GB2245820A - Cupboard hanging device - Google Patents

Abstract

A cupboard or like hanging device comprises a housing (1) attachable to a unit (15) to be suspended and incorporates a retaining hook (2) capable of longitudinal and angular adjustment by means of appropriate setting screws (3 and 4) and capable of connection to a supporting member secured to a wall or like surface from which the unit (15) is to be suspended. The two adjusting screws (3 and 4) are located in a rotatable but longitudinally fixed manner at the front of the housing (1), the respective shanks (3a and 4a) of the screws (3 and 4) entering into an enclosure (9) within the housing (1). In the enclosure (9) a retaining hook (2) is located and has a threaded hole (12) at its tail end (2a) to accommodate the shank (3a) of the longitudinal setting screw (3). A locating stop (5) is also located in the enclosure (9) and is arranged at its inner end (6) to accommodate the shank (4a) of the angular setting screw (4). At its outer end (7), the locating stop (5) is provided with a sloping surface (8) and is located upwardly of the hook (2). A support (10) having a bevel (11) in continuous contact with the sloping surface (8) of the stop (5) is interposed between the stop (5) and the upper surface (9a) of the enclosure (9). This provides facilities for adjusting the angular position of the hook (2) by establishing, through the action of the angular setting screw (4), a movement path consisting of a longitudinal component and a vertical component to delimit the angular movement of the hook (2). <IMAGE>

Description

A CUPBOARD OR LIKE HANGING DEVICE SCOPE OF INVENTION The present invention relates to devices used nowadays when hanging cupboards or like articles on a wall, particularly kitchen cupboards, bathroom cabinets etc, such devices making it possible not only to hang the cupboards, but also to effect horizontal and vertical adjustment.

PRIOR ART There are known several more or less sophisticated systems designed to achieve the fixing of a cupboard or like in a suspended manner, with facilities for adjustng the position thereof by adjustment of the device in question. Such known systems are comprised of a block like housing attachable to the unit to be suspended and are provided with a retaining hook, the vertical adjustment of which is achieved by means of a screw located at the base of the housing and designed to act on the hook in the manner of a running screw. Likewise, horizontal adjustment is achieved by means of a similar screw located at the front of the housing and also acting on the hook.

Such systems pose a basic problem in that they are difficult to handle, since it must be borne in mind that the normal place to locate a device having these features is the upper corner of a unit, where manipulation of the vertical setting screw (located at the base of the housing) is extremely awkward, particularly when considering the likelihood of shelves being fitted inside the unit.

In certain devices available hitherto, this difficulty of handling is aggravated to an even greater extent by the fact that the setting screws are not restrained depthwise, which results in their heads being "lost" during adjustment.

EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION AND ADVANTAGES This invention seeks to provide an improved adjustable cupboard or like hanging device, the proposed device being of the type including a housing attachable to the unit to be suspended, incorporating a retaining hook capable of longitudinal and angular adjustment by means of appropriate setting screws and capable of connection to a supporting member secured to the wall on which the unit is to be suspended.

According to the invention, there is provided a cupboard or like hanging device, comprising a housing attachable to a unit to be suspended and incorporating a retaining hook capable of longitudinal and angular adjustment by means of appropriate longitudinal and angular setting screws and capable of connection to a supporting member secured to wall or like surface from which the unit is to be suspended, wherein the two adjusting screws are located in a rotatable but longitudinally fixed manner at the front of the housing.The respective shanks of the screws enter into an enclosure within the housing in which the retaining hook is located, the retaining hook having a threaded hole at its tail end to accommodate the shank of the longitudinal setting screw, and in which a locating stop is located, arranged at its inner end to accommodate the shank of the angular setting screw, the locating stop being provided at its outer end with a sloping surface, the stop being located upwardly of the hook and there being interposed between the stop and the upper surface of the said enclosure within the housing a support having a bevel in continuous contact with the sloping surface of the stop, which provides facilities for adjusting the angular position of the hook by establishing, through the action of the angular setting screw, a movement path consisting of a longitudinal component and a vertical component to delimit the angular movement of the hook.

