Patent Publication Number: US-11044995-B2

Title: Storage system, cover strip, and method for producing a cover strip

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/780,630 filed May 31, 2018, which is a national phase application of PCT/SE2016/051192, filed Nov. 30, 2016, which claims priority to Swedish Application No. 1551570-3 filed Dec. 1, 2015. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to a storage system including a carrier rail having a U-shaped cross section with a first and a second leg interconnected by a front portion, wherein the front portion is provided with first and second parallel rows of elongated slots to accommodate a suspension element such as a bracket, a basket or the like. The disclosure further relates to a cover strip and to a method for producing a cover strip. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Such a system is disclosed for instance in EP-1635670-A1, where in an example the carrier rail supports a set of hooks or a basket. The carrier rail as well as the devices attached thereto may be produced from sheet metal. One problem associated with systems of that kind is that attaching a device to the rail can be somewhat noisy. 
     SUMMARY 
     One object of the present disclosure is therefore to accomplish a system where such noise can be dampened to some extent thereby providing an improved consumer experience. This object is achieved by means of a storage system as defined in claim  1 . More specifically, in a system of the initially mentioned kind, a flexible cover strip is provided having an abutment face and an exterior face. The cover strip includes a plurality of projections, elongated in the longitudinal direction of the strip, rising from the abutment face surface of the strip in first and second parallel rows, wherein the proximal end of each projection has a length that is equal to or shorter than the length of a carrier rail slot and a width that is narrower than or equal to the width of a slot, and wherein the projections are located on the cover strip in a pattern coinciding with slots on a front portion of the carrier rail. Thereby, the cover strip can be fitted on the front portion with the projections entering the slots, and at least some of the projections are provided with a snap element at their distal ends, which snap elements engage with the slots and prevent the cover strip from falling off the rail. A relatively softer cover strip of this type can help dampening sound propagating along the carrier rail such that noise is reduced to some 
     extent. Additionally, as the front surface of the strip can be smooth, a visually attractive exterior is achieved that is easy e.g. to clean. 
     The snap element may be wider than the projection at the proximal end thereof, and may further include tips that project towards the abutment face. The distance between the end of such a tip and the abutment face may be smaller than the thickness of the rail at the front portion. This makes the cover strip pinch the carrier rail to some extent at the location of the slot which may improve the sound dampening effect. 
     Alternatively, or in combination therewith, the projections may rise obliquely from the abutment face. This may be used to allow the projections themselves to keep the strip in place. 
     A longitudinal tear line cut may be provided in the centre of the abutment face along the length of the cover strip. This facilitates removal of parts of the cover strip to expose slots in the carrier rail intended for use. Further, the projections may be provided in pairs, and transversal tear line cuts may be provided in the abutment surface between adjacent pairs of projections. This makes the above mentioned removal easier. 
     The exterior face of the cover strip may be convex, providing a curvature along the length of the cover strip. 
     A flexible cover strip is also considered having an abutment face and an exterior face, the cover strip including two parallel rows of projections, elongated in the longitudinal direction of the strip, rising from the abutment surface of the strip and being arranged in pairs, wherein the distal end of each projection comprises a snap element which is wider than the proximal end of the projection, wherein a longitudinal tear line is cut in the centre of the abutment face along the length of the cover strip in between the projections in each pair, and wherein transversal tear lines are cut in the abutment surface between adjacent pairs of projections. 
     Further, a method for producing a flexible cover strip in an elastomer material, is considered, which method involves extruding a strip comprising first and second ridges extending from a flat surface along the length of the strip; and cutting the ridges transversally and down to the flat surface with respect to the length of the strip to provide pairs of projections with intervening spaces. This allows cover strips of arbitrary length to be produced at a reasonable cost. 
     The extruding may then create a longitudinal tear line cut in the centre of the flat surface and the cutting may include cutting transversal tear lines in the surface between adjacent pairs of projections. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a carrier rail. 
         FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of a cover strip suitable for the carrier rail in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  shows an enlarged portion of the cover strip in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  shows a perspective view as seen from behind a front surface of the carrier rail when a cover strip is attached to the carrier rail. 
