NZ616378B - Adjustable shelf support - Google Patents

Abstract

616378 An adjustable shelf support system that uses a support (10) in combination with an apertured rail (11) is disclosed. The rail includes two parallel edges and a portion between said edges which is formed with a series of spaced apertures (12). The support includes a body portion having at least two engaging brackets (17) adapted to engage over opposite sides of the rail, a support ledge (23) adapted to support a shelf and a spring (31) formed of stiff but resilient material. One end of the spring is anchored to the body portion and the other end associated with a locking lug for releasable engagement with an aperture on the rail. The support may be joined with the rail at any point on the rail; not limited to being threaded on from an end. The support may be disengaged from the rail to move it up or down by lifting a tab (32) to move the locking lug out of the currently engaged aperture, sliding the support up or down the rail then releasing the tap to allow engagement again. st two engaging brackets (17) adapted to engage over opposite sides of the rail, a support ledge (23) adapted to support a shelf and a spring (31) formed of stiff but resilient material. One end of the spring is anchored to the body portion and the other end associated with a locking lug for releasable engagement with an aperture on the rail. The support may be joined with the rail at any point on the rail; not limited to being threaded on from an end. The support may be disengaged from the rail to move it up or down by lifting a tab (32) to move the locking lug out of the currently engaged aperture, sliding the support up or down the rail then releasing the tap to allow engagement again.

Description

TITLE: ADJUSTABLE SHELF SUPPORT Technical Field The present invention relates to an adjustable shelf support, for supporting shelves which are required to be readily adjustable in height. The shelf support of the present invention was designed specifically for supporting shelves in refrigerators and freezers, and will therefore be described with particular reference to that application.

However, it will be appreciated that the shelf support could also be used in cupboards or as a support for wall mounted shelves.

Background Art An adjustable shelf support preferably should be easy to reposition, but hold the shelf very securely once it is in position. Further, an adjustable shelf support should remain securely in position, engaged with the corresponding shelf, while the unit containing the shelves is transported. In addition, since it is not uncommon for shelf supports to be damaged, it is advantageous if the support can be easily replaced in use. If the shelf support is intended for use in a refrigerator or freezer, then it also is desirable if the support can be easily cleaned.

There have been many attempts to fulfil all of the above objectives, but to date, although a number of the available shelf supports fulfil the requirement of providing a strong and secure shelf support, many of the designs are not easy to reposition, particularly if the shelf being supported is under load. Further, many of the currently available shelf supports are very easy to dislodge when there is no load on the shelf, and therefore tend to become disengaged when the unit is being transported.

NZ patent 590694 discloses an adjustable shelf bracket which is designed to overcome the above described drawbacks, and which does indeed solve many of the above problems, but with the drawback of being comparatively expensive to manufacture. A further drawback of this design is that the bracket cannot be replaced in position:- the bracket has to be slid over the supporting rail from the top or the bottom of the rail, and thus if it is necessary to replace a bracket in the middle of the rail, all of the brackets above or below have to be removed first.

Disclosure of Invention An object of the present invention is the provision of a shelf support for use in combination with an apertured shelf rail which overcomes at least some of the above described disadvantages.

The present invention provides an adjustable shelf support for use in combination with an apertured rail which includes two parallel edges and a portion between said edges which is formed with a series of spaced apertures; said support including a body portion having secured thereto: - at least two engaging brackets adapted to engage over opposite sides of the rail; - a support ledge adapted to support a shelf; - a spring formed of stiff but resilient material, one end of said spring being anchored to said body portion and the other end of said spring being associated with a locking lug for releasable engagement with an aperture on said rail; wherein said at least two engaging brackets comprise a first engaging bracket secured to one side of said body portion and a second engaging bracket secured to the opposite side of said body portion, said first and second engaging brackets being offset such that one of said brackets is adjacent the part of the shelf support which is uppermost in use and the other of said brackets is adjacent the part of the shelf support which is lowermost in use.

