BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention is a storage system including a drawer which can be installed under something such as the bottom shelf of an upper kitchen cabinet unit. The drawer includes pegs which extend outwardly from its sides, near the rear of the sides, about which the drawer can rotate between a closed position in which it is positioned in a generally horizontal orientation and an open position in which it is positioned in a generally vertical orientation. The drawer is supported so that, when it is rotated to the open position, it can be slid towards the front of a kitchen cabinet unit or other associated mounting structure for ease of access to its contents.
A Professional Searcher who reported that he made a computer based search using PTO facilities and furnished the following list of patents and the classification information set forth below said that the following US patents were the most pertinent ones that he found in regard to the subject invention.
7,140,703 312/323
6,309,038 312/246
5,957,558 312/323
5,649,751 312/242
3,846,005 312/248
3,485,544 312/248
2,839,349 312/323
2,695,831 312/246
2,676,863 312/246
2,565,845 312/246
2,471,245 312/246
2,450,233 312/319
1,345,194 312/204
1,052,778 235/78
876,159 312/248
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The drawer based storage system of the present invention comprises a drawer adapted to be supported on a support frame with sides and, preferably, a front, for pivotal movement between a closed, generally horizontal position and an open, non-horizontal position and, further, for sliding movement, only when the drawer is in the open position, between a retracted position and an extended position.
It is an object of the instant invention to provide a storage system that is especially adapted to make use of space that is otherwise unused, especially in kitchens and other rooms with wall mounted cabinets.
It is another object of the instant invention to provide a storage system that is especially adapted to make use of space that is under wall mounted cabinets.
It is a further object of the instant invention to provide a drawer based storage system in which the drawer is mounted for pivoting and sliding movement that is especially adapted to make use of space that is otherwise unused, especially in kitchens and other rooms with wall mounted cabinets.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a drawer based storage system in which the drawer can be hidden when the drawer is closed.
It is still a further object of the invention to provide a drawer based storage system which can be configured so that the drawer can be removed from a frame in which is supported when closed.
These and other objects and advantages will be apparent from the description which follows, reference being made to the attached drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a view in perspective showing a drawer storage system according to the invention with a drawer supported in a closed position.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the drawer storage system of FIG. 1 with the drawer in the open position at an intermediate position between a retracted open position and an extended open position as shown in FIG. 3.
FIG. 3 is a view in perspective showing the drawer storage system of FIG. 1 with the drawer in the open and extended position.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing one side of an end of a cooperating drawer support including a groove in which a peg of the drawer is received.
FIGS. 5-8 are plan views showing custom drawer storage assemblies similar to that of FIG. 1, but differing in that the drawers of the systems have been outfitted to make them particularly useful for storing and, in some case, dispensing particular household items.
FIG. 9 is a fragmentary view showing a catch comprising an actuator and lock which can be used with any of the drawers of FIGS. 1-8.
FIG. 10 is vertical sectional view taken along the line 10-10 of FIG. 9.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of a groove for receiving a peg of a drawer according to the invention.
FIG. 12 is a view in vertical section taken along the line 12-12 of FIG. 11, and showing the shape of the groove shown in FIG. 11.
FIG. 13 is a vertical sectional view showing a second embodiment of a catch for maintaining the drawer in the closed position.
FIG. 14 is a bottom view of the drawer showing another embodiment of a catch for maintaining the drawer in the closed position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now in more detail to the drawings, an assembly including a drawer 15 having a drawer bottom 16 is shown in FIGS. 1 through 3. The drawer has sides 17 and 18, which are parallel to one another, and a drawer front 19. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 through 3, the back of the drawer 15 is open and, there is a rod 20 extending between the sides 17 and 18 at the rear of the drawer 15. The back of the drawer can include a drawer back (not shown) corresponding somewhat with the drawer front 19. The drawer 15 is shown in a closed position in FIG. 1 where it is surrounded by support sides 21 and 22, which are parallel to one another and to the sides 17 and 18 of the drawer 15, to which they are closely adjacent. The drawer 15 is further surrounded by a support front 23 which is closely adjacent and parallel to the front 19 of the drawer 15 and a support back 24 which is parallel to the support front 23. The support sides 21 and 22 and the support front and back 23 and 24 constitute a support frame which frames the drawer 15 when it is in the closed position as shown in FIG. 1. It will be appreciated that the support frame may actually be part of something larger such as a wall cabinet or the like with the frame defined by the lower ends of the cabinet back, sides and front. Alternatively, the support frame can be attached to the underside of a shelf (not shown) or the like. It is preferred that the support frame include a support front 23 so as to hide the drawer 15 when it is in the closed position. This permits the drawer storage system to blend in with a cabinet, for example when the drawer is closed. The support back 24 is not necessary to the use or operation of the drawer storage system but it can be incorporated in the support frame if desired.
In the embodiments shown in the several drawing Figs., the ends of the rod 20 extend through the sides 17 and 18 of the drawer 15, near the rear of the drawer. The ends of the rod 20 constitute pegs 25 and 26 which extend from the drawer sides 17 and 18 to the outside of the drawer sides 17 and 18, as can be seen in FIGS. 5 through 8, and into cooperating slots, one of which is indicated at 27 in FIGS. 2 through 8. The slot 27 is formed on the inside face of the support side 21. A corresponding slot (not shown) is provide on the inside face of the support side 22. The drawer sides 17 and 18 can be made smaller than what is shown in the drawing Figs. and still perform the function of supporting the pegs 25 and 26.
The slots that cooperate with the pegs that extend from the drawer sides may be simple, i.e., having a square or rectangular cross-section or, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, a contoured slot with a dovetail shape may be used, as indicated at 29 in FIG. 12, in a support side 21′ with a cooperating slot 30 provided in support side 22′. A correspondingly shaped peg (not shown) or a wheel, as described below with reference to FIG. 12, can be used with a contoured slot so that the peg or wheel will be retained within the slot and its accidental removal from the slot will be prevented. In these cases, it is preferred to provide an enlarged opening such as indicated at 31 in FIG. 11 in order to facilitate the initial placement of the drawer pegs within the slots as well as the removal of the drawer pegs from the slots in case it is desired to remove the drawer from the frame. With the simple peg and slot configuration shown in FIGS. 1 through 8, drawer placement and removal can be effected by manipulating the drawer so that one of the pegs is closer to the support front 23 or the support back 24 of the drawer support frame than the other peg, until one of the pegs is withdrawn from its slot. Alternatively, the pegs could be retractable and movable between and extended position and a retracted position and, if desired, resiliently urged into the extended position. Of course, the slots could be external, i.e., defined by tracks (not shown) mounted on the inside of the support frame sides.
As can be seen in FIG. 11, the back ends of the slots 29 and 30 are positioned near the top of the support sides 21′ and 22′. The front ends of the slots 29 and 30 are positioned near the bottom of the support sides 21′ and 22′. The slots 29 and 30 are straight in between the front ends and the back ends although they may be otherwise shaped. The enlarged openings 31 are positioned between the front and back ends of the slots 29 and 30.
Referring now to FIG. 12, a contoured wheel 32 is carried in the slot 29 and it is mounted for rotation on an axle 33 which, in turn, is mounted on the drawer side 17. In this case, the rod 20 does not need to extend through the drawer side 17 as it is the wheel 32 and the axle 33 on which it is mounted which constitute the peg that supports the drawer 15′ in the slot 29 in the support side 21′ of the support frame. Of course, a corresponding wheel and axle could be provided on the drawer side 18 to support the drawer in the slot 30.
Returning now to FIGS. 1 through 4, the movement of the drawer 15 within the support frame will now be described. In FIG. 1, the drawer 15 is in a closed position. The back of the drawer 15 is supported by the pegs 25 and 26 (FIGS. 5 through 8) and the front of the drawer is supported relative to the support frame by a suitable catch. Several suitable catches are described below with reference to FIGS. 9, 10, 13 and 14. When the catch is released, the front of the drawer 15 is lowered as the pegs which extend outwardly from the drawer sides 17 and 18 rotate in the slot 27 and the corresponding slot in the support side 22. It is desirable that the front of the drawer 15 be supported so as to prevent it from falling rapidly, so that its movement is controlled. As soon as the drawer front 19 is lowered below the support front 23, sliding movement can begin and the drawer support pegs can be slid from the back of the slots in the support sides 21 and 22 towards the front of those slots. Rotation and sliding of the drawer 15 can continue until the drawer is supported by the pegs cooperating with the slots in the support sides 21 and 22 in the open extended position shown in FIG. 3. As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, when the drawer 15 is at rest and supported in the support frame in the open extended position, the back of the drawer 15 is behind the support front 23 while the drawer front 19 or a portion of it, anyway, is in front of the support front 23. This is achieved by positioning the pegs closer to upper surfaces 34 and 35 of the drawer sides 17 and 18 than to the drawer bottom 16. If the pegs are positioned closer to the drawer bottom 16 than is shown in the drawings, then the drawer 15, in the open position, will be supported so that it hangs with the drawer bottom 16 more nearly vertical.
The closing of the drawer is achieved by sliding the drawer 15 from the extended position shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 towards the retracted position until the drawer can be pivoted to the closed position whereupon the catch, described further below, is engaged to maintain the drawer 15 in the closed position. The catch is operable in one position and inoperable in a second position to prevent relative movement between at least a portion of the drawer 15 and a portion of the support frame.
The drawer 15 is shown in FIG. 1 in its closed position, and, in FIGS. 9 and 10, maintained in the closed position by a catch consisting of a blade 36 which is carried on and rotatable with a pin 37 which, in turn, is connected to and rotatable with a knob 38 which is on the outside of the drawer bottom 16. The pin 37 extends through the drawer bottom 16 giving the drawer storage assembly a neat, clean appearance when the drawer 15 is closed. In the position shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the blade 36 extends through a slot in the drawer front 19 and into a recess in the support front 23, acting as a catch to prevent relative movement between the drawer 15 and the support frame. When it is desired to open the drawer 15, the knob 38 is rotated one quarter turn clockwise, causing the blade 36 to rotate out of the recess in the support front 23 so that relative movement between the drawer 15 and the support frame is not prevented. Any manner of catch is suitable for use with the drawer storage system although preference would be shown towards catches that provide a clean look when the drawer 15 is closed. Other examples of catches are described later with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14.
One can begin to appreciate the versatility of the drawer storage system of the present invention by reference to FIGS. 5 through 8. A custom drawer assembly is shown in FIG. 5 and it has a shelf 39 and retainers 40 so that small containers, for example spice containers (not shown), can be placed on the shelf 39 and also on the drawer front 19, between the retainers 40 and the drawer bottom 16 of the drawer 15, and the containers will be kept in the positions in which they are placed on the shelf 39 and drawer front 19 by the retainers 40 and the drawer bottom 16. Other containers, for example flatware baskets (not shown) can be filled with flatware and placed on the shelf 39 or the drawer front 19, between the retainers 40 and the drawer bottom 16.
A second custom drawer assembly is illustrated in FIG. 6. The drawer assembly has rods 41 and 42 supported between the drawer sides 17 and 18, spaced from the drawer bottom 16. Roll material indicated at 43 is mounted on the rod 42 for easy dispensing. If desired, a cutting strip may be provided for the roll material which could be anything from gift wrapping paper to plastic wrap to parchment paper to foil to wax paper, etc.
A third custom drawer assembly is illustrated in FIG. 7. The drawer assembly has three openings 43 in the drawer bottom 16′. In FIG. 7, the openings 43 are all trapezoidal in shape although other shapes may be utilized. The drawer bottom may have more or less than three openings, if desired. A food storage bag from each of three boxes can be pulled partially from its box, so that the food storage bag extends out the top of the box, but is still engaged by the food storage bags which remain in the box. Each of the three boxes can then be placed over one of the openings 43, upside down, with its partially released bag extending through one of the openings in the drawer bottom 16′, and the drawer 15 can be closed. The drawer assembly used in this way can be maintained in its closed position until it is time to replace an empty box of food storage bags so that food storage bags or other household items can be dispensed through the openings in the drawer bottom 16′.
A fourth custom drawer assembly is illustrated in FIG. 8. A plurality of magnets 44, each of which is suitably attached to the drawer bottom 16″, are operable to engage and retain any ferro-magnetic object including utility knives, as illustrated, out of sight and out of the reach of hands too young.
Referring now to FIG. 13, a catch for releasably retaining the drawer 15 in the closed position is illustrated. The catch consists of cooperating portions of a support frame front 23′ and of a drawer front 19′. The support frame front 23′ includes a projecting ledge 45 which is angled slightly and cooperates with a protrusion 46 formed on the outer face of the drawer front 19′ so that when the protrusion 46 is placed on the ledge 45, the drawer front 19′ and, thus, the drawer, is supported relative to the support frame front 23 and, thus, the support frame. In this case, the slots in which the pegs or the like are received must extend rearwardly (to the right in FIG. 13) far enough so that the drawer can be moved rearwardly from the position shown in FIG. 13 until the protrusion 46 clears the ledge 45, so that the drawer 15 may be opened. The drawer 15 may be closed by moving the drawer rearwardly and pivoting the drawer to bring it to a horizontal position and then manipulating the drawer until the protrusion 46 is resting on and supported by the ledge 45.
In FIG. 14, another catch is illustrated. The catch comprises a pair of catch rods 47 with first ends mounted on a rotatable actuator plate 48 and movable between a first, extended position, shown in FIG. 14 and a second, retracted position shown in phantom lines in FIG. 14. The rods 47 extend through openings in the drawer sides 17 and 18 and, when the rods 47 are in the extended position, distal ends 49 of the rods 47 are received in openings in the support frame sides 21 and 22, thereby preventing the drawer 15 from being opened. When the plate 48 is rotated from the illustrated position, in the direction indicated by the arrows, to the position shown in phantom, the distal ends 49 of the rods 47 are retracted from the support frame sides 21 and 22 so that the drawer is not prevented from being opened. A knob 50 is provided to facilitate turning of the plate 48.
It will be appreciated from the foregoing description of preferred embodiments thereof that the instant invention is a drawer storage system including a drawer and a support frame for the drawer. The drawer has a bottom and two sides and a front and support pegs extend from the drawer outwardly into grooves in the support frame. The drawer is rotatable between a closed and an open position and, when in the open position, is slidable between a retracted and an extended position.
