Attic flooring and storage system

Abstract

An attic flooring and storage system for laying out a support floor in an attic or other framed structure, the system comprising a number of support brackets with a mounting saddle including at least one mounting guide for removably suspending the brackets over a joist type member while disposing the upper surface of at least one laterally projecting support wing to support and align a flooring panel with at least one angular brace constructed to transfer bending forces about a joint between the support wing and the adjacent mounting guide to the joist.

Claims

1. An attic flooring and storage system comprising: a plurality of support brackets, each support bracket having: a saddle body with a top plate with an upper surface and a lower surface; a pair of opposing first and second guides projecting downwardly from the top plate, the first and second guides having spaced apart interior surfaces to cooperate with the top plate of the support bracket to form a central recess constructed to removably suspend the support bracket from a selected joist with the lower surface of the top plate resting against the upper surface of the selected joist and with the interior surfaces of the guides disposed adjacent to opposing sides of the selected joist; a first support wing projecting laterally from an intermediate position along a length of the first guide; a second support wing projecting laterally from the same intermediate position along a length of the second guide in an opposing direction to the first support wing; a first angular brace projecting downwardly at an acute angle from the first support wing toward the first guide; a second angular brace projecting downwardly at an acute angle from the second support wing toward the second guide; and at least one flooring panel having an upper planar surface and an opposing lower planar surface, the lower planar surface being interrupted by at least one recess for each support bracket used to support the flooring panel, each recess projecting partially through the panel from the lower planar surface and constructed to receive at least a portion of a support wing of a corresponding support bracket wherein two or more support brackets may be releasably suspended atop two opposing joists, the position of at least one support wings of each bracket may be adjusted relative to the corresponding recess in the flooring panel and the flooring panel set atop the support wings of at least two support brackets on the opposing joists with at least one support wing of each support bracket at least partially nested within a corresponding recess of the flooring panel to provide a support floor with the support wings of each bracket projecting laterally from the respective adjacent guides of the same bracket at a depth to match the thickness of the flooring panel to provide a flush continuous upper surface between the upper surface of the flooring panel and the top surface of the top plate of the corresponding support brackets.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein: at least one angular brace of at least one support bracket projects downwardly and inwardly from an adjacent support wing of the least one support bracket at a forty-five degree angle to intersect the adjacent guide of the at least one support bracket to form a hollow space between the adjacent support wing, the adjacent guide, and the at least one angular brace.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein: the entire support bracket is a single piece of metal formed by bending.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein: at least one support wing is fixed to an adjacent guides.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein: the angular braces of at least one support bracket are fixed to the corresponding adjacent support wings and the corresponding adjacent guides of the least one support bracket.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein: for each support bracket, the corresponding support wings project outwardly from the corresponding adjacent guides at a right angle.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein: for each support bracket, the corresponding guides project downwardly from the corresponding top plate at a right angle.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein: a set of four support brackets is used for each flooring panel with a corresponding number of recesses.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein: a set of six support brackets is used for each flooring panel with a corresponding number of recesses.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein: at least one support wing of at least one support bracket includes an alignment element constructed to align the at least one support wing with a flooring panel placed atop the at least one support wing.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein: at least one angular brace of at least one support bracket is constructed to transmit bending forces about a joint between a corresponding adjacent support wing and a corresponding adjacent guide to a side of the joist when mounted thereon.

12. A method of installing an attic flooring and storage system comprising: providing a plurality of support brackets, each having: a saddle body with a top plate having an upper surface and a lower surface, a pair of opposing guides projecting downwardly from the top plate, the guides having opposing spaced apart interior surfaces constructed to cooperate with the lower surface of the top plate to form a central recess and slidably hang along a section of a joist wherein the lower surface of the top plate rests against the upper surface of the joist with the interior surfaces of the guides to either side of the joist, a first support wing projecting laterally from an intermediate position along a length of the first guide, a second support wing projecting laterally from the same intermediate position along a length of the second guide in an opposing direction to the first support wing, a first angular brace projecting downwardly at an acute angle from the first support wing to intersect the first guide, and a second angular brace projecting downwardly at an acute angle from the second support wing to intersect the second guide; providing at least one flooring panel having an upper planar surface and an opposing lower planar surface, the lower planar surface being interrupted by at least one recess for each support bracket, the recess projecting partially through the lower planar surface of the flooring panel and constructed to receive a support wing of a support bracket; releasably installing a plurality of support brackets atop two opposing joists; adjusting the position of the wings of each bracket on the opposing joints relative to the spacing of the recesses in the flooring panel; and setting the flooring panel atop the support wings with each support wing at least partially nested within a corresponding recess of the flooring panel to provide a support structure wherein the upper surface of the installed flooring panel is flush with the upper surface of the top plate.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising: placing a plurality of panels in an adjacent arrangement with one or more brackets selected from the plurality of support brackets therebetween to provide a continuous support structure.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein: at least one support bracket selected from the plurality of support brackets is provided with a corresponding angular brace that is fixed to the adjacent support wing and the adjacent guide of the at least one support bracket.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein: at least one angular brace of at least one support bracket selected from the plurality of support brackets is constructed to transmit bending forces about a joint on the at least one support bracket between a corresponding support wing and an adjacent guide to the side of the joist when mounted thereon.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1a is a perspective view of a support bracket in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

