A modular Cartesian axis system.

Technical field The invention relates to a modular Cartesian axis system.

Background Art It is increasingly common in interior design, in particular in furnishings for offices and similar arrangements, to find that research into modularity solutions is becoming ever more daring and rational in the hope of reducing costs and augmenting, at the same time, the rapidity and facility with which the various elements are assembled. The modular furnishing solutions almost always start with a few basic structural elements, at the least only one, to which it is possible to add an extremely wide range of accessories and additional elements by means of a few simple assembly operations; the only limits the range of additional elements is subject to, substantially, are those of the designer's creativity. Among the many modular systems manufactured and currently on the market, one particular commonly known system is that of German document DE 200 17 735, which envisages the use of at least one basic structural element composed of a tubular element bearing a plurality of series of two diametral through-holes positioned regularly along the entire longitudinal development of the said element. The drawback of the object in question in the aforesaid document consists in the fact that there are only two of the said through-holes in each series and they are reciprocally positioned along the same axis; this construction solution limits the development of the entire modular system to only one Cartesian axis, either only the horizontal axis or only the vertical axis. Disclosure of Invention The aim of this invention is to overcome this limit by realising a modular system having the possibility of being developed along all the Cartesian axes, even contemporaneously. In particular, the modular Cartesian axis system, particularly for the realisation of items of furniture, of the kind exploiting, as the basic structural element, a plurality of tubular elements endowed with a plurality of series of diametral through-holes distributed regularly along the length of the said tubular elements and orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of each of these, in question in this invention, is characterised by the fact that it comprises: - a plurality of tubular elements, each one endowed with a plurality of series of four first diametral holes passing through both the thicknesses of each of the said tubular elements, each of the said series being constituted of four holes positioned reciprocally orthogonal on a same plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of each of the said tubular elements; - a plurality of joints, each of which is endowed with at least four second diametral holes passing through the thickness of the said joints and each of which is designed to cooperate with the tubular elements by restraining means passing through both the first diametral holes and the second diametral holes, the cooperation between the joints and the tubular elements in position, respectively, with the first and second diametral holes being designed to permit the development of the modular system along all three Cartesian axes, even contemporaneously. These and other characteristics will better emerge in the description that follows of a preferred embodiment shown, purely in the form of a non- limiting example, in the plate enclosed, in which: - figure 1 shows a tubular element; - figure 2 shows, not to scale, a section of a tubular element on a plane which is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the said element, in position with a series of four first diametral holes; - figure 3 shows a first joint, of a sliding typology; - figure 4 shows a second joint typology ; - figure 5 shows a third joint typology ; - figure 6 shows a fourth joint typology ; - figure 7 shows an embodiment to illustrate the cooperation between the tubular elements and the joints on the three Cartesian exes; - figure 8 shows two parallel tubular elements restrained along a common longitudinal axis by means of the joint shown in figure 5; - figure 9 shows two parallel tubular elements restrained reciprocally by means of a connection element. With reference to the figures, n° 1 is a tubular element with central longitudinal axis A-A and numbers I1, lπ, lm, 1™, lv are the tubular elements 1 shown in the embodiment in figure 7. All the tubular elements 1 are endowed with a plurality of series of first diametral holes 2a and 2b where 2a indicates the two first smooth diametral holes aligned along the said axis B-B and 2b indicates the two first threaded diametral holes aligned along the said axis C-C; the two axes B-B and C-C are orthogonal to each other. Each series of first diametral holes 2a, 2b is spaced out by the contiguous series of a distance X, the said distance X being a multiple of the number 3, for example 9cm. N° 3 is the outer edge of the tubular element 1 and Y is the distance between each outer edge 3 and the first series of first diametral holes 2a, 2b; the distance Y is half the distance X. N° 4 is the longitudinal hole in each tubular element 1. In position with the entrance to each of the first diametral holes, be they smooth 2a or threaded 2b, there is a flat milling, of a commonly-known type, obtained on the outer surface of the tubular elements 1. A first joint 5, shown in figure 3, is cylindrical in form and has, in position with its longitudinal centre line, as series of four second diametral holes 6a and 6b passing though the thickness of the said first joint. 6a indicates the two second smooth diametral holes aligned along a same axis and 6b is the second threaded diametral holes aligned along a same axis; these two axes are orthogonal to each other. The diameter of the first joint 5 is substantially identical to the internal diameter of the tubular element 1 and has a tolerance that permits the said joint to slide inside each of the said tubular elements 1. A second joint 7 is shown in figure 4 and has three cylindrical portions in particular, a first end portion 8a is endowed with an external diameter substantially identical to the internal diameter, obtained by drawing, of the tubular element 1; the said external diameter of the first end portion 8a has a tolerance which permits the said first end portion to slide inside each of the tubular elements 1; a second end portion 8b, opposite the first, has a smaller external diameter than the said first end portion; between the said first and second portions there is an intermediate portion 8c obtained which is endowed with an external diameter substantially identical to the external diameter of the tubular element 1; the first end portion 8a is the only one to have a series of four second diametral holes 6a, 6b; the difference between the external diameters of the first end portion 8a and the intermediate portions 8c forms a shoulder 9. The distance between the shoulder 9 and the axes of the four second diametral holes 6a, 6b is indicated with the letter Y level with the first joint 5. A longitudinal threaded hole 10 is obtained along the entire length of the second joint 7, in position with the central longitudinal axis A^A1 of the said second joint A third joint 11 is shown in figure 5 and has two reciprocally counterposed end portions 12a and 12b separated by an intermediate portion 13. Both of the two end portions 12a and 12b have identical external diameters and the said diameter is