FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
[See section 10, Rule 13]
A SCREWLESS STRUCTURE FOR SUPPORTING OBJECTS;
LARSEN & TOUBRO LIMITED, A COMPANY INCORPORATED UNDER THE COMPANIES ACT, 1956, WHOSE ADDRESS IS L&T HOUSE, BALLARD ESTATE, MUMBAI - 400 001, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA.
THE FOLLOWING SPECIFICATION
PARTICULARLY DESCRIBES THE
INVENTION AND THE MANNER IN WHICH IT IS TO BE PERFORMED.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to screwless structures and particularly to those
screwless structures that are used for supporting objects.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Generally structures for supporting and keeping various objects within are well
known to a person skilled in the art.
A variety of shelves, racks, carousels and other arrangements have been used in
the prior art for displaying products or other items to customers at point of
purchase locations.
There are numerous types of known systems for displaying or storing items.
Freestanding item display systems are known which have display panels and
means for securing articles for display on the face of the panel. One freestanding
display apparatus has a plurality of panels arranged in a variety of configurations
relative to one another and interconnected with one or more upstanding posts to
form the freestanding display apparatus.
In general, shelving systems are known that have a plurality of flat shelves
supported by several post members resting on the floor. Typically such systems
are often made of metal and are adjustable to various shelf heights. Individual
shelves can be secured to the posts at varying heights to accommodate support
items of various sizes. Shelving systems are also known to have a plurality of flat
shelves that are supported by brackets that are secured to a wall.
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Such structures are constructed by assembling cubical channels or angles with various fastening means like with the help of fasteners, rivets, welding etc. Such structures are being employed in various industries as per their needs for keeping numerous articles and objects that are of day-to-day usage.
The aforementioned structures experienced several drawbacks among which one of the drawback is that the assembly or construction of the structures is too time consuming. The fixing of the structure takes a lot of time. Also many times in shelving systems and display systems the structure is not strong enough for certain items, and result in either collapse or breakage of the system, or sagging of the shelves, or other deformations of system components.
According to Patent/Publication no. US20020195410 disclosed is "Screwless angle bar rack" for supporting object formed of vertical cubical bar and horizontal cubical bar. According to this an angle bar rack formed on a horizontal channel and a vertical angle channel rack, the horizontal channels rack having hook holes and recessed retaining holes respectively disposed at the inner sidewall of each horizontal channels adjacent to the hook hole, the vertical angle channels having upward hooks respectively hooked in the hook hole of the horizontal channels, each upward hook having a retaining portion curved outward and respectively engaged into the recessed retaining holes of the horizontal channels.
The horizontal channels and the vertical angle channels of the screwless structure as aforementioned can be dissembled out just by applying a little force and pressing horizontal channels upwards manually.
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Hence it is highly desirable there is a need of a screwless structure that is sturdy
in construction and cannot be dissembled or separated easily.
Also there is a need of a screwless structure that takes lesser assembly time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a firm and rugged screwless
structure.
Further object of the present invention is to reduce the assembly time of the
screwless structure.
The present invention relates to a screwless structure for supporting objects,
which comprises of atleast four vertical angles or channels (14) having plurality of
combination of recesses, and a plurality of horizontal angles or channels (12) . A
hook and atleast one spring loaded pin is provided on each end of the horizontal
angles or channels (12) in such a manner that the hook is engaged and the
spring loaded pin is press fit into the plurality of combination of recesses of the
vertical angles or channels to form screwless structure.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention the screwless
structure for supporting objects the combination of recesses comprises of
recesses of larger size and smaller size.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention the larger size
recesses adapted on the vertical angles or channels (14) are provided on the
edge of the joining faces of the vertical angles or channels. The larger size
recesses can also be provided on the same face having atleast one smaller size
recess provided on the vertical angles or channels.
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Details of operation of the instant invention and further objects thereof will
become evident as the description proceeds and from an examination of the
accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred embodiment of the invention in
which similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The foregoing objects and advantages will be better understood from the
following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig.1 shows the perspective view of screwless structure assembly according to
the present invention.
Fig.2 shows the general schematic diagram of the horizontal and depthwise
angle or channel according to the present invention.
Fig.3 shows the perspective view of the hook being provided on the depthwise
angle or depthwise channel.
Fig.4 shows the larger and smaller recesses provided on the vertical angle or
channel according to the present invention.
Fig.5 shows the top view of the assembled vertical and depthwise angle or
channel.
Fig.6 depicts the perspective view of the vertical and horizontal angle or channel
assembly according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present
invention reference is made to the accompanying figures as shown above, which
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in conjugation with this detailed description, illustrates and describes the screwless structure.
According to one of the embodiment of the present invention a screwless structure for supporting objects, comprises atleast four vertical angles or channels (14) having plurality of combination of recesses, and a plurality of horizontal angles or channels (12) wherein a hook (16) and atleast one spring loaded pin (18) is provided on each end of the horizontal angles or channels (12) such that hook (16) is engaged and the spring loaded pin (18) is press fit into the plurality of combination of recesses of the vertical angles or channels (14) to form screwless structure.
The screwless structure for supporting various objects as shown in fig. 1 is constructed by assembling together atleast four vertical angles or channels (14) with horizontal angles or channels (12). The Horizontal angles or channels (12) are distributed along the horizontal and along the depth corresponding to the vertical angles or channel (14). The horizontal angles or channel (12) distributed along the depth corresponding to the vertical angles or channels (14) will be hereinafter referred as the depthwise angles or channel (10).
The vertical angles or channels (14) have a plurality of combination of recesses along its elevation wherein plurality of combination of recesses are disposed on the vertical angles or channels (14) at equal distance, however it may be disposed at unequal distance according to the need of the user. Combination of the recesses disposed on the vertical angles or channels (14) comprises of one recess of larger size (24) and atleast one smaller size recess (22). However
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there can be more than one smaller recesses (22) disposed on the vertical angle or channel (14). Combination of recesses disposed on the vertical angle or channel (14) have one larger size recess (24) and two smaller size recesses (22) disposed adjacent to the larger size recess (24). The larger size recesses (24) are disposed on the same face of the vertical angles or channels (14) as that of the smaller size recesses (22). Smaller size recesses (22) by taking design consideration into account are at equal distance from the larger size recess (24) and this can be best shown according to fig.4. The combination of recesses disposed on the vertical angles or channels (14) are so provided that the two sets of combination of recesses are exactly opposite to each other. By doing so the horizontal and depthwise angles or channels (10) get properly aligned into the combination of recesses.
The horizontal and depthwise angles or channels (10) are provided with a hook (16) and atleast one spring-loaded pin (18) provided on each end of the horizontal angles or channels (12) as shown in fig.2. However more than one spring loaded pins (18) may also be provided at each end of the horizontal and depthwise angles or channels (10). Position of the spring-loaded pin (18) and the hook (16) on each of the end of the horizontal and depthwise angles or channels (10) if fixed by taking into the design consideration.
Whole of the screwless structure is constructed by inserting the horizontal and depthwise angles or channels (10) into the combination of recesses disposed on the vertical angles or channels (14) and being utilized according to the need
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thereby forming numerous four sided spaces as shown in fig.1 for incorporating objects which needs to be supported or kept.
The hooks (16) provided on each side of the horizontal and depthwise angles or channels (10) are engaged firstly into the larger size recesses (24) disposed on the vertical angles or channels (14) and the spring-loaded pin is press fit into the plurality of combination of recesses as shown in fig.5 and fig.6. Engaging the hook (16) of horizontal and depthwise angles or channels (12, 10) at one end and just by pressing the horizontal and depthwise angles or channels (12, 10) along the recesses will adjust the distance between vertical angles or channels (14) and the spring-loaded pins (18) at both ends of the channel will get engaged into the recesses on vertical angles or channels (14) as shown in fig.5. Pulling them together or pressing them apart depending on the variation of distance therein and simultaneously the two spring-loaded pins (18) get engaged into the corresponding recesses on vertical angles or channels (14) making the structure inflexible.
The spring of the spring loaded pin (18) provided on the horizontal angles or channels (12) is normally a compression spring. Like this many horizontal and depthwise angles or channels (10) are engaged with the vertical angles or channels (14) to form screwless structure.
