EP0750464B1

EP0750464B1 - Shelf support

Info

Publication number: EP0750464B1
Application number: EP95910635A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Anthony Trevor Jones
Original assignee: Richard Burbidge Ltd
Current assignee: Richard Burbidge Ltd
Priority date: 1994-03-15
Filing date: 1995-03-07
Publication date: 1998-06-03
Anticipated expiration: 2015-03-07
Also published as: AU1855195A; GB9404948D0; WO1995024844A1; DE69502815D1; GB2287397A; DE69502815T2; GB2287397B; EP0750464A1

Description

This invention relates to a shelf support, i.e. a means of mounting a shelf to a wall or other support medium.

It is well known to provide a shelf support in the form of two or more spaced brackets to be attached directly to a wall or, more usually, each to be attached to a horizontal or vertical batten or strip which is attached to the wall. The brackets have a horizontal upper surface so as to receive a shelf across at least two spaced brackets and, for security, the shelf may be screwed or otherwise attached to each bracket.

With known supporting means, it is difficult to conceal all the fixing means, e.g. screws, that have to be employed. For example, a batten needs to be screwed to a wall at a number of points along its length, a bracket needs to be secured to the batten and a shelf may need to be secured to the bracket. Many different shelf supporting means have been previously proposed but none has entirely satisfactorily resolved this problem, which is of particular importance where the fixing means, i.e. battens and brackets, are of a decorative wood type.

The present invention has the object of eliminating or ameliorating this problem and will, therefore, be more specifically described below with reference to wooden battens and brackets, although it will be appreciated that it is not intended to be so limited.

In GB-A-2003724 is disclosed a bracket, e.g. of wood, having a bore to contain a reinforcement member slideably engaged therein and the reinforcement member having a portion with means to secure it to a wall. The portion may be a plate attached to the reinforcement member, the plate having a hole by which it may be screwed to the wall.

Accordingly in one aspect the invention provides a kit of parts for a shelf support means, the kit comprising a bracket for attachment to a batten, the bracket having a first bore opening in its face to contact the batten and a rod to extend within the first bore, characterised in that the bracket has a second bore which crosses the first bore, the rod is of length to extend within the first bore beyond the crossing with the second bore while extending beyond the opening for attachment to the batten, a hole is provided transversely through the rod positionable at the crossing, and a tapered dowel screw is provided to fit in the second bore and locate within the hole in the rod.

By 'tapered dowel screw' herein is meant a screw having a tapered shank portion, the shank adjacent the wider end being provided with a screw thread and the shank adjacent the narrow end being smooth, i.e. non-threaded. Preferably the shank is unthreaded for a major proportion of its length, i.e. the screw-threaded portion covers a minor proportion of the length of the screw. The screw preferably has a head with a slot to receive a screw driver.

The first bore is preferably a blind bore extending for a sufficient distance through the bracket to accommodate a rod of the required length but not opening out in the face of the-bracket away from the batten in use.

The second bore may conveniently run transversely to the first bore. It is particularly preferred that the second bore opens out into the upper surface of the bracket when it is mounted in the desired position and this bore also may be a blind bore so that it is not visible in the surface of the bracket, usually the under or lower surface, opposite to that surface to receive the screw. By this means the screw or pin fitted into the second bore will be hidden by the shelf to be mounted on the bracket and the entire fixing means of bracket to batten is hidden. The taper is towards the blind end of the bore in this embodiment. It is also preferred that the second bore has a larger diameter at its open end than at its blind end. It may, therefore, be conveniently formed by counterboring to provide two sections of different diameters.

The kit may also include a threaded nut, e.g. a T-nut to be mounted in a hole in the batten, the nut being of size to receive a threaded end of the rod. The nut is preferably flanged with its flange shaped to firmly grip and locate the nut to the batten. This latter feature can give improved security against loosening of the assembled shelf support system.

The batten may be provided with through holes to receive plugs and/or screws whereby it can be mounted to a wall and the holes may conveniently be positioned to be covered by the bracket when it is attached to the batten or by thin cover strips to be applied later.

In another aspect the invention provides a suspended shelving comprising at least two spaced upright battens, a bracket attached to each batten whereby a shelf may be supported horizontally on the brackets each bracket having a first bore opening into its face that contacts its respective batten and a tapered second bore crossing the first bore, and containing a rod attached at one end to the batten and extending into the first bore beyond the crossing with the second bore, a hole through the rod receiving a tapered dowel screw fitted in the second bore.

The use of the tapered dowel screw fitting is particularly advantageous in providing security of the shelving assembly. In particular, after a period of use of the shelving, it is possible to remove the shelves and tighten the dowel screws further into their brackets, thereby counteracting any loosening or sagging that may have arisen under load. Thus the bore is preferably longer than the length of the tapered dowel screw.

