U.S. patent application number 10/045217 was filed with the patent office on 2003-05-08 for hanging storage unit with shelves and hooks.
This patent application is currently assigned to Lynk, Inc.. Invention is credited to Klein, Richard B., Scott, John W., Serslev, Chris.
Application Number | 20030085188 10/045217 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 21936655 |
Filed Date | 2003-05-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030085188 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Klein, Richard B. ; et
al. |
May 8, 2003 |
Hanging storage unit with shelves and hooks
Abstract
A storage unit of the type that may be hung on a door includes
parallel side frames constructed of separate pieces connected at
joints. Shelves formed by wire mesh baskets extend between the side
frames and include rigid wires that span the joints to structurally
strengthen them. Special hanger brackets for the side frames span
doors that have a standard thickness and can be severed and screwed
to the top edge of a door that is thicker than standard. Special
hooks can be hung on the rim wires of the baskets or on a larger
hanger bar. Clips on the hooks allow them to be clipped to the
sides or front wires of the baskets to hold them in place.
Inventors: |
Klein, Richard B.; (Overland
Park, KS) ; Scott, John W.; (Lenexa, KS) ;
Serslev, Chris; (Leawood, KS) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Richard R. Johnson
SHOOK, HARDY & BACON L.L.P.
1200 Main Street
Kansas City
MO
64105-2118
US
|
Assignee: |
Lynk, Inc.
|
Family ID: |
21936655 |
Appl. No.: |
10/045217 |
Filed: |
November 7, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
211/118 ;
211/117; 211/90.02; 211/90.03 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47F 5/08 20130101; A47B
87/0207 20130101; A47F 5/01 20130101; A47B 96/16 20130101; A47B
57/10 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
211/118 ;
211/117; 211/90.02; 211/90.03 |
International
Class: |
A47F 005/08 |
Claims
Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:
1. Storage apparatus for mounting on a generally vertical surface
such as a door, comprising: a pair of side frames applicable to
said surface to extend generally vertically thereon spaced apart
from one another, each side frame including a plurality of rigid
frame members connected end to end with a joint formed between
adjacent ends of said frame members; and a storage unit for storing
articles, said storage unit extending between said side frames and
being connected thereto and said storage unit having rigid portions
thereof which span the joint between adjacent frame members on each
side frame and are connected to said frame members at locations on
opposite sides of the respective joints.
2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein: said rigid portions
of said storage unit include generally horizontal wires connected
with said frame members on opposite sides of the respective joints
and a rigid wire interconnecting said horizontal wires.
3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2, including a notch in each
frame member, said horizontal wires fitting closely in said notches
to connect said rigid portions of said storage unit to said frame
members on opposite sides of said joints.
4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2, including for each joint: an
upper notch in the frame member located above the joint, said upper
notch having an entry slot and a groove adjacent to and below said
slot; a lip adjacent to and in front of said groove; and a lower
notch in the frame member located below the joint, one of said
horizontal wires being insertable through said slot and into said
groove and the other of said horizontal wires fitting in said lower
notch, with said lip acting to retain said one wire in said groove
of the upper notch.
5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 4, including: a pair of support
arms having ribs thereon adapted to fit closely in said upper
notches of the respective frame sides to connect said arms with the
frame sides; and a rack structure extending between said support
arms to mount said rack structure to said surface for holding shoes
or other articles, whereby said frame sides can interchangeably
support said storage unit and said rack structure.
6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein: said storage unit
comprises a basket constructed of a plurality of interconnected
wires; and said rigid portions of said storage unit include upper
and lower wires of said basket connected to said frame members
above and below the respective joints and additional wires of said
basket interconnecting said upper and lower wires.
7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 6, including upper and lower
notches in said frame members located respectively above and below
said joint, said upper wire fitting closely in said upper notch and
said lower wire fitting closely in said lower notch to connect said
rigid portions of said storage unit to said frame members on
opposite sides of said joints.
8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein each of said upper
notches includes: an entry slot; and a groove adjacent to and below
said slot, each frame member having a lip below said slot and in
front of said groove to hold said upper wire in the groove when
said lower wire is in said lower notch.
9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 8, including: a pair of support
arms having ribs thereon adapted to fit closely in said upper
notches of the respective frame sides to connect said arms with the
frame sides; and a rack structure extending between said support
arms to mount said rack structure to said surface for holding shoes
or other articles, whereby said frame sides can interchangeably
support said basket and said rack structure.
10. Apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein each frame side
includes a bottom leg, and including: a hanger bar extending
between said bottom legs of said frame sides; and a plurality of
hooks each having an S-shaped configuration with one portion
thereof fitting on said bar to hang the hook thereon and another
portion thereof adapted to receive articles hung thereon.
11. Apparatus as set forth in claim 10, wherein: said one portion
of each hook can be fitted on a wire of said basket with said other
portion located and oriented to receive articles hung thereon; and
each hook includes a clip thereon that can be detachably clipped to
another wire of said basket to secure the hook in place.
12. Apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein said basket
comprises: a plurality of bottom wires arranged in a crossing
pattern to provide a bottom of the basket, said lower wires being
formed on opposite ends of one of the wires of said bottom wires; a
plurality of side wires connected to form opposite sides of the
basket extending above said bottom thereof; and a plurality of
front wires connected to form a front of the basket extending above
said bottom thereof, said basket having an open back between said
upper wires.
13. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein: said storage unit
includes sides and a front connected with said sides at a pair of
corner areas; and each of said corner areas includes a beveled
portion of the storage unit disposed to angle between said sides
and front.
14. Storage apparatus for mounting on a generally vertical surface
such as a door, comprising: a pair of opposite frame sides spaced
apart and mounted on said surface; a plurality of baskets each
constructed of a plurality of interconnected wires including a rim
wire forming a top rim of the basket and a plurality of spaced
apart front and side wires extending generally downwardly from said
rim wire; and a plurality of hooks each having a generally S-shaped
configuration with one portion thereof applicable to said rim wire
to hang thereon and another portion thereof adapted to receive
articles, each hook having a clip for detachably clipping the hook
to said front and side wires to hold the hook in place.
15. Apparatus as set forth in claim 14, including a hanger bar
extending between said frame sides and having a larger diameter
than said rim wire, said one portion of each hook fitting closely
on said hanger bar with said other portion located and oriented to
receive articles hung thereon.
16. Apparatus as set forth in claim 15, wherein each clip is
constructed and arranged to engage said surface to hold said other
portion of the hook at a selected position when the hook is hung on
said hanger bar.
17. Apparatus as set forth in claim 14, wherein each clip includes
a plurality of fingers projecting from the hook to grip said front
and side wires between said fingers.
18. Apparatus as set forth in claim 17, wherein each finger has a
lug projecting therefrom to interlock with said front and side
wires when gripped between said fingers.
19. Apparatus as set forth in claim 17, wherein said fingers
include top and bottom fingers spaced vertically apart and a center
finger spaced laterally from said top and bottom fingers, said clip
being applicable to a selected front or side wire with said top and
bottom fingers gripping one side thereof and said center finger
gripping an opposite side thereof.
20. Storage apparatus for hanging on upper edges of doors having
first and second thickness wherein said second thickness is greater
than said first thickness, said apparatus comprising: a frame
presenting a capacity thereon for receiving and storing articles,
said frame having an upper end; a hanger bracket coupled to said
upper end of the frame and having a top plate and a down turned
flange and a front leg extending from said top plate at locations
to engage opposite surfaces of a door having said first thickness
when the bracket is applied to span the upper edge of such door,
thereby suspending said frame on a door having said first
thickness; a breakable portion of said top plate constructed to be
severed to detach said flange from the bracket; a fastener
applicable to said top plate and the upper edge of a door having
said second thickness when said breakable portion is severed to
detach said flange from the bracket, thereby suspending said frame
from a door having said second thickness.
21. Apparatus as set forth in claim 20, including a line of
weakness on said top plate along which said breakable portion of
said top plate can be severed.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates in general to the storage of
household items and more particularly to a hanging storage unit of
the type which can be hung on a door or other vertical surface and
which includes baskets or other types of shelves for holding
various types of articles.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Shoes and other household items have been stored on racks
and other types of storage units that are constructed to hang on
doors such as closet doors, as well as on other vertical surfaces.
In order to provide a large storage capacity, this type of storage
rack often has relatively long side frames, which are typically
molded plastic pieces. However, molding long parts presents
problems in a number of respects. Long molds are expensive to
build, and it is difficult to completely fill the mold cavity to
provide an acceptable part. Further, lengthy molded parts are
susceptible to bowing and other warpage that leads to defective
parts. Packaging long parts creates additional problems because the
box or carton must be longer than is commercially desirable.
