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

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

In particular, such suspended furniture piece support is termed 'hidden' since it is adapted to be externally- mounted on the rear sheath of a suspended furniture piece, in particular generally coupled with a rear shoulder, which once bound to the wall, hides the suspended furniture piece support itself. Today there are many different types of suspended furniture piece supports that differ substantially by the means through which they are assembled with the related suspended furniture pieces.

Generally, today such suspended furniture piece supports consist of a single plate element provided with several lateral projections that, in mounting phase, are coupled, generally fit-coupled, with holes previously made on a rear shoulder of the suspended furniture piece.

Even if such process seems simple, such coupling is disadvantageousIy not always easy to make, and since the stability itself of the suspended furniture piece is based on such bond, there are often unsuitable falls and/or, worse, breaking of the furniture piece due to

an incorrect coupling with the related suspended furniture piece supports .

In addition, disadvantageousIy, by using the suspended furniture piece supports known today, it is not possible to provide that the coupling with the related suspended furniture piece is carried out industrially. In fact, the overall geometry of the plate itself precludes every possible automated assembly process. The general object of the present invention is that of solving the abovementioned drawbacks of the prior art in an extremely simple, economical and particularly functional manner.

Another object is that of making a hidden and adjustable supporting group for the wall mounting of a suspended furniture piece that ensures an easy and solid mounting.

In view of the aforesaid objects, according to the present finding, a hidden and adjustable supporting group has been made for the wall mounting of a suspended furniture piece, having the characteristics set forth in the attached claims .

The structural and functional characteristics of the present invention and its advantages with regard to the prior art will be clearer from an examination of the following description, referred to the attached drawings, which show a hidden and adjustable supporting

group for the wall mounting of a suspended furniture piece made according to the present invention. In the drawings :

- Figures Ia-Ic are side perspective views of a hidden and adjustable supporting group for the wall mounting of a suspended furniture piece according to the present invention during different mounting steps;

- Figure 2a shows several embodiments of a detail of a component of the hidden and adjustable supporting group for the wall mounting of a suspended furniture piece according to the present invention;

- Figures 3a-3c are side perspective views of another hidden and adjustable supporting group for the wall mounting of a suspended furniture piece according to the present invention during different mounting steps;

Figures 4a and 4d show several embodiments of a detail of a component of the hidden and adjustable supporting group for the wall mounting of a suspended furniture piece according to the present invention; - Figures 4b-4c are side perspective views of another hidden and adjustable supporting group for the wall mounting of a suspended furniture piece according to the present invention during different mounting steps;

- Figure 5 is a side perspective view of another hidden and adjustable supporting group for the wall mounting of a suspended furniture piece according to the present

invention;

- Figures 6a-6b are side perspective views of another hidden and adjustable supporting group for the wall mounting of a suspended furniture piece according to the present invention during different mounting steps;

- Figures 7a-7b are side perspective views of another hidden and adjustable supporting group for the wall mounting of a suspended furniture piece according to the present invention during different mounting steps; - Figure 8a is a side perspective view of another hidden and adjustable supporting group for the wall mounting of a suspended furniture piece according to the present invention, partially in section;

Figure 8b shows an enlarged detail, partially in section, of the supporting group of figure 8a;

Figure 9a is a side perspective view of another hidden and adjustable supporting group for the wall mounting of a suspended furniture piece according to the present invention, partially in section; - Figure 9b shows an enlarged detail, partially in section, of the supporting group of figure 9a,- and

- Figures 10 and 11 are perspective views of several different embodiments of a component of the hidden and adjustable supporting group for the wall mounting of a suspended furniture piece according to the present invention.

With reference to the figures, a hidden and adjustable supporting group for the wall mounting of a suspended furniture piece according to the present invention is indicated with 10 overall. Such suspended furniture piece supporting group 10 comprises a plate element 13, visible in the two embodiments of figure 10 and 11, provided with a coupling element 14, for the engagement of the plate element 13 itself with a wall- fixed support member, and adjustment means 16, 16' of the depth and height of the coupling element 14.

The connection of such coupling element 14 with a wall- fixed support member, such as a common bar, and its depth and height adjustment with respect to the plate element 13 are entirely of known type.

According to the present invention, the suspended furniture piece supporting group 10 comprises stable binding means 17, 117, 117', 217', 317, 317', 417, 417', 617, 617' for the connection of the mentioned plate element 13 with at least one support element 111, 211, 311, 411, 511, 611, which is fixable to a suspended furniture piece 12 by means of suitable related fixing means 215, 215', 315, 315', 415, 415', 515. Thus, the suspended furniture piece supporting group 10 according to the present invention is not a single

piece but comprises two separate elements, that is the at least one support element 111, 211, 311, 411, 511, 611 and the plate element 13, which before the mounting phase of the suspended piece to the wall are not necessarily in contact with each other.

In addition, according to the invention in use phase of the suspended furniture piece supporting group 10, only or preferably only the at least one support element 111, 211, 311, 411, 511, 611 will be bound to the suspended furniture piece 12 while the plate element 13 will only or preferably only be bound to the at least one support element 111, 211, 311, 411, 511, 611. As stated above, then, the at least one support element 111, 211, 311, 411, 511, 611 is fixable to the suspended furniture piece 12 in an independent manner with respect to the plate 13 , being pieces separated from each other, and in view of its geometry that will be detailed according to several of the following examples, it can preferably be fixed to the suspended support 12 in an industrial and automated manner, in such a manner preventing possible errors due to a human mounting.

Indeed, the geometry of the support element 111, 211, 311, 411, 511, 611 generally being much simpler than that of the plate element 13, which in fact is provided with coupling element 14 of the means for its

adjustment 16, 16', it is much easier from an industrial standpoint to provide for and achieve automated cycles with the object of fixing such at least one support element 111, 211, 311, 411, 511, 611 to the related suspended furniture piece 12.

In such a manner, the user will only be required to couple the plate element 13 with the at least one related support element 111, 211, 311, 411, 511, 611. As said above, the binding means 17, 117, 117', 217', 317, 317', 417, 417', 617, 617' achieve the stable connection of the plate 13 with the at least one related support element 111, 211, 311, 411, 511, 611. Such binding means 17, 117, 117', 217', 317, 317', 417, 417', 617, 617' for the stable connection of the plate 13 with the at least one related support element 111, 211, 311, 411, 511, 611 can be of various types. In one embodiment shown in figures Ia-Ic, the at least one support element 111, 211, 311, 411, 511, 611 is a plate 111 and the binding means 17, 117, 117', 217', 317, 317', 417, 417', 617, 617' for its stable connection with the related plate element 13 are at least one element 117' projecting from one side of the mentioned plate 111, visible in figure Ia, and at least one related shaped hole 117 obtained on one surface, preferably lateral, of the plate element 13.

According to such embodiment, the at least one

projecting element 117' of the plate 111 and the related at least one shaped hole 117 of the plate 13 are shaped in such a manner so as to permit a first insertion position, indicated in figure Ib, easily reachable with a horizontal movement of the plate element 13 indicated by the arrow in figure Ia, and, following a small vertical movement indicated by the arrow in figure Ib, a second stable binding position visible in figure Ic. According to another preferential embodiment, shown in figure 2a, the at least one support element 111, 211, 311, 411, 511, 611 can alternatively be at least one screw element 211 and in such case the binding means 17, 117, 117', 217', 317, 317', 417, 417', 617, 617' for the stable connection with the related plate element 13 are at least one shaped head 217' of the at least one screw 211 itself and at least one shaped related hole obtained on one surface, preferably lateral, of the plate element 13. Also in such embodiment, the shaped head 217' of the at least one screw element 211 and the related at least one shaped hole of the plate element 13 , are shaped so as to permit a first insertion position, easily reachable with a horizontal movement of the plate element 13, and, after a small vertical movement, a second stable binding position.

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In addition, in such embodiment, the fixing means 215, 215', 315, 315', 415, 415', 515, for the at least one screw element 211 on the suspended furniture piece 12 are a threaded profile 215 of the at least one screw 211 itself and at least one related hole 215' obtained in the furniture piece 12.

According to another embodiment visible in the figures 2a-3c of a suspended furniture piece supporting group 10 according to the present invention, the at least one support element 111, 211, 311, 411, 511, 611 is at least one expansion block element 311 and the related binding means 17, 117, 117', 217', 317, 317', 417, 417' , 617, 617' for its stable connection with the plate 13 are at least one shaped head 317' of the at least one expansion block element 311 and at least one related shaped hole 317 obtained on one surface, preferably lateral, of the plate element 13. Also in such embodiment, the at least one shaped head 317' of the at least one expansion block 311 and the related at least one shaped hole 317, are shaped in such a manner so as to permit a first insertion position, indicated in figure 3b and easily attainable with a horizontal movement of the plate element 13 as indicated by the arrow in figure 3a, and after small related vertical movements as indicated by the arrow in figure 3b, a second stable binding position, visible in

figure 3c .

