U.S. patent application number 11/920153 was filed with the patent office on 2009-09-10 for mounting system.
Invention is credited to Darryl James Heffernan.
Application Number | 20090224119 11/920153 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37396105 |
Filed Date | 2009-09-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090224119 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Heffernan; Darryl James |
September 10, 2009 |
Mounting system
Abstract
A mounting system (10) for mounting an item (12) to a surface
comprising a mounting bracket (14) securable to the surface (16)
and a recess (28) on the item (12) for receiving the mounting
bracket (14). The recess (28) is provided on a side to be located
adjacent the surface (16) and a securing means is provided for
securing the mounting bracket (14) to the item (12) when the
mounting bracket (14) is received in the recess (28).
Inventors: |
Heffernan; Darryl James; (
Western Australia, AU) |
Correspondence
Address: |
CLARK & BRODY
1090 VERMONT AVENUE, NW, SUITE 250
WASHINGTON
DC
20005
US
|
Family ID: |
37396105 |
Appl. No.: |
11/920153 |
Filed: |
May 12, 2006 |
PCT Filed: |
May 12, 2006 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/AU2006/000619 |
371 Date: |
January 30, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
248/225.11 ;
248/220.21 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B 96/066
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
248/225.11 ;
248/220.21 |
International
Class: |
A47B 96/06 20060101
A47B096/06 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 13, 2005 |
AU |
2005902423 |
Claims
1-13. (canceled)
14. A mounting system for mounting an item to a surface
characterized by comprising a mounting bracket securable to the
surface, a recess on the item for receiving the mounting bracket,
the recess being provided in the item on a side to be located
adjacent the surface and a securing means for securing the mounting
bracket to the item when the mounting bracket is received in the
recess, the mounting bracket comprising a support member extending
away from the surface in use, the support member being arranged to
be received in a corresponding opening in the item, wherein the
mounting bracket comprises a longitudinally extending slot and the
support member has a widened end arranged to be releasably engaged
with the slot so as to prevent disengagement of the support member
from the mounting bracket.
15. A mounting system in accordance with claim 14, characterized in
that the mounting bracket comprises one or more of the slots each
having a relatively narrow end and a relatively wide end and the
mounting bracket comprises a corresponding number of support
members each having a widened portion at an end thereof receivable
in the wide end of a slot, the support member being slidable
towards the narrow end so that disengagement of the support member
from the mounting bracket is prevented.
16. A mounting system in accordance with claim 15, characterized in
the mounting bracket comprises a hollow elongate member and the
cross sectional shape of the widened portion of the support members
is complementary to the cross sectional shape of the hollow
interior of the elongate member.
17. A mounting system in accordance with claim 15, characterized in
that a securing means is provided to secure the item to the
mounting bracket when the mounting bracket is received in the
recess.
18. A mounting system in accordance with claim 17, characterized in
that the securing means secures the item to the or each support
member of the mounting bracket.
19. A mounting system in accordance with claim 18, characterized in
that the securing means comprises one or more screws received in
apertures in the item aligned with the openings in the recess, such
that the screws engage with the or each support member.
20. A mounting system in accordance with claim 16, characterized in
that the hollow elongate member includes a first set of holes on a
first side thereof for receiving wall fasteners to secure the
elongate member to the surface and a second set of holes on a
second opposed side thereof, the second set of holes being of
greater diameter than the first set of holes, to provide access to
the first set of holes.
21. A mounting system in accordance with claim 14, characterized in
that the mounting bracket includes an integral spirit level bubble
to assist alignment of the mounting bracket on the surface.
22. A mounting system in accordance with claim 14, characterized in
that the item is a shelf.
23. A mounting system in accordance with claim 22, characterized in
that the mounting bracket includes an internal channel for
receiving cabling for devices that may be placed on the shelf.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a mounting system for
mounting items to surfaces.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] When mounting items such as shelves or other similar
furniture to walls, the most common method is to fit one or more
support brackets to the wall and then mount the shelf on the top of
the brackets.
[0003] While the installation of shelves is something that people
commonly undertake themselves, installation kits for shelves
generally available have a number of drawbacks for those wishing to
install shelves in their own homes. Firstly, as most shelf
arrangements require the fitting of at least two brackets
independently to the wall, the person installing must go through a
number of steps to ensure that each bracket is both aligned
correctly vertically and positioned horizontally with respect to
the previously installed brackets so that the shelf is level.
[0004] Also, this type of arrangement results in visible brackets
which often can be considered to detract from the appearance of the
shelf and foreshorten depth perception of the room. While it is
possible to have shelves installed without brackets, this often
requires employing a trained tradesperson to construct the shelf
and supporting arrangement so that the brackets are hidden.
