Classifications

• • 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
  • A47B96/00—Details of cabinets, racks or shelf units not covered by a single one of groups A47B43/00 - A47B95/00; General details of furniture
• • 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
  • A47B47/00—Cabinets, racks or shelf units, characterised by features related to dismountability or building-up from elements
• • 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
  • A47B87/00—Sectional furniture, i.e. combinations of complete furniture units, e.g. assemblies of furniture units of the same kind such as linkable cabinets, tables, racks or shelf units

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a combination shelving unit which includes a number of mutually superposed shelves which are carried by a number of substantially vertical posts which, via connecting devices, are pairwise interconnected with each other and with carried shelves.
• Combination shelving units of any number of various designs and constructions are known in the art, and certain may function satisfactorily, while others less so.
• the posts which support the shelves are often interconnected in such a manner that modular units similar to ladders or steps are created.
• a feature common to prior art shelving designs and constructions is a relatively poor degree of stability in the width or lateral direction of the shelving unit, so that, as a result, either a back panel or a cross strut is required to stabilize the shelving unit.
• the assembly fittings which are employed for interconnecting shelves, posts and steps, respectively have proved to be complex, fragile or loose so that the total construction fails to achieve requisite levels of mechanical strength or stability.
• the present invention has for its object to realise a combination shelving unit of the type mentioned by way of introduction, this unit being designed in such a manner that it achieves large load-carrying capacity, and satisfactory stability in both the lateral and depth directions without the employment of cross struts, back panels or similar reinforcement.
• the present invention also has for its object to realise a combination shelving unit which is capable of being produced using extremely simple and economical means, which, in the dismantled state, may be packed down to extremely compact dimensions, and which is easy to assemble.
• the present invention also has for its object to realise a combination shelving unit which, in respect of its final configuration, is extremely versatile and flexible.
• the combination shelving unit disclosed by way of introduction is characterized in that the posts are disposed along the front and rear edges of the shelves, that the sides of the posts facing towards the shelves have recesses which accommodate edge portions of the shelves, and that the connecting devices are disposed to clamp the posts included in each pair thereof towards one another and into abutment against opposing edge portions of the shelves.
• edge portions of the shelves being accommodated in horizontally directed recesses in the posts, an extremely high degree of stability is afforded, primarily in the lateral direction of the combination shelving unit so that, thereby, cross struts, back panels and the like may be dispensed with.
• Fig. 1 is a vertical front elevation of a combination shelving unit according to the present invention
• Fig. 2 shows a part of the combination shelving unit of Fig. 1 , seen in a direction towards the end wall of the combination unit;
• Fig. 3 is a horizontal partial cross section through a post included in the combination shelving unit, approximately according to the section marking A in Fig. 2;
• Fig. 4 is a partial cross section through a shelf approximately according to the section marking B - B in Fig. 3.
• reference numeral 1 relates to a floor or a substrate on which the combination shelving unit rests.
• the combination shelving unit comprises a number of shelves 2 and 3, the shelf designated 3 being of shorter length than the shelves 2.
• the shelves 2 and 3 are supported by a number of substantially vertical posts 4 which are disposed along the front and rear sides of the combination shelving unit.
• the posts 4 are disposed in pairs, in which one such pair of posts consists of one post on the front side of the combination shelving unit and one post on its rear side.
• the distance between closely adjacent pairs of the posts, seen in the longitudinal direction of the shelves 2 and 3, respectively, may be varied optionally and may, thus, be adjusted steplessly, but some practical modular dimension might appropriately be selected, for example depending upon the manufacturing lengths of the shelves.
• Fig. 1 also shows connecting devices 5 which are disposed to realise the pairwise interconnection of the posts 4 and also to realise a load- transferring communication between the shelves 2 and 3 and the posts 4.
• the connecting devices are disposed in positions adjacent the shelves, either on their upper sides or their undersides.
• the combination shelving unit illustrated in Fig. 1 has no stabilizing back panel or cross strut, given that such rigidifying elements are superfluous to requirements.
• the lengths of the shelves are such that they at least span the distance between closely adjacent pairs of posts.
• the least suitable length for a shelf is but insignificantly larger than the distance between the outwardly facing surfaces of two closely adjacent posts.
• the shelves may be of such length that, undivided, they span the distance between the mutually most distally located posts in a combination shelving unit.
• the shelves 2 and 3 ideally display end portions 6 which slightly extend beyond the adjacent post 4.
• Fig. 2 shows the combination shelving unit seen from one end, and it will be apparent that the posts 4 in each pair are provided, on their mutually facing sides, with recesses 7 in which are accommodated edge portions of the shelf 2.
• the longitudinal direction of the recesses 7 is parallel with the longitudinal direction of the shelves 2 and 3 and is, thereby, horizontally oriented.
• the recesses 7 cover the entire width of the mutually facing sides of the posts 4 so that one post may thereby be slid to optional position along the entire length of a shelf.