         FIG. 5  shows a side view of a cover strip. 
         FIG. 6  shows a carrier rail when a cover strip has been attached thereto and no attachment slots have been exposed. 
         FIG. 7  shows a view similar to  FIG. 6  where two consecutive slots in a row have been exposed. 
         FIG. 8  shows the carrier rail in  FIG. 7  where a shelf has been attached using the two exposed slots. 
         FIG. 9  shows an example where two consecutive pairs of slots have been exposed. 
         FIG. 10  shows the carrier rail in  FIG. 9  where a bracket has been attached to the carrier rail using the four exposed slots. 
         FIG. 11  shows a side view of an alternative cover strip. 
         FIG. 12  shows a perspective view of the cover strip of  FIG. 11 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present disclosure relates to a storage system comprising a carrier rail  1  as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . The carrier rail/element  1  may be made up by a single elongated piece of sheet metal in which a first  3  and a second  5  row of elongated slots  7  are punched. The carrier rail may then be formed by bending the elongated piece along its length to form a carrier rail  1  with U-shaped cross section as shown in  FIG. 1 . The carrier rail thus has, in cross section, a first leg  9  and a second leg  11 , as well as a front piece  10  or web presenting a front surface  13  and interconnecting the first  9  and second  11  legs, as indicated in  FIG. 1 . Such carrier rails  1  are well known per se, see for instance EP-1635670-A1, and may be attached to a wall or other vertical surface e.g. using screws, with the leg portions  9 ,  11  of the rail abutting the wall, or may be attached to sets of feet that stand on a floor. In general, the carrier rail  1  is arranged vertically. Shelves, baskets, brackets and the like may be attached to the rail by inserting hooks into selected slots  7  in the rail, as is well known per se. For instance, two carrier rails may be used and a bracket may be attached to each rail. A shelf may rest on the brackets, such that a storage surface is accomplished as is well known per se. 
       FIG. 2  shows a cover strip  15  according to an example of the present disclosure. The cover strip  15  may be produced in one piece in an elastomer material such as for instance PPE (Polyphenylene Ether), PP-R (Polypropylene Random), or a soft PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride). In general, as shown in the enlarged portion of  FIG. 3 , the cover strip has an abutment face  17 , that is intended to abut the front surface  13  of the carrier rail  1 . A number of projections  19  are provided extending from the abutment face  17 . As shown in  FIG. 2  the projections  19  are arranged in pairs in two rows with a configuration that matches the slot  7  configuration in the carrier rail front surface, such that the projections can be inserted into the slots as will be shown. However, it would be possible to leave out some projections in the configuration, such that not all slots of the carrier rail  1  have a corresponding projection. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the carrier strip has a longitudinal tear line  21 , that extends along the length of the cover strip. The tear line comprises a cut in the lateral centre of the abutment face  17  surface. Similarly, as most clearly illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the carrier strip comprises transversal tear lines  23  that are disposed in between each consecutive pair  25  of projections  19 . The longitudinal tear line  21  and the transversal tear lines  23  facilitate removing some of the projections  19  together with the cover strip area surrounding each removed projection, such that some of the slots of the carrier rail  1  may be exposed even though the cover strip is fitted on the carrier rail. As most clearly shown in  FIG. 3 , each projection  19  may comprise a snap element  27  at the distal end of the projection, i.e. the part of the projection  19  that is located most distant from the abutment surface  17 . In general, each projection  19  is elongated along the abutment face in the longitudinal direction of the cover strip as a whole, and may have a length that is similar to, or slightly shorter than the length of a slot  7 , and a width that is narrower than or equal to the width of the slot, such that the projection can fit therein. However, at the distal end of the projection, the snap element  27  may be wider than the slot  7 . As shown for instance in  FIG. 3 , a gap  29  is provided between each pair  25  of projections  19 . 
