Patent Publication Number: US-2012037772-A1

Title: Locker mounting apparatus for work belts

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention generally relates to apparatus adapted to be coupled to the door of a wall locker to hold and organize personal effects and in particular to support the heavy duty belts used by law enforcement personnel. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Hangers of the type employed for clothing that include a support frame and hook are well known in the prior art and commonly used in a conventional manner. Such conventional manner normally calls for clothing to be folded over and supported from a support arm having its opposite ends connected generally to brace elements connecting the support arm to a hook portion. The brace elements converge at a junction whereat the supporting hook is normally removably attached within a closet or the like on elongate rods. While theSe hanger structures are obviously well accepted, they generally are not usable in wall lockers found in schools, gymnasiums or other locations where temporary storage is needed. 
     Wall lockers typically used for the storage of clothing and the like typically include louvered vents in the locker door. The user of such facilities typically place their street clothes or other items for storage within the wall locker. In order to conserve space, such lockers are not specifically dimensioned or internally structured for adaptation to the use of conventionally configured clothes hangers. As a result, users are required to hang their clothes on support hooks typically attached to the inside vertical walls of the wall locker or otherwise fold or arrange clothing and other items to fit within the limited space. Wall lockers configured in this manner are unusable for hanging or otherwise mounting heavy work or duty belts. 
     The prior art does disclose supporting apparatus that can be removably coupled to the louver vents of locker doors. In one embodiment disclosed by the prior art, a multiple shelf system is employed with bins that may be used to hold the user&#39;s accessories. The device is inadequate for use to store or otherwise mount the work or duty belts employed by law enforcement personnel, carpenters or plumbers because of the weight and bulkiness inherent in the belts. 
     The present invention substantially resolves the inadequacies of mounting apparatus taught by the prior art. Duty belts employed by law enforcement officers are intended to carry bulky items that can weigh at least 30 pounds. Work belts employed by members of the military, carpenters and plumbers typically weigh approximately the same. The devices taught by the prior art are totally incapable of supporting bulky items in general and heavy bulky items in particular in the manner achieved by the present invention. The present invention comprises a planar member, one end thereof being supported by a louvered vent in a locker door. The planar member is spaced from the surface of the locker door and includes a receiving aperture for receiving the work belt securing flanges that are necessitated by the substantial weight to be carried by duty and work belts. The present invention also employs a member extending outwardly from the planar member to support items of clothing and other items not required to be supported by the weight bearing member. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a mounting apparatus for heavy duty and work belts used by law enforcement officers, members of the military and other professionals (e.g., plumbers, carpenters, etc.) that support heavy and bulky items indigenous to their professions. The present invention is intended to provide support for duty and work belts that support loads that can be as heavy as 30 pounds. A planar member having parallel front and rear surfaces depends at one end thereof into a mounting flange that is deflected at an oblique angle relative to the surface of the planar member and is adapted to engage the louver vent of the door of a wall locker. The opposing end of the planar member depends into a perpendicular spacing panel that engages the surface of the locker door and creates a gap between the locker door and the surface of the planar member. An aperture or opening is disposed through the planar member from one surface to the other substantially adjacent the spacing panel. Belt coupling members of heavy duty and work belts typically comprise at least one curved member at one end of the belt that are adapted to be engaged with apertures disposed at the opposing end of the belt. The belt coupling members of a work belt are positioned into the opening and adapted to engage the surface of the planar member at the lower edge of the aperture. To mount standard clothing or other accessories, an auxiliary mounting member is secured to the surface of the planar member in opposition to the spacer. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a locker mounting apparatus to support weight bearing work and duty belts. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a locker mounting apparatus for supporting work or duty belts that is removably coupled to the door of a wall locker. 
     It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved locker mounting apparatus that can support loads of at least 30 pounds. 
     It is still yet another objection of the present invention to provide an improved locker mounting apparatus that is simple and inexpensive to fabricate. 
     The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objectives and advantages thereof, will be better understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawing in which a presently preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawing is for the purpose of illustration and description only, and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the present invention locker mounting apparatus for work belts coupled to a louvered vent of a locker door. 
         FIG. 2  is a partial side elevation view of a duty belt having two coupling members adapted to be supported by the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a front elevation view of the coupling members of a duty belt adapted to be supported by the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a front elevation view of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the present invention taken through line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating the preferred embodiment of the present and supported duty belt mounted on a louvered vent of a locker door. 
         FIG. 7  is a side elevation view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a rear elevation view of the alternative embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 9  is a partial, cross-sectional view of the alternative embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8  mounted upon a locker door. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     An understanding of the use of the present invention can be best seen by reference to  FIG. 1 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the present invention locker mounting apparatus  10  is intended for use with a conventional locker, generally indicated by the reference numeral  11 , having a frame  12 , an interior locker cavity  13  and a locker door  14 . The locker door  14  is attached by hinges  15  to frame  12  of the locker  11 . The locker door  14  includes a plurality of equally spaced horizontally disposed projecting louvered vents  16  which extend across the surface of locker door  14 . The vents  16  provide openings through which air may move between the interior cavity  13  and the exterior environment. As will be described in detail hereinbelow, the present invention locker mounting apparatus  10  is removably coupled to a vent  16  and will support a heavy duty or work belt within interior cavity  13 . 
     The present invention locker mounting apparatus  10  is specifically adapted to support the heavy duty or work belts used by law enforcement officers, members of the military and professions such as carpenters and plumbers. Specifically, the present invention locker mounting apparatus can support loads as heavy as 30 pounds. Typical work and duty belts in general and specifically those used by law enforcement officers typically employ a construction such as that illustrated in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3  wherein the portion of the work belt that is adapted to be coupled to the present invention is shown. The duty belt shown in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3  is a conventional belt long in use by law enforcement officers, members of the military and like professions and does not constitute any part of the present invention. As illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , belt coupling member  20  is secured to belt  21 . Belt coupling  20  comprises a generally rectangular base  22  which is physically secured to surface  23  of belt  21  by rivets  24  to insure that belt coupling member  20  is properly secured to the surface  23  of belt  21  between parallel edges  25  and  26  by a pair of rivets  24  that the rivets  24  are imbedded through belt member  20  equidistant from the edges  25  and  26  of belt  21 . The lateral edges of belt coupling  20  depend into a pair of hooked securing flanges  27  in parallel spaced relation to one another. Hooked securing flanges  27  are adapted to engage mating apertures disposed through the opposing end of duty belt  21  (not shown). It would be understood by those having skill in the art that the present invention is usable with work or duty belts that include a different number of hook securing flanges  27 . 
     The structure of the preferred embodiment of the present invention can be best seen by reference to  FIGS. 4-6 , inclusive. The present invention is constructed from a planar sheet  30  of metal or molded plastic. The upper end of planar sheet  30  depends into a mounting flange  31  that is positioned at an oblique angle with respect to rear surface  32  of planar member  30 . The lower end of planar member  30  depends into a spacing panel  33  that is perpendicular to rear surface  32 . The upper interface  34  between flange  31  and planar member  30  and the lower interface  35  between spacing panel  33  and planar member  30  are in parallel spaced relation to one another. The geometrical configuration of planar member  30  is symmetrical with respect to its longitudinal axis  40 . As can be seen best in  FIG. 4 , reciprocal lateral edges  41  and  42  extend between upper interface  34  and lower interface  35 . The lower portions of lateral edges  41  and  42  are substantially parallel to each other and are perpendicular to upper interface  34  and lower interface  35 . The distance between the upper portions of lateral edges  41  and  42  uniformly decrease from the mid-point of lateral edges  41  and  42  to their intersection with upper interface  34 . Subject to the requirement that upper interface  34  must be mountable within a louvered vent  16 , it would be understood by persons having skill in the art that other geometrical configurations for the upper portions of lateral edges  41  and  42  could be employed. 
     A rectangular aperture  36  is disposed through planar member  30  from the front surface  37  to the rear surface  32  thereof, the bottom edge  38  of rectangular aperture  36  being in parallel spaced relation to lower interface  35  and is adapted to receive hooked securing flanges  27  of belt coupling member  20 . To provide means to mount clothing or other light items, auxiliary hook  39  is secured to front surface  37  between rectangular aperture  36  and upper interface  34  along the axis  40  of planar member  30 . It is understood to those persons having skill in the art that, if planar member  30  is metal, auxiliary hook  39  can be formed from a partially severed and depending section of planar member  30 . 
     Use of the present invention can be best seen by reference to  FIG. 6  which illustrates a mounted form of the present invention supporting a work belt. As shown in  FIG. 1 , mounting flange  31  is inserted through and is in engagement with a louvered vent  16  in locker door  14 . When in position, spacing panel  33  is positioned against inside surface  37  of locker door  14  thereby creating a gap between the surface of locker door  14  and the portion of rear surface  32  adjacent rectangular aperture  36 . To support work belt  21 , hooked securing flanges  27  of belt coupling member  20  are disposed through rectangular aperture  36  and are disposed adjacent bottom edge  38  of rectangular aperture  36 . When in place, the terminus of hooked securing flanges  27  will be positioned within the gap created between the inside surface  37  of locker door  14  and the rear surface  32  of planar member  30 . 
     An alternative embodiment of the present invention can be best seen by reference to  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 8 . In the preferred embodiment, mounting flange  31  is a rigid planar member that is obliquely positioned relative to the rear surface  32  of planar member  30 . Where the surface of the locker door  14  that will be engaged by the present invention is smooth and may allow inadvertent movement when a work belt is mounted or removed, a mounting flange  50  in the form shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8  is employed. The alternative embodiment of the present invention comprises a planar member  51  having a front surface  52 , a rear surface  53  and reciprocal lateral edges  54  and  55 . The lower portion of lateral edges  54  and  55  are substantially parallel to each other. The lower end of planar member  51  depends into a spacing panel  56  that is perpendicular to rear surface  53 . A rectangular aperture  57  is disposed through planar member  51  from the front member  52  to the rear surface  53  thereof, the bottom edge  58  of rectangular aperture  57  being in parallel, spaced relation to spacing panel  56 . As with the preferred embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , to provide mounting for clothing or other light items, an auxiliary hook  59  is secured to front surface  52  between rectangular aperture  57  and upper interface  60  and positioned along longitudinal axis  61  of planar member  51 . Upper interface  60  is parallel to bottom edge  58  of rectangular aperture  57  and spacing member  56 . 
     The alternative embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8  employs a mounting flange  50  that is intended to apply force to the outside surface of the locker door to prevent inadvertent movement of the present invention when a work belt is mounted or removed. As shown in  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 8 , a resilient pad  62  is secured to surface  53  of planar member  51  intermediate rectangular aperture  57  and upper interface  60  and is in alignment with longitudinal axis  61 . As will be described in detail hereinbelow, a non-slip surface  63  of resilient pad  62  is adapted to engage the inside surface  37  of locker door  14 . Mounting flange  50  extends from upper interface  60  in opposition to front surface  52  of planar member  51 , mounting flange  50  being resiliently deformed to enable it to apply a resilient force. As shown in  FIG. 7 , in its quiescent state, engagement surface  64  of mounting flange  50  will be in resilient engagement with surface  63  of resilient pad  62 . 
     The mounting of the alternative embodiment of the present invention as shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8  on locker door  14  can be best seen by reference to  FIG. 9 . Mounting flange  50  is disposed through a louvered vent  16  whereby engagement segment  64  of mounting flanges  50  is forcefully in contact with the outer surface of locker door  14 . The force applied by engagement segment  64  against the outer surface of locker door  14  urges surface  63  of resilient pad  62  to be in firm engagement with the inner surface  37  of locker door  14  thereby preventing inadvertent movement of the present invention locker mounting apparatus upon the mounting or removal of a work belt therefrom.