Mobile connectable furniture, a connector therefor and method of connection

• US 6,182,580 B1
• Filed: 06/02/1999
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bretford Manufacturing Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bretford Manufacturing Incorporated
• Inventors: Niver, Michael A., Bond, Paul, Barrett, Shawn O.
• Primary Examiner(s): WILKENS, JANET MARIE
• Application Number:
  US09/324,528
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 108/64, 108/65, 108/69, 403/381, 744/57, 312/277, 312/111, 525/902, 525/921
• US Class Current: 108/64
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 87/002 Combination of tables; Linking or assembling means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 12/125 using mortise and tenon joints
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2200/30 Dovetail-like connections

Abstract

Tables and other mobile furniture used in seminars and training classes are joined by ring connector elements mounted for rotation on each item of furniture. Male and female dovetail connection points on the periphery of each ring are engaged to connect items of furniture.

Claims

1. A connector for joining two pieces of furniture, at least one of which is mobile, comprising:

two connector elements, one adapted for affixation to each of the pieces of furniture,

one connector element having an arcuate surface with a plurality of laterally spaced connection points, and

the other connector element having a connection point to mate with a selected connection point of said plurality of laterally spaced connection points of said one connector element;

at least one or the other connector element adapted for rotatable affixation to one of said pieces of furniture.

2. The connector of claim 1 in which the connection points form a dovetail joint with mating male and female dovetail configurations.

3. The connector of claim 2 in which said dovetail connection points have rounded edges.

4. The connector of claim 1 in which one of said connector elements is adapted for vertically slidable affixation to a piece of furniture, thereby allowing for vertical movement of the vertically slidably affixed connector element to engage the other connector element after affixation of both elements to their respective piece of furniture.

5. The connector of claim 1 in which said connector elements are rings with alternate male and female connection points on the ring periphery.

6. The connector of claim 5 in which the connector elements engage by axial movement of one of the rings with respect to the other.

7. The connector of claim 6 in which said male and female connection points have a dovetail configuration.

8. The connector of claim 7 in which the edges of the male and female dovetail connection points are rounded.

9. A connector for a piece of mobile furniture which has a horizontal planar surface with an underside, said connector comprising:

the connector element ring of claim 5; and

a cylindrical mount adapted to be secured to the underside of said furniture surface, inside the ring for rotation of the ring on the mount.

10. A piece of mobile connectable furniture having a periphery;

and

one of the connector elements of claim 1 affixed to said piece of furniture substantially at the periphery of the piece of furniture, to mate with the other connector element.

11. The piece of mobile connectable furniture of claim 10 wherein said one connector element is a ring with alternate male and female connection points on the ring periphery and affixed to the piece of furniture for rotation about the ring axis.

12. The piece of mobile connectable furniture of claim 11 wherein the piece of furniture is a table with plural corners having a rotatable ring connector at each corner.

13. The piece of mobile connectable furniture of claim 11 in which said furniture is an upright divider panel with vertical frame members and a ring connector rotatable on one of said vertical frame members.

14. A connector element for mobile furniture, comprising:

a mount for securing the connector element to said mobile furniture, said mount defining an axis of motion; and

a member slidably affixed to said mount for movement along said axis of motion with respect to said mount, said member having a surface with alternate male and female connection points.

15. The connector element of claim 14 in which said male and female connection points have dovetail configurations.

16. The connector element of claim 15 in which said dovetail connection points have rounded edges.

17. The connector element of claim 14 in which said member is annular and said surface is an outer peripheral surface thereof.

18. The connector element of claim 17 in which said member is a ring.

19. The connector element of claim 14 having a stop surface adjacent at least one of the female connection points to position a complimentary male connection point for engagement with the female connection point.

20. The method of connecting two pieces of furniture, at least one of which is mobile, comprising:

affixing to each piece of furniture a connector element, one connector element having a surface with a plurality of laterally spaced connection points and the other connector element having a connection point to mate with one of said plurality of laterally spaced connection points of said one element; and

engaging connection points of the connector elements to connect the two pieces of furniture by moving said one element relative to the piece of furniture to which said one element is attached, or by moving said other element relative to the piece of furniture to which said other element is attached.

21. The method of claim 20 in which each connector element is a ring rotatable in a horizontal plane about a vertical axis and having alternate mating male and female dovetail connection points on the periphery thereof, and further including the step of:

engaging one said male dovetail connection point of one ring with one said female dovetail connection point of the other ring by vertical movement of one of the rings.

22. A piece of mobile connectable furniture comprising:

a table having a periphery defining plural corners; and

a connector affixed substantially at each corner, said connector including a ring shaped connector element affixed for rotation about the ring axis and having an arcuate surface with a plurality of laterally spaced male and female shaped connection points configured for mating respectively with a selected complementary female or male connection point of another such connector on another piece of mobile connectable furniture.

23. A piece of mobile connectable furniture comprising:

an upright divider panel having a periphery and a vertical frame member substantially along the periphery; and

a connector including a ring shaped connector element rotatably affixed to the vertical member for rotation about the vertical member and having an arcuate surface with a plurality of laterally spaced male and female shaped connection points configured for mating respectively with a selected complementary female or male connection point of another such connector on another piece of mobile connectable furniture.

24. A connector for mobile furniture which has a horizontal planar surface with an underside, said connector comprising:

a ring shaped connector element having an arcuate surface with a plurality of laterally spaced male and female shaped connection points configured for mating respectively with a selected complementary female or male connection point on another such connector; and

a cylindrical mount to be secured to the underside of said furniture surface, inside the ring for rotation of the ring on the mount.

25. The connector of claim 24 in which said cylindrical mount includes an end adapted for attachment of said mount to the underside of the furniture surface, and further includes a flange on which the ring rests, said flange spaced from the end of the mount adapted for attachment to the underside of the furniture surface.

26. The connector of claim 24 in which the ring has a thickness and the cylindrical mount is of sufficient length for vertical movement of the ring at least equal to the ring thickness.