Supporting framework and kit for constructing house furniture

The invention concerns a supporting framework, in particular for house furniture, the framework taking the form of a rectangular grid structure consisting of load-bearing vertical supports and horizontal adjustable panels (4) inserted between the supports. Preferably, the furniture constructed from the kit also comprises adjustable units which are provided with movable door and/or window elements (5) and are accessible from the front, the back of the units generally being closed by a rear panel which covers the entire area and, as well as providing greater protection from dust also increases rigidity at the corners of the furniture. The supporting framework comprises ladder-like supports, which consist of at least two--or in the case of furniture with a graduated cross-sectional shape generally of three--pre-fabricated vertical uprights (10) extending parallel at a spacing from each other. The supports also consist of intermediate members (11) which interconnect these uprights (10) in a manner such that a spacing is determined therebetween. The uprights (10) have recesses which are provided in rows at a predetermined separating spacing (E) from one another and are used to hold in a positioned and load-bearing manner preferably cross-bars (2, 2', 2") which are likewise made from pre-fabricated extruded profiled sections and cut to size. In cross-section, these recesses can preferably be dove-tailed transverse grooves (16), sawtooth-shaped cut-outs producing horizontal support surfaces or bores accommodating carrier bolts projecting in a bracket-like manner.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
The invention concerns to kit furniture, especially house furniture. The 
subject of the invention is a framework and a set of elements including 
the components of the framework, which enable the creation of different 
and varied designs of house furniture. The invention allows for the batch 
factory production of a wide assortment of furniture and furniture sets, 
through the use of pre-fabricated and stored (off-the-shelf) furniture 
elements, at low expenses--requiring at the most, the cutting of various 
pre-fab kit elements to length and the installation activities to be 
carried out on site. The framework of the kit furniture embodying the 
invention, especially house furniture, consists of load-bearing vertical 
supports and horizontal adjustable panels inserted between these supports, 
taking the shape of a rectangular grid structure. In most of the 
embodiments, the assembled furniture also comprises at least partly 
movable door and/or window elements from the front. The furniture mostly 
consist of panel units, and the back of the units is generally being 
closed by a rear panel which covers the entire area and, as well as 
providing greater protection from dust, also increases rigidity at the 
corners of the furniture. 
BACKGROUND ART 
Furniture and furniture sets--partly called as kit furniture and having the 
characteristics described in the introduction--have been known and 
available from trade for a long time. 
It is generally characteristic of the known approaches that for the load 
bearing and appropriately rigid connection of supports and panel elements, 
various hardware is always used, flushed into different single-purpose 
recesses, which are covered with additional plastic elements--frequently 
of the snap-on type after assembly--so that the recesses would not 
deteriorate the aesthetic appearance of the furniture. In order to 
increase the position and spacing options of panel elements and so as to 
modify the spacing between panels, the mostly vertical supports of various 
well known kit furniture approaches are designed with a pre-fabricated 
line of bores, and for the positioning and load-bearing support of panel 
elements, metal or plastic pins fitted into the appropriate bores of the 
line of bores at the required positions are applied. Related to the design 
of rectangular grid structure furniture and furniture sets assembled with 
joining panel elements located next to and above each other, numerous 
solutions have already become known. As examples, among others DE-OS 36 16 
732 A1 and HU PS 182 592 can be mentioned. 
It is a joint characteristic and a resulting joint disadvantage of the 
approaches described and mentioned above that the so assembled furniture 
and furniture sets characteristically retain their "kit furniture" nature. 
For example the pre-fabricated lines of bores remain visible on a 
prolonged basis, along with the supporting pins and the connection 
hardware or their covering. Such a furniture is less and less attractive 
nowadays to an increasing number of highly demanding customers. In the 
meantime, however, due to the high prices, very few customers may afford 
to buy tailor-made or small batch, so-called solid wood and period" 
furniture produced by the small-scale industry. Accordingly, a so far 
uncovered market gap is involved, represented by the fact that the supply 
of the furniture market is unable to fully satisfy the requirements of a 
highly demanding clientele, as a result of lacking technical solutions. 
The purpose of the invention is the development of such a pre-fabricated 
framework and set of modules, which is identical with the well known 
assembled kit furniture solutions in that it is designed and set up using 
the modules and units of a pre-fabricated set of elements, and also in 
that primarily the final assembly takes place at the site identified by 
the customer, but regarding external appearance, quality and life cycle, 
this type of furniture is a proper match for tailor-made or small batch 
so-called solid wooden and/or period furniture produced by the small scale 
industry. 
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION 
The objective identified is accomplished by designing and applying a 
framework and a set of elements consisting of pre-fabricated modules. The 
new and decisive characteristic representing the essence of the invention 
is that the supporting framework comprises ladder-like supports which 
consist of at least two--or in the case of furniture with a graduated 
cross sectional shape, generally of three--pre-fabricated vertical 
uprights extending parallel at a spacing from each other. 
The supports also consist of intermediate members which interconnect these 
uprights in a manner such that a spacing is determined therebetween. The 
uprights have recesses which are provided in rows at a pre-determined 
separating spacing from one another used to hold in a positioned and load 
bearing manner preferably cross-bars which are likewise made from 
pre-fabricated extruded profile sections and cut to size. In cross-section 
these recesses can preferably be dove-tailed transverse grooves or 
sawtooth-shaped cut-outs producing horizontal support surfaces or bores 
accommodating carrier bolts projecting in a bracket like manner. 
The set of elements embodying the invention also include--in addition to 
the cross-bars, various shape and size panel elements, thin panel-like 
covering sidewall and rearwall elements--crown and decorating bars, 
especially glazed tilting and sliding doors, hinged glazed and full doors, 
pre-fabricated drawers and furthermore in certain cases feet and other 
particular covering and/or decorating additional elements. 
The preferred and appropriate embodiments of the framework and set of 
elements embodying the invention are such structural solutions, when the 
cross-bars holding the pre-fabricated uprights of the framework are thin, 
preferably 4 mm thick especially plywood or fibreboards arranged with a 
spacing not larger than 60 cm preferably, which boards are clamped in a 
matched way with flushed grooves in the opposite surfaces of solid wood 
uprights. 
For production and assembly, an extremely advantageous implementation is 
insured by the design of such grooves embodying the invention, where the 
facing surfaces of the vertical uprights of the framework are designed as 
bracket-type structural elements supporting the cross-bars in a positioned 
and load-bearing manner, as supports of the framework, on the parallel 
sides of the uprights, already during the pre-fabrication process, in the 
form of horizontal transverse grooves flushed at a spacing corresponding 
to the determined unit distance. During the implementation processes, it 
has proven to be extremely favourable that the horizontal transverse 
groove notched on the sides of the uprights has preferably a trapezoid or 
rather dove-tail cross-section, the shape and size of which provide at 
least a limited shaped contact between the supports and the cross-bars in 
a way that the cross section is identical with that of the latter. The 
cross-bars included in the set of elements are produced preferably of a 
hard wood, especially beech and its cross section and size, respectively, 
are identical with the shape and size cross section of the horizontal 
transverse groove flushed into the sides of the uprights, and with the 
cross-section of an external range of sections protruding laterally from 
the plane of a support in the framework. In the extreme cross sectional 
areas, a longitudinal notch is made on the bottom plane of 
cross-bars--running longitudinally--and aligned with the plane of the 
modules on the inner side of the cross-bars. 
By virtue of a possible alternative approach, the facing surfaces of the 
vertical uprights of the framework serve as bracket-like structural 
elements that support the cross-bars in a positioned and load-bearing 
manner, which surfaces are suitable for the matched receiving of pins 
protruding from the mentioned surfaces, at a spacing corresponding to the 
defined unit spacing, preferably between 60 and 70 mm and especially 64 
mm, using a row of bores consisting of bores pre-made in the uprights 
during prefabrication. 
In a different approach, the facing surfaces of the uprights in the 
framework can be designed as bracket-like structural elements supporting 
the cross-bars in a positioned and load-bearing manner, as sawtooth 
surfaces having horizontal surface elements arranged at spacings 
corresponding to the identified unit distance. 
In the case of the two approaches described above, the cross-bars 
representing the elements of the kit consist of hard wood, especially 
beech parts and fitted already during the prefabrication process with 
pre-drilled holes especially for countersunk head fixing screws that can 
be secured to the flats of vertical uprights. The shape of the cross 
section comprises such an internal cross section which consists of the 
internal shaped cross section cross-bar, the corner cut-outs receiving the 
vertical uprights, and sometimes an intermediate section which enables 
this internal shaped cross section to protrude between the supports of the 
framework, in the course of which there is a bottom groove in the external 
section range protruding in a lateral direction from the flat plane of the 
support, in a longitudinal direction, which receives in a matched way the 
upper edge of a side plate representing a further element of the kit, 
which groove has an inner side surface aligned with the flat plane of the 
support. 
According to one of the measures aimed at the multi-purpose use of the 
elements of the kit embodying the invention, on the bottom side of the 
cross-bars there is at least one covering edge with an internal side 
surface aligned with the external side surface of the bottom groove, and 
having as appropriate an arched etching on the external surface. 
According to measures aimed at expanding the choice of furniture that can 
be designed through the use of framework and kit embodying the invention, 
at least certain pre-fabricated cross-bars of the kit have--in a 
continuous external range of sections protruding from the flat plane of 
the support--side surfaces aligned with the side surfaces of the bottom 
groove, notched from the top and a side groove running also in the total 
length and confined by the clamping top groove of the sidewall proceeding 
in a longitudinal direction and/or having parallel side surfaces with a 
spacing to the top cross-bar surface, which is suitable for guiding the 
pin of tilting-sliding doors representing other elements of the kit. 
Such embodiments of the framework and kit featuring in the invention have 
proven to be advantageous and well useable in practice where the panel 
elements of the kit are fitted especially with pre-drilled bores for the 
screws serving for fixing to the cross-bars and in the given case with 
edges protruding into the spaces between the supports of ladder-like 
supports. In certain top surfaces, especially those of the so-called 
bottom and intermediate panel elements, a groove having an external side 
surface aligned with the flat plane of the support in the direction of 
depth, which groove is suitable for the matched clamping of the bottom 
edges of sidewall panels representing elements of the kit is notched. 
We would like to note here that in the case of framework where dove-tail 
shaped transverse grooves are notched into the vertical uprights as 
support elements, it is not necessary to use fixing by additional screws 
at the cross-bars and vertical supports. By virtue of another 
simplification, the panels may also be constructed without parts 
protruding into the section between the vertical uprights of the 
framework, i.e. they can be simple oblong elements. 
By virtue of an important element of the invention, the highly demanding 
and attractive aesthetic appearance of furniture assured by using the 
framework and the pre-fabricated modules of the kit is improved by the 
fact that the surfaces visible in the assembled condition of the furniture 
are supplied especially with cherry or cherry-look colour and design 
veneering or a different suitable surface finish. At the same time the 
production expenses and manufacturing costs are significantly reduced by 
the fact that the structural elements of the vertical support of the 
framework and the elements of the kit have surfaces invisible in the 
assembled condition of the furniture and they are in principle left 
unprocessed and they can be in the given case fitted with fungicide and/or 
flame-retarding surface treatment in the course of pre-manufacturing. 
From the framework embodying the invention and the as much as possible 
pre-manufactured elements of the kit, a highly demanding appearance 
furniture corresponding to the objectives and creating the impression of 
tailor-made "small scale industry" monolithic, solid wood furniture, 
thereby sought and accepted by the more demanding customers and users, 
while maintaining all the advantages resulting from the standardisation 
and pre-manufacturing of installed module furniture can be provided. If 
the elements are pre-manufactured in large batches with the appropriate 
tools, this requires valuable, excellent quality, high output and 
precision machines. The prefabrication of elements in a large batch with 
the appropriate tools, and keeping them on store in an unassembled 
condition requiring a relatively small warehousing volume and only a 
limited installation input requirement on site while the designer's 
freedom is largely retained, result in a significant shortening of the 
production and delivery time from the receiving of the order until the 
order is met, and furthermore a reduction of costs as well. The vertical 
uprights of the framework have the appropriate load bearing capacity, and 
at the same time ensure a material saving. The various elements can be 
delivered to the customer easily and without the risk of damage. From the 
wide range of pre-manufactured elements of the kit, a varied range of 
furniture from the aspect of function, appearance and use, which can be 
adapted fully and simply to the local endowments, and which furniture are 
of a high standard and of a nice appearance can be created.

MODES OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
FIGS. 1 and 2 of the attached drawing depict the longitudinal side view and 
horizontal section of an implementation example of the vertical support 
(1) of the framework of a furniture constructed according to the 
invention. It is well shown by the figures that the support (1)--through 
intermediate members (11) representing new and decisive characteristics of 
the invention--is designed as a ladder-like structural unit clamped in 
parallel with spaces defining a stepped cross section in the case of the 
given example, and containing three vertical uprights in the larger depth 
bottom section of the furniture. Already in the production plant, during 
the batch-type manufacturing procedure, the support elements (10) are 
fitted with dove-tail shaped cross section groove (16) at predetermined 
spacings (E). These are the transverse grooves (16) which become invisible 
after assembling the furniture, because they will be covered by the 
supports. With the cross-bars (2") shown in FIG. 3, they serve for 
positioning and load-bearing. The intermediate members (11) 
interconnecting the elements (10) of pre-fabricated uprights (1) are thin, 
especially 4 mm thick boards, especially fibreboards arranged in vertical 
spacings advisably not exceeding 60 cm, which boards are clamped in a 
matched way in grooves (15) notched into the facing surfaces of solid wood 
uprights (10). In the case of the implementation shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, 
the grooves (15) only have a length covering the interconnection ranges of 
crossbars (11) extended with the run-out length of the production tool. 
