AU666917B2 - Improvements in and/or relating to furniture, furniture connections, interconnections, methods of forming passageways for receiving connecting elements and related methods and means - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 666917 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

Class Int. Class Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority Related Art: e Name of Applicant: Criterion Manufacturing Limited o o o

D

Actual Inventor(s): John Alexander Hatrick-Smith Walter John Smaill Address for Service: PHILLIPS ORMONDE FITZPATRICK Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys 367 Collins Street Melbourne 3000 AUSTRALIA Invention Title: IMPROVEMENTS IN AND/OR RELATING TO FURNITURE, FURNITURE CONNECTIONS, INTERCONNECTIONS, METHODS OF FORMING PASSAGEWAYS FOR RECEIVING CONNECTING ELEMENTS AND RELATED METHODS AND

MEANS

Our Ref 321395 POF Code: 9379/184989 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to applicant(s): -1- 6006 -2- The present invention relates to improvements and/or relating to furniture, furniture connections, interconnections, methods of forming passageways for receiving connecting elements and related methods and means.

Many forms of assembly are known for furniture and/or other structural and/or support elements.

The present invention is directed to an alternative to such existing modes, methods and resulting products.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a method of forming a passageway for a connection element, namely a rod or the equivalent which method includes: providing a first component having a groove in a face thereof, said first component being longitudinally discontinuous; si providing a second component having a complementary face to the face of said first component ard having a tongue protruding therefrom but of lesser depth S 15 than the groove in the first component, said tongue being likewise discontinuous, said first and second component is being able to receive at each discontinuity a shelf or the like forming element; and bringing the first and second components into an assembled condition so as to define a conduit discontinuous or not within that part of the groove not taken 20 up by the tongue.

Preferably each of said components is elongate and the tongue and S groove runs substantially longitudinally in each similarly said complementary i :faces.

In one preferred form the tongue is a spline member preferably of a wood or composite material.

Preferably one and preferably each component is covered by a veneer or lamination. The longitudinal peripheries of which are sandwiched between said complementary faces.

Preferably said components are glued together.

Preferably that component having the groove is longitudinally diiscetinou so as to receive a shelf or the like eement in a break in its continuity.

yr tfefr: I e tongue is likewise discontinuous.

Preferably the method includes the steps of locating and fixing a shelf defining unit by passing an elongate pinning member along the passageway through an opening through the shelf defining unit when the shelf defining unit is positioned in the discontinuity of said grooved component and thereafter fixing e.g. by screws, nut 10 heads, etc) the end(s) of the pinning member. Preferably some tension is introduced into the elongate pinning member so as to squeeze the shelf defining element. In other forms the shelf defining element may be a structural member of any other form, eg. a brace.

In a further aspect the present invention consists in a product of the method as 15 previously described.

In still a further aspect the present invention consists in a furniture unit selected from a table, cabinet or shelving having at least one assembly (preferably a table leg) formed as a composite member so as to define a longitudinal passageway to receive at least a screw thread ended rod member (of any cross-section) capable of being located at one end (preferably to a table top) and receiving a nut or the equivalent at the other end (preferably by an allen key said passageway being formed by bringing together or otherwise mating at some complementary face(s) of each a tongued member (whether integrally formed with a tongue or having a spline protruding from a groove therein) with a grooved member, the tongue not fully filling the groove, the groove containing member being longitudinally discontinuous to -4provide a gap accommodating part of shelf forming or other functioned unit oi member through which the rod member passes.

Preferably the shelf forming or other functioned unit is squeezed as a result of tension in the rod member by the sandwiching lengths of the groove containing member.

Preferably said tongued component is defined using a spline which preferably is fitted/glued in place in one component prior to mating within the groove of the other. The spline in such constructions need not extend to the bottom of either receiving groove.

eooe 10 Preferably a veneer or laminate covers the outside of at leat one of the components with peripheral regions sandwiched by the complementary face(s).

The system of the invention can be used to provide a joint for the vertical (or horizontal) members of tables, cabinets and shelving with a top (or side) and one or more horizontal (or vertical) panels.

