System for holding implements

Abstract

A system for holding one or more implements. The system includes a wall-mounted rail having a channel-track extending lengthwise of the rail, and an implement holder having a track-engaging element slidable in the channel-track to a selected position on the rail. Fastener holes are spaced at intervals along the bottom wall of the channel-track for receiving one or more rail fasteners to mount the rail. The channel-track has a depth sufficient to provide clearance between the track-engaging element and the rail fasteners so that the track-engaging element may be slidably moved along the channel-track without interference with the rail fasteners. One implement holder comprises a jar assembly which includes a jar for storing items and a bracket mountable on the rail for holding the jar. Other implement holders may also be used.

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a non-provisional application claiming priority from provisional application Ser. No. 60/568,742 filed May 6, 2004, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to devices for holding tools, utensils, household products and other consumer items, such items hereinafter being referred to generally as “implements”. In particular, this invention is an improvement on the invention disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 6,305,557 which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Among the several objects of exemplary embodiments of this invention may be noted the provision of a unique system for holding and organizing various implements, including but not limited to those noted above; the provision of an exemplary system which is relatively inexpensive and easy to assemble and use; and the provision of an exemplary system which can be expanded as needed to accommodate greater numbers and/or different types of implements.

In one aspect, a system of this invention for holding implements comprises a rail adapted to be mounted in a generally horizontal position on a generally vertical mounting surface. The rail has a channel-track extending lengthwise of the rail. An implement holder having a track-engaging element is receivable in the channel-track and is slidable along the channel-track to a selected position on the rail. Each channel-track comprises a bottom wall adapted to be positioned generally adjacent the mounting surface, a pair of spaced-apart side walls extending forward from the bottom wall, and a slot at a front side of the channel-track whereby when the track-engaging element of the implement holder is received in the channel-track between the side walls thereof, the track-engaging element is adapted to project forward through the slot and to be slidably moved along the slot to move the implement holder to its desired position. Fastener holes are spaced at intervals along the bottom wall of the channel-track for receiving one or more rail fasteners to mount the rail on said mounting surface. The channel-track has a depth sufficient to provide clearance between the track-engaging element and the one or more rail fasteners when the rail is mounted on said surface whereby the track-engaging element may be slidably moved along the channel-track without interference with the one or more rail fasteners.

In another aspect, the invention is directed to a jar assembly comprising a jar having a bottom, one or more sides, and a mouth. The assembly also includes a bracket comprising a back wall, a pair of generally opposing, spaced-apart sides extending forward from the back wall, and opposing jar supports on the sides of the bracket for supporting the jar in an upright position for storage of items in the jar. Optionally, the bracket has a track-engaging element thereon for engaging a track on a rail to permit sliding movement of the bracket along the rail.

Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective of a system of the present invention comprising a rail with a jar assembly and a funnel-shaped holder mounted on the rail;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section of the rail and jar assembly along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2a is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 2 showing coupling of the jar assembly and the rail;

FIG. 3 is a perspective of a connection between two rails;

FIG. 3A is a perspective of the connected rails of FIG. 3;

FIG. 3B is a vertical section of the rail and associated connection along line 3B-3B of FIG. 3A;

FIG. 4 is a perspective of a bracket of the jar assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is front elevation of the bracket of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view various components of the system;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the jar assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7A is an enlarged portion of FIG. 7;

FIG. 8 is a vertical section of the funnel-shaped holder and rail along line 8-8 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 9 is a vertical section of the larger funnel-shaped holder along line 9-9 of FIG. 6.

Corresponding parts are designated by corresponding numbers throughout the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 show one embodiment of a system of this invention, designated in its entirety by the reference numeral 1. As shown, the system comprises one or more rails, each generally designated 3, adapted to be mounted in a generally horizontal position on a generally vertical mounting surface 5 (FIG. 2). The mounting surface can be a pegboard, wall studs, a wall or any other type of surface suitable for mounting the one or more rails. In the illustrated embodiment, each rail (only one is shown in FIG. 1) comprises an elongate rail panel 9 and one or more channel-tracks on the rail panel, two such channel-tracks being shown in FIG. 1, the upper channel-track being designated 11 and the lower channel-track being designated 13. The system also includes one or more implement holders, two exemplary holders being illustrated in FIG. 1. One of the implement holders, generally designated 17, is a jar assembly comprising a bracket, generally designated 19, and a jar, generally designated 21, removably mounted on the bracket for holding items for storage. The bracket 19 has a track-engaging element 25 which may be slidably engaged with the upper channel-track 11 so that it can be moved to a selected position on the rail 3, as will be described in detail hereinafter. The second implement holder, generally designated 31, is funnel-shaped, as described in my U.S. Pat. No. 6,305,557, and is attached to the rail 3 in a manner also to be described.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the elongate rail panel 9 of the rail 3 is relatively thin (e.g., 0.1 in. thick), flat and generally rectangular. The rail panel 9 has a front face facing away from the mounting surface and a back face facing toward the mounting surface. The rail panel 9 also has an upper edge margin terminating in an upper edge 37 extending lengthwise of the rail panel, a lower edge margin terminating in a lower edge 39 extending lengthwise of the rail panel, and opposite (left and right) end edges 41, 43. Other panel shapes are possible. The rail panel 9 has a plurality of fastener holes 45 in it for receiving fasteners 47 to fasten the holders 17, 31 in selected positions.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 2A, the upper channel-track 11 of the exemplary emodiment is disposed on the back face of the rail panel 9. The channel-track 11 comprises a bottom wall 51 adapted to be positioned generally adjacent the mounting surface 5, and a pair of spaced-apart side walls, one hereinafter being referred to as an upper side wall 53 and the other as a lower side wall 55. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the lower side wall 55 is connected to the upper edge margin of the rail panel 9 at a location below the upper edge 37 of the rail panel, and the upper side wall 53 is spaced above the upper edge 37 of the rail panel. The upper side wall 53 has an inturned lip 61 generally opposing the upper edge 37 of the rail panel to define an upper slot 63 at the front side of the upper channel-track 11 extending the full length of the channel-track. The bottom wall 55 of the channel-track 11 has a plurality of fastener holes 67 (FIG. 2A) spaced at intervals (preferably but not necessarily regular intervals such as every 1/2 in.) along the channel-track for receiving one or more rail fasteners 71 to secure the rail to the mounting surface. These fasteners 71 may be common screws, for example, each having a head and a threaded shank extending from the head. Advantageously, a depth D (FIG. 2A) of the channel from the plane of the slot 63 to the bottom wall 51 of the channel-track 11 is such that when the rail fasteners 71 are in place securing the rail to the mounting surface 5, there is sufficient clearance C (FIG. 2A) to permit implement holders (e.g., 17) having track-engaging elements (e.g., 25) to be slidably moved to their desired positions without interference with the heads of the fasteners. This clearance is preferably at least 1/8 in., but this dimension may vary. The back surface of the bottom wall 51 of the channel-track 11 has a pair of parallel ribs 77 thereon which contact the mounting surface 5 when the rail is secured thereto (see FIG. 2). The fastener holes 67 are located between these ribs 77 in the embodiment shown in the drawings.

The lower channel-track 13 is similar to the upper-channel track 11, also being disposed on the back face of the rail panel 9, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The lower channel-track 13 has a bottom wall 81 with parallel ribs 82 (FIG. 2) which contact the mounting surface 5 and parallel upper and lower side walls 83, 85. The lower side wall 85 has an inturned lip 89 which opposes the lower edge 39 of the rail panel to define a lower slot 91 which runs the length of the lower channel-track 13. Similar to the upper channel-track 11, the bottom wall 81 of the lower channel-track has fastener openings 95 spaced at intervals along the wall, and sufficient clearance is provided to enable passage of a track-engaging element of a holder past a fastener 71 in one of the openings 95 as the holder is moved along the lower channel-track 13.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, the upper and lower slots 63, 91 in respective channel-tracks 9, 11 are enlarged to form one or more pairs of vertically aligned notches 101 at certain locations between the ends of the rail. (Only one such pair of notches 101 is shown in FIG. 3, but others may be provided.) Each notch 101 permits entry of a track-engaging element (e.g., 25) of an implement holder (e.g., 17) through a respective slot 63, 91 and into a respective channel-track 11, 13, thereby permitting the holder to be slidably moved to a selected position on the rail 3. Alternatively, the track-engaging element may be inserted into the channel-track from an end of the rail, assuming the end is accessible and not blocked by a connection to another rail or in some other way.

The rail panel 9 of the rail 3 and the upper and lower channel-tracks 11, 13 may be integrally formed (e.g., molded) as a single piece or formed as separate pieces and then connected in suitable fashion. The various components may be of plastic or other suitable material.

As illustrated in FIGS. 3-3B, multiple rails 3 may be connected together end to end to increase the capacity of the system (e.g., the number of holders used). To facilitate such connection, each rail 3 includes a connection section 113 at one end (the left end as viewed in FIG. 3) configured for an overlapping fit with the opposite (right) end of an adjacent rail. In the illustrated embodiment, the connection section 113 of the rail comprises a connection panel 115 offset in a rearward direction relative to the rail panel 9, and upper and lower connection channel-tracks 117, 119 which are enlarged in transverse cross section relative to the rail channel-tracks 11, 13. The arrangement is such that the right end of each rail 3 is configured for an overlapping (e.g., telescoping) fit with the connection section 113 at the left end of an adjacent rail. When the rails of this embodiment are thus connected, the rail panels 9 of the two rails 3 are generally co-planar and closely adjacent or butted up against one another, and the upper and lower rail channel-tracks 9, 13 of the two rails are closed adjacent or butted up against one another to provide a substantially uninterrupted or seamless continuation of the rail panels, rail channel-tracks and slots from one rail to the next (see FIG. 3). The rails are held in fixed position relative to one another after they are connected by fastening each rail to the mounting surface 5 using the aforementioned rail fasteners 71. The overlapping telescoping connection between the rails 3 may also be accompanied by a friction-fit between the parts. The connection panel 115 of the connection section 113 has fastener holes 131 in it for securing an implement holder at this location, if desired. The bottom walls of the connection channel-tracks 117, 119 also have fastener holes 121 for receiving fasteners (e.g., 71) to secure the rail 3 to the mounting surface 5.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the jar 21 of the jar assembly 17 has a bottom 151, a cylindric side wall 153 defining an open mouth 155 at the upper end of the jar, and a circular peripheral flange structure 161 projecting out from the side wall of the jar at its mouth. The jar may have other shapes (e.g., rectangular) without departing from the scope of this invention. Further, the flange structure 161 may be formed as one continuous flange or one or more flange segments. In one embodiment, the jar 21 is made of a resilient material (e.g., resilient molded plastic), but it may also be rigid. The jar may have any suitable capacity.

The bracket 19 of the jar assembly 17 shown in FIGS. 2 and 4-6 includes a pair of spaced-apart, generally parallel side walls 171, a top wall 173 spanning the side walls, and a back wall 175. The track-engaging element 25 comprises a J-shaped member or hook extending up from the top wall 173 adjacent its back edge. In other embodiments, the track-engaging element 25 may have other shapes and may be at other locations on the bracket 19. The entire bracket 19, including the track-engaging element 25, may be a one-piece molded unit of a suitable plastic material, for example. To mount the bracket 19 on the rail, the track-engaging element 25 may be inserted into and through the enlarged notch 101 in the upper slot 63 and then slidably moved along the channel-track 11 to a selected position. The bracket 19 may be secured in that position by one or more fasteners (e.g., screws 181 in FIG. 6) extending through selected one or more mounting openings 183 in the back wall 175 of the bracket into the rail panel. The screws 181 preferably have a length such that they do not screw into the mounting surface 5. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the mounting openings 183 in the back wall 175 of the bracket 19 are in the form of slots extending up from the lower edge of the back wall. This configuration allows for some range of adjustment of the elevation of the bracket relative to the rail 3, as needed or desired.

As shown best in FIGS. 4 and 5, the side walls 171 of the bracket 19 are formed with opposing jar supports 191, and the back wall 175 of the bracket is formed with a jar support 193. All of these supports 191, 193 are spaced below the top wall 173 of the bracket and define a slideway 195 for slidably receiving the jar 21. In the illustrated embodiment (FIGS. 4 and 5), the jar supports 191 comprise ledges projecting from respective back and side walls 171, 175 for supporting portions of the flange structure 161 on the jar. The flange structure 161 is adapted to rest on the jar supports when the jar is slidably moved into the slideway 195 to a storage position below the top wall of the bracket, which serves as a cover for the jar (FIGS. 1 and 2). The front portion of each side wall support 191 is sloped to provide a lead-in ramp 199 to facilitate movement of the jar into the slideway 195.

The bracket 19 also includes a detent mechanism for releasably holding the jar 21 in its storage position below the top wall 173 of the bracket. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4-7A, this detent mechanism comprises a pair of detents 201 in the form of opposing bosses or projections on the side walls 171 of the bracket 19 above the jar supports 191. These detents define a distance D2 (FIG. 7A) across the slideway 195 less than an outside diameter of the jar 21 (e.g., less than the diameter of the peripheral flange structure 161). The jar 21 and/or the detents 201 are resiliently deformable to permit the jar to be slidably pushed (preferably but not necessarily with a twist) into the slideway 195 past the detent mechanism (i.e., in a direction toward the back wall 175 of the bracket 19) to an over-center position (FIG. 7) in which the maximum diameter of the jar, in this case the flange structure 161 of the jar, is located to the rear of the detents 201, thereby allowing the detents to snap back toward their original position for releasably holding the jar against withdrawal from the slideway. To remove the jar, it is simply pulled in a forward direction (preferably but not necessarily with a twist) with sufficient force to resiliently deform the detents 201 and/or the jar 21 to allow the jar to move forward past the detents and out of the slideway 195, either partially or entirely.

In other embodiments (not shown), multiple jars of different capacities may be used in conjunction with the same bracket 19, or multiple brackets 19 may be provided each having its own dedicated jar of appropriate size. Any number of jar assemblies (from one to two or more) can be mounted on the rail(s) 3.

In still other embodiments, the bracket 19 may be made without a track-engaging element 25. In this case, the bracket is simply secured to the rail 3 by one or more fasteners 181 extending through suitable openings (e.g., 183) in the back wall of the bracket into selected holes 45 in the rail panel 9.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 8, the funnel-shaped holder 31 is of relatively small size but otherwise has the shape and functional characteristics described in my aforementioned patent. The holder is formed with a standoff 213 on the back wall 215 of the holder which is adapted to lie flat against the rail panel 9 for stability. One or more fasteners (e.g., screws 47) may be used to secure the holder 31 to the rail panel 9 in any desired position along the rail, with each fastener extending through holes 217 in the back wall 215 and standoff 213 of the holder into a selected fastener hole 45 in the rail panel 9. The holder fasteners 47 are preferably dimensioned such that when threaded in place, they do not extend rearward beyond the bottom wall 51 of the upper channel-track 11 or the bottom wall 81 of the lower channel-track 13, so that they do not penetrate the rail mounting surface 5. The holder 31 may be a one-piece molded part.

