IP Library Granted Patent US 10,844,891
Granted Patent B2
US 10,844,891 · App. 15/522,847 · Granted Nov 24, 2020

Piece of furniture

Inventors: Luc Maertens (Lichtervelde, BE); Luc Deman (Izegem, BE); Guy Van Hooydonck (Schoten, BE); Benny Schacht (Vlamertinge, BE)
Assignee: UNILIN BV
F16B12/12F16B12/46A47B47/0075A47B2230/0081F16B2012/466
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,844,891
App. No.
15/522,847
Granted
Nov 24, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A piece of furniture, comprising a first and a second furniture part, which are coupled to each other at an angle by means of mechanical coupling means. A female part is made as an oblong slot in the second furniture part with an insertion opening for introducing a male part. When coupling the first furniture part and the second furniture part to each other, the male part is brought from an insertion position in the insertion opening to an end position in the female part by moving the male part and the female part along each other. The male part is situated on a narrow end of the first furniture part and is positioned with its center line between the central plane of the first furniture part and the inner side of the first furniture part. The slot is realized in the inwardly directed flat side of the second furniture part.

Claims (31)

1. A piece of furniture, comprising a first furniture part and a second furniture part, which are coupled to each other at an angle by means of mechanical coupling means,

wherein said coupling means comprises a male part provided on the first furniture part and a cooperating therewith female part provided on the second furniture part,

wherein said female part is made as an oblong slot in said second furniture part and wherein said male part and female part comprise one or more cooperating grooves and protrusions,

wherein said oblong slot comprises an insertion opening for introducing said male part and wherein, when coupling the first furniture part and the second furniture part to each other, the male part is brought from an insertion position in said insertion opening to an end position in said female part by moving the male part and the female part along each other in a longitudinal direction of said oblong slot,

wherein said one or more cooperating grooves and protrusions in said end position cooperate such that a coupling of the first and second furniture part is obtained, and wherein said male part is situated on a narrow end of said first furniture part and is positioned with its center line between a central plane of the first furniture part and an inner side of the first furniture part, whereas said oblong slot is realized in an inwardly directed flat side of the second furniture part;

wherein the oblong slot defines a recess having a reduced width compared to a width of the oblong slot, the recess defining a space between a bottom surface of the oblong slot and a bottom surface of the male part.

2. The piece of furniture of claim 1 , wherein said first and second furniture parts in said end position are pressed towards each other by means of the one or more cooperating grooves and protrusions.

3. The piece of furniture of claim 2 , wherein the grooves and/or protrusions are compressed during the aforementioned pressing.

4. The piece of furniture of claim 1 , wherein said one or more cooperating grooves and protrusions of the female and male parts are made inclined in mutual respect.

5. The piece of furniture of claim 1 , wherein the first furniture part adjoins with a distal or narrow end thereof against the inwardly directed flat side of the second furniture part.

6. The piece of furniture according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second furniture parts define a miter coupling defining an angle of substantially 45 degrees relative to a plane defined by the first furniture part.

7. The piece of furniture according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second furniture parts defines a recess forming a space between the first and second furniture parts and located between an outwardly directed side of the first furniture part and the male part.

8. The piece of furniture according to claim 1 , wherein at least two-thirds of the male part are located between a central plane and the inwardly directed side of the first furniture part.

9. The piece of furniture according to claim 1 , wherein the oblong slot defines a bevel.

10. A piece of furniture, comprising a first furniture part and a second furniture part, which are coupled to each other at an angle by means of mechanical coupling means,

wherein said coupling means comprises a male part provided on the first furniture part and a cooperating therewith female part provided on the second furniture part,

wherein said female part is made as an oblong slot in said second furniture part and wherein said male and female part comprise one or more cooperating grooves and protrusions,

wherein said slot comprises an insertion opening for introducing said male part and wherein, when coupling the first furniture part and the second furniture part to each other, the male part is brought from an insertion position in said insertion opening to an end position in said female part by moving the male part and the female part along each other in a longitudinal direction of said oblong slot,

wherein said one or more cooperating grooves and protrusions in said end position cooperate such that a coupling of the first and second furniture part is obtained, and wherein said female part is provided in a side of the second furniture part, which is provided with a layer-shaped covering;

wherein the oblong slot defines a recess having a reduced width compared to a width of the oblong slot, the recess defining a space between a bottom surface of the oblong slot and a bottom surface of the male part.

11. The piece of furniture of claim 10 , wherein said male part is provided in a narrow side of the first furniture part, wherein the narrow side of the first furniture part is free from layer-shaped coverings.

12. The piece of furniture of claim 10 , wherein said oblong slot comprises a bevel or other chamfer.

13. The piece of furniture according to claim 10 , wherein the first furniture part adjoins with its distal or narrow end against the distal or narrow end of the second furniture part, for forming a miter coupling.

14. A piece of furniture, comprising a first furniture part and a second furniture part, which are coupled to each other at an angle by means of mechanical coupling means,

wherein said mechanical coupling means comprises a male part provided on the first furniture part and a cooperating therewith female part provided on the second furniture part,

wherein said female part is made as an oblong slot in said second furniture part and wherein said male and female part comprise one or more cooperating grooves and protrusions,

wherein said oblong slot comprises an insertion opening for introducing said male part and wherein, when coupling the first furniture part and the second furniture part to each other, the male part is brought from an insertion position in said insertion opening to an end position in said female part by moving the male part and the female part along each other in a longitudinal direction of said oblong slot, wherein said one or more cooperating grooves and protrusions in said end position cooperate such that a coupling of the first and second furniture parts is obtained,

wherein in a coupled condition of the first furniture part and the second furniture part free spaces or chambers are present in a coupling zone, wherein there is at least a free space between an inwardly directed side of the first furniture part and the male coupling part;

wherein said free space is not closed towards an inside of the furniture part.

15. The piece of furniture according to claim 14 , wherein the free spaces or chambers include the free space and a second free space, the free space and the second free space comprise parallel surfaces and extend a distance orthogonally from the longitudinal direction of the oblong slot.

16. The piece of furniture according to claim 14 , wherein the free spaces or chambers include the free space and a second free space, the free space and the second free space each define or extend from surfaces located on opposed sides of the male part and which abut a bottom surface of a bottom-most protrusion of the male part.

Assignments (5)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 11, 2022
From: FLOORING INDUSTRIES LIMITED, SARL
To: INTER IKEA SYSTEMS B.V.
Reel/Frame 061381/0229 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ADDRESS OF ASSIGNEE PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 056494 FRAME 0304. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Aug 13, 2021
From: UNILIN, BV
To: FLOORING INDUSTRIES LIMITED, SARL
Reel/Frame 057182/0617 →
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Jun 7, 2021
From: UNILIN, BV
To: FLOORING INDUSTRIES LIMITED, SARL
Reel/Frame 056494/0304 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 13, 2020
From: UNILIN BVBA
To: UNILIN BV
Reel/Frame 054043/0249 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 28, 2017
From: MAERTENS, LUC; DEMAN, LUC; VAN HOOYDONCK, GUY; SCHACHT, BENNY
To: UNILIN, BVBA
Reel/Frame 042175/0097 →
Cited By (1)
US 12,516,692