Furniture System

The invention which is the subject o f this application is a furniture system o f a type which can be used to advantage in many premises such as , for example , kitchens , bathrooms , laboratories and the like . The furniture which is formed may be o f the " fitted " furniture type in which the furniture is assembled and retained in a fixed location such as would be the case with kitchen units incorporating other items such as sinks was hing machines or the like , or self supporting furniture which can be moved and does not require support or strength from other items or s tructures

There are many different types o f furniture systems known, one of which typically comprises bespoke manufactured furniture, in which case, the cost o f the same is relatively expensive and the furniture tends to be manu factured on site.

An alternative form is to provide a system which is assembled on site from a number o f components which are manu factured under factory conditions . Typically, these components comprise carcasses of cupboard and/or drawer components which comprise a series o f wooden or MDF or chipboard panels _j oined together to form the carcass and which then receive and have fi tted there to front panels s uch as doors and the same

These sys tems are used widely bu t they canno t easily be adap ted and therefore the options which are available to cus tomers are limited . Furthermore, work surface which may be required to be placed onto the same cannot be supported in place by these units until the same are completely formed which makes the installation o f the work surfaces utility supplies and /or units somewhat difficult

Typically, in the conventional, modular system, the same are built from standard size preassembled free standing units which are generally constructed from chipboard. It is these units which provide a support for the worktop surface but the same have to be installed and positioned in place so as to form the support along the length of the worktop before the same can be installed. This is itself problematic when one considers that utility services such as pipework, waste systems, and electric wiring are also required to be installed along with the items of fitted furniture. As the units comprise a series of panels, this means that access to the utility services is difficult, confined, and cutting out of portions of the preassembled units is typically required.

The conventional systems also require relatively large amounts of board sheet material to be used to form the same. A further problem is that the transportation of these preassembled units to the point of installation, can be expensive as the materials used for the preformed units, are relatively heavy and the bulk of the same means that the transport space required to be used is also relatively high.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide a means whereby fitted furniture can be formed and installed efficiently and in a more flexible and adaptive manner thereby allowing greater opportunity for consumer choice, improved installation access and to avoid the need to provide preassembled units under factory conditions which are subsequently transported.

In a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an item of furniture, said item having a frame and a series of panel members, and wherein the frame comprises a series of elongate members joined together to form apertures therebetween which are at least partially closed by one or more panel members

received and engaged in position with respect to the frame to thereby form the item of furniture.

Typically the item of furniture includes any or any combination of cupboards, drawers, shelves and/or a cavity. In one embodiment the cavity can receive other items or appliances therein or may simply be used for storage purposes.

Typically it is the frame which is used for load bearing purposes and the panels provide the decorative effect thereby allowing the system to be more adaptable and easier to construct on site than the conventional items of furniture, especially with respect to items of fitted furniture.

There is therefore provided in accordance with the invention a system for assembling one or a plurality of items of furniture at a particular location, on site.

In one embodiment, the frame members are connected to each other at respective ends and, if required, additional frame members may be located at points intermediate the ends of the frame members so as to provide additional strength to the frame which is formed.

Typically, the frame members are formed of metal and may be pressed or extruded with a required profile.

Typically, the members are provided with or formed so as to provide engagement means to allow a panel to be placed into position, and thereafter retained in position, to fill an aperture formed between said frame members.

In one embodiment, the panels are formed of a composite material and typically, as the same are not required to be load

bearing, they can be made of relatively lightweight material. This allows a greater possibility of re-cycled material being used to form all, or part of, the panels. Typically the panels, at their edges, are formed with engagement means which match those of the frame members so as to allow the panels to be held in engagement therewith.

Typically, for those portions of the fitted furniture which are to be externally viewable, panels can be provided which have a desired decorative appearance which allows the required decorative effect to be created for the finished item of furniture.

In certain instances, if specific hygiene or other usage requirements are present, the material used for the panels and/or frame members, can be selected accordingly to allow the required characteristics to be achieved.

In one embodiment, the fact that the frame can be constructed from the members alone means that the furniture, at that stage, allows easy access. By this is meant that access can relatively easily be gained through the frame apertures so as to allow utility services to be installed when the frame is in position and before the panels have been engaged in place.

Typically, the frame is load bearing, without the panels having to be connected thereto, and so the work surface and/or other components to be fitted to or used in conjunction with the item of furniture can be placed in position and installed onto the frame before the panels are placed into position on the frame.

