Modular furniture system

Abstract

A modular furniture system that allows modular furniture units to be assembled from a set of boxes is provided. Each box includes a pattern of recesses on one or more panels. The pattern of recesses is configured to accept one or more pegs, and to align with a corresponding pattern of recesses on a neighboring box. The pegs cause the neighboring boxes to be in alignment as selected by a customer. In some embodiments, each box is substantially cube-shaped, or has dimensions that are multiples of other boxes that are cube-shaped. In some embodiments, one or more boxes are tapered to form isosceles trapezoidal prisms instead of cubes, thus causing a curve to be formed when such boxes are aligned with each other.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
         1 . A box configured for combination with additional components to create modular furniture, the box comprising:
 a set of panels including a top panel, a bottom panel, a left side panel, and a right side panel; and   wherein at least one panel of the set of panels includes a pattern of recesses shaped to accommodate one or more pegs for aligning the box with corresponding recesses of a neighboring box.   
     
     
         2 . The box as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the top panel, the bottom panel, the left side panel, and the right side panel form a cube with an open front side and an open back side. 
     
     
         3 . The box as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the top panel, the bottom panel, the left side panel, and the right side panel form an isosceles trapezoidal prism with an open front side and an open back side. 
     
     
         4 . The box as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the one or more pegs are coin-shaped. 
     
     
         5 . The box as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the pattern of recesses includes a single recess centered in the at least one panel. 
     
     
         6 . The box as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the pattern of recesses includes a plurality of recesses arranged in a grid on the at least one panel. 
     
     
         7 . The box as recited in  claim 1 , wherein a top surface of the box includes one or more recessed holes each shaped to accommodate a pin for holding the box to a neighboring box. 
     
     
         8 . A modular furniture system, comprising:
 a plurality of boxes, each box including a pattern of recesses; and   a plurality of pegs for insertion into the recesses of the boxes to align adjacent boxes with each other.   
     
     
         9 . The modular furniture system as recited in  claim 8 , wherein at least one box of the plurality of boxes is a different size than the other boxes of the plurality of boxes. 
     
     
         10 . The modular furniture system as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the at least one box of the plurality of boxes that is a different size is twice as wide as the other boxes of the plurality of boxes. 
     
     
         11 . The modular furniture system as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the boxes are cube-shaped and form a flat surface when aligned using the plurality of pegs. 
     
     
         12 . The modular furniture system as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the boxes are tapered in at least one dimension and form a curved surface when aligned using the plurality of pegs. 
     
     
         13 . The modular furniture system as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the pegs of the plurality of pegs are coin-shaped. 
     
     
         14 . The modular furniture system as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the pattern of recesses is arranged to allow adjacent boxes to be aligned using the plurality of pegs at a selectable offset in at least one dimension. 
     
     
         15 . The modular furniture system as recited in  claim 8 , further comprising a plurality of clips; wherein at least two horizontally adjacent boxes of the plurality of boxes are held to each other by at least one clip inserted into corresponding recessed holes of the at least two horizontally adjacent boxes.