WO2008010207A1

WO2008010207A1 - Assemblable furniture

Info

Publication number: WO2008010207A1
Application number: PCT/IL2007/000879
Authority: WO
Inventors: Avner Amir
Original assignee: Erlich, Eyal
Priority date: 2006-07-17
Filing date: 2007-07-12
Publication date: 2008-01-24
Also published as: IL176893A; IL176893A0; WO2008010207B1

Abstract

Assemble-able furniture comprising a base (11) and a left side support part (14), a right side support part (15), a back part (12) and a front support part (13), each of said parts (12-15), not including the base (11), having a thickness and comprising two slots, said left side support part (14) and said right side support part (15) each comprising a front slot (50a; 50b) and a rear slot (40a;40b), and said back part (12) and front support part (13) each comprising a right slot (30b;60a) and a left slot (30a,-60b), each slot disposed and dimensioned to correspond to and interfit with another slot and a portion of a corresponding part, each slot having a width being slightly- greater than the thickness of the portion of the part to which it corresponds upon assembly, wherein when the furniture is assembled, said parts mutually inter-fit at said slots to form a rectangular frame within which said base (11) rests; and said slots flare out at an angle such that said parts upwardly flare out when the furniture is assembled.

Description

ASSEMBLABLE FURNITURE

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to furniture, particularly furniture that can be readily assembled and disassembled.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Examples of ready-to-assemble or take-apart furniture is disclosed in US Patent Nos. 4,712,837 (Swilley); 5,605,378 (Oyediran); 5,992,938 (Jones); and 6,109,695 (Kahwaji).

US 4,712,837 discloses a portable multipurpose chair that can be easily assembled and disassembled for transport storage and use. The chair components include right and left hand leg members, a seat member, a back member, an arm member having right and left hand arm portions joined by an interconnecting section, and a support member. The main components are planar and configured as an equilateral triangle or are based on an equilateral triangle. The components are formed with slots to interlockably connect one component to another. A back support includes dowel holes for a seat support and the sides include dowel holes at their apex for facilitating assembly. US 5,605,378 discloses a "take-apart chair" comprising a seat, a pair of side pieces each having a back and seat support portion, a backrest and a brace member. The aforementioned pieces comprise hooks and notches designed for fixing them to each other in order to assemble the chair.

US 5,992,938 describes items of furniture having interlocking parts formed of basic geometric shapes. In one embodiment a chair is formed of a circular back- support part, a triangular seat and square legs arranged parallel to each other. The parts are slotted to receive slots of equal depth formed in mating parts so that the assembled furniture item is strong and stable. The furniture is particularly intended to have aesthetic appeal and teach children about basic shapes, the art of design, and the art of construction. US 6,109,695 provides a chair assembly having detachably interfitting parts. Vertically arranged right and left hand side chair supports include slots extending from the exterior profile of the first side support towards the center of the side support. A seat pan having extensions fits into two complementary slots of the right and left side supports. A back support having extensions also fits into two complementary slots of the right and left side supports. The seat pan and the back support may be independently adjusted so as to present various sitting positions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to furniture intended for different uses such as a chair, an arm chair, a bed, an open cupboard, a stand, love-seat, sofa and the like; however, for convenience, the present furniture will generally be referred to herein as "the item".

The item is adapted so that it can be readily assembled and disassembled and does not require tools of any kind therefor. It comprises a base; a left side support part; a right side support part; a back part; and a front support part, each of those parts (which does not include the base) having a thickness and comprising two slots. The left side support part and right side support part each comprise a front slot and a rear slot; and the back part and front support part each comprise a right slot and a left slot. Each slot is disposed and dimensioned to correspond to and interfit with another slot and a portion of a corresponding part and each slot has a width slightly greater than the thickness of the portion of the part to which it corresponds upon assembly. When the furniture is assembled, the parts mutually inter-fit at the slots to form a rectangular frame within which the base rests, and the slots flare out at an angle such that the parts upwardly flare out when the furniture is assembled.

The base and left side part, right side part, back part, and front part are boards that can be made of any suitable material, for example, wood, rigid plastic, metal and the like. It should be understood that these boards could be made in various dimensions, within the limitation that the parts suitably interfit and suitably provide a frame for the base.

