The invention relates to a method and a furniture panel joining system for joining adjacently positioned furniture panels, wherein the furniture panel joining system comprises a joint piece and a furniture panel. The joint piece is arranged for connecting a furniture panel and comprises a base body having at least one end face provided with at least a male connector for connecting a furniture panel. The male connector is formed by an insert element including a head portion. The furniture panel is provided with a T-slot for receiving the male connector of the joint piece to connect the furniture panel.

US325696 published in 1885 discloses a joint piece for connecting a shelf to a side. The joint piece is right-angled including knobs upon its top and end. The shelf and side are provided with elongated undercut recesses, key hole slots, having an enlargement at one end for the insertion of a knob. After an insertion of a knob in the keyhole slot, the joint piece is shifted to fasten the joint piece to either the shelf or side.

WO2018094281 published in 2018 discloses a similar joint piece for interconnecting furniture panels which are each provided with a keyhole slot. The joint piece has a base body having a bottom surface which is provided with a male connector formed by an insert element including a head portion. The head portion which is designed to be received in the keyhole slot has guide ramps to enhance the insertion.

WO2021/245591 published in 2021 discloses another connecting system between components of a piece of furniture. The connection system has a joint piece which comprises a male connector formed by a pin having a base with a stem and an enlarged portion to be inserted into a keyhole slot. An anti-sliding device is configured to prevent a sliding of the pin inside the keyhole slot when the pin is in a tightening position.

US20170023043A1 discloses a channel lock shelf fastener which is used in conjunction with a barbed channel lock to create a joint. The channel lock shelf fastener works with partitions and end panels with standard 5mm diameter line bores. A barbed post can be inserted straight into the 5mm diameter bore in the partition or end panel.

A challenge in designing such furniture connecting systems is to provide a system which simplifies a mounting of a furniture without necessitating a tool and which at the same time provides a tight and robust connection. A drawback of many known furniture connecting systems is that too much operational steps are still necessary to provide the connection.

Regarding mentioned prior art, it is remarked that any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like included in the present specification is for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention, and is not to be taken as an admission that any such matters form part of the prior art or were before the priority date of each claim of this application common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present invention.

The general object of the present invention is to at least partially eliminate the above mentioned drawback and/or to provide a usable alternative. More specific, it is an object of the invention to provide a furniture panel joining system including components having a simple configuration to establish a robust quick connection in a simple manner without a need for a tool.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by a furniture panel joining system according to claim 1. The furniture panel joining system is arranged to join furniture panels. In particular to join adjacently positioned furniture panels. The furniture panels may be positioned side-by- side in a common plane, inclined positioned with respect to each other, or being spaced in parallel with to each other.

The furniture panel joining system comprises a joint piece. The joint piece is arranged to join the furniture panels. The joint piece has a base body which has at least one end face which is provided with at least a first male connector. The male connector is formed by an insert element which includes a stem portion and a head portion. The head portion forms an enlargement on top of the stem portion for connecting the male connector in a T-slot.

In particular, the joint piece further comprises a second male connector for interconnecting an adjacently positioned furniture panel. The second male connector may be positioned aside the first male connector at the same end face for joining side by side positioned furniture panels. The second male connector may be elongated and preferably extends in parallel with the first male connector. The second male connector may be positioned at another end face of the base body which end face is inclined with respect to the end face comprising the first male connector for interconnecting angled positioned furniture panels.

The furniture panel joining system comprises a furniture panel which is provided with a T-slot for receiving the male connector of the joint piece. In particular, the furniture panel joining system comprises a first and a second furniture panel which are each provided with a T-slot for receiving respectively the first and second male connector of the joint piece. After shifting the first and second male connector of the joint piece into the T-slots, the connection of the first furniture panel to the second furniture panel is obtained. Herewith, the furniture panel joining system is suitable for quickly building a modular assembly, like a wall system or a cabin out of interconnected furniture panels.

The furniture panel joining system according to the invention is improved in that the furniture panel joining system further comprises a couple item. The couple item is arranged to couple a furniture item to the joint piece in a quick manner.

