Horizontally supported planar surfaces – Plural related horizontal surfaces – Vertically adjustable
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-06
2001-07-17
Cuomo, Peter M. (Department: 3636)
Horizontally supported planar surfaces
Plural related horizontal surfaces
Vertically adjustable
C108S180000, C108S158110, C211S182000, C211S188000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06260488
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to modular shelving, and in particular, to an improved connection for use in a modular shelving assembly.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Adjustable metal shelving (also known as “knock-down” shelving) is very popular because they purportedly provide the user with the flexibility to assemble or build shelving units to the desired configurations and needs. In particular, these adjustable shelving units allow the user to adjust the height or distance between the shelves to facilitate storage of items having different shapes and sizes.
FIGS. 1 and 2
illustrate a conventional adjustable shelving assembly. The assembly
1
has four spaced-apart posts
11
, a plurality of trays
12
hanging among the four posts
11
, and a plurality of sets of four tubular sleeves
13
. The post
11
is an integrally formed elongated rod that is provided with a plurality of equally spaced annular peripheral grooves
111
. Each tubular sleeve
13
consists of two curved pieces
131
which are engaged fittingly to form an axial through hole
132
having a configuration which conforms to the shape of the post
11
. The tubular sleeve
13
has a radial inward protrusion
133
extending from inside its axial through hole
132
and which is adapted to extend into one of the annular grooves
111
on the post
11
. The thickness of each tubular sleeve
13
gradually increases from top to bottom, thereby forming a diverging outer wall
134
which has a narrow top end
135
and a wide bottom end
136
. The tray
12
includes a tray body
121
which has four positioning tubes
14
provided at the four corners of the tray body
121
. Each positioning tube
14
has an inner diameter that is larger than the narrow top end
135
but smaller than the wide bottom end
136
of the tubular sleeves
13
.
To assemble the assembly
1
, a set of four tubular sleeves
13
are respectively sleeved onto the four posts
11
at an equal height. In other words, four annular grooves
111
(one from each post
11
) are chosen at the same height along the respective posts. The protrusions
133
of the tubular sleeves
13
extend into the selected annular grooves
111
of equal height. The four positioning tubes
14
are then sleeved into the four posts
11
, respectively, so that each positioning tube
14
slides over its corresponding tubular sleeve
13
. Since the inner diameter of the positioning tubes
14
is smaller than the outer diameter of the wide bottom end
136
of the tubular sleeves
13
, the positioning tubes
14
frictionally engage, and are restricted by, the wide bottom ends
136
. Therefore, the positioning tubes
14
for one tray
12
are tightly fitted and stably positioned on the tubular sleeves
13
, which are in turn stably positioned on the respective poles
11
by the protrusions
133
extending into the corresponding annular grooves
111
. Other trays
12
can be fixed to the four poles
11
(at another height) in the same manner. To adjust the height of a tray
12
, the tray
12
is moved upwardly to disengage the positioning tubes
14
from the tubular sleeves
13
, and the tubular sleeves
13
positioned at another height along the posts
11
before the tray
12
is again fixed to the four tubular sleeves
13
.
Although it is convenient to adjust the height of the trays
12
, the use of the integrally formed posts
11
presents a storage and packing problem in that the height of the posts
11
are much longer than the trays
12
, so that the posts
11
and the trays
12
must be packaged separately. Attempts have been made to provide the poles
11
in a plurality of shorter pieces that can be secured together to form a pole
11
of a desired height. One example is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,676,263 (Chang), which provides threaded connectors for threadably coupling the ends of two different post units. However, the pole structure in U.S. Pat. No. 5,676,263 (Chang) suffers from the drawback that the stability of the assembly may be compromised if the connector is not completely or properly threaded to the ends of the pole units.
To maintain their popularity and utility, adjustable shelving assemblies should accomplish two important objectives: to provide convenience in use, and to provide stability. Given the drawbacks associated with the conventional adjustable shelving units and the known prior art, there still remains a need for pole structures that can provide sufficient stability to a resulting adjustable shelving assembly, while providing the user with convenience when assembling the adjustable shelving assembly.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
In order to accomplish the objects of the present invention, there is provided a modular shelving assembly having at least three spaced poles, each having a connector, a first post unit and a second post unit. Each post unit has first and second opposing ends, with a first protrusion extending radially inwardly from the hollow interior surface of the first post unit adjacent the first end thereof, and a second protrusion extending radially inwardly from the hollow interior surface of the second post unit adjacent the second end thereof. Each connector has first and second opposing ends, a first track provided adjacent the first end of the connector and a second track provided adjacent the second end of the connector. Each of the first and second tracks has a leg portion extending from one of the first or second end of the connector, and a foot extending from the leg portion. The first protrusion of each first post unit is retained in the foot of the first track of each connector, and the second protrusion of each second post unit is retained in the foot of the second track of each connector, when the first and second post units are connected to a connector.
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patent: 5466020 (1995-11-01), Page et al.
patent: 5517928 (1996-05-01), Erdman
patent: 5676263 (1997-10-01), Chang
patent: 5904420 (1999-05-01), Dedoes
patent: 2164545 (1986-03-01), None
Duval John
Saravis Darren
Wick Mike
Yang Frank
Cuomo Peter M.
Seville Classics Inc.
Sun Raymond
Tran Hanh V.
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