Set of parts for a display rack

Abstract

A set of parts from which various display racks may be assembled includes identical base plates and identical upright supports whose terminal top and bottom portions fit conformingly in receptacles on the top and bottom surface of the plate members and are locked in the receptacles by interengaged projections and recesses, the rack parts being sufficiently resilient to permit disengagement of the locked parts by resiliently deforming the same.

Parent Case Text

This application is a continuation-in-part of the copending application Ser. No. 298,955, filed on Oct. 19, 1972, and now U.S. Pat. No. 3,834,324.

Description

In the earlier application, I disclosed a rack construction assembly for the storage of articles comprising several base plates held one above the other by means of releasably fastened supporting elements. The base plates and supporting elements are lockingly engaged in such a manner that they can be assembled and disassembled quickly and without the aid of tools.

The earlier set of parts permitted polygonal racks to be built if the base plates had at least four sides and four corners. It has now been found that certain basic features of the earlier invention are capable of much broader application to rack assemblies having a wide variety of shapes.

The rack assembly of the instant invention includes a plurality of identical base plate members having each a top surface, a bottom surface, and a circumferential edge elongated in a direction parallel to the top and bottom surfaces and connecting the same. Wall elements define a plurality of receptacles circumferentially spaced along the edge on each of the two surfaces of the plate member. The receptacles project from the surfaces in opposite directions transverse to the respective surfaces. Each receptacle includes a first wall member and a second wall member having respective, substantially parallel faces which define therebetween a slot open in a direction away from the associated base plate member. The length of the slot parallel to the surfaces of the plate member is substantially greater than its width between the faces of the wall members. A part of the first wall member projects beyond the face of the second wall member longitudinally of the slot.

The supporting members associated with the base plate members have each two terminal portions spaced in a predetermined direction and shaped for being conformingly received in respective slots of two of the receptacles of respective plate members in a position in which a part of each terminal portion projects from the receiving slot in the direction of elongation of the slot beyond the face of the second wall member defining the slot, and the afore-mentioned predetermined direction is transverse to the top and bottom surface.

Releasably interengageable locking means on the projecting part of the first wall member of each receptacle and on the projecting parts of the terminal portions of each supporting member retain the terminal portions in the two receptacles when engaged.

Other features, additional objects, and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will readily be appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description of preferred embodiments when considered in connection with the appended drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an assembled rack of the invention;

FIG. 2 shows the rack of FIG. 1 in section on the line II -- II;

FIG. 3 illustrates the rack of FIG. 1 in fragmentary top plan view;

FIG. 4 shows a portion of the rack of FIG. 1 in enlarged section on the line IV -- IV;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of another assembled rack of the invention;

FIG. 6 shows the rack of FIG. 5 in plan section on the line VI -- VI; and

FIG. 7 illustrates a detail of the rack in enlarged section on the line VII -- VII in FIG. 6.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, and initially to FIG. 1, there is shown a rack having two tiers and assembled without tools from two identical base plates 10 and three identical supporting elements 12. Each plate 10 has a flat top surface 14 and an equally flat bottom surface, obscured in FIG. 1, which is parallel to the top surface. Each base plate consists of molded, somewhat resilient plastic and is symmetrical relative to a horizontal median plane. The narrow, horizontally elongated edge 15 of the plate 10 has three equal portions which are arcuate and angularly meet in the three corners of the plate. An integral, outer, raised rim or wall 16 extends from the edge of the plate upward and downward about the entire circumference of the plate. The wall 16 jointly with two inner walls 20 and 22 in each corner of the face 14 forms two receptacles having respective connected slots 24, 26 which are open in a direction away from the base plate 10 and also in respective circumferential directions relative to the base plate while being closed in the other circumferential direction, as is best seen in FIG. 3. The walls 16, 20, 22 are integrally molded with the base plate proper and are of equal, uniform height.

The portions of the wall 16 seen in FIG. 3 project horizontally beyond the walls 20, 22, and the projecting parts each carry an integral locking member 28 whose purpose will become apparent presently. The wall arrangement shown in FIG. 3 is repeated in each of the three corners of each base plate 10, as is partly evident from FIG. 1, and in the three corners of the obscured bottom face so that the base plate carries six receptacles and twelve locking members 28.

The three supporting elements 12 are generally rectangular plates of transparent plastic which may, but need not, be resilient. Each element 12 is approximately cylindrically arcuate about an upright axis for conforming engagement with the inner faces of the walls 16. The four corners of the elements 12 are conformingly received in respective slots 24, 26 of the twelve receptacles between spacedly opposite faces of the walls 16, 20 or 16, 22 and in abutting engagement with the surface of the plate 10 which forms the bottom of the receiving slot 24, 26.

As is shown in FIG. 2, the two upright edges of each element 12 outside the slots 24, 26 are shaped to form a groove 30 and a tongue 32 respectively, a groove in one element being engaged by a tongue of another element along each of the three upright edges of the rack assembly. Large openings 34 in the elements 12 permit displayed objects to be set on the top surface of the lower base plate member 10. The illustrated openings 34 are ogival, and this shape is preferred for reasons of structural strength in racks having more than the illustrated two tiers and carrying heavy objects.

As is shown in FIG. 4, the locking members 28 on the inner face of the wall 16 are wedge-shaped. They flare toward the corresponding major surfaces of the base plate 10 and terminate in a horizontal abutment face 36. When a corner of supporting element 12 is inserted into a receptacle, it engages the associated locking member 28. The corner and/or the wall 16 is resiliently deflected until the locking member 28 drops into a recess 38 in the outer face of the element 12. The rack assembly thereafter can resist all stresses that it may be expected to encounter in normal use. It may be disassembled without tools by suitable bending the corner part of each element horizontally projecting beyond an associated inner wall 20, 22 until the locking member 28 clears the recess 38.

While a rack having two tiers has been shown in FIG. 1 for the convenience of pictorial representation, a tower having numerous tiers may be assembled from identical base plates 10 and identical supporting elements 12. The base plates may have more than three corners each, or they may be of arcuate circumference and have no corners at all, or two corners connected by two arcuate edges so as to be mandorla-shaped. The supporting elements may be planar or arcuate in more than one plane, as will be obvious.

The three supporting elements 12 shown in FIG. 1 extend jointly about the circumference of each base plate 10 in a closed loop, but they may be spaced circumferentially from each other as will presently be shown, or they may overlap each other circumferentially if so desired.

The rack partly illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 consists of identical base plates 40 and identical upright supporting elements 42. The illustrated portion of the rack includes two base plates 40 and two sets of elements 42, each set including three elements.

The base plates 40 have parallel, circular top and bottom surfaces, only the top surface 44 of one base plate being shown, and are symmetrical relative to a horizontal plane parallel to and equidistant from the top and bottom surfaces. A low cylindrical outer wall 46 projects upward from the top surface and downward from the bottom surface of each plate, and three short inner walls 48 similarly projecting from the two major surfaces of each base plate 40 are equiangularly spaced from each other and spacedly parallel to the inner face of the wall 46 so as to define respective circumferentially elongated slots with the outer wall 46. The slots are open in both circumferential directions and axially away from the associated major surface of the base plate 40.

In the illustrated assembled rack, the slots are filled by longitudinally terminal portions of supporting elements 42 which are respective sections of a hollow cylinder carrying two axial ribs 50. The spacing of the ribs 50 is equal to the circumferential length of each inner wall 48 so that the transverse end faces of the walls 48 guide the element 42 into its proper position during assembly of the rack and secure the assembled elements in a circumferential direction.

As is shown in FIG. 7 and has been described above with reference to FIG. 4, but has been omitted from FIGS. 5 and 6, the two lateral parts 51 of each element 42, which project circumferentially beyond the inner wall 48 and the ribs 50, are formed with recesses 52 which are engaged by wedge-shaped locking members 54 projecting inwardly from the outer wall 46, thereby securing the element 42 against axial movement relative to the base plate 40. The base plates 40 and the elements 42 consist of somewhat resilient plastic so that the rack may be disassembled without the use of tools by suitably bending the corners of the elements 42 and/or adjacent parts of the outer wall 46.

It is generally more desirable for appearance reasons that the outer walls 16, 46 completely cover the top and bottom ends of the supporting elements 12, 42 and the inner walls 20, 22, 48, as shown in the drawing. An outer wall 16, 46 extending in a continuous closed loop about the top surfaces 14, 44 is useful in retaining displayed objects. These features, however, are not necessary for achieving a strong rack structure. Thus, the outer wall may have individual sections circumferentially spaced from each other, and each shorter than the associated inner wall. In this arrangement, circumferentially projecting parts of the inner wall carry the locking devices for the supporting elements.

It is more convenient for a plastic fabricator to provide projections in the outer walls 16, 46 than on the supporting elements 12, 42, in which recesses 38, 52 are formed easily, but the function of the locking device would not be impaired if the locking members were integral with or otherwise mounted on the supporting elements for engagement with recesses in the wall parts which circumferentially project beyond the other wall.

In the rack assembly of the invention shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the supporting elements 42 are of uniform cross section over their entire length, except for the recesses 52, and may conveniently be cut from a continuous length of extruded plastic stock. However, the vertical edge parts 51, where exposed in the view of FIG. 5, may be cut away or omitted if so desired for a better view of and access to goods displayed on the base plates 40. The ribs 50 greatly contribute to the stiffness of the elements 42 and to the strength of the assembled rack so as to permit the use of relatively thin plate or sheet stock for making the elements 42.

Other modifications and variations of the present invention are obviously possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A rack assembly comprising:

a. a plurality of identical base plate members having each a top surface, a bottom surface, and a circumferential edge elongated in a direction parallel to said surfaces and connecting said surfaces;

b. wall means defining a plurality of receptacles circumferentially spaced along said edge on each of said surfaces,

1. said receptacles projecting from said surfaces in opposite directions transverse to said surfaces respectively,

2. each receptacle including a first wall member and a second wall member,

3. respective substantially parallel faces of said wall members defining therebetween a slot open in a direction away from the associated base plate member and in a circumferential direction,

4. the length of said slot parallel to said surfaces being substantially greater than the width thereof between said faces,

5. a part of said first wall member projecting beyond said face of the second wall member longitudinally of said slot in said circumferential direction;

c. a plurality of identical supporting members,

1. each supporting member having two terminal portions spaced in a predetermined direction and shaped for being conformingly received in respective slots of two of said receptacles on respective base plate members in a position in which a part of each terminal portion projects from the receiving slot in the direction of elongation of said slot beyond the face of the second wall member defining said slot, and said predetermined direction is transverse to said surfaces; and

d. releasably interengageable locking means on the projecting part of the first wall member of each receptacle and on the projecting parts of the terminal portions of each supporting member for retaining said terminal portions in said two receptacles.

2. An assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein each base plate member and the wall means associated therewith are symmetrical relative to a plane of symmetry parallel to and intermediate said surfaces.

3. An assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least one of the projecting parts carrying each locking means is resilient, said locking means including a wedge-shaped locking member on one of said projecting parts of said first wall member and said terminal portion, the other projecting part being formed with a recess receiving said locking member in said position of said supporting member.

4. An assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said supporting members when received in each receptacle on one surface of said base plate member extend in a closed loop about the circumference of said base plate member.

5. An assembly as set forth in claim 4, wherein each supporting member has two edge portions extending in said predetermined direction when said supporting member is in said position, one of said edge portions being formed with a groove, and the other having a tongue shaped to be received in said groove.

6. An assembly as set forth in claim 4, wherein said supporting members are formed with an opening therethrough.

7. An assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein each wall means includes guide means for guiding said supporting member in said predetermined direction into said position thereof.

8. An assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said second wall member is offset from said first wall member inward of the associated surface.

9. An assembly as set forth in claim 8, wherein said first wall member extends along said surface in a closed loop.

10. An assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein each receptacle on said top surface is aligned with a receptacle on said bottom surface in a direction perpendicular to each of said surfaces.