EP0317027A1

EP0317027A1 - Shelf bracket with protecting cover

Info

Publication number: EP0317027A1
Application number: EP88202568A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Petrus Gerardus Josef Sluiter
Original assignee: BAZO STAALBEHEER BV
Current assignee: BAZO STAALBEHEER BV
Priority date: 1987-11-17
Filing date: 1988-11-16
Publication date: 1989-05-24
Also published as: NL8702743A

Abstract

Shelf bracket comprising two mutually square legs (3,4) and an L-shaped protecting cover (2) which is positioned over said legs (3,4), said cover being made of plastic and being substantially U-shaped in cross-section, the mutually opposing inner sides (14) of said cover being provided with projections (15) there where these inner sides (14) are present at the corner (13) outside the curved part (7) of the shelf bracket (1), said projections (15) snapping over said curved part (7) while the legs (11) of the cover (2) are resiliently deflecting when mounting the cover (2).

Description

The invention relates to a shell bracket comprising two mutually square legs provided with openings for applying mounting screws therethrough, said shell bracket being formed of a strip of sheet metal, shaped in such a way that the legs merge into each other with a curved part.
Such shelf brackets are used at a large scale but have the disadvantage that the appearance thereof does not meet high demands. In the first place the legs and in particular the joining corner will have to be stiffened, unless the sheet strip is made of a thick material. This is not possible, however, for economic reasons. On the other hand the heads of the mounting screws always remain in sight.
In connection therewith such shelf brackets will not be applied at those locations where specific esthetic demands will have to be met.
The invention has as an object to remove this disadvantage in a simple and economic manner and provides to that end that an L-shaped protecting cover is positioned over the legs, said cover in particular being made of plastic and being substantially U-shaped in cross-section, the mutually opposing inner sides of said cover being provided with projections there where these inner sides are present at the corner outside the curved part of the sheet strip when the cover is mounted on the shelf bracket, said projections snapping over the curved part of the sheet strip while the legs of the cover are resiliently deflecting when mounting the cover, to keep the cover in its place afterwards.
Accordingly mounting of such a cover does not require special tools and may take place in a particularly short time without any technical understanding being required.
Preferably the sides of the projections facing the shelf bracket after said cover is mounted on the shelf bracket, will be substantially in line with each other. This means that they keep the cover firmly in its place on the shelf bracket. Nonetheless removal of the cover is possible in a fairly simple manner by pulling away the end of one of the legs of the cover from the shelf bracket. A deformation of the cover will then take place and especially of that part where the legs of the cover join each other, in such a way that the projections positioned at the inner sides of the cover will move away from each other. In that way the cover is released from the shelf bracket.
According to a further elaboration of the invention it is provided, that in the interior of the cover supports are provided, which cooperate with parts of the shelf bracket to keep the cover in its proper position with respect to the shelf bracket.
In that way it is not only achieved that the cover is clamped onto the shelf bracket in the proper position after mounting of the shelf bracket, but the cover may also be mounted in the proper position on the bracket prior to mounting the shelf bracket so that the assembly may be shipped as a unit and be marketed as such.
In that case the supports in particular will be formed by two spaced apart strips, standing at right angles to the support plane of the cover and cooperating with a projecting part of the sheet strip, of which the shelf bracket is made.
The invention will now be further elucidated with reference to an embodiment, shown in the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a cross-section of an assembly of a shelf bracket and a cover according to the invention over the central longitudinal plane of the legs to wit along the line I-I of Fig. 2;
Fig. 2 shows a rear view of the assembly of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3, 4 and 5t show cross-sections along the lines III-III, IV-IV and V-V respectively of Fig. 1; and
Fig. 6 shows a cross-section along the lines VI-VI in Fig. 1 and Fig. 4.

The assembly shown in the drawing consists of the shelf bracket 1 and the cover 2. The shelf bracket 1 comprises the legs 3 and 4 which are obtained by bending a strip of sheet metal 5, provided with the projecting part 6 to provide the legs 3 and 4 with adequate stiffness. The strip of sheet metal 5 comprises the curved part 7 forming the transition between the legs 3 and 4.
In the legs 3 and 4 the openings 8 are present for passing screws - not shown - therethrough with which the shelf bracket is mounted.
After mounting the L-shaped cover 2 is positioned onto the shelf bracket the legs 9 and 10 of it being slightly longer than the legs 3 and 4 respectively of the shelf bracket 1.
As especially appears from Figs. 1 and 5, the cover 2 is semi-circular in cross-section and the ends of the legs 11 are present in the support plane 12. As especially appears from Fig. 1 the support plane 12 will come to rest against the surfaces against which the shelf bracket 1 is resting as well. At the location where the legs 9 and 10 are joining each other they thus have a corner part 13, located outside the curved part 7 of the sheet strip 5.
As particularly appears from Fig. 3 projections 15 are provided on the inner sides 14 of the legs 11, which will snap over the curved part 7 when mounting the cover 2 onto the shelf bracket 1 and will be held on the shelf bracket by means of the sides 16.
When, however, the cover 2 has to be removed from the shelf bracket 1 either the end of one of the legs 9 or 10 or the ends of both legs can be grasped and be pulled in the direction of the other leg. By this a deformation of the cover will occur to such an extent, that the legs 11 will be moved apart in the direction of the arrows P in Fig. 3. The cover 2 may then be removed easily from the shelf bracket 1.
The supports 17 are taking care for a proper centering of the cover 2 onto the shelf bracket 1, said supports in particular being shown in Figs. 4 and 6. The supports 17 comprise in particular two spaced apart strips 18 which, with a view to their strength, may be interconnected over a specific part of their length, as this in particular appears from Fig. 4. The strips 18 are joining the projecting part 6 of the sheet strip 5, so that in the mounted condition of the cover 2 the latter will always occupy the proper position with respect to the shelf bracket 1.
For further centering and stiffening of the cover 2 supports 19 may still be provided, as this appears especially from Figs. 5 and 6. The strips 19 may extend to the wall 20, which closes the end of the leg 9 or 10 outwardly.
It will be obvious that the cross-section of the cover 2 may have another shape as well, such as for example a more rectangular, elliptical shape or the like. Many other modifications can be made as well without departing from the inventive concept.

Claims

1. Shelf bracket comprising two mutually square legs (3,4) provided with openings (8) for applying mounting screws therethrough, said shelf bracket being formed of a strip of sheet metal (5), shaped in such a way that the legs (3,4) merge into each other with curved part (7),
characterized in
that an L-shaped protecting cover (2) is positioned over the legs (3,4), said cover in particular being made of plastic and being substantially U-shaped in cross-section, the mutually opposing inner sides (14) of said cover being provided with projections (15) there where these inner sides (14) are present at the corner (13) outside the curved part (7) of the sheet strip (5) when the cover (2) is mounted on the shelf bracket (1), said projections (15) snapping over the curved part (7) of the sheet strip (5) while the legs (11) of the cover (2) are resiliently deflecting when mounting the cover (2), to keep the cover (2) in its place afterwards.

2. Protecting cover according to claim 1,
characterized in
that the sides (16) of the projections (15) facing the shelf bracket (1) after said cover (2) is mounted on the shelf bracket (1) will be substantially in line with each other.

3. A cover according to claim 1 or 2,
characterized in
that in the interior of the cover (2) supports (17,19) are provided, which cooperate with parts (6) on the shelf bracket (1) to keep the cover (2) in its proper position with respect to the shelf bracket (1).

4. A cover according to claim 3,
characterized in
that the supports (17) are formed by two strips (18), standing at right angles to the support plane (12) of the cover (2) and cooperating with a projecting part (6) of the sheet strip (5) from which the shelf bracket (1) is made.

5. A cover and assembly of shelf bracket and cover as described and/or shown in the drawing.