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US 9,427,081 B1Granted
Storage rack
OwnerWilliam R. Hardininventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rotating storage rack including a base and a plurality of vertically stacked shelves allows high storage density for shoes, boots, and other footwear, as well as miscellaneous wardrobe accessories, including purses.
Claims14
A rotating storage rack having a rotational axis and a maximum rotational radius, the rotating storage rack comprising:
- a base configured to support shelves, wherein the shelves have edges at or near the periphery of the rotating storage rack;
- and
- a plurality of vertically stacked shelves supported by the base, wherein at least one shelf engages vertical partitions, wherein the at least one shelf has a center, wherein the rotational axis of the rotating storage rack intersects the at least one shelf in the center, wherein adjacent vertical partitions form storage compartments, wherein the vertical partitions form a shared shelf area around the rotational axis, wherein individual ones of the vertical partitions include distal ends and proximal ends, wherein the distal ends form distal openings at or near one or more edges of the at least one shelf, wherein the proximal ends form proximal openings facing the rotational axis, wherein the vertical partitions extend radially such that the proximal ends of the vertical partitions do not extend to the rotational axis, thereby creating, on the at least one shelf, the shared shelf area around the rotational axis so as to provide an uninterrupted surface of the at least one shelf, wherein the uninterrupted surface extends between the proximal ends of the vertical partitions, wherein the rotational axis intersects the uninterrupted surface, wherein the shared shelf area is manually accessible by a user through at least two of the storage compartments
- wherein the plurality of vertically stacked shelves includes a lower shelf and a higher shelf, wherein the lower shelf is positioned below the higher shelf,
- wherein the lower shelf has an upward-facing surface,
- wherein the higher shelf has a downward-facing surface,
- wherein the lower shelf includes individual support features on the upward-facing surface that are configured to engage corresponding individual vertical partitions,
- wherein the higher shelf includes support features on the downward-facing surface that are configured to align with and engage the corresponding individual vertical partitions.
5 more elements
A rotating storage rack having a rotational axis, the rotating storage rack comprising:
- a base configured to support shelves;
- and
- a plurality of vertically stacked shelves supported by the base, wherein at least one shelf engages vertical partitions radially extending outward from the rotational axis so as to provide an uninterrupted shared shelf area around the rotational axis, wherein the at least one shelf has a center, wherein the rotational axis of the rotating storage rack intersects the at least one shelf in the center, wherein the rotational axis intersects the uninterrupted shared shelf area, wherein a storage compartment formed by two adjacent vertical partitions includes user-configurable support features configured to support an interlocking shelf element and an interlocking vertical element, wherein the interlocking shelf element interlocks with the interlocking vertical element to divide the storage compartment into four storage compartment sections,
- wherein the plurality of vertically stacked shelves includes a lower shelf and a higher shelf, wherein the lower shelf is positioned below the higher shelf,
- wherein the lower shelf has an upward-facing surface,
- wherein the higher shelf has a downward-facing surface,
- wherein the lower shelf includes individual support features on the upward-facing surface that are configured to engage corresponding individual vertical partitions,
- wherein the higher shelf includes support features on the downward-facing surface that are configured to align with and engage the corresponding individual vertical partitions.
5 more elements
A rotating storage rack having a rotational axis, the rotating storage rack comprising:
- a base configured to support shelves;
- a plurality of vertically stacked shelves supported by the base, wherein the plurality of vertically stacked shelves includes a first shelf and a second shelf, wherein the first shelf is positioned below the second shelf, wherein the first shelf has a first center, wherein the second shelf has a second center, wherein the rotational axis of the rotating storage rack intersects the first shelf in the first center and further intersects the second shelf in the second center;
- and
- a plurality of vertical partitions arranged between the first shelf and the second shelf, wherein the plurality of vertical partitions extend radially outward from the rotational axis, wherein the plurality of vertical partitions are arranged at least a predetermined distance from the rotational axis such that the first shelf includes a shared shelf area around the rotational axis that provides a shelf surface spanning at least the predetermined distance from the rotational axis, wherein the shelf surface at the rotational axis is available for storage, wherein the rotational axis intersects the shelf surface, wherein adjacent vertical partitions form storage compartments between the first shelf and the second shelf, and wherein the shared shelf area is manually accessible by a user through all of the formed storage compartments,
- wherein the first shelf has an upward-facing surface,
- wherein the second shelf has a downward-facing surface,
- wherein the first shelf includes individual support features on the upward-facing surface that are configured to engage corresponding individual vertical partitions,
- wherein the second shelf includes support features on the downward-facing surface that are configured to align with and engage the corresponding individual vertical partitions.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.