RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority of Great Britain Design Patent Application No. 6039739 filed on Jul. 20, 2018, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a joint assembly, in particular for fiberboard panels. The invention extends to a method of manufacturing the joint assembly and a non-transitory software program for executing the method.

Fiberboard, such as medium density fiberboard (MDF), is widely used in the construction of a wide range of furniture, such as cabinets, shelving, and beds. So that this furniture can be transported, it is often designed in the form of flat-pack components (consisting of several flat panels), which are secured together at the location of use. This generally requires the use of external fasteners, such as screws, which are easy to misplace, difficult to use, and can necessitate the use of specialist tools.

Woodworking joints such as sliding dovetail joints are known for joining wooden members. Such joints are however difficult or even impossible to manufacture using conventional 3-axis computer numerical cutting (CNC) milling machines, reducing their utility—generally, 5 axis machines or 3 axis machines including suction pads are necessary.

Aspects and embodiments of the present invention are set out in the appended claims. These and other aspects and embodiments of the invention are also described herein.

In an aspect, there is provided a joint assembly for panel board materials, comprising: a first member comprising a tongue extending from a surface of the first member, the tongue comprising a first groove in a side of the tongue; wherein at least a portion of the side of the tongue including the first groove extends generally perpendicular to the surface of the first member; and a second member comprising: a second groove in a surface of the second member, the second groove being arranged to receive the tongue; and a lip extending into the second groove; wherein, in an assembled position, the tongue is arranged to slot into the second groove and the lip is arranged to slot into the first groove thereby to join the first and second members.

The sides of the first groove may be generally perpendicular to the side of the tongue in which the first groove is located. The sides of the second groove may be generally perpendicular to the surface of the second member in which the first groove is located. The upper surface of the lip may be continuous with the surface of the second member, preferably wherein a lower surface of the lip is parallel to the upper surface of the lip. The first groove may be located at a base of the tongue. The tongue may have a proximal portion and a distal portion, where the first groove is located in the proximal portion.

The first and second members may be pieces of panel material. The tongue may be on an edge of the first member. The tongue may be rebated. The panel material may be a fiberboard material, preferably wherein the fiberboard comprises one of: medium density fiberboard (MDF), melamine faced chipboard (MFC), and edgebanded fiberboard. The lip may be formed from a relatively hard outer part of a fiberboard material and the tongue may be formed from a relatively soft inner part of a fiberboard material. The first and second members may be formed from a single piece of fiberboard material. The panel material is preferably a relatively rigid material, such that a direct “push-fit” connection between the first and second members (where the tongue is forced past the lip) is not possible.

The first and second members may be joined by an interference fit between the lip and first groove. In the assembled position, the first member may be perpendicular to the second member.

The tongue and lip may be crenelated such that the tongue can be located into the second groove from above the second groove. The second groove may not extend to either end of the surface of the second member in which the second groove is located. The first groove may extend throughout the non-crenelated portions of the tongue.

The tongue may be machined from only one side of the first member. The second groove and lip may be machined from only one side of the second member.

In an aspect, there is provided a method of manufacturing a joint assembly comprising: providing a first member; forming a tongue extending from a surface of the first member; forming a first groove in a side of the tongue; wherein at least a portion of the side of the tongue including the first groove extends generally perpendicular to the surface of the first member; providing a second member; and forming a second groove in a surface of the second member, the second groove being arranged to receive the tongue, and a lip extending into the second groove; wherein, in an assembled position, the tongue is arranged to slot into the second groove and the lip is arranged to slot into the first groove thereby to join the first and second members.

At least one of: forming a tongue extending from a surface of the first member; forming a first groove in a side of the tongue; and forming a second groove in a surface of the second member, the second groove being arranged to receive the tongue, and a lip extending into the second groove; may comprise using a 3-axis computer numerically controlled (CNC) router, preferably a 3-axis CNC router comprising an autochange cutter (ATC).

In an aspect, there is provided a non-transitory software product or computer program product arranged to perform the method described herein.

In an aspect, there is provided a method of assembling a joint assembly, the method comprising: providing a first member comprising a tongue extending from a surface of the first member, the tongue comprising a first groove in a side of the tongue; wherein at least the side of the tongue including the first groove extends generally perpendicular to the surface of the first member, the tongue comprising crenellations; providing a second member comprising: a second groove in a surface of the second member, the second groove being arranged to receiving the tongue; and a lip extending into the second groove, the lip comprising crenellations corresponding to the crenellations of the tongue; locating the tongue in the second groove from above via the respective crenellations of the tongue and the lip; and moving the first member relative to the second member such that the tongue slots into the second groove and the lip slots into the first groove thereby to join the first and second members.

In an aspect, there is provided a joint assembly for panel board materials, comprising: a first member comprising a tongue extending from a surface of the first member, the tongue comprising a first groove in a side of the tongue; and a second member comprising: a second groove in a surface of the second member, the second groove being arranged to receive the tongue; and a lip extending into the second groove; wherein, in an assembled position, the tongue is arranged to slot into the second groove and the lip is arranged to slot into the first groove thereby to join the first and second members. Optionally, the tongue and tip comprise corresponding crenellations such that the tongue can be located into the second groove in an unassembled position.

In an aspect, there is provided a joint assembly for panel board materials, comprising: a first member comprising a first engagement formation; a second member comprising a second engagement formation; wherein the first and second engagement formations are configurable to engage to join the first and second members (optionally by a translation of the first member relative to the second member); wherein the first and second engagement formations are crenelated such that the first and second engagement formations can be located for engagement (optionally by translation of the first member relative to the second member in a direction perpendicular to the previously mentioned translation).

In an aspect, there is provided a first member for use in a joint assembly for panel board materials, comprising: a tongue extending from a surface of the first member, the tongue comprising a first groove in a side of the tongue; wherein at least a portion of the side of the tongue including the first groove extends generally perpendicular to the surface of the first member.

In an aspect, there is provided a second member for use in a joint assembly for panel board materials, comprising: a second groove in a surface of the second member, the second groove being arranged to receive a tongue; and a lip extending into the second groove.

In an aspect, there is provided a furniture item comprising one or more joint assemblies as described herein. The furniture item may be formed by a plurality of members joined by joint assemblies as described herein, wherein the members are configured to lock together so as to form a complete furniture item without fixings or adhesives.

In summary, the present invention may take the combined characteristics of CNC routers and board materials which the furniture industry currently manages with complex machines, multiple processes and single use mechanical fixings, and may use these characteristics as advantages.

The present invention may provide a joint assembly made up of first and second members (or “components”), where both components are crenelated allowing the first member with the crenelated tongue which also has a groove set into the higher portions of the tongue to be inserted into the second member with the crenelated housing (or “second groove”). The second member has undercuts below the narrower parts of the crenelated housing to create a lip. Once the higher portions of the first member have been aligned with the wider portions of the second member the first portion can be inserted into the second portion. Moving the first member relative to the second member such that the tongue slots into the undercut of the second member and the lip slots into the groove in the first member's crenelated tongue joins the first and second members.

The invention extends to any novel aspects or features described and/or illustrated herein.

Any feature in one aspect of the disclosure may be applied to other aspects of the invention, in any appropriate combination. In particular, method aspects may be applied to apparatus aspects, and vice versa.

Furthermore, features implemented in hardware may be implemented in software, and vice versa. Any reference to software and hardware features herein should be construed accordingly.

Any apparatus feature as described herein may also be provided as a method feature, and vice versa. As used herein, means plus function features may be expressed alternatively in terms of their corresponding structure, such as a suitably programmed processor and associated memory.

It should also be appreciated that particular combinations of the various features described and defined in any aspects of the disclosure can be implemented and/or supplied and/or used independently.

The disclosure extends to methods and/or apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As used herein, the term “generally perpendicular” preferably connotes a plane that is arranged at between 70° and 110° relative to another plane, more preferably between 80° and 100°, yet more preferably between 85° and 95°, and most preferably between 88° and 92°.

As used herein, the term “panel board material” preferably connotes a wood product having a generally panel-shaped form. As used herein, the term “panel board material” and “panel material” should be understood to be synonymous.

As used herein, the term “fiberboard” preferably connotes an engineered wood product that is made out of wood fibers.

The disclosure will now be described by way of example, with references to the accompanying drawings in which:

