Patent Abstract:
Modular furniture is provided. The modular furniture includes joint and furniture components which allow the furniture to be assembled without tools and which provide increased stability and strength to the furniture. The modular furniture also provides increased attractiveness and user customization while using a limited number of different components.

Full Description:
PRIORITY 
       [0001]    The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/802,609, filed Mar. 16, 2013, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/837,924, filed Jun. 21, 2013, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, and also claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/891,844, filed Oct. 16, 2013, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     THE FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to furniture. In particular, examples of the present invention relates to a modular furniture system which provides improved joints allowing tool-less assembly and increased stability. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Many persons desire modular furniture. Modular furniture is often assembled by the end user from flat pieces and is thus easy to store and transport in the un-assembled form. Modular furniture often suffers from instability, and in some instances modular furniture is made overly complex or uses more permanent fastening or construction methods to stabilize the furniture. This, however, makes the furniture more cumbersome for the end user and reduces some of the portability and ease of use associated with this type of furniture. Additionally, the use of fasteners such as screws or nails to stabilize the furniture is often problematic in the long term as these fasteners become loose with use and movement of the furniture. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0004]    Non-limiting and non-exhaustive examples of the present invention are described with reference to the following figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views unless otherwise specified. 
           [0005]      FIGS. 1 through 8  show a shelving grid and parts thereof. 
           [0006]      FIGS. 9 through 16  show furniture joints and furniture with a shelving grid. 
           [0007]      FIGS. 17 through 23  show joints used in furniture shelves, dividers, and back panels. 
           [0008]      FIGS. 24 through 26  show a furniture tension joint. 
           [0009]      FIGS. 27 through 29  show a furniture door. 
           [0010]      FIGS. 30 through 45  show shelving/furniture grids and parts which may be assembled together to form larger units. 
           [0011]      FIGS. 46 through 48  show the application of a wave shape to the front of a furniture grid. 
           [0012]      FIGS. 49 through 53  show braces for modular furniture. 
           [0013]      FIGS. 54 through 57  show connectors for attaching panels of modular furniture together. 
           [0014]      FIGS. 58 through 71  shows printed boxes/bins which may be used with a shelving grid. 
       
    
    
       [0015]    Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout the several views of the drawings. Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various examples of the present invention. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present invention. 
         [0016]    It will be appreciated that the drawings are illustrative and not limiting of the scope of the invention which is defined by the appended claims. The examples shown each accomplish various different advantages. It is appreciated that it is not possible to clearly show each element or advantage in a single figure, and as such, multiple figures are presented to separately illustrate the various details of the examples in greater clarity. Similarly, not every example need accomplish all advantages of the present disclosure. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0017]    In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one having ordinary skill in the art that the specific detail need not be employed to practice the present invention. In other instances, well-known materials or methods have not been described in detail in order to avoid obscuring the present invention. 
         [0018]    Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “one example” or “an example” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment”, “in an embodiment”, “one example” or “an example” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the particular features, structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitable combinations and/or sub-combinations in one or more embodiments or examples. In addition, it is appreciated that the figures provided herewith are for explanation purposes to persons ordinarily skilled in the art and that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. 
         [0019]    Toolless Grid Storage 
         [0020]      FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate how a grid shelving unit can be constructed from one set of panels with a notch or slot in the front and another set of panels with a notch or slot in the back. For example, the vertical panels  10  may have slots  18  extending in from the front edge of the panels approximately half of the way through the panel and the horizontal panels  14  may have slots  18  extending into the panel from the back edge of the panel approximately half way through the panel. The notches or slots  18  in the panels  10 ,  14  may be shaped in an S-shape or curved or bent shape which causes the panel which is inserted into the slot to bend when inserted into the slot. The slot  18  causes the panel  10 ,  14  to remain bent while the furniture is assembled. The slot may have a slot width which is wider than the adjoining panel&#39;s thickness while also having a curved or bent shape which presents an unobstructed pathway through the slot which is narrower than the panel thickness. This allows for interference that helps keep the panels together and strengthens the furniture. 
         [0021]    A grid can be made from multiple horizontal and vertical pieces which have slots cut in them approximately half way through them. Typically the most sturdy and aesthetically pleasing shelves are made by forming the horizontal pieces with the slots in the back and the vertical pieces with the slots in the front. This offers greater support to the front horizontal edge of the resulting shelf at the expense of the stability at the back horizontal edge. This is advantageous as the front of the shelf typically receives a higher of use and interaction from a person as objects are placed on the shelf and removed from the shelf. The front vertical edge does not need the same stability as it is not weight bearing. The horizontal and vertical pieces could be swapped, but this configuration may be stronger because the front edge of the horizontal pieces is not broken and should perform better for weight bearing at the front edge. 
