A tip-over prevention system, a kit of parts, and a method of preventing a piece of furniture from tipping over

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a tip-over prevention system, tip-over prevention system, a kit of parts, and a method of preventing a piece of furniture from tipping over. The tip-over prevention system (100) comprises: a wall anchor (20), a belt (10) configured to be connected to the wall anchor (20), and a first belt guide (30), wherein the belt (10) includes a first connection portion (11) forming a first side of a hook-and-loop connector, wherein the tip-over prevention system (100) further comprises a furniture anchor (201) including a second side of the hook-and-loop connector, and wherein the belt (10) is configured to be trained upwardly from the wall anchor (20) to the first belt guide (30) and be redirected by the first belt guide (30) towards the furniture anchor (201 such that the first connection portion (11) of the belt (10) is connectable to the furniture anchor (201), or wherein the tip-over prevention system (100) further comprises a second belt guide (31) and wherein the belt (10) includes a second connection portion (12), and wherein the belt (10) is configured to be trained upwardly from the wall anchor (20) to the first belt guide (30) and be redirected by the first belt guide (30) towards and around the second belt guide (31) such that the second connection portion (12) is connectable to the first connection portion (11).

Description

[0001] A TIP-OVER PREVENTION SYSTEM, A KIT OF PARTS, AND A METHOD OF PREVENTING A PIECE OF FURNITURE FROM TIPPING OVER

[0002] Field of the disclosure

[0003] The invention relates to a tip-over prevention system configured to prevent a piece of furniture from tipping over.

[0004] The invention also relates to a kit of parts comprising a plurality of furniture parts configured to be assembled into a piece of furniture, and a tip-over prevention system.

[0005] The invention also relates to a method of preventing a piece of furniture from tipping over.

[0006] Technical Background

[0007] Furniture tip-over accidents have become a significant safety concern, particularly for households with young children. These accidents or incidents primarily involve heavy furniture items, such as dressers, wardrobes, chests of drawers, and bookshelves, which pose a serious tipping hazard when not properly anchored. The risk of furniture tip-overs exists even during typical daily activities, such as when opening one or more drawers. Additionally, children climbing on or pulling on open drawers can cause these items to tip forward, potentially resulting in serious injuries or in extreme cases even fatalities.

[0008] Many injuries are reported annually due to furniture tip-overs, and most of these incidents involve young children. Efforts to mitigate this risk include public awareness campaigns and safety standards that encourage manufacturers to design more stable furniture and recommendations concerning the provision and use of furniture anchoring solutions. Safety organizations advise the use of wall anchors or anti-tip devices to secure furniture, thus reducing the risk of tipping accidents.Anti-tip devices, such as wall-mounted straps, brackets, and safety anchors, are designed to secure furniture to walls, making it far more difficult for furniture to tip forward and thereby significantly reducing the likelihood of tipping accidents.

[0009] Typically, some furniture such as dressers, wardrobes, chests of drawers, and bookshelves are sold with brackets that allow users to secure the piece of furniture to the wall by attaching the bracket to the piece of furniture and screwing the bracket to the wall. However, a notable drawback with these anchoring solutions is that the piece of furniture must be positioned as close to the wall as possible to accommodate common screw sizes. This requirement can be problematic due to irregularities in the floor or the presence of thick skirting boards, which may create a gap between the piece of furniture and the wall, making it challenging to use screws and brackets effectively.

[0010] Furthermore, installing these brackets requires careful attention to details, including measuring, drilling, correct positioning of the piece of furniture, and finally attaching everything by screwing, which can be challenging for many users. Moreover, in order for such brackets to be securely fastened to the walls, the screws typically either need to be positioned such that they are screwed to wall studs, or it becomes necessary to use molly plugs, plastic expansion anchors, or the like, which typically becomes even more challenging for many users. It is a well-known problem, that when the piece of furniture is subjected to a sudden tipping load, or even simply by the piece of furniture being subjected to marginal tipping loads over and over for a long time, the attachment to the wall may fail by the screw simply being pulled out from the wall.

[0011] A general drawback of all anti-tip devices is related to user neglect. Many users may overlook the importance of anti-tip devices altogether, mistakenly believing that their furniture is stable enough without additional support. Such neglect will be more likely if the anti-tip device is difficult to install. Difficulties in installing the anti-tip device will also have a negative impact on its reliability even for those cases it actually has been installed,since difficulties in installation increases the risk of improper installation which in turn often results in less effective function.

[0012] When designing a tip-over preventing system or device, the designer typically needs to take a plurality of design criteria in consideration. The tip-over preventing system should be reliable, easy to install, occupy minimal space, preferably be easy to temporarily release, and preferably not be visible during normal use.

[0013] In JP2006-314735A there is disclosed a tip-over prevention system comprising a belt which at one end is attached to a floor mounting bracket and at the other end is attached to a furniture bracket. The floor bracket is secured to the floor with screws. The furniture bracket is attached to the top of the piece of furniture with screws or adhesive. The belt is formed of two pieces that are interconnected via a belt buckle allowing the belt to be tightened when the piece of furniture is positioned at its intended position, preventing it from tipping over. One of the ends is provided with said buckle and the other end is trained through the buckle. When the belt is tightened, the buckle will be pulled flat along the top surface of the piece of furniture. This makes it difficult to release the belt since releasing the tension in the belt requires that the buckle can be angled relative to the extension of the tightened buckle. The tip-over prevention system is however visible to the user during use and effect the overall aesthetic impression of the furniture.

[0014] In JP 3112455 II there is disclosed a similar tip-over prevention system where the furniture bracket extends over a front top edge of the piece of furniture. There is also disclosed several variants where the piece of furniture is screwed directly to the wall and / or floor using angle brackets.

[0015] In JP2006-192100A there is disclosed a tip-over prevention system comprising a wire which at one end is attached to a wall bracket and at the other end is attached to a furniture bracket. The wall bracket is located at the floor and is configured to be attached by screws being screwed into the floor stud of the wall. The furniture bracket is located at the upper portion of the backside of the piece of furniture. In order to tighten the wire, the wire is divided into two halves being interconnected with a turnbuckle. However, it isdifficult to access the turnbuckle to be able to tighten or releasing the wire in case it is desirous to put the piece of furniture up against a wall.

[0016] In US 2010 / 0326940A1 there is disclosed a tip-over prevention system where one end of a belt is provided with a belt bracket screwed to a top surface of the piece of furniture and the other end is attached to a lower bracket which is attached underneath a floor skirting board of the wall. The lower bracket is designed to interact with the piece of furniture such that it becomes clamped in position underneath the piece of furniture and underneath the skirting board. This tip-over prevention system is difficult to install since it requires a specific kind of skirting board and since it relies on delicate positioning. Moreover, it is visible at the top surface and in order to release it, one would need to unscrew the screws by which the belt bracket is screwed to the piece of furniture.

[0017] US 2019 / 0150617 A1 discloses a tip-over prevention system where a wall bracket is attached to a drywall using two mounting wires that pass through a wall anchor plate and into the drywall. The mounting wires include curved sections such that when the mounting wires are pushed through the wall anchor plate, the free end of the curved sections press against the back of the drywall. There is also disclosed the use of a belt buckle located behind the piece of furniture allowing the belt to be tightened and released. However, it is difficult to access the belt buckle to tighten and / or release the belt in case it is desirous to put the piece of furniture up against a wall.

[0018] In US 10,758,046 B1 there is disclosed several different approaches to the tip-over problem. There is e.g., disclosed the provision of forward extending guides or plates which are attached to the underside of the piece of furniture to extend the effective footprint of the piece of furniture such that the risk of the piece of furniture tipping forward is reduced. There is also disclosed different kinds of furniture designs where the bottom portion of the piece of furniture is designed to extend further in the forward direction compared to the upper portions of the piece of furniture. There is also disclosed a design where there is provided a hatch in the top surface by which there is provided access to a bracket and / or to a belt. However, it istypically not desirous to provide an openable hatch in the top surface of the piece of furniture. Moreover, the provision of an openable hatch in the top surface is only useful for furniture having a height where there is easy access to the top surface. Moreover, the provision of an openable hatch in limits the usability of the top surface of furniture which typically otherwise would be useful for various purposes for furniture actually having a height with easily accessible top surface.