The rail 3 is also suited for mounting a larger funnel-shaped holder, generally designated 225 in FIGS. 6 and 9. This holder 225 has a pair of upper track-engaging elements 227 slidable in the upper channel-track 11 and a lower track-engaging element 231 (FIG. 9) slidable in the lower channel-track 13. In one embodiment, the track-engaging elements 227, 231 are J-shaped members or hooks integrally formed with the back wall 235 of the holder, but the track-engaging elements may have other shapes and locations. Reference may be made to my aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 6,305,557 for further details regarding the design and operation of this type of holder. When the holder 225 is mounted on the rail 3, the track-engaging elements 227, 231 extend forward through respective slots 63, 91. The holder 225 may be slidably moved into a desired position along the rail 3, there being sufficient clearance in the channel-tracks 11, 13 between the rail fasteners 71 and the track-engaging elements 227, 231 as discussed above. Once in place, the holder 225 may be secured to the rail panel 3 by inserting fasteners (not shown) through one or more fastener holes 241 in the back wall 235 of the holder and then threading them into one or more selected aligned fastener holes 45 in the rail panel 9. The holder fasteners are preferably dimensioned such that when threaded in place, they do not extend rearward beyond the bottom wall 51 of the upper channel-track 11 or the bottom wall 81 of the lower channel-track 13, so that they do not penetrate the rail mounting surface 5.

When introducing elements of the present invention or the preferred embodiments(s) thereof, the articles “a”, “an”, “the” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising”, “including” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawing[s] shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Claims

1. A system for holding one or more implements, said system comprising

a rail adapted to be mounted in a generally horizontal position on a generally vertical mounting surface, said rail having a channel-track extending lengthwise of the rail,

an implement holder having a track-engaging element receivable in said channel-track and slidable along the channel-track to a selected position on the rail,

said channel-track comprising a bottom wall adapted to be positioned generally adjacent said mounting surface, a pair of spaced-apart side walls extending forward from said bottom wall, and a slot at a front side of the channel-track whereby when said track-engaging element of the implement holder is received in the channel-track between the side walls thereof, said element is adapted to project forward through the slot and to be slidably moved along the slot to move said implement holder to said desired position,

a plurality of fastener holes spaced at intervals along the bottom wall of the channel-track for receiving one or more rail fasteners to mount the rail on said mounting surface,

said channel-track having a depth sufficient to provide clearance between the track-engaging element and said one or more rail fasteners when the rail is mounted on said surface whereby the track-engaging element may be slidably moved along the channel-track without interference with said one or more rail fasteners.

2. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said rail comprises an elongate rail panel having a front face adapted to face away from said mounting surface and a back face adapted to face said mounting surface, and wherein said channel-track is disposed on the back face of the rail panel.

3. A system as set forth in claim 2 wherein said elongate rail panel has an upper edge margin terminating in an upper edge extending lengthwise of the rail panel, a lower edge margin terminating in a lower edge extending lengthwise of the rail panel, and opposite end edges, one side wall of said pair of side walls of said channel-track, constituting a lower side wall, extending along said upper edge margin of the rail panel at a location spaced below said upper edge of the rail panel, and the other side wall of said pair of said walls, constituting an upper side wall, being located above said upper edge of the rail panel and having an inturned lip generally opposing said upper edge of the rail panel, said lip and upper edge of the rail panel defining said slot.

4. A system as set forth in claim 3 wherein said channel-track comprises an upper channel-track disposed generally adjacent said upper edge of said rail panel, and wherein said system further comprises a lower channel-track disposed generally adjacent said lower edge of said rail panel and running generally parallel to said upper channel track.

5. A system as set forth in claim 2 wherein said channel-track comprises an upper channel-track disposed generally adjacent an upper edge of said rail panel, and wherein said system further comprises a lower channel-track disposed generally adjacent a lower edge of said rail panel and running generally parallel to said upper channel track.

6. A system as set forth in claim 5 wherein each rail has a connection section at one configured for an overlapping fit with an end of an adjacent rail thereby to join the rails end-to-end.

7. A system as set forth in claim 6 wherein said connection section of each rail is configured for a telescoping fit with said end of said adjacent rail.

8. A system as set forth in claim 2 further comprising one or more holder fasteners for mounting said implement holder on said rail panel, said rail panel having a plurality of fastener holes therein for receiving said one or more holder fasteners, said one or more holder fasteners having a length such then when the one or more holder fasteners are in place fastening said implement holder to the rail panel, the one or more holder fasteners do not extend rearward beyond said channel-track into said mounting surface.

9. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said one or more rail fasteners is a screw having a head disposed inside said channel-track and a threaded shank threadable into said mounting surface.

10. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said implement holder comprises a jar assembly comprising a jar having a bottom, one or more sides, and a mouth, and a bracket having said track-engaging element thereon, said bracket comprising a pair of generally opposing, spaced-apart sides, and opposing jar supports on the sides of the bracket for supporting said jar in an upright position for storage of items in the jar.

11. A system as set forth in claim 10 wherein said jar has a flange structure projecting out from said one or more sides of the jar adapted to rest on said jar supports.

12. A system as set forth in claim 11 wherein said bracket further comprises a top wall spanning said sides, said jar supports on the sides of the bracket being spaced below said top wall and defining a slideway for slidably receiving the flange structure of the jar whereby the jar may be slidably moved in said slideway to a storage position in which the mouth of the jar is disposed below the top wall of the bracket.

13. A system as set forth in claim 12 wherein top wall is sized to cover the mouth of the jar when the jar is in said storage position.

14. A system as set forth in claim 12 further comprising a detent mechanism for releasably holding said jar in said storage position.

15. A system as set forth in claim 14 wherein said detent mechanism defines a distance across the slideway less than an outside diameter of the jar, one or both of said jar and detent mechanism being resilient deformable to permit the jar to be slidably moved into the slideway past the detent mechanism to an over-center position in which the jar is releasably held against withdrawal from the slideway.

16. A system as set forth in claim 15 wherein said detent mechanism comprises a pair of detents protruding inwardly from opposite sides of the bracket into said slideway above said jar supports.

17. A jar assembly comprising

a jar having a bottom, one or more sides, and a mouth, and

a bracket having a track-engaging element thereon for engaging a track on a rail to permit sliding movement of the bracket along the rail,

said bracket comprising a pair of generally opposing, spaced-apart sides, and opposing jar supports on the sides of the bracket for supporting said jar in an upright position for storage of items in the jar.

18. A jar assembly as set forth in claim 17 wherein said jar has a flange structure projecting out from said one or more sides of the jar adapted to rest on said jar supports.

19. A jar assembly as set forth in claim 18 wherein said bracket further comprises a top wall spanning said sides, said jar supports on the sides of the bracket being spaced below said top wall and defining a slideway for slidably receiving the flange structure of the jar whereby the jar may be slidably moved in said slideway to a storage position in which the mouth of the jar is disposed below the top wall of the bracket.

20. A jar assembly as set forth in claim 19 wherein top wall is sized to cover the mouth of the jar when the jar is in said storage position.

21. A jar assembly as set forth in claim 19 further comprising a detent mechanism for releasably holding said jar in said storage position.

22. A jar assembly as set forth in claim 21 wherein said detent mechanism defines a distance across the slideway less than an outside diameter of the jar, one or both of said jar and detent mechanism being resilient deformable to permit the jar to be slidably moved into the slideway past the detent mechanism to an over-center position in which the jar is releasably held against withdrawal from the slideway.

23. A jar assembly as set forth in claim 22 wherein said detent mechanism comprises a pair of detents protruding inwardly from opposite sides of the bracket into said slideway above said jar supports.

24. A jar assembly comprising

a jar having a bottom, one or more sides, and a mouth, and

a bracket comprising a back wall, a pair of generally opposing, spaced-apart sides extending forward from the back wall, and opposing jar supports on the sides of the bracket for supporting said jar in an upright position for storage of items in the jar.

25. A jar assembly as set forth in claim 24 wherein said back wall has fastener openings therein for receiving fasteners to fasten the bracket to a surface.