Collapsible and stackable parts rack

摘要

A rack for holding articles, components, parts and other such items and further being collapsible and stackable upon other similar racks whether any of the racks are in an upright or collapsed position. The rack includes a shelf and a plurality of leg assemblies distributed about the shelf perimeter, the leg assemblies each having a leg footer, a leg member, and a slider pivot bearing joining the proximal ends of the leg footer and leg member thereby constraining relative motion between the leg footer and leg member to two degrees of freedom. Embodiments of the rack further include retaining tabs on the leg member and corresponding notches on the leg footer to lock leg members in the upright position. Pairs of leg assemblies may be connected by primary connecting frame elements forming a portion of the perimeter, with the pairs being connected by secondary connecting frame elements forming another portion of the perimeter.

主权项

1. A rack comprising:
a shelf having a single continuous top surface, a perimeter and a geometric center; at least two leg assembly pairs spaced apart and distributed about the perimeter in rotational symmetry with respect to the geometric center, and wherein each leg assembly pair comprises a first leg assembly and a second leg assembly joined by a primary connecting frame element that is adjacent to a portion of the perimeter, each leg assembly comprising: a leg member having an outer surface, a maximum leg member width, a proximal end and a distal end, comprising: a bearing surface extending through the proximal end of the leg member; and a retaining tab protruding from the outer surface longitudinally between the bearing surface and the distal end of the leg member body; a leg footer having a proximal end and a distal end, and affixed to the perimeter comprising: a tubular shell body having an interior shape sized to receive the proximal end of the leg member; a notch sized to receive the retaining tab formed in and open to the proximal end of the leg footer; a bearing surface extending through the proximal end of the leg footer; an opening in the leg footer extending longitudinally from the proximal end of the leg footer along all of the tubular shell body and having a transverse width greater than the maximum leg member width; and a stacking socket extending from the distal end of the leg footer sized to receive from a second rack for stacking thereon a distal end of a leg member or a proximal end of a leg footer; and a slider pivot bearing connecting the proximal end of the leg member to the proximal end of the leg footer comprising a shaft pin secured within the bearing surface of the leg footer and the bearing surface of the leg member wherein the proximal end of the leg member is contained within the tubular shell of the leg footer, the leg member being thereby movable between: an upright position wherein the leg member extends vertically from the leg footer wherein the retaining tab is retained within the notch; and a collapsed position wherein the leg member is slid upward so that the retaining tab is released from the notch and the leg member is pivoted into a horizontal position, thereby extending horizontally from the opening in the leg footer body; a secondary connecting frame element joining perimetrically adjacent leg assembly pairs in the at least two leg assembly pairs, and wherein the secondary connecting frame element is adjacent to a portion of the perimeter; a pair of spaced apart fork guides affixed to the rack in parallel beneath the shelf; a plurality of tie-downs affixed to the rack; a plurality of circular mounting holes through the shelf sized and adapted for receiving fasteners; and a plurality of mounting brackets affixed to the top surface of the shelf such that they protrude therefrom, wherein each mounting bracket is an inverted substantially U-shaped bracket having an generally planar upper surface with apertures there through.