GB2401028A

GB2401028A - A locker assembly having a trapezoidal or triangular plan section

Info

Publication number: GB2401028A
Application number: GB0310094A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alastair Mckay
Original assignee: LION STEEL EQUIPMENT Ltd
Current assignee: LION STEEL EQUIPMENT Ltd
Priority date: 2003-05-02
Filing date: 2003-05-02
Publication date: 2004-11-03

Abstract

A locker assembly (1) comprises a carcass (2) with a lockable door (3a, 3b) which (when the door is closed) together define an enclosed storage space for the locker assembly. The carcass (2) has side walls (4, 5) which converge symmetrically at an acute angle to each other from the front to the rear of the assembly throughout the depth thereof. The locker assembly may be triangular or trapezoidal in plan view, and may comprise upper and lower storage spaces each provided with a lockable door 3a,3b. The locker assemblies may be positioned in an array with side walls of the assemblies in face-to-face relationship such that the array is polygonal or part-polygonal (FIG. 2), or positioned in the line formation with adjacent lockers having their doors on opposite sides of the formation (FIG. 3).

Description

240 1 028

LOCKER ASSEMBLIES

The present invention relates to locker assemblies as used for providing secure storage in, for example, the work place, schools, changing rooms of sports/leisure facilities etc. Generally a locker assembly will comprise at least one storage compartment, each such storage compartment having a lockable door. The locker assembly may, for example, comprise two storage compartments provided one above the other. Typically a locker assembly will be either square or rectangular in plan view. A plurality of such locker units may be arranged in a row in side-to-side relationship, e.g. with the back of a row being against a wall. Alternatively an arrangement comprised of two rows of the locker assemblies in back-to-back relationship may be provided in the 'middle' of a room.

A modified locker assembly is disclosed in DE-A-3 440 658 in which the locker assembly has a front part with parallel side walls and a rear part in which the side walls converge to a 'ridge' at the rear of the locker. Therefore, as seen in plan view, the rear portion of the locker is effectively triangular. Thus when two such lockers are located with the front portions of their side walls in side-by-side relationship a triangular recess is defined between the rear portions of the lockers. Such locker assemblies are intended for use in a 'space-saving' arrangement comprised of two rows of the locker assemblies with the rear portions of the assemblies of one row locating in the triangular recesses defined between the rear portions of the other row. However even with this arrangement a plurality of locker assemblies can only, at best, be provided in straight rows.

According to the present invention there is provided a locker assembly comprising a carcass and a lockable door which (when the latter is closed) together define an enclosed storage space for the assembly, said carcass providing side walls for the assembly which converge symmetrically at an acute angle to each other from the front to the rear of the assembly throughout the depth thereof The convergence of the side walls of the locker assembly towards each other (from the front to the rear of the assembly throughout the depth thereof) allows a plurality of locker assemblies to be positioned with their side walls in face-to-face relationship so as to form an 'array' of locker assemblies that is at least partially polygonal, the faces of the polygon being defined by the fronts of the assemblies.

Therefore, according to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided an array comprised of a plurality of locker assemblies in accordance with the first aspect of the invention located with their side walls in face-to-face relationship whereby the array is polygonal or part polygonal.

Such an array may conveniently be provided on a rotatable turntable so that the array may be rotated to present a particular locker assembly to a person wishing to gain access thereto.

The angle subtended by the converging side walls of a locker assembly may be determined from the expression 360 /n where n is the number of sides of the polygon to be formed by the 'array' of locker assemblies. Generally n will be from 5 to 20 (more preferably 8 to 15). Thus when the polygon is a hendecagon (an eleventh sided polygon also known as an undecagon) the angle subtended by the converging side walls of the locker assembly may be approximately 32.7 . It will be appreciated that other values for the angle between the side walls may be selected according to the form of polygon desired which may in turn be determined by the dimensions of the locker assemblies.

The convergence of the side walls of the locker assembly towards each other also allows a plurality of locker assemblies to be positioned in a 'line formation' with adjacent lockers having their side walls in face-toface relationship and at least some of the adjacent lockers having their doors on opposite sides of the 'line formation'.

It will be appreciated that locker assemblies in accordance with the first aspect of the invention may be provided, in their side faces, with apertures for receiving bolts or other threaded fasteners whereby two adjacent lockers in, for example, a polygonal array or line formation may be secured together.

Locker assemblies in accordance with the first aspect of the invention may be such that their side walls meet at a 'ridge' at the rear of the assembly. In this case, the assembly is triangular in plan view. Alternatively the side walls may converge to a rear wall so that the assembly is trapezoidal in plan view.

A locker assembly in accordance with the invention may comprise a single storage space. However a particularly preferred construction is one comprising two storage spaces provided one above the other.

The carcass and door of a lockable assembly in accordance with the invention may be constructed of sheet metal.

The invention will now be further described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of locker assembly in accordance with the invention; and Fig. 2 is a polygonal array of locker assemblies of the type shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a 'line formation' of locker assemblies of the type shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. 1, the illustrated locker assembly 1 is comprised of a carcass 2 with upper and lower lockable front doors 3a and 3b, the carcass 2 and doors 3a and 3b serving to define two enclosed storage spaces.

The carcass 2 provides side walls 4 and 5 which converge symmetrically towards each other from the front to the rear of the locker assembly 1 throughout the entire depth thereof. in the illustrated embodiment, the locker assembly has a relatively narrow rear wall 6 so that the assembly is trapezoidal in plan view. It would however also be possible for the side walls 4 and 5 to converge to a ridge at the rear of the assembly.

In the illustrated embodiment, the acute angles subtended by the side walls 4 and 5 is about 32.7 so that eleven such assemblies 1 may be located in side-by-side relationship to provide an (eleven-sided) polygonal array 7 as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

Although not shown in Fig. 2, the array 7 may be mounted on a turntable.

As an alternative to a polygonal array, the locker assemblies I may be arranged in a 'line formation' as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. In this 'line formation' adjacent locker assemblies have their side walls in face-to-face relationship and at least some of the adjacent locker assemblies have their doors on opposite sides of the line formation.

Claims

1. A locker assembly comprising a carcass and a lockable door which (when the latter is closed) together define an enclosed storage space for the assembly, said carcass providing side walls for the assembly which converge symmetrically at an acute angle to each other from the front to the rear of the assembly throughout the depth thereof.

2. A locker assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the acute angle subtended by the converging side walls of the locker assembly has a value of about 360 /n where n is an integer from 5 to 20.

3. A locker assembly as claimed in claim 2 wherein n is 8 to 15.

4. A locker assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 which is triangular in plan view.

5. A locker assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 which is trapezoidal in plan view.

6. A locker assembly as claimed in any one claims 1 to 5 comprising upper and lower storage spaces each provided with a lockable door.

7. A locker assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the carcass and the or each door is comprised of sheet metal.

8. An array comprise of a plurality of locker assemblies as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 located with their side walls in face-to-face relationship whereby the array is polygonal or part polygonal.

9. The combination of an array as claimed in claim 8 and a turntable on which the array is mounted.

10. An array comprised of a plurality of locker assemblies as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 in a 'line formation' with adjacent lockers having their side walls in face-to- face relationship and at least some of the adjacent lockers having their doors on opposite sides of the line formation.

11. A locker assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings.

12. An array of locker assemblies substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 2 or Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings.