Patent Publication Number: US-8123185-B2

Title: Bracket release mechanism

Description:
This application claims priority from, and the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/038,901, filed Mar. 24, 2008, entitled BRACKET RELEASE MECHANISM, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to storage and organizational systems and devices, and more particularly to storage and organizational systems and devices for storing home and garden tools or the like. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In modern American suburbia, the garage has become the storage receptacle for a myriad of items that are necessary for work and recreation. The need for this storage space has become so acute that many suburban dwellings contain a 3-car garage even though the occupants own only two vehicles. Although, in many instances a recreational vehicle or boat occupies the third bay; in most cases, that extra space is utilized for storage and as a work area. Items such as sports equipment, gardening implements, and work shop related items, e.g., screwdrivers, hammers, wrenches, hand and power tools, and other implements for home, vehicle, or garden repair and maintenance are generally stored in the garage. 
     There are a number of systems for storing relatively small and lightweight articles known in the art. For example, pegboard or perforated panel systems are known for hanging articles in a vertical or horizontal orientation using pegboard hooks that are removably attached to a perforated panel. Shelving may also be provided on pegboards using the same or similar structures for securing and supporting the shelf to the pegboard. Prior art perforated panel systems (known as “pegboards”) typically comprise a pressed composite board material with regularly spaced circular perforations into which hooks may be inserted for the storage or display of tools, instruments, and other articles. Changing the locations of the stored articles requires that the hooks or shelf-supports be removed completely from their respective supporting holes in the pegboard, and then reinserted into other holes. After a period of use, the holes tend to become worn and enlarged, and eventually become unable to retain the hooks. Also, the hooks are easily misplaced or lost. These pegboard systems are also aesthetically unattractive, especially after many years of use. 
     A wide variety of useful fasteners for holding items to walls are also well known in the art. When attaching items to a perforated wall or pegboard, however, the available fasteners are much fewer in number, and those that are available have many severe drawbacks. Those who use pegboards are also familiar with the frustration and irritation associated with an insecure hook. Such fasteners often pull off the pegboard and get lost or damaged, especially when only one or two items are held. The typical pegboard fastener is a straight single or double bar, usually extending from about two inches to about six inches from the pegboard. A pegboard fastener of this type usually has a pair of bent rod-like offset hooked portions at its top. These offset hooked portions are inserted into horizontally adjacent holes, by a pivoting action, to situate the top tip of the hooked portions behind the wallboard while allowing the lower part of the fastener to rest against the front surface of the wallboard. 
     While the use of a pair of hooked portions may inhibit rotation of the pegboard fastener, it does not avoid the frustration experienced when the pegboard fastener itself is pulled off the pegboard along with the item being removed. Those who encounter such fasteners or holders for hanging items experience frustration and irritation when attempting to remove the item from the fastener, since the bottom portion of the fastener is easily pulled away from the wall surface, i.e., there is no provision for fixing it to the pegboard. Additional examples of prior art storage systems and fasteners for the same may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. D587,934; D579,705; D577,942; D577,941; D577,940; 7,354,024; 7,353,957; D519,303; D513,968 D509,393; 6,935,518; D508,199; D502,638; D501,125; D499,626; D499,195; D499,005; D498,634; D498,372; D498,005; D497,788; D496,844; D495,944; D495,243; D495,067; D494,457; D494,451; D494,436; D494,036; D494,035; D491,449; D491,287; D491,286; 6,702,128; D482,255; D481,920; D478,805; D478,500; D478,499; 6,581,788; D469,004; D406,714; 5,593,045; D374,366; and D373,949, which patents are hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
     Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a storage system which allowed ease of accessibility to tools, such as gardening implements, while maximizing the use of garage space, in an aesthetically satisfying manner. It would also be advantageous to have an item holder, e.g., a shelf-bracket suitable for use with this storage system that could be mounted directly to a perforated panel portion of the storage system, thereby allowing effective use of available space while facilitating easy removal of the item holder. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a shelf-bracket to be supported upon a panel having a plurality of spaced perforations. The shelf-bracket includes a substantially circumferential flange and a receptacle portion for receiving an end edges of a shelf. An upper panel-catch and a lower panel-catch project outwardly from a side of the circumferential flange in aligned spaced relation to one another. Each of the upper panel-catch and the lower panel-catch have a lock-tab projecting toward an outer surface of the circumferential flange. A pull-release latch is provided that includes a cantilevered beam having a tab projecting outwardly from a free end so as to engage a portion of a perforated panel adjacent to the lower panel-catch, with a trigger disposed within a void defined by a recessed wall. 
