Item of furniture

Abstract

An item of furniture is provided, including lateral elements defining a carcass, at least one of a top element and a bottom element, and at least one securing mechanism having magnetic properties and adapted to secure the item of furniture to a floor element or a wall element.

Claims

1. An item of furniture comprising: a carcass; at least one of a top element and a bottom element; and at least one securing mechanism having magnetic properties and adapted to secure the item of furniture to a floor element, wherein the securing mechanism comprises an electromagnet that can be switched on and off by one of a current source composed of a storage battery and at least one activating mechanism, and wherein the securing mechanism is arranged in the carcass and connected to the bottom element.

2. The item of furniture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the item of furniture is a table, wherein the carcass comprises at least one support member of the table, and wherein the at least one top element comprises at least one table top, wherein the support member has an upper end and a lower end, and the support member is connected at the upper end to the table top, and wherein the securing mechanism is arranged on a lower end of the support member.

3. The item of furniture as claimed in claim 2, wherein the support member has a cavity and the securing mechanism is arranged in the cavity.

4. The item of furniture as claimed in claim 2, wherein an activating mechanism is arranged on and connected to the table top.

5. The item of furniture as claimed in claim 2, wherein the lower end of the support member has a contact surface formed by a magnet or is magnetizable by the magnet.

6. The item of furniture as claimed in claim 2, wherein the support member comprises a plurality of movable sections that enable the table to be height-adjustable.

7. The item of furniture as claimed in claim 2, wherein the table top comprises at least one current-carrying connecting member.

8. A vehicle comprising: at least one of a living area and a bathroom area, each provided with a floor; and at least one item of furniture according to claim 1, arranged in at least one of the living area and in the bathroom area, wherein at least a part of the floor has at least one metallic surface area, whereby the item of furniture is magnetically secured to the floor in a releasable manner.

9. The item of furniture according to claim 2, wherein the support member is a table leg.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention shall be described more closely in the following with the aid of drawings.

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a table according to the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of the table shown in FIG. 1 in a bottom view;

(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of another exemplary embodiment of a table according to the present invention;

(5) FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of the table of FIG. 1 in a side view;

(6) FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of another exemplary embodiment of a table according to the present invention in a side view;

(7) FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of a camper, in which a table according to the present invention is arranged;

(8) FIG. 7 is a schematic representation of an item of furniture according to the present invention;

(9) FIG. 8 is a schematic top view of items of furniture according to the present invention and their arrangement in a camper; and

(10) FIG. 9 is a further schematic top view of items of furniture according to the present invention and their arrangement in a camper.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(11) FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a table 1. The table 1 comprises a support member 2 and a table top 3.

(12) The table top 3 has a bottom side 16 and a top side 17.

(13) The support member 2 is configured as a table leg and comprises an upper end 4 and a lower end 5. The support member 2 is connected at the upper end 4 to the table top 3. In a manner not otherwise shown, the support member 2 comprises at least one securing mechanism, which is arranged at the lower end 5 of the support member 2 and has magnetic properties.

(14) The present invention may also provide, in particular, that the support member 2 can be connected to the table top 3 via a frame or similar connection member, for example (see FIG. 2).

(15) In the exemplary embodiment shown, the support member 2 comprises a base 20, which can make possible an increased bearing surface of the table 1 and thus at the same time an increased positional stability of the table 1. In the exemplary embodiment, the base 20 is arranged directly at the lower end 5 of the support member 2.

(16) The table 1 shown in FIG. 1 can also be seen as a so-called bistro table, having only one support member 2.

(17) However, the present invention also explicitly relates to tables having more than one support member, especially four support members.

(18) FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of an exemplary embodiment of a table 1 according to the present invention in a bottom view. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the table top 3 is joined by a frame 18 to the support member 2.

(19) Furthermore, it is shown that the frame 18 comprises a charging device 19, with which a current source formed as a storage battery, for example, (not shown here, see e.g. FIG. 4) can be charged.

(20) It may also be provided that the charging device 19 can be provided and accordingly configured for the charging of other electronic devices not otherwise shown here, such as portable telephones or similar means of communication.

(21) The support member 2 comprises a cavity 7, in which a securing mechanism 6 is arranged.

(22) Thus, the support member 2 comprises at least one securing mechanism 6, which is arranged at a lower end 5 of the support member 2. The securing mechanism 6 has magnetic properties.

(23) The table 1 can consequently be secured by magnetic forces by means of the support member 2, which comprises a securing mechanism 6, to or on a not otherwise represented floor or a ground surface.

(24) Therefore, a strengthened purchase of the table 1 on a correspondingly magnetized ground surface or a correspondingly magnetized floor (not shown here) is made possible.

(25) It is also shown that the lower end 5 of the support member 2 has a contact surface 10. It can be provided that the contact surface 10 is formed by a magnet, especially an electromagnet, or is magnetizable by a magnet, especially an electromagnet.

(26) Such a magnet or electromagnet can also be construed as a ring magnet, for example.

(27) It may also be provided that the contact surface 10 is magnetizable by the securing mechanism 6. Thus, the contact surface 10 may also be construed as a securing mechanism.

