NL1039308C2

NL1039308C2 - Hanging device and hanging system.

Info

Publication number: NL1039308C2
Application number: NL1039308A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Wilhelmus Maria Groesen
Original assignee: Jan Van Boxtel Artitec B V
Priority date: 2012-01-19
Filing date: 2012-01-19
Publication date: 2013-07-22

Description

Title: Hanging device and hanging system

The present invention relates to a hanging device to be coupled onto a supporting rail having a receiving space and a pair of supporting ledges, the hanging device comprising a hooking member to be disposed inside the receiving space, the 5 hooking member having a turning leg and a pair of side shoulders, the side shoulders projecting radially from the turning leg in opposite directions, the side shoulders being destined to be supported by the supporting ledges, the hooking member having a turning axis defined by the longitudinal axis 10 of the turning leg.

A hanging device of the above type is known from practise. Typically, such a hanging device is used for hanging a painting, a picture, a poster or the like from a supporting 15 rail mounted on a wall or a ceiling.

A supporting rail to be used in combination with the hanging device is to be disposed in a horizontal orientation, with the supporting ledges arranged at the bottom side of the receiving 20 space. The hooking member of the device can then be inserted into the supporting rail from below, with the turning leg oriented vertically.

The hooking member is to be inserted with the pair of side 25 shoulders oriented in the longitudinal direction of the supporting rail, thereby allowing the pair of side shoulders to pass in between the supporting ledges. After insertion, the hooking member is to be turned about the turning axis such as to orient the pair of side shoulders in a horizontal cross 30 direction with respect to the supporting rail. The pair of 1039308 2 side shoulders is thereby brought in registration with the pair of supporting ledges, in an orientation perpendicular to the rail.

5 With the side shoulders being oriented transversely with respect to the supporting rail, the hooking member can be prevented from becoming detached from the supporting rail by an abutment of the side shoulders on the supporting ledges. Such an abutment is obtained if after turning the hooking 10 member about the turning axis, the member is displaced down such as to bring the side shoulders into contact with the supporting ledges. In the presence of such a contact, the hooking member is supported by the supporting rail, and the hanging device is retained in the vertical direction. The 15 hanging device can then carry any objects that need to be hanged from the supporting rail. The hooking member is in such a case however still able to slide along the supporting rail in the longitudinal direction.

20 Once coupled onto a supporting rail, it is desired for a hanging device to remain coupled under various circumstances. For example, a hanging device should not become detached as a result of too little weight, or when the hooking member becomes temporarily detached from the supporting ledges during 25 sliding of the hanging device along the supporting rail. Furthermore, the device should stay coupled in case of unexpected forces acting on the hooking member, which forces tend to displace the member with respect to the supporting rail. Such forces can for instance occur when the device is 30 jolted, or when a cable attached to the device deforms by the release of residual strains.

The present invention aims to provide a hanging device which can be more securely coupled to a supporting rail than the 35 known hanging device.

3

The above objective is reached by a hanging device of the described type, characterized in that the hanging device further comprises a fixing member destined to engage on the supporting rail, the fixing member extending along the hooking 5 member, the hooking member and the fixing member being arranged to rotate with respect to each other about the turning axis, the fixing member being adapted for counteracting a rotation of the hooking member with respect to the fixing member.

10

The hanging device according to the invention is to be inserted into a supporting rail with the hooking member arranged in the same orientation as described in relation to the known device. Also in the same way as in the known device, 15 the side shoulders can be brought in registration with the supporting ledges by turning the hooking member.

A difference in operation of the adapted device as compared to the known device is that the hooking member of the adapted 20 device can only be turned with respect to the fixing member if a torque exerted for turning the hooking member exceeds a counteracting torque exerted by the fixing member. As a result, when the hooking member is coupled to a matching supporting rail such that the fixing member engages on the 25 supporting rail, the side shoulders can only become detached from the supporting ledges if a substantial torque is exerted on the hooking member. The torque needed in such a case will always be greater than the torque needed for detaching a hooking member without a fixing member. The adapted device can 30 therefore be more reliably coupled onto a supporting rail.

In a practical embodiment, the fixing member comprises a longitudinal arm and a cross arm, the longitudinal arm extending along the turning leg and the cross arm extending 35 transversely with respect to the turning leg, the hooking 4 member being provided on an attachment member, the cross arm being rotatably mounted on the attachment member.

Advantageously, the fixing member comprises a bending arm 5 extending along the turning leg, the turning leg having a noncircular cam portion for pressing the bending arm outward while rotating about the turning axis. In such a configuration, a counteracting torque can be exerted on the hooking member by an elastic load coming from the bending arm.

10

Preferably, the cam portion is provided directly under the side shoulders. Thus, the cam portion can also stabilize the hooking member with respect to a supporting rail by sinking in between the supporting ledges when the side shoulders and the 15 supporting ledges are brought into contact with each other.

In case the bending arm comprises a connected end and a free, preferably, the cam portion is provided relatively close to the free end. Thus, a torque necessary for turning the hooking 20 member can remain relatively low, predictable, and relatively independent on manufacturing tolerances.

Advantageously, the turning leg comprises a stopping portion, a circumferential surface of the stopping portion having two 25 consecutive segments, a first segment having a certain maximal radius with respect to the turning axis, a second segment extending with respect to the turning axis outside said maximal radius. The second segment can then function as a stop to prevent the hooking member from turning past a certain 30 position with respect to a supporting rail.

Preferably, the first segment has a cylindrically rounded shape, the second segment having the shape of a right angle. Such shapes provide stability of the hooking member with 35 respect to a supporting rail during turning and stopping.

5

In an advantageous embodiment, the hooking member has a certain thickness in a cross direction of the turning leg normal to the projecting direction of the side shoulders, an arm of the fixing member extending along the turning leg j 5 having a maximal thickness in the order of said maximal j thickness of the hooking member. This provides the assembly of ' the hooking member and the fixing member to be relatively ^ robust.

10 In another advantageous embodiment, the fixing member has a pair of bending arms extending on opposite sides of the turning leg. This provides robustness during operation.

Preferably, a part of the fixing member extends at the top 15 side of the hooking member above the turning leg. The fixing member is then prevented from sliding down from the hooking member.

The present invention further relates to a hanging system 20 comprising a hanging device according to the invention in combination with a supporting rail adapted for cooperation with said hanging device. Such a system can promptly be applied without having to find a supporting rail matching with a given hanging device.

25

The invention is described in more detail with reference to the drawings, each drawing showing the same embodiment of a hanging device according to the invention, in which:

Figure 1(a) shows the hanging device in a configuration 30 for insertion in a supporting rail, the hooking member and the fixing member both being shown in frontal view;

Figure 1(b) shows the hanging device in a configuration for being coupled to a supporting rail, the fixing member being shown in frontal view and the hooking member being shown 35 in side view; 6

Figure 2(a) shows a transverse cross section of a supporting rail with, in side view, the hanging device disposed in the rail, the hanging device being shown in the insertion configuration; 5 - Figure 2(b) shows a transverse cross section of a supporting rail with, in side view, the hanging device disposed in the rail, the hanging device being shown in the coupling configuration;

Figure 3(a) shows a cross section of the hanging device in 10 the insertion configuration, the cross section being positioned normal to the turning axis at the level of a stopping portion of the turning leg;

Figure 3(b) shows the cross section of Figure 3(a) for the hanging device in the coupled configuration.

15 - Figures 4(a)-(c) show a cross section of the hanging device, the cross section being positioned normal to the turning axis at the level of a cam portion of the turning leg, sub-figures (a)-(c) showing the cross section respectively in the insertion configuration, during a switch from the 20 configuration to the coupled configuration, and in the coupled configuration.

