WO2002054907A2

WO2002054907A2 - Connection device for glass slats

Info

Publication number: WO2002054907A2
Application number: PCT/EP2001/014026
Authority: WO
Inventors: Luciano Lucatello
Original assignee: Societa' Vetraria Biancadese S.A.S.
Priority date: 2001-01-10
Filing date: 2001-11-30
Publication date: 2002-07-18
Also published as: WO2002054907A3; ITPN20010001U1

Abstract

Sliding slat arrangement comprising a plurality of individual slat elements (5) of glass linked with each other by two distinct flexible, continuous, elongated connection elements (20) engaging a respective side of said individual slat elements so as to refrain them from moving apart from each other, while however allowing for a partial rotation of each such individual element with respect to the adjacent one. In a preferable manner, there is provided a plurality of recesses opening towards the outside and provided in the end portions of said individual slat elements in such a manner that said two connection elements have a height which is similar to the height of said recesses and are inserted in all recesses of a respective same side of said individual slat elements.

Description

CONNECTION DEVICE FOR GLASS SLATS

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to an improved device for connecting a plurality of glass slats, as mainly used in the furniture-making industry, in particular for making extensible tables, cabinets, wardrobes or other pieces of furniture provided with sliding or folding doors or shutters, and the like.

Although for reasons of greater descriptive facility reference will be specifically made in the following description to a table that can be extended by means of glass slats provided with a device according to the present invention, it shall be readily appreciated that the present invention generally applies to any kind of glass slats of the type capable of sliding both vertically and horizontally, as far as they fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Known in the art is the construction of a type of extensible table, which comprises two at least partially extractable worktops provided with respective elements in the form of slats, ie. elements formed by a plurality of similar, parallel slats joined with each other so as to be able to substantially keep at the same distance, while anyway allowing them to partially rotate with respect to each other. These tables comprise a rigid central plane element 1 and two extractable portions on the opposite sides of said central plane element, said portions being illustrated in Figures 1 and 1A in their retracted and extracted position, respectively.

Each one of said portions comprises a respective rigid plane part 3, 4 and each one of these rigid plane parts is connected to a plurality of parallel slats 5, provided in a side-by-side arrangement as they usually are in a rolling shutter and joined with each other with the aid of means that are generally known in the art and such to ensure that each slat is capable of rotating by a certain, sufficient angle with respect to the contiguous slats; however, these known means are inextensible, so as to ensure that adjacent slats are capable of substantially keeping at a constant distance.

These tables also comprise two parallel plane, substantially symmetrical flanks 6, 7, in which there are provided two grooves for each flank, in accordance with the illustration appearing in Figure 2, which is a view of the inner face of one of such flanks.

In a generally known manner, the side end portions of said extractable portions are caused to engage said grooves and allowed to slide therein in such a manner as to complete the top surface of the table, and are inserted in the respective grooves until the desired outer, ie. overall size of the table is eventually obtained.

To this purpose, the presence of appropriately arranged and sized slats ensures that the same slats are able to slide within said grooves by following the curvature thereof very smoothly, ie. without opposing any resistance, and therefore eventually enables a very accurate and easy adjustment of the positioning of each one of said portions.

In such extensible tables, the extractable portions, including the slats, are usually made of wood owing to a number of both cost-related and manufacturability reasons, but also and mainly owing to the fact that the connection of adjacent slats to each other can be economically and easily be provided through the use of such flexible means, as straps, bands or the like, which are joined to the wooden slats by means of easy-to-use fastening means, typically by means of a seaming or similar technique of junction between said flexible means and the slats.

However, in front of the current trends in terms of aesthetics and use of unconventional materials, at least as far as such a utilization is concerned, the above described solution for connecting adjacent slats to each other is no longer preferable or feasible.

Such a circumstance is particularly true if the slats are made of a material which is very hard and brittle, such as in particular glass or crystal.

It therefore would be desirable, and it is actually a main purpose of the present invention to provide an extensible table provided with extractable and/or retractable portions made up of slats of a hard, but quite brittle material, such as typically glass, which is further provided with means for connecting the slats to each other that are effective in doing away with the afore mentioned drawbacks, and which can be manufactured in an economical manner and is capable of being operated in a simple and reliable manner.

According to the present invention, this and further aims, which shall become apparent in the course of this description, are reached in a particular type of connecting means having the characteristics as recited in the appended claims and described below by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

- Figure 3 is a simplified perspective view of the framework of a table according to the present invention;

- Figures 4 and 5 are top views of a table according to the present invention, with the side portions thereof in their retracted and extracted state, respectively; - Figures 6 and 7 are an inner side view of a flank, as it can be seen when looking from the plane of section A - A of Figure 1, with the side portions in their retracted and extracted state, respectively;

- Figure 8 is a perspective view of an extractable portion according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

- Figure 9 is an enlarged perspective view of the end portions of some side slats of the extractable portion illustrated in Figure 8;

- Figure 10 is a median longitudinal vertical-section view of a slat according to said preferred embodiment of the present invention;

- Figure 11 is a view of an end portion of the slat illustrated in Figure 10, without an elongated connecting element;

- Figure 12 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention, as seen from the same point of view as in Figure 9;

- Figure 13 is a front-sectional view of the end portions of the slats illustrated in

Figure 1 , as seen from the section plane A - A;

- Figure 1 is a same front-sectional view as in Figure 10, however with an improved variant of the device according to the present invention;

- Figure 15 is a perspective view of the connection device illustrated in Figure 14, as isolated from the respective slats.

With reference to the Figures, an extensible table provided with a device for the connection of glass slats according to the present invention is substantially constituted by: - two parallel, substantially symmetrical side flanks 6, 7,

- a plurality of rigid connection spacers 8, 9 that rigidly link said two side flanks with each other,

- a plurality of legs 10, 11 that sustain said table and are joined on top to said side flanks or said connection elements,

- a pair of guiding grooves 12 and 13, in which each such pair is provided on the inside of a respective one of said two side flanks, wherein said grooves are symmetrical with respect to the vertical median plane extending parallel to said flanks; said grooves are arranged and shaped in such a manner that their respective inner end portions 14, 15 come to at least partially lie above each other, while their respective outer end portions 17, 18 are substantially aligned so as to come to lie on the same horizontal plane "P" when said table is correctly assembled and installed,

- a top surface, or worktop, constituted by:

- a rigid central, preferably rectangular, horizontal plane element 1, firmly fastened between said two parallel side flanks 6, 7,

- a first extractable portion and a second extractable portion of the worktop, each one of which comprises a respective rigid plane portion 3, 4; on a respective edge of these portions there is provided a plurality of parallel slats 5, placed in a side-by-side arrangement in the form of a rolling shutter, linked with each other with the aid of appropriate connection means adapted to enable each single slat to rotate with respect to each other within a definite angle about the contiguous slats, the end portions of which are adapted to be inserted in and to slide along respective ones of said guiding grooves. According to the present invention, said connection means comprise a pair of flexible, continuous, elongated elements 20, 21 , one of which engages the adjacent end portions of said slats 5 so as to refrain them from moving apart from each other, whereas the other connection element engages in a similar manner the end portions of said slats on the opposite side thereof.

In particular, on each end portion of said slats there is provided a plurality of recesses 22 in such a manner that each one of said recesses has an outwardly facing aperture extending over the whole respective width "L" of the slat, which turns into two substantially symmetrical apertures facing the opposite sides of the respective end portion, so that said three apertures are able to complete the access to the outside of the respective recess.

Said two flexible elements 20, 21 have a height which is similar to the height "H" of said recesses, and each one of them is inserted in all said recesses 22 on a respective same side of said slats; in this manner, said elements 20, 21 constitute the necessary link for immediate engagement by the slats, whose recesses may be provided by means of such easy and economical manufacturing techniques generally known in the art as for instance press-forming or moulding.

In substance, said slats are connected to each other by said elements 20, 21 in such a manner as to be able to dispose themselves in a parallel arrangement, substantially equidistant from each other, partially displaceable with respect to each other; furthermore, owing to them being linked on the two opposite sides thereof by the respective one of said elements 20, 21, a drawing or pushing force exerted on an outermost one of these elements will cause the relative synchronous displacement of all slats.

In an advantageous manner, said elements 20, 21 can be more effectively applied in the appropriate seats of the afore mentioned recesses if their insertion therein is performed by press-fitting. This can be done in a still more effective manner if an appropriate layer of an adhesive substance is provided between said elements and the walls of said recesses.

