GB2597081A - Furniture assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

A furniture assembly comprising at least two shaped structural elements 2 engaged with each other to form the assembly. Each individual element is provided as a kit of parts and having at least two panel sections 4,6,8,10. The panel sections being connectable through a clip 30 having first and second arms (32A,B; Figure 5B), the first arm being connectable to a first panel section and the second arm being connectable to a second panel section. The panel sections may have a recessed groove (16, Figure 2) extending into and along their peripheral edge. Each clip may be L-shaped. The first and second arms may be locatable within the recessed grooves of the first and second panels respectively. Each arm may have an outward protrusion (34, Figure 5B), that is elastic and biased outwardly, to grip and retain the arm in its respective groove. The assembly may comprise six structural elements all a different shape when assembled.

Description

Furniture assembly

Field of invention

The present invention relates to a furniture assembly. More especially the invention relates to a furniture assembly consisting of a number of individual furniture elements and the method of construction of each element.

Background to the invention

Furniture items that consist of a number of interconnected or adjacent-lying shaped elements are generally known. These allow the consumer to assemble the elements to form an item furniture of a desired shape to fit their space and/or design requirements.

The current trend for furniture items is to provide them in flat-pack form for construction by the consumer which leads to a need for simple design construction and straightforward assembly.

Current furniture assemblies which comprise mainly of plywood panels use fairly standard mechanisms to connect and secure the panels together. These include use of pre-formed features in the panels such as tongue and groove formations and simple connectors and fasteners such as screws, bolts and dowels. Whilst the fasteners provide a fairly straightforward way of assembling a furniture product, construction or assembly can be time consuming and cumbersome, often requiring an array of DIY tools.

The number of individual elements required for the assembly of the present invention provides an additional need for a construction of each element to be quick, easy and effective. Moreover, the number of elements (for example up to 6 separate elements) make storage and transportation difficult if they are provided assembled, thus making providing them in flat pack form a necessity.

The present invention seeks to provide design for furniture elements that has a simplified method of construction and assembly from flat pack form.

Statements of Invention

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a furniture assembly comprising at least two shaped structural elements engaged with each other to form the assembly, each individual element being provided as a kit of parts and having at least two panel sections, the panel sections being connectable through a clip having first and second arms, the first arm being connectable to the first panel section and the second arm being connectable to the second panel section.

Preferably, the panel sections of each furniture element have a recessed groove extending into and along their peripheral edge.

Preferably, the or each clip is L-shaped.

Preferably, the first and second arms are locatable within the recessed grooves of first and second panels respectively.

Preferably, each arm of the or each clip has an outward protrusion to grip and retain the arm in its respective groove, Preferably, each protrusion is elastic and biased outwardly.

Preferably the furniture assembly comprises six structural elements, each of a different shape when constructed.

Brief description of the drawings

One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures in which: Figure 1 is an exploded view of a first furniture element constructed in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of the top panel frame of the first furniture element; Figures 3A to 3D are cross section views of the sides of the first furniture element; Figure 4 is a plan view of the base panel of the first furniture element; Figures 5A to 50 illustrate a clip of the element for use with the furniture element; Figure 6 is an exploded view of a second furniture element constructed in accordance with the invention; Figure 7 is a perspective view of the second furniture element once assembled; and Figure 8 is an exploded view of a third furniture element constructed in accordance with the invention; and Figure 8 is an exploded view of a fourth furniture element constructed in accordance with the invention; Figure 9 is an example of an item of furniture constructed from three furniture elements; Figure 10 is a further example of an item of furniture constructed from two furniture elements; and Figure 11 is a further example of an item of furniture constructed from three furniture elements.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments

One element of an overall furniture assembly is shown in figure 1.

The first element 2 is provided a kit of parts in flat pack form that are assembled together to form a simple overall structure when assembled, in this case a rectangular box frame.

The unassembled kit includes a generally square top frame panel 4 (which is shown facing downwardly in figure 1), four side panels 6 and base panel 8 (facing upwardly in the figure) and a central panel 10.

All the panels are typically made of plywood although other suitable materials may be used.

The top frame panel 4 is shown in figure 2. The frame section includes four identically dimensioned generally square cut out sections 12. Each edge 14 of the frame which form the boundary of the cut-out sections 12 is formed with an elongate recess 16 extending partially along central part of the edge 14.

In use, the cut out sections 12 provide an opening into the furniture element once constructed, in which, for example, a plant can be located. The element 2 can effectively from a planter within the overall furniture assembly.

Figures 3A to 3D, show cross sections and detail of features of figure 2.

As can be seen in figure 30 (showing the detail of figure 38) corners 18 of the outer frame 20 of the top frame panel 4 are formed with an angled surface 22, of typically 45°. Each angled surface 22 is formed with a cross-shaped recess 24.

As can be seen in figure 3D the angled surfaces 22 at the ends of each outer frame section 20 have complimentary angle surfaces to connect the frame at the corners such that a recess 26 extends around the entire periphery of the frame in which to receive the edges of each side panel 6. A similar recess 28 is extends centrally across the frame panel 4 to receive the edge of the central panel 10.

Figure 4 shows the base panel 8 in plan view. The base panel 8 has a longitudinally extending recess 29 similar to that of the top frame panel 4 to receive the opposing edge of the central panel 10 Referring back to figure 1, a plurality of clips 30 are provided to secure the panels together at their edges such that the panels do not overlap at their connection. This avoids the need to provide or use additional fasteners, such as screws or nuts/bolts to secure the panels together.

A recessed groove (not shown) is formed along the entire edge of each side panel 6.

Engagement of the clip 30 to secure the panel together is best illustrated in figure 50.

A suitable clip 30 is shown in figure 5. It is generally L-shaped. For assembly, a first arm 32A of the clip 30 is located within the edge groove a side panel 6A. The other arm 32B of the clip 30 is then pushed into the edge groove of a neighbouring side panel 6B to bring the panels together and secure them at several locations along the entire edge.

The clips 30 are typically made from plastic material. They may be provided separately to be slotted into the edge grooves of the panels or alternatively the panels may be supplied with the one arm of the clip 30 already located within a groove of one panel.

In the latter case, all that is required is for the other arm of the clip to be pushed into the groove of the adjacent panel.

Each arm 32 of the clip 30 has elastic protrusions 34 biased slightly outwardly which act to grip the clip arm 32 within the groove and prevent its easy removal. If provided already in the groove, the clips 30 may be adhered in position.

Corner brackets 36 may be provided at some corners of the panels to provide additional structural securement of the panels at their corners.

Figures 6 shows as exploded view of another furniture element to providing a simple structure -in this case an elongated rectangle 38 (figure 7).

Figure 7 shows an exploded view of another variant of furniture element forming a rectangle with two planters Once each individual element is constructed they can be assembled as desired to provide an overall item of furniture with the consumer's chosen structural design.

Examples of furniture assemblies of different structure designs are shown in figures 8 to 11.

Figure 8 illustrates a furniture constructed from three furniture elements forming a step structure. The three elements in this example comprise two elongate rectangular structure 3 and a large rectangular element.

In similar ways, figure 10 and 11 show two variations of furniture item. The example in figure 10 comprises an assembled combination of a square and rectangular furniture element. The example on figure 11 is an assembled combination of a tall rectangular element, an elongate rectangular element and a square element.

These are provided as examples only of various simple structures that can be assembled easily and effectively by having the form and using the method of the present invention.

15 20 25 30

Claims (1)

1. CLAIMS 1 2 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.A furniture assembly comprising at least two shaped structural elements engaged with each other to form the assembly, each individual element being provided as a kit of parts and having at least two panel sections, the panel sections being connectable through a clip having first and second arms, the first arm being connectable to the first panel section and the second arm being connectable to the second panel section.A furniture assembly according to claim 1, wherein the panel sections of each furniture element have a recessed groove extending into and along their peripheral edge.A furniture assembly according to claim 2, wherein the or each clip is L-shaped.A furniture element according to claim 3, wherein the first and second arms are locatable within the recessed grooves of first and second panels respectively.A furniture element according to claim 4, wherein each arm of the or each clip has an outward protrusion to grip and retain the arm in its respective groove, A furniture element according to claim 5, wherein each protrusion is elastic and biased outwardly.A furniture assembly according to any preceding claim comprising six structural elements all of a different shape when assembled.