Information
-
Patent Grant
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6726040
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Patent Number
6,726,040
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Date Filed
Friday, October 4, 200222 years ago
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Date Issued
Tuesday, April 27, 200420 years ago
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Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
- Stodola; Daniel P.
- Harris; Erica B
Agents
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CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 211 187
- 211 1811
- 211 1261
- 211 12615
- 108 14411
- 108 14711
- 108 14712
- 108 14713
- 108 14714
- 108 14715
- 108 14717
- 108 14718
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International Classifications
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Abstract
A sectional rack that can be assembled without using any tool and type of fastener includes oblong-sectioned vertical posts having horizontal slots symmetrically provided on two opposite sides, and externally, gradually, downwardly expanding 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. Further, channels are optionally hung on the vertical posts to support drawer-type baskets thereon.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
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.
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.
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
.
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
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.
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
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
FIG. 1
is an exploded perspective view of a conventional sectional rack having bamboo-like posts;
FIG. 2
is a fragmentary assembled sectional view of the sectional rack of
FIG. 1
;
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;
FIG. 4
is a fragmentary assembled sectional view of the sectional rack of
FIG. 3
;
FIG. 5
is a perspective view of an example of the sectional rack of the present invention;
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;
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
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
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
.
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
.
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.
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.
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.
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
.
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.
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.
Claims
- 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 identical, 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 comer 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 wherein each of said channels has two vertically upward extending L-shaped lugs, and said horizontal slots are constructed to also allow said L-shaped lugs to be inserted therein so as to hang said channels on said vertical post, wherein each of said horizontal slots is configured to selectively receive each of the ribs of said connecting members and the lugs of each said channel to enable each of the shelves and the drawing baskets to be mounted at any location along the length of the vertical post.
- 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 said 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.
US Referenced Citations (6)