REGAL

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a shelf according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] Such shelves have been around for a long time. They often feature rows of holes attached to the sides, i.e., the shelf walls. The shelf walls can either be solid walls or consist of two beams, a front and a rear beam.

[0003] The rows of holes can be integrated into the shelf sides or uprights, or they can be attached to them. In the latter case, they often consist of sheet metal strips attached to the shelf sides. Any shelving elements, such as shelves, pull-outs, drawers, or even telescopic rails, can be attached to the holes in the rows.

[0004] The holes in the rows of holes are designed in a predefined grid. This makes it possible to install the shelving elements at any height, and to adjust the desired height later if necessary. For this purpose, the shelving elements are equipped with brackets, tenons, or other suitable connecting elements that extend into the holes in the rows of holes and support the respective shelving element.

[0005] Typically, a shelf element is stored in at least four places: left front, left back, right front and right back.

[0006] Each bearing point can be formed by the connecting element engaging the respective hole, or, if necessary, by engaging two holes arranged one above the other. It has also become known to form the connecting elements not directly on the shelf element, but on an adapter, which in turn is connected to the shelf element.

[0007] An example of the storage of telescopic rails on rows of holes is the rack known from DE 88 02 388 U1. This rack features an adapter for telescopic rails that can be inserted into the holes of the rows of holes using clamps. A front row of holes and a rear row of holes are provided, which are formed on a front upright and a rear upright, respectively.

[0008] The clamp attached to the rear of the telescopic rail or the adapter located there can be inserted from the front into a rear hole. The clamp attached to the front of the telescopic rail can be inserted from above into the front hole on the front post, i.e., the front row of holes. However, this design did not gain market acceptance. One problem was the play in the adapter's bearings, both on the telescopic rail and in the row of holes.

[0009] Another example of a shelving system with rows of holes arranged in a grid pattern is the solution known from DE 19 96 191 U1. It has also been proposed to provide a bearing point through two adjacent holes in a row, each of which engages a pin. With double bearings at each bearing point, stability can be significantly increased. However, it has been shown that, in certain load situations, long-term stability, in particular, can be improved.

[0010] US 4,566,743 A discloses a clamp for releasably connecting a drawer to a rail with multiple openings. The clamp comprises an elongated body with tabs at both ends that engage a selected opening in the rail to secure the clamp to the rail. US 3,261,585 A discloses a refrigerator in which a rail can be attached to uprights with rows of holes using two clamps each.

[0011] Therefore, the invention is based on the object of providing a shelf according to the preamble of claim 1, which shows improved long-term stability under different load situations.

[0012] This object is achieved according to the invention by an object according to claim 1. Advantageous further developments emerge from the subclaims.

[0013] According to a first aspect, this object is achieved by a shelf with shelf cheeks having rows of holes, in particular formed by a front and a rear upright, and with pull-out rails which extend essentially horizontally along a shelf cheek, in particular from a front upright to a rear upright, and are mounted on this via a front rail holder and via a rear rail holder, wherein an upper and a lower hook pin are formed on each rail holder, which are intended for engagement in holes in the rows of holes and engage behind wall areas adjacent to the holes, in particular upright wall areas, and wherein the upper hook pin of the rear rail holder points upwards, characterized in that the lower hook pin of the rear rail holder points upwards.

[0014] In a technically advantageous embodiment of the shelf, the hooks of the upper hook pins are longer than those of the lower ones.

[0015] In a further technically advantageous embodiment of the shelf, the pin regions of the hook pins extend into and pass through the holes and the hooks of the hook pins extend distally from the pin regions.

[0016] In a further technically advantageous embodiment of the shelf, the hooks end at hook end faces and the tenon areas each have tenon counter faces opposite the hooks and in the case of the lower hook tenons, the distance between end face and counter face is less than the diameter of the holes.

[0017] In another technically advantageous embodiment of the shelf, the distance between the front surface and the counter surface of the upper hook pins is greater than the diameter of the holes.

[0018] In a further technically advantageous embodiment of the shelf, the distance between the hook pins of a rail holder corresponds to the distance between adjacent holes of the rows of holes and the hook pins of a rail holder can be fastened into the adjacent holes by inserting the upper hook pins, lifting the rail holders and inserting the lower hook pins into the uprights.

