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, a kit of parts, and a method of preventing a piece of furniture from tipping over. The tip-over prevention system comprises: a wall anchor (20) configured to be attached to a fixed structure (2), a cord reel-up arrangement (30) configured to be attached to the piece of furniture (1), wherein the cord reel-up arrangement (30) comprises: a cord (31) configured to be connected to the wall anchor (20), a housing (32) configured to be attached to the piece of furniture (1), a cord reel (33) upon which the cord (31) is wound, the cord reel (33) being rotatable relative to the housing (32), a reel-up return mechanism (34) which is loaded with potential energy when the cord reel (33) is rotated in a first rotational direction (RD1) and which is configured to provide a torque on the cord reel (33) in a second rotational direction (RD2), and a reel rotation lock mechanism (35, 36) configured to be manoeuvred between a locked mode (LM) in which the reel rotation lock mechanism (35, 36) prevents the cord reel (33) from rotating in the first rotational direction (RD1), and a released mode (RM) in which it allows the cord reel (33) to freely rotate in the first rotational direction (RD1).

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,

[0028] a cord reel-up arrangement configured to be attached to the piece of furniture,

[0029] wherein the cord reel-up arrangement comprises

[0030] a cord configured to be connected to the wall anchor, a housing configured to be attached to the piece of furniture, a cord reel upon which the cord is wound, the cord reel being rotatable relative to the housing,

[0031] a reel-up return mechanism which is loaded with potential energy when the cord reel is rotated in a first rotational direction by a free end of the cord being pulled away from the housing, the reel-up return mechanism being configured to provide a torque on the cord reel in a second rotational direction, opposite the first rotational direction, and to rotate the cord reel in the second rotational direction until the cord is collected, whereby the cord reel-up arrangement is configured to collect and tighten the cord when the cord is connected to the wall anchor, and

[0032] a reel rotation lock mechanism configured to be manoeuvred between a locked mode in which the reel rotation lock mechanism allows the cord reel to freely rotate in the second rotational direction and prevents the cord reel from rotating in the first rotational direction, and a released mode in which the reel rotation lock mechanism allows the cord reel to freely rotate in the first rotational direction.

[0033] 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.

[0035] By providing a reel-up return mechanism, which is loaded with potential energy when the cord reel is rotated in a first rotational direction by a free end of the cord being pulled away from the housing, and which is configured toprovide a torque on the cord reel in a second rotational direction, opposite the first rotational direction, and to rotate the cord reel in the second rotational direction until the cord is collected, the cord reel-up arrangement may collect and tighten the cord when the cord is connected to the wall anchor. Thereby it becomes possible to easily attach the cord to the wall anchor while the piece of furniture is moved a distance from the wall such that there is easy access to the wall anchor. When the piece of furniture is moved towards the wall to the intended position, the reel-up return mechanism will reel-up the cord and will continue to collect the cord and keep the cord tightened. Collected is intended to refer to the fact that the cord is reeled-up by the cord reel-up arrangement such that there is essentially no slack of the cord. The cord is collected and tightened such that it extends basically along a straight line from the wall anchor to the cord reel-up arrangement.

[0036] By providing a reel rotation lock mechanism configured to be manoeuvred between a locked mode in which the reel rotation lock mechanism allows the cord reel to freely rotate in the second rotational direction and prevents the cord reel from rotating in the first rotational direction, and a released mode in which the reel rotation lock mechanism allows the cord reel to freely rotate in the first rotational direction, it becomes possible to provide a strong tip-over prevention function while still making it possible to easily release the tip-over prevention function such that the piece of furniture may be moved away from the wall to gain access behind the piece of furniture e.g., for cleaning purposes or for the purpose of completely releasing the tip-over prevention system for removal of the piece of furniture. Any tendency of the piece of furniture to tipping over will start to try to pull the cord from the cord reel-up arrangement, and if the reel rotation lock mechanism is in the locked mode, this force pulling on the cord which in turn will try to rotate the cord reel in the first rotational direction will be prevented by the reel rotation lock mechanism. Thereby the free end of the cord will not be pulled away from the housing and in turn the piece of furniture will be prevented from tipping over by the cord transferring the retaining force from the wall. When the reel rotation lock mechanism is set in the released mode,the cord reel can freely rotate in the first rotational direction and such that the piece of furniture may be moved away from the wall anchor with the reel-up return mechanism preferably keeps the cord tightened. By separating the tightening force provided by the reel-up return mechanism and the tip-over prevention force provided by the reel rotation lock mechanism it is possible to have required pulling force which is perceived as comfortable to overcome by hand while it is at the same time possible to provide a strong tip-over prevention force; typically significantly stronger than a pulling force capable of being overcome by hand. Moreover, by the reel-up return mechanism keeping the cord tightened, any tip-over movement will be counteracted early. It may in this context be noted that system is configured to preferably be installed such that in use the cord extends horizontally or downwardly from the cord reel-up arrangement to the wall anchor, more preferably downwardly from the cord reel-up arrangement to the wall anchor.

[0037] Preferred embodiments appear in the dependent claims and in the description.

