STACKABLE INTERLOCKING TRAY SYSTEM
Embodiments of the invention are directed to a stackable interlocking tray system. The stackable interlocking tray system may include a support assembly having a plurality of struts, a lower tray assembly including trays that are operatively coupled to the support assembly and configured to receive a second end of a plurality of the struts, and an upper tray assembly including trays that are operatively coupled to the support assembly and configured to receive a first end of a plurality of the struts. Each tray may define sidewalls that are configured to engage complementary side walls of adjacent trays.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 62/108,981 for a “Stackable Interlocking Tray System” (filed Jan. 28, 2015), which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF INVENTIONThis application generally relates to a tray system that allows a plurality of trays to be interlocked with one another and stacked in various configurations.
BACKGROUNDTraditionally, trays may be utilized as placement of shoes such as work boots. In this way, the tray may form a protective barrier between the floor and objects (e.g., shoes) placed on the trays to reduce the chance of unwanted dirt, water, or debris from such objects contaminating the floor.
BRIEF SUMMARYEmbodiments of the invention are directed to systems (e.g., apparatuses) and methods for providing stackable interlocking trays, the system includes various configurations of upper and lower tray assemblies that include one or more trays. The tray assemblies may be operatively coupled to one another via a support assembly that includes one or more struts. The present invention is advantageous because the stackable configuration allows for a reduction in space occupied by the trays. Furthermore, the design of the trays reduces the chance of unwanted dirt, water, or debris dripping from a tray onto a lower tray or surface.
Accordingly, in one aspect, the present invention embraces a stackable interlocking tray system that includes a support assembly having a plurality of struts, wherein each of the plurality of struts define a first end and a second end. The stackable interlocking tray system also includes an upper tray assembly having one or more first trays operatively coupled to the support assembly. Each of the one or more first trays typically has a bottom surface having a plurality of lower attachment locations configured to be coupled with the first end of one of the plurality of struts. In addition, the stackable interlocking tray system includes a lower tray assembly having one or more second trays operatively coupled to the support assembly. Each of the one or more second trays may have a top surface having a plurality of upper attachment locations configured to be coupled with the second end of one of the plurality of struts. Each of the one or more first trays may include a plurality of sidewalls configured to be coupled with a complementary sidewall of an adjacent one of the first trays. Additionally, each of the one or more second trays may include a plurality of sidewalls configured to be coupled with a complementary sidewall of an adjacent one of the second trays.
In one particular embodiment, each of the first trays may include a first sidewall, a second sidewall, a third sidewall, and a fourth sidewall, the first sidewall being configured to be coupled with the second sidewall of a first adjacent one of the first trays, the second sidewall being configured to be coupled with the first sidewall of a second adjacent one of the first trays, the third sidewall being configured to be coupled with the fourth sidewall of a third adjacent one of the first trays, the fourth sidewall being configured to be coupled with the third sidewall of a fourth adjacent one of the first trays.
In another particular embodiment, either alone or in combination with any of the foregoing embodiments, each of the second trays may include a first sidewall, a second sidewall, a third sidewall, and a fourth sidewall, the first sidewall being configured to be coupled with the second sidewall of a first adjacent one of the second trays, the second sidewall being configured to be coupled with the first sidewall of a second adjacent one of the second trays, the third sidewall being configured to be coupled with the fourth sidewall of a third adjacent one of the second trays, the fourth sidewall being configured to be coupled with the third sidewall of a fourth adjacent one of the second trays. The first sidewall may include a first hooking mechanism configured to be coupled with the second sidewall of the first adjacent one of the second trays, and the second sidewall may include a second hooking mechanism configured to be coupled with the first sidewall of the second adjacent one of the second trays. Furthermore, the third sidewall may include a third hooking mechanism configured to be coupled with the fourth sidewall of the third adjacent one of the second trays, and the fourth sidewall may be configured to be coupled with the third hooking mechanism of the third sidewall of the fourth adjacent one of the second trays.
