Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a spacing device and method, and to installed furniture. Embodiments of the present invention relate to spacing devices and methods for improving the ease and accuracy with which fitted furniture can be installed, and to an installed furniture unit.

Background

The satisfactory installation of fitted furniture units, such as kitchen and bathroom storage cabinets, typically requires that each furniture unit be accurately positioned and aligned before being secured in place by fixing it to a wall. Failure to accurately position and align a furniture unit can lead to uneven alignment with adjacent furniture units which along with being unsightly may lead to sloping and/or poorly supported work surfaces and reduced structural integrity.

Installation of furniture units can be difficult due to the fact that each unit is typically secured to an internal or external wall via fixings at the rear of the unit which are difficult to access. Fixing holes cannot be drilled into the wall to which the furniture unit is to be attached until the unit is correctly positioned and aligned.

However, drilling the fixing holes whilst the unit is still in place is either awkward or impossible due to a lack of space and access to the rear of the unit. Accordingly, it is usually necessary to align the furniture unit, mark the wall to which the furniture is to be attached indicating its aligned position, move the furniture unit away from the surface and then drill the necessary fixing holes. The unit must then be replaced at its original position to ensure alignment with the drilled fixing holes, and fixed to the wall using suitable fixings and drilled fixing holes.

This process requires the furniture unit to be aligned twice: once so that the wall can be marked and again after the fixing holes have been drilled. This is time consuming. Moreover, the surface must be marked with a high degree of accuracy as errors in the position of the fixing holes can lead to the misalignment of the furniture unit when it is secured in place.

Summary of Invention

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of securing fitted furniture to a target surface using a spacing device. The spacing device has a first end for contacting one of a fixing surface of the furniture and the target surface, a second end for contacting the other of the fixing surface and the target surface and a bore dimensioned to receive a fixing means for fixing the fixing surface and the target surface together. The spacing device is extendable along an axis of the bore to set a spacing between the fixing surface and the target surface. The method comprises positioning the furniture with respect to the target surface so that a spacing is provided between the target surface and the fixing surface, positioning the spacing device in the spacing between the fixing surface and the target surface while the furniture is in position with respect to the target surface, extending the spacing device to substantially match the spacing between the target surface and the fixing surface, passing the fixing means through the fixing surface and the bore of the spacing device and into the target surface, and tightening the fixing means to secure the furniture to the target surface.

This method of installing a unit of furniture enables the positioning and aligning of the furniture unit to be performed at the same time as securing the furniture unit to the wall. The device may remove or at least reduce the requirement to perform the positioning and aligning steps more than once thereby improving the speed and accuracy with which furniture units can be installed.

An advantage of this method of securing fitted furniture using the spacing device is that a fitted furniture unit can be individually removed without disturbing adjacent furniture units, because the furniture unit can be fixed only to the wall or similar surface to the rear of the unit rather than being fixed off to an adjacent furniture unit, or to a portion of a wall which interferes with an adjacent furniture unit.

It will be appreciated from the above that use of the spacing device when installing fitted furniture units permits a fixing (for example a screw) to be passed through a fixing surface of the unit, through the bore of the spacing device and into a target surface to which the furniture unit is to be secured. The fixing can then be tightened allowing the space plug to bear the fixing pressure between the fixing surface and the target surface, thus inhibiting deformation of the fixing surface (for example a cross brace of the furniture unit) caused by the fixing pressure.

It will be appreciated that at least the steps of extending the device and passing the fixing means through it could be conducted in any order.

Embodiments of the present invention seek to provide a simple and effective method of installation of furniture where a set gap is to be maintained between two surfaces (the fixing surface and the target surface) to be fixed, particularly when one or both of those surfaces is not sufficiently resistant to deformation under the force required to tighten a fixing securely between the two surfaces.

The step of positioning the furniture with respect to the target surface may comprise positioning the furniture against the target surface. It may be the case for example that a first unit is positioned against (e.g. flush with) the target surface, but that subsequent units are positioned with respect to the first unit (or an intermediate unit). Due to the use of the spacing device, the act of fixing the furniture unit to the target surface will not "pull" the furniture towards the wall (and thus out of position) as would conventionally be the case. The step of positioning the furniture against the target surface may also comprise adjusting feet of the furniture so that the furniture is level with an adjacent item of furniture.

