Wall-mounted shelf assembly

Abstract

A wall-mounted shelf assembly (10) comprising: - a bracket (11) for supporting a shelf (12), - the shelf (12) having a planar surface (13) and a back (14) which is perpendicular to the planar surface (13), the back (14) being associated with the bracket (11), the back (14) having a larger space occupation than the bracket (11), the back (14) covering and concealing from view the bracket (11) in the configuration for use.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a wall-mounted shelf assembly.

[0002] Wall-mounted shelves are currently widely used to display or store objects against walls.

[0003] A wall-mounted shelf is a structural element which is fixed to the wall and protrudes from it and is used, in the free part, to support overhanging loads.

[0004] Generally, the wall-mounted shelf comprises a supporting surface for objects, which is arranged so as to cantilever with respect to the wall and is fixed at right angles to the plane of arrangement of the wall by means of fixing elements or brackets, optionally placed within the surface itself to partially conceal them from view.

[0005] This background art has some drawbacks.

[0006] In fact, wall-mounted shelves of the known type are fixed to the wall by virtue of fixing means such as screws and / or supporting brackets which remain visible during use of the shelf.

[0007] This produces an unpleasant visual impact.

[0008] Moreover, with currently known wall-mounted shelves it is complicated to arrange the supporting surface perfectly horizontally in the configuration for use, due to the difficulties of providing the holes for inserting the wall fixing screws along a horizontal line, and if the holes in the wall are not perfectly aligned horizontally it is not possible to arrange the supporting surface horizontally unless new holes are provided, with a long and awkward installation process.

[0009] The aim of the present invention is to provide a wall-mounted shelf assembly that is capable of improving the background art in one or more of the aspects cited above.

[0010] Within this aim, an object of the invention is to provide a wall-mounted shelf assembly that produces a pleasing visual impact during use.

[0011] Another object of the invention is to provide a wall-mounted shelf assembly that allows, in the configuration for use, to conceal from view screws and / or other wall fixing elements.

[0012] A further object of the invention is to provide a wall-mounted shelf assembly that allows to arrange the supporting surface horizontally even if the holes for inserting the fixing screws, in the wall, are not perfectly aligned horizontally.

[0013] A still further object of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks of the background art in a manner that is alternative to any existing solutions.

[0014] Not least object of the invention is to provide a wall-mounted shelf assembly that is highly reliable, relatively easy to provide and at competitive costs.

[0015] This aim, as well as these and other objects that will become better apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a wall-mounted shelf assembly comprising: a bracket for supporting a shelf, said shelf having a planar surface and a back which is perpendicular to said planar surface, said back being associated with said bracket, said wall-mounted shelf assembly being characterized in that said back has a larger space occupation than said bracket, said back covering and concealing from view said bracket in the configuration for use.

[0016] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the description of a preferred, but not exclusive embodiment of the wall-mounted shelf assembly according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a general perspective view of a wall-mounted shelf assembly according to the invention; Figure 2 is an exploded view of the wall-mounted shelf assembly of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a first component of the wall-mounted shelf assembly of Figure 1; Figures 4a and 4b are two different views of a second component of the wall-mounted shelf assembly of Figure 1; Figure 5 shows a sectional detail view of the wall-mounted shelf assembly of Figure 1 in the configuration for use.

[0017] With reference to the figures, a wall-mounted shelf assembly, according to the invention, is generally designated by the reference numeral 10.

[0018] The wall-mounted shelf assembly 10 comprises: a bracket 11 for supporting a shelf 12, the shelf 12 having a planar surface 13 and a back 14 which is perpendicular to the planar surface 13 and is associated with the bracket 11.

[0019] The bracket 11 and the shelf 12 are made of metallic material.

[0020] Advantageously, the bracket 11 and the shelf 12 are made of powder-coated sheet metal, for example, Fe DC01 steel with a thickness on the order of 1.5 mm.

[0021] The bracket 11 has two or more first through holes 15 for inserting corresponding wall fixing elements, such as screws for example, not shown in the figures.

[0022] One of the particularities of the wall-mounted shelf assembly 10 resides in that the back 14 has a larger space occupation than the bracket 11 and such that the back 14 covers and conceals from view the bracket 11 in the configuration for use.

[0023] The bracket 11 has: a first substantially flat longitudinal portion 16, a second substantially flat longitudinal portion 17, extending on a plane that is parallel to the plane of arrangement of the first portion 16, a third longitudinal portion 18, interposed between the first portion 16 and the second portion 17 and arranged on a plane which is inclined with respect to the plane of arrangement of the first portion 16 and the plane of arrangement of the second portion 17.

[0024] In particular, the first portion 16 is provided with the first holes 15 and is adapted to be in contact with and associated with the wall P, as shown in Figure 5, so that the second portion 17 protrudes inward into the room in which the wall-mounted shelf assembly 10 is used.

[0025] The wall-mounted shelf assembly 10 is provided with magnetic means 19 for associating the shelf 12 with the bracket 11.

[0026] Such magnetic means 19 are constituted by one or more magnets 20.

[0027] The magnets 20 are fixed to the bracket 11, for example by adhesive bonding, and are directed toward the shelf 12.

