FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the technical sector concerning shelves, used for supporting articles in various sectors, both civil and industrial.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

A shelf of known type comprises a frame, which develops prevalently in a vertical direction and which comprises two or more longitudinally-developing uprights arranged aligned at a certain reciprocal distance.

The shelf further comprises a plurality of planes for receiving and supporting one or more articles, the planes are arranged between the uprights and fixed thereto, and are parallel to one another in a horizontal position.

To enable fixing the planes to the uprights, the shelf further comprises a plurality of fixing pins.

The uprights, on the other hand, include a plurality of through-holes, while the planes include a plurality of seatings; the through-holes of the uprights and the seating of the planes are aligned to one another once each plane is arranged between the uprights, and are conformed to contextually receive the fixing pins.

The above-described shelf however exhibits drawbacks.

The mounting operating required for fixing the planes to the uprights requires long working times; further, the operation is disadvantageous from the practical point of view.

In fact, it is often necessary to use various tools for inserting fixing pins in the holes of the uprights and at the same time in the seatings of the planes; further, at least two persons are needed to complete the mounting operations.

Further, the above-described shelf does not exhibit a pleasant aesthetic aspect, as the fixing pins and any further work operations are visible once the planes are fixed to the uprights.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The aim of the present invention is to obviate the above-mentioned drawbacks.

The aim is attained by providing a shelf according to claim 1 , comprising: a first element and a second element, fixable to one another;fixing means for enabling the first element to be fixed to the second element. The first element comprises at least a seating at a first surface thereof;the fixing means comprise at least a fixing pin, associable to the second element at a second surface thereof. The seating of the first element is conformed such as to receive the pin.

In particular, the fixing means further comprise: elastic means, associable to the pin and fixable to the second element at the second surface, such that the pin is mobile along a first direction perpendicular to the second surface, from a non-operative position to an operative position, in which respectively it does not engage the seating and it can engage the seating; guide means, arranged at the second surface of the second element, associable to the pin and conformed such that the pin is contained internally of the guide means when it is in the non-operative position thereof, and partly projects from the guide means when in the operative position thereof.

The first elementand the second element are positionable in such a way that the pin, when moving into the operative position thereof, engages the seating and causes the fixing of the first element to the second element.

The shelf disclosed with the present invention is advantageously rapid to assemble and modest in terms of costs.

In fact, the presence of the elastic means is such that the fixing pins engage the seating immediately once facing them, without use of various tools as required in the prior art. Consequently, the mounting operations can be performed even by one person alone.

Further, the shelf of the invention exhibits an aesthetic aspect that is more pleasant than shelves of known type, as the fixing pin is not visible once the first and second element are fixed to one another.

Further, no further "in view" operations remain, either on the first element or the second element.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Specific embodiments of the invention will be described in the following part of the description, according to what is set out in the claims and with the aid of the accompanying tables of drawings, in which: figure 1 and figure 2 illustrate, in perspective views, a shelf according to the present invention in two assembly steps thereof; figure 3 and figure 4 illustrate, in an larger-scale view, a detail of the shelf according to the present invention, in which some parts have been removed to better evidence others, in two different assembly steps; figures 5 and 6 illustrate a section view, in larger scale, of a detail of the shelf of figure 1 in two different operating situations.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to the accompanying figures, 1 denotes a shelf according to the first invention, The shelf 1 comprises a first element 2 and a second element 3, fixable to one another, and fixingmeans 4, 5,9 for enabling fixing of the first element to the second element 3.

The first element 2 comprises at least a seating 6 at a first surface 20, 21 thereof, while the fixing means 4, 5, 9 comprise at least a fixing pin 4 associated to the second element 3 at a relative second surface 310, 320. The seating 6 of the first element 2 is conformed such as to receive the pin 4. In particular, the fixing means 4, 5, 9 further comprise: elastic means 5, associable to the pin 4 and fixable to the second element 3 at the second surface 310, 320, such that the pin 4 is mobile along a first direction perpendicular to the second surface 310, 320, from a non-operative position to an operative position, in which respectively it does not engage the seating 6 and it can engage the seating 6. The fixing means 4, 5, 9 further comprise guide means 9, arranged at the second surface 310, 320 of the second element 3, associable to the pin 4 and conformed such that the pin 4 is contained internally of the guide means 9 when it is in the non-operative position thereof, and partly projects from the guide means 9 when in the operative position thereof. The first element 2 and the second element 3 are positionable in such a way that the pin 4, when moving into the operative position thereof, engages the seating 6 and causes the fixing of the first element 2 to the second element 3.

The elastic means comprise, for example, at least a spring 5.

In an embodiment of the invention, the guide means 9 comprise a housing 90, at a second surface 310, 320 of the second element 3, of such dimensions that the pin 4 is totally contained internally of the housing 90 when in the relative non-operative configuration.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the guide means 9 comprise a housing 90 and a sleeve 91 , conformed such as to at least partly insert in the housing 90 and for containing the pin 4 when in the relative non-operative configuration.

In particular, in the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying figures, the housing 90 is dimensioned such as to totally contain the sleeve 91 (see in particular figures 3-6). For example both the sleeve 91 and the housing 90 can exhibit a cylindrical section.

The guide means 9 thus enable the support of the pin 4 during the engaging of the seating 6 and following the engagement, guaranteeing stability to the shelf 1. In detail, figure 5 shows the pin 4 in the relative non-operative configuration, before engagingthe seating 6, while figure 6 shows the pin 4 in the operative configuration thereof, while it engages the seating 6.

In the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying figures, the seating 6 develops along a second direction, perpendicular to the first direction, and conforms a channel 6 which is delimited by a bottom 60 and by lateral surfaces 61 ; the open top of the channel 6 being at the first surface 20, 21 of the first element 2 (see in particular figures 3 and 4).

In detail, the bottom 60 exhibits at least a straight first portion 601 and at least a second portion 602 at least at an end of the channel 6, which develops up to the top of the channel 6 with a different inclination with respect to the first position portion 601 , such as to enable removing the pin 4 from the channel 6, as will become more evident in the following.

In this embodiment, the shelf 1 further comprises a blocking element 8, positionable and fixable internally of the channel 6 such as to block the pin 4 once inserted in the channel 6; the blocking element 8 comprising an abutment 81 for encountering the pin 4 once inserted in the channel 6.

The conformation of the bottom 60 of the channel 6 is advantageously such that when it is necessary to remove the pin 4 from the channel 6, the pin 4 is slid along the channel 6 up to when it reaches the second portion 602, abuts the portion 602 (see in particular figure 3); in this sway the pin 4 is brought into the relative non-operative configuration and enters the guide means9 (in particular in the sleeve 91) thanks to the elastic means 5, and can therefore be extracted from the channel 6.

A metal plate can be present at the second portion 602 of the channel 6 to facilitate removal of the pin 4 from the channel 6.

In the illustrated preferred embodiment, the second portion 602 exhibits a curved profile with concavities facing towards the top of the channel 6.

In the accompanying figures, the blocking element 8 comprises a groove 80 conformed such as to guide the pin 4 (once inserted in the channel 6) towards the abutment 81 and to allow blocking once the abutment 81 has been reached.

In particular, in the accompanying figures the blocking element 8 comprises two projecting edges 82 which delimits the groove 80; the pin 4, on the other hand, comprises a head 40 provided with an annular recess 41. In detail, the edges 82 which delimit the groove 80 are conformed such as to insert in the annular recess of the head 40 of the pin 4 once the pin 4 is at the groove 80 (see in particular figure 6).

As can be seen in figures 3 and 4, the groove 80 exhibits a profile of the dovetail type: in particular, the edges 82 delimiting the groove 80 extend such as both to converge towards the abutment 81 . In this way the blocking of the pin 4 is guaranteed once the pin has reached the abutment 81. The blocking element 8 can be made for example of a moulded plastic material.

In a preferred embodiment, the pin 4 comprises a body having a truncoconical portion, and the guide means 9 exhibits a complementary portion to the body of the pin 4, such as to abut the truncoconical portion of the pin 4 when it is in the operative position (see in particular figure 6). In this way, when in the operative position the pin 4 is advantageously particularly stable, thus ensuring greater stability of all the shelf 1.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying figures (with particular reference to figures 1 and 2), the first element 2 is a plane and second element 3 is a frame (for example the shelf could be a bookcase). In particular, the frame 3 comprises a first upright 31 and a second upright 32, positionable at a certain reciprocal distance, such that a first surface 310 of the first upright 31 faces a first surface 320 of the second upright 32.

On the other hand, the plane 2 is of such dimensions as to be positionable between the first upright 31 and the second upright 32, such as to face, with a first side 20 and a second side 21 thereof, opposite to one another, respectively the first surface 310 of the first upright 31 and the first surface 320 of the second upright 32. In detail the plane 2 comprises at least two seatings 6, arranged respectively at the first side 20 and the second side 21.

The fixing means 4, 5, 9 comprise at least two fixing pins 4, and the elastic means 5 are associated to each pin 4 and fixable to the first surface 310 of the first upright 31 and the first surface 320 of the second upright 32, such that the pins 4 engage respectively the seating 6 of the first side 20 and the seating 6 of the second side 21 of the plane 2, once the plane 2 is arranged between the first upright 31 and the second upright 32.

The preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying figures (see in particular figure 1 and 2) includes a first channel 6 at the first side 20, and a second channel 6 at the second side 21 of the plane 2; a pair of blocking elements 8 is associated to each channel 6, such as the ones described herein above. Four pins 4 are associated, two by two, to the uprights 31 , 32, by means of four springs 5.

Alternatively, in an embodiment that is not illustrated, the first element 2 is a frame and the second element 3 is a plane. The frame comprises a first upright and a second upright, positionable at a certain reciprocal distance, such that a first surface of the first upright faces a first surface of the second upright; the frame comprising at least two seatings, arranged respectively at the first surface of the first upright and the first surface of the second upright; the frame comprising at least two seatings, arranged respectively at the first surface of the first upright and the first surface of the second upright. The plane is dimensioned such as to be positionable between the first upright and the second upright, such as to face, with a first side thereof and a second side thereof, opposite one another, respectively the first surface of the first upright and the first surface of the second upright. The fixing means comprise at least two fixing pins; the elastic means being associated to each pin and fixable to the first side and the second side of the plane, such that the pins respectively engage the seating of the first surface of the first upright and the seating of the first surface of the second upright, once the plane is arranged between the first upright and the second upright. In the two embodiments described above, the assembly of the shelf 1 is advantageously particularly rapid with respect to the prior art: in fact, it is possible to insert the plane between the two uprights (see in particular figure 1 ) and thus compress the elastic means 5 associated to each pin 4 such as to make them enter the guide means 9. It is therefore possible to align the seating 6 (in particular the channel) with each pin 4 so that when it is brought into the relative operating position, they engage the corresponding seating 6.

Clearly for each of the above-described embodiments a plurality of fixing pins 4 can be included such as to optimize the stability of the shelf 1 .

The shelf 1 of the present invention advantageously prevents both in-view evidence of working (such as holes, openings etc.), and fixing pins visible from outside, once the first element 2 is assembled to the second element 3.

With particular reference to figure 2, in fact, it can be seen that the channel 6, the elastic means 5 and the pins 4 are completely hidden between the uprights 31 , 32 and the plane 2.

The above has been described by way of non-limiting example, so that any constructional variants are understood to fall within the scope of the following claims.