Modular furniture

• US 4,067,161 A
• Filed: 09/22/1975
• Issued: 01/10/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Eberhard G. Rensch
• Original Assignee: Eberhard G. Rensch
• Inventors: Rensch, Eberhard G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Frazier, Roy D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lyddane, William E.
• Application Number:
  US05/615,484
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• Field of Search: 211/186, 211/189, 211/, 108/111, 108/153, 312/108, 312/111, 312/140, 312/263, 312/257 R, 312/257 A, 312/257 SK, 52/281, 52/282, 52/400, 52/495, 52/498, 52/499, 52/586, 52/619, 52/624, 52/626-628, 52/656, 52/732, 52/738, 52/758 R, 52/758 H, 52/280, 52/285 , 52/580, 403/384, 403/387
• US Class Current: 312/139.2
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 47/04 made mainly of wood or plastics
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 96/14 Bars, uprights, struts, or like supports, for cabinets, brackets, or the like aspects of adjusting height or inclination of shelves or brackets A47B57/00
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2/78 characterised by special cross-section of the frame members as far as important for securing wall panels to a framework with or without the help of cover-strips
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 12/44 Leg joints; Corner joints
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 12/46 Non-metal corner connections
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2012/443 with two-dimensional corner element, the legs thereof being inserted in hollow frame members
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2012/505 having a corner insert which is inserted in mitered profiled members

Abstract

A piece of furniture comprises several angularly adjoining structural components, such as plates and/or bars, or polygonal outline. Each component is framed by several modular elements in the form of elongate profiles extending along respective sides of the polygon. Each profile has a wide first flange, contacting the component or integral therewith, and a second, narrower flange held spaced from this first flange by a transverse web; a still narrower third flange may be held spaced from the second flange by an extension of the web, the three flanges then having beveled edges lying in two common planes which include angles of 90° or 60° with the midplane of the profile. Adjoining profiles, whose first flanges lie in different planes, are joined by angular connectors along their longitudinal or their transverse edges, the connectors having parts received in grooves defined by pairs of parallel flanges in the first instance and in channels formed by brackets on the first flanges in the second instance.

Claims

1. In a piece of modular furniture, in combination:

a pair of modular elements in the shape of elongate profiles each provided with three parallel flanges held spaced apart by an integral transverse web, said flanges terminating in beveled edges lying in a common plane, the beveled edges of corresponding flanges of said profiles contacting each other along said plane with formation of two pairs of angularly adjoining grooves between said flanges; and

a pair of generally L-shaped connectors with legs respectively received in each pair of angularly adjoining grooves for holding said profiles together.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said legs terminate in a pair of end stops resting against transverse flange edges at the ends of the grooves.

3. The combination defined in claim 2 wherein said profiles are parts of two sets of orthogonally interconnected modular elements framing respective polygonal plates, said end stops being received in grooves of neighboring profiles of both sets.

4. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein the legs of one of said connectors are provided with bulges, one of the flanges of each of said profiles being provided with indentations receiving said bulges with a snap fit.

5. In a piece of modular furniture, in combination:

a pair of polygonal plates lying in mutually orthogonal planes;

two sets of modular elements respectively framing said plates, each modular element having the shape of an elongate profile and being provided with at least two parallel flanges including a first flange proximal to the respective panel and a second flange separated from said first flange by an integral transverse web, the flanges of each modular element differing from each other in both length and width and terminating in beveled coplanar longitudinal edges and in beveled coplanar transverse edges, the modular elements of each set adjoining each other along their beveled transverse edge, the resulting frames having a common side defined by one modular element of each set whose flanges contact each other along beveled longitudinal edges; and

a pair of generally L-shaped connectors disposed at respective ends of said common side, each of said connectors having two legs respectively received in a pair of outwardly open grooves formed between the contacting flanges of the two modular elements defining said common side, said legs terminating in transverse end stops received between flanges of adjoining modular elements of the respective sets to form a corner joint.

6. The combination defined in claim 5 wherein said legs have flange-contacting surfaces provided with serrations parallel to said longitudinal edges.

7. The combination defined in claim 5 wherein each of said plates is unitary with the modular elements framing same.

8. The combination defined in claim 5 wherein each plate is hollow and includes two coextensive panels with upstanding rims, said modular elements having supplemental flanges spaced from their first flanges on the sides opposite said second flanges thereof and defining oppositely facing channel pairs receiving the rims of said panels.

9. The combination defined in claim 8 wherein said rims terminate in edge beads, one of the flanges bounding said channel pairs being provided with undercuts engaged with a snap fit by the edge beads of said panels.

10. The combination defined in claim 8 wherein each plate further comprises reinforcing means between the panels thereof.

11. The combination defined in claim 5 wherein each of said modular element is further provided with a third flange supported parallel to said first and second flanges on an extension of said web, said second and third flanges forming another pair of outwardly open grooves between them.

12. The combination defined in claim 11 wherein said first, second and third flanges are of progressively decreasing width and progressively increasing length.

13. The combination defined in claim 12 wherein said first, second and third flanges have longitudinal edges with coplanar bevels including an angle of not less than 45°

with the longitudinal midplane of the profile.