CA2813410A1 - Retractable shelving system - Google Patents
Retractable shelving system Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CA2813410A1 CA2813410A1 CA 2813410 CA2813410A CA2813410A1 CA 2813410 A1 CA2813410 A1 CA 2813410A1 CA 2813410 CA2813410 CA 2813410 CA 2813410 A CA2813410 A CA 2813410A CA 2813410 A1 CA2813410 A1 CA 2813410A1
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- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- cable
- suspended
- suspended tray
- tray assembly
- shall
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Classifications
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47B—TABLES; DESKS; OFFICE FURNITURE; CABINETS; DRAWERS; GENERAL DETAILS OF FURNITURE
- A47B51/00—Cabinets with means for moving compartments up and down
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47B—TABLES; DESKS; OFFICE FURNITURE; CABINETS; DRAWERS; GENERAL DETAILS OF FURNITURE
- A47B46/00—Cabinets, racks or shelf units, having one or more surfaces adapted to be brought into position for use by extending or pivoting
- A47B46/005—Cabinets, racks or shelf units, having one or more surfaces adapted to be brought into position for use by extending or pivoting by displacement in a vertical plane; by rotating about a horizontal axis
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47B—TABLES; DESKS; OFFICE FURNITURE; CABINETS; DRAWERS; GENERAL DETAILS OF FURNITURE
- A47B51/00—Cabinets with means for moving compartments up and down
- A47B2051/005—Ceiling mounted containers
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- Warehouses Or Storage Devices (AREA)
Abstract
An over-head suspended multi-tiered shelving system which allows for downward deployment and upward retraction of an array of suspended tray assemblies (a.k.a.
"shelves") below. The key distinction of the invention is that the shelf trays deploy downward starting with the lowest tray then cascading through upper trays. This upward cascading allows the operator to reach all shelves equally as they each will pass through the operator's optimal ergonomic height for lifting loads. In addition, when fully retracted upwards, the invention provides an effective space-efficient means of storage. The invention can be scaled in many ways including but not limited to: laundry air-drying shelving, or industrial storage racking.
"shelves") below. The key distinction of the invention is that the shelf trays deploy downward starting with the lowest tray then cascading through upper trays. This upward cascading allows the operator to reach all shelves equally as they each will pass through the operator's optimal ergonomic height for lifting loads. In addition, when fully retracted upwards, the invention provides an effective space-efficient means of storage. The invention can be scaled in many ways including but not limited to: laundry air-drying shelving, or industrial storage racking.
Description
Retractable Shelving System Inventor: Matthew Joseph Aceto Written: April 1, 2013 Description of Drawings Figure 1 & 2. Overall Assembly Figure 1 and figure 2 drawings illustrate the essence of the invention in a state of fully expanded and fully retracted respectively. These drawings show only the essential components that may typically be visible from the outside of the fully assembled invention from a perspective view.
Not drawn in these figures are the descenders and the grapples, as their detail would be difficult to distinguish on this scale; these components may not typically be visible anyways when the invention is fully assembled. These components are to be located at either end of the tethers, currently drawn as rivets for simplicity. These drawings are not to scale.
Figure 3. Upper Drive System Figure 3 drawing illustrates the essence of the upper drive portion of the invention. This drawing shows only the essential components of the inside of the upper drive portion of the invention from a perspective view. Note that for the purposes of this drawing, the drive source is drawn as a manual pull-chain. Not drawn in this figure are the non-essential components including but not limited to the chassis, fasteners, and axel bearings because their purpose is commonly understood and their presence would clutter the drawing. This drawing is not to scale.
Figure 4 & 5. Tray Descender Figure 4 and figure 5 drawings illustrate the essence of a typical descender (6) of the invention in a state of fully disengaged and fully engaged respectively. These drawings show only the essential components of the inside of the descender portion of the invention from a perspective view. Note that for the purposes of this drawing, the drive source (3) is drawn as a manual pull-chain. Not drawn in this figure are the non-essential components including but not limited to the chassis, fasteners, and axel bearings because their purpose is commonly understood and their presence would clutter the drawing. This drawing is not to scale.
Figure 6 & 7. Tray Grapple Figure 6 and figure 7 drawings illustrate the essence of a typical grapple (5) of the invention in a state of fully disengaged and fully engaged respectively. These drawings show only the essential components of the inside of the grapple portion of the invention from a front view. Not drawn in this figure are the non-essential components including but not limited to the chassis and fasteners because their purpose is commonly understood and their presence would clutter the drawing. This drawing is not to scale.
Background The key distinction of the invention is that the shelf trays deploy downward starting with the lowest tray then cascading through upper trays. This upward cascading allows the operator to reach all shelves equally as they each will pass through the operator's optimal ergonomic height for lifting loads. In addition, when fully retracted upwards, the invention provides an effective Page 1 of 5 Retractable Shelving System space-efficient means of storage. The invention can be scaled in many ways including but not limited to: laundry air-drying shelving, or industrial storage racking.
Specification An over-head suspended multi-tiered shelving system which allows for downward deployment and upward retraction of an array of suspended tray assemblies (a.k.a.
"shelves") below. The key distinction of the invention is that the shelf trays individually deploy downward starting with the lowest tray then cascading through upper trays. This upward cascading allows the operator to reach all shelves equally as they each will pass through the operator's optimal ergonomic height for lifting loads. In addition, when fully retracted upwards, the invention provides an effective space-efficient means of storage. The invention can be scaled in many ways including but not limited to: laundry air-drying shelving, or industrial storage racking. The invention essentially comprises of an upper drive system (refer to Figure), and an array of suspended tray assemblies (refer to Figure 5, 6, 7 & 8).
The upper drive system essentially comprises of typically four cable winches (1) (one in each corner), a back-turn preventer (2), and a drive source (3). The chassis, assembly, installation mounting hardware, and overhead support to which the invention shall be anchored, shall meet or exceed sufficient strength to safely bear the sum of: the weight of the upper drive system, the weight of all suspended tray assemblies, the maximum rated weight capacity of all suspended tray assemblies, and, if manual, the force exerted by an operator operating the drive source (ie:
pulling on a pull-chain).
The cable winch (1) comprises essentially of a drum (1.1) rotating about a center axel (1.2), and a rope, cable, chain, belt, or any similar means (referred hereafter as "cable") (1.3) of sufficient length to allow the suspended tray assemblies to lower to desired height. One end of the cable shall be securely attached to the drum allowing for the other end of the cable (referred hereafter as "tail") to raise and lower as the drum winds and unwinds respectivly. The tail of the cable shall be securely attached to the lower-most suspended tray assembly. The set of cable winches (1) shall meet or exceed sufficient strength to safely bear the sum of: the weight of all suspended tray assemblies, and the maximum rated weight capacity of all suspended tray assemblies.
The back-turn preventer (2) comprises essentially of a worm drive and a one-way idler shaft-collar (2.3). Whereby, a worm drive is a common gear arrangement comprising essentially of a worm screw (2.1) which meshes with a worm gear (2.2). Due to the fact that the axel of the worm screw is mounted perpendicularly with respect to the axel of the worm gear, the worm gear is essentially unable to turn when not acted on by the worm screw. By implementing a worm screw with a fine thread, and a worm gear with similar meshing thread, this affect is further increased.
By driving the worm screw with the drive source (3) and driving the cable winches (1) from the worm gear, the operator may raise and/or lower the suspended tray assemblies to a desired height, then load suspended tray assemblies without any suspended tray assembly lowering while acted on only by gravity. The one-way idler shaft-collar is essentially a one-way locking bearing mounted inside a shaft-collar, allowing the input shaft to drive the output shaft in a single rotational direction, while idling when the input shaft rotates in the other direction. Said one-way idler shaft-collar is to be placed in series between the worm gear axel and the cable winch(s) axel.
Use of said one-way idler shaft-collar will allow the trays to lower without beginning to raise Page 2 of 5 Retractable Shelving System again if the cable winches are completely unwound and over-turned. The back-turn preventer (2) shall meet or exceed sufficient strength to safely bear the sum of: the weight of all suspended tray assemblies, and the maximum rated weight capacity of all suspended tray assemblies.
The drive source (3) may essentially comprise of a gear change (3.1) and a mechanical input (3.2) comprising essentially of either but not limited to: a manual hand crank, manual pull-chain loop, a motorized drive. Said gear change may be either a step-up (of any desired ratio) to compensate for the step-down reduction of the back-turn preventer (2), or a step-down to increase the mechanical advantage of lifting heavy load. The drive source (3) shall meet or exceed sufficient strength to safely lift and lower the sum of: the weight of all suspended tray assemblies, and the maximum rated weight capacity of all suspended tray assemblies. In addition, if manual, the drive source (3) shall meet or exceed sufficient strength to safely bear the force exerted by an operator operating the drive source (ie: pulling on a pull-chain).
The array of suspended tray assemblies essentially comprises of one or more suspended tray assemblies. Each suspended tray assembly, except for the lower-most suspended tray assembly, essentially comprises of a tray surface (4), typically four grapples (5), typically four descenders (6), and typically four tethers (7); while the lower-most suspended tray assembly essentially comprises of a tray surface (4), typically four fixed cable anchors (6), and typically four tethers (7).
The tray surface (4) may essentially comprise of structural supports and a payload surface comprising of either but not limited to: a smooth surface, a raised-walled tray surface (can be useful, among other reasons, to contain accidental spills of liquid or small debris), a corrugated surface (can be useful, among other reasons, to reduce sliding friction of heavy payloads), a perforated surface or a barred/slatted surface (can be useful, among other reasons, for air-drying a payload). Each tray surface (4) shall meet or exceed sufficient strength to safely bear the sum of:
the weight of its suspended tray assembly, and the maximum rated weight capacity of its suspended tray assembly.
The grapple (5) comprises essentially of a latch (5.1) mounted pivotally on a pivot (5.2), a latch-pin (5.3), a spring (5.4), and a hard-stop (5.5). The latch shall be pivotally mounted to the structure of the suspended tray assembly. The spring shall be mounted and compressed to force the latch into an engaged position. A tether (7) from the suspended tray assembly below shall be anchored to the latch in such a way that when tension is applied to the tether from the suspended tray assembly below lowering fully, the latch will be forced into an open position; thus releasing the latch-pin. The latch-pin shall be securely mounted either to the upper drive system (in the case of the upper-most suspended tray assembly), or to the suspended tray assembly above (in the case of all others). When tension on the tether from the below suspended tray assembly is applied to the latch, the said suspended tray assembly is released from the above suspended tray assembly; this process shall continue as the operator continues to lower, cascading upwards until all suspended tray assemblies are suspended by their respective tethers. The hard-stop is to be placed in such a way to allow the tether to fully open the latch without the latch over-travelling;
thus, the hard-stop shall bear the tension from the tether while the latch is open. While the suspended tray assemblies are being raised (retracted), each suspended tray assembly shall sequentially collide with either the upper drive system (in the case of the upper-most suspended tray assembly), or the suspended tray assembly above (in the case of all others); thus grappling Page 3 of 5 Retractable Shelving System with the above. This grappling shall occur sequentially starting from the lower-most suspended tray assembly cascading upwards. The set of grapples (5) for each suspended tray assembly shall meet or exceed sufficient strength to safely bear the sum of: the weight of all suspended tray assemblies below and including itself (but not above), and the maximum rated weight capacity of all suspended tray assemblies below and including itself (but not above).
The descender (6) may essentially comprise of: a cog (6.1), a pawl (6.2) mounted pivotally on a pivot (6.8), and a spring (6.3) (collectively referred to hereafter as "ratchet"), a hard-stop (6.4), a cable pulley and/or sprocket (referred to hereafter as "cable pulley") (6.5), and an axel (6.6).
Alternatively, the descender may essentially comprise of a ratchet (6.1-6.3), a hard-stop (6.4), a one-way idler shaft-collar (6.7), and a cable pulley (6.5); the addition of the one-way idler shaft-collar in series between the cable pulley and the ratchet allows for the same performance while eliminating the undesired sound of the ratchet clicking as the suspended tray assemblies lower.
The spring shall be mounted and compressed to force the pawl into an engaged position with the cog. While the cable winch is lowering, the descender (6) of one or more suspended tray assemblies allows the cable from the cable winch to lower suspended tray assemblies below, while said suspended tray assembly remains grappled above. The descender (6) also allows said suspended tray assembly to grasp the cable from the cable winch, allowing said suspended tray assembly to lower at the rate of the cable while no-longer grappling above.
While the cable winch is raising, the descenders (6) of all upper suspended tray assemblies still supported by their respective tethers allow the cable from the cable winch to slip through, allowing below suspended tray assemblies to raise while said suspended tray assembly remains at a fixed height until below suspended tray assemblies grapple to it; this sequence will cascade upwards until all suspended tray assemblies are fully retracted and grappled. To achieve said "slip through" while raising requires the descender to unlock its grasp on the cable; it does this when tension is applied to the respective tethers above. The hard-stop is to be placed in such a way to allow the tethers to fully disengage the pawl of the ratchet without the pawl over-travelling; thus, the hard-stop shall bear the tension from the tethers while the pawl is disengaged. Ideally, the set of descenders (6) for each suspended tray assembly shall meet or exceed sufficient strength to safely bear the sum of:
the weight of all suspended tray assemblies below and including itself (but not above), and the maximum rated weight capacity of all suspended tray assemblies below and including itself (but not above). However, if the grapples or descenders are prone to any amount of backlash or settling, then the set of descenders (6) for each suspended tray assembly shall meet or exceed sufficient strength to safely bear the sum of: the weight of all suspended tray assemblies, and the maximum rated weight capacity of all suspended tray assemblies.
The tether (7) may essentially comprise of either but not limited to a rope, a belt, a cable, or a rigid bar hinged in the middle and at either end. The tethers play a key role in the timing of when each lowering suspended tray assembly un-grapples and begins its descent. The tethers length can determine individual shelf vertical spacing, including the top tray spacing from the upper drive as well as spacing between each tray. The sum of all tether lengths can exceed the vertical height of the room because the lower trays will expand first then stack on the floor if needed. Tension is applied to the tethers when a below suspended tray assembly is lowered below a grappled suspended tray assembly by the length of the tethers. The upper end of the tethers for the upper-most suspended tray assembly shall be securely anchored to the upper drive system. The upper end of the remaining tethers shall be securely anchored to the latch (5.1) of the grapple (5) of the suspended tray assembly above. The lower end of the tethers the of the lower-most suspended Page 4 of 5 Retractable Shelving System tray assembly shall be securely anchored to the lower-most suspended tray assembly. The lower end of the remaining tethers shall be securely anchored to the pawl (6.2) of the descender (6) of the suspended tray assembly below. Elastic bands can manage loose tethers by pulling inwards when tension is alleviated. The set of tethers (7) for each suspended tray assembly shall meet or exceed sufficient strength to safely bear the sum of: the weight of all suspended tray assemblies below and including itself (but not above), and the maximum rated weight capacity of all suspended tray assemblies below and including itself (but not above).
Page 5 of 5
Not drawn in these figures are the descenders and the grapples, as their detail would be difficult to distinguish on this scale; these components may not typically be visible anyways when the invention is fully assembled. These components are to be located at either end of the tethers, currently drawn as rivets for simplicity. These drawings are not to scale.
Figure 3. Upper Drive System Figure 3 drawing illustrates the essence of the upper drive portion of the invention. This drawing shows only the essential components of the inside of the upper drive portion of the invention from a perspective view. Note that for the purposes of this drawing, the drive source is drawn as a manual pull-chain. Not drawn in this figure are the non-essential components including but not limited to the chassis, fasteners, and axel bearings because their purpose is commonly understood and their presence would clutter the drawing. This drawing is not to scale.
Figure 4 & 5. Tray Descender Figure 4 and figure 5 drawings illustrate the essence of a typical descender (6) of the invention in a state of fully disengaged and fully engaged respectively. These drawings show only the essential components of the inside of the descender portion of the invention from a perspective view. Note that for the purposes of this drawing, the drive source (3) is drawn as a manual pull-chain. Not drawn in this figure are the non-essential components including but not limited to the chassis, fasteners, and axel bearings because their purpose is commonly understood and their presence would clutter the drawing. This drawing is not to scale.
Figure 6 & 7. Tray Grapple Figure 6 and figure 7 drawings illustrate the essence of a typical grapple (5) of the invention in a state of fully disengaged and fully engaged respectively. These drawings show only the essential components of the inside of the grapple portion of the invention from a front view. Not drawn in this figure are the non-essential components including but not limited to the chassis and fasteners because their purpose is commonly understood and their presence would clutter the drawing. This drawing is not to scale.
Background The key distinction of the invention is that the shelf trays deploy downward starting with the lowest tray then cascading through upper trays. This upward cascading allows the operator to reach all shelves equally as they each will pass through the operator's optimal ergonomic height for lifting loads. In addition, when fully retracted upwards, the invention provides an effective Page 1 of 5 Retractable Shelving System space-efficient means of storage. The invention can be scaled in many ways including but not limited to: laundry air-drying shelving, or industrial storage racking.
Specification An over-head suspended multi-tiered shelving system which allows for downward deployment and upward retraction of an array of suspended tray assemblies (a.k.a.
"shelves") below. The key distinction of the invention is that the shelf trays individually deploy downward starting with the lowest tray then cascading through upper trays. This upward cascading allows the operator to reach all shelves equally as they each will pass through the operator's optimal ergonomic height for lifting loads. In addition, when fully retracted upwards, the invention provides an effective space-efficient means of storage. The invention can be scaled in many ways including but not limited to: laundry air-drying shelving, or industrial storage racking. The invention essentially comprises of an upper drive system (refer to Figure), and an array of suspended tray assemblies (refer to Figure 5, 6, 7 & 8).
The upper drive system essentially comprises of typically four cable winches (1) (one in each corner), a back-turn preventer (2), and a drive source (3). The chassis, assembly, installation mounting hardware, and overhead support to which the invention shall be anchored, shall meet or exceed sufficient strength to safely bear the sum of: the weight of the upper drive system, the weight of all suspended tray assemblies, the maximum rated weight capacity of all suspended tray assemblies, and, if manual, the force exerted by an operator operating the drive source (ie:
pulling on a pull-chain).
The cable winch (1) comprises essentially of a drum (1.1) rotating about a center axel (1.2), and a rope, cable, chain, belt, or any similar means (referred hereafter as "cable") (1.3) of sufficient length to allow the suspended tray assemblies to lower to desired height. One end of the cable shall be securely attached to the drum allowing for the other end of the cable (referred hereafter as "tail") to raise and lower as the drum winds and unwinds respectivly. The tail of the cable shall be securely attached to the lower-most suspended tray assembly. The set of cable winches (1) shall meet or exceed sufficient strength to safely bear the sum of: the weight of all suspended tray assemblies, and the maximum rated weight capacity of all suspended tray assemblies.
The back-turn preventer (2) comprises essentially of a worm drive and a one-way idler shaft-collar (2.3). Whereby, a worm drive is a common gear arrangement comprising essentially of a worm screw (2.1) which meshes with a worm gear (2.2). Due to the fact that the axel of the worm screw is mounted perpendicularly with respect to the axel of the worm gear, the worm gear is essentially unable to turn when not acted on by the worm screw. By implementing a worm screw with a fine thread, and a worm gear with similar meshing thread, this affect is further increased.
By driving the worm screw with the drive source (3) and driving the cable winches (1) from the worm gear, the operator may raise and/or lower the suspended tray assemblies to a desired height, then load suspended tray assemblies without any suspended tray assembly lowering while acted on only by gravity. The one-way idler shaft-collar is essentially a one-way locking bearing mounted inside a shaft-collar, allowing the input shaft to drive the output shaft in a single rotational direction, while idling when the input shaft rotates in the other direction. Said one-way idler shaft-collar is to be placed in series between the worm gear axel and the cable winch(s) axel.
Use of said one-way idler shaft-collar will allow the trays to lower without beginning to raise Page 2 of 5 Retractable Shelving System again if the cable winches are completely unwound and over-turned. The back-turn preventer (2) shall meet or exceed sufficient strength to safely bear the sum of: the weight of all suspended tray assemblies, and the maximum rated weight capacity of all suspended tray assemblies.
The drive source (3) may essentially comprise of a gear change (3.1) and a mechanical input (3.2) comprising essentially of either but not limited to: a manual hand crank, manual pull-chain loop, a motorized drive. Said gear change may be either a step-up (of any desired ratio) to compensate for the step-down reduction of the back-turn preventer (2), or a step-down to increase the mechanical advantage of lifting heavy load. The drive source (3) shall meet or exceed sufficient strength to safely lift and lower the sum of: the weight of all suspended tray assemblies, and the maximum rated weight capacity of all suspended tray assemblies. In addition, if manual, the drive source (3) shall meet or exceed sufficient strength to safely bear the force exerted by an operator operating the drive source (ie: pulling on a pull-chain).
The array of suspended tray assemblies essentially comprises of one or more suspended tray assemblies. Each suspended tray assembly, except for the lower-most suspended tray assembly, essentially comprises of a tray surface (4), typically four grapples (5), typically four descenders (6), and typically four tethers (7); while the lower-most suspended tray assembly essentially comprises of a tray surface (4), typically four fixed cable anchors (6), and typically four tethers (7).
The tray surface (4) may essentially comprise of structural supports and a payload surface comprising of either but not limited to: a smooth surface, a raised-walled tray surface (can be useful, among other reasons, to contain accidental spills of liquid or small debris), a corrugated surface (can be useful, among other reasons, to reduce sliding friction of heavy payloads), a perforated surface or a barred/slatted surface (can be useful, among other reasons, for air-drying a payload). Each tray surface (4) shall meet or exceed sufficient strength to safely bear the sum of:
the weight of its suspended tray assembly, and the maximum rated weight capacity of its suspended tray assembly.
The grapple (5) comprises essentially of a latch (5.1) mounted pivotally on a pivot (5.2), a latch-pin (5.3), a spring (5.4), and a hard-stop (5.5). The latch shall be pivotally mounted to the structure of the suspended tray assembly. The spring shall be mounted and compressed to force the latch into an engaged position. A tether (7) from the suspended tray assembly below shall be anchored to the latch in such a way that when tension is applied to the tether from the suspended tray assembly below lowering fully, the latch will be forced into an open position; thus releasing the latch-pin. The latch-pin shall be securely mounted either to the upper drive system (in the case of the upper-most suspended tray assembly), or to the suspended tray assembly above (in the case of all others). When tension on the tether from the below suspended tray assembly is applied to the latch, the said suspended tray assembly is released from the above suspended tray assembly; this process shall continue as the operator continues to lower, cascading upwards until all suspended tray assemblies are suspended by their respective tethers. The hard-stop is to be placed in such a way to allow the tether to fully open the latch without the latch over-travelling;
thus, the hard-stop shall bear the tension from the tether while the latch is open. While the suspended tray assemblies are being raised (retracted), each suspended tray assembly shall sequentially collide with either the upper drive system (in the case of the upper-most suspended tray assembly), or the suspended tray assembly above (in the case of all others); thus grappling Page 3 of 5 Retractable Shelving System with the above. This grappling shall occur sequentially starting from the lower-most suspended tray assembly cascading upwards. The set of grapples (5) for each suspended tray assembly shall meet or exceed sufficient strength to safely bear the sum of: the weight of all suspended tray assemblies below and including itself (but not above), and the maximum rated weight capacity of all suspended tray assemblies below and including itself (but not above).
The descender (6) may essentially comprise of: a cog (6.1), a pawl (6.2) mounted pivotally on a pivot (6.8), and a spring (6.3) (collectively referred to hereafter as "ratchet"), a hard-stop (6.4), a cable pulley and/or sprocket (referred to hereafter as "cable pulley") (6.5), and an axel (6.6).
Alternatively, the descender may essentially comprise of a ratchet (6.1-6.3), a hard-stop (6.4), a one-way idler shaft-collar (6.7), and a cable pulley (6.5); the addition of the one-way idler shaft-collar in series between the cable pulley and the ratchet allows for the same performance while eliminating the undesired sound of the ratchet clicking as the suspended tray assemblies lower.
The spring shall be mounted and compressed to force the pawl into an engaged position with the cog. While the cable winch is lowering, the descender (6) of one or more suspended tray assemblies allows the cable from the cable winch to lower suspended tray assemblies below, while said suspended tray assembly remains grappled above. The descender (6) also allows said suspended tray assembly to grasp the cable from the cable winch, allowing said suspended tray assembly to lower at the rate of the cable while no-longer grappling above.
While the cable winch is raising, the descenders (6) of all upper suspended tray assemblies still supported by their respective tethers allow the cable from the cable winch to slip through, allowing below suspended tray assemblies to raise while said suspended tray assembly remains at a fixed height until below suspended tray assemblies grapple to it; this sequence will cascade upwards until all suspended tray assemblies are fully retracted and grappled. To achieve said "slip through" while raising requires the descender to unlock its grasp on the cable; it does this when tension is applied to the respective tethers above. The hard-stop is to be placed in such a way to allow the tethers to fully disengage the pawl of the ratchet without the pawl over-travelling; thus, the hard-stop shall bear the tension from the tethers while the pawl is disengaged. Ideally, the set of descenders (6) for each suspended tray assembly shall meet or exceed sufficient strength to safely bear the sum of:
the weight of all suspended tray assemblies below and including itself (but not above), and the maximum rated weight capacity of all suspended tray assemblies below and including itself (but not above). However, if the grapples or descenders are prone to any amount of backlash or settling, then the set of descenders (6) for each suspended tray assembly shall meet or exceed sufficient strength to safely bear the sum of: the weight of all suspended tray assemblies, and the maximum rated weight capacity of all suspended tray assemblies.
The tether (7) may essentially comprise of either but not limited to a rope, a belt, a cable, or a rigid bar hinged in the middle and at either end. The tethers play a key role in the timing of when each lowering suspended tray assembly un-grapples and begins its descent. The tethers length can determine individual shelf vertical spacing, including the top tray spacing from the upper drive as well as spacing between each tray. The sum of all tether lengths can exceed the vertical height of the room because the lower trays will expand first then stack on the floor if needed. Tension is applied to the tethers when a below suspended tray assembly is lowered below a grappled suspended tray assembly by the length of the tethers. The upper end of the tethers for the upper-most suspended tray assembly shall be securely anchored to the upper drive system. The upper end of the remaining tethers shall be securely anchored to the latch (5.1) of the grapple (5) of the suspended tray assembly above. The lower end of the tethers the of the lower-most suspended Page 4 of 5 Retractable Shelving System tray assembly shall be securely anchored to the lower-most suspended tray assembly. The lower end of the remaining tethers shall be securely anchored to the pawl (6.2) of the descender (6) of the suspended tray assembly below. Elastic bands can manage loose tethers by pulling inwards when tension is alleviated. The set of tethers (7) for each suspended tray assembly shall meet or exceed sufficient strength to safely bear the sum of: the weight of all suspended tray assemblies below and including itself (but not above), and the maximum rated weight capacity of all suspended tray assemblies below and including itself (but not above).
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Claims (23)
1. An apparatus of an over-head suspended multi-tiered shelving system, wherein allowing for downward deployment and upward retraction of an array of suspended tray assemblies (a.k.a. "shelves") below.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein suspended tray assemblies individually deploy downward starting with the lower-most then cascading through upwards.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising of a set of cable winches (1).
4. A cable winch of claim 3 further comprising essentially of a drum (1.1) rotating about a center axel (1.2), and a rope, cable, chain, belt, or any similar means (referred hereafter as "cable") (1.3) of sufficient length to allow the suspended tray assemblies to lower to desired height.
5. A cable winch of claim 3, wherein one end of the cable (1.3) shall be securely attached to the drum (1.1) allowing for the other end of the cable (referred hereafter as "tail") to raise and lower as the drum winds and unwinds respectively.
6. A cable winch of claim 3, wherein the tail of the cable shall be securely attached to the lower-most suspended tray assembly.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising of a back-turn preventer (2).
8. The back-turn preventer of claim 7, wherein the worm gear (2.2) is essentially unable to turn when not acted on by the worm screw (2.1).
9. The back-turn preventer of claim 7, wherein by driving the worm screw with the drive source (3) and driving the cable winches (1) from the worm gear, the operator may raise and/or lower the suspended tray assemblies to a desired height, then load suspended tray assemblies without any suspended tray assembly lowering while acted on only by gravity.
10. The back-turn preventer of claim 7, further comprising of a one-way idler shaft-collar (2.3) to be placed in series between the worm gear axel and the cable winch(s) axel.
11. The one-way idler shaft-collar of claim 10, wherein allowing the trays to lower without beginning to raise again if the cable winches are completely unwound and over-turned.
12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a drive source (3) may essentially comprise of a either but not limited to: a manual hand crank, manual pull-chain loop, a motorized drive.
13. A suspended tray assembly of claim 2, further comprising of a tray surface (4).
14. A suspended tray assembly of claim 2, further comprising of a set of grapples (5).
15. A grapple of claim 14, wherein thrusting of a suspended tray assembly into a body above shall cause the latch (5.1) to grapple with the latch pin (5.3) above.
16. A grapple of claim 14, wherein tension applied to the respective tether (7) below shall drive the latch (5.1) away from the latch pin (5.3) above, disengaging the grapple.
17. A suspended tray assembly of claim 2, further comprising of a set of descenders (6).
18. A descender of claim 17, wherein while engaged, allowing downward travel of the cable (1.3) relative to the suspended tray assembly and prohibiting upward travel of the cable (1.3) relative to the suspended tray assembly.
Retractable Shelving System
Retractable Shelving System
19. A descender of claim 17, wherein tension applied to the respective tether (7) above shall drive the pawl (6.2) away from the cog (6.1), disengaging the ratchet of the descender permitting upward travel of the cable (1.3) relative to the suspended tray assembly..
20. A descender of claim 17, may further comprise of a one-way idler shaft-collar in series between the cable pulley (6.5) and the ratchet (6.1-6.3).
21. A one-way idler shaft-collar of claim 20, wherein the undesired sound of the ratchet clicking as the suspended tray assemblies lower is eliminated.
22. A suspended tray assembly of claim 2, further comprising of a set of tethers (7).
23. A set of tethers of claim 22, wherein tether length can determine individual shelf vertical spacing.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2813410 CA2813410A1 (en) | 2013-04-08 | 2013-04-08 | Retractable shelving system |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2813410 CA2813410A1 (en) | 2013-04-08 | 2013-04-08 | Retractable shelving system |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2813410A1 true CA2813410A1 (en) | 2014-10-08 |
Family
ID=51727188
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2813410 Abandoned CA2813410A1 (en) | 2013-04-08 | 2013-04-08 | Retractable shelving system |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2813410A1 (en) |
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB2528550A (en) * | 2014-05-20 | 2016-01-27 | Rare Shopagear Pty Ltd | Display unit |
| WO2018140872A1 (en) * | 2017-01-30 | 2018-08-02 | Diverse Global Industrial Solutions, Inc. | Telescoping dunnage rack |
| CN110226842A (en) * | 2019-04-24 | 2019-09-13 | 上海好事可频科技有限公司 | A kind of automatic accomodation cabinet |
-
2013
- 2013-04-08 CA CA 2813410 patent/CA2813410A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB2528550A (en) * | 2014-05-20 | 2016-01-27 | Rare Shopagear Pty Ltd | Display unit |
| GB2528550B (en) * | 2014-05-20 | 2017-07-05 | Rare Shopagear Pty Ltd | Display unit |
| WO2018140872A1 (en) * | 2017-01-30 | 2018-08-02 | Diverse Global Industrial Solutions, Inc. | Telescoping dunnage rack |
| US10081490B2 (en) | 2017-01-30 | 2018-09-25 | Diverse Global Industrial Solutions | Telescoping dunnage rack |
| CN110226842A (en) * | 2019-04-24 | 2019-09-13 | 上海好事可频科技有限公司 | A kind of automatic accomodation cabinet |
| CN110226842B (en) * | 2019-04-24 | 2023-06-20 | 上海好事可频科技有限公司 | Automatic cabinet of accomodating |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| FZDE | Dead |
Effective date: 20161209 |