Storage rack

Abstract

A storage rack comprises a pair of spaced-apart front and rear upright supports. A plurality of generally horizontal front and rear cross-beams extend between the front and rear upright supports, wherein the cross beams have pairs of slots along their length. A pair of spaced apart rails extend from a front cross beam to an associated rear cross beam, each of said rails comprising a generally flat support wall, a guide wall extending upwardly from the support wall and a downwardly depending tab at each end of the support wall. The tabs snap into the slots in the front and rear cross-beams. A plurality of storage units are slidably mounted on the rails of a pair of rails and are movable from a stored position between the front and rear cross-beams and a forward position wherein at least a portion of the storage unit extends forwardly beyond the front cross-beam. The storage unit comprises a stop to prevent forward movement beyond the forward position.

1 . A storage rack comprising: 
 a front cross beam having at least one pair of slots;    a rear cross beam associated with the front cross beam, said rear cross beam having at least one pair of slots associated with a pair of slots in the front cross beam;    a pair of spaced apart rails extending in a generally parallel orientation from the front cross beam to the rear cross beam, each of said rails comprising a generally flat support wall, an outer guide wall extending upwardly from the support wall along at least a substantial portion of the length of the support wall, and a downwardly depending tab at each end of the support wall, each tab removably extending into a slot in one of the front and rear cross beams.    
   
   
       2 . A storage rack according to  claim 1  wherein the at least one front cross beam and associated rear cross beam are at about the same elevation.  
   
   
       3 . A storage rack according to  claim 1  wherein the front cross beam is at a higher elevation than its associated rear cross beam.  
   
   
       4 . A storage rack according to  claim 1  wherein the front cross beam has an outer wall having a top edge and forming a generally vertical front face and an inner wall extending rearwardly from the top edge of the first wall.  
   
   
       6 . A storage rack according to  claim 1  wherein the rear cross beam has a generally vertical outer wall with a bottom edge and an inner wall extending forwardly from the bottom edge of the outer wall.  
   
   
       7 . A storage rack according to  claim 1  wherein the front ends of the rails are at an elevation higher than the rear ends of the rails.  
   
   
       8 . A storage rack according to  claim 1  wherein at least one of the front and rear tabs of a rail has an inwardly curved portion.  
   
   
       9 . A storage rack according to  claim 1  wherein at least one of the front and rear tabs have a sinusoidal shape.  
   
   
       10 . A storage rack comprising: 
 a pair of spaced-apart front upright supports;    a pair of spaced-apart rear upright supports;    a plurality of generally horizontal front cross-beams extending between the front upright supports, at least one of said front cross beams having at least one pair of slots;    a plurality of generally horizontal rear cross-beams extending between the rear upright supports, at least one of said rear cross beams comprising at least one pair of slots and being associated with a front cross-beam that comprises at least one pair of slots;    a pair of spaced apart rails extending in a generally parallel to each other from a front cross beam to an associated rear cross beam, each of said rails comprising a generally flat support wall, a guide wall extending upwardly from the support wall along at least a substantial portion of the length of the support wall, and a downwardly depending tab at each end of the support wall, each tab removably extending into a slot in a front cross-beam and an associated rear cross beam; and    at least one storage unit slidably mounted on the support walls of a pair of rails extending between a front cross-beam and a rear cross-beam, said storage unit being movable from a stored position between the front cross-beam and the rear-cross-beam and a forward position wherein at least a portion of the storage unit extends forwardly beyond the front cross-beam.    
   
   
       11 . A storage rack according to  claim 10  wherein at least one of the front cross beams comprises an outer wall having a top edge and forming a generally vertical front face and an inner wall extending rearwardly and downwardly from the top edge of the first wall.  
   
   
       12 . A storage rack according to  claim 10  wherein the rear cross beam has a generally vertical outer wall with a bottom edge and an inner wall extending forwardly and upwardly from the bottom edge of the outer wall.  
   
   
       13 . A storage rack according to  claim 10  wherein at least one rail pair extends rearwardly and downwardly from a front cross-beam to a rear cross-beam.  
   
   
       14 . A storage rack according to  claim 10  wherein at least one of the front and rear tabs of a rail has an inwardly curved portion.  
   
   
       15 . A storage rack according to  claim 10  wherein at least one of the front and rear tabs of a rail has a sinusoidal shape.  
   
   
       16 . A storage rack according to  claim 10  wherein the storage unit comprises a container having a bottom wall a front wall, two side walls and a rear wall and wherein the at least one of the rearward portion of a side wall and the rear wall comprises an upwardly extending stop that engages a front cross-beam when the storage unit is in its forward position.  
   
   
       17 . A storage rack according to  claim 10  wherein the storage unit comprises a holder having a contour designed for receiving a wine bottle.