GB2050152A

GB2050152A - Adjustable feet for cupboards, cabinets or the like

Info

Publication number: GB2050152A
Application number: GB8013977A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Julius Blum GmbH
Current assignee: Julius Blum GmbH
Priority date: 1979-04-27
Filing date: 1980-04-28
Publication date: 1981-01-07
Also published as: ATA320579A; GB2050152B; IT8021637V0; AT362894B; DE8010933U1

Abstract

An adjustable foot for furniture comprises two tubes 1, 2 snugly fitted into each other, one tube 1 being fastened directly to the piece of furniture 4 and the other tube 2 resting on the floor; the tubes being connected by means of a height adjustment screw 5. A kicking board or cover plate 14 can be fastened to the tube 2 resting on the floor. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION An adjustable base for cupboards, cabinets or the like The invention relates to an adjustable base for cupboards, cabinets or the like. Such bases, which are usually fastened to the four corners of a clipboard and by means of which the cupboard rests on the floor surface, should be adjustable to a certain extent so that cupboards stand even on floors which are not 100% plane. This is of particular importance if the cupboard forms part of an assembly comprising various pieces of furniture standing side by side. In this case, slight differences in the surface bearing the pieces of furniture may cause undesired joints between the individual pieces.

It is, therefore, the object of the present invention to provide a base for cupboards or the like whose height can be adjusted in a simple and quick manner.

According to the invention this is achieved by providing a supporting tube adapted to be fastened to the bottom plate of the cupboard and a standing tube coaxially mounted thereon, said two tubes being height-adjustably linked to each other by means of a height adjusting screw.

It is preferably provided that said height adjusting screw is arranged in the common longitudinal center axis of the supporting tube and of the standing tube and that the supporting tube and the standing tube snugly fit into each other.

Hence, no further guiding devices are required for the two tubes forming the base, obtaining high stability nevertheless.

A further embodiment provides that the supporting tube and the standing tube are rectangular tubes at least over part of their heights.

This guarantees that the standing tube does not twist, when adjusting the base.

It is preferably provided that the height adjusting screw is turnably mounted in the bottom of the standing tube but immovably secured in axial direction and that said screw engages a female thread of the supporting tube, said female thread being, for example, supported by a nut which is retained in the supporting tube to be secured against torsion and displacement. In the afore-described embodiments, the head of the height adjusting screw must be accessible from the bottom of the standing tube. The adjustment of the base if effected by means of a screw driver turning the height adjusting screw in the female thread of the supporting tube.

In order to allow an adjustment by hand of the base height, a preferred embodiment provides that a driving wheel fixed to the height adjusting screw is arranged in the standing tube, a recess being provided in at least one side wall of the standing tube. The periphery of said driving wheel extends through said recess or said recess gives access to said driving wheel.

This provision has the advantage that the piece of furniture must only be lifted slightly from the floor, when adjusting the height of the base, as the adjustment is effected from the side. An adjustment by means of a screw driver requires greater floor clearance so that in most cases the cupboard has to be tilted for adjusting the base. It is further preferably provided that the standing tube has a fixing device for a cover plate. Hence, the cover plate forming the lower end of the visible face of the piece of furniture is always in the correct position, also when the height of the base is changed, i.e. it terminates exactly along the surface bearing the piece of furniture.A slit occurring between the cover plate and the bottom plate of the piece of furniture might be tolerated as, in many cases, the cover plate is bent inwards slightly below the bottom plate of the piece of furniture so that this slit cannot be seen, when looking at the piece of furniture.

In the embodiment providing the standing tube with a cover plate, it is of particular importance that the standing tube is secured against torsion, in order to avoid that the cover plate and the fixing device for the cover plate get jammed. As mentioned above, the standing tube is secured against torsion by providing rectangular tubes as standing- and supporting tubes.

The fixing device is preferably formed by two substantially horizontal braces, which have on their free ends vertical hooks extending into opposite directions. Said hooks engage a C-profile of the cover plate, when the cover plate is mounted on the base.

In order to provide a particularly close fit between the cover plate and the surface bearing the piece of furniture it is preferably provided that the cover plate, which substantially covers the region between the bottom plate of the piece of furniture and the surface bearing the piece of furniture, has at its lower rim a lip which is preferably of resilient material. It can further be provided that the lip is slightly curved outwards in the vertical line, thus achieving a close fit and flexibility between the lip and the surface bearing the piece of furniture.

A further embodiment of the invention provides that the supporting tube has on the side of the piece of furniture a projection with a bayonet catch by means of which it can be anchored to a plate member fixed to the bottom plate of the piece of furniture.

Hence, the bases can be quickly and securely mounted, when the piece of furniture is disposed in the desired place. This is of particular advantage, when packaging the cupboard or parts thereof for transport.

In the following two ernbodiments of the invention will be described in more detail with reference to the figures 1 to 1 7 of the accompanying drawings without being limited thereto.

The base in accordance with the present invention substantially comprises a supporting tube 1 and a standing tube 2, said supporting tube being inserted into said standing tube, thereby snugly fitting into each other (Fig. 2, Fig. 5).

The supporting tube 1 is fastened to the bottom plate 4 of the piece of furniture by means of a plate member 3. Said plate member may be fastened to the piece of furniture in a conventional manner by means of dowels or screws. The plate member 3 and the supporting tube 1 have a bayonet catch 22 by means of which the supporting tube 1 can be easily anchored to the plate member 3.

The standing tube 2 and the supporting tube 1 are linked by means of a height adjusting screw 5. In the embodiment according to Fig. 2, the head 5' of the height adjusting screw 5 is positively, but rotatably and axially immovably supported in the bottom 2' of the standing tube 2.

The height adjusting screw 5 is mounted in a hole 6 in the standing tube 2, whereby annular projections 7, 8 of the height adjusting screw 5 retain the height adjusting screw 5 on the bottom 2' of the standing tube 2.

On the side of the supporting tube, the height adjusting screw 5 is mounted in a nut 9 being positively secured in the supporting tube 1.

By turning the height adjusting screw 5 by means of a screw driver, which can be inserted therein on the bottom 2' of the standing tube, the standing tube 2 can be displaced in respect of the supporting tube 1 in the direction of double arrow A.

Figs. 5 through 8 show an embodiment in which the standing tube 2 can be adjusted by hand. In this case, the height adjusting screw 5 is on the side of the standing tube not immediately mounted in the standing tube 2 but in a driving wheel 10, which is positively secured in the standing tube 2.

Said driving wheel 10 extends with its periphery through recesses 11 in the side walls 2' of the standing tube 2.

On the side of the supporting tube, the height adjusting screw 5 is retained in a nut 9 fixed to the supporting tube 1.

By turning the driving wheel 10, said driving wheel is together with the height adjusting screw 5 moved into the direction of double arrow A, whereby the driving wheel drives the standing tube 2 with its lateral annular faces 1 2 by means of which it rests against the walls 2", i.e. at the rims of said walls in the region of the recesses 11.

Each standing tube 2 can be provided with a fixing device 1 3 for a cover plate 14. Said fixing device 1 3 comprises, in side view, two horizontal braces 15, which have hook-shaped projectlons 1 5 at their free ends, said projections engaging a C-profile 1 7 on the cover plate 14.

In top view, as can best be seen in Fig. 3, a number of horizontal braces 1 5 can be arranged beside one another in order to obtain a better support for the cover plate 1 4.

On the standing tube 2, too, horizontal braces 1 5 can be arranged rectrangularly to one another in order to link two cover plates 1 4 with one base at a corner of the piece of furniture.

The cover plate 1 4 is preferably provided with a resilient lip 18, which rests, in the mounted position, against the surface bearing the piece of furniture resp. rests on it without forming any joints. As can be seen in Fig. 9, the cover plate 14 can be made of wood, the lip 1 8 of resilient material being, for example, glued to the wood. The C-profile for the fixing device 5 can be fastened to the cover plate 14 by gluing or by means of screws.

Fig. 10 shows a cross-sectional view of a cover plate 14, which is entirely of extruded plastics material. Said cover plate 14 and said lip 18 form a homogeneous member.

As can particularly be seen in Fig. 11, individual cover plates 14 can be linked to a continuous front of cover plates by means of linking members 1 9 for the external corners and linking members .20 for the internal corners, thus providing an optimum fit, when used for built-in furniture.

Figs. 1 2 through 14 show different views of a linking member 20 for an internal corner, and Figs. 1 5 through 1 7 show the same views of a linking member 1 9 for an external corner.

Said linking members 1 9 and 20 have also lips 18' corresponding to the lips 1 8 of the cover plates 14. Said linking members 19, 20 are not directly secured to the base. They are jointed to the cover plates 14 and linked thereto by means of braces 21, for example.

Claims

1. An adjustable base for cupboards, cabinets, or the like comprising a supporting tube adapted to be fastened to the bottom plate of the cupboard and a standing tube, said two tubes being height-adjustably linked to each other by means of a height adjusting"screw.

2. An adjustable base as defined in claim 1, wherein said height adjusting screw is arranged in the common longitudinal center axis of said supporting tube and said standing tube.

3. An adjustable base as defined in claim 1, wherein said supporting tube and said standing tube snugly fit into each other.

4. An adjustable base as defined in claims 1 and/or 3, wherein said supporting tube and said standing tube are rectangular tubes at least over part of their heights.

5. An adjustable base as defined in claims 1 and/or 2, wherein said height adjusting screw is turnably mounted in the bottom of said standing tube but immovably secured in axial direction and engages a female thread of said supporting tube.

6. An adjustable base as defined in claim 5, wherein said female thread is supported by a nut retained in said supporting tube to be secured against torsion and displacement.

7. An adjustable base as defined in at least one of claims 1 through 6, wherein a driving wheel fixed to said height adjusting screw is arranged in said standing tube, a recess being provided in at least one side wall of said standing tube, the periphery of said driving wheel extending through said recess or said recess giving at least access to said driving wheel.

8. An adjustable base as defined in at least one of claims 1 through 7, wherein said standing tube is provided with a fixing device for said cover plate.

9. An adjustable base as defined in claim 8, wherein said fixing device for said cover plate is formed by two substantially horizontal braces having vertical hooks on their free ends extending into opposite directions.

10. An adjustable base as defined in claim 8, wherein said cover plate substantially covering the region between the bottom plate of the piece of furniture and the surface bearing the piece of furniture has on its lower rim a lip preferably of resilient material.

11. An adjustable base as defined in at least one of claims 1 through 10, wherein said supporting tube has on the side of the piece of furniture a cylindrical projection comprising a bayonet catch, said catch being adapted to anchor said supporting tube in a plate member fastened to said bottom plate of the piece of furniture.

1 2. An adjustable base substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 3. An adjustable base substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.