Modular rack
A modular rack includes a number of lower legs and upper legs, one or more shelves to be selectively secured between the lower legs and the upper legs, one or more housing secured to the shelves, one or more sleeves may be engaged between the lower legs and the housing and the lower plates for anchoring the lower legs to the housing and the shelves, one or more connectors may be engaged between the upper legs and the shelves and the upper plates for anchoring the upper legs to the shelves and the housing, and for forming an improved or reinforced structure for allowing the modular rack to be solidly assembled together to form a stable structure.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a worktable or modular rack, and more particularly to a modular rack including an improved or reinforced structure for allowing the worktable or modular rack to be solidly assembled together to form a stable structure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typical modular racks comprise a number of posts units, a number of tubular sleeves and a number of trays to be detached from each other to form a relatively small volume after packaging, and also to be selectively assembled together to form a rack or table or shelf.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,676,263 to Chang discloses one of the typical modular racks also comprising a number of posts units, a number of tubular sleeves and a number of trays to be selectively assembled together to form a rack or table or shelf, and further comprising a connector for connecting two posts together. However, the posts may not be solidly or stably anchored or secured to the tubular sleeves.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,659,410 to Lu discloses another typical metallic table comprising an elongated supporting portion for attaching to a connection portion of the metallic table. However, the connection portion may be used for connecting the elongated supporting portion to the metallic table only, but may not be used to couple the other elongated supporting portion to the metallic table.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,776,106 to Lin discloses a further typical worktable comprising one or more legs for attaching to a table top with one or more supporting housings. However, similarly, the supporting housings may be used for connecting the legs to the single table top only, but may not be used to couple the other table tops together.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional worktables or modular racks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe primary objective of the present invention is to provide a modular rack including an improved or reinforced structure for allowing the worktable or modular rack to be solidly assembled together to form a stable structure.
The other objective of the present invention is to provide a modular rack including two or more table tops to be selectively and solidly connected or secured together.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a modular rack comprising a shelf including at least one opening formed therein, a housing secured to the shelf and including at least one orifice formed therein, a back-up device disposed in the housing and including a first plate and a second plate secured to the housing, the first and the second plates each including an aperture formed therein, the aperture of the first plate being aligned with the orifice of the housing, the aperture of the second plate being aligned with the opening of the shelf, at least one first leg including a first end engageable into the orifice of the housing and the aperture of the first plate, a sleeve engageable between the first leg and the housing and the first plate for anchoring the first leg to the housing and the shelf, at least one second leg including a first end engageable into the opening of the shelf and the aperture of the second plate, and a connector engageable between the second leg and the shelf and the second plate for anchoring the second leg to the shelf and the housing.
The connector includes a tubular member engaged into the opening of the shelf and the aperture of the second plate of the back-up device and engaged between the second leg and the shelf and the second plate of the back-up device.
The tubular member of the connector includes an inclined outer peripheral surface formed thereon for forming the tubular member into a wedge engaging member and to be wedged between the second leg and the shelf and the second plate of the back-up device.
The second plate of the back-up device includes a peripheral fence extended therefrom for forming the aperture of the second plate and for engaging with the tubular member. The peripheral fence of the second plate of the back-up device includes an inclination for engaging with the inclined outer peripheral surface of the tubular member.
The connector includes a peripheral skirt extended around the tubular member for engaging with the shelf. The connector includes a peripheral channel formed between the tubular member and the peripheral skirt, and the shelf includes a peripheral fence extended therefrom for forming the opening of the shelf and for engaging into the peripheral channel of the connector.
The sleeve includes an inclined outer peripheral surface formed thereon for forming the sleeve into a wedge member and for being wedged between the first leg and the housing and the first plate of the back-up device. The plate of the back-up device includes a peripheral fence extended therefrom for forming the aperture of the first plate and for engaging with the sleeve.
The peripheral fence of the first plate of the back-up device includes an inclination for engaging with the inclined outer peripheral surface of the sleeve. The housing includes a peripheral fence extended therefrom for forming the orifice of the housing and for engaging with the sleeve. The peripheral fence of the housing includes an inclination for engaging with the inclined outer peripheral surface of the sleeve.
