Modular furniture construction system

Abstract

A modular furniture construction system and kit having a horizontal platform with a coordinate region on a bottom side. The coordinate region has a coordinate pattern formed from a plurality of bore clusters, with each bore cluster preferably having two bores. The construction also includes first and second substructures each having at least two vertical panels which are vertically hinged together to form a preferably a ninety degree angle. The upper ends of the vertical panels are releasably connected to the bores such that a first panel of a first substructure contacts or at least confronts a second panel of a second substructure in a parallel manner.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A modular furniture construction system comprising: 
 a generally horizontal platform having top and bottom sides, the bottom side having at least one coordinate region with a plurality of bore clusters arranged in a coordinate pattern thereon, each bore cluster having at least two bores wherein a first pair of bores of a first bore cluster has a first line of symmetry therebetween, a second pair of bores of a second bore cluster has a second line of symmetry therebetween which is collinear with the first line of symmetry, and a first spacing between the first pair of bores is equal to a second distance spacing the second pair of bores; and    at least two substructures, each having: 
 at least two generally vertical panels, each panel having an upper portion, a lower portion, at least one hinge portion between the upper and lower portions, and bore connector means for releasably connecting the upper portion to the bores; and  
 hinge means for hinging the panels along the respective hinge portions to form a non-linear hinge angle therebetween,  
 wherein a first panel of a first substructure and a second panel of a second substructure are each releasably connected to both the first pair of bores and the second pair of bores, whereby the first and second panels are in parallel confronting relation to each other.  
   
     
     
         2 . The modular furniture construction system of  claim 1 , 
 wherein each bore cluster has an even number of bores.    
     
     
         3 . The modular furniture construction system of  claim 2 , 
 wherein each bore cluster has an even number of diametrically opposed pairs of bores, each diametrically opposed pair being symmetric about a corresponding line of symmetry.    
     
     
         4 . The modular furniture construction system of  claim 1 , 
 wherein said hinge means is a flexible tape hinge adhered to the hinge portions of the vertical panels.    
     
     
         5 . A modular furniture construction kit having component parts capable of being assembled by a user for constructing various configurations of furniture, said modular furniture construction kit comprising the combination of: 
 a generally horizontal platform having top and bottom sides, the bottom side having at least one coordinate region with a plurality of bores arranged in a coordinate pattern thereon; and    at least one substructure having: 
 at least two generally vertical panels, each panel having an upper portion, a lower portion, at least one hinge portion between the upper and lower portions, and bore connector means attached to the upper portion for releasably connecting the upper portion to the bores, said bore connector means to be inserted into selected bores chosen by the user for releasable connection therewith; and  
 hinge means for hinging the panels to each other along the respective hinge portions, said hinge means to be pivoted to form a non-linear hinge angle between adjacent panels prior to releasably connecting the upper portion to the bores.  
   
     
     
         6 . The modular furniture construction kit as in  claim 5 , 
 wherein the coordinate pattern is an arrangement of a plurality of bore clusters, with each bore cluster having at least two bores wherein a first pair of bores of a first bore cluster has a first line of symmetry therebetween, a second pair of bores of a second bore cluster has a second line of symmetry therebetween which is collinear with the first line of symmetry, and a first distance between the first pair of bores is equal to a second distance between the second pair of bores.    
     
     
         7 . The modular furniture construction kit of  claim 6 , 
 wherein a first panel of a first substructure and a second panel of a second substructure are each to be releasably connected to both the first pair of bores and the second pair of bores, whereby the first and second panels are in parallel confronting relation to each other.    
     
     
         8 . The modular furniture construction kit of  claim 6 , 
 wherein each bore cluster has an even number of bores.    
     
     
         9 . The modular furniture construction kit of  claim 8 , 
 wherein each bore cluster has an even number of diametrically opposed pairs of bores, each diametrically opposed pair being symmetric about a corresponding line of symmetry.    
     
     
         10 . The modular furniture construction kit of  claim 5 , 
 wherein said hinge means is a flexible tape hinge adhered to the hinge portions of the vertical panels.    
     
     
         11 . A modular furniture construction system comprising: 
 a generally horizontal platform having top and bottom sides, and at least one throughbore communicating between the top and bottom sides;    at least two substructures, each having: 
 at least two generally vertical panels, each panel having an upper portion, a lower portion, at least one hinge portion between the upper and lower portions, and means for releasably connecting the upper portion to the bottom surface of the platform; and  
 hinge means for hinging the panels to form a non-linear hinge angle therebetween and a hinge corner opposite the hinge angle,  
 wherein at least one pair of the substructures are positioned diametrically opposite each other to form a channeled seat between the respective hinge corners; and  
   at least one support column seated in the channeled seat and extending out through a corresponding throughbore of the platform, for supporting additional components above the platform.    
     
     
         12 . The modular furniture construction system as in  claim 11 , 
 wherein the bottom side has at least one coordinate region with a plurality of bore clusters arranged in a coordinate pattern thereon, each bore cluster having at least two bores wherein a first pair of bores of a first bore cluster has a first line of symmetry therebetween, a second pair of bores of a second bore cluster has a second line of symmetry therebetween which is collinear with the first line of symmetry, and a first distance between the first pair of bores is equal to a second distance between the second pair of bores.    
     
     
         13 . The modular furniture construction system as in  claim 12 , 
 wherein a first panel of a first substructure and a second panel of a second substructure are each releasably connected to both the first pair of bores and the second pair of bores, whereby the first and second panels are in parallel confronting relation to each other.