Abstract:
In accordance with one aspect of the disclosure, a modular free-standing shelving system having a basket is disclosed. The system includes a plurality of risers having a first end and a second end and at least one shelf having a plurality of ends, a plurality of sides, and a plurality of sockets. The ends and sides of the shelf encompass an area including a plurality of walls and a recessed surface. The walls connect the recessed surface to the ends and sides, which comprises a majority of a surface area of the shelf.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION DATA  
       [0001]    The present application is a non-provisional application based on co-pending provisional application No. 60/355,381 which was filed on Feb. 7, 2002. 
     
    
     
       TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE  
         [0002]    The present disclosure relates generally to a storage unit and, more particularly, to a free-standing modular shelving system containing baskets/bins.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE  
         [0003]    There are many types of storage units available in today&#39;s market, fulfilling the needs of many people. The different storage units come in many shapes and sizes, catering to the specific needs of the consumers. Some of the storage units are heavy and bulky, requiring a great amount of strength to move. Similarly, the storage units may require attachment or perhaps may require assembly before use. Other available shelving units are light and flexible, but unfortunately are very unstable and incapable of supporting heavier loads. Another underlying problem with the above units is that they are very limited in their versatility, thereby forcing the user to use the storage unit in a particular place and for a particular purpose. Likewise, the flat surface of the shelf or panel designs of the shelving units are limited to holding flat bottomed items such as cans, boxes, and the like, thereby making it difficult to store such items as balls, bats, and the like.  
           [0004]    Some of the above-identified problems have been addressed with modular shelving systems or units, which are known in the art. One type of modular unit includes a plurality of rectangular panels or shelves, wherein each shelf has four sockets, one provided in each corner of the shelf. Successive shelves can be stacked and interconnected to adjacent shelves by inserting a plurality of posts or risers into the sockets. The modular construction provides flexibility for the consumer to assemble a shelf system or unit with a desired number of shelves and/or a desired height. Examples of such shelving systems are disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,079,339 and 6,178,896, each owned by the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference.  
           [0005]    The modular shelving systems or units, however, have not been able to adapt for the storage of odd shaped items because each of the shelving units disclosed in these exemplary patents typically provides a planar storage surface for supporting stored objects. Therefore, there remains a need for an improved shelving system or storage unit able to securely hold odd shaped items.  
         SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE  
         [0006]    In accordance with one aspect of the disclosure, a modular shelving unit including a plurality of risers and a plurality of shelves having baskets, is disclosed. The shelves include a top side and a bottom side, and multiple sockets disposed therebetween. The sockets, having a top portion and a lower portion, are adapted to engage with the risers. The baskets further include a recessed surface and walls, wherein the walls are operatively disposed between the recessed interior surface and the top of the basket. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a free-standing modular shelving system constructed in accordance with the teachings of the disclosure;  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a bin of FIG. 1;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 3 is a partial view of a socket and riser of FIG. 1;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 4 is a partial view of a socket of FIG. 1; and  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 5 is a view of a riser of FIG. 1. 
     
    
       [0012]    While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, certain illustrative embodiments thereof have been shown in the drawings and will be described below in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the disclosure to the specific forms disclosed, but, on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the disclosure and the appended claims.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0013]    Referring now to the drawings, and with specific reference to FIG. 1, a storage system constructed in accordance with the teachings of the disclosure is generally depicted by reference numeral  20 . As shown therein, the storage system  20  includes a plurality of full-length risers  30 , a plurality of shortened risers  40 , and a plurality of bins  50   a - d . It is, however, contemplated that the storage system  20  may only include one or more shelves having a basket/bin, wherein the remaining shelves may include other features such as substantially flat or perforated shelves.  
         [0014]    As can best be appreciated in FIG. 1, a set of shortened risers  40  having a top portion  42  and a lower portion  44  may rest on the ground such that the ground contacts near the lower portion  44  of the shortened risers  40 . The shortened risers  40  may be approximately one-third the length of the full-length risers  30 , but is preferably long enough to ensure that the bin  50   a , disposed at the top portion  42  of the shortened risers  40 , does not contact the ground. The shortened risers  40  may be hollow or solid and may be adapted to receive an end piece at the lower portion  44  of the riser  40 .  
         [0015]    The bin  50   a , being representative of all the bins  50   a - d  in the present disclosure, as best appreciated in FIG. 2, may have a perimeter defining a general rectangular shape including a first long side  52  and a second long side  54 , and a first short side  56  and a second short side  58 , wherein the short sides  56  and  58  may be relative to the long sides  52  and  54 . The bin  50   a  may further include a top surface  60  and a bottom surface  62  having disposed therebetween a set of sockets  64  adapted to receive the full-length risers  30  and the shortened risers  40 . The sockets  64  may be located at the perimeter of the bin  50   a , and, more specifically, may be located near each of the corners created by the second short side  58  and the second long side  54 , the second long side  54  and the first short side  56 , the first short side  56  and the first long side  52 , and the first long side  52  and the second short side  58 .  
         [0016]    The bin construction may also vary considerably. For example, the bins  50   a - d  may be fabricated from plastic materials such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, or other suitable plastic materials. The bins  50   a - d  may have solid, non-perforated storage surfaces, structural ribs added for panel rigidity, open mesh or grid storage surfaces, or the like, depending on the needs of a given application. Similarly, the bins  50  and the storage system  20  may include other shapes such as triangular, square, round, or oval. The bins may also be molded or otherwise formed utilizing a suitable molding or other process.  
         [0017]    Disposed in a central portion of the bin  50   a  and confined by each of the long sides  52  and  54  and the short sides  56  and  58  may be a recessed surface  70  that may be connectably attached to the bin  50   a  via a set of walls. More specifically, the recessed surface  70  may be recessed such an amount, from the top of the bin  50   a , as to effectively contain items placed thereupon. For example, the recessed surface  70  may be recessed such an amount that a user may place an item such as a tennis ball, bat, basketball, screwdriver, or the like on the recessed surface  70  without the item being able to fall out of the bin  50   a . The recessed surface  70 , similar to the bin  50   a , may have a rectangular shape including a first long side  72  and a second long side  74 , and a first short side  76  and a second short side  78 , wherein the short sides  76  and  78  may be relative to the long sides  72  and  74 .  
         [0018]    The walls connectably attaching the recessed surface  70  to the bin  50   a , may also include a first long member  80  and a second long member  82 , and a first short member  84  and a second short member  86 , wherein the first short member  84  connects the first short side  56  of the bin  50   a  to the first short side  76  of the recessed surface  70 , the second short member  86  connects the second short side  58  of the bin  50   a  to the second short side  78  of the recessed surface  70 , the first long member  80  connects the first long side  52  of the bin  50   a  to the first long side  72  of the recessed surface  72 , and the second long member  82  connects the second long side  54  of the bin  50   a  to the second long side  74  of the recessed surface  70 . The walls may be of a solid construction but are preferably perforated in some way. The walls may, for example, have circular, square and/or rectangular apertures located in an arranged fashion.  
         [0019]    As mentioned above, the sockets  64  may be disposed between the top  60  and the bottom  62  of the bin  50   a  and may be located at the perimeter of the bin  50   a . The sockets  64  may further be adapted to receive risers  30  and  40  from both the top and the bottom of the bin  50   a , such that the load from an upper riser may be transferred through the socket to a riser beneath it. More specifically, the sockets  64  have a lower portion  66  and an upper portion  68  adapted to receive the upper portion  42  and the lower portion  44  of the shortened risers  40 , and an upper portion  90  and a lower portion  92  of the full-length risers  30 , respectively. The upper portion of the socket  68 , for example, may include a cylinder  100  having an upper end  102  and a lower ridge  104  adapted to engage with a lip  94  on a riser  30  and the end  96  of a riser  30 , respectively. The lower portion  66  of the socket  64  may include a similar cylinder  106  and ridge  108 , such that the top portion  90  of a riser  30  may slide into the cylinder  106  and rest against the ridge  108 .  
         [0020]    Once again referring to FIG. 1, the upper portion  90  of the full-length risers  30  may be similar to the upper portion  42  of the shortened risers  40  and will herein be described simultaneously. The upper portions  42  and  90  of the risers  30  and  40  may be cylindrical in shape, as may be the rest of the riser, having an upper ridge  110  and  112  located at the end of the upper portion of the riser  30  and  40 , respectively. The upper portions  90  and  42  of the risers  30  and  40  may be adapted to slide into the lower portion  66  of the socket  64 , such that the ridges  110  and  112  located at the upper portions  90  and  42  of the riser may engage with the ridges  108  located in the lower portion  66  of the socket  64 . The lower portion  92  of the full-length risers  30  may also have a generally cylindrical shape adapted to engage with the upper portion  68  of the sockets  64 . More specifically, the lower portion  92  of each full-length riser  30  may include a set of ridges. The first ridge being the end  96  of the lower portion  92  of the riser, and the second ridge being a lip  94  created by a recess area spanning from the end  96  of the lower portion  92  of the riser to the lip  94 . Preferably, the lower portion  92  of the full-length risers  30  are designed such that the end  96  of the lower portion  92  of the riser  30  and the lip  94  engage with the upper end  102  and a lower ridge  104  of the upper portion  68  of the socket  64 .  
         [0021]    Either one or both end sections of the risers  30  and  40  can be designed and adapted with specific structural features and characteristics that mate with corresponding features and characteristics of the sockets  64 . Similarly, either the upper portion  68 , the bottom portion  66 , or both sides of the socket  64  can be similarly constructed as desired. Alternatively, one or both ends of each riser  30  and  40  can simply be a circular cylinder of the same or a reduced diameter relative to the diameter of the riser exterior surface. The sockets  64 , at the appropriate sides, can be further adapted to accept this simple cylindrical construction.  
         [0022]    As discussed earlier, in one example, the shelving system  20  may be of a generally rectangular shape. As such, four shortened risers  40  may be disposed between the first bin  50   a  and the ground, such that the lower portion  44  of the shortened risers  40  are near the ground and the upper portion  42  of the shortened risers  40  are engaged with the lower portion  66  of the sockets  64 , located near the corners of the first bin  50   a . Disposed between the first bin  50   a  and the second bin  50   b  may be four full-length risers  30 , such that such that the lower portions  92  of the full-length risers  30  are engaged with the upper portion  68  of the sockets  64  and the upper portion  90  of the full-length risers  30  are engaged with the lower portion  66  of the sockets  64 , located near the corners of the bin. Disposed between the second bin  50   b  and the third bin  50   c  may be four more full-length risers  30 , such that such that the lower portions  92  of the full-length risers  30  are engaged with the upper portions  68  of the sockets  64  and the upper portions  90  of the full-length risers  30  are engaged with the lower portions  66  of the sockets  64 , located near the corners of the bin. Disposed between the third bin  50   c  and the fourth bin  50   d , thereby completing the presently described system  20 , may be another set of four full-length risers  30 , such that such that the lower portions  92  of the full-length risers  30  are engaged with the upper portions  68  of the sockets  64  and the upper portions  90  of the full-length risers  30  are engaged with the lower portions  66  of the sockets  64 , located near the corners of the fourth bin  50   d.    
         [0023]    In general, the risers  30  and  40  and bins  50   a - d  are preferably fabricated from relatively light-weight, durable, and sturdy plastic materials such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, or other suitable plastic materials. The process or processes used to form the various components of the shelving system  20  can also vary considerably as necessary to form each given component. For example, the risers  30  and  40  in one example are elongate hollow plastic tubes. The risers may be injection molded, blow molded, continuously molded, extruded, vacuum formed, rotation molded, or the like. The manufacturing process or processes can be selected based on feasibility, cost, tooling concerns, as well as other factors for a given application.  
         [0024]    It should also be noted at this point, that the disclosure has been and will be herein described in term of certain examples. It is apparent, to those skilled in the art, that the shelving system  20  may be enabled with other examples. The general shape of the shelving system  20 , for example, including the bins  50   a - d  and recessed surfaces  70  may be square, oval, triangular, or circular. A square system may have square bins, square recessed surfaces, and four equally sized walls, whereas a circular system may have circular bins, circular recessed surfaces, and one circular wall. Likewise, the number of bins in any one shelving system  20  may vary depending on usage and need. Therefore, the system may have four bins, but the system may contain more or less bins, and should not be limited to the four bins disclosed. Similarly, the number and shapes of the risers may also vary according to the general shape of the shelving system  20 . The number of risers may increase or decrease to accommodate the different shaped shelving system, such as a triangular shaped shelving system, for example, which may have three risers per bin to optimize the available space. The risers may also vary to a great degree in shape and size and should not be limited to the cylindrical shape disclosed.  
         [0025]    In operation, the shelving system  20  may be purchased as a ready-to-assembly system so that the cost of packaging and transportation may be minimized due to the compact size and due to the lack of need for tools. The user, after unpacking the parts, may proceed to push the upper portion  42  of the shortened risers  40  into the lower portion  66  of the socket  64 , such that the upper portion  112  of the shortened risers  40  are fully engaged with lower portion  66  of the sockets  64 , of the bin  50   a . Placing the assembly with the lower portion  44  of the shortened risers  40  on the ground, the user may proceed to push full-length risers  30  into the upper sockets  68  of the bin  50   a , such that the lower portion  92  of the full-length risers  30  are fully engaged with upper portion  68  the sockets  64 . The remainder of the shelving system  20  may be assembled in a similar fashion until the lower portion  66  of the sockets  64  of the fourth bin  50   c  are securely placed on the upper portion  110  of the last four remaining full-length risers  30 .  
         [0026]    Once assembled, the shelving system  20  may be utilized as an individual unit or may be combined with other units to create a wholly different unit. When being utilized as an individual unit, the user may adjust the number of bins in the system to suit a particular purpose and may then proceed to store items in the bins knowing the walls prevent the items from falling. If, however, the bins are combined with other units, a wholly different unit may be created. For example, the shelving system  20  may be combined or mixed with such shelving systems as are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,079,339 and 6,178,896. It is therefore contemplated that the storage system  20  may include various other types of shelves aside from the basket/bin  50 , such as substantially flat or perforated shelves.  
         [0027]    The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only. No unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, as modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.