SHELVING SYSTEM
A shelving system includes a plurality of horizontal support members, each horizontal support member having a length; a plurality of wall supports, each wall support including a first surface on which at least a portion of a horizontal support member rests; a plurality of brackets, each bracket attachable to the horizontal support members at different positions along the length of the horizontal support member; a plurality of vertical support members, each vertical support member coupled to at least one bracket; and a shelf attached to at least two of the plurality of vertical support members.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/165,345 filed on Oct. 19, 2018, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/886,636 filed on Feb. 1, 2018, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/675,368 filed on Aug. 11, 2017, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/026,519 filed on Mar. 31, 2016, which is a U.S. National Phase entry of International Patent Application PCT/US2014/058308 filed on Sep. 30, 2014, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/885,480 filed on Oct. 1, 2013, and to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/885,969 filed on Oct. 2, 2013, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference.
FIELDThe present invention relates to shelves, racks, and workstations, and more particularly to shelves, racks, and workstations that are supported by a wall or ceiling and cantilevered for supporting items or for supporting work surfaces.
SUMMARYAn important function of most shelving and rack systems and workstations is the ability to increase storage and working space. Limitations exist in the design and assembly of many conventional shelving systems, racks and workstations. These limitations are most apparent in highly competitive industries in which space, assembly and adjustment time, and reliability are at a premium. One such industry is the food service industry, where each of these factors plays a significant role in the success and profitability of a business. Therefore, although the present invention (and the problems that exist in conventional shelving systems, racks, and workstations) is particularly well-adapted for use in the food service industry, it should be noted that the present invention is applicable to and solves similar problems in any industry employing shelving systems, racks, and workstations. Examples of such industries include retail stores in which merchandise is displayed and stored, laboratories and shops where storage and work space are needed, and warehouses in which any type of product is organized and stored.
Increased utilization of floor and storage space are primary goals for most businesses, and can significantly impact profitability of such businesses. For example, work spaces and/or storage spaces are often important resources in the food service industry, retail businesses and warehouses, to name just a few different types of businesses where space may typically be limited for such purposes. Varying the sizes and layouts of work and storage spaces calls for varying types, kinds and sizes of shelves, racks, and workstations. These structures typically consist of vertical supports, horizontal storage and support structures, and connecting elements for connecting the horizontal storage and support structures to the vertical supports, which are supported on a floor or similar surface.
It is normally desirable for shelving systems and workstations to be inexpensive, modular, adjustable, easy to assemble and disassemble, easy to clean and reliable. Conventional shelving systems and workstations do not always satisfy such criteria or provide the optimal features necessary to accomplish the goals desired. Specifically, many conventional shelving systems and workstations are often expensive, difficult to clean, assemble, disassemble, and adjust. Also, conventional systems often lack the modularity necessary to meet a wide variety of environments or prove to be unreliable.
In many conventional shelving systems and workstations, shelves are welded or otherwise permanently attached to vertical support posts, making the shelving system or workstation a single integral structure (or defining large subassemblies in such shelving systems and workstations). This makes the shelving systems and workstations more difficult to move due to the size and weight of the integral assemblies or subassemblies. Also, by permanently attaching the shelves to support posts, the shelving systems and workstations can only be arranged in a single configuration. In other conventional shelving systems and workstations, assembly can be difficult and time consuming.
In light of the problems and limitations of the prior art described above, a need exists for shelving systems and workstations that are easy to clean, are easy and quick to assemble, provide an adjustable and reliable connection between shelves and vertical support posts, can support a relatively large amount of weight, and can be supported by a wall or ceiling, thereby freeing up valuable floor space for other purposes. Each preferred embodiment of the present invention achieves one or more of these results.
In one embodiment, a shelving system is provided which includes a plurality of horizontal support members, each horizontal support member having a length; a plurality of wall supports, each wall support including a first surface on which at least a portion of a horizontal support member rests; a plurality of brackets, each bracket attachable to the horizontal support members at different positions along the length of the horizontal support member; a plurality of vertical support members, each vertical support member coupled to at least one bracket; and a shelf attached to at least two of the plurality of vertical support members.
In another embodiment, a shelving system is provided which includes a plurality of horizontal support members, each horizontal support member having a length; a plurality of wall supports, each wall support including a first surface on which at least a portion of a horizontal support member rests; a plurality of brackets, each bracket attachable to the horizontal support members at different positions along the length of the horizontal support member; a plurality of vertical support members, each vertical support member coupled to at least one bracket; a ceiling support including a second surface on which at least a portion of a horizontal support member rests, the ceiling support including an upper plate and a lower plate coupled by a least one pin, wherein the second surface is coupled to the lower plate; and a shelf attached to at least two of the plurality of vertical support members.
Various aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings
Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As best shown in
In addition, each bracket 30 is coupled to one of the horizontal support members 22. As shown in
The first clamping plate 62 and second clamping plate 66 may be two separate pieces, or the first clamping plate 62 and second clamping plate 66 may be part of a single piece (
In the illustrated embodiment, each vertical support member 26 is formed as a closed or box channel frame having a rectangular cross-section. In other embodiments (
In a preferred embodiment, the pins 78 are mounted incrementally along the vertical support members 26. The pins 78 can be mounted at any regular or irregular distance from one another along any length or lengths of the vertical support member 26. However, in some preferred embodiments, the pins 78 are mounted at regular intervals along the majority of the support member's length. The pins 78 preferably extend laterally through the vertical support members 26 as shown in
With reference to
The side braces 79 may include multiple grooves, projections, or hooks (e.g. as shown and described in
As shown in
To the extent that the vertical support members 26 are supported by a wall or a ceiling of a compartment, this permits the floor to remain generally unobstructed. The load on the shelves is supported by the wall and/or ceiling in a cantilevered configuration, and the shelves 38 can be positioned above the level of the floor to permit free access to the floor space. In some embodiments, the shelving system 10 can be used alone or in conjunction with a freestanding shelving system and may also include an attachment to transfer some or all of the load to the floor. The shelving system 10 may also incorporate features of a freestanding shelving system such as those shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,494,019, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference.
By employing the wall and/or ceiling mounted horizontal members 22 to support vertical members 26, as described above, a number of embodiments of the present invention provide a workstation or a shelving or rack system that is highly adjustable, modular, and adaptable to a large number of applications, spaces, and environments, freeing up valuable floor space for other uses or purposes. In the various embodiments described above and illustrated in the figures, the use of vertical support members 26 that can be attached at a variety of desired positions along the length of horizontal support members 22, and having pins 78 extending from opposite sides thereof, enables a user to accommodate shelves 38 of different sizes and mount adjacent shelves 38 on both sides of the vertical support members 26 in a variety of configurations. Thus, once wall supports 18 and optional ceiling supports 34 have been installed, various arrangements of horizontal support members 22 and vertical support members 26 can be provided in order to accommodate a given arrangement of shelves 38. The arrangement of shelves 38 can readily be changed by rearranging the horizontal support members 22 and vertical support members 26 without having to mount any additional supports in the wall or ceiling. This versatility, coupled with the more reliable and simpler shelf mounting arrangement of the present invention, provides a number of advantages as discussed above.
Thus, the invention may provide, among other things, a shelving system. Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to certain independent embodiments, variations and modifications exist within the scope and spirit of one or more independent aspects of the invention as described. Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.
Claims
1. A shelving system including a shelf having first and second opposed sides and a weight supporting surface for storing or displaying articles, the shelving system comprising:
- first and second vertical support posts, each vertical support post having a height and first and second opposed exterior surfaces that face away from each other and a third exterior surface that is orthogonal to and extends between the first and second opposed exterior surfaces; and
- a plurality of support pins fixed to each of the first and second vertical support posts and spaced along the height of each of the first and second vertical support posts and extending away and outwardly from at least one of the surfaces of the first and second opposed exterior surfaces on each of the first and second vertical support posts; and
- first and second support brackets, each of the first and second support brackets comprising a pair of spaced-apart opposed flanges and a surface orthogonal to and extending between the pair of spaced-apart opposed flanges, wherein the first support bracket is configured such that in an assembled state of the shelving system the pair of spaced-apart opposed flanges of the first support bracket is coupled to the first vertical support post with one flange of the pair of spaced-apart opposed flanges positioned in contact with the first exterior surface of the first vertical support post and the other flange of the pair of spaced-apart opposed flanges is positioned in contact with the second exterior surface of the first vertical support post, wherein each flange of the pair of spaced-apart opposed flanges includes at least one aperture configured to releasably engage any one of the plurality of support pins on the first vertical support post, each aperture formed as a slot with an open end, wherein the first support bracket is configured such that in the assembled state of the shelving system the surface that is orthogonal to and extends between the pair of spaced-apart flanges contacts and extends across the third exterior surface of the first vertical support post, and wherein the first support bracket is configured such that in the assembled state of the shelving system the first support bracket cooperates with the first vertical support post to support the first side of the shelf on a support surface, and wherein the second support bracket is configured such that in the assembled state of the shelving system the second support bracket cooperates with the second vertical support post to support the second side of the shelf on a support surface; and first and second cooperating brackets, each of the first and second cooperating brackets comprising a coupling portion and a support portion, wherein the coupling portion of the first cooperating bracket is configured such that movement of the first cooperating bracket in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the first vertical support post to couple the first cooperating bracket to the first support bracket constrains rotational movement of the first cooperating bracket relative to the first support bracket, wherein the first cooperating bracket is configured such that in the assembled state of the shelving system the first cooperating bracket extends between the first support bracket and the first side of the shelf to support the first side of the shelf, couples the shelf to the first vertical support post, and spaces the first side of the shelf from the first support bracket, wherein the first cooperating bracket is separable from the first support bracket, wherein the first cooperating bracket is configured such that in the assembled state of the shelving system the support portion supports a portion of the shelf and the coupling portion transmits a loading force from the first side of the shelf to the first vertical support post, wherein the first cooperating bracket is configured such that in the assembled state of the shelving system the first cooperating bracket does not extend above a top side of the first support bracket and the first cooperating bracket hinders movement of the shelf in a direction orthogonal to a plane coincident with the third surface of the first vertical support post, wherein the second cooperating bracket is configured such that in the assembled state of the shelving system the second cooperating bracket extends between the second support bracket and the second side of the shelf to support the second side of the shelf, couples the shelf to the second vertical support post, and spaces the shelf from the second support bracket, wherein in the assembled state of the shelving system the shelf is not in contact with the first and second vertical support posts, and wherein in the assembled state of the shelving system the weight supporting surface of the shelf does not extend above a top side of each of the first and second support brackets.
2. The shelving system of claim 1, wherein the shelf is a first shelf and the shelving system further comprises a second shelf and a third cooperating bracket configured such that in the assembled state of the shelving system the third cooperating bracket is positioned relative to the first support bracket to support the second shelf on the first vertical support post at a same height as the first shelf.
3. The shelving system of claim 1, wherein the first support bracket is configured such that in the assembled state of the shelving system the first support bracket couples the first vertical support post to the support surface and the second support bracket is configured such that in the assembled state of the shelving system the second support bracket couples the second vertical support post to the support surface.
4. The shelving system of claim 1, wherein the coupling portion and the support portion of each of the first and second cooperating brackets are formed from a single piece of material.
5. The shelving system of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second cooperating brackets is configured such that in the assembled state of the shelving system the shelf is fixed to the support portion of each of the first and second cooperating brackets.
6. The shelving system of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second cooperating brackets is configured such that in the assembled state of the shelving system a bottom side of the shelf is positioned above a bottom side of each of the first and second cooperating brackets.
7. The shelving system of claim 1, wherein each flange of the pair of spaced-apart opposed flanges of the first support bracket includes a plurality of apertures, each aperture formed as a slot with an open end and configured to releasably engage any one of the plurality of support pins on the first vertical support post.
8. The shelving system of claim 1, wherein the pair of spaced-apart opposed flanges of the first support bracket is separable.
9. The shelving system of claim 1, wherein the first cooperating bracket includes a flange having at least one aperture configured to releasably engage any one of the plurality of support pins on the first vertical support post and the second cooperating bracket includes a flange having at least one aperture configured to releasably engage any one of the plurality of support pins on the second vertical support post.
10. The shelving system of claim 1, wherein the coupling portion of each of the first and second cooperating brackets comprises a pair of spaced-apart fingers.
11. The shelving system of claim 10, wherein the coupling portion of each of the first and second cooperating brackets includes a body and the pair of spaced-apart fingers extends from the body.
12. The shelving system of claim 10, wherein the first cooperating bracket is configured such that upon movement of the pair of spaced-apart fingers parallel to the longitudinal axis of the first vertical support post to couple the first cooperating bracket to the first support bracket, the first cooperating bracket is constrained from movement orthogonal to the plane coincident with the third exterior surface of the first vertical support post, and the second cooperating bracket is configured such that upon movement of the pair of spaced-apart fingers parallel to a longitudinal axis of the second vertical support post to couple the second cooperating bracket to the second support bracket, the second cooperating bracket is constrained from movement orthogonal to the plane coincident with the third exterior surface of the second vertical support post.
13. The shelving system of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second vertical support posts further comprises a first transition surface between the first exterior surface and the third exterior surface and a second transition surface between the second exterior surface and the third surface.
14. The shelving system of claim 1, wherein each flange of the pair of spaced-apart opposed flanges of the first support bracket has an equal height and the surface of the first support bracket that is orthogonal to and extends between the pair of spaced-apart opposed flanges has a height equal to the height of the flanges.
15. The shelving system of claim 1, wherein the coupling portion of each of the first cooperating bracket and second cooperating bracket comprises a pair of spaced-apart fingers and a notch associated with each finger of the pair of spaced-apart fingers, and wherein the pair of spaced-apart fingers and notches of the first cooperating bracket are configured such that in the assembled state of the shelving system the coupling portion of the first cooperating bracket constrains the first cooperating bracket from rotation relative to the first support bracket and the pair of spaced-apart fingers and notches of the second cooperating bracket are configured such that in the assembled state of the shelving system the coupling portion of the second cooperating bracket constrains the second cooperating bracket from rotation relative to the second support bracket.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 13, 2019
Publication Date: Jan 2, 2020
Inventors: Arturo Gonzalez (Lilburn, GA), Steven M. Kessell (Loganville, GA), Michael D. Potter (Marydel, DE), Jerry Vance Foster, III (Lawrenceville, GA)
Application Number: 16/570,762