GB2035057A

GB2035057A - A system for the construction and assembling of L-shaped composable furniture

Info

Publication number: GB2035057A
Application number: GB7845193A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: BACCHIELLI A
Current assignee: BACCHIELLI A
Priority date: 1977-11-22
Filing date: 1978-11-20
Publication date: 1980-06-18
Also published as: IT1088278B

Abstract

A modular L-shaped piece of furniture comprising a structure including side panels 1-6 secured to a rear closing wall 7, the panels 1-6 being previously joined in the form of a line having flexible connecting hinge parts, wherein an intermediate hinge part forming the inwardly facing corner of the L is located on the outer side of said panel line, and the flexible hinge parts between the remaining panels are arranged symmetrically to said first hinge part and on the inner side or opposite side to the former. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A system for the construction and assembling of L-shaped composable furniture This invention relates to a system for the construction and assembling or composable furniture having a characteristic L-shape, by which the furniture can be prearranged as disassembled, so that they can be safely handled, occupying the least space as posible before the final assembling step.

The invention is also aimed at a composa ble L-shaped piece of furniture for manufacturing by means of the above system.

As well known, in manufacture, storage, transportation and sale of furniture the problem exists in connection with the floor space thereof and accordingly the necessity of having a considerable space for storing and transporting such furniture. Therefore, it is the object of the present invention to provide a furniture structure capable of having a high degree of composability and that can otherwise be supplied or stored as disassembled, but with the furniture parts already completely finished, and such that it may be accomodated within a reduced space and transportated with a minimised space for being extremely simply then assembled in situ in its final form.

Generally, a system has been provided for the construction of a composable piece of furniture, wherein the piece of furniture has side walls formed by interconnected panels to define a L-shaped space, closed by a rear wall, which system is characterized in that the several interconnected panels are prearranged in the form of a continuous fillet or band, the edges of adjoining panels being joined by a flexible portion of hinge connection, wherein the flexible connection corresponding to the inwardly facing angle or corner of the Lshaped piece of furniture is at intermediate position and at one side of said fillet or band, whereas the flexible connections at the remaining angles or corners between the panels are formed at the opposite side of the fillet or band to allow said fillet or band to be collapsed during transportation, with the intermediate panels that are interposed between the end panels of major length; and in that the piece of furniture is then assembled by securing the fillet or band of panels about the peripheral edge of the rear closing wall.

By the above mentioned construction and assembling system, the panels comprising the side surfaces of the piece of furniture can be disposed in overlapping relationship, with the panels being interconnected at the correct sequence for the walls of the piece of furniture, so that not only the space can be reduced during transportation and/or the disassembling condition of the piece of furniture can be maintained, but also the final assembling can be carried out in a short time, as it would merely be required to glue or otherwise fix the prearranged line of panels about the back or rear closing wall, such an operation being facilitated by the flexible connection of the panels.

The invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a L-shaped piece of furniture made in accordance with the inventive system; Figure 2 shows the line of preassembled panels as seen from the outside of the piece of furniture; Figure 3 is a view showing the line of preassembled panels as seen from the opposite side to that of Fig. 2; Figures 4A and 4B show two variants for the flexible connection between the edges of adjoining panels; Figure 5 is a view showing the arrangement that the panels of the line shown in Fig. 2 can take at the collapsed condition thereof; and Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9 show successive construction and assembling steps for the piece of furniture shown in Fig. 1.

As it can be seen from Fig. 1, the invention is directed to a structure of a composable piece of furniture of substantially L-shape, wherein the two L legs are of the same length, and wherein the piece of furniture has a depth corresponding to the width of each leg comprising such a L shape. Generally, the piece of furniture comprises a sequence of panels 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 defining the side walls of the piece of furniture to which, as it will be explained in the following, a back or rear closing wall 7 is glued. From Fig. 1 it will be also seen that the length of base panel 1 and left side panel 6, is twice that of the remaining panels 2, 3, 4 and 5. Such a Lshaped piece of furniture can be coupled with an infinite variety of combinations to provide any composite structure for the production of bookcases, shelvings, show-cases and the like.

For the construction and assembling of the piece of furniture shown in Fig. 1, first the line of panels shown in Fig. 2 is provided, wherein the several panels 1 through 6 are sequentially interconnected according to the assembling arrangement, and wherein the two side faces of each panel are already completely finished, such as provided with a suitable natural or artificial veneer, for example a lining of plastics material or tile like according to requirements. Particularly, the sequence of panels shown in Fig. 2 is obtained from a continuous panel of proper length, the edges and side surfaces of which have been finished or trimmed with suitable lining layers; then, by machinings, transverse millings are provided for 45 inclined or chamfered edges at the ends of each of said panels 1 through 6.

As shown in Fig. 2 and enlarged view of Fig. 4A, the connection between adjoining panels is accomplished by a flexible hinge connection member allowing a relative 1 80' rotation of the panels on the opposite side to that where the chamfers have been formed and a relative 90 rotation on the side of said chamfers.

A fundamental feature of the system for the construction and assembling of furniture according to the present invention is that to provide the articulation on one side, only between the panels 3 and 4 defining the inwardly facing angle or corner for the Lshaped structure of the piece of furniture, whereas the articulations between the remaining panels, or those panels that are at the outwardly facing angle or corners are all formed on the outer side of the line which is opposite to the former.

The intermediate position of the articulation relative to the inner angle or corner and the symmetrical arrangement with respect to the latter of the remaining articulations, enables the panel line to be bent over itself, as shown in Fig. 5, in a reduced space relationship, with the intermediate panels 2, 3, 4 and 5 interposed between the end panels 1 and 6 having a larger length than the former. Thus, the end panels 1 and 6 of major length firmly hold the intermediate panels avoiding a relative movement of displacement thereof, so as to protect the flexible connections between the panels, which are the most delicate parts prior to final assembling. At the same time, the bent over or collapsed arrangement of Fig.

