Hanging storage shelf unit

1. Rotatable storage compartment apparatus adapted to be suspended from an overhead structure, said storage compartment apparatus comprising:

a supporting member having fastening means for securing at least six tension lines for suspending said supporting member from an overhead structure with said supporting member defining a vertical central axis through said supporting member,

said fastening means being located near diametrically opposite points on said supporting member,

said tension lines being adapted to extend diagonally upwardly from said fastening means sloping away from said vertical axis for being attached to at least three attachment means secured to said overhead structure and being spaced uniformly around said vertical axis,

a first storage unit mounted above said supporting member,

a second storage unit mounted below said supporting member,

a vertical rotatable shaft connecting said first and second storage units, said shaft being concentric with said axis, and

bearing means for permitting free rotation of said units relative to said supporting member.

2. Rotatable storage compartment apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which:

said storage units each include at least one level of shelf areas,

such a level of shelf areas includes three rhombic-shaped shelf areas as seen in plan sectional view nested together defining a regular hexagonal peripheral configuration as seen in plan view with the three respective shelf openings attractively alternating in location with three exterior panels around the periphery of said hexagonal configuration.

3. Rotatable storage compartment apparatus as claimed in claim 2, in which:

at least one of said storage units includes multiple levels of such shelf areas, and

the three respective shelf openings on one level are vertically aligned with the three respective exterior panels on the next successive level and the three respective exterior panels on said one level are vertically aligned with the three respective shelf openings on the next successive level,

thereby giving a pleasing checkerboard appearance of openings and panels around the hexagonal periphery of said multiple level unit.

4. Rotatable storage compartment apparatus as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, in which:

there are three overhead attachment means located at the vertices of an equilateral triangle concentric with said vertical axis, and

a pair of tension lines extend downwardly from each such attachment means in a long narrow isosceles triangular configuration as seen in plan view with the lower ends of each pair of tension lines being connected to fastening means located near diametrically opposite points in said supporting member.

5. Rotatable storage compartment apparatus as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, in which:

said supporting member has a regular hexagonal peripheral shape as seen in plan view.

6. Rotatable storage compartment apparatus as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, in which:

said supporting member has a regular hexagonal peripheral shape as seen in plan view,

there are three overhead attachment means located at the vertices of an equilateral triangle concentric with said vertical axis, and

a pair of tension lines extend downwardly from each such attachment means in a long narrow isosceles triangular configuration as seen in plan view with the lower ends of each pair of tension lines being connected to fastening means located near diametrically opposite vertices of said regular hexagonal shaped supporting member.

7. An attractive shelf unit adapted to be suspended comprising:

a rigid shelf unit having a plurality of shelf levels,

each level including three rhombic-shaped shelf areas as seen in plan sectional view nested together defining a regular hexagonal peripheral configuration for that level as seen in plan view,

each such shelf area having an opening,

the three shelf openings on each level alternating with three exterior panels on that level in sequence around the six sides of the regular hexagonal configuration of that level, and

the three respective shelf openings and three respective exterior panels on the next successive levels are vertically aligned opening-with-panel and panel-with-opening with respect to the three shelf openings and three exterior panels on the preceding level,

thereby giving a pleasing checkerboard appearance of openings and panels around the hexagonal periphery of said multi-level unit.

8. An attractive shelf unit as claimed in claim 7, in which:

three fastening means are secured to an overhead structure located at the vertices of an equilateral triangle concentrically located with respect to a vertical central axis passing through said shelf unit,

a pair of tension lines extending downwardly and sloping inwardly from each attachment means toward said shelf unit,

each pair of tension lines defining an isosceles triangle as seen in plan view, and

the lower ends of each pair of tension lines being secured to said unit at a respective pair of fastening points located near diametrically opposite vertices of the hexagonal periphery of said shelf unit,

said pairs of fastening points being in the same horizontal section of said shelf unit, and

said tension lines suspending said shelf unit with its axis vertical and concentric with said equilateral triangle.

9. A suspended article of furniture comprising:

a rigid article of furniture having a symmetrical horizontal section including six points on said horizontal section spaced approximately uniformly about a central point in said horizontal section,

six tension lines of equal length,

the lower end of each tension line being secured to a respective one of said section points,

three fastening points located overhead in a common plane,

said three fastening points being located at the respective vertices of an equilateral triangle whose center is located over the central point of said section, and

pairs of said tension lines secured to diametrically opposite section points extending upwardly in and converging with each other in an isosceles triangular pattern with their upper ends attached to the respective overhead fastening points for suspending said furniture article in a stable position.

10. A suspended article of furniture as claimed in claim 9, in which:

said horizontal section of the furniture has a regular hexagonal peripheral configuration as seen in plan view, and

said six section points are located near the respective six vertices of said hexagonal configuration.

11. Rotatable storage compartment apparatus adapted to be suspended from an overhead structure, said storage compartment apparatus comprising:

a supporting member having fastening means for securing at least six tension lines at six separate positions on said supporting member for suspending said supporting member from an overhead structure with said supporting member defining a vertical central axis through said supporting member,

said fastening means being located in pairs near diametrically opposite points on said supporting member and all being at the same level on said supporting member,

said tension lines being adapted to extend diagonally upwardly from said fastening means sloping away from said vertical axis for being attached to at least three separate attachment means secured to said overhead structure and being spaced uniformly around said vertical axis,

at least one storage unit mounted to said supporting member, and

bearing means for permitting free rotation of said at least one storage unit relative to said supporting member.