[0003] To avoid the problems associated with molding long parts,
the frame sides can be constructed of several separate pieces that
are connected end to end. However, this approach leads to other
problems, most notably structural weakness at the joints where the
frame parts are connected together. While measures can be taken to
reinforce or otherwise strengthen the joint areas, they complicate
the construction and increase the costs appreciably. Consequently,
modular frames for hanging storage units have not been wholly free
of problems, particularly in view of the need to maintain a low
cost for consumer products of this type.
[0004] Providing for a reliable way of hanging the storage unit on
different types of doors has also been difficult. Inverted U
brackets have most often been used as the means for hanging the
unit on the top edge of the door. However, these brackets are
constructed to fit only one particular door thickness. Therefore,
they fit too loosely on thinner doors and, worse, cannot be used at
all with a door that is thicker than what they are constructed
for.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention is directed to a hanging storage unit
which is specially constructed in a manner to overcome the problems
that have plagued prior storage devices.
[0006] More particularly, it is an important object of the
invention to provide, in a hanging storage unit, side frames
constructed of separate frame pieces that are connected at joints
which are strengthened in order to avoid weakness at the joints. In
a preferred embodiment of the invention, this feature is
accomplished simply and economically by connecting shelf units or
other storage structures in a manner to span or bridge the joints
of the side frames, thereby making use of the rigidity of the shelf
units to strengthen and reinforce what would otherwise be areas of
weakness.
[0007] Another object of the invention is to provide a hanging
storage unit of the character described in which the frame
structure exhibits sufficient versatility to accommodate shelf
units, shoe rack tiers, towel racks, and other storage devices
interchangeably. As a result of this feature, the storage unit can,
at the election of the user, be arranged in a configuration to
include all shelf units, all shoe racks, all towel racks or shelf
units, shoe racks, towel racks and other storage devices in
whatever combination is desired.
[0008] Yet another object of the invention is to provide a hanging
storage unit that can be hung on doors that vary in thickness. In
this respect, a special hanger bracket is provided and is
constructed to fit snugly over the top of a standard door. If a
thicker door is encountered, the construction of the hanger bracket
allows its flange to be easily detached so that the top plate of
the bracket can fit flatly on and be fastened to the top edge of
the door by a screw or other fastener. The fastener is thus applied
to the top edge of the door where it is not visible and remains
inconspicuous.
[0009] A further object of the invention is to provide, in a
hanging storage unit, a special hook element that can be applied
either to a hanger bar or to a wire rim of any of the storage
devices and secured at a fixed location. When shelf units are used,
they are preferably wire baskets, and the hook is equipped with a
clip that can be detachably clipped to a selected basket wire in
order to secure the hook in place. This allows the hooks to be
positioned wherever desired on the baskets and also on the hanger
bar to enhance the ability of the unit to receive hanging garments
and other hanging articles.
[0010] A still further object of the invention is to provide a
hanging storage unit of the character described that is simple and
economical to construct, is susceptible to being packaged
compactly, easy to assemble, and reliable in use.
[0011] Other and further objects of the invention, together with
the features of novelty appurtenant thereto, will appear in the
course of the following description.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] In the accompanying drawings which form a part of the
specification and are to be read in conjunction therewith and in
which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in
the various views:
[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a hanging storage unit
having shelves and hooks applied to a door in accordance with a
preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the hanging storage
unit shown in FIG. 1 applied to a door;
[0015] FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view on an enlarged
scale of the detail identified by numeral 3 in FIG. 2;
[0016] FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view on an enlarged
scale of the detail identified by numeral 4 in FIG. 1;
[0017] FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view similar to FIG. 4,
but showing the hanger bracket of the storage unit in a condition
where its flange has been detached and the bracket is fastened to
the top edge of the door by a screw fastener;
[0018] FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view on an enlarged
scale of the detail identified by numeral 6 in FIG. 1;
[0019] FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view similar to FIG. 6,
but showing the hook swung outwardly to detach it from the basket
wire;
[0020] FIG. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view on an enlarged
scale of the detail identified by numeral 8 in FIG. 1; and
[0021] FIG. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of the lower
portion of the hanging storage unit shown in FIG. 1, with a portion
of the bottom shelf broken away for purposes of illustration.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0022] Referring now to the drawings in more detail and initially
to FIG. 1, numeral 10 generally designates a hanging storage rack
constructed according to a preferred embodiment of the present
invention. The storage rack 10 is constructed to be mounted on a
door 12 by hanging the unit 10 on the upper edge 14 of the door and
against one of the vertical surfaces 16 presented on the door.
