing a reinforcing frame conforming to the invention to walls vertical extension that said piece of furniture includes.

The aim of the invention is to obviate the problems and difficulties previously mentioned, concerning the difficulties of mounting a reinforcing frame of a work surface which comprises a piece of furniture and which is provided with a said opening configured for the installation of said furniture equipment through it.

It is more particularly aimed at proposing such a reinforcing frame whose architecture and/or structure are ergonomic for a fitter, in order to facilitate rapid and correct installation of said reinforcing frame under the work surface of the furniture.

It should also be noted that such a goal is part of a competitive field, which could make a potential solution prohibitive due to the costs involved. Subsequently, additional research efforts must be carried out to propose an efficient solution that is economically competitive.

• -) un jeu de longerons, au nombre de deux, qui sont avantageusement entretoisés par un jeu d'une ou plusieurs traverses, par exemple au moins au nombre de deux,
• -) avantageusement, des organes d'assemblage perpendiculairement entre eux des traverses aux longerons, et
• -) des organes de fixation de l'armature au meuble via au moins les extrémités longitudinales des longerons qui sont respectivement soutenues par les organes de fixation, les dits organes de fixation étant solidarisés au meuble par vissage.

To do this, the invention proposes a so-called reinforcing frame of the type comprising at least:

• -) a set of spars, two in number, which are advantageously braced by a set of one or more crosspieces, for example at least two in number,
• -) advantageously, assembly members perpendicular to each other from the crosspieces to the spars, and
• -) members for fixing the frame to the furniture via at least the longitudinal ends of the longitudinal members which are respectively supported by the fixing members, said fixing members being secured to the furniture by screwing.

It is now clarified here that the transverse, longitudinal and vertical notions are relative notions considered with regard to their perpendicular orientations relative to each other in an orthonormal reference frame. Such notions are subsequently used to characterize the different components of the reinforcing frame and/or the piece of furniture on which the reinforcing frame is installed, with regard to the extension of the reinforcing frame along its directions. 'extension transverse, longitudinal and vertical defined in the same orthonormal reference frame.

• -) Les bouts d'extrémité des longerons sont chacun équipés d'un organe de soutien de l'armature de renfort, qui coopère par emboîtement vertical avec un organe d'emboîtement que comporte un organe de fixation qui lui est affecté, en procurant un assemblage entre eux.
• -) Les bouts d'extrémité de la ou des traverses sont chacun équipés d'un organe de soutien de la ou des traverses par les longerons, qui coopère par emboîtement vertical avec un organe d'emboîtement que comporte un longeron qui lui est affecté, sélectivement parmi une pluralité d'organes d'emboîtement répartis suivant l'extension longitudinale des longerons.

In this context, synthetically according to a global approach to the invention, the longitudinal members and the crosspiece(s) are arranged as telescopic members allowing a fitter to adjust their extension according to the dimensions of the furniture.

• -) The end ends of the spars are each equipped with a support member of the reinforcing frame, which cooperates by vertical nesting with an nesting member that includes a fixing member assigned to it, providing a assembly between them.
• -) The end ends of the sleeper(s) are each equipped with a member for supporting the sleeper(s) by the spars, which cooperates by vertical interlocking with an interlocking member that a spar assigned to it comprises, selectively among a plurality of interlocking members distributed along the longitudinal extension of the spars.

• -) le monteur peut ajuster aisément l'extension longitudinale des longerons conformément à l'écart longitudinal effectif - ou autrement dit réel - de séparation des parois latérales du meuble entre lesquelles s'étendent les longerons ;.
• -) le monteur est dispensé, préalablement à l'installation des longerons sur le meuble, de la contrainte d'une mesure de l'écart longitudinal effectif de séparation des parois latérales du meuble ;
• -) le monteur est aussi dispensé d'une découpe des longerons à une dimension requise correspondante à une mesure préalable dudit écart longitudinal effectif de séparation des parois latérales du meuble. Les longerons sont immédiatement exploitables par un monteur en sortie de leur fabrication.

Therefore firstly when mounting the frame on the furniture:

• -) the fitter can easily adjust the longitudinal extension of the beams in accordance with the effective longitudinal distance - or in other words real - separation of the side walls of the furniture between which the beams extend;.
• -) the fitter is exempted, prior to the installation of the longitudinal members on the piece of furniture, from the constraint of measuring the effective longitudinal separation of the side walls of the piece of furniture;
• -) the installer is also exempt from cutting the longitudinal members to a required dimension corresponding to a prior measurement of said effective longitudinal separation of the side walls of the furniture. The spars can be immediately used by an installer once they have been manufactured.

• -) le monteur peut ajuster aisément l'extension des traverses selon l'écart transversal de séparation des longerons préalablement installés sur le meuble ;
• -) le monteur est aussi dispensé d'une découpe des traverses à une dimension requise correspondante au dit écart transversal de séparation des longerons. Les traverses sont ainsi immédiatement exploitables par un monteur en sortie de leur fabrication.

Second, after installing the rails on the furniture:

• -) the fitter can easily adjust the extension of the crosspieces according to the transverse separation distance of the side members previously installed on the piece of furniture;
• -) the installer is also exempt from cutting the sleepers to a required dimension corresponding to the said transverse separation distance of the spars. The sleepers are therefore immediately usable by an assembler once they have been manufactured.

It should be noted that the dimensions of the opening made through the work surface are commonly indicated by the furniture manufacturer. The fitter is thus commonly exempted from measuring them prior to installing the reinforcing frame on the piece of furniture.