[0038] The reel rotation lock mechanism may be configured to return to the locked mode unless a user actively holds the reel rotation lock mechanism in the released mode. Thereby it is secured that the reel rotation lock mechanism is in the locked mode when the piece of furniture is positioned in the intended position. Thereby, the cord reel may be rotated in a first rotational direction and the free end of the cord may be pulled away from the housing only when the user actively holds the reel rotation lock mechanism in the released mode. Thus, the tip-over prevention system is deactivated only when the user deliberately deactivates it and holds it in the deactivated state; the released mode. The automatic return of the reel rotation lock mechanism to the locked mode may also be advantageous in case a user intends to move the furniture and an unexpected tipping motion starts to occur. If the user loses control over the movement, such as slipping with his / her hands, the user can simply stop holding the reel rotation lock mechanism in the released mode and the tip-over prevention system will enter into the locked mode and aid in preventing the piece of furniture from continuing to tip over.The reel rotation lock mechanism may include a movable spring-loaded member configured to be in a locked mode in which the movable spring-loaded member allows the cord reel to freely rotate in the second rotational direction and prevents the cord reel from rotating in the first rotational direction unless the movable spring-loaded member is in a released mode. It is preferred that the movable spring-loaded member returns to the locked mode unless a user actively holds the movable spring-loaded member in the released mode. The movable spring-loaded member may allow the cord reel to freely rotate in the second rotational direction by abutment surfaces of the movable spring-loaded member which interacts with an abutment surface of the cord reel are shaped such that any tendency to rotate the cord reel in the second rotational direction causes the movable spring-loaded member to move relative to the cord reel such that the abutment surface of the cord reel may pass the movable spring-loaded member and the cord reel thereby may rotate in the second rotational direction. However, the abutment surfaces of the movable spring-loaded member and the cord reel may also shaped such that any tendency rotate the cord reel in the first rotational direction causes the abutment surfaces into tight engagement without causing the movable spring-loaded member to move in a direction that would allow the abutment surface of the cord reel to pass the movable spring-loaded member.

[0039] The movable spring-loaded member may be movable in a pivoting motion and / or a translational motion.

[0040] The movable spring-loaded member may e.g., be a spring-loaded pin and the cord reel may be provided with a plurality of teeth-like protrusions. The spring may be received in a bore with the spring biasing the pin outwardly from the bore. In order to allow a rotation in the second rotational direction while being capable blocking rotation in the first rotational direction, the pin may e.g., have a sloping end such that when the cord reel is rotated in the second rotational direction, the interaction between a tooth like protrusion and the sloping end will act as a cam mechanism pushing the pin into the bore until the tooth like protrusion can pass the pin, whereas when the cordreel starts to rotate in the first rotational direction, a tooth like protrusion will hit the side of the pin and there will not be any cam like mechanism but rather a distinct stop mechanism. The pin may be provided with a manoeuvring portion by which a user may force the pin, against the action of the spring, into the bore to such an extent that the cord reel may be rotated freely in the first rotational direction and thereby setting the system in the released mode.

[0041] The movable spring-loaded member may e.g., be pivotably movable and be provided with a locking protrusion arranged at a distance from the pivot axis, with the distance measured in a plane where the pivot axis form normal to the plane. The pivot axis has preferably a component, preferably a major component, and is most preferably parallel to a rotational axis of the cord reel. The spring-loaded pivotable member is spring-loaded towards a position where the locking protrusion interacts with teeth like protrusions of the cord reel. When the cord reel starts to rotate in the first rotational direction, a tooth like protrusion of the cord reel interacts with the locking protrusion of the spring-loaded pivotable member and the spring-loaded pivotable member is prevented from pivoting, in a first pivot direction, to an extent that would allow the tooth like protrusion of the cord reel to pass the locking protrusion of the spring-loaded pivotable member. When the cord reel is rotated in the second rotational direction, the pivotable member is allowed to pivot in a second pivot direction sufficiently to allow the tooth like protrusion of the cord reel to pass the locking protrusion of the spring-loaded pivotable member. The spring-loaded pivotable member may be provided with a manoeuvring portion by which a user may force the spring-loaded pivotable member to pivot, against the action of the spring, in the second pivot direction to such an extent that the cord reel may be rotated freely in the first rotational direction and thereby setting the system in the released mode. Preventing the spring-loaded pivotable member pivoting in a first pivot direction may be accomplished by a portion of the cord reel-up arrangement physically blocking the spring-loaded pivotable member from pivoting in the first pivot direction. Alternatively, or as a complement thereto, the locking protrusion may be shaped and positioned relative to the pivot axis such that the cordreel and the spring-loaded pivotable member becomes jammed, such as by there not being sufficient distance between the pivot axis of the spring-loaded pivotable member and the rotational axis of the cord reel to allow the cord reel to rotate in the first rotational direction and the spring-loaded pivotable member to pivot in the first pivot direction.

[0042] Alternatively, or as a complement to the above mentioned designs of the pin or of the locking protrusion on a pivotable spring-loaded member, the teeth like protrusions of the cord reel may be shaped with sloping sides on those sides which form leading side of the respective tooth when the cord reel is rotated in the second rotational direction, sloped such that they act as cam mechanism guiding the pin or the locking protrusion on the pivotable spring-loaded member to its respective position in the released mode. The teeth like protrusions of the cord reel may be shaped such that those sides which form leading side of the respective tooth when the cord reel is rotated in the first rotational direction does not slope such that they act as a cam mechanism, such as by extending radially straight or even being sloped in the opposite direction such that they may be said to be hook shaped or undercut.

[0043] The rotation lock mechanism may comprise an overrunning clutch mechanism, preferably selected from the group consisting of a ratchet mechanism or a sprag clutch mechanism, more preferably a ratchet mechanism which preferably includes a toothed wheel forming part of or being connected to rotate with the cord reel. The overrunning clutch mechanism may be oriented such that it allows rotation of the cord reel in the second rotational direction and prevents rotation in the first rotational direction unless the overrunning clutch has been deactivated or set in a released mode. The overrunning clutch may e.g., be deactivated or set in a released mode by one of the parts being moved along the rotational axis of the cord reel out of engagement with the other part of the overrunning clutch. The overrunning clutch is preferably configured to be spring-loaded towards an engaged position. If e.g., the overrunning clutch is configured to be deactivated or set in a released mode by one of the parts being moved along the rotational axis of the cord reel out of engagement with the other part of theoverrunning clutch, the part being moved along the rotational axis of the cord reel is preferably spring-loaded back towards the engaged position.

[0044] The reel-up return mechanism may include a spring functionally coupled between the housing and the cord reel, wherein the spring is loaded with potential energy when cord reel is rotated in the first rotational direction by the free end of the cord being pulled away from the housing, and wherein spring is configured to provide a torque on the cord reel in the second rotational direction and to rotate the cord reel in the second rotational direction until the cord is collected between the wall anchor and the cord reel. It is preferred that the spring is configured to collect and tighten the cord when the cord is attached to the wall anchor and the piece of furniture is positioned at the intended position and distance from the fixed structure, such as the wall.

[0045] The reel-up return mechanism may be biased such that the reel-up return mechanism provides an initial torque on the cord reel in the second rotational direction also when the cord has been reeled-up onto the cord reel to an intended most reeled-up position of the cord.

[0046] Most reeled-up position is typically when the cord is not attached to the wall anchor and is allowed to be pulled back by the cord reel. This most reeled-up position may e.g., be defined by a stop feature on the cord abutting a part of the housing of the cord reel-up arrangement. The stop feature may be a separate stop feature, such as a local widened portion, a widened part attached to the cord, or a loop or hook or the like attached to or formed of the cord and configured to interact with the wall anchor, the loop or hook or the like preferably being attached or formed at the end of the cord.

[0047] In a preferred embodiment, the cord reel-up arrangement is designed and is configured to be positioned on the piece of furniture such that the cord, when it is attached to the wall anchor and the piece of furniture is positioned at the intended position and distance from the fixed structure, such as the wall, is pulled out at least a short distance in comparison to its most reeled-up position, irrespective of if there is a tightening force or not in the most reeled-up position.The cord reel-up arrangement may be 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 cord reel-up arrangement 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 cord reel-up arrangement at a rear portion of the piece of furniture there will be an upward component in the motion vector of the cord reel-up arrangement. Since, the system is preferably configured to be installed such that in use the cord extends horizontally or downwardly from the cord reel-up arrangement to the wall anchor, this will result in that there will be an upwardly oriented pulling force 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.

[0048] 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 cord such that a pulling force in the cord induced by a tendency of the piece of furniture to tip over is transferred from the cord via the hook to the wall anchor and to the wall. A hook configured to interact with the cord allows for an easy installation and also allows for a disassembly.

[0049] 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 aneasy 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.

[0050] 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.

[0051] 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.

[0052] The hook of the wall anchor may be provided with a snap-over functionality such that a portion of a loop of the cord or of a loop shaped member attached to the cord is configured to be forced past the snap-over functionality and the loop of the cord or of a loop shaped member attached to the cord 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 cord 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 cord 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 cordto the wall anchor once and then the cord will remain connected to the wall anchor until it is deliberately released from the wall anchor.

[0053] 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

[0054] a tip-over prevention system according to any one of claims 1-11. 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 variants discussed with reference to the tip-over prevention system are equally applicable to the kit of parts.

[0055] The cord reel-up arrangement may be pre-assembled on a first furniture part among said plurality of furniture parts. Pre-assembled is intended to refer to the cord reel-up arrangement is assembled to the first furniture 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.

[0056] The above object has also been achieved by a method of preventing a piece of furniture from tipping over, the method comprising:

[0057] attaching a wall anchor to a wall of a building,

[0058] positioning a piece of furniture provided with a tip-over prevention system according to any one of clams 1-11 at a distance from the wall, manoeuvring the reel rotation lock mechanism to the released mode and pulling the free end of the cord away from the housing,

[0059] connect the cord to the wall anchor,

[0060] moving the piece of furniture to the intended position along the wall and allowing the reel-up return mechanism to reel-up the cord until the cord is collected and tightened.

[0061] 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 variantsdiscussed with reference to the tip-over prevention system and kit of parts are equally applicable to the method.

[0062] The wall anchor may be positioned on a first height of the wall, and the cord reel-up arrangement may be attached to the piece of furniture at a second height or the cord is trained to the cord reel-up arrangement via a cord guide on the piece of furniture arranged on a second height, wherein the second height is greater than the first height and related to each other such that, with the piece of furniture in the intended position, the cord extends 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 possibility of accomplishing a difference in height between the first height and the second height may be said to be provided by the cord having an extra length, i.e. the cord having a length which is significantly longer than the length necessary to extend between the reel-up return mechanism and the wall when the furniture is positioned along the wall. This extra length is preferably at least 100 mm, more preferably at least 200mm. Preferably .there is also extra length allowing the cord to be attached to a wall anchor at the first height while the furniture is at a distance from the wall allowing a user to reach behind the furniture and attaching the cord to the wall anchor.

[0063] Such an arrangement 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.

[0064] The angle may depend on at which distance the furniture is placed relative the wall, more specifically, at which distance the cord reel-up arrangement, or the cord 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 cord reel-up arrangement or cord guide is arranged. As an example, if the cord is arranged in cord reel-up arrangement or a guide being arranged at a horizontal distance relative the part of the wall where the wall anchor is attached of 23mm, and the distance between the first and second height is 220 mm, the angle of the cord relative 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.

