Patent Application
20230129858
Shelves can be attached to walls using various support apparatuses, such as brackets. Some support apparatuses for wall-mounted shelves are able to support higher amounts of weight than others. Support apparatuses that are able to support higher amounts of weight tend to be bulkier and more visible than support apparatuses that support lower amounts of weight. A consumer may find a highly visible support apparatus on a wall to be undesirable in a room where the consumer wishes to establish a certain decor.
Features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description which follows, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which together illustrate, by way of example, features of the invention; and, wherein:
While the bracket is shown with two rods, the bracket can have any number of rods.
Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated. and specific language will be used herein to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended.
Before invention embodiments are disclosed and described, it is to be understood that no limitation to the particular structures, process steps, or materials disclosed herein is intended, but also includes equivalents thereof as would be recognized by those ordinarily skilled in the relevant arts. It should also be understood that terminology employed herein is used for the purpose of describing particular examples only and is not intended to be limiting. The same reference numerals in different drawings represent the same element. Numbers provided in flow charts and processes are provided for clarity in illustrating steps and operations and do not necessarily indicate a particular order or sequence. Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.
An initial overview of the inventive concepts are provided below and then specific examples are described in further detail later This initial summary is intended to aid readers in understanding the examples more quickly, but is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the examples, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.
A bracket is provided for mounting a shelf to a flat vertical surface, such as a wall. The bracket can have a high ratio of weight-supporting capacity to visibility relative to some other wall-mountable shelf-supports.
When decorating a room, a consumer may wish to mount shelves to one or more walls to provide increased space for display or storage Many wall-mountable shelf-supports (e.g., brackets) are mounted below the shelves they support, and therefore remain visible beneath the shelves after installation is complete. Other varieties of shelf-support brackets are mounted above the shelves they support, but likewise remain visible after installation is complete.
Some consumers may wish to mount a shelf to a wall, but may not wish for the bracket that supports the shelf to be conspicuously visible, A shelf that is supported by a bracket that is not conspicuously visible is sometimes referred to as a floating shelf, since the shelf may appear to float due to the low visibility of the supporting bracket.
There is often a trade-off between visibility and weight-supporting strength because a bracket that is less conspicuous tends to be smaller and tends to absorb the stress of weight borne by a shelf over a smaller area. Consequently, consumers who wish to store or display relatively heavy items on floating shelves may have difficulty finding brackets that provide both a desired high level of weight-bearing capacity and a desired low level of bracket visibility.
Brackets designed in accordance with the design principles described herein provide a high ratio of weight-supporting capacity to visibility relative to some existing commercial support brackets for floating shelves. In one example, a bracket for supporting a shelf may comprise a solid plate with a planer back side, at least one aperture extending through the plate, and at least one elongate rod secured to and extending from the plate and received within the aperture. The aperture has internal screw threads, and the rod has external screw threads, so that the rod is secured to the plate through a threaded connection. In addition, the proximal end of the rod is flush with the back side of the plate so that the threaded connection extends through the aperture. The threaded connection allows the rod and the plate to be disassembled for shipment and assembled for use. The threaded connection and the rod extending through the aperture and the plate provides for a strong weight-bearing connection. When the rod is positioned in the aperture in the plate, a bracket with increased weight-bearing capacity results. By contrast, a bracket with an elongate member that is merely spot welded to the front side of the base would have comparably less weight-bearing capacity.
The bracket can also comprise one or more apertures for fasteners. The one or more apertures for fasteners can comprise an array of bores extending through the plate and arrange in series from one lateral side to an opposite lateral side. The array of bores can facilitate alignment of the fasteners with studs in the wall. The apertures for fasteners may be vacuous apertures. The apertures for fasteners may be positioned closer to the top side of the base than to the bottom side of the base. Fasteners, such as screws (e.g., wood screws), bolts (e.g., carriage bolts or lag bolts), anchors (e.g., masonry anchors or drywall anchors), or nails, may be inserted through the one or more apertures for fasteners and into a wall in order to secure the bracket to the wall with the planar back side of the plate pressed against the wall and the front side of the plate facing away from the wall. The bracket may be mounted in an upright orientation such that the top side of the bracket is oriented upward and the bottom side of the bracket is oriented downward. The bores can be counterbores with enlarged openings to receive the heads of the fasteners to reduce interference with the shelf. In another aspect, the bores can be countersunk. In another aspect, the array of bores can be an array of slots to facilitate alignment of the fasteners with studs in the wall.
A distal end of the rod may extend outwardly from the front side of the plate. Specifically, the distal end of the rod may extend outwardly from the front side of the plate in a direction that is substantially orthogonal to a plane formed by the flat back side of the plate. Hence, when the bracket is mounted, the rod may extend outwardly from the front side of the plate in a direction that is substantially orthogonal to a plane formed by the wall. The rod can be a pipe to reduce weight of the bracket.