Preferably, said one end of said spring is anchored to said body portion by being secured to said support ledge.

In one embodiment of the invention, said spring incorporates a U cross-sectional portion adjacent said one end thereof. In another embodiment of the invention, said spring comprises a substantially flat plate, the plane of which is inclined at an acute angle to the plane of the body portion.

Preferably, said other end of said spring also provides a tab associated with said locking lug such that manual movement of said tab can be used to release said locking lug from engagement with an aperture on said rail.

Preferably, said body portion, engaging brackets, support ledge, spring and lever arm all are formed integrally.

Brief Description of Drawings By way of example only, preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is an isometric view of a shelf support in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention engaged with an apertured support rail, viewed from the front; Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, but viewed from the rear; Figure 3 is an isometric view of the shelf support from the front; Figure 4 is an isometric view of the shelf support from the rear; Figure 5 is a front view of the shelf support of the present invention, engaged with a rail; Figure 6 is a longitudinal section on line A – A of Figure 5; Figure 7 is an isometric view of a shelf support in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention, engaged with an apertured support rail and viewed from the front; Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7, but viewed from the rear; Figure 9 is an isometric view of the shelf support of Figure 7 from the front; Figure 10 is a longitudinal section on line A – A of Figure 9; and Figure 11 is an enlarged detail of Figure 9.

Best Mode for Carrying out the Invention The support rail 11 is designed to be secured to the wall of the unit in which the shelf is to be positioned e.g. a refrigerator or freezer. A separate pair of rails is required to support each side of a shelf, and a spaced pair of rails 11 typically would be secured up the full length of each of two opposed walls of the refrigerator or freezer, extending vertically up the walls. Additional rails could of course be used on a wall if very heavy shelf loading was required.

Each support rail 11 consists of an elongated strip with parallel edges 11b. Each support rail 11 is formed with a series of apertures 12, spaced along the length of the rail; the apertures 12 may be equidistantly spaced, or may be grouped to provide shelf support at predetermined positions. Each rail 11 also is formed with apertures 13 at intervals along its length, to receive screws or similar fasteners for securing the rail 11 to the supporting wall. The side of the rail which in use lies adjacent the wall is formed with a pair of spaced, parallel, longitudinally extending ledges 14, which contact the surface of the wall when the rail is secured in position on the wall.

The ledges 14 space the rear surface 15 of the rail away from the wall by a distance greater than the thickness T of each engaging bracket 17/52/53 of the shelf support /50, so that the shelf support 10/50 can slide freely along the rail 11 when required.

A groove 11a is formed adjacent each edge of the rail 11, on the surface of the rail carrying the ledges 14.

A shelf (not shown) normally would be supported by at least four shelf supports, with two supports at each side of the shelf, one adjacent the front of the shelf, the other adjacent the rear of the shelf. Additional shelf support could be used if the shelf loading required it; this additional support may be along the sides and/or the back of the shelf.

Referring to Figures 1-6 of the drawings, a shelf support 10 in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention is depicted (in all of the Figures 1-6 except Figures 3 and 4) in use, engaged with the support rail 11.

Each shelf support 10 includes a body portion 20 which is formed integrally with the two engaging brackets 17, one of which is formed on one side of the body portion adjacent the top of the body portion, and the other of which is formed on the opposite side of the body portion, adjacent the bottom of the body portion. Each engaging bracket 17 is essentially an L cross-section bracket, the width of the aperture “a” (see Figure 3) being such that each bracket 17 is a sliding fit over the corresponding side edge of the rail 11.

It would be possible to form each engaging bracket 17 to extend the full length of each side of the body portion, and this would not impede the normal function of the support.

However, forming the engaging brackets 17 diagonally opposite each other as shown (e.g. in Figure 4), means that it is not necessary to engage each shelf support with the corresponding rail from the top or bottom of the rail, but allows each support to be twisted into engagement with the rail at any point along the length of the rail. It will be appreciated that this is a significant advantage if it is necessary to replace a damaged or missing shelf support for a shelf other than the top or bottom shelf.

