Abstract:
A storage rack for retaining items to be dried, which can be used in conjunction with a drain basin, such as a sink, or as a stand alone system is disclosed. The rack includes a support body having a bottom surface, a plurality of side surfaces, and a plurality of foot members extending from the body in a direction opposite the side surfaces. The rack also includes three detachable basins: two side basins and a lower drain basin. The lower basin includes a flexible spout extending beyond an edge, the spout being capable of movement between a downward position extending below the surface of the basin and an upward position extending the spout above the surface of the basin.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to a rack for storing utensils, such as, for example, plates, bowls, pots, pans, flatware, and the like, for drying. More specifically, the present invention relates to a drying rack having multiple detachable basins for storing such utensils.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     As long as there has been kitchens, there has been dirty dishes. As long as there has been dirty dishes, there has been a need to wash and dry such dishes. There are basically two widely accepted methods for accomplishing this least favorite task of most every person - - - i.e., washing and drying by hand or by use of an automatic dishwasher. For those still employing the former method, hand drying has typically been considered inferior to air drying. However, air drying requires the wet dishes to be exposed to the air for some time to allow water to be drained or evaporated.  
         [0003]     Countless attempts have been made to provide a device which meets the many structural requirements as well as aesthetic desires for a drying rack, commonly referred to as a dish rack. Such requirements include the ability to accommodate various plate, bowl and glassware sizes, the ability to store a significant amount of dishes, including flatware, for drying, the ability to prevent messy water drainage onto counters, and the ability to provide easy compact storage when not in use while still being readily constructed when needed.  
         [0004]     However, until the present device, none have addressed each of these problems with a single drying rack. The shortcomings of prior devices may be due to a perception that a larger dish rack would be too bulky or flimsy if it were made to be foldable. Or, perhaps it is a failure to recognize the failings of any particular device. Nonetheless, the present invention is unique in that it addresses each of these, as well as other problems found in the prior art. By providing a drying storage rack which is sturdy, capable of accommodating a variety of items, suitable for use as a stand alone rack as well as for use with a drain sink, and foldable for storage purposes, the present invention solves these problems.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     There is disclosed herein an improved drying storage rack which avoids the disadvantages of prior racks while affording additional structural and operating advantages.  
         [0006]     In an embodiment there is provided a drying rack comprising a support body, a first detachable basin, a second detachable basin, and a third detachable basin. The support body includes a bottom surface, a plurality of side surfaces attached substantially perpendicular to and along an edge of the bottom surface, and a plurality of foot members extending from the body in a direction opposite the side surfaces. The first detachable basin includes a substantially planar surface defined by a peripheral raised edge, and a flexible spout extending beyond an edge, the spout being capable of movement between a downward position extending below the planar surface of the basin and an upward position extending above the planar surface of the basin, wherein the basin is maintained in an elevated position by the foot members of the support body parallel to the bottom surface with the spout oriented below a side surface. The second detachable basin is preferably configured to be affixed to the support body and extend between two side surfaces, while the third detachable basin is also configured to be affixed to the support body and extend between two side surfaces.  
         [0007]     It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved drying rack for storing a plurality of items for drying.  
         [0008]     It is, therefore, another object of the invention to provide a drying rack with a bottom surface of the support body having three distinct zones created by a plurality of curved planar members defining a first zone, a plurality of raised members defining a second zone, and a plurality of straight planar members defining a third zone.  
         [0009]     It is an object of one embodiment of the invention to provide a drying rack having side surfaces hinged to an edge of the bottom surface and capable of being folded when the detachable basins are removed.  
         [0010]     A utensil comprising a handle portion composed of a rigid material, a blade portion connected to the handle portion having first and second surfaces and composed of a first flexible material, and a second flexible material adhered to at least one of either the first and second opposing surfaces of the blade portion is disclosed.  
