FR2725007A1 - SYSTEM FOR FIXING A TRAY ON A TABLE OR OFFICE BASE, AND TABLE OR OFFICE EQUIPPED WITH SUCH A FIXING SYSTEM - Google Patents

Abstract

The subject of the invention is a system for fixing a top on a table or desk base, in which the base is constituted by a set of legs joined by crossbars (6), the fixing system being of the type comprising several fastening devices (10) for fixing the top (1) at several points on the crossbars (6) of the base (3). Each fastening device (10) comprises a flexible tongue (12), one end (12a) of which is secured to a support (14) intended to be fixed to the plate (1), and a clamping device (15) of the other free end (12b) of the tongue (12) in the support (14) of the fastening device, once the tongue (12) has passed around a cross member of the base, the clamping device (15) being actuated manually and without having to use a tool.

Description

i

  SYSTEM FOR FIXING A TRAY ONTO A TABLE STAND

  OR OFFICE, AND TABLE OR OFFICE EQUIPPED WITH SUCH A SYSTEM

OF FIXATION

  The present invention relates to a system for fixing a tray to a table or desk base, in which the base is constituted by a set of feet joined by crosspieces, the fixing system being of the type comprising several attachment devices. to fix the plate at several points on

the crosspieces of the base.

  Generally, there are several types of fastening systems on the market for mounting a tray on a base. Among these systems, one can in particular quote those which are based on the use of

  wood screws or inserts with metal screws.

  The fixing of the tray to the base by means of wood screws, has the particular disadvantage of having poor mechanical strength and a risk of deterioration of the tray if the mounting operations are not carried out by a professional. In addition, it is necessary to have recourse to a particular tool and to carry out drilling operations in the plate and the base for the passage of the screws, knowing that the position of the holes must

  be defined with great precision.

  The fixing of the plate on the base by means of inserts and machine screws, has the particular disadvantage of not facilitating the dismantling operations due to the poor mechanical strength of the inserts when unscrewing. In addition, the assembly and disassembly operations are relatively long, it is necessary to use an appropriate tool and also perform very precise drilling operations for the passage of the screws. Finally, we can also cite ball fixing systems made up of two parts. A male part is screwed onto the tray by means of an insert, and a female part is fixed to a cross member of the base. The male part rotates the female part when the tray is positioned on the base, knowing that the shape of the female part prevents a pivoting movement in the opposite direction. Concretely, the tightening obtained by such a device is not effective and it corresponds more to a positioning of the plate on the base. In addition, disassembly of the plate requires the use of a special tool or a complete disassembly of the fixing system. In addition, it is necessary to have a very good relative precision between the male and female parts so that they can engage one in the other, and it is also necessary to carry out very precise drilling operations for the passage of the

  screws necessary for fixing the male and female parts.

  The object of the invention is to overcome all of the aforementioned drawbacks of

  previous fixation while providing other advantages.

  To this end, the invention provides a system for fixing a tray to a table or desk base, in which the base is constituted by a set of feet joined by crosspieces, the fixing system being of the type comprising several fastening devices for fixing the tray at several points on the crosspieces of the base, fastening system which is characterized in that each fastening device comprises a flexible tongue, one end of which is secured to a support intended to be fixed to the tray , and a clamping device of the other free end of the tongue in the support of the fastening device, once the tongue passed around a cross member of the base, the clamping device being actuated manually and without having to use a tool. In general, the device for clamping the tongue around a cross member of the base comprises a first series of teeth projecting inclined on one face of the tongue and towards the free end of the latter, and a second series inclined teeth formed in a receiving means provided in the support of each fastening device, these two sets of teeth being intended to nest into each other once the free end of the tongue manually engaged in the means receiving to tighten the tab around

  of the cross member with an adjustable clamping force.

  The means for receiving the free end of the tongue can be formed by a channel passing through the support of each fastening device and, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, this means of reception is formed by a cavity in said support. According to this preferred embodiment, the free end of the tongue ends in a flexible tab intended to be engaged more or less and removably in the cavity of the support of the fastening device. The flexible tab provided towards the free end of the tongue has a U-shape delimiting two sides facing each other which are joined by a curved part intended to be engaged in the cavity of the support of the fastening device, this tab being directly formed by deformation of the free end of

the tongue.

  Generally, the support of each fastening device is fixed to the underside of the plate by means of a screw for example, this assembly

  advantageously being produced in the factory.

  Each fastening device is made of plastic, and the support of each fastening device and the associated tongue have come from molding in order to constitute only one piece according to a preferred embodiment. each fastening device and the tongue form two separate parts, and the fixing of the tongue is then obtained by wedging its end opposite the clamping leg between the support and the underside of the plate when the fastening device is fixed to the tray. In this case, the support material of each fastening device can

  be more rigid than that of the tongue.

  Such a fastening system has numerous advantages both in terms of its manufacture and in terms of the operations which are necessary for

  proceed with the assembly and disassembly of the plate.

  Indeed, as each fastening device of the fixing system does not require any machining after the molding operations, this simplifies the operations of

  manufacturing while reducing production costs.

