INTERLOCKING MEANS AND PIECE OF FURNITURE COMPRISING THE SAME

Abstract

The present invention relates to an interlocking means for connecting a first panel, second panel and a leg of a piece of furniture with each other, wherein the interlocking means comprises an elongated element and a brace element. The elongated element comprises a portion configured to be attached to a first surface of the first panel and a first surface of the second panel and either a securing means configured to receive an interconnection element protruding from the leg or an interconnection element configured to match a securing means formed in the leg. The brace element comprises a portion configured to be attached to a second surface of the first panel and a second surface of the second panel and a through opening configured to receive the interconnection element.

Claims

1. An interlocking means for connecting a first panel, a second panel and a leg of a piece of furniture with each other, comprising an elongated element; and a brace element; and wherein the elongated element comprises a portion configured to be attached to a first upper surface of the first panel and a first lower surface of the second panel, and either a securing means configured to receive an interconnection element protruding from the leg or an interconnection element configured to match a securing means formed in the leg; and the brace element comprises a portion configured to be attached to a second lower surface of the first panel and a second lower surface of the second panel, and a through opening configured to receive the interconnection element.

2. The interlocking means according to claim 1, wherein the securing means is or comprises a threaded hole and the interconnection element is or comprises a screw.

3. The interlocking means according to claim 1, wherein the securing means and the interconnection element form a bayonet coupling.

4. The interlocking means according to claim 1, wherein the elongated element comprises an angular sheet element or a solid beam element configured to abut a third inner surface of the first panel and a third inner surface of the second panel.

5. The interlocking means according to claim 1, wherein the elongated element comprises collar portions configured to be attached to the first surface of the first panel and the first surface of the second panel.

6. The interlocking means according to claim 5, wherein first guiding pins protrude from the collar portions.

7. The interlocking means according to claim 1, wherein the brace element comprises a flat main surface comprising the through opening.

8. The interlocking means according to claim 6, wherein second guiding pins protrude from the flat main surface.

9. A piece of furniture, comprising a first panel; a second panel; a leg; and an interlocking means according to claim 1.

10. The piece of furniture according to claim 9, wherein the first panel is secured at a first end of the first panel to a second end of the second panel abutting the first end of the first panel by the interlocking means and the first panel and the second panel are secured to the leg by the interlocking means, the interlocking means being in a state of coupling with the leg by means of the interconnection element and the securing means.

11. The piece of furniture according to claim 10, wherein in the state of coupling: the leg abuts the brace element; the brace element abuts a lower surface of the first panel and a lower surface of the second panel, the first panel and the second panel abut each other, in particular, at an angle of 90°; and the elongated element abuts an inner surface of the first panel, an upper surface of the first panel, an inner surface of the second panel and an upper surface of the second panel.

12. The piece of furniture according to claim 9, wherein the piece of furniture is a mattress base for a bed, in particular, for a box spring bed.

13. Bed, in particular, a box spring bed, comprising the piece of furniture according to claim 12.

14. Method of manufacturing a piece of furniture, in particular, a mattress base for a bed, with the steps of: providing an interlocking means according to claim 1; providing a first panel having a first upper surface, a first lower surface and a first inner surface; providing a second panel having a second upper surface, a second lower surface and a second inner surface; providing a leg; attaching the interlocking means to the first panel and the second panel comprising attaching the elongated element to the first upper surface, the second upper surface, the first inner surface and the second inner surface and attaching the brace element to the first lower surface and the second lower surface; and securing the interconnection element to the securing means through the through opening thereby securing the first panel, the second panel and the leg to each other.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the attaching of the elongated element to the first upper surface, the second upper surface, the first inner surface and the second inner surface comprises inserting first guiding pins protruding from collar portions of the elongated element into blind bores formed in the first upper surface of the first panel and into blind bores formed in the second upper surface of the second panel; and/or the attaching of the brace element to the first lower surface and the second lower surface comprises inserting second guiding pins protruding from a flat main surface of the brace element into blind bores formed in the first lower surface of the first panel and into blind bores formed in the second lower surface of the second panel.

Description

[0028] Additional features and advantages of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying figures that are meant to illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention. It is understood that such embodiments do not represent the full scope of the invention.

[0029] FIG. 1 illustrates a mattress base for a bed that can be built in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] FIGS. 2A to 2C illustrate the connection of two panels of the mattress base shown in FIG. 1 with each other in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] The present invention provides means for connecting furniture panels with each other, particularly, at a right angle. In the following the means are described in the context of designing and manufacturing a mattress base but is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to this particular application. For example, the described means can also suitably be used in the design and manufacture of a sofa, a chair, a table, a dresser, a cupboard, etc.

