Modular furniture

Abstract

A rubber block 10 for modular furniture comprises at least one through-hole 12 for receiving a supporting rod (31, figure 6B) . Also disclosed is a modular furniture item comprising a plurality of rub

Description

The present invention relates to a rubber block for modular furniture, modular furniture items comprising the rubber block, and methods of assembling modular furniture items. The modular furniture items are particularly, although not exclusively, for use as an urban training structure. Background to the Invention Urban training structures are known in the art for their use in training exercises, to simulate real-world scenarios. However, problems associated with current urban training structures include: • being single use which need to be constantly replaced, • being very difficult to reposition, • comprising metal components, and • expensive and time-consuming to implement. Summary of the Invention There is generally a need for an apparatus and method which addresses one or more of the problems identified above. Further aims and objects of the invention will become apparent from reading the following description. According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a rubber block for modular furniture, comprising at least one through-hole for receiving a supporting and or securing rod. By having a through-hole suitable for receiving a supporting and or securing rod, the stability of the resulting modular furniture item can be improved. The supporting rod may be termed a stabilising rod. The rubber block is made of rubber. The rubber may be natural or synthetic rubber, or a blend thereof. The rubber may be recycled rubber. The recycled rubber may be recycled rubber crumb. The recycled rubber crumb may be recycled tyre rubber crumb. Recycled tyre rubber crumb has high flexibility and absorbs sound, impact and vibration. The rubber may comprise one or more additives or stabilisers including, but not limited to, a polyurethane binder. The rubber may comprise one or more LIV stabilisers. LIV stabilisers improve LIV resistance and increases durability. This is particularly beneficial as the rubber blocks are suitable for outdoor use. The rubber may be vulcanised. The rubber may be ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber. The rubber may be styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR). The rubber block may be moulded, preferably compression moulded. Alternatively, the moulded rubber block may be injection moulded. Preferably, the rubber block is suitable for interlocking with a second rubber block. The rubber block is preferably suitable for interlocking with two further rubber blocks (for example, on a top surface and on a bottom surface of the rubber block). The rubber block may comprise an outer rim, preferably a circular or square outer rim, for engaging with the through-hole of a second rubber block. The outer rim of a first rubber block and the through-hole of a second rubber block may together form an interlocking mechanism. The through-hole may be cylindrical throughout the length of the through-hole. In other words, the through-hole may have a circular cross-section. Alternatively, the through-hole may have a varying cross-section. In other words, the cross-section of the through-hole may be larger at certain points than at other points. The rubber block may have a height, width and / or depth of at least about 50 mm. At least one of the dimensions (i.e. height, width or depth) of the rubber block may be at least about 50 mm, or at least about 60 mm, or at least about 70 mm, or at least about 80 mm, or at least about 90 mm. The rubber block may have a substantially cuboid shape. Such a rubber block may be termed a “single” rubber block. The cuboid-shaped rubber block may have a height, width and depth of at least about 50 mm, or at least about 60 mm, or at least about 70 mm, or at least about 80 mm, or at least about 90 mm, or about 100 mm. The rubber block may have a substantially cuboid-shape. Such a rubber block may be termed a “double” rubber block, and be approximately the size of two “single” rubber blocks combined. The rubber block may have a friction coefficient of: • About 0.55 to about 0.6 on polyvinyl chloride (PVC) / thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO); • About 1.15 on rubber; • About 0.9 on asphalt; and / or • About 0.6 to about 0.85 on concrete. The relatively high friction coefficient on a variety of surfaces enhances the stability of the rubber block. The rubber block is preferably absent of any metal. According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a modular furniture item comprising a plurality of rubber blocks according to the first aspect of the invention and at least one supporting rod, wherein the supporting rod is threaded through at least two of the rubber blocks. Advantages of the modular furniture item of the present invention include one or more of: • By being made of rubber blocks, the furniture item is rugged and rigid, yet flexible. • By being modular, the furniture item can be easily assembled, disassembled and, importantly, reconfigured to a different size or a different furniture item altogether. • In the event of damage to the furniture item, individual parts of the furniture item can be repaired without needing to replace the whole item. • By not being fixed in position on the ground (unlike prior art alternatives), the furniture item can be easily moved to a different location, facilitating modification of urban training environments and layouts. • As the blocks are not irreversibly fixed together (unlike prior art alternatives), the furniture item can be reconfigured. • The supporting rod advantageously provides stability to the modular furniture item. • The cost and time required to implement the modular furniture item is less than prior art alternatives (such as key clamp furniture). In summary, the present invention provides modular furniture items which introduce improved complexity, obstacle-density and realism to urban training exercises. The modular furniture item may be an urban training structure. The modular furniture item is preferably suitable for human use (i.e. of a size that a human can reasonably use). The modular furniture item may be, but is not limited to, a chair, a bed, a table, a kitchen counter, or a bookshelf. The modular furniture item may comprise a solid surface (or a top). The solid surface may be, but is not limited to, a chair seat, a table top, a bed base, a kitchen countertop, or a shelf. The solid surface may comprise (or be made of) plywood. The plywood may be fire retardant. The plywood may have a thickness of at least about 5 mm, or at least about 10 mm. The plywood may have a thickness of from about 10 mm to about 20 mm, or about 18 mm. The solid surface may be manufactured using CNC machining techniques. Specifically, the solid surface may be appropriately profiled using CNC machining techniques. The solid surface may be printed, to enhance the overall realism of the modular furniture item. The solid surface may comprise one or more, preferably a plurality of, projections (or cuts). The projections are preferably configured, more preferably profiled, to engage with the rubber blocks, permitting the solid surface to be “push fit” onto the rubber blocks. This advantageously assists with holding the solid surface in place on the rubber blocks. The supporting rod is preferably secured to the two terminal rubber blocks of the plurality of rubber blocks which are threaded onto the supporting rod. The supporting rod may be secured by a washer-faced nut and or a washer and a nut. The supporting rod may be secured by a coach bolt. The supporting rod may be secured at one end by a washerfaced nut and at the other end by a coach bolt. The modular furniture item is preferably absent of any metal. The supporting rod preferably comprises nylon (or, in other words, is preferably made of nylon). The nylon rod maybe fully flexible to allow flexibility within the completed structure. After sustaining bending loads, each nylon rod preferably returns to its original form. Embodiments of the second aspect of the invention may include one or more features of the first aspect of the invention or its embodiments, or vice versa. According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a kit of parts operable to be assembled into a modular furniture item according to the second aspect of the present invention. The kit of parts preferably comprises a plurality of rubber blocks according to the first aspect of the invention, and at least one supporting rod. Preferably, the kit of parts may further comprise one or more pieces of plywood. The one or more pieces of plywood are appropriately profiled. Embodiments of the third aspect of the invention may include one or more features of the first or second aspects of the invention or their embodiments, or vice versa. According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a rubber block according to the first aspect of the present invention, comprising the steps of: a) providing a mould; b) providing a raw material in the mould, the raw material suitable for forming a rubber block; and d) injecting into and / or heating and / or compressing the raw material in the mould to form the rubber block. The steps of this method are generally known in the art as injection or compression moulding. Embodiments of the fourth aspect of the invention may include one or more features of the first to third aspects of the invention or their embodiments, or vice versa. According to a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of assembling a modular furniture item according to the second aspect of the invention, comprising the steps of: a) providing a plurality of rubber blocks according to the first aspect of the invention; b) providing at least one supporting rod; c) interlocking at least two rubber blocks; and c) threading the supporting rod through the at least two rubber blocks. The method may further comprise the step of securing the supporting rod to the two terminal rubber blocks. Embodiments of the fifth aspect of the invention may include one or more features of the first to fourth aspects of the invention or their embodiments, or vice versa. Brief Description of the Drawings There will now be described, by way of example only, various embodiments of the invention with reference to the drawings, of which: Figure 1A is a perspective view of a single rubber block in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; Figure 1B is a side sectional view, cut along line A-A’, of the single rubber block in Figure 1A; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a double rubber block in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a modular chair in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; Figure 4A is a top perspective view of the seat of the chair in Figure 3; Figure 4B is a bottom perspective view of the seat of the chair in Figure 3; Figure 5 is a perspective view of a washer-faced nut fastening; Figure 6A is a perspective view of a coach bolt fastening; Figure 6B is a side sectional view of a coach bolt fastening; and Figure 7 shows a flow chart of a method of manufacturing a rubber block according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments An explanation of the present invention will now be described with reference to Figures 1 to 7. Referring to Figure 1A, there is shown generally at 10 a “single” rubber block in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The single rubber block 10 comprises a body 11 which has a cube shape. In this embodiment, each of the dimensions of the body 11 is 102 mm, but it will be appreciated that the size of the body 11 can vary and depends on the particular application for which the rubber block 10 is designed for. The body 11 comprises a through-hole 12. The body 11 also comprises a circular outer rim 13 on the top face of the body 11. The purpose of the outer rim 13 is for engaging with the through-hole 12 of a second rubber block, which will be explained in more detail with reference to Figure 1B. In this embodiment, the rubber block 10 is made from recycled tyre rubber crumb comprising a polyurethane binder and UV stabilisers. However, it will be appreciated that the polyurethane binder and UV stabilisers are optional additives, and that alternative rubbers and rubber derivatives could be used. Figure 1B shows a side sectional view of the single rubber block 10 in Figure 1 A, which more clearly shows the through-hole. The rubber block 10 comprise a lower frustoconical cavity 14, upper frustoconical cavity 15, and a cylindrical cavity 16 connecting the two. Together, the three cavities form a continuous through-hole 12, the cross-section of which varies along the length of the through-hole 12. The through-hole 12 is suitable for receiving a supporting rod. Instead of being frustoconical, the lower cavity and upper cavity may have flat internal surfaces (e.g. as seen in Figure 5). As noted above, the rubber block 10 is suitable for interlocking with a second rubber block. For example, the bottom surface of a second rubber block engages with the top surface of a first rubber block, such that one rubber blocks stacks on top of the other. In this example, the outer rim 13 of the lower block engages with a region 14a of the lower frustoconical cavity 14 of the upper block when the two rubber blocks are “push-fit” together. Thus, the outer rim of a first (lower) rubber block and the lower frustoconical cavity of a second (upper) rubber together forms an interlocking mechanism. Figure 2 shows a “double” rubber block 20 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The rubber block 20 is so-called because it is substantially double the size of the “single” rubber block. The double rubber block 20 comprises a body 21 which has a cuboid shape. In this embodiment, the body 21 has a height (h) of 102 mm, a width (w) of 203 mm and depth (d) of 102 mm. It will be appreciated that the size of the body 21 can vary and depends on the particular application for which the rubber block 20 is designed for. The body 21 comprises two through-holes 22. The body 22 also comprises two circular outer rim 23 on the top face of the body 21, each outer rim 23 surrounding a through-hole 22. In this embodiment, the rubber block 20 is made from recycled tyre rubber crumb comprising a polyurethane binder and UV stabilisers. However, it will be appreciated that the polyurethane binder and UV stabilisers are optional additives, and that alternative rubbers and rubber derivatives could be used. While cube and cuboid rubber blocks have been illustrated, it will be appreciated that the rubber blocks can have any suitable 3D shape. By “suitable” it is meant that the rubber block can comprise a through-hole for receiving a supporting rod, and have a shape such that the rubber blocks are capable of interlocking with one another. Figure 3 shows a modular furniture item 30 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the item 30 is a chair. The chair 30 resembles the typical structure of a chair, in that it comprises legs, a seat and a backrest. The legs and backrest are formed from a plurality of interlocked rubber blocks 10, 20. Thus, the rubber blocks 10, 20 form the core structures of the furniture item 30. While the majority of the blocks are double rubber blocks 20, several single rubber blocks 10 are also used. The rubber blocks 10, 20 are stacked on top of one another to form the structure