REINFORCED STRUCTURE AND METHOD FOR REINFORCING SAME

Abstract

The present disclosure discloses polymeric furniture structure elements and their reinforcement. The reinforced furniture element comprises a furniture element configured with a first face and a spaced apart second face and one or more reinforcing members extending between the first face and the second face, a plurality of throughgoing stud receiving bores extending through the one or more reinforcing members between the first face and the second face; the first face being configured with a reinforcing element bearing surface, and the second face is configured with a stud bearing surface; and a reinforcing element that is configured with a first face bearing surface, and a plurality of studs extending from first face bearing surface that are disposed in register with locations of at least some of the stud receiving bores, and a free end of the studs is configurable with a bearing head for tight bearing over the stud bearing surface.

Claims

1.-29. (canceled)

30. A method for assembling a reinforced furniture element, the method comprising the following steps: a. obtaining a furniture element comprising a first face and a second face spaced apart from the first face, one or more reinforcing members extending between the first face and the second face, and a plurality of throughgoing stud receiving bores extending through the one or more reinforcing members between the first face and the second face, the first face defining a reinforcing element bearing surface, and the second face defining a stud bearing surface; b. obtaining a reinforcing element comprising a first face bearing surface, and a plurality of studs extending from the first face bearing surface, the studs being disposed in register with locations of at least some of the stud receiving bores, and each stud having a free end that comprises a bearing head; c. introducing the free ends of the studs into the stud receiving bores until the first face bearing surface of the reinforcing element bears over and in contact with the first face of the furniture element, wherein the free ends of the studs project from the stud bearing surface of the second face of the furniture element; and d. deforming the end portion of the studs by applying heat or by ultrasonic stacking to secure the bearing head of the studs over the stud bearing surface to tightly bear thereon.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the furniture element and the reinforcing element are made of thermoplastic material.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said deforming causes formation of molecular bonding of the bearing heads of the studs with the stud bearing surface.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein at an assembled position, said deforming is carried out simultaneously with applying pressure to tightly adjoin the furniture element and a reinforcing element and stressing the studs.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0049] In order to understand the invention and to see how it may be carried out in practice, embodiments will now be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. Features shown in the drawings are meant to be illustrative of only some embodiments of the invention, unless otherwise implicitly indicated. In the drawings like reference numerals are used to indicate corresponding parts, and in which:

[0050] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shelving system, comprising several reinforced furniture elements, according to an example of the present disclosure;

[0051] FIG. 2A is a top perspective view of a reinforced furniture element, namely a shelf of the shelving system seen in FIG. 1;

[0052] FIG. 2B is a bottom perspective view of the shelf seen in FIG. 2A, prior to fastening the studs of the reinforcing elements;

[0053] FIG. 3A is an exploded view of FIG. 2A (prior to fastening the studs of the reinforcing elements);

[0054] FIG. 3B is an exploded view of FIG. 2B;

[0055] FIG. 4A is a section along line IV-IV in FIG. 2A (prior to fastening the studs of the reinforcing elements);

[0056] FIG. 4B is an enlarged view of the portion marked 4B in FIG. 4A;

[0057] FIG. 4C is an enlarged view of the portion marked 4C in FIG. 2B;

[0058] FIG. 4D is a bottom perspective view of the sectioned portion of FIG. 4B;

[0059] FIG. 5A is a planar side view of the section of FIG. 4A;

[0060] FIG. 5B is an enlarged view of the portion marked 5B in FIG. 5A;

[0061] FIG. 6A is a bottom perspective view of the shelf seen in FIG. 2A, after to fastening the studs of the reinforcing elements;

[0062] FIG. 6B is an enlarged view of the portion marked 6B in FIG. 6A;

[0063] FIG. 6C is a section along line VI-VI in FIG. 6A;

[0064] FIG. 6D is an enlarged view of the portion marked 6D in FIG. 6C;

[0065] FIG. 7A is a planar side view of the section of FIG. 6C;

[0066] FIG. 7B is an enlarged view of the portion marked 7B in FIG. 7A;

[0067] FIG. 7C is an even enlarged view of the portion marked 7C in FIG. 4B;

[0068] FIGS. 8A-8B are schematic representations illustrating deforming of the studs by ultrasonic welding; and

[0069] FIGS. 9A-9E are schematic representations of the articulation steps.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0070] Attention is first directed to FIGS. 1 and 2A, illustrating a shelving system generally designated 10, comprising, in this specific non-limiting example, five spaced apart shelves, each designated 12, supported over corner support posts 14. For sake of clarity, the shelving system is a mere example, and each shelve is considered herein as a reinforced furniture element. However, a reinforced furniture element according to the disclosure can be any sort of article and can be of any shape and design.

[0071] With further reference to FIGS. 2B to 5B, and as best seen in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the reinforced furniture element, namely each shelf 12, comprises a furniture element 20 and a reinforcing element 22, wherein the furniture element 20 is a base shelf structure configured for supporting by the support posts 14, and the reinforcing element 22 is in the form of a substantially flat member, sized for bearing over the furniture element 20, as will be explained hereinafter.

[0072] Referring in detail first to the furniture element 20, it is a rigid polymeric rectangle element configured with a first (top) face 26 and a spaced-apart second (bottom) face 28. The first face 26 is configured with a reinforcing element bearing surface 30 being a major depressed portion of the furniture element 20, defined by a peripheral rim 32, and the second face 28 is configured with a stud bearing surface 34. A plurality of reinforcing members 36, namely elongate ribs extend between the first face 26 and the second face 28, with portions of the reinforcing members 36 configured with a plurality of throughgoing stud receiving bores 40, extending between the first face 26 and the second face 28.

[0073] Turning now to the reinforcing element 22, it is a substantially flat, rigid polymeric element configured with a first face bearing surface 44 (i.e. the bottom face thereof) and a top surface 46, with a plurality of rigid studs 50 extending downwards from first face bearing surface 44. The arrangement is such that when the reinforcing element 22 is placed over the furniture element 20 the studs 50 are disposed in register with locations of the stud receiving bores 40, and wherein the initial length L.sub.S of the studs 50 is greater than the length L.sub.B of the stud receiving bores 40 (L.sub.S>L.sub.B) such that at an assembled position, prior to deformation as will be discussed below, a free end 52 of the studs 50 projects below the stud bearing surface 34 of the reinforcing members 36. It is further seen that the studs 50 are tubular cylindrical elongate members, though other configurations can be possible too (not shown).

[0074] It is appreciated that in the particular example the reinforcing members of the furniture element are not of equal height and comprise short reinforcing members 36S and longer reinforcing members 36L, this being an example only.

[0075] Once the reinforcing element 22 is placed over the furniture element 20, bearing surface 44 of the reinforcing element 22 bears over the first (top) face 26 of the furniture element 20, and with the studs 50 received within the respective stud receiving bores 40. At this position the reinforcing element 22 is received within the depressed portion and the top surface 46 is flush with the peripheral rim 32.

[0076] With further reference being made to FIGS. 6A-7C, reinforcing the furniture element 20 takes place by deforming the free ends 52 of the studs 50 configured into a mushroom-like bearing head 60, tightly bearing over the stud bearing surface 34 of the reinforcing members 36.

[0077] The arrangement is such that configuring the bearing heads 60 for tight bearing over the stud bearing surface 34 takes place simultaneously with applying pressure to tightly adjoin the furniture element 20 and a reinforcing element 22, so that the studs 50 are stressed. Thus, as illustrated in FIG. 7C, at the assembled position of the reinforced furniture element (shelf 12), an effective length E.sub.L of the studs is very slightly shorter than an actual length A.sub.L of the reinforcing members, E.sub.L<A.sub.L. Effective length E.sub.L is defined along a stud; extending between a level of contact between the first face and first face bearing surface, and the stud bearing surface); and actual length A.sub.L is defined is defined along throughgoing stud receiving bores, between the first face and the stud bearing surface.

[0078] Turning now to FIGS. 8A and 8B there are represented examples of manufacturing steps of a reinforced furniture element according to the disclosure. Referring first to FIG. 8A, a sonotrode 70 is applied to the free end 52 of a stem 50, said sonotrode 70 configured with a penetrating head 72 configured for introducing into a lumen 75 of a stem end 52, and having a shaped head 74 configured for stacking, i.e. applying heat to the free end 52 thus melting it for reshaping it in conformance with the shape of the head 74, so that upon cooling the bearing end assumes a mushroom-like shape bearing head 60 bearing against the stud bearing surface 34, as in FIG. 8B.

[0079] FIGS. 9A-9E illustrate consecutive steps of heat stacking of the free ends 52 of the studs 50 into mushroom-like shape bearing heads 60. In the first step shown in FIG. 9A, the positioning of the free ends 52 through bores 40 is confirmed. Then, a heated anvil/iron 76 (same shape as sonotrode 70 as in FIG. 8A) is advanced to the free end 52 of studs 50 (FIG. 9B) and heat is applied thereto (FIG. 9C), deforming the free ends into mushroom-like shape bearing heads 60 bearing against the stud bearing surface 34, water which the bearing heads 60 are cooled by applying chill to the anvil 76 (FIG. 9D), to assumes a mushroom-like shape bearing head 60 bearing against the stud bearing surface 34, as shown in FIG. 9E.

[0080] Whilst in the illustrated examples the bearing head is mushroom-like shaped configured through a heat deforming process, it is appreciated that other arrangements are possible to for stressing the studs within the stud receiving bores at the assembled position. One such example is pre-forming the studs with a snap-type mushroom like free end configurable for introducing through the bore and configurable for spontaneous sap engagement upon penetrating through a bottom end of the reinforcing member 36 in a snap-type fashion.