GB2369288A

GB2369288A - Bracket assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2369288A
Application number: GB0127878A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Martin Allen
Original assignee: DIAM UK Ltd
Current assignee: DIAM UK Ltd
Priority date: 2000-11-25
Filing date: 2001-11-21
Publication date: 2002-05-29
Anticipated expiration: 2021-11-21
Also published as: GB0127878D0; GB2369288B; GB0028809D0

Abstract

A bracket assembly 10 comprises a ladder member 11 having a number of spaced-apart rungs 15 and at bracket member 12 releasably mountable to the ladder member. The bracket member has two or more hook portions 21, each of which are engageable with a first surface 17 of a respective one of the rungs of the ladder member when the bracket member is mounted to the ladder member. The bracket member further comprises a resilient locking means 28 engageable with a second surface 19 of one of the rungs so as to hold the hook portions in engagement with the first surface of their respective rungs. The bracket assembly is particularly suited for use as part of a shelving system in which two of the bracket assemblies are spaced apart laterally and the bracket members are adapted to support a shelf.

Description

Bracket Assembly

The present invention relates to a bracket assembly. In particular, but not exclusively the present invention relates to a bracket assembly for supporting a shelf.

Known bracket assemblies comprise a ladder member and a bracket member which is releasably mountable to the ladder member. Typically, the ladder member comprises a number of equi-spaced rungs and is mounted to a support in a generally vertical orientation.

The bracket member has a number of hook portions each of which engages a respective rung.

Usually the hook portions are arranged to engage an upper surface of their respective rungs and will also hook behind the rung so that the bracket member is held in position on the ladder.

It is known for such bracket assemblies to be used to support a shelf, in which case two or more assemblies are provided spaced laterally from one another with the shelf being supported along its length by the bracket members. Often the arrangement is such that the bracket members can be mounted to the ladder in several positions so that the position of the shelf can be adjusted.

A problem with the known bracket assemblies is that the bracket members are not securely held on to the ladder members. As a result the bracket members have a tenancy to move relative to the ladder member and may even become dislodged. This is a particular problem when the bracket assemblies are provided in a self-contained shelving unit, since the brackets and the shelves they support can become dislodged when the units are moved from one place to another or if accidentally raised by upward pressure on the shelve or the bracket in use.

It is an objective of the present invention to provide a bracket assembly which overcomes or at least mitigates the problems of the known bracket assemblies.

Thus in accordance with the invention there is provided a bracket assembly comprising a ladder member having a number of spaced-apart rungs and a bracket member releasably mountable to the ladder member, the bracket member comprising two or more hook portions each of which are engageable with a first surface of a respective one of the rungs of the ladder member when the bracket member is mounted to the ladder member, the bracket member further comprising a resilient locking means engageable with a second surface of one of the rungs so as to hold the hook portions in engagement with the first surface of their respective rungs.

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following drawings in which: Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view through a first embodiment of a bracket assembly in accordance with the invention, showing the bracket member and the ladder member prior to mounting the bracket member to the ladder member; Figure 2 is a view similar to that of Figure 1 but showing the bracket member mounted to the ladder member; Figure 3 is an enlarged front view of part of the ladder member of Figure 1; Figure 4 is an enlarged plan view of the ladder member of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a perspective view of the bracket member of Figure 1; and Figure 6 is a view similar to that of Figure 1 showing a bracket assembly in accordance with the invention having a modified bracket member.

With reference to Figures 1 to 5, a bracket assembly, indicated generally at 10, comprises a ladder member 11 and a bracket member 12 which can be releasably mounted to the ladder member.

The ladder member 11 comprises two side panels or uprights 13, 14 between which extend a number of equi-spaced rungs 15. In the embodiment shown, the side panels have a generally'L'shape when viewed in plan as shown in Figure 4. However this is not essential and the side panels can be of any suitable shape. In a preferred embodiment, the rungs are arranged to be spaced approximately 10 mm apart. It will be understood, however, that the actual spacing between the rungs is not essential to the invention and the rungs can be spaced by any suitable distance.

As can best be seen in Figures 1 and 2, the rungs extend orthogonally to the length of the side panels 13,14. Each of the rungs is generally rectangular in cross section having a front surface 16, an upper surface 17, a lower surface 18, and a rear surface 19. The front surface 16 is curved whilst the upper and lower surfaces 17,18 taper outwardly from the front to the rear of the rung. The rear surface 19 is angled forwardly from the upper surface 17 to the lower surface 18.

In a preferred embodiment, the ladder member is manufactured from a plastics material by means of injection moulding. The tapered profile of the rungs 15 is particularly suited to this method of manufacture as it enables easy release from the mould.

Typically the ladder member will be attached to a support, such as a wall or panel (not shown), so that the side panels 13,14 extend generally vertically with the rungs extending generally horizontally. The side panels may be provided with fixing members or lugs (not shown) to enable them to be secured to a support.

The bracket member 10 comprises a support portion 20 with a number of hook portions 21 extending rearwardly from the support portion 20. The hook portions 21 are spaced so that each hook portion engages a respective one of the rungs 15 when the bracket member is mounted to the ladder member.

Each hook portion 21 comprises a neck region 22 and a hook region 23. The outer surface 24 of the hook region 23 is curved, whilst the inner surface 25 of the hook region 23 is angled to form a re-entrant surface which conforms to the angled rear surface 19 of the rungs. The inner surface 26 of the neck portion 22 is angled to conform to the angle of the upper surface 16 of the rungs.

As can be seen best in Figure 2, when the bracket member 12 is mounted to the ladder member 11, each rung 15 is snugly received between the inner surface 25 of one of the hook portions 21 and the rear surface 27 of the support portion, with the inner surface 26 of the neck region in contact with the upper surface 17 of the rung 15.

The bracket assembly 10 also has a-resilient locking means 28 in the form of a resilient arm 29. The resilient arm 29 extends from the base of one of the hook portions 21 towards

another of the hook portions 21a, in a direction which is generally perpendicular to the direction of the hook portions 21. At the free end of the resilient arm is a head portion 30 which comprises a first contact surface 31, a second contact surface 32 and a release portion 33. The first contact surface 31 is arranged to lie generally perpendicularly to the axis of the rungs when the arm 29 is relaxed, as shown in Figure 1, whereas the second contact surface is angled. When the resilient arm 29 is in its relaxed state the vertical spacing between the first contact surface 31 and the hook region 23 of the hook portion 21 a is less than the thickness of the rungs 15. A cut out 36 is provided in the rear surface 27 of the support portion to provide a clearance to allow for movement of the arm 29 and head 30 of the resilient locking means 28.

When assembling the bracket member 12 to the ladder member 11, the bracket member 11 is offered up to the ladder member so that the hook portions 21 are inserted between successive rungs 15 at the desired position. As the hook portions 21 are inserted, the curved outer surface 24 of the hooks 23 may slide along the upper surface 17 of their respective rungs. As the hooks 23 approach the rear surface 19 of the rungs, the first contact surface 31 of the locking means 28 contacts the curved front surface 16 of the rung 15a engaged by the hook portion 21 a.

Further inward pressure on the bracket member 12 causes the resilient arm 29 to be deflected forwardly, i. e. in the direction of arrow A, until the lower edge 34 of the hook regions 23 reaches the rear surface 18 of the rungs. At this stage, the hook portions 21 drop down and slightly forward into engagement with the rungs. This movement may be partially assisted by the bias force of the resilient arm 29 acting on the rung 15a.

As the hook portions move down into engagement with the rungs, resilient arm 29 also moves downwards so that the angled second contact surface 32 engages the front surface 16 of the rung 15. At this stage, the bias of the arm 29 tries to return the arm to its relaxed position. This bias force results in the second contact surface 32 sliding into contact with the lower surface 19 of the rung 15a so that the rung 15a is wedged between the second contact surface 32 and the inner surfaces 24,25 of the neck region and the hook region of the hook portion 21 a. The movement of the resilient arm to this fully locked position, is assisted by the angle of the second contact surface 32 and the curve of the front surface 16 of the rung 15b.

The resilient arm is almost completely relaxed when in the fully locked position so that it exerts only a minimal bias force on the lower surface 19 of the rung 15a. However, because the rung 15a is firmly wedged between the second contact surface 31 and the hook portion 2 la, the bracket member is securely held in position on the ladder.

