GB2154125A - An attachment device - Google Patents

Abstract

A pair of hollow posts 10 support a mesh 12 between them by means of four attachment devices 14. Each attachment device 14 is mounted on the post by first inserting a pin through a pair of aligned holes 16 so that the pin projects beyond either side of the post. Then a bracket is located on and slid down the post until the pin extends through a pair of downwardly opening recesses in the bracket. The mesh 12 is supported and located to each attachment device by a pair of downwardly extending bars 22 extending into an opening 24 of the attachment device. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION An attachment device The present invention relates to an attachment device for use in a display system.

In a known display system, an open work lattice column is provided onto the horizontal rungs of which display fittings such as an elongate arm can be hooked. A major disadvantage of this known system is the cost and difficulty in manufacturing the intricate lattice. Furthermore, as the display fittings have to be hooked onto the horizontal rungs of the lattice between the upwardly extending rungs of the lattice, in order that the attachment of the fitting to the rung can have sufficient strength and stability, it is necessary to make the lattice extremely wide, which further increases the cost of the column and detracts from its aesthetic appearance.

According to one aspect of the present invention, an attachment device for use in a display system includes a locating member capable of being inserted through, and extending either side of a support post, and a bracket arranged to co-operate with the locating member on either side of the support post. The bracket may be adapted to support and locate another component of a display system. Such an attachment device may be quickly and easily mounted on a support post. It will be appreciated that the mounting of the attachment device on the support post does not require the use of tools. Thus the attachment device may be quickly and easily relocated on the support post at any height thereon, providing that the support post is provided with the appropriate openings through which the locating member can be inserted.

The bracket may include a pair of spaced rearwardly extending portions each of which is arranged to hook over the locating member on either side of the support post. The bracket may also include a connecting portion extending between and joining the rearwardly extending portions with the connecting portion being adapted to support and locate another component of a display system.

Thus the bracket may be quickly and easily mounted on the post by hooking the rearwardly extending portions over the locating member, and more brackets can be added to or removed from a post without disturbing other brackets on the post. The brackets may also be located on any side of the post providing the post has the appropriate openings for the locating member.

The locating member may include an enlarged portion at either end thereof, which enlarged portions are capable of being located away from a support post when the locating member is inserted through the support post. The spaced rearwardly extending portion of the bracket may then be hooked over the locating member, each rearwardly extending portions ofthe bracket being located between a different enlarged portion of the locating member and the post. When the rearwardly extending portions are so hooked over the locating member, movement of the locating member through the support post in either direction is prevented or limited by abutment of one or other of the enlarged portions thereof with one of the rearwardly extending portions which in turn abuts the support post.Alternatively or additionally, the locating member may include a further enlarged portion or portions arranged to be located between the rearwardly extending portions of the bracket whereby abutment of one enlarged portion with one of the rearwardly extending portions of the bracket causes the other of said rearwardly extending portions of the bracket to bear against the support post to prevent or limit movement of the locating member through the support post. This may prevent accidental removal of the locating member.

The enlarged portions are preferably defined by a pair of reduced cross-sectional areas of the locating member, which reduced areas are arranged to extend between the support post and the enlarged portions when the locating member extends through a support post. Such a locating member may be quickly and easily manufactured, for instance by forming a pair of grooves in the locating member.

The locating member is preferably arranged to be a close sliding fit with a support post. Thus, when the locating member extends through the support post, any load which is transferred from the locating member to the support post may be transferred over a reasonable area and the locating member is limited in the movement which it can make in a direction transverse to that in which it extends through the support post, or prevented from any such movement. The limitation or prevention of movement of the locating member relative to the support post may restrict the wear and rattie which occurs between these parts.

The rearwardly extending portions of the bracket may be comprised by a pair of generally parallel plates, each including a downwardly opening recess. When the attachment device is mounted on a support post, each of the plates lies adjacent to a different side of the post to provide a stable configuration in which rocking of the bracket about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the post is prevented or limited by engagement of the plates with the post. The generally parallel plates may be part of a single plate which is in the form of a channel which is quick and easy to form.

The bracket may include an opening on the connecting portion, into which a part of another component of a display system can be inserted and located. The opening may be arranged to restrict or prevent the relative movement of the other component, when a part thereof is inserted and located in the opening, in any horizontal direction.

The opening of the bracket may be provided by two spaced parts of the connecting portion which extend forwardly and upwardly therefrom, and are connected together at their upper ends.

In an alternative arrangement, the bracket comprises a hollow member arranged to be located around the post. The lateral support provided by the post for the bracket may be increased by locating the hollow member around the post, and the degree of lateral movement of the bracket relative to the post may be reduced by making the hollow member a close sliding fit on the post. Manufacture of the hollow member may be relatively cheap and simple as each hollow member required may be cut off a length of hollow material having the required internal cross-section. Furthermore, the hollow member may be adapted to support and locate a plurality of other components of a display system, for example, where the bracket has four sides, two or more of those sides may be arranged to support and locate other components of a display system.

When all four sides of the bracket are arranged to support and locate other components of a display system, the support post may be provided with a single opening at any one height through which the locating member can be inserted whereby other components can be supported and located from any side of that support bracket. The bracket may include a pair of downwardly facing openings on two opposed sides thereof arranged to receive the locating member when the locating member extends either side of the support post.

The present invention also includes a support post having at least one opening therethrough and at least one attachment device as previously described located thereon. The support post may be hollow, and thus cheap to manufacture with each opening being defined buy a pair of aligned holes which can be conveniently drilled. The opening through the support post may extend across the longitudinal axis of the post in order to lessen any weakening effect which the opening may have on the strength of the post. The support post may be of generally square cross-section. Preferably, the support post includes at least two openings which may be at different heights along the support post or, alternatively or additionally, extending in different directions. Another elongate component of the display system may be supported and located at one end only by the bracket.Alternatively, another component of the display system may be supported and located by the bracket of at least two attachment devices which may be located on a different one of two support posts.

The present invention also includes any combination of the described brackets, locating members or support posts.

The invention may be carried into practice in various ways, but various embodiments will now be described by way of exampie and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mesh mounted between two support posts, each post including two attachment devices; Figure 2 is an exploded view of a single attachment device; Figure 3 is an exploded view of an alternative attachment device to that shown in Figure 2, and Figure 4 is a perspective view of a post on which the attachment device shown in Figure 3 is capable of being mounted.

As shown in Figure la a pair of hollow posts 10 support a mesh 12 between them by means of four attachment devices 14.

Each post 10 is provided with a series of holes 16 along its length, the holes 16 at any one location along the post allowing two attachment devices to be located on opposite sides of the post.

The mesh 12 may be used as a display in itself or, alternatively, display arms 18 may be hooked over the mesh at any desired location, the display arms 18 including a series of projections 20 along their upwardly facing surface which can be used to space clothes hangers.

The mesh is supported and located at each of the four attachment devices by a pair of spaced downwardly extending bars 22 extending into an opening 24 of the attachment devices. As shown in Figure 2, the opening 24 is provided on a bracket 26 of the attachment device and is defined by a bent rod 28, the end portions 30 of which are welded to a plate 32. The end portions 30 of the rod extend downwardly and are connected together by two parallel portions 34, which extend upwardly and away from the plate and a connecting portion 36.

When the downwardly extending bars 22 of the mesh extend into the opening 24, the connecting portion 36 of the attachment device supports the weight of the mesh. The connecting portion 36 also prevents or limits movement of the mesh away from the post. Sideways movement of the mesh relative to the attachment device is prevented or limited by abutment of the bars 22 with the two parallel portions 34 of the bent rod. Movement of the mesh towards the post is prevented or limited either by direct engagement of the bars 22 with the post or by engagement with the plate 32. It will be appreciated that a display arm 18 can also be supported and located by the bracket in a similar manner to the mesh.In order to prevent the support arm from dropping down by pivotting about the connecting portion 36 of the bent rod, the support arm 18 is provided with a lower flange 38 which rests against the plate 32 or the post.

The attachment device 14 includes a shaft 40 which is arranged to extend through, and project beyond a pair of aligned holes 16 in the post. The shaft 40 includes a pair of grooves 42 which are arranged to lie on either side of the post. The plate 32 of the bracket 26 is bent around at its sides to form two flanges 44, each of which has a downwardly facing slot 46 which can be slid over the grooves 42 in the shaft 40.

In order to mount an attachment device on the post, the shaft 40 is inserted through two aligned holes 16 of the post, and the slots 46 of the flanges 44 of the bracket are slid over the grooves 42 of the shaft. Removal of the attachment device is simply a reversal of the above operation. It will be appreciated thatit is extremely quick and easy to remove and mount the attachment devices on the post, and it is also a simple matter two support and locate the mesh or display arm on the attachment device. Furthermore, each post may have a mesh or display arm extending away from any of its faces.

An additional advantage of providing the spaced downwardly extending bars 22 on the mesh is that one mesh can be hooked directly into another.

In Figures 3 and 4, like parts to those shown in Figures 1 and 2 have been given the same reference numeral prefixed by the number 1 The attachment device 114 includes a shaft 140 and a bracket 126. The bracket 126 is provided with an opening 124 on each offoursides. Each opening 124 is provided by an associated bent rod 128, the end portions of which are welded to the outer surface of a hollow tubular member 148 of square cross-section. The tubular member 148 is arranged to be a close sliding fit on the hollow post 210 shown in Figure 4.

