US20080023429A1

US20080023429A1 - Child Safe Shelving Unit

Info

Publication number: US20080023429A1
Application number: US11/460,605
Authority: US
Inventors: William B. Trescott
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-07-27
Filing date: 2006-07-27
Publication date: 2008-01-31

Abstract

A portable furniture shelving unit assembled from a plurality of open front baskets or bins stacked one upon another, the sides of which are equipped with flexible load bearing wings on the front edges which are curled outward and to the rear capable of bending upon impact to prevent injury to children.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains to the art of storing and selling goods. It is a type of portable furniture. More particularly, it is a type of portable shelving suitable for carrying and storing goods around children.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Every day, children are injured by tall bookcases and shelving units falling on them. Curious children simply cannot resist climbing up the shelves to see what is on top. Unless the goods carried on the shelves weigh considerably more than the child does, such top heavy furniture often becomes unbalanced when a child hangs on the front, causing the furniture to topple. The combined weight of the goods plus the weight of the furniture itself strikes the child as a monolithic mass, often causing severe injury.
Expensive permanently installed shelving is required to safely display goods for sale in groceries and retail stores that cater to families with children. Stockmen must laboriously transfer goods onto shelves from portable boxes, pallets, and crates which must then be expensively recycled or inconveniently disposed of, thus increasing the cost of retailing and ultimately the prices that customers must pay for goods. Even if such furniture is strongly fastened to a wall or floor of a building, there is a further risk that a child might slide a heavy object off of a shelf and be struck by it even if the shelving unit itself is immovable. The object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a labor saving alternative to permanently installed shelving that will not endanger the safety of children.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is known to provide children's furniture with a versatility of uses. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,347, Tharalson discloses a “multi-purpose bedside co-sleeper convertibly adapted for use as a child's easel, bassinet, couch, and toy storage/display device comprising . . . means for adjusting the height of the co-sleeper relative to a ground surface.” It is also known to provide furniture with fiddles or turned up edges to prevent objects carried thereupon from falling off and striking a child. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,284,256, Correll-Antoun teaches that each shelf in a child's bookcase can be provided with “a protruding lip that extends along the front of the shelf” adapted for displaying a book.
It is also known to provide furniture with a modular design. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,647, Schneider teaches that furniture components capable of being disassembled and reassembled into different kinds of furniture by the owner can be adapted to a child's needs as the child grows. Schneider's claim of “stable stacking of several units,” however, “one above another without a danger of coming apart or of one slipping off another” secured with “fixing means” that “prevents the parts from separating during a fall” may work well for the small bedroom furniture described, but pose a serious danger in a retail setting where monolithically fastened shelving loaded with hundreds of pounds of goods may exceed six feet in height and fall on a child in one piece.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,126,022, Merkel teaches that the walls of a shelving unit can be “constructed of folded material which provides rounded edges that limit damage to material stored on the shelf.” However, the “plurality of safety bars” described “inserted through the securing bore located on each of the tabs” to help secure the shelf, seem more intended to prevent the folded material from collapsing than to protect children from impact should the furniture be toppled. Similarly, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,423,817, Monjo-Rufi teaches that a “free wing” can be used to connect sections of a shelving unit, but the safety bolt shown extending through the wing appears to be intended to connect the various parts into a monolithic unit, preventing the shelves from separating on impact if the furniture were to fall and strike a child.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Solution to the Problem