In a particular preferred embodiment, the parts comprise base support members (e.g. horizontally disposed strips) attached to the parts or integral thereto adapted to support the base when the item is assembled.

In a further preferred embodiment, the item is adapted to support a user in a sitting or lying position, and so on, and may additionally be adapted to receive a pillow, seat cushion, or the like on the base at the frame formed by the parts when assembled.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention may be more clearly understood upon reading of the following detailed description of non-limiting exemplary embodiments thereof, with reference to the following drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an item of furniture of the present invention exemplified by a chair; and

Figs.2-6 are perspective views of the components of the chair of Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the chair of Fig. 1 further comprising a pillow for sitting thereon; and Fig. 8 is a side view of an exemplary packaging or storage arrangement for the components of the chair - enlarged for clarity.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to Figs. 1-6, there is shown an item of furniture exemplified by a chair comprising a seat or base 11 and the following parts: a backrest or back 12, a front 13, a left side 14 and a right side 15, which are shown individually in Figs. 2- 6.

It is seen that the back 12, front 13, left side 14 and right side 15 (i.e. all the parts 12-15 and not the base 11) each comprise a base support beam or strip 22 and two notches or slots; namely the back comprises a left slot 30a and a right slot 30b, the left side 14 comprises a rear slot 40a and a front slot 50a, the right side 15 comprises a rear slot 40b and a front slot 50b, and the front 13 comprises a left slot 60a and a right slot 60b.

The base 11 and other parts 12-15 are typically planar and typically have the same width. However, these are not necessary conditions and it is merely required that the width of any particular slot suit the width of the particular part to which it corresponds when the chair is assembled; and in fact, such slot merely need suit the width of any portion of the part corresponding thereto. As can be understood from the figures, the slots are adapted (in particular their width and location) and the parts 12-15 are adapted (in particular their dimensions) such that the slots of a given part correspond in location and width to the slot and part, respectively, with which each one corresponds when the chair is assembled. For example, the distance between slots 40a and 50a of left side support 14 is equal to the distance between slots 40a and 50a of right side support 15. It is noticed in this embodiment that the base 11 and aforementioned parts

12-15 are generally rectangular, however, it should be understood that the parts could be designed in a wide variety of shapes.

The slots 20 are at an angle, providing for a chair configuration wherein the parts 12-15 flare out. This flaring provides for a sturdier more stable chair and for ease of assembly in that the base 11 easily fits into a frame formed by the other parts 12-15. The angles of the slots 20, as well as their widths, are designed so that the parts 12-15 are mutually inter-fitting, as noticed in Figs. 1 and 7 when assembled and detailed in Figs. 2-6 when disassembled; and their depth is typically designed so that all of those parts 12-15 rest on the floor, for good support. However, it should be understood that some or all the slots 20 in the sides 14 and 15 could be less deep (shorter), whereby the back 12 and front 13 would rest on the floor and at least a portion of the sides would be raised up above the floor. Depending on the particular slot depths, the sides 14 and 15 may be at an angle to the floor when the chair is assembled (not illustrated). The strips 22 are located horizontally across parts 12-15 and project therefrom so that upon assembly, the strips are essentially parallel to the surface upon which the chair rests - typically a floor (not shown). The strips 22 comprise top surfaces 24 upon which the base 11 can rest when the chair is assembled. Edges 26 of the base 11 are typically angled at the same angle as the slots 20, so as correspond to the flare of the parts 12-15 produced by those angled slots.

It should be understood that the base 11 could be supported without any strips 20 whereby the base would sink into the frame formed by the parts 12-15, i.e. into a pressure fit. Thus, the base's edges 26 would simply rest against inner sides of the parts 12-15 and be supported thereby.

Similarly, it should be understood that the base 11 could be supported by fewer such strips 20, for example two opposing strips. However, for the best and strongest support of the base 11 (and ultimately, the user - not shown) typically all the parts comprise such strips. Furthermore, support for the base 11 could be achieved by other arrangements such as a plurality of projections (not shown), notches (not shown), and the like.

The strips 20 are illustrated as being located adjacent the lower edge of the parts 12-15, however, in other embodiments the strips could be higher up (illustrated by dashed lines in Figs. 2-6), whereby a chair suitable for a taller user can be assembled. When the strips 20 are particularly low down, the base 11 would be particularly close to the floor, which could be suitable for a case wherein the chair further comprises a puffy seat pillow 30, as seen in Fig. 7.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, it is noticed that the left side part 14 and the right side part 15 each comprise slots 20 that generally face in opposite directions, i.e. angled upward and angled downward.

As mentioned above, the base 11 does not comprise a strip 22, however, it typically comprises a feature or member designed for grasping with one's hand, exemplified by through-hole 16 to facilitate assembly and disassembly, whereby the base can be held upon assembly and raised upon disassembly. Alternatively, this feature or member could be constituted by a handle or hook (not shown) or the like. In a further alternative (not shown), the base 11 could be a non-rectangular shape (e.g. irregular shape) whereby there would be a gap between the base and at least one of the parts 12-15, this gap providing a space for a hand hold to facilitate insertion and removal of the base. To assemble the chair, the parts 12-15 are first interfitted thereby defining a rectangular space or frame wherein the base 11 is placed, typically resting on the top surfaces 24 of the strips 22. The order in which the parts 12-15 are interfitted is not critical, although it may be found that starting by interfitting certain parts first is more convenient. To disassemble the chair, the procedure is reversed - i.e. first the base 11 is raised up (removed) and then the parts 12-15 are disassembled.

Fig. 8 illustrates an exemplary packing or storage arrangement for the chair when disassembled. For clarity, in this example, the base 11 and parts 12-15 are shown as having the same thickness T, and the strips as having that same thickness T. It is noticed that the base 11 and parts 12-15 can be arranged so that the packing/storage thickness is no greater than the sum of the thicknesses of the base and parts without the strips 22; in fact, as illustrated, the packing arrangement is only as thick as four parts due to their dimensions. As noted above, the parts 12-15 can comprise the strips 22 in an integral fashion, and this is how they are illustrated in Fig. 8, for ease of visualization. It should be understood that there are various furniture items in numerous embodiments that can be devised according to the present invention and that the above description is merely explanatory. For example, the furniture can also be an arm chair, a chair, a bed, an open cupboard, a stand, love-seat, sofa and the like.

Thus, the present apparatus and method can be embodied in a variety of aspects falling within the scope of the present invention, mutatis mutandis.

Claims

1. Assemble-able furniture comprising: a base; and a left side support part; a right side support part; a back part; and a front support part, each of said parts, not including the base, having a thickness and comprising two slots, said left side support part and said right side support part each comprising a front slot and a rear slot, and said back part and front support part each comprising a right slot and a left slot, each slot disposed and dimensioned to correspond to and interfit with another slot and a portion of a corresponding part, each slot having a width being slightly greater than the thickness of the portion of the part to which it corresponds upon assembly, wherein when the furniture is assembled, said parts mutually inter-fit at said slots to form a rectangular frame within which said base rests; and said slots flare out at an angle such that said parts upwardly flare out when the furniture is assembled.

2. Assemble-able furniture according to claim 1, wherein each of the side parts comprises one angled slot that generally faces upward and one angled slot that generally faces downward.

3. Assemble-able furniture according to claim 1, wherein each of said parts further comprises a base support attached to or integral therewith whereupon said base rests when said furniture is assembled.

4. Assemble-able furniture according to claim 3, wherein the base support is constituted by horizontally disposed strips.

5. Assemble-able furniture according to claim 4, wherein the strips are located essentially adjacent the lower edge of each of the parts.

6. Assemble-able furniture according to claim 1, adapted to receive a pillow, seat cushion and the like on the base at the frame formed by the parts when assembled.

7. Assemble-able furniture according to claim 1, wherein the base comprises a grasping feature for facilitating assembly and disassembly.

8. Assemble-able furniture according to claim 1, wherein the base, left side part, right side part, back part, and front part are of a generally rectangular shape.

9. Assemble-able furniture according to claim 1, wherein the base and said parts can be arranged in a packing or storage arrangement being no thicker than the sum of individual said parts and base.

10. Assemble-able furniture according to claim 9, wherein the packing or storage arrangement is no thicker than the thickness of four individual said parts and base.