Claims
- 1. An apparatus for mounting accessories to a panel surface, the apparatus comprising:
a profile side on the panel; at least one accessory interface defining an elongate engaging section recessed within and lying generally parallel to a part of the profile side; and an accessory device having a body including a utility part and having an elongate engaging part coupled to the body, wherein the engaging part can be slidably moved to an installed position in the engaging section of the accessory interface.
- 2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the engaging section lies generally parallel to a plane of the panel.
- 3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the profile side is provided on a plastic panel formed as a one-piece integral structure.
- 4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the plastic panel is a blow molded panel with one or more hollow regions between the profile side and a side opposite the profile side.
- 5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the engaging section of the panel has an elongate accessory tunnel with an axis and a tunnel width sufficient to slidably accept the engaging section within the accessory tunnel.
- 6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the engaging section of the panel has an accessory slot that is oriented parallel to the tunnel axis and is open to the profile side and opens into the accessory tunnel, and wherein the accessory slot has a slot width smaller than the tunnel width.
- 7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the profile side of the panel has a varied surface profile that integrally defines the accessory interface.
- 8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the accessory interface further comprises:
an elongate accessory channel segment defining both the engaging section and an axially aligned docking section which is sized and shaped to accommodate initial insertion of the engaging part into the accessory channel segment before being moved to the installed position in the engaging section.
- 9. An apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:
a plurality of the accessory channel segments arranged over the profile side.
- 10. An apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:
at least one elongate accessory channel extending along a part of the profile side and including a plurality of the accessory channel segments axially aligned along the at least one accessory channel.
- 11. An apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:
a plurality of the accessory channels arranged spaced apart over the profile side.
- 12. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the engaging section of the accessory channel segment further comprises:
an engaging tunnel extending longitudinally along the accessory channel segment and having a tunnel shape, a tunnel length, and a tunnel width that are complimentary to a length, shape, and width of the engaging part when in the installed position.
- 13. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the engaging section of the accessory channel segment further comprises:
an accessory slot extending generally parallel to the channel and opening into the engaging tunnel and having a slot width that is smaller than the tunnel width; and an entry opening at an end of both the engaging tunnel and the accessory slot adjacent the docking section permitting installation of the engaging part via the entry opening.
- 14. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the accessory interface includes at least one detente mechanism that engages with a part of the accessory device when the accessory device is in the installed position.
- 15. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the detente mechanism comprises:
a ramp provided on a part of the accessory interface; and a detente part on a portion of the accessory device that engages with the ramp when the connector is being moved to the installed position.
- 16. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the engaging part of the accessory device further comprises:
at least one elongate projection extending from the accessory device, the projection having a stalk coupled to and extending from the body and having a stalk width; and a head carried on the stalk and spaced from the body, wherein the head has a head width that is larger than the stalk width.
- 17. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the elongate projection is formed from a row of aligned pins each having such a head and stalk.
- 18. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the engaging part comprises:
an elongate blade having one end coupled to a portion of the accessory device.
- 19. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the accessory device is molded from a high density thermoplastic material.
- 20. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the accessory device is formed from a metal.
- 21. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the metal accessory device is fabricated from wire formed to configure both the engaging part and the utility part.
- 22. A method of mounting accessories to panel surfaces, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a panel with a surface having at least one accessory interface defining an elongate engaging section recessed within and lying generally parallel to a part of the profile side; selecting at least one an accessory device having a body with a utility part and having an elongate engaging part coupled to the body; inserting a portion of the engaging part into the panel interface; and sliding the accessory to an installed position with the engaging part in the engaging section of the accessory interface.
- 23. A method according to claim 22, wherein the step of sliding the connector further comprises:
sliding the accessory device until a detente mechanism engages between the part of the accessory device and part of the panel interfaces.
- 24. A method according to claim 22, wherein the step of sliding further comprises:
sliding the engaging part from a docking section of the panel interface into the engaging section.
- 25. A method according to claim 22, wherein the step of inserting further comprises:
inserting the engaging part into a docking section of the panel interface adjacent the engaging section.
- 26. A method according to claim 22, wherein the step of sliding further comprises:
sliding the engaging part into an elongate accessory tunnel of the engaging section.
- 27. A method according to claim 22, wherein the step of sliding further comprises:
sliding a portion of the engaging part having a first width into an elongate accessory tunnel of the engaging section and sliding a portion of the engaging part having a second width smaller than the first width along an accessory slot that is oriented parallel to the accessory tunnel and that is open to the panel surface and into the accessory tunnel.
- 28. A method according to claim 22, further comprising the step of:
blow molding the plastic panel with one or more hollow regions between a profile side defining the panel surface and a side opposite the profile side.
- 29. A method according to claim 22, wherein the step of providing further comprises:
providing at least one elongate accessory channel segment in the panel surface that defines both the engaging section and an axially aligned docking section.
- 30. A method according to claim 29, wherein the step of inserting further comprises initially inserting the engaging part into the docking section of the accessory channel segment before the step of sliding.
- 31. A method according to claim 29, wherein the step of providing further comprises:
providing a plurality of the accessory channel segments arranged over the panel surface.
- 32. A method according to claim 31, further comprising the step of:
selecting one of the plurality of accessory channels before the step of inserting.
- 33. A method according to claim 29, wherein the step of providing further comprises:
providing at least one elongate accessory channel extending along a part of the panel surface, the accessory channel including a plurality of the accessory channel segments axially aligned along the at least one accessory channel.
- 34. A method according to claim 33, wherein the step of providing further comprises:
providing a plurality of the accessory channels arranged spaced apart over the panel surface.
- 35. A method according to claim 22, further comprising the step of:
securing a part of a shelf to the utility part of the accessory device after the step of sliding.
- 36. A method according to claim 22, further comprising the steps of:
selecting a second accessory device and repeating the steps of inserting and sliding; and securing a shelf the utility parts of the accessory devices.
- 37. A method according to claim 22, further comprising the step of:
hanging an object from the utility part of the accessory device.
- 38. An apparatus for mounting objects to a panel surface, the apparatus comprising:
at least one accessory channel having an elongate accessory tunnel recessed within and lying generally parallel to a part of the panel surface; and an accessory device having a utility part adapted to support an object and having an elongate engaging part coupled to the accessory device, wherein the engaging part can be slidably moved to an installed position in the accessory tunnel such that the engaging part is prevented from pulling out of the accessory tunnel in a direction normal to the accessory tunnel.
- 39. An apparatus according to claim 38, wherein the accessory channel further comprises:
a docking section axially aligned with the accessory tunnel, the docking section adapted to receive the engaging section within the panel surface adjacent the engaging section.
- 40. An apparatus according to claim 38, wherein the utility part is a shelf support.
- 41. An apparatus according to claim 38, wherein the utility part is a support hook.
- 42. An apparatus according to claim 38, wherein the utility part has a pair of horizontally arranged supports defining a gap therebetween.
- 43. A modular plastic panel and accessory device combination comprising:
at least one panel surface; a plurality of accessory tunnels formed recessed in a part of the panel surface and oriented generally parallel to a plane of the panel, each of the tunnels having an entry opening at one end; and an accessory device having a utility part for supporting objects and an elongate engaging part slidably received in a selected one of the accessory tunnels, the engaging part being prevented from being removed from the selected accessory tunnel in a direction generally normal to a plane of the panel.
RELATED APPLICATION DATA
[0001] The present patent is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/860,381, which was filed on May 18, 2001, and Ser. No. 10/082,608, which was filed on Feb. 25, 2002.
Continuation in Parts (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09860381 |
May 2001 |
US |
Child |
10127949 |
Apr 2002 |
US |
Parent |
10082608 |
Feb 2002 |
US |
Child |
10127949 |
Apr 2002 |
US |