[0005] The present invention attempts to overcome at least in part
the aforementioned problems of mounting items, such as shelves, to
walls.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there
is provided a mounting system for mounting an item to a surface
comprising a mounting bracket securable to the surface, a recess on
the item for receiving the mounting bracket, the recess being
provided in the item on a side to be located adjacent the surface
and a securing means for securing the mounting bracket to the item
when the mounting bracket is received in the recess.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] The present invention will now be described, by way of
example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mounting system in
accordance with the present invention, in which the item to be
mounted comprises a wall shelf;
[0009] FIG. 2 is an upper perspective view of the shelf of FIG.
1;
[0010] FIG. 3 is an upper perspective view of the mounting bracket
of the mounting system of FIG. 1;
[0011] FIG. 4a is a rear perspective view of the mounting bracket
received within a recess of the shelf;
[0012] FIG. 4b is a side view of the shelf mounted to a wall;
[0013] FIG. 4c is a side cross sectional view of the shelf mounted
to the wall;
[0014] FIG. 5 is a front perspective of the shelf secured to the
mounting bracket showing the internal connection of the mounting
bracket to the shelf,
[0015] FIG. 6a is an exploded view of the mounting bracket showing
installation of support rods to the mounting bracket;
[0016] FIG. 6b is a side cross-sectional view showing the securing
of the shelf to the support rods of the mounting bracket;
[0017] FIG. 7a is a front view of the mounting bracket of the
mounting system of FIG. 1;
[0018] FIG. 7b is a rear view of the mounting bracket of the
mounting system of FIG. 1;
[0019] FIGS. 7c and 7d are end views of the mounting bracket of the
mounting system of FIG. 1;
[0020] FIG. 8a is a rear view of the shelf of the mounting system
of FIG. 1;
[0021] FIG. 8b is a side cross sectional view of the shelf of FIG.
8a through the line A-A;
[0022] FIG. 9a is a perspective view of a further embodiment of a
mounting bracket in accordance with the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 9b is a perspective view of a further embodiment of the
mounting bracket of FIG. 1 including a cable channel; and
[0024] FIG. 9c is a perspective view of the embodiment of the
mounting bracket of FIG. 9a including a cable channel.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0025] Referring to the Figures, there is shown a mounting system
10 for mounting an item to a wall 16. In the embodiments shown, the
item comprises a shelf 12, however it will be appreciated that the
mounting system 10 could be applied to the mounting of other items
to a surface.
[0026] The mounting system 10 comprises the shelf 12 and a mounting
bracket 14. The mounting bracket 14 is securable to a wall 16 and
securing means are provided to secure the shelf 12 to the mounting
bracket 14.
[0027] The mounting bracket 14 comprises a hollow elongate member
20 having a quadrilateral cross section. The elongate member 20
includes a plurality of first holes 22 in a first side 24 thereof
the first side 24 being the side to be secured to the wall 16. The
first holes 22 are provided to receive suitable fixing means to fix
the mounting bracket 12 to the wall 16. The fixing means may be any
devices suitable for securing the mounting bracket 12, such as
known wall fasteners 27. The elongate member 20 is provided with a
second set of holes 26 of a second opposed side 25, the second
holes 26 being in alignment with the first holes 22. The second set
of holes 26 are of larger diameter than the first set of holes 22
and provide access to the first set of holes 22 for insertion of
the wall fasteners.
[0028] The shelf 12 is provided with a recess 28 in a side 30 of
the shelf 12 that is to be located adjacent the wall 16. The recess
28 is of a shape complementary to the shape of the elongate member
20 such that when the elongate member 20 is secured to the wall 16,
the elongate member 20 may be received in the recess 28 such that
said side 30 of the shelf 12 comes into contact with the wall 16.
That is, the elongate member 20 is completely contained within the
recess 28.
[0029] The mounting bracket 14 includes at least one support member
32 arranged to extend from the mounting bracket 14 in a direction
perpendicular to the wall 16 and into the body of the shelf 12. In
the embodiment shown, the support members 32 comprise first and
second support rods 34. Each support rod 34 extends outwardly from
the elongate member 20. The recess 28 in the shelf 12 is provided
with first and second openings 36 in the inner surface of the
recess 28 aligned such that when the elongate member 20 is received
within the recess 28, the first and second support rods 34 are
received in corresponding first and second openings 36. The first
and second support rods 34 thereby extend throughout at least a
portion of the depth of the shelf 12 providing additional strength.
Preferably the first and second support rods 34 extend throughout
the majority of the depth of the shelf.
[0030] In one embodiment, a tube 53 is provided secured within the
opening 36. The tube 53 is preferably of a suitable material, such
as metal, so as to allow easy insertion of the support rod 34 into
the opening 36 and provide additional strength to the assembly. The
support rods 34 are engageable with and disengageable from the
elongate member 20. The elongate member 20 is provided with first
and second slots 46 in the second side 25 thereof Each of the slots
46 includes a narrowed portion 48 at an end thereof. The first and
second support rods 34 are each provided with a widened portion 49
which is receivable in a corresponding one of the first and second
slots 46.