In the following, the references "horizontal", "vertical", "top", "bottom", "above", and "below" relate to the case that 25 the supporting rail is mounted in a horizontal position with a hanging device coupled to the rail as earlier described. Any references to a direction "along" a certain object, a position "coaxial" with respect to another object or an axial direction with respect to an object relate to the longitudinal direction 30 of that object. Similarly, transverse and radial directions with respect to a certain object relate to a direction normal to the longitudinal direction. The longitudinal direction of both the hooking member and the hanging device is understood as the direction of the turning axis. A cross direction with 7 respect to the rail is understood as the cross direction in the horizontal plane.

Figures 1(a) and 1(b) show a hanging device 1 according to the 5 invention. The hanging device 1 comprises a hooking member 10, a fixing member 20 and an attachment member 30.

The hooking member 10 is substantially T-shaped, the T-shape having a central stem forming a turning leg 11, and a pair of 10 opposite radial projections forming side shoulders 12. The hooking member 10 is formed as an integral plastic or metallic piece. The piece may for instance be moulded, forged or machined. Ways for forming a hooking member 10 having a central stem 11 and a pair of side shoulders 12 per se are 15 known in the state of the art.

The turning leg 11 comprises an upper portion 11a and a lower portion lib. The upper portion 11a is of a substantially square cross section, except at the level of a stopping 20 portion 13 which will be described later. The lower portion lib is of a substantially cylindrical shape, and is coaxially positioned with respect to the upper portion 11a. In the shown example, the circumferential surface of the lower portion lib is of hexagonal cross section. Said cross section shape 25 results from a pressing process for clamping an attachment member 30 inside an internal space of the lower portion lib as will be described later.

The side shoulders 12 are formed as radial projections 30 projecting from opposite side faces of the upper portion 11a of the turning leg 11. The top surface of each projections is co-planar to the crosscut top surface of the turning leg 11. The hooking member 10 thus has a crosscut top surface normal to its longitudinal axis. At the bottom side, each side 35 shoulder 12 has a bottom surface to be supported by a 8 supporting ledge 120 of a supporting rail 100 as illustrated in Figures 2(a) and 2(b).

The turning leg 11 comprises a cam portion 13 formed as a 5 portion of the turning leg 11 extending down from the bottom level of the side shoulders 12 along the leg's upper portion 11a. Forming part of said upper portion 11a, the cam portion 13 has a cross section of square shape, the cam portion 13 thus having a first pair of side faces 13a facing in a certain 10 radial direction with respect to the turning axis, each side face 13a of which is located below a side shoulder 12. Facing in a cross direction with respect to said certain radial direction, the cam portion 13 has another pair of side faces 13b.

15

At a distance below the cam portion 13, the turning leg 11 comprises a stopping portion 14. As also illustrated in Figures 3(a) and 3(b), the stopping portion 14 has a circumferential surface comprising a first segment 14a having 20 a certain maximal radius with respect to the turning axis, and a second segment 14b extending with respect to the turning axis beyond said certain radius. In particular, the first segment 14a has a cylindrically rounded shape, and the second segment 14b having the shape of a right angle.

25

It is noted that a circumferential surface of the cam portion 13 comprises right-angled segments 13c as also illustrated in Figures 4(a) to 4(c). Each right-angled segment 13c is formed at a transition between a side face 13a of the first pair of 30 side faces and a side face 13b of the second pair of side faces. Said right-angled segments 13c project with respect to the turning axis beyond the radius of the first segments 14a of the stopping portion 14.

9

The attachment member 30 is formed as an elongated wire. Various embodiments of a wire-shaped attachment member 30 are known in the state of the art. The attachment member may for instance be a metallic cable or a cable or rod formed out of 5 synthetic or metallic material. Preferably, the member is formed out of a transparent material such as Perlon, so as to be relatively invisible. The attachment member 30 is destined to be used as a base to which any object to be hanged can be connected, for instance by hooks provided on the attachment 10 member 30 at some distance from the hanging device 1.

The attachment member 30 is attached to the hooking member 10 by being contained in an internal space coaxially formed inside the lower portion lib of the turning leg 11. The 15 attachment member 30 is clamped to the body portion by an indented part of the wall surrounding the internal space. It is noted that a clamping connection may also be attained by any other means such as a screw protruding through said wall. Various other ways for connecting an attachment member to a 20 hooking member are known in the state of the art.

