TECHNICAL FIELD
The present disclosure relates to a book support comprising a base plate, configured to rest on a shelf, a plate shaped upright rising upwards from the base plate, and an attachment device, configured to fix the base plate to the shelf. The disclosure further relates to an attachment device that can be integrated in such a book support or together with another device, and to a system including a shelf and such an attachment device.
BACKGROUND
A book support of the initially mentioned kind is disclosed for instance in US-767037, showing a sheet metal book support with an attachment provided as a clip that is configured to clasp a shelf. One problem associated with such book supports is how to make them easily and reliably attachable to a shelf.
SUMMARY
One object of the present disclosure is therefore to provide a book support that can be easily and reliably attached to a shelf by a user. This object is achieved by means of a book support as defined in claim 1. More specifically in a book support of the initially mentioned kind, the attachment device comprises a tongue at each end of the base plate. The tongues extend downwards from the plane of the base plate and are flexible about an axis that is perpendicular to the plane of the upright, and each tongue forms an acute angle with the base plate. This allows a shelf to be clamped in between the tongues where the clamping force is applied in parallel with the plane of the base plate and the main surface of the shelf on which the base plate rests. Compared to where a clip is used to clasp the shelf at one end of the base plate, the attachment becomes very reliable without the need to apply a great force.
Each tongue may have a proximal tongue portion forming an angle with the base plate in the range between 75°-85°, and a distal tongue portion forming an angle with the proximal portion in the range between 95°-105°. This provides a book support which can accommodate greater mutual tolerances between the thickness of the shelf board and the length of the tongue, as a thicker board may simply make the tongue flex a little bit more and may make the lower corner of the shelf rest on a location of the distal portion of the tongue.
At the corner between each tongue and the base plate, an outward extending arc may be provided that connects the base plate to the tongue and provides a spring function that allows a greater tongue flexibility and reduces any lifting of the end of the base plate when the tongue is flexed outwards.
Each distal tongue portion may be substantially parallel with the base plate and a corner may be formed between the proximal and distal portions of the tongue.
Further, the end of each tongue may comprise a downwards directed tip that provides a grip to facilitate attaching of the book support.
The book support may be formed in one piece in injection moulded plastic. A suitable material is polycarbonate, PC.
An attachment device of the above defined type may be used in other applications than book supports, and is generally configured to fix a base plate to a shelf. The attachment device comprises a tongue at each end of the base plate, wherein the tongues are bent out of the plane of the base plate and being flexible about the axis about which the tongues are bent, and wherein each tongue forms an acute angle with the base plate. Such an attachment device may thus be used for other purposes, typically for storing different items.
It is also considered a combination of a shelf board and an attachment device, wherein the attachment device is configured to fix a base plate to the shelf. The attachment device comprises a tongue at each end of the base plate, wherein the tongues project out of the plane of the base plate and are flexible about the axis about which the tongues are bent. Each tongue forms an acute angle with the base plate, and has a proximal tongue portion, forming an angle with the base plate in the range between 75°-95°, and a distal tongue portion forming an angle with the proximal portion in the range between 95°-105°, wherein, when the attachment device is attached to the shelf board, the distal portion of each tongue rests on a corner of the board.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a book support attached to a shelf and a book support not yet attached to a shelf.
FIG. 2 shows an enlarged portion of the latter book support in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 shows a side view of a book support, which is not attached to a shelf.
FIG. 4 shows an enlarged portion of the book support in FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of a book support attached to a relatively thick shelf.
FIG. 6 shows an enlarged portion of the book support and the shelf in FIG. 5.
FIG. 7 illustrates a side view of a book support attached to a relatively thin shelf.
FIG. 8 shows an enlarged portion of the book support and the shelf in FIG. 7.
FIG. 9 shows an attachment device attached to the bottom side of a shelf.
FIG. 10 illustrates schematically a prior art book support.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The present disclosure relates e.g. to book supports that are used to divide bookshelves into different sections, and to support a book at the end of a line of books standing on a shelf. FIG. 10 illustrates a book support according to the aforementioned prior art document. The book support includes and upright 101 in the form of a plate, which rises from a base plate 103, which is intended to rest on a shelf (not shown). A clip 107 including a spring tongue 105 is attached to the base plate, and is adapted to clasp the shelf in order to keep the book support fixed with relation to the shelf. This book support is made in one piece from sheet metal, which is punched and bent into the desired shape. The present disclosure seeks to improve book support of this kind, and further provides a fastening arrangement that is well adapted to connect also other devices to a shelf.
FIG. 1 shows a book support 1 that is not yet attached to a shelf and one that has already been attached to a shelf 9. The book support 1 comprises a base plate 5 and an upright portion 3 in the form of a plate that rises from the base plate 5, substantially in a perpendicular direction therefrom. The book support further comprises first and second tongues 7, which are connected to the base plate 5 at the ends thereof.
