US20060027516A1

US20060027516A1 - Supporting arm for wall-mount metal rack

Info

Publication number: US20060027516A1
Application number: US10/911,903
Authority: US
Inventors: Henry Chen
Original assignee: Protrend Co Ltd
Current assignee: Protrend Co Ltd
Priority date: 2004-08-04
Filing date: 2004-08-04
Publication date: 2006-02-09

Abstract

A supporting arm for stably supporting a wall-mount metal rack includes a main body, and a hook section and a fixing plate integrally formed at an upper and a lower end, respectively, of the main body. Ribs are longitudinally provided at joints of the main body and the hook section and the fixing plate to enhance a structural strength thereat. The hook section provides a relatively large bearing surface to cover and support an outer transverse metal wire of the metal rack, so that the metal rack is stably mounted on the wall surface to provide a largely increased bearing capacity.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a supporting arm that has excellent structural strength to stably support a wall-mount metal rack, so that the metal rack has a largely increased bearing capacity.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A metal rack is frequently fixed to a wall surface for holding things, so that valuable space in a room could be fully utilized without the need of spending a lot of money for a custom-made cabinet or closet. The metal rack may be covered with curtains or drapes to define a closed storage space and serves as, for example, a cabinet, a closet, or a wardrobe. The metal rack is usually mounted to the wall surface by engaging an inner edge with hangers pre-mounted on the wall surface, and bearing an outer edge on supporting arms that are fixed at a lower end to the wall surface, so that the metal rack has a horizontal top for holding things.
FIGS. 1 and 1-1 shows a conventional metal rack 10 that includes a vertically downward bent front to increase the structural strength of the metal rack 10, preventing the metal rack 10 from easy deformation. The metal rack 10 includes a plurality of parallelly spaced and longitudinally extended metal wires 11 forming the top of the metal rack 10, and a relatively large metal wire 12 extended across an upper outer edge of the metal rack in perpendicular to the metal wires 11.
The currently available supporting arm 13 for the metal rack 10 is formed at an upper end with a hook section 131 for sideward bearing against an inner side of the metal wire 12, and at a lower end with an angularly bent fixing plate 132 for mounting to the wall surface. The hook section 131 and the upper end of the supporting arm 13 generally contain between them an angle larger than 120 degrees, so as to protect the hook section 131 against easy deformation under pressure. Since this type of hook section 131 has relatively small bearing surface to hold the metal wire 12, the supporting arm 13 fails to stably support the metal rack 10. Moreover, a joint of the conventional supporting arm 13 and the fixing plate 132 is weak and tends to bend when it is subjected to a relatively large force.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a supporting arm that has enhanced structural strength and is not easily deformed, so as to reliably and stably support a wall-mount metal rack.
To achieve the above and other objects, the supporting arm for wall-mount metal rack according to the present invention mainly includes a main body, a hook section integrally formed at an upper end of the main body, and a fixing plate integrally formed at a lower end of the main body. At least one first rib is longitudinally formed at a joint of the main body and the hook section to protect the joint against deformation under pressure.
In the supporting arm for wall-mount metal rack according to the present invention, a second rib is longitudinally provided at an upper end of the main body to increase the structural strength of the main body.
For the main body of the supporting arm of the present invention to have increased strength, the main body is bent to form two integral sidewalls.
A third rib is longitudinally provided at a joint of the fixing plate and the main body to protect the joint against deformation under pressure.
For the fixing plate to have increased structural strength, the fixing plate is formed at two lateral edges and a lower edge with an integral sidewall.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein
FIG. 1 shows the manner of using a conventional supporting arm for wall-mount metal rack;
FIG. 1-1 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 1;
FIG. 2 shows one manner of using a supporting arm for wall-mount metal rack according to the present invention;
FIGS. 2-1 and 2-2 are partially enlarged views of FIG. 2;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the supporting arm for wall-mount metal rack according to the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a side view of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4-1 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 4;
FIG. 5 shows another manner of using the supporting arm for wall-mount metal rack according to the present invention; and
FIG. 5-1 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Please refer to FIG. 2 that shows one manner of using a supporting arm for wall-mount metal rack according to the present invention. As shown, the supporting arm, which is generally denoted by a reference number 20, is mainly used to support a metal rack 10. The metal rack 10 is fixed to a wall surface 31 by engaging an inner edge of the metal rack 10 with hooks 30 pre-mounted on the wall surface 31, and using supporting arms 20 to support an outer edge of the metal rack 10, such that a top of the metal rack 10 is in a horizontal position for holding things thereon. The metal rack 10 is provided below the inner and the outer edge with a transverse metal wire 14, 12, respectively. The metal rack 10 is engaged at the inner edge with the hooks 30 by setting the inner transverse metal wire 14 in the hooks 30. A plurality of relatively small metal wires 11 are longitudinally extended and spaced between the inner and the outer transverse metal wire 14, 12 to form the metal rack 10.
Please refer to FIG. 3 that is a perspective view of the supporting arm 20 of the present invention. The supporting arm 20 is integrally formed using a sheet metal material, and includes an elongated main body 21, a hook section 22 formed at an upper end of the main body 21, and a fixing plate 23 formed at a lower end of the main body 21. The main body 21 includes two perpendicularly bent sidewalls 211, which give the main body 21 an enhanced structural strength. The hook section 22 is properly bent into a predetermined configuration having a forward opened horizontal channel 221. The fixing plate 23 is also properly bent into a predetermined configuration having a flat inner surface.
At least one first rib 24 is longitudinally formed at a joint of the hook section 22 and the upper end of the main body 21 to produce a supporting effect on the hook section 22, and thereby enhances a bearing capacity of the hook section 22 and prevents any deformation or even breaking at the joint of the hook section 22 and the upper end of the main body 21. However, after the at least one first rib 24 is provided at the joint of the hook section 22 and the main body 21, a point on the main body 21 immediately behind the joint has a relatively low strength and tends to deform when a force is applied thereto. Therefore, at least one second rib 25 is longitudinally provided at the point of the main body 21 behind the first rib 24. It is noted the first and the second rib 24, 25 should be staggered to avoid locating on the same one straight line.
Please refer to FIGS. 4 and 4-1. With the first and the second rib 24, 25, the joint of the hook section 22 and the main body 21 has an excellent structural strength, protecting the hook section 22 against deformation or breaking even when the hook section 22 is subjected to a relatively large pressure. As a result, it is possible for the hook section 22 and the main body 21 to contain between them an angle as small as 45 to 90 degrees, that is, an angle obtained by deducting a bending angle of the hook section 22 from 180 degrees. The hook section 22 at this angular position provides a relatively large bearing surface to cover and stably support the outer metal wire 12.
Since the main body 21 of the supporting arm 20 has two perpendicularly bent sidewalls 211, a joint of the main body 21 and the fixing plate 23 has a U-shaped cross section. A third rib 26 is longitudinally provided at the U-shaped joint of the main body 21 and the fixing plate 23 to increase a strength thereof, so that the U-shaped joint could bear an increased pressure without becoming deformed or broken. As can be seen from FIGS. 3 and 2-2, the fixing plate 23 is provided with a through hole 231, via which a fastening element 232 is extended into the wall surface 31. The through hole 231 inevitably forms a weak point on the fixing plate 23. To avoid the weak point at the through hole 231 from deforming or breaking, a sidewall 233 is extended along two lateral edges and a lower edge of the fixing plate 23 to enhance an overall strength thereof.
Please refer to FIGS. 3 and 2-1. The hook section 22 of the supporting arm 20 is provided with a slit 222 extended in a direction normal to the horizontal channel 221 to communicate with an internal space of the channel 221. The slit 222 has a width similar to an outer diameter of the longitudinal metal wire 11 on the top of the metal rack 10. When the hook section 22 covers the outer transverse metal wire 12, the metal wire 12 is located in the horizontal channel 221 and the slit 222 is aligned and engaged with one metal wire 11, so that the hook section 22 is prevented from moving laterally relative to the metal rack 10. In this manner, the supporting arm 20 could more stably support the metal rack 10.
In manufacturing the supporting arm 20, it is also possible for the hook section 22 to have an overall width slightly smaller than a space between two adjacent longitudinal metal wires 11 forming the top of the metal rack 10, so that the hook section 22 could be located between two adjacent metal wires 11 with the transverse metal wire 12 seated in the horizontal channel 221, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 5-1.
In either case, since the horizontal channel 221 of the hook section 22 provides a relatively large bearing surface to cover the metal wire 12, the supporting arm 20 could always stably support the metal rack 10.
Since the supporting arm 20 of the present invention is formed by properly bending a sheet metal material into a predetermined configuration, it has a structural strength sufficient to bear a relatively large pressure, making the metal rack 10 safe for use and trusted by consumers.

Claims

1. A supporting arm for wall-mount metal rack, comprising a main body, a hook section integrally provided at an upper end of said main body, and a fixing plate integrally provided at a lower end of said main body; said supporting arm being made of a sheet metal material, and said fixing plate being properly bent into a predetermined configuration having a flat inner surface;

said supporting arm being characterized in that said hook section is a forward opened horizontal channel, and that at least one first rib is longitudinally provided at a joint of said hook section and the upper end of said main body to prevent deformation or breaking at said joint.

2. The supporting arm for wall-mount metal rack as claimed in claim 1, wherein said main body has at least one second rib longitudinally provided at an upper part thereof.

3. The supporting arm for wall-mount metal rack as claimed in claim 2, wherein said first rib provided at said joint of said hook section and the upper end of said main body and said second rib provided at the upper part of said main body are staggered without locating on the same one straight line.

4. The supporting arm for wall-mount metal rack as claimed in claim 1, wherein said hook section and said main body contain between them an angle of 45 to 90 degrees, so that said hook section provides a relatively large bearing surface to cover and support a transverse metal wire located at an outer edge of a metal rack.

5. The supporting arm for wall-mount metal rack as claimed in claim 1, wherein said hook section is provided with a slit extended in a direction normal to said horizontal channel and communicating with an inner space of said horizontal channel.

6. The supporting arm for wall-mount metal rack as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a third rib longitudinally provided at a joint of said main body and said fixing plate to enhance a structural strength at said joint.

7. The supporting arm for wall-mount metal rack as claimed in claim 6, wherein said fixing plate has a sidewall extended along two lateral edges and a lower edge of said fixing plate to increase an overall strength of said fixing plate.