EXPANDABLE SHELF UNIT

[0001] The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.

[0002] Shelving can be useful for storing items in vertical tiers, allowing for space-saving. Shelving, however, is typically static and fixed in its dimensions. Additionally shelving is typically fixed with respect to the number of shelving levels available for storage of items. Further, shelving, when not assembled, can remain bulky and encompass a large area. As such, a shelving unit that is expandable, both horizontally and vertically, as well as compact when not in use, is desirable.

[0003] The following presents a simplified summary of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding of such embodiments. This summary is not an extensive overview of all contemplated embodiments, and is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of all embodiments, nor delineate the scope of any or all embodiments.

[0004] In some embodiments, an expandable shelf unit has an unassembled position, a first assembled position, and a second assembled position. The expandable shelf unit comprises at least one shelf frame, the shelf frame comprising a first frame element and a second frame element, each of the first frame element and second frame element comprising an end rod and at least one rail extending horizontally from the end rod. The expandable shelf unit further comprises at least one hinged support member connecting the first frame element to the second frame element. The shelf frame expands from the unassembled position to at least the first assembled position by pivoting the second frame element relative to the first frame element about the at least one hinged support member. The expandable shelf unit further comprises at least one shelf panel, wherein, in the first assembled position and the second assembled position, the shelf panel is positioned upon the rail of the first frame element and the rail of the second frame element of the shelf frame. In some embodiments, the rail of the first frame element is parallel to the rail of the second frame element.

[0005] In at least one embodiment, the at least one hinged support member further comprises a first support rod connected to the at least one rail of the first frame element, a second support rod connected to the at least one rail of the second frame element, and a hinge connecting the first support rod and the second support rod.

[0006] In some embodiments, the expandable shelf unit has at least two shelf frames, wherein the at least one shelf panel is positioned upon the rail of the first frame element and the rail of the second frame element of each of the shelf frames.

[0007] In some embodiments, the expandable shelf unit has at least two shelf panels, wherein each of the first frame element and the second frame element has a first rail and a second rail, one of the shelf panels is positioned on the first rail of each of the first frame element and the second frame element and the other of the shelf panels is positioned on the second rail of each of the first frame element and the second frame element.

[0008] In at least one embodiment, in the unassembled position, the end rod of the first frame element contacts the end rod of the second frame element. In some embodiments, in the unassembled position, the at least one rail of the first frame element overlaps the at least one rail of the second frame element.

[0009] In some embodiments the at least one expandable frame comprises a lower expandable frame and an upper expandable frame stacked upon the lower expandable frame, wherein at least one hinged support member of the lower expandable frame is coupled to at least one hinged support member of the upper expandable frame, and the end rod of the lower expandable frame is coupled to the end rod of the upper expandable frame.

[0010] In at least one embodiment, the at least one shelf panel comprises a sleeve and an inner member housed within the sleeve. The at least one shelf panel may be extendable from a first length to a second length greater than the first length by slidably moving the inner member relative to the sleeve. In some embodiments, in the unassembled position, the inner member of the shelf panel is at least partially housed within the sleeve. In some embodiments, the inner member comprises a first material and the sleeve comprises a second material different from the first material. In at least one embodiment, the first material comprises wood and the second material comprises metal.

[0011] In some embodiments, the shelf frame further comprises a third frame element comprising an end rod and at least one rail extending horizontally from the end rod, and at least one hinged support member connecting the second frame element to the third frame element.

[0012] In embodiments of the present invention, a method for assembling an expandable shelf unit is provided. The method may comprise expanding at least one shelf frame from a stowed position to a first position, wherein the shelf frame comprises a first frame element and a second frame element, each of the first frame element and second frame element comprising an end rod and at least one rail extending horizontally from the end rod; and at least one hinged support member connecting the first frame element to the second frame element. In the stowed position, the end rod of the first frame element and the end rod of the second frame element are separated by a first distance. In the first position, the end rod of the first frame element and the end rod of the second frame element are separated by a second distance. The method further comprises positioning at least one shelf panel upon the shelf frame in the first position. In some embodiments, the method further comprises expanding the shelf frame from the first position to a second position by separating the first frame element with respect to the second frame element by a third distance, the third distance being greater than the second distance. In some embodiments, in the stowed position, the end rod of the first frame element contacts the end rod of the second frame element. In some embodiments, in the stowed position, the at least one rail of the first frame element overlaps the at least one rail of the second frame element, and, in the first position, the at least one rail of the first frame element is parallel to the at least one rail of the second frame element. In at least one embodiment the expandable shelf unit further comprises two shelf frames, wherein the two shelf frames comprise a lower shelf frame and an upper shelf frame coupled to the lower shelf frame. In at least one embodiment, the shelf panel comprises an inner member and a sleeve with the inner panel housed within an interior of the outer panel. In such embodiments, the method may further comprise extending the shelf panel from a first length to a second length greater than the first length by sliding the inner member relative to the sleeve.

[0013] While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still other embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which shows and describes illustrative embodiments of the invention. As will be realized, the various embodiments of the present disclosure are capable of modifications in various obvious aspects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.

[0034] In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of some embodiments. However, it will be understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art that some embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, and/or components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the discussion.

[0035] The present disclosure describes a novel and advantageous expandable expandable shelf unit with at least one shelf panel and at least one shelf frame. The shelf frame includes a first frame element and a second frame element. The first and second frame elements each include an end rod and at least one rail extending from the end rod. A hinged support member connects the first frame element to the second frame element. As such, the first frame element and the second frame element can pivot about the hinged support member. This allows the first and second frame elements to be folded and hence allows the shelf frame to lay substantially flat in a deconstructed state, providing space saving benefits for shipment and storage. The shelf frame can be unfolded and placed upright when in use. Thus, the techniques of this disclosure provide an advantageous expandable shelf unit that is compact in an unfolded state, and further provides ease of assembly, disassembly, and reassembly.

[0036] FIGS. 1-6 depict one embodiment of expandable shelf unit 100 with three shelves. FIGS. 1-4 will be described together and depict the expandable shelf unit 100 in at least one assembled position.

[0037] As shown in FIGS. 1-4, expandable shelf unit 100 includes three shelf panels 102, first shelf frame 103, and second shelf frame 104. First shelf frame 103 includes first end rod 110, second end rod 112, hinged support member 114, multiple first rails 116, and multiple second rails 117. Hinged support member 114 includes first support rod 118, second support rod 120, and hinges 122. Second shelf frame 104 includes first end rod 124, second end rod 126, hinged support member 128, multiple first rails 130, and multiple second rails 131 (not pictured). Hinged support member 128 includes first support rod 132, second support rod 134, and hinges 136.

[0038] Within first shelf frame 103, first rails 116 extend from first end rod 110 and connect first end rod 110 to hinged support member 114. In at least one embodiment, rails 116 are fixedly connected to first end rod 110, and in other embodiments, rails 116 are removably connected to first end rod 110. Second rails 117 extend from second end rod 112 and connect second end rod 112 to hinged support member 114. In at least one embodiment, rails 117 are fixedly connected to second end rod 112, and in other embodiments, rails 117 are removably connected to second end rod 112. First support rod 118 and second support rod 120 of hinged support member 114 are connected via hinges 122, thus allowing end rod 110 and rails 116 as well as end rod 112 and rails 117 to pivot with respect to hinged support member 114. In some embodiments, rails 116, 117 are perpendicular to one or more of first end rod 110, second end rod 112, first support rod 118, and second support rod 120.

