Abstract
The present invention is directed to a bridging apparatus. The apparatus may be used to span the gap between a vertically movable storage container and a stationary floor structure when a landing of the storage container is planar to a landing of the stationary floor structure. In this invention, the bridging apparatus comprises a bracket, an overlay plate, a hinge comprising a rod, glides, and a switch, which interact with each other and with the vertically movable storage container and the stationary floor structure. As the storage container ascends, the glide of the overlay plate slides angularly contacts a vertical wall of the stationary floor structure and glides along the wall. When the storage container landing is planar with the stationary floor structure landing, the overlay plate rotates downward to a 90-degree angle, resting in a recess in the stationary floor structure landing, engaging the switch to terminate power to the vertically movable storage container.
Claims
1. A bridging apparatus, comprising: a bracket attached to a base of a vertical wall of a movable storage container disposed adjacent a wall of a stationary floor structure; the bracket comprising a hinge comprising a rod; the bracket further comprising a switch; an overlay plate rotationally attached to the rod; the overlay plate comprising a glide along an edge opposite the hinge, the overlay plate and glide being in angular contact with the wall of the stationary floor structure; wherein the overlay plate glides along the wall of the stationary floor structure as the movable storage container moves upward; and wherein the overlay plate rotates downward into a recess in a landing of the stationary floor structure; and wherein the switch stopping the upward motion of the movable storage container as the overlay plate reaches a 90-degree angle to the bracket.
2. The bridging apparatus of claim 1 wherein the bracket further comprises a first flat surface and a second flat surface.
3. The bridging apparatus of claim 1 wherein the bracket is joined on the first flat surface to the movable storage container by means of chemical and mechanical attachments.
4. The bridging apparatus of claim 1 wherein the bracket comprises metal selected from the group consisting of steel, stainless steel, aluminum, zinc, and titanium.
5. The bridging apparatus of claim 1 wherein the bracket comprises materials selected from the group consisting of nylon, polyoxymethylene, and carbon fiber.
6. The bridging apparatus of claim 1 wherein the overlay plate further comprises a first surface, and a second surface.
7. The bridging apparatus of claim 1 wherein the overlay plate comprises metal selected from the group consisting of steel, stainless steel, aluminum, zinc, and titanium.
8. The bridging apparatus of claim 1 wherein the overlay plate comprises materials selected from the group consisting of nylon, polyoxymethylene, and carbon fiber.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] In order that the advantages of the invention will be readily understood, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through use of the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0010] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a bridging apparatus comprising a bracket attached to a base of a vertical wall of a movable storage container adjacent a wall of a stationary floor structure, an overlay plate spanning the space between the movable storage container and the stationary floor structure.
[0011] FIG. 2 is a profile view depicting the bridging apparatus comprising a bracket, an overlay plate, a rod, a glide, and a switch, with the overlay plate in angular contact with a wall of a stationary floor structure opposite a vertical wall of a movable storage container.
[0012] FIG. 3 is a profile view depicting the bridging apparatus comprising a bracket, an overlay plate, a rod, a glide, and a switch, with the overlay plate in a prone position planar to a landing of the stationary floor structure and the movable storage container wherein the overlap plate bridges the space between the stationary floor structure and the movable storage container.
[0013] FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the bridging apparatus comprising the bracket comprised of a hinge comprising a rod, the overlay plate, and a switch.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] It will be readily understood that the components of the present invention, as generally described and illustrated in the Figures herein, could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, the following more detailed description of the embodiments of the invention, as represented in the Figures, is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, as claimed, but is merely representative of certain examples of presently contemplated embodiments in accordance with the invention. The presently described embodiments will be best understood by reference to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by like numerals throughout.
[0015] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a bridging apparatus 300 comprising a bracket 301 attached to a base of a vertical wall 201 of a movable storage container 200 adjacent a wall 101 of a stationary floor structure 100. The bracket 301 comprises a hinge 302 comprising a rod 303 which rotationally attaches an overlay plate 304 to the bracket 301. The overlay plate 304 comprises a glide 305 along an edge opposite the hinge 302.
[0016] FIG. 2 is a profile view depicting the bridging apparatus 300 comprising a bracket 301, an overlay plate 304, a hinge 302 comprising a rod 303, a glide 305, and a switch 306. The bracket 301 comprises a first flat surface 301a, a second flat surface 301b, and a hinge 302 comprising a rod 303. In one embodiment, the bracket 301 comprises aluminum. In other embodiments, the bracket 301 comprises steel, stainless steel, zinc, titanium, nylon, polyoxymethylene, and carbon fiber. In one embodiment, the rod 303 comprises aluminum. In other embodiments, the rod 303 comprises steel, stainless steel, zinc, titanium, nylon, polyoxymethylene, and carbon fiber. The first flat surface 301a of the bracket 301 is joined to a vertical wall 201 by means of chemical and mechanical attachments. The overlay plate 304 comprises a first flat surface 304a and a second flat surface 304b. In one embodiment, the overlay plate 304 comprises aluminum. In other embodiments, the overlay plate 304 comprises steel, stainless steel, zinc, titanium, nylon, polyoxymethylene, and carbon fiber. The glide 305 comprises a flat first surface 305a and a convex second surface 305b. The flat first surface 305a is joined to the first flat surface 304a of the overlay plate 304 by means of chemical and mechanical attachments. In one embodiment, the glide 305 comprises aluminum. In other embodiments, the glide 305 comprises steel, stainless steel, zinc, titanium, nylon, carbon fiber, and polyoxymethylene. In another embodiment, the glide 305 comprises a plurality of separate glides intermittently disposed along the first flat surface 304a of the overlay plate 304. The overlay plate 304 is rotationally attached to the bracket 301 at the hinge 302 through which the rod 303 is passed. In this Figure, the overlay plate 304 is in angular contact with the wall 101 of the stationary floor structure 100. As the movable storage container 200 moves upward 400 the glide 305 of the overlay plate 304 glides along the wall 101 of the stationary floor structure 100. The switch 306 is joined to the second flat surface 301b of the bracket 301 such that when the overlay plate 304 is at less than a 90-degree angle to the bracket 301, the switch 306 is disengaged allowing power to the movable storage container 200 such that a landing 202 of the movable storage container 200 may ascend to a planar position with a landing floor 102 of the stationary floor structure 100. In one embodiment, the switch 306 comprises a mechanical limiting switch. In other embodiments, the switch 306 comprises optical and laser limiting switches.
[0017] FIG. 3 is a profile view depicting the bridging apparatus 300 comprising a bracket 301, an overlay plate 304, a hinge 302 comprising a rod 303, a glide 305, and a switch 306. The bracket 301 comprises a first flat surface 301a, a second flat surface 301b, and a hinge 302 comprising a rod 303. In one embodiment, the bracket 301 comprises aluminum. In other embodiments, the bracket 301 comprises steel, stainless steel, zinc, titanium, nylon, polyoxymethylene, and carbon fiber. In one embodiment, the rod 303 comprises aluminum. In other embodiments, the rod 303 comprises steel, stainless steel, zinc, titanium, nylon, polyoxymethylene, and carbon fiber. The first flat surface 301a of the bracket 301 is joined to a vertical wall 201 by means of chemical and mechanical attachments. The overlay plate 304 comprises a first flat surface 304a and a second flat surface 304b. In one embodiment, the overlay plate 304 comprises aluminum. In other embodiments, the overlay plate 304 comprises steel, stainless steel, zinc, titanium, nylon, polyoxymethylene, and carbon fiber. The glide 305 comprises a flat first surface 305a and a convex second surface 305b. The flat first surface 305a is joined to the first flat surface 304a of the overlay plate 304 by means of chemical and mechanical attachments. In one embodiment, the glide 305 comprises aluminum. In other embodiments, the glide 305 comprises steel, stainless steel, zinc, titanium, nylon, carbon fiber, and polyoxymethylene. In another embodiment, the glide 305 comprises a plurality of separate glides intermittently disposed along the first flat surface 304a of the overlay plate. The overlay plate 304 is rotationally attached to the bracket 301 at the hinge 302 through which the rod 303 is passed. In this Figure, the overlay plate 304 is in a prone position with an edge of the overlay plate 304 opposite the hinge resting in a recess 103 of the stationary floor structure 100. The recess 103 is disposed longitudinally along a side of a landing 102 of the stationary floor structure 100 parallel to the landing floor 202 of the movable storage container 200. The switch 306 is joined to the second flat surface 301b of the bracket 301 by means of chemical and mechanical attachments such that when the overlay plate 304 is at a 90-degree angle to the bracket 301, the switch 306 engages, terminating power to the movable storage container 200 such that the landing floor 202 of the movable storage container 200 may not ascend beyond a planar position with the landing floor 102 of the stationary floor structure 100. In one embodiment, the switch 306 comprises a mechanical limiting switch. In other embodiments, the switch 306 comprises optical and laser limiting switches.
[0018] FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the bridging apparatus comprising the bracket 301, the overlay plate 304, and the switch 306. The bracket 301 comprises a first flat surface 301a, a second flat surface 301b, and a hinge 302 comprising a rod 303. In one embodiment, the bracket 301 comprises aluminum. In other embodiments, the bracket 301 comprises steel, stainless steel, zinc, titanium, nylon, polyoxymethylene, and carbon fiber. In one embodiment, the rod 303 comprises aluminum. In other embodiments, the rod 303 comprises steel, stainless steel, zinc, titanium, nylon, polyoxymethylene, and carbon fiber. The overlay plate 304 comprises a first flat surface 304a and a second flat surface 304b. The overlay plate 304 is rotatably attached to the bracket 301 by means of the hinge 302 comprising a rod 303. In one embodiment, the overlay plate 304 comprises aluminum. In other embodiments, the overlay plate 304 comprises steel, stainless steel, zinc, titanium, nylon, polyoxymethylene, and carbon fiber. In this embodiment, the overlay plate 304 comprises an integrated glide 307 wherein the glide 307 comprises a curvilinear surface beginning at the edge of the second flat surface 304b of the overlay plate 304 opposite the hinge side and rounding to the first flat surface 304a of the overlay plate 304. The switch 306 is joined to the second flat surface 301b of the bracket 301 by means of chemical and mechanical attachments. In one embodiment, the switch 306 comprises a mechanical limiting switch. In other embodiments, the switch 306 comprises optical and laser limiting switches.
