Abstract:
A wall organizer comprises a first slatwall member secured to a wall, the first slatwall member having a plurality of first grooves having a first center-to-center groove spacing between said first grooves; a second slatwall member secured to the wall above or below the first slatwall member, the second slatwall member having a plurality of second grooves having a second center-to-center groove spacing between said second grooves; and at least another first or second slatwall member secured to the wall above or below one of the first and second slatwall members.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to slatwall wall assemblies and particularly to a wall organizer using slatwall members for use in garages, room closets, workstations and closets in a home or office. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     There is a need for a wall organizer that can be fairly easily installed using at least two slatwall members having different center-to-center groove spacings to efficiently store articles, such as handtools, on a given wall space. 
     OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a wall organizer having a plurality of horizontal grooves adapted to accept standard hanging hardware for supporting articles, such as handtools, and that can be assembled using at least two slatwall members of different center-to-center groove spacings to provide flexibility and efficient use of the wall space in terms of number and size of articles that can be hung from the organizer. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a wall organizer having a plurality of horizontal grooves adapted to accept standard hanging hardware for supporting articles, such as handtools, that can be made into any configuration of smaller or larger amounts of grooves having a particular center-to-center groove spacing. 
     A wall organizer comprises a first slatwall member secured to a wall, the first slatwall member having a plurality of first grooves having a first center-to-center groove spacing between said first grooves; a second slatwall member secured to the wall above or below the first slatwall member, the second slatwall member having a plurality of second grooves having a second center-to-center groove spacing between said second grooves; and at least another first or second slatwall member secured to the wall above or below one of the first and second slatwall members. 
     These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a corner wall equipped with a wall organizer made in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIGS. 2 and 3  are perspective views of slatwall members used to make up the wall organizer of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIGS. 4 and 5  are perspective views of the slatwall members shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3  assembled in a top-edge-to-bottom-edge configuration. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a shelf member used in the wall organizer of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a wall organizer using the slatwall members of  FIGS. 2 and 3  and the shelf member of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  8 — 8  of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     A wall organizer  2  made in accordance with the present invention is disclosed in  FIG. 1 . The wall organizer  2  is shown secured to an existing wall  4 , such as a garage wall or closet wall. The wall  4  may not include a wallboard, in which case the wall organizer  2  is attached directly to the existing framework or studs normally used to hold the wallboard. The wall organizer  2  is made from a plurality of slatwall members  6  and  8 , as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , which are then secured on top of or below each other, as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5  with rabbet joints  7  and  9 . Any desired number or combination of the slatwall member  6  and  8  may be used to suit a particular application. 
     The slatwall member  6  has a plurality of grooves  10 , preferably T-shaped in cross-section, that are co-extensive with the length of the member and lie in parallel, predetermined spaced relationship with each other. The grooves  10  are used to hold standard types of support members from which articles, such as handtools, may be supported. The grooves  10  are spaced apart from each other at a constant center-to-center groove spacing  12 . 
     The slatwall member  6  has a rabbet recess  14  along its upper edge that is configured to receive a corresponding lower edge  16  of a super-adjacent slatwall member  6  or  8 . The slatwall member  6  has a base wall portion  18  and a plurality of T-shaped ribs  20  that form between them the T-shaped grooves  10 . The slatwall member  6  is preferably of extruded plastic construction of polyvinylchloride or other suitable material. 
     Although the slatwall member  6  is shown with a specific number of grooves  10 , it should be understood that it can made with a different number of grooves. 
     The slatwall member  8  has a T-shaped groove  22  and portions of a groove  24  and  26  which will make a full groove when joined to a respective upper and lower slatwall member  6  or  8 , as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . The groove  22  and the groove portions  24  and  26  are co-extensive with the length of the member and lie in parallel spaced relationship. A center-to-center groove spacing  28  from the groove  22  to the groove portion  24  or  26  is preferably longer than the center-to-center groove spacing  12  of the slatwall member  6 . The difference in the center-to-center groove spacings advantageously provides flexibility in terms of the standard hardware that may be used for supporting the articles from the wall organizer and the spacing of the articles from each other. 
     The slatwall member  8  is also an extruded plastic construction of polyvinylchloride or other suitable material. Although shown with one full groove, it may be extruded with more or less number of grooves. 
     The slatwall member  8  has a plurality of π (pi)-shaped portions  32  joined to each other by a base wall portion  34 . The pi-shaped configuration of the slatwall member  8  advantageously uses less material compared to a solid base wall construction. The slatwall member  8  has a rabbet recess  36  configured to receive the lower edge  16  of the slatwall member  6  disposed above or the lower edge  38  of another super-adjacent slatwall member  8 . 
     Referring back to  FIG. 1 , a wall organizer  2  may include a shelf member  42 . Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the shelf member  42  includes a base wall  44  and a shelf portion  46  extending outwardly from the base wall portions  44 . A front wall portion  48  extends transversely from the front edge of the shelf portion  46 . Although the shelf portion  46  is shown inclining downwardly, it may also extend horizontally from the base wall portion  44 . The shelf member  42  has a rabbet recess  50  configured to receive the lower edge portion  38  of the slatwall member  8  or the lower edge  16  of the slatwall member  6 , as best shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . The base wall portion  44  includes a lower edge portion  52  which is adapted to be received within the rabbet recess  36  of the slatwall member  8  or the rabbet recess  14  of the slatwall member  6 . The lower edge  52  is also configured to be received in the rabbet recess  50  of another sub-adjacent shelf member  42 . The shelf member  42  is preferably of extruded plastic construction of polyvinylchloride or other suitable material. The shelf member  42  is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,101,986. 
     The wall organizer  2  is constructed by securing the slatwall members  6  and  8  to the wall  4 . A number of the slatwall members  6  and  8  are used to cover an area of the wall as needed. The shelf member  42  may be used anywhere on the wall, such as at the bottom of the lowest slatwall member  6  or  8 , as desired. 
     In use, standard hardwares (not shown) are inserted into the grooves  10  or  22 . The hardwares are in turn used to hang tools or articles such as an ax  54  or a hammer  56 , as shown in dashed lines in  FIG. 1 . The shelf member  42  may be used to hold other articles  58 , as shown in dashed lines. 
     The rabbet recess  14  and  36  and the cooperating lower edges  16  and  38  provide the means for interlocking one slatwall member to another slatwall member. 
     Although the slatwall members  6  and  8  are shown with T-shaped grooves, other groove configurations may be used, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,485,934, D471,993, or 4,752,010, hereby incorporated by reference. 
     While this invention has been described as having preferred design, it is understood that it is capable of further modification, uses and/or adaptations following in general the principle of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains, and as may be applied to the essential features set forth, and fall within the scope of the invention or the limits of the appended claims.