Shelf device

A shelf device includes a plurality of support legs each formed with a plurality of elongated through holes, and at least one shelf unit. Each through hole is defined by two long edges and two short edges. The at least one shelf unit includes a plurality of crosspiece assemblies, and a plurality of mounting members each having a head portion with two long sides. Each mounting member is rotatable relative to one of the support legs and the corresponding crosspiece assembly between first and second states, in which the long sides of the head portion thereof are parallel to and are transverse to the long edges of a corresponding elongated through holes so as to permit insertion of and prevent removal of the head portion into and out of the corresponding through hole, respectively.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to Taiwanese Utility Model Patent Application No. 112206735, filed on Jun. 30, 2023.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a furniture, and more particularly to a shelf device that can be assembled and disassembled.

BACKGROUND

Referring toFIGS.1to3, an existing shelf device includes four upright support legs11, and a plurality of shelf units12assembled on the support legs11and spaced apart from each other in an up-down direction.

Each support leg11is formed with a plurality of spaced-apart mounting holes111extending therethrough in a front-rear direction. Each mounting hole111includes a large hole portion112and a small hole portion113communicating with each other.

Each shelf unit12includes two crosspiece assemblies121spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction and extending in a left-right direction, a deck member122extending in the left-right direction and disposed across the crosspiece assemblies121, and a plurality of mounting members123for mounting the crosspiece assemblies121on the support legs11.

Each mounting member123includes a body portion124that is circular and that is connected to one end of a corresponding one of the crosspiece assemblies121, and a head portion125that is circular, that is connected to the body portion124, and that is spaced apart from the corresponding crosspiece assembly121. The body portion124of each mounting member123has an outer diameter smaller than a hole diameter of the small hole portion113of a corresponding one of the mounting holes111so as to be inserted into the small hole portion113. The head portion125of each mounting member123has an outer diameter smaller than a hole diameter of the large hole portion112of the corresponding mounting hole111, but larger than the hole diameter of the small hole portion113thereof.

To assemble the existing shelf device, the head portion125of each mounting member123of each shelf unit12is first extended through the large hole portion112of the corresponding mounting hole111such that the body portion124of each mounting member123is inserted into the large hole portion112of the corresponding mounting hole111. Next, the crosspiece assembly121is lowered so that the body portion124of each mounting member123is inserted into the small hole portion113of the corresponding mounting hole111, thereby completing the assembly of one end of each crosspiece assembly121with a corresponding one of the support legs11.

Although the existing shelf device has a feature of easy assembly, if there is a need to move the existing shelf device, a worker may use the shelf units12as point of application of force, causing the shelf units12to be raised relative to the support legs11. As such, the body portion124of each mounting member123is likely to move from the small hole portion113to the large hole portion112of the corresponding mounting hole111, thereby causing the head portion125of each mounting member123to disengage from the large hole portion112of the corresponding mounting hole111and thus causing the shelf units12to disengage from the support legs11. Hence, there is still room for improvement of the existing shelf device.

SUMMARY

Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a shelf device that can alleviate at least one of the drawbacks of the prior art.

Accordingly, the shelf device of this disclosure includes a plurality of support legs and at least one shelf unit. Each support leg is formed with a plurality of elongated through holes extending in a longitudinal direction and spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction. Each elongated through hole is defined by two long edges and two short edges. The at least one shelf unit includes a plurality of crosspiece assemblies, and a plurality of mounting members mounting the crosspiece assemblies on the support legs. Each mounting member has a body portion inserted into one of the elongated through holes and one end of a corresponding one of the crosspiece assemblies, and a head portion connected to the body portion and having two long sides.

Each mounting member is rotatable relative to one of the support legs and the corresponding crosspiece assembly between a first state and a second state. When each mounting member is in the first state, the long sides of the head portion of each mounting member are parallel to the long edges of a corresponding one of the elongated through holes so as to permit insertion or removal of the head portion of each mounting member into or from the corresponding elongated through hole. When each mounting member is in the second state, the long sides of the head portion of each mounting member are transverse to the long edges of the corresponding elongated through hole so as to prevent the head portion of each mounting member from moving out of the corresponding elongated through hole.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring toFIGS.4to7, a shelf device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes four spaced-apart support legs2, and a plurality of shelf units3spaced apart from each other in an up-down direction and assembled on the support legs2such that the support legs2are located at four corners thereof and are supported on a support surface (e.g., ground).