         [0022]      FIG. 3  illustrates a single joint of a piece of furniture such as a shelving grid which is made from a horizontal piece  14  and a vertical piece  10 .  FIG. 4  illustrates a portion of a planar piece  22  (which could be a portion of a vertical piece  10  or a horizontal piece  14 ) with a slot  18 . The slot  18  is not straight, but may be a uniform width. The uniform slot width  26  is greater than the thickness of the piece it accepts, and the narrowest extended width  30  through the slot is less than the thickness of the piece it accepts. Therefore, as the parts  10 ,  14  are slid together, the piece being inserted into a slot  18  has to bend. This creates pressure and friction between the bent piece  10 ,  14  and the walls of the slot  18 , holding the pieces securely together without nails or glue while allowing for easy assembly and disassembly. The slot width  26  is relatively close to the thickness of the inserted panel, and may often be between about 10 and 50 percent greater than the panel thickness. The open extended width  30  through the slot  18  is often between about 90 and 50 percent of the thickness of the inserted panel. The slot  18  is typically relatively straight overall so that the inserted panel, although bent to create a stressed joint, remains relatively flat. The overall outside width of the slot between the extremes of the slot may be between about 10 and 50 percent greater than the thickness of the inserted panel. 
         [0023]    The slot width  26  could be made less than the thickness of the inserted piece, but this could require that the piece with the slot would have to bend in plane, causing high and unnecessary stress. To achieve a tight fit in straight cut slot without being so tight that assembly is difficult, very tight tolerances in the material thickness and the slot widths have to be held. The curved-slot configuration shown in these figures allows for more easily attainable tolerances in the material thickness and slot dimensions. The panels  10 ,  14  are often made of a wood such as plywood or a plastic such as ABS. These materials have a degree of flexibility and will bend elastically when inserted into a slot  18  to provide the discussed rigidity. The material used to form the shelving grid pieces  10 ,  14  may often be about one quarter of an inch thick, and may be between one eighth and three eighths of an inch thick in many examples. 
         [0024]      FIG. 5  shows a variation of the slot  18  with more profile variation. As shown, the slot may be a bent shape such as the zig-zag shape shown. The slot  18  may have a single bend or multiple bends and provides a slot  18  with a slot width  26  which is greater than the thickness of the material used to create the piece  10 ,  14  and provides an unobstructed channel  30  through the slot which is narrower than the material used to create the piece  10 ,  14  so that the piece  10 ,  14  inserted into the slot must bend when inserted and remain bent in an assembled configuration. 
         [0025]      FIG. 6  shows a variation where a slot  18  is slightly wider than the material used to make the pieces  10 ,  14  for the rearmost majority of the slot and is narrower for a section  34  at the front of the slot  18 . This requires a degree of in-plane bending or stretching of the section  22  of the piece  10 ,  14 , but results in a lower stress than an entire slot  18  formed narrower than the material of pieces  10 ,  14  as the material has more room to distribute the stress and stress is not concentrated at the root of the slot. A slot  18  as shown in  FIG. 6  may be combined with a slot  18  shown in  FIG. 4  or  5  in creating a joint as shown in  FIG. 3 . A slot  18  as shown in FIG.  6  may be formed at the front of the vertical pieces  10  while a slot  18  as shown in  FIG. 4  or  5  may be formed at the back of the horizontal pieces  14 . This results in a shelving grid where the horizontal pieces  14  are held tightly but are not bent by the slots in the vertical pieces  10  to provide a flat shelf area while the vertical pieces  10  are bent by the slots in the horizontal pieces  14  to provide a secure and stable piece of furniture. 
         [0026]    A benefit of a stressed joint (i.e. a joint with panels  10 ,  14  which are held in an elastically bent configuration when assembled) is that it will stay together under typical loads and movement, and also eliminates the play or movement in furniture that can make it feel unstable or cheap. Additionally it can make the furniture quieter. No tools are required to assemble the joint and no fasteners are needed to keep the joint together. 
         [0027]    Placement of Interference Joints 
         [0028]    This interference and elastic bending of the panels  10 ,  14  can make assembling and disassembling the panels into furniture difficult. This is particularly true when a large piece of furniture is assembled, as the force required to assemble a single joint is multiplied by the number of joints formed by a given panel or piece  10 ,  14 . One way to remedy this problem is to only make the slots near the end of each panel  10 ,  14  have interference. That is to say that only the slots near the end of each panel  10 ,  14  hold the panel which is received into the slot in a bent configuration when assembled. For example, in  FIGS. 7 and 8  the slots  18 A or the slots  18 A and  18 B could have interference and cause the inserted panel to bend as discussed, but not the slots  18 B,  18 C,  18 D or  18 C,  18 D. The slots  18  which are not shaped to bend the received panel  10 ,  14  may be straight and may be cut with a width which is close to but slightly larger than the thickness of the material used to make the panels  10 ,  14 . In the assembled shelving unit, both slots  18 A would have interference at the corners of the shelving unit and all slots  18  would have at least some interference around the perimeter of the shelving unit while no slots  18  would have interference in the center. This may provide a shelving unit which is adequately stable without requiring unnecessarily high forces to assemble the shelves. 
