Patent Application
20080028721
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate certain aspects of the instant invention and together with the description, serve to explain, without limitation, the principles of the invention. Like reference characters used therein indicate like parts throughout the several drawings.
The present invention may be understood more readily by reference to the following detailed description of the invention and the Examples included therein and to the Figures and their previous and following description.
Before the present systems, articles, devices, and/or methods are disclosed and described, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to specific systems, specific devices, or to particular methodology, as such may, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting.
The following description of the invention is provided as an enabling teaching of the invention in its best, currently known embodiment. To this end, those skilled in the relevant art will recognize and appreciate that many changes can be made to the various aspects of the invention described herein, while still obtaining the beneficial results of the present invention. It will also be apparent that some of the desired benefits of the present invention can be obtained by selecting some of the features of the present invention without utilizing other features. Accordingly, those who work in the art will recognize that many modifications and adaptations to the present invention are possible and can even be desirable in certain circumstances and are a part of the present invention. Thus, the following description is provided as illustrative of the principles of the present invention and not in limitation thereof.
As used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a strap” includes two or more such straps, and the like.
Ranges can be expressed herein as from “about” one particular value, and/or to “about” another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another embodiment includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent “about,” it will be understood that the particular value forms another embodiment. It will be further understood that the endpoints of each of the ranges are significant both in relation to the other endpoint, and independently of the other endpoint.
“Optional” or “optionally” means that the subsequently described event or circumstance may or may not occur, and that the description includes instances where said event or circumstance occurs and instances where it does not.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the present invention relates to a column 10 comprising a first elongate channel 100 and a second elongate channel 200. In one aspect, the first elongate channel 100 has a web 110 and a pair of longitudinal flanges 120 extending therefrom the front face 130 of the web 110. The pair of longitudinal flanges 120 and the web 110 define a trough 140. In one aspect, the second elongate channel 200 also has a web 210 and a pair of longitudinal flanges 220 extending therefrom the front face 230 of the web 210. I a further aspect, a trough 240 is defined by the pair of longitudinal flanges 220 and the web 210.
In one aspect of the invention, the second elongate channel is affixed to the first elongate channel such that the front face 130 of the web of the first elongate channel substantially faces the front face 230 of the web of the second elongate channel, forming the column 10. In another aspect, the back surface 112 of the web 110 of the first elongate channel is spaced a predetermined distance from the back surface of the web 210 of the second elongate channel. The consistent web to web distance Wd between the respective back faces enables a consistent fit when attaching shelving support structures to the column 10. In yet another aspect, at least one of the distal ends of the longitudinal flanges 220 on the second elongate channel 200 are positioned substantially within the trough 140. By positioning the flanges of the second elongate channel within the trough of the first elongate channel 100, the web to web distance Wd may be regulated and normalized prior to welding the flanges of the two channels together.
In another aspect of the invention, as shown in
In yet another aspect, the first elongate channel is affixed to the second elongate channel by welding a portion of each respective longitudinal flange 120 of the first elongate channel to a portion of the respective adjacent flange of the second elongate channel. In doing so, at least one bead of weld 400 is formed on the joint between the respective flanges of the first and second elongate channels. In one aspect, each bead of weld 400 extends outwardly away from a portion of the flange of the second elongate channel 200 and does not extend past a plane Pf defined by the distal end and a proximal end of the flange of the first elongate channel 100. Keeping the bead of weld inside that plane Pf eliminates a potential obstruction when attaching shelving support structures to the column.
Another aspect of the invention is a process for making a column 10 for a rack. The process comprises providing a first elongate channel as discussed herein above, providing a second elongate channel as discussed herein above, and affixing the second elongate channel to the first elongate channel such that the front face of the web 110 of the first elongate channel substantially faces the front face of the web 210 of the second elongate channel. In one aspect, the web of the first elongate channel 100 is spaced a predetermined distance from the web of the second elongate channel 200. In another aspect, as mentioned above, the distal ends of the longitudinal flanges 220 on the second elongate channel are positioned substantially within the trough 140.
Although several aspects of the invention have been disclosed in the foregoing specification, it is understood by those skilled in the art that many modifications and other aspects of the invention will come to mind to which the invention pertains, having the benefit of the teaching presented in the foregoing description and associated drawings. It is thus understood that the invention is not limited to the specific aspects disclosed hereinabove, and that many modifications and other aspects are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, although specific terms are employed herein, as well as in the claims which follow, they are used only in a generic and descriptive sense, and not for the purposes of limiting the described invention.
