Patent Application
20170251854
The present invention relates generally to valet stands for clothing, and more particularly to a stand for organizing and storing the clothing, equipment, and accessory items used by military and/or law enforcement personnel.
Law enforcement and military personnel typically have multiple uniform and equipment pieces that must be kept organized for quick access. Some of the equipment may need to be kept securely.
A variety of clothing valet stands and equipment storage racks are known. These prior art stands are not effective for providing sturdy, secure, and efficient storage of the various uniform and equipment pieces that police and military personnel commonly use.
A need therefore exists for an improved uniform and equipment stand for police and military personnel. The present invention addresses that need.
In one aspect of the present invention there is provided an equipment stand for storing police and/or military clothing and equipment. One embodiment of the stand comprises: a base; at least one upright extending upward from the base and having a lower end portion, a central portion, and an upper end portion; a belt hanger supported by at least one of said uprights and effective for holding an equipment belt; a vest hanger supported by at least one of said uprights and effective for holding an equipment vest; a tray supported by at least one of said uprights and effective for holding miscellaneous objects that do not need to be secured; and a lock box supported by at least one of said uprights and effective for holding miscellaneous objects that may need to be secured.
The upright may include a lower portion extending between the base and the tray, and an upper portion extending upward beyond the tray and having a lateral portion effective for holding one or more clothing hangers.
The belt hanger may comprise a rod extending laterally from said upright in a first direction, and a belt-supporting member supported by said rod.
The belt-supporting member may comprise a convex surface with a length of at least four inches and a width of at least four inches, and a sidewall member extending outward from at least one side of the convex surface.
The vest hanger may comprise a T-shaped rod extending laterally from said upright in a second direction, and a pair of vest-supporting members supported by said T-shaped rod.
Each of the pair of vest-supporting members may comprise comprises a convex surface with a length of at least four inches and a width of at least six inches.
In another embodiment the equipment rack comprises: a first equipment storage level comprising a belt hanger and a vest hanger; a second equipment storage level comprising a tray effective for holding miscellaneous objects that do not need to be secured and a lock box effective for holding miscellaneous objects that may need to be secured; and at least one upright extending between said first equipment storage level and said second equipment storage level; wherein said at least one upright includes mounting means adapted to facilitate mounting the equipment rack to a wall.
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to certain embodiments and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, with such alterations and modifications to the illustrated device being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.
The present invention relates to an equipment rack for organizing and storing clothing, equipment, and accessory items, and more particularly to a rack for organizing and storing the clothing, equipment, and accessory items used by military and/or law enforcement personnel. The rack stores the clothing, equipment, and accessories in a manner consistent with the manner in which the items are usually donned and/or removed.
One preferred embodiment the equipment rack of the present invention comprises a base, an upright, a vest hanger for holding an equipment vest, a belt hanger for holding an equipment belt, a tray for holding miscellaneous objects that do not need to be secured, and a lock box for holding miscellaneous objects that may need to be secured. A hat or helmet holder may also be included.
1. The Belt Hanger.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention include a belt hanger. As shown in the drawings, the belt hanger may be connected to one or more uprights.
The belt hanger may comprise a rod extending laterally from an upright, and a belt-supporting member. The belt-supporting member may comprise a convex surface with a length and a width. The convex surface has two edges that are linear (straight and flat), and two edges that are curved (curbed downward to provide the convex shape). The distance between the two curved edges defines the width of the surface. The distance over the curved surface between the two linear surfaces defines the length of the surface. The length is preferably at least four inches, and the width is also preferably at least four inches.
In some embodiments the belt-supporting member comprises an upper convex surface and a lower concave surface. The upper convex surface contacts the belt being supported on the hanger, and the lower concave surface does not contact the belt being supported on the hanger.
In some embodiments the belt-supporting member comprises an upper convex surface and a lower flat surface. The upper convex surface contacts the belt being supported on the hanger, and the lower flat surface does not contact the belt being supported on the hanger.
The belt-supporting member preferably is not a rod. In embodiments where the belt-supporting member is a rod, the rod preferably has a diameter of at least four inches.
One or more sidewall members may extend outward (upward) along at least one side of the convex surface, and preferably extends outward/upward along both sides of the convex surface. The sidewall member(s) preferably extends ¼″ to 1″, and most preferably about W, from the convex surface. The sidewall members keep a belt draped over the belt-hanger from sliding sideways off the convex surface.
The belt-contacting surface of the belt hanger is sized and shaped to allow an equipment belt to hang on the rack in a manner similar to the way that the belt would be on a person's body. This ergonomic shape helps keep the belt to maintain a good condition.
The belt-contacting surface of the belt hanger may be made of a nonslip material or may have a nonslip coating. The nonslip surface helps keep the belt properly positioned on the belt hanger, and thus reduces wear.
The curvature or the belt hanger, along with the nonslip coating, allows the equipment to hang as it does on the body preventing distortion, warping or damage compared to traditional hangers and valets.
