Furniture with variable-sized shelves and manufacturing process

Abstract

The invention relates to a simple, economical assembly (Fig. 1) for a table or shelf unit, achieved by fitting wooden and steel crossbeams (Fig. 3) side-by-side onto two U-shaped wooden or steel legs (Fig. 2) to form the tabletop. The crossbeams are joined to the two legs without screws, nails, or glue. They are positioned perpendicular to the U-shaped plane of each leg and inserted side-by-side between the two vertical supports of each U-shaped leg. This side-by-side placement of the crossbeams creates no gaps between them or with the vertical supports of each U-shaped leg. The upper surface of the crossbeams is flush with the top of each support of the U-shaped leg.The assembly is secured by fitting the crossbeams onto the two legs using grooves cut into each crossbeam. These grooves are embedded in a wooden or steel plate that runs perpendicularly between the two vertical uprights of each U-shaped leg. To secure the crossbeams to the two legs and create a unified and sturdy piece of furniture, each wooden or steel crossbeam is drilled lengthwise at each end to accommodate a steel or wooden dowel. This dowel is long enough to pass through the transverse fixing plate of each leg.Made of raw wood and steel, with simple geometric shapes and requiring no tools for assembly and disassembly, this assembly can be assembled and disassembled endlessly. Its form can be modified by changing the length and width of the crossbars, the material they are made of, or the height or width of the U-shaped supports of each leg, thus changing the function of the original piece of furniture by altering only a part of it. Due to the simplicity of its components, this assembly is also very easy to mass-produce and allows for a wide variety of furniture depending on the sizes of the legs and crossbars, as well as the materials used, by alternating different types of wood and adding steel crossbars.

Description

Title of the invention: Furniture with variable-sized shelves and manufacturing method

[0001] The invention relates to the simple assembly of table or shelf-type furniture ([Fig.1]) and its manufacturing process adapted to large series production.

[0002] This assembly consists of two U-shaped legs (1), a variable number of crossbars (2) forming the tabletop and two pegs (3) per crossbar for assembling the whole.

[0003] The crossbars are fixed on top of each base by means of grooves (4) made in each crossbar into which are inserted support blades (5) located at the top of each U-shaped base, blades which connect the two vertical uprights of each U (6).

[0004] Placed side by side, the crossbeams form a plane which can be the top of a table or console for example, or the shelves of a piece of furniture with shelves if the legs (1) have several support blades (5) at different heights.

[0005] Placing the crossbeams side by side does not create any gap between them, nor with the vertical upright of each U-shaped base.

[0006] The upper face of the crossbars is at the same height as the top of each upright of the U-shaped base ([Fig.l]).

[0007] The crossbars are fixed to the base slats by means of pegs passing through the crossbars and the base slats.

[0008] The base support blades are therefore drilled (7) in line with the crossbars. The holes coincide with the holes made in the crossbars.

[0009] The pegs are inserted through both ends of each cross member (8) and pass through the blades of the legs.

[0010] This fixing method makes it possible to obtain a piece of furniture that can be lifted or moved regardless of the place by which it is grasped.

[0011] This assembly method allows furniture to be easily assembled and disassembled thanks to an opening (9) made under each crossbar to allow the pegs to be pushed outwards from the crossbar in order to extract them.

[0012] This process thus offers its holder the possibility of functionally evolving his furniture and its use over time by changing either the width or height of the legs, or the number of blades supporting these legs, or the length of the crossbars.

[0013] The crossbeams can be made of different types of wood or steel, and of different widths. A mix of crossbeam types also offers the owner an infinite number of possible aesthetic possibilities for the tabletops of their furniture.

[0014] Due to its simplicity and the small number of its components, this design allows for the implementation of a very simple mass production system since it is sufficient to build up stocks of only three different types of elements.

[0015] This piece of furniture, assembled without screws, nails, or glue, and therefore easily assembled and disassembled, is evolvable throughout its life, both functionally and aesthetically, by changing, at will, the dimensions of its feet or crossbars in length, width and height, the nature of its feet and crossbars, between wood and steel, and the section of its crossbars, square or rectangular. Brief description of the drawings

[0016] [Fig-1] represents an assembly giving a coffee table

[0017] [Fig.2] represents a U-shaped base

[0018] [Fig.3] represents a crossbeam

Claims

Demands

1. A table-type or shelf-type modular furniture (Fig 1), characterized in that it consists of a simple assembly of two U-shaped legs (1), a variable number of crossbars (2) forming the tabletop and two pegs (3) per crossbar for assembling the whole.

2. A table- or shelf-type piece of furniture according to claim 1 characterized by its assembly which consists of the fact that the crossbeams (2) are wedged on the top of each base by means of grooves (4) made in each crossbeam into which are inserted support blades (5) located at the top of each U-shaped base, blades which connect the two vertical uprights of each U (6).

3. A table or shelf-type piece of furniture according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that its stability is achieved by attaching the crossbars to the leg slats using dowels (3) that pass through the crossbars and the support slats (5). The leg support slats are drilled (7) in line with the crossbars for this purpose. The holes coincide with the holes drilled in the crossbars. The dowels (3) are inserted through both ends of each crossbar (8) and pass through the leg slats.

4. Furniture with tabletops or shelf type according to claims 1, 2 and 3 characterized in that it is easily assembled and disassembled without tools, screws, glue or nails because the pegs (3) are removable and can be taken out by hand thanks to a direct access (9) cut into each crossbar.

5. Furniture with tabletops or shelves according to claims 1, 2, 3 and 4 characterized in that it constitutes in fact a simple manufacturing process adapted to mass production.

6. A table- or shelf-type piece of furniture according to claims 1, 2, 3, and 4, characterized in that it is easily demountable and functionally adaptable, offering the possibility of changing at will the width or height of the U-shaped legs (1), the number of slats (5) supporting these legs, the length of the crossbars (2), and a composition of variable crossbar widths corresponding to the width of the chosen leg. The crossbars (2) can be made of different types of wood or steel. A mixture of crossbar types can thus provide an infinite number of tabletop configurations for the furniture.

7. A table- or shelf-type piece of furniture according to claims 1, 2, 3, and 4, characterized in that it is easily demountable and aesthetically adaptable, offering the possibility of changing both the widths of the crossbars (2) composing the tabletop and the material of these crossbars. A mixture of crossbars (2) of different widths and materials can thus give the furniture an infinite number of tabletop configurations, and therefore an infinite number of aesthetic possibilities.

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