Patent Publication Number: US-11044993-B2

Title: Ladder mount assembly for shelving

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     Embodiments of the invention relate generally to wire shelving. More particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to wire shelving that can be easily suspended by a ladder mount assembly when there is no side wall available to secure the shelving. 
     2. Description of Prior Art and Related Information 
     The following background information may present examples of specific aspects of the prior art (e.g., without limitation, approaches, facts, or common wisdom) that, while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as to additional aspects of the prior art, is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon. 
     Wire shelving can be used in various locations and for various purposes. For example, a wire shelf can be designed to fit inside a cabinet, such as a kitchen cabinet, where the shelf may be disposed on slides to permit movement of the shelf outward from the cabinet. Such cabinets are typically designed in various widths. However, if a user purchases such a shelf system for one particular cabinet, they may not have any option to move that shelf system to a cabinet of a different width. 
     One option available to a user who has a shelf system of a width smaller than the cabinet is to build an interior wall to attach the shelf system. This, however, requires substantial customization and can take up additional space inside the cabinet. 
     In view of the foregoing, there is a need for wire shelving that permits the shelving to be installed in cabinets of various widths. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Embodiments of the present invention provide a shelving assembly comprising a shelf; a ladder mount system configured to support at least one side of the shelf, the ladder mount system including at least two ladder mounts, each ladder mount including at least two rails disposed orthogonal to the shelf and a plurality of rails spaced apart and spanning between the at least two rails. 
     Embodiments of the present invention further provide a shelving assembly comprising a shelf; a ladder mount system configured to support at least one side of the shelf, the ladder mount system including at least two ladder mounts, each ladder mount including at least two rails disposed orthogonal to the shelf and a plurality of rails spaced apart and spanning between the at least two rails, each ladder mount including attachment feet to secure each ladder mount to a base member; a sliding rail attached to each side of the shelf; and a fixed rail permitting the sliding rail to slide along and partially out thereof, wherein at least one fixed rail is secured to the ladder mount system. 
     Embodiments of the present invention also provide a shelving assembly comprising a shelf having at least one side rail extending about an exterior periphery thereof; and a ladder mount system configured to support at least one side of the shelf, the ladder mount system including at least two ladder mounts, each ladder mount including at least two rails disposed orthogonal to the shelf and a plurality of rails spaced apart and spanning between the at least two rails, wherein the rung of the ladder mount is disposed below the first side rail such that the first side rail is supported by the rung. 
     These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Some embodiments of the present invention are illustrated as an example and are not limited by the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references may indicate similar elements. 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of an assembled wire shelving system suitable for installation in a cabinet, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2A  illustrates an exploded view of one of the wire shelves of the wire shelving system of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 2B  illustrates a detailed end view of a front portion of the first side end member of  FIG. 2A ; 
         FIG. 2C  illustrates a side view of the central member of  FIG. 2A , showing a U-shape along an engagement member thereof; 
         FIG. 2D  illustrates a sideview of the central member of  FIG. 2A , showing a C-shape along an engagement member thereof; 
         FIG. 2E  illustrated a detail view of a back end of the central member of  FIG. 2A ; 
         FIG. 3A  illustrates a pre-assembled view of an adjustable-width wire shelf; 
         FIG. 3B  illustrates a first step in the interconnection of a first side end member with a central member, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3C  illustrates the first side end member further sliding onto the central member; 
         FIG. 3D  illustrates the first side end member fully slid onto the central member; 
         FIG. 3E  illustrates the first side end member being moved to a position co-planar with the central member; 
         FIG. 3F  illustrates a first step in the interconnection of a second side end member with a central member, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3G  illustrates the second side end member further sliding onto the central member; 
         FIG. 3H  illustrates the second side end member fully slid onto the central member; 
         FIG. 3I  illustrates the second side end member being moved to a position co-planar with the central member and the first side end member, thus completing assembly of the wire shelf; 
         FIG. 4A  illustrates a cross-sectional view of the first side end member, taken along line IV-IV of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4B  illustrates a cross-sectional view of the central member, taken along line IV-IV of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4C  illustrates a cross-sectional view of the second side end member, taken along line IV-IV of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a perspective view of a wire shelving system supported on one side by a shelving ladder system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a perspective view of a wire shelving system supported on one side by a shelving ladder system, the ladder system including additional supports, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a detailed perspective view showing attachment of a fixed wire shelving member to a shelving ladder system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     Unless otherwise indicated illustrations in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. 
