Patent Publication Number: US-2023134589-A1

Title: Shoe rack

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The present invention relates to a shoe rack and, more particularly, to a shoe rack with angle-adjustable boards. 
     2. Related Prior Art 
     A shoe rack is used for store and display shoes. A typical shoe rack includes multiple boards supported on a frame installed on a floor. Each of the boards is supported on the frame at a constant angle. However, a user may like the boards to extend horizontally while another user may like the boards to be tilted. Such a typical shoe rack does not satisfy both users. 
     The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide a shoe rack with angle-adjustable boards. 
     To achieve the foregoing objective, the shoe rack includes a frame, at least one board, two rear connectors and two front connectors. The frame includes two lateral subframes each of which comprises at least one tilted beam. Each of the rear connectors includes a shaft pivotally connected to the board and a clip engaged with the tilted beam of one of the lateral subframes. Each of the front connectors includes a shaft pivotally connected to the board, a first clip, and a second clip located closer to the shaft than the first clip. The board extends horizontally when the first clip is engaged with the tilted beam of one of the lateral subframes. The board is tilted when the second clip is engaged with the tilted beam of one of the lateral subframes. 
     Other objectives, advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following description referring to the attached drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be described via detailed illustration of the preferred embodiment referring to the drawings wherein: 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of a shoe rack according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG.  2    is an exploded view of the shoe rack shown in  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  3    is a partial and side view of the shoe rack shown in  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  4    is a cross-sectional view of a front connector of the shoe rack shown in  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  5    is a cross-sectional view of a rear connector of the shoe rack shown in  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  6    is a partial and side view of the shoe rack in another position than shown in  FIG.  3   ; and 
         FIG.  7    is a cross-sectional view of the front connector in another position than shown in  FIG.  4   . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIG.  1   , a shoe rack includes a frame  10 , multiple boards  12 , multiple front connectors  14  and multiple rear connectors  16  for supporting the boards  12  at one of two angles ( FIGS.  3  and  6   ) according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The frame  10  includes two lateral subframes  18  being mirror images to each other. Each of the lateral subframes  18  includes multiple tilted beams  20 . Each of the tilted beams  20  includes a rear end located higher than a front end. Each of the front connectors  14  and a corresponding one of the rear connectors  16  are used to support a lateral edge of a corresponding one of the boards  12  on a corresponding one of the tilted beams  20  of a corresponding one of the lateral subframes  18 . 
     Referring to  FIG.  2   , for clarity and briefness, the following description will be given to only one of the boards  12 , one of the front connectors  14 , one of the rear connectors  16  and one of the tilted beams  20  of one of the lateral subframes  18 . Each edge of the board  12  is supported by a subframe  22 . 
     The subframe  22  consists of a rear bar  24 , a front bar  26  and two lateral bars  28 . The rear bar  24 , the front bar  26 , and the lateral bars  28  are connected to one another. Each of the lateral bars  28  includes a primary section  30  and a secondary section  32 . An angle of about 90 degrees exists between the primary section  30  and the secondary section  32 . The primary section  30  includes a rear aperture  34  and a front aperture  36 . The front and rear apertures  36  and  34  are used for the front and rear connectors  14  and  16  to be described later. 
     The secondary sections  32  of the lateral bars  28  are connected to the front bar  26  to form an inverted U-shaped part used as a restraint or stop of shoes. The restraint or stop is particularly useful when the board  12  is in a tilted position ( FIG.  6   ). The front bar  26  is located in a same horizontal plane with a rear edge of the board  12  when the board  12  is in the tilted position. 
     In another embodiment, the front bar  26  is an inverted 
     U-shaped bar instead of a rectilinear bar, and each of the lateral bars  28  includes only the primary section  30 . Thus, the front bar  26  alone is used as restraint or stop. 
     The rear connector  14  includes a clip  38 , a shaft rod  40  and a nut  42 . The shaft  40  extends from a side of the clip  38 . The shaft  40  and the clip  38  are preferably made in one piece. The shaft  40  is formed with a threaded section  43  engageable with the nut  42 . 
     In another embodiment, the combination of the threaded section  43  with the nut  42  can be replaced with a combination of an aperture with a pin. 
     Referring to  FIGS.  2  and  5   , the shaft  40  extends throughout the rear aperture  34  of one of the lateral bars  28 . Then, the nut  42  is engaged with the shaft  40 . Thus, the rear connector  14  is pivotally connected to the lateral bar  28 . 
     Referring to  FIG.  5   , in use, the clip  38  is engaged with the tilted beam  20 . The pivotal connection of the rear connector  14  to the lateral bar  28  retains the engagement of the clip  38  with the tilted beam  20  no matter the lateral bar  28  is in the horizontal position shown in  FIG.  3    or the tilted position shown in  FIG.  6     
     The front connector  16  includes an H-shaped element  44 , a shaft  46 , a spring  48  and a pin  50 . The H-shaped element  44  includes two clips  52  and  54 . Structurally, the clips  52  and  54  are identical to each other. However, the clips  52  and  54  are at different distances from the shaft  46 . The shaft  46  extends from a side of the H-shaped element  44 . The difference between the clip  52  and the shaft  46  is longer than the distance between the clip  54  and the shaft  46  for reasons to be given later. Hence, the clip  52  extends longer than the clip  54 . The shaft  46  includes an orifice  56 . Preferably, the shaft  46  and the H-shaped element  44  are made in one piece. The spring  48  is preferably a helical spring. 
     Referring to  FIGS.  2  and  4   , the shaft  46  extends throughout the front aperture  36  of one of the lateral bars  28 . Then, the shaft  46  extends throughout the spring  48 . Finally, the pin  50  is fitted in the orifice  56 . Thus, the front connector  16  is pivotally connected to the lateral bar  28 . 
     Referring to  FIGS.  3  and  4   , the clip  52  is engaged with the tilted beam  20 . The board  12  connected to the lateral bar  28  is located horizontally because the front end of the tilted beam  20  is located lower than the lower end of the tilted beam  20  and the clip  52  extends further from the shaft  46  than the clip  54 . 
     Referring to  FIGS.  6  and  7   , the clip  54  is engaged with the tilted beam  20 . The board  12  connected to the lateral bar  28  is tilted because the front end of the tilted beam  20  is located lower than the lower end of the tilted beam  20  and the clip  54  is located closer to the shaft  46  than the clip  52 . 
     In another embodiment, the rear connector  14  can include the orifice  56  and the pin  50  instead of the threaded section  43  and the nut  42 . In such an embodiment, the rear connector  14  can include the spring  48  in addition to the orifice  56  and the pin  50 . 
     In another embodiment, the front connector  16  can include the threaded section  43  and the nut  42  instead of the orifice  56  and the pin  50 . In such an embodiment, the front connector  16  does not include any spring. 
     The present invention has been described via the illustration of the preferred embodiment. Those skilled in the art can derive variations from the preferred embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the preferred embodiment shall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in the claims.