Abstract:
A drawer organizer unit is formed of four stacked rectangular cardboard panels secured together in selected areas by adhesive with fold lines permitting the insertion of lugs extending from the rear edges of the panels into retention apertures of the panel immediately therebeneath so as to permit erection of the unit. Tear lines adjacent the side edges of the unit permit an easy reduction in the width of the unit. The erected unit has canted steplike support surfaces whereas the unit is collapsible into a flat array for storage and/or shipping.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention is in the field of kitchen or home accessories and is more specifically directed to a drawer organizer positionable in a drawer for permitting the organization and retention of spice containers or the like in an orderly manner therein. 
     Numerous devices have been proposed in the past for permitting the orderly positioning of small containers or items, such as spice containers, spools or the like, in a drawer or cabinet for maintaining such items in a desired known location to permit ease of selection and use of individual items while also presenting an attractive and pleasing appearance. Unfortunately, the prior known devices, such as exemplied in U.S. Pat Nos. 2,263,255; 2;303,098; 1,917,005; 2,789,700; 3,000,510; 3,236,371; 3,300,055; 3,499,540; 3,661,271; 3,703,326; 3,708,709; 3,834,778; 3,838,266; 2,234,032; 2,283,890 and 1,951,695 have suffered from a number of disadvantages. For example, many of the prior known devices have been overly complicated and consequently expensive to manufacture and difficult to assemble. Others have been bulky and/or of relatively fragile construction and consequently difficult to mail so as to preclude their sale by mail order or similar merchandising approaches. 
     Yet another problem frequently found in the prior known devices in this field is that they are of fixed dimensions and are incapable of usage in areas having reduced space restrictions. 
     Therefore, it is the primary object of this invention to provide a new and improved organizer of particular use in a drawer, such as a spice drawer. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved organizer which is economical to construct, easy to assemble and can be mailed or shipped with a minimum of difficulty or danger of damage. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved organizer which has the capability of being dimensioned to fit in drawers of various sizes. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Achievement of the foregoing objects is enabled by the preferred embodiment of this invention through the provision of a stacked array of rectangular cardboard panels which have longitudinally extending fold lines and positioning lugs extending outwardly of a rear edge surface positionable in retention apertures in the panel positioned immediately therebelow. The fold lines and apertures are positioned so that the panels can be maintained in a planar overlapping relationship for shipment but can be easily assembled by bending along selected fold lines and insertion of the positioning lugs in the retaining apertures in a matter of a few seconds. 
     An additional feature of the preferred embodiment comprises the provision of parallel serration lines extending inwardly but adjacent the side edges of the panels for permitting a severance of end portions therefrom in order to permit the remaining portions to be positioned in a narrower drawer or the like. 
     A better understanding of the preferred embodiment will be achieved when the following detailed description is considered in conjunction with the appended drawings in which like reference numerals are used in the different figures for illustration of the same component parts of the preferred embodiment. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the components of the preferred embodiment as viewed from the front thereof; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment as viewed from the rear thereof with the component panel parts being in planar non-erected condition such as for shipment; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment in its erected condition and positioned in a drawer in a normal mode of use; 
     FIG. 4 is a side elevation view from the left side of the preferred embodiment in the erected condition as in FIG. 3; and 
     FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the erected preferred embodiment illustrating the manner in which side portions can be removed for reducing the width of the item by snapping off or cutting with a knife of scissors. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The preferred embodiment of this invention is formed of four primary components comprising a first relatively rigid cardboard panel 10, a second relatively rigid cardboard panel 12, a third relatively rigid cardboard panel 14 and a fourth relatively rigid cardboard panel 16, each of which is of elongated rectangular configuration. Selected areas of the cardboard panel are secured together by adhesive or other means to provide a unitary construction as will be discussed hereinafter. 
     The longer edges of the first cardboard panel 10 comprise a rear edge 18 and a front edge 20 with the shorter edges comprising a left edge 22 and a right edge 24. A first fold line 26 and a second fold line 28 extend longitudinally of the first panel 10 and divide the first panel into a first longitudinally extending area 30, a second longitudinally extending area 32 and a third longitudinally extending area 34. Additionally, three rectangular retention apertures 36 are provided adjacent the first fold line 26. 
