This invention relates to bracket assemblies for supporting various objects. In particular, the invention relates to a modular bracket for use in forming bracket assemblies for supporting various objects. The invention extends to a bracket assembly formed with the modular bracket.
A number of different types of brackets for supporting various objects are currently available and used. Typically, brackets are purpose made for applications.
There is an undoing need for alternative brackets that alleviate at least some limitations associated with conventional brackets for supporting objects.
Accordingly, the invention provides a modular bracket, which includes:
a mounting portion adapted to be mounted to a surface;
an arm extending from the mounting portion; and
first coupling means at the free end of the arm for coupling to a further bracket member having complementary second coupling means for forming a bracket assembly.
The arm may include an upper arm portion and a lower arm portion and a coupling arm portion extending between the upper arm portion and lower arm portion, the coupling arm portion incorporating the first coupling means.
The upper arm portion may be longer than the lower arm portion and the coupling arm portion may extend between the upper arm portion and the lower arm portion at an acute angle relative to the upper arm portion. The lower arm portion may be angled towards the upper arm portion in the direction of the coupling arm.
The first coupling means may be configured to permit coupling with the second coupling means in a manner in which the further bracket member extends the arm longitudinally or in a manner in which the further bracket member extends at a right angle from the modular bracket.
The first coupling means and the second coupling means may be configured to permit coupling from a sideways direction relative to the lengthwise direction of the arm of the modular bracket.
The first coupling means and second coupling means may form a dovetail joint between the arm and the further bracket member.
The first coupling means may include the dovetail recess and the second coupling means may include the complementary male dovetail, the dovetail recess being sideways open to permit coupling from a sideways direction relative to the lengthwise direction of the arm of the modular bracket.
At least the upper arm portion and the lower arm portion may be of a T-shaped cross section.
The invention also provides a bracket assembly, which includes:
a modular bracket as defined above; and
a further bracket member which includes a holding formation for, in use, holding a complementary shaped object.
The modular bracket assembly may include any one or more of the optional features in accordance with the above aspect of the invention as herein defined, described, and illustrated.
The further bracket member may include an arm having the second coupling means towards one end and the holding formation towards the other end. The holding formation may include a hook formation.
Moreover, the further bracket member may include an elongated arm having the second coupling means at one end and the hook formation at the other end, the arm being oriented relative to the second coupling means so that that when coupled with the first coupling means of the bracket to form the bracket assembly, the arm being inclined outwardly and downwardly relative to the modular bracket.
The further bracket member may include an elongated arm having the second coupling means at one end and a plurality of holding formations provided on an elongated edge of the elongated arm.
The further bracket member may include an elongated arm having at least one holding formation provided on an elongated edge of the elongated arm, the holding formation being displaceable relative to the arm in a manner that accommodates a complementary shaped body of an object.
The invention further provides a modular bracket comprising a mounting portion adapted to be mounted to a surface, an arm extending from the mounting portion, and coupling means which includes a first coupling means at the free end of the arm for coupling to a further bracket member having complementary second coupling means for forming a bracket assembly.
The first coupling means and the second coupling means may form a dovetail joint between the arm and further bracket member. The coupling means may include a dovetail recess and a complementary male dovetail formation. The first coupling means may include a dovetail recess and the second coupling means may include the complementary male dovetail formation. The first coupling means may extend at an acute angle to the mounting portion. The dovetail recess may be formed on the arm or mounting portion and similarly the complementary male dovetail may be formed on the mounting portion or arm.
The mounting portion may include a mounting flange and the arm may extend in a plane normal to or at right angles from the mounting flange. The dovetail recess may be formed in a surface extending at an acute angle to the mounting flange. The arm may include an upper arm portion and a lower arm portion and a coupling arm portion extending between the upper arm portion and lower arm portion and including the dovetail recess. The terms “upper” and “lower” as used herein in relation to the arm portions define the position of the respective arm portions when the arm of the bracket is in an orientation extending substantially horizontally.
The upper arm portion may be longer than the lower arm portion and the coupling arm portion may extend at an acute angle, typically 45 degrees, to the upper arm portion. The lower arm portion may be angled upwardly towards the upper arm portion. The dovetail recess may extend longitudinally along the coupling arm portion. The arm portions may be of a T-shaped cross section which includes a web portion lying in a vertical plane and a flange portion extending substantially at right angles to the web portion. The web portion may also extend along the mounting portion.
The modular bracket may be coupled to the further bracket member which may be in the form of a hook member to form a bracket assembly for supporting bicycles or any other article. The hook member may have an arm, a hook at one end of the arm and the second coupling means at the opposite end of the arm for coupling to the first coupling means on the modular bracket. The hook member may be coupled to the modular bracket to extend outwardly there from and constitute an extension of the arm of the modular bracket for upright surface mounting. Alternatively, the hook member may be coupled to the modular bracket to extend at substantially right angles to the arm of the modular bracket, for ceiling or horizontal surface mounting.
The present invention thus in another aspect provides a bracket assembly for bicycles or other article comprising a modular bracket and a hook member described above.
The modular bracket may include any one or more of the optional features of the modular bracket member as herein defined, described, and illustrated.
The hook member in a further embodiment may include an elongated arm which terminates in a hook at one end with the second coupling means at it opposite end and oriented such that when coupled with the first coupling means of the modular bracket to form a bracket assembly, the hook member is inclined outwardly and downwardly relative to a horizontal plane from the modular bracket oriented for mounting to an upright surface.
A pair of bracket assemblies of this form may be arranged at a spaced part position and in substantially horizontal alignment for supporting a surfboard or any other elongated member.
The present invention thus in another aspect provides a bracket assembly for surfboards or other elongated member comprising a modular bracket and a hook member described above.
In another aspect, the modular bracket may be combined with a holder for forming a bracket assembly for supporting a plurality of fishing rods. The holder may include a first arm having the second coupling means at one end for coupling to the first coupling means of the modular bracket. The holder may also include a second arm having a plurality of hooks or other members for supporting respective fishing rods. The second arm may extend from the first arm at an acute angle to the first arm. The second arm may be attached at its lower end to the wall or upright surface. The second arm may terminate at its free end in a lug for attachment to a wall or other upright surface to form a brace.
The present invention thus in another aspect provides a fishing rod holder assembly comprising a pair of modular brackets and associated holders as described above adapted to be mounted at spaced part positions and in horizontal alignment with each other.
The bracket and other components of the bracket assemblies may be moulded from synthetic plastics material in an injection moulding process but may be manufactured using an alternative method.
In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention, in which:
Referring to the drawings and firstly to
Extending outwardly from the flange 11 and substantially normal thereto is a bracket arm 13 which includes a first upper arm 14 and a spaced second lower arm 15 which is angled upwardly towards the upper arm 14. As is apparent, the base flange 11 has a portion 16 which extends downwardly below the lower arm 15 to provide additional support to the modular bracket 10 when secured to a mounting surface, the flange portion 16 being of a triangular tapered configuration. The upper arm 13 is of a T-shaped cross section including an upper flange 17 and a central supporting web or flange 18 extending from the underside thereof and the lower arm 15 is of a similar configuration including a lower flange 19 with a supporting flange or web 20 provided on the upper side thereof.
A coupling arm 21 extends between the outer ends of the upper arm 14 and lower arm 15 extending at an acute angle to the arm 14 and typically at 45 degrees to the arm 14. The coupling arm 21 includes a supporting web or flange 22 on its rear side which joins the flanges 18 and 20 to form a continuous stiffening flange for the arm assembly 13. The continuous stiffening web or flange also continues along the inner side of the base flange 11. The outer side of the arm 21 is provided with a dovetail shaped re-entrant recess 23 which has a width, the width of which extends longitudinally of the arm. The recess 23 is adapted to receive a complementary dovetail-shaped coupling of a further bracket member to be connected to the bracket 10 to adapt the bracket 10 for a number of different applications.
For connection, the coupling formation 28′ of the hook member 25 is slid sideways into the recess 23 so as to be retained therein. The connection suitably comprises a push or frictional fit such that the hook member 25 and modular bracket 10 are firmly interconnected. The arm 27 of the hook member 25 includes acutely angled upper and lower arm portions which connect to the hook 26 at one end and which are angled at the same angle as the arms 13 and 14 and effectively comprise extensions of the arms 13 and 14. At the coupling 28, the upper and lower arm portions are spaced apart substantially the same distance as the arms 13 and 14 at the coupling 23. The acutely angled arm 21 of the modular bracket 10 provides an enlarged surface to carry loads applied to the hook 26 and further distributes the load along both arms 14 and 15 to the wall surface to which the modular bracket 10 is mounted.
The modular bracket 10 with assembled hook member 25 forms a bracket assembly as shown in
In the embodiment of
The bracket assembly 34 is particularly suited to mounting to a vertical surface such as a wall surface for supporting surfboards or other elongated members. Thus the respective modular brackets 10 of a pair of bracket assemblies 34 may be secured at spaced apart positions and in substantially horizontal alignment to a vertical wall surface such that the hook members 29 of the respective bracket assemblies 34 are inclined downwardly. A surfboard 35 shown in dotted outline in
Referring now to
The modular bracket 10 may be secured to a vertical surface 43 as described above and the lug 42 may also be secured to the surface 43 such as by a screw or other fastener 44 passed through the lug 42 to support the arm 40 and form a bracing for the bracket assembly 35. It will be noted that the hooks 41 are offset horizontally from each another.
A pair of bracket assemblies 35 may be mounted to the wall surface 43 at spaced apart positions and in substantially horizontal alignment and respective fishing rods may be located in and supported by spaced hooks 41 as shown at dotted outline at 45. As the hooks 41 along the arm are offset from each other, the reel carried by one fishing rod will not interfere with the reel carried by an adjacent fishing rod.
While it is preferred that the arm 40 is attached by the lug 42 to a wall surface, this may not be necessary in all circumstances. The holder 35 in the preferred embodiment is moulded of plastics in an injection moulding process with the components integrally formed but it may be moulded or fabricated using other manufacturing processes. The holder 35 may also include any number of rood holding hooks 41 as is practical. A further rod or rods may also be supported on the arm 37 of the holder 35 to be retained by the hook 39 at the end of the arm 37. The hooks 41 may be replaced by other holding devices such as clips, clamps, or shelving members for holding or supporting other elongated articles.
The further bracket member 82 also includes two displaceable members 90, each being in the form of a slightly curved flat rocker arm that is pivotally mounted about a pivot pin 92 which extends between two opposing lugs 94 at either side of an upper long edge of arm 86. The two rocker arms 90 are spaced apart on the long side edge of the arm 86 and orientate so that their major working faces more-or-less face each other.
A support arm 96 is provided having a mounting bracket 98 at its one end for mounting to the support wall and a rotatable hinge formation 93 at the other end for cooperating with a complementary hinge formation 91 provided on a lower long edge of the arm 86. A holding formation 95 in the form of a hook formation is provided on the support arm 96.
As shown a mounting bracket 100 having a rectangular planar base flange 106 is proved along opposite edges 114 with inwardly directed opposing L-shaped lugs 110 which define channels within which the base flange 11 of a modular bracket 10 or the sides of the base flange 124 may be slid into and captured between the lugs 110, the lugs 110 having stops 120 at their lower ends to provide support to the base flanges 11, 124. At the top of the L-shaped lugs 110 a support or guide 108 is used for guiding the base flange 11, 124 into the mounting bracket 100. Also located within the base flange 106 are longitudinally extending slots 116 which extend for substantially the length of the base flange 106.
The bracket 100 may be secured in any suitable manner to any vertical or horizontal surface such as by adhesives or by fasteners driven through apertures 102 in the base flange 106. The apertures 102 may be countersunk to form a recess 118 to allow for the flush mount of a fastener within the flange 106. The bracket 100 at the bottom side of the base flange 106 is sloped downward to form a rounded point 112 at its lowest extremity. This ensures that the fastener used at the bottom side can be easily accessed without the need for removing the modular bracket 10 or the base flange 124 from the bracket 100 when in use.
The bracket 100 may support spaced bracket assemblies of the type shown in
Located on a central portion of the planar base 126 is a raised box section 130 having opposing sides 138 and a top and bottom 142 which form a raised box section 130 with reinforcing members 134 located on the top and bottom of the box section 130. The raised box section is hollow and open at both the front and rear of the base flange 124. The front opening 128 passes through the raised box section 130. The opening 128 formed is the same size as the inside walls of the box section 130 and continues through the box section to a point located inside the planar base 126. At the rear of the planar base 126 a rectangular recess 139 is formed in the planar base 126 which has dimensions which are slightly greater than the size of the opening 128 of the raised box section 130. Therefore a shoulder 137 is formed on either side at the point where the opening 128 formed from the side of the box section 130 meets the recess 139 inside the planar base 126.
Illustrated in
The shoulders 137 are formed around all four sides of the recess 139 and as is illustrated in the present embodiments the legs can be secured to the base flange 124 in one of two orientations. The orientation utilised is determined by the size and shape of the mounting formation 166, 178, 198. For example, a vertical orientation is utilised by mounting formations 166, 178 and a horizontal orientation is utilised by mounting formation 198.
In this embodiment the bracket 142 has been designed so that it can be utilised in a display wall panel or slat wall panel which provides flexible merchandising of a wide range of products and are used extensively in showrooms, retail exhibitions and displays. The panels (not shown) are grooved at intervals of approximately 100 mm or any other suitable interval. Typically the panels have aluminium inserts in each groove for the bracket 142 to hook into. In this case an L-shaped tongue 144, 154 extends from the top of the bracket 142 and the portion 144 is inserted inside the groove of the slat wall panel to secure the bracket 142 in place.
The bracket 142 at the bottom side of the base flange 146 is sloped downward to form a rounded point 152 at its lowest extremity. This tongue formation is utilised when mounting the bracket 142 into the groove of the display wall panel to facilitate the easy insertion into the groove and removal from the groove in the display panel.
As described above
In
The complementary attachment part 160 is used in combination with the base flange 124 and the mounting bracket 100. When used in this formation the mounting formation 166 of the complementary attachment part 160 is inserted into the opening 128 of the base flange 124 with the legs 167 passing through the opening 128 and into the recess 139. When inserted in this formation the legs 167 are slightly compressed together so that when the legs 167 pass into the recess 139 the legs 167 are forced apart so as to form an interference fit between the legs 167 and the recess 139. To facilitate the compression of the legs 167 a void 170 is formed between both legs 167. Lugs 168 located at the free end of the legs 167 are used to secure the complementary attachment part 160 in position against the shoulders 137 inside the recess 139 of the base flange 124.
In
Located at the end of each post 176 is a further lug 186 which is utilised to locate and secure the board through the truck mounting holes. Alternatively a further securing device may be secured over the end of the lug 186 to further secure the board to the attachment part 172.
In
The lower arm 211 is provided with a dovetail shaped re-entrant recess 196 which has a width, the width of which extends longitudinally of the arm 211. The recess 196 is adapted to receive a complementary dovetail-shaped coupling of a further bracket assembly to be connected to the complementary attachment part 192 to adapt the complementary attachment part 192 for a number of different applications.
Like both complementary attachment parts 160, 172 the complementary attachment part 192 is used in combination with the base flange 124 and the mounting bracket 100. When used in this formation the mounting formation 198 of the complementary attachment part 192 is inserted into the opening 128 of the base flange 124 with the legs 212 passing through the opening 128 and into the recess 139. When inserted in this formation the legs 212 are slightly compressed together so that when the legs 212 pass into the recess 139 the legs 212 are forced apart so as to form an interference fit between the legs 212 and the recess 139. To facilitate the compression of the legs 212 a void 202 is formed between both legs 212. Lugs 200 located at the free end of the legs 212 are used to secure the complementary attachment part 192 in position against the shoulders 137 inside the recess 139 of the base flange 124. The only difference in the mounting formation 198 and the mounting formations 166, 178 is a horizontal orientation is utilised by mounting formation 198.
Illustrated in
The bottom portion 222 is joined to the opposing sides 224 by shoulders 226 located at one end of the sides 224 and at the other end of the sides 224 the top edge 225 joins to form the planar base 223. The opposing sides 224 are formed to insert into the L-shaped lugs 110, 148 on the bracket 100,142. At the free end where the upper arm 231 joins the lower arm 230 a hook formation 240 extends from the bracket assembly 220.
While the bracket assembly 220 is illustrated other complete bracket assemblies of the types shown in
While the coupling means between the bracket parts are preferably of a dovetail configuration defined by a re-entrant recess and a complementary shaped projection, other forms of coupling means may be used.
The modular bracket and the various further bracket members, advantageously provides a modular bracket which may be combined with any one of the further bracket members to form bracket assemblies for use in a number of different applications.
The terms “comprising” or “comprise” or derivatives thereof as used throughout the specification and claims are taken to specify the presence of the stated features, integers and components referred to but not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other feature/s, integer/s, component/s or group thereof.
The above has been given by way of illustrative embodiment of the invention however all variations and modifications as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope of the invention as defined in the claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2008902025 | Apr 2008 | AU | national |
This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/989,143 filed on Apr. 22, 2010, now pending and incorporated by reference herein.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 12989143 | Oct 2010 | US |
Child | 13957704 | US |