Patent Application
20170156495
The present disclosure relates to the field of wall installations and storage systems, which are generally for installation in living accommodation, such as for example a kitchen, a bathroom, a garage, or any other room of a house or an apartment.
It is known that the average living area per person, in particular in an urban environment, is tending to decrease, in particular because of the high price of property. Nevertheless, the number of possessions continues to increase, such that people are always in need of more solutions for storage.
In order to store articles, it is known to make use of cupboards or wardrobes, or indeed to fasten shelves on a wall. Nevertheless, cupboards and wardrobes are storage systems that are bulky, and sometimes difficult to install, and they are not very adaptable. Also, more and more stores are making available furniture or shelving for self-assembly, which can be difficult. Not only is it not easy to fasten shelves to a wall, but that can become particularly complex if it subsequently becomes necessary to move them, e.g. in order to alter the arrangement of the shelves.
An object of the present disclosure is to solve the above-described insufficiencies, among others, of wall installations and of storage systems known in the prior art, by proposing a wall installation for storage that can be fastened easily and securely to a wall.
This object is achieved by the fact that the disclosure firstly provides a wall installation comprising at least first and second uprights having respective first and second longitudinal directions and being configured to receive removably respective first and second fastener devices of a storage accessory, the first and second fastener devices being spaced apart from each other by a first distance, the first and second uprights respectively including at least first and second top fastener means configured to fasten the first and second uprights to a wall; and also at least the first upright includes at least first registering means, the first registering means and the first top fastener means being spaced apart from each other by the first distance.
By way of example, the wall is vertical, such as a wall proper or a partition.
The wall installation is fastened to the wall, e.g. by screw fastening, using at least the first and second top fastener means. The storage accessory, which is configured to be fastened to the first and second uprights, is thus arranged to be removably fastened to the wall installation without using tools.
The presence of the first registering means, situated at a distance from the first top fastener means that is substantially identical to the distance between the first and second fastener devices of the storage accessory that are to be fastened respectively to the first and second uprights of the wall installation helps facilitate fastening the wall installation, and more particularly makes it possible to do so without additional tooling and tedious operations for ensuring that the first and second uprights are arranged appropriately for enabling the storage accessory to be fastened.
In other words, the presence of the first registering means, in particular because of its positioning relative to the first top fastener means, contributes to the ease, and consequently to the reliability, of fastening the wall installation to the wall.
The first distance can be measured between the first axis passing through the first top fastener means of the first upright and the first registering means.
The first distance can be considered between the centers of the first and second fastener devices of the storage accessory.
The disclosure is set out below as a series of embodiment variants, that may be considered singly or in combination with one or more of the preceding variants.
The first referencing means may include a fastener orifice for fastening the first upright to the wall.
The presence of the fastener orifice serves to improve the strength and the stability with which the first upright is fastened to the wall.
The first referencing means may include a referencing orifice.
It can thus be understood that the first distance is defined as being the distance between the first axis passing through the first top fastener means and a second axis passing through the referencing orifice of the first referencing means.
The referencing means may include a single orifice forming both a fastener orifice and a referencing orifice.
When mounting the wall installation on the wall, the referencing orifice serves to facilitate the operation of identifying the position on the wall that corresponds to the first referencing means; provision can thus be made to pass a pencil lead or a pen tip or a pointed punch through said referencing orifice in order to make a mark on the wall.
The first upright may include first and second longitudinal elements extending substantially parallel to each other.
The first and second longitudinal elements are spaced apart from each other, and they extend in a direction substantially parallel to each other, for example, in a direction substantially parallel to the first longitudinal direction of the first upright; the first and second longitudinal elements can thus facilitate fastening the first fastener device of the storage accessory that is to be fastened to the wall installation, the space formed between the longitudinal elements facilitating cooperation with the first fastener device of the storage accessory.
Also, the presence of longitudinal elements serves to better distribute the forces exerted on the storage accessory when it is removably fastened to the wall installation; the longitudinal elements thus contribute to the strength with which the first upright is fastened to the wall.
The first referencing means may comprise a plate fastened, e.g. welded, to the first and second longitudinal elements.
By this provision, the first referencing means are better stabilized during the mounting step, thereby contributing to the accuracy with which the position of the first referencing means is identified, and consequently contributing to the reliability with which the wall installation is fastened to the wall.
The first top fastener means may be configured to enable the first upright to pivot in the plane of the wall about an axis perpendicular to the first longitudinal direction.
This characteristic of the first top fastener means makes it easier to move the first upright relative to the wall, and consequently makes it easier to mount the wall installation.
The presence of the first top fastener means thus enables the first upright to be moved with a single degree of freedom, in the plane of the wall.
The first and second uprights may include respective first and second mounting means configured to cooperate respectively with the first and second fastener devices of the storage accessory.
The presence of the first and second mounting means makes it easier to fasten the storage accessory removably, and more particularly makes it easier to fasten its first and second fastener devices to the first and second uprights of the wall installation.
Each of the first and second mounting means may comprise at least a first top crossbar and a first bottom crossbar configured to cooperate respectively with a top end portion and a bottom end portion of the first and second fastener devices.
The presence of the first bottom and top crossbar is on each of the first and second mounting means contributes to the strength and the stability with which the storage accessory is removably fastened to the first and second uprights of the wall installation.
The first and second uprights may further include first and second bottom fastener means configured to fasten the first and second uprights to the wall.
The first and second bottom fastener means further improve the fastening of the first and second uprights to the wall; they thus contribute to the strength with which the wall installation is fastened to the wall.
Disclosure also provides a storage system comprising a wall installation of the present disclosure and a storage accessory having first and second fastener devices spaced apart from each other by a first distance, the first and second fastener devices being configured to be removably fastened respectively to the first and second uprights.
The storage accessory may include at least one storage element, e.g. a support element, that is secured to the fastener devices; the storage element is for carrying the article(s) for storing.
The storage accessory may be of any type. In nonlimiting manner, the storage accessory may comprise a hook, a container, a shelf, a towel-rail, or a bottle-rack.
This thus makes it easy to mount the storage system and makes it possible to alter its configuration quickly and without effort. The user can then make use of one or more storage accessories, depending, amongst other things, on user needs, on the size of the wall installation, and on the dimensions of the space surrounding the zone of the wall on which the storage installation is fastened. Also, this ease of mounting enables the user to move or to remove storage accessories that are no longer in use, or indeed to replace them with other storage accessories that are better adapted to the user's needs.
Also, by means of the disclosure, the user can obtain new storage accessories and mount them on the wall installation, so as to create the user's own storage system in such a way that it corresponds to the user's needs and desires. In other words, the storage system of the disclosure is thus easy to personalise and to alter.
The storage system may include a wall installation in which each of the first and second uprights includes first bottom and top crossbars, each of the first and second fastener devices of the storage accessory including a top end portion and a bottom end portion that are configured to cooperate respectively with top portions of the first top crossbars and with the first bottom crossbars of the first and second uprights.
The first bottom and top crossbars of the first and second uprights and the top and bottom end portions of the first and second fastener devices contribute to the ease with which the storage accessory is removably fastened to the wall installation and to the stability of that fastening; it can thus be understood that the load of the storage accessory and of any articles that might be associated therewith is distributed on the crossbars of the first and second uprights.
Each of the top end portions may form a hook arranged to co-operate with the first top crossbars of the first and second uprights.
The hook shape of the top end portions of the first and second fastener devices of the storage accessory further improves the ease with which the storage accessory is removably fastened to the first and second uprights of the wall installation, and the strength of that fastening. The hook may engage with the top portions of the first top crossbars.
By way of example and in nonlimiting manner, each fastener device comprises a body in the form of a plate and the hook extends from the top end of said body.
The hooks may extend between the first top crossbars and the wall when the fastener devices of the storage accessory are attached to the wall installation and when the first and second uprights are fastened to the wall, the hooks coming to bear on the tops of the first top crossbars.
After the storage accessory has been removably attached to the wall installation, its fastener devices are secured to the wall installation by the fact that the top end portion of each fastener device co-operates with the top portion of a first top crossbar. Furthermore, when the storage accessory is attached to the wall installation, its fastener devices come into contact with at least the first bottom crossbar of the first and second uprights, so as to stabilize the fastener devices in the vertical position.
Each of the first and second fastener devices may include a rear face configured to face towards the wall when the first and second uprights are fastened to the wall and the storage accessory is removably fastened to the first and second uprights, the storage accessory further including at least one coating layer arranged on each of the rear faces.
The coating layers serve firstly to avoid degrading the surfaces of the first and second uprights with which the storage accessory comes into contact when it is removably fastened to the wall installation, and more particularly the surfaces of the first and second mounting means, so as to facilitate modifying the arrangement of the storage accessories and/or changing the accessories on the wall installation, and if necessary doing so repeatedly.
Furthermore, the coating layers serve to reduce the clearance that might exist between the storage accessory and the wall installation, once the storage accessory has been fastened to the first and second uprights, thereby contributing to the strength and the stability of the storage system.
The coating layers may include a layer of flexible and resilient material, such as foam.
At least one of the first bottom and top crossbars of the first and second mounting means may further include an adhesion device for improving the adhesion of the fastener devices of the storage accessory to said crossbars. It can be understood that the adhesion device opposes the movement of the fastener devices relative to the first top crossbars of the first and second uprights. This serves to prevent the fastener devices from pivoting about the axis of the first top crossbars, or indeed to prevent them from moving in translation in a direction parallel to said first crossbars. The adhesion device may be made integrally with the wall installation, or it may be a separate fitting. The adhesion device may be a part made of plastics material or of rubber.
The disclosure also provides an installation kit comprising a wall installation of the present disclosure and verification means configured to be fastened to the first upright and to make it possible during the mounting step to verify that the first longitudinal direction extends in a direction that is substantially horizontal.
The verification means may be configured to be removably fastened to the first upright.
The presence of verification means and their ability to be fastened to the first upright contribute to the ease and the reliability with which the wall installation can be fastened, and consequently to the strength and the stability of the mounting of the storage system. Also, the desirable removable fastening of the verification means on the first upright does not require additional tools to be used, and it enables the user to avoid the need of assistance by another person in order to fasten the storage installation.
One of the elements taken from the first upright and the verification means may include a metal portion and the other element may include a magnetic portion.
The verification means may include a spirit level.
The presence of a spirit level makes it easy to verify reliably that the first longitudinal direction extends in a direction that is substantially horizontal.
The spirit level may include a magnetized portion so as to be able to fasten it easily and effectively on the first upright, and more particularly on a metal portion of said first upright.
By this arrangement, the user is not required to hold the verification means on the first upright, and can thus easily identify the position on the wall that corresponds to the first referencing means, after ensuring directly that the first upright is horizontal.
Finally, the disclosure provides a method of wall mounting a wall installation of the disclosure, wherein the following steps are performed:
The fastening position may be identified on the wall by marking, e.g. by using a pencil, a pen, or a pointed element.
It can be understood that the user does not require external assistance and that the user can easily and quickly mount the first and second uprights of the wall installation of the present disclosure on a wall without any particular do-it-yourself (DIY) arrangements.
The mounting method includes the following steps:
The first and second bottom fastener means of the first and second uprights may be fastened to the wall.
Together, the steps of the mounting method of the present disclosure thus make it possible to obtain a storage structure comprising a wall installation and at least one storage accessory that is easily mounted in stable and secure manner on a wall, so as to constitute a storage system that can be adapted to various user needs.
Other characteristics and advantages of the disclosure appear more clearly and more completely on reading the following description of an embodiment, given by way of nonlimiting example and with reference to the following accompanying drawings, in which:
The storage system 8 of the present disclosure comprises firstly a wall installation 10, shown in particular in
The wall installation 10 comprises first and second uprights 20 and 120. The first upright 20 of the wall installation 10 has a first longitudinal direction L1 and first and second longitudinal elements 22 and 24 extending substantially parallel to the first longitudinal direction L1.
As shown in particular in
The first upright 20 also has a plurality of pairs 30, 30′, 30″ of crossbars that extend between the first and second longitudinal elements 22 and 24. In this example, the first upright 20 has fourteen pairs of crossbars, only some of which are given references, for reasons of clarity.
As shown in particular in
The pairs 30, 30′, 30″ of crossbars are regularly spaced apart from one another; by way of example and in nonlimiting manner, the distance between two crossbars within a pair of crossbars may be identical from one pair of crossbars to another. In other words, the crossbars 30a and 30b of a first pair of crossbars 30 present a spacing e that is the same as the spacing that exists between the crossbars 30′a and 30′b of a second pair of crossbars 30′. Furthermore, by way of example and in nonlimiting manner, the crossbars of the first upright 20 of the wall installation 10 present cross sections that are circular.
For example, and in nonlimiting manner, the crossbars are constituted by cylindrical metal rods.
It can also be seen that the distance E between two pairs of consecutive crossbars is substantially greater than the spacing e between two crossbars of any given pair of crossbars.
Furthermore, it can be seen, in particular from
In this example, the longitudinal elements and the crossbars are made of metal.
With reference more particularly to two adjacent pairs of crossbars, e.g. the pairs of crossbars referenced 30 and 30′ of the first upright 20 and as shown in
By way of example and in nonlimiting manner, the first top crossbar 30a and the first bottom crossbar 30′a are parallel and spaced apart transversely from each other by the distance E, which is substantially equal to the distance between the second top crossbar 30b and the second bottom crossbar 30′b.
The first upright 20 also has first top fastener means 40 and first bottom fastener means 42; for example and in nonlimiting manner, the first top and bottom fastener means 40 and 42 comprise respective plates arranged between two crossbars of a pair of crossbars. Furthermore, the plates of the top and bottom fastener means 40 and 42 are fastened, e.g. welded, to the longitudinal elements 22 and 24.
Also, each of the first top and bottom fastener means 40 and 42 has a fastener orifice 44 or 46, e.g. formed in its respective plate.
The first top fastener means 40 has a first axis passing through the fastener orifice 44 and about which the first upright 20 can be pivoted when the first top fastener means 40 are fastened to a wall.
Furthermore, the first upright 20 has first registering means 48; by way of example and in nonlimiting manner, the first registering means 48 comprise a plate that is secured, e.g. by welding, to the first and second longitudinal elements 22 and 24.
As shown in particular in
The first registering means 48 has a second axis passing via the registering orifice 50.
As shown in
In similar manner, the second upright 120 of the wall installation 10 presents a second longitudinal direction L2 and first and second longitudinal elements 122 and 124 extending substantially parallel to each other along the second longitudinal direction L2, the first and second longitudinal elements 122 and 124 being spaced apart from each other by the distance D, e.g. identical to the distance by which the first and second longitudinal elements 22 and 24 of the first upright 20 are spaced apart.
In similar manner to the first upright 20, the second upright 120 also has pairs of horizontal crossbars 130, 130′, 130″, and second top and bottom fastener means 140 and 142.
As can be seen more clearly from the description below, the pairs of horizontal crossbars 30, 30′, 30″, 130, 130′, 130″ of the first and second uprights 20 and 120 form mounting means.
By way of example and in nonlimiting manner, the second upright 120 also has second registering means 148, e.g. a plate secured to the first and second longitudinal elements 122 and 124, within which fastener and registering orifices are formed. The second registering means 148 are spaced apart from the second top fastener means 140 by the first distance d, such that the user can make use equally well of the first upright or of the second upright for mounting the storage system 8.
It is also possible to devise first and second uprights 20 and 120 having their registering means arranged at equal distances from the top fastener means 40, 140 and the bottom fastener means 42, 142, so as to enable the user, when mounting the storage system 8 as described in greater detail below in the description, to make use of the first and second uprights 20, 120 either way up in the direction defined by their respective longitudinal directions L1 and L2.
In the example shown in
The storage system 8 of the present disclosure also has a storage accessory 80, an example of which is shown in
The example storage accessory 80 shown in
Also, the storage accessory 80 has first and second fastener devices 84 and 86 that are spaced apart from each other by the first distance d.
As shown in
It can be seen, in particular from
Each of the bodies 88, 90 of the fastener devices 84, 86 presents a front face 88a, 90a and a rear face 88b, 90b opposite to the front face, the front face being the face that faces towards the storage element 82. More precisely, the storage element 82 is securely fastened to the front faces 88a and 90a of the first and second fastener devices 84 and 86.
The rear faces 88b and 90b of the fastener devices 84 and 86 are substantially plane, and each presents a coating layer 95 for a purpose that can be seen clearly below.
Firstly the first top fastener means 40 of the first upright 20 are fastened to the wall M, e.g. by means of a screw passed through the fastener orifice 44 of the first top fastener means 40.
Thereafter, verification means 100 are fastened, e.g. removably, on the first upright 20, e.g. on one of its longitudinal elements 22 and 24. The disclosure thus also relates to an installation kit comprising the wall installation 10 and the verification means 100.
Thereafter, the first upright 20 is pivoted in the plane of the wall M about the first top fastener means 40, more particularly about the first axis passing through the fastener orifice 42 of the first top fastener means 40, so that the first longitudinal direction L1 extends in a direction that is substantially horizontal.