In U.S. Pat. No. 6,494,313, which I claim the benefit of, I described how shelving units could be assembled from Stackable Open Front Grocery and Goods Bins with Air Cushion Mobility standing one upon another. These bins are designed to ride on cushions of compressed air to slide easily across floors so that dangerous material handling equipment such as fork lifts are not required to load and unload trucks. By making the bins a uniform size, a conveyer and sorting mechanism can be used to load them with goods automatically from the top before they are stacked, eliminating the need for manual labor to transfer goods from boxes onto store shelves. In a retail setting, stacks of bins could be transported to the retailer pre-loaded with goods for sale and then displayed in the same manner as ordinary store shelving without handling the goods with excessive labor.
An improvement over the existing art is that a shelving unit made up of bins held in place only by gravity, rather than being attached with a fixing means as disclosed in Schneider, can separate on impact, significantly reducing the possibility of injury to a child If the “wings” of bins merely rest on top of those below rather than being bolted as in Monjo-Rufi, the shelving unit will not fall as a monolithic mass. Shelves can be constructed of flexible material with rounded edges that limit damage to goods without the “plurality of safety bars” described in Merkel. Upon comparison of sizes and shapes, persons skilled in the art will recognize that if provided with suitable accessories such as cushions or a mattress, a stack of three or four bins could become a multi-purpose bedside co-sleeper convertibly adapted for use as a child's easel, bassinet, couch, and toy storage/display device such as described in Tharalson—the means for adjusting the height relative to the ground being achieved by adding or removing bins from the stack. Bins could be sold at a lower price than the purpose built children's furniture described above while at the same time providing an improvement in safety.
Stackable Open Front Grocery and Goods Bins with Air Cushion Mobility incorporate a number of features undesirable for use around children, however. The front corners are stiff and could injure a child if a furniture unit comprised of these bins were toppled. The Child Safe Shelving Unit of my invention improves upon my prior art by incorporating a lighter structure and a flexible bottom front edge and corners on each shelf to cushion the impact should the furniture fall and strike a child. The flexible front edge also has a secondary function of preventing children from sliding heavy objects off shelves like the protruding lip of Correl-Antoun, allowing it the facility to safely perform many of the functions of children's furniture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 shows a side plan view of a shelving unit comprised of two stacked bins according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a cross sectional side cutaway view of the shelving unit of FIG. 1 with a front panel according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows a top plan view of the shelving unit of FIG. 1 with the front facing downward.

FIG. 4 shows a front plan view of the shelving unit of FIG. 1 with a front panel according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows a bottom plan view of the shelving unit of FIG. 1 with the front facing upward.

FIG. 6 shows a side plan view of eighteen nested bins according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 shows a front plan view of a front panel according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 shows a perspective detail view of a lower front corner of a bin according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 shows a perspective detail view of the top rear corners of two bins placed side by side with a “D” ring according to the present invention.

FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of a bin according the present invention.

FIG. 11 shows an isometric view of a fork lift attachment according the present invention at the same scale and orientation as the bin of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 shows an isometric view of a wheeled cart according the present invention at the same scale and orientation as the bin of FIG. 10.

FIG. 13 shows a perspective view of the fork lift attachment of FIG. 11 with a material handling vehicle and a shelving unit loaded with goods according to the present invention.

FIG. 14 shows a perspective view the wheeled cart of FIG. 12 with a shelving unit loaded with goods according to the present invention.

FIG. 15 shows a detail cross sectional side cutaway view of the bottom front edge of the shelving unit of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

I will now describe the preferred embodiment of my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals are used to refer to like parts.

1. Wings

The child safe shelving unit 1 of my invention is assembled from a plurality of open front carrying devices such as baskets or bins 2 stacked one upon another as shown in FIG. 1, each side 3 of which is equipped with a flexible load bearing wing 4 on the front edge as shown in greater detail in FIGS. 4 & 8, which is curled outward and rearward in such a way that it is capable of bending upon impact to prevent injury to children. While smooth sided mostly rectangular bins are herein described and shown, it will be understood that carrying devices with perforated, gnarled, or friction enhancing surfaces, and triangular, semicircular, oval, and polygonal shapes can also be used without departing from the teachings of this invention.
While the wings 4 could be joined at right angles to the sides 3, it is preferred that they be curled more than ninety degrees from the sides so that the edge of each wing presents a blunt instrument should it fall forward and strike a child. To facilitate mold release and allow bins to be nested inside each other to save space as shown in FIG. 6 when not being used to carry goods, it is also preferred that the curl not be more than 180 degrees so that wings will fit in front of the wings of other bins nested below without deformation. It is most preferred that the curl of the wing be exactly 180 degrees so that the sharp unprotected wing edge 5 points directly to the rear so as to present a blunt instrument if the shelving unit were to fall sideways.

2. Air Cushion Lips

A lip 6 is molded around the bottom circumference of each bin as shown in FIG. 5 to contain a cushion of compressed air when the bin is sitting on a smooth floor 40 as shown in detail in FIG. 15 that will allow it to fly like a hovercraft to facilitate movement. Although a hole 7 is shown in the front of each bin to admit compressed air from a hose 39, one skilled in the art will recognize that other means of supplying compressed air or other working fluids may also be used.
The front of the lip 6 incorporates an upward curl 8 to prevent goods inside the bin from sliding off and falling on a child. While the upward curl 8 could intersect the shelf 11 at a right angle, it is preferred that it be turned upward less than 90 degrees to facilitate mold release. Most preferably, it should be curled upward about 60 degrees.
The front edge of the lip 6 also incorporates a downward curl 9 which is capable of containing compressed air. While the downward curl 9 could intersect the upward curl 8 at a right angle, it is preferred that it be turned downward more than 90 degrees for strength. More preferably, it should be turned down at least 150 degrees as shown in detail in FIG. 15 so that the plane of the downward curl 9 intersects the plane of the shelf 11 at approximately a right angle and the sharp unprotected bottom edge of the lip 6 faces downward so as to present a blunt instrument should it fall forward and strike a child. Even more preferably, when a bin is sitting on the ground, the bottom edge of the lip 6 should be curled at least 180 degrees so that it touches the ground at an acute angle as shown in FIG. 15 and air pressure contained in the hollow 10 behind and above the lip 6 will force it against the ground to prevent the escape of air. Most preferably, the rear side of the downward curl should be 160 to 170 degrees to facilitate mold release while the front side varies from 150 degrees or vertical near the top to 300 degrees or almost horizontal at the bottom so that the thickness of material increases from top to bottom to better withstand tensile sheer stresses and support weight on soft surfaces, and so the sharp edge of the downward curl points rearward presenting a blunt instrument should it fall downward and strike a child. To better withstand compressive sheer stresses, the top of the hollow 10 at the intersection between the upward curl 8 and the downward curl 9 should also be molded with a greater thickness of material.
It is further preferred that the shelf 11, upward curl 8, and downward curl 9 together combine to form an “S” shaped cross section as shown in FIG. 15 to provide flexibility on impact to the front edge to reduce the possibility of injury should the shelving unit topple and strike a child. It is also preferred that the junctions 12 between the front and side edges of the molded lip 6 and the wings 4 also be “S” shaped as shown in FIGS. 5 & 8 to provide flexibility on impact. Although “S” shapes are shown, one skilled in the art will recognize that other means of providing flexibility may also be used and, if the compressed air cushion capability is not needed to facilitate movement, the junctions 12 could be omitted entirely without departing from the teachings of this invention.

3. Front Panels

The hollow 10 the upward curl 8 and the downward curl 9 can be used to secure a removable front panel 13 as shown in FIGS. 2 & 4 that will prevent goods carried in the bin stacked below it from falling out while in transport. A front panel can be installed in the shelving unit by placing the bottom edge 14 on top of the shelf 11 between two bins, then inserting the top edge 15 upward into the hollow 10 of the upper bin, then sliding the bottom edge 14 of the panel forward until it snaps into a front panel retention groove 16 molded adjacent to the upward curl 8 as shown in greater detail in FIG. 15. It is preferred that the vertical dimension of the front panel be precisely sized to fit tightly between the bins so that pulling the panel forward lifts the upper bin and/or bends the panel slightly during insertion until it drops into the front panel retention groove 16 with a snapping sound. Alternatively, if only light loads are to be carried on the shelves above, the front panels could be reduced in height to facilitate easy insertion and removal.
Regardless of the height of the front panel 13, the top corners 17 should be cut away as shown in FIG. 7 so that the junctions 12 connecting the front and side edges of the molded lip 6 do not interfere with the insertion of the panel. Front panels should be equipped with a means of lifting them up out of the front panel retention grooves 16 and pushing them inside the bins to facilitate removal. While finger holes 18 are shown, one skilled in the art will recognize that other means of lifting a front panel may be used without departing from the teachings of this invention.
Front panels can be made child safe by placing weight in the upper shelves so that, as long as the front panels fit tightly between the bins, only an adult will be able to lift them up out of the retention grooves. An alternative method of inserting a front panel is to tilt up the front of a bin, place a panel into the retention groove below, then lower the hollow of the tilted bin on top of the panel. It is preferred that the horizontal dimension of front panels be precisely sized to fit exactly between the sides of bins so that they will remain held in a vertical position by friction when bins above are removed or replaced. This will allow panels to be inserted into bins before they are stacked into a complete shelving unit so that individual shelves can be completely filled with goods and then covered with a sterile shrink film (not shown) to protect the contents from contamination. It will be understood that to discourage pilfering, front panels cannot be removed if the shelves are full without disassembling the shelving unit or destroying the front panels. It is therefore also preferred when shelving units are to be used in a retail or industrial setting that front panels be made of tamper evident disposable corrugated material capable of being slit horizontally with a box cutter for easy removal.

4. Securement Grooves

There are angled grooves 19 in the top front corner of each bin into which the wings 4 of the bin stacked above it will fit so that they will be firmly restrained when pushed or pulled by a child. While the walls of the angled grooves 19 could be vertical, it is preferred that the front wall of each groove be more horizontal than vertical to facilitate mold release and to present less of a choking hazard should the clothing of a child, such as a shirt collar, become hooked on it. It is more preferred that anything hung on a front corner come off instantly when pulled in a horizontal direction. It is most preferred that the front of each top corner should be rounded in such a way that it presents a blunt instrument should the unit fall and strike a child and that anything large enough to choke a child or that a child might pull to cause the unit to topple should fall off instantly.
A problem with flexible plastic structures is that dimensions may change due to creep or yielding under a heavy load. Catenaries in the front of the shelf 11 and lip 6 may cause the angled grooves 19 in the right and left top front corners of a bin to bend inward toward each other so that the wings 4 of a bin to be stacked above will not fit. To prevent this, it is preferred that rearward pointing tabs 20 as shown in detail in FIG. 8 are molded into the back sides of the wings 4 to maintain the separation between the corners when the bin below is heavily loaded. It is most preferred that the top edges 24 of the front corners are restrained between the tabs 20 and the rearward curled wing edges 5. One skilled in the art will understand that inserting a front panel under a bin before it is loaded will prevent catenaries, allowing the bins on top to be stacked easily. The panels can then be removed to access the goods inside after the bins are stacked.
The top rear corners of each bin have a quarter circle shaped groove 21 to allow a semicircular “D” ring 22 which can be fastened to a wall (not shown) to restrain shelving units and prevent them from toppling when the rear corners of two bins are placed side by side underneath and in front of a ring as shown in FIG. 9. While the rear walls 23 of these grooves should be vertical to restrain the ring, it is preferred that the rear walls 23 be tapered in height as shown so that they are higher near the outside edges than in the middle and the inside edges are entirely absent. This will allow a “D” ring to be lifted up and disengaged automatically by sliding the shelving unit sideways supported by an air cushion without having to manually lift the ring and also minimizes the choking hazard should the clothing of a child, such as a shirt collar, become hooked on a rear corner. As with the angled grooves 19 on the front corners, it is preferred that the front wall of each quarter circle shaped groove 21 be more horizontal than vertical to facilitate mold release and to present less of a choking hazard should the clothing of a child become hooked. It will be understood that in a free standing configuration, four shelving units can be joined back to back and side to side by a circular ring (not shown). Such a ring will prevent shelving units from toppling forward, yet allow them to be disengaged by sliding them sideways when supplied with compressed air.

5. Carrying Handles

The top edges 24 of each bin should be curled outward and downward so as to be able to fit over adult fingers, hooks attached to a wall, or a special “U” shaped fork lift attachment 25 fitted to the front of a material handling vehicle, about which more will be said later, for carrying shelving units. While the top edges 24 could intersect the sides 3 and upper back 30 at right angles, it is preferred that the curl be greater than 90 degrees to form an all-around carrying handle. It is also preferred that the underside of the curls should be molded with a friction enhancing surface to improve grip. It is further preferred that the curl be no more than 180 degrees to facilitate mold release. It is most preferred that the curl be exactly 180 degrees to prevent the top edges 24 near the front corners from falling off the forklift attachment 25, which will be described in greater detail below, should they move toward one another as a result of catenaries forming in the front of the shelf and lip caused by a heavy load.
Persons knowledgeable in the art will understand that when nested, it is desirable that the bins on top should be carried at an angle with respect to the bins underneath as shown in FIG. 6 so that the front of each nested bin is higher than the rear. This assures that the center of gravity of the nested stack will remain over the bottom bin to prevent it from becoming unbalanced and falling forward. Therefore, to facilitate tighter nesting, the amount of curl in the top edges 24 on the sides of a bin should be less toward the rear than toward the front as shown in FIGS. 1 & 6.
One skilled in the art will also recognize that if more than twenty five bins were to be nested, they could also fall backward. Therefore, it is preferred that the direction of nesting should be reversed after eight or nine bins have been stacked. While the tenth bin from the bottom is shown facing in the reverse direction as the ninth in FIG. 6, it will be understood that the direction of nesting of bins with larger upward curls 8 and downward curls 9 than shown may need to be reversed before a tenth bin is nested. Regardless how often the nesting is reversed, it is most preferred that the quarter circle shaped grooves 21 in the top rear corners of a bin be capable of restraining the wings 4 of a reversed bin nested above it in the same manner as the angled grooves 19 in the top front corners restrain the wings 4 when shelving units are stacked normally—top edges 24 restrained between the wing edges 5 and the tabs 20, allowing many shelving units to be nested in a single tall stack of fifty or more bins without falling over. It is also preferred that there should not be so much curl in the top edges 24 that adult fingers cannot be inserted underneath when nested.