However, it is possible without any problem to notch a continuous groove 
(15) into the uprights (10) as shown in FIG. 9. 
FIG. 3 of the attached drawing shows a longitudinal section, with the 
application of the framework embodying the invention, about the example 
part of the furniture assembled at the customer in a way that it includes 
vertical uprights (1) shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The figure is to be 
interpreted as if a section has been cut out of the furniture in a 
longitudinal direction from the rear panel view. It is well shown by the 
diagram that a surface of one part of the framework upright (10)--which is 
invisible from the front of the furniture and therefore left in its 
original condition--with the support groove (15) of the cross-bar (11) 
shown in the section has been notched. In addition, the dove-tail shaped 
grooves (15) in spacings corresponding to a predetermined unit distance 
(E) on the surfaces of the upright (10) are also visible, and into these 
grooves at pre-specified points cross-bars (2, 2', 2") made of preferably 
hard wood, especially beech are flushed and these cross-bars are part of 
the set of elements embodying the invention. In this way, the cross-bars 
(2, 2', 2") are fixed in a positioned and load-bearing way in the 
transverse grooves (16). In the course of this process it is not necessary 
to secure the cross-bars (2, 2', 2") by screws to the upright (10). 
The cross sectional shape of each cross-bar (2, 2', and 2") is determined 
by the transverse groove (16) and internal section range (21) of identical 
cross sectional shape and size notched from the side (10) of uprights, and 
the continuous external section range (22', 22") protruding in a lateral 
direction from the side plane of uprights (10). In the external range of 
sections (22', 22") on the bottom of each cross-bar (2, 2', and 2") there 
is a groove running continuously in the longitudinal direction with a 
bottom groove (23") with an inner side surface aligned with the plane and 
clamped in a matched way to the uprights (10). On the grooved (23") bottom 
side of the cross-bar (2, 2', 2") there is a cover edge (24) protruding 
downwards, and having an internal side surface aligned with the external 
side surface of the bottom groove (23") and having an arched cover edge 
(24) on its external surface, through which the exposed longitudinal edges 
of the sidewalls (3") are pressed against the sides of uprights (10) 
without any other securing. There are also cross-bars (2") associated with 
the kit embodying the invention, which have two identical cover edges 
(24). One of these is visible in the bottom part of the cross-bar (2") and 
the other at the top part. By means of such cross-bars (2"), the edges of 
two neighbouring sidewalls (3") can be covered and secured to the uprights 
(10) of the framework. 
Certain prefabricated crossbars (2', 2") associated with the kit have an 
upper groove (25) interconnecting the unused sidewall (3) in the given 
case, notched from the top running in a longitudinal direction and having 
sidewalls aligned with the sidewalls of the bottom groove (23) falling 
into a continuous external range of sections (22) protruding from the 
plane of the framework uprights (10). A further cross-bar (2') associated 
with the kit is fitted with a side groove (26) continuously running and 
restricted by side surfaces, parallel with the spacing of a top bar 
surface, which groove ensures the introduction of a pin (50) and enables 
the fitting of movable door and/or window elements (5) representing 
another significant element of the kit. Such doors and windows (5) (of the 
Lingel type) could be useful even in the case of book-shelves in order to 
provide improved protection against dust, because they can be opened up 
along a horizontal plane and pushed back. In this way a simple access to 
books and other objects on the book-shelf is possible. Since these doors 
and windows (5) are generally glazed, even in the closed position of doors 
and windows (5) the books and other objects on the shelves are well 
visible. 
FIG. 3 showing the details of the invention depict also two panel elements 
(4). In the given case, they can be secured by screws to the cross-bars 
(2, 2') by means of a line of bores (not shown in the Figure). In the 
course of implementation depicted in the drawing, panel elements (4) 
fitted with edges (40) on two sides are shown. In such cases, panel 
elements (4) should have corner cut-outs receiving the vertical uprights 
(10). They enable the edges (40) of panel elements (4) to protrude into 
the space between the supports (1) and the uprights (10). In practice, it 
has been proven, however, that the edges (40) are not necessary in the way 
that the panel elements (4) are simple oblong shaped shelves without any 
edge (40) and corner cut-out. The top surface of the panel element (4) 
shown in the figure, especially the so-called bottom and medium panels, 
have in the upper surface along the edge (40) an interconnecting groove 
(41) running along both directions, and having an external side surface 
aligned with the flat plane of the neighbouring support (1) of the upright 
(10) and clamping the bottom edge of the side wall (3) representing 
elements of the framework. 
