Patent Application
20250207846
The present application relates to cantilevered shelving assemblies, and enclosures, particularly coolers, enclosing the same.
Refrigerated shelfing is an important component of any supermarket, convenience store, or other retail location that sells perishable and/or cooled items, including frozen foods, beverages, meats, dairy products, and the like. In many cases, refrigerated shelving units include a cooler that can be adjacent to and stocked from a rear-facing storeroom to which the customer has no access, and accordingly stocking and customer selection occur at opposite ends of the shelving unit.
However, most such refrigerated units include shelving assemblies with frontal posts. Such assemblies are wasteful of space, particularly inside refrigerated coolers. Additionally, the inclusion of frontal posts may interrupt or obstruct customer access to goods stored on the shelves. Accordingly, there is a need for space-efficient shelving that is easily stocked from a storeroom, and which is easily accessible to customers.
Disclosed herein are shelving assemblies comprising cantilevered shelves. The shelving assemblies have shelves accessible for stocking from the rear and present an uninterrupted front edge to a shopper. Also disclosed herein are enclosures, particularly refrigerated enclosures, that include a shelving unit according to the examples disclosed herein. These enclosures can include one or more front-opening doors that expose an uninterrupted front edge of the shelving assembly, and may be accessible from the rear, to facilitate stocking of the shelving assembly.
Certain examples concern a shelving assembly, comprising a base having a front and a rear. The shelving assembly also comprises at least two columns extending upward from the rear of the base, an upper cross-support beam connecting an upper end portion of the two columns, and a plurality of cantilevered support brackets, each bracket being attached to a respective one of the columns at one of a plurality of selectable positions along a height of the respective one of the columns, and each bracket extending forward over the base. The shelving assembly also comprises at least one shelf supported between two laterally adjacent ones of the support brackets. A span between the two columns is open so that shelf can be loaded from the rear.
Certain examples concern a cooler comprising a cooler frame having a front portion and a back portion and a pair of doors positioned at the front portion of the cooler frame and having opposite vertical edges pivotally mounted to the cooler frame so that the doors open away from each other and so that free vertical edges of the doors join to form a door closure seam when the doors are closed. The cooler also has a cantilevered shelving assembly located inside the cooler frame and including a plurality of cantilevered shelves extending forward toward the doors, each shelf having a continuous forward shelf edge extending across the opening between the doors, so that when the doors are open the forward shelf edge of each shelf is accessible across an entire width of the opening. The cooler frame does not include any vertical frame member directly behind the door closure seam, so that when the doors are open there is no vertical frame member blocking an opening between the doors.
Certain examples concern a shelving unit, comprising a plurality of vertically extending columns spaced laterally apart from one another, each column of the plurality of vertically extending columns having a top end portion and a bottom end portion. The shelving unit also comprises an upper lateral support beam extending between the respective top end portions of two adjacent columns and a lower lateral support beam between the respective bottom end portions of two adjacent columns. The shelving unit also comprises a base extending forward from the bottom end portions of each column of the plurality of vertically extending columns and having a front end portion and a back end portion, wherein the front end portion of the base is not attached to any vertically extending column. The shelving unit also comprises a plurality of shelving brackets, each shelving bracket of the plurality of shelving brackets removably attached no more than one corresponding column of the plurality of column and one or more wire shelves extending between and supported by one or more corresponding pairs of adjacent brackets, wherein the one or more wire shelves are vertically adjustable by adjusting a position of a corresponding pair of adjacent brackets. The vertically extending columns are separated by an open span that allows the one or more wire shelves to be loaded by introducing goods through the open span between the vertically extending columns.
Numerous objects, features and advantages of the embodiments set forth herein will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading of the following disclosure when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
A full and enabling disclosure of the aspects of the invention, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures, in which:
Reference will now be made in detail to aspects of the disclosure, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation, not limitation, of the disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the examples presented in the present disclosure without departing from the scope or spirit thereof. For instance, features disclosed as part of one example can be used in conjunction with features of another example to yield a still further example. Thus, it is intended that the present disclosure covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the claims and their equivalents.
The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations.
As used herein, the terms “first,” “second,” “third,” and so on may be used interchangeably to distinguish one component from another and are not intended to signify location or importance of the individual components.
The terms “coupled,” “fixed,” “attached to,” and the like refer both to direct coupling, fixing, or attaching, as well as indirect coupling, fixing, or attaching through one or more intermediate components or features, unless otherwise specified herein.
The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing dimensions of components, percentages, temperatures, weights, and so forth, as used in the specification or claims are to be understood as being modified by the term “about.” Accordingly, unless otherwise indicated, implicitly or explicitly, the numerical parameters set forth are approximations that can depend on ordinary manufacturing tolerances, minor design variations, or limits of the measuring technique used. When directly and explicitly distinguishing embodiments from discussed prior art, the embodiment numbers are not approximates unless the word “about” is recited. Furthermore, not all alternatives recited herein are equivalents.
Approximating language, as used herein throughout the specification and claims, is applied to modify any quantitative representation that could permissibly vary without resulting in a change in the basic function to which it is related. Accordingly, a value modified by a term or terms, such as “about”, “approximately”, and “substantially”, are not to be limited to the precise value specified. In at least some instances, the approximating language may correspond to the precision of an instrument for measuring the value, or the precision of the methods or machines for constructing or manufacturing the components and/or systems. For example, the approximating language may refer to being within a 1, 2, 4, 10, 15, or 20 percent margin.
Here and throughout the specification and claims, range limitations are combined and interchanged, such ranges are identified and include all the sub-ranges contained therein unless context or language indicates otherwise. For example, all ranges disclosed herein are inclusive of the endpoints, and the endpoints are independently combinable with each other.
Disclosed herein are examples of modular and adjustable shelving assemblies, and particularly shelving assemblies suitable for use in refrigerated coolers. Generally, the shelving assemblies disclosed herein include one or more forwardly extending cantilevered shelves that are accessible from the rear of the shelf to facilitate stocking, and which present a continuous or uninterrupted shelving front positioned towards the front of the assembly.
Advantageously, this combination of features omits front-end posts, which saves space within an enclosure such as a cooler and avoids blocking customer access to shelved goods. Furthermore, because the shelves disclosed herein and enclosures containing the shelves disclosed herein can be stocked from the back, they may advantageously be stocked from, for example, a storeroom located behind the enclosure (for example, the cooler), and hidden from customers.
According to some aspects of the disclosure, the frame unit 102 includes a base section 106, two or more upright columns 108, and a cross-support beam 110. As shown in
Turning now to
According to some aspects of the disclosure, the upright columns 108 and the base members 114 can be an integrally formed piece (that is, the upright column 108 and the base member 114 can be permanently or fixedly joined), as is shown in
In such examples, especially those in which the L-shaped frame member 120 is integrally formed from the upright column 108 and the base member 114, a diagonal bracing member 122 can extend from the bottom end portion 116 of the upright column 108 to a rear end portion 124 of the base member 114. The inclusion of the diagonal bracing member 122 between the upright column 108 and the base member 114 can improve the rigidity of the L-shaped frame member 120, particularly along the axis extending from the front end of the frame units 102 to the back end of the frame units 102.
Returning to
According to some aspects of the disclosure, L-shaped frame members 120 and the cross-support beams 110 can be joined by using a keyhole mount consisting of a shaped orifice 126 and a corresponding peg 128 which is received by the shaped orifice 126. For example, as shown in
As shown in
According to some aspects of the present disclosure, the base section 106 can also include a cover 142, illustrated in
According to some aspects of the present disclosure, the cover 142 can be removable from the base members 114 and the cross-support beams 110 that define the area of the base section 106. In other aspects of the present disclosure, the cover 142 can be fixedly attached to the base members 114 and the cross-support beams 110 that define the area of the base section 106. The cover 142 can, according to the needs of a particular application which will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, be made of sheet metal, plastic, or any other suitable material.
In some examples, such as that shown in
Returning to
The frame units 102 described herein can support the one or more cantilevered shelves 104 according to one aspect of the present disclosure, which is illustrated in greater detail in
As shown in
The projections 166 can further include one or more notches 168. The notches 168 can be sized such that they can receive an edge or lip of a receiving feature (for example, a corresponding slot 170 in an upright column 108, as described in greater detail herein), and secure the cantilever bracket 154 to a corresponding upright column 108. In some examples, such as that illustrated in
In some examples, such as that shown in
To allow the cantilevered shelves 104 to be attached to the upright columns 108, the upright columns 108 can include one or more features that can be engaged by one or more corresponding features of the cantilever brackets 154. For example, as shown in
In examples having at least two projections 166, where at least one of the notches 168 on one of the projections 166 is further forward or further behind a corresponding notch 168 on a different projection 166, the projections 166 can be inserted into the corresponding slots 170 such that one projection 166 is inserted further into the corresponding slot 170 than another projection 166, to engage a differently positioned notch 168. This causes the cantilever bracket 154 (and accordingly the cantilevered shelf 104) to be connected to the upright column 108 at an angle (as defined for example relative to a level plane perpendicular to the upright columns 108, or by a level plane that is parallel to the floor) that is determined by the difference in the depth of the projections 166.
According to some aspects of the present disclosure, the shelves 104, 174 may be angularly adjustable by selecting between one of several insertion positions of the projections 166 (and thus the notches 168) relative to the slots 170. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that multiple notches 168 can be provided in each of the projections 166, so that different positions and therefore different angles can be selected. In some examples, the angle between the shelves and a plane defined as perpendicular to the upright columns 108 can range from 0° to 30° above or below parallel, such as 0°, 5°, 10°, 15°, 20°, 25°, or 30° above or below parallel to the plane.
When the cantilever bracket 154 are attached to the upright columns 108 as described herein, the cantilevered shelf 104 is supported by the upright columns 108 at one end (that is, the rear end), but are free at the other end (that is, the front end), and the forward shelf edge 160 of the cantilevered shelf 104 may therefore be uninterrupted by any column or supporting structure across its entire length.
It will be understood that, while
It will also be understood that correspondingly wider or narrower cantilevered shelves can be provided for example shelving assemblies 100 with a smaller or longer spacing between adjacent upright columns 108, or which have more than 3 upright columns 108 spaced apart along the length of the shelving assembly 100.
According to some aspects of the present disclosure, the shelving assembly 100 can also include an upper brace 176, as illustrated in
The upper brace 176 can, in such examples, serve to provide additional rigidity to the structure of the shelving assembly 100. Furthermore, when the shelving assembly 100 is place within a cooler or other structure, as described in greater detail herein, the upper brace 176 can provide one or more additional points of contact with the interior of the cooler or other structure, which can stabilize the shelving assembly 100, and prevent rocking, jostling, or tilting of the shelving assembly 100.
According to some aspects of the present disclosure, the cantilevered shelves 104, 174 can be designed to support loads up to a particular limit. For instance, in examples where the shelving assembly 100 includes cantilevered shelves 104, the cantilevered shelves 104 can be designed to support loads of up to 300 pounds, such as maximum loads of 300 pounds, 250 pounds, 200 pounds, 150 pounds, or any maximum load between these numbers. In other examples where the shelving assembly 100 includes cantilevered shelves 174, the cantilevered shelves 174 can be designed to support loads of up to 500 pounds, such as maximum loads of 500 pounds, 450 pounds, 400 pounds, 350 pounds, 300 pounds, or any maximum load between these numbers. It will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that various maximum loads will be particularly advantageous for different kinds of goods, and further appreciated that the modular nature of the shelving assembly 100 will permit for shelves of different maximum load capacity to be adjustably added or removed to the shelving assembly 100 as needed.
As shown in
According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the shelving assembly 200 can include a corner cantilevered shelf 206, as shown in
According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the shelving assembly 200 can also include a corner base portion 208. The corner base portion 208 can be formed from two base members 114 extending from adjacent and perpendicular or substantially perpendicular upright columns 108, as shown in
The corner base portion 208 can also include a corner base cover 220, which is shown in
According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the shelving assembly 200 can also include a corner brace 214, illustrated in
As shown in
To connect the two frame units 102a, 102b that form the shelving assembly 300, one or more additional cross-support beams 110 can be positioned between a leftmost upright column 108 of the first frame unit 102a and a rightmost upright column 108 of the second frame unit 102b, interconnecting the two upright columns 108 in substantially the same manner previously described herein.
The various shelving assemblies 100, 200, 300 disclosed herein, may all be used with a cooler, cabinet, or other containing structure. According to one aspect of the invention, an example cooler 400 is presented in
In the illustrated example, the front portion 404 can include one or more doors 408 which permit frontal access to the cooler 400, for example by a customer accessing goods within the cooler 400. The doors 408 can be pivotably mounted to the cooler frame 402 on a corresponding number of hinges 410 disposed on opposite vertical edges of the one or more doors 408 and have a free vertical edge 412 opposite to the hinge 410. Thus, when the one or more doors 408 are closed, a closure seam 414 is formed where the free vertical edges 412 of each of two adjacent one or more doors 408 join, such that the closure seam 414 is positioned between the corresponding hinges 410. When the one or more doors 408 are opened, they will open away from one another, to expose the shelving assembly (for example, the shelving assembly 100 shown in
According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the back portion 406 can be open, as illustrated in
When the shelving assembly 100 is positioned within the cooler 400, the cantilevered shelves 104, 174 extend forward towards the one or more doors 408. In examples of shelving assembly 100 having an upper brace 176, the upper brace 176 can contact an interior surface of the cooler 400, thereby bracing the shelving assembly 100 against the cooler 400 and improving the stability and rigidity of the shelving assembly 100 as previously described.
Because the shelving assembly 100 includes one or more cantilevered shelves 104, 174 connected the upright columns 108 positioned at the rear of the shelving assembly 100, the forward shelf edge 160 of each of the cantilevered shelves 104, 174 will be uninterrupted by any column 108 between the corresponding number of hinges 410, and there will be no upright column 108 blocking or partially blocking a resulting opening between the one or more doors 408, and each forward shelf edge 160 of the cantilevered shelves 104, 174 is continuous extending across the opening between the doors, such that the one or more cantilevered shelves 104, 174 are accessible across the entire width of the opening.
While
According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the cooler and/or refrigerated enclosure can be an open room 500 as illustrated in
Thus, it is seen that the apparatus and methods of the present disclosure readily achieve the ends and advantages mentioned as well as those inherent therein. While certain preferred embodiments of the disclosure have been illustrated and described for present purposes, numerous changes in the arrangement and construction of parts and steps may be made by those skilled in the art, which changes are encompassed within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Each disclosed feature or embodiment may be combined with any of the other disclosed features or embodiments.
This written description uses examples to illustrate the various aspects of the disclosed technology, and to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the disclosure is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.
Example 1. A shelving assembly, comprising a base having a front and a rear; at least two columns extending upward from the rear of the base; an upper cross-support beam connecting an upper end portion of the two columns; a plurality of cantilevered support brackets, each bracket being attached to a respective one of the columns at one of a plurality of selectable positions along a height of the respective one of the columns, and each bracket extending forward over the base; and at least one shelf supported between two laterally adjacent ones of the support brackets; wherein a span between the two columns is open so that shelf can be loaded from the rear.
Example 2. The shelving assembly of any example herein, particularly example 1, further comprising an upper brace extending from the upper end portion of the at least two columns and forward over the base, the brace comprising at a first forward strut and a second forward strut both extending substantially perpendicular to the upper cross-support beam and forward over the base, and a lateral strut extending substantially parallel to the upper cross-support beam and connecting the front ends of the first struts.
Example 3. The shelving assembly of any example herein, particularly example 1, further comprising one or more additional columns extending upwards from the rear of the base and an additional upper cross-support beam for each of the one or more additional columns, wherein the one or more additional upper cross-support beams connect the upper end portion of each of the one or more additional columns to the upper end portion of an adjacent column.
