EP4011243A1

EP4011243A1 - Versatile anti-release system for wall units and shelves of a storage wall

Info

Publication number: EP4011243A1
Application number: EP21210277.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Simone Marco Sciolette
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2020-12-14
Filing date: 2021-11-24
Publication date: 2022-06-15
Also published as: IT202000030743A1

Abstract

The present invention refers in general to a storage wall comprising a plurality of wall units and shelves for storing objects of various nature. In particular, the invention is relative to a practical and easy-to-make anti-release system for wall units and shelves of a storage wall.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention refers in general to a storage wall comprising a plurality of wall units and shelves for storing objects of various nature. In particular, the invention is relative to an anti-release system for wall units and shelves of a storage wall that is practical and simple to manufacture.

PRIOR ART

Storage walls known in the furniture field have the purpose of displaying products to sell or of making the best use of the walls in a room when there is little space available for placing objects, such as tools in a garage. These walls generally include a grid-like structure or horizontal slats on which to hang or hook various elements that may be simple hooks, brackets or containers for objects or tools that need to be properly arranged.
Independently of the specific structure, storage walls include slots facing the ceiling that may be engaged by corresponding plain hook elements or fastened to supports or containers. In particular, horizontal slats provided with slots are fixed to a wall so as to have the slots facing the ceiling and be easily engaged by said corresponding hook elements. However, these systems are not at all safe since the hook element can accidentally detach very easily.
Alternatively, there are systems in which the hook elements include a hook-like portion that is turned toward the ceiling and is engageable with a slot on a first slat facing downward and a support portion facing the floor so as to abut against an edge of a slot on a second slat placed at a certain distance and parallel to the first slat. The engagement is achieved by inclining the hook portion and approaching it to the slot on the first slat and then straightening it so that it engages the slot of the same first slat and at the same time the support portion abuts against the edge of the second slat. A system like this is described, for example, in US Patent 6,349,507 . However, it is evident that in this manner the connection that is achieved, although it is more secure than the previous one, does not eliminate the possibility of accidental detachment if the element is impacted by an upward force since the hook portion tends to incline and become detached from the corresponding slot.
There are systems that include a locking mechanism against the accidental detachment of the hooking element from the wall, like the one described in US Patent 8,528,871 . In this case, the mechanism consists of a cam that engages a hole of a hooking element so as to rotate to an engaging position with a horizontal slot on a wall slat. The cam, therefore, has the function of avoiding the accidental release of the hooking element from the wall slat.
Although this second solution is doubtlessly safe, it appears to be constructively complex, and therefore costly. In fact, the cam-type anti-detachment system must be previously mounted on the hooking element by inserting it into a relative hole with a mounting portion of the cam. A second portion of the cam can instead by actuated in rotation with a relative tool, a tab that alternatively engages and disengages said slot of a wall-mounted slat.
Moreover, the two portions of the cam are firmly connected to the hooking element, and any detachment of the cam, for example for its replacement in case of breakages or malfunctions, is labor consuming.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The technical problem at the basis of the present invention is therefore to devise an anti-release system for wall units of a storage wall that is constructively simple to achieve and easy to apply.
This problem is resolved by a system comprising a locking element having a monobloc structure adapted to become engaged between a horizontal hooking slat for containers and a hooking element for said containers.
A first objective is therefore an anti-release system for wall units and shelves of a storage wall.
A second objective is a storage wall comprising said hooking system

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Further characteristics and advantages according to the present invention will become more evident from the following description of some no-limiting examples, with reference to the following figures, wherein:

figure 1 is an axonometric view of an overall view of a storage wall according to the present invention;
figure 2 is an axonometric view of a detail of the storage wall of figure 1 with an exploded view of a wall-unit anti-release system;
figure 3 is an enlarged axonometric view of a locking system of the anti-release system of figure 2;
figure 4 is an axonometric view of the detail of figure 2 assembled;
figure 5 is an axonometric and front view of the detail of figure 4;
figure 6 is an axonometric and exploded view of a detail of the locking system of the invention according to a variant embodiment;
figure 7 is an axonometric and exploded view of a detail of the storage wall of figure 1 with a further variant of the hooking system;
figure 8 is an axonometric view of the detail of figure 7 in a first step of installation;
figure 9 is an axonometric view of the detail of figure 7 in a second step of installation;
figure 10 is an axonometric view of the detail of figure 7 in the assembled state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to figure 1, reference numeral 1 indicates overall a storage wall comprising a plurality of slats 2 arranged horizontally on a wall W with respect to the floor F of a room or living space and firmly fixed to it so as to hold a plurality of supports 3 such as containers, wall units and shelves in general for orderly arranging objects of various nature.
The storage wall can be used in various spaces to orderly arrange and display objects in public and industrial places, such as stores, shops and warehouses, as well as in private spaces such as rooms in houses or apartments and offices.
In any case, independently of its specific use, the storage wall 1 according to the present invention is characterized by a system of locking the supports of the objects comprising a first edge 41 adapted to abut against the second edge 22 of said slat 2 (figure 2).
In particular, as shown in figure 2, the storage wall comprises at least two slats 2 that extend along a rectilinear axis X-X horizontal to the floor (not shown) of a room or a place and are each provided with a first edge 21 facing the floor and a second edge 22 opposite to said first edge and, therefore, facing the ceiling of the room or place. The second edge is inclined so as to form an acute angle with the wall W to which the slat is fixed. Thus, between the wall W and the second edge 22 is formed a sort of longitudinal seat 23 that runs along at least a portion of the slat 2, and preferably extends through it completely. The slats 2 are then fixed to the wall W with conventional means such as glues and/or screws.
The supports 3 (in figure 2 a shelf is shown as a broken line) include a hooking element 4 provided with a first edge 41 adapted to abut against the second edge 22 of said slat 2. Preferably, this element is a block having a rectangular trapezoidal cross section with said first edge 41 facing the floor when the support 3 is arranged to be hooked to the storage wall.
This block can be single to as to extend through the whole length of the support, as shown in figure 2, or it can be fixed to the back or the rear of a perimetric edge of a support at two of its upper angles. In each case, the hooking element 4 does not protrude from the perimetric edge of the support so as not to interfere with additional supports placed alongside the same.
In addition, the hooking element 4 is provided with a second edge 42 opposite to the first, and therefore facing the ceiling when the corresponding support 4 is in a hooking position. Two further lateral edges 43 circumscribe the element.
In general, the hooking element 4 is fixed to the support 3 by conventional means such as glues and/or screws.
Preferably, this hooking element includes engaging means 6 adapted to cooperate with corresponding engaging means 7 of the locking element 110, as explained later. According to a variant embodiment, these engaging means 6 are a hole formed in at least one of the above lateral edges 43.
Advantageously, the hooking element 4 can be locked reversibly on a slat 2 by means of the above locking element 100 formed as a single piece or monobloc adapted to engage at the same time said second edge 42 of the hooking element 4 and said second edge 21 of a slat 2.
In particular, the locking element 100 forms a sort of spacer that is inserted in the space 5 that is formed between the hooking element 4, when it is positioned on a corresponding second edge 22 of a slat, and the slat placed above the hooking element itself, as shown in figure 4.
Preferably, this element has a generally parallelepiped shape with a main body 110 and a protrusion 120 (figure 3). The main body displays a first edge 111 that abuts against the first edge 21 of a first slat 2, a second edge 112 opposite to the first edge 111, abutting against the second edge 42 of a hooking element 4, a third edge 113 inserted in said space 5 between the hooking element 4 and the first slat 2, and a fourth edge 114 opposite to said third edge 113.
Preferably, moreover, the main body 110 is provided with an opening 115 on the fourth edge 114 to be engaged with the finger of a person so as to simplify both the positioning of the locking element 100 in the operative position and its disengagement. This opening can also extend as far as the third edge 113 to form an internal cavity 116 that lightens the element itself.
The protrusion 120 extends integrally from the second edge 112 of the main body 110 and displays a first flat face 121 that extends continually from the fourth edge 114 of the main body and a second face 122 opposite to the first face. In particular, said second face includes means 7 that engage said hooking element 4.
According to a first embodiment of the invention, said means 7 are a pin adapted to engage the corresponding means 6 previously described that engage the hooking element 4, that is, the hole on the side edge 43.
Preferably, the locking element 100 can also comprise a through hole 123 that extends rectilinearly from the first face 121 of the protrusion 120 through the whole length of the pin 7. The hole allows the engagement of a screw 8 to firmly fix the locking element 100 to the hooking element 4.
