Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE OF THE INVENTION
[0001] RACK STRUCTURE AND STORAGE SYSTEM
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a rack structure and
storage system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a rack
structure for storing tires, wheels and other articles..
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0003] In the appended drawings, where like reference
numerals indicate like elements throughout and where:
[0004] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tire/wheel storage
structure of the invention in accordance with an embodiment thereof;
[0005] Figure 2 is a front elevation view of the tire/wheel
storage structure of Figure 1 including shelf-structures with tires;
[0006] Figure 3 is a lateral side view of two stacked tire/wheel
storage structures of Figure 1;
[0007] Figure 4 is a lateral side view of a tire/wheel storage
structure of the invention in accordance with another embodiment thereof
holding differently sized tires;
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[0008] Figure 5 is a front elevation view of a plate member of f
the invention in accordance with an embodiment thereof;
[0009] Figure 6 is a front elevation view of three stacked
tire/wheel storage structures of Figure 1 in a folded position;
[0010] Figure 7 is partial view of portion 7-7 of Figure 1;
[0011] Figure 8 is a front elevation view of the tire/wheel
storage structure of the invention similar to Figure 2 with the shelf-
structures removed and supporting tires within the space defined thereby;
and
[0012] Figure 9 is a front elevation view of a tire/wheel storage
structure of the invention in accordance with a further embodiment thereof.
DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS
[0013] The present invention is illustrated in further details by
the following non-limiting examples.
[0014] Figure 1 shows a tire/wheel storage structure 10 having
the general form of a rack for supporting tires 12, in accordance with an
embodiment of the invention.
[0015] The tire/wheel storage structure 10 includes a base
frame 14 and side frames 16A and 16B mounted near each lateral end 18
and 20 of the base member 14. More particularly, the side frames 16A
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and 20 of the base member 14. More particularly, the side frames 16A
and 16B are moveably mounted to the base frame 14 at their respective
ends 22 and 24 and are generally upstanding therefrom. In the
embodiment illustrated herein, the side frames 16A and 16B are pivotally
mounted to the base frame 14.
[0016] The tire/wheel storage structure 10 further includes
longitudinal support members such as 26A, 26B, 26C and 26D, which are
removably mountable to side frames 16A and 16B for defining shelf
supports 28A and 28B. More particularly, adjacent support members 26A
and 26B are so spaced apart as to define a shelf support 28A for
supporting tires 12 therebetween as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3; adjacent
support members 26C and 26D are so spaced apart as to define a shelf
support 28B for supporting tires 12 therebetween as shown in Figures 1
and 3. The skilled artisan will readily appreciate that a greater number of
longitudinal support members, such as 26A, 26B, 26C and 26D can be
provided so as to define a greater number of shelf supports for supporting
an equal number of rows of tires 12. Furthermore, the distances between
adjacent longitudinal support members of a given shelf-support can be
varied to accommodate a plurality of tire sizes.
[0017] In another embodiment, shown in Figures 2, 8, 9 and 10
the longitudinal support members 26 are mountable to the side frames
16A and 16B so as to define a roof frame 29.
[0018] Hence, tire/wheel storage structure 10 can be modified
into various suitable configurations.
[0019] Turning back to Figure 1, the base frame 14 comprises a
generally rectangular configuration and includes front and rear elongate
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members 30 and 32 and lateral elongate members 34 and 36 which define
the abovementioned lateral ends 18 and 20. The base frame 14 also
includes auxiliary elongate members 38 and 40 which, like members 30
and 32, are mounted at their longitudinal ends to lateral elongate members
34 and 36. As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 auxiliary elongate member 38
along with adjacent front elongate member 30 act as a tire support 42 for
tires 12 as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3; similarly, auxiliary elongate
member 40 along with adjacent rear elongate member 32 act as a tire
support 44 as shown in Figures 1 and 3. Moreover, the adjacent auxiliary
elongate members 38 and 40 are so spaced as to define a shelf support
45 for supporting tires 12 thereon. It should be noted, in this illustrated
example, when placing a full row tires 12 on shelf support 45, the tires 12
will take up too much space for either shelf supports 42 or 44 to be
useable.
[0020] In another non-illustrated example, three shelf supports
can be used to support three rows of wheels. In such a case, the support
members 26A, 26B, 26C, and 26D can be covered with a resilient
protective material such as rubber so as not to be damaged by metal
wheels. In other cases, smaller tires can be used and as such the
protective material need not be used.
