Holding system

Abstract

Holding system for connecting an additional unit to a piece of furniture, comprising a holder (1) with a connecting profile (3), wherein the holder (1) is connectable to the furniture or at least partially integrated into or formed by the furniture, and an adapter (8) with a counter-connecting profile (9), wherein the adapter (8) is configured to hold, guide and / or connect the additional unit (14) to another additional unit, wherein the adapter (8) with the counter-connecting profile (9) is slid onto / into the connecting profile (3) of the holder (1), can be inserted or clipped onto / into the connecting profile (3) of the holder (1), wherein a cable clamp (6, 7) is integrally formed with the adapter (8), which has at least one opening or receptacle (15) for receiving a connecting element of the additional unit (14).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a holding system for connecting an accessory unit to an object, for example, a piece of furniture such as a desk. The system comprises a holder with a connecting profile and an adapter with a mating connecting profile corresponding to the connecting profile. The adapter with the mating connecting profile can be inserted, attached, or clipped into or onto the connecting profile of the holder and can be moved along the connecting profile. The adapter is designed to hold, guide, or connect the accessory unit to, for example, another accessory unit.

[0002] From EP 1 279 354 A1 a device for attaching auxiliary components to a workstation under a work surface is known.

[0003] Furthermore, DE 44 37 229 C1 discloses an electrification device for an office desk, which has a cable tray and coupling elements with which the cable tray is detachably attached under a tabletop.

[0004] Further state of the art can be found in DE 20 2004 000 676 U1, DE 93 11 963 U1 and DE 10 2010 040 446 A1.

[0005] Numerous fastening systems exist for attaching accessories such as computer cables, power strips, etc., to a desk, thus fixing their position relative to the desk. Often, these accessories are directly attached to the desktop, for example, using screws. This not only causes lasting damage to the desktop but also makes repositioning the accessories difficult and can lead to further damage. These systems are inflexible and generally incompatible with other existing systems. Repositioning the accessories on the fastening system requires the use of tools.

[0006] It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a fastening system for an additional unit on, for example, a piece of furniture, which can be connected to the furniture and in which the position of the additional unit on the fastening system relative to the furniture can preferably be changed by hand without the use of tools, without causing further damage to the furniture.

[0007] This problem is solved according to the invention by the subject matter of claim 1.

[0008] The invention relates to a holding system for connecting an additional component to an object, for example, a piece of furniture. The holding system comprises a holder with a connecting profile, wherein the holder is connectable to the object or at least partially integrated into the object or formed by the object itself.

[0009] "Connectable" means that it is a holder that can be screwed, tacked, or glued to, for example, a desk leg or the underside of a desktop. In this case, the holder may have a mounting body with a flat back that lies flush against the furniture when connected.

[0010] A holder can be at least partially integrated, for example, by being pre-installed at the factory in a groove in a table leg or on the underside of the desktop. A metal or plastic desk leg can be shaped in such a way that it forms the connecting profile on at least one side; that is, the holder is formed by the object itself or a part of it.

[0011] The holding system also features an adapter with a mating profile. The adapter is designed to hold and / or guide the additional unit and / or connect two additional elements together.

[0012] According to the invention, the adapter can be slid onto or into the connecting profile of the holder using the counter-connection system, or inserted or clipped onto or into it, and then moved along the connecting profile on the holder.

[0013] The adapter can preferably be removed from the holder without damage. The same applies to the additional element, which is connected to the adapter by means of force and / or form fit in such a way that it can be separated from the adapter without damage.

[0014] The holder can be designed as a continuous retaining rail or consist of multiple retaining rail elements. The connecting profile can be a positive or a negative profile. A positive profile, as used here, refers to a profile that projects outwards from the holder body. Examples include familiar railway tracks or a T-profile, where the end of the T-profile, which typically projects centrally from the base, may have a thickening onto which, for example, a suitably shaped U-profile can be slid or clipped.

[0015] A negative profile, as used here, refers to a profile that projects into the retaining body of the holder or is at least partially formed by it, for example, a U-profile with walls that are not parallel to each other and / or thickened, bent, or protruding end regions at the free ends of the U. The mating profile can, in this case, be a T-profile with a correspondingly shaped free end opposite the base of the T.

