Slotwall mounting bracket

a technology for mounting brackets and slotwalls, which is applied in the direction of washstands, scaffold accessories, light support devices, etc., can solve the problems of easily moving when subjected to upwards, accidentally knocking brackets and any attached accessories completely off the wall, and increasing the flexibility of locking flanges, so as to reduce the effort and adapt to existing slotwall accessories. , the effect of increasing the flexibility of the locking flang

Inactive Publication Date: 2006-11-30
WINDQUEST
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007] In one embodiment, the slotwall bracket includes a generally planar body, an upper L-shaped mounting flange, and a lower locking flange. The mounting flange extends from the body and hooks into a first slotwall groove, supporting the bracket on the upper surface of a horizontal rail on the slotwall. The locking flange also extends from the body, and snap fits onto the downwardly extending lip on the bottom surface of the horizontal rail, preventing the bracket from rotating away from the slotwall.
[0008] In a more specific embodiment, the locking flange includes a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion. The first portion extends generally perpendicularly from the body. The second portion extends at an angle upwardly from the first portion such that the second portion fits around the downwardly extending lip to hold the bracket on the slotwall. The third portion extends from the second portion to provide a ramped leading edge for the locking flange so the locking flange can snap fit about the lip. One or more of the portions may define one or more voids to increase the flexibility of the locking flange relative to the body and reduce the effort required to snap fit the locking flange about the lip. The cutout also provides a pry point to aid in removal of the bracket from the slotwall.
[0009] In a further embodiment, the body of the bracket includes a rear surface facing the slotwall and a front surface opposite the rear surface. The front surface includes one or more protrusions that provide a surface for welding an accessory mount to the bracket. The accessory mount enables a variety of conventional accessories to be attached to and supported by the bracket, avoiding the purchase or remanufacturing of modified slotwall accessories, making the present invention easily adaptable to existing slotwall accessories.

Problems solved by technology

Unfortunately, conventional slotwall brackets can be relatively easily inadvertently dislodged from the slotwall after installation.
While conventional brackets remain in position well under load, they are easily moved when subjected to upward forces.
In a worst case scenario, a person may accidentally knock a bracket and any attached accessory completely off the wall if a force is applied in the wrong direction.

Method used

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Examples

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Embodiment Construction

I. Overview

[0023] A slotwall bracket in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 generally designated 10. The bracket includes a generally planar body 12, a mounting flange 14, and a locking flange 16. In operation, the mounting flange 14 is inserted into a first slotwall groove 18 (shown in FIG. 11), and rotated in position so it hangs on the upper surface 22 of a horizontal rail 24 in the slotwall 20. The locking flange 16 is snap fitted onto the downwardly extending lip 26 on the horizontal rail 24.

II. Structure

[0024] As noted above, the slotwall bracket 10 is mounted on the slotwall 20. Slotwall 20 is widely known and therefore will not be discussed in detail here. In short, slotwall 20 is generally made from pressed board such as medium density fiberboard (MDF), or from plastic or extruded metal such as steel or aluminum. FIGS. 11 and 12 show the slotwall 20. In the illustrated embodiment, the slotwall 20 includes a plurality ...

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PUM

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Abstract

A slotwall bracket includes a generally planar body, an upper mounting flange, and a lower locking flange for preventing the bracket from being accidentally moved or removed from a slotwall panel. The mounting flange is generally L-shaped, and is supported on the upper surface of a horizontal rail in the slotwall. When the bracket is installed, the locking flange snap fits onto the lower surface of the horizontal rail to retain the bracket on the slotwall.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates generally to mounting fixtures and more particularly to a mounting bracket for a “slotwall,” which is a wall provided with a number of vertically spaced, elongated, horizontally extending rails defining slots or channels between the rails. [0002] Slotwall is used in a wide variety of applications for storing and displaying products, tools, and accessories. Examples of the industries in which slotwall is used include retail display, closet storage, garage storage, and office furniture. As is well known, a slotwall is a wall panel formed from metal, pressed board, plastic or other suitable material having a plurality of regularly spaced, horizontally extending rails. Each rail includes an upper surface and a lower surface, and a lip extending from one or both of the surfaces to form channels of L-shaped or T-shaped cross section between the rails. Various different accessories such as brackets, shelves, baskets, and the ...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): A47B96/06
CPCA47F5/0846
InventorTALLMAN, RANDALL E.
OwnerWINDQUEST