Patent Publication Number: US-2020291976-A1

Title: Connecting device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a connecting device, and more particularly, to a connecting device which connects two walls of a furniture piece. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     As shown in the US patent with U.S. Pat. No. 8,998,356 B2, a fastening device for connecting two wall parts of a furniture piece is disclosed, and more particularly, the fastening device is for connecting a rear wall to a side wall of a drawer. In the aforesaid US patent, a wall part of the fastening device has at least one locking projection which is resiliently movable about a virtual spring axis, and the locking projection can be locked, preferably detachably locked, into a locking receiver fastened to or formed on the other wall part. The virtual spring axis of the locking projection is provided transversely, preferably substantially perpendicularly, relative to a wall of the wall part. The locking receiver is formed on the other wall part as an opening. A virtual normal of the opening is substantially parallel to the virtual spring axis of the resilient locking projection. 
     However, with different market demands, how to develop related products to provide more choices in the market has become an issue that cannot be ignored. Furthermore, the fastening device of the aforesaid US patent is configured to barely protrude from a plane (shown in FIG. 3a of the US patent with U.S. Pat. No. 8,998,356 B2), a corresponding wall is arranged with a combining element which is bent correspondingly to be connected to the fastening device. It is apparently that the arrangement is unfavorably for installing a solid wall (such as a wood wall), and extra accessories are required for the installation. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to one aspect of the present invention, a connecting device adapted to connect a first wall and a second wall of a furniture piece is disclosed. The connecting device includes a base portion and at least one engaging arm. The base portion is connected to the first wall of the furniture piece. The at least one engaging arm is arranged at the base portion. The at least one engaging arm is resiliently movable around a hypothetical axis. The at least one engaging arm is arranged with an engaging portion. The hypothetical axis is substantially parallel to the first wall. The second wall of the furniture piece is mountable to the engaging portion along a mounting direction via a mounting portion. The mounting direction is substantially perpendicular to the hypothetical axis. 
     Preferably, at least one portion of the connecting device is made of a plastic material. 
     Preferably, the first wall of the furniture piece includes a first portion and a second portion opposite to the first portion, and the base portion is connected and adjacent to the second portion. 
     Preferably, the mounting portion is arranged and adjacent to an end portion of the second wall. 
     Preferably, the mounting portion is detachably mounted to the engaging portion. 
     Preferably, the base portion includes a surface and a space adjacent to the surface, the at least one engaging arm is arranged inside the space, and a length of the at least one engaging arm does not exceed the surface. 
     Preferably, the mounting portion protrudes from the end portion of the second wall, and an accommodating space is formed between the mounting portion and the end portion of the second wall to accommodate the engaging portion. 
     Preferably, the surface is substantially a plane. 
     Preferably, the connecting device further includes an auxiliary portion substantially perpendicularly connected to the base portion, wherein the auxiliary portion includes at least one fastening feature provided to be inserted by a fastening member. 
     Preferably, the connecting device further includes a guiding portion being a curved surface or an inclined surface, wherein when the second wall of the furniture piece has a mounting error with respect to the first wall of the furniture piece, the second wall of the furniture piece is guided and corrected by the guiding portion to facilitate the mounting portion to be mounted to the engaging portion. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, a connecting device adapted to a first wall of a furniture piece is disclosed. The first wall is longitudinally arranged. The connecting device includes a base portion, at least one engaging arm and an auxiliary portion. The base portion is connected to the first wall of the furniture piece. The base portion includes a surface and a space adjacent to the surface. The at least one engaging arm is arranged inside the space of the base portion. The at least one engaging arm is substantially transversely arranged with respect to the first wall. The at least one engaging arm is arranged with an engaging portion. The auxiliary portion is substantially perpendicularly connected to the base portion, and the auxiliary portion exceeds the surface of the base portion by a predetermined distance. A second wall of the furniture piece is detachably mounted to the engaging portion via a mounting portion. The auxiliary portion includes at least one fastening feature. When the mounting portion of the second wall of the furniture piece is detached from the engaging portion, an end of another second wall of the furniture piece is capable of abutting against the surface of the base potion. The least one fastening feature is provided to be inserted by a fastening member, such that the another second wall of the furniture piece is fixed to the auxiliary portion. 
