US20050230330A1 - Nestable and stacking document sorter - Google Patents
Nestable and stacking document sorter Download PDFInfo
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- US20050230330A1 US20050230330A1 US11/096,939 US9693905A US2005230330A1 US 20050230330 A1 US20050230330 A1 US 20050230330A1 US 9693905 A US9693905 A US 9693905A US 2005230330 A1 US2005230330 A1 US 2005230330A1
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- Prior art keywords
- sorter
- support beams
- divider
- dividers
- pair
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47F—SPECIAL FURNITURE, FITTINGS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR SHOPS, STOREHOUSES, BARS, RESTAURANTS OR THE LIKE; PAYING COUNTERS
- A47F7/00—Show stands, hangers, or shelves, adapted for particular articles or materials
- A47F7/14—Show stands, hangers, or shelves, adapted for particular articles or materials for pictures, e.g. in combination with books or seed-bags ; for cards, magazines, newspapers, books or booklike articles, e.g. audio/video cassettes
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B42—BOOKBINDING; ALBUMS; FILES; SPECIAL PRINTED MATTER
- B42F—SHEETS TEMPORARILY ATTACHED TOGETHER; FILING APPLIANCES; FILE CARDS; INDEXING
- B42F17/00—Card-filing arrangements, e.g. card indexes or catalogues or filing cabinets
- B42F17/02—Card-filing arrangements, e.g. card indexes or catalogues or filing cabinets in which the cards are stored substantially at right angles to the bottom of their containers
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B42—BOOKBINDING; ALBUMS; FILES; SPECIAL PRINTED MATTER
- B42F—SHEETS TEMPORARILY ATTACHED TOGETHER; FILING APPLIANCES; FILE CARDS; INDEXING
- B42F17/00—Card-filing arrangements, e.g. card indexes or catalogues or filing cabinets
- B42F17/02—Card-filing arrangements, e.g. card indexes or catalogues or filing cabinets in which the cards are stored substantially at right angles to the bottom of their containers
- B42F17/06—Card-filing arrangements, e.g. card indexes or catalogues or filing cabinets in which the cards are stored substantially at right angles to the bottom of their containers with separable or loose card separating means
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Abstract
A document sorter has a pair of laterally spaced apart side support beams. Each beam has a front end and a rear end. A plurality of generally vertically oriented dividers is spaced apart from one another along the beams. Each divider traverses a space between the side support beams and includes a front divider, a rear divider, and an intermediate divider therebetween. A storage space is defined above the side support beams between each adjacent pair of dividers. Each of the plurality of dividers has a portion positioned above an inner most edge of each of the side support beams. That portion has a width that is less than the space between the side support beams adjacent that divider. Each divider has laterally opposed ends connected one each to a respective one of the side support beams. The sorter can be stacked upon and nested with multiple like sorters.
Description
- This patent is related to and claims priority benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/559,313, filed on Apr. 2, 2004 and U.S. provisional application No. 60/592,271 filed on Jul. 29, 2004, and incorporates by reference all of the subject matter disclosed in said prior provisional applications.
- 1. Field of the Disclosure
- The present disclosure is generally related to document and file organization and storage products, and more particularly to a nestable and stackable sorter for files, documents, and the like.
- 2. Description of Related Art
- Storage and organizer products for documents, file folders, and the like are known. Generally, such products are intended for individual use and are not typically nestable and stackable relative to one another when using more than two of such products. However, such products are often shipped and displayed in individual form or nested in pairs. Consequently, these known products take up a relatively large amount of retail shelf space and also a significant amount of space during shipment.
- The consumption of relatively large amounts of retail shelf space by such products is problematic, as retail shelf space is extremely valuable and manufacturers compete vigorously for adequate shelf space to display their products. Any inefficient use of retail shelf space can lead to a manufacturer's products not being adequately displayed, as well as a reduction in the number of different products a manufacturer may be allowed to display in a given retail store.
- Because the profit margins for these items can be relatively small, a means for packaging these items in a compact manner is important for reducing shipment and handling costs of such low margin products.
