Patent Abstract:
An apparatus and method for organizing, storing, and/or filing items, with a primary receptacle that is mountable to a wall and supports additional receptacles via attachment to and suspension from a hook that is pivotally attached to a bottom of the primary receptacle.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present inventive concept relates generally to an apparatus and method of organizing documents and other tangible items, and more particularly, to an apparatus and a method comprising a wall-mounted receptacle capable of supporting additional receptacles thereon. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a novel apparatus and method for organizing, storing or filing items including, for example, a substrate, office supplies and/or other tangible articles in one or more hanging receptacles or the like. The apparatus comprises a primary receptacle which may be mounted, for example, to a surface such as the wall of a room, cubicle, or the like. The primary receptacle may then accommodate or support one or more additional receptacles via attachment to and suspension from a attachment mechanism (e.g., a hook) that is pivotally attached to a bottom of the primary receptacle. Additional receptacles may then be successively attached in series or parallel in like fashion. While each additional receptacle may or may not be secured to the wall for additional support, a primary object of the present general inventive concept is to provide a filing apparatus having a primary receptacle that may easily accept additional units depending on a desired application of the filing apparatus, thereby increasing versatility. The retractable attachment mechanism allows adaptability and flexibility for use of the apparatus in a variety of spaces also provides aesthetically pleasing appearance, increased safety, and ease and efficiency for packaging, and shipping and storing the apparatus. 
         [0003]    A principal object of the present general inventive concept is to provide a method and system to organize items in one or more receptacles situated on a wall so that files therein may be easily indentified without requiring manual manipulation of the files. 
         [0004]    Another object of the present general inventive concept is to provide a method and system to organize files in a first receptacle unit that supports additional receptacle units each arranged successivly and depending one from another. 
         [0005]    Another object of the present general inventive concept to provide a method and system to organize files, the system having a first receptacle unit to support additional receptacle units so that only the first receptacle requires securing to a wall. 
         [0006]    Another another object of the present general inventive concept to provide a simple low-cost system to organize files and/or individual papers and for separating such files and/or papers into defined areas for easy identification and removal. 
         [0007]    Another another object of the present general inventive concept to provide a system to organize files having a number of receptacles that are efficiently designed with a front side, left and right sides, and a partial rear side that is supplemented in part by the wall. 
         [0008]    Another another object of the present general inventive concept to provide a system to organize files having a number of units each having a receptacle that is efficiently designed with a front side, left and right sides, and a partial rear side that is supplemented in part by the wall to form the receptacle. 
         [0009]    Another another object of the present general inventive concept to provide a system to organize files having a number of units with each unit being identical and self-contained so that each unit may hang from or be hung from each other. 
         [0010]    The foregoing and other objects are intended to be illustrative of the present general inventive concept and are not meant in a limiting sense. Many possible embodiments of the present general inventive concept may be made and will be readily evident upon a study of the following specification and accompanying drawings comprising a part thereof. Various features and subcombinations of present general inventive concept may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. Other objects and advantages of this present general inventive concept will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of this present general inventive concept and various features thereof. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    A preferred embodiment of the invention, illustrative of the best mode in which the applicant has contemplated applying the principles, is set forth in the following description and is shown in the drawings. 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is a front view of a mountable storage apparatus of the present general inventive concept illustrating an upper primary receptacle with a second identical receptacle attached to the primary receptacle, and an organizer receptacle attached to the second receptacle. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a top view of the filing system of the present general inventive concept illustrating an upper primary receptacle with an interior. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the filing system of the present general inventive concept illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a back view of the filing system of the present general inventive concept illustrated in  FIG. 1  with a rear opening to abut a wall. 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the filing system of the present general inventive concept illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is an exploded view of the filing system of the present general inventive concept illustrated in  FIG. 1  having a business card holder, a label holder, receptacles, hooks, and an organizer. 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is a front view of the filing system of the present general inventive concept illustrated in  FIG. 1  wherein the system is assembled. 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is a front view of a single receptacle of the filing system of the present general inventive concept. 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  is a top view of a single receptacle of the filing system of the present general inventive concept. 
           [0021]      FIG. 10  is a rear view of a single receptacle of the filing system of the present general inventive concept. 
           [0022]      FIG. 11  is a side view of a single receptacle of the filing system of the present general inventive concept. 
           [0023]      FIG. 12  is a bottom view of a single receptacle of the filing system of the present general inventive concept. 
           [0024]      FIG. 13  is a front perspective view of a single receptacle of the filing system of the present general inventive concept. 
           [0025]      FIG. 14  is a rear perspective view of a single receptacle of the filing system of the present general inventive concept. 
           [0026]      FIG. 15  is an illustration of the present general inventive concept showing an enlarged fragmentary view of an attachment hook thereof. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0027]    Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present general inventive concept, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below in order to explain the present general inventive concept be referring to the figures. 
         [0028]    According to the above objects, the present general inventive concept includes a wall-mounted filing system  1 . In an exemplary embodiment, the filing system  1  is configured with a primary wall receptacle  3  having a generally rectangular shape. The wall receptacle  3  includes an upper lip  10  to support, for example, a business card holder  15  to hold standard business cards and/or other like-shaped objects. The business card holder  15  may be attached to the upper lip  10  via a hook  17  molded into a back of the business card holder  15 . 
         [0029]    A label holder  16  may also be attached to the upper lip  10  via a hook  18  molded into a back of the label holder  16  so that a user may indicate a type of use for the wall receptacle  3 , e.g., if the wall receptacle  3  is used as a mailbox, a name can be assigned via the label holder  16 . In the exemplary embodiment, the label holder  16  is oval and manufactured via two pieces of molded plastic with an opening that is approximately ⅛″ slot located at the top of the holder  16  to receive and hold a piece of paper to allow the user to label the receptacle  3 . Any depending wall receptacle  3  may have its own business card holder  15  and label holder  16 . 
         [0030]    Attached to either side of a lower end  5  of the primary wall receptacle  3  are two generally u-shaped hooks  4  having an open end  7  and a closed end  8 . The open end  7  has laterally-extending points  9  that are sized and shaped to engage apertures  12  and permit rotation of the hook  4  upon engagement of the hook  4  with the receptacle  3 . 
         [0031]    The apertures  12  are located in either side of a groove  19  that extends from the lower end  5  of the wall receptacle  3  to the upper lip  10 . The u-shaped hooks  4 , once engaged within the apertures  12 , may be selectively rotated up and down between an extended position (illustrated in  FIG. 1 ) and a retracted position (illustrated in  FIG. 15 ). When rotated downward to the extended position, the u-shaped hooks  4  are configured to receive a mating tab  25  from an additional receptacle  30  such that each of the hooks  4  that extend from the primary receptacle  3  provides support or a mounting attachment for the tab  25  of the additional receptacle  30 . When rotated upward to the retracted position, the u-shaped hook  4  is in a collapsed or storage configuration, such that the hook  4  is effectively hidden behind the additional receptacle  30 . 
         [0032]    The u-shaped hooks  4  are made of a resilient material such as metal and have bends  22  in arms  23  to provide structural reinforcement of the u-shaped hooks and a degree of resiliency. The u-shaped hooks  4  engage the apertures  12  by pinching or compressing the hooks  4  at the arms  23 , aligning the hook points  9  with the apertures  12 , and releasing the hooks  4  so that the points  9  resiliently spring back or decompress to their original position, thereby entering the apertures  12 . 
         [0033]    Each groove  19  has four square projections  20  that extend out from a rear wall  21  of the groove  21 . The projections  20  are arranged in two rows, an upper row and a lower row, each having two of the projections  20 . The upper row is located slightly above the apertures  12  while the lower row is located slightly below the apertures  12 . The projections  20  block and otherwise restrict flexing of the u-shaped hooks  4  when the u-shaped hooks  4  are in the storage or use configuration so as to prevent undesired disengagement of the hooks  4  with the apertures  12 . The projections  20  permit flexing of the u-shaped hooks  4  only when the hooks  4  are rotated to a position that is precisely between the storage and use configuration (not illustrated) so that the u-shaped hooks  4  extend in a direction parallel to the projection direction of the projections  20  project out from the rear wall  21 . 
         [0034]    When the u-shaped hooks  4  are in the storage configuration, the u-shaped hooks rest inside the groove  19  so that a rear surface  6  of the wall receptacle  3  is generally flush to provide a planar rear surface  6  and thereby facilitate secure mounting of the wall receptacle  3  to a wall (not illustrated). 
