Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
SLIDING AND HINGING RACKING AND STORAGE SYSTEM
Field of the Invention
[0001] The present concept relates generally to racking and storage systems
and, more particularly, relates to vertically optimized sliding and hinging
racking
and storage systems which are ergonomically friendly.
Background of the Invention
[0002] Transportation and storage of goods has always been an issue,
particularly with regard to loading and unloading of the goods in storage and
racking systems. Historically, the storage systems that are used for
transportation
of goods may be entirely different than the storage and racking systems that
are
used within a factory or a shop floor on, for example, an assembly line. This
necessitates the transfer of the parts or the goods that are being shipped,
usually in
bulk form, to the racking and storage systems that are used on the assembly
lines
[0003] More recently, combined storage and racking systems have been
utilized which act both as storage containers for shipping purposes and also
as
racking systems for use on assembly lines and on the shop floor. The advantage
of
using a combined shipping storage and racking system is that the transfer and
the
handling of component parts and or goods is minimized.
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[0004] There have now been further refinements in storage and racking
systems, in that there are requirements for ergonomic friendliness of these
systems. The ergonomics takes into consideration that the average human has a
limited vertical and horizontal range over which he is able to select and pick
parts.
In particular, vertical working limits have become of greater concern. For
example,
there is an upper limit to which a person can reach upwardly to select a part
and
pick it off a rack. There is also a preferred lower limit to which a person
can bend
and reach downwards and pick a part up off a rack and yet retain ergonomic
friendliness for the user. For example, an average standing bench top height
is
normally 0.9 meters and the average eye level is approximately 1.57 meters. In
general, the zone of comfortable reaching for a person standing is usually
between
0.75 meters and 1.60 meters. Therefore anything in racking below 0.75 meters
or
above 1.60 is ergonomically not easily reachable and not in the optimal
ergonomic
vertical work zone. In imperial figures, the optimal ergonomic vertical work
zone is
roughly 24 inches from the floor to the maximum of 72 inches from the floor.
For a
person in a wheelchair, who is sitting down, the optimal ergonomic vertical
work
zone is often defined as 15 inches from the floor to a maximum of 48 inches
from
the floor.
[0005] Therefore, there is a need for a storage and racking system which
uses
the optimal ergonomic vertical work zone, which for standing persons is
generally
between 24 inches and 72 inches from the floor, but yet is able to store and
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transport goods and or parts at higher and lower vertical spaces which can
then be
moved or translated to the optimal ergonomic vertical work zone.
[0006] It is an object of the present invention to be able to have a
vertical
racking and storage system which stores parts or components all the way down
to
floor level and vertically beyond the maximum optimal ergonomic vertical work
zone of 72 inches. It is also an object of the present invention to be able to
bring
these parts, through a mechanism, into the optimal ergonomic vertical work
zone,
thereby utilizing larger amount of vertical space for parts without becoming
ergonomically uncomfortable.
SUMMARY
[0007] The present concept is a sliding and hinging racking and storage
system which includes;
a) a frame attached to a base;
b) bottom racks slideably received onto the frame such that the racks are
slideable upwardly and downwardly along the frame in a vertical direction;
c) top racks slideably received onto the frame such that the racks are slide-
able
upwardly and downwardly along the frame in a vertical direction;
d) center racks hingeably received onto the frame such that the center racks
can pivot between a closed position and an open position;
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e) such that when the center racks are in the open position, the top racks are
moveable to a top rack center position and the bottom racks are moveable to
a bottom rack center position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] Figure 1 is a front top perspective view of the present concept of
a
sliding and hinging racking and storage system with center racks in a closed
position.
[0009] Figure 2 is a front top perspective view of the frame and the base
of
the sliding and hinging racking and storage system shown in Figure 1 in
isolation.
[00010] Figure 3 is a front top perspective view of the sliding hinging
racking
and storage system shown in Figure 1 with the center racks in an open
position.
[00011] Figure 4 is a front top perspective view of the sliding and hinging
racking and storage system shown in Figure 1 with the center racks in the open
position and the bottom racks in a center position.
[00012] Figure 5 is a front top perspective view of the sliding and hinging
racking and storage system of Figure 1 with the center racks in the open
position
and the top racks in the center position.
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[00013] Figure 6 is an exploded, front top perspective view of the
components
of the sliding and hinging racking and storage system of Figure 1.
[00014] Figure 7 is a front top perspective view of the top rack of Figure
1 in
isolation.
[00015] Figure 8 is a front top perspective view of the front right center
rack of
Figure 1 in isolation.
[00016] Figure 9 is a front top perspective view of an alternate embodiment
of
a frame and base of the sliding and hinging racking and storage system which
can
be used according to the present concept.
Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments
[00017] Referring to Figure 1, the present concept is a sliding and hinging
racking and storage system shown indicated generally with reference character
100. It includes the following major components, namely, a frame 102 which is
rigidly connected to a base 104 and has mounted, thereon, bottom racks, top
racks, and centre racks. The bottom racks may further include front bottom
racks
106, and rear bottom racks 118. The centre racks may further include front
center
racks 108, and rear center racks 120. The top racks may further include front
top
racks 110 and rear top racks 122.
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[00018] Each centre rack may still further include right centre racks and
left
centre racks. Still referring to Figure 1, for example, the reader will note
that the
front center racks 108 include front right center racks 111 and front left
center
racks 109, which are hingeably mounted to frame 102.
[00019] In similar fashion, rear center racks 120 would also include rear
right
center racks and rear left center racks which are also hingeably mounted to
frame
102.
[00020] Front top racks 110 are shown in top rack top position 134, front
center racks 108 are shown in center rack closed position 130 and front bottom
racks 106 are shown in bottom rack bottom position 132.
[00021] Sliding and hinging racking and storage system 100 includes a front
side 113 and a rear side 115 as shown in Figure 1.
[00022] Referring now to Figure 2, there is shown in isolation frame 102
attached to base 104. Frame 102 includes the following major components,
namely,
right or first upright 156, left or second upright 157, right front hinge 150,
left front
hinge 152, left rear hinge 154, and right rear hinge not visible on the
drawings.
Right and left uprights 156 and 157 as shown each have an inner edge facing
one
another and an opposed outer edge.
[00023] In addition, vertical direction 116 is depicted by arrows and
horizontal
direction 176 is also depicted with arrows.
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[00024] Right and left uprights 156 and 157 further, respectively, include
a
right groove and a left groove. The right groove may be broken down into a
right
front groove 158 and a right rear groove 160. The left groove may be broken
down
into a left front groove 162 and a left rear groove 164. The right and left
grooves
are positioned proximate the inner edge of their corresponding upright.
[00025] The reader will also note that base 104 includes a base front side
112
and a base rear side 114, and the entire structure defines a gap 174 which
runs
vertically all the way from the base 104 up to a top edge of the left and
right
uprights 156 and 157. Gap 174 is optional, however, it is used in
circumstances
where counterweights or other measures are needed to be used in association
with
the sliding racks, namely front top racks 110 and rear top racks 122 and/or
front
bottom racks 106 and rear bottom racks 118, which slide along right upright
156
and left upright 157 using a tongue and groove style mechanism for holding the
racks in position.
[00026] The reader will note that hinges 150, 152 and 154 are attached to
front center racks 108 as well as rear center racks 120 such that the center
racks
can be moved between a closed position 199, shown in Figure 1, and an open
position 136 shown in Figure 3. Specifically as shown, hinges 150, 152 and 154
are
secured proximate the outer edge of its corresponding left upright or right
upright.
When front center racks 108 are in the open position 136, as shown in Figure
3, it
allows the front top racks 110 or the front bottom racks 106 to slide either
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downwardly or upwardly, respectively, into the front center rack position.
Figure 4
shows just such an arrangement where the front bottom racks have been slid
upwardly along the right and left uprights 156 and 157 into a bottom rack
center
position 138, wherein the center racks are shown in the open position 136.
[00027] Another variation is shown in Figure 5 in which the front top racks
110
are slid downwardly along the right and left uprights 156 and 157 and placed
into a
top rack center position 140, wherein the front center racks 108 are in the
open
position 136.
[00028] In this manner, the reader will note that the bottoms racks 106,
the
center racks 108, and the top racks 110 can all be placed into the center
position,
which for the front center racks 108 is closed position 199, or in the open
position
136. For the front top racks 110, this would be in the top center position
140, and
for the bottom racks 106, this would be in the bottom rack center position
138.
[00029] In other words, any of the bottom, center or top racks can be
placed
into a center position such that the components and/or the materials stored in
these racks can be accessed from a center position either configurations 199,
138,
or 140 as shown in Figures 1, Figures 4 or Figures 5.
[00030] This allows the user to store components in vertically higher or
lower
regions, which may be outside of the optimum ergonomic region, and yet allow
the
components to be easily brought into the optimal ergonomic vertical work zone.
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[00031] Figure 6 shows the sliding and hinging racking and storage system
in
exploded fashion wherein the sliding arrangements of the front top racks 110
and
the front bottom racks 106 are shown. The hinging arrangements of the front
right
center rack 111 and the front left center rack 109 are also shown. The reader
will
note that looking at Figure 7 that front top rack 110 has a back face from
which
coupling members extend. The coupling members shown are tongues 170 and 171
used to engage with the grooves with the uprights, namely, right front grooves
158, right rear grooves 160, left front groove 162, or left rear groove 164.
In the
case of front top rack 110 shown in Figure 7, tongue 170 would slidably engage
with front right groove 158 and tongue 171 would slidably engage with left
front
groove 162 of right upright of 156 and left upright of 157, respectively.
[00032] Figure 8 shows a front left center rack 109 in isolation with hinge
152
attached. Figure 9 shows an alternate frame 202 configuration which includes
right
uprights 156 and 159, left uprights 157 and 161 and base 204 all of which may
be
constructed of lighter materials than the one depicted in Figure 2. Frame 202
may
also include different grooves and lighter weight components to reduce the
overall
weight and complexity of the unit.
[00033] The reader will note that upon opening front center racks 108, for
example from the closed position 199 to the open position 136, the top racks
110
and the bottom racks 106 may simultaneously move toward the center. Namely,
top racks 110 may move toward top rack center position 140. At the same time,
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bottom racks 106 may move toward bottom rack center position 138 until they
make contact with one other. A series of gears and pulleys may be used to
effect
the movement described above.
[00034] Top racks 110 may be a different size in terms of length, width or
height than bottom racks 106 and center racks 108. For example, top racks 110
may be 32" high, center racks 108 may be 48" high and bottom racks 106 may be
16" high such that when top and bottom racks 110 and 106 come together upon
opening of center racks 108, the combined top and bottom racks create a 48"
high
rack.
[00035] Counter weights may be used to aid in the sliding of the racks
along
the grooves. The racks themselves may, in fact, act as the counter weights. It
will
be apparent to the reader that various different combinations of sliding and
hinging
racks could be utilized. For example, it may be possible for both of the
center and
bottom racks to hinge and slide, such that two sets of top racks may be slid
downwardly into the optimal ergonomic vertical work zone. This would require
that
the bottom racks would be able to hinge and slide which is possible by making
the
hinges slidable and pivotable.
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