- Typical organizer or sorter products can only be stacked with one other identical product by inverting one of the products, rotating it 180 degrees, and placing it on top of and nesting it with the other of the products. Sorter products stacked and nested in this manner are susceptible to movement relative to one another, and can be damaged. Thus, additional packaging materials, such as cardboard, Styrofoam, plastic film and the like must be utilized to prevent product damage from relative movement between such products from scuffing or scratching during shipment and handling.
- These types of products are typically individually packaged or packaged in pairs for shipping. Upon being prepared to be displayed for sale, the products are then unpackaged by the retailer if packaged in pairs.
- Objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following description in conjunction with the drawing figures, in which:
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FIG. 1 shows a top perspective view of one example of a sorter constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention; -
FIG. 2 shows a bottom perspective view of the sorter ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 3 shows a front view of the sorter ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 4 shows a top view of the sorter ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 5 shows a cross section view of the sorter ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 6 shows a side view of three of the sorters ofFIG. 1 and arranged in one example of a stacked and nested configuration; -
FIG. 7 shows a side cross section view of another example of a sorter constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention; -
FIG. 8 shows a side view of three of the sorters ofFIG. 7 and arranged in another example of a stacked and nested configuration; -
FIG. 9 shows a front view of a sorter of either ofFIG. 1 orFIG. 7 and supporting a file folder; -
FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of another example of a sorter constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention; -
FIGS. 11A- 11E show additional examples of sorters constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention; -
FIGS. 12A-12D illustrate additional examples of sorters constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention; -
FIGS. 13A-13B illustrate an additional example of a sorter constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. - The present invention is generally directed to a sorter for organizing and storing documents, file folders, and the like in a substantially vertical orientation. The disclosed sorter can be stacked and nested with a plurality of identical sorters in order to reduce the space necessary for shipping, storage, and retail display. By nesting and stacking a large number of identical sorters, the sorters can also be tightly packed. Thus, the sorters may move relatively little or not at all relative to one another during shipping. This further reduces the possibility of the products becoming scratched or scraped.
- Turning now to the drawings,
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a perspective view of one example of adocument sorter 20 constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. The disclosedsorter 20 generally includes a pair of support pillars orbeams 22, a plurality ofupstanding dividers 24, afront end 26, and arear leg 28 extending downward from arear end 30 of the sorter. Therear legs 28 elevate therear end 30 upwardly relative to thefront end 26 and tilt thebeams 22 in an upward and rearward direction. The dividers are hereinafter collectively identified asdividers 24, but specifically include a front or forwardmost divider 24 a, a plurality ofintermediate dividers 24 b, and a rear orback divider 24 c. When referring to the dividers generally, they are referred to byreference number 24. When referring to specific dividers, thereference numbers - The
dividers 24 extend vertically upward and are spaced apart and positioned traversing laterally between the spaced apartsupport beams 22. Thedividers 24 are longitudinally spaced apart between thefront end 26 and therear end 30 of thesorter 20. In this example, the dividers are at equidistant spacing relative to each other. Storage gaps orspaces 31 are formed between adjacent ones of thedividers 24.FIG. 3 illustrates a front view of thesorter 20 shown inFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 2 illustrates thesorter 20 ofFIG. 1 but in an inverted orientation to show its underside. In the disclosed example, thesupport beams 22 of thesorter 20 include an outermost edge 32 and an innermost edge 34. The space between theinner edges 34 of the pair ofsupport beams 22 is open and traversed only by thedividers 24. Eachsupport beam 22 in this example has a lengthwise or longitudinal axis extending between thefront end 26 and therear end 30 of thesorter 20. The disclosedsupport beams 22 are straight relative to their longitudinal direction, but inclined by the height of therear legs 28. Thesupport beams 22 are curved or arcuate in a radial direction relative to the support beam axis between the respective inner andouter edges support beam 22 is curved upwardly or is convex in an upward direction. Thus, theinner edges 34 of the support beams are at a higher elevation than theouter edges 32 in this example. - In the disclosed example shown in
FIGS. 1-3 , each of thedividers 24 has an arcuate or curvedupper arch portion 36. In this example, thearch portion 36 has alower edge 38 and anupper edge 40 that essentially follow the same contour. Thefront divider 24 a has a generally solidfront surface 42 beneath thelower edge 38, whereas the remainingdividers dividers 24 can have a closed front or an open front as desired. Further, the closed front surface, if present, can include one or more holes, openings, or perforations to reduce material weight, usage, and thus cost, or merely for ornamental purpose. - The shape of the
dividers 24 can also vary within the spirit and scope of the present invention. In this example, the arcuate or curvedarch portion 36 is in the form of a semi-circle. However, the curvature or shape need not be any particular shape. In fact, thedividers 24 can be any shape suitable for supporting file folders, documents, and the like within thespaces 31 of thesorter 20. The size of thedividers 24 in the disclosed example are such that theupper edges 40 are below a height of a file or folder stored therein and are narrower than a width of a file or folder stored therein. Thus, a user can easily read a file or other object to view any labels or content indicators and can grasp objects stored in the sorter along virtually any of three edges or-comers of the article. However, thedividers 24 should be of sufficient width and sufficient height to bear against a sufficient portion of a file, folder, document, or other article or object stored in the sorter so that the object is adequately supported in a substantially vertical or upright orientation. - As indicated in
FIG. 2 showing theinverted sorter 20, only thefront panel 24 a includes a generally linearbottom edge 44. Thelower edge 38 of each of thedividers most divider 24 a is curved to substantially mirror the curvature of the respective upper edges 40. In this manner, thefront divider 24 a of thesorter 20 will give the appearance of a solid, substantial divider and sorter product. However, material reduction and therefore cost reduction can be achieved by the open front configuration of thedividers most divider 24 a. - The top view of
FIG. 4 shows that thedividers 24 are not planar or flat in a lateral or side to side direction. Instead, eachdivider 24 has a slight convex curvature relative to thefront end 26 of the sorter. The curvature of thedividers 24 can add structural rigidity and strength to the sorter. When a number of files or folders are stored in a givengap 31, thecurved dividers 24 can better support the bearing weight of the folders or files. Thearch portion 36 of each divider can also have a curve in cross section to add further structure and stiffness to each divider and the overall sorter construction. However, thedividers 24 can be planar or flat if desired, or can be planar but have some depth created by ribs to add rigidity. - Also as shown in
FIGS. 2 and 5 , eachdivider 24 terminates at opposed lower ends 50. Eachend 50 further has a laterally extendingfoot 52. Thefeet 52 of thedividers 24 extend in outwardly opposite directions in this example. Each of thefeet 52 in this example has an upper edge that interconnects to anunderside 54 of arespective support beam 22. In this example, eachfoot 52 extends completely from theinnermost edge 34 to theoutermost edge 32 of the support beams 22. The length and height of eachfoot 52 in this example adds strength and rigidity to thedividers 24, the support beams 22, and theentire sorter 20. Each of thefeet 52 of thedividers lower edge 56 in this example. The upward curvature of the support beams adds height to thefeet 52 from the lower foot edges 56 to the underside of thebeams 22, which adds further rigidity and strength to the structure. - The ends 50 and
feet 52 of the forwardmost divider 24 a are interconnected to and close off a forward facing edge of the respective support beams 22. The ends 50 andfeet 52 of the rearwardmost divider 24 c are connected to and close off a rearward facing edge of the respective support beams 22. In this example, thebottom edges 58 of the rearwardmost divider 24 c depend further downward and define therear legs 28. - The area within the
gaps 31 is open betweenadjacent dividers 24 and laterally between the oppositeinnermost edges 34 of the support beams 22. As a result,multiple sorters 20 of identical construction can be nested relative to and stacked upon one another as illustrated inFIG. 6 . Thedividers 24 of a lowermost sorter 20 can be received through the openings in thegaps 31 between the support beams 22 of a next adjacent upper sorter in a stack. The lateral width of thedividers 24 in this example is such that the dividers can fit within the lateral opening between support beams in the next adjacent upper sorter. The front or forward most divider 24 a of the lower most sorter in the stack is positioned forward of thefront divider panel 24 a of the next upwardly adjacent stacked sorter. Each next upwardly stacked sorter is similarly positioned or offset behind the previous sorter front divider. Therear legs 28 of each sorter are positioned behind the previously stacked sorter. Thegaps 31 permit only a limited number of dividers to nest therebetween. The gap can be precisely dimensioned to tightly or closely fit a specific number of dividers. In this manner, that number of sorters can be stacked and nested relative to one another as depicted inFIG. 6 . Only threesuch sorters 20 are depicted therein, with room for one or moreadditional sorters 20 in the stack. - As shown in
