Abstract:
A shoe rack for mounting to an upright surface, or for hanging over a door, includes a pair of plastic, vertical side frame members and a plurality of shoe-retaining bars positioned between the side frame members upon which shoes, boxes and the like may be supported. A number of different embodiments are shown, each of which incorporates different features, and each of which may result in improved structural integrity over the prior art. Further, each embodiment may result in a product that is less expensive to manufacture and may result in a product which retains shoes on the shoe rack in a different, or better, manner.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    The present application claims priority from U.S. application Ser. No. 10/189,638, filed Jul. 3, 2002, entitled “Over-Door Shoe Racks”, which is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/641,794, filed Aug. 19, 1999 and now U.S. Pat. No. 6,533,127, issued Mar. 18, 2003, entitled “Over-Door Shoe Racks” and which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/149,794, filed Aug. 19, 1999, entitled “Over-Door Shoe Racks”. 
     
    
     
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
         [0002]    Not Applicable.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    The present invention is generally directed to a hanging shoe rack, and is more particularly directed to a number of embodiments for shoe racks that hang from, or are positioned on, the back of the door or on another upright surface.  
           [0004]    Hanging shoe racks are well known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,073, entitled “Hanging Shoe Rack”, is directed to a hanging shoe rack having a pair of plastic side frame members, and a plurality of support bars positioned between the side frame members on which shoes may be supported. The present invention is directed to such a product, albeit with different features. U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,073 is incorporated by reference, in its entirety, herein.  
           [0005]    In particular, the shoe rack set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,073 includes first and second plastic side frame members. Each side frame member has as vertical member having a plurality of support arms extending outwardly and downwardly therefrom. The product has a plurality of shoe retaining bars. The shoe retaining bars are oriented in pairs, with each pair of bars aligned in a plane forming an acute angle with respect to the vertical surface on which the shoe rack is positioned. In this regard, one bar of each pair is positioned at outward ends of respective arms, while the other shoe retaining bar of the pair is positioned between the vertical members of the respective side frame members.  
           [0006]    As illustrated best in FIG. 2 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,073, the vertical members of the plastic side frame members are preferably spatially removed from the upright surface or door, due to the presence of leg members at upper and lower portions of the side frame members. Hangers, or brackets, are positioned over the door and receive foot members extending downwardly from leg members, as clearly illustrated and described in the &#39;073 patent. As illustrated and described, when the hanging shoe rack product is positioned on an upright surface, the vertical members and outwardly and downwardly depending arms serve as lateral barriers to retain the shoes on the shoe rack.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    Each embodiment of the present invention is directed to a shoe rack for mounting to an upright surface, or for hanging over a door. Each embodiment of the present invention employs two plastic side frame members, and a plurality of shoe retaining bars positioned between the side frame members, upon which shoes, boxes, and the like may be supported. However, each embodiment of the present invention incorporates different features, resulting in improved structure integrity over the prior art and/or resulting in a product that is less expensive to manufacture and/or resulting in a product which retains shoes on the shoe rack in a different, or better, manner. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    The objects and features of the invention noted above are explained in more detail with reference to the drawings, in which like reference numerals denote like elements, and in which:  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1 illustrates a first embodiment of the shoe rack of the present invention;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view illustrating a second embodiment of a hanging shoe rack of the present invention;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view illustrating a third embodiment of a hanging shoe rack of the present invention;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view illustrating a fourth embodiment of a hanging shoe rack of the present invention;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view illustrating a fifth embodiment of a hanging shoe rack of the present invention;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view illustrating a sixth embodiment of a hanging shoe rack of the present invention;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view illustrating a seventh embodiment of a hanging shoe rack of the present invention;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view illustrating an eighth embodiment of a hanging shoe rack of the present invention;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 9 is a fragmentary view illustrating a ninth embodiment of a hanging shoe rack of the present invention;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 10 is a fragmentary view illustrating a tenth embodiment of a hanging shoe rack of the present invention;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 11 is a fragmentary view illustrating an eleventh embodiment of a hanging shoe rack of the present invention;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 12 is a fragmentary view illustrating a twelfth embodiment of a hanging shoe rack of the present invention;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 13 is a fragmentary view illustrating a thirteenth embodiment of a hanging shoe rack of the present invention; and  
         [0022]    [0022]FIGS. 14 a  and  14   b  illustrate a fourteenth embodiment of a hanging shoe rack of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0023]    With reference now to the figures, it is again noted that each embodiment of the present invention employs first and second side frame members, preferably made of plastic, and a plurality of shoe retaining bars oriented in pairs. Additionally, each embodiment of the present invention preferably employs components or means for mounting the shoe rack to an upright surface or for hanging the shoe rack over a door. Additionally, each embodiment of the present invention preferably is a modular shoe rack, in that one shoe rack may be connected to another shoe rack of the invention, in a manner such as that set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,073. The following described drawings illustrate only one side frame member, or a portion thereof, since the remainder of the product will be readily understood in view of that which is disclosed herein, and that which has been incorporated herein by reference.  
         [0024]    With reference initially to FIG. 1, a hanging shoe rack of the present invention has first and second plastic side frame members, with one such side frame member (a right side member) being illustrated and denoted generally by reference numeral  10 . Side frame member  10  is preferably integrally formed of molded plastic. Side frame member  10  has a primary, arcuate, or curved member, often times referred to as a main body section, denoted generally by the reference numeral  12 . Preferably, curved member  12  has an upper end, including a female socket  14 , and a lower end, including a male member  16 . As will be appreciated, one shoe rack of this embodiment of the invention can be connected to another shoe rack of this embodiment of the invention by placing the male member  16  of a first side frame member  12  in the female member  14  of a second side frame member  10 , such that one shoe rack depends from the other. Additionally, side frame member  10  preferably has a foot member  18 , which is received by a hanger such as the hanger illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,073, incorporated herein by reference.  
         [0025]    Curved side frame member  12  preferably curves downwardly from an upper portion thereof to a lower most portion, denoted by the reference numeral  20 . As illustrated, the lower most portion  20  of the side frame member is positioned outwardly from a rear portion of the side frame member  10 , such that the curved member  12  does not curve all the way back to the vertical surface. Instead, an intermediary portion  22 , which is preferably angled backwardly and upwardly, is positioned between the lower most portion  20  of side frame member  10  and a horizontal, rear member  24 , from which the male member  16  depends.  
         [0026]    A plurality of curved support arms, denoted by reference numeral  26 , are positioned on plastic side frame member  10  and, in fact, are integrally formed therewith. The upper tiers of support arms  26 , illustrated by the uppermost two tiers of FIG. 1, have a first portion  28  which extends outwardly in a first direction from the curved portion  12  and a second portion  30  which extends outwardly in an opposite direction from the curved side frame portion  12 . Each arm  26  terminates in an enlarged outer end, denoted by reference numerals  32 , which have sockets therein (on a reverse side from that shown), for receiving shoe retaining bars in a conventional manner. As illustrated, a shoe  34 , when positioned on the shoe retaining bars, is retained from lateral movement both by the curvature of the support arm  26 , as well as by the curved side portion  12 . It is noted that, in the lowermost tier of shoe retaining bars, one of the sockets, denoted by reference numeral  36 , is positioned in the member  12 , as illustrated. The shoe rack illustrated in FIG. 1 is particularly useful for preventing shoes from falling off of the shoe rack, particularly when the shoe rack is positioned on a door, such that when the door is swung from an open to closed or closed to open position, the support arms  26  and curved member  12  prevent lateral movement of the shoes. Additionally, the curved nature of member  12  distributes stress on the shoe rack, resulting from the weight of the shoes positioned on the shoe rack, in an even or substantially even manner, thus reducing the stress points that would typically be found at an upper end of the rack.  
         [0027]    With reference now to FIG. 2, an alternate embodiment is illustrated and described. Particularly, in the embodiment of FIG. 2, a vertical side frame member  40  is provided, with a plurality of linear support arms  42 . Each support arm has a portion thereof extending upwardly and outwardly from a first side of the vertical member  40 , and another portion thereof extending downwardly and outwardly from an opposite side of the vertical member  40 . In particular, the shoe rack is preferably positioned such that the toe  44  of the shoe  46  abuts up against the vertical surface upon which the shoe rack is mounted. Alternatively, however, the shoe rack could be constructed such that the vertical surface is positioned proximate the heel portion  48  of the shoe. The vertical member  40 , as well as the enlarged outer portions  49  of support arm  42 , prevent lateral movement of the shoe. As will be understood and appreciate, enlarged outer portions  49  have sockets (on an opposite side of that shown) for receiving shoe retaining bars.  
         [0028]    In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the shoe rack again has a vertical side frame member  50 , and shoe retaining bars oriented in pairs and positioned in respective sockets  52  in enlarged outer ends  54  of corresponding support arms  56 ,  58 . As illustrated, support arm  56  preferably angles outwardly and downwardly in a first direction from vertical member  50 , while support arm  58  depends outwardly and downwardly in a second direction from vertical member  50 . Thus, the arms meet at somewhat of a peak at vertical member  50 . As illustrated, the combination of vertical member  50  and arms  56 ,  58  create a barrier against lateral movement of the shoe  59 .  
         [0029]    With reference now to FIG. 4, the hanging shoe rack of the present invention includes a vertical side frame member  60  and a plurality of outwardly extending, curved support arms  62 . Sockets for receiving shoe retaining bars are positioned at locations  64  and  66 . As illustrated, the combination of vertical member  60  and the curved arm  62  provide a barrier against lateral movement of the shoe  68 .  
         [0030]    With reference now to FIG. 5, the hanging shoe rack includes a vertical member  70  and a plurality of horizontal, outwardly extending support arm  72 . Sockets for receiving shoe retaining bars are positioned at enlarged areas  74  and  76 . It should be understood and appreciated that the shoe rack could be constructed so that the vertical surface is to the left of the page, or to the right of the page.  
         [0031]    With reference now to FIG. 6, the hanging shoe rack in this embodiment of the invention has a vertical side frame member  80  and a plurality of downwardly and outwardly extending support arms  82 . The molded construction of this embodiment provides enlarged portions  84 ,  86 . Sockets for receiving shoe retaining bars are preferably positioned centrally on the opposite side of enlarged areas  84 ,  86 . In this embodiment, the combination of vertical member  80  and the enlarged areas  84 ,  86  provide a barrier against lateral movement of the shoe  88  when positioned on the shoe rack.  
         [0032]    In the embodiment of FIG. 7, the shoe rack of the present invention includes a vertical member  90 , a plurality of outwardly and upwardly angled support arms  92 , and a horizontal barrier arm  94 , positioned as shown. Shoe retaining bars are positioned in sockets at enlarged locations  96  and  98 . The shoe  99  is retained on the bars primarily by the combination of vertical member  90  and barrier arm  94 , and to a lesser degree by the angled support arms  92 .  
         [0033]    In the embodiment of FIG. 8, the hanging shoe rack of the present invention includes a vertical member  100 , and a plurality of outwardly and upwardly angled support arms  102 . Sockets for receiving shoe retaining bars are positioned at enlarged areas  104  and  106 . A particular aspect of this embodiment is the provision of tabs  108  positioned at an upper portion of support arm  102 . As illustrated, the combination of vertical member  100  and tabs  108  provide a barrier against lateral movement of shoe  109 .  
         [0034]    In an alternative embodiment of FIG. 8, FIG. 9 has a similar vertical member  100 , an angled support arm  102 , with socket areas  104 ,  106 . However, instead of the tabs  108  previously described, a loop portion  107  is presented for providing an additional lateral barrier. While the loop portion  107  is preferably formed of molded plastic, it could also be formed of another suitable material, such as wire. In the case where the loop  107  is formed of wire, it is potted into the molding compound used for forming the support arm  102 .  
         [0035]    In the embodiments of FIGS. 10 and 11, a vertical support member  120  is provided. In the embodiment of FIG. 10, vertical support member  120  is positioned outwardly from an upright surface upon which the shoe rack is mounted. In this regard, the shoe rack is preferably mounted such that the toe portion  122  of the shoe  124  abuts up against the upright surface. In contrast, in the embodiment of FIG. 11, the vertical portion  120  preferably abuts up against the upright surface.  
         [0036]    In each embodiment, a support arm  126  is provided. In a particular aspect of these embodiments, support arm  126  is curved in an “S-curve”. In the embodiment of FIG. 10, the socket areas  127 ,  128  are positioned as shown, with the socket  128  being in the vertical member  120 . In contrast, in the embodiment of FIG. 11, each socket area  127 ,  129  is on the support arm  126 .  
         [0037]    As illustrated, the precise nature of the “S-curve” arm  126  is different in each embodiment, with different dimensions at different angles. It will be understood and appreciated that variations of this S-curve feature may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.  
         [0038]    The embodiments of FIGS. 12 and 13 are similar to the embodiment of FIG. 7, with the exception that the vertical member  130  is positioned in abutment against the upright surface. Further, as illustrated in the alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 13, the barrier arm  132  may be curved or arcuate rather than horizontal as shown in FIGS. 7 and 12. As can be seen in both FIGS. 12 and 13, only the dimensions and appearance of the product have changed, but each serves the purpose of preventing lateral movement of the shoes.  
         [0039]    The embodiment of FIGS. 14 a  and  14   b  have first and second side frame members  140 ,  142 , each having a number of support arms  144  angled outwardly and downwardly therefrom. Each support arm  144  has an angled portion  146  at an outer end thereof. As illustrated, the hanging shoe rack of this embodiment has a number of shoe retaining tiers  148 . Each tier  148  has a first bar  150  a second bar  152  and a third bar  154 , positioned as shown. In particular, bars  152 ,  154  form a parallel pair of bars for retaining shoes in a tilted manner as illustrated in FIG. 14 b , such that the shoes are angled upwardly toward the surface upon which the shoe rack is mounted or positioned.  
         [0040]    From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all ends and objects hereinabove set forth together with the other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the structure.  
         [0041]    It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.  
         [0042]    Since many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.