Storage and display rack and shelf therefor

Details Storage and display rack and shelf therefor Storage and display rack and shelf therefor

2000-05-23

2001-09-18

Gibson, Jr., Robert W. (Department: 3634)

Supports: racks

Special article

Receptacle support

C211S133100, C211S188000, C211S194000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06290074

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to modular storage and display racks, in particular, molded plastic modular storage and display racks for cylindrical items, like water bottles. In particular, the present invention is directed to an improved shelf structure for such modular storage and display racks.
2. The Prior Art
Modular storage and display racks are known in the art. A typical modular storage and display rack in the prior art includes one or more molded plastic shelves. Each shelf is provided typically with at least a plurality of sockets on its underside, for insertably receiving a corresponding plurality of post members, to provide legs for the shelf. The legs may be tubular plastic members, which may be solid, hollow, open-ended or closed-ended. For example, the legs typically may be hollow, cylindrical, open-ended members, configured to fit into corresponding cylindrical sockets.
The sockets, in turn, may have cylindrical side walls, and may further include centrally disposed truncated frusto-conical structures, so that the side walls of the leg ends become wedged frictionally between the cylindrical side walls of the sockets and the centrally disposed truncated frusto-conical structures. Alternatively, the sockets may have cylindrical side walls with inner diameters which are closely fitted to the outer diameters of the corresponding leg ends, for producing the desired friction fit, so that the leg ends are releasably retained in their corresponding sockets. As a still further alternative, the sockets may be provided with a slight conicity, for producing the desired friction fit, while facilitating insertion of the leg ends into the socket openings.
In order to enable a rack to be constructed from a plurality of stacked identical shelves, each such shelf is typically also provided with a plurality of corresponding sockets on its upper side, typically positioned directly above and concentrically aligned with the sockets on the underside of the shelf.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention comprises, in part, a shelf apparatus for a storage and display rack for substantially cylindrical objects. The shelf apparatus preferably comprises a monolithically formed shelf member, having a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis. A longitudinally extending recess in the shelf member defines at least one substantially cylindrical object-receiving slot disposed in the shelf member. At least two longitudinally extending, inclined ribs are operably supported in the shelf member for vertically supporting a substantially cylindrical object above a transversely arcuate bottom surface of the at least one substantially cylindrical object receiving slot. A resiliently supported back wall member, operably extends substantially transversely to the at least two longitudinally extending, inclined ribs, for abutting a downwardly extending end of a substantially cylindrical object placed into the at least one substantially cylindrical object receiving slot. A plurality of support member receiving sockets are operably disposed in an underside surface of the shelf member.
Preferably, the resiliently supported back wall member is supported along a bottom peripheral region thereof by the at least two longitudinally extending, inclined ribs, and further supported along a top peripheral region by a transversely extending top surface region of the shelf member.


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