FLAT-PACK CASEWORK CONSTRUCTION

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Field of Invention

This application relates, in general, to flat-pack casework construction and methods for its use.

Description of Related Art

Casework is often formed of generally flat panel elements. Examples of case work include movable furniture such as chests, desks, dressers, stands, and other home and commercial furnishings, and include permanently installed cabinets such as base cabinets, wall cabinets, pantries, double-open island and peninsula cabinets, and bathroom vanities, all of which are often formed of generally flat panel elements. Such panel elements are generally connected along or adjacent their edges to form three-dimensional carcasses that provide structure to the furniture or cabinets. As is well known, such panel elements may be interconnected by way of woodworking joinery such as dovetail joints, mortise-and-tenon joints, floating-tenon joints, and the like. Alternatively, fasteners may be used to interconnect panel elements such as nails, screws, or other mechanical fasteners. Glue is another durable option for interconnecting panel elements, however, glue can be messy and requires careful and time-consuming application and setup.

Furniture was traditionally sold fully assembled, and thus was bulky, difficult to move, and expensive to ship. More recent trends provide furniture that is sold unassembled and packed substantially flat. This allows for less storage space while in inventory and provides for less expensive shipping. However, furniture sold unassembled requires the end user to assemble the furniture in their homes or workplaces, which assembly often includes specialty fasteners and various tools. And the assembly skills of the end user can vary widely. Nonetheless, the consumers expect high-quality products that are easy to assemble.

There is an unmet need in the field to allow an end user to put together unassembled furniture with less expensive, simpler, and more rapid means of assembly. Thus, it would be beneficial to have a flat-pack casework construction that overcomes the above and other disadvantages.

BRIEF SUMMARY

One aspect of the invention is directed to a flat-pack casework construction, said flat-pack casework construction including: a front panel including an inner face, a bottom edge, opposing side edges, a front dado extending parallel to and spaced from the bottom edge, and a pair of spaced apart tapered dovetail sockets in the inner face, each socket spaced from a respective side edge and opening from the bottom edge of the front panel; a pair of side panels each including an inner face, an outer face, a front end, a rear end, and a bottom edge, each side panel having a tapered dovetail tail extending along the front end with each tail being widest at the bottom edge, each outer face having a side groove spaced from and parallel to a respective rear end, each rear end having a side miter surface, each side panel having a recessed profile extending between a respective side miter surface and a respective side groove, and each side panel having a side dado extending parallel to and spaced from the bottom edge of each side panel; a back panel including an inner face, an outer face, a bottom edge, opposing ends, and a pair of back grooves in the outer face, each back groove spaced from a respective opposing end, each opposing end having a back miter surface complementary in shape to a respective side miter surface, each opposing end having a recessed profile extending between a respective back miter surface and a respective back groove, and the back panel having a back dado extending parallel to and spaced from the bottom edge of the back panel; a bottom panel having front, back, and opposing side edges; and a pair of corner connectors, each corner connector having opposing arms extending from a longitudinally extending spine, the opposing arms extending at an angle of 90° or less with respect to one another, and each opposing arm having a cleat longitudinally extending along a terminal end thereof. The tail of each side panel is slidably received within a respective socket of the front panel, and wherein the front dado and the pair of side dados are aligned when the pair of tails are fully inserted into the respective sockets. The bottom panel is dimensioned and configured to be slidably received by the front dado and the pair of side dados when the pair of tails are fully inserted into the respective sockets. The back panel is dimensioned and configured for the back miter surfaces to abut against respective the side miter surfaces to form a miter joint when the back panel is positioned with back edge of the bottom panel extending into the back dado. And each corner connector secures a respective side panel rear end to a respective opposing end when a first of said cleats is inserted into a respective side groove, and a second of said cleats is inserted into a respective back groove.

The rear and side panels may each have a thickness T, and the side grooves may extend within the thickness T of the back panel. The rear grooves may extend within the thickness T of the side panels. And the miter surfaces may respectively abut against the side miter surfaces.

The cleats of the side connectors may extend within thickness T of the back and side panels when the back miter surfaces respectively abut against the side miter surfaces.