The inner surface 17a of each bracket 17 is formed with a ridge 17b (Figure 3 only) which extends down the length of the bracket and is dimensioned to engage the corresponding groove 11a formed adjacent the corresponding edge of the rail 11. The engagement between each groove 11a and the corresponding ridge 17b is sufficient to prevent accidental disengagement of the shelf support 10 from the rail 11, but not sufficient to prevent the shelf support being detached from the rail by a firm twisting motion.

At the top of the body portion 20 (i.e. the end of the body portion which is uppermost in use) a shelf support ledge 23 is formed integrally with the body portion 20; the plane of the ledge 23 is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the body portion 20. The support ledge 23 provides a substantially flat portion with a shelf stop 24 projecting upwards, in a plane parallel to, but displaced from, the plane of the body portion 20.

The shelf stop 24 is sized to engage with a corresponding aperture formed in the shelf (not shown) when the edge of the shelf is supported by the support ledge 23.

The support ledge 23 is reinforced by a pair of spaced flanges 25, one of which extends from each side of the ledge 23 to the body portion 20. Each flange 25 is formed with an aperture 26, through which a removable tie can be inserted if desired, to prevent repositioning of the shelf support and/or to secure the shelf to the bracket.

As shown most clearly in Figure 6, one limb of a U-shaped spring 30 is formed integrally with the end of the support ledge 23 furthest from the shelf stop 24. The other limb of the spring 30 is bent through approximately 90° to form a lever arm 31, the lower end of which terminates in a tab 32, the plane of which extends at an angle of about 45° to the plane of the arm 31. A locking lug 33, which is dimensioned to be a sliding fit in the apertures 12 of the rail 11 is formed at the junction between the arm 31 and the tab 32, on the side of the arm 31 opposite to the tab 32.

A second embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figures 7–12. This shelf support is used with the same design of support rail 11, and the same reference numerals are used to designate the various features of the support rail.

The shelf support 50 includes a body portion 51 which is formed integrally with the two engaging brackets 52,53. The engaging bracket 52 is formed on one side of the body portion 51 adjacent the top of the body portion, and the other engaging bracket 53 is formed on the opposite side of the body portion 51, adjacent the bottom of the body portion. Each engaging bracket 52,53 is essentially an L cross-section bracket, the width of the aperture “a” (see Figure 10) being such that each bracket 52,53 is a sliding fit over the corresponding edge of the rail 11.

As with the first embodiment, it would be possible to form each engaging bracket 52,53 to extend the full length of each side of the body portion, but forming the engaging brackets to extend only part of the length of each side, and offset from each other so that they are diagonally opposed, means that it is not necessary to engage each shelf support with the corresponding rail from the top or bottom of the rail, but allows each support to be twisted into engagement with the rail at any point along the length of the rail.

As shown in Figure 11, the inner surface of each bracket 52,53 is formed with a ridge 70 which extends down the length of the bracket and is dimensioned to engage with the corresponding groove 11a formed adjacent the corresponding edge of the rail 11.

The engagement between each groove 11a and the corresponding ridge 70 is sufficient to prevent accidental disengagement of the shelf support 50 from the rail 11, but not sufficient to prevent the shelf support being detached from the rail by a firm twisting motion.

At the top of the body portion 51, (i.e. the end of the body portion which is uppermost in use) a shelf support ledge 54 is formed integrally with the body portion; the plane of the ledge 54 is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the rail 11 when the support is in use. The support ledge 54 provides a substantially flat portion with a shelf stop 55 projecting upwards from the side of the support ledge 54 which is furthest from the rail 11 in use. The shelf stop 55 is sized to engage with a corresponding aperture formed in the shelf (not shown) when the edge of the shelf is supported by the support ledge 23, to help to prevent accidental disengagement.

The support ledge 54 is supported and reinforced by a pair of spaced flanges 56, one of which extends from each side of the ledge 54 to the body portion 51.

