GB1602264A

GB1602264A - Shelves

Info

Publication number: GB1602264A
Application number: GB1338578A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Green F W
Current assignee: Green F W
Priority date: 1978-04-05
Filing date: 1978-04-05
Publication date: 1981-11-11

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN SHELVES (71) I, FRANK WILLIAM GREEN (trading as VERSATILE ENGRAVING COM- PANY), a British Subject of Jubilee Close, Kingsbury, London, N.W.9., do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- The present invention relates to shelves and, more particularly, to shelving systems comprising a shelf and a support therefor.

According to the present invention, a shelving system comprises an elongate support member which includes a channel and is provided with means to facilitate securing the support member to a wall or the like, and a shelf support member having a marginal edge region whose thickness is dimensioned to be a sufficiently tight friction fit in the channel for the shelf member to be supported by the support member in a cantilever fashion solely due to the friction fit therein.

Conveniently, at least one of the two opposed major surfaces of a marginal edge region of the shelf member is machined so as to obtain the said thickness dimension which provides the tight friction fit.

Preferably the means to facilitate securing the support member to a wall or the like comprises a plurality of apertures in the support member, for example, along the base of the channel. Screws or the like can thus be inserted through the apertures to secure the support member to the wall or the like.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a rear perspective view of one embodiment of shelving system according to the invention, and Figure 2 is an end view of the shelving system with the support member separated from the shelf member.

Referring to the drawings, a shelving system comprises an elongate support member 1 of rectilinear channel form, made for example of metal such as aluminium, and a flat shelf member 2, made for example of a rigid plastics material such as polymethyl methacrylate and which may be transparent.

The shelf member 2 has a marginal edge region 3a on its surface 3 which is machined so that this region is of such a thickness that it can be inserted in the channel of the support member with a tight friction fit.

The support member 1 is provided with a plurality of apertures 4 disposed along the flat base 5 of the channel for facilitating securing the support member to a wall (not shown). In the present embodiment three apertures are provided in the channel base; the two outer apertures being in the form of slots which extend transverse to the longitudinal direction of the channel and the central aperture being circular. This arrangement of apertures facilitates alignment of the support member when positioning the latter on a wall.

The inner ends of the apertures are recessed or countersunk as shown at 4a so as to accommodate the heads of screws 6 which are inserted through the apertures to secure the support member 1 to the wall. Thus the screw heads do not protrude above the inner surface of the base 5 of the channel so that the shelf member 2 can be pressed fully home in the channel as shown in Figure 1.

Due to the tight friction fit between the shelf member and the side walls of the channel the shelf member is held firmly in the channel. However, the shelf member can be pulled from the channel, if desired, e.g. when the shelf member is to be cleaned.

Instead of or in addition to the provision of recesses 4a at the inner ends of the apertures 4, the edge 7 of the shelf member 2 which extends along the channel when the shelf member is inserted into the channel may have one or more recesses 8 for accommodating the heads of the securing screws.

Whilst a particular embodiment has been described it will be appreciated that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, instead of being rectangular, as shown, one or more of the free edges of the shelf member may be shaped so as to impart a desired decorative appearance to the shelf member. Also, if desired, at least one of the apertures in the base of the channel may be in the form of a slot, which extends longitudinally of the channel.

Furthermore the support member may be made of a material other than metal, for example, a suitable plastics material and the shelf member may be made of a material other than plastics material. It will also be understood that the shelf member may be machined on both of its two opposed major surfaces at the marginal edge region.

Shelves according to the invention may be of any desired size for which the securing of the support member is adequate to support the cantilever loading of the shelf member.

As an example, a shelf member and its associated support member may have overall dimensions of approximately 12 ins long, 6 ins wide, and Ain. deep.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A shelving system comprising an elongate support member which includes a channel and is provided with means to facilitate securing the support member to a wall or the like, and a shelf member having a marginal edge region whose thickness is dimensioned to be a sufficiently tight friction fit in the channel for the shelf member to be supported by the support member in a cantilever fashion solely due to the friction fit therein.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, in which at least one of the two opposed major surfaces of a marginal edge region of the shelf has been machined so as to obtain the said thickness dimension which provides the tight friction fit.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the means to facilitate securing the support member to a wall or the like comprises a plurality of apertures in the support member.

4. A system as claimed in claim 3, in which the apertures are provided along the base of the channel.

5. A system as claimed in claim 4, in which at least some of the apertures are in the form of slots which extend transverse to the longitudinal direction of the channel.

6. A system as claimed in claim 4 or 5 in which at least one of the apertures is in the form of a slot which extends longitudinally of the channel.

7. A system as claimed in any of claims 3 to 6, in which the ends of the apertures are recessed so as to accommodate the heads of screws inserted in the apertures to secure the support member to a wall or the like.

8. A system as claimed in any of claims 4 to 6, in which the edge of the shelf member embraced by the channel when the shelf member is inserted into the channel has one or more recesses to accommodate the heads of the screws inserted in said apertures in the support member to secure the support member to a wall or the like.

9. A system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, in which the shelf member is made of a rigid plastics material.

10. A system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, in which the support member is made of metal.

11. A shelving system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. shown, one or more of the free edges of the shelf member may be shaped so as to impart a desired decorative appearance to the shelf member. Also, if desired, at least one of the apertures in the base of the channel may be in the form of a slot, which extends longitudinally of the channel. Furthermore the support member may be made of a material other than metal, for example, a suitable plastics material and the shelf member may be made of a material other than plastics material. It will also be understood that the shelf member may be machined on both of its two opposed major surfaces at the marginal edge region. Shelves according to the invention may be of any desired size for which the securing of the support member is adequate to support the cantilever loading of the shelf member. As an example, a shelf member and its associated support member may have overall dimensions of approximately 12 ins long, 6 ins wide, and Ain. deep. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A shelving system comprising an elongate support member which includes a channel and is provided with means to facilitate securing the support member to a wall or the like, and a shelf member having a marginal edge region whose thickness is dimensioned to be a sufficiently tight friction fit in the channel for the shelf member to be supported by the support member in a cantilever fashion solely due to the friction fit therein.