This invention relates to a lock assembiy for use to combine a first housing to a second housing, in particular, to form a piece of furniture.

it is common for furniture to either come pre-assembled or to be provided in flat pack to be self-assembled. Flat-pack furniture is easier to transport in a conventional vehicle and can be cheaper to purchase in most cases. Whilst fiat pack furniture is becoming ever more intuitive to assemble there is inevitably the need to use screws and other fixing means in combination with specific hand tools to assemble the furniture. This process can be inconvenient and time consuming, especially when screws or other fixing means have gone astray or the user does not have the specific hand tool required. Further, the assembly instructions for fiat pack furniture can be complicated and confusing and there is usually only one way to assemble the furniture, so standard flat pack furniture does not offer any versatility to form other structures as may be desirable to the user, in some cases, once the furniture has been assembled together the furniture cannot be disassembled or taken apart very easily.

The protrusion of screws, or other fixing means used to combine two elements of a piece of furniture together, may also be problematic since they can injure children that come into close proximity with them. For this reason it is common for children's furniture to either come in a single unit that offers minimal versatility and can be bulky to transport or to contain more complicated component parts for self assembly. Further, furniture where the screws or other fixing means have become loose can be dangerous as the piece of furniture can come apart and may cause injury to the chiid, for example when sat on a chair.

When considering temporary structures, for exampie gazebos, it can be cumbersome to assemble and disassemble the structure and may require several people to carry out the task. Also, bolts and other fixing parts can be lost in transit or storage and may become loosened if they experience high loads, for exampie caused by high winds.

The present invention is derived from the realisation that there exists the need to provide an improved means of assembling and disassembling furniture and temporary structures. The invention provides a convenient and reliable way to assemble or disassemble structures and offers versatility not currently provided by existing fiat-pack furniture assemblies. The invention is easy to install and maintain and requires minimum effort to connect and disconnect elements thereby omitting the need for hand tools, small parts or complicated instructions. In one embodiment of the invention, all the moving parts are contained within the housing of the invention itself thereby providing a secure and safe means of fixing objects together. Therefore, the present invention and its embodiments, addresses the above described problems and desires.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a lock assembly for connecting a first and second housing including:

a first housing having at least one path which extends from within the first housing and terminates at an ope periphery located at a side of the first housing, at least one finger having a leading portion, the at least one finger being moveable along the at teas! one path between a first position and a second position;

a biasing member arranged within the first housing for biasing the at least one finger into the second position;

the lock assembly further comprising a second housing which cooperates with the first housing, the second housing having at least one aperture for receiving the at least one finger within the second housing,

wherein the lock assembly is arranged to project the finger out of the open periphery at an acute angle to the side of the first housing when the finger is in the second position and further wherein in the second position the leading portion of the finger terminates at a position exterior to the first housing.

Preferably, the at least one finger has a trailing portion and the biasing member is arranged io impart a force to a trailing end of the trailing portion of the at least one finger.

Desirably, the side of the first housing is planar.

Preferably, the leading portion of the finger is terminated within the second housing.

Beneficially, the biasing member is positioned within at least a section of the at least one path.

Preferably, the path is a channel located within the first housing.

Preferably, wherein the biasing member is sandwiched between a first end of the channel positioned within the first housing and the trailing end of the finger. Desirabiy, the biasing member is a resilient member, for example a spring.

Beneficially, the at ieast one finger is arcuate.

Preferably, the path is correspondingly shaped to the finger.

In a preferred embodiment, the second housing includes a second path extending inwardly from the aperture.

Preferably, the second path is correspondingly shaped to the part of the finger which, when in the second position, projects from the first housing.

In a further embodiment, the aperture of the second housing is a peripherally extending aperture, correspondingly shaped to a periphery of an end portion of the first housing, preferabiy wherein the peripheral edge of the aperture of the second housing is cooperab!e with the outer surface of an end portion of the first housing. Desirabiy, an end of the first housing comes info contact with an inner wall of the second housing which opposes the aperture. Alternatively, there is included a first packing means arranged to make contact with the inner wall of the second housing which opposes the aperture and the end of the first housing.

Beneficially, there is included an actuator for actuating the movement of the at Ieast one finger along the path of the first housing.

Preferabiy, wherein ther is included a slot in at least part of a side wall of the first housing.

Desirably, the actuator is a pin that extends through the slot from the inierior of the first housing to the exterior of the first housing, preferably wherein the pin extends through a first and second s!ot arranged on opposing sides of the first housing.

Beneficially, the biasing member is fixably secured to the trailing end of the at least one finger.

