Receptacles – Sectional – Knockdown
Reexamination Certificate
2003-02-21
2004-04-27
Moy, Joseph Man-Fu (Department: 3727)
Receptacles
Sectional
Knockdown
C220S004330, C220S485000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06726045
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not Applicable
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable
REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX
Not Applicable
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to the field of structures and more particularly to easily disassembled, interlocking structures.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The great majority of structures, containers and furniture are interlocked from component parts that are permanently affixed to each other. It was thought that permanent assembly resulted in greater strength and rigidity than containers or furniture capable of disassembly. Generally, manufacturing costs of permanently assembled structures, containers and furniture are less than structures, containers or furniture capable of disassembly. Often, these permanently interlocked structures, containers and furniture are designed for easy assembly by unskilled, inexpensive labor. It is well known in the art to use attachments such as glue, nails, screws, angled metal braces, and the like to permanently affix structures, containers and furniture together.
The permanently assembled structures, containers and furniture are shipped in their assembled to state directly to retailers. These assembled articles takes up a great deal of volume resulting in higher shipping costs. In a collapsed or flattened state, the structures, containers or furniture take up much less volume significantly reducing shipping costs. There are some drawbacks to the collapsible structures, container or furniture such as inferior quality, strength and durability. Another drawback is that the end user assumes the burden of assembly. This usually requires the assembler to possess the necessary tools and the wherewithal to use them to properly assemble the structure.
The prior art lacks a container or furniture shipped in a low volume disassembled state that the eventual user can easily assemble into a sturdy and structure without tools or special skills. The present invention satisfies these requirements, as well as others.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention resides in an interlocking structure. It can be shipped in a low volume disassembled state. It is easily interlocked together, without tools or special skills, by the eventual user. The interlocked structure has uncommon rigidity and strength. Containers like dresser drawers, laundry baskets or waste paper baskets, shelters like dog houses and human shelters, or furniture like a portable fireplace can be interlocked together using a plurality of interconnecting rods and hooks
The easily assembled interlocking structure includes at least one rod. The rod has a U-shape with a first end and a second end. The interlocking structure has at least four sides and a bottom. The four sides include a right side, a left side, a front side and a back-side. Each side has four edges. The bottom also has four edges. To connect the four sides together, removeably interlock the edge of each side to the edge of the adjacent side. The bottom side removeably interlocks to at least two of the interlocked sides. A side and the opposite side each have at least one rod receptacle. The interlocking structure of four sides and the bottom is held together by the removeable installation of the first end of the rod into the rod receptacle on the side and the second end of the rod into a rod receptacle on the opposite side.
A variant of this invention is used to construct a waste paper basket and a drawer. All five sides are planar.
The right side has an outwardly cantilevered, hooked-rod extending from its lower front and lower rear corners. It also has a straight-rod-receiving hole in its upper front and upper rear corners.
The left side has an outwardly cantilevered, hooked-rod extending from the lower front and lower rear corners. The left side also has a straight-rod-receiving hole in the upper front and upper rear corners.
The front side has an outwardly cantilevered straight-rod extending from the upper right and upper left corners. Each straight-rod extends outwardly normal to the plane of the front side. The front side has at least one U-shaped rod-receiving hole located along its upper edge. Each U-shaped rod-receiving hole is coplanar to the front side. The front side has at least one straight-rod-receiving hole located along its lower edge. Each straight-rod-receiving hole is normal to the plane of the front side. The front side has a hooked-rod receiver in its lower right and lower left corners.
The back-side has an outwardly cantilevered, straight-rod extending from its upper right and upper left corners. Each straight-rod extends normal to the plane of the back-side. The back-side has at least one U-shaped rod-receiving hole located along its upper edge. Each U-shaped rod-receiving hole is coplanar to the back-side. The back-side has at least one straight-rod-receiving hole located along its lower edge. Each straight-rod-receiving hole is normal to the plane of the back-side. The back-side has a hooked-rod receiver located in the lower right and lower left corners.
The bottom has at least one cantilevered rod extending forward from the front edge. It also has at least one cantilevered rod extending backward from the back edge. Each cantilevered rod is coplanar to the bottom.
The at least one cantilevered rod extending forward from the bottom is slideably connected into the at least one straight-rod-receiving hole located along the lower edge of the front side. The at least one cantilevered rod extending backward from the bottom is slideably connected into the at least one straight-rod-receiving hole located along the lower edge of the back-side.
The hooked-rod of the right side is hook-ably connected to the hooked-rod receiver of the front side. The hooked-rod of the right side is hook-ably connected to the hooked-rod receiver of the back-side. The cantilevered straight-rod of the front side is slideably connected into the straight-rod-receiving hole of the right side. The cantilevered straight-rod of the back-side is slideably connected into the straight-rod-receiving hole of the right side.
The hooked-rod of the left side is hook-ably connected to the hooked-rod receiver of the front side. The hooked-rod of the left side is hook-ably connected to the hooked-rod receiver of the back-side. The cantilevered straight-rod of the front side is slideably connected into the straight-rod-receiving hole of the left side. The cantilevered straight-rod of the back-side is slideably connected into the straight-rod-receiving hole of the left side.
The rod is slideably connected into the rod-receiving hole of the front side and the rod-receiving hole of the back-side.
In a variant of this invention, each hooked-rod receiver of the front side has a notch and an upright rod receiver hole and each the hooked-rod receiver of the back-side has a notch and an upright rod receiver hole.
In another variant of this invention, each hooked-rod of the right side and the left side has a horizontal portion and an upright portion and are located within the plane of that side.
A variant of this invention is used to construct a laundry basket. The front side has a cantilevered, upwardly hooked-rod extending substantially perpendicularly rearward from its lower right and lower left corners. The hooked-rod has a horizontal section supporting a vertical section. The front side has a cantilevered, horizontal straight-rod extending substantially perpendicularly rearward from its upper right and upper left corners. The front side has at least one rod-receiving hole located along its upper edge. Each rod-receiving hole is vertically aligned and coplanar to the front side. The front side has at least one straight-rod-receiving hole located along its lower edge. Each straight-rod-receiving hole is normal to the plane of the front side. The front side is planar.
The back-side has a cantilevered, upwardly hooked-rod extending substantially perpendicularly forward from its lower right and lower left corners. The hooked-rod has a horizontal section
Chen Kenneth Yimin
Chen Yi C.
Chan Law Group LC
Man-Fu Moy Joseph
LandOfFree
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