[0019] In a further technically advantageous embodiment of the shelf, the upper hook pin of the front rail holder points upwards.

[0020] In another technically advantageous embodiment of the shelf, the lower hook pin of the front rail holder points downwards.

[0021] In a further technically advantageous embodiment of the shelf, the pin area of ​​the lower hook pin has a clearance of between 3% and 20%, in particular between 6% and 13% and particularly preferably around 9%, of its diameter relative to the hole.

[0022] According to the invention, the vertical projection dimension of the hook of the lower hook pin relative to the pin area is between 2% and 18%, in particular between 5% and 12% and particularly preferably around 8%, of the diameter of the pin area.

[0023] In a further technically advantageous embodiment of the shelf, a vertically downwardly extending slot is formed between the lower hook of the rear rail holder and a contact surface for the rail holder on the outside of the beam, the width of which slot essentially corresponds to the thickness of the beam wall.

[0024] In another technically advantageous embodiment of the shelf, the slot tapers downwards with a cone angle between 1 degree and 20 degrees.

[0025] In a further technically advantageous embodiment of the shelf, the lower hook pin extends at the height of a support leg supporting the pull-out rail and / or the rail holder has an L-shaped cross-section.

[0026] In a further technically advantageous embodiment of the shelf, the pull-out rail is designed as a multi-part telescopic rail, the extension length of which corresponds to or is greater than the distance between the front and rear beams.

[0027] In a further technically advantageous embodiment of the shelf, a right-hand pull-out rail supports a pull-out on the right, and a left-hand one on the left, and the respective rail holders are mirror-symmetrical to one another.

[0028] In a further technically advantageous embodiment of the shelf, the pull-out can be loaded with a weight that corresponds to a multiple, in particular at least six times, the torsional resistance force of each pull-out rail in the unassembled state, which it opposes to a torsional force.

[0029] According to the invention, a shelf is provided that can be equipped with pull-out rails that are mounted in a special way on the shelf sides. For this purpose, the shelf has vertically mounted rows of holes on the shelf sides, which have holes in a predetermined grid spacing. According to the invention, the pull-out rails can be stored in the holes, as can any other shelving elements such as shelves, drawers, simple pull-outs, or the like.

[0030] The shelf sides rest on the floor in a conventional manner. They can be formed by solid walls, for example, or have individual uprights. The rows of holes can be integrated into these walls or formed from strips of material that extend along the shelf sides and are attached to them.

[0031] In a conventional manner, a front and a rear row of holes are provided, or, when using uprights, a front and a rear upright. A shelf, a drawer, a telescopic pull-out, and similar shelving elements are typically mounted on both sides. Accordingly, rails, rail supports, rows of holes, etc., are located on both sides of the shelving element, i.e., on its right and left sides, and are generally mirror images of each other. For the sake of simplicity, only one side is considered here and in the following.

[0032] To support the extension rail of a telescopic extension, a rail holder is mounted at the front and rear of the shelf side, or on the front and rear rails if uprights are used. Each rail holder is equipped with two vertically spaced-apart hook pins. The spacing between these is selected such that, when assembled, the upper hook pin engages in an upper hole in the row of holes, and the lower hook pin engages in the hole below and adjacent to the upper hole. Hook pins have the advantage that they extend through a hole and rest against the wall of the upright or shelf side on the other side of the hole. This enables play-free mounting, provided there is an appropriate fit.

[0033] Hook pins consist of hooks that extend transversely to the pin areas. The hook pin is attached to the rail holder so that its pin area extends laterally, i.e., essentially horizontally. The hook of the hook pin extends upwards or downwards from the pin area, i.e., essentially vertically. The pin area is designed to pass through a hole in the row of holes. For round holes, it is also preferably round. It is only approximately as long as the horizontal extent of the hole, i.e., the wall thickness of the shelf side, e.g., a upright.

[0034] Due to this design, the hook of the hook pin rests on the back of the shelf panel, and the pull-out rail is supported on the shelf panel in the horizontal direction without any play.

