Embodiments of the present invention relate to panels that may be arranged perpendicular to each other and locked together with a mechanical locking device. The panels may be assembled and locked together to obtain a furniture product, such as a bookshelf, a cupboard, a wardrobe, a box, a drawer or a furniture component. The locking device may comprise a flexible tongue.
A furniture product provided with a mechanical locking device is known in the art, as evidenced by WO2015/038059. The furniture product comprises a first panel connected perpendicular to a second panel by a mechanical locking device comprising a flexible tongue in an insertion groove.
One object of certain embodiments of the present invention to provide an improvement over the above described technique and the known art. A specific objective is to improve disassembling of a mechanical locking of an assembled product, such as a furniture, a furniture component, a drawer, a cupboard, a bookshelf, a wardrobe, a kitchen fixture, or a box for storing or transporting.
A further object of embodiments of the invention is to provide an improved method to disassemble a furniture product comprising a frame and a back piece.
At least some of these and other objects and advantages that will be apparent from the description have been achieved by a first aspect of the invention that includes a set of panels, preferably for a furniture product, comprising a panel with a first main plane and an adjacent panel with a second main plane, wherein the panel and the adjacent panel comprising an angleable locking device for locking a first edge of the panel to a second edge of the adjacent panel, wherein the first main plane is essentially perpendicular to the second main plane. The angleable locking device comprises an edge groove at the first edge and a tongue groove at the second edge, the edge groove comprises a flexible tongue arranged in an insertion groove at a first side of the edge groove, said flexible tongue is configured to cooperate with the tongue groove for locking together the first and the second edges in a first direction which is perpendicular to the first main plane. The angleable locking device further comprises contact surfaces between the edge groove and the second edge at the first side and at a second side, respectively, of the edge groove for locking together the first and the second edges in a second direction which is parallel to the first main plane.
The angleable locking device is configured to be unlocked by an angling motion of the panel relative the adjacent panel, such that an angle between the first and the second main plane increases. This may facilitate disassembling of the panel and the adjacent panel since the angleable locking device may be unlocked without a tool.
The flexible tongue may facilitate assembling by a linear displacement of the panel relative the adjacent panel in a direction essentially perpendicular to the first main plane.
The panel is preferably frame panel and the adjacent panel is preferably a back piece panel.
The angleable locking device is preferably configured such that the flexible tongue moves out of the tongue groove by the angling motion.
The angleable locking device may comprise a first space between the first edge and the second edge at a second side of an opening of the edge groove in a locked position of the panel and the adjacent panel. The first space is preferably at an outer edge surface at an outer corner of the panel and the adjacent panel in a locked position.
The angleable locking device may comprise cooperating surfaces at a first side of the opening of the edge groove in a locked position of the panel and the adjacent panel, preferably at an inner corner of the panel and the adjacent panel.
The angleable locking device may comprise a recess, such as a bevel, at the first edge, to obtain said first space.
The angleable locking device may comprise a recess at the second edge to obtain said first space.
The angleable locking device may comprise a recess, such as a bevel, at a first and/or a second outer edge for enabling said angling motion.
The angleable locking device may comprise a second space between an outer edge of the second edge and the edge groove at the first side of the edge groove for enabling said angling motion. The second space preferably extends a distance which is about the same or greater than a length of the contact surface between the edge groove and the second edge at the second side of the edge groove, in a depth direction of the edge groove. The distance may be shorter than two or three times the length of the contact surface between the edge groove and the second edge.
The edge groove may extend along essentially the entire length of the second edge.
The flexible tongue may be displaceable in the insertion groove.
The angleable locking device may comprise a third space between an outermost surface of the second edge and the edge groove.
The angleable locking device may comprise cooperating surfaces at the second side of an opening of the edge groove, preferably at an outer edge surface at an outer corner of the panel and the adjacent panel in a locked position. This may provide a tight joint or a joint without visible gaps.
The angleable locking device may comprise a bottom part of the panel at a bottom of the edge groove and a side part, wherein the bottom part is bendable such that the side part is displaceable and/or angleable for enabling said angling motion.
The angleable locking device may comprise a bevel or rounding at an opening of the tongue groove. The flexible tongue may easier slide out from the tongue groove due to said rounding or bevel.
The second edge and the edge groove may comprise cooperating surfaces at the first side of the edge groove, preferably between the insertion groove and a bottom surface of the edge groove, for positioning of the edge relative the edge groove in the depth direction. The cooperating surfaces may be between a first surface of a recess at the second edge and a second surface of a recess at the edge groove.
The insertion groove may extend along essentially the entire length of the edge groove.
The flexible tongue is preferably displaceable in the insertion groove.
Some or all features that facilitate unlocking by an angling motion may be combined in one embodiment to improve the unlocking.
The flexible tongue may be according to the flexible tongue described and shown in FIGS. 2A-2F in WO2015/105449. FIGS. 2A-2F and the related disclosure from page 6, line 15 to page 7, line 2, in WO2015/105449 are hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein.
A core material of the panel and/or the adjacent panel may comprise a wood fibre based board, such as a HDF, MDF, plywood, solid wood or particleboard, or a reinforced plastic board or a wood fibre composite board.
The core may be provided with a decorative layer.
A second aspect of the invention is an assembled furniture product comprising a frame and a back piece, wherein the frame comprises panels, wherein a first and a second corner of the frame each comprises a corner locking device for locking two adjacent panels to each other, said corner locking device comprising a flexible tongue, wherein the corner locking device is un-lockable by displacing and/or compressing the flexible tongue by a tool. The back piece is connected to the frame by the angleable locking device according to the first aspect. The back piece may comprise four edges. A third and a fourth corner of the frame may each comprises a corner locking device for locking two adjacent panels to each other, said corner locking device comprising a flexible tongue, wherein the corner locking device is un-lockable by displacing and/or compressing the flexible tongue by a tool. The back piece is, in a preferred embodiment of the assembled furniture product, connected at four edges to the frame. Each edge is preferably connected by the angleable locking device according to the first aspect.
A third aspect of the invention is a method for disassembling a furniture product comprising a frame and a back piece, wherein the method comprises:
The method may comprise:
The method may comprise unlocking a first side panel and a second side panel of the frame. The first side panel may be unlocked by an angling motion or a sliding motion of the first panel relative the back piece. The second side panel may be unlocked by an angling motion or a sliding motion of the second panel relative the back piece. The first side panel may alternative be unlocked by displacing and/or compressing a flexible tongue of a locking device at a joint between the first side panel and the back piece. The second side panel may alternative be unlocked by displacing and/or compressing a flexible tongue of a locking device at a joint between the second side panel and the back piece.
Embodiments of the present invention will by way of example be described in more detail with reference to the appended schematic drawings, in which:
The angleable locking device 60 further comprises contact surfaces 96, 95, between the edge groove 21 and the second edge 22 at the first side and at a second side, respectively, of the edge groove 21 for locking together the first and the second edges in a second direction which is parallel to the first main plane. The angleable locking device 60 is configured to be unlocked by an angling motion 61 of the panel 6 relative the adjacent panel 4, such that an angle 23 between the first and the second main plane increases.
The panel 6 and the adjacent panel 4 each preferably comprises four edges, an outer surface 16,15 and an inner surface 18,17. The first main plane is parallel to the outer surface 16 of the panel and the second main plane is parallel to the outer surface 15 of the adjacent panel.
The outer and/or the inner surfaces may comprise a decorative layer (not shown).
The angleable locking device 60 is preferably configured such that the flexible tongue 30 moves out of the tongue groove 10 by the angling motion 61. Part(s) of the panel, the adjacent panel, and/or the angleable locking device may be compressed during the angling motion. The angleable locking device may comprise a first space 69 between the first edge and the second edge 22 at a second side of an opening of the edge groove 21 in a locked position of the panel and the adjacent panel. The angleable locking device may comprise a recess 65, such as a bevel, at the first edge and/or a recess 64 at the second edge, to obtain said first space. A first and/or a second outer edge of the adjacent panel 4 may be provided with a recess 63,62, such as a bevel, for enabling said angling motion 61. A space is preferably obtained by each said recess.
The angleable locking device may comprise cooperating surfaces 97 at a first side of the opening of the edge groove 21 in a locked position of the panel 6 and the adjacent panel 4, preferably at an inner corner of the panel and the adjacent panel.
The edge groove 21 preferably extends along essentially the entire length of the second edge.
The flexible tongue 30 is preferably displaceable in the insertion groove 20. The tongue and the insertion groove may be according to the flexible tongue described and shown in FIGS. 2A-2F in WO2015/105449. FIGS. 2A-2F and the related disclosure from page 6, line 15 to page 7, line 2, in WO2015/105449 are hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein.
In the present disclosure,
A third and a fourth corner edge 53, 54 of the frame each preferably comprises a corner locking device 50 for locking two adjacent frame panels to each other. The back piece 4 is connected to the frame by an embodiment of the angleable locking device 60 as disclosed above. The back piece 4 may comprise four edges. The back piece is in a preferred embodiment of the assembled furniture product connected at four edges 81, 82, 83, 84 to the frame. Each edge is preferably connected by an embodiment of said angleable locking device 60 as disclosed above.
The method may comprise unlocking a first side 2 panel and a second side panel 5 of the frame. The first side panel may be unlocked by an angling 72 motion or a sliding motion of the first panel relative the back piece. The second side panel may be unlocked by an angling motion 73 or a sliding motion of the second panel relative the back piece.
The first side panel may alternative be unlocked by displacing and/or compressing a flexible tongue 30 by a tool of a locking device 80 at a joint between the first side panel and the back piece. The second side panel may alternative be unlocked by displacing and/or compressing a flexible tongue 30 by a tool 90 of a locking device 80 at a joint between the second side panel 5 and the back piece 4. The first side panel and the second side panel may for these alternatives be connected by e.g. a locking device configured as shown in
The second space 92 shown in
The second space 92 shown in
The second space 92, which extend a shorter distance, shown in
The distance 13 may be in the range of about one time to about three times the length 12 of the contact surfaces 95 between the edge groove and the second edge.
Embodiments of the angleable locking device may comprise a bevel or rounding 11 at an opening of the tongue groove 10. An advantage of the bevel or the rounding 11 may be that the flexible tongue 30 easier slides out of the tongue groove 10 during unlocking by said angling motion. The bevel or rounding may be quite small and produced by cutting or sanding.
A core material of the panels in the embodiments above preferably comprises a wood fibre based board, such as a HDF, MDF, plywood, solid wood or particleboard, a reinforced plastic board, or a wood fibre composite board.
1. A set of panels, preferably for a furniture product, comprising a panel (6) with a first main plane and an adjacent panel (4) with a second main plane, wherein the panel and the adjacent panel comprise an angleable locking device (60) for locking a first edge of the panel (6) to a second edge (22) of the adjacent panel (4), wherein the first main plane is essentially perpendicular to the second main plane, characterized in:
that the angleable locking device comprises an edge groove (21) at the first edge and a tongue groove (10) at the second edge (22), the edge groove (21) comprises a flexible tongue (30) arranged in an insertion groove (20) at a first side of the edge groove (21), said flexible tongue is configured to cooperate with the tongue groove (10) for locking together the first and the second edges in a first direction which is perpendicular to the first main plane, that the angleable locking device further comprises contact surfaces (96, 95) between the edge groove (21) and the second edge (22) at the first side and at a second side, respectively, of the edge groove (21) for locking together the first and the second edges in a second direction which is parallel to the first main plane, and that the angleable locking device is configured to be unlocked by an angling motion (61) of the panel (6) relative the adjacent panel (4), such that an angle between the first and the second main plane increases.
