Hanging shoe rack

Abstract

A hanging shoe rack for supporting shoes in an angular manner. A pair of side frame members having an elongate body section. A plurality of support arms project outwardly and downwardly from each main body section. Pairs of retaining bars are positioned between said frame members and are aligned in a plane forming an acute angle with respect to vertical, to thereby support thereon shoes in an angular manner, with the shoes directed downwardly toward a vertical surface upon which the shoe rack is placed. The support arms, upon opposite side frames, traverse side sections of the shoes to form a barrier against lateral movement of the shoes. Unique socket structure, into which the retaining bars are positioned, permit easy assembly of the shoe rack. Additionally, each side frame member includes unique attachment structure, upon upper and lower ends thereof, so that multiple shoe racks of the present invention may be vertically suspended one from another. A unique hanger is provided for hanging the rack over the top of an upright surface, such as a door.

1. A shoe rack, for hanging on an upright surface, said shoe rack comprising:
 first and second opposed side frame members, each said side frame member having a main body section and a plurality of support arms projecting outwardly, and angled downwardly, from said main body section;  
 a plurality of shoe-retaining bars, extending between said side frame members, for retaining shoes, wherein said shoe-retaining bars are oriented in pairs, each said pair of shoe-retaining bars aligned in a plane forming an acute angle with respect to vertical, to thereby support shoes in an angular manner, with the shoes directed downwardly toward the upright surface, and wherein said support arms upon opposite said side frames traverse the side sections of the shoes to form a barrier against lateral movement of the shoes.  
 
     
     
       2. The shoe rack, according to  claim 1 , wherein each said pair of shoe-retaining bars includes a first retaining bar, positioned proximate an outer end of a corresponding pair of said support arms on said opposed side frame members, and a second retaining bar, extending between said main body portions of said side frame members, wherein said second retaining bar is oriented vertically lower than said first retaining bar. 
     
     
       3. The shoe rack, according to  claim 2 , wherein each said side frame member includes an upper and lower leg extending outwardly for engagement with said upright surface, thereby positioning said main body sections in a location that is spatially removed from said upright surface. 
     
     
       4. The shoe rack, according to  claim 3 , wherein each of said upper and lower legs terminate in a downwardly extending upper and lower foot member, respectively. 
     
     
       5. The shoe rack, according to  claim 4 , further comprising a pair of hangers, each of said hangers for engaging with respective ones of said upper leg members and said upper foot members, and also for engaging over a top of said upright surface. 
     
     
       6. A shoe rack, according to  claim 1 , wherein each of said upper and lower leg members further comprise attachment structure for attaching a shoe rack thereto. 
     
     
       7. A device for placing articles thereon, said device comprising:
 at least one rod member having first and second outer ends;  
 first and second frame members, each said frame member having a socket with a closed end and an open end therein to receive the outer ends, each said socket having an inner portion having a first peripheral dimension adjacent the closed end, and an outer portion having a second peripheral dimension adjacent the open end, wherein said second peripheral dimension is greater than said first peripheral dimension, wherein said first and second outer ends of said rod member are received within respective said sockets, and wherein said outer ends of said rod member are loosely received with said outer portion, and snugly received within said inner portion of said socket.  
 
     
     
       8. The device according to  claim 7 , wherein each said frame member has a plurality of said sockets having said first and second portions, the first peripheral dimension is constant, the second peripheral dimension is constant and further comprising a plurality of rod members adapted to be received within corresponding sockets of said frame members. 
     
     
       9. The device according to  claim 7 , wherein corresponding sockets of pairs of said sockets of said frame members are in alignment when said frame members are positioned in opposed relationship to each other. 
     
     
       10. A shoe rack comprising:
 first and second frame members, each said frame member having an elongate body section, with an upper and a lower end, an upper leg member extending outwardly from said upper end of said body section, and a lower leg member extending outwardly from said lower end of said body section;  
 at least one pair of retaining bars, extending between said first and second frame members, for retaining shoes thereon; and  
 attachment structure for attaching the shoe rack to an identical second shoe rack, said attachment structure comprising upper attachment structure located on each said upper leg and lower attachment structure located on each said lower leg, wherein one of said upper attachment structure and said lower attachment structure comprises a channel and the other of said upper attachment structure and said lower attachment structure comprises an extending male member, wherein said channel of said shoe rack is adapted to mate with a male member of the other shoe rack, to thereby interconnect the two shoe racks, wherein said upper attachment structure comprises a slot opening into said channel, and said lower attachment structure comprises said extending male member, said extending male member including an enlarged outer head, wherein said enlarged outer head of extending male member of said shoe rack is adapted to be received within a channel of said second shoe rack, and wherein said channel and said male member slidingly engage in sidewise fashion, and further, wherein said male member has at least one rib protecting outwardly from a head thereof.  
 
     
     
       11. The shoe rack, according to  claim 10 , wherein said head has outer edges and said rib does not extend to said outer edges. 
     
     
       12. A shoe rack, for hanging on a vertical surface, said shoe rack comprising:
 first and second side frame members, each said side frame member being identically formed of plastic, and comprising an elongate body section, having a front face and a rear face;  
 a plurality of support arms projecting outwardly, and angled downwardly at approximately a 45° angle with respect to horizontal, from said front face of said elongate body section of each of said first and second side frame members;  
 an upper leg extending outwardly from said rear face of each said elongate body section proximate an upper end thereof;  
 a lower leg extending from each said elongate body section proximate a lower end thereof, each of said upper and lower legs terminating in a downwardly extending foot portion for engaging with said vertical surface;  
 a first plurality of sockets, positioned on each said frame member, wherein each socket of said first plurality is located proximate an outer end of a corresponding said support arm;  
 a second plurality of sockets, positioned on each said frame member, wherein each socket of said second plurality is located along said elongate body section of said frame member;  
 wherein each said socket of said first and second plurality of sockets has a first inner portion of a first peripheral dimension and a second outer portion of a second peripheral dimension, wherein said second peripheral dimension is greater than said first peripheral dimension;  
 a first plurality of shoe-retaining rods, each said rod of said plurality extending between said frame members and snugly positioned within said first, inner areas of corresponding sockets of said first plurality of sockets;  
 a second plurality of shoe-retaining rods, each said rod of said second plurality positioned between said first and second frame members and snugly positioned within said inner portion of corresponding sockets of said second plurality of sockets;  
 wherein each said retaining rod of said first plurality and said second plurality of retaining rods form one of a pair of a plurality of retaining rod pairs, each said retaining rod pair comprising one retaining rod from said first plurality of retaining rods and one retaining rod from said second plurality of retaining rods, wherein said retaining rod of each said pair taken from said first plurality of retaining rods is oriented vertically higher than its corresponding paired retaining rod of said second plurality of rods, wherein said pairs of retaining rods are adapted to support thereon shoes having side sections, and wherein said shoe-retaining rods of said pairs are aligned in a plane forming an acute angle with respect to vertical, to thereby support the shoes in an angular manner with the shoes directed toward said vertical surface;  
 wherein said support arms upon said side frame members traverse said side sections of the shoes to form a barrier against lateral movement of the shoes, thereby preventing the shoes from laterally falling off the shoe rack; and  
 upper and lower attachment structure, positioned on said upper and lower legs, respectively, for permitting multiple said shoe racks to be suspended together in vertical orientation, wherein said upper attachment structure comprises at least one female channel, and said lower attachment structure comprises at least one downwardly projecting male member, said female channel of a first said shoe rack adapted to mate with said male member of a second said shoe rack to thereby vertically suspend the said shoe racks together.  
 
     
     
       13. A shoe rack, for hanging on an upright surface, said shoe rack comprising:
   first and second opposed side frame members, each said side frame member having a main body section and a plurality of support arms projecting outwardly from a front face of said main body section, wherein each said side frame member includes an upper and lower leg extending outwardly from a rear face of said body section for engagement with said upright surface, thereby positioning said main body sections in a location that is spatially removed from said upright surface;        a plurality of shoe - retaining bars, extending between said side frame members, for retaining shoes, wherein said shoe - retaining bars are oriented in pairs, each said pair of shoe - retaining bars aligned in a plane forming an acute angle with respect to vertical, to thereby support shoes in an angular manner, with the shoes directed downwardly toward the upright surface, and wherein said main body sections of said side frame members traverse the side sections of the shoes to form a barrier against lateral movement of the shoes.