The present invention relates to a visible and adjustable hanging-bracket group for anchoring a wall cupboard to a wall, with perfected fixing means to the shoulder of the same wall cupboard.

In particular, the hanging bracket, object of the invention, is of the "visible" type i.e. destined to be assembled inside a wall cupboard.

Wall cupboards in which a hook is formed at the free end of an arm extending outwardly from a body or bearing structure made of plastic material, or metal, are known to skilled persons in the field.

This box-shaped contains a mechanism for regulating the positions in depth and inclination (height) of said arm provided with a hook which is destined for being hooked to a wall support, shaped metal section, dowel, or the like.

The hanging bracket thus structured is fixed to the shoulder of the wall cupboard by fixing means such as self-tapping screws, or plastic plugs yieldable with pressure, having a sawtooth profile, in correspondence with the upper edges of the cupboard, defined by the shoulder, the lining and the top. The screws are pass-through, i.e. they pass through the box-shaped body, and are screwed directly into the shoulder of the cupboard, whereas the plugs extend integrally laterally from the plastic box-shaped body and are pressure-inserted in a corresponding seat of the shoulder.

A hanging bracket of the above type is described and illustrated, for example, in patents EP 0033179 Bl and EP 0632979 Al .

There are other types of hanging brackets that basically differ in the structure carrying the protruding arm provided with a hook, in the supports with which they are fixed to the wall cupboards, and also the means whereby the positions in depth and height (inclination) of the rear hook can be adjusted.

These hanging brackets, as disclosed in patent EP 1228720 Bl, for example, generally currently consist of a plate-element provided with a side flange which, in the assembly phase, is generally fixed by means of screws or expansion dowels inside holes provided on the shoulder of the wall cupboard.

As previously indicated and described in EP 0632979 Al and EP 1228720 Bl, the above known hanging brackets comprise a rear hook, protruding from a possible rear wall or lining of said wall cupboard, for hooking the wall cupboard to a support fixed on the wall, said hook being controlled by screw-and-nut mechanisms capable of allowing its position to be regulated, and consequently the position of the wall cupboard with respect to said support fixed to the wall.

Although these known hanging brackets are at present functional and correspond to the standards existing in the field of security of suspended furniture, in view of the current tendency to reduce the thicknesses of the panels forming the wall cupboards and increasing diffusion of this type of furniture, which is often also excessively loaded, it may unfortunately happen that this furniture/hanging bracket coupling is not always effective, long-lasting and above all safe.

As the very stability of the wall cupboard is based on this constraint, unfortunately there may often be breakages of the hanging bracket itself and/or detachments of the hanging bracket from the wall cupboard, causing the wall cupboard to fall, due to the shear forces acting in the hanging bracket/cupboard coupling that are generated when the cupboard is loaded .

WO 2014/072026 relates to a visible and adjustable hanging-bracket group for anchoring a wall cupboard to a wall, according to the preamble of claim 1.

WO 2010/012503 and EP 2596720A1 relate to a visible and adjustable hanging-bracket group for anchoring a wall cupboard to a wall, provided with a pair of flanges positioned on opposite sides with respect to the two adjustments of the hanging-bracket group.

A general objective of the present invention is to solve the drawbacks of the known art indicated above in an extremely simple, economical and particularly functional manner.

A further objective of the present invention is to provide a visible and adjustable hanging-bracket group for anchoring a wall cupboard to a wall, which guarantees an easy and firm assembly on any type of wall cupboard.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a visible and adjustable hanging-bracket group for anchoring a wall cupboard to a wall, which is capable of resisting high shear forces that can be generated in the cupboard/hanging-bracket coupling once the same cupboard has been loaded.

In view of the above objectives, according to the present invention, a visible and adjustable hanging- bracket group for anchoring a wall cupboard to a wall has been conceived, having the characteristics specified in the main claim and enclosed sub-claims.

The structural and functional characteristics of the present invention and its advantages with respect to the known art will appear more evident from the following description, referring to the enclosed drawings, which show an embodiment example of the same invention .

