The present invention relates generally to mounting brackets with multidimensional stability.
Brackets are widely used to mount components to walls and other support substrates. Typically, a single flat flange of a bracket is fastened to the wall, which fails to lend support to the bracket when loaded in all dimensions of stress.
A “super” bracket with multidimensional stability includes a flat support platform and a coupling flange connected to an end of the support platform and oriented orthogonally to the support platform. A mount flange is connected to an end of the coupling flange and is oriented orthogonally to the coupling flange. The support platform extends from the coupling flange in a first direction and the mount flange extends from the coupling flange in a second direction opposite the first direction. A hole is formed in the mount flange. An L-shaped hook member extends away from an edge of the mount flange and is connected thereto.
With the above in mind, in an aspect a method includes advancing, in a first direction, a hook member of a bracket into a slot in a support substrate and then sliding the hook member in the slot in a second direction orthogonal to the first until the hook member abuts an end of the slot. A mount flange connected to the hook member is disposed flat against the support substrate. A fastener is advanced through a hole formed in the mount flange and engaged with the support substrate to thereby hold the mount flange flush against the support substrate.
In example implementations the coupling flange and platform have the same length as each other in the dimension of the end along which they are connected. A hook leg may join the L-shaped hook member to the mount flange. The leg can be substantially coplanar with the mount flange and substantially orthogonal to the L-shaped hook member. In example embodiments the hook member extends from a first side of the mount flange and the coupling flange extends from a second side of the mount flange opposite the first side. The flanges typically may be flat.
In another aspect, a bracket has a support platform oriented in an x-z plane, a coupling flange connected to the support flange and oriented in a z-y plane, and a mount flange connected to the coupling flange and oriented in an x-y plane. The mount flange is formed with a hole. A hook member is connected to the mount flange and is configured to slide in a slot in a support surface with the mount flange flush against the support surface. With this combination of structure, a fastener can be disposed through the hole into the support surface to hold the bracket, in cooperation with the hook member, securely against the support surface.
The details of the present invention, both as to its structure and operation, can best be understood in-reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which:
Initially cross-referencing
Thus, in geometric terms the support platform 12 may be regarded as being oriented in an x-z plane indicated by the Euclidean coordinate lines 22 in
Furthermore,
As also shown, hook member 24 extends away from an edge 26 of the mount flange 18 and is connected thereto. The hook member 24 may include a leg element 28 and a foot element 30 orthogonal thereto as shown, with a bight 32 being established in the crook formed by the leg element 28 and foot element 30. In such an example, the hook member 24 is L-shaped. A hook leg 34 may join the hook member 24 to the mount flange 18, and as shown best in
It may readily be discerned that the coupling flange 14 and platform 12 may have the same length as each other in the dimension of the end 16 along which they are connected. Also,
With this structure in mind, attention is turned to
A shown by the line 48, the hook member 24 of the bracket 10 is advanced into the slot 42 and then, as indicated by the arrow 50, is slid in the slot 42 in a direction orthogonal to the line 48 until the hook member 24, and in the embodiment shown until the bight 32 formed by the crook in the hook member, abuts the end 52 of the slot 42. The mount flange 18 is disposed flush against the support substrate 40.
Moving to
The bracket 10 may be unitarily molded or cast or otherwise formed out of suitable material such as but not limited to metal such as sheet steel, electrolytically coated, cold-rolled, commercial quality (SECC) steel or the cold-rolled steel known as “SPCC”. The steel may be of 1.6 mm thick in non-limiting examples.
While the particular MOUNTING BRACKET WITH MULTIDIMENSIONAL STABILITY is herein shown and described in detail, it is to be understood that the subject matter which is encompassed by the present invention is limited only by the claims.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20100258693 A1 | Oct 2010 | US |