of the chair. The seat of the chair comprises a solid surface 40, which will be explained in more detail with reference to Figure 4. The chair is supported (i.e. stabilised) through the use of a plurality of nylon supporting rods 31. Each nylon rod 31 passes through a plurality of rubber blocks 10, 20. The nylon rod 31 is secured (or fixed) to the two terminal (or outer) rubber blocks of the plurality of rubber blocks which are threaded onto the nylon rod 31. While any suitable fastening may be used, it is preferred that the nylon rod 31 is secured to the terminal rubber blocks using a washer-faced nut (see Figure 5) or a coach bolt (see Figure 6), as will be discussed in more detail below. Figure 4 shows a top perspective view (Figure 4A) and bottom perspective view (Figure 4B) of the seat 40 of the chair 30 in Figure 3. The seat 40 (i.e. the solid surface) is made from 18 mm fire retardant plywood, and is precision machined through CNC machining. The seat 40 comprises a plurality of projections 41 (or cuts) on the lower face of the seat 40 that engage (e.g. by “push-fitting”) with the upper frustoconical cavities 15 of the rubber blocks to assist with holding the seat 40 in place, and having the seat 40 as an integral part of the modular furniture item 30. While the embodiment shown in Figure 3 is a chair, it will be appreciated that a variety of different types of modular furniture could be constructed using the present invention. This includes, but is not limited to, a bed, a table, a kitchen counter, and a bookshelf. These furniture items typically have an associated solid surface - such as a table top, a bed base, a kitchen countertop, or a shelf. In some embodiments, it is preferable for the solid surface to be printed, to enhance the overall realism of the modular furniture item. For example, a table top may be printed with a laid-out dinner service, a bed base may be printed with a pillow, or a kitchen countertop may be printed with a sink and food preparation items. Figure 5 shows a perspective view of a washer-faced nut fastening 51. It is preferred that washer-faced nut fastenings are used for non-visible fastenings (e.g. the underside of the furniture item). The fastening is used as is conventional for a washer-faced nut, in that the nut 51 is threaded on the nylon rod 31 and secured against an inner surface of the rubber block 20 (for example, within the lower cavity of the rubber block). Figure 6 shows a perspective view (Figure 6A) and side sectional view (Figure 6B) of a coach bolt fastening 61. It is preferred that coach bolt fastenings are used for visible fastenings (e.g. on the top of the furniture item) because it provides a more attractive finish. The nylon rod 31 comprises a coach bolt terminus 61. The coach bolt 61 comprises a domed head with a flat undersurface. This provides a face which abuts against a surface of the rubber block 20 (for example, within the upper cavity of the rubber block). This can be seen in Figure 6B. In combination with a washer-faced nut 51 at the other end of the nylon rod 31, the fastenings 51,61 introduce a force which holds the rubber blocks 20 together, and provides stability to the furniture item 30. Figure 7 shows a flow chart of a method of manufacturing a rubber block of the present invention. The method comprises the steps of: providing a mould (71); providing a raw material in the mould (72), the raw material being suitable for forming a rubber block 10, 20; and heating and / or compressing the raw material in the mould to form the rubber block (73). As the rubber block 10, 20 is made of rubber, the raw material must be suitable for forming a rubber block. While the steps of the method shown in Figure 7 are generally known in the art as compression moulding, it will be appreciated that alternative methods (and particularly alternative moulding methods) are also suitable for manufacturing a rubber block of the present invention, including, but not limited to, injection moulding. A rubber block 10, 20 for modular furniture is disclosed. The rubber block 10, 20 comprises at least one through-hole 12, 22 for receiving a supporting rod 31. Also disclosed is a modular furniture item 30 comprising a plurality of rubber blocks 10, 20 and at least one supporting rod 31. The supporting rod 31 is threaded through at least two of the rubber blocks 10, 20. By being modular, the furniture item 30 can be easily assembled, disassembled, moved and reconfigured. By being made of rubber blocks 10, 20, the furniture item 30 is rugged and rigid, yet flexible. The modular furniture item 30 may be used as an urban training structure. Throughout the specification, unless the context demands otherwise, the terms “comprise” or “include”, or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, “includes” or “including” will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers, but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers. Furthermore, unless the context clearly demands otherwise, the term “or” will be interpreted as being inclusive not exclusive. The foregoing description of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. The described embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilise the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Therefore, further modifications or improvements may be incorporated without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 13 02 25 1 CLAIMS 2 3 1. A rubber block for modular furniture, comprising at least one through-hole for 4 receiving a supporting rod. 5 6 2. The rubber block according to Claim 1, wherein the rubber block is suitable for 7 interlocking with a second rubber block. 8 9 3. The rubber block according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the rubber block is 10 made of recycled rubber. 11 12 4. The rubber block according to Claim 3, wherein the recycled rubber is recycled tyre 13 rubber crumb. 14 15 5. The rubber block according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the rubber is 16 ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber or styrene-butadiene rubber. 17 18 6. The rubber block according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the rubber 19 comprises one or more additives or stabilisers. 20 21 7. The rubber block according to Claim 6, wherein the rubber comprises one or more 22 UV stabilisers. 23 24 8. The rubber block according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the rubber block 25 comprises an outer rim for engaging with the through-hole of a second rubber block. 26 27 9. The rubber block according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the rubber block is 28 absent of any metal. 29 30 10. The rubber block according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the rubber block 31 has a height, width and / or depth of at least about 50 mm. 32 33 11. A modular furniture item comprising a plurality of rubber blocks according to any 34 one of claims 1 to 10 and at least one supporting rod, wherein the supporting rod is 35 threaded through at least two of the rubber blocks. 12. The modular furniture item according to Claim 11, wherein the modular furniture item is an urban training structure. 13. The modular furniture item according to Claim 11 or Claim 12, wherein the modular furniture item is suitable for human use. 14. The modular furniture item according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the supporting rod is secured to the two terminal rubber blocks of the plurality of rubber blocks which are threaded onto the supporting rod. 15. The modular furniture item according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the supporting rod comprises nylon. 16. The modular furniture item according to any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein the modular furniture item comprise a solid surface, optionally wherein the solid surface comprises plywood. 17. A kit of parts operable to be assembled into a modular furniture item according to any one of claims 11 to 16, the kit of parts comprising a plurality of rubber blocks according to any one of claims 1 to 10, and at least one supporting rod. 18. A method of manufacturing a rubber block according to any one of claims 1 to 10, comprising the steps of: a) providing a mould; b) providing a raw material in the mould, the raw material suitable for forming a rubber block; and c) injecting into and / or heating and / or compressing the raw material in the mould to form the rubber block. 19. A method of assembling a modular furniture item according to any one of claims 11 to 16, comprising the steps of: a) providing a plurality of rubber blocks according to any one of claims 1 to 10; b) providing at least one supporting rod; c) interlocking at least two rubber blocks; and 1 d) threading the supporting rod through the at least two rubber blocks. 3 02 25 Intellectual Property Office Application GB2410435.8 Search report under Section 17 of the Patents Act 1977 Date search completed: 07 July 2025 Claims searched: 1-19 International classification Subclass and subgroup Valid from A47B13 / 00 01 / 01 / 2006 A47B47 / 00 01 / 01 / 2006 A47C17 / 00 01 / 01 / 2006 A47C31 / 00 01 / 01 / 2006 A47C5 / 00 01 / 01 / 2006 Field of search Worldwide search of patent documents classified in the following areas of the IPC: A47B, A47C, A47D, A63H Databases used in the preparation of this search report: SEARCH-PATENT Documents considered to be relevant Patent literature Category Relevant Document of relevance

Claims

X 1-19 CN 105672553 A (LIAO) see whole document X 1-7,9-19 US 8834975 B1 (FRIEDMAN) see whole document X 1-7,9-19 US 3706473 A (MULLEN) see whole document X 1-7,9-19 CN 204969608 U (JING) see whole document X 1-7,9-19 US 6063007 A (SITHOLE) see whole documentNon-patent literatureCategory Relevant claims Document of relevanceCategoriesLetter or DescriptionsymbolX Document indicating lack of novelty or inventive step.Y Document indicating lack of inventive step, if combined with anotherdocument of the same category.& Member of the same patent family.Letter or symbol Description A Document indicating technological background. P Document published on or after the priority date but before the fling date of the present application. E Earlier application published on or after the filing date of the present application.

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