Equipment organizer

Abstract

Disclosed is an equipment organizer or storage device for the storage, organization or hanging of various objects in a home or commercial setting. The device comprises an outer part and an inner part engaged into the outer part. The device components may be injection molded from common plastics such as polycarbonate and may optionally be created by 3D printing. The device may be used for storage of sporting equipment, such as bicycles, but may also be easily adapted for storing other items such as musical instruments and household items such as brooms and tools. The inventive device is adapted for ease of installation and use without damage to the stored item or its environment. The inventive device has a small footprint and it functions as an inexpensive storage solution.

Claims

1. A storage device for holding an item relative to a bearing structure, the storage device comprising: an outer clip, and an inner part; the outer clip comprising a portion configured to be mounted to a bearing structure, a first arm portion and a second arm portion, each of the first arm portion and the second arm portion extending outwardly from the portion to define a first receiving cavity with the portion, wherein the first arm portion and the second arm portion are biased towards each other, and the portion, the first arm portion and the second arm portion define an inner part engaging surface adjacent to the first cavity; and the inner part comprising a base, a first retaining arm and a second retaining arm, each of the first retaining arm and the second retaining arm extending outwardly from the base to define a second receiving cavity with the base, wherein the base, the first retaining arm and the second retaining arm define an item engaging surface adjacent the second cavity and an outer clip engaging surface opposed to the item engaging surface; wherein the outer part engaging surface of the inner part is removably engageable with the inner part engaging surface of the outer clip using a tension in the outer clip that allows an inward pressure to be applied on the first retaining arm and the second retaining arm of the inner part by the first arm portion and the second arm portion of the outer clip, the inward pressure facilitating the fitting of the inner part in the first receiving cavity of the outer clip and the holding of an item to be stored in the second receiving cavity of the inner part.

2. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the outer clip is configured to be attached to the bearing structure by screws.

3. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the outer clip is configured to be attached to the bearing structure by an adhesive mechanism.

4. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the bearing structure is a wall.

5. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the inner part is engageable with the outer clip and is held in place solely by friction and corresponding dimensions.

6. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the item to be secured is engageable with the item engaging surface of the inner part and is held in place solely by friction and corresponding dimensions.

7. The storage device of claim 1, further comprising a retaining strap having a first end affixed to an outer surface of one of the first arm portion and the second arm portion of the outer clip, and a second end opposed to the first end that is removably affixable to an outer surface of the other of the first arm portion and the second arm portion of the outer clip.

8. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the outer clip or the inner part, or both, is constructed from plastic.

9. The storage device of claim 8, wherein the plastic is polycarbonate.

10. The storage device of claim 8, wherein the outer clip and the inner part are constructed of plastic made by injection molding.

11. The storage device of claim 8, wherein the outer clip and the inner part are constructed of plastic made by 3D printing.

12. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the storage device is configured to store a bicycle and the storage device is not configured to bear the full weight of the said bicycle.

13. The storage device of claim 1, wherein each of the first arm portion and the second arm portion extends at a concave angle from the portion.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

(1) The invention will be better understood according to the following detailed description of several embodiments with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1a shows a perspective view of a bicycle stored by engaging the inner part of the inventive device with the bicycle tire according to an embodiment of the current invention:

(3) FIG. 1b shows a perspective view of a bicycle stored by engaging the inner part of the inventive device with the bicycle tire according to an embodiment of the current invention;

(4) FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a bicycle stored by engaging the inner part of the inventive device with the bicycle handlebar according to an embodiment of the current invention;

(5) FIG. 3a shows a perspective view of a schematic representation of the outer part of the inventive device;

(6) FIG. 3b shows a top elevation view of the outer part shown in FIG. 3a;

(7) FIG. 3c shows a front elevation view of the outer part shown in FIG. 3a;

(8) FIG. 4a shows a top elevation view of a schematic representation of the inner part of the inventive device;

(9) FIG. 4b shows a perspective view of the inner part shown in FIG. 4a;

(10) FIG. 4c shows a rear elevation view of the inner part shown in FIG. 4a;

(11) FIG. 4d shows a right side elevation view of the inner part shown in FIG. 4a;

(12) FIG. 5a shows a perspective view of a schematic representation of the outer and inner parts of the inventive device assembled together;

(13) FIG. 5b shows a top elevation view of the inventive device shown in FIG. 5a;

(14) FIG. 5c shows a right side elevation view of the inventive device shown in FIG. 5a;

(15) FIG. 5d shows a cross-sectional view of the inventive device shown in FIG. 5a taken along the lines B-B in. FIG. 5c;

(16) FIG. 6a shows a front elevation view of a schematic representation of an embodiment of the present invention adapted for a road bicycle;

(17) FIG. 6b shows a top elevation view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 6a;

(18) FIG. 7a shows a front elevation view of a schematic representation of an embodiment of the present invention adapted for a hybrid bicycle;

(19) FIG. 7b shows a top elevation view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 7a;

(20) FIG. 8a shows a front elevation view of a schematic representation of an embodiment of the present invention adapted for a mountain bicycle;

(21) FIG. 8b shows a top elevation view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 8a;

(22) FIG. 9a shows a front elevation view of a schematic representation of an embodiment of the present invention adapted for a fat tire bicycle;

(23) FIG. 9b shows a top elevation view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 9a;

(24) FIG. 10a shows a top elevation view of a schematic representation of an outer part of the inventive device fit with an inner part configured of accommodate a specific tire size;

(25) FIG. 10b shows a top elevation view of the inner and outer parts shown in FIG. 10a configured to accommodate a specific tire size;

(26) FIG. 10c shows a top elevation view of the inner and outer parts shown in FIG. 10a configured to accommodate a specific tire size;

(27) FIG. 10d shows a top elevation view of the inner and outer parts shown in FIG. 10a configured to accommodate a specific tire size;

(28) FIG. 11a shows a top elevation view of a schematic representation of an outer part of the inventive device fit with an inner part configured of accommodate a specific tire size;

(29) FIG. 11b shows a top elevation view of the inner and outer parts shown in FIG. 11a configured to accommodate a specific tire size;

(30) FIG. 11c shows a top elevation view of the inner and outer parts shown in FIG. 11a configured to accommodate a specific tire size;

(31) FIG. 12a shows a top elevation view of a schematic representation of an embodiment of the present invention mounted at a 45 angle;

(32) FIG. 12b shows a top elevation view of a schematic representation of an embodiment of the present invention mounted at a 45 angle;

(33) FIG. 12c shows a top elevation view of a schematic representation of an embodiment of the present invention mounted at a 45 angle adjacent to the FIG. 12b embodiment;

(34) FIG. 13a shows a perspective view of a schematic representation of how a strap can be used with the inventive device for added security;

(35) FIG. 13b shows an expanded view of Detail A of the device shown in FIG. 13a;

(36) FIG. 14a shows a perspective view of a schematic representation of how the design of the inner portion of the inventive device can be modified for 3D printing;

(37) FIG. 14b shows a right side elevation view of how the inner portion shown in FIG. 14a can be modified for 3D printing;

(38) FIG. 14c shows a perspective view of a schematic representation of how the design of the outer portion of the inventive device can be modified for 3D printing;

(39) FIG. 14d shows a right side elevation view of how the outer portion shown in FIG. 14c can be modified for 3D printing;

(40) FIG. 15 shows a perspective view of how the inventive device can be adapted to store a guitar according to an embodiment of the present invention;

(41) FIG. 16 shows a perspective view of how the inventive device can be adapted to store a skateboard according to an embodiment of the present invention;

(42) FIG. 17a shows a perspective view of how the inventive device can be adapted to store skis according to an embodiment of the present invention;

(43) FIG. 17b shows a perspective view of how the inventive device can be adapted to store skis according to an embodiment of the present invention,

(44) FIG. 18a shows a perspective view of how the inventive device shown in FIG. 17a can be adapted to store skis according to an embodiment of the present invention;

(45) FIG. 18b shows a perspective view of how the inventive device shown in FIG. 17a can be adapted to store skis according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(46) The current invention comprises an equipment organizer for the organization and storage of items such as sporting goods, musical instruments and other items in a home or commercial environment.

(47) Taking the example of an equipment organizer for the storage of bicycles, the inventive device comprises two main components. An outer part is attached to a wall using screws or other fasteners or an adhesive. An inner part snaps into the outer clip using the tension in the outer clip. Various aspects of the stored bicycle, such as the wheel rim or a handlebar are then placed into the inner part and are held in place.

(48) Again, taking the non-limiting example of storing a bicycle with the inventive device, the bicycle may be stored perpendicular to the floor by resting the back wheel on the floor and engaging the front wheel rim into the inner part of the inventive device. In an alternative configuration, a component of a handlebar may be engaged into the inner part of the inventive device with the bicycle resting horizontally on the floor. Each of these options for storage does not require the device to be bearing the full weight of the bicycle as the majority of the bicycle's weight will be borne by the floor with the device simply preventing the bike from falling over or backwards.

(49) The inventive device can be constructed from injection-molded polycarbonate, but one of skill in the art will realize that alternative constructions are possible from other types of plastic or even other materials with the desired durability and flexibility attributes, amongst other requirements. Solely by way of example, the outer part may be constructed of wood, carbon fiber or metal. The inner part may be constructed of rubber, or may be two-shot injection molded to accommodate the storage of sensitive items.

(50) While the inventive device may commonly be constructed from plastic such as polycarbonate using injection molding, it may also be constructed by non-traditional methods, such as 3D printing. The use of 3D printing may require modification of the design of the inventive device so that the layers of plastic constructed during the 3D printing process build properly and so as to maintain structural integrity, as shown in FIG. 14.

(51) Turning now to the appending figures, and with specific reference to FIGS. 3 through 5, the storage device 1 is comprised of an inner part 2 and an outer part 3. When the storage device 1 is assembled, the inner part 2 is snapped into, or otherwise engaged to, the outer part 3. The inner part 2 is retained in the outer part 3 by virtue of the corresponding dimensions of the inner part 2 and the outer part 3 and may also retained by friction. No adhesive or other fixing mechanism or modality is required.

(52) The outer part 3 has a portion 4 that may be configured to sit flush against the surface that the storage device 1 is mounted to. The outer part 3 also has two arm portions 5, 6, that may sit perpendicular or at an angle away from perpendicular to the flush portion 4. The use of concave angles on the two arm portions 5, 6 allows for inward pressure, which facilitates the inner part 2 and outer part 3 fitting together and also facilitates the consistent holding of the item to be stored.

(53) The inner part 2 may have a curved geometry throughout its cross-section which provides the part with better strength and retention capabilities and also allows for easier insertion of a stored item such as a bicycle tire. The inner part 2 also may have a highly polished surface which provides for a clinging interface which may be advantageous when retaining an item such as a bicycle tire.

(54) Turning now to FIGS. 6 through 9, the storage device may be configured with different sizes and geometries to the inner part 2 and outer part 3 to accommodate different sized and shaped objects. For example, the in case of bicycle tires, FIGS. 6 through 9 show different geometries for accommodating road, hybrid, mountain and fat tire bikes. In each case, the height and width of the inner part 2 and outer part 3 vary, along with the curvature of the inner surface of the inner part 2 and the angle of the opening through which the bicycle tire or other item to be retained would pass.

(55) With further reference to FIGS. 6 through 9, the angle of the opening through which the retained item would pass is, for example, smaller for a road bicycle tire than it is for a mountain bicycle tire. In addition, the curvature of the inner part 2 varies depending on the bicycle tire to be retained and may be more flat for a road bicycle tire with no knobs than for a mountain bicycle tire with knobs.

(56) Two openings may be provided in the flush part 4 of the outer part 3 for mounting the outer part 3 to a surface, which may be a wall or other supporting structure. The mounting may be accomplished with screws or other fastening devices. In the alternative, the storage device may also be attached to a mounting surface with an adhesive modality. In either case, the storage device should be securely attached to the mounting surface but does not need to be mounted in a manner whereby the storage device could bear the full weight of a heavy object such as a bicycle. The storage device is designed to be mounted such that the weight of the a bicycle is borne by the floor or similar weight bearing object (e.g. a table).

(57) While the functionality of holding a bicycle by its tire requires the weight of the bicycle to be borne by the floor, other objects that may be held by the inventive device without the weight of the object being borne by the floor or alternative weight bearing object. For example, a hockey stick may be pressed into the opening and the friction of the two arms pressing inwards upon the hockey stick provides enough friction to overcome the pull of gravity on the object. This same modality of support can be applied to countless other objects.

(58) With reference now to FIGS. 10 and 11, the storage device may be constructed with a uniform outer part 3 matched with inner parts 2 of multiple geometries and curvatures to accommodate different-sized objects. In this way, the inner parts 2 may be designed to accommodate specific-sized objects (FIG. 10) or they may be designed to accommodate objects of a range of sizes (FIG. 11).

(59) With reference now to FIGS. 12a and 12b, one or more of the inventive storage devices may be mounted on a mounting surface at an angle, or the opening through which the stored item would pass may be configured at an angle. In these different embodiments of the invention, the storage device may function to save space even more so than provided by its general compact configuration and design.

(60) With reference now to FIG. 13, the storage device may be configured with a strap 7 that is optionally affixed by conventional means to the outer surface of the arm portions 4, 5 of the outer part 3. In this embodiment, the user would insert the item to be retained and then guide the strap around the retained object and removably affix it to both arm portions 4, 5 of the outer part 3. While the use of the strap 7 in this embodiment adds security to the overall retention profile of the storage device 1, it is not necessary in most, if not all, applications. In general, the storage device 1 is designed to retain the stored object through the geometry of the inner part 2 and the outer part 3 and additionally friction between the inner part 2 and the retained object.

(61) The storage device 1 can be adapted for use in storing many sporting goods and other household and commercial items. Solely by way of example, and not by way of limitation, the storage device could hold numerous items including guitars, brooms, towels, skis, paddles, hockey sticks, baseballs and hockey pucks. Adaptation of the device can be accomplished through varying the dimensions of the inner part and, in certain situations, by varying the dimensions of the inner part and outer part. In most applications, the inventive device will not be deployed in a situation requiring the bearing of significant weight and, thus, significant varying of materials and/or tolerances is not commonly required. However, one of skill in the art will readily realize that modifications to materials and tolerances may be required to accommodate different items. These modifications will be within the skill set of one of skill in the art.

(62) The storage device 1 can also be used in a configuration of multiple units arranged side by side or in a pre-determined configuration so as to hold multiple items or multiple regions of the same item. For example, multiple units of the inventive storage device 1 could be installed on a mounting surface next to each other and could be configured to hold hockey sticks in the dressing room of a hockey rink. In another example, multiple units of the inventive storage device could be installed in a pre-determined geometry to engage, for example, the rear wheel and front wheel of a bicycle that is positioned horizontally on the ground. While such an arrangement would not be necessary to safely retain the bicycle if the ground is supporting its weight, it may nevertheless be desirable for certain users, for example in a high traffic area where the bicycle may be constantly jostled.

(63) While this invention has been shown and described with reference to particular embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.