Inverted cell honeycomb structure shelving
View Patent ↗A shelf panel for support of items made of an array of honeycomb-shaped cells, alternatively closed at opposite ends to create an array. The thickness of the honeycomb cells may be varied along an arch distribution with the shape of contemplated deformations. The array of honeycomb cells may be surrounded by a ring of alternatively configured cells to create regularly shaped shelf panels. The surrounding cells of a second thickness allow for possible stacking between two shelf panels including a cylindrical corner cell with a top cylinder able to accommodate a bottom cylinder from a second shelf panel. The surrounding cells may also include a wedge of the same geometry as the selected cell where part of the wedge is inserted in the cell and the other part of the wedge is a mechanical fixation means. Some circumferential cells may be adapted to be either a male or female interlocks allowing for two or more shelf panels to be interlocked if they are disposed adjacent each other on a same plane.
1. A shelf panel, comprising:
a plurality of first honeycomb cells arranged horizontally to form a main panel region, each first honeycomb cell comprising a first sidewall having the same horizontal shape and size and a first cell closing wall connected to the first sidewall, the plurality of first honeycomb cells comprising a plurality of first cells and a plurality of second cells, each first cell having a first wall structure comprising the first sidewall and the first cell closing wall connected to an upper end of the first sidewall, each second cell having a second wall structure comprising the first sidewall and the first closing wall connected to a lower end of the first sidewall; and
a plurality of second honeycomb cells arranged around the main panel region, each second honeycomb cell comprising a second sidewall having a horizontal shape and size different from the horizontal shape and size of the first sidewalls and a second cell closing wall connected to one of an upper and a lower end of the second sidewall,
wherein a number of the first cells is greater than a number of the second cells in the main panel region.
2. The shelf panel in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the second cell is surrounded by a plurality of first cells to form the main panel region.
3. The shelf panel in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the first sidewall has a hexagonal prism shape.
4. The shelf panel in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the first sidewall has an octagonal prism shape.
5. The shelf panel in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the first sidewalls and the first cell closing walls serve as an interlocked matrix of ribs of a uniform thickness.
6. The shelf panel in accordance with claim 5 , wherein said uniform thickness is 1/16 of an inch.
7. The shelf panel in accordance with claim 2 , wherein said first cell closing wall comprises a central passage edge.
8. The shelf panel in accordance with claim 7 , wherein said central passage edge is circular.
9. The shelf panel in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said shelf panel is made of molded plastic.
10. The shelf panel in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first sidewalls have various heights.
11. The shelf panel in accordance with claim 10 , wherein heights of the first sidewalls gradually increase from a side to a middle of the main panel region.
12. A shelf panel comprising:
a circumference edge; and
a main panel region surrounded by the circumference edge and comprising a plurality of first honeycomb cells arranged horizontally, each first honeycomb cell comprising a first sidewall having the same horizontal shape and size and a first cell closing wall connected to the first sidewall, the plurality of first honeycomb cells comprising a plurality of first cells and a plurality of second cells, each first cell having a first wall structure comprising the first sidewall and the first cell closing wall connected to an upper end of the first sidewall, each second cell having a second wall structure comprising the first sidewall and the first cell closing wall connected to a lower end of the first sidewall,
wherein a number of the first cells is greater than a number of the second cells in the main panel region.
13. The shelf panel of claim 12 , wherein the first sidewalls have a hexagonal prism shape.
14. The shelf panel of claim 12 , wherein the first sidewalls have an octagonal prism shape.
15. The shelf panel of claim 12 , wherein heights of the first sidewalls gradually increase from a side to a middle of the main panel region.
16. The shelf panel of claim 12 , wherein each first cell closing wall comprises a central passage edge.
17. The shelf panel of claim 16 , wherein the central passage edge is circular.
18. The shelf panel of claim 17 , wherein the uniform thickness is 1/16 of an inch.
19. The shelf panel of claim 12 , wherein the first sidewalls and the first cell closing walls have a uniform thickness.
20. The shelf panel of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of first cells are substantially the same shape and size and the plurality of second cells are substantially the same shape and size.
21. A shelf panel, comprising:
a circumference edge; and
a main panel region surrounded by the circumference edge and comprising a plurality of first honeycomb cells arranged horizontally, each first honeycomb cell comprising a first sidewall having the same horizontal shape and size and a first cell closing wall connected to the first sidewall, the plurality of first honeycomb cells comprising a plurality of first cells and a plurality of second cells, each first cell having a first wall structure comprising the first sidewall and the first cell closing wall connected to an upper end of the first sidewall, each second cell having a second wall structure comprising the first sidewall and the first cell closing wall connected to a lower end of the first sidewall,
wherein a number of the first cells is greater than a number of the second cells in the main panel region, and
wherein the circumference edge comprises a plurality of second honeycomb cells, each second honeycomb cell comprising a second sidewall and a second cell closing wall connected to the second sidewall, the second sidewall having horizontal shape and size different from the horizontal shape and size of the first sidewall.
22. The shelf panel of claim 21 , wherein the plurality of second sidewalls have a height greater than that of the plurality of first sidewalls.
23. The shelf panel of claim 21 , wherein the circumference edge further comprises a third wall structure for supporting a post.
24. The shelf panel of claim 23 , wherein the third wall structure has a cylindrical shape.
25. The shelf panel of claim 21 , wherein the circumference edge further comprises a male interlock and a female interlock.