The installation of the hooking system according to the present invention is very simple, effective and reliable. In fact, after having preset a wall W with a plurality of slats 2 arranged horizontally at a predetermined distance D, as shown in figure 4, each so as to have said first rectilinear edge 21 facing the floor and a second rectilinear edge 22 facing the ceiling, the locking element 100 is inserted in the space 5 with a simple manual operation. This operation is immediate since the space 5 corresponds to the thickness of the locking element and its protrusion 120 creates the orientation for such insertion. Moreover, the protrusion automatically forms a stop with the lateral edge 43 of the hooking element 4 being the same as, preferably, its pin 7 in the hole 6 of the hooking element itself.
Thanks to the above system, the support 3, which in figure 5 is shown frontally by broken lines in the form of an open wall unit, is firmly hung on the storage wall against accidental detachments. In fact, the hooking element 4 is prevented from being released because it has no space for moving, except for sliding along the slat 2, which however does not cause the overturning of the same support.
The removal of the block is just equally simple since, thanks especially to the opening 115 of the locking element 100 it is easy to insert a finger or a common tool to slip off the same element and allow the lifting of the support 3 to disengage it from the relative slat 2.
According to a variant embodiment of the locking element, in figure 6 is shown a locking element 100 having a shape that is generally identical to the one of the previously described locking element. In particular, this element differs from the previous one in that the engaging means that are formed by a magnetized button adapted to cooperate with a corresponding magnetized button that represents the engaging means 60 formed on the side edge 43 of the hooking element 4.
With reference to figures 7-10, is shown a locking system for supports of objects made according to a variant of the present invention. The support is a shelf 8 that extends horizontally between two uprights 9. The shelf 8 is than hooked at its two ends to two slats 2 identical to the ones previously described and arranged outside the space defined by said two uprights. Preferably, the shelf 8 has first portion 81 that extends inside the space bounded by said two uprights 9 and a second portion 82 that protrudes from said space and comprises two opposing wings 83 that each partially encircle an upright.
The locking system comprises a pair of hooking elements 400 that are fixed on the lower face of the shelf 8, which is the face that does not support objects when it is mounted. Each hooking element 400 comprises, in fact, a main body 410 provided with a tooth 420 adapted to engage the second edge 22 of a slat 2. Then from the main body 410 extends integrally a bracket 430 defining generally an L-shaped element so that the body is adapted to abut against the side surface of the upright 9 facing the slat 2 and the bracket 430 is adapted to abut against the front surface of the upright when in use. The end of the bracket is then provided with holes 10 to enable it to be fixed to the lower face of the shelf 8, for example by means of conventional screws, not shown.
Advantageously, the locking system just described comprises a blocking element 101 having a monobloc structure adapted to become engaged between a horizontal slat 2 for supports 3 and a hooking element 400 of said supports. Preferably, this element 101 is wedge shaped, that is, it is like a prism with a triangular cross section, primarily isosceles, made of a hard material adapted to block the hooking element 400 in an engaging position with said second edge 22 of the slat 2. In particular, the blocking element 101 comprises a first edge 102 abutting against the main body 410 of the hooking element 400, a second edge 103 opposite to the first edge to abut against the first edge 21 of a slat 2, a third edge 104 abutting against the wall W and a fourth edge 105 opposite to said third edge.
Preferably, the fourth edge 105 comprises a through hole 106 that emerges from the third edge 104 to engage with a fixing screw (not shown).
The assembling of this variant embodiment is also simple and guarantees efficacy and reliability of the blocking system. In fact, as shown in figure 8, first a hooking element 400 is fixed to a surface of a shelf 8 at each of the two wings 83 with the bracket 430. Afterward, the bracket 8 is inserted between the two uprights 9 with its first portion 81.
At this point, the shelf is lowered so that the tooth 420 engages the corresponding second edge 22 of a slat 2 (figure 9).
Finally, the blocking element 101 is inserted into the space between the main body 410 of the hooking element 400 and the upper slat 2 (figure 10).
If necessary, the blocking element can be fixed to the wall by means of a screw that engages said hole 106.
This variant embodiment also makes it possible to block the bracket against the risk of tipping over since the locking element prevents the upward shift or the inclination of the hooking element with the relative bracket.
From what has been described up to this point, it is evident that the shortcomings previously described with reference to the prior art have been resolved and at the same time important advantages have been achieved.
Firstly, the constructive simplicity avoids the production of particularly complex locking systems that are thus costly to manufacture and therefore have a greater risk of malfunction.
Moreover, the elements that make up the blocking system can be easily handled because they consist of a single piece that does not require any preventive assembling on the hooking elements but that can be adapted to them with very simple operations. They are also self-centering in their functional position thanks to their shape.
The locking in position can be improved by the supplementary engaging means that can be operated with equally simple maneuvers.
The blocking system according to the present invention is susceptible to modifications according to particular requirements or preferences, without however departing from the scope of patent protection of the enclosed claims.
For example, the locking element 100 according to the first embodiment can also be applied to the hooking element 400 used for the shelves 8.
The blocking element 101 according to the second embodiment can be fixed to the upright 9 instead of to the wall W.
The shapes of the individual elements can be varied while their respective functionalities, like the contact edges of the locking elements with the respective edges of the hooking element and of the overlying slat, can be maintained.