• -) soit à utiliser des traverses d'une extension prédéfinie de fabrication pour leur assemblage aux longerons selon un écart imposé entre eux,
• -) soit d'ajuster la dimension des traverses selon un quelconque écart entre les longerons préalablement installés sur le meuble.

This usually allows the fitter to install the longitudinal members on the side walls of the piece of furniture at a distance more or less close to the edges of the opening depending on the specific case of the reinforcement to be provided to the work surface to be obtained. The sleeper(s), if they are present according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, being assembled to the longitudinal beams, this commonly constrains the installer:

• -) either to use crosspieces of a predefined manufacturing extension for their assembly to the spars according to a distance imposed between them,
• -) or to adjust the dimension of the crosspieces according to any gap between the longitudinal members previously installed on the piece of furniture.

It should also be noted that the upper faces of the spars and crosspieces must be arranged as an extension of each other to guarantee the stability of the work surface resting against the reinforcing frame.

In addition, the work surface is usually jointly supported not only by the reinforcing frame but also by the upper edges of the vertical extension walls of the furniture. This then results in difficulties in positioning the fixing members according to the vertical extension of the walls of the furniture.

• -) Les organes de fixation comportent une platine dont un bord supérieur est rectiligne en ménageant un repère de positionnement de l'organe de fixation par alignement du bord supérieur de la platine avec le bord de la tranche supérieure de la paroi sur laquelle la platine est fixée,
• -) l'emboîtement entre les bouts d'extrémité des longerons et les organes d'emboîtement que comportent les organes de fixation, est calibré en disposant coplanaires la face supérieure des longerons emboîtés sur les organes de fixation et le bord supérieur rectiligne de la platine, et par suite le bord supérieur des parois latérales du meubles auxquelles sont respectivement fixés les bouts d'extrémité des longerons, et
• -) l'emboîtement entre les bouts d'extrémité des traverses sur les longerons est calibré en disposant coplanaires la face supérieure des longerons et la face supérieure des traverses emboîtées sur les longerons.

To overcome this difficulty:

• -) The fixing members comprise a plate whose upper edge is rectilinear, providing a positioning mark for the fixing member by aligning the upper edge of the plate with the edge of the upper edge of the wall on which the plate is fixed,
• -) the interlocking between the end tips of the spars and the interlocking members that the fixing members include, is calibrated by arranging coplanar the upper face of the spars fitted onto the fixing members and the rectilinear upper edge of the plate , and consequently the upper edge of the side walls of the furniture to which the end ends of the spars are respectively fixed, and
• -) the interlocking between the end ends of the sleepers on the spars is calibrated by arranging the upper face of the spars and the upper face of the sleepers fitted on the spars coplanar.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the interlocking on the one hand between the end ends of the spars on the fixing members and on the other hand the end ends of the crosspieces on the spars is of the hooking type.

More particularly concerning the spars, the support member fitted to each of the end ends of each of the spars is shaped into at least one hook which cooperates with an interlocking member which comprises a hook fitted to the plate which the support member comprises. fixation. The end ends of the spars are supported by a so-called hook which is assigned to them via said at least one hook with which the end of their ends are each provided.

• -) les patères sont formées par découpage et pliage de la platine,
• -) les patères intègrent l'organe d'emboîtement affecté au dit au moins un crochet,
• -) ledit au moins un crochet est intégré à chacun des bouts d'extrémité de chacun des longerons ;
• -) les platines ménagent un organe de guidage dudit au moins un crochet vers l'organe d'emboîtement avec lequel il coopère.

Advantageously:

• -) the hooks are formed by cutting and folding the plate,
• -) the hooks integrate the interlocking member assigned to said at least one hook,
• -) said at least one hook is integrated into each of the end tips of each of the spars;
• -) the plates provide a member for guiding said at least one hook towards the nesting member with which it cooperates.

According to one embodiment, the hooks are each arranged in a tab providing a said guide member of a single hook which is assigned to them in vertical support against the upper edge of the tab. The guide member is provided between a vertical wall of the leg and a wall of the furniture on which the fixing member is installed, the leg being placed at a short longitudinal distance from said wall of the furniture. The hook is shaped like a U, the bottom of which rests against the upper edge of the vertical wall of the tab in the hooking position by nesting the hook onto the tab.

Another embodiment is preferred, according to which there are two hooks at each of the end tips of the spars, being transversely spaced from each other.

The hooks each have a nesting slot respectively on seats provided by the plate assigned to them, the bottom of the hooks bearing against the seats. The seats are arranged below the upper edge of the plate, coming from at least one vertical wall of the plate extending at a longitudinal distance from a vertical extension wall for mounting the fixing member to the furniture .

According to an exemplary embodiment, each of the hooks is shaped like a hoop which is curved towards the base of the plate from which it comes. The base of the arch provides said seats for receiving the bottom of the hooks, each being bordered vertically between a vertical slice of the arch and a lug provided at the transverse end of each of the seats.

According to another example of making the hooks, each of the hooks comes from a U-shaped profile constituting the plate. The sides of the U-shaped profile provide between them a vertical extension rail which forms the guiding member of said hooks towards transverse legs integrated by folding into the respective sides of the U-shaped profile. The upper edge of said legs provides said seats against which the hooks respectively support via their bottom.

