Rack system

Abstract

Provided are rack systems including 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 including 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 including a locking mechanism including a locking plunger configured for engaging with a locking location at the support rail.

Claims

1. A support bracket 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 the support rail, and a locking mechanism comprising a locking plunger normally biased into a projecting position from the engaging end, and an actuating member for displacing the locking plunger into a retracted position, wherein the actuating member is accommodated within a space of the body defined between two parallelly disposed side walls, with one or more actuation openings defined in at least one of the side walls and extending in register with a portion of the locking mechanism, and wherein the actuating member is configured with a body portion having a body width corresponding with the width of the space between the parallelly disposed side walls of the body, and a sliding limit projecting from the body portion, having a width greater than a width of said space and projecting into the actuation openings, thereby restricting sliding displacement of the retracing member between a forward projecting position and a rearward, retracted position.

2. A 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 according to claim 1.

3. The rack system of claim 2, wherein 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 detaching, or attaching, of the support bracket from the support rail.

4. The rack system of claim 2, wherein the support rail is configured with a bracket arresting surface, comprising said plurality of bracket arresting slots arranged in pairs, 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.

5. The rack system of claim 2, wherein the bracket arresting locations are configured as parallelly disposed slots axially extending along the longitudinal axis.

6. The rack system of claim 2, wherein the locking locations are configured as round openings disposed between pairs of bracket arresting locations.

7. The rack system of claim 2, wherein the support bracket is configured with one or more articulating locations, for securing thereto a variety of utility units.

8. The rack system of claim 2, wherein the support bracket is configured with an articulation mechanism for detachably attaching thereto a variety of utility units.

9. The rack system of claim 2, wherein the support bracket is configured for sliding supporting one or more utility units or a utility support platform, which in turn is configured for detachably attaching thereto one or more utility units.

10. The support bracket of claim 1, wherein 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 a bracket arresting surface of the support rail.

11. The support bracket of claim 10, wherein the engaging hooks are axially disposed along a longitudinal axis of the support bracket, and the engaging surface of the body extends along an axis normal to said longitudinal axis.

12. The support bracket of claim 10, wherein when the locking plunger of the support bracket is received within a locking opening of the support rail, the engaging surface of the support bracket is prohibited from sliding over the bracket arresting surface of the support rail, and prohibiting axial sliding displacement into engagement or disengagement from the support rail.

13. The support bracket of claim 1, wherein the support bracket is configured with two or more pairs of said engaging hooks, and wherein each pair of said engaging hooks is equally spaced from each other along the longitudinal axis.

14. The support bracket of claim 1, wherein the engaging hooks of the support bracket coextend flush from the side walls of the body.

15. The support bracket of claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism of the support bracket comprises more than one said locking plunger, all of which being actuated between the normally projecting position and the retracted position by manipulating a single actuating member.

16. The support bracket of claim 1, wherein the actuating member is configured for only sliding displacement within the space extending between the side walls of the body.

17. The support bracket of claim 1, wherein the body portion of the actuating member is configured with a through-going finger engaging location, disposed in register with open or more of the actuation openings, said finger engaging location being smaller than the actuation openings, wherein the finger engaging location is configured with a laterally projecting rim portion defining said sliding limit.

18. The support bracket of claim 1, wherein the actuating member with the locking plunger are biased into the projecting position by a biasing member extending between a bearing portion of the actuating member and a support portion of body.

19. The support bracket of claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism is snappingly articulated within the space.

20. The support bracket of claim 1, wherein the support bracket is configured with one or more articulating locations, for securing thereto a variety of utility units.

21. The support bracket of claim 1, wherein the support bracket is configured with an articulation mechanism for detachably attaching thereto a variety of utility units.

22. The support bracket of claim 1, wherein the support bracket is configured for sliding supporting one or more utility units or a utility support platform, which in turn is configured for detachably attaching thereto one or more utility units.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) 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:

(2) FIG. 1A is a top perspective view of a rack system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

(3) FIG. 1B is a bottom perspective view of a rack system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

(4) FIG. 2A is a top perspective view of a support bracket according to an exemplary design of the disclosure, articulated to a support rail;

(5) FIG. 2B is a bottom perspective view of a support bracket according to an exemplary design of the disclosure, articulated to a support rail;

(6) FIG. 3 is an exploded rear perspective view of a support bracket of FIG. 2A;

(7) FIG. 4A is a front perspective view of a locking mechanism of the support bracket of FIG. 3;

(8) FIG. 4B is a section along line I-I in FIG. 4A;

(9) FIG. 5A is a rear perspective view of an engaging end portion of the support bracket, at enlarged scale, the locking mechanism at a normally projecting position;

(10) FIG. 5B is a front perspective view of the portion shown in FIG. 5A;

(11) FIG. 5C is a section taken along line II-II in FIG. 5B;

(12) FIGS. 6A to 6D are rear perspective views, illustrating consecutive steps of articulating a support bracket to a support rail, according to the present disclosure;

(13) FIGS. 7A to 7D are front perspective views, corresponding with the consecutive steps illustrated in FIGS. 6A to 6D;

(14) FIGS. 8A to 8E are perspective side views of the engaging end, vertically sectioned through a centerline of the support bracket, illustrating consecutive steps of articulating the support bracket to the support rail, according to the present disclosure;

