具体实施方式：
[0069]Disclosed herein is a connection assembly for securing a support member to a work surface (e.g., a table leg to a table top) that is convenient and easy to install, is structurally sturdy and stable, and is economical to manufacture. According to at least one embodiment, the connection assembly includes a fitting that connects to an end of a table leg and an attachment plate that is screwed to the underside of a table top. With the help of a retainer, the fitting can be inserted into a receiving portion of the attachment plate so that the table leg, fitting, retainer, attachment plate and table top are all securely fastened to one another. It is possible to provide a user with a connection assembly kit to simplify the assembly or installation process, where the fitting is already inserted and fastened to an end of the table leg, the retainer is already installed with the attachment plate, and the attachment plate is already screwed to the underside of the table top. In such a scenario, the user may simply connect the table leg to the table top by grasping the table leg and maneuvering the fitting so that it slides into the receiving portion of the attachment plate. In one example, the retainer is a resilient component that is compressed between the fitting and the receiving portion to help take up tolerances within the connection assembly, whereas in another example the retainer is a rotatable component that exerts a force against the fitting to address tolerances and the like. Other examples are provided as well. The connection assembly described herein may provide a “fixed leg” connection (i.e., a connection where the support member is in a fixed position relative to the work surface, as opposed to being foldable or pivotable), it may form a “snap-fit” connection between the support member and the work surface (i.e., a mechanical connection that snaps into place through interlocking components), and it may be accomplished without the user having to employ any tools. Other examples and features are certainly possible and are envisioned by the present application.
[0070]With reference to FIG. 1, there is shown a first example of a table T that includes a table top TT having a top surface TTTOP and a bottom surface TTBOTTOM, as well as four table legs TL. In the illustrated embodiment, the table top TT is rectangular and is generally flat or planar with a flat underside constituted by the bottom surface TTBOTTOM and a flat topside constituted by the top surface TTTOP. Each of the table legs TL may be an elongated support member that has a square or rectangular cross-section and is connected to the bottom surface TTBOTTOM of the table top TT. As will be discussed below, the connection assembly may be used for easily and securely connecting each of the table legs TL to the bottom surface TTBOTTOM of the table top TT. Each of the table legs TL may include a top surface TLTOP that is located at one axial end of the table leg (FIG. 2) so that it is generally disposed within a plane that is perpendicular to a center axis ATL of the table leg TL. The table T may be made of any suitable combination of materials, including wood, plastic, metal, particle board, composite materials, glass, etc. In one embodiment, the table T is comprised of a combination of materials, such as metal (e.g., aluminum-based metals, steels, etc.), wood and plastic—for example, the table legs TL may be made of metal, wood or plastic, the table top TT may be made of wood or a manufactured material like particle board, and one or more components of the connection assembly may be made of metal or plastic. It should be appreciated that the present connection assembly may be used with various other pieces of furniture, not just with tables having rectangular table tops and four table legs. For example, the connection assembly may be used with: square, oval, circular and/or other shaped table tops; tables having more or less than four table legs, such as ones with a single support member towards the center of the table; fixed-height and adjustable-height tables; tables where the table legs are perpendicular to the table top, as well as table legs that are angled with respect to the table top; and pieces of furniture other than standard tables, such as coffee tables, sofa tables, dining tables, desks, book cases, chairs, stools, couches or sofas, benches, night stands, shelving units, file cabinets, etc., to cite a few possibilities. The following connection assembly examples are provided in the context of a table having a table top and multiple table legs, but the connection assembly of the present application is not limited to such and may be used with any number of different pieces of furniture, not just tables.
[0071]The term “support member,” as used herein, broadly includes any type of member or part that provides support within a piece of furniture including, but not limited to, all types of legs, pedestals, supports and/or frames for tables, desks, book cases, chairs, stools, couches or sofas, benches, night stands, shelving units, file cabinets, etc. The term “work surface,” as used herein, broadly includes any type of surface, panel, board or part that is supported within a piece of furniture including, but not limited to, all types of table tops, desk tops, seating surfaces, back rests, shelving surfaces, storage surfaces, frames, etc.
