GB2192038A - Support structure assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

The assembly may be used in the erection of eg shelves, cupboards, shop fittings and display stands and comprises first, second and third members 10, 12 and 14 of which the second member 12 and third member 14 each have a pair of spaced projections (16, 18 and 28, 38 respectively) extending from one surface thereof. Members 12 and 14 are assembled with their projection carrying surfaces in mutually opposed spaced relationship by relative rotation in planes parallel to these surfaces such that undercut opposing faces 24 and 30 (of projections 16 and 28 respectively) interengage each other, as do similar faces provided on projections 18 and 38. The first member 10 has a portion 10A which fits closely within the space thus formed whose sides are bounded by the second and third members and whose ends are bounded by the interengaged complementary projections. When inserted in said space, portion 10A prevents relative rotation of the second and third members and therefore prevents disengagement of the interengaged projections. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Support structure assembly This invention relates to a support structure assembly which may be used in the erection of shelves, cupboards, shopfittings, display stands and other structures.

The aim of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive support structure assembly which can be quickly built by unskilled persons without the use of nails, bolts, clips, rivets or other specialist fastenings.

According to the invention, a support structure assembly comprises first, second and third members of which the second and third each have a pair of spaced projections extending from one surface thereof, these projections being capable of interengaging each other to prevent separation of the second and third members when the projections are interengaged, and the first member having a portion which fits closely within a space whose sides are bounded by the second and the third members and whose respective ends are bounded by the interengaged complementary projections.

The first, second and third members are preferably substantially planar. Each projection may have a surface angled at an angle within the range 30 to 60 (preferably 45 ) to the vertical. In the preferred embodiment of the invention the first member is a vertical sheet, plank or panel. It may constitute a side, front or rear member of an enclosed item such as a cupboard or a side member of a shelf as sembiy or a display stand.

An open box-like rectangular structure may be made up using four structures according to the invention. This can constitute a base for a cupboard, a display stand, or a podium or platform, and several such box-like rectangular structures may be used to support a stage or to construct a flight of steps.

The invention will be better understood from the following non-limiting description of examples thereof given with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is an end elevation of one example of a support structure assembly according to the invention showing first, second and third members; Figure 2 is an end elevation of a second member forming part of the assembly of Fig.

1, and Fig. 2A is a similar view of an alternative design of the second or third member; Figure 3 is a front elevation of the second member shown in Fig. 2, Fig. 3A showing a similar view of a third member and Fig. 3B being an end view of the third member shown in Fig. 3A; Figure 4 is a plan view showing the second member shown in Fig. 2 and 3 assembled together with a third member; Figures 5, 6 and 7 illustrate another support structure assembly according to the invention, Fig. 5 being an end elevation of the assembly, looking in the direction of the arrow A in Fig.

7; Fig. 6 being a front view showing (dotted) the outline of the first (upstanding) member, and Fig. 7 illustrating on a larger scale in partial front elevation the lower portion of the assembly shown in Fig. 6.

Figures 8-12 illustrate a further embodiment of the invention exemplifying its use to construct a shop or exhibition display unit, Fig. 8 being an end elevation showing how an upstanding first member is located between and supported by second and third members each forming a base unit of the assembly, Fig. 9 illustrates one of the side panels of the unit, Fig. 10 is a front elevation of the first member, Fig. 11 is a front elevation of one of the base units, looking in the direction of the arrow B in Fig. 12, and Fig. 12 is a plan view of the base unit shown in Fig. 11.

Figs. 1-4 illustrate one example of support structure assembly according to the invention, comprising a first member 10, a second member 12, and a third member 14. These members may be made of wood, plastics, metal, or any other convenient material. In the illustrations, the members are shown as wood.

The first member 10 is a rectangular board or plank or panel having a tongue, not shown in Figs. 1-4, at its lower end. The first member may be (but need not be) rectangular in shape, apart from the said tongue. The tongue has parallel vertical sides and the width of the tongue is chosen so that it fits snugly between a pair of projections about to be described.

The second member 12 is basically rectangular in shape and has on one surface thereon a pair of projections, one projection being shown at 16 and one at 18. These are horizontally spaced and may be positioned as illustrated such that the upper edge 20 of the projection 16 is substantially co-linear with the lower edge 22 of the projection 18. The projection 16 has an angled surface 24 which as illustrated slopes at 45" to the vertical and the projection 18 has an oppositely sloping surface 26 also at 45" to the vertical.

The third member 14 is, as illustrated rectangular in shape and has two projections extending therefrom only one, 28, being seen in Fig. 1. The other projection (seen at 38 in Fig.

3A) on the third member 14 is similar in shape and outline to the projection 28 but is located at the opposite end of the member 14 in a position to engage with the projection 18 on the second member. The projection 28 has a surface 30 angled at 450 to the vertical with the result that there is a complementary engagement between the projection 16 on the second member 12 and the projection 28 on the third member 14 as best seen in Fig. 1.

Other angles within the range 30 to 60 may be used to achieve complementary engage ment.

A like engagement occurs at the opposite end of the members 12 and 14 with the result that these members can only be separated by a relative twisting or pivoting movement between these parts about a central axis 32, this pivoting allowing the projections and hence the members to be separated.

For a further understanding of the basic principles of the invention, reference is now directed to Fig. 7 which illustrates a first member 40 having a tongue 42 inserted in position between the two pairs of mutually engaging projections on respective second and third members. As will be seen, due to the presence of the tongue 42, no relative pivoting movement about a horizontal central axis (44 in Fig. 7 or 32 in Fig. 4) can take place because this is prevented by the presence of the tongue 42. The consequence of this is that the first member 40 can only be removed from the assembly by a direct vertical lifting motion. While the first member 40 is in position, the assembly of the three members cannot be disassembled. The illustrated arrangement enables these three members to be held securely together without the use of any bolts, rivets, screws or other fasteners.The support structure assembly can be readily assembled and disassembled by unskilled persons.

It will be realised that a similar support structure assembly can be obtained using members whose projections are suitably shaped for complementary engagement otherwise than by having respective surfaces at 45" to the vertical. For example, if the construction was as illustrated in Fig. 1 but the surfacce 24 on the projection 16 was at 50 to the vertical and the surface 30 on projection 28 was at 40 to the vertical, then satisfactory complementary engagement would be obtained. Equally, as seen in Fig. 2A, the projections 18A and 16A on respective ends of the second member 1 2A could be shaped and dimensioned for making a complementary hook-type of engagement with the counterpart projections on the third or second member as the case may be.

Referring now to Fig. 3A, this illustrates in front elevation a third member 14 having thereon one projection 28 and a second projection 38. The dotted outline 10 illustrates the position which would be occupied by a first member having a tongue 10A once the three members are assembled together. Fig. 3B is an end view corresponding to Fig. 3A. In fact, of course, when the three members are assembled together the lower portion of the tongue 10A shown in Fig. 3B for ease of explanation, would be obscured by the projection 16 on the second member 12.

A second embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Figs. 5-7. The support structure assembly illustrated therein has a first member 40 constituted by an upstanding central panel, a second member 44 constituting part of a base plinth and a third member 46 constituting the remainder of the base plinth. Fig. 5 is an end view looking in the direction of the arrow A in Fig. 7. The base plinth portion 44 has thereon projections 44A and 44B, and the base plinth portion 46 has thereon projections 46A and 46B. As seen in Fig. 5, these projections in cross section have a shape similar to the corresponding parts illustrated in Figs.

1-4. The projections 44A and 44B are fixed to the second member 44 by screws, seen in Fig. 7.

