Abstract:
A kitchen organizational device for storage and organization of various kitchen items, including cutting boards, cooling racks, pizza pans and bake ware, is provided. The kitchen items are stored in a vertical position on a counter top or other convenient location. The organizational device may be laterally and/or longitudinally adjusted.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to kitchen organizational devices and more particularly to devices for storing cutting boards, cooling racks, pizza pans, baking sheets and other large and/or irregularly shaped kitchen items.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     Storage units for kitchen items are known in the art in which various kitchen items are stored in a vertical arrangement rather than in a horizontal orientation. Vertical storage is advantageous as it allows for efficient space utilization and easy removal of a particular item of interest, rather than removal of all items, as with horizontal storage units.  
         [0003]     Previously known storage racks are for placement in cupboards, which are often not large enough to accommodate large kitchen items, such as bake ware and cutting boards. Additionally, even if a cabinet is capable of accommodating such items, a user must bend over, stand on a chair or reach over their head to access the items. If a person has a disability, such action may be impossible for them. The alternative is to prop such items alongside a cabinet or the refrigerator where they may fall down, breaking items as they do.  
         [0004]     A vertical organizer for kitchen items, which may be placed on a counter or alongside a refrigerator, is greatly needed to enable efficient storage of large bake ware items and removal without bending over to get the items.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     In view of the above, it is a broad object of this invention to provide a storage and organization device for use in conjunction with kitchen items. The device allows for efficient storage of kitchen items, such as cutting boards, baking sheets, wire baking racks, and the like, on kitchen countertops. The present invention overcomes problems with previous devices by providing a device for use on a counter top allowing for easy access of items stored within it.  
         [0006]     Items to be stored within the device of the present invention include cutting boards, baking sheets, wire baking racks, pizza pans and the like. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]     The invention described in this specification will be better understood when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein:  
         [0008]      FIG. 1  illustrates a side plan view of the device according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  illustrates a front plan view of the device according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  illustrates a front perspective view of the device according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0011]      FIGS. 4A-4C  illustrates enclosure means for application to lateral openings according to one embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0012]      FIGS. 5A-5B  illustrate lateral and/or longitudinal adjustments of the device according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0013]      FIG. 6  illustrates modular devices according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0014]      FIG. 1  illustrates a side plan view of the device according to an embodiment of the present invention. A kitchen organizational device  10  is shown. It has several components including a base module  12  and a plurality of vertical support members  14  used to support bake ware items in a vertical manner. The base module may further provide a plurality of longitudinally extending ridges  16  integral or attached to the base module, to form a plurality of longitudinally extending channels  18 . The channels  18  are spaced from a first longitudinal end  20  of the base module  12  to a second longitudinal end  22  ( FIG. 3 ). The end profile and cross-section of the base module  12  illustrate that the ridges  16  form a top surface  24  of the base module  12 . Top surface  24  may further be formed of a material or have an additional component added to it which prevents lateral slippage of bake ware items that are narrower than channel  18 .  
         [0015]     The support members  14  are illustrated in  FIGS. 1-3 . A short support member  26  and a tall support member  28  are provided in the present invention. The short support member  26  may be any height less than the tall support member  28 . The short and tall support members  26 ,  28  are disposed parallel to one another and perpendicular to the base module  12 . The presence of a short support member allows for easy viewing of the items stored within the device. The short and tall support members  26 ,  28  may comprise contiguous surfaces (i.e. a solid wall-like member) or may comprise a non-contiguous surface, such as slats, a plurality of holes, or some other pattern of perforations.  
         [0016]     The channels  18  on the top surface  24  of the base module  12  assist in holding bake ware items vertically in the kitchen organizer. They prevent the items from sliding, for instance when an adjacent item is removed from the rack. Additionally, they act as a placeholder and hold the position for the item that has been removed therefore making it easier to replace items that have been removed from the device.  
         [0017]     Means for containing kitchen items in the kitchen organizer  10  may be applied to lateral openings  21  and  23 ,  FIGS. 4A-4C . For example, ribbon or elastic band  41  anchored to pegs  42 , removable walls  43  with slots  44  (shown in exploded view) to receive pegs  42 , a locking hinge  45  or the like may be used to keep items from sliding in the longitudinal direction.  
         [0018]     In one embodiment of the present invention, the base module  12  of kitchen organizational device  10  may be manufactured in a variety of lengths and widths to accommodate a wide variety of kitchen items. For instance, baking racks and cutting boards come in a variety of different lengths and widths and the base module  12  of the present invention may be lengthened and/or widened via different manufacturing protocols in order to accommodate such lengths and widths. In a particular embodiment, the base module length is selected from the group consisting of 6 inches, 8 inches, 10 inches,  12  inches, 16 inches and 20 inches. If the base module  12  is lengthened, the vertical supports  14  may also be lengthened to traverse the length of the base. The bottom surface of the base member may further include an item to prevent slipping, such as rubber, sand paper, plastic or a polymer adhesive.  
