U.S. patent application number 10/265464 was filed with the patent office on 2004-04-08 for sectional rack with drawers.
Invention is credited to Chen, Henry.
Application Number | 20040065633 10/265464 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32042458 |
Filed Date | 2004-04-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040065633 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chen, Henry |
April 8, 2004 |
Sectional rack with drawers
Abstract
A sectional rack that can be assembled without using any tool
and fastening means includes oblong-sectioned vertical posts having
horizontal slots symmetrically provided on two opposite sides, and
externally gradually downward expanded connecting members adapted
to firmly attach to the vertical posts through engagement of ribs
provided on inner wall surfaces of the connecting members with the
horizontal slots on the vertical posts, and horizontal shelves
having an internally gradually downward expanded short sleeve
provided at each corner and being adapted to connect to the
vertical posts by seating the short sleeves over the connecting
members attached to the vertical posts. And, channels are
optionally hung on the vertical posts to support drawer-type
baskets thereon.
Inventors: |
Chen, Henry; (Taipei,
TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LAW OFFICE OF LIAUH & ASSOCIATES
SUITE 5-388
4224 WAIALAE AVENUE
HONOLULU
HI
96816-5307
US
|
Family ID: |
32042458 |
Appl. No.: |
10/265464 |
Filed: |
October 4, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
211/187 ;
211/126.15; 211/175; 211/181.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47F 5/13 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
211/187 ;
211/175; 211/181.1; 211/126.15 |
International
Class: |
A47F 005/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A sectional rack, comprising a plurality of vertical posts, a
plurality of horizontal shelves, a plurality of connecting members,
and a plurality of drawer-type baskets and channels for supporting
the baskets; each said vertical post having an oblong cross section
and being symmetrically provided at two opposite side surfaces with
a plurality of vertically equally spaced horizontal slots; each
said connecting member being symmetrically provided on two opposite
straight inner wall surfaces with two pairs of ribs adapted to
engage with said horizontal slots on two opposite sides of said
vertical post and thereby attach said connecting member to said
vertical post, and said connecting member having an outer wall
surface gradually expanded from top to bottom; and each said shelf
being provided at each corner with a short sleeve having an inner
wall surface gradually expanded from top to bottom corresponding to
said outer wall surface of said connecting member, such that said
short sleeve could be seated over said connecting member to
generate a downward compressive and binding effect on said
connecting member and thereby hold said shelf to said vertical post
at said connecting member.
2. The sectional rack as claimed in claim 1, wherein each said
channel defines an inward opened guide way along which a lateral
edge of said basket is slidably moved, and is provided at upper
front and upper rear ends of an outer sidewall with two vertically
upward extended L-shaped lugs, a distance between said front and
said rear lugs being the same as that between two said horizontal
slots correspondingly provided at the same vertical position on two
said vertical posts located at the same side of said sectional
rack, and said channel being fixed to said sectional rack by
inserting said front and said rear lugs into two said horizontal
slots correspondingly provided at the same height on two said
vertical posts located at the same side of said sectional rack.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a sectional rack, and more
particularly to a sectional rack that can be assembled without
using any tool and fastening means, and is adapted to firmly hold
channels for supporting drawer-type baskets thereon.
[0002] There are various types of sectional racks commercially
available in the markets. Among these sectional racks, those can be
conveniently and quickly assembled without using tools and
fastening means are particularly welcome by consumers. U.S. Pat.
Nos. 5,676,263; 5,303,645; 5,164,676; 4,991,725; 4,799,817;
4,595,107; 4,546,887; and 4,763,799 all disclose sectional racks
that can be assembled without any tool.
[0003] A typical structure of the conventional sectional racks is
shown in FIG. 1 and includes vertical posts 10, connecting members
11, and horizontal shelves 12. The vertical post 10 is provided
with a plurality of vertically spaced annular grooves 13 and
therefore has a bamboo-like appearance. The connecting member 11 is
provided on an inner wall surface with ribs 14 adapted to engage
with the annular grooves 13 and thereby hold the connecting member
to the vertical post 10. An outer wall surface of the connecting
member 11 gradually expands from top to bottom. The horizontal
shelf 12 is provided at each corner with a short sleeve 15 having
an inner wall surface gradually expanded from top to bottom
corresponding to the inclined outer wall surface of the connecting
member 11. When the short sleeves 15 are seated over the connecting
members 11 to connect the shelf 12 to the vertical posts 10, they
apply a compressive and binding force to the inclined outer wall
surface of the connecting member 11 and therefore cause the latter
to even firmly attach to the vertical posts 10 at the annular
grooves 13.
[0004] In the conventional racks having the above-described
structure, the horizontal shelves 12 are not forward and backward
movable once they are connected to the vertical posts 10. With this
structure, it is impossible to use the shelves as a drawer on the
sectional rack. There has been developed a drawer-type basket for
use on the above-described sectional rack. The basket is supported
on rails (not shown) that are provided at front and rear ends with
two short sleeves 15 for fixing onto connecting members 11 on posts
10 at two sides of the basket. When the basket is loaded with
things and pulled outward, front ends of the rails are subjected to
a downward force to cause lifted rear ends of the rails as a result
of leverage. At this point, the short sleeves 15 at the lifted rear
ends of the rails are not subjected to any downward force from the
rear ends of the rails and become loosened from the connecting
members 11, and the connecting members 11 have the possibility of
separating from the annular grooves 13 of the posts 10 and falling
therefrom, causing safety problem in using the sectional rack.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to
provide a sectional rack that could not only be assembled without
using any tool and fastening means, but also have rails firmly
connected thereto for holding drawer-type baskets.
[0006] To achieve the above and other objects, the sectional rack
of the present invention mainly includes oblong-sectioned vertical
posts having horizontal slots symmetrically provided on two
opposite side walls, and externally gradually downward expanded
connecting members adapted to firmly attach to the vertical posts
through engagement of ribs provided on inner wall surfaces of the
connecting members with the horizontal slots on the vertical posts,
and horizontal shelves having an internally gradually downward
expanded short sleeve provided at each corner and being adapted to
connect to the vertical posts by seating the short sleeves over the
connecting members attached to the vertical posts. And, channels
having upward extended L-shaped lugs provided at front and rear
ends may be firmly hung on the vertical posts by inserting the lugs
into corresponding horizontal slots of the vertical posts, so that
a drawer-type basket may be conveniently slidably supported on and
between two such channels.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] The structure and the technical means adopted by the present
invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best
understood by referring to the following detailed description of
the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings,
wherein
[0008] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional
sectional rack having bamboo-like posts;
[0009] FIG. 2 is a fragmentary assembled sectional view of the
sectional rack of FIG. 1;
[0010] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a sectional rack
according to the present invention showing the assembling of a
horizontal shelf to a vertical post of the sectional rack;
[0011] FIG. 4 is a fragmentary assembled sectional view of the
sectional rack of FIG. 3;
[0012] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an example of the sectional
rack of the present invention;
[0013] FIG. 6 shows a drawer-type basket and two channels that can
be attached to and used with the sectional rack of the present
invention;
[0014] FIG. 7 is an enlarged and partially cutaway perspective view
showing the manner of attaching the channel of FIG. 6 to the
vertical posts of the sectional rack of the present invention;
and
[0015] FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectioned side view showing the
vertical posts of the sectional rack of the present invention with
channels attached thereto to hold the drawer-type basket.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0016] Please refer to FIGS. 3 and 4 that are fragmentary exploded
perspective and assembled sectional views, respectively, of a
sectional rack according to the present invention, and to FIG. 5
that shows an example of an assembled sectional rack of the present
invention. As shown, the sectional rack includes a plurality of
vertical posts 20, a plurality of connecting members 22, and a
plurality of horizontal shelves 24.
[0017] The vertical post 20 has an oblong cross section, and is
symmetrically provided at two opposite side surfaces with a
plurality of vertically equally spaced horizontal slots 21.
[0018] The connecting member 22 includes two integrally connected
parts adapted to fitly enclose the oblong-sectioned vertical post
20 and to open and close relative to each other. The two parts of
the connecting member 22 are symmetrically provided at inner wall
surfaces at predetermined positions with horizontal ribs 23
corresponding to the horizontal slots 21 on the vertical post 20,
such that the connecting member 22 can be firmly attached to the
vertical post 20 by engaging the ribs 23 with the slots 21. While
the connecting member 22 has a straight inner wall surface adapted
to fitly bear against an outer surface of the oblong-sectioned
vertical post 20, it has a gradually downward expanded outer wall
surface.
[0019] The shelf 24 is provided at each corner with a short sleeve
25, each of which has a gradually downward expanded inner wall
surface corresponding to the gradually downward expanded outer wall
surface of the connecting member 22. Whereby when the shelf 24 is
connected at four corners to the vertical posts 20 via the short
sleeves 25, the short sleeves 25 are separately seated on and
downward pressed against the connecting members 22 attached to the
horizontal slots 21 of the vertical posts 20, enabling the shelf 24
to firmly locate in place on the sectional rack.
[0020] With the horizontal slots 21 symmetrically provided at two
opposite sides of the vertical posts 20, the connecting members 22
can be directly attached to the vertical posts 20 for connecting
the shelf 24 to the vertical posts 20 without the need of any
additional fastening means, such as screws.
[0021] In the sectional rack shown in FIG. 5, there is included a
drawer-type basket 40. An advantage of using the drawer-type basket
40 is items positioned therein are not subjected to unexpected
falling. FIG. 6 shows two channels 30 and a basket 40 slidably
supported on and between the two channels 30. The channels 30
define two inward opened horizontal guide ways 31. Two L-shaped
lugs 32 separately vertically project from upper front and upper
rear ends of an outer sidewall of each channel 30 with a horizontal
section 33 of each lug 32 extended laterally outward. A distance
between the front and the rear lug 32 is the same as that between
two horizontal slots 21 correspondingly provided on two vertical
posts 20 at the same side of the sectional rack. As can be clearly
seen from FIGS. 7 and 8, the channel 30 is fixed to the sectional
rack simply by extending the vertical lugs 32 into two
corresponding horizontal slots 21 on the two vertical posts 20 at
the same side of the sectional rack. The basket 40 is then
associated with the channels 30 to locate therebetween by sliding
two lateral edges 41 of the basket 40 into the two guide ways 31
defined by the two channels 30.
[0022] When the two channels 30 fixed to the sectional rack are
subjected to a downward pressure, two outer sidewalls thereof are
pressed against inner side surfaces of the two vertical posts 20 to
bring the vertical lugs 32 to firmly bear against inner wall
surfaces of the posts 20 without the risk of separating from the
horizontal slots 21. When the basket 40 is pulled outward along the
two guide ways 31 so that rear ends of the two channels 30 are
subjected to an upward force, the horizontal sections 33 of the
rear lugs 32 are stopped by upper edges of the horizontal slots 21
on the vertical posts 20 from moving upward any further. Therefore,
the use of the drawer-type basket 40 would not in any way cause
separation or loosening of the two channels 30 from the sectional
rack.
[0023] The channels 30 may be freely mounted on the sectional rack
at any vertical position on the posts 20, and the basket 40 may
have sidewalls of any height to meet actual need. The sectional
rack of the present invention may be assembled without using any
tool, and the two channels 30 are conveniently and quickly
connected to the rack without the need of using any screws or other
fastening means.
* * * * *