Furniture article with interchangeable panel set

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10653241-B2
Application number	US-201815996063-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2018
Priority date	Jun 13, 2012
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

Furniture, such as a bed, dresser, cabinetry has a display system affixing a stack of interchangeable decorative panels to the furniture. The display system has an overlaying panelar frame that captures the stack of panels and has at least one elongated fastener securing the overlaying panelar frame on to a surface of the furniture item. The stack of interchangeable panels are each visually different such as having different colors and/or patterns and can be sandwiched between the overlaying panelar frame and the mounting surface in a pocket to immovably maintain the interchangeable panels against the furniture component. The stack of interchangeable panels can be rearranged such that a different panel is placed on top of the stack or the outermost position and thereby be visible through the opening in the overlaying panelar frame.

First claim

We claim:

1. A piece of furniture with a display system, the piece of furniture comprising:
a drawer with a display system, the drawer being receivable in a piece of furniture, the drawer comprising:
a front drawer panel having an exteriorly exposed vertical planar mounting surface extending to four peripheral edges of the drawer panel and the display system removably mounted on the exteriorly exposed vertical planar mounting surface, the display system comprising:
a panelar frame overlaying a covered portion of the planar mounting surface, the panelar frame comprising a primary frame and a secondary structure, the primary frame comprising four frame members arranged in a rectangle, the secondary structure connected to and extending between the four frame members, the secondary structure comprising a lattice work defining a plurality of windows, the panelar frame and the planar mounting surface defining a six-sided pocket;
a stack disposed inside the six-sided pocket, the stack comprising a plurality of interchangeable decorative panels, each of the interchangeable decorative panels having two opposing side surfaces and four edges; and
an elongate fastener extending through the secondary structure and the stack, the elongate fastener removably securing the four frame members to the drawer panel via the secondary structure, the elongate fastener extending in a direction orthogonal to the planar mounting surface of the drawer panel;
wherein the four frame members of the panelar frame are spaced from the four peripheral edges such that an uncovered portion of the planar mounting surface between the overlaying panelar frame and the four peripheral edges extends around the display system and is exteriorly exposed, and wherein when the display system is removed from the planar mounting surface the uncovered portion and covered portion are continuous and planar with respect to one another.

2. The piece of furniture with a display system of claim 1 , the display system further comprising a knob attached to the elongate fastener with the secondary structure and the stack of interchangeable decorative panels disposed between the knob and a head of the fastener, the knob compressing the secondary structure and the stack of interchangeable decorative panels against the planar mounting surface.

3. The piece of furniture with a display system of claim 1 , wherein each of the decorative panels defines an aperture, the apertures in alignment when the decorative panels are in the stack, and wherein the fastener extends through the apertures of the decorative panels.

4. The piece of furniture with a display system of claim 3 , wherein each of the interchangeable decorative panels further comprises a plurality of flexible fingers surrounding the aperture defined by the decorative panel, whereby the plurality of flexible fingers flex individually.

5. The piece of furniture with a display system of claim 4 , wherein a locating nub is engaged in the collective apertures of the stack of interchangeable decorative panels, the locating nub having a diameter greater than a shaft of the elongate fastener, and the elongate fastener extending through the locating nub, the flexible fingers contacting the locating nub.

6. The piece of furniture with a display system of claim 5 , wherein the locating nub is unitary with the panelar frame.

7. The piece of furniture with a display system of claim 1 wherein a second elongate fastener secures the overlaying panelar frame to the planar mounting surface and the piece of furniture with the display system further comprising a pair of knobs outwardly exposed and each attached respectively to one of the two elongate fasteners.

8. The piece of furniture with a display system of claim 1 wherein the overlaying panelar frame comprises a locating nub, a portion of the locating nub being received in a cooperating hole defined by the planar mounting surface, the locating nub having a diameter greater than a shaft of the elongate fastener, and the elongate fastener extending through the locating nub.

9. The piece of furniture with a display system of claim 8 , wherein the locating nub is unitary with the panelar frame.

10. The piece of furniture with a display system of claim 1 wherein each frame member defines a recess, each recess being L-shaped when each frame member is viewed in cross-section, and the recesses, in combination, capture all four edges of the decorative interchangeable panels.

11. The piece of furniture with a display system of claim 1 at least four interchangeable decorative panels are stacked and sandwiched between the panelar frame and the planar mounting surface and only an outermost interchangeable decorative panel is visible through the windows.

12. The piece of furniture with a display system of claim 1 wherein the six-sided pocket constrains the stack on six sides whereby the interchangeable decorative panels cannot be removed without first removing the panelar frame from the planar mounting surface.

13. A piece of furniture with a display system, the piece of furniture comprising a drawer and the drawer comprising:
a front drawer panel having a rectangular shape with a front side, a rear side, four peripheral edges including an upper and a lower peripheral edge, and a fastener hole extending through the front drawer panel from the back side to the front side, the hole centered between the upper and lower peripheral edge, the front drawer panel further having a planar mounting surface extending between four peripheral edges of the front drawer panel, the planar mounting surface extending uninterrupted between the upper peripheral edge and the fastener hole and further extending uninterrupted between the lower peripheral edge and the fastener hole and;
the display system removably mounted to the vertical planar mounting surface and spaced from and centered between the upper peripheral edge and lower peripheral edge inwardly exposing an upper portion of the vertical planar mounting surface and a lower portion of the vertical planar mounting surface;
the display system comprising: a panelar frame defining a plurality of windows and a recess facing the vertical planar mounting surface, a stack of decorative panels positioned within the recess, and a threaded fastener extending through the fastener hole, through the stack of decorative panels, and through the panelar frame and connecting with a knob positioned in front of the panelar frame.

14. The piece of furniture of claim 13 wherein the panelar frame and planar mounting surface define a six-sided pocket constraining the stack with a central portion of the vertical planar mounting surface and not a peripheral portion of the vertical planar mounting surface, the planar mounting surface defining only one side of the six-sided pocket.

15. A piece of furniture with a display system, the piece of furniture comprising
a drawer with a forward drawer panel having four peripheral edges defining a rectangular profile and having a planar mounting surface extending between the four peripheral edges,
the display system removably mounted to the planar mounting surface with at least one threaded fastener, the display system spaced inwardly on the planar mounting surface from each of the four peripheral edges whereby the planar mounting surface is exposed intermediate each of the four peripheral edges and the display system, the display system comprising a panel frame with lattice work defining windows and defining in conjunction with the planar mounting surface a six-sided pocket, a stack of decorative panels constrained within the six-sided pocket, wherein th

Assignees

• Ashley Furniture Ind Inc
• Ashley Furnitures Ind Inc

Inventors

• Janke Harry

Classifications

• Y10T428/24008

  including fastener for attaching to external surface · CPC title

• A47B88/956

  for enabling adjustment of the front panel · CPC title

• Y10T29/49963

  Threaded fastener · CPC title

• A47B2096/207

  Furniture panels consisting of a frame with interchangeable insertable panel · CPC title

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title