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US 9,717,330 B2Granted
Shelving with molded end caps
AssigneeCreative Plastic Concepts, LLC
InventorNickolas Reinhart
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A shelving system includes a plurality of shelf members and a plurality of supports configured to support the shelf members. The shelving system further includes a plurality of end caps. Each of the end caps has at least one sleeve with a slot formed therein for receiving an end of one of the shelf members and a plurality of retaining features. Each retaining feature has an inner surface defining a cavity for receiving an end of one of the supports.
Claims18
An end cap for use in assembling a shelving system, comprising:
- a sleeve having an outer surface and an inner surface, and a slot formed in the end cap defined by the inner surface of the sleeve, the slot configured for receiving an end of a shelf member, the slot positioned between a sleeve first wall, a sleeve second wall, and a sleeve third wall;
- and
- a plurality of retaining features integrally formed with and extending outwardly from the outer surface of the sleeve, each of the retaining features having an inner surface defining a cavity configured for receiving an end of a support, and
- wherein the inner surface of the slot has a plurality of elongate protrusions integrally formed thereon to facilitate a press fit between the sleeve and the shelf member, and wherein successive ones of the protrusions are arranged parallel to each other and taper in thickness inwardly from an open end of the sleeve to a closed end of the sleeve, and wherein the thickness at the open end is greater than the thickness at the closed end.
1 more element
A shelving system, comprising:
- a plurality of shelf members;
- a plurality of supports for supporting the shelf members;
- and
- a plurality of end caps, each end cap having a sleeve with an outer surface and an inner surface, and a slot formed in the end cap defined by the inner surface of the sleeve, the slot receiving an end of one of the shelf members, and the end cap further having first and second retaining features, each of the first and the second retaining features having an inner surface defining a cavity receiving an end of one of the plurality of supports;
- wherein the first and the second retaining features are individually positioned at opposite ends of the sleeve and extend outwardly from the outer surface of the sleeve, and
- wherein the inner surface of the slot has a plurality of elongate protrusions integrally formed thereon to facilitate a press fit between the sleeve and the shelf member, and wherein successive ones of the protrusions are arranged parallel to each other and taper in thickness inwardly from an open end of the sleeve to a closed end of the sleeve, and wherein the thickness at the open end is greater than the thickness at the closed end.
3 more elements
A shelving system kit, comprising:
- a plurality of shelf members;
- a plurality of supports;
- and
- a plurality of end caps, each of the end caps having a sleeve with an outer surface and an inner surface, and a slot formed therein defined by the inner surface of the sleeve, the slot configured for receiving an end of one of the shelf members, and the end cap further having first and second retaining features integrally formed with and extending outwardly from an outer surface of the sleeve at opposite ends of the sleeve, each of the first and the second retaining features having an inner surface defining a cavity configured for receiving an end of one of the supports, and
- wherein the inner surface of the slot has a plurality of elongate protrusions integrally formed thereon to facilitate a press fit between the sleeve and the shelf member, and wherein successive ones of the protrusions are arranged parallel to each other and taper in thickness inwardly from an open end of the sleeve to a closed end of the sleeve, and wherein the thickness at the open end is greater than the thickness at the closed end.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.