According to another approach to the methods of fixing the ends of the spars to the fixing members, the spars comprise end sections slidably mounted at each of the ends of a middle section of the spars, as referred to below. The said end sections of each of the spars are respectively fixed to the plate which includes the fixing members assigned to them, in particular by welding.

Concerning the sleepers, it is recalled here as previously mentioned, that the end ends of the sleepers are each equipped with a member for supporting the sleepers by the longitudinal members, which cooperates by vertical interlocking with an interlocking member which comprises a spar assigned to it, selectively among a plurality of interlocking members distributed along the longitudinal extension of the spars.

It should also be noted, as previously described, that the longitudinal members can be installed on the piece of furniture in any location, including any location along any extension dimension. transversal of the side walls of the furniture. The longitudinal members are arranged at a transverse distance from each other, depending on the configuration of the piece of furniture and/or the locations of fragile areas of the worktop to be reinforced, such as in particular at the edge of the opening it contains.

The installation of the crosspieces on the beams is carried out by the fitter after the installation of the beams on the piece of furniture. The telescopic arrangement of the crosspieces allows a modification of their extension according to the transverse separation distance of the spars from one another.

More particularly, the support members equipping each of the end ends of each of the crosspieces are formed of hooking members which cooperate by interlocking between slots provided by a longitudinal crenellated ramp which each of the spars comprises. Said hooking members each comprise - at each of the end ends of the crosspieces - a pair of hooks spaced longitudinally from each other, like the pair of hooks provided by the end ends of the spars such as previously described.

Said crenellated ramp that each of the spars has is provided by notches that the spars have following their extension, at a constant pitch corresponding to the distance between the hooks with which the end ends of the crosspieces are provided.

• -) aisément fixer les traverses sur les longerons par crochetage, quel que soit l'écart transversal de séparation entre les longerons en dispensant le monteur d'une mesure d'un tel écart,
• -) installer au moins deux dites traverses à une distance longitudinale l'une de l'autre en fonction des zones fragiles du plan de travail à protéger - notamment au moins deux traverses disposées en bordure de l'ouverture que comporte le plan de travail.

As a result, the fitter can not only adjust the extension of the sleepers according to the transverse separation distance between the spars, but also can:

• -) easily fix the crosspieces on the spars by hooking, whatever the transverse separation distance between the spars, exempting the fitter from having to measure such a gap,
• -) install at least two said sleepers at a longitudinal distance from each other depending on the fragile areas of the worktop to be protected - in particular at least two sleepers arranged at the edge of the opening in the worktop.

To avoid excessive weakening of the spars, the extension of the said notches is limited. The notches are made along and at the edge of the respective edges of the spars which are transversely oriented towards each other. The notches extend on either side of each of the said edges along two segments perpendiculars - including a horizontal segment and a vertical segment - which are respectively provided partially through the upper face of the spars and through their respective vertical faces which are oriented towards each other.

The vertical segment provides a bottom of the notches against which the hooks fitted to the crosspieces are placed in abutment during their assembly to the spars. The vertical extension dimension of said notches - and more specifically of said vertical segment which they comprise - is calibrated by arranging coplanar the upper face of the spars and the upper face of the crosspieces fitted onto the spars, as previously mentioned.

Concerning the telescopic arrangement of each of the spars and each of the crosspieces, these are subdivided into several sections arranged as an extension of each other.

More particularly, each of the spars and each of the crosspieces is composed of a middle section inside which end sections are slidably mounted at each of the ends of the middle section. The end sections are housed inside the middle section while being kept oriented in a monodirectional direction of respective extensions of the spars and the crosspieces. The end of each of the end sections emerging from the middle section are each equipped with a said support member. The end sections can be individually immobilized in any emergence position outside the middle section which houses them, via a locking member.

Concerning more specifically the spars, the end sections are individually immobilizable in position inside the middle section via a locking screw, such as in particular arranged as a needle screw. The locking screw is screwed onto the middle section in application against the end section. Under the effect of the thrust exerted by the locking screw, the end section is held applied against the interior face of a wall of the spar.

Furthermore, the crenellated ramp is provided on the middle section of the spars. The longitudinal extension of the crenellated ramp is limited to a zone of the middle sections of the spars - particularly in the central zone - which is located outside the optimal accommodation zones of the sections end inside the middle sections of the spars.

Concerning more specifically the sleepers, the end sections of the sleepers each being fitted vertically onto the crenellated ramps which respectively comprise the spars, such interlocking provides the locking of the sleepers on the spars against their mobility following the plane of extension of the reinforcing frame. Following the installation of the work surface, it hinders vertical mobility of the crosspieces in relation to the side members.

As for the above, the subject of the invention is a reinforcing frame for a work surface of a piece of furniture - or in other words arranged to be supported by a piece of furniture - which is provided with an opening for receiving an equipment.

• -) un jeu de longerons, au nombre de deux, qui sont avantageusement entretoisés par un jeu d'une ou plusieurs traverses, par exemple au moins au nombre de deux,
• -) des organes d'assemblage perpendiculairement entre eux des traverses aux longerons, et
• -) des organes de fixation de l'armature de renfort au meuble via au moins les extrémités longitudinales des longerons qui sont respectivement soutenues par les organes de fixation, les dits organes de fixation étant solidarisés au meuble par vissage.

The reinforcing frame is of the type comprising:

• -) a set of spars, two in number, which are advantageously braced by a set of one or more crosspieces, for example at least two in number,
• -) assembly members perpendicular to each other from the crosspieces to the spars, and
• -) members for fixing the reinforcing frame to the furniture via at least the longitudinal ends of the longitudinal members which are respectively supported by the fixing members, said fixing members being secured to the furniture by screwing.

