U.S. patent application number 12/180269 was filed with the patent office on 2010-03-18 for drawer liner.
Invention is credited to Holly S. Tucker.
Application Number | 20100064948 12/180269 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42006090 |
Filed Date | 2010-03-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100064948 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Tucker; Holly S. |
March 18, 2010 |
Drawer Liner
Abstract
Disclosed is a flexible drawer liner with raised projections,
which allows for orderly arrangement of items--between the
projections. Cut to size, it fits in any/all drawers and boxes, and
can be used in kitchen, office, bathroom, workroom . . . wherever.
It replaces existing rigid organizers such as kitchen silverware
trays, or other organizational boxes. And, no need for a separate
drawer liner--as the invention is a cushioned liner and organizer
all in one. It just gets measured and cut to fit any drawer or box.
Arrange your silverware or other items on the liner, and you're
done. It's time to throw away those drawer organizers that don't
fit, and just don't do the job very well. The invention can also be
used in sinks, as a draining mat, leaning dishes on end to dry.
This is a clever household organization solution--and is a great
fit for existing products such as cooking and eating utensils, hand
tools, et cetera.
Inventors: |
Tucker; Holly S.;
(Hendersonville, NC) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Ken Campbell
P.O. Box 1381
Denver
CO
80132
US
|
Family ID: |
42006090 |
Appl. No.: |
12/180269 |
Filed: |
July 25, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
108/161 ;
248/37.3 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B 97/00 20130101;
B25H 3/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
108/161 ;
248/37.3 |
International
Class: |
A47G 29/00 20060101
A47G029/00 |
Claims
1. A storage mat for useful articles, wherein the mat comprises a
base and a plurality of projections stemming from the mat, and
arranged in an orderly manner along two directions, so as to
provide a means for organizing said articles in either a
corresponding or a facilitated orderly manner.
2. The storage mat in claim 1 whose base is of a material and form
that it may easily be trimmed to custom size, and fitted to the
bottom of a sink, so as to act as a convenient strainer for drying
washed dishes.
3. The storage mat in claim 1 wherein said articles are hand tools,
craft supplies, or flatware.
4. The storage mat in claim 1 whose projections are shaped with a
cross-sectional area that is greatest at some pre-determined
distance from the base, so as to keep articles in position and
prevent them from shifting.
5. The storage mat in claim 1 whose projections are of a material
and form that they may easily be severed selectively, so as to
define one or more clearances fitted to one or more said
articles.
6. The storage mat in claim 5 wherein said articles are hand tools,
craft supplies, or flatware.
Description
SUMMARY
[0001] Disclosed is an article of manufacture intended to aid in
the organization and storage of eating and cooking utensils, in its
preferred embodiment. It can also be used, however, to organize
craft supplies, small tools, et cetera, and to stabilize dishware
(as in a kitchen sink) that has been washed by hand. Though, in its
preferred embodiment, the invention is a drawer liner.
[0002] An object of the invention is a drawer liner that provides
for the orderly arrangement of items, among an array of
projections. Another object is a drawer liner that can easily be
cut to appropriate custom size, whether it is for the bottom of a
drawer, a kitchen sink, a countertop, et cetera. Still another
object is an organizer that maximizes the space available for
actual storage, and minimizes the space taken up by the organizer
itself. Yet another object is an organizer that allows the user to
decide where specific items will be located during storage.
[0003] The invention is molded from a suitable material such as
plastic, polyurethane, rubber, vinyl, et cetera. It can be made in
rolls, sheets, or custom sizes depending on volume. Other
embodiments can be constructed with multiple pieces, to provide
necessary strength for heavier or bulkier items. Conceivably, a
flat wooden board, a flexible mat, or metal plate (as examples) can
be used as a base in which so many projections are fastened by a
suitable means, at predetermined locations on the base. The base
may contain holes for lightening or drainage.
[0004] Also in other embodiments, the profile of the projections
themselves can be of a non-cylindrical shape. Larger tips, for
example, can facilitate the utility of the invention more
effectively. The invention can be made either flexible or
rigid.
DRAWING FIGURES
[0005] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the invention in its
preferred embodiment.
[0006] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the invention in its
preferred embodiment.
[0007] FIG. 3 shows a close-up perspective view of an alternate
embodiment of the invention.
[0008] FIG. 4 shows a top view of the invention in its preferred
embodiment, in a rolled condition.
[0009] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the invention in its
preferred embodiment, along with a number of items for which the
embodiment is intended.
[0010] FIG. 6 shows an overhead perspective view of the invention
in its preferred embodiment, in an alternate use, along with a
number of items for which the embodiment is intended.
[0011] FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of the invention, as it is
used in a drawer.
DESCRIPTION
[0012] FIG. 1 is a good view of the invention 10 in its simplest
form. The invention is molded as a single piece of material. It has
two main components, a base 20 and a plurality of projections 30.
In this case the material is an elastomer. It is pliable to the
extent that it will accept items that vary in shape
substantially.
[0013] FIG. 2 is a view of the invention 10 showing by example how
a wide variety of arrangements for the projections 30 are
acceptable, and foreseen.
[0014] FIG. 3 is a close-up partial view of the invention 10
showing by example how the projections 30 can be of a
non-cylindrical shape. In fact, a wide variety of shapes are
foreseeable, which accommodate the specifics of a particular
application.
[0015] FIG. 4 is a view of the invention 10 after it has been
rolled.
[0016] FIG. 5 shows the invention 10 in use. Here a specific size
has been cut to fit a kitchen drawer, and to serve as an organizer.
The drawer itself is not shown in the figure, so as to aid
visibility.
[0017] FIG. 6 shows the invention 10 in an alternate use. Here it
has been cut to fit the bottom of a sink, and to serve as a
strainer.
[0018] FIG. 7 shows the invention 10 in another alternate use. Here
it is shown inside a drawer, and used to locate and store hand
tools.
[0019] Of course, many of the projections can be trimmed off, to
provide customized recessed areas (as suggested in FIG. 2, where
the layout of the projections shown can either be established as it
is manufactured, or trimmed after the product has been purchased by
the consumer).
[0020] Although not shown in FIG. 7, this function of trimming away
one or more projections to form custom recesses can help a user to
identify the proper storage location for a particular article, so
that the article may be returned to the recessed area that matches
the particular article, in overall shape.
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