     Preferably, the mounting portion is a hole. When the mounting portion is mounted to the engaging portion, the engaging portion passes through the hole and is engaged at a mounting end of the hole. 
     Preferably, the at least one engaging arm does not exceed the surface of the base portion. 
     These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a three-dimensional diagram showing a furniture piece being mounted to a cabinet via a slide rail assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a three-dimensional diagram showing a slide rail of the slide rail assembly capable of carrying the furniture piece according to the embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded diagram showing a connecting device connecting a first wall to a second wall of the furniture piece mounted on the slide rail assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a diagram showing the connecting device connecting to the first wall of the furniture piece mounted on the slide rail assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a diagram showing the second wall of the furniture piece mounting to the first wall of the furniture piece along a direction according to the embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a diagram showing the second wall of the furniture piece continued to be moved toward the first wall of the furniture piece along the direction according to the embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is an enlarged view of a portion A of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is a diagram showing the second wall of the furniture piece further moved toward the first wall of the furniture piece along the direction according to the embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 9  is an enlarged view of a portion A of  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 10  is a diagram showing the second wall of the furniture piece being connected to the first wall via the connecting device according to the embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 11  is an enlarged view of a portion A of  FIG. 10 . 
         FIG. 12  is a diagram showing a mounting error between the first wall and the second wall of the furniture piece according to the embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 13  is an enlarged view of a portion A of  FIG. 12 . 
         FIG. 14  is a diagram showing the mounting error between the first wall and the second wall of the furniture piece capable of being guided and corrected by a guiding portion of the connecting device according to the embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 15  is a diagram showing another second wall of the furniture piece capable of being mounted to the first wall via the connecting device according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 16  is a diagram showing the another second wall of the furniture piece which has been mounted to the first wall at a view angle according to the another embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 17  is a diagram showing the another second wall of the furniture piece which has been mounted to the first wall at another view angle according to the another embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following detailed description of the embodiments, the phrase “substantially perpendicular” or “substantially perpendicularly” refers that a member/feature is configured to be perpendicular relative to the other member/feature. However, due to manufacturing tolerance or other factors, the member/feature is not perfectly perpendicular relative to the other member/feature. For example, an included angle between the member/feature and the other member/feature ranging from 85 degrees to 95 degrees and an included angle between the member/feature and the other member/feature ranging from 88 degrees to 92 degrees are within the scope of the present invention. The phrase “substantially parallel” refers that a member/feature is configured to be parallel relative to the other member/feature. However, due to manufacturing tolerance or other factors, the member/feature is not perfectly parallel relative to the other member/feature. For example, an included angle between the member/feature and the other member/feature less than 5 degrees and an included angle between the member/feature and the other member/feature less than 2 degrees are within the scope of the present invention. The phrase “substantially a plane” refers that a member/feature is configured to be a plane. However, due to manufacturing tolerance or other factors, the member/feature is not a perfect plane. The meaning of the phrase “substantially transversely” is similar to that of the phrase “substantially perpendicularly”, and thus does not repeated herein. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , a furniture piece  20  can be mounted to a cabinet  23  via a pair of slide rail assemblies  22 . For example, the furniture piece  20  can be a drawer, but the present invention is not limited thereto. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , each of the slide rail assemblies  22  includes a fixed rail  24  and a movable rail  26  longitudinally movable relative to the fixed rail  24 . The furniture piece  20  includes a plurality of walls, such as a first wall  20   a  and a second wall  20   b . The first wall  20   a  is carried by the movable rail  26 , such that the furniture piece  20  can be moved along the movable rail  26  relative to the fixed rail  24  via the first wall  20   a . In the embodiment, the first wall  20   a  is a side wall and is longitudinally arranged, the second wall  20   b  is a rear wall and is transversely arranged with respect to the first wall  20   a , but the present invention is not limited thereto. The first wall  20   a  of the furniture piece  20  includes a first portion  27   a  and a second portion  27   b  opposite to the first portion  27   a . The first portion  27   a  is a front portion, and the second portion  27   b  is a rear portion. Furthermore, the second wall  20   b  has two end portions opposite to each other. The phrase “longitudinally movable”/“longitudinally arranged” refers a member/feature is movable/arranged along a length direction of the fixed rail  24 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the second wall  20   b  is arranged with at least one mounting portion  30 . Preferably, the at least one mounting portion  30  is arranged and adjacent to the end portion  28  of the second wall  20   b . Preferably, the at least one mounting portion  30  protrudes from the end portion  28  of the second wall  20   b . For example, the at least one mounting portion  30  is a protruding structure with curved contour. An accommodating space  31  is formed between an inner side of the protruding structure and the end portion  28  of the second wall  20   b . At least one hole or slot communicating with the accommodating space  31  is formed at a middle portion of the protruding structure. The least one hole or slot has a width W. In the embodiment, a plurality of holes communicating with the accommodating space  31  are formed at the middle portion of the protruding structure, which is only for exemplary and the present invention is not limited thereto. 
     Furthermore, the present invention provides a connecting device  32  adapted to connect the first wall  20   a  and the second wall  20   b  of the furniture piece  20 . Preferably, at least one portion of the connecting device  32  is made of a plastic material. In the embodiment, the connecting device  32  is made of a plastic material, but the present invention is not limited thereto. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , the connecting device  32  includes a base portion  34  and at least one engaging arm  36 . Preferably, the connecting device  32  further includes an auxiliary portion  38 . 
     The base portion  34  is connected to the first wall  20   a  of the furniture piece  20 . Preferably, the base portion  34  is connected and adjacent to the second portion  27   b  of the first wall  20   a  of the furniture piece  20 . Specifically, the base portion  34  includes at least one connecting feature. In the embodiment, a first side (such as a rear side) of the base portion  34  is connected to (fixedly connected to or detachably connected to) the second portion  27   b  of the first wall  20   a  of the furniture piece  20 . For example, in the embodiment, the base portion  34  is connected to a plate  42  (shown in  FIG. 3 ) via at least one fixing member  41  (such as screw or rivet), such that the plate  42  is attached to the first side of the base portion  34 . The plate  42  includes at least one connecting feature, such as a first connecting feature  40   a  and a second connecting feature  40   b , to be fixed to at least one corresponding feature of the first wall  20   a  of the furniture piece  20 , such as a first corresponding feature  44   a  and a second corresponding feature  44   a  (shown in  FIG. 3 ), via engaging, inserting or fastening. In other embodiment, the base portion  34  can be fixed to the first wall  20   a  of the furniture piece  20  via at least one screw or rivet. Therefore, the connection between the base portion  34  and the first wall  20   a  of the furniture piece  20  is not limited. Furthermore, the connecting features  40   a ,  40   b  and the corresponding feature  44   a ,  44   b  can be cooperated convex structures and concave structures, or cooperated convex structures and hole structures, and the present invention is not limited thereto. Furthermore, the number and the position of the connecting feature and the corresponding feature are only exemplary, and the present invention is not limited thereto. 
     The at least one engaging arm  36  is arranged at the base portion  34 , and the at least one engaging arm  36  is substantially transversely arranged with respect to the first wall  20   a . In the embodiment, the at least one engaging arm  36  is arranged at a second side (such as a front side) opposite to the first side of the base portion  34 , which is only exemplary. The at least one engaging arm  36  is resiliently movable around a hypothetical axis X. The hypothetical axis X is substantially parallel to the first wall  20   a  which is longitudinally arranged. 
