GB2137689A - Movable flap - Google Patents

Abstract

A self-pivoting displacement flap includes a right-angle member having a first arm 3 pivotally mounted on a pin 4 in a recess 5 in a first base member 1, and a second arm 6 secured in a recess 7 in a second base member 2. The second base member 2 may thus be pivoted through an angle of 90 DEG relative to the first base member 1. The first arm 3 carries a screw 14 for securing the first arm 3 in a fixed position within the recess 5 in the first base member 1. The first arm 3 is also formed with a wider portion having a curved inclined wall mating with a similar curved inclined wall 18 to a cutout region in the recess 5 to cause forces applied to the first arm 3 to be dispersed throughout any member to which the first base member 1 is secured rather than be concentrated on the pin 4. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Movable flap This invention relates to a movable flap for use in the construction of furniture.

According to the present invention there is provided a self-pivoting displacement flap comprising first and second base members each having a recess therein, and a right angle member having a first arm, which is pivotally mounted on the first base member so as to be movable through an angle of 90 from a position in which the first arm lies within the recess in the first base member, and a second arm, which extends at right angles to the first arm at a position remote from the pivotal mounting of the first arm and which is secured within the recess in the second base member.

A self-pivoting displacement flap according to the present invention enables relative movement to be effected between two planar members (for example two boards) to which the base members are secured, so that a second planar member is moved from a position in which it is at right-angles to a first planar member to a position in which it is parallel to and spaced from the first planar member. The second planar member can thus be effectively folded over a third planar member which is already lying parallel to the first planar member, so that the three planar members lie parallel to one another with the third planar member between the first and second planar members.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention there is provided a self-pivoting displacement flap comprising a first base member adapted to be secured to a planar member, a second base member adapted to be secured to another planar member, the first base member having therein a recess, a pivot member located in the recess in the first base member and near one end of the recess, a right-angle member comprising a first arm, which is pivotally mounted on the pivot member and is so shaped as to be able to lie within the recess in the first base member, and a second arm, which extends at rightangles to the first arm at the end of the first arm remote from the pivot member, and means securing the second arm within a recess in the second base member, whereby the second base member is movable between a first position of the flap in which the second base member is perpendicular to the first base member and a second position of the flap in which the second base member is parallel to the first base member with a displacement gap between the said first and second base members.

A self-pivoting displacement flap according to this invention has particular application in a novel furniture unit, for example a desk unit, which is foldable from an erected condition, in which three planar members occupy planes mutually at right-angles to one another, to a folded condition in which the three planar members lie in planes parallel to one another.

Such a furniture unit is the subject of our copending Application No. 8301916 (Case A) filed on the same day as the present application.

The present invention will be further understood from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof which is made, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a front view of a self-pivoting displacement flap according to the present invention in a first position, Figure 2 is a view of the flap of Figure 1 from above, Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the flap of Figures 1 and 2 taken on the line A-A of Figure 2 and showing the preferred position of the flap when interconnecting two planar members, and Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view, similar to Figure 3, of the flap of Figures 1 to 3 in a second position.

In the drawings the same or similar parts are designated by like reference numerals.

Referring to the accompanying drawings a preferred self-pivoting displacement flap according to the invention, which is made from a steel such as ZAMAC, comprises a first base member 1, a second base member 2,and a right-angle member having a first arm 3, which is pivotally mounted on a pivot pin 4 in a recess 5 in the first base member 1, and a second arm 6, which extends at right-angles to the first arm 3 and which is secured in a recess 7 in the second base member 2 by a screw 8 which engages a screw holding member 9 floating within the second base member 2.

As may be seen in Figure 2, the first base member 1 is circular in shape in plan view for location as a tight fit in a cylindrical hole or cavity drilled in a first planar member 10 shown in Figures 3 and 4. The second base member 2, as shown in Figure 1, has the shape, in plan view, of a major segment of a circle. The second base member 2 is thus enabled to be located as a tight fit in a cavity drilled in a second planar member 11 at such a position as to intersect an edge of the planar member 11. The straight edge 1 2 of the second base member 2 intersects the recess 7, which is therefore open at this edge of the base member 2 to permit entry of the second arm 6.In the first position of the self-pivoting displacement flap as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, the straight edge 1 2 of the second base member 2 rests in contact with, or closely adjacent to, a portion of an upper or front surface 1 3 of the first base member 1.

In consequence, an edge of the second planar member 11 is enabled to lie closely adjacent to a portion of a surface of the first planar member 10, when the self-pivoting displacement flap is in the first position as illustrated in Figure 3. In this first position the first arm 3 of the right-angle member lies wholly within the recess 5 in the first base member 1. The first arm 3 may be secured in this position within the recess 5 by a screw 14 which engages a screw thread 1 5 in the first base member 1.

Before being used to secure the first arm 3 to the first base member 1 the screw 1 4 may be carried in an inoperative position in the first arm 3 as shown in Figure 4.