• en ce que les longerons et les traverses sont chacun agencés en un organe télescopique,
• en ce que les bouts d'extrémité des longerons sont chacun équipés d'un organe de soutien de l'armature de renfort, qui coopère par emboîtement vertical avec un organe d'emboîtement que comporte un organe de fixation qui lui est affecté,
• en ce que les bouts d'extrémité des traverses sont chacun équipés d'un organe de soutien des traverses par les longerons, qui coopère par emboîtement vertical avec un organe d'emboîtement que comportent les longerons, et
• en ce qu'un plan de soutien d'un dit plan de travail sur l'armature de renfort est ménagé par calibrage dudit emboîtement vertical des traverses sur les longerons et dudit emboîtement vertical des longerons sur les organes de fixation.

In this context, the invention is recognizable:

• in that the spars and the crosspieces are each arranged in a telescopic member,
• in that the end ends of the spars are each equipped with a support member of the reinforcing frame, which cooperates by vertical nesting with an nesting member that includes a fixing member assigned to it,
• in that the end ends of the sleepers are each equipped with a member for supporting the sleepers by the spars, which cooperates by vertical nesting with an interlocking member that the spars comprise, and
• in that a support plane for a said work surface on the reinforcing frame is provided by calibrating said vertical nesting of the crosspieces on the spars and said vertical nesting of the spars on the fixing members.

Other specific characteristics of a reinforcing frame of the invention, not restrictive with regard to other characteristics that the reinforcing frame of the invention may present, are the following considered separately or in combination at least two by two .

The interlocking on the one hand between the end ends of the spars on the fixing members and on the other hand the end ends of the crosspieces on the spars is of the hooking type. Such hooking is in particular carried out by vertical nesting of at least one hook equipping the end ends of the spars or crosspieces on the fixing members assigned to them.

More specifically, the support member fitted to each of the end ends of each of the spars is shaped into at least one hook which cooperates with an interlocking member which comprises a hook fitted to a plate constituting the fixing member.

The hooks are formed by cutting and folding the plate and integrate the interlocking member assigned to said at least one hook which is integrated into each of the end tips of each of the spars. The plates provide a member for guiding said at least one hook towards the nesting member with which it cooperates.

More specifically, there are two hooks at each of the end ends of the spars, being transversely spaced from one another. The hooks each have a nesting slot respectively on seats provided by the plate assigned to them, the bottom of the hooks bearing against the seats.

Said seats are arranged below the upper edge of the plate, coming from at least a first vertical wall of the plate which extends at a longitudinal distance from a second vertical wall of the plate dedicated to mounting the member fixing on the furniture. Slices of the first vertical wall of the plate jointly provide said member for guiding the hooks towards the seats.

The support members equipping each of the end tips of each of the crosspieces are formed of a pair of hooks longitudinally spaced from each other. The hooks cooperate by interlocking between slots provided by a longitudinal crenellated ramp that each of the spars has.

With regard to the telescopic arrangement of the longitudinal members and the crosspieces, they each comprise a middle section inside which end sections are mounted sliding at each of the ends of the middle section, being kept oriented in a monodirectional direction extensions respectively of the spars and the crosspieces.

The end of each of the end sections emerging out of the middle section of the spars and the crosspieces are each equipped with a said support member. The end sections of the spars and the crosspieces can be individually immobilized in any emergence position outside the middle section which houses them, via blocking members with which the middle sections of the spars are each equipped.

• -) en ce qui concerne les, les organes de blocage sont formés de vis de blocage en position des tronçons d'extrémité des longerons à l'intérieur du tronçon qui les loge ;
• -) en ce qui concerne les traverses, les organes de blocage sont formés par l'emboîtement des tronçons d'extrémité des traverses conjointement respectivement sur les longerons.

Such blocking members are notably formed:

• -) with regard to, the locking members are formed of locking screws in the position of the end sections of the spars inside the section which houses them;
• -) with regard to the sleepers, the blocking members are formed by the interlocking of the end sections of the sleepers jointly respectively on the side members.

The invention also relates to a piece of furniture comprising a work surface provided with an opening for receiving equipment. The piece of furniture is equipped with a reinforcing frame which extends under the work surface and is attached to the side walls of the piece of furniture via so-called end pieces of the beams.

In this context, the piece of furniture is mainly recognizable in that it is equipped with a reinforcing frame in accordance with the invention.

Other specific characteristics of a piece of furniture of the invention, not restrictive with regard to other characteristics that a piece of furniture falling under the invention may have, are the following considered separately or in combination at least two by two.

The upper faces of the side members and the crosspieces are positioned along a horizontal plane supporting the work surface which is defined by the upper edges of the side walls of the furniture to which the ends of the side members are respectively fixed via said fixing members fitted to the frame reinforcement.

The reinforcing frame and the said upper edges of the side walls of the furniture are coplanar. Such specificity of the piece of furniture is advantageously achieved from the cooperation by calibrated vertical interlocking between the end tips of the longitudinal members and the plate which constitutes the fixing members.