[0028] The magnets 20 are arranged so as to straddle the first portion 16 and the third portion 18, in corresponding seats 21, at least partially provided in the third portion 18.

[0029] In particular, the magnets 20 are of the NdFeB (Neodymium-Iron-Boron) type with N35 magnetization, nickel coated, and have an adhesive layer, not shown in the figures, for bonding to the bracket 11.

[0030] The magnets 20, are, for example, those known by the trade name "Supermagnete" of the company Webcraft GmbH, located in Gottmadingen, Germany.

[0031] Advantageously, the shelf 12 has a portion 22 for coupling to the bracket 11.

[0032] The coupling portion 22 is formed by a 180° bend of at least one portion of the sheet metal that constitutes the back 14 along its free longitudinal edge, which is opposite with respect to the one from which the planar surface 13 extends.

[0033] The coupling portion 22 has an extension that is comparable to that of the bracket 11 and is coupled, in the configuration for use, to the second portion 17, and interposed between the second portion 17 and the wall P, as shown in Figure 5.

[0034] The coupling portion 22 has one or more second through holes / slots 23 for the insertion of corresponding wall fixing elements such as screws, for example, not shown in the figures.

[0035] The use of the wall-mounted shelf assembly 10 according to the invention is as follows.

[0036] The bracket 11 is fixed to the wall P, by virtue of fixing means such as screws, inserted in the first holes 15 and in corresponding holes provided in the wall P, arranging the bracket 11 so that the magnets 20 are directed toward the interior of the room in which the wall-mounted shelf assembly 10 is used.

[0037] The shelf 12 is then fixed to the bracket 11 by coupling the coupling portion 22 to the second portion 17 of the bracket 11, as shown in Figure 5.

[0038] If the planar surface 13 is not perfectly horizontal, it is possible to adjust / trim its inclination by simply moving / tilting it due to the play allowed by the coupling portion 22 and by the magnetic means 19.

[0039] Thus, due to the action of the magnetic means 19 the orientation and horizontal arrangement of the planar surface 13 is maintained over time.

[0040] It should be noted that a wall-mounted shelf assembly according to the invention allows to conceal from view screws and / or other elements for fixing the shelf to the wall, resulting in a pleasing visual impact.

[0041] It should also be noted that with the wall-mounted shelf assembly according to the invention it is possible to easily and quickly adjust the horizontal arrangement of the planar surface of the shelf without having to provide new holes in the wall, after fixing the supporting bracket.

[0042] In practice it has been found that the invention achieves the intended aim and objects, providing a wall-mounted shelf assembly that provides a pleasing visual impact during use.

[0043] The invention provides a wall-mounted shelf assembly that allows, in the configuration for use, to conceal from view screws and / or other wall fixing elements.

[0044] Moreover, the invention provides a wall-mounted shelf assembly that allows to arrange the supporting surface horizontally even if the fixing screw insertion holes in the wall are not perfectly aligned horizontally.

[0045] The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims; all the details may furthermore be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.

[0046] In practice, the materials used, so long as they are compatible with the specific use, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to the requirements and the state of the art.

[0047] The disclosures in Italian Utility Model Application No. 202024000002272 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.

[0048] Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

1. A wall-mounted shelf assembly (10) comprising: - a bracket (11) for supporting a shelf (12), - said shelf (12) having a planar surface (13) and a back (14) which is perpendicular to said planar surface (13), said back (14) being associated with said bracket (11), said wall-mounted shelf assembly (10) being characterized in that said back (14) has a larger space occupation than said bracket (11), said back (14) covering and concealing from view said bracket (11) in the configuration for use.

2. The wall-mounted shelf assembly (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that said bracket (11) and said shelf (12) are made of metallic material.

3. The wall-mounted shelf assembly (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that said bracket (11) has two or more first through holes (15).

4. The wall-mounted shelf assembly (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said bracket (11) has: - a first substantially flat longitudinal portion (16), - a second substantially flat longitudinal portion (17), extending on a plane which is parallel to the plane of arrangement of said first portion (16), - a third longitudinal portion (18), which is interposed between said first portion (16) and said second portion (17) and is arranged on a plane which is inclined with respect to the plane of arrangement of said first portion (16) and the plane of arrangement of said second portion (17).

5. The wall-mounted shelf assembly (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that magnetic means (19) are provided for associating said shelf (12) with said bracket (11).

6. The wall-mounted shelf assembly (10) according to claim 5, characterized in that said magnetic means (19) are constituted by one or more magnets (20), said one or more magnets (20) being fixed to said bracket (11) and being directed toward said shelf (12).

7. The wall-mounted shelf assembly (10) according to claim 6, characterized in that said one or more magnets (20) are arranged so as to straddle said first portion (16) and said third portion (18) in corresponding seats (21) at least partially provided on said third portion (18).

8. The wall-mounted shelf assembly (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that said shelf (12) has a coupling portion (22) for coupling to said bracket (11).

9. The wall-mounted shelf assembly (10) according to claim 8, characterized in that said coupling portion (22) is formed by a 180° bend of at least one portion of the sheet metal constituting said back (14) along its free longitudinal edge, which is opposite with respect to the one from which said planar surface (13) extends.

10. The wall-mounted shelf assembly (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said coupling portion (22) has one or more second through holes / slots (23).

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