(15) FIG. 9A is a front perspective view of the engaging end of a bracket, horizontally sectioned along line III-III in FIG. 7A, the locking mechanism at the fully projecting position;

(16) FIG. 9B is a front perspective view of the engaging end of a bracket, horizontally sectioned along line IV-IV in FIG. 7C the locking mechanism at the fully retracted position;

(17) FIG. 9C is a front perspective view of the engaging end of a bracket, vertically sectioned along line V-V in FIG. 7A, the locking mechanism at the fully projecting position; and

(18) FIG. 9D is a front perspective view of the engaging end of a bracket, vertically sectioned along line VI-VI in FIG. 7C the locking mechanism at the fully retracted position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(19) Turning first to FIGS. 1A and 1B of the drawings, there is illustrated a rack system according to an example of the disclosure, generally designated 10. The rack system illustrated in the example is a shelving system, comprising a plurality of shelves 11, though it is appreciated that the rack system can assume different configurations for different purposes.

(20) With further reference to FIGS. 2A-6D, the rack system 10 comprises two support rails 12 parallelly extending, vertically, along a longitudinal axis X. The support rails 12 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 16. The bracket arresting surface 16 is configured with two rows of bracket arresting slots 20A and 20B (collectively designated 20) 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.

(21) Further, bracket arresting surface 16 is configured with a plurality of locking locations, namely circular openings 26, 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.

(22) A plurality of brackets 32 are detachably attached to the support rails 12. In FIG. 2A the bracket 32′ 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 32). Each bracket 32 comprises a rigid body 34 extending between a first, rail engaging end 36, and a second, free end 38, wherein the engaging end 36 comprises three pairs of downwardly facing, axially disposed, engaging hooks 40A and 40B (collectively designated 40) projecting from the engaging end 36. The length L of engaging hooks 40 is slightly less than height H of arresting slots 20 (H>L) and the width S of the engaging hooks 40 is slightly less than the width W of the arresting slots 20 (S<W). Further wherein the axial distance between axially neighboring engaging hooks 40 is substantially equal to distance D (the axial distance between arresting slots 20). The horizontal distance d between a pair of engaging hooks 40A and 40B is substantially equal to distance between a pair of arresting slots 20.

(23) The engaging hooks 40A and 40B project from an engaging surface 44, said surface configured for sliding engagement over the bracket arresting surface 16 of the support rail 12. A top portion of the support bracket 32 defines a support surface 48, which in the present example extends perpendicular to the engaging surface 44.

(24) The body 34 of the bracket 32 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 50 defining therebetween a space 52 of width P. Each of the side walls 50 is configured near the rail engaging end 36 with an elliptically shaped window 56, in register with one another, having a long axis laying substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the bracket 32.

(25) Disposed within the space 52, there is snappingly set a locking mechanism 60 (FIGS. 3-4B), comprising a rigid body 62 (actuating member) configured at a front end thereof with a tapering locking plunger 64 having a rounded/chamfered tip 65 and a round finger engageable actuating opening 66. Extending from a rear wall of the body 62 there is a spring retention boss 67 (FIG. 4A) supporting a coiled compression spring 68. Body 62 has a flat top surface 70 and has a width Z only slightly less than the width P of the space 52 within the bracket 32, thus fitted for sliding displacement within the space 52. The actuating opening 60 is configured with a rim 74 having a width R greater than the width P of space 52 (P<R), said rim being substantially circular with a diameter corresponding with the short axis of the elliptical window 56 of the bracket 32, whereby the locking mechanism 60 is restricted for sliding displacement within and along the long axis of the window 56.

(26) When assembling the locking mechanism 60 in the support bracket 32, it is snappingly applied into the space 52, with the rim 74 received within the window 56, and with a rear end of biasing spring 68 bearing against a support wall portion 79 cut out of a wall 50 and extending into the space 52.

(27) At the assembled position the locking plunger 64 is normally biased into a projecting position from the engaging end 36 and owing to location of rim 74 within the elliptical window 56, the locking mechanism 60 is restricted to only sliding displacement within the space of the support bracket 32 between said projecting position and a retracted position, against the biasing effect of the coiled spring 68, by an individual manipulating the actuating member 62 in a trigger-like fashion, i.e. by inserting a finger into the opening 66 and displacing it rearwards, against the biasing effect, so that the plunger 64 retracts inwards.

(28) In use, with reference to FIGS. 6A-9D, a bracket 32 is neared to the bracket arresting surface 16 of the support rail 12 (FIGS. 6A, 7A, 8A and 9A), then the locking mechanism 60 is retracted by pulling it rearwards within the opening 56, resulting in retraction of the plunger 64 (FIGS. 6B, 7B, 8B and 9B), whereupon the engaging surface 44 of bracket 32 is applied over the bracket arresting surface 16 so that the engaging hooks 40 engage within the arresting slots 20 and further the support bracket is displaced downwards into arresting of the engaging hooks 40 within the arresting slots 20 (FIGS. 6C, 7C, 8C and 9C), finally (after the actuating member 62 is released) allowing the locking plunger 64 to spontaneously engage within a corresponding locking locations (openings 26). Once the locking plunger 64 is engaged within a respective locking openings 26, the support bracket can no longer be axially displaced along the rail 12, namely the support brackets is engaged with the rail 12 and cannot unintentionally disengage therefrom, unless the locking mechanism is disengaged by retraction of the plunger.