WO1996031146A1

WO1996031146A1 - Furniture assembly composed of tubular members and joint elements

Info

Publication number: WO1996031146A1
Application number: PCT/SI1996/000007
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bogdan KOROS^¿EC
Original assignee: Korosec Bogdan
Priority date: 1995-04-04
Filing date: 1996-04-02
Publication date: 1996-10-10
Also published as: AU5018896A; SI9500105A; HRP960047A2

Abstract

The purpose of the invention is to conceive a simplest and cheapest possible furniture assembly which will enable a fast but still enough reliable mutual connection, in any case capable of disassembling and re-assembling, of preferably round tubular member (1) of non-metal thermoplastic material with corresponding joint elements (2), likewise of non-metal thermoplastic material. Taking into account the specific conditions in the processing of thermoplastic materials, the conception will enable the use of the assembly according to the invention also with substantial deviations in the dimensions of the crosssections of said tubular members (1) or joint elements (2). According to the invention, each tubular member (1) is produced of non-metal thermoplastic material, either in form of ordinary pipe or even in form of a double-wall pipe. It is moreover equipped with a number of preferably triangular ribs (12) on its inner surface (11), which are running essentially in its longitudinal direction and are moreover in profile parallely separated from each other. Said tubular members (1) can be placed, preferably pressed, onto appropriate tubular protuberances (21) of suitable joint elements (2), whereby each tubular protuberance (21) is equipped with at least one notch (22) being arranged in its longitudinal direction.

Description

Furniture .assembly composed of tubular members and joint elements

This invention generally relates to the field of mechanical engineering, especially mechanical elements, or more precisely to fastening devices or mechanical elements protection, and quite exactly to the field of furniture fastenings. According to the International Patent Classification (IPC), the inventions of this kind are placed into class F 16 B 12/12.

Moreover, according to said classification it would also be possible to place such an invention to another class F 16 B 2/20, concerning also tensional couplings capable of being disassembled, the functioning of which is ensured on the basis of their resistance to deformation.

The present invention is based on the problem, how to conceive a simplest and cheapest possible furniture assembly which will enable a fast but still enough reliable mutual connection, in any case capable of disassembling and re- assemling, of preferably round tubular members of non-metal thermoplastic material with corresponding joint elements, likewise of non-metal thermoplastic material. Taking into account the specific conditions in the processing of thermoplastic materials, the conception shall enable the use of the assembly also with substantial deviations in the dimensions of said tubular members or joint elements, especially in their cross-sections.

In SE 9101249 or EP 0510560 the so called element for connecting two part is described. Said element provides connecting of two parts generally in a connection plane and comprises first means for connecting the element relative to a first of the parts and second means for connecting the element to the second part. Said second means comprise actuation members which on relative movement of said parts substantially along the connection plane urge the parts forcefully towards each other.

This of solution is in certain circumstances no doubt quite reliable, however, completely inadequate for the connection of e.g. an ordinary round pipe to an angle joint; for this purpose the pipe should be specially adapted, in which the conception itself would be too complicated to meet the objective set with this invention. In addition, the successful functioning of this type of device would be conditioned with relatively strict requirements with regard to tolerances in manufacturing of particular consisting parts. Such requirements, however, can not contribute essentially to searching for simple and cheap solution.

On the other hand the applicant is familiar with the solution of the manufacturer of cheap furniture pipe constructions on the basis of paper, actually, the connection of a kind of paper rolls and joint elements. Thereby said joint elements are equipped with projecting end protuberances, onto which it is possible to press pipes of paper material. Due to the friction between the inner surface of each pipe and the outer surface of the belonging end protuberance, a satisfactory forcefully connection of the furniture elements, conceived in this way, is obtained. In spite of its simplicity and satisfactory strength in ideal conditions, the mentioned solution has at least two unavoidable deficiencies which the user encounters during its practical use. On one hand the joint element manufacturing by using appropriate thermoplastic paper material or paper pipe is problematic in a sufficiently narrow tolerance zone; therefore, it happens in the practice, that the paper pipe often fits to the joint elements more or less loosely, which is even increased during the use of the furniture due to various kinds of loads deforming the pipe in its certain local areas, which increases the airiness. Moreover, repeated disassembling and re-assembling has an extremely unfavourable impact on the quality of fitting. On the other hand it happens, that the coupling entirely fails under certain circumstances, which is, as a rule, in rooms exposed to moisture, chemical impacts or only a little greater temperature changes.

The object of the invention is the furniture assembly composed of tubular members and joint elements consisting of thermoplastic non-metal material; each tubular member is put on or pressed on, tightly fitting onto appropriate cylindrical or tubular protuberances of a suitable joint element, by which a forcefully connection of the tubular member and corresponding joint element, capable of disassembling and re-assembling, is obtained. According to the invention, each tubular member, conceived of non-metall thermoplastic material, on its inner surface is equipped with a number of preferably triangular and essentially in its longitudinal direction running ribs being in the profile parallely separated Thereby, said tubular member can be placed, preferably pressed onto the corresponding tubular protuberance of appropriate joint element. Each of the tubule protuberances is equipped with at least one notch running in its longitudinal direction. Besides, said ribs arranged on the inner surface of the tubular member can be even trapezium-shaped, semi -circular or rectangular in the profile. In addition, it is possible to place at least one resilient clip, interrupted in the circumferential direction and conceived with at least two mutually separated, in essence radially outward protruding connecting laps outside the tubular member, namely in the transverse plane and in the radial direction of each tubular member.

Moreover, appropriate plug is to be inserted with its body into the belonging tubule protuberance of the joint element. The body of each plug is equipped with at least one in its longitudinal direction running rib and the number of the ribs shall thereby preferably correspond to the number of the longitudinal notches of the belonging tubular protuberance of each joint element. In addition, an alternative embodiment of the furniture assembly is also possible, whereby appropriate tubular member, conceived with a double wall and consisting of co- axially arranged relativelly thin pipe shells, put one into another and separated with uniformly spaced ribs in the circumferential direction of said tubular member, is to be placed onto said protuberance of the joint element.

Preferred embodiments of the assembly according to the invention will be described in more detail with help of the attached drawings showing thereby

Fig.1 a longitudinal cross-section of the first embodiment of the furniture assembly composed of tubular members and joint elements consisting of thermoplastic non-metal material according to the invention;

Fig 2. a cross-section of the furniture assembly in the plane II - II of the

Fιg. l ;

Fig. 3 a tubular member in a side-view, shown separately;

Fig. 4 a joint element of the furniture assembly, shown separately;

Fig. 5 a cross-section of an alternative embodiment of the assembly according to the invention, whereby the tubular member is conceived with two walls, in view similar as in the Fig. 2, but without any clip, and

Fig. 6 the same alternative embodiment as in the Fig. 5, where the tubular member is conceived with two walls according to Fig.5, in a side view. As shown in the Fig. 1, an assembly according to the invention in common comprises at least one tubular member 1 consisting of thermoplastic material, and at least one joint element 2 which is preferably also produced of appropriate thermoplastic material; however, the latter is actually not of essential importance for the invention itself.

As shown in the Fig. 2, and especially in Fig. 3, the tubular member 1 is in this case embodied as an ordinary round pipe, and the inner surface 11 thereof is equipped with ribs 12. The ribs 12 are, in the given case, triangular in profile, however, also some other embodiments are possible. A very logical embodiment is the one with the ribs 12 which are trapezium-shaped in their profile. In addition, the ribs 12 could be also semi-circular or rectangular or even square. With this it is of special importance, that the ribs 12 on the inner surface 1 1 - viewed in the circumferential or circular direction of the tubular member 1 - are spaced, at least in essence, uniformly and that they run, in essence or at least approximately, in the longitudinal direction of the tubular member 1 , namely preferably linearly or possibly also as a curve, e.g. as a screw thread.