Alternatively, the storage unit can be mounted against a wall or
other vertical surface.
[0023] The hanging storage unit 10 includes a pair of spaced apart
side frames 18 which may be constructed identically. Each side
frame 18 may include a plurality of rigid frame members. The unit
shown in FIG. 1 includes, on each side frame 18, an upper leg 20, a
center leg 22, and a lower leg 24. The frame sides 18 can be
shorter or longer and can include a different number of legs.
[0024] The legs 20, 22 and 24 are connected end to end. As best
shown in FIG. 3, the legs are connected together at joints 26. Each
joint 26 may include a socket 28 on the end of one of the frame
members and a tongue 30 projecting from the end of the other frame
member. The tongues 30 have a size and shape to fit closely in the
sockets 28, as shown in FIG. 3, in order to secure the adjacent
frame members together. In the embodiment of the invention shown in
the drawings, each side frame 18 has two of the joints 26, one
between the upper leg 20 and the central leg 22 and another between
the central leg 22 and the lower leg 24. However, there may be a
different number of joints 26 provided on the frame sides.
[0025] A plurality of shelf units each generally identified by
numeral 32 extend between and are supported by the frame sides 18.
It should be understood that various types of shelves other than
the units 32 can be applied to the frame sides 18, as can other
types of storage units such as shoe racks, travel racks and other
structures.
[0026] The shelf units 38 may take the form of wire baskets that
include a number of interconnected wires that may be coated with
plastic or another material. Each of the baskets has a horizontal
bottom formed by crisscrossing and interconnected wires 36. The
front of each basket is formed by a plurality of short upturned
wires 38 that may be integral with the front ends of the bottom
wires 36. Wires 38 extend generally upwardly but slightly forwardly
from bottom to top. Each basket has opposite sides which are formed
by a plurality of spaced apart wires 40 that may be integral with
the ends of the bottom wires 36. Wires 40 extend generally upwardly
and outwardly from bottom to top. A rim wire 42 is connected with
the upper ends of the front wires 38 and side wires 40 to provide a
rim extending around the open top of each basket. Each front corner
of each rim wire 42 where the side and front portions of the rim
wire connect includes an angled wire 43 which is preferably beveled
at 45.degree.. This beveled configuration of the corner areas of
the baskets allows the basket to clear narrow doorways without
hitting the doorway frame when the door 12 is opened and closed.
Generally vertical wires 43a extend downwardly from the opposite
ends of each corner wire 43 and connect at their lower ends with
the bottom of the basket structure.
[0027] The bottom of each basket provides a meshwork surface for
holding various types of articles that can be inserted into the
basket, and the front and sides of the basket provide confinement
for preventing the articles from sliding off of the bottom. Each
basket is open at the back, with the adjacent door surface 16
preventing articles from moving off of the back portion of the
bottom.
[0028] As best shown in FIG. 7, the rim wire 42 of each basket has
an inwardly turned end portion 44 that projects inwardly a short
distance from the back end of each side of the basket. The inwardly
turned wires 44 are integral with the rim wire 42 and terminate at
free ends so that the back of each basket remains open. The open
back end of each basket facilitates nesting of the baskets for
packaging and storage and also minimizes the amount of material
needed to construct the basket. The rim wire 42 has a somewhat
larger diameter than the bottom wires 36 or the front and side
wires 38 and 40.
[0029] With continued reference to FIG. 7 in particular, the bottom
of each basket is provided at its back end with a straight wire 46
which may be approximately the same diameter as the rim wire 42.
The opposite end portions 48 of wire 46 extend laterally beyond the
side wires 40 and are spaced beneath the in turned wires 44. The
end portions 48 are integral with the remainder of wire 46 and
terminate in free ends. The end portions 48 are preferably located
parallel to and directly below the in turned wires 44.
[0030] As best shown in FIG. 3, the frame sides 18 are each
provided with an upper notch 50 and a lower notch 52 located
respectively above and below each joint 26. Each of the upper
notches 50 includes an entry slot 54 which leads to a groove 56
located at the lower portion of each upper notch immediately behind
a lip 58 formed on the frame member at a location immediately in
front of the groove 56. The upper in turned wires 44 can be fitted
through the slots 54 and may be closely received in the grooves 56,
as shown in FIG. 3. The lower notch 52 has a size and shape to
closely receive the wire end portions 48 which, when fully inserted
into the notch 52, are located immediately behind and retained by a
small bead 60 projecting downwardly into the notch 52. The end
portions 48 preferably fit in notches 52 in a snap fit behind the
beads 60.
[0031] Each of the joints 26 has an upper notch 50 a short distance
above it and a lower notch 52 a short distance below it. As shown
in FIG. 2, each of the center legs 22 is provided near its midpoint
with an upper notch 50 and a lower notch 52 located below the upper
notch. In addition, each bottom leg 24 may be provided near its
lower end with an upper notch 50 and a lower notch 52 spaced below
the upper notch.
[0032] The shelf units 32 may be connected with the side frames 18
by first inserting the in turned wires 44 through the slots 54 and
into the cavities 56 with the rim wire 42 inclined upwardly from
back to front. Then, the front of the shelf unit can be pivoted
downwardly such that the lower wire ends 48 enter the lower notches
52 and snap into place therein behind the beads 60.
[0033] As best shown in FIG. 3, the rigid construction of the shelf
units 32 is utilized to strengthen and reinforce each of the joints
26. In particular, each of the joints 26 is spanned or bridged by
the back end portion of the basket side which includes the in
turned wires 44, the adjacent portion of the integral rim wire 42,
the adjacent side wire 40, the adjacent bottom wire 36, and the
relatively large wire 46 and its integral end portions 48. These
portions of the baskets bridge the joints 26, and the basket
structure spans the two side frames 18 at the joint locations so
that the frame construction is strengthened and rigidified and the
joints 26 do not present the areas of weakness that they would
otherwise present.
[0034] The storage unit 10 is hung on the upper edge 14 of door 12
by a pair of special hanger brackets which are generally identified
by numeral 62 and are best shown in FIG. 4. Each hanger bracket 62
is preferably constructed of a suitable metal and includes a
horizontal top plate 64 having a length to span the thickness of a
standard size door. The back end of plate 54 is provided with a
down turned flange 66 (see FIG. 2 in particular). A front leg 68 of
each bracket 62 extends downwardly from the front edge of plate 64
and is provided with a V-shaped bent portion 70 near its lower end.
The top end of each of the upper legs 20 has a hook shaped
configuration that terminates in a down turned finger 72 that is
extended through aligned openings formed in the arms of the V
portion 70, thereby suspending the frame sides 18 on the brackets
62. The fit of the flange 66 against the rear surface of the door
and the front leg 68 against the front surface of the door assures
that the storage unit 10 is suspended in a stable manner on the
upper edge 14 of the door. Preferably, the openings in the V-shaped
portion 70 of the hanger bracket are oriented in a manner to urge
the frame sides 18 against the front door surface 16. In this
manner, the brackets 62 are used to hang the storage unit 10 on a
door having a standard thickness.
[0035] The brackets 62 are specially constructed to accommodate
doors that are thicker than standard. With continued reference to
FIG. 4 in particular, the top plate 64 of each bracket is provided
with a row of perforations 74 that provide a weakened line of
detachment. If the storage unit needs to be hung on a door that is
too thick for the plate 64 to span, the flange 66 can be grasped
with pliers or another tool and bent upwardly about the line of
weakness provided by the row of perforations 74. The bracket can be
bent repeatedly back and forth to sever the flange 66 and the back
end portion of plate 64 from the remainder of the bracket at the
perforation line 74. Forwardly of the perforations 74, the plate 64
is provided with a small opening 76. As shown in FIG. 5, after the
back portion of the bracket has been detached along the
perforations 74, a screw 78 or another type of fastener can be
extended through the opening 76 and into the upper edge 14 of the
door in order to secure the bracket 62 to the top edge of the door.
The storage unit 10 can then be hung on the brackets 66 in the same
manner described previously. The fastener 78 is extended into the
top edge of the door where it is invisible and thus inconspicuous
so that there is no problem created with respect to aesthetics.
[0036] In accordance with the present invention, the storage unit
10 may be equipped with a plurality of hooks which are generally
identified by numeral 80 and which have identical constructions.
The hooks 80 can be applied to the rim wires 42 of the baskets as
well as to a hanger bar 82 (see FIGS. 1 and 9 in particular) which
extends between the lower ends of the side frames 18. The
construction of the hooks is best illustrated in FIGS. 6-8. Each
hook 80 has an S-shaped configuration and includes a curved upper
portion 84 that is connected with a curved lower portion 86 by a
center portion 88. The upper portion 84 of each hook has a down
turned end that terminates in a free edge. The lower portion 86 of
each hook is larger than the upper portion and is turned upwardly
to provide a hook on which articles such as garments, umbrellas,
caps, belts, and other articles can be hung.
[0037] With particular reference to FIG. 8, the center portion 88
of each hook is equipped with a clip that includes upper and lower
fingers 90 and 92 on one side and a center finger 94 on the other
side. The upper and lower fingers 90 and 92 are spaced vertically
apart, while the center finger 94 is spaced laterally from fingers
90 and 92 and is located substantially midway between them
vertically. The fingers 90 and 92 are located on one side of the
clip and oppose the finger 94 which is on the opposite side. Each
of the fingers is provided with an inwardly projecting lug 96.
[0038] The hooks 80 can be applied to any of the shelf units 32 and
secured in place at a selected location on the front or side of the
shelf unit. The hook can be applied by hooking the upper portion 84
on the rim wire 42 of the selected basket at the desired location
and then swinging the body of the hook downwardly so that one of
the front wires 38 or side wires 40 is gripped between the upper
and lower fingers 90 and 92 on one side and the center finger 94 on
the other side. The projecting lugs 96 provide a snap fit to assure
that the clip remains firmly gripped on the wire 38 or 40. When the
hook is secured in place in a position such as that shown in FIG.
8, the large bottom hook portion 86 provides a hook that is readily
accessible to receive garments or other articles that are hung on
the hook. The construction of the hooks 80 allows them to be hung
at the desired elevation on the selected shelf unit 32 and at any
desired location along its side or front, and to be detachably
secured in place through the clip construction provided by the
fingers 90, 92 and 94.
[0039] As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 9, the hanger bar 82 may take
the form of a cylindrical rod that is fitted at its opposite ends
into sockets 98 formed in the bottom ends of the lower legs 24. The
hanger bar 82 has a larger diameter than the rim wires 42 and
preferably has a diameter to closely fit within the upper portions
84 of the hooks 80. The hooks 80 can be applied to the hanger bar
82 and can be slid along it to the desired lateral position. In
addition, the projecting fingers 90, 92 and 94 provide a standoff
and engage the surface 18 of the door in order to hold the hooks in
a position where the lower hook end portions 86 are properly
located to receive hanging articles.
[0040] The bottom ends of the lower legs 84 may be equipped with
integral hooks 100 located below the lowermost shelf unit 32
generally in line with the hooks 88 that are detachably applied to
the hanger bar 82.
[0041] It is a particular feature of the invention that the
construction of the side frames 18 allows them to accommodate a
plurality of shelf units 32, and to also accommodate shoe rack
tiers of the type disclosed in pending application Ser. No.
649,305, filed on Aug. 28, 2000 in the name of Richard B. Klein et
al., which application is incorporated herein by reference. As
disclosed in the cited application, a shoe rack tier can be mounted
on the outer ends of a pair of support arms which are provided on
their inner ends with tongue structures that can be fitted closely
in the upper notches 50. Consequently, the frame sides 18 of the
present invention can be used to support all shelf units 32, all
shoe rack tiers of the type disclosed in the cited application, or
a combination of shelf units 32 and shoe racks that may be arranged
in any desired configuration and any desired number. Further, towel
racks (not shown) and other storage structures can be used
interchangeably on the frame, alone or together with shelves,
baskets, shoe racks and other types of storage units in various
combinations, all taking advantage of the construction of the frame
sides 18 and reinforcement of the joints provided by the storage
units. Thus, the construction of the frame sides 18 of the hanging
storage unit of the present invention provides considerable
versatility in the types of storage arrangements that can be
used.
[0042] From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is
one well adapted to attain all ends and objects hereinabove set
forth together with the other advantages which are obvious and
which are inherent to the structure.
[0043] It will be understood that certain features and
subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without
reference to other features and subcombinations. This is
contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.
[0044] Since many possible embodiments may be made of the invention
without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood
that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying
drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative, and not in a
limiting sense.
* * * * *