GB2586304A

GB2586304A - Furniture securement system

Info

Publication number: GB2586304A
Application number: GB2006362.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jonsson Ingemar
Original assignee: Pineapple Contracts ULC
Current assignee: Pineapple Contracts ULC
Priority date: 2019-05-01
Filing date: 2020-04-30
Publication date: 2021-02-17
Anticipated expiration: 2040-04-30
Also published as: GB202006362D0; GB2586304B; GB201906110D0

Abstract

An item of furniture 2 with securement means comprising a bracket 10 to be inserted into a recess 6 in the underside of the item of furniture. The bracket has means to be secured to the floor. The recess may be shaped like a V. The bracket may be shaped like a V. The bracket may have each end formed with an outwardly extending flange 12 extending perpendicular to its respective arm. Where each flange is received by a respective aperture 8 extending into the furniture. The furniture may have a bore hole. A separate embodiment has an item of furniture with a base including a frame (20, fig 7) having at least one wheel assembly (22, fig 8). The wheel assembly can pivot to where it extends downwardly or rests against the floor.

Description

Furniture securement system

Field of invention

The present invention relates to a furniture securement system. More especially the invention relates to means to secure furniture, for example a bed, bench or stool, to the floor to prevent it being moved by unauthorised personnel. The system has particular use with furniture designed for the prison industry.

Background to the invention

There are occasions where furniture, such as for example benches, stools or beds are not to be moved from their chosen location. In prison cells for example, it is imperative to secure the various items of furniture in position to prevent them being moved around and used, for example, as barricades or barriers against the prison staff.

Presently in such cases, furniture is generally secured to the wall or floor in a fairly basic manner. The securement means is often left accessible for release 20 by an inmate who somehow acquires or constructs an appropriate tool.

The present invention seeks to provide an improved assembly and method of securement by providing the securement assembly within the internal structure of the furniture or on a surface of the furniture not easily accessible once the furniture is in place.

Statement of invention

According to a first aspect there is provided an item of furniture and means to secure the item of furniture against the floor wherein: the furniture item includes a main body with a base having an underlying surface; the securing means comprises a bracket and means to secure the bracket to the floor; the underside surface of the furniture item has formed therein having a recess extending into the base; and the bracket is shaped to be received within the recess when the furniture item is placed over and secured to the bracket.

According to a second aspect there is provided a method of securing a furniture item to a floor, the furniture item including a main body with a base having an underlying surface and a recess within said surface; the method comprising: securing to the floor a bracket having a shape that compliments the recess of the furniture; locating the furniture item over the bracket such that the bracket extends into the recess; and securing the furniture item body to the bracket.

According to a third aspect there is provided an item of furniture having a main body with a base including a frame having at least one wheel assembly pivotal from the frame and means move the or each wheel assembly from a first position whereby the or each wheel extends downwardly from the base to support the base of the furniture item above the ground to a second position whereby the or each wheel is located within the frame and the base of the furniture item rests against the floor.

According to a further aspect there is provided a method of positioning an item of furniture having a main body with a base including a frame having at least 25 one wheel assembly pivotal from the frame; wherein the method comprises pivoting the or each wheel to a first position wherein the or each wheel extends downwardly from the frame to lift the base of the furniture item off the ground; moving the furniture item to the desired location; and pivoting the or each wheel to a second position whereby the or each wheel sits within the frame and the base of the furniture item rests against the floor.

Brief description of the drawings

Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying figures in which: Figure 1 is perspective view of an underside of a stool or seat constructed in accordance with the invention together with the securing bracket; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the stool of figure 1 with the bracket secured to the underside of the stool; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the stool once secured and ready for use; Figure 4 is perspective view of bench constructed in accordance with the invention; Figure 5 is a view of the underside of the base of the bench of figure 4; Figure 6 is an elevated perspective view of the bench; Figure 7 is a perspective view of securing frame assembly for a bed or the like constructed in accordance with the invention; and Figure 8 is an exploded view of the wheel assembly of the frame of figure 7.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments

A securement assembly for a stool is shown in figures 1 to 3.

The stool body 2 is a hollow unitary structure constructed from a rigid plastics material. Other suitable materials that provide a stable seating structure may however be used.

