US 6,082,557 · Granted 2000-07-04

The Groove-and-Fin Shelf System That Locks Everything in Place

Imagine a bookshelf where the shelves don't just sit loosely on pegs or brackets — instead, they slide into grooved slots on the front and back frames, then lock down with little fins underneath. No wobble, no adjustment. It's a smart mechanical design that made shelving sturdier and more reliable.

Curated and verified by the IsItPatented Editorial team

The plain-English version

What it protects

The claim covers a shelving frame with grooved attachment points on both the rear and front members, paired with product supports (shelves) that have fins extending downward to grip those grooves. What's protected here is the specific way the shelves interlock mechanically with the frame — the combination of the groove pattern on the frame and the matching fin geometry on the shelf itself that creates a locked, stable connection without additional hardware.

Why it matters

This patent protects a clever structural improvement that eliminates wobbling and makes shelves easier to install and adjust. By using grooves and interlocking fins instead of loose pegs or bolts, the design reduces manufacturing steps and creates a tighter fit. For manufacturers, owning this patent meant they could build more durable, professional-grade shelving while keeping assembly simple — a real advantage in competitive furniture markets.

Real-world use

Every time you push a shelf into a quality cabinet or shelving unit and feel it click firmly into place without any sideways movement, you're experiencing geometry very similar to what this patent locks down.

Original USPTO abstract

A shelving system including: (a) a frame (18); (b) the frame having a rear member (22), a front member (24) spaced from the rear member (22), and at least one side (20) joining the front member (24) and the rear member (22); (c) the rear member (22) having a rear attachment portion (36), the rear attachment portion (36) having a front face (60) with a plurality of grooves (62) therein; (d) the front member (24) having a front attachment portion (38), the from attachment portion (38) having a rear face (48) with a plurality of grooves (50) therein; (e) at least one product support (30, 32, 34) extending between and being supported by the rear member (22) and the front member (24); (f) the product support (30, 32, 34) having at least one fin (78, 80) depending therefrom to engage in at least one of the grooves (50, 62) of the front attachment portion (38) and rear attachment portion (36).

Patent details

Publication number: US 6,082,557
Filing date: 1996-10-17
Grant date: 2000-07-04
Assignee: Checkmate International Pty. Ltd.
Inventor(s): LEAHY; JOHN
CPC class: A47F5/005

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