     In another embodiment of the invention, a storage system is provided that includes a panel having a plurality of spaced perforation and at least one shelf-bracket to be supported upon the panel. The at least one shelf-bracket includes a substantially circumferential flange and a receptacle portion for receiving an end edges of a shelf. An upper panel-catch and a lower panel-catch project outwardly from a side of the circumferential flange in aligned spaced relation to one another. Each of the upper panel-catch and the lower panel-catch have a lock-tab projecting toward an outer surface of the circumferential flange. A pull-release latch is also included that has a cantilevered beam including a tab projecting outwardly from a free end so as to engage a portion of the perforated panel adjacent to the lower panel-catch, and a trigger disposed within a void defined by a recessed wall. 
     In a further embodiment of the invention, a shelf-bracket is provided that is suitable for being supported upon a panel having a plurality of spaced perforations. The shelf-bracket includes a central wall having a receptacle portion for receiving an end edge of a shelf. An upper panel-catch and a lower panel-catch are provided on the shelf-bracket that project outwardly from an edge of the wall in aligned spaced relation to one another, each of the upper panel-catch and the lower panel-catch having a lock-tab projecting toward an outer edge of the wall. Also, a socket is defined adjacent to the lower panel-catch by a recessed portion of the wall. A modular pull-release latch positioned within the socket. The modular pull-release latch includes a cantilevered beam having a tab projecting outwardly from a free end so as to engage a portion of the perforated panel adjacent to the lower panel-catch. A trigger is disposed within a void defined by the recessed portion of the wall and the modular pull-release latch. 
     In yet a further embodiment of the invention, a storage system is provided comprising the combination of a panel having a plurality of spaced perforation and at least one shelf-bracket to be supported upon the panel, and including a central wall having a receptacle portion for receiving an end edge of a shelf. The shelf-bracket includes an upper panel-catch and a lower panel-catch that each project outwardly from an edge of the wall in aligned spaced relation to one another. Each of the upper panel-catch and the lower panel-catch have a lock-tab projecting toward an outer edge of the wall. A socket is defined adjacent to the lower panel-catch by a recessed portion of the wall. A modular pull-release latch is positioned within the socket, and includes a cantilevered beam having a tab hat projects outwardly from a free end so as to engage a portion of the perforated panel adjacent to the lower panel-catch. A trigger is disposed within a void defined by the recessed portion of the wall and the modular pull-release latch. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully disclosed in, or rendered obvious by, the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, which is to be considered together with the accompanying drawings wherein like numbers refer to like parts and further wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a storage system formed in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a further embodiment of the storage system shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is another variation of the storage system shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a broken-away, perspective view of a perforated panel and item holder formed in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a novel item holder formed in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a novel item holder formed as a shelf-bracket in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the shelf-bracket shown in  FIG. 6 , with the cloths hangars removed for clarity of illustration; 
         FIGS. 8 and 9  are perspective, left and right rear views of another item holder formed as a shelf-bracket in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a modular pull-release latch formed in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 11  is a side elevational view of the modular pull-release latch shown in  FIG. 10 ; 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view, similar to  FIG. 8 , but with a modular pull-release latch positioned in its socket, ready for engagement with a perforated panel; 
