GB2571783A

GB2571783A - Shelf support for furniture system

Info

Publication number: GB2571783A
Application number: GB1803819.0A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Cunningham Paul
Original assignee: Swift Group Ltd
Current assignee: Swift Group Ltd
Priority date: 2018-03-09
Filing date: 2018-03-09
Publication date: 2019-09-11
Also published as: GB201803819D0

Abstract

A shelf support component 10 for a caravan or motorhome furniture system, comprising a receiving portion 12 for receiving a shelf edge, and an attaching portion 20 for attaching the shelf support component 10 to a furniture unit panel. The shelf support component 10 is movable along a length of the panel to adjust a height of the shelf to a desired elevation. The shelf support component may be injection moulded or die cast. The receiving portion may comprise a slot 14 into which the shelf edge can be inserted. The attaching portion may comprise a recess 21 for receiving a projection 22, projecting from the furniture panel, in a push-fit connection.

Description

Shelf Support for Furniture System

The present invention is related to a shelf support for a furniture system, in particular for a furniture system in a caravan or motorhome.

Caravans and motorhomes typically comprise a variety of items of furniture, including wardrobes and cupboards. It is desirable that the items of furniture are lightweight but sturdy. Cupboards and wardrobes are typically constructed by attaching panels together, where the panels form the walls, bases and shelving arrangements of the cupboard or wardrobe. The panels are typically attached together using fittings such as knockdown fittings, fixed or rigid extrusions, brackets or mechanical fixings, or using adhesives or pinning methods such as dowels and staples.

Disadvantages may arise in conventional furniture systems for caravans or motorhomes in that the furniture units are difficult to assembly and typically comprise many different parts.

According to the present invention, there is provided an apparatus and method as set forth in the appended claims. Other features of the invention will be apparent from the dependent claims, and the description that follows.

According to an aspect of the invention there is provided a shelf support component for a caravan or motorhome furniture system having a receiving portion for receiving an edge of a shelf, and an attaching portion for attaching the shelf support component to a panel of a furniture unit, wherein the shelf support component is movable along a length of the panel to adjust a height of the shelf.

The shelf support component may be a moulded component, preferably formed of injection moulded plastics material. Alternatively, the shelf support component may be a cast component, preferably formed from die cast material.

The receiving portion may comprise a slot adapted to receive the edge of the shelf. The receiving portion may be arranged relative to the attaching portion such that the receiver projects from the panel at a desired angle relative to the panel, preferably substantially perpendicularly to the panel.

The attaching portion may comprise a recess for receiving a projection that projects from the furniture panel, in order to attach the shelf support component to the panel, preferably in a push-fit connection. The attaching portion may comprise a protrusion that protrudes from an inside surface of the recess. The protrusion may be receivable in a groove in the projection, for attaching the shelf support component to the projection in a push-fit connection. The attaching portion provides a simple way to attach the shelf support component to the panel, so that the assembly process of a furniture unit may be simplified. The shelf support component provides the advantage that that amount of machining required in a furniture panel to assembly a furniture unit may be reduced, thereby simplifying the method of assembly of a furniture unit.

The groove may extend along a length of the projection. The shelf support component may be slidable along the groove to adjust the height of the shelf support component, thereby adjusting the height of the shelf. This provides the advantage that the shelf can be provided at the desired height in a furniture unit.

The shelf support component may be fixable to the furniture panel at a desired height. The shelf support component may preferably be fixed to the projection, so that it may no longer slide relative to the projection. The shelf support component may be fixable to the projection or the panel by a mechanical fixing, such as a screw, dowel or other type of snap-in fastener. The shelf support component may be releasably fixable to the projection or the panel, so that the position of the shelf support component can be moved if required, or removed to facilitate a repair.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a furniture unit comprising a panel, a shelf and a shelf support component, wherein the shelf support component comprises a receiving portion for receiving an edge of the shelf and an attaching portion for attaching to a projection that projects from the panel along a length of the panel, wherein the shelf support component is movable along the length of the projection to adjust the height of the shelf.

The furniture system may comprise a plurality of shelf support components for supporting the shelf.

For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how embodiments of the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a side perspective view of a first example of a shelf support component;

Figure 2 shows a capping component for the shelf support component;

Figure 3 shows a top perspective view of a furniture system comprising the shelf support component and the capping component;

Figure 4 shows a furniture unit including shelf support components; and

Figure 5 shows a side perspective view of a second example of a shelf support component.