[0016] As a further option, the holder and the adapter and / or the adapter and the additional element can be connected to each other using a tongue-and-groove system. This means, for example, that the holder has at least one groove in which a spring connected to, connectable to, or formed on the adapter can engage, or vice versa. Simultaneously, the adapter can also have at least one groove in which a spring connected to, connectable to, or formed on the additional element can engage, and vice versa. In an embodiment in which the adapter has two grooves, two springs, or one groove and one spring, it can be connected to the holder and the additional element simultaneously using a tongue-and-groove system.

[0017] The adapter can be designed as an additional element that can be connected to the holder and the auxiliary unit. The connection to the holder and the connection to the auxiliary unit can be purely positive-locking, purely friction-locking, or a combination of both. Alternatively, the adapter can also be permanently attached to the auxiliary unit or formed integrally with the auxiliary element.

[0018] The additional component could be, for example, a cable guide, a distributor, a power strip, a switch strip, a cable clamp, a cable strain relief or a universal clamp for, for example, a device, a table lamp or a shelf, etc.

[0019] If the auxiliary unit is a cable chain, the adapter can be designed to hold a rod or guide rail for the cable chain and connected to a holder, a retaining profile, or another auxiliary profile via a counter profile. The chain links of the cable guide chain can then be threaded or clipped onto the rod or guide rail. The individual chain links can, in turn, be designed to form the adapter for other auxiliary elements. Alternatively, the adapter can also be a standardized adapter for different auxiliary elements, and the rod or guide rail can have connecting elements for connection to the adapter and, if necessary, to another auxiliary element.

[0020] The connection between the auxiliary unit and the adapter can be achieved, for example, by adhesion, magnetic force, hook-and-loop fasteners, or by means of plug-in elements. Plug-in elements also include solutions where the adapter has an opening through which a connecting element can be inserted in a first position and then rotated into a second position in which the connecting element no longer fits through the opening. Preferably, when rotating the connecting element, the auxiliary unit can simultaneously be pressed against the adapter, so that the auxiliary unit is now firmly attached to the adapter.

[0021] To allow the adapter to be removed from the holder without damage, as previously described, the adapter may have a tab that can be gripped by hand or with a tool to detach it from the holder. This tab thus provides, for example, a point for a lever to apply sufficient force when unclipping the adapter from the holder.

[0022] The holder can be made of a metal, for example aluminum, or a plastic, and / or at least partially of the material of the object or the material of a part of the object itself. The surface of the connecting profile and / or the mating connecting profile can have a coating, for example an elastic coating, which increases the connecting force between the two profiles once the elastic material, compressed during clipping, has expanded again. Other coatings that influence the movement of the adapter on the connecting profile are also conceivable.

[0023] Finally, the surfaces of the connecting profile and the mating connecting profile can also be shaped, for example, with sawtooth-shaped elements, so that the adapters on the connecting profile can only be moved in one direction, while movement in the other direction is impossible due to the opposing surfaces of the connecting and mating connecting profiles. This solution can be advantageous, for example, if the holder is perpendicular to the substrate, so that gravity always pulls the adapter and the auxiliary unit in the direction of gravity.

[0024] The adapter is preferably also made of metal or plastic. The adapter and the mating connection profile are preferably manufactured as a single piece, for example, using a casting or die-casting process. As described above, the adapter and the additional component can also be formed as a single piece. The mating connection profile is designed to be at least partially elastically deformable. Typically, the opposing open ends of the mating connection profile are elastically deformable within a certain area, making it possible to clip the adapter onto the connection profile or press it into the connection profile.

[0025] The adapter may also have a locking element, for example a locking screw or a mechanical clamping device, with which it can be fixed in a position on the holder.

[0026] In addition to the described mounting rails and mounting rail elements, the mounting clamp system can include corner connectors to, for example, connect two mounting rails at any desired angle. The corner connector can, for instance, consist of individual elements that are movable relative to each other and can preferably be moved manually into the desired corner connector shape. Preferably, the angle thus set remains in place until it is adjusted again. Prefabricated corner connectors can also be provided for standard angles, such as 90° at the transition from a desk leg to a desktop.

[0027] The invention is explained below with reference to individual embodiments. The figures show only a small selection of possible embodiments and do not limit the scope of the invention to what is shown. Features that are essential to the invention and are only shown in the figures are part of the disclosure of the invention and can, individually and in the combinations shown, advantageously further develop the subject matter of the invention.