Example 4. The shelving assembly of any example herein, particularly example 3, further comprising one or more additional cantilevered support brackets attached to a respective one of the additional columns at one of a plurality of selectable positions along a height of the respective one of the additional columns and extending forward over the base.
Example 5. The shelving assembly of any example herein, particularly example 3, wherein the base has an L-shaped footprint, and at least one upper cross-support beam is substantially perpendicular to another upper cross-support beam.
Example 6. The shelving assembly of any example herein, particularly example 5, wherein the at least one shelf extends towards an exterior of the L-shaped footprint and the columns are disposed towards an interior of the L-shaped footprint.
Example 7. The shelving assembly of any example herein, particularly example 6, wherein the base comprises a first wing and a second wing extending from a corner base portion and substantially perpendicular to each other, wherein the at least extend upward from the first wing, at least two additional columns extend upward from the second wing, and a corner column extends upward from the corner base portion, wherein the plurality of cantilevered support brackets supports at least one shelf extending forward from the columns extending upward from the first wing and at least one shelf extending forward from the columns extending upward from the second wing, and wherein the shelving assembly further comprises a first upper brace extending forward from the upper end portion of the at least two columns extending upward from the first wing, and a second brace extending forward from at least two of the columns extending upward from the second wing, each of the first brace and the second brace comprising at pair of forward struts, and a lateral strut extending between the forward struts.
Example 8. The shelving assembly of any example herein, particularly example 5, wherein the at least one shelf extends towards an interior of the L-shaped footprint and the columns are disposed towards an exterior of the L-shaped footprint.
Example 9. The shelving assembly of any example herein, particularly example 8, wherein the base comprises a first wing and a second wing extending from a corner base portion and substantially perpendicular to each other, wherein the at least extend upward from the first wing, at least two additional columns extend upward from the second wing, and a corner column extends upward from the corner base portion, wherein the plurality of cantilevered support brackets supports at least one shelf extending forward from the columns extending upward from the first wing and at least one shelf extending forward from the columns extending upward from the second wing, and wherein the shelving assembly further comprises a first upper brace extending forward from the upper end portion of the at least two columns extending upward from the first wing, and a second brace extending forward from at least two of the columns extending upward from the second wing, each of the first brace and the second brace comprising at pair of forward struts, and a lateral strut extending between the forward struts.
Example 10. The shelving assembly of any example herein, particularly example 1, wherein an angle between a cantilevered support bracket of the plurality of cantilevered support brackets and its respective column is adjustable within 30° of perpendicular to the respective column.
Example 11. The shelving assembly of any example herein, particularly example 1, wherein the at least one shelf comprises a shelf having a width ranging from 27 inches to 33 inches.
Example 12. The shelving assembly of any example herein, particularly example 1, wherein the at least one shelf comprises a shelf having a width ranging from 57 inches to 63 inches.
Example 13. The shelving assembly of any example herein, particularly example 1, wherein the at least one shelf is a plurality of shelves, and wherein the plurality of shelves comprises at least one shelf with a width ranging from 27 inches to 30 inches and at least one shelf with a width ranging from 57 inches to 63 inches.
Example 14. The shelving assembly of any example herein, particularly example 1, wherein the shelf can support a load of at least 500 pounds.
Example 15. The shelving assembly of any example herein, particularly example 1, wherein the base further comprises two or more base struts extending forward from a bottom portion of two or more respective columns, a cross-support beam connecting a forward end portion of each of the two of the two or more base struts, and a removable sheet metal cover disposed over the two or more base struts and the cross-support beam to form a base shelf.
Example 16. The shelving assembly of any example herein, particularly example 1, wherein each column of the at least two columns comprises at least one keyhole slot at the upper end portion of the column, wherein the cross-support beam comprises a number of pegs at each end corresponding to the number of keyhole slots in the upper end portion of each of the columns, and wherein each keyhole slot comprises an aperture and a channel extending from the aperture, each peg comprises a head portion and a shaft portion, and wherein the aperture of each keyhole slot is configured to receive the head portion of a corresponding peg, and the channel is configured to secure the head portion of the corresponding peg.
Example 17. The shelving assembly of any example herein, particularly example 1, wherein the shelf has an edge positioned towards the front of the shelving assembly and extending seamlessly between two adjacent cantilevered brackets.
Example 18. A cooled shelving unit comprising the shelving assembly of any example herein, particularly example 1 enclosed in a refrigerated cooler, wherein the cooler comprises one or more doors located in front of a front portion of the shelving assembly and an access point located behind a rear portion of the shelving assembly and configured to allow access to the rear portion of the shelving assembly so that the shelves can be loaded from the rear.
Example 19. A cooler comprising: a cooler frame having a front portion and a back portion; a pair of doors positioned at the front portion of the cooler frame and having opposite vertical edges pivotally mounted to the cooler frame so that the doors open away from each other and so that free vertical edges of the doors join to form a door closure seam when the doors are closed; and a cantilevered shelving assembly located inside the cooler frame and including a plurality of cantilevered shelves extending forward toward the doors, each shelf having a continuous forward shelf edge extending across the opening between the doors, so that when the doors are open the forward shelf edge of each shelf is accessible across an entire width of the opening; wherein the cooler frame does not include any vertical frame member directly behind the door closure seam, so that when the doors are open there is no vertical frame member blocking an opening between the doors.
Example 20. The cooler of any example herein, particularly example 19, wherein the cantilevered shelving assembly comprises a base, at least two columns extending vertically from the base, an upper cross-support beam extending between the two columns, and an upper brace comprising a first strut and a second strut both extending substantially perpendicular to the upper cross-support beam and towards the front portion of the cooler frame and a third strut extending substantially parallel to the upper cross-support beam and connecting a front end of each of the first strut and the second strut.
Example 21. The cooler of any example herein, particularly example 20, wherein the third strut contacts an interior surface of the upper portion of the cooler frame, such that the cantilevered shelving assembly is braced on the front end by the cooler frame.
Example 22. The cooler of any example herein, particularly example 19, wherein the cantilevered shelves are angularly adjustable relative to a level plane, such that an angle between any of the cantilevered shelves and the level plane can range from 0° to 30°.
Example 23. The cooler of any example herein, particularly example 19, wherein the cooler is a corner cooler, having a first wing and a second wing substantially perpendicular to the first wing to provide a substantially L-shaped footprint, and wherein the cantilevered shelving assembly comprises at least one shelf positioned within each of the first wing and the second wing of the cooler, such that at least one shelf is substantially perpendicular to another shelf.
Example 24. The cooler of any example herein, particularly example 23, wherein the front portion of the cooler is positioned at an exterior of the L-shaped footprint and the back portion of the cooler is positioned at an interior of the L-shaped footprint.
Example 25. The cooler of any example herein, particularly example 23, wherein the back portion of the cooler is positioned at an exterior of the L-shaped footprint and the front portion of the cooler is positioned at an interior of the L-shaped footprint.
Example 26. A shelving unit, comprising: a plurality of vertically extending columns spaced laterally apart from one another, each column of the plurality of vertically extending columns having a top end portion and a bottom end portion; an upper lateral support beam extending between the respective top end portions of two adjacent columns; a lower lateral support beam between the respective bottom end portions of two adjacent columns; a base extending forward from the bottom end portions of each column of the plurality of vertically extending columns and having a front end portion and a back end portion, wherein the front end portion of the base is not attached to any vertically extending column; a plurality of shelving brackets, each shelving bracket of the plurality of shelving brackets removably attached no more than one corresponding column of the plurality of columns; and one or more wire shelves extending between and supported by one or more corresponding pairs of adjacent brackets, wherein the one or more wire shelves are vertically adjustable by adjusting a position of a corresponding pair of adjacent brackets, wherein the vertically extending columns are separated by an open span that allows the one or more wire shelves to be loaded by introducing goods through the open span between the vertically extending columns.
In view of the many possible aspects to which the principles of the disclosure can be applied, it should be recognized that the illustrated aspects are only preferred examples of the disclosure and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the disclosure. Rather, the scope of the disclosure is defined by the following claims. We therefore claim as our disclosure all that comes within the scope these claims.
