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Title:
DISTANCE COUPLING SYSTEM FOR THE ASSEMBLY OF VERTICAL MODULAR SYSTEMS AND THE USE OF SUCH SYSTEM
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2014/125322
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
The invention relates to vertical elements or distance coupling system that are used to form module constructions and allow to assemble modular systems with vertical structure, which ensure rigid connection between module by fixing and locking.

Inventors:
SUBBI TIMO (EE)
Application Number:
PCT/IB2013/001861
Publication Date:
August 21, 2014
Filing Date:
August 28, 2013
Export Citation:
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Assignee:
OUT OF BOX OU (EE)
International Classes:
A47B87/02; F16B12/40
Foreign References:
EP0410325A21991-01-30
DE20313623U12004-10-14
US3053558A1962-09-11
DE102005009244A12005-09-22
FR369896A1907-01-23
SE169180C1
DE29900699U11999-04-22
FR958607A1950-03-15
FR679385A1930-04-11
US3831533A1974-08-27
DE3704042A11988-08-18
DE3704042A11988-08-18
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
KOITEL, Raivo (P.O. Box 1759, Tallinn, EE)
Download PDF:
Claims:
Claims

1. Distance coupling system for the assembly of vertical modular systems, comprising of a column (5), at the one end of which is fixed a male locking component (2) and at the other end a female locking component (1 ), characterised in that the male locking component (2) is a rotary truncated cone-shaped locking component and the female locking component (1 ) is a locking component with a cone-shaped recess, whereas the rotary truncated cone-shaped male locking component (2) fits into the cone-shaped recess of the female locking component (1 ) with the cone-shaped recess. 2. Distance coupling system for the assembly of vertical modular systems, consisting of a column (5), at the one end of which is fixed a male locking component (2) and at the other end a female locking component (1 ), characterised in that the male locking component (2) is a locking component in the shape of the frustrum of a pyramid with three or more planes, and the female locking component (1 ) is a locking component with a pyramid-shaped recess and three or more planes, whereas the male locking component in the shape of the frustrum of a pyramid fits in the pyramid-shaped recess of the female locking component (1 ) with the pyramid-shaped recess.

3. Distance coupling system according to claims 1 and 2, characterised in that both locking components (1 , 2) are supplied with a retainer (3) for the interconnection of locking components in assembling of vertical modular systems.

4. Distance coupling system according to claim 3, characterised in that a double-ended screw is used as the retainer (3). 5. Distance coupling system according to claim 3, characterised in that the female (1 ) locking component is a cylinder inside of which is a cone-shaped recess and on the outer surface of which is an outer thread prepared for receiving the retainer (3) of the male (2) locking component.

6. Distance coupling system according to claims 3 and 5, characterised in that the male locking component (2) is a node consisting of a rotary truncated cone-shaped head and a cylinder-shaped foot and a retainer (3), whereas the diameter of the cylinder-shaped foot is smaller than the diameter of the base of the rotary truncated cone of the rotary truncated cone-shaped head, and the retainer (3) is prepared as a bowl-shaped band at the bottom of which is an opening produced with a diameter consistent with the diameter of the foot of the locking component, so that the step rests behind the truncated cone- shaped head of the male locking component (2), and a thread is formed on the internal surface of the band with a step, corresponding to the outer thread formed on the outer surface of the female locking component (1 ).

7. Distance coupling system according to claim 3, characterised in that the male locking component (2) is a rotary truncated cone-shaped element, which has at least two notches cut on its outer surface for receiving the guide lugs of the retainer (3) of the female locking component (1 ). 8. Distance coupling system according to claims 3 and 7, characterised in that the female locking component (1 ) is a cylinder with a cylindrical foot and head, while the diameter of the foot is smaller than the diameter of the head inside of which is a cone-shaped recess and on the outer surface a guide lug formed, and around of which is a cylindrical retainer (3) with a step at both ends, whereas the step facing the male locking component (2) has a notch cut with dimensions that are consistent with the dimensions of the guide lug prepared on the outer surface of the female locking component (2).

9. Use of distance coupling system for the assembly of vertical modular systems, characterised in that the modular system is assembled by installing columns (5) on top of one another, so that a male locking component (2) of the distance coupling system is fixed in a female (1 ) locking component of another distance coupling system.

10. Use of distance coupling system according to claim 9, characterised in that distance coupling systems are interconnected, using the fastening of a distance coupling system accordingly to claim 4.

11. Use of distance coupling system according to claim 9, characterised in that distance coupling systems are interconnected, using the fastening of a distance coupling system accordingly to claims 5-6.

12. Use of distance coupling system according to claim 9, characterised in that distance coupling systems are interconnected, using the fastening of a distance coupling system accordingly to claims 7-8.

13. Modular furniture, which consists of single modules that use the distance coupling system accordingly to claims 1 -8, characterised in that the distance coupling systems are interconnected by means of the modular base element (6) of modular furniture, which is fixed between the locking component (1 , 2) and the column (5) of the distance coupling system.

14. Modular furniture, characterised in that grooves are formed at the sides of the columns (5) of the distance coupling system for guiding the module elements of modular furniture.