Each of the cross-bars shown (2, 2', 2") is suitable for receiving the ball 
type or cylindrical pins available from trade, by means of which the 
furniture may also be fitted with drawer elements representing part of the 
kit embodying the invention (which drawer elements are not shown in the 
figures). Further parts of the kit are represented by the surface treated 
rear panels (again not shown) especially on one side--which means on the 
side which is visible from the outside--which rear panels comprise 
relatively thin panel elements, and the crown edge and decorating bars (6) 
and the already mentioned tiltable glazed doors and windows (5) and solid 
and glazed doors, pre-fabricated drawers, and sometimes footing and 
accessories serving especially for covering and/or decoration. If the set 
of elements embodying the invention are aimed to be used also in 
manufacturing "period" furniture, the construction elements must be 
expanded with characteristic features, while the framework embodying the 
invention and the assembly principles can be used unchanged. 
FIGS. 4 to 6 depict the vertical side view and the horizontal as well as 
vertical sections of a detail of one support (1) of the framework 
embodying the invention. It is well depicted that the positioned and 
load-bearing grooves of cross-bars (not shown) are fitted with two 
parallel lines of bores (12) pre-fabricated at spacings corresponding to 
the identified unit distance (E) with bracket-like carrier pins (14) in 
the uprights at spacings of 64 mm. On the facing surfaces of uprights 
(10), the bores (12) are again not visible in finish-assembled furniture, 
because they are located on the inner sides of the uprights. 
FIG. 7 shows a vertical section, where similarly to FIG. 3 the detail of 
such a furniture is shown, which depicts the vertical support (1) of the 
framework element shown in FIGS. 4 and 6. It is well depicted that in this 
implementation the cross-bars (2, 2', 2") are supported by carrier pins 
(14, 14', 14") protruding into the internal range of sections (21, 21') of 
the uprights (10). In the course of this process, all the cross-bars (2, 
2', 2") of the kit embodying the invention must be pressed against the 
side surfaces of uprights (10) by horizontally tightened screws (not shown 
in the Figure). For these bolts, the bores are prepared already in the 
pre-manufacturing process. The inner range of sections (21) of the 
cross-bars (2, 2', and 2") must be fitted with corner cut-outs and if 
necessary also with a middle cut-out in order to connect the vertical 
upright (10) which enables that the carrier pins (14, 14', 14") protrude 
into an appropriate depth in the framework between the inner section (21, 
21') of the cross-bars (2, 2', and 2") and the uprights (10). Otherwise 
the design and function of cross-bars are identical with the detailed 
description in relation to FIG. 3. 
And finally, FIGS. 8 and 9 show such vertical sections about the possible 
third implementation of the vertical support (1) of the framework 
embodying the invention, in the case of which the positioning and 
load-bearing grooves of the cross-bars shown here are worked into the 
facing surfaces of uprights (10) of the support of the framework embodying 
the invention. The grooves are established on the sawtooth type support 
surfaces (13) arranged at a distance corresponding to the identified unit 
spacing (E). These support surface elements always perform the same 
functions as the pins (14) depicted in FIGS. 4 and 6. The interconnections 
between the horizontal support elements (13) and the cross-bars (2, 2', 
and 2") used in the framework described are so much identical that beyond 
the detailed description in FIGS. 3 and 7, an expert does not need any 
more extensive explanations. 
From the pre-fabricated elements of the framework and kit embodying the 
invention, highly demanding, good quality and long life furniture and 
furniture sets can be provided, and by on-site assembly, furniture of the 
size and design matched to the requirements of the customer can be 
created. The furniture can be easily adjusted to local endowments. The 
furniture to be implemented could vary between wide limits also in length 
and height, and as a result of the range of panel elements, they may also 
include corner units. The dimensions of furniture to be installed can be 
varied in three dimensions. Further versions and implementations deviating 
in certain details from the description above can be implemented regarding 
the framework and kit embodying the invention, and they can be further 
developed without prejudice to the following claims. 
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support 1 
upright 10 
intermediate member 11b 
bore 12 
sufface element 13 
pin 14, 14', 14" 
groove 15 
transverse groove 16 
cross-bar 2, 2', 2" 
internal range of sections 
21, 21', 21" 
external range of sections 
22, 22', 22" 
bottom groove 23, 23', 23" 
covering edge 24, 24', 24" 
top groove 25 
bottom groove 26 
side wall 3, 3', 3" 
panel element 4 
edge (flange) 40 
groove 41 
door 5 
pin 50 
decoratingbar 6 
unit distance E 
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