         [0019]     The kitchen organizational device  10  may further comprise two or more moveable sections  400 , shown in  FIGS. 5A-5B , thus providing an adjustable kitchen organizational device. The kitchen organizational device may be adjustable in the longitudinal direction ( FIG. 5A ), in the lateral direction ( FIG. 5B ), or both. Such structures may be constructed with male and female ends such that the device may expand and contract when force is applied to the longitudinal ends  20 ,  22  or, alternatively, to the short and tall support members  26 ,  28 . The moveable sections  400  may be connectable, for example, by track and rail connection  420 , locking track and rail connection  440 , locking pin connection  460 , and the like. A track and rail connection consists of a moveable section  400  containing an indentation  421  which may be slidably mated with another moveable section  400  containing a matching protrusion  422 . In the locking track and rail system  440 , the track or indentation  421  contains “teeth” and the rail or protrusion mechanism contains release means  441 . Release means  441  may be pushed inward I to allow moveable sections  400  to be adjusted along direction D. The locking pin system  460  provides pegs  461  and slots  462 . A peg  461  may enter a slot  462  formed in moveable section  400 . Moveable section  400  is then adjusted such that the stem  463  of peg  461  enters the narrow portion  464  of slot  462 , thus locking peg  461  in place. Any of the aforementioned connection means or similar means may be used to adjust the kitchen organizational device in the lateral and/or longitudinal direction. Additionally, no connection means may be used and moveable sections  400  may remain in place, in the absence of excessive force on the device.  
         [0020]     Adjustment in the lateral direction requires that the longitudinally extending ridges  16  allow for overlapping of the male and female moveable sections  400 , or that no longitudinal ridges  16  are present. In one embodiment, the longitudinally extending ridges  16  may be removeably connectable to the base module  12 . The longitudinally extending ridges  16  may be removed prior to lateral adjustment and then attached or re-attached to the base module  12  when kitchen organizational device  10  has been properly adjusted.  
         [0021]     In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the kitchen organizational device  10  may further comprise structures used for attaching two or more devices to each other, to create a modular device, as shown in  FIG. 6 . Such structures, will allow the devices to be attached or removed from each other. The devices  10  may be joined together, for example, by a hinge mechanism  62 , locking pin system  64 , hook and eye mechanism  66 , track and rail system  68 , and the like. Hinge  620  may be affixed to any one or more of corners  61 . The devices  10  may then be secured together by closing hinge  620  over a corresponding corner on a second device which does not contain a hinge. A locking pin system  64  may also be applied to one or more of edges  63 , wherein edges  63  contain holes  65  or pins  67 . When two or more devices are matched end-to-end, the holes of one device will align with the pins of another device such that the devices may be fixably attached. The locking pin mechanism may also be used to affix support members  14  face-to-face. A series of pins and holes are formed on the outer surface  64  of support structures  14 , such that aligning the support members face-to-face will align the pins and holes in a mutually agreeable configuration. In another embodiment, a hook mechanism may be used to connect two or more devices edgewise. At least one hook  69  is attached to an outer side edge of surface  64 , with a corresponding “eye”  70  attached to the outer side edge of surface  64  on a second device. Alternatively, the hook and eye mechanism may be applied to the inner surfaces of support members  14 . In yet another embodiment, a track and rail system utilizes an indentation  71  and protrusion  73  such that a protrusion of one device may be slidably mated with an indention of another device. Each of the attachment mechanisms/systems described above may be used alone or in combination to fixably mate two or more kitchen organizational devices in an end-to-end orientation. Some of the mechanisms/systems provide for mating two or more kitchen organizational systems in a face-to-face orientation. It is contemplated, in either orientation, that tall support members of the devices are attached to each other, the short support members are attached to each other, or such that a tall support member is attached to a short support member.  
         [0022]     The kitchen organizational device  10  may also further comprise structures used for securely attaching the device to a solid surface, such as a kitchen wall, a cabinet wall or the side of an appliance, thus allowing the device to store and organize kitchen items above the floor or counter top, which is often desirable to create additional storage space under the device and to minimize bending when retrieving the stored items. Such structures include holes, brackets and the like for screwing, nailing or bolting the device to a kitchen or cabinet wall, and magnets for attaching the device to a metal surface, such as the side of a kitchen appliance.  
         [0023]     All of the compositions and methods disclosed and claimed herein can be made and executed without undue experimentation in light of the present disclosure. While the compositions and methods of this invention have been described in terms of particular embodiments, it will be apparent to those of skill in the art that variations may be applied to the compositions, and methods and in the steps or in the sequence of steps of the methods described herein without departing from the concept, spirit and scope of the invention. More specifically, it will be apparent that certain parts may be substituted for the parts described herein while the same or similar results would be achieved. All such similar substitutes and modifications apparent to those skilled in the art are deemed to be within the spirit, scope, and concept of the invention as defined by the appended claims.