     Preferably, the at least one engaging arm  36  can be three pairs of engaging arms, which is only exemplary and the number of the engaging arm  36  is not limited thereto. Each pair of the engaging arms  36  includes a first engaging arm  36   a  and a second engaging arm  36   b . The structures of the first engaging arm  36   a  and the second engaging arm  36   b  are substantially identical. The first engaging arm  36   a  and the second engaging arm  36   b  are separated from each other by a distance G. The distance G is less than the width W. Furthermore, each of the first engaging arm  36   a  and the second engaging arm  36   b  is arranged with an engaging portion. For example, the first engaging arm  36   a  is arranged with a first engaging portion  46   a , and the second engaging arm  36   b  is arranged with a second engaging portion  46   b . Preferably, the structures of the first engaging portion  46   a  and the second engaging portion  46   b  are configured to be symmetrical. Each of the first engaging portion  46   a  and the second engaging portion  46   b  includes a guiding segment  49 . The guiding segment  49  can be arranged as an inclined surface or a curved surface. Furthermore, the first engaging portion  46   a  can be a hook facing upwardly, and the second engaging portion  46   b  can be a hook facing downwardly (shown in  FIG. 5 ). However, the directions of the first engaging portion  46   a  and the second engaging portion  46   b  are not limited thereto. 
     Preferably, the base portion  34  includes a surface  45  and a space  47  adjacent to the surface  45 . The surface  45  is substantially a plane. The space  47  is formed at the base  34 , and an opening of the space  47  is located at the surface  45 . The at least one engaging arm  36  is arranged inside the space  47 , and a length of the at least one engaging arm  36  does not exceed the surface  45 . Furthermore, the auxiliary portion  38  is substantially perpendicularly connected to the base portion  34 , and the auxiliary portion  38  exceeds the surface  45  of the base portion  34  by a predetermined distance. The auxiliary portion  38  includes at least one fastening feature  38   a  to be inserted by a fastening member. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the second wall  20   b  of the furniture piece  20  is mountable to the at least one engaging arm  36  along a mounting direction Y via the at least one mounting portion  30 . The mounting direction Y is substantially perpendicular to the hypothetical axis X, and the mounting direction Y is substantially parallel to the at least one engaging arm  36  which is transversely arranged. 
     As shown in  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7 , when the second wall  20   b  of the furniture piece  20  is moved along the mounting direction Y to a predetermined distance and is close to the first wall  20   a , the mounting end  48  of the at least one mounting portion  30  contacts the guiding segments  49  of the first engaging portion  46   a  and the second engaging portion  46   b  of the at least one engaging arm  36 , wherein a distance between the two mounting ends  48  defines the width W. 
     As shown in  FIG. 8  and  FIG. 9 , when the second wall  20   b  of the furniture piece  20  is continued to be moved along the mounting direction Y, the mounting end  48  of the at least one mounting portion  30  pushes against the guiding segments  49  of the first engaging portion  46   a  and the second engaging portion  46   b  of the at least one engaging arm  36  to drive the first engaging arm  36   a  and the second engaging arm  36   b  to move resiliently around the hypothetical axis X, such that the first engaging arm  36   a  and the second engaging arm  36   b  are approached toward each other. Meanwhile, the first engaging arm  36   a  and the second engaging arm  36   b  are in a state of accumulating a resilient force, and the end portions of the first engaging arm  36   a  and the second engaging arm  36   b  move slightly into the accommodating space  31 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 10  and  FIG. 11 , when the second wall  20   b  of the furniture piece  20  is further moved along the mounting direction Y, the mounting end  48  of the at least one mounting portion  30  further passes the first engaging portion  46   a  and the second engaging portion  46   b  of the at least one the engaging arm  36 , such that the first engaging portion  46   a  and the second engaging portion  46   b  of the at least one engaging arm  36  are accommodated in the accommodating space  31 . Once the mounting end  48  of the at least one mounting portion  30  passes the first engaging portion  46   a  and the second engaging portion  46   b , the first engaging arm  36   a  and the second engaging arm  36   b  release the resilient force, such that the first engaging arm  36   a  and the second engaging arm  36   b  return to the state that the first engaging arm  36   a  and the second engaging arm  36   b  are spaced by the distance G. As such, the first engaging portion  46   a  and the second engaging portion  46   b  engage with the mounting end  48  of the at least one mounting portion  30  and abut against a wall surface of the mounting end  48  of the at least one mounting portion  30 . Therefore, the second wall  20   b  can be fixedly connected to the first wall  20   a  via the connecting device  32  in a tool-free manner. 
