GB2173991A

GB2173991A - Modular removeable wall furniture and panelling system

Info

Publication number: GB2173991A
Application number: GB08519998A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Malcolm Geoffrey Poole
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-04-19
Filing date: 1985-08-09
Publication date: 1986-10-29
Also published as: GB2173991B; GB8519998D0; GB8510126D0

Abstract

Furniture or other articles are secured to generally 'H' section vertical members 10 by pairs of brackets 12, 14. The lower brackets 14, when pressed into appropriate holes 13 in the vertical members, support the weight of the article, while the upper brackets 12 prevent the top edge of the article from falling outwards but allow it to slide vertically when the lower brackets are released. The illustrated embodiments include decorative panels (Figs. 8 to 10) and shelves (Figs. 11 and 12). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Modular removeable wall furniture and panelling system This invention relates two a dual-purpose modular removeable wall fu rnitu re a nd panelling system.

There are many shelving systems availableforthe home and office. All consist basically of strong vertical members (wall-fixed or free-standing) to which are attached brackets upon which the shelves rest. The vertical members and brackets are visible and usually obtrusive and ugly. In commercial applications panels are sometimes attached to the vertical members, by hooks orclips, behindthe shelves and their brackets. The vertical members are still visible.

Wall panelling alone usually entails the age old method of fixing timber battens to the wall and then permanently fixing panelling to the battens. Any shelving has then to be fixed to the surface of the panelling.

According to the present invention there is provided a modular removeablewall furniture and panelling system which allows forthe instant removal orinterchangeabilityofanypanel or shelf or other item of wall furniture. A whole wall or section of wall would be covered by modular decorative panels or modulararticles ofwall-furniture so that all means offixing including vertical members and brackets are invisible when wall furniture and/or panels are in position. Also no upward movement is necessary to release any item from the vertical members important where there is another item in position directly above.Brackets to attach articles of wall furniture or panelstothe vertical membersare divided into two types; to fit the upper, and lower edge ofthe article. The upper brackets allow the article to be located between two vertical members and slid up or down until the desired position is reached. The lower edge of the article can then be pressed againstthe vertical members to engage,and lock in, the lower edge brackets.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a vertical member with an upper and a lower bracket as seen when looking down atan angle. For clarity the brackets are shown unattached to any panel or article of wall furniture.

Figure 2 shows the same vertical memberand brackets as seen when looking up at an angle.

Figure 3 shows a section of a vertical members seen from behind, with an upper and a lower bracket attached to the rear an article of wall furniture, e.g.

a shelf unit. It will be appreciated thatonlyone half of the article is shown, the other half being a mirror image.

Figure4showsthe article ofwall furniture in process of being fitted to the vertical member.

Figure 5 shows the article of wall furniture locked in position on the vertical member.

Figure 6shows a plan view of a vertical member with two wall panels ready to be hung on it. For demonstration purposes the left panel has an upper bracket and the right panel a lower bracket.

Figu re 7 shows the same mem ber with the two panels hung on it.

Figure 8 shows froni the front, in perspective, a pair of vertical members with a decorative wall panel in the first stage of being fitted to them.

Figure 9 shows the same vertical members with the decorative wall panel in the second stage of being fitted to them.

Figure 10 shows the same vertical members with the decorative wall panel in place.

Figure 11 shows the construction of a single shelf unittofitthesystem.

Figure 12 is a cross section through the single shelf unit shown in Figure 11.

Referring to the drawings the vertical members 10 would be fixed plumb usually by screwing to awall, and would be of any desired length. Theywould be spaced apart at regular intervals, i.e. the fixed module size. Thevertical member 10 is basicallyan 'H' section but with a hollow centre to allow for screw fixing to a wall. It could be an aluminium extrusion.

Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate the front'wings' 11 ofthe vertical member. These provide the means of restraint for the upper bracket 12 which, when in position, would be unable to fall outwards.

A series of equallyspaced holes,e.g. 13, inthe 'wings' of the vertical member provide positive location for the lower bracket 14 and ensure the accurate spacing and positioning of whatever article of wall furniture the brackets are fixed to. Fig. 2 illustrates the spring catch 1 which, when the lower bracket is pressed home, will ensure that it cannot be removed until the spring catch is released, A set of four brackets (two upper and two lower) would be fixed, e.g. by small bolts, to the rear of every panel or article of wall furniture. Fig. 3 illustrates, from the rear, one side of an article of wall furniture, e.g. a shelf unit, 16 with the appropriate upper and lower brackets fixed to it.A cutaway section of vertical member is shown, to which the shelf unit is to be removeablyattached.

To fitthe article to a pair of vertical members it would be rotated slightly to allow the upper brackets to slot in behind the front 'wings' of the vertical members while the lower edge is held clear. When it is straightened up as illustrated in Fig. 4, still with the lower edge clear of the vertical members, the top edge, held by its brackets, is unable to fall outwards awayfrom the vertical members, but the article can slide freely up or down.

Fig. 5 shows that whenthe lower edge of the article is pressed home at the desired position the lower brackets will positively locate, and take the weight of the article, on the vertical members. At the same time the sprung catches ensurethat itcannot be accidentally removed.

To remove the articlethesprung catches are first released then the steps described above are carried out in the reverse sequence. It is to be noted that the article does not have to be lifted vertically to be released, so any article directly above can stay in position.

When any two articles are hung adjacent to each othere.g.thetwowall panels 17 and 18 illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 the vertical memberwhich is common to them both will be effectively hidden from sight.

Figure 8 illustrates a complete decorative wall panel 17 about to be fitted to a pair of vertical members 10. It is first rotated in the vertical plane thus swinging its lower edge to left or right. It will be seen that the horizontal distance between two vertical lines running through the two upper brackets would now be iess than the horizontal distance between the two vertical members to which the panel is attached. It follows, therefore, that the upper edge of the panel can then be tilted in towards the vertical members so that when the panel is rotated in the vertical plane to its correct position (but with the lower edge still held clear of the vertical members) as illustrated in Fig. 9, the upper brackets will locate behind the wings of the vertical members thus ensuring that the upper edge of the panel cannot fall outwards unless and until the panel is rotated again.All that is then necessary is for the lower edge of the panel to be pressed into place as shown in Fig. 10 thus engaging the lower edge brackets in their appropriate holes in the vertical members.

To remove the panel the steps described above are carried out in the reverse sequence.

The tilted and rotated panel will easiiy clear any panels of reasonsable thickness at each side and below and any article of wall furniture of fairly shallow depth below. Any item directly above is not affected. As panels are envisaged as being relatively light and would not intrude in such a way as to be accidentally knocked, sprung clips are not necessary on the lower brackets, thus allowing any panel to be removed without the need of access to the lower rear edge. Where access is needed to release the sprung clips on an article of wall furniture the panel or article below should first be lowered slightly or removed.Also if it is not possible to rotate any article in its own position because of the depth of the articles at each side, by removing or lowering any article or articles beneath, the article to be removed can be slid down, with its lower edge held clear of the vertical members, to a point where it can be rotated.

As the whole system is based on the principle of vertical panels fitted flat to the vertical members, rather than horizontal brackets fitted perpendicularly it will be seen in Figs. 11 and 12 that a shelf 19, when fixed to its backing panel 20, can be given adequate strength by utilizing the space available behind the backing panel. Strong steel rods 21 formed into a right-angle can be screwed to the rear of the backing panel and inserted into blind holes drilled out of the rear edge of the shelf. Fig. 9 illustrates a cross section through backing panel, shelf and steel support.

Claims

1.A A modular wall furniture and panelling system in which a plurality of vertical members adapted to be fixed to a wall or to be free-standing on a floor and having holes regularly spaced along their length provide location and support for panels or other articles of furniture by means of brackets fixed at the four corners of the rear of each article, the upper two of which brackets allow the top edge of the article to move vertically along the vertical members while locating the article laterally and also preventing the top edge of the article from moving away from the wall, while the lower two brackets when pressed into appropriate ones of the said holes support the weight of the article and ensure that it is unable to move laterally or vertically.

2. A modular wall furniture and panelling system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the vertical members are of generally.'H' section with a hollow centre, the vertical members having front wings to provide the means for locating the upper brackets, the front wings having a series of holes any of which may provide the means of support for the lower brackets.

3. A modular wall furniture and panelling system as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the lower brackets are provided with sprung clips which ensure that the lower edge of the article to which they are fixed cannot be removed from the vertical members until the sprung clips are released.

4. A modular wall furniture and panelling system as claimed in any preceding ciaim wherein the upper and lower brackets are inset from the edge of the articles to which they are fixed so that two adjacent articles will hide from sight the length of vertical member to which they are commonly attached.