The outer and/or lower surfaces of the bracket, particularly when made of wood, may be patterned, e.g. by three dimensional markings such as grooving to present a pleasing appearance when the bracket is in use.

The invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration in perspective view of an assembled kit of parts of the invention but with the bracket not shown for clarity;

Figure 2 is a side view of the arrangement shown in Figure 1 with the bracket reinstated; and

Figure 3 is a section along line III-III of Figure 2.

A wooden bracket 10 (Figure 2) has an upper surface 11 to receive a shelf (not shown) an outwardly facing end surface (not shown), a lower surface 13 and an end surface 14 transverse to upper surface 11, end surface 14 being shown in contact with an upright batten 15 attached to a wall 16, and two side surfaces 17 (one of which is shown).

A blind bore 18 extends inside bracket 10 substantially parallel to its upper surface 11 and opens at opening 19 in end face 14. A rod 20 extends as a tight fit in bore 18 and at one end protrudes from the bore 18 into a corresponding hole 21 in batten 15. This protruding end of the rod is threaded and screws into the threaded bore of a T-nut 22 in hole 21, the T-nut being secured to the bracket by its prongs 22A.

A substantially vertical blind bore 23 extends in bracket 10 from upper surface 11 and crosses bore 18. Bore 23 has an upper portion 23A of larger diameter than its lower portion 23B.

Rod 20 has a through hole 24 which is positioned at the crossing of

bores

18 and 23 so that it can be held firmly in position by a taper dowel screw 25 positioned in bore 23. Dowel screw 25 has an upper threaded portion 25A and a lower tapering portion 25B, which lower portion passes through and contacts the edges of hole 24 in rod 20 (See Figure 1).

Batten 15 is attached to wall 16 by one or more screws (not shown) and the screw holes in the batten can be positioned to be hidden by the bracket 10 when the latter is attached to the batten.

It may be found convenient after fixing the batten to the wall to then attach rod 20 by screwing its threaded end into nut 22 in the hole 21 in the batten.

The bracket 10 can then be offered to the rod and the assembly firmly locked together by dowel screw 25. This method of assembly will in fact be essential if the batten is recessed to receive end face 14 of the bracket.

The wedge effect of the tapered dowel through rod 20 provides good load bearing securement of the bracket to the batten and the upper threaded portion 25A ensures that the dowel screw is secured against a tendency to retract. This securement effect can be heightened if the two bores are not exactly in alignment so that the shank of the tapered dowel screw has to bear against part of an edge of the bore in the pin as it is positioned.

When a shelf is positioned to rest on bracket 20, none of the fixing means is visible in the final assembly.

It will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to the embodiments shown.

Bores 18 and 23 need not extend transversely to each other. Bore 23 may extend from lower surface 13 upwardly.

Claims

A kit of parts for a shelf support means, the kit comprising a bracket (10) for attachment to a batten (15), the bracket (10) having a first bore (18) opening in its face (14) to contact the batten (15) and a rod (20) to extend within the first bore (18), characterised in that the bracket (10) has a second bore (23) which crosses the first bore (18), the rod (20) is of length to extend within the first bore (18) beyond the crossing with the second bore (23) while extending beyond the opening (19) for attachment to the batten (15), a hole (24) is provided transversely through the rod (20) positionable at the crossing, and a tapered dowel screw (25) is provided to fit in the second bore (23) and locate within the hole (24) in the rod (20).
A kit of parts according to Claim 1, in which the shank of the dowel screw (25) has a screw-threaded portion (25A) over a minor proportion of its length adjacent its wider end and is unthreaded over the major proportion of its length (25B).
A kit of parts according to Claim 1 or 2, in which the first bore (18) extends through the bracket (10) sufficiently to accommodate the rod (20) but is a blind bore so that it does not reach the face of the bracket away from the batten in use.
A kit of parts according to Claim 1, 2 or 3, in which the second bore (23) runs transversely to the first bore (18).
A kit of parts according to any preceding Claim, in which the second bore opens in the upper surface (11) of the bracket in use.
A kit of parts according to any preceding Claim, in which the second bore (23) is a blind bore.
A kit of parts according to any preceding Claim, in which the second bore (23)has a larger diameter at its open end than at its blind end.
A kit of parts according to any preceding Claim, in which the tapered dowel screw (25) has a head with a slot to receive a screw driver.
Suspended shelving comprising at least two spaced upright battens (15), a bracket (10) attached to each batten (15) whereby a shelf may be supported horizontally on the brackets (10), each bracket (10) having a first bore (18) opening into its face (14) that contacts its respective batten (15) and containing a rod (20) attached at one end to the batten (15), characterised in that each bracket (10) has a second bore (23) which crosses the first bore (18), the rod (20) is of length to extend within the first bore (18) and beyond the crossing with the second bore (23), a hole (24) through the rod (20) receiving a tapered dowel screw (25) fitting in the second bore (23).