         FIG. 13  is a broken-away, perspective view of the modular pull-release latch positioned in its socket in  FIG. 12 ; and 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view of a shelf supported by the item holders shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     This description of preferred embodiments is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description of this invention. The drawing figures are not necessarily to scale and certain features of the invention may be shown exaggerated in scale or in somewhat schematic form in the interest of clarity and conciseness. In the description, relative terms such as “horizontal,” “vertical,” “up,” “down,” “top” and “bottom” as well as derivatives thereof (e.g., “horizontally,” “downwardly,” “upwardly,” etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing figure under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description and normally are not intended to require a particular orientation. Terms including “inwardly” versus “outwardly,” “longitudinal” versus “lateral” and the like are to be interpreted relative to one another or relative to an axis of elongation, or an axis or center of rotation, as appropriate. Terms concerning attachments, coupling and the like, such as “connected” and “interconnected,” refer to a relationship wherein structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise. The term “operatively connected” is such an attachment, coupling or connection that allows the pertinent structures to operate as intended by virtue of that relationship. When only a single machine is illustrated, the term “machine” shall also be taken to include any collection of machines that individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein. In the claims, means-plus-function clauses, if used, are intended to cover the structures described, suggested, or rendered obvious by the written description or drawings for performing the recited function, including not only structural equivalents but also equivalent structures. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , the present invention is often used in connection with an improved storage and organization system  5  comprising a perforated panel  8 , storage cabinets  10 , bench  12 , drawers  13 , and shelves  15 . Storage system  5  is modular in construction such that various combinations of shelves, drawers, and cabinets may be arranged as needed or dictated by its position within a building, e.g., a residential garage, tool shed, or basement area. Storage cabinets  10 , bench  12 , drawers  13 , and shelves  15  are typically formed of common furniture construction materials, e.g., various metals, woods, or polymers. Perforated panel  8  comprises a planer sheet of material, preferably formed of metal, and having a plurality of regularly shaped perforations  9 , disposed in a regular pattern throughout the panel. Perforations  9  are each preferably formed in perforated panel  8  so as to be defined by a circumferential edge, often forming a rectangular or square opening in panel  8 . Perforated panel  8  is typically about one quarter to one half of an inch thick, and provided in modules that are often about two to three feet wide. Of course, it will be understood that perforated panel  8  may have various lengths and widths, depending upon the size of storage system  5  or, perforated panel  8  may be used alone as a wall hung storage panel. 
     Often, perforated panel  8  is arranged above bench  12  so that a plurality of item holders  20  may be positioned on the front surface of perforated panel  8 . For convenience, in this specification, the term “item holder” will be used to represent a type of fixture that is attachable to perforated panel  8  by insertion of an element into at least one of perforations  9  and used to hold various implements, i.e., hand tools, garden tools, instruments, wires, cables, display objects (such as packages, blister display packs, vacuum display packs, loose hardware or household items, grocery items, department or variety store items, and shelves, pictures, wire frames, and the like. In one preferred embodiment, item holder  20  comprises a shelf  26  held to perforated panel  8 , via shelf-brackets  30 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4-7 , one embodiment of shelf-bracket  30  comprises a circumferential flange  31  having a top surface  32 , an outward face  36 , a bottom  34 , and an inner wall  35  ( FIG. 5 ). A lower web  38  is positioned between outward face  36 , bottom  34 , and inner wall  35 . Shelf-brackets  30  are preferably formed from an injection moldable polymer, but may also be formed from a sheet of metal or other material as desired, e.g., shelf-bracket  30   a  in  FIGS. 8 and 9  are often formed as metal stampings while cloths-brackets  30   b  in  FIGS. 6 and 7  are often a molded a polymer. A plurality of openings  39  are defined through lower web  38 , often having varying diameters. An upper panel-catch  48  and a lower panel-catch  49  project outwardly from the outer surface of inner wall  35 . Each of upper panel-catch  48  and lower panel-catch  49  comprise a substantially “hook” shape portion having a lock-tab  52  projecting toward the outer surface of inner wall  35 . Adjacent to lower panel-catch  49  is a pull-release latch  50 , including a pull-release cantilever  54  that projects from an end of inner wall  35 . A pull-release tab  56  is positioned at the free end of pull-release cantilever  54 . A recessed wall  58  is positioned in spaced relation to pull-release cantilever  54 , so as to provide a recess within shelf-bracket  30  into which pull-release cantilever  54  may deflect. A trigger  59  is disposed within the void defined by recessed wall  58  so as to be accessible by a finger or other actuator. Of course, a variety of item holders  20   a  may be formed in a similar manner to shelf-bracket  30  and incorporating the structures associated with pull-release latch  50  ( FIGS. 6 and 7 ). 
