No-tools breakdown furniture

• US 20090284111A1
• Filed: 05/13/2008
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Steven Krause, Thomas B. Hazzard
• Original Assignee: Steven Krause, Thomas B. Hazzard
• Inventors: Hazzard, Thomas B., Krause, Steven
• Application Number:
  US12/152,422
• Publication Number:
  US 20090284111A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 312/265.600
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 13/003 Connecting table tops to underframes connecting furniture tubing to non-tubular parts F16B12/42
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 17/006 made of wood or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 3/06 with separable parts
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 47/042 Panels connected without frames
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 7/12 to allow easy detachment of the hinge from the wing or the frame E05D15/507 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/20 for furniture, e.g. cabinets
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 12/22 using keyhole-shaped slots and pins
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 12/46 Non-metal corner connections

Abstract

Articles of breakdown furniture (e.g., a desk and a TV stand) that can be quickly and easily assembled and disassembled by a user without the need for traditional tools, in a relatively short time, and with minimal assistance. In its disassembled condition, the furniture is advantageously adapted to be packaged and transported in compact shipping containers. A removable top is detachably connected between a pair of opposing sides or legs by locking pins which slide through lock bodies affixed to the detachable top for receipt by respective pin holes formed in the sides. A back panel is connected between the pair of opposing sides by connectors which project from ends of the support panel for removable receipt by slotted brackets affixed to the sides. In the case of the desk, a removable pull-out drawer is located below the removable top to be slidably received by grooves formed along the sides. In the case of the TV stand, removable shelves which extend between the pair of opposing sides are detachably connected to shelf supports that are affixed to each of the sides and the back panel.

Claims

1. An article of furniture, comprising:

a pair of opposing side legs to enable said article of furniture to stand on a surface;

a removable top extending laterally between and detachably connected to each of said pair of side legs without the use of tools; and

a removable support panel located below said top, said support panel extending between and being detachably connected to each of said side legs without the use of tools.

2. The article of furniture recited in claim 1, wherein said article is one of a breakdown desk, table, TV stand, or bookshelf wherein said pair of opposing side legs, said removable top, and said removable support panel are connected to one another and disconnected from one another without the use of tools.

3. The article of furniture recited in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of lock bodies attached to said removable top, each lock body having a locking pin slidable between a locked position and an unlocked position, and each of said pair of side legs having at least one pin hole formed therein, the locking pins of said lock bodies sliding to said locked position for receipt by respective ones of said pin holes, whereby said removable top is detachably connected to said pair of side legs, and said locking pins sliding to said unlocked position so as to be withdrawn from said pin holes, whereby said removable top is detachable from said pair of side legs.

4. The article of furniture recited in claim 3, wherein said removable support panel has at least one pin hole formed therein, a locking pin from one of said plurality of lock bodies attached to said removable top sliding to said locked position for receipt by the pin hole formed in said support panel, whereby said removable top is detachably connected to said support panel.

5. The article of furniture recited in claim 3, wherein each of said pair of side legs has at least one locating pin projecting upwardly therefrom, and the bottom of said removable top has at least one locator hole formed at first and opposite ends thereof, the locating pins projecting from said pair of sides being removably received within respective ones of said locator holes formed in said removable top by which to automatically align the locking pins of said plurality of lock bodies for removable receipt by respective ones of the pin holes formed in said pair of legs.

6. The article of furniture recited in claim 1, further comprising a bracket affixed to each one of said pair of side legs, first and opposite ends of said removable support panel being detachably connected to of said pair of side legs at the respective brackets thereof.

7. The article of furniture recited in claim 6, further comprising at least one connector affixed to and projecting outwardly from each of first and opposite ends of said removable support panel, said bracket affixed to each one of said pair of side legs having a locking slot formed therein, and the at least one connector at each end of said support panel being removably received within the locking slot of a respective bracket, whereby said support panel is detachably connected to each of said pair of side legs.

8. The article of furniture recited in claim 7, wherein each bracket is rotatable relative to the one of said pair of side legs to which said bracket is affixed from an upstanding position, projecting outwardly from said one side leg, to a flat position, laying alongside said one leg.

9. The article of furniture recited in claim 8, wherein each bracket includes a bracket base affixed to one of said pair of side legs, a bracket stand having said locking slot formed therein, and a hinge pin by which said bracket stand is pivotally coupled to said bracket base so as to be rotatable relative to said bracket base between said upstanding and flat positions.

10. The article of furniture recited in claim 1, further comprising a first hinge plate affixed to each of first and opposite ends of said removable support panel and a second hinge plate affixed to each one of said pair of side legs, one of said first and second hinge plates having a coupling pin projecting therefrom and the other one of said first and second hinge plates having a coupling sleeve, the coupling pin of the one said hinge plates being removably received by the coupling sleeve of the other one of said hinge plates, whereby the first and opposite ends of said support panel are detachably connected to respective ones of said pair of side legs.

11. The article of furniture recited in claim 10, further comprising a pair of said first hinge plates affixed to each one of the first and opposite ends of said removable support panel and a pair of said second hinge plates affixed to each one of said pair of side legs, each pair of said first and second hinge plates including a coupling pin projecting from one of said first and second hinge plates and a coupling sleeve carried by the other one of said first and second hinge plates in which to removably receive said coupling pin, the coupling pin of one pair of first and second hinge plates being shorter than the coupling pin of the other pair of said first and second hinge plates.

12. The article of furniture recited in claim 1, further comprising a wire management channel connected to said removable top and adapted to carry electrical wires from electrical equipment located on said top to a source of electrical power.

13. The article of furniture recited in claim 12, wherein said wire management channel is suspended from and hangs downwardly below the removable top, said wire management channel manufactured from a flexible material so as to lay substantially flat against said top in response to a compressive force applied thereto.

14. The article of furniture recited in claim 1, further comprising a pull-out drawer located below said removable top and having a bottom tray, each of said pair of side legs having a guide track formed therein for slidably receiving respective first and opposite ends of said bottom tray.

15. The article of furniture recited in claim 1, wherein said removable top has a locking groove formed in first and opposite ends thereof, the top of each of said pair of side legs being removably received within a respective locking groove, whereby said removable top and said pair of side legs are detachably connected to one another.

16. The article of furniture recited in claim 1, further comprising at least one shelf located below said removable top and extending between said pair of side legs, each one of said pair of side legs and said removable support panel having a shelf support projecting therefrom, said at least one shelf being seated on each shelf support, and an attachment pin projecting upwardly from each shelf support to be connected to said shelf to hold said shelf against each shelf support.

17. An article of furniture, comprising:

a pair of opposing side legs to enable said article of furniture to stand on a surface;

a removable top extending laterally between and detachably connected to each of said pair of side legs without the use of tools; and

a removable support panel located below said top, said support panel extending between said pair of side legs and being detachably connected to each one of said side legs and said removable top without the use of tools.