Moveable Multifunctional Storage Counter

This application claims the benefit U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/569,290 filed Mar. 25, 2024, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

The present disclosure relates in general to storage counters, and more particularly, to storage solutions for small vehicles.

All of the subject matter discussed in the Background section is not necessarily prior art and should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its discussion in the Background section. Along these lines, any recognition of problems in the prior art discussed in the Background section or associated with such subject matter should not be treated as prior art unless expressly stated to be prior art. Instead, the discussion of any subject matter in the Background section should be treated as part of the inventor's approach to the particular problem, which in and of itself may also be inventive.

Motorcycles, bicycles, and other small vehicles including but not limited to all-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles (“vehicles”) are commonly enjoyed during certain seasons of the year, while being stored during off-seasons. Typical means of storing such vehicles include parking the vehicle in a garage or shed, and/or covering the vehicle with a tarp or custom-fit cover to protect it from the elements.

Many owners of such vehicles enjoy not only their functionality, but also their aesthetic appearance, and would desire a way to display their motorcycle, bicycle or other small vehicle during the off-season, for example. However, in order to display the vehicle, it would need to remain uncovered, or be covered and uncovered repeatedly, which is a hassle and leads to the item being exposed to dust or other elements.

Current storage and protection measures do not provide a way to display and interact with such items in a practical or enjoyable manner. For example, transparent display exhibition cases having various functionalities such as described in Japanese Patent Publication No. JPH11318652A by Tomoto et al. are typically too small to store and display small vehicles, and even when scaled up in size, do not present a viable method for getting a potentially heavy item such as a parked motorcycle into the case for storage. Alternatively, containers large enough for small vehicles, such as taught in US Patent Publication No. US20130001908A1 by Karppinen for motorcycles, require ramps to facilitate pushing the motorcycle into the container for subsequent transport, but are not designed to enable the display or enjoyment of the motorcycle once stored.

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.

In one aspect, a multifunctional storage counter includes a plurality of sides and a countertop positioned thereon to enclose a storage space on a floor upon which the storage counter rests, and where at least one of the plurality of sides is an openable side. The storage counter is configured to be moved along the floor to enclose a stationary item resting on the floor through the openable side and into the storage space.

In another aspect, a method of using a multifunctional storage counter to store a stationary item includes: opening one of a plurality of sides of the storage counter to create an open side; moving the storage counter along a floor such that a stationary item resting on the floor travels through the open side until it is enclosed by the storage counter underneath a top of the storage counter; and closing the open side to secure and store the stationary item completely inside the storage counter.

The present disclosure provides a moveable, multifunctional storage counter for storing stationary items, including but not limited to small vehicles such as motorcycles, bicycles (standard or electric), all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), snowmobiles and more. As used herein, a “stationary item” is an item which is at rest and not moving, and may include parked small vehicles, for example. Using the novel storage counter and method described herein, a stationary item can remain in place resting upon a floor surface, while the storage counter may be moved along that same surface to enclose the stationary item through an openable side of the counter. Accordingly, parked vehicles or heavier items that are cumbersome to move may remain in their stationary or parked position on the floor, while the storage counter can be conveniently moved to cover and enclose the item for safe storage within the counter. Further, the storage counter may comprise a transparent countertop and one or more transparent sides to allow for viewing and enjoyment of the stored item while using the counter for other functional purposes, including but not limited to a drink bar, desk, or workbench.

is a front isometric view of storage counteraccording to an aspect of the present disclosure, showing countertop, front side, back side, openable side, side, and optional bar rail, step rail, and hinges(for openable side, for example). Storage counterrests upon a surface of floor, and does not possess a bottom panel, bottom surface or otherwise. Accordingly, the countertopand plurality of sides (,,,) enclose a storage space within and under the countertopthat is above the floorsurface, with the plurality of sides resting upon the floor. When the plurality of sides rest flush with the floorsurface, then dust and dirt are prevented from encroaching into the inner storage space of the counter.

When the storage counteris used as a drink bar, for example, optional bar railmay be attached to the front edge of the countertopas shown, or may otherwise be attached to an upper portion of the front side. Further, optional step railmay be attached to a lower portion of front side. However, bar railand step railmay be attached to any side of the storage counteraccording to the preference of the user.

Openable sideis shown with hinges to facilitate its opening, as will be described further with reference to, though other methods are also taught or contemplated by the present disclosure. Hinges may be placed on either the left side of openable sideas shown in, or the right side as shown in, depending on the preference of the user and which direction the door should swing. Further, openable sideis shown as the right side of storage counterin the Figures of the present disclosure, but it may be appreciated that any of the plurality of sides may be configured to be openable and achieve the same functions as described further herein.

is a rear isometric view of storage counteraccording to an aspect of the present disclosure, showing many of the same features as, but further showing details of the back sideincluding optional access doors. Optional access doorsenable the user to access the storage space inside of storage counterwhile the storage counteris stationary and storing an item within.

