Supports: racks – Shelf type – Knockdown
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-01
2001-06-05
Stodola, Daniel P. (Department: 3634)
Supports: racks
Shelf type
Knockdown
C108S108000, C108S147150
Reexamination Certificate
active
06241108
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a modular shelving unit, and particularly a modular shelving unit including posts each formed by interconnecting a plurality of tubular members together.
2. Discussion of the Background
FIGS. 14 and 15
illustrate the modular shelving unit of a well-known type, which includes four upright posts
51
, spacers
53
respectively attached on the posts
51
, and a shelf
52
detachably supportable by the posts
51
via sockets
54
provided at respective corners of the shelf adapted for respectively fitting around the spacers
53
on the posts
51
.
The posts
51
each include a plurality of tubular members
55
interconnected together via interconnecting members
56
each having outwardly threaded portions
57
at its upper and lower end portions. The inner circumferential wall of each tubular member
55
forms an inwardly threaded portion. The interconnection of adjacent tubular members
55
is accomplished by threaded engagement between the outwardly threaded portions
57
of the interconnecting member
56
and corresponding inwardly threaded portions of the tubular members
55
. The interconnecting member
56
is provided on the outer circumferential wall between the opposite end portions thereof with a flange-like stopper
58
which is interposed between the abutting edges of the tubular members
55
and is exposed to the outside when the adjacent tubular members are interconnected together.
The above prior art arrangement has a drawback that a relatively heavy load caused by an object placed on the shelf
52
concentrates mainly into the stoppers
58
, causing an excessive load over the stoppers
58
. This may result in a slight deformation of the posts
51
around the interconnecting members
56
.
For the modular shelving unit with posts
51
, each of which forms axially spaced annular grooves
59
in the outer circumferential surface thereof, the spacer
53
is adapted to be retained in a selected annular groove
59
to adjust the height of the shelf
52
. The stopper
58
has opposite surfaces and a diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the tubular members
55
, wherein the abutting edges of the adjacent tubular members
55
respectively abut against the opposite surfaces of the stopper
58
so as to form an annular groove
59
in cooperation with the surfaces of the abutting edges of the tubular members
55
, the width of which depends on the space between the adjacent tubular members
55
(see FIG.
15
). The load tends to be applied over a particular region, and more specifically the abutting regions between the stopper
58
of a smaller diameter and the mutually facing edges of the adjacent tubular members
55
. Consequently, the edges of the tubular members
55
or other adjacent portions may be chipped off or deformed.
In consideration of the above problems, a modular shelving unit having a different interconnection arrangement has been proposed, as illustrated in FIG.
16
. This arrangement omits the stopper
58
of the interconnecting member
56
to allow the mutually facing edges of the adjacent tubular members
55
to directly contact each other. With this direct abutment of the tub ular members
55
, the load applied to one of the tubular members
55
is transferable to the adjacent tubular member
55
for dispersion of the load.
However, the modular shelving unit of this arrangement also has a drawback that, since the interconnection between the tubular members
55
is accomplished by a threaded engagement only, improper positioning of the interconnecting member with regard to the tubular members
55
may occur during screwing operation, which results in unstable interconnection of the tubular members
55
, as illustrated in FIG.
17
. Such improper positioning or unstable connection can not be corrected even by the abutment between the tubular members
55
and the stopper. This causes the tubular members to slightly tilt sidewards from the axis of each post after they are interconnected together.
The modular shelving unit of the above arrangement in accordance with another prior art design, as shown in
FIGS. 18
,
19
a
, and
19
b
further includes the posts
51
, each of which has an uppermost tubular member
55
, and a cap
61
forced into an upper end
51
a
of the upper most tubular member
55
or of each post. Each post
51
of the modular shelving unit also has a lowermost tubular member
55
, and an adjustable foot
62
in the form of a connector which is forced into a lower end
51
b
of the lowermost tubular member
55
or of each post. A caster
63
is optionally mounted to the connector
62
of each post
51
.
To form each post
51
according to the above arrangement, at least two tubular members
55
, specifically the uppermost and lowermost tubular members
55
are required, since the opposite ends of each post
51
need to be covered by the cap
61
and the connector
62
. That is, for the modular shelving unit of a shorter length accommodating only one tubular member
55
for each post
51
, and therefore using the uppermost tubular member
55
or the lowermost tubular member
55
for each post, the upper most tubular member
55
without the adjustable foot or the caster
63
may damage a floor with the lower edge
51
b
, or the post may be damaged by the floor surface. When only the lowermost tubular member
51
is used for each post, a user's cloth, etc., may be accidentally caught on or damaged by the upper edge
51
a
of the tubular member
51
, and an appearance of the unit may be deteriorated. Thus, the modular shelving unit of such a conventional type may lower the flexibility in assembling the unit according to various conditions.
Therefore, an object of the invention is to provide a modular shelving unit that is capable of avoiding the concentration of the load into an interconnecting member interposed between the adjacent tubular members, and the tilting of the post in assembled state, as well as increasing the unit strength to such a degree as to be tolerable against a possible load.
Another object of the invention is to provide a modular shelving unit that is capable of being assembled by flexibly combining the tubular members or selecting a proper number of the tubular members for each post by a user without the limitation of the attaching points for the cap and the adjustable foot.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, there is provided a modular shelving unit including at least three upright posts spaced apart from each other, at least one shelf supported between the at least three upright posts, spacers respectively attached on the at least three posts, and sockets provided on the at least one shelf for being respectively fitted around the spacers in such a manner as to support the at least one shelf between the at least three posts. At least one post of the at least three posts includes at least two tubular members and at least one interconnecting member for detachably interconnecting adjacent tubular members of the at least two tubular members together via attaching means. The at least two tubular members each have opposite edges and an inner circumferential wall defining annular inclined surfaces. The annular inclined surfaces are radially and outwardly inclined, as they advance to adjacent edges of the opposite edges. The at least one interconnecting member has an outer circumferential wall with opposite end portions and a flange-like stopper radially and outwardly projecting from the outer circumferential wall. The adjacent tubular members of the at least two tubular members are interconnected to the at least one interconnecting member via the attaching means with mutually facing edges of the adjacent tubular members abutting each other. The annular inclined surfaces of the adjacent tubular members together form a positioning groove continuously extending along the abutting edges of the adjacent tubular members, and the flange-like stopper is fitted into the positioning groove with the flange-like stoppe
Nakatani Kazuo
Ueda Koji
Harris Erica B.
Jordan and Hamburg LLP
Stodola Daniel P.
Yamazen Corp.
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