GB2193782A

GB2193782A - Support clip

Info

Publication number: GB2193782A
Application number: GB08719848A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Howard Davidson Ryles
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1984-04-03
Filing date: 1987-08-21
Publication date: 1988-02-17
Also published as: GB8719848D0; GB2193782B

Abstract

A support clip (10) comprises a body of U-configuration having a mounting dowel or pin (13) extending from one side of its closed end. The support clip is characterised in that at least one limb thereof at the edge nearer the mounting dowel or pin (13) has an inward projection (17) to prevent a structural component (42) held by the support clip from abutting a surface (40) on which the support clip is fitted. The support clip is further characterised in that the body at its closed end is formed with a step (18) adapted to permit a blade or tool to be inserted between the body and a supporting surface to permit the support clip to be prised away from the supporting surface. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A support clip for use in the manufacture and/or assembly of furniture This invention relates to a support clip for use especially but not exclusively in the manufacture and/or assembly of furniture and which is adapted to support and/or locate, inter alia shelves, panels, divisions, partitions, rails, strips and other structural components.

Various known support clips are employed in the manufacture and/or assembly of articles of furniture. The most common is a simple Uclip which, for example, frictionally grips the opposed surfaces of a shelf or panel.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a support clip which impedes direct abutment between a structural component and its supporting surface and which is adapted for easy separation from the supporting surface to which the support clip is fitted.

According to the present invention there is provided a support clip for use especially but not exclusively in mounting and/or locating a structural component of an article of furniture, the support clip comprising a body of U-configuration having a mounting dowel or pin extending from one side of its closed end and lying in a plane extending parallel with and centrally of the limbs of the U, the support clip being characterised in that at least one limb thereof at the edge nearer the mounting dowel or pin has an inward projection to prevent a structural component held by the support clip from abutting a surface on which the support clip is fitted, and also that the body at its closed end is formed with a step adapted to permit a blade or tool to be inserted between the body and a supporting surface to permit the support clip to be prised away from the supporting surface.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1 to 3 are respectively a side view, and end view and a plan view of a support clip according to the present invention; Figures 4 to 7 are respectively a front view, an end view, a plan view, and a perspective view of a support fitting useable in a kit of parts incorporating a support clip according to the present invention and as disclosed in my Patent Application No. 85 08348 (Publication No. 2156939A).

Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view of an article of furniture employing the support clip of Figs. 1 to 3, and the support fitting of Figs. 4 to 7.

A support clip 10 according to the present invention (see especially Figs. 1 to 3) is of unitary moulded plastics construction and comprises an essentially U-configuration body 11.

The closed end 12 of the body 11 has an integral laterally-extending mounting dowel or pin 13 disposed on the plane parallel with and disposed centrally between the limbs 14 of the clip 10.

The limbs 14 at their inner surfaces are inwardly tapered towards their free ends as indicated at 15 or are stepped as indicated at 16 (see Fig. 8) to provide a resilient gripping characteristic for the clip.

At the edge of each limb 14 nearer the dowel or pin 13 adjacent the free end the limb 14 has an inwardly-directed raised portion 17 which prevents a structural component SC gripped between the limbs 14 abutting a supporting surface SS into which the clip 10 is mounted. This ensures that inadvertent egress of the clip 10 out of the supporting surface SS is prevented, the raised portions 17 being jammed between the supporting surface SS and the structural component SC.

The clip 10 at the dowel or pin 13 has its closed end 12 stepped as indicated at 18 to provide a gap between the closed end 12 of the clip 10 and the supporting surface SS.

Thus a blade or tool generally indicated at 19 can be inserted into the gap 18 to prise the clip 10 free from the supporting surface.

The support clip 10 can be used in any angular attitude on any support surface (vertical, inclined or horizontal).

Referring now to Figs 1 to 7, there is shown a support fitting 20 suitable for use in a kit of parts containing one or more support clips 10, and for use in assembling furniture structural componets. The support fitting 20 is of unitary moulded plastics construction, preferably injection moulded from nylon or polyvi nylchloride, and comprises a relatively flat body 21 with shallow projecting parallel walls 22 defining a first passage 23 along one face of the body 21. The shallow walls 22 have towards the centre of the body 21 raised or deeper wall portions 24 spaced apart to define gaps 25 which constitute a second passage normal to the passage 23 and co-planar therewith.

Integral with the body 21 on the face thereof remote from the normally-intersecting passages 23 and 25 is a single mounting dowel or pin 26 disposed at the centre of the central planes of intersection A and B of the passages 23 and 25 respectively.

It is to be noted that the gaps 25 (see alternative gap 25A) need not be of the same width.

This support fitting 20 can be used in any angular attitude on any supporting surface (vertical, inclined or horizontal) to mount, support and/or guide one or more structural components (see Fig. 8). Usually it will be used with the main passage 21 disposed horizontally or vertically.

The dowel or pin 26 is simply force fitted or pushed into a retaining hole in a supporting surface to present the passages 23 and 25 for receiving the edge or edges of structural components.

The aforesaid support fittings 20 can be used with the support clips 10 according to the present invention in any suitable numbers and combinations to suit the manufacturing, locating and/or guiding situation involved in furniture assembly.

Reference is now made to Fig. 8 which illustrates an example of combined use of the clips 10 and support fittings 20.

In Fig. 8 there is shown an article of furniture comprising two end panels 40 (only one shown) on each of which is mounted a support fitting 20 with the passage 23 in vertical attitude, its dowel 26 being located in a hole 41 in the panel 40.

An edge of a light rail 42 is located within passage 23 between walls 22, 24 the light rail 42 having a slot 43 which is aligned with the passage 25.

The bottom of the light rail 42 is supported in any convenient manner, for example simply by resting on a bottom wall of the article of furniture, or by engaging in passage 23 of a support fitting 20 (or more than one such fitting) having its dowel engaged vertically in a hole in the bottom wall, or by engaging in a support clip 20 mounted on the end panel 40 and disposed with its open end upwards so that the bottom edge of the light rail 42 sits therein.

A glass shelf 44 at each of two opposed edges is located in passage 25, its back edge engaging in the slot 43 of the light rail 42.

The front edge of the glass shelf 44 is received at each end in a support clip 30 disposed as shown and with its dowel 33 engaged in another hole 41.

Claims

1. A support clip for use especially but not exclusively in mounting and/or locating a structural component of an article of furniture, the support clip comprising a body of U-configuration having a mounting dowel or pin extending from one side of its closed end and lying in a plane extending parallel with and centrally of the limbs of the U, the support clip being characterised in that at least one limb thereof at the edge nearer the mounting dowel or pin has an inward projection to prevent a structural component held by the support clip from abutting a surface on which the support clip is fitted, and also that the body at its closed end is formed with a step adapted to permit a blade or tool to be inserted between the body and a supporting surface to permit the support clip to be prised away from the supporting surface.

2. A support clip as claimed in claim 1, in which each limb has an inward projection at its respective edge nearer the dowel or pin.

3. A support clip as claimed in any one of claims 1 or 2, in which the spacing between the limbs is reduced at or adjacent their free ends to provide a frictional or resilient grip.

4. A support clip as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 moulded from a plastics material.

5. A support clip for use especially but not exclusively in mounting and/or locating a structural component of an article of furniture, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.