In the drawings:

figure 1 is a perspective view of a hanging- bracket group in the assembly phase on the relative wall cupboard, according to the known art;

figure 2 is a perspective view of the hanging- bracket group of figure 1 in the fixing phase on the relative wall cupboard by means of pass-through screws;

- figures 3 and 4 are respectively two views, a side view and a partial vertical sectional view according to the line III-III, of a hanging bracket fixed to the shoulder of the cupboard by means of a pair of pass-through screws, according to the known art;

figure 5 is a plan view of the hanging-bracket group of figure 3 taken according to the arrow A;

figures 6 and 7 are two perspective views of the hanging bracket according to the known art;

- figure 8 is a perspective view of a hanging- bracket group according to the present invention in the assembly phase on the relative wall cupboard, ;

figure 9 is a perspective view of the hanging- bracket group of figure 8 in the fixing phase on the relative wall cupboard, according to the present invention ;

figures 10 and 11 are respectively two views, a side view and a partial vertical sectional view according to the line XI-XI, with an enlarged detail in figure 11a, of a hanging bracket, according to the present invention, assembled on the shoulder of the cupboard;

figure 12 is a plan view of the hanging- bracket group of figure 10 taken according to the arrow A;

figures 13 and 14 are two perspective views of the hanging bracket, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

figures 15, 16 and 17 are three perspective views of the hanging bracket, according to a further embodiment of the present invention.

With reference to the drawings, a visible and adjustable hanging-bracket group for anchoring a wall cupboard to a wall in question, is indicated as a whole with 10. Said hanging-bracket group 10 comprises a structure 16 carrying a protruding arm 14 equipped with a hook 15 suitable for being hooked to a support 50 fixed to said wall, a first and a second regulation mechanism 17, 17' of the position in depth and inclination, respectively, of said protruding arm 14, and at least one flange 18 which extends from said bearing structure 16 for fixing said hanging bracket 10 to a shoulder 12 of said wall cupboard 11, at least one hole for the passage of fixing means 19 of said hanging bracket 10 to said shoulder 12 being provided in said at least one flange 18.

As illustrated in the figures, said flange 18 is a side flange.

Said at least one flange 18 extends below and above said bearing structure 16.

As illustrated, said structure 16 carrying a protruding arm 14 provided with a hook 15 can consist of a box-shaped body (figures 15-17) or a plate (figures 13 and 14) .

The assembly phase with the couplings of the hanging bracket 10, for example, by means of screws 19 that can be screwed into the side wall or shoulder 12 of the cupboard 11, is shown in figures 1,2 (known art) and 8,9 (invention), whereas in figures 3 (known art) and 10 (invention) , the same hanging brackets 10 can be seen, after assembly, with the hook 15 protruding to the rear, said hook 15 can be provided protruding from a hole formed on a possible rear wall or lining, not illustrated, of the same wall cupboard 11.

The hanging brackets of the type described above are then fixed to the shoulder 12 of the wall cupboard 11 (according to the known art) by inserting the fixing means 19 inside respective seats in the shoulder 12, i.e. using, for example, a pair of self-tapping screws, as shown in figures 1 and 2, or a pair of yieldable sawtooth-shaped plugs (not shown) pressure-inserted in a respective seat of the shoulder 12 of the cupboard 11.

Said fixing means 19 alone, however, are not capable of ensuring the stable and safe fixing of the hanging-bracket group 10 to the shoulder 12 of the cupboard 11, with time: a system of vertical forces is in fact created, which the wall cupboard 11, as schematized for example in figure 4, discharges on the hanging bracket 10.

As illustrated in figure 3, in fact, when the wall cupboard 11 is hung to the wall, the weight of the same generates a force on the hanging bracket that tends to rotate the hanging bracket 10: the screw 19 ¹ acts as a fulcrum, whereas the second screw 19 ¹¹ is subjected to considerable stress and the material of which the shoulder 12 is produced is subjected to a greater force than that which can be sustained, with the consequent deformation of the insertion seats of the screws 19 and yielding of the anchoring point (figure 4) . The yielding causes the rotation of the hanging bracket 10 around the screw 19 ¹ with the consequent risk of disengaging the wall cupboard 11 from the supporting element 50 fixed to the wall.

According to the invention, said at least one flange 18 also comprises at least one element 20 resistant to shear stress, which is generated when the hanging bracket 10 is assembled and when the wall cupboard 11 is loaded, protruding from said at least one flange 18 towards said shoulder 12 of said wall cupboard 11, said at least one element 20 resistant to shear stress collaborating with one or more fixing means 19, for a stable positioning of said hanging bracket 10 on said shoulder 12 of said wall cupboard 11.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, said hanging bracket 10 comprises at least two elements 20 resistant to shear stress that collaborate with at least two fixing means 19. The elements 20 resistant to shear stress, in addition to the fixing means 19, keep the hanging bracket firmly anchored to the shoulder 12 of the cupboard, in the correct position selected in the assembly phase (figure 8), with the consequent stable and safe fixing of the wall cupboard to the wall, as illustrated in figure 9.

According to the invention, in fact, wherein the hanging bracket 10 is fixed to the shoulder of the cupboard with a combination of fixing means 19 and elements 20 resistant to shear stress, there is a different system of forces that eliminates the rotation of the hanging bracket 10, as described above, thanks to the resistance offered by the elements 20 protruding from the flange 18, for example bushings, and inserted in the shoulder 12 of the cupboard. Figure 11a illustrates the resistance to shear stress offered by the bushings 20: said bushings 20, by collaborating with the fixing means 19, for example screws, guarantee a stable positioning of the hanging bracket 10 on the shoulder 12 of the wall cupboard 11, in any case preventing misalignment of the hanging bracket 10 with respect to the cupboard 11.

According to the embodiment shown in the figures, said one or more fixing means 19 are coupled with said at least one flange 18, through the respective one or more holes 44, in different positions with respect to said at least one element 20 resistant to shear stress.

According to the present invention, the alternation of an element resistant to shear stress 20 with a hole 44 for the passage of the respective fixing means 19, is provided along said at least one flange 18.

At least one pair, comprising an element 20 resistant to shear stress and a hole 44 for the passage of the respective fixing means 19, is provided in correspondence with each of the ends of said at least one flange 18 (figure 10) .

In an embodiment, said at least one element 20 resistant to shear stress and said at least one fixing means 19 are aligned with each other, the axes X of said at least one fixing means 19 and said at least one element resistant to shear stress 20, being parallel to each other and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 18 ¹ of said at least one flange 18 (figures 11 and 13) .

It can be provided that said at least one element resistant to shear stress 20 and/or said at least one fixing means 19 are not aligned with each other but are positioned offset with respect to each other, or with respect to the others, on said at least one flange 18.

It can be provided, for example, that the elements resistant to shear stress 20 are positioned offset with respect to the fixing means 19, or that both the elements resistant to shear stress 20 and the fixing means 19 are not aligned with respect to each other.

The elements resistant to shear stress 20 can be plug elements or, as illustrated in the figures, bushings, protruding from said at least one flange 18 whose plugs or bushings are coupled, not necessarily forcibly, with respective holes 41 formed in the shoulder 12 of the wall cupboard 11.

The elements resistant to shear stress 20 can be formed directly on the flange 18 during the production of the metallic hanging bracket 10.

In an alternative embodiment, they can be produced separately and subsequently welded onto the flange 18.

As illustrated in an embodiment, the elements 20 are bushings or cylindrical plugs, having a circular section .

The smooth side surface of the bushing or plug ensures that the latter is not subject to tensile stress in the extraction direction.

In an alternative embodiment, not illustrated, in relation to the type of cupboard with which the hanging bracket 10 is to be coupled and the estimate of loads imposed, they can be hollow cylindrical plugs having a non-circular continuous section but with an arc circumference .

The fixing means 19 can comprise at least one fixing screw 19 of said at least one flange 18 to the shoulder 12 of the wall cupboard 11.

Said at least one fixing screw 19 is preferably coupled with the relative flange 18 in a different position, with respect to the at least one element 20, through relative holes 44; alternatively or in combination therewith, the above screws 19 can be coupled with the flange 18 inside the bushing elements 20.

According to another embodiment, not illustrated, the hanging-bracket group 10 can comprise, as fixing means 19, at least one expansion dowel provided with engagement teeth and activated by means of screws, which, as for the screws 19 described above, provide for fixing the flange 18 to the shoulder 12 of the wall cupboard 11.

Said at least one dowel can be coupled with the relative flange 18 in a different position with respect to the at least one element 20; alternatively or in combination therewith, the above dowels can be coupled with the flange 18 coaxially to at least one element 20. Finally, according to an embodiment, not illustrated, the fixing means 19 can comprise at least one expansion dowel activated by means of cursors with shaped heads which, as for the previously mentioned dowels, provide for fixing the flange 18 to the shoulder 12 of the wall cupboard 11.

