Shelving system having a shelf with biasing elements to resist inadvertent or accidental detachment from a support rail

A shelving system for storage or display of articles, said shelving system comprising:

• a generally vertical support comprising at least one rail defining a plurality of generally vertically-spaced slots;
• a shelf including an article-supporting surface and a support-engaging portion for releasably attaching said shelf to said rail at said slots;
• said support-engaging portion of said shelf including at least one locking tab configured for insertion into said slots of said rail, said at least one locking tab comprising a rearward projection having a distal end portion, a downward projection portion extending downwardly from said distal end portion, and a tooth extending forwardly from said downward projection portion;
• and
• a biasing element for applying a force that urges said shelf in a direction away from said rail, to thereby maintain engagement of said tooth with said rail, said biasing element comprises a leaf spring extending rearwardly from said shelf to engage and apply a force against said rail or a support surface to which the rail is attached;
• wherein said locking tab is configured to be received in a first slot and said tooth of said locking tab is configured to engage said rail at or near a second slot for securing said shelf against unintentional disengagement from said rail;
• wherein every fifth slot of the vertically-spaced slots includes a semi-circular recess on either side thereof, and each support-engaging portion comprises five tabs for simultaneous engagement with corresponding ones of said slots in said elongate support rails wherein an uppermost tab and a lowermost tab of said five tabs comprises said locking tab.

A shelving system for storage or display of articles, said shelving system comprising:

• a support comprising at least one rail arranged generally vertically and defining a plurality of generally vertically-spaced slots;
• a shelf including an upper article-supporting surface, two side surfaces at opposite ends of the upper surface, a front surface extending downwardly from the upper surface, a rear surface extending downwardly from the upper surface, a bottom surface beneath the upper surface, a support-engaging portion for releasably attaching said shelf to said rail at said slots, and a biasing element comprising at least one leaf spring extending rearwardly from said rear surface of said shelf to engage and apply a force against said rail or a support surface to which the rail is attached;
• said support-engaging portion of said shelf comprising one of the side surfaces and including a plurality of tabs configured for insertion into respective ones of said slots in said rail, said tabs including at least one locking tab comprising a rearward projection having a distal end portion, a downward projection extending downwardly from said distal end portion, and a tooth extending forwardly from said downward projection;
• wherein said tooth of said locking tab is configured to engage said rail at or near one of said slots for securing said shelf against unintentional disengagement from said rail;
• and
• wherein said biasing element is configured to apply a force that urges said shelf in a direction away from said rail to thereby maintain engagement of said tooth of said locking tab with said support.

A rail-supported article support for storage or display of articles, said article support comprising:

• an article-supporting element having an upper article-supporting surface, two side surfaces at opposite ends of the upper surface, a front surface extending downwardly from the upper surface, a rear surface extending downwardly from the upper surface, and a bottom surface beneath the upper surface, wherein at least one of the side surfaces includes a rail-engaging portion for releasably attaching said article-supporting element to a substantially vertical elongate support rail at slots formed in the support rail;
• said rail-engaging portion of said article-supporting element comprising a generally hook-shaped locking tab configured for insertion into the slots in the support rail, said locking tab comprising a rearward-extending portion, a downward-extending portion, and a forward-projecting portion spaced from said rearward-extending portion;
• and
• the rear surface of the article supporting element including at least one biasing element wherein said biasing element is configured to apply a force that urges said article-supporting element in a direction away from the support rail when said rail-engaging portion is attached to the support rail to thereby maintain engagement of said forward-projecting portion of said locking tab with the support rail;
• wherein said forward-projecting portion of said locking tab is configured to engage the support rail at one of the slots located below the slot through which said locking tab is inserted, for securing the article-supporting element against unintentional disengagement from the support rail.

A rail-supported article support for storage or display of articles, said article support comprising:

• an article-supporting element having a rail-engaging portion for releasably attaching said article-supporting element to a substantially vertical support rail at slots defined between spaced web portions in the support rail;
• said rail-engaging portion of said article-supporting element comprising one or more tabs configured for insertion into the slots in the support rail, said tab defining a channel for receiving one of the webs of the support rail;
• and
• a biasing element at said article-supporting element, wherein said biasing element is configured to apply a force that urges said article-supporting element in a direction away from the support rail when said rail-engaging portion is attached to the support rail to thereby maintain engagement of said tab with one of said web portions of the support rail, said biasing element comprising a leaf spring extending rearwardly from said article-supporting element to engage and apply a force against the support rail or a support surface to which the rail is attached;
• wherein every fifth slot of the vertically-spaced slots includes a semi-circular recess on either side thereof, and each support-engaging portion comprises five tabs for simultaneous engagement with corresponding ones of said slots in said elongate support rails wherein an uppermost tab and a lowermost tap of said five tabs comprises said locking tab.