Horizontally supported planar surfaces – With structural installation
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-27
2004-03-23
Mai, Lanna (Department: 3637)
Horizontally supported planar surfaces
With structural installation
C211S135000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06708627
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to shelving, such as small shelf sections which can conveniently be mounted to various structures, and more particularly to a shelving system where individual shelving sections can be conveniently mounted to particular structural configurations where they are exposed vertical posts at spaced intervals.
(b) Background Art
It is quite common in housing structures (or other structures) to construct walls or other structural section where there are spaced, vertically aligned wooden 2×4s or 2×6s. These are commonly covered with panels, such as plasterboard. However, in some instances these vertical wooden posts, while having wall panels on one side, are otherwise exposed. This would commonly happen, for example, where there is a shop, tool shed, or garage where the interior wall surfaces do not have panels, but have the exposed 2×4s.
In those situations, it is often desired to have shelving for storage of various items. However, conventional shelving comprising long planks has the obvious drawback that the shelving would be positioned entirely outwardly from the outer surface of the 2×4s, and there would be an empty area between the rear part of the shelving and the panel that is connected to the opposite surfaces of the 2×4s. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a shelving system where the individual shelf sections could be conveniently and economically manufactured, and also be used quite conveniently in situations such as described above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a shelf section which is particularly adapted to be connected to two posts which are spaced laterally from one another. The present invention can quite advantageously be used in a situation, for example, where there is a wall structure made up of a plurality of vertical wooden 2×4s which are space laterally from one another at a spacing distance of, for example, sixteen or eighteen inches. At least one side of the array of 2×4s would be exposed (i.e. would not have sheet rock paneling or other paneling covering the 2×4s), and the other surface of the array of 2×4s may or may not have paneling covering the same. This commonly occurs, for example, in the interior walls of a garage, a shop, a tool shed, or the like.
The shelf section can quite advantageously be made as an integral structure, and more specifically be formed from a planar piece of sheet metal cut to the proper configuration and dimensions. Then the sheet metal is bent along designated bend lines to form the finished product which is the shelf section.
The shelf section has a platform with front and rear platform edge portions and oppositely positioned side platform edge portions. There is a front-to-rear longitudinal axis, and a transverse axis. The platform is arranged so that in an operating position (e.g. mounted between the adjacent posts) at least a portion of the platform is positioned between the two posts.
The shelf section has a pair of mounting flanges located on opposite sides of the shelf section and positioned in a manner that with this shelf section in the operating position, the mounting flanges are located so as to be adjacent to the respective front surfaces of the posts so as to be able to be connected thereto (e.g. by screws).
Then there is a pair of bracing members located on opposite sides of each platform, which each bracing member connecting between a related flange and a forward edge portion of the platform.
In a preferred configuration, a forward portion of the platform has front side edges which extend in a forward and inward direction toward the longitudinal center axis, and the two bracing members are each attached to the converging forward side edge portions of the platform, extending upwardly therefrom and joined to the related flange members. This enables a plurality of the shelf members to be stacked together in nesting relationship with related forward portions of the shelf members nesting within one another, and the platforms positioned on top of one another but shifted from one another in the stacking configuration.
In the “laid-flat” configuration of the shelf member (its pre-form condition from which is to be formed into the shelf section), there are pre-designated bend lines between the two bracing members in the platform, and also two bracing lines corresponding to connecting lines between the two bracing members and the two flange members. During the bending operation, the flange members are bent along their bending lines about ninety degrees, and the bracing members are bent along their bending lines ninety degrees to be formed into the configuration of the finished product.
Also within the scope of the present invention is the method of forming the individual shelf sections, and also in forming the shelf sections in a mass-production operation where these are formed at forming/cutting stations. Also, the present invention relates to the method of using the shelf section of the present invention. Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description.
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Anderson Jerry A.
Hughes Michael F.
Hughes Law Firm PLLC
Mai Lanna
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