Partially Ballasted Shelving Unit

Abstract

The invention is directed to a partially ballasted shelving unit having a hollow body and plurality of shelves. A plurality of interconnected ballast chambers formed in the open body provide a ballast holding configuration that when partially filled with a ballast material provides a path for the ballast material to flow from one ballast chamber to another when the shelving unit is reoriented from a vertical orientation to a tipped orientation. The flowing ballast material causing the center of gravity to move when the shelving unit is lifted or moved.

Description

This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/929,774 filed Jan. 21, 2014 and claims the benefit of the filing date of said co-pending provisional Application Ser. No. 61/929,774.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to furniture for use in intensive use facilities and institutional settings such as hospitals, military housing, prisons, jails, detention centers and psychiatric facilities. More particularly, the present invention relates to a partially ballasted shelving system for movable installations.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Modular furniture such as chest of shelves, beds and nightstands may designed for use in residential area to hold belongings near or around a bed or chair. Facilities having large quantities of people who may have special needs require furniture designed for intensive use safety and durability. Intensive use furniture may have strong design features to hold up to continuous use by people such as inmates, large and smallb Assembled furniture may present certain hazards in use in intensive use settings where furniture components and fasteners may be removed and turned into weapons. Plastic and fiberglass construction has replaced wood and metal by its ability to be formed into a unitary three-dimensional shapes without external fasteners. Furthermore, such molded furniture may have hollow chambers for to reduce weight and material usage. Such hollow chambers may be filled with structural foam or ballast material. Fiberglass and plastic is generally more easily made aesthetically appealing than steel or wood, and more resistant to damage. Wood furniture, for example may have problems with cracking, warping and joints loosening or absorption of moisture resulting in rot, mold or bacterial growth. Wood, metal or fiberglass furniture is made to order or in small quantities due to the complexity and labor involved.

Furniture in intensive use settings may be designed to blend into surrounding decorations by matching colors or design features. The furniture may be arranged in place and moved to adapt to rearrangement or for cleaning operations such as hose or scrub down. Intensive use furniture may be ballasted or bolted directly to the floor or walls to reduce rearranging, tipping or moving furniture. Securing the furniture to the floor or ballasting to weight the furniture reduces safety concerns by visitors and staff resulting in a safer environment. When the staff must be able to move furniture for cleaning or rearranging, ballasting may be used to increase the weight of the furniture making it difficult but not impossible to move. However, even ballasted, heavier furniture may still be lifted by a strong person and moved.

Therefore, it is desirable to provide a modular molded furniture design having a single piece molded body adapted as a shelving unit supported on a horizontal surface such as a floor by feet or casters. The furniture being of unitary design and manufacture to reduce assembly fasteners and further having a plurality of ballast chambers in the hollow body. The plurality of ballast chambers interconnected to allow a flowable ballast material to flow by force of gravity when the vertical orientation of the shelf unit is changed by tipping or trying to lift the shelf unit. The flowing ballast material may change the center of gravity of the shelf unit making the shelf unit unwieldy and difficult to throw or carry.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A first embodiment of the present invention is directed to a modular furniture system for use in demanding environments, comprising a rotationally molded (referred to hereinafter as (roto-molded) semi rigid unit having a one piece hollow body comprising an integral ballast chamber, a plurality of feet for engaging a bottom panel and a top panel. The integral ballast chamber may further comprise a first side ballast chamber extending from the top panel to the bottom panel and from front to back, a second side ballast chamber extending from the top panel to the bottom panel from the front to the back being generally parallel to and of similar size with the first side ballast chamber and a back ballast chamber extending from the top panel to the bottom panel and interconnected to the first side ballast chamber to the second side ballast chamber. The back ballast chamber in fluid communication with the first and second side ballast chambers and generally oriented perpendicular to each of the first and second side ballast chambers. Shelves may be integrally molded into the unit between the first and second side chambers and the back chamber.

The shelves may be hollow forming individual shelf ballast chambers having fluid communication channels between each of the side and back ballast chambers. The ballast material such as sand, pea gravel or water is placed in the ballast chamber by a closable ballast port formed in the hollow body. The port may be sealed by spin welding a plug in the port to hermetically seal the ballast chamber The port may be located on the bottom of the ballast chamber. Ballast material is placed in the ballast chamber in a predetermined volume to partially fill the hollow body leaving an air chamber portion adjacent the top panel of the ballast chamber while gravity urges the ballast material into a bottom ballasted portion adjacent the bottom panel.

The semi-rigid unit may be formed of a resilient material having scratch and graffiti resistant surfaces. The bottom panel may be disposed on the bottom surface of the bottom shelf and adapted to engage a floor or supporting surface. The ballast port formed thereon may be more tamper resistant. The ballast port maybe molded or drilled into the bottom surface to provide an opening for inserting the ballast material. Coincidentally, a ballast port may be adjacent to and aligned with one or more corners whereby the spin welded plug welded in the ballast port seals the ballast port and serves as a foot formed on the bottom surface. Alternatively, the bottom surface may be adapted to receive casters to provide easy movement of the unit. Threaded fasteners may be insert molded into the hollow body thereby adapting the bottom surface to receive casters, floor attachment brackets or tamper resistant glides.

The ballast chamber may have several interconnected ballast chambers allows the ballast material to flow from one ballast chamber to another. In the event that a person tries to lift the unit. This shifting of the ballast material causes a shifting of a center of gravity and movement of the air chamber portion making the unit awkward to hold, carry or lift. This unit is designed to be used in facilities where people who have special needs are housed. In the event that these people and may have an emotional or physical problem, the moving center of gravity and this unit prevents it from being lifted are thrown.

Alternatively, the unit may have structural foam inserted into the hollow cavities forming ballast chambers to increase the rigidity of the unit. The structural foam such as flexible polyurethane foam may be treated with flame retardant chemicals to reduce danger in case of a fire. The partially filled open chest may be configured as a two shelf nightstand sized unit or may have three or more shelves to be used as a storage unit for books, clothes etc.

The above description sets forth, rather broadly, the more important features of the present invention so that the detailed description of the preferred embodiment that follows may be better understood and contributions of the present invention to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described below and will form the subject matter of claims. In this respect, before explaining at least one preferred embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and to the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or as illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view taken of the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a front elevation view taken of the first embodiment

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view taken of the first embodiment

FIG. 6 is front perspective view of the first embodiment in a tipped orientation

FIG. 7 is a section view of the first embodiment taken at approximately 7-7 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a second embodiment

FIG. 9 is a side elevation view of the second embodiment of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the second embodiment of FIG. 8.

FIG. 11 is a front elevation view of the second embodiment of FIG. 8.

FIG. 12 is a side plan view of the second embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a section view of the second embodiment taken at approximately 13-13 of FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a front perspective view of the second embodiment in a tipped orientation.

FIG. 15 is a section view of the second embodiment taken at approximately 15-15 of FIG. 14.

FIG. 16 is a bottom elevation view of the second embodiment oriented in a tipped orientation.

FIG. 17 is a section view taken at approximately 17-17 of FIG. 16.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this application. The drawings show, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the present invention comprises a shelving unit 10 comprising a rotationally molded (referred to hereinafter as roto-molded) semi rigid unit having a one piece hollow body 12. The shelving unit may be installed in a vertical orientation 51 having the shelves generally horizontal. The hollow body 12 may further comprise a first side panel 14, bottom panel 18, front panel 20, top panel 21, back panel 22 and second side panel 24. Each of the panels 14, 18, 20, 21, 22, 24 may be hollow and interconnected, each having a generally planar configuration having a length, width and a relatively smaller thickness. The hollow body 12 may further comprise a plurality of shelves 26, 28, 30. Top panel 21 having a first end 21a attached to the first side panel 14 and a second end 21b attached to the second side panel 24 to hold the first side panel 14 generally parallel to and spaced from the second side panel 24.

Referring to FIG. 2, the hollow body 12 may further comprise a top panel 21 integrally molded with and attached to first side panel 14. First side panel 14 may be integrally molded with top panel 21 and bottom panel 18 to hold top panel 21 generally parallel to and spaced from bottom panel 18. Likewise, first side panel 14 may be integrally molded with front panel 20 and back panel 22 to hold front panel 20 generally parallel to and spaced from back panel 22. Side panel 14 may be hollow by forming by roto-molding integrally with hollow body 12 thereby forming a hollow second side ballast chamber 44 in second died panel 24. Back panel 22 may be likewise formed as a hollow shell creating hollow back ballast chamber 46 therein. Back ballast chamber 46 may be next to in fluid communication with second side ballast chamber 44. Second side ballast chamber 44 may have a generally planar hollow configuration and may be oriented at approximately 90° to back ballast chamber 46. Back ballast chamber 46 may have a similar planar hollow configuration.

Continuing to refer to FIG. 2, the hollow body 12 may be set in a vertical orientation 11 having the bottom panel 18 supported on a floor or other surface. The hollow body 12 may further comprise a first side ballast chamber 42 in first side panel 14 extending from the top panel 21 to the bottom panel 18 and from front panel 22 to back panel 18 shaped as a sheet or slab vertically oriented. Second side ballast chamber 44 may extend from the top panel 21 to the bottom panel 18 and from the front panel 22 to the back panel 18. The second ballast chamber 44 being generally of similar size with the first side ballast chamber 42 and positioned generally parallel and spaced from the first side ballast chamber 42. Back ballast chamber 46 may be formed in back panel 18 thereby extending from the top panel 21 to the bottom panel 18 and from the first side ballast chamber 42 to the second side ballast chamber 44. The back ballast chamber 46 in fluid communication with the first and second side ballast chambers 42, 44 and generally oriented perpendicular to each of the first and second side ballast chambers 42, 44.

Referring to FIG. 3, top panel 21 may be integrally molded with hollow body 12. Second side panel 24 may be formed as a hollow shell creating second side panel ballast chamber 42 which may be next to and in fluid communication with back ballast chamber 46. Top panel 21 may have a generally rectangular shape having a first end 21a on first side panel 14, a second end 21b on second side panel 24, a front edge 21c on front panel 20 and a back edge 21d on back panel 22. Top panel 21 may be hollow defining a top ballast chamber 45 in fluid communication with first and second side ballast chambers 42, 44 and back ballast chamber 46.

Referring to FIG. 4, second side panel 24 is formed generally parallel to and spaced from first side panel 14 having top panel 21, bottom panel 18 and back panel 22 attached there between. Hollow body 12 may be formed to have a plurality of shelves 26, 28, 30 open at the front panel 22. Each of the open shelves 26, 28, 30 may comprise a bottom wall 34, top wall 36 and inside walls 37. Each of the inside walls 37 may be sealingly attached together and integrally molded with the hollow body 12 to form the inside of the respective first and second side ballast chambers 42, 44 and back ballast chamber 46. Each of the plurality of shelves 26, 28, 30 have a first end 25 connected to the first side panel 14 and a second end 27 connected to the second side panel 24. The shelves 26, 28, 30 may be spaced to form similar sized openings 39 or may be configured to define openings 39 having different sizes. Ballast port 38 may be formed in bottom panel 18 in fluid communication with first and second side ballast chambers 42, 44 and back ballast chamber 46. Each of the open shelves 26, 28, 30 may have a back inside wall 37 forming part of the back panel 22 thereby defining the inside of back ballast chamber 46. The hollow body 12 may be supported by feet 16 and sealed by plug 41 attached to seal ballast port 38. A first normal center of gravity 70a is defined by the amount of ballast and the weight of the body 12.

Referring to FIG. 5, bottom panel 18 is generally rectangular in shape and may be hollow forming a bottom ballast chamber 47. The generally rectangular hollow body 12 may have a rectangular shape comprising first side panel 14, second side panel 24 and back panel 18, and front panel 20. Bottom panel 18 connects to first side panel 14, second side panel 24, front panel 20 and back panel 22. Bottom panel 18 may be integral with bottom shelf 30. Ballast port 38 may open to hollow body 12 at bottom panel 18. A threaded T-nut fastener 51 may be insert-molded into the bottom panel to provide for attaching casters 52 (FIG. 7), tamper resistant glides (not shown) or floor attachment brackets (not shown).

Continuing to refer to FIG. 5, bottom panel 18 may further comprise a plurality of feet 16 formed thereon at approximately the corners of bottom panel 18. Side panel 14 may be generally rectangular and connected between bottom panel 18, top panel 21, front panel 20 and back panel 22. Body 12 may be molded in a single piece having the top panel 21 and bottom panel 18 connected to first and second a side panel 14, 24, front panel 20 and back panel 22. Likewise, each of the first and second side panels are connected to the back panel 22 and front panel 20 forming the hollow, generally rectangular shell body 12 comprising interconnected ballast chambers 44, 46 48.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, a flowable ballast material 40 may be disposed in the hollow body 12 by pouring in through ballast port 38. Plug 41 may be fixed in ballast port 38 to sealingly close ballast port 38 and hold ballast material 40 in hollow body 12. Plug 41 may be fixed by adhesive, spin-welding, mechanical fasteners, threaded attachment, or any combination of fixing methods. Ballast material 40 is added in predetermined quantity to weight hollow body 12 to a predetermined weight having a predetermined volume C thereby leaving an air chamber portion 62 having volume B generally above a ballasted portion 60 in the hollow body 12 and shifted therein by gravity. The predetermined weight defines the ballasted portion 60 by partially filling first side ballast chamber 42, second side ballast chamber 44 and back ballast chamber 46. Ballast material 40 adds weight to the hollow body 12 creating a center of gravity 70 with respect to the top panel 21, back panel 22, and side panels 14, 24. The hollow body 12 may be leaned over from a vertical orientation 51 (FIG. 1) to a tipped orientation 53. The partially filled ballast chambers 42 44, 46 create a ballasted portion 60 and an air chamber portion 62 spread out over the entire structure of hollow body 12 generally above the ballasted portion 60 whereby ballast material 40 flows by force of gravity to the bottom of the hollow shell 12. In the tipped orientation, ballast material 40 flowing between interconnected ballast chambers 42, 44, 46 may cause the center of gravity 70 to move relative to the ballast material distribution between the ballast chambers 42, 44, 46 from a first normal positioned center of gravity 70a (FIG. 4), to a second tipped positioned center of gravity 70b (FIG. 7).

Continuing to refer to FIGS. 6 and 7 back panel 18 is generally rectangular and connected between side panel 24, bottom panel 18 and top panel 21. The ballast material 40 in the ballasted portion 60 may flow between the back ballast chamber 46 and each of the side ballast chambers 42, 44 thereby disposing the center of gravity 70b in a tipped position as the ballast material 40 flows between the interconnected ballast chambers 42, 44, 46. Casters 52 may be mounted on bottom panel 18 to accommodate moving shelving unit 10. Each of the open shelves 26, 28, 30 is may open 39 on the front panel 22, shown as shelf opening 39. Bottom wall 34 may be sloped with respect to horizontal to allow spilled fluids to flow out of the shelf opening 39. Shelf ballast chambers 72 may be separately defined or considered part of the back ballast chamber 46. Ballast material 40 may also flow into shelf ballast chambers 72 disposed adjacent the top inside wall 36 of each of the hollow shelves 26, 28, 30. In the event the hollow body 12 is moved from the vertical orientation 51 (FIG. 1) to a tipped orientation 53, the ballast material 40 may flow between interconnected ballast chambers 42, 44, 46, 72 thereby moving the center of gravity 70.

Referring to FIG. 7, the hollow body 12 is defined by a shell 75 surrounding an open interior 79 defined by the interior volume B, The shell 75 may have an outside surface 75 and an inside surface 77 surrounding the interior volume B. The hollow body 12 is adapted to hold a predetermined volume of a flowable ballast material 40. The interconnected ballast chambers 42, 44, 46 together comprise the interior volume A. The air space portion 62 comprises an open volume B. The ballasted portion 60 comprises a ballasted volume C. It should be understood the interior volume A is equal to the sum of the open volume B and the ballasted volume C (A=B+C). Ballast material 40 having volume C is placed in the hollow body 12 to partially ballast the shelving unit 10. Ballasted volume C may be approximately 40-60% of interior volume A. Under certain conditions ballasted volume C may be approximately 60-80% of interior volume. Under other conditions where movement of the shelving unit 10 is necessary, ballasted volume C may be approximately 15-40% of interior volume A.

Referring to FIG. 8, the present invention may comprise an alternative embodiment such as a nightstand unit 110 comprising a rotationally molded (referred to hereinafter as roto-molded) semi-rigid unit having a one piece hollow body 112. The hollow body may further comprise a first side panel 114, second side panel 124, top panel 12, front panel 120 and bottom panel 118. Bottom panel 118 may further comprise a plurality of feet 116 formed at approximately the corners 148 of bottom panel 118. Open shelves 126, 128 are integrally formed in hollow body 112 having shelf opening 139 on front panel 120.

Referring to FIG. 9, bottom panel 118 is spaced from top panel 121 and front panel 120 is spaced from back panel 122 forming shelving unit 110 in a generally rectangular cubical form. Bottom panel 118 may further comprise a plurality of feet 116 formed at approximately the corners 148 of bottom panel 118, casters 151 and a ballast port 138 sealed with a ballast plug 141. The hollow body 112 may have a top panel 121, second side panel 124 and front panel 120. Second side panel 124 may be parallel to and spaced from first side panel 114. Front panel 120 may be parallel to and spaced from back panel 116.

Referring to FIG. 10, top panel 121 may be integrally molded to first side panel 114 and extend to second side panel 124. Top panel 121 may be formed as a hollow shell creating top ballast chamber 125 creating fluid communication channel between first and second side ballast chambers 142, 144 and back ballast chamber 146 whereby ballast material 140 may flow by force of gravity between adjacent ballast chambers contained by hollow body 112. For example, back panel 122 may be formed as a hollow shell creating back ballast chamber 146 next to and in fluid communication with first side ballast chamber 142. Second side panel 24 may be formed as a hollow shell creating second side panel ballast chamber 144 disposed next to and in fluid communication with back ballast chamber 146.

Referring to FIG. 11, hollow body 112 may be formed to have a plurality of open shelves 126, 128. Each shelf 126, 128 having a shelf opening 139 in front panel 120. Each of the open shelves 126, 128 may comprise a bottom wall 134, top wall 136 and inside walls 137. Bottom wall 118 may have ballast port plug 141 attached thereto and feet 116 to support shelf unit 110 on a floor or other surface.

Referring to FIG. 12, side panel 114 may be generally rectangular and connected between bottom panel 118 top panel 121 and front panel 120 and back panel 122. The body may be formed from a plastic compound being scratch and graffiti resistant and having contours 123 formed on the outside surface. The hollow body 112 is molded in a single piece having the top panel 121 and bottom panel 118 connected to first and second a side panel 114, 124, front panel 120 and back panel 122. Likewise, each of the first and second side panels 114, 124 are connected to the back panel 118 and front panel 122 forming a hollow generally rectangular shell body 112. Bottom panel 118 may further comprise a ballast port 138 sealed by an attached ballast port plug 141 for inserting ballast material 140 in hollow body 112 after delivery to the user site.

Referring to FIG. 13, ballast material 140 may be inserted into the ballast chambers 142, 144, 146 where the ballast material 140 may flow between interconnected ballast chambers thereby partially filling one or all ballast chambers 142 144, 146. The partially filled ballast chambers 142, 144, 146 create a ballasted portion 160 and an air chamber portion 162. Gravity urges the ballast material 140 to spread out over the entire structure of the hollow body 112. By its weight, ballast material 140 creates a normal center of gravity 170a that is relative to the hollow body 112 in the vertical orientation 151, the position of the normal center of gravity 170a depending on the amount of ballast material 140 in each ballast chamber.

Referring to FIG. 14, bottom panel 118 is generally rectangular and connected between side panels 124, 114, back pane and front panel 120. Hollow body 112 may maintain its generally rectangular shape. Ballast port plug 141 is disposed on bottom panel 118 and may serve as feet 116 to support shelf unit 110 on a horizontal surface such as floor 191. Bottom panel 118 may also have ribs 162 formed therein to add structural support.

Referring to FIG. 15, each of the open shelves 126, 128, 130 opens on front panel 122. The back inside wall 137 of each of the open shelves 126, 128, 130 is connected to and sealed with adjacent inside top wall 136, and inside side walls 137 and bottom wall 139 to sealingly define the inside wall of the respective adjacent ballast chamber 142, 144 146. Inside bottom wall 134 may be sloped downward to allow spilled fluids to flow out of the shelf opening 126, 128, 130. Leaning the shelf unit into the tipped orientation 153 whereby ballast material 140 in the ballasted portion 160 flows between back ballast chamber 146 and each of the side ballast chambers 142, 144 the center of gravity moves to a tipped center of gravity 170b location as the ballast material 140 flows between the interconnected ballast chambers 142, 144, 146. Ballast material 140 may also flow into the shelf ballast chambers 172 defined adjacent the top inside wall 136 of each of the open shelves and 126, 128, 130.

Referring to FIG. 16, bottom panel 118 integrally connects to back wall 122 to sealingly bond the two adjacent sides. Ballast port 138 may be open for pouring ballast into the ballast chambers 142, 144, 146 and have a plug 139 spin welded onto the bottom panel 118 to sealingly close the ballast port 138. Threaded insert 151 may be insert molded into the bottom panel 118 for attaching casters 52 (FIG. 7) to the bottom panel 118. The interconnected ballast chambers 142, 144, 146 in hollow body 112 together comprise an interior volume A1. The air space portion 162 comprises an open volume B1. The ballasted portion 160 comprises a ballasted volume C1. It should be understood the interior volume A1 is equal to the sum of the open volume B1 and the ballasted volume C1 (A1=B1+C1). Ballasted volume C1 may be approximately 40-60% of interior volume A1. Under certain conditions ballasted volume C1 may be approximately 60-80% of interior volume. Under other conditions where movement of the shelving unit 10 is necessary, ballasted volume C1 may be approximately 15-40% of interior volume A1.

Referring to FIG. 17, ballast material 140 may flow between interconnected ballast chambers 142, 144, 146, 172 when the hollow body 112 is rolled, tipped or attempted to be lifted. The ballast material 140 shifting from one ballast chamber to another ballast chamber shifts the weight balance and the center of gravity 73. In the event hollow body 112 is tipped, the ballast material 140 may flow out of one of the interconnected ballast chambers 142, 144, 146, and 172 and into another of the interconnected ballast chambers 142, 144, 146, and 172. The ballast material 140 will generally flow, urged, by gravity between the interconnected ballast chambers 142, 144, 146, 172 to maintain a generally horizontal top panel of the ballast material 140 defining the separation of the ballasted portion 160 and the airspace portion 162. Ballast material 140 such as sand, pea gravel or water which may flow between the ballast chambers is placed in the ballast chambers 142, 144, 146, 172 at ballast port 138. Ballast port 138 may have a threaded opening for threadably engaging ballast port plug 141. Ballast port may be formed by molding or drilling a hole in the bottom panel 118 opening to the hollow body 112.

Continuing to refer to FIG. 17, the ballast port 138 may be sealed by attaching by threadable engagement, adhesive or spin welding a plug 141 in the ballast port to close the ballast port and hermetically seal the hollow body 112. The port 138 may be located on the bottom of the hollow body 112 forming an opening to the ballast chambers 142, 144, 146, 172. Partially filling the ballast chambers 142, 144, 146, 172 leaves an airspace portion 162 at a top portion of the hollow body 112 while gravity urges the ballast material 140 to flow to a bottom, ballasted portion 160 of the hollow body 112.

In use, referring to the first embodiment of FIGS. 1-7, the hollow body 12 comprises a shell surrounding an open interior, the hollow body is adapted to hold a predetermined volume of a flowable ballast material the ballast material 40 may weigh down the shelf unit 10 in a particular disposition while still allowing for movement sliding on the floor. Changing the disposition of the shelf unit may urge the ballast material 40 to reposition within the interconnected ballast chambers 42, 44, 46 causing the center of gravity 70 to move from a first, at rest position normal center of gravity 70a(FIG. 4), to a second reoriented position tipped center of gravity 70b(FIG. 7). The shelf unit 10 may change orientation from the vertical orientation 51 to the tipped orientation 53 by accident or by force applied for example by a person pushing the unit. The moving center of gravity 70 makes reorienting the shelf unit 10 awkward, unbalanced and difficult. If a person desires to lift or throw the shelf unit 10 with the movable center of gravity 70, the lifting or rotating causes the ballast material 40 and thus the center of gravity to shift making the shelf unit difficult to handle. Likewise, if the unit should accidentally start to roll, the changing center of gravity causes the rotation to slow or stop. Changing the disposition of the shelf unit 10 causes reorienting the ballast chambers 42, 44, 46, 72 with respect to the at rest position thereby urging the ballast material 40 to flow, by force of gravity, from the ballasted portion 60 to the airspace portion 62 thereby shifting the relative position of the airspace portion 62 with respect to the ballasted portion 60 and moving the center of gravity 73 of the shelf unit 10 with respect to the top panel 21, bottom panel 34, front panel 22, back panel 18 and side panels 14, 24 from an at rest position 73a to a second position 73b.

Although the description above contains many specifications, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the embodiments of this invention. Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents rather than by the examples given. Further, the present invention has been shown and described with reference to the foregoing exemplary embodiments. It is to be understood, however, that other forms, details, and embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention which is defined in the following claims.

