GB2137690A - Fixing element - Google Patents

Abstract

A retractable fixing element includes a base member 1 with a longitudinal recess 4 within which a pivoted arm 6 carrying a screw 10 may be wholly retained. The arm 6 may be pivoted through an angle of 90 DEG so that the screw 10 may be used to locate, in fixed positions relative to one another, a first planar member to which the base member 1 is mounted and a second planar member with which the screw 10 engages. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Fixing element This invention relates to fixing elements.

According to the present invention there is provided a retractable fixing element comprising a base member which has front and rear faces, a recess in the front face of the base member, and an arm mounted on a pivot within the recess and pivotally movable between a first position in which the arm lies entirely within the recess and a second position in which the arm is substantially perpendicular to its first position, the arm being adapted to be secured to another planar member when in its second position.

The base member of a retractable fixing element according to the present invention may be sunk within a first planar member so that no part of the base member protrudes above the surface of the first planar member.

Thus the whole of the retractable fixing element lies within the thickness of the first planar member when the arm of the retractable fixing element is in its first or retracted position. A second planar member may then be laid with its surface flat upon that surface of the first planar member which contains the retractable fixing element.

However, when the second planar member is moved, for example pivotally, to a position perpendicular to the first planar member, the arm of the retractable fixing element may be moved to its second position so that the second planar member can be fixed in a desired position relative to the first planar member by simply securing the arm to the second planar member, for example by means of a screw. In order to facilitate the fixing of the two planar members in a desired relative position, the second planar member may have a screw-threaded collar mounted therein at an appropriate position.

Preferably the arm of the retractable fixing element carries a screw which lies wholly within the recess in the retractable fixing element when the arm is in the first position.

However, the screw is rotatable in a screw thread in the arm when the arm is in its secod position so that the screw is caused to enter the body of the second planar member.

The base member of the retractable fixing element preferably has an outer cylindrical surface joining the front and rear faces of the base member and facilitating mounting of the base member in a cavity drilled in a planar member. Such mounting in the planar member may be further facilitated by the provision of a bevelled edge joining the outer cylindrical surface to the rear face of the base member.

A retractable fixing element 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. (Case A) filed on the same day as the present Application. In that application of the retractable fixing element, it is used to secure two planar members, which are both pivotally mounted on a third planar member, in desired relative positions to each other and the third planar member so that the furniture unit is rendered stable in its erected condition.

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 retractable fixing element in a first or retracted position, Figure 2 is a front view of the retractable fixing element of Fig. 1 in a second position, Figure 3 is a top view of the retractable fixing element of Fig. 2, Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the retractable fixing element of Fig. 1 taken along the line A-A of Fig. 1 and showing also the position of the element relative to two planar members to be fixed relative to one another by the fixing element, and Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view, similar to Fig. 4, but showing the retractable fixing element in the second position and operative to fix the two planar members relative to one another.

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

Referring to the accompanying drawings a preferred fixing element according to the invention comprises a base member 1 which is generally cylindrical in shape and which has a front face 2 and rear face 3. The front face 2 of the base member 1 contains a longitudinal recess 4. Mounted in the base member 1 so as to extend across the longitudinal recess 4 at one end thereof is a pivot pin 5 on which an arm 6 is pivotally mounted.

The pivot pin 5 is mounted in the base member 1 near one end of the recess and close to the bottom of the recess 4. Preferably, an aperture 7 is provided in the rear face 3 of the base member 1 to permit pivotal movement of the arm 6 on the pivot pin 5 when the pivot pin 5 is mounted as close as practicable to the base of the recess 4.

The shape of the arm 6 is best shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.

The arm 6 includes a first thinner portion 8 and a second substantially thicker portion 9.

The first thinner portion 8 of the arm is the portion which is mounted on the pivot pin 5, and the second substantially thicker portion 9 of the arm 6 is remote from the pivot pin 5 and carries a screw 10 in a screw thread which terminates in a substantially planar surface portion 1 2.

