Lock for shelving assembly

Abstract

The lock for a shelving assembly secures the connector ends of the horizontal members to the uprights of the assembly, preventing the horizontal members from being lifted from their attachments to the uprights. The lock comprises a rigid, inflexible lock bar having a peripheral frame surrounding a central passage therethrough, and an opposite distal end with a lock tab extending therefrom. The attachment edge of the lock bar frame is hooked upon a protruding lance tab of the connector end, with the lance tab serving as a hinge or fulcrum for the lock bar. A spring is wedged between the attachment edge of the lock bar frame and the adjacent connector end, urging the distal end of the lock bar toward the connector to engage the lock tab within aligned holes of the connector and upright to which it is attached.

1 . A lock for a shelving assembly, the shelving assembly including at least one connector having at least one lance tab extending outwardly therefrom and a lock tab passage formed therethrough, and including at least one upright having the upper portion of an elongated connector pin passage aligned with the lock tab passage of the connector when the connector is installed upon the upright, the lock comprising:
 a rigid lock bar having an attachment end, a lock tab end opposite the attachment end, mutually opposed first and second lateral edges, a front face, a connector contact face opposite the front face, and a lock tab extending from the lock tab end of the connector contact face generally normal thereto; and   a spring bearing against the attachment end of the lock bar, the spring urging the attachment end of the lock bar away from the connector and the lock tab end of the lock bar toward the connector to engage the lock tab within the lock tab passage of the connector and upper portion of the connector pin passage of the upright when the attachment end of the lock bar is installed upon the lance tab of the connector.   
     
     
         2 . The lock for a shelving assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the lock bar has a connector pin clearance opening formed therethrough. 
     
     
         3 . The lock for a shelving assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the lock tab comprises mutually folded first and second extensions of the lock bar formed integrally therewith. 
     
     
         4 . The lock for a shelving assembly according to  claim 1 , further including a finger lift tab extending from the lock tab end of the lock bar. 
     
     
         5 . The lock for a shelving assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the lock bar is formed of hardened steel. 
     
     
         6 . The lock for a shelving assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the compression spring comprises a thin, resilient metal leaf having a narrow, generally U-shaped cross section. 
     
     
         7 . A shelving assembly lock and connector combination for attachment to a shelving system having at least one upright with at least one connector pin passage defined therethrough, the lock and connector combination comprising:
 a connector having a lock bar contact face, an upright contact face opposite the lock bar contact face, and at least one lock tab passage formed therethrough, the lock tab passage being adapted for alignment with an upper portion of the connector pin passage of the upright when the connector is installed thereon;   at least one connector pin extending from the upright contact face of the connector generally normal thereto, the connector pin being adjacent the lock tab passage;   at least one lance tab extending from the lock bar contact face of the connector;   a rigid lock bar having an attachment end pivotally disposed upon the lance tab of the connector, a lock tab end opposite the attachment end, mutually opposed first and second lateral edges, a front face, and a connector contact face opposite the front face;   a lock tab extending from the lock tab end of the connector contact face of the lock bar generally normal thereto; and   a spring disposed between the connector and the attachment end of the lock bar, the spring urging the attachment end of the lock bar away from the connector and the lock tab end of the lock bar toward the connector to engage the lock tab within the lock tab passage of the connector and upper portion of the connector pin passage of the upright.   
     
     
         8 . The shelving assembly lock and connector combination according to  claim 7 , wherein the lock bar has a connector pin clearance opening formed therethrough. 
     
     
         9 . The shelving assembly lock and connector combination according to  claim 8 , wherein the attachment end of the lock bar has a beveled upper edge defining the lower edge of the connector pin clearance opening. 
     
     
         10 . The shelving assembly lock and connector combination according to  claim 7 , wherein the lock tab comprises mutually folded first and second extensions of the lock bar formed integrally therewith. 
     
     
         11 . The shelving assembly lock and connector combination according to  claim 7 , further including a finger lift tab extending from the lock tab end of the lock bar. 
     
     
         12 . The shelving assembly lock and connector combination according to  claim 7 , wherein the lock bar is formed of hardened steel. 
     
     
         13 . The shelving assembly lock and connector combination according to  claim 7 , wherein the compression spring comprises a thin, resilient metal leaf having a narrow, generally U-shaped cross section. 
     
     
         14 . A shelving assembly, comprising:
 a plurality of uprights having a plurality of elongated connector pin passages disposed therethrough, each of the connector pin passages having an upper portion;   a plurality of connectors, each of the connectors having a lock bar contact face, an upright contact face opposite the lock bar contact face, a connector pin extending from the upright contact face of the connector generally normal thereto, the connector pin selectively engaging a corresponding one of the connector pin passages of a corresponding one of the uprights, and at least one lock tab passage formed therethrough, the lock tab passage being aligned with the upper portion of one of the connector pin passages of the corresponding one of the uprights when one of the connectors is installed thereon;   a lance tab extending from the lock bar contact face of each of the connectors;   a plurality of rigid lock bars having an attachment end pivotally disposed upon the lance tab of a corresponding one of the connectors, a lock tab end opposite the attachment end, mutually opposed first and second lateral edges, a front face, and a connector contact face opposite the front face;   a lock tab extending from the lock tab end of the connector contact face of each of the lock bars generally normal thereto; and   a spring disposed between each of the connectors and the attachment end of a corresponding one of the lock bars, the spring urging the attachment end of the lock bar away from the connector and the lock tab end of the lock bar toward the connector to engage the lock tab within the lock tab passage of the connector and upper portion of the connector pin passage of the corresponding one of the uprights.   
     
     
         15 . The shelving assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein the lock bar has a connector pin clearance opening formed therethrough. 
     
     
         16 . The shelving assembly lock and connector combination according to  claim 15 , wherein the attachment end of the lock bar has a beveled upper edge defining the lower edge of the connector pin clearance opening. 
     
     
         17 . The shelving assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein the lock tab comprises mutually folded first and second extensions of the lock bar formed integrally therewith. 
     
     
         18 . The shelving assembly according to  claim 14 , further including a finger lift tab extending from the lock tab end of the lock bar. 
     
     
         19 . The shelving assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein the lock bar is formed of hardened steel. 
     
     
         20 . The shelving assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein the compression spring comprises a thin, resilient metal leaf having a narrow, generally U-shaped cross section.