1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a removable mounting system capable of being removably mounted between surfaces. More specifically, the invention relates to a removable mounting system for mounting various fixture components between shelves without need of using mounting fasteners or mounting tools.
2. Description of the Related Art
Display shelves have been used to store and display articles. While the articles on the top shelf are readily visible under various conventional and/or ambient lighting, articles placed between shelves are often blocked from conventional and/or ambient lighting. Consequently, the display effect of these articles between shelves is largely compromised.
Undershelf lighting units have been used to address the above problem. These conventional undershelf lighting units however demand labor and skills when installing and removing such undershelf lighting units. In addition, various mounting tools are required during the installation and removal process. When the lightings are to be mounted between the shelves, the operation becomes even more difficult as the technician must manipulate the mounting tools in a limited space between the shelves.
The following description provides a mounting system to solve the above problems. More specifically, the following embodiments provide a removable mounting system capable of being removably mounted between shelves and/or mounting various fixture components between shelves without need of using mounting fasteners or mounting tools.
The embodiments disclosed herein relate to a removable mounting system capable of being removably mounted between shelves. More specifically, the invention relates to a removable mounting system for mounting various fixture components between shelves without need of using mounting fasteners or mounting tools.
The removable mounting system comprises a housing member with a linkage passage extending in a longitudinal direction and opening at an end portion of the housing member. The removable mounting system also comprises a linkage member interconnected with the housing member. For example, the linkage member includes an interconnecting portion pivotably mounted to the housing member, a mounting portion configured to be at least partially received in the linkage passage and movable in the longitudinal direction of the linkage passage, and a linkage portion pivotably connecting the interconnecting portion and the mounting portion of the linkage member.
The linkage portion of the linkage member is movable between an engaged position and a released position of the linkage member. In the engaged position, the linkage portion of the linkage member is aligned with the interconnecting portion and the mounting portion of the linkage member so that the removable mounting system can be mounted in position. In the released position, the linkage portion of the linkage member pivots open to release the linkage member from the engaged position.
The following description is set forth in connection with the attached drawing figures, which are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead generally being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. In the drawing figures:
Various embodiments of the removable mounting system 1 are described below in connection with the drawing figures. In the following description of different embodiments, similar components and elements are designated with the numeral references and redundant description is omitted.
The housing member 10 of the removable mounting system 1 can be in various forms to interconnect with the linkage member 30 of the removable mounting system 1. As shown in
The longitudinal sidewalls 14a, 14b of the housing member 10 can have lateral extensions 16 facing toward each other, as is shown in
In one example as is shown in
In a preferred embodiment, the housing member 10 of the removable mounting system 1 is formed as an elongated structural member 20 extending in a longitudinal direction between two longitudinal ends 20a, 20b. As is illustrated by
For example, the elongated channel 22 is formed by the pair of elongated sidewalls 24a, 24b extending in the longitudinal direction of the elongated structural member 20. The linkage passage 12 can be formed as part of the elongated channel 22 at the longitudinal end 20a of the elongated structural member 20. Additionally or alternatively, the elongated structural member 20 can have a substantially uniform cross sectional shape. In one example, the elongated structural member 20 can have a U-shaped cross section formed by the elongated sidewalls 24a, 24b and rear wall 24c.
As
Additionally or alternatively, the elongated retaining portions 26 can limit lateral movement of the interconnecting portion 32 of linkage member 30 when the removable mounting system 1 is in the engaged position. In one example, the interconnecting portion 32 of the linkage member 30 is configured to be at least partially received in the elongated channel 22 and between the elongated retaining portions 26 at the engaged position. When the linkage member 30 is at the engaged position, the elongated retaining portions 26 limit a lateral movement of the interconnecting portion 32 of the linkage member 30.
