Piece of display furniture for disglaying goods

Abstract

A piece of furniture, in particular in the form of a piece of display furniture and preferably in the form of a piece of display furniture for displaying goods, further preferably a piece of modular-construction furniture in the form of a rack or cabinet, comprising a plurality of furniture elements, designed preferably as display-furniture elements, in the form of surface-area elements (1, 2) and connecting elements (4), it being possible for the latter to be fitted on narrow sides of the surface-area elements (1, 2), wherein the connection on the narrow sides, it being possible for said connection to be released without the use of tools, takes place via a tongue structure which can be introduced into a groove structure, preferably via a tongue which can be introduced into a groove or via a multiple tongue, designed at least in the form of a double tongue, which can be introduced into a multiple groove, designed at least in the form of a double groove, and wherein the furniture elements (1, 2, 4) are secured via the groove/tongue connection in a direction transverse to the surface-area extent of the surface-area element (1, 2) and, in addition, counter to the direction of introduction via the interaction of at least one magnet (6), arranged on one furniture element, and of a further magnetically attractable part, arranged on the adjacent furniture element, such that two surface-area elements (2, 1) which are arranged one beside the other or directly at a corner are connected via just one connecting element (4).

Claims

1. A furniture comprising a plurality of furniture elements, the furniture elements including surface elements (1, 2), each surface element comprising a magnetically attractable counter part, and further including connecting elements (4), wherein the connecting elements (4) each comprise at least one magnet and further each comprise at least two sides configured to be mounted on narrow sides of the surface elements (1, 2) by a tool-free detachable tongue and groove connection comprising a groove structure and a tongue structure to be inserted in a direction of insertion into the groove structure, wherein the direction of insertion is perpendicular to a longitudinal extension of the groove structure and parallel to an area dimension of the surface elements (1,2), and wherein two of the surface elements are connected to each other by a single one of the connecting elements and are secured by the tongue and groove connections transversely to the area dimension of the surface elements (1, 2), and wherein the tongue and groove connections are secured against separating in a direction opposite to the direction of insertion by an interaction of the at least one magnet (6), arranged on the single one of the connecting elements (4) connecting the two surface elements to each other, with the magnetically attractable counter part of the two surface elements, such that the two surface elements (2, 1) are arranged next to each other or are arranged directly across a corner, joined only by the single one of the connecting elements (4).

2. The furniture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the magnetically attractable counter part is a magnet (7).

3. The furniture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tongue structure of the tongue and groove connections is arranged on the connecting elements (4).

4. The furniture as claimed in claim 3, wherein the tongue structure of the tongue and groove connections is beveled toward its ends.

5. The furniture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connecting elements (4) are provided with a polygonal base body.

6. The furniture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tongue structure of the tongue and groove connections is arranged on the connecting elements (4) and/or the at least one magnet (6) of the connecting elements (4) is arranged symmetrically to the tongue structure.

7. The furniture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connecting elements (4) each are provided with a base body and wherein the at least one magnet (6) is recessed into the base body.

8. The furniture as claimed in claim 7, wherein the tongue structure around the at least one magnet has at least one recess running toward the at least one magnet (6), wherein the at least one recess comprises groove surfaces forming the at least one recess and wherein the groove surfaces are configured as guide surfaces.

9. The furniture as claimed in claim 1, wherein one or more of the connecting elements (4) are provided with a cable groove (14) in which a current conducting line (15) is arranged.

10. The furniture as claimed in claim 9, wherein connection means for connecting to the current conducting line (15) are located on at least one end face of the connecting elements (4).

11. The furniture as claimed in claim 1, wherein one or more of the furniture elements are provided with a lighting means (19).

12. The furniture as claimed in claim 1, wherein one or more of the connecting elements (4) are provided with a fitting for a door.

13. The furniture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the surface elements (1, 2) have a polygonal basic shape.

14. The furniture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the groove structure of the tongue and groove connections is arranged on at least one of the narrow sides of the surface elements.

15. The furniture as claimed in claim 14, wherein a central web (9) situated between grooves (11) of the groove structure is provided with the magnetically attractable counter part that is a magnet (7).

16. The furniture as claimed in claim 15, wherein the magnetically attractable counter part is broader than the web (9).

17. The furniture as claimed in claim 1, wherein one or more of the surface elements (1, 2) are at least partly transparent in design.

18. The furniture as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a closing element (3) comprising a first side to be facing an observer, wherein the first side is configured without tongues and grooves.

19. The furniture as claimed in claim 18, wherein the closing element (3) has a second side comprising a tongue structure which is beveled at opposite ends of the tongue structure.

20. The furniture as claimed in claim 19, which has at least one magnet disposed symmetrically to the tongue structure.

21. The furniture as claimed in claim 18, wherein the connecting elements (4), the closing element (3), or the surface elements (1, 2) have a groove (16) and/or a recess for the arrangement of a functional element.

22. The furniture according to claim 18, wherein a first one of the connecting elements or the closing element (3, 4) has a region (13) adjoining the respective tongue structure, wherein the region has a length V that corresponds to a cross-sectional width of a base body of the first one of the connecting elements or the closing element (3, 4).

