AU667838B2 - Support device with adjustable guide - Google Patents

Description

P/00/011 28/591 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 66 838

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invntion Tit SUPPORT DEVICE WITH ADJUSTABLE GUIDE Invention Title: The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- This invention is an improvement of an invention relating to Support Device which is the subj act of Patent Application No.

74949/91 hereafter referred to as the parent invention.

5 This improvement relates to the guide means of the said support device being adjustable in length.

S BACKGROUND The height of the area or space where the said support device will be situated can vary, therefore a need exists to have the 10 guide means of the support device adjustable in length in order to accommodate for such variations in height.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present improvement to the parent invention seeks to provide a guide means which is adjustable in length in order to allow the said support device to fit into spaces of varying

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-2heights and also to increase the holding capacity of articles.

In one form the invention resides in a guide means being comprised of multiple sections which interlock one into the other thereby allowing the guide means to be adjustable in length. The guide means can be comprised of three different sections. The first section being the bottom section, the second section being the intermediate section and the third section being the top section. The said bottom section is integrally formed with the base and is preferably of a relatively short length for easy packaging of the support device. The said intermediate section is also of relatively short length and is specifically designed to fit between the bottom section and the top section. The said top section can fit either directly onto the upper part of the bottom section 15 or onto the upper part of the intermediate section. The minimum length of the guide means can be achieved by connecting the top section directly to the bottom section.

One or more intermediate sections can be placed between the top and bottom sections depending on the desired height to be obtained.

S S BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is an isometric view of the support device showing the guide means and its different sections in an exploded form.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side view of the guide means according to the first embodiment, illustrating the top and bottom sections about to be interconnected.

-3- I Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with the exception that the two sections are interlocked one into the other.

Fig. 4 is a schematic side view of a intermediate section according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 5 is an overhead view of the guide means taken along line of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side view of the guide means according to the second embodiment, illustrating the top and bottom sections about to be interconnected.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 with the exception that the two -ections are interconnected together.

Fig. 8 is a schematic side view of a intermediate section according to the second embodiment.

Fig. 9 is an overhead view of the guide means taken along line 9-9 of Fig. 7.

BEST MODES OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The two embodiments shown in the drawings are each directed to a support device for supporting articles in a pile so that any one of the articles in the pile can be removed without disrupting the orderly arrangement of the pile. The device S comprises a guide means and a plurality of spacing elements mounted on and slidably movable along the guide means. The spacing elements adjacent to one another when in a spaced apart relationship defining storage zone each for receiving and storing one of the articles. The spacing elements serve to maintain at least partial separation between articles in the pile to permit any one of the articles to be removed iii I without disrupting the pile. As each article is removed from the pile, the spacing elements above it slide down along the guide means to progressively decrease the height of the pile.

The guide means in each embodiment is adjustable in length.

In the first embodiment, which is shown in Figs 1 to 5 the guide means 1 comprises a plurality of sections, being a bottom section 2, one or more intermediate sections 3, and a top section 4. There is only one intermediate section 3 shown in the drawings for the embodiment.

The bottom section 2 is integrally formed with the base 8 and is preferab'y of relatively short length for easy packaging of the support device. The intermediate section 3 is also of relatively short length and is specifically constructed to fit between the bottom section 2 and the top section 4.

The top section 4 can fit either directly onto the upper part 6 of the bottom section 2 or onto the upper part 7 of the intermediate section 3.

0 000 a a 000~ ao 20 0 The advantage of this present system is that it allows the top section to be connected directly to the bottom section 2 thereby giving the minimum height to the said support device or else it allows the inclusion of one or more intermediate sections 3 between the top and bottom sections in order to achieve the desired height.

The lower part 10 of the top section 4 and the lower part 11 of the intermediate section 3 which are identical in size and construction have male connections. The upper part 6 of the bottom section 2 and the upper part of the intermediate section 3 which are also identical in size and construction have female connections. Each male connection comprises two pins 12 which fit into their respective holes 13 in the female connections of the bottom or intermediate sections.

The back 14 of the lower part 10 of the top section 4 and the back 15 of the lower part 11 of the intermediate section 3 contain a resiliently bendable segment 16. The tip 17 of the said resiliently bendable segment 16 is adapted to engage a recess 18 located either on the back 19 of the upper part 7 of the intermediate section 3 or at the back 20 of the upper part so* 7 of the bottom section 2. The resilient nature of the said 1 5 segment 16 enables it to deflect away from its normal I condition as shown in Fig. 2 to allow its tip 17 to snap into engagement with the respective recess 18 as it returns to its normal condition as shown in Fig. 3. The resilient nature of the said segment also allows its tip 17 to be pulled away from the recess 18 in order to allow the sections to be detached S from one another.

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The two pins 12, once positioned into their respective holes 13, keep the now interlocked sections from moving laterally in respect to each other whilst the resiliently bendable segment 16, once positioned into the recess 18 keeps the said sections :firmly joined together and inhibit them from detaching from one another. The said three sections of the guide means are all of the same width in order to present a uniform track for ii 1 -6the leaves to move along. The same applies for the thickness of the said three sections.

All the different sections of the guide means 1 have the advantage of being releasably engagable to each other. It should also be noted that because the resiliently bendable segment is centrally situated on the back of the respective sections as shown in Figs 5 and 9, it will not interfere with the free movement of the leaves along the guide means.

The embodiment shown in Figs 6, 7, 8 and 9 is somewhat similar to the embodiment shown in Figs 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 with the A exception that a strengthening rib 21 is located along the back of the three sections of the guide means. The said rib 21 not only strengthens the guide means 1 but also allows a stronger connection with the inclusion of a prong 22 which fits into the cavity 23 when the two sections are interlocked one into the other.

The guide means can also present itself in a telescoping form which is comprised of two or more separate sections which slidably fit into one another whereby the guide means can be extended or contracted in order to increase or decrease its length.

Finally, it should be appreciated that the scope of the Sinvention is not limited to the scope of the various L embodiments described.

Claims (5)

1. A device for supporting articles in a pile as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 and 26 to 32 inclusive of Patent Application No. 74949/91, wherein the guide means is adjustable in length.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein said guide means comprises a plurality of interconnected sections.

3. A device according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said sections are of equal width and thickness in order to provide a uniform track onto which the leaves can smoothly move along.

4. A device according to any of the preceding claims wherein said sections of said guide means contain interconnecting means which keep the sections firmly joined together and inhibit detachment or lateral movement in relation to one another.

5. A device substantially as herein described with o reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this seventeenth day of January 1996 1 CLAUDE PAUL GENERO and GAIL ANN GENERO Applicants