In such embodiment, the fixing means 215, 215', 315, 315', 415, 415', 515, of the at least one expansion block element 311 with the furniture piece 12 are at least one longitudinal extension, provided with annular saw tooth crests 315, that is extended starting from the at least one shaped head 317' on the opposite side with respect to the plate element 13 and at least a related hole 315' obtained in the furniture piece 12. According to another embodiment of a suspended furniture piece supporting group 10 according to the present invention, visible in figures 4a-4d, the at least one support element 111, 211, 311, 411, 511, 611 is at least one parallelepiped element 411 and the binding means 17, 117, 117', 217', 317, 317', 417, 417', 617, 617' for its stable connection with the plate 13 are at least one shaped guide profile 417' inside the at least one parallelepiped element 411 itself and at least one surface 417 of the plate element 13, preferably lateral, shaped in a complementary manner to the guide 417' .

According to such embodiment, the at least one lateral surface 417 is slidable in the related shaped guide 417' between a first insertion position, figure 4b, and a second stable binding position, figure 4c.

According to such embodiment, the fixing means 215,

215', 315, 315', 415, 415', 515, are, as visible in figure 4a, at least one portion with transverse development 415 respect to the at least one parallelepiped element 411, provided with annular saw tooth crests, which are extended from the at least one parallelepiped element 411 from the opposite side with respect to the guide 417' and at least one related hole 415' obtained in the furniture piece 12. Alternatively, as visible in figure 4d, the fixing means 215, 215', 315, 315', 415, 415', 515, can be at least one screw element 515 which crosses the at least one related parallelepiped element 411 and engages it against the suspended furniture piece 12. According to another embodiment of figures 6a-6b the at least one support element 111, 211, 311, 411, 511, 611 is at least one parallelepiped element 611 and the binding means 17, 117, 117', 217', 317, 317', 417, 417', 617, 617' for its stable connection with the plate element 13 are at least one opening 617', preferably lateral, internally provided with shaped profiles, and at least one surface 617, preferably lateral, shaped in a complementary manner to the at least one opening 617' . In such embodiment, the at least one cavity 617' with shaped profiles internally and the at least one surface 617 of the plate element 13 shaped in a complementary

manner to the at least one cavity 617', are shaped so to easily permit achievement of a stable binding position by means of a snap coupling, as shown in figures 6a and 6b. According to the invention, moreover, the suspended furniture piece supporting group 10 can also comprise means 18 for the supplementary fixing of the plate element 13 to the suspended furniture piece 12. Such means 18, even if the fixing bond of the plate element 13 with the furniture piece 12 is already ensured by the coupling of the plate element 13 with the at least one support element 111, 211, 311, 411, 511, 611, in which it is in turn fixed to the suspended furniture piece 12, elements are provided according to the invention, such as for example screws as shown in figure 5, which directly connect the plate element 13 to the furniture piece 12.

Still with the object of conferring greater stability to the suspended furniture piece supporting group 10 according to the present invention, supplementary binding means 19 can also be provided for the plate element 13 with the related at least one support element 111, 211, 311, 411, 511, 611. In such a manner, the plate connection 13 with the at least one support element 111, 211, 311, 411, 511, 611 is ensured both by the binding means 17, 117, 117' ,

217', 317, 317', 417, 417', 617, 617', and by the supplementary binding means 19.

According to a preferential embodiment shown in figures 8a- 9b, these supplementary binding means 19, 19' of the plate element 13 with respect to the at least one support element 111, 211, 311, 411, 511, 611 are snap couplings between at least a portion 19' of the at least one support element 111, 211, 311, 411, 511, 611 and at least one portion 19 of the plate element 13. In figure 8b, a snap binding 19, 19' is shown, placed in an upper portion of the plate element 13 with an upper support element 111, 211, 311, 411, 511, 611, while in figure 9b, another snap binding 19, 19' is shown, placed in a lower lateral portion of the plate element 13 with a lateral support element 111, 211, 311, 411, 511, 611.

From that described above with reference to the figures, it is evident how a hidden and adjustable supporting group for the wall mounting of a suspended furniture piece according to the invention is particularly useful and advantageous. In such a manner, the object mentioned in the description introduction is attained. Naturally, the shapes of the hidden and adjustable supporting group for the wall mounting of a suspended furniture piece according to the present invention can be different from that shown as only non-

limiting example in the drawings, as the materials can also be different.

The protective scope of the invention is therefore delimited by the attached claims.