Each support leg2has a generally C-shaped cross section, and includes a main leg portion21, and two side leg portions22respectively connected to left and right ends of the main leg portion21and extending in a front-rear direction. The main leg portion21includes a plurality of elongated through holes23arranged in two vertical rows which are spaced apart from each other in a left-right direction, and a plurality of insert holes24arranged in two vertical rows and staggered with the elongated through holes23in the up-down direction.

The elongated through holes23in each vertical row are spaced apart from each other in the up-down direction. Each elongated through hole23has a rectangular shape extending in a longitudinal direction (D11), and is defined by two long edges231and two short edges232. The longitudinal direction (D11) corresponds to the up-down direction. The long edges231extend in the longitudinal direction (D11), while the short edges232extend in the left-right direction. The insert holes24in each vertical row are also spaced apart from each other in the up-down direction. Each insert hole24is an elongated slot that extends in the longitudinal direction (D11) and that is defined by two long edges241and two short edges242. Each insert hole24has a hole width (W11) (seeFIG.8) measured in the left-right direction smaller than a hole width (W12) (seeFIG.8) measured in the left-right direction of each elongated through hole23. Each two adjacent insert holes24in each vertical row are located on top and bottom sides of a corresponding one of the elongated through holes23. Specifically, the insert holes24and the elongated through holes23in each vertical row are alternately arranged in a staggered manner in the up-down direction.

In this embodiment, four shelf units3are exemplified. Since the structures of the shelf units3are the same, only one of the shelf units3will be described in detail below for the sake of brevity.

The shelf unit3includes two crosspiece assemblies31extending in the left-right direction and spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction, a deck member32extending in the left-right direction and disposed across the crosspiece assemblies31in the front-rear direction, four mounting members33(because the front, rear, left, and right sides of the shelf unit3are symmetrical, only one mounting member33is shown inFIGS.5to7) for mounting the crosspiece assemblies31on the support legs2, and four nuts34(only one is shown inFIGS.5and7) for threadedly and respectively engaging the mounting members33.

Each crosspiece assembly31includes a crosspiece35extending in the left-right direction, and two end plates36(only one is visible inFIG.4) respectively welded to opposite left and right ends of the crosspiece35. The crosspiece35is used to support one side of the deck member32(seeFIG.4). Since the structure of the crosspiece35is known in the art, a detailed description thereof is dispensed herewith.

Each end plate36includes a main plate portion361having a rectangular shape and welded to the respective one of the left and right ends of the crosspiece35, two first insert plate portions362connected to a front end of the main plate portion361and spaced apart from each other in the up-down direction, and a second insert plate portion363connected to the front end of the main plate portion361and located between the first insert plate portions362.

With reference toFIG.7, each first insert plate portion362includes a connecting section364connected to the front end of the main plate portion361and extending in the left-right direction, a curved section366extending curvedly and rearwardly from an end of the connecting section364that is opposite to the main plate portion361, and an insertion section365extending rearwardly from an end of the curved section366that is opposite to the connecting section364and inserted into a corresponding one of the insert holes24. The curved section366is formed with a notch367extending inwardly from a bottom edge thereof for engagement with one of the short edges242of the corresponding insert hole24. The second insert plate portion363has a generally square shape, extends transversely and outwardly from the front end of the main plate portion361, and is formed with a circular through hole368.

Referring toFIGS.8and9, in combination withFIG.7, since each mounting member33must be rotated to pass through a corresponding one of the elongated through holes23, the direction of the mounting member33shown inFIGS.7to9is different from the direction of the mounting member33shown inFIG.6. The detail as to how each mounting member33can pass through the corresponding elongated through hole23will be described in the following paragraphs.

Each mounting member33has a columnar body portion331, and a solid head portion332connected to the body portion331. The body portion331is insertable into one of the elongated through holes23in the main leg portion21and the through hole368in the second insert plate portion363of one of the end plates36of a corresponding one of the crosspiece assemblies31. The body portion331includes an external thread section (331a) engageable with a respective one of the nuts34, and a neck section (331b) connected between the external thread section (331a) and the head portion332. The neck section (331b) has an outer diameter slightly larger than an outer diameter of the external thread section (331a).

As shown inFIGS.7and8, the head portion332has two long sides (332a) spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction and extending in the up-down direction, and two short sides (332b) connected between the long sides (332a). The head portion332has a thickness gradually increasing from the two short sides (332b) toward a central portion thereof (seeFIG.9). Each long side (332a) is shorter than each first long edge231, but longer than each short edge232. Each short side (332b) is shorter than each short edge232. That is, the size of the head portion332is smaller than that of the elongated through hole23.

Referring toFIGS.10and11, in combination withFIG.7, an assembly method of this embodiment will be described herein. Since the four corners of each shelf unit3are assembled on the support legs2in the same manner, only one corner of the shelf unit3assembled on one support leg2will be described hereinafter for the sake of brevity.

During assembly, the body portion331of the mounting member33is first inserted into the through hole368of the second insert plate portion363of the end plate36, and the nut34is threaded to the external thread section (331a) of the body portion331. As such, the mounting member33and the nut34are mounted on the end plate36, as shown inFIG.10, and the head portion332of the mounting member33and the nut34are respectively located at rear and front sides of the second insert plate portion363.

Next, the head portion332of the mounting member33is aligned with one of the elongated through holes23, and the first insert plate portions362of the end plate36are respectively aligned with the two insert holes24located on top and bottom sides of the one of the elongated through holes23. Then, the mounting member33is inserted into the elongated through hole23with the head portion332thereof extending out of the elongated through hole23, and the first insert plate portions362are inserted into the respective insert holes24, as shown inFIG.11.

Referring toFIGS.12and13, in combination withFIG.11, after the mounting member33and the first insert plate portions362are inserted into the elongated through hole23and the insert holes24, respectively, the crosspiece35is moved downwardly relative to the support leg2to drive the end plate36to also move downwardly relative to the support leg2. That is, the mounting member33and the first and second insert plate portions362,363are driven to move downwardly, as shown inFIGS.12and13, so that a lower one of the short edges232of the elongated through hole23is clamped between the head portion332of the mounting member33and the second insert plate portion363, and lower ones of the short edges242of the insert holes24are received in the notches367of the respective first insert plate portions362.

With reference toFIGS.6,11and12, finally, the mounting member33is rotated relative to the support leg2and the end plate36of the crosspiece assembly31to change the mounting member33from a first state shown inFIG.12to a second state shown inFIG.6, thereby completing the assembly.

In the second state, the long sides (332a) of the head portion332of the mounting member33are transverse to the long edges231of the elongated through hole23, so that the long sides (332a) of the head portion332are limited by the two long edges231of the elongated through hole23, thereby preventing the head portion332of the mounting member33from moving out of the elongated through hole23.

To disassemble the present embodiment, the mounting member33is rotated relative to the support leg2and the end plate36of the crosspiece assembly31to restore the mounting member33from the second state shown inFIG.6to the first state shown inFIG.12. In the first state, the long sides (332a) of the head portion332of the mounting member33are parallel to the long edges231of the elongated through hole23so as to permit removal of the head portion332of the mounting member33from the elongated through hole23.

Next, the crosspiece35is slightly lifted relative to the support leg2, so that the head portion332of the mounting member33and the first insert plate portions362of the end plate36are aligned with the elongated through hole23and the insert holes24, respectively, as shown inFIG.11. Afterwards, the head portion332of the mounting member33is moved out of the elongated through hole23, and the first insert plate portions362of the end plate36are also moved out of the respective insert holes24, thereby separating the crosspiece assembly31from the support leg2, as shown inFIG.10.

The features of this embodiment reside in that, when the head portion332of each mounting member33is in the second state, separation of each crosspiece assembly31from the corresponding support legs2can be prevented; and when the head portion332of each mounting member33is in the first state, each crosspiece assembly31can be separated from the corresponding support legs2. Hence, assembly and disassembly of the shelf device of this disclosure are very convenient, and the assembled structure is relatively stable.

In summary, the effect of the shelf device of this disclosure resides in that, since the long sides (332a) of the head portion332of each mounting member33are limited by the two long edges231of the corresponding elongated through hole23in the second state, the head portion332of each mounting member33cannot be moved out of the corresponding elongated through hole23. Even if each mounting member33is moved up and down along the corresponding elongated through hole23during transport, the head portion332of each mounting member33will not be separated from the corresponding elongated through hole23, so that there will be no problem of loose or collapsed structure due to transport. Therefore, the object of this disclosure can indeed be achieved.