Abstract:
A bracket and standard assembly comprises a standard having a plurality of spaced apart holes. A bracket comprises a support body having an elongated portion extending along a longitudinal axis. A connector end comprises at least one hook projecting rearwardly from the support body and passing through a hole in the standard to releasably hook the bracket to the standard, the at least one hook comprising a downwardly projecting tooth, the at least one hook defining with the support body a receptacle, a portion of the receptacle being delimited by a forwardly oriented contact edge of the tooth, the receptacle receiving one of wall portions of the standard. A finger projects generally upwardly from the at least one hook and having a forwardly oriented contact edge, the forwardly oriented contact edge of the finger being rearward of the forwardly oriented contact edge of the corresponding tooth along the longitudinal axis.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application claims priority on Canadian Patent Application No. 2,776,394, filed on May 11, 2012. 
     FIELD OF THE APPLICATION 
     The present application relates to brackets releasably secured to wall-mounted standards (also known as wall standards, racks, etc.), and used to supports shelves, or having a hangbar, or a faceout, for supporting hangers or other items in storage applications, such as in stores. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE ART 
     Sets of brackets and standards, also known as wall standards, racks, etc., are commonly used in storage and in display applications. For example, these sets may be used to support shelves. The brackets may alternatively have other configurations (e.g., hangbar, faceout) to support hangers with items thereon. The sets of brackets and standards are known to be practical, for instance in the retail sale stores, as the brackets are readily separated from the standards, whereby rack set-ups can be modified, for instance in accordance with a change of products being offered. 
       FIGS. 1A to 1C  of the prior art show a variety of such brackets  10 , each having an elongated body  11  for supporting items. The brackets  10  are releasably hung to standards  12  by hooks  13  at a rear end of the elongated body  11 .  FIG. 1A  illustrates a shelf  14  being mounted to a bracket  10 —the shelf  14  is typically supported by at least a pair of the brackets  10  spaced apart from one another and located at opposed ends of the shelf  14 . In  FIG. 1B , the bracket  10  has a hangbar  15 . The hangbar  15  is a rod that is transversally positioned relative to the elongated body  11 . Items are hung directly onto the hangbar  15 , or onto hangers that are hung to the hangbar  15 . In  FIG. 1C , the bracket  10  has a faceout configuration, with a flange  16  at the end of the elongated body  11 . The elongated body  11  therefore acts as support, for instance for hangers that will be hung onto the top edge of the elongated body  11 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5A and 5B  of the prior art, a connector end configuration is shown, which connector end configuration may be used for any of the brackets  10  of  FIGS. 1A to 1C . The connector end configuration is for use with the standard  12 . The standard  12  is typically a slender plate or strip extending vertically, and having a plurality of holes  20 . The holes  20  are equidistantly spaced apart from one another in the standard  12 . The standard  12  may have a U-shaped section, an I-section, etc., and has a front surface  21  and a rear surface  22 . 
     Still referring to  FIGS. 5A and 5B  of the prior art, the bracket  10  is shown having hooks  30 , with an uppermost one of the hooks  30  being labeled  30 ′. The hooks  30 / 30 ′ project from a rear edge of the elongated body  11  and each have a downwardly extending tooth  31 . A receptacle  32  is defined by the body of the hook  30 / 30 ′, the tooth  31 , and a rear edge of the elongated body  11 . As shown in  FIG. 5A  of the prior art, the hooks  30 / 30 ′ are received in the holes  20  of the standard  12 , with the receptacles  32  accommodating wall portions formed between the holes  20 , and ensuring that the bracket  10  is anchored to the standard  12 . The teeth  31  prevent the bracket  10  from being pulled out of the standard  12 . 
     Still referring to  FIGS. 5A and 5B  of the prior art, the hook  30 ′ has an upwardly-projecting finger  33 . The finger  33  is provided to prevent an accidental dislodging of the bracket  10  in case of a upward impact on the elongated body  11 . Indeed, the foremost vertical edge of the finger  33  is collinear with the foremost vertical edge of the tooth  31 , whereby the bracket  10  must be rotated at a substantially large angle (e.g., 45°), as in  FIG. 5B  of the prior art, for the bracket  10  to be disengaged from the standard  12 . 
     The pivoting of the bracket  10  to the angle of  FIG. 5B  of the prior art may be problematic for ergonomic reasons, or may complicate the installation of the bracket  10  when adjacent shelves are already installed above, etc. The required upper clearance may also be a constraint in terms of where the bracket  10  of the prior art may be installed. Moreover, when the brackets  10  are used to support a shelf, stock on the shelf must be removed prior to the pivoting removal of the bracket  10 . 
     SUMMARY OF THE APPLICATION 
     It is therefore an aim of the present disclosure to provide a support bracket that addresses issues associated with the prior art. 
     Therefore, in accordance with the present application, there is provided a bracket of the type used with a standard comprising: a support body having an elongated portion extending along a longitudinal axis; a connector end comprising at least one hook projecting rearwardly from the support body and adapted to pass through a hole in the standard to hook the bracket to the standard, the at least one hook comprising a downwardly projecting tooth, the at least one hook defining with the support body a receptacle, a portion of the receptacle being delimited by a forwardly oriented contact edge of the tooth, the receptacle adapted to receive a wall portion of the standard; and a finger projecting generally upwardly from the at least one hook and having a forwardly oriented contact edge, the forwardly oriented contact edge of the finger being rearward of the forwardly oriented contact edge of the corresponding tooth along the longitudinal axis. 
     Further in accordance with the present disclosure, an abutment protrusion projects rearwardly from the support body and being spaced apart from the at least one hook, the abutment protrusion being adapted to abut against a periphery of a hole in the standard. 
     Still further in accordance with the present disclosure, two of the at least one hook are provided, with at least one of the two hooks each having one said finger. 
     Still further in accordance with the present disclosure, each of the two hooks comprises one said fingers. 
     Still further in accordance with the present disclosure, the forwardly oriented contact edge of one of the fingers upward is collinear with the forwardly oriented contact edge of the other of the fingers, relative to the longitudinal axis. 
     Still further in accordance with the present disclosure, three of the at least one hook are provided, with at least one of the three hooks each having one said finger. 
     Still further in accordance with the present disclosure, each of the three hooks comprises one of said fingers. 
     Still further in accordance with the present disclosure, the forwardly oriented contact edge of one of the fingers is collinear with the forwardly oriented contact edge of the other fingers, relative to the longitudinal axis. 
     Still further in accordance with the present disclosure, the forwardly oriented contact edge of the tooth has at least one of a substantially vertical segment portion and a tapering segment portion. 
     Still further in accordance with the present disclosure, the forwardly oriented contact edge of the finger has at least one of a substantially straight segment portion that is in a diagonal relation with a top horizontal surface of the at least one hook. 
     Still further in accordance with the present disclosure, a rear edge of the at least one hook in the tooth is straight and is in a diagonal relation with the top horizontal surface of the at least one hook. 
     Still further in accordance with the present disclosure, the forwardly oriented contact edge of the finger is parallel to the rear edge of the at least one hook. 
     Still further in accordance with the present disclosure, an abutment projects upwardly in the top horizontal surface of the at least one hook, the abutment being located forwardly of the finger, and rearwardly of the forwardly oriented contact edge of the tooth. 
     Still further in accordance with the present disclosure, the support body, the connector end and the finger are made from a monolithic plate. 
     Still further in accordance with the present disclosure, the forwardly oriented contact edge of the finger has a generally vertical portion. 
     Still further in accordance with the present disclosure, an arcuate transition portion is provided between the generally vertical portion of the finger and a top edge of the corresponding hook. 
     Still further in accordance with the present disclosure, the rearward contact edge of the at least one hook is adapted to engage in sliding movement with a periphery of a hole in the standard. 
     In accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a bracket and standard assembly comprising: a standard having a plurality of spaced apart holes separated by wall portions; a bracket comprising: a support body having an elongated portion extending along a longitudinal axis; a connector end comprising at least one hook projecting rearwardly from the support body and passing through a hole in the standard to releasably hook the bracket to the standard, the at least one hook comprising a downwardly projecting tooth, the at least one hook defining with the support body a receptacle, a portion of the receptacle being delimited by a forwardly oriented contact edge of the tooth, the receptacle receiving one of the wall portions of the standard; and a finger projecting generally upwardly from the at least one hook and having a forwardly oriented contact edge, the forwardly oriented contact edge of the finger being rearward of the forwardly oriented contact edge of the corresponding tooth along the longitudinal axis. 
     Still further in accordance with the present disclosure, an abutment protrusion projects rearwardly from the support body and being spaced apart from the at least one hook, the abutment protrusion abutting against a periphery of one of the holes in the standard. 
     Still further in accordance with the present disclosure, two of the at least one hook are provided, with at least one of the two hooks each having one said finger. 
     Still further in accordance with the present disclosure, each of the two hooks comprises one of said fingers. 
     Still further in accordance with the present disclosure, the forwardly oriented contact edge of one of the fingers is collinear with the forwardly oriented contact edge of the other of the fingers, relative to the longitudinal axis. 
     Still further in accordance with the present disclosure, three of the at least one hook are provided, with at least one of the three hooks each having one said finger. 
     Still further in accordance with the present disclosure, each of the three hooks comprises one of said fingers. 
     Still further in accordance with the present disclosure, the forwardly oriented contact edge of one of the fingers is collinear with the forwardly oriented contact edge of the other fingers, relative to the longitudinal axis. 
     Still further in accordance with the present disclosure, the forwardly oriented contact edge of the tooth has at least one of a substantially vertical segment portion and a tapering segment portion. 
     Still further in accordance with the present disclosure, the forwardly oriented contact edge of the finger has at least one of a substantially straight segment portion that is in a diagonal relation with a top horizontal surface of the at least one hook. 
     Still further in accordance with the present disclosure, a rear edge of the at least one hook in the tooth is straight and is in a diagonal relation with the top horizontal surface of the at least one hook. 
     Still further in accordance with the present disclosure, the forwardly oriented contact edge of the finger is parallel to the rear edge of the at least one hook. 
     Still further in accordance with the present disclosure, an abutment projects upwardly in the top horizontal surface of the at least one hook, the abutment being located forwardly of the finger, and rearwardly of the forwardly oriented contact edge of the tooth. 
     Still further in accordance with the present disclosure, the support body, the connector end and the finger are made from a monolithic plate. 
     Still further in accordance with the present disclosure, the forwardly oriented contact edge of the finger has a generally vertical portion. 
     Still further in accordance with the present disclosure, an arcuate transition portion is between the generally vertical portion of the finger and a top edge of the corresponding hook. 
     Still further in accordance with the present disclosure, the rearward contact edge of the at least one hook is in sliding movement with a periphery of a hole in the standard when the bracket is at least one of engaged and disengaged from the standard. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  is a side view of a bracket and standard assembly in accordance with the prior art, supporting a shelf; 
         FIG. 1B  is a side view of a bracket and standard assembly in accordance with the prior art, having a hangbar; 
         FIG. 1C  is a side view of a bracket and standard assembly in accordance with the prior art, in a faceout configuration; 
         FIG. 2A  is a side view of a 3-hook bracket in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, engaged to the standard; 
         FIG. 2B  is a side view of the 3-hook bracket of  FIG. 2A , having two hooks disengaged from the standard and a finger of one of the hooks abutted against the standard; 
         FIG. 2C  is a side view of the 3-hook bracket of  FIG. 2A , having all hooks disengaged from the standard; 
         FIG. 3A  is a side view of a 2-hook bracket in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure, engaged to the standard; 
         FIG. 3B  is a side view of the 2-hook bracket of  FIG. 2A , having one hook disengaged from the standard and a finger of one of the hooks abutted against the standard; 
         FIG. 3C  is a side view of the 2-hook bracket of  FIG. 2A , having both hooks disengaged from the standard; 
         FIG. 4A  is a side view of a 3-hook bracket in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure, engaged to the standard; 
         FIG. 4B  is a side view of the 3-hook bracket of  FIG. 4A , having two hooks disengaged from the standard and a finger of one of the hooks abutted against the standard; 
         FIG. 4C  is a side view of the 3-hook bracket of  FIG. 4A , having all hooks disengaged from the standard; 
         FIG. 5A  is a side view of a bracket and standard assembly in accordance with the prior art, showing an interconnection between hooks and the standard; 
         FIG. 5B  is a side view of a bracket and standard assembly of  FIG. 5A , showing the pivoting motion required to release the bracket from engagement with the standard; 
         FIG. 6A  is a side view of a 1-hook bracket in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure, engaged to the standard; 
         FIG. 6B  is a side view of the 1-hook bracket of  FIG. 4A , having a finger of the hook abutted against the standard; 
         FIG. 6C  is a side view of the 1-hook bracket of  FIG. 4A , having its hook disengaged from the standard; 
         FIG. 7A  is a side view of a 3-hook bracket in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, engaged to the standard; 
         FIG. 7B  is a side view of the 3-hook bracket of  FIG. 7A , having two hooks disengaged from the standard and a finger of one of the hooks abutted against the standard; 
         FIG. 7C  is a side view of the 3-hook bracket of  FIG. 7A , having its hooks disengaged from the standard; 
         FIG. 8A  is a side view of a 3-hook bracket in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, engaged to the standard; 
         FIG. 8B  is a side view of the 3-hook bracket of  FIG. 8A , having an abutment on a top horizontal edge of one of the hooks abutted against the standard; 
         FIG. 8C  is a side view of the 3-hook bracket of  FIG. 8A , having two hooks disengaged from the standard and a finger of one of the hooks abutted against the standard; and 
         FIG. 8D  is a side view of the 3-hook bracket of  FIG. 8A , having its hooks disengaged from the standard. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to the drawings and more particularly to  FIGS. 2A-2C , a support bracket in accordance with a first embodiment of the present disclosure is generally shown at  40 . The bracket  40  and other brackets described hereinafter are similar in design to the bracket  10  of the prior art ( FIGS. 1A-1C, 5A-5B ), especially in terms of the components thereof that project forwardly of the standard  12  along axis X (i.e., the longitudinal axis of the bracket), which components can be generally referred to as being part of the elongated support body  11 . Accordingly, only a portion of the elongated support body  11  is illustrated. The bracket  40  and other brackets described hereinafter may be configured to support a shelf, and hangbar, a faceout as in any of  FIGS. 1A-1C . 
     The bracket  40  has three hook portions, namely  41 ,  41 ′ and  41 ″, projecting rearwardly from a rear edge of the elongated body  11 . For clarity, reference to forward or rearward will be in relation to the longitudinal axis X of the bracket, with the forward end being away from the standard  12  (to the left-hand side of the page). Each of the hook portions  41  has a downwardly projecting tooth  42 . The tooth  42  defines a receptacle  43  with a remainder of the hook portion  41  and with the support body  11 . The receptacle  43  is delimited by a forwardly oriented contact edge  44  of the tooth  42 . It is observed that the forwardly oriented contact edge  44  may have a generally vertical segment and/or a downwardly tapering segment, or a combination thereof. 
     Fingers  45  project generally upwardly from a generally straight top horizontal edge  45 A of the hook portions  41 ′ and  41 ″, while the hook portion  41  does not have any such finger  45 . Each of the fingers  45  has a forwardly oriented contact edge  46 . The forwardly oriented contact edge  46  may be at a right angle relative to the top horizontal edge  45 A of its corresponding hook portion  41 ′ or  41 ″. In the illustrated embodiment of  FIGS. 2A-2C , there is an arcuate transition profile between the top horizontal edge of the hook portion  41 ′/ 41 ″ and the forwardly oriented contact edge  46  of the fingers  45 . However, any other appropriate transition profile is considered. 
     It is observed that the forwardly oriented contact edge  46  of both hook portions  41 ′ and  41 ″ is rearward of the contact edge  44  of the teeth  42 , relative to the longitudinal axis X, as shown by vertical axis Y. Moreover, the forwardly oriented contact edge  44  of the hook portion  41 ″ is shown as being collinear to the contact edge  44  of the hook portion  41 ′, i.e., both along axis Y, although these edges  44  may be offset from one another as well. 
     The bracket  40  may also have clearances  47  in the support body  11 , and in communication with the receptacle  43 . The clearances  47  may reduce friction between the bracket  40  and the standard  12  at assembly and disassembly of the bracket  40  to the standard  12 . A throughbore  48  may be provided in the support body  11 , the throughbore  48  being used during manufacturing and/or shipping of the bracket  40 , for instance to apply paint or coatings thereon, etc. The clearances  47  and the throughbores  48  may or may not be in the brackets described herein. 
     Now that the various components of the bracket  40  have been described, the sequence for disengaging the bracket  40  of  FIGS. 2A to 2C  from the standard  12  is set forth. 
     In  FIG. 2A , the bracket  40  is shown in its support position, in which it is engaged to the standard  12 , with the hook portions  41 ,  41 ′ and  41 ″ penetrated through the holes  20  of the standard  12 , and with wall portions of the standard  12  being engaged in the receptacles  43  of each of the hook portions  41 ,  41 ′ and  41 ″. It is observed that the contact edge  44  of the teeth  42  may abut against the rear surface  22  of the standard  12 , while a rear edge of the elongated body  11  abuts against the front surface  21  of the standard  12 . In case of an upward vertical impact on the bracket  40 , the fingers  45  prevent the accidental disengagement of the bracket  40  from the standard  12 . 
     With the bracket  40  in the support position shown in  FIG. 2A , vertical force A is manually applied to the bracket  40  to raise same and therefore disengage the hook portions  41 ,  41 ′ and  41 ″ from engagement with the wall portions of the standard  12 . When the bracket  40  is partially separated from the standard  12  from being raised by vertical force A, it may be oriented to a generally horizontal orientation. A pulling force B is then applied to the bracket  40 , as shown in  FIG. 2C , to align the hook portion  41 ′ with the periphery of the corresponding hole  20  in the standard  12 . According to the dimension of the hook portions  41 ′ and  41 ″, the force B may be applied within a given range of directions, in translation and possibly with a rotational movement, with the bracket  40  remaining generally horizontal as a result of the force B. It is noted that the force B may be partially horizontal, and partially downward, i.e., at most a negligible upward motion if any. As a result of the pulling force B, the teeth  42  of both hook portions  41 ′ and  41 ″ first pass through the holes  20  as in  FIG. 2C , and the fingers  45  then follow. The force B may be strictly horizontal, with the forwardly oriented contact edge  46  and transition portion leading to the edge  46  sliding against the standard  12  when the fingers  45  come out of the holes  20 . 
     It is observed that tapering segments on the contact edge  44  may be used for sliding contact with the periphery of the holes  20 , to guide the user in pulling the bracket  40  out of engagement with the standard  12 . Moreover, the rear edge  49  of the hook portions  41 ,  41 ′ and  41 ″ may also be used in similar fashion, as in  FIG. 2C , to push the bracket  40  in the standard  12 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2B , the bracket  40  is shown as being held in captive engagement with the standard  12 , despite an inadvertent upward impact on the bracket  40 . It is shown that the tooth  42  and finger  45  of the hook portion  41 ′ block into the standard  12 , thereby preventing the accidental dislodgment of the bracket  40 . The hook portion  41 ″ could also get caught in the standard  12  in similar fashion to the hook portion  41 ′, thereby providing a second level of protection from inadvertent dislodgment. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3A to 3C , a bracket in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated at  50 . The bracket  50  has numerous components also present in the bracket  40  of  FIGS. 2A to 2C , whereby like elements will bear like reference numerals. One distinction between the brackets  40  and  50  is the absence of the hook portion  41 . Hence, the bracket  50  is a 2-hook support bracket. The procedure to remove the bracket from the standard  12  is similar to the procedure set forth above for the bracket  40 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4A to 4C , a bracket in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated at  60 . The bracket  60  has numerous components also present in the bracket  40  of  FIGS. 2A to 2C , whereby like elements will bear like reference numerals. One distinction between the brackets  40  and  60  is the presence of three fingers  45 . Hence, the bracket  60  is a 3-hook support bracket, with three upwardly projecting fingers  45 . The procedure to remove the bracket from the standard  12  is similar to the procedure set forth above for the bracket  40 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 6A to 6C , a bracket in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated at  70 . The bracket  70  has numerous components also present in the bracket  40  of  FIGS. 2A to 2C , whereby like elements will bear like reference numerals. One distinction between the brackets  40  and  70  is the absence of the hook portion  41  and  41 ″. Hence, the bracket  70  is a 1-hook support bracket. The bracket  70  may have an abutment protrusion  71  in lieu of the hook portion  41  and  41 ″, to provide additional contact between the bracket  70  and the standard  12 , in the support position as in  FIG. 6A . The procedure to remove the bracket from the standard  12  is similar to the procedure set forth above for the bracket  40 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 7A to 7C , a bracket in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated at  80 . The bracket  80  has numerous components also present in the bracket  40  of  FIGS. 2A to 2C , whereby like elements will bear like reference numerals. One distinction between the brackets  40  and  80  is the overall geometry of the hook portions, labeled as hook portions  81 ,  81 ′ and  81 ″. The bracket  80  is a S-hook support bracket, but the distinct geometry of the hook portions  81 ,  81 ′ and  81 ″ may be brackets with fewer hooks. The bracket  80  is of the type that is well suited to be used in installation wherein the depth is limited between the rear surface  22  of the standard  12  and a wall rearward of the standard  12 , such as the wall to which the standard  12  is connected. In the bracket  80 , the forwardly oriented contact edge  46  is shown as being straight and in a diagonal relation relative to the top horizontal edge  45 A of its corresponding hook portion  81 ,  81 ′ and  81 ″. The rear edge  49  of the hook portions  81 ,  81 ′ and  81 ″ may also be straight and in such a diagonal relation with the top horizontal edge  45 A of the hook portions  81 ,  81 ′ and  81 ″. In  FIGS. 7A to 7C , the contact edge  46  and the rear edge  49  are shown as being parallel or quasi-parallel to one another. In such a geometry, the width between the contact edge  46  and the rear edge  49  is reduced compared to other embodiments, while providing sufficient structural integrity to hold the bracket  80  captive to the standard  12  as in  FIG. 7B . In  FIGS. 7A-7C , the rear edge  82  of the hook portion  81 ,  81 ′ and  81 ″ is shown as being straight, and transverse, or even perpendicular, to the top horizontal edge  45 A, i.e. the rear edge  82  is generally vertical when the bracket  80  is assembled to the standard  12 . The width between the contact edge  46  and the rear edge  49 , and the angle between the top horizontal edge  45 A and the rear edge  49  are determined as a function of the thickness of the standard  12 , the dimensions of the holes  20 , the desired value of angle θ, and the required strength for the fingers  45 . 
