Patent Publication Number: US-9901169-B1

Title: One piece collapsible shelving unit

Description:
FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates generally to article holding racks or shelving units and, more particularly, pertains to shelving units which are preassembled, collapsible and utilized to support and store a variety of goods. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Article holding racks or shelving units are commonly used by people in homes, schools and workplaces to hold various articles, such as books and magazines, plants, small appliances, knick-knacks, clothes and other personal items. Many of these units are designed to be folded or disassembled to reduce size and profile for storage. Unfortunately, many of these known units remain difficult to fold or assemble and disassemble such that storage and setup can be inconvenient. In this regard, the construction of a number of these units is rather complex, leading to increased costs of production or inconvenience to the user. 
     It remains desirable to provide a preassembled, one piece shelving unit which can be simply and quickly unfolded to a shelf-supporting position, and folded to a collapsed position to enable ease of storage and transport. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one example, the present disclosure relates to a shelving unit which is movable between a shelf-supporting condition and a collapsed condition. The shelving unit includes a rear support frame having a pair of vertical side members, and a set of horizontal members extending between the vertical side members. A first side support frame is pivotally mounted to one of the vertical side members of the rear support frame. A second side support frame is pivotally connected to the other of the vertical side members of the rear support frame. At least one shelf is pivotally mounted to the rear support frame for movement between a horizontal position supported upon the first and second side support frames, and a vertical position removed from the first and second side support frames. One of the first and second side support frames is pivoted between a first position extending forwardly from the rear support frame, and a second position folded parallel to the rear support frame and forwardly of the at least one shelf in its vertical position. The other of the first and second side support frames is pivoted between a first position extending forwardly from the rear support frame, and a second position folded parallel to the rear support frame and forwardly of the one of the first and second support frames in its second position. 
     In another example, a shelving unit is movable between a shelf-supporting condition and a collapsed condition. The shelving unit includes a rear support frame having a pair of vertical side members, and a set of horizontal members extending between the vertical side members. A first side support frame has a front vertical member and a number of horizontal members pivotally connected to one of the vertical side members of the rear support frame by a first pivotal connection defined by a series of support brackets and including first legs having first ends fixed to one of the vertical side members and second ends attached by pivot pins to the horizontal members of the first side support frame. A second side support frame has a front vertical member and a number of horizontal members pivotally connected to the other of the vertical side members of the rear support frame by a second pivotal connection arrangement defined by a series of support brackets including second legs having first ends fixed to the other of the vertical side members and second ends attached by pivot pins to the horizontal side members of the second side support frame, the second legs being longer in length than a length of the first legs. At least one shelf is pivotably mounted to the rear support frame for movement between a horizontal position supported upon the first and second side support frames, and a vertical position removed from the first and second side support frames. One of the first and second side support frames is folded parallel to the rear support frame, and forwardly of the at least one shelf in its vertical position. The other of the first and second side support frames is folded parallel to and forwardly of the folded one of the first and second side support frames as a result of the length of the second legs being longer than the length of the first legs. 
     In a further example, a shelving unit includes a rear support frame having a pair of vertical side members, and a set of horizontal members extending between the vertical side members. A first side support frame is pivotally connected to one of the vertical side members of the rear support frame, and is provided with a first shelf-supporting structure. A second side support frame is pivotally connected to the other of the vertical side members of the rear support frame, and is provided with a second shelf-supporting structure. A first shelf is pivotally mounted between the vertical side members for movement between a horizontal position supported on the first and second shelf-supporting structure, and a vertical position removed from the first and second shelf-supporting structure and received between the vertical side members. A second shelf is pivotally mounted between the vertical side members for movement between a horizontal position supported on the first and second shelf-supporting structure above the first shelf in its horizontal position, and a vertical position removed from the first and second shelf-supporting structure, and received between the vertical side members. A third shelf is pivotally connected between the vertical side members for movement between a horizontal position supported on the first and second shelf-supporting structure above the second shelf in its horizontal position, and a vertical position removed from the first and second side-supporting structure, and positioned forwardly of and against the second shelf in its vertical position. One of the first and second side support frames is pivoted between a first position extending forwardly from the rear support frame, and a second position folded parallel to the rear support frame and lying forwardly and against the third shelf in its horizontal position. The other of the first and second side support frames is pivoted between a first position extending forwardly from the rear support frame, and a second position folded parallel to the rear support frame and forwardly of the one of the first and second side support frames in its second position. The shelving unit is converted between a shelf-supporting condition and a collapsed storage condition in which the rear support frame, the third shelf, and the first and second side support frames form a compact, folded, layered, parallel arrangement with one another. 
     Various other features, objects and advantages of the invention will be made apparent from the following description taken together with the drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The drawings illustrate the best mode presently contemplated of carrying out the invention. 
       In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a one piece collapsible shelving unit in accordance with the present disclosure and shown in an unfolded shelf-supporting condition. 
         FIGS. 2-9  are sequential front perspective views showing various stages of the shelving unit of  FIG. 1  being folded towards a collapsed storage condition. 
         FIG. 10  is a right side view of the shelving unit in the collapsed storage condition shown in  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 11  is an enlarged fragmentary front perspective view of an upper end of the shelving unit in a partially collapsed storage position. 
         FIG. 12  is a view similar to  FIG. 11  showing the shelving unit in a fully collapsed storage condition 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A one piece, preassembled collapsible shelving unit  10  of the present disclosure is variously illustrated in  FIGS. 1-12 . An exemplary embodiment of the shelving unit  10  is generally comprised of a rear support frame  12 , a movably mounted left side support frame  14 , a movably mounted right side support frame  16 , and a plurality of movably mounted shelves including a bottom shelf  18 , a middle shelf  20 , and a top shelf  22 . 
     In the example illustrated, the shelving unit  12  is provided with three shelves, but it should be understood that the shelving unit  10  can be constructed with at least one or two shelves and may have more than three shelves in an alternate configuration contemplated by the present disclosure. As seen in the drawings, the shelving unit  10  is variously configurable between a shelf-supporting condition ( FIG. 1 ) used to support and hold a variety of items, and a collapsed condition ( FIGS. 9, 10 ) which allows for convenient transport and stowage of the shelving unit  10 . 
     As seen in the drawings, the rear support frame  12  has a pair of opposing vertical side members  24 ,  26 , respectively, and a series of four horizontal cross members including upper and lower horizontal cross members  28 ,  30  respectively, and intermediate horizontal cross members  32 ,  34  extending between the vertical side members  26 ,  28  to provide a rigid rear support structure. 
     The left side support frame  14  has an upper horizontal member  36 , an intermediate horizontal member  38 , and a lower horizontal member  40 , each of which has a forward end fixed to a vertical front member  42 . A rear face of the vertical front member  42  provides a mounting surface to which three spaced apart inwardly and upwardly extending shelf-supporting hooks  44  ( FIG. 4 ) are fixed. Rearward ends of the upper, intermediate and lower horizontal members  36 ,  38 ,  40  respectively, are each pivotally mounted to the vertical member  24  of the rear support frame  12  by a first pivotal connection  46 . 
     As best seen in  FIGS. 11 and 12 , each of the pivotal connections  46  is defined by a rigid L-shaped support bracket having a vertical leg  48  integrally joined to a forwardly extending horizontal leg  50 . Each vertical leg  48  is fixed to a front surface of the vertical side member  24  beneath each of the horizontal members  36 ,  38 ,  40 . Each horizontal leg  50  has an outer end which is attached by a pivot pin  52  to an underside of the horizontal members  36 ,  38 ,  40  at a location spaced slightly forwardly from a rearmost end of each of the horizontal members  36 ,  38 ,  40 . The pivotal connections  46  enable the left side support frame  14  to be pivotally mounted about a vertical pivot axis to the vertical side member  24  of the rear support frame  12 . 
     The right side support frame  16  has an upper horizontal member  54 , an intermediate horizontal member  56 , and a lower horizontal member  58 , each of which has a forward end fixed to a vertical front member  60 . A rear face of the vertical front member  60  serves as a mounting surface to which three spaced apart, inwardly and upwardly extending shelf-supporting hooks  62  ( FIG. 6 ) are fixed. Rearward ends of the upper, intermediate and lower horizontal members  54 ,  56 ,  58  respectively, are each pivotally mounted to the vertical side member  26  by a second pivotal connection  64 . 
     With further reference to  FIGS. 11 and 12 , each of the three pivotal connections  64  is defined by a rigid L-shaped support bracket having a vertical leg  66  integrally joined to a forwardly extending horizontal leg  68 . Each vertical leg  66  is fixed to a front surface of the vertical member  26  beneath each of the horizontal members  54 ,  56 ,  58 . Each horizontal leg  68  has an outer end which is attached by a pivot pin  70  to an underside of the horizontal members  54 ,  56 ,  58  at a location spaced slightly forwardly from a rearmost end of each of the horizontal members  54 ,  56 ,  58 . The pivotal connections  64  enable the right side support frame  16  to be pivotally mounted about a vertical pivot axis to the vertical side member  26 . 
     As a unique feature of the present disclosure, the length of each of the horizontal legs  68  of the pivot connections  64  is longer than the length of each of the horizontal legs  50  of the pivot connections  46 . The length differences of the horizontal legs  50 ,  68  permit the left side support frame  14  and the right side support frame  16  to be pivoted towards each other to a preferred compact overlapping parallel arrangement which results when the shelving unit  10  is folded to the collapsed condition as will be described hereafter. 
     As seen in  FIG. 1 , each of the shelves  18 ,  20 ,  22  has an identical construction, and includes a front rail  72 , a rear rail  74  and opposed side rails  76 ,  78  which together form a rectangular shelf frame. Wire rods  80  extend between the front rail  72  and the rear rail  74 , and wire members  82  extend transversely across and are connected to the wire members  82  to form a support surface. Rearward outer corners of the shelves  18 ,  20 ,  22  are pivotally mounted by a pair of pivotal connections  84 , such as provided on the opposed sides of shelf  22  in  FIG. 2 , to inside surfaces of the vertical side members  24 ,  26  to enable each of the shelves  18 ,  20 ,  22  to swing about a separate horizontal pivot axis. Each of the shelves  18 ,  20  is configured to pivot between a horizontal position ( FIGS. 1-3 ) and a vertical raised position ( FIGS. 4-6 ). The shelf  22  is configured to pivot between a horizontal position ( FIG. 1 ) and a vertical lowered position ( FIGS. 7-10 ). In the horizontal position shown in  FIG. 1 , the side frames  76 ,  78  of the shelves  18 ,  20 ,  22  are supported by the hooks  44 ,  62  provided on opposite front members  42 ,  60  respectively. In the vertical raised position, the shelves  18 ,  20  are sized to be completely received between the vertical side members  24 ,  26 , and are prevented from travel rearwardly of the rear support frame  12  by the cross members  32 ,  34  thereof. In the vertical, lowered position, the shelf  22  is positioned forwardly of and engaged against the raised shelf  20  in parallel relation therewith. The pivotal connections  84  provided on the shelves  18 ,  20 ,  22  are configured with a frictional resistance so that each shelf  18 ,  20 ,  22  when pivoted will not freefall by gravity when being pivotally moved. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates the shelving unit  10  in a shelf supporting condition ready to hold items such that the shelves  18 ,  20 ,  22  in their horizontal positions are supported by the hooks  44 ,  62 . The left side support frame  14  and the right side support frame  16  extend forwardly in substantially parallel relationship from the rear support frame  12  with the upper cross member  28  and the upper horizontal members  36 ,  54  being elevated above the top shelf  22 . Engagement of the hooks  44 ,  62  with the shelves  18 ,  20 ,  22  prevents any pivotal movement of the left and right side support frames  14 ,  16 . The upper horizontal members  36 ,  54  define handles which may be grasped by a user if it is desired to move the shelving unit  10  while in the shelf-supporting condition. Although not illustrated in the exemplary embodiment, the bottom ends of the vertical members  24 ,  26 ,  42 ,  60  may be equipped with adjustable feet. 
     When it is desired to convert the shelving unit  10  shown in  FIG. 1  from a shelf-supporting condition to a collapsed condition, the top shelf  22  is pivoted upwardly to a raised position in the direction of arrow A as shown in  FIG. 2 . Then, the middle shelf  20  is pivoted upwardly in the direction of arrow B to the vertical raised position and received completely between the vertical side members  24 ,  26  as shown in  FIG. 3 . The bottom shelf  18  is also pivoted upwardly to the vertical raised position in the direction of arrow C and received completely between the vertical side members  24 ,  26  in alignment with and below the raised middle shelf  20  as shown in  FIG. 4 . Next, the left side support frame  14  is pivoted outwardly in the direction of arrow D as shown in  FIG. 5  followed by the right side support frame  16  being pivoted outwardly in the direction of arrow E as shown in  FIG. 6 . Pivoting of the left side and right side support frames  14 ,  16  so that they are in a diverging relationship moves the hooks  44 ,  62  outwardly to provide an obstruction free path through which the top shelf  22  is moved during downward pivoting thereof in the direction of arrow F to the lowered vertical position parallel and lying forwardly of and against the raised middle shelf  20  as shown in  FIG. 7 . At this point, the left side support frame  14  is pivoted inwardly in the direction of arrow G as shown in  FIG. 8  so that it is parallel to the rear support frame  12  and lies against and forwardly of the lowered top shelf  22 . Finally, the right side support frame  16  is pivoted inwardly in the direction of arrow H as shown in  FIG. 9  so that it is also parallel to the rear support frame  12  and lies against and forwardly of the folded left side support frame  14  to attain the collapsed position of the shelving unit  10 . 
     As seen in  FIG. 10 , the shelving unit  10  in the collapsed condition provides a compact, folded, layered parallel arrangement of the rear support frame  12 , the top shelf  22 , the left side support frame  14  and the right side support frame  16  which is conducive to easy transport and storage. The collapsed layered arrangement of the shelving unit  10  is made possible by sizing the shelves  18 ,  20  to fit completely between the vertical side members  24 ,  26 , by placing the shelf  22  in parallel with and flush against the shelf  20  and by particularly configuring the horizontal legs  68  of the pivot connections  64  to be longer than the lengths of the horizontal legs  50  of the pivot connections  46  so that the right side support frame  16  lies flush against the left side support frame  14  and the left and right side frame members  14 ,  16  are parallel to the rear support frame  12 . The present disclosure contemplates that the left side support frame  14  could be folded upon the right side support frame  16  by making the lengths of the legs  50  on the pivot connections  46  longer than the lengths of the legs  68  of the pivot connections  64 . It should also be appreciated that the shelving unit  10  can be quickly and conveniently set up in the shelf-supporting condition with several simple unfolding steps and without the need for any tools and fasteners. 
     In the present disclosure, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes only and are intended to be broadly construed. The different configurations, systems and method steps described herein may be used alone or in combination with other configurations, systems and method steps. It is to be expected that various equivalents, alternatives and modifications are possible within the scope of the appended claims.