EP0738485A1 - Adaptable modular shelving - Google Patents

Abstract

The shelves (1-4) are supported by two uprights (5, 6) and each shelf is made up from modules (12-17) which are placed side by side. The main part (18) of each module is a flat parallelepiped and its front part is closed. Its back part is open and an extension (19) slides backwards in it. The extension is a flat plate which is slightly narrower than the main part and it is guided by the sides of this. Each shelf is supported by a front cross bar (7-10) and an intermediate cross bar (11) at the back of the main parts.

Description

The present invention relates to shelves comprising at least one shelf supported by support elements such as uprights and crosspieces, and intended to be adapted against a wall such as a building wall or a wall of a commercial vehicle.

Document FR-A-2 578 298 describes a shelving unit with rectangular shelves supported at the four corners by uprights which can be stacked end to end. The same amount can hold two successive shelves in the same plane. This constitutes a storage unit formed of parallelepiped modules juxtaposed in height and in length.

Document US-A-4 428 304 describes a shelving unit composed of shelves held in a parallelepipedic frame formed by lateral uprights, lateral spars and rear crosspieces. Each shelf is adjustable in depth, formed by a telescopic assembly of several U-section panels sliding one inside the other in the direction of the shelving depth, to occupy all or part of the surface of each floor between the uprights.

Document FR-A-2 683 128 describes a storage unit with a parallelepiped frame with lateral uprights, side members and cross members, holding shelves. The side rails and shelves are simultaneously adjustable in depth, to globally adjust the depth of the cabinet.

In all these known structures, the shelves are contained inside a parallelepiped frame, and the rear sections of the shelves are located in the vertical plane of the rear uprights.

These shelving structures are well suited for adaptation against a vertical plane wall, since it is then possible to apply all the rear sections of shelves against the wall.

However, these structures are not suitable when the wall is not flat, having either one or more curvatures in the horizontal plane and / or one or more curvatures in the vertical plane. Indeed, it is then not possible to have all of the rear sections of shelves pressed against the wall, so that there is a vacuum between certain portions of shelves and the rear wall, a void by which the objects placed on the tablet may fall. This also leads to reducing the available surface of the shelves, or to not using all the possible storage space between the edge front of the shelves and the wall against which the shelving is placed.

The problem arises in particular for the adaptation of shelving in commercial vehicles, because the shape of the bodywork is rarely flat and vertical.

The present invention aims to provide a modular shelving whose structure allows rapid and inexpensive adaptation to any form of rear wall, without the need to machine shelves and / or uprights.

The shelving structure must simultaneously have the mechanical strength properties appropriate for the intended use.

To achieve these and other aims, a modular shelving according to the invention comprises at least one shelf adjustable in depth and supported by support elements such as uprights and crosspieces; the shelf is composed of a modular assembly of shelf elements arranged side by side in the direction of the length of the shelf and each comprising independent depth adjustment means; the shelf elements can project beyond the rear of the shelving beyond the uprights and the rear crossmember which supports them.

According to a preferred embodiment, each shelf element comprises a front main body in which slides a rear extension in the direction of the depth of the shelf element.

Preferably, the main body is a flat parallelepiped housing, closed along its front edge to form the apparent front edge of the shelf, closed on the lateral sides to guide the extension in sliding, and open along its rear edge to allow the adjustable overhang. from the extension towards the back of the shelf.

The extension may for example be a board, of flat parallelepiped shape, the section of which is slightly smaller than that of the main body housing, for sliding with little play in the main body.

According to a particular embodiment, the support elements comprise end uprights connected by at least anterior crosspieces and posterior crosspieces, each body main front of shelf element being supported by an anterior cross member, and by a rear cross member on which rests the rear portion of the main body of shelf member.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the uprights each comprise a main upright body in which horizontally slide independent modular extensions arranged side by side in the height of the upright, so as to adapt the posterior shape of the upright to the shape of the wall. a vehicle.

• la figure 1 est une vue schématique en perspective d'un rayonnage modulaire selon un mode de réalisation de l'invention ;
• la figure 2 est une vue en perspective d'un élément de tablette selon l'invention, vu de trois-quarts de dessus ;
• la figure 3 est une vue en perspective de trois-quarts de la face inférieure d'un élément de tablette similaire de celui de la figure 2, ayant une épaisseur relative accrue ;
• la figure 4 illustre, en vue de dessus, une tablette de rayonnage modulaire selon l'invention, adaptée à une paroi postérieure présentant une courbure dans le plan horizontal ;
• la figure 5 illustre la succession des tablettes d'un rayonnage modulaire selon l'invention, montrant l'adaptation des longueurs selon la forme d'une paroi postérieure à courbure verticale ; et
• la figure 6 illustre un mode de réalisation des montants à rallonges modulaires indépendantes pour adaptation à une paroi postérieure à courbure verticale.

Other objects, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge from the following description of particular embodiments, given in relation to the attached figures, among which:

• Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a modular shelving according to an embodiment of the invention;
• Figure 2 is a perspective view of a shelf element according to the invention, seen from three-quarters of a top;
• Figure 3 is a three-quarter perspective view of the underside of a shelf member similar to that of Figure 2, having increased relative thickness;
• Figure 4 illustrates, in top view, a modular shelving shelf according to the invention, adapted to a rear wall having a curvature in the horizontal plane;
• FIG. 5 illustrates the succession of shelves of modular shelving according to the invention, showing the adaptation of the lengths according to the shape of a rear wall with vertical curvature; and
• FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment of the uprights with independent modular extensions for adaptation to a rear wall with vertical curvature.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1, the modular shelving according to the invention comprises four shelves 1, 2, 3 and 4, each arranged in a substantially horizontal plane and offset one above the other. The shelves are supported by support elements comprising two vertical uprights 5 and 6 connected by cross members such as the front cross members 7, 8, 9 and 10 and the rear cross member 11.

Each of the shelves 1, 2, 3 and 4, such as for example the shelf 2, is composed of a modular assembly of shelf elements 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 arranged side by side in the direction of the length of the tablet and each comprising independent depth adjustment means.

As best seen in Figures 2 and 3, each shelf element such as element 12 comprises a main body 18 in which slides an extension 19 in the direction of the depth of the shelf element 12, as illustrated by double arrows 20.

In the illustrated embodiment, the main body 18 is a flat parallelepiped housing, for example of sheet metal or any other folded sheet material, with a flat upper face, closed on its front edge 21 to constitute the visible front edge of the shelf element 12, closed on the lateral sides 22 and 23 to guide the extension 19 in sliding mode, and open along its rear edge to allow the adjustable movement of the extension 19 towards the rear of the shelf element 12. The extension 19 can be a board, for example made of wood or any other suitable material, of flat parallelepiped shape, with flat upper face, the cross section of which is slightly smaller than that of the main body case 18, for sliding with little play in the body main 18.

As seen in Figure 3, the lateral sides of the main body 18 such as the side 23 are folded back to form a lower return 24 or 25, parallel to the upper face 126 of the main body 18, to guide and support the extension 19 It is thus possible to produce the main body 18 in folded sheet.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, each shelf such as the shelf 2 is supported by an anterior cross member 8 on which the front portion or an intermediate portion of the main bodies of the elements 12-17 of the shelf rests, and by a rear cross member 11 on which the rear portion of the main bodies of the elements 12-17 of the tablet rests.

Fastening elements, such as screws 26, nails or rivets, simultaneously pass through the rear cross member 11 and the bottom wall 24 or 25 of the main body 18, penetrating into the extension 19. The fixing element ensures the fixing of each shelf element 12 and the extension 19 lock.

As illustrated in FIG. 4 in top view, a shelf 2 can be disposed against a rear wall 27 having a curvature in the horizontal plane. The shelf 2 is arranged so that the main bodies such as the main body 18 are all aligned, their front edges 21 being in the same vertical plane, the rear edges remaining away from the rear wall 27. Each extension of the elements shelf 12-17, such as the extension 19, is pushed into abutment against the rear wall 27, then locked in position by the fastening elements 26 visible in FIG. 1. As can be seen in FIG. 1, each extension 19 may protrude in a cantilever towards the rear of the shelving beyond the uprights 5, 6 and the rear cross member 11 which supports the corresponding extension element 12. In Figure 4, we see that the shelf 2 can thus adapt to the curved shape of the rear wall 27, in the horizontal plane.

Similarly, as seen in Figure 5 in side view, the shelving is disposed against the rear wall 27 which also has a curvature in the vertical direction. All the shelves are arranged so that their front sections are in the same vertical plane. The extensions such as the extension 19 are slid until they come to bear against the rear wall 27, thus adapting the depth of the shelf as a function of the shape of the rear wall 27.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the uprights 5 and 6 are metal plates pierced with vertical rows of holes 30, 31, 32 and / or 33, for the adjustable fixing in height of the anterior crossbars 7-10 and / or posterior 11. It is thus possible to adjust the anteroposterior inclination of each shelf 1-4.

Preferably, the metal plates forming the uprights 5, 6 have front vertical edges bent at right angles inward and rear vertical edges bent at right angles outward, to provide satisfactory rigidity at low cost.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6, in side view, the upright 6 also includes means for adapting its depth to the curved shape of the rear wall 27. For this, the upright 6 comprises a main upright body 28 in which horizontally slide independent modular extensions such as the extension 29, arranged side by side in the height of the upright 6, so as to adapt the rear shape of the upright to the shape of the curved rear wall 27.

The invention is particularly applicable to the production of shelving in a utility vehicle, the extensions 29 can each come to bear against a wall 27 of the vehicle.

In the embodiments which have been described, the tablet bodies 18 all have the same depth. It is however possible, to adapt to very curved conformations of the rear wall 27, to provide several depths of main body 18, receiving extensions of suitable depths. Similarly, it is possible to provide other main body structures 18, in closed housing or in open housing. One can also provide for embedding the front crosspieces 8 in the shelf elements, to prevent the front crosspieces 8 from being visible.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments which have been explicitly described, but it includes the various variants and generalizations thereof contained in the field of claims below.

Claims (10)

Modular shelving, comprising at least one shelf (1, 2, 3, 4) adjustable in depth and supported by support elements such as uprights (5,6) and crosspieces (7-11), characterized in that: - the shelf (2) is composed of a modular assembly of shelf elements (12-17) arranged side by side in the lengthwise direction of the shelf (2) and each comprising independent depth adjustment means ( 19),
- the shelf elements (12-17) can protrude cantilevered towards the rear of the shelving beyond the uprights (5, 6) and the rear crossmember (11) which supports them. Shelving according to claim 1, characterized in that each shelf element (12) comprises a front main body (18) in which slides a rear extension (19) in the depth direction (20) of the shelf element ( 12). Shelving according to claim 2, characterized in that the main body (18) is a flat parallelepiped housing, closed along its front edge (21) to form the visible front edge of the shelf, closed on its lateral sides (22, 23) to guide the extension (19) sliding, and open along its rear edge to allow the adjustable extension of the extension (19) towards the rear of the shelf. Shelving according to claim 3, characterized in that the extension (19) is a board, of flat parallelepiped shape, the section of which is slightly smaller than that of the main body housing (18), for sliding with little play in the main body ( 18). Shelving according to any one of Claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the support elements comprise end uprights (5, 6) connected by at least front crosspieces (7, 8, 9, 10) and crosspieces posterior (11), each main main body (18) of the front of the shelf element (12) being supported by a front crossmember (8) and by a rear crossmember (11) on which the rear portion of the main body (18) d 'shelf element (12). Shelving according to claim 5, characterized in that fastening elements, such as screws (26), nails or rivets, pass simultaneously through the rear crossmember (11) and the bottom wall (24, 25) of the main body (18) when entering the extension (19), to secure each shelf element (12) and block the extension (19). Shelving according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the uprights (5, 6) are metal plates pierced with vertical rows of holes (30-33), for the height-adjustable fixing of the front crosspieces (7 -10) and / or posterior (11), thus adjusting the anteroposterior inclination of the shelves (1-4). Shelving according to claim 7, characterized in that the metal plates forming the uprights (5, 6) have front vertical edges folded at right angles inwards, and rear vertical edges folded at right angles outwards. Shelving according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the uprights (6) comprise a main upright body (28) in which horizontally slide independent modular extensions (29) arranged side by side in the height of the upright (6), so as to adapt the rear shape of the upright (6) to the shape of the rear wall (27) of a vehicle. Utility vehicle fitted with a rack according to any one of Claims 1 to 9, in which the shelf elements (12-17) each come to bear against a wall (27) of the vehicle.

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