Shelf

Disclosed is a shelf having a slanted base. In example embodiments the base may include a protrusion configured to engage an electronic device, such as, but not limited to, a camera. Example embodiments also relate to a system having the shelf and the electronic device.

BACKGROUND

Example embodiments relate to shelf having a slanted base. In example embodiments the base may include a protrusion configured to engage an electronic device, such as, but not limited to, a camera. Example embodiments also relate to a system having the shelf and the electronic device. Example embodiments also relate to a shelf having a slanted base with an aperture into which an adapter may be inserted. Example embodiments also relate to a mount having a body with an aperture into which a protrusion extends. In this latter embodiment one side of the body may include an adhesive to attach the body to a structure, for example, a wall.

2. Description of the Related Art

FIG. 1is a view of a conventional shelf100. The shelf100has a triangular end110so as to be insertable into a corner of a room10. The shelf100is attached to the walls of the room10via a pair of brackets120and130. In the conventional art, such a shelf is useful for placing or displaying several different types of articles. For example, the shelf100may be used to display a decorative article, such as a trophy, or may be used to store a more functional article, for example, a clock.

FIG. 2is a view of a camera200supported on the shelf100. In the conventional art, the camera200may be used for several purposes, for example, to monitor an activity within a room. Some consumers, for example, buy the camera200to monitor a baby in a crib. In such a system, the camera200may transmit images of the baby to a television set, a video monitor, or a computer so that the baby may be monitored by a parent and/or a caregiver without the parent and/or caregiver having to be in the same room as the baby.

SUMMARY

The inventors have noted that when a conventional shelf is used to support a camera for the purpose of monitoring a baby in a crib, the shelf typically does not allow the camera to peer directly in the crib. As such, the inventors set out to design a new shelving system which allows a camera to be mounted thereon in a manner that allows the camera to peer into a baby's crib. As a result, the inventors have developed a new an nonobvious shelf along with a new and nonobvious system for monitoring a baby's crib. The invention, however, is not limited to merely a monitoring a baby's crib. For example, the invention may be used to monitor various items within a room in a manner not allowed by conventional shelves.

Example embodiments relate to shelf having a slanted base. In example embodiments the base may include a protrusion configured to engage an electronic device, such as, but not limited to, a camera. Example embodiments also relate to a system having the shelf and the electronic device.

In accordance with example embodiments, a shelf may include at least one sidewall and a base inclined with respect to the at least one sidewall, wherein the base includes a protrusion. In example embodiments, the protrusion may have a base of about 0.5 inches or less and a height of about 0.5 inches or less. In the alternative, the protrusion may resemble a cylinder having a diameter of about 0.5 inches or less.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which example embodiments of the invention are shown. The invention may, however, be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the example embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, the sizes of components may be exaggerated for clarity.

In this application, it is understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “attached to,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it can be directly on, directly attached to, directly connected to, or directly coupled to the other element or layer or intervening elements that may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly attached to,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another element, there are no intervening elements present. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

In this application it is understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements and/or components, these elements and/or components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer, and/or section from another elements, component, region, layer, and/or section. Thus, a first element, component region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer, or section without departing from the teachings of example embodiments.

Embodiments described herein will refer to planform views and/or cross-sectional views by way of ideal schematic views. Accordingly, the views may be modified depending on manufacturing technologies and/or tolerances. Therefore, example embodiments are not limited to those shown in the views, but include modifications in configurations formed on the basis of manufacturing process. Therefore, regions exemplified in the figures have schematic properties and shapes of regions shown in the figures exemplify specific shapes or regions of elements, and do not limit example embodiments.

The subject matter of example embodiments, as disclosed herein, is described with specificity to meet statutory requirements. However, the description itself is not intended to limit the scope of this patent. Rather, the inventors have contemplated that the claimed subject matter might also be embodied in other ways, to include different features or combinations of features similar to the ones described in this document, in conjunction with other technologies. Generally, example embodiments relate to shelf having a slanted base. In example embodiments the base may include a protrusion configured to engage an electronic device, such as, but not limited to, a camera. Example embodiments also relate to a system having the shelf and the electronic device.

FIGS. 3A-3Bare views of a shelf1000in accordance with example embodiments. As shown inFIGS. 3A-3Bthe shelf1000may include a first side wall300, a second side wall400, and a base500. In example embodiments, when viewed from a top of shelf1000, the first and second sidewalls300and400may be perpendicular to each other. As a consequence, the first and second sidewalls300and400may allow the shelf1000to fit into a corner of a room10. The invention, however, is not limited to first and second sidewalls300and400being perpendicular to each other. For example, in some embodiments, the sidewalls300and400may form an angle greater than ninety degrees or less than ninety degrees to aid in installing the shelf1000in corners that are not formed from perpendicularly oriented walls. In example embodiments, when the shelf1000is inserted into a corner of a room10, the base100is slanted with respect to the horizontal. The slant angle θ may be as little as 10 degrees but could be as much as 85 degrees.

In example embodiments, a protrusion600may protrude from an upper surface of the base500. In example embodiments, the protrusion600may be formed as a J-shaped tongue610having a flange620at an end thereof. This, however, is not intended to limit the invention. For example, rather than having a tongue610with a flange620, the protrusion600may simply resemble a bump extending from the base500. In the alternative, the protrusion600may be formed of a screw or some other member that attaches to the base500and/or protrudes from the base500.

In example embodiments, an elevation of the flange620with respect to the base500may be adjusted by bending the tongue610upwards or downwards with respect to the base500. As such, the protrusion600has some built in adjustability. Thus, the protrusion600may be used to attach to, or interface with, various different types of electronic devices having apertures at different elevations.

In example embodiments, the shelf1000may be used to support an electronic device, for example, a camera. For example,FIG. 5Aillustrates the shelf1000attached to a corner of a room10. In example embodiments, a camera200having an aperture formed in a base thereof may be may be placed on the base500such that the protrusion600inserts into the aperture of the camera200. As such, because the protrusion600of the base500is inserted into the aperture of the camera200, the camera200is unable to slide off the base500despite the base being inclined from the horizontal.

In example embodiments, the base500may include an opening510at a back thereof. The opening510may allow a power cord of the electronic device to pass therethrough. For example, in the event the electronic device is an electronic camera200, a cord of the camera may pass through the opening510thus allowing the cord to be routed through the shelf1000.

In example embodiments, the shelf1000may be attached to a corner of a room10by conventional means. For example, in example embodiments, the shelf1000may be attached to a corner of a room by applying an adhesive to the outer surfaces of the walls300and400. On the other hand, the walls300and400may be formed with holes allowing the walls to be secured to walls of a room10using screws.

FIGS. 6A and 6Billustrate a camera200mounted on a conventional corner shelf100and a camera200mounted on a shelf1000in accordance with example embodiments. In example embodiments, the shelf100may be mounted in a corner of a room having a crib110and a baby120therein. As shown inFIG. 6A, the camera200mounted on the conventional shelf100does not directly view the baby120in the crib110, even if the camera200is adjusted downward. However, in example embodiments, because the camera200is mounted on the shelf1000having the slanted base500, the camera200may directly view the baby120in the crib110. As such, the shelf1000of example embodiments allows for a viewing of a baby120in a manner not provided for in the conventional art.

In example embodiments, the size of the protrusion600may be controlled by the electronic device to which it is to attach. Some conventional cameras, for example, have a rectangular aperture in a bottom thereof having a base of about 0.5 inches and a width of about 0.5 inches. As such, the protrusion600may have a rectangular shaped flange having a base B of about 0.5 inches or less and a width W of about 0.5 inches or less. On the other hand, other conventional cameras have circular openings having a diameter of about 0.5 inches. For these cameras the protrusion600may resemble a cylinder having a diameter of about 0.5 inches or less. As yet another example, the protrusion and the camera may be designed so the protrusion600and the aperture of the camera may function as a snap-type connection.

Although example embodiments thus far have described a shelf1000having a protrusion600, the invention is not limited thereto. For example, in another embodiment, Velcro type material may be applied to an upper surface of the base500and a lower surface of the electronic device so that the electronic device may be easily attached to the base500without having to rely on a protrusion for securing an electronic device on the shelf1000. Also, in example embodiments, the shelf1000, rather than having two side walls300and400, may have one side wall omitted. In another embodiment, as shown inFIG. 7, a shelf1000′ may be constructed using a single side wall400′ and a slanted base500′ with a protrusion600′ (which may be substantially identical to the protrusion600). This latter embodiment may be useful in the event it is desired to support an electronic device, for example, a camera, on a wall rather than at a corner. As yet another example, the shelf1000may include multiple protrusions rather than a single protrusion600as illustrated in the figures. In this latter example, the shelf1000may accommodate an electronic device having multiple apertures formed at a bottom thereof. In the alternative, an adapter may be created to attach the electronic device to the base500. As yet another example, the protrusion600may be elongated to resemble a wall type structure along a front of the base500. This wall type structure may prevent an electronic device from slipping off the base500.

In example embodiments, the shelf1000may be made from various materials and by various processes. For example, in example embodiments the shelf1000may be made by printing process (for example, 3D printing) or a casting process. Thus, in example embodiments, the shelf1000may be a substantially integral structure. On the other hand, various portions of the shelf1000may be independently formed and then connected together to form the shelf1000. For example, each of the first and second side walls and base500may be independently formed and then connected together by a conventional means such as, but not limited to, gluing, welding, or using fasteners such as screws and/or clips. As for the materials, the shelf1000may be fabricated from wood, metal, a ceramic, a plastic, or any combination thereof.

FIG. 8is view of another shelf2000in accordance with example embodiments. The shelf2000may be substantially similar to the shelf1000in that it has a first sidewall2300and a second sidewall2400supporting a base2500. In fact, these features of the shelf2000may be substantially identical to the first sidewall300, the second sidewall400, and the base500of shelf1000, as such, a detailed explanation thereof is omitted for the sake of brevity. However, a difference between shelf1000and shelf2000is that the base2500of shelf2000includes an aperture2600rather than a protrusion600as is present in shelf1000. In example embodiments, the aperture2600may be configured to allow an adapter3000to attach to the base2500of the shelf2000.

FIGS. 9A and 9Billustrate the shelf2000with the adapter3000. As shown inFIG. 9A, the adapter3000may be arranged near the aperture2600and actually connected to the base2500by at least partially inserting the adapter3000in to the aperture2600as shown inFIG. 9B. In example embodiment, the adapter3000may be used to fix various devices to the shelf2000. For example, the adapter3000may be attached to a bottom of a video camera. In this particular nonlimiting example embodiment, the devices may be removably attached to the shelf2000via the adapter3000.

FIGS. 10A-10Eillustrate various views of the adapter3000in accordance with example embodiments. It is understood the adapter3000may be embodied in various forms. As such, the particular form of the adapter3000is not meant to limit the scope of this invention.

Referring toFIGS. 10A-10E, the adapter3000may be comprised of a substantially flat member3100which may resemble a plate. The adapter3000may also include at least on securing member. In the nonlimiting example ofFIGS. 10A-10Ethe adapter3000is illustrated as having a first securing member3200and a second securing member3300which may aid in securing the adapter3000to the shelf2000. However, the adapter3000may be embodied differently. For example, rather than having two securing members3200and3300the adapter3000may have three or more securing members or a single securing member. Regardless, the at least one securing member should be configured to secure the adapter3000to the shelf2000.

In example embodiments the securing members3200and3300may resemble L shaped members having feet3210and3310. In one embodiment, surfaces of the feet3210and3310facing the substantially flat member3100may be separated from a bottom surface of the substantially flat member3100by a distance t which may be substantially equal to the thickness of the base2500. In the event the distance t is slightly smaller than the thickness of the base2500securing members3200and3300should be made of a flexible material, for example, plastic, rubber, etc., to allow the securing members3200and3300to flex. Regardless of the material used to manufacture the adapter3000, the securing members3200and3300of the adapter300may be inserted into the aperture2600of the shelf2000and moved so that a portion of the base2500is sandwiched between a bottom surface of the substantially flat member3100and the top surfaces of the feet3210and3310to secure the adapter3000to the shelf2000.

FIG. 11is view of a mount4000in accordance with example embodiments. The mount4000may include a body4100with an aperture4200and a protrusion4300extending into the aperture4200. In example embodiments a back side of the body4100may have the adhesive applied thereto and the body4100may be attached to a wall via the adhesive. In example embodiments the protrusion4300may be substantially identical to the previously described protrusion600, therefore, a description thereof is omitted for the sake of brevity. In example embodiments, the protrusion4300may be used to attach a device, for example, a video camera, to the mount4000. Thus, in example embodiments the mount4000may be used to attach a camera to a wall.

Example embodiments of the invention have been described in an illustrative manner. It is to be understood that the terminology that has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. Many modifications and variations of example embodiments are possible in light of the above teachings. Therefore, within the scope of the appended claims, the present invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.