EP0350102A1

EP0350102A1 - Shelf bracket

Info

Publication number: EP0350102A1
Application number: EP89201715A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Arnold Van Der Goot
Original assignee: BAZO-STAALBEHEER BV
Current assignee: BAZO-STAALBEHEER BV
Priority date: 1988-07-08
Filing date: 1989-06-29
Publication date: 1990-01-10
Anticipated expiration: 2009-06-29
Also published as: ATE83136T1; NL8801736A; EP0350102B1; DE68903798D1

Abstract

A shelf bracket and a method for manufacturing it, said shelf bracket comprising two mutually square legs (1,2), each leg being shaped by a middle strip (3) from material which is nearly not deformed and from side strips (4) joining said middle strip and being bent to the same side and extending from the corner enclosed by the legs, the width of these side strips increasing from the free end of the leg towards the place (5,7) where the legs are connected to each other. Said shelf bracket is made by bending a double trapezoid strip (8) along the common base line (7) after which the side strips (4) are bent out of the planes of the strip portions while upsetting the material present in the corner between said legs (1,2) and pressing the parts (6) of the middle strips (3) present in the corner against each other.

Description

The invention relates to a shelf bracket comprising two mutually square legs, being shaped of a metallic strip provided with stiffening portions projecting from the surface of the strip.
Such shelf brackets are used at a large scale but have the disadvantage that the appearance of it does not meet high demands. Because of this applicant has designed a cover of synthetic material which can be connected to such a shelf bracket and which is described in the not pre-published Dutch patent application 87 02743. Obviously such a cover brings additional costs with it although it can be simply executed.
Now the object of the invention is to provide a shelf bracket of the type described above which is having a much better appearance and beside this is exceedingly strong.
According to the invention this is obtained because, as seen in cross section, a leg is shaped by a middle strip from material which is nearly not deformed and from side strips which are side-long joining said middle strip and are bent to the same side and which are extending from the corner enclosed by the legs, the width of these side strips increasing from the free end of the leg towards the place where the legs are connected to each other, in such a way that as seen in side view the free edges of the side strips of both legs are lying in two planes being at right angles to each other and that the planes in which the middle strips are lying are making an obtuse angle with each other.
In this way it can be obtained that the side strips are extending themselves till the corner which e.g. a shelf is making with a wall onto which the shelf bracket is mounted, so that in said corner no opening is present as this is the case with the generally known shelf brackets.
As seen in cross section the legs will mainly be U-shaped and in particular the side strips will make an obtuse angle with the middle strip. By this a fine appearance will be obtained and the material being present in the corner where the two legs are joining, need not be deformed too much.
The invention also relates to a method for the manufacturing of the shelf bracket described above, said method being characterized in that a strip in the shape of a double trapezoid is first bent along the common base line till the strip portions are lying nearly on each other, after which the side strips are bent out of the plane of the strip portions while simultaneously upsetting the material present in the corner between the legs and pressing the parts of the middle strips, present in the corner, against each other.
The invention will now be further described by means of an embodiment, shown in the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a side view of a shelf bracket according to the invention;
Figs. 2 and 3 show cross sections according to the lines II-II and III-III respectively of Fig. 1;
Fig. 4 shows a rear view of the shelf bracket about in the direction of the arrow IV of Fig. 1; and
Fig. 5 shows a cross section of the corner of the shelf bracket according to the line V-V of Fig. 4.

The shelf bracket shown in the drawing comprises the legs 1 and 2 which in most cases do not have the same length. As appears from the Figs. 2, 3 and 4 each leg comprises a middle strip 3 and two side strips 4. Generally speaking the middle strip will have the same width over its total length while the width of the side strips will increase from the free end of the leg.
As in particular appears from Fig. 5 the middle strips 3 are bent in the point 5, so that the parts 6 of it are going to engage each other while these parts 6 are connected to each other in the point 7.
The shelf bracket is obtained by bending a strip 8 in the shape of a double trapezoid along the line running concurrently with the connecting line 7. The middle strips 3 of both legs then are running about straight,so in the elongation of the part 6 as indicated in Fig. 5. After this the middle strips are bent back with the lines 5 as bending lines to obtain the side strips 4 by bending along the bending lines 9′, see Figs. 2 and 3, and the bending lines 9, see Fig. 1. During this last operation the piece of trapezoid shaped material 10 will have to be upset, so that it will run somewhat undulated indicated by 11 in Fig. 4.
As in particular appears from the Figs. 1 and 5 the free edges 12 of the side strips 4 of both legs 1 and 2 will lie in two planes making right angles with each other and the planes in which the middle strips 3 are lying will enclose an obtuse angle α with each other.

Claims

1. Shelf bracket comprising two mutually square legs (1,2), being shaped of a metallic strip (8) provided with stiffening portions projecting from the surface of the strip,
characterized in
that as seen in cross section, a leg (1,2) is shaped by a middle strip (3) from material which is nearly not deformed and from side strips (4) which are side-long joining said middle strip and are bent to the same side and which are extending from the corner enclosed by the legs, the width of these side strips increasing from the free end of the leg (1,2) towards the place (5,7) where the legs are connected to each other, in such a way that as seen in side view the free edges (12) of the side strips (4) of both legs (1,2) are lying in two planes being at right angles to each other and that the planes in which the middle strips are lying are making an obtuse angle (α) with each other.

2. Shelf bracket according to claim 1,
characterized in
that the side strips (4) are making an obtuse angle with the middle strip (3).

3. Method for the manufacturing of a shelf bracket according to claim 1 or 2,
characterized in
that a strip (8) in the shape of a double trapezoid is first bent along the common base line (7) till the strip portions are lying nearly on each other, after which the side strips (4) are bent out of the plane of the strip portions while simultaneously upsetting the material present in the corner between the legs (1,2) and pressing the parts (6) of the middle strip (3), present in the corner, against each other.