         [0029]    Captive Grid 
         [0030]    The same joints discussed above with panels  10 ,  14  and slots  18  can be used within a casework created with another material or another type of joints. Shelves for small objects can be made to be subdivided by an internal grid with intersecting slots which is placed into a case formed by thicker material. The internal grid can be formed in the same way illustrated above. 
         [0031]      FIGS. 9 and 10  show a cubby shelf  38  for small objects like shoes. The shelf may be designed to have equal sized openings. The illustrated shelf has openings that progressively get larger towards the bottom of the shelf. An advantage to this design is that space for storing shoes is maximized as not all shoes are the same size. 
         [0032]    The cubby shelf  38  may be formed from vertical side pieces  42  and horizontal top and bottom pieces  46 . The top and bottom pieces  46  and side pieces  42  may be attached together differently than the divider grid inside of the cubby shelf  38 . The side pieces  42  and top and bottom pieces  46  may be connected with interlocking tabs and slots. The tabs may extend through slots and then be moved in a transverse direction to lock the tabs into the slots. The divider grid may be formed of vertical panels  10  and horizontal panels  14 . The vertical panels  10  and horizontal panels  14  may include slots  18  and may connect together in the manner discussed with respect to  FIGS. 1 through 8  above. 
         [0033]    Captive Back Joint 
         [0034]      FIGS. 11 and 12  illustrate how the vertical panels  10  and horizontal panels  14  may be attached to the vertical sides  42  or horizontal top and bottom panels  46  of a piece of furniture. The vertical panels  10  and horizontal panels  14  may be held captive in the panels  42 ,  46 . Additionally, the furniture  38  may have one or more back panels  50 . The back panels  50  may be attached to the size panels  42  or top and bottom panels  46 . A joint can be made which is blind to the outside of the panels  42 ,  46  and uses tension when assembled to create a joint that provides stability, as well as doesn&#39;t make any noise from shifting. 
         [0035]    As shown in  FIG. 11 , a joint between a panel such as a back panel  50  may include a blind slot  54  cut into the side panel  42  and a tab  58  which is inserted into the slot  54 . The blind slot  54  may be formed so that it does not extend through the panel  42  and is not seen from the outside of the furniture  38 . The tab  58  may be placed into the slot  54  as the furniture  38  is assembled and held in place by the joints which secure the side panels  42  to the top and bottom panels  46 . Although discussed as jointing the back panel  50 , such a tab  58  and slot  54  may be used to secure the vertical panels  10  and horizontal panels  14  of the shelving grid to the furniture  38 . 
         [0036]    Such a joint ( 54 ,  58 ) can be made with thinner materials than are typically used for other portions of the case. Thus, the joint may be used to join a thin back  50  or panels  10 ,  14  to thicker panels  42 ,  46  of the furniture.  FIG. 12  shows a perspective view of the assembled joint of  FIG. 11 .  FIGS. 13 and 14  show additional views of such a joint. The slot  54  may be cut into the panel  42  at a slight angle relative to the alignment of the panel  50 , requiring the tab  58  to be twisted slightly to fit into the slot  54 . This bends the panel  50  out of plane when assembled and places the joint under tension, stiffening the joint and strengthening the furniture  38 .  FIGS. 13 ,  14 , and  15  illustrate how the slot  54  and tab  58  may be cut with an extra relieved area adjacent inside corners to allow the tab  58  to seat fully into the slot  54  and to fit against the ends of the slot while allowing both to be cut with a router bit  62 , allowing the pieces to be fully cut on a cnc router table or the like. 
         [0037]      FIG. 16  shows another example of how such a joint may be used. The joint can be used in furniture such as a toy kitchen set to join a thin back panel  50  to a thicker side panel  42 . The tab  58  may be sized within the slot  54  to fit quite closely to prevent the furniture sides  42  from being displaced vertically relative to each other and skewing the furniture  38 . Additional stability can be achieved if the tabs  58  are long enough to extend to the bottom of the slot  54 . 
         [0038]    Captive Back Joint (Z Form) 
         [0039]      FIGS. 17 ,  18  and  19  show an additional variation of a joint between adjacent furniture panels. As an example, the joint may be formed between a back panel  50  and adjacent vertical panels  10 ,  42  or horizontal panels  14 ,  46  of a piece of furniture. The joint may also be used between other furniture panels which are disposed on intersecting planes such as horizontal divider panels  14  and vertical case panels  42 . 
