GB2269628A

GB2269628A - Furniture connector apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2269628A
Application number: GB9217297A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Paul C O Crofts Rennocks; John Douglas Allen
Original assignee: Crofts and Assinder Ltd
Current assignee: Crofts and Assinder Ltd
Priority date: 1992-08-14
Filing date: 1992-08-14
Publication date: 1994-02-16
Anticipated expiration: 2012-08-14
Also published as: GB9217297D0; GB2269628B

Abstract

Connector apparatus for connecting together the base units of beds comprising a connector 10 having a pair of pins 12 receivable, so as to lock into, in a pair of sockets 20 self securable in bores in the base units. Pin heads 14 being held by snap-fastening detents 24 and not least one socket being wider than the pin to allow the pin to be offset from the socket centre line. <IMAGE>

Description

FURNITURE CONNECTOR APPARATUS The invention concerns connector apparatus for connecting together units of furniture.

A top fixing connector apparatus for furniture is known which comprises fixed centre connector in the form of a U-shaped metal link and a pair of cylindrical plastics sockets in which the limbs of the link are a sliding fit. In use, the sockets are fixed in upper surfaces of two units of furniture (such as seats) to be connected and the limbs are easily pushed down into the sockets so that the base of the U-shaped link extends between the two units to limit relative movement of the units, and the links are easily upwardly removed to fee the units.

In comparison with such top fixing connector apparatus, connector apparatus for divan bed-base units are of side or bottom forms, e.g. relatively massive spring clip connectors for bottom fixing or elongate flat metal-bar connectors secured by bolts to the sides of the base units, and provide a relatively strong and secure connection between the base units which is reasonably effective in preventing relative movement between the base units.

However, such spring clip connectors can be difficult to fit, e.g. need to be hammered onto the units; and the bar-connectors are heavy and the securing bolts can be hard to drive into the units, or if factory fitted, the bar -connectors project from the side of the unit constituting hazards whilst the unit is being transported and handled.

The problems concerning difficulty of fitting and security of connection, especially in relation to divanbed base units, remain.

In order to reduce these problems the present invention provides connector apparatus, for units of furniture, comprising a pair of sockets and a connector, the connector comprising a pair of spaced apart pins secured to or integral with a body, wherein each pin has a head or barb, and wherein each socket has a shoulder or edge therein to engage the head or barb when the pin is inserted into the socket to retain the pin in the socket.

In relation to those kinds of bed base units which comprise a rigid frame having a decorative covering, it is quite usual to produce a range of such units having identical mass-produced frames but different coverings which vary in thickness, and the problems of relative movement which can arise from the resultant variation in overall dimensions of the units have made it impractical to use fixed-centre connectors for divan beds.

To reduse these problems, at least one of the sockets of the connector apparatus of the invention has an effective internal width or diameter which is greater than the width or diameter of the respective pin to allow the pin to be transversely offset from the centre line or axis of the sockets, and said shoulder or edge extends transversely of the socket.

The shoulder or edge is preferably provided on a flexible tongue which extends transversely of and/or along the socket from a peripheral wall of the socket. The or each socket preferably comprises an opposed pair of such tongues, and said tongues preferably converge within the socket.

The or each pin preferably tapers to a point or nose at one end, to flex said tongues apart as the pin is forced into the socket.

A bias member is preferably provided in the or each socket to apply a transverse thrust to the pin.

The sockets each preferably have a flange at one end and may have a ribbed or rough external peripheral surface to engage in a bore or aperture in a furniture unit.

The sockets may each have one or more flanges or catches at the other end to engage an abutment in the furniture unit.

The connector may be cast, moulded or stamped, preferably from metal.

The invention includes a base assembly, for an upholstered or padded item of furniture such as a bed, settee or seating unit, comprising a plurality of base units connected together by connector apparatus of the invention.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, wherein FIGURE 1 shows a connector, of connector apparatus of the invention, in side elevation; FIGURE 2 shows the connector in plan; FIGURE 3 shows the connector in section along the line A-A in FIGURE 1; FIGURE 4 shows a socket of the apparatus in side elevation; FIGURE 5 shows the socket in plan; FIGURE 6 shows the socket in section along the line B-B in FIGURE 4; FIGURE 7 shows adjacent lower corner portions of the sides of two divan base units, with one socket in each portion; FIGURE 8 shows a section on the line CC in FIGURE 7 through one of said portions;; FIGURE 9 shows a section on the line D-D in FIGURE 7 through both of said portions, and FIGURE 10 is a sectional view, similar to FIGURE 9, showing the corner portions with the connector fully inserted into the sockets of the apparatus.

The connector apparatus comprises a connector 10 and a pair of sockets 20.

Referring to FIGURES 1 to 3, the connector 10 in this example is a metal casting providing a body 11, two parallel pins 12 projecting from a rear face of the body 11, and a shallow recess 13 in the front face of the body.

Each pin has a tapered nose or head 14 at its free end, and each nose, tip or head provides a crescent shaped shoulder or barb 15. The shanks 16 of the pins are parallel of cylindrical form. The shoulders or barbs 15 are oppositely directed.

