GB2176995A - Shelving units - Google Patents

Abstract

A demountable storage unit comprising at least two ladder-like side frames 21 in face-to-face spaced apart relationship, connecting pieces 8 and 9 each engaging over a side rail of one of the frames and having a connecting projection opposed to the connecting projection on an adjacent frame, each such pair of opposed connecting projections being connected by a rail 3 and at least one shelf 5 supported on the rungs 7 of the side frames. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Storage unit The present invention relates to a storage unit.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a demountable storage unit which may readily be assembled to suit a variety of storage requirements.

According to the present invention there is provided a demountable storage unit comprising at least two ladder-like side frames, connecting pieces for engaging over the side rails of the frames and having connecting projections, a connecting rail for engagement with the connecting projections so as to extend between the side frames, and at least one shelf supported on the rungs of the side frames.

The invention also provides a kit which comprises the above defined components for assembly into the storage unit.

The storage unit may be constructed in a number of ways. Thus, for example, the unit may be extended in the horizontal direction by use of at least three side frames in which case at least one of the connecting pieces will have the two connecting projections each for engagement with one of the connecting rails running to an adjacent side-frame.

The connecting projections of the connecting pieces are preferably spigots and the connecting rails are preferably tubes within which the spigots locate.

Preferably also means may be provided for locating the ladder-like side frames one above another so that the storage unit may be built up in height.

The invention will be further described by a way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a partialiy exploded perspective view showing the assembly of one embodiment of demountable shelving in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2-4 are details (to an enlarged scale) of the assembly shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 99 show a modification of the shelving unit illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4.

The shelving assembly 1 illustrated in Fig. 1 is a demountable unit and comprises a plurality of ladder-like side frames 2L and 2U, square-section horizontal connecting tubes 3, vertical extension pieces 4, and shelves 5 (only one shown) all assembled together in the manner to be described more fully below.

Each ladder-like side frame 2U or 2L comprises a pair of square-section tubular side-pieces 6 connected by a plurality of rungs 7. As shown in Fig.

1, the assembly comprises six such side frames, arranged as three lower frames (2L) in spaced apart relationship and three upper frames (2U) in corresponding spaced apart relationship.

The assembly of the three lower side-frames 2L will now be described.

Connecting pieces 8 are provided over the lower and upper ends of the rear tubular side-pieces 6 of the outer ladder-like side frames 2L and connecting pieces 9 are provided over the corresponding ends of the central ladder-like frame 2L. The structure of connecting pieces 8 is shown in Fig. 2 and will be seen to comprise a square-section tubular boss 10 (of internal dimension such that it is a close--but not tight-fit over the tubular side-pieces 6) and a square-section spigot 11 (of external dimensions such that it is a close- but not tight-fit within tube 3).

The structure of connecting pieces 9 is shown in Fig.

3 and will be seen to be very similar to that of connecting piece 8 save that two square-section spigots 11 are provided on the central boss 10.

Two more points should be noted in relation to the assembly of the three lower side frames 2L.

Firstly, shelf 5 is of the same length as tubes 3 and, at each end, has a pair of hooks 12 for engagement over rungs 7. The hooks 12 at one end of the shelf 5 are located at the outer longitudinal edge of the shelf whereas those at the other end of the shelf are spaced from the adjacent longitudinal edge by a distance just greater than the width of a hook 12.

The reason for this construction will be described later. Secondly, the lower ends of side-pieces 6 have inserts 13 which form feet for the side-frames 2L (to prevent damage to floor surfaces by the tubular side-pieces 6).

The three lower side frames 2L are assembled in the following manner. Connecting pieces 8 are located by their bosses 10 over the upper and lower ends of the rear side-pieces 6 of the two outer side frames 2L whereas the bosses 10 of connecting pieces 9 are provided over the corresponding ends of the central frame 2L. Tubes 3 are then located over the various spigots 11 (to produce the arrangement shown in Fig. 1) such that their ends abut against bosses 10. A plurality of shelves 5 may then be located in position (by engagement of their hooks 12 over rungs 7) to provide rigidity for the assembly as well, of course, as the necessary storage space.

Since the hooks 12 at one end of shelf 5 are off-set from those at the other end, it is possible for two adjacent shelves to be supported at the same horizontal level on the same rung of a ladderframe 2 (i.e. one frame is at 1800 to the other) - see Fig. 4.

The upper ladder-like side frames 2U are located in position by the vertical extension pieces 4. These are shown in Fig. 4 and comprise a body-section 14 of the same external dimensions as the side-pieces 6 and two spigots 15 which are a close (but not tight) fit within side-pieces 6.

To locate the upper side-frames 2U in position, vertical extension pieces 4 are located (by one of their spigots 15) in the upper ends of each of the side-pieces 6 of the lower side frames 2L. The lower ends of the side pieces 6 of the upper frames 2U are then located over the projecting spigots 15.

Connecting pieces 8 and 9 together with tubes 3 are then used to connect the rear upper ends of the sidepieces 6 of the upper side frames 2U. Finally, shelves 5 may be supported on the upper side frames 2U.

The shelving system shown in Figs. 5--8 is, in many respects, very similar to that described above with reference to Figs. 1--4 and simiiar components are referenced by the same reference numerals suffixed with a ""'. The following differences should however be noted.

The side-pieces 6' of each frame 2U' and 2L' each have at one end a welded-in spigot 20 (see Figs. 5 and 6). This avoids the need for separate connecting pieces 4 as described forthe shelving system shown in Fig. 1 to 4. Once the shelving system of Fig. 5 has been assembled to its full height a U-shaped finishing piece 21 may be provided at the top of each ladder-like frame. This finishing piece 21 is of square tubular section and its limbs 21a are dimensioned to locate over spigots 20 (see Fig. 7).

In the embodiment of Figs. 59 the shelf is provided by a board (not shown) which simply rests on brackets 22 supported on rungs 7'. Each such bracket 22 comprises a flat metal strip 23 having two hooks 24 along one of its longitudinal edges. One such hook 24 is at one end of the longitudinal edge of the strip whereas the other hook 24 is spaced from the opposite end of the edge (see Fig. 8). This disposition of the hooks 24 allows two brackets 22 to be supported on the same rung 7' (see Fig. 9).

It will be appreciated that a number of modifications may be made to the illustrated construction. Firstly, the upper side-frames need not be used. Secondiy, a different number of side frames 2 may be used (provided of course that there are at least two). Thirdly, the side-frames 2 may have a different number of rungs 7.

In this respect it is envisaged that the side frames may be manufactured with 2,4 and 5 rungs. It is envisaged that shelving units with only 2 or 3 rungs will be too small for practical purposes but by using combinations of the 2-, 4-and 5-rung side frames it will be possible to produce practical size shelving units with any number of rungs from 4 upwards.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing description that the invention provides a shelving unit which may readily constructed to suit the needs of a particular situation.

Claims (10)

1. A demountable storage unit comprising at least two ladder-like side frames in face-to-face spaced apart relationship, connecting pieces each engaging over a side rail of one of the frames and having a connecting projection opposed to the connecting projection on an adjacentframe, each such pair of opposed connecting projections being connected by a rail, and at least one shelf supported on the rungs of the side frames.

2. A unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the connecting pieces comprise a tubular boss in which locates the end of the side of the frame, and a spigot on the boss, said spigot providing the connecting projection.

3. A unit as claimed in claim 2 wherein the connecting rail is a tube in which the opposed spigots of the connecting pieces locate.

4. A unit as claimed in claims 1 or 2 wherein connecting pieces and connecting rails are provided at both ends of one of the side rails of each frame.

5. A unit as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 comprised of a plurality of lower ladder-like frames and a plurality of upper ladder-like frames mounted on the upper ends of the lower frames.

6. A unit as claimed in claim 5 wherein the side rails of the ladder like frames are tubular and the upper ends of the lower frames have integral spigots locating in the lower ends of the upper frames.

7. A unit as claimed in claim 5 wherein the side rails of the ladder-like frames are tubular and the upper frames are mounted on the lowerframesby connecting pieces having two spigots, one of which locates in the side rail of the upper frame and the other of which locates in the side rail of the lower frame.

8. A unit as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 in which the shelf is supported on brackets in the form of strips having two hooks on one longitudinal edge, one of the hooks being provided at the end of the edge and the other being spaced from the other end of the edge by a distance of at least the width of the other hook.

9. A storage unit substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4 or Fig. 5 to 9 of the accompanying drawings.

10. A kit for assembly into a storage unit as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9.