Connection systems for furniture parts

Abstract

To provide a strong and improved connection system which is not complicated in manufacturing compared with a conventional connection system, and improved in sideway stability in multiple directions.SOLUTION: In a connection system for a furniture component having a female-type connection recess formed at a first furniture component and a male-type connection tongue part protruding from an adjacent second furniture component, the female-type connection recess adaptively accepts the male-type connection tongue part, and the male-type connection tongue part comprises a first lock element which is screw-engaged with a second lock element corresponding to the female-type connection recess in a snap connection manner. The male-type tongue part has flexibility which is higher than that of the female-type connection recess.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a connection system for furniture parts, comprising a female interlocking recess formed in a first furniture part, the female interlocking recess adapted to receive a male interlocking tongue protruding from an adjacent second furniture part. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, the furniture industry has increasingly adopted various snap-lock connection systems to replace traditional fastening methods using nails or bolt-and-nut connecting elements. This trend has greatly facilitated the installation of furniture, such as bookcases, wardrobes, and cupboards. One example of such a connection system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,714,672 (B2). In this example, a set of panels includes a first panel having a first major plane and a second panel having a second major plane. The panels are provided with a mechanical locking device for locking a first edge of the first panel to a second edge of the second panel. The mechanical locking device includes an edge section groove on the first edge, and an edge section on the second edge is insertable into the edge section groove. A flexible tongue is pre-fitted into an insertion groove on the edge section groove and cooperates with a tongue groove on the edge section of the second panel. Prior art connection systems are complex, resulting in complex and expensive manufacturing processes. Another problem with the prior art is a lack of stability in certain load directions. In some cases, the lack of structural symmetry results in insufficient lateral stability and bending resistance. When subjected to a force in one direction, stability may be sufficient. When subjected to a force in another direction, usually the opposite direction, prior art connection systems may be weak and ultimately flex, deflect, or bend undesirably. Having to account for this uneven stability of connections when designing furniture can limit the design options available during the design process. Summary of the Invention

[0003] It is an object of the present invention to at least partially overcome one or more limitations of the prior art. Specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved connection system that is less complex to manufacture and more robust, providing improved multi-directional lateral stability compared to existing connection systems.

[0004] In a first aspect of the present invention, this object is achieved by a connection system for furniture parts, comprising a female interlocking recess formed in a first furniture part and a male interlocking tongue protruding from an adjacent second furniture part, the female interlocking recess being adapted to receive the male interlocking tongue, the male interlocking tongue comprising a first locking element configured for snap-connect mating engagement with a corresponding second locking element of the female interlocking recess, the male interlocking tongue being configured to be more flexible than the female interlocking recess. The connection system comprises an upper guide surface arranged on a first side of the female interlocking recess of the first furniture part, the upper guide surface forming an essentially inelastic guide for the male interlocking tongue upon insertion of the male interlocking tongue and limiting movement of the male interlocking tongue in a direction towards the first side of the female interlocking recess. The connection system comprises a lower guide surface arranged on a second side of the female interlocking recess of the first furniture part, opposite the first side. The lower guide surface is configured to force the male coupling tongue to resiliently deflect during further insertion while remaining engaged with the upper guide surface, deflecting it toward the first side of the female coupling recess until the first locking element of the male coupling tongue snaps into the corresponding second locking element of the female coupling recess. At its lowest end, the lower guide surface transitions into lateral locking surfaces extending essentially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the female coupling recess. The lateral locking surfaces are configured to exert horizontal pressure on the male coupling tongue toward the first side of the female coupling recess, thereby keeping the first and second locking elements of the male coupling tongue and the female coupling recess engaged with each other when the first and second furniture parts are connected.

[0005] By having a lower guide surface configured to force a resilient deflection of the male coupling tongue while it is engaged with the upper guide surface and deflects toward the first side of the female coupling recess upon further insertion until the first locking element of the male coupling tongue snaps into the corresponding second locking element of the female coupling recess, a robust connection system with multi-directional lateral stability yet which is not complex to manufacture is provided.

[0006] It is a further object of the present invention to at least partially overcome one or more limitations of the prior art. Specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved connection system for furniture components that is less complicated to manufacture, more sturdy, yet easily assembled and disassembled when desired.

[0007] In one aspect of the present invention, this object is achieved by a connection system for furniture parts, comprising a female interlocking recess formed in a first furniture part and a male interlocking tongue protruding from an adjacent second furniture part. The female interlocking recess is adapted to receive the male interlocking tongue, and the male interlocking tongue includes a first locking element configured for snap-connect mating engagement with a corresponding second locking element of the female interlocking recess. The first locking element includes a flexible locking protrusion integrally formed with the male interlocking tongue and extending laterally from the male interlocking tongue. The second locking element of the female interlocking recess includes a locking groove that receives the flexible locking protrusion for mating engagement. The female interlocking recess includes a disconnection channel having an open end that faces the flexible locking protrusion of the male interlocking tongue when engaged with the female interlocking recess. The decoupling channel is adapted to receive a decoupling rod that engages with the flexible locking protrusion to force the flexible locking protrusion to bend and disengage from the engagement groove of the female interlocking recess so as to intentionally separate the first furniture part from the second furniture part.

[0008] In a further aspect of the invention, the object is achieved by a method for unlocking a connection system for furniture parts, comprising the step of unlocking the connection system according to the first aspect by inserting a release rod into the release channel to force the flexible locking protrusions to bend and release them from engagement with the engagement grooves of the female interlocking recesses so as to intentionally separate the first furniture part from the second furniture part.

[0009] Having a flexible locking protrusion integrally formed with the male interlocking tongue, a female interlocking recess including a locking groove that receives the flexible locking protrusion, and a decoupling channel with an open end facing the flexible locking protrusion provides a connection system that is uncomplicated to manufacture, robust, yet easily disassembled when desired.

[0010] The decoupling channel may be inclined relative to the longitudinal direction of the female coupling recess. The decoupling channel may be inclined at an angle in the interval 130-160 degrees, advantageously in the interval 136-146 degrees, relative to the longitudinal direction of the female coupling recess. In another advantageous embodiment, the angle of inclination of the decoupling channel is essentially 141 degrees.

[0011] The flexible locking protrusions may be inclined relative to the longitudinal direction of the male coupling tongue. The flexible locking protrusions may be inclined relative to the longitudinal direction of the male coupling tongue at an angle in the advantageous range of 40 to 73 degrees. In another advantageous example, the angle of inclination of the flexible locking protrusions may be essentially 64 degrees.

[0012] The disconnect rod may have a generally rectangular cross section, or alternatively, the disconnect rod may have a generally I-beam shaped cross section with a central waist located between two laterally extending ends.

[0013] The release rod may be at least partially tapered to have an increasing cross-sectional area from its tip or the distance therefrom toward its base. The release rod may include a lead-in section having a constant cross-sectional area and extending from the tip to a tapered release section. The tapered release section has an increasing cross-sectional area toward the base 530 of the release rod.

[0014] The length of the tapered unlocking section may exceed the length of the lead-in section. The length of the lead-in section may be 30% to 50% of the length of the tapered unlocking section. The length of the lead-in section may be 40% of the length of the tapered unlocking section.

[0015] In one example, the tapered unlocking section includes a linear taper profile. In another example, the tapered unlocking section includes a non-linear taper profile. In such an embodiment, the tapered unlocking section can include a concave taper profile. The tapered unlocking section can include a convex taper profile.

[0016] When the flexible locking protrusion of the male coupling tongue is seated in the locking groove of the female coupling recess, the longitudinal axis of the release channel and the longitudinal axis of the flexible locking protrusion intersect at a first intersection angle. When a release rod is introduced into the release channel toward a release point between the flexible locking protrusion and the locking groove of the female coupling recess, the first intersection angle increases to a second intersection angle, causing the flexible locking protrusion to be deflected and disengaged from the locking groove by the tapered release rod. The first intersection angle may be less than 90 degrees. The second intersection angle may be essentially 90 degrees. When the release rod is inserted to the release point of the coupling protrusion 470 as the coupling protrusion moves away from the locking groove of the female coupling recess, the flexible locking protrusion may be essentially perpendicular to the release channel.

