GB2285387A

GB2285387A - Adjustable shelf bracket

Info

Publication number: GB2285387A
Application number: GB9424102A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Yin Hong Wong
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1994-01-10
Filing date: 1994-11-29
Publication date: 1995-07-12
Anticipated expiration: 2014-11-29
Also published as: GB9400338D0; GB9424102D0; GB2285387B

Abstract

An adjustable shelf bracket 10 comprises a wall plate 11 for securement to a wall, a bracket body 13 extending away from the wall plate 11 substantially at right angles thereto for supporting a shelf, and a sliding plate 14, slidably mounted on the bracket body 13 and moveable away from the wall plate 11 to extend beyond the distal end of the bracket body 13, so as to vary the width of support provided for a shelf. <IMAGE>

Description

ADJUSTABLE SHELF BRACKET The present invention relates to an adjustable shelf bracket.

Shelf brackets commonly consist of a first support member for securement to a wall, and a second support member extending away from the first support member substantially at right angles thereto, for supporting a shelf. Commonly the support members come in different sizes, to support different widths of shelf.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a convenient adjustable shelf bracket in which the bracket is adjustable to accept different widths of shelf.

According to the present invention there is provided a first support member for securement to a wall, a second support member extending away from the first support member substantially at right angles thereto for supporting a shelf, and a third support member slidably mounted on the second support member and moveable away from the first member to extend beyond the distal end of the second member, so as to vary the width of support provided for a shelf.

Preferably the third support member is a plate slidably mounted in a shallow cavity in that surface of the second member which is intended to bear a shelf, the cavity being open at the distal end of the second member to allow the third member to protrude therefrom. Conveniently the third member is a rectangular plate and the shallow cavity in the second member is also rectangular. Preferably the third member has at its sides outwardly projecting tongues engaging undercut grooves in the sides of the cavity in the second member, and most preferably the third member is so shaped as to occupy entirely the cavity at the said surface of the second member, when the third member is advanced fully towards the first member. Preferably the third member has an upstanding lip at its distal end to secure a shelf against slipping outwardly from the first member.

In order to secure the adjustment of the shelf bracket, it is preferred that the second member has a slot extending therethrough and extending away from the first member, therebeing provided a securing element extending through the slot and coupled to the second member, to allow the third member to be secured to the first member at a selected position.

In accordance with a preferred feature, a shelf bracket embodying the invention includes stop means limiting the maximum extent of protrusion of the third member beyond the second member to a distance less than half the distance of the distal end of the third member from the first member. Where the aforesaid slot is provided in the second member, it is preferred that the stop means is provided by the end of the slot remote from the first member. In one preferred arrangement, the stop means is arranged to limit the extent of maximum protrusion of the third member beyond the second member to a distance of approximately two-thirds of the length of the third member.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shelf bracket embodying the invention, secured to a wall; Figure 2 is a perspective view of first and second support members of the shelf bracket of Figure 1; and Figures 3a and 3b are perspective views from the underside of the shelf bracket of Figure 1, and of a third support member of the bracket of Figure 1, respectively.

Referring to the figures, a shelf bracket 10 is made of metallic material, e.g. aluminium for its lightness and strength, but it can also be made of other metallic substance. The bracket 10 is a right angled bracket comprising a first member formed by a wall plate 11 for securement to a wall 12 ,and second member formed by a bracket body 13 extending substantially at right angles to the wall plate . The bracket 10 also includes a third member 14 comprising a rectangular plate slidably mounted on the second support member 13 and slidably mounted in a shallow cavity 15 in the upper surface of the second member 13 which is intended to bear a shelf. The shallow cavity 15 is open at the distal end of the second member 13, to allow the plate 14 to protrude therefrom.The plate 14 has at its sides outwardly projecting tongues 16 engaging undercut grooves 17 in the sides of the cavity 15 in the second support member 13.Thus the sliding plate 14 can slide in and out within the cavity 15 which forms, with the undercut grooves 17, a rectangular duct within the bracket body 13.

