Variably configurable track-type mobile shelving system
AssigneeSpace Saver Corporation
InventorsJames Muth, Brian Nemec, Steven Janson, Marvin Runge, Steve Dingle
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mobile storage system includes a series of storage units that include wheel assemblies that move on floor-mounted rails. The storage units, wheel assemblies and rails are produced and shipped in disassembled, knockdown kit form, and are assembled on-site in either a lateral high density configuration or a pull-out high density configuration. The user is able to selectively configure the storage units, the wheel assemblies and the rails to provide the desired configuration of the storage system.
Claims41
A storage system, comprising:
- a storage unit;
- a wheel arrangement;
- and
- a guide arrangement including at least one rail;
- wherein the storage unit, the wheel arrangement and the guide arrangement comprise a set of components that are configured to be transported together in a disassembled state to an installation site including a support surface, and to be assembled at the installation site, wherein the wheel arrangement is engaged with the storage unit and wherein the at least one rail of the guide arrangement is adapted to be secured to the support surface of the installation site, and wherein the storage unit when assembled is engageable with the at least one rail via the wheel arrangement to provide movement of the storage unit on the at least one rail relative to the support surface.
A mobile storage system, comprising:
- a plurality of storage units;
- a guide arrangement configured for engagement with a support surface, wherein the guide arrangement includes at least one guide rail for each storage unit;
- and
- a series of wheeled members interposed between each storage unit and the guide arrangement, wherein each storage unit and its associated wheeled members include a cooperative positioning arrangement configured to position the wheeled members relative to the storage unit in either a first orientation or a second orientation, and wherein the guide rails are adapted to be engaged with the support surface such that movement of the storage units on the guide rails provides movement of the storage units in a first direction when the wheeled members are in the first orientation or in a second direction transverse to the first direction when the wheeled members are in the second orientation.
A method of constructing a mobile storage system, comprising the acts of:
- providing one or more storage units;
- providing a guide arrangement including at least one rail member;
- securing the guide arrangement to a support surface;
- and
- mounting a series of wheel members to each storage unit, wherein at least a pair of the wheel members are configured to engage the rail member to provide guided movement of the storage unit relative to the support surface, wherein the steps of securing the guide arrangement to the support surface and mounting the wheel members to each storage unit are carried out by selecting either a first orientation in which the wheel members and the rail member provide movement of the storage unit in a first direction, or a second orientation in which the wheel members and the rail member provide movement of the storage unit in a second direction transverse to the first direction.
A kit of components for constructing a mobile storage system, comprising:
- a series of storage unit components adapted to be assembled to construct a storage unit;
- a guide arrangement including at least one rail member, wherein the guide arrangement is configured to engage a support surface such as a floor;
- and
- a series of wheel members, wherein the wheel members are configured to be mounted to the storage unit and are adapted to engage the at least one rail member for providing guided movement of the storage unit relative to the support surface.
A method of constructing a mobile storage system including a series of storage units and a rail arrangement adapted to be secured to a support surface such as a floor for providing guided movement of the storage units relative to the support surface, comprising the step of selecting either a first configuration in which the storage units move laterally toward and away from each other to selectively create a space between adjacent storage units, or a second configuration in which the storage units move axially between a retracted position and an extended position, and selectively configuring the storage units and securing the rail arrangement to the support surface so as to provide either the first configuration or the second configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.