shelf

Abstract

To facilitate installation work of shelf boards where height positions can be changed.SOLUTION: A rack comprises at least one shelf board and first and second vertical structural elements (for example, left and right side plates) extending in a vertical direction, where each of the first and second vertical structural elements includes at least one row of shelf receiving holes. Each row of shelf receiving holes is formed of a plurality of shelf receiving holes spaced apart vertically at different height positions. The shelf board is configured to bridge the gap between the first and second vertical structural elements and supported by shelf supports attached to the shelf receiving holes provided at same height positions, of the first and second vertical structural elements. The plurality of shelf receiving holes constituting each of the shelf receiving hole rows are divided into a plurality of groups, and the plurality of consecutive shelf receiving holes aligned vertically belong to each of the plurality of groups. Positions of shelf receiving holes of adjacent groups are deviated in the horizontal direction, and the numbers of the shelf receiving holes belonging to the groups at the corresponding height positions, of the first and second vertical structural elements are equal to each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a shelf with adjustable shelf height. In this specification, the term "shelf" includes racks, shelves, cabinets, and the like, and refers to any structure that includes a horizontally extending shelf and a structural element (often approximately rectangular parallelepiped as a whole) that supports the shelf, and that is configured so that an object can be placed on the shelf. The object that can be placed on the shelf is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, a book or a file. [Background technology]

[0002] Shelves with adjustable shelf heights are well known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In many prior art designs, rows of shelf support holes (e.g., called "dowel support holes") are provided on the front and back sides of the left and right side panels of the shelf. A worker installs a shelf support in the shelf support hole corresponding to the desired height and places the shelf on the shelf support to install the shelf horizontally. During this process, installing shelf supports in the shelf support holes at the same height on the left front, left rear, right front, and right rear is surprisingly difficult. Many people have likely experienced the frustration of installing a shelf at an angle because they installed shelf supports in shelf support holes at different heights. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-325246 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present invention provides a shelf that allows easy installation of height-adjustable shelf boards. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a shelf comprising at least one shelf board and first and second vertical structural elements extending vertically, wherein the first vertical structural element has at least one row of shelf support holes and the second vertical structural element has at least one row of shelf support holes, each row of shelf support holes consisting of a plurality of shelf support holes arranged at different heights and spaced apart in the vertical direction, and wherein the shelf board is supported in a suspended state between the first and second vertical structural elements by shelf supports attached to the shelf support holes arranged at the same height on the first and second vertical structural elements, wherein the plurality of shelf support holes constituting each row of shelf support holes are divided into a plurality of groups, each of which contains a plurality of vertically aligned consecutive shelf support holes, the positions of the shelf support holes in adjacent groups being shifted horizontally, and the numbers of shelf support holes belonging to the groups at corresponding height positions on the first and second vertical structural elements are equal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the above embodiment, it is easy to attach shelf supports to shelf support holes at the same height that are located at different positions, so that the work of installing shelves can be easily performed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a front view of a shelf according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a partial side view of a side plate for explaining the arrangement of shelf receiving holes in a row of shelf receiving holes formed in the side plate of the shelf in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] 10 is a partial side view of a side panel showing a modified arrangement of shelf receiving holes. FIG. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are partial side views of the side plate showing modified shapes of the shelf receiving holes. [Figure 5] 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the shelf support shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of a shelf support. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing yet another example of a shelf support. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0009] As shown in FIG. 1, shelf 1 (the one shown in FIG. 1 is also called a "cabinet") has a bottom plate 2, a top plate 4, a left side plate 6, a right side plate 8, and a back plate 10. Shelf 1 can also be fitted with a sliding front door for opening and closing the front opening, but FIG. 1 shows this door removed. Inside shelf 1, at least one shelf 12 is provided, spanning between left side plate 6 and right side plate 8. Various items such as books and files can be placed on shelf 12.

[0010] As shown in Figure 1, one shelf support hole row 20 extending generally in the vertical direction is provided on each of the front side of left side panel 6, the rear side of left side panel 6, the front side of right side panel 8, and the rear side of right side panel 8. One shelf support hole row 20 is made up of a plurality of shelf support holes 22 spaced apart in the vertical direction and provided at different height positions. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the positional relationships of the shelf support holes 22 in all shelf support hole rows 20 (the positional relationships of the other shelf support holes 22 with the uppermost shelf support hole 22 as the reference) are all the same.