15 This invention may also be said broadly to consist in the parts, elements and features referred to or indicated in the specification of the application, individually or collectively, and any or all combinations of any two or more of said parts, elements or features, and where specific integers are mentioned herein which have known equivalents in the art to which this invention relates, such known equivalents are deemed to be incorporated herein as if individually set forth.

The invention consists in the foregoing and also envisages constructions of which the following gives examples.

One preferred form of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings with particular reference to the location of a shelf defining unit in furniture although, the present invention has applications outside of furniture and has application irrespective of whether or not any member to be interconnected is, in fact, a shelf forming unit. It could, for example, be any structural element such as a brace, beam, tying member or the like. In the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a composite leg of a coffee table or the like showing, in part, the table top and, in part, a shelf defining unit, Figure 2 is a cross section AA of the composite leg of Figure 1 showing the tongue and groove interrelationship from longitudinal complementary faces (preferably planar although not necessarily so), the tongue not filling the groove so 10 as to allow the shown sectioned rod or other pinning member to pass therethrough, Figure 3 is a bottom view BB showing how, if desired, and if the other end of the pinning rod is located in the table top (eg. by known anchoring devices into which a threaded member can be screwed) a shrouded allen nut can be positioned at the lower end, 15 Figure 4 is a view showing the preferred pin member preferably fully threaded t o t* for ease of manufacture, although not necessarily so, showing how the same at one end is screw-receivable (this is an option only) in the table top (preferably using a known anchor for that purpose) passes through the shelf defining unit to be disposed in the gap between the lengths of the groove containing member to then be tensioned using the allen at the other (preferably lower end), Figure 5 is a side elevational view of a leg capable of acting (when inverted) in conjunction with the arrangement shown in Figure 4, there being a dowel or other male member protruding from the tongued member to be inserted in a receiving hole provided some way through the thickness of the table top to avoid any rotation of the leg about the pinning member, the pinning member being shown in broken outlines -6protruding above the length of the groove containing member above the break and also passing through the break where it would locate the shelf defining unit, Figure 6 is a view CC with respect to Figure 5 showing how the bottom end can be countersunk so as to accommodate the allen nut shown in Figures 3 and 4, Figure 7 is a variation of Figure 2 showing a spline defined "tongued component" which preferably is preassembled prior to the mating, and Figure 8 shows how the longitudinal peripheral regions of a veneer or laminate (preferably of both components) is preferably sandwiched by the complementary faces..

10 In the preferred form of the present invention there is provided a grooved member 1 and a tongued member 2. As can be seen from the drawings, the interrelationship of the tongue and the groove of the members 2 and 1 are such that the tongue 4 does not fully accommodate the groove 5 so as to leave a longitudinal passage way through which a pinning member 6 can pass.

15 In the preferred form of the present invention the pinning member is a screw 0 threaded rod of any cross section, it being important only that there be means whereby it can be anchored at each end and preferably be placed under tension. In the preferred form, of course, an allen nut 7 is employed along with a known threaded socket anchoring device 8.

The complementary face 9 of each of members 1 and 2 is preferably planar and aligned but need not be so. It could be configured in any manner, ie. it could even be wavy or include a number of different additional tongue and groove interengagements or the equivalent.

A feature of the invention is the discontinuity of one of the longitudinal members and preferably the grooved member so as to provide a gap 10 into which -7a shelf defining or other structural unit 11 can be positioned in a manner as shown in Figure 1.

The table top 12 preferably has a hole 13 which does not pass therethrough into which the dowel or other male protruding member 14 (see Figure 5) can be located so as to provide the arrangement as shown in Figure 1.

During the course of assembly, therefore, the composite leg would preferably be provided in an already fabricated (ie. preferably glued) form whereby on assembly by a customer the shelving unit or the equivalent 11 would be placed in the gap between portions 1A and 1B of the member 1, the pinning member 6 passed 10 therethrough after having been anchored to the member 8 fixed within the top 12 whereupon the allen nut would then be located in the countersunk or the equivalent region 14 at the bottom of the leg and thereafter tightened so as to introduce tension into the pinning member 6 to thereby cause sufficient distortion of the leg so as to have the proximate ends of portions 1A and 1B squeezed on the shelf defining unit 11.

Figure 7 is a variation of Figure 2 showing a spline defined "tongued 6. component" which preferably is preassembled prior to the mating, and Figure 8 shows how the longitudinal peripheral regions of a veneer or laminate (preferably of both components) is preferably sandwiched by the complementary faces.

It is believed that an interconnection in accordance with the present invention which has been described in relation to furniture has application in other products and provides the public with a useful choice.

Claims (16)

1. A method of forming a passageway for a connection element, namely a rod or the equivalent which method includes: providing a first component having a groove in a face thereof, said first component being longitudinally discontinuous; providing a second component having a complementary face to the face of said first component and having a tongue protruding therefrom but of lesser depth than the groove in the first component, said tongue being likewise discontinuous, said first and second component is being able to receive at each discontinuity a shelf or the like forming element; and bringing the first and second components into an assembled condition so as to define a conduit discontinuous or not within that part of the groove not taken up by the tongue.

2. A method of claim 1 wherein each of said first and second components is go elongate and the tongue and groove runs substantially longitudinally in said S-complementary faces. i

3. A method of claims 1 or 2 wherein the tongue is a spline member preferably of a wood or composite material.

4. A method of any one of the preceding claims wherein at least one 20 component is covered by a veneer or lamination, the longitudinal peripheries of S°which are sandwiched between said complementary faces.

5. A method of any one of the preceding claims wherein said components are glued together.

6. A method of any one of the preceding claims which includes the steps of locating and fixing a shelf defining unit by passing an elongate pinning member along the passageway through an opening through the shelf defining unit when the shelf defining unit is positioned in the discontinuity of said grooved component and thereafter fixing the end of the pinning member.

7. A method of claim 6 wherein some tension is introduced into the elongate pinning member so as to squeeze the shelf defining element.

8. A product of the method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

9. A furniture unit selected from a table, a cabinet and a shelving unit having at least one assembly formed as a composite member so as to define a -9- longitudinal passageway to receive at least a screw thread ended rod member capable of being located at one end and receiving a nut or the equivalent at the other end, said passageway being formed by bringing together or otherwise mating at some complementary face of each a tongued member with a grooved member, the tongue not fully filling the groove, the groove containing member being longitudinally discontinuous to provide a gap accommodating part of shelf forming or other functioned unit or member through which the rod member passes.

A unit of claim 9 which is a table and at least one leg thereof is formed as said composite assembly and a top and a shelf defining unit or base is connected thereto by and/or under the action of said rod member.

11. A unit of claim 10 wherein the shelf defining unit is squeezed as a result of tension in the rod member by the sandwiching lengths of the groove containing V. member. 15

12. A unit of any one of claims 9 to 11 wherein said tongued component is defined using a spline which is fitted/glued in place in one component prior to mating within the groove of the other.

13. A unit of claim 12 wherein the spline in such constructions need not extend to the bottom of either receiving groove.

14. A unit of any one of claims 9 to 13 wherein a veneer or laminate covers the outside of at least one of the components with peripheral regions sandwiched by the complementary face.

15. A method of construction substantially as hereinbefore described with o* reference to any of the accompanying drawings.

16. A furniture unit selected from tables, cabinets and shelving when made by a method of claim DATED: 21 December, 1995 PHILLIPS ORMONDE FITZPATRICK Attorneys for: RITERION MANUFACTURING LIMITED ?WINWVORDUENNY'SPEC33975-93.DOC ABSTRACT Furniture units and methods of assembling the same and the preparation of componentry thereof where components are engaged by a pinning member that passes along a passageway formed by a tongue and groove or splined assembly, the passageway being defined by the groove for the tongue or spline. 0. 0 o 0 0 *ape s@ot