Patent Application
20220338627
Conventional configurable, modular storage systems typically rely on cantilevered brackets connected to a vertical or upright element to support shelves, drawers, and other modular storage components having standard dimensions that can be assembled into any number of different configurations to accommodate space limitations and storage needs. Elfa International AB makes and sells several types of storage systems.
The standard parts that comprise these systems typically include a vertical standard that is held vertically by attaching or hanging it on a wall using fasteners, tracks or cleats (sometimes referred to as a “hang standard”) or supporting it on a base or footing (an “upright”). Two or more vertical standards are placed or located a predetermined distance apart. Each standard has a plurality of connection points to which the brackets can be attached.
In a typical system, each vertical standard has plurality of connection points arranged along its length at regular intervals, to which one or more cantilevered brackets can be connected. One end of a cantilevered bracket is connected to a standard. The opposite end of the bracket extends away from the standard and remains unsupported. Most systems allow for joining a cantilevered bracket to a standard using an integrated fastener or connector so that a cantilevered bracket can be easily connected at any one of a plurality of discrete positions on the standard without the use of a separate fastener and tool. It is usually also possible to easily remove and reconnect a cantilevered bracket at a different connection point in such systems. The load carried by the bracket is transferred to the vertical standard through the connection or interface between the bracket and the vertical standard.
The connection between a cantilevered bracket and a vertical standard can take many different forms. In one common type of connection at least one extending member is inserted into an opening. Shifting the cantilevered bracket downward with respect to the standard locks the base of the cantilevered bracket against the standard, preventing it from shifting any further downward or pulling away from the standard, while still allowing the cantilevered bracket to be disconnected by shifting it upward with respect to the vertical standard. The extension can be formed on the vertical standard or the base of the cantilevered bracket, though it is most often integrated with the cantilevered bracket. One example of such an extension is a tab-shaped member extending from the base of the cantilevered bracket, with a slot formed in the tab to form a hook-like member. When inserted into a slot formed on the vertical standard, the slot on the tab drawer slides over a bottom edge of the opening forming the slot on the vertical standard.
A pair of cantilevered brackets, each connected to a vertical standard, can be used to support a component for storing or organizing items or acting as work surfaces, such as shelves, baskets, sliding drawers, and any other type of component for storing, organizing and displaying clothing, clothing accessories, books, papers, files, equipment, and decorative and useful objects. These components will generically be referred to as “storage components.” The end user selects and installs from a system's standard parts to assemble one or more storage components that meets the user's needs and fits within the available space. Assembly is usually relatively easy and requires a minimal number of tools. The systems also typically allow for easy disassembly, adjustment, and re-use of parts to assemble different configurations. The components of such systems can also function as or be assembled to create desks, work surfaces, seating, and other furniture-like arrangements, depending on components and accessories that are available.
Disclosed below are embodiments of apparatus and methods for supporting an extendable and retractable storage component between two cantilevered brackets of a storage or organization system. A drawer slide is supported on each cantilevered bracket by suspending it from a cantilevered bracket. The apparatus allows a drawer slide to be easily installed in a correct position and orientation and held firmly in place, and, if desired, removed, without requiring the drawer slide to be affixed directly to the cantilevered bracket with a fastener or other complicated means, as is typically required with drawer slides are attached to a cabinet.
The apparatus is comprised of a hanging bracket adapted to be easily suspended from a cantilevered bracket, to which a drawer slide can be easily joined. The hanging bracket has at least one integrated connector shaped and positioned on the hanging bracket to cooperate with a complementary structure defined on the cantilevered bracket so that it resists downward movement and supports a load of a storage component when coupled with the hanging bracket, while permitting at least one movement that allows it to be attached and detached.
In one representative embodiment, an extendable and retractable storage component is mounted between two cantilevered brackets and supported on drawer slides that hang from the cantilevered brackets. Each drawer slide is joined to a hanging bracket that is suspended from one side of each cantilevered bracket by a connector that cooperates with a projecting member on the side of the cantilevered bracket. The hanging bracket positions and orients the drawer slide to extend in a direction parallel to the axis along which the cantilevered bracket extends. Spacers mounted on the drawer slide engage the underside of the projecting member and the side of the cantilevered bracket help to stabilize the hanging bracket by interfering with movement of the drawer slide associated with swinging or pivoting of the hanging bracket about axes parallel with and transverse to the axis of the cantilevered bracket.
In another, representative embodiment, the hanging bracket is connected by orienting it in a first position in which the at least one integrated connector can be inserted into one or more openings on the cantilevered bracket, and then rotated to a position in which it is suspended from the cantilevered bracket and correctly positions and orients a drawer slide attached to it to support an extendable storage component between two cantilevered bracket.
To counteract or resist swinging of the hanging bracket when it is suspended from the cantilevered bracket, and thus also improve the stability of the drawer slides as the storage component is extended and retracted, at least one spacer may be attached to the drawer slide prior to it be joined to the hanging bracket. The spacer cooperates with the cantilevered bracket to prevent the hanging bracket from swinging toward the cantilevered bracket. In at least one embodiment, a top portion of the at least one spacer may engage an interfering structure on the cantilevered bracket in a manner that reduces pivoting of the hanging bracket about the connector in at least one direction, thus stopping the drawer slide from pitching in a vertical direction as a storage component is extended and retracted. Positioning spacers on opposite sides of the at least one connector prevents pivoting in both directions around the connector.
Furthermore, at least one spacer may, optionally, be shaped to resist or prevent the hanging bracket from rotating away from the cantilevered bracket to a position in which it can be disconnected from the cantilevered bracket once the drawer slide is joined to the hanging bracket.
In one exemplary embodiment, a cantilevered bracket includes a ledge or similar structure that projects inwardly and has a horizontal surface to support one side of shelf or other fixed structure spanning a gap between two cantilevered brackets positioned on adjacent vertical standards. A hanging bracket is comprised of a connector in the form of a projecting extension that is shaped and formed for insertion into an opening or gap associated with the projecting ledge when the hanging bracket is oriented in a first position and, after it is inserted and the hanging bracket is rotated to a second position in which the extension engages a horizontal surface on the ledge, thus suspending the hanging bracket from the cantilevered bracket. In the second position, the hanging bracket correctly orients and positions a drawer slide joined to it to support an extendable storage component between a pair of the cantilevered brackets. Once in the second position, the hanging bracket and the extension may be shaped such that it cannot be removed without being damaged or deformed except by rotating it toward the first position. The hanging bracket may include more than one connector.
At least one spacer may be attached to the drawer slide when it is joined to the hanging bracket to interfere with a side wall of the cantilevered bracket to prevent the drawer slide, when joined to the hanging bracketing, from swinging toward the cantilevered bracket. The at least one spacer may also be shaped to interfere with an undersurface of the projecting ledge when the drawer slide tries to rotate or swing away from the cantilevered bracket, toward the first position, thus reducing the risk the hanging bracket falling off after the drawer slide is joined to it. Furthermore, a spacer engaging the projecting ledge interferes with the drawer slide pivoting in a vertical plane about the connection in at least one direction. Placing spacers on opposite sides of the connector allows the projecting ledge to interfere with the pivoting of the drawer slide in a vertical plane about the connector in both directions.
In the following description, like numbers refer to like elements. The following description contemplates a storage or organization system comprising modular or standardized parts that can be assembled into different configurations depending on the needs of the end user and available space. Standardized components have standardized dimensions, allowing a storage unit to be assembled into different configurations and have multiple storage components of the same type or different types.
Such storage and organizational system typically rely on standards that are held in a vertical orientation and cantilevered brackets that are connected to the vertical standards by a mechanical joint. Although described with reference to a representative example of a storage system in which they may be used to particular advantages, various features and aspects of the storage system components described below can be adapted to other types of modular storage systems that make use of cantilevered brackets, including systems that are not wall mounted and that use vertical standards of different construction.
In the representative storage system illustrated in the accompanying figures, the vertical standards (not shown) are supported in a vertical orientation on a wall. The standard can be fastened to the wall with any type of fastener, such as a screw, bolt, or nail, for example, held against the wall by one or more clips or brackets that are connected to the wall, or hung from one or more cleats or rails that are connected to the wall. However, other ways of supporting the vertical standards could be used. For example, a base on the floor or bracing that extends from the floor, walls and/or ceiling, could be used alone or in combination to support standards. The vertical standards could also be supported at each end by a floor and a ceiling. Once the standards are placed, such systems usually, but need not always, allow reconfiguration of the storage components and the addition of new components.
To install a typical, wall-mounted storage system, two vertical standards are mounted at predetermined distance from each other. A system may have one or more standard separation distances that correspond to the width or widths of its standard storage components. A cantilevered bracket is then connected at corresponding heights on each vertical standard so that they are level. A storage component is then mounted between the brackets.
Additional storage components can be mounted to form a column or stack of two or more storage components by connecting additional pairs of brackets at different heights. The system can be expanded by adding one more additional vertical standards, allowing for two or more columns of storage components arranged side-by-side.
The pant rack is mounted between a pair of cantilevered brackets 104a and 104b using a pair of drawer slides 106a and 106b. The drawer slides allow the pant rack to be pulled to extend it outwardly from the cantilevered brackets—its extended position. In a fully extended position, as shown in
Each of the drawer slides 106a and 106b is a type of drawer slide referred to as a side-mounted drawer slide. Another type of drawer slide is an under-mounted drawer slide. A drawer slide, such as drawer slides 106a and 106b, has at least two parts that move linearly with respect to each other, usually one inside the other. One of the at least two parts remains in a fixed position to a frame or other element intended to remain fixed, such as the cantilevered brackets 104a and 104b in this example, and the other part connects to an element that is intended to be extended and retracted, such as the pant rack 102 or other organizational or storage component that may be substitute for it.
In this example, each drawer slide is a “full extension” drawer slide comprised of three elongated tracks assembled in a nested fashion: a base track 108 that is held adjacent to one of the cantilevered brackets 104a and 104b, and intermediate track 110 that slides linearly within the base track 108, and a third track 112 that slides linearly within the intermediate track 110. The third track 112 is attached to the pant rack 102. The base track 108 remains positioned next to a cantilevered bracket 104a or 104b. The tracks may have a complementary shape that prevents relative movement of the tracks except along an extension axis—the axis along which the slide extends. A stop or a releasable lock may be used to prevent the tracks from extending too far, the releasable lock allowing a slide to be separated to make it easier to install. The drawer slides preferably include bearings to allow each track to move smoothly with respect to another track other while transferring a load that imposes a bending moment on the drawer slide. In this example, the drawer slides 106a and 106b transfer the weight and the bending moment created by the extended pant rack 102 when in an extended position, to each of the cantilevered brackets 104a and 104b. However, the bearings are not required. Alternatively, drawer slides that do not fully extend the organizational element to the fully extended position shown in
The pant rack 102 is comprised of a plurality of rods 114 or dowels mounted within a frame generally designated by reference number 116. The frame in this example comprises two side segments 116a and 116b, a front segment 116c and a back segment 116d arranged into a rectilinear shape, with the rods supported between the front and back segments. The side segments 116a and 116b connect to the drawer slides 106a and 106b, respectively, in particular to the track 112 of each drawer slide. Alternatively, the rods could be reoriented between the side segments, in which case the front and back sides 116c and 116d could be omitted. However, one benefit of the front segment is that it also hides the rods. Furthermore, as can be seen in
A cantilevered bracket is comprised of an elongated portion that extends forward in a cantilevered fashion along a central axis from a base that comprises a connection interface. The elongated portion supports storage components and accessories. The connection interface comprises a means for joining the cantilevered bracket to a vertical standard. The connection interface preferably prevents the bracket from pivoting and translating while transfer the load on the cantilevered bracket to the vertical standard.