The back-up device includes an end segment coupling the first and the second plates together and secured to the housing. The first and the second plates of the back-up device each include a side flap extended therefrom and secured to the housing. The first and the second plates of the back-up device each include at least one reinforcing rib extended therefrom.
Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring to the drawings, and initially to
The supporting housings 20 may be made of or formed with a planar or sheet material (not shown) by such as one or more hammering or forging or punching processes, and each include two side walls 21 extended upwardly from a bottom panel 22 and each having a laterally or outwardly extended flange 25 for securing to the bottom of the table top 10 and/or the shelves 11 by such as latches or fasteners (not shown), adhesive materials, or by welding processes, etc. The housings 20 each include one or more, such as two orifices 23 formed in the bottom panel 22 thereof, and each orifice 23 formed or defined by a peripheral fence 24 (
The housing 20 may include one or more screw holes 27 formed in either of the side walls 21 for threading with such as fasteners 80. The peripheral fence 24 includes an inclination or slope arranged such that the peripheral fence 24 is slightly inclined upwardly and inwardly into the orifice 23 of the housing 20 or narrowed upwardly, and for allowing the orifice 23 of the housing 20 to be formed as a frustum-shaped orifice 23 in the housing 20. The housing 20 includes two end panels 26 folded or extended upwardly from the ends of the bottom panel 22, for enclosing the two open ends or the chamber 28 of the housing 20, and for preventing the bugs or insects from entering into the chamber 28 of the housing 20.
One or more back-up devices 30 are received in the chamber 28 of the housing 20, and secured to the housing 20, and arranged or aligned or disposed above the orifices 23 of the housing 20 respectively. The back-up devices 30 each include a substantially C-shaped structure having two parallel plates or first and second plates 31, 32 arranged one above the other and secured to the housing 20, and coupled together at one end segment 39 (
As also shown in
The sleeves 4 each include one or more, such as two semi-cylindrical sleeve casings 40 further provided and engaged between the upper portions 53 of the legs 50 and the housing 20 and the back-up devices 30, for forming the cylindrical sleeve 4. The sleeve casings 40 each preferably include one or more ribs 44 extended in the inner portion thereof (
The inclination of the inclined outer peripheral surface 41 of the sleeve casings 40 may be equal to or slightly greater or smaller than that of the peripheral fences 24, 36 of the housing 20 and the back-up devices 30, for allowing the sleeve casings 40 and the legs 50, 51 to be solidly engaged with the peripheral fences 24, 36 of the housing 20 and the back-up devices 30 by such as a wedge engaging action. The fasteners 80 may optionally or further be provided and threaded with the holes 27 of the housing 20, and engaged with the sleeve casings 40 (
One of the sleeve casings 40 may include one or more, such as two opposite recesses 42 formed therein (
The apertures 34 of the upper plates 31 of the back-up device 30 are aligned with the openings 13 of the shelves 11, and the peripheral fence 35 of the upper plate 31 and the peripheral fences 14 of the shelves 11 include an inclination or slope arranged such that the peripheral fences 35, 14 are slightly inclined upwardly and outwardly or opened or widened upwardly, and for allowing the peripheral fences 35, 14 of the upper plate 31 and the shelves 11 to be formed as a frustum-shaped structure. The lower portions 54 of the upper or other legs 51 are to be engaged into the openings 13 of the shelves 11 and the apertures 34 of the upper plates 31 of the back-up device 30 and to be coupled or anchored or secured to the shelves 11 and the back-up devices 30 with such as one or more barrels or connectors 60.
As shown in
It is preferable that the connectors 60 each further include a downwardly and outwardly extended peripheral skirt 63 located or extended around the tubular member 61 for engaging with the shelves 11 and/or for forming or defining a peripheral channel 64 between the tubular member 61 and the peripheral skirt 63 and for engaging or receiving the peripheral fences 14 of the shelves 11 and thus for limiting the movement of the connectors 60 relative to the shelves 11 and the back-up devices 30 and the lower portions 54 of the upper or other legs 51 and the housings 20, and for allowing the lower portions 54 of the upper or other legs 51 to be solidly anchored and secured to the shelves 11 and the back-up devices 30 by the wedge-shaped tubular member 61 of the connector 60.