         [0040]    By modifying the shape of the tabs  58  used on the panel  50 , multiple back panels  50  can be used to cover the entire back of a piece of furniture. The tabs  58  are z or s shaped so they nest with a corresponding tab  58  on an adjacent panel. A vertical or horizontal panel  10 ,  42  such as from the furniture case or from an internal shelving grid is deeper than other internal grid components and passes between the back panels  50  and has slots  66  that the tabs  70  pass through. As is seen, the tabs  70  are cut so that a first tab and a second tab from adjacent panels  50  nest together and together fill the slot  66 . The tabs  70  may be symmetrical and thus ease design and production constraints and improve the modularity of the pieces used to assemble the furniture. The tabs  70  may have a projection which extends outwardly and a recess cut inwardly into the panel  50 . The recess may be a similar size and shape as the projection and receives the projection from a tab on an adjacent panel. For such a design, a single tab  70  may not completely fill a slot  66  and may leave a gap and allow some movement, but two adjoining tabs  70  may fill the slot  66  and prevent movement of the tabs within the slot. The tabs  70  may include a projecting portion which extends through the slot and past the panel  42  into which the tab is inserted. This may increase the stability of the joint. This joint keeps the rear panels in line with one another and provides a connection that prevents shear between the parts allowing the back panel to provide stability across the backs. 
         [0041]    To provide stability to racking in both directions the direction of the tab  70  may be mirrored from top to bottom. That is to say that one tab  70  on a panel  50  may have an upper projecting portion and a lower recessed portion while another tab on the same panel has a lower projecting portion and an upper recessed portion. Adjacent panels  50  are formed with complementary tabs and fit together. Panels  50  on the side of a piece of furniture which do not have another adjoining panel  50  may be formed with a full tab as described in other figures. This allows a single panel to still give stability with out the other back panels being present. 
         [0042]      FIG. 20  shows a top view of a piece of furniture with back panels  50  having tabs  70 .  FIG. 21  shows a back view of the same piece of furniture. The back panels  50  can be used in a case construction or in the grid type constructions shown. A benefit to the multiple panels  50  is that it allows a large back panel to be broken into multiple smaller panels  50 . This can make packing and shipping easier. 
         [0043]    Additionally patterns can be made with the back panels  50  by using panels of multiple colors, or using panels with different colors on each side. This allows the user to create patterns by selecting which side faces forward and how the panels  50  are arranged. 
         [0044]    The back panels  50  shown in  FIGS. 17 ,  18  and  19  also illustrate how these panels may be applied to a shelving grid.  806 . The tabs  70  on the back panels  50  extend through slots  66  on the vertical panel  10  of a shelving grid. The recessed portion  70 A of a tab can accept the protruding portion  70 B of an adjoining tab  70 . 
         [0045]      FIGS. 22 and 23  illustrate a method of captively connecting shelves or other divider panels  74  within adjoining panels  78 . The structure is similar to the method illustrated for back panels  50  and shows how this method can be applied to back panels, divider panels, shelves, etc. The shelf or partition  74  has protruding tabs  70  which, as discussed above, may be formed with a protruding portion and a recessed portion so that two adjoining tabs  70  from adjacent panels  74  nest together within a slot  66 . For stability, the tabs  70  may be mirrored on the same side of a partition  74  so that the perpendicular side edges of the tabs  70  abut the ends of slots  66  and prevent the partition  74  from moving in both directions in the slot  66 . The tabs  70  may be disposed in a complementary arrangement on the two opposite ends of the partition to allow two partitions/shelves  74  to enter a slot  66  from opposite sides. The angled design of the tabs  70  allows at least a portion of the tab to enter farther into the slot making it less likely to come out if there is some flexibility in the parts. It also can make assembly easier because parts are less likely to fall over then with a half depth straight tab. 
         [0046]    As seen in  FIG. 23 , furniture panels  78  which are on the ends of the furniture may be formed with blind slots  82  which are not cut all the way through the panel  78 . This provides a more appealing appearance to the furniture. Forming the tabs  70  so that they extends approximately three quarters of the way through a panel  78  provides sufficient engagement with a slot  66  while allowing for blind slots  82  which have a depth that is about three quarters of the thickness of the panel  78  or slightly greater to be used. 
         [0047]    Flex Backs 
         [0048]      FIGS. 24 and 25  illustrate a joint configuration that can be used in furniture to create a rigid piece of furniture, particularly in desks or other pieces for furniture with only a top for bottom but not both with legs that typically might be loose. The joint system includes a panel  86  with at least 3 tabs  90 . Two lower identical tabs  90  include a small recess on them, and an upper tab  90  that doesn&#39;t need a recess. A second panel  94  includes three corresponding slots  98 . The two lower slots  98  have a nub that when the panel  86  is inserted becomes snug with the recess in the tabs  90 . To insert the tabs  90  transversely into the slots  98 , the panel  86  must be flexed as the panel  86  must be disposed upward relative to panel  94  as shown in  FIG. 24  so that the lower tabs  90  with recesses are not engaging the narrowed portion of the lower slots  98 . The upper slot  98  is enlarged and includes a lengthened upper portion which is disposed out of alignment with the lower two slots  98 . During assembly, the upper tab  90  is inserted transversely into the misaligned upper portion of the upper slot  98  while the lower tabs are inserted into the lower slots  98 , requiring the panel  86  to be bent. 
         [0049]    The panel  86  is then pushed downward, causing the two lower tabs  90  to engage the narrowed lower portion of the two lower slots  98 . When the panel  86  has moved in a downward direction sufficiently far to engage the lower tabs  90  with the narrowed portion of the lower slots  98 , the upper tab  90  reaches a laterally enlarged portion of the upper slot  98  that allows the upper tab  90  to move laterally and relieve some of the bending which was required to place the  86  into initial engagement with the panel  94 . The panel  86  may maintain a small amount of bending in the assembled position shown in  FIG. 26 . The upper tab  90  is engaged into the laterally extending portion of the upper slot  98  and this prevents the panel  86  from moving upwardly out of this position. The lower tabs  90  have a recessed portion on the lower side thereof which does not extend to the lateral side of the tabs and which engages to the narrowed portion of the lower slots  98  to prevent these tabs from being pulled transversely from the slots  98 . An advantage to this joint is the positive engagement the top slots give which make a much stronger joint especially for side to side racking. The back joint piece is best made from a thinner more flexible piece, which is advantageous for lighter weight and lower cost. 
         [0050]    Door Joint 
         [0051]      FIGS. 27 and 28  detail the door joint which may be used on furniture such as a cabinet portion of a bookshelf, a child&#39;s kitchen set, etc. This joint could also be used generally in a number of applications where it is desirable to create strong and durable door joint from planar materials with no hardware and minimal machining. This joint also minimizes pinching and thus protects little children&#39;s fingers from being pinched while playing. The door  102  is cut from a planar material with a hinge tab  106  protruding from the top and bottom edges adjacent a hinge edge of the door. A short tab  110  can be used at the bottom edge of the door away from the hinge to keep the door closed. A recess  114  may be formed into the back of the door that goes towards the centerline of the hinge tabs  106  to prevent pinching of fingers. A handle  118  may be formed as a hole in the door, a knob, etc.  FIG. 28  is a top view of the door assembly. The top and bottom hinge tabs  106  are inserted into a hole  122  on a top and bottom plate  126  (i.e. a part of a cabinet or a play kitchen, etc.) The holes  122  may or may not extend all the way through the plate  126 . The door  102  can swing and pivots around the center of the hole  122 . A recess  130  accepts the nub  110  in the closed position and prevents it from opening without affirmative user effort.  FIG. 29  is a cross section of the assembly. 
         [0052]    Wave Form 
         [0053]      FIG. 30  illustrates a grid unit such as a shelving unit as disclosed in the above figures which is made from flat planar pieces. The grid unit may be made of vertical panels  10  and horizontal panels  14  with slots  18  as discussed above.  FIGS. 31A through 31H  show the individual panels  301  through  208  used in the grid. Assembled together, they create a useful and aesthetically pleasing shelf. The front edges of the panels  10 ,  14  are shaped with a wave in this illustration, though any number of shapes could be used including straight, jagged, or other. 
         [0054]    By cutting the front edge of the panels  10 ,  14  making shelving unit with a wave form the progressively moves across the individual panels, the illusion of a wavy surface is achieved across the front of the shelves. This can be quite aesthetically interesting and pleasing. The wave form (amplitude and frequency, as well as rate of advancement) may be the same for both horizontal and vertical members, which gives the illusion of a wave and trough passing over the shelving unit at a 45 degree angle. However, by varying the wavelength and advancement frequency between horizontal and vertical members, giving other angles. The waveform usually works when the wavelength is an integer multiple of the spacing between shelves (or slots). A longer wavelength is typically preferred, on the order of 1-2 times the overall shelf size to achieve an interesting visual surface. 
