Patent Publication Number: US-6905037-B1

Title: Wire shelf for adjustable shelf system

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO COPENDING PATENT APPLICATIONS 
   This is a continuation application of Ser. No. 10/045,447 filed Oct. 25, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,622,876 to Goldberg (“Goldberg”), issued Sep. 23, 2003. This patent application claims priority to Goldberg and incorporates its disclosure herein by reference in its entirety. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is directed to shelving and, more particularly, to wire shelves for adjustable shelf systems. 
   Adjustable wire shelf systems are known in the art. As an example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,523,508, titled “Adjustable Shelving” and which is incorporated herein by reference, describes an adjustable shelving system in which the wire shelving may be adjusted to various desired heights or assembled and disassembled. The shelves are constructed of crisscrossing wires supported along the periphery by parallel-running, vertically disposed wires joined by a corrugated wire. Welded to the vertically disposed wires, at the corners, are conically shaped post receiving members which taper outwardly toward their lower extremity and receive a respective post and post mounting member. Each post is provided with a plurality of periodically spaced indentations which can accommodate a rib positioned on the inside of the post mounting member so that the post mounting member joins about the post in a holding engagement. The post mounting member also has a conical shape and is adapted to fit snugly within the post receiving members and be engaged within the post receiving member when the post and post mounting member are inserted therein. 
   The shelves also include a support wire that is similar to the peripherally located, vertically disposed wires but which runs lengthwise across the shelf at the center. The lower part of the center support wire, however, is much shorter in length than the peripherally located, vertically disposed wires and its ends are positioned far from the peripherally located, vertically disposed wires. The short length of the lower part of the center support wire limits the weight that the shelf may support. 
   Another example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,629,077, titled “Shelf Support System” and which is also incorporated herein by reference, describes an adjustable shelving system that includes a plurality of grooved support posts and individual pieces of shelving. Each shelf includes a support system at each corner that cooperates with the posts to provide positive support under load conditions. The shelves include a center support formed of a pair of parallel wires which extend along the length of the shelf up to, but not in contact with, other pairs of parallel wires located at the front and rear of each shelf. This arrangement of the center support wires similarly restrict the weight that the shelf may support. 
   It is therefore desirable that a wire shelf is provided in which greater weight may be supported. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides a wire shelf in which side member trusses each include a respective corrugated wire. One of the respective corrugated wires is disposed between upper and said lower wires of one of said side member trusses and joined to a lower wire of the one of said side member trusses at a plurality of locations and directly to at least some of the undersides of shelf wires. A further one of said respective corrugated wires is disposed between the upper and lower wires of a further one of said side member trusses and joined to said lower wire of the further one of said side member trusses at a plurality of locations and directly to at least some of the undersides of the shelf wires. 
   In accordance with an aspect of the invention, a wire shelf includes at least four post supporting members each disposed at a respective corner of the wire shelf. A pair of end members is disposed at opposing ends of the wire shelf. Each of the end members is comprised of a truss having an upper wire and a lower wire. Each of the end members is joined at one end to one of the post receiving members and is joined at another end to another of the post receiving members. The pair of side members is disposed at opposite sides of the wire shelf. Each of the side members is joined at one end to one of the post receiving members that is joined to one of the end members and is joined at another end to another of the post receiving members that is joined to another of the end members. A plurality of wires is disposed atop, and is joined to, a top surface of the side members. 
   According to a further aspect of the invention, a shelf system includes at least one wire shelf as described above and at least four support posts each inserted into a respective one of the post supporting members of said at least one wire shelf. 
   Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will now be described in greater detail in the following detailed description with reference to the drawings in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a top view of a known wire shelf. 
       FIG. 2  is a top view of a wire shelf in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 3  is an end view of portions of the wire shelf of  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 4  is a side view of portions of the wire shelf of  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view along line A—A of a portion of the wire shelf of  FIG. 2 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1  shows a known wire shelf arrangement  10 . A plurality of respective support wires  12  extend between a pair of end trusses  14  and provide support for shelf wires (not shown) that are disposed atop the support wires and which extend between a pair of side trusses  16 . Located at each corner is a shelf supporting member  18  which is welded to an end of one of the end trusses and to an end of one of the side trusses. 
   Because the shelf wires are only supported by the support wires  12  and by the side trusses  16 , heavy objects that are placed upon the center of the wire shelf may not be supported adequately by the single wire support wires  12  and may cause the shelf wires to sag and, possibly, fail. 
     FIG. 2  illustrates a wire shelf according to the invention in which one or more of the single support wires  12  shown in  FIG. 1  are replaced with a center support truss which is joined to the end trusses in accordance with the invention. 
   The wire shelf  20  is constructed of a plurality of shelf wires  21  which extend from a side truss  26  to a side truss  27 . The shelf wires are supported by one or more support wires  22  which extend from one end truss  23  to another end truss  24  and are also supported by one or more center trusses  25 . The side trusses  26  and  27  and the end trusses  23  and  24  are each joined at their ends to a respective post support member  28  located at a corner of the shelf. 
     FIG. 3  shows the structure of the end trusses  23  and  24 , as well as the post supporting members  28  in greater detail. The end trusses are constructed of a top wire  32 , a bottom wire  34 , and a corrugated wire  36  that is welded to the top wire  32  and the bottom wire  34  at various locations. The ends of the top wire  32  and bottom wire  34  are welded to the post supporting members  28 . The post supporting members  28  are ring shaped, as  FIG. 2  shows, but have a conical cross section, as  FIG. 3  shows. The support wires  22  are each welded at their ends to the top wire  32  of the end trusses. 
     FIG. 4  illustrates the structure of the side trusses  26  and  27  in greater detail. Each side truss is constructed of a top wire  42  and a bottom wire  44 . The plurality of shelf wires  21  are each welded to an underside of a top wire  42 . A corrugated wire  46  is disposed between the top wire and the bottom wire and is welded at its bends to the bottom wire  44  and to some or all of the shelf wires  21 . The ends of the top wire  42  and the bottom wire  44  are welded to the post supporting members  28 . 
     FIG. 5  shows a portion of a center support truss  25  in greater detail. The center support truss is constructed of a top wire  52 , a bottom wire  54 , and a corrugated wire  56  that is welded at its bends to various locations of the underside of the top wire  52  and to various locations of the top side of the bottom wire  54 . The center support truss  55  supports a plurality of the shelf wires  21  which are each welded to the topside of the upper wire  52 . 
   In accordance with the invention, the upper wire  52  of the center support truss  25  extends beneath the top wire  32  of each end truss and is welded thereto. Further, the bottom wire  54  of the center support truss includes an extended portion  50  that extends beyond the end of the corrugated wire  56  beneath the bottom wire  34  of each end truss and is welded to the bottom wire  34 . 
   Thus, by extending the center support trust so that its bottom wire extends beneath and is welded to the end trusses, the wire shelf of the invention is capable of supporting greater weight than known shelf systems. By providing more than one center support truss, the wire shelf of the invention may support even greater weight than with a single center support truss. 
   Although the present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments thereof, many other variations and modifications and other uses may become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is preferred, therefore, that the present invention be limited not by this specific disclosure herein, but only by the appended claims.