U.S. patent application number 09/733339 was filed with the patent office on 2002-06-13 for two-way stacking and nesting book boxes with interposing slat construction.
Invention is credited to Ragan, Sean Michael.
Application Number | 20020070641 09/733339 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 24947199 |
Filed Date | 2002-06-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020070641 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ragan, Sean Michael |
June 13, 2002 |
Two-way stacking and nesting book boxes with interposing slat
construction
Abstract
A unitary container for the accessible storage and convenient
transportation of books and/or the like featuring top and bottom
surfaces which are other than solid, being composed of various
longitudinal slats spaced such that, when two or more units are
stacked in a bookcase configuration, the top slats of lower units
interpose between the bottom slats of upper units to form an
effectively solid planar shelf for the storage of books and/or the
like within each upper unit. The spaces between the slats are large
enough to allow this function, and at the same time small enough to
provide effective containment of books and/or the like when an
individual container is removed from the stack and used for
transportation of said books and/or the like. Additionally, the
container features conventional nesting means whereby it may be
stacked and interlocked with other like containers in an alternate
configuration with the planes of the rear panels parallel to the
ground. The means of this alternate nesting configuration
incorporate a forcing function which allows the containers to nest
properly in the alternate configuration only if they are stacked
alternatingly top-over-bottom and bottom-over-top, in order to
insure that the center of mass of a stack of containers in the
alternate configuration is more closely aligned with the center of
volume of the stack itself
Inventors: |
Ragan, Sean Michael;
(Austin, TX) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Sean M. Ragan
13004 S. Madrone Trl.
Austin
TX
78737
US
|
Family ID: |
24947199 |
Appl. No.: |
09/733339 |
Filed: |
December 8, 2000 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
312/111 ;
108/91 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B 87/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
312/111 ;
108/91 |
International
Class: |
A47B 007/00 |
Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. A unitary container incorporating top and bottom surfaces which
are other than solid, being composed of various slats spaced such
that, when two or more units are stacked, the top slats of lower
units interpose between the bottom slats of upper units to form an
effectively solid planar shelf within each upper unit, the spaces
between the slats being large enough to allow this function and at
the same time small enough to provide effective containment of
books and/or the like when an individual container is removed from
the stack.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein the mating faces of interposing
slats are slanted at complementary angles to facilitate
self-aligning of the slats when one container is stacked upon
another.
3. The device of claim 1 wherein the side panels of said container
include various openings to provide handle means for carrying said
container and/or to further reduce the weight of said
container.
4. The device of claim 3 wherein the front and rear edges of the
side panels incorporate nesting means to facilitate interlocking of
said container with other like containers when stacked with the
planes of the rear panels of said containers parallel to the
ground.
5. The device of claim 4 wherein the nesting means of said
containers when stacked with the planes of the rear panels of said
containers parallel to the ground incorporates a forcing function
whereby the units will only properly nest if stacked alternatingly
top-over-bottom and bottom-over-top.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Not applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not applicable.
REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX
[0003] Not applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] Persons who, by vocation or inclination, must frequently
move from one residence to another, and who have large libraries
(for example students, professors, journalists, etc.) are faced
with a problem in the convenient storage and transportation of
books or the like. Traditional bookcases, being substantial pieces
of furniture, are adequate for storage but less than adequate for
moving, in that the books must first be unloaded from them and
packed and moved separately, and also in that the bookcases
themselves are often heavy and cumbersome. Traditional bookcases
also tend to be expensive and, if a person only has one or two
shelves of books, may provide more storage capacity than is
needed.
[0005] The 1973 book Nomadic Furniture, by James Hennesey and
Victor Papanek, describes a common solution to these problems,
which is to employ surplus wooden packing crates (for example those
sometimes used for shipping fruit) stacked on their sides in a
bookcase-like configuration with their interiors exposed to the
room. Books or other media stored inside may be easily accessed by
reaching into the open crate, and easily moved by lifting the
entire crate and carrying it in the traditional manner. This
eliminates the need to unload a bookcase prior to moving by
eliminating the bookcase itself, and replacing it with a stack of
modular boxes which may be moved without being unloaded. It also
allows for shelving space to grow more naturally with the user's
library.
