WO1997022837A1

WO1997022837A1 - Shelf system for radiators

Info

Publication number: WO1997022837A1
Application number: PCT/GB1996/002392
Authority: WO
Inventors: John Zeller
Original assignee: Richard Burbidge Limited
Priority date: 1995-12-15
Filing date: 1996-09-25
Publication date: 1997-06-26
Also published as: GB9526701D0; AU7091796A

Abstract

A radiator shelf (S) is supported on an L-bracket (B) having a leg (2) extending downwardly between the facing region of a wall (H) and the rear of the radiator (W). A sliding member (A) bears against the radiator to hold the L-bracket in position and is tilted by the reaction force which locks a tooth (T) of the sliding member against the teeth (8) of a channel (C) formed in the bracket (B).

Description

SHELF SYSTEM FOR RADIATORS

This invention relates to an improved shelf system for radiators, especially wall- mounted radiators.

Radiator shelves improve the appearance of a radiator, allow the display of ornaments, plants, etc. and can also improve heating efficiency by limiting warm air flow and diverting it towards the room.

Unfortunately there are many deficiencies with known systems. They often use brackets which have to be held by screws into the wall, or use unsightly clamps on top of the radiators.

Accordingly, various support arrangements have been designed in which the need for fixing a support bracket to the wall (which is often inaccessible, owing to the radiator) is avoided.

Some known systems are designed to wedge between the wall and radiator, but do not allow for the wide ranging spaces between wall and radiator. Many shelves are of fixed length so that a large stock has to be held to cope with the many lengths of radiator and colour requirements.

FR-A-2,288,890 discloses a radiator shelf-support assembly comprising a mounting bracket having a first portion arranged to extend downwardly in the gap between a radiator and a facing region of an adjacent wall surface and to bear against said surface region and a second portion arranged to extend forwardly over the top of the radiator, the mounting bracket having mounting means and an abutment member arranged to be mounted on said mounting means in said gap and to bear against the upper portion of the radiator, the assembly being supportable on the radiator and the abutment member being tiltable to engage the mounting bracket in a manner preventing rearward movement of the abutment member.

In one aspect the invention provides a radiator shelf-support assembly as summarised above, characterised in that the abutment member has a forwardly- extending elongate region of engagement with the mounting bracket.

This feature enables the abutment member to lock more positively in position on the mounting bracket and hence enables the mounting bracket to be clamped more securely between the wall and radiator.

Preferred features of the invention are defined in the dependent Claims.

By way of example only, embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a shelf-support assembly in accordance with the first aspect of the invention;

Figure 1 A is a detailed view of the locking arrangement of Figure 1; Figure 1B is a partial side elevation showing a variant of the assembly of Figure 1 ;

Figure 2 is a section taken on II-II of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an isometric view of the bracket B of Figure 1 ;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the abutment member A of Figure 1 , and

Figure 5 is a front elevation of the abutment member A.

Referring to Figure 1 , a shelf S is supported on a bracket B which is in turn clamped between a radiator W and an adjacent region of the wall H on which the radiator is mounted (by conventional means, not shown). The bracket is clamped by a sliding abutment member A which runs in channels C (see also Figure 2) on either side of the bracket. The upper inside face of each track C has teeth 8 which allow the member A to slide forwardly and rearwardly (from left to right and vice versa in Figure 1) only when the mating surface M of the member A is horizontal. In this orientation a blister 7 on this surface rides over the teeth 8, since it is longer than the tooth spacing.

When, however, the member A has been advanced to a position at which it abuts the rear of radiator W (a resilient neoprene pad P being mounted on the front face of member A to cushion the abutment) the lower leg of member A tilts rearwardly (i.e. to the left in Figure 1) and lifts a tooth T (Figure 1 A) into engagement with teeth 8, thereby preventing further rearward movement of abutment member A and clamping the arrangement in position. Hence no direct fixing of the bracket B to the wall is required.

As shown in Figure 5, a similar tooth T is provided on the other side of member A and engages the teeth 8 of the other channel C.

In order to prevent slippage of the abutment member A along the channels C during adjustment (when the member A is untilted) a row of serrations 9 are provided in the upright surface of each channel C and resiliently engage teeth t (Figures 4 and 5) in member A. This facilitates the adjustment of the position of the abutment member.

In a variant shown in Figure 1A, teeth 8 are formed in the lower surface of each channel C, blister 7' is formed at the rear of member A and tooth T is formed at the front, so that the abutment member tilts (rearwardly) about its upper rear portion rather than about its lower rear portion as in Figure 1.

Figure 2 shows strengthening ribs 10 formed in bracket B and Figure 1 ,2 and 3 also show ears 3 which are formed in the upper portion of bracket B. As shown in Figure 3, screw holes 4 are formed in these ears to facilitate attachment of the shelf S to the bracket B.

As shown most clearly in Figure 4, the abutment member is generally H-shaped in plan view, having a cross-piece 11 joining two similar portions which run in the channels C. Ears 6 are provided to enable the member A to be grasped easily. The bracket B is suitably formed of reinforced plastics. Abutment member A is

suitably formed of plastics material, which is preferably not re-inforced. Typically a

shelf S will be supported by two or more such bracket-abutment member assembhes.

Claims

1. A radiator shelf-support assembly comprising a mounting bracket (B) having a first portion (2) arranged to extend downwardly in the gap between a radiator (W) and a facing region of an adjacent wall surface and to bear against said surface region and a second portion (1) arranged to extend forwardly over the top of the radiator, the mounting bracket having mounting means (C) and an abutment member (A) arranged to be mounted on said mounting means in said gap and to bear against the upper portion of the radiator, the assembly being supportable on the radiator and the abutment member being tiltable to engage the mounting bracket in a manner preventing rearward movement of the abutment member, characterised in that the abutment member (A) has a forwardly-extending elongate region of engagement with the mounting bracket (B).

2. A radiator shelf-support assembly according to Claim 1, wherein said mounting bracket (B) has at least one forwardly-extending track (C) on which said abutment member (A) is arranged to be mounted.

3. A radiator shelf-support assembly according to Claim 2, wherein said track (C) has a row of transverse teeth (8) and said abutment member (A) is slidable over said teeth but can be tilted rearwardly to lock against said teeth.

4. A radiator shelf-support assembly according to Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein said abutment member (A) has a first raised portion (7) which slides along the track (C) and a second raised portion (T) which grips the track on tilting the abutment member.

5. A radiator shelf-support assembly according to Claim 4 as dependent on Claim 3, wherein said second raised portion (T) is a tooth which engages said teeth (8) of said track (C).

6. A radiator shelf-support assembly according to any of Claims 2 to 5, wherein said track (C) is in the form of a channel formed in said mounting bracket (B).

7. A radiator shelf-support assembly according to any of Claims 2 to 6, wherein said track (C) has a first forwardly-extending portion (8) which frictionally engages said abutment member (A) when the latter is untilted and a second forwardly-extending portion (9) by the side of the first forwardly extending portion which allows sliding movement of the abutment member when the latter is untilted but prevents rearward movement of the abutment member when the abutment member is tilted.

8. A radiator shelf-support assembly according to any preceding Claim, wherein said abutment member (A) is provided with means (P) for resiliently engaging a rear surface of the radiator (W).

9. A radiator shelf arrangement comprising a radiator shelf (S) supported on an assembly as claimed in any preceding Claim.