The legs 50, 51 each may include a block 55 disposed or secured therein, such as disposed in the lower portion 54 of the upper leg 51 and the upper portion 53 of the lower leg 50, and the blocks 55 each may include a screw hole 56 formed therein for threading with a bolt or fastener 70 which may be used to solidly secure and couple the legs 50, 51 together. In operation, as shown in
As shown in
Accordingly, the modular rack in accordance with the present invention includes an improved or reinforced structure for allowing the worktable or modular rack to be solidly assembled together to form a stable structure.
Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
Claims
1. A modular rack comprising:
- a shelf including at least one opening formed therein,
- a housing secured to said shelf and including at least one orifice formed therein,
- a back-up device disposed in said housing and including a first plate and a second plate secured to said housing, said first and said second plates each including an aperture formed therein, said aperture of said first plate being aligned with said at least one orifice of said housing, said aperture of said second plate being aligned with said at least one opening of said shelf,
- at least one first leg including a first end engageable into said at least one orifice of said housing and said aperture of said first plate,
- a sleeve engageable between said at least one first leg and said housing and said first plate for anchoring said at least one first leg to said housing and said shelf,
- at least one second leg including a first end engageable into said at least one opening of said shelf and said aperture of said second plate, and
- a connector engageable between said at least one second leg and said shelf and said second plate for anchoring said at least one second leg to said shelf and said housing.
2. The modular rack as claimed in claim 1, wherein said connector includes a tubular member engaged into said at least one opening of said shelf and said aperture of said second plate of said back-up device and engaged between said at least one second leg and said shelf and said second plate of said back-up device.
3. The modular rack as claimed in claim 2, wherein said tubular member of said connector includes an inclined outer peripheral surface formed thereon for forming said tubular member into a wedge engaging member and to be wedged between said at least one second leg and said shelf and said second plate of said back-up device.
4. The modular rack as claimed in claim 3, wherein said second plate of said back-up device includes a peripheral fence extended therefrom for forming said aperture of said second plate and for engaging with said tubular member.
5. The modular rack as claimed in claim 4, wherein said peripheral fence of said second plate of said back-up device includes an inclination for engaging with said inclined outer peripheral surface of said tubular member.
6. The modular rack as claimed in claim 2, wherein said connector includes a peripheral skirt extended around said tubular member for engaging with said shelf.
7. The modular rack as claimed in claim 6, wherein said connector includes a peripheral channel formed between said tubular member and said peripheral skirt, and said shelf includes a peripheral fence extended therefrom for forming said at least one opening of said shelf and for engaging into said peripheral channel of said connector.
8. The modular rack as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sleeve includes an inclined outer peripheral surface formed thereon for forming said sleeve into a wedge member and for being wedged between said at least one first leg and said housing and said first plate of said back-up device.
9. The modular rack as claimed in claim 8, wherein first plate of said back-up device includes a peripheral fence extended therefrom for forming said aperture of said first plate and for engaging with said sleeve.
10. The modular rack as claimed in claim 9, wherein said peripheral fence of said first plate of said back-up device includes an inclination for engaging with said inclined outer peripheral surface of said sleeve.
11. The modular rack as claimed in claim 8, wherein said housing includes a peripheral fence extended therefrom for forming said at least one orifice of said housing and for engaging with said sleeve.
12. The modular rack as claimed in claim 11, wherein said peripheral fence of said housing includes an inclination for engaging with said inclined outer peripheral surface of said sleeve.
13. The modular rack as claimed in claim 1, wherein said back-up device includes an end segment coupling said first and said second plates together and secured to said housing.
14. The modular rack as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and said second plates of said back-up device each include a side flap extended therefrom and secured to said housing.
15. The modular rack as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and said second plates of said back-up device each include at least one reinforcing rib extended therefrom.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 13, 2006
Publication Date: Mar 13, 2008
Inventors: Ming Mo Lin (Taichung), Hsiao Ting Lin (Taichung)
Application Number: 11/520,361
International Classification: A47B 57/00 (20060101);