[0017] The disconnect rod may include an operating handle at its base. The disconnect rod may be constructed from a polymeric material and / or a metal.

[0018] The flexible locking protrusion may exhibit a curved spherical tip adapted to engage a corresponding curved portion of the locking groove of the female interlocking recess, the curved spherical tip of the flexible locking protrusion being shaped to engage the curved portion of said locking groove of the female interlocking recess along a partial segment of said tip defined by a limited segment angle that uniformly spans the longitudinal axis of symmetry of the flexible locking protrusion.

[0019] The lateral extension of the base of the male interlocking tongue relative to the longitudinal axis of the male interlocking tongue may exceed the lateral extension of the flexible locking protrusion relative to the longitudinal axis of the male interlocking tongue.

[0020] A slot may be located between the flexible locking protrusion of the male coupling tongue and the base, the slot adapted to leave room for the flexible locking protrusion to deflect toward said base when a release rod is received in the release groove.

[0021] The slot may extend essentially parallel to the flexible decoupling protrusion.

[0022] A method of unlocking a connection system may comprise, following an initial unlocking of a first stretch of a furniture connection, angling a second furniture part relative to the first furniture part or the first furniture part relative to the second furniture part, wherein said angling results in a progressive unlocking of the remaining stretch of the furniture connection.

[0023] Furthermore, the method may comprise the step of unlocking two furniture connections spaced apart from one another on a common furniture part from two corresponding other furniture parts by simultaneously inserting a release rod into the release channel of each furniture connection part.

[0024] Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description and drawings.

[0025] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view of a connection system according to one example of the present disclosure, applied to an exemplary base furniture 90-degree corner connection between two furniture parts. The figure shows the connection system in a fully connected and locked position, with a male interlocking tongue extending from one of the furniture parts engaging a female interlocking recess formed in the other furniture part. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a side view similar to Figure 1, but showing the male interlocking tongue of the second furniture part in a position prior to engagement with the female interlocking recess of the first furniture part. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a further side view of the connection system in the intermediate insertion position, with the male interlocking tongue resiliently deflected to the left just prior to final snapping into the final locking position shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a side view similar to FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a further side view of the connection system in an intermediate insertion position, with the male interlocking tongue abutting an edge within the female interlocking recess prior to further insertion. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a side view of a corner connection of the connection system. [Figure 7a] FIG. 7a is a side view similar to FIG. 2, but showing an example in which the removable locking element is located on the core of the male interlocking tongue. [Figure 7b] FIG. 7b is a further side view showing a male interlocking tongue with a removable locking element positioned in mating engagement with a female interlocking recess. [Figure 7c] FIG. 7c is a side view similar to FIG. 7a, but with the removable locking element removed from the male interlocking tongue. [Figure 8a] FIG. 8a shows a similar example to FIG. 7a but in perspective view. [Figure 8b] FIG. 8b is a side view similar to FIG. 7b, but shows a groove in the bottom portion of the female interlocking recess. [Figure 9]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the first and second furniture parts, with their lateral movement relative to one another during removal. [Figure 10] 10 is an enlarged side view of a connection system according to one example of the present disclosure, applied to an exemplary base furniture 90-degree corner connection between two furniture parts. The view shows the connection system in a fully connected and locked position, with a male interlocking tongue extending from one of the furniture parts engaging a female interlocking recess formed in the other furniture part. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is an enlarged side view similar to Figure 10, but now showing the male interlocking tongue of the second furniture part in a position prior to engagement with the female interlocking recess of the first furniture part. [Figure 12] 12 is a further enlarged side view of the connection system with the male interlocking tongue in the lead-in position, where the flexible locking projection is momentarily in contact with the angled guide surfaces and the male interlocking tongue is in initial contact with the two guide surfaces of the female interlocking recess. [Figure 13] 13 is a further enlarged side view of the connection system, showing the male coupling tongue further pressed into engagement with the female coupling recess. During insertion, the flexible locking protrusion is forced to momentarily resiliently deflect inward toward the male coupling tongue just before entering the locking groove of the female coupling recess. While the flexible locking protrusion is resiliently deflected, the remainder of the male coupling tongue is held in lateral alignment with the female coupling recess by four locking surfaces located in the female coupling recess. [Figure 14] 14 is a further enlarged side view of the connection system, showing the male coupling tongue pushed further into the female coupling recess until it is fully engaged, with the flexible locking projection snapping into the locking groove of the female coupling recess, preventing the male coupling tongue from separating from the female coupling recess. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a view similar to FIG. 14, but showing the disconnect rod partially inserted into the disconnect channel prior to disconnection. [Figure 16]FIG. 16 is a side view similar to FIG. 15, showing the first furniture part being intentionally separated from the second furniture part by the unlocking section of the unlocking rod entering the unlocking channel and forcing the flexible locking protrusion to bend and disengage from the locking groove of the female locking recess. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is an enlarged side view of a disconnect rod according to one example of the present disclosure, where the tapered unlocking section exhibits a linear tapered profile. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is an enlarged side view of a release rod according to an example of the present disclosure, where the tapered unlocking section exhibits a concave tapered profile. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is an enlarged side view of a release rod according to an example of the present disclosure, where the tapered unlocking section exhibits a convex tapered profile. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a first exemplary cross-sectional shape of a decoupling rod. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a second exemplary cross-sectional shape of a decoupling rod. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a third exemplary cross-sectional shape of a decoupling rod. [Figure 23] FIG. 23 is a perspective view of a drawer with a connection system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure disassembled at two upper furniture connections with two disconnect rods. [Figure 24A] FIG. 24A shows a flow chart illustrating a method for unlocking a connection system for furniture pieces. [Figure 24B] FIG. 24B shows a flow chart illustrating a method for unlocking a connection system for furniture pieces. [Figure 25] FIG. 25 is a front perspective view of the connection system of the embodiment described in Reference 2. [Figure 26] FIG. 26 is a rear perspective view of the connection system of the embodiment described in Reference 2. [Figure 27] FIG. 27 is a plan side view from the left side of the connection system of the embodiment described in Reference 2. [Figure 28] FIG. 28 is a plan side view from the right side of the connection system of the embodiment described in Reference 2. [Figure 29] FIG. 29 is a plan view from above of the connection system of the embodiment described in Reference 2. [Figure 30] FIG. 30 is a plan view from below of the connection system of the embodiment described in Reference 2. [Figure 31] FIG. 31 is a front plan view of the connection system of the embodiment described in Reference 2. [Figure 32] FIG. 32 is a rear plan view of the connection system of the embodiment described in Reference 2. [Figure 33] Figure 33 shows an embodiment in which the locking system is a releasable locking system for a corner connection of two furniture elements. [Figure 34] FIG. 34 shows an embodiment of a releasable locking system for a corner connection when a disconnect rod is inserted to release the connection. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] Embodiments of the invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all, embodiments are shown. The invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

[0028] 1 is a schematic diagram of a connection system 1 for furniture parts 10, 20. The connection system 1 comprises a female interlocking recess 30 formed in a first furniture part 10 and a male interlocking tongue 40 protruding from an adjacent second furniture part 20. The female interlocking recess 30 is adapted to receive the male interlocking tongue 40, which includes a first locking element 50 configured for snap-connect mating engagement with a corresponding second locking element 60 of the female interlocking recess 30. The male interlocking tongue 40 is configured to have greater flexibility than the female interlocking recess 30.

[0029] The material surrounding the female interlocking recess 30 is therefore more rigid than the male interlocking tongue 40. The male interlocking tongue 40 may be configured to be essentially resilient, whereas the female interlocking recess 30 is configured to be essentially rigid and inelastic. An upper guide surface 110 is arranged on a first side 115 of the female interlocking recess 30 of the first furniture part 10. The upper guide surface 110 forms an essentially rigid or inelastic guide for the male interlocking tongue 40 during insertion and limits movement of the male interlocking tongue 40 in a direction towards the first side 115 of the female interlocking recess 30. The connection system 1 comprises a lower guide surface 130 provided on a second side 116 of the female interlocking recess 30 of the first furniture part 10, the second side 116 being opposite the first side 115. As shown schematically in FIG. 3 , the lower guide surface 130 is configured to force the male coupling tongue 40 to resiliently deflect while engaging with the upper guide surface 110 during further insertion. The male coupling tongue 40 deflects toward the first side 115 of the female coupling recess 30 until the first locking element 50 of the male coupling tongue 40 snaps into contact with the corresponding second locking element 60 of the female coupling recess 30, i.e., until the connected state shown in FIG. 1 is achieved. The first locking element 60 may include an integral protrusion 60 formed integrally with the male coupling tongue 40. The protrusion 60 may extend in a direction essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 245 of the male coupling tongue 40. The second locking element 60 may include a recess 60 for receiving the protrusion 60.

