Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Enclosed compartment
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-25
2002-05-14
Gordon, Stephen T. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Enclosed compartment
C296S037100, C211S162000, C224S543000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06386610
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to shelf devices and more particularly pertains to a new movable shelf device for a van for positioning an easily accessible shelf unit in a van.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of shelf devices is known in the prior art. More specifically, shelf devices heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 2,502,963; U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,725; U.S. Pat. No. 5,106,141; U.S. Pat. No. 3,741,450; U.S. Pat. No. 5,161,700; and U.S. Des. Pat. No. 312,604.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new movable shelf device for a van. The inventive device includes a rail attached to a bottom surface of a top wall of a vehicle. A shelving unit has a bottom wall, a pair of lateral side walls, an upper wall, and a back wall, a plurality of panels extending between and attached to the lateral side walls. Each of the panels is orientated generally parallel with the bottom wall and defines a shelf. A plurality of rods are attached to and extend upwardly from the upper wall of the shelving unit. Each of a plurality of pairs of wheels is rotatably coupled to one of the rods. Each of the pairs of wheels is positioned in the rail. The shelving unit may be moved along the rail away from and in front of a side door of a van.
In these respects, the movable shelf device for a van according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of positioning an easily accessible shelf unit in a van.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of shelf devices now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new movable shelf device for a van construction wherein the same can be utilized for positioning an easily accessible shelf unit in a van.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new movable shelf device for a van apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the shelf devices mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new movable shelf device for a van which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art shelf devices, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a rail attached to a bottom surface of a top wall of a vehicle. A shelving unit has a bottom wall, a pair of lateral side walls, an upper wall, and a back wall, a plurality of panels extending between and attached to the lateral side walls. Each of the panels is orientated generally parallel with the bottom wall and defines a shelf. A plurality of rods are attached to and extend upwardly from the upper wall of the shelving unit. Each of a plurality of pairs of wheels is rotatably coupled to one of the rods. Each of the pairs of wheels is positioned in the rail. The shelving unit may be moved along the rail away from and in front of a side door of a van.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new movable shelf device for a van apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the shelf devices mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new movable shelf device for a van which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art shelf devices, either alone or in any combination thereof.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new movable shelf device for a van which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new movable shelf device for a van which is of a durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new movable shelf device for a van which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such movable shelf device for a van economically available to the buying public.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new movable shelf device for a van which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new movable shelf device for a van for positioning an easily accessible shelf unit in a van.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new movable shelf device for a van which includes a rail attached to a bottom surface of a top wall of a vehicle. A shelving unit has a bottom wall, a pair of lateral side walls, an upper wall, and a back wall, a plurality of panels extending between and attached to the lateral side walls. Each of the panels is orientated generally parallel with the bottom wall and defines a shelf. A plurality of rods are attached to and extend upwardly from the upper wall of the shelving unit. Each of a plurality of pairs of wheels is rotatably coupled to one of the rods. Each of the pairs of wheels is positioned in the rail. The shelving unit may be moved along the rail away from and in front of a side door of a van.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new movable shelf device for a van that may be retrofitted to existing vans.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and formi
Gordon Stephen T.
Morrow Jason
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