It will be noted from Figure 2 that when the hook portions 21 are fully engaged with the rungs 15, the resilient arm 29 extends generally perpendicularly to the rungs. As a consequence, applying an upward and/or rearward force to the bracket member 12 does not result in the resilient arm 28 being deflected. This is because the majority of such a force will be acting along the length of the arm with only a very small component acting forwardly, i. e. in the direction of arrow A. Hence in order to remove the bracket member 12 from the ladder it is necessary to apply a force directly to the head portion 30 of the resilient arm, bending the arm forwardly so that the second contact surface 32 is moved out of contact with the rung 15a. To assist in this, the disengagement portion 33 is provided with a hole 35 in to which a suitable tool (not shown) can be inserted.

Thus to remove the bracket member 12 from the ladder member 11, a tool is first inserted into the hole 35 of the disengagement portion 33 and the resilient arm 29 bent forward until the contact surfaces 31, 32 are clear of the forward surface 16 of the rung 15a. The bracket member 12 can then be moved backward and upward to disengage the hook regions from the rear surfaces 18 of the rungs 15. When the lower edge 34 of the hook regions 23 is level with or above the upper surface 17 of the rungs, the bracket member 12 can be moved forwardly away from the ladder member 11. Of course the use of a tool to move the resilient arm is not essential and a force may be applied directly to the disengagement portion by hand.

Preferably, the bracket member 12 is made from a plastics material using injection-moulding.

In such a construction the resilient arm 29 can be formed integrally which the bracket member, the resilience of the arm being a consequence of the properties of the material and the shape of the arm itself. However, the arm 29 need not be formed integrally with the bracket member and the resilience could be provided by means other than the inherent resilience of the material. For example a spring or other bias means could be used to provide resilience.

A bracket assembly as described above provides a simple and reliable means of releasably mounting a bracket member to a ladder member in a manner that ensures that the bracket member is securely held on the ladder with a minimum of free play. In addition, the resilient locking means 28 provides for a positive locking of the bracket member to the ladder member to prevent accidental removal of the bracket member. Furthermore, since the hook portions 21 and the rungs 15 are suitably spaced, the bracket member 12 can be mounted to the ladder member 11 at any desired location along the ladder, enabling the position of the bracket member to be adjusted.

Figure 6 shows a second embodiment of a bracket assembly, indicated generally at 110, in accordance with the invention. The same reference numerals but increased by 100 have been used to indicate features of the bracket assembly 110 which serve the same function as those of the bracket assembly 10.

The bracket assembly 110 is identical to the bracket assembly 10 except for the arrangement of the resilient locking means 128 on the bracket member 112.

In the bracket member 112, the resilient locking means 128 comprises a resilient arm 129 which extends rearwardly and upwardly from the rear surface 127 of the support portion 120 towards the hook region 123 of one of the hook portions 121 a. At the distal end of the arm 129 is a head portion 130 having a contact surface 131 which angles downwardly and rearwardly from the end of the arm. As shown in Figure 6, in the relaxed condition, the gap between the contact surface 131 and the hook region 123 of the hook portion 121 a is less than the thickness of the front edge of the rungs.

Mounting of the bracket member 112 on the ladder member 111 is carried out in a manner similar to that for the bracket assembly 10, except that when the contact surface 131 of the locking means 128 contacts the forward surface 116 of the rung 115a on which the hook portion 121a is engaged, the arm 129 is forced downwardly against its inherent resilience as the contact surface 131 slides over the curved front surface 116 and on to the lower surface 120 of the rung 115a.

When the hook regions 123 reach the rear surface 117 of the rungs, the resilient arm 129 biases the bracket member 112 downwardly so that the inner surface 126 of the hook portions 121 engage the upper surface 117 of the rungs. At the same time, the bracket member is biased slightly forwardly as the inner surface 124 of the hook regions 123 is brought into contact with the angled rear surface 119 of the rungs.

In this condition, the resilient arm 129 is not fully relaxed and so continues to exert a downward force on the bracket member 112 to ensure that the hook portions 121 are held firmly in contact with the rungs.

To remove the bracket member 112 from the ladder 111 is necessary only to move the bracket member 112 rearwardly and upwardly against the bias of the resilient arm 129 until

the hooks regions 123 disengage the rear surface 119 of their respective rungs 115, the bracket member can then be moved forwardly to disengage it completely from the ladder.

This arrangement provides a simple manner of ensuring the bracket member 112 is securely held in position on the ladder member 111 but without the positive locking action of the resilient means 28 of bracket assembly 10.

Bracket assemblies according to the invention can be used for any suitable applications where a releasable and/or adjustable bracket member is required and the support portions of the bracket members can of course be adapted as required for any given application. For example, Figure 5 shows a bracket member 12 having a slot 40 into which an end portion of a shelf can be inserted.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, two or more bracket assemblies in accordance with the invention are used to support shelving in a self-standing display unit. In this arrangement, the self-locking characteristics of the inventive bracket assemblies ensure that the shelves remain firmly attached to the ladder assemblies even when the display unit is being moved.

However, the bracket members can be easily released from the ladders in order for the position of the shelf or shelves to be adjusted. A self-standing display unit such as that described may be constructed from any suitable material but is preferably constructed from sheet metal, in which case the ladder members 11,111 could be supported in a channel section at the rear or sides of the display unit.

Claims

Claims 1. A bracket assembly comprising a ladder member having a number of spaced-apart rungs and at bracket member releasably mountable to the ladder member, the bracket member comprising two or more hook portions each of which are engageable with a first surface of a respective one of the rungs of the ladder member when the bracket member is mounted to the ladder member, the bracket member further comprising a resilient locking means engageable with a second surface of one of the rungs so as to hold the hook portions in engagement with the first surface of their respective rungs.
2. A bracket assembly as claimed in claim 1, in which the resilient locking means comprises a resilient arm adapted to engage the second surface of said one of the rungs, so as to wedge the rung between the arm and an adjacent hook portion.
3. A bracket assembly as claimed in claim 2, in which the bracket member comprises a support portion, the hook portions extending from the support portion in a first direction and the resilient arm extending in a direction which is generally perpendicular the first direction when the arm is in a relaxed state.
4. A bracket assembly as claimed in claim 3, adapted such that when the bracket member is fully mounted on the ladder member, the resilient arm extends in a direction which is generally perpendicular the second surface of the rung engaged by the arm.
5. A bracket assembly as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4, in which the resilient arm has means engageable by a tool or operator, to enable the resilient arm to be deflected from its locked position in order release of the bracket member from the ladder member.
6. A bracket assembly as claimed in claim 2, in which the bracket member comprises

a support portion, the hook portions extending from the support portion in a first direction and the resilient arm extending also generally in the first direction but being angled toward an adjacent hook portion.
7. A bracket assembly as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 6, in which the resilient arm carries a head portion at a free end of the arm, which head portion is adapted to engage the second surface of one of the rungs of the ladder when the bracket member is mounted to the ladder member.
8. A bracket assembly as claimed in claim 7, in which the head portion is spaced from an adjacent hook portion by a distance which is less than the minimum thickness of the rungs when the resilient arm is in a relaxed state.
9. A bracket assembly as claimed in any previous claim, in which the rungs are tapered such that their thickness increases from a front edge to a rear edge (i. e. in a direction of insertion of the hook members into the ladder when mounting the bracket member to the ladder member).
10. A bracket assembly as claimed in any previous claim, in which the hook portions each have a neck region and a hook region, the hook region having are-entrant surface for contact with a correspondingly angled surface on a respective rung when the bracket member is mounted to the ladder.
11 A bracket assembly as claimed in claim 10, in which the hook region of each hook portion has a curved outer surface for contact with a curved surface of a respective rung when the bracket member is being mounted to the ladder member.
12. A bracket assembly in accordance with any previous claim in which the bracket member comprises a support portion having means for supporting a shelf.
13. A bracket assembly as claimed in any previous claim in which the means for

supporting a shelf comprises a groove or slot for receiving an end region of a shelf.
14. A bracket member for use in a bracket assembly in accordance with any previous claim.
15. A bracket member as claimed in claim 14, the bracket member being manufactured from a plastics material using an injection moulding process.
16. A ladder member for use in a bracket assembly in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 13.
17. A ladder member as claimed in claim 16, the ladder member being manufactured from a plastics material using an injection moulding technique.
18. A shelving system comprising two or more bracket assemblies as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, the bracket assemblies being spaced apart laterallyand the bracket members being adapted to support a shelf therebetween.
19. A self-standing display unit comprising a bracket assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, or a shelving system as claimed in claim 18.
20. A bracket assembly substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 5, or Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings.