GB2259244A - Shelving bracket - Google Patents

Abstract

An adjustable shelving bracket comprises a first component 1 for attachment to a wail or other vertical surface and a second component 3 which supports a shelf panel (not shown). The components 1 and 3 are pivotally interconnected via a shaft 2 attached to component 1 which rotates within a slot 14 in component 3. A further shaft extends through component 3 and forms projections 12 which engage in a selected pair of three pairs of slots 8, 9 and 18 in an enlarged upper portion 6 of component 1. This further shaft is connected to shaft 2 by a spring 13 which acts to draw the shafts together, and thus ensures that the projections 12 remain in the slots. Each pair of slots 8, 9 or 10 defines a particular position for the component 3 relative to the component 1, and enables the angle of the shelf to be adjusted between selected positions. <IMAGE>

Description

"ADJUSTABLE SHELVING BRACKET" This invention relates to an adjustable shelving bracket.

The type of bracket with which the invention is concerned comprises two components, pivoted relative to one another: a first component is mounted on a wall or upright or similar vertical surface; a second component extends at an angle to the wall and has means whereby a shelf panel may be attached to it.

At least two such brackets will be necessary to carry the typical shelf panel - one at each end. The normal fixed shelving bracket is such that, when affixed to the wall, the shelf is horizontal. It is possible to purchase fixed brackets which enable the shelf to slope but these are quite unusual. The adjustable bracket allows the shelf panel to be mounted horizontally, as with the normal fixed shelf bracket, but will allow the panel to be moved to other positions, for example sloping, or folded down vertically against the wall if the shelf is not needed.

One of the problems with the currently available adjustable brackets is lack of security: a frequent problem is that, with the shelf panel horizontal, an accidental lifting action from below can cause the brackets supporting the panel to unlatch, resulting in the panel collapsing to its vertical foldaway position against the wall. This can clearly have disastrous consequences for anything supported by the shelf, not to mention possible injury to persons nearby.

The present invention seeks to provide an adjustable shelving bracket which gives greater security against accidental collapse, and which is able to provide a plurality of different angular positions for the shelving panel.

According to the invention, one of said first or second components is provided with slots, and the other of said first or second components with a projection positioned to enter one of said slots at a time as the bracket is adjusted between its positions and wherein spring means are additionally provided acting between said first and second components in such a way as to tend to bias said projection into said slots.

In order to operate, the pivotal connection between the first and second components must allow, as well as a relative rotational movement, a relative translational movement - linear or curved - to permit the spring means to operate.

The relative position of the slots on the first component and the projection on the second are such as to provide the desired latched relative position as between the two components to provide the desired shelf panel positions. For example, just two positions could be provided for: horizontal (i.e. the normal shelf panel position) and vertical (i.e. the stowed-away position). Alternatively, other positions, such as intermediate sloping positions, could be provided for, depending upon the circumstances.

It will be apparent that the aforesaid slots could be provided in the first, wall mounted, component, with the projection in the second, shelf panel support, component. This is the construction illustrated in the preferred embodiment to be described later. However the slots could be provided in the second component, and the projections in the first.

In order to provide additional security, the slots are not straight, but are formed with a bend past which the projection must travel in order to leave the slot. Such an arrangement, if properly carried out increases the difficulty of the projections being knocked out of the slots accidentally.

In order that the invention may be better understood, an embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the bracket of the invention; Figure 2 is an underside view thereof; and Figure 3 is a side elevation showing just the shelf support component.

Referring to the drawings, the adjustable bracket comprises a wall-mounted component 1 of metal such as steel or strong plastics material which has screw holes (not visible) whereby it may be attached to a wall or similar surface. Pivotally attached to the wall-mounted component 1 by means of a shaft 2 is a shelf-support component 3. The shelf-support component 3 has holes 4 whereby a shelf panel (not shown) may be screwed to the top surface 5 of the component 3. To support a shelf panel at least two brackets of the type illustrated in the drawings will be required, one at each end of the shelf panel; however on long shelves, intermediate support may be needed.

The wall-mounted component is of generally channel shape, whose walls are each formed with an identical enlarged upper portion 6 which is defined by a substantially circular edge 7 centred on the shaft 2. Formed in each of the upper portions 6 are a plurality of slots 8, 9, 10 opening into the edge 7.

In the embodiment illustrated, there are three slots, corresponding to three positions of the bracket, as will be explained.

