WO2011110977A1

WO2011110977A1 - Wedge connection to connect unmovable furniture components

Info

Publication number: WO2011110977A1
Application number: PCT/IB2011/050883
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jiri Pech
Original assignee: Jiri Pech
Priority date: 2010-03-12
Filing date: 2011-03-02
Publication date: 2011-09-15
Also published as: CZ21011U1

Abstract

The wedge type connection to connect unmovable furniture parts has created between the surface of the base body (1) internal continuous bevel slot (4) and the base body (1) external surface a longitudinal trapezoid extension (9), becoming wider in the direction of the narrowing continuous bevel slot (4). The longitudinal slot (6) passing throughout the whole length of the longitudinal trapezoid extension (9) is created in this extension (9). The longitudinal slot (6) creates on the extension (9) two longitudinal ribs (10) and the internal one of the two ribs (10) is arranged in a flexibly deformable way in relation to the wedge body (8). The base body (1), as well as the wedge body (8), are created ready-made, from plastic material. Plastic is selected from a group of materials, including polyamides, containing glass fibres. The glass fibre content ranges from 20% to 40%,volume, related to the plastic.

Description

Wedge connection to connect unmovable furniture components

Technical Fields

The invention relates to the wedge type connection to connect unmovable furniture components. It essentially involves a furniture forging designated quickly to connect furniture components during assembly of furniture boards, both with regard to their angular connection at right angle and the butt-jointing. The forging consists of two components, where one of them is connected to one board, namely, to the edge or surface of separate boards. Connection of the two boards is achieved by mutual insertion of both the components.

Background Arts

There are two types of furniture connections of unmovable furniture components and components of a similar nature, such as panels, walls, sheets, etc., namely, the angular connection at right angle and the butt-jointing. Unmovable components are understood side- walls, bottoms, decks, fixed shelves and backs of furniture assemblies and firmly mounted panels, walls, sheets, etc., compared with movable components, above all, such as doors and revolving and folding panels, walls, sheets, etc., where various types of hinges and suspensions are used for the connection.

Angular connection at right angle includes two basic types:

Connection by means of pins, where blind holes into which wood pins are knocked down so that to extend from the component by approx. 12 mm to 20 mm and/or more, depending on the thickness of the vertical component, are drilled in the horizontal component side edges. Against the hole in the horizontal component a blind hole from the vertical component internal side is drilled, into which the extending part of the wood pin is inserted during connection of the vertical and horizontal components. Pins can be secured by gluing (not to be dismantled any more) or by furniture screws, namely, counter sunk head wood screws by means of which the whole connection is screwed from the vertical component external side (possibly to be dismantled later).

The disadvantage of this type of connection consists in the problematic connection of honeycombed boards, which have to be provided with a frame into which the appropriate holes must be drilled

There is moreover known the connection by means of cams where from the horizontal component internal side are drilled blind holes for the cylindrical portion of the cam provided with the peripheral slot to hold the pin head and with the hole to tighten the connection by means of a screwdriver. Holes through which the pin is pushed through so that its head fits the recess at the beginning of the cam cylindrical portion peripheral slot are drilled in the side edges of the horizontal component. The connection is tightened by turning the cam cylindrical portion, using a screwdriver. The pin is screwed on the vertical component internal side. Screw with metric thread on the component, on the part of thread of which extending at the vertical component internal side is screwed on, is pushed, as a rule, through the through-hole in the vertical component. The disadvantage of this type of arrangement consists once again in the problematic connection of honeycombed boards, which have to be provided with a frame.

When connecting by way of butt-jointing, two boards are connected at a single plane, whether by means of pins or a spring and a slot or by utilizing special connection elements, predominantly of the lock type. Possible fixation of the connection is done e.g. from the rear side if possible, by means of overlapping, using metal sheet strip, chipboard or similar materials.

The disadvantage of this type of arrangement consists once again in the problematic connection of honeycombed boards, which have to be provided with a frame.

The present state of the art offers for the above technical field a number of solutions, both in the foreign and local patent files, namely, for the angular connection. Of the wide range of these solutions we have selected one foreign and one local file.

One of the examples of a known solution is referred to in the file GB 2 156 939 "A Support Fitting". The support fitting, a solution to be used specifically, but not exclusively, during an assembly or positioning of the furniture design feature, where the support forging comprises the connection defining a couple of co-planar and angularly positioned through-holes facing the same side of a body and where each of them is adjusted to mount the design feature edge (rim). Through -holes are configured perpendicularly in-between each other and they namely centrally cross the axis of the assembly dowel or pin.

The above solution provides for a rather operational and relatively reliable connection of the furniture components, especially, furniture boards/panels, but is relatively complicated and demanding from the manufacturing point of view and must be accompanied with various additional members, such as the blocking, fixing and controlling means. All that results in a considerable increase of production costs.

The closest solution is presented by the Czech utility model No. 17573, titled "Assembly Body to Connect Unmovable Furniture Components", the substance of which consists in that it has two parts, namely, the base body and the wedge part, where the base body is designated for connection with the wedge part, being inserted during assembly in this base body, when an internal profile trapezoid slot is created in the base body with the bevel angle a and the lateral walls of which are bevelled in a dovetail way outwards and the internal surface of which is complementary to the wedge body internal surface, while both the parts are connected in a self-locking way after having been mutually inserted. In one design the base body is provided with a stop on its front with the narrower part of the internal profile wedge slot, defining the position of the wedge body insertion.

In another convenient design the base body is made without a stop on its front, where the position of the wedge body insertion is only defined by the mutual complementary shape of both the parts, respectively.

This invention was relatively simple and reliable but showed certain drawbacks. The main one consisted in utilization of the initial metallic, semi-finished product, whether the steel one, aluminium one and, subsequently, zinc one, being quite costly. These metallic semifinished products had to be additionally machined by means of cutting operation, resulting once again in increased costs. A design in which the base body is provided with a stop on its front with the narrower part of the internal profile wedge slot, defining the position on of the wedge body insertion, did not prove successful from the operational point view. Upon inserting the wedge body in the internal profile trapezoid wedge slot of the base body to a stop the boards of the components to be connected were connected. Owing to inaccuracies during the cutting operation the required insertion to a stop did not take place and thus the mutual position was not exactly defined.

That is why there arose a task, how to create the furniture forging for a fast angular connection during the assembly of furniture boards, which would be based on the known solutions but would be more reliable, simpler from the manufacturing point of view and therefore also considerably cheaper.

Disclosure of Invention

The above task is solved and to a greater extent eliminated by the wedge connection to connect unmovable furniture components, consisting of two parts, namely: the base body and the wedge body, designated for connection with the base body, while being inserted in the base body during assembly, where the base body shape is essentially designed as a small rectangular plate, provided in the longitudinal axis with the internal continuous bevel slot, the lateral walls of which are bevelled in a dovetail way outwards and the internal wedge surface of which is complementary with the wedge body external surface, when the base body and the wedge body are connected in a self-locking way after their mutual insertion and the base body is made without a stop on its front, where the position of the wedge body insertion is only defined by the mutual complementary wedge shape of both the parts according to the invention the substance of which consists in that between the surface of the internal continuous bevel slot of the base body and the base body external surface is created a longitudinal trapezoid extension, which becomes wider in the direction of the continuous bevel slot narrowing.

In the convenient design a longitudinal slot passing throughout the whole length of the longitudinal trapezoid extension is created in this extension.

In another convenient design the longitudinal slot creates on the extension two longitudinal ribs and the internal one is arranged in a flexibly deformable way in relation to the wedge body.

In another convenient design the base body and the wedge body are made of plastic.

In another convenient design the plastic material is selected from the group of materials including polyamides with the glass fibre content.

In another convenient design the glass fibre content is within a range of 20% to 40%, volume, related to plastic.

The advantage of this arrangement consists in that the base body and the wedge body are created ready-made by way of injection from plastic, without the necessity of an additional cutting operation, which results in a reduction of laboriousness and material savings.

The base body of the wedge connection with the internal continuous bevel slot is fastened to one board of the component to be connected, and the wedge body of the wedge connection as a counterpart is fastened to the other board of the component to be connected. Number of the assembly connections is given by the length of components to be connected. The components must be however connected, as a minimum, by two assembly connections. The base body of a wedge connection is usually sunk in the assembly recess created on the surface or the edge of the component to be connected. As regards honeycombed boards, the lower part of the assembly recess in the board edge is provided with the "supporting edge", which or to which the base body of the wedge connection fits or is fastened, namely, by means of wood screws.

When assembling, the boards of the components to be connected, with the fastened wedge connection bodies, are put by the connection edges against each other, whether at an angle of 90°, 45° or by way of butt-jointing, being mutually shifted so that to enable insertion of both the bodies of the wedge connection into each other. Upon inserting the wedge body in the internal profile trapezoid slot of the base body the boards of the components to be connected will be connected. The connection is self-locking.

The wedge connection according to the invention is advantageous thanks to that it is usable both for the full boards, i.e. wood, chipboards, MDF, etc., and the honeycombed boards. It makes it possible to connect boards of the components to be connected even if they have different thickness. The connection is easily assembled and can be easily dismantled. The major utilization is in respect of honeycombed boards, where it enables problematic connections of dovetail boards without the frame, which are produced according to the latest technologies.

Brief Description of Drawings

The invention will be clarified more in detail according to the drawings where Fig. 1A diagrammatically shows the front view, side view and ground-plan of the wedge connection base body and Fig. IB diagrammatically shows the wedge connection base body within an axonometric illustration; Fig. 2A diagrammatically shows the front view, side view and ground-plan of the wedge connection wedge body and Fig. 2B diagrammatically shows the wedge connection wedge body within an axonometric illustration; Fig. 3 diagrammatically shows the connection of boards of the components to be connected within an axonometric illustration, at the mutually inserted positions of both the bodies of the wedge connection; Fig. 4 shows magnified, within an axonometric illustration, the wedge connection base body; Fig. 5 shows magnified, within an axonometric illustration, the wedge connection wedge body; and Fig. 6 shows magnified, within an axonometric illustration, the connection of the base body and wedge body at the mutually inserted positions, while Figs. 4 to 6 are without the reference signs.

Made for Carrying out the Invention

Fig. 1A diagrammatically shows the front view, side view and ground-plan of the wedge connection base body1 and Fig. IB diagrammatically shows the wedge connection base body I within an axonometric illustration. Similarly, Fig. 2A diagrammatically shows the front view, side view and ground-plan of the wedge connection wedge body 8 and Fig. 2B diagrammatically shows the wedge connection wedge body 8 within an axonometric illustration. The wedge connection to connect immovable furniture components consists of two parts, namely, the base body I and the wedge body 8, designated for connection with the base body 1, when it is inserted during assembly in this base body 1, where the base body 1 is essentially shaped as a small rectangular plate provided in the longitudinal axis with the internal continuous bevel slot 4, the lateral walls of which are bevelled in a dovetail way outwards and the internal wedge surface of which is complementary with the wedge body 8 external surface, and the base body 1 and the wedge body 8 are connected in self-locked way after mutual insertion and the base body I is made without a stop on its front 2, where the position of insertion of the wedge body 8 is only defined by mutual complementary wedge shape of both the bodies I and 8. Between the surface of the internal continuous bevel slot 4 of the base body 1 and the external surface of the base body 1 there is created a longitudinal trapezoid extension 9, becoming wider in the direction of the continuous bevel slot 4 narrowing.

In the convenient design the longitudinal slot 6 passing throughout the whole length of the longitudinal trapezoid extension 9 is created in this extension 9.

In another convenient design the longitudinal slot 6 creates on the above extension 9 two longitudinal ribs 10, when the internal one of the two ribs 10 is arranged in a flexibly deformable way in relation to the wedge body 8. This advantage is made possible just due to the wedge connection design based on plastics.

The base body 1 lower part is provided with a continuous recess 5 and unmarked relieving slots for material savings. This benefit is once again made possible thanks to the wedge connection design based on plastics.

The continuous recess 5 is adjusted to special dowels, where a couple of dowels is connected be means of plastic strip used to speed up the assembly. A similar but unmarked recess is made on the wedge body 8 external part. The assembly holes 7 provided with chamfering 3 for the fastening wood screws or screws are created in the base body I and wedge body 8.

The base body I of the wedge connection with the internal bevel slot 4 is fastened to one board I of the component to be connected and the wedge body 8 as a counterpart is fastened to the other board II of the component to be connected. Number of the assembly bodies is given by the length of the components to be connected. The components must be however connected by means of minimum two assembly bodies. The base body I of the wedge connection is usually countersunk in the assembly recess created on the surface or edge of the board of the component to be connected. As regards honeycombed boards, the lower part of the assembly recess in the board edge is provided with the "supporting edge", which and to which the base body of the wedge connection fits and is fastened, especially, by means of wood screws.

When assembling, the boards of the components to be connected - with the fastened bodies 1 and 8 of the wedge connection - are put by the connecting edges against each other, whether at an angle of 90°, 45° or butt-jointed, mutually shifted so that both the bodies 1 and 8 of the wedge connection can be inserted in each other. Upon inserting the wedge body 8 in the internal continuous bevel slot 4 of the base body 1 the boards of the components to be connected will be connected. The connection is of a self-locking type. Connection of both the boards I and ILof the components to be connected at right angle, at the mutually inserted positions of both the bodies 1 and 8 of the wedge connection, is diagrammatically shown in Fig. 3.

For a better representation of the wedge connection the Brief Description of Drawings (overview of pictures) has been supplemented with Figs. 4 to 6, where the wedge connection base body, the wedge connection wedge body and finally the connection of the base and wedge bodies in mutually inserted condition are shown magnified and within an axonometric illustration.

List of reference signs:

1 base body

2 base body front

3 assembly hole chamfering

4 internal continuous bevel slot

5 continuous recess

6 longitudinal slot

7 assembly hole

8 wedge body

9 longitudinal trapezoid extension

10 rib

I one board of the component to be connected

II the other board of the component to be connected

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. The wedge connection to connect immovable furniture components, which consists of two parts, namely, the base body (1) and the wedge body (8), designated for connection with the base body (1), when it is inserted during assembly in the base body (1), where the base body (1) has essentially the shape of a small rectangular plate provided in the longitudinal axis with the internal continuous bevel slot (4), the lateral walls of which are bevelled in a dovetail way outwards and the internal wedge surface of which is complementary with the external surface of the wedge body (8), and the base body (1) and the wedge body (8) are connected in a self-locked way after mutual insertion and the base body (1) is made without a stop on its front, where the position of insertion of the wedge body (8) is only defined by mutual complementary wedge shape of both the parts, characterised by the fact that between the surface of the internal continuous bevel slot (4) of the base body (1) and the external surface of the base body (1) is created a longitudinal trapezoid extension (9), becoming wider in the direction of the continuous bevel slot (4) narrowing.

2. The wedge connection according to claim 1, characterised by the fact that the longitudinal slot (6) passing throughout the whole length of the longitudinal trapezoid extension (9) is created in this extension (9).

3. The wedge connection according to claim 2, characterised by the fact that the longitudinal slot (6) creates on the extension (9) two longitudinal ribs (10), when the internal one of the two ribs (10) is arranged in a flexibly deformable way in relation to the wedge body (8).

4. The wedge connection according to any one of the claims 1 through 3 above, characterised by the fact that the base body (1) and the wedge body (8) are created from plastic.

5. The wedge connection according to claim 4, characterised by the fact that the plastic was selected from the group of materials including polyamides with the glass fibre content.

6. The wedge connection according to the claims 4 and 5 above, characterised by the fact that the glass fibre content is within a range of 20% to 40%, volume, related to plastic.