Description:
Distance coupling system for the assembly of vertical modular systems and the use of such system

Technical field

This invention belongs in the field of modular structures, while the invention primarily relates to vertical elements or a distance coupling system used to form modular structures which, for example, allow the preparation of modular furniture with the required height by fixing and locking modules by means of rigid interconnection.

Prior art There are several different known options for the interconnection and fixing of vertical modular structures such as scaffoldings, furniture modules (shelves, cabinets, sets of drawers, etc.) and the components of a furniture module assembled from modules. Generally, assembling is carried out, using couplings in which one of the connection components, such as a vertical column, is fixed to a second vertical column by means of a threaded fitting or dowels, or the end of one column, which has a smaller diameter, is pushed inside the second column.

From the patent DE3704042, 18.08.1988 is known the structure of a modular shelf, where support elements installed in the comers of the shelf consist of upper and lower elements with a notch and of cylindrical spacer elements between them, providing the mutual distance between the shelves. When a shelf is assembled, the support element with a notch is mounted in the corner of the shelf, so that the corner of the shelf remains inside the notch in the support element, then the interim spacer element that determines the distance between the shelves is mounted to the top of the support element, and to the spacer element the next support element, which as a notch at the top for the next shelf. A drawback to this structure is the complexity of preparing the single support elements as well as the complexity of disassembling the support elements from one another, should it be necessary to relocate the shelf. Description of the invention

The objective of the technical solution proposed in this invention is to improve the interconnection of modules in a vertical modular system by making it more stable, lash-free and rigid. The objective of the invention is for example to improve the interconnection of the modules of a modular furniture assembled by the user from simple sub-modules (shelves, cabinets, drawers), and the interconnection of these modular elements by providing a fixing that is more stable, lash-free and more rigid.

The objective of this invention is to propose an interlocking of modules, which prevents the reciprocal shifting of modules and detaching of modules from one another, for example during the repositioning of modular furniture. At the same time the objective of the invention is also to provide a structure that would allow simple detachment of modules from one another, or disassembly and reconfiguration of modular furniture. In addition, the objective of the invention is to propose a distance coupling system, which allows, for example, assembling of scaffoldings in which the vertical columns are interconnected by means of the locking provided in this invention.

The above-named objectives are achieved by means of a plug-and-socket type or female-and-male type cone-cone connection in which the female locking component with a cone-shaped recess is fixed to one end of a column of the distance coupling system, and the male locking component is fixed to the other end of the column and is inserted into the female locking component when connecting one column to another. A cone-cone connection or rotary truncated cone-rotary truncated cone connection in the meaning of this invention is a structure of any locking components, where one of the locking components has a conical outer form, i.e. the main facet of which is a circle (rotary frustrum of a cone - formed by the rotation of a right-angle trapezium around its shorter axis), or the main facet of which is a polygon and the side facets are in such case regular trapezia (with three or more facets in case of the frustrum of a pyramid). The second locking component has a conical recess corresponding to the conical outer form of the first locking component, so that when the locking components are connected, they fit tightly, without clearance (lash-free).

The column may be of any material and with any cross-section, and produced by turning, extrusion or casting. List of figures

This invention is described below in an exemplary embodiment with references to figures, whereas figure 1 provides a perspective view of the column of the distance coupling system together with the locking components, figure 2 and figure 3 provide a perspective view of two alternative interconnected conical distance locking systems, whereas the elements are displayed detached in order to provide a better overview of the connection, figure 4 presents an alternative solution of the interconnection of the female and male locking component in the distance coupling system, figure 5 presents another alternative solution of the interconnection of the female and male locking component in the distance coupling system, figure 6 shows a module with a distance coupling system in modular furniture, where the columns of the distance coupling system are interconnected by means of the base element of the module, figure 7 depicts an element (a drawer) of modular furniture, assembled from single modules.

Exemplary embodiments

One of the exemplary embodiments of this invention is a distance coupling system for the assembly of vertical modular systems, where the named system comprises a column 5, which has a male locking component 2 connected (for example with a screw 4) to one end, and a female locking component 1 connected to the other end. The male locking component 2 has a rotary truncated cone-shaped outer form and the female locking component 1 is a locking component with, for example, a cylindrical outer form and a rotary truncated cone- shaped recess formed inside it, while the dimensions of the rotary truncated cone of the male locking component (primarily the gradient generating the rotary truncated cone in relation to the base of the rotary truncated cone) are the same. The heights of both rotary truncated cones may differ in order to ensure lash-free connection of the male locking component 2 in the female locking component 1 in the connection of distance coupling systems.

