Joints and connections – Interfitted members – Rotary binding cam or wedge
Reexamination Certificate
2002-10-03
2004-11-23
Stodola, Daniel P. (Department: 3679)
Joints and connections
Interfitted members
Rotary binding cam or wedge
C403S348000, C403S350000, C403S351000, C403S374100, C411S553000, C052S079900, C052S264000, C052S270000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06821049
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to storage buildings and, more particularly, to a storage shed that is strong, durable, low-maintenance, easy to assemble and use, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and ship, and can be mass produced.
Storage building are widely used commercially and by home owners for a variety of purposes. Smaller sheds that can be mass produced and assembled by home owners are popular for storing garden equipment, tools, and the like. Metal sheds are subject to rust and tend to require more maintenance than plastic sheds. While custom-built sheds may have a variety of organizational features, mass produced sheds tend to have basically four walls, a roof, and a door. Tools and equipment are often piled in the shed in a disorganized and cluttered manner, making them hard to access, locate, and retrieve. Moreover, such sheds are usually dark inside, so that a flashlight is needed. In addition, even a simple shed may be difficult and time-consuming to assemble.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a storage shed that is strong, durable, low-maintenance, easy to assemble and use, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and ship, and can be mass produced. In addition to a front door, the shed includes one or more side access doors that allow access to different parts of the shed without the need for the user to physically enter the shed through the front door. The shed includes built-in organizational features such as shelves that a user can selectively install according to his or her needs. One or more skylights are provided on the roof. Plastic materials are desirably used to provide strong, durable, and low-maintenance components that can be mass produced at a reasonable cost. The shed components are designed to be easy and quick to assemble without the need for any tools, except a flat blade or a flat-head screw driver.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a storage shed comprises a preformed floor, and a plurality of preformed, plastic corner posts having bottoms which are configured to be mounted onto the floor to be spaced from each other. A preformed roof is attached to tops of the plurality of corner posts. A preformed front door is hingedly supported between two of the plurality of corner posts. At least one preformed side door is hingedly supported between two of the plurality of corner posts to permit access to an interior of the storage shed through the side door.
In some embodiments, the preformed, plastic corner posts each form a bent around a corner of the shed. A bay may be connected between two of the plurality of corner posts, and includes a bottom which is configured to be mounted onto the floor. The bay comprises a lower wall having the bottom which is configured to be mounted onto the floor and a plurality of upward projections along a top edge, a bay working surface having a plurality of edge apertures configured to receive the upward projections therethrough to position the bay working surface over the top edge of the lower wall, an upper wall which is attached to the lower wall, and a bay roof which is attached to the upper wall. The bay is connected to the two corner posts by a plurality of plastic bolts threadingly engaging apertures provided in the bay and the two corner posts, wherein the plastic bolts each have a wing at a head of the bolt which is configured to be turned by fingers of a hand of a user.
In specific embodiments, the front door and at least one side door each include a hasp for receiving a lock from outside the shed. The roof includes at least one preformed skylight. At least one preformed, plastic center post is disposed between two of the plurality of preformed, plastic corner posts. The center post has a bottom which is configured to be mounted onto the floor. At least one preformed side door is hingedly supported between one center post and one corner post. At least one preformed, plastic brace is connected to one center post at an angle. Each brace has a bottom which is configured to be mounted to the floor. Each brace is generally perpendicular to the center post to which the brace is connected, and the brace has a height generally equal to the height of the center post to which the brace is connected. Each brace includes a plurality of side bumps which are aligned with and received into a plurality of slots of the center post. One brace includes at least one groove and one corner post includes at least one groove aligned with the groove of the brace to receive ends of a shelf to be positioned between the brace and the corner post. The shelf comprises at least one indentation disposed in a middle region of the shelf, which is configured to receive an end of a vertical support member to be placed between the floor and the shelf or between a pair of shelves vertically spaced from one another and having indentations which are generally aligned with one another. The bottoms of the corner posts include a plurality of protrusions which are each configured to be inserted into the floor and engage a floor locking nut to be tightened to lock the protrusions to the floor.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method of assembling a storage shed comprises providing a preformed floor; mounting bottoms of a plurality of preformed, plastic corner posts onto the floor which are spaced from each other; and attaching a preformed roof to tops of the plurality of corner posts. A preformed front door is hingedly supported between two of the plurality of corner posts. At least one side door is hingedly supported between two of the plurality of corner posts to permit access to an interior of the storage shed through the side door.
In some embodiments, the roof includes at least one opening and at least one preformed skylight which is attached to the opening of the roof by a snap-on connection. The method may further comprise mounting a bottom of at least one preformed, plastic center post onto the floor at a location between two of the plurality of preformed, plastic corner posts; and attaching the preformed roof to a top of the center post. At least one shelf may be slid between a groove on the brace and a groove on one of the plurality of corner posts which is aligned with the groove on the brace. A vertical support member may be placed between the floor and an indentation disposed in a middle region of the shelf to support the shelf between the brace and the corner post.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a storage shed comprises a preformed floor; a plurality of preformed, plastic corner posts having bottoms which are configured to be mounted onto the floor to be spaced from each other; and two preformed, plastic braces having bottoms which are configured to be mounted onto the floor to be spaced from one another. A preformed roof truss is configured to be connected to tops of the two braces. The roof truss has a spring preload to pull the tops of the two braces toward one another. A preformed roof is attached to tops of the plurality of corner posts. A preformed front door is supported between two of the plurality of corner posts.
In some embodiments, the braces each include a boss with a narrow neck at the top thereof. The roof truss includes an elongated aperture at each end having an enlarged aperture portion and a narrow aperture portion which is disposed between the enlarged aperture portion and the end of the roof truss. The boss of each brace is configured to be inserted through the enlarged portion and slide the narrow neck to the narrow portion of the aperture under the spring preload to pull the tops of the two braces toward one another. The roof truss comprises a lower roof truss which is formed with the spring preload and which includes the apertures at the ends thereof. The roof comprises two roof panels disposed on opposite sides of the lower roof truss. The roof truss comprises an upper roof truss which is attached to the lower roof truss and forms a sealed connection bet
Ferguson Michael P.
Stodola Daniel P.
Thinking Outside, L.L.C.
Townsend and Townsend / and Crew LLP
LandOfFree
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