By way of example and in nonlimiting manner, the verification means 100 include a spirit level, the verification means 100 thus being configured to make it possible to verify that the first longitudinal direction L1 of the first upright 20 does indeed extend in a direction that is substantially horizontal after it has been pivoted about the first top fastener means 40 in the plane of the wall M.
Thereafter, and as shown in
By way of example and in nonlimiting manner, the fastening position F is identified by marking said position using a pencil lead passed through the registering orifice of the first registering means 48.
Thereafter, as shown in
It can thus be seen that the distance between the previously identified fastening position F and the first top fastener means 40, and more particularly the axis of the fastener element passing through the fastener orifice 42, is equal to the first distance d between the first top fastener means 40 and the first registering means 48 of the first upright 20.
Thereafter, the second top fastener means 140 of the second upright 120 are fastened to the fastening position F, e.g. by means of a screw passing through the fastener orifice 142 of the second top fastener means 140.
As a result in particular of the action of gravity on the first and second uprights 20, 120 of the wall installation 10, after the first top fastener means 40 and the second top fastener means 140 have been fastened on the wall M, the first and second uprights 20 and 120 are arranged in such a manner that the first and second longitudinal directions L1 and L2 extend substantially parallel to each other, for example, in a substantially vertical direction.
In order to encourage arranging the first and second longitudinal directions L1 and L2 in a substantially vertical direction, the storage accessory 80 may be removably fastened to the crossbars arranged in the proximity of the first and second bottom fastener means 42 and 142.
Thereafter, the above-described storage accessory 80 is provided and the first and second fastener devices 84 and 86 are removably fastened to the first and second uprights 20 and 120.
More particularly, the first and second fastener devices 84 and 86 co-operate with the pairs of horizontal crossbars 30, 30′, 130, 130′ of the first and second uprights 20, 120 in order to enable the storage accessory 80 to be removably fastened to the wall installation 10.
Since both the fastener orifice 42 of the first top fastener means 40 together with the registering orifice of the first registering means 48, and also the fastener orifice 142 of the second top fastener means 140 are arranged respectively in substantially equidistant manner from the longitudinal elements 22, 24, 122, 124 of the first and second uprights 20, 120, the first distance d between the registering orifice and the fastener orifice 42 of the first top fastener means 40 corresponds substantially to the distance between the axes of symmetry of the first and second uprights 20 and 120.
It can thus be understood that as a result of fastening the first and second uprights 20 and 120 to the wall M by performing the various above-described steps, the wall installation 10 is arranged so that its uprights 20 and 120 are spaced apart by the first distance d, so as to be able to receive the fastener devices 84 and 86 of the storage accessory 80.
As can be seen in particular in
As shown in particular in
It can thus be understood that the first and second uprights 20 and 120 have first and second mounting means respectively comprising the first and second top crossbars 30a, 30′a, 30b, 30′b and the first bottom crossbars 130a, 130′a.
As shown in
Without going beyond the ambit of the present disclosure, it would naturally be possible to devise storage accessories presenting any other type of storage element.
Furthermore, in the example described with reference to the various figures, the first upright 20 has only one registering means 48; it would be entirely possible to devise a wall installation 10 in which at least the first upright 20 has a plurality of registering means, arranged at different distances from the first top fastener means 40, so as to enable wall installations to be fastened to the wall that are adapted to various different types of storage accessory, and more particularly to storage accessories having fastener devices presenting different spacings.
In particular, because of the presence of the spaced apart longitudinal elements 22, 24, 122, 124, the storage system of the present disclosure can also cooperate with storage accessories having only one fastener device.
One of skill in the art will recognize that additional variations may be provided without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
Throughout the description, including the claims, the term “comprising a” should be understood as being synonymous with “comprising at least one” unless otherwise stated. In addition, any range set forth in the description, including the claims should be understood as including its end value(s) unless otherwise stated. Specific values for described elements should be understood to be within accepted manufacturing or industry tolerances known to one of skill in the art, and any use of the terms “substantially” and/or “approximately” and/or “generally” should be understood to mean falling within such accepted tolerances.
Where any standards of national, international, or other standards body are referenced (e.g., ISO, etc.), such references are intended to refer to the standard as defined by the national or international standards body as of the priority date of the present specification. Any subsequent substantive changes to such standards are not intended to modify the scope and/or definitions of the present disclosure and/or claims.
Although the present disclosure herein has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present disclosure.
It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope of the disclosure being indicated by the following claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 61866 | Dec 2015 | FR | national |