[0065] The invention may also in short be said to relate to a tip-over prevention system configured to prevent a piece of furniture from tipping over, the tip-over prevention system comprising: a wall anchor configured to be attached to a fixed structure, such as a wall, in a building, a cord reel-up arrangement configured to be attached to the piece of furniture, wherein the cord reel-up arrangement comprises a cord configured to be connected to the wall anchor, a housing configured to be attached to the piece of furniture, a cord reel upon which the cord is wound, the cord reel being rotatable relative to the housing, a reel-up return mechanism which is loaded with potential energy when the cord reel is rotated in a first rotational direction by a free end of the cord being pulled away from the housing, the reel-up return mechanism being configured to provide a torque on the cord reel in a second rotational direction, opposite the first rotational direction, and to rotate the cord reel in the second rotational direction until the cord is collected, whereby the cord reel-up arrangement is configured to collect and tighten the cord when the cord is connected to the wall anchor, and a reel rotation lock mechanism configured to be manoeuvred between a locked mode in which the reel rotation lock mechanism allows the cord reel to freely rotate in the second rotational direction and prevents the cord reel from rotating in the first rotational direction, and a released mode in which the reel rotation lock mechanism allows the cord reel to freely rotate in the first rotational direction.Brief description of the drawings

[0066] 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.

[0067] Figure 1 discloses at top portion of a piece of furniture as seen from behind and being provided with a cord reel-up arrangement attached to the piece of furniture.

[0068] Figure 2 discloses a top rear portion of a piece of furniture as seen from a side and shows a cord of the cord reel-up arrangement being attached to a wall anchor.

[0069] Figure 3 discloses a perspective view of the cord reel-up arrangement as seen separate from the piece of furniture.

[0070] Figure 4 discloses the cord reel-up arrangement of Fig. 3 with a top part of a housing removed.

[0071] Figure 5 discloses a cord reel.

[0072] Figure 6 discloses the cord reel and a spring forming part of a reel-up return mechanism as seen in a perspective view from underneath.

[0073] Figure 7 discloses the housing and the spring forming part of a reel-up return mechanism in an exploded view.

[0074] Figures 8a-f disclose various embodiments of the wall anchor.

[0075] Figures 9a-9e disclose various stages of a method of preventing a piece of furniture from tipping over.

[0076] Detailed description of embodiments

[0077] In Fig. 1, there is disclosed a piece of furniture 1 that is provided with a cord reel-up arrangement 30 that forms part of a tip-over prevention system. In short, the tip-over prevention system comprises a wall anchor 20 which is configured to be attached to a fixed structure in a building, such as a wall of a building, and the cord reel-up arrangement 30 configured to be attached to the piece of furniture 1.

[0078] The cord reel-up arrangement 30 comprises a cord 31 configured to be connected to the wall anchor 20, a housing 32 configured to be attached tothe piece of furniture 1, a cord reel 33 upon which the cord 31 is wound or reeled-up, a reel-up return mechanism 34, and a reel rotation lock mechanism 35, 36. The cord reel 33 is rotatable relative to the housing 32. The wall anchors 20 include, as shown in Figs.8a-8f, a hook 22 configured to interact with the cord 31 as shown e.g., in Fig. 9c. Thereby, a pulling force in the cord 31, induced by a tendency of the piece of furniture 1 to tip over, is transferred from the cord 31 via the hook 22 to the wall anchor 20 and to the wall 2. Such hook 22 configured to interact with the cord 31 allows for an easy installation and also allows for an easy disassembly. The cord 31 is shaped into a loop 31c configured to interact with the hook 22. Alternatively, a loop shaped member 31 c may be attached to the cord 31.

[0079] As is indicated in Figs. 4 and 9b, the reel-up return mechanism 34 is configured to be loaded with potential energy when the cord reel 33 is rotated in a first rotational direction RD1 by a free end 31a of the cord 31 being pulled away from the housing 32. As is indicated in Figs. 4 and 9c, the reel-up return mechanism 34 is also configured to provide a torque on the cord reel 33 in a second rotational direction RD2, opposite the first rotational direction RD1, and to rotate the cord reel 33 in the second rotational direction RD2 until the cord 31 is collected and tightened, whereby the cord reel-up arrangement 30 is configured to collect and tighten the cord 31 when the cord 31 is connected to the wall anchor 20. The reel rotation lock mechanism 35, 36 is configured to be manoeuvred between a locked mode LM and a released mode RM. In the locked mode LM, the reel rotation lock mechanism 35, 36 allows the cord reel 33 to freely rotate in the second rotational direction RD2 and prevents the cord reel 33 from rotating in the first rotational direction RD1. As indicated in Fig. 9b, in the released mode RM, the reel rotation lock mechanism 35, 36 allows the cord reel 33 to freely rotate in the first rotational direction RD1. In the released mode RM, the reel rotation lock mechanism 35, 36 preferably allows the cord reel 33 to freely rotate also in the second rotational direction RD1. Thereby, if the reel rotation lock mechanism 35, 36 is in the released mode RM and the user first pulls the free end 31a of the cord 31 away from the housing 32 and then releases some of the tension while e.g., hooking thecord 31 onto the wall anchor 20, the reel-up return mechanism 34 will pull any slack of the cord 31 back and wind it onto the cord reel 33.

[0080] In Fig. 3, there is disclosed one example of how the housing 32 is configured to be attached to the piece of furniture 1, by being screwed into a furniture part 1a of the piece of furniture 1. In the example shown in Fig. 3, there is one screw 39a and one pin 39b. The screw 39a is configured to be screwed into a furniture part 1a of the piece of furniture 1. The pin 39b is configured to be inserted into a bore or recess of a furniture part, such as the furniture part 1a, of the piece of furniture 1. The screw 39a is configured to extend through a through-going hole 38a in the housing 32 such that the screw head pushes the housing 30 into abutment with the furniture part 1a when the screw 39 is screwed into the first furniture part 1a. The pin 39b being inserted into the bore or recess will aid in preventing the housing 32 from rotating about the axis of the screw 39a. The housing 32 may be attached to the piece of furniture 1 in other ways. The number of screws 39a and pins 39b may be varied in different permutations, such as two or more screws and one pin, one screw and two or more pins, or two or more screws and two or more pins. The housing 32 may e.g., be attached using several screws and no pins. The screw 39a, or some, or all the screws, if a plurality, may be screwed directly into the part 1a of the piece of furniture 1 and / or may be screwed into predrilled holes. The housing 32 may be clamped between different parts of the piece of furniture and be held in position by the furniture parts being held together to form the piece of furniture 1. The housing 32 may be adhesively attached to the piece of furniture. The adhesive attachment may be combined with any of the other ways of attaching the housing to the part or parts of the furniture.

[0081] The reel rotation lock mechanism 35, 36 may in general terms be said to comprise an overrunning clutch mechanism. The overrunning clutch mechanism may e.g., be selected from the group consisting of a ratchet mechanism or a sprag clutch mechanism. In the preferred embodiment there is made use of a ratchet mechanism, and especially there is made use of a ratchet mechanism which includes a toothed wheel 36. In the disclosedembodiment the toothed wheel 36 form part of the cord reel 33. Alternatively, the toothed wheel 36 may be connected to and rotate with the cord reel 33.

[0082] In this context it may also be mentioned that the reel rotation lock mechanism 35, 36 is preferably configured to return to the locked mode LM unless a user actively holds the reel rotation lock mechanism 35 in the released mode RM.

[0083] A specific example of a cord reel-up arrangement 30 with these generally discussed preferred functionalities will be disclosed in detail with reference to Figs. 3-7.

[0084] The housing 32 disclosed in Fig. 3 completely encloses the interior mechanical parts of the cord reel-up arrangement 30. However, it is also conceivably that the housing 32 is configured to in combination with the part 1a form an enclosure completely enclosing the interior mechanical parts. Irrespective of if there is a complete enclosure as such or in combination with the part 1a or if there is not a complete enclosure, it is preferred that the movable parts are enclosed to such an extent that it is not possible for a person to accidentally reach the moving parts with his / her fingers.

[0085] In Fig. 4, the top part 32a of the housing 32 has been removed and the bottom part 32b is still present. The cord 31 is reeled-up on a cord reel 33. As indicated above, in the disclosed embodiment the toothed wheel 36 form part of the cord reel 33. In the preferred embodiment, the teeth are geometrically positioned as if they are formed from a separate wheel positioned on the cord reel 33 and with the tips of the teeth being positioned inside the outer perimeter of the cord reel 33. However, the teeth could e.g., extend outside of the perimeter or may e.g., be formed an outer perimeter of the cord reel 33 as such.

[0086] As shown in Fig. 4, the reel rotation lock mechanism 35, 36 includes a movable spring-loaded member 35 provided with a locking protrusion 35a configured to interact with and selectively block the rotation of the toothed wheel 36 and thereby block the rotation of the cord reel 33. The spring-loaded member 35 is pivotable about a pivot axis PA. In the state shown in Fig. 4, the spring-loaded member 35 is in locked mode and prevents the toothed wheel36 and thereby prevents the cord reel 33 from rotating in the first rotational direction RD1. As is also shown in Fig. 4, the teeth of the toothed wheel 36 are non-symmetrical relative to a radial line through the tip of respective tooth. They are non-symmetrical such that there is formed a sloped surface forming a cam mechanism on the leading side of the respective tooth when the cord reel 33 is rotated in the second rotational direction RD2. Thereby, the rotation of the cord reel 33 will push the spring-loaded member 35 to pivot and allow the cord reel 33 to rotate in the second rotational direction RD2 even though the spring-loaded member 35 initially is in the locked mode LM. It may be noted that the pivoting of the spring-loaded member 35 is in this embodiment basically the same movement by which the spring-loaded member 35 is set in the released mode RM. However, the teeth are formed such that those sides which form leading side of the respective tooth when the cord reel 33 is rotated in the first rotational direction RD1 does not slope such that they act as a cam mechanism. On the contrary they extend radially straight or are even sloping in the opposite direction such that they may be said to be hookshaped or undercut. Those leading sides may also be slightly sloped a positive angle as long as they catch with the spring-loaded member 35 and are not capable of pivoting the spring-loaded member 35 away from the contact. Also or complementary to the design discussed with reference to the locking functionality, those sides that form leading side of the respective tooth when the cord reel 33 is rotated in the first rotational direction RD1, i.e., the trailing sides when rotated in the second rotational direction RD2, are preferably shaped such that the spring-loaded member 35 will snap back from the tip of the respective tooth towards the cord reel 33 or towards the next tooth. Thereby, it will be possible to accomplish an audible feed-back informing the user that the cord 31 is being collected by the cord reel-up arrangement 30. Thus, the spring-loaded member 35 will be in a locked mode LM as shown in Fig. 4 in which it allows the cord reel 33 to freely rotate in the second rotational direction RD2 and prevents the cord reel 33 from rotating in the first rotational direction RD1. It may be noted that in the disclosed design, the distance from the pivot axis PA and the tip of the locking protrusion 35a isgreater than the greatest value the minimum distance between the toothed wheel 36 and the pivot axis PA will assume as the cord reel 33 and toothed wheel 36 rotates. Thereby, it will be physically impossible for the cord reel 33 to rotate in the first rotational direction RD1 if the locking protrusion 35a has caught a tooth of the toothed wheel 36. Thus, the spring-loaded member 35 will be in a locked mode LM as shown in Fig. 4 and will prevent the cord reel 33 from rotating in the first rotational direction RD1 unless the movable spring-loaded member 35 is in a released mode RM. A user may manoeuvre the spring-loaded member 35 from the locked mode LM disclosed in Fig. 4, to the released mode RM as disclosed in Fig. 9b. The manoeuvring of the spring-loaded member 35 to the released mode RM position shown in Fig. 9b will compress a spring 37 which is positioned between a portion of the spring-loaded member 35 and a fixed part of the housing 32. This is one example of how to design a reel rotation lock mechanism 35, 36 configured to return to the locked mode LM unless a user actively holds the reel rotation lock mechanism 35 in the released mode RM. Once a user stop pushing the spring-loaded member 35 in the direction indicated by the arrow RM, the spring 37 will push the spring-loaded member 35 in the opposite direction of the arrow RM and the spring-loaded member 35 will once again assume the locked mode LM.

[0087] As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the reel-up return mechanism 34 includes a spring 34a functionally coupled between the housing 32 and the cord reel 33. In Fig. 6, it is shown how a spiral shaped spring 34a is coupled to the cord reel 33 by an outer end 34b of the spring 34a extending through an opening 33c in the cord reel 33. The outer end 34b is provided with an enlarged portion 34c and abuts a shoulder 33c of the cord reel 33. In Fig. 7, it is shown how the spiral shaped spring 34a is coupled to the housing 32 by the housing having a pin 34d provided with a slot into which an inner end 34e of the spring 34a fits. That is, the inner end 34e of the spring 34a will be fixed and when the cord reel 33 is rotated in the first rotational direction RD1 by the free end of the cord being pulled away from the housing, the spring 34a will be wound more tight about the pin 34d and thereby become loaded with potentialenergy. The spring 34a will thereby provide a torque on the cord reel 33 in the second rotational direction RD2 and will rotate the cord reel 33 in the second rotational direction RD2 until the cord 31 is tightened between the wall anchor 20 and the cord reel 33.

[0088] In a preferred embodiment, the reel-up return mechanism 34 is biased such that the reel-up return mechanism 34 provides an initial torque on the cord reel 33 in the second rotational direction RD2 also when the cord 31 has been reeled-up onto the cord reel 33 to an intended most reeled-up position of the cord 31. This may e.g., be accomplished by the spiral shaped spring being wound up before being placed or before the housing 32 is closed.

[0089] In Fig. 5, the cord reel 33 is disclosed separately. The cord reel 33 includes a cord reel-up surface 33a and an attachment part 33b. The attachment part 33b may e.g., be a pin around which an inner cord part is wound or tied. The attachment part 33b may alternatively be a clamping mechanism or the like catching the inner end of the cord 31. The attachment part may alternatively be a slit or opening which on one hand is wide enough to allow the cord 31 to extend through the slit or opening and on the other hand is too narrow to allow a knotted or otherwise widened end portion of the cord 31 to pass through the slit or opening. Basically, the attachment part 33b may be designed in any way as long as it is capable of securing that the cord 31 does not slide along the circumference of the cord reel 33.

[0090] It may in this context be noted that outer and inner end of the cord 31 is primarily intended to refer to functional outer and inner end of the cord 31. The cord 31 may continue further but that further part is in such a case not functional in respect of the specific function discussed. In practice, the cord 31 will typically be formed, such as being cut, such that the outer and inner end 31 as view in functional terms coincides with the actual outer and inner ends of the cord 31. However, it is e.g., conceivable that the cord 31 continues with a free end portion after the position of the loop 31c. The position of the loop 31c may be regarded as the outer end 31a from a functional perspective in relation to the tip-over prevention.As is indicated in the drawings, the cord reel-up arrangement 30 is configured to be attached to a rear portion of the piece of furniture 1. 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 the building.

[0091] With reference to Figs.8a-f, different embodiments 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. 8a-8f, have a single planar abutment portion.

[0092] The wall anchors 20 shown in Figs. 8a-8c, 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.

[0093] With reference to Fig. 8a, 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.

[0094] With reference to Figs.8b and 8c, 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.

[0095] As shown in Fig. 8b, 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 arranged to transverse the abutment portion 21 at an angle such that the nails protrude into the fixed structure 2 at an angle. Such set up enable the wall anchor 20 to be able to withstand greater pulling forces.Fig. 8d show a wall anchor 20 configured to be fastened to the wall 2 by one nail 24b.

[0096] 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.

[0097] With reference to Fig. 8e-f, an alternative wall anchor 20 is shown. The wall anchors 20 as shown in Fig. 8e-f 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. The wall anchors 20 as shown in Fig. 8e-f have several similarities to the wall anchors shown in Figs. 8a-c.

[0098] With reference to Figs. 8e and 8f, 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.

[0099] As shown in Fig. 8e, the wall anchor 20 comprises a screw 24a arranged in a centre through-going opening or recess 23. In Fig. 8e, 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. 8b.

[0100] In contrast to the wall anchor 20 disclosed in Figs. 8b, 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. The bending and the resulting radial offset of the first trough-going recess relative to the second through-going recess determines the angle by which the nails 24 protrude into the fixed structure 2.

[0101] In alternative embodiments to the ones shown in Figs. 8c and 8f 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.

[0102] 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 2, 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.

[0103] The hook 22 as shown in Figs. 8a-c is shaped as being bent back towards itself, whereas the hook 22 as shown in Figs. 8d-f is shaped as being bent towards a portion of the wall anchor. The hook 22 as shown in Figs. 8e-f is arranged closer to a centre of the wall anchor 20 compared to the hook 22 as shown in Figs. 8a-d. The wall anchor 20 of Figs. 8a-c is designed to be manufactured from a polymer-based material. The wall anchors 20 of Fig. 8d, and of Figs. 8e-f are designed to be manufactured from a metal, preferably by cutting and folding a metal sheet.

[0104] The hook 22 of the wall anchor 20 may be provided with a snap-over functionality such that a portion of the loop 31 c of the cord 31 or of the loop shaped member 31c attached to the cord 31 is configured to be forced past the snap-over functionality and the loop 31 c of the cord 31 or of the loop shaped member 31c attached to the cord 31 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 31 c of the cord 31 or of the loop shaped member 31c may be forced. The narrow passage 22a has in nontensioned state a width being smaller than a cross-sectional dimension of the cord 31 or a cross-sectional dimension of the member being shaped into a loop 31c. The loop shaped member 31c 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 31c. A design with a snap-over functionality facilitates installation and handling since it is made possible to simply connectthe cord 31 to the wall anchor 20 once and then the cord 31 will remain connected to the wall anchor 20 until it is deliberately released from the wall anchor 20.

[0105] 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 1a, 1b, 1c, 1 d, 1e configured to be assembled into a piece of furniture 1, and a tip-over prevention system. In one preferred embodiment, the cord reel-up arrangement 30 is pre-assembled on a first furniture part 1a among said plurality of furniture parts 1a, 1b. The plurality of furniture parts 1a, 1b includes typically a top part 1a, one or more side parts 1b, 1c, a bottom part 1d and often also a rear wall part 1e.

[0106] The manner of activating the tip-over prevention system may in short be described with reference to Figs. 9a-e.

[0107] As is disclosed in Fig. 9a, the wall anchor 20 is attached to a fixed structure 2, such as a wall 2, in a building, and the piece of furniture 1 provided with a tip-over prevention system is positioned at a distance d1 from the fixed structure.

[0108] As is disclosed in Fig. 9b, the reel rotation lock mechanism 35, 36 is manoeuvred to the released mode RM and the free end 31a of the cord 31 is pulled away from the housing 32.

[0109] As is disclosed in Fig. 9c, the cord 31 is connected to the wall anchor 20.

[0110] As is disclosed in Fig. 9d, the piece of furniture 1 is moved to the intended position in which it is positioned along the fixed structure. It may be noted that there might still be a small distance to the wall 2 if there e.g., is a floor plinth or skirting board 3. Alternatively, the piece of furniture may be designed with a recess accommodating the floor plinth or skirting board 3. As has been discussed above in detail, the reel-up return mechanism 34 reel-up the cord 31 until the cord 31 is tightened. This reel-up will be performed as long as the piece of furniture 1 is moved such that the distance between the cord reel-up arrangement 30 and the wall anchor 20 decreases. Since thereel rotation lock mechanism 35 preferably is configured to return to the locked mode LM, the tip-over prevention system is automatically activated.

[0111] As is shown in the Figures, and as is indicated in Figs. 2 and 9a, it is preferred that the wall anchor 20 is positioned on a first height H1 of the fixed structure 2, and the cord reel-up arrangement 30 is attached to the piece of furniture 1 at a second height H2, wherein the second height H2 is greater than the first height H1. Preferably, the heights H1 , H2 are related to each other such that, with the piece of furniture 1 in the intended position, the cord 31 extends from the wall anchor 20 at an angle a relative to the fixed structure 2, such as the wall 2, of the building. It is preferred that the angle a is in the range of 0°-25°, preferably 0°-20°, more preferably 5°-15°. Such an extension of the cord 31 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 depends on at which distance the furniture 1 is placed relative the wall 2, more specifically, at which horizontal distance the cord reel-up arrangement 30 is arranged relative the part of the wall 2 where the wall anchor 20 is attached.

[0112] Additionally, the angle a depends on the distance between the first height H1 which the wall anchor 20 is arranged and the second height H2 which the first cord guide is arranged. It may in this context be noted that the cord 31 may be trained to the cord reel-up arrangement 30 via a cord guide on the piece of furniture 1. The cord guide may e.g., be an upper edge of the rear wall 1d as such or of a recess in the rear wall 1d. The cord guide may e.g., be loop shaped member attached to an underside of the top part 1a of the piece of furniture 1. The provision of a cord guide may be relevant in case it is desirous to have the cord reel-up arrangement 30 arranged closer or even at the front of the piece of furniture 1. If there is made use of a cord guide, the above discussion concerning positioning at a height H2, etc., refers to the position of such a cord guide, e.g., that the cord guide is arranged at the second height H2, and the cord reel-up arrangement 30 may in such a casebe arranged at a height being the same, lower, or higher than the second height H2 as long as the cord 31 is actually trained via the cord guide.

[0113] 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.

[0114] 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 accomplished with a wall anchor according to a broad definition in combination with the cord reel-up arrangement, as such or with only certain aspects of the cord reel-up arrangement, being specified in greater details, or vice versa.

[0115] 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.

[0116] 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 configured to prevent a piece of furniture (1) from tipping over, the tip-over prevention system comprising: a wall anchor (20) configured to be attached to a fixed structure (2), such as a wall, in a building,a cord reel-up arrangement (30) configured to be attached to the piece of furniture (1),wherein the cord reel-up arrangement (30) comprisesa cord (31) configured to be connected to the wall anchor (20), a housing (32) configured to be attached to the piece of furniture (1),a cord reel (33) upon which the cord (31) is wound, the cord reel (33) being rotatable relative to the housing (32),a reel-up return mechanism (34) which is loaded with potential energy when the cord reel (33) is rotated in a first rotational direction (RD1) by a free end (31a) of the cord (31) being pulled away from the housing (32), the reel-up return mechanism (34) being configured to provide a torque on the cord reel (33) in a second rotational direction (RD2), opposite the first rotational direction (RD1), and to rotate the cord reel (33) in the second rotational direction (RD2) until the cord (31) is collected, whereby the cord reel-up arrangement (30) is configured to collect and tighten the cord (31) when the cord (31) is connected to the wall anchor (20), anda reel rotation lock mechanism (35, 36) configured to be manoeuvred between a locked mode (LM) in which the reel rotation lock mechanism (35, 36) allows the cord reel (33) to freely rotate in the second rotational direction (RD2) and prevents the cord reel (33) from rotating in the first rotational direction (RD1), and a released mode (RM) in which the reel rotation lock mechanism (35, 36) allows the cord reel (33) to freely rotate in the first rotational direction (RD1).

2. The tip-over prevention system according to claim 1, wherein the reel rotation lock mechanism (35, 36) is configured to return to the locked mode (LM) unless a user actively holds the reel rotation lock mechanism (35, 36) in the released mode (RM).

3. The tip-over prevention system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the reel rotation lock mechanism (35, 36) includes a movable spring-loaded member (35) configured to be in a locked mode (LM) in which the spring-loaded member (35) of the reel rotation lock mechanism (35, 36) allows the cord reel (33) to freely rotate in the second rotational direction (RD2) and prevents the cord reel (33) from rotating in the first rotational direction (RD1) unless the movable spring-loaded member (35) ) of the reel rotation lock mechanism (35, 36) is in a released mode (RM).

4. The tip-over prevention system according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the rotation lock mechanism (35, 36) comprises an overrunning clutch mechanism, preferably selected from the group consisting of a ratchet mechanism or a sprag clutch mechanism, more preferably a ratchet mechanism which preferably includes a toothed wheel (36) preferably forming part of or being connected to rotate with the cord reel (33).

5. The tip-over prevention system according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein the reel-up return mechanism (34) includes a spring (34a) functionally coupled between the housing (32) and the cord reel (33), wherein the spring (34a) is loaded with potential energy when cord reel (33) is rotated in the first rotational direction (RD1) by the free end of the cord being pulled away from the housing, and wherein spring is configured to provide a torque on the cord reel (33) in the second rotational direction (RD2) and to rotate the cord reel (33) in the second rotational direction (RD2) until the cord (31) is collected and tightened between the wall anchor (20) and the cord reel (33).

6. The tip-over prevention system according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein the reel-up return mechanism (34) is biased such that the reel-up return mechanism (34) provides an initial torque on the cord reel (33) in the second rotational direction (RD2) also when the cord (31) has been reeled-up onto the cord reel (33) to an intended most reeled-up position of the cord (31).

7. The tip-over prevention system according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein the cord reel-up arrangement (30) is configured to be attached to a rear portion of the piece of furniture (1).

8. The tip-over prevention system according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein the wall anchor (20) includesa wall abutment portion configured to abut the fixed structure, such as the wall, anda hook configured to interact with the cord such that a pulling force in the cord induced by a tendency of the piece of furniture to tip over is transferred from the cord via the hook to the wall anchor and to the fixed structure, such as the wall.

9. The tip-over prevention system according to claim 8, wherein the wall abutment portion 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 to be adhesively attached to the fixed structure, such as the wall.

10. The tip-over prevention system according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the wall abutment portion is 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 fixed structure, such as the wall.

11. The tip-over prevention system according to any one of claims 8-10, wherein the hook of the wall anchor is provided with a snap-over functionality such that a portion of a loop of the cord or of a loop shaped member attached to the cord is configured to be forced past the snap-over functionality and the loop of the cord or of a loop shaped member attached to the cord thereby be retained in hooking engagement with the hook.

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

13. The kit of parts according to claim 12, wherein the cord reel-up arrangement (30) is pre-assembled on a first furniture part (1a) among said plurality of furniture parts (1a, 1b).

14. Method of preventing a piece of furniture from tipping over, the method comprising:attaching a wall anchor (20) to a fixed structure (2), such as a wall (2), in a building,positioning a piece of furniture (1) provided with a tip-over prevention system according to any one of clams 1-11 at a distance (d1 ) from the fixed structure,manoeuvring the reel rotation lock mechanism (35, 36) to the released mode (RM) and pulling the free end (31 a) of the cord (31 ) away from the housing (32),connect the cord (31 ) to the wall anchor (20),moving the piece of furniture (1) to the intended position along the fixed structure (2) and allowing the reel-up return mechanism (34) to reel-up the cord (31) until the cord (31) is tightened.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the wall anchor (20) is positioned on a first height (hi) of the fixed structure (2), and the cord reel-up arrangement (30) is attached to the piece of furniture (1) at a second height (h2) or the cord (31) is trained to the cord reel-up arrangement (30) via a cord guide on the piece of furniture (1) arranged on a second height (h2), wherein the second height (h2) is greater than the first height (hi) and related to each other such that, with the piece of furniture (1) in the intended position, the cord (31) extends from the wall anchor (20) at an angle (a) relative to the fixed structure (2) of the building in the range of 0°-25°, preferably 0°-20°, more preferably 5°-15°.

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