Hinged panel for furniture

Abstract

A hinged panel which is used as the back-panel of ready-to-assemble furniture. A strip of tape is adhered to one side of a piece of hardboard or similar board of material such as medium density fiberboard or high density fiberboard. The hardboard is die cut along a taped hinge line while the tape is present and remains uncut. Further, one or more knock-out areas are die cut through the entire thickness of the hinged hardboard panel at desired locations on the hinged hardboard panel to allow passage of power cords or other wires or cables, or to allow extension of objects. The hinged panel can be folded at the hinge line and put into a small container with other parts of ready-to-assemble furniture for shipment. Since the hinged panel was originally one piece of board, the unfolded hinge line is almost invisible and each half of the knock-out area that straddles the hinge line matches without the need of aligning.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A hinged panel for furniture comprising: 
 a piece of board having a tape placed along a location for a hinge line, the piece of board being die cut along the hinge line while the tape is present and remains uncut; and    one or more knock-out areas being die cut through the board and the tape such that the one or more knock-out areas straddle the hinge line.    
     
     
         2 . A hinged panel for furniture according to  claim 1  further comprising a wood-grained covering adhered to the board surface opposite from the side where the tape is placed.  
     
     
         3 . A hinged panel for furniture according to  claim 1  further comprising a paper covering adhered to the board surface so as to cover the tape.  
     
     
         4 . A hinged panel for furniture according to  claim 2  further comprising a paper covering adhered to the board surface so as to cover the tape.  
     
     
         5 . A hinged panel for furniture according to  claim 1  wherein the board is medium density fibreboard.  
     
     
         6 . A hinged panel for furniture according to  claim 1  wherein the board is high density fibreboard.  
     
     
         7 . A hinged panel for furniture according to  claim 1  wherein the board is hardboard.  
     
     
         8 . A method of making a hinged panel for furniture comprising the steps of; 
 placing the tape onto a piece of board along a location for a hinge line;    die cutting the piece of board from the side opposite the tape along the hinge line; and    die cutting one or more knock-out areas through the board and the tape such that the one or more knock-out areas straddle the hinge line.    
     
     
         9 . A method of making a hinged panel for furniture according to  claim 8  further comprising the step of adhering a wood grained covering onto the board surface opposite from the side where the tape is placed.  
     
     
         10 . A method of making a hinged panel for furniture according to  claim 8  further comprising the step of adhering a paper covering onto the board surface so as to cover the tape.  
     
     
         11 . A method of making a hinged panel for furniture according to  claim 8  wherein the board is medium density fibreboard.  
     
     
         12 . A method of making a hinged panel for furniture according to  claim 8  wherein the board is high density fibreboard.  
     
     
         13 . A method of making a hinged panel for furniture according to  claim 8  wherein the board is hardboard.  
     
     
         14 . A hinged panel constructed according to the method of claim  8 .