As may be seen in Fig. 4 the screw 10 is of such a length that it may be carried by the thicker portion 9 of the arm 6 in an inoperative position in which the screw does not protrude significantly beyond the substantially planar surface portion 1 2 and the screw is contained essentially within the thickness of the substantially thicker portion 9.

The base member 1 is formed with an outer cylindrical surface 1 4 which is perpendicular to the front and rear faces 2 and 3 and which essentially joins them. However, the cylindrical surface 14 conveniently includes a bevelled edge 1 5 as shown best in Fig. 3 for facilitating the insertion of the base member 1 as a tight fit in a circular cavity drilled in a first planar member 1 6 as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The base member 1 is retained in the cavity by screws (not shown) inserted in the respective screw apertures 1 9 and then screwed into the planar member 1 6.

The planar member 16 is generally movable relative to another planar member 1 7 such that the planar member 1 6 can adopt a multiplicity of positions in each of which the planar member 1 6 is essentially perpendicular to the planar member 1 7. In one of these positions the planar member 1 6 may have its surface 1 8 in contact with another planar member (not shown) with virtually no gap between the two planar members, the arm 6 of the retractable fixing element being in its first position in which the arm is contained entirely within the longitudinal recess 4 of the base member 1.

When the planar member 1 6 is moved to a position giving clearance from the surface of the not shown planar member, the planar member 1 6 may be secured in a desired position by moving the arm 6 from its first position of Fig. 4 to its second position shown in Fig. 5. In this second position of the arm 6, the substantially thicker portion 9 of the arm 6 extends over the edge of the base member 1 and beyond the outer cylindrical surface 14 of the base member 1 so that the substantially planar surface portion 1 2 on the thicker portion 9 of the arm 6 lies substantially in the same plane as an edge of the planar member 16.The edge of the planar member 16 and the substantially planar surface portion 1 2 abut a surface of the planar member 1 7 in a position enabling the screw 10 to be advanced in the screw thread of the substantially thicker portion 9 and to be screwed into the screw thread of a screw-threaded collar 20 in the second planar member 1 7.

In the position shown in Fig. 5 the planar member 1 6 is fixed in a desired position relative to planar member 1 7 and, if both of the planar members 1 6 and 1 7 are pivotally connected to the third (not shown) planar member, the planar member 1 6 is fixed in a desired angular position to this third planar member.

This function of the retractable fixing element of the present invention is particularly described and claimed in our said co-pending Application No. (Case A) in relation to a furniture unit such as a foldable desk unit. The retractable fixing element of this invention is preferably made from a steel such as ZAMAC (TRADE MARK) and is sunk within the thickness, for example, of a board which constitutes the back panel of the desk unit so as to fix the back panel in a desired position relative to the side panel of the desk unit.

Claims (7)

1. A retractable fixing element comprising a base member which has front and rear faces, a longitudinal recess in the front face of the base member, and an arm mounted on a pivot within the recess and pivotally movable between a first position in which the arm lies entirely within the recess and a second position in which the arm is substantially perpendicular to its first position, the arm being adapted to be secured to another planar member when in its second position.

2. A retractable fixing element according to Claim 1, wherein the pivot on which the arm is mounted in the recess is nearer to the rear face of the base member than to the front face thereof, the arm extends substantially the whole length of the recess when in the first position, and the arm includes a first thinner portion which is mounted on the pivot member and a second substantially thicker portion which is remote from the pivot member and which is adapted to be secured to a planar member when the arm is in its second position.

3. A retractable fixing element according to Claim 2, wherein the rear face of the base member includes an aperture adjacent the pivot member and facilitating pivotal movement of the arm on the pivot member.

4. A retractable fixing element according to any one of the preceding claims further including screw means mounted in a screw thread in the arm for securing the arm to a planar member when the arm is in its second position.

5. A retractable fixing element according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the arm includes a substantially planar surface portion which is adapted to be secured to a planar member when the arm is in its second position.

6. A retractable fixing element according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the base member has an outer cylindrical surface perpendicular to the front and rear faces of the base member and the outer cylindrical surface is joined to the rear face by a bevelled edge surface portion.

7. A retractable fixing element constructed and arranged to be used substantially as hereinbefore described.