Typically the system is used to form an item of fitted furniture which, once formed, is retained and/or supported by another item or structure.

In one item the item is used in conjunction with floor or wall plates which allows the item to be attached to an adjacent wall and/ or floor to secure the same in position.

In one embodiment, the plates are provided as an assembly having a first part which is secured to the wall or floor, and a second part which is adjustably securable to the first part along the length of the plate. This allows the distance between the first and second parts to be adjusted. Thus, in use, an outer surface of the first part can follow the form of the wall or floor and the outer surface of the second part can be substantially flat and it is to this surface that the fitted furniture is engaged. Thus, a substantially flat surface is presented for engagement with the substantially flat edge of the frame of the fitted furniture, regardless of any indents or protrusions which may exist on the wall or floor as these variations are taken into account by the variation in the distance between the first and second parts.

Typically, the wall or floor plates are provided in a form so as to be cut to the length of the item of fitted furniture. Preferably the fitted furniture will be positioned and secured in place by the use of both wall plates and floor plates. If required, further sealing strips can be provided so as to provide a hygienic seal between the external and internal faces of the fitted furniture.

In a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of creating an item of furniture, said method comprising the steps of selecting the configuration of the furniture to be created, selecting a suitable number of frame members to form a frame and panel members to be secured to the frame to form the item, connecting the frame members together to form the trame with apertures between said frame members and engaging

the said panels to the frame to at least partially close at least some of said apertures and form the item of furniture.

Typically the frame and panel members are transported to the location at which the furniture is to be used and the same are then constructed and assembled on site at that location.

In one embodiment any required utility services can be installed intermediate the formation of the frame and engaging the panels.

In one embodiment, if a worktop surface is to be provided, the same can be placed in position on the frame prior to the engagement of the panels.

In one embodiment the method comprises the step of attaching the frame and/or panels of the item of furniture to an adjacent structure or further item to retain and/or support the item in position.

The present invention, as it allows structural strength to come from the frame, allows the work surfaces to be installed prior to the panels and has several additional advantages. Firstly, the location and "positional stability" of the furniture is determined independently of the work-surface. Also the provision of a "top down" installation approach is enabled by the levelling and fixing of the frame from the work surface position Any type or weight (e.g natural stone, ceramics, etc) of work surface can be installed without additional support being required due to the strength of the frame which is achieved.

The provision of the frame without the panels means that full access and support is enabled for installation of permanent integrated sinks and appliances, in any location within the frame

system so providing much greater flexibility in design and layout.

Typically the frame provides a secure and "earth bonded" support for all pipe-work and electrical wiring.

As a result of the flexibility of the current system, the internal cupboard space has a large number of options to the customer and indeed as re-configurable. This enables customer re-design and replacement and, for hygienic applications, quick and simple dismantling for cleaning and inspection. This has particular advantage in certain uses. For example high use and turnover commercial applications such as hotels, short let apartments e.g time-share apartments, where maintaining high quality appearances and finishes is important and frequent replacement and upgrading is necessary. Also, increasingly there is a demand to adjust the furniture to reflect fashion and style changes and while this is currently prohibited by the installation cost of a complete replacement of conventional furniture it is possible with furniture in accordance with this invention.

Since the frame and panels are typically of low volume and weight, the cost of packaging, transportation and storage is low compared to pre-assembled systems and the installation time and hence cost, required on site is significantly less.

In one embodiment there is provided an area between the floor on which the item of furniture is supported and the underside of the base of die item of furniture, which area is adapted to receive drawers and/or a foot stool.

With respect to drawers the area can be used to provide additional drawer space which is not possible with conventional furniture systems as the

cabinet structure of conventional units does not extend into this area as support legs for the item of furniture are often located in the same.

In one embodiment the pull out foot stool can be selectively used to be stood on to gain access to the full height of die item of furniture.

Specific embodiments of the invention are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 shows an end view on the line B-B of Figure 3 with panels removed to show the frame of the system in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 illustrates an end view on line B-B from Figure 3 to show the variable lower support and/or decorative feature positions of the system in accordance with one embodiment;

Figure 3 shows an isometric view of an item of fitted furniture in one embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 4 illustrates an isometric view of the frame components and sectional view along the line A-A.

Although the following description relates to forming an item of furniture which is fitted it should be appreciated that this is for illustrative purposes and the system, or parts thereof, may be used equally beneficially with respect to items of self supporting furniture.

Referring firstly to Figure 1 , there is illustrated a sectional view of the frame of the system in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. There is shown a worktop 1 , which is supported on the frame 7 which comprises a series o f elongate

members 9 which are joined together in accordance with the invention.

One end of each of the horizontal frame members 9 in this embodiment are received in adjustable dimension sections 5 which enables the gap 15 between the wall 1 1 and the rear face 13 of the rearmost vertical members 9 to be adjusted to suit site installation requirements. For example, if the wall has a slope, then the distance between the top of the frame 19 of the unit and the bottom of the frame 21 of the unit, and the wall, can be varied accordingly to take into account the slope. The adjustable dimension sections 5 are connected to the wall via respective first and second wall plates 2, 17 via screws 23 as shown. In addition, any gap 3 between the rear of the worktop 1 and the wall 1 1 can be filled with a gel or other sealing means.

Typically, the frame members are located with the respective wall plates via a "click" lock system whereby a protrusion 25 is moved into a recess area 27 in the plates 2,17 and, once in position, the frame members are effectively locked in that position and therefore cannot be moved outwardly from the wall without significant manipulation.

It should be noted that while Figure 1 shows a floor unit, a wall unit component can be formed and supported in substantially the same manner.

Figure 2 illustrates a similar view to Figure 1 but indicates how the support of the frame on the floor surface 29, can be achieved. Once again, the wall plates 2,17are shown supporting the unit with respect to the wall 1 1 and, in addition, floor support means 31 are provided. These include adjustable engagement means 33 which can be adjusted with respect to the base to allow the height of the unit to be adjusted to take into

account variations in the floor surface. Typically, the floor supports are preferably used where the wall may not in itself be load bearing such as, for example, if the wall has been formed from plasterboard. The position of the floor support means is determined by the load and decorative requirements with, in one embodiment, the further forward the position of the floor support providing a higher load bearing.

Figure 3 illustrates an isometric view of a unit 35 formed in accordance with the invention in one embodiment. It will be seen how the unit is securely positioned with respect to the wall via the wall plates 2,17 which typically are provided of an extruded material and can be cut to a required length such that more than one unit may be supported on the same wall plates. In addition it will be seen how the frame members 9 are hidden from external view once the decorative panels 37 are secured in position on the frame. In this case the worktop is not shown.

Figure 4 illustrates the profile of the frame member 9 in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. The profile includes a vertical frame support 42 which allows vertical dimensional stability and rigidity. A horizontal cupboard panel positioning slot 43 is provided, as is vertical panel slot 44. The vertical frame supports 45 lock together with adjacent cupboard units thereby allowing larger unitary items of furniture to be formed.

The lateral strength and stability 46 comes from the precision engineering of the components and the final fixing of the worktop (not shown) . If required a floor plinth may also be fitted.

Variable position shelf supports 47 may be provided which are located by vertical end pieces located at each end of the side

panels and which slide into place. If required, drawer units can be provided and these are inserted into the horizontal panel slots 48.

It should be appreciated that the principles of the system can be used for several types of furniture uses and adapted accordingly. The example of a domestic kitchen system is described here to present the invention in a non-limiting manner for use in fitted furniture systems.

The frame members are made of a rigid material e.g metal extrusions, reinforced resins and/or plastics and form the support structure for the system. The material used can be coated or coloured and made corrosion resistant to suit specific requirements. In a preferred embodiment they are prepared from re-cycled material especially for domestic applications. For commercial and/or more hygienic applications, stainless steel, for example, may be used. This frame system is modular and so can comprise of members to form a single unit or form part of a complete built in kitchen or, a series of free-standing units.

The frame system is erected and fitted as a complete open frame or "skeleton" for the kitchen units prior to the panels being installed. The frame is constructed by interconnecting the frame member using fastening means. At this stage utility services, i.e plumbing, pipework, waste system, electrical wiring and bonding can be completely installed and be accessible once the frame is constructed but before the engagement of the panels and hence before the furniture is "closed in" . The worktop can also be fitted onto the frame as the frame and any appliances supported thereby can be fitted and fully tested with full access still possible at this stage via the apertures in the

frame, thereby allowing the utility services to be easily altered or adjusted if required.

