Thermo plastic tubing furniture

Claim 2

Furniture construction comprising a plurality of tubular frame members, and joint means for a securely interconnecting at least some of said tubular members to each other, said joint means comprising resilient clamping means formed integrally with one of said members for substantially and tightly encircling a second of said members in a stressed clamping relation, said clamping means comprising an integral portion of said one tubular member that is flattened and formed into a substantially closed configuration closely conforming to the exterior cross sectional configuration of said second member that is clamped therein, said clamping means having interior dimensions substantially equal to, but not greater than, comparable dimensions of said second member clamped therein, whereby the portions of said first tubular member on opposite sides of said clamping means may be spread apart to resiliently deform said integral clamping flattened clamping portion to allow insertion of said second member therein, and whereby the resilience of said clamping means will urge said flattened clamping portion into a tight clamping encirclement of the second member clamped therein, and means for urging said portions of said one member on opposite sides of said clamping means toward each other and retaining them in a stressed condition under such urging to thereby enhance the gripping action caused by the inherent resilience of said flattened clamping portion.

Claim 3

Furniture construction comprising a plurality of tubular frame members, and joint means for a securely interconnecting at least some of said tubular members to each other, said joint means comprising resilient clamping means formed integrally with one of said members for substantially and tightly encircling a second of said members in a stressed clamping relation, said clamping means comprising an integral portion of said one tubular member that is flattened and formed into a substantially closed configuration closely conforming to the exterior cross sectional configuration of said second member that is clamped therein, said clamping means having interior dimensions substantially equal to, but not greater than, comparable dimensions of said second member clamped therein, whereby the portions of said first tubular member on opposite sides of said clamping means may be spread apart to resiliently deform said integral clamping flattened clamping portion to allow insertion of said second member therein, and whereby the resilience of said clamping means will urge said flattened clamping portion into a tight clamping encirclement of the second member clamped therein, and means for urging said portions of said one member on opposite sides of said clamping means toward each other and retaining them in a stressed condition under such urging to thereby enhance the gripping action caused by the inherent resilience of said flattened clamping portion.

Claim 4

Furniture construction comprising a plurality of tubular frame members, and joint means for a securely interconnecting at least some of said tubular members to each other, said joint means comprising resilient clamping means formed integrally with one of said members for substantially and tightly encircling a second of said members in a stressed clamping relation, said clamping means comprising an integral portion of said one tubular member that is flattened and formed into a substantially closed configuration closely conforming to the exterior cross sectional configuration of said second member that is clamped therein, said clamping means having interior dimensions substantially equal to, but not greater than, comparable dimensions of said second member clamped therein, whereby the portions of said first tubular member on opposite sides of said clamping means may be spread apart to resiliently deform said integral clamping flattened clamping portion to allow insertion of said second member therein, and whereby the resilience of said clamping means will urge said flattened clamping portion into a tight clamping encirclement of the second member clamped therein, and means for urging said portions of said one member on opposite sides of said clamping means toward each other and retaining them in a stressed condition under such urging to thereby enhance the gripping action caused by the inherent resilience of said flattened clamping portion.

Claim 5

The furniture construction of claim 1 wherein said last mentioned means comprises other elements of said furniture construction that interconnect said portions on either side of said flattened clamping means, whereby when said furniture construction is assembled at least some of the members thereof are stressed by other members into secure clamping relation.

Claim 6

The construction of claim 2 wherein said first member comprises a side frame having a substantially vertical rear leg section, a substantially vertical forward leg section considerably shorter than said rear leg section and an arm section integrally interconnecting the upper portion of said rear leg section with the upper portion of said forward leg section, said clamping means being formed as an integral portion of the connection between said arm section and the upper end of one of said leg sections, said clamping means comprising a flattened substantially closed loop formed at said intersection of said arm section and said one leg section and opening inwardly of said side frame, said second member comprising a substantially horizontal cross member received and resiliently clamped within said flattened closed loop portion, said means for urging said portions of said one member on opposite sides of said clamping means toward each other comprising a second substantially horizontal cross member connected to and between said rear and forward leg sections and having a length less than the distance between said leg sections when said side frame is in unstressed condition, whereby when said second horizontal cross member is connected to and between said forward and rear leg sections the side frame is stressed to retain the leg sections in a position that tends to close the flattened loop of said clamping means and thereby retain it in gripping engagement with said second member therein.

Claim 7

The construction of claim 3 including a second side frame substantially identical to said first mentioned side frame and having substantially vertical rear and forward leg sections integrally interconnected by a second arm section, said second side frame being formed with clamping means comprising a flattened integral closed loop positioned at the intersection between said second arm section and one of said second leg sections, said first mentioned cross member also being received and securely gripped within said flattened closed loop of said second side frame, a third substantially horizontal cross member interconnecting leg sections of said second side frame and having a length less than the distance between said leg sections of said second side frame when the latter is in unstressed condition to thereby urge and retain said second leg sections to and in a position wherein they exert an increased clamping and gripping action upon said first cross member, and means for retaining said side frames in mutually spaced relation.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said one member comprises first and second mutually angulated cross members, each integrally connected at a corner thereof by means of an integral flattened substantially closed loop, said integral flattened loop comprising said clamping means, and wherein said second member comprises an upstanding frame member securely retained and clamped within said flattened closed loop.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said one member comprises a first substantially U-shaped rectangular frame half section having forward and rear cross members and a bight member extending therebetween, said clamping means comprising a first and second flattened substantially closed loop clamping sections integrally connecting said bight portion with said forward and rear cross members respectively, wherein said second member comprises a side frame having substantially upstanding forward and rear leg sections integrally interconnected by arm section, said forward and rear leg sections respectively extending through and clamped within respective ones of said flattened closed loop sections of said U-shaped frame half section, and wherein said means for retaining portions of said one member on opposite sides of said clamping means in a stressed condition and urging them toward each other to tend to close said flattened loop comprises a second substantially U-shaped rectangular frame half section having forward and rearward cross members and a bight member extending therebetween, said second frame half section having flattened substantially closed loop clamping sections integrally interconnecting its bight section with said forward cross member and with said rear cross member, and means for fixedly connecting rear and forward cross members of said first frame half section to respective rear and forward sections of said second frame half section, and including a second side frame comprising second forward and second rear leg sections integrally interconnected by a second arm section, said second forward and rear leg sections respectively extending through and clamped within said respective ones of said flattened closed loop sections of said second frame half section, each of said side frames being formed with a flattened substantially closed loop clAmping section integrally connecting the arm section thereof with the rear leg section thereof so that each rear leg section is spaced from each forward leg section, when the side frame is in unstressed condition and not assembled in the furniture construction, by a distance greater than the distance between the two flattened closed loop clamping sections of the associated frame half section, and an upper cross member extending through and clamped within said flattened closed loop clamping section of said first and second side frames, whereby assembly of said construction will stress all of said integral flattened closed loop clamping sections by holding the associated member sections on opposite sides thereof in closer relative position to each other, to thereby enhance the encircling and gripping action of the respective flattened closed loop clamping sections upon the respective member sections received therein.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 6 including a plurality of seat forming slats extending between said upper cross member and the forward cross members of said first and second frame half sections, each slat comprising an integral flattened tubular member having the ends thereof bent to form a resilient tubular member grasping loop that is resiliently enlarged to partly encircle and grip the respective upper cross member and forward cross member.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 7 including a third and fourth substantially U-shaped frame half sections each having forward and rear cross members and a bight section integrally joined to respective ones of the associated forward and rear cross members by clamping means formed by flattened closed loop integral sections thereof, the respective clamping means of said third and fourth frame half sections receiving and clamping respectively different ones of said side frame legs, and means for fixedly interconnecting said third and fourth frame half sections.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said tubular members are of generally circular cross section and wherein said flattened closed loop sections have substantially mating circular configuration.