Heavy duty shelving assembly

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to an apparatus comprising a heavy duty shelving assembly. The apparatus comprises shelving assemblies that may be used to store relatively heavy objects such as vehicle components, athletic weights, or the like. The apparatus comprises a plurality of vertical columns including column members that are selectively coupled to one another, a plurality of horizontal supports that extend between the column members, and a plurality of shelves that are positioned on the horizontal supports. The apparatus may also include a center brace extending between opposing horizontal supports. The horizontal supports include a truss portion connected to a support portion; the truss portion distributes the downward forces applied to the support portion by the shelves. The design of the apparatus and the truss increases the downward forces that may be applied to the shelf, thereby increasing the weight capacity of the shelves and the apparatus. The column members are configured for selective coupling by incorporating a main portion that comprises a plurality of apertures and a coupling portion that extends outward from the main portion such that it may accept at least part of a main portion of an adjacent column member. The coupling portion further comprises one or more engagement tabs that are configured to engage the apertures of an adjacent column member. In at least one embodiment, the engagement tabs are formed through stamping, thereby minimizing or entirely eliminating areas where stress can concentrate when the apparatus is under load. This feature reduces or eliminates the potential of a partial failure when the apparatus is under load.

1 . A storage assembly apparatus comprising:
 a plurality of vertical columns;   at least one shelf positioned transversally with respect to the plurality of vertical columns; and   wherein at least one of the vertical columns comprises a plurality of column members that are coupled to one another, at least one of the column members further comprising:
 a main portion; and 
 a coupling portion that is disposed adjacent to one end of the main portion, wherein the coupling portion extends outward from the main portion in a lateral direction such that the coupling portion is configured to receive a section of a main portion of a second column member that is adjacently disposed to the coupling portion. 
   
     
     
         2 . The storage assembly apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the column member has a generally L-shaped cross-section. 
     
     
         3 . The storage assembly apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the main portion defines a main portion thickness, and
 wherein the coupling portion is configured to receive the section of the main portion of the second column member by extending laterally from the main portion by a distance that corresponds to the main portion thickness.   
     
     
         4 . The storage assembly apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the section of the main portion of the second column member is nested within the coupling portion. 
     
     
         5 . The storage assembly apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the coupling portion is integrally formed with the column member such that the coupling portion and the main portion. 
     
     
         6 . The storage assembly apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the main portion comprises a plurality of apertures disposed along a vertical direction, and
 wherein the coupling portion further comprises one or more engagement tabs that extend inward from the coupling portions, the one or more engagement tabs being configured to engage one or more of the plurality of apertures when the section of the main portion of the second column member is nested within the coupling portion.   
     
     
         7 . The storage assembly apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the one or more engagement tabs are formed by a stamping process such that the one or more engagement tabs are integrally formed with the coupling portion. 
     
     
         8 . The storage assembly apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the main portion comprises a plurality of apertures disposed along the vertical direction, each aperture further comprising:
 a vertical portion that defines a first gap;   a horizontal portion that is transversally oriented with regards to the vertical portion and that defines a second gap; and   wherein a second gap height is larger than an engagement tab height such that the one or more engagement tabs are configured to be disposed within the horizontal portion.   
     
     
         9 . The storage assembly apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein a first gap width is larger than an engagement tab thickness such that the one or more engagement tabs are configured to be disposed within the vertical portion of the column member. 
     
     
         10 . The storage assembly apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein each of the one or more engagement tabs comprises an end tab that extends outward such that, when the one or more engagement tabs are disposed within the vertical portion, a movement of the one or more engagement tabs becomes restricted in the lateral direction and a longitudinal direction that is transversally oriented to the lateral direction. 
     
     
         11 . A storage assembly apparatus comprising:
 a plurality of vertical columns that comprise a plurality of apertures along a vertical direction;   at least one shelf positioned transversally with respect to the plurality of vertical columns; and   a plurality of horizontal support elements, at least one of the horizontal support elements being adjacently disposed to the at least one shelf and to two of the plurality of vertical columns, the horizontal support element further comprising:
 an upper portion that extends in the vertical direction and that comprises an upper engagement tab configured to engage a first aperture of the plurality of apertures; 
 a support portion that extends in a horizontal direction with respect to the storage assembly apparatus, the support portion being configured such that the at least one shelf may be disposed on the support portion; 
 a truss portion extending downward from the support portion; and 
 a lower portion disposed below the upper portion and that comprises a lower engagement tab configured to engage a second aperture of the plurality of apertures. 
   
     
     
         12 . The storage assembly apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the support portion extends in an inward direction towards an inward edge that defines a transition point where the horizontal support element transitions between the support portion and the truss portion. 
     
     
         13 . The storage assembly apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the truss portion extends, with respect to the storage assembly apparatus, in outward and downward directions from the inward edge toward the lower portion. 
     
     
         14 . The storage assembly apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the support portion, the truss portion, and the lower portion are integrally formed. 
     
     
         15 . The storage assembly apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein each horizontal support element comprises a center brace aperture configured to receive a center brace extending between the horizontal support element and a second horizontal support element that is disposed directly opposite to the horizontal support element. 
     
     
         16 . The storage assembly apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the center brace aperture is centrally located along the horizontal support element. 
     
     
         17 . The storage assembly apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the upper portion and the lower portion are generally coplanar with one another such that the upper engagement tab and the lower engagement tab concurrently engage the first aperture comprising the plurality of apertures and the second aperture comprising the plurality of apertures. 
     
     
         18 . A storage assembly apparatus comprising:
 a plurality of vertical columns that comprise a plurality of apertures along a vertical direction, wherein at least one of the vertical columns comprises a plurality of column members that are coupled to one another, the vertical column further comprising a first column member that comprises:
 a main portion; and 
 a coupling portion that is disposed adjacent to one end of the main portion, 
   wherein the coupling portion extends outward from the main portion in a lateral direction such that the coupling portion is configured to receive a section of a main portion of a second column member that is adjacently disposed to the coupling portion;   at least one shelf positioned transversally with respect to the plurality of vertical columns; and   a plurality of horizontal support elements, at least one of the horizontal support elements being adjacently disposed to the at least one shelf and to two of the plurality of vertical columns, the horizontal support element further comprising:
 an upper portion that extends in the vertical direction and that comprises an upper engagement tab configured to engage a first aperture of the plurality of apertures; 
 a support portion that extends in a horizontal direction with respect to the storage assembly apparatus, the support portion being configured such that the at least one shelf may be disposed on the support portion; 
 a truss portion extending downward from the support portion; and 
 a lower portion disposed below the upper portion and that comprises a lower engagement tab configured to engage a second aperture of the plurality of apertures. 
   
     
     
         19 . The storage assembly apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the horizontal support element, the first column member, and the second column member have a length that is equal to or shorter than the length of the at least one shelf 
     
     
         20 . The storage assembly apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the coupling portion comprises one or more engagement tabs that are configured to engage one or more apertures of a plurality of apertures of the second column member; and
 wherein the upper engagement tab and the lower engagement tab are engaged to two apertures of the plurality of apertures of the second column member.