The device designed according to the invention can provide, through an extremely simple and reliable system, a number of significant advantages with respect to other known arrangements, the principal advantages being as follows: - All the handling features (setting screws) are arranged at the front of the housing of the device, ensuring ease of operation thereof.

- The setting screws are restrained depthwise, that is to say in their longitudinal direction, the result being that their heads are always located in the most accessible position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will now be described in greater detail by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows partially the layout of a device according to the invention on a panel of a unit and its utility in the hanging of such unit; Figure 2 is a front view of a device according to the invention, in longitudinal cross-section, showing the maximum angular width setting of retaining hook; Figure 3 is an overhead plan view of the invention, shown in partial cross-section taken on the line 22-22 of figure 2; Figure 4 is a front view of the invention, similar to figure 1 but showing an intermediate position of retaining hook; Figures 5,6 and 7 are respectively elevational, plan and sectional views of a stop;; Figure 8,9 and 10 are respectively elevational, plan and sectional views of a support, and Figures 11 and 12 are respectively elevational and sectional views of a plate.

In these figures the following features are shown: 1. Housing la. Front of housing (1) 2. Retaining hook 2a. Tail end of hook (2) 3. Longitudinal setting screw 3a. Shank of screw (3) 3b. Head of screw (3) 3c. Enlargement of shank (3a) 4. Angular setting screw 4a. Shank of screw (4) 4b. Head of screw (4) 5. Stop 6. Inner end of stop (5) 6a. Threaded hole at end (6) 7. Outer end of stop (5) 8. Sloping surface of stop (5) 9. Enclosure of housing (1) 9a. Upper surface of enclosure (9) 9b. Lower surface of enclosure (9) 10. Support 10a. Arms of support (10) 11. Bevel of support (10) 12. Threaded hole of hook (2) 13. Supporting member 14. Wall 15. Unit 16. Plate 16a. Grooves on plate (16) 17. Fixing hole of housing (1) 18. Area of attachment of hook (2) 19. Side wings of stop (5) 20. Opening at front (la) 21. Section indication 22. Section indication 23. Lugs of stop (5) 24.Notches of stop (5) 25. Rear end of support (5) 26. Shoulder of plate (16) 27. Recess of support (10) DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT The drawings show a preferred embodiment of the invention, which comprises basically (see figures 2 and 3): a housing (1); a retaining hook (2); a stop (5); a support (10); a plate (16) and two setting screws (3 and 4).

Housing (1) consists of a parallelepipedal block, the back of which opens onto an inner enclosure (9) of rectangular design, such housing (1) having two cross drillings (17) to enable it to be attached to unit (15) to be suspended and having at its front (la) an opening (29) in which is transversally inserted a plate (16) of rectangular design provided with two transverse grooves (16a) (figures 11 and 12) the width of which is greater than the diameter of shanks (3a) and (4a) of screws (3) and (4), but smaller than the dimension of heads (3b) and (4b) thereof, plate (16) being provided at both the top and botom with appropriate shoulders (26).

Retaining hook (2) consists of a lamellar body having at its rear end (2a) a threaded hole (12), whilst at the front it has an attachment area (18). Such hook (2) is located in enclosure (9) of housing (1) and the attachment area (18) of hook (2) protrudes through the back of housing (1). Hook (2) is linked via its threaded hole (12) to shank (3a) of longitudinal setting screw (3), located at the front (la) of housing (1) with its head (3b) backing onto plate (16) upon registering with one of the grooves (16a) of the plate and being capable of being moved externally, a hammering operation being carried out subsequent to assembly on shank (3a) and screw (3) to produce an enlargement (3c) in the form of a longitudinal stop.

