Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6827320
-
Patent Number
6,827,320
-
Date Filed
Monday, February 10, 200321 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, December 7, 200420 years ago
-
Inventors
-
-
Examiners
- Braun; Leslie A.
- Wujciak; A. Joseph
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 248 245
- 248 22022
- 248 244
- 248 23141
- 248 22451
- 248 22461
- 248 29721
- 248 29731
- 248 243
- 211 134
- 211 187
- 211 153
- 411 84
- 411 85
- 411 104
- 411 393
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A track device includes a track member having a longitudinal channel and a longitudinal opening communicated with each other, and one or more longitudinal juts extended into the longitudinal channel of the track member. One or more brackets are slidably received in the longitudinal channel of the track member and include a number of teeth. One or more fasteners may force the bracket against the track member, to force and to engage the teeth of the bracket onto the longitudinal juts, and to adjustably secure the bracket to the track member, and thus to adjustably support various objects to the track member.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a track assembly, and more particularly to a track assembly having one or more brackets to be adjustably and solidly secured thereto.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typical furniture or frames or cabinets or shelves or the like may comprise a shelf body including one or more fasteners secured to two sidewalls thereof, to stably support one or more shelf panels between the sidewalls thereof. However, the fasteners may not be adjusted up and down relative to the shelf body, such that the shelf panels also may not be easily adjusted relative to the shelf body to different heights.
For example, when the objects to be received or supported on the shelf panels include different heights, the shelf panels may not be adjusted up and down relative to the sidewalls of the cabinets or shelves, such that the objects may not be suitably or snugly received or supported in the cabinets or shelves.
Similarly, the typical book shelves, the typical cabinets or the like comprise one or more door panels pivotally secured to the cabinet body with a number of fasteners. However, the fasteners also may not be easily adjusted relative to the cabinet body to different heights, such that the door panels also may not be easily adjusted relative to the cabinet body to different heights, and thus may not be suitably and pivotally attached to the cabinet body. Sometimes, the fasteners are required to be engaged into and disengaged from the cabinet body several times, before the door panels may be suitably attached or secured to the cabinet body.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional furniture or shelves or cabinets.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a track assembly having one or more brackets to be adjustably and solidly secured thereto, in order to adjustably support various objects on the track assembly.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a track assembly comprising a track member including a longitudinal channel formed therein, and at least one longitudinal jut extended into the longitudinal channel thereof, a bracket slidably received in the longitudinal channel of the track member, and including a plurality of teeth formed thereon, and facing toward the longitudinal jut of the track member, and to be forced and engaged onto the longitudinal jut of the track member, and means for forcing the bracket against the track member, to force the teeth of the bracket to engage onto the longitudinal jut of the track member, and to adjustably secure the bracket to the track member, and to prevent the bracket from being moved relative to the track member. The bracket may thus be solidly and adjustably secured to the track member, and may be prevented from being moved relative to the track member, in order to adjustably and solidly support various objects to the track member.
The bracket includes a screw hole formed therein, the forcing means includes a fastener threaded with the screw hole of the bracket, and engageable with the track member. The track member includes a longitudinal depression formed therein, the fastener includes a tip engaged into the longitudinal depression of the track member.
The bracket includes a bar extended therefrom, and a flap extended from the bar, the teeth are formed on the flap of the bracket.
A casing may further be provided and secured to the bracket, the casing includes a recess formed therein, and a shelf member may further be provided and engaged into the recess of the casing and so as to be secured to the casing. One or more fasteners may further be provided and engaged through the casing and engaged with the shelf member, to further solidly secure the shelf member to the casing.
Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a partial perspective view of a track assembly in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2
is a partial exploded view of the track assembly;
FIG. 3
is a partial top plan view of the track assembly;
FIG. 4
is a partial cross sectional view taken along lines
4
—
4
of
FIG. 3
;
FIG. 5
is a partial cross sectional view similar to
FIG. 4
, illustrating the operation of the track assembly;
FIG. 6
is a partial exploded view of a door frame including a track assembly in accordance with the present invention provided therein; and
FIG. 7
is a partial upper plan view of the door frame as shown in
FIG. 6
, in which a portion of the track assembly is cut off to show the inner structure of the track assembly; and
FIG. 8
is an enlarged partial cross sectional view of the track assembly as shown in FIG.
7
.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to the drawings, and initially to
FIGS. 1-4
, a track assembly in accordance with the present invention comprises a support body
1
, such as a plate, a housing, a cabinet or a shelf or the like, one or more track members
10
engaged or secured or attached to the support body
1
, and one or more brackets
20
slidably received in the track members
10
respectively, and adjustably secured to the track members
10
at any selected heights or positions, for adjustably supporting one or more shelf members
31
to the track members
10
at any selected heights or positions.
The track members
10
each may include a longitudinal channel
11
formed therein, a longitudinal opening
12
formed in one side thereof and formed or defined by a pair of opposite and longitudinal flanges
14
, and communicating with the longitudinal channel
11
thereof, in order to form a T-shaped longitudinal passage together with the longitudinal channel
11
thereof.
The track members
10
each may include a longitudinal depression
13
formed therein, such as formed in the middle portion thereof and communicating with the longitudinal channel
11
thereof. The track members
10
each may further include one or more, such as two longitudinal juts
15
extended into the longitudinal channel
11
thereof, such as extended from the longitudinal flanges
14
respectively.
The brackets
20
are slidably received in the T-shaped longitudinal passages of the track members
10
respectively, and to be slid or moved and adjusted along the respective track members
10
. For example, the brackets
20
each may include a pair of bars
25
extended therefrom, and perpendicular to the bracket
20
, and slidably received in the longitudinal opening
12
of the respective track members
10
, so as to form or define a longitudinal groove
26
between the bars
25
.
The brackets
20
each may further include a pair of flaps
21
extended from the respective bars
25
and perpendicular to the bars
25
respectively, and slidably received in the longitudinal channel
11
of the respective track members
10
. The flaps
21
each may include a serrated surface or a number of teeth
24
formed thereon, and facing toward the longitudinal juts
15
of the track members
10
respectively, and to be forced and engaged onto the longitudinal juts
15
of the track members
10
respectively.
The brackets
20
each may further include one or more screw holes
22
formed therein, and communicating with the longitudinal groove
26
thereof. A fastener
23
may be engaged with one of the screw holes
22
of the bracket
20
, and threaded or moved relative to the bracket
20
, and preferably aligned with the longitudinal depression
13
of the track member
10
, best shown in
FIGS. 3
,
4
, and may include a tip
27
to be engaged into the longitudinal depression
13
of the track member
10
.
As shown in
FIG. 5
, when the fastener
23
is further threaded or moved relative to the bracket
20
, and forced against the track member
10
, the flaps
21
of the brackets
20
may be forced toward or against the longitudinal flanges
14
of the track members
10
respectively, and the teeth
24
of the flaps
21
of the brackets
20
may be forced against the longitudinal juts
15
of the track members
10
respectively, and may be engaged onto or into the longitudinal juts
15
of the track members
10
respectively, so as to solidly and adjustably secure the brackets
20
to the track members
10
at the selected or required positions.
It is preferable that the longitudinal juts
15
and/or the track members
10
are made of aluminum materials, or the other softer materials, and the brackets
20
are made of metal materials, or the other stronger materials, for allowing the teeth
24
of the flaps
21
to be engaged into the longitudinal juts
15
of the track members
10
respectively, when the flaps
21
of the brackets
20
are forced against the longitudinal flanges
14
of the track members
10
respectively by the fastener
23
.
