Corner joint for modular portable stand

Abstract

A corner joint for use in a modular portable stand that can be quickly and easily assembled and disassembled by one person without using any tools or hardware.

Claims

1. A corner joint for use in a modular portable tray stand, comprising: a base member having a base receiver attached to its end and fixated to a base member flat side-receiver-engagement surface, the base receiver having a base receiver flat side-member-engagement surface thereon; a side member having a side receiver attached to its end and fixated to a side member flat base-receiver-engagement surface, the side receiver having a side receiver flat base-member-engagement surface thereon, the base and side receivers forming a sleeve; and a leg having a dowel extending from one end, constructed and arranged to insert into the base receiver and into the side receiver, causing engagement of the base member flat side-receiver-engagement surface with the side receiver flat base-member-engagement surface and engagement of the side member flat base-receiver-engagement surface with the base receiver flat side-member-engagement surface, thereby aligning without tools or hardware said base receiver with said side receiver such that said base member and side member interlock to form a tray stand corner joint supported by said leg, wherein said leg has a lower member and an upper member, the lower member constructed from square tubing matching the size of the base receiver, and the upper member constructed from round tubing that fittingly inserts partially and fixates within the lower member with remainder protruding to form said dowel arranged to fittingly insert and align the base receiver with the side receiver.

2. A corner joint for use in a modular portable tray stand, comprising: a base member having a base receiver attached to its end and fixated to a base member flat side-receiver-engagement surface, the base receiver having a base receiver flat side-member-engagement surface thereon; a side member having a side receiver attached to its end and fixated to a side member flat base-receiver-engagement surface, the side receiver having a side receiver flat base-member-engagement surface thereon, the base and side receivers forming a sleeve; and a leg having a dowel extending from one end, constructed and arranged to insert into the base receiver and into the side receiver, causing engagement of the base member flat side-receiver-engagement surface with the side receiver flat base-member-engagement surface and engagement of the side member flat base-receiver-engagement surface with the base receiver flat side-member-engagement surface, thereby aligning without tools or hardware said base receiver with said side receiver such that said base member and side member interlock to form a tray stand corner joint supported by said leg; and a tab extending down from a lower edge of an aligned combination of said base receiver and said side receiver such that said leg is in securing contact with said tab.

3. The corner joint of claim 2 wherein said leg has a lower member and an upper member, the lower member constructed from square tubing matching the size of the base receiver, and the upper member constructed from round tubing that fittingly inserts partially and fixates within the lower member with remainder protruding to form said dowel arranged to fittingly insert and align the base receiver with the side receiver.

4. The corner joint of claim 2 wherein said dowel extending from one end comprises a round shaped dowel and is sized to insertingly fit within said base and side receivers.

5. A corner joint for use in a modular portable tray stand, comprising: a base member having a base receiver attached to its end and fixated to a base member flat side-receiver-engagement surface, the base receiver having a base receiver flat side-member-engagement surface thereon; a side member having a side receiver attached to its end and fixated to a side member flat base-receiver-engagement surface, the side receiver having a side receiver flat base-member-engagement surface thereon, the base and side receivers forming a sleeve; and a leg having a dowel extending from one end, constructed and arranged to insert into the base receiver and into the side receiver, causing engagement of the base member flat side-receiver-engagement surface with the side receiver flat base-member-engagement surface and engagement of the side member flat base-receiver-engagement surface with the base receiver flat side-member-engagement surface, thereby aligning without tools or hardware said base receiver with said side receiver such that said base member and side member interlock to form a tray stand corner joint supported by said leg, wherein said dowel portion extending from one end of said leg is constructed and arranged to insert into the base receiver and into the side receiver with a remainder of said leg unable to insertingly fit into at least one of said base receiver and said side receiver, said remainder of said leg providing a distance between a bottom of said leg and a plane defined by said base member and said side member when said corner joint is fully assembled.

6. The corner joint of claim 1 wherein said dowel portion extending from one end of said leg is constructed and arranged to insert into the base receiver and into the side receiver with a remainder of said leg unable to insertingly fit into at least one of said base receiver and said side receiver, said remainder of said leg providing a distance between a bottom of said leg and a plane defined by said base member and said side member when said corner joint is fully assembled.

7. The corner joint of claim 1 further comprising a tab extending down from a lower edge of an aligned combination of said base receiver and said side receiver such that said leg is in securing contact with said tab.

8. The corner joint of claim 2 wherein said dowel portion extending from one end of said leg is constructed and arranged to insert into the base receiver and into the side receiver with a remainder of said leg unable to insertingly fit into at least one of said base receiver and said side receiver, said remainder of said leg providing a distance between a bottom of said leg and a plane defined by said base member and said side member when said corner joint is fully assembled.

9. The corner joint of claim 8 wherein said dowel extending from one end comprises a round shaped dowel and is sized to insertingly fit within said base and side receivers.

10. The corner joint of claim 5 wherein said leg has a lower member and an upper member, the lower member constructed from square tubing matching the size of the base receiver, and the upper member constructed from round tubing that fittingly inserts partially and fixates within the lower member with remainder protruding to form said dowel arranged to fittingly insert and align the base receiver with the side receiver.

11. The corner joint of claim 5 further comprising a tab extending down from a lower edge of an aligned combination of said base receiver and said side receiver such that said leg is in securing contact with said tab.

12. The corner joint of claim 5 wherein said dowel extending from one end comprises a round shaped dowel and is sized to insertingly fit within said base and side receivers.

13. The corner joint of claim 11 wherein said dowel extending from one end comprises a round shaped dowel and is sized to insertingly fit within said base and side receivers.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) Elements in the figures have not necessarily been portrayed to scale in order to enhance their clarity and improve understanding of these various elements of just one embodiment of the invention. Furthermore, elements that are known to be common and well understood to those in the industry are not depicted in order to provide a clear view of the invention, thus the drawings are generalized in form in the interest of clarity and conciseness. Only one embodiment is shown in the FIGS. 1-7, however, many other embodiments are readily available by simply modifying the length and shape of the sides to form different frame perimeters of squares or rectangle frames for receiving flat table tops, rectangular or square bottomed aquariums, tool boxes, or essentially anything having a four sided bottom. The depth of the frame may be increased or decreased without changing the inventive features for applications requiring a deeper inset of the item to be supported. Other applications for the stand include moving dolly's or mobile display stands commonly used at conventions or marketing shows. The compact storage and easy assembly/disassembly creates versatility in functional use, while the rigid interlocking strength and wheeled mobility creates almost limitless relevance as an appliance in the home, garage, garden, or convention center.

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the modular tray stand as disassembled in an exploded view;

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the side frame shown in FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the base frame shown in FIG. 1;

(5) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the assembled embodiment shown in FIG. 1 as exploded;

(6) FIG. 5 is a side view of the side frame shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4;

(7) FIG. 6 is a side view of the base frame shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4;

(8) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the cross support shown in FIGS. 1 and 4;

(9) FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the leg shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 pre-fabrication.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(10) In the following discussion that addresses one embodiment of the present invention, reference is made to the accompanying figures that form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration, one specific embodiment in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be realized and utilized with changes made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Various inventive features are described below that can each be used independently of one another or in combination with other features.

(11) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of the modular tray stand as disassembled in an exploded view. The preferred embodiment is constructed primarily of square tubing, but could be constructed from sheet metal, round tubing, cast aluminum or injection molded in plastic and depending on the application, would benefit from combinations of the above materials in the construction of the stand.

(12) The frame perimeter 6 is defined by the top surfaces of the first base frame 30A, second base frame 30B, a first side frame 40A, and second side frame 40B. The frame perimeter 6 is the surface on or in which the supported item may rest. For the application as a plant tray stand, the plant tray would insert within the frame perimeter 6, and rest upon the top of the frame perimeter 6. For heavier support applications, cross supports 10 are added to increase rigidity to the stand 1, while also providing additional support under the item to be supported, in this embodiment the propagation tray, to prevent distortion or unlevel support. The frame perimeter 6 may be of any four sided shape having any desired length and width matching the requirements of the item to be supported. The depth 8 of the stand is also adaptable to accommodate the desired item to be supported.

(13) In FIG. 1, the frame perimeter 6 is defined and described in clockwise order by a first base frame 30A, a first side frame 40A, a second base frame 30B and a second side frame 40B. At each corner 7A-D, a leg 90 extends down towards the ground where a wheel 100 maybe be conveniently engaged for the purposes of making the stand 1 mobile.

(14) As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, the first base frame 30A and second base frames 30B are identical in construction, thereby making for economical manufacture. For the manufacture of the preferred embodiment, the base top tube 31 and base bottom tubes 32 are constructed of square metal tubing cut at the same length matching the corresponding frame perimeter 6 shape and size. The base top tube 31 and base bottom tube 32 are located parallel to one another, at a distance between each matching the desired depth 8 of the stand 1. A base flat plate 34 is welded onto each of the ends of the base top tube 31 and base bottom tube 32 such that a tab 35 extends past the base bottom tube 32 at both of the bottom tube's 32 ends. For the preferred embodiments shown, the base receiver 33 is constructed from square tubing, and in length matching half the length of the flat plate 34 not including the tab 35. The base receiver 33 is welded to each base flat plate 34 as shown.

(15) As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, the first side frame 40A and second side frame 40B are identical, and constructed in the same manner as the first base frame 30A and second base frame 30B with the only difference being the side flat plate 44 being shorter as no tab extends past the side top tube 41 or side bottom tube 42.

(16) In FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the preferred embodiment benefits from the side receiver 43 being of the same length as the base receiver 33, which allows for easier and more economical manufacture as all of the receivers are of the same construction.

(17) As shown in FIGS. 1, 4 and 8, the four legs 90 have at least one flat side 110 and a dowel 120 on one end. For mobile applications a wheel 100 is engaged at the opposing leg 90 end from the dowel 120. The dowel 120 is of sufficient size to fittingly insert within the base receivers 33 and side receivers 43. As shown in the preferred embodiment, the dowel 120 is constructed of round tubing that is just small enough to fit within the base receivers 33 and side receivers 43. Tubing was used in the preferred embodiment to keep the overall weight down, however, the dowel 120 may be of solid rod material, or schedule 40 pipe, all depending on the application.

(18) As shown assembled in FIG. 1, the dowel 120 does not extend out of the side receiver 43, however, in other embodiments and applications the dowel 120 is of greater length and extends out of the receiver 43 providing mounting structure to facilitate the addition of other items such as light racks, plant training web, irrigation systems, covers, and other added features to increase the versatility of the stand.

(19) FIG. 3 shows a close up of the presented embodiment for the first and second base frames 30A and 30B with the base receiver 33, base flat plate 34 and tab 35. A base top tube 31 and base bottom tube 32 fixate to the flat plate 34 by weld as shown, but any other fixation means is sufficient.

(20) FIG. 4 shows a close up of the presented embodiment for the first and second side frames 40A and 40B, with the side receivers 43, side flat plates 44 and no tab. A side top tube 41 and a side bottom tube 42 fixate to the flat plate 44 by weld as shown, but any other fixation means is sufficient.

(21) FIG. 8 shows a close up of the leg 90 having the flat side 110, and dowel 120. The leg 90 is able to accept wheel, as wheels are not desirable in all applications, so having the wheels easily detach is desired, and many wheel attachment and detachment methods are well known in the art and therefore not disclosed herein.

(22) FIG. 7 shows a close up view of the cross supports 10 and U sleeve 20. These cross supports 10 may be constructed with adjustability to enable different depths of plant trays to be used as discussed earlier. Ideally, the U sleeve 20 is of shape and size such that the base top tube 31, base bottom tube 32, side top tube 41 or side bottom tube 42 fittingly insert within the crux of the U shape, thereby allowing fixation, without fasteners, screws, or bolts. For applications to support great mass, or in the indoor gardener setting, requiring significant water and growing media in the tray or for deeper trays that simply hold more weight, cross supports 10 having slip over U sleeve 20 provide under tray support, while increasing strength, stability, and rigidity to the entire tray stand as shown in FIG. 1 assembled.

(23) One possible method of assembling the stand by a solo assembly involves a first step, which is to align the dowel 120 of each leg 90 shown in FIG. 8, with the base receivers 33 shown in FIG. 3, and insert the dowel 120 first through the tab 35 end of the base receivers 33 one at a time until all dowels 120 are fully and fittingly inserted within the base receivers 33. Each dowel 120 should protrude out the other side of each base receiver 33 of each tab 35 parallels in mating contact to a flat side 110 of each leg.

(24) The second step in a one person assembly is to locate the now inserted legs 90 and the first and second base frames 30A and 30B parallel to one another, and spaced apart at a distance approximately matching the length of the first side frame 40A and second side frame 40B.

(25) The third and final step in a one person assembly is to position the first side frame 40A such that the exposed side flat plate 44 end of the side receivers 43 are over and aligned with the dowels 120 protruding from the first base frame 30A and the corresponding end of second base frame 30B such that when the first side frame 40A is brought down the exposed flat plate 44 comes to rest against one side of the corresponding base receiver 33, and the dowels 120 fittingly slide within the corresponding side receivers 43 such that corners 7A and 7B are defined and three sides of the perimeter frame 6 is defined as shown in FIG. 1. The second side frame 40B is slid over the remaining protruding dowels 120 in the same manner as the first side frame 40A, thereby completing the four sides and frame perimeter 6 and defining corners 7C and 7D as shown assembled in FIG. 4. Disassembly is the same except in reverse order.

(26) Another method of assembly involves assembling the stand one corner 7A-D at a time: First by inserting one end of the first leg 90 through one end of the first base frame 30A and then inserting the same end of the first leg 90 through one end of the first side frame 40A, locating the other end of the first leg towards the ground, thereby forming a first corner 7A of the stand 1; Second, by inserting one end of the second leg 90 through one end of the second base frame 30B, and then inserting the same end of the second leg 90 through the other end of the first side frame 40A, locating the other end of the second leg 90 towards the ground thereby forming a second corner 7B; Third, by inserting one end of the third leg 90 through the other end of the first base frame 30A, and then inserting the same end of the third leg through one end of the second side frame 40B, locating the other end of the third leg towards the ground thereby forming the third corner 7C; and Fourth, inserting one end of the fourth leg 90 through the other end of the second base frame 30B, and then inserting the same end of the fourth leg 90 through the other end of the second side frame 40B, locating the other end of the fourth leg towards the ground thereby forming the fourth corner 7D. When all four legs have been inserted as per steps above, the stand 1 will ready to receive plant tray, table top, fish tank, or any other square or rectangular base object.

(27) Once assembled as shown in the preferred embodiment in FIGS. 1-8, each base flat plate 34 and side flat plate 44 parallels in mating contact with a corresponding side of a base receiver 33 and side receiver 43, whereby the first and second base frames 30A and 30B rigidly interlock with the first and second side frames 40A and 40B having the dowel 120 maintain the interlocking alignment and rigidly engage the corresponding leg 90 at the corresponding corners 7A-D. The weight of the components of the stand 1 provides the constant force to maintain the interlock at the corners locking the frame together once assembled as shown in FIG. 4. As weight is added to the frame perimeter, or at optional cross supports 10, the components deflect and distort minimally thereby tightening the interlocking effect at the corners 7A-D, and increasing the strength and rigidity of the stand 1. In short, the more weight added, the stronger the interlock, and more stable the stand becomes. Remove the weight, and the stand 1 easily knocks down into its modular components for quick and convenient storage or transport.