Claims

1. A partially ballasted shelving unit having a plurality of shelves, each one of the plurality of shelves generally parallel to each other one of the plurality of shelves, each one of the plurality of shelves having a generally horizontal orientation, the partially ballasted shelving unit comprising:

a hollow body having a ballast chamber, the ballast chamber having an air space portion and a ballast portion

a ballast material in the hollow body, the ballast material having a predetermined ballast volume.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the ballast chamber further comprises a plurality of interconnected ballast chambers.

3. The invention of claim 2, further comprising a ballast port in the hollow body, the ballast port in fluid communication with one of the plurality of ballast chambers, a ballast port plug sealingly in the ballast port.

4. The invention of claim 1, further comprising a bottom panel on the partially ballasted shelving unit, a plurality of feet on the bottom panel, the plurality of feet disposed to engage the horizontal surface.

5. The invention of claim 2, wherein the plurality of ballast chambers further comprise a first side ballast chamber and a second side ballast chamber, the first side ballast chamber in fluid communication with the second side ballast chamber.

6. The invention of claim 5 wherein the plurality of ballast chambers further comprises a back ballast chamber, the back ballast chamber in fluid communication with the first side ballast chamber.

7. The invention of claim 6, wherein the back ballast chamber is further in fluid communication with the second ballast chamber, whereby when the shelving unit is moved from a vertical orientation to a tipped orientation the ballast material flows between the first side, second side and back ballast chambers.

8. The invention of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of casters on the hollow body, the casters disposed to engage the floor.

9. The invention of claim 1 wherein the hollow body further comprises a first side panel, a second side panel, a back panel, a front panel, a top panel and a bottom panel, the first side panel spaced from and generally parallel to the second side panel, the front panel spaced from and generally parallel to the back panel, the first side panel connected to the front panel and the back panel, the first side panel further connected to the top panel and the bottom panel, each of the plurality of shelves connected between the first and second side panels, a first side ballast chamber in the first side panel, a second side ballast chamber in the second side panel, the first side ballast chamber in fluid communication with the second side ballast chamber.

10. The invention of claim 9 further comprising a back ballast chamber in the back panel, the back ballast chamber in fluid communication with the first side ballast chamber.

11. The invention of claim 1 wherein the ballast chamber defines an open volume, the ballast material further comprises a ballast volume, the ballast volume being between 40% and 60% of the open volume.

12. An partially ballasted shelving unit comprising:

a hollow body, the hollow body having a shell surrounding an open interior, the hollow body having a ballasted portion and an air space portion, a flowable ballast material in the ballasted portion, a ballast port formed in the hollow body, ballast plug in the ballast port;

a plurality of feet mounted on the hollow body.

13. The invention of claim 12, wherein the hollow body further comprises a back panel and a first side panel, the back panel attached to the first side panel, the back panel further comprises a back ballast chamber in the hollow body, the first side panel further comprises a first side ballast chamber in the hollow body and the first side ballast chamber in fluid communication with the back ballast chamber, the first side panel in a generally perpendicular orientation to the back panel.

14. The invention of claim 13, wherein the hollow body further comprises a second side panel attached to the back panel, the second side panel comprising a second side ballast chamber in fluid communication with the back ballast chamber and the first side ballast chamber.

15. The invention of claim 14 wherein the first side panel is spaced from the second side panel, the first side panel in a generally parallel orientation to the second side panel, the back panel between the first side panel and the second side panel, the back panel generally perpendicular to each of the first and second side panels.

16. The invention of claim 12, further comprising a shelf ballast chamber in one of the plurality of shelves, the shelf ballast chamber in fluid communication with the back ballast chamber.

17. The invention of claim 12 wherein the shell further comprises an outside surface and an inside surface, the hollow body further comprises a ballast port in the shell formed by material removed from the shell to form an opening from the outside surface to the inside surface, the ballast port in fluid communication open interior.

18. A partially ballasted shelving unit having a plurality of shelves, the partially ballasted shelving unit comprising:

a hollow body, the hollow body having a top panel, a bottom panel, a back panel, a first side panel, a second side panel and an open front, the back panel attached to the first side panel and the second side panel, the back panel connected to the top panel and the bottom panel, the back panel having a back ballast chamber;

a flowable ballast material in the back ballast chamber, the flowable ballast material in a ballast portion of the back ballast chamber,

an airspace portion in the back ballast chamber void of flowable ballast material;

a movable center of gravity wherein, the center of gravity moves by gravity urging the flowable ballast material within the back ballast chamber when the shelving unit is moved from a vertical orientation to a tipped orientation.