(2) FIG. 1b is a perspective view of the support bracket of FIG. 1a of the present invention mounted atop a joist.

(3) FIG. 2 is a front view of a variation of the support bracket of the present invention.

(4) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the bottom side of an exemplary floor panel for use with one or more support brackets in accordance with principles of the present invention.

(5) FIG. 4a is a perspective view of an exemplary floor panel of the present invention positioned above joists having support brackets in place.

(6) FIG. 4b is a perspective view of the floor panel in FIG. 4a placed atop the support brackets in FIG. 4a.

(7) FIG. 4c is an end view of the floor panel of the present invention placed securely atop two brackets of the present invention.

(8) FIG. 5 is a bottom view of a floor panel of the present invention with six notches.

(9) FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a support bracket in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A. Description of the Present Invention

(10) In FIG. 1a support bracket 10 may be made from one continuous piece of metal in a series of bends with a centrally located upside down U member 20, a left side support member 30, and a right side support member 40. Upside down U member 20 consists of a top plate 22 and two perpendicular right members or guides 24a and 24b, which are connected to the top plate 22 at bends 26a and 26b. Left and right side support members 30 and 40 consist of top members or wings 32 and 42 respectively, and angular support members or braces 34 and 44 respectively. The two top members 32 and 42 are connected to angular support members 34 and 44 at bends 36 and 46 respectively. As illustrated the braces 34, 44 of the respective angular support members 30 and 40 are connected to uprights 24a, 24b respectively, at bends 28a and 28b and the wings 32, 42 are connected to the uprights 24a, 24b at welds 38 and 48, respectively. This forms a hollow space 45, 47 between each respective guide, wing, and brace set (24a, 32, 34 and 24b, 42, 44). In this exemplary embodiment, the upper surface of each wing 32, 42, projects outwardly from its respective guide 24a, 24b at an intermediate point along a length of each guide and includes welds 38 and 48 to create a joint therebetween. By locating the upper surface of each wing below the upper surface of the top plate 22, the broad wing upper surfaces may accept and support the floor panels from the joists they are suspended therefrom and provide a flat continuous surface over the top surface of each panel and the intermediate top surface of the top plate 22 as illustrated in FIGS. 4a, 4b, and 4c. This continuous surface features assists in removing a tripping hazard due to uneven surfaces.

(11) In FIG. 1b the support bracket 10 of FIG. 1a is mounted atop joist J with the upside down U member 20 serving as a saddle with a top plate 22 resting flush atop joist J and side support members 30 and 40 snugly secured against the two sides of the joist J. The guides may be spaced apart to ease a sliding adjustment along the top surface of the joist or more closely spaced to abut and squeeze the sides of the joist to more securely fix the brackets in place along a length of the joist, although they remain removable. The typical dimensions of the support bracket 10 would be that which fits snug upon attic or ceiling joists. For example, the distance between upright members 24a and 24b would be about 1.5 in order to fit snug around a standard 24 joist which measures 1.5 think by 3.5 high. The length of upright supports 24a and 24b would typically be about 3.5 to match the height of a 24. The outward length of top members 32 and 42 would typically be equal to the height of uprights 24a and 24b, in other words about 3.5. This configuration creates equal 45 degree angles at bends 36, 46, 28a, and 38b (not shown).

