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US 10,617,231 B2Granted
Shelving system
AssigneeSpg International LLC
InventorsArturo Gonzalez, Steven M. Kessell, Michael D. Potter, Jerry Vance Foster, III
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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.
Claims30
A shelving system including a shelf having first and second opposed sides and a weight supporting surface for storing or displaying articles, the shelving system comprising:
- first and second vertical support posts, each vertical support post having a height and first and second opposed exterior surfaces that face away from each other and a third exterior surface that is orthogonal to and couples the first and second opposed exterior surfaces;
- and
- a plurality of support pins fixed to each of the first and second vertical support posts and spaced along the height of each of the first and second vertical support posts and extending away and outwardly from at least one of the surfaces of the first and second opposed exterior surfaces on each of the first and second vertical support posts;
- and
- first and second support brackets, each of the first and second support brackets comprising a pair of spaced-apart opposed flanges and a surface orthogonal to and in contact with the pair of spaced-apart opposed flanges,
- wherein the first support bracket is configured such that in an assembled state of the shelving system the pair of spaced-apart opposed flanges of the first support bracket is coupled to the first vertical support post with one flange of the pair of spaced-apart opposed flanges positioned in contact with the first exterior surface of the first vertical support post and the other flange of the pair of spaced-apart opposed flanges is positioned in contact with the second exterior surface of the first vertical support post, wherein each flange of the pair of spaced-apart opposed flanges includes at least one aperture configured to releasably engage one of the plurality of support pins on the first vertical support post, each aperture formed as a slot with an open end, wherein the first support bracket is configured such that in the assembled state of the shelving system the surface that is orthogonal to and in contact with the pair of spaced-apart flanges contacts and extends across the third exterior surface of the first vertical support post, and wherein the first support bracket is configured such that in the assembled state of the shelving system the first support bracket cooperates with the first vertical support post to support the first side of the shelf on a support surface, and
- wherein the second support bracket is configured such that in the assembled state of the shelving system the second support bracket is coupled to and cooperates with the second vertical support post to support the second side of the shelf on a support surface;
- and
- first and second cooperating brackets, each of the first and second cooperating brackets comprising a coupling portion configured to removably couple the shelf with one of the first and second vertical support posts and a support portion connected to the coupling portion and configured to support one of the first and second sides of the shelf,
- wherein the coupling portion of the first cooperating bracket is configured such that movement of the first cooperating bracket in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the first vertical support post to couple the first cooperating bracket to the first support bracket constrains rotational movement of the first cooperating bracket relative to the first support bracket, wherein the first cooperating bracket is configured such that in the assembled state of the shelving system the first cooperating bracket is positioned between the first support bracket and the first side of the shelf to support the first side of the shelf, couples the shelf to the first vertical support post, and spaces the first side of the shelf from the first support bracket, wherein the first cooperating bracket is configured such that in the assembled state of the shelving system the support portion supports a portion of the shelf and the coupling portion transmits a loading force from the first side of the shelf to the first vertical support post, wherein the first cooperating bracket is configured such that in the assembled state of the shelving system the first cooperating bracket does not extend above a top side of the first support bracket and the first cooperating bracket hinders movement of the shelf in a direction orthogonal to a plane coincident with the third exterior surface of the first vertical support post,
- wherein the second cooperating bracket is configured such that in the assembled state of the shelving system the second cooperating bracket is positioned between the second support bracket and the second side of the shelf to support the second side of the shelf, couples the shelf to the second vertical support post, and spaces the shelf from the second support bracket, and
- wherein in the assembled state of the shelving system the weight supporting surface of the shelf does not extend above a top side of each of the first and second support brackets.
9 more elements
A shelving system including a shelf having first and second opposed sides and a weight supporting surface for storing or displaying articles, the shelving system comprising:
- first and second vertical support posts, each vertical support post having a height and first and second opposed exterior surfaces that face away from each other and a third exterior surface that is orthogonal to and couples the first and second opposed exterior surfaces;
- and
- a plurality of support pins fixed to each of the first and second vertical support posts and spaced along the height of each of the first and second vertical support posts and extending away and outwardly from at least one of the surfaces of the first and second opposed exterior surfaces on each of the first and second vertical support posts;
- and
- first and second support brackets, each of the first and second support brackets comprising a pair of spaced-apart opposed flanges and a surface orthogonal to and in contact with the pair of spaced-apart opposed flanges,
- wherein the first support bracket is configured such that in an assembled state of the shelving system the pair of spaced-apart opposed flanges of the first support bracket is coupled to the first vertical support post with one flange of the pair of spaced-apart opposed flanges positioned in contact with the first exterior surface of the first vertical support post and the other flange of the pair of spaced-apart opposed flanges is positioned in contact with the second exterior surface of the first vertical support post, wherein each flange of the pair of spaced-apart opposed flanges includes at least one aperture configured to releasably engage one of the plurality of support pins on the first vertical support post, each aperture formed as a slot with an open end, wherein the first support bracket is configured such that in the assembled state of the shelving system the surface that is orthogonal to and in contact with the pair of spaced-apart flanges contacts and extends across the third exterior surface of the first vertical support post, and wherein the first support bracket is configured such that in the assembled state of the shelving system the first support bracket cooperates with the first vertical support post to support the first side of the shelf on a support surface, and
- wherein the second support bracket is configured such that in the assembled state of the shelving system the second support bracket is coupled to and cooperates with the second vertical support post to support the second side of the shelf on a support surface;
- and
- first and second cooperating brackets, each of the first and second cooperating brackets comprising a coupling portion configured to removably couple the shelf with one of the first and second vertical support posts and a support portion connected to the coupling portion and configured to support one of the first and second sides of the shelf,
- wherein the coupling portion of the first cooperating bracket comprises a pair of spaced-apart fingers and a notch associated with each finger of the pair of spaced-apart fingers, wherein the pair of spaced-apart fingers and notches are configured such that in the assembled state of the shelving system the coupling portion constrains the first cooperating bracket from rotation relative to the first support bracket, wherein the first cooperating bracket is configured such that in the assembled state of the shelving system the first cooperating bracket is positioned between the first support bracket and the first side of the shelf to support the first side of the shelf, couples the shelf to the first support bracket, and spaces the first side of the shelf from the first support bracket, wherein the first cooperating bracket is configured such that in the assembled state of the shelving system the support portion supports a portion of the shelf and the coupling portion transmits a loading force from the first side of the shelf to the first vertical support post, wherein the first cooperating bracket is configured such that in the assembled state of the shelving system the first cooperating bracket does not extend above a top side of the first support bracket and hinders movement of the shelf in a direction orthogonal to a plane coincident with the third exterior surface of the first vertical support post, and
- wherein the second cooperating bracket is configured such that in the assembled state of the shelving system the second cooperating bracket is positioned between the second support bracket and the second side of the shelf to support the second side of the shelf, couples the shelf to the second vertical support post, and spaces the shelf from the second support bracket.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.