Front adjustment system for leveling feet for furniture

Abstract

A compact front adjustment system for leveling feet for furniture (M) with a bottom (12) and shoulders (11), comprising: at least two front feet, a right foot (13d) and a left foot (13s) and at least two rear feet, a right foot (14d) and a left foot (14s), wherein each of said rear feet (14d,14s) comprises an adjustment mechanism in height, which is accessible from outside the foot through respective holes (21d,21s) and which can be maneuvered by means of a maneuvering tool (18). According to the invention, a respective supporting and guiding unit (17d,17s; 22; 25) for said maneuvering tool (18) is provided in combination with said rear feet (14d,14s), said unit being assembled on said bottom (12) of the furniture (M) in an intermediate position between said front feet (13d,13s) according to an axis X which is aligned with said holes (21d,21s) for access to the adjustment mechanism in height of the respective rear foot (14d,14s).

Claims

1. A compact front adjustment system for leveling feet for furniture (M) with a bottom (12) and shoulders (11), comprising: a front right foot (13d) and a front left foot (13s) and a rear tight foot (14d), a rear left foot (14s), and at least one supporting and guiding unit (17d,17s; 22; 25); wherein each of said rear feet (14d,14s) comprises an adjustment mechanism in height, which is accessible from outside the foot through respective holes (21d,21s) and which is maneuvered by a maneuvering tool (18); wherein a supporting and guiding unit (17d,17s; 22; 25) is assembled on said bottom (12) of the furniture (M) in an intermediate position between said front feet (13d,13s), wherein said supporting and guiding unit (17d,17s; 22; 25) has a plurality of pass-through holes (20d,20s; 24d,24s; 27) each having a longitudinal symmetry axis that coincides and aligned with a symmetry axis X of one of the holes (21d, 21s) of one of the rear feet for allowing said maneuvering tool (18) to access to the respective adjustment mechanism in a height of the respective rear foot (14d,14s) via the intermediate position between said front feet (13d,13s), wherein the intermediate position is limited to an area close to a front edge of the bottom (12) of the furniture (M) and is not constrained to said front feet (13d,13s): wherein said supporting and guiding elements (19d,19s; 23; 26) is shaped as a parallelepiped/prismatic dowel.

2. The compact front adjustment system according to claim 1, wherein said supporting and guiding unit consists of a pair of elements (19d,19s) fixed to the bottom (12) and each provided with a pass-through hole (20d,20s) from the plurality of pass-through holes.

3. The compact front adjustment system according to claim 1, wherein said supporting and guiding unit consists of a single element (23) fixed to the bottom (12) of the furniture and provided with a pair of crossed pass-through holes (24d,24s).

4. The compact front adjustment system according to claim 1, wherein said supporting and guiding unit consists of an element (26) that is moved between two operating positions, a first position in which said axis (X) is aligned with a first hole (21d) from the plurality of pass-through holes for access to the maneuvering mechanism of the right rear foot (14d), and a second position in which said axis (X) is aligned with a second hole (21s) from the plurality of pass-through holes for access to the maneuvering mechanism of the left rear foot (14s).

5. The compact front adjustment system according to claim 4, wherein said element (26) is hinged in (28) to a base (29) fixed to the bottom (12).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The structural and functional characteristics of the invention, and its advantages with respect to the known art, will appear evident from the following description, referring to the attached drawings, which illustrate various non-limiting embodiments of the invention itself.

(2) In the drawings:

(3) FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a first example of a compact front adjustment system for leveling feet for furniture produced according to the invention, wherein a maneuvering tool is supported and guided by a specific unit not constrained to the front foot with only one access for reaching a single rear foot of a base for furniture, wherein said rear foot is provided with an adjustment mechanism;

(4) FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a further example of an adjustment system according to the invention, wherein a maneuvering tool is supported and guided by a single unit not constrained to the front feet with two access points for reaching both the right rear foot and the left rear foot of a base, wherein both of said rear feet are provided with respective adjustment mechanisms;

(5) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the invention wherein a maneuvering tool is supported and guided by a single unit not constrained to the front feet with a single orientable access for reaching both the right rear foot and the left rear foot of a base for furniture, wherein both of said rear feet are provided with respective adjustment mechanisms.

DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

(6) With reference in general to the drawings, it can be observed that the figures partially illustrate a piece of furniture M, for example a piece of kitchen furniture (base), in which, in the example shown, shoulders 11 (sides) terminate in correspondence with a bottom 12, i.e. they do not reach the floor (not shown).