The joint element 2 (Fig. 1, 2 and 4) is preferably embodied as an uniform piece, consisting in this case of six equal tubular protuberances 21 , whereof two by two. projecting in different directions are arranged along the belonging main space coordinate axis. This is of course only one of the possible embodiments of the joint element 2 and shall not represent any restriction or limitation of the scope of this invention. In generally, the joint element 2 could be embodied also by only two protuberances 21 , projecting in different directions at a certain angle or even co-axial. Each protuberance 21 of the joint element 2 is equipped with at least one longitudinally running notch 22. By this embodiment, each protuberance 21 is equipped with two diametrically opposed longitudinal notches 22.

Furthermore, by this embodiment of the assembly composed of the tubular member 1 and the joint element 2, e.g. by means of clamps 3 (Fig. l and 2) onto said tubular member 1 it is possible to fix a plate 5, which can be for example a glass plate, a carrying plate, a decoration plate and similar. Any of these clamps 3 is preferably made of suitable resilient, preferably also thermoplastic material; it is conceived as a circumferential ring, interrupted at an adequate place; besides, it is equipped with at least two connecting laps 31, 32 being essentially parallel to each other and protruding outwards essentially in radial direction. In shall be noted, that also more than two connecting laps 31, 32, e.g. three when desired, could be foreseen, namely in the case when e.g. two plates 5 in certain embodiment of furniture provided by at least one assembly according to the invention are to be fixed parallely to each other.

In the Fig. l also a terminal plug 4 is partially shown in its longitudinal cross- section consisting of a tubular body 41 and a head 42 formed in this case as a semi-sphere. Said body 41 is moreover equipped with at least one longitudinal rib 43, and it shall be noted, that the number of the ribs 43 preferably corresponds to the number of the longitudinal notches 22 of any protuberance 21, into which the plug 4 is to be inserted.

After the tubular member 1 has been manufactured from an adequate thermoplastic material using thereby an adequate method (e.g extruding process), and after the tubular member 1 has been cut to suitable lengths, it is possible to form the assembly according to the invention by placing the tubular member 1 to the belonging protuberance 21 of appropriate joint element 2. For the needs of loads which are usual with furniture, it is necessary to provide the assembly according to the invention preferably with manual assembling operations or - when necessary - by pressing-on, however, without any essential pressures; only tapping in the longitudinal direction of the pipe is .allowed. On one hand, this can be achieved or enabled by the conception of the ribs 12 on the inner surface 1 1 of the tubular element 1 and on the other hand with the conception of the longitudinal notches 22 on any of the protuberances 21 of the joint element 2. Besides, when fixing the plates 5 to the pipe 1 , it is possible to place first the plate 5 between the suitable connecting laps 31 , 32 of the clamp 3, and then the clamp 3 is to be pushed easily and with a minimum pressure in the direction sidely with regard to the tubular member 1 or in the direction of its diametrical plane or the transverse plane of the plate 5. The clamp 3 is to be opened so much, that it can easily be put on the tubular member 1, which is afterthat clasped by said clamp 3 With the assembly according to the invention, it is further possible to terminate or close, when necessary, those protuberances 21 of the pipe joint 2, on which no tubular member 1 is attached, with the terminal plug 4. Each longitudinal rib 43 on the body 41 of the plug 4 fits adequately into the belonging notch 22 of each protuberance 21 of the joint element 2, which prevents an unallowed falling of the plug 4 out of the protuberance 21 of the joint element 2.

By the described conception the specific characteristics are observed occuring in certain cases, when some parts or details of more or less loaded structures are made of thermoplastic materials. Namely, when the tubular member 1 by means of the ribs 12, made on its inner surface 11 , fits to the two belonging protuberances 21 of the joint element 2, equipped with at least one longitudinal notch 22, a surprisingly simple and effective (reliable) elastic connection of the said parts is obtained and it functions in spite of relatively big dimensional deviations, which can not be easily and entirely avoided in processing thermoplastic materials. At the same time a sufficient friction exists between the tubular member 1 and joint element 2, in spite of possible deformations which arise with ordinary loads, to which furniture is normally exposed. With the assembly according to the invention, loadings involve, as a rule, appropriate elastic deformations of the ribs 12 and protuberances 21 and in any case, the assembly can be easily disassembled and re-assembled; the same can be noted also for the clamps 3 and the plugs 4.

With thermoplastic materials, the processing of which would be easily performed ensuring relatively small deviations in dimensions, it would be possible to take into account also the alternative embodiment of the furniture assembly (Fig.5 and 6), with which the tubular member 1' is embodied as a double-wall pipe. In this case the tubular member 1' is made of two tubular shells 15, 16, arranged co- axially one in the another; between them there are relatively thin ribs 17, which are (viewed in the circumferential or circular direction of the tubilar member 1 ') uniformly separated from one another. In the alternative embodiment of the furniture assembly the tubule member 1' of the above described conception is placed on the belonging protuberance 21 of the joint element 2. In certain cases this type of the conception could enable sufficient elasticity of the connection and provide with it sufficient friction between the protuberances 21 and the tubular members 1 ' and with this the reliability of the coupling.

Finally, it shall be mentioned, that the furniture assembly according to the invention is distinguished by its resistance against moisture and other unfavourable climatic conditions, to which various furniture elements are exposed, when they are placed outdoors (noticeboards, advertising shelves and similar) and often also in the cases, when they are placed in dampish rooms (e.g. in basements, garages and also in less comfortable business and dwelling places).

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. Furniture assembly composed of tubular members and joint elements, whereby at least one tubular member (1, 1 ') is put on or pressed onto the belonging joint element (2), whereupon a forcefully connection of said tubular member (1 , 1') and joint element (2) is obtained enabling disassembling and re-assembling when desired, characterized by that the tubular member (1) consisting preferably of non-metal thermoplastic material and having an inner surface (11) preferably equipped with a number of essentially in its longitudinal direction running and in the profile in essence parallely separated preferably triangular ribs (12), can be placed, preferably pressed, onto appropriate tubular protuberance (21) of the suitable arranged joint element (2), whereby said protuberance (21) is outside cilindrically concieved and equipped with at least one notch (22) running in its longitudinal direction.

2. Furniture assembly as claimed in Claim 1 , characterized by that the tubular member (1') is conceived as a double-wall pipe, consisting of co-axially arranged and relativelly thin tubular shells (15,16), put into each other and separated with help of ribs (17) being preferably uniformly spaced each against another in the circumferential direction of the pipe (T).

3. Furniture assembly as claimed in Claims 1 and 2, characterized by that a resilient clamp (3), interrupted in its circumferential direction, capable of being placed on the tubular member (1) from outside, namely in the transverse plane and radial direction of the tubular member (1), is conceived with at least two mutually separated, in essence outwards protruding connecting laps (31 , 32).

4. Furniture assembly as claimed in Claims 1, 2 or 3, characterized by that an appropriate terminal plug (4) can be inserted with its body (41) in the belonging tubular protuberance (21) of the joint element (2), whereby said body (41) is equipped with at least one in its longitudinal direction running rib (43) and where the number of ribs (43) corresponds preferably to the number of longitudinal notches (22) of the belonging tubular protuberance (21) of each joint element (2).

5. Furniture assembly as claimed in Claim 1, characterized by that the ribs (12) on the inner surface (11) of the pipe (1) are trapezium-shaped in profile.

6. Furniture assembly as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that the ribs (12) on the inner surface (11) of the pipe (1) are semi-circular in profile.

7. The furniture coupling as claimed in Claim 1, characterized by that the ribs (12) on the inner surface (11) of the pipe (1) are rectangular in profile.