The upper edge of the plates that each of the members for fixing the ends of the longitudinal members to the side walls of the furniture respectively comprises, constitutes a vertical positioning mark of the reinforcing frame relative to said horizontal support plane. The upper edge of the plates borders the upper edge of the side walls of the furniture to which the ends of the longitudinal members are respectively fixed via the fixing members assigned to them.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

• La figure 1 est une illustration en perspective éclatée d'un meuble comportant un plan de travail pourvu d'une ouverture de réception d'un équipement. Sur la figure 1, le meuble est équipé d'une armature de renfort du plan de travail conforme à l'invention.
• La figure 2 est une illustration en perspective éclatée de l'armature de renfort représentée sur la figure 1.
• La figure 3 est une illustration partielle en perspective d'un exemple de réalisation d'un composant télescopique que comporte l'armature de renfort représentée sur les figures 1 et 2.
• La figure 4 est une illustration partielle en perspective d'un longeron télescopique que comporte l'armature de renfort représentée sur les figures 1 et 2. Sur la figure 4, le longeron est illustré en position préalable d'installation sur un organe de fixation que comporte l'armature de renfort.
• La figure 5 est une autre illustration partielle en perspective suivant un autre point de vue, du longeron télescopique et de l'organe de fixation tels qu'illustrés sur la figure 4.
• La figure 6 est une illustration partielle en coupe suivant un plan vertical et horizontal, du longeron télescopique et de l'organe de fixation tels qu'illustrés sur les figure 4 et 5.
• La figure 7 est une illustration partielle en perspective d'un longeron télescopique que comporte l'armature de renfort représentée sur les figures 1 et 2. Sur la figure 7, le longeron est illustré en position préalable d'installation sur un organe de fixation que comporte l'armature de renfort, selon un deuxième exemple de réalisation dudit organe de fixation.
• La figure 8 est une autre illustration partielle en perspective suivant un autre point de vue, du longeron télescopique et de l'organe de fixation tels qu'illustrés sur les figures 6 et 7.
• La figure 9 est une illustration partielle en perspective d'un longeron télescopique que comporte l'armature de renfort représentée sur les figures 1 et 2. Sur la figure 9, le longeron est illustré en position préalable d'installation sur un organe de fixation que comporte l'armature de renfort, selon un troisième exemple de réalisation dudit organe de fixation.
• La figure 10 est une illustration partielle en perspective d'un autre exemple de réalisation d'un longeron télescopique relevant de l'invention. Le longeron télescopique est un composant d'une armature de renfort d'un plan de travail d'un meuble selon une autre forme de réalisation. Sur la figure 10, le longeron est illustré en position préalable d'emboîtement entre deux tronçons qu'il comporte. L'un desdits tronçons est un tronçon d'extrémité du longeron qui est emboîtable à l'intérieur d'un autre tronçon qui est un tronçon médian du longeron, ledit tronçon d'extrémité étant solidaire d'un organe de fixation que comporte l'armature de renfort partiellement illustrée.
• La figure 11 est une illustration partielle en perspective d'une traverse télescopique que comporte l'armature de renfort représentée sur les figures 1 et 2. Sur la figure 11, la traverse est illustrée en position préalable d'installation sur un longeron que comporte l'armature de renfort.
• La figure 12 est une autre illustration partielle en perspective suivant un autre point de vue, de la traverse télescopique et du longeron tels qu'illustrés sur la figure 11.

The invention will be better understood on reading the detailed description which follows of different exemplary embodiments, in relation to the following figures:

• There figure 1 is an exploded perspective illustration of a piece of furniture comprising a work surface provided with an opening for receiving equipment. On the figure 1 , the piece of furniture is equipped with a work surface reinforcement frame conforming to the invention.
• There figure 2 is an exploded perspective illustration of the reinforcement shown on the figure 1 .
• There Figure 3 is a partial perspective illustration of an exemplary embodiment of a telescopic component comprising the reinforcing frame shown on the figures 1 And 2 .
• There Figure 4 is a partial perspective illustration of a telescopic spar included in the reinforcing frame shown on the figures 1 And 2 . On the Figure 4 , the spar is illustrated in the prior installation position on a fixing member that comprises the reinforcing frame.
• There Figure 5 is another partial illustration in perspective from another point of view, of the telescopic spar and the fixing member as illustrated on the Figure 4 .
• There Figure 6 is a partial illustration in section along a vertical and horizontal plane, of the telescopic spar and the fixing member as illustrated on the figures 4 and 5 .
• There figure 7 is a partial perspective illustration of a telescopic spar included in the reinforcing frame shown on the figures 1 And 2 . On the figure 7 , the spar is illustrated in the prior installation position on a fixing member which comprises the reinforcing frame, according to a second embodiment of said fixing member.
• There figure 8 is another partial illustration in perspective from another point of view, of the telescopic spar and the fixing member as illustrated on the figures 6 and 7 .
• Figure 9 is a partial perspective illustration of a telescopic spar included in the reinforcing frame shown on the figures 1 And 2 . In Figure 9, the spar is illustrated in the prior installation position on a fixing member which comprises the reinforcing frame, according to a third embodiment of said fixing member.
• Figure 10 is a partial perspective illustration of another embodiment of a telescopic spar falling under the invention. The telescopic beam is a component of a reinforcing frame of a work surface of a piece of furniture according to another embodiment. In Figure 10, the spar is illustrated in the prior nesting position between two sections that it comprises. One of said sections is an end section of the spar which is nestable inside another section which is a middle section of the spar, said end section being integral with a fixing member which the reinforcement partially illustrated.
• Figure 11 is a partial perspective illustration of a telescopic crosspiece that comprises the reinforcing frame shown on the figures 1 And 2 . In Figure 11, the crosspiece is illustrated in the prior installation position on a spar included in the reinforcing frame.
• Figure 12 is another partial perspective illustration from another point of view, of the telescopic crosspiece and the spar as illustrated in Figure 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The figures and their detailed, non-limiting descriptions present the invention in particular ways which are not restrictive as to the scope. of the invention. The figures and their detailed descriptions of examples of embodiment of the invention can be used to better define it, if necessary in relation to the general description which has just been made.

Furthermore, to avoid overloading the figures and thus facilitate their reading, the reference numbers assigned to the terms and/or concepts used to describe the invention and indicated in any of the figures, are potentially included in the description of any other figure without implying their presence on all the figures.

On the figure 1 , a piece of furniture 1 extends in the three directions of an orthonormal reference frame, including a vertical direction V1, a longitudinal direction L1 and a transverse direction T1. The orthonormal reference mark is indicated in all of Figures 1 to 12, and is used subsequently to describe the various embodiments of the invention.

The piece of furniture 1 is conventionally arranged in a box comprising vertical extension walls, including two side walls 2a and a rear wall 2b. The piece of furniture 1 includes an upper work surface 3 intended to be installed on the upper edges of the vertical extension walls 2a, 2b. The work surface 3 comprises an opening 4 passing through the work surface 3 along its thickness, for the installation on the work surface 3 of equipment intended to be installed by extending vertically through the opening 4 which includes work plan 3.

However, the opening 4 weakens the work surface 3 which must withstand a potentially significant load following the installation on the piece of furniture 1 of the equipment and its use. This is why in this case, the piece of furniture 1 is commonly equipped with a reinforcing frame 5 participating in supporting the work surface 3 against its deformation - particularly in bending - or deterioration of the edges of the opening 4.

Classically on figures 1 And 2 , the reinforcing frame 5 comprises two stringers 6 which extend longitudinally between the walls of the piece of furniture 1, the stringers 6 being transversely braced by one or more crosspieces 7. It will be noted that the crosspieces 7 are present in particular embodiments according to the invention but that, in other embodiments, these crosspieces 7 are not present. When the sleepers 7 are present, they are assembled to the spars 6 via their respective ends. The reinforcing frame 5 is also equipped with fixing members 8 for the ends of the longitudinal members 6 which are assigned to them on the side walls 2a of the piece of furniture 1. The fixing members 8 are commonly fixed to the side walls 2a of the piece of furniture 1 by screwing, as for example illustrated on the figures 5 , 6 , 9 and 10.

In this context according to one aspect of the invention, the longitudinal members 6 and the crosspieces 7 are each arranged as a telescopic member, as for example illustrated partially in isolation on the Figure 3 . Such a telescopic member comprises a median section 9 inside which end sections 10 are slidably mounted at each of the ends of the median section 9, a single end section 10 being shown in Figures 3 to 12. The sections end sections 10 can emerge out of the middle section 9 according to a predefined stroke, depending on the end sections 10 being maintained inside the middle section 9 in a monodirectional direction of extension of the longitudinal members 6 and the crosspieces 7 .

The longitudinal members 6 and the crosspieces 7 are thus telescopic, an installer of the reinforcing frame 5 on the piece of furniture 1 being able to symmetrically adjust their extensions by a more or less significant emergence of the end sections 10 out of the middle section 9 which houses them at each of its ends. When the crosspieces 7 and/or the longitudinal members 6 are of an ideal dimension for the installation of the reinforcing frame 5 on the piece of furniture 1, the end sections 10 are immobilized in relation to the middle section 9 via blocking members .

For example concerning the spars 6, the end sections 10 can be immobilized on the middle section 9 of the spars 6 by locking members with which the middle sections 9 of the spars 6 is equipped, such as via locking screws 11, for example illustrated on the Figure 6 .

Concerning the sleepers 7, the end sections 10 of the sleepers 7 can be immobilized on the spars 6 following their attachment to the spars 6, as described below in relation to Figures 11 and 12.

The ends of the end sections 10 of the spars 6 are each equipped with a support member 12 of the reinforcing frame 5, which cooperates by vertical nesting with an nesting member 13a which comprises a fixing member 8 which is affected, as for example according to said interlocking bodies 13a which are illustrated on the figures 4 to 6 , THE figures 7 And 8 and in Figure 9.

According to these illustrated examples, each of the ends of the end sections 10 of the spars 6 is equipped with a support member 12 of the reinforcing frame 5 which is arranged in at least one hook 14. Said at least one hook 14 cooperates by vertical interlocking with a said nesting member 13a which includes a hook 15 provided by a plate 16 constituting a said fixing member 8.

• -) soit par des tranches 16c verticales de la première paroi 16a verticale de la platine 16, comme illustré sur les figures 4 à 6,
• -) soit entre des parois latérales 16d d'extension verticale de la platine 16, comme illustré sur les figures 7 et 8 et sur la figure 9.

The hook 15 integrates a vertical guide member 17 of the ends of the end sections 10 of the longitudinal members 6 towards a seat 18 receiving said at least one hook 14 which is assigned to them, via the bottom 14a of a slot 14b which they comprise. Said guide member 17 and said seat 18 are provided by a first vertical wall 16a of the plate 16, which extends at a longitudinal distance from the side wall 2a of the piece of furniture 1. More particularly said seat 18 is provided by at least one transverse extension section of said first vertical wall 16a of the plate 16. Said guide member 17 is provided:

• -) or by vertical slices 16c of the first vertical wall 16a of the plate 16, as illustrated in the figures 4 to 6 ,
• -) either between side walls 16d of vertical extension of the plate 16, as illustrated on the figures 7 And 8 and in Figure 9.