[0030] At its lowermost end 160, the lower guide surface 130 transitions into a lateral locking surface 170 that extends essentially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the female interlocking recess 30. As shown schematically in FIG. 1 , the lateral locking surface 170 is configured to exert a horizontal pressure (P) on the male interlocking tongue 40 toward the first side 115 of the female interlocking recess 30. The horizontal pressure (P) keeps the first locking element 50 and the second locking element 60 of the male interlocking tongue 40 and the female interlocking recess 30 engaged with each other when the first furniture part 10 and the second furniture part 20 are connected. Thus, the first furniture part 10 and the second furniture part 20 can be connected at a 90-degree angle, for example, as shown in FIG. 1 . It should be understood that the first furniture part 10 and the second furniture part 20 can be connected at various angles other than the perpendicular angle shown in the example of FIG. 1 , i.e., at an oblique or acute angle.

[0031] By including a lower guide surface 130 configured to bias the male interlocking tongue 40 toward the first side 115 of the female interlocking recess 30 upon further insertion while engaging the upper guide surface 110 and forcing a resilient deflection until the first locking element 50 snaps into place with the corresponding second locking element 60, a robust connection system 1 is provided with improved multi-directional lateral stability while being less complex to manufacture. Having a first locking element 60 including an integral protrusion 60 integrally formed with the male interlocking tongue 40 provides greater stability and strength to the mating relationship between the first furniture part 10 and the second furniture part 20. For example, a drawback of prior art connection systems is that separate flexible polymer tongues are typically required to interlock the furniture parts, which must be pre-fitted during manufacturing. This can complicate the production line and process and make the connection system more expensive. It can also limit the throughput of production lines during mass production. Thus, the single piece, one-piece construction not only provides a stronger and more rigid connection system 1 that can absorb greater force loads in more directions, but also makes it easier to manufacture. Furniture parts 10, 20 may represent different parts of various furniture items such as drawers, wardrobes, shelves, desks, cabinets, etc. that are assembled together using connection system 1.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 2 , the lower guide surface 130 may be disposed at the apex formed at the connecting edge of the lateral locking surface 170 and the inclined surface 48 on the second side 116 of the female interlocking recess 30. At least a portion of the inclined surface 48 may form the lower guide surface 130. For example, as the male interlocking tongue 40 is inserted into the female interlocking recess 30, the lower portion of the male interlocking tongue 40 may be initially guided by the inclined surface 48 to the position shown in FIG. 5 . As a force is applied to the male interlocking tongue 40 for its continued insertion, the reaction force acting on the male interlocking tongue 40 to deflect it becomes more concentrated at the apex of the lateral locking surface 170 and the inclined surface 48, i.e., the position where the guide surface 130 is shown in FIG. 3 .

[0033] The lower guide surface 130 may be configured to force a resilient deflection of the male interlocking tongue 40, deflecting it in a curved J-shape toward the first side 115 of the female interlocking recess 30 while engaging with the upper guide surface 110 upon further insertion, until the first locking element 50 of the male interlocking tongue 40 snaps into the corresponding second locking element 60 of the female interlocking recess 30. Such deflection is shown in the schematic example of FIG. 3. In this way, easy insertion of the male interlocking tongue 40 into the mating position is provided, and a sturdy and stable mating state may be achieved.

[0034] 3, the first locking element 50 may include a continuously curved, spherically shaped protrusion 240 extending from the male interlocking tongue 40. This may facilitate manufacturing of the first locking element 50 while providing improved structural integrity with a reduced risk of undesired deformation.

[0035] 1, the second locking element 60 may include a recessed locking groove 270 that at least partially coincides with the spherical protrusion 240 for mating engagement with the spherical protrusion 240. Thus, the spherical protrusion 240 may smoothly engage with the recessed locking groove 270, maximizing the contact area between them and thereby reducing localized areas of increased pressure when the first or second furniture part 10, 20 is loaded.

[0036] 2, the upper guide surface 110 may extend essentially parallel to the longitudinal direction 31 of the female interlocking recess 30. The upper guide surface 110 may extend straight from the second locking element 60 of the female interlocking recess 30 toward the insertion opening 32 of said female interlocking recess 30. Such an arrangement of the upper guide surface 110 effectively and reliably guides the first locking element 50 into a correct mating position within the adjacent second locking element 60 along the longitudinal direction 31.

[0037] The lower guide surface 130 may be curved. Having a curved guide surface 130 facilitates guiding the male interlocking tongue 40 into final engagement within the female interlocking recess 30 because the guide surface 130 can exert a gradually varying force on the male interlocking tongue 40, causing it to deflect as described above as it is urged downward toward its final position. As described above, the lower guide surface 130 may form part of the ramp surface 48 and the lateral locking surface 170, which effectively combine to form the curved lower guide surface 130. While the example in FIG. 3 shows the designated edges of the guide surface 130, it is contemplated that the ramp surface 48 and the lateral locking surface 170 may form a smoother transition.

[0038] Thus, the lower guide surface 130 may be inclined relative to the longitudinal direction 31 of the female interlocking recess 30. That is, for example, as shown in FIG. 2 , the lower guide surface 130 may be effectively defined, at least in part, by the inclined surface 48 on the second side 116 of the female interlocking recess 30.

[0039] The male interlocking tongue 40 may be integrally formed with the first furniture part 10 and the female interlocking recess 30 may be integrally formed with the second furniture part 20. This provides a sturdy connection system 1 that can absorb higher force loads and also makes the connection system 1 easier to manufacture due to the reduced number of individual parts.

[0040] As shown schematically in Figure 2, the male interlocking tongue 40 may include a side support surface 181 that may extend perpendicularly from the base 41 of the male interlocking tongue 40 of the second furniture part 20. The side support surface 181 is positioned directly adjacent to the side support surface 171 of the first furniture part 10. This provides symmetrical lateral stability and bending resistance in the locked connection between the first furniture part 10 and the second furniture part 20.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 4 , the width (A) of the base 41 of the male interlocking tongue 40 may be greater than the width (B) of the male interlocking tongue 40 at the first locking element 50. Having a wider base 41 provides improved lateral stability to the connection system 1. As shown in FIG. 4 , the width (B) may be greater than the width (G) of the upper guide surface 110 of the female interlocking recess 30. This provides an effective and robust interlocking mechanism. The width (H) of the distal-most portion of the male interlocking tongue 40 at the lateral locking surface 170 may be less than the widths A, B, and G. This allows for easier deflection of the distal portion of the male interlocking tongue 40 while providing a robust base 41 and a reliable interlocking mechanism, as shown in FIG. 3 .

[0042] During insertion of the male interlocking tongue 40, the first locking element 50 may contact the edge 42 of the upper guide surface 110, as shown in FIG. 5, before the lower guide surface 130 forces the male interlocking tongue 40 to resiliently deflect (FIG. 3). Referring again to FIG. 5, the male interlocking tongue 40 extends from a base surface 43 of the second furniture part 20. The base surface 43 extends perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 245 of the male interlocking tongue 40. As shown in FIG. 5, a length D extends from the base surface 43 to the aforementioned edge 42. The lateral locking surface 170 is angled at an upper edge 44 from the longitudinal direction 31 of the female interlocking recess 30. Thus, as shown in FIG. 4, the upper edge 44 corresponds to the apex or tip of where the lateral locking surface 170 connects or transitions to the sloped surface 48 on the second side of the female interlocking recess 30. Length C extends from base surface 43 to the upper edge 44. In one example, length D is less than length C.