(28) FIG. 3 shows a further embodiment of a table 1 according to the present invention. The table top 3 comprises a covering means for at least one connecting member not otherwise shown here (see FIG. 4).

(29) FIG. 4 shows a schematic representation of the table 1 (also see FIG. 1) in a side view. It is shown that the support member 2 comprises a cavity 7 at least for a portion and the securing mechanism 6 is arranged in the cavity 7.

(30) Furthermore, an activating mechanism 9 is represented. It is shown that the activating mechanism 9 is arranged on the table top 3 and in particular is connected to the table top 3. It may be provided that the securing mechanism 6 can be switched on and off by means of a current source 8 and at least one activating mechanism 9. For this, it may be provided that the securing mechanism 6 is designed as an electromagnet.

(31) The activating mechanism 9 can also be arranged elsewhere on the table.

(32) In the exemplary embodiment, it is shown that the current source 8 is arranged in the support member 2. Preferably, the current source 8 is designed as a storage battery.

(33) It is furthermore shown that the support member 2 comprises sections 21, 21′, 21″ which are movable such that the table 1 is height-adjustable.

(34) It may also be provided that the support member 2 is designed as a rigid support member 2 (see FIG. 5). Accordingly, it may be provided that the support member 2 or the table 1 is not height-adjustable.

(35) FIG. 6 shows a camper, mobile home or similar travel or recreational vehicle 13, comprising a living area 14 and a driver area 12.

(36) It is furthermore shown that the camper 13 comprises a floor 15. Furthermore, the table 1 is shown (see, e.g., FIG. 2), which is arranged on the floor 15. It is provided here in particular that the floor 15 comprises a metallic surface at least in a partial region, by means of which the table 1 can be releasably secured to the floor 15.

(37) Hence, a securing of the table 1 to the floor 15 can occur in that a securing mechanism (see, e.g., FIG. 4), which has magnetic properties, interacts with a metallic surface in the floor 15. The metallic surface may be considered to be tantamount to a magnetically active surface.

(38) Consequently, it may be provided that the floor 15 may comprise a magnetically active surface. Furthermore, it may be provided that the driver area 12, and/or the living area 14 may comprise a magnetically active surface, on which or to which the table 1 or an item of furniture 24 can be secured.

(39) Consequently, a releasable securing of the table 1 or the item of furniture in the camper 13 is made possible in that the floor 15 comprises a magnetically active surface, which interacts with the securing mechanism in the support member (see FIG. 4), wherein in the case of the table the support member likewise has magnetic properties.

(40) Of course, heed must be paid to correspondingly suitable magnetic polarity of the securing mechanism and the floor 15.

(41) FIG. 7 shows an item of furniture 24 according to the present invention in a schematic representation. The item of furniture 24 comprises lateral elements 27, 27′ which form a carcass 29, a top element 32 and a bottom element 28. Further, the item of furniture 24 comprises a securing mechanism 6 having magnetic properties. In the exemplary embodiment, the item of furniture 24 is designed as a cabinet.

(42) The securing mechanism 6 in the exemplary embodiment is arranged at the lower end 25 and inside the carcass 29. Thus, the securing mechanism 6 is not visible from the outside, protected against damage, and arranged near the floor, so that the item of furniture can be fastened with sufficient securing force to the floor (see, e.g., FIG. 8).

(43) In FIGS. 8 and 9, schematic top views of items of furniture and their arrangements in a camper, mobile home, etc. 13 are shown. It is possible for items of furniture 24, 24′, 24″, 24′″, 24″ to be arranged in the rear area 31 (see FIG. 8), at side areas 30, 31′, or in a bathroom area 23 of the camper, mobile home 13, etc. (see FIG. 9).

(44) Such different arrangements of items of furniture 24, 24′, 24″, 24″′ and 24″″ in the camper, mobile home 13, etc. make possible on the one hand individual uses of the camper. On the other hand, through special arrangement of furniture items 24, 24′, 24″, 24′″, 24″″ weight distributions can be realized in the camper, mobile home 13, etc., which may positively influence the driving behavior of the camper, mobile home 13, etc.

(45) In the context of the present invention, it may be provided that the metallic surface is configured as a magnetically active rail 33, 33′, as is schematically represented by a broken line in FIG. 9.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

(46) 1 Table 2 Support member 3 Table top 4 Upper end (of the support member) 5 Lower end (of the support member) 6 Securing mechanism 7 Cavity 8 Current source 9 Activating mechanism 10 Contact surface 11 Covering means 12 Driver area 13 Camper, mobile home or similar travel or recreational vehicle 14 Living area 15 Floor 16 Bottom side (of the table top) 17 Top side (of the table top) 18 Frame 19 Charging device 20 Base 21 Section of the support member 21′ Section of the support member 21″ Section of the support member 22 Connecting member 23 Bathroom area 24′ Item of furniture 24′ Item of furniture 24″ Item of furniture 24″′ Item of furniture 24″″ Item of furniture 25 Lower end (of the item of furniture) 27 Side wall 27′ Side wall 28 Bottom element 29 Carcass 30 Side area (of the camper, etc.) 30′ Side area (of the camper, etc.) 31 Rear area (of the camper, etc.) 32 Top element 33 Rail 33′ Rail