Interlocking means and piece of furniture comprising the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12048378-B2
Application number	US-201917281660-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2019
Priority date	Oct 1, 2018
Publication date	Jul 30, 2024
Grant date	Jul 30, 2024

Abstract

The present invention relates to an interlocking means for connecting a first panel, second panel and a leg of a piece of furniture with each other, wherein the interlocking means comprises an elongated element and a brace element. The elongated element comprises a portion configured to be attached to a first surface of the first panel and a first surface of the second panel and either a securing means configured to receive an interconnection element protruding from the leg or an interconnection element configured to match a securing means formed in the leg. The brace element comprises a portion configured to be attached to a second surface of the first panel and a second surface of the second panel and a through opening configured to receive the interconnection element.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An interlocking means for connecting a first panel, a second panel and a leg of a piece of furniture with each other, comprising:
an elongated element; and
a brace element; wherein:
the elongated element comprises:
a portion configured to be attached to a first upper surface of the first panel and to a first upper surface of the second panel, and
either a securing means configured to receive an interconnection element protruding from the leg or an interconnection element configured to match a securing means formed in the leg; and

the brace element comprises:
a portion configured to be attached to a second lower surface of the first panel and
a second lower surface of the second panel, and
a through opening configured to receive the interconnection element; and

wherein the elongated element is configured to not extend over an outer surface of the first panel and to not extend over an outer surface of the second panel, and the brace element is configured to not extend over the outer surface of the first panel and to not extend over the outer surface of the second panel.

2. The interlocking means according to claim 1 , wherein the securing means is or comprises a threaded hole and the interconnection element is or comprises a screw.

3. The interlocking means according to claim 1 , wherein the elongated element comprises an angular sheet element or a solid beam element configured to abut a third inner surface of the first panel and a third inner surface of the second panel.

4. The interlocking means according to claim 1 , wherein the elongated element comprises collar portions configured to be attached to the first surface of the first panel and the first surface of the second panel.

5. The interlocking means according to claim 4 , wherein first guiding pins protrude from the collar portions.

6. The interlocking means according to claim 1 , wherein the brace element comprises a flat main surface comprising the through opening.

7. The interlocking means according to claim 6 , wherein second guiding pins protrude from the flat main surface.

8. A piece of furniture comprising:
a first panel having a first upper surface, a first lower surface, a first inner surface, and a first outer surface;
a second panel having a second upper surface, a second lower surface, a second inner surface, and a second outer surface;
a leg; and
an interlocking means comprising:
an elongated element; and
a brace element; and wherein
the elongated element comprises:
a portion configured to be attached to the first upper surface of the first panel and the first upper surface of the second panel, and
either a securing means configured to receive an interconnection element protruding from the leg or an interconnection element configured to match a securing means formed in the leg; and

the brace element comprises:
a portion configured to be attached to the second lower surface of the first panel and to the second lower surface of the second panel,
a through opening configured to receive the interconnection element; and

wherein the elongated element is configured to not extend over the outer surface of the first panel and to not extend over the outer surface of the second panel, and the brace element is configured to not extend over the outer surface of the first panel and to not extend over the outer surface of the second panel.

9. The piece of furniture according to claim 8 , wherein
the first panel is secured at a first end of the first panel to a second end of the second panel abutting the first end of the first panel by the interlocking means and the first panel and the second panel are secured to the leg by the interlocking means, the interlocking means being in a state of coupling with the leg by means of the interconnection element and the securing means.

10. The piece of furniture according to claim 9 , wherein in the state of coupling:
the leg abuts the brace element;
the brace element abuts a lower surface of the first panel and a lower surface of the second panel,
the first panel and the second panel abut each other, in particular, at an angle of 90°; and
the elongated element abuts an inner surface of the first panel, an upper surface of the first panel, an inner surface of the second panel and an upper surface of the second panel.

11. The piece of furniture according to claim 8 , wherein the piece of furniture is a mattress base for a bed, in particular, for a box spring bed.

12. A bed, in particular, a box spring bed, comprising the piece of furniture according to claim 11 .

13. A method of manufacturing a piece of furniture, in particular, a mattress base for a bed, with the steps of:
providing a first panel having a first upper surface, a first lower surface, and a first inner surface, and a first outer surface;
providing a second panel having a second upper surface, a second lower surface, and a second inner surface, and a second outer surface;
providing a leg;
providing an interlocking mean comprising:
an elongated element; and
a brace element; and wherein
the elongated element comprises:
a portion configured to be attached to the first upper surface of the first panel and the first upper surface of the second panel, and
either a securing means configured to receive an interconnection element protruding from the leg or an interconnection element configured to match a securing means formed in the leg; and

the brace element comprises:
a portion configured to be attached to the second lower surface of the first panel and to the second lower surface of the second panel,
a through opening configured to receive the interconnection element; and

wherein the elongated element is configured to not extend over the outer surface of the first panel and to not extend over the outer surface of the second panel, and the brace element is configured to not extend over the outer surface of the first panel and to not extend over the outer surface of the second panel;
attaching the interlocking means to the first panel and the second panel comprising attaching the elongated element to the first upper surface, the second upper surface, the first inner surface and the second inner surface and attaching the brace element to the first lower surface and the second lower surface; and
securing the interconnection element to the securing means through the through opening thereby securing the first panel, the second panel and the leg to each other.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein
the attaching of the elongated element to the first upper surface, the second upper surface, the first inner surface and the second inner surface comprises inserting first guiding pins protruding from collar portions of the elongated element into blind bores formed in the first upper surface of the first panel and into blind bores formed in the second upper surface of the second panel; and/or
the attaching of the brace element to the first lower surface and the second lower surface comprises inserting second guiding pins protruding from a flat main surface of the brace element into blind bores formed in the first lower surface of the first panel and into blind bores formed in the second lower surface of the second panel.

Assignees

• Ikea Supply Ag

Inventors

• Giver Markus

Classifications

• A47C19/024

  Legs · CPC title

• F16B12/54 Primary

  Fittings for bedsteads or the like · CPC title

• F16B12/50

  Metal corner connections · CPC title

• A47C19/025

  Direct mattress support frames, Cross-bars · CPC title

• A47C19/021

  Bedstead frames · CPC title