Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE OF THE INVENTION
Apparatus For The Storage of Boots And Shoes
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an apparatus for the storage of boots and shoes that
may
also be used to store gloves, mittens, hats and other devices or objects which
may be
wet, frozen or that may otherwise release a fluid or other debris when stored
thereon.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
When individuals enter a residence or non-commercial building it is common for
them to remove their shoes, boots or over shoes and place them on a mat or
boot
tray. One of the primary functions of the mat or boot tray is to retain dirt,
water,
snow, ice and other material that may be carried into the building by the
individual
on their boots or shoes. In geographic regions that experience snow and ice,
boot
mats and trays are often formed from rubber, plastic or similar material to
catch and
retains water formed as a result of melting snow and ice present on a pair of
boots
or shoes. In some cases the boot tray or mat may also include a series of
ridges or
raised portions on its upper surface to elevate the soles of the boots or
shoes from
any water that may accumulate within the tray.
While such prior existing mats and trays are relatively effective in providing
a device
upon which dirty, wet or frozen shoes or boots may be placed and stored, they
also
suffer from a number of inherent limitations. For example, existing boot trays
are
severely limited in terms of the number of boots or shoes that they are able
to
accommodate. Typically, boot trays or mats are able to hold up to two, or in
some
cases three, pairs of boots or shoes. Manufacturing conventional boot trays
with
larger dimensions is generally undesirable on account of the significantly
increased
floor space required for their use. Existing boot trays also are limited with
respect
to the quantity of water that they are able to hold, and are cumbersome to
drain when
they become filled or partially filled with water from melting snow or ice.
Further,
draining existing boot trays requires that all boots or shoes be removed from
it,
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presenting a problem with respect to where to place or store the boots or
shoes when
the mat is being drained or cleaned. Currently available boot mats and trays
also
provide little ability for the storage of hats, mitts or gloves that may also
be snow
and ice covered. Placing hats or mitts upon a boot tray allows for water from
melting snow and ice to be collected, but it is generally undesirable since
the hats
and mitts placed on the tray will tend to become dirty through contact with
dirt and
debris on the tray.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention therefore provides an apparatus for the storage of boots and
shoes that
directs water, snow, ice and other debris from the boots or shoes to a
centralized
vessel where it may accumulate for disposal at a later point in time. The
invention
also provides for the ability to store and dry many pairs of boots or shoes,
or to retain
a number of different obj ects, without increasing the amount of floor space
occupied.
Accordingly, in one of its aspects the invention provides an apparatus for the
storage
of boots, shoes and other objects, the apparatus comprising one or more
shelves
supported by one or more support members; and, a storage vessel positioned
generally beneath said one or more shelves, said one or more shelves receiving
one
or more boots, shoes or objects and held by said one or more support members
at an
inclined horizontal angle such that water and debris from the boots, shoes or
objects
deposited on said one or more shelves is encouraged, through the operation of
gravitational forces, to run or flow off said one or more shelves and to be
deposited
into said storage vessel.
In a further aspect the invention provides an apparatus for the storage of
boots, shoes
and other objects, the apparatus comprising a support frame formed from a pair
of
opposed side members; one or more shelves positioned between said opposed side
members and supported by one or more of said side members; and, a tray
receivable
between said side members beneath said one or more shelves and in general
vertical
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alignment with said one or more shelves, wherein said one or more shelves are
held
by one or more of said side members at an inclined horizontal angle such that
water
and debris from boots, shoes or objects deposited thereon is encouraged to
flow,
under the force of gravity, off the surface of said one or more shelves and
into said
tray.
In another aspect the invention concerns an apparatus for the storage of boots
and
shoes, the apparatus camprising an enclosure having a pair of opposed sides,
an
enclosed back, an enclosed top, a generally open front and a generally hollow
interior; one or more shelves received within said generally hollow interior
and
supported by one or more of the sides, rear and top of said enclosure; and, a
tray
releasably receivable within said enclosure beneath said one or more shelves
and in
general vertical alignment with said one or more shelves, wherein said shelves
are
retained within said enclosure at an inclined horizontal angle such that water
and
debris from boots or shoes deposited thereon is encouraged to flow, under the
force
of gravity, off the surface of said one or more shelves and into said tray.
