U.S. patent application number 09/792539 was filed with the patent office on 2002-01-17 for dive equipment washing, drying, and storage rack.
Invention is credited to DeRocher, Jeffrey Alan, Jackson, Robert Eugene.
Application Number | 20020005390 09/792539 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26881791 |
Filed Date | 2002-01-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020005390 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
DeRocher, Jeffrey Alan ; et
al. |
January 17, 2002 |
Dive equipment washing, drying, and storage rack
Abstract
The present invention is directed to a free-standing rack for
hanging and supporting scuba diving or other wet equipment when not
in use and particularly during cleaning, drying and storage
thereof. The rack includes at least three support legs extending
from a top point and a plurality of dive equipment holders attached
to at least one of the supporting legs at points along its length.
The rack of the present invention provides a free-standing and
inherently stabile structure which can be easily collapsed for
storage when not in use and quickly and easily expanded for use in
a variety of locations. The rack is highly storable and portable in
its collapsed state but is also movable in its expanded state, even
with equipment supported thereon.
Inventors: |
DeRocher, Jeffrey Alan;
(Pace, FL) ; Jackson, Robert Eugene; (Pensacola
Beach, FL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Jeffrey A. DeRocher
3513 Stratford Lane
Pace
FL
32571
US
|
Family ID: |
26881791 |
Appl. No.: |
09/792539 |
Filed: |
February 23, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60186119 |
Mar 1, 2000 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
211/85.7 ;
211/203; 248/168 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B63C 11/02 20130101;
B08B 13/00 20130101; A47G 25/0664 20130101; A47B 81/00 20130101;
A47G 2025/1485 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
211/85.7 ;
211/203; 248/168 |
International
Class: |
A47F 005/00 |
Claims
We claim:
1. A free-standing dive equipment rack comprising: (a) at least
three support legs extending from a top, and (b) a plurality of
equipment holders attached to at least one of said support legs at
spaced locations along its length.
2. The rack of claim 1 wherein said legs each include first and
second leg portions collapsibly and expandably connected at
adjacent ends.
3. The rack of claim 1 wherein said connected leg portions are
connected by a hinge secured to said adjacent ends.
4. The rack of claim 1 wherein said first leg portion is
telescopically extendible from said second leg portion.
5. The rack of claim 4 further including a third or more leg
portion telescopically extendable from said second leg portion.
6. The rack of claim 4 wherein the extension of said second leg
portion from said first leg portion is variable.
7. The rack of claim 1 wherein said dive equipment holders include
at least one peg.
8. The rack of claim 1 wherein said dive equipment holders include
at least one hook.
9. The rack of claim 1 wherein said dive equipment holders include
at least one strap mounted on at least one of said support
legs.
10. The rack of claim 1 wherein said first and second leg portions
are removably connected.
11. The rack of claim 1 wherein said dive equipment holders are
constructed and arranged such that the downward force vectors
created by the weight of equipment supported on said holders and
said hangers intersect the plane formed by the points at the bottom
ends of said support legs within the area bounded by the lines
joining said points.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The subject invention is generally directed to a device for
storing scuba dive equipment such as fins, wetsuits, masks and the
like when not in use. More particularly, the present invention
relates to a portable, free-standing rack for storing dive
equipment which facilitates cleaning and drying of the equipment
when wet as well as storing the equipment when not in use.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Scuba diving continues to grow in popularity as a
recreational sport, particularly in geographic areas in close
proximity to bodies of water which support numerous species of
color fish, coral and the like. Frequent divers invest significant
amounts of money in purchasing the quality equipment which is
necessary to participate in this activity. Less frequent or
first-time divers will often rent dive equipment from dive shops or
other retailers as they learn more about the sport.
[0003] Both the retailers and the frequent divers recognize that
cleaning (or at least rinsing) the equipment between uses can be an
essential step in extending the useful life of the equipment as
well as for personal safety and hygiene purposes. This is
particularly true when diving in salt water as salt crystals left
by evaporating sea water can cause significant damage to the
equipment and, in the worst case, cause the devices which support
underwater breathing to stop functioning. Whether or not the
equipment is cleaned, it is also important for personal comfort and
hygiene purposes that the equipment be allowed to dry (completely
if possible) between uses or before extended storage.
[0004] There exists in the prior art a number of devices for
storing and holding dive equipment. For example, wall mountable
structures constructed of PVC pipe and hangers such as those
described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,056,693 and 4,978,043 are well known
in the art. These devices, while useful, are not self-supporting
but require attachment to a permanent wall, support rod or similar
structure for use. They are therefore usefull only in areas where
such supplemental supporting structures can be found and could
damage the supplemental support structure if excessive loads are
applied Further, should these devices be used to hold dive
equipment during cleaning, the cleaning solution, water spray or
waste effluent could damage the surrounding support structure.
Other devices, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,394 or
that sold under the trade name "Scubamate" are self-supporting or
stand-alone structures but are not easily collapsible for storage
and transportation and then quickly expandable for use. Further,
devices such as that described in the '394 patent or the product
sold under the trade name "Rinse Master Pro" require direct
connection to a water source during use, thereby limiting the
device's mobility during use. In addition, many of the existing
devices are supported by multiple wheels, making them difficult to
operate on sandy, uneven, or sloped surfaces.
[0005] A need therefore exists for a free-standing, portable rack
for storing and cleaning dive equipment which is sufficiently
strong and stable to support standard dive equipment while being
easily collapsible for storage, expandable as needed, movable
during use, and adaptable to various outdoor surfaces.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention meets this need and achieves
additional benefits and advantages as set forth in more detail
below by providing a rack for hanging and supporting dive equipment
when not in use and particularly during cleaning, drying and
storage thereof. The support rack includes at least three support
legs extending from a top point and a plurality of dive equipment
holders attached to at least one of the supporting legs at points
along its length. The support rack of the present invention
provides a self-supporting and inherently stabile structure which
can be easily collapsed for storage when not in use and quickly and
easily expanded for use in a variety of locations. The rack is
highly storable and portable in its collapsed state but is also
movable in its expanded state, even with equipment supported
thereon. In addition, the individually adjustable support legs
promote safe operation even on rough or uneven outdoor
surfaces.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a first embodiment of
the rack of the present invention in an expanded position.
[0008] FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a second embodiment of
the rack of the present invention in an expanded position and
resting on a sloped surface.
[0009] FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of a second embodiment of
the rack of the present invention in an expanded position and
supporting selected pieces of common SCUBA diving equipment.
[0010] FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the rack of FIG. 1 in a
collapsed position with hangers removed.
[0011] FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a hanger of the present
invention.
[0012] FIG. 6(a) is a perspective view of the top of the rack of a
first embodiment of the present invention with the rack in a
collapsed position and with hangers removed.
[0013] FIG. 6(b) is a perspective view of the top of the rack of a
first embodiment of the present invention with the rack in an
expanded position.
[0014] FIG. 7(a) is a perspective view of the top of the rack of a
second embodiment of the present invention with the rack in a
collapsed position.
[0015] FIG. 7(b) is a perspective view of the top of the rack of a
second embodiment of the present invention with the rack in an
expanded position.
[0016] FIG. 8(a) is an exploded crossectional view of another
embodiment of leg portions of the rack of the present
invention.
[0017] FIG. 8(b) is a crossectional view of another embodiment of
leg portions of the rack of the present invention.
[0018] FIG. 8(c) is a crossectional view of yet another embodiment
of leg portions of the rack of the present invention.
[0019] FIG. 9 is a crossectional view of a preferred embodiment of
leg portions of the rack of the present invention.
[0020] FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the rack shown in FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0021] As shown in FIGS. 1 through 4, the rack 10 of the present
invention includes at least three support legs 15 which extend from
top 20 and are movably interconnected at their upper ends 22.
Preferably, the legs 15 are hinge mounted at top 20 such that rack
10 is movable between a collapsed position as shown in FIGS. 4 and
a fully expanded position as shown in FIG. 1. While it is preferred
that the rack is utilized for supporting dive equipment in its
fully expanded state, it should be understood that the rack 10 will
function in a partially expanded state if necessary, for example
due to location space limitations.
