RACK SHELVING UNIT

• US 20140116973A1
• Filed: 10/29/2012
• Published: 05/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: BUCKLEY, THOMAS I., D'OVIDIO, MARIO, SCHERZER, MICHAEL J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,027,767 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 211/134
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 47/00 Cabinets, racks or shelf units, characterised by features related to dismountability or building-up from elements A47B43/00, A47B45/00 take precedence; features for adjusting shelves or partitions A47B57/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 47/0083 with four vertical uprights for units mainly made of wood or plastic A47B47/045
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 47/021 Racks or shelf units A47B47/03 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 47/028 with crossbars
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 57/06 with means for adjusting the height of the shelves A47B57/04, A47B57/30 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 57/34 the grooved or notched parts being the side walls or uprights themselves
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 57/40 consisting of hooks coacting with openings ladder type A47B57/36
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 57/50 characterised by shape or orientation of opening, e.g. keyhole-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 96/021 Structural features of shelf bases
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 96/1441 Horizontal struts
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/00 Show stands, hangers, or shelves characterised by their constructional features
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/01 made of tubes or wire A47F5/0807 takes precedence foldable or adjustable A47F5/13
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49947 by applying separate fastener

Abstract

A rack shelving unit includes front and rear beams, and one or more tie bars extending between the front and rear beams to form a shelf frame with the front and rear beams which can support a shelf. The tie bar can include flexible sidewalls that can flex laterally away from each other as the shelf is loaded to increase the compressive force of a compression retainer coupling the tie bar to the front and rear beams.

Claims

1. A rack shelving unit comprising:

a front beam;

a rear beam spaced rearward of the front beam;

a tie bar extending between the front and rear beams to form a shelf frame with the front and rear beams and comprising a first sidewall and a second sidewall;

a compression retainer coupling the tie bar to the front and rear beams with a compressive force, and having a first element provided on at least one of the first and second sidewalls and a second element provided on at least one of the front and rear beams; and

a shelf supported on at least a portion of the shelf frame;

wherein the first and second sidewalls are flexible, and are configured to flex laterally away from each other as the shelf is loaded to increase the compression of the first and second elements into each other and increase the compressive force of the compression retainer.

2. The rack shelving unit from claim 1, wherein the tie bar comprises a U-shaped body with a bight connecting the first and second sidewalls.

3. The rack shelving unit from claim 2, wherein the U-shaped bodydefines a channel having an opening oriented away from the shelf.

4. The rack shelving unit from claim 3, wherein the first sidewall depends from the bight at a first obtuse angle relative to a plane defined by the bight, and the second sidewall depends from the bight at a second obtuse angle relative to the plane defined by the bight.

5. The rack shelving unit from claim 3, wherein the first sidewall comprises a first flange extending away from the opening and the second sidewall comprises a second flange extending away from the opening, wherein the first and second flanges abut each of the front and rear beams.

6. The rack shelving unit from claim 5, wherein the first element comprises:

a first pair of compression fasteners provided on the first flange; and

a second pair of compression fasteners provided on the second flange.

7. The rack shelving unit from claim 1, wherein the second element comprises:

a first pair of keyhole slots in the front beam; and

a second pair of keyhole slots in the rear beam.

8. The rack shelving unit from claim 7, wherein the first element comprises:

a first pair of fasteners slidably coupling the tie bar to the first pair of keyhole slots for horizontal sliding movement of the flexible first sidewall; and

a second pair of fasteners slidably coupling the tie bar to the second pair of keyhole slots for horizontal sliding movement of the flexible second sidewall.

9. The rack shelving unit from claim 8, wherein the fasteners are pre-fixed to the first and second sidewalls, and the first and second sidewalls are configured to flex laterally toward each other to fit the fasteners to the keyhole slots.

10. The rack shelving unit from claim 9, wherein the fasteners comprise rivets.

11. The rack shelving unit from claim 1, further comprising multiple tie bars extending between the front and rear beams to form the shelf frame.

12. A method of assembling a rack shelving unit having first and second side frames, a beam, and a tie bar, the method comprising:

coupling the beam to the first and second side frames;

resiliently compressing opposing sides of the tie bar toward each other;

positioning a first element of a compression fastener on one of the tie bar and the beam adjacent a second element of the compression fastener on the other of the tie bar and the beam; and

compressively retaining the first and second elements relative to each other by releasing the resiliently compressed opposing sides of the tie bar to secure the tie bar to the beam.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein positioning the first element adjacent the second element comprises inserting the first element into the second element when the opposing sides are resiliently compressed toward each other.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein inserting the first element into the second element comprises inserting a projection into a slot.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein inserting the projection into the slot comprises inserting a fastener into a wide end of a keyhole slot.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein compressively retaining the first and second elements comprises biasing the fastener into a narrow end of the keyhole slot.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein biasing the fastener into the narrow end of the slot comprises automatically driving the fastener into the narrow end upon releasing the opposing sides of the tie bar.

18. The method from claim 12 and further comprising rotating the tie bar toward the beam after positioning the first element of the compression fastener.

19. The method from claim 18 wherein rotating the tie bar toward the beam comprises positioning a first element of a second compression fastener on one of the tie bar and the beam adjacent a second element of the second compression fastener on the other of the tie bar and the beam.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the tie bar is secured to the beam without the use of tools.