Folding shelf
A rack-type shelf having means of folding against its installed wall surface or remaining open at generally any angle between horizontal and vertical. The folding shelf of the present invention comprises: a wall mount portion, a shelf portion and brace members. The shelf portion is provided with a pivotal axle member protruding sidewardly from each rear side of said shelf. These axle members thus mate rotationally within a similarly sized protrusion within both side bottom members of the wall mount portion thus creating a hinge. Support members are rotationally yet securedly attached to a central horizontal wall mount member, and gravitationally suspend the shelf member by means of hooking around any of the shelf portion's plurality of shelf wire rod members.
The present invention relates to a rack-type shelf having means of folding against its installed wall surface or remaining open at generally any angle between horizontal and vertical. The folding shelf of the present invention comprises: a wall mount portion, a shelf portion and brace members. The shelf portion is provided with a pivotal axle member protruding sidewardly from each rear side of said shelf. These axle members thus mate rotationally within a similarly sized protrusion within both side bottom members of the wall mount portion thus creating a hinge. Support members are rotationally yet securedly attached to a central horizontal wall mount member, and gravitationally suspend the shelf member by means of hooking around any of the shelf portion's plurality of horizontal shelf wire rod members.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONIt is common for most persons, to, from time to time, wet their shoes or boots. Not only is this very discomforting, it can lead to physical ailments such as foot fungus, blisters and the like. It is also proven difficult to hold boots sole-up away from a floor surface as is commonly desired by those attempting to dry boot or the like over a radiator or air vent.
The inventor sought to provide users with a folding shelf that allows multi-angular shelf positioning while also providing means of easily folding up said shelf so as to prevent an obstruction.
The applicant is aware of an attempt in prior art to provide means of folding away a wall-mounted shelf.
Such an example of prior art may be had when referring to U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,517 of Martinell, issued Jun. 30, 1992 depicting a wall-mountable storage rack that can collapse into a folded-down compact state. Although this rack may be quite functional for many purposes, it does however, fail to provide the multi-angular shelf positioning required to securedly nestle items such as boots or shoes. Furthermore, when collapsed, said rack's support extends drastically downwardly past the lowest portion of the rack/mount assembly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIt is thus the object of the present invention to provide users with a folding shelf that allows multi-angular shelf positioning while also providing means of easily folding up said shelf so as to prevent an obstruction. In addition, the folding shelf of the present invention collapses in a neater assembly.
In one aspect of the invention, an elbow may be provided in a central region of the support members so as to further prevent a downward extension of said supports below the collapsed assembly.
In another aspect of the invention, the hinge portion at the lower region of the wall mount may be extended distally from the wall by means of an additional folding hinge extension therefrom. This will provide a deeper throat area at the hinge region.
Accordingly, the system of the present invention provides users with a folding shelf that allows multi-angular shelf positioning while also providing means of easily folding up said shelf so as to prevent an obstruction when not in use.
The utility of the present invention includes but is not limited to boot and shoes.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThese and other advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following brief description and upon referring to the drawings in which:—
While the invention is described in conjunction with preferred illustrated embodiments, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to such embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTIn the following description, similar features in the drawings have been given similar reference numerals.
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Therefore, a user attaches the wall mount portion 2 to a wall surface above a conventional source of heat or air ventilator 21 using a sufficient number of wrap strap fasteners 30 onto both horizontal members 5 and 12 of said wall mount portion 2, inserts each end of the shelf portion's hinge rod 8 within the washer-like disks 11 at each lower inner side vertical members 22 of the wall mount portion 2, hooks two or more brace members 6 to any of the shelf wire rods 9 to support said shelf 4 at a desired angle between horizontal ninety and vertical zero degrees.
Thus a user may now, with the present invention, place boots, shoes or the like at an optimal position to enhance drying from warm air below.
The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property of privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
Claims
1. A folding shelf comprising:—
- a. a wall mount portion having two vertical end members and two horizontal members,
- b. a shelf portion having two or more support frames, support rods and shelf wire rods members,
- c. brace members having a top rotational attachment and a hooked lower end,
2. The folding shelf of claim 1 wherein the vertical and horizontal members of the wall mount portion are fixedly attached to each other.
3. The folding shelf of claims 1 and 2 wherein the vertical members' lower ends are extendedly curled forwardly to extend a shelf pivot point away from a mounting surface.
4. The folding shelf of claims 1 and 3 wherein the pivot point comprises a fixedly attached washer-like disk adapted to mate with a hinge axle of the shelf member.
5. The folding shelf of claim 1 wherein the shelf portion's lower support rod extend outwardly from each side of the shelf to form a hinge axle member.
6. The folding shelf of claim 5 wherein the hinge axle member has an outside diameter slightly lesser than the inner diameter of the washer-like disk of the wall mount portion.
7. The folding shelf of claim 1 wherein the upper ends of the brace members are curled around the central horizontal member of the wall mount portion so as to allow rotational movement of said brace members around said central horizontal member.
8. The folding shelf of claims 1 and 7 wherein the lower ends of the brace members are formed into a hook so as to allow embracing a horizontal shelf wire rod for angle selection therewith.
9. The folding shelf of claims 1 through 8 wherein the use thereof is to provide users with a collapsible shelf and drying rack having means of optimally placing boots, shoes or the like for proper and faster drying thereof.
Type: Application
Filed: May 24, 2004
Publication Date: Nov 24, 2005
Inventor: Gary Drake (Sudbury)
Application Number: 10/851,734