         [0055]    Modularity of Units 
         [0056]    The top and bottom edges as well as the back edges of the panels  10 ,  14  which are outside panels in the grid may contain a hole  134  and associated edge recess  138  that can be used to connect adjoining units together into a larger furniture unit. The holes may be a number of shapes including square, round, slotted or other. The recess  138  on the edge can be used to allow the adjoining edges to butt into one another when being connected with appropriate connectors  142  shown in  FIGS. 32 and 33 , for example. The interior pieces omit much of the detail to simplify and reduce manufacturing complexity, though all pieces could contain all features or greater functionality or all could omit features for simplicity. 
         [0057]      FIG. 32  shows how two grid units may connect to each other on top of each other, or side by side to form, for example, a longer or taller shelving unit. Connectors  142  fit into the recess  138  and the holes  134  and connect the adjoining grids units. Multiple units can be connected in both directions. A wall anchor connector  146  is used to attach the grid unit to a wall by attaching to hole  134 , fitting into a recess  138 , and proving a flange and hole to allow the furniture to be attached to a wall. A wall connector  146  may include a front portion (i.e. a post  154 , body  166 , bridge post  158 ) which is the same as a connector  142  and a back portion which is angled and flat and has holes so screws can be used to connect it to a wall. Such a connector  146  can be used to attach a work surface to the top of a grid unit. 
         [0058]      FIG. 33  illustrates how the grid units can be connect back to back by using connectors  142  inserted into the holes  134  and recesses  138 . This could be used to create a central room divider or freestanding shelving unit. 
         [0059]      FIG. 34  illustrates a front view of several connected grid units. Each unit is shown by a dashed outline. Units could be made in squares or rectangles and of any multiple of dimensions. Straps  150  can be used to stabilize each individual unit, or the connected units 
         [0060]    Connectors 
         [0061]      FIGS. 35-37  illustrates a possible connector  142  used to connect grid units together. The connector  142  may include posts  154  that are inserted into the holes  134 . The connector may include a center bridge post  158  which fits into the recess  138 . A bridge plate  162  may be formed at the top of the bridge post  158 . A main plate  166  may attach the posts  154  and bridge post  158  into a single piece. The connector may be formed from a semi-rigid elastic material such as a thermoplastic. To assemble the parts, the main plate  166  may be flexed to bend the post  154  back and allow the post  154  and bridge post  158  to be inserted into a hole  134  and recess  138  on a furniture panel. The other side of the connector  142  is similarly attached to another furniture panel to attach the panels together. The furniture panels are held between the main plate  166  and bridge plate  162  and secured together by the post  154  and bridge post  158 . 
         [0062]      FIG. 38  illustrates an alternative embodiment of the connector  142 . In this embodiment, the connector includes two opposed side plates  166 A which are each attached to a side post  154  and the bridge post  158 . The side plates  166 A are placed on opposite sides of the panels  10 ,  14  which are assembled together and the panels are held between the side plates  166 A.  FIG. 39  illustrates the alternative connector  142  of  FIG. 38  installed and connecting two panels  170  together. 
         [0063]      FIG. 40  illustrates another embodiment of the connector  142  which is similar to the connector of  FIG. 38  but which includes elongate angled posts  154 .  FIG. 41  illustrates two of the connectors  142  holding two planar pieces  170  together. The angled configuration of the posts  154  and holes  134  may improve the performance of the connector  142  in preventing the panels  170  from shifting back and forth relative to each other. 
         [0064]      FIGS. 42 and 43  illustrate a cross section of a connector  142  used to attach panels  170  together. In discussing the connectors  142 , it is appreciated that the connectors  142  may be used to attach any of the various panels together. The side plates  166 A of the connector  142  may be flexed to allow the post  154  to be placed into the hole  134  to secure panels  170  together. The connector  142  may then bend back to the unbent position shown in  FIG. 43  to connect the panels  170 . 
         [0065]      FIG. 44  shows another connector  142  which may be used to connect panels  170  together. The connector is formed of two pieces which are assembled together to hold panels  170  together. The connector  142  may have two halves  174  which are passes through the hole  134  in the panels  170  and the halves  174  are then fastened together to join the connector  142  and secure the panels  170 . The connector halves  174  may be fastened together with screws  178 . The connector half  174  may have a hollow post  182  which fits through a hole  134  and a smaller post  186  which fits into a recess in the hollow post  182 . A connector half  174  may have a hollow post  182  and a smaller post  186  which pass through holes  134  in two panels  170  and engage a hollow post  182  and smaller post  186  on another connector half.  FIG. 45  shows another connector  142  which is similar to the connector of  FIG. 44 . The connector may have a snap-together connection where each half  174  of the connector has arms  190  which pass through the hole  134  and a receptacle  194  which receives these arms. Each connector half  174  may be placed so that the arms  190  extend through a hole  134  in a panel  170  and the receptacle  194  is aligned with a hole  134  in an adjacent panel  170 . Another connector half  174  is similarly situated so that the arms  190  of each connector half  174  engage the receptacle  194  of the other connector half. The arms  190  have ridges or other projections which engage the receptacles  194  and lock the connector halves  174  together to fasten the panels  170  together. The arms  190  may be pressed together to release the arms from the receptacle  194  and remove the connector  142  as desired. The two connector pieces may be designed so that one end has a male end and the other ends is female end. This allows for lower tooling costs and few parts. 
