Over-the-sink organizer

Abstract

An organizer for holding dishes, pots, pans, flatware, and other kitchen ware or utensils situated over the sink. The organizer comprises of a frame which is situated over the sink and onto which dish racks, shelves, hooks, drawers, and bins to hold the aforementioned kitchen ware are either permanently or temporarily attached. The over the sink design frees up the kitchen counter space and allows direct liquid drainage into kitchen sink for drying wet utensils.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to an organizer/dish rack which is situated over the sink for improved counter space utilization and elimination of need for drain plate.

[0002] Current kitchen counters have numerous appliances and gadgets that take up much of the counter space. One of the larger items on the kitchen counter is the dish rack. Because the dish rack is used to hold wet items, a drain plate is generally placed under the dish rack to collect and drain the water into the sink. Of course, this requires that the dish rack be placed directly adjacent to the sink, an area in close proximity to much of the activities in the kitchen. Additionally, the drain plate fails to drain all of the liquid into the sink which can lead to mildew and unsanitary conditions. A means to allow better utilization of kitchen counter space is needed.

[0003] An apparatus for suspending utensils or food items is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,397 issued May 16, 2000 to Yaffa Ricari, entitled Over-the-Sink Utensil Holder and Stabilizer. While this invention allows storage within the vertical space of the kitchen sink, it fails to fully utilize the said space. The "Utensil Holder" does not allow for free access to the sink since it is located below plane of the faucet head, thus covering the sink. Furthermore, if entire sink space is to be utilized, the apparatus must be removed in order to accommodate this requirement.

[0004] The present invention allows for better utilization of the vertical sink space by placing the storage apparatus above the sink and faucet head. The design allows for full access of the sink without requiring the user to manipulate the apparatus. It is also more versatile by allowing layers of various assortments of storage options. The esthetics and cleanliness is improved by allowing the liquid to drain directly into the sink without obstructing the access to the sink.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] This invention describes an over-the-sink organizer that allows direct liquid drainage into the kitchen sink. The organizer consists of a frame, which is placed over the sink, and various assortments of bins, dish racks, shelves, hooks, drawers, and bins. These assortments of storage apparatus are either permanently affixed onto the frame or may be removable for custom configuration per end user needs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0006] FIG. 1 is an illustration of the over-the-sink organizer with assortment of permanently affixed storage apparatus.

[0007] FIG. 2 is an illustration of over the sink organizer with expandable frame.

[0008] FIG. 3 is an illustration of the frame and various storage attachments which can be used to custom configure the over the sink organizer according to user needs.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] FIG. 1 shows the over-the-sink organizer as defined in the preferred embodiment. The organizer 1 is placed over the sink 2. The organizer I consists of a frame 7 and a various assortments of storage apparatus such as bins 3, dish racks 4, shelves 5, hooks 6, and drawers 8.

[0010] FIG. 2 shows the over-the sink organizer with adjustable frame. The frame consists of a left side 9 and a right side 10. Right side 10 has tubes 11 which align with openings 12 on the left side 9. The tubes 1 1 are smaller than openings 12 which allows the tubes 11 to slide into the openings 12.

[0011] FIG. 3 shows a modular version of the over-the-sink organizer. This design consists of a frame 13, onto which various storage apparatus, such as bins 14, dish racks 15, shelves 16, hooks 17, and drawers 18 can-be attached according the needs of the user.

Claims

1 We claim an over-the-sink organizer comprising of: A frame onto which bins, dish racks, shelves, hooks, and drawers are attached.

2 We claim an organizer comprising of: An apparatus as defined in claim 1 where the width of the frame is adjustable.

3 We claim an organizer comprising of: An apparatus as defined in claim 1 where the frame allows removal and adjustment of location of accessories such as bins, dish racks, shelves, hooks, and drawers.