Connecting fixture

• US 4,502,807 A
• Filed: 06/14/1983
• Issued: 03/05/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Arturo Salice SPA
• Original Assignee: Arturo Salice SPA
• Inventors: Salice, Luciano
• Primary Examiner(s): KUNDRAT, ANDREW
• Application Number:
  US06/504,378
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 403/330, 403/231, 403/407, 403/406, 403/405, 403/11
• US Class Current: 403/11
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2230/13 Toggle or over-center latches for furniture
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/0835 the bolts pivoting about an axis parallel to the wings
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 19/10 Hook fastenings; Fastenings in which a link engages a fixed hook-like member
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 12/2009 actuated by rotary motion
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 12/26 using snap-action elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 403/11 Furniture type having a snap fit
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/16 with adjunctive protector, broken parts retainer, repair, assembly or disassembly feature
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/4602 Corner joint
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/608 Pivoted

Abstract

A connecting fixture is provided for detachably connecting two platelike furniture parts, which abut preferably at right angles to each other. The connecting fixture comprises two fixture elements, which are adapted to be secured to one of the furniture parts to be connected and one of which comprises a detent lever, which is mounted to be pivotally movable against the force of a spring and at its forward end carries a hook-shaped detent projection, which when the detent lever has been pushed into an opening of the other fixture element snaps with its rear side face behind a step or bar of the other fixture element, which step or bar has a supporting edge. The radial distance from said side face to the pivotal axis of the detent lever continuously decreases toward the root of said side face and the side face when snapped in lies on the supporting edge above the root of the side face. Two or more than two spring-loaded detent levers are provided, which are parallel to each other and in which the side faces of the detent projections are spaced different radial distances from the common pivotal axis of the detent levers.

Claims

1. A connecting fixture for detachably connecting two plate like furniture parts, abutting preferably at right angles to each other, said connecting fixture comprising:

two fixture elements, each fixture element having a housing adapted to be secured to one of the furniture parts to be connected and one of said two fixtures elements includes two detent levers mounted parallel to each other about a common pivot axis in one of said housings, a detent projection defined by each of said detent levers being hook-shaped and each detent projection including a side face, each side face being spaced a different radial distance from the common pivot axis and the radial distance from each said side face to said pivot axis continuously decreasing toward the root of said side face, a spring mounted in said one housing adapted to bias said two detent levers independently of each other, and the other of said two fixture elements includes a bar defining a supporting edge mounted in the other of said housings, an opening defined by said other housing being adapted to receive said detent projections when the detent levers have been pushed into said other fixture element and one of said detent projections snaps its side face behind said bar and the side face of the snapped in projection lies on the supporting edge at a distance spaced from its root.

2. A connecting fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that the side face of the detent projection of that detent lever which comprises the side face having the smaller radial spacing is arranged to snap just behind the supporting edge before the side face of the detent projection of the other detent lever, which side face has a larger radial spacing, engages the supporting edge at the bottom of the latter side face.

3. A connecting fixture according to claim 1, wherein said spring is U-shaped and, the detent levers are supported by the legs of said U-shaped spring, said spring includes a cross-piece which extends transversely to the detent levers and is supported in the housing whereas said legs are directed toward each other and have spaced apart ends.

4. A connecting fixture according to claim 3, characterized in that the U-shaped spring is held between two parallel partitions of the housing.

5. A connecting fixture for detachably connecting two platelike furniture parts, abutting preferably at right angles to each other, said connecting fixture comprising:

two fixture elements, each fixture element having a housing adapted to be secured to one of the furniture parts to be connected and one of said two fixture elements includes a detent lever mounted in one of said housings about a pivot axis, a detent projection defined by said detent lever being hook-shaped and including a side face, the radial distance from said side face to said pivot axis continuously decreasing toward the root of said side face, a spring mounted in said one housing adapted to bias said detent lever, and the other of said two fixture elements includes a rotatable disc mounted in the other of said housings, said rotatable disc including a collarlike rim end face defining a supporting edge having a continuously varying height, an opening defined by said other housing being adapted to receive said detent projection when the detent lever has been pushed into said other fixture element and said detent projection snaps its side face behind said rotatable disc adapted to be rotated transversely to the plane in which the detent lever is pivotally movable to locate said side face on said supporting edge at a distance spaced from its root.

6. A connecting fixture according to claim 5, characterized in that the rotatable disc is provided only around part of its periphery with said collarlike rim which continuously decreases in height from one side to the other.

7. A connecting fixture according to claim 5, characterized in that the rotatable disc is rotatably mounted in a cylindrical recess of the housing and is held by a transversely extending pin, which supports the disc.

8. A connecting fixture according to claim 5, characterized in that the bottom of the cylindrical recess has a central hole and the disc has a centrally disposed screwdriver slot, which is disposed in said hole.

9. A connecting fixture according to claim 7, characterized in that the cylindrical recess is provided with laterally disposed stops, which are engageable by the side edges of the collarlike rim.