Patent Publication Number: US-10327551-B1

Title: Vertical shelf support bars having laterally spaced apart first support interfaces and second support interfaces recessed and laterally inside the first support interfaces

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates vertical shelf supports and in particular to vertical shelf supports providing a first set of mounting features and a nested second set of mounting features. 
     Know vertical shelf supports include a single row of vertically spaced apart mounting features. There is often a desire to mount a panel to the vertical supports, and to mount shelves over the panels. Unfortunately, the known vertical shelf supports do not allow such configurations. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention addresses the above and other needs by providing a nested vertical shelf mount system which includes vertical bars having a first set of vertically spaced apart mounting features and a second set of vertically spaced apart mounting features spaced inside and recessed behind the first set of vertically spaced apart mounting features. The mounting features may be any feature allowing a shelf, panel, or the like, to be attached to the vertical bars. A panel may be attached to the second set of vertically spaced apart mounting features and a shelf may be attached to the first set of vertically spaced apart mounting features residing over the panel to provide a finished appearance 
     In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there are provided vertical bars with a first set of vertically spaced apart mounting features and a second set of vertically spaced apart mounting features spaced inside and recessed behind the first set of vertically spaced apart mounting features. The vertical bars may include identical sets of mounting features or different mounting features. The mounting features may be narrow rectangular slots for accepting hooks, or may be “T” slots wide at the top and narrowing towards the bottom to accept buttons. Slightly wider shelve and panels may be mounted to the first set of vertically spaced apart mounting features and slightly narrower shelve and panels may be mounted to the second set of vertically spaced apart mounting features. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
       The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following more particular description thereof, presented in conjunction with the following drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1A  is a front view of a nested vertical shelf mount system according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 1B  is a top view of the nested vertical shelf mount system according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 1C  is a side view of the nested vertical shelf mount system according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2A  is a front view of a vertical bar of the nested vertical shelf mount system according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2B  is a left side view of the vertical bar of the nested vertical shelf mount system according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2C  is a right side view of the vertical bar of the nested vertical shelf mount system according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2D  is a top view of the vertical bar of the nested vertical shelf mount system according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 3A  is a top view of a wider shelf of the nested vertical shelf mount system according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 3B  is a front view of the wider shelf of the nested vertical shelf mount system according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 3C  is a rear view of the wider shelf of the nested vertical shelf mount system according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 3D  is a side view of the wider shelf of the nested vertical shelf mount system according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 4A  is a front view of a narrower panel of the nested vertical shelf mount system according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 4B  is a top view of the narrower panel of the nested vertical shelf mount system according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 4C  is a side view of the narrower panel of the nested vertical shelf mount system according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  shows features for attaching a button connector to the vertical bars according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  show a cross-sectional view of the wider panel attached to the vertical bars using the button connector taken along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 5 , according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  shows features for attaching a hook connector to the vertical bars according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  show a cross-sectional view of the narrower panel attached to the vertical bars using the hook connector taken along line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 7 , according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout the several views of the drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The following description is of the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of describing one or more preferred embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the claims. 
     A front view of a nested vertical shelf mount system  10  according to the present invention is shown in  FIG. 1A , a front view of the nested vertical shelf mount system  10  is shown in  FIG. 1B , and a side view of the nested vertical shelf mount system  10  is shown in  FIG. 1C . As can be seen in  FIG. 1A , there is a first distance, defined by the distance between features  13   a  of adjacent vertical bars  12 , and a second distance, defined by the distance between features  13   b  of adjacent vertical bars  12 , and the first distance is greater than the second distance. The nested vertical shelf mount system  10  includes two vertical bars  12 , and a combination of wider and narrower shelves  14   a  and  14   b  respectively, and a combination of wider and narrower panels  16   a  and  16   b  respectively. The wider shelves  14   a  and panels  16   a  attached to features  13   a  on the vertical bars  12 , and the narrower shelves  14   b  and panels  16   b  attached to features  13   b  on the vertical bars  12 . 
     A front view of the vertical bar  12  is shown in  FIG. 2A , a left side view of the vertical bar  12  is shown in  FIG. 2B , a right side view of the vertical bar  12  is shown in  FIG. 2C , and a top view of the vertical bar  12  is shown in  FIG. 2D . As can be seen in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2D , the cross-section of the vertical bar defines an “L” shape. The vertical bars  12  are similar to know vertical bars having the forward surface  11   a  having features  13   a , but additionally include a recessed surface  11   b  having the features  13   b . The features  13   a  and  13   b  may be identical features for different features. For example, they may be narrow rectangular slots for accepting hooks, or “T” slots wide at the top and narrowing towards the bottom to accept buttons  20  (see  FIGS. 3A, 3C, and 3D ). 
     A top view of the wider shelf  14   a  of the nested vertical shelf mount system  10  is shown in  FIG. 3A , a front view of the wider shelf  14   a  of the nested vertical shelf mount system  10  is shown in  FIG. 3B , a rear view of the wider shelf  14   a  of the nested vertical shelf mount system  10  is shown in  FIG. 3C , and a side view of the wider shelf  14   a  of the nested vertical shelf mount system  10  is shown in  FIG. 3D . The shelf  14   a  includes buttons  20  which engage the “T” slots  13   a  in the vertical bars  12 . The narrower shelves  14   a  are nearly identical, but are narrower to engage the features  13   b  in the vertical bars  12 . 
     A front view of the narrower panel  16   b  of the nested vertical shelf mount system  10  is shown in  FIG. 4A , a top view of the narrower panel  16   b  of the nested vertical shelf mount system  10  is shown in  FIG. 4B , and a side view of the narrower panel  16   b  of the nested vertical shelf mount system  10  is shown in  FIG. 4A . The narrow panel  16   b  includes at least two buttons  20  for engaging the “T” slots  13   a  in the vertical bars  12 , and preferably includes 4 buttons spaced vertically and horizontally apart for engaging the “T” slots  13   a  in the vertical bars  12 . The narrower panel  16   b  is attached to the features  13   b  and may reside behind the shelf  14   a  providing a finished appearance. 
     A detailed view of the feature  13   a  and  13   b  for attaching a button connector  20  to the vertical bar is shown in  FIG. 5  and a cross-sectional view of the wider panel  16   a  attached to the vertical bar  12  using the button connector  20  is shown in  FIG. 6 . The button connector  20  is inserted through the mouth  15  of the T″ slot  13   a  and dropped into the T″ slot  13   a.    
     A detailed view of the features for attaching a hook connector  20 ′ to the vertical bars  12  is shown in  FIG. 7  and a cross-sectional view of the narrower panel  16   b  attached to the vertical bars  12  using the hook connector  20 ′ is shown in  FIG. 8 . The hook connector  20   i  is inserted through the rectangular slot  13   a ′ and dropped into the rectangular slot  13   a′.    
     While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments and applications thereof, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention set forth in the claims.