U.S. patent application number 09/726988 was filed with the patent office on 2002-05-30 for ceiling-suspended storage system.
Invention is credited to Hanneken, John B..
Application Number | 20020063102 09/726988 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 24920868 |
Filed Date | 2002-05-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020063102 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hanneken, John B. |
May 30, 2002 |
CEILING-SUSPENDED STORAGE SYSTEM
Abstract
The present invention discloses a fully ceiling-suspended system
and apparatus for storing different shapes/types of elongated
objects. The system includes a minimum of only two separate
brackets that are ceiling-mounted to form a storage apparatus that
is capable of supporting elongated items of different lengths
provided that the length of each item to be stored is at least the
length of the distance that the two ceiling-suspended brackets are
separated. Further, each of the brackets may include different
pockets of storage space that may be used for holding/storing
elongated items of different shapes or cross-sectional
configurations.
Inventors: |
Hanneken, John B.; (Tempe,
AZ) |
Correspondence
Address: |
John B. Hanneken
1251 East Laguna Drive
Tempe
AZ
85282
US
|
Family ID: |
24920868 |
Appl. No.: |
09/726988 |
Filed: |
November 30, 2000 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
211/113 ;
211/118; 211/60.1; 248/317 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47F 5/0892
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
211/113 ;
248/317; 211/60.1; 211/118 |
International
Class: |
A47F 007/00; A47H
001/10 |
Claims
1. A system for storing elongated objects, comprising: a first
bracket being suspended from a ceiling; a second bracket being
suspended from said ceiling, said first and second brackets being
separated by a first distance; and wherein the system is capable of
storing elongated objects that are at least a length of said first
distance.
2. The system of claim 1 further including a third bracket being
suspended from said ceiling, said third bracket being
longitudinally positioned between said first and second brackets
such that a distance between said first and third brackets is a
second distance and a distance between said second and third
brackets is a third distance, and wherein said system is capable of
storing elongated objects that are at least a length of said second
distance and that are at least a length of said third distance.
3. The system of claim 2 wherein said second distance and said
third distance is less than said first distance.
4. The system of claim 2 wherein said second distance is less than
said third distance.
5. The system of claim 1 wherein each of said brackets includes at
least two vertical segments.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein each of said brackets includes at
least one non linear segment.
7. The system of claim 1 wherein each of said brackets includes at
least one cross member segment.
8. The system of claim 1 wherein each of said first and second
brackets comprises: a first segment having first and second ends,
said first end of said first segment being coupled to said ceiling;
a second segment having first and second ends, said first end of
said second segment being coupled to said second end of said first
segment; and a third segment having first and second ends, said
first end of said third segment being coupled to said second end of
said second segment, said second end of said third segment being
coupled to said ceiling.
9. The system of claim 8 wherein each of said first and second
brackets further comprise a fourth segment having first and second
ends, said first end of said fourth segment being coupled to said
second segment, said second end of said fourth segment being
coupled to said ceiling.
10. The system of claim 8 wherein each of said first and second
brackets further comprise a first cross member segment having first
and second ends, said first end of said first cross member segment
being coupled to said ceiling, said second end of said first cross
member segment being coupled to said second end of said first
segment.
11. The system of claim 1 wherein each of said first and second
brackets include: a first section having a L-shaped configuration;
and a second section having a zig-zag shaped configuration, wherein
said first section is fastened to said second section at a
plurality of locations thereby forming a bracket having a plurality
of cross member segments and horizontal segments.
12. A system for storing elongated objects, comprising: a first
bracket being suspended from a ceiling; a second bracket being
suspended from said ceiling, said first and second brackets being
separated by a first distance; wherein the system is capable of
storing elongated objects that are at least a length of said first
distance; and wherein each of said first and second brackets are
configured to include a plurality of segments that form a plurality
of pockets of storage space for use in storing said elongated
objects having different shapes.
13. The system of claim 12 wherein at least one of said plurality
of pockets of storage includes at least two vertical segments.
14. The system of claim 12 wherein at least one of said plurality
of pockets of storage includes at least one non-linear segment.
15. The system of claim 12 wherein at least one of said plurality
of pockets of storage includes at least one cross member
segment.