The rod may also comprise an aperture for a fastener. A shelf with a channel to receive the rod can be slid onto the rod until the shelf contacts the front side of the plate or until the distal end of the rod contacts an end of the channel. The shelf may have an aperture for a fastener that lines up with the rod’s aperture for a fastener when the shelf is properly situated on the rod so that a fastener can be inserted through the shelf’s aperture and the rod’s aperture in order to secure the shelf to the rod.
The plate may form a rectangular prism. The width of the rectangular prism formed by the plate can be greater than the height of the rectangular prism, while the height of the rectangular prism may be greater than the depth of the rectangular prism. Optionally, the width of the plate may be no greater than the width of the shelf and the height of the plate may be no greater than the height of the shelf in order to reduce visibility of the bracket when the shelf is secured to the wall using the bracket.
Referring to
A plurality of circular apertures 30 can each extend through the solid plate 18 from the planar front side 26 and through the planar back side 22 of the solid plate 18. The plurality of circular apertures 30 can have internal screw threads extending through the plate 18 from the front side 26 to the back side 22. The screw threads extending through an entire thickness of the plate 18 can maximize a strength of the threaded connection. In one aspect, the plate 18 can be formed of metal, such as being cut from bar stock. In another aspect, the apertures 30 can be formed by drilling. In another aspect, the internal screw threads can be formed by tap and die.
A plurality of rods 34 can be secured to the solid plate 18 and can extend from the solid plate. Each rod 34 can have a proximal end 38 received within a different one of the plurality of circular apertures 30. Thus, each aperture 30 can have a respective rod 34 extending therefrom. Each rod 34 is cylindrical and a respective aperture 30 is cylindrical. A cross-sectional diameter of the rod 34 is substantially equal to a cross-sectional diameter of the respective aperture 30. The rods 34 can have external screw threads on the proximal end 38 that mate with respective internal screw threads of a respective circular aperture 30 to secure the rods 34 to the apertures 30. Thus, the rods 34 can be removably secured to the plate 18. The rods 34 can be separated from the plate 18 and removed from the apertures 30 for shipment, and secured to the plate 18 and threadedly attached to the apertures 30 in use to support a shelf. In one aspect, the proximal ends 38 of the rods 34 can be flush with the planar back side 22 of the solid plate 18 and substantially flush with the wall. The external screw threads on the proximal ends 38 of the rods 34 can extend a distance equal to a thickness of the solid plate 18. Thus, the threaded connection utilizes the entire thickness of the plate 18 for a secure connection. In addition, the rods 34 do not extend past the plate 18 so that the wall is not marred and extra holes in the wall are not required. In one aspect, the rods 34 can be formed of metal, such as cut from bar stock. In another aspect, the rods 34 can be pipes. The pipes can have a hollow interior to reduce the weight with respect to solid rods, and can reduce the weight of the bracket 10 and the force exerted on the connection to the wall.
The bracket 10 can receive and support the shelf 14. The shelf 14 can have a solid top surface 42, a solid bottom surface 46, a solid left surface 50, a solid right surface 54 and a solid front surface 58. The solid surfaces can conceal the bracket 10. The shelf 14 can also have a back side 62 to abut to the wall. The shelf 14 also has an indentation 66 in the back side 62 that is sized and shaped to receive the solid plate 18 completely therein. The shelf 14 also has a plurality of bores 70 in the indentation 66 each sized and shaped to receive a corresponding rod 34. Thus, the entire bracket 10 can be received in the shelf 14 to hide the bracket from view,
In one aspect, the plate 18 can have at least one cutout 74 at a lateral end. A recess 78 can be formed between an interior perimeter of the indentation 66 and an exterior perimeter of the solid plate 18 defined by the cutout 78. The cutout 74 and the recess 78 can be sized to receive a tool to separate the bracket 10 from the shelf 14. Thus, the shelf 14 and the bracket 10 can be shipped together with the bracket 10 received in the shelf 14, and the cutout 74 and the recess 78 facilitating separation and removal of the bracket 10 from the shelf 14.
In one aspect, a width of the plate 18 is no greater than a width of the shelf 14 and a height of the plate 18 is no greater than a height of the shelf 14 in order to reduce visibility of the bracket 10 when the shelf 14 is secured to the wall using the bracket 10.
The bracket 10 and the plate 18 can have bores through the plate 18 to receive fasteners 80 (
A method for hanging the bracket 10 on the wall can comprise: 1) locating studs in the wall; 2) aligning at least two bores or slots 82 of the array of bores or slots 82 with a different one of the studs; and securing the bracket 10 and the plate 18 to the wall with fasteners 80 extending through the at least two bores or slots 82. The rods 34 or pipes can be threaded to the plate 18 before or after the plate 18 is secured to the wall. Securing the rods 34 or pipes to the plate 18 after the plate 18 is secured to the wall can facilitate mounting the plate 18 to the wall by reducing the weight. A method for hanging the bracket 10 and the shelf 14 on the wall can comprise: 1) securing the plate 18 of the bracket 10 to the wall with fasteners; 2) threading the plurality of rods 34 or pipes into the plurality of apertures 30 in the plate 18; and sliding the shelf 14 onto the bracket 10 with the plurality of bores 70 receiving the plurality of rods 34 or pipes and the indentation 66 receiving the plate 18.
As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a layer” includes a plurality of such layers.
In this disclosure, “comprises,” “comprising,” “containing” and “having” and the like can have the meaning ascribed to them in U.S. Patent law and can mean “includes,” “including,” and the like, and are generally interpreted to be open ended terms. The terms “consisting of or “consists of are closed terms, and include only the components, structures, steps, or the like specifically listed in conjunction with such terms, as well as that which is in accordance with U.S. Patent law. “Consisting essentially of” or “consists essentially of have the meaning generally ascribed to them by U.S. Patent law. In particular, such terms are generally closed terms, with the exception of allowing inclusion of additional items, materials, components, steps, or elements, that do not materially affect the basic and novel characteristics or function of the item(s) used in connection therewith. For example, trace elements present in a composition, but not affecting the composition’s nature or characteristics would be permissible if present under the “consisting essentially of” language, even though not expressly recited in a list of items following such terminology. When using an open ended term in the specification, like “comprising” or “including,” it is understood that direct support should be afforded also to “consisting essentially of language as well as “consisting of language as if stated explicitly and vice versa.
The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a particular sequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments described herein are, for example, capable of operation in sequences other than those illustrated or otherwise described herein. Similarly, if a method is descnbed herein as comprising a series of steps, the order of such steps as presented herein is not necessarily the only order in which such steps may be performed, and certain of the stated steps may possibly be omitted and/or certain other steps not described herein may possibly be added to the method
The terms “left,” “right,” “front,” “back,” “top,” “bottom,” “over,” “under,” and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing permanent relative positions. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments described herein are, for example, capable of operation in other orientations than those illustrated or otherwise described herein.
The term “coupled,” as used herein, is defined as directly or indirectly connected in an electncal or nonelectrical manner. Objects described herein as being “adjacent to” each other may be in physical contact with each other, in close proximity to each other, or in the same general region or area as each other, as appropriate for the context in which the phrase is used. Occurrences of the phrase “in one embodiment.” or “in one aspect,” herein do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment or aspect.
As used herein, the term “substantially” refers to the complete or nearly complete extent or degree of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. For example, an object that is “substantially” enclosed would mean that the object is either completely enclosed or nearly completely enclosed. The exact allowable degree of deviation from absolute completeness may in some cases depend on the specific context. However, generally speaking the nearness of completion will be so as to have the same overall result as if absolute and total completion were obtained. The use of “substantially” is equally applicable when used in a negative connotation to refer to the complete or near complete lack of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. For example, a composition that is “substantially free of” particles would either completely lack particles, or so nearly completely lack particles that the effect would be the same as if it completely lacked particles. In other words, a composition that is “substantially free of” an ingredient or element may still actually contain such item as long as there is no measurable effect thereof.
As used herein, “adjacent” refers to the proximity of two structures or elements. Particularly, elements that are identified as being “adjacent” may be either abutting or connected. Such elements may also be near or close to each other without necessarily contacting each other. The exact degree of proximity may in some cases depend on the specific context.
As used herein, the term “about” is used to provide flexibility to a numerical range endpoint by providing that a given value may be “a little above” or “a little below” the endpoint. It is understood that express support is intended for exact numerical values in this specification, even when the term “about” is used in connection therewith.
It is to be understood that the examples set forth herein are not limited to the particular structures, process steps, or materials disclosed, but are extended to equivalents thereof as would be recognized by those ordinarily skilled in the relevant arts. It should also be understood that terminology employed herein is used for the purpose of describing particular examples only and is not intended to be limiting.
Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more examples In the description, numerous specific details are provided, such as examples of lengths, widths, shapes, etc., to provide a thorough understanding of the technology being described. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize however, that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention.
While the foregoing examples are illustrative of the principles of the invention in one or more particular applications, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications in form, usage and details of implementation can be made without the exercise of inventive faculty, and without departing from the principles and concepts described herein. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited, except as by the claims set forth below.
Priority is claimed to U.S. Provisional Pat. Application Serial No. 63/270,723, filed Oct. 22, 2021, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63270723 | Oct 2021 | US |