• the design of the recesses 7 is substantially complementary to the contour of the edge portions of the shelves 2 and 3 and, preferably, the fit between the recesses and the above-mentioned edge portions is tight. Possibly, the recesses 7 may be slightly conical inwardly so that a certain engagement is created between the edges of the recesses and the edge portions of the shelves when the combination shelving unit is assembled.
• the connecting devices 5 include ties 8 which, in the there illustrated embodiment, are placed closely beneath the shelf 2. Naturally, these ties may also be placed on the upper side of the shelves, but also between the shelves at greater distance therefrom than is shown in the Figure.
• the ties are provided, at their ends, with clamping devices 9, preferably in the form of nuts which, on tightening towards one another, draw the posts 4 in a pair of posts towards one another. Possibly, the one end of the ties may be permanently secured in its associated post or have some other type of anchorage device interiorly in the profile of the post, for example in the form of a hook, lug or the like.
• the essential feature is only the above-described clamping action which is realised by the clamping devices 9 or the nuts.
• the recesses 7 are of quite considerable length (at least the same length as the thickness of the shelf in the vertical direction but preferably at least twice as large), a highly torsionally rigid jointing will be achieved, when the shelves are pressed into the recesses of the posts, which thus prevents movement in the combination shelving unit in the longitudinal direction of the shelves.
• the shelves 2 and 3 are provided with pressure-absorbing elements which, between the side edges of the shelves (front and rear edges), transfer the above-considered compression forces.
• the shelves 2 and 3 can, at least in this direction of loading, be considered as substantially rigid and unyielding.
• the ties 8 are loaded with tensile stress and, in addition, are of relatively great length, a certain elastic deformation in the ties can be permitted or even be desirable, for which reason there is no risk that the nuts 9 might possibly come loose as a result of vibrations or the like. Hence, the ties 8 can be considered as realising a certain spring force with slight extension and considerable resilience.
• Fig. 3 shows a horizontal partial section through a post 4 and a portion of a shelf 2.
• the shelf 2 has an outer frame 10 which extends along the longitudinal sides of the shelf, and also its short ends, and which consists of an upright flat profile. In the longitudinal direction of the shelf, there extend additional upright flat profiles 11 which are included as load carrying components in the latticework from which the shelves are produced.
• transversely directed grid bars 12 which are substantially parallel with the longitudinal direction of the ties 8 so that these grid bars 12 may hereby constitute the pressure-absorbing devices in the shelves 2.
• the grid bars 12 are disposed transversely of the longitudinal direction of the shelves, and preferably with uniform distribution spacing which may amount to between one and three times the vertical extent of one shelf, there is always the possibility that at least one such grid bar 12 (and consequently one pressure-absorbing element) may be placed in the region of one pair of posts 4.
• the grid bars 12 are placed at the upper edges of the frame 10 and the flat profiles 11 so that the shelves 2 and 3 will thereby obtain a substantially smooth load carrying surface.
• the cross sectional configuration of the post 4 illustrated in Fig. 3 may be described as C- or U-shaped with two substantially parallel shanks 13 and an arched web portion 14.
• the shanks 13 are provided with the above- considered recesses 7 so that the edge portions of the shelves 2 and 3 may thereby be accommodated in the recesses in the above-outlined manner.
• the posts 4 have an open cross section with the openings turned to face in towards one another on the posts in each pair. This implies that vertical partitions between mutually superposed shelves can be placed on the shelf with vertical edge portions accommodated interiorly in the open cross section of the posts 4.
• the posts 4 display the above-described cross section, but the cross section may be more V- shaped so that thereby the post, on hard tightening of the tie 8 and the nut 9, may possibly contribute in the cohesive spring force in that the profile of the post is, as a result of the spring action, opened somewhat so that both shanks of the post facing towards the shelf will be distanced further apart from one another.
• profile forms for the posts 4 are also conceivable and, for example, use may be made of square, rectangular, circular or oval tubular profiles, I- profiles or the like. The only requirement is that the profile must be of such configuration as to permit the arrangement of the horizontal recesses 7 provided for accommodating the edge portions of the shelves, and that these recesses are of requisite length in the longitudinal direction of the shelves.
• a combination shelving unit is constructed according to the present invention in which at least one but preferably two (ideally the uppermost and lowermost) shelves are given a length so as to span the distance between the most distally located pairs of posts, it may be possible to make certain of the shelves included in the combination shelving unit so short that a jointing of the shelves may take place in the region of any pair of posts.

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• Assembled Shelves (AREA)
• Warehouses Or Storage Devices (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=20388827

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

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• 1993
  • 1993-02-09 SE SE9300412A patent/SE501769C2/sv not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1993-12-21 WO PCT/SE1993/001092 patent/WO1994017692A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1993-12-21 EP EP94906417A patent/EP0690686B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1993-12-21 DE DE69319146T patent/DE69319146T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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