2. The set of panels as in embodiment 1, wherein the angleable locking device is configured such that the flexible tongue (30) moves out of the tongue groove (10) by the angling motion (61).
3. The set of panels as in embodiment 1, wherein the angleable locking device comprises a first space (69) between the first edge and the second edge (22) at a second side of an opening of the edge groove (21) in a locked position of the panel and the adjacent panel.
4. The set of panels as in embodiment 3, wherein the angleable locking device comprises cooperating surfaces (97) at a first side of the opening of the edge groove (21) in a locked position of the panel (6) and the adjacent panel (4), preferably at an inner corner of the panel and the adjacent panel.
5. The set of panels as in embodiment 3 or 4, wherein the angleable locking device comprises a recess (65), such as a bevel, at the first edge, to obtain said first space.
6. The set of panels as in embodiments 3-5, wherein the angleable locking device comprises a recess (64) at the second edge (22) to obtain said first space.
7. The set of panels as in embodiments 3-5, wherein the angleable locking device comprises a recess (63,62), such as a bevel, at a first and/or a second outer edge for enabling said angling motion (61).
8. The set of panels as in any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the angleable locking device comprises a second space (92) between an outer edge of the second edge (22) and the edge groove (21) at the first side of the edge groove (21) for enabling said angling motion (61).
9. The set of panels as in any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the edge groove (21) extends along essentially the entire length of the second edge (22).
10. The set of panels as in any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the flexible tongue (30) is displaceable in the insertion groove (20).
11. The set of panels as in any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the angleable locking device comprises a third space (91) between an outermost surface of the second edge (22) and the edge groove (21).
12. The set of panels as in any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the angleable locking device comprises cooperating surfaces (98) at the second side of an opening of the edge groove (21), preferably at an outer edge surface at an outer corner of the panel and the adjacent panel in a locked position.
13. The set of panels as in any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the angleable locking device comprises a bottom part (93) of the panel at a bottom of the edge groove and a side part (94), wherein the bottom part is bendable such that the side part is displaceable for enabling said angling motion (61).
14. The set of panels as in any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the angleable locking device comprises a bevel or rounding (11) at an opening of the tongue groove (10).
15. The set of panels as in any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the second edge (22) and the edge groove (21) comprise cooperating surfaces (77) at the first side of the edge groove (21), preferably between the insertion groove (20) and a bottom surface of the edge groove (21), for positioning of the second edge (22) relative the edge groove in a depth direction (14) of the edge groove (21).
16. The set of panels as in embodiment 15, wherein the cooperating surfaces (77) are a first surface of a recess (75) at the second edge (22) and a second surface of a recess (76) at the edge groove (21).
17. An assembled furniture product comprising a frame and a back piece (4), wherein the frame comprises panels (1,2,5,6), wherein a first and a second corner edge (51, 52) of the frame each comprises a corner locking device (50) for locking two adjacent panels to each other, said corner locking device comprising a flexible tongue (30), wherein the corner locking device is un-lockable by displacing and/or compressing the flexible tongue by a tool (90), characterised in that the back piece (4) is connected to the frame by the angleable locking device (60) according to any one of the embodiments 1-16.
18. A method for disassembling a furniture product comprising a frame and a back piece, wherein the method comprises:
19. The method as in embodiment 18, wherein the method comprises:
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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1551211-4 | Sep 2015 | SE | national |
The present application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/271,622, filed on Sep. 21, 2016, which claims the benefit of Swedish Application No. 1551211-4, filed on Sep. 22, 2015. The entire contents of each of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/271,622 and Swedish Application No. 1551211-4 are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 15271622 | Sep 2016 | US |
Child | 16567436 | US |