FURNITURE UNIT AND STACK OF SUCH FURNITURE

Description

DOMAINE TECHNIQUE

[0001] The field of invention of the present application is that of furniture or shelves for storing or displaying various and varied objects, such as books - in which case these are bookcases -, ornaments - in which case these are display cases or stands -, perfume bottles - in which case these are pianos -, etc. More particularly, the furniture in question comprises a plurality of modules.

[0002] Belgian patent 9,400,993 discloses such furniture which may comprise one or more modules. Another basic furniture module is described in US6082069A.

[0003] If we consider an elementary module of this prior art furniture, it comprises two frames with front and rear faces, in the form of a frame, two side walls on the right and left sides and a floor.

[0004] The chassis, therefore in the form of a frame, have two right and left uprights and two lower and upper crosspieces, of the same thickness. The floor rests on the lower crosspieces of the two chassis, by two front and rear grooves fitted onto these crosspieces. At both ends of the grooves, notches are fitted onto the lower part of the two uprights. The side walls rest on the chassis uprights also by two front and rear grooves and are wedged between the floor and the upper crosspieces of the chassis.

[0005] Alternatively, the side walls may not have grooves but notches at the top fitted onto the upper crosspieces of the frames and be wedged between these upper crosspieces and the floor while resting against the uprights of the frames.

[0006] Such a module is not fully satisfactory.

[0007] It is difficult to fit the side walls against the frame uprights, to the point that they are not always vertical.

[0008] The thickness of the boards making up the module, namely the side walls and the floor, is not always precise and correctly wedging these side walls between the upper cross members of the frames and the floor can be difficult, with the risk of splinters appearing.

[0009] Furthermore, the elementary modules of the prior art cannot be stacked.

[0010] Finally, the parts of these elementary modules are not locked.

[0011] The invention of the present application, in all its embodiments, therefore originates from all these difficulties. PRÉSENTATION DE L'INVENTION

[0012] Thus, the invention of the present application relates first of all to an elementary furniture module according to claim 1, said module comprising at least two front and rear chassis frames, each with two right and left uprights and two upper and lower crosspieces, two right and left side walls inside the frames and a floor inside the frames resting against the lower crosspieces of the frames, characterized in that the floor is arranged to oppose the lower portions of the side walls moving towards each other.

[0013] The floor is therefore a locking device for the lower portions of the side walls towards the interior.

[0014] In the preferred embodiment of the module of the invention, the uprights of the frames are arranged to oppose the separation of the side walls.

[0015] The frame uprights are then locking members towards the outside of the side walls, both their lower portions and their upper portions.

[0016] Advantageously, the upper portions of the side walls and the upper crosspieces of the frames are arranged to oppose the former coming together towards each other, which ensures the inward locking of the upper portions of the side walls.

[0017] In this case, the locking of the side walls, their upper portion and their lower portion, is respectively ensured by different elements, which is a guarantee of good holding of the furniture.

[0018] Still in this case, the lateral portions of the upper crosspieces of the frames and the front and rear portions of the upper portions of the side walls may have notches respectively fitted into each other.

[0019] Advantageously, the floor can rest on the lower crosspieces of the chassis by two front and rear grooves, provided on the lower face, fitted onto these crosspieces.

[0020] According to the invention, the inward locking of the upper portions of the side walls is ensured by a roof fitted onto the side walls by two lateral rebates, this roof being able to be blocked towards the front and the rear by two front and rear grooves fitted onto the upper crosspieces of the front and rear frames.

[0021] The module of the invention, for its stacking, then comprises frames whose upper and lower crosspieces comprise on the outside respectively bosses and notches of complementary shapes and the side walls are provided with front and rear feet arranged to rest on the side walls of an adjacent and identical lower module.

[0022] The present application also relates to a stack of elementary modules of the invention provided with the above stacking characteristics.

[0023] The module stack can have as many as desired. PRÉSENTATION DES FIGURES

[0024] The invention will be better understood with the aid of the following description of several embodiments of the elementary module and stacks of a plurality of such modules, with reference to the attached drawing, in which there figure 1 represents a profile and front view of a frame-chassis of a first embodiment of the module of the invention; the figure 2 represents, on a larger scale, the junction of the upper crosspiece and an upright of the frame of the figure 1 ; there figure 3 represents a profile and side view of a side wall of the first embodiment of the module of the invention; the figure 4 represents, on a larger scale, a portion of the corner of the wall of the figure 3 ; there figure 5 is a profile and front view illustrating the assembly of the left side wall of the first embodiment of the module of the invention; the figure 6 represents, on a larger scale, the upper, left and front corner portion of the chassis frame of the module of the figure 5 ; there figure 7 is a profile and front view illustrating the assembly of the right side wall of the module of the figure 5 ; THE figures 8 And 9 are profile and front views of the module of figures 5-7 illustrating the assembly of the floor; the figure 10 is an exploded and cutaway view, in profile and front, of the left side wall, the front frame and a roof placed on the module of the figures 1-9 ; there figure 11 represents a profile and front view of a frame-chassis of a second embodiment of the module of the invention; the figure 12 represents a profile and side view of a side wall of the second embodiment of the module of the invention; the figure 13 illustrates the assembly of a stack of modules of the figures 11 et 12 ; there figure 14 is a view, on a larger scale, of the left and rear portions of the stacking area of the two modules of the figure 13 and the figure 15 is a profile and front view of the stack of two modules of the figure 14 , illustrating the assembly of a roof. DESCRIPTION DÉTAILLÉE DE L'INVENTION

[0025] The elementary furniture module 200 of the invention, used in isolation or with other identical modules in a stack of such elementary modules, will first be described.

[0026] The module consists of two identical front 1 and rear 2 chassis frames, two identical side walls on the right side 5 and on the left side 6 ( figures 5, 6 , 8 , 9 ), and a floor 3. It could also have a roof 4 ( figure 15 ).

[0027] The frame-chassis 1, 2 comprises a right upright 7, a left upright 8, a lower crosspiece 9 and an upper crosspiece 10, these four elements of the same width and the same thickness, thus forming a rectangular frame.

[0028] The side walls 5, 6 are rectangular boards which may be of the same thickness as the elements of the frame-chassis, and whose height is very slightly greater than the distance between the crosspieces of the frames, for a reason which will appear later.

[0029] The floor 3 is also a rectangular board, which may be of the same thickness as the frame-sashes and the side walls, with a depth equal to the width of the side walls 5, 6 and a width equal to the distance between the uprights of the frames reduced by twice the thickness of the side walls, also for a reason which will appear later.

[0030] At the right and left ends of the upper crosspieces 10 of the frames, notches 11, 12 are cut out, inwards and from the right and left uprights 7, 8, that is to say at the junction of the upper crosspieces and the uprights, for holding the side walls 5, 6 in the frames.

[0031] Additional notches 19-22, which can therefore fit and do fit into those of the frames, are cut inwards from the bottom 13 and top 14 edges of the side walls 5, 6, near the bottom and top, right and left corners 15-18 of the side walls also for holding the side walls in the frames.

[0032] The boards that make up the module elements can be made of different types of material, for example plastic, such as polyethylene and expanded polystyrene, a composite material, wood and even a metal, such as aluminum.

[0033] The maintenance of the side walls inside the chassis frames and especially their locking will be well understood thanks to the description of the assembly of the module and its description once assembled.

[0034] In reference to the figures 5 And 7 , we slide each side wall in an inclined position - we can start with the left wall 6 ( figure 5 ) - inside the two chassis frames 1, 2, by placing the top edge 14 of the wall inside the top left corner 18 of the frames, the notches 21, 22 of the top edge 14 of the wall, opposite the notches 12 of the front and rear top crosspieces 10 of their left end, formed against the uprights 8 of the frames. Then the bottom of the wall 6 is pushed against the left uprights 8 of the frames. The notches of the wall and the crosspieces of the frames fit into each other and the wall comes to rest against the left uprights of the frames, the notches 19, 20 of the bottom edge 13 of the wall fitted onto the bottom crosspieces 9 of the frames, having slid along these crosspieces.

[0035] We proceed in the same way with the other side wall ( figure 7 ).

[0036] Of course, the module can have more than two identical chassis frames, and the side walls would be shaped accordingly, with a correspondingly appropriate number of notches.

[0037] Having mounted the side walls inside the chassis frames, the distance between the notches of the upper edges of the side walls determining the distance, or the gap, between the two chassis frames 1, 2, the floor 3 is finally placed ( figures 8 , 9 ).

[0038] Two rectilinear front and rear grooves 23, 24, parallel to the front and rear edges 25, 26 of the floor, are provided in the lower face 27 of the floor to fit lightly onto the front and rear lower crosspieces 9 of the frames, the grooves having a thickness very slightly greater than that of the crosspieces ( figure 8 ).

[0039] We slide the floor 3, lower face 27 facing the lower crosspieces 9 of the frames, between the frames to come and press ( figure 9 ) the floor against the crosspieces 9, the grooves 23, 24 fitted onto the crosspieces.

[0040] Thus, the floor 3 is arranged to oppose the bringing together of the lower portions 28, and the lower edges 13, of the side walls towards each other.

[0041] The floor 3 is therefore a locking member for the lower portions 28 of the side walls 5, 6 towards the inside of the frames.

[0042] Likewise, it is interesting to note that the uprights 7, 8 of the chassis frames are arranged to oppose the separation of the side walls 5, 6. In other words, the uprights of the frames are locking members towards the outside of the side walls 5, 6, both of their lower portion 28 and of their upper portion 29.

[0043] Furthermore, it can be said that the upper portions of the side walls 5, 6, here by their notches 21, 22, on the one hand, and the upper crosspieces 10 of the frames, by their notches 12, on the other hand, are arranged to oppose the approach of the side walls towards each other, which ensures the inward locking of the upper walls 29 of the side walls 5, 6.

[0044] Consequently, the locking of the side walls 5, 6, of their upper portion 29 and of their lower portion 28 is respectively ensured by different elements, which is a guarantee of good holding of the module.

[0045] In a particular embodiment of the module of the invention, the side walls 5, 6 comprise, on their outer face, a groove 61 shaped to fit onto the uprights 7, 8 of the frames which thus lock the side walls towards the outside ( figure 10 ). In this case, notches 19-22 are no longer necessary.

[0046] According to the invention, the inward locking of the upper portions 29 of the side walls 5, 6 is ensured by a roof 30 fitted onto the side walls by two right and left rebates 31, the roof 30 being able to be blocked towards the front and the rear by two grooves 32 arranged on its upper face 33, parallel to its front 34 and rear edges, fitted onto the upper crosspieces 10 of the front 1 and rear 2 chassis frames.

[0047] Another embodiment of the module of the invention allows, by arranging several of the same type, to stack them.

[0048] A module, intended to be stacked with other identical ones, has the same parts as the module of figures 1-9 .

[0049] The rectangular and identical chassis frames 101, 102 always comprise two upper and lower crosspieces 110 and 109 and two left and right uprights 108 and 107 and holding notches 111 and 112 at the two junctions of the upper crosspiece 110 with the right uprights 107 and left uprights 108.

[0050] The upper crosspiece 110 comprises, towards the outside and in line with the notches 111, 112, two bosses 151, 152, here slightly rounded, and the lower crosspiece 109 comprises, towards the inside and in line with the junctions of the lower crosspiece 109 with the right 107 and left 108 uprights, two notches 153, 154, here also slightly rounded and of a shape complementary to that of the bosses 151, 152 so that the bosses 151, 152 of the upper crosspiece 110 of a first module can fit into the notches 153, 154 of the lower crosspiece 109 of a second module arranged just below the first module.