[0072]With reference to FIG. 2, there is shown an exploded view of a first example of a connection assembly 10. The connection assembly 10 may be used to connect one or more of the table legs TL to the bottom surface TTBOTTOM of the table top TT. The table T may include, for example, four connection assemblies 10, one for each support member or table leg TL attached at a different corner of the work surface or table top TT. The connection assembly 10 may include an attachment plate 12, a retainer 14, a fastener 16, and a fitting 18. In the illustrated example, the attachment plate 12 is to be connected to the bottom surface or underside TTBOTTOM of the table top TT and the fitting 18 is to be connected to the top surface or upper end TLTOP of the table leg TL, with the rest of the connection assembly components being generally located therebetween. Unless stated otherwise, terms denoting orientation, such as top, bottom, upper, lower, etc., generally refer to the orientations shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, 18 and 19, 28 and 29, and 30, which are the orientations the connection assembly typically is in once it has been installed in a piece of furniture. These terms are not meant to be limiting, but rather are provided to give the reader a general frame of reference or sense or orientation; other orientations are certainly possible and are covered by the present application.
[0073]With reference to FIGS. 3-6, there are shown several different views of the attachment plate 12, which is a flat plate that is screwed or otherwise attached to the bottom side TTBOTTOM of the work surface or table top TT in such a way that it can securely receive the top surface TLTOP of the support member or table leg TL. The attachment plate 12 may be comprised of a plastic or resin material, a metal or metal alloy, or any other suitably strong material (according to some non-limiting examples, the attachment plate 12 can be cast from of an aluminum-based or a zinc-based material, or it can be laser cut and machined from one or more steel plates or layers that are then attached to one another in a multi-layer form). The attachment plate 12 generally includes a plate portion 30 and a receiving portion 32. The plate portion 30 has an upper surface 34, a lower surface 36, and four peripheral surfaces 38A-D (again, the terms “upper” and “lower” generally pertain to the orientation shown in FIGS. 1 and 2; the orientations shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 are upside down to illustrate features on the underside of the attachment plate 12). The upper surface 34 and the lower surface 36 may be square- or rectangular-shaped and are generally parallel to one another so that, when attached to a table, the upper surface 34 faces the bottom side TTBOTTOM of table top TT and the lower surface 36 faces the ground. As used herein, “generally parallel” means less than 10° of deviation from parallelism or from being parallel. The plate portion 30 may include a number of counter-sunk or counter-bored through-holes 40A-F, each of which extends entirely through the plate portion 30 so that a screw or bolt may pass through the through-hole and secure the attachment plate 12 to the bottom surface TTBOTTOM of the work surface or table top TT. Plate portions having different sizes, shapes, numbers and/or locations of through-holes, etc. may be used instead.
[0074]The receiving portion 32 is a boss-like feature that protrudes or extends from the lower surface 36 of the plate portion 30 so that it can receive the top surface TLTOP of the support member or table leg TL. The receiving portion 32 may include a flange or rim that is integrally formed with the plate portion 30 (e.g., machined, molded, cast and/or additive manufactured (e.g., 3D printed) from the same material) and can be located at a corner of the attachment plate 12, such as an outside corner formed by the first and second peripheral surfaces 38A, 38B, although this is not required. The receiving portion 32 is generally defined by a first wall 50, a second wall 52, a third wall 54, a fourth wall 56, and a recessed portion 58, where the various walls 50-56 make up a raised perimeter for the receiving portion 32 and the recessed portion 58 provides an opening or slot 60 in the raised perimeter for the retainer 14 and/or fitting 18 to be inserted, as will be described. The first wall 50, the second wall 52, the third wall 54, and the fourth wall 56 extend away from the lower surface 36 of the plate portion 30 in a direction that is generally perpendicular to the plane in which the lower surface 36 resides. As used herein, “generally perpendicular” means less than 10° of deviation from being perpendicular. The recessed portion 58 may be recessed or sunken relative to the lower surface 36 of the plate portion 30.
