Hanging storage system

[0001] This invention relates to the area of storage systems for home and industrial use, specifically those designed to be retrofitted to existing structures, such as garages or storage units.

[0002] The typical storage scenario involves identifying square footage of a building to be set aside for storage, where items will be stacked on the floor. A storage structure supported from the ceiling of a building increases the capacity of storage space by permitting items to be placed well above the floor, for example in the ceiling area of a garage.

[0003] There is a long history of such storage structures in the art, including U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,715,427 and 6,435,105 to Mikich, et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 6,725,608 to Kraus. These are the most recent inventions, and they primarily address the garage ceiling storage problem. Each has their own mechanism for attachment to the ceiling rafters, and unique rack designs.

[0004] The present invention adapts the state of the art and moves it forward by supplying improved angle iron connectors for rafter support and an optional improved, C-shaped three-sided horizontal beam support to prevent bowing of the support rack.

[0005] Current models of ceiling storage racks for garages share some general design characteristics: they fasten to garage ceilings at 4 or 6 points with vertical risers descending to connect with four horizontal members that form a rectangular frame. The risers can be adjusted for length to match slanted rafter beams and the like.

[0006] A metal screen or wire mesh is placed over the frame to serve as the floor of the storage space. The screen is designed to support loads of a stated weight.

[0007] Several of the state of the art rack systems can not be connected to a ceiling where rafters were set at nonstandard separations. The mounting brackets are usually four inches in width and where the ceiling trusses are at distances of other than 16″ or 24″, they were not large enough to permit attachment such that the risers would descend and form a rectangular shape to connect to the support frame. The current invention allows installers to place the attachment brackets and hence the risers at any point.

[0008] The present invention provides a ceiling attachment bracket capable of spanning the required ceiling truss separation, usually 16″ to 24″. This is done with a special angle iron fitted with two connection points. The installation process is made easier and a stronger, and a two-connection-point attachment is made with the truss. This attachment strategy increases the load capacity of the present invention over competing designs.

[0009] The attachment point holes on the ceiling attachment bracket are not placed in parallel rows, but are staggered such that a better connection with the center of the support truss can be attained. In the preferred embodiment, bolts are driven through the attachment point holes to make the connection with the truss. In an alternative embodiment, attachment holes can be slotted.

[0010] Note that in the Mikich patents, the “adapters” provided are very short, and will not account for multiple-beam connection with beams that are a nonstandard distance apart. The present invention provides significantly wider attachment brackets instead of adapters, permitting the installer to find a much more convenient attachment point for placing bolt holes closer to the center of the ceiling truss. For example, the holes on the Mikich adapter are in a single line unlike the present invention's staggered double line, which provides a significantly more useful attachment ability, permitting the installer to pick a drilling point closer to the center of the ceiling truss for maximum security.

[0011] The invention also possesses in an alternate embodiment a three-sided, C-shaped longitudinal beam for the support rack frame, providing substantial strength improvements over the standard two-sided angle iron

[0020] The present invention is shown in a perspective overview in FIG. 1. The invention 100 consists of the four ceiling attachment brackets 101, four adjustable risers 102 dropping from the attachment brackets 101, a set of cross members 105 and a frame 103,104, and on top of the assembled frame 103,104 and cross members 105 a screen of metal mesh 106 to support items carried by the storage system.

[0021] FIG. 2 shows the assembly of the present invention 100. In close-up, FIG. 3 shows the hard connection via bolts and nuts between the frame 103,104 and a typical cross member 105. In the preferred embodiment, the angle iron for the frame 103,104 and for the cross member 105 is standard two-sided angle iron product. In an alternate embodiment, the longitudinal beam 104 in the frame 103,104 can be made from C-shaped-cross-section, three-sided angle iron product to provide greater strength and stiffness to the frame 103,104. The C-shaped cross-section beam reduces the need for an intermediate riser, where that would be desirable, allowing for the storage of bulkier items.

[0022] FIG. 4 shows the connection between the riser 102 and a ceiling attachment bracket 101. Note that the holes 107 through the bracket 101 are in two rows, staggered to provide a better opportunity for a connection to the overhead trusses in a ceiling. As in FIG. 7, large wood screws or bolts would be driven through the bracket holes 107 chosen to be close to the center of the truss to support the riser 102.

[0023] In FIG. 5 the adjustable nature of the riser 102 is shown, with a two-bolt connection adjustable in small increments to accommodate slanted ceiling trusses, such as with a slanted roof.

[0024] FIG. 6 shows how the frame 103,104 comes together at the riser 102 angle iron connected with bolts.

[0025] Assembly of the invention would consist of selecting the ceiling airspace to be occupied by the storage area defined by the risers 102 and the metal mesh floor 106, identifying attachment points on ceiling trusses to attach the ceiling attachment brackets 101, attach said brackets 101 and than attach the risers 102. Adjust the riser 102 lengths so that a horizontal rectangle in the shape of the invention's 100 floor is defined, then attach the frame 103,104 components and cross members 105 as indicated. Last, place the metal mesh 106 floor on the frame.

[0026] While the foregoing describes a preferred embodiment, variation on this design and equivalent designs may be resorted to in the scope and spirit of the claimed invention.