With particular reference to Figures 14 and 15, these can be noticed to illustrate an improved variant of the device illustrated in Figures 9 to 11; in particular, the common linking means between the slats is constituted by a connection element 20, which is similar, as far as the structure, the material and the use thereof are concerned, to the one that has already been described above with the same reference numeral, and a protruding portion indicated at 23; the latter is formed in such a manner that the cross-section thereof is preferentially in the shape of a mushroom, in which the cap 24 protrudes outwardly from the connection element 20 and is provided with a plane surface 26 delimitating the cap of the mushroom internally.

As it can be readily seen in the Figures, the above mentioned plane surface 26 is caused to fit together with a respective outer edge 25 of the respective recess 2 of each slat, and said plane surfaces 26 are caused to firmly adhere in a stable manner against the respective inner edges 25 by means of a layer of an appropriate adhesive substance, which is not shown in the Figures, but the nature and application-related and use properties of which can be most easily be identified by those skilled in the art.

With such an embodiment of the present invention, it can be readily appreciated that the application, ie. the insertion by press-fitting of the connection elements 20 and 21 is facilitated to a considerable extent, and is further made more uniform. In addition, the selection of an appropriate material for such a shape of connection element promotes a better slidability, ie. a smoother sliding of the slats, as well as a more effective protection against wear and tear or breakage of the edges of the slats due to fretting against the walls of the recesses.

A different embodiment of the slats according to the present invention consists in applying, ie. fitting said flexible connection elements not in appropriate recesses in the slats, but rather on a respective outer side of the end portions of said slats, so as this is best shown in Figures 12 and 13. In order to fasten said distinct flexible elements, which are indicated at 30 in said Figures 12 and 13, to the end portions of said slats, there are provided appropriate engagement means. In a preferred manner, these means are brought about by providing the end portions of said slats with respective through-holes 32, by providing a second appropriate through-hole 34 in the thickness of the respective flexible element in front of said through-hole 32, by arranging an appropriate means to act as an appropriate rebutment 35 on the opposite side of said flexible connection element 30 with respect to the slat. The embodiment is completed by providing and inserting in said through-holes 32 and 34 an appropriate through-body 33 which is capable of also engaging said rebutment 35 with any of the several means that are largely known in the art, and which is further capable of retaining, ie. holding firmly said slat and said flexible element 30 in a pre-established position, and this as far as all slats are concerned.

A very useful improvement of the present invention consists in embedding into said connection elements 20, 21, 30 a plurality of metal wires or, more generally, very strong continuous longitudinal elements in view of increasing the strength of the connection elements themselves and limiting the longitudinal elasticity thereof in a substantial manner.

It will of course be appreciated that those skilled in the art do not find it necessary for them to go any deeper into the details of the smallest constructional particulars, eg. in order to explain that said through-body may be a bolt or an equivalent fastener, that the slat is appropriately countersunk in order to enable said bolt to be firmly held in said slat and, indirectly, said slat to gain a firm grip on the flexible element, that said rebutment is sufficiently large, flattened and formed of an appropriate material, that it may or may not be threaded depending on the material and the kind of through-body used, and so on, since any such constructional solutions are well within the capability of all those skilled in the art. Finally, in view of ensuring that said flexible elements 20, 21 , 30 are firmly anchored to the respective rigid plane parts 3, 4, these are appropriately provided, on the edges thereof facing the respective slats, with similar recesses opening towards the slats, but not on the opposite side thereof, preferably made in a manner that is fully similar to the manner of mutual engagement and fastening of the slats themselves. As a matter of fact, said rigid plane parts 3, 4 can to this purpose be thought out downright as real slats, with the particular circumstance of distinguishing themselves in that they perform as the two outer terminal slats and have a width that is much larger than the one of all other inner slats.

Furthermore, in order to prevent the step that unavoidably forms between the slats and the rigid plane element 1 from becoming excessive, the edges between said plane element and the two zones of the slats are formed with appropriate tapers 40, 41 on the lower surface thereof, so that the travelling path of the slats can be brought near the rigid plane element 1 in the zone of discontinuity in such a manner as to reduce the height, ie. extent of said step.

