Divider clip for a drawer divider assembly

Abstract

A divider clip of a drawer divider assembly serves to readily couple intersecting rails of the assembly in a secure manner. A rib on the clip enters, during clip installation, a channel on a rail of the assembly to prevent upward accidental dislodgment of the clip. An upper end of the clip is of a resilient nature and of hook configuration with an end for biased contact with an inclined rail surface to urge the clip and the rib thereon upwardly to a locked position.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present divider clip is for use in a drawer divider assembly for attaching rails of the assembly to one another.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,871,921, issued to the present inventor, is based on a drawer divider assembly having perimeter rails forming a storage area in a drawer with divider rails, internally of the perimeter rails, defining separate storage areas within the perimeter rail enclosure. The aforementioned patent discloses divider clips for attachment of the inner rails to one another as well as attachment rails to the inner wall surfaces of perimeter rails of the assembly. The issued patent discloses divider clips which permit removal and re-assembly of the rails, thereby revising the storage scope and shapes to best suit the user's needs. The patented divider assembly has found many uses of a storage for various small articles within a drawer and particularly within the drawer of a tool storage cabinet for the isolating of like parts or tools within specific areas.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention is embodied within a divider clip for use in a drawer assembly to achieve positive securement of rail components in a rapid yet detachable manner.

The present divider clip has a pair of walls joined to overlie the top of a divider rail with the walls provided with opposed inner ribs for seating within channels on opposite sides of the divider rail. Integral with the walls is an intersecting or end wall for abutment with a second divider rail or with a perimeter rail of the divider assembly. A divider rail, fitted with attached divider clips, is securely retained in place until intentionally shifted or removed and reinstalled. The clip end wall which abuts a divider or perimeter rail includes a locking feature. The upper end of the present divider clip includes a reversed upper end segment of flexible construction with a lip or end which flexes outwardly during divider clip installation on a rail. The lip or end subsequently retracts imparting upward movement to the clip to elevate a rib on the clip into locking engagement with a channel on the receiving rail. Present diver clip locking construction provides a clip lending itself to positive engagement with an assembly rail member and not reliant on extremely close tolerances during manufacture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is prior art disclosing a drawer divider assembly in perspective;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a prior art divider rail;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a prior art divider clip;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the present divider clip;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the present divider clip;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but with the divider clip partially installed on a rail; and

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 with the divider clip fully installed on a rail.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With continuing attention to the drawings, the structure shown in FIGS. 1 through 3 is prior art disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,871,921 incorporated herein by reference. Reference numerals 40 identifies the present divider clip. A pair of divider clip walls at 41 define an open area therebetween within which is received an end of a divider rail as at 46 in FIG. 6. A divider clip end wall is at 43 which, when installed, abuts a rail wall 42 with a rib 44 thereon seating in a rail channel 45.

With attention again to divider clip 40, the upper end, in side elevation, is of reversed or hook shape at 46 terminating a lip or end 47. With further attention to FIG. 6, during installation of divider clip 40 on rail wall 42, hand exerted pressure on curved upper end 46 of the divider clip, results in outward flexure of clip end 47 as it moves downward on a ridge surface 49 of the rail. Divider and perimeter rails are formed with a groove as at 50 defined by ridges 48. It will be noted that rib 44 on divider clip 40 will enter rail channel 45, in the rail during initial placement of the divider clip in abutment with rail wall 42.

Subsequent to placement of the divider clip in abutment with wall 42, manual force as earlier noted is applied to the clip upper end per FIG. 6 to momentarily displace clip end 47 outwardly. Upon removal of such force the clip end 47 will move upwardly along inclined surface 49 of the rail. Coincident with such movement, clip rib 44 moves upward into contact with a channel surface 51 of rail channel 45.

Adjustment of a divider rail within a drawer divider assembly may be accomplished by lateral positioning of the divider rail and attached divider clips thereon along an intersecting rail. Removal of a divider rail and the divider clips attached at its ends may be accomplished by retraction of a divider clip to disengage rib 44 from contact with the upper wall surface 51 of channel 45.

Internal ribs 52 of the divider clip engage rail channels 45 of a divider rail inserted therein.

While I have shown but one embodiment of the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied still otherwise without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed invention.

Claims

1- In a divider assembly for installation in a drawer, said divider assembly including intersecting perimeter rails, divider rails located in the area defined by the perimeter rails, said perimeter and divider rails having lengthwise channels and top grooves,

the improvement comprising a divider clip for attachment to at least two of said rails, said divider clip having a reversed top end segment of flexible construction for manually biased engagement with a rail top end segment momentarily flexing the top end segment, a rib on the divider insertable into a rail channel, inherent contraction of the reversed end segment upon removal of manual force, permitting the divider clip to move upwardly lifting the rib thereon into perimeter rail contact.

2- In a drawer divider assembly having perimeter rails and divider rails, each defining a groove along their upper extremity, said rails each having a lengthwise channel, the improvement comprising,

a divider clip comprising a reversed end segment of flexible construction for manually urged engagement with a rail groove momentarily displacing the end segment, release of manually imparted force on the reversed end segment permitting automatic retraction of the end segment and upward displacement of the divider clip to seat a rib on the divider clip in a rail channel for clip retention.

3- In combination,

first and second intersecting rails of a drawer divider assembly, said first and second rails each having a top groove and at least one channel on the rail sides, a clip for joining said first and said rails and carried at the end of said first rail, said clip in abutment with a side of said second rail and having a reversed upper end segment of flexible construction terminating in a lip in biased flexed engagement with the top groove of said second rail, said clip including a rib disposed in the channel of said second rail, said lip imparting upward movement to the clip to urge the rib thereon into engagement with a channel defining surface on said second rail.