(7) In other embodiments, the shoulders 11 can reach the floor and the bottom 12 can be at a greater height with respect to the edge of the shoulders 11 that rest on the floor.

(8) As can be clearly seen from the drawings, the furniture (base) M is designed for resting on the floor using at least a pair of front feet 13d, 13s, right and left respectively, and at least a pair of rear feet 14d, 14s. Said pairs of front feet 13d, 13s and rear feet 14d, 14s are provided with respective attachments 15d, 15s and 16d, 16s to the bottom 12 of the furniture M itself, in an angular position. Said feet and attachments can be of a type well-known to skilled persons in the field, also incorporating an adjustment mechanism in height. Reference should be made, for example, to the above-mentioned prior patents.

(9) As already mentioned, in this type of furniture, the space below the bottom 12 must be completely free and front access to the rear adjustable feet 14d, 14s may be impossible due to the limited distance between the floor and bottom 12 of the furniture.

(10) With particular reference to FIG. 1 of the drawings, according to the present invention, respective supporting and guiding units 17d, 17s for a maneuvering tool 18 cooperate with said pair of rear feet 14d, 14s.

(11) Said units 17d, 17s, are fixed to the bottom 12 of the furniture M (on the outer surface opposed to the floor, not shown) in intermediate positions between the above-mentioned front feet 13d, 13s.

(12) In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the units 17d, 17s, consist of supporting and guiding elements 19d, 19s, having an elongated parallelepiped form (dowels), crossed by respective longitudinal pass-through holes 20d, 20s.

(13) Characteristically, according to the invention, the longitudinal symmetry axis of said pass-through holes 20d, 20s coincides and is aligned with the symmetry axis X (it lies along the same axis X) of the holes 21d, 21s of the rear attachments 16d, 16s for access to the adjustment mechanism in height (not shown) of the respective rear foot 14d, 14s.

(14) In this way, the adjustment in height of the rear feet 14d, 14s can be easily effected by introducing the maneuvering tool 18 into the longitudinal holes 20d, 20s and pushing it forwards until it is inserted inside the access holes 21d, 21s to the adjustment mechanism, as clearly illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings.

(15) In the embodiment of the invention of FIG. 2 of the drawings, a single supporting and guiding unit 22 for the maneuvering tool 18 is illustrated, said unit 22 is fixed to the bottom 12 in an intermediate position between the right and left front feet.

(16) Said unit 22 consists of an element (dowel) generally prismatic 23 in which crossed pass-through holes (a pair) 24d, 24s are formed.

(17) Also in this case, as in the embodiment of FIG. 1, the longitudinal symmetry axis of said pass-through holes 24d, 24s coincides and is aligned with the symmetry axis X (it lies along the same axis X) of the holes 21d, 21s of the rear attachments 16d, 16s for access to the adjustment mechanism in height (not shown) of the respective rear foot 14d, 14s.

(18) The adjustment is effected as already explained with reference to FIG. 1.

(19) In the embodiment of the invention of FIG. 3 of the drawings, a single supporting and guiding unit 25 for the maneuvering tool 18 is illustrated, said unit 25 is fixed to the bottom 12 in an intermediate position between the right and left front feet.

(20) Said unit 25 consists of a supporting and guiding element 26 having an elongated parallelepiped form, crossed by a longitudinal pass-through hole 27.

(21) Said element 26 is hinged in 28 to a base 29 which is fixed to the bottom 12.

(22) In this way, the element 26 can be rotated between two terminal operating positions determined by a stop 30 of the base 29.

(23) As can be clearly seen in FIG. 3, in said two operating positions, the longitudinal symmetry axis of said pass-through hole 27 coincides and is aligned with the symmetry axis X (it lies along the same axis X) of the holes 21d, 21s of the rear attachments 16d, 16s for access to the adjustment mechanism in height of the respective rear foot 14d, 14s.

(24) The adjustment is effected as already explained with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, but also causing, by means of the same maneuvering tool 18, the rotation around 28 of the element 26 in either of the two terminal operating positions to effect the adjustment of either the right rear foot, or the left rear foot.

(25) The front feet 13d, 13s are also provided with an adjustment mechanism in height that can be manoeuvred by means of a maneuvering tool 31 through access holes 32. Also in this case, the adjustment mechanism in height can be of any type well-known to skilled persons in the field (also manoeuvrable acting directly on the base of the foot that rests on the floor).

(26) The objective mentioned in the preamble of the description for providing an adjustment system that is both extremely economical and functional, has therefore been achieved.

(27) The protection scope of the invention is defined by the following claims.