In another particular embodiment, either alone or in combination with any of the foregoing embodiments, each of the lower attachment locations may include a female receptacle configured for receiving the first end of one of the plurality of struts. The female receptacle of each of the lower attachment locations may define a recess configured for receiving the first end of one of the plurality of struts.
In another particular embodiment, either alone or in combination with any of the foregoing embodiments, each of the upper attachment locations may include a female receptacle configured for receiving the second end of one of the plurality of struts. The second end of each of the plurality of struts may include a plurality of protrusions, and the female receptacle of each of the upper attachment locations may define a plurality of slots, each slot being configured to receive one of the protrusions of the second end of one of the plurality of struts.
In another aspect, the present invention embraces stackable interlocking tray that includes (i) a bottom surface, the bottom surface defining a plurality of lower attachment locations, each lower attachment location being configured to be coupled with a first end of a strut, and (ii) a top surface, the top surface defining a plurality of upper attachment locations, each upper attachment location being configured to be coupled with a second end of a strut. The stackable interlocking tray also includes (i) a first sidewall, the first sidewall being configured to be coupled with a second sidewall of a first adjacent tray, (ii) a second sidewall, the second sidewall being configured to be coupled with a first sidewall of a second adjacent tray, (iii) a third sidewall, the third sidewall being configured to be coupled with a fourth sidewall of a third adjacent tray, and (iv) a fourth sidewall, the fourth sidewall being configured to be coupled with a third sidewall of a fourth adjacent tray.
In one embodiment, the first sidewall may include a first hooking mechanism configured to be coupled with the second sidewall of the first adjacent tray, the first sidewall being configured to be coupled with a second hooking mechanism of the second sidewall of the first adjacent tray, and the second sidewall may include a second hooking mechanism configured to be coupled with the first sidewall of the second adjacent tray, the second sidewall being configured to be coupled with a first hooking mechanism of the first sidewall of the second adjacent tray.
In another particular embodiment, either alone or in combination with any of the foregoing embodiments, the third sidewall may include a third hooking mechanism configured to be coupled with the fourth sidewall of the third adjacent tray, and the fourth sidewall may be configured to be coupled with a third hooking mechanism of the third sidewall of the fourth adjacent tray
In another particular embodiment, either alone or in combination with any of the foregoing embodiments, each of the lower attachment locations may include a female receptacle configured for receiving a first end of a strut. The female receptacle of each of the lower attachment locations may define a recess configured for receiving a first end of a strut.
In another particular embodiment, either alone or in combination with any of the foregoing embodiments, each of the upper attachment locations may include a female receptacle configured for receiving a second end of a strut. The female receptacle of each of the upper attachment locations may define a plurality of slots, each slot being configured to receive a protrusion defined by a second end of a strut.
The features, functions, and advantages that have been discussed may be achieved independently in various embodiments of the present invention or may be combined with yet other embodiments, further details of which can be seen with reference to the following description and drawings.
Having thus described embodiments of the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, where:
Embodiments of the present invention now may be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all, embodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure may satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.
In one aspect, the present invention embraces a stackable interlocking tray system. In this regard,
The lower tray assembly 200a may include one or more trays 202 positioned at the base of the stackable interlocking tray system 100. The support assembly 300 may include one or more struts 302 that are securely positioned within a top surface of the one or more trays 202 and extend vertically upward, from the lower tray assembly 200a, in an upright orientation. The support assembly 300 (or additional components within) is configured for supporting the general structure of the stackable interlocking tray system 100, and is further configured to operatively couple the lower tray assembly 200a to the upper tray assembly 200b, which may include one or more trays 202 positioned at the top of the stackable interlocking tray system 100. In this way, the one or more struts 302 may extend upward towards the upper tray assembly 200b, and be further securely positioned within a bottom surface of the one or more trays 202 of the upper tray assembly 200b. Furthermore the upper tray assembly 200b may be suspended above the lower tray assembly 200a in a horizontal orientation such that the lower and upper assemblies 200b, 200a are separated by a distance substantially defined by the height of the struts 302 of the support assembly 300. It should be noted that, as used herein, a tray 202 may be utilized in either the lower or upper tray assembly, 200a, 200b, respectively. As such, any tray 202 within the lower tray assembly 200a typically may be interchanged with a tray within the upper tray assembly 200b, and vice versa, and achieve the same functional effect within the stackable interlocking tray system 100.
The tray may further include a left side wall 204a, right side wall 204b, rear side wall 204c, and front side wall 204d that extend upward from the bottom surface of the tray 202b. Furthermore, the front end of the left and right sidewalls 204a, 204b, respectively, may be angled such that the front end of the left and right sidewalls 204a, 204b is slanted downward and outward towards the front wall 204d of the tray 202.
As shown in
Each tray assembly may be formed from a plurality of adjacent interlocking trays. Accordingly, each of the sidewalls of the trays 202 is typically configured to be coupled with a complementary sidewall of an adjacent tray 202. In this regard, a tray assembly may include trays 202 that horizontally interlock along axis X illustrated in
Each tray assembly may also include trays 202 that horizontally interlock along axis Y illustrated in
An alternative embodiment of the interlocking tray system is depicted in
While certain exemplary embodiments have been described and shown in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that such embodiments are merely illustrative of and not restrictive on the broad invention, and that this invention not be limited to the specific constructions and arrangements shown and described, since various other changes, combinations, omissions, modifications and substitutions, in addition to those set forth in the above paragraphs, are possible. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations, modifications, and combinations of the just described embodiments can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.
Also, it will be understood that, where possible, any of the advantages, features, functions, devices, and/or operational aspects of any of the embodiments of the present invention described and/or contemplated herein may be included in any of the other embodiments of the present invention described and/or contemplated herein, and/or vice versa. In addition, where possible, any terms expressed in the singular form herein are meant to also include the plural form and/or vice versa, unless explicitly stated otherwise. Accordingly, the terms “a” and/or “an” shall mean “one or more,” even though the phrase “one or more” is also used herein.
Claims
1. A stackable interlocking tray system, the system comprising:
- a support assembly comprising a plurality of struts, wherein each of the plurality of struts define a first end and a second end;
- an upper tray assembly comprising one or more first trays operatively coupled to the support assembly, each of the one or more first trays having a bottom surface comprising a plurality of lower attachment locations configured to be coupled with the first end of one of the plurality of struts; and
- a lower tray assembly comprising one or more second trays operatively coupled to the support assembly, each of the one or more second trays having a top surface comprising a plurality of upper attachment locations configured to be coupled with the second end of one of the plurality of struts;
- wherein each of the one or more first trays comprises a plurality of sidewalls configured to be coupled with a complementary sidewall of an adjacent one of the first trays;
- wherein each of the one or more second trays comprises a plurality of sidewalls configured to be coupled with a complementary sidewall of an adjacent one of the second trays.
2. The stackable interlocking tray system of claim 1, wherein each of the first trays comprises a first sidewall, a second sidewall, a third sidewall, and a fourth sidewall, the first sidewall being configured to be coupled with the second sidewall of a first adjacent one of the first trays, the second sidewall being configured to be coupled with the first sidewall of a second adjacent one of the first trays, the third sidewall being configured to be coupled with the fourth sidewall of a third adjacent one of the first trays, the fourth sidewall being configured to be coupled with the third sidewall of a fourth adjacent one of the first trays.
3. The stackable interlocking tray system of claim 1, wherein each of the second trays comprises a first sidewall, a second sidewall, a third sidewall, and a fourth sidewall, the first sidewall being configured to be coupled with the second sidewall of a first adjacent one of the second trays, the second sidewall being configured to be coupled with the first sidewall of a second adjacent one of the second trays, the third sidewall being configured to be coupled with the fourth sidewall of a third adjacent one of the second trays, the fourth sidewall being configured to be coupled with the third sidewall of a fourth adjacent one of the second trays.
4. The stackable interlocking tray system of claim 3, wherein:
- the first sidewall comprises a first hooking mechanism configured to be coupled with the second sidewall of the first adjacent one of the second trays; and
- the second sidewall comprises a second hooking mechanism configured to be coupled with the first sidewall of the second adjacent one of the second trays.
5. The stackable interlocking tray system of claim 3, wherein:
- the third sidewall comprises a third hooking mechanism configured to be coupled with the fourth sidewall of the third adjacent one of the second trays; and
- the fourth sidewall is configured to be coupled with the third hooking mechanism of the third sidewall of the fourth adjacent one of the second trays.
6. The stackable interlocking tray system of claim 1, wherein each of the lower attachment locations comprises a female receptacle configured for receiving the first end of one of the plurality of struts.
7. The stackable interlocking tray system of claim 6, wherein the female receptacle of each of the lower attachment locations defines a recess configured for receiving the first end of one of the plurality of struts.
8. The stackable interlocking tray system of claim 1, wherein each of the upper attachment locations comprises a female receptacle configured for receiving the second end of one of the plurality of struts.
9. The stackable interlocking tray system of claim 8, wherein:
- the second end of each of the plurality of struts comprises a plurality of protrusions; and
- the female receptacle of each of the upper attachment locations defines a plurality of slots, each slot being configured to receive one of the protrusions of the second end of one of the plurality of struts.
10. A stackable interlocking tray, the tray comprising:
- a bottom surface, the bottom surface defining a plurality of lower attachment locations, each lower attachment location being configured to be coupled with a first end of a strut;
- a top surface, the top surface defining a plurality of upper attachment locations, each upper attachment location being configured to be coupled with a second end of a strut;
- a first sidewall, the first sidewall being configured to be coupled with a second sidewall of a first adjacent tray;
- a second sidewall, the second sidewall being configured to be coupled with a first sidewall of a second adjacent tray;
- a third sidewall, the third sidewall being configured to be coupled with a fourth sidewall of a third adjacent tray; and
- a fourth sidewall, the fourth sidewall being configured to be coupled with a third sidewall of a fourth adjacent tray.
11. The stackable interlocking tray of claim 10, wherein:
- the first sidewall comprises a first hooking mechanism configured to be coupled with the second sidewall of the first adjacent tray, the first sidewall being configured to be coupled with a second hooking mechanism of the second sidewall of the first adjacent tray; and
- the second sidewall comprises a second hooking mechanism configured to be coupled with the first sidewall of the second adjacent tray, the second sidewall being configured to be coupled with a first hooking mechanism of the first sidewall of the second adjacent tray.
12. The stackable interlocking tray of claim 10, wherein:
- the third sidewall comprises a third hooking mechanism configured to be coupled with the fourth sidewall of the third adjacent tray; and
- the fourth sidewall is configured to be coupled with a third hooking mechanism of the third sidewall of the fourth adjacent tray.
13. The stackable interlocking tray of claim 10, wherein each of the lower attachment locations comprises a female receptacle configured for receiving a first end of a strut.
14. The stackable interlocking tray of claim 13, wherein the female receptacle of each of the lower attachment locations defines a recess configured for receiving a first end of a strut.
15. The stackable interlocking tray of claim 10, wherein each of the upper attachment locations comprises a female receptacle configured for receiving a second end of a strut.
16. The stackable interlocking tray of claim 16, wherein the female receptacle of each of the upper attachment locations defines a plurality of slots, each slot being configured to receive a protrusion defined by a second end of a strut.
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 27, 2016
Publication Date: Jul 28, 2016
Inventor: Francois Morin (Montreal)
Application Number: 15/008,170