Structural assembly for producing interconnected structures

Claim 2

A structural assembly comprising: a first member including a first and second pair of substantially parallel and opposed vertical side walls, a lateral external surface of each side wall of said first pair having an external vertical groove, and an upper surface of each side wall of said first pair having a horizontal continuous groove adjacent said vertical groove, and a pair of recesses disposed one to either side of said continuous groove, each of said recesses sharing a common border with said continuous groove on a first side and being at least partially obstructed by a stop member on a second side opposite said first side; and a second member including at least one vertical tongue member dimensioned to fit into one of said vertical grooves.

Claim 3

A structural assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein adjacent side walls jointly define corner regions having an external surface, and wherein said external surface of said corner regions is inclined at an angle of 45° and each said corner region defines a central V-shaped groove.

Claim 4

A structural assembly as recited in claim 2, wheein said first member is cleavable along each said V-shaped groove to produce four end elements.

Claim 5

A structural assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said first member is cleavable along the centre of each said dovetail groove to produce four corner elements.

Claim 6

A structural assembly as recited in claim 2, wherein the lateral length of each said first members, measured between said V-shaped grooves, is 50 cm and the height of said first member is 25 cm.

Claim 7

A structural assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said side walls all have substantially the same length measured between pairs of side walls, and wherein said second member has substantially the same length as said side walls.

Claim 8

A structural assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said dovetailed grooves all have substantially the same vertical length, and wherein said second member has a vertical dimension greater than said same vertical length.

Claim 9

A structural assembly comprising: a plurality of contiguous vertical facets arranged to form a closed perimeter having a vertical recess therethrough, each facet having an inner vertical wall facing said recess, and an outer vertical wall opposite said inner wall; interlocking means disposed on each outer wall, said interlocking means being substantially parallel to said recess; and shoulder means on each inner vertical wall for supporting a shelf member horizontally.

Claim 10

A structural assembly comprising: a plurality of contiguous vertical facets arranged to form a closed perimeter having a vertical recess therethrough, each facet having an inner vertical wall facing said recess, and an outer vertical wall opposite said inner wall; interlocking means disposed on each outer wall, said interlocking means being substantially parallel to said recess; and shoulder means on each inner vertical wall for supporting a shelf member horizontally.

Claim 11

A structural assembly as recited in claim 8, further comprising: an interconnecting means having first and second end means for engaging with said interlocking means.

Claim 12

A structural assembly as recited in claim 9, wherein the height of said interconnecting means is greater than the height of said facets.

Claim 13

A structural assembly as recited in claim 10, wherein said interconnecting means has first and second regions of a first height, and a third region of a second height; and wherein said first height is less than the height of said facets; and wherein said second height is greater than the height of said facets.

Claim 14

A structural assembly as recited in claim 8, wherein said interlocking means is a dovetail shaped groove.

Claim 15

A structural assembly as recited in claim 8, wherein an upper surface of said perimeter has a plurality of grooves and raised surfaces.

Claim 16

A structural assembly as recited in claim 13, wherein said raised surfaces are positioned on said upper surface, adjacent each side of said interlocking means and at contiguous points of said facets.

Claim 17

A structural assembly as recited in claim 8, wherein a groove means is positioned along contiguous edges of said facets.

Claim 18

A structural assembly according to claim 8, further comprising: a shelf member supported by at least three of said shoulder means.

Claim 19

A structural assembly according to claim 16, wherein said shelf member is comprised of discrete halves.

Claim 20

A structural assembly as recited in claim 8, wherein said perimeter comprises four facets.

Claim 23

A structural assembly comprising: a first member including a first and second pair of vertical side walls arranged substantially parallel and opposed to define an internal cavity, a lateral external surface of each side wall of said first pair having an external vertical groove, and a lateral internal surface of each of said side walls having a shoulder portion protruding into said cavity; a second member including at least one vertical tongue member dimensioned to fit into one of said vertical grooves; and a base element dimensioned to be supportable horizontally in said cavity by at least three of said shoulder portions.

Claim 24

A structural assembly comprising: a first member including a first and second pair of vertical side walls arranged substantially parallel and opposed to define an internal cavity, a lateral external surface of each side wall of said first pair having an external vertical groove, and a lateral internal surface of each of said side walls having a shoulder portion protruding into said cavity; a second member including at least one vertical tongue member dimensioned to fit into one of said vertical grooves; and a base element dimensioned to be supportable horizontally in said cavity by at least three of said shoulder portions.

Claim 25

A structural assembly as recited in claim 20, wherein said base element is dimensioned to span said cavity horizontally, and so to rest on four shoulder portions.

Claim 26

A structural assembly as claimed in claim 20, wherein said base element is dimensioned to span one half of said cavity horizontally, and to rest on substantially all of one shoulder portion of one side wall of said first pair and on about one-half of each of the shoulder portions of said second pair of said walls, so that said cavity can accommodate, and said shoulder portions can support, two such base elements.

Claim 29

A structural assembly comprising: a first member including a first and second pair of substantially parallel and opposed vertical side walls, a lateral external surface of each side wall of said first pair having an external vertical groove, and an upper surface of each side wall of said first pair having a horizontal continuous groove adjacent said vertical groove, and a pair of recesses disposed one to either side of said continuous groove, each of said recesses being at least partially obstructed by a stop member; and a second member including at least one vertical tongue member dimensioned to fit into one of said vertical grooves; and wherein the height of said second member exceeds the height of said first member by twice the depth of said continuous groove or of said recess, said second member further including an upper, longitudinally extending side; and wherein said side walls of said first member each have internal and external surfaces and upper and lower edges connecting said internal and external surfaces, each of said side walls including a shoulder portion disposed in the region of said lower edge on said internal surface for receiving base elements, said side of said second member including a stepped end region, said stepped end region having a height corresponding to the thickness of said shoulder portion in said first member.

Claim 30

A structural assembly comprising: a first member including a first and second pair of substantially parallel and opposed vertical side walls, a lateral external surface of each side wall of said first pair having an external vertical groove, and an upper surface of each side wall of said first pair having a horizontal continuous groove adjacent said vertical groove, and a pair of recesses disposed one to either side of said continuous groove, each of said recesses being at least partially obstructed by a stop member; and a second member including at least one vertical tongue member dimensioned to fit into one of said vertical grooves; and wherein the height of said second member exceeds the height of said first member by twice the depth of said continuous groove or of said recess, said second member further including an upper, longitudinally extending side; and wherein said side walls of said first member each have internal and external surfaces and upper and lower edges connecting said internal and external surfaces, each of said side walls including a shoulder portion disposed in the region of said lower edge on said internal surface for receiving base elements, said side of said second member including a stepped end region, said stepped end region having a height corresponding to the thickness of said shoulder portion in said first member.