       FIG. 4  shows a perspective view as seen from behind the front surface  13  of a carrier rail  1 , when the cover strip  15  has been fitted thereto. As can be seen, projections extend into each slot and the snap elements  27  have resiliently expanded once pressed through the slots, such that the cover strip is kept in place. When fitted in this way, the cover strip  15  provides a sound dampening function which means that for instance when a bracket is attached to some of the slots, which implies that two sheet metal parts are assembled, the resulting noise is dampened to some extent by the cover strip. In addition to this effect, the cover strip  15  may provide a uniform outer surface without unnecessary openings, and can easily be cleaned as is clear, for instance, from  FIG. 6 . 
       FIG. 5  shows a side view of the cover strip. A shown, the exterior face  31  of the cover strip  15  may be somewhat convex, and the abutment face  17  may be substantially flat, except where the projections  19  rise from the abutment face  17 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the snap element  27  at the distal end of the projection  19  may comprise first and second tips  33  that extend to some extent towards the abutment face  17 . This means that if the cover strip  15  is attached to a carrier rail where the thickness of the carrier rail sheet metal is thicker than the distance between the tips  33  and the abutment face  17 , the sheet metal of the carrier rail front surface  13  will to some extent be pinched between the tips  33  and the abutment face  17 , further reducing the transmission of any sound. Other examples are however conceivable where the snap element simply is wider than the projection  19  at the proximal end  18  thereof. 
     As shown, the longitudinal tear line extends through less than half of the thickness of the cover strip  15 , although it can be deeper, but still facilitates the removal of some parts of the cover strip. This removal may be carried out by cutting with a pair of scissors or a sharp knife, or simply by tearing off the desired portions if the tear line cut is deep enough. The cover strip, as will be discussed later, may be produced by extruding an elastic polymer strip having a uniform cross section as shown by the side view in  FIG. 5 . 
       FIG. 6  shows a case where a cover strip  15  with no removed parts is fitted on a carrier rail  1 . 
       FIG. 7  shows a case where two adjacent projections in a row have been removed, by cutting the cover strip  15  along corresponding tear lines, together with the surrounding areas, to expose the corresponding slots. One half of each of two transversal tear lines are cut and the longitudinal tear line is cut in between these two transversal lines. This enables the attachment of a sheet metal shelf  35  using the two exposed slots  7  in the carrier rail, as illustrated in  FIG. 8 . 
       FIG. 9  shows another example where two adjacent pairs of slots have been exposed by cutting the cover strip  15  along the transversal tear line at two locations. This allows a bracket  37  to be attached using all four exposed slots  7  as illustrated in  FIG. 10 . 
       FIG. 11  shows a side view of an alternative cover strip  15 ′, which is also shown in a perspective view in  FIG. 12 . In this strip  15 ′, the projections  19 ′ rise obliquely from the abutment surface  17 . At their proximal ends  18 , the projections may have the same configuration as shown in  FIG. 5 , coinciding with slots  7  of a carrier rail, but rise in a direction inclined away from the midpoint of the strip  15 ′. At the same, the distal ends as shown can be formed such that the projections  19 ′ flex inwards when pressed towards the carrier rail. When each snap element  27  has entered far enough into a slot, the projection  19 ′ will snap back out. When attached, the projections  19 ′ can be slightly urged towards the side of its respective slot. This helps to centre the strip on the rail. Also, the projections themselves help keeping the strip locked in place. Tips  33  may nevertheless be provided on the snap elements. 
     It would be possible to produce cover strips according to above-described example by injection moulding, but strips longer than approximately 40 cm would imply relatively expensive injection moulding tools. Therefore, an alternative production method has been considered where a cover strip which is uniform along its length and has a cross section as indicated by the profile in  FIG. 5  is extruded in a first step. In a second step, ridges that will form the projections are cut transversely with regard to the elongated direction of the rail to remove e.g. the material  39  indicated by dashed lines in  FIG. 3 . The optional longitudinal tear line may be provided in the extruding step while transversal tear lines may be cut in the second or a later step. In this way, the strip can be produced in an arbitrary length. 
     The present disclosure is not restricted to the examples given above, and may be varied and altered in different ways within the scope of the appended claims.