Modular equipment support system

• US 5,333,744 A
• Filed: 02/10/1993
• Issued: 08/02/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Enterasys Networks Incorporated (Extreme Networks, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Digital Equipment Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Bantly, Matthew, LoCicero, Rai-Ann, Mangan, Edward O., Morgan, Stuart, Romm, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): GIBSON, ROBERT W
• Application Number:
  US08/016,094
• Time in Patent Office: 538 Days
• Field of Search: 211/87, 211/88, 211/13, 211/103, 248/214, 248/215
• US Class Current: 211/87.01
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/0807 Display panels, grids or rods used for suspending merchandise or cards supporting articles; Movable brackets therefor with fixed brackets A47F5/0876; packages comprising articles attached to cards B65D73/00; labels G09F

Abstract

A modular system for supporting equipment on a wall has support panels. Each panel includes a sheet having columns of keyholes, and a rear support surface lying in a plane parallel to and spaced behind the sheet. The rear support surface has keyholes near the top of the panel and fastener elements near the bottom of the panel. The fastener elements have the same spacing as the keyholes near the top of the panel. The fastener elements project from the plane of the rear support surface toward the front support surface to permit mating with keyholes near the top of another panel to be hung below it.

Claims

1. A modular system for supporting equipment on a wall comprising

support panels, each panel comprising

a sheet having columns of keyholes, and

a rear support surface lying in a plane

parallel to and spaced behind the sheet, the rear support surface including keyholes near the top of the panel and first fastener elements near the bottom of the panel, first fastener elements having the same spacing as the keyholes near the top of the panel, the first fastener elements projecting from the plane of the rear support surface toward the sheet to permit fastening with the keyholes near the top of another panel being hung below it.

2. The modular system of claim 1 wherein the sheet is generally rectangular and the rear support surface projects below the bottom edge of the sheet.

3. The modular system of claim 1 wherein the keyholes in the sheet each have an upper round hole opening into a lower slot, and the keyholes in the rear support surface each have an upper slot opening into a lower round hole.

4. The modular system of claim 1 further comprising a U-shaped hanger for mounting over the top edge of a partition wall, the hanger having a front face with second fastener elements projecting from the plane of the front face, the second fastener elements having the same spacing as the keyholes in the rear support surface of each panel.

5. The modular system of claim 1 wherein the keyholes in the sheet are set in pairs along both columns.

6. The modular system of claim 5 further comprising modular brackets for supporting equipment, each bracket having third fastener elements arranged on the corners of a rectangle and spaced to match the spacing of keyholes in the steel sheet, to permit the bracket to be mounted in any one of at least two different vertical positions on the panels.

7. The modular system of claim 6 further comprising modular covers for covering equipment supported on the modular brackets, each cover having fourth fastener elements arranged on the corners of a rectangle and spaced to match the spacing of keyholes in the steel sheet, to permit the covers to be mounted one above another on the panels.