Claims

Storage wall (1) provided with an anti-release system for objects supports (3), comprising a plurality of slats (2) carrying a plurality of said supports (3) by means of hooking elements (4;400), wherein said slats (2) extend along an axis (X-X) which is rectilinear and horizontal to the floor (F), and each slat is provided with a first edge (21) facing the floor and a second edge (22) opposite to said first edge, and wherein said hooking elements (4) comprise a first edge (41) adapted to abut against the second edge (22) of said slat (2) and a second edge (42) opposite to said first edge, characterized in that said ant-release system comprises a blocking element (100;101) made as a single piece adapted to simultaneously engage said second edge (42) of the hooking element (4) and said first edge (21) of a slat (2).
Storage wall (1) according to claim 1, wherein said blocking element (100) is a spacer that fits into the space (5) formed between the hooking element (4), when positioned onto a corresponding second edge (22) of a slat, and a slat positioned onto the same hooking element.
Storage wall (1) according to claim 2, wherein said blocking element (100) has a general parallelepiped shape with a main body (110) and a protrusion (120), the main body having a first edge (111) for abutting against the first edge (21) of a first slat (2), a second edge (112), opposite to the first, for abutting again the second edge (42) of a hooking element (4), a third edge (113) for inserting into said space (5) between the hooking element (4) and said first slat (2) and a fourth edge (114) opposite to said third edge (113).
Storage wall (1) according to claim 3, wherein the main body (110) is provided with an opening (115) onto the fourth edge (114).
Storage wall (1) according to claim 3 or 4, wherein said protrusion (120) extends without interruptions from the second edge (112) of the main body (110) and has a first plane face (121) without interruptions with the fourth edge (114) of said main body, and a second face (122) opposite to the first face, said second face comprising engaging means (7;70) with said hooking element (4).
Storage wall (1) according to claim 5, wherein said engaging means (7) is a pin adapted to engage corresponding engaging means (6) of the hooking element (4), which means is a hole on the side edge (43) of said hooking element.
Storage wall (1) according to claim 5, wherein said engaging means (70) of said hooking element (100) is a magnetized button adapted to cooperate with a corresponding magnetized button which is the engaging means (60) of said side edge (43) of the hooking element (4).
Storage wall (1) according to claim 1, further comprising two post (9) between which at least a support in the form of a shelf (8) is mounted and said blocking system of the shelf onto the slats (2) comprises a couple of hooking elements (400) each having a main body (410) provided with a tooth (420) adapted to engage the second edge (22) of a slat (2), and as a single piece a bracket (430) for fixing to said slat.
Storage wall (1) according to claim 8, wherein said blocking element (101) ha a wedge shape adapted to block the hooking element (400) in an engagement position with said second edge (22) of the slat (2).
Storage wall (1) according to any one of preceding claims, wherein said supports (3) are one or more of shelfs (8), containers, boxes, wall units.