The rear end of the side panels may have a chamfer surface and each opposing end of the back panel may have a complementary chamfer surface. The spine of each corner connector may be chamfer segment that interconnects the opposing arms of each corner connector and abuts against the chamfer surfaces of the side panels and the back panel when the back miter surfaces respectively abut against the side miter surfaces.

The opposing arms of a corner connector may extend less than 90° from one another, thereby providing the corner connector with a preload that increases an elastic securing force when the corner connector secures a respective opposing end to a respective side panel rear end.

One of the back and side miter surfaces of a miter joint may include a protruding shoulder and the other of the back and side miter surfaces of the miter joint may include a notch complementary in shape to the protruding shoulder. Engagement of the protruding shoulder and complementary notch may provide locking engagement that prevents miter slide between the abutting side and back miter surfaces of the miter joint.

The spine of each corner connector may include a protrusion extending toward abutting back and side miter surfaces when the corner connector secures a respective opposing end to a respective side panel rear end.

The opposing arms of the corner connector may have a tapered wall thickness WT that increases toward the spine thereby increasing rigidity of the corner connector.

The casework construction may be a drawer, whereby the front panel, pair of side panels, back panel and bottom may be stacked and shipped flat prior to assembly of the drawer.

The casework construction may be a casework carcass, whereby the panels of the casework carcass may be stacked and shipped flat prior to assembly of the furniture carcass.

Another aspect of the invention is directed to a flat-pack casework construction including: a first panel including a first face and a first end, the first face having a first groove spaced from and approximately parallel to the first end, the first end having a first miter surface, and the first panel having a first recessed profile extending between the first miter surface and the first groove; a second panel including a second face and a second end, the second face having a second groove spaced from and approximately parallel to the second end, the second end having a second miter surface complementary in shape to the first miter surface, and the second panel having a second recessed profile extending between the second miter surface and the second groove; and a corner connector including opposing arms extending from a longitudinally extending spine, the opposing arms extending at an angle of 90° or less with respect to one another, and each opposing arm having a cleat longitudinally extending along a terminal end thereof. The first and second miter surfaces may form a miter joint when the first and second miter surfaces abut against one another. And the corner connector may secure the miter joint when a first of said cleats is inserted into one of the first and second grooves and a second of said cleats is inserted into the other of the first and second grooves.

The first and second panels may each have a thickness T. The first groove may extend within the thickness T of the second panel, and the second groove may extend within the thickness T of the first panel when the first and second miter surfaces abut against one another.

The cleats of the corner connectors may extend within the intersecting thicknesses T of the first and second panels when the first and second miter surfaces abut against one another.

The first end of the first panel may have a first chamfer surface and the second end of the second panel may have a complementary second chamfer surface. The spine of each corner connector may be a chamfer segment that interconnects the opposing arms and abuts against the first and second chamfer surfaces when the first and second miter surfaces abut against one another.

The opposing arms of a corner connector may extend less than 90° relative to one another, thereby providing the corner connector with a preload that increases an elastic securing force when the corner connector secures the first and second ends.

One of the first and second miter surfaces may include a protruding shoulder and the other of the first and second miter surfaces may include a notch complementary in shape to the protruding shoulder, whereby engagement of the protruding shoulder and complementary notch provide locking engagement that prevents miter slide between the abutting first and second miter surfaces.

The spine of each corner connector may include a protrusion extending toward abutting surfaces of the first and second miter surfaces when the corner connector secures the first and second ends.

The opposing arms of a corner connector may have a tapered wall thickness WT that increases toward the spine thereby increasing rigidity of the corner connector.

The casework construction may be a drawer, whereby the first and second panels may be stacked and shipped flat prior to assembly of the drawer.

The casework construction is a furniture carcass, whereby the first and second panels may be stacked and shipped flat prior to assembly of the furniture carcass.

The methods and apparatuses of the invention have other features and advantages which will be apparent from or are set forth in more detail in the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and the following Detailed Description, which together serve to explain certain principles and various aspects of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of an exemplary flat-pack casework construction in accordance with various inventive aspects, in which the illustrated construction is a drawer.

FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the construction of FIG. 1A taken along line 1B-1B in FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1C is an enlarged partial view of the construction of FIG. 1A taken from detail 1C in FIG. 1B, the view showing a corner connector ready to secure a modified miter joint of the construction.

FIG. 2A is an exploded view of the construction of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2B is an end view of a side panel of the construction shown in FIG. 2A.

FIG. 2C is a partial cross-sectional view of the side panel taken along line 2C-2C of FIG. 2B.

FIG. 3A to FIG. 3F illustrate an exemplary method of assembling and using the construction of FIG. 1A in accordance with various inventive aspects.

FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of another exemplary flat-pack casework construction similar to that shown in FIG. 1A.

FIG. 5A is a plan view of another corner connector similar to that shown in FIG. 1C, and FIG. 5B is a plan view of a mitered joint secured by the corner connector of FIG. 5A.

FIG. 6A is a plan view of another corner connector similar to that shown in FIG. 1C, and FIG. 6B is a plan view of a mitered joint secured by the corner connector of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 7A is a plan view of another modified miter joint similar to that shown in FIG. 1C, and FIG. 7B is a plan view of the modified mitered joint secured by the corner connector.

FIG. 8A is a plan view of another corner connector similar to that shown in FIG. 1C, and FIG. 8B is a plan view of a mitered joint secured by the corner connector of FIG. 8A.

FIG. 9A is a plan view of another corner connector similar to that shown in FIG. 1C, and FIG. 9B is a plan view of a mitered joint secured by the corner connector of FIG. 9A.

FIG. 10A is a plan view of another corner connector similar to that shown in FIG. 1C, and FIG. 10B is a plan view of a mitered joint secured by the corner connector of FIG. 10A. FIG. 11A is a plan view of another corner connector similar to that shown in FIG. 1C, and FIG. 11B is a plan view of a mitered joint secured by the corner connector of FIG. 11A.

FIG. 12A is a plan view of another corner connector similar to that shown in FIG. 1C, and FIG. 12B is a plan view of a mitered joint secured by the corner connector of FIG. 12A. FIG. 13A is a plan view of another corner connector similar to that shown in FIG. 1C, and FIG. 13B is a plan view of a mitered joint secured by the corner connector of FIG. 13A.

FIG. 14A is a perspective view of another exemplary flat-pack casework construction similar to that shown in FIG. 1A but in the form of a chest of drawers, and FIG. 14B is an exploded view thereof.

FIG. 15A is a perspective view of another exemplary flat-pack casework construction similar to that shown in FIG. 1A but in the form of a base cabinet, while FIG. 15B is another perspective view thereof with a raised countertop showing corner connectors securing top rails to the vertical panels, and FIG. 15C is an exploded view of the entire assembly.

FIG. 16A is a perspective view of another exemplary flat-pack casework construction similar to that shown in FIG. 15A but without a face frame, and FIG. 16B is an exploded view of the entire assembly.

FIG. 17A is perspective view of another exemplary flat-pack casework constructions similar to that shown in FIG. 16A but with a thin-walled back panel, and FIG. 17B is an exploded view thereof.

FIG. 18A is a perspective view of another exemplary flat-pack casework construction similar to that shown in FIG. 1A in the form of a five-sided drawer box with a double front, FIG. 18B is a plan view thereof, and FIG. 18C is an exploded view thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to various inventive aspects of various embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below. While various inventive aspects will be described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments, it will be understood that the present description is not intended to limit the inventions to those exemplary embodiments. On the contrary, the inventions are intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments, but also various alternatives, modifications, equivalents, and other embodiments, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the inventions as defined by the appended claims.

Turning now to the drawings, wherein like components are designated by like reference numerals throughout the various figures, attention is directed to FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, which shows an exemplary flat-pack casework construction in accordance with various aspects of the invention. The construction, generally designated 20, includes a front panel 22, a pair of side panels 23, a back panel 25, a bottom panel 27, and corner connectors 29, as is clearly shown in the exploded view of FIG. 2A. The configuration of the panels and corner connectors allows for furniture to be shipped substantially flat, and it allows for such furniture to be assembled without glue or tools by someone with little-to-no training.

