Roller Systems and Adjustment Brackets Therefor

• US 20120074088A1
• Filed: 09/29/2010
• Published: 03/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Mead, Raymond, Craig, Lonnie G., Dotson, David E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,893,902 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 211/151
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 45/00 Cabinets, racks or shelf units, characterised by features enabling enlarging in height, length, or depth sectional furniture A47B87/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/023 Arrangements of article supporting rollers on racks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A roller rail system includes an adjustment bracket including a first roller rail assembly support portion and a second roller rail assembly support portion adjacent the first roller rail assembly support portion. The first and second roller rail assembly support portions are each configured to receive a roller rail assembly such that the roller rail assembly slides within the respective first and second roller rail assembly support portion relative to the adjustment bracket. A first roller rail assembly is received by the first roller rail assembly support portion. A second roller rail assembly is received by the second roller rail assembly support portion. The roller rail system has a retracted configuration where leading ends of the first and second roller rail assemblies are closer together and an extended configuration where the leading ends of the first and second roller rail assemblies are further apart.

Claims

1. A roller rail system comprising:

an adjustment bracket including a first roller rail assembly support portion and a second roller rail assembly support portion adjacent the first roller rail assembly support portion, the first and second roller rail assembly support portions each configured to receive a roller rail assembly such that the roller rail assembly slides within the respective first and second roller rail assembly support portion relative to the adjustment bracket;

a first roller rail assembly received by the first roller rail assembly support portion; and

a second roller rail assembly received by the second roller rail assembly support portion;

wherein the roller rail system has a retracted configuration where leading ends of the first and second roller rail assemblies are closer together and an extended configuration where the leading ends of the first and second roller rail assemblies are further apart.

2. The roller rail system of claim 1, wherein the adjustment bracket comprises a first U-shaped channel portion forming the first roller rail assembly support portion and a second U-shaped channel portion forming the second roller rail assembly support portion, where the first and second U-shaped channel portions are located side-by-side.

3. The roller rail system of claim 2, wherein the adjustment bracket comprises a support bracket located at an underside of the adjustment bracket.

4. The roller rail system of claim 3, wherein the support bracket spans both the first and second U-shaped channel portions.

5. The roller rail system of claim 4, wherein the first and second U-shaped channel portions are welded together.

6. The roller rail system of claim 2, wherein each first and second U-shaped channel portion includes at least one sidewall, the at least one sidewalls including a plurality of openings that are spaced-apart along a length of the respective first and second U-shaped channel portion.

7. The roller rail system of claim 6, wherein the at least one sidewalls include a bent overhanging ledge overhanging at least a portion of their respective first and second U-shaped channel portions.

8. The roller rail system of claim 1, wherein the first roller rail assembly comprises a single column of roller wheels.

9. The roller rail system of claim 1, wherein an overall length of the roller rail system is adjustable from at least about 1500 mm to at least about 3000 mm.

10. A shelving system comprising multiple shelving regions, the shelving system comprising:

a front horizontal support member;

a rear horizontal support member; and

a roller rail system spanning the front horizontal member and the rear horizontal member, the roller rail system comprising;

an adjustment bracket including a first roller rail assembly support portion and a second roller rail assembly support portion adjacent the first roller rail assembly support portion, the first and second roller rail assembly support portions each configured to receive a roller rail assembly such that the roller rail assembly slides within the respective first and second roller rail assembly support portion relative to the adjustment bracket;

a first roller rail assembly received by the first roller rail assembly support portion; and

a second roller rail assembly received by the second roller rail assembly support portion;

wherein the roller rail system has a retracted configuration where leading ends of the first and second roller rail assemblies are closer together and an extended configuration where the leading ends of the first and second roller rail assemblies are further apart.

11. The shelving system of claim 10, wherein the first roller rail assembly is engaged with the front horizontal support member and the second roller rail assembly is engaged with the rear horizontal support member.

12. The shelving system of claim 10, wherein the adjustment bracket comprises a first U-shaped channel portion forming the first roller rail assembly support portion and a second U-shaped channel portion forming the second roller rail assembly support portion, where the first and second U-shaped channel portions are located side-by-side.

13. The shelving system of claim 12, wherein the adjustment bracket comprises a support bracket located at an underside of the adjustment bracket.

14. The shelving system of claim 13, wherein the support bracket spans both the first and second U-shaped channel portions.

15. The shelving system of claim 14, wherein the first and second U-shaped channel portions are welded together.

16. The shelving system of claim 12, wherein each first and second U-shaped channel portion includes at least one sidewall, the sidewall including a plurality of openings that are spaced-apart along a length of the respective first and second U-shaped channel portion.

17. The shelving system of claim 10, wherein an overall length of the roller rail system is adjustable from at least about 1500 mm to at least about 3000 mm.

18. A method of assembling a roller rail system, the method comprising:

positioning a first roller rail assembly in a first roller rail assembly support portion of an adjustment bracket;

positioning a second roller rail assembly in a second roller rail assembly support portion of an adjustment bracket; and

moving the first roller rail assembly relative to the second roller rail assembly with the first roller rail assembly located in the first roller rail assembly support portion to increase an overall length of the roller rail system.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising engaging the adjustment bracket with a bracket support member of a shelving system.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

engaging an end of the first roller rail assembly with a front horizontal support member of the shelving assembly; and

engaging an end of the second roller rail assembly with a rear horizontal support member of the shelving assembly.