As shown in figure 1, a shelf support component 10 comprises a receiving portion 12 for receiving an edge of a shelf. The receiving portion 12 comprises a slot 14 in which the edge of the shelf may be inserted. The height of the slot 14 is adapted to correspond to the thickness of the shelf, and the depth of the slot 14 is sufficient that the bottom part 16 of the receiving portion 12 may support the shelf. The receiving portion 12 is symmetric, such that the slot 14 is adapted to receive an edge of a shelf both in the orientation shown in figure 1 and when inverted. The top part 18 of the receiving portion 12 is adapted to support the shelf when the shelf support component is inverted.

The shelf support component 10 comprises an attaching portion 20 for attaching the shelf support component 10 to a side panel of a furniture unit. The attaching portion 20 comprises a recess 21 for receiving a projection that projects from a panel of a furniture unit, for example for receiving a projection 22 from the capping component 24 shown in figures 2 and 3.

The capping component 24 comprises a receiver 26 for receiving an end of a panel 28, thereby capping the end of the panel 28, as shown in figure 3. The receiver 26 may be oriented perpendicularly from the projection 22, so that the projection 22 projects substantially perpendicularly from the panel 28.

The projection 22 on the capping component 24 in figure 2 is substantially rectangular in cross section, and the recess 21 of the attaching portion 20 is also substantially rectangular in crosssection and corresponds to the projection 22 so that the projection 22 may be received in the recess 21 in a push-fit connection, as shown in figure 3. The projection 22 may comprise grooves (not shown) that extend along the length of the projection 22, for receiving protrusions (not shown) that protrude from the inside surface of the recess 21 of the attaching portion 20. When attaching the shelf support component 10 to the capping component 24, the protrusions of the attaching portion 20 may snap-fit into the grooves and may slide along the length of the projection 22 along the grooves.

The shelf support component 10 may be fixed at a desired height on the projection 22 of the capping component 24. The shelf support component 10 comprises openings 30 for receiving mechanical fixings, for attaching the shelf support component 10 to the projection 22 at the desired height. The shelf support component 10 is also attachable to other similar shaped projections in other furniture components.

Figure 4 shows a furniture unit comprising shelf support components 10 for holding a shelf 32. First and second of the shelf support components 10 are attached to a capping component 24, and a third of the shelf support components 10 is attached to a corner component 34. The projection 22 on the capping component 24 and the projection 36 on the corner component 34 project substantially perpendicularly from the furniture panel 28, so that the shelf support components 10 project substantially perpendicularly from the panels 28.

The capping components 24 and the corner component 34 extend up the length of the panels 28, and the shelf support components 10 are fixed at the desired height on the projections 22, 36 of the capping components 24 and the corner component 34. This allows the shelf support components 10 to be placed at any desired height, which provides significant advantages over prior art methods of machining holes in the panel at a desired location. The ability to assemble the panels 28 and shelf support components 10 without further machining or drilling is advantageous.

A second example of a shelf support component 50 is shown in figure 5. The shelf support component 50 comprises a receiving portion 52 and an attaching portion 54. The receiving portion 52 comprises a slot 56 for receiving an edge of a shelf and is substantially the same as the receiving portion 12 of the first example of the shelf support component. The shelf support component 50 in figure 5 differs from the shelf support component 10 in figure 1 in that the attachment means 54 is off-set from the receiving portion 52. The attachment means 54 comprises openings 58 for attaching the shelf support component to a capping component 24.

Attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims

1. A shelf support component for a caravan or motorhome furniture system, the shelf support component having a receiving portion for receiving an edge of a shelf, and an attaching portion for attaching the shelf support component to a panel of a furniture unit, wherein the shelf support component is movable along a length of the panel to adjust a height of the shelf.

2. The shelf support component according to claim 1, wherein the shelf support component is an injection moulded component or a die cast component.

3. The shelf support component according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the receiving portion may comprises a slot into which the edge of the shelf is insertable.

4. The shelf support component according to any preceding claim, wherein the attaching portion comprises a recess for receiving a projection that projects from the furniture panel, in order to attach the shelf support component to the panel.

5. The shelf support component according to claim 4, wherein the recess is adapted to receive the projection in a push-fit connection.

6. The shelf support component according to claim 5, wherein the attaching portion comprises a protrusion that protrudes from an inside surface of the recess, wherein the protrusion is receivable in a groove in the projection, for attaching the shelf support component to the projection in the push-fit connection.

7. The shelf support component according to claim 6, wherein the shelf support component is slidable along the groove to adjust the height of the shelf support component, thereby adjusting the height of the shelf.

8. The shelf support component according to any preceding claim, wherein the attaching portion is fixable to the furniture panel at a desired height.

9. A furniture unit comprising a panel, a shelf and the shelf support component of any preceding claim, wherein an edge of the shelf is received in the receiving portion, and the attaching portion attaches the shelf support component to the panel, wherein the shelf support component is movable along the length of the panel to adjust the height of the shelf.