Patent ID: 8001911

Claim:
A shelving unit comprising: a plurality of shelves comprising a plastic shelf portion each shelf portion having a front edge and a back edge and a plurality of apertures each for receiving a riser, and a first rigid reinforcement member and a second rigid reinforcement member each having a longitudinal axis, said first rigid reinforcement member and said second reinforcement member comprising a metal bar having a tapered portion extending along the longitudinal axis from a reduced cross-section at and end thereof to a full cross-sectional area of the metal bar such that the first reinforcement member is inserted into a plurality of aligned first channels and the second reinforcement member is inserted into a plurality of aligned second channels, said first rigid reinforcement member and said second reinforcement member extending substantially from one edge of the shelf portion to an opposite edge of the shelf portion; said first channels being disposed along said front edge and said second channels being disposed along said back edge where each of said plurality of first channels are dimensioned to substantially surround and closely receive said first rigid reinforcement member and each of said plurality of second channels are dimensioned to substantially surround and closely receive said second rigid reinforcement member wherein one of said first channels is located closely adjacent to one of said plurality of apertures and one of said second channels is located closely adjacent to an another one of said plurality of apertures; and a plurality of risers located in said plurality of apertures connecting the plurality of shelves together.