Multi-function supporting rack
A multi-function supporting rack includes a rack unit, a holding unit and a coupling unit. The rack unit has a fastening member at the top end and a hollow housing portion at the bottom end thereof. The holding unit is located on the fastening member to hold an article. The coupling unit has a latch member located in the housing portion and a connection member to couple the latch member and an equipment together. Such a design forms a greater supporting contact area between the latch member and the housing portion to provide an improved supporting effect. Moreover, once the latch member and the connection member are fastened to the equipment, the housing portion is coupled on the latch member. The finished assembly of the invention takes less space and installation is easier.
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The present invention relates to a supporting rack and particularly to a multi-function supporting rack capable fastening to varying equipment to hold various types of articles.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONReferring to
The conventional supporting rack 1 includes two bracing bars 11 pivotally coupled together, a holding dock 12 located at the top end of the upper bracing bar 11, a main supporting member 13 located at the bottom end of the lower bracing bar 11 and an auxiliary supporting bar 14 located on the lower bracing bar 11.
The two bracing bars 11 are coupled through a coupling member 15 to generate swiveling movements relative to each other. The holding dock 12 aims to hold a desired article. The main supporting member 13 has a main body 131 located at the bottom end of the lower bracing bar 11 and two fork legs 132 extended from the main body 131 in a spaced manner. The two fork legs 132 are run through by a shank 161 of a screw 16 with a distal end of the screw 16 fastened to an equipment 21. The screw 16 has a screw head 162 ramming to the two fork legs 132 to anchor the supporting rack 1 on the equipment 21.
By ramming the screw head 162 to the two fork legs 132 a small contact area is formed. The supporting rack 1 is prone to sway. Therefore the auxiliary member 14 is deployed to anchor on another equipment 21 to provide another supporting function in addition to the main supporting member 13 to get a better support effect for the supporting rack 1.
The design of the supporting rack 1 set forth above has to rely two equipment 21 to hold the main supporting member 13 and the auxiliary supporting member 14. It is inconvenient when in use. It requires more supporting elements and takes more space. Assembly and installation also are less efficient.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe primary object of the present invention is to provide a multi-function supporting rack that is easier to assemble and install, takes less space and can provide improved supporting effect.
The multi-function supporting rack according to the invention aims to hold an article. It is fastened to an equipment and includes a rack unit, a holding unit and a coupling unit.
The rack unit has a fastening member at a top end and a hollow housing portion at a bottom end. The holding unit is located on the fastening member of the rack unit to hold the article. The coupling unit has a latch member held in the housing portion of the rack unit and a connection member to couple the latch member and the equipment together.
The present invention provides the following functions: through latch member held in the hollow housing portion at the bottom end of the rack unit, a greater contact area is formed between the latch member and the housing portion to provide improved supporting effect; with the latch member and the connection member coupled and fastened to the equipment, the housing portion is coupled on the latch member. Thus after assembly and installation the invention takes less space. Assembly and installation also are easier.
The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Please refer to
The rack unit 31 has two bracing bars 311 pivotally coupled together, a fastening member 312 located at a top end of the upper bracing bar 311, a hollow housing portion 313 located at a bottom end of the lower bracing bar 311 and two lugs 314 located on the outer surface of the housing portion 313.
While this embodiment shows that the two bracing bars 311 are pivotally coupled together, a single bracing bar 311 may also be adopted, or two bracing bars 311 may be coupled together at a fixed angle.
Each of the bracing bars 311 has a tube 315, a movable rod 316 movable axially in the tube 315, and a clipping member 317 to anchor the movable rod 316 in the tube 315. By means of such a design the length of each bracing bar 311 can be adjusted. The clipping member 317 can change the inner diameter of the tube 315 to tightly clamp the movable rod 316 in the tube 315 for anchoring. The clipping member 317 is known in the art, thus details are omitted.
The fastening member 312 is a screw. The holding unit 32 is screwed on the fastening member 312, and may be selected according to the type of the article 41. Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
By means of the design previously discussed, the latch member 331 and the housing portion 313 form a greater supporting contact area. Compared with the conventional supporting rack 1 in which a small supporting contact area is formed between the screw head 162 and the two fork legs 132 and a smaller supporting effect is ensued, the multi-function supporting rack 3 of the invention can provide an improved supporting effect. Moreover, during assembly and installation of the multi-function supporting rack 3, after the connection member 332 has been screwed through the latch member 331 and the equipment 42, the housing portion 313 is coupled on the latch member 331. Assembly and installation is much easier. Compared with the conventional supporting rack 1 which has to brace the bottom and the perimeter of the bracing bar 11 and result in a greater size, the multi-function supporting rack 3 of the invention is braced merely at the bottom. Hence the product can be formed at a smaller size and takes less space.
Refer to
By means of the construction set forth above the multi-function supporting rack 3 can hold the easel without limited to holding the photographic device or notebook computer as depicted in the first embodiment.
Refer to
In this embodiment the latch member 331 and the connection member 332 are screwed together through the screw 334. However, this is not a limitation. The latch member 331 and the connection member 332 may also be formed integrally in one piece.
When this embodiment is in use, the equipment 42 is clipped in the clipping frame 335; the clamping screw 336 is turned to ram against the equipment 42 to anchor the equipment 42 between the clipping frame 335 and the clamping screw 336. Compared with the first embodiment in which a screw hole must be formed on the equipment 42 to fasten the connection member 332, this embodiment can clip the equipment 42 between the clipping frame 335 and the clamping screw 336 without restricting to a fixed screwing like the first embodiment. It provides users another coupling method.
In short, by forming a hollow portion 313 at the bottom end of the rack unit 31 to hold the latch member 331, a greater supporting contact area is formed between them to achieve an improved supporting effect. Moreover, after the latch member 331 and the connection member 332 are coupled and installed on the equipment 42 the housing portion 313 is coupled the latch member 331. Thus the invention does not take much space, and assembly and installation also are much easier.
Claims
1. A multi-function supporting rack fastened to an equipment to hold an article, comprising:
- a rack unit which has a fastening member at a top end and a hollow housing portion at a bottom end thereof;
- a holding unit fastened to the rack unit to hold the article; and
- a coupling unit which has a latch member located in the housing portion and a connection member to couple the latch member and the equipment together.
2. The multi-function supporting rack of claim 1, wherein the rack unit further has two lugs on an outer surface of the housing portion, the coupling unit further having an adjustment member running through the lugs to adjust the distance between the lugs and change the inner diameter of the housing portion to tightly clamp the latch member.
3. The multi-function supporting rack of claim 2, wherein the rack unit further has a plurality of bracing bars coupling with one another, the fastening member being located at a top end of a top bracing bar, the housing portion being located at a bottom end of a bottom bracing bar.
4. The multi-function supporting rack of claim 3, wherein each of the bracing bars has a tube, a movable rod movable axially in the tube and a clipping member to anchor the movable rod in the tube.
5. The multi-function supporting rack of claim 4, wherein the connection member is a screw which screws through the latch member and has a distal end fastened to the equipment.
6. The multi-function supporting rack of claim 4, wherein the connection member is a C-clamp and has a clipping frame fastened to the latch member to hold the equipment and a clamping screw running through the clipping frame to ram the equipment.
7. The multi-function supporting rack of claim 6, wherein the coupling unit further has a screw which screws through the latch member and the clipping frame to couple the latch member and the connection member together.
8. The multi-function supporting rack of claim 5, wherein the fastening member is a screw and the holding unit is screwed on the fastening member.
9. The multi-function supporting rack of claim 6, wherein the fastening member is a screw and the holding unit is screwed on the fastening member.
10. The multi-function supporting rack of claim 7, wherein the fastening member is a screw and the holding unit is screwed on the fastening member.
11. The multi-function supporting rack of claim 8, wherein the holding unit has a positioning plate coupled on the fastening member, a nut screwing on the fastening member to compress the positioning plate and a holding member detachably located on the tube of one bracing bar, the article being clipped and anchored between the positioning plate and the holding member.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 6, 2007
Publication Date: Dec 27, 2007
Applicant:
Inventor: Kun-Chung Lu (Kaohsiung Hsien)
Application Number: 11/783,209
International Classification: A47G 29/00 (20060101);