23. The furniture as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one magnet and the magnetically attractable counter part have a smaller cross-sectional width than the connecting elements (4) and are cylindrical in design.

24. The furniture as claimed in claim 1, wherein one or more of the furniture elements are provided with at least one roller and designed to be arranged at a bottom side of the furniture and provided with a groove structure comprising two grooves for arranging additional furniture elements, wherein at least one magnet is disposed in a web between the two grooves of the groove structure.

25. The furniture as claimed in claim 24, wherein the one or more furniture elements provided with the at least one roller are connected by wooden webs, which are provided with a groove structure, wherein at least one magnet is disposed in a web between two grooves of the groove structure.

26. The furniture according to claim 1, wherein the tongue structure comprises one or more tongues and the groove structure comprises one or more grooves, wherein the one or more tongues are to be inserted into the one or more grooves to establish the tongue and groove connection.

27. The furniture according to claim 1, wherein the tongue structure is a double tongue and the groove structure is a double groove, wherein the double tongue is to be inserted into the double groove to establish the tongue and groove connection.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further advantages and details of the invention will be found in the following description of the figures. The schematic representations of the figures show:

(2) FIG. 1, an example embodiment of furniture according to the invention,

(3) FIG. 2, an exploded representation of another example embodiment according to the invention,

(4) FIG. 3, two cross-sectional representations through a portion of an object according to the invention,

(5) FIG. 4, partial views of furniture elements of another object according to the invention,

(6) FIG. 5 a) to h), cross-sectional, representations of furniture elements of further objects according to the invention,

(7) FIG. 6 a) to l), examples of connecting elements of furniture according to the invention,

(8) FIG. 7, a perspective view of a furniture element,

(9) FIG. 8, a survey of sizes of presentation elements according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(10) Individual technical features of the following described example embodiments can also be combined in combination with the above-described example embodiments as well as the features of the independent claim and any other claims to produce objects according to the invention. When advisable, functionally equivalent elements shall be given the same reference numbers.

(11) The furniture according to the invention, which in the present instance can be used as presentation furniture and especially as trade show shelving system, has according to FIG. 1 a series of different surfaces, connecting elements and closing elements, wherein surface elements are connected to connecting or closing elements via a groove structure present on surface elements in the form of double grooves and via a tongue structure present on connecting and closing elements in the form of a double tongue, and also via respective magnets.

(12) In the present case, four identical surface elements 1 have been used to form two-level furniture. A further surface element 1.1 forms with a surface element 1.2 a further rear wall. The two levels of the furniture are furthermore bounded by other identically configured surface elements 2. Closing elements 3 cover the double grooves of the surface elements, which would otherwise be visible to an observer. By closing elements is defined here those elements which have a double tongue (or alternatively a double groove) only on one side and which have no functional elements on the other sides, especially no fittings or double groove or double tongues, or which do not serve for the connecting of two surface elements. Connecting elements 4 serve for the connecting of surface elements 1 or 2.

(13) In the more simply constructed example embodiment of FIG. 2, the surface and connecting elements are shown in exploded view. Here, a total of five surface elements 2 are joined together by connecting elements 4, the back connecting elements 4.1 having at the ends regions adjoining the beveled ends of the tongues, whose width corresponds to the cross-sectional width of the cuboidal base body, in order to cover the correspondingly adjoining connecting or closing elements. A furniture element is provided with at least one roller R and designed to be arranged at the bottom side. It is provided with a double groove 8 for arranging additional furniture elements, wherein at least one magnet 7 is disposed in the web 9 between the two grooves.

(14) The connecting elements 4, just like the connecting elements 4.1, have a double tongue at sides adjoining each other, which engages in a corresponding double groove of the surface elements. Closing elements 3 have only one double groove at the side being closed and are formed with no tongue and groove on the side facing the observer, i.e., in the present instance, in the direction F. In regions 5 around the magnets of the connecting and closing elements, all double tongues are provided with recesses, which serve for the better guiding of the connecting and closing elements into the correct position at one end face of a surface element. Magnets 6 of the connecting and closing elements can be optimally positioned at magnets 7 of the surface elements. These magnets 7 are arranged in a web between two grooves 8 of a respective surface element.

(15) Bevels of the tongues of the connecting elements 4, which are to be arranged for example on the right-hand side of the piece of furniture in the present case, abut with the tongues, not indicated in detail, of the closing element designated as 3 against the adjacent surface element in a miter.

(16) In the top cross-sectional representation of FIG. 3, the connection of two closing elements 3 with a surface element is shown. The sectioning line here runs at the height of the magnets. Magnets 6 lie tightly against magnets 7. Mutually attracting poles of the magnets are turned toward each other. The magnets 7 here are recognizably broader than a middle web 9, which serves to form two grooves 11 filled by tongues 10. Accordingly, the tongues 10 have recesses with guide surfaces 12, which serve for a positioning of the magnet 7 on the magnet 6. Immediately adjacent to the magnet 6, the guide surface forms an angle to produce a cylindrical (in the present case) entry region at the magnet 6.