[0039] Within second shelf frame 104, first rails 130 extend from end rod 124 and connect end rod 124 to hinged support member 128. In at least one embodiment, rails 130 are fixedly connected to first end rod 124, and in other embodiments, rails 130 are removably connected to first end rod 124. Second rails 131 extend from end rod 126 and connect end rod 126 to hinged support member 128. In at least one embodiment, rails 131 are fixedly connected to second end rod 126, and in other embodiments, rails 131 are removably connected to second end rod 126. First support rod 132 and second support rod 134 of hinged support member 128 are connected via hinges 136, thus allowing end rod 124 and rails 130 as well as end rod 126 and rails 131 to pivot with respect to hinged support member 128. In some embodiments, rails 130, 131 are perpendicular to one or more of first end rod 124, second end rod 126, first support rod 132, and second support rod 134.

[0040] Shelf panels 102 removably rests upon a top surface of rails 116, 117 of first shelf frame 103 and upon a top surface of rails 130, 131 of second shelf frame 104. More specifically, in at least one embodiment, one shelf panel 102 removably rests upon one first rail 116 and one second rail 117 of first shelf frame 103 and upon one first rail 130 and one second rail 131 of second shelf frame 104. In at least one embodiment, shelf panel 102 is connected to first shelf frame 103 and second shelf frame 104 by the shelf panel’s weight only. In at least one embodiment, the shelf panel 102 is not fastened to any of the shelf frames. In at least one embodiment, shelf panel 102 maintains its position relative to first shelf frame 103 and second shelf frame 104 by static friction only. In at least one embodiment, shelf panel 102 extends in a direction perpendicular to one or more of first end rod 124, second end rod 126, first support rod 132, and second support rod 134.

[0041] In FIGS. 1-4, expandable shelf unit 100 has three shelves. It is understood that any number of shelves can be included within expandable shelf unit 100. Additional embodiments of various configurations of shelves are disclosed in the descriptions of FIGS. 9-12 below, but still other embodiments are contemplated by this invention. As one example, a shelf panel may only rest upon one shelf frame. As another example, a shelf panel may only rest upon a first shelf frame and one rail of a second shelf frame but not any other rail of the second shelf frame.

[0042] One of the several benefits of the invention is that the shelf unit 100 can be expanded from a compact, unassembled position for transport, storage, or stowing to an assembled position for use. Because of the relationship and design of the shelf panels and the shelf frames, shelf unit 100 provides ease of assembly, disassembly, and reassembly into multiple configurations. Additionally, the expandable shelf unit 100 provides flexibility in configuration between the support rods or as to its overall length.

[0043] FIGS. 5A-5C depict one of the shelf frames, here shown as first shelf frame 103, in an unassembled position. FIGS. 6A-6C depict one of the shelf frames, here shown as first shelf frame 103, in one assembled position. To assemble the expandable shelf unit, the expanding at least one shelf frame is expanded from a stowed or folded position as shown in FIG. 5A-5C to a first position as shown in FIG. 6A-6C. In the stowed position, the end rod of the first frame element and the end rod of the second frame element are separated by a first distance. In the second position, the end rod of the first frame element and the end rod of the second frame element are separated by a second distance greater than the first distance. At least one shelf panel is then positioned on the shelf panel in the first position to form the expandable shelf unit. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4, three shelf panels are positioned on the shelf frame to form the expandable unit.

[0044] As shown in FIGS. 5A-5C, shelf frame 103 is in the unassembled position. In this position, end rod 110 is in contact with end rod 112 such that an angle between rail 116 and 117 is 0 degrees. Thus, in the folded position rail 116 and rail 117 overlap so that shelf frame 103 is in a compact position. It is understood to one of ordinary skill in the art that shelf frame 104 would have a similar unassembled position and shelf frame 103, shelf frame 104, and the shelf panels can all be packaged, shipped, and transported in a relatively flat, compact configuration.

[0045] As depicted by FIGS. 6A-6C, shelf frame 103 is unfolded or expanded into at least one expanded position by pivoting end rod 110 and rails 116 relative to end rod 112 and rails 117 about hinged support member 114 via hinges 112 such that end rod 110 is spaced apart from end rod 112. In this position, an angle between rail 116 and 117 can be between 1 and 179 degrees, and in a preferred embodiment is between about 20 and 160 degrees, and in a still further preferred embodiment is between 45 and 135 degrees. The shelf frame 103 can be even expanded by further pivoting end rod 110 and rails 116 relative to end rod 112 and rails 117 about hinged support member 114 via hinges 112 such that end rod 110 is spaced apart even further apart from end rod 112. In this second position, an angle between rail 116 and 117 is greater than the first position. It is contemplated by the invention that the distance between end rod 110 and end rod 112 can be adjusted by pivoting end rod 110 and rails 116 relative to end rod 112 and rails 117 about hinged support member 114 via hinges 112 in a first direction or in a second direction opposite the first direction to expand or narrow the distance between end rod 110 and end rod 112. Still further, the shelf frame can be folded from an assembled position, even after use, back into the unassembled state for moving or re-purposing.

[0046] The compact unassembled position of the shelf frame is advantageous as it allows for compact storage and shipping of expandable shelf uni. As depicted, in the folded state first shelf frame 103 can lie substantially flat, and hence can be packaged with minimal packaging. Additionally, the folded and unfolded states of first shelf frame 103 demonstrate the ease of disassembly, assembly and/or reassembly of expandable shelf unit 100. Unfolding first shelf frame 103 and any additional shelf frames (i.e., second shelf frame 104) includes pivoting end rods 110 and 112 into the unfolded state, and placing shelf frame 103 in an upright position. Thereafter, shelf panels 102 can be placed atop rails 116, 117, 130, and 131. Thus, assembly or reassembly of expandable shelf unit 100 does not require complex tools or procedures and permits a myriad of configurations. Similarly, disassembly is accomplished by removing shelf panels 102 and pivoting end rods 110 and 112 into the folded state for moving, storage, or re-use.

[0047] While the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1-6 shows a shelf frame with two end rods and one hinged member, it is contemplated by this invention that the shelf frame could have more than two end rods and more than one hinged member. For example, the shelf frame could have three end rods and two hinged members, or four end rods and three hinged members. In such embodiments, the shelf frame would similar be foldable into the compact, unassembled position and likewise expandable to one or more assembled positions.

[0048] FIGS. 7-8 depict expandable shelf unit in a first assembled position in FIG. 7 and a second assembled position in FIG. 8. FIG. 7 also depicts the three-shelf embodiment of expandable shelf unit 700, but such shelf unit can have any number of shelves. As depicted, expandable shelf unit 700 can be horizontally expanded from a first assembled position to a second assembled position. As shown in FIG. 7, there is a distance X1 between a first end 713 and a second end 715 of shelf panel 702. In FIG. 8, there is a distance X2 between a first end and a second end of shelf panel 702, where distance X2 is greater than distance X1. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7-8, shelf panels 702 are extendible. Shelf panels 702 can comprise sleeve 770 and inner member 772 at least partially housed within sleeve 770. In some embodiments, sleeve 770 is constructed from a different material than inner member 772. In some embodiments, sleeve 770 comprises metal and the inner member 772 comprises wood, but any reasonable material is contemplated by this invention, including but not limited to glass, polymers, fibers, and composites thereof. The inner member 772 can be slidably positioned inside the sleeve 770 such that the inner member 772 can be repositioned relative to the sleeve 770 to adjust the overall length of the respective shelf panel 702. Thus, the shelf unit can be expanded from a first assembled position to a second assembled position by adjusting the position of the sleeve 770 relative to the inner member 772. In this manner, the shelf unit 700 can also expanded or contracted to change its horizontal length, not only by adjusting the spacing of shelf frame 703 relative to shelf frame 704 or by adjusting the spacing of one of the support rods 710, 726 of a shelf frame 703, 704 relative to the other support rods 717, 731 as discussed above, but also by extension of the shelf panel. Thus, expandable shelf unit 700 is usable in a variety of storage applications where different sized shelving is desirable.

[0049] FIGS. 9A-9D depict another embodiment of the shelf unit discussed above with respect to FIGS. 1-8, but in this embodiment, the shelf unit 900 has four shelf panels 902 and each of the shelf frames 910, 912 have four rails 916, 917, 930, 931 rather than three rails to support up to four shelves. Shelf unit 900 is assembled and functions in substantially the same manner, foldable and compact when disassembled, and capable of expansion. Similarly, the four shelf panels may, in some embodiments, comprise an inner member and a sleeve as described with respect to FIGS. 7-8. FIGS. 9A-9D demonstrate that expandable shelf unit 100 is not restricted by the number of shelving levels, and still functions as described. While the embodiments depicted and described herein shown three or four shelves, it is understood that any number of shelves and rails can be used. The expandable shelf unit can, for example, have one, two, three, four, or more than four shelves or rails.

[0050] FIG. 10-12 depict another embodiment of the expandable shelf unit, which will be referred to as a stacked expandable shelf unit 1000 in a first assembled position, a second assembled position, and a third assembled position.

[0051] Stacked expandable shelf unit 1000 of FIGS. 10-12 includes upper expandable shelf unit 1080 and lower expandable shelf unit 1090. Upper expandable shelf unit 1080 includes shelf panels 1002, first shelf frame 1003, and second shelf frame 1004. First shelf frame 1003 includes first end rod 1010, second end rod 1012, and hinged support member 1014. Second shelf frame 1004 includes end rod 1024, end rod 1026, and hinged support member 1028. Lower expandable shelf unit 1090 includes shelf panels 1002, third shelf frame 1005, and fourth shelf frame 1006. Third shelf frame 1005 includes end rod 150, end rod 152, and hinged support member 154. Fourth shelf frame 1006 includes end rod 156, end rod 158, and hinged support member 160.

[0052] In order to achieve the vertical expansion depicted in FIGS. 10-12, two individual expandable shelf units (i.e., upper expandable shelf unit 1080 and lower expandable shelf unit 1090) are removably connected. Upper expandable shelf unit 1080 is stacked upon and coupled to lower expandable shelf unit 1090 by stacking and coupling first shelf frame 1003 to third shelf frame 1005 and second shelf frame 1004 to fourth shelf frame 1006. More specifically, upper expandable shelf unit 1080 is coupled to lower expandable shelf unit via vertically coupling end rod 1010 to end rod 1050, end rod 1012 to end rod 1052, hinged support member 1014 to hinged support member 1054, end rod 1024 to end rod 1056, end rod 1026 to end rod 1056, and hinged support member 1028 to hinged support member 1060.

[0053] It is understood that this is merely one embodiment, and any number of combinations between expandable shelf units 100 can be used to form stacked expandable shelf unit 1000. For example, upper expandable shelf unit 1080 and lower expandable shelf unit 1090 can both be three-shelf embodiments of expandable shelf unit 100. In another example, upper expandable shelf unit 180 is a four-shelf embodiment of expandable shelf unit 100 and lower expandable shelf unit 190 is a three-shelf embodiment of expandable shelf unit 100. The preceding are merely examples, and any number of combinations and corresponding shelving levels is contemplated by this disclosure.

[0054] As depicted in FIGS. 11-12, stacked expandable shelf unit 1000 can also be expandable and may be provided with an extendible shelf panel as described with respect to FIG. 7-8. FIG. 10 shows first support frames 1003, 1005 and second support frames 1004, 1006 in close proximity, if not overlapping, where end rod 1026, 1058 is positioned to the left of end rod 1012, 1052 and between end rod 1010, 1050 and end rod 1012, 1052. In FIG. 11, shows first support frames 1003, 1005 and second support frames 1004, 1006 are spaced apart such that end rod 1026, 1058 is positioned to the right of end rod 1012, 1052 and a gap exists between the second support frames 1003, 1005 and the first support frames 1004, 1006. In FIG. 12, the shelf panels are extended and a greater gap exists between the second support frames 1003, 1005 and the first support frames 1004, 1006 than in FIG. 11. The horizontal expansion of vertically expanded expandable shelf unit 200 functions in substantially the same way as the horizontal expansion of expandable shelf unit 100 described in the description of FIGS. 7-8. Thus, vertically expanded expandable shelf unit 200 can expand into a partially expanded embodiment and/or a fully expanded embodiment akin to the partially expanded and fully expanded embodiments of expandable shelf unit 100.

[0055] Stacked expandable shelf unit 100 provides various advantages. Stacked expandable shelf unit 200 allows for the same compactness and foldability as expandable shelf unit 100 when in an unassembled state. Because stacked expandable shelf unit 200 is made up of individual expandable shelf unites, stacked expandable shelf unit 1000 can thus be disassembled into its constituent parts, and the shelf frame of each individual expandable shelf unit 100 folded for compact storage. Further, stacked expandable shelf unit 1000 provides the advantage of increased storage both in the vertical and horizontal directions. The stacking occurs by combination of individual expandable shelf units, while the horizontal expandability occurs by the same expansion mechanism as described with respect to expandable shelf unit 100.

[0056] In some embodiments, particularly the stacked expandable shelf unit shown in FIG. 10-12, a safety tether may be provided to connect one or more of the shelf frames to a wall, column, or other permanent structure for safety and stability. In at least one embodiment, the safety tether is removable and reusable so that the expandable shelf unit can be disassembled and reassembled in another location or in another configuration. In at least one embodiment, the safety tether may also be used to couple the upper expandable shelf unit 1080 to the lower expandable shelf unit 1090.

[0057] As used herein, the terms “substantially” or “generally” refer to the complete or nearly complete extent or degree of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. For example, an object that is “substantially” or “generally” enclosed would mean that the object is either completely enclosed or nearly completely enclosed. The exact allowable degree of deviation from absolute completeness may in some cases depend on the specific context. However, generally speaking, the nearness of completion will be so as to have generally the same overall result as if absolute and total completion were obtained. The use of “substantially” or “generally” is equally applicable when used in a negative connotation to refer to the complete or near complete lack of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. For example, an element, combination, embodiment, or composition that is “substantially free of” or “generally free of” an ingredient or element may still actually contain such item as long as there is generally no measurable effect thereof.

[0058] As used herein any reference to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular element, feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. The appearances of the phrase "in one embodiment" in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.

[0059] As used herein, the terms "comprises," "comprising," "includes," "including," "has," "having" or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Further, unless expressly stated to the contrary, "or" refers to an inclusive or and not to an exclusive or. For example, a condition A or B is satisfied by any one of the following: A is true (or present) and B is false (or not present), A is false (or not present) and B is true (or present), and both A and B are true (or present).

[0060] In addition, use of the "a" or "an" are employed to describe elements and components of the embodiments herein. This is done merely for convenience and to give a general sense of the description. This description should be read to include one or at least one and the singular also includes the plural unless it is obvious that it is meant otherwise.

[0061] Still further, the figures depict preferred embodiments for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the discussion herein that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles described herein.

[0062] While particular embodiments and applications have been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are not limited to the precise construction and components disclosed herein. Various modifications, changes and variations, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art, may be made in the arrangement, operation and details of the method and apparatus disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope defined in the appended claims.

[0063] While the systems and methods described herein have been described in reference to some exemplary embodiments, these embodiments are not limiting and are not necessarily exclusive of each other, and it is contemplated that particular features of various embodiments may be omitted or combined for use with features of other embodiments while remaining within the scope of the invention.