Shelving system

Abstract

The present disclosure provides enhanced storage systems that facilitate efficient storage of, and access to, a variety of items and products. Exemplary systems according to the present disclosure include mechanism(s) that permit reliable and efficient repositioning of one or more shelves, thereby enhancing utilization and efficiencies associated therewith. Shelving systems according to the present disclosure facilitate synchronized vertical motion of shelving units, e.g., based on coordinated pulley/cable systems, and advantageously include spring designs that facilitate controlled vertical motion of shelving units, e.g., based on fluid movement and/or discharge from the spring design. Shelves and/or shelving units may be readily repositioned at elbow or eye level, and repositioned at their respective initial positions in an efficient and advantageous manner. The shelving systems may be original manufacture units or may be designed for use in retrofitting existing shelving systems.

1 . A shelving system comprising: 
 (a) a first upright support and a second upright support positioned in a spaced side-by-side relation, each of said first and second upright supports defining a vertical axis, a front face and a rear face, and each of said first and second upright supports including a first elongated slot formed in said front face and a second elongated slot formed in said rear face;    (b) a pair of forwardly facing shelf support members, wherein a first of said pair of forwardly facing shelf support members is positioned, at least in part, within said first upright support and includes an arm that extends through said first elongated slot formed in said first upright support, and a second of said pair of forwardly facing shelf support members is positioned, at least in part, within said second upright support and includes an arm that extends through said first elongated slot formed in said second upright support;    (c) a pair of rearwardly facing shelf support members, wherein a first of said pair of rearwardly facing shelf support members is positioned, at least in part, within said first upright support and includes an arm that extends through said second elongated slot formed in said first upright support, and a second of said pair of rearwardly facing shelf support members is positioned, at least in part, within said second upright support and includes an arm that extends through said second elongated slot formed in said second upright support;    (d) first shelves supported by said pair of forwardly facing shelf support members; and    (e) second shelves supported by said pair of rearwardly facing shelf support members; wherein at least one of said pair of forwardly facing shelf support members and said pair of rearwardly facing shelf support members includes telescoping functionality;    wherein said telescoping functionality permits said first shelves and said second shelves to move between a vertically stacked orientation and a vertically non-aligned orientation; and    wherein said first shelves are supported by said pair of forwardly facing shelf support members on a first side of said upright supports, and said second shelves are supported by said pair of rearwardly facing shelf support members on a second, opposite side of said upright supports.    
   
   
       2 . A shelving system according to  claim 1 , wherein said first shelves and second shelves are selected from the group consisting of shelving members, hanging rods, drawers, bins and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       3 . A shelving system according to  claim 1 , wherein said first and second elongated slots are dimensioned and configured to accommodate vertical movement of said shelf support members.  
   
   
       4 . A shelving system according to  claim 1 , wherein said shelf support members include wheels or ball bearing systems to facilitate movement of said shelf support members along said vertical axis relative to said upright supports.  
   
   
       5 . A shelving system according to  claim 1 , wherein said first and second elongated slots open into channels defined by said upright supports and trusses positioned within said upright supports.  
   
   
       6 . A shelving system according to  claim 1 , further comprising first and second pulleys mounted with respect to said first and second upright supports, and first and second cables cooperating with said first and second pulleys, respectively; 
 wherein said first cable is mounted with respect to said forwardly facing shelf support member and said rearwardly facing shelf support member associated with said first upright support;    wherein said second cable is mounted with respect to said forwardly facing shelf support member and said rearwardly facing shelf support member associated with said second upright support; and    wherein said pulleys and cables automatically translate motion between said first shelves and said second shelves.    
   
   
       7 . A shelving system according to  claim 6 , further comprising a connecting structure connecting said first pulley relative to said second pulley to maintain synchronization therebetween.  
   
   
       8 . A shelving system according to  claim 1 , wherein said movement of said first shelves along said vertical axis is automatically translated to an opposite movement of said second shelves along said vertical axis.  
   
   
       9 . A shelving system according to  claim 1 , wherein both of said pair of forwardly facing shelf support members and said pair of rearwardly facing shelf support members include telescoping functionality.  
   
   
       10 . A shelving system comprising: 
 (a) a first upright support and a second upright support positioned in a spaced side-by-side relation, each of said first and second upright supports defining a vertical axis, a front face and a rear face;    (b) a pair of forwardly facing shelf support members, wherein a first of said pair of forwardly facing shelf support members is movably mounted to said first upright support and includes an arm that extends forwardly relative to said first upright support, and a second of said pair of forwardly facing shelf support members is movably mounted to said second upright support and includes an arm that extends forwardly relative to said second upright support;    (c) a pair of rearwardly facing shelf support members, wherein a first of said pair of rearwardly facing shelf support members is movably mounted to said first upright support and includes an arm that extends rearwardly relative to said first upright support, and a second of said pair of rearwardly facing shelf support members is movably mounted to said second upright support and includes an arm that extends rearwardly relative to said second upright support;    (d) first shelves supported by said pair of forwardly facing shelf support members; and    (e) second shelves supported by said pair of rearwardly facing shelf support members; wherein at least one of said pair of forwardly facing shelf support members and said pair of rearwardly facing shelf support members includes telescoping functionality; wherein said telescoping functionality permits said first shelves and said second shelves to move between a vertically stacked orientation and a vertically non-aligned orientation; and wherein said first shelves are supported by said pair of forwardly facing shelf support members on a first side of said upright supports, and said second shelves are supported by said pair of rearwardly facing shelf support members on a second, opposite side of said upright supports.    
   
   
       11 . A shelving system comprising: 
 (a) a first upright support and a second upright support positioned in a spaced side-by-side relation, each of said first and second upright supports defining a vertical axis and including an elongated slot extending along said vertical axis;    (b) a first shelf support member movably mounted with respect to said first upright support, said first shelf support member being positioned, at least in part, within said first upright support and including an arm that extends through said elongated slot formed in said first upright support;    (c) a second shelf support member movably mounted with respect to said second upright support, said second shelf support member being positioned, at least in part, within said second upright support and including an arm that extends through said elongated slot formed in said second upright support;    (d) first shelves supported in a cantilevered fashion by said first shelf support member; and    (e) second shelves supported in a cantilevered fashion by said second shelf support member;    wherein at least one of said first and second shelf support members includes telescoping functionality;    wherein said telescoping functionality permits said cantilevered first shelves and said cantilevered second shelves to move between a vertically stacked orientation and a vertically non-aligned orientation; and    wherein movement of said first shelves along said vertical axis is automatically translated to an opposite movement of said second shelves along said vertical axis.    
   
   
       12 . A shelving system according to  claim 11 , wherein said first shelves and second shelves are selected from the group consisting of shelving members, hanging rods, drawers, bins and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       13 . A shelving system according to  claim 11 , wherein said elongated slots are dimensioned and configured to accommodate vertical movement of said first and second shelf support members.  
   
   
       14 . A shelving system according to  claim 11 , wherein said shelf support members include wheels or ball bearing systems to facilitate movement of said shelf support members along said vertical axis relative to said upright supports.  
   
   
       15 . A shelving system according to  claim 11 , further comprising first and second pulleys mounted with respect to said first and second upright supports, and a cable cooperating with said first and second pulleys; 
 wherein said cable is mounted at one end to said first shelf support member and said cable is mounted at an opposite end to said second shelf support member; and    wherein said pulleys and cable translate motion between said first shelves and said second shelves.    
   
   
       16 . A shelving system according to  claim 15 , further comprising a cross bar extending between said first upright support and said second upright support, and wherein said cable is positioned at least in part within said cross bar.  
   
   
       17 . A shelving system according to  claim 11 , wherein said shelf support members are substantially U-shaped and support at least two shelves.  
   
   
       18 . A shelving system according to  claim 11 , wherein said first and second shelf support members include telescoping functionality.  
   
   
       19 . (canceled)  
   
   
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       26 . A shelving system comprising: 
 (a) at least two upright supports;    (b) a plurality of storage areas supported by said at least two upright supports at spaced vertical locations; and    (c) a mobile arm adapted for vertical travel relative to said upright supports, said mobile arm adapted to engage a selected storage area and transport said selected storage area to a desired vertical location.    
   
   
       27 . A shelving system according to  claim 26 , wherein control for said mobile arm is effected by a mechanism selected from the group consisting of a motor, a processor and software, a motor and gears, manual control, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       28 . A shelving system comprising: 
 (a) at least two upright supports;    (b) a first slide mechanism adapted for horizontal and vertical motion relative to at least one of said at least two upright supports, said first slide mechanism associated with at least one shelf; and    (c) a second slide mechanism adapted for horizontal and vertical motion relative to at least one of said at least two upright supports, said second slide mechanism associated with at least one shelf;    wherein at least one of said shelves includes a slotted region that permits vertical translation of said first slide mechanism relative to said second slide mechanism such that the shelves may switch relative positions.