According to the examples of realization illustrated on the figures 4 to 6 , 7 to 8 and 9, the interlocking member 13a is provided by a said first vertical wall 16a of the plate 16 which extends at a longitudinal distance from a second vertical wall 19 of the plate 16 via which the fixing member 8 is fixed by screwing to one of the side walls 2a of furniture 1.

More particularly according to the embodiment illustrated on the figures 7 to 8 , the first vertical wall 16a of the plate 16 is formed by flap of two said side walls 16d of vertical extension of the plate 16.

On the figures 4 to 6 And 7, 8 , the ends of the end sections 10 of the spars 6 comprise a pair of hooks 14 transversely spaced from each other. Each of the hooks 14 has a slot 14b cooperating by nesting with a said seat 18 which is arranged below the upper edge 16b of the plate 16.

On the example of production illustrated on the figures 4 to 6 , the hooks 15 are shaped like a hoop 15b which is curved towards the base of the plate 16 from which it comes. The base of the arch 15b provides said seats 18 for receiving the bottom 14a of the hooks 14, each being bordered vertically between a vertical slice of the arch 15b. The base of the arch 15b also provides lugs 15c which are provided at the transverse end of each of the seats 18.

On the example of realization illustrated on the figures 7 And 8 , the plate 16 is formed of a U-shaped profile whose sides 22 - or in other words the side walls of the U-shaped profile - are oriented vertically. The hook 15 is formed by transverse legs 22a which are integrated by folding the respective sides 22 of the U-shaped profile. The upper edges of said legs 22a provide the seats 18 against which the hooks 14 respectively bear via their bottom 14a. The sides 22 of the U-shaped profile provide between them the guide member 17 of the hooks 14 provided at the end of the spar 6 towards said lugs 22a for receiving by interlocking the hooks 14.

In Figure 9, the fixing member 8 is arranged in a lug provided by a plate 16 comprising a said first vertical wall 16a. The first vertical wall 16a is extended at a longitudinal distance by returns 23 which jointly provide by flap a said second vertical wall 19 for fixing by screwing the plate 16 to the side wall 2a of the furniture 1 which is assigned to it.

The end of the end section 10 of the spar 6 comprises a single hook 14 shaped in a U for nesting on the upper edge 20 of the first wall 16a. A so-called hook 15 is formed by the first wall 16a which provides between the returns 23 a said guide member 17 of the hook 14 in vertical support - via its bottom 14a - against the upper edge 20 of the first wall 16a.

According to another embodiment illustrated in Figure 10, advantage is taken of the presence of the end sections 10 mounted sliding inside the middle section 9 of the longitudinal members 6, to fix the longitudinal members 6 to the fixing members 8. More particularly, the end sections 10 of each of the longitudinal beams 6 are secured - for example via a weld bead 24 - to the plate 16 contained in the fixing members 8 assigned to them.

It should be noted that according to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in Figures 4 to 10, the upper edge 16b of the plates 16 constitutes a vertical positioning mark for the reinforcing frame 5 relative to the horizontal support plane Pl (referenced on the Figure 6 ) of the work surface 3 that the furniture 1 comprises. In fact, the upper edge 16b of the plates 16 borders the upper edge 21 of the side walls 2a of the furniture 1.

In Figures 11 and 12, the crosspieces 7 are each arranged as a telescopic member, as previously mentioned in relation to the Figure 3 . Like the longitudinal members 6, the crosspieces 7 comprise a middle section 9 slidingly housing at each of its ends an end section 10. The end of the end sections 10 of the crosspieces 7 is equipped with a support member 12 for the crosspieces 7 by the longitudinal beams 6, which cooperates by vertical nesting with an interlocking member which the longitudinal beams 6 comprise. The support members 12 of the crosspieces 7 by the longitudinal beams 6 are formed of a pair of hooks 14 which are longitudinally spaced apart from each other the other.

The hooks 14 cooperate by interlocking between slots 13c provided by a crenellated ramp 13d of longitudinal extension with which the spars 6 are provided, said crenellated ramp 13d forming said interlocking member which the spars 6 comprise.

The crenellated ramp 13d is provided by notches 25 which the spars have following their extension, at a constant pitch corresponding to the distance between the hooks 14 with which the end ends of the crosspieces 7 are provided. The notches 25 extend from on either side of an edge 26 of the spar 6, along two perpendicular segments - including a horizontal segment 25a and a vertical segment 25b.

The vertical segment 25b provides a bottom of the notches 25 against which the hooks 14 equipping the crosspieces 7 are placed in abutment during their assembly to the longitudinal beams 6. The vertical extension of said vertical segment 25b that the notches 25 comprise is calibrated by arranging coplanar the upper face 6a of the longitudinal members 6 and the upper face 7a of the crosspieces 7, via which the work surface 3 installed on the piece of furniture 1 is supported along said horizontal support plane P1.