     The second cardboard panel 12 includes a front edge 37 and a rear edge 39 joined by side edges 41 and 43 with three positioning lugs 38 extending rearwardly of the rear edge 39 and dimensioned and positioned to be insertable in retention apertures 36 of first panel 10. Additionally, first, second and third fold lines 42, 44 and 46 serve to divide the second panel into first, second, third and fourth longitudinally extending areas 48, 50, 52 and 54. It should also be noted that three retention apertures 56 are provided adjacent the second fold line 44. 
     The third cardboard panel 14 is identical to the second cardboard panel 12 and includes front and rear edges 58 and 60 and side edges 59 and 61 with the rear edge 60 including three positioning lugs 62 dimensioned and positioned so as to be insertable in the retention apertures 56 of the second panel 12. Also, the third panel 14 includes first, second and third fold lines 64, 66 and 68 which divide the third panel into first, second, third and fourth longitudinally extending areas 70, 72, 74 and 76 respectively. Also, three retention apertures 78 are provided adjacent the second fold line 66. 
     The fourth cardboard panel 16 includes a front edge 80 and a rear edge 82 with the rear edge 82 including three positioning lugs 84 positioned and dimensioned to be matingly received in the retention apertures 78 of the third panel 14. Additionally, the fourth panel 16 includes a fold line 86 which divides the panel into a first longitudinally extending area 88 and a second longitudinally extending area 90. The fourth panel 16 also includes left and right side edges 92 and 94. 
     The four cardboard panels are held in position by adhesive or other securing means. In the preferred construction, the upper surface of the fourth area 76 of third panel 14 is adhesively secured to the lower surface of the forward portion of the second area 90 of the fourth panel 16 with the upper surface of the fourth area 54 of second panel 12 being similarly adhesively secured to a forward portion of the lower surface of second area 72 of the third panel 14. In like manner, the upper surface of third area 34 of the first panel 10 is adhesively secured to a forward portion of the second area 50 of the second panel 12. The assembled unit is shown in FIG. 2 in its knocked-down or unerected condition in which it is maintained for shipment or storage. Inner and outer tear lines 94 and 96 can be provided adjacent the right and left sides of the unit for removal of side edge portions in the event the unit is to be positioned in a drawer or other space having a width less than that of the total width of the unit as illustrated in FIG. 2. 
     Assembly of the organizer is effected by bending the fourth panel 16 along fold line 86 to effect positioning of the positioning lugs 84 in the retention apertures 78 of the third panel 14. Similarly, the third panel 14 is bent along fold lines 68, 66 and 64 to effect positioning of the positioning lugs 62 in the retention apertures 56 of the second panel 12. The second panel 12 is bent along lines 46. 44 and 42 to effect positioning of the positioning lugs 38 in the retention apertures 36 of the first panel 10. The first panel 10 is bent along fold lines 26 and 28 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 4 which illustrates the erected organizer as viewed from the left edge. 
     The entire device can be positioned in a drawer D or other similar area as illustrated in phantom in FIG. 3 so that the upper surface areas 50, 72 and 90 provide a canted support surface for supporting spice cans or the like C as clearly illustrated. It should be observed that the number of panels employed in the device can be varied to provide for additional support surfaces if desired. Also, the preferred embodiment can be trimmed with a knife or scissors along lines 94 or 96 to reduce the width of the device so as to make it positionable in drawers having less width than drawer D. The width could also be reduced by snapping or breaking along lines 94 or 96. 
     An extremely significant aspect of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 2 is the fact that it can be maintained in the condition shown in said Figure for purposes of storage or shipping with the eventual user bending the panels and manipulating them to erect the device into the finished item of FIGS. 3 and 4. Only a minimum amount of manual dexterity is required for assembling the device. 
     Numerous modifications of the preferred embodiment will undoubtedly occur to those of skill in the art; for example, the device could be made of plastic or other material in place of cardboard and it should therefore be understood that the spirit and scope of the invention is to be limited solely by the appended claims.