FIGS. 2 and 5 , thelower edges 56 of thefeet 52 of thedividers outermost edge 32 of the support beams 22 in this example. The lower edges 56 provide contact points which bear against thesupport beam 22 of a loweradjacent support beam 22 in the stack. Thus, thefeet 52 can determine the vertical stacking depth of onesorter 20 on top of another sorter. In this example, the feetbottom edges 56 are positioned such that thesupport beam 22 of onesorter 20 does not vertically overlap or nest in contact with anothersupport beam 22 of anadjacent sorter 20. Thus, the support beams 22 rest spaced from one another in this example. This can reduce or inhibit friction locking between stacked sorters. - Alternative contact points between stacked sorters can be provided. In one example as shown in
FIG. 7 , different configurations of thelower edges 56′ of thefeet 52′ can be provided to define a different nesting depth between stacked sorters. The elevation of thelower edges 56′ of thefeet 52′ in this example do not extend as far downward as thefeet 52 of the prior example. In this example thelower edges 56′ of thefeet 52′ are raised or elevated so that it is well above the height of theoutermost edge 32 of the support beams 22. The contact point between thelower edges 56′ and the top of the support beams 22 would thus permit a greater nesting depth between the stacked and nestedsorters 20 as shown inFIG. 8 . The support beams 22 at least partially overlap with the next lower support beams 22 in this example to provide a tighter nesting and thus a shorter stack ofsorters 20. - As shown in
FIG. 9 , files, folders, and the like that are stored in thegaps 31 betweendividers 24 of the disclosed sorters will also rest on the top surface of the support beams 22. As noted above, the size of the dividers can be such that parts of the stored objects extend beyond the perimeter of the dividers. The exposed parts of the objects can thus be easily seen and grasped as needed. -
FIG. 10 illustrates another example of asorter 200 that is similar in many respects to thesorter 20 described previously. However, in this example, thesorter 200 hassupport beams 202 that are curved in both a radial and a longitudinal direction. Thesorter 200 depicts one of many variations that can be achieved in the disclosed sorter configurations without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. -
FIGS. 11A-11E illustrate yet additional examples of file or document sorters constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.FIG. 11A illustrates asorter 210 withsupport beams 212 that are flat in cross section, or relative to a radial direction, but are curved in the longitudinal direction. Additionally, thesorter 210 includesdividers 214 that are curved along theirtop edges 216 but have substantially straight side edges 218.FIG. 11B illustrates asimilar sorter 220 with essentially identical support beams 222. However, thesorter 220 has substantially rectangular shapeddividers 224. -
FIG. 11C illustrates another example of asorter 230 that also has flat cross sectional support beams 232 that are curved in a longitudinal direction. In this example, thesorter 230 hasdividers 234 that are semi-circular in configuration, similar to thedividers 24 of thesorter 20 described herein. However, as with thedividers sorters rear dividers 234 are solid and are not open arches. -
FIG. 11D illustrates asorter 240 withsupport beams 242 similar to the support beams 212, 222, and 232 andsolid surface dividers 244. However, in this example, thedividers 244 includetop edges 246 that have one of many possible alternative curvilinear configurations.FIG. 11E illustrates asorter 250, again havingsupport beams 252 similar to those in the previous sorter examples ofFIGS. 11A-11D . However, in this example, thesorter 250 includesdividers 254 that are similar to the dividers of thesorter 20 described previously herein, except that all of the dividers, including the forwardmost divider 254 have no solid front surface, but are of an open front configuration. -
FIGS. 12A-12D illustrate yet additional examples of sorter configurations that fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention.FIG. 12A illustrates asorter 260 with essentiallyrectangular dividers 262 of varying height. In this example, thedividers 262 are also two dimensionally curved in cross section along their perimeter edges.FIG. 12B illustrates asimilar sorter 270 withdividers 272 of essentially the same construction as thedividers 262. However, in this example, thedividers 272 are open and do not include solid front surfaces.FIGS. 12C and 12D illustrate still further examples ofsorters dividers dividers 282 ofFIG. 12C are generally rectangular in shape, while thedividers 292 ofFIG. 12D are generally arch shaped including three sides and having squared off corners. -
FIGS. 13A-13B illustrate an additional example of a sorter configuration that falls within the spirit and scope of the present invention. Thesorter 300 hassupport beams dividers 306. Thedividers 306 have substantiallyflat sides 308 andbottoms 310, and havingtops 312 formed in an arc-shape. Other shapes for the perimeter of thedivider 306 are readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. The support beams 302, 304 anddivider sides 308, bottom 310, and top 312 have a round cross-section shape and may be constructed of plastic. Alternately, the support beams 302, 304 anddivider sides 308, bottom 310, and top 312 can be made of metal, for example, a suitable diameter wire formed to the desired shape. Thedividers 306 may be open, similar to that ofdivider 254, or may be closed, as illustrated, similar todividers 224. To form aclosed divider 306, a suitable-mesh 314 can be coupled to thesides 308, bottom 310 and top 312. Themesh 314 of the closed construction provides support to documents placed betweendividers 306 and can vary in opening size. Themesh 314 can be woven, for example of fabric or wire screen. Alternately, themesh 314 can be a molded substance. Themesh 314 can be substantially transparent, to ease document identification, translucent, or even opaque, depending on the mesh material and construction.FIG. 13B illustrates threeexemplary sorters FIG. 13A stacked, for example, for shipping or display as described above. As will be evident to those having ordinary skill in the art, a sorter falling within the spirit and scope of the present invention can be achieved while the particular shape and configuration of the dividers and beams can vary considerably. In these examples, thebeams dividers 306 to allow stacking of like sorters. - Merchandisers and retailers of vertical orientation document sorters typically provide shelf space and retail arrangements that vary from store to store and from retailer to retailer. Thus, a product configuration that is suitable for display in a shelf space at one location may not be suitable for a shelf space or configuration at another location. The disclosed sorters permit stacking and nesting of multiple products. The disclosed sorters can thus be displayed, packaged, shipped, stocked, stored, and the like within a relatively small amount of shelf space.
- By maximizing packaging and shipping space as well as store shelf space utilizing the disclosed document sorter configurations, one is able to package, ship and store a larger product volume per unit area. This creates more space within an-existing product display in a limited shelf space arrangement that may have been originally suited for a completely different product. This can increase revenue dollars for the retailer per square foot of shelf-space. This can also permit adding the disclosed article holders to an existing shelf space without having to knock out another product from that shelf space.
- Sorters for storing items such as file folders, documents, and the like in a vertical orientation have not heretofore been designed for nestability in the manner disclosed herein. Some solutions have been provided, but these typically require that the sorters being offered for sale be provided in several pieces, partially dismantled, or as stand alone units. Also, such products typically are packaged with cardboard, Styrofoam, plastic film and the like to protect the articles from being damaged by one another, such as by being scuffed, scratched, or the like, while being shipped or while on display for sale.
- In contrast, the disclosed document sorter configurations may eliminate the need for utilizing foam, paper, corrugated elements, poly bags, or other such packing materials. Instead, the disclosed sorters can be shipped, stored, and displayed in tightly nested stacks. The stacks will provide stability to the shipped, stored, and displayed products. The products can stand alone in stacks without additional packing in shipping containers or on a shelf storage space for sale.
- Some other existing office products of the type described herein are capable of nesting, but only with one other like product. Further, one of the two products must be inverted or turned upside down and rotated 180 degrees relative to the other in order to nest. These types of products, however, must still utilize additional packing to prevent the products from moving relative to one another during shipping and display, which would otherwise cause scuffing or scratching. Such known products do not typically optimize product nesting or reduce shelf space to the degree that the disclosed sorters can accomplish.
- The disclosed sorters achieve the objective of substantially reducing the necessary space required for shipping, storage, and retail sale, while still maintaining standard function for such products. The standard function is typically to be suitable for storing file folders or similar sized documents. The disclosed sorters can nest bi-directionally, i.e., horizontally offset and vertically, while still meeting the aforementioned function and minimizing the possibility of product damage during shipping.
- The materials and processes used to manufacture the disclosed article holders can vary considerably and yet fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention. However, in one example, the sorters disclosed herein can be manufactured using an injection molding process. The materials utilized in one example can be commodity plastics such as polystyrene or polypropylene. However, many other materials may be suitable for forming the disclosed sorters. For example, other materials may include engineering grade plastic materials such as polycarbonate, ABS, or TPE. Other commodity thermoplastics, or even further alternative materials such as metal, wood, organic materials, leather, glass, and/or variations and combinations of these materials, as well as other materials such as fabrics and woven materials may be used. Material selection may assist in creating a higher impact strength, flexibility, improved resistance to scratching or scuffing, or enhanced appearance. The material selection can be undertaken with important characteristics in mind for a given application. However, engineering plastics such as polystyrene or polypropylene also lend themselves to reduce consumer cost.
- The disclosed sorters can be painted, decorated, or in-molded with labels, graphics, or other layers or accents. These additional design characteristics can be employed to protect the surfaces of the sorter or to enhance the decorative nature of the product. Combinations of materials can be utilized and assembled in any suitable way, including forming a plastic underbody product with rubber over-molded on the plastic base material. Alternatively, metal parts can be mechanically fastened together or wood products can be covered with suitable decorative materials such as fabric, metal decorative and protective corner features, and the like.
- Depending upon the materials selected, the manufacturing processes and methods used can also vary and be employed as needed. In one example, a plastic sorter disclosed herein can be molded using a simple two part mold. The construction of the dividers, beams, and feet can be configured to provide the necessary mold draft for easy formation and removal of parts from the mold cavities. The openings in the dividers and between the dividers can be formed by providing shut-offs or surface-to-surface metal contact within the mold.
- The disclosed sorter configurations improve upon maximizing retail shelf space, accommodate variable shelf space arrangements and configurations, and enhance product nesting during display for sale. Product nesting is accomplished in a bidirectional manner to yield a stack with offset in both a horizontal and a vertical direction. The stacked products can be displayed and shipped without damage to the product caused by scuffing, scrapping, and the like because the products can be tightly nested. The need for additional packing can be negated. The disclosed sorters can also provide multiple access points to the stored objects so that a user can easily grasp materials stored between the dividers.
- Additionally, freight cube size can be optimized and significantly reduced utilizing the disclosed sorter configurations. Products shipped in bulk can be directly unloaded from the master carton or shipping-box onto a shelf. No additional reorientation of the product may be necessary, making the merchandiser's handling of the product easier. The nested products can also assist in retaining the displayed sorters on a retail shelf space. The products when nested as disclosed herein also look more organized. This reduces the amount of work required by the customer/merchandiser to keep the shelf display organized and arranged. An organized shelf space may effect the perception of the consumer and influence his or her decision to buy the displayed sorters.
- Further, because more products can be displayed for sale in a given amount of shelf space, less restocking time and stocking space is necessary for the retailer. Having more products available for sale at any one time reduces the frequency of an item appearing to be out of stock, which can prevent a consumer from leaving the establishment to go elsewhere to find the desired product.
- Although certain document and file sorters that are nestable and stackable have been described herein in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure, the scope of coverage of this patent is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers all embodiments of the teachings of the disclosure that fairly fall within the scope of permissible equivalents.
Claims (29)
1. A sorter comprising:
a pair of laterally spaced apart support beams, each support beam having a front end and a rear end;
a plurality of dividers generally vertically oriented spaced apart from one another, and oriented generally parallel to one another, each divider traversing a space between the support beams, the plurality of dividers including a front divider positioned near the front ends of the pair of support beams, a rear divider positioned near the rear ends of the pair of support beams and an intermediate divider therebetween; and
a storage space defined above the side support beams and between each adjacent pair of dividers,
wherein each of the plurality of dividers has at least a portion positioned above an innermost edge of each of the pair of support beams, the portion having a width that is less than the space between the support beams adjacent that divider, and wherein each divider has laterally opposed ends connected one each to a respective one of the support beams.
2. The sorter of claim 1 , wherein the laterally opposed ends are connected to the support beams below and laterally outward of the inner most edges of the support beams.
3. The sorter of claim 1 , wherein the pair of support beams is inclined upward toward the rear ends thereof.
4. The sorter of claim 1 , further including a rear leg extending from the rear end of each support beam, the rear leg being of sufficient height to elevate the rear end of the sorter relative to the front end of the sorter.
5. The sorter of claim 4 , including two rear legs, each substantially a continuation of the rear divider and located proximate the opposed ends of the rear divider.
6. The sorter of claim 1 , wherein each of the pair of support beams has an outer edge and the space between the inner edges of respective support beams is traversed only by the plurality of dividers.
7. The sorter of claim 6 , wherein each of the pair of support beams are curved in a radial direction between the respective inner most and outer edges of the support beams.
8. The sorter of claim 7 , wherein the support beam curvature is convex relative to top edges of the dividers.
9. The sorter of claim 7 , wherein the support beam curvature is concave relative to top edges of the dividers.
10. The sorter of claim 7 , wherein the inner most edge of each of the pair of support beams is at a different elevation relative to the laterally corresponding outer edge of the support beam at any position along the pair of support beams.
11. The sorter of claim 1 , wherein each divider in the plurality of dividers includes an upper arch surface.
12. The sorter of claim 11 , wherein each divider in the plurality of dividers includes a lower edge that follows substantially the same contour as the upper arch surface forming an open front of the respective divider beneath the lower edge.
13. The sorter of claim 1 , wherein the front divider has a generally solid front surface beneath an upper edge thereof.
14. The document sorter of claim 1 , wherein the front divider includes a generally linear bottom edge.
15. The sorter of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of dividers each includes a slight convex curvature in a lateral direction and relative to the front end of the sorter.
16. The sorter of claim 1 , wherein each divider in the plurality of dividers terminates at opposed lower ends and each opposed lower end includes a laterally extending foot and wherein each foot includes an upper edge that is joined to an underside of the corresponding support beam of the pair of support beams.
17. The sorter of claim 16 , wherein each foot extends completely from the outer edge to the inner most edge of the corresponding support beam.
18. The sorter of claim 17 , wherein the feet of the front divider close off the front ends of the pair of support beams.
19. The sorter of claim 17 , wherein the feet of the rear divider close off the rear ends of the pair of support beams.
20. A stack of sorters, the stack comprising:
a plurality of sorters, each sorter including:
a pair of laterally spaced apart support beams, each support beam having a front end and a rear end;
a plurality of dividers generally vertically oriented spaced apart from one another, and oriented generally parallel to one another, each divider traversing a space between the support beams, the plurality of dividers including a front divider positioned near the front ends of the pair of support beams, a rear divider positioned near the rear ends of the pair of support beams and an intermediate divider therebetween; and
a storage space defined above the side support beams and between each adjacent pair of dividers,
wherein each of the plurality of dividers has at least a portion positioned above an innermost edge of each of the pair of support beams, the portion having a width that is less than the space between the support beams adjacent that divider, and wherein each divider has laterally opposed ends connected one each to a respective one of the support beams;
wherein a first sorter in the plurality of sorters is vertically stacked with a second sorter in the plurality of sorters and wherein the dividers of the second sorter are received upward within the storage spaces of the first sorter and the support beams of the second sorter underlie the support beams of the first sorter providing a nested configuration.
21. The sorter of claim 20 , wherein the front divider of the second sorter is positioned forward of the front divider of the first sorter and a rear leg of the second sorter is positioned forward of a rear leg of the first sorter.
22. The sorter of claim 21 , wherein each divider in the plurality of dividers terminates at opposed lower ends and each opposed lower end includes a laterally extending foot and wherein each foot includes an upper edge that is joined to an underside of the corresponding support beam of the pair of support beams.
23. The sorter of claim 22 , wherein lower edges of the foot of each divider of the first document sorter are flush with the bottom of the outer edge of the support beams and provide contact points which bear against the upper surface of the support beams of the second document sorter.
24. The sorter of claim 22 , wherein lower edges of the foot of each divider of the first document sorter are raised above the bottom of the outer edge of the support beams and provide contact points which bear against the upper surface of the support beams of the second document sorter allowing the support beams of the first document sorter to at least partially overlap the support beams of the second document sorter.
25. The sorter of claim 1 , wherein each of the pair of support beams is curved in both a longitudinal direction between the front and rear ends and laterally across a width of the pair of support beams.
26. The sorter of claim 1 , wherein each of the pair of support beams is flat laterally across a width between the innermost edge and an outer edge.
27. The sorter of claim 26 , wherein each of the pair of support beams is curved in a longitudinal direction between the front and rear ends of the pair of support beams.
28. The sorter of claim 1 , including a plurality of intermediate dividers.
29. A method of stacking sorters comprising:
providing a plurality of sorters, each sorter including:
a pair of laterally spaced apart support beams, each support beam having a front end and a rear end,
a plurality of dividers generally vertically oriented spaced apart from one another, and oriented generally parallel to one another, each divider traversing a space between the support beams, the plurality of dividers including a front divider positioned near the front ends of the pair of support beams, a rear divider positioned near the rear ends of the pair of support beams and an intermediate divider therebetween, and
a storage space defined above the side support beams and between each adjacent pair of dividers,
wherein each of the plurality of dividers has at least a portion positioned above an innermost edge of each of the pair of support beams, the portion having a width that is less than the space between the support beams adjacent that divider, and wherein each divider has laterally opposed ends connected one each to a respective one of the support beams;
positioning a first one of a plurality of sorters vertically above and rearwardly offset relative to a second one of the plurality of sorters;
inserting each the plurality of dividers of the second sorter into a corresponding aligned one of the storage spaces of the first sorter; and
lowering the first sorter until it contacts a portion of the second sorter thereby providing a nested configuration.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11/096,939 US20050230330A1 (en) | 2004-04-02 | 2005-04-01 | Nestable and stacking document sorter |
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US55931304P | 2004-04-02 | 2004-04-02 | |
US59227104P | 2004-07-29 | 2004-07-29 | |
US11/096,939 US20050230330A1 (en) | 2004-04-02 | 2005-04-01 | Nestable and stacking document sorter |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20050230330A1 true US20050230330A1 (en) | 2005-10-20 |
Family
ID=34964879
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US11/096,939 Abandoned US20050230330A1 (en) | 2004-04-02 | 2005-04-01 | Nestable and stacking document sorter |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20050230330A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP1729974A1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2005097517A1 (en) |
Cited By (9)
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USD550284S1 (en) * | 2005-03-10 | 2007-09-04 | Sheldon H. Goodman | File organizer |
US20070272630A1 (en) * | 2003-12-11 | 2007-11-29 | Fortunato De Luca | Desktop Document-Rack Structure |
US20080035645A1 (en) * | 2006-08-10 | 2008-02-14 | Smith Aaron W | Nestable, multi-function, multi-tiered organizational device |
US20090065453A1 (en) * | 2007-09-12 | 2009-03-12 | Smith Aaron W | Nesting and Stacking Document or File Sorter |
US20140284249A1 (en) * | 2013-03-25 | 2014-09-25 | Carousel Ad Master, Inc. | Display carousel with indicia |
USD836400S1 (en) * | 2017-09-01 | 2018-12-25 | Spectrum Diversified Designs, Llc | Kitchen organizer |
USD836401S1 (en) * | 2017-09-01 | 2018-12-25 | Spectrum Diversified Designs, Llc | Kitchen organizer |
US11072198B1 (en) * | 2021-01-19 | 2021-07-27 | Vitalii Savryha | Modular paper organizer |
USD978623S1 (en) * | 2020-11-05 | 2023-02-21 | Heycart, Inc. | Cutting board holder |
Families Citing this family (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
SE530493C2 (en) * | 2006-12-01 | 2008-06-24 | Hl Display Ab | Holder |
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US11072198B1 (en) * | 2021-01-19 | 2021-07-27 | Vitalii Savryha | Modular paper organizer |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP1729974A1 (en) | 2006-12-13 |
WO2005097517A1 (en) | 2005-10-20 |
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Legal Events
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AS | Assignment |
Owner name: RUBBERMAID INCORPORATED, OHIO Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:KILLINGER, TIMOTHY D.;LERCH, MATTHEW G.;SMITH, AARON W.;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:017536/0805;SIGNING DATES FROM 20050610 TO 20060202 |
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AS | Assignment |
Owner name: SANFORD, L.P., ILLINOIS Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:RUBBERMAID INCORPORATED;REEL/FRAME:018679/0372 Effective date: 20061220 |
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STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |