EP0294377B1

EP0294377B1 - A bracket for mounting a radiator

Info

Publication number: EP0294377B1
Application number: EP19870901139
Authority: EP
Inventors: Thorleif Hageberg
Original assignee: INDUSTRI SIGARTH AB
Current assignee: Sigarth AB
Priority date: 1986-02-24
Filing date: 1987-01-16
Publication date: 1990-11-22
Also published as: SE8602210D0; FI883895A0; DE3790110C3; DE8790014U1; DE3790110T; FI86913C; EP0294377A1; FI883895A; WO1987005091A1; FI86913B; DE3790110C2

Abstract

A bracket for mounting a radiator on a wall comprises an anchorage rail (11) with a lower (4) and an upper (9) anchorage for the radiator or an anchorage stirrup (8) on the radiator, the upper anchorage being movable in relation to the anchorage rail (11) and being downwardly loaded by means of a spring (25). According to the invention, the upper anchorage (9) is provided with a locking heel (23) which may be snapped in against a shoulder (15) or a bridge in a groove (14) on the anchorage rail. The upper anchorage (9) is slidable in the groove (14) and the shoulder or bridge is located so as to maintain the anchorage in a raised, locking position in which the spring (25) is placed under tension and the radiator is free. The upper anchorage is further provided with a trigger portion (26) or a trigger surface which is disposed to be acted upon by the radiator when the radiator, recumbent on the lower anchorage (4), is pivoted towards the upper anchorage (9) such that the upper anchorage is hereby moved out of its locking engagement. In a first embodiment, the trigger portion (26) may be in the form of a forwardly projecting pin which directly releases the locking heel (23) by bending aside the resiliently yieldable arm (22) which carries the locking heel (23). As as alternative, the trigger surface may also be placed on the upper portion of the upper anchorage (9) so as to realise a pivoting of this portion in that grooves (21) disposed along opposing sides are provided with flared or broadened portions in which the planar central portion (12) of the anchorage rail may move. In yet a further embodiment, the upper anchorage (9) and the anchorage rail (11) are provided with mutually engaging locking teeth which are disposed to prevent unintentional lifting of the first anchorage (9) away for its position in engagement with the radiator.

Description

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a bracket for mounting a radiator on a wall, the bracket comprising an anchorage rail for fixedly anchoring on the wall, the rail having first and second engagement members for cooperation with the radiator or anchorages mounted thereon, the first engagement member being movably disposed in the anchorage rail and spring-biased towards the second engagement member.

Background Art

Radiator mounting brackets of approximately this type are described in, for example, SE-B-362 493 and 396 648. Both of these radiator anchorages are intended to grasp about the bottom and top edge portions of the radiator and, for several reasons, fail to satisfy the requirements currently placed concerning efficiency and economy.
Radiator anchorage brackets as disclosed in the above-mentioned documents require a labour input of several fitters at the same time if a radiator is to be mounted which is of such a length that one fitter working alone cannot simultaneously reach all anchorage points.
Further, prior art radiator anchorages are of a length which is at least as great as the height of the radiator. Now that the industry has commenced to integrally pack radiators and their associated mounting fittings together, it will be readily perceived that the radiator anchorage should be as small as possible in its dimensions in order that the shipment package will not be unnecessarily large, bulky or complicated. This problem becomes particularly aggravated when the radiators are fitted with convector plates on the rear side, in other words surface-amplifying plates which project at a right angle from the plane of extent of the radiator, since it is not possible to pack the radiator anchorages in between closely adjacent convector plates, but must instead be disposed outside these in the shipment package.
When convector plates are employed on radiators, attempts are made in this Art to place the upper anchorage point of the radiator on the rear face of the radiator and as close to the convector plates as possible. With such a construction, the upper end of the radiator anchorage bracket will be virtually inaccessible, which entails that mounting and dismounting of the radiator will be a troublesome exercise.
Furthermore, a radiator anchorage bracket of the prior Art type includes a large number of small details and fittings, permits only highly restricted movement of the upper anchorage and does not readily lend itself to being dismantled so that the radiator anchorage will be of a total length which is less than the height of that radiator which it is intended to anchor to the wall.
A feature common to all of the above-described prior Art constructions is also the fact that it is the spring tension alone which urges the upper anchorage against the radiator or an anchorage portion projecting rearwardly therefrom. Thus, it is not possible to realise any locking function which locks the upper anchorage in the mounted position using prior Art constructions. This may be a considerable drawback in such premises where it may be feared that the radiators could be subject to careless and heavy-handed treatment, or even vandalism.

