Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
. CA 02209717 1997-07-07
648.M126
TITLE
CORNER ASSEMBLY FOR USE WITH A FLANGED SUPPORT POST
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a modular
storage and support assembly. In particular, the
invention relates to a corner assembly that forms part
of a sub-structure of the modular assembly.
The sub-structure of the modular assembly is formed
from a plurality of flanged support posts, e.g., four,
secured in place by at least one frame assembly. A
plurality of corner assemblies and stringers, spanning
between adjacent corner assemblies, comprise the frame
assembly. The corner assemblies are secured to the
flanged support posts, in either a permanent or
temporary manner, to provide a sturdy sub-structure
which can be easily customized to fit the end-user's
needs. The sub-structure provides the structural
integrity of the modular storage and support assembly.
The flanged support posts, which form part of the sub-
structure, are the subject of U.S. Patent Application
No. 08/426,674, which is incorporated herein by
reference. A support post 11 shown in Figure 12 is
generally comprised of an interior post 13 and a
plurality of radially extending, equally spaced flanges
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15. The interior post is preferably tubular in shape,
with a circular cross-section and interior 17 and
exterior 19 wall surfaces as best seen in Figure 13.
The flanges 15 preferably extend along the entire
longitudinal length of the interior post. In addition,
the flanges 15, or dove tails, are preferably spaced
equidistant from each other around the periphery of the
interior post 13 to create a symmetrical support post.
Each flange has a first portion 21 which extends
radially from the interior post 13. At the terminal
end of each first portion is transversely disposed a
second portion 23. The second portions are formed with
arcuate outer surfaces 25, that together outline a
circumference that is concentric with the interior 17
and exterior 19 wall surfaces of the interior post 13.
A slot 27 iS formed between each pair of adjacent
flanges 15. Because of the arcuate shape of the
exterior wall surface 19 and the flanges, the slots can
be described as substantially concave T-shaped, with
respect to a longitudinal axis of the support post.
The flanges 15 can also include horizontal grooves 29
on their outer surfaces 25.
Description of the Prior Art
Storage and support assemblies for use in enclosed
structures such as carts (with wheels) or cabinets
(without wheels) are well known in the art.
In one type of enclosed structure known as the
METROFLEX cart, which is assigned to the assignee of
the subject invention, interlocking molded panels are
used without the need for vertical support posts. In
that regard, two side/bottom panels are joined together
to form the lateral sides and bottom of the cart and a
back panel is secured to the side/bottom panels. A top
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portion is added to complete a 3-sided enclosed cart.
The open side can receive an array of differently sized
drawers and bins, and shelves or other accessories can
be provided on the outer sides of the cart. For
mobility, the cart can be provided with casters or,
alternatively, set on a base platform provided with
casters. The METROFLEX cart is the subject of U.S.
Patents No. 5,016,948 and No. D 323,915.
However, further improvements in storage and support
assemblies are desired. For example, it would be
desirable to provide a customizable modular assembly
that employs a sub-structure for structural integrity.
This would relieve the lateral panels from having to
structurally support the modular assembly, allowing
them to fulfill a primarily aesthetic function.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a principle object of the invention to provide a
modular storage and support assembly that can be easily
customized to fit an end user's needs.
Another object of the invention is to provide a sub-
structure for structurally supporting the modular
assembly.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a
frame assembly for use in the sub-structure.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a
corner assembly for use in the frame assembly.
Another object of the invention is to provide a corner
bracket as part of the corner assembly which can be
secured to a flanged support post.
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Still another object of the invention is to provide
means for securing the corner bracket to the flanged
support post.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a
corner bracket for use with a flanged support post
comprises a main body having an axial bore and terminal
ends defining a radial opening therebetween. The
corner bracket includes first and second flanges
disposed at the terminal ends, with each flange having
a slot for receiving a flange of the support post, and
at least one leg extending from the main body.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a
corner assembly for use with a flanged support post
comprises a corner bracket having a main body with an
axial bore and terminal ends defining a radial opening
therebetween and a securing member for securing the
corner bracket to the support post.
In accordance with still another aspect of the
invention, the securing member is comprised of a cam
pin insertable within the radial opening between the
terminal ends.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention,
a frame assembly for use with flanged support posts
includes a corner bracket mountable to each support
post and a frame member secured between first and
second corner brackets. The corner bracket has a main
body with an axial bore and terminal ends defining a
radial opening therebetween. The corner bracket also
includes first and second flanges disposed at the
terminal ends, with each flange having a slot for
receiving a flange of the support post, and at least
one leg extending from the main body. A securing
member secures the corner bracket to the support post.
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These and other objects, aspects, features and
advantages of the present invention will become
apparent from the following detailed description of the
preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a modular storage and
support assembly made in accordance with the present
invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a sub-structure used
in the modular storage and support assembly shown in
Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of a corner bracket in
accordance with the present invention;
Figure 4 is a top plan view of the corner bracket shown
in Figure 3;
Figure 5(A) is a perspective view of a corner assembly
ready to be assembled and secured to a flanged support
post in accordance with a first embodiment of the
invention;
Figure 5(B) is a perspective view of the corner
assembly shown in Figure 5(A) secured to the flanged
support post;
Figure 6(A) is a perspective view of a corner assembly
ready to be assembled and secured to a flanged support
post in accordance with a second embodiment of the
invention;
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Figure 6(B) is a perspective view of the corner
assembly shown in Figure 6(A) secured to the flanged
support post;
Figure 7(A) is a perspective view of a corner assembly
ready to be assembled and secured to a flanged support
post in accordance with the third embodiment of the
invention;
Figure 7(B) is a perspective view of the corner
assembly shown in Figure 7(A) secured to the flanged
support post;
Figure 8 is a partial perspective view of two corner
assemblies secured to a flanged support post in
accordance with the present invention;
Figure 9 is a perspective view of a modified corner
bracket in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 10 is a top plan view of a frame member in
accordance with the present invention;
Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view of the frame member
taken along line I-I of Figure 11;
Figure 12 is a perspective view of a flanged support
post for use in the modular storage and support
assembly shown in Figure l; and
Figure 13 is a top plan view of the flanged support
post shown in Figure 12.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
A free standing modular assembly 10 which incorporates
the corner assembly of the present invention is shown
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in Figure 1. The corner assembly forms part of a sub-
structure 20 of the modular assembly as shown in Figure
2 and discussed in detail below.
The modular assembly illustrated in Figure 1 is shown
to include side and rear lateral panels 12, a top panel
14, and a bottom panel 16. In this non-limiting
example, active level shelving with pull-out drawers 18
is supported within the modular assembly. Support legs
22 also form part of the assembly.
Of course, the modular assembly shown in Figure 1 is
only one example of the environment in which the corner
assembly of the present invention can be used. The
configuration of the sub-structure which incorporates
the corner assembly can be varied to support one or
more modular assemblies of virtually any size or shape.
The sub-structure 20 shown in Figure 2 is comprised of
a plurality, e.g., four (4), of flanged support posts
11 of the type described above and shown in Figures 12
and 13. In this embodiment, two frame assemblies 24
are used, i.e., a top frame assembly and a bottom frame
assembly.
Each frame assembly includes a corner assembly 26,
secured to each support post, and a frame member, or
stringer, 28 extending between adjacent corner
assemblies. As will be appreciated, the sub-structure
provides structural integrity for the modular assembly.
This allows the panels shown in Figure 1 to be used
primarily as a facade for aesthetic purposes. The
panels can be supported by and secured to the stringers
28 by conventional means.
The frame assembly 24 of the present invention features
a corner bracket 30 as shown in detail in Figures 3 and
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4. The corner bracket is preferably a one-piece
element formed of extruded aluminum. Of course,
alternative materials and methods of forming the corner
bracket can be used without departing from the scope of
the invention.
The corner bracket 30 iS shaped to have a main body 32
with an axial bore 34 and a radial opening 36. At
terminal ends of the main body are formed slotted
flanges 38, between which is the radial opening 36. In
addition, legs 40 extend in transverse directions from
the main body and serve to support the stringers 2 8
running between the support posts as shown in Figure 2.
Each slotted flange 38 iS shaped to have an exterior
lip 42 and an interior finger 44 defining therebetween
a slot 46 running in a direction parallel to a central
axis A of the axial bore 34. The interior finger
itself is also shaped to define an interior bore 48
within its semi-circular, open body. As seen in this
embodiment, the two flanges 38 defining therebetween
the radial opening 36 are provided with concave
surfaces 50 for receiving a pin or other securing means
as described in detail below.
The preferred manner of securing the corner bracket 30
to the support post is, generally speaking,
accomplished by spreading apart, or separating, the
flanges 38 from their normal, unbiased state. This can
be accomplished, for example, by applying a camming
force from within the radial opening 36 or the axial
bore 34. In this manner, the flanges 38 are forced in
opposite directions (arrow B, Figure 4) to exert a
pressing force against adjacent flanges 15 on the
support post 11.
