Ready to assemble structural system
A ready to assemble structural system comprises support members with slots, and bases with grooves. The slots allow various support members to be interconnected in rigid alignment. The grooves in the bases receive the upper or lower edges of the support members, providing further structural rigidity. Embodiments allow for the construction of real or toy chairs, tables, bookshelves, chests, houses, and other structures with internal storage capacity or the ability to support a person or objects. Particular embodiments can be vertically stacked or laterally joined to form extended structures.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/196,129 filed Oct. 14, 2008, the content of all of which is incorporated by this reference in its entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENTNot applicable.
INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISKNot Applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the assembly of structures using modular components. More particularly, the invention concerns the assembly of structures and objects using planar, interlocking components.
2. Description of Related Art including Information Disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
Toys, furniture, housing and other structures benefit from the use of components which are inexpensive to produce, and which can be used interchangeably to construct a variety of forms. Those skilled in the art recognize a continued need to find more efficient ways to achieve these benefits, particularly ways that leverage less complex means of manufacturing individual structural components, and the use of conventional fasteners.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONBy way of summary, the present invention concerns design methods and construction techniques using sheets or slabs of any construction material, man-made or natural, to manufacture and assemble many objects and structures. This invention uses closed and open style support, or structural members with interlocking slots inserted into grooves located in bases of various geometrical forms. The closed and open style support members are interchangeable and many bases are also interchangeable. This produces modules which can be stacked vertically and expanded horizontally. All pieces of the modules can have decorative cuts forming their shape as well as decorative cuts and designs on their surfaces producing a large number of objects and structures. These include, for example, a toe protector, furniture, toy furniture, dollhouses, playhouses, walls, floors, ceiling and the roof of a structure.
The present invention may have one or more advantages over prior inventions, including the fact that it is easy to design, manufacture, assemble and disassemble more objects and structures, it allows more styles and sets of furniture, and children can assemble their own toy furniture, doll houses, playhouses, toys, and construction games.
Some prior inventions have used locking devices to provide rigidity to the furniture articles. The present invention addresses the fact that the need for extra stability or rigidity in an object is generally determined by the manufacturer and is dependent on parameters which include the precision of cuts for the grooves and slots, the type of material being used, the size of the individual pieces, the weight of the pieces, and the particular application of the structure.
Some objects, when made in accordance with the present invention, may not require extra rigidity. These objects may include most tables made of heavy pieces of granite, marble or wood, a toe protector, most children's objects or structures, some structures in some places due to overlying weight or needing flexibility in case of earthquakes, and most objects made of foam.
Some tables and most chairs constructed in accordance with the present invention may require fasteners. The fastener of choice in such cases is a thumb screw which is ¼ or one turn, and which is readily available at, for example, local hardware stores or Internet fastener supply sources. The Figures herein show the preferred locations of use. A method of holding children's toys together is also illustrated in the present Figures.
One form of the ready to assemble system of the invention concerns a toe protector. The toe protector is placed at the foot end of a bed for supporting bed covers above a person's toes. This is important for people with arthritis or injury. It is also useful for a person who paints their toe nails at night and would have to wait an hour for them to dry before retiring; or purchase a heater which cost a lot more than the toe protector. The toe protector can be made from inexpensive stiff foam. It can be assembled and disassembled in less than a minute. Another use of the module is as a desk or as a bookcase, providing that shelves are added to the module. Each module stacked vertically may serve as another shelf in the bookcase. Further, drawers can be added to form a chest of drawers or a desk with drawers.
Another form of the system of the invention concerns the provision of a storage or toy chest, any kind of table, a footstool, a low work chair, a bench, as a module in a structure, a storage shed, a wall and a floor. The module can also be used as a playhouse for children by increasing the physical dimensions of all pieces and removing the bottom base and providing cut-outs for doors and windows to produce a large outdoor playhouse. A hallway can be assembled to connect two rooms of playhouse by using two structural members inserted into up facing slots of the walls of each room with doorways between the slots. The playhouse can be constructed from thick, soft foam pieces for small children who would enjoy falling into the walls and seeing the house move. Stiff foam and other materials can also be used for older children. They can build their own playhouses and furniture and toys using the simple repeatable assembly techniques illustrated and explained in this disclosure. A large number of toys can be designed and manufactured, especially with the use of injection molding. The outside surfaces of the support members and bases can have the shape of a train locomotive and cars, trucks, etc. The bottom base could have means for attaching wheels. Construction game puzzles are yet another use of this method of design and construction techniques.
The module bases can be of any geometrical shape such as, round, rectangular, square, octahedron and triangle shaped. Also, the module bases can have groove patterns of many geometrical shapes.
Still another form of the system of the invention concerns the provision of chairs of various sizes and constructions. A loveseat, settee or bed can also be provided by changing the physical dimensions of the parts of the chairs.
Yet another form of the system of the invention concerns the provision of a dollhouse, playhouse or two story structure of any type for children. The system of the invention can be used to produce very long structures such as seen in European towns. Using the structural members, a model village could be assembled by children. A mobile home could be constructed using some of the methods of this invention which could be assembled on site mostly by unskilled labor and then disassembled if one wished to move the structure.
Further advantages of the present invention may become apparent to those skilled in the art with the benefit of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and upon reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Definitions—As used herein the following terms mean:
- Table: An article of furniture supported by one or more vertical legs and having a flat horizontal surface.
- Chair: A piece of furniture consisting of a seat, legs, back, and often arms, designed to accommodate one person.
- Desk: A piece of furniture usually with a flat top for writing and drawers or compartments.
- Chest: A small closet or cabinet with shelves for storing supplies.
- Stool: A backless and armless single seat supported on legs or a pedestal; a low bench or support for the feet or knees in sitting or kneeling, as a footrest.
Referring to the drawings and particularly to
In the present form of the invention, the structure identified by the numeral 102 comprises a first generally planar, substantially rectangular member 104 having an upper edge 106, a lower edge 108, spaced apart lateral edges 110 and first slots 112 formed proximate each of the lateral edges 110. Second and third generally planar rectangular members 114 and 116 respectively, which are adapted to be connected to first member 104, have an upper edge 118, a lower edge 120, spaced apart lateral edges 122 and second connector slots 124 formed proximate each of the lateral edges 122. As indicated in
Turning now to
Furniture system 150 here comprises a first generally planar, substantially rectangular member 104 having an upper edge 106, a lower edge 108, spaced apart lateral edges 110 and first slots 112, formed proximate each of the lateral edges 110. Second and third generally planar rectangular members 152 and 154 respectively, which are adapted to be connected to first member 104, have an upper edge 156, a lower edge 158, spaced apart lateral edges 122 and first and second connector slots 160 and 162 formed proximate each of the lateral edges 122 (see also
As previously mentioned, a generally planar, substantially rectangular fourth, or top member, such as the top member 138 illustrated in
Connected to the lower edges of members 104, 152, 154 and 166 to form chest structure 150 is a generally planar, substantially rectangular bottom member 178, which is similar to the member 138 illustrated in
Turning next to
Also connected to second and third members 190 and 192 is a “U” shaped fifth member 204. Fifth “U” shaped member 204 has an upper edge 206, spaced apart lateral edges 208 and downwardly extending slots 210 formed proximate each of the lateral edges (see also
Connected to the upper edges of members 182, 190, 192 and 204 to form the small end table like structure 180 is the previously mentioned, generally planar, substantially rectangular top, or a fourth member 212. Top member 212 is provided with a plurality of grooves 212a that are constructed and arranged to receive the top edges of members 182, 190, 192 and 204. As illustrated in
Referring now to
Turning next to
Also connected to second and third members 190 and 192 is a “U” shaped back member 204 having an upper edge, spaced apart lateral edges and downwardly extending slots formed proximate each of the lateral edges (see also
Connected to the upper edges of members 182, 190, 192 and 204 to form the seat construction 226a is a generally planar substantially rectangular seat, or top member 230. Member 230 is provided with a plurality of grooves 230a that are constructed and arranged to receive the upper edges of members 182, 190, 192 and 204. Connected to the table like, or seat construction 226a to form the chair construction 226 is a back member 232. Back member 232 is received within a groove 234 formed in seat member 230 and is provided with a plurality of transversely spaced apart bores 236, each generally having a threaded insert (not shown). Bores 236 align with a plurality of transversely spaced apart bores 238 formed in member 230 that are adapted to receive complimentary fasteners such as thumb screws (not shown); a function to provide a stable interconnection between member 232 and seat member 230.
Turning next to
Slots 248a are constructed and arranged to mateably engage connector slots 246a formed in side arms 246 to form the chair construction illustrated in
Back member 248 is provided with a plurality of transversely spaced apart bores 249. Bores 249 each generally contain a threaded insert (not shown) and align with a plurality of transversely spaced apart bores 245 formed in member 242 that are adapted to receive complimentary fasteners such as thumb screws (not shown); a function to provide a stable interconnection between member 248 and seat member 242. Similarly, each of the side arms 246 is provided with bores 246b that align with a plurality of spaced apart bores 242a formed in member 242. Bores 242a and bores 246b are adapted to receive dowels or other fasteners (not shown); a function to provide a stable interconnection between members 246 and seat member 242.
Referring to
Also connected to second and third members 260 and 262 is a “U” shaped fifth member 274. Fifth “U” shaped member 274 has an upper seat back portion 276 and spaced apart leg portions 278 each having downwardly extending slots 280. As indicated in
Connected to members 256, 260, 262 and 274 by presently to be identified connector brackets to form the chair structure 250 is the previously mentioned, generally planar, substantially rectangular seat, or a fourth member 282.
To provide attachment points and support for member 282, support blocks 286 and 287 (
Referring now to
Connected to the top edges of the first and second spaced apart side members 306 and 308 is a ceiling member 314 having a plurality of spaced apart grooves 316 (
Connected to ceiling member 314 is a slanted roof structure 318 having edges 318a receivable within selected ones of the grooves 316 formed in the ceiling member. Slanted roof structure 318 comprises interconnected side panels 320 and an end panel 322 that is interconnected with the side panels and with the ceiling member 314. End panel 322 includes a long edge piece 327 which is receivable by a groove in ceiling member 314, and two short edge pieces 333 which are receivable by two opposing grooves in ceiling member 314 (see
As illustrated in
The material used for manufacture of the structural members of the present invention can be anything from plastic to metal. Items 334 and 336 represent the interlocking slots of two structural members. The curved area of item 334 rides up over and centers on top of the raised area on item 336. The curved area of item 334 can be formed by drilling a hole before cutting the slot. The raised area of item 336 could be the head of a pin or a small smooth rivet. Item 338 represents the edge of a support member which is inserted into a slot. Item 338 has four rivets, two on each end near the two ends of the support member. Two holes are drilled in each end of the base before the groove is cut. The amount of rigidity obtained is dependent on the thickness of the support members, the size of the rivets and the mating curvature. Alternatively injection molding could form these areas in the plastic or material. The mating areas could then cover a large area end to end or side to side.
The various structural members can have decorative cuts for their shapes and cuts and designs on the surfaces. By adding drawers to the bookcase, it becomes a chest of drawers. Support members can also feature cut-outs for doors and windows to produce, for example, a large outdoor playhouse. A hallway can be assembled to connect two rooms of playhouse by using two structural members inserted into up facing slots of the walls of each room with doorways between the slots. The playhouse could be made of thick, soft foam pieces for small children who would enjoy falling into the walls and seeing the house move. Stiff foam and other materials could be used for older children.
The components of the present invention can be injection molded. The outside surfaces of the structural members can have the shape of a train locomotive and cars, trucks, etc. The bottom base could have means for attaching wheels. Construction game puzzles are yet another use of this method of design and construction techniques. The bases can have groove patterns of any geometrical shape. Also the structural members could have no grooves at all. They could be like a cover or lid with a perimeter which fits on the outside of the structural members. Also, the base could be flat with a center section that fits inside the structural members.
Some or all of the grooves in the structural members may, in some instances, be V-shaped. This shape is self centering and helps in locating the grooves. All the grooves could be V-shaped or any other of many possible shapes. All sharp edges can be rounded for ease of assembly. There are applications when tables or other objects need to be moved on smooth floors, or kept off of delicate surfaces. In such cases, bottom members 140, 142 or 144 (see
Construction according to the present invention can be used to make, for example, a loveseat or settee just by changing the physical dimensions of the parts of the chair structures described herein. Using the same process one can design a bed.
The foregoing detailed description of the invention is intended to be illustrative and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Changes and modifications are possible with respect to the embodiments detailed in the foregoing description, and it is understood that the invention may be practiced otherwise than that specifically described herein and still be within the scope of the appended claims.
Claims
1. A structural system comprising:
- (a) a first member having an upper edge, spaced apart lateral edges and first slots formed proximate each of said lateral edges;
- (b) second and third members configured to be connected to said first member, each of said second and third members having an upper edge, a lower edge, spaced apart lateral edges and second connector slots formed proximate each of said lateral edges, said second connector slots being constructed and arranged to mateably engage said first connector slots of said first member to join together said first, second and third members to form a first precursor structure; and
- (c) a fourth member connected to said upper edges of said second and third members to form a second precursor structure.
2. The structural system as defined in claim 1, in which said second precursor comprises a toe protector structure.
3. The structural system as defined in claim 1, in which said second precursor is a desk structure.
4. The structural system as defined in claim 1, in which said first, second and third members are generally “U” shaped.
5. The structural system as defined in claim 1, further including a fifth member connected to said second and third members, a top member connected to said first, second, third and fourth members, a bottom member connected to said second and third members and an eight member connected to the lower edges of said first, second, third and fifth members to form a chest structure.
6. The structural system as defined in claim 1, further including a back member connected to said second and third members and a top member connected to said first, second, third and fourth members to form a table structure.
7. The structural system as defined in claim 6, further including a back member connected to said table structure to form a chair structure.
8. A structural furniture system comprising:
- (a) a first generally planar, substantially rectangular member having an upper edge, spaced apart lateral edges and first slots formed proximate each of said lateral edges;
- (b) second and third generally planar rectangular members connected to said first member, each of said second and third members having an upper edge, a lower edge, spaced apart lateral edges and second connector slots formed proximate each of said lateral edges, said second connector slots being constructed and arranged to mateably engage said first connector slots of said first member to join together said first, second and third members to form a first precursor structure; and
- (c) a top member connected to said upper edges of said second and third members to form a second precursor structure.
9. The structural furniture system as defined in claim 8 in which said top member is substantially rectangular and is provided with grooves constructed and arranged to mateably engage said second and third members.
10. The structural furniture system as defined in claim 8 further including a back member connected to said second and third members and a bottom member connected to the lower edges of said first, second, third and back members to form a chest structure.
11. The structural furniture system as defined in claim 8 in which said bottom member is substantially rectangular and is provided with grooves constructed and arranged to mateably engage first, second, third and back members.
12. A structural furniture system comprising:
- (a) a first generally planar, “U” shaped member having an upper edge, spaced apart lateral edges and first slots formed proximate each of said lateral edges;
- (b) second and third generally planar, “U” shaped members connected to said first member, each of said second and third members having an upper edge, a lower edge, spaced apart lateral edges and second connector slots formed proximate each of said lateral edges, said second connector slots being constructed and arranged to mateably engage said first connector slots of said first member to join together said first, second and third members to form a first precursor structure;
- (c) a fourth “U” shaped member connected to said first and second members to form a second precursor structure; and
- (d) a top member connected to said first, second, third and fourth members to form a table structure.
13. The structural system as defined in claim 12, further including a back member connected to said table structure to form a chair structure.
14. The structural system as defined in claim 13 in which said top member comprises a generally planar, substantially rectangular member having a plurality of grooves constructed and arranged to receive said first, second, third and fourth members.
15. The structural system as defined in claim 14, further including a pair of side arm members connected to said top member.
16. The structural system as defined in claim 15, in which said back member is rectangular shaped.
17. The structural system as defined in claim 15, in which said pair of side arm members are received within selected grooves of said plurality of grooves formed in said top member.
18. A structural system comprising:
- (a) a first floor member having a plurality of spaced apart grooves;
- (b) first and second spaced apart side members connected to said first floor member, said first and second side members each having an upper edge and a lower edge, said lower edges being received within selected ones of said plurality of spaced apart grooves of said first floor member;
- (c) a ceiling member connected to said first and second spaced apart side members, said ceiling member having a plurality of spaced apart grooves, said upper edges of said side members being receivable within selected ones of said grooves formed in said ceiling members; and
- (d) a roof structure connected to said ceiling member, said roof structure having edges receivable within selected ones of said grooves formed in said ceiling member.
19. The structural system as defined in claim 18 further including a second floor member and third and fourth side members, said side members being connected to and disposed between said first and second floor members.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 13, 2009
Publication Date: Apr 15, 2010
Inventor: Joseph T. Elliott (Fontana, CA)
Application Number: 12/587,868
International Classification: A47B 85/00 (20060101); A47B 3/06 (20060101); A47C 4/02 (20060101); A47B 85/04 (20060101); A47C 13/00 (20060101); A63H 3/52 (20060101);