Technological background Fitting systems of the type defined above are used, for example, in the commercial field, for the display of goods and articles, and typically comprise a female coupling element mounted on the wall or panel and a support element provided with a male coupling which can be fitted releasably in the female coupling element in order to project like a bracket from a visible face of the wall or panel.

In this field, there are known female coupling elements comprising various components which are assembled when the elements are mounted on the wall or panel. For example, each element may have a main body which can be fitted in a hole provided in the wall or panel, an outer counter-flange for the fixing of the main body to the wall or panel, and an inner plate for the abutment of the support element when it is fitted in the main body.

All of these components are fixed together and/or to the wall or panel, for example, by means of screws.

However, the above-described fitting system has many disadvantages, amongst which is the fact that its mounting on the wall or panel is quite complex due to the need to assemble the various components of the female coupling element.

A second disadvantage encountered in fitting systems of this type is that some of the components may be lost during mounting.

A further limitation relating to the prior art mentioned is that the production of the female coupling element is quite complex since all of its various components have to be processed separately.

Description of the invention The problem underlying the present invention is that of providing a fitting system which is designed structurally and functionally to overcome the limitations set out above with reference to the prior art mentioned.

Within the scope of this problem, moreover, the main aim of the invention is to provide a low-cost fitting system which is easy to produce.

A further aim of the invention is to provide a fitting system having locating means which ensure that the support element is fitted in the female coupling element in accordance with a predefined condition of angular alignment.

This problem is solved and these aims are achieved by the present invention, by means of a fitting system formed in accordance with the appended claims.

Short description of the drawings The characteristics and the advantages of the invention will become clearer from the detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, described by way of non- limiting example with reference to the appended drawings, in which: -Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a panel equipped with a fitting system formed in accordance with the present invention, -Figure 2 is a side view showing a portion of the panel of Figure 1, in section and on an enlarged scale,

-Figure 3 is a front view showing a female coupling element of the fitting system used in the panel of Figure 1, on an enlarged scale, -Figure 4 is a view sectioned in the plane IV-IV of Figure 3, -Figures 5 and 6 are a front view and a partially-sectioned side view, respectively, of a support element of the fitting used in the panel of Figure 1.

Preferred embodiment of the invention In the drawings, a fitting, formed in accordance with the present invention, for a panel 2, is generally indicated 1.

The fitting 1 comprises a female coupling element 3 and a respective support element 4 which are coupled with one another releasably.

In the coupled condition shown in Figures 1 and 2, each support element 4 extends like a bracket from a visible face 2a of the panel 2 so that it can advantageously be used to support, for example, shelves 5 for the display of articles.

With explicit reference to the gravity acting on the support elements 4 projecting like brackets from the panel 2, a vertical axis Y and a horizontal plane X are operatively defined in the panel, which is provided with through-holes 2b, partially masked by horizontal projections 2c of the panel 2, the function of which will be explained further below. Each female coupling element 3 can be fitted in a respective hole 2b and comprises first and second mutually facing and opposed end portions 6 and 7 extending substantially parallel to the horizontal plane X.

Each female coupling element 3 is positioned in the respective hole 2b with a predefined angular positioning

relative to the vertical axis Y and, because of this predefined positioning, the first and second end portions 6, 7 are defined univocally as the upper end portion and the lower end portion, respectively.

The end portions 6 and 7 carry, at respective first ends 6a and 7a, respective first and second projections 8 and 9 which extend substantially vertically from each end portion towards the opposite end portion so as to define a first channel 10 and a second channel 11 in the end portions, respectively.

The first projection 8 extends from the first end portion 6 by a distance H1 greater than the corresponding distance H2 by which the second projection 9 extends from the second end portion 7 so that the first channel 10 is deeper than the opposed second channel 11.

A rear wall 12 extends transversely in respective central regions of the end portions 6 and 7 so as to define, as a whole, together with the end portions 6,7 and with their projections 8,9, a substantially quadrilateral coupling orifice 13 of the female coupling element 3.

It is pointed out that the rear wall 12 lies at an inclination to the vertical axis Y, diverging from the coupling orifice 13, starting from the second end portion 7, as far as the first end portion 6, so as to facilitate the engagement of the support element 4 in the female coupling element 3, as described further below.

At respective second ends 6b and 7b of the end portions 6,7 remote from their first ends 6a, 7a, respective flanges, indicated 14 and 15, respectively, extend reflectively symmetrically at right angles from the end portions 6,7, away from the coupling orifice 13.

The flanges 14,15 serve to abut the panel 2 when the female element 3 is fitted in the respective hole 2b and are also provided with holes 16 for the fixing of the female element 3 to the panel 2 by means of screws.

It should be noted that, by virtue of the above- described construction, each female coupling element 3 has a monolithic structure and can advantageously be formed by shearing from a profiled section.

The support element 4 comprises a cylindrical rod 17 of axis Z, a plate-shaped head 18 fixed to the rod 17, for example, by means of a screw 19, and upright radial pins 20 arranged along a common generatrix of the rod 17, to facilitate the optional support of a shelf 5.

The plate-shaped head 18 is substantially rectangular and is fixed to the rod 17 in an eccentric position relative to the axis Z. Opposed portions 18a, 18b which project to a greater extent and to a lesser extent relative to the rod 17, respectively, are thus defined in the plate-shaped head 18.

Moreover, the plate-shaped head 18 is fixed to the end of the rod 17 in a manner such that the portion 18a of greater extent is in angular alignment with the pins 20, that is, in other words, it is disposed on the extension of the generatrix of the rod 17 along which the upright pins 20 are arranged.

To mount the female coupling elements 3 on the panel 2, they are fitted in the respective holes 2b from the side remote from the visible face 2a until abutment of the flanges 14,15 against the panels 2 and of the projections 8, 9 of the female coupling element 3 against the horizontal projections 2c takes place almost simultaneously. The

projections 2c are advantageously of a size such as to mask the projections 8,9 of the female coupling element 3 so as to improve the aesthetic effect of the visible face 2a.

The female element 3 is secured to the panel 2 by means of screws fitted in the holes 16.

The female coupling elements 3 are fitted in the holes 2b of the panel 2 in a manner such that the first end portion 6 with its first channel 10 is positioned, with reference to the vertical axis Y, above the second end portion 7 and its second channel 11.

The support element 4 is coupled with the female coupling element 3 by the insertion of the plate-shaped head 18 in the coupling orifice 13.

The movement for the engagement of the two elements provides, first of all, for the insertion of the portion 18a of the plate-shaped head 18 in the first (deeper) channel 10. The sides of the plate-shaped head 18 which extend in the direction of the vertical axis Y (joining the portion 18a to the portion 18b) have dimensions greater than the distance between the projections 8 and 9, and the fitting of the portion 18a in the first channel 10 must therefore be performed with the rod 17 in an upwardly inclined position, relative to the horizontal plane X.

The rod 17 is then pivoted downwards so that the entire plate-shaped head 18 is fitted in the coupling orifice 13 until it abuts the rear wall 12, after which the plate- shaped head 18 is translated, sliding along the rear wall 12, until the portion 18b is housed and in abutment in the second channel 11. The rod 17 is then pivoted further downwards so that the portion 18a of the plate-shaped head

18 is at least partially in abutment with a surface 8a of the first projection 8 facing the rear wall 12.

The distance A, measured along the horizontal plane X, between the surface 8a and the rear wall 12 at the point at which it joins the second end portion 7 is substantially equal to the thickness S of the plate-shaped head 18 so that, once the support element 4 is coupled with the female coupling element 3, the rod 17 projects like a bracket from the visible face 2a, substantially perpendicular thereto.

It should be noted that, once the above-described coupling operations are completed, disengagement of the support element 4 by axial translation is prevented by the interference of the plate-shaped head 18 with the projections 8 and 9, and its disengagement by pivoting downwards, for example, owing to a load bearing on it, is prevented by the interference of the plate-shaped head 18 with the first projection 8 and the rear wall 12.

In order to disconnect the support element 4 from the female coupling element 3, the above-described operations must be performed in reverse.

It should be noted that, by virtue of the greater depth of the first channel 10 in comparison with the second channel 11, the support element 4 can be fitted in the coupling orifice 13 only if the portion 18a of the plate- shaped head 18 which projects to a greater extent is presented upwards in angular alignment with the first channel 10. Since the pins 20 are aligned angularly with the portion 18a, they thus necessarily extend in the direction of the vertical axis Y, to support an optional shelf 5. By virtue of its eccentric mounting relative to the head of the rod 17, the plate-shaped head 18, in

association with the channels 10,11, thus constitutes locating means for the coupling of the support element 4 in the female coupling element 3 in accordance with a predefined condition of angular alignment.

The present invention thus solves the problem discussed above with reference to the prior art mentioned, at the same time offering many advantages, amongst which is the ability to produce the female coupling element directly by shearing from profiled section, consequently limiting the associated production costs.

A second advantage is the facilitated mounting of the female coupling element on the wall or panel since operations for the assembly of several components are not required.

A further advantage offered by the fitting system of the present invention is that the correct angular alignment of the support element is ensured when it is coupled with the female coupling element.