In order to mount the bracket 126 on the post 210, the shaft 140 is inserted through the required aligned holes 116 formed in opposed sides of the post so that a reduced diameter portion 150 projects beyond either side of the post. Two opposed sides of the tubular member 148 include a downwardly facing slot 146 each of which is arranged to pass over the reduced diameter portions 150 of the shaft 140 in order to firmly hold and support the bracket 126 on the post. As the post extends through the bracket 126, the bracket is less liable to tilt.

A display arm or a mesh, may be connected to any of the openings 124 provided by the bracket to allow a single attachment device 1 14to support four different parts of the display at the same height.

As each bracket has to be threaded onto the post, some brackets may be kept on the post either at the bottom thereof or elsewhere at a parking station, whereby, when a further attachment is required at an intermediate location along the post, the further bracket can be slid along the post from the parking station without disturbing those attachment devices already mounted on the post.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, if the weight of the display device being supported by the bracket 26 is increased then the side of the rearwardly extending flanges 44 tend to flex outwardly, such outward flexure being resisted by enlarged portions of the shaft 40 on the outside of the grooves 42. By providing the hollow tubular member 148, such outward flexure of the sides thereof is resisted by the inherent rigidity of a square cross-section and so the shaft 140 does not have to have enlarged portions on either side of the bracket and the cost of manufacturing the shaft 140 is reduced.

The bracket 126 itself is extremely cheap and simple to produce as the hollow tubular member can be cut off an elongate hollow member and the required number of bent rods 128 secured to some or all of its outer faces in order to provide the openings 124.

The post 110 is also extremely simple and cheap to as only a single series of holes needs to be provided through the centre of one pair of opposed sides of the post.

Claims (26)

1.An attachment device including a locating member capable of being inserted through, and extending either side of a support post, and a bracket arranged to cooperate with the locating member on either side of the support post.

2. An attachment device as claimed in Claim 1 in which the bracket is arranged to support and locate another component of a display system.

3. An attachment device as claimed In Claim 1 or 2 in which the bracket includes a pair of rearwardly extending portions spaced from each other, each of the portions being arranged to hook over the locating member on either side of the support post.

4. An attachment device as claimed In Claim 3 in which the bracket includes a connecting portion extending between and joining the rearwardly extending portions, the connecting portion being adapted to support and locate another component of a display system.

5. An attachment device as claimed in any preceding claim in which the locating member includes an enlarged portion at either end thereof, each enlarged portion being capable of being located away from a support post when the locating member extends through a support post.

6. An attachment device as claimed in Claim 5 in which the bracket may be located between the enlarged portions.

7. An attachment device as claimed in Claim 5 or 6 in which the locating member includes an enlarged portion or portions, which portion or portions are, when the bracket co-operates with the locating member, located between or within, and adjacent to the bracket.

8. An attachment device as claimed in Claim 6 or 7 in which the locating member includes a portion of reduced cross-sectional area in the region where the bracket is arranged to co-operate with the locating member.

9. An attachment device as claimed in any preceding claim in which the bracket includes a pair of generally parallel plates each including a downwardly opening recess through which the locating member is arranged to extend.

10. An attachment device as claimed in any preceding claim in which the bracket includes an opening into which a part of another component in a display system may be inserted and located.

11. An attachment device as claimed in Claim 10 in which the opening is provided by two spaced parts which extend away from the device and are connected together.

12. An attachment device as claimed in Claim 11 in which the two spaced parts extend upwardly and away from the device and are connected together at their upper ends.

13. An attachment device as claimed in any preceding claim in which the bracket is channel shaped.

14. An attachment device as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 12 in which the bracket comprises a hollow member arranged to surround a support post.

15. An attachment device as claimed in Claim 14 in which the bracket is arranged to be a close sliding fit on the post.

16. An attachment device as claimed in any preceding claim in which the bracket is capable of supporting and locating a plurality of other components of a display system.

17. An attachment device substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in Figures 1 and 2 or Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.

18. A support post including an attachment device as claimed in any preceding claim mounted thereon.

19. A support as claimed in Claim 17 in which the support post includes a plurality of openings therethrough.

20. A support post as claimed in Claim 19 in which the openings are located at different heights on the post.

21. A support post as claimed in Claim 19 or 20 in which the plurality of openings are located through each side of the post.

22. A support post as claimed in Claim 20 or 21 including an attachment device as claimed in Claim 13 in which the bracket can be mounted on, and removed from the post from the side of the post.

23. A support post as claimed in Claim 22 in which the bracket can be mounted on, and removed from more than one side of the post.

24. A support post as claimed in any of Claims 18 to 23 in which the locating member is a close sliding fit with the openings in the support post.

25. A pair of support posts as claimed in any of Claims 18 to 24 including another component of a display system extending between the posts and being supported and located by at least one bracket on each of the posts.

26. A support post substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in Figure 1 or 4 of the accompanying drawings.