Problem Structure

Hence, the object of the present invention is to realise a bracket of the type disclosed by way of introduction, the bracket being designed in such a manner that it is shorter than the height of the radiator and that it permits very simple mounting and dismounting of the radiator even if the radiator may be provided with convector plates which constitute a serious hindrance to accessibility. The present invention has further for its object to devise a bracket of the type disclosed by way of introduction which is designed in such a manner as to enjoy a very high degree of stability and as to make for realiable anchorage against a wall, in principle with the use of a single screw, without any risk of deformation. Yet a further object of the present invention is to realise a bracket which permits a single assembly worker or fitter to mount even a very long radiator using several brackets spaced widely from each other. Finally, the present invention also has for its object to devise a bracket which also makes it possible to lock the radiator in the mounted position in the bracket such that, apart from the conventionally employed spring force, a true and proper locking function is also provided.

Solution

In this instance, a particularly advantageous combination is that which entails, on the one hand, that the first or upper engagement member may be simply moved to its locking position against the radiator by action on the radiator, at the same time as unintentional return of the upper engagement member to a position releasing the radiator is effectively prevented or obstructed.

Brief Description of the Accompanying Drawings

The nature of the present invention and its aspects will be more readily understood from the following brief description of the accompanying Drawings, and discussion relating thereto.
In the accompanying Drawings:

Fig. 1 is a schematic end elevation of the subject matter of the present invention fixedly retained on a wall, and a radiator mounted using the subject matter of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a front elevation of an anchorage rail included in the subject matter of the present invention;
Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the anchorage rail seen from above;
Fig. 4 shows the anchorage rail with the first engagement member mounted and located in the lower end position;
Fig. 5 shows the anchorage rail with the first engagement member mounted and with the engagement member in its upper, locked position;
Fig. 6 shows an upper portion of the anchorage rail seen from the rear with the first engagement member mounted and placed in the lower position;
Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the first engagement member;
Fig. 8 is side elevation of the first engagement member;
Fig. 9 is an end elevation of the first engagement member, seen from the right in Figs. 7 and 8;
Fig. 10 shows an alternative embodiment of an upper portion of an anchorage rail;
Fig. 11 is a side elevation of one embodiment of the first engagement member which is designed for cooperation with the anchorage rail of Fig. 10;
Fig. 12 is a front elevation of the engagement member of Fig. 11;
Fig. 13 is a rear elevation of the engagement member of Fig. 11;
Fig. 14 is a side elevation of a further embodiment of the first engagement member, this being designed for cooperation with the anchorage rail of Fig. 10;
Fig. 15 is a front elevation of a further modified embodiment of the anchorage rail and the first engagement member placed therein;
Fig. 16 is a side elevation of the embodiment of Fig. 15;
Fig. 17 is a view corresponding to that of Fig. 15 of the upper portion of the anchorage rail according to the same Figure;
Fig. 18 is a front elevation of the first engagement member in one design suited for the embodiment of Figs. 15-17;
Fig. 19 is a side elevation of the first engagement member according to Fig. 18;
Fig. 20 is a rear elevation of the engagement member of Fig. 18;
Fig. 21 shows yet a further modified embodiment of the bracket according to the present invention, this Figure constituting an upper partial view seen from the front; and
Fig. 22 is a side elevation of the bracket of Fig. 21.

