Drawer divider and drawer organizer

Claim 2

Insert means for dividing an elongated, open top, rectangular cross section, storage compartment, such as the storage compartments provided in kitchen utensil drawers, silverware drawers, silver storage chests, drawer organizer trays and the like, into a series of forwardly and downwardly inclined, generally parallel, sub-compartments, each of which is open at the top and each of which has the general form of a parallelepiped that is rectangular in cross section and that is partially truncated at its lower forward end, said insert means including wall surface defining means which provide for each sub-compartment a rectangularly shaped open top; a flat, downwardly and forwardly inclined, utensil supporting, lower surface; a flat, horizontal bottom surface, which is adapted to engage to extend parallel to the bottom surface of the storage compartment within which the said insert means is to be located; a vertical surface which extends transversely across the sub-compartment; and a flat downwardly and forwardly inclined upper wall surface for the sub-compartment, which upper wall surface is spaced from, and extends parallel to, the downwardly and forwardly inclined, utensil supporting, lower wall surface.

Claim 3

Insert means for dividing an elongated, open top, rectangular cross section, storage compartment, such as the storage compartments provided in kitchen utensil drawers, silverware drawers, silver storage chests, drawer organizer trays and the like, into a series of forwardly and downwardly inclined, generally parallel, sub-compartments, each of which is open at the top and each of which has the general form of a parallelepiped that is rectangular in cross section and that is partially truncated at its lower forward end, said insert means including wall surface defining means which provide for each subcompartment a rectangularly shaped open top; a flat, downwardly and forwardly inclined, utensil supporting, lower surface; a flat, horizontal bottom surface, which is adapted to engage to extend parallel to the bottom surface of the storage compartment within which the said insert means is to be located; a vertical surface which extends transversely across the sub-compartment; and a flat downwardly and forwardly inclined upper wall surface for the sub-compartment, which upper wall surface is spaced from, and extends parallel to, the downwardly and forwardly inclined, utensil supporting, lower wall surface.

Claim 4

Insert means for dividing an elongated, open top, rectangular cross section, storage compartment, such as the storage compartments provided in kitchen utensil drawers, silverware drawers, silver storage chests, drawer organizer trays and the like, into a series of forwardly and downwardly inclined, generally parallel, sub-compartments, each of which is open at the top and each of which has the general form of a parallelepiped that is rectangular in cross section and that is partially truncated at its lower forward end, said insert means including wall surface defining means which provide for each subcompartment a rectangularly shaped open top; a flat, downwardly and forwardly inclined, utensil supporting, lower surface; a flat, horizontal bottom surface, which is adapted to engage to extend parallel to the bottom surface of the storage compartment within which the said insert means is to be located; a vertical surface which extends transversely across the sub-compartment; and a flat downwardly and forwardly inclined upper wall surface for the sub-compartment, which upper wall surface is spaced from, and extends parallel to, the downwardly and forwardly inclined, utensil supporting, lower wall surface.

Claim 5

Structure in accordance with claim 1 wherein the said insert means comprises a one piece casting or molding made of a suitable rigid material such as metal or plastic.

Claim 6

Structure in accordance with claim 1 wherein the said insert means comprises a suitably shaped and creased section of paperboard which when folded along the said creases which have been formed therein will provide the wall surface defining means specified in claim 1.

Claim 7

Structure in accordance with claim 1 wherein the said insert means comprises a transversely cut-off section of a rigid metal or plastic extrusion.

Claim 8

Structure in accordance with wherein the several downwardly inclined, generally parallel, sub-compartments are symmetrically disposed relative to each other in stacked relationship, and wherein the longitudinal axes of said sub-compartments are parallel to each other and extend at an angle to the flat, horizontal bottom surfaces of the said sub-compartments, within the range of about 30* to 60*.

Claim 9

Structure in accordance with wherein the several downwardly inclined, generally parallel, sub-compartments are symmetrically disposed relative to each other in stacked relationship, and wherein the longitudinal axes of said sub-compartments are parallel to each other and extend at an angle to the flat, horizontal bottom surfaces of the said sub-compartments, within the range of about 30* to 60*.

Claim 10

Means defining the side walls and the bottom surface of an elongated main storage compartment for kitchen utensils, silverware and the like, said main compartment being open at its top and being generally rectangular in cross section, and means within said main compartment defining upper and lower wall surfaces of a series of forwardly and downwardly inclined, generally parallel, sub-compartments, each of which is open at the top and each of which has the general form of a parallelepiped that is rectangular in cross section and that is partially truncated at its lower forward end, said wall defining means providing for each sub-compartment a rectangularly shaped open top; a flat, downwardly and forwardly inclined, utensil supporting, lower surface; a flat, horizontal bottom surface, which is parallel to the bottom surface of the said main storage compartment; a vertical surface which extends transversely across and which defines the end wall of the sub-compartment; and a flat downwardly and forwardly inclined upper wall surface for the sub-compartment, which upper wall surface is spaced from, and extends parallel to, the downwardly and forwardly inclined, utensil supporting, lower wall surface; the side wall defining surfaces for said sub-compartments being provided by the side walls of the main storage compartment.