[0021] With reference to Figure 4, there is shown a tire support
structure 11 having a base frame 14 including adjacent auxiliary elongate
member 39 and 41 so spaced apart as to define a shelf support 46 for
supporting a plurality of tires 12 and 13 having different sizes. As
illustrated, the shelf support 46 is so positioned as to provide for a tire
13,
such as a truck or tractor tire, having a larger width W2 than the width W 1
of a standard car tire 12. As shown, the width W2 of tire 13 spans the
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width of the base frame 14. Furthermore, when a tire support structure 10
or 11, supports larger tires 13, longitudinal support members such as 26A,
26B, 26C and 26D are removed so as to accommodate the height H2 of
tire 13 as well as the height H1 of tire 12. In this way, the various tire
5 support structures of the present invention provide for receiving a
plurality
of differently shaped tires 12 or 13 and the like.
[0022] Turning back to Figure 1, the generally rectangular base
frame 14 includes short leg members 48A, 48B, 48C and 48D including
respective feet 50 at each corner thereof respectively. Legs 48A, 48B,
48C and 48D define a clearance space beneath the base frame 14. The
base frame 14 also includes panels 52 and 54 mounted on the underside
of members 30, 32, 38 and 40. As better shown in Figures 2, 6, 8 and 9
panel 52 defines a pair of downward flanges 56 and 58 and panel 54
defined a pair of downward flanges 60 and 62. In another embodiment,
the panels 52 and 54 only define flanges 56 and 62. The panels 52 and
54 add stability to the base frame 14. The aforementioned clearance
provides for a forklift (not shown) to have access to the underside of the
base frame 14 and for the raising forks (not shown) to abut the downward
flanges 56, 58, 60 and 62 for secure support when lifting or descending a
tire support structure 10.
[0023] With respect to Figure 1, lateral side frames 16A and
16B respectively comprise a pair of interconnected end posts 64A, 66A,
and 64B, 66B respectively. With reference to Figure 3, each pair of
interconnected posts 64A, 66A and 64B, 66B (only posts 64A and 66A are
illustrated here) are interconnected via top, middle and bottom horizontal
rails 68, 70 and 72 respectively. Horizontal rails 68, 70 and 72 are
interconnected via vertical bars 74 and 76. In another embodiment,
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shown in Figure 4, a tire support structure 11 includes a lateral frame 16A
having two interconnected end posts 64A and 66A interconnected via top,
middle and bottom horizontal rails 68, 70 and 72 respectively, which are in
turn interconnected via a single vertical bar 78.
[0024] Each post 64A, 66A, 64B, and 66B includes a plate
member 78 at its bottom end 80 (see Figure 3) which is moveably
mounted to the base frame 14. Specifically, the respective plate members
78 of each post member 64A and 64B are mounted to the front elongate
member 30 and the respective plate members 78 of each post member
66A and 66B are mounted to the rear elongate member 32. Each plate
member 78 is pivotally mounted to the base frame as will be described
herein.
[0025] With reference to Figure 5 the plate member 78
comprises a generally L-shaped flat body having a flat corner 82 between
the vertical portion 46 and the horizontal portion 88. The horizontal portion
88 is directed towards the right when mounted to a left post member 64A
and 66A (see Figure 1) or to the left when mounted to a right post member
64B or 66B (see Figure 1). The horizontal portion 88 includes two
apertures 90 and 92 for being pivotally mounted to elongate members 30
or 32. As the skilled artisan will easily appreciate a fastener (not shown) is
driven through an aperture 90 or 92 into an elongate member 30 or 32
through apertures 93, 94, 95 and 96 (see Figure 6); a given plate member
78 is pivotal about this fastener. The positioning of mounting apertures 93,
94, 95 and 96 are in the same order from left to right on elongate member
32 as elongate member 30. The vertical portion 88 of the plate member
78 is welded onto the bottom end portion 80 of post member 64A, 64B,
66A or 66B; of course other ways of mounting the plate member 78 to a
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post member can be contemplated within the scope of the present
invention. Plate members 78 provide for folding the left and right lateral
frames 16A and 16B from a generally upright position shown for example
in Figure 1 to a folded position as shown in Figure 6.
[0026] Referring again to Figure 6, and with respect to lateral
frame 16A, the plate member 78 of post members 64A is mounted to
elongate member 30 via plate-member aperture 94 and elongate-member
aperture 92; the plate member 78 of post member 66A is mounted to
elongate member 32 via plate-member aperture 90 and elongate-member
aperture 95. With respect to lateral frame 16B, the plate member 78 of
post member 64B is mounted to front elongate member 30 via plate-
member aperture 90 and elongate member aperture 96; the plate member
78 of post members 66B is mounted to rear elongate member 32 via plate-
member aperture 90 and elongate-member aperture 93. In this way,
lateral frame 16A is folded above lateral frame 16B. In another
embodiment, the lateral frame 16B may be mounted closer to the lateral
end 18 of base frame 14 than the distance separating lateral frame 16A
and the opposite lateral end 20, such that frame 16B is foldable over
frame 16A. The double apertures 90 and 92 of the plate members 78
provide for the foregoing.
