TECHNICAL FIELD

The present application is directed to shelving, and more specifically foldable shelving.

BACKGROUND

Shelving typically includes one or more supported platforms or shelves upon which objects may be placed. Shelves may be supported by vertical posts, walls, or other structures. Common shelving designs include multiple vertically stacked shelves attached to vertical posts or frame members, typically along one or more edges of the shelves, but other locations have been used. Shelving can be found nearly everywhere, such as in homes supporting knickknacks, tools, books, or photos; in libraries supporting books; in grocery stores lined with food items; warehouses supporting boxes; or in stores supporting items for sale.

Storage and assembly of shelving can be cumbersome. One way to address this is to use foldable shelving to fold shelf components into a smaller formfactor for storage and then unfold the shelving when needed. Drawbacks of foldable shelving include instability due to the fold design and the desire for utilization of lightweight materials. Other drawbacks of foldable shelving include complicated and awkward assembly due to the fold design or mechanism used to hold the shelving in a folded or unfolded state. What is needed are improved foldable shelving designs that enhance stability as well as ease of assembly.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, a foldable shelving unit includes a slider bracket configured to slide along a vertically extending rail and is pivotably connected to lateral sides of the shelving unit via two or more connecting rods. The slider may include a latch configured to engage a stop located at a fixed position on the vertical rail to provide a trestle framework support when latched to the bracket.

In one example, the latch is biased toward the vertically extending rail to encourage the latch to latch to the stop. The slider and stop may include interfacing surfaces that engage when weight is placed on shelving to distribute weight toward the sides of the foldable shelving unit.

In one example, the latch is dimensioned to auto latch to the stop when extended along the vertical rail when unfolding the shelving unit. For example, the latch may include an upper surface that is positioned to engage a surface of the stop when the slider is slid to the stop. The upper surface may be angled to lift the latch away from and over the stop as the slider is slid further upwards toward the latch to allow the bias of the latch to position the latch over the stop.

To fold the shelving unit, the latch may be released and the slider may be slid along the vertical rail, away from the stop, and the shelves may fold relative to connections with the vertical rail and lateral sides of the unit.

In another aspect, a foldable shelving unit includes one or more shelves, each shelf including a first shelf member and a second shelf member; a first frame member and a second frame member, the first frame member pivotably coupled to the first shelf member at a first pivot and the second frame member pivotably coupled to the second shelf member at a second pivot; a slide rail; a third pivot pivotably coupling the first shelf member, second shelf member, and slide rail; a stop fixed to the slide rail; and a slide locking mechanism. The slide locking mechanism may include a slider configured to slide along the slide rail, a first connector pivotably coupled to the slider at a first end and pivotably coupled to the first pivot at a second end, a second connector pivotably coupled to the slider at a first end and pivotably coupled to the second pivot at a second end, a latch configured to latch to the stop when the unit is in an unfolded configuration and unlatch from the stop to transition the unit to a folded configuration, and an engagement surface to engage and engagement surface of the stop when the unit is in a folded configuration.

The latch may be configured for auto latching. In one example, the latch is biased toward the stop. In the above or another example, the latch includes a projection having an angled upper surface configured to engage the stop when the slider is slid toward the stop and progressively lift the projection as the slider slides a latch surface of the projection above a latch surface of the stop to allow the bias to position the latch surface of the projection over the latch surface of the stop.

In some examples, the second end of the first connector may position between the first shelf member and the first frame member. The second end of the second connector may position between the second shelf member and the second frame member.

In another example, the second end of the first connector may position more rearward than that of the first shelf member and the first frame member. The second end of the second connector may position more rearward than the second shelf member and the second frame member.

In an above or another example, when weight is positioned on the one or more shelves, the engagement surfaces of the slide locking engagement mechanism and stop engage and downward directed force is applied to the slider. In a further example, the downward directed force on the slider may be transferred to the first and second frame members by the first and second connectors.

In an above or another example, the stop may include a slot to receive the latch.

In an above or another example, the slider may include a slot to receive the stop. In a further example, the engagement surface of the slider may be located along a lower surface of the slot.

In an above or another example, the first ends of the first and second connectors pivotably couple to the slider at a same pivot. In another example, the first ends of the first and second connectors pivotably couple to the slider at separate pivots.

In an above or another example, the unit includes one or more casters.

In an above or another example, the unit includes a hanger.

