Modular furniture system

Abstract

In one embodiment of the present invention, a kit comprises interchangeable base panels, short side panels, tall side panels, at least one short back panel, at least one tall back panel, at least one horizontal divider, at least one short vertical divider, and at least one tall vertical divider. The base, side, and back panels, and the horizontal and vertical dividers, are selectively assemblable to form at least two disassemblable configurations, including a cubbie configuration and a locker configuration. In certain embodiments, the cubbie configuration includes the base panels, the short side panels, the short back panel, the horizontal divider, and the short vertical divider. Additionally, in certain embodiments, the locker configuration includes the base panels, the tall side panels, the tall back panel, the horizontal divider, and the tall vertical divider.

1 . A kit, comprising:
 two interchangeable base panels having a length and a width perpendicular to the length, at least two short side panels having a short height, at least two tall side panels having a tall height, wherein said tall height differs from said short height, at least one short back panel having a height corresponding to the height of said short side panels, at least one tall back panel having a height corresponding to the height of said tall side panels, at least one horizontal divider having a length corresponding to the length of said base panels, at least one short vertical divider having a height corresponding to the height of said short side panels, and at least one tall vertical divider having a height corresponding to the height of said tall side panels;   wherein said base, side, and back panels, and said horizontal and vertical dividers, are selectively assemblable to form at least two disassemblable configurations, wherein each of said configurations includes a first base panel positioned generally parallel to a second base panel;   wherein a first configuration is a cubbie configuration:
 wherein two of said short side panels are positioned as sides of said cubbie configuration between said base panels, such that said base panels are spaced apart by the height of said short side panels and said short side panels are spaced apart by the length of said base panels; 
 wherein said at least one short back panel is positioned as a back of said cubbie configuration; 
 wherein said two short side panels and said short back panel are selectively engaged to and positioned generally perpendicular to said first and second base panels; and, 
 wherein said at least one horizontal divider is selectively engaged to said two short side panels and said at least one short vertical divider, and said at least one short vertical divider is selectively engaged to said base panels, said at least one short vertical divider being positioned generally parallel to and between said two short side panels and said at least one horizontal divider being positioned generally parallel to and between said base panels; 
   wherein a second configuration is a locker configuration:
 wherein two of said tall side panels are positioned as sides of said locker configuration between said base panels, such that said base panels are spaced apart by the height of said tall side panels and said tall side panels are spaced apart by the length of said base panels; 
 wherein said at least one tall back panel is positioned as a back of said locker configuration; 
 wherein said two tall side panels and said tall back panel are selectively engaged to and positioned generally perpendicular to said first and second base panels; and 
 wherein said at least one horizontal divider is selectively engaged to said two tall side panels and said at least one tall vertical divider, and said at least one tall vertical divider is selectively engaged to said base panels, said at least one tall vertical divider being positioned generally parallel to and between said two tall side panels and said at least one horizontal divider being positioned generally parallel to and between said base panels. 
   
   
   
       2 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein in said locker configuration, said horizontal divider is offset between said base panels, such that the distance between said horizontal divider and said first base panel is smaller than the distance between said horizontal divider and said second base panel. 
   
   
       3 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one tall vertical divider and said at least one horizontal divider are interchangeable. 
   
   
       4 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein said kit is combinable with a second kit, said second kit including panels and dividers assemblable to form at least one configuration, and comprising at least one hinge assembly, wherein said hinge assembly is selectively engageable to configurations formed from said kit and said second kit to connect said configurations together. 
   
   
       5 . The kit of  claim 4 , wherein one configuration formed from said kit and said second kit is a cubbie configuration, and the other configuration formed from said kit and said second kit is a locker configuration. 
   
   
       6 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein:
 each of said base panels includes a back edge along the length of said base panel and two side edges along the width of said base panel;   said back panel includes two ends along the length of said back panel;   each of said side panels has a width corresponding to the width of said base panels and includes two ends along the width of said side panel engageable with said side edges of said base panels; and   each of said base panels includes at least one back groove adjacent the back edge of said base panel to snugly receive one of said ends of said back panel, and further includes two side grooves, one of said two side grooves adjacent each of said side edges of said base panels, wherein each of said side grooves snugly receives one of said ends of one of said side panels.   
   
   
       7 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein said vertical divider has a width corresponding to the width of said base panels and includes two opposite ends along the width of said vertical divider, wherein each of said base panels includes at least one middle groove to snugly receive one of said ends of said vertical dividers. 
   
   
       8 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein said horizontal divider has a width corresponding to the width of said base panels and includes two opposite ends along the width of said horizontal divider, wherein each of said side panels includes at least one shelf to snugly receive one of said ends of said horizontal divider. 
   
   
       9 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein each of said horizontal divider, said short vertical divider, and said tall vertical divider has a width corresponding to the width of said base panels and includes a slot to interlock said horizontal and vertical dividers, wherein said slots are interlocking slots extending approximately half the width of each of said horizontal divider, said short vertical divider, and said tall vertical divider. 
   
   
       10 . The kit of  claim 1 , comprising at least one back casing and at least two side casings selectively and releasably mounted about a periphery of said configurations to maintain formation of said configurations, said back casing and said side casings being selectively and releasably engageable to said base panels. 
   
   
       11 . The kit of  claim 10 , wherein said side casings each include a groove and a shelf, wherein said back casing has a length corresponding to the length of said base panels and a height perpendicular to said length, wherein said back casing includes two opposite ends along the height of said back casing, wherein each of said base panels includes two ends along the width of said base panel, wherein said groove receives one of said ends of said back casing and said shelf receives one of said ends along the width of said base panel. 
   
   
       12 . The kit of  claim 1 , comprising at least one mounting hole defined in one or more of said base, side, and back panels, and said horizontal and vertical dividers, for mounting at least one object to said configurations. 
   
   
       13 . A furniture assembly, comprising:
 at least two interchangeable base panels having a length, at least two short side panels having a height, at least two tall side panels having a height, at least one short back panel having a height corresponding to the height of said short side panels, at least one tall back panel having a height corresponding to the height of said tall side panels, at least one horizontal divider having a length corresponding to the length of said base panels, at least one short vertical divider having a height corresponding to the height of said short side panels, and at least one tall vertical divider having a height corresponding to the height of said tall side panels;   wherein said base, side, and back panels, and said horizontal and vertical dividers, are selectively assemblable to form at least two disassemblable configurations.   
   
   
       14 . The furniture assembly of  claim 13 , wherein in each of said configurations, a first base panel is positioned generally parallel to a second base panel, wherein each of said base panels includes a back groove to selectively engage edges of said back panel, at least one middle groove to selectively engage edges of said vertical dividers, and two side grooves to selectively engage edges of said side panels, wherein said horizontal divider and said tall and short vertical dividers each include at least one inter-locking half slot to interlock said horizontal divider with said tall and short vertical dividers;
 wherein a first configuration is a cubbie configuration:
 wherein two of said short side panels are positioned as sides of said cubbie configuration between said base panels, such that said base panels are spaced apart by the height of said short side panels and said short side panels are spaced apart by the length of said base panels; 
 wherein said short back panel is positioned as a back of said cubbie configuration; 
 wherein said two short side panels and said short back panel are selectively engaged to and positioned generally perpendicular to said first and second base panels; and, 
 wherein said at least one horizontal divider is selectively engaged to said two short side panels and said at least one short vertical divider, and said at least one short vertical divider is selectively engaged to said at least one horizontal divider and said base panels, said at least one short vertical divider being positioned generally parallel to and between said two short side panels and said at least one horizontal divider being positioned generally parallel to and between said base panels. 
   
   
   
       15 . The furniture assembly of  claim 14 , wherein a second configuration is a locker configuration:
 wherein two of said tall side panels are positioned as sides of said locker configuration between said base panels, such that said base panels are spaced apart by the height of said tall side panels and said tall side panels are spaced apart by the length of said base panels;   wherein said tall back panel is positioned as a back of said locker configuration;   wherein said two tall side panels and said tall back panel are selectively engaged to and positioned generally perpendicular to said first and second base panels; and   wherein said at least one horizontal divider is selectively engaged to said two tall side panels and said at least one tall vertical divider, and said at least one tall vertical divider is selectively engaged to said at least one horizontal divider and said base panels, said at least one tall vertical divider being positioned generally parallel to and between said two tall side panels and said at least one horizontal divider being positioned generally parallel to and between said base panels.   
   
   
       16 . The furniture assembly of  claim 14 , comprising at least one long insert and at least one short insert, wherein said long insert is configured to fit in one of any of said back groove, said middle groove, and said side grooves, and wherein said short insert is configured to fit in one of any of said inter-locking half slots. 
   
   
       17 . The furniture assembly of  claim 13 , wherein said furniture assembly is combinable with a second furniture assembly, said second furniture assembly including panels and dividers assemblable to form at least one configuration, and comprising at least one hinge assembly selectively engageable to configurations from said furniture assembly and said second furniture assembly to connect said configurations. 
   
   
       18 . The furniture assembly of  claim 15 , wherein said assembly is arrangeable to form a second locker configuration comprising a plurality of said horizontal dividers positioned generally parallel to and between said base panels, and a plurality of said tall vertical dividers positioned generally parallel to and between said tall side panels. 
   
   
       19 . The furniture assembly of  claim 13 , comprising at least two back casings and at least four side casings, wherein said casings are selectively and releasably mounted around two peripheries of a configuration to maintain engagement of said panels and said dividers of said configuration, said casings being selectively and releasably engaged to said base panels. 
   
   
       20 . The furniture assembly of  claim 13 , wherein each of said base panels has a width perpendicular to the length of said base panel, wherein said horizontal divider has a width corresponding to the width of said base panels and includes two opposite ends along the width of said horizontal divider, wherein each of said side panels includes at least one shelf to snugly receive one of said ends of said horizontal divider.