US20100089852A1

US20100089852A1 - Combination storage rack

Info

Publication number: US20100089852A1
Application number: US12/250,546
Authority: US
Inventors: Wen-Tsan Wang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-10-14
Filing date: 2008-10-14
Publication date: 2010-04-15

Abstract

A combination storage rack includes multiple upright supports each having two parallel bamboo slats and multiple spacer blocks fixedly connected between the bamboo slats at different elevations, conical locating members each formed of two symmetrical halves and respectively fastened to the upright supports and supported on the spacer blocks, and rack panels horizontally fastened to the upright supports at different elevations, each rack panel having multiple tapered through holes for the passing of the upright supports and for engagement with the conical locating blocks at the upright supports.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(a) Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a storage rack and more particularly, to a combination storage rack that is easy to mount and dismount.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
Wood, plastics, and many other materials are selectively used for making display racks, storage racks or partition screens. In order to show an antique sense of beauty, bamboo or wood material is the best choice for making storage racks.
Conventionally, a bamboo or wooden storage rack is comprised of a plurality of upright supports and a plurality of rack panels horizontal fastened to the upright supports at different elevations for holding things. The rack panels are affixed to the upright supports with screws or with screw bolts and nuts. It is quite inconvenient to assemble or disassemble this design of bamboo or wooden storage rack i.e., this design does not lend itself to the DIY concept.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide a combination storage rack which can easily and rapidly be assembled and disassembled.
To achieve this and other objects of the combination storage rack comprises upright supports, conical locating members, and rack panels. Each upright support comprises two bamboo slats arranged in parallel, and a plurality of spacer blocks fixedly connected between the two bamboo slats at different elevations. The conical locating members are respectively fastened to the upright supports and supported on the spacer blocks, each comprising two symmetrical halves. Each half of each conical locating member comprises two vertical grooves adapted for receiving the two parallel slats of one upright support, and a mounting rib defined between the two vertical grooves and fitted into the space between the two parallel bamboo slats of the associating upright support and supported on one spacer block of the associating upright support. The rack panels are horizontally fastened to the conical locating blocks and the upright supports at different elevations, each comprising a plurality of tapered through holes cut through top and bottom sides thereof for the passing of the upright supports and for engagement with the conical locating blocks.
Further, the spacer blocks of each upright support be bonded to the two parallel bamboo slats, or affixed thereto by nails or screws.
By means of the aforesaid arrangement, the upright supports, the conical locating blocks and the rack panels can easily and detachably be fastened together, forming a storage rack without any tool or fastening devices. When not in use, the rack panels and the conical locating blocks can be directly detached from the upright supports without any tool. Therefore, the design of the present invention lends itself very well to the DIY concept.
The foregoing object and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts.
Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a part of a combination storage rack in accordance with the present invention, showing the structure of the upright support and the conical locating block.

FIG. 2 is an elevational assembly view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a schematic elevational assembly view of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional lateral view of a part of the present invention, showing conical locating blocks fastened to upright supports before mounting of a rack panel.

FIG. 5 is a sectional lateral plain view of a part of the present invention, showing rack panels fastened to the upright supports and supported on conical locating blocks at the upright supports.

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of the combination storage rack according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following descriptions are of exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
Referring to the annexed drawings in detail, a combination storage rack in accordance with the present invention is shown comprising a plurality of upright supports 1 (see FIG. 1), a plurality of conical locating blocks 2 (see FIG. 1), and a plurality of rack panels 3 (see FIG. 3).
Each upright support 1 comprises two bamboo slats 11 arranged in parallel, and a plurality of spacer blocks 12 fixedly connected between the two bamboo spats 11 and spaced from one another along the length of the bamboo slats 11. When viewed from one lateral side, each upright support 1 shows a substantially H-shaped configuration. Further, the spacer blocks 12 can be affixed to the bamboo slats 11 by nails, screws or other fastening members, or by means of adhesive bonding.
The conical locating blocks 2 are shaped like a truncated cone, each formed of two symmetrical halves 21. Each half 21 has two vertical mounting grooves 212 adapted for receiving the two bamboo slats 11 of one upright support 1, and a mounting rib 211 defined between the two vertical mounting grooves 212 and adapted for engaging into the space between the two bamboo slats 11 of one upright support 1.
The rack panels 3 are rectangular panels formed of a bamboo frame and a plurality of bamboo strips, each having a tapered through hole 31 in each of the four corners thereof. The tapered through hole 31 has a diameter fitting the conical locating blocks 2 and gradually reduced from the bottom side of the respective rack panel toward the top side.
During installation, the two symmetrical halves 21 of each conical locating block 2 are respectively forced into engagement with the two bamboo slats 11 of one upright support 1 and stopped at the top side of one spacer block 12 (as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2). After one respective locating block 2 has been fastened to each of the four upright supports 1 and supported on the lowest spacer block 12 of the associating upright support 1, the four upright supports 1 are respectively inserted through the four tapered through hole 31 of one rack panel 3 to have the four tapered through hole 31 be respectively forced into positive engagement with the lowest spacer block 12 of each of the four upright supports 1, and thereafter the other locating blocks 2 and the other rack panels 3 are installed in the same manner in a proper order see FIGS. 3˜6).
It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above.
While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A combination storage rack comprising:

a plurality of upright supports, each said upright support comprising two bamboo slats arranged in parallel and a plurality of spacer blocks fixedly connected between said two bamboo slats at different elevations;

a plurality of conical locating members respectively fastened to said upright supports and supported on said spacer blocks, each said conical locating member comprising two symmetrical halves, each half of each said conical locating member comprising two vertical grooves adapted for receiving the two parallel slats of one said upright support and a mounting rib defined between said two vertical grooves and fitted into the space between the two parallel bamboo slats of the associating upright support and supported on one spacer block of the associating upright support; and

a plurality of rack panels horizontally fastened to said conical locating blocks and said upright supports at different elevations, each said rack panel comprising a plurality of tapered through holes cut through top and bottom sides thereof for the passing of said upright supports and for engagement with said conical locating blocks.

2. The combination storage rack as claimed in claim 1, wherein the number of said upright supports is 4; said rack panels are rectangular panels, each comprising a tapered through hole in each of four corners thereof for the passing of said upright supports and for engagement with one respective conical locating block at each of said four upright supports.