Horizontally supported planar surfaces – Plural related horizontal surfaces – Terraced
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-16
2002-02-26
Chen, Jose V. (Department: 3624)
Horizontally supported planar surfaces
Plural related horizontal surfaces
Terraced
Reexamination Certificate
active
06349657
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)
None.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to furniture for storing and displaying audiovisual components. Specifically, the present invention relates to a universal audiovisual component storage base set which may be assembled and attached to numerous sizes of television turntables by a consumer.
Typically, furniture for storing audiovisual components is assembled and manufactured to fit specific sizes of televisions and audiovisual components. In order to accommodate all of the possible permutations of audiovisual components and televisions, a manufacturer or retailer had to inventory numerous storage furniture kits. Furniture which accommodated a large television necessitated a completely different set of stocked parts than furniture meant for use with a smaller television. As a result, the cost of inventorying and manufacturing the various sizes of component furniture was high.
Many times, the size and complexity of the storage furniture did not allow both the television and the associated audiovisual components to rotate together. This prevented the user from easily monitoring both the television and the related components from various angles throughout the viewing area.
Finally, audiovisual storage furniture which was meant to be assembled in a user's home required sorting out and assembling a complicated array of fasteners and furniture pieces. As the number of fasteners and pieces in the furniture kit increased, so did the chance that the consumer would be missing the required pieces or the proper tools to assemble the furniture. As a result, many consumers who attempted to assemble audiovisual component kits became frustrated.
Accordingly, there is a need for a kit which contains parts which may easily be assembled to fit varying sizes of televisions and monitors. A simple kit with few parts and fasteners which may be fitted to varying sizes of turntables would greatly reduce the cost of manufacturing and inventorying numerous sizes and shapes of audiovisual furniture. At the same time, such a kit would reduce the possibility of consumer dissatisfaction resulting from assembling a dizzying array of complicated parts and fasteners with tools not typically on hand for the consumer.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a simple universal kit for assembling an audiovisual component storage base to varying sizes of television turntables. The present invention allows one set of furniture parts to fit with one of a plurality of variously sized turntables. In addition, the present invention allows for easy assembly with a minimum of parts and fasteners. Further, the present invention allows for audiovisual components to rotate with the television or monitor so that the components and the monitor may be easily manipulated and observed by the user.
The present invention includes a base, a plurality of support pillars a plurality of fasteners, and a television turntable having a rotating member. Both the television turntable and the base have a top side and a bottom side. Each of the plurality of support pillars has a top side and a bottom side as well. The rotating member may be attached to the bottom side of the television turntable initially to create a stand-alone rotating platform for supporting a television. Before assembling the storage stand and television turntable, the rotating member is removed from the bottom side of the television turntable.
To assemble the audiovisual component storage base with the television turntable, the bottom side of each of the plurality of support pillars is attached to the top side of the base. Next, the top of each of the plurality of support pillars is attached to the bottom side of the television turntable. A space for storing audio visual components associated with a television is defined between the plurality of support pillars, above the top side of the base and below the bottom side of the television turntable. Finally, the rotating member is reattached to the bottom side of the base.
In one embodiment, the audiovisual storage stand kit contains one of a plurality of variously sized television turntables, a rotating member, fasteners such as dowels and screws and a plurality of support pillars. Each of the plurality of support pillars has standard holes in its top side and bottom side. The standard set of holes in the top side of each of the plurality of support pillars align with holes in the top side of the television turntable. Since each one of the plurality of television turntables has the same set of standard holes in its bottom side, one audiovisual storage base set adapts to numerous television turntables. Similarly, standard holes in the bottom side of each of the plurality of support pillars align with holes in the base.
During assembly, fasteners such as dowels are inserted into the holes in the top side of each of the plurality of the support pillars so that the fasteners still protrude from the top side of each of the plurality of support pillars. The protruding portions of the fasteners are then inserted into the corresponding holes in the bottom side of the television turntable. Fasteners, such as screws, are inserted through the holes in the base and screwed into the corresponding holes in the bottom side of the support pillars. Finally, a fastener such as a screw, secures the rotating member to the bottom side of the base so that the assembled television turntable and audio visual component storage base rotate as one.
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Chen José V.
Decade Industries, Inc.
Kinney & Lange , P.A.
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