Attachment bracket for shelf support system
An attachment bracket for a shelf support system, adapted for being mounted to a post of square cross-section and for receiving a portion of a shelf unit therein, comprises a bracket. The bracket has a back wall defining a bottom, a top and vertical edges, and side arms, extending laterally from the vertical edges of the back wall, whereby defining outer surfaces and inner surfaces of the bracket. First protrusions are located on the inner surfaces of the bracket and are adapted for mating engagement with a corresponding indentation in the post for being vertically secured thereto. The side arms comprise slots adapted for supporting a portion of the shelf unit therein. The slots have friction edge portions, adapted for the captive engagement of the portion of the shelf unit therein. The inner surface of one of the side arms has a second protrusion at a predetermined distance from the back wall, whereby the bracket is adapted for snap-fitting engagement with the corner post. The inner surface of the back wall has a third protrusion, whereby adapted for biasing the bracket outwardly from the corner post when the bracket is matingly engaged therewith for forcing the portion of the shelf secured thereto against the post.
The present invention relates to shelving systems and, more particularly to an improved attachment bracket adapted to be mounted with a particular type of existing shelving systems.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONVarious types of shelving systems have been provided with post support brackets, whereby they combine ease of installation and variable height positioning. Furthermore, some shelving systems using brackets have been disclosed wherein no fastening means nor tools outside of a hammer are needed for the assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,079,678, issued on Mar. 21, 1978 to Champagne, discloses such a bracket to be used with wire shelves and will be described with more detail hereinafter. U.S. Pat. No. 4,592,286, issued to Trubiano on Jun. 3, 1986, uses the aforementioned bracket with flat surface shelves. Pat. No. 4,592,286 further discloses means for supporting adjacent shelving in planar alignment to a shelf supported between four posts provided with such support brackets.
Although the above mentioned brackets provide simplicity of installation and variable height positioning, as well as solid connection means to strengthen shelving systems against jarring, the previously disclosed brackets only oppose gravity against upward vertical motion, for instance when a shelf is struck from below, it can pop out of its connecting bracket. Furthermore, the bracket forms a collar with a portion of the shelving, whereby the collar ensures the releasable securing to the corner post. However, the assembly of the collar is troublesome if it is to be achieved by a sole individual as the bracket and the shelf must be held while assembling one to another. Furthermore, the prior art bracket of U.S. Pat. No. 4,079,678 is sometimes difficult to assemble due to the right angle configuration of its connecting slot.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIt is a feature of the present invention to provide a bracket adapted for supporting shelves between square cross-section support posts and which substantially overcomes the above mentioned disadvantages of the prior art.
According to the above feature of the present invention, from a broad aspect, the present invention provides an attachment bracket for a shelf support system, adapted for being mounted to a post of square cross-section and for receiving a portion of a shelf unit therein, and comprising a bracket. The bracket has a back wall defining a bottom, a top and vertical edges, and side arms, extending laterally from the vertical edges of the back wall, whereby defining outer surfaces and inner surfaces of the bracket. At least a first protrusion is located on the inner surfaces of the bracket and is adapted for mating engagement with a corresponding indentation in the post for being vertically secured thereto. Each of the side arms comprises at least a slot adapted for supporting at least a portion of the shelf unit therein. The slots have friction edge portions, adapted for the captive engagement of the portion of the shelf unit therein.
According to a further broad aspect of the present invention there is provided an attachment bracket for a shelf support system, adapted for being mounted to a post of square cross-section and for receiving a portion of a shelf unit therein, and comprising a bracket. The bracket has a back wall defining a bottom, a top and vertical edges, and side arms, extending laterally from the vertical edges of the back wall, whereby defining outer surfaces and inner surfaces of the bracket. At least a first protrusion is located on the inner surfaces of the bracket and is adapted for mating engagement with a corresponding indentation in the post for being vertically secured thereto. Each of the side arms has at least a slot adapted for supporting at least a portion of the shelf unit therein. The inner surface of one of the side arms has a second protrusion at a predetermined distance from the back wall, whereby the bracket is adapted for snap-fitting engagement with the corner post.
According to a still further broad aspect of the present invention there is provided an attachment bracket for a shelf support system, adapted for being mounted to a post of square cross-section and for receiving a portion of a shelf unit therein, and comprising a bracket. The bracket has a back wall defining a bottom, a top and vertical edges, and side arms, extending laterally from the vertical edges of the back wall, whereby defining outer surfaces and inner surfaces of the bracket. At least a first protrusion is located on the inner surfaces of the bracket and is adapted for mating engagement with a corresponding indentation in the post for being vertically secured thereto. Each of the side arms comprises at least a slot adapted for supporting at least a portion of the shelf unit therein. The inner surface of the back wall has at least a second protrusion, whereby adapted for biasing the bracket outwardly from the corner post when the bracket is matingly engaged therewith for forcing the portion of the shelf secured thereto against the post.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSA preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail having reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
According to the drawings and more particularly to
The side arms 12a and 12b each comprise an upper slot, 17a and 17b, respectively, depending from a top edge thereof, 12a′ and 12b′, respectively. The side arms 12a and 12b further comprise lower slots 16a and 16b, respectively, downwardly projecting from transverse gaps 18a and 18b, respectively. The transverse gaps 18a and 18b laterally project in the side arms 12a and 12b, respectively. The lower slots 16a and 16b extend substantially perpendicular to the gaps 18a and 18b, respectively, and extend substantially parallel to the back wall 11.
A corner post of the prior art is generally shown at 20 in
Similar ones of the above described mating bracket 10 and corner post 20 may be disposed at the corners of a shelf for the support thereof, as will be explained below. Still referring to
It can be appreciated from
Returning to
However, the wire shelf 22 sits in the slots of the bracket 10 and is kept in position by its own weight. If the wire shelf 22 is pushed from below, it may move out of the brackets 10.
Referring to FIGS. 3 to 5, and more particularly to
The bracket 1 comprises a back wall 11 and side arms 12a and 12b extending forwardly from vertical edges of the back wall 11 at substantially right angles thereto from a top plan view, as shown in
Similarly to the known bracket 10 depicted in
Advantageously, as best seen in
As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the side arms 12a and 12b have upper slots 17a and 17b, respectively, depending from top edges 12a′ and 12b′, respectively. The side arms 12a and 12b also have lower slots 16a and 16b, respectively, downwardly projecting from transverse gaps 42a and 42b. The lower slots 16a and 16b are arcuatly linked to the gaps 42a and 42b, respectively, and are substantially parallel to the back wall 11. The arcuate connections between the gap 42a and the lower slot 16a, and between the gap 42b and the lower slot 16b, define friction edges 43a and 43b, respectively. Furthermore, the upper slots 17a and 17b of the side arms 12a and 12b, respectively, also define friction edges, 44a and 44b, respectively.
The slots 16a, 16b, 17a and 17b are sized to receive a portion of a shelf, may it be the wire shelf 22 of
The inner surface 14 of the back wall 11 of the bracket 1 also comprises at an upper edge 11′ thereof a further protrusion 45, formed by an indentation 45a in the outer surface 15 thereof. As shown in
It is within the ambit of the present invention to cover any obvious modifications of the embodiments described herein, provided such modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims.
Claims
1. An attachment bracket for a shelf support system, adapted for being mounted to a post of square cross-section and for receiving a portion of a shelf unit therein, and comprising:
- a bracket having a back wall defining a bottom, a top and vertical edges, and side arms, extending laterally from said vertical edges of said back wall, whereby defining outer surfaces and inner surfaces of said bracket;
- at least a first protrusion, located on said inner surfaces of said bracket, adapted for mating engagement with a corresponding indentation in the post for being vertically secured thereto;
- each of said side arms comprising at least a slot adapted for supporting at least a portion of the shelf unit therein; and
- wherein said slots have friction edge portions, adapted for the captive engagement of the portion of the shelf unit therein.
2. The attachment bracket according to claim 1, wherein said inner surface of one of said side arms has a second protrusion at a predetermined distance from said back wall, whereby said bracket is adapted for snap-fitting engagement with the corner post.
3. The attachment bracket according to claim 2, wherein said first protrusions are located on junctions of said inner surfaces of said side arms and of said inner surface of said back wall.
