U.S. patent application number 14/223297 was filed with the patent office on 2014-09-25 for shelving support bracket for a storage rack.
This patent application is currently assigned to Silverack, LLC. The applicant listed for this patent is Silverack, LLC. Invention is credited to Harry R. Taylor.
Application Number | 20140284294 14/223297 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51568353 |
Filed Date | 2014-09-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140284294 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Taylor; Harry R. |
September 25, 2014 |
Shelving Support Bracket for a Storage Rack
Abstract
A support bracket configured to be detachably connected to a
vertical support post of a shelving unit and a crossbeam extending
between two shelving units is provided. In one embodiment, the
support bracket includes a first body portion having a front
surface and a rear surface, a second body portion having a front
surface and a rear surface, at least one interlocking member
extending rearward from the rear surface of the first body portion,
the at least one interlocking member configured to detachably
engage at least one of a plurality of openings in the vertical
support member, and at least one aperture in the second body
portion, the at least one aperture configured to detachably receive
at least one interlocking member on the crossbeam.
Inventors: |
Taylor; Harry R.; (Whittier,
CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Silverack, LLC |
Brea |
CA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Silverack, LLC
Brea
CA
|
Family ID: |
51568353 |
Appl. No.: |
14/223297 |
Filed: |
March 24, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61804612 |
Mar 22, 2013 |
|
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|
61804599 |
Mar 22, 2013 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
211/134 ;
248/218.4 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B 57/00 20130101;
A47B 45/00 20130101; A47B 96/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
211/134 ;
248/218.4 |
International
Class: |
A47B 45/00 20060101
A47B045/00; A47B 96/06 20060101 A47B096/06 |
Claims
1. A support bracket configured to be connected to a vertical
support post of a shelving unit and a crossbeam, the support
bracket comprising: a first body portion having a front surface and
a rear surface; a second body portion having a front surface and a
rear surface; at least one interlocking member extending rearward
from the rear surface of the first body portion, the at least one
interlocking member configured to detachably engage at least one of
a plurality of openings in the vertical support post; and at least
one aperture in the second body portion, the at least one aperture
configured to detachably receive at least one interlocking member
on the crossbeam.
2. The support bracket of claim 1, wherein the first body portion
is substantially co-planar with the second body portion.
3. The support bracket of claim 1, wherein the first body portion
is coupled to the second body portion along an adjoining
portion.
4. The support bracket of claim 3, wherein the first body portion
is non-planar with the second body portion, and wherein the
adjoining portion defines a step between the first and second body
portions.
5. The support bracket of claim 1, wherein the at least one
interlocking member comprises an upper interlocking member and a
lower interlocking member, each of the interlocking members
comprising: a shaft having a first diameter protruding rearward
from the first body portion, the shaft having an interconnected end
coupled to the first body portion and a free end opposite the
interconnected end; and a head having a second diameter coupled to
the free end of the shaft, wherein the second diameter is larger
than the first diameter.
6. The support bracket of claim 5, wherein the at least one
aperture in the second body portion comprises an upper aperture and
a lower aperture, the upper aperture comprising an arcuate notch in
an upper edge and the lower aperture comprising a keyhole-shaped
opening.
7. The support bracket of claim 5, wherein the interconnected ends
of the shafts are plastically deformed to couple the interlocking
members to the first body portion.
8. The support bracket of claim 5, wherein welds couple the
interconnected ends of the shafts to the first body portion.
9. A system configured to convert a space between a first storage
rack and a second storage rack into usable storage space, each
storage rack comprising front vertical support members and rear
vertical support members, the system comprising: a front crossbeam
having opposing ends, each of the opposing ends of the front
crossbeam having at least one interlocking member; a rear crossbeam
having opposing ends, each of the opposing ends of the rear
crossbeam having at least one interlocking member; first, second,
third, and fourth support brackets, each support bracket
comprising: a first body portion having a front surface and a rear
surface; a second body portion having a front surface and a rear
surface; at least one interlocking member extending rearward from
the rear surface of the first body portion, the at least one
interlocking member configured to detachably engage at least one of
a plurality of openings in the vertical support members; and at
least one aperture in the second body portion, the at least one
aperture configured to detachably receive at least one of the
interlocking members on the crossbeams.
10. The system of claim 9, wherein, for each of the first, second,
third, and fourth support brackets, the first body portion is
substantially co-planar with the second body portion.
11. The system of claim 9, wherein, for each of the first, second,
third, and fourth support brackets, the first body portion is
coupled to the second body portion along an adjoining portion.
12. The system of claim 11, wherein, for each of the first, second,
third, and fourth support brackets, the first body portion is
non-planar with the second body portion, and wherein the adjoining
portion defines a step between the first and second body
portions.
13. The system of claim 9, wherein, for each of the first, second,
third, and fourth support brackets, the at least one interlocking
member comprises an upper interlocking member and a lower
interlocking member, each of the interlocking members comprising: a
shaft having a first diameter protruding rearward from the body
portion, the shaft having an interconnected end coupled to the
first body portion and a free end opposite the interconnected end;
and a head having a second diameter coupled to the free end of the
shaft, wherein the second diameter is larger than the first
diameter.
14. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one aperture in
the second body portion comprises an upper aperture and a lower
aperture, the upper aperture comprising an arcuate notch in an
upper edge and the lower aperture comprising a keyhole-shaped
opening.
15. The system of claim 14, wherein: the upper and lower
interlocking members on the first support bracket are detachably
connected to two keyhole-shaped openings in one of the front
vertical support members of the first storage rack; the upper and
lower interlocking members on the second support bracket are
detachably connected to two keyhole-shaped openings in one of the
front vertical support members of the second storage rack; the at
least one interlocking member on one of the opposing ends of the
front crossbeam is detachably connected to the upper and lower
apertures in the first support bracket; the at least one
interlocking member on the other one of the opposing ends of the
front crossbeam is detachably connected to the upper and lower
apertures in the second support bracket; the upper and lower
interlocking members on the third support bracket are detachably
connected to two keyhole-shaped openings in one of the rear
vertical support members of the first storage rack; the upper and
lower interlocking members on the fourth support bracket are
detachably connected to two keyhole-shaped openings in one of the
rear vertical support members of the second storage rack; the at
least one interlocking member on one of the opposing ends of the
rear crossbeam is detachably connected to the upper and lower
apertures in the third support bracket; and the at least one
interlocking member on the other one of the opposing ends of the
rear crossbeam is detachably connected to the upper and lower
apertures in the fourth support bracket.
16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a shelf supported by
the front and rear crossbeams.
Description
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Provisional
Application Nos. 61/804,599 and 61/804,612, both filed on Mar. 22,
2013, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by
reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to brackets
configured to be detachably connected to a shelving unit and
support shelves.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Storage racks and shelving units are commonly used to store
a variety of different articles, such as tools and equipment in a
garage (e.g., drills, brooms, shovels, extension cords, etc.), in
an organized and readily accessible manner. Typical storage racks
include left and right end support units and front and rear
crossbeams extending between the end support units. Together,
corresponding front and rear crossbeams extending between the end
support units define a frame configured to support a shelf for
storing various articles. Typically, each end support unit includes
front and rear vertical support members and cross braces, both
horizontal and diagonal, interconnecting the front and rear
vertical support members.
[0004] One common type of storage rack known in the art is a
"boltless" rack, in which at least some of the members of the rack
are configured to be assembled without the use of permanent
mechanical fasteners. In some conventional boltless racks, the
members of the end support units are permanently coupled together,
such as by welding or riveting, and the crossbeams are detachably
connected to the vertical support members of the end support units.
Typically, the vertical support posts include a series of
apertures, such as wedge-shaped slots or keyhole-shaped openings,
configured to detachably receive interconnecting members, such as
rivets or lances, on opposite ends of the cross beams. Accordingly,
boltless racks are configured to permit easy assembly and
disassembly of the storage rack or shelving unit without the use of
tools, and to permit compact and economical shipment of the unit.
An example of a boltless shelving unit is shown and described in
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/360,543, entitled "Modular Rack
Assembly," the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by
reference.
[0005] Typically, storage capacity is limited by the number of
storage racks, and additional storage racks had to be purchased to
increase the user's storage capacity. However, purchasing a large
number of storage racks can be cost prohibitive. Additionally, the
space between existing storage racks is typically unused or
underutilized space.
[0006] Attempts have been made to solve the problem of unused or
underutilized space between existing storage racks. For example,
U.S. Patent Application 2009/0241812A1 to Liu discloses a shelf
that is extendable along a left and right direction. However,
extending the Liu shelf requires complicated assembly of many
pieces including a plurality of bamboo-shaped pipes, clamping
pieces, several different types of bolts, and seamless cone
sleeves. Furthermore, extending the shelf may be physically
burdensome for some users because it requires steps of tightening
bolts.
[0007] Another approach uses an extendable shelf assembly. For
example, European Patent No. 1030576 to Hardy discloses an
extendable shelf where the shelf frame can slide between a
plurality of fixed positions along an extender. While Hardy's
slidable shelf may enable a user to use a space in a flexible
manner, Hardy fails to contemplate using the extendable shelf to
connect between existing shelves. Furthermore, sliding shelves and
their installation can be cost-prohibitive.
[0008] Thus, there is still a need for a shelf assembly system,
which enables a user to utilize or convert space between two
storage racks into usable storage space more efficiently.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present invention is directed to support brackets
configured to increase the storage capacity of spaced-apart storage
racks. The present invention is directed to brackets configured to
be detachably connected to a vertical support post of a shelving
unit and a crossbeam. In one embodiment, the bracket includes a
first body portion having a front surface and a rear surface, a
second body portion having a front surface and a rear surface, at
least one interlocking member extending rearward from the rear
surface of the first body portion, the at least one interlocking
member configured to detachably engage at least one of a plurality
of openings in the vertical support member, and at least one
aperture in the second body portion, the at least one aperture
configured to detachably receive at least one interlocking member
on the crossbeam. In one embodiment, the first body portion is
substantially co-planar with the second body portion. In one
embodiment, the first body portion is coupled to the second body
portion along an adjoining portion. In another embodiment, the
first body portion is non-planar with the second body portion, and
the adjoining portion defines a step between the first and second
body portions.
[0010] In one embodiment, the at least one interlocking member
includes an upper interlocking member and a lower interlocking
member, and each of the interlocking members includes a shaft
having a first diameter protruding rearward from the first body
portion, the shaft having an interconnected end coupled to the
first body portion and a free end opposite the interconnected end,
and a head having a second diameter coupled to the free end of the
shaft. In one embodiment, the at least one aperture in the second
body portion includes an upper aperture and a lower aperture,
wherein the upper aperture includes an arcuate notch in an upper
edge and the lower aperture includes a keyhole-shaped opening. In
one embodiment, the interconnected ends of the shafts are
plastically deformed to couple the interlocking members to the
first body portion. In another embodiment, welds couple the
interconnected ends of the shafts to the first body portion.
[0011] This summary is provided to introduce a selection of
concepts that are further described below in the detailed
description. This summary is not intended to identify key or
essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it
intended to be used in limiting the scope of the claimed subject
matter.
[0012] Various objects, features, aspects and advantages of the
inventive subject matter will become more apparent from the
following detailed description of preferred embodiments, along with
the accompanying drawing figures in which like numerals represent
like components.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] Embodiments of support brackets according to the present
invention are described with reference to the following figures.
The same reference numerals are used throughout the figures to
reference like features and components. The figures are not
necessarily drawn to scale.
[0014] FIG. 1A is a front perspective view of two existing boltless
storage racks and six pairs of right and left support brackets of
the present invention supporting three pairs of front and rear
crossbeams and three shelves extending between the two storage
racks.
[0015] FIG. 1B is an enlarged perspective view of one of the right
support brackets of FIG. 1A detachably connected to a vertical
support post of the boltless storage rack and a crossbeam extending
between the two storage racks.
[0016] FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view showing the crossbeam
detachably connected to the right support bracket.
[0017] FIG. 1D is a cross-sectional view showing the right support
bracket detachably connected to the vertical support post of the
boltless storage rack.
[0018] FIGS. 2A and 2B are rear and front perspective views,
respectively, of the right support bracket according to an
embodiment of the present invention.
[0019] FIGS. 3A and 3B are rear and front perspective views,
respectively, of the left support bracket according to an
embodiment of the present invention.
[0020] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of installing
and using the support brackets according to an embodiment of the
present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0021] The following discussion provides many example embodiments
of the inventive subject matter. Although each embodiment
represents a single combination of inventive elements, the
inventive subject matter is considered to include all possible
combinations of the disclosed elements. Thus if one embodiment
comprises elements A, B, and C, and a second embodiment comprises
elements B and D, then the inventive subject matter is also
considered to include other remaining combinations of A, B, C, or
D, even if not explicitly disclosed.
[0022] The present invention relates to support brackets configured
to be detachably connected to boltless shelving units. The brackets
of the present invention are configured to increase the storage
capacity of two closely spaced storage racks by utilizing or
converting the space between the two storage racks into usable,
organized storage space. In particular, the brackets are configured
to increase the storage capacity of the existing storage racks by
supporting crossbeams and shelves extending between the two
shelving units. The support brackets are preferably repositionable
along the shelving units such that the height of the shelves and
the spacing between adjacent shelves can be selected to accommodate
various shaped and sized articles, such as tools and other
equipment commonly stored in a garage.
[0023] Referring now to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1A, two
closely spaced existing storage racks 100, 101 are illustrated.
Each of the storage racks 100, 101 includes left and right end
support units 102, 103, respectively, interconnected by front and
rear crossbeams 104, 105, respectively. Each end support unit 102,
103 includes front and rear vertical support posts 106, 107,
respectively, and horizontal braces 108 extending between the front
and rear vertical support posts 106, 107 (i.e., front ends 109 of
the horizontal braces 108 are connected to the front vertical
support posts 106 and rear ends 110 of the horizontal braces 108
are connected to the rear vertical support posts 107). In the
illustrated embodiment, each end support unit 102, 103 includes
five horizontal braces 108, although it will be appreciated that
the end support units 102, 103 may have any other suitable number
of horizontal support braces 108, such as between two and ten or
more, depending upon the desired storage capacity of the storage
racks 100, 101 and the shape and size of the various articles the
storage racks 100, 101 are configured to support. In another
embodiment, the end support units 102, 103 may also include
diagonal braces extending between the front and rear vertical
support posts 106, 107, respectively. In the illustrated
embodiment, the horizontal braces 108 are boltlessly and detachably
connected to the vertical support posts 106, 107, although it will
be appreciated that the horizontal braces 108 may be connected to
the vertical support posts 106, 107 by any other suitable means,
such as mechanical fastening or welding.
[0024] With continued reference to FIG. 1A, each of the vertical
support posts 106, 107 is a beam having two generally orthogonal
legs 111, 112 (i.e., each of the vertical support posts 106, 107
includes a front leg 111 and a side leg 112 extending rearward from
the front leg 111). Together, the legs 111, 112 define a beam
having an L-shaped transverse cross-section. It will be
appreciated, however, that the vertical support posts 106, 107 may
have any other suitable shape, such as a U-shaped or Z-shaped
transverse cross-section. Additionally, in the illustrated
embodiment, each of the legs 111, 112 of the vertical support posts
106, 107 includes a plurality of keyhole-shaped openings 113
arranged in a column. As used herein, the term "plurality" shall
mean two or more. Each of the keyhole-shaped openings 113 includes
a relatively larger upper circular opening 114 and a relatively
smaller elongated opening 115 extending downward from a lower end
of the larger opening 114 (best shown in FIG. 1B). As described in
detail below, contemplated support brackets 116, 117 can be
boltlessly and detachably connected to the keyhole openings 113 in
the vertical support posts 106, 107.
[0025] For each of the two storage racks 100, 101 illustrated in
FIG. 1A, opposite ends 118, 119 of the front crossbeams 104 are
boltlessly coupled to the front vertical support posts 106 and
opposite ends 120, 121 of the rear crossbeams 105 are boltless
coupled to the rear vertical support posts 107. It will be
appreciated that the storage racks 100, 101 may include any
suitable number of crossbeams 104, 105, such as between two and ten
or more. Additionally, the crossbeams 104, 105 may be positioned at
any suitable elevation along the vertical support posts 106, 107,
depending upon the locations of the keyhole-shaped openings 113 in
the vertical support posts 106, 107, the desired storage capacity
of the storage racks 100, 101, and/or the shape and size of the
various articles the storage racks 100, 101 are configured to
support. In the illustrated embodiment, the number and elevation of
the front and rear crossbeams 104, 105 corresponds to the number
and elevation of the horizontal braces 108, although it will be
appreciated that the number and elevation of the front and rear
crossbeams 104, 105 may differ from the horizontal braces 108.
[0026] With continued reference to FIG. 1A, the crossbeams 104, 105
each include a pair of spaced apart upper and lower vertical legs
125, 126, respectively. In the illustrated embodiment, the opposite
ends 118, 119 of the upper and lower vertical legs 125, 126 of each
crossbeam 104, 105 include interlocking members 127 configured to
releasably engage the keyhole-shaped openings 113 in the vertical
support posts 106, 107. In the illustrated embodiment, each end
118, 119 of the crossbeams 104, 105 includes two interlocking
members 127, although it will be appreciated that each end 118, 119
of the crossbeams 104, 105 may include any other suitable number of
interlocking members 127, such as between one and three or more.
The crossbeams 104, 105 each also include an upper horizontal
flange 128 extending inward from a lower end of the upper vertical
leg 125, a lower flange 129 extending inward and upward from an
upper end of the lower vertical leg 126, and a vertical flange 130
extending between inner ends of the upper and lower horizontal
flanges 128, 129 (see FIG. 1C). Together, the inwardly extending
upper horizontal flanges 128 on the crossbeams 104, 105 define a
ledge or a frame configured to support a shelf panel 131 or other
planar support member. Together, the upper and lower vertical legs
125, 126, the upper and lower horizontal flanges 128, 129, and the
vertical flange 130 of the crossbeams 104, 105 define a crossbeam
having a generally omega-shaped transverse cross-section. It will
be appreciated, however, that the crossbeams 104, 105 may have any
other suitable shape, such as a C-shaped or Z-shaped transverse
cross-section.
[0027] Still referring to FIG. 1A, a plurality of support brackets
116, 117 are illustrated coupled to the vertical support posts 106,
107 of the two existing storage racks 100, 101. As described above,
the support brackets 116, 117 are configured to increase the
storage capacity of the two storage racks 100, 101 by utilizing or
converting the space between the two storage racks 100, 101 into
usable, organized storage space. The plurality of support brackets
includes both left support brackets 116 and right support brackets
117. As illustrated in FIG. 1A, each left support bracket 116 on
one of the storage racks 100, 101 has a corresponding right support
bracket 117 on the other storage rack 100, 101. Additionally, in
the illustrated embodiment, the corresponding left and right
support brackets 116, 117 are located at the same elevation on
their respective storage racks 100, 101. The corresponding left and
right support brackets 116, 117 are collectively referred to herein
as a pair of support brackets 116, 117. Additionally, as
illustrated in FIG. 1A, front and rear pairs of support brackets
116, 117 are provided. Together, each front pair of support
brackets 116, 117 and each corresponding rear pair of support
brackets 116, 117 are configured to support a front and a rear
crossbeam 132, 133, respectively, spanning or extending between the
two existing storage racks 100, 101. Together, the front and rear
crossbeams 132, 133 are configured to support a shelf panel 134 or
other planar support member in order to provide a surface to
support various articles in an organized and accessible manner. In
the illustrated embodiment, six pairs of support brackets 116, 117
are provided (i.e., three pairs of front support brackets 116, 117
and three pairs of rear support brackets 116, 117), although any
other suitable number of support brackets 116, 117 may be provided,
such as between two pairs of left and right support brackets 116,
117 and ten or more pairs of left and right support brackets 116,
117, depending upon the desired number of shelf panels 134.
Additionally, it will be appreciated that the pairs of support
brackets 116, 117 may be provided at any suitable elevations along
the vertical support posts 106, 107, depending upon the size and
shape of the various articles the user desires to store on the
shelf panels 134 and the desired accessibility of the articles.
[0028] In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 1A, the crossbeams
132, 133 spanning between the two storage racks 100, 101 have
substantially the same configuration as the crossbeams 104, 105
provided on the two storage racks 100, 101, although it will be
appreciated that the crossbeams 132, 133 may have any other
suitable configuration (e.g., a generally C-shaped or Z-shaped
transverse cross-section). Additionally, it will be appreciated
that the length of the crossbeams 132, 133 spanning between the
existing storage racks 100, 101 is not necessarily equal to the
length of the crossbeams 104, 105 provided on the existing storage
racks 100, 101, and the crossbeams 132, 133 may be provided in any
suitable length depending upon the spacing between the existing
storage racks 100, 101. Additionally, opposite ends 135, 136 of the
crossbeams 132, 133 include at least one interlocking member 137
configured to detachably engage the support brackets 116, 117, as
described in more detail below. As best shown in FIG. 1B, in one
embodiment, each end 135, 136 of the crossbeams 132, 133 includes
two interlocking members 137. In the illustrated embodiment of FIG.
1B, one of the interlocking members 137 projects forward from the
upper vertical leg 125 and the other one of the interlocking member
137 projects forward from the lower vertical leg 126. Each
interlocking member 137 includes a relatively smaller shaft portion
138 and a relatively larger head portion 139 on a free end of the
shaft portion 138, as illustrated in FIG. 1C.
[0029] With reference now to FIG. 1B, each of the support brackets
116, 117 includes at least one interlocking member, described in
detail below, configured to enable the support brackets 116, 117 to
be boltlessly and detachably coupled to the keyhole-shaped openings
113 in the vertical support posts 106, 107. Additionally, each of
the support brackets 116, 117 includes at least one aperture,
described in detail below, configured to enable the interlocking
members 137 on the ends 135, 136 of the crossbeams 132, 133 to be
boltlessly and detachably coupled to the support brackets 116, 117.
Accordingly, each of the support brackets 116, 117 is configured to
be detachably coupled to both one of the vertical support posts
106, 107 on the storage racks 100, 101 and one end 135, 136 of one
of the crossbeams 132, 133.
[0030] With reference now to FIGS. 2A and 2B, an embodiment of the
right support bracket 117 will be described in detail. As
illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the left support brackets 116 are
mirror images of the right support brackets 117 illustrated in
FIGS. 2A and 2B. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the
features described below regarding the right support brackets 117
are equally applicable to the left support brackets 116, and
therefore the left support brackets 116 will not be described in
any additional detail. The right support bracket 117 includes a
first body portion 140 coupled to a second body portion 141 along
an adjoining edge 142. In the illustrated embodiment, both the
first and second body portions 140, 141, respectively, are
generally flat rectangular plates, although it will be appreciated
that the body portions 140, 141 may have any other suitable shape,
such as square, and still fall within the scope and spirit of the
present invention. The first and second body portions 140, 141 each
include front surfaces 143, 144, respectively, and rear surfaces
145, 146, respectively, opposite the respective front surfaces 143,
144.
[0031] With continued reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the right
bracket 117 also includes at least one interlocking member
configured to detachably engage at least one of the keyhole-shaped
openings 113 in the vertical support posts 106, 107 of the existing
storage racks 100, 101. In the illustrated embodiment, the first
body portion 140 of the right bracket 117 includes upper and lower
interlocking members 147, 148, respectively, although the bracket
117 may include any other suitable number of interlocking members
147, 148, such as between one and four or more, depending upon the
desired load-bearing capacity of the bracket 117. The spacing
between the interlocking members 147, 148 on the bracket 117
corresponds to the spacing between the keyhole-shaped openings 113
in the vertical support posts 106, 107 of the existing storage
racks 100, 101 (i.e., the interlocking members 147, 148 on the
brackets 117 are spaced to align with the keyhole-shaped openings
113 in the vertical support posts 106, 107).
[0032] In the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 1D and 2A, each of
the interlocking members 147, 148 comprise rivets having a shaft
portion 149 projecting rearward from the rear surface 145 of the
first body portion 140 of the bracket 117. The shaft portion 149
includes an interconnected end coupled to the rear surface 145 of
the bracket 117 and a free end opposite the interconnected end. The
interlocking members 147, 148 also include a head portion 150
coupled to the free end of the shaft portion 149. In the
illustrated embodiment, the head portions 150 of the interlocking
members 147, 148 each have an outer diameter larger than the outer
diameter of the shaft portion 149. Additionally, it will be
appreciated that the outer diameter of the head portions 150 is
smaller than the larger circular opening 114 in the keyhole
openings 113 in the vertical support posts 106, 107 such that the
head portions 150 of the interlocking members 147, 148 may be
inserted in the keyhole openings 113. Moreover, the outer diameter
of the shaft portion 149 is smaller than the smaller elongated
opening 115 in the keyhole openings 113 such that the interlocking
members 147, 148 can be selectively slid down into smaller
elongated openings 115, and the outer diameter of the head portion
150 is larger than the smaller elongated opening 115 of the keyhole
openings 113 such that the interlocking members 147, 148 are
retained in the keyhole openings 113 in the vertical support posts
106, 107, as shown in FIG. 1B. The coupling of interlocking members
147, 148 with existing keyhole openings advantageously enables a
user to install crossbeams 132, 133 between storage racks 100, 101
without requiring tools.
[0033] With continued reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the right
support bracket 117 also includes at least one aperture configured
to detachably receive the at least one interlocking member 137 on
the ends 135, 136 of the crossbeams 132, 133 spanning between the
existing storage racks 100, 101. In the illustrated embodiment, the
second body portion 141 of the right bracket 117 includes upper and
lower apertures 151, 152, respectively, although the bracket 35 may
include any other suitable number of apertures 151, 152, such as
between one and four or more, depending upon the desired
load-bearing capacity of the bracket 117. Additionally, in the
illustrated embodiment, the number of apertures 151, 152 in the
second body portion 141 of the bracket 117 corresponds to the
number of interlocking members 147, 148 on the first body portion
140 of the bracket 117, although it will be appreciated that the
number of apertures 151, 152 in the bracket 117 may differ from the
number of interlocking members 147, 148 on the support bracket 117.
In the illustrated embodiment, the lower aperture 152 is a
keyhole-shaped opening, although it will be appreciated that the
lower aperture 152 may have any other suitable shape, such as a
tapered wedge shape. Substantially as described above with
reference to the keyhole-shaped openings 113 in the vertical
support posts 106, 107 of the storage racks 100, 101, the
keyhole-shaped opening 152 in the support bracket 117 includes a
relatively larger upper circular opening 153 and a relatively
smaller elongated opening 154 extending downward from a lower end
of the larger opening 153. Additionally, in the illustrated
embodiment, the upper aperture 151 is an arcuate notch extending
downward from an upper edge 155 of the second body portion 141. In
one embodiment, the arcuate notch 151 has substantially the same
shape and size as the smaller elongated opening portion 154 of the
keyhole-shaped lower aperture 152, although it will be appreciated
that the upper aperture 151 may have any other suitable shape, such
as a tapered wedge shape.
[0034] With continued reference to the embodiment illustrated in
FIGS. 2A and 2B, the first and second body portions 140, 141,
respectively, are non-planar such that a step 156 is defined along
the adjoining edge 142 of the first and second body portions 140,
141, respectively. The step 156 in the support bracket 117 is
configured such that the second body portion 141 of the support
bracket 117 is co-planar with the front legs 111 of the vertical
support posts 106, 107, as illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B.
Accordingly, the step 156 in the support bracket 117 is configured
such that the crossbeams 132, 133 spanning between the two storage
racks 100, 101 are in line with the vertical support posts 106,
107. Otherwise, the crossbeams 132, 133 spanning between the two
storage racks 100, 101 would be spaced apart by a distance
different than the spacing between the crossbeams 104, 105 provided
on the storage racks 100, 101. Spacing the crossbeams 132, 133
apart by a distance different than the spacing between the
crossbeams 104, 105 provided on the storage racks 100, 101 could
result in the shelf panels 131 on the storage racks 100, 101 not
fitting on the crossbeams 132, 133 spanning between the storage
racks 100, 101 (i.e., the shelf panels 131 on the storage racks
100, 101 may not be interchangeable with shelf panels 134). In an
alternate embodiment, however, the first and second body portions
140, 141 of the right support bracket 117 may be substantially
co-planar. The co-planar or substantially co-planar bracket enables
a user to use a shelf panel 134 having substantially the same width
as 131, where the width is defined as a distance between the rear
vertical post 107 and the front vertical post 106.
[0035] The left and right support brackets 116, 117 may be formed
from any suitable process, such as stamping, pressing, machining,
molding, or rapid prototyping using additive manufacturing. In one
embodiment, the interlocking members 147, 148 are welded to the
rear surface 145 of the first body portion 140. In an alternate
embodiment, the shaft portions 149 of the interlocking members 147,
148 are inserted through openings in the first body portion 140 of
the brackets 116, 117 and the interconnected ends 157 of the shaft
portions 149 are deformed, such as by bucking with a rivet gun, to
couple the interlocking members 147, 148 to the first body portion
140, as illustrated in FIGS. 2B and 3B. The left and right brackets
116, 117 may be made of any suitably strong and durable material,
such as aluminum alloy, steel, plastic (e.g., polyvinyl chloride
(PVC) or polypropylene (PP)), or carbon fiber reinforced
plastic.
[0036] With reference now to the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 4, a
method 200 of installing and using the brackets 116, 117 of the
present invention to increase the storage capacity of two spaced
apart storage racks 100, 101 is presented. In one embodiment, the
method 200 includes a step 205 of selecting a desired number of
brackets 116, 117 based upon the desired additional storage
capacity and the shape and size of the various articles the user
desires to store. The method 200 also includes a step 210 of
selecting the desired locations of the brackets 116, 117 along the
vertical support posts 106, 107 of the storage racks 100, 101. The
desired positions of the brackets 116, 117 on the storage racks
100, 101 may be based upon several factors, including the nature of
the article(s) the user intends to store and the desired
accessibility of the article(s). In some contemplated embodiments,
step 205 alternatively comprises instructing a user to select the
desired locations of the brackets 116, 117 along the vertical
support posts 106, 107 of the storage racks 100, 101, and step 210
alternatively comprises instructing a user to select a desired
number of brackets 116, 117 based upon the desired additional
storage capacity and the shape and size of the various articles the
user desires to store.
[0037] The method 200 also includes a step 215 of detachably
connecting the brackets 116, 117 to the desired locations along the
vertical support posts 106, 107 of the storage racks 100, 101. To
attach the brackets 116, 117 to the keyhole-shaped openings 113 in
the vertical support posts 106, 107 of the storage racks 100, 101,
the method 200 includes a step 220 of inserting the head portions
150 of the rivet interlocking members 147, 148 into the larger,
upper circular opening 114 portions of the desired keyhole openings
113, and a step 225 of translating the brackets 116, 117 downward
until the head portion 150 of the rivet interlocking members 147,
148 are aligned with the smaller elongated opening 115 portions of
the keyhole openings 113, as illustrated in FIGS. 1B and 1D.
[0038] The method 200 also includes a step 230 of detachably
connecting the crossbeams 132, 133 to the support brackets 116,
117. To attach the crossbeams 132, 133 to the apertures 151, 152 in
the brackets 116, 117, the method 200 includes a step 235 of
inserting the head portion 139 of the lower rivet interlocking
members 137 on the crossbeams 132, 133 into the larger, upper
circular opening 153 portions of the lower keyhole-shaped apertures
152 in the brackets 116, 117. The method 200 also includes a step
240 of translating the crossbeams 132, 133 downward until the shaft
portions 138 of the upper rivet interlocking members 137 on the
crossbeams 132, 133 are seated in the lower end of the arcuate
notches 151 in the support brackets 116, 117 and the shaft portions
138 of the lower rivet interlocking members 137 on the crossbeams
132, 133 are seated in the smaller elongated opening 154 portions
of the lower keyhole-shaped apertures 152 in the support brackets
116, 117, as illustrated in FIGS. 1B and 1C. When the support
brackets 116, 117 and the crossbeams 132, 133 are installed, the
rear surfaces 145 of the first body portions 140 of the support
brackets 116, 117 abut a portion of the front legs 111 of the
vertical support posts 106, 107, and the rear surfaces 146 of the
second body portions 141 of the support brackets 116, 117 abut a
portion of the upper and lower vertical legs 125, 126 of the
crossbeams 132, 133, as illustrated in FIGS. 1B and 1C. The method
200 also includes a step 245 of installing at least one shelf panel
134 or other planar support member onto the crossbeams 132,
133.
[0039] While in one embodiment, the method 200 of installing and
using the brackets 116, 117 may include each of the steps described
above and shown in FIG. 4, in other embodiments of the present
invention, one or more of the steps described above and shown in
FIG. 4 may be absent and/or additional steps may be performed.
Furthermore, in the method 200 of installing and using the brackets
116, 117 according to one embodiment, the steps may be performed in
the order depicted in FIG. 4. However, the present invention is not
limited thereto and, in a method of installing and using the
brackets 116, 117 according to other embodiments of the present
invention, the steps described above and shown in FIG. 4 may be
performed in any other suitable sequence. For example, in one
embodiment, the step 215 of detachably connecting the brackets 116,
117 to the desired locations along the vertical support posts 106,
107 of the storage racks 100, 101 is performed before the step 230
of detachably connecting the crossbeams 132, 133 to the support
brackets 116, 117, while in an alternate embodiment, the step 230
of detachably connecting the crossbeams 132, 133 to the support
brackets 116, 117 can be performed before the step 215 of
detachably connecting the brackets 116, 117 to the desired
locations along the vertical support posts 106, 107 of the storage
racks 100, 101.
[0040] While this invention has been described in detail with
particular references to exemplary embodiments thereof, the
exemplary embodiments described herein are not intended to be
exhaustive or to limit the scope of the invention to the exact
forms disclosed. Persons skilled in the art and technology to which
this invention pertains will appreciate that alterations and
changes in the described structures and methods of assembly and
operation can be practiced without meaningfully departing from the
principles, spirit, and scope of this invention, as set forth in
the following claims. Although relative terms such as "outer,"
"inner," "upper," "lower," "below," "above," "vertical,
"horizontal" and similar terms have been used herein to describe a
spatial relationship of one element to another, it is understood
that these terms are intended to encompass different orientations
of the various elements and components of the device in addition to
the orientation depicted in the figures.
[0041] As used herein, and unless the context dictates otherwise,
the term "coupled to" is intended to include both direct coupling
(in which two elements that are coupled to each other contact each
other) and indirect coupling (in which at least one additional
element is located between the two elements). Therefore, the terms
"coupled to" and "coupled with" are used synonymously.
[0042] As used in the description herein and throughout the claims
that follow, the meaning of "a," "an," and "the" includes plural
reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as
used in the description herein, the meaning of "in" includes "in"
and "on" unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
[0043] Groupings of alternative elements or embodiments of the
invention disclosed herein are not to be construed as limitations.
Each group member can be referred to and claimed individually or in
any combination with other members of the group or other elements
found herein. One or more members of a group can be included in, or
deleted from, a group for reasons of convenience and/or
patentability. When any such inclusion or deletion occurs, the
specification is herein deemed to contain the group as modified
thus fulfilling the written description of all Markush groups used
in the appended claims
[0044] It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that many
more modifications besides those already described are possible
without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The inventive
subject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the
spirit of the appended claims. Moreover, in interpreting both the
specification and the claims, all terms should be interpreted in
the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In
particular, the terms "comprises" and "comprising" should be
interpreted as referring to elements, components, or steps in a
non-exclusive manner, indicating that the referenced elements,
components, or steps may be present, or utilized, or combined with
other elements, components, or steps that are not expressly
referenced. Where the specification claims refers to at least one
of something selected from the group consisting of A, B, C . . .
and N, the text should be interpreted as requiring only one element
from the group, not A plus N, or B plus N, etc.
* * * * *