A PANEL

Abstract: The present invention relates to a panel (1) with supports (7) for shelves, drawers and the like for storing e.g. laboratory and medical equipment. The panel comprises at least two preferably rectangular sections (6) for mounting above each other on a preferably vertical wall of a storage device, such as a cabinet or a shelf system. The panel (1) comprises a joint for releasably mounting a section (6) on the wall, the joint comprising at least one female part (2, 3), fixed or releasably mounted on the wall, and at least one corresponding male part, fixed to said section (6) and designed to be manoeuvred mainly parallel to the wall to catch at least one female part (2, 3). The female parts (2, 3) of the joints may include angular parts mounted on the wall and the male parts may consists of flaps on the sections (6). Two adjacent sections (6) may be joined to each other.

Description: A panel The invention relates to a panel with supports for shelves, trays, drawers, baskets, or the like for storing e.g. laboratory and medical equipment especially within the health sector and comprising at least two preferably rectangular sections for being mounted on top of each other on a preferably vertical wall in a storage device such as a cupboard or a rack. The Danish laid open publication no. 152743 B to which reference is made in the present patent application discloses a panel which is supplied with a matrix-like support arrangement for e.g. drawers or baskets. This panel is designed to be mounted permanently on a wall in e.g. a cupboard, and can therefore not be taken out and cleaned in the cleaning machines which today are used especially within the health sector. The panel is comprised of a number of sections mounted on top of each other, but since the sections, as mentioned, are secured to the wall, it is not possible to replace one or more sections if sections with a different support pattern were needed later. The object of the invention is to show a panel of the kind mentioned in the opening paragraph having sections designed to be detachably mounted on a wall in a simple way. Another object of the invention is to design the sections in such a way that they can be fixed in relation to each other and to the wall . The novel and unique features according to the invention whereby this is achieved is the fact that the panel comprises a coupling serving for detachably mounting a section on the wall and comprising at least one female mounting mounted fixedly or detachably on the wall, at least one corresponding male mounting fastened on the section and designed to be engaged with the at least one female mounting by displacing the panel mainly parallel to the wall. When the sections are mutually displaced vertically and then horizontally, the projections can advantageously pass each other and then be engaged with each other when an upper and lower projection have a horizontal spacing which is smaller than or equals the breadth of a second flap on one of the mountings. Thereby, the section can be mounted on and dismounted from a wall quickly and easily. In mounted position, the engagement between the female and male mountings is locked by means of e.g. a pin or a fastener. In a preferred embodiment, at least one upper projection can be made on the top side of a subjacent section and at least one lower projection can be made on the underside of a superjacent section, and these projections can be provided with engagement means for fixing the two sections vertically in relation to each other in mounted position. An advantage is obtained by cranking the projections backwards in relation to the front of the sections so that the sections in pairs can be pushed completely together and thereby continuously pass into each other at the same time as the projections are concealed. In an especially advantageous and simple embodiment, the engagement means can furthermore consist of a hook on at least one of the projections. As lower end, the panel can be provided with a bottom list fastened on the wall of the storage device and having at least one upper projection with engagement means for engaging with corresponding engagement means on a lower projection of a superjacent section in mounted position so that the superjacent sections at the same time are fixed vertically in relation to the mentioned wall. The invention will be explained in greater detail below, describing only exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a panel with a super- and subjacent section being mounted by means of a coupling according to the invention, Fig. 2 is a front view of a section at a first mounting stage, Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 111 - 111 of fig. 2, Fig. 4 is a front view of a section at a second mounting stage, Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line V - V of fig. 4, Fig. 6 is a front view of an assembled section, Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line Vll - Vll of fig. 6, Fig. 8 is a front view of a superjacent section at a second mounting stage, Fig. 9 is the same but the superjacent section is pushed down to abut on the subjacent section, Fig. 10 is a front view of the super acent section shown in fig. 8 and 9 in assembled position, Fig. 11 is on a larger scale a fractionally end view of a first embodiment of a vertical assembly of a super- and subjacent section, Fig. 12 is a side view of the assembly in fig. 11, Fig. 13 is on a larger scale a fractionally end view of a second embodiment of a vertical assembly of a super- and subjacent section, Fig. 14 is a side view of the assembly in fig. 13, Fig. 15 is a sectional side view of a second embodiment of the coupling according to the invention at a first mounting stage, Fig. 16 is the same but the section is mounted and locked on the wall, Fig 17 is a front view of the section in fig. 16, Fig. 18 is a sectional side view of a third embodiment of the coupling according to the invention, and Fig. 19 is a front view of the coupling in fig. 18. In fig. 1 is seen a panel which generally is designated 1. The panel, which is being mounted on a wall not shown in fig. 1 in e.g. a cupboard, comprises one - seen in the figure - left female mounting 2, one right female mounting 3, a bottom list 4, and a top list 5, and a number of sections 6 with a matrix-like arrangement of supports 7 known per se. In practice, two opposite panels 1 with supports 7 for carrying shelves, trays, drawers, baskets or the like for storing e.g. laboratory and medical equipment especially within the health sector will be mounted on two opposite walls in a storage device such as a cupboard (not shown) . In this case, the female mountings 2 and 3 are shaped as parallel lists which, as shown in e.g. fig. 3, have a first flap 8, a second flap 9, and a third flap 10. The latter flap 10 serves for fastening the respective list 2, 3 on the wall 11 by means of e.g. screws (not shown) or in another expedient way. The first flap 8 is extending at right angles from the wall 11, and the second flap 9 is extending towards the second flap 9 of the opposite list in a distance from the third flap 10 corresponding to the thickness of a section at the edges so that the vertical lateral edges of the section that each forms the male mounting can be taken up between and held by the flaps 9, 10. As shown in fig. 2, the distance a' between the first flap 8 of the right list 3 and the free edge on the second flap 9 of the left list 2 is greater than a horizontal breadth b of a section, while the distance a' ' between the free edges on the second flap 9 of the two lists is shorter than the horizontal breadth b of the section. In fig. 1, two sections 6 are shown which are being mounted in the following described way with reference to fig. 2 - 14 in which the sections 6 are simplificatively shown without the supports 7. As indicated by the arrows, a section 6 is initially being led towards the right list 3 in fig. 2 and 3. In fig. 4 and 5, the right lateral edge of the section is now pushed completely in between the second and third flap 9, 10 of the right edge 3, while its left lateral edge has passed the free edge on the second flap 9 of the left list 2, the distance a' between this free edge and the second flap 8 of the right list 3 being larger than the horizontal breadth of the section. In fig. 6 and 7, the section 6 has then been pushed in the opposite direction so that its left lateral edge has been pushed in between the second and third flap 9, 10 of the left list 2. In this position, the second flap 9 of the lists retains the section as the distance a' ' between the free edges on the second flap 9 of the two lists is shorter than the horizontal breadth of the section. A locking pin 12 serves for locking the section 6 in the assembled position shown in fig. 6 and 7. In fig. 8, the superjacent section 6 is now placed in the position shown in fig. 4 and 5, but at a vertical distance from the subjacent section 6. As can be seen, the sections 6 are provided with upper projections 13 on the top side and lower projections 14 on the underside. In fig. 9, the superjacent section has been pushed vertically down to abut on the subjacent section, the projections 13 and 14 being placed at such a horizontal distance in relation to each other that they have been able to pass each other during this. In fig. 10, the superjacent section has then been pushed horizontally into the assembled position shown in fig. 6 and 7 where the section is locked by means of the locking pin 12. In this position, the two sections 6 are now also retained vertically in relation to each other by the projections 13 and 14 which engage with each other due to their specific shape. This shape appears more detailed from fig. 11 and 12 which show a detail of the assembly between the two sections seen from the rear. As shown, the upper projection 13 is provided with a hook 15 and the lower projection 14 with a hook 16. When the superjacent section is pushed horizontally to the left, as shown in fig. 6 and 7, the hooks 15 and 16 engage with each other so that the sections cannot be pulled apart. They are now locked to the wall in horizontal direction and in relation to each other in vertical direction. The bottom list 4, which is secured to the wall 11, is provided with upper projections just as the sections 6, and it therefore locks a superjacent section in the same way as a subjacent section. Thereby, the bottom list fixes all the superjacent sections 6 vertically in relation to the wall 11. In fig. 11 and 12, the hooks have a rectangular configuration. In the second embodiment shown in fig. 13 and 14, the hooks 17 and 18 are wedge-shaped so that they easily catch each other when the sections are pushed horizontally together. Fig. 15, 16, and 17 show a second embodiment of the coupling according to the invention. In this case, the male mountings are hooks 19 placed on the underside of the respective section 20 and are pushed into engagement with the female mountings 21 in the mainly vertical direction indicated by the arrows in fig. 15 when the section is to be detachably mounted on the wall 22. In fig. 16 and 17, the hooks 19 are now engaging with the female mountings 21 and retained in this position by means of a fastener. Fig. 18 and 19 show a third embodiment of the coupling according to the invention. In this embodiment, the female mountings 23 are detachably clipped onto clip mountings 25 fastened to the wall 26. When the panels are mounted in the way shown in the drawing and describe above, the sections can easily be taken out and cleaned, and one or more sections can be replaced by sections with a different support pattern if required. At the same time, the sections of the panels are effectively fixed in relation to their respective walls not only in horizontal but also in vertical direction.

Claims: C l a i s 1. A panel (1) with supports for shelves, trays, drawers, baskets, or the like for storing e.g. laboratory and medical equipment especially within the health sector and comprising at least two preferably rectangular sections (6) for being mounted on top of each other on a preferably vertical wall (11) in a storage device such as a cupboard or a rack, characterized in that the panel (1) comprises a coupling serving for detachably mounting a section on the wall and comprising at least one female mounting (2,3) fixedly or detachably mounted on the wall, and at least one corresponding male mounting fastened on the section and designed to be engaged with the at least one female mounting by displacing the panel mainly parallel to the wall . 2. A panel (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises at least one stop (12) for fixing the section in assembled position. 3. A panel (1) according to claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that the coupling consists of at least two mainly angular female mountings (2,3) fastened on the wall and each comprising a first flap (8) extending outwards from the wall or a intermediate layer, and a second flap (9) branching off from the first flap and extending towards the second flap (9) of the opposite female mounting, that the corresponding male mountings are projecting flaps on the section, whereby the distance between the first flap of one of the female mountings and the free edge on the second flap of the other female mounting is greater than the greatest distance between the male mountings, and the distance between the free edges on the second flap of the two mountings is shorter than this distance. 4. A panel (1) according to claim 1, 2, or 3 , characterized in that at least one upper projection (13) is made on the top side on a subjacent section and at least one lower projection (14) is made on the underside of a superjacent section, and that these projections are provided with engagement means for fixing the two sections vertically in relation to each other in mounted position. 5. A panel (1) according to each of the claims 1 - 4, characterized in that at least one upper projection (13) is placed at a horizontal distance from at least one lower projection (14), and that this distance is shorter than or equals the breadth (b) of the second flap of one of the mountings . 6. A panel (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the projections are cranked backwards in relation to the front of the sections. 7. A panel (1) according to claim 5 or 6 , characterized in that the engagement means consist of a hook (15,16,17,18) on at least one of the projections. 8. A panel (1) according to each of the claims 1 - 7, characterized in that it comprises a bottom list (4) fastened to the wall of the storage device and having at least one upper projection with engagement means for engaging with corresponding engagement means on the lower projection of a superjacent section in mounted position. 9. A panel (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the at least one stop is a pin (12) . 10. A panel according to claim 2, characterized in that the at least one stop is a fastener (23) .

Inventors: LARSSON KLAUS ERIK, LARSSON, KLAUS, ERIK
Applicants: LARSSON KLAUS ERIK, LARSSON, KLAUS, ERIK
Application year: 1998
Main classification: A47B96
IPC codes: A47B57, A47B96