RETRACTABLE SHREDDER

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to United States Provisional Patent Application No. 60/733,230, filed November 3, 2005, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND

[0002] The present invention relates to shredders and more particularly to shredder units for disposal underneath the desk of a user.

[0003] Shredders are frequently used in office environments. Various attempts have been made to make such shredders ready usable to office workers. For example, U.S. Patent 3,682,402 discloses a wastepaper basket with a paper shredder. The shredder is mounted on support tracks above the basket such that the shredder can slide from one side of the basket to the other to permit an equal distribution of shredded paper within the basket. While readily accessible to the user, such an arrangement is not particularly visually appealing. Accordingly, attempts have been made to incorporate shredders into the office furniture itself.

[0004] Inasmuch as the structure of shredders requires access to the top surface of the shredder in order to permit feeding of sheets or disks to the cutting blades of the shredder, eight inches or more of clearance is typically required above the unit. Moreover, the collection bin is disposed below the cutting blades, further contributing to the height of the shredder. As a result, the height constraints are generally prohibitive for placement of shredders beneath a user's desk. Rather, shredders are typically free standing structures or are incorporated into furniture with the access slot to the shredder blades being disposed along an upper surface.

[0005] U.S. Patent 4,637,560 discloses a shredder that is mountable to the office furniture itself. The shredder is mounted either above or in line with the top surface of the office furniture. In this way, the opening to the cutting blades is continuously accessible to the user above or in line with the top surface of the office furniture. The unit of the '560 patent often

requires the modification of the office furniture itself, and is generally cumbersome and unappealing in that the throat is visible at all times.

[0006] In contrast, U.S. Patent 3,711,034 discloses a shredder with a concealing housing structure. The shredder of the '034 patent is disposed within a housing that may be placed adjacent to a wall or desk. A cover is pivotably mounted to the housing, and the housing itself is pivotably mounted to a base. To reveal the shredder, the cover is pivoted upward and behind the housing as the housing is pivoted toward the user and away from the wall. As the housing pivots, the shredder moves in a direction that is perpendicular to the receiving slot of the shredder. The unit, however, requires additional floor space, as well as sufficient space above the unit for the cover to pivot open and for the unit to pivot forward to its use position. Accordingly, neither of these arrangements provides a shredder design that is readily incorporated with a user's desk structure for ready access.

SUMMARY

[0007] m one embodiment the invention provides a shredder assembly that includes a frame that contains a retractable shredder that is suitable for placement below an existing desk or table. The retractable shredder may be easily extended outward from under the desk for use, and then be retracted under the desk for storage when not in use. The shredder presents an appealing front face that conceals the shredder when not in use. The shredder is disposed for sliding movement relative to the frame by one or more drawer slides, rollers, casters, drawer mounts, wheels, low friction surfaces, or the like. In one embodiment, the shredder is coupled to the frame by a linear sliding structure, such as drawer slides or the like such that the cutting blade unit and the collection bin may be slid outward and exteded from the frame for use. In other embodiments, the collection bin itself is likewise disposed on such a linear sliding structure that permit the collection bin to be slid out from the assembly alone for disposal.

[0008] The shredder head is preferably disposed in a profile manner such that the receiving slot to the cutting blades is perpendicular to the front face of the desk or table. Thus, the shredder is moved in a direction that is parallel with the receiving slot for access thereto. As a result, the shredder consumes a minimum of lateral space beneath the desk.

[0009] The frame itself is preferably stationary and supported by a plurality of supports extending, for example, upward and/or downward from the frame. The frame may further be coupled to the desk or table to inhibit relative movement. The front face of the assembly may provide or receive structure to blend the assembly with the desk or table environment.

[0010] These and other advantages of the invention, as well as additional inventive features, will be apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a desk with a shredder assembly embodying the present invention.

[0012] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the arrangement of FIG. 1 with the shredder assembly in an access or extended position.

[0013] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the arrangement of FIG. 1 with a collection bin of the shredder assembly in the access position.

[0014] FIG. 4 is a side view of the shredder assembly of FIG. 1 in the access position.

[0015] FIG. 5 is a side view of the shredder assembly of FIG. 1 with the collection bin in the access position.

[0016] FIG. 6 is a front view of the shredder assembly of FIG. 1 with the front panels and associated hardware removed.

[0017] FIG. 7 is a side view of the shredder assembly of FIG. 1.

[0018] Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as

limiting. The use of "including," "comprising," or "having" and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms "mounted," "connected," "supported," and "coupled" and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Further, "connected" and "coupled" are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] FIG. 1 illustrates a shredder assembly 20 disposed beneath a desk 22. While the shredder assembly 20 is illustrated and referred to herein as being disposed beneath the desk 22, the shredder assembly 20 may alternately be disposed below a table or other surface or may be free standing. Accordingly, any disclosure herein (including the claims) referring to the shredder assembly 20 as being disposed beneath a desk is likewise intended to incorporate disposal beneath a table or any other limited access surface and the like. Further, like reference numbers are utilized herein to refer to like elements.

[0020] Referring to FIG. 2, the shredder assembly 20 includes a shredder 28 having a shredder head 24 and a collection bin 30. The shredder head 24 and the collection bin 30 are retractably disposed relative to a housing or frame 26. The collection bin 30 may be in the form of a container, basket, or bag that is coupled within the shredder 28 by an appropriate structure.

[0021] The shredder 28 is movably coupled relative to the frame 26 for movement between a retracted position (Fig. 1) and an extended position (Fig. 2). In the retracted position, the shredder 28 is substantially surrounded by the housing or frame 26 such that the shredder 28 is stored for non-operation and is generally inaccessible. In one embodiment, the shredder 28 is surrounded on at least three sides by the frame 26 in the retracted position, in other constructions, the frame can surround more or less than three sides of the shredder. In such constructions, the shredder assembly 20 can utilize a portion of the desk 22 to at least partially surround the shredder 28. As illustrated in Fig. 2, in the extended position the shredder 28 is accessible by the user and is exposed for operation.

[0022] The shredder 28 may be movably disposed relative to or coupled to the frame 26 by any appropriate arrangement. For example, as shown in greater detail in FIG. 4, the shredder 28 is coupled to the frame 26 by a linear sliding structure 32, such as drawer slides. In other constructions, casters, rollers, bearings, wheels, mating channels or the like can be used to movably couple the shredder 28 to the frame 26. Alternately, the shredder 28 may simply be slidably disposed within and relative to the frame 26 using one or more low friction surfaces. In such a construction, the shredder 28 may be disposed directly on a floor or other support surface.

[0023] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, the shredder head 24 and the collection bin 30 are disposed to move to the extended position together as a single unit, or in respective so-called "drawers" 40, 42. In the illustrated construction, the drawers 40, 42 include front faces 43a and 43b, respectively, that are complementary to the desk 22 or other office environment.

[0024] Referring to FIG. 4, in the illustrated embodiment, the drawers 40, 42 in which the shredder head 24 and collection bin 30 are disposed, respectively, are coupled to the frame 26 by respective structure, here for example, linear sliding structures 32, 32a that are drawer slides. Structure, for example, a plate or a latch 44 is coupled to the drawer 40 or the drawer 42. The latch 44 is movable from a first or extended position (Fig. 4) to a second or retracted position (not illustrated). In the extended position, the latch 44 couples the drawers 40, 42 such that movement of the drawer 40 or shredder 28 toward the extended position results in movement of the drawer 42 or collection bin 30 toward the extended position. Therefore, the collection bin 30 remains beneath the shredder 28. Accordingly, the entire shredder 28 may be advanced simultaneously toward the extended position by engaging handle 46 of the drawer 40, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. Alternatively, in order to empty the collection bin 30, the user grasps the engaging handle 48 to move the latch 44 to the retracted position allowing the drawer 42 to move toward the extended position, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, independent from the drawer 40.

[0025] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 6, the receiving slot 34 is disposed above the cutting blades 38 in a plane substantially perpendicular to the front of the shredder assembly 20. The receiving slot 34 is elongated in a direction of shredder movement between the extended and retracted positions. This disposition allows the assembly 20 to present a relatively thin profile such that it consumes minimal below desk space in a lateral direction. The receiving slot 34 receives material, such as paper and the like, that is shredded by the cutting blades 38.

As illustrated in Fig. 2, when the shredder 28 is the extended position, the receiving slot 34 is accessible by the user to receive the material to be shredded.

[0026] Referring to FIG. 7, the shredder assembly 20 further includes braces or supports 50. In one construction, such supports 50 are adjustable so that the user may move the supports 50 to level the frame 26 on a surface 52 that is not completely level. While the illustrations show the frame 26 supported directly on the surface 52, it will be appreciated that the frame 26 and/or the shredder 28 may be supported directly on the surface 52. For example, the shredder 28 may be disposed directly on the surface by casters or rollers (not shown).

[0027] In order to further stabilize the shredder assembly 20, the illustrated shredder assembly 20 includes adjustable brace structures 54 (see FIG. 7). In the embodiment illustrated, the braces 54 may be adjusted such that the braces 54 are extendable to contact the underside of the desk 22 and an upper surface of the frame 26. While the braces 54 illustrated are disposed along the upper surface of the frame 26, such braces may be alternately disposed and may have an alternate structure. For example, a brace may be provided that couples the shredder assembly 20 to a vertical panel of the desk.

[0028] In summary, the invention provides a shredder assembly that may be readily incorporated into an office environment by disposing the shredder assembly in a limited access environment, such as under a desk or table. The assembly may alternately be utilized as an independent, free standing unit, while allowing the top surface of the unit to be used for placement of other articles. The shredder assembly is aesthetically appealing and may be provided with customizing surfaces to match other furniture. The shredder head includes a receiving slot that is disposed perpendicular to the front face of the assembly such that the assembly requires a minimum amount of lateral space under a desk and does not greatly impose on a user's leg space. The shredder head and collection bin of the shredder may pull from the frame as a single unit, although the collection bin may be designed to be detached from the frame for disposal of collected waste.

[0029] AU references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.

[0030] The use of the terms "a" and "an" and "the" and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms "comprising," "having," "including," and "containing" are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning "including, but not limited to,") unless otherwise noted. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., "such as") provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.

[0031] Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventor expects skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

[0032] Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.