WO2000056188A1

WO2000056188A1 - Joint system for furniture, shelves and the like

Info

Publication number: WO2000056188A1
Application number: PCT/IT2000/000068
Authority: WO
Inventors: Franco Seregni
Original assignee: Pro. Metal Arredi S.R.L.
Priority date: 1999-03-22
Filing date: 2000-03-03
Publication date: 2000-09-28
Also published as: AU3323200A; IT1308200B1; ITRM990177A1

Abstract

A joint locking system for furniture, shelves and the like, of the type comprising a first plurality of upright members (1) and a second plurality of plane shelf bearing members (2, 3), the system being characterised in that it comprises: first means (6, 8) for locking said plurality of shelf bearing members (2) onto said plurality of upright members (1); and second locking means (7, 9) of said plurality of shelf members (2) onto said plurality of upright members (1), and integrally formed onto said plurality of plane members (2) and onto said plurality of upright members (1); the arrangement being such that, subsequently to the interference joint of said first locking means (6, 8) between said plurality of shelf bearing members (2) and said plurality of upright members (1), an interference locking of said second locking means (7, 9) between said plurality of shelf members (2) and said plurality of upright members (1) is obtained.

Description

JOINT SYSTEM FOR FURNITURE, SHELVES AND THE-HJiEE.

DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to a joint locking system for furniture, shelves and the like. More specifically, it relates to a joint locking system for furniture and light metal stands or the like, of a kind for providing an interference locking and a fixed locking.

Various types of joint systems for light metal shelves are known to the art, each substantially characterised in that it has male and female complementary members for the interference locking.

Such complementary members can have various shapes and sizes, and are usually formed onto the supporting member (or upright) as well as onto the plane horizontal member (or shelf) with blanking, punching or drawing steps. However, to date such locking systems provide the assembly of the upright and shelf members, respectively, by means of the mutual sliding therebetween.

A drawback of these locking systems is that when a concentrated load is eccentrically applied onto the shelf, i.e. at one end of the latter, the opposite end thereof tends to rise according to the elastic reaction of the sheet of which the shelf is made, causing the disengaging of the male members due to the mutual sliding between the engaged portions.

A further drawback lies in the upright members tendency to disengaging from the shelf members in case of a faulty planarity or squareness of the latter with respect to the frame constituting the stand or the like, and also in case of side knocks onto the frame itself .

Therefore, an object of the present invention is that of overcoming the aforementioned drawbacks, providing a joint locking system for furniture, shelves and the like, which provides further members for a further interference engagement apt to prevent the release of the locking members of the frame.

Another object of the present invention is that of providing a joint locking system for furniture, shelves and the like that be sturdy and easy to implement, thereby easing the assembly of the shelf itself, and, last but not least, inexpensive.

Therefore, according to the present invention, a joint locking system for furniture, shelves and the like, of the type comprising a first plurality of upright members and a second plurality of plane shelf bearing members, the system being characterised m that it comprises:

- first means for locking said plurality of shelf bearing members onto said plurality of upright members; and

- second locking means of said plurality of shelf members onto said plurality of upright members, and integrally formed onto said plurality of plane members (2) and onto said plurality of upright members; the arrangement being such that, subsequently to the interference joint of said first locking means between said plurality of shelf bearing members and said plurality of upright members, an interference locking of said second locking means between said plurality of shelf members and said plurality of upright members is obtained.

The present invention will hereinafter be better illustrated with the description of a preferred embodiment thereof, given by way of example and not for limitative purposes, making reference to the annexed drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a metal furniture or stand frame incorporating the device of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an exploded view of the furniture frame of Fig. 1; Figures 3 and 3a are perspective views or an upright member and a partial detail thereof, respectively, of the frame of Figure 1 incorporating the joint locking system of the present invention; and Figures 4 and 4a are perspective views of a shelf member and a partial detail of the frame of Figure 1, respectively, incorporating the joint locking system of the present invention.

With reference to Figure 1, it shows a shelf or cabinet metal frame incorporating the joint locking system of the present invention is illustrated.

According to the present invention, the metal frame provides a first pair of upright members 1 to which a respective first pair of shelf members 2 is coupled thereto. Moreover, a plurality of further shelf members 3, apt to connect to the frame thus assembled by means of a respective plurality of projecting members 4 integrally formed, e.g. by drawing, onto the surface of each upright member 1, is provided. The connection takes place in the already known manner. According to needs, a bottom wall 5 apt to prevent the side access to the shelf members 3 on the frame (better illustrated hereinafter) can be provided.

Referring now to Figure 2, it shows the metal frame according to the present invention. A can be noted, each upright member 1 has four female areas shaped as rectangular slots 6, formed at the respective corner areas of the upright member 1. Moreover, substantially square-shaped corresponding hollow areas 7 (better illustrated hereinafter) are respectively formed at said slot areas 6.

On the other hand, each shelf member 2 has four substantially rectangular trapezoidal -shaped projecting male members 8 that are made integral with the shelf member 2 at the respective corner areas of the latter. The assembly of said male members 8 onto the respective shelf member 2 can be carried out by welding or with fastening means, e.g. screws. Moreover, corresponding substantially square-shaped projecting areas 9 (better illustrated hereinafter) are formed at said male members 8. Further, as it is apparent from this figure, the bottom wall 5 can be made of several members each connected to the other m the already known manner, forming a single wall when assembled.

Referring now to Figures 3, 3a, 4 and 4a, the joint locking system of the present invention is shown m detail.

According to the invention, the slot 6 has a bottom edge 61. The edge 61 is apt to slidably engage a respective complementary sloped edge 81 formed onto the male member 8. Thus, for the assembling of a shelf member 2 onto an upright member 1 firstly each male member 8 is inserted into a respective slot 6. The edge 81 of the male member 8 slidably engages the edge 61 until the shelf member 2 abuts onto the upright member 1.

Thus, m this condition the projecting portion 9 is completely abutted at the hollow area 7 so as to be inserted by snapping of the same therein. The insertion of the upper portion of the projecting portion 9 into the hollow area 7 creates an interference locking apt to react the disengaging motion of the shelf member 2 with respect to the upright member 1. Advantageously, the portion 9 can be disconnected from the hollow area 7 only by an elastic stress exceeding the value of that of the portion 9, thereby freeing the motion of the shelf members 2 with respect to the upright members 1.

The joint locking system of the present invention thus implemented realises a first locking of the upright and shelf members 1 and 2, by means of the male and female members 6 and 8, respectively, and it realises an anti-release, or anti-disconnectmg system of the former from the latter by engaging the portions 9 into the respective hollow areas 7.

To those skilled m the art it will be apparent that the present invention may be subjected to several further modifications and variants, all however comprised within the spirit thereof and within the scope of the annexed claims.

Claims

1. A joint locking system for furniture, shelves and the like, of the type comprising a first plurality of upright members (1) and a second plurality of plane shelf bearing members (2,3), the system being characterised m that it comprises:

- first means (6,8) for locking said plurality of shelf bearing members (2) onto said plurality of upright members (1) ; and - second locking means (7,9) of said plurality of shelf members (2) onto said plurality of upright members (1) , and integrally formed onto said plurality of plane members (2) and onto said plurality of upright members (1) ; the arrangement being such that, subsequently to the interference joint of said first locking means (6,8) between said plurality of shelf bearing members (2) and said plurality of upright members (1), an interference locking of said second locking means (7,9) between said plurality of shelf members (2) and said plurality of upright members (1) is obtained.

2. The joint locking system for furniture, shelves and the like according to claim 1, wherein said first locking means comprises a plurality of male members (8) made integral onto said first plurality of upright members (1) , each male member (8) being apt to slidably engage with a reciprocal female engagement area (6) formed at a peripheral edge of the shelf member (2) until obtaining an interference locking.

3. The joint locking system for furniture, shelves and the like according to claim 1, wherein said first locking means comprises a plurality of male members (8) made integral onto said second plurality of shelf members (2) , each male member (8) being apt to slidably engage a reciprocal female engagement area (6) formed m a respective upright memoer (1) until obtaining an interference locking.

4. The joint locking system for furniture, shelves and the like according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said female engagement area is a slot (6) .

5. The joint locking system for furniture, shelves and the like according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said slot (6) is substantially trapezoidal shaped.

6. The joint locking system for furniture, shelves and the like according to any of the preceding claims 1 to 4, wherein said slot (6) is substantially rectangular shaped.

7. The joint locking system for furniture, shelves and the like according to any of the preceding claims, wherein each male member (8) of said plurality of male members is a substantially rectangular trapezoidal shaped projecting area having a sloped side (81) , said sloped side (81) of said male member (8) being apt to slidably engage a respective side (61) of said slot (6) .

8. The joint locking system for furniture, shelves and the like according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said second locking means comprises:

- at least one projecting area (9) formed at a respective male member (8) to which it is associated; and at least one hollow area (7) formed near a respective female area (6) to which it is associated; the arrangement being such that said at least one projecting region (9) is apt to snap engaging with said at least one respective complementary hollow area (7) subsequently to the sliding engagement of the respective male members (8) into said female areas (6) associated thereto, preventing the upward vertical sliding of the respective shelf member (2) with respect to the upright member (1) .

9. The joint locking system for furniture, snelves and the like according to the preceding claims, wherein each shelf member (2) of said plurality of shelf members has four male members (8) and respective projecting regions (9) at the corner areas thereof.

10. A metal frame of the furniture type comprising at least two panel upright members (1) of a substantially rectangular elongated shape and a plurality of load shelf panel members (2,3) characterised in that they incorporate the joint locking system according to claims 1 to 9.