[0032] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary mattress base 100, for example, a mattress base 100 for a box spring bed. The mattress base 100 comprises two end panels 1 spaced apart from each other and two side panels 2 spaced apart from each other and made longer than the end panels 1. The end panels 1 are secured to ends of side panels 2 in a manner described below. Legs 3 are connected to the end panels 1 and side panels 2. Moreover, a slatted frame 4 for supporting a mattress is provided as shown in FIG. 1. The end panels 1 and the side panels 2 can be made of or comprise solid wood, for example, pine wood or spruce wood, or layered glued wood such as layered glued birch. The legs 3 can also be formed of or comprise solid wood or iron steel, for example, stainless steel. The slatted frame 4 may comprise solid wood and/or synthetic materials.

[0033] FIGS. 2A to 2C illustrates an interlocking means 10a, 10b for securing the end panels 1, side panels 2 and legs 3 to each other, respectively, according to an embodiment. The interlocking means 10a, 10b has two parts, namely, an elongated element 10a and a (corner) brace element 10b. The interlocking means 10a, 10b may be made of or comprise a metal material. The elongated element 10a can be provided in form of an angular sheet element or a solid beam element, in principle. The elongated element 10a has side portions 11 a and bottom portion 12a of the elongated element 10a. The two side portions 11a are configured to abut an inner surface 31 of the end panel 1 and an inner surface 21 of the side panel 2, respectively. A threaded hole 13a is formed in a central region of the bottom portion 12a. The brace element 10b has a substantially flat main surface 11b and a through opening 13b, for example, in form of a threaded hole, is formed in a central region of the substantially flat main surface 11b. The leg 3, on the other hand, has a screw 40 mounted therein. The screw 40 may be made of stainless steel, for example, zinc-plated stainless steel.

[0034] The leg 3, the end panel 1 and the side panel 2 can be secured to each other by tightening the screw 40 in the threaded hole 13a of the bottom portion 12a of the elongated element 10a and through the through opening 13b of the substantially flat main surface 11 b of the brace element 10b. Thus, by one and the same screwing operation indicated by the arrow in FIG. 2C (and, if necessary, using one single screwing tool) the leg 3, the end panel 1 and the side panel 2 can be secured to each other in abutting engagement using the interlocking means 10a, 10b. FIG. 2C shows a situation in that the screw 40 is already partly screwed into the threaded hole 13a and through the through opening 13b. A relatively small number of components is needed for arriving at the configuration shown in FIG. 2C.

[0035] In a state in which the leg 3 is completely fastened to the interlocking means 10a, 10b, i.e., after completion of the screwing operation, the leg 3 abuts the brace element 10b, the brace element 10b abuts the lower surfaces 33, 23 of the first panel 1 and the second panel 2, the first panel 1 and the second panel 2 abut each other and the elongated element 10a abuts the inner surfaces 31, 21 of the first panel 1 and the second panel 2 as well as the upper surfaces 35, 25 of the first panel 1 and the second panel 2.

[0036] In the example shown in FIG. 2A the substantially flat main surface 11b of the brace element 10b is provided with guiding pins (dowels) 14b that can be inserted in corresponding blind bores (not shown in FIG. 2A) that are formed in the lower surfaces 23,33 of the end panel 1 and the side panel 2. Accurate positioning of the brace element 10b can be guaranteed by the guiding pins 14b. Similarly, guiding pins (dowels) 14a of the elongated element 10a can be inserted in blind bores 30 that are formed in upper surfaces 25, 35 of the end panel 1 and the side panel 2 (see FIG. 2B). The guiding pins 14a of the elongated element 10a are formed on collar portions (15a) of the elongated element 10a.

[0037] By securing the legs 3 in interlocking engagement with the adjacent end panels 1 and side panels 2 by the interlocking means 10a, 10b a stable base can be achieved wherein distortions of the assembled configuration due to relative movement of the end panels 1 and side panels 2 when being handled and supporting loads in use can be prevented. In an assembled state the end panels 1 and side panels 2 are secured to each other at a predetermined angle, for example, an angle of 90°.

[0038] In the above-described embodiments a threaded hole 13a is formed in the bottom portion 12a of the elongated element 10a and the leg 3 is provided with a screw 40. Alternatively, a through hole can be formed in the leg 3 and a screw is formed in the bottom portion 12a of the elongated element 10a. In both alternatives the threaded hole 13a can be replaced by any other suitable securing means and the screw 40 can be replaced by any other suitable interconnection element. For example, the securing means may be a female receptor of a bayonet coupling and the interconnection element may be a male connector of the bayonet coupling.

[0039] All previously discussed embodiments are not intended as limitations but serve as examples illustrating features and advantages of the invention. It is to be understood that some or all of the above described features can also be combined in different ways.