Support beam and shelving system using this support beam

Abstract

To improve load-bearing capacity and bulk transport efficiency through the use of various shelving system beams. [Solution] The support beam includes a first vertical member, a second vertical member, a horizontal member, a connecting member, and an extension member. The second vertical member is located in a vertical plane shared with the first vertical member. The horizontal member connects to the first vertical member. The connecting member connects to the upper ends of the horizontal member and the second vertical member. The connecting member has a diagonal orientation and bends the connecting member downward toward the second vertical member. The extension member has a first end and a second end, the second end of which connects to the lower end of the second vertical member. The extension member has a first straight section extending from the first end, and the angle between the extension direction of the first straight section and the second vertical member is between 0 and 145 degrees.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a beam structure and a storage device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a support beam and a shelf system using the support beam, which are used in various shelf systems to improve load-bearing capacity and bulk transportation efficiency.

Background Art

[0002] Boltless or rivet-joined shelf systems are generally used to store various items in a space-saving manner while reducing clutter. Due to their versatility and industrial strength, they have become a popular storage option in various warehouses, factories, houses, or garages. For example, as disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 8,424,694, a typical shelf system includes four vertical corner posts, any appropriate number of horizontal support beams extending between the posts, and corresponding shelves disposed on and supported by the horizontal support beams. Further, the boltless shelf system design is easy to assemble (i.e., requires minimal tools) and allows the shelf system to be quickly and easily adjusted and reconfigured.

[0003] However, many boltless shelf systems, including the above-described prior art, have a low load-carrying capacity that is not suitable, or diagonal struts are required on the sides of the shelf system, which limits the usable space of the shelf system and the accessibility to stored items. Therefore, an optimal beam for use in a shelf system with high load-bearing capacity and high accessibility has been sought.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] One objective of the present invention is to enhance the load-bearing capacity and bulk transportation efficiency by means of devices for various shelf system beams, as clearly pointed out in the independent claims of the patent claims. Embodiments of the present invention are in the dependent claims. Embodiments of the present invention may be freely combined with each other under circumstances that do not mutually exclude each other.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The present invention provides a support beam for supporting a shelf assembly. It includes a first vertical member, a second vertical member, a horizontal member, a connecting member, and an extension member. The second vertical member is located in a vertical plane shared with the first vertical member. The horizontal member connects to the first vertical member. The connecting member connects to the upper ends of the horizontal member and the second vertical member. The connecting member has a diagonal orientation and bends downward toward the second vertical member. The extension member has a first end and a second end. The second end connects to the lower end of the second vertical member. The extension member has a first straight section extending from the first end. The angle between the extension direction of the first straight section and the second vertical member is between 0 and 145 degrees.

[0006] According to the concept of the present invention, the material of the support beam includes metal or plastic.

[0007] According to the concept of the present invention, the stretched member has a second straight portion extending from the second end.

[0008] According to the concept of the present invention, the first straight section and the second straight section are parallel.

[0009] According to the concept of the present invention, the stretched member has a U-shaped region between the first straight portion and the second end.

[0010] According to the concept of the present invention, the stretched member has at least one arc region between the first straight portion and the second end.

[0011] According to the concept of the present invention, the stretched member has at least one curved point between the first straight portion and the second end.

[0012] According to the concept of the present invention, the stretched member has a flat portion perpendicular to the second vertical member between the first straight portion and the second end.

[0013] According to the concept of the present invention, the first vertical member and the second vertical member each have openings at both ends of the support beam for use in riveting, slitting, or screw joining.

[0014] According to the concept of the present invention, the horizontal member and the connecting member modify both ends of the support beam, and the angle formed is not perpendicular to the support beam.

[0015] The present invention also provides another support beam for supporting a shelf assembly. It includes a first vertical member, a second vertical member, a horizontal member, a connecting member, and an extension member. The second vertical member is located in a vertical plane shared with the first vertical member. The horizontal member connects with the first vertical member. The connecting member connects to the upper ends of the horizontal member and the second vertical member. The connecting member has a curved shape. The extension member has a first end and a second end. The second end connects to the lower end of the second vertical member. The extension member has a first straight section extending from the first end. The angle between the extension direction of the first straight section and the second vertical member is between 0 and 145 degrees.

[0016] According to the concept of the present invention, the material of the support beam includes metal or plastic.

[0017] According to the concept of the present invention, the curved shape of the connecting member includes at least one bending point.

[0018] According to the concept of the present invention, the stretched member has a second straight portion extending from the second end.

[0019] According to the concept of the present invention, the first straight section and the second straight section are parallel.

[0020] According to the concept of the present invention, the stretched member has a U-shaped region between the first straight portion and the second end.

[0021] According to the concept of the present invention, the extension member has at least one arc region between the first straight portion and the second end.

[0022] According to the concept of the present invention, the extension member has at least one bending point between the first straight portion and the second end.

[0023] According to the concept of the present invention, the extension member has a flat portion perpendicular to the second vertical member between the first straight portion and the second end.

[0024] According to the concept of the present invention, the first vertical member and the second vertical member each have an opening for use in riveting, slit formation or screwing at both ends of the support beam.

[0025] According to the concept of the present invention, the horizontal member and the connecting member modify both ends of the support beam, and the formed angle is not perpendicular to the support beam.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0026] [Figure 1A] It is a side view of a support beam according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 1B] It is a rear perspective view showing the first embodiment. [Figure 1C] It is a front perspective view showing the first embodiment. [Figure 1D] It is another front perspective view of the first embodiment, showing a state where four openings are provided on the support beam. [Figure 1E] It shows a state where rivets are fixed in each opening and the support beam is connected. [Figure 2] It is a side view of a support beam according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a side view of a support beam according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4A] It is a side view of a support beam according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4B] It is a side view of the support beam of the fourth embodiment, having a flat bottom. [Figure 5] This is a side view of a support beam according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6A] This is a side view of a support beam according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6B] This is a side view of a deformed support beam according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This is a side view of a support beam according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This is a side view of a support beam according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] This is a side view of a support beam according to the ninth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] This shows a support beam with both ends cut off. [Figure 11] This is a perspective view showing an example of a shelving system. [Figure 12] This demonstrates how to fix the support beam to the rectangular prism. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0027] This text clearly outlines and points out several features of the present invention, and other features will be disclosed in the following description. This section attempts to include various modifications and arrangements of the spirit and scope contained in the claims.

[0028] In the text and drawings described by the applicant, each component is generally referred to by the singular, but this does not mean that there is only one; rather, it means at least one. In other words, in some embodiments, the number of elements may be one, and in other embodiments, the number of elements may be greater than one. The term "one" in the text and drawings is not meant to be interpreted as limiting the number.

[0029] Refer to Figures 1A to 1C. Figure 1A is a side view of a support beam according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1B is a rear perspective view showing the first embodiment. Figure 1C is a front perspective view showing the first embodiment. Support beam 1 is a long, straight object, and its extension direction is perpendicular in Figure 1A. This is a magnified view of local features, and a portion of support beam 1 between its ends is omitted and not depicted. The dotted lines in Figures 1B and 1C represent the boundaries of the omitted portion. The elements of support beam 1 described below are defined in Figure 1A. All of these elements are long, straight objects and are connected to each other to form a one-piece support beam 1. The dotted lines in Figure 1A distinguish one member from the other connected member.

[0030] In this embodiment, the support beam 1 supporting the shelf assembly includes a first vertical member 11, a second vertical member 12, a horizontal member 13, a connecting member 14, and an extension member 15. The second vertical member 12 is not directly connected to the first vertical member 11, and the second vertical member 12 and the first vertical member 11 are located in a shared vertical plane. Therefore, the first vertical member 11 and the second vertical member 12 can contact the plane of the shelf's corner column, thereby fixing the support beam 1 to the corner column. For convenience of explanation, the second vertical member 12 has an upper end 121 and a lower end 122.

[0031] The horizontal member 13 is connected to the first vertical member 11. The connecting member 14 is connected to the upper ends 121 of the horizontal member 13 and the second vertical member 12. In this embodiment, the connecting member 14 has a diagonal orientation and is bent downward toward the second vertical member 12. The angle θ between the horizontal member 13 and the connecting member 14 can vary.

[0032] The extension member 15 has a first end 151 and a second end 152. The second end 152 of the extension member 15 is connected to the lower end 122 of the second vertical member 12. The extension member 15 has a first straight section 153 extending from the first end 151. In this embodiment, the extension member 15 is formed into a hook shape by the first straight section 153, increasing the rigidity of bending and twisting when the support beam 1 is assembled into a shelf system. The extension direction of the first straight section 153, indicated by the dotted arrow, and the extension direction of the second vertical member 12, indicated by the solid arrow, are parallel. The angle between the two directions is 0 degrees. In this invention, the angle may be between 0 and 145 degrees. Other embodiments include different first straight sections 153 that indicate different angles. The bottom of the support beam 1 is arc-shaped.

[0033] The present invention can be applied to the following situations: The support beam may have a total length of 1 to 10 feet from one end to the other. The beam width may be 1 to 6 inches. The thickness of the support beam may be uniform throughout and range from 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm. Regarding materials, the present invention is not limited to metal, plastic, or other rigid materials in all embodiments.

[0034] The support beam 1 may be fixed to the prism by welding and form part of the shelf system. However, this is not the only method. The support beam 1 may be connected to the prism by screw joints, rivets, slits, or other methods. Refer to Figures 1D and 1E. Figure 1D is another front perspective view showing the support beam 1 of the first embodiment, with four openings provided on the support beam 1. Figure 1E shows the support beam 1 connected by fixing rivets in each opening. The first vertical member 11 and the second vertical member 12 each have openings 20 at both ends of the support beam 1, used for riveting, slitting, or screw joining. Figure 1D has four openings. Rivets 21 are fixed to the openings 20 of the first vertical member 11 and the second vertical member 12. Rivets 21 may be replaced with bolts to fix the support beam 1 to the prism. The difference between rivets 21 and bolts is that the former are fixed to the support beam 1, while the latter are simply used during assembly. Refer to Figure 12 for better understanding. Rivets 21 located at one end of the support beam 200 are fastened to threaded grooves 110 on the same prism 100, enhancing the stability of the shelf system and maintaining the vertical orientation of the support beam 200 relative to the prism 100. Additionally, these rivets 21 are fixed to threaded grooves 110 on the far end prism 100, and by extending the length of a single prism, multiple shelf systems can be stacked on top of each other.

[0035] Refer to Figure 2. Figure 2 is a side view of a support beam 2 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, most of the members of the support beam 2 are the same as the corresponding members of the support beam 1. Briefly speaking, the same reference numerals represent the same members in different drawings and embodiments. Unless some characteristics are changed in the new design, the details of the members described above will not be repeated. In the second embodiment, the extension direction of the first straight section 153, indicated by the dotted arrow, and the solid arrow indicate that they are not parallel to the extension direction of the second vertical member 12. The angle between the two directions is, for example, 30 degrees, and greater than 0 degrees. The extension member 15 is still formed into a hook shape by the first straight section 153, which increases its rigidity against bending and twisting when in use.

[0036] Refer to Figure 3, which is a side view of a support beam 3 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the design of the extension member 15 differs from that of the previous two embodiments. The extension direction of the first straight section 153, indicated by the dotted arrow, and the extension direction of the second vertical member 12, indicated by the solid arrow, are perpendicular to each other. The angle between the two directions is 90 degrees. The extension member 15 is formed in an L-shape via the first straight section 153, which helps to increase rigidity against bending and twisting. The first straight section 153 is parallel to the horizontal member 13 and is short. The first straight section 153 in Figure 3 rotates by an even larger angle (approximately 60 degrees) counterclockwise compared to Figure 2. In practice, the angle between the two directions may be increased to the upper limit, such as 145 degrees as described above.

[0037] Refer to Figure 4A, a side view of a support beam 4 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The extension member 15 of the support beam 4 includes a second straight section 154 extending from a second end 152. The first straight section 153 and the second straight section 154 are parallel, and the hook shape is deeper. Furthermore, the extension member 15 has a U-shaped region 155 between the first straight section 153 and the second end 152. An arc shape is formed in the corresponding portion of the U-shaped region 155 in the first embodiment. The U-shaped region 155 has arcs of the same diameter at its corners. In the modified form, the corners may also be right angles. Refer to Figure 4B, a side view of the deformed support beam 4, which has a flat bottom. That is, the U-shaped region 155 is transformed into a flat portion 155' of a straight segment. The flat portion 155' is perpendicular to the second vertical member 12 between the first straight portion 153 and the second end 152.

[0038] Refer to Figure 5, which is a side view of a support beam 5 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. The extension member 15 of the support beam 5 has a curved region 156, which replaces the U-shaped region 155 of the previous embodiment. The extension member 15 has at least one curved point between the first straight section 153 and the second end 152. In this embodiment, there are two curved points indicated by the two arrows. A discontinuous plane is formed where the curved region 156 appears.

[0039] Refer to Figure 6A, which is a side view of a support beam 6 according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. The extension member 15 of the support beam 6 has three arc regions 157, which replace the curved region 156 between the first straight section 153 and the second end 152 in the previous embodiment. According to the present invention, the number of arc regions 157 is at least one. A wavy appearance is formed on the bottom of the support beam 6. According to the present invention, the arc regions 157 may be located between the first straight section 153 and the U-shaped region 155. Refer to Figure 6B. This is a side view of the deformed support beam 6, which forms a wavy hook.

[0040] Refer to Figure 7, which is a side view of a support beam 7 according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention. The extension member 15 of the support beam 7 has a diagonal region 158, replacing the three arc regions 157 of the previous embodiment. The bottom of the support beam 7 is bent upward at one angle. The distance from the second vertical member 12 to the first straight section 153 in the embodiment may be smaller than that of the horizontal member 13. The pointed corners depicted in Figures 4B, 5, and 7 are not limited to pointed shapes only, and smooth curved corners may be adopted on the outside and / or inside, similar to the smooth corners of the extension member 15 in Figure 4A. Also, the first end 151 of the extension member 15 is not limited to a flat rectangle. It may have a concave or convex surface, or be bent inward and / or outward to form a tail-like portion.

[0041] Refer to Figure 8, which is a side view of a support beam 8 according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention. Except for the design of the connecting member 14, this embodiment is similar to the first embodiment. The connecting member 14 in this embodiment connects to the upper ends 121 of the horizontal member 13 and the second vertical member 12. The connecting member 14 has a curved shape. As shown in Figure 8, the connecting member 14 is further divided into a first step 141 and a second step 142, with a bend point between them indicated by a star mark.

[0042] According to the present invention, the curved shape of the connecting member 14 may include one or more bending points. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, even more bending points may be designed. This is a side view of a support beam 9 according to the ninth embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is another design of the connecting member 14. The connecting member 14 is further divided into a first step 141, a second step 142, a third step 143, and a fourth step 144. Therefore, this embodiment has three bending points. It should be noted that the modified form of the stretching member 15 can also be applied to the eighth and ninth embodiments.

[0043] To conveniently use the support beams described above to assemble a shelf system, both ends of the beams may be supported. Refer to Figure 10, which shows a support beam with both ends cut off. The horizontal member 13 and connecting member 14 modify both ends of the support beam, and the angles formed are not perpendicular to the support beam. The first vertical member 11 and the second vertical member 12 are unaffected. Therefore, the formed cut planes are not cross-sections of the support beam. Consequently, the normal direction of the cut planes at each end is not parallel to the extension direction of the support beam. As shown in Figure 10, the horizontal member 13 and connecting member 14 gradually modify both ends of the support beam inward. The extension member 15 also removes portions of the support beam at both ends. Therefore, openings on the sides of the support beam are cleaned so that rivets or bolts can be easily attached. This prevents the support beam from interfering with corners during assembly.

[0044] Refer to Figure 11, which shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the shelving system 10. The shelving system 10 includes several rectangular prisms 100, several support beams 200, and at least one shelf 300. This embodiment shows four rectangular prisms 100, sixteen beams 200, and four shelves 300, forming a rectangular four-tiered shelf. In practice, the number of each component is not limited to that shown in Figure 11. More beams 200 and shelves 300 may form a shelving system 10 with more tiers.

[0045] In one embodiment, a single-layer shelving system may have one or more shelves 300. For example, the layer may include at least two shelves 300. In this embodiment, each shelf is shorter than the beam. This allows for increased height in the lower layer. For example, if only one shorter shelf is used in a layer, opening up a section of the layer allows taller items to be placed on the lower layer and passed through the open area.

[0046] A rigid metal piece is bent to form a rectangular prism 100, and two long, straight plates are joined at right angles. Several screw holes 110 are formed on each rectangular prism 100 to secure the beam 200. The positions of the screw holes on the rectangular prisms 100 must be the same. The length of the rectangular prisms 100 is not limited.

[0047] In this invention, the type of beam is not limited. Conventional beams not depicted in this invention may be used. However, at least one beam 200 must be the support beam described above. The length of the beam 200 is not limited. In this embodiment, two beams 200 of different lengths are used. Each beam 200 is adjustably coupled to a pair of rectangular prisms 100. Figure 12 shows how the support beam 200 is fixed to the prism 100. In this particular embodiment, all beams are a type of support beam as in the first embodiment. Two rivets 21 at one end of the beam 20 are inserted into two corresponding threaded grooves 110 of the prism 100 and then engaged. As shown by the dotted circle in Figure 12, the cutouts at both ends of the beam 200 ensure that the beams do not interfere with each other at the corners. When the beam 200 is fastened to the prism 100 to form the basic structure of the shelf system 10, the shelves 300 can be arranged on at least two beams 200. In this invention, generally for maximum load capacity, the shelves 300 should be supported by four beams 200.

[0048] Under certain circumstances, if the beam 200 is too long, the shelf 300 lacks sufficient rigidity to resist the bending moment generated when a load is applied. To discuss this issue, the shelf system 10 may further include at least one fixed beam 400, as shown in Figure 11. The fixed beam 400 may be fixed to two opposing beams 200 on the same layer, or optimally to the center of the beams 200. In this embodiment, four fixed beams 400 are used, one attached to each of the two long beams 200 on each layer.

[0049] Although the present invention has been described in detail by the embodiments described above, anyone skilled in the art can make various modifications and alterations without departing from the scope of the attached claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0050] 1. Support beam 2 Support beams 3. Support beam 4. Support beam 5. Support beam 6. Support beam 7 Support beam 8. Support beam 9. Support beam 10 Shelving Systems 11 First vertical member 12 Second vertical member 13 Horizontal members 14 Connecting Members 15. Extending member 20 aperture 21 rivets 100 square prism 110 Screw hole groove 121 Upper end 122 Bottom end 141 Section 1 142 Section 2 143 Section 3 144 Section 4 151 The first end 152 The second end 153 First straight section 154 Second straight section 155 U-shaped area 155' flat area 156 Curved Region 157 Circular Arc Region 158 Oblique area 200 support beam 300 shelves 400 Fixed beam

Claims

1. It includes a first vertical member, a second vertical member, a horizontal member, a connecting member, and an extension member, The second vertical member is located in a vertical plane shared with the first vertical member, The horizontal member is connected to the first vertical member, The connecting member is connected to the upper ends of the horizontal member and the second vertical member, and the connecting member has a diagonal orientation, and the connecting member is bent downward toward the second vertical member. The extension member has a first end and a second end, the second end is connected to the lower end of the second vertical member, the extension member has a first straight section extending from the first end, and the angle between the extension direction of the first straight section and the second vertical member is between 0 and 145 degrees, thereby supporting a shelf assembly. Support beam.

2. The support beam according to claim 1, characterized in that the material of the support beam includes metal or plastic.

3. The support beam according to claim 1, characterized in that the extended member has a second straight portion extended from the second end.

4. The support beam according to claim 3, characterized in that the first straight section and the second straight section are parallel.

5. The support beam according to claim 1, characterized in that the extended member has a U-shaped region between the first straight portion and the second end.

6. The support beam according to claim 1, characterized in that the extended member has at least one arc region between the first straight portion and the second end.

7. The support beam according to claim 1, characterized in that the extended member has at least one curved point between the first straight portion and the second end.

8. The support beam according to claim 1, characterized in that the extended member has a flat portion perpendicular to the second vertical member between the first straight portion and the second end.

9. The support beam according to claim 1, characterized in that the first vertical member and the second vertical member each have openings at both ends of the support beam for use in riveting, slitting, or screw joining.

10. The support beam according to claim 1, characterized in that the horizontal member and the connecting member modify both ends of the support beam, and the angle formed is not perpendicular to the support beam.

11. It includes multiple rectangular prisms, multiple beams, and at least one shelf, The plurality of beams are adjustablely coupled to a pair of prisms, and at least one of the beams is the support beam according to claim 1. At least one of the shelves is arranged on at least two of the beams, Shelving system.

12. The shelf system according to claim 11, further comprising at least one fixed beam fixed on two opposite support beams.

13. It includes a first vertical member, a second vertical member, a horizontal member, a connecting member, and an extension member, The second vertical member is located in a vertical plane shared with the first vertical member, The horizontal member is connected to the first vertical member, The connecting member is connected to the upper ends of the horizontal member and the second vertical member, and the connecting member has a curved shape. The extending member has a first end and a second end, the second end is connected to the lower end of the second vertical member, the extending member has a first straight portion extending from the first end, and the angle between the extending direction of the first straight portion and the second vertical member is between 0 degrees and 145 degrees. Support beams that support shelf assemblies.

14. The support beam according to claim 13, characterized in that the material of the support beam includes metal or plastic.

15. The support beam according to claim 13, characterized in that the curved shape of the connecting member includes at least one bending point.

16. The support beam according to claim 13, characterized in that the extended member has a second straight portion extended from the second end.

17. The support beam according to claim 16, characterized in that the first straight section and the second straight section are parallel.

18. The support beam according to claim 13, characterized in that the extending member has a U-shaped region between the first straight portion and the second end.

19. The support beam according to claim 13, characterized in that the extended member has at least one arc region between the first straight portion and the second end.

20. The support beam according to claim 13, characterized in that the extended member has at least one curved point between the first straight portion and the second end.

21. The support beam according to claim 13, characterized in that the extended member has a flat portion perpendicular to the second vertical member between the first straight portion and the second end.

22. The support beam according to claim 13, characterized in that the first vertical member and the second vertical member each have openings at both ends of the support beam for use in riveting, slitting, or screw joining.

23. The support beam according to claim 13, characterized in that the horizontal member and the connecting member modify both ends of the support beam, and the angle formed is not perpendicular to the support beam.

24. It includes multiple rectangular prisms, multiple beams, and at least one shelf, The plurality of beams are adjustablely coupled to a pair of prisms, and at least one of the beams is a support beam according to claim 13. At least one of the shelves is arranged on at least two of the beams, Shelving system.

25. The shelving system according to claim 24, further comprising at least one fixed beam fixed on two opposing support beams.

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