WO2014148919A1

WO2014148919A1 - Fabric clamping assembly

Info

Publication number: WO2014148919A1
Application number: PCT/NZ2013/000237
Authority: WO
Inventors: Spencer Wong
Original assignee: Spencer Wong
Priority date: 2013-03-20
Filing date: 2013-12-17
Publication date: 2014-09-25

Abstract

A fabric clamping assembly for clamping and securing fabric and signage material substrates. The fabric clamping assembly can clamp light weight materials through to heavy upholstery fabrics, including multiple layers of fabric. The fabric clamp assembly can be applied to fabric covered furniture, signage and products. The fabric or material substrate is tensioned over a profiled member and insert clips are inserted without the need for tools, clamping the fabric in a selected aperture depending on the material thickness. The insert clips can be removed without the need for tools when replacing the fabric or material substrate.

Description

Fabric Clamping Assembly DESCRIPTION

TECHNICAL FIELD

This present invention relates to an upholstery or fabric covered clamping method assembly and more particularly but not exclusively to furniture upholstery assemblies of fabric applied to furniture, signage and products.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are many ways of fixing upholstery fabric to furniture or fabric covered products such as signage. Conventional fixing methods include stapling, gluing, nails, metal tacks. Typically these methods are designed to be permanent and do not allow for easy removal and replacement of the upholstery fabric, often requiring specialist tools. Removing the existing fabric is time consuming and costly. These fixing methods are generally suited for long term applications. Known upholstery fixing methods have suffered from a number of disadvantages including not being able to be removed and upholstered quickly and regularly without considerable cost and time. Therefore very few furniture items and products are reupholstered because of this. Known methods for removable upholstery include Velcro or profiles sewed or glued onto fabrics and loose fitting covers. There is a high element of labour and cost involved in these options. Generally, the upholstery must be replaced by an identical shaped product. There are other known prior art fabric fixing assemblies as disclosed in US Pat. 5467546 used in specialised industries such as signage. These systems clamp and fasten a small range of fabric thicknesses where the fabric thickness has to be constant along the length of the profiled member. Therefore, not suitable for upholstery and products where fabric and upholstery details can vary in thickness.

There are other known fabric clamping assemblies in the signage industry. These include profiles that are sewed or glued onto fabrics or paper stocks and inserted into a profiled aperture. Other signage clamps assemblies are designed for a particular type of fabric and fabric thickness and therefore limited to a narrow range of fabrics.

Upholstery system methods such as disclosed US Pat. 3,958,285 FIG.l will fasten a range of fabric thicknesses, but as disclosed in US Pat 3,958,285 there is only 2 corners or apertures for the sprung clips to locate. Therefore, depending on the material thickness and upholstery detailing, the clamping forces and the manual insertion force required to insert the plurality of sprung clips will differ along the profiled member. Having only 2 apertures means the forces gripping the fabric in place will vary depending on the fabric thicknesses and upholstery detailing such as corner details. Those skilled in the art of upholstery and signage will understand that there is a huge range of fabrics, paper stocks and materials of varying thicknesses with varying degrees of malleability. Upholstery and signage techniques such as corner details may result in fixing layers of fabric up to 4 layers thick. It is therefore desirable to provide an upholstery or fabric covered clamping assembly particularly for the use of furniture, fabric covered products and signage that overcomes or substantially ameliorates at least one of the above disadvantages or at least provides an alternative thereto. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a upholstery or fabric covering clamping assembly including: a plurality of insert clips, inserted into a profiled member, securing and fastening the fabric in place. a profiled member that is independent, attached to a planar substrate or incorporated into a frame.

The profiled member having a range of apertures, the apertures being spaced and positioned to engage the fabric and insert clips.

The fabric is tensioned around the profiled member. The insert clips are inserted and securely located in the respective aperture, depending on the thickness and layers of the fabric along the profiled member.

The fabric is secured in place by the insert clips having a resilience quality, forcing the fabric into the apertures. Preferably, the insert clips or fasteners are either plastic or metal and can be inserted and removed from the profiled member, with no tools.

Preferably the profiled member is metal such as aluminium but can be of plastic nature. The profiled member can be independent, attached to another member or incorporated in an alternative member.

Preferably the apertures in the profiled member are spaced at different distances from a single main aperture point. Preferably the plurality of apertures vary in size, accepting different thicknesses and layers of fabric. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG 1 shows an example of prior art

FIG 2, FIG 3, FIG 4 shows a sectional assembly drawing of the profiled member and insert clips, positioned in the different apertures according to fabric thickness

FIG 5 shows a sectional assembly of the profiled member and layers of fabric secured by the insert clip

FIG 6 is a schematic isometric view of the assembly

FIG 7 is a schematic isometric view of an upholstery corner assembly detail showing where fabric layering can occur

FIG 8 is a schematic sectional view of an upholstery embodiment

FIG 9 is a schematic sectional view of a fabric cover embodiment FIG 10 is a schematic isometric view of a fabric covered signage frame

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to FIG 2 to FIG 5, shows a typical sectional view of the upholstery and fabric clamping assembly. The preferred embodiment comprising of a profiled member 1 , fabric 2 and insert clips 3. The fabric 2 is applied and tensioned over the member 1. The insert clips 3 are inserted into the singular main aperture 4 in member 1 and then pivoting down, locating in a selected aperture 5, securing the fabric. FIG 6 shows an isometric view of the assembly configuration with a plurality of insert clips. The insert clip 3 can be inserted as the fabric is tensioned over the member. Force is applied to the insert clip 3, locating the insert clip 3 in the correct aperture for the fabric to be secured. The insert clip 3 can be inserted and removed when the fabric needs to be changed. To remove the insert clip 3 a force is applied to the handle of the insert clip 3 to displace the insert clips 3 from the apertures. The embodiment can secure the fabric short term or long term depending on application.

FIG 7 shows a typical upholstery corner detail showing the multiple layers of folded fabric 6, secured in place using the insert clips 3 in the different apertures depending on the thickness and layers of fabric.

The above described preferred embodiment provides a number of advantages, including being able to secure the fabric 2 relatively quickly with no specialist tools. The fabric 2 can be removed and replaced and the profiled member 1 and insert clips 3 reused. Another advantage is that the embodiment can fix and secure a range of different fabric 2 thicknesses including multiple layers of fabric 6.

A preferred embodiment application is shown in FIG 8 where the profiled member 1 is applied to a panel or frame 7. Upholstery materials consisting of foam 8 and or padding is applied to the frame. The fabric 2 is wrapped over the product and tensioned. The insert clips 3 are inserted to the correct aperture securing the fabric in place.

In an alternative preferred embodiment in FIG 9 shows another application where elements of member 1 are incorporated into another member 9. FIG 10 shows a rear view of a profiled frame covered in fabric and clamped in place by the insert clips.

While the invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments above, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that is not limited to those embodiments, but may be embodied in many other forms.

The use of the word fabric is intended to include all fabrics and materials that display similar properties such as paper stocks.

In this specification, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the word "comprising" is not intended to have exclusive meaning of the word such as "consisting only of, but rather has the non exclusive meaning, in the sense of "including at least". The same applies, with corresponding grammatical changes, to other forms of the word such as "comprise", etc.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The present invention can be utilised in respect of upholstery fixing assemblies and signage assemblies and more particularly but not exclusive to furniture and fabric covered product assemblies.

Claims

1. An upholstery and fabric clamp assembly that allows fabric to be applied and removed with no tools, said clamp assembly that can be applied to furniture, products and signage and said clamp assembly comprising: a profiled member with one main aperture in a spaced relationship with a plurality of apertures to receive a fabric that is securely clamped in the apertures by a plurality of insert clips, wherein the insert clips and profiled member allow adjustment to selectively clamp the fabric substantially irrespective of the thickness or layers of the fabric or upholstery.

2. A fabric clamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of apertures in the profiled member are at a range of distances away from the main singular aperture, accommodating a variety of thicknesses of fabric when secured by the insert clips.

3. A fabric clamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of apertures in the profiled member are of varying sizes to secure a variety of fabric thicknesses or layers.

4. A fabric clamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of apertures in the profiled member are of a constant size to secure a variety of fabric thicknesses or layers.