U.S. patent application number 11/135942 was filed with the patent office on 2006-11-30 for slotwall mounting bracket.
This patent application is currently assigned to Windquest Companies, Inc.. Invention is credited to Randall E. Tallman.
Application Number | 20060266901 11/135942 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37462175 |
Filed Date | 2006-11-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060266901 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Tallman; Randall E. |
November 30, 2006 |
Slotwall mounting bracket
Abstract
A slotwall bracket includes a generally planar body, an upper
mounting flange, and a lower locking flange for preventing the
bracket from being accidentally moved or removed from a slotwall
panel. The mounting flange is generally L-shaped, and is supported
on the upper surface of a horizontal rail in the slotwall. When the
bracket is installed, the locking flange snap fits onto the lower
surface of the horizontal rail to retain the bracket on the
slotwall.
Inventors: |
Tallman; Randall E.;
(Zeeland, MI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WARNER NORCROSS & JUDD LLP
900 FIFTH THIRD CENTER
111 LYON STREET, N.W.
GRAND RAPIDS
MI
49503-2487
US
|
Assignee: |
Windquest Companies, Inc.
|
Family ID: |
37462175 |
Appl. No.: |
11/135942 |
Filed: |
May 24, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
248/220.43 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47F 5/0846
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
248/220.43 |
International
Class: |
A47B 96/06 20060101
A47B096/06 |
Claims
1. A slotwall bracket for mounting on a slotwall, comprising: a
generally planar body having an upper portion and a lower portion;
a mounting flange extending from said upper portion of said body,
said mounting flange adapted to hook into an upper slotwall groove
in the slotwall; and a locking flange extending from said lower
portion of said body, said locking flange adapted to extend into a
lower slotwall groove, said locking flange adapted to snap fit onto
said slotwall.
2. The slotwall bracket of claim 1, wherein said body includes a
first surface facing said slotwall and a second surface opposite
said first surface, said second surface including a plurality of
protrusions extending outwardly from said second surface, said
bracket including an accessory mounting means for supporting a
variety of accessories from said slotwall bracket, said accessory
mounting means welded to at least one of said protrusions.
3. The slotwall bracket of claim 1 wherein said mounting flange is
generally L-shaped, including a first member extending generally
perpendicular from said body and a second member extending upwardly
from said first member, said first member adapted to be supported
on a first portion of the slotwall groove, said second member
extending behind a second portion of the slotwall groove.
4. The slotwall bracket of claim 1 wherein said locking flange
includes a first portion extending generally perpendicularly from
said body, and a second portion extending upwardly from said first
portion, said second portion adapted to fit around a portion of the
slotwall.
5. The slotwall bracket of claim 4 wherein said locking flange
includes a third portion, said third portion extending from said
second portion and curving downwardly from said second portion to
provide a ramped leading edge on said locking flange.
6. The slotwall bracket of claim 4 wherein said first portion of
said locking flange defines a cutout, said cutout increasing the
flexibility of said locking flange relative to said body.
7. A slotwall and mounting bracket system, comprising: a slotwall
panel including a first horizontal rail, each said rail including a
top edge and a bottom edge; and a bracket including a generally
planar body, a generally L-shaped mounting flange extending from
said body, and a locking flange extending from said body, said
mounting flange adapted to be supported on said top edge of said
horizontal rail, said locking flange adapted to be snap fitted
about said bottom edge of said horizontal rail.
8. The assembly of claim 7 wherein said locking flange includes a
first portion extending from said body and a second portion
extending from said first portion, said second portion extending
upwardly from said first portion such that said locking flange fits
around a portion of said downwardly extending lip.
9. The assembly of claim 8 wherein said locking flange includes a
third portion, said third portion curved downwardly from said
second portion to provide a ramped leading edge on said locking
flange.
10. The assembly of claim 8 wherein said first portion includes a
cutout, said cutout increasing the flexibility of said locking
flange relative to said body.
11. The assembly of claim 7 wherein said L-shaped mounting flange
includes a first member extending generally perpendicular from said
body and a second member extending upwardly from said first member,
said second member extending behind the downwardly extending lip of
a second said horizontal rail.
12. The assembly of claim 7 wherein said body includes a rear
surface facing said slotwall and a front surface opposite said rear
surface, said front surface including a plurality of protrusions,
said bracket further including an accessory mount welded to at
least one of said protrusions.
13. The assembly of claim 12 wherein said protrusions are a
plurality of ribs extending along said front surface of said
body.
14. A slotwall bracket for mounting on a slotwall panel, said
slotwall panel including a plurality of vertically spaced
horizontal rails, each of said rails including a top edge, a bottom
edge, and a lip extending downwardly from said bottom edge, said
slotwall bracket comprising: a base plate including a generally
planar body; an L-shaped mounting flange extending from said body,
a first portion of said mounting flange adapted to be supported on
the top edge of a first horizontal rail, a second portion of said
mounting flange adapted to extend behind the downwardly extending
lip of a second horizontal rail; and a locking flange extending
from said body, said locking flange including a first portion
extending from said body, and a second portion extending from said
first portion, said second portion extending upwardly from said
first portion such that said second portion is adapted to snap fit
about the downwardly extending lip of the first horizontal
rail.
15. The slotwall bracket of claim 14 wherein said locking flange
includes a third portion, said third portion curving downwardly
from said second portion to form a ramped leading edge for said
locking flange.
16. The slotwall bracket of claim 14 wherein said locking flange
includes a cutout, said cutout increasing the flexibility of said
locking flange relative to said body.
17. The slotwall bracket of claim 14 wherein said body includes a
rear surface facing said slotwall and a front surface opposite said
rear surface, said front surface including at least one protrusion,
said bracket further including an accessory mount, said accessory
mount welded to said at least one protrusion.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates generally to mounting fixtures
and more particularly to a mounting bracket for a "slotwall," which
is a wall provided with a number of vertically spaced, elongated,
horizontally extending rails defining slots or channels between the
rails.
[0002] Slotwall is used in a wide variety of applications for
storing and displaying products, tools, and accessories. Examples
of the industries in which slotwall is used include retail display,
closet storage, garage storage, and office furniture. As is well
known, a slotwall is a wall panel formed from metal, pressed board,
plastic or other suitable material having a plurality of regularly
spaced, horizontally extending rails. Each rail includes an upper
surface and a lower surface, and a lip extending from one or both
of the surfaces to form channels of L-shaped or T-shaped cross
section between the rails. Various different accessories such as
brackets, shelves, baskets, and the like are available which are
specially designed for fitting into the grooves of the slotwall so
that items can be conveniently hung or otherwise supported
thereon.
[0003] A typical slotwall mounting bracket includes a flat body and
some type of cantilever element for fitting into one of the
grooves. The body generally lies flat against the slotwall, so that
accessories such as hooks, racks, and shelves can be attached to
its outer face. The cantilever element is generally an L-shaped
mounting flange that extends perpendicularly from an upper portion
of the body and then forms a corner that turns upwards. The
L-shaped mounting flange fits into a slotwall channel such that a
horizontal portion sits on the upper edge of a first horizontal
rail, and a vertical portion is positioned behind a downwardly
extending lip of the horizontal rail immediately above.
[0004] In operation, the slotwall bracket is manually hung from a
desired groove on the slotwall. First, the L-shaped mounting flange
is inserted into the opening of a slotwall groove with the body
oriented perpendicularly to the slotwall. The bracket is then
pivoted through a lowering motion about the downwardly extending
lip of an upper horizontal rail until a portion of the mounting
flange is positioned behind the lip and the body bears against the
front surface of the slotwall. Alternatively, some brackets are
permanently attached to a particular accessory, which may be used
as soon as the bracket is hung. In some cases, a plurality of
slotwall brackets is used in combination to support accessories too
large or heavy for a single bracket.
[0005] Unfortunately, conventional slotwall brackets can be
relatively easily inadvertently dislodged from the slotwall after
installation. While conventional brackets remain in position well
under load, they are easily moved when subjected to upward forces.
The same rotation that allows the bracket to be easily installed in
the slotwall also allows the bracket to rotate away from the wall
when a force pulls on the bracket. In a worst case scenario, a
person may accidentally knock a bracket and any attached accessory
completely off the wall if a force is applied in the wrong
direction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The aforementioned problems are overcome by the present
invention, wherein a slotwall bracket is provided with a locking
flange that snap fits onto the slotwall to prevent the bracket from
rotating away from the slotwall and hold the bracket in place on
the slotwall.
[0007] In one embodiment, the slotwall bracket includes a generally
planar body, an upper L-shaped mounting flange, and a lower locking
flange. The mounting flange extends from the body and hooks into a
first slotwall groove, supporting the bracket on the upper surface
of a horizontal rail on the slotwall. The locking flange also
extends from the body, and snap fits onto the downwardly extending
lip on the bottom surface of the horizontal rail, preventing the
bracket from rotating away from the slotwall.
[0008] In a more specific embodiment, the locking flange includes a
first portion, a second portion, and a third portion. The first
portion extends generally perpendicularly from the body. The second
portion extends at an angle upwardly from the first portion such
that the second portion fits around the downwardly extending lip to
hold the bracket on the slotwall. The third portion extends from
the second portion to provide a ramped leading edge for the locking
flange so the locking flange can snap fit about the lip. One or
more of the portions may define one or more voids to increase the
flexibility of the locking flange relative to the body and reduce
the effort required to snap fit the locking flange about the lip.
The cutout also provides a pry point to aid in removal of the
bracket from the slotwall.
[0009] In a further embodiment, the body of the bracket includes a
rear surface facing the slotwall and a front surface opposite the
rear surface. The front surface includes one or more protrusions
that provide a surface for welding an accessory mount to the
bracket. The accessory mount enables a variety of conventional
accessories to be attached to and supported by the bracket,
avoiding the purchase or remanufacturing of modified slotwall
accessories, making the present invention easily adaptable to
existing slotwall accessories.
[0010] These and other objects, advantages, and features of the
invention will be readily understood and appreciated by reference
to the detailed description of the current embodiment and the
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the mounting bracket of the
present invention.
[0012] FIG. 2 is a front view of the bracket.
[0013] FIG. 3 is a side view of the bracket.
[0014] FIG. 4 is cross sectional view taken along line 4 of FIG.
2.
[0015] FIG. 5 is a close up cross sectional view of the portion of
the bracket within line 5 in FIG. 4.
[0016] FIG. 6 is a close up cross sectional view of the portion of
the bracket within line 6 in FIG. 4.
[0017] FIG. 7 is a rear view of the bracket.
[0018] FIG. 8 is a top view of the bracket.
[0019] FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the bracket.
[0020] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the bracket including
mounting forks.
[0021] FIG. 11 is a side view of the bracket including an accessory
mount installed on the slotwall. A partially installed bracket is
shown in phantom lines.
[0022] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the bracket installed on
the slotwall.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
I. Overview
[0023] A slotwall bracket in accordance with a preferred embodiment
of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 generally
designated 10. The bracket includes a generally planar body 12, a
mounting flange 14, and a locking flange 16. In operation, the
mounting flange 14 is inserted into a first slotwall groove 18
(shown in FIG. 11), and rotated in position so it hangs on the
upper surface 22 of a horizontal rail 24 in the slotwall 20. The
locking flange 16 is snap fitted onto the downwardly extending lip
26 on the horizontal rail 24.
II. Structure
[0024] As noted above, the slotwall bracket 10 is mounted on the
slotwall 20. Slotwall 20 is widely known and therefore will not be
discussed in detail here. In short, slotwall 20 is generally made
from pressed board such as medium density fiberboard (MDF), or from
plastic or extruded metal such as steel or aluminum. FIGS. 11 and
12 show the slotwall 20. In the illustrated embodiment, the
slotwall 20 includes a plurality of vertically spaced horizontal
rails 24. Each slotwall rail 24 generally includes an upper surface
22, a lower surface 28, and a lip 26 extending downwardly from the
lower surface 28. The rails 24 each define a height 13 from the
upper surface 22 to the lower surface 28. A plurality of slotwall
grooves 18 having an L-shaped cross-section are formed between the
horizontal rails 24. In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the
rails 24 may include a lip extending from both the upper and lower
surface, such that the grooves each have a T-shaped cross section.
As illustrated, the downwardly extending lip 26 includes a rounded
tip 30.
[0025] As shown in FIGS. 3-7, the bracket includes a body 12, a
mounting flange 14, and a locking flange 16. The body 12 is
generally planar and includes a front surface 34, rear surface 36,
top edge 38, and bottom edge 40. The body 12 includes a height 15
between the top 38 and bottom 40 edges that is approximately equal
to the height 13 of a horizontal rail 24 on the slotwall 20. In the
illustrated embodiment, the front surface 34 includes a plurality
of protrusions in the form of ribs 44 that extend transversely
across the body 12. The ribs 44 add strength to the body 12 and
also provide a welding surface for attaching an accessory mount,
such as mounting forks 50 (shown in FIG. 10) a hook, a bracket, or
a variety of alternatives. An additional rib 45 may extend around
the periphery of the front surface 34 for added strength. The
mounting flange 14 extends from the top edge of the body 12 in a
generally perpendicular direction. Mounting flanges are widely
known, and are typically L-shaped for extending into a slotwall
groove 18. As shown in FIG. 3, the mounting flange 16 includes a
first member 52 that extends from the body 12. A second member 54
extends upwardly from the first member 52 approximately
perpendicular to the first member 52. The second member 54 may
include a curved end 56 that angles back toward the body 12.
[0026] As shown, the locking flange 16 extends in a generally
perpendicular direction from the bottom edge 40 of the body 12;
however, the flange may extend at a variety of different
directions. The distance between the mounting flange 14 and the
locking flange 16 is approximately the same as the height 13 of
each of the horizontal rails 24 of the slotwall 20. As a result, in
the case where the height 15 of the body is greater than the height
of the rail 24, the locking flange 14 may extend from the body 12
at a location inward of the bottom edge 40. The locking flange 16
is generally shaped to correspond to the rounded tip 30 on the
downwardly extending lip 26 of a horizontal rail 24, such that the
locking flange 16 can snap fit about the rounded tip 30 when the
bracket 10 is rotated into place. As illustrated, the locking
flange 16 includes a first portion 60 extending from the body 12,
and a second portion 62 that angles upwardly from the first portion
60. A third portion 64 may extend from the second portion 62 and
curve downwardly from the second portion 62 to form a ramped
leading edge for the locking flange 16. In addition, as shown in
FIG. 9, the locking flange 16 may define a cutout 66 to increase
the flexibility of the locking flange 16 relative to the body 12.
As illustrated, the cutout 66 is located in the first portion 60;
however, it may be located anywhere in the locking flange 16.
III. Operation
[0027] In operation, the present invention is mountable onto
conventional slotwall 20 in a few simple steps, while accommodating
a variety of accessories and preventing unwanted rotation and
movement. Installation of the present invention requires first
hanging the mounting flange 14 on the slotwall 20, and then snap
fitting the locking flange 16 to the slotwall.
[0028] The first step of installing a slotwall bracket in
accordance with the present invention is hanging the mounting
flange 14 on the slotwall 20. To begin, a desired height and
location on the slotwall 20 are chosen. The bracket 10 is then held
manually such that the body 12 is perpendicular to the slotwall 20,
with the second member 54 of the mounting flange 14 aligned with
the chosen horizontal slotwall groove 18. The mounting flange 14 is
then inserted in to the groove 18 and is rotated until the second
member 54 extends upwardly behind the downwardly extending lip 26
of a first slotwall rail 24 and the first member 52 is supported on
the upper surface 22 of a second horizontal slotwall rail 24. FIG.
11 shows the bracket 10 in a partially installed position in
phantom lines. In the final position, shown in solid lines in FIG.
11 and in FIG. 12, the rear surface 36 of the body bears against
the slotwall 20.
[0029] As the bracket 10 is manually rotated into the final
position, the locking flange 16 approaches the rounded tip 30 of
the downwardly extending lip 26 of the second horizontal rail 24.
The ramped leading edge 64 of the locking flange 16 engages the
rounded tip 30 and slides past the rounded tip 30 until the second
portion 62 fits around a portion of the rounded tip 30 to lock the
bracket 10 in place on the slotwall 20. As the locking flange 16
engages the downwardly extending lip 26 and is slid over the
rounded tip 30, the locking flange 16 may flex slightly outward,
and then return or "snap" back into place to fit securely around
the rounded tip 30. With the bracket 10 in place and the locking
flange 16 snap fitted about a portion of the downwardly extending
lip 26, a desired accessory (not shown) can be mounted to an
accessory mount that attached to the front surface 34 of the
bracket 10.
[0030] Removal of the slotwall bracket 10 is essentially the
opposite of installation. First, the locking flange 16 is pulled
away from the downwardly extending lip 26 until it is no longer
engaged with the lip 30. In doing so, the cutout 66 may be used as
a pry point by insertion of a tool into the cutout 66. Next, the
bracket 10 is rotated out of the slotwall 20. When removing the
bracket 10, the bottom 40 of the body 12 is pulled away from the
slotwall 20 so that the mounting flange 14 rotates about the
downwardly extending lip 26 of the first or upper horizontal rail
24. Rotation is complete when the body 12 is again perpendicular to
the slotwall 20, and the bracket 10 can then be removed from the
groove 18.
[0031] In summary, once a desired height and location for placement
of the bracket 10 is determined, the bracket 10 can be attached to
the slotwall 20 to hang the bracket 10 and any accessory such that
they will not be knocked off of the slotwall 20.
[0032] The above description is that of a current embodiment of the
invention. Various alterations and changes can be made without
departing from the spirit and broader aspects of the invention as
defined in the appended claims, which are to be interpreted in
accordance with the principles of patent law including the doctrine
of equivalents. Any reference to claim elements in the singular,
for example, using the articles "a," "an," "the" or "said," is not
to be construed as limiting the element to the singular.
* * * * *