Preferably, a hole is formed through the fixing surface to receive the fixing means while the furniture is in position with respect to the target surface. The hole may for example be formed by drilling. Preferably, a hole is formed in the target surface to receive the fixing means while the furniture is in position with respect to the target surface. Again, the hole may for example be formed by drilling. More preferably, the hole through the fixing surface and the hole in the target surface are formed in a single step. This could for example be by way of a drill having a suitably long drill bit which can drill through the fixing surface, bridge the gap between the fixing surface and the target surface, and drill into the target surface.

The fixing surface may be a cross-brace, and the target surface may be a wall. It will be appreciated that cross braces of furniture units are typically provided near but not at the back of a furniture unit. In this way, a gap will be present between the cross brace and the wall even if the furniture unit is positioned flush against the wall, thus providing the necessary spacing for the spacing device to be inserted.

The installed furniture unit may be cabinet.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an installed furniture unit. The installed furniture unit comprises a furniture unit having a fixing surface substantially parallel with and spaced away from a target surface to which the furniture unit is fixed, the fixing surface having a hole provided therein. The installed furniture unit also comprises a spacing device provided in the spacing between the fixing surface and the target surface, the spacing device having a first end contacting the fixing surface, a second end contacting the target surface and a through bore, the spacing device being extended along an axis of the bore to substantially match the spacing between the fixing surface and the target surface. The installed furniture unit also comprises a fixing means extending through the hole in the fixing surface, through the bore in the spacing device and into a hole in the target surface to fix the furniture unit to the target surface.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is provided a spacing device for spacing a fixing surface of a furniture item from a target surface to which the furniture item is to be fixed. The device comprises a first end for contacting one of the fixing surface and the target surface, a second end for contacting the other of the fixing surface and the target surface and a bore dimensioned to receive a fixing means for fixing the fixing surface and the target surface together. The device is extendable along an axis of the bore to set a spacing between the fixing surface and the target surface.

A device arranged in accordance with this aspect of the invention can be used to form an adjustable brace between a target surface such as a wall and a fixing surface such as cross brace of a furniture unit allowing a fixing to secure the furniture unit to the wall without bowing the cross brace and deforming the unit. The device enables the positioning and aligning of the furniture unit to be performed at the same time as securing the furniture unit to the wall. The device may remove or at least reduce the requirement to perform the positioning and aligning steps more than once thereby improving the speed and accuracy with which furniture units can be installed.

The device may be resistant to contraction along the axis of the bore when the device is under compression along the axis of the bore. In some embodiments, resistance to contraction is inherent to the device. In other embodiments the resistance to contraction is achieved only when the device is in use by manipulating the device in some way.

While the spacing device may be resistant to deformation in a lateral direction, that is in a direction orthogonal to the axis of the bore, to at least some degree the fixing means passing through the bore of the spacing device can be relied on to provide structural rigidity in the lateral direction, particularly if the diameter of the fixing means is closely matched to the diameter of the bore.

The device may comprise a first portion and a second portion, with the first end being at an end of the first portion and the second end being at an end of the second portion. In this case, the first portion may be dimensioned to receive at least part of the second portion. In accordance with this embodiment, the device need only comprise two complementary portions. This increases the simplicity of the device thus making it easier and less expensive to manufacture. In particular, such a spacing device could be made of relatively heavy duty plastic using two moulds (one for each of the first and second portions). Moreover, when not in use the second portion can be retracted at least partially into the first portion, thereby taking up less storage space.

The first portion may comprise an internal screw thread and the second portion may comprise an external screw thread. In this case, the external screw thread and the internal screw thread may be arranged to co-operate to adjust the distance between the first end and the second end when the first portion and the second portion are rotated with respect to each other about the axis of the bore.

