Workroom storage system

• US 7,228,977 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2004
• Issued: 06/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Kendall, James W., Stewart, Brian J., Perkins, Travis M., Cline, Wyatt A., Junge, Brent A., Starr, Todd Christopher, Rasche, Kenneth J., Schmidt, Duane E., Stout, Mark A., Sampson, Tyree E., Tolliver, Steven E., Arent, Thomas Wesley
• Primary Examiner(s): NOVOSAD, JENNIFER ELEANORE
• Application Number:
  US10/760,168
• Publication Number:
  US 20040251227A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 211/94.01, 211/94.02, 211/87.01, 211/106.01, 211/85.17, 52/364, 52/365, D25/123, D25/125, D25/138, 248/223.41, 248/224.51, 248/224.61, 248/215, 248/220.43, 248/225.11, 248/225.21
• US Class Current: 211/94.01
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/06 characterised by means for holding, fastening or concealing cables
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 31/00 Service or tea tables, trolleys, or wagons serving trays A47G23/06; features relating to running gear or to movement by hand B62B
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 83/001 Office desks or work-stations combined with other pieces of furniture, e.g. work space management systems
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 95/008 Suspension fittings for cabinets to be hung on walls
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 96/067 Horizontal rails as suspension means in a cantilever arrangement suspension fittings for cabinets to be hung on walls A47B95/008
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/0018 Display racks with shelves or receptables racks per se A47B; storage devices for warehouses B65G1/02
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/0846 Display panels or rails with elongated channels; Sliders, brackets, shelves, or the like, slidably attached therein
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/512 Clamping devices for hanging the tools
• CPC Class Codes: B25H 1/02 of table type
• CPC Class Codes: B25H 3/028 by sliding extraction from within a common frame
• CPC Class Codes: B25H 3/04 Racks

Abstract

A space-efficient workroom organization system comprising a slotwall panel and/or slot track storage system with at least one repositionable slotwall or slot track mounted storage cabinet, and a workbench system comprising a workbench having a work surface and defining a storage recess beneath the work surface, with at least one mobile storage cabinet.

Claims

1. A slot track storage system comprising:

a slot track having a plurality of slots each having at least one undercut sidewall wherein adjacent slots form a slat having a face with edges defined by the slots, the plurality of slots further having a bottom wall generally parallel to and spaced inwardly from the face of the slat and being generally “

T”

shaped having opposite undercut sidewalls that form at least one generally “

T”

shaped slat; and

at least one removable mounting bracket comprising;

a support portion for attaching a device to the bracket;

a first “

J”

shaped hook on one edge of the support portion, the first hook opening in a first direction to hook over an edge of the slat into the undercut sidewall;

a second “

J”

shaped hook on an opposite edge of the support portion, the second hook opening in the first direction to hook over an edge of the adjacent slot into the undercut sidewall, each of the first and second “

J”

shaped hooks having a first leg extending in a direction generally perpendicular from an edge of the support portion and a second leg extending from the distal end of the first leg in a direction generally parallel to the support portion; and

a spring arm extending from the first “

J”

hook generally in a direction opposite to the first direction to engage the underside of the undercut sidewall opposite the undercut sidewall of the generally “

T”

shaped slot forming the edge of the slat supporting the first “

J”

shaped hook.

2. The slat track storage system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of slots have opposite undercut sidewalls.

3. The slot track storage system of claim 1 wherein the slot track includes two slots forming one slat.

4. The slot track storage system of claim 3 wherein the opening of the slots is wider than the width of the first and second “

J”

shaped hooks so that the mounting bracket can be mounted to the slot track by inserting the first and second “

J”

shaped hooks into adjacent slots.

5. The slot track storage system of claim 1 wherein the second leg of the second “

J”

shaped hook is shorter than the second leg of the first “

J”

shaped hook whereby the first “

J”

shaped hook rests on an edge of a slat, and the second “

J”

shaped hook rests on the edge of the adjacent slot when the mounting bracket is loaded to cause the edge of the slat under the first “

J”

shaped hook to deform.

6. The slot tack storage system of claim 1 wherein the slot track has a front surface and a rear surface and the plurality of slots and at least one slat extends longitudinally along the front surface of the slot tack and the slot track includes top and bottom edges that are tapered from the front surface toward the rear surface.

7. The slot tack storage system of claim 1 wherein the spring arm extends at an acute angle toward the face of the support portion to bias the bracket away from the slat when the mounting bracket is mounted on the slot track with the spring arm engaged with the underside of the undercut sidewall.

8. The slot track storage system of claim 7 wherein the second “

J”

shaped hook holds the mounting bracket adjacent the slat under tension of the spring arm whereby the spring arm provides a friction lock to hold the mounting bracket and device on the slot track against inadvertent removal.

9. A slot track storage system comprising:

two or more slot tracks vertically spaced and combined with a device having a housing, the device removably supported on the two or more slot tracks, each slot track having a plurality of slots each having at least one undercut sidewall wherein two slots form a slat having face with edges defined by the slots, the slots further having a bottom wall generally parallel to and spaced inwardly from the face of the slat; and

a plurality of removable mounting brackets for supporting the device on at least two vertically spaced slot tracks, at least two of the mounting brackets being vertically spaced on the device, the plurality of mounting brackets attached to the housing with bolts and extending a substantial portion of the width of the housing, each mounting bracket comprising;

a support portion for attaching the device to the bracket;

a first “

J”

shaped hook on one edge of the support portion opening in a first direction to hook over an edge of the slat into the undercut sidewall; and

a second “

J”

shaped hook on an opposite edge of the support portion opening in the first direction to hook over an edge of the adjacent slot into the undercut sidewall; and

each of the first and second “

J”

shaped hooks having a first leg extending in a direction generally perpendicular from an edge of the support portion and a second leg extending from the distal end of the first leg in a direction generally parallel to the support portion.

10. The slot track storage system of claim 9 wherein the two or more slot tracks are elongated tracks having a predetermined width, and at least two slot tracks are mounted on a wall spaced an integral multiple of the predetermined width apart wherein one or more additional slot tracks can subsequently be added between the at least two slot tracks.

11. The slot track storage system of claim 10 wherein the predetermined width is six inches and the at least two slot tracks are mounted eighteen inches apart on a wall so that one to three additional slot tracks can be mounted between the at least two slot tracks.

12. The slot crack storage system of claim 9 wherein the first and second “

J”

shaped hooks on the mounting brackets can be simultaneously inserted into slots in the vertically spaced slot tracks without pivoting the brackets.

13. The slot track storage system of claim 9 wherein a top mounting bracket is attached adjacent the top of the housing in a fixed vertical position on the housing.

14. The slot track storage system of claim 13 wherein at least one additional mounting bracket is attached to the housing below the top bracket in a position such that the first “

J”

shaped hook of the at least one additional bracket rests on an edge of a slot of a vertically spaced slot tack.

15. The slot track storage system of claim 14 wherein holes in the housing for the bolts for attaching the top mounting bracket are round for attaching the top mounting bracket in a fixed vertical position, and the holes in the housing for the at least one additional mounting bracket are slots for vertically adjusting and attaching the at least one additional mounting bracket in a vertical position with the first “

J”

shaped hook resting on an edge of a slat of vertically spaced slot track.