[0019] In JP 55-133221 A there is disclosed tip-over prevention system where a rod, a bar, or the like is at one end thereof is screwed to the floor or wall and is at the other end thereof screwed to a piece of furniture. This tip-over prevention system involves the use of a distance element which is attached to the piece of furniture to secure that the piece of furniture becomes positioned at a predetermined distance from the wall. However, it is typically not acceptable that the piece of furniture has to be positioned at a distance from the wall. Typically, it is desirous that the furniture can be positioned close to the wall, either up against and in contact with the wall, or with a small gap, such as a gap corresponding to the thickness of the skirting board on the wall along the floor.

[0020] In US 6,220,562 B1 it is suggested to use tip-over prevention system having a restraint strap extending between a wall anchor and a furniture anchor. The restraint straps may e.g., be a zip tie. Alternatively, the restraint strap may be a string with a plurality of beads thereon interacting with a keyhole-shaped opening in one of the anchors. However, it is difficult to access the restraint strap to tighten and / or release the strap in case it is desirous to put the piece of furniture up against a wall.

[0021] In CA 2,312,680 there is disclosed tip-over prevention system a locking strap with a plurality of beads interacting with a keyhole-shaped opening in the wall bracket. It is disclosed how this is advantageous when the furniture pieces have non-symmetrical shape or if the furniture piece must be placed away from the wall. However, it would be difficult to access the locking strap to tighten and / or release the strap in case it is desirous to put the piece of furniture up against a wall.In US 11,357,328 B2 there is disclosed a tip-over prevention system including a bracket that can be screwed to a wall, a belt, and a two-part connector configured to be screwed onto the piece of furniture. The two-part connector includes a base screwed to the piece of furniture and an attachment element pivotable relative to the base. The attachment element is designed as a belt buckle through which the belt is trained. The attachment element is pivotable such that the force from the belt will orient the attachment element along the same direction as the force. It is disclosed that the pivot axis may be arranged horizontally and that this may be used to allow the attachment element to pivot upwardly or downwardly. However, it would be difficult to access the belt and attachment element to tighten and / or release the belt in case it is desirous to put the piece of furniture up against a wall.

[0022] In US 11,696,643 B2 there is disclosed a tip-over prevention system including an elongated preferably rigid member pivotably attached to a respective plate at respective end of the elongated member. The plates may be provided with a hook and loop patch configured to interact with a hook and loop patch adhesively connected to the wall, and to the backside of the piece of furniture, respectively. However, it would be difficult to access the patches and the elongate member in case it is desirous to put the piece of furniture up against a wall, which makes it difficult to install the tip-over prevention system. Moreover, in case it is desirous to put the piece of furniture up against a wall, it would be difficult to access the patches and the elongate member to release it, and one would basically need to pull the piece of furniture forward and release the hook and loop by force in the same manner as if the piece of furniture would be tipping over.

[0023] Thus, there is still a need for a tip-over prevention system adequately addressing at least some of the design criteria mentioned above.

[0024] Summary of the disclosure

[0025] It is an object of the invention to provide a tip-over prevention solution addressing at least some of the design criteria that the tip-over preventionsolution should be reliable, easy to install, occupy minimal space, preferably be easy to temporarily release, and preferably not be visible during normal use.

[0026] This object has been achieved by a tip-over prevention system configured to prevent a piece of furniture from tipping over, the tip-over prevention system comprising:

[0027] a wall anchor configured to be attached to a fixed structure, such as a wall, in a building at a first height,

[0028] a belt configured to be connected to the wall anchor,

[0029] a first belt guide forming part of or being configured to be attached to a rear portion of the furniture,

[0030] wherein the first belt guide is configured to be positioned at a second height, the second height being greater than the first height,

[0031] wherein the belt includes a first connection portion,

[0032] wherein the tip-over prevention system further comprises a furniture anchor including a second connection portion, the furniture anchor being configured to be attached to the furniture, and wherein the belt is configured to be trained upwardly from the wall anchor to the first belt guide and be redirected by the first belt guide towards the furniture anchor allowing the belt to be pulled and tightened such that the first connection portion of the belt is connectable to the furniture anchor and the furniture thereby being prevented from tipping over, or

[0033] wherein the tip-over prevention system further comprises a second belt guide forming part of or being configured to be attached to the furniture at a position closer to a front of the furniture compared to the first belt guide, and wherein the belt includes a second connection portion, and wherein the belt is configured to be trained upwardly from the wall anchor to the first belt guide and be redirected by the first belt guide towards and around the second belt guide allowing the belt to be pulled and tightened such that the second connection portion is connectable to the first connection portion and the furniture thereby being prevented from tipping over.First, it may in this context be noted that a tip-over prevention system typically cannot fully eliminate the risk of tip-over incidents occurring. A tip-over prevention system is typically designed to eliminate or at least significantly reduce the risk of the piece of furniture tipping-over when subjected to certain load scenarios that are considered representative to use scenarios where tipping over should be prevented. One or several use scenarios may e.g., be translated into or be said to be represented by a downward force acting on a specific drawer fully pulled out of a chest of drawers. The tip-over prevention system may e.g., be designed to be able to prevent the piece of furniture from tipping over when subjected to a certain downward force. Different authorities in different countries and regions may have different criteria that should be met. Also, different furniture manufacturers and / or furniture buyers may have different standards they consider appropriate to fulfil. The forces a specific tip-over prevention system is capable of withstanding is based not only on the design, but also on the dimensions and the grades of the materials used, and that latter part of a design process is well-known to a person skilled in the art. However, as will be apparent from the description, the inventive solution offers advantages concerning amongst others user-friendliness and favourable load distribution; advantages that are independent upon the specific dimensions and grades.

[0034] The fixed structure is typically a wall of a building. The wall may have full height from a floor to a ceiling. The wall may have part height, such as e.g., extending to a certain height from a floor. However, the fixed structure may be other kinds of fixed structures, such as a pillar in a building. The fixed structure may alternatively be part of a fixed cabinet or the like. The fixed structure may e.g., be a fixed panel, such as a fixed cover panel located beside a fridge or the like. However, the typical use scenario is that the wall anchor is attached to a wall of a building. Thus, in a preferred embodiment, the tip-over prevention system includes a wall anchor configured to be attached to a wall of a building. In the description we will refer to this use scenario with the wall anchor attached to a wall of a building.The belt is configured to be redirected by the first belt guide which forms part of or is configured to be attached to a rear portion of the piece of furniture. Thereby, any tendency of the piece of furniture tipping over will result in a motion vector of the belt having component both upwardly and forwardly. The motion vector of any part of the piece of furniture is orthogonal to a line from the tipping point, which tipping point typically is a lower front corner edge of the piece of furniture, and the part in question. Thus, by arranging the belt to the first belt guide at a rear portion of the piece of furniture there will be an upward component in the motion vector of the belt arrangement.

[0035] By attaching the wall anchor the wall of a building at a first height, and positioning the first belt guide at a second height, the second height being greater than the first height, the belt which is connected to the wall anchor and trained by the belt guide will extend upwardly from the wall anchor to the first belt guide. By the belt extending upwardly, any tip-over movement of the piece of furniture will result in an upward pulling force from the belt onto the wall anchor. It has been found that it is typically easier for a wall anchor to withstand upward forces along the plane of the wall compared to the wall anchor withstanding forces pulling the wall anchor away from the wall.