[0027] Turning to Figure 3, when a lateral frame 16A or 16B is
placed in the unfolded position, the bottom end 99 of the post members
(only post members 64A and 66A are illustrated here) lies flush with the
top end 100 of the short legs (only short legs 48A and 48D are illustrated
here).
[0028] With reference to Figure 7, a given support member,
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such as 26A includes mounting elements 101 at each longitudinal end in
the form of flange configured to interlock with a complementary mounting
element 102 on the lateral frames 16A and 16B. Mounting element 102 is
in the form of a pocket-structure configured to removably and securely
receive a flange 100. As shown, for example in Figure 1, mounting
elements 102 are positioned on frame 16B near the middle at top portions
of post members 64B and 66B, as well as on the top and middle rails 68
and 70 respectively. Of course, the skilled artisan will appreciate that
mounting elements 102 can be positioned at various points on the lateral
frames 16A or 16B so as to defined shelf structures 28A, 28B or roof
structures 29. Furthermore, the mutually interlocking mounting elements
100 and 102 can be provided in a variety of suitable configurations as
would be understood by a skilled artisan.
[0029] Its should be noted that the support members 26, 26A,
26B, 26C and 26D are removed from the tire support structures 10 or 11
so as to fold the lateral frames 16A and 16B as shown in Figure 6 and that
the support members 26, 26A, 26B, 26C and 26D, when mounted to the
lateral frames 16A and 16B stabilize the tire support structures 10 or 11 of
the present invention.
[0030] In an embodiment, at least one of the lateral frames 16A
or 16B has their post members 64A, 66A, 64B and 66B welded onto the
plate member 78 at an inclination with respect to the vertical axis thereof
such that the lateral frame 16A or 16B is inwardly inclined towards the
base frame 14.
[0031] Referring now, to Figure 8, the shelf-supports may 28A
and 28B are demountable creating a space 104 spanning from the base
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frame 14 to the roof frame 29 and from lateral frame 16A to lateral frame
16B.
[0032] With reference again to Figures 3 and 6, the tire support
structures 10 of the invention are stackable in the unfolded and folded
positions respectively. In both cases, a forklift engages the tire support
structures 10 whether in the folded position or the unfolded position while
supporting tires 12 as described above. As shown in Figure 3, when a
plurality of unfolded tire support structures 10 are stacked such as tire
support structures 10' and 10" on top of each other, the feet 50 of a top tire
support structure such as 10", will sit on the top ends 106 of the posts
64A, 64B, 66A, and 66B of a bottom tire support structure such as 10'. As
shown in Figure 6, when a plurality of folded tire support structures 10 are
stacked such as tire support structures 10', 10" and 10"' on top of each
other, the feet 50 of top tire support structure such as 10" or 10"", will sit
on the top ends 100 of the short legs 48A, 48B, 48C and 48D of a bottom
tire support structure such as 10' or 10" respectively. Feet 50 have a
rectangular and conical configuration that provides for them to sit on top
ends 100 and 106 with sufficient stability. Of course, the skilled artisan
may contemplate other suitable configurations for feet 50 within the scope
of the present invention.
[0033] Figure 9 shows another embodiment of a tire support
structure 111, including lateral frames 116A and 116B, moveably
connected to a base frame 114 via plate members 178 as well as
longitudinal support members 126 for defining a roof frame as well as shelf
supports 128, 130, and 132
[0034] The skilled artisan will easily understand that all the
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elements of the various tire/wheel storage structures 10, 11 and 111
described herein can be combined in a variety of ways to provide for other
non-illustrated embodiments which are within the scope of the invention.
Of course, the storage structures of the present invention can be used to
5 store not only tires and wheels but a variety of articles.
[0035] It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in
its application to the details of construction and parts illustrated in the
accompanying drawings and described hereinabove. The invention is
capable of other embodiments and of being practiced in various ways. It is
10 also to be understood that the phraseology or terminology used herein is
for the purpose of description and not limitation. Hence, although the
present invention has been described hereinabove by way of
embodiments thereof, it can be modified, without departing from the spirit,
scope and nature of the subject invention as defined in the appended
claims.
