Claims
- 1. A rail and supports therefor comprisingan elongated rail having an axis, an undercut groove of a uniform generally “C” shape in cross section extending axially along the rail, and a plurality of supports attached to the rail in spaced-apart relation, each support including a bracket member having a supported surface adapted to engage a structure on which the rail is mounted and having a supporting surface spaced apart from the supported surface, a lock member received on the supporting surface of the bracket member, the lock member having a locking cam portion received in the undercut groove, the locking cam portion having a size and shape such that it can enter the undercut groove when it is in an unlocked rotational position relative to the undercut groove and such that it frictionally engages walls of the undercut groove in a locked rotational position relative to the undercut groove and thereby retains the rail against displacement relative to the structure, and a fastener joining the lock member to the bracket member against displacement of the lock member relative to the bracket member and for rotation of the lock member relative to the bracket member.
- 2. The rail and supports therefor according to claim 1, wherein the lock member of each support includes a mounting base portion engaging the supporting surface of the bracket member.
- 3. The rail and supports therefor according to claim 2, wherein the lock member of each support includes a shank portion located between the cam portion and the mounting base portion.
- 4. The rail and supports therefor according to claim 1, wherein the lock member of each support has a tool-receiving formation on a portion thereof externally of the undercut groove adapted to receive a tool for use to facilitate rotating the lock member.
- 5. The rail and supports therefor according to claim 3, wherein the shank portion of the lock member of each support has a tool-receiving formation adapted to receive a tool for use to facilitate rotating the lock member.
- 6. The rail and supports therefor according to claim 4, wherein the tool-receiving formation is a peripheral surface of the lock member having facets adapted to be engaged by a wrench.
- 7. The rail and supports therefor according to claim 5, wherein the tool-receiving formation is a peripheral surface of the shank portion having facets adapted to be engaged by a wrench.
- 8. The rail and supports therefor according to claim 1, wherein the undercut groove of the rail has spaced apart walls forming recesses that face each other and the locking cam portion of the lock member of each support includes locking portions that frictionally engage the walls forming the recesses in the locked position of the lock member.
- 9. The rail and supports therefor according to claim 8, wherein the locking cam portion of the lock member of each support further includes a tapered lead-in portion adjacent each of the locking portions, the lead-in portions guiding the locking portions into engagement with the walls forming the recesses of the undercut groove upon rotation of the lock member from the unlocked position to the locked position.
- 10. The rail and supports therefor according to claim 3, wherein the undercut groove of the rail has spaced apart has L-shaped flanges having inturned lip portions forming recesses that face each other, the locking cam portion of the lock member of each support includes locking portions that frictionally engage the recesses in the locked position of the lock member, and the shank of the lock member includes a shoulder-forming part and a groove-forming part configured such that when the lock member is in the locked condition segments along the upper and lower ends of the shoulder-forming part engage rear surfaces of lip portions of the inturned flanges and the inturned lip portions of the flanges of the retainer are received in upper and lower grooves formed between front surfaces of the locking portions of the locking cam portion of the lock member and rear surfaces of the shoulder-forming part.
- 11. The rail and supports therefor according to claim 9, wherein front surfaces of locking portions of the locking cam portion of the lock member engage upper and lower portions of a base surface of the undercut groove at engagement regions and the front surfaces of the locking cam portion have protuberances that are elastically compressed and provide preloads for maintaining the locking cam portion in firm engagement within the recesses.
- 12. The rail and supports therefor according to claim 1, wherein the lock member is unitary and of a substantially rigid solid material.
- 13. The rail and supports therefor according to claim 1, wherein the lock member and bracket member of each support have interacting detents establishing the unlocked and locked positions of the lock member.
- 14. The rail and supports therefor according to claim 1, wherein the fastener of each support is adapted to fasten the bracket member to the structure.
- 15. The rail and supports therefor according to claim 14, wherein the fastener of each support is received within the bracket member along its entire extent between the supported surface and the supporting surface.
- 16. The rail and supports therefor according to claim 1, wherein the bracket member of each support includes a recessed socket in the supporting surface and the lock member includes a base portion received in nested relation in the socket.
- 17. The rail and supports therefor according to claim 16, wherein the recessed socket of the bracket member and the base portion of the lock member have interacting detents establishing the unlocked and locked positions of the lock member.
- 18. The rail and supports therefor according to claim 1, wherein the rail has a retainer of extruded aluminum and a cover of a polymeric material received on a portion of the retainer located to face away from the wall, and wherein the undercut groove is located on a portion of the retainer that faces toward the wall and is not covered by the cover.
CLAIM FOR PRIORITY
The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/767,005, filed Jan. 22, 2001.
US Referenced Citations (14)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
03260256 |
Nov 1991 |
JP |
406017520 |
Jan 1994 |
JP |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
“C/S Acrovyn®”catalog, C/S Group, 2001, pp. 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21. |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/767005 |
Jan 2001 |
US |
Child |
09/871204 |
|
US |