     The invention and its various embodiments can now be better understood by turning to the following detailed description wherein illustrated embodiments are described. It is to be expressly understood that the illustrated embodiments are set forth as examples and not by way of limitations on the invention as ultimately defined in the claims. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS AND BEST MODE OF INVENTION 
     The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well as the singular forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. 
     Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one having ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present disclosure and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein. 
     In describing the invention, it will be understood that a number of techniques and steps are disclosed. Each of these has individual benefit and each can also be used in conjunction with one or more, or in some cases all, of the other disclosed techniques. Accordingly, for the sake of clarity, this description will refrain from repeating every possible combination of the individual steps in an unnecessary fashion. Nevertheless, the specification and claims should be read with the understanding that such combinations are entirely within the scope of the invention and the claims. 
     In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be evident, however, to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. 
     The present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated by the figures or description below. 
     As is well known to those skilled in the art, many careful considerations and compromises typically must be made when designing for the optimal configuration of a commercial implementation of any apparatus, and in particular, the embodiments of the present invention. A commercial implementation in accordance with the spirit and teachings of the present invention may be configured according to the needs of the particular application, whereby any aspect(s), feature(s), function(s), result(s), component(s), approach(es), or step(s) of the teachings related to any described embodiment of the present invention may be suitably omitted, included, adapted, mixed and matched, or improved and/or optimized by those skilled in the art, using their average skills and known techniques, to achieve the desired implementation that addresses the needs of the particular application. 
     Broadly, embodiments of the present invention provide a storage solution using wire shelves. The width of the wire shelves can be customized by a user by adding one or more central members between two end members. Thus, the shelving can be installed in one cabinet having a first width, and moved, if desired, to a cabinet of a different width by adding or removing central members from the shelf. The shelving may be attached at each end to a slide to permit one or more shelves to extend outward from the inside of a cabinet. 
     Further embodiments of the present invention provide a storage solution where a ladder mount can be used to support a shelving slide or the shelving member itself. The ladder mount can be attached to and extend upward from a base of a cabinet. Two or more ladder mounts can be used to support the shelf and/or shelf slide. The ladder mount can permit a shelving system having a width smaller than a cabinet width, to be installed in a cabinet, where one side of the shelf and/or shelf slide can attach to a cabinet side wall, and the other side of the shelf and/or shelf slide can attach to a free-standing ladder mount system. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a modular width shelving system  10  can include a wire shelf  12 , as described in greater detail below. The wire shelf  12  can be attached, via attachment elements  16 , to a sliding member  14  that slides and extends from a slide base  18 . In some embodiments, the modular width shelving system  10  can be used inside a cabinet or other similar space, where the wire shelf  12  can be designed to extend outward from the opening or cabinet. 
     Typically, one or more wire shelves  12  can be disposed in an opening. As shown in  FIG. 1 , three wire shelves  12  may be positioned in an opening, such as inside a cabinet. 
     While the wire shelf  12  is shown attached to sliding members  14  on each side thereof, in some embodiments, the wire shelf  12  may be fixed and attached directly to a side wall (not shown) or to a ladder mount, as described in detail below. In some embodiments, one or more wire shelves  12  may be fixed and/or one or more wire shelves may include sliding members  14  and slide bases  18 . 
     Regardless of the number of shelves and their attachment, the wire shelf  12  may be formed from multiple components as shown in  FIG. 2 . Such components can include a first side end member  22 , a second side end member  20 , and one or more central members  24 . The wire shelf  12  can be designed with any number of central members  24  to permit changes in width. The central members  24  may each be of a fixed width or may be designed in various widths. For example, a 20-inch wire shelf may be installed inside a 24-inch cabinet. This may be designed with the end members  20 ,  22  each having a 2.5-inch width, for example, and six central members  24 , each having a 2.5-inch width. In other embodiments, the 2.5-inch end members  20 ,  22  may be connected to a single 15-inch central member. Typically, however, the central members may be uniformly sized so that a multiple of central members  24 , when attached to the end members  20 ,  22 , may fit into most standard sized cabinets, such as 36-inch, 30-inch, 24-inch, 18-inch or the like. 
     As discussed below, the wire shelf  12  can be designed with hollow and solid poles to permit an easy efficient assembly and/or change in width. Referring now to  FIGS. 2A through 2E , as well as  FIGS. 4A through 4C , in some embodiments, the first side end member  22  can include a hollow rod  32  along an inside edge thereof. The central member  24  can include a solid rod  34  adjacent the first side end member  22  and a hollow rod  36  on the side opposite the solid member  34 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2D , a space  40  may be provided between a back end wall of the central member  24  and the solid rod  34 . Similarly, as shown in  FIG. 2B , a front end rod  28  of the first side end member  22  may not connect to the end of the hollow member  32 . This design allows the hollow rod  32  to receive the solid rod  34 , as discussed below with respect to  FIGS. 3A through 3I . Similarly, the hollow rod  36  of the central member  24  may be configured to receive a solid rod  38  of the second side end member  20 . Optionally, the hollow rod  36  of the central member  24  can receive a solid member  34  of another central member  24  in order to further increase the width of the wire rack  12 . 
     The front rods and rear rods of each of the end members  20 ,  22  and the central member  24  can include an engagement member  26  extending from one of the front rods and rear rods thereof. For example, as shown in  FIG. 2A , a rear rod of the first side end member  22  can have an engagement member  26  extending beyond the end of the hollow rod  32 . The engagement member  26  may be designed to engage with the rear rod of the central member  24  upon assembly thereof, as discussed below with respect to  FIGS. 3A through 3I . 
     The central member  24  may include one engagement member  26  on one side of a front rod (such as on a left hand side of the front rod of the central member  24 , as shown in  FIG. 2A ) and another engagement member  26  on the other side of a rear rod (such as on the right hand side of the rear rod of the central member  24 , as shown in  FIG. 2A . This design permits multiple central members  24  to be interconnected in series to create a wire shelf  12  having an expandable width. 
     In some embodiments, as shown in the end view of central member  24  in  FIG. 2C , the engagement member  26  can be formed as a U-shape, with the opening of the U facing upward during assembly, where the U-shape can be configured to receive the front rod  28  therein. When the wire shelf  12  is turned upside down (from the U-shape facing upward to the U-shape facing downward), the base of the U-shape, supporting the front rod  28  therein, can prevent downward flexing of the wire shelf  12  at the joint between the hollow rod  32  of the first side end member  22  and the solid rod  34  of the central member  24 . While the engagement member  26  is shown as a relative short section, the length of the engagement member  26  may be extended longer, up to the length of the front rod  28 , for example, to provide adequate engagement between the first side end member  22  and the central member  24 . In some embodiments, the U-shape may be curved inward at the open end, to form more of a C-shape, as shown in  FIG. 2D  where the front rod  28  may snap fit into the C-shape engagement member  26 . 
     In some embodiments, a supplemental rod (not shown) may be fit along one or both of the front and back ends of the wire shelf  12 , once assembled to a desired width. The supplemental rod may span one or more of the joints between the various members in order to further stabilize the assembly. In this embodiment, the engagement members  26  may not be required. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 3A through 3I , an exemplary assembly method is described, further referring to  FIGS. 2A through 2E  and  FIGS. 4A through 4C . It should be understood that the below represents one possible implementation of the present invention. First, a user can determine how wide they would like their shelf and arrange the first side end member  22  and the second side end member  20  at ends of one or more central members  24 . In the embodiment of  FIG. 3A , for simplicity, only one central member  24  is illustrated. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3B and 3C , the user can slide the solid rod  34  of the central member  24  into the hollow rod  26  of the first side end member  22 . Typically, one can slide these pieces together at an angle, as shown. As shown in  FIGS. 3D and 3E  the user can fully slide the pieces together and flatten then into the same plane ( FIG. 3E ). When doing so, the engagement member  26  at the front of the central member  24  can engage with the front of the first side end member  22  while the engagement member  26  at the rear of the first side end member  22  can engage with the rear of the central member  24 . 
     The second side end member  20  can be positioned in a similar manner, with the solid rod  38  of the second side end member  20  being slid into the hollow rod  26  of the central member  24  as shown in  FIGS. 3F through 3H . As shown in  FIGS. 3H and 3I , the user can fully slide the pieces together and flatten then into the same plane ( FIG. 3I ). When doing so, the engagement member  26  at the rear of the central member  24  can engage with the rear of the second side end member  20  while the engagement member  26  at the front of the second side end member  20  can engage with the front of the central member  24 . 
     Once the assembly is complete, the wire shelf  12  can be turned upside down (relative to the assembly described above) so that the engagement members  26  prevent downward pivoting where the end members  20 ,  22  connect to the central member  24 . The wire shelf  12  can then be installed as desired. 
     It should be understood that the orientation of the solid and hollow rods may be reversed, provided that the central member includes a rod along one side being solid and a rod along the opposite side being hollow. Further, while the cross-sectional views of  FIGS. 4A through 4C  show non-linking rods as being solid (such as rod  30 , on the outer edge of the first side end member  22 ), these rods may be solid, hollow, partially filled, or the like. 
     The depth of the shelf may be, for example, designed for inside a cabinet and should match or be slightly shorter than an inside thereof. Of course, depending on application, the depth may be changed accordingly. Further, in some embodiments, the depth of the wire shelf may be adjustable while the length remains constant. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the wire shelf  12  described above, or any a typical wire shelf  52  may be disposed between two sliding rails  54  mounted in fixed rails  56 . One side of the fixed rails  56  may be mounted to a side wall  84  of the cabinet, shown on the left side of the fixed rails  56 . When the shelf  52  does not span the entire width of the enclosure, ladder mounts  58  may be used to attach the fixed rails  56 . The ladder mounts  58  may run substantially perpendicular to a base  82  of the enclosure and extend upward. The ladder mounts  58  can include two or more side rails  60  with a plurality of spaced apart rungs  62  disposed there between. Feet  80  of the ladder mounts  58  can be supported by the base  82  of the enclosure. Various types of attachment mechanisms may be used to secure the feet  80  to the base  82  of the enclosure. Such attachment mechanisms can include one or more of screw holes, an anti-slip coating, barbed feet, staples, or the like. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , in some embodiments, an upper end of the ladder mounts  58  can be attached together with an attachment rail  86 . The attachment rail  86  may further attach to a back surface of the enclosure. Further, the ladder mounts  58  may attach to an opposite side wall with extensions  88 . The extensions  88  may be lockable telescoping members, for example, to allow for different distances between the ladder mounts  58  and the side wall of the enclosure. Other stabilization mechanisms, as may be understood by one skilled in the art, may be used to help maintain the position of the ladder mounts once positioned. 
     While the figures show the use of two ladder mounts  58 , any number of ladder mounts  58 , typically two or more, may be used to support the shelf  52 . Further, while  FIGS. 5 and 6  show the left side fixed rails  56  are fixed to the side wall  84 , when no side walls are available, the ladder mounts  58  may be disposed on both sides of the shelf  52 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , the shelf may be designed as a basket with side rails  64 ,  66  disposed about an outer perimeter thereof. Such a design may be particularly suited for use with the ladder mounts  58 , as the rungs  62  can attach to an inside surface of the rails  60  and the side rails  64 ,  66  of the basket may be spaced apart with a spacing equivalent to the spacing of the rungs  62 . In this embodiment, the rungs  62  may be positioned below each of the side rails  64 ,  66  to provide vertical (weight-bearing) support for the basket. Clips  70  may be used to secure the rungs  62  to the side rails  64 ,  66 . The clips  70  may be U-shaped with an inside width designed to frictionally fit the rungs  62  there inside. Such a design can prevent the side rails  64 ,  66  from sliding along side of the rungs  62  when weight is supported by the basket. 
     While  FIGS. 5 through 7  show wire shelving, the ladder mount may be useful to provide a side support for any shelving installation where a side wall is unavailable. 
     All the features disclosed in this specification, including any accompanying abstract and drawings, may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features. 
     Claim elements and steps herein may have been numbered and/or lettered solely as an aid in readability and understanding. Any such numbering and lettering in itself is not intended to and should not be taken to indicate the ordering of elements and/or steps in the claims. 
     Many alterations and modifications may be made by those having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it must be understood that the illustrated embodiments have been set forth only for the purposes of examples and that they should not be taken as limiting the invention as defined by the following claims. For example, notwithstanding the fact that the elements of a claim are set forth below in a certain combination, it must be expressly understood that the invention includes other combinations of fewer, more or different ones of the disclosed elements. 
     The words used in this specification to describe the invention and its various embodiments are to be understood not only in the sense of their commonly defined meanings, but to include by special definition in this specification the generic structure, material or acts of which they represent a single species. 
     The definitions of the words or elements of the following claims are, therefore, defined in this specification to not only include the combination of elements which are literally set forth. In this sense it is therefore contemplated that an equivalent substitution of two or more elements may be made for any one of the elements in the claims below or that a single element may be substituted for two or more elements in a claim. Although elements may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, it is to be expressly understood that one or more elements from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination and that the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination. 
     Insubstantial changes from the claimed subject matter as viewed by a person with ordinary skill in the art, now known or later devised, are expressly contemplated as being equivalently within the scope of the claims. Therefore, obvious substitutions now or later known to one with ordinary skill in the art are defined to be within the scope of the defined elements. 
     The claims are thus to be understood to include what is specifically illustrated and described above, what is conceptually equivalent, what can be obviously substituted and also what incorporates the essential idea of the invention.