(17) The overall width D results here as n.Math.A+V, while n.Math.AV is the width of the surface element 2. The base body of the closing element in the present case is cuboidal and its cross section is square with edge lengths V.

(18) The greater width of the magnet 7 as compared to the width of the web 9 interrupted by it is also evident in FIG. 4. The magnet projects into the gap formed by the grooves 11 and makes it smaller.

(19) While a connector 4 to be arranged at a lower end face of the surface element 2 has double tongues, formed by individual tongues 10, on a total of three sides, two other variants of a connecting element 4 shown in the same figure each have a double tongue on only two sides. Furthermore, these other connecting elements 4 do not have the regions 13 adjoining the beveled tongues and accordingly shown only by broken lines. These are likewise omitted in the case of the connector 4 provided with a double tongue on three sides, which can connect to the rear end face of the surface element 2 along a broken line in FIG. 4.

(20) The same holds for a closing element 3, which is shown on the left in the figure.

(21) The individual furniture elements, fashioned in particular as presentation furniture elements, which are designed as connecting or closing elements, can accordingly have different cross-sectional shapes (FIG. 5 a) to h)). A closing element 3, as already described, has only one double groove for connection to a surface element 2 (FIG. 5 a)).

(22) Two surface elements 2 can be joined, across a connecting element 4 forming a corner connector, wherein then the connecting element 4 has a double groove on two mutually adjoining sides (FIG. 5 b)).

(23) Double grooves on opposite sides of a connecting element 4 serve to form surfaces of two neighboring surface elements 2 which pass flush one into the other (FIG. 5 c)).

(24) A connecting element 4 configured to form a T-shaped connection has double grooves on three sides (FIG. 5 d)). A connecting element 4 with double grooves on its four right-angled abutting sides is designed to produce a cross-shaped connection of neighboring surface elements 2 joined across a corner (FIG. e)).

(25) A closing element 3 has a cable groove 14, in which current conducting lines 15 are arranged (FIG. 5 f)).

(26) A connecting element 4 according to FIG. 5 g) has a double tongue formed with tongues 10 on one side, while on another side a groove 16 is present for the arrangement of a functional element preferably configured as a glass plate 17.

(27) Finally, the closing element 3 of FIG. 5 h) comprises a recess 18, in which a lighting means 19 preferably configured as an LED strip is placed.

(28) This LED strip can be supplied with power for example across adjoining closing elements 3 per FIG. 5 f).

(29) Example embodiments of closing elements 3 for different module sizes, making possible a modular design and the connection to different sized surface elements, are shown in FIG. 6 a) to 6 l). The closing elements shown there differ especially in regard to a region 13 adjoining the region provided with grooves. What is essential in all the example embodiments shown in FIGS. 6 and 8 is that the positions of the magnets match up when respective connecting or closing elements are arranged at corresponding surface elements. Accordingly, a closing element 3 shown in FIG. 6 a) is provided with two adjoining regions, shown by broken lines, FIG. 6 b) shows such a closing element in a side view without the regions 13 (length AV), FIG. 6 c) an example with only one adjoining region 13 (length A), while the length of the closing element per FIG. 6 d) results as A+V.

(30) A next longer closing element in the side view of FIG. 6 e) has a basic length of 2 AV (see FIG. 6 f)). The tongues 10 forming a double tongue here are interrupted in the middle region in order to enable the arrangement of additional elements. Accordingly, the recess formed by the tongues is at least as broad as a cross-sectional width of a base body of an adjoining connecting element. In order to make possible a mitered fit, the recesses are beveled, as are the ends of the tongues.

(31) The example embodiments per FIGS. 6 g) and h) likewise differ again by the regions 13 adjoining the tongues, where the closing strip per FIG. 6 g) has a length of 2 A and the example embodiment of FIG. 6 h) has a length of 2 A+V.

(32) Instead of closing strips 3, the example embodiments of FIG. 6 a) to 6 l) can also involve connecting elements having at least two sides of double tongues. The arranging of several magnets on one connecting or closing element side is done at an average spacing A (from center axis to center axis of the neighboring magnets).

(33) A closing element with a basic length of 3 AV is shown in side view in FIG. 6 i). According to the modular design of the furniture according to the invention, there are two regions of interrupted webs 10 here, serving for the connection of closing or connecting elements.

(34) The basic element of this next longer closing element has a length of 3 AV (FIG. 6 j)). Accordingly, the example embodiments of FIGS. 6 k) and 6 l), increased in length by one or two regions 13 respectively, are provided with a length of 3 A or 3 A+V, respectively.

(35) As the basic size for surface elements, a surface element 2 is provided with an edge length of (1) AV (FIG. 7).

(36) Starting from this size, additional sizes of surface elements 2 with sizes n.Math.AV for the respective edge lengths are depicted accordingly in FIG. 8, where n is formed by the set of whole numbers ({1, 2, 3, . . . }).

(37) Using the connecting, closing and surface elements of FIG. 5-7, a variety of furniture according to the invention which can be assembled and disassembled without tools can be created, which can be used for example at trade shows, in the construction of shops, at exhibitions, in store fixtures, for events, for visual marketing, for retail technology and/or for personal residential use.