Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
DRYING AND DRAINING MULTI-LEVELED SHOE RACK SYSTEM
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The following includes information that may be useful in
understanding the present
disclosure. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein
is prior art nor
material to the presently described or claimed inventions, nor that any
publication or document
that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to the field of racks and
more specifically relates
to a shoe rack.
2. DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
[0003] Inclement weather conditions can cause footwear to become covered in
mud, snow,
and other elements. These elements can then be carried into public buildings
or private homes, at
times creating a nuisance and potential safety hazard. Additionally, footwear
storage for large
families can be difficult to manage. This issue is enhanced when each family
member owns more
than one pair of footwear or apparel. Footwear can often collect in a closet
or foyer, clutter floors,
and distribute slush, water, mud, or other debris to the area adjacent to
where footwear is stored.
Presently, racks exist that are used to store and drain moisture from
footwear, apparel, and other
items. A suitable solution is desired.
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[0004]
U.S. Pub. No. 2012/0151789 to John Hurst relates to a storage and drying
apparatus for
footwear and apparel. The described storage and drying apparatus for footwear
and apparel
includes a storage and drying apparatus which may comprise a base component,
and storage and
drying components. The storage and drying component may be a large footwear
component, a
small footwear component or an apparel component. Any combination of
components may be used
in connection with the apparatus. A drainage tray may be removeably carried by
the base
component. The storage and drying components may each include connecting pegs
and
corresponding connecting holes to receive the connecting pegs so that the
storage and drying
components may be securely and interchangeably stacked.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-11-17
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known racks
art, the present
disclosure provides a novel drying and draining multi-leveled shoe rack
system. The general
purpose of the present disclosure, which will be described subsequently in
greater detail, is to
provide a modular drying and draining shoe rack with multiple layers for
stacking.
[0006] A drying and draining multi-leveled shoe rack system is disclosed
herein. The drying
and draining multi-leveled shoe rack system includes a modular storage rack
having a base
including a base-tray, and a base-rack, a plurality of tiers each having a
rack, a drainage collection
tray, and a pipe system in connection with the plurality of drainage
collection trays. The modular
storage rack is stackable and includes the base and the plurality of tiers.
The base includes the
base-tray and the base-rack, the base-tray is configured to collect water and
debris filtered through
the base-rack and from the plurality of tiers via the pipe system. The
plurality of tiers each has a
respective drainage collection tray being substantially horizontal and
positioned below the rack to
collect the water and the debris filtered through a plurality of apertures on
the rack. The modular
storage rack provides the drying and draining multi-leveled shoe rack system
for collecting and
removing the water and debris from footwear placed thereon. The water and the
debris is collected
in the drainage collection tray and directed towards the base-tray via the
pipe system. Each of the
drainage collection trays and the base-tray are removeable.
[0007] A kit is also disclosed herein including a base, a plurality of
tiers, and a set of
instructions.
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[0008]
For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects, advantages, and
novel
features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood
that not necessarily all
such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular
embodiment of the
invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that
achieves or
optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without
necessarily achieving
other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. The features of the
invention which are
believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in
the concluding portion
of the specification. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the
present invention will
become better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed
description.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009]
The figures which accompany the written portion of this specification
illustrate
embodiments and methods of use for the present disclosure, a drying and
draining multi-leveled
shoe rack system, constructed and operative according to the teachings of the
present disclosure.
[00010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the drying and draining multi-leveled
shoe rack system
during an 'in-use' condition, according to an embodiment of the disclosure.
[00011] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the drying and draining multi-leveled
shoe rack system
of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[00012] FIG. 3 is a side view of the drying and draining multi-leveled shoe
rack system of FIG.
1, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[00013] FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the drying and draining multi-leveled
shoe rack system
of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[00014] FIG. 5 is a kit of the drying and draining multi-leveled shoe rack
system of FIG. 1,
according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[00015] The various embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be
described in
conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like
elements.
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-11-17
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[00016] As discussed above, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to
racks and more
particularly to a drying and draining multi-leveled shoe rack system as used
to improve the water
collection and drying of shoes on a shoe rack.
[00017] Generally, the invention is a shoe rack having multiple levels. Every
level is equipped
with a tray and draining pipe that leads the water to the base of the rack. It
allows multiple pairs
shoes and boots that are worn outside and are wet to be set aside, tidily to
be drained and dry.
[00018] Referring now more specifically to the drawings by numerals of
reference, there is
shown in FIGS. 1-5, various views of a drying and draining multi-leveled shoe
rack system 100.
FIG. 1 shows a drying and draining multi-leveled shoe rack system 100 during
an 'in-use'
condition 150, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As
illustrated, the drying and
draining multi-leveled shoe rack system 100 may include a modular storage rack
110 having a
base 120 including a base-tray 124, and a base-rack 128, a plurality of tiers
140 each having a rack
142, a drainage collection tray 146, and a pipe system 152 in connection with
the plurality of
drainage collection trays 146.
[00019] The modular storage rack 110 is stackable and includes the base 120
and the plurality
of tiers 140. The base 120 includes the base-tray 124 and the base-rack 128;
the base-tray 124 is
configured to collect water and debris filtered through the base-rack 128 and
from the plurality of
tiers 140 via the pipe system 152. The plurality of tiers 140 each has a
respective drainage
collection tray 146 being substantially horizontal and positioned below the
rack 142 to collect the
water and the debris filtered through a plurality of apertures 160 on the rack
142. The modular
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storage rack 110 provides the drying and draining multi-leveled shoe rack
system 100 for
collecting and removing the water and the debris from footwear placed thereon.
The water and the
debris are collected in the drainage collection tray 146 and directed towards
the base-tray 124 via
the pipe system 152. Each of the drainage collection trays 146 and the base-
tray 124 are
removeable. The present invention may be coupled to existing plumbing drains
or the like in the
building it is used in.
[00020] FIG. 2 shows a front perspective view of the drying and draining multi-
leveled shoe
rack system 100 of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment of the present
disclosure. As above, the
drying and draining multi-leveled shoe rack system 100 may include the base
120 (including the
base-tray 124, and the base-rack 128), the plurality of tiers 140 each having
a rack 142, the drainage
collection tray 146, and the pipe system 152. The drainage collection tray
includes an inclination
directing the water to the pipe system 152 (via gravity) and through the
modular storage rack 110
to the base 120. The pipe system 152 includes legs 164 for stacking the
plurality of tiers 140 on
one another and on top of the base 120. The legs 164 function as pipes for
drainage. The legs 164
of the plurality of tiers 140 include a pair of front-legs and a pair of rear-
legs. The rear-legs are
hollow and are configured to allow drainage to flow therethrough. The front-
legs are not hollow
such that water is directed to the rear-legs. The base 120 comprises non-
hollow support-legs 122
configured to provide stability and support to the plurality of tiers 140.
[00021] The legs 164 of the plurality of tiers 140 are configured to stackably
engage a desired
number of the plurality of tiers 140 in a vertical orientation. The plurality
of tiers 140 comprise at
least a first-section 166 and a second-section 168; the first-section 166
configured to mount to the
second-section 168 modularly in a vertical series. The first-section 166
includes the rack 142 and
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drainage collection tray 146 connected to a portion of the pipe system 152.
The second-section
168 is an extension of the pipe system 152. The extension extends between each
of the plurality
of tiers 140 and supports the plurality of tiers 140 in an elevated position
above one another. The
modular storage rack 110 may include as many of the plurality of tiers 140
that the user desired,
all supported on the base 120.
[00022] Referring now to FIG. 3 showing a front perspective view of the drying
and draining
multi-leveled shoe rack system 100 of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment of
the present
disclosure. As above, the drying and draining multi-leveled shoe rack system
100 may include the
base 120 and the plurality of tiers 140. The drainage collection tray 146 and
the base-tray 124 are
configured to be slideable removed from an open end opposing a closed end. The
base-tray 124
comprises a larger collection volume than the drainage collection tray 146
such that the base-tray
124 can store the water and the debris accumulated from the drainage
collection tray 146 of each
of the plurality of tiers 140. The base-tray 124 comprises measuring indicia
126 allowing a user to
measure how full the base-tray 124 is. The base-tray 124 is preferably a tank
or large container.
The base-tray 124 may be emptied once water and debris is filtered to the base-
tray 124 from the
plurality of tiers 140.
[00023] FIG. 4 shows a front perspective view of the drying and draining multi-
leveled shoe
rack system 100 of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment of the present
disclosure. As above, the
drying and draining multi-leveled shoe rack system 100 may include the base
120 and the plurality
of tiers 140 which further include support members 170. The support members
170 of the base
120 are configured for slideably engaging and supporting the base-tray 124 in
a position below the
base-rack 128. The support members 170 of the plurality of tiers 140 are
configured for slideably
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engaging and supporting the drainage collection tray 146 in a position below
the rack 142. The
support members 170 support the drainage collection tray 146 and are
configured having an angle
for directing the water and the debris as collected. The plurality of
apertures 160 comprise a
diameter sufficient to allow the water and small the debris to pass
therethrough without allowing
rocks and other large items to pass. The device provides a modular storage
rack 110 which may
be useful in cold and wet environments to eliminate the mess associated with
wet footwear.
Coupling of the present invention can be done via any suitable fastening
means.
[00024] Referring now to FIG. 5 showing a front perspective view of the drying
and draining
multi-leveled shoe rack system 100 of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment of
the present
disclosure. As above, the drying and draining multi-leveled shoe rack system
100 may include the
base 120 including the base-tray 124, and the base-rack 128, the plurality of
tiers 140 each having
a rack 142, the drainage collection tray 146, and the pipe system 152. The
modular storage rack
110 is configured to be affixable to a wall for stability. The modular storage
rack 110 may be
mounted in an elevated position on the wall if desired. The device may include
rigid plastic
materials or other suitable materials to provide an easy to clean and sturdy
device. The rigid plastic
is suited to support a weight of a plurality of shoes.
[00025] According to one embodiment, the drying and draining multi-leveled
shoe rack system
100 may be arranged as a kit 105. In particular, the drying and draining multi-
leveled shoe rack
system 100 may further include a base 120, a plurality of tiers 140, and a set
of instructions 107.
The instructions 107 may detail functional relationships in relation to the
structure of the drying
and draining multi-leveled shoe rack system 100 such that the drying and
draining multi-leveled
shoe rack system 100 can be used, maintained, or the like, in a preferred
manner.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-11-17
[00026] The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and
numerous
modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to
achieve substantially
equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit
and scope of the
invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the
public generally,
and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are
not familiar with patent
or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection
the nature and
essence of the technical disclosure of the application.
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-11-17
