Article organizer

• US 7,451,882 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2004
• Issued: 11/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Regina P. Mckay
• Original Assignee: Regina P. Mckay
• Inventors: McKay, Regina P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Purol; Sarah
• Application Number:
  US10/951,219
• Publication Number:
  US 20060065613A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,513 Days
• Field of Search: 211/85.2, 211/85.31, 211/85.29, 211/115, 211/163, 211/128.1, 211/131.1, 211/129.1
• US Class Current: 211/85.2
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/02 Rotary display stands rotary show-cases A47F3/10
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/04 Stands with a central pillar, e.g. tree type A47F5/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 7/02 for jewellery, dentures, watches, eye-glasses, lenses, or the like

Abstract

An article organizer for storing, organizing, and displaying jewelry and similar articles, comprising a shaft and a plurality of storage units mounted around the shaft, which storage units may be individually rotatable. Each storage unit may be a display assembly, a shelf, or a tray assembly. Each display assembly comprises a display hub and one or more spokes that extend from the hub. Necklaces, bracelets, chains and other elongated jewelry may be suspended from the spokes so as to display these jewelry items and prevent them from becoming entangled or knotted. To further reduce the tendency for two pieces of jewelry to become entangled, a spoke may have periodic, random, or other non-monotonic upward and downward bends. A tray assembly comprises one or more levels, with the top level comprising a tray or drawers, and each remaining level comprising drawers.

Claims

1. An apparatus for organizing articles comprising:

at least one shaft;

at least one first tier coupled to said shaft and including at least one spoke; and

at least one second tier coupled to said shaft and including a plurality of compartments, at least one of said plurality of compartments including at least one openable lid;

wherein said articles may be suspended from said spoke; and

wherein said articles may be stored in said plurality of compartments.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein heights of said first tier and said second tier with respect to said shaft are adjustable.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, said apparatus further comprising:

a plurality of bores located at varying vertical heights along said shaft and having at least a portion of said bore located internal to said shaft; and

at least one stop for mating with at least one of said bores;

wherein at least one of said first and second tiers is coupled to said shaft via said stop.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein at least one of said bores and at least one of said stops is threaded.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, said apparatus further comprising:

at least one connector having at least one connector bore;

wherein said connector bore mates with at least one shaft end of at least one of said shafts; and

wherein at least one of said first and second tiers is coupled to said shaft via said connector.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein at least one of said connector bores and at least one of said shaft ends is threaded.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, said apparatus further comprising:

a handle coupled to said shaft;

wherein said facilitates at least one of the group consisting of transportation of said apparatus, mounting said apparatus to a lateral surface, mounting said apparatus to an overhead surface, and combinations thereof.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said spokes has a shape that is one of the group consisting of straight, jagged, sawtooth, wavy, spiral, sinusoidal, arced, and combinations thereof.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said spokes includes at least one valley.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1, said apparatus further comprising:

a base coupled to said shaft for supporting said shaft on a horizontal surface.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, said apparatus further comprising:

a brace for coupling said shaft to said base.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said brace and at least one end of said shaft are threaded.

13. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second tiers rotates with respect to said shaft.

14. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said compartments includes at least one of the group consisting of a holder, a hinge, a ring insert, and combinations thereof.

15. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second tier comprises at least two levels.