Further,andshow back sideas solid or non-transparent, while countertop, front side, openable side, and sideare provided as either fully transparent or at least with transparent portions to enable a clear view of the storage space inside. Although it is preferable to have at least a transparent countertopto enable viewing of a stored item inside the storage counter, any number of the countertopand plurality of sides may be provided fully or partially with transparent or clear portions to enable viewing of a stored item from different angles or perspectives. Suitable transparent materials may include but are not limited to glass or plexiglass.

is a front isometric view of the storage counteraccording to an aspect of the present disclosure, showing openable sidein an open state, and an item such as small vehicle(e.g., a motorcycle), parked next to the storage counterprior to storage. In the example of, openable sideis opened via hingesas a hinged door, but other suitable means may include removing or otherwise detaching openable sidefrom storage counter. A preferred alternative to a hinged door configuration is to provide metal rails, such as aluminum rails, into which openable sidemay slide in and out from the top of the storage counter. Such metal rails may be also be provided as part of the overall frame construction that holds the plurality of sides together, and upon which countertopis attached or rests. When metal rail framing is used as opposed to wood and screw construction, it is easier to provide storage counterwith modular parts and panels for ease of initial construction, as well as to replace any of the components if they are damaged, such as transparent glass or plexiglass panels which may be susceptible to scratching or breaking. Each of the plurality of sides may comprise a panel or sub-frame that is pre-assembled or can be assembled by the end user, and the panels, frames and sides may be secured together using threaded inserts and bolts, latches, or a combination of the two, among other suitable means.

Further shown inare wheelsattached to the sides of storage counter. As shown in this example, wheelsmay comprise retractable casters, which include a lever mechanism for pressing down to engage the wheelswith the floorthereby lifting or elevating the storage counteroff a surface of floor. In such state, the wheelswill be engaged with floor, enabling storage counterto be moved along the floor surface. With openable sidein an open state, storage countermay be moved such that the item, i.e. a small parked and stationary vehiclein the example, can pass through the open sideto be enclosed by storage counterinside of the storage space underneath countertopand within the plurality of sides. Once the item has been stored, then the casters may be retracted to lower the plurality of sides to rest back upon the surface of floor, thereby preventing dust or dirt from entering the storage space. Suitable alternatives to retractable casters include but are not limited to removable wheels or casters, as well as sliders placed on the bottom surface of the plurality of sides, which may also be removable. Mini linear motion actuators may also be used in combination with attached wheels, so that the wheels can be deployed against the ground to lift the storage counteroff the surface of floorusing the actuators and allow movement of the counteracross the floor on the attached wheels, and then be retracted using the actuators to lower the counterback onto the floor. The linear motion actuators may utilize hydraulic, pneumatic, electric, or mechanical power. An AC to DC converter may be used to allow for the motion actuators to be powered from a standard US outlet, including any required voltage step-down, such as from 110-120V to 12V. The wheels and actuators may be configured to hide inside the frame of the sides of the storage counter or be hidden from view on the inside corner of each side of the storage counter. In an alternative embodiment, wheelsmay also comprise lockable casters, and if not retracted or removed, may lock the position of storage counterin place on the floor.

As may be appreciated by the construction of storage counter, since no bottom panel or component is provided as part of the construction, there is no need to handle or move the parked vehiclealong the floor and into the storage counter, rather, the vehiclemay remain parked and at rest while the storage counteris moved to enclose the vehicle. Accordingly, this alleviates the need to use a ramp or other mechanism to roll the vehicle inside of the storage space and container, which can be particularly difficult for heavier vehicles such as large motorcycles, ATVs or snowmobiles.

is a front isometric view of storage counteraccording to an aspect of the present disclosure, showing a stationary item, e.g. a parked vehicle, depicted in dotted lines and stored inside the storage counter. Openable sideis shown as closed to completely secure vehiclewithin the storage space of storage counter, resting on floor. As described previously, transparent portions or panels provided in the plurality of sides and countertopprovide enjoyable views of the vehicle, such as a motorcycle, while the storage countermay be used for other functional purposes including but not limited to a drink bar, desk, or workbench. The optional access doorsdescribed previously with reference tomay also allow a user to conveniently access the storage space inside the storage counterfor placement or retrieval of additional items while a heavier main item, such as vehicle, remains parked and stored.

To take an item, such as vehicle, out of storage, the user may simply open the openable side, and move the storage counteralong the floor using any suitable method as previously described until the vehicle has exited the openable sideand is no longer enclosed. The storage countermay then continue to be enjoyed for its other functions while the item or vehicleis in use.

Accordingly, the multifunctional storage counter as described provides not only a secure and convenient way to store stationary items such as small, parked vehicles and protect them against dust, dirt and the elements, but also allows for the viewing and enjoyment of such stored vehicles while enabling a broad variety of other uses and functions. Aside from private owners and enthusiasts; motorcycle, bicycle, ATV and snowmobile dealerships may also find great benefit from the storage counter as described, allowing for a novel way to showcase their vehicles and attract extra attention from potential customers when the storage counter is used as a reception desk or other functional purposes.

While the invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments and aspects of the present disclosure, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment(s) and aspects disclosed, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.