The worktop can be sealed to the wall junction and the floor to plinth junctions as required. This creates a completely sealed system enabling tiling and finishing of the walls and floors and the creation of an accessible technical space behind the units which can be isolated for much improved hygienic installation.

The internal cavity space is configurable to many different options and may be re-configurable after installation by suitable arrangement of the frame members. This is in contrast to conventional furniture where the configuration generally has to be decided and built into conventional design systems. For example, in the current invention, cupboard space can be anything from single size to completely open space within the frame set, this is something that is not possible with conventional cupboard units.

As the frame provides the support structure and is the load bearing element, the panels need not be high strength structural components and can be made of relatively lightweight materials. In the case of domestic kitchens one option is to make the panels from material prepared from re-cycled waste packaging.

With the frame assembled, the panels can be slotted into position and engaged with the frame members. It should be noted that wall units can be designed and installed in the same way as the base units. From the exterior, the system can have the appearance of a conventionally built kitchen and can include any final finishing features.

Shelving is designed to be supported by the frame and adjustable to suit. Preferably the design enables any style of door and

closing system to be used and so is compatible with any material or design style. The same applies to drawer systems as the frame provides the support rigidity and robustness.

The weight and volume of the mass being transported to the point of use is relatively low. Coupled with the high level of re-cycled material which may be used in manufacture the total environmental carbon contribution will be very low compared to conventional system manufacture and delivery.

Another feature of the design is the installation cost and site time which is significantly reduced in comparison to conventional furniture. This is achieved as a result of the ability to pre-customise the frame layout from modular components. Other components may also be made available for independent use e.g bench and wall mounted power outlets, concealed cable and pipe support trays, etc.

The advantage of a low cost, high integrity structure is that it works across the complete range of styles and finish quality. This means high quality style and finishes are achievable at lower cost and "bottom of the range" systems are not compromised by lower grade or quality of the essential system structural components which is often the case with conventional systems.

The basic design and installation of the frame system can take place during the primary construction stages of newly built buildings without risk of damage to the furniture (even if a frame component was damaged this is cheaply and easily replaced) . This means that final "assembly" can be done as a clean low cost task after all building, wet trades and decorating is completed. This gives greater flexibility for the builder i.e in co-ordinating second fixing, plastering, painting, etc and

complete flexibility for new owners to be able to customize for style and colours more or less up to the point of handover. It also means that new builds can be " finished" after the main contract has ^" been completed as a low cost, low/medium skill process with high customer interaction and hence reducing the amount of expensive call back and snagging tasks.

The frame system of the current invention therefore provides support strength to the furniture which is formed and also enables a multiplicity of internal functional components to be housed therein without the additional support structures which are required for conventionally constructed furniture. Examples of these include slide-in/out shelf units for tall and under-bench cupboards, carousels and folding units for corner cupboard applications, drawer units can be double height and double width and capable of storing very heavy objects like food processors, which is generally not possible with conventional components without significant additional support system being provided. Lift up and fold out drawers and platforms can be provided to allow additional work surfaces to be created to permanently mount heavy food processors. Furthermore, because the basic design concept enables the mounting of power, water and other utility services, each unit of furniture ion accordance with the invention can have its own power supply and so permanendy mounted electrical items can "operate -in-place".

Furthermore, a common problem faced by disabled people in a conventional kitchen design system is accessibility and lack of flexibility in the layout. Conventionally, each kitchen design will require a different approach as each person's needs are different. The problem with conventional construction is that the layout and operabiϋty has to be considered within the design constraints of the structural components i.e. the cabinets.

The safety and operational benefits of the system of the invention are applicable to commercial and industrial applications, for example, if die

ideas are extended into commercial kitchens or clean room applications in laboratories, the significant advantage of being able to store or mount heavy equipment and utensils in pull out and lift-up drawers enables the work- surfaces to be quickly and completely cleared and hygienically maintained.

With the current invention the open frame design and structural stability of the system greatly widens the design possibilities. This means that criteria such as specific dimension requirements, space required for wheel-chair access between and under units can be customized and the system itself can be used to provide a basis for manual holding points for the person to support or lift themselves where required. This, along with the structural strength of the frame to support components such as lift up and pull out tables, drawers, heavy items, means that almost all kitchen activities can be brought to whatever working level and position is required. When not in use, these can be folded away to a compact and aesthetically pleasing design as with a traditional kitchen layout.