1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to furniture, and more specifically, to a furniture system which will allow an individual to interchange parts so that the furniture will have a different look or style.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When decorating a home, apartment, office or the like, people tend to buy furniture which matches the decor of the room where the piece of furniture will be placed. People tend to spend hundreds to thousands of dollars in order to coordinate the furniture with the surrounding decor. However, as time goes by, many people like to change the appearance or the decor of their home or office. The changing of decor can be extremely expensive. This is especially so if the person wants to properly match the furniture to the decor.
Presently, there is no simple and easy way to change the look or appearance of a piece of furniture. In general, most pieces of furniture are individually made and constructed together piece by piece permanently. To change the look or appearance of the furniture would require one to take apart and reconstruct the piece of furniture. This would be very time consuming and expensive. Unfortunately, most people do not have the time, money, or skill to redecorate their home or office too often.
Therefore, a need existed to provide an improved piece of furniture and method therefor. The improve piece of furniture and method of constructing the same would allow one to easily change the appearance of the piece of furniture without the problems associated with prior art furniture pieces.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved piece of furniture and method therefor.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improve piece of furniture and method of constructing the same which would allow one to easily change the appearance of the piece of furniture without the problems associated with prior art furniture pieces.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a piece of furniture having interchangeable components is disclosed. The furniture will have a plurality of leg members. Cross-bar members are removably coupled to the plurality of leg members. The cross-bar members are adjustable in length. Cross-bar covers are removably coupled to the cross-bar members. A table top is removably coupled to the cross-bar covers.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a method of constructing a piece of furniture having interchangeable components is disclosed. The method comprises: providing a plurality of interchangeable leg members; removably coupling cross-bar members to the plurality of leg members wherein the cross-bar members are adjustable in length; removably coupling cross-bar covers to the cross-bar members; and removably coupling a table top to the cross-bar covers.
The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following, more particular, description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, as well as a preferred mode of use, and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of illustrated embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Referring to
The table 10 will have a plurality of leg members 12. The leg members 12 are used to raise and support the table 10. The leg members 12 are interchangeable. Thus, different styles and types of leg members 12 may be used. The leg members 12 may come in different sizes, shapes and materials. For example, the leg members 12 may be rectangular or circular column members or the like. The leg members 12 may be made from wood, metal, or other materials. The leg members 12 may have certain finishes such as a metallic satin or brushed look. It should be noted that the above are given as examples and should not be seen as to limit the scope of the present invention. What is one unique feature of the present invention is that the table 10 will have a plurality of interchangeable leg members 12 so that different styles and types of leg members 12 may be used on the table 10.
A pair of cross-members 14 will be removably coupled to each leg member 12. The cross-members 14 are designed to be interchangeable so that the cross-members 14 may be coupled to any style or type of leg member 12. The cross-members 14 are used to hold and support a table top section 16. The cross-members 14 are telescopic in nature. Thus, one can adjust the length of the cross-member 14. This will allow an individual to alter the length/width of the table 10. Each cross-member 14 will have a locking mechanism 17. The locking mechanism 17 is used to hold and lock the cross-member 14 at a desired length.
The cross-members 14 in
The openings 14E are further used to secure a cover 26 over the channeling 14C. The cover 26 is used to hide the channeling 14C. The cover 26 will have a plurality of openings 26A. The openings 26A will be formed on both sides of the cover 26. When properly aligned, the openings 26A will be in axial alignment with a corresponding openings 14E. The locking device 24 used to secure the first section 14A to the second section 14B may further be used to secure the cover 26 to the cross-members 14. The locking device 24 is generally a screw, removable rivet, and the like. It should be noted that the above are given as examples and should not be seen as to limit the scope of the present invention.
In the embodiment depicted in
A cross-member cover 28 is used to cover the top section of the cross-member 14. The cross-member cover 28 is similar in shape to the cross-member 14. One main difference is that the cross-member cover 28 will have an “L” shaped edge 30 located on one side of the cross-member cover 28. The “L” shape edge 30 is used so that the cross-member cover 28 can support a table top 16. The cross-member cover 28 will be removably coupled to the cross-member 14. A removable coupling device 30 is used to couple the cross-member cover 28 to the cross member 14. In the embodiment shown in the Figures, the cross-member 14 will have a plurality of openings 32 drill through a top section of the cross-member 14. The removable coupling device 30 will be inserted through the opening 32 and into the cross-member cover 28 thereby securing the cross-member cover 28 to the cross-member 14. The removable coupling device 30 will generally be a screw, removable rivet and the like. However, the above examples should not be seen as to limit the scope of the present invention, any type of removable coupling device 30 may be used.
The cross-member cover 28 may be made in a plurality of shapes and materials. For example, the cross-member cover 28 may be flat and rectangular as shown in
As stated above, a table top section 16 is positioned on the “L” shaped edge 30 located on one side of the cross-member cover 28. The table top section 16 will also come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The table top section 16 is generally sized to properly fit within the frame formed by the cross-member cover 28. The table top can be made out of wood, metal, glass or other clear materials, and the like. Once again, it should be noted that the above are given as examples and should not be seen as to limit the scope of the present invention.
Referring to
Referring to
The table 10 is unique in that the components of the table 10 are interchangeable. Thus, one can change the look and appearance of the table 10. Furthermore, one can change the function of the table 10. For example, the table 10 may be transformed from an end table to a coffee table to a dinning table all by changing the length/width of the cross-members 14 and the height of the leg members 12.
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
827834 | Westby | Aug 1906 | A |
1097697 | Weston | May 1914 | A |
2088077 | Wood | Jul 1937 | A |
2533831 | Molla | Dec 1950 | A |
2617998 | Reece | Nov 1952 | A |
2937765 | Shank | May 1960 | A |
3221677 | Kerr | Dec 1965 | A |
3533363 | Reiss | Oct 1970 | A |
4020771 | Hasenour | May 1977 | A |
4286525 | Willmore | Sep 1981 | A |
4665838 | Minshall | May 1987 | A |
4718354 | Piretti | Jan 1988 | A |
5809901 | Gutzmer | Sep 1998 | A |
5947037 | Hornberger et al. | Sep 1999 | A |
6425558 | Saunders | Jul 2002 | B1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
630791 | Jul 1982 | CH |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20040016372 A1 | Jan 2004 | US |