Abstract:
The support bracket is used for supporting shelves or the like. Once attached to a standard, the support bracket has a spike configured and disposed to protrude through an open rear side of the standard. The spike engages into the wall to keep the bracket and standard from being displaced along the surface of the wall.

Description:
FIELD 
       [0001]    The present improvements relate generally to the field of support brackets for supporting assemblies used with shelves or the like. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0002]    In accordance with one aspect, there is provided a support bracket for use with a standard having a front bracket mounting side and an open rear side, the support bracket comprising: a support portion; and a mounting portion made integral with the support portion, the mounting portion being configured and disposed to attach the support bracket to the front bracket mounting side of the standard, the mounting portion having a spike extending oppositely from the support portion, the spike being configured and disposed to protrude from the open rear side of the standard and penetrate into a wall when the support bracket is attached to the standard. 
         [0003]    In accordance with another aspect, there is provided a kit of parts for assembling a support assembly, the kit comprising at least two standards each having a front bracket mounting side and an open rear side, and at least two support brackets, each support bracket having a support portion and a mounting portion made integral with the support portion, the mounting portion being configured and disposed to attach the support bracket to the front bracket mounting side of a respective standard, the mounting portion having a spike extending oppositely from the support portion, the spikes being configured and disposed to protrude from the open rear side of the respective standard and penetrate into a wall when the support brackets are attached to the respective standards. 
         [0004]    In accordance with another aspect, there is provided a support bracket for use with a standard having a front bracket mounting side and an open rear side, the support bracket comprising a support portion, a mounting portion made integral with the support portion and having a spike extending therefrom, the mounting portion being configured and disposed to attach the support bracket to the front bracket mounting side of the standard into an attached position in which the spike protrudes from the open rear side of the standard. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0005]    Further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in combination with the appended figures, in which: 
           [0006]      FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of an example of an improved support assembly including a fixture, a standard, and a support bracket; 
           [0007]      FIG. 1B  is a side elevation view of the support assembly of  FIG. 1A ; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2A  is a side elevation view of the support bracket of  FIG. 1A ; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2B  is a top plan view of the support bracket of  FIG. 1A ; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3A  is a rear view of the standard of  FIG. 1A ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3B  is a bottom plan view of the standard of  FIG. 1A ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3C  is a rear view of a blank for forming the standard of  FIG. 1A ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4A  is a perspective view of the support bracket and standard of  FIG. 1A  prior to assembly; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4B  is an enlarged view of a portion of  FIG. 4A ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 5A  is a perspective view, partly sectioned, of the support bracket and standard of  FIG. 1A  shown partly assembled; 
           [0016]      FIG. 5B  is an enlarged view of a portion of  FIG. 5A ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 6A  is a side cross-sectional view of the support bracket and standard of  FIG. 1A  shown assembled; and 
           [0018]      FIG. 6B  is an enlarged view of a portion of  FIG. 6A . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0019]      FIG. 1  illustrates an example of an improved support assembly  10 . The support assembly  10  generally includes a fixture  12 , a standard  14  and a support bracket  16 . Generally, at least one fixture, two standards and two support brackets are used to support a shelf or the like (not shown), which is then laid on the upper edge of the two support brackets. 
         [0020]    In the illustrated support assembly  10 , the fixture  12  is in the form of an elongated strip and has a somewhat V-shaped cross section defining a first flange  20  and a second flange  22 . The first flange  20  is secured to a wall  23  with fasteners  24 , for instance screws or nails. The second flange  22  defines a slanted lip  22 , which is upwardly oriented when the fixture  12  is secured to the wall  23 . The standard  14  has a corresponding slanted notch  30  in an upper end  32  and can be suspended to the fixture  12  when the slanted lip  22  is engaged into the slanted notch  30 . 
         [0021]    The support bracket  16  has two main parts, namely a support portion  40  having an upper edge  42  adapted to receive the bottom of the shelf (not shown), and a mounting portion  44  designed to be removably attachable to the standard  14 . The support portion  40  gradually tapers towards a narrower front end  46 . 
         [0022]    As can be appreciated, the support bracket  16  further has a spike  48  extending from the mounting portion  44  opposite from the support portion  40 . The function and purpose of this spike  48  will be explained hereafter. 
         [0023]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 , the support bracket  16  is shown in greater detail. The mounting portion  44  includes a first  50  and a second  52  mounting member designed to engage respective slots provided on the front of the standard  14 , as described further below. The first mounting member  50  has a hook  54  to longitudinally engage one of the slots of the standard  14 . The first mounting member  50  also includes the spike  48 . When assembled to the standard, the first mounting member  50  is an upper mounting member, and the second mounting member is a lower mounting member. 
         [0024]    As shown in  FIGS. 3A and 3B , the standard  14  can be manufactured from a metallic blank  60  which is shown unfolded in  FIG. 3C . Likewise, the support bracket  16  ( FIG. 1A ) can be made from a flat piece of metal. The standard  14  has a left flange  62  and a right flange  64  and further has a front bracket mounting side  66  and an open rear side  68  ( FIG. 3B ). The front bracket mounting side has a plurality of narrow rectangular slots  70 ,  71  adapted to receive the first mounting member and the second mounting member of the support bracket  16  ( FIG. 2 ). In the illustrated embodiment, the slanted notch  30  receiving the slanted lip of the fixture  12  ( FIG. 1 ) includes a left notch  72  and a right notch  74  defined in respective left flange  62  and right flange  64  of the blank  60 . 
         [0025]    Referring now to  FIGS. 4 to 6 , steps of mounting the support bracket  16  to the standard  14  are illustrated. In  FIG. 4 , it is shown that the first mounting member  50  of the support bracket  16  is approached to a first slot  70  of the standard  14 . In  FIG. 5 , the first mounting member  50  is engaged within the first slot  70  and the second mounting member  52  is oriented towards a second slot  71 . In  FIG. 6 , both the first and second mounting members  50 ,  52  are engaged in the first and second slot  70 ,  71 , respectively.  FIG. 6  also shows that the spike  48  extends past the open rear side  68  of the standard  14  and protrudes therefrom once the support bracket  16  is in position. The hook  54  of the first mounting member  50  is then engaged into the lower end of the first slot  70 . In this case, the support bracket  16  is mounted to the standard  14  first, and then the slanted notch  30  of the standard  14  is engaged on to the slanted lip  22  of the fixture  12  (see  FIG. 1 ) and the support bracket  16  is positioned against the wall  23 . Once the support bracket  16  is at the right position, pressure is applied to it and the spike enters the wall  23  to thereafter prevent the support bracket  16  from being displaced laterally and up and down. 
         [0026]    As can be appreciated, the illustrated embodiment is only one example of the improvements. The support bracket can be manufactured and sold alone, or in a kit with one or more standards. Typically, two or more combinations of support bracket and standard can be used to support a shelf. Although the support bracket described was flat and made from a metal, various shapes and materials can alternately be used as it will appear to those skilled in the art. 
         [0027]    In the illustrated embodiment, the mating engagement between the mounting portion of the support bracket and the front mounting side of the standard was provided by first and second mounting members of the support bracket which engaged the first and second slots of the standard. Many alternate configurations are possible as it will appear to those skilled in the art. For example, only one or more than two mounting members and respective slots can be used. As another example, the support member can include two or more mounting members arranged side by side. Therefore, the corresponding slots of the standard are also arranged side by side. Furthermore, although the spike was described as being part of the first mounting member, it could be part of the second mounting member instead, or both. Therefore, the support member can include more than one spike. 
         [0028]    For the standard, many alternative embodiments are possible. For example, although it was described as being made from a folded blank of metal, various shapes and materials can be used. In the illustrated embodiment, the open rear side of the standard, which allows the spike to extend through to the wall, is completely open between the two flanges. In other embodiments, the open rear side can be partially closed, provided that it has at least an open portion, a slot or a hole through which the spike or spikes can extend into the wall. 
         [0029]    Although it was described that the standard was suspended from the fixture using a slanted notch and slanted lip engagement, various alternatives will appear to those skilled in the art, and the standard may otherwise be affixed to the fixture, for instance using screws, nails or the like. Similarly, alternatives to the fixture can be readily devised. 
         [0030]    As can be seen therefore, the examples described above and illustrated are intended to be exemplary only. The scope of the invention(s) is intended to be determined solely by the appended claims.