Patent Document

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/458,810, filed Mar. 28, 2003, which is incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to support members used to secure a removable shelf to internal walls of a metal cabinet. More particularly, the invention relates to an improved support member or lance having a dimple to allow a metal shelf to mount more securely to a side wall in a metal cabinet. 
     Metal cabinets are some of the most versatile pieces of furniture available. Metal cabinets can be hung in work areas such as metal or woodworking shops, garages, as well as many other places. Metal cabinets can also provide storage in vehicles such as trucks and vans. In addition to the versatility provided by metal cabinets regarding the location and placement of the cabinets, metal cabinets also provide versatility in what they store. Metal cabinets have been used to store threaded rod, wire, brake line, welding rods, as well as more common items such as tools and fasteners. To increase a metal cabinet&#39;s versatility, some of the shelves are removable so that larger or different items can be stored in the cabinet. 
     Removable shelves are mounted to internal side walls of the cabinet. Typically, lances are punched in the side walls of the cabinet to provide a retaining member in which a portion of a removable shelf can be placed to mount the shelf. Typically, the shelf can be easily removed from the lance by lifting up vertically on the shelf. Furthermore, nothing prevents the shelf from moving out of engagement with the lance. Thus, it would be desirable to provide a device that would promote a friction fit between the lance and the shelf so that removal of the shelf is still possible; however, the shelf has a tighter fit to the side wall and is more securely held in place. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A metal cabinet includes a side wall and a support member or lance extending from the side wall. The support member includes a first leg extending at least substantially normal to the side wall and the second leg extending from the first leg spaced from and at least substantially parallel to the side wall. The second leg includes a protrusion or dimple. 
     A method of installing a removable shelf in a cabinet including side walls having lances formed therein, wherein each of the lances includes a dimple formed in a leg that is substantially parallel to the respective side wall from which the lance is formed includes the following: providing a shelf having a plurality of flanges depending from a planar surface, wherein the flanges include openings that align with the dimples of the lances, and placing the flanges of the shelf in the lances such that the openings in the flanges receive the dimples on the lances. 
     Still other aspects of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention takes form in certain parts and arrangements of parts, preferred embodiments of which will be described in detail in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and wherein: 
         FIGS. 1-3  show a metal cabinet in open and closed configurations; 
         FIG. 4  is a close-up view of a shelf of the metal cabinet of  FIGS. 1-3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a metal cabinet; 
         FIGS. 6-7  are perspective views of a cabinet side wall and a shelf; 
         FIGS. 8-9  are perspective views of a second embodiment of a cabinet side wall and shelf; 
         FIG. 10  is an enlarged view of a lance having a dimple therein; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a lance not attached to a cabinet wall; 
         FIG. 12  is a side elevation view of the lance of  FIG. 11 ; and, 
         FIG. 13  is a front view of the lance of  FIG. 11 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the figures, wherein the showings are for purposes of illustrating the preferred embodiments of the invention only and are not for purposes of limiting same,  FIG. 1  shows a metal cabinet A having a door  10 , side walls  12  and  14 , and a top wall  16 . The door is hingedly attached to the side wall  12  and includes a handle  18  and a lock  20 . Openings  30  are formed when support members or lances  32  are formed or punched in side walls  12  and  14 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , the cabinet has a bottom wall  22  and a shelf  24  which extends between side walls  12  and  14 . The shelf is removably mounted to the side walls and is approximately parallel to the top and bottom walls.  FIG. 2  only shows one shelf; however, a plurality of shelves may be mounted within the cabinet. Preferably, the shelves would be substantially parallel to each other. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a cabinet with shelves removed. Lances  32  are punched out or otherwise formed in the side walls of the cabinet to receive a portion of a shelf. Two lances are illustrated in the figure; however, a plurality of lances may be used to mount a plurality of shelves to the side walls. A rear wall  26  of the cabinet may also include one or more lances  32 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , shelf  24  is mounted to side walls  12 ,  14  of the cabinet. The shelf has flanges  34  depending from a planar top surface  36  which are selectively received by the lances  32 . 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a second embodiment of a metal cabinet B having a door  60 , side walls  62  and  64 , top wall  66 , rear wall  76 , and bottom wall  72 . A shelf  74  is mounted inside the cabinet and extends between side walls  62  and  64 . Preferably, shelf  74  is oriented parallel to the top and bottom walls. Furthermore, support wall  78  can be positioned between the center of the bottom wall  72  and the shelf  74  to support the shelf. Support wall  78  can also be connected to bottom wall  72  and the shelf  74  using the lances. 
