Shelving system having a shelf with biasing elements to resist inadvertent or accidental detachment from a support rail
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
A47F-005/08
A47F-005/10
A47B-057/16
A47B-096/02
A47B-057/40
출원번호
US-0298677
(2011-11-17)
등록번호
US-9016214
(2015-04-28)
발명자
/ 주소
Zang, Dathan G.
Farnquist, II, Donald M.
Edinger, Benjamin B.
Parsons, William J.
출원인 / 주소
Altria Group Distribution Company
대리인 / 주소
Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
2인용 특허 :
22
초록▼
An article support, such as a shelf, is securely attachable at a plurality of locations along a generally vertical support or rail. The article support includes a support-engaging portion having one or more tabs, at least one of which is a locking tab having a forward-extending tooth that engages th
An article support, such as a shelf, is securely attachable at a plurality of locations along a generally vertical support or rail. The article support includes a support-engaging portion having one or more tabs, at least one of which is a locking tab having a forward-extending tooth that engages the vertical support, when the tab or tabs extend through slots in the support. Optionally, a biasing element urges the article away from the support to maintain secure engagement of the locking tab with the support. The resulting shelving system or article support system is resistant to accidental detachment of the article supports from the supports and permits relatively small adjustment intervals for the article supports along the supports.
대표청구항▼
1. A shelving system for storage or display of articles, said shelving system comprising: a generally vertical support defining a plurality of generally vertically-spaced slots; a shelf including an article-supporting surface and a support-engaging portion for releasably attaching said shelf to said
1. A shelving system for storage or display of articles, said shelving system comprising: a generally vertical support defining a plurality of generally vertically-spaced slots; a shelf including an article-supporting surface and a support-engaging portion for releasably attaching said shelf to said support at said slots; said support-engaging portion of said shelf including at least one locking tab configured for insertion into said slots of said support, said at least one locking tab comprising a rearward projection having a distal end portion, a downward projection portion extending downwardly from said distal end portion, and a tooth extending forwardly from said downward projection portion; wherein said locking tab is received in a first slot and said tooth of said locking tab is configured to engage said support at or near a second slot for securing said shelf against unintentional disengagement from said support; and said article-supporting surface including a pair of biasing elements extending rearwardly from a rear edge thereof configured to urge said shelf in a direction away from said support, to thereby maintain engagement of said tooth with said support; wherein said support comprises a pair of elongate support rails and said support-engaging portion of said shelf comprises a pair of said support-engaging portions for engaging respective ones of said elongate support rails. 2. The shelving system of claim 1, wherein support-engaging portion comprises a plurality of tabs for simultaneous engagement with corresponding ones of said slots in said support, at least one of said plurality of tabs comprising said locking tab. 3. The shelving system of claim 2, wherein said slots are sufficiently large to simultaneously receive a portion of a first one of said tabs and said tooth of said at least one locking tab. 4. The shelving system of claim 1, wherein each of said biasing elements comprises a leaf spring, each operable to apply a force against a respective elongate support rail or against a support surface to which said elongate support rails are coupled. 5. The shelving system of claim 1, wherein the shelf is formed from a single sheet of metallic material. 6. The shelving system of claim 1, wherein said vertically-spaced slots are spaced by not more than about ⅛ inch. 7. The shelving system of claim 1, wherein said vertically-spaced slots are sufficiently wide to receive two of said locking tabs, of adjacent shelves, in side-by-side arrangement. 8. A shelving system for storage or display of articles, said shelving system comprising: a support arranged generally vertically and defining a plurality of generally vertically-spaced slots; a shelf including an article-supporting surface, a support-engaging portion for releasably attaching said shelf to said support at said slots, and a biasing element; said support-engaging portion of said shelf comprising a plurality of tabs configured for insertion into respective ones of said slots in said support, said tabs including at least one locking tab comprising a rearward projection having a distal end portion, a downward projection extending downwardly from said distal end portion, and a tooth extending forwardly from said downward projection; wherein said tooth of said locking tab is configured to engage said support at or near one of said slots for securing said shelf against unintentional disengagement from said support; and wherein said biasing element extends rearwardly from a rear edge of the article-supporting surface and is configured to urge said shelf in a direction away from said support to thereby maintain engagement of said tooth of said locking tab with said support. 9. The shelving system of claim 8, wherein said biasing element comprises a leaf spring operable to apply a force against said support or against a support surface to which said support is coupled. 10. The shelving system of claim 8, wherein said support comprises a pair of spaced supports and wherein said shelf comprises a pair of said support-engaging portions for engaging respective ones of said supports. 11. The shelving system of claim 10, comprising a pair of biasing elements wherein each biasing element is a leaf spring extending rearwardly from said rear edge of the article-supporting surface to engage and apply a force against (i) a support surface to which said support is coupled or (ii) respective ones of said supports. 12. The shelving system of claim 8, wherein said support comprises an elongate support rail. 13. The shelving system of claim 1, wherein each biasing element is a leaf spring that extends rearwardly from said rear edge of the article-supporting surface to engage and apply a force against (i) a support surface to which said support is coupled or (ii) respective ones of the elongate support rails of said support. 14. The shelving system of claim 13, wherein each leaf spring extends laterally outwardly from a central mounting portion at the rear edge of the article-supporting surface. 15. The shelving system of claim 11, wherein each leaf spring extends laterally outwardly from a central mounting portion at the rear edge of the article-supporting surface. 16. The shelving system of claim 1, wherein the support comprises four elongate rails and the shelving system includes: a base to which the elongate support rails are attached and supported in a vertical arrangement wherein the base includes a plurality of support feet which are adjustable so as to level the shelving system; a top display support configured to display an advertisement wherein the top display support includes backlight operable to light the uppermost shelves of the shelving system and/or a display surface of the top display support; and a stabilizer at an upper end portion of each of the elongate support rails wherein each stabilizer is operable to attach a respective elongate support rail to a support surface or a support rail of an adjacent shelving system disposed in a back-to-back arrangement. 17. The shelving system of claim 1, wherein every fifth slot of the vertically-spaced slots includes a semi-circular recess on either side thereof, and each support-engaging portion comprises five tabs for simultaneous engagement with corresponding ones of said slots in said elongate support rails wherein an uppermost tab and a lowermost tap of said five tabs comprises said locking tab. 18. The shelving system of claim 1, wherein each support-engaging portion comprises a plurality of tabs for simultaneous engagement with corresponding ones of said slots in said elongate support rails wherein an uppermost tab of said plurality of tabs comprises said locking tab, and each biasing element is a cantilever tab extending laterally outward from a central mounting portion at the rear edge of the article-supporting surface wherein the cantilever tabs are proximate the uppermost tab and a distal end of each cantilever tab forms a contact surface configured to engage a respective elongate support rail or support surface to which the elongate support rails are attached. 19. A shelf of a shelving system for storage or display of articles, said shelf comprising an article-supporting surface and a pair of support-engaging portions configured to releasably attach said shelf to vertically-spaced slots of a pair of respective elongate support rails; said pair of support-engaging portions of said shelf including at least one locking tab configured to be inserted into said slots of said pair of respective elongate support rails, said at least one locking tab comprising a rearward projection having a distal end portion, a downward projection portion extending downwardly from said distal end portion, and a tooth extending forwardly from said downward projection portion; wherein said locking tab is configured to be received in a first slot of a respective elongate support rail and said tooth of said locking tab is configured to engage said elongate support rail at or near a second slot thereof so as to secure said shelf against unintentional disengagement from said pair of elongate support rails; and said article-supporting surface including a pair of biasing elements extending rearwardly from a rear edge thereof configured to urge said shelf in a direction away from said pair of elongate support rails so as to maintain engagement of said tooth with said respective elongate support rail.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (22)
Mueller, Paul A.; Kump, Daniel J., Adjustable shelving system.
Hodsden John B. (Colorado Springs CO) Hudson Dennis (La Mirada CA) Nichols Allen D. (Colorado Springs CO), Adjustable storage apparatus for computer media.
Zang, Dathan G.; Farnquist, II, Donald M.; Edinger, Benjamin B.; Parsons, William J., Shelving system having a shelf with biasing elements to resist inadvertent or accidental detachment from a support rail.
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