[0075]The first wall 50 is aligned with the first peripheral surface 38A of the plate portion 30 and the second wall 52 is aligned with the second peripheral surface 38B of the plate portion 30, and a first end of each of the first wall 50 and the second wall 52 meet at a corner and are disposed generally perpendicular to one another. A second end of the first wall 50 is connected to a first end of the third wall 54, which extends generally perpendicular to the first wall 50. Likewise, a second end of the second wall 52 is connected to a first end of the fourth wall 56, which extends generally perpendicular to the second wall 52. The first wall 50 and the second wall 52 are approximately twice as long as the third wall 54 and the fourth wall 56 when viewing the attachment plate 12 in a plan or top view (best shown in FIG. 4, which is only a partial view of the attachment plate). Also, in the illustrated embodiment, a second end of the third wall 54 is connected to a middle portion of the first wall 50 by a first inner wall 62 which runs at a diagonal angle, and a second end of the fourth wall 56 is connected a middle portion of the second wall 52 by a second inner wall 64 which also extends at a diagonal angle. The first wall 50 and the second wall 52 each include an inward-facing surface 66, 68, respectively, and the first inner wall 62 and the second inner wall 64 each include an inward-facing surface 70, 72, respectively, that are generally parallel to one another. Triangular cavities may be formed between walls 50, 54 and 62 and between walls 52, 56 and 64, as shown in the drawings.
[0076]The recessed portion 58 is an opening or gap in the receiving portion 32 and provides access between an exterior portion 74 that is disposed outside of the walls 50-56 and an interior portion 76 that is disposed inside of the walls 50-56. The exterior portion 74 includes an exterior ramping surface 78 that is an inclined or sloped surface extending from the lower surface 36 of the plate portion 30 to a surface 80 of the interior portion 76 and is designed to facilitate the sliding insertion of the retainer 14 and/or the fitting 18. As best shown in FIG. 5, the exterior ramping surface 78 may be inclined at an angle between 20°-40°, inclusive, or, even more preferably, between 25°-35°, inclusive, (e.g., about 29°) relative to the plane in which the upper surface 34 of the plate portion 30 resides. The interior portion 76 includes the surface 80 and an interior ramping surface 82 that is an inclined or sloped surface extending from the surface 80 toward first and second walls 50, 52. The surface 80 is generally parallel to the upper surface 34 and/or the lower surface 36 of the plate portion 30. According to one example, the surfaces 80, 82, the exterior ramping surface 78, along with the four inward-facing surfaces 66-72 and the recessed portion 58 define the slot 60.
[0077]The interior portion 76 also includes a through-hole 84 that extends completely through the attachment plate 12, from the surface 80 to the upper surface 34. The through-hole 84 is defined by a cylindrically-shaped surface 86, which may be smooth (as shown in the illustrated embodiment) or threaded. A fastener S84 (FIG. 16), such as a screw or bolt, may be inserted through the through-hole 84 and into the table top TT so as to secure the attachment plate 12 to the work surface or table top TT in the area of the receiving portion 32. According to one embodiment, the through-hole 84 is located in the surface 80 so that a center axis A84 of the through-hole 84 is aligned and is generally co-axial with the center axis ATL (FIG. 2) of the support member or table leg TL when it is secured to the table top TT via the connection assembly 10 (FIG. 16). As used herein, “generally co-axial” means two or more axes that are “generally parallel” to one another and that are offset or shifted from one another by a distance of 15 mm or less when assembled (e.g., in the cross-section of FIG. 16, the three axes A84, ATL and A16 are “generally co-axial” if they are generally parallel to one another and if they are laterally shifted from one another by 15 mm or less within the assembly). The co-axial alignment regarding center axes A84, ATL can help distribute and/or transfer forces or loads exerted on the table leg TL to the table top TT via the connection assembly 10 so that the holding strength of the assembly is improved and separation between the attachment plate 12 and the table top TT is prevented. It is possible for the center axes A84, ATL to be slightly shifted from one another (i.e., not exactly co-axial, but generally co-axial) where the center axis A84 of the through-hole 84 is still within the footprint of the table leg TL when it is installed in the receiving portion 32 of the attachment plate 12. Put differently, the through-hole 84 may be positioned such that when the table leg TL is installed, the top surface TLTOP of the table leg TL covers the through-hole 84, even if the two center axes are not exactly co-axial. This arrangement may also improve the holding strength of the connection assembly 10.
[0078]As is best shown in FIG. 6, the first and second inner walls 62 and 64 are arranged so that their respective inward-facing surfaces 70 and 72 face one another in a generally parallel manner. The first and second inner walls 62 and 64 may also include notched surfaces 88 and 90, respectively, formed into the inward-facing surfaces 70 and 72 so that corresponding slots or channels 92, 94 are formed on opposing sides of the interior portion 76. These slots or channels 92, 94 are configured for receiving prongs (e.g., prongs 110, 112 (FIGS. 7-8)) of the retainer 14 and provide the receiving portion 32 with channels so that the retainer 14 and/or fitting 18 can be slid or otherwise inserted into place.
[0079]With reference to FIGS. 7-9, there is shown an example of the retainer 14, which is a resilient component that is located between the attachment plate 12 and the fitting 18 and is designed to help retain the table leg TL in place once it has been installed and to help absorb tolerances within the connection assembly 10. According to one example, the retainer 14 includes a first prong 110, a second prong 112, a cross-piece 114 connected to both the first prong 110 and the second prong 112, and a retaining tab 116 connected to the cross-piece 114. The retainer 14 may be comprised of plastic or a resin material, a metal or a metal alloy, or any other suitably resilient material (according to some non-limiting examples, retainer 14 can be injection molded or cast from a plastic, such as a nylon (with or without glass fibers), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and/or some other durable yet sufficiently ductile plastic material). The first prong 110 and the second prong 112 may be mirror images of one another. The first prong 110 and the second prong 112 are each shaped as an elongated plate that includes two side edges 118, 120 and 122, 124 that each extend between a first edge 126, 128 located at a first end 130, 132 and a second edge 134, 136 located at a second end 138, 140 of the respective prong 110, 112. For each of the first and second prongs 110, 112, the first edge 126, 128 is generally perpendicular to the side edges 118-124 and the second edge 134, 136 is angled relative to the side edges 118-124 (e.g., at about a 45° angle relative to the edges 120, 122). The first prong 110 is configured to slide into the first slot 92 and the second prong 112 is configured to slide into the second slot 94 so that the retainer 14 can be at least somewhat secured within the receiving portion 32 of the attachment plate 12.