(12) These angles may be less or more but ideally an angle of about 45 degrees or less on bends 28a and 28b provide maximum structural capacity for loads to be placed upon the flooring, while providing sufficient surface for the flooring panels to rest upon. The braces 34, 44 generally project at an acute angle to their adjacent wings 32, 42 toward their adjacent guides 24a, 24b to intersect the guides at bends 28a, 28b. In addition, the angled supports 34, 44 transfer forces placed upon the top wing members 32, 42 about the corresponding welded joints 38, 48 respectively back into the side of the joist J. This provides additional structural support to the bracket 10 versus a square waveform bracket such as the Infinite Attic support brackets which only have a single stress point at the lower edge leading to a higher likelihood of breakage and injury from a collapsing panel and especially from a weight bearing collapsing panel. The typical width of support bracket 10 is about 1.25 but this may be increased or decreased as the case may be. Based on the revealed invention and the dimensions illustrated, floor panels mounted atop the support brackets can withstand a load of about 250 lbs per sq. ft.

(13) The dimensions of the present invention may vary widely depending upon needs, countries, and the material used. For example, a support bracket may be 5.5 tall to accommodate 26 joists, or a user may use one standard version at 3.5 tall for all floor joists of 24, 26, 28, 210, and so on. Widths may vary and might be substantially wider for industrial applications. The support bracket material may be any number of types of steel, typically of a width of 0.003125 or thicker, but may also be thinner. The present invention may also be constructed of other metals, wood, or a heavy duty plastic. Other suitable materials will occur to one or ordinary skill in the art. The support brackets of the present invention may also include a series of holes such that a user may permanently affix a bracket to a joist or to a panel.

(14) In FIG. 2 support bracket 50 is similar in construction to that of bracket 10 with an upside down U shaped member 60, and two side support members, 70 and 80. While both are manufactured from a single piece of bent steel, support bracket 50 has bends 68 and 78 instead of welds such as 38 and 48 of FIG. 1a. In this configuration, uprights 64a and 64b extend upward towards top plate 62 to complete the side support members 70 and 80. In either bracket 10 or 50, the structural capacity to withstand loads is about the same. The only difference of import is the lower cost of replacing two welds (38 and 48 of FIG. 1a) with bends 68 and 78.

(15) In FIG. 3 floor panel 100 of the present invention is illustrated in an inverted disposition for clarity and consists of a bottom surface 110, a top surface 120, two ends 130a and 130b, and 2 sides 140a and 140b. Panel 100 is typically constructed of wood, particle board, MDF, laminate, composites, or rigid plastics about thick, but other suitable materials and thicknesses may be used. Bottom surface 110 consists of four notches 112a, 112b, 112c, and 112d. These notches correspond in size to the top members 32 and 42 of bracket 10 in FIG. 1a. The forward edge 51, 55 and rearward or trailing edge 53, 57 of each wing 32, 34, respectively (FIG. 1a) provide an alignment feature for assisting the user in inserted the wings into the notches or recesses of the panels. It will be appreciated that a suitable alignment alternatives include at least a panel with a downwardly projecting peg for insertion into a recess, notch, or aperture in a corresponding bracket wing, a bracket wing with a boss, tab, or fin for engaging a complementary recess in the lower surface of the panel, and a track extending out of the guides for receiving a panel edge.

(16) Installation of panel 100 atop bracket 10 is illustrated in FIGS. 4a and 4b and is more efficacious when notches 112a, 112b, 112c, and 112d are slightly larger than top members 32 and 42. The depth of notches 112a, 112b, 112c, and 112d accommodates the lateral wing recess from the top of the central bracket section 22. However, deeper notches may be used on thicker panels and shallower notches on thinner panels. To provide a continuous upper storage surface, it is preferred to use notches matching the height of the central bracket section 22 relative to the opposing top members 32, 42, respectively. With such arrangement, the upper surface of adjacent panels will be flush with the upper surface of the central bracket section 22 and thus remove likely tripping hazards.

(17) Panel 100 may be in a number of sizes based on standard dimensions of spaced joists in a given country or region in that country. The wider the distance between joists typically dictates a thicker panel. An exemplary panel length is typically obtained from cutting a 48 sheet in half to produce two 44 panels but that too is not a fixed dimension. Standard lengths, widths, and thicknesses would be established for the various countries and applications. For example, in the U.S. a standard size panel to use above a standard 24 joist placed 16 OC would be 14/2 wide and inch to inch thick.

B. Method of Use of the Present Invention

(18) In FIG. 4a joists J1 and J2 have four support brackets 10a, 10b, 10c, and 10d such as those in FIG. 1, spaced apart at approximately the same distance as notches 112a, 112b, 112c, and 112d of panel 100, such as that in FIG. 3. Panel 100 is then lowered atop the four support brackets and brackets 10a, 10b, 10c, and 10d are then moved back and forth along joists J1 and J2 until they rest securely in notches 112a, 112b, 112c, and 112d as illustrated in FIG. 4b. Placement of storage goods may now be placed atop panel 100 up to a 250 lb per sq. ft. load or other storage capacity depending on the materials chosen for and size of the bracket and thickness of the panels.

(19) In FIG. 4c panel 100 is securely in place as notches 112a and 112b rest atop side member 46 of bracket 10a and side member 36 of bracket 10b respectively. Along either side of the panel/bracket installation as illustrated, additional panels may be placed in the corresponding span between those outward joists (not shown).

C. Variations

(20) In addition to the many variations previously described, one obvious variation is a longer panel 200 as illustrated in FIG. 5. Panel 200 is essentially the same construction as panel 100 except that its longer length contains six notches: 212a, 212b, 212c, 212d, 212e, and 212f, instead of four. These six notches are specifically engineered to be placed at intervals that maximize structural integrity to meet the desired load requirements. It goes without saying that panels may contain any number of notches depending on length.

(21) Another variation of the support bracket may be found in FIG. 6 wherein like components are like numbered. In this exemplary embodiment, the support bracket, generally designated 310, generally includes all of the same features as with the support brackets 10, 50 with the following variations. Each wing 332, 342 includes an upwardly turned tab 333, 335, respectively, which is stamped or pressed out of the wing and bent upwardly to form an opening 337, 339, respectively. The tabs are generally rectangular in vertical profile with rounded upper corners and constructed to engage an opening, recess, or slot in a panel placed thereon. The tabs facilitate alignment of the panels with the underlying support brackets. In this exemplary embodiment, the uppermost extent of each tab does not protrude above the height of the center section 320. However, the uppermost extent of the tab may be flush with the upper surface of the center section or project beyond the upper surface of the center section.

(22) Still referring to FIG. 6, the support bracket 330 also includes a set of fastener holes for a more secure assembly. In this exemplary embodiment, there are two fastener holes 351a, 351b projecting through the on the left brace 334, two fastener holes 353a, 353b projecting through the right brace 344, two fastener holes 357a, 357b on the left upright 324a, and two fastener holes 359a, 359b on the right upright 324b. The fasteners are generally vertically aligned on each section. They may also be offset from one another is desired to accommodate different fastener patterns.

(23) In using the support bracket 330 of FIG. 6, a series of holes or slots may be introduced into a support panel. This may be facilitated for alignment purposes using a template. The support brackets 330 are then positioned atop opposing joists as with prior brackets 10, 50. The panel is then placed onto the exposed support brackets to align the upright tabs 333, 335 with a corresponding hole, slot, or recess in the panel and then lowered or snapped into placed with the bottom surface of the panel resting atop the underlying wing 332, 334. It will be appreciated that the tabs interlock with the corresponding holes to prevent significant slippage of the panel relative to the support bracket. A plurality of panels and support brackets may be used to provide a continuous or discrete support surface atop the joists. If desired, fasteners such as nails, screws, bolts, ties, straps, may be inserted through one or more fastener holes to secure a support bracket to an adjacent joist. The fasteners may be selected to provide a fixed or releasable connection.

(24) The spirit of the present invention provides a breadth of scope that includes all methods of making and using. Any variation on the theme and methodology of accomplishing the same that are not described herein would be considered under the scope of the present invention. For example, the numbers for widths, thicknesses, lengths, recess depths, and other dimensional characteristics used herein are meant to be illustrative and not limiting.

(25) Certain objects and advantages of the invention are described herein. Of course, it is to be understood that not necessarily all such objects or advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other objects or advantages as may be taught or suggested herein.

(26) Although this invention has been disclosed in the context of certain preferred embodiments and examples, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodiments and/or uses of the invention and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof. In addition, while a number of variations of the invention have been shown and described in detail, other modifications, which are within the scope of this invention, will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art based upon this disclosure.

(27) It is also contemplated that various combinations or sub-combinations of the specific features and aspects of the embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that various features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments may be combined with or substituted for one another in order to form varying modes of the disclosed invention. Thus, it is intended that the scope of the present invention herein disclosed should not be limited by the particular disclosed embodiments described above.