         [0035]    When the u-shaped hooks  4  are in the use configuration, the u-shaped hooks may be used to engage an additional receptacle  30 . Specifically, each primary receptacle  3  and additional receptacle  30  are identically shaped and have a mounting tab  25  located in each groove  19  that is sized and shaped to receive the closed end  8  of the hook  4 . The tab  25  extends outward from the rear of the wall receptacle  3  and has a downwardly-protruding point to partially surround and securely engage the closed end  8  of the hook  4 . 
         [0036]    The tab  25  is entirely contained within the groove  19  and is flush with the rear surface  6  of the wall receptacle  3  to provide a planar rear surface  6  and thereby facilitate secure mounting of the wall receptacle  3  to the wall. 
         [0037]    Any number of additional receptacles  30  may be sequentially attached to each other with the primary limiting factors being space available on the wall and reach of the user required to gain access to the receptacles  3  and  30 . 
         [0038]    In the exemplary embodiment, the primary receptacle  3  is mounted to the wall, an additional receptacle  30  is attached to the first wall receptacle  3  via hooks  4 , and an organizer  40  is attached to the second wall receptacle  3  via hooks  4 . The additional receptacles  33  are interchangeable with the organizer  40  and may be arranged in any order depending on application, such as with the organizer  40  as the primary wall mount and the primary receptacle  3  depending therefrom. 
         [0039]    In the exemplary embodiment, the organizer  40  is designed exactly the same as the receptacles  3  and  30 , having hooks  4  in grooves  19  with mounting tabs  25  and having the same width as the receptacles  3  and  30 , but the organizer  40  is approximately one-third as deep as the receptacles  3  and  30 . 
         [0040]    Additionally, the organizer  40  has four removable dividers  41  within an interior thereof, however, it is foreseen that any number of dividers can be used depending on application. The dividers  41  are easily installed via the user by sliding each divider  40  between laterally extending grooves  42  located on an interior of the front and rear surfaces. The dividers  41  have a bottom surface with via two tabs  43  that extend downward and into two tab-receiver apertures  44  in the organizer  40  bottom surface to further secure the dividers  40 . 
         [0041]    In the exemplary embodiment, the primary receptacle  3  is first mounted to the wall, however, the organizer  40  may also be first mounted. On either side of an upper portion of the groove  19  in the rear wall of both the wall receptacle  3  and organizer  40  are upper apertures  49 . On the lower portion of the groove are tabs  48  having lower apertures  50 . The apertures  49  and  50  may be used to mount the wall receptacle  3  and/or the organizer  40  to the wall via screws, nails, or the like. 
         [0042]    While the lower apertures  50  are a secondary means of attachment and may not be used depending on the weight of items to be stored via the system  1 , if the lower apertures  50  are to be used, the hooks  4  must be moved to either the use configuration or the storage configuration prior to using the lower apertures  50 . After the lower apertures  50  are used to secure the wall receptacles  3  or  30 , and/or organizer  40  to the wall, the hooks  4  cannot thereafter be rotated. 
         [0043]    The wall receptacles  3  and  30 , and/or the organizer  40  have a dip  53  in the upper lip  10  to permit easy access to any contents stored therein. 
         [0044]    The wall receptacles  3  and  30  have an opening  55  in the rear wall  6 , which requires less material and provides a system  1  with increased efficiency. Because the receptacles  3  and  30  abut a wall (not illustrated), which provides a rear surface, the wall receptacles  3  and  30  can be designed with only a partial rear wall  6 . 
         [0045]    The wall receptacles  3  and  30 , and/or the organizer  40  may be manufactured in various shapes depending on application to accommodate various items 
         [0046]    While the exemplary embodiment provides hooks  4  that rotate on a horizontal axis and in two directions, i.e., up and down, it is foreseen that hooks may rotate on a vertical axis and from left to right to provide increased versatility in mounting of add-ons. 
         [0047]    Further, while the exemplary embodiment provides a vertical stacking of receptacles, it is foreseen that receptacles may extend horizontally or horizontally and vertically along a wall. In this embodiment, hooks or other like attachment means may be situated on one side or both sides of a primary receptacle to support additional receptacles on either side of the primary receptacle. The additional receptacles may also support further additional receptacles. 
         [0048]    Having now described the features, discoveries and principles of the general inventive concept, the manner in which the general inventive concept is constructed and used, the characteristics of the construction, and advantageous, new and useful results obtained; the new and useful structures, devices, elements, arrangements, parts and combinations, are set forth in the appended claims. 
         [0049]    It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the general inventive concept herein described, and all statements of the scope of the general inventive concept which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0