[0036] Moreover, a tip-over movement will typically also involve the rear portion of the piece of furniture being moved upwardly, whereby a downwardly extending belt will start counteracting the tip-over movement early. The possibility of accomplishing a difference in height between the first height and the second height may be said to be provided by the belt having an extra length, i.e. the side of the belt being configured to be attached to the wall anchor being extended such that the belt has a length which is significantly longer than the length necessary to extend between the belt guides and to accomplish the connection between the first and second connection portions. This extra length will when the belt is connected to the furniture extend away from the furniture. This extra length is preferably at least 100 mm, more preferably at least 200mm. Preferably , there is also extra length allowing the belt to be attached to a wall anchor at the first height while the furniture is at adistance from the wall allowing a user to reach behind the furniture and attaching the belt to the wall anchor.

[0037] The first connection portion of the belt may form a first side of a hook-and-loop connector, and wherein the furniture anchor, or the second connection portion may form a second side of the hook-and-loop connector. By designing the belt such that it includes a first connection portion forming a first side of a hook-and-loop connector in combination with providing a second side of a hook-and-loop connector on a furniture anchor or on a second connection portion on the belt it is easy to repeatedly put the tip-over prevention system in a locked respectively a released position. By the first belt guide redirecting the belt, it is possible to provide the hook-and-loop connection such that it in locked position is subjected to a load along the plane of the connection portions in case there is any tip-over movement. A hook-and-loop connection is typically strong when it comes to withstanding inplane forces compared to a force along a normal to the planes of the connection portions. Thus, the combination of providing a hook-and-loop connection and the first belt guide redirecting the belt may be advantageous since it makes it possible to provide hook-and-loop connection which can be separated comfortably by hand while it is at the same time possible to provide a strong tip-over prevention force, typically stronger than a pulling force on the belt capable of being overcome by hand. By providing the second side on a furniture anchor it is possible to provide a compact design. The furniture anchor may e.g., be attached to an inside surface of a rear wall panel of the piece of furniture, i.e., the belt will become redirected basically 180° around the first belt guide. By providing a second belt guide and providing the second side on a second connection portion of the belt, it may be facilitated to provide the connection portions at an easily accessible position of the piece of furniture. The second belt guide may e.g., be provided at a front portion of an underside of a top panel of the piece of furniture whereby it is easy for the user to tighten the belt by simply pulling it towards oneself and it is easy to access the connection portions located between the first and second belt guides on the underside of the top panel. It is to be understood that the beltmay be threaded through a first and, and also the optional second belt guide, connected to a furniture anchor arranged on a top panel of the piece of furniture.

[0038] The first belt guide and the optional second belt guide may be located on an underside side of the top panel. Alternatively, the first belt guide and the optional second belt guide may be located on an upper side of the top panel. It may be appropriate to arrange the first belt guide, and if present, the second belt guide on an upper side of the top panel if the tip-over prevention system is to be arranged on a piece of furniture which is relatively tall, e.g., a wardrobe.

[0039] It is to be understood that a fastening means other than a hook-and-loop may be used. The first and second connection portions of the belt and the furniture anchor could include snap buttons, magnetic buttons, adhesives, or other suitable alternatives, used as alternatives to or as complement to the hook-and-loop connector, or to each other.

[0040] Additionally, or alternatively, the belt may be a tension belt such as a ratchet strap or a tie-down strap. In such a case the belt is tensioned and fastened relative to the piece of furniture by a buckle of the tension belt. The tension belt may be used in combination with another fastening mean such as the ones described above.

[0041] The buckle of the tension belt may be connected to the piece of furniture. The belt may be threaded through the buckle and be pulled and tightened. The loose end of the belt which has been threaded through the buckle may be connected to the belt or the piece of furniture by any suitable fastening mean such that the end does not e.g., get caught in any moving part of the piece of furniture.

[0042] The belt may be released by opening the buckle.

[0043] When pulling and tightening the belt, especially when tightening the belt around a belt guide, the belt guide and belt may be designed to induce a friction between the belt guide and the belt. Such friction will counter-act slippage of the belt around the belt guide when there is a tendency for the piece of furniture to tip over and thereby it will decrease the shear force actingon the connection portions such that the locking engagement between the first connection portion and the second connection portion or the furniture anchor is not subjected to the full load. However, the belt guide and belt may alternatively be designed to provide minimum friction to facilitated installation. The redirection of the belt around the first belt guide still provides a favourable load scenario allowing the connection portions to provide a sufficiently strong shear force and still be easy to release.

[0044] The belt may be configured to allow some ability to be stretched. This is advantageous as it will reduce initial tension acting on the wall anchoring while still allowing the belt to remain tight or vice versa. This is particularly beneficial in scenarios where a slight tension is generated after the tip-over system is assembled, such as when the piece of furniture settles into a rug over time or vice versa. It is also beneficial since it may reduce the risk of excessive tensioning if the piece of furniture is slightly repositioned or vice versa.

[0045] The belt may provide stretchability by the use of e.g., a flexible material, or a flexible means incorporated into a portion of the belt.

[0046] It is to be understood that the belt should only be stretchable to such an extent that small undesired tensions are mitigated. However, the belt should not be stretchable to such an extent that the safety of the tip-over system is affected.

[0047] Preferred embodiments appear in the dependent claims and in the description.

[0048] The first belt guide, and also the optional second belt guide, may comprise a first cross-member configured to be positioned at a distance from the piece of furniture, and / or from other portions of the belt guide, thereby allowing the belt to be pulled through a space formed by said distance.

[0049] As the belt guide may be inserted and pulled through the space formed between the cross-member and the piece of furniture, and / or other portions of the belt guide, the belt is facilitated to be trained around the cross-member and connected to the first connection portion or furniture anchor.The first and / or second belt guide may be mechanically or adhesively attached to the furniture.

[0050] In one embodiment, the belt guide or guides is / are basically formed as an upwardly curved bridge which is attached at its two ends to the piece of furniture such that a central span portion of the bridge extends at a distance from the piece of furniture. It may be said that the belt guide is basically formed of only a cross-member. The bridge-like belt guide may e.g., be attached to the piece furniture e.g., by being screwed to a part of the piece of furniture. It may be noted that upwardly in this context refers to how a bridge is viewed and not necessarily to how the belt guide is oriented. In fact, the belt guide is preferably arranged on an underside of a top part of the piece of furniture and the curved bridge will be curving downwardly. However, it is to be understood that the belt guide may be arranged on an upper side of a top part of the piece of furniture and the curved bridge will be curving upwardly.

[0051] In one embodiment, the belt guide or guides is / are formed as a plateshaped base member with a bridge-like cross-member extending as an upwardly curved bridge with a central span portion of the bridge extending at a distance from the plate-shaped base member. The plate-shaped base member may be attached to the piece of furniture e.g., by being screwed to a part of the piece of furniture.

[0052] In one embodiment, the belt guide or guides is / are formed as a cupshaped base member with a bridge-like cross member extending as a bridge across and at a distance from the bottom of the cup-shaped base member. The cup-shaped base member may be attached to the piece of furniture e.g., by being screwed to a part of the piece of furniture. The cup-shaped base member may be positioned in a hole or recess formed in said part of the piece of furniture. The belt may thereby be trained through the belt-guide by being redirected by a first side edge of the cup-shaped member, into the cupshaped member and be redirected beneath the bridge-like cross-member, and be redirected by a second side edge of the cup-shaped member. The cup-shaped member may be positioned relative to the part of the piece of furniture such that the side of the cup-shaped member directs the belt andsuch that the belt extends in contact with or in close proximity with the part of the piece of furniture.

[0053] The first and / or second belt guide may form part of the furniture.

[0054] In one embodiment of the first belt guide, the first belt guide may be an edge of e.g., a rear wall or an edge of a recess formed in e.g., a rear wall panel of the piece of furniture. Such a design allows the belt to extend from the wall anchor, be redirected by the edge and be connected to the furniture anchor or the second connection portion. The recess may be formed as an open recess forming part of an edge of the part of the piece of furniture. The recess may be formed as a hole through the part of the piece of furniture. If an edge of the part, such as the rear wall panel, of the piece of furniture serves as the first belt guide, the edge may comprise a protective edge part. As the belt will be in contact with the first belt guide, the protective edge part may serve the purpose of reducing friction acting on the belt and / or reducing the risk that the belt is damaged when the belt is directed and tightened around the edge. The protective edge part may be of any suitable material which can be formed into a smooth surface, and which can withstand the forces. The protective edge part may, e.g., be formed of plastic, rubber, or metal.

[0055] In one embodiment, the first and second belt guides are of the same design, i.e., they may e.g., both be of the same general design chosen either from the bridge, the plate and bridge, or the cup and bridge. In another embodiment the first and second belt guides are of different designs, i.e., they may e.g., each be of the different general designs chosen either from the bridge, the plate and bridge, or the cup and bridge. In this latter case, the first belt guide may be of the kind formed from an edge of the piece of furniture and the second belt guide may e.g., be chosen from the bridge, the plate and bridge, or the cup and bridge.

[0056] The belt may be preassembled in the first belt guide, and optionally also preassembled in the second belt guide. This is advantageous as it would require less assembly steps for the user. Additionally, preassembly wouldreduce the risk of mistakes during assembly which could adversely affect the efficiency of the tip-over prevention system.

[0057] By having the belt preassembled may work well in conjunction with a set-up where the belt comprises a blocking member or has at least one portion having an enlarged thickness and / or width such that the at least one end portion is prevented from being pulled through the first belt guide, and / or the optional the second belt guide.

[0058] By preventing the belt to be pulled out of the first and / or second belt guide reduces the risk of the efficiency of the tip-over prevention system being adversely affected.

[0059] The belt guide or belt guides may be preassembled to the piece of furniture. Such a variant typically reduces the risk of a user simply ignoring to use the tip-over prevention system. This is especially true in a variant where the belt is preassembled to the belt guide and the belt is designed such that it is prevented from being pulled through the respective belt guide. Additionally, preassembled parts will increase the user experience.

[0060] Preferably, when the belt is pulled and trained from the wall anchor to the first belt guide, the belt is arranged in an angle relative the wall of the building in the range of 0°-25°, preferably 0°-20°, more preferably 5°-15°. Such an arrangement of the belt will result in an upwardly pulling force acting on the wall anchor. As aforementioned, an angle in the specified range facilitates the wall anchor to withstand greater pulling forces compared to a wall anchor subjected to a pulling force acting perpendicular to the plane of the wall, i.e. , a force pulling the wall anchor away from the wall.

[0061] The angle may depend on at which distance the furniture is placed relative the wall, more specifically, at which distance the first belt guide is arranged relative the wall. Additionally, the angle may depend on the distance between the first height which the wall anchor is arranged and the second height which the first belt guide is arranged. As an example, if the belt is arranged in a first belt guide being arranged at a horizontal distance relative the part of the wall where the wall anchor is attached of 23 mm, and the distance between the first and second height is 220 mm, the angle of the beltrelative the wall is approximately 6°. The actual distance may e.g., be influenced by the design of the piece of furniture and the presence of a floor plinth or skirting board. That is, there might e.g., still be a distance between the wall and the piece of furniture corresponding to the thickness of the floor plinth or skirting board. Alternatively, the piece of furniture may be designed with a recess accommodating the floor plinth or skirting board.

[0062] The difference between the first height and the second heigh may be in the range of 100-300mm, preferably 110-250mm, more preferably 120-230mm.The wall anchor may include a wall abutment portion configured to abut the fixed structure, such as the wall. The wall abutment portion preferably is configured to provide a planar abutment between the wall anchor and the wall. The wall abutment portion may include a single planar abutment portion or a plurality of abutment portions distributed such that they form contact points in a geometrical plane. The wall anchor may include a hook configured to interact with the belt such that a pulling force in the belt induced by a tendency of the piece of furniture to tip over is transferred from the belt via the hook to the wall anchor and to the wall. A hook configured to interact with the belt allows for an easy installation, and also allows for an easy disassembly.

[0063] The wall abutment portion may be provided with or may be configured to receive an adhesive, preferably an adhesive patch, more preferably a preassembled adhesive patch provided with a protective sheet configured to be removed to expose an adhesive surface, allowing the wall anchor to be adhesively attached to the fixed structure, such as the wall. This allows for an easy installation independently of the kind of wall. It also allows for an installation where there is no permanent damage to the wall. The use of an adhesively attachment of the wall anchor to the wall may e.g., be useful when a piece of furniture is to be positioned inside a room with ceramic tiles on the walls, such as in a bathroom. It may also be useful when the wall is formed of a painted wall, such as a painted concrete wall, a painted glass fibre wall covering, or the like. It may also be useful when the fixed structure is a panel, such as a lacquered side panel, of a fixed cabinet in a kitchen or the like.The wall abutment portion may be provided with one or more through-going openings or recesses allowing the wall anchor to be attached to the fixed structure, such as the wall, by mechanical fasteners extending through the openings or recesses and into the wall. The mechanical fasteners may e.g., be screws, nails, needles, or the like.

[0064] The wall anchor may be attached solely adhesively, solely with mechanical fasteners, or with a combination of adhesive attachment and the use of mechanical fasteners.

[0065] The hook of the wall anchor may be provided with a snap-over functionality such that a portion of a loop of the belt or of a loop shaped member attached to the belt is configured to be forced past the snap-over functionality and the loop of the belt or of a loop shaped member attached to the belt thereby be retained in hooking engagement with the hook. This may e.g., be provided by the hook being flexible and being shaped as being bent back towards itself or towards a portion of the wall anchor such that there is provided a narrow passage through which said portion of the loop of the belt or of the loop shaped member may be forced. The narrow passage has in non-tensioned state a width being smaller than the cross-sectional dimension of the belt or the cross-sectional dimension of the member shaped into a loop. The loop shaped member may e.g., be a ring and the relevant cross-sectional dimension of the member is the material thickness of the material being shaped into a loop. A design with a snap-over functionality facilitates installation and handling since it is made possible to simply connect the belt to the wall anchor once and then the belt will remain connected to the wall anchor until it is deliberately released from the wall anchor.

[0066] The above object has also been achieved by a kit of parts comprising: a plurality of furniture parts configured to be assembled into a piece of furniture, and a tip-over prevention system according to any one of claims 1-9.

[0067] The advantages of the various features have been discussed above with reference to the tip-over prevention system and those advantages are equally applicable with reference the kit of parts. Also, the various variantsdiscussed with reference to the tip-over prevention system are equally applicable to the kit of parts.

[0068] The first belt guide may be preassembled on a first furniture part.

[0069] Additionally, or alternatively, the second belt guide may be preassembled on a first furniture part.

[0070] The first furniture part may be a top panel or a shelf of the furniture, or any other suitable part of the furniture.

[0071] The belt may be preassembled in the first belt guide, and optionally also preassembled in the second belt guide. As aforementioned, such a solution facilitates the assembly of the tip-over prevention system and may also reduce the risk of ignoring to use the system.

[0072] The first belt guide, optionally also the second belt guide, may be configured to be arranged in a respective recess of the first furniture part such that the respective belt guide is substantially flush with a first side of the first furniture part.

[0073] An advantage of having the belt guide being substantially flush with a first side of the first furniture part is that the tip-over prevention system uses as little space as possible providing a system which is less likely to be in the way of e.g., products placed in the furniture. Additionally, if the system is neatly arranged within a part of the piece of furniture, the risk of accidental tampering with the tip-over prevention system is greatly reduced as it is less likely that e.g., items get caught in the belt and interferes with the locking of the system.

