CN111887605A - furniture unit - Google Patents

Abstract

A furniture unit (101), the furniture unit (101) being deployable from a flat-packed configuration to an expanded configuration. Two rigid body panels (102, 103) are connected by hinges to three foldable spacers (104, 105, 106). In the deployed configuration, the three spacers hold the body panels apart from each other to form a space between the body panels.

Description

furniture unit

This application is a divisional application of the Chinese invention patent application 201680008368.X filed on January 21, 2016 with the invention name "furniture unit".

The present invention relates to a furniture unit.

Furniture units are available pre-assembled or in flat pack form. Flat pack furniture is usually assembled by the end user. The assembly process always requires the use of tools and fasteners to join the pieces of the furniture unit together. Assembly is often time consuming. Additionally, individually packaged fasteners (eg, screws, nails, and lugs) are prone to loss, further delaying the assembly process.

Flat-pack furniture is also difficult to disassemble. Permanent fasteners such as screws and nails are difficult to remove. Even if these fasteners are removed, the components of the furniture unit may be damaged, making it difficult to reassemble the components. This is especially inconvenient for those in rented and temporary accommodation, who may need to move regularly with their furniture.

One of the objects of the present invention is to solve these problems.

In a first aspect, the present invention provides a furniture unit according to claim 1 . The furniture unit can be moved from an unfolded configuration to a flat-packed configuration (or vice versa) without having to disassemble or assemble any components. In the deployed and flat-pack configurations, the spacers remain mounted on the first and second body panels. This allows for quick expansion. The furniture unit can also be quickly converted into an easy-to-transport flat-pack configuration. No tools are required for the unwrapped configuration or the conversion into a flat-packed configuration. There is no need to provide the user with fasteners, as in the flat-pack configuration the furniture unit is easy to unfold.

The spacers need not be installed at corresponding points on the first and second body panels. That is, the installation positions of the spacers may be different between the first body panel and the second body panel.

In some embodiments, the spacer includes a first portion and a second portion that are substantially equal in length and are pivotally connected to each other, wherein the first portion is movably mounted to the first body panel, and the second portion is movably mounted to the first body panel. Removably mounted to the second body panel such that in the flat pack configuration, the two portions of the spacer are arranged side by side between the body panels. The two parts of the spacer are of equal length so that the body parts remain parallel when joined together. It also allows the body panels to sit directly on top of each other when in a flat-pack configuration, so that when the body panels are equal in size, the two largest dimensions of the flat pack are the same as the two largest dimensions of the body panels (or, If the size of the body panels are not equal, the two largest dimensions of the flat pack are the same as the two largest dimensions of the body panel of the largest size of the body panels). Thus, the substantially equal lengths of the two portions of the spacer provide a space-saving flat-pack configuration.

In some embodiments, the two spacer portions are connected to each other by a hinge, which is optionally a one-way hinge. The hinge provides a convenient folding axis for easy folding. The hinge also provides definable folding directions in case the user has doubts about how to move from the unfolded configuration to the flat-pack configuration. One-way hinges only allow folding in one direction. This is useful because it can force the user to move the furniture unit in a direction to obtain the most space-efficient flat-pack configuration.

In some embodiments, the spacer is pivotally mounted to one or both of the body panels. The pivot mount provides a smooth range of movement between the deployed and flat-pack configurations.

In some embodiments, the furniture unit further includes a support removably connected to the body panel or the spacer to place the furniture unit in the deployed configuration. This ensures that the furniture unit is rigid and does not easily move from the unfolded state to the flat-pack configuration. The supports can be provided separately to the user for installation by the user. In order to move the furniture unit from the unfolded configuration to the flat-packed configuration, it may be necessary to dismantle the support.

In some embodiments, the support is a rigid panel. In some embodiments, the supports may comprise slats. The main body panel may be provided with rails through which the edges of the supports are slidably connected. This makes it easy to attach the support to the body panel. The respective edges of the track and support may have corresponding interlocking dovetail configurations.

In some embodiments, the furniture unit includes more than one support to increase the rigidity of the furniture unit.

In some embodiments, the furniture unit includes two or more spacers to enhance the rigidity of the furniture unit. In some embodiments, the two spacers are folded towards each other when the furniture unit is moved from the unfolded configuration to the flat-packed configuration. This ensures a space-saving and rigid flat-pack configuration in which the body panels are well supported along their length (ie, in a flat-pack configuration, there are fewer large gaps between the body panels).

In some embodiments, the two spacers are folded in orthogonal directions when the furniture unit is moved from the unfolded configuration to the flat-packed configuration. This helps prevent unwanted movement of the furniture unit from the unfolded configuration to the flat-packed configuration.

