Supports: racks – Shelf type – Knockdown
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-13
2001-04-24
Chin-Shue, Alvin (Department: 3634)
Supports: racks
Shelf type
Knockdown
Reexamination Certificate
active
06220463
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to shelves for vehicles and more specifically it relates to a shelving system for allowing viewing of the contents of both the upper shelves and the lower shelves within a truck.
Individuals and salespeople often times utilize trucks with a plurality of shelves attached to the side walls of the interior of the truck. The shelves store a plurality to items for the individual and allow the individual to store and retrieve items during their business day. It is desirable to have shelves stacked along the entire portion of the interior wall of the truck. However, it is very difficult for the user to view the contents of the upper shelves because they can not see onto the upper portion of the upper shelves. Also, it is very difficult for the user to view the contents of the lower shelves because the shelves above the lower shelves block the user's view of the contents of the lower shelves. Hence, there is a need for a shelve system that allows viewing of both the upper and lower shelves.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Shelve systems have been in use for years. Typically, shelving systems for trucks are comprised of a plurality of shelves that are attached to the interior walls of the truck with the shelves parallel to one another and aligned upon a horizontal plane.
As stated previously, it is difficult to view the contents of the upper shelves and the lower shelves which makes it difficult to utilize all of the shelves. Because it is difficult for individuals to efficiently utilize the upper shelves and the lower shelves, they often times simply do not place items within them. In extreme situations, items placed within the upper shelves or lower shelves remain there for extended periods of time because the individual is unable to locate them.
Examples of attempted shelving systems for vehicles include U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,377 to Hughes; U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,957 to Shoen et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,029,222 to Yano et al.; U.S. Patent to which are all illustrative of such prior art.
Hughes (U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,377) discloses a vehicle storage system. Hughes teaches a plurality of storage compartments attached to a wall member wherein the all member is slidably from within the vehicle for allowing viewing of the contents of the shelves outside of the vehicle.
Shoen et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,957) discloses a moving vehicle equipped with vending machine. Shoen et al specifically teaches a vending device that is affixed to the interior of the moving vehicle and includes a sealing device affixed to the vending device for sealing the enclosed volume of the vending device.
While these devices may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for allowing viewing of the contents of both the upper shelves and the lower shelves within a truck. Conventional shelving systems for vehicles do not provide adequate viewing of the contents of the upper shelves and the lower shelves.
In these respects, the shelving system 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 allowing viewing of the contents of both the upper shelves and the lower shelves within a truck.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of shelving devices now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new shelving system construction wherein the same can be utilized for allowing viewing of the contents of both the upper shelves and the lower shelves within a truck.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new shelving system that has many of the advantages of the shelving devices mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new shelving system which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art shelving devices, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a plurality of vertical brackets that are vertically attached to the interior of the storage unit of a truck, a plurality of upward brackets are attached to the lower to middle portions of the vertical brackets, a plurality of downward brackets are attached to the upper portion of the vertical brackets, and a plurality of shelves attached to the brackets. The upper shelves are sloped downwardly to allow the user to view the contents of the upper shelves. The lower shelves are slanted upwardly thereby allowing the user to easily view and retrieve the contents thereof. The shelves preferably include a lip for preventing items from accidentally being removed. A plurality of drawers are preferably positioned within a housing below the lower shelves for increasing the utilization of space within the storage unit.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof 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 that 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 the description and should not be regarded as limiting.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a shelving system that will overcome the shortcomings of the prior art devices.
Another object is to provide a shelving system that allows viewing of the contents of both the upper shelves and the lower shelves within a truck.
An additional object is to provide a shelving system that increases the efficiency of a shelving system within a vehicle.
A further object is to provide a shelving system that allows the placement of labels and promotional literature upon the walls of the vehicle above each shelf.
Another object is to provide a shelving system that can be utilized within most vehicles with a storage unit attached thereto.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become obvious to the reader and it is intended that these objects and advantages are within the scope of the present invention.
To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 834411 (1906-10-01), Rotsheck
patent: 913228 (1909-02-01), McCarthy
patent: 955734 (1910-04-01), Wolkerstorfer
patent: 3297374 (1967-01-01), Radek
patent: 3305286 (1967-02-01), Fenwick
patent: 4008873 (1977-02-01), Travaglio et al.
patent: 4889377 (1989-12-01), Hughes
patent: 5205630 (1993-04-01), Welch et al.
patent: 5472103 (1995-12-01), Merl
patent: 6109461 (2000-08-01), Kluga et al.
Chin-Shue Alvin
Purol Sarah
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