Abstract:
A shelving unit includes formed front and rear beams providing shelf supporting and lower flanges, respectively. A C-shaped tie bar extends centrally between respective front and rear beams and is captured between the beam flanges with tie bar ends engaging the beams providing loaded shelf support and resisting loaded beam twisting.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates to shelving and more particularly to a shelving unit offering improved structural and load support. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    It is known to provide shelving having vertical corner columns, cross-beams and shelves supported by the beams in a variety of configurations. Structural integrity and load capacity are significant factors in the unit design. The load stresses caused by overloading or asymmetric loading can twist or sag shelving components. 
         [0003]    Accordingly, it is desired to provide a shelving unit having improved structural configuration and improved resistance to deformation due to loading. 
         [0004]    It is another objection of the invention to provide improved shelf support beams in combination with structural support elements. 
         [0005]    It is also an objective of this invention to provide an improved shelving unit which can be shipped in a flat disassembled state and easily erected to provide a structurally sound and improved shelving unit. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    To these ends, a preferred embodiment of the invention includes a four-column shelving unit having unique front and rear shelf-support beams respectively therebetween and a cooperating tie bar having ends fitting into the beams at positions intermediate the beam ends and defining upper shelf-supporting flanges extending perpendicular to the front and rear beams. The tie bar is preferably a formed channel having horizontally-extended, shelf-supporting flanges along its upper edges. The front and rear beams are formed to define an upper shelf supporting flange and a lower flange which cooperate to capture the ends of a tie bar disposed therebetween. 
         [0007]    This combination of preferred elements produces a number of unique advantages. The tie bar provides direct structural support for the shelf medium. Extended between front and rear beams, the tie bar configuration maintains the central dimension which is spanned by shelf capacity loads. The tie bar prevents twisting of the front and rear beams otherwise due to excessive loading. The tie bar provides an additional safety factor in the event of uneven loading by an end user. 
         [0008]    Use of such beam and tie bar in combination provides significant structural and support features over prior known shelving units with little additional cost. 
         [0009]    This shelving unit can easily be provided in disassembled flat format, and is easy to erect at the point of display or use as will be described. 
         [0010]    These and other objectives and advantages will be readily understood from the following written description of the drawings in which: 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a shelving unit according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of a portion of the invention of  FIG. 1  and illustrates the separate components which can be laid together flat format for shipping; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3A  is a partial isometric view of a lower portion of the invention of  FIGS. 1 and 2  (with shelf removed for clarity); 
           [0014]      FIG. 3B  is a view similar to  FIG. 3A  but illustrating insertion of the tie bar into place between front and rear shelf-supporting beams; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3C  is an isolated view of the tie bar and beam portion of  FIG. 3B ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3D  is a view similar to  FIG. 3C  but showing the tie bar in place and a shelf portion; and 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3D , but also showing a portion of a shelf on the beam. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0018]    It will be appreciated that the invention also provides an aesthetic appearance apart and differentiated from functional aspects of the claimed structure. A related design application is filed on even date herewith and is granted U.S. Ser. No. 29/365,087. 
         [0019]    Turning now to the drawings, a shelving unit  10  according to the invention is illustrated in  FIG. 1 . Unit  10  includes four upright or vertically-oriented corner support columns  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14 , horizontally-oriented front and rear shelf-support beams  16 ,  18  in multiple sets of two at different elevations as shown, and a variety of horizontally-oriented shelves  20 ,  22 ,  24 . 
         [0020]    Shelves  20 ,  22 ,  24  may be of any suitable medium. For example, shelves  20  and  24  comprise wire shelves including a plurality of woven or cross-set wires making up a shelf. Shelf  22 , on the other hand, may be solid, laminated, honeycombed or other configurations of one or more suitable materials such as wood, particle board or other compositions. 
         [0021]    The columns  11 - 14  are provided preferably in two joined sets, columns  11 ,  12  forming one side set and columns  13 ,  14 , another side set. Each column set has a plurality of horizontal, welded-in braces  26 ,  27  and at least one inclined, welded-in brace  28 . The columns  11 ,  12 , and  13 ,  14 , together with their respective braces  26 - 28  comprise side supports of the shelving unit  10 . 
         [0022]    The columns  11 - 14  are preferably slotted, as at  29 , to accommodate tabs  30 , extending from mounting brackets  32  supported ends of the respective front and rear beams  16 ,  18  as will be described. The similar slots  29  in columns  11  and  14  do not appear in the FIGS. due to the column orientation but are nevertheless used in the mounting of rear beams  18  on the same way as front beams  16 . 
         [0023]    Each of the front and rear beams  16 ,  18  have an L-shaped or angular mounting bracket  32  mounted or welded at the ends of the respective beams  16 ,  18 . Each bracket  32  has two sides  33 ,  34  at  90  degrees to each other. Side  33  is essentially parallel to the face of the columns  11 - 14  having the slots  29 , while side  34  is generally perpendicular thereto. Tabs  30  are typically provided in the side  33 , however, may also be provided in side  34  for cooperation with slots  35  in the sides of columns  11 - 4  as shown. Sides  34  of the brackets  32  are secured to the end of a beam  16 ,  18  as by welding. 
         [0024]    A tie bar  38  is disposed across the assembled shelf unit  10 , fitted into or captured by front and rear beams  16 ,  18  as noted below. Tie bar  38  is preferably in a C-shaped, channel-like, configuration having a bight  39 , upstanding sides  40 ,  41  and shelf-support flanges  42 ,  43  extending along upper edges of sides  40 ,  41  and generally lying in a horizontal orientation (see  FIGS. 3D and 4 ). 
         [0025]    Each beam  16 ,  18  is a formed beam, preferably of metal. Each beam has a vertical face  46 , an upper surface  47 , a short inward face  48  and a shelf-supporting flange  49 . Each beam  16 ,  18  has a lower flange  50 , parallel to flange  49 . 
         [0026]    As noted, shelf unit  10  can be shipped in flat, disassembled form with the components shown in  FIG. 2 , the side structures  11 ,  12  and  13 ,  14  with respective braces  26 - 28  being pre-assembled, but with shelves  20 ,  22 ,  24  and beams  16 ,  18  and tie bars  38  unassembled for flat packaging together. 
         [0027]    At the point of use, the components are unpacked and assembled. The side structures principally formed of column sets  11 ,  12  and  13 ,  14  are positioned and beams  16 ,  18  attached thereto by means of brackets  32  and then tabs  30  cooperating with slots  29 ,  35 . 
         [0028]    As then illustrated in  FIGS. 3B and 3C , the tie bars  38  are positioned and swung into place between beams  16 ,  18  as shown. The respective ends of tie bar  38  interfit with or are captured by respective beams  16 ,  18  as follows. The bight portion  39  of the tie bar engages lower flanges  50  of the beams. The flanges  42 ,  43  of the tie bar  38  engage the underside of the shelf-support flanges  49  of the respective beams. In this fashion, the tie bar ends preferably engage the inner side of vertical face  46  of each beam. A very slight outward “bowing” of beams  16 ,  18  will accommodate the rotation of tie bars  38  into position. The tie bar  38  is thus captured in the respective beams  16 ,  18 . 
         [0029]    The ends of the tie bar  38  thus engage the beams  16 ,  18  in a position to resist any twisting of the beams  16 ,  18 , while the engagement of the tie bar ends between the flanges  49 ,  50  of the beams adds additional structural rigidity to the interconnection of the beams  16 ,  18  and bars  38 . A screw, rivet or other fastener  53  ( FIG. 4 ) may be inserted through one or both ends of tie bar  38  into beam flanges  50  to further secure the bar  38  to the beams  16 ,  18 . 
         [0030]    In this regard, it will be appreciated that the height of the tie bar between the bottom surface of the bight portion  39  and the upper surfaces of flanges  42 ,  43  is approximately equal to the distance between the facing surfaces of parallel flanges  49 ,  50 . 
         [0031]    Accordingly, the invention provides significant and unique advantages in a shelving unit. It will be appreciated that if a shelf is asymmetrically or overloaded, the extra support provided by tie bar  38  directly supporting the shelf via contact of flanges  42 ,  43  prevents shelf sagging. The direct support of a shelf by direct engagement with tie bar  38  provides structural integrity. 
         [0032]    Moreover, the engagement of the ends of tie bar  38  with beams  16 ,  18  prevents their twisting under heavy loads as might otherwise occur due to load torque. The unique cooperation of the ends of the tie bars  38  within the beams  16 ,  18  and the flanges  49 ,  50  thereof coordinates significant and unique structural rigidity providing load support twist resistance and additional safety factors in the event of uneven loading by an end user. Securement of the tie bar  38  ends to beams  16 ,  18  also maintains the center dimensions between the beams, adding to the integrity and stability of the shelving unit  10 . 
         [0033]    These and other modifications and advantages of the invention will be readily appreciated by the foregoing to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention and applicant intends to be bound only by the claims appended hereto.