The stool 2 shown has a generally barrel-like shape but the stool could take any other suitable structural form.

Figure 1 illustrates the stool upside down to show the underside or base 4 of the stool 2. The base 4 has a generally V-shaped recess 6 extending across the majority of its surface.

Each corner of the recess 6 has a deeper protrusion or aperture 8 extending into the base 4.

Figure 1 also shows the floor securement means which comprises a securing bracket 10 formed in a V-shape to compliment the recess 6 within the base 4 of the stool.

The ends and corner of the bracket 10 have an outwardly extending flange 12 extending perpendicular to its respective arm of the bracket 10. Each flange 12 is dimensioned and shaped to be received within a respective aperture 8 when the bracket 10 sits within the recess 6 in the base 4 of the stool 2.

Figure 2 shows the bracket 10 sitting within the recess 6.

In practice, the bracket 10 is first secured to the floor in the desired location using screws 14 or similar fixing means with the flanges 12 extending upwardly from the floor. The stool body 2 is then placed over the bracket 10 such that the bracket 10 extends upwardly from the floor into the recess 6, and the flanges 12 further extend upwardly into the apertures 8.

The stool body 2 is then secured the bracket 10. In order to secure the stool body 2 onto the bracket 10, the body 2 of stool is provided initially with the top surface or lid separate from the body 2. As the body 2 is formed as a hollow structure, the inside of the body 2 is accessible when the lid or top is not in place to allow a user to secure the bracket 10 to the stool body 2 internally.

The bracket can be secured by conventional means, such as, for example, a nut and bolt arrangement extending through the base 4 of the main body 2. Alternatively or additionally, the clamps could be placed on or around the flanges 12 extending up from the bracket 10 and through the base 4 to prevent the body 2 from being lifted off the bracket 10.

The lid is then sealed in place over the top once the body 2 has been secured to the bracket 10.

Figure 3 show the stool the correct way up for use. It can be seen that the lid forms the seat 14 of the stool. The seat 14 may be curved for comfort. It can also be seen that the securement assembly is neither visible nor accessible to person whose intention is to release the securement to move the stool from its desired position.

In an alternative embodiment (not shown) the stool body 2 can be secured to the bracket 10 from the outside through a bore hole in the side of the body 4 near its base into which a screw can be threaded and engage with the bracket 10. In such an embodiment a separable lid may not be required.

Figures 4 to 6 show the securement assembly used on a bench of similar structure and design of the stool 2. In this embodiment it can be seen that a bracket 10 is located at either end of the bench body 16. Without securement at both ends, leverage could be applied at one end to break the securement.

As can be seen more clearly in figure 6, the bench body 16 may be constructed in two parts 18, 20 that are joined together to form a single structure once the bend body has been secured to the floor. The initially separable structure allows access to the internal cavity of the bench body 16 to secure the body 16 to the brackets 10 before the end part 18 is sealed to the main body part 20.

Figure 7 shows an alternative securement assembly, this time for use with a larger furniture structure such as a bed. The assembly comprises a frame 20 in the structural profile of three sides of a rectangle.

The frame 20 is secured in use to the underside of the base of a bed structure (not shown) The frame 20 could form a different shape which is capable of extending across the majority of the base of a bed. It could, for example, be triangular.

The bed body (now shown) is also a unitary structure constructed from a rigid plastics material. Other suitable materials that provide a bed structure may 10 however be used.

The bed structure is weighted to make it heavy to the extent that, when the base is on the floor the bed is very difficult to move, requiring a number of authorised personnel. The weight of the bed may be through due to its structure and/or material or further weight elements may be added. For example, the internal structural of the bed may include cavities for receiving sand or water.

The frame 20 is secured to the base of the bed. Alternatively, the frame 20, or an equivalent structure, is formed integral with the base of the bed.

Each end and corner of the frame 20 has a wheel assembly 22 pivotally mounted to the frame 20.

As can be seen in figure 8, each wheel 22 is mounted within a bracket 24 that is able to pivot from a position in which the longitudinal axis of the bracket 24 is co-planar to that of the frame arm to which it is attached, to a position whereby the bracket 24 is aligned perpendicular to the arm. In the latter position the bed is raised off the floor supported by the four wheels 22 of the frame 20.

Figure 8 shows the bracket 24 in an intermediary position wherein only part of the wheel 22 extends downwardly from the frame 20.

In the embodiment shown the mechanism by which pivoting of the bracket 24 is activated comprises and end bracket 26 attached to the frame 20 which carries an actuating button 28. The button 28 may be rotated to raise or lower the wheel 22 by causing the bracket 24 to pivot between its first and second positions.

Other mechanisms can be used to lower and raise the wheels 22, for example a hydraulic piston or even a simple lever.

Each bracket 24 may be connectable through linkages extending through the frame 20 such that one single pivoting mechanism may be used to pivot all four brackets 24 at the same time. Alternatively, each or some of the brackets 24 may have their own separate pivoting mechanism to allow some or each wheel 22 to be lowered and raised independently of the others.

At the time the bed is being moved to the location, the bed is raised off the ground with the wheel brackets 26 extended downwardly to allow the bed to be pushed or pulled into it its desired location without too much difficulty.

Once in its desired location the or each pivoting mechanism is activated to lift each bracket 24, and therefore each wheel assembly 33, into the frame 20 to lower the base of the bed to a rest position against the floor. At this point the actuating button 28 may be removed to prevent access to the pivoting assembly in order to lift the bed.

Alternatively or additionally each wheel assembly bracket 24 may be locked in its lifted position with unlocking means only being available to authorised personnel.

Once the base is against the floor the weight of the bed is sufficient to prevent its movement.

Claims

CLAIMS1 An item of furniture and means to secure the item of furniture against the floor wherein: the furniture item includes a main body with a base having an underlying surface; the securing means comprises a bracket and means to secure the bracket to the floor; the underside surface of the furniture item has formed therein having a recess extending into the base; and the bracket is shaped to be received within the recess when the furniture item is placed over and secured to the bracket.
2. A furniture item according to claims comprising a hollow main body made from rigid material and having a lid separable from the main body to allow access to inside the main body.
3. A furniture item according to claim 2, wherein the main body is made from a plastics material.
4. A furniture item according to claim 3, wherein the lid is made from plastics material.
A furniture item according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the lid, when closed over the main body, forms a top surface of the furniture item for suitable use.
6. A furniture item according to any preceding claim, wherein the recess is V-shaped.
7. A furniture item according to claim 6 wherein the recess extends across the majority of the base of the main body.
8. A furniture item according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the securement means comprises a V-shaped bracket that is complimentary in shape to the recess.
9 A furniture item according to claim 8, wherein each end of the bracket is formed with an outwardly extending flange extending perpendicular to its respective arm of the bracket, each flange being received within a respective aperture extending into the main body of the furniture item.
10.A furniture item according to any preceding claim having two or more recesses and brackets.
11.A furniture item according to claim 1, wherein the main body includes at least one bore hole that allows access into the main body to secure bracket to the main body.
12.A furniture item according claim 1, wherein the furniture item is made from at least two separable parts.
13.A method of securing a furniture item to a floor, the furniture item including a main body with a base having an underlying surface and a recess within said surface; the method comprising: securing to the floor a bracket having a shape that compliments the recess of the furniture; locating the furniture item over the bracket such that the bracket extends into the recess; and securing the furniture item body to the bracket.
14.A method according to claim 13, wherein the main body is made from a rigid hollow structure and has a separable lid and the method includes the steps of removing the lid to allow access to the bracket when located on the recess to secure the bracket to the main body.
15.An item of furniture having a main body with a base including a frame having at least one wheel assembly pivotal from the frame and means move the or each wheel assembly from a first position whereby the or each wheel extends downwardly from the base to support the base of the furniture item above the ground to a second position whereby the or each wheel is located within the frame and the base of the furniture item rests against the floor.
16.A method of positioning an item of furniture having a main body with a base including a frame having at least one wheel assembly pivotal from the frame; wherein the method comprises pivoting the or each wheel to a first position wherein the or each wheel extends downwardly from the frame to lift the base of the furniture item off the ground; moving the furniture item to the desired location; and pivoting the or each wheel to a second position whereby the or each wheel sits within the frame and the base of the furniture item rests against the floor.