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(11) | EP 0 436 471 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | "Upright-crosspiece" unit for the formation of metal shelves with perfected means of coupling |
| (57) An upright-crosspiece unit is described for the formation of metal shelves, particularly
in thin sheet, with perfected means of coupling. The upright mainly consists of a tubular body with polygonal cross-section, on the faces of which at least two series of projections are provided, shaped to resemble a "mushroom", as they are composed on one side by end or "head" of larger cross-section, and on the other, with cross-section smaller or equal to the "shank" which connects the head to the upright body. The end of the crosspiece is correspondingly equipped with at least one series of openings obtained in corresponding positions to the upright projections, each of which presents a part with larger cross-section with wall projecting from the plane of the end of the crosspiece and a part with smaller cross-section suitable to receive, with slight forcing, the shank of one of the upright projections. The upright projections are obtained, for example, by drawing and therefore without removal of material. Furthermore, the shank of the projections is connected to the body of the upright with an undercut, also obtained by drawing, which forms a reinforcement to the stress of the projection. |
[0001] The object of the present invention is an upright-crosspiece unit for the formation of metal shelves, particularly in thin sheet, with perfected means of coupling. Units of the above type are known for the formation of metal shalves, as these units permit the prearrangement of supporting planes or similar which complete the structure of the shelf. A first known type of shelf provides uprights and crosspieces assemblable by means of screws, bolts and similar which form the locking means of the uprights to the crosspieces for the formation of the shelf.
[0002] This type of uprights and crosspieces present considerable problems, among them the difficulties of assembling the shelf, mainly deriving from the application of the locking bolts. A further notable problem of this type of shelf derives from the fact that, when the user wishes to modify the configuration of the shelf, he must repeat the same operations he carried out to assemble the shelf, dismantle and re-assemble it. All these operations are evidently long and difficult, frequently causing considerable trouble for the user. Another problem of this type of shelf derives from the fact that the assembly of the crosspieces to the uprights can be made according to only two clearly distinct directions, according to the form of the upright, generally of L-shape, thus limiting the possibility of formation of a shelf independently of the space available.
[0003] Another known type of shelf provides the formation of supporting teeth on the upright which are obtained by cutting and folded towards the outside of the cut part, these teeth being suitable for insertion in suitable projecting hollows of the end of the crosspiece.
[0004] This type of shelves present first of all a notable disadvantage deriving from the fact that the cutting carried out on the uprights to obtain the abovementioned projecting teeth form a weakening element of the uprights which makes them less suitable to support the stress to which they are submitted when the shelf is used.
[0005] Another drawback of this type of shelves derives from the fact that the teeth, formed by a portion of the upright folded outwards, through time lose the initial characteristics of stress resistance and therefore create weak points in the shelf structure.
[0006] Another notable drawback cf this type of shelf derives from the fact that frequently the above teeth present a tapered form which requires a removal of material which further reduces the resistance of these connecting means to stress. A further type of known shelf provides the formation of slots or similar on the upright, which are also generally obtained by cutting and are suitable to contain projecting portions of the end of the crosspiece.
[0007] This type of shelf does not consent the use of precoated uprights, e.g. in plastic material, painted, galvanized etc., as the removal of material for the formation of the abovementioned slots, besides weakening the structure of the uprights, leaves the perimetral edge of same uncoated and therefore subject to the undesired process of oxidation. Another limitation of this type of shelf derives from the fact that the perimetral edge of the slots obtained on the upright may present burrs, which may cause injuries to the user both in the assembly phase of the shelf and in the use of same.
[0008] An upright-crosspiece unit for the formation of metal shelves has now been invented, and forms the object of the present invention, which makes it possible to prevent all the problems of traditional upright-crosspiece units. The characteristics and advantages of the upright-crosspiece unit according to the present invention will be evident from the following detailed description of some of its constructive but unlimitative forms, made with reference to the enclosed drawings in which:
fig. 1 is a partial schematic perspective view of an upright according to the present invention;
fig. 2 is a partial schematic perspective view of the end of a crosspiece according to the present invention;
fig. 3 is a view of one of the "mushroom" projections of the upright according to section III-III of fig. 1;
fig. 4 is a view of one of the "mushroom" projections of the upright according to section IV-IV of fig. 1;
fig. 5 is a view in cross-section of the upright according to the invention to show the connection to the latter of one end of one of the crosspieces;
figures 6 to 8 show a possible form of construction of the end of a crosspiece according to the invention;
fig. 9 shows a possible executory variant of the end of a crosspiece according to the invention; and
figs. 10 and 11 show other possible executory variants of the end of a crosspiece according to the invention.
[0009] With reference to figs. 1 , 3, 4 and 5, it is seen that each of the projections has a conformation similar to that of a "mushroom", since, as can be seen in detail below, it is composed of a "shank" for engagement with a corresponding cavity or opening of the crosspiece, and of a "head", of larger cross-section than the shank, to help to make the engagement between "shank" and crosspiece stable. With particular reference to fig. 1, a detailed description will be given of the conformation of the upright according to the present invention. It should be noted that, in the figure in question, some constructive forms are illustrated of the abovementioned "mushroom" projections with which the upright is equipped, even if, in reality, the latter, case by case, will be equipped with a plurality of projections of the same type.
[0010] With reference to the abovementioned figure, the upright according to the invention, indicated as a whole with 10, consists of an essentially tubular body with a cross-section which, in the illustrative form considered, is of substantially square shape, but which could generally be polygonal with a different number of sides from that illustrated. On the faces of the upright 10, as noted in particular from the two faces in view of fig. 1, two series of projections are obtained aligned in substantially parallel directions to the longitudinal axis of the upright 10, each of which forms one of the perfected connecting means according to the present invention.
[0011] The abovementioned projections are indicated with 12a in a first constructive form, with 12b in a second constructive form and with 12c in a third executory form. It is evident, as mentioned above, that an upright will be equipped, on each of its faces, with two series of projections all of the same type 12a, 12b or 12c.
[0012] Referring also to fig. 3, it is seen that the projections 12c of the upright 10 present an end or "head" portion 14c which is of essentially parallelepiped shape and is connected with a portion or "shank" 16C which connects the head 14c to the body of the upright 10. From fig. 3, in particular, we see that two opposite walls of the portion 16c, in particular the vertical walls, are parallel.
[0013] Referring, in particular, to fig. 4, we see that the projections 12a of the upright 10 present a "head" 14a of larger cross-section, which is connected to a portion or "shank" 16a of smaller cross-section. This last portion, in particular, presents two opposite walls, in particular two vertical walls, when the upright is installed, which are parallel to each other or slightly conic.
[0014] As can be seen from an examination of figs. 1, 3 and 4, the cross-sections of the projections 12a and 12c may be diversified and constructed in the final form of the projections 12b of fig. 1.
[0015] In particular, the projections 12a present a "head" of essentially round shape in cross-section, while the projections 12b and 12c present a "head" of substantially square and rectangular shape in cross-section.
[0016] According to one of the basic characteristics of the present invention, all the abovementioned projections are obtained, for example, by drawing without removal of material, and the upright therefore remains integral and maintains a high resistance to stress.
[0017] This characteristic must be considered valid even if the abovementioned projections are hollow, as the lack of removal of the material makes them particularly resistant to even high stress.
[0018] Referring, in particular, to figs. 3 and 4, we see that the connecting portions 16a and 16c of the projections 12a and 12c are connected to the body 10 of the upright by means of an essentially anular undercut part respectively 18a and 18c, which forms a reinforcement for the abovementioned projections.
[0019] Also the undercuts 18a and 18c can be obtained by drawing, e.g. by means of the same operative phase with which projections 12 and 12c were obtained. It is evident that the remarks made for projections 12a and 12c must be considered valid also for the projections 12b of similar conformation not shown in detail in cross-section.
[0020] Solely for reference completeness, in fig. 1 the walls of the projections 12b corresponding to those of the projections 12a and 12c are indicated with references 16b and 18b. The upright 10, with particular reference to fig. 1, presents, on each of its four faces, a substantially central longitudinal rib 20 obtained by folding and overlapping of the sheet forming the wall of the upright 10, which is of suitable height, and, as we will be clearer later, will form a tappet for the positioning of the crosspiece according to the invention.
[0021] The ribs 20 may present an overlapping of the material more or less spaced in relation to structural needs of the upright 10, this spacing is illustrated with dotted line and indicated with 20' in fig. 5.
