Attaching device for modular furniture

Abstract

A latch arrangement for latching one furniture component to another in side-by-side abutting relationship includes a horizontal crank arm attached to the underside of one component and a hook attached to the underside of the other component in a position to be engaged by the crank portion of the crank arm or by a link pivotally carried by the crank arm. In operation the crank arm is rotated about its axis, by means of a removable handle, first in one direction to extend the crank portion of the arm laterally of its respective furniture component so as to be engageable with the hook and then in the opposite direction to draw the components together. Both the hook and the crank portion of the crank arm are arranged to lie wholly underneath their respective furniture components when not in use, so as to be concealed from view. In the construction in which the crank portion directly engages the hook, the latter is arranged to move in a vertical plane to accommodate the vertical component of movement of the crank portion of the crank arm during rotation of the crank arm toward its latching position.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.