Lock for securing front rail to wire shelving
AssigneeFasteners for Retail, Inc.
InventorsRichard A. Williams, Gerald Matthew Szpak
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fastener for securing a rail to a wire shelf having a plurality of support rods extending in parallel spaced-apart fashion. The fastener has a fastener body with an elongate rail engaging flange, a shelf engaging flange, and a connecting shaft portion extending between the rail engaging flange and the shelf engaging flange. The rail engaging flange is insertable through an elongate opening of an the rail in a first orientation and, upon rotation of the fastener, the rail engaging flange is configured to extend across said elongate opening thereby restricting withdrawal therefrom, while the shelf engaging flange traps a support member of the shelf thereby interlocking the associated rail to the associated shelf.
Claims20
A fastener for securing an associated rail to an associated wire shelf having a plurality of support rods extending in parallel spaced-apart fashion, the fastener comprising:
- a monolithic fastener body including an elongate rail engaging flange defining a first width, a shelf engaging flange defining a second width, and a connecting shaft extending between and connecting the rail engaging flange and the shelf engaging flange;
- wherein the connecting shaft has a generally cylindrical cross-section defining a first diameter substantially equal to the second width, and a reduced diameter portion defining a second diameter less than the first diameter, the generally cylindrical cross-section extending along a portion of a length of the connecting shaft, the reduced diameter portion defining a shoulder;
- wherein the shelf engaging flange has at least one cam structure extending therefrom in a direction towards the rail engaging flange, the at least one cam structure being spaced apart from the connecting shaft and defining a channel therewith for receipt of a support rod of the associated wire shelf;
- wherein the rail engaging flange is insertable through an elongate opening of an associated rail in a first orientation and, upon rotation of the fastener to a second orientation, the rail engaging flange is configured to extend across said elongate opening thereby restricting withdrawal therefrom, while the shelf engaging flange traps a support rod of the associated shelf in the channel thereby interlocking the associated rail to the associated shelf.
A fastener for securing an associated rail to an associated wire shelf having a plurality of spaced apart support rods extending in a common direction, the fastener comprising:
- a monolithic fastener body comprising a rail engaging member, a shelf engaging member spaced apart from the rail engaging member, the shelf engaging member including at least one contact structure extending from the shelf engaging member in a direction towards the rail engaging member and adapted to engage a support rod of the associated wire shelf, and a connecting portion extending between the rail engaging member and the shelf engaging member;
- wherein the connecting portion of the fastener is received in an elongate opening of the associated rail and the contact structure of the shelf engaging member engages a support rod of the associated wire shelf, and
- wherein the rail engaging member defines a first width and the shelf engaging member defines a second width, and wherein the connecting portion includes a first portion defining a first diameter and a second portion defining a second diameter, the second diameter substantially equal to the second width and greater than the first diameter.
A fastener for securing an associated rail to an associated wire shelf having a plurality of support rods extending in parallel spaced-apart fashion, the fastener comprising:
- a first flange including a first surface defining a first width extending in a first direction and a first length extending in a second direction transverse to the first direction, the first length being greater than the first width;
- a second flange integrally formed with the first flange for rotation therewith between a first orientation and a second orientation, the second flange including a second surface defining a second width extending in the first direction and a second length extending in the second direction, the second surface having a first cam structure extending therefrom and along the second surface in the first direction;
- and
- a connecting shaft extending between the first flange and the second flange, wherein the connecting shaft includes a first portion defining a first diameter and a second portion defining a second diameter, the second diameter substantially equal to the second width and greater than the first diameter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.