Claims (12)

1. Reinforcement frame (5) of a work surface (3) which supports a piece of furniture (1) and which is provided with an opening (4) for receiving equipment, the reinforcement frame (5) comprising a set of telescopic beams (6), two in number, fixing members (8) of the reinforcing frame (5) to the piece of furniture (1) via at least the longitudinal ends of the beams (6) which are respectively supported by the fixing members (8), said fixing members (8) being secured to the piece of furniture (1) by screwing, characterized in that the end ends of the spars (6) are each equipped with a support member (12) of the reinforcing frame (5), which cooperates by vertical interlocking with an interlocking member (13a) which comprises a member fixing (8) assigned to it, and a support plane for a said work surface (3) on the reinforcing frame (5) is provided by calibrating said vertical interlocking of the longitudinal beams (6) on the fixing members (8), from the positioning cooperation by calibrated vertical interlocking between the end ends of the spars (6) and the fixing members (8). 2. Reinforcement frame (5) according to claim 1, characterized in that the frame further comprises a set of one or more crosspieces, the longitudinal members (6) being braced by the set of crosspieces (7), members for assembling perpendicularly to each other the crosspieces (7) to the longitudinal members (6), in that the crosspieces are arranged in a telescopic member, in that the end ends of the crosspieces (7) are each equipped with a member support (12) of the crosspieces (7) by the longitudinal beams (6), which cooperates by vertical interlocking with an interlocking member (13d) which the longitudinal beams (6) comprise, and in that the support plane of said plane of work (3) on the reinforcing frame (5) is further provided by calibration of said vertical interlocking of the crosspieces (7) on the longitudinal members (6). 3. Reinforcement frame (5) according to claim 2, characterized in that the interlocking on the one hand between the end ends of the spars (6) on the fixing members (8) and on the other hand the ends end of crosspieces (7) on the longitudinal members (6) are of the hooking type. 4. Reinforcement frame (5) according to claim 3, characterized in that the support member (12) equipping each of the end ends of each of the spars (6) is shaped into at least one hook (14) which cooperates with an interlocking member (13a) which includes a hook (15) fitted to a plate (16) constituting the fixing member (8). 5. Reinforcement frame (5) according to claim 4, characterized in that the hooks (15) are formed by cutting and folding the plate and integrate the interlocking member (13a) assigned to said at least one hook (14) which is integrated into each of the end ends of each of the spars ( 6), and the plates (16) provide a guide member (17) from said at least one hook (14) towards the interlocking member (13a) with which it cooperates. 6. Reinforcement frame (5) according to claim 5, characterized in that the hooks (14) are two in number at each of the end ends of the spars (6), being transversely spaced from each other, the hooks (14) each have a slot (14b) for nesting respectively on seats (18) provided by the plate (16) assigned to them, the bottom (14a) of the hooks (14) bearing against the seats ( 18), said seats (18) are arranged below the upper edge (16b) of the plate (16) coming from at least a first vertical wall (16a) of the plate (16) which extends at a longitudinal distance d 'a second vertical wall (19) of the plate (16) dedicated to mounting the fixing member (8) on the piece of furniture (1), and edges of the first vertical wall (16a) of the plate (16) jointly provide said guide member (17) of the hooks (14) towards the seats (18). 7. Reinforcement frame (5) according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that the support members (12) equipping each of the end ends of each of the crosspieces (7) are formed of a pair hooks (14) longitudinally spaced from each other, which cooperate by interlocking between slots (13c) provided by a longitudinal crenellated ramp (13d) which each of the spars (6) comprises. 8. Reinforcement frame (5) according to any one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that the longitudinal members (6) and the crosspieces (7) each comprise a middle section (9) inside which end sections (10) are slidably mounted at each of the ends of the middle section (9), being kept oriented following a monodirectional direction of extensions respectively of the longitudinal members (6) and the crosspieces (7), the end of each of the end sections (10) emerging out of the middle section (9) of the spars (6) and the crosspieces (7) are each equipped with a said support member (12), and the end sections (10) of the longitudinal members (6) and the crosspieces (7) are individually immobilizable in any emergence position outside the middle section (9) which houses them, via blocking members including the middle sections ( 9) spars (6) are each equipped. 9. Furniture (1) comprising a work surface (3) provided with an opening (4) for receiving equipment, the furniture (1) being equipped with a reinforcing frame (5) extending under the work surface (3) being fixed to the side walls (2a) of the furniture (1) via said end ends of the longitudinal members (6), characterized in that said reinforcing frame (5) conforms to the any one of claims 1 to 8. 10. Frame according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at least two crosspieces (7). 11. Furniture (1) according to claim 9, equipped with a reinforcing frame according to any one of claims 2 to 8, characterized in that the upper faces of the longitudinal members (6) and the crosspieces (7) are positioned according to a horizontal support plane (P1) of the work surface (3) which is defined by the upper edges of the side walls (2a) of the furniture (1) to which the ends of the longitudinal members (6) are respectively fixed via said fixing members (8) equipping the reinforcing frame (5), the reinforcing frame (5) and the said upper edges of the side walls (2a) of the furniture (1) being coplanar. 11. Furniture (1) according to claim 10 equipped with a reinforcing frame (5) according to any one of claims 4 to 8, characterized in that the upper edge (16b) of the plates (16) which each respectively comprises of the fixing members (8) of the ends of the longitudinal members (6) to the side walls (2a) of the piece of furniture (1), constitutes a vertical positioning mark of the reinforcing frame (5) relative to said horizontal support plane ( P1), the upper edge (16b) of the plates (16) bordering the upper edge (21) of the side walls (2a) of the furniture (1) to which the ends of the longitudinal members (6) are respectively fixed via the fixing members (8 ) assigned to them.

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