[0006] This approach, while adequate, is less than ideal for many
reasons: 1) In today's era of increased recycling and
waste-consciousness, wooden crates are increasingly difficult to
find. 2) What crates may be available are often cheaply made and
generally inadequate to support the significant load of large
numbers of books placed on or in them. 3) Even if solidly
constructed, standard wooden crates are heavier than necessary for
the purpose of storing or transporting books or the like, because
of material redundancies between crates when stacked in the
bookcase configuration, and because of excess material when used as
a moving container. 4) Standard wooden crates have no capacity to
positively interlock with one another, and are thus limited in the
height to which they may be safely stacked in the bookcase
configuration. 5) Standard wooden crates are often poorly
proportioned for books, resulting either in wasted space or in
inadequate capacity for larger volumes. 6) Standard wooden crates
are often aesthetically displeasing.
[0007] The prior art which most closely addresses these problems,
to this writer's knowledge, is Shugart's U.S. Pat. No. 4,322,118,
which discloses a six-sided container featuring top, bottom, rear,
and two side panels, and a sixth, movable panel which, by means of
grooves in the side and bottom panels, may be slid into place
either at the front of the unit, thereby forming a sealed container
for transport or storage, or at the rear of the unit, whereat it
may be stored to allow access to the contents of the shelf. The
unit also features pegs extending vertically from the upper
surfaces of the side panels which mate with holes in the lower
surfaces of the side panels of a like unit when stacked on top. The
unit also features horizontally-oriented openings in the side
panels which serve as handholds.
[0008] Although the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,322,118
goes a long way toward eliminating the shortcomings of standard
wooden crates appropriated for use as bookcases, it is still
deficient in that it suffers from excess weight because of material
redundancies between the upper wall of the lower unit and the lower
wall of the upper unit when stacked in the bookcase configuration,
and because of excess material in the side walls of a single unit
when used as a moving container. Moreover, the nesting system used
to interlock the units when stacked in the bookcase configuration,
consisting of protrusions and corresponding recesses in the upper
and lower surfaces of the container's side panels, is incidental to
the structure of the container itself and as such unnecessarily
complicates manufacture and may be unduly subject to breakage.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] Accordingly, it is the object of this invention to provide a
unitary container for the accessible storage and convenient
transportation of books and/or the like, after the manner of
surplus wooden crates described above, which eliminates excess
weight by eliminating solid planar construction of the top and
bottom surfaces of the container, and replacing them with various
longitudinal slats spaced such that, when two or more units are
stacked in the bookcase configuration, the top slats of lower units
interpose between the bottom slats of upper units to form a single
effectively solid planar shelf within the upper unit whereon books
or the like may be stored and accessed. The slats are spaced widely
enough to allow this function, and at the same time narrowly enough
to provide effective containment of books or the like when a single
unit is employed as a moving container.
[0010] Additionally, it is an object of this invention to reduce
manufacturing costs by employing other than solid planar
construction for the top and bottom surfaces of the container, and
replacing it with the interposing slat construction described
hereinabove as a weight-saving device, which uses fifty percent
less material than solid planar construction.
[0011] It is a further object of this invention to eliminate
interlocking systems which are incidental to the structure of the
container itself, such as protrusions and corresponding recesses in
the upper and lower surfaces of the side panels, and to replace
them with an interlocking system which is integral to the structure
of the container itself, specifically that system of interposing
top and bottom slats described hereinabove.
[0012] It is a further object of this invention to provide a means
whereby the containers may be stacked in an alternate
configuration, with the planes of their rear panels parallel to the
ground, wherein their contents will be retained by the force of
gravity and, in lower containers, by the proximity of the rear
panels of upper containers, for purposes of transportation or
non-accessible storage of said contents.
[0013] It is a further object of this invention to provide a
forcing function whereby the containers, when stacked in the
alternate configuration described hereinabove, will only nest
properly when stacked alternatingly bottom-over-top and
top-over-bottom, in order to enhance stability of the stack, and
hence enhance safety, by insuring that the center of mass of a
group of containers stacked in this alternate configuration is more
closely aligned with the center of volume of the stack itself.
[0014] These and other objects will be made manifest by providing a
container with parallel opposed side panels, approximately square,
joined adjacent the rear edge by a back panel or stop-board, and
joined along the top and bottom edges by various slats spaced as
described above to interpose when the unit is stacked with other
like units and to effectively contain when the unit is carried
individually, said back panel and said top and bottom slats being
disposed orthogonally to the plane of said side panels, and being
attached to said side panels by screws, nails, staples, pegs, glue,
or other conventional means of attachment. Additionally, said side
panels incorporate openings arranged to provide handholds for
carrying the unit and to further reduce its weight.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
[0015] FIG. 1 is a front perspective illustration of the preferred
embodiment of the invention.
[0016] FIG. 2 is a right-side plan of the preferred embodiment of
the invention, showing the spacing of top and bottom slats for
interposition, and some possible locations and orientations of
openings in the side-panels to provide handholds and weight
reduction.
[0017] FIG. 3 is a top plan of the preferred embodiment of the
invention, with the bottom slats omitted for clarity, showing the
spacing of top slats, the location of screws for securing the top
slats, the rabbeted front and rear edges of the side panels, and
the disposition of the rear stop-board.
[0018] FIG. 4 is a bottom plan of the preferred embodiment of the
invention, with the top slats removed for clarity, showing the
spacing of bottom slats and the location of screws for securing the
bottom slats.
[0019] FIG. 5 is a front plan of the preferred embodiment of the
invention when loaded, with diagonally cross-hatched areas to
indicate books or like objects included to show the preferred
disposition of such objects within the container.
[0020] FIG. 6 is a rear plan of the preferred embodiment of the
invention when loaded, showing the disposition of the rear
stop-board with respect to the contents of the container.
[0021] FIG. 7 is a front perspective illustration of two units of
the preferred embodiment of the invention stacked in a bookcase
configuration, showing the interposition of top and bottom slats to
form an effectively solid planar shelf within the upper unit.
[0022] FIG. 8 is a detail showing the possible slanting of the
mating faces of interposing slats at complementary angles to
facilitate self-aligning of the slats when the units are stacked in
the bookcase configuration.
[0023] FIG. 9 is a side plan of four units of the preferred
embodiment of the invention stacked in the alternate configuration,
with the planes of their rear surfaces parallel to the ground,
showing the operation of the forcing function whereby the load of a
stack of units in this configuration is evenly distributed within
the stack itself The dashed lines indicate the disposition of the
contents of the containers.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0024] Referring now to the drawings of the preferred embodiment,
which are numbered identically throughout, the invention consists
of right (1) and left (2) parallel opposed wooden side panels, 3/4"
thick, 111/4" deep from front to back, and 12" high, incorporating
two sets of ovular openings(3, 4) 4" long and 1" wide to serve as
handholds and as a means to reduce weight, one set of openings (3)
being disposed adjacent and parallel to the front edge of the side
panels, and the second set (4) being disposed adjacent and parallel
to the top edge of the side panels. The side panels are joined
adjacent their rear edge by a wooden stop board (5), 3/4" in
thickness, 5 1/2" in height, and 22 1/2" in width, which is
attached orthogonally to the interior surfaces of the side panels
by four screws(6), two in each end of the stop board, extending
through the side panels and into the end grain of the
stop-board..
[0025] The side panels are also joined along their top edges by
three identical wooden slats (7), each 3/4" thick, 1.6" deep from
front to back, and 24" long, spaced such that an identical slat may
be interposed between each pair of slats, and another identical
slat may be exactly fit between the frontmost top slat and the
front upper edges of the side panels, and another identical slat
may be exactly fit between the rearmost top slat and the rear upper
edges of the side panels. These top slats are orthogonally disposed
to the planes of the side panels, and are attached to the side
panels by means of screws(8), two adjacent to each end of each
slat, extending through the upper surface of the slat and into the
upper surface of the side panels and counter-sunk into the upper
surface of the slat so as not to protrude above the upper surface
of the slat.
[0026] The side panels are also joined along the bottom edges by
four identical wooden slats (9), each also 3/4" thick, 1.6" deep
from front to back, and 24" long, spaced such that an identical
slat may be interposed between each pair of slats, with the
frontmost bottom slat positioned immediately adjacent the front
lower edges of the side panels, and the rearmost bottom slat
positioned immediately adjacent the rear lower edges of the side
panels, so that the three spaces between the four bottoms slats
will exactly accept the three top slats of another unit stacked
underneath. The bottom slats are orthogonally disposed to the
planes of the side panels, and are attached to the side panels by
means of screws(10), two adjacent to each end of each slat,
extending through the lower surface of the slat and into the lower
surface of the side panels and counter-sunk into the lower surface
of the slat so as not to protrude below the lower surface of the
slat.
[0027] To use the invention, books and/or the like are placed
inside the container thus formed with their spines (or the
equivalent) facing forward with respect to the container and their
bottom edges resting on the upper surface of the bottom slats. Two
or more like containers may then be stacked in a bookcase
configuration by aligning the bottom slats of upper units with the
spaces between the top slats of lower units, and lowering the upper
units into position thusly, so that the top slats of lower units
and the bottom slats of upper units interpose to form a single
effectively solid planar shelf within each upper unit whereon books
or the like may be slidably stored or removed. The weight of the
containers and of the material they contain is sufficient to
maintain a stable nesting arrangement by means of this
interposition, allowing the containers to be safely stacked as high
as the ceilings of most rooms will permit without need of further
interlocking devices. Note that the mating faces of interposing
slats may or may not be slanted at complementary angles, as shown
in FIG. 8, to facilitate the self-aligning of top and bottom slats
when the units are stacked in a bookcase configuration.
[0028] To move the books and/or the like so contained and arranged,
each unit is lifted off the stack by means of either set of
handholds (2,3), manually rotated so that the plane of the rear
stop-board is roughly parallel to the ground, and carried in the
manner of a standard lidless crate by means of the handholds
adjacent the front edges of the side panels (3).
[0029] The preferred embodiment also incorporates rabbeted front
(11) and rear (12) edges of the side panels to facilitate nesting
of the units when stacked in an alternate configuration, presumably
for transportation purposes, with the planes of the rear
stop-boards parallel to the ground. This alternate stacking and
nesting configuration, illustrated in FIG. 9, also incorporates a
forcing function, provided by the juxtaposition of the rabbeted
front and rear edges with respect to the frontmost and rearmost
bottom slats, which allows the units to nest properly in the
alternate configuration only when stacked alternatingly
top-over-bottom and bottom-over-top. In the preferred embodiment,
this forcing function works by providing that the frontmost and
rearmost bottom slats of two units will interfere with one another
and so prohibit nesting of the rabbeted front and rear edges of the
two units if the two units are stacked in a bottom-over-bottom and
top-over-top configuration. This feature works to insure that the
center of mass of a stack of units arranged in this configuration
corresponds more exactly to the centerline of the stack itself,
thus enhancing the stability and safety of the units stacked in
this configuration.
[0030] It will be recognized, finally, that the foregoing is but
one embodiment of an apparatus within the scope of the present
invention, and that various other modifications will occur to those
skilled in the art upon reading the disclosure set forth
hereinbefore. Moreover, although the preferred embodiment is
constructed in wood, it will be recognized that construction in
other materials and by other processes, such as plastic injection
molding, is not precluded from the scope of this invention.
* * * * *