Supports: racks – Specially mounted – Wall or window
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-25
2003-04-15
Stodola, Daniel P. (Department: 3634)
Supports: racks
Specially mounted
Wall or window
C211S094010, C248S224610
Reexamination Certificate
active
06547086
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed toward a display wall panel and more particularly, toward a wall panel with a slot designed to provide improved strength to the panel.
Display wall panels with brackets attached thereto are typically used in stores to display articles of clothing, sporting equipment, household items, or other articles which can be supported by the brackets. A typical prior art display wall panel
110
is shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
. The wall panel includes a base member
112
with a front side
114
, a rear side
116
, and a horizontally extending T-shaped slot
118
open to the front side
114
of the base member
112
. The slot
118
has an opening
120
formed by an upper wall
122
and a lower wall
124
which form the stem of the T. (See
FIG. 2.
) The slot
118
also has a rear surface
126
parallel to the rear side
116
of the base member
112
, an upper front surface
128
, and a lower front surface
130
which form the cross portion of the T.
Bracket
132
has a vertical top portion
134
, a curved portion
136
, a vertical bottom portion
138
, and a bar
140
which extends outwardly from the vertical bottom portion
138
. The top portion
134
of the brackets
132
bears against the upper front surface
128
of the slot
118
, the curved portion
136
rests on the lower wall
124
of the opening
120
, and the vertical bottom portion
138
rests against the front side
114
of the base member
112
. (See
FIG. 2.
) Hangers or other supports (not shown) may be hung from the bar
140
. The articles to be displayed are then supported on these hangers. The bracket may be held at any location along the length of the slot. Also, each base member panel may have more than one slot and more than one bracket.
A potential problem with these wall panels is that they are usually made from particle board, which splits easily. Because most of the weight of the items being supported by the bracket bears against the upper front surface of the slot, the upper wall or corner of the slot will split and eventually break off. In order to increase the strength of the slot metal liners may be placed within the slot; however, these liners are expensive.
Various designs for slots are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,109,993 to Hutchison discloses a display wall panel with a slot having inclined upper and lower walls. The accessory bracket bears on the lower inclined wall of the slot. However, the upper inclined wall is not functional. Rather, the upper part of the bracket simply rests behind the upper wall, much like a conventional hanger. There is no interaction between the upper and lower inclined walls. Therefore, this design does not prevent the slot from splitting.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,360,121 to Sothman discloses a slotted display wall panel with a T-shaped slot. The opening has opposed angled walls. The accessory bracket engages the angled wall of the upper portion of the slot. This wall panel, however, also does not prevent the slot from splitting.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is designed to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art discussed above. It is an object of one embodiment of the present invention to provide a wall panel system which provides a slot with a triangular cross-section which provides improved strength to the wall panel.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an interference fit between the slot of the wall panel and the bracket which helps to prevent rotation of the bracket.
In accordance with the illustrative embodiments demonstrating features and advantages of the present invention in a first embodiment there is provided a wall panel system which includes a base member with at least one horizontal slot extending therein. The slot has a triangular cross-section That is, the slot has an upper surface and a lower surface where the surfaces converge toward the opening of the slot. The system also includes a bracket having a curved portion with a top member and a bottom member where the curved portion fits in to the slot and the top member bears against the upper surface of the slot and the bottom member bears against the lower surface of the slot.
In a second embodiment of the present invention there is provided a wall panel system which includes a base member with at least one horizontal slot extending therein. The slot has an upper surface a lower surface, a rear surface, and an opening formed by an upper wall and a lower wall. The system also includes a bracket having a vertical member with a top member, a bottom member, and a curved portion extending outwardly from the vertical member. When the bracket is placed into the slot, the top member bears against the upper surface of the slot, the bottom member bears against the lower surface of the slot, and the curved portion rests on the lower wall of the opening.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments thereof taken in conjunction with the drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3297290 (1967-01-01), Patterson
patent: 3516552 (1970-06-01), Salava
patent: 3977109 (1976-08-01), Berry, Jr. et al.
patent: 4211379 (1980-07-01), Morgan et al.
patent: 4362285 (1982-12-01), Lewis
patent: 4441619 (1984-04-01), Gibitz
patent: 4615448 (1986-10-01), Johnstonbaugh
patent: 4629076 (1986-12-01), Amstutz et al.
patent: 4805863 (1989-02-01), Armstrong et al.
patent: 4860905 (1989-08-01), Schott et al.
patent: 5109993 (1992-05-01), Hutchison
patent: 5360121 (1994-11-01), Sothman
patent: 5379976 (1995-01-01), DeGirolamo
patent: 5412912 (1995-05-01), Alves
patent: 5484067 (1996-01-01), Sothman
Lehrer Norman E.
Russell-William, Ltd.
Stodola Daniel P.
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