Shelving unit having reverse cantilevered bracket assembly and method of using the same

Abstract

A shelving unit can include a reverse cantilevered bracket assembly. The bracket assembly can be configured to facilitate a modular design that permits height adjustment of shelves for an article of furniture. In some embodiments, the brackets can be configured to be positioned to avoid obstructing a front opening so that a user can easily access shelfs supported by the brackets. In some embodiments, the brackets can be positioned to minimize their appearance to improve the aesthetic effect of the shelving unit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An article of furniture comprising:
 a left sidewall;   a right sidewall,   a first front rail positioned adjacent to a front of the left sidewall;   a second front rail positioned adjacent to a front of the right sidewall;   a rear face of the first front rail having sets of positional openings, each of the sets of positional openings comprising a plurality of spaced apart positional openings, each of the sets of positional openings being spaced apart from the other sets of the positional openings along the rear face of the first front rail;   a rear face of the second front rail having sets of positional openings, each of the sets of positional openings comprising a plurality of spaced apart positional openings, each of the sets of positional openings being spaced apart from the other sets of the positional openings along the rear face of the second front rail;   a first bracket having a front end and a rear end, the front end of the first bracket having a plurality of attachment protrusions that extend for adjustable positioning in the sets of positional openings of the first front rail;   a second bracket having a front end and a rear end, the front end of the second bracket having a plurality of attachment protrusions that extend for adjustable positioning in the sets of positional openings of the first front rail.   
     
     
         2 . The article of furniture of  claim 1 , wherein:
 each of the attachment protrusions of the first bracket have a hook-like element that includes a distal downwardly extending element that is positioned away from the front end of the first bracket by a horizontally extending portion of the attachment protrusion; and   each of the attachment protrusions of the second bracket have a hook-like element that includes a distal downwardly extending element that is positioned away from the front end of the second bracket by a horizontally extending portion of the attachment protrusion.   
     
     
         3 . The article of furniture of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the second end of the first bracket is freely hanging via the attachment protrusions of the first bracket positioned in the positional openings of the first rail; and   the second end of the second bracket is freely hanging via the attachment protrusions of the second bracket positioned in the positional openings of the second rail.   
     
     
         4 . The article of furniture of  claim 3 , wherein the first rail and the second rail are spaced apart from each other to define a front opening that is in communication with an inner cavity defined between the left sidewall and the right sidewall. 
     
     
         5 . The article of furniture of  claim 4 , also comprising:
 a rear sidewall attached between the left sidewall and the right sidewall to define the inner cavity, the rear end of the first bracket positioned adjacent a left side of the rear sidewall and the rear end of the second bracket positioned adjacent a right side of the rear sidewall.   
     
     
         6 . The article of furniture of  claim 5 , comprising:
 an upper cross-member extending from a top end of the first front rail to a top end of the second front rail, a top member being attached to the upper cross-member and an upper end of the left side wall, an upper end of the right sidewall, and an upper end of the rear sidewall to define the inner cavity.   
     
     
         7 . The article of furniture of  claim 5 , wherein the first bracket is a reverse cantilevered bracket and the second bracket is a reverse cantilevered bracket. 
     
     
         8 . A method of providing a shelving unit comprising:
 positioning a first front rail adjacent to a front of a left sidewall, a rear face of the first front rail having sets of positional openings, each of the sets of positional openings comprising a plurality of spaced apart positional openings, each of the sets of positional openings being spaced apart from the other sets of the positional openings along the rear face of the first front rail;   positioning a second front rail adjacent to a front of a right sidewall, a rear face of the second front rail having sets of positional openings, each of the sets of positional openings comprising a plurality of spaced apart positional openings, each of the sets of positional openings being spaced apart from the other sets of the positional openings along the rear face of the second front rail;   positioning a first bracket for attachment to the first front rail so that a plurality of attachment protrusions that extend from a front end of the first bracket are passed into a selected set of the positional openings of the first front rail;   positioning a second bracket for attachment to the second front rail so that a plurality of attachment protrusions that extend from a front end of the second bracket are passed into a selected set of the positional openings of the second front rail that are vertically aligned with the set of the positional openings of the first front rail in which the attachment protrusions of the first bracket are positioned;   positioning a shelf onto the first and second brackets to position the shelf in an inner cavity defined by the first front rail, second front rail, left sidewall, right sidewall, a rear sidewall and a top member attached to upper ends of the left sidewall, right sidewall and rear sidewall.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein:
 each of the attachment protrusions of the first bracket have a hook-like element that includes a distal downwardly extending element that is positioned away from the front end of the first bracket by a horizontally extending portion of the attachment protrusion; and 
 each of the attachment protrusions of the second bracket have a hook-like element that includes a distal downwardly extending element that is positioned away from the front end of the second bracket by a horizontally extending portion of the attachment protrusion. 
 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the second end of the first bracket is freely hanging via the attachment protrusions of the first bracket positioned in the positional openings of the selected set of positional openings of the first rail; and   the second end of the second bracket is freely hanging via the attachment protrusions of the second bracket positioned in the positional openings of the selected set of positional openings of the second rail.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the first rail and the second rail are spaced apart from each other to define a front opening that is in communication with the inner cavity. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , comprising:
 positioning an upper cross-member to extend from a top end of the first front rail to a top end of the second front rail, the top member being attached to the upper cross-member.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the first bracket is a reverse cantilevered bracket and the second bracket is a reverse cantilevered bracket. 
     
     
         14 . An article of furniture configured as a shelving unit, the article of furniture comprising:
 a left sidewall;   a right sidewall,   a first front rail positioned adjacent to a front of the left sidewall, the first front rail extending vertically from a lower end of the first front rail to an upper end of the first front rail;   a second front rail positioned adjacent to a front of the right sidewall, the second front rail extending vertically from a lower end of the second front rail to an upper end of the second front rail;   the first rail and the second rail being spaced apart from each other to define a front opening that is in communication with an inner cavity defined between the left sidewall and the right sidewall;   a rear face of the first front rail having sets of positional openings, each of the sets of positional openings comprising a plurality of spaced apart positional openings, each of the sets of positional openings being spaced apart from the other sets of the positional openings along the rear face of the first front rail;   a rear face of the second front rail having sets of positional openings, each of the sets of positional openings comprising a plurality of spaced apart positional openings, each of the sets of positional openings being spaced apart from the other sets of the positional openings along the rear face of the second front rail;   a first bracket having a front end and a rear end, the front end of the first bracket having a plurality of attachment protrusions that extend for adjustable positioning in the sets of positional openings of the first front rail, the first bracket being sized and configured as a reverse cantilevered bracket   a second bracket having a front end and a rear end, the front end of the second bracket having a plurality of attachment protrusions that extend for adjustable positioning in the sets of positional openings of the first front rail, the second bracket being sized and configured as a reverse cantilevered bracket;   each of the attachment protrusions of the first bracket have a hook-like element that includes a distal downwardly extending element that is positioned away from the front end of the first bracket by a horizontally extending portion of the attachment protrusion;   each of the attachment protrusions of the second bracket have a hook-like element that includes a distal downwardly extending element that is positioned away from the front end of the second bracket by a horizontally extending portion of the attachment protrusion;   the second end of the first bracket freely hanging via the attachment protrusions of the first bracket positioned in the positional openings of the first rail;   the second end of the second bracket freely hanging via the attachment protrusions of the second bracket positioned in the positional openings of the second rail;   a rear sidewall attached between the left sidewall and the right sidewall to define the inner cavity, the rear end of the first bracket positioned adjacent a left side of the rear sidewall and the rear end of the second bracket positioned adjacent a right side of the rear sidewall.   
     
     
         15 . The article of furniture of  claim 14 , comprising:
 an upper cross-member extending from a top end of the first front rail to a top end of the second front rail, a top member being attached to the upper cross-member and an upper end of the left side wall, an upper end of the right sidewall, and an upper end of the rear sidewall to define the inner cavity.   
     
     
         16 . The article of furniture of  claim 15 , comprising:
 a shelf on the first bracket and the second bracket such that the shelf is positioned within the inner cavity.   
     
     
         17 . The article of furniture of  claim 14 , comprising:
 a shelf on the first bracket and the second bracket such that the shelf is positioned within the inner cavity.   
     
     
         18 . The article of furniture of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the sets of positional openings of the rear face of the first front rail include a first set of positional openings above a second set of positional openings;   the sets of positional openings of the rear face of the second front rail include a first set of positional openings above a second set of positional openings;   the first bracket being positioned via the first set of positional openings of the rear face of the first front rail and the second bracket being positioned via the first set of positional openings of the rear face of the second front rail such that the first bracket and the second bracket are aligned with each other and in a parallel orientation for supporting a first shelf within the inner cavity.
 the article also comprising:
 a third bracket and a fourth bracket, 
 the third bracket being positioned via the second set of positional openings of the rear face of the first front rail and the fourth bracket being positioned via the second set of positional openings of the rear face of the second front rail such that the third bracket and the fourth bracket are aligned with each other and in a parallel orientation for supporting a second shelf within the inner cavity such that the second shelf is spaced apart from the first shelf and is below the first shelf in the inner cavity.