[0080]The cross-piece 114 is connected to the first prong 110 via a first curved portion 142 and to the second prong 112 via a second curved portion 144. The cross-piece 114 also includes a curved slot 146 that is inset within a front side 148 of the cross-piece 114 and that is aligned with the through-hole 84 of the recessed portion 58 when the retainer 14 is installed within the attachment plate 12. The cross-piece 114 also includes a bottom surface 150. The retaining tab 116 extends from a first end 152 to a second end 154, where the first end 152 is located at a rear side 156 of the cross-piece 114. The retaining tab 116 is angled relative to a plane in which the first and second prongs 110, 112 reside as the retaining tab 116 extends from the first end 152 to the second end 154. In the illustrated embodiment, and as is best shown in FIG. 9, this angle may be between 15°-45°, inclusive, and, even more preferably, between 25°-35°, inclusive, (e.g., about 29°), although other angles may certainly be used instead. The retaining tab 116 is a tab- or handle-like extension that may include a bottom surface 158 and a retaining protrusion 160 for engagement. The retaining protrusion 160 includes an inward-facing wall 162 and two outward-facing walls 164, 166 that may be arranged in a triangular configuration. As will be discussed more below, the retaining tab 116 with its retaining protrusion 160 are designed to help maintain the table leg TL in place once it has been attached to the rest of the connection assembly 10. The retaining tab 116 is resilient and is configured to flex or rotate about a retaining tab pivot point P when the retaining protrusion 160 is forced upward by a user during insertion of the table leg TL, as shown by the arrow F in FIG. 9. This permits the fitting 18, which would already be installed in the top surface TLTOP of the table leg TL, to be slid into the slot 60 of the receiving portion 32 against the retainer 14, which would already be installed inside of the receiving portion 32. In this way, features of both the retainer 14 and the fitting 18 share the same slots or channels 92, 94 so that the retainer and 14 and fitting 18 are both secured to the receiving portion 32 of the attachment plate 12. The insertion of the fitting 18, in this way, creates a resilient or spring force (acting in the downward direction, opposite to the arrow F) so that, after installation of the table leg, the retaining tab 116 exerts a force against the fitting 18 that helps absorb or take up tolerances within the connection assembly 10 and keep the components thereof tightly in place. This arrangement can help establish the snap-fit connection mentioned above.
[0081]In some embodiments, the curve portions 142, 144 may permit the retainer 14 to be somewhat crushed or otherwise deformed when the fitting 18 is inserted into the receiving portion 32 of the attachment plate 12 so that a tight fit is formed between the attachment plate 12, the retainer 14, and the fitting 18. In such an embodiment, for example, the retainer 14 may be slid into the receiving portion 32 of the attachment plate 12 first, and then the fitting 18 may be forced into the receiving portion 32 so that the fitting 18 presses on the bottom surface 150 of the cross-piece 114 so as to force the cross-piece 114 toward the first prong 110 and second prong 112, which results in deformation of the retainer 14 and that serves to increase the snap-fit connection strength between the fitting 18 and the attachment plate 12. In at least one embodiment, the curved portions 142, 144 of the retainer 14 permit or promote this deformation. In other embodiments, the retainer 14 may include additional crush ribs, tabs, or other deformation promoting features.
[0082]With reference to FIGS. 10-15, there is shown an example of the fitting 18, which is a small piece that is inserted into an end of the support member or table leg TL and mates with the receiving portion 32 of the attachment plate 12 so that the table leg TL can be secured to the work surface or table top TT. The fitting 18 may be comprised of a plastic or resin material, a metal or metal alloy, or some other suitable material (according to some non-limiting examples, the attachment plate 12 can be cast from of an aluminum-based or a zinc-based material, or it can be laser cut and machined from one or more steel plates or layers that are then attached to one another in a multi-layer form). According to the illustrated embodiment, the fitting 18 is separate from the table leg TL and is configured to be inserted into a hollow end at the top surface TLTOP of the table leg TL. In other embodiments, however, the fitting 18 may be integrally formed with the table leg TL so that a unitary structure comprises the fitting 18 and the table leg TL. In the illustrated embodiment, the fitting 18 includes a bottom side 190, a top side 192, two peripheral sides 194, 196, a rear side 198, and a front side 200.
[0083]The bottom side 190 includes a bottom surface 202 that is at least partially planar so that it may abut the top surface TLTOP of the table leg TL in a complementary fashion.
[0084]The bottom surface 202 may be hexagonally-shaped. The fitting 18 also includes a protuberance 204 that is L-shaped and that extends downward from the bottom surface 202 at an end located near the rear side 198. The table leg TL includes a corresponding L-shaped cavity (not shown) that is configured to receive the L-shaped protuberance 204 of the fitting 18. According to at least some embodiments, the mating of the protuberance 204 of the fitting 18 and the corresponding cavity of the table leg TL provides a way for an assembler to locate the correct position for connecting the fitting 18 to the table leg TL. At least according to some embodiments, this protuberance 204 provides additional strength to the connection between the fitting 18 and the table leg TL.