The fixing member 20 is formed as an integral piece formed out of a synthetic material, comprising a flexible bending arm 21 extending along the turning leg 11 and a cross arm 22 25 extending in a cross direction with respect to the turning leg 11. The cross arm extends symmetrically in opposite directions with respect to the hooking member 10, each radial end 23 of the cross arm 22 being provided with a bending arm 22.

30 The cross arm 22 comprises a central hole 25, the attachment member 30 extending through said hole 25. The cross arm 22 is thus rotatably mounted on the attachment member 30 so as for the fixing member 20 to be rotatable about the turning axis with respect to the hooking member 10. The cross arm abuts on 35 the bottom end of the hooking member 10 such that the fixing i 10 member 20 is retained in the upward axial direction with respect to the hooking member 10.

The bending arms 21 extend all the way upward along the 5 hooking member 10, past the stopping portion 14 and the cam portion 13. At the level of the side shoulders 12, each bending arm is provided with a curved portion 26 curving around a space radially inward with respect to the bending arm 21 for accommodating a side shoulder 12 when the hanging 10 device is in the insertion position.

A free end 24 of each bending arm 21 extends along the top side of the hooking member 10 in registration with the top surface of the central leg 11. The fixing member 20 is thereby 15 retained with respect to the hooking member 10 in a downward axial direction.

Each bending arm 21 is provided with a lip 28a, 28b protruding from a side of the respective bending arm 21 facing the 20 hooking member 10. A first lip 28a is positioned at the front of the fixing member 20, while a second lip 28b is positioned at the back of the fixing member 20. The two lips 28a, 28b protrude at the level of the lower portion lib of the turning leg 11 such that said lower portion lib is retained in between 25 the lips 28a, 28b. Thus, the hooking member 10 prevented from falling out of the space in between the two bending arms 21.

Figures 2(a) and 2(b) show, in cross section, a supporting rail 100 formed as an integral member of longitudinal shape.

30 The rail 100 comprises a receiving space 110 formed as an inner channel extending in the longitudinal direction of the rail 100, the channel being delimited by a top wall 122 and a pair of side walls 121. At the bottom side, the receiving space 110 is delimited by a pair of supporting ledges 120 35 separated by a slit 111. Each supporting ledge 120 is formed 11 as an inward projection from a side wall 121, the inner edges of the two projections 120 facing toward each other such as to form the delimitation of the slit 111.

5 The hanging device 1 is inserted into the slit 111 in a configuration as shown in Figure 1(a) in which the hooking member 10 is flatly positioned within a space formed in between the two bending arms 21 of the fixing member 20. In that configuration, herein also referred to as the insertion 10 configuration, the pair of side shoulders 12 extends in line with the cross arm 22 of the fixing member 20. The hanging device 1 thus forms a relatively narrow unit.

In the shown embodiment, the thickness of the hooking member 15 10, defined as the maximal dimension in a cross direction normal to the projecting direction of the side shoulders, is similar to the thickness of the bending arms 21, defined as the maximal dimension in a horizontal cross direction with respect to those arms 21. In a matching supporting rail 100, 20 the width of the slit 111 is chosen such as to be only slightly larger than the total thickness of the hanging device 1.

As illustrated in Figure 2(a), the hanging device 1 is passed 25 through the slit 111 until the top side of the device 1 touches the top wall 122 of the rail 100. At that point, in case of a rail designed to match with the hanging device 1, the stopping portion 14 of the hooking member 1 is positioned at the level of the supporting ledges 120. To obtain this 30 effect, the height of the receiving space 110 is larger than the axial distance between the top side of the hanging device 1 and the top edge of the stopping portion 14, and smaller than the axial distance between said top side and the bottom edge of the stopping portion 14. Depending on the embodiment 35 of the hanging device 1, the top side of the device can either 12 be a top side of the hooking member 10 or a top side of the fixing member 20.

As illustrated in Figure 2(b), after inserting the hanging 5 device 1 into the rail 100, the hooking member 10 is turned with respect to the fixing member 20 such as to bring the side shoulders 12 in vertical registration with the supporting ledges 120. To obtain this effect, the width of the hooking member 10, defined as the maximal dimension of the hooking 10 member 10 in the projecting direction of the side shoulders 12 is larger than the width of the slit 111. After turning the hooking member 10 with respect to the fixing member 20, the configuration of the hanging member 1 is as illustrated in Figure 1(b).

15

At the level of the stopping portion 14, as illustrated in Figures 3(a) and 3(b), in turning of the hooking member 10 to the coupled configuration, first the rounded segment 14a is passed along the supporting ledge 120. After the rounded 20 segment 14a has passed, the right-angled second segment 14b engages on the ledge 120, such that the hooking member cannot be turned any further. Due to the fact that half of each side shoulder 12 is positioned above the rounded segment 14a with the other half being positioned above the right-angled segment 25 14b, each side shoulder 12 then projects in the horizontal cross direction with respect to the rail 120.

At the level of the cam portion 13, as illustrated in Figures 4(a) to 4(c), in turning of the hooking member 10 to the 30 coupled configuration, the right-angled segments 13c of the cam portion 13 are pushed against portions of the bending arms 21 extending along the cam portion 13 such as to press the bending arms 21 to bend radially outward. Thus, the bending arms 21 are moved away from the cam portion's first pair or 35 side faces 13a. As a result of the bending arms 21 pushing 13 i back onto the cam portion 13, a substantial torque is needed for turning the hooking member 10 with respect to the fixing member 20.

5 In turning the hooking member 10 with respect to the fixing member 20, a continuous torque needs to be applied until the right-angled segments 13c of the cam portion 13 are positioned past the middle planes of the bending arms 21. From than on, a force exerted by the bending arms 21 on the cam portion 13 10 tends to rotate the hooking member 10 further rather than back to the original position. The force exerted by the bending arms 21 continues until the bending arms 21 are back in their original position. The bending arms 21 can then come into contact with the cam portion's second pair of side faces 13b.

15 This can provide noise indicating to a user operating the hanging device 1 that the device has reached the coupled conf iguration.

It is noted that transitions 13c between the front and side 20 faces 13a, 13b need not necessarily be right-angled. In fact, any transitional shape projecting with respect to the turning axis over a distance larger than the radial distance of the inner surface of the bending arm may be used.

25 In order for the fixing member 20 to remain fixed with respect to the rail 100 during turning of the hooking member 10, a width of the fixing member 20 defined as the maximal dimension in the longitudinal direction of the cross arm 22 is larger than the width of the slit 111. In order to allow portions of 30 the turning leg 11 at a distance from the cam portion 13 to freely rotate with respect to the bending arms 21, at the level of the cam portion 13, the bending arms 21 each comprise a protuberance 27 projecting towards the cam portion 13. Thus, a space is present between the bending arms 21 and portions of 35 the turning leg 11 away from the cam portion 13.

14

After turning the hooking member 10, the hanging device 1 is moved down with respect to the rail, such as to bring the bottom surfaces of the side shoulders 12 into contact with the supporting ledges 120, for any objects to be attached to the 5 attachment device 30 to be vertically supported with respect to the rail 100. With the pair of side faces 13a of the cam portion 13 located below the side shoulders 12 extending in parallel to each other at a distance which is only slightly less than the width of the slit 111, the hooking member 10 can 10 then remain stably positioned within the rail with only little play in the turning direction. By preventing the hooking member 10 from being turned, the cam portion 13 prevents the hanging device 1 from being taken out of the rail 100 without being lifted.

15

It is noted that the stopping portion 14 is formed having a point-symmetrical shape with respect to the turning axis. The hooking member 10 thus allows to be turned with respect to a rail 100 in both directions.

20

In summary, the present invention relates to a hanging device to be coupled onto a supporting rail having a receiving space and a pair of supporting ledges. The hanging device comprises a hooking member to be disposed inside the receiving space, 25 the hooking member having a turning leg and a pair of side shoulders. The side shoulders project radially from the turning leg in opposite directions, the side shoulders being destined to be supported by the supporting ledges. The hooking member has a turning axis defined by the longitudinal axis of 30 the turning leg. The hanging device further comprises a fixing member to engage on the supporting rail, the fixing member extending along the hooking member. The hooking member and the fixing member are arranged to rotate with respect to each other about the turning axis. The fixing member is adapted for 15 counteracting a rotation of the hooking member with respect to the fixing member.

A main advantage of a hanging device according to the 5 invention is that when the hanging device is hooked onto a supporting rail, the device is automatically latched to prevent it from becoming detached. Thus, the hanging device obviates the need for performing a separate latching operation. At the same time, the device is operated in a 10 similar way as non-latchable known devices as described in the introductory paragraph. In both cases, a user is required to insert and to turn a hooking member inside a supporting rail. Thus, the current hanging device can be intuitively operated by users that are familiar with the known devices.

15

It will be clear to a person skilled in the art that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the examples discussed in the foregoing, but that several amendments and modifications thereof are possible without deviating from the 20 scope of the invention as defined in the attached claims.

1039308

Claims

Suspension device (1) for coupling to a rail (100) with a receiving space (110) and two supporting edges (120), which suspension device (1) comprises: a hook member (10) for placement in the receiving space 5 (110), which hook member (10) has a turning leg (11) and two side shoulders (12), which side shoulders (12) extend radially in opposite directions from the turning leg (11), the side shoulders (12) being intended for support by the supporting edges (12) 120), wherein the hook member has a pivot axis defined by the longitudinal axis of the pivot leg (11), characterized in that the suspension device further comprises a fixing member (20) intended to engage on the rail, which fixing member ( 20) extends along the hook member (10), the hook member (10) and the fixing member (20) being rotatable relative to each other about the axis of rotation, the fixing member (20) being arranged to rotate the hook member (10) ) relative to the fixing member (20) to work against. 20

Suspension device according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member (20) has a longitudinal arm (21) and a transverse arm (22), the longitudinal arm (21) extending along the swivel leg (11) and the transverse arm (22) extending transversely to the turning leg (11), wherein the hook member (10) is provided on a mounting member (30), the transverse arm (22) being rotatably mounted on the mounting member (30).

3. Suspension device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fixing member (20) comprises a bending arm (21) extending along the turning leg (11), the turning leg (11) 1039308 having an unround cam portion (13) for joining a rotation of the bending arm (21) about the axis of rotation.

Suspension device according to claim 3, wherein the cam portion (13) is provided directly under the side shoulders (12).

Suspension device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the bending arm (21) has a fixed end (23) and a free end (24), the cam portion (13) being provided relatively close to the free end (24).

Suspension device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the turning leg (11) has a stop section (14), wherein a peripheral surface of the stop section (14) has two consecutive segments (14a, 14b), a first segment (14a) has a certain maximum radius with respect to the axis of rotation, wherein a second segment (14b) extends outside said maximum radius with respect to the axis of rotation.

The suspension device of claim 6, wherein the first segment (14a) has a cylindrically rounded shape, the second segment (14b) having the shape of a right angle. 25

8. Suspension device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the hook member (10) has a determined maximum thickness in a transverse direction of the turning leg (11) perpendicular to the projection direction of the side shoulders (12), wherein an arm (21) of the fixing member (20) extending along the turning leg (11) has a maximum thickness in the order of said maximum thickness of the hook member (10).

Suspension device according to one of the preceding claims, in which the fixing member (20) has two bending arms (21) which extend on either side of the turning leg (11).

Suspension device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a part of the fixing member (20) extends above the swivel leg (11) at the top of the hook member (10).

11. Suspension system comprising a suspension device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims and a rail adapted to cooperate with said suspension device. 1039308