It will be seen that when the two base plinth portions 44 and 46 are resting on a floor or any suitable flat support, with their projections engaged with each other, they can be disengaged from one another by rotating one relative to the other about a horizontal central axis. This disengages the projections 44A and 44B from the projections 46A and 46B. However with the plinth portions 44 and 46 engaged, an upwardly open slot can receive the first member 40 which is moved directly downward vertically into the slot, its tongue 42 then extending between the engaged projections as seen in Fig. 7. With the members of the assembly in this position, the described rotation cannot be achieved and the plinth portions 44 and 46 cannot be separated. They firmly hold the first member 40 in a stable upright position.The upstanding panel 40 could be used for supporting clothes or other merchandise, or for displaying illustrations, or for any other purpose. Shelves could be attached to it in any known manner.

Figs. 8-12 illustrate another embodiment of support structure assembly in accordance with the invention. This includes two base units 60 and 62, constituting respectively second and third members, a first member 64 which is an upstanding panel supported by the base units, and four end panels, two of which are seen at 66 and 68.

The base 60 has a pair of projections thereon, one of which is seen at 70, the other projection being at the opposite end of the base 60. The base 62 has a projection 72 extending therefrom as seen in Fig. 8, and also has another projection, not shown, intended to cooperate with a complementary projection on the base unit 60 in the same manner as already described with reference to Figs. 1-4 and 5-7. The first member 64 has a downwardly extending tongue 78 (Fig. 10), shaped and dimensioned to extend into a slot or recess 80, (Fig. 12) when the structure is assembled. The construction of the base unit 60 is complementary to that of base unit 62 and only the unit 62 will be described. The base unit 62 as seen best in Figs. 11 and 12 is of hollow box form, having a front end wall 82 and a rear end wall 84 connecting a front wall 86 and a rear wall 88.The wall 88 is concealed in the assembled condition of the structure. The base unit 62 is made rigid by four corner pieces 90, and if desired, wheels or castors, not shown can be secured to the underside of the corner pieces 90 to render the base units mobile. The structure and ar rangement of the complementary projections 70, 74 on one base unit 62 and the complementary projections, one shown at 70, on the base unit 60 is in line with the principles outlined in connection with the embodiments of the invention previously described. Once the two base units 60 and 62 have been engaged utiiizing the complementary interfitting of the projections, the tongue 78 of the first member 64 is entered into the slot 80 preventing any separation of the two base units 60, 62. If castors are provided, the whole integrated assembly may be moved around the shop or exhibition area. The upstanding structural support 64 and the panels 66, 68 may be employed to support shelves or any desired space division arrangement. As an alternative, the structural unit 64 may support racks or hangers or any other desired means of supporting merchandise. The panels 66,68 are shown as connected to the first member 64 by suitable clips 69. A similar structure, provided with suitable shelves, can be used as a domestic bookcase.

It will be appreciated that modifications may be made to the structures particularly disclosed and illustrated herein without departing from the invention. For example, the interengagement between the complementary projections could take a different form from those illustrated. The first member could be made with a separate detachable tongue. The tongue need not be solid, it could have two edge members joined by an end member.

Claims (5)

1. A support structure assembly comprising first, second and third members of which the second and third each have a pair of spaced projections extending from one surface thereof, these projections being capable of interengaging each other to prevent separation of the second and third members when the projections are interengaged and the first member has a portion which fits closely within a space whose sides are bounded by the second and the third members and whose respective ends are bounded by the interengaged complementary projections.

2. An assembly according to Claim 1 in which the first, second and third members are substantially planar and each projection has a surface angled at an angle within the range 30 to 600 to the plane of the second or third member as the case may be, the arrangement being such that removal of the first member is necessary to allow separation of the angled surfaces by virtue of a relative rotational movement between the second and third members about an axis substantially normal to their planes.

3. An assembly according to Claim 1 in which the first member has a tongue dimensioned for insertion between mutually facing surfaces on the ends of the two projections on each of the second and third members.

4. A support structure assembly substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

5. Any novel combination or sub-combination disclosed and/or illustrated herein.