The illustrated construction is a drawer, but one will appreciate that the construction described herein may be applied not only to drawers, but also boxes and other casework structures formed of panels including, but not limited to: furniture such as chests, cupboards, desks, dressers, stands, and wardrobes: cabinets such as base cabinets, wall cabinets, pantries, double-open island and peninsula cabinets, and bathroom vanities; and other home and commercial furnishings that are formed of generally flat panels. When applied to casework other than drawers, one will appreciate that the face frames of furniture and cabinets are analogous to the above front panel.

FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the casework construction showing a tapered sliding dovetail joinery 30 that may be used in accordance with various aspects of the invention. FIG. 2B shows a tapered sliding dovetail male-portion or tail 32 formed a side panel, with FIG. 2C showing a cross-section of the tail on the side panel. And FIG. 3A shows a tapered sliding dovetail female-portion or socket 34 that is dimensioned and configured to receive a respective tail.

FIG. 1B also shows connected-miter joinery 36 that may be used in accordance with various aspects of the invention. FIG. 1C is an enlarged view showing a corner connector 29 ready to secure a specially configured miter joint and thus secure a back panel to a respective side panel.

Suitable materials for the panels include, but are not limited to: solid wood: laminated wood: covered laminations such as phenolic-, melamine-, plastic- and/or paint-covered plywood; particle board; oriented strand board (OSB); medium-density fiberboard (MDF); plastics; composite materials; metal; and the like. Suitable materials for the corner connectors are discussed below.

With reference to FIG. 3A, front panel 22 includes an inner face 22if, a bottom edge 22be, opposing side edges 22se, a front dado 22fd extending parallel to and spaced from the bottom edge, and a pair of spaced apart tapered dovetail female-portion sockets 34 in the inner face. Each socket is spaced from a respective side edge a suitable distance. And each female-portion socket opens from the bottom edge allowing a respective male-portion tail 32 to be inserted from below. Such configuration essentially hides the joinery as a user views it from above and/or from the side.

With continued reference to FIG. 3A, a pair of side panels 23 each includes an inner face 23if, an outer face 23of, a front end 23fe, a rear end 23re, and a bottom edge 23be. Each side panel has a tapered dovetail male portion or tail 32 extending along the front end, with the tail being widest at the bottom edge. Each outer face has a side groove 37 spaced from and parallel to a respective rear end. Each rear end has a side miter surface 39. And each side panel has a recessed side profile 41 extending between a respective side miter surface and a respective side groove. Like the front panel, each side panel also has a side dado 23sd extending parallel to and spaced from the bottom edge.

With reference to FIG. 2A and FIG. 3C, back panel 25 including an inner face 25if, an outer face 25of, a bottom edge 25be, opposing ends 25oe, and a pair of back grooves 43 in the outer face. Each back groove is spaced from a respective opposing end. Each opposing end has a back miter surface 44 that is complementary in shape to the respective side miter surfaces. Each opposing end has a recessed back profile 46 extending between a respective back miter surface and a respective back groove. And the back panel has a back dado 25bd extending parallel to and spaced from the bottom edge.

The above-mentioned sockets and tails, and the above-mentioned grooves, recessed profiles, and mitered surfaces may be formed by CNC machine. However, one will appreciate that these features may also be formed with routers, shapers, double or single end tenoners, and/or by other suitable tooling.

With continued reference to FIG. 2A, bottom panel 27 includes a front edge 27fe, a back edge 27be, and opposing side edges 27se. As is evident below, the thickness of the bottom panel is substantially equal to the width of the above-mentioned front, side, and back dados thus allowing the edges of bottom panel to be received within the respective dadoes.

With reference to FIG. 1C, each corner connector 29 includes opposing arms 48 extending from a longitudinally extending spine 50. A terminal end of each arm has a cleat 51 extending longitudinally and approximately parallel to the spine. The opposing arms extend at an angle of 90° or less with respect to one another. The internal surfaces of the arms and cleats are complementary in shape to the respective grooves and recessed profiles to allow close-fitting engagement of the corner connector arms with the respective sides and backs. The longitudinal length of the corner connector may match the height of the respective side and rear panels to provide a finished appearance.