Claims

1. Sliding slat arrangement comprising a plurality of individual and parallel slat elements (5) made entirely or partly of glass, placed in a side-by-side arrangement in the form of a rolling shutter, linked with each other with the aid of appropriate connection means adapted to enable each single slat to rotate with respect to each other within a definite angle about a contiguous individual element, characterized in that said connection means comprise two distinct flexible, continuous, elongated connection elements, one (20) of which engages a same side of said individual slat elements so as to refrain them from moving apart from each other, while however allowing for a partial rotation of each such individual element with respect to the adjacent ones, whereas the other connection element (21) engages in a similar manner the opposite side of said individual slat elements.

2. Sliding slat arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that there is provided a plurality of recesses (22) in respective ones of the end portions of respective individual slat elements in such a manner that each one of said end portions has an outwardly facing aperture extending over the whole respective width of said individual slat elements, as well as two substantially symmetrical apertures facing the opposite sides of the respective individual slat element, so that said three apertures are able to complete the access to the outside of the respective recess, and that said two connection elements have a height which is similar to the height (H) of said recesses and are inserted in all said recesses of a respective same side of said individual slat elements.

3. Sliding slat arrangement according to claim 2, characterized in that said two distinct connection elements (20, 21) comprise a respective protruding portion (23) whose cross-section is formed in the shape of a mushroom, in which the cap (24) is delimited inwardly by a plane surface (26), which fits together with a respective outer edge (25) of the respective recess (22) of each individual slat element.

4. Sliding slat arrangement according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that at least one of said two connection elements is applied in and caused to adhere against the respective recesses by press-fitting.

5. Sliding slat arrangement according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that at least one of said two connection elements is applied in and caused to adhere against the respective recesses or the respective outer edges (25) with the aid of one or more layers of an adhesive substance.

6. Sliding slat arrangement according to the preamble of claim 1 , characterized in that one of said connection elements (30) is applied on to the end portions of said individual slat elements, laterally and on the same side thereof, and that the other one of said connection elements is similarly applied on to the opposite side of said individual slat elements, and that there are provided engagement means enabling said connection elements to be fastened to said sides.

7. Sliding slat arrangement according to claim 6, characterized in that on the surface of said connection elements not facing the respective individual slat elements (5) there is provided a plurality of rebutment elements (35), and that the end portions of said individual slat elements (5) are provided with respective through-holes (32), and that said engagement means comprise through-bodies (33), preferably engaged therein with the aid of screw threads, passing therethrough from a side thereof to a respective rebutment element (35) and, on the other side thereof, to the portion of the respective individual slat element which is opposed to the side of application of the respective connection element (30).

8. Sliding slat arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said connection elements contain in the interior thereof a plurality of continuous longitudinal, substantially non-extensible elements, which are preferably constituted by continuous metal wires arranged according to the same longitudinal direction of said connection elements (20, 21, 30) .

9. Table provided with a worktop surface, comprising:

- two parallel, substantially symmetrical side flanks (6, 7),

- a plurality of rigid connection spacers (8, 9) that rigidly link said two side flanks with each other,

- a plurality of legs (10, 11) that sustain said table and are joined on top to said side flanks or said connection elements,

- a first guide groove (12) and a second guide groove (13) provided on the inside of each one of said two side flanks, in which said grooves are arranged and shaped in such a manner that their respective inner end portions come to at least partially lie above each other, while their respective outer end portions are substantially aligned so as to come to lie on the same horizontal plane (P) when said table is correctly assembled and installed,

- a top surface, or worktop, constituted by: - a rigid central, preferably rectangular, horizontal plane element (1), firmly fastened between said two parallel side flanks (6, 7),

- a first extractable portion and a second extractable portion of the worktop, each one of which comprises a respective rigid plane part (3, 4), on a respective edge thereof there is provided a plurality of individual parallel slat elements (5), placed in a side-by-side arrangement in the form of a rolling shutter, linked with each other with the aid of appropriate connection means adapted to enable each single individual slat element to rotate with respect to each other within a definite angle about a contiguous individual slat element, in which the end portions of said individual slat elements are adapted to be inserted in and to slide along respective ones of said first and second guide grooves, characterized in that said connection means are made and provided in accordance with any of the preceding claims.

10. Table provided with a worktop surface according to claim 9, characterized in that the two opposite edges of said rigid plane portion (1) that are not connected to said parallel side flanks (6, 7) are provided with respective tapers (40, 41) on the lower surface of said rigid plane portion.