Shelving system

Abstract

A shelving system comprises a plurality of vertical supports, one or more horizontal supports attached to a respective vertical support, and a shelving substrate attached to the horizontal supports. The horizontal supports can be adapted to extend from a folded or partially extended position to a fully extended, horizontal position and can comprise a proximal support arm attached to a vertical support and a distal support arm pivotally attached to the proximal support arm. To retain the proximal support arm and the distal support arm in the fully extended, horizontal position, the horizontal supports can comprise a catch assembly. The shelving substrate can be a textile material, such as a weft inserted, warp knit textile material comprising elastomeric yarns.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application 60/791,328 and is hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to storage devices, such as shelving systems.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a shelving system comprising at least two vertical supports, a horizontal support attached to each of the vertical supports, and a shelving substrate carried by the horizontal supports. In certain possibly preferred embodiments, the horizontal supports can comprise a proximal support arm attached to the vertical support and a distal support arm pivotally attached to the proximal support arm. The shelving substrate, which, in certain possibly preferred embodiments, can be a textile material, can be supported by at least two traverse substrate supports attached to each of the horizontal supports.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shelving system according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a horizontal support from the shelving system depicted in FIG. 1.

FIG. 2A is a partial sectional view of the horizontal support depicted in FIG. 2.

FIG. 2B is another partial sectional view of the horizontal support depicted in FIG. 2.

FIG. 2C is another partial sectional view of the horizontal support depicted in FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As depicted in FIG. 1, the invention provides a shelving system 100 comprising at least two vertical supports 110, a horizontal support 120 attached to each of the vertical supports 110, and a shelving substrate 180 carried by the horizontal supports 120.

The vertical supports can be attached to any suitable vertical surface (not shown), such as a wall, or can be adapted to provide sufficient support without being attached to a vertical surface. The vertical supports can be made from any suitable material. In order to provide sufficient rigidity and durability for the shelving system, the vertical supports preferably are constructed of metal having a substantially u-shaped cross-section, as depicted in FIG. 1. The vertical supports 110 can comprise a plurality of holes 112 through which the horizontal supports 120 engage and are attached to the vertical support 110. The plurality of holes 112 in the vertical supports 110 allow the horizontal supports 120 to be disposed at a plurality of vertical positions along the length of the vertical supports 110, thereby allowing the shelve(s) of the shelving system 100 to be disposed at a plurality heights. Furthermore, the holes 112 in the vertical supports 110 also permit multiple horizontal supports 120 to be attached to each vertical support 110, thereby enabling the construction of shelving systems comprising multiple shelves disposed at different heights.

As noted above, each of the horizontal supports 120 is attached to one of the vertical supports 110. The horizontal supports can be made from any suitable material. As shown in the accompanying figures, the horizontal supports can be made from a material, such as metal, having a substantially u-shaped cross-section, which encloses a cavity. In such a horizontal support, this cavity provides a suitable enclosure for the catch assembly (described below).

In order to provide a means for imparting tension to certain shelving substrates, such as a textile shelving substrate, the horizontal supports can, in certain possibly preferred embodiments, be adapted to pivot from a partially extended position, as depicted in FIGS. 2B and 2C, into a fully extended position, as depicted in FIGS. 1, 2, and 2A. The horizontal supports can be adapted to provide such a pivotal movement by any suitable means. For example, as depicted in FIG. 1, the horizontal support 120 can comprise a proximal support arm 122 attached to the vertical support 110 and a distal support arm 124 pivotally attached to the proximal support arm 122. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 2A, the proximal support arm 122 can be pivotally attached to the distal support arm 124 by a hinge 126. The hinge 126 can, as shown in FIG. 2A, comprise a hinge plate 128 that is fixedly attached to the distal support arm 124 and pivotally attached to the proximal support arm 122 by hinge pin 130.

In order to retain pivoting horizontal supports in the extended position, the horizontal supports can comprise a suitable catch assembly. The catch assembly can be any suitable mechanism that is adapted to retain the horizontal supports in the extended position. For example, the catch assembly can comprise a ratchet assembly that engages a plurality of locked positions as the support arms of the horizontal support are pivoted from a folded or partially extended position to a fully extended position. When used in combination with a shelving substrate that is under tension when the horizontal supports are fully extended, a ratcheting catch assembly that provides a plurality of locked positions can prevent the support arms from violently springing back to a folded or partially extended position if the force acting to extend the support arms is suddenly removed or diminished.

Another suitable catch assembly is depicted in FIGS. 2A-2C. As depicted in FIGS. 2A-2C, the catch assembly can comprise a first catch arm 140 attached to the distal support arm 124 of the horizontal support 120. The first catch arm 140 can be pivotally attached (at its proximal end) to the distal support arm 124 by a first catch pin 144. The first catch arm 140 can comprise a recess 141 located at the distal end 142 thereof. As shown in FIG. 2B, the distal end 142 of the first catch arm 140 preferably has a pitched or slanted face, with the face sloping upwards along the length of the first catch arm 140 towards the recess 141. The catch assembly can also comprise a second catch arm 146 attached to the proximal support arm 122 of the horizontal support 120. The second catch arm 146 can be attached (at its proximal end) to the proximal support arm 122 by a second catch pin 149. The second catch arm 146 can comprise a recess 147 located at the distal end 148 thereof. As shown in FIG. 2B, the distal end 148 of the second catch arm 146 preferably has a pitched or slanted face, with the face sloping downwards along the length of the second catch arm 146 towards the recess 147. The second catch arm 146 can further comprise a catch button 150 attached to the proximal end thereof. When depressed, the catch button 150 causes the second catch arm 146 to pivot about the second catch pin 149, thereby raising the distal end 148 of the second catch arm 146, as shown in FIG. 2B, and disengaging the distal end 148 of the second catch arm 146 from the recess 141 in the first catch arm 140. In order to retain the distal end 148 of the second catch arm 146 in a downward position when the catch button 150 is not depressed, the catch assembly can comprise a catch spring 154 that applies a downward force to the second catch arm 146 at a location between the distal end 148 thereof and the location of the second catch pin 149. The catch spring 154 can be retained by a spring retainer 156 attached to the proximal arm 122 of the horizontal support 120.

When the horizontal support 120 is placed in the fully extended position, the distal end 142 of the first catch arm 140 engages the recess 147 in the second catch arm 146, as depicted in FIG. 2A. The distal end 148 of the second catch arm 146 also engages the recess 141 in the first catch arm 140. Furthermore, when the first catch arm 140 and the second catch arm 146 are engaged, the catch spring 154 preferably is compressed so that a downward force is exerted on the second catch arm 146. The downward force exerted on the second catch arm 146 helps in retaining the first catch arm 140 and the second catch arm 146 in the above-described engaged position.

As the catch button 150 is depressed (FIG. 2B), the second catch arm 146 pivots about the second catch pin 149, thereby raising the distal end 148 of the second catch arm 146 and disengaging the distal end 148 of the second catch arm 146 from the recess 141 in the first catch arm 140. This movement of the second catch arm 146 also disengages the distal end 142 of the first catch arm 140 from the recess 147 in the second catch arm 146. After the first catch arm 140 and the second catch arm 146 have disengaged, the distal support arm 124 is free to pivot with respect to the proximal support arm 146 about the hinge 126, as depicted in FIG. 2B.

As the horizontal support 120 is extended from a folded or partially extended position (FIG. 2B or 2C) to the fully extended position (FIG. 2A), the distal support arm 124 pivots downward about the hinge 126 with respect to the position of the proximal support arm 122. As the support arms pivot relative to each other, the distal end 142 of the first catch arm 140 contacts the distal end 148 of the second catch arm 146. As the support arms are pivoted further towards the fully extended position, the distal end 142 of the first catch arm 140 slides further along the length of the second catch arm 146 until the distal end 142 of the first catch arm 140 engages the recess 147 in the second catch arm 146. At the same time, the distal end 148 of the second catch arm 146 engages the recess 141 in the first catch arm 140.

The shelving substrate can be any suitable substrate. In certain possibly preferred embodiments, the shelving substrate can be a flexible material, such as a textile material. Suitable textile materials include, but are not limited to, woven, knits, and non-wovens made from natural fibers, synthetic fibers, and combinations thereof. For example, the shelving substrate can be a woven fabric, such as a canvas material. In certain possibly preferred embodiments, the shelving substrate can be a textile material comprising elastomeric yarns. As utilized herein, the term “elastomeric” is used to refer to yarns exhibiting substantial elongation prior to breaking. For example, suitable elastomeric yarns exhibit an elongation at break of about 70 percent or greater, about 90 percent or greater, or about 100 percent or greater. In certain possibly preferred embodiments, the shelving substrate is a warp knit, weft inserted textile material comprising a knit matrix formed by a plurality of knit yarns, a plurality of elastomeric yarns disposed within the knit matrix and in the warp direction of the matrix, and a plurality of non-elastomeric yarns, such as spun or textured polyester yarns, disposed within the knit matrix and in the weft direction of the matrix. Suitable warp knit, weft inserted textile materials include, but are not limited to, the fabrics described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,807,794 (Knox et al.), which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. Other textile materials comprising elastomeric yarns suitable for use as the shelving substrate include, but are not limited to, the fabrics described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,789 (McLarty, III et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,596,888 (McLarty, III et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,526 (McLarty, III et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,856,249 (Waldrop et al.), and U.S. Pat. No. 6,435,221 (Waldrop et al), each of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

When the shelving substrate comprises a textile material, the textile material can be treated to provide certain desired qualities. For example, the shelving substrate can be treated with a suitable antimicrobial or fungicidal agent to prevent or inhibit the growth of microbial organisms or fungi on the shelving substrate. The shelving substrate can also be treated with a fragrance or aromatic oil, such as cedar oil, in order to impart a desired aroma to the environment in which the shelving system is disposed or to repel insects, such as moths. In another embodiment, the shelving substrate may also be treated with a colorant, such as a dye or pigment.

In one embodiment, the textile shelving substrate comprises a naphthalocyanine, metallophthalocyanine, or phthalocyanine compound as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,883,245 and 5,064,951, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. A preferred phthalocyanine is listed below:

wherein, “Met” is a central metal, X is an acidic group or alkali metal salt thereof (such as COOH), m and p are respectively an integer of from 1 to 15, and m+p is not more than 16. In one embodiment, m is zero, p is 4, and X is COOH. In another embodiment, m is one, p is three, and X is COOH.

One such compound is commercially available as Deorase™ from Orient Chemical Industries Ltd. These compounds reduce odors from acidic, basic, or aldehyde materials. The naphthalocyanine or phthalocyanine compound may be padded or sprayed onto the fabric substrate in an amount of between about 5 ppm to 0.5% by weight of the fabric and may be applied with a binder such as Hlizarin® Binder HIT available from BASF corporation.

The shelving substrate can be carried by any suitable means. As shown in FIG. 1, the shelving substrate 180 is attached to two transverse substrate supports (not shown), each of which is attached to both of the horizontal supports 120. In particular, the posterior portion of the shelving substrate 180 can be attached to a posterior transverse substrate support (not shown) which is attached to each of the proximal support arms 122 of the horizontal supports 120. The anterior portion of the shelving substrate 180 can be attached to an anterior transverse substrate support (not shown) which is attached to each of the distal support arms 124 of the horizontal supports 120. The transverse substrate supports can be attached to the shelving substrate using any suitable means. For example, when the shelving substrate is a flexible material, such as a textile material, the shelving substrate can be provided with one or more pockets into which the transverse substrate supports can be inserted. The pockets can be formed in the shelving substrate, for example, by folding a portion of the shelving substrate over onto itself and sewing or welding the overlapping portions together. The overlapping portions can be welded together ultrasonically, using electromagnetic radiation (e.g., radio waves), or by any other suitable thermoplastic welding method.

The transverse substrate supports can be attached to the horizontal supports by any suitable means. For example, the ends of the transverse substrate supports can be disposed in substrate support receptacles 176, 178 provided in proximal support arm 122 and the distal support arm 124, respectively, of the horizontal support 120. The transverse substrate supports can be made from any suitable material. For example, the transverse substrate supports can be made from metal tubing having a substantially circular, square, rectangular, triangular, or other suitable cross-section. As will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, the transverse substrate supports should be strong enough to support a load applied to any point on the shelving substrate without substantial or undesirable vertical deflection of the shelving substrate. Also, when used in combination with a shelving substrate that is kept under tension, the transverse substrate supports should be sufficiently sturdy to withstand substantial horizontal deflection of the supports along the length thereof when the tension is applied to the shelving substrate. In view of these considerations, the shelving substrate preferably is a metal tube having a substantially circular cross-section.

While the foregoing description of the shelving system has concentrated on systems comprising horizontal supports adapted to pivot from a folded or partially extended position to a fully extended position, the invention also includes shelving systems comprising rigid or non-folding horizontal supports. In such an embodiment, the horizontal support can be similar to that described above, but without a hinge permitting the pivotal movement of a proximal support arm and a distal support arm. In such an embodiment, the shelving substrate can be any suitable material, but preferably is a textile material comprising elastomeric yarns, as described above. The shelving substrate preferably is under tension when disposed within the shelving system and attached to the horizontal supports. To produce such tension without using a pivoting or hinged horizontal support, the shelving substrate can be first attached to the proximal or distal end of the horizontal support using a transverse substrate support attached to a substrate support receptacle, as described above. The shelving substrate can then be stretched a sufficient amount for a second transverse substrate support to engage another substrate support receptacle located at the opposite end of the horizontal support. The shelving substrate can be stretched or tensioned using any suitable means. For example, the shelving substrate can be stretched or tensioned using a tool comprising two tabs adapted to engage a transverse substrate support disposed at each end (posterior and anterior) of the shelving substrate. In the tool, one of the tabs can be operatively attached to a tube having a collar at one end, and the other tab can be operatively attached to a threaded rod. The threaded rod can be partially disposed within the tube so that, as a nut engaging the threaded rod and the collar on the tube is turned, the distance between the two tabs can be varied. Thus, by attaching such a tool to the transverse substrate supports, the shelving substrate can be stretched or tensioned by simply turning the nut engaging the threaded rod and the collar on the tube to increase the distance between the two tabs.

In order to provide increased functionality of the shelving system, the shelving system can comprise components in addition to those specifically enumerated and described above. For example, in order to provide space for hanging clothes, the shelving system 100 can comprise one or more hanger bars 190 attached to the horizontal supports 120. As depicted in FIG. 1, the hanger bar 190 is attached to a transverse substrate support (not shown) so that the hanger bar is disposed slightly below the level of the shelving substrate. However, a hanger bar can be attached to any suitable point on the horizontal supports. For example, the hanger bar can be attached to the proximal support arm or the distal support arm near the hinge connecting the two so that the hanger bar is disposed beneath the shelving substrate.

An experiment was conducted to test the deodorant properties of phthalocyanine compounds. A mixture of 0.3 grams of CPAC13™ (CAS #220688-94-8, phthalocyanine having three COOH groups and one NH₂ group) and 0.1 grams of CPC4™(CAS #69934-86-7, phthalocyanine having 4 COOH groups) were dissolved in 799.6 grams of water. An acrylic copolmers (Helizarin Binder HIT™ by BASF) was added in a ratio of 1:10 (phthalocyanines to binder). The water pH was adjusted with sodium hydroxide to a basic condition (pH of approximately 8-9).

This solution was padded onto a polyester fabric at room temperature and was dried at 120° C. for 5 minutes. A portion of the treated polyester fabric was further treated with a diluted hydrochloric acid solution (pH of 3-4) and dried again at 120° C. for five minutes. This acidic bath converted a portion of the COO— end groups back to COOH groups.

Lab results showed that both of the phthalocyanine samples (fabric treated basic solution and fabric with additional acidic treatment) with CPAC13™/CPC4™ ratio of 3:1 were effective against cigarette smell when used at concentrations of between about 0.001%-0.5% by weight of the fabric.

All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.

The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.

Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

Claims

1. A shelving system comprising:

(a) a plurality of vertical supports,

(b) a plurality of horizontal supports, each horizontal support being connected to a respective vertical support, the horizontal supports comprising a proximal support arm attached to a vertical support and a distal support arm pivotally attached to the proximal support arm, the horizontal supports being adapted to extended from a folded position to a fully extended, horizontal position, and

(c) a textile shelving substrate attached to the horizontal supports.

2. The shelving system of claim 1, wherein the shelving substrate comprises a posterior portion attached to the proximal support arm of each horizontal support and an anterior portion attached to the distal support arm of each horizontal support.

3. The shelving system of claim 1, wherein the horizontal supports further comprise a catch assembly adapted to retain the proximal support arm and the distal support arm in the fully extended, horizontal position.

4. The shelving system of claim 1, wherein the catch assembly comprises (i) a first catch arm attached to the distal support arm, the first catch arm having a distal end and a recess thereon, and (ii) a second catch arm attached to the proximal support arm, the second catch arm having a distal end and a recess thereon, wherein, when the catch assembly is engaged, the distal end of the first catch arm is adapted to engage the recess in the second catch arm and the distal end of the second catch arm is adapted to engage the recess in the first catch arm.

5. The shelving system of claim 1, wherein the textile shelving substrate comprises elastomeric yarns.

6. The shelving system of claim 1, wherein the textile shelving substrate comprises a warp knit, weft inserted textile material, and the textile material comprises a knit matrix formed by a plurality of knit yarns, a plurality of elastomeric yarns disposed within the knit matrix and in the warp direction of the matrix, and a plurality of non-elastomeric yarns disposed within the knit matrix and in the weft direction of the matrix.

7. The shelving system of claim 6, wherein the non-elastomeric yarns comprise polyester yarns.

8. The shelving system of claim 1, wherein the shelving substrate is attached to the horizontal supports under tension.

9. The shelving system of claim 1, wherein the textile substrate comprises a phthalocyanine, naphthalocyanine, or metallophthalocyanine compound.