         [0011]     These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description below and the appended drawing figures. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the drying storage rack of the present invention;  
         [0013]      FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of the drying storage rack of  FIG. 1  in use;  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the drying storage rack illustrated in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  is a top view of the drying storage rack illustrated in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  is an elevated side view of the drying storage rack illustrated in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0017]      FIG. 5  is an elevated front view of the drying storage rack illustrated in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0018]      FIG. 6  is perspective view of an embodiment of the support body of the drying storage rack illustrated in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0019]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of an embodiment of one of the detachable basins of the present drying storage rack;  
         [0020]      FIG. 8  is an exploded view of the detachable basin shown in  FIG. 7 ;  
         [0021]      FIG. 9  is a top view of the detachable basin shown in  FIG. 7 ;  
         [0022]      FIG. 10  is a side view of the detachable basin shown in  FIG. 7 ;  
         [0023]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of an embodiment of another of the detachable basins of the present invention;  
         [0024]      FIG. 12  is an elevated side view of the detachable basin illustrated in  FIG. 11 ;  
         [0025]      FIG. 13  is a bottom view of the detachable basin illustrated in  FIG. 11 ; and  
         [0026]      FIG. 14  is a front view of the detachable basin illustrated in  FIG. 11  showing an embodiment of the flexible spout in an upward position and a downward position (broken lines).  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0027]     While the invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, this disclosure will describe in detail preferred embodiments of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to the embodiments illustrated.  
         [0028]     Referring to the appended  FIGS. 1-14 , the following discussion references component  10  as a drying storage rack or merely as rack  10 . In the illustrated embodiment, the drying storage rack  10  includes a support body  12 , a first detachable basin  14 , a second detachable basin  16 , and a third detachable basin  18 .  
         [0029]     The support body  12 , with particular reference to  FIGS. 1, 2  and  6 , is constructed substantially of a coated wire frame in the present embodiment. The body  12  includes two foldable side surfaces  21 ,  22 , connected by at least one hinge member, and preferably two hinge members each, to opposite edges of a bottom surface  23 , and two open basin areas  24  adjacent each side surface. In an alternative embodiment, the two foldable side surfaces may be adjacent each other relative to the bottom surface  23 . The support body  12  also includes a plurality of foot members  25 , preferably four foot members, extending from the bottom surface  23  in a hook configuration. As discussed further below, the foot members  25 , while supporting body  12 , also serve to support the first detachable basin  14  in an elevated position (see  FIG. 4 ).  
         [0030]     The side surfaces  21 ,  22  can be of any configuration suitable for providing structural support to retain the detachable basins on the support body  12  and support for any drying items which may lean against the side surfaces. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 6 , the side surfaces  21 ,  22  are each comprised, respectively, of a top rail  21   a ,  22   a , a mid-rail  21   b ,  22   b  and two side rails  21   c ,  22   d , which are curved extensions of the top rail  21   a ,  22   a . Each mid-rail  21   b ,  22   b  includes a connecting member  21   d ,  22   d  extending from each end, as detailed in  FIG. 6 . The connecting members  21   d ,  22   d  include enlarged ends used for connecting the side surfaces  21 ,  22  to the adjacent basins  16  and  18 , as discussed further below.  
         [0031]     The side surfaces  21 ,  22  are designed to fold inward to lay across the bottom surface  23  when not is use. Accordingly, as illustrated in  FIG. 6 , each side surface  21 ,  22  is affixed to the bottom surface by two hinge components  39  attached proximate the end of each side rail  21   c ,  22   c . The ends of each side rail  21   c ,  22   c , are designed to form a stop biasing against the edge of the bottom surface  23  when the side surfaces  21 ,  22  are upright.  
         [0032]     Referring now to  FIGS. 2, 4 ,  5  and  11 - 14 , the first detachable basin  14  can be more readily understood. The basin  14  is defined by a peripheral edge  26  about a planar surface  28 . The edge  26  is preferably raised from the planar surface  28  a distance which is tall enough to provide a barrier against fluid running off the planar surface  28  at any point. A small portion of the edge  26  is not raised to accommodate a flexible spout  27  positioned to extend from the planar surface  28  beyond the basin edge  26 . In an upward position, depicted by solid line of  FIGS. 12 and 14 , the spout  27 , in combination with the peripheral edge  26 , is capable of holding a quantity of fluid on the planar surface  28  of the basin  14 . In a downward position, depicted by broken line of  FIGS. 12 and 14 , fluid is readily drained from basin  14  (see  FIG. 1A ). The basin  14  is preferably square to allow it to be positioned a number of ways below the bottom surface  23  of the support body  12 . This allows the drying storage rack  10  to be positioned in a more convenient manner while still allowing the flexible spout  27  to be more easily aligned with a drain basin, when desired. Certainly, the basin may be made in a number of different geometric shapes, if desired.  
         [0033]     Referring now to  FIGS. 2, 4  and  7 - 10 , the second detachable basin  16  is illustrated. The second basin  16  is preferably comprised of a compartment defined by a first wall segment  32  being curved at each end to connect to a second wall segment  33 . The second wall segment includes a plurality of openings to allow a drying air flow to assist the drying process. The basin compartment preferably comprises at least one slidably removable panel, and preferably two removable panels  34 , which connect to each of the first and second wall segments  32 ,  33 . The removable panels  34  divide the compartment into sub-compartments, preferably three, to maintain items separate where desired.  
         [0034]     At least one sub-compartment panel  35  may be used with the basin  16 , as shown in  FIG. 8 . The sub-compartment panel  35  is configured to cover an upper opening of a sub-compartment and includes a plurality of slotted openings therein to accommodate articles to be held in a vertical position for drying (see  FIG. 1A ).  
         [0035]     The second wall segment  33  of the basin  16  also includes at least one connecting aperture  36  for engaging a corresponding connecting member  21   d ,  22   d  on a side surface  21 ,  22  of the support body  12 . The connecting aperture  36  preferably comprises a rounded first portion and a slotted second portion to lock the connecting members in place. Accordingly, the rounded first portion should have a diameter greater than the diameter of the enlarged end of the connecting member  21   d ,  22   d  and the slotted second portion should have a maximum diameter less than the diameter of the enlarged end of the connecting member  21   d ,  22   d.    
         [0036]     Locking tabs  37  complete the connection of the detachable basin  16  by positioning one tab on each side of an edge of the bottom surface  23 . The locking tabs  37  provide vertical stability to the basin  16 , helping to keep it from being accidentally knocked off the rack  10 . Alternatively, positive engaging mechanisms, such as c-clips (not shown) or the like may be used to connect the basin  16  to the edge of bottom surface  23 .  
         [0037]     The floor of the basin compartment is preferably pitched toward the second wall segment  33  where a drain hole  38  is provided, as best shown in  FIG. 10 . The drain hole  38  allows water that is funneled by the sloped floor to be drained from the compartment and onto the first detachable basin  14 . Accordingly, the drain hole  38  should be positioned above the first detachable basin  14 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . The second basin  16  is supported on an upper portion of the foot members  25  of the support body  12 , as also shown in  FIG. 4 .  
         [0038]     Returning to  FIG. 1 , the third detachable basin  18  can be seen. The third basin  18  is similar in construction to the second basin  16  as far as how it is connected to the support body  12 . The third basin  18 , however, has a different compartment configuration. Many different compartment variations are considered possible and fall within the intended scope of the present application.  
         [0039]     Preferably, basin  18  comprises a shallow compartment with a plurality of finger-like projections  40  along a top span of an inner-wall. As shown in  FIG. 1A , the shallow compartment can be used for the drying storage of irregular-shaped objects, while the finger-like projections  40  may be used to support cups, bottles, and the like.  
         [0040]     The third detachable basin  18  also comprises a pitched floor which directs water out a drain hole  38  on the inner-wall. The third basin  18  is also supported on the support body  12  by upper portions of the foot members  25  much like the second basin  16 .  
         [0041]     In use, with reference to  FIGS. 1A and 2 , rack  10  is first constructed by raising the side surfaces  21 ,  22  on the support body  12 . One of either the second or third detachable basin  16  or  18 , respectively, is then connected to the side surfaces  21 ,  22  at an open basin area  24  by inserting the enlarged ends of connecting members  21   d  and  22   d  into the round portion of the corresponding connecting apertures  36  in the second wall segment  33 . The connecting members  21   d  and  22   d  are then slid into the slot portion of the connecting apertures  36 . The locking tabs  37  then engage the edge of the bottom surface  23  for added stability of the basin  16 . This procedure is then repeated with the remaining of the two detachable basin.  
         [0042]     Thereafter, the first detachable basin  14  can then be placed beneath the support body  12 , resting in an elevated position on the ends of foot members  25 . The basin  14  may be positioned such that the flexible spout  27  is extending from along any of the four sides of the rack  10 . If the rack is being used next to a drain basin, such as a sink, the flexible spout  27  can be placed in a downward position to empty any collecting water from the stored items. When rack  10  is used as a stand alone drying storage rack, the flexible spout  27  is preferably positioned upward to retain any draining water.  
         [0043]     While specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention, and the scope of protection is only limited by the scope of the accompanying claims.