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US 5,706,741 AGranted
Upright free-standing shelf unit
AssigneeHaworth, Inc.
InventorsClarkson S. Thorp, Paul A. Glashouwer, Brian D. T. Alexander
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A shelf unit which exhibits a high degree of flexibility with respect to assembling and reconfiguring the shelf unit for any of a wide variety of uses. The shelf unit includes left and right ladder-like vertical leg structures which have cross members that define a plurality of vertically spaced mounting locations upon which an interior shelf is selectively mountable. Vertical uprights of the leg structures being readily connectable to a variety of components so as to permit alteration of the base shelf unit itself.
Claims12
An upright free-standing shelf unit comprising:
- a pair of laterally spaced apart upstanding leg structures which are disposed proximate the opposite ends of the shelf unit and define an open area therebetween, each of said leg structures including parallel front and rear uprights connected one with the other by a vertically spaced arrangement of cross rods which extend transversely between said front and rear uprights and are connected at their opposite front and rear ends to the uprights, said cross rods and said uprights being rigidly fixed together so that each of said leg structures is ladder-shaped, upper and lower ends of each said upright including connector engagement means which is accessible from an exterior of said uprights;
- at least one horizontal shelf extending laterally between said leg structures within said open area and having support means at opposite ends thereof for removably engaging a selected one of said cross rods of each said leg structure to support said shelf at a selected height between said upper and lower ends of said leg structures;
- upper and lower horizontally enlarged panels connected respectively to said upper and lower ends of said uprights and defining upward facing surfaces, said shelf being disposed between said upper and lower panels;
- a plurality of connectors having a first end and an elongate member which projects away from said first end and extends through said respective upper and lower panels into fixed engagement with said engagement means at said respective upper and lower ends of said uprights, said first end of each said connector defining a bearing surface which faces towards said upright and clamps said respective upper and lower panels between said bearing surface and said respective upper and lower ends of said corresponding upright.
1 more element
An upright free-standing shelf unit comprising:
- a first pair of laterally spaced apart upstanding leg structures, each of said leg structures including front and rear parallel uprights which include upper and lower ends, each said upper end including connector engagement means accessible from an exterior of said upright for securing said leg structures in position;
- upper and lower horizontally enlarged panels connected respectively to said upper and lower ends of said uprights and defining upward facing surfaces;
- a plurality of first connectors which are connectable to said respective connector engagement means of said uprights for joining said upper panel to said upper ends of said uprights, each said first connector having a connector insert and an elongate member which projects from said connector insert, said elongate member being insertable downwardly through said upper panel and being engaged with said connector engagement means of said respective upright such that said connector insert projects upwardly from said upper panel, said connector insert defining a bearing surface which faces towards said upward facing surface of said upper panel so as to clamp said upper panel between said bearing surface and said upper end of said corresponding upright;
- and
- a horizontally enlarged third panel which is spaced upwardly from said upper panel, said third panel including a plurality of second connectors each having a connector insert projecting downwardly from a downward facing surface of said third panel, said third panel being connected to said upper panel in vertically spaced relation by a plurality of elongate spacers, each said spacer having hollow lower and upper ends which open vertically and respectively receive said connector inserts of said first and second connectors therein, each of said connector inserts of said first and second connectors including a recess in an outer periphery thereof, each of said lower and upper ends of each said spacer including spacer engagement means for securing said spacer to said respective connector insert so that said spacer is respectively engaged with said first and second connectors to mount said third panel to said upper panel, said spacer engagement means being lockingly engaged with a respective one of said upper and lower ends once said respective connector insert is received within said spacer, said spacer engagement means being an engagement member which projects inwardly through a wall of said spacer into a hollow interior thereof, said engagement member being movably engaged with said wall so as to be movable inwardly into engagement with said recess to secure said spacer to said respective connector insert.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.