STORAGE RACK AND CROSS-BAR SUPPORT

• US 20150090683A1
• Filed: 09/23/2014
• Published: 04/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pro-mart Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Pro-mart Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Sabounjian, Azad
• Granted Patent: US 9,386,855 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 211/186
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 47/0083 with four vertical uprights for units mainly made of wood or plastic A47B47/045
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 47/028 with crossbars
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 96/14 Bars, uprights, struts, or like supports, for cabinets, brackets, or the like aspects of adjusting height or inclination of shelves or brackets A47B57/00

Abstract

A cross-bar is provided for a shelving assembly having vertical corner posts joined by horizontal deck beams with the cross-bar extending between deck beams to support the shelving material supported by the beams. The cross-bar has an offset connecting bracket at each end. The offset allows the bracket to fit underneath a deck beam flange so the bracket can engage protruding rivets on the inside of open-section deck beams.

Claims

1. A cross bar for a support frame for a shelf assembly, said shelf assembly including a pair of rear posts extending upward and an opposed pair front posts extending upward with elongated front and rear deck beams extending between and connected to respective pairs of rear posts and front posts in the same plane and parallel to each other to define a support for a shelf, each of the deck beams having an open cross-section with a vertical beam web and opposing top and bottom flanges extending from the beam web toward an inside of the shelf assembly, the opposing top and bottom flanges being separated by a distance D, the top flange having a width W and being offset vertically by a distance O below a top edge of the vertical beam web, the beam web having at least one pair of vertically aligned connectors extending inward from the beam web, each connector having an enlarged connector head with a short connector shaft extending between the head and shaft, the cross-bar comprising:

an elongated member having a vertical cross-bar web with at least a top flange extending laterally to a first side of the cross-bar web and at right angles to the cross-bar web, the cross-bar web having a height H which is less than the distance D, the vertical cross-bar web having a reduced height web section with a height R at opposing ends of the elongated member, the reduced height web section having no top flange thereon, each reduced height web section being connected to a connecting bracket that extends laterally to the first side of the cross-bar and at right angles to the reduced height web section, each connecting bracket forming at least two hooks extending laterally in the plane of the connecting bracket with each hook defining a vertical recess and with at least one hook defining a lateral opening thereto, the recess configured to receive the short connector shaft but not allow passage of the enlarged connector head, each hook sized to fit between the beam web and the enlarged head of the connector during use;

wherein height R of the reduced height web section is smaller than the distance D and height H and is sized to fit vertically between the opposing top and bottom flanges of the deck beam and allow the connector shafts to enter the lateral openings of the at least one hook and move downward so the connector shafts engage the connector recesses during use;

wherein the reduced height web section extends from the connecting bracket a distance sufficient so the top flange of the cross-bar is adjacent to the top flange of the deck-beam and the height H of the cross-bar is selected so the top flange of the cross-bar is flush with the top flange of the deck beam.

2. The cross-bar of claim 1, wherein the cross-bar web has opposing top and bottom flanges extending to the same side.

3. The cross-bar of claim 1, wherein the lateral entrance to the recess is configured to allow passage of the connector shaft but not the enlarged connector head

4. The cross-bar of claim 1, wherein each hook is configured to fit snugly between the connector head and the vertical deck beam web.

5. The cross-bar of claim 1, wherein the height R of the reduced height web section and the height of the cross-bar web H section differ by about twice the offset distance O.

6. The cross-bar of claim 1, wherein the reduced height web section has a length that is about twice the width W.

7. The cross-bar of claim 1, wherein the cross-bar has a bottom flange extending along a length of the cross-bar vertical web.

8. A deck beam and cross-bar arrangement for use with a support frame for a shelf assembly, said shelf assembly including a pair of rear posts extending upward and an opposed pair front posts extending upward with elongated front and rear deck beams extending between and connected to respective pairs of rear posts and front posts in the same plane and parallel to each other to define a support for a shelf, each of the deck beams having an open cross-section with a vertical beam web and opposing top and bottom flanges extending from the beam web toward an inside of the shelf assembly during use, the opposing top and bottom flanges being separated by a distance D, the top flange having a width W and being offset vertically by a distance O below a top edge of the vertical beam web, comprising:

two vertically aligned connectors connected to each beam web and extending inward from the beam web into the open section of the beam web at corresponding locations along the length of each beam web so the connectors are directly opposite each other during use, each connector having an enlarged connector head with a short connector shaft extending between the head and shaft; and

a cross-bar including;

an elongated member having a vertical cross-bar web with at least a top flange extending laterally to a first side of the cross-bar web and at right angles to the cross-bar web, the cross-bar web having a height H which is less than the distance D, the vertical cross-bar web having a reduced height web section with a height R at opposing ends of the elongated member, the reduced height web section having no top flange thereon, each reduced height web section being connected to an connecting bracket that extends laterally to the first side of the cross-bar and at right angles to the reduced height web section, each connecting bracket forming at least two hooks extending laterally in the plane of the connecting bracket with each hook defining a vertical recess with at least one hook also defining a lateral opening thereto, the recess configured to receive the short connector shaft but not allow passage of the enlarged connector head, each hook sized to fit between the beam web and the enlarged head of the connector during use;

wherein height R of the reduced height web section is smaller than the distance D and height H and is sized to fit vertically between the opposing top and bottom flanges of the deck beam and allow the connector shafts to enter the lateral openings of the at least one hook and move downward so the connector shafts engage the connector recesses during use;

wherein the reduced height web section extends from the connecting bracket a distance sufficient so the top flange of the cross-bar is adjacent to the top flange of the deck-beam and the height H of the cross-bar is selected so the top flange of the cross-bar is flush with the top flange of the deck beam.

9. The deck beam and cross-bar arrangement of claim 8, wherein the cross-bar has a bottom flange extending along a length of the cross-bar vertical web.

10. The deck beam and cross-bar arrangement of claim 8, wherein the lateral entrance to the recess is configured to allow passage of the connector shaft but not the enlarged connector head.

11. The deck beam and cross-bar arrangement of claim 8, wherein each hook is configured to fit snugly between the connector head and the vertical deck beam web.

12. The deck beam and cross-bar arrangement of claim 8, wherein the height R of the reduced height web section and the height of the cross-bar web H section differ by about twice the offset distance O.

13. The deck beam and cross-bar arrangement of claim 8, wherein the reduced height web section has a length that is about twice the width W.

14. The deck beam and cross-bar arrangement of claim 8, wherein the cross-bar has a bottom flange extending along a length of the cross-bar vertical web.

15. A kit for a shelving assembly having a pair of rear posts configured to extend upward during use and a pair front posts configured to extend upward during use, at least one pair of elongated front and rear deck beams configured to extend between and connected to respective pairs of rear posts and front posts in the same plane and parallel to each other to define a support for a shelf during use, each of the deck beams having an open cross-section with a vertical beam web and opposing top and bottom flanges extending from the beam web toward an inside of the shelving assembly during use, the opposing top and bottom flanges being separated by a distance D, the top flange having a width W and being offset vertically by a distance O below a top edge of the vertical beam web, the kit further comprising:

at least one pair of vertically aligned connectors extending inward from each beam web at corresponding locations along the length of each beam web so the connector are directly opposite each other during use, each connector having an enlarged connector head with a short connector shaft extending between the head and shaft;

a cross-bar comprising;

an elongated member having a vertical cross-bar web and at least a top flange extending laterally to a first side of the cross-bar web and at right angles to the cross-bar web, the cross-bar web having a height H which is less than the distance D, the vertical cross-bar web having a reduced height web section with a height R at opposing ends of the elongated member, the reduced height web section having no top flange thereon, each reduced height web section being connected to an connecting bracket that extends laterally to the first side of the cross-bar and at right angles to the reduced height web section, each connecting bracket forming at least two hooks extending laterally in the plane of the connecting bracket with each hook defining a vertical recess and a lateral opening to at least one of the recesses, the recess configured to receive the short connector shaft but not allow passage of the enlarged connector head, each hook sized to fit between the beam web and the enlarged head of the connector during use;

wherein height R of the reduced height web section is smaller than the distance D and height H and is sized to fit vertically between the opposing top and bottom flanges of the deck beam and allow the connector shafts to enter the lateral opening of the at least one hook and move downward so the connector shafts engage the connector recesses during use;

wherein the reduced height web section extends from the connecting bracket a distance sufficient so the top flange of the cross-bar is adjacent to the top flange of the deck-beam and the height H of the cross-bar is selected so the top flange of the cross-bar is flush with the top flange of the deck beam; and

at least one rectangular sheet of shelving material configured to fit between the deck beams and having a thickness of about O or slightly less.

16. The kit of claim 15, wherein the lateral entrance to the recess is configured to allow passage of the connector shaft but not the enlarged connector head

17. The kit of claim 15, wherein each hook is configured to fit snugly between the connector head and the vertical deck beam web.

18. The kit of claim 15, wherein the height R of the reduced height web section and the height of the cross-bar web H section differ by about twice the offset distance O.

19. The kit of claim 15, wherein the reduced height web section has a length that is about twice the width W.

20. The kit of claim 15, wherein the cross-bar has a bottom flange extending along a length of the cross-bar vertical web.