To establish the quick connection of the furniture item, the base body of the joint piece has a top portion which is provided with at least one female connector. The couple item has a male member which is complementary shaped to the female connector of the joint piece. The female connector of the joint piece is formed by an aperture, in particular a through hole, for receiving this male member of the couple item. The male member to be received by the at least one female connector is formed by a pin element which has a pin head being connectable to the female connector of the joint piece. Preferably, the pin head has a conical shape for centring the pin element with respect to the female connector of the joint piece when inserting the couple item into the female connector.

The cylindrical pin-shape of the couple item is beneficial in that it allows a quick connection by insertion of the couple item into one of the female connectors of the joint piece. A female connector provided at the joint piece is advantageous in building a modular assembly. The female connector will then be arranged stationary before receiving the male connector. The male connector will be attached by making an insertion motion to connect the male member to the female connector. Particularly, the insertion motion is directed towards the end face of the base body. Instead of an inverse arrangement, the featuring of a stationary female connector and a stinging male member contributes to a positional accurate and quick attachment of the furniture item.

The couple item may be a separate item, e.g. a removable pin element having a foot portion for attachment to a furniture item, or the couple item may be incorporated in the furniture item. The couple item may be integrally shaped with the furniture item, e.g. by injection moulding.

In an embodiment of the furniture panel joining system, the couple item has a pin head which is formed by a snap-on member to be snapped into the aperture of the female connector of the joint piece. Typically, the snap-on member has at least one snap finger which is resilient to attach the couple item to the joint piece. By snapping the couple item into the aperture of the female connector, the furniture item is advantageously coupled to the joint piece in a quick manner.

In an embodiment of the furniture panel joining system, the couple item has a foot portion which is connectable to a T-slot of the furniture item. In particular, the furniture item is provided with a keyhole slot for receiving the foot portion. Preferably, the foot portion is sized in correspondence with the male connector of the joint piece. The same size of T-slots in both the furniture panels and in the furniture item is provided. A same dimensioning of a T-slot in a furniture panel and in a furniture item is beneficial in manufacturing the furniture panel joining system.

In an embodiment of the furniture panel joining system, the couple item may be incorporated in the furniture item. The couple item may be integrally formed with the furniture item. The furniture item may for example comprise a plastic base portion including moulded couple items.

In an embodiment of the furniture panel joining system, the base body of the joint piece has a single end face provided with at least a first and second male connector for interconnecting side by side positioned furniture panels. In particular, each male connector has an elongated shape, wherein the first and second male connectors are arranged in parallel.

In another embodiment of the furniture panel joining system, the base body of the joint piece has a first end face provided with the first male connector and a second end face provided with the second male connector. The first end face is inclined with respect to the second end face. Angled positioned furniture panels can be interconnected by this joint piece. Preferably, the first end face is oriented in perpendicular to the second end face to mount a first furniture panel being positioned in perpendicular to a second furniture panel.

In an embodiment of the furniture panel joining system, the base body of the joint piece has a truncated shape. The truncated shape of the base body may be formed by crossing plate shaped bodies. The base body has a top portion being smaller than a lower portion of the base body.

In an embodiment of the furniture panel joining system, the top portion of the base body includes a first and a second female connector. Preferably, the top portion further comprises a third and fourth female connector. In an embodiment of the furniture panel joining system, the T-slot of at least one of the first and second furniture panels may extend from a panel edge across a panel surface. At the panel edge surface, the T-slot may be open to form an entry hole for receiving the head portion of the male connector. Preferably, the T-slot is formed by a keyhole slot. The keyhole slot is an undercut recess which has an entry hole being spaced apart from the panel edge. The spaced keyhole slot reduces a risk on damages to the panel edge and contributes to a robustness of the connection to be made.

In an embodiment of the furniture panel joining system, the furniture item comprises an inner furniture panel. The furniture item may be a cover plate for finishing a wall provided by furniture panels being interconnected by a joint piece of the furniture panel joining system.

In an embodiment of the furniture item, the inner furniture panel has a rectangular shape, wherein each corner is provided with a keyhole slot. Preferably, each keyhole slot is diagonally directed. Each keyhole slot has an entry hole for receiving a foot portion of the couple item. Preferably, the entry hole is positioned at an end of the keyhole slot away from a corner of the inner furniture panel.