[0085]The fitting 18 includes a through-hole 206 that extends in a direction of the table leg axis ATL and that is configured to receive the fastener 16 (FIG. 2) that includes a screw shaft 208 and a screw head 210, and that extends along a central axis A16. The through-hole 206 is a cylindrical hole that includes a diameter greater than or equal to the diameter of the screw shaft 208 and that is less than the diameter of the screw head 210 so that the fastener 16 is capable of securely holding the fitting 18 to the table leg TL when the fastener 16 is inserted into the through-hole 206 and driven into the table leg TL. The cylindrical surface that defines the through-hole 206 may be smooth or may be threaded. Of course, in other embodiments, other mechanisms for connecting the fitting 18 to the table leg TL may be used, such as adhesives or through integrally forming the fitting 18 and the table leg TL as a single, unitary structure. In one example, the fastener 16 is made of steel.
[0086]The top side 192 includes a top surface 212 that is generally parallel with the bottom surface 202 of the bottom side 190. The through-hole 206 extends through the top surface 212 as is best shown in FIG. 12. A recess 214 is formed within the middle of the top surface 212 that is configured so as to receive the screw head 210 of the fastener 16. As is best shown in FIG. 12, which shows a sectional view of the fitting 18 taken at the section 12-12 (FIG. 11), the width W190 of the fitting 18 at the bottom side 190 is less than the width W192 of the fitting 18 at the top side 192. The top side 192 also includes two ramping surfaces 216, 218 that are angled relative to the plane in which the top surface 212 resides; in the illustrated embodiment, the two ramping surfaces 216, 218 are inclined at an angle between 20°-40°, inclusive, or, even more preferably, between 25°-35°, inclusive, (e.g., about 29°) (FIG. 15), which corresponds to the angle at which the exterior ramping surface 78 is inclined, as discussed above.
[0087]The rear side 198 includes two curved surfaces 220, 222 that each extends between the bottom surface 202 and a respective one of the two ramping surfaces 216, 218. The two curved surfaces 220, 222 are concaved as is best shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 15. The two curved surfaces 220, 222 each includes a peripheral side edge 224, 226 that is curved. A slot 228 is disposed between the two ramping surfaces 216, 218 and between the two curved surfaces 220, 222. The slot 228 includes a recessed surface 230 that extends from the top surface 212, starting at a location proximate to the through-hole 206, toward the rear side 198, ending at a location proximate to the bottom side 190 at a point at which the two curved surfaces 220, 222 converge.
[0088]The front side 200 includes two front surfaces 232, 234 that extend upward from the bottom surface 202 and toward the top side 192. The two front surfaces 232, 234 merge into two flanges 236, 238 that each includes a downward-facing surface 240, 242 and which is opposed on an opposite side of the respective flanges 236, 238 from the top surface 212. When the fitting 18 is slid into the slot 60 of the attachment plate 12, interference between the first and second inner walls 62, 64 and the flanges 236, 238 prevent the fitting 18 from being dislodged from the receiving portion 32 (FIG. 16).
[0089]The two peripheral sides 194, 196 each include a peripheral surface 244, 246 that extend between the bottom surface 202, the top surface 212, a respective one of the peripheral side edges 224, 226, a respective one of the two front surfaces 232, 234, and a respective one of the two flanges 236, 238. The distance between the peripheral surfaces 244, 246 decreases as the peripheral surfaces 244, 246 extend from the rear side 198 to the front side 200.
[0090]With reference to FIG. 16, there is shown an example of the connection assembly 10 connecting or attaching the support member TL to the work surface TT. The fastener 16 holds and secures the fitting 18 to the support member or table leg TL, and interference between the first and second inner walls 62, 64 and the flanges 236, 238 prevents the fitting 18 from being dislodged from the receiving portion 32 of the attachment plate 12. The retainer 14 is thereby trapped between the fitting 18 and the attachment plate 12 and is also prevented from being dislodged. When the connection assembly 10 is assembled, the center axis A84 of the through-hole 84, the center axis ATL of the table leg TL, and the center axis A16 of the fastener 16 may be aligned so that they are all generally co-axial with one another. This arrangement permits the connection assembly 10 to have an increased strength when compared to table leg connections that do not have a fastener 84 used for securing an attachment plate to a table top that is aligned with the center axis ATL of the table leg TL and/or the center axis A16 of the fastener 16.
[0091]With reference to FIG. 17, there is shown a first example of a method 300 for connecting a support member to a work surface with the use of a connection assembly. Although the description of the method 300 refers to connection assembly 10, it should be appreciated that the method 300 may be used with other table leg connection assemblies that are within the spirit of the foregoing discussion. The method 300 begins with step 310, wherein the attachment plate 12 is secured to the work surface, such as the table top TT of the table T The attachment plate12 may be secured to the table top TT by placing screws within each of the six through-holes 40A-F of the plate portion 30 and the through-hole 84 of the receiving portion 32. The screws may be driven by a drill or a screwdriver upward through each of the seven through-holes 40A-F, 84 and into the table top TT, which may be comprised of wood or particle board. In other embodiments, such as where the table top TT is metal, threaded holes may already be provided within the bottom surface TTBOTTOM of the table top TT at positions corresponding to those of the seven through-holes 40A-F, 84 of the attachment plate 12. In such an embodiment, bolts or screws may be inserted through through-holes 40A-F, 84 of the attachment plate 12 and threaded into the threaded holes in the table top TT, thereby securing the attachment plate 12 to the table top TT. The method 300 continues to step 320.
[0092]In step 320, the retainer 14 is inserted into the receiving portion 32 of the attachment plate 12. In one embodiment, the first prong 110 and the second prong 112 of the retainer 14 are slid into the corresponding slots 92, 94 of the receiving portion of the attachment plate 12. In another embodiment, step 320 is carried out before step 310 so that the retainer 14 is already inserted into the receiving portion 32 of the attachment plate 12 prior to securing the attachment plate 12 to the table top TT. The method 300 continues to step 330.
[0093]In step 330, the fitting 18 is connected to the support member or table leg TL. In some embodiments, the fastener 16 is inserted through the through-hole 206 of the fitting 18 and through the top surface TLTOP of the table leg TL so that the fastener 16 holds the fitting 18 to the table leg TL. In one embodiment, the fastener 16 is driven by a drill or screwdriver through the top surface TLTOP of the table leg TL. In another embodiment, the fastener 16 is threaded into a threaded through-hole that is within the table leg TL; such an embodiment may be preferable when the table leg is comprised of metal. The method 300 then continues to step 340.
[0094]In step 340, the fitting 18, which is attached to the table leg TL, is inserted into the receiving portion 32 of the attachment plate 12. In one embodiment, this step includes urging the retaining tab 116 upward (e.g., by manually engaging the retaining tab and pressing it in the direction of arrow F in FIG. 9) so that the retaining tab 116 pivots about the pivot point P and the fitting 18 is able to be slid into the slot 60 of the receiving portion 32. As the retaining tab 116 is being deformed and held in the upward position, the top side 192 of the fitting 18 is slid along the exterior ramping surface 78 and into the slot 60 of the receiving portion 32 so that interference between the first and second inner walls 62, 64 and the flanges 236, 238 prevent the fitting 18 from being dislodged from the receiving portion 32. After the retaining tab 116 is released, the retaining tab 116, through the resilient force of the retainer 14, pivots downward (e.g., by manually releasing the retaining tab so that it can move counter to the direction of arrow F of FIG. 9) about the pivot point P such that the retaining protrusion 160 pushes against the rear side 198 of the f