"ATTACHING AND REGULATING DEVICE FOR FURNISHING

ELEMENTS"

* * * * *

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention concerns a device to attach and regulate the installation position of a furnishing element, or at least a part of it, with respect to an attachment wall. In particular, the device according to the invention allows to regulate the position of the furnishing element, or part of it, at least in a substantially vertical direction, and therefore in height. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Furnishing elements are known, such as equipped walls, suspended wall units, chests of drawers or other, mounted suspended above the floor, near a supporting wall.

It is known that, to guarantee a correct and safe attachment of the furnishing element to the supporting wall, relative attachment and regulation mechanisms are used which allow to adjust the position of the furnishing element with respect to the supporting wall by some millimeters. In this way, once assembly is completed, the furnishing element is correctly aligned and positioned with respect to the supporting wall. Different types of regulation mechanisms are known, which normally comprise an attachment bar able to be attached to the supporting wall, and an attachment hook associated in adjustable manner to the furnishing element, by means of regulation members mounted externally to the furnishing element.

The attachment hook cooperates with the attachment bar, to determine the attachment of the furnishing element to the supporting wall, while by acting on the regulation members it is possible to reciprocally vary the position of the hook with respect to the furnishing element, thus determining the movement, at least in height, of the latter with respect to the wall.

Known regulation mechanisms are very complex, however, both from the point of view of production, and also as far as use is concerned, and they do not guarantee much possibility of regulation.

Furthermore, since they have the regulation members mounted externally, known regulation mechanisms comprise specific covers, or are positioned in

zones hidden from view, for example inside compartments closed by doors, drawers or other, which therefore cause difficult access for regulation.

For this reason, known attachment and regulation mechanisms are not used for the suspended assembly of open furnishing elements, such as bookshelves, shelves or suchlike.

One purpose of the present invention is to achieve an attaching and regulating device for furnishing elements which is economical to make and simple to use, and which allows a great and effective regulation of the position of the furnishing element with respect to the wall. Another purpose of the present invention is to achieve an attaching and regulating device which can also be used for the assembly of open furnishing elements on the supporting wall, without requiring specific covers or concealment.

The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is set forth and characterized in the independent claim, while the dependent claims describe other characteristics of the invention or variants to the main inventive idea.

An attaching and regulating device according to the present invention is applied to attach and regulate the position of a furnishing element, provided with at least a panel, with respect to a supporting wall.

In accordance with the above purposes, the attaching and regulating device according to the present invention comprises at least a first member able to be mounted stably on the supporting wall, and at least a second member able to be attached to the panel and with which the first member cooperates in order to determine the attachment of the panel to the supporting wall. The second member is conformed so as to determine a regulation of the position of the panel with respect to the supporting wall, at least along a first, substantially vertical, axis.

According to a characteristic feature of the present invention, the second member comprises at least a containing structure conformed so that it can be positioned firmly inside the thickness of the panel, and having at least an aperture

facing toward the outside of the panel, to allow the at least partial insertion of the first member.

According to the invention, the second member also comprises a slider element disposed sliding inside the containing structure, so that it can be taken selectively into movement in a direction substantially parallel to the first axis. The slider element is conformed so as to cooperate directly with the first member to define the attachment of the panel to the supporting wall and the regulation of the position along the first axis.

Advantageously, the second member comprises a screw element that cooperates with the slider element in order to actuate the movement thereof, in a guided manner, in said direction substantially parallel to the first axis. This advantageous solution allows to carry out the regulation of the position of the panel even when already assembled.

In this way, the attaching and regulating device according to the present invention is easy and economical to make and simple to actuate, by acting on the screw element.

Furthermore, since the containing structure is positioned comprised inside the thickness of the panel, the whole attaching and regulating device, when the furnishing element is assembled, is substantially hidden from view. Therefore, the attaching and regulating device according to the present invention does not need covers or hidden assemblies.

The solution according to the present invention is thus advantageously applied in the assembly of open furnishing elements on a supporting wall.

According to a variant, the containing structure comprises, on the side opposite the aperture, at least a first anchor element able to clamp the containing structure with respect to the panel, at least with respect to a direction substantially parallel to the first axis.

According to another variant, the containing structure comprises at least a second anchor element able to clamp the containing structure with respect to the panel, at least with respect to a direction substantially perpendicular to the first axis.

Both the first anchor element and the possible second anchor element are conformed so as to be completely comprised inside the thickness of the panel.

According to another variant, the attaching and regulating device comprises at least a third member, independent with respect to the first member and the second member, also conformed so as to be positioned firmly inside the thickness of the panel, and comprising at least a thruster facing toward the outside of the panel, and an actuation mechanism, for example a screw, kinematically connected to the thruster.

The thruster is thus able to be selectively actuated so that, when the furnishing element is assembled on the supporting wall, it exerts a thrust against the supporting wall so as to effect a regulation of the positioning of the furnishing element in a direction substantially parallel to a second axis, which second axis is substantially perpendicular to the first axis.

In this way, the attaching and regulating device according to the present invention allows to regulate the position of the furnishing element with respect to the supporting wall substantially along at least two axes. Indeed, apart from guaranteeing the attachment and regulation in height of the furnishing element with respect to the supporting wall, the device according to the present invention allows to regulate the verticality of the furnishing element, irrespective of any possible inclination of the supporting wall.

According to another variant, the first member is thinner than the slider element with which it cooperates, so as to allow a relative lateral movement of the second member with respect to the first, and hence a regulation of lateral centering of the panel.

With this variant, the attaching and regulating device according to the present invention also allows the lateral centering of the position of the furnishing element with respect to the supporting wall, substantially along another, third axis.