2. The Vest Hanger.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention include a vest hanger. As shown in the drawings, the vest hanger may comprise a T-shaped rod extending laterally from an upright. The vest hanger may also comprise a pair of vest-supporting members supported by the T-shaped rod.
Each of the pair of vest-supporting members may comprise a convex surface. The convex surface of each vest-supporting member has two edges that are linear (straight and flat), and two edges that are curved (curbed downward to provide the convex shape). The distance between the two curved edges defines the width of the surface. The distance over the curved surface between the two linear surfaces defines the length of the surface. The length of each of the pair of vest-supporting members is preferably at least four inches. The width of each of the pair of vest-supporting members is preferably at least six inches.
In some embodiments the vest-supporting member comprises an upper convex surface and a lower concave surface. The upper convex surface contacts the vest being supported on the hanger, and the lower concave surface does not contact the vest being supported on the hanger.
In some embodiments the vest-supporting member comprises an upper convex surface and a lower flat surface. The upper convex surface contacts the vest being supported on the hanger, and the lower flat surface does not contact the vest being supported on the hanger.
The vest-supporting member preferably is not a rod. In embodiments where the vest-supporting member is a rod, the rod preferably has a diameter of at least four inches.
The vest-contacting surface of the vest hanger is sized and shaped to allow a vest to hang on the rack as it does on a person's body. This ergonomic shape helps keep the vest to maintain a good condition.
The vest-contacting surface of the vest hanger may be made of a nonslip material or may have a nonslip coating. The nonslip surface helps keep the vest properly positioned on the vest hanger, and thus reduces wear.
The curvature or the vest hanger, along with the nonslip coating, allows the equipment to hang as it does on the body preventing distortion, warping or damage compared to traditional hangers and valets.
3. The Storage Tray.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention include a storage tray. As shown in the drawings, the storage tray is effective for storing holding miscellaneous objects, like radios, phones, etc., that do not need to be secured.
The storage tray preferably comprises a generally flat, rectangular storage area, and sidewalls effective to retain small objects on the tray. In some embodiments the storage tray has a length of 6″ to 12″ and a width of 12″ to 18″.
4. The Lock Box.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention also include a lock box. As shown in the drawings, the lock box is effective for storing holding miscellaneous objects, like handguns, etc., that not need to be secured in a locked environment.
The lock box preferably comprises a generally rectangular, box-shaped storage area, and sidewalls effective to retain small objects on the tray. In some embodiments the lock box has a length of 6″ to 12″, a width of 12″ to 18″, and a depth of 3″ to 6″. A combination lock or a keyed lock may be used.
5. The Shepherd's Hook Extension.
Some embodiments of the present invention include an extension at the top of the stand to hold clothing hangers for hanging shirts, etc. The upper extension is referred to herein as a “Shepherd's Hook” extension because in some embodiments the extension may have the look of a shepherd's hook.
The Shepherd's hook extension may be made integral to the primary upright system, or it may be attached to the lower upright portion as an extension to the primary upright. In general terms though, the upright preferably includes a lower portion extending between the base and the tray, and an upper portion extending upward beyond the tray and having a lateral portion effective for holding one or more clothing hangers.
6. The Base-Supported Stand.
Some embodiments of the present invention are free-standing units supported by a base. Such units typically have at least one upright extending upward from the base, with the upright having a lower end portion, a central portion, and an upper end portion. The belt hanger is supported by the upright(s) at a first level, and the vest hanger is supported by the upright(s) at a second level which may be the same as the first level. The storage tray is supported by the upright(s) at a third level, and the lock box is supported by the upright(s) at a fourth level which may be the same as the third level.
7. The Wall-Mounted Unit.
In another embodiment the equipment rack comprises a first equipment storage level comprising a belt hanger and a vest hanger; and a second equipment storage level comprising a tray effective for holding miscellaneous objects that do not need to be secured and a lock box effective for holding miscellaneous objects that may need to be secured. At least one upright extends between the first equipment storage level and said second equipment storage level. The upright includes mounting means adapted to facilitate mounting the equipment rack to a wall.
8. The Embodiments Illustrated by the Drawings.
Referring now to
The equipment racks of the present invention are preferably 100% steel construction, and are sturdy enough to support the heavy equipment typically used by military and/or police personnel. The base provides a wide stance to prevent knock-over.
While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only certain preferred embodiments have been shown and described, and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected.
Additionally, it is to be appreciated that the present invention may comprise or consist essentially of any or all of the described or illustrated elements. Further, any or all of the features, elements, and/or embodiments disclosed herein may be combined with any or all of the other features, elements, and/or embodiments disclosed herein to provide an invention that comprises or consists essentially of such features, elements, and/or embodiments.
The grammatical device “and/or” (such as in “A and/or B”) is used in this disclosure to mean A alone, or B alone, or both A and B.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62301794 | Mar 2016 | US |