       FIG. 6  shows a metal sheet  90  which can be used as a side wall of a metal cabinet. The sheet  90  contains flanges  92 ,  94 ,  96 , and  98  that extend in a substantially perpendicular fashion to the sheet. The flanges each have a plurality of openings  100 . Furthermore, sheet  90  has lances  110  formed across the surface of the sheet. The lances are spaced apart and are parallel to each other. With reference now to  FIGS. 11-13  along with  FIG. 6 , each lance includes a first leg  112  that extends from and is substantially perpendicular to the sheet and a second leg  114  spaced from the sheet which also extends from and is substantially perpendicular to the first leg and parallel to the sheet. 
     The lance also includes a protrusion or dimple  116  formed on the second leg  114 . Dimple  116  is depressed or punched in the second leg  114  and preferably has a substantially hemi-spherical shape or configuration. The dimple can also be a solid piece that is affixed to the leg  114 , or the lance could be a unitary structure formed with a solid dimple. Also, leg  116  is shown having an accurate top edge; however, the leg can take any shape, including having a straight top edge or the like. It should be recognized that other forms or shapes of a dimple can also be used without departing from the scope of the invention. Sheet  90  can include a plurality of lances to receive a plurality of shelves, or other members to be mounted to a cabinet wall. 
     A second metal sheet  120  that can be used as a cabinet shelf mounts onto and is secured to sheet  90  via lances  110 . Sheet  120  has flanges  122 ,  124 ,  126 , and  128  that depend substantially perpendicular from edges of the sheet  120 . The flanges each include a plurality of openings  130  that are each sized to receive a dimple  116  of the lance  110  when the sheet or shelf  120  is mounted to the sheet or side wall  90 . 
     To mount the shelf  120  to the side wall  90 , flange  122  is positioned adjacent or abutted against side wall  90  and flanges  122  and  128  are placed adjacent inside walls of flanges  98  and  94 , respectively. Openings  130  are aligned with the lances  110 . Flange  122  is slid into lance  110  permitting dimple  116  to slide along or ride over a portion of flange  122  and be received by opening  130 . Dimple  116  provides a slight friction fit between flange  122  and lance  110 . Thus, when the shelf is installed to the side wall, the shelf is prevented from being easily removed from the side wall. The shelf is not permanently affixed to the side wall; however, the dimple provides enough frictional resistance to require a small amount of force to release or pull the shelf from the side wall, thus securing the shelf in position. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates shelf  120  just prior to flange  122  being slid and received by lance  110  of side wall  90 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 8 , a sheet  160 , preferably made of metal, which can be used as a side wall of the cabinet includes flanges  162 ,  164 ,  166 , and  168  extending from edges of the sheet. The flanges depend from and are substantially perpendicular to the sheet or side wall  160 . The side wall  160  has a first surface  170  defining openings  172  that are formed when lances  200  are formed or punched through first surface  170  and second surface  171 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 9 , a sheet  180 , preferably made of metal, used as a shelf is mounted to side wall  160  via engagement with lances  200 . The shelf includes flanges  182 ,  184 ,  186 , and  188  which extend from the edges of the wall  160 . Each of the lances  200  includes a first leg  202  perpendicular to the side wall  160  and a second leg  204  spaced from the side wall which extends from and is perpendicular to the first leg and substantially parallel to the side wall. Each of the lances has a dimple  206  which protrudes from the second leg  204  towards an inner surface  174  of side wall  160 . Preferably, dimple  206  has a hemispherical shape. However, other shapes and forms of a dimple may be used without departing from the scope of the invention. 
     Flanges  182 ,  184 ,  186  and  188  of the shelf  180  each have openings  190  sized to receive dimples  206  of the lances  200  when the shelf  180  is mounted to side wall  160 . Shelf  180  is mounted to side wall  160 , by abutting flange  182  to inner surface  174  of the side wall  160  and aligning openings  190  above the dimples  206  of the lances  200 . With the openings  190  aligned with dimples  206 , flanges  184  and  188  of shelf  180  are also aligned with side wall flanges  164  and  168 . Flange  182  is slid down towards lances  200  so that dimples  206  slide along or ride over a portion of the flange  182  protruding through openings  190 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 10 , the lance  200  may be formed by punching through the side wall  160  with a die to form a rounded upper portion  210  having two lateral linear portions  212 ,  214 . The lance is then formed or punched to form first and second legs  202 ,  204 . Dimple  206  is formed in substantially the center of leg  204 . The dimple can also be formed off center on leg  204 . Opening  190  is formed by punching the lance out of the wall. 
     The lance  200  may also be a separate member attached to side wall  160  by either welding or other fastening means. The lance would have substantially the same configuration as described in the preceding paragraphs; however, no opening  190  would be formed in the side wall  160 . 
     The invention has been described with reference to several preferred embodiments. It should be apparent that modifications and alterations would occur to others upon a reading and understanding of the preceding specification. For example, the shape and configuration of the lance may be different in that it may not have a rounded upper portion or the sides may not be linear. As earlier stated, this specification is intended to disclose all such obvious modifications.

Technology Category: 1