Rotary shelf assembly mechanism with pin adjustment means

Abstract

A rotary shelf assembly mechanism having shelves mounted on a vertical post arrangement is connected to a cabinet frame by upper and lower mounting brackets interacting with the top and bottom of the cabinet frame to support the post and shelves carried thereby. The post has pin-receiving apertures at the location of each shelf. Each of the shelves has a post securing section that includes a hub and a pin receiving recess within the hub. A pin housing is positioned against and connected interiorly with the hub and its pin receiving recess, and a pin is positioned within the housing and is movable from the housing through the hub into the pin receiving recess and through the pin-receiving apertures of the post to secure the shelf to the post. When shelf removal is desired, the pin is withdrawn from the post apertures back into the housing. The pin has an engaging lever extending out of the housing to facilitate pin movement, and locking features of the housing provide for selectively locking the pin in the shelf releasing and shelf securing positions.

1 . A rotary shelf assembly mechanism comprising: post means; at least one shelf connected to the post means, the post means having pin-receiving apertures at the location of the at least one supported shelf, each of the at least one shelves having a post-securing section including a hub and a pin-receiving recess within the hub; a pin housing adjacent the hub and connected with the hub recess; and a pin positioned within the housing movable from the pin housing through the post pin-receiving apertures and cooperatively received by the post securing section recess of the at least one shelf to secure the at least one shelf to the post means.  
   
   
       2 . The mechanism as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the pin is a cylindrically formed segment of flat metallic material.  
   
   
       3 . The mechanism as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the pin is slidably movable from the pin housing to the hub recess to secure the at least one shelf to the post means and from the hub recess to the pin housing to release the at least one shelf from the post means.  
   
   
       4 . The mechanism as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the pin has an engaging lever extending outwardly from the housing when the pin is being slidably moved within the housing.  
   
   
       5 . The mechanism as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the at least one shelf has a plurality of ribs extending from the hub and the housing is secured to the hub between at least two of the ribs.  
   
   
       6 . The mechanism as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the housing contains spring means biasing the pin in a shelf securing direction to urge the pin into the post pin-receiving apertures.  
   
   
       7 . The mechanism as claimed in  claim 4  wherein the housing has locking means at the shelf securing position of the pin and locking means at the shelf releasing position of the pin.  
   
   
       8 . The mechanism as claimed in  claim 7  wherein the housing shelf securing locking means is an offset slot to receive the pin engaging lever when the pin engaging lever is rotated.  
   
   
       9 . The mechanism as claimed in  claim 7  wherein the housing shelf releasing locking means is an indent to hold the pin in place in the shelf releasing position.  
   
   
       10 . The mechanism as claimed in  claim 7  wherein the locking means at the shelf releasing position of the pin is an offset slot receiving the pin engaging lever when the pin engaging lever is rotated.  
   
   
       11 . The mechanism as claimed in  claim 8  wherein the locking means at the shelf releasing position of the pin is an offset slot receiving the pin engaging lever when the pen engaging lever is rotated.  
   
   
       12 . The mechanism as claimed in  claim 5  wherein the pin housing is releasably secured to the hub.  
   
   
       13 . The mechanism as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the at least one shelf has a plurality of radially positioned ribs extending from the hub with at least two of the ribs being connected with a closing member to form a pin housing receiving compartment, the pin housing is positioned within the receiving compartment and connected with the hub, the pin has an engaging lever extending outwardly from the housing when the pin is being slidably moved within the housing, the housing has locking means at the shelf securing position of the pin and locking means at the shelf releasing position of the pin, the housing shelf securing means is an offset slot to receive the pin engaging lever when the pin engaging lever is rotated, and the housing shelf releasing means is an offset slot to receive the pin engaging lever when the pin engaging lever is rotated.  
   
   
       14 . The mechanism as claimed in  claim 13  wherein the pin housing is releasably secured to the hub.  
   
   
       15 . The mechanism as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the at least one shelf has a plurality of radially positioned ribs extending from the hub with at least two of the ribs being connected with a closing member to form a pin housing receiving compartment, the pin housing is positioned in the receiving compartment and connected with the hub, the pin has an engaging lever extending outwardly from the housing when the pin is being slidably moved within the housing, and wherein the housing contains spring means biasing the pin in a shelf securing direction to urge the pin into the post pin receiving apertures and secure the at least one shelf to the post.  
   
   
       16 . The mechanism as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the at least one shelf has a plurality of radially positioned ribs extending from the hub with at least two of the ribs being connected with a closing member to form a pin housing compartment, the pin housing is positioned within the receiving compartment and connected with the hub, the pin has an engaging lever extending outwardly from the housing when the pin is being slidably moved within the housing, the housing has locking means at the shelf releasing position of the pin, and the housing shelf releasing locking means is an indent to hold the pin in place in the shelf releasing position.  
   
   
       17 . The mechanism as claimed in  claim 15  wherein the housing is releasably positioned within the receiving compartment.  
   
   
       18 . The mechanism as claimed in  claim 16  wherein the housing is releasably positioned within the receiving compartment