Partially Ballasted Shelving Unit

Abstract

The invention is directed to a partially ballasted shelving unit having a hollow body and plurality of shelves. A plurality of interconnected ballast chambers formed in the open body provide a ballast holding configuration that when partially filled with a ballast material provides a path for the ballast material to flow from one ballast chamber to another when the shelving unit is reoriented from a vertical orientation to a tipped orientation. The flowing ballast material causing the center of gravity to move when the shelving unit is lifted or moved.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A partially ballasted shelving unit having a plurality of shelves, each one of the plurality of shelves generally parallel to each other one of the plurality of shelves, each one of the plurality of shelves having a generally horizontal orientation, the partially ballasted shelving unit comprising:
 a hollow body having a ballast chamber, the ballast chamber having an air space portion and a ballast portion   a ballast material in the hollow body, the ballast material having a predetermined ballast volume.   
     
     
         2 . The invention of  claim 1  wherein the ballast chamber further comprises a plurality of interconnected ballast chambers. 
     
     
         3 . The invention of  claim 2 , further comprising a ballast port in the hollow body, the ballast port in fluid communication with one of the plurality of ballast chambers, a ballast port plug sealingly in the ballast port. 
     
     
         4 . The invention of  claim 1 , further comprising a bottom panel on the partially ballasted shelving unit, a plurality of feet on the bottom panel, the plurality of feet disposed to engage the horizontal surface. 
     
     
         5 . The invention of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of ballast chambers further comprise a first side ballast chamber and a second side ballast chamber, the first side ballast chamber in fluid communication with the second side ballast chamber. 
     
     
         6 . The invention of  claim 5  wherein the plurality of ballast chambers further comprises a back ballast chamber, the back ballast chamber in fluid communication with the first side ballast chamber. 
     
     
         7 . The invention of  claim 6 , wherein the back ballast chamber is further in fluid communication with the second ballast chamber, whereby when the shelving unit is moved from a vertical orientation to a tipped orientation the ballast material flows between the first side, second side and back ballast chambers. 
     
     
         8 . The invention of  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of casters on the hollow body, the casters disposed to engage the floor. 
     
     
         9 . The invention of  claim 1  wherein the hollow body further comprises a first side panel, a second side panel, a back panel, a front panel, a top panel and a bottom panel, the first side panel spaced from and generally parallel to the second side panel, the front panel spaced from and generally parallel to the back panel, the first side panel connected to the front panel and the back panel, the first side panel further connected to the top panel and the bottom panel, each of the plurality of shelves connected between the first and second side panels, a first side ballast chamber in the first side panel, a second side ballast chamber in the second side panel, the first side ballast chamber in fluid communication with the second side ballast chamber. 
     
     
         10 . The invention of  claim 9  further comprising a back ballast chamber in the back panel, the back ballast chamber in fluid communication with the first side ballast chamber. 
     
     
         11 . The invention of  claim 1  wherein the ballast chamber defines an open volume, the ballast material further comprises a ballast volume, the ballast volume being between 40% and 60% of the open volume. 
     
     
         12 . An partially ballasted shelving unit comprising:
 a hollow body, the hollow body having a shell surrounding an open interior, the hollow body having a ballasted portion and an air space portion, a flowable ballast material in the ballasted portion, a ballast port formed in the hollow body, ballast plug in the ballast port;   a plurality of feet mounted on the hollow body.   
     
     
         13 . The invention of  claim 12 , wherein the hollow body further comprises a back panel and a first side panel, the back panel attached to the first side panel, the back panel further comprises a back ballast chamber in the hollow body, the first side panel further comprises a first side ballast chamber in the hollow body and the first side ballast chamber in fluid communication with the back ballast chamber, the first side panel in a generally perpendicular orientation to the back panel. 
     
     
         14 . The invention of  claim 13 , wherein the hollow body further comprises a second side panel attached to the back panel, the second side panel comprising a second side ballast chamber in fluid communication with the back ballast chamber and the first side ballast chamber. 
     
     
         15 . The invention of  claim 14  wherein the first side panel is spaced from the second side panel, the first side panel in a generally parallel orientation to the second side panel, the back panel between the first side panel and the second side panel, the back panel generally perpendicular to each of the first and second side panels. 
     
     
         16 . The invention of  claim 12 , further comprising a shelf ballast chamber in one of the plurality of shelves, the shelf ballast chamber in fluid communication with the back ballast chamber. 
     
     
         17 . The invention of  claim 12  wherein the shell further comprises an outside surface and an inside surface, the hollow body further comprises a ballast port in the shell formed by material removed from the shell to form an opening from the outside surface to the inside surface, the ballast port in fluid communication open interior. 
     
     
         18 . A partially ballasted shelving unit having a plurality of shelves, the partially ballasted shelving unit comprising:
 a hollow body, the hollow body having a top panel, a bottom panel, a back panel, a first side panel, a second side panel and an open front, the back panel attached to the first side panel and the second side panel, the back panel connected to the top panel and the bottom panel, the back panel having a back ballast chamber;   a flowable ballast material in the back ballast chamber, the flowable ballast material in a ballast portion of the back ballast chamber,   an airspace portion in the back ballast chamber void of flowable ballast material;   a movable center of gravity wherein, the center of gravity moves by gravity urging the flowable ballast material within the back ballast chamber when the shelving unit is moved from a vertical orientation to a tipped orientation.