     The procedure to remove the bracket  80  from the standard  12  is similar to the procedure set forth above for the bracket  40 . Additionally, the straightness of the forwardly oriented contact edge  46  may result in the bracket  80  being removable without having to rotate the bracket  80  relative to the standard  12 . Hence, the combination of the straight forwardly oriented contact edge  46  and the straight and vertical rear edge  82  results in the bracket  80  being capable of being installed and removed when the space in the rear of the standard  12  is limited. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 8A to 8D , a bracket in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated at  90 . The bracket  90  has numerous components also present in the bracket  40  of  FIGS. 2A to 2C , whereby like elements will bear like reference numerals. Moreover, the bracket  90  is similar in overall geometry to the bracket  80 , whereby the bracket  90  is shown as having the hook portions  81 ,  81 ′ and  81 ″. The bracket  90  is a 3-hook support bracket, but the distinct geometry of the hook portions  81 ,  81 ′ and  81 ″ may be brackets with fewer hooks. The bracket  90  distinguishes over the bracket  80  of  FIGS. 7A-7C  by the presence of an abutment  91  in the top horizontal edge  45 A. 
     The abutment  91  is of relatively small height (e.g., 1-2 mm). The abutment  91  may come into abutment with rear surface  22  of the standard  12  in the manner shown in  FIG. 8B , to further prevent disengagement of the bracket  90  in instances of accidental contact, and help in guiding the bracket  90  back to its hooked position. The abutment  91  is positioned along the top horizontal edge  45 A, and is rearwardly positioned relative its associated contact edge  44 . In other words, as shown in  FIG. 8A , the contact edges  44  are in contact with the rear surface  22  of the standard  12 , while the abutments  91  are clearly observed as being distanced from the rear surface  22 . It is pointed out that the abutment  91  may be present in any of the brackets  40 ,  50 ,  60 ,  70  and  80 . 
     The procedure to remove the bracket  90  from the standard  12  is similar to the procedure set forth above for the bracket  40 . 
     The brackets  40 ,  50 ,  60 ,  70 ,  80  and  90  may consist in any appropriate material (metal, plastic, natural fibers, etc.) in accordance with the contemplated use. According to an embodiment, a major portion of these brackets consists of a flat metal plate that is stamped, molded, cast, cut to the shapes illustrated in the figures—other methods of manufacturing are also considered. Additional components such as a hangbar or faceout may be added to the connector end featuring the hook portions  41 ,  41 ′ and  41 ″, for instance by being welded or braised to the remainder of the bracket. The elongated support body  11  is typically monolithic or integral with the connector end. The brackets  40 ,  50 ,  60 ,  70 ,  80  and  90  may have any appropriate finish, with paint, coating, etc. 
     According to an embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 2A , the angle θ between the top horizontal edge surface  45 A of the support body  11  and the front surface  21  of the standard  12  may be 90° or slightly less than 90° when the bracket  40  (or brackets  50 ,  60 ,  70 ,  80  or  90 ) is assembled to the standard  12 . Therefore, any item supported by the brackets will not tend to move forward by the effect of gravity, provided the standard  12  is suitably upright. 
     While the methods and systems described herein have been described and shown with reference to particular steps performed in a particular order, it will be understood that these steps may be combined, subdivided or reordered to form an equivalent method without departing from the teachings of the present invention. Accordingly, the order and grouping of the steps is not a limitation of the present invention. 
     Modifications and improvements to the above-described embodiments of the present invention may become apparent to those skilled in the art. The foregoing description is intended to be exemplary rather than limiting. The scope of the present invention is therefore intended to be limited solely by the scope of the appended claims.