Application # 2008/0083683. RACK FOR CONTAINERS

United States Patent Application	*20080083683*
Kind Code	A1
Apps; William P. ; et al.	April 10, 2008

RACK FOR CONTAINERS

Abstract

A rack for securing containers includes a plurality of bays into which one or more containers are received. The rack includes an upper section and a lower section defining a bay therebetween. The bay has a concave support surface for supporting an object. A plurality of columns connect the upper section to the lower section. The upper section and the lower section each include a plurality of complementary interlocking members aligned with the plurality of columns, such that the interlocking members on the upper section would interlock with the interlocking members on the lower section of a similar rack stacked thereon. Each bay may include a resilient member, such as an expandable clamp or a resilient bumper.

Inventors:	Apps; William P.; (Alpharetta, GA) ; Wiseman; Andrew William; (Marietta, GA)
Correspondence Address:	CARLSON, GASKEY & OLDS, P.C. 400 WEST MAPLE ROAD, SUITE 350 BIRMINGHAM MI 48009 US
Serial No.:	867539
Series Code:	11
Filed:	October 4, 2007

Current U.S. Class:	211/74
Class at Publication:	211/74
International Class:	A47B 73/00 20060101 A47B073/00

Claims

1. A rack layer comprising:an upper section and a lower section defining a bay therebetween, the bay having a concave support surface for supporting an object;a plurality of columns connecting the upper section to the lower section; andthe upper section and the lower section each including a plurality of complementary interlocking members aligned with the plurality of columns, such that the interlocking members on the upper section would interlock with the interlocking members on the lower section of a similar rack layer stacked thereon.

2. The rack layer of claim 1 further including a resilient member adjacent the bay for contacting the object supported therein.

3. The rack layer of claim 2 wherein the resilient member is an inflatable clamp adjacent the bay for selectively locking the object in the bay.

4. The rack layer of claim 2 wherein the resilient member has an I-beam cross-section.

5. The rack layer of claim 2 wherein the resilient member is retained by a clip removably secured to the rack.

6. The rack layer of claim 1 wherein the interlocking members of the upper section each have a peripheral support surface configured to contact a peripheral support surface of the interlocking members of the lower section of the similar rack layer stacked thereon.

7. The rack layer of claim 6 wherein the upper section includes a plurality of upper ribs extending upwardly, and wherein the support surfaces of the upper section are disposed below the plurality of upper ribs.

8. The rack layer of claim 7 wherein the lower section includes a plurality of lower ribs extending downwardly, and wherein the support surfaces of the lower section are disposed below the plurality of lower ribs.

9. The rack layer of claim 1 wherein the plurality of columns includes a plurality of outer columns, each having a curved inner wall and a plurality of ribs extending outwardly therefrom.

10. The rack layer of claim 1 further including complementary alignment sleeves formed on the upper section and the lower section.

11. The rack layer of claim 10 wherein the alignment sleeves do not transfer weight between stacked rack layers.

12. The rack layer of claim 1 wherein the upper section and the lower section are formed separately and connected to one another.

13. A rack layer comprising:an upper section and a lower section defining a bay therebetween, the bay having a concave support surface for supporting an object;a plurality of columns connecting the upper section to the lower section; anda resilient member connected to one of the upper section and the lower section and extending into the bay.

14. The rack layer of claim 13 wherein the resilient member has an I-beam cross section.

15. The rack layer of claim 13 further including a removable clip securing the resilient member to the upper section or the lower section.

16. The rack layer of claim 13 wherein the resilient member has a flange portion and a body portion, at least one finger on the upper section or the lower section disposed between the flange portion and the body portion to retain the resilient member.

17. The rack layer of claim 16 further including a removable clip having a finger disposed between the flange portion and the body portion to retain the resilient member.

18. A rack comprising:an upper layer and a lower layer, each having an upper section and a lower section connected by a plurality of columns and at least one bay defined therein, each bay having a concave support surface for supporting an object; andthe upper section of the lower layer and the lower section of the upper layer each including a plurality of complementary support surfaces aligned with the plurality of columns, such that the support surfaces on the upper section of the lower layer support at least substantially all weight of the upper layer.

19. The rack layer of claim 18 wherein the upper section of the lower layer includes a plurality of upper ribs extending upwardly, and wherein the support surfaces of the upper section of the lower layer are disposed below the plurality of upper ribs.

20. The rack layer of claim 19 wherein the lower section of the upper layer includes a plurality of lower ribs extending downwardly, and wherein the support surfaces of the lower section of the upper layer are disposed below the plurality of lower ribs.

21. The rack layer of claim 18 wherein the upper section and the lower section of each layer are formed separately and connected to one another.

Description

[0001]This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/828,201, filed Oct. 4, 2006 and U.S. provisional Application Ser. No. 60/913,283, filed Apr. 22, 2007.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002]The present invention relates generally to a rack for holding objects and more particularly to a rack for holding water bottles.

[0003]A typical home delivery system for 3 and 5-gallon bottles of drinking water involves a delivery truck, racks, bottles and a driver. The delivery truck is usually configured with several bays on each side with each bay having a rollup door to enclose the product. Inside each bay one or more racks are stored filled with bottles. The racks are typically loaded and unloaded with bottles outside the bays. Fork trucks are used to move the racks in and out of the bays.

[0004]The racks have traditionally been made from metal and more recently from plastic. The plastic racks tend to be modular in design with each component making up a layer of the rack. The layer can hold four bottles in a two by two arrangement or eight bottles in a four wide by two deep arrangement. A two deep arrangement is for 5-gallon bottles whereas 3-gallon bottles will be three deep in the same space. The plastic components can sit on top of an existing pallet for transport or can incorporate runners or blocks into the bottom layer to eliminate the need for a pallet. In either case pallet trucks and jacks are the means for moving the racks. The modular design allows the distributor to stack them to any height but usually three to five layers high. At five layers the rack can hold up to forty 5-gallon bottles. Plastic racks have gained acceptance because they have proven to be more durable and the modular design allows for easy repair.

[0005]Leaking containers are a problem within the existing system. Testing has shown that the bouncing up and down of the bottles in the racks is a significant cause of leaking containers. Whenever the truck is moving the rack and bottles experience vibration and therefore relative movement. The movement at the contact points in combination with other environmental factors such as dirt and dust eventually weakens the bottle resulting in a hole or crack. Testing has shown that the softer plastic racks can reduce this, but a push toward lighter and thinner bottles to reduce costs has made the problem significantly worse in recent years.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006]The present invention provides a rack for holding objects, such as containers, and more particularly water bottles.

[0007]The rack includes a plurality of bays into which one or more containers are received. Each layer of the rack includes an upper section and a lower section defining a bay therebetween. The bay has a concave support surface for supporting an object. A plurality of columns connect the upper section to the lower section. The upper section and the lower section each include a plurality of complementary interlocking members aligned with the plurality of columns, such that the interlocking members on the upper section would interlock with the interlocking members on the lower section of a similar rack stacked thereon. The interlocking members improve the stability and stacking of layers of the rack. Each bay may include a resilient member, such as an expandable clamp or a resilient bumper.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008]Other advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

[0009]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rack according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0010]FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the rack of FIG. 1.

[0011]FIG. 2A is a front view of one of the bays of the rack of FIG. 1, partially broken away.

[0012]FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of the layer of FIG. 1.

[0013]FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of the layer of FIG. 3.

[0014]FIG. 5 is a front view of the rack of FIG. 1.

[0015]FIG. 5A is a front view of the rack similar to FIG. 5, with a bottle in one of the bays and with an expandable member expanded.

[0016]FIG. 6 is a rear view of the rack of FIG. 1.

[0017]FIG. 7 is a side view of the rack of FIG. 1.

[0018]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the rack of FIG. 1 with a second layer stacked thereon.

[0019]FIG. 9 is a front view of the rack of FIG. 8

[0020]FIG. 10 illustrates the rack of FIG. 1 with the pneumatic connections and expandable members for additional layers.

[0021]FIG. 11 is a schematic showing one possible implementation of the rack of FIG. 8 in a vehicle.

[0022]FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of a second embodiment of the rack of the present invention.

[0023]FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the bumper of FIG. 12.

[0024]FIG. 14 illustrates the bumper of FIG. 13 installed in the rack of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0025]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rack 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The rack 10 includes a first layer 12 (or first "shelf") supported on a plurality of supports 14. The first layer 12 defines a plurality of generally cylindrical bays 16. A pair of five gallon water bottles (not shown) can be received within each bay 16. The first layer 12 includes an upper section 22 and a lower section 24. The lower section 24 includes a partial divider 26 between each adjacent pair of bays 16.

[0026]The upper section 22 has a plurality (in this example, nine) of column portions 36, each having a support pad 38 thereon. In this example, the support pads 38 are tapered blocks snap fit to the top of the column portions 36. The support pads 38 ensure alignment of another layer stacked thereon, although the actual weight is transferred directly to the column portions 36, not on the support pads 38. The outer ones of the column portions 36 including a plurality of vertical ribs 37 extending outwardly from a curved inner wall 41.

[0027]The lower section 24 has a plurality of column portions 44. The outer ones of the column potions 44 include vertical ribs 45 extending outwardly from a curved inner wall 47. The upper section 22 also includes a plurality of alignment sleeves 39, in this example, four alignment sleeves 39 adjacent the corner support pads 38.

[0028]FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the rack 10 of FIG. 1. The support pads 38 can be separately molded pieces, as shown, that can be snap fit onto the upper section 22. An expandable, inflatable clamping chamber 30 is mounted to the upper section 22 adjacent each bay 16. The expandable chambers 30 are elongated, flexible pneumatic bladders or seals that extend from the front of the rack 10 to the rear of the rack 10 and curve back to the front of the rack 10 adjacent the adjacent bay 16. The expandable chambers 30 each include a flange 33 spaced from an integral expandable tubular portion 34.

[0029]Retainers 31 each include a pair of fingers 32 for locking between the flange 33 and the tubular portion 34 of the expandable chambers 30 to retain the expandable chambers 30 to the upper section 22, as shown in FIG. 2A. The upper section 22 also includes a plurality of fingers 35 that protrude between the flange 33 and the tubular portion 34 of the expandable chamber 30 to retain it to the upper section 22. For installation, the expandable chamber 30 is first routed on the upper section 22, fitting the flange 33 of the expandable chamber 30 behind the fingers 35. The retainers 31 are then installed, first fitting the fingers in front of the flange 33 and then snap fitting the retainers 31 to the upper section 22. If the expandable chamber 30 ever needs to be replaced, the retainers 31 can be removed to remove the expandable chamber 30.

[0030]FIGS. 3 and 4 are top and bottom perspective views of the layer 12, respectively. The lower section 24 includes a plurality of alignment recesses 78 aligned with the support pads 38 on the upper section 22 and a plurality of alignment sleeves 76 aligned with the alignment sleeves 39 on the upper section 22.

[0031]FIG. 5 is a front view of the rack 10 of FIG. 1. A partial rear wall 82 prevents bottles from sliding out the back of the bays 16. The support surfaces 84, which are the perimeter around the support pads 38, are recessed relative to the uppermost surface of the upper section 22. The lowermost surfaces of the walls around the alignment recesses 78 protrude downwardly below a lowermost surface of the lower section 24.

[0032]FIG. 5A illustrates the rack 10 of FIG. 5 with a container, in this example a water bottle 20, in one of the bays 16. In FIG. 5, the expandable chamber 30 is inflated such that the expandable chamber 30 resiliently clamps the bottle 20 between the expandable chamber 30 and the lower surface of the bay 16.

[0033]FIG. 6 is a rear view and FIG. 7 is a side view of the rack of FIG. 1.

[0034]FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate a rack 10' including the rack 10 of FIG. 1 with a similar second layer 12' stacked thereon. When stacked, the support pads 38 of the lower rack 12 are received in the recesses 78' of the upper rack 12', and the alignment sleeves 76' on the upper rack 12' are received in the alignment sleeves 39 of the lower rack 12 (FIGS. 3 and 4). In this manner, the support pads 38 and recesses 78' are complementary interlocking members, as are the alignment sleeves 39, 76'. Additionally, the support surfaces 84 of the lower rack 12 contact and support the walls around the alignment recesses 78' below the uppermost surface of the lower rack 12, which further interlocks the two stacked racks 12, 12'. All of the weight transfer is through the column portions 36, 44, 36', 44', not through the alignment sleeves 39, 76' and not between the bays 16, 16'.

[0035]FIG. 10 is a schematic side view of a rack 10 of several layers 12 containing bottles 20 installed in a truck 64. FIG. 10 also schematically shows a pump 60 (or compressor), a pressurized tank 61, a valve 62 and a sensor 63 for actuating the rack 10. The sensor 63 is installed adjacent the door 66 of the truck 64. The pump 60 maintains pressure in the tank 61 within a set range in a known manner. The sensor 63 controls the valve 62 (such as a three-way valve) based upon whether the door 66 is opened or closed. The valve 62 vents pressure from the rack 10 when the door 66 is opened and then pressurizes the rack 10 with pressure from the tank 61 when the door 66 is closed. The tank 61 is connected to the rack 10 via conduits 72 each having a quick disconnect 68 formed thereon for connection to a complementary coupling 70 on the rack 10. Note that a single roll-up door 66 is shown, but one or more swinging doors 66 could also be used.

[0036]In operation, the user loads the bottles 20 into the rack 10 on the truck 64 and then closes the door 66. Upon detecting that the door 66 is closed, the sensor 63 activates the pump 60 which supplies pressure to the expandable chambers 30 as shown in FIG. 5A. This locks the bottles 20 in place in the bays 16 in the rack 10, preventing vibration, damage and movement of the bottles 20 during shipment. When the door 66 is open, the sensor 63 detects the opening of the door 66 and causes the pump 60 to release the air pressure in the expandable chambers 30 which return to the unexpanded. The bottles 20 can then be removed from the bays 16 for delivery. Empty bottles 20 can also be loaded on the rack 10. When the door 66 is closed again, the expandable chambers 30 are again inflated. Thus, the system is automated and requires no user interaction.

[0037]As a first alternative, the pump 60 could be eliminated. For local delivery trucks, it is possible to store sufficient pressure in the tank 61 for at least one delivery route. The tank 61 would be repressurized when the truck 64 returns to the distribution center to return the empty bottles 20 and pick up more full bottles 20.

[0038]As a second alternative, the pump 60, tank 61 and valve 62 could all be eliminated from the truck 64, if the truck 64 is transporting the bottles 20 from a warehouse to a distribution center, or for some other reason, no bottles 20 will be removed from the racks 10 during transportation. In this situation, the racks 10 can be pressurized at the warehouse before being loaded on the truck 64. The pressurized racks 10 remain pressurized without any additional outside source of pressure to protect the bottles 20 during shipment and during loading/unloading at the warehouse and distribution center.

[0039]The valve 62 could also be activated based upon a gear/parking brake sensor 65 (or other vehicle operating state) that activates the valve 62 based upon the truck 64 being shifted into and out of a parking gear or based upon the application/release of a parking brake. Therefore, even if the driver forgets to close the door 66, the racks 10 will be pressurized and the bottles 20 will be locked in place when the parking brake is released and/or when the truck 64 is shifted into gear. Alternatively, a motion or speed sensor could pressurize the racks 10 whenever motion of the vehicle 64 is sensed.

[0040]FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the rack of FIG. 1 with a pneumatic system for connecting additional layers (not shown), as one implementation of the schematically shown system of FIG. 10. The pneumatic system includes a conduit 87 supplying a plurality of branches 86, which in turn each supply a pair of expandable chambers 30 in each layer.

[0041]FIG. 12 is an exploded view of a rack 110 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. All components are the same as the first embodiment rack 10 except that the expandable chambers 30 are replaced with resilient bumpers 130. The resilient bumpers 130 in the FIG. 12 embodiment are actually the same expandable chambers 30 used in FIGS. 1-11, but are not connected to any pneumatics and may be sectioned (instead of continuous). Even without being inflated to clamp the bottles, the resilient bumpers 130 provide some cushioning and damping of movement and vibration of the bottles in the bays 16.

[0042]FIG. 13 illustrates a section of an alternate resilient bumper 230 that could be used in the rack 110 of FIG. 12. The resilient bumper 230 includes a pair of flanges 233, 234 integral with and connected by a central body portion 235 to form an I-beam cross section. The resilient bumper 230 shown is symmetrical, such that either could be connected to the upper section 22 of the rack 110 (FIG. 12) and either could face the bay 16; however, non-symmetrical flanges 233, 234 could also be used.

[0043]FIG. 14 illustrates the bumper 230 of FIG. 13 installed in the rack of FIG. 1. The fingers 35, 32 are disposed between the flange 233 and the flange 234. The bumper 230 protrudes into the bay 16 at least partially so that it will be spaced very close to the bottles 20 in order to cushion the bottles 20 and damp the movement of the bottles 20 during vibration or bumps during transportation. In the example shown, less than the thickness of the flange 234 protrudes into the bay 16, but this can be varied depending upon the dimensions and tolerances of a particular design.

[0044]Although the invention is particularly useful for water bottles 20, other containers and other objects could be secured in a rack in a similar fashion using the invention described above. Also, the expandable chambers 30 and resilient bumpers 130, 230 could be directed upwardly, downwardly, horizontally or diagonally against one or more rows of bottles. The upper and lower sections 22, 24 and layers 12 could be molded as one piece, multiple pieces and could optionally snap together.

[0045]In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes and jurisprudence, exemplary configurations described above are considered to represent a preferred embodiment of the invention. However, it should be noted that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described without departing from its spirit or scope.

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