US20130032553A1

US20130032553A1 - Furniture component, particularly of the type of shelving, a bookcase or the like

Info

Publication number: US20130032553A1
Application number: US13/374,821
Authority: US
Inventors: Nedo Magrini
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-08-01
Filing date: 2012-01-17
Publication date: 2013-02-07
Also published as: ITAR20110011U1

Abstract

A furniture component, particularly of the type of shelving, a bookcase or the like, comprising at least one upright member that is associable with a supporting base by way of coupling elements that extend along a longitudinal axis defined by the upright member.

Description

The present invention relates to a furniture component, particularly of the type of shelving, a bookcase or the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Self-supporting shelving units made of metallic material are available on the market which are used especially in large-scale storage systems, shops, workshops and the like, and are relatively economical and very efficient since they enable the rapid assembly and dismantling of their components.
In the current state of the art, these shelves (especially of the wall type and the gondola type) are provided with at least one upright member that is adapted to be associated with a supporting base by way of removable connection means.
Such means comprise for example a series of slots defined in the thickness of the upright member which are engaged by connecting teeth which protrude from the rear part of the base.
Once the upright member/base assembly has been completed, two contiguous upright members are connected by way of backs or extensions of another type, so as to ensure the lateral stability of the shelving.
Then the structure is loaded with the goods to be displayed, once the shelf brackets have conveniently been mounted on the upright member and the shelves have been mounted on the shelf brackets.
The weight of the goods and of the structure, normally metal, causes a stress that is transmitted to the base by way of the interaction between the connecting teeth and the portions of the upright member located between the slots.
The effects of contact that are generated are very concentrated and can cause the connection between tooth and slot to give way owing to a tearing of the slots or due to the fact that the connecting teeth give way.
The consequences of the shelves giving way go far beyond mere damage to or breakage of the displayed goods, due to the fact that there can be risks to the safety of the customers and sales staff and major damage to the image of the shop or shopping center where these components are used.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The aim of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks in known types of furniture components, particularly of the type of shelving, a bookcase or the like, by devising a furniture component which is more robust and resistant.
Within this aim, an object of the invention is to provide a furniture component, particularly of the type of shelving, a bookcase or the like, that offers guarantees to the user of rigidity and stability.
Another object of the invention is to provide a furniture component, particularly of the type of shelving, a bookcase or the like, with means that are readily available on the market and by using materials that are in common use, so that the device is economically competitive.
This aim and these and other objects which will become more apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a furniture component, particularly of the type of shelving, a bookcase or the like, according to the invention, characterized in that it comprises at least one upright member that is associable with a supporting base by way of coupling means that extend along a longitudinal direction defined by said at least one upright member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of the furniture component, particularly of the type of shelving, a bookcase, or the like, which is illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the furniture component;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the furniture component taken along the plane identified by the longitudinal axis and by the transverse direction of the supporting base;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the furniture component taken along the plane normal to the longitudinal axis;

FIG. 4 is a view of the furniture component in the assembly step;

FIG. 5 is a view of the furniture component with the assembly complete;

FIG. 6 is a view of a detail of the furniture component that shows the restraint means of the upright member in the position of disengagement;

FIG. 7 is a view of a detail of the furniture component that shows the restraint means during the assembly thereof, in engagement with the side face of the upright member;