[0028] The figures show, in detail: Fig. 1 mounting rail with a double-sided and a single-sided cable holder designed as an adapter and featuring a connection for an additional unit. Fig. 2 adapters, prepared for connection to an additional unit Fig. 3 additional adapters with extra element Fig. 4 retaining elements with molded adapter Fig. 5 Mounting rail with several additional elements with molded adapters Fig. 6 Additional unit with integrated counter-connection profile Fig. 7 Additional unit, permanently connected with two adapters

[0029] The embodiments according to the Fig. Items 2 to 6 are not covered by the subject matter of claim 1.

[0030] In the Fig. 1 is a holder 1 in the form of a retaining rail 1 shown, with a holder body having a flat back and a connecting profile 3, with a rounded top 3a and a bottom 3b with a groove 4 along each of the two longitudinal sides 3c, 3d of the connecting profile 3.

[0031] The retaining rail 1 has openings 5. These openings 5 ​​are, for example, through holes through which connecting elements (not shown), such as screws, can pass to attach the retaining rail 1 to an object (not shown), such as a piece of furniture.

[0032] Two cable clamps 6, 7, each formed integrally with an adapter 8, are slid or clipped onto the retaining rail 1. The cable clamps 6, 7 have at least one opening or receptacle 15 into which a connecting element of an auxiliary unit can be inserted and secured, for example, by twisting and / or clipped in place. The auxiliary unit can be, for example, a cable guide chain with appropriately designed connecting elements, such as a spherical connector or a spherical connecting element that is inserted centrally into the opening 15, or connectors or connecting elements such as those found, for example, in the Fig. Figure 3 is shown with reference numeral 12a. The opening 15 can also be shaped differently than shown in order to accommodate differently shaped connecting elements. A cable clamp 6, 7 can also have more than one opening 15.

[0033] Shown are a cable clamp 6 projecting from one side of the retaining rail 1 and a cable clamp 7 projecting from both sides of the retaining rail. The adapter 8 has a mating profile 9 with an inner shape that essentially corresponds to the outer shape of the connecting profile 3 of the retaining rail 1. The lateral ends 9a, 9b of the mating profile 9 are shaped such that they can engage in a rearward grip in the grooves 4 on the underside 3b of the connecting profile 3.

[0034] The Fig. Figure 2 shows an adapter 8 with a connecting plate 8a, which can be connected to an additional unit. The adapter 8 has the mating connection profile 9. In order for the mating connection profile 9 to be clipped onto the connecting profile 3 at any point, the mating connection profile 9 is at least partially made of an elastically deformable material, so that the lateral ends 9a, 9b can be pushed apart when clipped onto the retaining rail 1 and then return to their original shape.

[0035] The connecting plate 8a is designed to be connected to an additional unit. For this purpose, the connecting plate can, for example, have openings 10 as shown, into which corresponding connecting elements of the additional unit can engage to securely hold the additional unit to the connecting plate 8a, or clip connectors for clipping in additional units. The connecting plate 8a can also be designed to be connected to an additional element in a tongue-and-groove joint or another positive-locking connection.

[0036] Alternatively or additionally to these positive-locking connections, the connecting plate 8a can have an adhesive layer, for example an adhesive, a hook-and-loop fastener, or a magnet, to ensure secure retention of an additional component. The connecting plate 8a does not have to be integrally formed with the The counter-connection profile 9 can be formed, but can also be firmly connected to the counter-connection profile 9, for example the connecting plate 8a can be a permanent magnet, while the counter-connection profile 9 is made of plastic.

[0037] In the Fig. Figure 3 shows another embodiment of an adapter 8. To facilitate, in particular, the unclipping of this adapter 8 from the retaining rail 1, the adapter 8 has a molded-on lug 8b, which can be gripped, for example, with a lever to pry the adapter 8 off the retaining rail. Above the adapter 8, a cable strain relief element 12, for example of a cable guide chain, is shown, with connecting elements 12a that can engage in receptacles 15 formed by the adapter 8. Between the receptacles 15, a further receptacle 15b or opening 15b is formed, which can accommodate a connecting element, such as a rod, a screw, a bolt, or a rope. These further connecting elements can in turn hold an additional element or be connected to another adapter 8.

