Knockdown table and cabinet structure

• US 4,941,717 A
• Filed: 10/10/1989
• Issued: 07/17/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Skyline Displays Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Skyline Displays Incorporated
• Inventors: Beaulieu, Bryan J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Falk, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US07/419,382
• Time in Patent Office: 280 Days
• Field of Search: 108/111, 403/252, 403/254, 403/263, 312/265, 312/265.1-265.4, 312/140
• US Class Current: 312/265.3
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 13/06 of metal A47B13/023 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 47/05 with panels on a separate frame, e.g. a metal frame
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 91/022 using screw means
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 12/40 Joints for furniture tubing
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2200/10 Details of socket shapes
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2200/20 Connections with hook-like parts gripping behind a blind side of an element to be connected

Abstract

A lightweight knockdown table and cabinet structure adapted for ease of assembly and disassembly comprised of a plurality of hollow tubular frame members releasably interconnected by a plurality of fasteners and lock assemblies and having a multi-sectioned top which adds rigidity and support to the structure. The fastener and lock assemblies each include a fastening device with multiple end connectors. The fastening devices are slidably insertable into the frame members and have a guide slot bridging into a locking slot. The end connectors are also insertable into the frame members and have a projecting male connector end. The male connector end is insertable into the guide slot and movable into locking engagement within the locking slot to releasably interlock the frame members together at right angles. The multi-sectioned top includes adjacent middle and side sections with support flanges which rest upon opposing frame members. The side sections each have an outwardly extending re-enforcement lip which lies under the adjacent frame member to add rigidity and support to the structure.

Claims

1. A knockdown table and cabinet structure adapted for ease of assembly and disassembly, comprising:

(a) a plurality of hollow tubular frame member of substantially square cross section, the frame members including first and second groups;

(b) a plurality of fastening devices, each fastening device having a slidably insertable end adapted for slidable insertion into the end of a tubular frame member of the first group with a wide guide slot therein and an extending end with a narrow locking slot bridging into the guide slot;

a shoulder at the junction of the slidably insertable end and the extending end, said shoulder sized to abut against the end of a tubular frame member and thereby to limit the extending end from ingress into said tubular frame member;

(c) resilient fastening means for joining together a pair of said fastening devices at opposite ends of a tubular frame member, passing inside said tubular frame member, said resilient fastening means permitting partial egress of said slidably insertable ends from said tubular frame member and resiliently urging said pair of fastening devices inwardly toward abutment of said shoulders against respective ends of said tubular frame member;

(d) a plurality of end connectors, each connector having a slidably insertable end adapted for insertion and affixing into the end of a tubular frame member AND second group and a projecting male connector end of a dimension sized to be readily insertable into the guide slot but not insertable into the locking slot but movable into the locking slot from the guide slot for rigid and secure locking engagement of the respective frame members together, said locking engagement being aided by the resilient fastening means holding respective pairs of said fastening devices inwardly in said tubular frame members to abut said shoulders against respective ends of said tubular frame members.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein the ends of the tubular frame members of the first group each have a fastening device slidably insertable therein.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein the resilient fastening means further comprises an elastic cord.

4. The structure of claim 1, wherein the insertable ends and the extending ends of the fastening devices each have four side faces and further comprise a wide guide slot in each face of each insertable end and a narrow locking slot in each face of each extending end.

5. The structure of claim 1, wherein each of the projecting male connectors comprise an enlarged guide section with wedged surfaces for tapered frictional engagement with the extending section of the fastening device adjacent the locking slot.

6. The structure of claim 1, wherein the ends of the tubular frame members of the second group each have an end connector inserted and affixed therein.

7. The structure of claim 1, wherein the tubular frame members of the first group are vertically oriented and the tubular frame members of the second group are horizontally oriented.

8. The structure of claim 1, wherein the fastening devices each have an end face with a central aperture therein, and further comprising a threaded insert fitted into the aperture, and a threaded leveling foot rotatably insertable into the insert.

9. The structure of claim 1, further comprising means for magnetically attaching panels to the frame members.

10. A top for a knockdown table and cabinet structure wherein the structures have a first pair of opposing horizontal and parallel upper frame members and a second pair of opposing horizontal and parallel upper frame members which are planar with and perpendicular to the first pair and the end of the respective pairs are interconnected, comprising:

(a) a planar middle section with opposing outwardly extending support flanges which are adapted to rest upon the opposing frame members of the first pair and having an elongate depending reinforcement flange extending parallel to the members of the second pair; and

(b) two planar side sections each with opposing outwardly extending support flanges which are adapted to rest upon the opposing frame members of the first pair and having a depending reinforcement flange extending parallel and adjacent to one of the frame members of the second pair and an outwardly extending member reinforcement lip which lies under the adjacent member of the second group to add rigidity and support to the structure.

11. The top of claim 10, wherein each section has two elongate depending reinforcement flanges.

12. The top of claim 10, wherein the sections are made of sheet metal.

13. A knockdown table and cabinet structure adapted for ease of assembly and disassembly, comprising:

(a) a plurality of hollow tubular frame members of substantially square cross section, the frame members including first vertical and second horizontal groups;

(b) a plurality of fastening devices, each fastening device having a slidably insertable end with four faces adapted for slidable insertion into the end of a tubular frame member of the first group with a wide guide slot in each insertable end face, an extending end with four faces with a narrow locking slot in each extending end face bridging into the guide slot of the adjacent insertable end face, one fastening device for each end the frame members of the first vertical group and being biased inwardly of the tubular frame end;

(c) a plurality of end connectors, one for each end of the second horizontal group, each having a slidably insertable end adapted for insertion and affixing into the ends of the horizontal tubular frame members and further having a projecting male connector end with an enlarged guide section with wedged surfaces of a dimension sized to be readily insertable into the guide slot but not insertable into the locking slot but movable into the locking slot from the guide slot and frictionally held within the locking slot after which the slidably insertable end of the fastening device may be inserted into the end of the first tubular frame member for obstructing the guide slot and for locking engagement of the respective frame members together;

(d) a multi-sectioned top for the topmost horizontal frame members once releasably interconnected to form a rectangle, comprising;

(i) a planar middle section with opposing outwardly extending support flanges which are adapted to rest upon the second opposing horizontal uppermost frame members having an elongate depending reinforcement flange extending parallel to the other opposing uppermost horizontal members; and

(ii) two planar side sections each with opposing outwardly extending support flanges which are adapted to rest upon the second opposing horizontal uppermost frame members and further having a depending reinforcement flange extending parallel and adjacent to one of the other opposing uppermost horizontal frame members and an outwardly extending member reinforcement lip which slides under the adjacent uppermost horizontal member to add rigidity and support to the structure.