[0011] Figure 2 is an enlarged view of only the upper portion of one row of shelf support holes 20 shown in Figure 1. In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the vertical distance (Δh (see Figure 2)) between two adjacent shelf support holes 22 is equal. In Figure 2, the number in parentheses after reference symbol 22 indicates the position of shelf support hole 22 counting from the top.

[0012] In all shelf support hole rows 20, the height position of the Nth (N is any natural number) shelf support hole 22 (22(N)) from the top is the same. That is, in the embodiment of FIG. 1 in which four shelf support hole rows 20 are provided, there are four shelf support holes 22 at the same height position.

[0013] As mentioned above, it is preferable that the vertical distance (Δh) between two adjacent shelf support holes 22 is equal, but it is acceptable for Δh to vary depending on the location as long as the condition is met that the height positions of the Nth shelf support hole 22 (22(N)) from the top are the same in all shelf support hole rows 20.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, one shelf bracket 24 (also called a "shelf bracket dowel" or simply a "dowel") is attached to each of four shelf bracket holes 22 located at the same height, and the shelf 12 is placed on the shelf brackets 24, thereby allowing the shelf 12 to be installed horizontally across the left side panel 6 and the right side panel 8. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the left front end, left rear end, right front end, and right rear end of one shelf 12 are each supported by one shelf bracket 24. In the same way, one or more other shelf brackets (not shown) can be similarly hung across the left side panel 6 and the right side panel 8.

[0015] The shelf support holes 22 that make up each shelf support hole row 20 are divided into a plurality of groups G (seven in FIG. 1). Each group G is made up of a plurality of consecutive shelf support holes 22 aligned in the vertical direction (lined up on a vertical line). In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, each group G includes three shelf support holes 22. In FIG. 2, the number in parentheses after the reference symbol G indicates the number of the group G counting from the top.

[0016] 3, the number of shelf support holes 22 (e.g., 3) belonging to the group G (G(M)) of shelf support holes 22 that is Mth from the top (M is any natural number) may be different from the number of shelf support holes 22 (e.g., 4) belonging to the group G (G(M)) of shelf support holes 22 that is M+1th. It is sufficient that the numbers of shelf support holes 22 that belong to the group G (G(M)) of shelf support holes 22 that is Mth from the top (M is any natural number) in each of the multiple shelf support hole rows 20 provided on shelf 1 are equal to each other.

[0017] The positions of the shelf support holes 22 of vertically adjacent groups G are offset in the horizontal direction (front-to-back direction in the illustrated embodiment). This offset (Δd (see FIG. 2)) can be, for example, about 5 mm to 10 mm. Human vision can adequately grasp the offset between groups G even if the offset Δd is small. In other words, the shelf support holes 22 can be recognized on a group G-by-group basis.

[0018] 2, the deviation Δd between vertically adjacent groups G is preferably equal for all groups G (i.e., the deviation Δd between the Mth group G and the (M+1)th group G for any M). However, for example, the deviation Δd between the Mth group G and the (M+1)th group G and the deviation Δd between the (M+1)th group G and the (M+2)th group G may be slightly different.

[0019] In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the (M+1)th group G is shifted forward by an amount Δd relative to the Mth group G, and the (M+2)th group G is shifted backward by an amount Δd relative to the (M+1)th group G. In other words, the direction of the shift alternates. This shift pattern is preferable because it makes the shelf support hole row 20 appear to extend in a generally vertical direction as a whole. However, the shift pattern is not limited to the above, and the shift direction may be, for example, "front, front, back, back, ..." or the like.

[0020] When actually installing shelves, four shelf bracket holes 22 that appear to be at the same height are typically selected from the four shelf bracket hole rows 20 located on the front side of the left panel 6, the rear side of the left panel 6, the front side of the right panel 8, and the rear side of the right panel 8, and one shelf bracket 24 is attached to each shelf bracket hole 22. In this case, if the shelf bracket holes 22 are identified in groups G, it is easy to select four groups G that are at the same height (for example, group G(3) that is located at the third highest height from the top). Then, within each group G, it is easy to select shelf bracket holes 22 that are at the same height (for example, shelf bracket hole 22 that is located at the second highest height from the top in that group G (in this case, shelf bracket hole 22(8))). This makes it easy to attach shelf brackets 24 to four shelf bracket holes 22 that are at the same height.

