Shelf structure

Claim 2

A shelf unit comprising: a grid of crisscrossing, vertically oriented cross webs defining a generally planar shelf surface, the grid having a periphery; a plurality of U-shaped channels connected end-to-end and extending completely around the periphery of the grid; four corner brackets positioned outside the U-shaped channels from the grid, each corner bracket having a cylinder with an interior bore dimensioned for receiving a pole for supporting the shelf unit; and the grid, the plurality of the U-shaped channels and the four corner brackets are all integrally molded as one piece of plastic.

Claim 3

The shelf unit of claim 1, wherein: the grid, the plurality of U-shaped channels and the four corner brackets consist solely of plastic.

Claim 4

The shelf unit of claim 1 wherein: the plurality of U-shaped channels includes a pair of longitudinal channels on opposite sides of the grid, a pair of lateral channels on opposite sides of the grid, and four diagonal channels each positioned adjacent a corner bracket and each connecting a longitudinal channel to a lateral channel.

Claim 5

The shelf unit of claim 3, wherein: a central U-shaped channel extends across the grid between the pair of lateral channels.

Claim 6

The shelf unit of claim 4, wherein: the central U-shaped channel is comprised of opposed side walls spaced by a horizontal cross wall connected to bottom edges of the opposed side walls and an intermediate wall extending from the cross wall between the opposed side walls.

Claim 7

The shelf unit of claim 3, wherein: the plurality of U-shaped channels combine to form a continuous U-shaped channel that surrounds the grid periphery.

Claim 8

The shelf unit of claim 3, wherein: each of the cross webs has opposite top and bottom surfaces and a vertical height between its top and bottom surfaces and each cross web has a constant cross-sectional width between its top and bottom surfaces.

Claim 9

The shelf unit of claim 7, wherein: each U-shaped channel has a vertical height that is larger than the vertical height of the cross webs.

Claim 10

The shelf unit of claim 3, wherein: the cylinder interior bore of each corner bracket has an annular collar herein, and the annular collar has a bottom surface for resting on a pole inserted into the interior bore to support the shelf unit, and the annular collar has a top surface for supporting a pole inserted into the interior bore to support a like shelf unit above the shelf unit.

Claim 11

The shelf unit of claim 3, in combination with a plurality of identical shelf units and a plurality of poles, each of the shelf units being spaced from the other shelf units by four of the poles inserted into the cylindrical interior bores of the shelf unit.

Claim 12

The shelf unit of claim 1, wherein: the grid has a top surface and each of the plurality of U-shaped channels has an opening adjacent the top surface of the grid.

Claim 13

The shelf unit of claim 11, wherein: each of the plurality of U-shaped channels is comprised of opposed side walls spaced by a horizontal cross wall connected to bottom edges of the opposed side walls.

Claim 14

A shelf unit comprising: a grid of crisscrossing, vertically oriented cross webs defining a generally planar shelf surface, the grid having a periphery; a plurality of U-shaped channels extending around the periphery of the grid; four corner brackets connected to the grid, each corner bracket having a cylinder with an interior bore for receiving a pole for supporting the shelf unit; the grid, the plurality of U-shaped channels and the four corner brackets being molded integrally of plastic and consisting solely of the plastic; and each of the plurality of U-shaped channels is comprised of a pair of horizontally spaced side walls with opposite top and bottom edges and a horizontal cross wall connected between the bottom edges, the U-shaped channel being open between the side wall top edges.

Claim 15

A shelf unit comprising: a grid of crisscrossing, vertically oriented cross webs defining a generally planar shelf surface, the grid having a periphery; a plurality of U-shaped channels extending around the periphery of the grid; four corner brackets connected to the grid, each corner bracket having a cylinder with an interior bore for receiving a pole for supporting the shelf unit; the grid, the plurality of U-shaped channels and the four corner brackets being molded integrally of plastic and consisting solely of the plastic; and each of the plurality of U-shaped channels is comprised of a pair of horizontally spaced side walls with opposite top and bottom edges and a horizontal cross wall connected between the bottom edges, the U-shaped channel being open between the side wall top edges.

Claim 16

The shelf unit of claim 13, wherein: each of the cross webs has vertically opposite top and bottom surfaces and a constant cross-sectional width between its top and bottom surfaces.

Claim 17

The shelf unit of claim 14, wherein: the top surfaces of the cross webs extend across the plurality of channels between the side wall top edges of each channel.

Claim 18

The shelf unit of claim 14, wherein: a central U-shaped channel extends across the grid, the central U-shaped channel is comprised of a pair of horizontally spaced side walls with opposite top and bottom edges and a horizontal cross wall connected between the bottom edges, the central U-shaped channel being open between the side wall top edges.

Claim 19

The shelf unit of claim 16, wherein: the top surfaces of the cross webs extend across the central channel between the side wall top edges of the central channel.

Claim 20

The shelf unit of claim 16, wherein: the central channel includes an intermediate wall extending from the cross wall between the pair of horizontally spaced side walls.

Claim 21

The shelf unit of claim 14 wherein: each of the cross webs has a vertical height between its top and bottom surfaces and each U-shaped channel has a vertical height that is larger than the vertical height of the cross webs.

Claim 22

The shelf unit of claim 13, wherein: the plurality of U-shaped channels include a pair of longitudinal channels on opposite sides of the grid, a pair of lateral channels on opposite sides of the grid, and four diagonal channels, each diagonal channel connecting a longitudinal channel to a lateral channel.

Claim 23

The shelf unit of claim 20, wherein: the pair of longitudinal channels, the pair of lateral channels, and the/our diagonal channels are all connected forming a continuous U-shaped channel that completely surrounds the grid.

Claim 24

The shelf unit of claim 20, wherein: the four diagonal channels are positioned on the grid periphery between the grid and the four corner brackets.

Claim 25

The shelf unit of claim 13, wherein: the cylinder interior bore of each corner bracket has an annular collar therein, the annular collar has opposite top and bottom surfaces, the collar top surface supports a pole inserted into the cylinder bore on the top surface and the collar bottom surface supports the shelf unit on a pole inserted into the cylinder bore against the collar bottom surface.

Claim 26

The shelf unit of claim 13, wherein: the shelf unit is one of a plurality of like shelf units and a plurality of poles are inserted into the corner bracket interior bores of the plurality of shelf units connecting the plurality of shelf units to each other in a vertically spaced arrangement.

Claim 27

The shelf unit of claim 13, wherein: the four corner brackets are triangular and are positioned at corners of the shelf unit by the plurality of U-shaped channels.

Claim 28

The shelf unit of claim 13, wherein: the four corner brackets are positioned outside the U-shaped channels from the grid.