The grooves and recessed profiles may be complementary in shape to the corner connector thus allowing an outer surface of the corner connector to sit flush with the outer faces of the panels. While the corner connector preferably is flush with the outer panel faces, one will appreciate that the corner connector may sit proud of the outer faces in certain applications.

As shown in FIG. 1C, the rear end of the side panels and the opposing ends of the back panel may have chamfer surfaces 53. In such a configuration, the spine of the corner connector may be a chamfer segment 55 that interconnects the opposing arms 48. The chamfer segment abuts against the chamfer surfaces of the side panels and the back panel when the mitered joint is assembled and the back miter surfaces respectively abut against the side miter surfaces. Such configuration also reduces the length of the opposing arms and their moment arms, which may thus further serve to maintain engagement of the corner connector.

The corner connector is preferably made of an elastic and resilient material that allows the corner connector to be snapped or slid into place as described below. The corner connector may be formed of plastic, composite, metal, or other suitable materials. Preferably, the corner connector is formed by extrusion, whereby the corner connectors may be simply cut to lengths that match the height of the respective side and rear panels. One will appreciate, however, that the corner connectors may be formed by other suitable processes including, but not limited to 3D printing, injection molding, stamping, and the like.

One exemplary method of assembly can now be described in accordance with various aspects of the invention.

With reference to FIG. 3A, which shows the assembly of the side panels 23 with the front panel 22. The tapered sliding dovetail joinery generally includes a tail or male portion 32 and a corresponding socket or female portion 34. As such, the tail of each side panel may be slid into a respective socket of the front panel. Once the tails have been fully inserted into their respective sockets, the side dadoes 23sd will align with the front dado 22fd, as shown in FIG. 3B. As such, bottom panel 27 may be slid into the side dados such that it is ultimately received by the front dado when fully slid in, as shown in FIG. 3C.

With reference to FIG. 3C, back panel 25 may then be aligned with the bottom and side panels such that back dado (not shown) is aligned with the back edge 27be of the bottom panel, and back miter surfaces 44 are aligned with their respective side miter surfaces 39. The back panel may then be positioned against the bottom and side panels such that the back miter surfaces abut against their respective side miter surfaces, as shown in FIG. 3D.

With continued reference to FIG. 3D, the corner connectors may be applied to secure the miter joints formed between the opposing ends of the rear panel and their respective side panels. As shown, a corner connector 29′ may be mounted by inserting one cleat into the side groove of side panel 23′. Once in place, the corner connector may be pivoted about the inserted cleat such that the remaining cleat snaps into the back groove of the back panel. One will appreciate that one cleat may be first inserted into the back groove and then snapped into the side groove. Alternatively, a corner connector 29″ may be slid into place by aligning both cleats with respective side and back grooves and sliding upwardly as shown in FIG. 3D, or alternatively by sliding downwardly (not shown). One will appreciate that a hammer or mallet may be used to coax the corner connector along the grooves, especially when the corner connectors are long. Either way, the arms and cleats are received within the corresponding profiles and grooves such that the corner connectors do not extend beyond the outer faces of the back and side panels, as shown in FIG. 3E.

The corner connectors may be simply held in place by frictional engagement between the corner connectors and the grooves, the recessed profiles of the panels, and/or the mitered ends. One will appreciate that any vertical movement between respective side and back panels is prevented by the interlocking engagement of their dados with the bottom panel. Alternatively, one will appreciate that the bottom panel may extend rearwardly to the outer surface of the back panel, and the height of the back panel may be reduced to sit flush on top of the bottom panel, in which case, the bottom may be nailed to the lower edge of the back panel.

In the event a user wishes to permanently secure the panels together, one will appreciate that the user may use glue along the miter surfaces, within the dados, and or between the male-portion tails and female-portion sockets. In this case, the corner connectors may effectively serve as clamps holding everything together while the glue dries.

With reference to FIG. 3E and FIG. 3F, the back panel may include cutouts 57 allowing undermount drawer slides 58 to be used. As can be seen in FIG. 5B and FIG. 6B, the side grooves 37 may extend within thickness T of back panel 25, and back grooves 43 may extend within thickness T of side panel 23. As can be seen in these figures, cleats 51 of the side connectors extend within thickness T of the back and side panels 25, 23 when the miter surfaces abut against one another. Such configuration keeps the extents of corner connector 29 within the thickness of the stock used for the back and side panels, whereby the corner connector does not obstruct the use of undermount drawer slides.

Alternatively, the casework construction may be configured for side mount slides, as shown in FIG. 4. In the illustrated embodiment, the side mount slide hardware includes an L-shaped bracket 60, which itself may be used to secure side panels 23 to bottom panel 27. In this case, the bottom panel is dimensioned such that its side and back edges extend to perimeter of the outer faces of the back and side panels, and the bottom edges of the side panels rest upon the bottom panel. As such, the horizontal leg of the bracket may be attached to the bottom panel and the vertical leg of the bracket may be attached to the side panels in an otherwise conventional manner. For example, screws may be used to fasten the bracket legs to their respective panels. One will appreciate that the flush mount of the corner connectors with respect to the back and side panels prevents interference with the mounting of the vertical leg to the side panels. One will also appreciate that the flush-mount configuration is also particularly well suited for use with five-piece drawer boxes having double fronts, as discussed below.

One will appreciate that the corner connectors may have various geometric configurations. As shown in FIG. 5A, the corner connector may have an inward protrusion 62 that extends longitudinally along the spine. In the illustrated embodiment, the protrusion has a right angle in which its tip is aligned with the abutting miter surfaces, as shown in FIG. 5B. Such configuration is well-suited to mask any end gaps of the miter joint for an aesthetically pleasing look. Such configuration may also provide an additional point of registration between the corner connector and the panels, which may resist unwanted movement between the corner connector and the panels.

Also shown in FIG. 5A, the opposing arms 48 of the corner connector may have a tapered wall thickness WT that increases toward the interconnecting spine 50. The tapered wall thickness may increase the overall rigidity of the corner connector, which may further promote engagement of the corner connector with its respective panels, which in turn, may increase the overall structural integrity of the casework construction. Another corner connector with a tapered wall thickness is shown in FIG. 12A.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the opposing arms of a corner connector may extend an angle A that is less than 90° from one another. Such a configuration may provide the corner connector with a preload that increases an elastic securing force when the corner connector is mounted secures a respective opposing end of a back panel together with a respective side panel rear end. As shown in FIG. 6B, engagement of the corner connector with the panels causes the arms to spring to a 90° angle corresponding to the right angle between the panels, which springing effect serves to maintain cleats 51 within their respective grooves 37, 43, thus increasing the securing force of the corner connector. One will appreciate that the corner connector may be configured for use on panels that meet at obtuse or acute angles in addition to the right angles that are illustrated in the figures. In order to preload, the corner connector is formed with the opposing arms set at an angle that is less than their final intended angle when mounted-to and engaged-with their respective panels.

FIG. 8A and FIG. 9A illustrate other corner connectors that are also preloaded with arms extending at an angle A that is less than 90°, which arms spring to their intended right angle once mounted to and engaged with their respective panels as shown in FIG. 8B and FIG. 9B, respectively. FIG. 11A and FIG. 11B illustrate another corner connector that is preloaded, in this case with bowed arms that may also provide a suitable preload. As opposed to the relatively straight arms of the connectors shown in the above figures, arms 48 illustrated in FIG. 11A are generally arcuate and gently curve from the spine toward cleats 51. As shown in FIG. 11B, and due to the resilient nature of the corner connectors, the arms may bend to a relatively straight orientation once applied to the connected-miter joint. Thus, the corner connector may apply the preload against the joint that may further resist disengagement from the joint.

FIG. 7A shows another exemplary corner connector that includes chamfer surfaces 53 and a chamfer segment 55 like that described above. In various embodiments, the miter surfaces may include an asymmetrical locking profile to prevent unwanted sliding motion between the miter surfaces. For example, illustrated embodiment also includes (1) a protruding shoulder 64 on one of the back and side miter surfaces, and (2) a notch 65 on the other of the back and side miter surfaces. The notch is complementary in shape to the protruding shoulder. Such a shoulder-and-notch configuration provides a larger area of abutting contact and additional frictional engagement. Engagement of the protruding shoulder and complementary notch may also provide further locking engagement to mechanically prevent miter slide between the abutting side and back miter surfaces, as shown in FIG. 7B.

FIG. 10A shows another corner connector that includes an inward projection 62 similar to that shown in FIG. 5A. However, the corner connector of FIG. 10A includes opposing arms 48 that extend beyond the thickness of its respective panels, as shown in FIG. 10B. While such configuration is not suited for drawers utilizing undermount slides, such configuration may be well suited for case construction of furniture carcasses, as shown in FIG. 14A and FIG. 14B. For example, FIG. 14A shows a chest 67 of drawers (which drawers may be utilize the construction described above), which chest utilizes the tapered sliding dovetail joinery and/or the connected-miter joinery described above. FIG. 14B is an exploded view of FIG. 14A showing that the chest may include a front panel in the form of a face frame 22, side panels 23, and a back panel 25 similar to those described above as well as tapered sliding dovetail joinery 30 and/or the connected-miter joinery 36.

FIG. 12A shows another corner connector similar to that shown in FIG. 10A, but includes opposing arms having a tapered wall thickness WT similar to that shown in FIG. 5A. And FIG. 12B shows the corner connected mounted on its respective panels. Again, the tapered wall thickness may increase the overall rigidity of the corner connector, and thus may increase the overall structural integrity of the casework construction.

FIG. 13A shows another corner connector that includes asymmetrical arms 48 and an asymmetrical inward projection 62. This figure shows that the features of the corner connector, including the arms 48, the cleats 51, and the inward projection 62 need not be symmetrical. For example, just one arm may be short enough to position a cleat within the thickness of just one panel, while the other may extend outside of the thickness if there is no concern of obstructing slides or other hardware. And as shown, the corner connector may be configured for use on panels of varying thickness.

As shown in FIG. 13B, each panel has a square end that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of each panel. Square end X is substantially perpendicular to the horizontally extending panel, while square end Y is substantially perpendicular to the vertically extending panel. Such a square end may provide a reference surface for machining purposes of the respective panel. And such a square end avoids sharp edges and may thus lessen shipping damage.

FIG. 15A shows another exemplary casework construction in the form of a base cabinet 69. The illustrated embodiment utilizes corner connectors 29 to interconnect a front face frame 22′ and back panels 25 to not only the side panels 23, but also to a top and bottom 27. Similarly, corner connectors may also connect the side panels 23 to a top and bottom 27. One will appreciate that when corner connectors meet at a corner, the corner connectors may be mitered or double mitered. For example, the V-shaped ends of double-mitered corner connectors 29 are clearly shown in FIG. 15A-C.

As shown in FIG. 15B, the top is in the form of rails 71 to which a countertop 72 may be mounted in an otherwise conventional manner. FIG. 15C is an exploded view that shows various corner connectors 29 extending substantially the length of the connected-miter joint. Alternatively, a plurality of shorter corner connectors 29′ may be utilized. As such, one will appreciate that the corner connectors may be provided in standardized lengths or simply cut to length as desired.

In a similar fashion, FIG. 15C shows that long or short connectors may also be utilized when one panel does not extend along the entire length of an adjoining panel. For example, the leftward corner connector 29 that interconnects rails 71 with the leftward side 23 extends substantially the length (or depth) of the leftward side, while the rightward corner connectors 29″ only extend the width of the rails 71.

FIG. 16A shows another exemplary casework construction in the form of a base cabinet 69 without a face frame, which cabinets are also referred to as frameless or Euro cabinets. In contrast to the casework described above, this illustrated base cabinet does not have a front panel or face fame—any doors, drawer slides, and/or other hardware may be mounted to the side panels 23 instead of a face frame. The connected-miter joinery described above is particularly well suited for such frameless casework construction as the flush-mounted configuration of corner connectors 29′″, 29′″ provide for an aesthetically pleasing appearance. And the flush-mounted configuration does not interfere with abutting components, for example, countertop 72 sits directly upon an upper surface of top panel 74.

With reference to FIG. 16B, it can be seen that the edges of side panels 23, bottom panel 27, top panels 74, and corner connectors 29′″ that extend toward the frameless front of the cabinet, may simply have flat and planar edges with respect to one another that are perpendicular to the outer surfaces of side panels 23. As such, the corner connectors may be simply cut to length with 90° square cuts relative to their longitudinal lengths. The illustrated corner connectors 29′″ also extend the entire depth of side panels 23 and have 90° square cuts on their rear ends as well. In the illustrated embodiment, the vertically extending corner connectors are simply cut to length such that they abut against inwardly-facing edges of the horizontally extending corner connectors 29′″.

FIG. 17A is another exemplary casework construction in the form of a base cabinet 69 with a thin-walled back panel 25′ that is received within dados of the top, bottom, and side panels in much the same manner as the drawer bottom is received within dados as shown in FIG. 2A. The side panel's back dado 23bd and the bottom panel's back dado 27bd may be seen in FIG. 17B. In this embodiment, corner connectors 29′″ may simply run the entire front-to-back depth of the side panels.

While the above-mentioned tapered sliding dovetail joinery is not shown in the base cabinet, one will appreciate that one or more joints could indeed utilize the tapered sliding dovetail joinery in the manner described above.

FIG. 18A is a perspective view of another exemplary flat-pack casework construction in the form of a five-sided drawer box with a double front 76. Again, the flush-mounted configuration of the corner connectors does not interfere with any abutting components such as the double front 76.

One will appreciate that the casework construction described above provides for glueless and toolless assembly, which may allow for high-quality products that are easy to assemble for the end consumer. One will also appreciate that such casework construction may also facilitate disassembly. And one will appreciate that the above-described joinery may be used for various types of casework construction, including drawers, boxes, furniture, cabinets, and the like.

One will also appreciate that the casework construction described above may be used in conjunction with other methods, existing and possible. For example, the tapered sliding dovetail joinery and the connected-miter joiner described above may be utilized to interconnect some panels, while traditional and conventional forms of joinery such may be used to interconnect other panels, or even other edges of the same panel. For example, the joinery described above may be used in conjunction with tongue-and-groove joinery, mortise-and-tenon joinery, pocket-screw joinery, and the like.

The connected-mitered joinery described above provides additional structural integrity, especially as compared conventional butt joints. The corner connectors may provide a biasing force to tightly abut against the mitered surfaces against each other, thus preventing pivoting of one panel relative to another, and thus may prevent wear and tear on the joint.

The casework construction described above is particularly well suited for providing flat-pack drawers that have an otherwise conventional appearance as compared to traditionally made drawers. For example, the sliding dovetail joinery connecting the sides to the front panel shows no fasteners or other means to interconnect the panels, while the connected-miter joinery, including the corner connectors, are generally not visible to a user while the drawer is in use and partially enclosed within a furniture carcass. One will also appreciate that the corner connectors may be configured to provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance when visible to the user. For example, the connectors may have various colors, patterns, textures, etc. to provide a pleasant and/or unique appearance.

One will appreciate that the above-described tapered sliding dovetail joinery and the connected-miter joinery may be standardized. Doing so would allow individual panels to be labeled with a bar code or QR code that includes the overall dimensions of the respective panel. In the case of breakage, the end consumer could scan the code and provide it to the manufacturer. In turn, the manufacturer could replicate the broken panel or obtain a matching panel from inventory, send it to the consumer, and the consumer may reassemble the casework construction in the same manner they originally did so.

For convenience in explanation and accurate definition in the appended claims, the terms “front” and “back”, “upwardly” and “downwardly”, “inner” and “outer” are used to describe features of the exemplary embodiments with reference to the positions of such features as displayed in the figures.

The foregoing descriptions of specific exemplary embodiments of various aspects of the inventions have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the inventions to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain certain principles and various aspects of the inventions and their practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to make and utilize various exemplary embodiments of the inventions, as well as various alternatives and modifications thereof. It is intended that the scope of the inventions be defined by the Claims appended hereto and their equivalents.