Description of Preferred Embodiment

Referring to the Drawings, Fig. 1 shows, by reference numeral 1, a wall, on which the subject matter of the present invention, i.e. the radiator bracket 2, is mounted by means of a screw (not shown). The radiator bracket 2 has a lower projecting shank 3 with an engagement member 4 manufactured of plastic, the engagement member having an upwardly directed groove for accommodating a lower edge portion 5 on a radiator 6.
On its side facing the wall 1, the radiator 6 may be provided with a number of convector plates 7 which are approximately at right angles to the plane of extent of the radiator and which are disposed in slight spaced apart relationship from one another throughout substantially the entire length of the radiator so that there will thereby be formed a number of vertical cooling flanges or possibly downwardly and upwardly open channels on the rear side of the radiator. Furthermore, the radiator is provided, on its rear side, with an anchorage stirrup 8 which extends in towards the radiator bracket 2 slightly further than is the case with the convector plates 7.
However, the radiator 6 may be of a more conventional type without the convector plates 7, so that thereby the brackets 2 engage, either at the top and the bottom or at but one of these points, with the upper or lower edge 5 of the radiator 6.
The radiator bracket 2 has an upper, or first, engagement member 9 which cooperates with the anchorage stirrup 8 on the radiator 6 so that the radiator will thereby be prevented from moving at right angles outwardly in relation to the wall 1, while the lower engagement member 4 carries the weight of the radiator.
It will be apparent from the Drawing that the upper engagement member 9 is placed behind the rear edges of the convector plates 7 so that the engagement member would thereby be extremely difficult to get at if it were not provided with an upwardly directed gripping portion 10 by means of which it may be manoeuvred.
When a radiator is mounted in place, it is lifted up onto the lower engagement member 4 of the bracket 2, whereafter the radiator is pivoted about its lower edge in towards the upper engagement member 9. At this point, the radiator is in a raised and preferably locked position where its, lower edge is lifted to a level above the upper edge of the anchorage stirrup 8 (approximately to a position where the upper edge of the engagement member is flush with the upper end of the radiator bracket 2). In the region where the anchorage stirrup 8 will meet the radiator bracket 2 when the radiator is pivoted in a clockwise direction in towards the wall 1, there is further provided a pin or trigger portion (not shown in Fig. 1), by means of which the locking of the upper engagement member 9 is cancelled so that a tension spring connected to the engagement member may displace the engagement member downwardly into engagement with the radiator or its anchorage stirrup.
As will be considered in greater detail below, the bracket 2 may also be provided with a locking mechanism which locks the upper engagement member 9 in its position engaging with the radiator 6 under spring action.
Fig. 2 shows the radiator bracket seen from the front, the upper engagement member 9 being, however, removed. It will be apparent from this Figure and also from Fig. 3 that the radiator bracket has an anchorage rail 11 which, at its lower end, is bent to form the projecting shank 3 which may be of greater or lesser length depending upon the appearance of the radiator 6 and that part thereof with which the lower engagement member 4 is to engage. The anchorage rail is provided, at its centre and spaced apart from the wall 1, with a web portion 12 which is substantially planar and which is connected, on both sides, with preferably U-shaped rigidifying means or feet 13 which are in abutment against the wall. Furthermore, the anchorage rail is provided, in its upper end, with a longitudinal groove 14 which, in its lower end, is provided with a shoulder 15 which serves as a stop device, and further a subjacent narrower portion or waist 16. In addition, a punched-out portion 17 is provided which serves for anchoring a spring.
Figs. 7-9 illustrate the design of the upper engagement member 9, and it will be apparent from these Figures that this member is provided with a guide 18 disposed on the front side of the anchorage rail 11 and provided with a transverse groove 19 which is intended for engagement with the radiator 6. The engagement member 9 is further provided with a rear guide 20 which, in the mounted position of the engagement member, is located on the rear side of the web portion 12 in between the two feet or rigidifying portions 13. Between the two guides 18 and 20, the engagement member 9 is provided with a longitudinal groove 21, whereby the engagement member may be shifted into the longitudinal groove 14 of the anchorage rail 11. The bridge which hereby unites both guides 18 and 20 of the engagement member with each other is of approximately the same width as the groove 14 of the anchorage rail, whereby the engagement member may be displaced reciprocally in this groove.
The engagement member is further provided with a projecting and suitably flexible and resiliently yieldable arm 22 which is fixedly retained in the rear guide 20. This arm is of a width which is slightly less than that of the groove 14 of the anchorage rail 11 and the arm has, at its outer end, a heel 23 which serves the purpose of a locking device by snapping into the groove 14 of the anchorage rail 11 under the action of spring force in the arm 22 into engagement with the locking device or shoulder 15 when the engagement member 9 is moved towards the upper end of the anchorage rail 11. Thus, any return of the engagement member in a downward direction will hereby be prevented.
As is most clearly apparent from Fig. 6, the heel 23 is provided with a mounting 24 for a tension spring 25 which, with its opposite end, is fixed in the punched-out portion 17 in the anchorage rail. The spring 25 is dimensioned in such a manner as to impart good pre-tensioning in a downward direction to the engagement member 9 even when this is located in its lower end position, where, thus, the engagement member abuts with its under side against the shoulder 15 of the groove 14. Furthermore, the spring 25 is dimensioned so as to permit an upwardly-directed drawing of the engagement member at least so far that the heel 23 snaps into the groove 14 and enters into engagement with the shoulder 15.
The heel 23 is further provided, on the front side of the bracket 2, with a pin 26 which is of such a length as to protrude beyond the web portion 12 when the heel 23 has snapped into the groove 14. The pin 26 is placed in such a manner that it is urged inwardly by the radiator 6 or its anchorage stirrup 8 when the radiator rests on the lower engagement member 4 and is pivoted in towards the bracket 2 with its upper end. Hereby, the pin 26 will be depressed and release the heel 23 from the shoulder 15, whereby the spring 25 will draw the upper engagement member 9 downwardly so that the groove 19 will come into engagement with the radiator.
In Figs. 4 and 5, the engagement member 9 is shown in its lower, and upper and locked positions, respectively, and the vertical position of the anchorage stirrup 8 is marked with broken lines between the Figures. It will here by clearly apparent that the pin 26 will be struck by the anchorage stirrup when the radiator is pivoted in towards the bracket.
When the upper engagement member 9 is located in its lower position, the pin 26 runs in the waisted portion 16 of the groove 14 but, in this instance, will not appreciably extend out beyond the web portion 12, since the flexible arm 22 is, in this position, slightly reflexed in that the heel 23 slides against the rear face of the web portion 12.
When a radiator, which is mounted according to the present invention, is to be dismounted, the gripping portion 10 is merely grasped above the convector plates and is raised so that thereby the upper engagement member 9 will release the anchorage stirrup 8. Suitably, the engagement member is raised to such an extent that the heel 23 snaps into the groove 14 against the shoulder 15, whereby the radiator 6 will be completely free for being lifted down from the radiator bracket. Furthermore, the radiator bracket is, naturally, ready for very quick remounting of the radiator quite simply in that the radiator is pivoted in towards the radiator bracket such that the pin 26 is struck and release of the upper engagement member thereby takes effect.