Stop (5) displays a basically rectangular prismatic configuration, having at its outer end (7) two cylindrical lugs (23) and two side wings (19) standing proud of the remainder of stop (5), the uper edges of wings (19) having appropriate sloping surfaces (8), whilst at the inner end (6) of stop (5) there is found a threaded hole (6a) by means of which it is joined to shank (4a) of angular setting screw (4) located at the front (la) of housing (1), which registers with upper groove (16a) of plate (16) and with its externally movable head (4b), the design of stop (5) being illustrated in figures 5,6 and 7.

Stop (5) is located between arms (10a) of a lamellar support (10) of channel section; this support (10) backs onto the upper surface (9a) of the enclose of housing (1) and its two arms (10a) have bevels (11) in continuous contact with the sloping surfaces (8) of stop (5), whilst its rear end forms a tail (25) provided with notches (24) which, at the time of assembling the support (10), register with shoulders (26) of plate (16), thereby locking support (10). Following the said bevels (11), on both arms of support (10) there are provided notches (27) which at the limit setting locate lugs (23) of stop (5) to prevent longitudinal movement of stop (5) in the outward direction, the design of support (10) being illustrated in figures 8,9 and 10.

The utility of the invention lies in that, once housing (1) is secured to unit (15), hook (2) can be attached to a supporting member (13) secured to wall (14), provision being made for adjusting the relative position of hook (2) both longitudinally and angularly. Longitudinal adjustment is achieved by means of longitudinal setting screw (3) directly associated with hook (2), whilst angular adjustment is achieved by acting on angular setting screw (4) which tends to impart longitudinal movement to stop (5) with which it is associated, but since stop (5) has its sloping surface (8) in contact with bevels (11) of support (10) it is forced to follow a trajectory which has a vertical component limiting the angular movement of hook (2), the example given being illustrated in figures 1,2,3 and 4.

It will be appreciated that various changes or modifications, particularly changes of shape, material and layout, may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (7)

1. A cupboard or like hanging device, comprising a housing attachable to a unit to be suspended and incorporating a retaining hook capable of longitudinal and angular adjustment by means of appropriate longitudinal and angular setting screws and capable of connection to a supporting member secured to wall or like surface from which the unit is to be suspended, wherein the two adjusting screws are located in a rotatable but longitudinally fixed manner at the front of the housing.The respective shanks of the screws enter into an enclosure within the housing in which the retaining hook is located, the retaining hook having a threaded hole at its tail end to accommodate the shank of the longitudinal setting screw, and in which a locating stop is located, arranged at its inner end to accommodate the shank of the angular setting screw, the locating stop being provided at its outer end with a sloping surface, the stop being located upwardly of the hook and there being interposed between the stop and the upper surface of the said enclosure within the housing a support having a bevel in continuous contact with the sloping surface of the stop, which provides facilities for adjusting the angular position of the hook by establishing, through the action of the angular setting screw, a movement path consisting of a longitudinal component and a vertical component to delimit the angular movement of the hook.

2. A hanging device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support has a channel section configuration, between the arms of which the stop is accommodated, the outer end of the stop having two transversally protruding wings on each of which is formed with a sloping surface bearing on the appropriate bevel defined by the arms of the channel section of the support.

3. A hanging device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein at the front of the housing there is an opening in which is transversally inserted a plate provided with two grooves located crosswise to the plate and two longitudinal shoulders, such grooves registering with setting screws, the width of grooves being greater than the diametrical dimension of the shanks of the respective screws and smaller than heads of such screws which, as a result, are axially located by the plate and are able to assume different angular settings.

4. A hanging device as claimed in claim 3, wherein, at its rear end, the support has a tail having transverse notches which register with the shoulders of the plate to achieve longitudinal locking of the support.

5. A hanging device as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein on both sides of the stop are located lugs, which upon outward longitudinal movement of such stop locate two recesses provided in both arms of the support, thus limiting the said longitudinal movement of the stop.

6. A hanging device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein subsequent to assembly, there is formed at the free end of the shank of the longitudinal setting screw, an enlargement restricting the longitudinal movement of the hook.

7. A cupboard or like hanging device substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.