As shown in Figures 1 and 3a, three holes 18 in the first member 11 enable the bracket to be anchored to the wall by screws 25. . A right angled strengthening piece 19 is welded to the horizonal and vertical portions 13 and 11 of the bracket to strengthen the bracket to withstand heavy loads.

As shown in Figures 3a and 3b, which show the bracket in inverted position, a hole 19 is found in the bottom surface of the plate 14. The hole 19 is a blind threaded hole which does not show on the normally upper surface of the plate 14. A rectangular slot 20 extends through the second member 13, and extends outwardly away from the first member 11. A screw 21 passes through a washer 22 abutting the underside of the second member 13, and then passes through the slot 20 into the blind threaded hole 19 in the sliding plate 14. This enables the screw 21 to lock the sliding plate 14 relative to the second member 13 at various positions to accommodate shelves of different widths.

As shown in Figure 1, a wedged shaped upstanding lip 23 on the distal end of the sliding plate 14 helps to prevent a shelf from falling off the bracket. A hole 24 in the sliding plate 14 facilitates a further screw (not shown) holding a shelf (not shown) in place on the sliding plate 14. The holes 24 and 18 are plain holes while the hole 19 is screw threaded.

The components are so shaped that when the sliding plate 14 is fully inserted into the second member 13 of the bracket, the upper surface of the sliding plate 16 and that of the second member 13 form an almost smooth surface. The dimensions are arranged so that when the plate 14 is fully extended, the centre of the combined extended bracket is near the distal end of the second member 13, but not beyond it. The dimensions are arranged so that the maximum length of the sliding plate 14 that can be drawn from the bracket body as shown in Figure 1 is about two thirds of the actual length of the sliding plate 14.For example, a bracket with a horizontal support length by the second member 13 of 6cm can be increased to 10cm by moving the sliding plate 14 out, because the plate 14 can contribute 4cm length to the total length of the combined extended bracket, at most.

When fully extended, the centre point of the overall combined support by the bracket body 13 and the sliding plate 16 is 5cm from the first member 11, so that the greatest pressure is still borne by the bracket body 13, and not by the sliding plate 16. Thus the maximum distance that the sliding plate 14 can be withdrawn is about two thirds of its full length, and at this position the screw 21 as shown in Figure 3a will prevent the sliding plate 14 from being taken out completely from the cavity 15. The screw 21 and the distal end of the slot 20 together provide stop means limiting the sliding movement of the sliding plate 14.

Claims

1. An adjustable shelf bracket comprising a first support member for securement to a wall, a second support member extending away from the first support member substantially at right angles thereto for supporting a shelf, and a third support member slidably mounted on the second support member and moveable away from the first member to extend beyond the distal end of the second member, so as to vary the width of support provided for a shelf.

2. A bracket according to claim 1 in which the third support member is a plate slidably mounted in a shallow cavity in that surface of the second member which is intended to bear a shelf, the cavity being open at the distal end of the second member to allow the third member to protrude therefrom.

3. A bracket according to claim 2 in which the third member has at its sides outwardly projecting tongues engaging undercut grooves in the sides of the cavity in the second member.

4. A bracket according to claim 2 or 3 in which the third member is so shaped as to occupy entirely the cavity at the said surface of the second member, when the third member is advanced fully towards the first member.

5. A bracket according to any preceding claim in which the third member has an upstanding lip at its distal end to secure a shelf against slipping outwardly from the first member.

6. A bracket according to any preceding claim in which the second member has a slot extending therethrough and extending away from the first member, there being provided a securing element extending through the slot and coupled to the second member, to allow the third member to be secured to the first member at a selected position.

7. A bracket according to any preceding claim including stop means limiting the maximum extent of protrusion of the third member beyond the second member to a distance less than half the distance of the distal end of the third member from the first member.

8. A bracket according to claim 7 when including the features of claim 6, in which the stop means is provided by the end of the slot remote from the first member.

9. A bracket according to claim 7 or 8 in which the stop means is arranged to limit the extent of maximum protrusion of the third member beyond the second member to a distance of approximately two-thirds of the length of the third member.

10. An adjustable shelf bracket substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.