Description of Alternative Embodiments

Fig. 10 shows an anchorage rail which is of the same profile and fundamental appearance as the above-described anchorage rail 11. This entails that the anchorage rail is provided, at its lower end, with the lower engagement member 4 for cooperation with the radiator either directly with its lower edge, with a protective plating on the radiator, or possibly with a special anchorage or the rearwardly projecting convector plates 7. The length of the lower shank 3 on the anchorage rail and the detailed design of the engagement member 4 may, thus, vary considerably.
In correspondence with that described above, the upper end of the anchorage rail 11 is provided with an upwardly open longitudinal groove 14 for the sliding accommodation of the upper engagement member 9. According to Fig. 10, there is provided, instead of the shoulder, a stop device in the anchorage rail in the form of a narrow bridge 15 between the wider section 14 of the groove and the subjacent narrower portion 16. Furthermore, a spring mounting 17 is provided in the anchorage rail, this mounting having, in this embodiment, the form of a punched tongue, a hole or the like.
The upper engagement member 9 which is intended for cooperation with the anchorage rail according to Fig. 10 is shown in Figs. 11-13 and this engagement member does not fundamentally differ from the previously described to any appreciable degree. Thus, the engagement member 9 is provided with an upper, transverse groove 19 for engagement with the radiator 6. Furthermore, the engagement member is provided with a forward guide 18 which is fully analogous to the above-described guide, and also a rear guide 20, as well as two longitudinal grooves 21 disposed on opposing edges. The engagement member may thereby be displaced upwardly and downwardly in the same manner as described in the foregoing in the broader portion of the groove 14 in the anchorage rail.
It will be apparent from the Drawing Figures that the engagement member 9 has its transverse groove 19 disposed in the outer end of a protruding arm 27 which may be of varying length (of the order of magnitude of but a few millimetres up to approx. 60 mm) depending upon the detail design of the radiator.
However, as opposed to that described above, the upper engagement member 9 is manufactured of as rigid a plastic material as possible and, for this reason, the downwardly directed arm 22 which carries the locking heel 23 is not flexible to any great extent. In order, this notwithstanding, to be able to move the locking heel 23 into engagement against the bridge 15, both of the longitudinal grooves 21 are provided with broadened portions 28, in which the upper edge portion 29 of the anchorage rail 11 may rock when the locking heel 23 slides over the bridge 15 in conjunction with raising of the engagement member.
It will be apparent from Figs. 12 and 13 that the engagement member 9 is provided with a spring mounting 24 in the form of a through hole for anchoring the upper end of a tension spring whose lower anchorage point is the punched-out portion or the hole 17 in the anchorage rail. Hereby, the spring (not shown on the Drawings) will abut against the outside (the left-hand side in Fig. 11) of the forward guide 18 and the arm 22, and thereby urge, to some extent, the arm and the guide 18 against the front side 12 of the anchorage rail such that safe and reliable engagement will hereby be established between the locking heel 23 and the bridge 15.
The function and operation in mounting of a radiator differs as regards the embodiment according to Figs. 10-14 somewhat from the operation in the foregoing in that the trigger pin 26 has been dispensed with and instead the radiator will act upon a ramp surface 30 on the underside of the protruding arm 27 such that the upper portion of the engagement member will thereby be urged in towards the wall 1, in that the upper end portion 29 of the anchorage rail 11 will move in the broadened portion 28. As a result, the whole of the upper engagement member 9 will rock such that the locking heel 23 releases its engagement with the bridge 15.
As an alternative to the acting on the ramp surface 30, it is also conceivable that the radiator will directly engage - in one way or another - with the front side of the forward guide 18 at its upper region.
Fig. 14 shows a slightly modified embodiment of the upper engagement member, this embodiment also being constructed for cooperation with the anchorage rail according to Fig. 10. The sole fundamental difference in relation to the embodiment according to Figs. 11-13 is the design of the ramp surface 30 and the protruding arm 27, the spring mounting 24 also being provided as a hole in the lower portion of the arm 27.
Apart from serving for the release of the locking heel 23, the purpose of the ramp surface 30 is also to guide that portion of the radiator 6 which is to be accommodated in the groove 19 so that this portion will reliably assume the correct position when the upper engagement member 9 moves downwardly.
In the embodiment according to Figs. 15 and 16, the anchorage rail 11 is also provided, in its upper end, with a longitudinal groove 14 in the intermediate portion 12. The upper engagement member 9 is disposed in this groove 14 and, in its lower end, is provided with the transverse groove 19 for cooperation with the radiator 6. Furthermore, the upper engagement member 9 is provided with grooves 21 along opposing edges, in which grooves the sections of the intermediate portion 12 located on either side of the groove 14 are accommodated such that the engagement member 9 is thereby reliably guided and longitudinally displaceable along the anchorage rail 11. Moreover, the engagement member 9 is provided, on the rear side of the anchorage rail 11, with a rear guide 20 which is accommodated in the approximately U-shaped space formed on the rear side of and interiorly in the anchorage rail.