These dowels 21 can also be coupled with the flange 18 in a different position or coaxially to the at least one element 20.

According to a preferred embodiment, the hanging- bracket group 10 comprises a pair of holes 44 for the passage of said screws 19 and a pair of bushings 20 formed in one piece from said metallic flange 18, said holes 44 and said bushings 20 alternating with each other along an axis 18 ¹ parallel to the free edge 18 ¹¹ of said at least one flange 18.

According to a variant of the present invention, not illustrated, the hanging-bracket group 10 alternatively to or in combination with at least one hole 44 for the passage of one or more fixing means 19, provides a plug, a dowel or the like, protruding from said at least one flange 18 towards the shoulder 12 of the wall cupboard 11 and suitable for being inserted in corresponding holes provided on said shoulder 12 for fixing said hanging bracket 10 to the shoulder 12 of the wall cupboard 11.

With reference to the regulation mechanisms 17 and 17 ¹ respectively of the position in depth C and inclination B of said arm 14, protruding from said bearing structure 16, and provided with a hook 15, according to an embodiment illustrated in figures 13 and 14, said first and second regulation mechanisms 17 and 17 ¹ comprise two screw-and-nut mechanisms wherein the head of a first regulation screw 30 is stably housed in a counter-profile 30 ¹ formed in said bearing structure 16, said first regulation screw 30 being longitudinally associated with an internal threaded seat of said protruding arm 14 at an end 15 ¹ opposite to said hook 15, for the longitudinal movement of said protruding arm 14, a second regulation screw 31 associated with said bearing structure 16 being provided, in a parallel and upper position with respect to said first regulation screw 30, said second regulation screw 31 acting on a movable curved lunette 33 to impart a rotation to said protruding arm 14, for example around a riveted pin, said first and second regulation mechanisms 17, 17' being associated with and accessible to said bearing structure 16 from the front.

In the embodiment illustrated in figures 13 and 14, the supporting structure 16 is produced in the form of a plate.

In a second embodiment of the regulation mechanisms 17 and ll ¹ , illustrated in figures 15, 16 and 17, said first and second regulation mechanisms 17, 17' of the position in depth and inclination of said arm 14 protruding from said bearing structure 16 comprise two screw-and-nut mechanisms, wherein the position of the protruding arm 14 with respect to the bearing structure 16 is regulated in depth by means of a screw 34 which is screwed onto a lead screw of the protruding arm 14 and is axially constrained to said bearing structure 16, said screw being maneuvered by means of a head protruding from a first slit 35 provided on said bearing structure 16, whereas the inclination position of the protruding arm 14 with respect to the bearing structure 16 is regulated by means of a second screw 36 which is screwed onto a seat of the protruding arm 14 and is anchored, by means of a head, to a second slit 37 provided on the bearing structure 16, said first and second regulation mechanisms 17, 17 ¹ being associated with and accessible to said bearing structure 16, from the front and below.

In the embodiment illustrated in figures 15-17, the bearing structure 16 consists of a box-shaped body from which said arm 14 at least partially protrudes at the rear, the head of the regulation screws 34 and 36 protruding from the front and lower wall of said box- shaped body.

The kinematic regulation mechanisms of the depth and inclination described above are provided for purely illustrative and non-limiting purposes and can differ.

From what is described above, and with reference to the figures, it appears evident how a visible and adjustable hanging-bracket group for anchoring a wall cupboard to a wall is particularly useful and advantageous. The objective mentioned in the preamble of the description has therefore been achieved.

The visible and adjustable hanging bracket 10 for anchoring a wall cupboard to a wall according to the present invention, in fact, guarantees an easy and stable assembly on any type of wall cupboard, preventing any possible misalignment of the hanging bracket itself 10 with respect to the relative cupboard also when the cupboard is loaded.

This stable positioning is achieved thanks to the presence of elements 20 resistant to shear stress protruding from said at least one flange 18 towards the shoulder 12 of the wall cupboard 11, wherein said elements 20 resistant to shear stress collaborate with the fixing means 19 for guaranteeing a stable positioning of the hanging-bracket group 10 on the shoulder 12 of the wall cupboard 11.

The forms of the visible hanging-bracket group for anchoring a wall cupboard to a wall according to the invention, as also the materials, can naturally differ from those shown for purely illustrative and non- limiting purposes in the drawings.

The protection scope of the invention is therefore defined by the enclosed claims.