[0043] In one example, as shown in FIG. 5 , when the first locking element 50 contacts the edge 42 of the upper guide surface 110, the length C may be less than the length F of the male interlocking tongue 40 along its longitudinal direction 245. Thus, when the first locking element 50 contacts the edge 42 of the upper guide surface 110, a portion of the male interlocking tongue 40 is already guided into position relative to the lateral locking surface 170. This improves control over the position of the male interlocking tongue 40 before deflection toward the first side 115. This provides a robust interlocking mechanism between the first furniture part 10 and the second furniture part 20. As shown in FIG. 5 , having the length V less than the length K also improves control over the position of the male interlocking tongue 40 before deflection toward the first side 115. The length V extends from the base surface 43 of the male interlocking tongue 40 to the upper edge of the guide surface S of the female interlocking recess. The length K extends from the base surface 43 to the edge 46 of the male interlocking tongue 40 .

[0044] 4, the length F of the male interlocking tongue 40 along its longitudinal direction 245 may be smaller than the depth P of the female interlocking recess 30. This can avoid unnecessary tension between the tip of the male interlocking tongue 40 and the base of the female interlocking recess 30 and can accommodate variations in manufacturing tolerances.

[0045] As described above, upon insertion of the male coupling tongue 40, the first locking element 50 may contact the edge 42 of the upper guide surface 110 before the lower guide surface 130 forces the male coupling tongue 40 to resiliently deflect. The female coupling recess 30 may be recessed from the base surface 21 of the first furniture part 10. The base surface 21 extends perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 31 of the female coupling recess 30. As shown in FIG. 5 , a length E extends from the base surface 21 to the edge 42. The male coupling tongue 40 may include a base 41 having a vertical surface 45 facing the second side 116 in the mated state. The vertical surface 45 may be essentially parallel to the longitudinal direction 245 of the male coupling tongue 40. As further shown in FIG. 5 , the vertical surface 45 may transition into an inclined surface 47 at an edge 46 relative to the longitudinal direction 245. As mentioned above, the male interlocking tongue 40 may extend further from the base surface 43 of the second furniture part 20. The base surface 43 extends perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 245. A length K extends from the base surface 43 to the edge 46. The length E may be less than the length K.

[0046] The male interlocking tongue 40 may include a base 41 having a vertical surface 45 that faces the second side 116 in the mated state. The vertical surface 45 may be essentially parallel to the longitudinal direction 245 of the male interlocking tongue 40. As shown in FIG. 4 , the lateral locking surface 170, the first locking element 50, and the vertical surface 45 may be arranged to lock the male interlocking tongue 40 in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 245. As shown in FIG. 5 , the lateral locking surface 170 faces an opposing second surface 172 of the female interlocking recess 30. The male interlocking tongue 40 and the second surface 172 may be separated by a distance d3, which may accommodate tolerance variations and prevent unwanted tension forces between the male interlocking tongue 40 and the female interlocking recess 30.

[0047] The above-mentioned vertical surface 45 of the male coupling tongue 40 may transition into an inclined surface 47 with respect to the longitudinal direction 245. As shown in the example of FIG. 4, the inclined surface 47 may face the opposing second inclined surface 48 of the female coupling recess 30 in the connected state. The second inclined surface 48 may transition into a lateral locking surface 170. As further shown in FIG. 4, the inclined surface 47 and the second inclined surface 48 may be spaced apart by a distance d1 in the connected state. This avoids unnecessary tension forces between the male coupling tongue 40 and the female coupling recess 30 when a vertical force is applied in the connected state. Alternatively, the force may be concentrated on the horizontal base surfaces 21, 43 of the first and second furniture parts 10, 20. For example, as shown in the example of FIG. 5, the base surfaces 21 on both sides of the female coupling recess 30 may be positioned at the same height relative to the female coupling recess 30. This symmetry provides a sturdy connection system 1 with improved multi-directional load absorption. In the latter example, the corresponding base surfaces 43 on either side of the male interlocking tongue 40 are similarly aligned along the longitudinal direction 245. However, it should be understood that if the second furniture part 20 connects to the first furniture part 10 at an angle other than 90 degrees, such as 70 degrees, 50 degrees, 45 degrees, 30 degrees, etc., the base surfaces 43 may be correspondingly angled to accommodate such an angular configuration.

[0048] In the connected state, the upper guide surface 110 may face the opposing second surface 49 of the male coupling tongue 40. As shown in Figure 4, the guide surface 110 and the second surface 49 may be separated by a distance d2 in the connected state.

[0049] The surface of the second side 116 of the female interlocking recess 30, designated S in FIG. 5, provides a force against the male interlocking tongue 40 as it slides over the upper guide surface 110 into mating engagement.

[0050] As shown schematically in the example of FIG. 7a, the male coupling tongue 40 may include a removable locking element 240 that defines the outer contour of the male coupling tongue 40. As shown in FIG. 7b, the locking element 240 is configured to be disposed within the female coupling recess 30. Accordingly, the removable locking element 240 includes the first locking element 50 configured for snap-connect mating engagement with a corresponding second locking element 60 of the female coupling recess 30. Because the locking element 240 is removably attached, various mounting options for the first furniture part 10 and the second furniture part 20 may be facilitated. For example, the second furniture part 20 of FIG. 7c may be mounted in two different orientations by rotating the second furniture part 20 about its longitudinal direction 245 before attaching the removable locking element 240 to the male coupling tongue 40. The male coupling tongue 40 with the attached removable locking element 240 may then be connected to the female coupling recess 30. Although the female interlocking recess 30 in Figures 7a-7c shows two opposing locking elements 60, 60', it should be understood that the above-described dual mounting option can also be achieved with a female interlocking recess 30 having only one locking element 60, since the locking element 240 is removable as described above.

[0051] The male interlocking tongue 40 may include a core portion 241 positionable within the cavity 242 of the removable locking element 240 at the mating position of each mating surface 243, 244, such that the removable locking element 240 defines the outer contour of the male interlocking tongue 40. The mating surfaces 243, 244 may be aligned at least partially symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal direction 245 of the male interlocking tongue 40. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7c, the removable locking element 240 is positionable around the core portion in a first position in which the first locking element 50 extends in a first radial direction r1, and in a second position in which the first locking element 50 extends in a second radial direction r2 opposite to the first radial direction r1.

[0052] Similarly, the symmetrically aligned mating surfaces 243, 244 allow the removable locking element 240 to be maintained in one direction, for example with the first locking element 50 facing in the first radial direction r1, even if the second furniture part 20 is flipped about the longitudinal axis 245 before the core part 241 is placed in the cavity 242.

[0053] The locking element 240, when in mating engagement with the corresponding second locking element 60 of the female coupling recess 30, may be arranged to prevent separation of the first furniture part 10 and the second furniture part 20 from one another when a separation force is applied between them. This therefore prevents the male coupling tongue 40 from moving relative to the female coupling recess 30 in the longitudinal direction of the male coupling tongue 40 in the locked connection state between the first furniture part 10 and the second furniture part 20.

[0054] The locking element 240 may have a generally U-shape, as shown in the example of Figures 7a-7c. The locking element 240 may comprise a polymer material.

[0055] As shown in the perspective view of Figure 8a, the female interlocking recess 30 may extend along the length L of the first furniture part 10. When in mating engagement, the locking element 240 may be slidable relative to the male interlocking tongue 40 along the length L so as to be pushed out of the female interlocking recess 30 and removed from the first furniture part 10 and the second furniture part 20. This allows for intentional separation between the first furniture part 10 and the second furniture part 20 during removal. The female interlocking recess 30 may include a groove 246 at its bottom, which facilitates engagement of the locking element 240 with a tool to push it out of the female interlocking recess 30.

[0056] As shown in the schematic perspective view of FIG. 9 , the first locking element 50 may extend along an interrupted length L1′ of the male interlocking tongue 40 along the length L′ of the second furniture part 20. The interrupted length L1′ may be separated by a male disruptive section L2′. The second locking element 60 may extend along an interrupted length L1 of the female interlocking recess 30 along the length L of the first furniture part 10. The interrupted length L1′ may be separated by a female disruptive section L2. The first and second furniture parts 10, 20 may be slidable relative to each other in the interlocking engagement along the lengths L, L′ until they reach a disrupted state. In the disrupted state, the male disruptive section L2′ overlaps the second locking element 60, and the female disruptive section L2 overlaps the first locking element 50, thereby enabling intentional separation between the first furniture part 10 and the second furniture part 20. In this way, easy separation is provided. Thus, the male disruption section L2' can slide freely past the second locking element 60 without engaging it with a retaining force.

[0057] Similarly, the female disruption section L2 may pass freely through the first locking element 50 without engaging it. The male and female disruption sections L2', L2 may include flat surfaces without protrusions 240 or grooves 270, for example.

[0058] As shown in Figure 6, the first and second furniture parts 10, 20 may be connected at their corner connection 300 along a beveled corner surface 301. The corner surface 301 may have a 45 degree incline. The first furniture part 10 and the second furniture part 20 may include interlocking surfaces formed as a recess 304 on the second furniture part and as a protrusion 303 on the first furniture part 10. The recess 304 may be located between the male interlocking tongue 40 and the corner edge 302 of the corner connection 300. This may provide a sturdy and secure corner connection 300.

[0059] Referring to FIG. 10 , this figure shows an enlarged side view of the connection system 1 applied to an exemplary 90-degree corner connection of a piece of basic furniture between two furniture parts 410, 420. FIG. 10 shows the connection system 1 in a fully connected and locked position. The connection system 1 includes a female interlocking recess 430 formed in a first furniture part 410 and a male interlocking tongue 440 protruding from an adjacent second furniture part 420. The female interlocking recess 430 is adapted to receive the male interlocking tongue 440. The male interlocking tongue 440 includes a first interlocking element 450 configured for snap-connect mating engagement with a corresponding second interlocking element 460 of the female interlocking recess 430. The first interlocking element 450 of the male interlocking tongue 440 includes a flexible interlocking protrusion 470 integrally formed with the male interlocking tongue 440.

[0060] The locking protrusion 470 extends laterally from the male interlocking tongue 440. The second locking element 460 of the female interlocking recess 430 includes a locking groove 480.

[0061] The female interlocking recess 430 includes a decoupling channel 490 having an open end 500 that faces the flexible locking protrusion 470 of the male interlocking tongue 440 when locked into the female interlocking recess 430. The decoupling channel 490 is adapted to receive a decoupling rod. For example, as shown in FIG. 15 , the decoupling rod may be an elongated rod having cross-sectional dimensions that fit snugly within the interior of the decoupling channel 490. The decoupling rod may engage the flexible locking protrusion 470 and force it to bend and release it from engagement with the locking groove 480 of the female interlocking recess 430 so as to intentionally separate the first furniture part 410 from the second furniture part 420. By having a flexible locking protrusion 470 integrally formed with the male interlocking tongue 440, and a female interlocking recess 430 including a locking groove 480 that receives the flexible locking protrusion 470, as well as a decoupling channel 490 having an open end 500 facing the flexible locking protrusion 470, a connection system 1 is provided that is not complex to manufacture and is robust, yet can be easily disassembled if desired.

[0062] For example, a drawback of prior art connection systems is that they typically require separate flexible polymer tongues to interlock the furniture components, which must be pre-fitted during manufacturing. This can complicate the production line and manufacturing process. As a result, the connection system can be more expensive. It can also limit production line throughput during mass production. Furthermore, with such prior connection systems, disassembly of the furniture components requires the separate polymer tongues to be removed as separate pieces. The connection system 1 described herein, which includes a release channel 490 having an open end 500 facing the flexible locking protrusion 470, instead provides for easy disassembly by using a release rod to forcibly bend the flexible locking protrusion 470 and release it from engagement with its locking groove 480. In addition to providing a more robust and stronger connection system 1 capable of absorbing greater force loads in more directions, its single-piece, one-piece construction reduces the number of separate parts, allowing for easy repeated assembly and disassembly by a user, if desired. The furniture components 410, 420 may correspond to various parts of pieces of various furniture items such as drawers, wardrobes, shelves, desks, cabinets, etc. that may be assembled together using the connection system 1.

[0063] FIG. 11 is an enlarged side view similar to FIG. 10 , but showing the male coupling tongue 440 of the second furniture part 420 in a position prior to engagement with the female coupling recess 430 of the first furniture part 410. As shown in the example of FIG. 11 , the decoupling channel 490 may be inclined at an inclination angle (A) relative to the longitudinal direction 441 of the female coupling recess 430. That is, the longitudinal axis 700 of the decoupling channel 490 forms an inclination angle (A) relative to the longitudinal direction 441 as shown. This facilitates and makes engagement of the flexible locking protrusion 470 with the decoupling rod easier and more effective. In the example of the present disclosure, the inclination angle (A) may be in the range of 30 to 60 degrees. To further facilitate engagement with the flexible locking protrusion 470, the inclination angle (A) may be in the range of 36 to 46 degrees. In a particularly advantageous example, as shown in FIG. 11 , the inclination angle (A) may be essentially 41 degrees.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 11 , the flexible locking protrusion 470 may be inclined at an inclination angle (B) relative to the longitudinal direction 750 of the male coupling tongue 440. The inclination angles (A) and (B) may be optimized relative to each other to provide effective momentum transmission to the flexible locking protrusion 470 when the release rod 410 is inserted into the release channel 490. The flexible locking protrusion 470 may be inclined at an acute inclination angle (B) relative to the longitudinal direction 750 of the male coupling tongue 440. This may facilitate connection of the male coupling tongue 440 with the female coupling recess 430 and increase the holding force between the first locking element 450 and the second locking element 460 in the mated state. The inclination angle (B) may be in the range of 40 to 73 degrees to further facilitate connection of the furniture part 410 and the furniture part 420 and obtain a strong mating engagement. As shown in FIG. 11, in a particularly advantageous example, the tilt angle (B) may be essentially 64 degrees.

[0065] 12 is another enlarged side view of the connection system 1, showing the male coupling tongue 440 in the lead-in position. In the lead-in position, the flexible locking protrusion 470 is temporarily in contact with the inclined guide surface IP1, and the male coupling tongue 440 is initially in contact with the two guide surfaces IP2 and IP3 of the female coupling recess 430. The two guide surfaces IP2 and IP3 of the female coupling recess 430 guide the male coupling tongue 440 into the correct position within the female coupling recess 430, while the flexible locking protrusion 470 is placed in contact with the inclined guide surface IP1, which subsequently applies force to the flexible locking protrusion 470. Having the inclined guide surface IP1 as shown may facilitate deflection of the flexible locking protrusion 470.

[0066] 13 is another enlarged side view of the connection system, showing the male coupling tongue 440 being further pushed into and engaged with the female coupling recess 430. Here, during insertion, the flexible locking protrusion 470 is momentarily forced to resiliently deflect inward toward the male coupling tongue 440 just before entering the locking groove 480 of the female coupling recess 430. As shown in FIG. 13, while the flexible locking protrusion 470 is resiliently deflected in this manner, the remaining portion of the male coupling tongue 440 can be held in lateral alignment with the female coupling recess 430 by four locking surfaces LS1, LS2, LS3, and LS4 disposed in the female coupling recess 430. This improves stability and allows the female coupling recess 430 and the male coupling tongue 440 to be properly guided into final mating engagement.

[0067] 14 is another enlarged side view of the connection system, showing the male coupling tongue 440 being pushed further into and fully engaged with the female coupling recess 430. Here, the flexible locking protrusion 470 snap-engages with the locking groove of the female coupling recess 430, preventing the male coupling tongue 440 from separating from the female coupling recess 430. As shown in FIG. 14, the flexible locking protrusion 470 may exhibit a curved, spherical tip 720 adapted to engage with a corresponding curved portion 430 of the locking groove 480 of the female coupling recess 430. The curved, spherical tip 420 may facilitate engagement of the flexible locking protrusion 470 with the locking groove 480 and increase the holding force therebetween. The curved spherical tip 720 of the flexible locking protrusion 470 may be shaped to engage the curved portion of the locking groove 480 of the female interlocking recess 430 along a partial segment S of the tip 720 defined by a limited segment angle (SA) that evenly straddles the longitudinal axis of symmetry 441 of the flexible locking protrusion 470. The length of the partial segment (S) and its associated segment angle (SA) may be optimized to facilitate connection between the flexible locking protrusion 470 and the locking groove 480 while providing a secure interlocking engagement therebetween.

[0068] Figure 15 is a view similar to Figure 14, but with the release rod 510 partially inserted into the release groove 490 prior to disconnection. In the example shown in Figure 15, the lateral extension (Lb) of the base 450 of the male coupling tongue 440 relative to the longitudinal axis 750 of the male coupling tongue 440 exceeds the lateral extension (Lb) of the flexible locking protrusion 470 relative to the longitudinal axis 750 of the male coupling tongue 440.

[0069] For example, as shown schematically in FIG. 15 , the connection system 1 may include a slot 760 disposed between the flexible locking protrusion 470 of the male coupling tongue 440 and the base 450. The slot 760 is adapted to leave room for the flexible locking protrusion 470 to deflect toward the base 450 when the release rod 510 is inserted into the release groove 490. This may therefore facilitate deflection of the flexible locking protrusion 470. For example, the force required to engage the male coupling tongue 440 with the female coupling recess 430 may be reduced. The slot 760 may extend essentially parallel to the flexible release protrusion 470. This may further facilitate deflection of the flexible locking protrusion 470.

[0070] The disconnect rod 510 may be at least partially tapered, having an increasing cross-sectional area from its tip 720 or the distance therefrom toward its base 430. Thus, as shown in the example of FIG. 16 , as the disconnect rod 510 is gradually inserted into the disconnect channel 490, the increasing cross-sectional dimension may push the flexible disconnect protrusion 470. However, it should be understood that in other examples, a disconnect rod 510 having a constant cross-section may be used to sufficiently push the flexible disconnect protrusion 470 to release it from the locking groove 480. Having an at least partially tapered disconnect rod 510 may facilitate deflection of the flexible disconnect protrusion 470 and separation of the connection system 1 in some examples.

[0071] Figure 16 is a view similar to Figure 15 showing that to intentionally separate the first furniture part 410 from the second furniture part 420, the unlocking section 490 of the disconnect rod 510 enters the disconnect channel 490 and forces the flexible locking protrusion 480 to bend and disengage from the locking groove 480 of the female coupling recess 430. The unlocking section 490 of the disconnect rod 510 may be tapered.

[0072] 15 and 16 , when the flexible locking protrusion 470 of the male coupling tongue 440 is seated in the locking groove 480 of the female coupling recess 430, the longitudinal axis 700 of the decoupling channel 490 and the longitudinal axis 710 of the flexible locking protrusion 470 may intersect at a first intersection angle (IA). When the tapered decoupling rod 510 is introduced into the decoupling channel 490 toward the release point between the flexible locking protrusion 470 and the locking groove 480 of the female coupling recess 430, the first intersection angle (IA) may increase to a second intersection angle (IA′). In this position, the flexible locking protrusion 470 is bent by the decoupling rod 510 to disengage from the locking groove 480. In one example, the first intersection angle (IA) may be less than 490 degrees, and the second intersection angle (IA') may be essentially 90 degrees or greater than 90 degrees.

[0073] When the disconnect rod 510 is inserted to the disconnect point of the connecting protrusion 470 as the connecting protrusion 470 moves away from the locking groove 480 of the female connecting recess 430, the flexible locking protrusion 470 may be essentially perpendicular to the disconnecting channel 490. That is, the longitudinal axis 700 of the disconnecting channel 490 may be essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 710 of the flexible locking protrusion 470.

[0074] 17, 18, and 19, the release rod 510 can include a lead-in section 580 having a constant cross-sectional area and extending from the tip 720 to a tapered unlock section 590. The tapered unlock section 590 has a cross-sectional area that increases toward the base 530 of the release rod 510.

[0075] The length (Lt) of the tapered unlocking section 590 can exceed the length (Lt) of the lead-in section 580. The lead-in section 580 can facilitate guiding the unlocking rod 510 into the unlocking channel 590 before the tapered unlocking section 590 begins to push against the flexible locking protrusion 470 for unlocking. In some examples, the length (Lt) of the lead-in section can be 30% to 50% of the length (Lt) of the tapered unlocking section 590. In one advantageous example, the length (Lt) of the lead-in section 580 can be 40% of the length (Lt) of the tapered unlocking section 590.

[0076] Additionally, FIG. 17 illustrates a first example of a tapered disconnect rod 510, in which the tapered unlock section 590 exhibits a linear tapered profile. FIG. 18 illustrates a second example of a tapered disconnect rod 510, in which the tapered unlock section 590 exhibits a concave tapered profile. FIG. 19 illustrates an enlarged side view of a tapered disconnect rod 510, in which the tapered unlock section 590 exhibits a convex tapered profile. As shown in FIGS. 17, 18, and 19, the disconnect rod 510 can include an operating handle 595 at its base 530. The disconnect rod 510 can be constructed from a polymeric material. Alternatively, or additionally, the disconnect rod 510 can be constructed from other materials, such as metal.

[0077] 20 shows a cross-sectional view of a first exemplary cross-sectional shape of the disconnect rod 510. In this example, the disconnect rod 510 has a generally rectangular cross-section.

[0078] 21 shows a cross-sectional view of a second exemplary cross-sectional shape of the disconnect rod 510. In this example, the disconnect rod 510 also has a generally rectangular cross-section, but now the cross-section is more rounded at the edges.

[0079] 22 shows a cross-sectional view of a third exemplary cross-sectional shape of the disconnect rod 510. In this example, the disconnect rod 510 has a generally I-beam shaped cross-section having a central waist 560 located between two laterally extending ends 570.

[0080] Figure 23 is a perspective view of a drawer with two connection systems 1 as described above, which are shown in Figure 23 as upper furniture connections 680, 681. Figure 23 is a schematic view showing how the upper furniture connections 680, 681 are disassembled by two decoupling rods 510.

[0081] Figure 24A is a relevant flowchart of the method 400 for unlocking the connection system 1 for furniture parts 410, 420 described with reference to Figures 10 to 24B. The method 400 comprises a step 401 of inserting a release rod 510 into the release channel 490 to intentionally separate the first furniture part 410 from the second furniture part 420, thereby forcing the flexible locking protrusions 470 to bend and release them from engagement with the locking grooves 480 of the female interlocking recesses 430, thereby unlocking the connection system 1.

[0082] 24B is another flow chart of a method 400 for unlocking a connection system 1 for furniture parts 410, 420. The method 400 begins with a first stretch of furniture connection 480. 6 Following the initial unlocking of 70, a step 402 of angling the second furniture part 420 relative to the first furniture part 410 or the first furniture part 410 relative to the second furniture part 420, said angling causing the remaining stretch of the furniture connection 480 to increase. 6 The method may further comprise step 402 in which gradual unlocking of 90 is effected.

[0083] The method 400 may comprise a step 403 of unlocking two furniture connections 680, 681 located at a distance from each other on a common furniture part 600 from two other corresponding furniture parts 610, 620 by inserting a release rod into the unlocking channel 490 of each furniture connection part 680, 681. The release rod may be inserted into the unlocking groove 490 of each furniture connection part 680, 681 simultaneously.

[0084] Figure 25 is a front perspective view of the connection system of the embodiment described in Reference 2. The connection system comprises a female interlocking recess formed in a first furniture part and a male interlocking tongue protruding from an adjacent second furniture part. The female interlocking recess is adapted to receive the male interlocking tongue, and the male interlocking tongue includes a first locking element 50 configured for snap-connect mating engagement with a corresponding second locking element 60 in the female interlocking recess. The male interlocking tongue is configured to have greater flexibility than the female interlocking recess.

[0085] Therefore, the material surrounding the female interlocking recess has a higher rigidity than the male interlocking tongue. The male interlocking tongue may be configured to be essentially resilient, while the female interlocking recess is configured to be essentially rigid and inelastic. An upper guide surface 110 is arranged on a first side of the female interlocking recess of the first furniture part. The upper guide surface 110 forms an essentially rigid or inelastic guide for the male interlocking tongue during insertion and limits movement of the male interlocking tongue in a direction toward the first side of the female interlocking recess. The connection system includes a lower guide surface 130 arranged on a second side of the female interlocking recess of the first furniture part, opposite the first side. The lower guide surface 130 is configured to force a resilient deflection of the male interlocking tongue during further insertion while deflecting in engagement with the upper guide surface 110. The male interlocking tongue is deflected toward the first side 115 of the female interlocking recess until the first locking element 50 of the male interlocking tongue snaps into contact with the corresponding second locking element 60 of the female interlocking recess, i.e., until the connected state shown in FIG. 1 is assumed. The first locking element 60 may include an integral protrusion 60 formed integrally with the male interlocking tongue. The protrusion 60 may extend in a direction that is essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 245 in which the male interlocking tongue extends. The second locking element 60 may include a recess 60 for receiving the protrusion 60.

[0086] At its lowest end, the lower guide surface 130 transitions into a lateral locking surface 170 that extends essentially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the female coupling recess. The lateral locking surface 170 is configured to exert a horizontal pressure on the male coupling tongue toward the first side of the female coupling recess. This horizontal pressure maintains the first locking element 50 and the second locking element 60 of the male coupling tongue and the female coupling recess in engagement with each other when the first and second furniture parts are connected. Thus, the first and second furniture parts can be connected at a 90-degree angle, for example, as shown in FIG. 1 . It should be understood that the first and second furniture parts can be connected at various angles other than the perpendicular angle shown in the example of FIG. 1 , i.e., at an oblique or acute angle.

[0087] By including a lower guide surface 130 configured to force a resilient deflection of the male interlocking tongue while engaging with the upper guide surface 110 and deflecting it toward the first side of the female interlocking recess upon further insertion until the first locking element 50 snaps into place with the corresponding second locking element 60, a robust connection system with improved multi-directional lateral stability is provided, while still being less complex to manufacture. Having a first locking element 60 including an integral protrusion 60 integrally formed with the male interlocking tongue provides greater stability and strength to the mating relationship between the first and second furniture parts. For example, a drawback of prior art connection systems is that separate flexible polymer tongues are typically required to interlock the furniture parts, which must be pre-fitted during manufacturing. This can complicate the production line and process and make the connection system more expensive. It can also limit the throughput of production lines during mass production. Thus, the single piece of one piece construction not only provides a stronger and more rigid connection system that can absorb greater force loads in more directions, but also makes it easier to manufacture. The furniture parts may represent various parts of various furniture items such as drawers, wardrobes, shelves, desks, cabinets, etc. that are assembled together using the connection system.

[0088] Figure 26 is a rear perspective view of the connection system of the embodiment described in Reference 2. The reference numerals in Figure 26 are the same as those in Figures 25 and 1-2.

[0089] FIG. 27 is a side plan view from the left side of the connection system of the embodiment described in Reference 2, showing a first furniture part 10 and a second furniture part 20.

[0090] FIG. 28 is a side plan view from the right side of the connection system of the embodiment described in Reference 2, showing the first furniture part 10 and the second furniture part 20.

[0091] FIG. 29 is a plan view from above of the connection system of the embodiment described in reference 2, showing a first furniture part 10 and a second furniture part 20.

[0092] FIG. 30 shows a plan view from below of the connection system of the embodiment described in reference 2, showing the first furniture part 10.

[0093] Figure 31 is a plan view from the front of the connection system of the embodiment described in Reference 2. The reference numerals in Figure 26 are the same as those in Figures 25 and 1-2.

[0094] Figure 32 is a rear plan view of the connection system of the embodiment described in Reference 2. The reference numerals in Figure 26 are the same as those in Figures 25 and 1-2.

[0095] FIG. 33 is a schematic diagram of a connection system for furniture parts 10, 20, similar to the connection system disclosed with reference to FIG. 6. The connection system includes a female interlocking recess 30 formed in a first furniture part 10 and a male interlocking tongue 40 protruding from an adjacent second furniture part 20. The female interlocking recess 30 is adapted to receive the male interlocking tongue 40, which includes a first locking element 50 configured for snap-connect mating engagement with a corresponding second locking element 60 of the female interlocking recess 30. The male interlocking tongue 40 is configured to have greater flexibility than the female interlocking recess 30. In FIG. 33, similar to FIG. 6, the first furniture part 10 and the second furniture part 20 are connected at their corner connection 300 along a beveled corner surface 301. The corner surface 301 may have a slope of approximately 45 degrees. The embodiment shown in Figure 33 differs from the embodiment shown in Figure 6 in that the first locking element 50 and the second locking element 60 have substantially horizontal locking surfaces configured to engage one another to create a snap-connect lock. The embodiment of Figure 33 also differs in that the releasable connection is formed using a release rod that can be disposed in a release channel 490 located adjacent to the male interlocking tongue 40.

[0096] Figure 34 is a view similar to Figure 33 showing the same embodiment of the locking system, but with a release rod 510 inserted into the release channel 490 prior to disconnection. The release rod 510 pushes the male coupling tongue 40 to the right in the figure, thereby disengaging the first locking element 50 from the second locking element 60. This releases the lock and allows the first furniture part 10 and the second furniture part 20 to be separated from each other. The release rod 510 can, for example, be one of the release rods described with reference to Figures 17 to 19. The insertion and pressure exerted by the release rod 510 forces the male coupling tongue 40 to bend in a J-shape, causing the top of the male coupling tongue 40 to move to the right in the figure.

[0097] The connection system according to the invention is equally applicable to a wide variety of materials, for example solid wood, laminated timber, different types of fiberboard such as MDF or HDF, plastics such as PVC or composite polymers, other polymers or metals such as aluminium, etc. The connection system can also be used to connect beams with hollow profiles, such as plastic, steel or aluminium.

[0098] It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the drawings, but those skilled in the art will recognize that many variations and modifications are possible within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. a female coupling recess (30) formed in the first furniture part (10); a male interlocking tongue (40) protruding from the adjacent second furniture part (20); A connection system (1) for furniture parts, comprising: the female interlocking recess (30) is adapted to receive the male interlocking tongue (40), the male interlocking tongue (40) including a first locking element (50) configured for snap-connect mating engagement with a corresponding second locking element (60) of the female interlocking recess (30); The first locking element (50) includes a flexible locking protrusion (470) extending laterally from the male interlocking tongue (40) and integrally formed with the male interlocking tongue (40); the second locking element of the female interlocking recess (30) includes a locking groove (480) that receives the flexible locking protrusion (470) for the mating engagement; said female interlocking recess (30) extends along the length of said first furniture part (10); said male interlocking tongue (40) extending along the length of said second furniture part (20); the connection system (1) forms a furniture connection extending along the length of the first furniture part (10) and along the length of the second furniture part (20); the connection system (1) is configured such that following an initial unlocking of a first longitudinal extent (670) comprising one longitudinal end of the furniture connection formed by the connection system (1), the second furniture part (20) is angled relative to the first furniture part (10) or the first furniture part (10) is angled relative to the second furniture part (20) around the other longitudinal end of the furniture connection, said angle resulting in a gradual unlocking of the remaining longitudinal extent (690) of the furniture connection. Connection system.

2. the female interlocking recess (30) includes a disconnection channel (490) having an open end facing the flexible locking protrusion (470) of the male interlocking tongue (40) when locked into the female interlocking recess; The connection system of claim 1 .

3. the disconnection channel (490) is adapted to receive a disconnection rod (510) which engages with the flexible locking protrusions (470) and forces the flexible locking protrusions (470) to bend and release them from engagement with the locking grooves (480) of the female interlocking recesses (30) so as to intentionally separate the first furniture part (10) from the second furniture part (20); The connection system of claim 2 .

4. The decoupling channel (490) has an elongated extension extending in a direction parallel to the elongated extension of the female coupling recess (30), and the decoupling rod (510) is insertable into the decoupling channel (490) in a direction parallel to the elongated extension of the female coupling recess (30). The connection system of claim 3 .

5. The disconnection channel (490) has an elongated extension extending in a direction parallel to the elongated side edge of the first furniture part (10) on which the female connection recess is formed, and the disconnection rod (510) is insertable into the disconnection channel (490) in a direction parallel to the elongated side edge of the first furniture part (10). The connection system of claim 3 .

6. said decoupling rod being at least partially tapered to have an increasing cross-sectional area from its tip (720) or the distance therefrom towards its base (430); The connection system of claim 3 .

7. When the flexible locking protrusion (470) of the male coupling tongue (40) is seated in the locking groove (480) of the female coupling recess (30), the longitudinal axis (700) of the release channel (490) and the longitudinal axis (710) of the flexible locking protrusion (470) intersect at a first intersection angle (IA), and when the release rod (510) is introduced into the release channel toward a release point between the flexible locking protrusion (470) and the locking groove (480) of the female coupling recess (30), the intersection angle (IA) increases to a second intersection angle (IA'), whereby the flexible locking protrusion (470) is bent by the release rod (510) and released from engagement with the locking groove (480). The connection system of claim 3 .

8. A slot is located between the first locking element (470) and the base (450) of the male coupling tongue (40). The connection system of claim 2 .

9. The slot is adapted to leave room for the first locking element (470) to deflect towards the base (450). The connection system of claim 8.

10. a female coupling recess (30) formed in the first furniture part (10); a male interlocking tongue (40) protruding from a base surface (43) of an adjacent second furniture part (20); A connection system (1) for furniture parts (10, 20), comprising: The first furniture part (10) comprises base surfaces (21) on two sides of the female interlocking recess (30); the base surface (43) extends on two sides of the male interlocking tongue, the female interlocking recess (30) is adapted to receive the male interlocking tongue (40), the male interlocking tongue (40) includes a first locking element (50) configured for snap-connect mating engagement with a corresponding second locking element (60) of the female interlocking recess (30); When the connection system (1) is in a connected state, the base surfaces (43) extending on two sides of the male coupling tongue (40) are configured to contact the base surfaces on two sides of the female coupling recess, said male connecting tongue (40) projects as one, i.e. a single tongue, from said base surface (43) of said second furniture part (20); When the male connecting tongue (40) is received in the female connecting recess (30), the female connecting recess (30) supports the male connecting tongue (40) on its two opposite sides, and the adjacent portions of the base surface of the furniture part and the adjacent portions of the female connecting recess (30) and the male connecting tongue (40) provide free-standing support for the second furniture part from which the male connecting tongue (40) extends. Connection system.

11. The female interlocking recess (30) includes a lateral locking surface (170) extending essentially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the female interlocking recess (30); The lateral locking surface (170) is formed on the side of the female coupling recess (30) opposite to the side on which the second locking element (60) is located, and engages with the male coupling tongue (40) to apply horizontal pressure to the male coupling tongue (40); the lateral locking surface (170) is located at a distance (C) from the base surface (21) of the first furniture part (10), the distance (C) being greater than the distance (D) at which the second locking element (60) of the female interlocking recess (30) is located from the base surface (21) of the first furniture part (10); The connection system of claim 10.

12. The male interlocking tongue (40) comprises male lateral locking surfaces extending essentially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the male interlocking tongue (40), The male side locking surface is formed on the side of the male connecting tongue (40) opposite to the side where the first locking element (50) is located, and engages with the female connecting recess (30) to apply horizontal pressure to the male connecting tongue (40); the male lateral locking surface is located at a distance (C) from the base surface (43) of the second furniture part (20), the distance (C) being greater than the distance (D) at which the first locking element (50) of the male connecting tongue (40) is located from the base surface (43) of the second furniture part (20); The connection system of claim 10.

13. a female coupling recess (30) formed in the first furniture part (10); a male interlocking tongue (40) protruding from a base surface (43) of an adjacent second furniture part (20); A connection system (1) for furniture parts (10, 20), comprising: The first furniture part (10) comprises base surfaces (21) on two sides of the female interlocking recess (30); a connecting system in which the base surface (43) extends on two sides of the male coupling tongue, the female coupling recess (30) is adapted to receive the male coupling tongue (40), and the male coupling tongue (40) includes a first locking element (50) configured for snap-connect mating engagement with a corresponding second locking element (60) of the female coupling recess (30), the first locking elements (50) are configured to bend outward from the male interlocking tongues (40) when in mating engagement with the corresponding second locking elements (60) and the furniture parts (10, 20) are pulled from each other, such that the holding force between the first locking elements (50) and the second locking elements (60) in mating engagement increases; Connection system.

14. the first locking element (50) forms a flexible locking protrusion (470), the flexible locking protrusion (470) being inclined at an inclination angle (B) with respect to the longitudinal direction (750) of the male coupling tongue (40) to facilitate an increased holding force between the first locking element (50) and the second locking element (60) in the mating engagement; 14. The connection system of claim 13.

15. The male interlocking tongue (40) includes male lateral locking surfaces extending essentially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the male interlocking tongue (40), The male side locking surface is formed on the side of the male connecting tongue (40) opposite to the side on which the first locking element (50) is located, and engages with the female connecting recess (30) to apply horizontal pressure to the male connecting tongue (40).

15. The connection system of claim 14.

16. The second locking element of the female coupling recess (30) includes a locking groove (480) that receives the flexible locking protrusion (470) for the interlocking engagement; the first locking element (50) of the male interlocking tongue (40) is formed to engage the curved portion (430) of the female interlocking recess (30) along a partial segment (S) defined by a limited segment angle (SA) that evenly spans a longitudinal axis of symmetry (440) of the first locking element (50), the axis of symmetry (440) coinciding with the inclination angle (B); the length of the partial segment (S) and its associated segment angle (SA) are optimized to facilitate connection between the flexible locking protrusion (470) and the locking groove (480); 15. The connection system of claim 14.

17. The inclination angle (B) is in the range of 40 to 73 degrees, facilitating a strong interlocking engagement.

15. The connection system of claim 14.

18. a female coupling recess (30) formed in the first furniture part (10); a male interlocking tongue (40) protruding from a base surface (43) of an adjacent second furniture part (20); an upper guide surface (110) arranged on a first side (115) of the male interlocking tongue (40) of the first furniture part; A connection system (1) for furniture parts (10, 20), comprising: The first furniture part (10) comprises base surfaces (21) on two sides of the female interlocking recess; the base surface (43) extends on two sides of the male coupling tongue (40), the female coupling recess (30) is adapted to receive the male coupling tongue (40), the male coupling tongue (40) includes a first locking element (50) configured to engage in a snap-connection mating manner with a corresponding second locking element (60) of the female coupling recess (30), the male coupling tongue (40) is shaped to have a higher flexibility than the female coupling recess (30) and to deflect in a first direction to effect the snap-connection mating engagement; the upper guide surface (110) forms a guide for the male interlocking tongue (40) when the male interlocking tongue (40) is inserted and limits the movement of the male interlocking tongue (40) in a direction toward the first side (115) of the female interlocking recess (30); a connecting system configured such that, upon further insertion, the male coupling tongue (40) elastically deflects in the first direction while deflecting toward the first side (115) of the female coupling recess (30) while engaging with the upper guide surface (110) until the first locking element (50) of the male coupling tongue (40) snaps into the corresponding second locking element (60) of the female coupling recess (30), When the connection system is in a connected state, the base surfaces (43) extending on two sides of the male coupling tongue are configured to contact the base surfaces (21) on two sides of the female coupling recess, said female interlocking recess (30) extends along the length of said first furniture part (10); said male interlocking tongue (40) extending along the length of said second furniture part (20); the connection system (1) forms a furniture connection extending along the length of the first furniture part (10) and along the length of the second furniture part (20); the connection system (1) is configured such that following an initial unlocking of a first longitudinal stretch (670) comprising one longitudinal end of the furniture connection formed by the connection system (1), the second furniture part (20) is angled relative to the first furniture part (10) or the first furniture part (10) is angled relative to the second furniture part (20) around the other longitudinal end of the furniture connection, said angle resulting in a gradual unlocking of the remaining longitudinal extent (690) of the furniture connection. Connection system.

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