4. The attachment bracket according to claim 1, wherein said inner surface of said back wall has at least a second protrusion, whereby adapted for biasing said bracket outwardly from the corner post when said bracket is matingly engaged therewith for forcing the portion of the shelf secured thereto against the post.
5. The attachment bracket according to claim 1, wherein each of said side arms comprises a lower and an upper one of said slots.
6. The attachment bracket according to claim 5, wherein said upper slots are open at a top edge of said side arms.
7. The attachment bracket according to claim 6, wherein each of said side arms has a gap open at a lateral edge thereof, whereby said gaps are transversely connected to said lower slots in an arcuate channel, adapted for facilitating said captive engagement of the portion of the shelf unit therein.
8. An attachment bracket for a shelf support system, adapted for being mounted to a post of square cross-section and for receiving a portion of a shelf unit therein, and comprising:
- a bracket having a back wall defining a bottom, a top and vertical edges, and side arms, extending laterally from said vertical edges of said back wall, whereby defining outer surfaces and inner surfaces of said bracket;
- at least a first protrusion, located on said inner surfaces of said bracket, adapted for mating engagement with a corresponding indentation in the post for being vertically secured thereto;
- each of said side arms having at least a slot adapted for supporting at least a portion of the shelf unit therein; and
- wherein said inner surface of one of said side arms has a second protrusion at a predetermined distance from said back wall, whereby said bracket is adapted for snap-fitting engagement with the corner post.
9. The attachment bracket according to claim 8, wherein said first protrusions are located on junctions of said inner surfaces of said side arms and of said inner surface of said back wall.
10. The attachment bracket according to claim 8, wherein said slots of said side arms have friction edge portions, adapted for the captive engagement of the portion of the shelf unit therein.
11. The attachment bracket according to claim 8, wherein said inner surface of said back wall has at least a third protrusion, whereby adapted for biasing said bracket outwardly from the corner post when said bracket is matingly engaged therewith for forcing the portion of the shelf secured thereto against the post.
12. The attachment bracket according to claim 8, wherein each of said side arms comprises a lower and an upper one of said slots.
13. The attachment bracket according to claim 12, wherein said upper slots are open at a top edge of said bracket.
14. The attachment bracket according to claim 13, wherein each of said side arms has a gap open at a lateral edge thereof, whereby said gaps are transversely connected to said lower slots in an arcuate channel, adapted for facilitating said captive engagement of the portion of the shelf unit therein.
15. An attachment bracket for a shelf support system, adapted for being mounted to a post of square cross-section and for receiving a portion of a shelf unit therein, and comprising:
- a bracket having a back wall defining a bottom, a top and vertical edges, and side arms, extending laterally from said vertical edges of said back wall, whereby defining outer surfaces and inner surfaces of said bracket;
- at least a first protrusion, located on said inner surfaces of said bracket, adapted for mating engagement with a corresponding indentation in the post for being vertically secured thereto;
- each of said side arms comprising at least a slot adapted for supporting at least a portion of the shelf unit therein; and
- wherein said inner surface of said back wall has at least a second protrusion, whereby adapted for biasing said bracket outwardly from the corner post when said bracket is matingly engaged therewith for forcing the portion of the shelf secured thereto against the post.
16. The attachment bracket according to claim 15, wherein said inner surface of one of said side arms has a third protrusion at a predetermined distance from said back wall, whereby said bracket is adapted for snap-fitting engagement with the corner post.
17. The attachment bracket according to claim 16, wherein said first protrusions are located on junctions of said inner surfaces of said side arms and of said inner surface of said back wall.
18. The attachment bracket according to claim 15, wherein said slots of said side arms have friction edge portions, adapted for the captive engagement of the shelf unit therein.
19. The attachment bracket according to claim 18, wherein each of said side arms comprises a lower and an upper one of said slots.
20. The attachment bracket according to claim 19, wherein said upper slots are open at a top edge of said side arms.
21. The attachment bracket according to claim 20, wherein each of said side arms has a gap open at a lateral edge thereof, whereby said gaps are transversely connected to said lower slots in an arcuate channel, adapted for facilitating said captive engagement of the portion of the shelf unit therein.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 6, 2003
Publication Date: Mar 17, 2005
Inventor: Gilles Simard (LeGardeur)
Application Number: 10/813,701