At its upper end, the engagement member 9 is provided with a gripping portion 10 by means of which the member may be drawn upwardly against the action of a tension spring 25. Possibly, the gripping portion 10 may be provided with a line of fracture where it may easily be broken off once the engagement member 9 has been drawn up to an upper position and locked there by means of a snap catch connection which is designed in the manner described above. In this construction, the engagement of the engagement member 9 with the radiator 6 is, therefore, to be considered as permanent, since it may, without the use of the gripping portion 10, be difficult to get at the engagement member in the illustrated embodiment.
In the embodiment now under discussion, one edge of the groove 14 is provided with a number of locking teeth or catches 31 which form part of a locking catch or snaplock apparatus for locking the engagement member 9 against unintentional upward displacement. A corresponding series of locking teeth or catches 32 is disposed on that web portion which connects the forward guide 18 of the engagement member with its rear guide 20 (see Figs. 18 and 19). The locking teeth or locking catches 32 of the web portion are also included as part of the previously-mentioned snaplock or locking catch apparatus.
It will be apparent from Fig. 17 that the groove 14 has approximately parallel edges and that the teeth 31 extend somewhat inwardly in the groove. In order to permit the engagement member 9 to be moved down into the groove, that side of the web portion turned to face away from the locking teeth 32 of the engagement member is provided with a bevel 33, the rear portion 20 of the engagement member also being provided with a corresponding bevel 34. Hereby, the engagement member 9 may be inclined obliquely somewhat in relation to the longitudinal direction of the groove 14, whereby the locking teeth 31 and 32 may optionally be moved into engagement with each other and be disengaged by a lateral displacement or oblique inclination of the engagement member.
It will be apparent from Fig. 15 that the spring 25 engages with the corner portion of the engagement member 9 facing away from the groove 19. Furthermore, the spring engages with the engagement member laterally displaced in relation to the longitudinal direction of the groove 14 and outside that position where the locking teeth 31 and 32 are located. It will be further apparent from the Drawing Figures that the groove 19 intended for engagement with the radiator is symmetric about the longitudinal axis of the groove 14, for which reason the spring placement will occasion an oblique loading of the engagement member 9 when this is urged against the radiator. This oblique loading strives to displace the upper portion of the engagement member to the left in Fig. 15, i.e. such that engagement is established between the locking teeth 31 and 32, respectively of the anchorage rail 11 and the engagement member.
It should also be observed that the gripping portion 10 is suitably located as close to the spring 25 as possible in the lateral direction, as a result of which a drawing action on the gripping portion 10 will have the opposite effect, in other words drawing in this situation would entail that the engagement member 9 will strive to be obliquely inclined in the opposite direction, in effect such that the engagement between the locking teeth 31 and 32 will be nullified.
As regards the detailed design of the locking teeth 31 and 32, it might be mentioned that the locking teeth disposed on the anchorage rail 11 have lower defining edges which are transversely directed in relation to the longitudinal direction of the groove 14, while the upper defining edges constitute ramp surfaces along which the locking teeth 32 of the engagement member 9 may slide on downward movement of the engagement member. In a corresponding manner, the locking teeth 32 of the engagement member are provided with transverse (in relation to the direction of movement of the engagement member) upper edges, and lower, obliquely inclined ramp surfaces which permit downward movement of the sliding body but not upward movement. Thus, the locking teeth 31 and 32 are of complementary design.
As is intimated primarily in Figs. 15 and 21-20, the engagement member 9 is provided with a downwardly directed arm 22 with a locking heel 23 which, on its front side (facing the radiator), is provided with a pin 26 for release of the engagement member such that this may be actuated by the spring 25. As opposed to the previously described embodiments, the stop device 15 of the groove 14 for cooperation with the locking heel 23 is not designed as a shoulder or bridge, but is rather in the form of a flared portion 35 in which the locking heel 23 may engage.
In the embodiments according to Figs. 10-14, counterparts to the locking teeth 32 of the engagement member 9 may be disposed on the rear side of the downwardly projecting arm 22. In this instance, the stepping between these locking teeth must be at least as large as the vertical height of the bridge 15 in order that these locking teeth be able to enter into engagement with the bridge and prevent unintentional upward displacement of the engagement member 9.
In the embodiment according to Figs. 21 and 22, the anchorage rail 11 may be of the same appearance as in the embodiments described in the foregoing. However, it is possible to dispense with the flaring or broadening of the one rigidifying member 13 which is intended, in the above-described embodiment, to accommodate the spring 25. The reason for this is that the embodiment according to Figs. 21 and 22 may very well lack this spring.
The embodiment now under discussion is intended to be supplied with the upper engagement member 9 dismounted from the anchorage rail 11 such that the radiator anchorage or bracket 2 may thereby be of a total length which is less than the height of the radiator 6. In this embodiment, the upper engagement member 9 is provided with a projecting arm 27 of optional length which is intended to cooperate with the radiator and which, to this end, is provided with a transversely directed, downwardly open groove 19. In this embodiment, the arm 27 may possibly be fixedly retained in the engagement member 9 proper by means of a joint 36, such that the arm may thereby be collapsed into a position along the engagement member.
In the embodiment according to Figs. 21 and 22, the engagement member is of fundamentally the same design as that illustrated in Figs. 18-20. However, it should be emphasized that, in this embodiment, the engagement member is longer in the longitudinal direction of the anchorage rail 11, and that it has an upper portion 37 which is intended to be located, in all positions, beyond and outside, in other words over, the anchorage rail 11, and which may possibly provide for a minor resilient yielding facility in the vertical direction of the outer end of the arm 27. While this is not apparent from Figs. 21 and 22, both of the opposing grooves of the engagement member 9 which, in this embodiment, accommodate edge portions of the intermediate section 12 of the anchorage rail 11, are disposed on either side of the longitudinal groove 14 provided in the anchorage rail. Furthermore, the engagement member 9 is provided with a rear portion which, as to its design, corresponds in the main to that described with reference to Figs. 18-20.
The snaplock or locking catch apparatus in this embodiment is also of the appearance and construction as described above. Hence, also in this embodiment, the anchorage rail 11 is provided with the locking teeth 13 illustrated in Fig. 17, while the web portion of the engagement member 9 is provided with locking teeth corresponding to those designated 32 in Figs. 18 and 20.
Preferably, no spring 25 is employed in the embodiment according to Figs. 21 and 22, as has been described above. Instead use is made of a spring which laterally - i.e. transversely of the longitudinal direction of the groove 14 in the anchorage rail 11 - urges the engagement member 9 to the side such that engagement is established between both series of locking teeth 31 and 32. Such a spring may either be of one-piece construction with the rear portion 20 of the engagement member 9, or alternatively be in the form of a special spring tongue 38 as intimated by broken lines in Fig. 17 which is fixedly anchored on the inside of that rigidifying portion 13 in the anchorage rail 11 which is located in register with the locking teeth 31. In the alternative with an integral or one-piece construction spring with the engagement member 9 (or an elastic element), this also abuts against the rigidifying portion 13 turned to face away from the locking teeth 31.
In this context, it might be mentioned that the "transversely directed" spring action from either the integral spring in one piece with the engagement member, or the spring tongue 38, may afford a retention function which corresponds to the above-described retention function which is established between the locking heel 23 and the stop device 15 on the anchorage rail 11. However, no automatic downward drawing of the engagement member 9 will be attained, but, on mounting of the radiator, it will clearly be sufficient that the engagement member be manually depressed into engagement with the radiator.
In such cases when a permanent locking of the engagement member 9 is desired, it is possible to provide, in the rear portion of the engagement member - i.e. the counterpart to the above-described guide 20 - a recess on that side turned to face away from the locking teeth 32. This recess is open upwardly towards the upper end of the anchorage rail 11 and a cuneiform locking element is insertable into this recess, the locking element abutting against the engagement member 9 and against the closely adjacent rigidifying portion 13 on the anchorage rail 11. Such a cuneiform element may be rendered frangible so that, when it is finally in place and has been broken, it can never be removed.
In the foregoing, it has been assumed that the locking teeth 31 and 32 are to be located on the one edge of the groove 14 and the there adjacent edge of the web portion of the engagement member 9. However, according to the present invention it is also possible to dispose the locking teeth on the insides of both of the rigidifying portion 13 on the anchorage rail 11 and on the thereto adjacent side surfaces of the rear portion of the engagement member 9, i.e. the rear guide 20. In this alternative, the rear portion of the engagement member should be provided with a longitudinal recess which imparts to the rear portion of the engagement member a certain resilient yieldability in the lateral direction so that safe and reliable engagement may thereby be attained for the locking teeth.
In yet a further alternative, it is possible to place the locking teeth 31 of the anchorage rail 11 on the intermediate section 12 on the sides of the groove 14, on the side of the intermediate portion facing the wall at the lower end of the groove 14, and on the front side of the intermediate portion at the upper end of the groove. In such instance, corresponding locking teeth are disposed on the forwardly and rearwardly located side edges of the longitudinal groove 21 of the engagement member, and, in this embodiment, the groove must be of a slightly greater extent transversely of the plane of extent of the web portion 12 than that which is illustrated in Fig. 19. If this disposition of the locking teeth is selected, an upward loading of the arm 27 illustrated in Figs. 21 and 22 will force the locking teeth into steadily harder engagement with each other, whereby a loading on this construction will increase the strength of engagement.
It could also be possible to employ solely the lower tooth arrangement on the rear face of the intermediate portion 12, or alternatively solely the upper tooth arrangement on the front face of the intermediate portion 12. Similarly, it may also be possible to employ toothing only on one of the insides of the two rigidifying portions 13 and a corresponding toothing on the adjacent side surface of the engagement member 9.
In all embodiments, on or both series of locking teeth may consist of a single tooth or heel, for which reason the engagement which is realised may better be characterised as a snap engagement than as a locking catch engagement or locking tooth engagement.