Fixedly mounted across the second component 3 is a shaft 11 which extends outwards from the exterior surface of the component to form projections 12.

These projections 12 co-operate with the slots 8, 9 or 10 on each of the enlarged portions 6 to latch the component 3 in three positions relative to the component 1: in the position illustrated in Figure 1, with the projections 12 in the slots 8, the component 3 is horizontal; with the projections 12 in the slots 10, the component 1 is substantially vertical, corresponding to the storage position of the bracket; with the projections 12 in the slots 9, the component 3 is at an intermediate position, corresponding to a sloping position of the shelf. Additional slots will, of course, provide further intermediate positions, if desired.

The shafts 2 and 11 are mechanically interconnected by means of a spring 13, which acts to draw the two shafts towards one another. In order to allow the spring to act, the pivotal connection between the components 1 and 3 is formed, in the case of component 3, by a slot 14 extending radially towards shaft 11 (see Figure 3). The slot 14 allows the desired rotational movement between the components 1 and 3, but also permits a limited amount of linear movement, radially of shaft 11, between the two components. These features enable the component 3 to be pulled to the right in Figure 1 against the bias of spring 13 to withdraw the projections 12 from the slot 8. The component 3 can then be rotated clockwise, with the projections 12 riding down edge 7 in the manner of a cam and follower surface to eventually drop into the slot 9 or slot 10 under the influence of spring 13.Once in the slot, the action of the spring is such as to hold the projections 12 into the slot so that the component 3 is effectively latched into the position defined by those slots.

Additional security is provided by bending each of slots 8 and 9 downwards so that each slot has a first portion, opening into the edge 7, which extends radially of the shaft 2, and a second portion extending downwardly at an angle to the first.

Although short, this second portion extends in an arc centred about the shaft 2 so that, in use, the weight of the shelf and any items on it, which tend to cause clockwise rotation of component 3 about shaft 2, will ensure that the projections 12 sit at the bottom of the second portion of the slot 8 or 9. In these circumstances the shelf can only be dislodged from its chosen position by a two-part action of first turning shelf support component 3 anticlockwise through a small arc to bring the projections 12 into the respective first portion of the slots 8, and then pulling the component 3 against the bias of the spring 13 to release the projections 12 from slots 8. Such security is not needed for the stowage position (slots 10). In practice, and once a shelf panel is attached, it will be seen that the cranked slots ensure that it is almost impossible to accidentally dislodge the shelf and therefore, to all intents and purposes, the bracket is as secure as a fixed bracket.

Although the wall-mounted component 1 is illustrated in a form suitable for direct attachment to a wall or similar surface, it is clear that the component could readily be adapted to be attached to a vertical shelf support upright of one of the commonly-available proprietary shelving systems.

Such systems generally comprise elongate, usually channel-section, uprights which are attached to a wall surface and define a plurality of spaced slots into which shelving brackets can be inserted at selected heights. The shelving panels are supported on these brackets.

Claims (7)

1. An adjustable shelving bracket comprising first and second components pivoted relative to one another, a first of said components having means whereby it may be attached to a wall or similar vertical surface, and a second of said components having means whereby a shelf panel may be attached to it, wherein one of said first or second components is provided with slots, and the other of said first or second components with a projection positioned to enter one of said slots at a time as the bracket is adjusted, and wherein spring means are additionally provided, acting between said first and second components in such a way as to bias said projection into said slots.

2. An adjustable shelving bracket as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pivotal connection comprises a shaft formed on one of said components, and an aperture formed on the other, said aperture being formed as a slot so as to allow relative linear radial movement between said components, as well as pivotal movement.

3. An adjustable shelving bracket as claimed in claim 2 wherein said one of said components is formed with a circular cam surface, centred on said shaft, wherein said slots are formed in said cam surface, and wherein said projection is positioned so as to move along said cam surface as the bracket is adjusted between its positions.

4. An adjustable shelving bracket as claimed in claim 3 wherein said spring means are such as to bias said projection against said cam surface as the bracket is adjusted between its positions.

5. An adjustable shelving bracket as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said slots are formed with a bend past which the projection is drawn under bias from said spring means.

6. An adjustable shelving bracket as claimed in either one of claims 3 or 4 and claim 5 wherein said slots are formed in two portions with said bend inbetween: a first portion opening into said cam surface, and a second portion extending in an arc centred about the shaft 2.

7. An adjustable shelving bracket substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.