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In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 5(A) and 5(B),
a cam pin 52 supplies the camming force. As best seen
in Figure 5(A), the cam pin includes a head 54 and a
pin body 56. In this figure, a cylindrical head with a
hexagonal-shaped opening is shown, but heads of
different shapes and types can of course be used. For
example, Figure 8 shows a cam pin 52 with a rounded
head 54'. The pin body 56 is generally cylindrical,
but includes at least one, and preferably two, flat
sides 58 extending in the longitudinal direction. If
two flat sides are provided, they should be disposed on
opposite sides of the pin body. The flat sides can be
achieved by machining the pin body or, as a simpler
alternative, the pin body can be compressed or
lS otherwise flattened to provide the flat sides.
To insert the cam pin 52, the flat sides 58 are
generally aligned with the concave surfaces 50 of the
flanges 38. This allows the cam pin to slide freely in
and out of the radial opening 36 in the corner bracket
30. When inserted, the cam pin is rotated, e.g., 90~,
such that the rounded surfaces of the pin body 56
(which have a greater radius than the flat sides)
engage the concave surfaces. This action forces the
flanges 38 in the directions of arrow B, thus exerting
a force against the adjacent flanges 15 on the flanged
support post 11 and securing the corner bracket 30 as
shown in Figure 5(B).
In a second embodiment of the invention, Figures 6(A)
and 6(B) show use of a cam plug 60 and a round pin 62
in place of the cam pin 52. In this alternative, a
body 64 of the cam plug includes a flat section 66.
Placing the flat section 66 opposite to the round pin
allows the cam plug 60 to be received in the axial bore
34 and the pin 62 to be inserted into an interior edge
63 of the radial opening 36. An end cap 68 can be
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inserted into the axial bore from below to support the
pin.
With the pin in position, the cam plug 60 is rotated in
either direction to engage a cylindrical portion of the
body 64 with the pin 62. This forces the pin further
into the radial opening to separate, or spread, the
flanges 38 and secure the corner bracket 30 as shown in
Figure 6(B). As evident in Figure 6(A), with this
arrangement it is unnecessary to provide the flanges 38
with concave surfaces at the radial opening 36 (as
shown in Figure 5(A)).
As an alternative to using the pin 62, a tapered wedge
70 can be used as shown in Figures 7(A) and 7(B) to
secure the corner bracket 30. The wedge, which is
ideally formed of a hard, rigid plastic, is also
positioned at the interior edge 63 of the radial
opening in the same manner as the pin. To accommodate
the tapering shape of the wedge, the radial opening is
also tapered to have a wider interior edge and a
narrower exterior edge 65.
With the wedge 70 in place, the cam plug is rotated to
engage a rounded portion of its cylindrical body 64
against the wedge, thus forcing it radially outward
toward the flanged support post 11. The flanges 38 of
the corner bracket necessarily are separated by this
movement and the corner bracket is secured.
It is also contemplated to use the interior fingers 44
for securing the corner bracket 30. The open design of
the interior fingers, provided by the elongated slots
48, make the fingers slightly pliable, which provides a
degree of tolerance for the corner bracket as it is
secured to the flanged support post. As shown in
Figure 8, however, the elongated slots can also be used
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to receive a cam pin 74 for securing the corner
bracket. The cam pin 74 will be shaped similarly to
the cam pin 52 shown in Figure 5 (A), i.e., round with
preferably two flat sides, but will necessarily be of
smaller dimensions for fitting into the elongated slot
in the interior finger. Rotating the cam pin spreads
the finger 44 apart enough to create a force between a
flange 15 of the support post 11 and the interior post
13.
The corner bracket 30 illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 iS
shown with two legs 40 extending in substantially
perpendicular directions to each other for supporting
the stringers 28 as shown in Figure 2. It will be
appreciated, however, that the number of legs and
direction in which they extend can vary depending on
the configuration of the sub-structure without
departing from the scope of the invention. For
example, Figure 9 illustrates a corner bracket 76 with
only one leg 78.
Figures 10 and 11 show one example of the stringer 28
that is secured between the corner brackets 30. In
this example, the stringer is an L-bracket having
2 5 perpendicular legs 80 and 82. One way to secure the
stringers is to provide holes 41 in the legs 40 of the
corner brackets as shown in Figures 3 and 4. The
stringers can then be secured to the corner brackets by
rivets or other comparable securing means to complete
the frame assembly.
Although specific embodiments of the present invention
have been described above in detail, it will be
understood that this description is merely for purposes
of illustration. Various modifications of and
equivalent structures corresponding to the disclosed
aspects of the preferred embodiments in addition to
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those described above may be made by those skilled in
the art without departing from the spirit of the
present invention which is defined in the following
claims, the scope of which is to be accorded the
broadest interpretation so as to encompass such
modifications and equivalent structures.