[0074] The piece of furniture may be transported to a point of sale or even to a site of use in a disassembled state as a kit of parts including a plurality of furniture parts configured to be assembled into a piece of furniture, and a tip-over prevention system. In one preferred embodiment, the belt and the belt guide(s) may be pre-assembled on a first furniture part among said plurality of furniture parts. The plurality of furniture parts includes typically a top part, one or more side parts, a bottom part, and often also a rear wall part. In a preferred embodiment, the belt and belt guide(s) are pre-assembled to an underside of a top part of the piece of furniture. Alternatively, the belt and beltguide(s) are pre-assembled to an upper side of a top part of the piece of furniture. Pre-assembled is intended to refer to the belt and belt guide(s) being assembled to the top part of the piece of furniture before it is being delivered to the site of use, i.e., that the pre-assembling is performed by the company selling the furniture such that it is already assembled when the user receives the package and assembles the parts constituting the piece of furniture.

[0075] The above object has also been achieved by a method of preventing a piece of furniture from tipping over, the method comprising:

[0076] attaching a wall anchor to a wall of a building at a first height, training a belt from the wall anchor at the first height to a first belt guide positioner at a second height, the first belt guide forming part of or being attached to a rear portion of the piece of furniture, wherein the second height is greater than the first height,

[0077] moving the piece of furniture to the intended position along the wall, attaching a first connection portion of the belt to a furniture anchor of the piece of furniture or a second connection portion of the belt such that the belt is tensioned, thereby preventing the piece of furniture is from tipping over.

[0078] The first connection portion of the belt may form a first side of a hook-and-loop connector, and wherein the furniture anchor, or the second connection portion may form a second side of the hook-and-loop connector.

[0079] The advantages of the various features have been discussed above with reference to the tip-over prevention system and those advantages are equally applicable with reference the method. Also, the various variants discussed with reference to the tip-over prevention system are equally applicable to the method.

[0080] The method may further comprise:

[0081] training a belt from the first belt guide to a second belt guide arranged on the same height as the first belt guide.

[0082] When the belt is trained from the wall anchor to the first belt guide, the belt may extend from the wall anchor at an angle relative to the wall of the building in the range of 0°-25°, preferably 0°-20°, more preferably 5°-15°.The invention may also in short be said to relate to a tip-over prevention system comprising a wall anchor, a belt configured to be connected to the wall anchor, and a first belt guide, wherein the belt includes a first connection portion forming a first side of a hook-and-loop connector, wherein the tip-over prevention system further comprises a furniture anchor including a second side of the hook-and-loop connector, and wherein the belt is configured to be trained upwardly from the wall anchor to the first belt guide and be redirected by the first belt guide towards the furniture anchor such that the first connection portion of the belt is connectable to the furniture anchor, or

[0083] wherein the tip-over prevention system further comprises a second belt guide and wherein the belt includes a second connection portion, and wherein the belt is configured to be trained upwardly from the wall anchor to the first belt guide and be redirected by the first belt guide towards and around the second belt guide such that the second connection portion is connectable to the first connection portion.

[0084] Brief description of the drawings

[0085] The invention will by way of example be described in more detail with reference to the appended schematic drawings, which shows a presently preferred embodiment of the invention.

[0086] Figure 1 discloses a wall anchor attached to a wall of a building.

[0087] Figure 2a discloses a schematic perspective view of a tip-over prevention system arranged in a piece of furniture and an enlarged view of a belt guide and a belt arranged therein.

[0088] Figure 2b discloses a schematic perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a first and a second connection portion of the belt.

[0089] Figure 2c discloses a schematic perspective view of the tip-over prevention system shown in Figure 2a, where the belt is connected to the wall anchor.Figure 2d discloses a schematic perspective view of the tip-over prevention system shown in Figures 2a-2c, where the piece of furniture has been moved to its intended position and where the belt is tightened.

[0090] Figure 2e discloses a schematic perspective view of the tip-over prevention system shown in Figures 2a-2d, where a first connection portion of the belt is attached to a second connection portion of the belt such that the belt remains tensioned.

[0091] Figure 2f discloses a schematic perspective view of the tip-over prevention system having an alternative design of the belt guide.

[0092] Figures 3a-3f disclose various embodiments of the wall anchor.

[0093] Figure 4 discloses a schematic perspective view of another variant of the tip-over prevention system.

[0094] Figure 5 discloses a schematic perspective view of another variant of the tip-over prevention system.

[0095] Figure 6a-b discloses a schematic perspective view of another variant of the tip-over prevention system.

[0096] Figure 7a-c discloses variants of a loop shaped member.

[0097] Detailed description of embodiments

[0098] With reference to Fig.1 , a schematic view of a fixed structure 2 formed as a wall is shown. A wall anchor 20 is attached to the wall 2 at a first height H1. The wall anchor 20 includes a wall abutment portion 21 configured to abut the wall 2. The wall abutment portion 21 preferably is configured to provide a planar abutment between the wall anchor 20 and the wall 2. The wall abutment portion 21 may include a single planar abutment portion or a plurality of abutment portions distributed such that they form contact points in a geometrical plane. The wall anchor 20 includes a hook 22 configured to interact with a belt 10 such that a pulling force in the belt 10 induced by a tendency of the piece of furniture 1 to tip over is transferred from the belt 10 via the hook 22 to the wall anchor 20 and to the wall 2. The hook 22 which is configured to interact with the belt 10 allows for an easy installation and also allows for an easy disassembly. The belt 10 may be shaped into a loop 14configured to interact with the hook 22. Alternatively, a loop shaped member 14 may be attached to the belt 10.

[0099] The wall abutment portion 21 is provided with a plurality of through-going openings or recesses 23, described in more detail with reference to Figs. 3a-3d, allowing the wall anchor 20 to be attached to the wall 2 by mechanical fasteners 24 extending through the openings or recesses 23 and into the wall 2. The mechanical fasteners 24 as shown in Fig. 1 are nails.

[0100] The hook 22 of the wall anchor 20 may be provided with a snap-over functionality such that a portion of the loop 14 of the belt 10 or of the loop shaped member 14 attached to the belt 10 is configured to be forced past the snap-over functionality and the loop 14 of the belt 10 or of a loop shaped member 14 attached to the belt 10 thereby be retained in hooking engagement with the hook 22. This may e.g., be provided by the hook 22 being flexible and being shaped as being bent back towards itself or towards a portion of the wall anchor 20 such that there is provided a narrow passage 22a through which said portion of the loop 14 of the belt 10 or of the loop shaped member 14 may be forced. The narrow passage 22a has in nontensioned state a width being smaller than the cross-sectional dimension of the belt 10 or the cross-sectional dimension of the member shaped into a loop 14. The loop shaped member 14 may e.g., be a ring and the relevant cross-sectional dimension of the member is the material thickness of the material being shaped into a loop. A design with a snap-over functionality facilitates installation and handling since it is made possible to simply connect the belt 10 to the wall anchor 20 once and then the belt 10 will remain connected to the wall anchor 20 until it is deliberately released from the wall anchor 20.

[0101] With reference to Fig. 2a, a piece of furniture 1 being a chest of drawers is shown. The chests of drawers 1 is placed at a distance d1 from the wall 2 and the floor plinth or skirting board 3. A wall anchor 20 is attached to the wall 2 at a first height H1. A belt 10 is arranged in a first and second belt guide 30, 31. The first belt guide 30 is arranged and attached to the furniture 1 at a rear portion. The rear portion of the furniture 1 is the portion configured to be arranged adjacent to the fixed structure 2, such as a wall 2, of thebuilding. The second belt guide 31 is arranged and attached to the furniture 1 at a position closer to a front of the furniture 1 compared to the first belt guide 30. The loop shaped member 14, arranged at one end of the belt 10, is not yet connected to the wall anchor 20.

[0102] As shown in Fig. 2a, the belt 10 includes a first connection portion 11 forming a first side of a hook-and-loop connector and a second connection portion 12 forming a second side of the hook-and-loop connector.