FIG. 8 is a view of a detail of the furniture component that shows the restraint means in the position of engagement.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to the figures, the furniture component, particularly of the type of shelving, a bookcase or the like, according to the invention, which is generally designated with the reference numeral 1, has the peculiarity of comprising at least one upright member 3 which is adapted to be associated with a supporting base 2 by way of coupling means that extend along a longitudinal axis 10 defined by the upright member 3.
Normally, such a component is made of metal, for example steel, because of the superior mechanical and physical characteristics, especially in terms of resistance.
Advantageously, the longitudinal axis 10 is substantially normal with respect to a transverse direction 20 defined by the extension of the base 2.
Advantageously, such coupling means are removable.
Advantageously, the coupling means comprise at least one male element 4, defined on the end portion of the upright member 3, which is adapted to be inserted into at least one insertion space. 5 integrally associated with the supporting base 2.
Preferably the male element 4 is wedge-shaped with an angle of inclination 23 that is such as to ensure the elimination of coupling plays, while at the same time maintaining a good capacity for reaction along the direction 20. Such an angle of inclination 23 can be comprised substantially between 5 degrees and 30 degrees.
The cross-section of the male element 4, substantially normal with respect to the axis 10, can be U-shaped.
Preferably, the base 2 can be provided with at least one connecting tooth 6, protruding from a rear rest support 12 of the base 2, for insertion into a corresponding first slot 7 defined on the side face 8 of the upright member 3.
In the embodiment presented herein, two connecting teeth 6 are provided which engage in a pair of slots 7, as shown in FIG. 1.
Preferably, a contact plate 9 is provided which is interposed between the rear rest support 12 and the face 8, for resting against the upright member 3 which in this manner maintains the substantially normal position with respect to the base.
With reference to FIG. 4, a solution of the invention can provide that the connecting tooth 6 be associated with the plate 9, for example by welding.
The base 2 can be provided with a height-adjustable foot 11, which is known per se, for resting on the ground.
Preferably, a supporting body 15 can be provided for the connection of the upright member 3 to the base 2, which can be associated with the base 2. In our embodiment, the body 15 is provided with the connecting tooth 6 and the contact plate 9.
Advantageously, means are provided for restraining the upright member 3 in a longitudinal direction 10, and are connected to the supporting base 2.
In this embodiment, such restraint means can comprise an engagement element 17, connected to the supporting body 15, which is movable substantially along the transverse direction 20 from a position of disengagement to a position of engagement with the upright member 3 and which is interconnected to the supporting base 2 by way of elastic means, such as for example a spring 16.
With reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, a pin 19 can be provided for connection between the engagement element 17 and the supporting body 15 which is integral with the body 15 and engages with a guide 21, defined on the engagement element 17, that extends along the direction 20.
Means can be provided for restoration of the position of disengagement of the engagement element 17, which are manually actuated.
Such means of restoration can comprise an eyelet 22 which is defined on the element 17 and adapted to be actuated by way of an elongated element (for example a screwdriver or a metallic bar), for the translational motion of the engagement element 17 along the transverse direction 20.
Preferably, the engagement element 17 is provided with at least one locking tooth 18 which can be coupled to a corresponding second slot 14 defined on the above-mentioned face 8.
In the example presented herein a pair of teeth 18 are provided which can be coupled with a corresponding number of respective slots 14.
Preferably, reinforcement elements 13 can be provided which are firmly associated with the upright member 3. Such elements, such as for example one or two plates welded to the (inner or outer) faces of the upright member 3, make it possible to increase the carrying capacity of the connection if the maximum torque that can be applied to the designed upright member is greater than the torque that can be applied to the base/upright member connection.
The assembly of the structure involves the insertion of the male element 4 into the space 5 and the engagement of a first slot 7 by the tooth 6 to ensure the firm base/upright member connection.
In essence the male element 4 is inserted into the insertion space 5 by way of their rotation with respect to each other on the plane identified by the longitudinal axis 10 and by the transverse direction 20 of the base 2, until the face 8 of the upright member 3 rests against the contact plate 9.
At this point, also with the aid of a hammer or of a similar tool, the operator engages the tooth 6 into the corresponding slot 7 in order to ensure the stability of the structure along the normal direction with respect to the longitudinal axis 10.
At the moment when the male element 4 is inserted into the space 5, the connecting teeth 18 of the engagement element 17, pushed by the spring 16, are coupled with the respective slots 14 thus passing from the position of disengagement to the position of engagement with the upright member 3.
For dismantling, the operator only has to take the male element 4 out of the space 5 by operating on the engagement element 17 with the eyelet 22, thus forcing the movement of the element 17 along the direction 20 (applying force to the spring) and allowing the teeth 18 to disengage from the slot 14.
From the foregoing it can thus be seen that the invention achieves the set aim and objects and, in particular, attention is drawn to the fact that a furniture component, particularly of the type of shelving, a bookcase or the like, is provided that is more robust and resistant thanks to the fact that the contact between base and upright member occurs without stresses that tend to slice through the slots of the upright member or to tear the connecting teeth of the base, so that by loading the shelf brackets and the shelves associated with the furniture component, the structure becomes increasingly more stable.
In particular the provision of the contact plate, which has a surface that is wide enough to ensure reduced contact tensions, gives the base a rigidity that is such as to transfer the stress directly to the side faces of the upright member, without passing through the slots.
In a similar manner, the implementation of the male element is such that in the coupling with the insertion space, the stresses are substantially normal with respect to the surface of the wedge, thus generating local membrane actions that make it possible for the structure to have better rigidity and robustness.
In essence, the combined effect of the two actions that are exchanged by base and upright member according to the above-mentioned method enables the stresses caused by the load of the goods displayed to be transmitted to the base without the risk of tearing the slots of the upright member or the connecting teeth of the base.
Another advantage of the invention consists in that, in the contact between base and upright member, the vertical force exerted on the upright member results in an improvement of the coupling between the base and the upright member thus ensuring the total takeup of plays and giving the user an impression of greater stability and rigidity.
Another advantage of the invention consists in that in order to associate the upright member and the supporting base a simple male-female coupling is sufficient, without interlocking the connecting teeth with the slots defined in the upright member as occurs in conventional structures. This allows an exceptional ease of assembly and disassembly of the structure.
Another advantage of the furniture component, according to the invention, is that thanks to the restraint means which can be easily engaged and disengaged, the structure is safe even though the operator can assemble and disassemble it very quickly.
Last but not least, the use of means that are readily available on the market and the employment of materials that are in common use render the device economically competitive
The invention, thus conceived, is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims.
Moreover, all the details may be substituted by other, technically equivalent elements.
In practice the materials employed, and the contingent dimensions and shapes, may be any according to requirements, as long as they are consistent with the implementation aim.
The disclosures in Italian Utility Application No. AR2011U000011 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. A furniture component, particularly of the type of shelving, a bookcase or the like, comprising at least one upright member that is associable with a supporting base by way of coupling means that extend along a longitudinal axis defined by said at least one upright member.

2. The furniture component according to claim 1, wherein said coupling means are removable.

3. The furniture component according to claim 1, wherein said coupling means comprise at least one male element, defined on an end portion of said at least one upright member, which is adapted to be inserted into at least one insertion space, said at least one insertion space being integrally associated with said supporting base.

4. The furniture component according to claim 3, wherein said male element is wedge-shaped with an angle of inclination.

5. The furniture component according to claim 1, wherein said supporting base comprises at least one connecting tooth, which protrudes from a rear rest support of said supporting base, for insertion into a corresponding first slot defined on a side face of said at least one upright member.

6. The furniture component according to claim 5, further comprising a contact plate interposed between said rear rest support and said side face, for resting against said at least one upright member.

7. The furniture component according to claim 6, further comprising a supporting body for the connection of said at least one upright member to said supporting base, associable with said supporting base and provided with said contact plate.

8. The furniture component according to claim 5, further comprising means for the restraint of said upright member along said longitudinal axis, said restraint means being connected to said supporting base.

9. The furniture component according to claim 8, wherein said restraint means comprise an engagement element, connected to said supporting body, movable substantially along a transverse direction from a position of disengagement to a position of engagement with said upright member and interconnected with said supporting base by way of elastic means.

10. The furniture component according to claim 9, further comprising a pin for connection between said engagement element and said supporting body which is integral with said supporting body and engages a guide defined on said engagement element and extending along said transverse direction.

11. The furniture component according to claim 9, further comprising means for restoration of said position of disengagement for said engagement element, which are manually actuated.

12. The furniture component according to claim 11, wherein said means for restoration comprise an eyelet, defined in said engagement element, adapted to be actuated by way of an elongated element, for the translational motion of said engagement element along said transverse direction.

13. The furniture component according to claim 9, wherein said engagement element is provided with at least one locking tooth which can be coupled to a corresponding second slot defined in said side face.

14. The furniture component according to claim 1, further comprising reinforcement elements which are integrally associated with said at least one upright member.