As is also illustrated in FIG. 1, when a book support 1 is connected to a shelf 9, the base plate 5, devised as an elongated rectangle substantially covering the depth of the shelf 9, rests on a flat surface 11 of the shelf, and the tongues 7 connect with the edge surfaces 13 of the shelf 9 by keeping the shelf 9 clamped in between the tongues. The upright 3 may as illustrated be devised as a plate, although other options are available, such as for instance a rectangular arc. As illustrated, the upright 3 rises perpendicularly from the base plate 5, and from the mid-point of the base plate 5, although it would be possible to offset the upright laterally as seen along the length of the base plate 5. As will be described further, the upright may be replaced by another device performing a different function.
FIG. 2 shows an enlarged portion of the book support 1 in FIG. 1, which is not yet attached to a shelf. As shown, the tongue comprises a proximal portion 17, which is attached to the base plate via a spring part 15, formed as a circular arc extending outwardly from a corner where the elongation of the base part 5 meets the elongation of the proximal tongue portion 17. As illustrated, the tongue further comprises a distal portion 19 that is connected to the proximal portion. This configuration will be described further with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 where FIG. 3 shows a side view of a book support that is not yet attached to a shelf, and FIG. 4 shows and enlarged portion illustrating a tongue of the book support.
As shown in FIG. 4, an attachment device that is formed by the base plate 5 and the parts making up the tongues, may be made as a band with uniform thickness, that extends along a path from the tip of one tongue, via the base plate, and to the tip of the other tongue, although a configuration where this band becomes narrower or wider along that path is possible. The base portion 5 may as illustrated be connected to the arc-shaped spring portion 15, which in turn is connected to the proximal tongue portion 17, in its turn being connected to the distal tongue portion 19, at a corner 27. At the end of the distal tongue portion 19, a downward projecting tip 21 may be provided, that facilitates the attachment of the book support to a shelf by making it easier to handle the tongue with a finger. The proximal tongue portion 17 extends downwards when the book support is attached to the top surface of a shelf, but is provided at an acute angle 23 with respect to the base portion 5. This means that, when attached to a shelf 9 which has a depth that is about equal to the length of the base plate 5, the tongues will have to be flexed outwards and will keep the shelf clamped in between the tongues. This flexing to a great extent takes place in the spring portions 15, but also to some extent in the proximal tongue portion 17. Further, the distal tongue portion 19 is provided pointing inwards at an angle 25 to the proximal tongue portion 17. This angle 25 is greater than 90°, and is preferably in a range between 95 and 105°. In the illustrated case the angle 25 is 100°. As mentioned, the angle 23 between the base portion 5 and the proximal tongue portion is acute, and preferably in the range between 75 and 85°, and in the illustrated case the angle 23 is 80°.
FIG. 5 shows an example where a book support is attached to a shelf 9. This illustrates the capability of the attachment device according to the present disclosure to handle significant tolerances in the manufacturing of the shelf and/or of the attachment device. In the illustrated case, the shelf 9 is close to its maximum tolerance in terms of thickness and in relation to the attachment device. In the illustrated case, the tongue is flexed to a great extent outwards and the lower corners of the shelf rest on the distal tongue portion, as illustrated in FIG. 6. A corresponding case where the shelf is substantially thinner is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, where FIG. 8 shows an enlarged portion of FIG. 7. As illustrated in these figures, the tongue is not bent as much outwards and the lower corners of the shelf rest almost at the corners 27 between the proximal and distal portions of the tongue. As shown in FIGS. 5-8, this configuration of the proximal tongue portions 17 and the distal tongue portions 19, provides for easy and reliable attachment of the book support to shelves which can be allowed to have relatively high tolerances with regard to their thicknesses.
Thus, thanks to the illustrated configuration, the bottom corner of the shelf will rest either in the corner between the proximal 17 and distal 19 tongue portions or on a location along the distal portion 19, depending on the shelf thickness. This allows a relatively large tolerance of the shelf thickness. A reliable and wobble-free attachment can still be provided. The combination of angles 23, 25 in between the base plate 5 and the proximal portion 17, and between the proximal 17 and distal 19 tongue portions, may be such that, in the unflexed/relaxed position, the distal tongue portion 19 is substantially parallel with the base plate 5.
Further, thanks to the arrangement with tongues at both ends of the base plate, the book support disclosed here is suitable for being produced in injection moulded plastic, which is significantly less expensive than producing a sheet metal book support. For instance, the support may be produced in polycarbonate, PC, which also allows for the provision of a transparent book support. Also, as the attachment device provides a firm connection to the shelf board, it is possible as illustrated in FIG. 9, to attach the attachment device to the lower side of a board. Even if this makes the device less useful as a book support, it is possible to replace the upright 3′ with other devices such as a row of hooks, extending from the base plate, that can be used to carry other items on the lower side of a shelf. This allows the attachment device to be used in other applications.
The present disclosure is not restricted to the examples given above, and may be varied and altered in different ways within the scope of the appended claims. For instance, although in the described example, the upright rises perpendicularly from the base plate, a deviation from this direction is possible while retaining the desired function.
Patent Application
20190110595