Further aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the
following description taken together with the accompanying drawings.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show more clearly
how
it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example,
to the
accompanying drawings which show the preferred embodiments of the present
invention in which:
Figure 1 is an upper front perspective view of an apparatus for the storage of
boots
and shoes constructed in accordance with one of the preferred embodiments of
the
present invention;
Figure 2 is a partial front view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3 - 3 of Figure 2;
Figure 4 is an upper front perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the
invention shown in Figure l;
Figure 5 is an upper perspective view of a further embodiment of the invention
shown in Figure l;
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Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 6 - 6 of Figure
5; and,
Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 7 - 7 of Figure 6.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The present invention may be embodied in a number of different forms. However,
the specification and drawings that follow describe and disclose only some of
the
specific forms of the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the
invention as defined in the claims that follow herein.
With reference to Figure l, there is shown an apparatus 1 that is constructed
in
accordance with one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention and
that
may be used for the storage of boots, shoes and other objects 2. In general,
the
apparatus is comprised of one or more shelves 3 supported by one or more
support
members 4 in a generally horizontal configuration to permit boots., shoes and
other
devices or objects to be placed thereon for storage. Positioned generally
beneath
shelves 3 is a storage vessel 5, that in most instances will take the form of
a
removable tray. As indicated in the attached Figures, while the shelves are
held and
supported by support members 4 in a manner that allows them to receive and
store
shoes, boots or other objects, they are also positioned at an inclined
horizontal angle
so that water and other debris on their upper surfaces will have a tendency to
run or
flow off the shelves and drip or drain into tray 5. Through sloping the
shelves and
maintaining them at an inclined horizontal angle gravitational forces will
encourage
the flow of water and debris along the surface of th.e shelves until it flows
off a
particular edge. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the shelves have
front,
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rear and side surfaces or edges and are held by support members 4 so that they
are
sloped vertically downward towaxd their rear edges. In this manner water or
other
debris upon the upper surface of the shelves will be encouraged to flow
towards their
rear edges. Of course the shelves could equally be inclined or sloped in a
forward or
sideways direction, causing water or debris to flow off either the front or
side edges
of the shelves.
In the embodiment of the invention shown in the attached drawings, support
members 4 include first and second side panels 6 and 7, respectively. Shelves
3 are
preferably secured to the side panels along their side surfaces, thereby
retaining the
shelves at an inclined horizontal angle. The attachment of the shelves to the
side
panels may be through the use of a permanent or semi-permanent fastener (for
example, nails, screws, bolts, adhesives, etc) or may be through a releasable
attachment means that will permit the apparatus to be disassembled and/or the
shelves to be re-positioned if desired. In the particular embodiment shown in
the
attached drawings apparatus 1 also includes a rear panel 8, that extends
between the
first and second side panels, and a top panel 9 that extends between both the
first and
second side panels and the rear panel. In this manner the side panels, the
rear panel
and the top panel together form an enclosure having an open front with a
generally
hollow interior where shelves 3 are situated. The apparatus may also include a
bottom panel 9, secured to both the side panels and the rear panel, to enhance
structural integrity and to provide a base upon which storage vessel or tray 5
may
rest.
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To broaden the application of apparatus l, and to enable it to accommodate
differing
numbers of boots, shoes or objects, the apparatus may be formed from a
plurality of
modular sections that permit its height to be altered through the addition or
removal
of individual sections. A number of different mechanical structures may be
utilized
along points of intersection of adjacent or stacked sections to hold the
apparatus
together. In Figure 1 the lower edges of the side panels of each stacking
section are
fitted with a channel or slot 11 that is receivable over the upper edge 12 of
a
corresponding stackable section. In a similar fashion, top panel 9 may be
secured
to one of the stackable sections so that the top panel may be removed from the
apparatus to permit the removal or addition of stackable sections, after which
the top
may be placed back into position. It should also be noted that depending upon
the
end use of apparatus l, the length of the device may vary. For example, where
the
apparatus is to be used primarily in a residential environment, the individual
shelves
may be designed so as to accommodate one or two pair of boots or shoes placed
side-by-side. Alternatively, where the apparatus is intended for application
in a
commercial environment {for example a school, church, community center, etc.)
its
length may be considerably greater so that individual shelves are capable of
holding
many pairs of boots or shoes (see Figure 4).
In one of the preferred embodiments of the invention, shelves 3 include means
to
limit the movement of boots, shoes or objects that may be placed thereon
towards
their rear edges. As shown in Figures 1 and 3, such means may comprise a
plurality
of posts 13 spaced apart along or near the rear edge of each shelf and
extending
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upwardly from the shelf's upper surface. Provided that they are sufficiently
close
together, posts 13 will prevent the ends of a pair of sloes or boots from
being pushed
beyond a pre-determined position on the shelf. In the embodiment of the
invention
shown in Figures 1 through 4, the shelves are dimensioned and situated within
apparatus 1 such that their rear edges 14 are offset from rear panel 8,
creating a gap
or space between the rear edges of the shelves and the interior surface of
rear panel
8. Water or debris deposited upon the shelves will thus flow along their upper
surfaces toward the back of the apparatus and drip downwardly, through the gap
formed by the rear surface of the shelf and the rear panel, and into storage
vessel or
tray 5 (see Figure 3). If a pair of boots or shoes were allowed to be pushed
too far
back into the apparatus, they could extend beyond the position of rear edge
14. In
that case water or debris dripping downwardly from a, shelf above could fall
upon the
shoes or boots situated below. The inclusion of posts 13 upon the shelves
prevents
such a situation from occurring, while still permitting sufficient areas for
water and
other debris upon the shelf to flow off of its upper surface and be collected
within
storage vessel 5.
Figure 5 shows an alternate embodiment of the invention wherein rear panel 8
includes a debris passageway 15. Debris passageway 15 is generally vertical in
orientation and provides a defined passageway through which water and debris
running off the surface of shelves 3 may be directed to storage vessel or tray
5.
Debris passageway 15 may take the form of a variety of different structures.
In the
embodiment that is shown in Figure 5 the debris passageway is in the form of
an
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elongate channel recessed into rear panel 8. To help facilitate the directing
of water
and other debris that may fall downwardly through channel or debris passageway
15,
the bottom of the passageway may be fitted with a chute 16, having a lower end
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received within storage vessel or tray 5.
Where apparatus 1 includes a debris passageway, shelves 3 preferably contain
means
to help direct water and debris deposited onto them into the debris
passageway. In
the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 5 through 7, such means
include
a pair of upwardly extending ribs 18 located on the upper surface of the
shelves. In
this embodiment the shelves are also preferably constructed so that a portion
of their
rear edges terminate within debris passageway 15. As is shown best in Figure
6, ribs
18 extend along the surface of the shelves and also terminate at or adjacent
to debris
passageway 15. In this manner water or other debris that flows along the
surface of
the shelf toward the back. of apparatus 1 will be deflected and channeled by
ribs 18
into debris passageway 15 for depositing directly into storage vessel or tray
5. The
extension of rear edge 14 into passageway 15 will help to ensure that the
water and
debris are deposited directly into the passageway.
From a thorough understanding of the present invention it will be appreciated
that
there is provided an apparatus that includes one or more shelves that are
capable of
receiving and storing a munber of pairs of boots or shoes. Water, snow, ice,
dirt and
other debris from the boots or shoes that collects on tlhe shelves is
permitted to flow
off their surfaces in a directed fashion for a collection in a removable
storage vessel
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or tray. The tray may be periodically removed from the apparatus so that its
contents
can be disposed of and so it can be cleaned. For larger applications the tray
may be
fitted with a drain connected directly to a household or municipal drain or
sewer line.
The apparatus may be constructed with or without top and rear panels. In
instances
where no rear panel is utilized a pair the side panels will effectively form a
support
frame to retain individual shelves in position. Where a rear panel is
incorporated to
the unit, the rear most edges of the shelves may be set off from the rear
panel,
providing an opening for water or debris to drip downwardly into tray 5.
Alternately,
the rear most edges of the tray may be secured or may abut the rear panel of
the
apparatus and the individual shelves may be fitted with rearwardly positioned
slots
or holes to provide a means for water and debris to escape and flow downwardly
into
the removable tray.
It will be appreciated that the shelves may also be utilized to receive and
store hats,
mitts, gloves and scarves. Water and melting ice and snow from the hats, mitts
gloves and scarves will be directed to the removable tray in the same manner
as it
is where boots or shoes are placed on the shelves. In addition, manufacturing
the
apparatus in a modular form presents an individual with the ability to alter
the height
and the number of shelves to suit particular requirements. It may be also be
desirable to incorporate more traditional horizontal shelves (without draining
capability) into the unit so that clean and dry objects may be stored
separately from
wet and dirty boot and shoes. Finally, the apparatus may be manufactured from
a
wide variety of different materials, including plastic, metal and wood, making
it
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applicable to many different applications in both residential and commercial
settings.
It is to be understood that what has been described are the preferred
embodiments
of the invention and that it may be possible to make variations to these
embodiments
while staying within the broad scope of the invention., Some of these
variations have
been discussed while others will be readily apparent to those skilled in the
art.
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