Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a supporting frame for a piece of furniture, wherein the supporting frame comprises at least one outer side.

Moreover, the invention relates to a piece of furniture comprising a supporting frame, a method for manufacturing a supporting frame as well as a use of a supporting frame.

Background of the invention

It is known to make a supporting frame for a piece of furniture, such as a chair, a table and a piece of corpus furniture, wherein the supporting frame is manufactured of several individual side pieces, wherein the ends of the side pieces, via dowels and glue, are assembled with furniture legs, and wherein the supporting frame is stabilized by inner corners, wherein the corners are screwed into the furniture legs and attached to the side pieces, for instance with glue, and wherein fittings are mounted internally in the supporting frame for use at mounting of for instance furniture seats, tabletops and corpus.

From US4066295 and DE 2741198, a supporting frame for a piece of furniture is known, wherein the supporting frame comprises an outer side and is made in a continuous material.

Object of the invention

The object of the invention is to improve the manufacturing of products, so that it will be both faster, easier and cheaper to manufacture a supporting frame, whereby productivity, competitiveness and eventually finances will improve. Moreover, the object of the invention is to make a stronger supporting frame, which both strengthens and stabilizes the supporting frame further, and finally the object of the invention is to broaden the range of materials applicable for use for a supporting frame.

The basic idea is to go from several separate sides to one single piece of wood, which is continuous from the onset of the manufacturing of the supporting frame, wherein the wood for instance is constituted by a block of plywood, which is subsequently milled out as a solid base. The veneer can for instance primarily consist of birch or spruce, which grow fast, are cheap, less strong but very available compared with for instance oak, and secondarily the veneer can consist of for instance a little oak, which grows slowly, is expensive, very strong but less available compared with birch or spruce. Other compositions of veneer is of course also possible, just as other materials, such as plastic composites with and without fibres can also be used.

Moreover, the object of the invention is to provide a piece of furniture comprising a supporting frame, a method for manufacturing a supporting frame as well as a use of a supporting frame.

Description of the invention

According to a first aspect of the invention, the object stated above is achieved with a supporting frame, as initially described, wherein the supporting frame is made out of one continuous piece of material, and wherein the supporting frame comprises several layers, wherein each layer comprises one and the same single continuous piece of material in the entire extent of the layer and wherein each individual layer is contiguous with at least a second layer. This allows strengthening of the base of the furniture, namely the supporting frame, as such a supporting frame in one single piece is much stronger than previously known solutions, wherein a supporting frame was typically assembled of several parts in the circumference of the supporting frame, and wherein several side pieces were for instance assembled via dowels and glue. Prior art typically comprises four side pieces, which are joined together as mentioned.

The new solution moreover means that a supporting frame can be faster, easier but also cheaper to manufacture, as a supporting frame can for instance be made out of solid wood or a block of plywood, which is subsequently milled out for a supporting frame. Such a supporting frame can lead to savings of as much as 50% of the mounting time for a piece of furniture relative to the mounting time for common supporting frames.

If the supporting frame is manufactured of plywood, the material properties of the supporting frame will be approximately identical in two directions, as plywood is made of thin layers of veneer that is glued together with the grain directions crosswise. Another possibility of obtaining identical material properties could be manufacturing a supporting frame in a plastic composite material, for instance with glass, aramid or carbon fibres for additional strength. Finally, a supporting frame can also be manufactured as mentioned in a hybrid material, which could consist of one or more layers of wood and one or more layers of another suitable material, including plastic - fibre- reinforced or not, metal and other suitable material.

This makes is possible to manufacture individual layers separately, so that for instance the bottom is made separately and one or more other layers of the supporting frame are for instance made with inner mounting ears and wherein the layers are subsequently joined by means of glue, screws or other suitable joining methods. By making several individual layers, special productions can be possible, wherein a machine either makes a series of a specific layer at a time or only makes one specific layer. How the production otherwise is executed necessarily depends on the complexity of the present manufacturing machines, availability and so on. A supporting frame can also be constructed by a number of layers of ready-made plywood boards. For instance, the basic element of a supporting frame can be manufactured of five layers of plywood board, wherein each layer has a thickness of for instance fifteen millimetres. The individual layers of plywood board and/or veneer layers can have similar or dissimilar thickness.

In a variant of the invention, a supporting frame can be constructed by a number of layers of plywood or layers of veneer or other suitable material, and the supporting frame itself can be executed as prestressing and may thus be curved in one or more directions. One example could be a supporting frame for a chair, wherein the top edge as well as the bottom edge have the same curved shape, wherein the top edge is for instance concave, while the bottom edge is convex, which offers even more design options.