[0022] The advantages possible through use of the upright according to the present invention may be summarized as follows:
1) the various connecting projections 12a, 12b and 12c are obtained by means of a drawing process and therefore without removal of material, thus eliminating the drawbacks of traditional shelves;
2) the conformation of the upright with connecting structure on a plurality of sides of the same permits the assembly of crosspieces in different directions, at any rate in greater number than that of traditional shelves;
3) the structure of the upright, although in thin sheet, is particularly resistant to stress.
[0023] Referring, in particular, to fig. 2, a description follows of the conformation of the end of a crosspiece according to the present invention.
[0024] The crosspiece presents a substantially tubular body 22, a vertical side of which extends in connecting wall or flange 24 on which are obtained openings which permit, together with the abovementioned projections of the upright 10, the assembly of the shelves.
[0025] The wall or flange 24 presents, in particular, a series of openings which, in the constructive form of fig. 2, are of two types, as indicated below. A first type of opening is indicated with 26, while a second type of opening is indicated with 28. The openings 26 are essentially formed by a part 30 with larger cross-section, whose wall is convex towards the exterior,and by a part 32 with smaller cross-section which is substantially complanar with the wall 24. The second type of opening 28 also presents a part with larger cross-section 34, obtained on a projecting portion of the wall 24, and a part with smaller cross-section 36.
[0026] According to one of the characteristics of the crosspiece according to the invention, the parts with larger cross-section 30 and 34 are designed to permit the insertion of the head of the projections 12a, 12b and 12c and subsequently the insertion of the shank of the same projections in the part with smaller cross-section 32, 36 of the abovementioned openings, preferably with slight forcing. In this way the sides of the parts with smaller cross-section 32, 36 of the openings 26, 28 are stably applied to the parts with smaller cross-section of the projections 12a, 12b and 12c.
[0027] Referring, in particular, to figs. 6 to 8, a description follows of the way in which the end of the crosspiece according to the invention described above with reference to fig. 2 is obtained. From fig. 6 we see that the crosspiece is obtained from an essentially tubular starting product indicated as a whole with 38, which presents portions folded and overlapped in its upper and lower part 40, which form a reinforcing structure of the crosspiece.
[0028] The tubular body 38 also presents folded parts 42 which further form another reinforcing element of the crosspiece. Fig. 7 shows the following phase of the obtainment of the crosspiece according to the invention, in which the folded, overlapped parts 40 of the lower part of the tubular body 38 are spread and carried to form two flat plates 44 substantially parallel to each other.
[0029] Fig. 8 illustrates the final phase of the formation of the end of the crosspiece according to the invention, in which one of the two walls 44 is folded and placed alongside the other wall 44 thanks to the preliminary partial removal of material carried out on the upper folded, overlapped parts 40, as shown in detail in fig. 7. The end sides of the walls 44 are then folded one on the other to obtain the structure shown in fig. 2 and finally the openings 26 and 28 described above are obtained, for example by drawing.
[0030] Wishing to obtain a wall or flange 24', illustrated with dotted line in fig. 2, the material will be preliminarily and partially removed from the lower part 40 of the end of the crosspiece 38 and operations will proceed in a substantially similar manner to that described above with reference to figures 6 to 8.
[0031] Referring to fig. 9, the method is illustrated with which, according to a final variant of the invention, the end of the crosspiece 22' is obtained, again from a tubular product or body 38 which, illustratively in this case, does not present overlapped parts of material but only projecting parts 52 and folded projecting parts 54 positioned on the vertical walls 56 and 58 of the tubular product 38 of the crosspiece 22 installed.
[0032] From the above figure 9 we note how a portion of the end of the vertical wall or side 56, indicated with dotted line 56', of the tubular product 38 of the crosspiece 22 is partially squashed, as indicated with continuous line 56", so that the material overlaps at the abovementioned folded projecting parts 54 of the vertical wall 58 in which openings 60 suitable to be engaged with the projections 12a, 12b and 12c of the upright 10 are subsequently obtained.
[0033] The overlapping of the material at the openings 60 permits the tubular body 22 of the crosspiece to considerably increase the mechanical strength of said crosspiece connected to the upright.
[0034] Again referring to the tubular body 22 of the crosspiece of fig. 9, the openings 60 are substantially complanar to the folded projecting parts 54 and consist of a portion 62 with larger cross-section and a portion with smaller cross-section 64, of which the portion 62 is suitable to permit the insertion of the head of the projections 12a, 12b and 12c and the subsequent insertion of the shank of the same projections in the portion 64 of the abovementioned openings, thus forming a connection with the upright 10, substantially similar to that described previously.
