Self-bear furniture modules and elements made of metal, in particular made of a die-cast aluminum alloy, and process for their possible surface finishing

Abstract

A self-bearing furniture module or element ( 1 ) is described, made of a die-cast aluminium alloy, and comprising: an elongated supporting structure ( 3 ) with two ends ( 5, 7 ) and equipped with at least one first engaging element ( 9, 11 ); at least one bearing component ( 12, 14 ) connected to the supporting structure ( 3 ) adjacent to the first engaging element ( 9, 11 ); and at least one engaging component ( 16, 18 ) connected to the supporting structure ( 3 ) in a central part thereof at the same distance from the two ends ( 5, 7 ); the engaging component ( 16, 18 ) is equipped with at least one second engaging element ( 20, 22 ) and is adapted to engage a respective bearing component ( 12, 14 ) of another furniture module or element through operative coupling of the corresponding first and second engaging elements ( 9, 11 and 20, 22 ). A process is also described, for the possible surface finishing of such furniture module or element ( 1 ).

1 . Self-bearing furniture module or element ( 1 ), made of metal, in particular of an aluminium alloy, preferably a die-cast aluminium alloy, and comprising:
 an elongated supporting structure ( 3 ) comprising two ends ( 5 ,  7 ) and equipped with at least one first engaging element ( 9 ,  11 ) placed at one of the ends ( 5 ,  7 );   at least one bearing component ( 12 ,  14 ) connected to the supporting structure ( 3 ) adjacent to the first engaging element ( 9 ,  11 ); and   at least one engaging component ( 16 ,  18 ) by restraining, connected to the supporting structure ( 3 ), said engaging component ( 16 ,  18 ) being equipped with at least one second engaging element ( 20 ,  22 ) and being adapted to engage a respective bearing component ( 12 ,  14 ) of another furniture module or element through an operating coupling of their corresponding first and second engaging elements ( 9 ,  11  and  20 ,  22 );   characterised in that the bearing components ( 12 ,  14 ) are two, each one shaped as a regular geometric figure with a maximum overall size of a same order of magnitude of the length of the supporting structure ( 3 ), and the engaging components ( 16 ,  18 ) are also two, each one shaped as the same regular geometric figure of the bearing components ( 12 ,  14 ) with a maximum overall size of a same order of magnitude of the length of the supporting structure ( 3 ), the overall size of the engaging components ( 16 ,  18 ) being greater than the overall size of the bearing components ( 12 ,  14 ), in order to be able to place an engaging component ( 16 ,  18 ) of a first furniture module or element ( 1 ) around and in engaging contact with the corresponding bearing component ( 12 ,  14 ) of a second furniture module or element _( 1 ), when the first and the second modules ( 1 ) are mutually joined.   
     
     
         2 . Furniture module or element ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , characterised in that the bearing components ( 12 ,  14 ) are two, shaped as a circle with a diameter of a same order of magnitude of the length of the supporting structure ( 3 ), and the engaging components ( 16 ,  18 ) are also two, shaped as a circle with a diameter of a same order of magnitude of the length of the supporting structure. ( 3 ), the diameter of the engaging components ( 16 ,  18 ) being greater than the diameter of the bearing components ( 12 ,  14 ), in order to be able to place an engaging component ( 16 ,  18 ) of a first furniture module or element ( 1 ) around and in engaging contact with the corresponding bearing component ( 12 ,  14 ) of a second furniture module or element ( 1 ), when the first and the second modules ( 1 ) are mutually joined. 
     
     
         3 . Furniture module or element ( 1 ) according to  claim 1  or  2 , characterised in that it is made in a single piece. 
     
     
         4 . Furniture module or element ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 ,  2  or  3 , characterised in that the bearing components ( 12 ,  14 ) are placed at the two ends ( 5 ,  7 ) of the supporting structure ( 3 ) along its longitudinal axis, while the bearing components ( 16 ,  18 ) are centrally placed with respect to the supporting structure ( 3 ) and along an axis which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the structure ( 3 ) itself, thereby making a “four-leaved clover”-shaped arrangement of the furniture module or element ( 1 ). 
     
     
         5 . Furniture module or element ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 ,  2  or  3 ., characterised in that the bearing components ( 12 ,  14 ) are two, of a circular shape, and are arranged with their diameter axes mutually perpendicular, and the engaging components ( 16 ,  18 ) are also two, of a circular shape, with a diameter greater than the diameter of the bearing components ( 12 ,  14 ), with their diameter axes mutually perpendicular and respectively coinciding with the diameter axes of the bearing components ( 12 ,  14 ), in order to be able to place an engaging component ( 16 ,  18 ) of a first furniture module or element ( 1 ) around the corresponding bearing component ( 12 ,  14 ) of a second furniture module or element ( 1 ), when the first and the second modules ( 1 ) are mutually joined. 
     
     
         6 . Furniture module or element ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , characterised in that it further comprises a coating comprising at least one first reflecting layer and at least one second transparent layer, both layers being composed of a mixture of two components with correspondingly and proportionally varying relative molar fractions: 1) metallic material, for example iron, nickel or titanium, and 2) a material based on silicon oxide or silica, or an oxide of another element of Group IVA of the Periodic Element Table. 
     
     
         7 . Process for manufacturing a furniture module or element ( 1 ) according to  claim 6 , comprising the steps of:
 providing a die, particularly for die-casting;   making the furniture modules or elements ( 1 ) under conditions with metal jets, particularly aluminium alloy;   pre-treating the furniture module or element ( 1 );   washing the furniture module or element ( 1 );   depositing on the furniture module or element ( 1 ) at least one first reflecting layer and at least one second transparent layer, both layers being composed of a mixture of two components with correspondingly and proportionally varying relative molar fractions: 1) a metallic material, for example iron, nickel or titanium, and 2) a material based on silicon oxide or silica, or an oxide of another element of Group IVA of the Periodic Element Table.   
     
     
         8 . Process according to  claim 7 , characterised in that said step of washing comprises the sub-steps of:
 blowing with compressed air, to remove the presence of contaminants as dust deposited on the surface;   keeping in a closed chamber, under vacuum conditions and at a temperature included between 100 and 200° C.;   degreasing through solvents, such as acetone or ethyl alcohol, to remove oily or greasy contaminants that can still be deposited on the metal surface.   
     
     
         9 . Process according to  claim 7 , characterised in that the relative fractions of the two components change, in order to change the refraction index, with values that, in the first layer, range from 0 to 1 for the metallic material and from 1 to 0 for the oxide-based material, while in the second layer range from 0 to 0.9 for the metallic material and correspondingly from 1 to 0.1 for the oxide based material. 
     
     
         10 . Process according to  claim 7 , characterised in that the first reflecting layer is obtained through deposition with Physical Vapour Deposition, PVD, techniques. 
     
     
         11 . Process according to  claim 10 , characterised in that said PVD techniques are Sputtering, AND-Beam, Cathode Arc, Ion Beam. 
     
     
         12 . Process according to  claim 7 , characterised in that the second transparent layer is obtained through, PVD deposition techniques or with Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition (PECVD) techniques or other CVD technique. 
     
     
         13 . Process according to  claim 7 , characterised in that said step of pre-treating the furniture module or element ( 1 ) is performed through sanding, polishing, brushing, tumbling or buffing.