In a second aspect, the present invention also relates to a supporting frame, wherein the supporting frame further comprises a bottom, wherein the bottom comprises one and the same continuous piece of material.

This allows for strengthening the stability of the supporting frame, which becomes more rigid and stable, as diagonal displacement of the supporting frame cannot arise. At the same time, said bottom can visually shield from construction details in the supporting frame itself. Such bottom can advantageously be arranged at the bottom part of the supporting frame, at the top part or in principle at any point between the top edge and the bottom edge of the supporting frame. The visual shield is obviously not obtained to the same degree, if the bottom is at the top edge of the supporting frame. However, the supporting effect of the supporting frame itself is obtained regardless of where at the supporting frame, the bottom is arranged.

If said bottom is placed at the top edge of the supporting frame, this bottom can in principle constitute the seat of a chair or the top of a table. In such a variant, the bottom can have a size corresponding to the outer dimensions of the supporting frame, but also a size, wherein the bottom extends beyond one or more sides of the supporting frame for instance beyond all the sides.

The bottom can advantageously be manufactured in one continuous piece, but can also be perforated or have one or more major cut-outs. Partial presence of such a bottom will alone lead to increased rigidity in the construction of the supporting frame.

In a third aspect, the present invention also relates to a supporting frame, wherein the supporting frame further comprises at least one mounting ear for use in mounting of other furniture elements.

This enables mounting of for instance furniture seats, tabletops and corpus to the supporting frame. Mounting ears will preferably be arranged so that they are hidden within the supporting frame, if the supporting frame is solid, the entire supporting frame can constitute a mounting ear, but mounting ears could for that matter also be placed on the outer side of the supporting frame. In the mounting ears, a pocket hole or a through-going hole can be drilled. Mounting ears, or in this case probably rather mounting holes, can moreover be arranged in the supporting frame itself.

In a fourth aspect, the present invention also relates to a supporting frame, wherein the supporting frame on its outer side further comprises leg recesses. This makes it possible to place the desired number of legs on the supporting frame.

In a fifth aspect, the present invention also relates to a supporting frame, wherein the supporting frame on its outer side in the leg recesses comprises at least one screw hole.

This enables mounting and attaching the desired number of legs on the supporting frame via a screw that preferably from the inner side of the supporting frame is driven through the supporting frame and into the relevant leg. Obviously, this can also be done from the leg and into the supporting frame, but then the screw will be visible, which in most cases will not be desirable. The screw will preferably be driven through a corner internally in the supporting frame.

Moreover, on its outer side in the leg recesses, the supporting frame can further comprise at least one dowel hole, wherein a dowel can be mounted for additional support and stability of the leg and supporting frame assembly.

In said leg recesses, other types of means for joining legs to the supporting frame can be formed, including for instance a groove joint with fixed or loose tongue.

In a sixth aspect, the present invention also relates to a supporting frame, wherein the supporting frame can also be manufactured of plywood, plastic composite material with for instance glass, aramid or carbon fibres or a hybrid material, which could consist of one or more layers of wood and one or more layers of another suitable material, including plastic - fibre- reinforced or not, metal and other suitable material. In a seventh aspect, the present invention also relates to a piece of furniture, wherein the piece of furniture comprises at least one leg and at least one of the following: seat, tabletop, drawer and corpus.

This makes it possible to use the supporting frame according to the invention for a wide range of different types of furniture, thereby improving the production etc of the entire piece of furniture.

In an eighth aspect, the present invention also relates to a method, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

A: One and the same single continuous piece of material is roughly adjusted to at least the outer measures of the supporting frame,

C: The supporting frame is finely adjusted to at least the outer measures.

This makes it possible to cut out, mill out, process, shape and adapt a material to the outer measures of the supporting frame as well as to also cut out, mill out, process, shape and adjust the same material to any inner measures of the supporting frame if the supporting frame is not intended to be an entirely solid piece of material. Often, it is the intention to minimize the weight of a piece of furniture, so that it does not weigh more than absolutely necessary, and therefore it can also be desirable to cut out, mill out, process, shape and adjust a material to the inner measures of the supporting frame.

