GB2070914A

GB2070914A - Bracket

Info

Publication number: GB2070914A
Application number: GB8007649A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: White A H
Current assignee: White A H
Priority date: 1980-03-06
Filing date: 1980-03-06
Publication date: 1981-09-16
Also published as: GB2070914B

Abstract

A shelf bracket includes a mounting portion (1) adapted for mounting on a support surface (10), support means (2, 3) for supporting a shelf (5) at a position remote from the mounting portion (1) and retention means (6) for preventing the shelf (5) from tipping on the support means (2, 3). The bracket is particularly useful for supporting shelves above radiators providing a very stable radiator shelf. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Bracket The present invention relates to a bracket and more particularly relates to a shelf bracket.

According to the present invention there is provided a shelf bracket having a mounting portion adapted for mounting on a support surface, support means for supporting the shelf at a position remote from the mounting portion, and retention means for preventing the shelf from tipping on said support means.

The present invention also provides the combination of such a bracket with a shelf.

The mounting portion of the bracket of the present invention is adapted for mounting on a support surface, the support surface normally being a wall, and it is preferred that the mounting portion is adapted for mounting by the provision of one or more holes or slots therein which allow fixing means such as screws or nails to be passed therethrough and into the wall thereby fixing the mounting portion to the support surface. Most preferably, the or each hole or slot in the mounting portion is a keyhole slot.The provision of such slots enables the mounting portion to be removably attached to the support surface since the keyholes can be passed over the fixing means, such as screws, which are already fixed in the support surface and the mounting portion of the bracket of the present invention is then dropped down so that the slot portion of each keyhole slot engages its respective fixing means. The reverse sequence is adopted to remove the mounting portion. If desired, the mounting portion may be provided with one or more stabilising members on that surface thereof which is adjacent the support surface when the mounting portion is attached thereto.

Conveniently, the or each stabilising member, which serves to render attachment to the support surface more rigid, is in the form of a bar or ridge running along the length of the mounting portion.

The support means of the brackets of the present invention preferably comprises an arm or strut member extending from the mounting portion having the end portion thereof which is remote from the mounting portion adapted to abut the underside of the shelf to be supported. Convenienty therefore the top surface of the end of the arm or strut which is remote from the mounting portion of the bracket is horizontal when the bracket is mounted on a support surface.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the arm or strut extends from that part of the mounting portion which is at the bottom of the bracket when the bracket is mounted on a support surface, and substends an angle, preferably 60o, from the mounting portion. Advantageously most of the arm or strut is straight apart from that end thereof remote from the mounting portion which is bent at angle from the main part of the arm or strut in order that the uper surface of that end portion is able to abut the underside of the shelf to be held. In order to increase the stability of a shelf held by the bracket t is preferred for the underside of the shelf to be held to be provided with retaining means with which the end of the supporting means remote from the mounting means can engage.Advantageously, the retaining means takes the form of a retaining clip made of, for example a plastic such as PVC, into which the aforementioned end can fit and engage slideably, the clip being attached to the shelf by means of, for example glue.

The retention means of the bracket of the present invention prevents the shelf from tipping and is advantageously positioned at that part of the mounting portion which is at the top of the bracket when the bracket is mounted on a support surface. Preferably the retention means is a member which projects from the mounting portion of the bracket, most preferably at an angle 90 , and which is adapted to engage a reciprocally shaped slot in one edge of the shelf. In a particularly preferred embodiment the projecting member has parallel sides when viewed in cross-section.

The bracket of the present invention is advantageously of integral construction and in this connection, it is preferably fabricated from aluminium, for example by extrusion. In addition it is generally preferred that the shelf is capable of being laterally fitted on the bracket and that the bracket is of the same length as the shelf to be held thereby. Furthermore, the preferred brackets of the present invention are provided with guide means at the joint of the supporting means and the mounting portion thereof, said guide means being aligned with respective slots in the mounting portion. These guide means are an aid to fixing the bracket to the wall as will be further described hereinbelow.

A particularly useful application of the bracket of the present invention is for supporting shelves above radiators, providing a very stable radiator shelf, and in this particular application, a bracket of equal length to the shelf to be held thereby helps prevent the shelf warping due to the heat given off by the radiator.

The present invention will now be further illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a preferred bracket of the present invention which is fixed to a wail and which is supporting a shelf; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a second preferred bracket of the present invention; and Figures 3 to 6 show a third preferred bracket of the present invention and successive stages of the fixing of a shelf above a radiator using said bracket, Figs. 3 to 5 being perspective views and Fi. 6 being a crosssectional view.

Referring to Fig. 1 the bracket of the present invention comprises a mounting portion 1, support means 2 and retention means 6 for preventing the shelf from tipping. The supporting member 2 is in the form of an arm and forms an angle of 60 with the mounting portion 1. The supporting means 2 is straight except for its end portion 3 which is bent at an angle so that the upper surface thereof abuts the shelf 5 and also so that it is in a horizontal plane when the bracket is fixed to the wall 10. As may be seen from Fig. 1, the end portion 3 of the support member 2 has a bulbous shaped cross-section and engages the retaining clip 4 which is shaped in reciprocal fashion thereto. The clip 4 is fixed to the underside of shelf 5 by means of a screw 9.

The mounting portion 1 is fixed to the wall 10 by means of the screw 1 2 which passes through a hole or slot not shown in said portion. Projecting from the mounting portion 1 on side thereof adjacent the wall 10 are two stabilising members 8, 8' which are in the form of ridges along the length of the mounting portion 1.

The retention means 6 projects from the mounting portion 1 at an angle of 90 and engages a reciprocaly shaped slot 11 in the shelf 5, and this engagement of the slot 11 and the retention means 6 prevents tipping of the she; 5 about the axis created by end portion 3 of support member 2. A foam sealing strip 7 is provided between the shelf 5 and the wall 10 to prevent marking of the wall 10 not only by the shelf 5 itself but also, if the fixed shelf is to be above a radiator, to stop hot air rising and forming marks.

Fig. 2 cilCWS a second type of bracket of the prett prese.1t invention which differs, in fact, only very slightly from that shown in Fig. 1.

Tl-sus, tisose parts of the bracket of Fig. 2 rr.-lrke i 21, 22, 23. 26 and 28' are identical to. those of Fig. 1 marked 1, 2, 3, 6 and 8' respect ve!y However, as may be seen from Fig. 2 the stabilising member 28 is displaced from the plane of the retention means 26 whereas stabilising member 8 of the bracket of Fig. 1 is in the same horizontal plane as retention means 6.

In Figj. 3 to 6, four stages of the fixing of a bracket of the present invention to a wall, and ihe fixing of a shelf thereto to form a radiator shelf are shown. With reference to Fig. 3 there is shown a radiator 30. a shelf 31 and a preferred bracket of the present invention 32 having guide means 33 located at the joining psint of the support means and mounting portion thereof, said guide means being aligned with respective key hole slots in the mounting portion. As may be seen from Fig.

3, the bracket and the shelf are engaged and the complete assembly is positioned upside down, central on top of the radiator and at right angles to the wall. The fixing points are marked, using for example a pencil with the aid of the guide means 33: The shelf assembly is then removed from the radiator, and holes are drilled and plugged at the locations which have been marked on the wall with the aid of the guide means 33. The fixing means, which in this case are screws are then driven fully home and subsequently slackened until the heads are away from the wall a distance, conveniently 10 mm. The position shown in Fig. 4 is thus achieved, the screws 35 protruding slightly from the wall above the radiator 30.The bracket of the present invention is then disengaged from the shelf, and the bracket of the present invention is placed on the screws by passing the keyhole slots (34 in Fig. 5) over the screw heads and allowing it to drop down so that the screws engage the actual slot portion of the keyhole slots. The screws are then driven fully home. The position shown in Fig. 5 is thereby achieved, the bracket of the present invention 32 being screwed onto the wall above radiator 30. The shelf may now be engaged with the bracket of the present invention, and Fig. 6 shows a shelf 31 and a bracket of the present invention 32 just before their mutual engagement.

The bracket 32 is shown fixed to the wall 36 above radiator 30 by means of screw 35. It should be noted that the particular embodiment of the bracket of the present invention shown in Fig. 6 does not have the aforementioned optional stabilising members. To achieve the position shown in Fig. 6, the shelf 31 is simply placed on the bracket 32, ensuring that the end of retaining clip 37 is in line with the end of bracket 32. The shelf 31 is then pushed firmiy in the direction of the arrow 38 so that the clip 37 engages the reciprocaly shaped end portion of the supporting means of bracket 32 and the retention means 39 engages the slot 41 in shelf 31.

The shelf is pushed until the foam strip 40 makes a seal against the wall 36. It should be noted that with long shelves, it may be necessary to work the shelf 31 on to bracket 32 progressively from one end.

Claims

1. A shelf bracket including a mounting portion adapted for mounting on a support surface, support means for supporting a shelf at a position remote from the mounting portion, and retention means for preventing the shelf from tipping on said support means.

2. A shelf bracket as claimed in claim 1 wherein the mounting portion is adapted for mounting on a support surface by the provision of at least one hole or slot therein.

3. A shelf bracket as claimed in claim 2 wherein the or each hole or slot is a keyhole slot.

4. A shelf bracket as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the mounting portion is provided with at least one stabilising member on that surface thereof which is adjacent the support surface when the mounting portion is attached thereto.

5. A shelf bracket as claimed in claim 4 wherein the or each stabilising member is in the form of a bar or ridge running along the length of the mounting portion.

6. A shelf bracket as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5 wherein the support means comprises an arm or strut member extending from the mounting portion having the end portion thereof which is remote from the mounting portion adapted to abut the underside of the shelf to be supported when the shelf is supported by the brackets.

7. A shelf bracket as claimed in claim 6 wherein the arm or strut extends from that part of the mounting portion which is at the bottom of the bracket when the bracket is mounted on a support surface.

8. A shelf bracket as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7 wherein the majority of the length of the arm or strut is a straight portion and subtends an angle to the mounting portion, and the minority of the length of the arm or strut which minority includes the end portion thereof remote from the mounting portion, is at angle from the majority of the arm or strut in such manner that the surface of the end portion which is adapted to abut the underside of the shelf to be supported is horizontal when the bracket is mounted on a support surface.

9. A shelf bracket as claimed in claim 8 wherein the majority of the length of the arm or strut subtends an angle of 60 to the mounting portion.

10. A shelf bracket as claimed in any of claims 7 to 9 wherein the end portion of the strut or arm is engageable with a reciprocally shaped retaining means on the shelf to be supported.

11. A shelf bracket as claimed in any of claims 1 to 10 wherein the retention means is positioned at that part of the mounting portion which is at the top of the bracket when the bracket is mounted on a support surface.

1 2. A shelf bracket as claimed in any of claims 1 to 11 wherein the retention means is a member which projects from the mounting portion of the bracket.

1 3. A shelf bracket as claimed in claim 1 2 wherein the retention means projects at an angle of 90 .

14. A shelf bracket as claimed in any of claims 11 to 1 3 wherein the retention means is adapted to engage a reciprocally shaped slot in the shelf to be supported.

15. A shelf bracket as claimed in claim 14 wherein the projecting member has parallel sides when viewed in cross-section.

1 6. A shelf bracket as claimed in any of claims 1 to 1 5 having an integral construction.

1 7. A shelf bracket as claimed in claim 1 6 which is fabricated from extruded aluminuim.

18. A shelf bracket as claimed in any of claims 2 to 1 7 wherein guide means are provided at the external surface of the joint of the supporting means and the mounting portion, said guide means being aligned with respective slots or holes in the mounting portion.

1 9. A shelf bracket substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in Figs. 1 to 3 and 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.

20. In combination, a shelf bracket as claimed in any of claims 1 to 1 9 together with a shelf supported thereby.

21. A method of fixing a bracket as claimed in claim 1 8 to a wall above a radiator and the fixing of a shelf thereto substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in Figs. 3 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.