GB1576215A

GB1576215A - Items of furniture

Info

Publication number: GB1576215A
Application number: GB788877A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Tapper R E
Current assignee: Tapper R E
Priority date: 1978-03-22
Filing date: 1978-03-22
Publication date: 1980-10-01

Description

(54) ITEMS OF FURNITURE (71) I, RONALD EDWARD TAP PER, an Australian subject of 55 Amberley Road, Balga 6061, Western Australia, formerly of 149 Elmbridge Avenue, Surbiton, Surrey, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The present invention relates to items of furniture for use as units of an interlocking set of identical items. The invention has particular, but not exclusive, application to occasional stools and tables.

According to the present invention therefore, there is provided an item of furniture having a substantially oblong body having lateral projections at the respective ends of the elongate sides thereof, the dimensions of the body being such that the longitudinal distance between the projections on each side of the body is substantially equal to the overall width of the body so that two identical items can be interlocked by locating the items with their elongate axes mutually perpendicular and inserting one item widthwise into the gap between the projections on one side of the other item.

Additional identical items can be interlocked in the same manner with each table having a number of interlocking tables each mutually perpendicular thereto.

It will be appreciated that four items also can be interlocked at a common corner, in which case the fourth item will releasably retain the four items in their inter-locked configuration.

As mentioned previously, the invention has particular application to stools and tables. However, the invention also has application to other items of household or office furniture. Usually, but not necessarily, the stool, table or other item will be supported by three or more legs. Preferably, there are four legs each depending immediately below the four projections. In certain embodiments, it may be desirable for the legs to be spaced inwardly from the edges of the body.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a table comprising a substantially oblong table top having four supporting legs depending externally of said top at the respective ends of the elongate sides thereof, the dimensions of the table being such that the longitudinal distance between the legs on each side of the table is substantially equal to the overall width of the table so that two identical tables can be interlocked by locating the tables with their elongate axes mutually perpendicular and inserting one table width-wise into the gap between the legs on one side of the other table.

It is preferred that the legs of tables in accordance with the preferred embodiment are of rectangular, especially square crosssection, and that the upper surfaces thereof are coplanar with the upper surface of the table top.

Locating means can be provided in the items of the invention to permit of stacking one item on top of an identical item. Said means suitably may comprise a respective stud protruding from the bottom of each leg if present or otherwise from a corner of the base of the item and a complementary recess in the top of the item.

The items of the invention can be made of any suitable material, for example, metal, wood, plastics, glass or a composite of such materials.

The following is a description, by way of example only and with reference to the drawings accompanying Provisional Specification No. 53614/76, of a table in accordance with the aforementioned preferred embodiment of the invention. In those drawings of Provisional Specification No.

53614/76: Figure 1 is a perspective view from above of the table of the preferred embodiment; Figure 2 is a perspective view from below of the table of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view from above of two of the tables of Figure 1 stacked one on top of the other; and Figure 4 is a plan view of two interlocked tables of Figure 1.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of Provisional Specification No. 53614/76, a table generally indicated at 1 comprises an oblong table top 2 having a hollow underside (see Figure 2). The top 2 is supported by four supporting legs 3 which depend externally of said top at the respective ends of its elongate sides 2a. These legs 3 are identical and are of square cross-section having their upper surfaces coplanar with the upper surface of top 2. A cylindrical stud 4 depends from the bottom of each leg 4 and the leg has a complementary cylindrical recess 5 in its upper surface. The distance x between the opposed faces of each pair of legs at the respective sides of top 2 is substantially equal to the distance y between the remote faces of each pair of legs at the respective ends of top 2.

The table 1 can be stacked on an identical table 11 by locating the studs 4 of table 1 into the recesses in table 11 corresponding to recesses 5 (see Figure 3 of Provisional Specification No. 53614/76).

Two or more tables 1 can be interconnected as shown in Figure 4 by arranging them with their elongate axes mutually perpendicular and inserting one table widthwise between the pair of legs on one side of the other table. A variety of arrangements can be built up in this manner from three or more tables and any number of tables can be interconnected, although not more than four tables can be arranged around any one other table.

The following is a description, by way of example only and with reference to the drawings accompanying Provisional Specification No. 7888/77, of a table in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the invention. In the drawings of Provisional Specification No. 7888/77.

Figure 1 is perspective view from above of the i.tble; Figu;-e 2 is a perspective view from above of a modification of the table shown in Figure i and Figure 3 is a plan view of several tables of Figures 1 or 2 interlocked together.

Referring to Figure 1 of Provisional Spezification No. 7888/77, a table generally indicated at 1 comprises a substantially oblong table top 2 supported by four supporting legs 3 which depend internally of said top at 1 spective corners thereof. The top 2 has lateral projections 4 at the respective ends of its elongate sides. The distance x between the opposed faces of each pair of projections at the respective sides of the top 2 is equal to the distance y between the lateral extremities of each pair of projections at the respective ends of the top 2.

The table of Figure 2 of Provisional Specification No. 7888/77 differs from that of Figure 1 in that the legs are replaced by side walls 3' which depend from the periphery of the table top 2'. The table 1' of Figure 2 can be solid or hollow and can have an open or closed base. The projections 4' extend the full height of the table.

As illustrated in Figure 3 of Provisional Specification No. 7888/77, tables 2 and/or 2' of identical dimensions can be interlocked to build up an arrangement 5 of tables. Up to four tables can surround and be interlocked with any one table. Thus, table 2a is surrounded and interlocked by tables 2b, c, e and f. Further, four tables can be interconnected at a common corner, in which case lateral movement of the tables is prevented.

The fourth table to be introduced at the common corner has to be introduced by movement in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the table top 2. In said Figure 3, tables 2a, c, d and e are interlocked at a common corner.

It will be appreciated that the invention is not restricted to the details described above but that numerous modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, a cushion can be attached to the "table" tops 2 or 2' of the drawings of Provisional Specification No. 7888/77 in order to convert the tables into stools.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. An item of furniture having a substantially oblong body having lateral projections at the respective ends of the elongate sides thereof, the dimensions of the body being such that the longitudinal distance between the projections on each side of the body is substantially equal to the overall width of the body so that two identical items can be interlocked by locating the items with their elongate axes mutually perpendicular and inserting one item widthwise into the gap between the projections on one side of the other item.

2. A stool as claimed in claim 1.

3. A table as claimed in claim 1.

4. An item of furniture as claimed in any one of the preceding claims having three or more legs.

5. An item of furniture as claimed in claim 4, wherein there are four legs each depending immediately below a respective lateral projection.

6. An item of furniture as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, having locating

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. Figure 1 is a perspective view from above of the table of the preferred embodiment; Figure 2 is a perspective view from below of the table of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view from above of two of the tables of Figure 1 stacked one on top of the other; and Figure 4 is a plan view of two interlocked tables of Figure 1. Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of Provisional Specification No. 53614/76, a table generally indicated at 1 comprises an oblong table top 2 having a hollow underside (see Figure 2). The top 2 is supported by four supporting legs 3 which depend externally of said top at the respective ends of its elongate sides 2a. These legs 3 are identical and are of square cross-section having their upper surfaces coplanar with the upper surface of top 2. A cylindrical stud 4 depends from the bottom of each leg 4 and the leg has a complementary cylindrical recess 5 in its upper surface. The distance x between the opposed faces of each pair of legs at the respective sides of top 2 is substantially equal to the distance y between the remote faces of each pair of legs at the respective ends of top 2. The table 1 can be stacked on an identical table 11 by locating the studs 4 of table 1 into the recesses in table 11 corresponding to recesses 5 (see Figure 3 of Provisional Specification No. 53614/76). Two or more tables 1 can be interconnected as shown in Figure 4 by arranging them with their elongate axes mutually perpendicular and inserting one table widthwise between the pair of legs on one side of the other table. A variety of arrangements can be built up in this manner from three or more tables and any number of tables can be interconnected, although not more than four tables can be arranged around any one other table. The following is a description, by way of example only and with reference to the drawings accompanying Provisional Specification No. 7888/77, of a table in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the invention. In the drawings of Provisional Specification No. 7888/77. Figure 1 is perspective view from above of the i.tble; Figu;-e 2 is a perspective view from above of a modification of the table shown in Figure i and Figure 3 is a plan view of several tables of Figures 1 or 2 interlocked together. Referring to Figure 1 of Provisional Spezification No. 7888/77, a table generally indicated at 1 comprises a substantially oblong table top 2 supported by four supporting legs 3 which depend internally of said top at 1 spective corners thereof. The top 2 has lateral projections 4 at the respective ends of its elongate sides. The distance x between the opposed faces of each pair of projections at the respective sides of the top 2 is equal to the distance y between the lateral extremities of each pair of projections at the respective ends of the top 2. The table of Figure 2 of Provisional Specification No. 7888/77 differs from that of Figure 1 in that the legs are replaced by side walls 3' which depend from the periphery of the table top 2'. The table 1' of Figure 2 can be solid or hollow and can have an open or closed base. The projections 4' extend the full height of the table. As illustrated in Figure 3 of Provisional Specification No. 7888/77, tables 2 and/or 2' of identical dimensions can be interlocked to build up an arrangement 5 of tables. Up to four tables can surround and be interlocked with any one table. Thus, table 2a is surrounded and interlocked by tables 2b, c, e and f. Further, four tables can be interconnected at a common corner, in which case lateral movement of the tables is prevented. The fourth table to be introduced at the common corner has to be introduced by movement in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the table top 2. In said Figure 3, tables 2a, c, d and e are interlocked at a common corner. It will be appreciated that the invention is not restricted to the details described above but that numerous modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, a cushion can be attached to the "table" tops 2 or 2' of the drawings of Provisional Specification No. 7888/77 in order to convert the tables into stools. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. An item of furniture having a substantially oblong body having lateral projections at the respective ends of the elongate sides thereof, the dimensions of the body being such that the longitudinal distance between the projections on each side of the body is substantially equal to the overall width of the body so that two identical items can be interlocked by locating the items with their elongate axes mutually perpendicular and inserting one item widthwise into the gap between the projections on one side of the other item.

2. A stool as claimed in claim 1.

3. A table as claimed in claim 1.

means to permit of stacking one item on top of an identical item.

7. An item of furniture as claimed in claim 6, wherein said locating means comprises a respective stud protruding from the bottom of each leg, if present, or otherwise from a corner of the base of the item and a complementary recess in the top of the item.

8. An item of furniture substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figures 1 to 3 of Provisional Specification No. 7888/77.

9. A table comprising an oblong table top having four supporting legs depending externally of said top at the respective ends of the elongate sides thereof, the dimensions of the table being such that the longitudinal distance between the legs on each side of the table is equal to the overall width of the table so that two identical tables of the invention can be interlocked by locating the tables with their elongate axes mutually perpendicular and inserting one table widthwise into the gap between the legs on one side of the other table.

10. A table as claimed in claim 9, wherein the legs are of rectangular crosssection.

11. A table as claimed in claim 10, wherein the legs are of square cross-section.

12. A table as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the upper surfaces of the legs are coplanar with the upper surface of the table top.

13. A table as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 12, having locating means to permit of stacking one item on top of an identical item.

14. A table as claimed in claim 13, wherein the locating means comprises a respective stud protruding from the bottom of each leg and a complementary recess in the top of each leg.

15. A table as claimed in claim 9 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figures 1 to 4 of Provisional Spccification No. 53614/76.