In a ninth aspect, the present invention also relates to a method, wherein the method comprises the following step between A and C:

B: Several layers, wherein each layer comprises one and the same single continuous piece of material in the entire extent of the layer and is joined with at least a second layer

This makes it possible to manufacture the supporting frame of several customized parts which are subsequently joined layer by layer. Such joint can optionally be executed as prestressing, wherein each layer/parts are forced into an arched shape and joined in this shape, which is thus retained after joining. In a tenth aspect, the present invention also relates to the use of a supporting frame for a piece of furniture, such as a chair, a table and a piece of corpus furniture.

With a supporting frame according to the invention, a solution is obtained consisting of only a single element unlike a traditional solution, wherein four different supporting frame sides, four corner fittings (often different due to angles etc.) are used as well as a number of angle braces, which are fixed with screws partly to the inner surface of the supporting frame and partly to another furniture element. With the invention a substantial simplification and hence a substantial reduction of mounting time are obtained. At the same time, larger rigidity and generally increased strength and robustness are obtained in a supporting frame.

Description of drawing

Fig. 1 shows a supporting frame with legs in perspective according to the prior art.

Fig. 2 shows a supporting frame with legs in perspective according to the invention

Fig. 3 shows a supporting frame in perspective according to the invention

Fig. 4 shows a supporting frame viewed from above

Fig. 5 shows a sectional view of a supporting frame from the side

In the description of the figures, identical or corresponding elements will have the same reference numerals in the different figures. Thus, there will not be given an explanation of all details in connection with each figure/embodiment. List of reference numerals

1 Supporting frame

2 Leg

3 Outer side, supporting frame

4 Inner side, supporting frame

5 Side pieces

6 Ends, side pieces

7 Corners

8 Fittings

9 Mounting ears

10 Leg recesses

11 Screw hole

12 Dowel hole

13 Bottom

14 Holes

Detailed description of the invention

Fig. 1 shows a supporting frame 1 with legs 2 in perspective according to the prior art, wherein the supporting frame 1 has an outer side 3 and an inner side 4, wherein the supporting frame 1 has legs 2 and wherein the supporting frame 1 is made of several individual side pieces 5, wherein the side piece ends 6 are joined with the legs 2 and wherein the supporting frame 1 is stabilized with inner corners 7, and wherein fittings 8 are mounted internally in the supporting frame 1 for use at mounting of for instance furniture seats, tabletops and corpus (not shown).

Fig. 2 shows a supporting frame 1 with legs 2 in perspective according to the invention, wherein the supporting frame 1 has an outer side 3 and an inner side 4, wherein the supporting frame 1 is one continuous piece of material and wherein the side piece 5 shown is an integral part of the entire supporting frame 1. The figure also shows that the supporting frame 1 has four integral mounting ears 9 for use in connection with mounting of other (not shown) furniture elements as well as integral corners 7.

Fig. 3 shows a supporting frame 1 in perspective according to the invention, of which it further appears that the supporting frame 1 on its outer side 3 has leg recesses 10 and wherein the supporting frame 1 on its outer side 3 in the leg recesses 10 has at least one screw hole 11. More dowel holes 12 also appear from the figure. Such supporting frame 1 can advantageously be clad on the outer side 3 with a veneer layer, not shown, whereby any stratification in the construction of the supporting frame is covered. If the supporting frame 1 is built up of several layers of veneer or other materials, this stratification will evidently be visible on the outer side 3 of the supporting frame, which in certain cases may be an intended part of an overall design impression.

Fig. 4 shows a supporting frame 1 viewed from above, wherein the above- mentioned integral mounting ears 9, and integral corners 7, leg recesses 10, screw hole 11 as well as dowel holes 12 are viewed from another position.

Fig. 5 shows a supporting frame 1 in a sectional view from the side, from which it appears that the supporting frame 1 has a bottom 13, wherein the bottom 13 comprises one and the same single continuous piece of material, which is integrated with the rest of the supporting frame 1. It also appears from the figure that there are through-going holes 14 in the integrated mounting ears 9 for mounting of a furniture element.

The top edge of the supporting frame is here shown as a concave abutting surface for a furniture element, for instance a seat of a chair. Such seat of a chair could also be placed in a groove along the inner periphery of the supporting frame, whereby both the supporting frame and the chair of the seat can appear as a combined unit with the same outer periphery. The figures shown describes the supporting frame 1 as one single continuous piece of material, but according to the invention, the supporting frame 1 could also consist of several layers, wherein each layer is one and the same single continuous piece of material in the entire extent of the layer and wherein each individual layer is contiguous with at least a second layer. Visually, the finished result of the supporting frame 1 will look entirely as if it had been made out of one single continuous piece of material.