[0035] Advantageously the tubular body 22 of the crosspiece presents, in particular, on the upper part 40, a substantially U-folded zone designed to form a seat or housing for any shelving components, e.g. shelves or similar.
[0036] Figs. 10 and 11 illustrate other two possible executory variants of the end of the crosspiece according to the invention and, in the abovementioned figures, the openings are indicated with the same reference numbers of fig. 2.
[0037] In fig. 10, for example, the end of a spacer connecting a front upright to a rear upright is illustrated, while, in fig. 11, for example, a crosspiece presenting a substantially C-conformation is shown.
[0038] From the above description of the crosspiece according to the invention and of its possible executory variants, the advantages deriving from the use of same are evident; these mainly even if not exclusively consist in a compositive multiplicity of the crosspiece with the upright according to the invention and in a structure particularly resistance to stress suitable to form a shelf with high stability.
1. Upright-crosspiece unit for the formation of metal shelves, characterized by the fact
that the upright (10), of essentially polygonal cross-section, presents, on each of
its faces, at least two series of projections (12a,12b,12c), substantally conformed
similarly to a "mushroom", while correspondingly the end of the crosspiece (22) is
equipped with a series of openings (26, 28 and 60) presenting a part or portion with
larger cross-section (30,34,62), of which the portions (30, 34) are bordered by a
convex wall towards the outside, and a part with smaller cross-section (32,36) designed
to receive with light forcing the base with smaller cross-section of one of the mushroom
projections (12a,12b,12c).
2. Upright-crosspiece unit according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the part
with smaller cross-section or "shank" (16a,16b,16c) of the mushroom projections (12a,12b,12c)
present two substantially parallel, vertical walls when the upright (10) is installed.
3. Upright-crosspiece unit according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the part
with smaller cross-section or "shank" (16a,16b,16c) of the mushroom projections (12a,12b,12c)
present two slightly conic walls.
4. Upright-crosspiece unit according to claim 1 , characterized by the fact that the
projections (12a,12b,12c) of the upright (10) are obtained in particular by drawing
without removal of material from said upright (10).
5. Upright-crosspiece unit according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that each
of the projections (12a,12b,12c) is connected to the body of the upright (10) by a
portion folded inwards (18a,18b,18c) obtaining a stiffening rib of the upright (10).
6. Upright-crosspiece unit according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the upright
(10) presents, on each of its faces, a portion folded and overlapped towards the outside
(20) positioned between the two series of projections (12a,12b,12c), whose height
is substantially equal to that of the abovementioned projections.
7. Upright-crosspiece unit according to claim 5, characterized by the fact that the parts
undercut towards the inside (18a,18b,18c) of the projections (12a,12b,12c) are obtained
simultaneously by drawing of the abovementioned projections.
8. Upright-crosspiece unit according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the crosspiece
(22) is formed by a tubular product or body (38), at the end of which a vertical side
extends in a wall or flange (24,24') on which said openings (26,36) are obtained.
9. Upright-crosspiece unit according to claim 8, characterized by the fact that the tubular
body (38) of the crosspiece (22) presents upper and lower portions (40) and folded
parts (42) which together form a reinforcing structure of the of the crosspiece (22).
10. Upright-crosspiece unit according to claims 8 and 9, characterized by the fact that
the wall or flange (24,24') is obtained by spreading and bringing near the upper and
lower folded, overlapped portions (40) of the tubular body (38) after preliminary
partial removal of material on said overlapped parts (40).
11. Upright-crosspiece unit according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the crosspiece
(22) consists of a tubular product (38) at whose end one of its portions of the vertical
wall or side (56) is squashed to be substantially close to the vertical side (58);
in the abovementioned close zone the openings (60) are obtained.
12. Upright-crosspiece unit according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the crosspiece
(22) consists of a C-section at the end of which the openings (26) are obtained.
13. Upright-crosspiece unit according to claim 1 , characterized by the fact that the
crosspiece (22) consists of a plate-formed element materializing a spacer at the end
of which the openings (26) are obtained.
14. Upright-crosspiece unit according to claims 8 and 11, characterized by the fact that
on the upper part the tubular body (38) of the crosspiece (22) presents s U-folded
zone or portion.
15. Upright-crosspiece unit for the formation of metal shelves, particularly in thin sheet,
substantially as described above and shown in the attached drawings.