The screw thread provides a simple and reliable mechanism which allows the device to be extended along the axis of the through bore whilst resisting contracting forces thereby providing the bracing function between the first and second surfaces. In this arrangement, contraction of the device may tend to be inhibited by the screw thread itself, particularly if the pitch of the screw thread is selected to be relatively shallow. In this regard it will be understood that the selection of the pitch of the screw thread will be a trade-off between the number of rotations required to extend the device by a desired length and the resistance of the device to contraction under compression.

In another embodiment, an intermediate portion may be provided between the first portion and the second portion, the intermediate portion having a first internal or external screw thread for engagement with a respective external or internal screw thread of the first portion, and having a second internal or external screw thread for engagement with a respective external or internal screw thread of the second portion. In this case, the respective screw thread of the first portion and/or the second portion are arranged to co-operate with the respective screw thread of the intermediate portion to adjust the distance between the first end and the second end when the first portion and/or the second portion are rotated with respect to the intermediate portion about the axis of the bore.

While providing an intermediate portion in this way increases the complexity of the device, a greater range of spacing distances may be achieved with a single device. As an alternative, it will be appreciated that multiple devices having only the first and second portions could be used in a linear arrangement to span a distance greater than could be achieved with a single device.

As an alternative to a screw-threaded arrangement, the first and second portions may be coupled together via a ratchet arrangement which permits the first and second portions to be moved apart along the axis of the bore, but which inhibits the first and second portions from being moved together along the axis of the bore.

Alternatively, one or both of the first and second portions may comprise a frangible part which can be damaged to inhibit the first and second portions from being moved relative to each other along the axis of the bore. For example, the device could be "crimped" using pliers or other crimping tool in a manner which would inhibit movement of the first and second portions relative to each other.

Alternatively, the first portion may comprise a compression collar which can be tightened around the received part of the second portion to inhibit the first and second portions from being moved relative to each other along the axis of the bore.

It will of course be appreciated that any of these methods could be similarly applied to an arrangement which utilises an intermediate portion as described in relation to the screw-threaded embodiment.

While in its simplest form an embodiment of the invention could take the form of a tube-like arrangement, it is advantageous that at least one of the first end and the second end of the device comprises a face plate for contacting the fixing surface and/or the target surface. This serves to spread the load over a wider area, thereby reducing the degree which the device may "cut in" to the fixing surface or the target surface when the fixing means is tightened. The face plates may be provided with a rough surface to reduce slippage of the device with respect to the fixing surface and target surface.

Similarly, at least one of the first end and the second end may comprise one or more protrusions or a cutting edge for engaging with the fixing surface and/or the target surface. The protrusions or cutting edge are then able to bite into the fixing surface and/or the target surface to reduce slippage when a fixing is tightened through the spacing device.

In use, it will be appreciated that the bore will be a through bore which forms an open aperture through each end of the device and also the intervening space.

However, prior to use the bore could be partially or wholly covered over, for example by a thin layer of plastic, with the bore becoming a through bore only upon penetration by a fixing means at an appropriate stage in its use to fix in place a fitted unit. However, preferably the bore is a through bore.

Further aspects and features of the present invention are set out in the claims. Brief Description of the Drawings

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings where like parts are provided with corresponding reference numerals and in which:

Figures 1 and 2a provide schematic diagrams illustrating a conventional furniture unit;

Figures 2b and 2c provide schematic diagrams illustrating conventional techniques for installing furniture units;

Figure 3 provides a schematic diagram illustrating a device arranged in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

Figures 4a to 4d provide schematic diagrams illustrating a method for installing a furniture unit using a device arranged in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, and

Figures 5a to 5f provide schematic diagrams illustrating a number of alternative embodiments of devices in accordance with the present invention.

Detailed Description

In order to make best use of available space, storage furniture such as kitchen, bedroom, bathroom or office cabinets are often fitted to match the dimensions and shape of the room within which they are to be installed. This typically involves manually sizing and aligning each piece of storage furniture to ensure that it fits flush with walls and corners.

Figure 1 provides a schematic diagram showing a view of a conventional storage cabinet 101 such as a kitchen or bathroom cupboard which is fitted against a wall 102. In the present example the wall is an external wall, but it could alternatively be an internal wall, room partition or other structure suitable for having furniture units fixed against it. The cabinet 101 is typically one of a plurality of similar cabinets installed at the same time, on top of which a work surface is usually provided. The cabinet 101 comprises a first side wall 103, a second side wall 104 and a front wall which in this case is a door 105. The door 105 is hingedly attached to the first side wall 103 by hinges (not shown). In Figure 1 the first side wall 103 is illustrated as partially cut away in order to show the internal structure of the cabinet 101. Cabinets of the type described in Figure 1 usually vary in width between 300mm and 1000mm.

Inside the cabinet 101 an internal space 106 is formed by the door 105, the first side wall 103, the second side wall 104 and a backing sheet 107 (which might typically be made of hardboard). The internal space is where articles stored within the cabinet 101 are intended to be placed. In some cabinets the internal space 106 is provided with shelving and/or various storage compartments and so on. In some examples, rather than a door, the front wall 105 may include one or more sliding drawers. In other examples where there is no need to store articles within the cabinet 101 (for instance in the case of an inaccessible corner unit), the front face may simply be a blank wall. A top (not shown) such as a work surface is typically placed on top of the cabinet 101 and optionally one or more adjacent cabinets.

The cabinet 101 is provided with a cross brace 108 which is fixed between the first side wall 103 and the second side wall 104. The cross brace 108 provides the cabinet 101 with structural integrity by bracing the first and second side walls together. This prevents unwanted movement of the side walls and helps maintain the shape and alignment of the cabinet 101.

The external wall 102 and the backing sheet 107 form a service space 110, typically having a wall to backing sheet depth of order 55mm, at the rear of the cabinet 101. The service space 1 10 allows pipes, cables and so on to be positioned behind the cabinet 101 and also allows the internal space 106 to be sealed from dust, debris, damp, insects and so on. The cross brace 108 and the backing sheet 107 form an internal back of the cupboard which will usually need to be in place before the cupboard can be fixed in place, thereby restricting access to the service space during installation.

The cabinet 101 is provided with adjustable feet 109 at each corner which can be adjusted when the cabinet 101 is being installed in order to aid with the alignment and positioning of the cabinet 101.

Figure 2a provides a schematic diagram illustrating a plan view of the cabinet 101 shown in Figure 1. The components of the cabinet 101 are provided with the same reference numerals as in Figure 1. For clarity the backing sheet 108 has been omitted from Figure 2a.

When installing the cabinet 101, the cabinet 101 is positioned against the external wall 102 and the adjustable feet are adjusted to the desired height so that the cabinet 101 is flush against the external wall 102 and level with the floor and/or neighbouring cabinets. The process of correctly positioning and aligning the cabinet can be an awkward and time consuming process. Even a skilled fitter may take several minutes to correctly align the cabinet. After it is positioned correctly the cabinet 101 is fastened to the external wall 102 and a top may be fixed on. To achieve a sufficiently secure attachment to the external wall 102, a hole is typically drilled into the external wall 102 into which is inserted a plug such as a wall plug. The cabinet 101 is then secured to the external wall 102 by a fixing which is attached to the cabinet 101 at one end and fastened into the plug in the external wall 102 at the other.

Figure 2b illustrates a schematic example of the cabinet 101 as shown in

Figure 2a showing some of the considerations associated with securing the cabinet 101 against the external wall 102. Angle brackets cannot conveniently be placed at points A or B where there will be a neighbouring cabinet to position or an end fascia panel to be attached. Placing angle brackets at points A or B would prevent or at least make more awkward the positioning of side walls of neighbouring cabinets or end fascia panels against the side walls of the cabinet 101.

An alternative of positioning a fixing 201 through the cross brace 108 (or through the hardboard back 107) and into a plug 202 in the external wall 102 is also undesirable because as the fixing 201 is tightened into the plug 202, a force between the external wall 102 and the cross brace 108 is exerted which causes the cross brace 108 to bend thereby deforming the cross brace 108 (and consequently the furniture unit itself) or even causing the cross brace 108 to fail which may damage the cabinet 101 irreparably.

Figure 2c illustrates an example of a prior art technique used to secure a cabinet to an external wall.

In the example shown in Figure 2c, the first and second sidewalls of the cabinet are provided with internal angle brackets 203 having through holes for receiving fixings to secure the angle brackets 203 to the wall. The cabinet 101 is positioned against the external wall 102 as described above by adjusting the adjustable feet to the desired height so that the cabinet 101 is flush against the external wall 102 and level with the floor and/or neighbouring cabinets.

Due to the confined space afforded by the service space 1 10 (the example space between wall and back of unit above being given as 55mm), once the cabinet 101 is positioned it is difficult to drill a hole directly through the angle brackets 203 and into the external wall 102 as would be desirable. Instead, the wall is marked to indicate the position of the holes in the angle brackets 203 of the cabinet 101 when the cabinet 101 is correctly aligned and positioned and then the cabinet 101 is moved away from the external wall 102. There is now room to drill into the external wall 102 at the marked positions. The drilled holes are then filled with a plug and the cabinet 101 is repositioned. Fixings are then inserted through the angle brackets 203 and into the plugs which secures the cabinet 101 to the external wall 102.

This technique has a number of drawbacks. For example, when the cabinet 101 is repositioned after the holes have been drilled and plugs have been inserted in the external wall 102 it is unlikely that the cabinet 101 will be positioned and aligned precisely as it was when the external wall 102 was marked. This can be caused by a number of factors. For example, the drill bit drilling into the external wall 102 may drift off course, the wall may be marked inaccurately, the angle brackets 203 may slacken from their mountings, debris may get under one or more of the adjustable feet and so on. These factors are such that the cabinet must typically be positioned and aligned a second time which, as explained above, is a time consuming and awkward process. Indeed, the repositioning of the cabinet once the holes have been drilled may typically double the amount of time that it would otherwise take to fit the cabinet 101. Moreover, even when the angle brackets are lined up and the cabinet positioned and aligned, the confined space afforded by the service space 110, makes the task of screwing in fixings through the angle brackets extremely awkward. Further, if a fixing breaks in the external wall 102, or if the wall crumbles, then the angle bracket will need to be removed from the sidewall of the cabinet and repositioned elsewhere on the sidewall. This is time consuming, particularly if the cabinet has already been partially fixed in place and now needs to be removed.

Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a spacing device 301 arranged in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

The spacing device 301 includes a first cylindrical portion 302 which receives a second cylindrical portion 303. The second cylindrical portion 303 includes a screw thread 304 which corresponds to and engages with a threaded cutting within the first cylindrical portion 302 (not shown) which allows the second cylindrical portion 303 to be retracted into and extended from the first cylindrical portion 302 by rotating the first and second cylindrical portions relative to each other. Both the first and second cylindrical portions are hollow forming an axial through bore 305 running through the spacing device 301 which permits a fixing member such as a screw or bolt to be passed through the spacing device 301.

As will be appreciated, the screw thread 304 of the second cylindrical portion 303 and the threaded cutting of the first cylindrical portion are such that when the second cylindrical portion 303 is extended out of the first cylindrical portion 302, the spacing device 301 is resistant to a force acting to contract the spacing device 301 along the axis of the axial bore 305.

The spacing device 301 illustrated in Figure 3 also includes a first end face plate 306 connected to a distal end of the first cylindrical portion 302 and a second end face plate 307 connected to a distal end of the second cylindrical portion 303. While the face end plates are shown as circular in the Figures, it will be appreciated that any shape could be used.

When in use the spacing device 301 performs both a bracing function and a spacing function between an external rear wall and a cross brace of a cabinet. The spacing device 301 allows the positioning and aligning of the cabinet to be performed at the same time as fastening it to an external wall and reduces the requirement to perform the positioning and aligning steps more than once. Furthermore, the requirement to operate within the small service area at the rear of the cabinet is reduced, with only the insertion of a wall plug into the external wall, and the placing and manipulation of the spacing device being conducted in the service area.

In one example, each of the first and second cylindrical portions is approximately 40mm long, allowing a space of approximately 40mm to 65mm to be bridged by the spacing device. Larger spaces could be bridged using a plurality of spacing devices, or by a single larger spacing device for example.

Each of the first and second cylindrical portions may have a bore of approximately 8mm in diameter to allow a fixing to be passed through the spacing device. It will be appreciated that different bore diameters could be provided depending on the type and size of fixing which the spacing device is intended to receive.

The first and second end face plates (splayed ends of the cylinders) may have a diameter of approximated 24mm to spread the load on the fixing surface and target surface when the spacing device is under compression.

An example of the use of the spacing device in the installation of a conventional cabinet will now be explained with reference to Figures 4a to 4d. Figures 4a to 4d provide a series of schematic diagrams in which the installation of a cabinet is illustrated using a spacing device arranged in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The cabinet shown in Figures 4a to 4d correspond with the cabinet illustrated in Figures 2a to 2c.

In a first step, the cabinet is positioned up against the external wall 102 and the adjustable feet are adjusted to the desired height so that the cabinet 101 is preferably flush against the external wall 102 and level with the floor and/or neighbouring cabinets.

Next, as illustrated in Figure 4a, a hole is drilled through the cross brace 108 and into the external wall 102. Preferably this is performed in a single action with a drill with a suitably long drill bit.

Once a hole has been drilled, a plug 401 for receiving a fixing is inserted into the external wall 102. The spacing device 301 is positioned between the cross brace 108 and the external wall such that a fixing 402, such as a screw, can be passed through the spacing device 301 via the axial bore 305.

Next, as shown in Figure 4c the fixing 402 is passed through the spacing device 301 via the axial bore 305 and received into the plug 401. At this point, as shown in Figure 4d, the second cylindrical portion 303 is extended out from the first cylindrical portion 302 so that the length of the spacing device 301 is extended to correspond with the desired size of the gap between the cross brace 108 and the external wall 102. The fixing 402 is then inserted and tightened into the plug 401 , for example by screwing, thereby securing the cabinet 101 to the external wall 102. The spacing device 301 braces the cross brace 108 against the external wall 102 inhibiting the cross brace from being deformed as the fixing 402 is tightened into the plug 401 , and inhibiting movement of the cabinet from its aligned position.

Thus, by virtue of the fact that it can be axially extended but resist axial compression and by virtue of the fact that it can receive a fixing through the axial bore, the spacing device 301 allows an improved technique to be employed in which the cabinet can be aligned and fixed to the external wall as part of a single step thereby enabling the process of positioning and aligning the cabinet to be performed only once. Furthermore, as can be seen from Figures 4a to 4c, all the installation steps can be performed forward through the spacious internal space 106 rather than down through the confined service space 110 making the installation less awkward. The various advantages associated with this technique can be readily understood from the above description. For example, there is no requirement to "mark up" the wall, and so such marks cannot be out of position. There is no requirement to fix using brackets which can be awkward to use and can loosen and rotate out of position. The problem of debris under the feet of the cabinet or movement of the feet is alleviated because the cabinet is not moved from its original placement. If the drilling operation hits a mortar line in an original drill hole then it is possible simply to drill elsewhere and fill up the original hole with silicon. The problems associated with marking and screwing within the service space are also alleviated because the only operations which now need to be conducted in this area are the insertion of a wall plug into the external wall and the placement and extension of the spacing device. Finally, the cabinet can be readily and individually removed by unwinding the fixings and pulling out the cabinet - even if the worktop has been fitted in place. This is not generally possible without damaging the units in previous techniques because the fixings are only accessible via the service area, which after installation may be entirely shut off by adjacent units and the worktop.

Various embodiments of the invention are envisaged. For example, the mechanism for allowing the second cylindrical portion 303 to extend from the first cylindrical portion 302 shown in Figure 3 is a screw thread mechanism. However, any suitable mechanism which allows axially extension but inhibits axial compression may be used. For example, as shown in Figure 5a a ratchet mechanism could be used in which, for example, the second cylindrical portion 303 is provided with a set of ratchet teeth 501 which are shaped so as to allow the second cylindrical portion 303 to extend axially out from the first cylindrical portion 302 but to inhibit movement of the second cylindrical portion 303 back into the first cylindrical portion 302 by virtue of a lip 503 formed on an outer edge of the first cylindrical portion 302, or in another embodiments internally of the cylindrical portion. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 5b, the first cylindrical portion 302 may be fitted with a compression collar 504. When the second cylindrical portion 303 has been extended out of the first cylindrical portion 302 by a desired amount (e.g. to correspond with length of the gap between the cross brace 108 and the external wall 102), the compression collar 504 can be tightened by tightening means 505 which prevents movement of the second cylindrical portion 303 relative to the first cylindrical portion 302. In another example, shown in Figure 5f, the first cylindrical portion has a frangible area which can be damaged by crushing or crimping using pliers or the like to inhibit movement of the first and second portions relative to each other. It will be appreciated that the crushing/crimping process will talce placed in the service area once the spacing device is set to the right length. It will be appreciated that other structures and techniques could also be used to implement the extendable nature and resistance to contraction of the spacing device.

In some embodiments, for example as shown in Figure 5 c, the end faces may be of a reduced size or omitted altogether and the end portions of the first and second cylindrical portions may be used to engage with the cross brace of the cabinet and the external walls. As will be appreciated, the cross section of the spacing device need not be cylindrical as any suitable cross sectional shape may be used. For example, as shown in Figure 5d, a square cross section could be employed along with a ratchet mechanism.

In Figure 5e, an embodiment of a spacer is shown in which an intermediate portion is provided which engages via respective screw threads with the first and second portions of the spacing device. While in Figure 5e the intermediate portion is shown as a sleeve with internal threading into which the external threads of the first and second portions can retract, the intermediate portion could instead be provided with external threading which can be retracted into a sleeve part of the first and/or second portion having internal threading. Equally, the intermediate portion could have internal threading at one end and external threading at the other end to engage respective external threads of the first and second portions or vice versa. A spacing device having an intermediate portion could potentially be used to bridge a larger service area with a single spacing device.

It will be appreciated that the spacer could be made of any suitable material, for example moulded plastic or a metal or alloy. The choice of material may depend for example on the type of structure being used to resist contraction of the spacer, and/or the likely forces involved in fixing a particular type of unit to a particular wall type.

While a spacing device which is extendable along an axis of the bore to set a spacing between the fixing surface and the target surface is desirable, it may in some cases be sufficient to provide a spacing device having a fixed length, particularly where the dimensions of the furniture item (from the rear of the fixing surface to the rear of the unit) are known in advance and the target surface can be assumed to be relatively flat and regular. In such a case, a spacing device for spacing a fixing surface of a furniture item from a target surface to which the furniture item is to be fixed may simply comprise a first end for contacting one of the fixing surface and the target surface, a second end for contacting the other of the fixing surface and the target surface and a bore dimensioned to receive a fixing means for fixing the fixing surface and the target surface together. Such a device may inherently be resistant to contraction. Where the spacing devices are intended for general purpose usage (rather than being intended for use with a specific furniture unit), a set of differently lengthed spacing devices can be provided as a set, and selected between in accordance with a desired spacing distance between a fixing surface and a target surface.

As with the above-described spacing devices, at least one of the first end and the second end may comprise a face plate for contacting the fixing surface and/or the target surface. Also as with the above-described spacing devices, at least one of the first end and the second end may comprise one or more protrusions or a cutting edge for engaging with the fixing surface and/or the target surface. This type of spacing device may also be made from one of a moulded plastic material, a metal, or an alloy. Furthermore, the bore may be a through bore, or may become a through bore upon penetration by a fixing means.

The non-extendable spacing device may be used in a method of securing fitted furniture to a target surface which comprises:

positioning the furniture against the target surface,

passing the fixing means through the fixing surface and the bore and into the target surface, and

tightening the fixing means to secure the furniture to the target surface.