U.S. patent application number 10/734538 was filed with the patent office on 2005-06-16 for mobile filing unit.
Invention is credited to Chang, Chien-Kuo.
Application Number | 20050127800 10/734538 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34653393 |
Filed Date | 2005-06-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050127800 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chang, Chien-Kuo |
June 16, 2005 |
Mobile filing unit
Abstract
A mobile filing unit includes a housing, two tracks horizontally
bilaterally mounted inside the housing near the top, two sliding
rails respectively slidably coupled to the tracks, a face panel
connected between the sliding rails and movable with the sliding
rails in and out of the tracks to close/open the housing, and a
hanging rack formed of four rod members in the shape of a
rectangular open frame and mounted inside the housing below the
tracks for the hanging of hanging files.
Inventors: |
Chang, Chien-Kuo; (Taichung
City, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
CHARLES E. BAXLEY, ESQ.
90 JOHN STREET
THIRD FLOOR
NEW YORK
NY
10038
US
|
Family ID: |
34653393 |
Appl. No.: |
10/734538 |
Filed: |
December 12, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
312/249.8 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B 63/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
312/249.8 |
International
Class: |
A47B 097/00 |
Claims
What the invention claimed is:
1. A mobile filing unit comprising a housing, said housing having a
top open side; two tracks horizontally bilaterally mounted inside
said housing near said top open side; two sliding rails
respectively coupled to said tracks and longitudinally movable
relative to said tracks; a face panel connected between said
sliding rails and movable with said sliding rails in and out of
said tracks to close/open said top open side of said housing; and a
hanging rack mounted inside said housing below said tracks for the
hanging of hanging files, said hanging rack comprising two first
rod members arranged in parallel and two second rod members
connected in parallel between said first rod members.
2. The mobile filing unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
sliding rails each comprise two lugs near two distal ends thereof;
said face panel comprises a plurality of locating blocks
bilaterally symmetrically disposed at a bottom side thereof and
respectively fastened to the lugs of said sliding rails with
screws.
3. The mobile filing unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first
rod members of said hanging rack each have two distal ends
respectively provided with a respective mounting ring for fastening
to said housing.
4. The mobile filing unit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising
a storage box mounted inside said housing, said storage box having
a plurality of top hooks for hanging on the second rod members of
said hanging rack.
5. The mobile filing unit as claimed in claim 4, wherein said
storage box has a plurality of ribs symmetrically bilaterally
disposed on the inside, said ribs dividing the holding space of
said storage box into a plurality of compartments.
6. A mobile filing unit comprising: a housing, said housing having
a top open side; two tracks horizontally bilaterally mounted inside
said housing near said top open side; two sliding rails
respectively coupled to said tracks and longitudinally movable
relative to said tracks; a face panel connected between said
sliding rails and movable with said sliding rails in and out of
said tracks to close/open said top open side of said housing; a
hanging rack mounted inside said housing below said tracks for the
hanging of hanging files, said hanging rack comprising two first
rod members arranged in parallel and two second rod members
connected in parallel between said first rod members; and a storage
box mounted inside said housing, said storage box having a
plurality of top hooks for hanging on the second rod members of
said hanging rack.
7. The mobile filing unit as claimed in claim 6, wherein said
sliding rails each comprise two lugs near two distal ends thereof;
said face panel comprises a plurality of locating blocks
bilaterally symmetrically disposed at a bottom side thereof and
respectively fastened to the lugs of said sliding rails with
screws.
8. The mobile filing unit as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first
rod members of said hanging rack each have two distal ends
respectively provided with a respective mounting ring for fastening
to said housing.
9. The mobile filing unit as claimed in claim 6, wherein said
storage box has a plurality of ribs symmetrically bilaterally
disposed on the inside, said ribs dividing the holding space of
said storage box into a plurality of compartments.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to office furniture and, more
specifically, to a mobile filing unit.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] A conventional drawer cabinet, as shown in FIG. 1, comprises
three drawers arranged at different elevations. The bottom drawer
is relatively bigger. The other two drawers are relatively smaller.
The large bottom drawer can be used to hold file holders or hanging
files of A4 size (about 21.times.29 cm). For keeping files greater
than this size, different filing racks or cabinets shall be used.
Arranging different types and sizes of filing racks and cabinets in
the office may obstruct the sense of beauty of the office.
[0005] Further, modern business administration has become
electronicized. Different data storage disks may be used in offices
to store electronic files. Conventional filing racks and filing
cabinets are simply designed for keeping paper files, not practical
for keeping electronic file storage media. For keeping electronic
file storage media, different storage racks or cabinets shall be
used.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention has been accomplished under the
circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present
invention to provide a mobile filing unit, which is practical for
the mounting of different sizes of hanging racks for holding
different sizes of hanging files. It is another object of the
present invention to provide a mobile filing unit, which provides a
hanging rack and a storage box for holding paper files as well as
electronic files for quick searching.
[0007] To achieve these and other objects of the present invention,
the mobile filing unit comprises a housing, said housing having a
top open side; two tracks horizontally bilaterally mounted inside
said housing near said top open side; two sliding rails
respectively coupled to said tracks and longitudinally movable
relative to said tracks; a face panel connected between said
sliding rails and movable with said sliding rails in and out of
said tracks to close/open said top open side of said housing; a
hanging rack mounted inside said housing below said tracks for the
hanging of hanging files, said hanging rack comprising two first
rod members arranged in parallel and two second rod members
connected in parallel between said first rod members; and a storage
box mounted inside said housing, said storage box having a
plurality of top hooks for hanging on the second rod members of
said hanging rack.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 illustrates the outer appearance of a conventional
drawer cabinet.
[0009] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a mobile filing unit according
to the present invention.
[0010] FIG. 3 is an assembly view of FIG. 2 before installation of
the face panel.
[0011] FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken in an enlarged scale along
line 4-4 of FIG. 3.
[0012] FIG. 5 illustrates one status of use of the mobile filing
unit according to the present invention.
[0013] FIG. 6 illustrates another status of use of the mobile
filing unit according to the present invention.
[0014] FIG. 7 illustrates still another status of use of the mobile
filing unit according to the present invention.
[0015] FIG. 8 is an exploded view of an alternate form of the
mobile filing unit according to the present invention.
[0016] FIG. 9 is a schematic drawing showing a status of use of the
mobile filing unit shown in FIG. 8.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0017] Referring to FIGS. 1.about.5, a mobile filing unit in
accordance with the present invention is shown comprised of a
housing 10, two tracks 20 and 21, a face panel 30, and a hanging
rack 40.
[0018] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 again, the housing 10 is a
wheeled rectangular container, comprising four uprights
111.about.114 vertically disposed in four corners, two sets of
horizontal rod members 121.about.124 (each set of horizontal rod
members 121.about.124 including two short rod members 121 and 123
and two long rod members 122 and 124) respectively connected to top
and bottom ends of the four uprights 111.about.114 to join the
uprights 111.about.114 and to hold the uprights 111.about.114 in
parallel, four peripheral panels 131.about.134 respectively
connected between each two of the uprights 111.about.114 at four
sides in vertical and stopped between the two sets of horizontal
rod members 121.about.124, a bottom panel (not shown) surrounded by
the peripheral panels 131.about.134, and two reinforcing bars 15
respectively horizontally fastened to two opposite peripheral
panels 132 and 134 at an inner side to support the peripheral
panels 132 and 134 against deformation.
[0019] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 again, the tracks 20 and 21 are
respectively affixed to the two long rod members 122 and 124 of the
top set of horizontal rod members 121.about.124 at an inner side
with screws 22, each comprising a sliding rail 23 or 24. The
sliding rail 23 or 24 can be moved in and out of the track 20 or
21, having two lugs 231 or 241 disposed near two distal ends. Stop
means (not shown) is provided to stop the sliding rail 23 or 24
from falling out of the track 20 or 21. Because such stop means is
of the known art, no further detailed description in this regard is
necessary.
[0020] Referring to FIGS. 2.about.4, the face panel 30 is a
rectangular plate member comprising a plurality of locating blocks
31 respectively symmetrically disposed at the bottom side adjacent
to the two opposite long sides corresponding to the lugs 231 and
241 of the sliding rails 23 and 24. The locating blocks 31 each
have a screw hole 32. Screws 33 are respectively threaded into
respective nuts 34 and the screw hole 32 in each locating block 31
to affix the lugs 231 and 241 of the sliding rails 23 and 24 to the
face panel 30 at two sides, for enabling the face panel 30 to be
moved with the sliding rails 23 and 24 in and out of the tracks 20
and 21 between two positions to close/open the top open side of the
housing 10 (see also FIGS. 5 and 6).
[0021] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 again, the hanging rack 40 is a
rectangular open frame comprising two transverse rod members 41 and
43, two longitudinal rod members 42 and 44 connected between the
transverse rod members 41 and 43, four mounting rings 45
respectively provided at the ends of the transverse rod members 41
and 43 and respectively fastened to the two long rod members 122
and 124 of the top set of horizontal rod members 121.about.124 at
the bottom side to hold the hanging rack 40 inside the housing 10
near the top open side of the housing 10.
[0022] Referring to FIGS. 5.about.7, when using the mobile filing
unit, the user can push the face panel 30 to open/close the housing
10. When sliding rails 23 and 24 moved with the face panel 30 out
of the tracks 20 and 21 to the extent, they are stopped in position
by the aforesaid stop means, and therefore the sliding rails 23 and
24 and the face panel 30 do not fall out of the tracks 20 and 21
and the housing 10. When opened the face panel 30, the user can
hang at least two different sizes of hanging files (file holders)
50 and 51 on the hanging rack 40. The distance between the two
transverse rod members 41 and 43 and the distance between the two
longitudinal rod members 42 and 44 are determined subject to
different requirements during fabrication. The embodiment shown in
the drawings is just for understanding of the invention, and
modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the
spirit and scope of the invention.
[0023] FIGS. 8 and 9 show an alternate form of the mobile filing
unit. According to this embodiment, a storage box 60 is mounted
inside the housing 10. The storage box 60 has top hooks 61 for
handing on the longitudinal rod members 42 and 44 of the hanging
rack 40, and a plurality of ribs 62 symmetrically bilaterally
disposed on the inside. The ribs 62 divide the internal space of
the storage box 60 into a plurality of compartments for holding,
for example, CD boxes.
[0024] As illustrated in FIG. 9 again, the storage box 60 and the
hanging rack 40 are provided inside the housing 10 to hold mobile
data storage media and different sizes of hanging files (file
holders) 50 and 51. Therefore, the user can manage paper files as
well as electronic files efficiently. Further, the hanging rack 40
and the storage box 60 can be made to provide different storage
spaces for holding different kinds and different sizes of
files.
[0025] A prototype of mobile filing unit has been constructed with
the features of FIGS. 2.about.9. The mobile filing unit functions
smoothly to provide all of the features discussed earlier.
[0026] Although particular embodiments of the invention have been
described in detail for purposes of illustration, various
modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from
the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention
is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.
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