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DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a shelf and a relative assembly process.

The invention is particularly adapted to the realisation of glass shelves, but is also applicable to any other material.

The invention is adapted for realising both modular and custom-made shelves, especially bookcases. The invention is also adapted for realising particularly aesthetic and robust shelves for any type of object, such as for example wine bottles.

By way of example, the invention is adapted for indifferently realising the following combinations of upright/top: glass/glass, metal (alloy) /glass, glass/wood, metal/wood, glass/plastic-resin-composite and recycled materials etc. with various surface finishes: anodised, lacquered, resins and eco-mortars etc. The bookcase can be placed on the floor with a foot (in various materials) or without a foot, fixed to the wall or in the "middle of the room" (double-sided) , with single or double upright and foot and opposite shelves on the two operating sides.

BACKGROUND In the furnishing sector, particularly in the medium-high range, there is currently an increasing demand for "minimal" furnishing elements, that is, elements that do not conflict with the infrastructures present and enhance only the objects on display, but simultaneously guarantee an important structural solidity. This need is especially felt in furnishing bookcases, because often the tops are subjected to considerable loads due to the massive volumes they hold or other sources of weight. Furthermore, architects and designers require a certain visual linearity and continuity of these volumes, without the interruption given by vertical uprights, support shelves, various supports and visible accessories. This is clearly not a prerogative that is easy to satisfy by using "minimal" components that disappear from the user's view.

In the patent literature, classic shelves are known having the tops resting on an abutment fixed to the upright. See for example EP2289368, and US2013/105426. In these examples the uprights are by necessity very bulky and visible, furthermore such structures are not adapted for realising glass shelves or the like.

Often to give the bookcase greater stability and sturdiness, rigid "backrests" or metal tie-rods are used, but these components also clash with the minimalist aesthetic, fully invasive with respect to the structural elements characterising the surrounding environment.

The use of glass often comes in handy, which is precisely appreciated for its transparency and requested by designers. However, given the characteristics of stability and fragility of the material, it is very difficult and costly to make structures entirely in glass. They must be built artisanally with a "beehive" type structure (pigeonhole) and glued with the invisible technique (light-curing adhesives), so for obvious reasons of fragility, bulk and weight, they are forcibly made in small separate modules and/or glued on site. Also in this case the prerogative of product transportability, modularity and ease of assembly is eliminated, also by non-highly specialised personnel. Normally, therefore, glass is often used only for the top, using metal for the vertical uprights and for the functional hooks. In this case the glass is used substantially resting on special horizontal guides, or always with the same hooks or shelves (suitably adapted to glass) , of the other materials used for the shelves (wood, metal, etc.) . Clearly all this is a limit to the visual aesthetics sought by the market, since the glass top practically only replaces the wooden or metal top, i.e. it is interrupted by the various visible guides, shelves or hooks of the supporting structure.

The general object of the present invention is to overcome the problems of the known art, in particular by providing an elegant, linear and minimal furnishing shelf, especially adapted to the general use of glass.

A further preferred object of the invention is that of realising the "continuous" surface characteristic, that is, without being interrupted at constant frequency by support brackets, uprights or various particularly invasive supports. Especially if there is a need to have homogeneous volumes (encyclopaedias), aligning them in succession without interruption, due precisely to characteristic elements of the structure that "disturb" the "linear" vision. With the possibility of realising both the vertical uprights and the shelves in glass (only the junction elements in metal) , it is possible to obtain the maximum transparency and exaltation of both the surrounding environment and of the objects contained.

Another further preferred object of the invention is to provide a shelf that can be realised either as a "standard", i.e. modular (constant vertical upright interaxes), or easily customised, adapting to the existing architectural infrastructures (beams, niches, etc.) . In the "customised" case, the length of the top is solely linked to the availability of material on the market .

Another preferred object of the invention is to provide a shelf of high stability even with uprights of minimal section.

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

According to a first general aspect, the present invention relates to a shelf comprising at least one horizontal top and at least one vertical upright arranged to support said top, characterised in that it comprises two locking elements arranged to clamp the top between them and locked with respect to said upright.

Advantageously, the locking is very robust and opposes the bending of the uprights and the tops due to the load, so that it is possible to realise shelves with a high load-bearing capacity and stability even with minimal elements.

Preferably the two locking elements are clamped together by means of at least one clamping element passing through an opening in the top.

In this case preferably a first of the two locking elements is locked directly on the upright, while the other is locked to the upright at least through the first .

According to some preferred embodiments of the invention, the upright only partially interrupts the continuity of the top, which has at least one continuity zone in front of the upright.

For example, the depth in the front direction of the upright is smaller than the depth of the top, preferably less than or equal to half. Embodiments have been tested with a depth less than or equal to one third of the depth of the top and have proved to be sufficiently stable, therefore possible. For example, a top 30/35 cm deep was tested with an upright 10 cm deep and 1 cm thick.

Preferably the top comprises at least one notch which only partially interrupts the continuity and into which the upright penetrates in such a way as to cross the top in the zone behind the continuity zone, preferably the upright lacks housing seats for the top. According to a particularly preferably advantageous characteristic, the notch provides lateral support for the upright so as to stiffen it against its bending. This allows the use of particularly thin uprights .

The upright is preferably above the top only for part of the top' s depth, for example the notch starts on one edge of the top and the upright has a greater or equal depth to that of the notch, the upright partially penetrates the top and ends flush on said edge or protruding beyond it.

Advantageously, the absence of housings on the upright makes it possible to realise minimal uprights which are more resistant, for example of particularly reduced thickness and/or depth.

According to a particularly practical embodiment, the top comprises a through opening to allow the passage through the same of a clamping element adapted to clamp the two locking elements together, preferably the notch has a width corresponding to the width of the upright, and said opening is a portion of the notch having a greater width than the upright .

In general it is preferable that the two locking elements realise a double collar around the upright, so as to have an excellent opposition to the bending of the tops, which can thus be considerably cantilevered with respect to the upright.

For example, the two locking elements have a U shape, where the internal width of the U substantially corresponds to the thickness of the upright. Therefore, it is not excluded that the locking elements create a support which opposes the lateral bending of the upright.

According to some particularly preferred embodiments of the invention, the top has a notch of a width substantially equal to the thickness of the upright which starts from an inner side of the top and ends in a central zone, the upright penetrates the notch, both locking elements are U-shaped elements of an internal width substantially equal to the thickness of the upright and positioned to straddle it, one placed under the top and one above it, one of the two U-shaped elements is anchored to the upright by means of one or more screws or the like, or comprises a pair of jaws that clamp the upright between them, the other is anchored to the first by means of at least one screw or the like passing through the top in a predetermined enlargement of said notch, the U-shaped elements embrace the upright for the entire depth of the notch, preferably the upright is in the form of a sheet, preferably of a thickness in the range 5-30 mm, more preferably 8-15 mm, where the value that is expected to become a standard is 10 mm.

According to another preferred general characteristic of the invention, the upright has at least one fixing zone for fixing to the top where there are at least two anchoring points arranged in series between them in a vertical direction at a greater distance than the distance required to lock the top.

In this case, for example, the top comprises a notch which extends for part of its depth and into which the upright penetrates in order to cross the top, at least the locking elements designed to provide the lower support to the top comprise anchoring means directed to said anchoring points of the upright, when the lower locking element is anchored to the lowest point and a holding element is anchored to the highest point, they hold the top between them in an inclined configuration with respect to the horizontal one.

According to some preferred embodiments, at least one of the locking elements comprises a pair of jaws for clamping the upright between them.

Advantageously, the upright is thus free of holes for anchoring the locking elements, resulting more aesthetically pleasing.

In addition, it is preferable for the jaws to be slidable at least along a section of upright in order to be locked at a chosen point. Advantageously it is also possible to slide the jaws without removing the tops, and even with the tops occupied by books or other loads, especially if they are clamped together by screws which allow a partial loosening.

In the absence of this characteristic, to allow the height of the top to be adjusted, it would be necessary to have multiple holes in large sections of the upright and therefore definitely unsightly in a luxury product .

Preferably the upright comprises a series of parallel rods, and the jaws comprise a shaping complementary to the series of rods to clamp them together .

Advantageously, this increases the grip and also adds a refined aesthetic feeling.

According to some possible embodiments, the top is clamped between the locking elements in an inclined operating position with respect to the horizontal position .

This is useful for supporting objects with special needs, for example in this configuration it is particularly useful for making a shelf for wine bottles.

In general, the locking system according to the present invention is adapted to clamp the tops between the locking elements in an inclined position with respect to the horizontal position, so that advantageously also in this configuration they can securely bear a considerable weight and can maintain an aesthetic appearance with minimum overall dimensions of the uprights. This characteristic is adapted for example for realising display units for wine bottles, etc.

According to a second general aspect, the invention relates to a process for assembling a shelf comprising the following steps:

- preparing at least one upright and at least one top to be fixed to the upright,

- locking on the upright a first locking element (11) of the top in a first point (16);

- with respect to the upright, locking a holding element (lib) of the top above the first locking element and at a distance therefrom greater than the thickness of the top (2 ) ;

- holding the top balanced between the first locking element and the holding element; - using a second locking element (12) to lock the top between the first and the second locking element (11, 12) .

Advantageously the second locking element can coincide with the holding element .

The method is particularly advantageous to allow a single operator to fix tops that are significantly cantilevered with respect to the upright, or particularly long .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become clearer from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments thereof, with reference to the appended drawings and provided by way of indicative and non-limiting example. In such drawings :

- figure 1 shows an embodiment of a shelf according to the present invention;

- figure 2 shows two locking elements of the shelf of figure 1;

- figure 3 shows a top of the shelf of figure 1 partially shown for reasons of length;

- figure 4 shows a section, according to plane IV of figure 1, of a zone of union between an upright and a top;

- figure 5 shows the section of figure 4 in a perspective view;

- figure 6 shows a double collar alternative to that of figure 2;

- figure 7 shows an alternative top to that of figure 3 and adapted to the collar of figure 6;

- figures 8 to 10 show examples of shelves that can realised according to the present invention;

- figures 11 and 12 schematically show the steps of a method for locking a top on an upright according to the present invention;

- figure 13 shows an alternative embodiment of a shelf according to the present invention;

- figure 14 shows an upright section on an enlarged scale of the shelf of figure 13;

- figures 15 and 16 show a pair of jaw clamps used as locking elements in the shelf of figure 13;

- figures 17 and 18 show an embodiment with inclined tops .

With reference to figure 1, a shelf according to the present invention is shown which is comprehensively indicated with the reference number 1.

The shelf 1 comprises a plurality of tops 2 and a plurality of top support elements, hereinafter referred to as uprights 3.

The shelf comprises a front side A and a back side B, where the front side is intended to be the preferential access side for an operator, and the back side is for example suitable for being rested against a wall of a building (not shown) .

Each upright 3 preferably has a vertical direction of extension, and is free of housings for the tops so as to be continuous in all its parts. For example, each upright is realised with a plate, made of glass, steel or any other material.

More generally, the uprights 3 have a section where it is possible to identify a thickness H and a depth L>H, and are arranged in such a way that the depth is directed in the front-back direction of the shelf.

The plate 3 preferably has a constant section, for example substantially rectangular, whereby this definition also refers to sections with rounded edges or with other sections. Some samples were made with substantially rectangular 10X100 mm sections and were found to be sufficiently robust and at the same time minimal to the eye. The vertical extension, also called "height extension", can in general be any.

The uprights comprise a plurality of respective fixing zones 15 of the tops, each comprising a plurality of anchoring points 16, arranged in series in the vertical direction, for example in two parallel rows.

Although in the example shown the anchoring points 16 are concentrated only in the fixing zones 15, variants in which they are uniformly distributed along the entire upright, which therefore comprises a single fixing zone, are not excluded.

The tops 2, according to a generalizable characteristic, are partially arranged next to the uprights and partially in front of them, in this way the portion in front of the uprights forms a continuity zone 5 between the portions alongside the upright 6 and 7.

In the illustrated example the depth Li of the top 2 is greater than the depth L of the upright 3, and the latter ends, in the back direction, at the back edge 8 of the top.

However, it is not excluded that the upright ends more outwards or more inwards than the edge 8.

Each top generally comprises at least one housing seat 20 of an upright. In the illustrated example this seat is a notch, which starts from the back edge 8 and extends in a frontal direction up to the continuity zone 5. The notch has a width substantially corresponding to the thickness H of the upright 3.

The locking of a top 2 with respect to an upright 3 generally takes place by anchoring a vice 10 to each upright which tightens the top 2 between the jaws 11 and 12.

The vice 10 is better illustrated in figure 2, which highlights that it is a possible embodiment of a general double collar, that is, a locking of the top comprising a lower collar 11 and an upper collar 12.

The interposition of PVC gaskets (not shown) between collars and top in the contact parts, especially between different materials, e.g. glass/metal, is not excluded .

In particular, the lower jaw 11 is a U-shaped locking element where the internal width substantially corresponds to the thickness H of the upright, and the length of the arms 13 is preferably at least equal to the depth L of the upright .

The arms 13 comprise one or more holes 22 directed horizontally towards the upright and adapted to the passage of locking screws which are inserted into the anchoring points 16. The locking points 16, given the minimal thickness of the upright, are preferably through holes, so that the screw can pass through the upright, positioning itself in portions of hole 22 located on the two opposite arms 13 of the U.

The jaw 12 differs from the jaw 11 in that it does not have the holes 22, however it is not excluded that the two jaws are identical.

Both jaws have vertical holes, facing each other, and adapted to receive clamping screws 25c (figure 12) which, by screwing, bring the jaws closer to each other.

In the illustrated example a hole 25 is shown for each arm 13, however two or more holes are not excluded for each arm 13, or one or more holes only on one arm 13, or on the arm connecting the two arms 13.

In use, one of the two jaws 11, 12 is placed under the top 2 and the other above, so as to clamp it together by the action of the screws 25c in the holes 25, which operate as clamping elements. The latter pass through the top 2 thanks to special passage openings 28, realised for example as a localised enlargement of the notch 20 (see figure 3) .

The arrangement is best illustrated in the sections of figures 4 and 5. As will be noted, conveniently the end portions 25b of the holes 25 could be blind and threaded, while the inlet portions 25a could form the abutment for the head of a screw.

Figures 6 and 7 illustrate the variant with two holes 25 for each arm 13 of the jaws, in which case the notch 20 of the top 2 has as many passage openings 28. The examples illustrated so far show that in general the tops can have a length greater than the distance between two uprights and be cantilevered with respect to them, so as to maintain continuity of the support plane that they form for the entire length of the cantilevered area.

Remaining more in the back than the cantilever zone, the uprights are not above it, and therefore are minimally seen.

Some non-exhaustive examples are described below which demonstrate the aesthetic and functional variety of the shelves which can be obtained according to the present invention.

In these embodiments alternative or variant elements equal to or similar to those previously described will be indicated with the same reference numbers used above, or with the same numbers increased by 100 or multiples thereof.

Figure 8 shows a variant of the shelf 101 whose tops 2 and uprights 3, although being constructively the same as those of figure 1, can be assembled together in such a way that some tops have the continuity portion 5 positioned in front of the upright and others behind it. The reversibility of the assembly of the top is possible thanks to the notch 20 that starts from the edge 8. The shelf 101 realised in this way, and equipped with a special foot 30 that extends both in the front and in the back, is suitable to be placed in the centre of the room instead of leaning against a wall.

Figure 9 shows a further variant of the shelf 201 which couples two shelves 1 of figure 1 to form a single shelf with the feet 30.

Figure 10 shows a variant of the shelf 1 of figure 1 comprising a ladder 40 sliding along the edge of one of the tops 2 thanks to a sliding guide 42 applied to the edge of said top. In general it will be noted that the guide 42 can extend for a length greater than the distance of two uprights thanks to the continuity portions 5 of the tops. In particular, by applying a top that extends over the entire length of the shelf, it is possible to easily create a sliding ladder for this entire length without any guide interruptions.

The ladder can be coupled to the guide using coupling flanges 44 identical or similar to the jaws 11 and 12, so as to obtain a certain aesthetic continuity. These U-shaped flanges 44 are anchored to the ladder and support sliding rollers 45 or skids on the guide 42.

With reference to figures 11 and 12, the steps of an advantageous method of mounting a shelf according to the present invention are illustrated.

In a first step the lower jaw 11 is fixed to the upright 3.

Subsequently, a holding element lib is locked with respect to the upright 3 in a position higher than that required to lock the top 2 in a horizontal position.

This holding element can be the upper jaw 12, if it also has the horizontal holes 22.

Different holding elements are not excluded, such as pegs that can be inserted in the holes 16.

In the case wherein the upper jaw 12 is fixed in the holes 16, it is fixed to a higher hole 16 than that used to carry out the clamping action of the horizontal top .

At this point the top 2 is inserted so that the upright penetrates into the notch 20. The top is held inclined by the lower jaw 11 and by the holding element lib.

Subsequently, being able to leave the top and therefore having free hands, it is possible to lock the second jaw 12 with respect to the first jaw 11 to clamp the top in a horizontal position between them.

This method is particularly advantageous to allow a single operator to mount the cantilever tops of the present invention.

If the jaw 22 is not adapted to be locked directly on the upright, for example due to the absence of the holes 22, and is to be used as a holding element lib, it can be constrained to the lower jaw 11 by partially screwing the screw 25c in the clamping hole 25, in this case, however, care should be taken to position the top with the upright in the notch before inserting the screw in the hole 25. In this case, even if the vice is not completely clamped, the vertical screw 25c in the hole 25 will hold the top, which can subsequently be clamped. This occurrence is however less preferred and more complex, so that it is preferable to use an element that can be anchored directly to the upright as a holding element lib, such as for example a peg or another collar 11, subsequently the top is clamped by also inserting the collar 12 and clamping it to the lower collar 11, the holding element will in this case preferably be eliminated .

Figure 13 illustrates a shelf 301 which differs from the previous shelves in the shape of the vice 310 and the uprights 303.

The vice 310 that clamps the top 2 in particular comprises at least one of the two jaws 311 and 312 made in such a way as to in turn be a vice which clamps the upright 303. Figures 15 and 16 illustrate the case wherein both the jaws for the top 311 and 312 comprise a pair of jaws for the upright 11a, lib and 12a, 12b.

Each pair of jaws for the upright 11a, lib, 12a, 12b is preferably clamped by means of pulling screws 317. They preferably form a vice with a gripping surface 319 complementarily shaped to the upright 303 to increase the grip .

The upright 303 for example comprises a series of rods 303a parallel to each other on which the vices 310 are clamped. In the attached figure two rods are shown, however the number can vary, also comprising the case of a single rod per upright.

Figures 17 and 18 show an embodiment 401 arranged to symbolise the possibility of clamping the top between the jaws 411 and 412 in an inclined position with respect to the horizontal position.

The jaws 411 and 412 are preferably reversible to invert the inclination of the top.

GENERAL INTERPRETATION OF TERMS In understanding the object of the present invention, the term "comprising" and its derivatives, as used herein, are intended as open-ended terms that specify the presence of declared characteristics, elements, components, groups, integers and/or steps, but do not exclude the presence of other undeclared characteristics, elements, components, groups, integers and/or steps. The above also applies to words that have similar meanings such as the terms "comprised", "have" and their derivatives. Furthermore, the terms "part", "section", "portion", "member" or "element" when used in the singular can have the double meaning of a single part or a plurality of parts. As used herein to describe the above executive form, the following directional terms "forward", "backward", "above", "under", "vertical", "horizontal", "below" and "transverse", as well as any other similar directional term, refers to a shelf in operating position. Finally, terms of degree such as "mainly", "about" and "approximately" as used herein are intended as a reasonable amount of deviation of the modified term such that the final result is not significantly changed.

While only selected embodiments have been chosen to illustrate the present invention, it will be apparent from this description to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, the size, shape, position or orientation of the various components can be modified as needed and/or desired. The components shown which are directly connected or in contact with each other can have intermediate structures arranged between them. The functions of one element can be performed by two and vice versa. The structures and functions of one embodiment can be adopted in another embodiment . All the advantages of a particular embodiment do not necessarily have to be present at the same time. Any characteristic that is original compared to the prior art, alone or in combination with other characteristics, should also be considered a separate description of further inventions by the applicant, including the structural and/or functional concepts embodied by such characteristics. Therefore, the foregoing descriptions of the embodiments according to the present invention are provided for illustrative purposes only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.