Shelf

Abstract

A shelf (1) for mounting on a substantially rectangular load carrier having four identical columns arranged in the corners thereof. On the shelf a holder (3,3; 3″, 3′″) is mounted that can be inserted into complementary slots in the columns of the load carrier, said slots being configured with a carrier face by which the holder is capable of engaging in such a manner that the holder supports on the column. The holders are configured from an elastic material with a shock-absorbing part which is provided with a bend extending in the transverse direction of the shelf, said shock-absorbing part being anchored in the shelf to the effect that forces applied to the holder in a direction extending in the longitudinal direction of the shelf can be absorbed elastically in the bend.

Claims

1. A shelf for mounting on a substantially rectangular load carrier having four identical columns arranged in the corners thereof, the columns each having a rectangular profile with four side faces and complementary slots therein each comprising downwardly-extending cut-outs, the shelf comprising: at least one holder secured to said shelf, the at least one holder comprising two parallel legs and a middle part, extending outwardly in a longitudinal direction from an end of the shelf, and creating an opening between the holder and the shelf, the at least one holder adapted to be inserted into the complementary slots in the columns of the load carrier and thereby engage in such a manner that the at least one holder is supported by the column when the parallel legs and middle part of the holder are passed through the slots and engage the downwardly-extending cut-outs of each slot; wherein the holder is connected to a shock-absorbing part which is provided with a bend extending in a transverse direction of the shelf, said shock-absorbing part being anchored in the shelf to the effect that forces applied to the holder in a direction extending in the longitudinal direction of the shelf can be absorbed elastically in the bend by the shock-absorbing part.

2. A shelf according to claim 1, wherein the holder is configured from a rod element which is bent such that it extends from one opening to another opening in the shorter side of the shelf.

3. A shelf according to claim 2, wherein the shelf comprises four holders, where the holders are, in pairs of two, configured with a shock-absorbing part between them to the effect that the shock-absorbing part provided with bend extends from holders arranged on one side of the shelf to holders arranged on the other side of the shelf.

4. A shelf according to claim 2, wherein the shelf comprises a holder with a shock-absorbing part that is arranged in a recess in the shelf.

5. A shelf according to claim 1, wherein the opening is a rectangle.

6. A shelf according to claim 5, wherein the shelf comprises four holders, where the holders are, in pairs of two, configured with a shock-absorbing part between them to the effect that the shock-absorbing part provided with bend extends from holders arranged on one side of the shelf to holders arranged on the other side of the shelf.

7. A shelf according to claim 5, wherein the shelf comprises a holder with a shock-absorbing part that is arranged in a recess in the shelf.

8. A shelf according to claim 1, wherein the shock-absorbing part is connected to the at least one holder.

9. A shelf according to claim 8, wherein the holders are configured with a shock-absorbing part extending between two holders that are constituted of a rod element spanning from one opening to another opening arranged on the other side of the shelf along a longitudinally extending side of the shelf.

10. A shelf according to claim 9, wherein the shock-absorbing part is deployed in a recess in the shelf, and wherein the shelf is, in an area around the recess, mutually adapted to the shock-absorbing part to the effect that an impact on the shock-absorbing part can deform the shelf in the area around the bend of the shock-absorbing part.

11. A shelf according to claim 9, wherein the shock-absorbing part is deployed in a recess in the shelf such that straight parts of the shock-absorbing part enables elastic deformation of the shelf in the area around the bend.

12. A shelf according to claim 8, wherein the shelf comprises a holder with a shock-absorbing part that is arranged in a recess in the shelf.

13. A shelf according to claim 1, wherein the shelf comprises four holders, where the holders are, in pairs of two, configured with a shock-absorbing part between them to the effect that the shock-absorbing part provided with bend extends from holders arranged on one side of the shelf to holders arranged on the other side of the shelf.

14. A shelf according to claim 13, wherein the shelf comprises a holder with a shock-absorbing part that is arranged in a recess in the shelf.

15. A shelf according to claim 1, wherein the shelf comprises a holder with a shock-absorbing part that is arranged in a recess in the shelf.

16. A shelf according to claim 15, wherein the shock-absorbing part is deployed in a recess in the shelf, where the shelf is, in an area around the bend, removed in extension of straight parts of the shock-absorbing part and hence enables elastic deformation thereof in the area around the bend.