[0103] By designing the belt 10 such that it includes a first connection portion 11 forming a first side of a hook-and-loop connector in combination with providing a second side of a hook-and-loop connector on a second connection portion 12 on the belt 10 it is easy to repeatedly put the tip-over prevention system 100 in a locked respectively a released position. By the first belt guide 30 redirecting the belt 10, it is possible to provide the hook-and-loop connection such that it in locked position is subjected to a load along the plane of the connection portions 11, 12 in case there is any tip-over movement. A hook-and-loop connection is typically strong when it comes to withstanding in-plane forces compared to a force along a normal to the planes of the connection portions 11, 12. Thus, the combination of providing a hook-and-loop connection and the first belt guide 30 redirecting the belt 10 is advantageous since it makes it possible to provide hook-and-loop connection which can be separated comfortably by hand while it is at the same time possible to provide a strong tip-over prevention force, typically stronger than a pulling force on the belt 10 capable of being overcome by hand.

[0104] As shown in Fig. 2b, snap-buttons 11, 12 are utilized as an alternative to the hook-and-loop connection. The belt 10 comprises a first connection portion 11 that forms one side of a snap button, while the second connection portion 12 comprises three snap-button counterparts. The second-side snap buttons are strategically placed along the belt at different locations, allowing for multiple connection options. This design enables the belt to be adjusted and tensioned as needed.It should be noted that the number of second-side snap buttons is not limited to three; fewer or more buttons may be used depending on the desired configuration and application requirements.

[0105] The belt guides 30, 31 as shown in Figs. 2a-2e, and 4-5, each comprises a first cross-member 32 configured to be positioned at a small distance from the furniture 1 , and / or from other portions of the belt guide 30, 31, thereby allowing the belt 10 to be pulled through a space formed by said small distance.

[0106] As is best shown in the enlargement in Fig. 2e, each belt guide 30, 31 is basically cup-shaped with the cross-member 32 extending as a bridge across the opening of the cup. The belt 10 is configured to be trained in a first direction into the cup, between the cross-member 32 and the interior of the cup, and back out of the cup on the other side of the cross-member 32. Each belt guide 30, 31 is also provided with fastening portions 33 provided with a respective through-going hole 33a. In the disclosed embodiment each belt guide is provided with two opposing fastening portions 33; each provided with one through-going hole 33a. In the preferred embodiment, the fastening portions 33 are arranged opposite each other along a second direction being transverse to the direction along which the belt 10 extends through the respective belt guide 30, 31.

[0107] The first and second belt guides 30, 31 are configured to be arranged in a respective recess 1c of the first furniture part 1a such that the respective belt guide 30 is substantially flush with a first side of the first furniture part 1a, as best seen in Figs. 2c-2e. The first furniture part 1a is as shown in Figs. 2a-2e, and 4-5, a top panel of the furniture. The first furniture part may in another embodiment of the furniture be e.g., a shelf or any other suitable part of the furniture 1. It may in this context be noted that in the preferred embodiment, the belt 10 extends slightly into the cup-shaped shape when the belt 10 is redirected by the cross-member 32. That is, at this point positioned slightly within the planar extension of the first furniture part 1a. The belt 10 is also redirected by the edge of the cup-shape of the first belt guide 30 such that thebelt 10 extends along or in close proximity to the first furniture part 1a towards the second belt guide 31.

[0108] As shown in Fig. 2a, the belt 10 comprises a blocking member 13. In this embodiment, the blocking member 13 is formed by an end portion 10a of the belt 10 having an enlarged thickness such that the end portion 10a of the belt 10 is prevented from being pulled through the first and second belt guide 30, 31. At the other end portion 10b, the loop shaped member 14 serve as a blocking member. By preventing the belt 10 to be pulled out of the first and / or second belt guide 31 reduces the risk of tampering with the efficiency of the tip-over prevention system 100. The belt 10 and the belt guide 30 may be preassembled to the furniture 1. Such a variant could decrease the possibility of ignoring to use the tip-over prevention system 100, especially in a variant where the belt 10 is preassembled to the belt guide 30 and the belt 10 is designed such that it is prevented from being pulled through the respective belt guide 30.

[0109] With reference to Fig. 2c, the belt 10 is attached to the wall anchor 20 by attaching the loop shaped member 14 to the hook 22. The furniture 1 is still placed at a distance d1 from the wall 2 and the floor plinth 3. This makes it easier for the user to connect the belt 10 to the wall anchor 20. The belt 10 is slack and allows the furniture to be moved in relation to the wall 2 constrained.

[0110] With reference to Fig. 2d, the furniture 1 has been moved to its intended position, preferably to a position where the furniture 1 abuts with the wall 2, or abuts the floor plinth or skirting board 3. The belt 10 is trained from the wall anchor 20 at the first height H1 to a first belt guide 30 positioned at a second height H2, wherein the second height H2 is greater than the first height H1. The difference between the first height H1 and the second heigh H2 may be in the range of 100-300mm, preferably 110-250mm, more preferably 120-230mm.

[0111] The belt is further trained to the second belt guide 31 allowing the belt 10 to be pulled and tightened such that the belt 10 preferably is completely tensioned without any slack along its extension.With reference to Fig. 2e, the belt 10 is trained around the crossmember 32 of the second belt guide 31 allowing the belt 10 to be pulled and tightened such that the second connection portion 12 is connectable to the first connection portion 11 such that the tip-over prevention system is positioned in an active or locked mode, and the piece of furniture 1 is thereby prevented from tipping over.

[0112] When the belt 10 is strained and when the first connection portion 11 is connected to the second connection portion 22, or connected to a furniture anchor 201, the belt 10 is arranged in an angle a relative the fixed structure 2 of the building, such as the wall, in the range of 0°-25°, preferably 0°-20°, more preferably 5°-15°. Such an arrangement of the belt 10 result in an upwardly pulling force acting on the wall anchor 20. The range of angles facilitates the wall anchor 20 to withstand greater pulling forces compared to a wall anchor 20 subjected to a pulling force acting perpendicular to the plane of the wall 2. The angle a may depend on at which distance the furniture 1 is placed relative the wall 2, more specifically, at which horizontal distance the first belt guide 30 is arranged relative the part of the wall 2 where the wall anchor 20 is attached. Additionally, the angle a may depend on the distance between the first height H1 which the wall anchor 20 is arranged and the second height H2 which the first belt guide 30 is arranged.

[0113] With reference to Fig. 2f, an alternative variant of the belt guide 31 is shown. It is to be understood that the way of securing the piece of furniture 1 as discussed in view of Figs. 2a-e are equally applicable when a belt guide 31 with the design disclosed in Fig. 2f is used. Here the belt guides 30, 31 are formed as an curved or raised bridge which is attached at its two ends 33 to the piece of furniture 1 such that a central span portion 32 of the bridge extends at a distance from the piece of furniture 1. In the disclosed embodiment each belt guide 31 is provided with two opposing fastening portions 33; each provided with one through-going hole 33a. The belt 10 is inserted between the central span portion 32 of the bridge and the piece of furniture at each belt guide 30, 31. The belt 10 is trained around the central span portion 32 of the second belt guide 31 allowing the belt 10 to be pulledand tightened such that the second connection portion 12 is connectable to the first connection portion 11 such that the tip-over prevention system is positioned in an active or locked mode, and the piece of furniture 1 is thereby prevented from tipping over.

[0114] The first and second belt guides 30, 31 may in another embodiment be configured to extend across a respective recess 1c of the first furniture part 1a.

[0115] With reference to Figs. 3a-3f, different embodiment of the wall anchor 20 are shown. Commonly, the wall anchors 20 include a wall abutment portion 21 configured to abut the fixed structure 2, such as the wall. The wall abutment portion 21 provide a planar abutment between the wall anchor 20 and the wall 2. The wall abutment portion 21, as shown in Figs. 3a-3f, have a single planar abutment portion. The wall anchors 20, as shown in Figs. 3a-3f, include a hook 22 configured to interact with the belt 10 such that a pulling force in the belt 10 induced by a tendency of the piece of furniture 1 to tip over is transferred from the belt 10 via the hook 22 to the wall anchor 20 and to the wall 2. A hook 22 configured to interact with the belt 10 allows for an easy installation and also allows for an easy disassembly.

