GB2277787A

GB2277787A - Withdrawal of expansion pins from connector sleeves

Info

Publication number: GB2277787A
Application number: GB9409038A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hans-Jurgen Neuhaus
Original assignee: Franke & Co KG GmbH
Current assignee: Franke & Co KG GmbH
Priority date: 1993-05-08
Filing date: 1994-05-06
Publication date: 1994-11-09
Anticipated expiration: 2014-05-06
Also published as: DE9307036U1; GB9409038D0; FR2704912A1; GB2277787B; FR2704912B1

Abstract

To permit extraction of expansion pins (15) from the bores of expansion sleeves (12) of a connector (10) secured to an article of furniture (13), the outer end of the expansion pins (15) are formed with transverse bores (16), (or undercuts or beads) so that they can be engaged by dismantling tools. <IMAGE>

Description

A FIXING MEMBER TO BE SECURED TO A STRUCTURAL MEMBER OF AN ITEM OF FURNITURE MADE OF WOOD OR A WOOD-LIKE MATERIAL The invention relates to a fixing member to be secured to a structural member of an item of furniture made of wood or a wood-like material.

Such a fixing member can include at least one plastics expansion sleeve and cooperating expansion pin, which expansion sleeve can be inserted into a cylindrical bore in a contact surface of the structural member of the item of furniture and be secured by means of the expansion pin hammered into the bore in the sleeve until the outer end face of the expansion pin is flush with an outer face of the fixing member remote from the contact surface.

A fixing member of this kind can, for example, be a box-like housing made of a plastics material and having a bore into which a height-adjustable furniture leg can be inserted to support an item of furniture. Such fixing members can be secured to the underside of the item of furniture, one at each corner of the underside. The fixing member is usually provided with four expansion sleeves which are inserted into corresponding bores in the structural member of the item of furniture. So as force-lockingly to secure them, a respective expansion pin is hammered into the bore of each expansion sleeve. The outer end faces of the expansion pins are then flush with the face of the fixing member which is remote from the contact surface.

Nowadays, environmentally friendly disposal of all objects is desirable. This means that the fixing member, usually made of plastics material, has to be separated from the structural part of the item of furniture since the two are usually made of completely different materials. The bores, surrounding the outside of the expansion sleeve, of the fixing member are admittedly larger than the external diameter of the expansion pins. However, it is not possible to remove the expansion pins from the expansion sleeve using pliers in order to separate the fixing member from the structural member of the item of furniture. Therefore, to take the two apart, an awkward breakage operation has to ensue.

According to the invention there is provided a fixing member to be secured to a structural member of an item of furniture made of wood or a wood-like material, the fixing member including at least one plastics expansion sleeve and cooperating expansion pin, which expansion sleeve can be inserted into a cylindrical bore in a contact surface of the structural member of the item of furniture and be secured by means of the expansion pin hammered into the bore in the sleeve until the outer end face of the expansion pin, in the expanded condition of the expansion sleeve, is flush with an outer face of the fixing member remote from the contact surface, wherein each expansion pin is so profiled at its outer end that a dismantling tool can be engaged with it to effect withdrawal of the expansion pin from the expansion sleeve.

Such a fixing member can be secured to a structural member of an item of furniture in such a way that for disposal purposes it is easily possible to separate the fixing member and the structural member of the item of furniture, that the separation operation can be carried out by a non-specialist and that household tools can be used to carry out the operation.

Thus for example a conventional household screwdriver can be used to remove the expansion pin from the sleeve. This is easily done since an edge which encloses the bore of the fixing member can act as an abutment for the tool. This tool then acts like a two-armed lever, wherein the extremely intensive action of the lever arms exerts a correspondingly large tractive force on the expansion pin. Since the expansion pin is usually made of plastics material no additional manufacturing costs need be incurred. Expediently, the expansion pins are injection moulded with the expansion sleeve and are detachably connected at a nominal breakage point. This can ensure that the expansion pins will not become lost.

The invention is diagrammatically illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of a fixing member according to the invention inserted by way of its expansion sleeves into a structural member of an item of furniture before expansion pins are hammered in; Figure 2 shows a second embodiment of a fixing member according to the invention wherein one expansion pin has been hammered into an expansion sleeve; and Figure 3 is a detail of the embodiment according to Figure 1, showing in section a connection between an expansion pin and a expansion sleeve.

A fixing member 10 shown in Figures 1 and 2 is suitable for receiving a height-adjustable furniture leg (not shown). The fixing member 10 is provided with four dowel-like expansion sleeves 12 which project from a contact surface 11. The expansion sleeves 12 are inserted in corresponding bores in the structural member 13 of an item of furniture, in the embodiment shown a base of an item of furniture.

The fixing member 10 is provided with four bores 14 whose internal diameters are greater than those of expansion pins 15 to be hammered into the expansion sleeves 12. From the drawings it can be seen that the outer end faces, remote from the expansion sleeves 12, of the expansion pins 15 project from the contact surface 11 by about the extent of the length of the expansion sleeves 12. To secure the fixing member 10, the four expansion pins 15 are hammered completely into the expansion sleeves 12, so that the end faces are flush with the outer face of the fixing member 10, as illustrated by the right-hand expansion pin 15 in Figure 2.

The expansion pins 15 are profiled at their end regions remote from the expansion sleeves 12. According to the design in Figure 1, each end region of the expansion pin 15 is provided with a transverse bore 16. With the design in Figure 2, the end regions of the expansion pins 15 are provided with saw-tooth-like undercut regions 17, wherein the parallel side facing the end faces also faces the end face, so that a screwdriver can be placed behind that side for slotted screws.

However, it is also possible to provide the end regions of the expansion pins 15 with peripheral undercut grooves rather than the transverse bore 16 or the undercut region 17. Also, beads projecting from the outer contour could be formed on the end regions.

With the design in Figure 3, each expansion pin 15 is in the form of a sleeve which is connected, when not pressed against the end facing the expansion sleeve 12, to the expansion sleeve. Therefore, each expansion pin 15 can be injection moulded with the fixing member 10.

When subjected to an impact-like load, separation takes place and the expansion pin 15 is introduced into the expansion sleeve 15. The design in Figure 3 is advantageous in that no separate parts have to be supplied which could obviously become lost. Also, retaining tongue portions 18 which extend over its height are also formed on the fixing member.

From the drawings it can be seen that the profile of each expansion pin 15 is able to be engaged by a conventional household screwdriver, so that it can be removed from the expansion sleeves 12.

The fixing member 10 can thus easily be separated from the item of furniture by applying the necessary amount of force.

Claims

1. A fixing member to be secured to a structural member of an item of furniture made of wood or a wood-like material, the fixing member including at least one plastics expansion sleeve and cooperating expansion pin, which expansion sleeve can be inserted into a cylindrical bore in a contact surface of the structural member of the item of furniture and be secured by means of the expansion pin hammered into the bore in the sleeve until the outer end face of the expansion pin, in the expanded condition of the expansion sleeve, is flush with an outer face of the fixing member remote from the contact surface, wherein each expansion pin is so profiled at its outer end that a dismantling tool can be engaged with it to effect withdrawal of the expansion pin from the expansion sleeve.

2. A fixing member according to claim 1, wherein the profiling is formed by a transverse bore.

3. A fixing member according to claim 1, wherein the profiling is in the form of an undercut region, a peripheral undercut groove or a bead which projects around the basic contour.

4. A fixing member according to claim 1, wherein each expansion pin is initially connected to the expansion sleeve at a nominal breakage point.

5. A fixing member according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each expansion pin is in the form of an expansion sleeve.

6. A fixing member according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein retaining tongue portions are fixed to the fixing member in the region of connection between the expansion sleeve and the expansion pin.

7. A fixing member to be secured to a structural member of an item of furniture made of wood or a wood-like material substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.