6. Rear Legs

The bottom rear corners of bins are each equipped with a leg 26 which together with the lip 6 is capable of restraining the top edge 24 of the bin stacked below so that flexing of the wings 4 in front of the bin while being shoved or pushed by a child will not cause the bottom edge of an upper bin to fall off the top edge of a lower bin. Indentations 27 should be molded into the top edges 24 of bins to restrain the legs of bins stacked above. A vertical ridge 28 as shown in detail in FIG. 9 should connect each leg 26 on the bottom with the indentation 27 above it for strength so that the weight of bins stacked above passes through to the bins below without causing deformation of the rear of the bin. It is preferred that legs be positioned close to corners so that the corners can provide additional strength to the ridges, but not so close as to prevent efficient nesting. It is also preferred that the front panel retention groove ends 39 extend rearward from the sides of each front panel retention groove 16 to restrain the legs 26 of bins nested above in a reversed direction in the same manner that the indentations 27 restrain the legs 26 when shelving units are stacked normally. It is most preferred that the spacing between the legs 26 be less than the distance between the wing edges 5 so that if a shelving unit stacked against a wall were to topple sideways, it would strike the wall before hitting a child.

7. Sides and Rear

While the sides 3 of each bin could be vertical, it is preferred that they be angled in such a way that the top edges are farther apart than the bottom edges to facilitate mold release and to prevent delicate goods carried inside from being pinched should the top front corners move toward one another as a result of catenaries in the shelf caused by a heavy load. It is further preferred that the rear of each bin be molded with a bend 29 as shown with a dashed line in FIG. 4 so that the upper back 30 of the bin is vertical, but the lower back 31 of the bin is tilted at an angle so that a plumb line hung over the curled top edge will exactly touch the outer radius of curvature at the intersection between the lower back 31 and the shelf 11. In this way, the plane of the upper back 30 will be at right angles to the shelf 11 to facilitate the orderly loading and stacking of cans and boxes having sharp corners against the rear wall with automated equipment while the bin is tipped backward at an angle. It is preferred that all the intersections between the sides 3 and the lower back 31 and the shelf 11 be radiused to prevent stress concentrations under heavy loads and to eliminate sharp creases that might trap dirt or otherwise prevent dirty bins from being washed out for recycling or re-use. It is most preferred that the bend 29 be capable of straightening in the middle so that the lower back 31 can sag downward to compensate for catenaries in the shelf 11 caused by a heavy load.
To prevent the upper backs 30 from being pushed outward when catenaries in heavily loaded shelves cause the lower backs 31 of bins stacked above to sag downward, it is preferred that the top rear edge 32 of each bin should be taller near the corners than in the center as shown in FIG. 4. To simplify the manufacture of the forklift attachment 25, which should be fabricated from a ribbon of cold rolled steel bent into a “U” shape as shown in FIG. 11, it is most preferred that the bottom surface of the curled top rear edge 32 be straight and the difference in height between the corners and the center be achieved by adjusting the thickness of the material so that the corners are molded thicker than the center.

8. Drip Holes

Holes 33 should be provided in the legs 26 and the front panel retention groove ends 39 to permit condensation moisture and wash water to drain off of each shelf 11. The holes should extend from the inside corners as shown in FIG. 10 to the outside of the legs 26 as shown in FIG. 9 or the outside of the lip 6 as shown in FIG. 8 so that fluids will drip on the ground and not collect on the shelves of bins stacked below. Those skilled in the art will understand that the holes may be flashed over with thin plastic which can later be perforated if it is desired to keep bugs out of the bins such as when the tops and fronts of the bins are covered with flexible plastic stretch film for hauling fresh meat. As an alternative to flashing over the holes, the holes may also be covered with a desiccant pouch or fibrous material to absorb moisture.

9. Preferred Dimensions

The preferred material for the Child Safe Shelving Unit is injection or roto-molded polypropylene (PP) or high density polyethylene (APE) plastic for low cost. It is preferred that the material be molded at least twice as thick in the edges and corners than in the shelf, back, and sides. The mold release angle on each bin should be inclined approximately 20 degrees from vertical, angled toward the front. The bottom mold release angle should be inclined approximately 20 degrees from vertical angled toward the rear.
The most preferred dimensions of each of the component baskets or bins of the Child Safe Shelving Unit are: 1 meter wide outer dimension; 1 yard wide inside dimension; 1 foot+1 cm tall outer dimension; 30 cm or 1 foot tall (minus the thickness of the material) inside dimension so as to achieve a 1 foot stacking height, the distance between identical points on two stacked bins being exactly one foot; ½ meter deep outer dimension; 1½ foot deep inside dimension, so that three shelving units can fit across a 102 inch wide truck cargo body or cargo container—two shelving units side by side facing front and one attached to the wall. Approximately three thousand bins of the most preferred size can be nested in stacks of fifty inside a fifty three foot long truck trailer.
Persons knowledgeable in plastic molding arts will understand that molds can be built with removable center sections, therefore another preferred size (not shown) is a ½ meter wide outer dimension, ½ yard wide inside dimension, all other dimensions being identical—the difference in size effected by removing a ½ meter wide section from the center of a larger mold and fastening the remaining parts together. This smaller preferred size has an advantage that bins of the larger size could be stacked on top of two of the smaller bins and two of the smaller bins can be nested inside one of the larger bins. Approximately six thousand bins of the smaller preferred size can be nested in stacks of fifty inside a fifty three foot long truck trailer.

10. Portability Devices

Because compressed air devices are noisy in operation, a shelving unit may be provided with a wheeled cart 34 as shown in FIG. 12. The cart is preferably made of cold rolled steel bent unto a “U” shape. It is preferred that the cart should engage the shelving unit 1 so that the arms 35 protrude underneath the top edge 24 of the lowest bin in the stack as shown in FIG. 14. It is also preferred that the back 38 of the cart should protrude underneath the top rear edge 32. It is most preferred that the back 38 provide support for the top rear edge 32 underneath the indentations 27. The wheels should be mounted on retractable castors in the same manner as other movable wheeled display racks, produce stands, and merchandisers which are well known in the art. It will be understood that the wheels of the cart can be extended by pulling on levers to raise a shelving unit off of the floor as shown in FIG. 14 to allow the shelving unit to be moved. It is preferred that the wheels of a cart adapted to lift bins of the smaller preferred size (not shown) be operable by only one lever as the smaller bins are more prone to tip sideways. Two levers are preferred for carts adapted to bins of the most preferred size so as to permit one handed operation of the levers when heavily loaded. Those knowledgeable in the art will recognize that other means of providing retractable wheels may also be used without departing from the teachings of this invention.
Alternatively, a fork lift attachment 25 as shown in FIG. 11 may be provided to allow a shelving unit to be transported by a material handling vehicle 36 as shown in FIG. 13. Although hooks 37 are shown, one skilled in the art will recognize that other means of connecting the fork lift attachment to a material handling vehicle may also be used without departing from the teachings of this invention. The fork lift attachment 25 should engage the shelving unit 1 so that the arms 35 protrude underneath the top edge 24 of the lowest bin in the stack. In like manner as the cart 34 described above, it is preferred that the back 38 of the fork lift attachment should protrude underneath the top rear edge 32 and most preferred that the back 38 provide support for the top rear edge 32 underneath the indentations 27. It will be understood that the material handing vehicle 36 is equipped with a hydraulic mechanism capable of lifting the fork lift attachment 25 high off the ground for the purpose of selectively stacking or un-stacking bins from a shelving unit. One skilled in the art will recognize that baskets or bins stacked high up in a shelving unit may be engaged in a like manner as the bottom bin if it is desired to lift some of the bins off of the top of the stack rather than lifting the entire shelving unit.
Although a “U” shaped wheeled cart 34 and a “U” shaped fork lift attachment 25 are shown, one knowledgeable in the mechanical arts will recognize that removable additional arms (not shown) could be attached between the arms 35 of a “U” shaped cart or fork lift attachment to provide flexibility to lift smaller bins while retaining the ability to lift larger ones, or two “U” shaped attachments 25 could be mounted side by side on one vehicle for efficiency if smaller bins or larger vehicles are used without departing from the teachings of this invention.
Although I have now described my invention in connection with my preferred embodiment, those skilled in the art will recognize that my invention may take other forms without departing from the spirit or teachings thereof. The foregoing description is intended, therefore, to be illustrative and not restrictive, and the scope of my invention is to be defined by the following claims:

Claims

1. A shelving unit comprised of an assembly of stacked carrying devices, wherein a carrying device has a flexible load bearing wing attached to a front edge which is curled outward and rearward in such a way that it is capable of

bending upon impact,

supporting the weight of a carrying device stacked above,

nesting in front of a wing of a carrying device.

2. The shelving unit of claim 1 wherein a carrying device has a groove on a top corner capable of restraining the wing of a carrying device stacked above.

3. The shelving unit of claim 1 wherein a carrying device has a tapered quarter circular groove on a top corner capable of

being restrained by a semi-circular ring,

being restrained by a circular ring,

becoming disengaged from a ring by sliding a shelving unit sideways,

restraining a wing of a carrying device nested above.

4. The shelving unit of claim 1 wherein a carrying device has an outward and downward curled top edge.

5. The shelving unit of claim 4 wherein the top edge has a friction enhancing surface.

6. The shelving unit of claim 1 wherein a carrying device has a lip capable of

containing a cushion of compressed air to facilitate movement,

restraining the top edge of a carrying device stacked below.

7. The shelving unit of claim 6 wherein the lip has an upward curled front edge capable of

preventing goods from falling off of a carrying device,

securing a removable front panel,

providing flexibility upon impact.

8. The shelving unit of claim 1 wherein a carrying device has a groove behind a front edge capable of

securing a removable front panel,

restraining a leg of a carrying device.

9. The shelving unit of claim 7 wherein the front edge has a downward curl attached to the upward curl which is capable of

containing a cushion of compressed air to facilitate movement

securing a removable front panel,

providing flexibility upon impact,

withstanding sheer stresses.

10. The shelving unit of claim 9 wherein the intersection between the downward curl and other parts of the lip is “S” shaped.

11. The shelving unit of claim 1 wherein a carrying device has a bend between the upper back and the lower back so that the upper back is perpendicular to a shelf while the lower back is angled and capable of sagging downward.

12. The shelving unit of claim 6 wherein a carrying device has a leg, together with said lip, capable of restraining the top edge of a carrying device stacked below.

13. The shelving unit of claim 12 wherein the top edge has an indentation to restrain a leg of a bin stacked above.

14. The shelving unit of claim 13 wherein a carrying device has a ridge connecting a leg with an indentation.

15. The shelving unit of claim 1 wherein said wing is curled between 90 and 180 degrees.

16. The shelving unit of claim 1 wherein said wing is curled exactly 180 degrees.

17. The shelving unit of claim 9 wherein the rearward side of said downward curl is angled between 160 and 170 degrees with respect to the upward curl.

18. The shelving unit of claim 9 wherein the front side of said downward curl is

angled between 150 and 300 degrees with respect to the upward curl, perpendicular to a shelf,

equipped with a rearward pointing bottom edge that touches the ground at an acute angle.

19. The shelving unit of claim 9 with a removable front panel inserted between an upward curl and a downward curl, said front panel having cut away corners and dimensions to fit tightly between carrying devices and the sides of a carrying device.

20. The shelving unit of claim 4 wherein a curled top edge is supported by a “U” shaped fork lift attachment connected to a material handling vehicle.

21. The shelving unit of claim 4 wherein a curled top edge is supported by a “U” shaped wheeled cart.