Track assembly having solidly secured brackets

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6827320
  • Patent Number
    6,827,320
  • Date Filed
    Monday, February 10, 2003
    21 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, December 7, 2004
    20 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Braun; Leslie A.
    • Wujciak; A. Joseph
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)
Number Name Date Kind
2676680 Kindorf Apr 1954 A
3917385 Caswell Nov 1975 A
4597553 Rorabaugh Jul 1986 A
4895331 Nehls Jan 1990 A
4899793 Snyder et al. Feb 1990 A
5154385 Lindberg et al. Oct 1992 A
5201487 Epplett Apr 1993 A
5364052 De Gruttis Nov 1994 A
5421551 LeClaire Jun 1995 A
5584462 Reese Dec 1996 A
6003825 Abernathy, Jr. Dec 1999 A
6086300 Frohlich Jul 2000 A
6105794 Bauer Aug 2000 A
6540093 Shumway Apr 2003 B1
6666425 Ferguson Dec 2003 B1
20030150829 Linden et al. Aug 2003 A1
20030198530 Hoffmann et al. Oct 2003 A1
20030206785 Hoffmann et al. Nov 2003 A1
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number Date Country
2050549 Jan 1981 GB