16. A method for storing elongated objects, the method comprising
the steps of: suspending a first bracket from a ceiling; suspending
a second bracket from said ceiling, said first and second brackets
being separated by a first distance; wherein the system is capable
of storing elongated objects that are at least a length of said
first distance; and wherein each of said first and second brackets
are configured to include a plurality of segments that form a
plurality of pockets of storage space for use in storing said
elongated objects having different shapes.
17. The method of claim 16 further including the step of suspending
a third bracket from said ceiling, said third bracket being
longitudinally positioned between said first and second brackets
thereby providing for the storage of elongated objects whose length
is less than said first distance.
18. The method of claim 16 wherein said step of suspending a first
bracket includes fastening a first section having a L-shaped
configuration to a second section having a zig-zag shaped
configuration, thereby forming a bracket having a plurality of
cross member segments and horizontal segments.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to storage systems and, in
particular, to a fully ceiling-suspended system and apparatus for
storing elongated objects of different sizes and shapes.
[0002] The storage of items is something that every homeowner and
business owner is concerned about. The square footage of a home or
business is always a limiting constraint on the amount of storage
space that one may utilize. Further, most owners utilize some type
of wall-mounted or free-standing storage system to store various
items whereby these types of storage systems take away from
valuable living/working space of a room.
[0003] There exists a plurality of storage systems. For example,
referring to U.S. Pat. No. 4,061,092 to Jacobsen, et al., a shelf
platform which may be suspended from a support beam or ceiling is
disclosed. In particular, the '092 patent teaches the use of
separate shelves that are vertically interconnected by a chain to
form the overall shelf platform.
[0004] Further, U.S. Pat. No. 4,129,080 to Vall discloses a shelf
support device that may be wall hung, ceiling hung or free
standing. In particular, the device utilizes a shelf sling means
which, when hung, converts the outward moment of each loaded shelf
down the surface of the wall directly beneath and at right angles
to the point at which the device is anchored into the wall.
[0005] None of the above mentioned art teach a ceiling-suspended
storage system that comprises a minimum of only two support
brackets for storing elongated items of different size, shape and
length. Further, none teach that efficiently utilizing the space
just below the ceiling of a room or garage for the storage of items
may be a way of substantially improving the storage capability of
an area while not decreasing the effective usable living/working
space. Hence, what is needed is an improved system and apparatus
that is fully ceiling-suspended and having a plurality of different
pockets that are capable of storing elongated items of different
shapes and lengths.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a first embodiment of a
ceiling-suspended storage system in accordance with the present
invention;
[0007] FIG. 2 is a side view of the ceiling-suspended storage
system of FIG. 1;
[0008] FIGS. 2A and 2B are side views of alternate bracket
configurations for the ceiling-suspended storage system of FIG.
1;
[0009] FIG. 2C is an isometric view illustrating an additional
bracket added to the first embodiment of the ceiling-suspended
storage of FIG. 1;
[0010] FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a second embodiment of a
ceiling-suspended storage system in accordance with the present
invention;
[0011] FIG. 4 is a side view of the ceiling-suspended storage
system of FIG. 3;
[0012] FIG. 5 is an isometric view of a third embodiment of a
ceiling-suspended storage system in accordance with the present
invention
[0013] FIG. 6 is a side view of the ceiling-suspended storage
system of FIG. 5;
[0014] FIG. 7 is an isometric view of a fourth embodiment of a
ceiling-suspended storage system in accordance with the present
invention; and
[0015] FIG. 8 is a side view of the ceiling-suspended storage
system of FIG. 7.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] The present invention relates to a fully ceiling-suspended
system and apparatus for storing different shapes of elongated
objects. The system includes a minimum of only two separate
brackets that are ceiling-mounted to form a storage apparatus that
is capable of supporting elongated items of different sizes and
shapes provided that the length of each item to be stored is at
least the distance between the two ceiling-suspended brackets.
Further, each of the brackets may include different pockets of
space that may be used for holding/storing elongated items of
different shapes or cross-sectional configurations. Additionally,
although only a minimum of two ceiling-suspended brackets are
necessary, the present invention may include more ceiling-mounted
brackets for storing elongated items of varying length based on the
distance between any two of the brackets.
[0017] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, isometric and side views,
respectively, of a first embodiment of a ceiling-suspended storage
system are shown. Storage system 100 of FIGS. 1 and 2 includes
first and second brackets 102 and 104 that are both suspended to
ceiling 106. Further, bracket 102 includes segments 102a, 102b and
102c whereby segments 102a and 102c are vertical segments that are
substantially perpendicular to ceiling 106 and whereby segment 102b
is a horizontal segment that is substantially parallel to ceiling
106. Accordingly, bracket 102 forms a U-shaped bracket
configuration. In particular, segment 102a has a first end coupled
to ceiling 106 and a second end coupled to a first end of segment
102b. Segment 102b additionally has a second end coupled to a first
end of segment 102c. Finally, segment 102c is coupled to ceiling
106. It is understood that brackets 102 and 104 may be directly
coupled to ceiling 106 by means of any suitable connector, such as
screws or nails, or may be coupled to an intermediate component
such as a block of wood that is then coupled directly to ceiling
106. As can be seen from FIG. 1, brackets 102 and 104 are separated
by distance 108, wherein distance 108 may be any selected distance
for storing elongated items having a length of at least the
distance 108. Further, brackets 102 and 104 are aligned with
respect to each other in a manner such that segments 102b and 104b
are substantially parallel with each other.
[0018] As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the U-shaped brackets 102
and 104 of storage system 100 are capable of storing elongated
objects of different shapes such a circular-shaped object 108,
rectangular-shaped object 110 and square-shaped object 112.
Further, storage system 100 is capable of storing elongated objects
having at least a length of the distance that ceiling-suspended
brackets 102 and 104 are separated. Accordingly, storage system 100
provides a simple, cost effective and efficient system for storing
elongated objects just below the ceiling thereby utilizing space
that is typically not usable in a room/garage.
[0019] Although brackets 102 and 104 are shown as forming a
U-shaped configuration, such brackets may be any suitable form,
such as circular, elliptical or triangular, for storing elongated
items of various shapes. Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, side views
of alternate bracket configurations for the ceiling-suspended
storage system of FIGS. 1 and 2 are shown. In particular, FIG. 2A
illustrates a side view of a triangular/V-shaped bracket comprising
segments 202 and 204 whereby each of the segments has a first end
coupled to ceiling 206 and a second end coupled to the second end
of the other thereby forming a V-shaped configuration. Further,
FIG. 2B illustrates a side view of a circular/elliptical bracket
comprising non-linear segment 210 having first and second ends
coupled to ceiling 212 whereby segment 210 is conformed to a
non-linear shape, such as a circular shape or an elliptical shape,
for storing elongated items of various shapes.
[0020] Further, although storage system 100 requires only two
brackets, it is understood that one or more additional brackets may
be employed in order to increase the amount of load that may be
supported by the overall system and/or in order to enable storage
system 100 to be able to store elongated objects whose length is
less than that of the distance between brackets 102 and 104.
Accordingly, referring to FIG. 2C, a third bracket 120 may be
longitudinally positioned anywhere between brackets 102 and 104 to
provide the capability to store elongated objects whose length is
at least the distance separated by any two of brackets 102, 104 and
120. For example, elongated object 122 is shown as being supported
between brackets 102 and 120 whereby the length of object 122 is
less than the distance between brackets 102 and 104 but at least
the distance between brackets 102 and 120. Further, it is
understood that the distance between brackets 102 and 120 and
brackets 120 and 104 may be the same or different thereby
accommodating the storage of elongated objects of a plurality of
lengths.
[0021] The next several embodiments that will be discussed are
based on the above-described embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2 but
include additional segments/components for forming different types
of storage pockets that may be more suitable for storing different
shapes/sizes of certain elongated items. Further, these next
several embodiments apply to all bracket configurations (U-shaped,
V-shaped and circular-shaped).
[0022] Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, isometric and side views,
respectively, of a second embodiment of a ceiling-suspended storage
system are shown. Storage system 300 of FIGS. 3 and 4 includes
first and second brackets 302 and 304 that are both suspended to
ceiling 310. Bracket 302 is similar to bracket 102 of FIG. 1 in
that it includes a U-shaped bracket. However, bracket 302
additionally includes one or more vertical segments (302c and 302e)
for further partitioning the usable storage space of storage system
300. Accordingly, bracket 302 includes segments 302a-g for forming
a U-shaped configuration with one or more vertical partitions. In
particular, segment 302a has a first end coupled to ceiling 310 and
a second end coupled to a first end of segment 302b. Segment 302b
additionally has a second end coupled to first ends of segment 302c
and segment 302d. The second end of segment 302c is coupled to
ceiling 310. The second end of segment 302d is coupled to the first
ends of segments 302e and 302f. The second end of segment 302e is
coupled to ceiling 310. The second end of segment 302f is coupled
to the first end of segment 302g. The second end of segment 302g is
coupled to ceiling 310. It is understood that segments 302b, 302d
and 302f may comprise one continuous piece of material or may be
segments as described above. With the incorporation of vertical
segments 302c and 302e, storage system 300 is capable of
compartmentalizing various elongated items to be stored. For
example, round PVC pipe may be stored in one compartment while
rectangular pieces of wood may be stored in another.
[0023] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, isometric and side views,
respectively, of a third embodiment of a ceiling-suspended storage
system are shown. Storage system 500 of FIGS. 5 and 6 includes
first and second brackets 502 and 504 that are both suspended to
ceiling 510. Bracket 502 is substantially similar to bracket 302 of
FIG. 3 and additionally includes cross member segments 502i and
502h for further partitioning the usable storage space of storage
system 500. For purposes of this invention, a cross member segment
is a segment that of not substantially parallel or substantially
perpendicular to ceiling 510. In particular, segment 502i has a
first end coupled to ceiling 510 and a second end coupled to a
first end of segment 502c. Segment 502h has a first end coupled to
ceiling 510 and a second end coupled to the first end of segment
502b. With the inclusion of cross member segments 502h-i, storage
system 500 includes even more compartmentalized storage areas 512
and 514. Further, storage areas such as area 514 is much better
suited to store elongated items having a circular cross section,
such as elongated item 516, because circular items will not roll
when nested between segments 504c and 504i. Note also that the
V-shaped bracket shown in FIG. 2A is also suitable for storing such
circular cross-sectional items for the same reason.
[0024] Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, isometric and side views,
respectively, of a third embodiment of a ceiling-suspended storage
system are shown. Storage system 700 of FIGS. 7 and 8 is similar to
storage system 500 of FIGS. 5 and 6 in that both include several
different compartmentalized storage spaces and various cross member
segments. However, storage system 700 is designed for ease of
manufacturability and for occupying a minimal amount of space when
being shipped as will be described in more detail below.
[0025] Storage system 700 includes brackets 702 and 704 that are
coupled to ceiling 710. As can be seen from FIGS. 7-8, each bracket
has two major sections: one being L-shaped and one having a zig-zag
shape. For example, referring to bracket 702, the first major
section is L-shaped and is comprised of segments 702a-d (all being
horizontal segments with the exception of segment 702a which is
vertical), and the second major section is zig-zag shaped and is
comprised of cross-member segments 702e-j. Corresponding sections
and segments exist for bracket 704 as shown. When assembling the
brackets, the first section is coupled to the second section at
points 706-708 by any type of fastener such as nuts and bolts,
rivets or spot welding--to name a few. Further, because the
brackets 702 and 704 are comprised of only two sections, each
section can be easily and efficiently configured from one piece of
metal (or any other type of suitable material that can be bent or
shaped) that is bent once (in the case of the L-shaped section) or
several times (in the case of the zig-zag shaped section). Also,
when storing or shipping several unassembled brackets, each of the
first sections can be nested within each other while each of the
second sections can be nested within each other. Accordingly, the
unassembled brackets may be efficiently shipped and stored because
of their ability to be nested within each thereby minimizing the
amount of required space.
[0026] With the inclusion of cross member segments 702e-j, storage
system 700 includes similar compartmentalized storage areas as was
shown and described for storage system 500. Accordingly, storage
areas such as area 711 is much better suited to store elongated
items having a circular cross section, such as elongated item 712,
because such circular items will not roll when nested between
segments 702g and 702h. Moreover, storage area 714 is well suited
to store elongated items having a rectangular, or square, cross
section, such as elongated item 716 due to horizontal segment
702d.
[0027] While several embodiments of the present invention are
described, it is contemplated that various modifications may be
made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the
present invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the embodiments
described be considered only as illustrative of the invention and
that the scope of the invention be determined by the claims
hereinafter provided.
* * * * *