In another embodiment, the furniture item may comprise an electronic unit mounted to the inner furniture panel. The electronic unit may be an actuator, e.g. scent dispenser, a speaker, microphone, a sensor et cetera. Typically, the electronic unit is provided with an electric wire, e.g. a power supply or signal wire. The furniture item including the electronic unit and the inner furniture panel is beneficial in that the inner furniture panel may form a base to attach the furniture item to the top portion of the joint piece. Any wire of the electronic unit can extend behind the inner furniture panel in an inner space formed by the spaced inner furniture panel relative to the furniture panels interconnected by the joint piece. A height of the base body of the joint piece determines a height of the inner space being available to get rid of any wires.

Further, the invention relates to a wall system for forming a wall by interconnecting furniture panels. More in particular, the invention relates to a cabin system including at least one wall mountable by interconnecting furniture panels. Such a cabin system may for example be arranged to build a sauna cabin. The sauna cabin may comprise at least one wall being provided with at least one electronic unit.

In an embodiment of the wall system, the wall system comprises a double wall formed by an outer wall of interconnected furniture panels and an inner wall formed by inner furniture panels being spaced from the furniture panels by joint pieces. Beneficially, the double wall of the wall system has an inner space which is suitable for hiding electric wires.

In an embodiment of the furniture panel joining system, a set of furniture items may be provided, wherein each furniture item may have the same base formed by the inner furniture panel. The set of furniture items forms a modular set which allows a user to build a wall or cabin provided with a selection of these furniture items. Herewith, the furniture panel joining system may form a modular wall system, in particular a modular cabin system.

The modular cabin system may for example be used to build a sauna including at least one electronic unit being mounted to an inner furniture panel which is attachable to a top portion of a joint piece which interconnects furniture panels.

In an embodiment, the furniture panel joining system may be part of a wall system, in particular a cabin system. The system comprises the furniture panel joining system for joining adjacently positioned furniture panels. The joint furniture panels may form a side wall of the cabin.

In an embodiment of the cabin system, the side wall of the cabin formed by furniture panels is formed in a modular manner. The side wall includes a regular pattern of T-slots for attaching joint pieces. Each joint piece has a top portion with a female connector which provides a connection point to connect a furniture item by a couple item.

Further, the invention relates to a method for connecting a joint piece to a furniture panel. In particular, the invention relates to a method for interconnecting a first furniture panel and a second furniture panel. More in particular, the invention relates to a method for connecting a furniture item to at least one furniture panel, in particular to an interconnected first and second furniture panel. In a step of the method, a furniture panel joining system according to the invention is provided which includes a joint piece and a furniture panel, in particular a first and second furniture panel, more in particular a furniture item. In a step of the method, the joint piece is connected to the first furniture panel by inserting a male connector of the joint piece into a T-slot of the first furniture panel. In a step of the method, at least one couple item is provided for attaching the furniture item to the furniture panel. The at least one couple item may be connected, connectable or integral with the furniture item. In a step of the method, the furniture item is connected to the furniture panel by inserting a pin head of the at least one couple item into a female connector of the joint piece. In an embodiment of the method according to the invention, the at least one couple item is a separate item, wherein in a step of the method, the couple item is attached to the furniture item, in particular by inserting and shifting of foot portion of the couple item into a T-slot of the furniture item.

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the appended drawings. The drawings show a practical embodiment according to the invention, which may not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention. Specific features may also be considered apart from the shown embodiment and may be taken into account in a broader context as a delimiting feature, not only for the shown embodiment but as a common feature for all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a furniture panel joining system according to the invention having two furniture panels being interconnected by a joint piece;

Fig. 2 shows a furniture item having a keyhole slot at a corner position being arranged for an attachment of a couple item to couple the furniture item to the joint piece of the furniture panel joining system as shown in fig. 1 ;

Fig. 3 shows the joint piece and a complementary couple item in an exploded view in which the couple item has a pin head which can be snapped into a female connector of the joint piece;

Fig. 4 shows three couple items snapped into female connectors of the joint piece;

Fig. 5 shows a couple item formed by a pin element attached to the furniture item as shown in fig. 2;

Fig. 6 shows another embodiment of a joint piece of the furniture panel joining system being arranged for interconnecting right angled positioned furniture panels;

Fig. 7 shows a cabin system which is built by the furniture panel joining system;

Fig. 8 shows a double-walled system formed by the furniture panel system according to the invention; fig. 9 and 10 show each an enlarged view of a corner section of the double-walled system having an inner wall connected to an outer wall formed by a first and second furniture panel.

In Figs. 1-10, a furniture panel joining system according to the invention is denoted overall by reference numeral 100. Identical reference signs are used in the drawings to indicate identical or functionally similar components. To facilitate comprehension of the description and of the claims the words vertical, horizontal, longitudinal, cross-sectional and a coordinate system X,Y, Z shown in the drawings - with reference to a common placement of the furniture panel joining system forming a side wall - are used in a non-limiting way.

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a furniture panel joining system 100 in an embodiment according to the invention. The furniture panel joining system 100 has a first furniture panel 101 which is connectable to a second furniture panel 102 by a joint piece 3.

The joint piece 3 is configured to join adjacent positioned furniture panels. The joint piece 3 has a base body 30. Here, the base body 30 has an end face 301 which is provided with a first and second male connector 31 for interconnecting the furniture panels 101 , 102. Each male connector 31 is formed by an insert element 310 which has a stem portion 312 and a head portion 311. The head portion 311 forms an enlargement on top of the stem portion 312. Preferably, the insert element has an oblong shape.

As shown, here, the first and second furniture panels 101 , 102 are abutting co-planarily against each other. The first and second furniture panels are positioned in a flush manner. Each furniture panel is provided with a T-slot 110. The T-slot extends along an edge of the furniture panel. Here, the T-slot is formed by a keyhole slot 111 which is positioned at a distance from a furniture panel edge. The keyhole slot is formed by an undercut recess and an entry hole. Here, the entry hole is elongated. The elongated entry hole provides an entrance for the male connector 31 of the joint piece 3. After receiving the male connectors 31 into the T-slots 110 and a sliding motion shifting the head portion 311 of the male connectors into the undercut recess, the first and second furniture panels 101 , 102 are interconnected by the joint piece 3.

Fig. 2 shows a furniture item 5 which is connectable to a top portion 302 of the joint piece 3 by a couple item 4. The furniture item 5 includes an inner furniture panel 51. The inner furniture panel 51 may be a cover panel for covering an inner side of a wall built by interconnected furniture panels. The inner furniture panel 51 is joined by the joint piece to the interconnected first and second furniture panels 101 , 102. The inner furniture panel 51 may form an attachment base of an electronic unit. The inner furniture panel 51 may for example hold an electronic component, like an actuator, dispenser or sensor.

The furniture item 5 has a rectangular shape. At each corner, the furniture item 5 is provided with a keyhole slot 511. Each keyhole slot 511 is diagonally oriented. Each keyhole slot 511 has an entry hole positioned away from the corner. Each keyhole slot 511 provides a position for fastening the couple item 4. As shown in fig. 3 and 4, the couple item 4 is formed by a pin element 40. The pin element is cylindrical and pin shaped. The pin element 40 has a foot portion 41 which is configured to fit into the keyhole slot 511 of the furniture item 5. The foot portion is formed by a foot stem 410 and a foot base 411. Preferably, the foot portion 41 is equally sized as the male connector 31 of the joint piece 3, such that all T-slots of the furniture panel joining system 100 can be equally manufactured.

The pin element 40 has a pin head 42 which is couplable to a female connector 32 provided at the top portion 302 of the joint piece 3. The female connector 32 is formed by an aperture 320 which is here formed by a through hole. Here in fig. 3, as also shown in fig. 1 , four female connectors are provided. The top portion 302 includes a first, second, third and fourth female connector 321 , 322, 323, 324. The pin head is insertable into one of the female connectors by an insertion motion which is directed to the end face 301. The pin head 42 is provided with a snap-on member 420. Typically, the snap-on number 420 comprises at least one snap finger 421. The snap-on member 420 is configured to snap into a female connector 32 of the joint piece. By snapping the couple item 4 to the joint piece 3, a quick connection can be established in between the furniture item 5 and a furniture panel 101. It is an advantage that the joint being formed by the joint pieces 3 and couple items 4 may be completely invisible after making the connection which renders the furniture panel joining system according to the invention of particular value in making furniture which can be easily manually assembled without requiring a tool or glue and wherein the joints formed by the joint pieces are invisible.

As further shown in fig. 7-10, after the connection, an inner space is obtained in between the furniture item 5 and the furniture panels 101 , 102. Preferably, the furniture item 5 has a closed inner furniture panel to close off the inner space. The base body 30 of the joint piece 3 spaces the inner furniture panel 51 at a distance from the furniture panel 101 . A double-walled system can be formed by the furniture panel joining system 100. Beneficially, the inner space of the double-walled system may serve for guiding electric wires or as a space for ventilation. The double-walled system can be used for building a wall or cabin. The wall or cabin can be formed in a modular manner. Equally sized furniture panels 101 , 102 can be used to build an outer wall, wherein a plurality of inner furniture panels 51 can be coupled to present joint pieces to build an inner wall.

As shown in fig. 4, in an embodiment, the joint piece 3 has a base body 30 having an end face 301 which is provided with only a single male connector 31 to attach the joint piece 3 to a furniture panel 101. Here, the joint piece 3 is suitable to join an inner furniture panel 51 to the furniture panel 101. The inner furniture panel 51 extends in parallel with the furniture panel 101. Fig. 6 shows an embodiment of a corner joint 7. Here, the corner joint 7 is an angle joint piece for interconnecting angled positioned furniture panels. The corner joint 7 has a male connector 71 at a corner joint end face 701 of a corner joint body 70. This corner joint 7 is suitable for interconnecting a first outer side wall to a second outer side wall being positioned in perpendicular to each other for forming a cabin. Preferably, the corner joint 7 is formed as a joint piece 3 having a base body 30 with a rectangular shape in cross section, wherein an end face opposite the corner joint end face 71 provided with at least one male connector is provided with at least one female connector 32 for coupling a couple item 4.

Fig. 7 shows a cabin 6, in particular a sauna cabin, being built by a double-walled system. Fig. 8 shows a cross-sectional view of the double-walled system including the furniture panel joining system 100.

As further shown in detail in figures 9 and 10, the cabin 6 has an outer wall 60 formed by interconnected furniture panels 101 , 102 and an inner wall 61 formed by furniture panels 51. An inner space 62 is situated in between the inner and outer wall 60, 61. The inner space 62 is suitable for housing an electronic unit 52, like a sensor, a lamp, an actuator, a dispenser or a speaker. The inner space 62 is suitable for guiding an electric wire of an electronic unit 52 to a control unit. Here, at each corner of the cabin 6, a simple configured corner joint 7 is provided for interconnecting furniture panels.

The inner wall 61 being formed by furniture panels 51 is coupled to the outer wall 60 by joint pieces 3’, 3. The joint pieces 3’ - as shown in fig. 4 - only have a single male connector 31 and are attached to a furniture panel of the outer wall 60. The joint pieces 3 - as shown in fig. 3 - include a first and second male connector 31 and are configured to interconnect adjacently positioned furniture panels 101 , 102.

Although the present invention has been described in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. It is intended that all such changes and modifications be encompassed within the scope of the present disclosure and claims.

Further, it is remarked that any feature of the system according to the invention which is described in the embodiments and/or mentioned in the dependent claims is in itself considered patentable without any dependency to another presented feature. In particular, any measure presented in a dependent claim is also considered patentable without dependency of the independent claim. Thus, the invention provides a furniture panel joining system comprising a joint piece for connecting a furniture panel. The joint piece has a base body having a male connector to be inserted into T-slot of a furniture panel. The joint piece has a top portion provided with at least one female connector. The female connector is configured for receiving a male member formed by a pin head of a couple item. This couple item is of benefit for attaching a furniture item which in particular includes a wired electronic unit in a quick manner without a need for a tool or glue to the furniture panel.

Reference signs list:

100 furniture panel joining system 410 foot stem

101 first furniture panel 411 foot base

102 second furniture panel 42 male member, pin head 110 T-slot 420 snap-on member

111 keyhole slot 421 snap finger

3 joint piece 5 furniture item

30 base body 51 inner furniture panel

301 end face 511 keyhole slot

302 top portion 52 electronic unit

31 male connector 521 actuator

310 insert element 522 sensor

311 head portion 523 speaker

312 stem portion

32 female connector 6 cabin system

320 aperture 60 wall; outer wall

321 first female connector 61 inner wall

322 second female connector 62 inner space

323 third female connector

324 fourth female connector 7 corner joint

70 corner joint body

4 couple item 701 corner joint body end face

40 pin element 71 male connector

41 foot portion