At the base of each flange 56 each side wall of the body portion is formed with an aperture 57, through which a removable tie can be inserted if desired, to prevent repositioning of the shelf support and/or to secure the shelf to the bracket.

As shown most clearly in Figure 10, a spring 60 is located beneath the shelf support ledge 54:– one end 61 of the spring is formed integrally with the underside of the support ledge 54, and the other end 62 of the spring is formed integrally with a tab 63, the plane of which extends at an acute angle to the plane of the rail 11. The junction between the end 62 of the spring and the tab 63 is reinforced by a bracket 62a on one surface of the spring, and on the opposite surface of the spring, the spring is formed with a locking lug 65, which is dimensioned to be sliding fit in the aperture 12 of the rail The spring 60 is essentially an elongated plate, the resilience of which comes from its shape and the natural resilience of the material from which is made. The longitudinal axis of the spring 60 is inclined towards the longitudinal axis of the rail 11 and the plane of the body portion 51 at a small acute angle, such that the end 62 of the spring adjacent the locking lug 65 is biased towards the position shown in Figure 12, in which the locking lug 65 engages an aperture 12 in the rail 11.

All parts of the above described fitting are formed integrally, of any suitable tough, impact resistant semi-flexible material (e.g. Nylon, acetal).

When the shelf support of either embodiment is engaged with a rail as described above, the locking lug 33,65 fits into one of the apertures 12 on the rail 11, and prevents movement of the support either up or down the rail. To adjust the shelf support upwards i.e. in the direction of arrow A, the shelf support can simply be pushed in that direction:- this naturally tends to disengage the locking lug 33,65 from the corresponding aperture 12, and allows the support to move in that direction.

However, to adjust the shelf support downwards, (i.e. in the direction of arrow B) simple pressure on the support in that direction will tend to push the locking lug 33,65 into firm engagement with the corresponding aperture 12, and thus lock the shelf support in position.

To move the shelf support in the direction of arrow B, it is necessary to move the tab 32,63 in the direction of arrow C, and thus pull the locking lug 33,65 out of engagement with the corresponding aperture 12, before the shelf support can be moved in the direction of arrow B. The shelf support may also be moved in the direction of arrow A by using the tab 32,63 to disengage the locking lug 33,65 from the aperture 12.

It will be appreciated that the above described design gives a very secure shelf support, which may easily be moved the desired position positively and accurately, but which cannot become accidentally disengaged from the rail 11, even when the unit is in transit. A further advantage is that all parts of the shelf support can be integrally formed, giving a comparatively cheap component.

Claims (5)

Claims:

1. An adjustable shelf support for use in combination with an apertured rail which includes two parallel edges and a portion between said edges which is formed 5 with a series of spaced apertures; said support including a body portion having secured thereto: • at least two engaging brackets adapted to engage over opposite sides of the rail; • a support ledge adapted to support a shelf; 10 • a spring formed of a plate of stiff but resilient material, one end of said spring being anchored to said body portion and the other end of said spring being associated with a locking lug for releasable engagement with an aperture on said rail; wherein said at least two engaging brackets comprise a first engaging bracket 15 secured to one side of said body portion and a second engaging bracket secured to the opposite side of said body portion, said first and second engaging brackets being offset such that one of said brackets is adjacent the part of said shelf support which is uppermost in use and the other of said brackets is adjacent the part of said shelf support which is lowermost in use.

2. The shelf support as claimed in claim 1, wherein said support ledge is formed with a projecting shelf stop which is adapted to engage a shelf supported on said shelf support. 25

3. The shelf support as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said one end of said spring is anchored to said body portion by being secured to said support ledge.

4. The shelf support as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said 30 spring incorporates a U cross-section portion adjacent said one end thereof.

5. The shelf support as claimed in any one of claims 1 – 3, wherein said spring comprises a substantially flat plate the plane of which is inclined at an acute angle to the plane of the body portion.