Shelving

Abstract

The present invention provides an assembly that can be retrofitted to a shelving system to wer or provide data to electrical or electronic components ( 20 ) mounted on shelves ( 18 ). The assembly comprises a cartridge ( 4 ) including a longitudinal channel section having at least a partially open interior with at least one opening thereto, and at least one conducting insert ( 6 ) located in and extending along the open interior of the channel section; and a conducting strip element ( 16 ) which is configured at one end for introduction into the interior of the channel through the at least one opening to make a conducting contact with the conducting insert, and which is configured at its other end for connection to an electrical or electronic component ( 20 ). The cartridge ( 4 ) can be mounted within an upright support member ( 2 ) of a conventional shelving system and the conducting strip element ( 16 ) mounted on the shelf bracket ( 12 ) of a conventional shelving system such that when the bracket ( 12 ) is mounted on the upright support member ( 2 ), one end of the strip element ( 16 ) contacts the conducting insert ( 6 ) in the cartridge ( 4 ).

1 . An assembly for use with a shelving system, the assembly comprising: 
 a cartridge including a longitudinal channel section having at least a partially open interior with at least one opening thereto, and at least one conducting insert located in and extending along the open interior of the channel section; and    a conducting strip element which is configured at one end for introduction into the interior of the channel through the at least one opening to make a conducting contact with the conducting insert, and which is configured at its other end for connection to an electrical or electronic component.    
   
   
       2 . An assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the conducting insert and strip element are conductors of electricity.  
   
   
       3 . An assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the conductors are adapted to carry data.  
   
   
       4 . An assembly according to  claim 3 , wherein the cartridge is arranged for mounting on or within an upright support member of a conventional shelving system and the conducting strip element arranged for mounting on the shelf bracket or shelf of a conventional shelving system such that when the bracket is mounted on the upright support member one end of the strip element contacts the conducting insert in the cartridge.  
   
   
       5 . A shelving system comprising: 
 at least one shelf having an electrical or electronic component mounted thereon;    a support structure including at least two generally upright support members and a shelf support bracket mounted on each support, wherein the at least two support members and brackets provide support for the at least one shelf; and    at least one assembly comprising a cartridge including a longitudinal channel section having at least a Partially open interior with at least one opening thereto, and at least one conducting insert located in and extending along the open interior of the channel section, and a conducting strip element which is configured at one end for introduction into the interior of the channel through the at least one opening to make a conducting contact with the conducting insert, and which is configured at its other end for connection to an electrical or electronic component;    wherein the cartridge of the assembly is mounted within an upright support member and the conducting strip element is mounted on the associated bracket so that one end of the strip element is in conducting contact with the conducting insert of the cartridge and the other end is in conducting contact with the electrical or electronic component.    
   
   
       6 . A shelving system comprising: 
 at least one shelf having an electrical or electrical component mounted thereon;    a support structure for the shelf; and    at least one conducting strip element mounted on the shelf or the shelf support structure to provide at least part of an electrical circuit between the electrical component on the shelf and a power supply, or at least part of a data connection between the component on the shelf and a data supply.    
   
   
       7 . A method of modifying an existing shelving system, the shelving system comprising at least one shelf, an electrical or electronic component mounted or mountable on the shelf and a support structure including at least two support members and a bracket supporting the at least one shelf, wherein the at least two support members provide support for the at least one shelf, the method comprising the addition of an assembly, the assembly comprising a cartridge including a longitudinal channel section having at least a Partially open interior with at least one opening thereto, and at least one conducting insert located in and extending along the open interior of the channel section, and a conducting strip element which is configured at one end for introduction into the interior of the channel through the at least one opening to make a conducting contact with the conducting insert, and which is configured at its other end for connection to an electrical or electronic component, to the existing shelving system, the cartridge of the assembly being inserted into at least one of the support members, and the conducting strip element of the assembly being applied to the at least one shelf or bracket supporting it to connect the conducting insert of the cartridge to the electrical or electronic component when the shelf is mounted on the support structure.  
   
   
       8 . A method according to  claim 7 , wherein the electrical or electronic component is part of the assembly to be added to the existing structure.  
   
   
       9 . An assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the conducting strip element is a flat element that can be adhered to the exterior of a shelf bracket to provide a conductive path from one end of the bracket to the other.  
   
   
       10 . An assembly according to  claim 9 , wherein the conductor part of the strip element is insulated along a majority of its length, being exposed only in areas where conducting contact with other elements is needed.  
   
   
       11 . An assembly according to  claim 10 , wherein the conductor is mounted on or sandwiched within an insulating substrate.  
   
   
       12 . An assembly according to  claim 11 , wherein the conductor is printed on, adhered to or sandwiched within the substrate.  
   
   
       13 . An assembly, according to  claim 9 , wherein the strip element is a flexible PCB.  
   
   
       14 . An assembly, according to  claim 9 , wherein the conductive strip element comprises adhesion means on one side to allow it to be adhered to the bracket of a shelf.  
   
   
       15 . An assembly, according to  claim 14 , wherein the adhesive means is an electrical insulator and serves to insulate one side of the conductor.  
   
   
       16 . A shelving system according to  claim 5 , the system comprising multiple shelves mounted on the two supports one above the other, two or more of the shelves carrying an electrical or electronic component connected in parallel with one another to the power supply or data supply.  
   
   
       17 . A shelving system according to  claim 5 , comprising a series of shelves arranged in side-by-side bays, the shelves of adjacent bays sharing a common upright support, wherein the shelves of adjacent bays share a cartridge mounted within the support they share.  
   
   
       18 . A shelving system according to  claim 5 , having a plurality of shelves arranged in back-to-back shelving bays, the back-to-back shelves sharing a cartridge within a shared support member.  
   
   
       19 . A shelving system according to  claim 16 , wherein the cartridge shared by two or more adjacent shelving bays has separate conductors insulated from one another within the cartridge for each bay.  
   
   
       20 . A shelving system according to  claim 16 , wherein the conductors are for an AC power supply and the shelves in two or more adjacent bays share a conductor within the cartridge.  
   
   
       21 . A shelving system comprising: 
 at least two shelves mounted side-by-side, each shelf having an electrical component mounted thereon;    a support structure for the shelves comprising at least three upright support members, each of the at least two shelves being supported by two of the three support members so that one of the support members is shared by both shelves;    an electrical conductor associated with each of the three support members, the electrical component on each shelf being electrically connected across the conductors in the two upright supports that support it, the electrical components both being connected to the conductor in the shared support; and    one or more AC power supplies connected across each adjacent pair of conductors.    
   
   
       22 . A shelving system according to  claim 5 , comprising a power supply or connections to a power supply mounted on a modified top tray that spans adjacent upright supports, opposite ends of the top tray being adapted for electrical connection to the top end of the conductors of the cartridges mounted within the uprights to electrically connect them to respective poles of the power supply in use.  
   
   
       23 . A shelving system comprising: 
 at least one shelf having an electrical component mounted thereon;    a support structure for the shelf comprising at least two upright support members;    an electrical conductor associated with each of the two support members, the electrical component on the shelf being electrically connected across the conductors in the two upright supports that support it; and    a top tray connects the top ends of the upright supports, the top tray having a power supply or connections to a power supply mounted on it and opposite ends of the top tray being adapted for electrical connection to the top end of the conductors associated with the upright supports to electrically connect them to respective poles of the power supply.    
   
   
       24 . A shelving system according to  claim 5 , having an upwardly facing top panel, the top panel having a solar panel of its upwardly facing surface to provide power to one or more electrical and/or electronic components mounted on the shelving system.  
   
   
       25 . A shelving system comprising: 
 at least one shelf having an electrical component mounted thereon; and    a top panel having an upwardly facing surface;    the top panel having a solar panel on its upwardly facing surface, the solar panel being electrically connected to the electrical component on the shelf to power it.