[0031] The support rod 34 is then slidable along the slot 46
towards the narrowed portion 48, in which the widened portion 49 is
then not removable from the slot 46.
[0032] The widened portions 49 of the support rods 34 are shaped to
be complementary to the cross sectional shape of the elongate
member 20, providing the load bearing capability of the support
rods 34 and transferring the load to the wall fasteners.
[0033] The mounting system 10 includes a securing means to secure
the shelf 12 to the mounting bracket 14 when the mounting bracket
14 is received in the recess 28 of the shelf 12. In the embodiment
shown, the securing means comprises the support rods 34 and
corresponding engagement screws 40. The engagement screws 40 are
inserted downwardly through apertures 42 provided in the upper
surface of the shelf 12. The apertures 42 are aligned with the
openings 36 in the recess 28 such that the engagement screws 40
engage with the support rods 34. In this way, the engagement screws
40 prevent removal of the support rods 34 from the openings 36 and
thereby secure the shelf 12 to the mounting bracket 14. While in
the embodiment shown, the engagement screws 40 are inserted
downwardly through the apertures, it will be appreciated that the
apertures 42 may be provided on the lower surface of the shelf 12,
with the engagement screws 40 inserted upwardly. This alternative
arrangement may be more suitable when the shelf 12 is mounted in a
low position where the upper surface of the shelf 12 is more
visible than the lower surface.
[0034] In use, the mounting bracket 14 is positioned against the
wall 16 in the position in which the shelf 12 is to be mounted. As
the mounting bracket 14 comprises the single elongate member 20,
levelling the shelf can be performed by simply placing a spirit
level on the top of the elongate member 20 and adjusting the
elongate member 20 until level. Holes to be drilled in the wall for
securing the mounting bracket 14 to the wall can then be marked by
placing a pen or suitable marker through the first holes 22 via the
second holes 26 and marking the wall 16. As an alternative
embodiment, the mounting bracket 12 may be provided with integral
levelling means in the form of spirit level type bubbles built into
the elongate member 20. In this embodiment, the elongate member 20
would simply need to be held against the wall 16 and adjusted until
the bubbles indicated the elongate member 20 was level.
[0035] Appropriate sized holes can then be drilled in the wall 16
of the marked locations. This enables correct mounting of the
assembly with one pair of hands. The elongate member 20 is then
placed back against the wall and secured by passing suitable wall
fasteners through the second holes 26, first holes 22 and into the
wall 16.
[0036] The support rods 34 are then secured to the elongate member
20 by insertion of the widened portions 49 into the corresponding
slot 46 and sliding the support rods 34 to the narrowed portion 48
of the slot 46. The shelf 12 is then secured to the mounting
bracket 14 by sliding the support rods 34 into the openings 36 in
the recess 28 until the elongate member 20 is contained within the
recess 28. The shelf 12 is then secured by passing engagement
screws 40 through the apertures 42 to engage with the support rods
34. It is noted that even if the mounting bracket 14 has been
installed off the horizontal, the shelf 12 will still fit to the
mounting bracket 14, which is not the case when using conventional
individual mounting brackets.
[0037] FIGS. 9a to 9b show alternative embodiments of mounting
systems in accordance with the present invention. In the embodiment
of FIG. 9a, the elongate member 20 is provided with a single slot
50 running along the entire length of the elongate member 20
instead of the first and second slots 46. The width of the slot 50
is less than that of the widened portions 49 of the support rods 34
and the widened portions 49 are received in the elongate member 20
by sliding into open ends 52 of the elongate member 20 as
shown.
[0038] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9a, it is envisaged that the
elongate member and the shelf 12 are provided in long lengths for
purchase that can be cut to any length desired. The number of
support rods 34 used will be dependent on the length of the shelf
12 and mounting bracket 14 purchased. In this arrangement, the
recess 28 in the shelf 12 will have open longitudinal ends
resulting from the cutting and will therefore be in the form of a
groove along the rear surface of the shelf 12. Caps (not shown)
will be provided that fit into the open ends of the elongate member
20 to cover the resulting opening.
[0039] FIGS. 9b and 9c show alternative embodiments of the mounting
brackets 12 of FIGS. 3 and 9a. In each case, the elongate member is
provided with an internal channel 60 adjacent the first side 22.
The channel 60 can be used for running cabling for devices to be
placed on the shelf 12. One or more holes through the upper surface
of the shelf 12 into the channel 60 may be provided to pass the
cabling from within the channel 60 to the devices on the shelf
12.
[0040] The gauge, material type and dimensions used in the mounting
system can provide a wide range of load bearing capabilities,
especially for use with heavy loads, to mount a variety of items on
a vertical surface. The is presently generally only possible using
multiple individual brackets with the associated installation
difficulty and often unsightly end result.
[0041] Modifications and variations as would be apparent to a
skilled addressee are deemed to be within the scope of the present
invention
* * * * *