[0116] The wall anchors 20 shown in Figs. 3a-3c, are of the same design. However, the means of how the wall anchor 20 is fastened to the fixed structure of the building 2 differs.

[0117] With reference to Fig. 3a, the wall abutment portion 21 is provided with or is configured to receive an adhesive, preferably an adhesive patch, more preferably a pre-assembled adhesive patch provided with a protective sheet configured to be removed to expose an adhesive surface, allowing the wall anchor 20 to be adhesively attached to the fixed structure 2, such as the wall. This allows for an easy installation independently of the kind of fixed structure 2. It also allows for an installation where there is no permanent damage to the wall or fixed structure 2. The use of an adhesively attachment of the wall anchor 20 to the fixed structure may e.g., be useful when a piece of furniture 1 is to be positioned inside a room with ceramic tiles on the walls, such as in a bathroom. It may also be useful when the wall is formed of a painted wall,such as a painted concrete wall, a painted glass fibre wall covering, or the like. It may also be useful when the fixed structure 2 is a panel, such as a lacquered side panel, of a fixed cabinet in a kitchen or the like.

[0118] With reference to Figs. 3b and 3c, the wall abutment portion 21 is provided with several through-going openings or recesses 23 allowing the wall anchor 20 to be attached to the fixed structure 2, such as the wall, by mechanical fasteners 24 extending through the openings or recesses 23 and into the fixed structure 2. The mechanical fasteners 24 may e.g., be screws, nails, needles, or the like.

[0119] As shown in Fig. 3b, the wall anchor 20 comprises a screw 24a arranged in a centre through-going opening or recess 23. In Fig. 3c, nails 24b are arranged in a respective through-going opening / recess 23. The through-going openings or recesses 23 are preferably arranged to extend through the abutment portion 21 at an angle such that the nails protrude into the fixed structure 2 at an angle. The resulting angle relative to the wall is preferably between 5° and 15°. The angle is preferably such that the nail extends from the abutment portion 21 at a widening angle into the fixed structure such that the pointy end of each nail is at a greater radial distance from opposing nails compared to the radial distance between opposing through-going openings. The angle is preferably also slightly angled in a circumferential direction such that the pointy end of each nail is circumferentially offset from the through-going opening from which it extends. Such set up enable the wall anchor 20 to be able to withstand greater pulling forces.

[0120] Fig. 3d shows a wall anchor 20 configured to be fastened to the wall 2 by one nail 24b.

[0121] The wall anchor 20 may be attached solely adhesively, solely with mechanical fasteners, or with a combination of adhesive attachment and the use of mechanical fasteners.

[0122] With reference to Fig. 3e-f, an alternative wall anchor 20 is shown. The wall anchors 20 as shown in Fig. 3e-f are of the same design. However, the means of how the wall anchor 20 is fastened to the fixed structure of thebuilding 2 differs. The wall anchors 20 as shown in Fig. 3e-f have several similarities to the wall anchors shown in Figs. 3a-c.

[0123] With reference to Figs. 3e and 3f, the wall abutment portion 21 is provided with several through-going openings or recesses 23 allowing the wall anchor 20 to be attached to the fixed structure 2, such as the wall, by mechanical fasteners 24 extending through the openings or recesses 23 and into the fixed structure 2. The mechanical fasteners 24 may e.g., be screws, nails, needles, or the like.

[0124] As shown in Fig. 3e, the wall anchor 20 comprises a screw 24a arranged in a centre through-going opening or recess 23. In Fig. 3e, nails 24b are arranged in a respective through-going opening / recess 23. The through-going openings or recesses 23 are preferably arranged to extend through the abutment portion 21 at an angle such that the nails 24 protrude into the fixed structure 2 at an angle, as described with reference to Fig. 3b.

[0125] In contrast to the wall anchor 20 disclosed in Figs. 3b, each nail 24 is configured to extend through a respective set of two throughgoing recesses 23, with a first throughgoing recess 23 arranged in a cut and bent sheet portion of the wall abutment portion 21 and a second throughgoing recess 23 arranged in the remaining portion of the wall abutment portion 21. The bending and the resulting radial offset of the first through-going recess relative to the second through-going recess determines the angle by which the nails 24 protrude into the fixed structure 2.

[0126] The hook 22 as shown in Figs. 3a-c is shaped as being bent back towards itself, whereas the hook 22 as shown in Figs. 3d-f is shaped as being bent towards a portion of the wall anchor. The hook 22 as shown in Figs. 3e-f is arranged closer to a centre of the wall anchor 20 compared to the hook 22 as shown in Figs. 3a-d. The wall anchor 20 of Figs. 3a-c is designed to be manufactured from a polymer-based material. The wall anchors 20 of Fig. 3d, and of Figs. 3e-f are designed to be manufactured from a metal, preferably by cutting and folding a metal sheet.

[0127] In alternative embodiments to the ones shown in Figs. 3c and 3f the number of nails 24 and corresponding throughgoing recesses 23 may vary. Inalternative embodiments (not shown) there can be a wall abutment portion having a number of between three and seven throughgoing holes to be used with a corresponding number of nails when mounting the wall abutment portion to a fixed structure, e.g. a wall.

[0128] If nails 24 are to be used, either by itself or in combination with other means, to fasten the wall abutment portion 21 to a fixed structure, e.g. a wall, it may be preferred to use nails 24 with a thickness between 1.0mm. and 2.0mm, or between 1.0mm. and 1.5mm.

[0129] With reference to Fig. 4, the first belt guide 30 is a recess formed in a rear wall panel 1b of the piece of furniture 1. The belt 10 is connected to the hook 22 of the wall anchor 20, inserted through the first belt guide 30 and further inserted into and threaded around the second belt guide 31 such that the first connection portion 11 is enabled to be connected to the second connection portion 12 of the belt 10.

[0130] With reference to Fig. 5, the belt 10 is connected to a wall anchor and threaded upwardly towards the first belt guide 20 arranged at a rear portion of the top panel 1a of the furniture 1 and thereafter redirected downwardly such that the first connecting portion 11 is connected to a furniture anchor 201 arranged at an inside surface of a rear wall panel 1b.

[0131] By providing the second side on a furniture anchor 201 it is possible to provide a compact design.

[0132] As shown in Figs. 2a-2e, 4, and 5, a wall anchor recess 1d is incorporated into the rear wall panel 1b. When the wall anchor 20 is mounted on the wall 2 at a height aligned with the wall anchor recess 1 d, the furniture 1 can be positioned close to the fixed structure 2, such as a wall, without interference from the wall anchor 20.

[0133] The wall anchor recess 1d also helps to guide the user to the right placement of the wall anchor 20.

[0134] The wall anchor recess 1d is preferably arranged at a third heigh being 100-300mm, preferably 110-250mm, more preferably 120-230mm, less than the second height H2.With reference to Fig. 6a-b, another arrangement of the tip-over prevention system is shown. In this arrangement, the first and second belt guides 30, 31 are arranged at an upper side 1a1 of a first furniture part 1a. The first furniture part is as shown in Figs. 6a-b, a top panel of the furniture 1. Here, the belt guides 30, 31 as disclosed in Fig. 2f is used, however, it is to be understood that any other variant of the belt guides disclosed therein, and especially the belt guides as shown in Figs. 2a-e, also can be used.

[0135] It is to be understood that the way the tip-over prevention system is configured to be used when the belt guides 30, 31 are arranged at an underside 1a2 of the of the first furniture part 1a as described with reference to Figs. 2a-f, is equally applicable to when the belt guides 30, 31 are arranged on the upper side 1 a1 of the first furniture part 1a.

