The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 12, 2015
Filed:
Oct. 29, 2012
Applicant:
Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, MI (US);
Inventors:
Thomas I. Buckley, Stevenville, MI (US);
Mario D'Ovidio, Sevensville, MI (US);
Michael J. Scherzer, Stevensville, MI (US);
Assignee:
Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, MI (US);
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
A47F 5/00 (2006.01); A47B 47/02 (2006.01); A47B 57/40 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
A47F 5/00 (2013.01); A47B 47/021 (2013.01); A47B 57/40 (2013.01);
Abstract
A rack shelving unit includes front and rear beams, and one or more tie bars extending between the front and rear beams to form a shelf frame with the front and rear beams which can support a shelf. The tie bar can include flexible sidewalls that can flex laterally away from each other as the shelf is loaded to increase the compressive force of a compression retainer coupling the tie bar to the front and rear beams.