5 allows the entire piece of furniture to be stored, packaged and transported with the least floor space as possible. By making also the back or rear closing wall in two parts 7' and 7" that are joint interconnectable, as diagrammatically shown in Fig. 8, such parts of the back can be readily brought to overlie the bent over or collapsed panel line.

Finally, Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings is a view showing the provision of a longitudinal groove 8 along a side edge of each panel and, as explained hereinafter, having the peripheral edge of the rear closing back joined therein.

As stated, the connection between adjoining panels is through a flexible member substantially defining a hinge connection for allowing a rotation through 180 on that side of the panels which is opposite to that where the transverse chamfers are formed, while allowing a rotation through 90 for the 45 chamfer of the end edges of each panel. Such a hinge connection can be made, for example, as shown in Fig. 4A. In this figure, the hinge connection between panels 1 and 2 is shown as obtained by taking advantage of the flexibility properties of outer lining layer 9 comprising, for example, a veneer of PVC or other suitable plastics material, as uninterrupted or continuous for half of the panel line length from each end to the connecting location between intermediate panels 3 and 4.Conversely, on the other side of the line, veneer 10 is interrupted at the articulations between the panels and will form the inner surface of the finished piece of furniture. In order to strengthen the articulation between the panels, the use can be provided of a strip 11 of adhesive tape, as diagrammatically shown, brought to adhere to the outer surface of the strip on the opposite side to that having the chamfered edges of the panels formed thereon.

Accordingly, in the case shown in Fig. 4A, the chamfer of the panels is formed at the veneer layer that is on the opposite side to that where the chamfered edges of the panels are formed. This can be done, since such a veneer or lining layer has flexibility properties suitable for the specific purpose.Where the surface lining layer of the panel line, or veneer, is of a rigid nature as comprising, for example, a laminated plastic, or is not provided with the required flexibility characteristics, a process can be followed as shown in Fig. 4B, where the chamfer of the end edges of the panels involves the entire thickness of the panels,including the side veneers 1 2 and 13, so that the hinge connection is provided by only a band of adhesive material 14 still caused to adhere on the strip side opposite to that where the chamfered edges between the panels are formed.In both cases, an articulation can be obtained between adjoining panels of the line for the bent over or collapsed relationship shown in Fig. 5 for storage, transportation or other operation before the final assembling step, as hereinafter illustrated with reference to Figs. 5 through 9 of the accompanying drawings.

Thus, from the bent over or collapsed condition shown in Fig. 5, wherein the several panels are collapsed, with the end panels 1 and 6 of major length enclosing and therebetween firmly holding the inner panels of minor length, the panels can be gradually opened by the sequence of movements shown in Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9, after spreading a suitable adhesive on both the chamfered edges of the panels, longitudinal groove 8 and the edges of back portions 7' and 7".

Then, the inner corner between panels 3 and 4 is formed, the back is glued, panels 5 and 6 and next panels 2 and 1 are caused to adhere, thus providing the L-shaped structure of piece of furniture shown in Fig. 1. Because of the several panels being already pre-arranged in the form of a continuous line, in addition to the advantage of collapsing the latter at a minimum overall space as shown in Fig. 5, would also largely facilitate the assembling of the piece of furniture, which can be accomplished by simple glueing even from unskilled persons, providing a mere binding of the piece of furniture until the glue or adhe sive material has settled. Thereby, the piece of furniture can be assembled without the aid of fixtures and at proper time, since the piece of furniture can be preshaped and stored in dependence of certain productive requirements and later assembled at the time of its utilization.

Claims

1. A system for construction a composable piece of furniture, wherein the piece of furniture has side walls comprising interconnected panels to define a L-shaped structure closed by a rear wall, characterized by prearranging the interconnected panels in the form of a continuous line, with the panel edges that are joined by a flexible hinge connection member, wherein the flexible, connection corresponding to the inwardly facing corner of the L-shaped piece of furniture is at intermediate position on one side of said line, and the flexible connections at the remaining corners between the panels are formed on the opposite side, for handling the panel line at collapsed condition, with the intermediate panels that are interposed between the end panels of major length; and then assembling the piece of furniture by securing the panel line about the peripheral edge of the rear closing wall.

2. A system according to Claim 1, wherein said flexible hinge connection member is arranged on the opposite side of the panel line to that where the chamfered end edges of the panels are formed.

3. A system according to Claim 1, wherein the flexible hinge connection for the inner corner of the piece of furniture is formed at intermediate position of the line and the panels defining the side walls of the piece of furniture have a symmetrical arrangement relative to said flexible connection.

4. A system according to Claim 1, wherein the piece of furniture is assembled by gluing the panel line along the edges of the rear closing wall.

5. A system according to Claim 1, wherein said flexible hinge connection member comprises the layer of outer lining which is opposite to that where the chamfered end edges between adjoining panels are formed.

6. A system according to Claim 5, wherein provision is made for applying a strengthening adhesive tape on the forming side of each connection and at the latter.

7. A system according to Claim 1, wherein said flexible hinge connection member comprises a tape caused to adhere to that side of the panel line which is opposite to the side on which the chamfered edges between the panels are formed.

8. A modular L-shaped piece of furniture according to the system of the preceding claims, characterized by comprising a structure including side panels secured to a rear closing wall, the panels being previously joined in the form of a line or strip having flexible connecting parts, wherein an intermediate connecting part is located on the outer side of said panel line, and the flexible parts between the remaining panels are arranged symmetrically to said first part and on the inner side or opposite side to the former.