Interchangeable Garage Storage System

Abstract

An interchangeable home storage system is provided for storing items in an organized manner off the floor that may either be constructed as an overhead storage rack system mounted to the ceiling of a structure such as a garage or, utilizing the same parts, constructed as a combination wall shelf and wall storage system mounted to the wall of the structure. Therefore, a single home storage system may be provided that has multi-purpose components and multiple uses, and the user chooses whether to construct either an overhead storage system or a combination wall shelf and wall storage system utilizing the same multi-purpose components.

I claim: 
     
         1 . An interchangeable garage storage system, configurable as either an overhead storage system or a combination wall shelf and wall storage system, said interchangeable garage storage system comprising:
 a plurality of ceiling/wall mount members constructed of square tube material, each ceiling/wall mount member coupled to a ceiling wall mount bracket configured to both secure the ceiling/wall mount member to a ceiling joist when used for said overhead storage system and secure the ceiling/wall mount member to a wall stud of said structure when used for said combination wall shelf and wall storage system;   a plurality of modular surface members constructed of wire into a grid pattern, said modular surface members configured to both provide a support surface for storing items thereon when used for said overhead storage system and provide a shelf surface when used for said combination wall shelf and wall storage system;   a plurality of adjustable inner tube members constructed of square tube material, said adjustable inner tube member configured to both fit within the interior of the ceiling/wall mount member and move in a telescoping manner relative thereto to form a rack support member when used for said overhead storage system and connect to a frame rail member and mount to a wall stud of said structure when used for said combination wall shelf and wall storage system; and   a plurality of frame rail members configured to both couple to the adjustable inner tube member of a rack support member to support said plurality of modular surface members when used for said overhead storage system and coupling to said inner tube member when used for said combination wall shelf and wall storage system.   
     
     
         2 . The interchangeable home storage system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first side rail member comprised of a first frame rail member adjacent to and abutting a second frame rail member, said first and second frame rail members removably coupled together by a first rail connector sized to overlap said first and second rail members where the rail members touch; and   a second side rail member comprised of a third frame rail member adjacent to and abutting a fourth frame rail member, said third and fourth frame rail members removably coupled together by a second rail connector sized to overlap said third and fourth rail members where the rail members touch.   
     
     
         3 . An interchangeable garage storage system, configurable as either an overhead storage system or a combination wall shelf and wall storage system, said interchangeable garage storage system comprising:
 at least four ceiling/wall mount members constructed of square tube material, each ceiling/wall mount member coupled to a ceiling wall mount bracket configured to both secure the ceiling/wall mount member to a ceiling joist when used for said overhead storage system and secure the ceiling/wall mount member to a wall stud of said structure when used for said combination wall shelf and wall storage system;   at least two modular surface members constructed of wire into a grid pattern, said modular surface members configured to both provide a support surface for storing items thereon when used for said overhead storage system and provide a shelf surface when used for said combination wall shelf and wall storage system;   at least four adjustable inner tube members constructed of square tube material, said adjustable inner tube member configured to both fit within the interior of the ceiling/wall mount member and move in a telescoping manner relative thereto to form a rack support member when used for said overhead storage system and connect to a frame rail member and mount to a wall stud of said structure when used for said combination wall shelf and wall storage system; and   at least two frame rail members configured to both couple to the adjustable inner tube member of a rack support member to support said plurality of modular surface members when used for said overhead storage system and coupling to said inner tube member when used for said combination wall shelf and wall storage system.   
     
     
         4 . The interchangeable home storage system of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a first side rail member comprised of a first frame rail member adjacent to and abutting a second frame rail member, said first and second frame rail members removably coupled together by a first rail connector sized to overlap said first and second rail members where the rail members touch; and   a second side rail member comprised of a third frame rail member adjacent to and abutting a fourth frame rail member, said third and fourth frame rail members removably coupled together by a second rail connector sized to overlap said third and fourth rail members where the rail members touch.   
     
     
         5 . A method of providing an interchangeable garage storage system, configurable as either an overhead storage system or a combination wall shelf and wall storage system, said interchangeable garage storage system comprising:
 providing a plurality of ceiling/wall mount members constructed of square tube material, each ceiling/wall mount member coupled to a ceiling wall mount bracket configured to both secure the ceiling/wall mount member to a ceiling joist when used for said overhead storage system and secure the ceiling/wall mount member to a wall stud of said structure when used for said combination wall shelf and wall storage system;   providing a plurality of modular surface members constructed of wire into a grid pattern, said modular surface members configured to both provide a support surface for storing items thereon when used for said overhead storage system and provide a shelf surface when used for said combination wall shelf and wall storage system;   providing a plurality of adjustable inner tube members constructed of square tube material, said adjustable inner tube member configured to both fit within the interior of the ceiling/wall mount member and move in a telescoping manner relative thereto to form a rack support member when used for said overhead storage system and connect to a frame rail member and mount to a wall stud of said structure when used for said combination wall shelf and wall storage system; and   providing a plurality of frame rail members configured to both couple to the adjustable inner tube member of a rack support member to support said plurality of modular surface members when used for said overhead storage system and coupling to said inner tube member when used for said combination wall shelf and wall storage system.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 providing a first side rail member comprised of a first frame rail member adjacent to and abutting a second frame rail member, said first and second frame rail members removably coupled together by a first rail connector sized to overlap said first and second rail members where the rail members touch; and   a second side rail member comprised of a third frame rail member adjacent to and abutting a fourth frame rail member, said third and fourth frame rail members removably coupled together by a second rail connector sized to overlap said third and fourth rail members where the rail members touch.