Alternatively, the actuator comprises a slideahie finger piate arranged between the biasing means and the trailing end of the at least one finger positioned within a finger plate channel which is contained within the first housing, wherein beneficially, the finger piate includes a hole accessible by the user.

Desirably, the actuator is coloured to display a first colour when the finger is arranged in the first position and a second colour when the finger is arranged in the second position.

Preferably, the finger is made of a conductive material.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is included a first and second finger spaced apart along one side of the first housing, wherein the first finger and second finger are arranged to be mirror images of eachother. Desirably, the first finger and the second finger converge. Aiternativeiy, the first finger and the second finger diverge.

Preferably, there is a first actuator for actuating the first finger and a second actuator for actuating the second finger.

Beneficially, the first actuator is movable along the path of the first finger and the second actuator is movable aiong the path of the second finger.

Alternatively, a single actuator is arranged to actuate the movement of the first finger and the second finger. Preferably, wherein the single actuator is movable from a first position to a second position within the first housing and causes the first finger to move along a first path and the second finger to move along a second path within the first housing. Beneficially, the actuator is linearly moveable.

In a further embodiment of the invention there is provided a furnitur arrangement including the above-mentioned lock assembly.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention there is provided a temporary structure including the above-mentioned lock assembly.

Whilst the invention has been disclosed above it extends to any inventive combination of the features set out above, or in the following description, drawings or claims.

The invention will now be decribed, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- figure 1 is a sectional view of a first embodiment of the lock assembly according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the lock assembly according to the invention;

Figure 3 is a sectional view of a second embodiment of the lock assembly according to the invention;

Figure 4 is a side view of a third embodiment of the lock assembly according to the invention;

Figure 5 is a side view of a furniture element having two lock assemblies according to the embodiment of Figure 4; Figure 8 is a side view of an alternative arrangement of the third embodiment of the invention;

Figure 7 is a side view of a leg portion of a piece of furniture incorporating two lock assemplies according to the embodiment of Figure 5, the table leg being in a first configuration; and

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the table leg of Figure 7 in a second configuration.

Referring firstly to Figure 1 , there is shown a first embodiment of the locking assembly 1 where there is included a curved, or arcuate, finger 2 element having a leading portion or the end 2a and a trailing portion or end 2b disposed within a path, for example a channel 3, in a first housing 4. The path, or channel 3, has a first end positioned 3a within the first housing 4 and extends from within the first housing to a second end that terminates at an open periphery 5 located at a side of the first housing 4a, for example a planar side of the first housing. The finger is moveable along the channel 3 of the first housing 4 and the channel is curved to permit movement of the finger 2 between a first position and a second position. In the first position the leading portion 2a of the finger 2 Is positioned within the first housing 4. In the second position the leading portion 2a of the finger 2 projects out of the open periphery 5 at an acute angle to the planar edge of the housing 4a, for example 45-, so as to terminate the leading portion 2a of the finger 2 at a position exterior to the first housing 4. The trailing end of the trailing portion 2b of the finger 2 is connected to a biasing member 8, for example a resilient member. The resilient member is a spring, for example a helical spring, which has its lowest energy state when arranged in an extended arrangement, A first end of the spring 8a is positioned in contact with the first end of the channel 3a and is arranged such that the first end of the channel 3a forms an abutment for the spring 8 which biases the finger into the second position, which is the locking position. The spring is arranged to impart a force to the trailing end of the trailing portion of the finger so as t bias it in ihe second position. The biasing member 6, e g, spring, is therefore positioned within at least a section of the path 3 of the finger and is sandwiched between the first end of the channel and the trailing end of the finger.

Proximate to the trailing end 2b of the finger there is included a hole 7 through which an actuator 8 may he arranged. The actuator 8 is a pin 8 which passes from a position external to the housing through a side wall of the first housing 4, through the interior of the first housing 4 and then through the opposing side wails of the first housing 4, The user is able to grip the projecting ends of the pin 8 either side of the housing. The grippabl projecting ends extend through a curved slit 9 which is located in opposing side walls of the housing 4, and which substantially follows the path the i ge is to foe moved along inside the housing 4,

The first housing 4 is an elongate member, and is cooperable with a second housing 10 to enable the connection of the first housing 4 and second housing 10. In the first embodiment of Figure 1 the finger 2 is arranged to protrude from a longitudinal side wall of the first housing 4. In use, the user grips each end of the pin positioned either side of the housing 4 and draws the pin in the direction of the spring so as to compress the spring 8 and retract the finger 2 into the first position where the leading portion 2a is positioned within the first housing 4, i.e. the unlocking position. An end of the first housing is placed through a correspondingly sized receiving aperture 11 located in one side of the second housing 10 and the pin 8 is reiased causing the spring 8 to return to its extended biased position and to project the leading portion 2a of the finger 2 out of the open periphery 5 of the first housing 4 and within the second housing 10 _» so as to terminate the leading portion of the finger 2a within the second housing 10.

For the locking assembly 1 to function appropriately it is important to lock each of the Iranslational and rotational degrees of freedom of the first housing 4 into position, by means of the second housing 10 and the finger 2 arranged in the second position. Two of the translations! degrees of freedom are locked by means of the edges of the receiving aperture 11 through which the first housing 4 is placed. It is necessary for the receiving aperture 11 of the second housing and the perimeter of the first housing 4 to form a snug fit to enable the relevant locking effect of the degrees of freedom. Therefore, the receiving aperture 1 1 of the second housing is correspondingly shaped to a periphery of an end portion of the first housing 4 and the inner edge of the peripherally extending aperture 1 1 of the second housing is cooperab!e with the outer surface of an end portion of the first housing 4 that is to be received. The finger 2 projects at an acute angle to the planar side 4a of the first housing 4 on a longitudinal sidewaii of the first housing 4b proximate the end to be received by the second housing 10, The end of the first housing 4 is consequently heid captive within the second housing 10 and the first housing 4 extends therefrom, via the receiving aperture 11 . The end of the first housing 4 received by the second housing 10 comes into contact with the inner wall 12 of the second housing 10 which opposes the receiving aperture 1. Once the finger 2 is released into the second position the third transiationai degree of freedom is locked into position i.e. the first housing cannot be removed from the second housing when the finger 2 is in the locked position, as shown in Figure 2.

Alternatively, as shown in Figure 1 , packing elements 13 can be arranged between a portion of the inner wall 12 of the second housing which opposes the receiving aperture 11 and the end of the first housing 4 such thai the packing element 13 Is sandwiched therebetween. The packing elements are fixed to the inner wal! 12 and are suitably arranged to allow extension of the finger 2 within the second housing 10.

Th rotational degrees of freedom are also locked by means of the sides of the receiving aperture 1 1 , packers 13 and finger 2 as described above.

In summary, the first housing 4 can be connected to the second housing

10 by i) retracting the leading portion of the finger 2a within the first housing 4, by means of pulling the actuator 8 towards the spring 6 and compressing the spring, ii) inserting the relevant end of the first housing 4 through the receiving aperture 11 of the second housing 10 so as to insert the end of the first housing into the second housing and iii) releasing the actuator 8 so as to project the leading end of the finger 2. out of the first housing 4 in the second position which is the locked position, whereby the finger 2 is terminated within the second housing 10. Similarly, the first housing 4 can be removed from the second housing 10 by sliding the actuator 8 along the siit 9 towards the spring 6 and therefore refracting the finger 2 within the first housing 4 so as to unlock one of the translations! degrees of freedom and permit removal the first housing 4 from the second housing 10.

Figure 3 shows a second embodiment of the invention where there is included a first and second finger 2c, 2d spaced apart along one iongitudinai side wail of the first housing 4. The first and second finger 2c, 2d are mirror images of eachother and are arranged such that the first and second fingers 2c, 2d extend in different directions, e.g. diverge or converge. The first finger 2c is arranged within a first channel 3c and the second finger 2d is arranged within a second channel 3d, the first and second fingers 2c, 2d operate as described above, whereby a first actuator 8a actuates the movement of the first finger 2c and a second actuator 8b actuates the movement of the second actuator 2d. in use the first and second fingers 2c, 2d are cooperabie with a first and second receiving aperture 11 a, l i b spaced along the longitudinal side wall of the second housing 10. The spacing between the receiving apertures 11a, 11b corresponds to the distance between the first and second fingers 2c, 2d and the first and second apertures 11a, 11b of the second housing 10 are correspondingly shaped to the first and second fingers 2c, 2d. The second housing 10 has a first and second receiving channel 14a, 14b extending inwardly from receiving apertures 11a, Tib respectively. The first and second receiving channels 14a, 14b are correspondingly shaped to the part of the respective fingers 2c, 2d which, when in the second position, project from the first housing 10. The divergence of the first and second fingers 2c, 2d helps to lock the degrees of freedom into place. Therefore, considering the case where the longitudinal surfaces of the first housing 4 and second housing 10 are in contact, the first finger 2c, which projects at a 45" angle to the planar surface 4a of the first housing 4, will enter the first receiving aperture 11a of the second housing 10 at a first position which differs to the ultimate position of the first finger at full extension (a second position). Consequently, each receiving aperture 11a, l ib of the second housing 10 needs to be extended to allow for this difference in position. Figure 3 shows that the extended aperture is obtained by drilling the receiving aperture at a 46 degree angle to the planar side 10a of the second housing 10 such that it is correspondingly angled to the first finger 2c i.e. where the finger exits the housing at a 45° to the planar side of the first housing. To provide the most effective locking of each degree of freedom of the first housing 4, the angle of the receiving apertures 11 a, 11 b and receiving channels 14a, 14b are also 45° from the planar surface of the receiving face 10a of the second housing 10. Alternatively, the angle may vary so as to correspond to the curve of the finger.

In use, the fingers 2c, 2d are retracted into the first housing 4 by means of respective actuators 8a, 8b which compress the spring 8 to which the respective fingers are attached as described above for the first embodiment of the invention. A longitudinal side surface of the first housing 4 is placed in contact with a longitudinal side surface of the second housing 10 and the open peripheries 5a, 5b of the first housing 4 are aligned with the receiving apertures 1 1a, 11b of the second housing 10. The actuators 8a, 8b are released and the springs 8a, 8b return to their biased extended state thereby projecting the fingers 2c, 2d from the planar surface 4a of the first housing 4 and through the first and second receiving apertures 1 1 a, 1 1 b respectively of the second housing 10, thereby securing the first housing 4 to the second housing 10 in a face- mounted arrangement.

Alternatively, only one of the fingers e.g. 2d needs to be retracted to enable connection of the first housing 4 with the second housing 10, The first finger 2c may remain in the second position and may be placed through the first receiving aperture 1 1 a. The second finger 2d may then be retracted to enable alignment of the second finger 2d with the second receiving aperture 11 b. Once the alignment has been achieved the second finger 2d is returned to the second position where it projects from the first housing 4. This enables the first finger 2c and first receiving aperture 1 1a to aid the subsequent alignment and connection of the second finger 2d with the second receiving aperture 1 1 .

in a third embodiment of the invention as shown in Figure 4, there is provided a lock assembly 1 having a first finger 2a and a second finger 2b which is actuated by a single linear actuating motion applied by the user. The channel 15 of the first housing 4, or path, comprises a recess 15a, a rectangular channel 15b and a pair of adjacent curved channels 1 5c,15d that are terminated at an open periphery 5a, 5b located at a planar side 4a of the first housing 4 to be connected. The recess 1 5a has a first end terminating the channel 15 within the first housing 4 and a second end which leads to the rectangular channel 15b. The rectangular channel 15b is positioned between the recess 15a and the first end of the first and second curved channels 15c, 15d. The first and second curved channels 15c, 15d are mirror images of eachother and can be diverging or converging. Both the first and second curved channels 15c. 15d form a path from the rectangular recess 15b to the externa! edge 4a of the first housing 4 that is to be connected.

An actuator 8 in the form of a finger plate is disposed within the rectangular channel 15b and is arranged to be linearly slidable therein. The first housing 4 comprises a slit 9 in a section of the wail to permit access to a finger hole 18 positioned in the finger piate 8 which enables a person to linearly slide the finger plate 8 back and forth within the rectangular channel 15b by means of their finger. The finger plate 15b has a length that is less that the length of the rectangular channel 15b to permit the linear movement. A spring 8 is arranged between a first end of the finger plate 8 and the first end of the recess 15a _; which is remote from the rectangular channel 15b. Two fingers 2c, 2d extend from the second end of the finger plate 8 and are connected thereto by a fastening pin 17. The first finger 2c and second finger 2d are positioned adjacent to eachother and are mirror images of eachother, for example diverging or converging. In a first position the spring 8 is extended and the finger piaie 8 is forced towards the second end of the rectangular channel 15b, which is remote from the recess 15a so as to project the first and second finger out of the first and second open periphery 5a, 5b at the planar side 4a of the first housing 4 to be connected. The fingers 2c, 2d are arranged to project at an acute angle to the planar edge of the first housing 4, e.g at a 45™angie from the planar edge of the first housing 4 to be connected. To retract the finger elements 2c, 2d the user places their finger through the slit 9 in the first housing 4 and into the finger hole 16. The user then pulls the finger plate 8 towards the spring 8 so as to compress the spring and to move the fingers 2c, 2d inwardly along their respective curved channels 15c, 15d so as to bring the leading ends of the first and second fingers 2c, 2d substantially within the wails of the first housing 4. The fingers are permitted to slightly rotate about the fastening pin 17 (i.e. between the fastening pin and the side of the first housing to be connected) so as to allow the spacing between the fingers at a position beiow the fastening pin 17 to he reduced and to permit passage of the fingers 2c, 2d along the curved channels 15c, 15d. Necessarily, part of the leading end of the fingers 2c, 2d enter the rectangular channel 15b. The spring 8 in this embodiment is not connected directly to the finger elements 2c, 2d, but is connected between the first end of the recess 15a and the finger plate 8, however the spring 8 Is still responsible for imparting a force to the trailing end of each finger 2c, 2d, albeit via the finger plate 8.

in use, the fingers 2c, 2d cooperate with receiving apertures 11a, 1 1 b in a second housing 10. The receiving apertures 1 a, 11 b are arranged to be correspondingly shaped to the fingers 2c, 2d, therefore the receiving apertures are spaced to permit synchronous entry of the fingers 2c, 2d. In one example, the receiving apertures are provided at a 45~angle to the receiving surface 10a of the second housing 10 so as to correspond to the exit angle of the fingers 2c, 2d with respect to the planar side 4a of the first housing 4, figure 5 shows a first housing 4 having the locking lock assembly of the third embodiment arranged at either end of the first housing 4. This first housing could then be face mounted 18 to two separate housing members having rescpeciive cooperabie receiving apertures.

In this third embodiment the first housing can be made of two sheets of materia! secured together so as to simplify the manufacture of the lock assembly.

The material of the first housing 4 or second housing 10 for the locking device can be any rigid material e.g. plastics, metals or carbon-fibres. A second rigid materia! can be used for the fingers 2, for example metal.

The lock assembly is extremely versatile and al!ows the the first housing to he face mounted with the second housing, as indicated in Figures 3 or 4 or for one end portion to be mounted within the second housing as shown in Figure 1 or 2,

Various modifications to the principles described above would suggest themselves to the ski!ied person. For example, when using two fingers in the locking device 1 the first finger 2c and second finger 2d may not be diverging but may instead be arranged to converge. The fingers need not be curved, but may be linear and arranged at acute converging or diverging angles, however the simplicity of the arrangement is lost since more component parts will be required to permit the retraction of linear fingers by, for example, a sing!e finger actuator. Alternatively, linear portions may be arranged between hinges that enable the linear portions to form a curved arrangement as shown in Figure 8.

it is envisaged that the above-described lock assembly can be used for an temporary structure, for example a gazebo for weddings or structures for military or international aid use. it is also envisaged that the locking mechanism may not require an actuator 8, for example it may be desirable to assemble a safe using the lock assembly 1 thai is designed to be taken apart from the inside only.

If is envisaged that use of metal fingers can be used to conduct electricity to electrical components arranged within the first or second housing, for example LED lights or speakers.

The first housing 4 is shown as a connecting element, but the finger 2 can be arranged in a Perspex© insert to be retrofitted info an element to be connected to another element. ^" therefore, the Perspex® block will be considered to be the first housing which can be inserted into a further external housing, for example a metai tube.

The part of the channel between the recess 15a and the curved channels 15c, 15d of the third embodiment (i.e. the finger plate channel) need not be rectangular and may instead be circular or another shape to accommodate a correspondingly shaped finger plate.

The external portions of the pin 8 in embodiments 1 and 2 can be covered with a plastic or a textured material to improve th users grip on the pin.

Alternatively, the biasing means 6 may be a cable arranged to be shortened or lengthened so as to alter the position of the finger along the channel 11.

Whilst it. is shown in Figures 1 to 8 that the locking device of the invention is to be used in combination with fitting planar surfaces together, the surfaces need not foe planar and may instead foe e.g. curved, however the shape of the sides to be combined must be of a complimentary shape to ensure a secure fit. The first housing 4 need not be elongate, hut may take any desired shape wherein the only restriction is to the length of the path and fingers contained therein.

There are many applications for the iock assembly described herein, especiall where it is required to temporarily or permanently iock objects together. The iock assembly is particularly suitable for assembling furniture, in particular children's furniture that requires a fun, safe and versatile design. Figures 7 and 8 show the use of the lock assembly in a table leg 18 to be attached to another element, If is clear that the table legs 18 of Figures 7 and 8 can act as a first or second housing since there are included retractable fingers 2 and receiving apertures 11 and channels 14.