         [0066]    Interchangeable Components 
         [0067]    There are several considerations that can be given to optimize the use, manufacture, and shipping of grid components. The grid components can be optimized for modularity. The design of the wave shaped front of the shelving grids can be modified to allow units to be joined together in modular units.  FIG. 46  illustrates how to achieve this. If the modular units are designed so that the neutral portion  198  of the wave shaped front (the average forward distance of the trough  202  and crest  206 , see  FIGS. 30 and 33  for example) lies diagonally across the center of a square shelf, the shelf can be made from four smaller shelf sections, all of which are made of the same parts.  FIG. 47  shows that the four sections (A and A- 1 ) would each be made of the same parts, but sections A would be constructed in the same way, and sections A- 1  would be constructed in reverse order. This allows greater flexibility in assembling the shelve sections with fewer unique parts. 
         [0068]    For modularity, the panels making the grids should be extended to the mid-point of the cubby areas between the panels. To allow flexibility in modularity for a 2×2 cubby, the top/bottom edge could be cut short. For a cubby intended to be stacked on one another in most cases, the top and bottom portions could be reduced to for less material usage and better aesthetic. 
         [0069]    Optimized for Fewer Components 
         [0070]      FIG. 48  shows another embodiment of the shelves. In this embodiment, the crest  206  crosses centered between joints of panels  10  and panels  14  rather than directly over the joints between panels  10 ,  14 . This allows the entire shelf to be built from four unique parts, (C, C- 1 , D, and D- 1 ) though the direction of the parts is alternated. This also allows for design with fewer parts. These principles can also be applied to non-sinusoidal, but repeating wave like forms. Some of the methods may require a wave form that is symmetric about the trough and peak but not all do. 
         [0071]    Back Stabilization 
         [0072]      FIG. 49  shows how slots or holes  210  can be used to allow straps or cords  214  to be attached diagonally between the corners of furniture panels  218  (which may be panels  10 ,  14 ,  42 ,  46 , etc.) for stability.  FIG. 50  shows an alternate configuration where a panel  218  is formed with a tab  222  at an edge thereof, such as at a back edge of the panel  218 . The tab  222  may be formed by slots  226  which converge inwardly so that the outside edge of the tab  222  is wider than the root of the tab, causing a looped cord under tension to be held at the root of the tab  222 .  FIGS. 50  A and  50 B show alternative methods of attaching a cord to the panel. A cord  214  may be placed across a diagonal of a piece of furniture as shown in  FIG. 49  to stabilize the furniture. The cord  214  may have loops  230  formed on its ends and the loops  230  may be placed over tabs  222  to secure the cord to the furniture.  FIG. 51  shows a tensioning device  234  may be used to apply tension to the cord  214  after placement on the tabs  222 . The tensioning device  234  may include two holes  238  through which the cord  214  passes and a hook  242  which is secured around the cord  214  to apply tension.  FIG. 52  shows the tension device  234  and cord  214  in a non-tensioned configuration. The cord  214  passes through the holes  238 .  FIG. 53  shows the tension device  234  and cord in a tensioned configuration. The tensioning device  234  has been rotated to place the hook  242  around the end of the cord  214  which passes into the hole  238  farthest away from the hook  242 . This causes the cord  214  to double back over itself and shortens the cord  214 , applying tension to the cord  214  as placed between tabs  222 . 
         [0073]    If desired, only one cord needs a tensioner  234 . If this is done, though, the cord with no tensioner needs to be shorter, and when under load, the shorter cord and the longer cord with the tensioner  234  secured need to be the same length. One advantage to the tabs  222  and cord  214  is that they take up very little of the cubby space as they are right on the back of the panels. 
         [0074]    Alternate Grid System 
         [0075]      FIGS. 54 through 57  illustrate cross sectional views of a joint and a connector which allows the shelving grid of panels  10 ,  14  to be constructed without tabs or edges which extend beyond the Grid. Rather than having slots  18  as used in the middle of the shelving grid, the perimeter joints around the grid may be formed with connectors  142 . The adjoining edges of panels  10  and  14  may be formed with holes  134  and recesses  138  as shown in  FIG. 30 . The connector may have posts  154  and a central bridge post  158  with body plates  166  and bridge plates  162  disposed on opposite sides of the panels  10 ,  14 . Rather than being relatively flat for joining in-plane panels  10 ,  14 , the connectors may be formed in cross, Tee, and angle configurations for joining panels  10 ,  14  at corners, tees, and crosses. The connectors are similar to the connectors shown in  FIGS. 30-43  if these had been cut through at the center and joined together in the configurations shown. These angled connectors  142  in  FIGS. 54 and 55  allow a shelving grid to be formed without overhanging tabs or edges. The connectors shown in  FIGS. 56 and 57  may be used to connect sections of shelving grid together to form a larger shelving grid. 
         [0076]    Bins 
         [0077]    Storage bins or boxes can be used with a shelving grid or cubby system. There are several ways that bins can be used to create visually interesting and functional storage. 
         [0078]    City Scape Buildable Bins 
         [0079]      FIG. 58  illustrates a large shelving grid or cubby unit referred to generally at  246 . This unit  246  has a number of shelf areas or cubbies formed from panels  10 ,  14  as discussed previously. The unit  246  may be formed from a large shelving grid or multiple smaller shelving grids connected together. Insertable subdividers  250  and  254  have been inserted into some of the cubby openings. The insertable subdividers  250 ,  254  may also use the joints described previously in discussing panels  10 ,  14  and slots  18 . Storage bins  258  may be inserted into the cubbies as desired. These storage bins may be boxes made of cardboard or plastic. The bins  258  may be printed with a variety of designs. 
         [0080]    In one embodiment, some of the bins  258  are made to look like the facade of buildings. These bins are arranged to look like a skyline. Bin  262  is printed to represents a garage. Other bins that represent shops, apartments, labs, and other common buildings could be included. These building bins can be arranged to look like different cityscapes. In another embodiment, the bins are made to look like common household appliances, so the grid units can become a play kitchen. Printed bins become fun and interesting objects to children and are more decorative than ordinary bins. 
         [0081]    Modular building bins  258  as well as bins  266  which are unprinted or printed to look like sky prints are illustrated in  FIGS. 59 through 61 . Existing building have been identified and simplified to find repeating block sections that could be repeated to represent a building. These block sections are then printed on multiple bins, the bins are then put in the shelving units and the adjoining portions form the outline of a building. Multiple stacks next to each other can form an image similar to a city skyline. The tops may be unique to make a building more identifiable. Bins printed like smaller buildings may be included to create a layered effect. These bins may be printed front, back, and side with different patterns if desired. 
         [0082]      FIG. 62  illustrates bins  270  which are printed to look like parts of a house. These bins may be arranged to create different houses similar to how the city bins can be rearranged.  FIGS. 63 and 64  show bins  274  which are printed to look like block elements of a video game. These bins  274  may be arranged to create different video game levels. Printed bins such as these allow a user to create custom decorative appearances for what would otherwise be a less attractive wall of storage boxes. 
         [0083]    Patterned Bins 
         [0084]      FIGS. 65 through 67  show bins  278  which are printed to show morphing patterns. The bins  278  are shown as the flat pattern of a box that is die cut and folded into box. When folded, the bin  278  has a front pattern  282  and a different back pattern  286 , and side patterns  290  which gradually morph between the front and back patterns. 
         [0085]      FIGS. 68 and 69  show how the pattern bins  278  may be placed in a shelving grid or cubby shelf to achieve various visual effects. The layout of the patterns and the morph allows a large number of interesting combinations. By only exposing the front or back patterns two very different patterns are given. By showing the sides, gradual transitions can be made. The bins can be arranged as desired by a user to create different visual patterns to make a storage shelving unit more attractive. 
         [0086]    To create a morphing pattern, the pattern height typically needs to be the same, though the width can vary. Other mediums besides printing could also be sued such as molding or stitching. The patterns may also morph between different colors, etc. 
         [0087]      FIGS. 70 and 71  show two different ways for doing morphing prints on bins. These figures show top views of bins to illustrate how the patterns may change around the different sides of the bins.  FIG. 70  shows a pattern on the front and a different pattern on the back with both sides having a pattern which morphs or transitions between the front and back patterns.  FIG. 71  illustrates a bin which has a first pattern on a corner of the bin and a second different pattern on an opposite corner of the bin and all four sides morph or transition between the two patterns. The bin could start at one corner then morph to another print on the opposite corner, then morph back as one views successive sides around the bin. 
         [0088]    The above description of illustrated examples of the present invention, including what is described in the Abstract, are not intended to be exhaustive or to be limitation to the precise forms disclosed. While specific examples of the invention are described herein for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible without departing from the broader scope of the present claims. Indeed, it is appreciated that specific example dimensions, materials, voltages, currents, frequencies, power range values, times, etc., are provided for explanation purposes and that other values may also be employed in other examples in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0