Patent Description:
<CIT> is directed to a multi-hooks bracket adapted to hookably attach into vertically spaced and vertically elongated apertures of a multi-apertured column whereby the hookably attached bracket is adapted to cantileverly support office equipment, an improved multi-hooks bracket structure that is resistant to upward dislodgement from the multi-apertured column, said improved bracket structure comprising: (A) a generally horizontally extending arm having a periphery comprising a substantially horizontally upper-edge adapted to support office equipment thereat and also comprising an upright rear-side; (B) a plurality of vertically spaced hooks arrayed along an upright first-plane, each hook extending horizontally rearwardly and then downwardly from the arm rear-side whereby each hook is adapted to extend into and partially occupy the height of a vertically elongate aperture of a said multi-apertured column; and (C) a horizontally elongate lock located along said first-plane and at the arm rear-side, said lock having an elevation between consecutive bracket hooks and being horizontally reciprocatably associated with said arm so as to move along the horizontal portion of a said consecutive hook toward the unoccupied height remainder of a said partially occupied column aperture, and said lock having an inclined notchably serrated rear-end contour adapted to removably securely plug-into said column aperture unoccupied height remainder to thereby prevent upward dislodgement of said bracket from a said multi-apertured column.

<CIT> discloses a channel adapted to fit within a slotted wall panel, comprising an elongated extruded member, which, in cross section, including: (a) a substantially U-shaped central box member, comprising a face plate adapted to be exposed on and oriented substantially parallel to an exposed surface of the panel, and two box support members extending substantially perpendicular from the face plate, adapted to extend into the panel from the face plate; (b) a flange member extending from each of the support members, comprising a flange plate connected to one of the support members and extending substantially parallel to the face plate, and a flange support member connected to the flange plate and extending substantially perpendicular to the flange plate, the two box support members and the flange support members being oriented substantially parallel to each other, and terminating in substantially the same plane.

<CIT> discloses a support bracket for shelving comprising a main body having a vertical edge from which extend a plurality of spaced apart, outwardly directed hooks for mounting the bracket on a vertical support standard with said hooks extending into vertically spaced apertures in the standard; a lock for preventing removal of the bracket from the standard, said lock comprising a member that is movably mounted on the main body of the bracket for displacement towards and away from the support standard between a locked and unlocked position and including a portion adapted to engage in an aperture of the support standard, the lock being disposed on the vertical edge of the main body so that it enters and at least partially occupies an aperture of the support standard that is not partially occupied by one of the bracket's hooks.

<CIT> discloses a shelf system for releasable mounting of shelves or boards on a wall or standing by itself, said shelf system comprising: at least one supporting element which is essentially vertically positioned and has slots or grooves, at least one plate-shaped shelf bracket having a longitudinal plane which is adapted to support said shelf or board and which by means of a hook-shaped portion projecting from one end of said shelf bracket is adapted to be inserted into a chosen slot and engage with an area of the supporting element adjacent to the slot for sustaining the shelf bracket in the supporting element, and a locking element for releasable locking of the shelf bracket on the supporting element, wherein the hook-shaped portion has a fastening end which is directed upwards in a mounting position of the shelf bracket and is defined by a recess in the shelf bracket and by an essentially arc-shaped circumferential surface extending downwards from the uppermost portion of the recess and terminating at said end of said shelf bracket, wherein the distance between the termination of said circumferential surface and the recess corresponds to the height of the slot in order to enable the hook shaped portion to fit through the slot, wherein the shelf bracket is adapted to be applied obliquely from above into the supporting element and subsequently be pivoted in place downwards, and wherein the recess has a width that is greater than the material thickness of the supporting element in said slot area for releasable receiving of the locking element, which locking element is adapted to be positioned perpendicular to the longitudinal plane of the shelf bracket and the width of the recess is small enough such that the recess engages with the locking element to prevent the shelf bracket from being unintentionally detached from the supporting element when the locking element is in the recess, whereby the shelf bracket is locked in a releasable manner on the supporting element.

A further support bracket is known from <CIT>.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a rack system according to claim <NUM>, said rack system comprising at least one support rail configured with a plurality of axially extending bracket arresting slots and a plurality of corresponding locking locations, and at least one support bracket comprising at least two axially disposed engaging hooks readily detachably attachable with any two or more of the bracket arresting slots of the support rail, said support bracket further comprising a locking mechanism comprising a locking plunger configured for engaging with a locking location at the support rail.

The term rack system is used in its broad sense and denotes any rack support system configured as a wall mountable rack support system, for any purpose, e.g. a shelving system and the like. The term wall refers to any support element to which a support rail according to the disclosure can be applied, either stationary or mobile.

The term support bracket denotes a cantilever-type element detachably attachable to a support rail, said support bracket can be used for supporting any type of load, e.g. shelves, cargo, containers and the like, any items of utility and the like.

The arrangement is such that the support bracket can be attached or detached from the support rail only when the locking plunger is disengaged from a locking location, thereby preventing unintentional detaching, or attaching, of the support bracket from the support rail.

According to a particular example, the support rail is configured with a bracket arresting surface, comprising a plurality of paired bracket arresting slots, parallelly disposed in two rows, and the plurality of locking locations are configured as locking openings disposed in correspondence with each pair of slots, said locking openings disposed along a longitudinal axis extending between said rows.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a support bracket according to claim <NUM>, said support bracket being configured for detachably attaching to a support rail, said support bracket comprising a body extending between a first, engaging end, and a second end, wherein the engaging end comprises at least a pair of axially disposed engaging hooks projecting from the engaging end and configured for sliding engagement within bracket arresting slots of a support rail, and a locking mechanism comprising a locking plunger normally biased into a projecting position from the engaging end, and a actuating member for displacing the locking plunger into a retracted position.

The engaging end of the support bracket defines an engaging surface configured for at least partially sliding and bearing over at least a portion of the bracket arresting surface of the support rail.

According to one example, the support bracket has a body comprising two parallelly extending side walls with a space therebetween, at least near the engaging end, said space accommodating the locking mechanism, with an actuation opening at least at one of the side walls extending in register with a portion of the locking mechanism.

According to a particular example, the support bracket is configured with two or more pairs of parallelly disposed engaging hooks, and wherein each pair of engaging hooks is equally spaced from each other pair of engaging hooks along the longitudinal axis.

Any one or more of the following features, designs and configurations can be applied to the support bracket and/or rack system according to the present disclosure, separately and in various combinations thereof:.

The term utility unit as used herein denotes any article of utility, either stationary of mobile, having a utility and being detachable attachable to other utility units. A utility unit according to the present disclosure can be, by way of example, any type of container, drawer shed, work surface, locomotion system, mounting system, and the like.

In order to better understand the subject matter that is disclosed herein and to exemplify how it may be carried out in practice, embodiments will now be described, by way of a non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:.

Turning first to <FIG> of the drawings, there is illustrated a rack system according to an example of the disclosure, generally designated <NUM>. The rack system illustrated in the example is a shelving system, comprising a plurality of shelves <NUM>, though it is appreciated that the rack system can assume different configurations for different purposes.

With further reference to <FIG>, the rack system <NUM> comprises two support rails <NUM> parallelly extending, vertically, along a longitudinal axis X. The support rails <NUM> are configured for articulation to any wall (not shown) and are configured of sheet metal having a substantially rectangular section with a flat bracket arresting surface <NUM>. The bracket arresting surface <NUM> is configured with two rows of bracket arresting slots 20A and 20B (collectively designated <NUM>) disposed parallelly to axis X. The bracket arresting slots are arranged in pairs, horizontally spaced apart at a distance d, equally axially distanced from one another at a distance D, and each slot having a height H and a width W.

Further, bracket arresting surface <NUM> is configured with a plurality of locking locations, namely circular openings <NUM>, said openings disposed along the longitudinal axis X and equally distanced from one another, extending between the pairs of bracket arresting slots 20A and 20B.

A plurality of brackets <NUM> are detachably attached to the support rails <NUM>. In <FIG> the bracket <NUM>' has a slightly different design, wherein it is configured with a uniform arm portion extending from a rail engaging end thereof, though is functionally similar to brackets <NUM>). Each bracket <NUM> comprises a rigid body <NUM> extending between a first, rail engaging end <NUM>, and a second, free end <NUM>, wherein the engaging end <NUM> comprises three pairs of downwardly facing, axially disposed, engaging hooks 40A and 40B (collectively designated <NUM>) projecting from the engaging end <NUM>. The length L of engaging hooks <NUM> is slightly less than height H of arresting slots <NUM> (H>L) and the width S of the engaging hooks <NUM> is slightly less than the width W of the arresting slots <NUM> (S<W). Further wherein the axial distance between axially neighboring engaging hooks <NUM> is substantially equal to distance D (the axial distance between arresting slots <NUM>). The horizontal distance d between a pair of engaging hooks 40A and 40B is substantially equal to distance between a pair of arresting slots <NUM>.

The engaging hooks 40A and 40B project from an engaging surface <NUM>, said surface configured for sliding engagement over the bracket arresting surface <NUM> of the support rail <NUM>. A top portion of the support bracket <NUM> defines a support surface <NUM>, which in the present example extends perpendicular to the engaging surface <NUM>.

The body <NUM> of the bracket <NUM> is configured, according to an example, of bent metal sheet material, though it can be made also in different techniques and materials, e.g. of reinforced polymeric material. The body comprises two parallelly extending side walls <NUM> defining therebetween a space <NUM> of width P. Each of the side walls <NUM> is configured near the rail engaging end <NUM> with an elliptically shaped window <NUM>, in register with one another, having a long axis laying substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the bracket <NUM>.

Disposed within the space <NUM>, there is snappingly set a locking mechanism <NUM> (<FIG>), comprising a rigid body <NUM> (actuating member) configured at a front end thereof with a tapering locking plunger <NUM> having a rounded/chamfered tip <NUM> and a round finger engageable actuating opening <NUM>. Extending from a rear wall of the body <NUM> there is a spring retention boss <NUM> (<FIG>) supporting a coiled compression spring <NUM>. Body <NUM> has a flat top surface <NUM> and has a width Z only slightly less than the width P of the space <NUM> within the bracket <NUM>, thus fitted for sliding displacement within the space <NUM>. The actuating opening <NUM> is configured with a rim <NUM> having a width R greater than the width P of space <NUM> (P<R), said rim being substantially circular with a diameter corresponding with the short axis of the elliptical window <NUM> of the bracket <NUM>, whereby the locking mechanism <NUM> is restricted for sliding displacement within and along the long axis of the window <NUM>.

When assembling the locking mechanism <NUM> in the support bracket <NUM>, it is snappingly applied into the space <NUM>, with the rim <NUM> received within the window <NUM>, and with a rear end of biasing spring <NUM> bearing against a support wall portion <NUM> cut out of a wall <NUM> and extending into the space <NUM>.

At the assembled position the locking plunger <NUM> is normally biased into a projecting position from the engaging end <NUM> and owing to location of rim <NUM> within the elliptical window <NUM>, the locking mechanism <NUM> is restricted to only sliding displacement within the space of the support bracket <NUM> between said projecting position and a retracted position, against the biasing effect of the coiled spring <NUM>, by an individual manipulating the actuating member <NUM> in a trigger-like fashion, i.e. by inserting a finger into the opening <NUM> and displacing it rearwards, against the biasing effect, so that the plunger <NUM> retracts inwards.

Claim 1:
A support bracket (<NUM>) configured for detachably attaching to a support rail (<NUM>), said support bracket comprising a body (<NUM>) extending between a first, engaging end (<NUM>), and a second end (<NUM>), wherein the engaging end (<NUM>) comprises at least a pair of axially disposed engaging hooks (<NUM>) projecting from the engaging end and configured for sliding engagement within bracket arresting slots (<NUM>) of the support rail (<NUM>), and a locking mechanism (<NUM>) comprising a locking plunger (<NUM>) normally biased into a projecting position from the engaging end (<NUM>), and a actuating member (<NUM>) for displacing the locking plunger into a retracted position, wherein the actuating member (<NUM>) is accommodated within a space (<NUM>) of the body defined between two parallelly disposed side walls (<NUM>),
the actuating member (<NUM>) being configured with a body portion having a body width (Z) corresponding with the width (P) of the space (<NUM>) between the parallelly extending side walls (<NUM>) of the bracket body, and a sliding limit projecting from the body portion, having a width greater then said space width and projecting into actuation openings (<NUM>) of the side wall, thereby restricting sliding displacement of the retracing member between a forward projecting position and a rearward, retracted position,
the body portion of the actuating member being configured with a through-going finger engaging location (<NUM>), disposed in register with actuation openings (<NUM>) at the side walls, said finger engaging location being smaller than the actuation openings and configured with a laterally projecting rim portion (<NUM>) defining said sliding limit.