GB1597337A

GB1597337A - Furniture component systems

Info

Publication number: GB1597337A
Application number: GB2585878A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1978-05-31
Filing date: 1978-05-31
Publication date: 1981-09-03

Description

(54) FURNITURE COMPONENT SYSTEMS (71) I, LJILJANA GLAVAN, a Canadian citizen of 2007 Woodglen Crescent, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- The present invention relates to furniture component systems which can be assembled to form articles of furniture, for example, boxes, cupboards. shelving and tables.

In recent years, the manufacture and marketing of furniture component systems have become increasingly popular. Such systems have various advantages. For example, they make it possible for the user to assemble articles of furnitiire which are adapted to his own particular requirements, and which can be subsequently changed and added to by the purchase of further components. Furthermore, by the use of a plurality of components which can be secured together in a simple manner by the eventual user, manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, and indeed the eventual user, have the advantage that the components can be very compactly packaged for storage and transportation, and this compact packaging is particularly important when the manufacturer is at a considerable distance from the eventual user.

It is an qbject of the present invention to provide a novel and improved furniture component system which has a low manufacturing cost, which is very easy to assemble, even without the use of tools, and which is sufficiently versatile to be adapted to the assembly of various different kinds of furniture.

According to the present invention, there is provided a furniture component system comprising furniture components and connecting members silidably engageable in elongate holes in the furniture components for releasably connecting the components to one another, wherein the holes in one of the components are mutually angled and the holes in another of the components are mutually parallel so that the two components can be connected and disconnected only by relative movement thereof in the direction of the parallel holes.

Preferably, the plate-shaped members are rectangular and the connecting members are L-shaped, so that the plate-shaped members can be connected together at right angles to one another. However, it is also possible to make the plate-shaped members hexagonal, or of other polygonal shapes, in which case the mutual angular relationship of the limbs of the connecting members is correspondingly different.

To enable the plate-shaped members to be connected together by the connecting members in such a manner than one of them can be pivotable to and from a normal, closed position, in which it is surrounded, adjacent its edges, by other of the plateshaped members, the lengths of the limbs of the connecting members are preferably made sufficiently longer than the lengths of the holes to provide a spacing between the plane of each of the plate-shaped members and the adjacent plate-shaped members connected thereto on assembly of the system.

The invention will be more readily understood from the following description, given by way of example only, of preferred embodiments thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a plan view of a plate-shaped member forming part of a first furniture component system; Fig. 2 shows a view in elevation of one side of the plate-shaped member of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows a view in elevation of an adjacent side of the plate-shaped member of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 shows a side view of a connecting member; Figs. 5 and 6 show side views of a pair of door stop abutment members; Fig. 7 shows a side view of a modified connecting member; Fig. 8 shows a side view of a door latch; Figs. 9 to 12 show successive stages in the assembly of a box-shaped cupboard; Fig. 13 shows a front view of a pair of boxshaped cupboards connected to one another;; Figs. 14 and 15 show a plan view and a front view, respectively, of the pair of boxshaped cupboards of-Fig. 13, with one of the cupboards shown broken-away; and Figs. 16 to 18 show three successive stages in the assembly of a table.

The plate-shaped member illustrated in Figs. I to 3, which is indicated by reference numeral 10, is made of plywood or of different types of wood or other materials, such as particle board or fibre reinforced plastics material.

As can readily be seen from Figs. 1 to 3, the plate-shaped member 10 is square, and has four side edges 11, 12, 13 and 14. Each of these four edges, in this embodiment of the invention, is formed with two holes, the holes being of circular cross-section and extending inwardly from their respective edges of the plate-shaped member.

More particularly, the edges 11 and 13 are each formed with a pair of holes 1 la, 1 lb and 13a, 13b respectively, which extend perpendicularly from their respective edges 11 and 13.

The edges 12 and 14 are likewise each formed with a pair of holes 12a, 12b and 14a, 14b respectively, but in this case the holes 12a, 12b and 14a, 14b do not extend perpendicularly from the edges 12 and 14, but at an acute angle thereto, these holes being inclined towards the central region of the plate-shaped member 10.

As will be described in greater detail hereinafter, the plate-shaped member 10 is intended to be connected together with a plurality of other plate-shaped members to form an article of furniture. For this purpose, a plurality of connecting members are provided, one of which is illustrated in Fig. 4 and is indicated generally by reference numeral 16.

The connecting member 16, which is made by cutting and bending a cylindrical rod made of steel or any other suitable metal or other material, is L-shaped, and has two limbs 16a and 16b which are of equal lengths, each having a length A, and which extend at right angles to one another.

The two door stop abutment members shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and indicated by reference numerals 17 and 18, the purpose and function of which will become readily apparent as this description proceeds, are likewise cut from cylindrical steel rod, and have the same diameter D as the limbs 16a and 16b of the connecting member 16.

However, the door stop abutment members 17 and 18 are of different lengths, the length of the door stop abutment member 17 being A+iD, and that of the door stop abutment member 18 being A-+D, as illustrated in the drawing.

Fig. 7 shows a U-shaped connecting member 20 which is also formed by cutting and bending cylindrical steel rod of diameter D and which, as can be seen from Fig. 7, has two arms of equal lengths, the longitudinal centre lines of which are spaced apart by a distance 2B.

Fig. 8 shows a door latch member indicated by reference numeral 21 which is similar to the connecting member of Fig. 4 but which has two limbs 21a and 21b of unequal lengths, the arm 21a having a length C and the arm 21b having a length E.

A furniture component system employing the components which have thus far been described with reference to Figs. 1 to 8 comprises a plurality of each of these components, as will become readily evident from the following description of the assembly of a typical article of furniture from these components.

Reference is now made to Figs. 9 to 12, which illustrate the assembly of a boxshaped cupboard from these components.

To facilitate and simplify the following description of the box-shaped cupboard, the plate-shaped members employed to form this cupboard are indicated by reference numerals 10a to 10t, and it is to be understood that, in the present embodiment of the invention, each of these plate-shaped members is identical to the plate-shaped member 10 illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3.

As shown in Fig. 9, the plate-shaped member 10a is firstly disposed with its edges 11 and 13 extending vertically at opposite sides thereof, and the plate-shaped members 10c and 10b are disposed with their edges 12 and 14 vertical, the edges 12 of the plate-shaped members 10c and 10b being adjacent the vertical 11 and 13 of the plateshaped member l0a. Connecting members 16 are inserted into the inclined holes 12a and 12b of the plate members 10b and 10c so as to project therefrom towards the edges 11 and 13 of the plate member l0a, and the projecting portions of the connecting members 16 are then inserted into the holes Ila, llb and 13a, 13b of the plate member 10a. In this way, the plate members 10b and 10c are secured to the plate member 10a at right angles thereto and in mutually parallel relationship. However, as will be readily apparent, the plate members 10b and 10c are not at this time locked together with the plate member l0a.

In the next step in this assembly, the plate member 10d is connected by further connecting members 16 to the undersides of the plate members 10b and 10c, with the edges 12 and 14 of the plate member 10d adjacent the respective edges 13 of the plate-shaped members 10b and 10c.

The plate-shaped member 10e, which forms the top of the cupboard, is then connected in a similar manner to the upper edges of the plate-shaped members 10b and 10c, with the edges 12 and 14 of the former adjacent the edges 11 of the latter.

With the assembly as thus-far described, the plate-shaped members 10d and 10e, forming the bottom and the top, respectively, of the cupboard prevent the plate-shaped members 10b and 10c, which form the sidewalls of the cupboard, from being displaced horizontally relative to the plate-shaped member 10a, which forms the back of the cupboard; In this way, the sidewalls and the back of the cupboard are locked together by the top and the bottom of the cupboard.

The assembly thus far described forms a box and may, if so desired, be employed in this condition as an article of furniture. For example, the box may be used, either by itself or in side-by-side relationship and/or stacked relationship with other similar boxes, as described in greater detail below, and moreover the back or plate-shaped member l0a may be omitted from the or each box, for example when the system is utilized to make open shelving to serve as a room divider or to stand against a wall.

If it is desired to provide the box with a door, then the door may be added as illustrated in Fig. 12, in which the door is formed by the plate-shaped member 10g, which is disposed with its opposite edges 12 and 14 vertical.

The plate-shaped member lOf is secured to the horizontal plate-shaped members 10d and 10e by two connecting members 16 which, as will be evident from Fig. 12, are inserted into the holes 1 lb and 13b of the plate-shaped member lOf The door stop abutment member 17 is inserted into the hole I la of the plate member 10g, and the door stop abutment member 18 is inserted into the hole 1 la of the plate-shaped member 10e.

The latch member 21 is inserted into the hole 14a of the plate-shaped member lOb.

Fig. 13 illustrates the manner in which the box-shaped cupboards, such as that shown in Fig. 12, are connected together by the Ushaped connecting member 20. The righthand wall, formed by the plate-shaped member 10c, of the left-hand cupboard in Fig. 13 is firstly positioned in mutually parallel, adjacent and side-by-side relationship with the left-hand wall of the right-hand cupboard shown in Fig. 13, and the U-shaped connecting member 20 is then inserted into the adjacent holes 14b of these two walls.

As will be readily apparent, the abovedescribed box or boxes can also be connected together by other U-shaped connecting members 20, inserted in a similar manner into holes in the back edges of the plate-shaped members 10e and 10d, to one or more other, similar boxes in vertically stacked relationship.

Fig. 14 shows in greater detail the manner in which the plate-shaped members are disposed relative to one another when connected together as described hereinabove.

As can clearly be seen from Fig. 14, gaps are provided between the adjacent edges of the plate-shaped members.

More particularly, the holes 1 lea, 1 lib; 12a, 12b; 13a, 13b and 14a, 14b formed in the plate-shaped members each have a length which is sufficiently shorter than the length A of one of the limbs of the connecting members 16 to ensure that there is a spacing between the plane of each of the plateshaped members and the adjacent plateshaped members connected thereto.For example, as viewed in Fig. 14, the connecting members 16, which are inserted as far as they will go into the plate-shaped member 10e, project laterally therefrom by a distance sufficient to ensure that the plate 10e is held offset from the vertical planes of the plate-shaped members 10a, 10b, 10c and lOf Similarly, as can be seen from Fig. 15, the connecting members 16 inserted into the plate-shaped member 10f project sufficiently far therefrom to ensure that the plate-shaped member louis spaced from the planes of the adjacent plate-shaped members 10b, 10c, 10d and 10e, and can thus pivot from its closed position, in which it is shown in Figs. 14 and 15, into an open position without abutment against the edges of the adjacent plate-shaped members.

Figs. 14 and 15 also illustrate the use of the latch member 21 for retaining the plateshaped member 10f in its closed position, and it will be understood that the latch member 21 can be pivoted relative to the sidewall in which it is inserted, i.e. the plateshaped member 10b, to a position (not shown) which is out of the path of pivotation of the plate-shaped member 10f when it is desired to open the cupboard.

Figs. 14 and 15 also show the door stop abutment members 17 and 18, and more particularly show a pair of these members in use at the top of the plate-shaped member 10f and a second pair in use at the bottom of the plate-shaped member lOf These abutment members 17 and 18 may be secured in their respective plate-shaped members by a push-fit, or adhesive, and may, if required, be made magnetic, so as to serve as a magnetic door catch in addition to serving as a door stop, in which case the latch member 21 may be omitted.

Figs. 16 to 18 show three successive steps in the assembly of a table made from rectangular plate-shaped members 10g to 10m.

As can be seen from Fig. 16, the plateshaped members 10g and 10h are formed, at their opposite end edges, with holes extending at an angle to the respective edges for receiving connecting members 16, the plate-shaped members 10i to 101 are formed with holes, indicated by broken lines, extending perpendicular to their edges for receiving the portions of the connecting members 16 projecting from the plateshaped members 10g and l0h.

With the six plate-shaped members 10g to 101 thus loosely connected together and postioned as shown in Fig. 17, a pair of the U-shaped connecting members 20 are inserted into holes in the opposite end edges of the plate-shaped members 10g and 10h to connect the latter together.

To lock this assembly together, the plateshaped member 10m, with connecting members 16 inserted into holes extending at an angle to opposite end edges of the plateshaped member 10m, is then positioned as shown in Fig. 18, and lowered to insert the projecting limbs of these connecting members 16 into corresponding vertical holes in the top edges of the plate-shaped members 10i to 101. When this has been done, the plate-shaped member 10m and its connecting members lock the remaining plate-shaped members 10h to 101 together against horizontal relative displacement.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A furniture component system, comprising furniture components and connecting members slidably engageable in elongate holes in the furniture components for releasably connecting the components to one another, wherein the holes in one of the components are mutually angled and the holes in another of the components are mutually angled and the holes in another of the components are mutually parallel so that said two components can be connected and disconnected only by relative movement thereof in the direction of the parallel holes.

2. A furniture components system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the components are plate-shaped and the holes extend between the parallel to the major surfaces of the plate-shaped components from edge surfaces thereof.

3. A furniture component system as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the connecting members are separate L-shaped members.

4. A furniture component system as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein for engagement in the holes, the connecting members have limbs which are longer than the holes, so that the components are mutually spaced when connected by the connecting members.

5. A furniture component system as claimed in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein the components comprise a top, a bottom and a pair of sides of a piece of furniture, the holes in the top and bottom being mutually angled and the holes in the sides being mutually parallel.

6. A furniture component system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the components include a back and the holes in the back are mutually parallel.

7. A furniture component system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the components are assemblable to form a box-shaped article and comprise a top, a bottom and a pair of side walls of the box, and the holes in the top and bottom comprise a pair of mutually angled holes in each of two opposite edges of the top and of the bottom and the holes in each side wall comprise a pair of mutually parallel holes in each of a pair of opposite edges thereof.

8. A furniture component system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the components include a box back having a pair of mutually parallel holes in each of two opposite edges thereof.

9. A furniture component system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, further including U-shaped connecting members engageable in a pair of the holes in a pair of components, when the pair of components is disposed in mutually parallel and adjacent relationship.

10. A furniture component system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, further including a door stop comprising a pair of abutment members for insertion into a pair of the holes.

11. A furniture component system as claimed in claim 10, wherein at least one of the abutment members is magnetic.

12. A furniture component system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising a door latch comprising an shaped member having limbs of unequal lengths.

13. An article of furniture comprising first and second furniture components and connecting means releasably securing together the furniture components, the connecting means comprising holes in the furniture components and connecting members engageable in the holes, the connecting members comprising first limbs slidingly engageable in respective ones of the holes in the first component and second limbs slidingly engageable in respective ones of the holes in the second component, the second limbs each being rigid with and at an angle to a respective one of the first limbs, the holes engageable with the

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Claims

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in the assembly of a table made from rectangular plate-shaped members 10g to 10m.

As can be seen from Fig. 16, the plateshaped members 10g and 10h are formed, at their opposite end edges, with holes extending at an angle to the respective edges for receiving connecting members 16, the plate-shaped members 10i to 101 are formed with holes, indicated by broken lines, extending perpendicular to their edges for receiving the portions of the connecting members 16 projecting from the plateshaped members 10g and l0h.

With the six plate-shaped members 10g to

101 thus loosely connected together and postioned as shown in Fig. 17, a pair of the U-shaped connecting members 20 are inserted into holes in the opposite end edges of the plate-shaped members 10g and 10h to connect the latter together.

