EP1832201A1

EP1832201A1 - Adjustable leg for furniture

Info

Publication number: EP1832201A1
Application number: EP07004580A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Miguel Angel Rioja Calvo
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-03-06
Filing date: 2007-03-06
Publication date: 2007-09-12
Also published as: ES2310440B1; ES2310440A1

Abstract

Adjustable leg for furniture, where the fixed body (4) is moulded in metal and has two large openings (9) opposite one another which include, each one, an approximate contour of one quarter of a turn and which are extended throughout it between a lower end flange (10) and an upper end section (11) wherein there exists, at least, one cavity (12) which is axially aligned with the horizontal bore (3) and which, in its lower part, interferes with the operating route of the castellation (7) of the regulating screw (6); the moving lug (5) is moulded in metal and has an upper capsule (13) wherein the regulating screw (6) is threaded, a lower section which has a cross-shaped cross-section and, in the limit between this upper capsule (13) and lower section (14), there are two diametrically opposite radial protuberances (15) which are located via said openings (9) and which, in their sides, these radial protuberances (15) have a sliding fit with respect to the edges of these openings (9).

Description

This invention relates to a leg for furniture which is adjustable by telescopic extension and which operates in conjunction with a furniture strut which has a vertical bore made in its lower edge and a horizontal bore which is made on one side of the strut, which interferes perpendicularly with the upper end of the vertical bore and whereby the star tip of a Phillips screwdriver, or Phillips tip, accesses, whose leg comprises a fixed body which fits into the vertical bore, a moving lug which slides tightly along the interior of the fixed body, an axially immobile regulating screw which has its cylindrical head with cross slots which form a castellation which gears with the Phillips tip and makes it rotate to thread in the moving lug, and a support tap coupled to the lower end of the moving lug.

STATE OF THE ART

Due to its purpose, these types of legs have a considerable size limitation to be able to be positioned in the thinness (from 16 mm thickness upwards) of a furniture strut panel of chipwood or solid wood, as well as these legs being object of mass production and for a very competitive market; all of this makes it of great importance to provide simple, economic solutions, taking into account that an apparently small unitary saving can be translated into an important competitive advantage.
In this field it is known that machining processes are used for the construction of the fixed body and the moving lug, which are expensive in themselves and which are carried out on materials which have significantly increased in price and which are of quite considerable weight.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION AND ADVANTAGES

Compared with this state of the art, the invention which now concerns us proposes an adjustable leg for furniture struts wherein the fixed body is moulded in metal and has two large openings opposite one another which include, each one, an approximate contour of one quarter of a turn and which are extended throughout it between a lower end flange and an upper end section wherein there exists, at least, one cavity which is axially aligned with said horizontal bore and which, in its lower part, interferes with the operating route of the castellation of the regulating screw. This construction moulded in metal (e.g. zamak) is more economical that those made by machining, is of quicker execution, uses a cheaper material and is lighter, both due to the type of material and because the moulded construction makes it possible to make a design as light as that described in the moulding operation, without having to resort to a series of machining operations which, in addition to their intrinsic cost, waste a large amount of material which, as has been said, is of high price; this lightened design proposed is distinguished by the large diametrically opposite side openings and which are translated into a very reduced material consumption which, in addition, is much cheaper and lighter.
In this same line, another special characteristic of the invention is also that said moving lug is moulded in metal and has an upper capsule wherein the regulating screw is threaded, a lower section which has a cross-shaped cross-section and, at the limit between this upper capsule and lower section, there are two diametrically opposite radial protuberances which are located via said openings and which, in their sides, these radial protuberances have a sliding fit with respect to the edges of these openings; the upper capsule of the moving lug has a terminal provided with an inner thread which is reciprocal with that which the regulating screw has and, between said threaded terminal and the opposite end where said radial protuberances are located, this upper capsule has two large longitudinal windows which are diametrically opposite one another and which extend each one in an approximate contour of one quarter of a turn. The action of said radial protuberances in combination with the edges of the wide openings, provides the guiding of the moving lug for its operating displacement. Again the moulded construction permits a lighter design marked by the large longitudinal windows of the upper capsule and by the minimum and light, but resistant, cross-shaped cross-section of the lower section of this moving lug.
In another state of the art, the invention includes the existence of two of said cavities disposed in diametric opposition. In said way that this adjustable leg can be equally placed in two positions at 180° and, in the case of intermediate furniture struts, it can be actuated by one or another side thereof, which facilitates its accessibility.

DRAWINGS AND REFERENCES

To better understand the nature of the invention, in the attached drawings we represent an industrial embodiment given by example, which is merely illustrative and non-limitative.
Figure 1 is a perspective view which shows an adjustable leg according to the invention. This figure includes an enlarged detail of a cross-section of the adjustable leg.
Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view which shows, on the one hand, the fixed body (4) and, on the other hand, from the top downwards, the regulating screw (6), the moving lug (5) and the tap (8).
Figure 3 shows an elevation view of the moving lug (5) in half view, half section.
Figure 4 is an enlargement of section IV-IV indicated in figure 3.
Figure 5is an enlargement of section V-V indicated in figure 3.
Figure 6 is an enlargement of section VI-VI indicated in figure 3.
Figure 7shows an elevation view of the fixed body (4), seen from the front to one of the large openings (9) thereof.
Figure 8is section VIII-VIII indicated in figure 7.
Figure 9is an enlargement of section IX-IX indicated in figure 8.
Figure 10 is an enlargement of section X-X indicated in figure 7.
The following references are indicated in these references:

1.- Furniture strut
2.- Vertical bore in strut (1)
3.- Horizontal bore in strut (1)
4.- Fixed body of adjustable leg
5.- Moving lug of adjustable leg
6.- Regulating screw
7.- Castellation in head of regulating screw (6)
8.- Support tap for moving lug (5)
9.- Openings of the fixed body (4)
10.-Lower flange of the fixed body (4)
11.-Upper section of the fixed body (4)
12.- Upper section (11) cavities
13.- Upper capsule of moving lug (5)
14.- Lower section of moving lug (5)
15.- Radial protuberances of moving lug (5)
16.- Threaded terminal in upper capsule (13)
17.- Longitudinal windows in upper capsule (13)
18.- Phillips tip of screwdriver

DECRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In relation to the aforementioned drawings and references, the attached drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of the object of the invention, relating to a leg for furniture which, as has been mentioned and is illustrated in figure 1, is of adjustable type by telescopic extension and which operates in conjunction with a furniture strut (1) which has a vertical bore (2) made from its lower edge and a horizontal bore (3) which is made on one side of the strut, which interferes perpendicularly with the upper end of the vertical bore (2) and whereby the star tip of a Phillips screwdriver, or Phillips tip (18), accesses, whose leg comprises a fixed body (4) which fits into the vertical bore (2), a moving lug (5) which slides tightly along the interior of the fixed body (4), an axially immobile regulating screw (6) which has its cylindrical head with cross slots which form a castellation (7) which gears with the Phillips tip (18) and makes it rotate to thread in the moving lug (5), and a support tap (8) coupled to the lower end of the moving lug (5).
Figure 1 clearly illustrates the particular constitution of the invention consisting in that the fixed body (4) is moulded in metal and has two large openings (9) opposite one another which include, each one, an approximate contour of one quarter of a turn and which are extended throughout it between a lower end flange (10) and an upper end section (11) wherein there exists, at least, one cavity (12) which is axially aligned with said horizontal bore (3) and which, in its lower part, interferes with the operating route of the castellation (7) of the regulating screw (6); the moving lug (5) is moulded in metal and has an upper capsule (13) wherein the regulating screw (6) is threaded, a lower section (14) which has a cross-shaped cross-section and, at the limit between this upper capsule (13) and lower section (14), there are two diametrically opposite radial protuberances (15) which are located via said openings (9) and which, in their sides, these radial protuberances (15) have a sliding fit with respect to the edges of these openings (9). With this graphically supported description the aforementioned advantageous qualities which have previously been commented can now be seen, with regard to this solution being simpler, more economic and lighter (it weighs much less than another of equal magnitude or calibre made in accordance with the aforementioned state of the art). The moulded execution is cheaper, quicker to manufacture, is suitable for economical mass production, allows much lighter designs which save material which is cheaper and weighs much less, which also leads to less distribution costs per product unit. All of this is gathered from the capacity of the moulding technique for a single operation to make the openings, in addition to lightening, exercise the function of guiding the moving lug (5) with respect to the radial protuberances (15). Figures 2 and 7 to 10 illustrate in detail the proposed configuration for the fixed body (4). Figure 2, further, illustrates the strut of the assembly of the adjustable leg according to the invention.
This lightened moulded design is not only for the fixed body (4), since, according to the invention, the upper capsule (13) of the moving lug (5) has a terminal (16) provided with an inner thread which is reciprocal with that which the regulating screw (6) has and, between this threaded terminal (16) and the opposite end where said radial protuberances (15) are located, this upper capsule (13) has two large longitudinal windows (17) which are diametrically opposite one another and which extend each one in an approximate contour of one quarter of a turn. This can be clearly observed in the enlarged detail included in figure 1, as well as in figures 2 to 6; which clearly shows that the large longitudinal windows (17) of the upper capsule (13) as well as the radial guiding protuberances (15) of the moving lug (5) and the cross-shaped cross-section of the lower section (14) of the latter, in addition to the advantages described in the previous paragraph with regard to the fixed body (4).
Another special characteristic of the invention is that the adjustment can be made by two opposite sides of the leg. For said purpose, in the upper section (11) of the fixed body (4) there are two of said cavities (12) disposed in diametric opposition.

Claims

An adjustable leg for furniture, in particular a leg which is adjustable by telescopic extension and which operates in conjunction with a furniture strut (1) which has a vertical bore (2) made from its lower edge and a horizontal bore (3) which is made on one side of the strut, which interferes perpendicularly with the upper end of the vertical bore (2) and whereby the star tip of a Phillips screwdriver, or Phillips tip (18), accesses, whose leg comprises a fixed body (4) which fits into the vertical bore (2), a moving lug (4) which slides tightly along the interior of the fixed body (4), an axially immobile regulating screw (6) which has its cylindrical head with cross slots which form a castellation (7) which gears with the Phillips tip (18) and makes it rotate to thread in the moving lug (5), and a support tap (8) coupled to the lower end of the moving lug (5), characterized in that the fixed body (4) is moulded in metal and has two large openings (9) opposite one another which include, each one, an approximate contour of one quarter of a turn and which are extended throughout it between a lower end flange (10) and an upper end section (11) wherein there exists, at least, one cavity (12) which is axially aligned with said horizontal bore (3) and which, in its lower part, interferes with the operating route of the castellation (7) of the regulating screw (6); the moving lug (5) is moulded in metal and has an upper capsule (13) wherein the regulating screw (6) is threaded, a lower section (14) which has a cross-shaped cross-section and, in the limit between this upper capsule (13) and lower section (14), there are two diametrically opposite radial protuberances (15) which are located via said openings (9) and which, in their sides, these radial protuberances (15) have a sliding fit with respect to the edges of these openings (9).
The adjustable leg according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper capsule (13) of the moving lug (5) has a terminal (16) provided with an inner thread which is reciprocal with that which the regulating screw (6) has and, between said threaded terminal (16) and the opposite end where said radial protuberances (15) are located, this upper capsule (13) has two large longitudinal windows (17) which are diametrically opposite one another and which extend each one in an approximate contour of one quarter of a turn.
The adjustable leg according to claim 1, characterized in that there are two of said cavities (12) disposed in diametric opposition.