[0038] The Fig. Figure 4 shows a retaining element 11 with an integrated adapter 8. The retaining element 11 can be of any shape and serves to hold additional components, such as devices, power strips or distribution boxes.

[0039] The Fig. Figure 5 shows a mounting rail 1 with several cable guide elements 13, each with an adapter 8. The cable guide elements 13 are commercially available cable guide elements 13 with a mating profile that is not compatible with the mounting rail's connecting profile. To enable the use of the cable guide elements 13 nonetheless, the adapter 8 is, for example, glued into the factory-made mating profiles, so that these cable guide elements 13 can now be slid or clipped onto the mounting rail via the adapter 8.

[0040] The cable guide elements 13 can be connected to each other via connecting elements 13a. In the illustrated embodiment, the cable guide elements 13 are slid onto the retaining rail 1 with the adapter 8 and can then be moved along the retaining rail 1. The cable guide elements 13 are open at the bottom so that the adapter 8 can be elastically deformable.

[0041] The Fig. Figure 6 shows an additional unit 14 with an integrated counter-connection profile 9 for an adapter 8, which can be slid or clipped onto a holder or mounting rail.

[0042] The Fig. Figure 6 can also show a leg 14 of a desk with an integrated holder 1 and a connecting profile, which in this case is designed as a kind of U-profile. The corresponding counter-connecting profile of an adapter, not shown, must then be designed such that the adapter is securely held in the connecting profile. A person skilled in the art will certainly not need to inventively find one or more suitable counter-connecting profiles.

[0043] The Fig. Figure 7 shows an additional unit 14 to which two adapters 8 are firmly connected.

[0044] As already mentioned Fig. As described in section 6, the Fig. 7 but also show a leg 14 of a desk, with two holders 1, which in this case are designed as a kind of U-profile, and into which adapters not shown with a correspondingly shaped counter-connection profile can be inserted. Reference symbol list 1 holder, mounting rail 3 Connection profile 3a Top 3b Underside 3c Long side 3D Long Side 4 groove 5 Opening 6 cable clamps 7 Cable clamp 8 adapters 8a Connecting plate 8b Nose 8c recording 9 Counter-connection profile 10 openings 11 retaining element 12 cable strain relief elements 12a Connecting element 13 Cable guide element 13a Connecting element 14 Additional unit, chair leg 15 Opening, recording 15b Opening, Intake 15c spring

Claims

[1] Holding system for connecting an additional unit to a piece of furniture, comprising a holder (1) with a connecting profile (3), wherein the holder (1) is connectable to the furniture or at least partially integrated into or formed by the furniture, and an adapter (8) with a counter-connecting profile (9), wherein the adapter (8) is configured to hold, guide and / or connect the additional unit (14) to another additional unit, wherein the adapter (8) with the counter-connecting profile (9) is slid onto / into the connecting profile (3) of the holder (1), can be inserted or clipped onto / into the connecting profile (3) of the holder (1), wherein a cable clamp (6, 7) is integrally formed with the adapter (8) which has at least one opening or receptacle (15) for receiving a connecting element of the additional unit (14). [2] Holding system according to claim 1, wherein the adapter (8) is displaceable along the connecting profile (3) in at least one direction. [3] Holding system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the additional unit (14) is preferably removably connectable to the adapter (8) by means of force or form locking, wherein the adapter (8) is firmly connected to the additional unit (14) by means of the connecting element. [4] Holding system according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the holder (1) is a continuous holding rail or a plurality of holding rail elements, and wherein the connecting profile (3) projects outwards from a holding body of the holder (1) or projects into the holding body of the holder (1) or is at least partially formed by it. [5] Holding system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cable clamp (7) extends from the holding rail on both sides. [6] Holding system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the additional unit (14) and the adapter (8) can be connected to each other via magnetic force, Velcro closure, or plug connection. [7] Holding system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a nose (8b) is formed on at least one side of the adapter (8) which can be gripped behind for removing the adapter (8) from the holder (1) and can serve as a starting point for a lever. [8] Holding system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the holder (1) is made of metal, such as aluminium, a plastic and / or at least partially of the material of the furniture. [9] Holding system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the adapter (8) is made of metal or plastic and the counter-connection profile (9) is at least partially elastically deformable for connecting with the connecting profile (3). [10] Holding system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the holding system further comprises corner connectors with which two holders (1) can be connected to each other at any angle.

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