17. A shelf according to claim 1, wherein the shelf is made of plastics.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) In the following, embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying figures. It is to be stressed that the embodiments shown are exemplary, and that the invention is not limited thereto, wherein

(2) FIG. 1 is a side view of the top face of a shelf;

(3) FIG. 2 shows the bottom face of a shelf;

(4) FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of a shock absorber shown in section B, FIG. 2, in enlarged view;

(5) FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of a shock absorber shown in section B, FIG. 2, in enlarged view;

(6) FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of a holder shown in section A, FIG. 2, in enlarged view;

(7) FIG. 6 shows a section of a shelf, where the shock-absorbing part is deployed in a recess in the shelf;

(8) FIG. 7 shows how a shock-absorbing part can be retained in a shelf.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(9) With starting point in the shown figures, an embodiment of the invention will be explained in further detail.

(10) FIG. 1 shows a shelf 1 according to the invention. In the shown embodiment, the shelf is configured with recesses 2, 2′ that can serve as handles.

(11) The shelf is configured as a rectangle, and moreover it is configured with four identical holders 3, 3′, 3″, 3′″ arranged on the shorter sides of the shelf. They are intended to engage with complementary slots in four columns (not shown).

(12) In FIG. 2, the underside of the same shelf is shown, and there it will appear that, in the shown embodiment, the four holders are configured as a bent rod element that spans out a rectangle 4 between it and the shelf.

(13) As will appear from the top of FIG. 2, the holder to the right-hand side 3′ is, via a rod element 5, connected to the holder 3″ to the left-hand side. As will also appear from FIG. 2, this rod element extends with a bend 6. That is shown in enlarged view in FIG. 4.

(14) Turning now to FIG. 4, the function of that bend will be explained in further detail. As will appear here, that bend is located in a recess 7, 7′ that allows an axial and springy movement of the rod element 5, where the spring force comes from a momentum in the bend 6.

(15) Such spring effect is of consequence to the longevity of shelves, since impact of a force on a holder is capable of transplanting axially through the rod 5 to the bend 6. By configuring rod and bend from a material that allows elastic deformation as explained in the paragraph above, it is thus possible to achieve that forces normally acting to deform a holder can be received elastically.

(16) Thereby expensive repairs of a shelf can be prevented.

(17) In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the shelf is not just configured such as to be symmetrical about the longitudinally extending symmetry line C thereof; rather it is also configured such that it is constructed symmetrically about the symmetry line C′ extending in the shorter direction. Those symmetries are, for the sake of manufacture, advantageous, especially since the holders 3, 3′ to the right-hand side of the shelf (seen in the figure) are thus caused to share the springy bends 6,6′ (shown at the top and at the bottom of the figure) with the holders 3″, 3′″ to the left-hand side of the shelf. Albeit advantageous, that symmetrical construction is neither completely nor partially necessary for the invention.

(18) From the same figure it will appear that the four holders 3, 3′, 3″, and 3′″ can be configured alike, and, as will appear in the top right-hand corner of FIG. 2, the holders are, in the shown embodiment, configured with two parts that extend into a shorter side on the shelf, viz a part 8 that extends into the shelf at the longer side of the shelf. That part is a direct part of the shock-absorbing element of the shelf, it being an extension of the rod element 5.

(19) The second part 9 of the holder extends into the shelf, closer to the longitudinally extending line of symmetry C of the shelf. That part 9 is, in the embodiment shown, configured with a bend and a part 10 in extension thereof which does not extend in parallel with the longer side of the shelf. The object of that bend and extension is to ensure good hold of the holder in the shelf.

(20) The springy part (bend) 6 may, like in the shown embodiment, be configured such that it is connected to that part of the holder which extends into the shelf closest to that longer side 11. This is advantageous, it being thereby possible to obtain a higher degree of safety against deformation of the holder since, as explained above, a shelf that is lost will most often land on a corner, and precisely by connecting that part of the holder which is closest to the corner to the shock-absorbing part 15, it will be ensured that the most often occurring impacts can be absorbed in the shock-absorbing part.