[0051] The side walls 105, 106 are almost identical to the side walls 5, 6, with their high notches 121, 122 corresponding to the notches 21, 22 of the module of the figures 1-9 , and are distinguished only by two small front feet 155 and rear 156 extending downwards beyond the low notches 119, 120 which perform the same function as the notches 19, 20 of the module of the figures 1-9 .

[0052] In reference to the figure 14 , when a first module 201 is stacked on a second module 202, the notch 154 of the lower crosspiece 109 of the module 201 fitting onto the boss 152 of the upper crosspiece 110 of the module 202, the foot 156 of the side wall 106 comes to bear against the side wall 106 of the module 202, on its portion 206 arranged behind the frame-chassis 102 shown in dotted lines on the figure 14 .

[0053] As we can also see clearly on the figure 13 , the front foot 155 of the side wall 105 of the upper module 201 will come to bear against the portion of the side wall 105 of the adjacent lower module 202, arranged in front of the frame-chassis 101.

[0054] The present application also relates to a stack of modules shaped to be stacked and comprising the characteristics of the modules of the figures 11-14 .

[0055] The stacking of two modules 201, 202 of the figure 15 comprises, on the upper module 201, a roof 103, pierced, from its lower face 163, with four notches 164-167 arranged to fit onto the bosses 151, 152 of the chassis frames 101, 102.

Claims

1. Elementary furniture module, for storage or presentation of objects comprising at least two front face (1) and rear face (2) chassis-frames, each with two right (7) and left (8) uprights and two top (10) and bottom (9) crosspieces, two right (5) and left (6) side walls inside the frames and a floor (3) inside the frames (1, 2) bearing against the bottom crosspieces (9) of the frames (1, 2), characterized by the fact that the floor (3) is arranged to oppose the movement of the bottom portions (28) of the side walls (5, 6) towards each other, the inward locking of the top portions (29) of the side walls (5, 6) being also provided by a roof (30) snap fit onto the side walls (5, 6) by two side rebates (31).

2. Elementary module according to claim 1, wherein the uprights (7, 8) of the frames (5, 6) are arranged to oppose the movement of the side walls (5, 6) away from each other.

3. Elementary module according to one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the top portions (29) of the side walls (5, 6) and the top crosspieces (10) of the frames (5, 6) are arranged to oppose the movement of these (5, 6) towards each other.

4. Elementary module according to claim 3, wherein the side portions of the top crosspieces (10) of the frames (1, 2) and the front and rear portions of the top portions (29) of the side walls (5, 6) comprise notches (12, 19-22) snap fit the ones (12) into the others (19-22) respectively.

5. Elementary module according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the floor (3) bears against the lower crosspieces (9) of the frames (1, 2) by two front (23) and rear (24) grooves, provided on its lower face (27), snap fit onto these bottom crosspieces (9).

6. Elementary module according to claim 1, wherein the roof (30) is blocked forwards and backwards by two front and rear grooves (32) snap fit onto the top crosspieces (10) of the front and rear frames (1, 2).

7. Elementary module according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the side walls (5, 6) comprise, on their external face, grooves (61) arranged to snap fit onto the uprights (7, 8) of the chassis-frames (1, 2) which thus lock the side walls (5, 6) outwards.

8. Elementary module according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, in order to be stackable, the top (110) and bottom (109) crosspieces of the chassis-frames (101, 102) respectively comprise, on the outside, bosses (151, 152) and notches (153, 154) of complementary shapes and the side walls (105, 106) are provided with front and rear feet (156) arranged to bear against the side walls (105, 106) of an adjacent and identical lower module.

9. Stack of elementary modules according to claim 8.