According to another variant, the first member comprises one or more spacer elements able to be interposed between itself and the supporting wall, so as to be able to carry out another regulation in a direction substantially parallel to the second axis.

According to another variant, by combining the attaching and regulating device to a self-supporting panel of the type described in another patent application in the name of the same Applicant, open furnishing elements can be

made, without external attachment systems and mounted suspended on the supporting wall. The furnishing elements thus made have a greater development in length compared with known ones, and do not need to have recourse to the aid of supporting frames in order to confer the necessary structural rigidity. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferential form of embodiment, given as a non-restrictive example with reference to the attached drawings wherein:

- fig. 1 is a schematic three-dimensional view, partly sectioned, of an attaching and regulating device according to the present invention, applied to a panel of a furnishing element;

- fig. 2 is a cross section of the device in fig. 1, in a first condition of use;

- fig. 3 is a cross section of the device in fig. 1, in a second condition of use.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERENTIAL FORM OF EMBODIMENT

With reference to fig. 1, an attaching and regulating device 10 according to the present invention is applied to a panel 11 of a furnishing element. For example, the furnishing element is of the open type, such as a bookshelf, a shelf or suchlike, mounted on a wall 12, hanging above the floor. For each panel 11 of the furnishing element at least one attaching and regulating device 10 is provided.

In particular, the attaching and regulating device 10 comprises a first member 13 attached to the wall 12, a second member 15 associated with the panel 11 and, in this case, a third member 16 also associated with the panel 11.

The first member 13 comprises a metal plate 17 able to be attached to the wall 12, for example by means of screws or other traditional attachment mans. The first member 13 also comprises a hook 19, substantially trapezoid in shape and solid with the metal plate 17, so that, when the first member 13 is attached to the wall 12, the hook 19 protrudes toward the outside of the wall 12.

The first member 13 optionally comprises one or more spacers 20 able to be disposed between the wall 12 and the metal plate 17, to regulate in a desired manner the distance of the hook 19 from the wall 12.

The second member 15 comprises a container 21 , substantially parallelepiped in shape, hollow inside and able to be disposed in an upper zone of a rear edge of

the panel 11 , completely inside the thickness of the latter. Advantageously, the panel comprises a coordinated housing seating 22 in which the container 21 is completely housed.

The container 21 comprises an aperture 23 which faces toward the wall 12, so as to allow the insertion at least of the hook 19 inside the container 21.

The container 21 also comprises a threaded hole 25 and two lateral guide eyelets 26, the functions of which will be explained in more detail hereafter.

The second member 15 also comprises a slider 27 disposed sliding inside the container 21, in a first direction substantially parallel to a first, substantially vertical, axis X.

The slider 27 is conformed internally to cooperate directly with the hook 19 of the first member 13 and has a lower surface inclined in a coordinated manner with the hook 19, so as to contain the forces generated by the overall weight of the panel 1 1. In particular, the slider 27 has a greater width than the hook 19, so that the second member 15 can be selectively moved sideways with respect to the first member 13. In this way, it is possible to regulate the position of the panel 1 1 laterally with respect to the wall 12.

Furthermore, the slider 27 comprises laterally one or more guide pins 29, for example disposed passing through the slider 27 itself, and able to slide inside the lateral eyelets 26 of the container 21 , to guide the linearity of the sliding of the slider 27.

A threaded command bar 30 is rotatably associated with the slider 27, and is screwed to the threaded hole 25 of the container, so that its rotation determines the reciprocal sliding of the slider 27 and the container 21.

In this way, by acting on the threaded bar 30, since the slider 27 cooperates with the fixed hook 19, the container 21 and consequently the panel 1 1 tend to move in the first direction thus carrying out a regulation in height of the furnishing element. The second member 15 also comprises a first anchor pin 31 and a second anchor pin 32 disposed completely inside the thickness of the panel 1 1. The first anchor pin 31 and the second anchor pin 32 are connected to the container 21 on the opposite side of the aperture 23.

The first anchor pin 31 is directly connected to a rear surface of the container 21 and extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first axis X, so as to clamp the container 21 in the housing seating 22, at least in a direction substantially parallel to the axis X. The second anchor pin 32 is connected to the rear surface of the container 21 by means of a screw 33 and extends in a direction substantially parallel to the first axis X, so as to clamp the container 21 in the housing seating 22, at least in a direction substantially orthogonal to the axis X, that is, to prevent the container 21 from accidentally coming out of the housing seating 22. The third member 16 is mounted in this case in the lower zone of the rear edge of the panel 11, and comprises a cylindrical element 35 disposed completely inside the thickness of the panel 11 , and provided internally with a thruster element 36 facing toward the outside of the panel 11 in order to contact the wall 12. The cylindrical element 35 also comprises an actuation screw 37 which, by means of a substantially known mechanism, determines with its rotation the movement of the thruster in a second direction, substantially parallel to a second axis Y.

The second axis Y is substantially orthogonal to the first axis X. In this way, by acting on the actuation screw 37 a thrust is determined of the thruster element 36 on the wall 12, causing the panel 11 to approach or move away from the wall 12.

In this way it is possible to regulate the verticality of the furnishing element, irrespective of the inclination of the wall 12. It is clear that modifications and/or additions of parts may be made to the attaching and regulating device as described heretofore, without departing from the field and scope of the present invention.

It is also clear that, although the present invention has been described with reference to some specific examples, a person of skill in the art shall certainly be able to achieve many other equivalent forms of attaching and regulating device for furnishing elements, having the characteristics as set forth in the claims and hence all coming within the field of protection defined thereby.