As an alternative, the locking components 1 , 2 may be fitted with retainer(s) in order to fix distance coupling systems in alignment with their mutual axis when connecting them, to ensure that the named distance coupling systems would not become detached without opening the retainers. In an alternative embodiment (figure 4), an outer thread has been formed on the outer surface of a cylindrical female locking component 1 to receive the retainer 3 of the male locking component 2. The male locking component 2, which is fixed to one end of column 5 consists of a cylindrical foot and a rotary truncated cone-shaped head, whereas the diameter of the cylindrical foot is smaller than the diameter of the rotary truncated cone bottom of the rotary truncated cone head. In addition, a retainer 3 is mounted on the male locking component 2, being a bowl-shaped band inside of which there is an inner thread that is consistent with the dimensions of the outer thread of the female locking component 1 and at the bottom of which is an opening with a diameter that is consistent with the diameter of the cylindrical foot of the male locking component 2, whereby a step is formed that holds the retainer behind the head of the male locking component, when the male locking component 2 is fixed by means of the retainer 3 to one end of a column 5 of the distance coupling system.

In an alternative solution (figure 5) the male locking component 2 also consists of a cylindrical foot and a rotary truncated cone-shaped head, on the outer surface of which there are at least two notches for receiving the guide lugs of the retainer 3 of the female locking component 1. The female locking component 1 is a cylinder consisting of a cylindrical foot and a cylindrical head, whereas the diameter of the cylindrical foot is smaller than the diameter of the cylindrical head, whereby a step is formed, behind of which the retainer 3 is fixed. Inside the female locking component 1 there is also a rotary truncated cone-shaped recess formed for receiving the male locking component 2, while a guide lug has been formed on the outer surface of the cylindrical head of the female locking component 1. A retainer 3 is mounted on the female locking component 1 , being a hollow cylinder, which has openings formed in both ends, with the diameter smaller than the internal diameter of the hollow cylinder, whereby there are steps at the ends of the retainer 3. A notch is cut in the step of the retainer that faces the male locking component 2, with the measurements corresponding to the lugs formed on the outer surface of the female locking component 1. At this the diameter of the head of the female locking component 1 again is consistent with the diameters of the openings that form the steps on retainer 3, so that when connecting, the female locking component 1 is first inserted through the retainer 3, so that the lower step of the retainer 3 will retain the guide lug on the cylindrical head of the female locking component 1 , and then the female locking component 1 is fixed with a fastener 4 (e.g. a screw) to a column 5 of the distance coupling system.

Alternatively, the male and female locking components 2, 1 could be in the form of another geometrical shape, such as a frustrum of a pyramid, a cylinder, a sphere, a segment of sphere, etc.

A distance guiding system of this invention could be used in the assembly of vertical modular systems, one of the execution options of the modular systems being modular furniture assembled from single modules (shelves, drawers, cabinets and other components).

The furniture module consists of the module base 6, where upright columns 5 containing the grooves of the distance coupling system are fixed in the corners and in case of a cabinet module, there are wall elements of the module fixed between the columns. For easier and more reliable fixing of wall elements to columns 5, the elements are prepared with grooves over the whole length, inside of which the wall elements are mounted during the assembly of the furniture module. At this the columns 5 may be produced from aluminium profiles with various configurations and with grooves of various forms, which would ensure rigid fixing of the wall elements. Columns 5 have been fixed to the base 6 of the furniture module by means of fastener 4 that reaches through the base and has been used in turn for fixing a rotary truncated cone-shaped male locking component 1 and/or 2 to the other side of the module base 6. Inside the rotary truncated cone of the locking component is an opening made with the diameter of the head of the fastener 4 (such as the head of a screw or a bolt) and at the bottom of the hole there is an opening with a smaller diameter for the fastener 4, which is fixed to the column 5 through the module base in order to fix the male locking component 2 also against the base 6 of the furniture module during the assembly of the furniture module. The same solution as with the fastener 4 may also be used in case of the female fastener 1 .

On top of the column 5 of the furniture module, a cylindrical female locking component 1 is fixed with the fastener 4, containing a recess prepared with the shape of a rotary truncated cone, so that a rotary truncated cone-shaped male locking component 2 fixed to the module base 6 of the upper furniture module would fit in the female locking component 1 in the form of a rotary truncated cone- shaped recess in the upper end of the column 5 of the lower furniture module during the assembly of modular furniture, forming thereby the so-called plug-and- socket or a cone-cone type fixing. Fixing with this type of design allows easy interconnection of single furniture modules of modular furniture (upper and lower module), as the angles between the gradients forming the rotary truncated cones of the male locking component 2 and the female locking component 1 and the level of the rotary truncated cone base 6 are equal. At this the height of the rotary truncated cone of the male locking component 2 is smaller than the depth of the rotary truncated cone-shaped recess in the female locking component 1 . Due to equal angles, the fixing of furniture modules is tight, unshifting and lash-free.

The male locking component 2 and the female locking component 1 could be additionally fixed to one another for example by means of a retainer 3 (a double- ended screw) which is screwed inside the female locking component 1 , so that a shelf consisting of several modules could be lifted without detaching furniture modules from one another.

The named locking system can also be used in the production of such modular furniture which only consists of modular shelves, without any wall elements fixed between support elements. At this the male locking components 2 fixed under the base of the lower furniture module serve as the feet of the modular furniture, avoiding thereby the contact between the base 6 of the furniture module and the floor surface.

In addition, various elements of the modules of modular furniture, such as hinges, rails could be fastened to the grooves formed at the sides of the columns 5.