Patent Publication Number: US-2005127800-A1

Title: Mobile filing unit

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to office furniture and, more specifically, to a mobile filing unit.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      A conventional drawer cabinet, as shown in  FIG. 1 , comprises three drawers arranged at different elevations. The bottom drawer is relatively bigger. The other two drawers are relatively smaller. The large bottom drawer can be used to hold file holders or hanging files of A4 size (about 21×29 cm). For keeping files greater than this size, different filing racks or cabinets shall be used. Arranging different types and sizes of filing racks and cabinets in the office may obstruct the sense of beauty of the office.  
      Further, modern business administration has become electronicized. Different data storage disks may be used in offices to store electronic files. Conventional filing racks and filing cabinets are simply designed for keeping paper files, not practical for keeping electronic file storage media. For keeping electronic file storage media, different storage racks or cabinets shall be used.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present invention to provide a mobile filing unit, which is practical for the mounting of different sizes of hanging racks for holding different sizes of hanging files. It is another object of the present invention to provide a mobile filing unit, which provides a hanging rack and a storage box for holding paper files as well as electronic files for quick searching.  
      To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, the mobile filing unit comprises a housing, said housing having a top open side; two tracks horizontally bilaterally mounted inside said housing near said top open side; two sliding rails respectively coupled to said tracks and longitudinally movable relative to said tracks; a face panel connected between said sliding rails and movable with said sliding rails in and out of said tracks to close/open said top open side of said housing; a hanging rack mounted inside said housing below said tracks for the hanging of hanging files, said hanging rack comprising two first rod members arranged in parallel and two second rod members connected in parallel between said first rod members; and a storage box mounted inside said housing, said storage box having a plurality of top hooks for hanging on the second rod members of said hanging rack. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  illustrates the outer appearance of a conventional drawer cabinet.  
       FIG. 2  is an exploded view of a mobile filing unit according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 3  is an assembly view of  FIG. 2  before installation of the face panel.  
       FIG. 4  is a sectional view taken in an enlarged scale along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 .  
       FIG. 5  illustrates one status of use of the mobile filing unit according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 6  illustrates another status of use of the mobile filing unit according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 7  illustrates still another status of use of the mobile filing unit according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 8  is an exploded view of an alternate form of the mobile filing unit according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 9  is a schematic drawing showing a status of use of the mobile filing unit shown in  FIG. 8 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      Referring to FIGS.  1 ˜ 5 , a mobile filing unit in accordance with the present invention is shown comprised of a housing  10 , two tracks  20  and  21 , a face panel  30 , and a hanging rack  40 .  
      Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3  again, the housing  10  is a wheeled rectangular container, comprising four uprights  111 ˜ 114  vertically disposed in four corners, two sets of horizontal rod members  121 ˜ 124  (each set of horizontal rod members  121 ˜ 124  including two short rod members  121  and  123  and two long rod members  122  and  124 ) respectively connected to top and bottom ends of the four uprights  111 ˜ 114  to join the uprights  111 ˜ 114  and to hold the uprights  111 ˜ 114  in parallel, four peripheral panels  131 ˜ 134  respectively connected between each two of the uprights  111 ˜ 114  at four sides in vertical and stopped between the two sets of horizontal rod members  121 ˜ 124 , a bottom panel (not shown) surrounded by the peripheral panels  131 ˜ 134 , and two reinforcing bars  15  respectively horizontally fastened to two opposite peripheral panels  132  and  134  at an inner side to support the peripheral panels  132  and  134  against deformation.  
      Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4  again, the tracks  20  and  21  are respectively affixed to the two long rod members  122  and  124  of the top set of horizontal rod members  121 ˜ 124  at an inner side with screws  22 , each comprising a sliding rail  23  or  24 . The sliding rail  23  or  24  can be moved in and out of the track  20  or  21 , having two lugs  231  or  241  disposed near two distal ends. Stop means (not shown) is provided to stop the sliding rail  23  or  24  from falling out of the track  20  or  21 . Because such stop means is of the known art, no further detailed description in this regard is necessary.  
      Referring to FIGS.  2 ˜ 4 , the face panel  30  is a rectangular plate member comprising a plurality of locating blocks  31  respectively symmetrically disposed at the bottom side adjacent to the two opposite long sides corresponding to the lugs  231  and  241  of the sliding rails  23  and  24 . The locating blocks  31  each have a screw hole  32 . Screws  33  are respectively threaded into respective nuts  34  and the screw hole  32  in each locating block  31  to affix the lugs  231  and  241  of the sliding rails  23  and  24  to the face panel  30  at two sides, for enabling the face panel  30  to be moved with the sliding rails  23  and  24  in and out of the tracks  20  and  21  between two positions to close/open the top open side of the housing  10  (see also  FIGS. 5 and 6 ).  
      Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3  again, the hanging rack  40  is a rectangular open frame comprising two transverse rod members  41  and  43 , two longitudinal rod members  42  and  44  connected between the transverse rod members  41  and  43 , four mounting rings  45  respectively provided at the ends of the transverse rod members  41  and  43  and respectively fastened to the two long rod members  122  and  124  of the top set of horizontal rod members  121 ˜ 124  at the bottom side to hold the hanging rack  40  inside the housing  10  near the top open side of the housing  10 .  
      Referring to FIGS.  5 ˜ 7 , when using the mobile filing unit, the user can push the face panel  30  to open/close the housing  10 . When sliding rails  23  and  24  moved with the face panel  30  out of the tracks  20  and  21  to the extent, they are stopped in position by the aforesaid stop means, and therefore the sliding rails  23  and  24  and the face panel  30  do not fall out of the tracks  20  and  21  and the housing  10 . When opened the face panel  30 , the user can hang at least two different sizes of hanging files (file holders)  50  and  51  on the hanging rack  40 . The distance between the two transverse rod members  41  and  43  and the distance between the two longitudinal rod members  42  and  44  are determined subject to different requirements during fabrication. The embodiment shown in the drawings is just for understanding of the invention, and modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.  
       FIGS. 8 and 9  show an alternate form of the mobile filing unit. According to this embodiment, a storage box  60  is mounted inside the housing  10 . The storage box  60  has top hooks  61  for handing on the longitudinal rod members  42  and  44  of the hanging rack  40 , and a plurality of ribs  62  symmetrically bilaterally disposed on the inside. The ribs  62  divide the internal space of the storage box  60  into a plurality of compartments for holding, for example, CD boxes.  
      As illustrated in  FIG. 9  again, the storage box  60  and the hanging rack  40  are provided inside the housing  10  to hold mobile data storage media and different sizes of hanging files (file holders)  50  and  51 . Therefore, the user can manage paper files as well as electronic files efficiently. Further, the hanging rack  40  and the storage box  60  can be made to provide different storage spaces for holding different kinds and different sizes of files.  
      A prototype of mobile filing unit has been constructed with the features of FIGS.  2 ˜ 9 . The mobile filing unit functions smoothly to provide all of the features discussed earlier.  
      Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.