Patent ID: 12220052

DESCRIPTION

Definitions

As used herein, the following terms and variations thereof have the meanings given below, unless a different meaning is clearly intended by the contest in which such term is used.

The terms “a,” “an,” and “the” and similar referents used herein are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural unless their usage in context indicates otherwise.

As used in this disclosure, the term “comprise” and variations of the term, such as “comprising” and “comprises,” are not intended to exclude other additives, components, integers ingredients or steps.

The invention is directed to a storage rack100comprising a top panel102, a first side panel104A, a second side panel104B, a rear panel108and at least one interior shelf110.

The top panel102has an upper surface112and a lower surface114, a front edge portion116and a rear edge portion118, and a first end portion120and an opposed second end portion122. Optionally, there are at least two recesses124positioned along the upper surface112of the first and second end portions120,122configured to each receive at least one dowel126.

The first side panel104A has an interior surface128A and an exterior surface130A, a front edge portion132A and a rear edge portion134A, a top edge portion136A, a bottom edge portion138A, at least one rear, vertically oriented channel140A, and at least one horizontal channel142A.

The top edge portion136A of the first side panel104A is coupled to the first end portion120of the top panel102.

The least one rear channel140A extends along the interior surface128A of the rear edge portion134A of the first side panel104A, from the top edge portion136A of the first side panel104A to the bottom edge portion138A of the first side panel104A.

The at least one horizontal channel142A extends along the interior surface128A of the first side panel104A, from the front edge portion132A of the first side panel104A to the rear edge portion134A of the first side panel104A, perpendicular to the at least one rear channel140A along the first side panel104A.

The second side panel104B has an interior surface128B and an exterior surface130B, a front edge portion132B and a rear edge portion134B, a top edge portion136B, a bottom edge portion138B, at least one vertically oriented rear channel140B, and at least one horizontal channel142B.

The top edge portion136B of the second side panel104B is coupled to the second end portion122of the top panel102.

The at least one rear channel140B extends along the interior surface128B of the rear edge portion134B of the second side panel104B, from the top edge portion136B of the second side panel104B to the bottom edge portion138B of the second side panel104B. The rear channels140A,140B in the first and second side panels104A,104B are aligned along their longitudinal axes with each other.

The at least one horizontal channel142B extends along the interior surface128B of the second side panel104B, from the front edge portion132B of the second side panel104B to the rear edge portion134B of the second side panel104B, perpendicular to the at least one rear channel140B of the second side panel104B. The horizontal channels142A,142B in the first and second side panels104A,104B are aligned along their longitudinal axes with each other.

The rear panel108has an interior surface144and an exterior surface146, a first side portion148and a second side portion150, and a top edge portion152and a bottom edge portion154.

The first side portion148of the rear panel108is coupled to the rear edge portion134A of the first side panel104A, the second side portion150of the rear panel108is coupled to the rear edge portion134B of the second side panel104B, and the top edge portion152of the rear panel108is coupled to the rear edge portion118of the top panel102. Specifically, the top edge portion152of the rear panel108is coupled to either an exterior portion of the rear edge portion118of the top panel102, or it is coupled to the lower surface114of the rear edge portion118of the top panel102.

The at least one removable and stowable interior shelf110is configured to slide into and out of the aligned horizontal channels142A,142B and the rear channels140A,140B in the first and second side panels104A,104B.

Referring now toFIG.1, there is shown the rack100with the interior shelf110installed within the horizontal channels142A,142B of the first and second side panels104A,104B. Additionally, various footwear is shown being stored thereon.

Referring now toFIG.2, there is shown the rack100fromFIG.1, wherein the footwear has been removed so that the entirety of the rack100can be seen.

Referring now toFIG.3, there is shown a first step in removing the shelf110from the rack100. The shelf110is slid outward from the horizontal channels142A,142B.

Referring now toFIGS.4and5, there is shown the stowing of the shelf110. Once the shelf110has been completely removed from the horizontal channels142A,142B, the shelf110can then be slid into the vertical channels140A,140B. Once the shelf110is fully inserted into the vertical channels140A,140B, as shown inFIG.5, visually a user cannot tell that the shelf110is being stored therein as the rack100still maintains is clean, flat rear panel appearance (even though the shelf110is now positioned in front of the rear panel108).

Referring now toFIG.6, there is shown the rack100ofFIG.5, where the shelf110has been stowed in rear channels140A,140B, and the user can then place taller items within the rack100.

Referring now toFIG.7, there is shown a top plan view of the top of the rack100. The recesses124for the dowels126can be seen.

Referring now toFIG.8, there is shown a front plan view of the rack100, wherein the shelf110has been removed from the horizontal channels142A,142B, but has not been stowed within the rear channels140A,140B.

Referring now toFIG.9, there is shown a bottom plan view of the rack100ofFIG.8, wherein the empty rear channels140A,140B can be seen. Additionally, as shown inFIG.9, the bottom edge portions138A,138B can have at least one recess156in each to receive a portion of the dowels126.

Referring now toFIG.10, there is shown a sectional view of the rack100ofFIG.8, wherein the shelf110has been removed from the horizontal channels142A,142B, but has not been inserted into the rear channels140A,140B. Thus, both the horizontal channels142A,142B and the rear channels140A,140B are empty.

Referring now toFIG.11, there is shown a sectional view of the rack100ofFIG.2, wherein the shelf110is positioned within the horizontal channels142A,142B.

Referring now toFIG.12, there is shown a sectional view of the rack100ofFIG.5, wherein the shelf110has been removed from the horizontal channels142A,142B and has been inserted into the rear channels140A,140B for storage.

Referring now toFIG.13, there is shown two racks100,200, wherein a first rack100is being stacked onto a second rack200, and the dowels126and recesses124,156are used to secure the racks100,200to each other. It should be noted that while only two racks100,200are shown here, a plurality of racks100,200can be stacked on top of each other.

Optionally, the rack100can have two or more removable and stowable interior shelves110. In that configuration, each side panel104A,104B has two or more aligned horizontal channels142A,142B (to hold the two or more shelves110), and optionally, each side panel104A,104B also has two or more rear channels140A,140B in which to retain the shelves110when they are not in use.

Alternatively, instead of a plurality of rear channels140A,140B, the side panels104A,104B of the rack100can have a single, double-wide set of rear channels140A,140B that are wide enough to retain two (or more) shelves110within the single set of rear channels140A,140B.

The rack100can be made from plastic, metal, composite materials, MDF, wood, or any combination of the foregoing materials. Additionally, while individual panels (top, sides, rear) were called out in the specification, it is envisioned that the panels102,104,108of the rack100can be integrally formed with each other such that they are not necessarily individual panels that have been connected to each other.

Additionally, the panels102,104,108can be removably coupled to each other such that the rack100can disassemble and be flat packed, and then reassembled when use is needed.

Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments, other embodiments are possible. The steps disclosed for the present methods, for example, are not intended to be limiting nor are they intended to indicate that each step is necessarily essential to the method, but instead are exemplary steps only. Therefore, the scope of the appended features should not be limited to the description of preferred embodiments contained in this disclosure. All references cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety.