Unified joining and levelling system for parts of furniture and furnishing items

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11219313-B2
Application number	US-201816643475-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 6, 2018
Priority date	Sep 13, 2017
Publication date	Jan 11, 2022
Grant date	Jan 11, 2022

Abstract

A joining and levelling system adapted for use in furniture and furnishing items having a bottom and a shoulder positionable with respect to a floor includes, in combination, a front foot unit and a rear foot unit, each having a connection group and a blocking group of a joining device for stably interconnecting the bottom and the shoulder. The connection group and the blocking group can be actuated from the front with respect to the furniture, the front and rear foot units being positioned beneath the bottom and facing the shoulder, and the bottom and the shoulder not resting on the floor. The front and rear foot units are disposed in an identical body for both the front and the rear foot units, and actuation rods of the joining device are arranged in the rear foot unit and positioned between the front and the rear foot units.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A joining and levelling system adapted for use in furniture and furnishing items with a bottom and a shoulder positionable with respect to a floor comprising, in combination:
a front foot unit; and
a rear foot unit,
wherein the front foot unit comprise a first connection group that includes a first pin having a first cavity at an end thereof, and a first blocking group that includes a first grub screw that engages the first cavity,
wherein the rear foot unit comprise a second connection group that includes a second pin having a second cavity at an end thereof, and a second blocking group that includes a second grub screw that engages the second cavity, the first and the second connection groups and blocking groups being arranged for stably interconnecting said bottom and said shoulder,
wherein said front foot unit and said rear foot unit are positioned beneath said bottom to face said shoulder,
wherein said bottom and said shoulder do not rest on the floor, and
wherein said front foot unit and said rear foot unit have identical bodies ( 16 , 116 ), each of said identical bodies having a first opening on a side disposed to face said shoulder and a second and a third opening on a side disposed to be perpendicular to said shoulder; and
an actuation rod extending between the front foot unit and the rear foot unit,
wherein, in the front foot unit, the first opening receives the first pin, the second opening receives the actuation rod, which extends through the front foot unit, and the third opening receives the first grub screw for engaging the first pin,
wherein, in the rear foot unit, the first opening receives the second pin, and the third opening receives the second grub screw for engaging the second pin, the actuation rod extending angularly in relation to the floor from the second opening in the front foot unit to the second grub screw in the third opening in the rear foot unit, and
wherein the second grub screw is actuated by actuating the actuation rod at the front foot unit.

2. The joining and levelling system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the front foot unit and the rear foot unit further comprises a levelling device with a height adjustment mechanism configured to be maneuvered with a tool, and wherein said levelling device of said front and said rear foot units can be actuated from the front with respect to the furniture.

3. The joining and levelling system according to claim 2 , wherein each of said identical bodies comprises two adjacent housings, a first one of said two adjacent housings receiving the first and respectively the second grub screw, and a second one of said two adjacent housings being configured to selectively house said levelling device to form said front foot unit and, respectively, said rear foot unit.

4. The joining and levelling system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the identical bodies comprises a molded body in a zinc-base alloy, which provides voids and lightening and/or stiffening ribs.

5. The joining and levelling system according to claim 1 , wherein each of said identical bodies is configured to be associated beneath the bottom and face said shoulder, and provides, from on the side disposed to face said shoulder, a protruding appendix or nose which is configured to be inserted in a complementary slot-shaped recess formed in the shoulder.

6. The joining and levelling system according to claim 5 , wherein said protruding appendix or nose has an undercut that is abutted against a side of the bottom facing the shoulder.

7. The joining and levelling system according to claim 1 , wherein each of said identical bodies comprises, in a surface facing said bottom, a pair of upwardly protruding pegs, which are inserted in blind holes formed on a lower surface of said bottom, said blind holes facing downwards in relation to the bottom.

8. The joining and levelling system according to claim 2 , wherein each of said identical bodies comprises a first portion with a smaller dimension that is adjacent to a second portion with a larger dimension, said second portion having two housings adjacent to each other, and being configured to selectively house said levelling device to form said front foot unit or, alternatively, said rear foot unit.

9. The joining and levelling system according to claim 2 ,
wherein said levelling device comprises a casing containing, in an interior thereof, a pinion-toothed crown bevel,
wherein a pinion of said pinion-toothed crown bevel is rotatingly positioned inside the casing and engages a toothed crown of said pinion-toothed crown bevel, said toothed crown being formed as a head of a threaded screw, said toothed crown being rotatable inside the casing without translating longitudinally,
wherein said threaded screw is positioned in a threaded hole inside a hollow pusher element, and is positioned coaxially with respect to an outside of the casing, and
wherein a rotation of the threaded screw causes an upward or downward movement of the hollow pusher element and an adjustment of the levelling device.

10. The joining and levelling system according to claim 1 , wherein said first and respectively said second grub screw is disposed to be moved from an engagement position to a disengagement position with said first and respectively said second pin.

11. The joining and levelling system according to claim 1 , wherein said first pin and said second pin are of equal length.

Assignees

• Leonardo Srl

Inventors

• Cattaneo Carlo

Classifications

• F16B12/2063

  with engaging screw threads as tightening means · CPC title

• F16H25/20

  Screw mechanisms (with automatic reversal F16H25/12) · CPC title

• A47B91/024 Primary

  Foot attached to a rotating bolt supported in an internal thread · CPC title

• F16B2012/145

  Corner connections · CPC title

• F16H2025/2046

  with gears arranged perpendicular to screw shaft axis, e.g. helical gears engaging tangentially the screw shaft · CPC title