Furniture connector

Novel apparatus is disclosed for constructing modular-type room divider furniture. The structure includes a plurality of panels each having frame members with at least one frame member having an open end defining a channel therethrough and an aperture in a sidewall thereof spaced from the open end. The apparatus further includes a clip with first and second arms securely attached to a body portion. The second arm of the clip includes a projecting lock portion. The second arm is also flexible to allow the lock portion to be inserted in the channel of the frame member and to further bias the lock portion such that it engages the aperture of the frame member thereby to lock the clip to the panel frame member. The structure may further include a support member adapted to receive the clip and including a plurality of apertures for receiving a supporting bracket. The support brackets may be used to support cabinets, shelving or other similar office furniture units.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
The present invention is directed in general toward modular office 
furniture and, more particularly, toward method and apparatus for 
providing modular office furniture which is easily constructed, dismantled 
and reconstructed. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
In recent years, the use of modular furniture has allowed flexibility and 
efficiency in the design of the office workplace. Modular furniture 
typically comprises walls or panels which are used to divide an open room 
thereby providing individual office spaces for employees and desired 
employee privacy. Since these panels typically do not span the entire 
height of the room, a desired openness is maintained. The panels are 
constructed from standard materials, thus they are cheaper than providing 
individual offices for each employee. If it is desired to reconfigure the 
office or move to a new location, the panels can be disassembled and 
reassembled with the desired layout. Accordingly, modular furniture using 
divider panels has become widely accepted. 
Presently available systems for constructing office divider panels are 
typically provided in rectangular structures which may be assembled in a 
variety of manners. Assembly often requires securing panels together using 
nails, screws, or other semi-permanent coupling apparatus. Assembly of 
these panels can be time consuming as well as difficult. In like manner, 
disassembly of the panels can be as time consuming and difficult. Further, 
assembly of presently available room dividers normally precludes 
dismantling and subsequent reassembly in an alternative configuration. 
This is due in large measure to the need to provide holes and securing 
devices for the semi-permanent securing apparatus. 
It is, therefore, desirable to provide divider panels and other types of 
modular office furniture which can be quickly and easily assembled. It is 
also desirable to provide modular office furniture which can be quickly 
and easily disassembled. The modular office furniture, once dismantled, 
should be capable of convenient reassembly in alternative configurations. 
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide apparatus 
for quickly assembling and disassembling modular office furniture. Once 
dismantled, the office furniture should be easily and quickly 
reassemblable in alternative configurations. 
In order to meet the above-noted objects of the present invention, a 
connector clip and cooperating frame are provided for use in construction 
of generally vertically oriented modular divider panels and other office 
furniture. The modular panels are of the type having frame members wherein 
the frame members have open ends and apertured channels. The clip which is 
the object of the present invention has a body which may include a post 
member adapted to couple with an upright shelf support member. The clip 
includes a first arm which is rigidly secured to the body and adapted to 
fit interior of a frame member channel through an open end of the channel. 
The clip further includes a second arm secured to the body and extending 
therefrom generally in parallel alignment with the first arm and spaced 
apart therefrom. The second arm is also adapted to fit interior of the 
frame member channel through the open channel end. Further, the second arm 
is resilient and includes a projecting lock member which is adapted to 
couple with an aperture of the frame channel inward from the open channel 
end. The resiliency of the second arm biases the projecting lock member 
into the aperture during assembly and holds it positioned therein during 
use. In this manner, the clip first and second arms can be inserted into 
the open channel end of the panel frame member channel and the clip 
secured to the frame member channel by the projecting lock member of the 
second arm. The post member projects from the body at generally a right 
angle to the first and second arms and is generally coplanar with the 
panel to which the clip is connected. When a pair of upper and lower clips 
are used, the post members of each project toward each other and are 
inserted into opposite open ends of the shelf support member to hold the 
support member in place between the clips with a vertical orientation. The 
panel may include an edge recess to receive the clips and support member 
so that they are out of sight of the user. 
In alternative embodiments, the clip further includes a third arm rigidly 
secured to the body and extending in a direction at a desired angle from 
the first arm. Like the first arm, the third arm is adapted to fit 
interior of a frame member channel of a second panel to be held edgewise 
adjacent to the first panel. A resilient fourth arm is also secured to the 
body and extends therefrom generally parallel the third arm. The fourth 
arm is adapted to fit interior of the frame member channel of the second 
panel. The fourth arm includes a projecting lock member, as does the 
second arm, which is adapted to couple with an aperture of the frame 
member of the second panel to secure the clip to the second panel. Thus 
the first and second panels are securely but releasably connected 
together. The first and third arms are secured to the body such that they 
are at a predetermined angle relative to each other to hold the first and 
second panels at this same angle.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
A general illustration of the modular-type divider panels which are the 
subject of the present invention is provided in FIG. 1. Therein a 
plurality of vertically oriented panels 100 through 114 are constructed to 
provide a modular work station. Panels 106, 108 and 110 further include 
hanging cabinets 116. Lower cabinets 118 and work surfaces 120 are also 
secured to the panels in a manner which will be described more fully 
below. 
FIG. 2 provides an enlarged, fragmentary exploded view of the interface of 
panels 106 and 108. Each panel 106 and 108 includes a frame member 200 
which provides structural integrity to the panels. The frame member 200 
has an open end 202 which defines a channel portion of the frame member. 
The frame member 200 also has first and second pairs of sidewalls 201, 203 
and 205, 207 wherein the sidewall 201 has an aperture 204 disposed inward 
from the frame member open end 202. While only one frame member is 
illustrated for panel 106 of FIG. 2, it will be appreciated by those 
skilled in the art that each panel may include a plurality of frame 
members. In the presently preferred embodiment, each panel includes at 
least an apertured upper frame member and an apertured lower frame member. 
