SHELF SYSTEM

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a shelf system comprising brackets for supporting shelves, each bracket being adapted to be fastened to a vertical rail. The rails can be attached to a wall or be self-supporting.

Background of the Invention

Shelf systems in which shelves are carried on brackets which are arranged on vertical rails and which can be positioned at different heights are previously known in prior art. A shelf system of this kind usually comprises vertical rails, generally fixed to a wall, which are each provided with holes along their length into which the brackets are to be hooked at the desired height.

The object of the present invention is, among other things, to provide a shelf system in which the brackets are continuously adjustable to any desirable height and in which their position is not dependent on prefabricated holes. US 692,858 discloses a shelf bracket that is arranged on a rail. The bracket can be attached or detached without interfering with or being affected by other brackets. The bracket consists of several parts, such as a plate, a web shape on the underside of the plate and a clamp. The clamp consists of spring-plates secured to the web and the spring-plates are shaped at their opposite end to grip the rail. A bolt and a thumbscrew are used to draw the spring-plates together. This shelf system can be suitable for a certain type or certain types of material. Thus, there remains a need for a shelf system, which can be designed for a plurality of material groups and which, at the same time, is appealing from an aesthetic point of view.

Description of the Invention

The shelf system of the invention comprises brackets for supporting shelves, each individual bracket being adapted to be fastened to a vertical rail. The rail has a cross-section that extends along a significant part of the rail's length. Each bracket has a portion that engages with the rail when

mounted, i.e. an inner end, which in its mounted position faces the rail, the inner end supporting a gripping means, for example a retaining sleeve having an essentially U-shaped cross-section. The gripping means is recessed in the bracket in the portion facing the rail. The open portion of the gripping means has gripping portions, such as inwardly turned edges, which surround part of the rail's cross-section as the gripping means is displaced downwards along the rail. The gripped portion of the rail has a contact surface for the gripping portion of the gripping means. Furthermore, when mounted the bracket presents a tightening means for tightening a gripping surface on the gripping means against the contact surface of the rail. The tightening means is, for instance, a locking screw which extends essentially horizontally in the longitudinal direction of the bracket and is screwed into a threaded hole in the retaining sleeve, which as the locking screw is being tightened is pulled tight against the rail. Both brackets and rails can be made of hard wood, but may equally well be made of, for example, plastic or metal or combinations of different materials.

The tightening means can be adapted to press against the rail when tightened, thus causing the gripping means to be fixedly attached to the bracket. The drawback of this embodiment, however, is that the bracket is pushed away from the rail when the locking screw is tightened, which may cause a visible gap to appear vis-a-vis the rail at the inner end of the bracket. Preferably, the tightening screw is adapted to pull the retaining sleeve in a direction towards the bracket, the inwardly turned edges of the retaining sleeve being adapted to press against the part that is surrounded by the retaining sleeve. This means that the tightening means applies between the bracket and the gripping means a force that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rail. Preferably, the tightening means is positioned in the bracket perpendicularly to the rail at a distance from the symmetry axis of the gripping means (4) as seen in the longitudinal direction of the rail. This causes the bracket to bear against the rail and to be held against it by frictional forces. In this embodiment, the formation of a visible gap vis-avis the rail at the inner end of the bracket can be easily avoided.

Advantageously, the gripping means has a cross-section corresponding to the cross-section of the part of the rail that is surrounded by the sleeve. The part of the rail that is surrounded by the sleeve advantageously has a rectangular shape and presents at its base grooves in which the inwardly turned edges of the sleeve run when mounted. To ensure that the bracket can be attached horizontally, it is provided with supporting shoulders against the rail at the upper and lower edge, respectively, of the recess. The solution of having a gripping means that encloses a rectangular part of the cross-section of the rail is particularly advantageous in the case where at least the rail is made of wood. In this case, the projecting part of the rail's cross-section will have the strength required to withstand the load of the retaining sleeve during tightening.

Further features and details regarding the invention will be apparent from the following description of the drawings and from the claims.

Description of the Drawings

The invention will be described below in the form of an embodiment in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a shelf system according to the invention comprising two rails that support brackets, which brackets are arranged in pairs to support shelves.

Fig. 2 illustrates a bracket that forms part of the shelf system shown in Fig. 1 as viewed from the side.

Fig. 3 illustrates the bracket shown in Fig. 2 as viewed from above. Fig. 4 illustrates a short side of a rail of the shelf system shown in

Fig. 1 as viewed from above.

Fig. 5 illustrates a gripping means arranged in each bracket as viewed at an angle.

Fig. 6 illustrates the gripping means shown in Fig. 5 as viewed from above.

The shelf system shown in Fig. 1 comprises two vertically disposed rails 1 , which support brackets 2, which are arranged to support shelves 3. Each bracket is displaceable along the rail 1 and can be locked at a desired

height along said rail. In the present example, both the rails 1 and the brackets 2 are made of wood, but they may also be made of, for example, plastic or metal or combinations of materials. Each bracket 2 has an inner end 2.1 , which is oriented towards the rail 1 , and which has a recess 2.2 that extends vertically through the inner end of the bracket 2.

A retaining sleeve 4 acting as a gripping means and having a U- shaped cross-section is provided in the recess 2.2, its open portion being oriented towards the rail 1 and surrounding a rectangular part 1.1 of the rail's cross-section when mounted. The recess 2.2 holds the entire gripping means 4 and surrounds it on all sides, except in the open portion of the recess. In other words, the gripping means 4 is recessed in the bracket in a portion oriented towards the rail and does not extend beyond the bracket 2 to any substantial degree. Preferably, the gripping means 4 is completely incorporated within the outer delimiting area of the bracket 2. According to a preferred embodiment, the gripping means 4 is also visually completely hidden from the outside of the bracket 2. This results in the locking sleeve 4 being hidden when arranged on the rail 1. The locking sleeve 4 has gripping portions 4.1 which may, for example, consist of inwardly turned edges 4.1 that are provided in its open portion facing the rail 1 , said edges 4.1 engaging in grooves 1.2 provided at the inner edge of the rectangular part 1.1. of the rail's 1 cross-section. In addition, the rail has a contact surface 1.3 in the groove 1.2 which is intended for the gripping portion 4.1 of the locking sleeve 4. The locking sleeve 4 further has a threaded hole in the form of a welded-on nut 4.2 in the side located opposite its open side and, when mounted, at the very back of the recess 2.2 of the bracket 2.

A locking screw 5 acting as a tightening means extends through a horizontal hole 2.3 in the bracket 2 and is provided with a head 5.1 which, when the screw 5 is tightened, bears against a seat surrounding the hole 2.3. The locking screw 5 is screwed into the nut 4.2 and, before being tightened, only extends through the nut 4.2 and the inner wall of the sleeve 4 to allow a horizontal movement of the sleeve 4, i.e. the tightening means 5 applies a force between the bracket 2 and the gripping means 4 that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rail 1 in order to tighten a gripping surface of

the gripping means 5 against the contact surface 1.3. The tightening means is positioned in the bracket perpendicularly to the rail at a distance from the symmetry axis of the gripping means 4 as seen in the longitudinal direction of the rail. The threaded hole and the locking screw are not limited to being a threaded hole or a locking screw. The may consist of any known type of fastening device, as long as the same function is retained. If it is a threaded hole, then it is not limited to a welded-on nut. The threaded hole may, for instance, be formed directly in the locking sleeve 4 or may be a nut that has been pressed tight into the locking sleeve. An embodiment of this kind has the advantage of providing a system that is vertically adjusted and tightened by means of a single locking screw.

During mounting, the assembled bracket 2 comprising the essentially embedded locking sleeve 4 and the locking screw 5 is moved along the rail 1 , the inwardly turned edges 4.1 of the sleeve 4 engaging in the grooves 1.2 in the rail 1 , to the desired height, following which the locking screw 5 is tightened. In this context, the sleeve 4 is pulled horizontally into the recess 2.2 of the bracket 2 until the inwardly turned edges 4.1 of the sleeve 4 are pressed against the edges in the groove 1.2 of the rail 1. At the same time, the bracket 2 is brought into abutment against the rail via two supporting shoulders 2.4 provided at the upper and lower edge, respectively, of the recess 2.2, and attached to the rail 1 by frictional forces acting upon it, both between the bracket 2 as such and between the sleeve 4 and the rail 1.