Patent Application
20180344028
The disclosure relates to storage space dividers and more particularly pertains to a new storage space divider for dividing a storage container into a plurality of discrete areas to retain articles therein separated from each other.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a panel has a first end, a second end, a top edge, a bottom edge, a first side and a second side. The panel comprises a bendable material such that the panel is configured to be selectively bent along lines orientated perpendicular to the top and bottom edges. The panel has a bent shape when the panel is bent along the lines and the bendable material retains the bent shape. The panel, after being bent, is positioned in a storage space in the bent shape such that the panel divides the storage space into a plurality of discrete sections.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The panel 12 may include an interior frame 28 and exterior coating 30. The interior frame 28 provides the structure required to help retain the panel 12 in the bent shape. The interior frame 28 may therefore comprise a metallic material. The interior frame 30, while shown as solid plate, may also comprise a plurality of wires extending from the first end 14 to the second end 16 and being spaced from each other a distance of less than 0.50 inches such that when used together they function as the interior frame 28. Alternatively, the interior frame 28 may also be comprised of a wire mesh material. The exterior coating 30 protects the interior frame 28 as well as prevents a person being cut by the interior frame 28 or allowing the interior frame 28 from damaging a storage space 70. As such, the exterior coating 30 may comprise an elastomeric material which might include natural or synthetic rubbers, plastics, silicones and the like. The exterior coating 30 may be resiliently stretchable to allow it to conform to a shape of the bends 26.
The panel 12 is configured to be positioned in the storage space 70 in the bent shape such that the panel 12 divides the storage space 70 into a plurality of discrete sections. The storage space 70 includes a bottom wall 72 and a perimeter wall 74 wherein the storage space 70 is bounded by the perimeter wall 74. The storage space 70 may comprise any space used for storing small articles including, but not limited to, boxes, drawers, shower caddies and the like.
The first end 14 may comprise a first mating member 32 and the second end 16 may comprises a second mating member 34 so that the first 32 and second 34 mating members are releasably matable with each other. This is particularly useful if a plurality of panels 12 is being utilized as it allows the first mating member 32 of a first panel 12 to be releasably mated to the second mating member 34 of a second panel 12. The first 32 and second 34 mating members may comprise hooks as shown in the Figures though any interlocking structure may be utilized. Hooks may be useful should the user desire to engage rods of a perimeter wall 74 as shown in
In use, when a person has a storage place 70, which may include any type of storage container, luggage, box, drawer, caddy, or the like, that person may find that separating the storage space 70 into discrete units will make storage of individual articles easier. The articles will not fall over each other and may be separated as to size, type, etc. To that end, the panel 12 or panels may be shaped by the person such that the panel 12 has one or multiple bends 26 therein and may further include, depending on the size of the storage space, multiple panels 26. Once positioned within the storage space 70, as shown in
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