In some embodiments, in the deployed configuration, the two spacers are panels disposed orthogonally to each other. This helps prevent unwanted movement of the furniture unit from the unfolded configuration to the flat-packed configuration.

In some embodiments, in the deployed configuration, the spacers form either the top panel or the bottom panel of the furniture unit. This eliminates the need for separate top or bottom panels, reducing the amount of material required to produce the furniture unit.

In some embodiments, in the deployed configuration, the spacers form shelves in the furniture unit.

In some embodiments, the spacer is connected to the body panel by a hinge, which is optionally a one-way hinge. The hinge provides a smooth range of movement between the unfolded configuration and the flat-pack configuration. The hinge also provides a convenient folding axis for easy folding. The hinge also provides a defined fold orientation in case the user has doubts about how to move from the unfolded configuration to the flat-pack configuration. One-way hinges only allow folding in one direction. This is useful because it can force the user to move the furniture unit in a direction to obtain the most space-efficient flat-pack configuration.

In some embodiments, the thickness of the furniture unit is less than 100 mm in the flat pack configuration.

In some embodiments, the furniture unit is provided with means for connecting a door or a cover.

In some embodiments, the rigid body panels, or spacers, are made of wood. Other materials such as plastics and metals can also be used.

In some embodiments, the first body panel and the second body panel are substantially the same size. This provides a space-saving and easy-to-handle flat-pack configuration.

In some embodiments, in a flat-pack configuration, the respective edges of the first body panel and the second body panel are substantially in registry with each another. That is, while in a flat-pack configuration, the body panels may not be in physical contact, they may sit directly on top of each other such that their profiles are similar when viewed from above. This is shown by the preferred embodiment in Figure 5 and the associated description. This provides a space-saving flat-pack configuration.

In some embodiments, the furniture unit is a wardrobe, a bedside unit, or a frame for a chest of drawers. In other embodiments, the furniture unit is a kitchen unit.

In some embodiments, the furniture unit is a drawer.

In another aspect of the present invention, a kit according to claim 23 is provided.

In some embodiments, the main body panel of the furniture unit is provided with a support on which the drawer can be removably arranged.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a furniture unit according to claim 26.

Embodiments of the present invention are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the front of a wardrobe according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is an exploded view of a drawer according to the present invention.

Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the rear of the wardrobe according to the present invention showing the insertion of the support panels.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of an exploded front of a wardrobe according to the present invention showing the insertion of the support panels. The wardrobe is provided with removable drawers according to the invention.

Figure 5 shows a schematic perspective view of a wardrobe according to the invention in its flat-packed configuration.

Figure 6 shows a schematic perspective view when the wardrobe shown in Figure 3 is provided with additional support members.

FIG. 7 shows another view of a portion of the wardrobe shown in FIG. 6 .

Figure 1 shows the wardrobe (101) in its unfolded configuration. The wardrobe (101) comprises two rectangular body panels (103, 102) which remain parallel and upright when the wardrobe (101) is in its unfolded configuration and standing on the floor. The main body panel is made of wood. The main body panels are connected by three spacers (104, 105, 106). When in the deployed configuration, the spacers are flat panels and are connected to the body panel by hinges (not shown) at each end of these spacers. The first spacer (106) extends from the upper edge (108) of the first body panel (103) to the upper edge (107) of the second body panel (102). The second spacer (105) is disposed between the main body panels (103, 102) at a lower height than the first spacer, but the second spacer (105) is higher than the lower edges (109, 110) of the main body panels. The third spacer (104) extends between the front edge (111) of the first body panel (103) and the front edge (112) of the second body panel (102). In the deployed configuration, the third spacer (104) is parallel to the front edges (111, 112) of the body panels (103, 102). Thus, the third spacer (104) is orthogonal to the first spacer (106) and the second spacer (105). The lower edge (113) of the third spacer is aligned with the lower edge (110, 109) of the body panel.

Each of the spacers (106, 105, 104) is formed from two equal sized portions. The two parts of each spacer are connected by a hinge (not shown) where they adjoin so that the two parts of the spacer (106, 105, 104) can be relative to each other along the fold lines (114, 115, 116) pivot to each other. The hinge is a one-way hinge. The hinge for connecting the two parts of the first spacer is arranged so that when the body panels (103, 102) are bought opposite each other, the fold line (114) can only move downwards (arrow in the figure) shown). The hinge for connecting the two parts of the second spacer (105) is arranged so that when the body panels (102, 103) are purchased opposite each other, the fold line (115) can only move upwards (as indicated by the arrows in the figure) ). The hinge connecting the two parts of the third spacer (104) is arranged so that when the body panels (102, 103) are purchased opposite each other, the fold line (116) may only be towards the rear of the body panels (102, 103) move (as indicated by the arrow in the figure).

When the body panels (103, 102) are moved together, the three spacers fold so that the body panel (102) is directly next to the body panel (103). That is, the two largest dimensions (height and width) of the flat pack are the same (rather than larger) than the height and width of the body panel. In the flat pack configuration, the spacers (106, 105, 104) are folded in half size and sandwiched between the body panels in an accordion fashion. The fact that the two sections of each spacer are approximately the same length enables the spacers to be folded to remain parallel when the body panels are purchased together, and directly adjacent to each other in a flat-pack configuration.

Fittings (117) for installing doors are provided on the wardrobe. When in the deployed configuration, the fittings (117) are vertically spaced apart in portions near the front edges (111, 112) of the body panel and on surfaces of the body panel opposite each other. Each body panel is provided with two accessories. On the surfaces of the lower parts of the main body panels facing each other, a slideway (118) for supporting a detachable drawer (not shown) is provided.

Figure 2 shows an exploded view of the drawer (200) according to the present invention in its deployed configuration. The drawer includes a front rectangular body panel (201) and a rear rectangular body panel (202). The two body panels are connected by spacers (203, 204). The area of the front rectangular body panel is slightly larger than that of the rear rectangular body panel. The spacers (203, 204) are rectangular plates formed from two parts. The two parts of the spacer are connected at their outer ends to the front rectangular body panel and the rear rectangular body panel. The inner ends of both parts of the spacer are connected to each other by hinges (not shown). The inner ends of the two parts of the spacer are connected at a first fold line (206) and a second fold line (205). The hinges connecting the inner ends of the spacers are one-way hinges arranged such that when the body panels (201, 202) are joined together, the fold lines (206, 205) can only be folded inwards (ie towards each other). The equal length of the two parts of the spacer allows the front and rear body panels to remain parallel as they are joined together to move the drawer from its unfolded configuration to its flat-pack configuration. In the flat pack configuration, the two parts of each spacer are parallel to each other and sandwiched between the front and rear body panels.

To maintain the drawer in the unfolded configuration, a rectangular support panel (207) is provided between the spacer, the front body panel and the rear body panel. It can be removed by moving the support panel in the direction indicated by the arrow in the illustration. By moving the support panel in the opposite direction, the support panel can be push-fit between the spacer, the front body panel and the rear body panel. The support panel may be prevented from being pushed all the way through the hole formed by the spacer, the front body panel and the rear body panel by one or several stops (not shown). The support panel ensures that the angle between the spacer, front panel and rear panel is as close to 90° as possible. The support panel also forms the bottom working surface of the drawer on which the receiving space of the drawer is formed. In order to move the drawer from the unfolded configuration to the flat-pack configuration, the support panel must be removed.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the rear of the wardrobe shown in FIG. 1 . Wardrobe in its unfolded configuration. The wardrobe is provided with three support panels (301, 302, 303). Near the rear edges (304, 305) of the body panels (102, 103), rails having a square-U shaped cross-section (not shown) are each provided. When the wardrobe is in the deployed configuration, the track is parallel to the rear edge of the body panels and on surfaces of the body panels facing each other. The rails extend the entire length of their respective body panels except for portions near the upper edges (308, 309) of the body panels. The point where the track ends serves as a stop. The edges (306, 307) of the support panel (303) slide into the rails from the lower ends (310, 311) of the body panel. The support panel slides along the track until it reaches a stop near the upper edge (308, 309) of the body panel. The other two support panels (302, 301) are plugged in using a similar procedure. These support panels keep the wardrobe in its unfolded configuration.

Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the front of the wardrobe (401) according to the present invention showing the support panel (402) ready to be plugged in. The wardrobe (401) is the same as the wardrobe shown in Figures 1 and 5, except that the wardrobe (401) is also provided with a removable drawer (200) as shown in Figure 2 .

Figure 5 shows a schematic perspective view of a wardrobe (101) according to the invention in its flat-packed configuration. The spacers (104, 105, 106) are folded in half size and sandwiched between the body panels (103, 102). The body panels are directly opposite each other, that is, the height and width of the flat pack configuration are no greater than the height and width of the body panels themselves. That is, the edges of the first body panel and the second body panel are coterminous when viewed from the "upper" direction indicated by arrow "A" in FIG. 5 .

Figures 6 and 7 show the wardrobe shown in Figure 3 provided with additional brackets or support members in the shape of strips (indicated in the figures with reference numerals 601-604). Three of these slats (601-603) are used to support and support the spacers (104-106) - each slat is used to support one spacer (104-106). The slats (601-603) help support the respective spacers (104-106) against loads and help maintain the furniture unit in its deployed configuration.

A fourth slat (604) is used to help hold the support panels (301-303) in place. A fourth slat (604) further assists in maintaining the furniture unit in its deployed configuration.

Each slat (601-604) is received in a corresponding pair of slots or rails provided in the body panels (102, 103). One of these slots ( 605 ) can be seen in FIG. 7 . Each slat can slide into its corresponding pair of slots. In an extended rather than a simple U-shaped slot, the slot (eg, 605) for accommodating one or more of the slats (601-604) may be a dovetail slot, the The ends are provided with corresponding dovetails. Thereby, interlocking can be provided while still allowing sliding engagement.

Although in the above embodiments, the described furniture unit may be represented as a bedroom or living room furniture unit, in fact the present invention can also be represented as a kitchen furniture, especially a kitchen unit. That is, the furniture unit may be a kitchen unit.

Claims (26)

1. A furniture unit comprising:

a rigid first and second body panel, and a spacer movably mounted to both of the body panels such that the furniture unit is movable between a configuration;

an arrangement of flat packages in which the spacer is arranged flat between the body panels, an

A deployed configuration in which the body panels are separated by the spacers to form a space between the body panels.

2. The furniture unit of claim 1 wherein the spacer comprises first and second portions of substantially equal length and pivotally connected to one another, wherein the first portion is movably mounted to the first body panel and the second portion is movably mounted to the second body panel such that in the flat pack configuration, the two portions of the spacer assume a side-by-side arrangement between the body panels.

3. The furniture unit of claim 2 in which the two spacer portions are connected to each other by a hinge, optionally a one-way hinge.

4. A furniture unit according to any preceding claim wherein the spacer is pivotally mounted to one or both of the body panels.

5. The furniture unit of any of claims 1-4, further comprising a support member removably connected with the body panel or the spacer to place the furniture unit in the deployed configuration.

6. The furniture unit of claim 5 in which the support is a rigid panel.

7. The furniture unit of claim 6 in which each body panel is provided with a track by which an edge of the rigid support panel can be slidably connected.

8. The furniture unit of any of claims 5-7, wherein the furniture unit comprises more than one support.

9. The furniture unit of any preceding claim wherein the furniture unit comprises two or more spacers.

10. The furniture unit of claim 9, wherein both spacers are folded towards each other when the furniture unit is moved from the unfolded configuration to the flat pack configuration.

11. The furniture unit of claim 9, wherein both spacers fold in orthogonal directions when the furniture unit is moved from the unfolded configuration to the flat pack configuration.

12. The furniture unit of claim 9, wherein in the deployed configuration, the two spacers are panels disposed orthogonal to one another.

13. The furniture unit of any preceding claim wherein, in the deployed configuration, the spacer forms a top or bottom panel of the furniture unit.

14. The furniture unit of any preceding claim wherein, in the deployed configuration, the spacer forms a shelf in the furniture unit.

15. The furniture unit of any preceding claim wherein the spacer is connected to the body panel by a hinge, optionally a one-way hinge.

16. A furniture unit according to any preceding claim wherein, in the flat pack configuration, the furniture unit has a thickness of less than 100 mm.

17. Furniture unit according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the furniture unit is provided with means for attaching a door or a cover.

18. The furniture unit of any preceding claim wherein the rigid body panel, or the spacer, is made of wood.

19. The furniture unit of any preceding claim wherein the first and second body panels are substantially the same size.

20. The furniture unit of any preceding claim wherein, in the flat pack configuration, respective edges of the first and second body panels are substantially aligned with one another.

21. Furniture unit according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the furniture unit is a wardrobe, a bedside unit, or a frame for a drawer cabinet.

22. The furniture unit of any preceding claim wherein the furniture unit is a drawer.

23. A kit comprising a drawer according to claim 22 and a furniture unit according to any of claims 1 to 21, the furniture unit being adapted to receive the drawer.

24. A kit according to claim 23 wherein the body panel of the furniture unit is provided with a support on which the drawer is removably provided.

25. A furniture unit or kit substantially as described herein, with reference to figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.

26. A furniture unit comprising:

a rigid first and second body panel, and a spacer movably mounted to both of the body panels such that the furniture unit is movable between a configuration;

an arrangement of flat packages in which the spacer is arranged flat between the body panels, an

A deployed configuration in which the body panels are separated by the spacers to form a space between the body panels,

wherein the spacer comprises a first portion and a second portion of substantially equal length and pivotally connected to each other, wherein the first portion is pivotally mounted to the first body panel and the second portion is pivotally mounted to the second body panel such that in the flat pack configuration the two portions of the spacer assume a side-by-side arrangement between the body panels.

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