Shelf system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9414678-B2
Application number	US-201414268262-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 2, 2014
Priority date	May 2, 2014
Publication date	Aug 16, 2016
Grant date	Aug 16, 2016

Abstract

A shelf has a front edge with reduced vertical dimension whereby the shelf appears to be very thin when viewed from the front. The shelf includes opposite end portions that are configured to engage spaced apart vertical support surfaces to thereby support the shelf. The shelf includes a generally planar upper portion and a lower portion structure having a generally planar horizontal rear portion and an angled front portion that extends forwardly and upwardly to provide a thin front edge of the shelf.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A storage system comprising:
a pair of spaced apart upright panels having generally vertical inner sides that face one another;
at least two supports extending inwardly from each vertical inner side of the upright panels;
a shelf having opposite ends engaging the supports to support the shelf and front and rear edges wherein the shelf includes a planar horizontal upper surface and a lower surface having a planar horizontal rear portion and an opaque angled forward portion that extends forwardly and upwardly from the planar horizontal rear portion such that the shelf has a reduced thickness along the front edge of the planar horizontal upper surface, wherein the planar horizontal upper surface and the planar horizontal rear portion of the lower surface define a first vertical dimension, and wherein the shelf includes a generally front surface extending downwardly from the front edge of the planar horizontal upper surface, the front surface having upper and lower edges defining a second vertical dimension that is significantly smaller than the first dimension, and wherein,
the angled forward portion of the lower surface and the planar horizontal rear portion of the lower surface intersect along an intersection line, and wherein the shelf defines a front horizontal width dimension between the intersection line and the front edge of the shelf and wherein a ratio of a difference between the first and second vertical dimensions to the front horizontal width is at least about 0.083, and less than about 0.125.

2. The storage unit of claim 1 , wherein:
the lower surface of the shelf includes a downwardly facing front channel extending adjacent the front edge of the shelf.

3. The storage unit of claim 2 , wherein:
the lower surface includes a downwardly facing rear channel extending adjacent the rear edge of the shelf.

4. The storage unit of claim 3 , wherein:
the shelf includes upper and lower sheet metal components that are welded together to provide a generally tubular construction having an interior space between the upper and lower sheet metal components.

5. A storage system comprising:
a pair of spaced apart upright panels having generally vertical inner sides that face one another;
at least two supports extending inwardly from each vertical inner side of the upright panels;
a shelf having opposite end portions engaging the supports to support the shelf, the shelf comprising:
a sheet metal shelf structure having a generally tubular construction including an upper sheet metal portion having a generally planar horizontal portion defining front and rear edges, the shelf structure further including a lower sheet metal portion, front and rear portions interconnecting the upper and lower sheet portions to define an interior space, wherein the opposite end portions extend between front and rear corners of the shelf structure, each end portion including at least front and rear support features that are configured to engage supports extending from vertical support surfaces adjacent the opposite end portions of the shelf structure to support the shelf structure adjacent the front and rear corners thereof; and wherein:
the lower sheet metal portion includes a generally planar horizontal rear portion that is spaced apart from the planar horizontal upper sheet metal portion to define a substantially uniform vertical first dimension, the lower sheet metal portion further including a generally planar angled front portion that intersects the rear portion along an elongated intersection, the angled front portion extending forwardly and upwardly from the rear portion to the front portion of the shelf structure whereby a front portion of the shelf structure tapers to provide a significantly reduced vertical dimension at the front edge relative to the vertical first dimension, and wherein the shelf structure includes a front surface extending downwardly from the front edge, the front surface having upper and lower edges defining a second vertical dimension that is significantly smaller than the first dimension.

6. The storage system of claim 5 , wherein:
the upper and lower sheet metal portions comprise separate pieces of metal sheet material that are welded together.

7. The storage system of claim 5 , including:
an internal reinforcing member disposed in the interior space and extending between the opposite end portions to thereby provide increased bending strength.

8. The storage system of claim 5 , wherein:
the lower sheet metal portion includes a substantially horizontal front flange extending forwardly from the front portion of the lower sheet, and wherein the horizontal front flange has a generally planar upper surface that abuts a lower surface of the upper sheet metal portion.

9. The storage system of claim 8 , wherein:
the front flange of the lower sheet metal portion is welded to the upper sheet metal portion.

10. The storage system of claim 9 , wherein:
the lower sheet metal portion includes an edge flange that extends forwardly and downwardly from along the front flange and defines a front edge that is vertically spaced apart from the planar portion of the upper sheet metal portion; and
the upper sheet metal portion includes a downwardly extending front lip having a lower edge disposed directly adjacent the front edge of the front flange.

11. The storage system of claim 5 , wherein:
the at least two supports of each upright panel includes a horizontal support; and
the shelf structure defines a downwardly opening channel extending along a rear edge of the shelf structure, and wherein the downwardly opening channel has opposite ends that are open whereby the horizontal support can be positioned in the opposite ends of the channel to define rear support features.

12. The storage system of claim 11 , wherein:
the lower sheet metal portion includes an upright rear flange extending upwardly from a rear edge of the lower sheet metal portion, and a horizontal flange extending from the upright rear flanges and abutting a lower surface of the planar portion of the upper sheet metal portion, and wherein the horizontal rear flange is welded to the upper sheet metal portion, the upper sheet portion further including a rear flange that extends downwardly adjacent an outer edge of the horizontal rear flange to define a rear surface of the downwardly opening channel.

13. A storage system comprising:
a pair of spaced apart upright panels having generally vertical inner sides that face one another;
at least two supports extending inwardly from each vertical inner side of the upright panels;
a shelf having opposite end portions engaging the supports to support the shelf, the shelf comprising:
a sheet metal shelf structure having a generally tubular construction including an upper sheet metal portion having a generally planar horizontal portion defining front and rear edges, the shelf structure further including a lower sheet metal portion, front and rear portions interconnecting the upper and lower sheet portions to define an interior space, wherein the opposite end portions extend between front and rear corners of the shelf structure, each end portion including at least front and rear support features that are configured to engage supports extending from vertical support surfaces adjacent the opposite end portions of the shelf structure to support the shelf structure adjacent the front and rear corners thereof; and wherein:
the lower sheet metal portion includes a generally planar horizontal rear portion that is spaced apart from the planar horizontal upper sheet metal portion to define a substantially uniform vertical first dim

Assignees

• Steelcase Inc

Inventors

• Bennie William Burr
• Allen John
• Parker Daniel George
• Youngs Bradley D
• Larson Alvin Berdette

Classifications

• A47B47/025

  with panels connected together without three dimensional frames (A47B47/0025, A47B47/005, A47B47/0066, A47B47/042 take precedence) · CPC title

• A47B57/20

  consisting of tongues, pins or similar projecting means coacting with openings (A47B57/08, A47B57/16 take precedence) · CPC title

• A47B47/0066

  Formed panels connected without frames (for panels mainly made of wood or plastic A47B47/042) · CPC title

• A47B96/021 Primary

  Structural features of shelf bases · CPC title