PULL-OUT SHELF FOR FURNITURE PROVIDED WITH A SIMPLE INEXPENSIVE MODULAR STRUCTURE

Abstract

Pull-out shelf for furniture formed of a pair of identical box metal sections and a tray disposed in intermediate position between them, in which each of the said box sections has an overturned “U” shape and is provided with a wing on one of its sides; wherein each of the said box sections is suitable for cooperating directly with a traditional extensible guide mounted in the cabinet and the said wing is intended to act as support and fixing surface for the longitudinal edge of the tray disposed between the two box sections.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not applicable.

INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIALS SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present patent application relates to a pull-out shelf for furniture provided with an inexpensive simple modular structure.

2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98.

The peculiarities and advantages of the invention will become evident after a short description of the prior art.

As it is known, pull-out shelves for furniture, which are eventually intended to act also as drawers, have a horizontal metal structure that acts as bearing element and slides forward and backward in such manner to come out and return to its housing inside the cabinet.

Such a bearing structure is intended to be provided from time to time with a panel to support different objects, such as waste bins, bottles, boxes and the like.

Moreover, it must be noted that the said bearing structure of a pull-out shelf is provided in lower position on both longitudinal edges with two box sections that are substantially shaped as an overturned “U”, which are technically defined as “covers”, as well as intended to be coupled and cooperate with corresponding telescopic guides fixed to the bottom wall or to the sidewalls of the compartment of the cabinet with respect to which the said structure makes its extraction and retraction travels.

Being the longitudinal edges of the said horizontal bearing structure, the said covers are also used as fixing points for the two edges provided in the shelf, as well as for a pair of uprights disposed towards the front of the bearing structure in order to be the fixing points of the vertical panel used to cover the shelf frontally.

In spite of its extreme popularity and undeniable functionality, such a technology is impaired by a significant drawback that is basically related with the manufacturing complexity of the metal bearing structure of the pull-out shelf.

As a matter of fact, the manufacturing of a similar structure requires the provision and the mutual fixing of at least six metal parts, namely:

• • two box sections with overturned “U” shape, acting as cover for housing and fixing the said extensible guides fixed to the cabinet;
  • two cross-pieces used to connect the ends of the said box sections;
  • a longitudinal member substantially having the same length as the two box sections, which is intended to connect the two said cross-pieces centrally, thus originating a frame basically shaped as a double “T”; and
  • a horizontal top intended to be fixed in intermediate position to the said two box sections above the said double-“T” frame.

The negative implications of such a constructive solution are easy to understand; firstly, the manufacturer needs to manufacture the said parts and put them together using a traditional welding process that requires the use of specialized workers and takes a long time, thus negatively affecting the manufacturing cost of the shelf.

Moreover, it is evident that such a bearing structure for shelves is shipped from the factory in its final configuration and its cumbersome volume negatively affects the operations related with packing and storage.

A careful examination of the drawbacks of the prior art resulted in the new pull-out shelf that is the object of the present invention.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

With reference to the lower number of parts to be assembled, it must be noted that the new shelf of the invention is only formed of three parts, i.e. two box sections (or covers) that are substantially shaped as a “U” and one tray provided with high structural rigidity and intended to be fixed in intermediate position between the two covers.

Therefore, it can be said that the rigid tray carries out the same function that was simultaneously carried out in the prior art by the double-“T” frame and by the metal top fixed onto it.

As regards the assembly of the various parts of the shelf of the present invention, it was decided not to carry out the assembly process—which requires a highly specialized operation such as welding—in the factory and to entrust it to an ordinary assembler or even to the final user of a cabinet provided with pull-out shelves.

In fact, the parts of the new pull-out shelf of the invention can be firmly assembled with simple connection screws according to a solution that allows for storing and packing the parts before they are assembled, therefore with very limited volumes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

For explanatory reasons, the description of the invention continues with reference to the attached drawings, which only have an illustrative, not limiting value, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an axonometric view of the two covers used in the shelf of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an axonometric view of the tray suitable for being mounted between the two covers of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an axonometric view of the wire version of the tray of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an axonometric view that shows the cooperation modes of the said three parts intended to form the shelf of the invention;

FIG. 5 is an axonometric view of the shelf of the invention, complete in all its parts, shown during the cooperation with a pair of extensible guides provided inside the cabinet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to the enclosed figures, the shelf of the invention (R) has a modular structure that is generally formed of three mutually cooperating parts.

More precisely, reference is made to two box sections (1a, 1b) that act as cover, with cross-section substantially shaped as an overturned “U”, and one tray (3).

In particular, in FIG. 1 the right-hand version (1a) and the left-hand version (1b) of the box section are represented side by side, showing that these versions have a symmetric profile.

As a matter of fact, the base of each box section is provided, on the side facing towards the other box section, with a wing (2) that occupies its entire length and has two or more circular holes (2a).

Each of the said two box sections (1a, 1b) is also intended to be the fixing point of the edge (3) of the shelf (R).

Specifically, it is a wire edge (3) made with a metal rod that uses a vertical section of the metal rod inserted in a hole obtained on the horizontal wall of the corresponding box section (1a, 1b) as back upright (3a), and a plate (3b) fixed to the box section (1a, 1b) as front upright (3b).

FIG. 2 shows a first tray (4) provided with a substantially rectangular shape and a continuous bottom wall (4a), whereas FIG. 3 shows a second tray (5) provided with the same shape as the first tray (4), and with a wire bottom wall (5a); it being also provided that the length of the said trays (4, 5) is substantially equal to the length of the said box sections (1a, 1b).

In proximal position to the longitudinal edges of the bottom walls (4a, 5a), both trays (4, 5) are provided with circular holes (6) having exactly the same shape, dimension and position as the holes (2a) obtained on the longitudinal wings (2) provided on the two box sections (1a, 1b).

Such an exact correspondence can be seen in FIG. 3, which shows the insertion mode of the said wire tray (5) between the said two said box sections (1a, 1b). Furthermore, FIG. 3 shows that, at the end of the insertion, the longitudinal edges of the tray (5) rest on the wings (2) of the two box sections (1a, 1b) and the holes (6) of the tray (5) are perfectly aligned with the holes (2a) of the two box sections (2).

Such a condition is essential for the final assembly of the three parts (1a, 1b, 5) using simple screws with vertical axis (V) that are suitable for being simultaneously inserted through the holes (6) of the tray (5) and the holes (2a) of the wings (2) provided in the two box sections (1a, 1b).

FIG. 4 shows the shelf of the invention (R) at the end of the assembly process. At the same time, FIG. 4 shows the way in which it cooperates with the other parts that are necessary to optimize its use in the cabinet.

As shown in FIG. 4, each of the two box sections (1a, 1b) is intended to be mounted “astride” and coupled with a traditional extensible guide (G) that is in turn fixed to the cabinet with brackets (S) that are specifically suitable for mounting the guides (G) on the bottom of the cabinet.

At the same time, each of the said vertical plates (3b) provided towards the front end of the two box sections (1a, 1b) is intended to support a bracket (ST) adapted to act, in correspondence of its front surface, as fixing point of the traditional front panel of the pull-out shelf (R).

Finally, it must be noted that the decision to use the said screws (V) for connecting the box sections (1a, 1b) and the tray (2) is not a limiting solution since other removable coupling means—such as rivets or coupling means embedded in the structure of the three parts—can be used.

Likewise, a different non-wire structure can be given to the said edges (3) mounted above the box metal sections (1a, 1b).

Claims

1. Pull-out shelf for furniture comprising: a pair of identical box metal sections having a cross-section substantially shaped as an overturned “U”, and provided at the base with a wing on one of their sides;a substantially rectangular metal tray intended to be mounted in intermediate position between the two said box sections and;means for firmly fixing the longitudinal edges of the said tray to the said two box sections.

2. The shelf of claim 1, wherein the said tray is provided with a bottom with a continuous surface.

3. The shelf of claim 1, wherein the said tray is provided with a wire bottom wall.

4. The shelf of claim 1, wherein: the said tray is provided with two or more circular holes on each of its longitudinal edges;the said wing each of the said box sections is provided with two or more circular holes corresponding to the holes provided on the longitudinal edges of the tray; andthe said means used to fix the said tray to the two box sections comprise screws with a vertical axis, each of them being intended to be simultaneously inserted through one of the said holes of the tray and one of the said holes of the wings of the two box sections when the said longitudinal edges of the tray are exactly overlapped with the wings of the box sections.

5. The pull-out shelf of claim 1, wherein each of the said box sections is suitable for supporting one of the edges of the shelf, as well as one of the brackets intended to act as fixing surface of a front panel of the shelf.

6. The pull-out shelf of claim 5, wherein the said edge is provided with a substantially wire structure made with metal rod, in which the back upright comprises a vertical section of the said metal rod and the front upright comprises a plate, which is also suitable for supporting a corresponding bracket.

7. The pull-out shelf of claim 1, wherein because of its overturned-“U” shape, each of the said box sections is intended to be directly coupled with a typical extensible guide mounted in the cabinet.