Wall hanging system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12516692-B2
Application number	US-202217987674-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2022
Priority date	Aug 24, 2018
Publication date	Jan 6, 2026
Grant date	Jan 6, 2026

Abstract

A furniture assembly and/or a mechanical coupling system for coupling furniture parts together to form an assembled article of furniture. The furniture assembly may include first and second furniture parts, each of which includes a board or other structural member and a coupler. The first furniture part may include a male coupler attached to the board and the second furniture part may include a female coupler attached to the board. The male and female couplers may be coupled together to thereby couple the first and second furniture parts together to form the assembled article of furniture. The male and female couplers may include engagement features that facilitate the coupling of the furniture parts together and to prevent them from becoming detached during normal use of the assembled article of furniture.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A furniture assembly comprising:
a first board comprising a first surface, a second surface, and an edge extending between the first and second surfaces; a first pair of first couplers coupled to the edge of the first board and positioned in a spaced apart manner along a first linear portion of the edge; a second board comprising a first surface, a second surface, and an edge extending between the first and second surfaces; a first pair of second couplers coupled to the first surface of the second board and positioned in a spaced apart manner; wherein the first and second boards are configured to be coupled together by engagement between the first pair of first couplers and the first pair of second couplers to form at least a portion of an article of furniture; a pair of first apertures formed into the edge of the first board and a pair of second apertures formed into the first surface of the second board, wherein each of the first couplers is at least partially positioned within one of the first apertures, and wherein each of the second couplers is at least partially positioned within one of the second apertures; and wherein each of the second couplers comprises a cavity within which one of the first couplers is positioned when the first and second boards are coupled together, and wherein each of the second couplers is compressed by a wall which defines the second aperture within which the second coupler is at least partially positioned to reduce a width of a portion of the cavity and create a snap-over feature that locks the first coupler to the second coupler as the first coupler slides past the snap-over feature.

2 . The furniture assembly according to claim 1 wherein the first and second boards are formed from fiberboard and the first and second couplers are formed from plastic.

3 . The furniture assembly according to claim 2 wherein the first and second boards are formed from a particle board having a density below 700 kg/m 3 .

4 . The furniture assembly according to claim 1 wherein the first couplers are male couplers comprising a first portion that is embedded within the first board and a second portion that protrudes from the edge of the first board, the second portion comprising at least one first engagement feature.

5 . The furniture assembly according to claim 4 wherein the second couplers are female couplers comprising an inner surface that defines the cavity comprising an insertion portion and a locking portion, and wherein the second portion of each of the male couplers is inserted into the insertion portion of the cavity of one of the female couplers and then slid within the cavity to the locking portion of the cavity, the inner surface of each of the female couplers comprising a second engagement feature that mates with the first engagement feature of the male coupler to couple the first and second boards to one another.

6 . The furniture assembly according to claim 1 wherein each of the first couplers comprises a first portion that is positioned within one of the first apertures formed into the edge of the first board and a second portion that protrudes from the edge of the first board, and wherein each of the second couplers is positioned entirely within one of the second apertures formed into the first surface of the second board so that no portion of the second couplers protrudes beyond the first surface of the second board.

7 . The furniture assembly according to claim 6 wherein the first portion of each of the first couplers comprises a plurality of barbs that engage a sidewall of the first aperture to couple the first coupler to the first board, and wherein an outer surface of each of the second couplers comprises a plurality of barbs that engage a sidewall of the second aperture to couple the second coupler to the second board.

8 . The furniture assembly according to claim 6 wherein the second portion of each of the first couplers has an hourglass shape comprising a waist portion that forms a first engagement feature and wherein each of the second couplers comprises an inner surface having a protuberance that forms a second engagement feature, and wherein the protuberance of the second coupler is configured to nest within the waist portion of the first couplers to lock the first and second couplers to one another.

9 . The furniture assembly according to claim 1 further comprising a second pair of second couplers coupled to the first surface of the first board and positioned in a spaced apart manner.

10 . The furniture assembly according to claim 9 further comprising a second pair of first couplers coupled to the edge of the second board.

11 . The furniture assembly according to claim 1 wherein the first and second boards are formed from particle board.

12 . The furniture assembly according to claim 1 wherein each of the first apertures is round and wherein each of the second apertures is oval shaped.

13 . The furniture assembly according to claim 1 wherein there are no adhesive materials coupling the first and second couplers to the first and second boards, respectively, and wherein the first and second couplers are not welded to the first and second boards, respectively.

14 . The furniture assembly according to claim 1 wherein each of the first and second couplers is formed from glass filled nylon.

15 . The furniture assembly according to claim 1 wherein the second couplers are distinct components from the second board that are coupled to the second board.

Assignees

• Mcs Industries Inc

Inventors

• Bastian Geoffrey William
• Pyle Michael Lee
• Kressin Matthew Scott
• Coyle Jr Robert Terry

Classifications

• F16B12/24

  using separate pins, dowels, or the like · CPC title

• F16B21/09

  Releasable fastening devices with a stud engaging a keyhole slot · CPC title

• F16B5/0032

  by moving the sheets, plates, or panels or the interlocking key parallel to the abutting edge · CPC title

• F16B12/26

  using snap-action elements · CPC title

• F16B12/22 Primary

  using keyhole-shaped slots and pins · CPC title