Referring to FIGURES 4 to 6, each socket 20 is a plastics moulding having a hollow cylindrical body 21 having a radially outwardly projecting flange 22 at its front end and an annularly serrated or toothed external surface 23. The body 21 is open ended and supports a pair of flexible tongues 24. Each tongue provides, at its rear end, a shoulder or edge 25 which extends transversely of the interior of the socket. Each tongue is curved to converge with the other tongue; extends along most of the length of the body; and has a front edge 26 which is inclined to the axis 27 of the body.The tongues join the body at junctions 28 and 29 about 100" to 1200 apart The tongues are primarily configured and arranged to be splayed apart as the pin is inserted into the socket, and to flex back to abut the stem of the pin when the shoulder or barb 15 has passed the shoulders or edges 25, to give a latching function whereby to prevent withdrawal of the pins beyond the point wherein the shoulders or barbs 15 engage the edges 25, unless a sufficient pin retraction force is applied to distort the tongues by forcible engagement of the shoulder or barb 15 with the shoulders or edges 25.

In use, one socket 20 is driven into a hole 30 formed in a side face 31 of a corner portion 33 of a frame of one divan base unit 32 and the other socket is similarly driven into a hole 30 in a corner portion 33 of another unit 32 as indicated in FIGURES 7 to 9, so that the sockets are held by the rough or toothed surface 23 engaging the frames. The flanges 22 about said faces 31.

In order to facilitate the sockets being orientated prior to being driven into the holes to ensure that the tongues of one socket are directed in the opposite direction to the tongues of the other socket, as shown, the flanges are provided with markers 40.

The connector 10 is then pushed towards the side faces so that the noses or tips 14 engage the inclined edges 26 to splay the tongues apart to facilitate the pins being pushed fully into the sockets, whereby to connect the two units, as shown in FIGURE 10.

FIGURE 10 also shows clearly that the relative diameters of the pins are only about half of those of the interiors of the sockets so that variations in the distance between the axes 27 of the sockets can be accommodated by the connector apparatus, e.g. the pins may be asymmetrically disposed in the sockets.

The disposition and configuration of the tongues is determined to bias the pin towards one side of the socket, so that, depending upon the orientation of the sockets in the units, the reactions to said bias will tend to urge the units towards each other or away from each other.

The invention is not confined to details of the foregoing example and many variations and modifications are possible within the scope of the invention. For example, the interior of the socket may be of non-circular cross-section, e.g. oval or rectangular cross-sectional forms are suitable. The number, disposition and configuration of tongues may be varied e.g. to provide additional bias or further edges or shoulders; or the edges or shoulders may be provided by other formations on the bodies or on flexible members inserted into the bodies.

The pins may be mutually inclined instead of being parallel, and may be of non-circular cross-section.

Apertures may be provided in the body 10 adjacent the pins, for insertion of tools for splaying the tongues further part, to facilitate withdrawal of the pins from the sockets to release the units.

A cover strip or nameplate may be located in the recess 13.

To provide a more rigid connection between the units, the apparatus may comprise three or four sockets and the connector may have three or four pins arranged at the corners of a notional triangle or rectangle, whereby to further restrict relative vertical as well as horizontal relative movement of the units.

In any embodiment, only one of the pins and one of the sockets may be of the described latching form in which the pin is retained by engagement with a transverse edge or shoulder 25, and the other or others of the pins and sockets may be of close fitting non-latching form.

The invention further includes and provides connector apparatus having any novel part, feature, formation or operational effect disclosed herein or in the accompanying drawings.

Claims

1. Connector apparatus, for units of furniture, comprising a pair of sockets and a connector, the connector comprising a pair of spaced apart pins secured to or integral with a body, wherein at least one or each pin has a head or barb, and wherein at least one or each socket has a shoulder or edge therein to engage the head or barb when the pin is inserted into the socket to retain the pin in the socket.

2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 wherein at least one of the sockets of the connector apparatus has an effective internal width or diameter which is greater than the width or diameter of the respective pin to allow the pin to be transversely offset from the centre line or axis of the sockets, and said shoulder or edge extends transversely of the socket.

3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the shoulder or edge is provided on a flexible tongue which extends transversely of and/or along the socket from a peripheral wall of the socket.

4. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 3 wherein the or each socket comprises an opposed pair of such tongues, and said tongues converge within the socket.

5. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 3 or 4 wherein the or 5. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 3 or 4 wherein the or each pin tapers to a point or nose at one end, to flex said tongues apart as the pin is forced into the socket.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 5 wherein a bias member is provided in the or each socket to apply a transverse thrust to the pin.

7. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6 wherein the sockets each have a flange at one end and have a ribbed or rough external peripheral surface to engage in a bore or aperture in a furniture unit.

8. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 7 wherein the sockets each have one or more flanges or catches at the other end to engage an abutment in the furniture unit.

9. Connector apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A base assembly, for an upholstered or padded item of furniture such as a bed, settee or seating unit, comprising a plurality of base units connected together by connector apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim.