Abstract:
A pole shelf for mounting to a pole has a two-piece bracket and a two-piece shelf. The bracket is removably secured to poles of different diameters by adjusting a sliding engagement existing between pairs of male and female mating sleeves. The bracket pieces have a lip between upper and lower hub protrusion ribs and the lip has an outer cam edge with detents. The shelf pieces have a protrusion rib, an outer wall and a shelf bottom between the protrusion rib and outer wall, a retention post on the underneath side of the shelf bottom, a connector for releasably connecting ends of the two shelf pieces to each other and one or more shelf bottom connectors for releasably connecting the shelf bottoms to each other. When the shelf is in a closed state it is secured to the bracket, which itself is secured to a pole, by engaging the retention posts of shelf pieces with the outer cam edges of the bracket pieces and rotating the shelf so that the outer cam edges become removably locked into the retention posts.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present invention claims priority from U.S. Patent Application No. 61/314,602, filed Mar. 17, 2010, and U.S. Patent Application No. 61/406,706, filed Oct. 20, 2010, both of the same title, the disclosures of both of which are specifically incorporated herein by reference. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to shelves and more specifically to a pole shelf, which is attached to a pole of an umbrella or the like. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Umbrella tables are a popular feature of pools, restaurants and porches, especially where the weather is nice. Such tables typically have an umbrella which is held by a ground weight and a separate table with a center hole in which the umbrella can be placed. Umbrella tables can be quite large, and suitable for seating many people for dinner, the umbrella providing a nice shade for the table. 
     While the charm of umbrella tables is well known, it is often desirable to have an umbrella by itself, without a table, such as what one might use at a beach. Even where umbrella tables are used, it may still be desirable to have additional trays that are separate from the table itself, and it is known that trays can be supported by the table. 
     It is also known that shelves and the like can be mounted to umbrellas or other poles that are not supported by a separate table. However, such shelves typically are rather flimsy, meaning they cannot hold much weight, or they are either permanent or not readily removable from the pole, or even cannot be easily separated from a pole. 
     The present invention seeks to provide a versatile, strong, easily attachable and detachable pole shelf that can be attached to poles of different sizes, and even to square poles, while offering advantages not provided by previous pole shelves. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is generally directed to a pole shelf for mounting on a pole having two parts, a bracket and a shelf, that are capable of being secured about and removed from the pole. The bracket has a surface that contacts the pole, a releasable fastener for locking it in a closed position secured to the pole and a first shelf retention lock piece while the shelf has a shelf surface that contacts the bracket, a shelf bottom extending from the shelf surface and a second shelf retention lock piece. The bracket can be removably secured to poles with different diameters by adjusting the releasable fastener and the shelf is secured to the pole by engaging the first and the second shelf retention locks with each other. 
     In a first, separate group of aspects of the present invention, a pole shelf for mounting to a pole has a two-piece bracket and a two-piece shelf. The bracket can be removably secured to poles of different diameters by adjusting a sliding engagement existing between pairs of male and female mating sleeves. The bracket pieces have a lip between upper and lower hub protrusion ribs and the lip has an outer cam edge with detents. The shelf pieces have a protrusion rib, an outer wall and a shelf bottom between the protrusion rib and outer wall, a retention post on the underneath side of the shelf bottom, a connector for releasably connecting ends of the two shelf pieces to each other and one or more shelf bottom connectors for releasably connecting the shelf bottoms to each other. When the shelf is in a closed state it is secured to the bracket, which itself is secured to a pole, by engaging the retention posts of shelf pieces with the outer cam edges of the bracket pieces and rotating the shelf so that the outer cam edges become removably locked into the retention posts. 
     In a second, separate group of aspects of the present invention, the shelf has a second connector (such as a pin hinge) for releasably connecting second ends of the shelf pieces to each other, the shelf bottom has drain holes, inserts (such as containers, trays and cup holders) can be inserted into and held in place in the shelf by a tab in the drain holes, the shelf outer wall can have a double wall construction and securing the shelf to the bracket can further secure a connector of the shelf and the inner walls of the bracket pieces can have notches for holding square poles. 
     Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved pole shelf. 
     This and further objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art in connection with the drawings and the detailed description of the invention set forth below. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention in use around a pole. 
         FIG. 2  is a top plan view of a shelf in use with a partial cutaway of a pole in a preferred embodiment of the present invention in a closed position while  FIG. 2A  illustrates the shelf with its two pieces unconnected. 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom plan view of a shelf for use in a preferred embodiment of the present invention in a closed position when it is not around a pole while  FIG. 3A  illustrates the shelf with its two pieces opened at a latch but connected by a pin hinge. 
         FIGS. 4 ,  5  and  5 A illustrate a bracket for use in a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 4  illustrates a top view,  FIG. 5  illustrates a bottom view, and  FIG. 5A  illustrates an exploded view of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention in which the bracket has been mounted to a pole and the shelf is in a closed state about the pole before it is locked with the bracket while  FIG. 6A  illustrates shelf of  FIG. 6  in an open state at one end just as it is about to be closed. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention having three different inserts—a container, a shelf and a cup holder. 
         FIGS. 8-10  illustrate top plan views of the container insert, shelf insert and cup holder insert of  FIG. 7  while  FIGS. 8   a ,  9   a  and  10   a  illustrate the same inserts, respectively, from a bottom view. 
         FIG. 11  illustrates a bottom plan view of the present invention when it is secured about a pole and a security fastener has been used to secure the shelf in a closed state but the shelf and the bracket have not yet been locked together.  FIG. 11A  illustrates how the shelf is secured to the bracket and also shows, on its right side, a partial cutaway of a detent in an outer cam edge of a bracket lip as it is engaged and locked with a retention post. 
         FIG. 12  is a bottom plan cutaway view showing the bracket of the present invention as it is secured to a square pole. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is generally directed to a pole shelf having a removable bracket that can be securely, but removably, mounted to a pole, and a shelf that can be closed about a pole and then securely and removably locked to the bracket. This two piece construction allows the bracket to be left on a pole when the shelf is removed. It also enables the pole shelf to be very sturdy, and capable of holding considerable weight, while still being quite versatile. In addition, removable inserts, such as containers, tray and cup holders, allow the pole shelf to be customized for individual use, and for its configuration to be easily varied. 
     The bracket of the present invention must generally have a bracket surface for contacting the pole, a releasable fastener for locking the bracket in a closed position in which it is secured to the pole, and a first shelf retention lock piece while the shelf of the present invention must generally have a shelf surface for contacting the bracket, a shelf bottom extending outwardly from the shelf surface and a second shelf retention lock piece so that the shelf can be secured to the pole by engaging the first and the second shelf retention lock pieces with each other. The structure that locks the bracket and shelf together should be easy and quick to use, yet provide a very sturdy connection that allows the shelf to benefit from the strength of the bracket connection to the pole. It is especially desired that the bracket surface has two or more notches so that the bracket can be secured to a pole having an angular edge, such as a square pole. Both the bracket and the shelf can have a two piece construction, or either of them can have two pieces that are integral to each other yet open to allow them to be fitted to a pole. 
     The present invention will now be described by reference to an especially preferred embodiment which is the best mode of the invention contemplated by the inventor at the present time. While the following description will describe this best mode, the invention is not meant to be limited to the construction of the best mode. 
     In the Figures and the following more detailed description, numerals indicate various features of the best mode of the invention, with like numerals referring to like features throughout both the drawings and the description. 
     Although the Figures are described in greater detail below, the following is a glossary of the elements identified in the Figures.
       1  pole shelf     10  shelf     11  first shelf piece     12  second shelf piece     13  upper surface of shelf bottom     14  hub protrusion     15  outer inner wall     16  outer wall top surface     17  peripheral outer wall     18  male pin hinge     19  female pin hinge     20  latch protrusion     21  window for receiving latch protrusion  20       22  security fastener     23  drain slot     24  bottom protruding section     25  bottom recessed section for receiving bottom protruding section  24       26  holding tab formed in bottom recessed section  25       26   a  slanted tab of holding tab  26       26   b  recess of holding tab  26       27  holding ribs formed on underside of bottom protruding section  24  for being held in recess  26   b        28  rib     29  hub rib     30  retention post     31  lip in retention post  30       32  cutaway in retention post  30  that forms lip  31       40  insert tab     41  insert radius     42  insert wall     43  insert outer radius wall     44  insert outer lip for contact with outer wall top surface     45  container insert     46  container insert space     47  shelf insert     48  upper shelf insert surface     49  cup holder insert     50  space for cup in cup holder insert  49       60  bracket     61  first bracket piece     62  second bracket piece     63  lip     64  upper hub protrusion rib     64 IW inner wall of upper hub protrusion rib  64       65  bottom hub protrusion rib     65 IW inner wall of bottom hub protrusion rib  65       66  male mating sleeve     67  female mating sleeve     68  fastener     68   s  screw     68   n  nut     69  outer cam edge of lip  63       70  detent in outer cam edge  69       71  notch of inner wall of hub protrusion ribs     100  pole umbrella     102  pole     104  table   

     As illustrated in the Figures, the present invention is generally directed to a pole shelf, generally designated as  1  (see  FIG. 1 ), that can be fitted to a pole. The pole can be part of a standard umbrella table or any other type of pole, such as, for example, a four-legged collapsible tent with telescoping poles. The pole can have a circular shape, or a square shape, or even another shape. 
     Pole shelf  1  can be secured to, or removed from, a pole without the necessity of sliding it off of the pole, and yet be self-supporting and secure when it is in place and secured to the pole and capable of holding heavy items such as containers of liquids. In other words, it is easily added or removed, yet it has a structural stability suggesting a more permanent means of attachment, such as brackets that are not really readily or easily removable from the pole. 
     Pole shelf  1  is broadly comprised of two parts. First, it has a bracket  60  which is initially secured to a pole  102 . Once bracket  60  has been so secured, then shelf  10  is itself removably secured to bracket  60  (see  FIGS. 6 and 6A ). When one wants to remove pole shelf from pole  102 , the attachment process can be reversed, by first removing shelf  10  from bracket  60 , then detaching bracket  60  from pole  102 . However, an advantage of the present invention is that bracket  60  can remain in place on pole  102 , with shelf  10  removed, if pole shelf  1  will again be used on pole  102 , but it is desirable to remove shelf  10 . Thus, for example, an umbrella pole might be collapsed for the night and brought in from an outdoor location. In this scenario, once shelf  10  has been removed, the umbrella can be collapsed, leaving bracket  60  in place for use the next day, while still allowing the umbrella to be collapsed. Thus, the two part removability of shelf  10  and  60  bracket aids in ease of use and quick assembly. 
     Bracket  60 , in an especially preferred embodiment, is capable of fitting various sizes of poles, and various shapes of poles. Bracket  60  is generally comprised of first and second bracket pieces  61  and  62 , see  FIGS. 4 ,  5  and  5 A, each of which has an upper hub protrusion rib  64  extending above a lip  63  and bottom hub protrusion rib  65  extending below lip  63 . Upper hub protrusion rib  64  and bottom hub protrusion rib  65  have inner walls  64 IW and  65 IW which are generally radiused so that they will receive circular poles, although they can also have aligned notches  71  to hold corners of square or rectangular poles as shown in  FIGS. 4 ,  5  and  12 . Lip  63  extends out perpendicularly from upper hub protrusions rib  64  and bottom hub protrusion rib  65  and has an outer cam edge  69  with detents  70  for engaging retentions posts  30  of first and second shelf pieces  11  and  12 , discussed later. 
     First and second bracket pieces  61  and  62  can be completely separated, which allows them to be placed around, or removed from, pole  102 . Bracket pieces  61  and  62  are held together in place around pole  102  by two fasteners (one example of which is screw  68   s  and nut  68   n ) that are tightened to force two male mating sleeves  66  into two female mating sleeves  67  so as to cause inner walls  64 IW and  65 IW of hub protrusion ribs  64  and  65  to engage pole  102  and thus secure bracket  60  to pole  102 . It is especially preferred that each of the two male mating sleeves  66  and each of the two female mating sleeves  67  be placed on either the first or the second bracket piece, but one of each could be placed on either bracket piece. 
     Bracket  60  is designed to very tightly secure it, in a closed position, to a pole. This security adds strength to pole tray  1 , when it is fully assembled. Once bracket  60  is tightly secured to a pole, it is ready to receive a shelf which can then be quickly and conveniently secured to the bracket to end up with a very secure pole tray, thanks to the secure connection of the bracket to the pole and then also of the shelf to the bracket. 
     Shelf  10  has two pieces,  11  and  12 , that can, in an especially preferred embodiment, be completely separated and each of which is roughly half the size of shelf  10 , although this preferred sizing is not a requirement of the present invention. Each of the two shelf pieces  11  and  12  has an upper surface  13  which serves as the shelf bottom, a hub protrusion  14  extending up from upper surface  13  toward pole  102 , an outer inner wall  15 , an outer wall top surface  16 , a peripheral outer wall  17  and drain slots  23 . 
     Outer wall  15 , outer wall top surface  16  and peripheral outer wall  17  combine to create a double walled outer wall structure. Drain slots  23 , in an especially preferred embodiment, are placed every thirty degrees except for where first and second shelf pieces  11  and  12  are joined together, which provides ten such drain slots. The drain slots allow water to drain from shelf  10  and also can serve as registration holes for an insert tab  40 , discussed later. 
     Hub protrusion  14  is, in an especially preferred embodiment, of the same height as upper hub protrusion rib  64  so as to create an aesthetically pleasing appearance in which both hubs combine together to give the appearance of a uniform and rigid structure. 
     In an especially preferred embodiment, shelf pieces  11  and  12  are held together at a first end by male and female pin hinges  18  and  19  (see  FIGS. 2 and 2   a ) and at a second end by a latch mechanism such as what is shown in  FIGS. 2 and 2   a  where latch protrusion  20  snaps into window  21  in a closed position. Latch protrusion  20 , as shelf  10  is being closed, fits in between the double walls and as pieces  11  and  12  are closed together, it snaps into window  21 . To release pieces  11  and  12 , snap protrusion  20  is pushed back into window  21  and the two pieces are pulled apart. To prevent such removal, an optional security fastener  22  (see  FIG. 11 ) can be used to prevent latch protrusion from being retracted from window  21  until security fastener  22  is removed. 
     Each of shelf pieces  11  and  12 , in an especially preferred embodiment, has opposite and opposing quick release connectors on overlapping tabs to serve as locking mechanisms to keep upper surface of shelf bottom  13  sturdy and flat. As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 2   a , each shelf piece has a bottom protruding section  24  that fits into a bottom recessed section  25  opposite it in the other shelf piece that receives it when the two pieces are assembled together in a closed position. Bottom recessed section  25  has a holding tab  26  which includes a slanted tab  26   a  and a recess  26  designed to hold holding ribs  27  formed on the underside of bottom protruding section  24 . 
     Each of shelf pieces  11  and  12 , on its underside, has structural ribs  28  and a hub rib  29  (see  FIG. 3 ), along with a retention post  30  that has a lip  31  and a cutaway  32  that forms lip  31 . Once bracket  60  has been secured to pole  102 , and the two pieces of shelf  10  have been snapped together to form a closed position above bracket  60  on pole  102 , shelf  10  is lowered onto bracket  60  and rotated so that outer cam edges  69  of lip  63  of bracket  60  engage retention post  30  and detents  70  become secured by retention post  30  inside cutaway  31  while lip  63  rests on lip  31  in a removably locked position in which the camming action (depicted by the larger curved directional arrows in  FIG. 11A ) causes force toward retention posts  30  as shown by the shorter arrows in  FIG. 11A . In the best mode of the invention, this force also serves to strengthen the locking action of latch protrusion  20  in window  21  because it puts additional force in a locking position and makes it harder to unlatch latch protrusion  20  from window  21 . To remove shelf  10  from bracket  60 , shelf  10  must be rotated in the opposite direction from when it was secured to bracket  60  so as to disengage outer cam edges  63  from retention posts  30 . Once shelf  10  and bracket  60  are disengaged and no longer secured to each other, shelf  10  can be quickly and easily opened by pushing latch protrusion  20  into window  21  and then opening that end of tray  10  (see  FIG. 6A ). 
     So far preferred embodiments of the present invention have described a very secure, yet easily removable, pole shelf  1  for use with a pole umbrella  100  or a pole  102 . The shelf, once it is secured in place about pole  102 , can perform any number of functions and hold any number of items. However, for purposes of versatility, it is especially preferred that additional inserts can be securely fitted into shelf  10  to customize use of pole shelf for the given occasion or need for which it is intended. This can be done by using any number of inserts that may perform various functions, and three examples of such function, which are not meant to be limiting but rather illustrative, will now be discussed. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates use of a container insert  45 , a shelf insert  47 , and a cup holder insert  49 . Each of these inserts has an insert tab  40  that is designed to be placed in one drain slot  23  to securely hold the insert in place inside of shelf  10 . Note that while  FIG. 7  illustrates use of three inserts, each different, any variation of inserts, from one to four, and of any variety of uses, can be chosen, and various inserts can be included in kits designed for use with a pole shelf according to the present invention. It is especially preferred that each insert be sized so that it takes up a quarter of the space of the upper surface  13  of the shelf bottom so that four inserts can easily be used in a mix and match fashion. Each insert will also have an inner radius that will contact a hub protrusion  14 . 
     There are many distinct advantages obtainable by use of specially designed inserts for use with the pole shelf of the present invention. For example, a container insert  45  could be filled with food items, whether liquid, sauce or something else, and such items could be stored in the container insert inside of a refrigerator until the desired time of use, at which point the insert could be removed from the refrigerator and simply inserted into a pole shelf. Also, by having many such inserts, one can see that they could easily be replaced during social events. 
     While the invention has been described herein with reference to certain preferred embodiments, those embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and not to limit the scope of the invention. Thus, for example, shelf inserts could be built into the shelf itself. In addition, the pole shelf need not be circular, and can take a variety of shapes and sizes, and can be made non-symmetrical for certain applications such as where it is to be used in a corner or against another object. In addition, a Lazy Susan feature or integral lighting can be included in the pole shelf. Also, multiple pole shelves of different diameters or sizes can be attached to a single pole. Moreover, it might be possible to combine the features of a shelf and bracket, discussed above, in a single construction. Additional embodiments and further modifications are also possible in alternative embodiments that will be obvious to those skilled in the art having the benefit of this detailed description. 
     Accordingly, still further changes and modifications in the actual concepts described herein can readily be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosed inventions as defined by the following claims.