Abstract:
Modular office furniture capable of being modified by connecting and disconnecting units of the furniture together by way of a channel connector that slides into preformed engraved channels formed on the external surfaces of the units. The design allows for units to be arranged in a way that is suitable for an end user.

Description:
FIELD 
       [0001]    The field of art to which this invention relates pertains to mechanical fastening systems, particularly to improved connectors or channel connectors for mechanically connecting units or multiple units of furniture together to form a single unit. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The statements in this background section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art. 
         [0003]    In the furniture industry there is currently a need for connecting multiple units of a modular furniture system together without the use of fasteners such as grommets, screws, nails, or the like, which can damage both the interior and exterior aspects of the units. The fasteners often cause damage to the body of the units which effects the aesthetics of the units and prevent a user from modifying the arrangement because of the damage that has occurred to the exterior and interior aspects of the units. 
         [0004]    Thus, a drawback of conventional available modular furniture systems is the inability to modify the arrangement of the units after they have been assembled without damaging the interior and/or exterior of the furniture units. Another drawback of known modular furniture systems is that they require special tools to fasten the units together. 
         [0005]    A modular furniture system which can be easily arranged and connected together without the use of tools or fasteners causing damage would facilitate the rearrangement and assembly of individual units together to provide greater flexibility to accommodate the needs of different users. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    According to various aspects of the present disclosure, there are provided various exemplary embodiments of a modular furniture system that enable a user to attach multiple furniture units to each other from their corners to become one connected unit. The modular furniture system can be rearranged by removing or adding one to four units to each individual unit with the use of a connector that slides into a preformed engraved channel. 
         [0007]    Each unit of the modular furniture system is flat cornered in shape and has a set of at least two preformed engraved channels on the external portion of the unit on adjacent sides. This set of preformed engraved channels is complimentary to the dimensions of the connector which slides into the channel. The unit can have a set of preformed engraved channels on one, two, three, four, or any number of the corners of the unit. 
         [0008]    Each connector has at least one branch formed by two adjacent legs and corresponding lips which compliment the dimension of the preformed engraved channels. The lip and a portion of the leg of each branch slide into the preformed engraved channel to connect the multiple units of the modular furniture system together. The units can be taken apart by removing the connector and rearranged as the user sees fit. The ability to rearrange the units provides the user with flexibility to add additional units or remove units as needed and in an arrangement that fits with existing structures which are not easily modified such as floors, walls, or other structural elements. 
     
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    The drawings herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  depicts a single branch connector capable of filling the corner of a modular furniture system; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a two branch connector capable of attaching together two units of the modular furniture system; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  depicts a four branched connector capable of attaching together four units of the modular furniture system; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  shows three units of the modular furniture system connected together with the connector shown in  FIG. 1  and the connector in  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a front view of three units connected together with the connector of  FIG. 3  and two connectors like that shown in  FIG. 2  and two corner connectors like that shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  shows and exploded view of modular furniture system depicted in  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  shows a single unconnected unit of the modular furniture system; 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  shows the modular furniture system with connectors like that in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3  but with the connectors not all the way into the preformed engraved channel. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0018]    The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the present disclosure, application or uses. 
         [0019]    According to various aspects of the present disclosure, there are provided various exemplary embodiments of modular furniture systems and connectors that enable the attachment of multiple furniture units together. The units are connected together by way of a connector that includes at least two branches. Each branch has a pair of legs, each leg has a lip that runs the length of the branch forming substantially right angles to each other where the lips on a pair of legs are located on the same side of the substantially right angle formed by the attachment of the two legs together. The connector slides into a complimentary preformed engraved channel running the length of two adjacent sides of a corner of the modular furniture system. 
         [0020]    Further aspects of the present disclosure relate to a one branch or two legged connectors that are utilized to fill the preformed engraved channels of the modular furniture units that are not being connected to another unit. 
         [0021]    Disclosed herein are modular furniture systems comprised of units of furniture attached to one another in non-damaging modifiable way by means of a connector that is slidably inserted into a preformed engraved channel and allows the system to be adjusted and adapted to accommodate the needs of the user based on a particular function or space requirements as is discussed herein. The individual units of the modular furniture system are generally, but not limited to box shaped with preformed engraved channels on at least two adjacent sides of a furniture unit. The engraved channels can also be located on three, four or any number of sides of the individual units to function similarly. The engraved channels are complimentary in size and shape to a connector that slides into the channel and allows multiple units to be attached together. 
         [0022]    The individual units are made of rigid material such as wood, plastic, polymer, metal, composite, resin, or any rigid material suitable for such a use. They can be made of a variety of shapes and sizes to accommodate the needs of the user. By way of example only, they can be fixed to a wall to be used as storage in a garage, basement or kitchen. The individual units can be made smaller to accommodate things like shoes, jewelry, accessories, or other small items. 
         [0023]    The connector can be made of similar rigid materials including but not limited to wood, plastic, polymers, resins, metal, composite, or the like. The preformed engraved channel can be bored out with specialty tools, built as a void space by the addition of material to either side of the channel such that the shape of the channel fits the connector, or by molds whereby the material forming the unit is poured into a specific mold with the shape of the channel as part of the structure of the mold. 
         [0024]      FIG. 1  is an exemplary embodiment of one of the connectors,  100 , used to fill the preformed engraved channel when the channels are not being utilized to connect nearby units. Lips  101  and  104  are attached to legs  102  and  103  at substantially right angles and the lips  101  and  104  are capable of being inserted into the preformed engraved channels located on the units as seen on the units in  FIG. 7 . Legs  102  and  103  are attached at substantially right angles from each other and substantially right angles from lips  101  and  104  respectively. Each attached adjacent pair of legs and corresponding lips form an individual branch of the connector  100 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 2  is an exemplary embodiment of a connector with two branches,  200 . This connector can connect two separate units together by inserting lips  201 ,  204 ,  206 , and  207  into corresponding complimentary preformed engraved channels on two different units. Legs  202  and  208  and legs  203  and  205  are substantially at right angles to each other. Lips  201 ,  204 ,  206 , and  207  run the length of the connector and are substantially at right angles from legs  202 ,  203 ,  205 , and  208  respectively. 
         [0026]      FIG. 3  is an exemplary embodiment of a four branch connector  300 , capable of connecting  2 ,  3  or  4  separate units together. Branches  301 ,  302 ,  303 , and  304  have corresponding legs and lips at substantially 90 degree angels such as seen in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . Branches  301 ,  302 ,  303 , and  304  additionally are attached at the back side of the legs of each branch. 
         [0027]      FIG. 4  shows three units  401 ,  402 , and  403  connected by a four branch connector as seen in  FIG. 3 ,  300 . In addition, the preformed engaged channel on the exterior corner of unit  401  has been filled by a two branch connector  100  as seen in  FIG. 1 . As previously disclosed, each unit has corresponding pairs of preformed engraved channels on adjacent sides of each box shaped unit. 
         [0028]      FIG. 5  is a front view of three units connected by a four branch connector  300  and three branch connector  200  as seen in  FIGS. 3 and 2 , respectively. 
         [0029]      FIG. 6  is an exploded view of three units that were previously connected by way of two branch connectors  200 ,  200   b  and four branch connector  300 . 
         [0030]      FIG. 7  shows an individual unit  500 . Each of the adjacent corners of the unit has preformed engraved channels located substantially equidistant from the edge of two sides of the unit. For example, engraved channels  501  and  502  are located on two adjacent corners and are depicted at substantially equal distance from the edge of two sides of the unit. The engraved channels can span the entire length of the unit or can stop at any distance from the back side of each unit while still serving the same function of providing a slot for insertion of a connector to either attach additional units or to fill the preformed engraved channels to prevent foreign debris from filling or clogging the channels. Preformed engraved channels  503  and  504  are also located substantially equidistant from the corner of a unit on adjacent sides. These preformed engraved channels, again do not span the entire distance of the unit but can do so to function the same, as a location for insertion of the connectors. 
         [0031]      FIG. 8  shows  FIG. 7  with all the components, units and connectors, located substantially in place. 
         [0032]    The description of the disclosure is merely exemplary in nature and thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the disclosure are intended to be within the scope of the disclosure. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.