According to another embodiment of the present invention the larger size recesses (24) may be disposed on the edge of the joining faces or on the face having smaller recess of the vertical angles or channels (14). The hooks (16) provided on each side of the horizontal and depthwise angles or channels (10)
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are engaged firstly into the larger size recesses (24) disposed on the edge of the vertical angles or channels (14) and the spring-loaded pin is press fit into the plurality of combination of recesses thereby forming a screwless structure.
Profile of the hook (16) as indicated in fig.3 is designed with a view to absorb preferably of +/- 4 mm variation of distance between the vertical angles or channels (14). Width of the horizontal channel assembly as shown in fig.2 is designed to get exactly the predefined distance between two vertical angles or channels (14) of the structure as indicated by Dim X shown in fig.5. If due to height of the angled or cubicle vertical angles or channels (14), there is bow at centre resulting the distance between the horizontal and the vertical angles or channels (12, 14) to be more or less, depending on which side the bow is. Engaging the hook (16) of horizontal or depthwise angle or channel (12, 10) assembly at one end and just pressing the horizontal angle or channel assembly (12) along the recesses at other end will adjust the distance between vertical angles or channels (14) and the two hooks (16) at both ends of the channel as shown in fig.3, will get engaged into the recesses on vertical angles or channels (14) as shown in fig. 1, pulling them together or pressing them apart depending on the variation of distance therein and simultaneously the two pins get engaged into the corresponding recesses on vertical channels making the structure inflexible.
Fig 5 shows the plan view of a channel assembly engaged on to 2 vertical angles or channels (14) wherein insertion point of the horizontal or depthwise angles or channels (10) assembly dimension between two hooks (16) is X-9 & at the
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engagement point of the horizontal or depthwise angles or channels (10) assembly in to the recess on vertical angles or channels (14) is X+8 this absorbs +4 and -4.5 deflection between 2 vertical angles or channels.
The foregoing description of the invention has been set for merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting. Since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to person skilled in the art, the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.
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WE CLAIM
1. A screwless structure for supporting objects, comprising:
atleast four vertical angles or channels having plurality of combination of
recesses; and
a plurality of horizontal angles or channels, wherein a hook and atleast
one spring loaded pin is provided on each end of the horizontal angles or
channels such that hook is engaged and the spring loaded pin is press fit
into the plurality of combination of recesses of the vertical angles or
channels to form screwless structure.
2. The screwless structure for supporting objects as claimed in claim 1, wherein the combination of recesses has one recess of larger size and atleast one smaller size recess provided on the vertical angles or channels.
3. The screwless structure for supporting objects as claimed in claim 1, wherein the combination of recesses are provided equidistantly at different elevations on the vertical angles or channels.
4. The screwless structure for supporting objects as claimed in claim 1, wherein the larger size recesses are provided on the edge of the joining faces of the vertical angles or channels.
5. The screwless structure for supporting objects as claimed in claim 1,
wherein the larger size recesses can also be provided on the same face
having atleast one smaller size recess provided on the vertical angles or
channels.
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6. The screwless structure for supporting objects as claimed in claim 1,
wherein atleast one smaller recess is disposed adjacent and at equal
distance to each of the larger size recesses on the vertical angles or
channels.
7. The screwless structure for supporting objects as claimed in claim 1, wherein the combination of recesses can also be provided at unequal distances at different elevations on the vertical angles or channels.
8. The screwless structure for supporting objects as claimed in claim 1, wherein the horizontal angles or channels are adapted lengthwise and depthwise to the vertical angles or channels.
9. The screwless structure for supporting objects as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spring of the spring loaded pin provided on the horizontal angles or channels is a compression spring.
10.The screwless structure for supporting objects as herein described and shown in Fig 1,2, 3,4,5 and 6.
Dated this 28th day of September, 2006


ABSTRACT
A screwless structure for supporting objects, comprises atleast four vertical angles or channels (14) having plurality of combination of recesses, and a plurality of horizontal angles or channels (12) , wherein a hook and atleast one spring loaded pin is provided on each end of the horizontal angles or channels (12) such that hook is engaged and the spring loaded pin is press fit into the plurality of combination of recesses of the vertical angles or channels (14)to form screwless structure.
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