[0022] In a particularly preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 2
through 7, top 20 includes end cap 25 with at least one equipment
hanger 30 extending therefrom and, most preferably, removably
connected thereto via an end cap insertion pin 32 which resides in
hanger aperture 34 of end cap 25. In a preferred embodiment, hanger
30 is prevented from rotating about a vertical axis through pin 32
once pin 32 is inserted into aperture 34. Desired alignment of
hanger 30 may be accomplished by numerous means known to those of
ordinary skill in the art, including a pin 32 and aperture 34 of
other than circular cross section and various arrangements of slots
or pins. In the preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b),
upper ends 22 of support legs 15 are movably secured to end cap 25
by clevises 31, each of which are secured to a side surface 47 of
end cap 25. In a second embodiment of top 20 shown in FIG. 6(a) and
6(b), upper ends 22 of support legs 15 are secured to each other
and to end cap 25 by top plates 35, each of which are secured to
sides 36 and 37 of adjacent support legs 15 and a side surface 47
of end cap 25 which is bordered by the adjacent sides. In either
arrangement, end cap 25 abuts the upper end 22 of each support leg
15 when the rack 10 is in a fully expanded position as shown in
FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 6(b), and 7(b). With this feature, the rack 10 of
the present invention can easily support significant equipment
loads without the need for reinforcing cross braces extending
between the support legs. Such cross braces, often present in prior
art structures, are preferably absent from the rack 10 of the
present invention.
[0023] Support legs 15 as well as the other parts of the rack 10 of
the present invention are preferably manufactured in crossectional
configurations and according to specification recognized by those
of ordinary skill in the art as suitable for supporting weights
which are typical for wet dive equipment (excluding air tank,
attachment of which to the rack of the present invention is not
recommended). For example, support legs 15 may be formed as cast,
molded or extruded rods, cylinders, bars of the like of hollow or
solid crossection from materials such as metals, certain polymers,
resin/fiber composites, wood or other materials exhibiting
sufficient strength and stiffness. The choice of configuration for
the support legs 15 will depend in part on the specific leg
structure as discussed in more detail below.
[0024] Preferably, support legs 15 include first and second leg
portions 38 and 39 which are collapsibly and expandably connected
to each other at adjacent ends 40 and 41. In an embodiment shown in
FIG. 8(a), adjacent portions 38 and 39 are removably connected by
connector 42, for example a threaded member 44 at one end 41 of
portion 39 mounted in a threaded aperture 46 at the end 40 of
adjacent connected portion 38. In the embodiment shown in FIG.
8(b), adjacent portions 38 and 39 are removably connected by
inserting swaged end 45 of portion 38 into an appropriately sized
inner bore 43 of portion 39. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8(c),
first and second leg portions 38 and 39 are connected by a hinge 52
secured to adjacent ends 40 and 41 of portions 38 and 39. Although
the leg portions 38 and 39 preferably have a round cross section in
the embodiment of FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b) and a square or rectangular
crossection for the embodiment of FIG. 8(c), it should be
understood that any cross section could be utilized for any
embodiment and that other embodiments for collapsably connecting
leg portion 38 to leg portion 39 of legs 15 could be contemplated
by one of ordinary sill. In a particularly preferred embodiment,
leg portion 38 is telescopically extendible from leg portion 39 as
shown in FIG. 9. In this embodiment, portions 38 and 39 are
connected by a spring-loaded pin 63 retractably extendible from
plug 65 of portion 38 through pin aperture 67 formed in portion 39.
The arrangement of said pin 63, said plug 65, said aperture 67, and
said leg portions 38 and 39 may be duplicated to include a third or
more leg portion telescopically extendible from the second leg
portion. In an even more preferred embodiment, portion 39 includes
a number of pin apertures 67 spaced along its length such that the
overall length of support leg 15 is selectively adjustable by
changing the selected pin aperture 67 through which pin 63 extends.
This arrangement is particularly preferred because it permits the
extension of each support leg 15 to be individually adjusted to
accommodate uneven terrain.
[0025] The rack 10 of the present invention further includes a
plurality of equipment holders 70 extending from support legs 15 at
spaced locations along their lengths. The location and formation of
the holders are an important feature of the present invention. In
the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, holders 70 are pegs 72 from
which equipment may be hung or on which equipment may be mounted.
In addition to pegs, embodiments of holder 70 may include hooks,
pins, loops, and spring loaded clamps. In a preferred embodiment
shown in FIG. 2, holders 70 are straps 75 mounted on support legs
15 which secure the equipment to the rack 10. By way of
non-limiting example, straps 75 may be a band of any elastic
material such as any natural or synthetic rubber, neoprene,
norprene, silicone, etc. which expands to receive and surround the
equipment and hold in it place upon retraction. Alternatively, the
straps 75 may include adjustable lengths of material which are
wrapped around or inserted through the equipment as appropriate and
connected by buckles, snap fittings or the like. In a preferred
embodiment, holder 70 includes a fastener portion 76 which matches
and mates with a corresponding compatible fastener member 77
located on dive equipment 80 (shown in FIG. 3 as a dive light for
purposes of illustration only). By way of example, strap 75 may
include a "hook" portion of a conventional "hook and loop" fastener
system which, when mated with the matching "loop" portion secured
to a piece of dive equipment, will provide for secure mounting of
the equipment to the rack 10.
[0026] An important feature of the present invention is the
stability it exhibits when supporting a load of equipment. While
not wishing to be bound by any theory, it is believed that this
stability at least in part is a result of the arrangement and
construction of the holders 70 and hangers 30 More specifically,
the holders 70 and hangers 30 are constructed and arranged such
that the downward force vectors (shown as F in FIG. 2), created by
the weight of equipment supported on the holders 30 and hangers 70,
intersect the plane formed by the points at the bottom ends 72 of
support legs 15 (shown in FIG. 10 as points A, B and C) within the
area bounded by the lines joining those points (shown as triangle
ABC in FIG. 10 ). In such an arrangement, forces F act to rotate
leg 15 about its lower tip 16 and toward the geometric center of
triangle ABC. As long as said forces F act vertically downward
within an area bounded by triangle ABC, the rotation of leg 15
about lower tip 16 is prohibited by the other legs 15 attached at
top 20. This inherent stability is further enhanced in the
preferred embodiment show in FIG. 2 by varying the extension of the
individually adjustable support legs 15 to insure that the top 20
remains positioned directly above the geometric center of triangle
ABC even if the surface 11 upon which rack 10 is supported is
uneven or sloped.
[0027] As the rack 10 of the present invention may receive repeated
and/or prolonged exposure to environments which include high salt
concentrations, detergents, heat, and solar radiation, its various
parts, including support legs 15, portions 38 and 39, hangers 30,
holders 70, etc. are preferably manufactured from materials which
resist deterioration and degradation in such conditions. Suitable
materials for parts where stiffness and strength are paramount
include certain metals, certain polymers, resin/fiber composites,
or wood, with aluminum being particularly preferred. Suitable
materials for parts where flexibility and strength are required,
for example straps 75, include a wide variety of natural or
synthetic elastomers such as latex or silicone rubber, and a wide
variety of natural, synthetic, or metal fibers such as cotton or
nylon, with woven polypropylene being particularly preferred only
because of its wide availability.
[0028] While the number and location of the holders 70 along the
length of support legs 15 may vary with each support leg 15 of the
rack 10, it is preferred that the number and location of holders 70
be the same for each support leg 15. Similarly, when using the rack
of the present invention, it is preferred (although not necessary)
that similar loads be placed on holders at similar locations on the
support legs so as to more evenly distribute the overall load on
the rack 10.
[0029] Although the present invention has been described in terms
of its preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that various
modifications that do not depart from its spirit and scope may be
made. For example, the construction of the holder and hangers may
be varied to more exactly match with particular pieces of dive
equipment. As a further example, the preferred embodiment shown in
FIG. 3 is equipped with spring clips 23 to retain the hangers 30
when the rack 10 is in its collapsed position. Also, the bottom
ends of the support legs may be covered with a tip 21 of soft
material or treated to protect them as well as protect the surface
on which the rack stands. Further, the legs 15 may include more
than two leg portions or use a locking mechanism other than the pin
63 and aperture 67 depicted in FIG. 9 to secure them in the
extended position. Examples of such devices include other spring
loaded pin arrangements and a variety of twist and lever lock
designs already familiar to those of ordinary skill in the art. In
addition, the legs may be formed in other crossectional
configurations, such as from T-shaped or U-shaped members,
depending on the embodiment of the leg portion utilized (if any).
Lastly, it should be noted that the top 20 shown in FIGS. 5(a),
5(b), 6(a), and 6(b) may be fabricated in numerous configurations
which are aesthetically different but functionally the same.
* * * * *