(21) However, one could also configure the shelf with a shock-absorbing part which is connected to that part of a holder which extends into the shelf farthest away from the longer side 11 thereof, and, of course, one could also imagine an embodiment in which the shelf is configured with one or more holders as shown in the figures, where both parts of the one or more holder(s) are configured with a connection for a shock-absorbing part.

(22) FIG. 3 shows a bend 6 that does not extend in a recess/recessing 7 as shown in FIG. 4. That embodiment of the invention lends itself for use in particular in case of shelves where the shelf material as such is of such nature that the recess/recessing is created by an impact on the rod 5 which may arise during normal use, viz. when, when falling, the shelf lands on a holder. By configuring shelf holder and shock absorber in this way, very simple manufacture is obtained.

(23) FIG. 6 shows, in enlarged view, how a shelf can be configured with a rod part 5 that connects a holder (not shown) to a shock-absorbing part that extends in a bend 6 which is deployed in a recess 7, 7′. That recess allows that the upper parts (in the figure) of the bend can be moved freely during elastic deformation.

(24) In FIG. 6 it is also shown how rod element 5 with bend 6 can be retained in a recess configured in a shelf of plastics. Here, rod element 5 and bend 6 extend in entirety in a recess in the shelf. By configuring the shelf in that way, it is possible to obtain advantageous securing of the rod element and bend, as they can be retained merely by melting a portion of plastics material on both sides of the rod element (also where it extends in the bend 6). Thereby deflection of the rod material is prevented (at right angles to the face plane of the shelf), since all pressure forces are conveyed to the bend 6.

(25) The melting as such may be configured as shown by reference numeral 20 in FIG. 7. Preferably, the melting takes place in one or more places at the rod element 5 and such that the rod element can be caused to travel axially in the “tunnel” obtained by the melting.

(26) By securing rod element with bend as explained above, improved options for maintenance are obtained, since, if holder with rod element and bend are to be replaced, it may occur by the following actions: rupturing the melted places; removing rod element and bend, inserting a new rod with bend; melting material to both sides of the rod at the straight parts thereof and/or melting of material around the rod in its bend.

(27) According to an embodiment of the method described above, the rupturing of the melted places takes place by one forcing—during removal—rod element with bend through them.

(28) Preferably the melting around a new rod occurs in places that have not previously been melted.

(29) The above method for performing maintenance may, of course, take place in case of any rod element that is arranged in a recess in a shelf and retained by means of melting. Therefore, the method may be subject to an independent application.

(30) In the shown exemplary embodiments, the shock-absorbing part of the shelf are constructed as a rod that comprises a bend that preferably extends in plane-parallel with the face plane of the shelf; but, of course, the shock-absorbing part may also be constructed in ways where the bend does not necessarily extend in that way, including with a bend that extends like a helical spring.

(31) Moreover, the shock absorber is shown in the figures as if it sits between two holders that span out an area. The invention need not necessarily be configured like that, since the shock-absorbing part may just as well be mounted to only one holder, and, likewise, there may also be mounted a shock-absorbing part to each individual holder. Or in other words: each individual holder may be configured with its own shock-absorbing part that functions independently of the other holders, and the holders may also be configured as hooks, and the latter applies whether or not the shock absorber sits between two holders.

(32) The construction with a bend, however, also presents advantages as to strength as explained in the following with reference to FIG. 6 in particular, from where it will appear that the two legs of the bend each has its abutment face 30 and 30′ against the shelf material.

(33) As it is, the construction with the bend and those abutment faces serves two purposes that both contribute to the longevity of the shelf; the one purpose of the bend being, as explained above, to prevent damage to the holders if the shelf is eg dropped.

(34) The second purpose is obtained by means of holders connected to rod material with a bend 6 having abutments 30 and 30′ against the material of the shelf, like the legs on the bend 6. This is due to the fact that, when the shelf is mounted in the columns and a load is applied to the shelf, a pull will occur in the rod material 5 from the holders 3 to the bend 6, and that pull will transplant and become absorbed in the abutment faces of the legs against the material of the shelf. That configuration is thus a strength-enhancing measure, the rod material 5 with bend 6 reinforcing the shelf to the effect that, while loaded, deflections can be reduced.