A casing
30
may be secured to each of the brackets
20
with another fastener
32
which may be threaded with the other screw hole
22
of the bracket
20
, in order to secure the casing
30
to the bracket
20
. The casing
30
includes a recess
33
formed therein to receive the shelf members
31
, and thus to secure or support the shelf members
31
to the track members
10
. One or more fasteners
35
may further be provided and engaged through holes
34
of the casing
30
, and engaged with or into the shelf member
31
, so as to further solidly secure the shelf member
31
to the casing
30
.
In operation, the brackets
20
may be adjusted along the track members
10
respectively to the selected or required positions, and may then be secured to the track members
10
respectively with the fasteners
23
, at the selected or required positions. The shelf member
31
may then be solidly secured to the brackets
20
with the casings
30
, such that the shelf member
31
may also be secured to the track members
10
respectively at the selected or required positions.
It is to be noted that the engagement of the teeth
24
of the flaps
21
into the longitudinal juts
15
of the track members
10
respectively may solidly secure and position the flaps
21
of the brackets
20
to the longitudinal flanges
14
of the track members
10
respectively, and may prevent the brackets
20
from moving up and down relative to the track members
10
.
Alternatively, as shown in
FIGS. 6-8
, the track member
10
may be formed or provided in the other support body, such as provided in a door frame
51
of a door
50
for a cabinet
60
or the like. The track member
10
may also include a longitudinal channel
11
formed therein to slidably receive one or more brackets
20
therein, and one or more longitudinal juts
15
extended into the longitudinal channel
11
thereof. The brackets
20
may also include one or more flaps
21
each having a serrated surface or a number of teeth
24
formed thereon, and facing toward the longitudinal juts
15
, and to be forced and engaged onto the longitudinal juts
15
of the track member
10
respectively.
One or more fasteners
23
may be threaded with the respective screw holes
22
of the bracket
20
, and engaged with the track member
10
, best shown in
FIG. 8
, in order to force the teeth
24
to engage onto or into the longitudinal juts
15
, and so as to adjustably and solidly secure the brackets
20
to the track member
10
.
A pivot joint
40
may be secured to each of the brackets
20
, and may also be secured to one of the side walls
61
of the cabinet
60
, in order to pivotally or openably secure the door
50
to the cabinet
60
. The brackets
20
and thus the pivot joints
40
may be adjusted and solidly secured to the track member
10
of the door frame
51
at the selected or required position, for allowing the door
50
to be adjustably secured to the cabinet
60
at the required or selected position.
Accordingly, the track assembly in accordance with the present invention includes one or more brackets to be adjustably and solidly secured thereto, in order to adjustably support various objects on the track assembly.
Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
Claims
- 1. A track assembly comprising:a track member including a longitudinal channel formed therein, and at least one longitudinal jut extended into said longitudinal channel thereof, a bracket slidably received in said longitudinal channel of said track member, and including a plurality of teeth formed thereon, and facing toward said at least one longitudinal jut of said track member, and to be forced and engaged onto said at least one longitudinal jut of said track member, a casing secured to said bracket, said casing including a recess formed therein, a shelf member engaged into said recess of said casing and secured to said casing, and means for forcing said bracket against said track member, to force said teeth of said bracket to engage onto said at least one longitudinal jut of said track member, and to adjustably secure said bracket to said track member, and to prevent said bracket from being moved relative to said track member.
- 2. The track assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bracket includes a screw hole formed therein, said forcing means includes a fastener threaded with said screw hole of said bracket, and engageable with said track member.
- 3. The track assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein said track member includes a longitudinal depression formed therein, said fastener includes a tip engaged into said longitudinal depression of said track member.
- 4. The track assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein said bracket includes a bar extended therefrom, and a flap extended from said bar, said teeth are formed on said flap of said bracket.
- 5. The track assembly as claimed in claim 1 further comprising at least one fastener engaged through said casing and engaged with said shelf member, to solidly secure said shelf member to said casing.
US Referenced Citations (18)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2050549 |
Jan 1981 |
GB |