Claims

1. A bracket for mounting a radiator (6) on a wall (1) comprising an anchorage rail (11) for fixed anchorage on the wall, said anchorage rail being provided with a first and second engagement member (9, 4, respectively) for cooperation with the radiator or an anchorage (8) mounted thereon, said first engagement member (9) being movably retained in the anchorage rail and spring-biased towards said second engagement member, characterised in that said first engagement member (9) is provided with a locking member (23) which is movable into cooperation with said anchorage rail (11) for locking said first engagement member in a position displaced from said second engagement member (4) against spring action (25), and a trigger portion (26) for releasing the locking member from the anchorage rail, said trigger portion being disposed to be actuated by the radiator (6) when the radiator cooperates with said second engagement member (4) and is moved towards its final mounting position.

2. The bracket as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said anchorage rail (11) is provided with a longitudinal web portion (12) with rigidifying portions (13) disposed on either side, said rigidifying portions being operative, in the mounted position of the bracket on the wall (1), to hold the web portion in spaced apart relationship from the wall; and that said web portion is provided with a longitudinal groove (14) in which said first engagement member (9) may be slidingly engaged with first and second guide portions (18, 20) on opposing sides of said web portion.

3. The bracket as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said first guide portion (18) is provided with a transverse groove (19) or recess which is open towards said second engagement member (4) for cooperation with the radiator (6), and that said first engagement member (9) is provided with an arm (22) which is directed towards said second engagement member and is provided with a heel (23) constituting said locking device which is movable along the groove (14,16) of said web portion and may be brought into abutment against stop means (15, 35) disposed therein.

4. The bracket as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that said arm (22) is resiliently yieldable and is pre-tensioned for snap-in action of the heel (23) in the groove (14); that the arm serves as an anchorage for the spring (25) loading said first engagement member; and that said arm is provided with a pin (26) which extends beyond the heel for cooperation with the radiator (6) or its anchorage (8) for release of said locking device.

5. The bracket as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that said arm (22) is substantially rigid; and that both groves (21) which, on said engagement member (9), are provided for accommodating those portions of said anchorage rail (11) located on either side of its groove (14), are provided with flared or broadened portions (28) to permit displacement of said engagement member on actuation of said radiator (6), for release of the heel (23) from said stop means (15).

6. The bracket as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that said spring (25) is disposed in abutment against the side of said arm (22) turned to face away from said wall (1) so as to act on said heel (23) towards its engagement position with said stop means (15).

7. The bracket as claimed in any one of claims 3-6 characterised in that said transverse groove (19) is disposed on an arm (27) projecting from said first engagement member (9) in a direction away from said wall (1); and that said arm, or the first guide portion, is provided with a ramp or abutment surface (30) for actuating the radiator (6) for release of the heel (23).

8. The bracket as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said first engagement member (9) and said anchorage rail (11) are provided with a snaplock or locking catch apparatus which is operative, in the engaged position, to prevent unintentional displacement of said first engagement member away from its position in engagement with the radiator (6).

9. The bracket as claimed in claim 8, characterised in that a resiliently yieldable element (25, 38) is provided to pretension the snaplock or locking catch apparatus towards its engagement position.

10. The bracket as claimed in claim 9, characterised in that said resiliently yieldable element consists of said spring (25) for spring biasing said first engagement member (9) towards its position in engagement with said radiator (6); and that said spring is placed beside the groove (14) of said anchorage rail (11) in order to obliquely load said first engagement member in the lateral direction to the engagement position of the snaplock or locking catch apparatus.