[0035] According to the invention, each rail holder is provided with two hook pins: an upper and a lower one. The upper hook pin of the rear rail holder points upwards, and according to the invention, the lower hook pin of the rear rail holder also points upwards. This design has the special effect that when the telescopic extension is loaded in the extended state, both hook pins are pushed upwards in their respective holes in the row of holes. The hook of the lower hook pin therefore also engages behind the shelf side or the upright wall in which the hook pin is guided. The rail holder is thereby forced into an upright position, resting against the shelf side.

[0036] This has the following special effect: When the telescopic extension is subjected to a load while extended, the telescopic rail acts like a two-armed lever mounted on the front rail bracket. The force arm, i.e., the part of the rail between the front and rear rail brackets, tends to twist, as if to deflect the applied force.

[0037] Without the inventive measure—that is, a lower rear hook pin pointing upward—the telescopic rail could twist, and the lower hook pin could slip from its anchorage, leading to the failure of the telescopic extension. In contrast, according to the invention, the extension rail is always guided tightly against the shelf side, even in the rear area. There, it rests against the upright or shelf side with a support bearing area. This also applies when the telescopic extension is extended and loaded.

[0038] In contrast, the front rail holder preferably has the hook of the lower hook pin pointing downward, and the hook of the upper hook pin pointing upward. When the telescopic extension is loaded, the front rail holder bears almost the entire weight of the telescopic extension, and the lower hook pin takes on a large portion of it. Its downward-facing hook securely grips the rail wall.

[0039] In an advantageous embodiment, the hooks of the lower hook pins are shorter than those of the upper ones. To insert them into the holes in the rows of holes, the upper hook pin is inserted first, followed by the lower one, in a conventional manner with the telescopic rail tilted. This brings both the front and rear rail holders into contact with the shelf side with their respective contact surfaces.

[0040] When the telescopic pulley is retracted, its weight is distributed essentially evenly across its four rail supports. This also exerts a downward force on the rear rail supports. This force can push the lower hook pin of the rear rail support downwards so far that its hook no longer engages behind the rail wall, but is now level with its hole. This "release" is harmless, however, because the load of the extension tends to push the lower hook pin outward, toward the rail, but it cannot escape due to the effect of the support's contact surface.

[0041] Surprisingly, the relatively simple inventive measure of having the lower rear hook pin with its hook pointing upwards ensures secure and durable mounting and guidance of a telescopically guided extension. This also resists torsional forces, as any twisting of the telescopic rail is compensated for by the special design of the rear rail holder.

[0042] In an advantageous embodiment, it is provided that the rail holder has a bearing leg with the hook pins and a support leg supporting the pull-out rail, and that on the bearing leg a contact surface, optionally provided with an opening, is formed for the contact on the outside of the rail, the distance of which from the hook, viewed in vertical projection, corresponds to the wall thickness of the rail wall.

[0043] Further details, advantages and features will become apparent from the following description of an embodiment of the invention with reference to the drawing.

[0044] They show: Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective drawing of a part of a shelf according to the invention, showing a part of a front and a rear beam, and a telescopic rail, in an unassembled state, in an embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective drawing of the part of the shelf according to the invention according to Fig. 1 , wherein the telescopic rail is tilted and inserted with the upper hook pins of the rail holders into holes of rows of holes; Fig. 3 a schematic perspective drawing of the part of the shelf according to the invention according to Fig. 1 , wherein the telescopic rail with the upper and lower hook pins of the rail holders is inserted into holes of rows of holes; Fig. 4 a schematic perspective drawing of the part of the shelf according to the invention according to Fig. 1 , wherein the telescopic rail is inserted with the upper and lower hook pins of the rail holders into holes of rows of holes and is also extended; Fig. 5a an enlarged perspective view of a part of the shelf according to the invention in the same embodiment, in which the engagement of a rear rail holder with both hook pins in the row of holes of the beam is visible; Fig. 5b an enlarged perspective view of a part of the shelf according to the invention in the same embodiment, in which the rear rail holder is tilted and only with its upper hook pin is inserted into a hole of the row of holes of the beam; Fig. 6 a schematic perspective drawing of the part of the shelf according to the invention according to Fig. 1 , wherein the telescopic rail is shown; Fig. 7 a schematic sectional drawing of the part of the shelf according to the invention according to Fig. 1 , showing the front rail holder; Fig. 8 a schematic sectional view of the part of the shelf according to the invention according to Fig. 1 , showing the rear rail holder; and Fig. 9 a further enlarged sectional view of Fig. 8 .

[0045] Out of Fig. 1 A shelf 10 is visible in a small section. The shelf 10 has 4 beams, of which a front beam 12 is made of Fig. 1 The front beam 12 is spaced apart from a rear beam 14 and stands on the floor. Both beams 12 and 14 form a shelf side 15, in the illustration according to Fig. 1 a left shelf cheek 15 of the shelf 10. The beams can be connected to each other, e.g. at the top and bottom, in any manner known per se, e.g. by a connecting strut not shown, for example by means of screw connections.

[0046] The shelf 10 can be part of a shelving system in which several individual shelves are connected to one another. The shelves can be equipped with various shelving elements as desired. The shelf 10 considered here is designed for a telescopic extension at the location shown, of which a left extension rail 22 is shown in the figures.

[0047] The beam 12 and the beam 14 each have a plurality of holes 16 arranged one above the other, in a grid pattern, i.e., at the same distance from each other. A front row of holes 18 is formed on the front beam 12, and a rear row of holes 20 is formed on the rear beam 12.

[0048] In the Fig. 1 In the position shown, the extension rail 22 is not yet hooked into holes 16 of the rows of holes 18 and 20. A front rail holder 24 and a rear rail holder 26 are provided for hooking. The rail holders 24 and 26 are an integral part of the extension rail 22.

[0049] The front rail holder 24 has two hook pins on its side facing the row of holes 18, namely an upper hook pin 28 and a lower hook pin 30. The rear rail holder 26 also has two hook pins, namely an upper hook pin 32 and a lower hook pin 34. This is made of, for example, Fig. 5 visible.

[0050] The hook pins 28 to 34 have different orientations and configurations. The hook pins 28, 32 and 34 point upwards, and the hook pin 30 points downwards. Furthermore, the upper hook pins 28 and 32 are slightly longer than the lower hook pins 30 and 34. Each of the hook pins consists of a Figuren 7 and 8 visible pin area 36 and a hook 38.

[0051] The distance from the top of the pin portion 36 of the upper hook pin 28 to the lower end of the hook 38 of the lower hook pin 30 on the front rail holder 24 is slightly less than the distance from the lower edge of the hole 16 intended for engagement of the lower hook pin 30 to the upper edge of the hole 16 intended for engagement of the upper hook pin 28.

[0052] The distance from the top of the pin portion 36 of the upper hook pin 32 to the lower end of the pin portion 36 of the lower hook pin 34 on the rear rail holder 26 is slightly less than the distance from the lower edge of the hole 16 intended for engagement of the lower hook pin 34 to the top edge of the hole 16 intended for engagement of the upper hook pin 32.

[0053] The distance of the upper end surface of the hook 38 of the upper hook pin 28 to the underside of the pin area 36 of the lower hook pin 30 on the front rail holder 24 is slightly greater than the distance of the lower edge of the hole 16 intended for the engagement of the lower hook pin 30 to the upper edge of the hole 16 intended for the engagement of the upper hook pin 28.

[0054] The distance of the upper end surface of the hook 38 of the upper hook pin 32 to the underside of the pin area 36 of the lower hook pin 34 on the rear rail holder 26 is slightly greater than the distance of the lower edge of the hole 16 intended for the engagement of the lower hook pin 34 to the upper edge of the hole 16 intended for the engagement of the upper hook pin 32.

[0055] The dimensioning rules in the 4 previous paragraphs ensure that the pull-out rail 22 in the raised state can be tilted from the tilted position according to Fig. 2 into the position adjacent to the beams 12 and 14 according to Fig. 3 can be inserted and then lowered, and that in this adjacent, lowered position the pull-out rail 22 is locked against accidental falling out.

[0056] In the lowered position, the hooks 38 of the hook pins 28, 30, and 32 engage behind the rail wall. The extension rail cannot be separated from the rails 12 and 14 by tilting, pivoting, or pulling it straight out. For the purpose of the hook 38 of the lower hook pin 34 of the rear rail holder 26, please refer to the explanation below.

[0057] Out of Fig. 4 The pull-out rail 22 is shown schematically in its partially extended state. A fixed part 40 is visible, to which the rail holders 24 and 26 are attached. A first movable part 42 is mounted on this, and a second movable part 44 is mounted on this. A drawer or any other pull-out element, such as a shelf, is mounted on the second movable part 44.

[0058] When fully extended, this extends together with the second movable part 24 in front of the front beam 12. In this state, but also already in the Fig. 4 In the illustrated state, the extension rail acts like a two-sided lever, with the second movable part 44 as the load arm and the fixed part 40 as the force arm. The lever bearing point is then the front rail holder 24.

[0059] When a weight is applied to the extension element, the weight force is converted into an upward force via this two-sided lever. This force acts upward on the rear rail holder 26.

[0060] In this state, the hook 38 of the lower hook pin 34 of the rear rail holder 26 is used according to the invention: especially when the weight force is so great that it could cause the extension rail 22 to deflect due to twisting, the hook 38 of the hook pin 34 prevents twisting. The extension rail 22 has a significantly higher section modulus in the vertical direction than in the horizontal direction. Therefore, when untwisted, it can absorb considerable loads, while it easily fails when twisted.

[0061] In particular, twisting leads to wear on the guide elements provided internally in the extension rail 22. These can, for example, comprise balls or rollers running on roller bearing tracks. The roller bearing tracks can, for example, have a semicircular cross-section and would be expanded by twisting the extension rails, so that reliable guidance by the guide elements would no longer be guaranteed.

[0062] In this respect, the long-term stability of the telescopic shelf is significantly improved according to the invention, namely by the simple action of the hook 38 of the hook pin 34 of the rear rail holder 26. This hook points upwards, so that when the previously described upward force is applied to the rear rail holder 26, it engages behind the wall of the beam 14 and holds the rail holder 26 securely and, above all, upright on the rear beam 14 even in this loaded position.

[0063] This position is from the Figuren 5a und 5b visible. In Figur 5a The rear rail holder 26 is shown in the mounted position, in which the weight force acting on the telescopic extension pushes it upwards. Figur 5b It can be seen that it can be inserted beforehand, i.e. without the force upwards, in a tilted state with the hook 38 of the upper hook pin 32 into the hole 16, and can then be pivoted so that the hook pin 34 can pass through the hole 16 below.

[0064] Out of Fig. 6 The extension rail is shown in perspective with the fixed part 40, the rear rail holder 26, and the front rail holder 24. The position and arrangement of the hook pins 28, 30, 32, and 34 are also shown.

[0065] Out of Fig. 7 It can be seen how the front rail holder 24 passes through holes 16 in the beam 12. Each hook pin 28 and 30 has a pin portion 36 and a hook 38. The hook 38 of the upper hook pin 28 is longer than the downward-facing hook 38 of the lower hook pin 30. The pin portions 36 are mounted in the holes 16 with some play.

[0066] Out of Fig. 8 The cross-sectional structure of the rear rail holder 26 is shown. The hook pins 32 and 34 extend through the holes 16 with their pin areas 36, and the hooks 38 engage behind the wall 50 of the beam. The rail holder 26 rests against the wall 50 of the beam with a contact surface 52. When an upward force acts on the rail holder 26, both hooks 38 of the hook pins 32 and 34 extend, engaging behind the wall 50.

[0067] The more detailed design of the rear rail holder 26 is shown in Fig. 9It can be seen that the pin portions 36 are guided with play in the holes 16. The distance between the upper end portion 56 of the lower hook 38 and the underside 58 of the pin portion 36 of the lower hook pin 34 is so small that the hook pin 34 can pass through the hole 16.