To lock this assembly together, the plateshaped member 10m, with connecting members 16 inserted into holes extending at an angle to opposite end edges of the plateshaped member 10m, is then positioned as shown in Fig. 18, and lowered to insert the projecting limbs of these connecting members 16 into corresponding vertical holes in the top edges of the plate-shaped members 10i to 101. When this has been done, the plate-shaped member 10m and its connecting members lock the remaining plate-shaped members 10h to 101 together against horizontal relative displacement.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A furniture component system, comprising furniture components and connecting members slidably engageable in elongate holes in the furniture components for releasably connecting the components to one another, wherein the holes in one of the components are mutually angled and the holes in another of the components are mutually angled and the holes in another of the components are mutually parallel so that said two components can be connected and disconnected only by relative movement thereof in the direction of the parallel holes.
2. A furniture components system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the components are plate-shaped and the holes extend between the parallel to the major surfaces of the plate-shaped components from edge surfaces thereof.
3. A furniture component system as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the connecting members are separate L-shaped members.
4. A furniture component system as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein for engagement in the holes, the connecting members have limbs which are longer than the holes, so that the components are mutually spaced when connected by the connecting members.
5. A furniture component system as claimed in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein the components comprise a top, a bottom and a pair of sides of a piece of furniture, the holes in the top and bottom being mutually angled and the holes in the sides being mutually parallel.
6. A furniture component system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the components include a back and the holes in the back are mutually parallel.
7. A furniture component system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the components are assemblable to form a box-shaped article and comprise a top, a bottom and a pair of side walls of the box, and the holes in the top and bottom comprise a pair of mutually angled holes in each of two opposite edges of the top and of the bottom and the holes in each side wall comprise a pair of mutually parallel holes in each of a pair of opposite edges thereof.
8. A furniture component system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the components include a box back having a pair of mutually parallel holes in each of two opposite edges thereof.
9. A furniture component system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, further including U-shaped connecting members engageable in a pair of the holes in a pair of components, when the pair of components is disposed in mutually parallel and adjacent relationship.
10. A furniture component system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, further including a door stop comprising a pair of abutment members for insertion into a pair of the holes.
11. A furniture component system as claimed in claim 10, wherein at least one of the abutment members is magnetic.
12. A furniture component system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising a door latch comprising an shaped member having limbs of unequal lengths.
13. An article of furniture comprising first and second furniture components and connecting means releasably securing together the furniture components, the connecting means comprising holes in the furniture components and connecting members engageable in the holes, the connecting members comprising first limbs slidingly engageable in respective ones of the holes in the first component and second limbs slidingly engageable in respective ones of the holes in the second component, the second limbs each being rigid with and at an angle to a respective one of the first limbs, the holes engageable with the

first limbs being mutually parallel to allow the first furniture component to be moved to and from the second furniture component longitudinally of the first limbs and the holes engageable with the second limbs being mutually angled to prevent the second furniture component from being moved to and from the first furniture component longitudinally of the second limbs.
14. An article of furniture as claimed in claim 13, wherein the limbs are longer than the holes.
15. An article of furniture as claimed in claim 13 or 14, wherein the connecting members comprise separate L-shaped connecting members each comprising one of the first limbs and one of the second limbs.
16. An article of furniture as claimed in claim 13, 14 or 15, wherein the components are plate-shaped and the holes extend between and parallel to major surfaces of the respective components from opposite edges thereof.
17. A furniture component, comprising a plate-shaped member having opposed parallel major surfaces and first and second pairs of parallel opposite edges, a pair of mutually parallel holes extending into the plate-shaped member from each of said first pair of parallel opposite edges, and a pair of mutually angled holes extending into the plate-shaped member from each of said second pair of parallel opposite edges, the holes each extending between and parallel to the major surfaces of the plate-shaped member.
18. A furniture component system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 and 9 to 12 of the accompanying drawings.
19. A furniture component system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 16 to 18 of the accompanying drawings.
20. A furniture component substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.