Tubular organizer
An organizer for storing items including at least three receptacles, each of the three receptacles having an upper section and a lower base section, each of the base sections having a non-planar bottom surface such that each of the receptacles is incapable of standing on its own when resting on a flat surface, wherein each of the at least three receptacles is fixedly secured to at least one other of the at least three receptacles, such that the at least three receptacles function to support one another in a standing orientation when placed on the flat surface.
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The present invention relates generally to organizers, and more particularly to organizers comprising a plurality of individual receptacles secured to one another in such a way as to form a stable, free-standing structure, whereas no one individual receptacle would stand freely on its own.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONOrganizers used to hold various items in a plurality of separate receptacles are well known in the art. For example, organizers are often used on desks for holding pens, pencils, scissors, and the like. Organizers are also found in bathrooms for the purpose of holding toothbrushes, hairbrushes, toothpaste, and other items. Such organizers generally include a planar bottom surface, from which the plurality of receptacles extend upwardly.
One problem with these prior organizers is that they tend to be unhygienic when used in proximity of liquid, for example, on the counter top next to a sink in a bathroom or kitchen. Since a planar bottom surface provides little to no space between the organizer and the underlying surface, moisture is prevented from evaporating, which leads to its accumulation beneath the organizer. The combination of trapped moisture and an anaerobic environment provides many pathogenic microbes ideal conditions for growth. Consequently, organizers with planar bottom surfaces are generally unsuitable for use near sinks and the like.
Another problem with prior organizers is that the growth of microbes and accumulation of residue can go undetected by the user, especially when the receptacles are tall, deep, and narrow, as is generally the case for receptacles arranged to hold toothbrushes. The problem is exacerbated when the inner surface of a receptacle comprises corners or crevices, which facilitate such growth and accumulation.
Still another problem with prior organizers is that their receptacles generally have the same dimensions, i.e., height, width, diameter, etc. This poses a predicament when the user of the organizer wishes to store items of varying dimensions. For example, the optimal dimensions for a receptacle arranged to hold a short, wide item, such as, a makeup brush, would not be optimal for a receptacle arranged to hold a long, slender item, such as a toothbrush.
Thus, there is a longfelt need for an organizer which minimizes the potential for trapping moisture underneath its bottom surface, provides a means for detecting and minimizing unhygienic growth and/or accumulations within its receptacles, and includes receptacles of various dimensions.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention generally comprises an organizer for storing items, having at least three receptacles, each of the three receptacles comprising an upper section and a lower base section, each base section having a non-planar bottom surface such that each of the receptacles is incapable of standing on its own when resting on a flat surface, wherein each of the at least three receptacles is fixedly secured to at least one other of the at least three receptacles, such that the at least three receptacles function to support one another in a standing orientation when placed on the flat surface.
The general object of the invention is to provide an organizer which minimizes the potential for trapping moisture underneath its bottom surface.
Another object of the invention is to provide an organizer with a means for detecting and minimizing unhygienic growth and/or accumulations within its receptacles.
A further object of the invention is to provide an organizer which includes receptacles of various dimensions.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a useful yet aesthetically pleasing organizer.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon reading the following detailed description and claims in view of the several views of the drawings.
The nature and mode of the operation of the present invention will now be more fully described in the following detailed description of the invention taken with the accompanying drawing figures, in which:
At the outset, it should be appreciated that like drawing numbers on different drawing views identify identical structural elements of the invention. While the present invention is described with respect to what is presently considered to be the preferred embodiments, it is understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. The present invention is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although any methods, devices and materials similar to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the invention, the preferred methods, devices and materials are now described.
The following description is best understood in view of
In the embodiment shown in these figures, organizer 10 comprises seven tubular receptacles, namely, receptacles 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 18. In
Each of receptacles 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 18 may include an upper section and a lower base section, namely, upper sections 11a, 12a, 13a, 14a, 15a, 16a, and 18a, respectively, and lower base sections 11b, 12b, 13b, 14b, 15b, 16b, and 18b, respectively. However, it should be appreciated that one or more of the receptacles may be of integral construction.
Organizer 10 may comprise any suitable material, for example, plastic, glass, metal, etc. In a preferred embodiment, as shown in the figures, each of the receptacles comprises a substantially transparent material, such as, glass or polyethylene terephthalate. For the sake of clarity, the figures show only the general outer contours of the portions of the receptacles that are obscured by those in the foreground, as illustrated with hatched lines. A substantially transparent material is preferred, because it enables a user to detect the presence of unhygienic growth or accumulation within the receptacle.
While
Thus it is seen that the objects of the invention are efficiently obtained, although changes and modifications to the invention should be readily apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art, which changes would not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.
Claims
1. An organizer for storing items, comprising:
- at least three receptacles, each of said three receptacles comprising an upper section and a lower base section, each said base section having a non-planar bottom surface such that each of said receptacles is incapable of standing on its own when resting on a flat surface, wherein each of said at least three receptacles is fixedly secured to at least one other of said at least three receptacles, such that said at least three receptacles function to support one another in a standing orientation when placed on said flat surface.
2. The organizer recited in claim 1 wherein each of said at least three receptacles is generally tubular in shape and each said upper section is cylindrical in shape.
3. The organizer recited in claim 2 wherein each of said non-planar bottom surfaces of each of said lower base sections comprises an arcuate surface.
4. The organizer recited in claim 2 wherein each of said non-planar bottom surfaces of each of said lower base sections comprises a substantially semi-spherical surface.
6. The organizer recited in claim 1 wherein said upper section has a generally polygonal cross-section.
7. The organizer recited in claim 6 wherein said upper section is generally rectangular in cross-section.
8. The organizer recited in claim 6 wherein said upper section is generally hexagonal in cross-section.
9. The organizer recited in claim 6 wherein said upper section is generally octagonal in cross-section.
10. The organizer recited in claim 1 wherein each of said at least three receptacles comprises an interior floor.
11. The organizer recited in claim 10 wherein each said floor is arcuate in shape.
12. The organizer recited in claim 10 wherein each said floor is semi-spherical in shape.
13. The organizer recited in claim 1 wherein at least two of said at least three receptacles are of different heights.
14. The organizer recited in claim 2 wherein at least two of said at least three receptacles are of different diameters.
15. The organizer recited in claim 1 wherein each of said at least three receptacles is transparent.
16. The organizer recited in claim 1 wherein each of said at least three receptacles is translucent.
17. The organizer recited in claim 1 wherein each of said at least three receptacles is opaque.
18. The organizer recited in claim 1 wherein each of said at least three receptacles is made of plastic.
19. An organizer for storing items, comprising:
- at least three receptacles, each of said three receptacles comprising an upper section and a lower base section, each said base section having a non-planar bottom surface such that each of said receptacles is incapable of standing on its own when resting on a flat surface, wherein each of said at least three receptacles is fixedly secured to at least one other of said at least three receptacles and to no other structure, such that said at least three receptacles function to support one another in a standing orientation when placed on said flat surface.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 30, 2008
Publication Date: Dec 31, 2009
Applicant: Umbra LLC (Buffalo, NY)
Inventor: Matthew J. Carr (Toronto)
Application Number: 12/215,846
International Classification: A47B 81/02 (20060101);