Abstract:
A mail sorting apparatus having a pair of opposing side panels, a top panel, a pair of opposing back panels, and a plurality of shelving members extending between the opposing side panels. The shelving members are supported by brackets having spaced apart shelf supporting tabs, the brackets being located along the opposing side panels and back panels. The shelving members are divided into compartments by a plurality of dividers, with the dividers being received within slots extending through the shelving members. The size of the compartments is adjustable by modifying the spacing of the shelving members and placement of the dividers.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to articles of office furniture used for organizing or distributing correspondence and communications, and particularly to an improvement in such an article commonly referred to as a desktop mail sorting rack. 
     Mail sorting stations are found in many business and office settings, and the designs for mail sorting racks are well known to the art. Most conventional mail sorting racks comprise a series of horizontal shelves which are divided into compartments by vertical partitions. Examples of such mail sorting racks are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,062,302 and 3,107,012. 
     All of the compartments in a given mail sorting rack are generally of the same invariable dimensions, such that a person must choose the particular size and the total number of compartments at the time the mail sorter is being ordered or purchased. If the needs of the business change, one or more additional mail sorters must be acquired or the existing mail sorters must be completely replaced. In either case, this can represent a significant expense. If the business chooses to make do with the existing sorters even though they have been rendered obsolete or inappropriate, the result can often be inconvenience to those using the mail sorting system, and lost or inefficient communications within the business. While some mail sorting racks permit the vertical partitions to be removed, the heights of the individual compartments are not adjustable, and the partitions are not designed to function with compartments which would be adjustable. 
     The more familiar mail sorting racks and apparatuses include freestanding or tabletop shelving units constructed of textured sheet metal or fiberboard, having permanently fixed fiberboard or plastic partitions. Recently, mail sorting stations have been introduced to the market which comprise individual plastic or plastic-coated wire mesh partitions and shelves which permit an individual to see further into each compartment, or view a document through the shelf above. 
     In situations where only a very few compartments are required, multi-tiered trays and wall mounted organizers have proven to be suitable, as have filing stands with upright vertical dividers. An example of a simple, two-tiered desktop mail tray is shown in U.S. Pat. No. D. 212,264. Mail sorting trays and racks having more complex arrangements of shelves or baskets are also known. These items are generally constructed from high impact plastic or a generally rigid sheet metal. 
     One particular design includes individual, interconnected molded plastic organizers commonly referred to as &#34;hot files.&#34; Hot files have the general shape of an inverted, open top triangular prism, and are usually mounted directly to a wall or floor stand in a vertically overlapping, tiered configuration similar to that of a magazine rack. 
     For infrequent or occasional use in sorting or distributing correspondence, a collating apparatus comprising a series of extensible slanted metal loop partitions connected in an accordion fashion may be employed. Such a collating apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,310,770. 
     Another item which may function as a mail sorting station is the desktop hutch organizer. These desktop organizer stands usually have a depth of one foot or less and a width approximately equal to the length of a standard secretarial desk, such that the organizer may rest on top of a desk and against a wall. These hutch type organizers generally have several shallow compartments and bookend type dividers. 
     A product similar to the conventional mail sorter and often found in the same business or office settings is the literature center or literature organizer. These items are more often used to store product information sheets, brochures, catalogs, and the like, where they may be easily accessed by employees for distribution or reference. The literature centers or literature organizers may also be adapted for use in mail sorting and distribution. 
     It should be noted, however, that the typical mail sorters are very large in overall size, particularly those which are designed to be freestanding or tabletop racks. This is also true for products such as the literature centers and desktop hutch organizers. While some of these items may be partially assembled by the purchaser, they will generally have some preassembled substructures such as the partitions and shelves, particularly if welding or crimping of rigid metal components is required. 
     Fiberboard or corrugated cardboard mail sorting devices may be broken down or disassembled, but are generally much lighter in weight than their steel or steel and plastic counterparts, and are correspondingly less durable or able to withstand the rigorous handling and use of an office environment. 
     Many of the mail sorters or products which may be adapted to use as mail sorters are thus bulky and generally difficult to ship to the customer. The ability to ship a product via standard non-freight carrier, such as the United Parcel Service, provides many advantages to catalog and mail order houses. Because the non-freight services deliver rapidly, and at a competitive rate, the shipper does not have to support and manage its own delivery system, nor choose between the additional expenses of a specialized package delivery service for short-range deliveries, additional charges for oversized non-freight deliveries by standard carriers, or have its customers inconvenienced and lose prospective sales due to the extended delay created by conventional freight carriers. 
     The individual or add-on type systems such as the hot files do not use office space efficiently, and have a very limited capacity. Trays and stacking organizers similarly cannot be accumulated in sufficient numbers to be practical in most offices without being unstable, unsightly, and inconvenient. The upright, open top dividers which are similar to a row of bookends and in which papers are set on edge do not hold looseleaf correspondence well, allow the edges to be crimped or curled, permit papers to slide out of the slots thus becoming disorganized, and may often result in misplaced correspondence when end pages in a stack are not placed between the proper dividers. 