In the illustrated example, each cantilevered bracket 104a and 104b comprised of a elongated portion 118 (see
The illustrated embodiment is intended to be used with a recessed shelf 105. As can be seen in
Ledge 128 is shown as a single element that is attached to the side surface. However, in alternative embodiments, the ledge could comprise two or more segments that are separated and, optionally, spaced apart to support the shelf. Using one, single ledge offers the advantage of simplified fabrication of the cantilevered brackets. References to a “ledge” or “support ledge” in the description and claims contemplate and are intended to refer to either a unitary or a segmented ledge unless specifically indicated otherwise.
Optional posts 131 extend into holes formed in the shelf 105. They prevent lateral movement relative to the ledge 128 of the shelf 105 or other structure of a storage component that might be supported by it. The posts also allow the shelf or other structure being supported by the pair of cantilevered brackets to tie together the cantilevered brackets 104a and 104b in a fixed relationship that creates a single, rigid assembly. The posts may, optionally, be used with a cam lock to prevent the shelf or other structural element from lifting away from the ledge or to tighten the shelf to the ledge to increase the strength and rigidity of the assembly.
A connection portion or connection interface 132 of each of the cantilevered brackets 104a and 104b comprises at least one rearward extension 134 and at least one back edge surface 136. The rearward extension acts, when inserted into a slot or opening in a vertical standard and set in a locked position, forms a joint to retain the cantilevered bracket on a vertical standard by preventing movement in-and-out, side-to-side, and downward with respect to the slot. A downward shift of the extension after the insertion locks or sets the connection and an upward shift unlocks it and allows it to be removed. The back-edge surfaces are parallel to and rest against a front surface of the vertical standard. The rearward extension 134 and back edge surfaces thus cooperate to transfer to the vertical standard the moment created by a load on the cantilevered bracket. In the illustrated embodiment, the back edge 136 and top edge 126 are at a right angle to each other. Although several different arrangements are possible, in this example the rearward extension 134 defines a vertical slot 138 that receives a lower transverse edge defining the opening or slot in a front wall of a vertical standard to which it is to be attached. The extension thus forms a hook-like portion that, when in a locked position, cooperates with an inside surface of a front wall of the vertical standard below the opening in which the rearward extension is inserted. In alternative embodiments, the rearward extension could instead include, for example, a portion that extends upwardly from an end of the rearward extension to catch an inside surface of the front wall of the vertical standard above the opening. More than one such rearward extension may be used.
The connection interface 132 also includes a second, tab-like rearward extension 140 that is below the first one and is optional. It cooperates with a slot lower on the vertical standard than the slot in which rearward extension 134 is inserted. It acts primarily to maintain vertical alignment of the bracket with the vertical standard. In this example, pushing the rearward extension 134 down to lock it aligns the tab-like rearward extension 140 with a lower slot, allowing it to enter the slot. The dimensions and location of the tab-like rearward extension 140 may be chosen to allow its upper edge to cooperate with the top edge of the slot to help to prevent unintended upward shifting of the bracket after it is in a locked position. Depending on its size, it may also be used to transfer some of the load on the cantilevered bracket to the vertical standard. A lower extension 142 extends the back-edge surface 136 to accommodates the second rearward extension 142 at a position necessary to align the rearward extensions 140 with a slot on the vertical standard.
Each cantilevered bracket 104a and 104b is, in this example, fabricated or cut from a single sheet or plate of rigid material such as steel or other metal. The connection interface 132 of the bracket can be formed by cutting it from the same sheet of material. Thus, the entire bracket, except for the ledge 128, which can be welded or affixed in some other manner, can be cut from a single sheet of material and will have a uniform thickness. However, other fabrication methods can be used. In alternative embodiments, the connection interface 132 may comprise different configurations that permit joining the cantilevered brackets to vertical standards. The features and functions described below are not limited to the specific example used by the illustrated embodiment.
Each of the drawer slides 106a and 106b is mounted on its respective cantilevered bracket 104a and 104b by a hanging bracket 144. The hanging bracket is suspended from and to one side of each cantilevered bracket 104a and 104b using a connector. In the illustrated embodiment, and as best seen in
In this example, the projection 146 forming the connector is shaped and sized to fit into an opening or slot 148 formed in the ledge 128 of the cantilevered bracket 104a when the hanging bracket 144 is rotated into a position shown in
The spacers have a body 156 shaped to form a C-shaped structure that fits closely around the exterior of the base track 108 drawer slide to retain it on the drawer slide. This embodiment of the spacers may thus be retained on the drawer slides without a fastener or additional means for connecting. However, an additional fastener, set screw, clamp, adhesive, or other structure could be used to connect or assist with retaining the spacers on the drawer slide, especially if not shaped to complement and extend partially around the drawer slide as shown in the figures. As best seen in
In one, non-limiting example of a spacer 154, each spacer is comprised of top portion 158 that is, optionally, comprised of at least one longitudinal wall 158a with a narrow, longitudinally extending top surface and at least one (in this his embodiment, more than one) transverse wall 158b with narrow, laterally extending top surfaces. The top surfaces of the walls fit tightly against the undersurface 155 of the ledge 128. Wall 158a is laterally displaced from the back of spacer to accommodate a vertical portion of ledge 128 that attaches the ledge to the side wall 124a. Relatively narrow contacting surfaces better accommodate an uneven undersurfaces of the ledge 128 (or other horizontally projecting feature or element that could be substituted) to ensure that each spacer engages the undersurface 155 at points displaced outwardly from the axis parallel to the axis of the elongated portion 118 around which the hanging bracket tends to swing outwardly to interfere with the swinging motion.
In one example of an installation method, the drawer slide 106a is joined to the hanging bracket 144 using one or more fasteners, one example of which are screws 153, that extend through screw holes in the drawer slide and screw into corresponding holes 155 formed on portion 152a of the body 152 of the hanging bracket 144. Alternatively, the drawer slide could be, for example, spot welded the hanging bracket, joined to the hanging bracket by mechanical means of than a separate fastener, adhered to the hanging bracket using a bonding agent, or some other way. The screws may be left loose to allow for play or a small amount of movement between the hanging bracket and the drawer slide to assist with installation. Spacers 154 are slid onto the outer, base track 108 of the drawer slide 106a on either side of where the hanging bracket 144 will be joined to it. The spacers are, in a preferred method, initially placed on the drawer slide so that they are outward of the ends of the ledge 128. Once the projection 146 is inserted into slot 148 and the hanging bracket is rotated about an axis parallel to the elongated axis of the drawer slide, such that the main surface 152a of the body 152 of the hanging bracket becomes parallel with the main surface 124a of the cantilevered bracket 104a and a horizontal portion of projection 146 enters the indentation 149. The spacers 154 are then pushed inwardly to a position under the ledge 128. If necessary, the drawer slide 106a may pushed toward the ledge 128 until the top portions 158 of the spacers rest against the undersurface 155 of the ledge before the screws 153 are tightened.
The same hanging bracket 144 and spacers 154 are used to mount the drawer slide 106b to cantilevered bracket 104b in the same manner as they are used to mount the drawer slide 106a to the cantilevered bracket 104a.
The method and apparatus for supporting drawer slides described above can be used to support other types of storage and organization components. Non-limiting examples of storage or organizational components that could be substituted for the pant rack 102 include a shelf, basket, desk, drawer, and hook, as well as other types of racks. Furthermore, the pant rack 102, or a similar rack, can be used not only to hang pants but also ties, scarves, belts, and other types of clothing and accessories.
The foregoing description is of exemplary and preferred embodiments. The invention, as defined by the appended claims, is not limited to the described embodiments. Alterations and modifications to the disclosed embodiments may be made without departing from the invention.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2020/052070 | 9/22/2020 | WO |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62906071 | Sep 2019 | US |