A support member 206 is located intermediate panels 106 and 108 when they 
are edgewise connected together. The support member 206 is constructed 
with a length substantially equal to the distance between the upper and 
lower frame members of the panel 106. The support member 206 includes a 
plurality of slots 208 which are adapted to receive supporting brackets 
210. The supporting member 206 and the supporting brackets 210 cooperate 
to support the hanging cabinets 116, the lower cabinets 118 and the work 
surfaces 120 illustrated in FIG. 1. In addition to the cabinets and work 
surfaces illustrated in FIG. 1, the support members 206 in cooperation 
with the supporting brackets 210 may be used to support shelves or other 
structures which are desired to be used in combination with the modular 
panels. 
The support member 206 includes at each end thereof an open end 212 which 
defines a channel. The open end 212 of the support member 206 is provided 
for receiving a post member 214 of a connector clip 216. The connector 
clip 216 cooperates with the frame members of the panels to releasably 
lock the panel 106 to the panel 108. A body portion 218 of the clip 216 
has connected thereto a rigid arm 220. The arm 220 extends from the body 
portion 218 and is adapted to project interior of the frame member channel 
202. The clip 216 further includes a resilient arm 222 which is connected 
to the body portion 218 and which extends therefrom in the same general 
direction as the rigid arm 220. The second arm is also adapted to project 
interior of the channel portion 202 of the frame member 200 in a manner 
similar to the rigid arm 220. The resilient arm 222 is spaced from the 
rigid arm 220 to allow movement of the resilient arm relative to the rigid 
arm. 
The resilient arm 222 includes a projecting lock member 224 which 
cooperates with the aperture 204 of the panel frame member 200 to secure 
the clip 216 to the panel 106. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the arm 222 is 
resilient enough to deflect toward the rigid arm 220 upon insertion of the 
clip 216 into the frame member 200 to allow insertion of lock member 224. 
Further, when the lock member 224 reaches the aperture 204 of the frame 
member 200, the resiliency of the arm 222 biases the lock member 224 into 
the aperture 204 of the frame member such that the lock member is held 
within the aperture during normal use of the panel. 
The resiliency of the arm 222 further allows for removal of the clip 216 
from the frame member 200 by applying sufficient force to the lock member 
224 to release the lock member from the aperture 204. 
The arm 220 has a free end portion 219 distal from the body portion 218 
with a surface that faces the resilient arm 222. The surface of the arm 
220 further slopes away from the arm 222 in the direction toward the free 
end portion 219 of the first arm 220 to allow sufficient movement of the 
arm 222 such that the clip 216 may be inserted and released from the frame 
member 200 without interference from the arm 220. 
Each arm 220 and 222 includes oppositely facing engagement surfaces 221 and 
223. The surfaces 221 and 223 engage the sidewalls 201 and 203 of the 
frame member 200 when the clip 216 is inserted in the frame member and the 
lock member 224 is secured in the aperture 204. The engagement of the 
surfaces 221 and 223 with the frame member sidewalls 201 and 203 provides 
a snug fit between the clip 216 and the panel frame member 200. In 
similiar manner the arms 220 and 222 each include oppositely facing side 
engagement surfaces for engaging the second sidewalls 215 and 217 when the 
clip is inserted in the frame member channel 202. Like surfaces 221 and 
223, the side engagement surfaces of the clip 216 provide a snug fit 
between the clip and the panel frame member 200. The snug fit of the clip 
with the frame member not only improves the strength of the resulting 
structure but also helps to align the lock member 224 with the aperture 
204 for quick insertion of the clip 216. 
The clip 216 further includes a rigid arm 226, a resilient arm 228 and a 
lock member 230 which are constructed to function in the same manner as 
the arm 220, the arm 222 and the lock member 224, respectively. The arms 
226 and 228 are connected to the body 218 of the clip 216 at a 
predetermined angle relative to the arms 220 and 222. As shown in FIG. 2, 
the predetermined angle is 180 degrees. It will be apparent to those 
skilled in the art, however, that the angle may be 45 degrees, 90 degrees 
or any other desired angle. Further, the clip 216 may include only a 
single rigid arm 220 and a single resilient arm 222 connected to the body 
portion 218, as shown in FIG. 4. 
In the preferred embodiment, the arms 220, 222, 226 and 228 are each 
integrally formed with the body 218 and post member 214 of the clip 216. 
However, the arms and the support post of the clip may be connected to the 
body in any manner to provide sufficient rigidity to the clip such that 
the clip may be used to assemble two panels. 
Returning to FIG. 2, the panel 106 further includes removable panel covers 
232, 234 and 236. The panel covers are releasably attached to the panel 
frame members to allow access to the aperture 204 of the frame member 200. 
The panel coverings are also constructed to extend beyond the frame 
members to create a recess 238 in the edge portion of the panel for 
receiving the support member 206 and the body portion 218 of the clip 216 
such that the support member and the clip are substantially hidden from 
the view of the user. 
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that although the panels 
106 and 108 have been shown and described by reference to only a single 
clip 216 for joining the tops of the panels, a second clip can readily be 
provided for insertion to the bottom open end of support member 206 and 
engagement with lower frame members in the same manner that clip 216 
engages the upper frame members of panels 106 and 108. 
While only several presently preferred embodiments of the novel furniture 
connector are provided in detail herein, many modifications in variations 
will readily be apparent to those skilled in the art. The appended claims 
are intended to embody all such modifications and variations which fall 
within the true scope and spirit of the invention as described herein.