Claim 11

Means defining the side walls and the bottom surface of an elongated main storage compartment for kitchen utensils, silverware and the like, said main compartment being open at its top and being generally rectangular in cross section, and means within said main compartment defining upper and lower wall surfaces of a series of forwardly and downwardly inclined, generally parallel, sub-compartments, each of which is open at the top and each of which has the general form of a parallelepiped that is rectangular in cross section and that is partially truncated at its lower forward end, said wall defining means providing for each sub-compartment a rectangularly shaped open top; a flat, downwardly and forwardly inclined, utensil supporting, lower surface; a flat, horizontal bottom surface, which is parallel to the bottom surface of the said main storage compartment; a vertical surface which extends transversely across and which defines the end wall of the sub-compartment; and a flat downwardly and forwardly inclined upper wall surface for the sub-compartment, which upper wall surface is spaced from, and extends parallel to, the downwardly and forwardly inclined, utensil supporting, lower wall surface; the side wall defining surfaces for said sub-compartments being provided by the side walls of the main storage compartment.

Claim 12

Structure in accordance with claim 6 wherein the main storage compartment comprises a one-piece, molded, drawer organizer tray, one or more of which trays can be placed in a utensil storage drawer in side-by-side relationship, and wherein the means defining the walls of the sub-compartments comprises a one-piece, removable insert of such dimensIons that it will fit within and engage the inside wall surfaces of said tray, thereby dividing the main storage compartment provided in said tray into sub-compartments as aforesaid.

Claim 13

Structure in accordance with claim 6 wherein the means defining the upper and lower wall surfaces of the sub-compartments comprises a transversely cut-off section of a rigid metal or plastic extrusion.

Claim 14

In combination in a drawer or other container for holding kitchen utensils, silverware and the like, wall defining means for dividing the drawer into a series of narrow, elongated, generally parallel, flat sided, longitudinally extending main compartments which are open at the top and are generally rectangular in cross section, and wall defining means for dividing each of said main compartments into a series of forwardly and downwardly inclined sub-compartments each of which is open at its top and each of which has the general form of a parallelepiped that is rectangular in cross section and that is partially truncated at its lower forward end, said wall defining means providing for each sub-compartment a flat, downwardly and forwardly inclined, utensil supporting, lower surface; a flat, horizontal bottom surface, which is parallel to the bottom surface of the drawer and the said main storage compartments; a vertical, surface which extends transversely across the sub-compartment and which defines the end wall thereof; and a flat downwardly and forwardly inclined upper wall surface for the sub-compartment, which upper wall surface is spaced from, and extends parallel to, the downwardly and forwardly inclined, utensil supporting, lower wall surface; the said drawer dividing means providing side walls for the side sub-compartments; and the sub-compartments which are located in each main compartment being disposed in parallel, inclined, side-by-side, forwardly extending, stacked relationship, with the longitudinal axes of the several sub-compartments in each stack extending at an angle to the bottom plane of the main compartment within which said sub-compartments are located, within the range of approximately 30* to 60*.

Claim 15

In combination in a drawer or other container for holding kitchen utensils, silverware and the like, wall defining means for dividing the drawer into a series of narrow, elongated, generally parallel, flat sided, longitudinally extending main compartments which are open at the top and are generally rectangular in cross section, and wall defining means for dividing each of said main compartments into a series of forwardly and downwardly inclined sub-compartments each of which is open at its top and each of which has the general form of a parallelepiped that is rectangular in cross section and that is partially truncated at its lower forward end, said wall defining means providing for each sub-compartment a flat, downwardly and forwardly inclined, utensil supporting, lower surface; a flat, horizontal bottom surface, which is parallel to the bottom surface of the drawer and the said main storage compartments; a vertical, surface which extends transversely across the sub-compartment and which defines the end wall thereof; and a flat downwardly and forwardly inclined upper wall surface for the sub-compartment, which upper wall surface is spaced from, and extends parallel to, the downwardly and forwardly inclined, utensil supporting, lower wall surface; the said drawer dividing means providing side walls for the side sub-compartments; and the sub-compartments which are located in each main compartment being disposed in parallel, inclined, side-by-side, forwardly extending, stacked relationship, with the longitudinal axes of the several sub-compartments in each stack extending at an angle to the bottom plane of the main compartment within which said sub-compartments are located, within the range of approximately 30* to 60*.

Claim 16

Structure as defined in claim 9 wherein the wall dividing means for dividing each of the main compartments into a series of sub-compartments comprises a unitary, one-piece, removable insert element.

Claim 17

Structure in accordance with claim 2 wherein the several downwardly inclined, generally parallel, sub-compartments are symmetrically disposed relative to each other in stacked relationship, and wherein the longitudinal axes of said sub-compartments are parallel to each other and extend at an angle to the flat, horizontal bottom surfaces of the said sub-compartments, within the range of about 30 to 60 degrees.

Claim 18

Structure in accordance with claim 3 wherein the several downwardly inclined, generally parallel, sub-compartments are symmetrically disposed relative to each other in stacked relationship, and wherein the longitudinal axes of said sub-compartments are parallel to each other and extend at an angle to the flat, horizontal bottom surfaces of the said sub-compartments, within the range of about 30 to 60 degrees.

Claim 19

Structure in accordance with claim 4 wherein the several downwardly inclined, generally parallel, sub-compartments are symmetrically disposed relative to each other in stacked relationship, and wherein the longitudinal axes of said sub-compartments are parallel to each other and extend at an angle to the flat, horizontal bottom surfaces of the said sub-compartments, within the range of about 30 to 60 degrees.