SHELVING SYSTEM

• US 20170340142A1
• Filed: 08/11/2017
• Published: 11/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SPG International, LLC (SPG International Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: SPG International, LLC (SPG International Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: GONZALEZ, Arturo, KESSELL, Steven M., POTTER, Michael D., FOSTER, III, Jerry Vance
• Granted Patent: US 9,883,755 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 47/022 with cantilever shelves
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 57/045 Cantilever shelves
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 57/30 with means for adjusting the height of detachable shelf supports
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 57/402 Hooks attached to a member embracing at least two sides of an upright, e.g. an angle bracket
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 57/485 Straight pins
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 57/565 using screw means
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 95/008 Suspension fittings for cabinets to be hung on walls
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 96/027 Cantilever shelves
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 96/028 characterised by support bracket location means, e.g. fixing means between support bracket and shelf
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 96/06 Brackets or similar supporting means for cabinets, racks or shelves A47B96/022 takes precedence; aspects of adjusting height or inclination A47B57/00 ; brackets for the display of articles A47F5/08
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 96/061 Cantilever brackets
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 96/067 Horizontal rails as suspension means in a cantilever arrangement suspension fittings for cabinets to be hung on walls A47B95/008
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 96/068 Very short brackets, quickly attachable or detachable to a vertical support surface
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 96/07 adjustable in themselves
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 96/1408 regularly perforated
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/08 secured to the wall, ceiling, or the like; Wall-bracket display devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/0892 Suspended show stands, e.g. secured to the ceiling by means of cords or chains suspended shelves A47B43/003; uprights A47B96/14, e.g. secured to both ceiling and floor A47B96/1425
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/103 Display shelving racks with the uprights aligned in only one plane

Abstract

A shelving system includes a plurality of horizontal support members, each horizontal support member having a length; a plurality of wall supports, each wall support including a first surface on which at least a portion of a horizontal support member rests; a plurality of brackets, each bracket attachable to the horizontal support members at different positions along the length of the horizontal support member; a plurality of vertical support members, each vertical support member coupled to at least one bracket; and a shelf attached to at least two of the plurality of vertical support members.

Claims

1. A shelving system comprising:

a support assembly comprising

first and second support posts, each support post having a pair of mounting surfaces that face away from each other and a first abutment surface that is orthogonal to and between the mounting surfaces, and

a plurality of support pins fixed to each of the first and second support posts along a height of each post and extending away from at least one of the mounting surfaces on each support post; and

a pair of bracket assemblies, each bracket assembly associated with one of the first and second support posts and comprising

a first member comprising a pair of spaced-apart parallel planar surfaces each configured to be positioned adjacent one of the mounting surfaces of the associated support post, wherein each of the pair of planar surfaces includes apertures configured for releasable engagement with selected ones of the plurality of support pins on the associated support post, each aperture formed as a slot with an open end, and a second abutment surface orthogonal to and extending between the pair of spaced-apart parallel planar surfaces, wherein the second abutment surface is configured to be in contact with and extend across the first abutment surface of the support post when the shelving system is assembled, and

at least one second member associated with the first member, the second member being separable from the associated first member, the at least one second member comprising a first portion for removably coupling to the associated support post and a second portion configured for supporting a shelf, wherein the second member prevents movement of the shelf in a direction orthogonal to a plane coincident with the first abutment surface of the associated support post when the shelving system is assembled.

2. The shelving system of claim 1, wherein the at least one second member comprises two second members, wherein when the shelving system is assembled one of the two second members is positioned proximate to a first of the mounting surfaces and the other of the two second members is positioned proximate to a second of the mounting surfaces.

3. The shelving system of claim 2, wherein when the shelving system is assembled the shelving system comprises two adjacent shelves supported at the same height on the associated support post by one of the pair of the bracket assemblies, and each of the two second members is positioned to support a different adjacent shelf

4. The shelving system of claim 1, wherein when the shelving system is assembled the first member of each of the pair of bracket assemblies is configured to couple the associated support post to a support surface.

5. The shelving system of claim 1, wherein the first portion and the second portion of the at least one second member is formed from a single piece of material.

6. The shelving system of claim 1, wherein when the shelving system is assembled the shelf is fixed to the second portion of the at least one second member.

7. The shelving system of claim 1, wherein when the shelving system is assembled a top side of the at least one second member does not extend above a top side of the associated first member.

8. The shelving system of claim 1, wherein when the shelving system is assembled a top side of the shelf does not extend above a top side of the first member.

9. The shelving system of claim 1, wherein when the shelving system is assembled the at least one second member is configured to support a bottom side of the shelf above at least one of the apertures engaged with one of the plurality of support pins.

10. The shelving system of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the at least one second member includes apertures, each aperture formed as a slot with an open end and configured for releasable engagement with selected ones of the plurality of support pins on the associated support post.

11. A shelving system comprising:

a support assembly, wherein the support assembly has a plurality of support pins fixed to the support assembly along a height of the support assembly; and

a support bracket assembly configured to be coupled to the support assembly, the support bracket assembly comprising

a pair of first support brackets, each first support bracket comprising a pair of spaced-apart parallel planar surfaces and a third surface orthogonal to and between the spaced-apart pair of planar surfaces, each of the parallel planar surfaces including apertures configured for releasable engagement with selected ones of the plurality of support pins, each aperture formed as a slot with an open end, and

at least one second support bracket associated with each of the first support brackets, wherein the at least one second support bracket is separable from the associated first support bracket, the at least one second support bracket comprising a first portion configured for removably coupling to the support assembly and a second portion configured for supporting a shelf, and wherein the second portion is configured to prevent movement of the shelf in a direction orthogonal to a plane coincident with the third surface of the associated first support bracket when the shelving system is assembled, and wherein when the shelving system is assembled the second portion is configured to support a bottom of the shelf above at least one of the selected ones of the plurality of support pins.

12. The shelving system of claim 11, wherein the support assembly comprises a pair of support posts and the plurality of support pins are fixed to and extend along a height of each of the support posts.

13. The shelving system of claim 11, wherein when the shelving system is assembled the shelf is fixed to the second portion of the at least one second support bracket of the pair of first support brackets.

14. The shelving system of claim 11, wherein when the shelving system is assembled a top side of each of the at least one second support bracket does not extend above a top side of each of the first support brackets.

15. The shelving system of claim 11, wherein when the shelving system is assembled a top side of the shelf does not extend above a top side of each of the first support brackets.

16. The shelving system of claim 11, wherein the support assembly comprises a pair of support posts, each post of the pair of support posts having a pair of mounting surfaces that face away from each other and an abutment surface orthogonal to and between the mounting surfaces, wherein when the shelving system is assembled each of the spaced- apart parallel planar surfaces of each first support bracket is configured to be positioned adjacent one of the mounting surfaces of an associated support post, and wherein when the shelving system is assembled the third surface of each of the first support brackets is configured to be in contact with and extend across the abutment surface of the associated support post.

17. The shelving system of claim 16, wherein the pair of first support brackets is configured to couple the pair of support posts to a support surface.

18. The shelving system of claim 11, wherein the first portion of the at least one second support bracket includes apertures, each aperture formed as a slot with an open end and configured for releasable engagement with selected ones of the plurality of support pins.

19. A support bracket assembly for a shelving system positionable on a support surface and having a support post with a mounting portion including a first mounting surface and a second mounting surface facing away from the first mounting surface, a third surface between and orthogonal to the first and second mounting surfaces, a plurality of support pins fixed to the support post and extending outward from each of the first and second mounting surfaces, and a shelf configured for coupling to the support post, the support bracket assembly comprising:

a first portion including a first planar portion configured for attachment to the first mounting surface and a second planar portion configured for attachment to the second mounting surface when the shelving system is assembled, wherein each of the first and second planar portions includes at least one aperture to releasably engage selected support pins, each aperture formed as a slot with an open end;

a second portion coupled to the first portion; and

a third portion configured to support a portion of the shelf and extending from the second portion, wherein when the shelving system is assembled the third portion is configured to support a bottom side of the shelf above at least one of the apertures of the first and second planar portions engaged with the selected support pins,

wherein when the shelving system is assembled the third portion is configured to prevent the shelf from moving in a direction orthogonal to a plane coincident with the third support post surface, and

wherein the first planar portion and the second planar portion are configured to cooperate to transmit a loading force from the shelf to the support surface through the support post when the shelving system is assembled.

20. The support bracket assembly of claim 19, wherein one of the apertures of the first portion opens in a first direction away from the shelf and another of the apertures opens in a second direction different than the first direction.

21. The shelving system of claim 19, wherein the third portion includes apertures, each aperture formed as a slot with an open end and configured for releasable engagement with selected ones of the plurality of support pins.

22. A support bracket assembly for a shelving system positionable on a support surface and having a support post with a mounting portion including a first mounting surface and a second mounting surface facing away from the first mounting surface, a third surface between and orthogonal to the first and second mounting surfaces, a plurality of support pins fixed to the support post and extending outward from each of the first and second mounting surfaces, and a shelf configured for coupling to the support post, the support bracket assembly comprising:

a first bracket including a first planar portion configured for attachment to the first mounting surface and a second planar portion configured for attachment to the second mounting surface when the shelving system is assembled, wherein each of the first and second planar portions includes apertures for releasable engagement with selected support pins, each aperture formed as a slot with an open end; and

a second bracket associated with the first bracket and configured to support a portion of the shelf, the second bracket including an end portion configured for removably coupling to the support post, the end portion including apertures configured for releasable engagement with selected ones of the plurality of support pins on the support post, each aperture formed as a slot with an open end, wherein the second bracket is separable from the first bracket, wherein when the shelving system is assembled the second bracket is configured to support a bottom side of the shelf above at least one of the apertures of the end portion engaged with one of the selected ones of the plurality of support pins, and wherein when the shelving system is assembled the second bracket is configured to prevent the shelf from moving in a direction orthogonal to a plane coincident with the third support post surface.