     Moreover, the at least one mounting portion  30  of the connecting device  32  can be detachably disengaged from the first engaging portion  46   a  and the second engaging portion  46   b . For example, when a user applies a force to deform the first engaging arm  36   a  and the second engaging arm  36   b  (as the state shown in  FIG. 9 ), the first engaging portion  46   a  and the second engaging portion  46   b  are no longer engaged with the mounting end  48  of the at least one mounting portion  30 , such that the second wall  20   b  can be detached from the first wall  20   a  along a detaching direction opposite to the mounting direction Y. 
     As shown in  FIG. 12  and  FIG. 13 , the connecting device  32  can further include a guiding portion  50 , and the guiding portion  50  can be a curved surface or an inclined surface. When the second wall  20   b  of the furniture piece  20  has a mounting error B with respect to the first wall  20   a , the second wall  20   b  of the furniture piece  20  can be guided and corrected by the guiding portion  50  (as shown in  FIG. 14 ), which can facilitate the at least one mounting portion  30  to be mounted to the engaging portion (such as the first engaging portion  46   a  and the second engaging portion  46   b ) of the engaging arm  36  (as shown in  FIG. 11 ). 
     For example, during the second wall  20   b  of the furniture piece  20  being moved toward the first wall  20   a  along the mounting direction Y, if the second wall  20   b  of the furniture piece  20  has the mounting error B with respect to the first wall  20   a  (as shown in  FIG. 12 ), with the mounting end  48  of the mounting portion  30  contacting the guiding portion  50  (as shown in  FIG. 13 ), the second wall  20   b  of the furniture piece  20  can be guided and corrected (as shown in  FIG. 14 ). As such, the mounting end  48  of the at least one mounting portion  30  can be successfully engaged to the first engaging portion  46   a  and the second engaging portion  46   b  (as shown in  FIG. 11 ). 
     As shown in  FIG. 15 ,  FIG. 16  and  FIG. 17 , when the second wall  20   b  of the furniture piece  20  is detached from the first engaging portion  46   a  and the second engaging portion  46   b  via the mounting portion  30 , another type of plate (such as a wood plate or other solid plate) can be used to replace the second wall  20   b . For example, an end  202  of the another second wall  200  used in the furniture piece  20  is capable of abutting against the surface  45  of the base potion  34  of the connecting device  32 , at least one fastening feature  38   a  is provided to be inserted by the at least one fastening member  52  and the fastening member  52  is fastened to at least one corresponding fastening feature  204  of the another second wall  200 , such that the another second wall  200  is fixed to the auxiliary portion  38 , and the another second wall  200  can be connected to the first wall  20   a  thereby. 
     Therefore, the connecting device  32  is capable of connecting two types of second walls (for example, the aforesaid second wall  20   b  and the another second wall  200 ) with different structures to the first wall  20   a  without using other accessories, which can satisfy different market demands. 
     To sum up, the connecting device  32  according to the embodiment of the present invention includes features as follows. 
     First, the second wall  20   b  of the furniture piece  20  can be connected to the first wall  20   a  in a tool-free manner, which facilitates and eases the assembling and detachment. 
     Second, the at least one engaging arm  36  is substantially transversely arranged with respect to the first wall  20   a  which is longitudinally arranged, and the mounting direction Y of the second wall  20   b  is substantially parallel to the engaging arm  36  which is substantially transversely arranged. As such, it facilitates a user to connect the second wall  20   b  to the first wall  20   a.    
     Third, the connecting device  32  is capable of connecting two types of second walls ( 20   b  and  200 , shown in  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 0.15 ) with different structures to the first wall  20   a  without using other accessories, which can satisfy different market demands. 
     Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.