U.S. patent application number 11/260300 was filed with the patent office on 2007-05-03 for fish tank stand.
Invention is credited to Paul J. Backofen.
Application Number | 20070095770 11/260300 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37994891 |
Filed Date | 2007-05-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070095770 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Backofen; Paul J. |
May 3, 2007 |
Fish tank stand
Abstract
A fish tank stand with two leg support structures, a top load
bearing structure and a shelf that is assembled without any
fasteners by engaging male/female locking mechanisms (e.g., peg/peg
groove) integrally formed in the top load bearing structure with
complementary locking structures integrally formed in the leg
support structures and then engaging locking mechanisms integrally
formed with the shelf with complementary locking mechanisms
integrally formed with the two leg support structures. The stand is
assembled by engaging pegs of the top structure in their peg
grooves of the leg support structures and then inserting the pegs
from the shelf into peg holders formed integrally with the lower
legs to lock the stand in an assembled state. The top pegs are
engaged with their grooves when the legs are perpendicular to the
top structure, and then locked in place as the leg support
structures move outwardly away from each relative to the top
structure.
Inventors: |
Backofen; Paul J.; (Upland,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Roy L. Anderson, Esq.;LAW OFFICES OF ROY ANDERSON
1010 North Central Avenue
Glendale
CA
91202
US
|
Family ID: |
37994891 |
Appl. No.: |
11/260300 |
Filed: |
October 27, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
211/133.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B 47/024 20130101;
A01K 63/006 20130101; A01K 63/003 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
211/133.1 |
International
Class: |
A47F 3/14 20060101
A47F003/14 |
Claims
1. A fish tank stand, comprising: two leg support structures; a top
load bearing structure; and a shelf; wherein the fish tank stand is
assembled without any fasteners by engaging a first locking
mechanism integrally formed in the top load bearing structure with
a first complementary locking structure integrally formed with one
of the two leg support structures and then engaging a second
locking mechanism integrally formed in the top load bearing
structure with a second complementary locking structure integrally
formed with the second of the two leg support structures and then
engaging a third and a fourth locking mechanism integrally formed
with the shelf with a third and a fourth complementary locking
mechanism integrally formed with the two leg support
structures.
2. The fish tank stand of claim 1, wherein each of the two leg
support structures has at least two legs.
3. The fish tank stand of claim 2, wherein the first through fourth
locking mechanisms are comprised of male members and the first
through fourth complementary locking mechanisms are comprised of
female members.
4. The fish tank stand of claim 3, wherein the male members are
comprised of pegs.
5. The fish tank stand of claim 4, wherein the first and second
complementary locking mechanisms are comprised of peg grooves
integrally formed in the two leg support structures.
6. The fish tank stand of claim 5, wherein the first and second
locking mechanisms are each comprised of a pair of pegs; and
wherein the first and second complementary locking mechanisms are
each comprised of a pair of grooves, each of the pair of grooves
being integrally formed on a separate leg of one of the two leg
support structures.
7. The fish tank stand of claim 6, wherein the third and fourth
locking mechanisms are each comprised of a pair of shelf pegs; and
wherein the third and fourth complementary locking mechanisms are
each comprised of a pair of leg female mating members, each of the
pair of leg female mating members being integrally formed on a
separate leg of one of the two leg support structures.
8. The fish tank stand of claim 2, wherein the first through fourth
locking mechanisms are comprised of female members and the first
through fourth complementary locking mechanisms are comprised of
male members.
9. A fish tank stand, comprising: a first leg support structure
with a first leg having a first leg top engagement mechanism and a
first shelf engagement mechanism and a second leg having a second
leg top engagement mechanism and a second leg shelf engagement
mechanism; a second leg support structure with a third leg having a
third leg top engagement mechanism and a third leg shelf engagement
mechanism and a fourth leg having a fourth leg top engagement
mechanism and a fourth leg shelf engagement mechanism; a top load
bearing structure with four leg engagement mechanisms for engaging
the first, second, third and fourth leg top engagement mechanisms;
and a shelf with four shelf engagement mechanisms for engaging the
first, second, third and fourth leg shelf engagement mechanisms;
wherein the stand is assembled by engaging two of the leg
engagement mechanisms with the first and second top engagement
mechanisms, then engaging two more of the leg engagement mechanisms
with the third and fourth top engagement mechanisms, and then
engaging the four shelf engagement mechanisms with first through
fourth leg shelf engagement mechanisms; wherein the top load
bearing structure is substantially parallel to a flat surface on
which the first through fourth legs are placed when the stand is
assembled and an angle formed by a first plane containing both the
first and second legs and the flat surface is less than ninety
degrees while a second angle formed by the first plane and the top
load bearing structure is greater than ninety degrees; and wherein
a third angle formed by a second plane containing both the third
and fourth legs and the flat surface is both less than ninety
degrees and substantially equal to the first angle while a fourth
angle formed by the second plane and the top load bearing structure
is greater than ninety degrees and substantially equal to the
second angle.
10. The fish tank stand of claim 9, wherein the first through
fourth leg top engagement mechanisms are comprised of a female
mating member and the four shelf engagement mechanisms are
comprised of a male mating member.
11. The fish tank stand of claim 10, wherein the female mating
member is comprised of a peg groove and the male member is
comprised of a peg.
12. The fish tank stand of claim 11, wherein the stand is assembled
by first engaging the four pegs of the top load bearing structure
with the four peg grooves of the first and second leg support
structures when the top load bearing structure is substantially
perpendicular to the first and second leg support structures and
then locking the four pegs of the top load bearing structure in the
four peg grooves when the first and second leg support structures
are moved out of perpendicular angle to the top load bearing
structure.
13. The fish tank stand of claim 9, wherein the first through
fourth leg shelf engagement mechanisms are comprised of a female
mating member and the four shelf engagement mechanisms are
comprised of a male mating member.
14. The fish tank stand of claim 13, wherein the female mating
member is comprised of a peg groove and the male member is
comprised of a peg.
15. The fish tank stand of claim 9, wherein the first through
fourth leg shelf engagement mechanisms are comprised of a male
mating member and the four shelf engagement mechanisms are
comprised of a female mating member.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is related to a design patent application
filed concurrently herewith with the same name, Attorney Docket
Number RLA 35.238, the disclosure of which is specifically
incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention is in the field of stands and, more
specifically, to fish tank stands.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Fish tanks are commonly made of glass and contain water
within an enclosure in which fish swim. Although fish tanks come in
many different sizes and shapes, rectangular fish tanks are fairly
common. When a larger rectangular fish tank is filled with water,
it can be relatively heavy and require a sturdy support structure.
Fish tanks can be supported in elaborate custom built wood units or
built into walls, but there is also a demand for simpler,
inexpensive stands that can hold fish tanks. Such a stand must be
sturdy to withhold the weight of a glass fish tank filled with
water. One way to make such a stand is to simply construct an iron
rectangular stand in which the fish tank is supported by a top
planar surface which itself is supported by four perpendicular legs
that are firmly affixed, such as by bolts and screws. However, such
a unit is heavy, which increases its cost due to shipping, and
requires a certain amount of assembly by the ultimate user. In
addition, such a unit has a plain "boxy" appearance that is very
utilitarian, but might be lacking of certain aesthetic appeal to
some consumers.
[0004] Accordingly, there is a need for a stand that can be used
for fish tanks or other units requiring a sturdy stand that is
economical, easy to assemble and yet aesthetically pleasing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention is generally directed to a fish tank
stand with two leg support structures, a top load bearing structure
and a shelf that is assembled without any fasteners by engaging
locking mechanisms integrally formed in the top load bearing
structure with complementary locking structures integrally formed
in the leg support structures and then engaging locking mechanisms
integrally formed with the shelf with complementary locking
mechanisms integrally formed with the two leg support
structures.
[0006] In a first, separate group of aspects of the present
invention, each of the leg support structures has two legs and the
locking mechanisms are complementary male/female locking
mechanisms, such as a peg and a peg groove or peg holder, and these
are locking mechanisms can be integrally formed in the four pieces
of the fish tank stand. Thus, four pegs can be formed in the top
structure to fit with four grooves formed at the top of the legs
and the shelf can have four pegs that fit into four lower peg
holders in the legs to lock.
[0007] In a second, separate group of aspects of the present
invention, the stand is assembled by engaging pegs of the top
structure in their peg grooves of the leg support structures and
then inserting the pegs from the shelf into peg holders formed
integrally with the lower legs to lock the stand in an assembled
state. The top pegs are engaged with their grooves when the legs
are perpendicular to the top structure, and then locked in place as
the leg support structures move outwardly away from each relative
to the top structure.
[0008] Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention
to provide an improved fish tank stand.
[0009] This and further objects and advantages will be apparent to
those skilled in the art in connection with the drawings and the
detailed description of the invention set forth below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 is an assembled fish tank stand according with an
especially preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0011] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the fish tank of FIG. 1.
[0012] FIG. 3. is an illustrative cutaway view showing the locking
mechanisms of the fish tank of FIG. 1 in a locked position.
[0013] FIG. 4 is an illustrative view showing one of the locking
mechanisms illustrated in FIG. 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0014] In accordance with the present invention, a stand is
provided that is especially well suited for use as a fish tank
stand.
[0015] The present invention will now be described in connection
with an especially preferred embodiment that illustrates various
aspects of the inventive concepts described herein. The stand is
designed for ease of manufacture and assembly so that it does not
require fasteners, such as screws and nuts, to assemble and lock it
in place. Instead, the especially preferred embodiment is designed
for ultimate economy in parts and manufacture so that its base
model can be made of only four parts. This means that no special
packet of fasteners need be included with the unit and no tool of
any nature is needed to assemble the unit. Of course, this also
means that assembly could not be any easier since all that must be
done is to simply fit the four pieces together into their locked
position without using any special tools! This, by itself, is
revolutionary in its concept, especially for a stand that must be
sturdy and reliable.
[0016] As is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a stand according to the
present invention, shown generally as 10, has four integral
pieces--two leg support structures 1 and 2, a top load bearing
structure 3 and a shelf 4
[0017] The two leg support structures 1 and 2 are, preferably,
identical structures, and each of these structures has two legs 5
and 6, a central support 7, a top engagement mechanism 8 and shelf
engagement mechanism 9, all of which are integrally formed into a
single part. Legs 5 and 6 can be fitted with non-skid feet, or they
can be fitted with roller wheels (not shown). It is especially
preferred that legs 5 and 6 are angled away from top structure 3 at
their bottom to increase the stability of a fully assembled stand.
Thus, a rectangle formed by the top of the legs where they contact
top structure 3 would be parallel to, but entirely within, a
rectangle formed by the bottom of the legs where they contact a
floor, assuming the top rectangle is directly lowered to the
floor.
[0018] The top load bearing structure 3 is the piece of stand 1
upon which a fish tank is placed, so it should preferably be
planar, like a table surface. It is preferable that top structure 3
is not solid, as a solid structure increases weight, and therefore
the cost, of stand 1. However, unlike some fish tank stands that
are designed to precisely fit a particular size of tank, it is also
preferable that stand 1 be able to accommodate various sizes of
tanks. To accomplish this purpose, top structure 3 must be capable
of supporting various sizes of tanks and still distribute the
weight of such structures to the leg support structures. This is
accomplished in an especially preferred embodiment, while also
providing some aesthetic appeal, by a series of rectangular
structures 11 that are connected together at their corners by
corner supports 12 and a central support 13. When a fish tank is
placed on top structure 3, its weight is ultimately distributed
outwardly to the four legs of the two leg support structures 1 and
2.
[0019] Top load bearing structure 3 also has four pegs 18 that
function as engagement mechanisms together with the four top
engagement mechanisms 8 to connect top load bearing structure 3 to
leg support structures 1 and 2. Each of the top engagement
mechanisms 8 has a sloping ramp 15 and peg groove 16 which is
designed to securely hold a peg 18 when stand 1 is in a locked
position. Top engagement mechanisms 8 and pegs 18 function as
female and male members, respectfully, when they are locked in
place as is shown in FIG. 3; however, such locking does not occur
until shelf 4 is also included in the assembly, as will be
described below.
[0020] Shelf 4 is preferably a wire rack, as is shown in FIG. 2,
with two outer wire pieces 20 having four shelf engagement
mechanisms 19 at their ends, and the two wire pieces 20 are
connected by multiple cross pieces 21 to form an integral structure
capable of serving as a lower shelf. While shelf 4 is shown as
having multiple cross pieces 21 that are connected perpendicularly
to outer pieces 20, this design is aesthetic and any other suitable
design could be used, as long as shelf 4 is an integral
structure.
[0021] Shelf engagement mechanisms 19 of shelf 4 function together
with the four shelf engagement mechanisms 9 of leg support
structures 1 and 2 to lock top load bearing structure 3 to leg
support structures 1 and 2. In the especially preferred embodiment
shelf engagement mechanisms 19 are simply pegs that can be formed
by bending the ends of the two wire pieces 20 while the four shelf
engagement mechanisms 9 are simply peg holders formed integrally in
legs 5 and 6 of leg support structures 1 and 2 so that pegs 19
function as male members inserted into female members 9. When all
four of the pegs 19 are inserted into their peg holders 9, shelf 4
serves to lock the four pegs 8 within the four peg grooves 16. It
is especially preferred that pegs 19 are slightly bent so that they
will fit snugly in their corresponding peg holders, although they
should not be bent so much that it is difficult for them to be
properly inserted during assembly.
[0022] During assembly of fish tank stand 10, the two leg support
structures 1 and 2 are first assembled by hand so as to engage pegs
18 when they are perpendicular to top shelf 3, and then they will
be locked in place as they move outwardly away from this position
relative to each other, while shelf 4 will serve to lock them in
this position when fully assembled. Thus, to assemble fish tank
stand 10, one need only engage the two leg support structures with
top shelf 3 so that pegs 18 are in peg grooves 16, spread the legs
away from each other while the pegs 18 are held in peg grooves 16,
and then insert pegs 19 of the shelf 4 into their peg holders 9 in
the four legs of leg support structures 1 and 2 to lock the
structure in place, thus creating a solid, strong structure that is
held together only by its four integral parts, without the need for
any external fasteners or the use of any tools during assembly. To
disassemble the fish tank stand, the same steps for assembly are
followed in reverse, and then the parts can be stored flat without
any fear that fasteners might be lost. Furthermore, such assembly
or disassembly can be done in a matter of minutes, or less, which
is a far cry from what would is needed to assemble a stand more
typical of prior art stands that requires numerous fasteners, often
requires the use of tools, and is often less solid and sturdy.
Also, there are no fasteners to become loose. Moreover, because the
fish tank stand 10's legs are not perpendicular to the ground when
it is bearing weight, the stand is more stable than a simple
rectangular stand with perpendicular legs.
[0023] It is especially preferred that leg support structures 1 and
2 and top shelf 3 are made of steel pipe while shelf 4 is made of
steel wire. Using such a construction, an actual preferred
embodiment has been constructed that weighs 15.4 pounds and did not
fail under testing until it was subjected to a load of over 700
pounds, which is well beyond a desired support weight of 200 pounds
for use as a fish tank stand. Such a stand can be packaged in an
unassembled state in a flat pack and, due its light weigh and
compact shipping size, economically shipped for mass distribution
in the consumer market.
[0024] While the invention has been described herein with reference
to several especially preferred embodiments, these embodiments have
been presented by way of example only, and not to limit the scope
of the invention. For example, while the especially preferred
embodiment has been described as using male locking members in the
top structure and shelf and female locking members in the leg
support structures, these could be reversed. Similarly, male and
female locking members other than pegs and grooves or peg holders
could also be used. Thus, additional embodiments of the present
invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art having the
benefit of this detailed description, especially to meet specific
requirements or conditions. Further modifications are also possible
in alternative embodiments without departing from the inventive
concept.
[0025] Accordingly, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art
that still further changes and modifications in the actual concepts
described herein can readily be made without departing from the
spirit and scope of the disclosed inventions as defined by the
following claims.
* * * * *