substantially identical to the internal diameter of the tubular element 1; the external diameter of both the end portions 12a and 12b has a tolerance which permits the said end portions to slide inside each of the tubular elements 1. Each of the two identical end portions 12a and 12b have a series of second diametral holes 6a and 6b. The difference between the external diameter of the two end portions 12a and 12b and the external diameter of the intermediate portion 13 forms a shoulder 14; the distance between the shoulder 14 and the axes of the four second diametral holes 6a, 6b in each of the said two end portions coincides with the distance Y already mentioned earlier. The longitudinal threaded hole 10 is obtained along the entire length of the third joint 11 in position with the central longitudinal axis Aπ-Aπ of the said third joint. A fourth joint 15 is shown in figure 6 and has a single end portion 16 whose external diameter is substantially identical to the internal diameter of the tubular element 1; the external diameter of the joint 15 has a tolerance that permits the end portion 16 to slide inside each of the tubular elements 1. The only single end portion 16 has a series of second diametral holes 6a and 6b. The fourth joint 15, also has a terminal portion 17 whose external diameter is equal to the external diameter of the tubular elements 1. The difference between the said two external diameters creates the shoulder 18. Also in this case, the distance between the shoulder 18 and the axes of the four second diametral holes 6a, 6b in the single end portion 16 coincides with the distance Y already mentioned earlier. This fourth joint also has a longitudinal threaded hole 10 which is obtained along the entire length of the said joint in position with the central longitudinal axis A^-A111 of the said fourth joint. 19 is a first restraining means constituted of a threaded element with a gripping head, a bolt in the case shown in figure 7. 20 is a second restraining means constituted of a fully threaded pin whose length is greater than the external diameter of the tubular elements 1. The said restraining means have the external diameter of their threaded portion designed to couple with both the first diametral holes 2a and 2b and the second diametral holes 6a and 6b. 21 is a connecting element, as shown in figure 9, which is also endowed with a threaded longitudinal hole 10. There will now follow a description of the functioning of this invention, using the references indicated in the figure. One embodiment in which the modular system in question in this invention develops contemporaneously along the three Cartesian axes is shown in figure 7 where a first tubular element I1, representing, together with the tubular elements lv and 1VI, a first Cartesian axis, is positioned vertically; to develop the modular system horizontally, a further two tubular elements lπ and lm are connected horizontally to the said first vertical tubular element, each one on the opposite side to the latter. The said connection is made using two second joints 7, one for each of the tubular elements lπ and lm. The first end portion 8a of the second joint 7 is inserted into the tubular element lπ until the outer edge 3 is flush with the shoulder 9 of the intermediate portion 8c. At this point, the position of one of the second diametral holes 6a or 6b in the first end portion 8a must match one of the first diametral holes 2a or 2b and the choice of either the smooth typology or the threaded typology of both the first and the second diametral holes is dictated by the modular system's assembly requirements; in the case shown in figure 7, the choice of diametral hole typology is constituted of either the first threaded diametral holes 2b or the second smooth diametral holes 6a, using the first restraining element 19 constituted of a bolt to complete the connection between the second joint 17 and the tubular element lπ. Now it is time to connect the tubular element lπ, just fitted with the second joint 7, to the tubular element I1 and for this purpose a second restraining means 20 is used, partially screwed into one of the first threaded diametral holes 2b in the said tubular element I1 , then the second end portion 8b is screwed onto the part of the second restraining mean 20 protruding from the outer profile of the tubular element I1 exploiting the threaded longitudinal hole 10 with which the second end portion 8b is endowed. To fit the tubular element lm proceed in the same way as described up to now for the tubular element lπ . The tubular elements lπ and lm represent a second Cartesian axis. The use of two second restraining means 20 to fasten the tubular elements lπ and lm to the tubular element I1 is only justified by the fact that the assembly of the tubular element 1 v is designed and realised by means of the use of a bolt 19 which, necessarily, must pass diametrically through the tubular element I1; the tubular element lv permits the development of the modular system along a third Cartesian axis. The assembly of the tubular element I^ is realised using the second restraining means 20 screwed partially into a first threaded diametral hole 2b in the tubular element lπ; the tubular element lw will be screwed onto the protruding portion of the second restraining means 20, similarly to the procedure described for the tubular elements lπ and lm and always by means of the second joint 7. The modular system in question in this invention also envisages the assembly of several tubular elements 1 along the same longitudinal axis and this assembly is shown in figure 8 and in figure 7 in relation to tubular elements I1 and 1VI. In this embodiment, the third joint 11 is used, each end portion 12a and 12b of which is inserted into the longitudinal hole 4 in each tubular element 1 until the outer edge 3 is flush with shoulder 14. The restraint between each of the tubular elements 1 and the third joint 11 can be made either by means of a bolt 19 or a threaded element 20, it does not matter which. The modular system in question in this invention also envisages the assembly of several tubular elements 1, positioned parallel to each other, for example for the realisation of the base structure of a resting surface such as a table. In this case, as shown in figure 9, the two tubular elements 1 are reciprocally restrained with at least one connecting element 21 which acts as a spacer. The said connecting element is restrained integrally to the said two parallel tubular elements by means of restraining means 19 or 20; figure 9 shows the use of bolts 19. In the description, explicit reference is made to four different joint typologies, but it is extremely evident that joint typologies can be used advantageously in order to act as connections between a plurality of tubular elements or to act as a support for the accessories. In the description explicit reference is also made to the use of the modular system in question in this invention in the realisation of furnishing solutions but it is evident that the said modular system, thanks to its own features, can also be used advantageously in the building industry to realise both internal and external walls. The advantage of this invention consists in the possibility of preparing a modular system which can develop along all the Cartesian axes, even contemporaneously, exploiting the reciprocal cooperation of a plurality of tubular elements and various joint typologies.