In one example shown in
As
The interconnecting portion 32 is pivotably mounted to the housing member 10. In the example shown in
In the example shown in
The linkage portion 34 of the toggle joint 36 is movable between a released position and an engaged position of the linkage member 30 during the operation of the removable mounting system 1. In the released position, the linkage portion 34 of the linkage member 30 pivots open and withdraws the mounting portion 31 of the linkage member 30 further into the linkage passage 12. As a result, the mounting portion 31 of the linkage member 30 has a minimum length lmin extending outside the linkage passage 12 and beyond the open end portion 10a of the housing member 10, as is shown in
In the engaged position, the linkage portion 34 of the linkage member 30 is substantially aligned with the interconnecting portion 32 and the mounting portion 31 of the linkage member 30. In such a case, the outer end portion 31a of the mounting portion 31a extends outside the linkage passage 12 and beyond the open end portion 10a of the housing member 10 for a maximum length lmax, as is shown in
In a preferred embodiment, the toggle joint 36 of the linkage member 30 can be locked to prevent a retraction movement of the mounting portion 31 when the linkage member 30 is in the engaged position. In one example, the toggle joint 36 of the linkage member 30 pivots past an aligned position of the linkage member 30, where the multiple portions of the linkage member 30 extends in a linear direction. In the example shown in
To dislodge the toggle joint 36 of the linkage member 30 from the locked position describe above, the interconnecting portion 32 and the linkage portion 34 of the linkage member 30 are urged toward the imaginary aligned line extending through the mounting portion 31 of the linkage member 30. Such operation can be carried out by hand, without using additional mounting tools. When the interconnecting portion 32 and the linkage portion 34 of the linkage member 30 are urged to align with the imaginary aligned line extending through the mounting portion 31 of the linkage member 30, the toggle joint 36 of the linkage member 30 is released from the locked position. Continued pivot movement of the interconnecting portion 32 and the linkage portion 34 of the linkage member 30 will move the linkage member 30 into the released position as is described in the above embodiments.
In one example, the linkage portion 34 of the linkage member 30 can comprise a plurality of linkage sections pivotably connected to one another in series. One or more of such linkage sections can be arranged in the engaged position while the remaining linkage sections are arranged in a released position. In such an example, the extension and/or retraction of the mounting portion 31 of the linkage member 30 can move between the extended position and the retracted position in separate stages, during each of which only a different number of the linkage sections can be employed.
As stated above, the mounting portion 31 of the linkage member 30 is movable in the longitudinal direction of the linkage passage 12 and between the retracted position (see, e.g.,
The mounting portion 31 of the linkage member 30 can be in various forms. In one example, the mounting portion 31 of the linkage member 30 comprises a compressible member 40 operable in the longitudinal direction of the linkage passage 12 of the housing member 10. The compressible member 40 of the mounting portion 31 is operable in the longitudinal direction of the linkage passage of the housing member. For example, the compressible member 40 of the mounting portion 31 can be compressed to retract the outer end portion 31a on the mounting portion 31 toward the housing member 10. In one example, the compressible member 40 of the mounting portion 31 includes a compressible spring.
In another example, the mounting portion 31 of the linkage member 30 comprises outer and inner end portions 31a, 31b with the compressible member 40 connected therebetween. For example, the compressible member 40 of the mounting portion 31 can have opposite ends 40a, 40b fixed to the outer and inner end portions 31a, 31b of the mounting portion 31. The outer and inner end portions 31a, 31b of the mounting portion 31 can be each at least partially received in the linkage passage 12 of the housing member 10 in both the engaged position and the released position. During the operation of the removable mounting system 1, the outer and inner end portions 31a, 31b on the mounting portion 31 can retain the compressible member 40 inside the linkage passage 12 in the housing member 10 to restrict the compressible member 40 to move inside the linkage passage 12 in the housing member 10.
In an additional example, the mounting portion 31 of the linkage member 30 can comprise a planar sidewall for contacting a corresponding planar sidewall in the linkage passage 12 of the housing member 10, thereby preventing the mounting portion 31 of the linkage member 30 from rotating inside the linkage passage 12 around the longitudinal direction of the linkage passage 12.
In a further example, the mounting portion 31 of the linkage member 30 and/or the end portion 10b of the housing member 10 can be formed to have a variable length. The variable length of the mounting portion 31 and/or housing member 10 allows the removable mounting system 1 to be mounted in a mounting space of different sizes, as will be described below. For example, the outer end portion 31a of the mounting portion 31 can be formed with a telescoping structure having a threaded connection for continuous adjustability or having discrete connecting points. Various other known or hereafter developed structures, components, and mechanisms herein described or later developed can also be used to achieve the length adjustment.
The removable mounting system 1 can be formed with additional structures, components, and mechanisms to improve the performance of the removable mounting system 1. In one example, the housing member 10 of the removable mounting system 1 can comprise an end cap 42 mounted to the end portion 10b of the housing member 10 opposite from the linkage passage 12. The end cap 42 of the housing member 10 can have a substantially flat end surface 42s. When the removable mounting system 1 is in the engaged position, the substantially flat end surface 42s on the end cap 42 of the housing member 10 can be biased against a structural surface for mounting the removable mounting system 1 to the structure.
In one example, the end cap 42 can be configured to enhance frictional connection between the flat end surface 42s and the structural surface. For example, the flat end surface 42s of the end cap 42 can be made of an elastic material, such as a rubber material. In another example, the flat end surface 42s of the end cap 42 can be made of a magnetic material to be attracted to a metal structural surface when the removable mounting system 1 is mounted thereto. Various other structures, components, and mechanisms can be employed for the same purpose.
Additionally or alternatively, the linkage member 30 of the removable mounting system 1 can comprise an end cap 44 mounted to the outer end portion 31a of the linkage member 30. In one example, the end cap 44 of the linkage member 30 can have a substantially flat end surface 44s. The flat end surface 44a of the end cap 44 can be made of an elastic material. When the removable mounting system 1 is in an engaged position, the substantially flat end surface 44s on the end cap 44 of the linkage member 30 can be biased against a structural surface for mounting the removable mounting system 1 to the structure.
Similar to the end cap 42 of the housing member 10, the end cap 44 of the linkage member 30 can be configured to enhance frictional connection between the flat end surface 44s and the structural surface. For example, the flat end surface 44s of the end cap 44 can be made of an elastic material, such as a rubber material, or a magnetic material. Various other structures, components, and mechanisms can be employed for the same purpose.
To assemble the housing member 10 with the linkage member 30, the linkage member 30 can be inserted in the linkage passage 12 from the end portion 10a of the housing member 10. In one example, part of the interconnecting portion 32 of the linkage member 30 can pass through the linkage passage 12 in the housing member 10 through the longitudinal opening 18 between the longitudinal sidewalls 14a, 14b of the housing member 10.
When the first end 32a of the interconnecting portion 32 reaches the first pivot connection 34, the first end 32a is pivotably connected to the housing member 10, such as through a pivot pin 34p. The mounting portion 31 of the linkage member 30 is received and accommodated in the linkage passage 12 in the housing member 10. As a result, the linkage member 30 is thus interconnected with the housing member 10 to form an assembled removable mounting system 1, as is shown in
In a preferred example, the first end 32a of the interconnecting portion 32 of the linkage member 30 is arranged between portions of the parallel elongated sidewalls 24a, 24b of the elongated structural member 20. The pivot pin 33 pivotably joins the first end 32a of the interconnecting portion 32 to the portions of the parallel elongated sidewalls 24a, 24b of the elongated structural member 20.
The removable mounting system 1 can be formed in various fashions to support various accessory members or components 100. For example, the removable mounting system 1 can further comprise a fastening member for mounting the accessory member or component 100 to the housing member 10. In one example, the accessory member or component 100 is configured as part of a lighting fixture 100. The housing member 10 of the removable mounting system 1 can be configured to mount to a lighting body of the lighting fixture 100. In one example as is shown in
The removable mounting system 1 described above can also be used to removably attach various other accessory members to a structure 110.
The removable mounting system 1 can be installed between two shelves of the structure 110 as is shown
While maintaining the removable mounting system 1 in its released position, the removable mounting system 1 can be placed in the space between the shelves 110, as is shown in
In another example where the mounting portion 31 of the linkage member 30 is formed to include a compressible member 38, such compressible member 38 is compressed in the retracted position of the removable mounting system 1. When the compressible member 38 is released in the extended position, the compressible member 38 can additionally bias against the two mounting surfaces on the structure to thereby securely mount the removable mounting system 1 in position.
Additionally or alternatively, the length adjustment mechanism in the mounting portion 31 of the linkage member 30 can be adjusted, as needed during the mounting operation of the removable mounting system 1. As a result, the removable mounting system 1 can be mounted between shelves 110 spaced from each other in various distance.
Alternatively, the removable mounting system 1 can be installed on an upper surface or an under surface of a shelf 110 or other structure, as is shown in
Thus, while there have shown and described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements and/or method steps which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention. Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements and/or method steps shown and/or described in connection with any disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be incorporated in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment as a general matter of design choice. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.
This patent application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/249,065 filed Oct. 6, 2010, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61249065 | Oct 2009 | US |