[0068] However, this does not apply to the upper hook pin 32. Therefore, the upper hook pin 32 can only be inserted into its corresponding hole 16 when tilted. However, if an upward force acts on the rail holder 26, both hook pins 32 and 34 lock, ensuring secure storage.

Claims

1. Shelf, having shelf sides (15) which have rows of holes (18, 20) and are formed in particular by a front and a rear spar (12, 14), and having pull-out rails (22) which extend substantially horizontally in each case along a shelf side (15), in particular from a front spar (12) to a rear spar (14), and are mounted on the latter via a front rail holder (24) and via a rear rail holder (26), an upper and a lower hook pin (28, 30, 32, 34) being formed on each rail holder (24, 26), which hook pins are intended for engagement in holes (16) of the rows of holes (18, 20) and engage behind wall regions, in particular spar wall regions (50), which are adjacent to the holes (16), and the upper hook pin (32) of the rear rail holder (26) pointing upwards, the lower hook pin (34) of the rear rail holder (26) pointing upwards, characterized in that a vertical projection dimension of a hook (38) of the lower hook pin (30, 34) with respect to a pin region (36) is between 2% and 18% of the diameter of the pin region (36).

2. Shelf according to claim 1, characterized in that the hooks (38) of the upper hook pins (28, 32) are longer than those of the lower hook pins (30, 34).

3. Shelf according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that pin regions (36) of the hook pins (28, 30, 32, 34) extend in the holes (16) and pass through the latter, and in that the hooks (38) of the hook pins extend distally out of the pin regions (36).

4. Shelf according to claim 3, characterized in that the hooks (38) end at hook end faces and the pin regions (36) each have pin counterfaces opposite the hooks (38), and in that, in the case of lower hook pins (30, 34), the distance between end face and counterface is smaller than the diameter of the holes (16).

5. Shelf according to claim 4, characterized in that, in the case of upper hook pins (28, 32), the distance between end face and counterface is greater than the diameter of the holes (16).

6. Shelf according to any one of the preceding claims, the shelf sides (15) being formed by a front and a rear spar (12, 14) respectively, characterized in that the distance between the hook pins (28, 30, 32, 34) of a rail holder (24, 26) corresponds to the distance between adjacent holes (16) of the rows of holes (18, 20), and hook pins (28, 30, 32, 34) of a rail holder (24, 26) can be fastened in the adjacent holes (16) by introducing the upper hook pins (28, 32), raising the rail holders (24, 26) and introducing the lower hook pins (30, 34) into the spars (12, 14).

7. Shelf according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the upper hook pin (28) of the front rail holder (24) points upwards and the lower hook pin (30) of the front rail holder (24) points downwards.

8. Shelf according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pin region (36) of the lower hook pin (30, 34) has a clearance with respect to the hole (16) of between 3% and 20%, in particular between 6% and 13% and particularly preferably around 9%, of its diameter.

9. Shelf according to claim 1, characterized in that the vertical projection dimension of the hook (38) of the lower hook pin (30, 34) with respect to the pin region (36) is between 5% and 12% and particularly preferably around 8% of the diameter of the pin region (36).

10. Shelf according to any one of the preceding claims, the shelf sides (15) being formed by a front and a rear spar (12, 14) respectively, characterized in that a slot which extends vertically downwards and the width of which substantially corresponds to the thickness of the spar wall (50) is formed between the lower hook (38) of the rear rail holder (26) and a contact surface (52) for the contact of the rail holder (26) on the outside of the spar (14).

11. Shelf according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lower hook pin (30, 34) extends at the level of a supporting branch supporting the pull-out rail (22), and / or in that the rail holder (24, 26) has an L-shaped cross section.

12. Shelf according to any one of the preceding claims, the shelf sides (15) being formed by a front and a rear spar (12, 14) respectively, characterized in that the pull-out rail (22) is formed as a multi-part telescopic rail, the pull-out length of which corresponds to the distance between the front and the rear spar (12, 14) or is greater than the latter.

13. Shelf according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a right pull-out rail mounts a pull-out on the right, and a left pull-out rail mounts a pull-out on the left, and in that the respectively associated rail holders (24, 26) are formed mirror-symmetrically with respect to one another.