Furniture article with concealed storage and removable panels

Abstract

A modular furniture system composed from reconfigurable interlocking panels using corresponding slot and tab elements is disclosed. The ready-to-assemble furniture system includes a complementary arrangement of non-interlocking interior panels that become secured into position through the means of interlocking exterior side and end panels. The configuration of interlocking and non-interlocking panels hides the joinery formed by the slot and tab elements, and further utilizes selectively movable and/or detachable panels to conceal the contents of storage compartments.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION DATA[0001]The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 860,282 filed in the United States Patent Office on Jul. 31, 2013, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention is directed toward ready-to-assemble modular furnishings composed of interlocking planar materials. In particular, the present invention relates to furniture fit together from reconfigurable interlocking panels using corresponding slot and tab elements to assemble or disassemble such components without need for tools or fasteners. The modular furniture system also includes the complementary arrangement of exterior and interior panels to hide the joinery formed by the slot and tab elements, and further utilizes selectively movable and / or detachable panels to conceal the contents of storage compartments.[0004]2. Description of the Prior Art[0005]The Internet has created ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0015]The limitations of the background art discussed above are overcome by the present invention. With this invention, an improved modular furniture system, composed of a complementary arrangement of interlocking and non-interlocking panels, minimizes the appearance of joinery formed by corresponding slot and tab elements. In a preferred embodiment, the modular furniture system comprises a configuration of non-interlocking interior panels that become secured into position through the means of interlocking exterior side and end panels. The interlocking panels employ the use of tab elements that produce an interference fit when fully engaged with a corresponding slot; alternatively, the tab elements may utilize a supplemental slot to provide a locking mechanism that resists disassembly of the tab and slot joinery. The corresponding use of the preferred tab and slot elements allows the assembly or disassembly of the interlocking and non-interlocking panels without the need for tools or fasteners. The modular furniture system is further manufactured from a combination of planar components that are interchangeable and symmetrical, and may be reconfigured into different pieces of furniture. The assembly of exterior and interior panels also forms enclosable storage compartments that may be concealed through the use of movable and detachable panels.

Problems solved by technology

Where individual cartons containing flat-pack furnishings reduce the cubic volume required to warehouse each product in a distribution center, along with allowing for easier transport via parcel delivery services, such furnishings consist of numerous components and hardware that are often difficult and counterintuitive to assemble.

The primary disadvantage, inherent within prior art ready-to-assemble furnishings, concerns the extensive use of composite materials that consist of medium-density fiberboard (MDF) clad with high-pressure decorative laminates.

Although considered a sustainable source in the fabrication of furnishings, MDF board is a hygroscopic material that is prone to dimensional changes depending on the relative humidity and air temperature in the surrounding environment.

When used in the construction of furnishings, the bonded composition of MDF board and high-pressure laminates may swell or delaminate when exposed to moisture.

Aside from the multilayered composite materials used in the fabrication of flat-pack furnishings, exposed edges and decorative laminated surfaces are known to chip or crack in final assembly.

Where high-pressure laminates are functional and durable, decorative veneers of this type are produced from thermosetting plastic resins that are formed and solidified under heat and pressure, thereby increasing the rigidity while diminishing the impact resistance of these materials.

For this reason, the compressive force exerted through the utilization of dowel pegs, cam locks, and wood screws, found within the joinery and pre-drilled apertures of the prior art, has caused fragments of high-pressure laminates to break away from such ready-to-assemble furnishings.

Until now, however, the interlocking slot and tab elements used in prior art modular furniture systems have been left exposed on the exterior surfaces of such items, and has produced joinery that may be easily disengaged or tampered with.

The systems, methods, and inventions described in the above-identified patent publications are found lacking in disclosing an improved interlocking furniture system that reduces the appearance of slot and tab elements on the exposed surfaces of ready-to-assemble furnishings.

Images