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Title:
HIDDEN AND ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT FOR THE WALL MOUNTING OF A SUSPENDED FURNITURE PIECE
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2009/077828
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
Hidden and adjustable support (10) for the wall mounting a suspended furniture piece (30) comprising a plate element (11), provided with a plurality of fixing pins (12, 12', 12'), and an engagement element (14) adjustable in depth and height and provided with a hook- shaped upper portion (15), further provided for being means (16, 17) for horizontal and vertical movement of said engagement element (14) with respect to said plate element (11), characterised in that said plate element (11) comprises an upper and lower portion respectively extending above and below said engagement element (14) and said fixing pins (12, 12', 12'), at least one of said upper and lower portions being provided with at least one hole (20, 20', 20') for screw coupling (40) said plate element (11) with said suspended piece of furniture (30), and in that said means (17) for vertical movement of said engagement element (14) are arranged below said plurality of fixing pins (12, 12', 12').

Inventors:
CATTANEO CARLO (IT)
Application Number:
PCT/IB2008/003334
Publication Date:
June 25, 2009
Filing Date:
December 02, 2008
Export Citation:
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Assignee:
LEONARDO SRL (IT)
CATTANEO CARLO (IT)
International Classes:
A47B95/00
Domestic Patent References:
WO2004032681A12004-04-22
WO2008129381A22008-10-30
Foreign References:
EP0555924A11993-08-18
DE20103728U12001-05-03
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
MARTEGANI, Franco (Via Carlo Alberto 41, Monza, IT)
Download PDF:
Claims:

CLAIMS

1. A hidden and adjustable support (10) for the wall mounting of a suspended furniture piece (30) comprising a plate element (11) , provided with a plurality of fixing pins (12, 12', 12"), couplable in holes provided for on a shoulder (31) of said suspended piece of furniture (30) which extend from one side of said plate element (11), and an element (14) for engaging said support (10) with a wall mounted support member coupled at the front to said plate element (11) in a manner adjustable in depth and height and provided with a hook-shaped upper portion (15) , further provided for being means (16, 17) for horizontal and vertical movement of said engagement element (14) with respect to said plate element (11) , characterised in that said plate element (11) comprises an upper and lower portion respectively extending above and below said engagement element (14) and said fixing pins (12, 12', 12"), at least one of said upper and lower portions being provided with at least one hole (20, 20', 20") for screw coupling (40) said plate element (11) with said suspended piece of furniture (30) , and in that said means (17) for vertical movement of said engagement element (14) are arranged below said plurality of fixing pins (12, 12', 12") .

2. Support (10) according to claim 1, characterised in that said lower portion comprises a first wall (19) which extends laterally from said side of said plate element (11) where said plurality of fixing pins (12, 12', 12") projects outwards with an inclination of about 135° with respect to said plate element (11) , said first wall (19) being provided with at least one through hole (20) for screw coupling (40) said plate element (11) with said shoulder (31) of said suspended piece of furniture (30) .

3. Support (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said upper portion is provided with at least one through hole (20") orthogonal with respect to said plate element (11) for screw coupling (40) said plate element (11) with a cap (32) of said suspended piece of furniture (30) .

4. Support (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said upper portion comprises a second wall (18) extended at the upper part from said plate element (11) outwards with an inclination of about 135° with respect to said plate element (11) , said second wall (18) being provided with at least one through hole (20') for screw coupling (40) said plate element (11) with said cap (32) of said suspended piece of furniture (30) .

5. Support (10) according to claim 2, characterised in that said first wall (19) of said lower portion of said plate element (11) comprises a first peripheral portion, inclined by about 90° with respect to said plate element (11) and by about 135° with respect to said first wall (19) , said first peripheral portion serving for lateral support of said support (10) with said shoulder (31) of said suspended piece of furniture (30) . 6. Support (10) according to claim 3 or 4, characterised in that said second wall (18) of said upper portion of said plate element (11) comprises a second peripheral portion, inclined by about 90° with respect to said plate element (11) and by about 135° with respect to said second wall (18), said second peripheral portion serving for upper support of said support (10) with said cap (32) of said suspended piece of furniture (30) .

Description:

HIDDEN AND ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT FOR THE WALL MOUNTING OF A SUSPENDED FURNITURE PIECE

The present invention refers to a hidden and adjustable support for the wall mounting of a suspended furniture piece .

In particular, such support is referred to as hidden in that it is adapted to be mounted externally at the rear part of a suspended furniture piece, in particular generally coupled to a shoulder of the rear part of the latter which, once joined against the wall, conceals the support itself.

Currently, there are many different types of supports which substantially differ according to the means through which they are assembled with the relative suspended pieces of furniture.

Nowadays, generally such supports consist in a single plate element provided with some side projections which, during the mounting step, are coupled, generally interlocked, with holes previously made on a rear shoulder of the suspended piece of furniture.

Furthermore, the abovementioned supports of the prior art comprise a moveable engagement element connected to the relative plate for fixing the support itself onto the wall. An example of a support of the afore- indicated type is described in the Italian patent application

IT2002MI002147 also indicate in which are the means commonly used for adjusting the position, with respect to the relative plate, of the abovementioned moveable engagement . However, though such devices known today are functional, considering the current tendency to reduce the thicknesses of the panels making up the suspended pieces of furniture, it disadvantageousIy occurs that such coupling is not always efficient and durable and given that the stability itself of the suspended piece of furniture is based on such constraint, unwanted falls, and/or - worse - breakages often occur. Furthermore, disadvantageousIy the various supports of the prior art have the disadvantage of not being capable of being joined in a stable manner with all existing types of suspended pieces of furniture hence requiring the manufacturer to provided for each type of piece of furniture a related support . Consequently, such lack of flexibility corresponds to an increase of production costs linked to manufacturing different supports for the related pieces of furniture. For example, there are two different types of very common pieces of furniture, that is the one having the upper panel flushed in its rear part with the side panels, called shoulders, and the one in which the upper panel is flushed with the rear casing.

In the first case, given that the upper panel is flushed with the shoulders, the support must necessarily be joined below the abovementioned upper panel . On the other hand, in the second type of pieces of furniture, given that the upper panel is flushed with the rear casing, the support cannot be joined below the abovementioned upper panel but only at the rear part thereto . Disadvantageously currently such structural differences of the pieces of furniture indicated above require different supports to attain a stable constraint capable of preventing unwanted falls, and/or - worse - breakage of the suspended piece of furniture . A general object of the present invention is that overcoming the abovementioned drawbacks of the prior art in an extremely simple, inexpensive and particularly functional manner. Another object is that of providing a hidden and adjustable support for the wall mounting of a suspended furniture piece capable of guaranteeing an easy and stable mounting on any type of suspended piece of furniture . Considering the abovementioned objects, according to the present invention, a hidden and adjustable support for the wall mounting of a suspended furniture piece

was conceived having the characteristics outlined in the attached claims .

The structural and functional characteristics as well as advantages of the present invention with respect to the prior art, shall be clearer and more evident from the observation of the following description, with reference to the attached drawings, which show a hidden and adjustable support for the wall mounting of a suspended furniture piece made according to the present invention.

In the drawings :

- figure 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a hidden and adjustable support for the wall mounting of a suspended furniture piece made according to the present invention;

- figure 2 is a front view of the support of figure 1;

- figure 3 is a sectional view of the support of figure 2 along line III- III;

- figure 4 is a side view of the support of figure 2; - figure 5 is a front view of the support of figure 1 mounted on a suspended piece of furniture having an upper panel flushed with the side panels;

- figure 6 is a side view of the support of figure 5 mounted on the abovementioned piece of furniture;

- figure 7 is a sectional view of the support of figure 5 mounted on the abovementioned piece of furniture along line VII-VII;

- figure 8 is a front view of the support of figure 1 mounted on a suspended piece of furniture having an upper panel flushed with the bottom panel;

- figure 9 is a side view of the support of figure 8 mounted on the abovementioned piece of furniture; figure 10 is a sectional view of the support of figure 8 mounted on the abovementioned piece of furniture along line X-X.

With special reference to figure 1 shown is an embodiment of a hidden and adjustable support for the wall mounting of a suspended furniture piece according to the present invention indicated in its entirety by 10.

Such support 10 is of the adjustable type and adapted to be mounted at the rear part, in a concealed position, on a suspended piece of furniture 30. ■ The abovementioned support 10 comprises a plate element 11 which is provided with a plurality of fixing pins 12, 12', 12", which extend outwards from one side of the plate element li itself, and an engagement element 14 coupled at the front to the same plate element 11 to join the support 10 itself with a wall mounted support member .

In particular, the abovementioned plurality of fixing pins 12, 12' , 12" is couplable in holes made on a shoulder 31 of the suspended piece of furniture 30 while, for example, the wall mounted support member on which the support 10 is joined can be a common bar.

Just like in the case of the supports of the prior art, for example the ones of the type described in the Italian patent application IT2002MI002147 , also in the support 10 subject of the present invention the engagement element 14 is adjustable in depth and height with respect to the relative plate element 11 and it is provided with a hook- shaped upper portion 15 for coupling with the aforementioned bar in turn fixed onto the wall. In order to perform such adjustments in depth and height provided for are relative horizontal and vertical movement means 16, 17, such as for example two known screw- female screw mechanisms possibly provided with the angular transmissions shown in figure 3, such movement means being accessible to a user in an entirely easy manner both during the mounting steps and with the support 10 already mounted.

In particular, according to the invention, the plate element 11 comprises an upper and lower portion which respectively extend above and below the engagement element 14 and the fixing pins 12, 12', 12", wherein at

least one of these abovementioned upper and lower portions is provided with at least one hole 20, 20', 20" for screw coupling 40 the plate element 11 itself with the relative suspended piece of furniture 30. According to the invention, the abovementioned lower portion comprises a first wall 19 which extends laterally outwards of the plate element 11 on the same side from which the fixing pins 12, 12', 12" project. In particular, such first wall 19 has a flat development outwards being inclined - with respect to the relative plate element 11 with which it can also be connected - by about 135°.

Furthermore, as observable in figure 1 such first wall 19 is provided with at least one through hole 20 for screw-coupling 40 with the shoulder 31 of the suspended piece of furniture 30, inserted into which are also the fixing pins 12, 12', 12".

As observable in figures 7 and 10 - which are sectional views of an embodiment of a support 10 according to the invention respectively mounted in two different types of suspended pieces of furniture - the screw-coupling 40 with the shoulder 31 of the suspended piece of furniture 30, obtained due to the first wall 19 provided with an inclined through hole 20 in the embodiment described previously, allows providing a

particularly stable support 10 -piece of furniture 30 assembly also by means of very long screws . As a matter of fact, given that the first wall 19 is provided with a through hole 20 inclined by about 135° with respect to the relative plate element 11, the screw 40 is inserted inwards the shoulder 21 of the piece of furniture 30 in an oblique direction. In such manner the screw 40 can also advantageously have a greater length with respect to the width of the shoulder 31 itself into which it is inserted.

As observable in figure 1, also the upper portion of the support 10 can be provided with at least one through hole 20', 20". According to the shown embodiment the abovementioned upper portion is provided with at least one through hole 20" passing orthogonally with respect to the relative plate element 11.

Such at least one orthogonal through hole 20" may be of the type for screw coupling 40 the plate element 11 with a cap 32 of the suspended piece of furniture 30 in case, as shown in figures 8 and 9, the suspended piece of furniture has an upper panel 32 flushed with the bottom panel 33. As a matter of fact, in such case, given that the upper panel 32 is at a recessed position with respect to the shoulder 31, the support 10 can be mounted at the rear

part of the upper panel 32 being joined therewith by- means of a screw 40 inserted horizontally into the through hole 20" .

Therefore, according to the description outlined above such screw, though very long, shall advantageously always remain inside the upper panel 32.

Referring to figure 1, but also as clearly observable in figures 3 and 4, the abovementioned upper portion can advantageously comprise a second wall 18 extending at the upper part from the plate element 11 outwards with an inclination of about 135° with respect to the plate element 11 itself.

In particular, such second wall 18 is provided with at least one through hole 20' which, just like the relative second wall 18 from which it is obtained, has an inclination of about 135° with respect to the plate element 11.

Such at least one through hole 20' can be of the type for screw coupling 40 the plate element 11 with a cap 32 of the suspended piece of furniture 30 in cases where, as shown in figures 5 and 6, the suspended piece of furniture has an upper panel 32 flushed with the shoulders 31. As a matter of fact, in such case, given that as mentioned above the upper panel 32 is flushed with

respect to the shoulder 31, the support 10 cannot be mounted below the upper panel 32.

According to the invention, also with the support 10 in such position the screw coupling 40 of the same with the upper panel 32 of the suspended piece of furniture 30 - due to the first wall 18 provided with a through hole 20' inclined in the previously described manner - can be provided for in a particularly stable manner also by using very long screws. As a matter of fact, given that the second wall 18 is provided with the through hole 20' inclined by about 135° with respect to the relative plate element 11, the screw 40 is inserted inwards the upper panel 32 of the piece of furniture 30 in an oblique direction. In such manner the screw 40 can advantageously also be longer than the thickness of the upper panel 32 itself into which it is inserted.

Therefore, advantageously, in case the support 10 according to the present invention comprises both the first 19 and the second 18 wall with the relative holes 20, 20' and 20" it is couplable in an extremely stable manner both to suspended pieces of furniture having an upper panel 32 flushed with the shoulders 31, using the holes 20 and 20' as shown in figures 5-7, and with. suspended pieces of furniture having an upper panel 32

flushed with the rear panel 33, using the holes 20 and

20" as shown in figures 8-10.

According to a preferred embodiment the first wall 19 of the lower portion of the plate element 11 may comprise a first external peripheral portion inclined by about 90° with respect to the plate element 11 and connected at about 135° with respect to the first wall

19.

Advantageously, such first peripheral portion serves for lateral support of said support 10 with the shoulder 31 of the suspended piece of furniture 30 facilitating the assembly step and further enhancing the stability of the assembly.

Analogously, the second wall 18 of the upper portion of the plate element 11 may comprise a second peripheral portion inclined by about 90° with respect to the plate element 11 and connected at about 135° with respect to the relative second wall 18.

Advantageously such second peripheral portion serves for upper support of said support 10 with the cap 32 of the suspended piece of furniture 30 facilitating the assembly step and further enhancing the stability of the assembly.

Lastly, in the support 10 according to the present invention, the vertical movement means 17 of the engagement element 14, schematically shown in figure 3

as a screw- female screw mechanism provided with an angular transmission, can be ar-ranged below the plurality of fixing pins 12, 12', 12" further facilitating access to such mechanism and the relative vertical adjustment manoeuvre of the engagement element 14.

According to the description outlined above with reference to the figures, it is clear how a hidden and adjustable support for the wall mounting of a suspended furniture piece according to the present invention is particularly useful and advantageous. Thus the objects mentioned previously at the introduction of the description are attained. As a matter of fact the hidden and adjustable support for the wall mounting of a suspended furniture piece according to the present invention guarantees an easy and stable mounting on any type of suspended piece of furniture whether having an upper panel flushed with the bottom panel or having an upper panel flushed with the side panels.

Obviously, the shapes and materials of the hidden and adjustable support for the wall mounting of a suspended furniture piece according to the present invention may differ from the one shown solely for exemplifying and non- limiting purposes in the drawings.

Therefore, the scope of protection of the finding is delimited by the attached claims.