  The assembly and disassembly operations are simple, quick and do not require the use of special tools, which allows the customer to be able to carry out these operations himself and without risk of damaging the various components of the system.

of attachment.

  The use of a flexible tongue also makes it possible to compensate for variations in diameter

  at the crossbars of the base.

  In addition, it is possible during assembly operations to be able to easily adjust the position of the plate by sliding it on the crosspieces of the base, which in particular promotes a precise adjustment in the case of a plate made up of several elements mounted in line or at an angle with a

  markedly improved overall aesthetics.

  Other advantages, features and

  details of the invention will emerge from the description

  Explanatory which will follow made with reference to the accompanying drawings, given only by way of example and in which: - Figure 1 is a perspective view to illustrate the principle of the system for fixing a tray to a base according to the invention , this system consisting of several attachment devices, - Figure 2 is a perspective view of one of the attachment devices of the fixing system, - Figures 3 and 4 are schematic views in principle to illustrate the mounting of a fastening device for the fixing system on the tray, - Figure 5 is a principle view to illustrate the mounting in progress of a fastening device on a crosspiece of the table or desk base, - Figure 6 is a view along arrow VI of Figure 5, and - Figure 7 is a schematic view of a

  attachment device at the end of its mounting operation.

  The fixing system according to the invention is intended to ensure the mounting of a tray 1 on a base of a table or a desk. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the base 3 is constituted by a set of feet 5 joined by crosspieces 6. In this example, the crosspieces 6 delimit a rectangular frame and a foot 5 is provided at each corner of this frame. One end of each foot is integral with the frame formed by the crosspieces 6, while the other end of each foot 5 is intended to rest

  on a bearing surface such as the ground.

  The fixing system comprises several devices 10 for attaching the plate 1 to the crosspieces 6, once the plate 1 is attached to the frame formed by the

sleepers 6.

  Referring in particular to Figures 2 and 3, each fastening device 10 comprises a flexible tongue 12, one end 12a of which is secured to a support 14 intended to be fixed to the plate 1, and a clamping device 15 for clamping the other free end 12b of the tongue 12 in the support 14, once the tongue 12 has passed around a crosspiece 6 of the

base 3.

  The clamping device 15 comprises a first series of inclined teeth 16 projecting from one face of the tongue 12 and towards the free end thereof, and a series of inclined teeth 18 formed in

  a receiving means provided in the support 14.

  This receiving means is for example constituted by a cavity 20, and the free end 12b of the tongue 12 ends in a flexible tab 22 intended to be removably engaged in the cavity 20, so that the teeth 16 and 18 can overlap each other and lock in

position the tongue 12.

  The flexible tab 22 has a U shape which delimits two sides 22a and 22b substantially opposite one another and joined to one another by a curved part 22c. This tab 22 is directly formed by

  deformation of the free end 12b of the tongue 12.

  This deformation is obtained from a bend 24 substantially 90 ′, the part of the tongue 12 located beyond this bend 24 then being partially folded back to form the tab 22. The inclined teeth 16 of the tongue 12, which form part of the clamping device 15, are provided on the external face of the side 22b

tab 22.

  In general, the support 14 of each attachment device 10 generally has the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, in which there are in particular two opposite main faces which bear the references 14a and 14b, and four lateral faces, two of which opposite side faces which bear the references

14c and 14d.

  Concretely, the end 12a of the tongue 12 is tangentially connected to the lateral face 14c of the body 14 of the fastening device 10, and the cavity 20 for receiving the tab 22 of the tongue 12 is formed in the opposite lateral face 14d of

support 14.

  Referring to Figures 3 and 4, each support 14 of a fastening device 10 is intended to be fixed on the underside or face of the bottom of the plate 1. This fixing is achieved by means of a device essentially constituted by a screw 30 comprising a threaded rod 31, a shoulder 32 and a hollow head 36 with a hexagon, and by an annular insert 40 mounted in a blind hole 41 formed in the face of

  below the plate 1 to receive the threaded rod 31.

  This insert 40 can be advantageously mounted by screwing

in blind hole 41.

  To this end, the support 14 of each fastening device 10 is pierced with a central orifice 42 which opens onto the two opposite main faces 14a and 14b of the support. A lateral notch 44 is provided on the main face 14a of the support 14 and opens into the central orifice 42. This notch 44 makes it possible to align the screw 30 along the axis of the central orifice 35 and the axis of a insert 40, and to retain it axially at its shoulder 32. Then, by means of a hexagon key C engaged in the central orifice 42 up to the hollow head 36 of the screw 30, we proceed to the fixing of the support 14 of each fastening device 10 on the face

from below the tray 1.

  The main face 14a of each support 14 is flat and intended to come into contact with the bottom face of the plate 1, while the opposite main face 14b of each support 14 has a shape

  conjugate shape in cross section of the crosspieces 6.

  In the example illustrated in the figures, each cross member has a circular cross section, so that the main face 14b of each support 14 has a rounded shape with a radius of curvature substantially equal to

cross beam radius 6.

  To obtain correct positioning of each fastening device 10 relative to a cross member 6, the main face 14a of each support comprises a positioning pin 45 intended to engage in a blind hole 46 formed on the face below the plate 1. This pin 45 makes it possible to correctly orient each fastening device so that its main face 14d partially conforms to the shape of a

cross 6.

  Concretely, the attachment devices 10 of a system for fixing a plate 1 to a base 3 are factory mounted on the underside of the plate 1. During this operation, an insert 40 is mounted in each blind hole 41 previously drilled in the underside of the plate 1. The position of the blind holes 41 is predetermined in advance according to the number of fastening devices 10 to be used, the dimensions of the frame formed by the crosspieces 6 of the base 3 and dimensions of the tray 1. Next, the support 14 of each fastening device 10 is fixed to the underside of the tray 1 by means of the screw 30

  screwed into the associated insert 40 (Figures 3 and 4).

  The tray 1, equipped with the fastening devices 10, and the associated base in order to form a table or a desk for example, can be sold to users without adding any tools and / or complementary parts to then allow these users to carry out the operations of mounting the plate 1 on the base 3. During assembly, the user places the plate 1 on the base 3 so that the curved face 14b of each fastening device 10 comes to bear on a cross member 6. Then, the use grips the tongue 12 of each fastening device 10 to pass it around the cross member 6 and grasps the flexible tab 22 to push it and partially engage it in the cavity 20 of the support 14. The tab 22 is automatically retained as a result of the cooperation between the two sets of teeth 16 and 18, but the tightening is loose enough to allow the use to adjust the position of the

  tray 1 by sliding it along the crosspieces 6.

  Finally, when the correct positioning of the plate 1 is obtained, the user ensures final tightening by further engaging each tab 22 in the cavity of

associated reception 20 (FIG. 7).

  To disassemble the plate 1, it suffices to extract each tab 22 from its receiving cavity by deforming each flexible tab 22 to remove the coupling between the teeth 16 and 18, and

  thus allow the removal of the legs 22.

  As a variant, the support 14 of each fastening device 10 and the tongue 12 can form two separate parts which are molded. In this case, the free end 12a of the tongue 12 is secured to the support 14 during the fixing operation of the latter on the face below the of the plate 1. This joining is for example obtained by wedging the free end 12a of the tongue 12 between the support 14 and the underside of the plate 1. This solution is advantageous because it avoids

  the use of a complementary fixing means.

Claims (12)

  1. System for fixing a tray (1) on a base (3) of table or desk, in which the base (3) consists of a set of feet (5) joined by crosspieces (6), the fastening system being of the type comprising several fastening devices (10) for fixing at several points the plate (1) on the crosspieces (6) of the base (3), characterized in that each fastening device (10) comprises a flexible tongue (12), one end of which is secured to a support (14) intended to be fixed to the plate (1), and a clamping device (15) of the other free end of the tongue (12) in the support (14) of the fastening device (10), once the tongue (12) passed around a crosspiece (6) of the base (3), the clamping device (15) being actuated manually and without having use of a tool.   2. Fastening system according to the claim   tion 1, characterized in that the clamping device (15) comprises a first series of inclined teeth (16) projecting from one face of the tongue (12) and towards the free end thereof, and a second series inclined teeth (18) formed in a receiving means provided in the support (14), these two sets of teeth (16, 18) being intended to nest into each other once the free end (12b) of the tongue (12) manually engaged in the receiving means for tightening the tongue (12) around a crosspiece (6).   3. Fastening system according to the claim   tion 2, characterized in that the receiving means is formed by a channel passing through the support (14) of the fastening device (10).   4. Fastening system according to the claim   tion 2, characterized in that the receiving means is   formed by a cavity (20) formed in the support (14).   5. Fastening system according to the claim   tion 4, characterized in that the free end (12b) of the tongue (12) ends in a flexible tab (22) intended to be removably engaged in the cavity (20) of the support (14).   6. Fastening system according to the claim   tion 5, characterized in that the flexible tab (22) has a U shape which delimits two sides (22a, 22b) substantially opposite one another and joined by a curved part (22c) intended to engage in the cavity (20) of the support (14).   7. Fastening system according to the claim   tion 6, characterized in that the flexible tab (22) is directly formed by deformation of the end free (12b) of the tongue (12).   8. Fixing system according to the claim   tion 7, characterized in that the flexible tab (22) is formed from a bend (24) substantially 90 ', formed by the tongue (12), the part of the latter located between this bend (24) and the free end of the tongue (12) being folded back to conform the tab (22) in a U-shape. 9. Fastening system according to any one   of the preceding claims, characterized in that the   support (14) of each fastening device (10) is fixed to the underside (la) of the plate (1) by means of a screws (30) for example.   10. Fastening system according to any one   of the preceding claims, characterized in that the   support (14) of each fastening device (10) and the associated tongue (12) have come from molding so as not to form only one piece.   11. Fastening system according to any one   of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the   support (14) of each fastening device (10) and the associated tongue (12) form two parts, a free end (12a) of the tongue (12) being wedged between the support (14) and the bottom face ( la) of the plate (1) when said support (14) is fixed to the plate (1). 12. Table or desk consisting of a tray (1) and a base (3), characterized in that the tray (1) is fixed to the base (3) by means of a fixing system as defined by any one of the preceding claims.