[0021] That is, according to this embodiment, shelf support holes 22 at a desired height can be easily found by first recognizing shelf support holes 22 in groups G, and then selecting the desired shelf support hole 22 from the relatively small number of shelf support holes 22 belonging to that group G. Considering the ease of recognizing shelf support holes 22 in groups G and the ease of selecting the desired shelf support hole 22 from a group G, it is considered preferable that the number of shelf support holes 22 belonging to one group G be approximately 3 to 7.

[0022] A description will now be given of a basic concept that can be applied to determining the configuration of a group G. Considering the ease of recognizing the shelf receiving holes 22 in group G units, it is considered preferable that the height of one group G be around 100 mm. Here, if the pitch of the shelf support holes 22 (equal to Δh) is set in the range of 15 to 35 mm, If the pitch of the shelf support holes 22 is 15 mm, the number of shelf support holes 22 belonging to one group G is 7, If the pitch of the shelf support holes 22 is 20 mm, the number of shelf support holes 22 belonging to one group G is 6, - If the pitch of the shelf support holes 22 is 25 mm, the number of shelf support holes 22 belonging to one group G is 5, If the pitch of the shelf support holes 22 is 30 mm, the number of shelf support holes 22 belonging to one group G is four. - If the pitch of the shelf support holes 22 is 35 mm, the number of shelf support holes 22 belonging to one group G is three, It can be determined that: The values ​​shown here are preferred examples, but are not limiting.

[0023] As explained in the Background Art section, when the shelf support holes that make up a row of shelf support holes are aligned vertically, it is extremely difficult to attach shelf supports 24 to four shelf support holes 22 that are at the same height (for example, the eighth height from the top). Often, the shelf supports 24 are attached to shelf support holes 22 that are at different heights, resulting in the shelf board 12 being attached at an angle, forcing the worker to redo the shelf support 24, which can be quite stressful for the worker. This problem becomes more pronounced when the pitch (vertical spacing) between the shelf support holes 22 is small. The above-described embodiment can solve this problem.

[0024] Additionally, in the prior art, it is known to provide marks (engraved, printed, etc.) such as "1, 2, 3, . . . " near the shelf receiving holes 22 to indicate the height position of the shelf receiving holes 22. Providing marks increases the manufacturing cost of the shelf. Furthermore, for example, in a type of shelf where aesthetics are important (e.g., a beautiful wood grain), there is a possibility that the aesthetics will be marred. According to the above embodiment, such a problem does not arise.

[0025] Furthermore, if the positions of the shelf support holes 22 of vertically adjacent groups G are shifted horizontally (in this case, the front-to-back direction) (shift amount Δd), the front-to-back positions of the shelves 12 may be shifted when multiple shelves 12 are installed within the shelf 1. However, because the shelves 12 are long in the horizontal direction and the distance between adjacent shelves 12 in the vertical direction is generally large, on the order of several tens of centimeters, it is impossible or extremely difficult for the human eye to perceive a shift in the front-to-back positions of the shelves 12 (on the order of several millimeters). Therefore, the user will not feel visual discomfort due to the shift in the front-to-back positions of the shelves 12.

[0026] If the shelf 1 has a back panel 10, a gap will occur between the rear end of the shelf 12 and the back panel 10, but this gap is also far from the user's viewpoint and is therefore not noticeable. Unless there are special circumstances that do not allow any gap between the rear end of the shelf 12 and the back panel 10, this gap will not be a problem.

[0027] The shelf receiving holes 22 are not limited to the circular ones as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, but may be slit-shaped as shown in FIG.

[0028] The shelf support 24 (shelf support dowel) is not limited to the type in which an L-shaped support portion is connected to a pin as shown in Figures 1 and 5, but may also be generally cylindrical (or stepped cylindrical) as shown in Figure 6.

[0029] The material constituting the shelf 12 can be any material as long as the shelf 12 can be supported by the shelf brackets 24, and examples that can be used include processed metal plates such as thin steel plates, wood materials such as MDF and particle board, and metal frames with metal mesh attached.

[0030] When the shelf brackets 24 shown in Figures 1 and 5 are used, the shelf brackets 24 also restrain the shelf boards 12 in the front-to-rear direction. Also, among shelves made of wood, a type is known in which a roughly cylindrical round dowel (shelf bracket) engages with a semicircular recess on the bottom surface of the shelf board, as shown in Figure 6. In this type of shelf, the shelf brackets also restrain the shelf boards in the front-to-rear direction. There are also types in which the shelf brackets do not restrain the shelf boards in the front-to-rear direction (for example, a type in which the support surface 25 of the shelf bracket is a flat horizontal surface (see Figure 7) and the bottom surface of the shelf board is also a flat horizontal surface). The shelf bracket hole placement technique described above can be applied to any type of shelf. In the case of a type in which the shelf brackets do not restrain the shelf boards in the front-to-rear direction, it is possible to eliminate misalignment of multiple shelf boards 12 in the front-to-rear direction.

[0031] The shelf 1 is not limited to a configuration including a bottom panel 2, a top panel 4, a left panel 6, a right panel 8, and a back panel 10 (all of which are plate-like bodies). It may also include, for example, posts and beams made of metal (especially steel) shaped members (square pipes or L-shaped members). In this case, the posts on the left front side, left rear side, right front side, and right rear side can be provided with shelf support holes 22 arranged in a similar manner to that described above. In other words, the components providing the shelf support hole rows need only be structural elements (vertical structural elements) that are strong and rigid enough to support the shelves 12 and extend vertically (vertical structural elements). Alternatively, a configuration is possible in which elongated metal rail-like members, known as shelf support rails or the like, with shelf support holes arranged in the manner described above, are attached to the left panel 6 and the right panel 8, which are made of wood, by screws or the like. In this case, the shelf support holes are provided in the left panel 6 and the right panel 8, which are vertical structural elements integrated with the rail-like members. In this case, the rail-like members can be provided with shelf support holes 22 arranged in a similar manner to that described above.

[0032] In the above embodiment, two rows of shelf support holes 20 are provided on each of the left and right panels 6 and 8, but this is not limited to this. For example, in the case of a shelf with a relatively narrow depth, one row of shelf support holes 20 may be provided on each of the left and right panels 6 and 8 in the center in the front-to-rear direction. In this case, for example, the shelf support holes 22 may be slit-shaped as shown in FIG. 4 (preferably wide slit-shaped), and a wide shelf support (long in the depth direction of the shelf) that does not restrict the shelf in the front-to-rear direction may be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] 6. First vertical structural element (left side plate) 8 Second vertical structural element (right side plate) 12 shelves 20 Shelf support hole row 22 Shelf support hole G Shelf support hole group

Claims

1. A shelf including at least one shelf board and a first vertical structural element and a second vertical structural element extending in a vertical direction, the first vertical structural element is provided with at least one row of shelf receiving holes; the second vertical structural element is provided with at least one row of shelf receiving holes; Each of the shelf support hole rows is made up of a plurality of shelf support holes arranged at different height positions and spaced apart in the vertical direction, In a shelf configured such that the shelf board is supported in a state of being suspended between the first vertical structural element and the second vertical structural element by shelf supports attached to shelf support holes provided at the same height position of the first vertical structural element and the second vertical structural element, The plurality of shelf support holes constituting each of the shelf support hole rows are divided into a plurality of groups, each of which includes a plurality of consecutive shelf support holes aligned in the vertical direction, and the positions of the shelf support holes of adjacent groups are shifted in the horizontal direction; A shelf, wherein the numbers of shelf receiving holes belonging to groups at corresponding height positions of the first vertical structural element and the second vertical structural element are equal to each other.

2. The shelf according to claim 1 , wherein the number of shelf receiving holes belonging to each group is equal.

3. The shelf according to claim 1 , wherein the numbers of shelf support holes belonging to adjacent groups in the vertical direction are different from each other.

4. The shelf according to claim 1, wherein the number of shelf receiving holes belonging to each group is 3 to 7.

5. 2. The shelf according to claim 1, wherein in all rows of shelf support holes, the shelf support holes belonging to groups at the same height are offset by the same amount in the front-to-rear direction relative to the shelf support holes belonging to the uppermost group.

6. 2. The shelf according to claim 1, wherein the horizontal offset between the positions of the shelf receiving holes of adjacent groups is within a range of 5 mm to 10 mm.

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