     An item holder  20  may be positioned anywhere on perforated panel  8  in the following manner. Each panel-catch  48 , 49  of each shelf-bracket  30  is positioned in coaxial aligned relation with a corresponding set of four perforations  9  in perforated panel  8 . In this position, lock-release tab  56  is positioned in confronting relation to the front surface of perforated panel  8 , directly above the perforation  9  with which its corresponding lower panel-catch  49  is aligned. Once in this position, item holder  20  is moved toward perforated panel  8  until upper panel-catches  48  enter, pass through, and occupy their respective perforation  9 . As this occurs, lower panel-catches  49  enter, pass through, and occupy their respective perforations  9 . At the same time, lock-release tab  56  engages the front surface of perforated panel  8  directly adjacent to the perforation  9  that is occupied by lower panel-catch  49 . Item holder  20  is then moved toward perforated panel  8  until the outer surface of inner wall  35  engages the outer surface of perforated panel  8 . In this position, panel-catches  48  and  49  are fully inserted within perforations  9 , and pull-release latch  50  is deflected inwardly, toward recessed wall  58  of shelf-bracket  30 . Item holder  20  is then moved downwardly, so that lock-tabs  52  move across the edge of perforated panel  8  that defines perforation  9 , and into engagement with the rear surface of perforated panel  8 . As this occurs, lock-release tab  56  of pull-release latch  50  slides along the front surface of perforated panel  8 , and across the peripheral edge of perforation  9  into which lower panel-catch  49  has been previously inserted. Also, pull-release cantilever  54  is released so as to move outwardly, away from recessed wall  58 , such that lock-release tab  56  slides along the edge of perforated panel  8  that defines perforation  9 , so as to secure shelf-bracket  30  in locked engagement with perforated panel  8 . 
     In order to remove item holder  20 , it is necessary only to pull trigger  59  of pull-release cantilever  54  inwardly, toward recessed wall  58  and move item holder  20  upwardly relative to perforated panel  8 . In this way, when lock-release tabs  56  disengage from their respective perforations  9 , both shelf-brackets  30  may be slid outwardly, disengaging lock tabs  52 , so that item holder  20  may be pulled from its position on perforated panel  8 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 10-14 , a modular pull-release latch  60  is provided for use in connection with an alternative shelf-bracket  30   a . Pull-release latch  60  includes a bottom wall  62 , a rear wall  64 , a top wall  66 , and a pull-release cantilever  68 . Pull-release cantilever  68  is arranged in spaced relation to rear wall  64  so as to define a void between bottom wall  62 , rear wall  64 , top wall  66 , and pull-release cantilever  68 . Each of bottom wall  62  and rear wall  64  define a central recessed groove  70 . Recessed groove  70  continues along the outer surface of top wall  66  until it reaches ramp  72  on the end of stop  74  where it terminates. A secondary groove  71  extends from stop  74  through the end of top wall  66  and the bottom wall  62 . In some embodiments, a stop and secondary groove are also located within a portion of recessed groove  70  within bottom wall  62 . Pull-release cantilever  68  projects from an end of top wall  66 . An anti-dislodgement tab  76  projects outwardly from the outer surface of pull-release cantilever  68  adjacent to a free end  77 . A trigger  79  is disposed within the void defined by bottom wall  62 , rear wall  64 , and top wall  66  so as to be accessible by a finger or other actuator. 
     In one embodiment of the invention, modular pull-release latch  60  is received in a complementary socket  80  defined by an edge  81  of shelf-bracket  30   a . Edge  81  also defines confronting receptacle notches  84   a  and  84   b  located within socket  80 . Edge  81  has a thickness that is complementary to the width of recessed groove  70  in modular pull-release latch  60 . In this way, modular pull-release latch  60  may be arranged in spaced confronting and aligned position from socket  80  such that recessed groove  70  is coaxially aligned with edge  81 . From this arrangement, modular pull-release latch  60  is moved toward shelf-bracket  30   a  so that edge  81  is slidingly received within recessed groove  70  until a leading portion of edge  81 , adjacent to notches  84   a  and  84   b , engages ramp  72 . Modular pull-release latch  60  continues into socket  80  until stops  74  slip into respective receptacle notches  84   a  and  84   b  thereby locking modular pull-release latch  60  to shelf-bracket  30   a  ( FIGS. 12-14 ). It should be noted that an advantage of the invention lies in the ability to retro-fit a modular pull-release latch  60  in an existing shelf-bracket by simply cutting a socket  80  into the old bracket in accordance with the foregoing structural description so as to form a shelf-bracket  30   a.    
     It is to be understood that the present invention is by no means limited only to the particular constructions herein disclosed and shown in the drawings, but also comprises any modifications or equivalents within the scope of the claims.