[0136] With reference to Fig. 7a-c, variations of the shape of the loop shaped member 14 is shown. The loop shaped member 14 may for example have a rectangular shape as shown in Fig. 7a. Alternatively, the loop shaped member 14 may have a circular shape as shown in Fig. 7b. Alternatively, the loop shaped member 14 may have a semicircular shape as shown in Fig. 7c, where the belt 10 is arranged at the straight base portion, and the curved portion is configured to be engaged with the hook 22 of the wall anchor 20. It is to be understood that the loop shaped member 14 may have any other suitable shape.

[0137] Even though it is preferred that the tip-over prevention system is designed in accordance with the disclosure in the detailed disclosure of preferred embodiments and the appended drawings, it should be noted that a specific preferred embodiment of a specific component does not necessarily have to be combined with a specific embodiment of another component. Thus, advantages associated with a specific embodiment, including one or more features of a specific component, may be accomplished even though the other component(s) is / are designed in accordance with the more general disclosure under the summary of the invention rather than being defined in accordance with the specific embodiment disclosed in the detailed description. The above discussed advantages may e.g., be accomplishedwith a wall anchor according to a broad definition in combination with a belt and / or belt guide being specified in greater details, or vice versa.

[0138] It is contemplated that there are numerous modifications of the embodiments described herein, which are still within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0139] Additionally, variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by the skilled person in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measured cannot be used to advantage.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A tip-over prevention system (100) configured to prevent a piece of furniture (1) from tipping over, the tip-over prevention system (100) comprising:a wall anchor (20) configured to be attached to a fixed structure (2), such as a wall, in a building at a first height (H 1 ),a belt (10) configured to be connected to the wall anchor (20), a first belt guide (30) forming part of or being configured to be attached to a rear portion of the piece of furniture (1),wherein the first belt guide (30) is configured to be positioned at a second height (H2), the second height (H2) being greater than the first height (H1),wherein the belt (10) includes a first connection portion (11), wherein the tip-over prevention system (100) further comprises a furniture anchor (201) including a second connection portion, the furniture anchor (201) being configured to be attached to the piece of furniture (1), and wherein the belt (10) is configured to be trained upwardly from the wall anchor (20) to the first belt guide (30) and be redirected by the first belt guide (30) towards the furniture anchor (201) allowing the belt (10) to be pulled and tightened such that the first connection portion (11) of the belt (10) is connectable to the furniture anchor (201) and the piece of furniture (1) thereby being prevented from tipping over, orwherein the tip-over prevention system (100) further comprises a second belt guide (31) forming part of or being configured to be attached to the piece of furniture (1 ) at a position closer to a front of the piece of furniture (1) compared to the first belt guide (30), and wherein the belt (10) includes a second connection portion (12), and wherein the belt (10) is configured to be trained upwardly from the wall anchor (20) to the first belt guide (30) and be redirected by the first belt guide (30) towards and around the second belt guide (31) allowing the belt (10) to be pulled and tightened such that thesecond connection portion (12) is connectable to the first connection portion (11) and the piece of furniture (1) thereby being prevented from tipping over.

2. The tip-over prevention system (100) according to claim 1, wherein the first connection portion (11 ) of the belt (10) forms a first side of a hook-and-loop connector, and wherein the furniture anchor (201), or the second connection portion (12) forms a second side of the hook-and-loop connector.

3. The tip-over prevention system (100) according to any of the claims 1-2, wherein the first belt guide (30), and also the optional second belt guide (31), comprises a first cross-member (32) configured to be positioned at a distance from the piece of furniture (1), and / or from other portions of the belt guide (30, 31), thereby allowing the belt (10) to be pulled through a space formed by said distance.

4. The tip-over prevention system (100) according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the belt (10) is preassembled in the first belt guide (30), and optionally also preassembled in the second belt guide (31).

5. The tip-over prevention system (100) according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein the belt (10) comprises a blocking member (13) or has at least one portion having an enlarged thickness and / or width such that the at least one end portion is prevented from being pulled through the first belt guide (30), and / or the optional the second belt guide (31).

6. The tip-over prevention system (100) according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein when the belt (10) is pulled and trained from the wall anchor (20) to the first belt guide (30), the belt (10) is arranged in an angle relative the fixed structure (2) of the building, such as the wall, in the range of 0°-25°, preferably 0°-20°, more preferably 5°-15°.

7. The tip-over prevention system (100) according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein the wall anchor (20) includesa wall abutment portion (21) configured to abut the fixed structure (2), such as the wall, anda hook (22) configured to interact with the belt such that a pulling force in the belt induced by a tendency of the piece of furniture (1 ) to tip over is transferred from the belt via the hook (22) to the wall anchor (20) and to the fixed structure (2), such as the wall.

8. The tip-over prevention system (100) according to claim 7, wherein the wall abutment portion (21) is provided with or configured to receive an adhesive, preferably an adhesive patch, more preferably a pre-assembled adhesive patch provided with a protective sheet configured to be removed to expose an adhesive surface, allowing the wall anchor (20) to be adhesively attached to the fixed structure (2), such as the wall.

9. The tip-over prevention system (100) according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the wall abutment portion (21) is provided with one or more through-going openings or recesses (23) allowing the wall anchor (20) to be attached to the fixed structure (2), such as the wall, by mechanical fasteners (24) extending through the openings or recesses (23) and into the fixed structure (2), such as the wall.

10. The tip-over prevention system (100) according to any one of claims 7-9, wherein the hook (22) of the wall anchor (20) is provided with a snap-over functionality such that a portion of a loop (14) of the belt (10) or of a loop shaped member (14) attached to the belt (10) is configured to be forced past the snap-over functionality and the loop (14) of the belt (10) or of a loop shaped member (14) attached to the belt thereby be retained in hooking engagement with the hook (22).

11. Kit of parts comprising:a plurality of furniture parts configured to be assembled into a piece of furniture (1), anda tip-over prevention system (100) according to any one of claims 1-9.

12. The kit of parts according to claim 11, wherein the first belt guide (30) is preassembled on a first furniture part (1a).

13. The kit of parts according to any one of claims 11-12, wherein the second belt guide (31) is preassembled on a first furniture part (1a).

14. The kit of parts according to any one of claims 11-13, wherein the belt (10) is preassembled in the first belt guide (30), and optionally also preassembled in the second belt guide (31).

15. The kit of parts according to any one of claims 11-14, wherein the first belt guide (30), optionally also the second belt guide (31), is configured to be arranged in a respective recess (1c) of the first furniture part (1a) such that the respective belt guide (30) is substantially flush with a first side of the first furniture part (1a).

16. Method of preventing a piece of furniture (1) from tipping over, the method comprising:attaching a wall anchor (20) to a fixed structure (2) of a building, such as a wall, at a first height (H1),training a belt (10) from the wall anchor (20) at the first height (H1) to a first belt guide (30) positioner at a second height (H2), the first belt guide (30) forming part of or being attached to a rear portion of the piece of furniture (1 ), wherein the second height (H2) is greater than the first height (H1), moving the piece of furniture (1) to the intended position along the fixed structure (2),attaching a first connection portion (11) of the belt (10) to a furniture anchor (201) of the piece of furniture (1) ora second connection portion (12) of the belt (10) such that the belt (10) is tensioned, thereby preventing the piece of furniture (1) is from tipping over.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the first connection portion (11 ) of the belt (10) forms a first side of a hook-and-loop connector, and wherein the furniture anchor (201), or the second connection portion (12) forms a second side of the hook-and-loop connector.

18. The method according to any one of claims 16-17, the method further comprising:training a belt (10) from the first belt guide (30) to a second belt guide (31) arranged on the same height as the first belt guide (30).

19. The method according to any one of claims 15-18, wherein when the belt (10) is trained from the wall anchor (20) to the first belt guide (30), the belt (10) extends from the wall anchor (20) at an angle relative to the fixed structure of the building in the range of 0°-25°, preferably 0°-20°, more preferably 5°-15°.

Images