The first arm 3 of the right-angle member of the self-pivoting displacement flap is formed with a wider portion 1 7 having a curved edgeas shown in Figure 2. The walls of this wider portion 1 7 are inclined so that the curved wall of the wider portion 1 7 is of greater radius on the nearer side of the first arm 3 (as seen in Figure 2) than on its opposite side which rests on the floor on the recess 5 in the first base member 1. The recess 5 has a similar wider curved cut-out region with a curved inclined wall 1 8 shaped to receive the curved inclined wall of the wider portion 1 7 of the first arm 3 as shown in Figure 3.In this position the surfaces of the curved inclined wall 1 8 of the recess 5 and the curved inclined wall of the wider portion 1 7 of the first arm 3 mate with one another so that, in the position of the self-pivoting displacement flap shown in Figure 3, any weight placed on the second planar member 11 will be supported by the whole of the first planar member 10.

In order to facilitate insertion of the first base member 1 as a tight fit in the drilled cavity in the surface of the first base member 1, the lower periphery of the first base member 1 is bevelled as shown at 1 9 in Figure 1.

The bevelled periphery 1 9 of the first base member 1 is inserted in the drilled cavity and thereafter the first base member 1 is hammered into the position shown in Figure 3 in which the first base member 1 is effectively sunk within one surface of the first planar member 10. The first base member 1 is then secured to the first planar member 10 by screws 20 and by screws(not shown) inserted in the screw apertures 24 shown in Figure 2.

The second base member 2 has a similar bevelled periphery 21, as show in Figure 2, to facilitate insertion of the second base member 2 in a cavity in the second planar member 11 in similar manner, the second base member 2 being secured to the second planar member 11 by screws 22 of which only one is visible in Figures 3 and 4 and by screws (not shown) inserted in the screw apertures 25 shown in Figure 1.

It will be observed that the recess 5 in the first base member 1 is essentially longitudinal and extends over the major part of the diameter of the first base member 1. The first arm 3 of the right-angle member, which is receivable entirely within the recess 5 is of such a length that, when the first arm 3 is pivoted from the first position of the flap shown in Figure 3 to the second position of the flap shown in Figure 4, the second base member 2 is parallel to the first base member with a displacement gap, determined by the length of the first arm 3, between the first and second base members 1 and 2. Because the first and second base members 1 and 2 are sunk in cavities in the first and second planar members 10 and 11, this same displacement gap lies between the nearer surfaces of the first and second planar members 10 and 11. The self-pivoting displacement flap according to the present invention thus enables the second planar member 11, which is secured to the first planar member 10 by the flap, to be moved from a position in which the second planar member 11 is perpendicular to the first planar member 10 to a position in which the second planar member 11 is parallel to the first planar member 10 and in contact with the surface of a third planar member (not shown), the other surface of which is already in contact with the surface of the first planar member 10. This feature is more particularly described in our said copending Application No.8301916 (Case A).

Claims (9)

1. A self-pivoting displacement flap comprising first and second base members each having a recess therein, and a right-angle member having a first arm, which is pivotally mounted on the first base member so as to be movable through an angle of 90 from a position in which the first arm lies within the recess in the first base member, and a second arm,which extends at right angles to the first arm at a position remote from the pivotal mounting of the first arm and which is secured within the recess in the second base member.

2. A self-pivoting displacement flap comprising a first base member adapted to be secured to a planar member, a second base member adapted to be secured to another planar member, the first base member having therein a recess, a pivot member located in the recess in the first base member and near one end of the recess, a right-angle member comprising a first arm, which is pivotally mounted on the pivot member and is so shaped as to be able to lie within the recess in the first base member, and a second arm, which extends at right-angles to the first arm at the end of the first arm remote from the pivot member, and means securing the second arm within the recess in the second base member, whereby the second base member is movable between a first position of the flap in which the second base member is perpendicular to the first base member and a second position of the flap in which the second base member is parallel to the first base member with a displacement gap between the said first and second base members.

3. A flap according to Claim 2, wherein the first arm of the right-angle member has a wider portion with a curved inclined wall which contacts a corresponding curved inclined wall to the recess in the first base member when the flap is in the first position.

4. A flap according to either Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein the first arm of the rightangle member includes fixing means for securing the first arm to the first base member so that the flap is held in the first position.

5. A flap according to any one of Claims 2 to 4, wherein the first base member is circular in plan view for location in a cavity drilled in a planar member.

6. A flap according to any one of Claims 2 to 5, wherein the second base member has the shape, in plan view, of a major segment of a circle for location in a cavity drilled in a planar member and intersecting one edge of the planar member.

7. A flap according to Claim 6, wherein the edge of the second base member which is a chord of the circle is closely adjacent to,or in contact with, a portion of the front face of the first base member in the first position of the flap.

8. A flap according to any one of Claims 2 to 7, wherein the peripheral wall of each of the base members is bevelled to facilitate sinking of the base member in a cavity in a planar member.

9. A self-pivoting displacement flap constructed substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.