Abstract:
A stackable footwear storage cabinet is provided that includes a plurality of components forming a cubic arrangement inclosing an interior space for a drawer with dividers to store footwear in a vertical fashion. Two or more units capable of being interlocked in a vertical stack, counter weighted to prevent tipping over when the fully loaded drawers are extended open.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    The present application relates to footwear storage, in particular to storing footwear in an open room. 
         [0002]    Shoes, sandals, boots and other forms of footwear are primarily stored in closets. In more resent years the size of homes has been on the increase. With larger room sizes more furniture can be used in a room. Larger sized furniture is also being manufactured in the interest of filling a rooms volume. Along with this trend has come the popularity of using room space for in room storage. Cabinets to store house wares or clothing are two examples of this type of storage. 
         [0003]    There is a problem with using cabinets designed for storage of house wares and clothing, to store footwear. Often times the ratio of cabinet size is not in agreement with the size of footwear. Footwear, in a conglomerate, can become very heavy and tip a conventional cabinet over, causing harm and injury. Footwear can quickly fill one cabinet requiring the addition of other cabinets. Often times leading to an unorganized situation. 
         [0004]    Various attempts have been made to create cabinets to store shoes and other footwear. Most of these attempts have been in regard to cabinets intended for use in a closet and are unsightly for in room use. Other in room cabinets have open fronts, revealing the inside of the cabinet, leaving the footwear in view. Another ineffective solution has been the use of horizontally pivoted front door panels on cabinets. This system requires footwear to be set side by side and is not an efficient use of cabinet space. 
         [0005]    Accordingly there is a need for a stackable footwear storage cabinet which over comes the limitations of storing footwear horizontally, maximizes the use of cabinet space, conceals the footwear from view and allows for accumulating footwear in a single location, in an organized, stable and accessible way. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    In at least one embodiment, a storage cabinet is provided comprising: left side, right side, and rear panels arranged to provide a structure with an interior space and an opening in a front of the structure for access to the interior space; and at least one drawer coupled to the structure with at least one slide, the at least one drawer therewith slidable between a closed position and an open position exposing contents of the drawer, the at least one drawer comprising dividers essentially orthogonal to a base of the drawer arranged to form a plurality of vertical compartments. 
         [0007]    In at least one embodiment, the panels are arranged to form a cubic structure. 
         [0008]    In at least one embodiment, the storage cabinet comprises a removable top, the structure having a plurality of slots revealed by removing the top, each of the plurality of slots located to accommodate and connect to a corresponding foot of another storage cabinet, the storage cabinet therewith stackable with the another storage cabinet. 
         [0009]    In at least one embodiment, the plurality of slots are arranged to allow the corresponding feet of the another storage cabinet to slide into the slots horizontally from back to front of the storage cabinet while preventing the feet of another storage cabinet from moving vertically and to lock the another storage cabinet to the storage cabinet when the another storage cabinet is slid to the front of the storage cabinet. 
         [0010]    In at least one embodiment, the storage cabinet comprises at least one counterweight located in the cabinet to prevent tipping of the storage cabinet when the at least one drawer is extended to the open position. 
         [0011]    In at least one embodiment, a storage cabinet is provided comprising: left side, right side, and rear panels arranged to provide a cubic structure with an interior space and an opening in a front of the structure for access to the interior space; a removable top; and at least one drawer coupled to the structure with at least one slide, the at least one drawer therewith slidable between a closed position and an open position exposing contents of the drawer, the at least one drawer comprising dividers essentially orthogonal to a base of the drawer arranged to form a plurality of vertical compartments, the structure having a plurality of slots revealed by removing the top, each of the plurality of slots located to accommodate and lock to a corresponding foot of another storage cabinet, the storage cabinet therewith stackable with the another storage cabinet. 
         [0012]    In at least one embodiment, the storage cabinet comprises at least one counterweight located in the cabinet to prevent tipping of the storage cabinet when the at least one draw is extended to the open position. 
         [0013]    In at least one embodiment, method for storing shoes is provided comprising placing a drawer of a storage cabinet in an open position, the storage cabinet comprising left side, right side, and rear panels arranged to provide a structure with an interior space and an opening in a front of the structure for access to the interior space, the at least one drawer coupled to the structure with at least one slide, the at least one drawer therewith slidable between a closed position and the open position exposing contents of the drawer, the at least one drawer comprising dividers essentially orthogonal to a base of the drawer arranged to form a plurality of vertical compartments; and placing at least one pair of shoes in a divider vertically. 
         [0014]    In at least one embodiment, the panels are arranged to form a cubic structure. 
         [0015]    In at least one embodiment, the storage cabinet comprises a removable top, the structure having a plurality of slots revealed by removing the top, each of the plurality of slots located to accommodate and connect to a corresponding foot of another storage cabinet, the storage cabinet therewith stackable with the another storage cabinet. 
         [0016]    In at least one embodiment, the plurality of slots are arranged to allow the corresponding feet of the another storage cabinet to slide into the slots horizontally from back to front of the storage cabinet while preventing the feet of another storage cabinet from moving vertically and to lock the another storage cabinet to the storage cabinet when the another storage cabinet is slid to the front of the storage cabinet. 
         [0017]    In at least one embodiment, the cabinet comprises at least one counterweight located in the cabinet to prevent tipping of the storage cabinet when the at least one drawer is extended to the open position. 
         [0018]    Additional aspects of the present invention will be apparent in view of the description which follows. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0019]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the stackable footwear storage cabinet. 
           [0020]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 3  is a front view of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0022]      FIG. 4  is a top view of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0023]      FIG. 5  is a right side view of  FIG. 1  the left side view being opposite. 
           [0024]      FIG. 6  is a bottom view of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0025]      FIG. 7  is a top view of  FIG. 2  with the top panel removed. 
           [0026]      FIG. 8  is a back view of  FIG. 2  with the back panel in place. 
           [0027]      FIG. 9  is a bottom view of the top panel. 
           [0028]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view with two stackable footwear storage cabinets interlocked together. 
           [0029]      FIG. 11  is a front detail view of the latch. 
           [0030]      FIG. 12  is a front detail view of the foot. 
           [0031]      FIG. 13  is a sectional view detailing the interlocking feature. 
           [0032]      FIG. 14  is a detail like  FIG. 13  with cabinets in position to interlock. 
           [0033]      FIG. 15  is a detail view like  FIG. 13  with cabinets interlocked. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0034]    While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the storage cabinet according to this application will be better understood from a consideration of the description in conjunction with the drawings. As required, detailed embodiments of the present cabinet are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the embodiments, which can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the cabinets disclosed herein in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting but rather to provide an understandable description of the embodiments disclosed herein. 
         [0035]      FIG. 1  through  FIG. 6  illustrate one embodiment of the stackable footwear storage cabinet  10  that is useful for understanding the inventive concepts disclosed herein. As shown, stackable footwear storage cabinet  10  can include the left side panel  12 , right side panel  14 , dimensional lumber  16 , front stiles  18  and back panel  20 . All of the previous mentioned components are configured in a cubic arrangement to form the interior space  22  with the front opening  24  for receiving the drawer  38  and the feet  36  for supporting a cabinet  10 . 
         [0036]    The top panel  26  can be removed to reveal the concealed interior panel  28 , connecting plates  46 , latch  32  and drawer slides  30 . 
         [0037]    A drawer  38  can have one or more handles  40  attached to or an integral part thereof. One or more drawer slides  30  are attached to the left and right hand sides of drawer  38 , in the preferred embodiment, and connect drawer  38  with cabinet  10 . Drawer  38  can contain permanent or removable dividers  42 . The dividers  42  form one or more compartments to store footwear  44  in a vertical fashion. 
         [0038]    In the preferred embodiment the construction of the left side panel  12  and the right side panel  14  is of 0.25 inch thick overlaid plywood. The top panel  26  is constructed from 0.75 inch thick overlaid plywood with finished edges. The stiles  18  are constructed from 0.75 inch thick lumber. The dimensional lumber  16  is cut to size and has a width and height of 1.25 to 1.50 inches respective of its position in the cabinet  10 . The back panel  20  and interior panel  28  are constructed from 0.50 inch thick composition board. The drawer  38  and dividers  42  are constructed from a variety of wood materials well known in the arts. 
         [0039]    In the preferred embodiment the width α of cabinet  10  is 24.75 inches. The height β is 18.25 inches. The depth χ is 16.25 inches. The centers of feet  36  are set at a critical width δ of 23.125 inches and depth ε of 14.25 inches. 
         [0040]      FIG. 7  illustrates a top view of  FIG. 2  with the top panel  26  removed. The connecting plates  46 , in the preferred embodiment, are constructed of 0.06 inch thick steel. A slot  48  accommodates the width of adjustable means  64  attached to foot  36  and is cut into plate  46  along with one or more holes  50 . Fasteners  52  are inserted through holes  50  to secure plates  46  to dimensional lumber  16 . It is critical, plates  46  are set in position to accommodate the critical width δ of 23.125 inches and depth ε of 14.25 inches of the centers of feet  36 . Plates  46  are set above cavities  54  which are formed by routering them into dimensional lumber  16 . 
         [0041]    As shown in  FIG. 8 , a back view of  FIG. 2  with the back panel  20  in place. Above the bottom  34  in the back portion of cabinet  10  are located one or more counter weights  56 . In the preferred embodiment, the counter weights  56  are three in number and constructed of poly vinyl chloride tubing filed with concrete weighing two pounds each. The purpose of the counter weights  56  is to keep the cabinet  10  from tipping forward when the fully loaded drawer  38  is extended in an open position. The counter weight may further have enough weight to prevent tipping with a plurality of storage cabinets stored one over the other. 
         [0042]      FIG. 9  illustrates a bottom view of the top panel  26 . Four spacing blocks  58  constructed of 0.75 inch thick material are fastened to the bottom of top panel  26 . The blocks  58  are placed in a fashion to hold top panel  26  in its place on cabinet  10 . 
         [0043]    Referring to  FIG. 10  through  FIG. 15 . One or more cabinets can be used in an assembled configuration and stacked two or three cabinets high, in the preferred embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 10 . To create such an assembly the top panel  26  is removed from a cabinet  10 . Subsequent cabinets  10  are placed on top of one another in the following fashion. 
         [0044]      FIG. 13  illustrates a sectional view detailing the interlocking feature. In this view a second cabinet  10  is lifted above a first cabinet  10  and positioned slightly off center toward the back of a first cabinet  10 . The purpose illustrated is to align the front two feet  36  over the front two cavities  54  and set the cabinet into place with the front two feet  36  resting in the front two cavities  54 . In this step the rear two feet are left outside of the first cabinet  10 . 
         [0045]    In  FIG. 14 , it is shown, the second cabinet  10  has been moved slightly forward with the feet  36  sliding slightly forward in cavities  54 . The cabinets  10  are, both, now in position to interlock. 
         [0046]      FIG. 15  illustrates second cabinet  10  moved fully forward to completely interlock with first cabinet  10 . At this time, the drawer  38  of second cabinet  10  is opened and the slide bolt  60 , on latch  32 , is engaged with notch  62 . Thus, as shown in  FIG. 11 , securing cabinets  10  from movement relative to one another. 
         [0047]    While the foregoing invention has been described in some detail for purposes of clarity and understanding, it will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, from a reading of the disclosure, that various changes in form and detail can be made without departing from the true scope of the invention.