     The uniform and invariable sizes of standard mail sorters limit their flexibility, since a person cannot choose to have various compartments of different sizes without purchasing two different mail sorting stations. A person cannot progressively or incrementally increase the number of compartments as the business organization grows or the communications network changes, nor vary the size of the compartments or decrease the number of compartments when appropriate. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore one object of this invention to design a mail sorting apparatus which provides the user with an array of selectable compartment sizes and numbers. 
     It is a related object of this invention to design the above mail sorting apparatus such that the user may modify or readjust the sizes and numbers of compartments as may occasionally be required. 
     It is another object of this invention to design the above mail sorting apparatus such that it may be completely disassembled and shipped in a standard packaging carton by a non-freight carrier, and assembled by the purchaser using a minimum of tools and non-permanent fasteners. 
     It is an additional object of this invention to design the above mail sorting apparatus such that it may be utilized as a wall mounted unit or positioned on a table or desktop, while retaining usable work space below the mail sorting apparatus for performing related tasks or placing and operating office equipment. 
     It is a further object of this invention to design the above mail sorting apparatus such that it will conform to the general type and style of furniture and equipment found within a business or office setting. 
     Briefly described, the main sorting apparatuss of this invention is comprised of a pair of opposing side panels, a top panel, a pair of opposing back panels, and a plurality of shelving members extending between theh opposing side panels. The shelving members are supported by brackets having spaced apart shelf supporting tabs, the brackets being located along the opposing side panels and back panels. The height of the shelving members may thus be adjusted using the brackets and shelf support tabs. One of back panels includes an angluarly offset lip which receives the adjacent straight edge of the remaining back panel. The back panels and side panels are connected by locking tabs which are received in corresponding aligned slots and bent to hold the back panels and side panels together. 
     The shelving members are divided into compartments by a plurality of dividers, each divider having a series of alternating notches extending inwardly from the front and back edges thereof, with the dividers being received within slots extending through the shelving members, and secured in place by locking a portion of the shelving members within the notches. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the mail sorting apparatus of this invention in an upright, assembled configuration; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the assembly step of mounting the top and bottom back panels to a side panel of the mail sorting apparatus of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the abutting edges of the top and bottom back panels of the mail sorting apparatus of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a partially exploded perspective view of the mail sorting apparatus of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view showing the assembly of the brackets and shelves of the mail sorting apparatus of FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view showing the assembly of the dividers and shelves of the mail sorting apparatus of FIG. 1. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The split back mail sorter of this invention is shown in FIGS. 1-6 and referenced generally therein by the numeral 10. 
     The mail sorter 10 may be constructed from any heavy gauge sheet metal with a textured or painted enamel finish, or in suitable applications from wood, pressboard, or plastic resin. Various components of the mail sorter 10 may be constructed of different materials depending upon the desired aesthetic design or ornamentation, and the cost of producing the mail sorter 10. The mail sorter 10 is designed to be rested upon a supporting surface such as a table or desk (not shown), although it may be made of suitable dimensions to be freestanding on the floor, or mounted in a hanging configuration from a vertical wall or partition. 
     Referring to FIG. 1, it may be seen that the split back mail sorter 10 is comprised of a top panel 12 which extends the full length of the mail sorter 10, a pair of generally upright opposing side panels 14, 16 at each end of the mail sorter 10, and a pair of back panels 18, 20 which similarly extend the full length of the mail sorter 10 and together combine to extend the full height of the side panels 14, 16 of the mail sorter 10. 
     The side panels 14, 16 extend downwardly from and generally perpendicular to each end of the top panel 12, with the back panels 18, 20 extending between the rear edges of the side panels 14, 16 generally perpendicular thereto, and similarly perpendicular to the top panel 12. 
     Each side panel 14, 16 has a base panel 22, 24 which projects inwardly a short distance from the bottom edge of each of the side panels 16, 14 respectively, and is oriented generally perpendicular to the side panels 16, 14 and the back panels 18, 20, and parallel to the top panel 12. 
     The back panels 18, 20 each have a generally straight top edge 26, 28 which extends the full length of each panel 18, 20. The upper back panel 18 has an inwardly projecting angled segment 30 and a downwardly depending lower edge 32 defining a generally S-shaped lower lip. The curved segment 30 projectes inwardly a distance equal to or slightly greater than the thickness of the top edge 28 of the lower back panel 20 such that the top edge 28 of the lower back panel 20 may be received behind the lower edge 32 and beneath the inwardly projecting segment 30, with the segment 30 and the upper back panel 18 resting upon the top edge 28 of the lower back panel 20 as particularly shown in FIG. 3. The lower edge 34 of the lower back panel 20 projects inwardly at right angle to form a supporting base. 
     Referring to FIG. 2, it may be seen that each side panel 14, 16 is attached to each of the back panels 18, 20 along the back edges 40 of each side panel 14, 16 and the end edges 36, 38 of the back panels 18, 20. Extending from each of the back edges 40 of the side panels 14, 16 between the top edge 42 and bottom edge 44 thereof are a plurality of locking tabs 46. The locking tabs 46 are vertically spaced a distance apart and are received within aligned rectangular slotted apertures 48 correspondingly located on the upper 18 or lower back panel 20. The locking tabs 46 may initially be L-shaped such that the tabs 46 project forward toward the front of the mail sorter 10, or may be made of a semi-flexible material which is bent at a right angle once the locking tabs 46 have been inserted through the slotted apertures 48. 
     The preferred number of locking tabs 46 and apertures 48 is four, with two apertures 48 and locking tabs 46 corresponding to each of the back panels 18, 20. The locking tabs 46 are inserted straight through the apertures 48 while the side panel 14, 16 is oriented in a plane generally parallel to the back panels 18, 20, with the bottom back panel 20 receiving the locking tabs 46 first so that the bottom edge 32 of the upper back panel 18 may be placed in overlapping and engaging contact with the upper edge 28 of the lower back panel 20 as described above. The side panels 14, 16 are then pivoted forward approximately ninety degrees tp the upright position generally perpendicular to the back panels 18, 20. The locking tabs 46 may be manually bent to secure them within the apertures 48, or may be designed to be bent by the pivoting action of the side panels 14, 16. The top edge 42 and bottom edge 44 of each side panel 14, 16 may project inwardly at a right angle simolar to the bottom edge 34 of the lower back panel 20, in which case the edges 34, 44 should be made to overlap, or beveled (not shown) to prevent the bottom edges 34, 44 from interfering and yet permit each to rest on a supporting surface. 
     Referring again to FIG. 1, it may be seen that the mail sorter 10 also comprises a plurality of horizontal shelves 50 and vertical dividers 52 extending between the shelves 50 and forming a series of compartments. 
     Each shelf 50 is mounted on shelf brackets 54 which are attached to the side panels 14, 16 and back panels 18, 20. While the side panels 14, 16 give support to the back panels 18, 20, the brackets 54 may be made to extend between the back panels 18, 20 and further provide additonal support, particularly if the brackets 54 are to be attached to the back panels 18, 20 by the person completely assembling the mail sorter 10. It is preferable that a pair of brackets 54 be placed on each side panel 14, 16 near the front and back edges of each shelf 50, and at least four brackets 54 spaced apart on the back panels 18, 20 along the rear edge of the shelves 50. 
     Referring to FIG. 5, it is shown that each bracket 54 includes a number of shelf support tabs 56 which project upwardly and are displaced a slight distance from the bracket 54 and which engage locking grooves 58 along the bottom edge of each shelf 50. The shelves 50 may thus be selectively mounted at varying heights along the bracket 54 depending upon the spacing of the shelf support tabs 56 to provide for different distances between the shelves 50. 
     Each shelf 50 also defines a series of slots 60 extending between and generally perpendicular to the front and back edges of the shelf 50 through which the dividers 52 are inserted. Each divider 52 has a plurality of locking notches 62 positioned along each vertical edge of the divider 52 and spaced at vertical intervals corresponding to the spacing between the shelf support tabs 56 on the brackets 54. The notches 62 extend inwardly from the front and back edges of the divider 52 and are spaced apart in an alternating pattern relative to one end edge of the divider 52. 
     Referring to FIG. 6, it may be seen that the slots 60 each define a circular aperture 64 at the rear end of each slot 60 such that each divider 52 may be received within the slot 60 and pressed forward to engage the locking notch 62 into contact with the front edge 66 of the slot 60, and a push fastener 68 inserted into the aperture 64 to retain the divider 52 in that position. 
     By selecting varying heights for the shelves 50 defined by the positions of the shelf support tabs 56, and selecting the appropriately spaced and alternately positioned locking notch 62 in each divider 52, a variety of compartment sizes may be selected by the person assembling the mail sorter 10. 
     The bottom edge 34 of the lower panel 20 may optionally define an access portal 70 through which cords may be passed such that when the mail sorter 10 is placed on a table top or similar support, various electronic office equipment such as a postage meter or three-hole punch may be placed in the region below the shelves 50. Towards this end, it is preferable for the mail sorter 10 to have a plurality of foam rubber cushions 70a attached to the bottom edges 22, 24 and 34 of the lower back panel 20 and side panels 14, 16 to prevent the mail sorter 10 from sliding on or scratching the surface of a table or stand, and further that the mail sorter 10 define an ample open region 74 beneath the lowest shelf 50 to accommodate various associated office equipment or to provide a utility work space. 
     While the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described, it should be understood that various changes, adaptations, and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims: