US 4,941,717 AGranted

Knockdown table and cabinet structure

AssigneeSkyline Displays, Inc.

InventorBryan J. Beaulieu

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Abstract

A lightweight knockdown table and cabinet structure adapted for ease of assembly and disassembly comprised of a plurality of hollow tubular frame members releasably interconnected by a plurality of fasteners and lock assemblies and having a multi-sectioned top which adds rigidity and support to the structure. The fastener and lock assemblies each include a fastening device with multiple end connectors. The fastening devices are slidably insertable into the frame members and have a guide slot bridging into a locking slot. The end connectors are also insertable into the frame members and have a projecting male connector end. The male connector end is insertable into the guide slot and movable into locking engagement within the locking slot to releasably interlock the frame members together at right angles. The multi-sectioned top includes adjacent middle and side sections with support flanges which rest upon opposing frame members. The side sections each have an outwardly extending re-enforcement lip which lies under the adjacent frame member to add rigidity and support to the structure.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A knockdown table and cabinet structure adapted for ease of assembly and disassembly, comprising:

(a) a plurality of hollow tubular frame member of substantially square cross section, the frame members including first and second groups;
(b) a plurality of fastening devices, each fastening device having a slidably insertable end adapted for slidable insertion into the end of a tubular frame member of the first group with a wide guide slot therein and an extending end with a narrow locking slot bridging into the guide slot;
a shoulder at the junction of the slidably insertable end and the extending end, said shoulder sized to abut against the end of a tubular frame member and thereby to limit the extending end from ingress into said tubular frame member;
(c) resilient fastening means for joining together a pair of said fastening devices at opposite ends of a tubular frame member, passing inside said tubular frame member, said resilient fastening means permitting partial egress of said slidably insertable ends from said tubular frame member and resiliently urging said pair of fastening devices inwardly toward abutment of said shoulders against respective ends of said tubular frame member;
(d) a plurality of end connectors, each connector having a slidably insertable end adapted for insertion and affixing into the end of a tubular frame member AND second group and a projecting male connector end of a dimension sized to be readily insertable into the guide slot but not insertable into the locking slot but movable into the locking slot from the guide slot for rigid and secure locking engagement of the respective frame members together, said locking engagement being aided by the resilient fastening means holding respective pairs of said fastening devices inwardly in said tubular frame members to abut said shoulders against respective ends of said tubular frame members.

2 more elements

A knockdown table and cabinet structure adapted for ease of assembly and disassembly, comprising:

(a) a plurality of hollow tubular frame members of substantially square cross section, the frame members including first vertical and second horizontal groups;
(b) a plurality of fastening devices, each fastening device having a slidably insertable end with four faces adapted for slidable insertion into the end of a tubular frame member of the first group with a wide guide slot in each insertable end face, an extending end with four faces with a narrow locking slot in each extending end face bridging into the guide slot of the adjacent insertable end face, one fastening device for each end the frame members of the first vertical group and being biased inwardly of the tubular frame end;
(c) a plurality of end connectors, one for each end of the second horizontal group, each having a slidably insertable end adapted for insertion and affixing into the ends of the horizontal tubular frame members and further having a projecting male connector end with an enlarged guide section with wedged surfaces of a dimension sized to be readily insertable into the guide slot but not insertable into the locking slot but movable into the locking slot from the guide slot and frictionally held within the locking slot after which the slidably insertable end of the fastening device may be inserted into the end of the first tubular frame member for obstructing the guide slot and for locking engagement of the respective frame members together;
(d) a multi-sectioned top for the topmost horizontal frame members once releasably interconnected to form a rectangle, comprising:
(i) a planar middle section with opposing outwardly extending support flanges which are adapted to rest upon the second opposing horizontal uppermost frame members having an elongate depending reinforcement flange extending parallel to the other opposing uppermost horizontal members;
and
(ii) two planar side sections each with opposing outwardly extending support flanges which are adapted to rest upon the second opposing horizontal uppermost frame members and further having a depending reinforcement flange extending parallel and adjacent to one of the other opposing uppermost horizontal frame members and an outwardly extending member reinforcement lip which slides under the adjacent uppermost horizontal member to add rigidity and support to the structure.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.