Abstract:
A slide frame mechanism for a rollout accessory such as a wire drawer has two or more ball-bearing glides in a vertical orientation. Each of the glides includes a glide mount with a threaded aperture and cross-bars attached to extend between the glides. The accessory has a plurality of mounting tabs. Shoulder screws with partial threads pass through the accessory mounting tabs and threadably engage the threads of the slide mount apertures to secure the accessory to the glides. A compressible pad is positioned between the accessory mounting tabs and the glide mounts to provide a floating suspension which reduces binding of the glides when the accessory is rolled in and out. The screws fit loosely through oversized openings in the mounting tabs to allow limited movement of the accessory relative to the glides in a horizontal plane for further reduction of binding. Drawer dividers are constructed to detachably fit on drawers to provide separate compartments.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation, and claims priority benefit with regard to all common subject matter, of earlier-filed U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/549,485, filed Oct. 13, 2006, and entitled “GLIDE MECHANISM FOR ROLL OUT DRAWERS AND OTHER ITEMS,” which is now U.S. Pat. No. 7,810,890, issued Oct. 12, 2010. The identified earlier-filed patent application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety into the present application. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Ball-bearing glides used in connection with drawers and other accessories are encumbered by a number of shortcomings, many of which can result in premature product failure. One such shortcoming involves glide alignment. Ball-bearing glides are difficult for ordinary consumers to install properly and often require professional installation which is not practical for a consumer product. Even when installed skillfully, the glides are usually out of exact alignment in some direction. Humidity changes and other external factors can cause misalignment or exacerbate already existing misalignment of ball-bearing glides. If an accessory such as a drawer is installed onto glides that are not exactly aligned in all directions, the drawer will not operate properly due to the glides binding. 
         [0003]    Ball-bearing drawer glides are sometimes installed with the glides oriented horizontally. Because of the horizontal orientation, there is little structural resistance to vertical deflection and the glides bend when the accessory is extended to the open position, particularly if under heavy loads. Once the glides become bent, the accessory will inevitably bind thereafter. 
         [0004]    Ball-bearing glides have in some applications been installed in a vertical configuration. Unfortunately, just installing the glides in a vertical arrangement does not by itself solve the binding problem. While vertically oriented glides tend to suffer less deflection than horizontally mounted glides, even glides that are installed in a vertical orientation are susceptible to binding for the reasons previously given. If one or more of the fasteners used to fasten the glides to the accessory are tighter than others or installed at an angle or an imprecise location, the fasteners cause misalignment of the glides. Again, even a small amount of bending, skewing or other misalignment of the glides creates binding. 
         [0005]    Ball-bearing glides with full extension, even when professionally installed in a rigid manner, experience a high rate of product failure. When an accessory equipped with a full extension glide is fully or nearly fully extended, the leverage exerted on the glides by the fully extended weight can create bending of the glides or even cause detachment of the fasteners attaching the glides to the cabinet. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The foregoing problems are successfully addressed, to a great extent, by the present invention, wherein in one aspect, a glide frame mechanism for rollout accessories may be provided with a pad preferably interposed between the accessory and the glide mount. The pad provides a floating suspension which largely eliminates the binding that has plagued prior rollout accessories. 
         [0007]    The invention also contemplates, in another aspect, mounting of the accessory to the glide in a manner to accommodate relative movement or “play” of the accessory in a generally horizontal plane to reduce or eliminate binding. This can be accomplished in various ways, including the provision of an oversized opening for receiving a fastener used to connect the accessory with the glide. 
         [0008]    In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a glide frame mechanism for rollout accessories is provided with two or more glides in a vertical orientation and a cross connector such as a bar which maintains the glides parallel to one another. 
         [0009]    In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, a glide frame mechanism for rollout accessories may be provided with pads which are strategically mounted at locations to assure smooth and repeatable movement of the accessory in and out. 
         [0010]    In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, a rollout accessory glide mechanism may make use of special fasteners that prevent over-tightening which could unduly compress the pads and detract from their ability to provide a floating suspension that maintains smooth gliding motion of the accessory. 
         [0011]    In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, a divider for partitioning a drawer may take the form of a wire frame that is provided on its opposite ends with a hook or saddle-like profile arranged to hook onto edges of a drawer to hold the divider in place. This construction adequately secures the divider in place and yet allows it to be adjusted in position on the drawer without the need for tools, fasteners or other complications. 
         [0012]    In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, the hook or saddle areas of the divider may be provided with a friction coating to enhance the frictional holding force of the hook or saddle areas. 
         [0013]    One embodiment of the invention may take the form of a ball-bearing glide system with vertical glides and cross connectors such as cross bars which maintain a parallel relationship of the glides as is necessary for smooth gliding. An important feature of this embodiment is the use of cushions or pads preferably located between the glides and the drawer or other accessory, providing a floating type suspension that resists binding. Special fasteners, such as shoulder screws that may be used to connect the parts, are only partially threaded and provide a limit when the threads bottom out to prevent the pads from becoming overly compressed such they would not be able to function properly. Other fasteners that provide the same functionality may be used as well. 
         [0014]    Another feature is that the glide frame may be first mounted to the cabinet and the accessory may thereafter be connected with the glides. This prevents the accessory from being in the way and interfering with access during installation of the glides in the cabinet which is often a small space. 
         [0015]    Another feature of the invention is a drawer divider which can be installed in any number and at any position within the drawer to provide separate, selectively sized and positioned compartments within a drawer. The divider also may prevent taller items from tipping when the drawer is being closed or opened. 
         [0016]    Certain embodiments of the invention are outlined above in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contributions to the art may be better appreciated. In this respect, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of embodiments in addition to those described and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract, are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
         [0017]    As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Though some features of the invention may be claimed in dependency, each feature has merit when used independently. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0018]    Further features of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates from reading the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0019]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a drawer and glide frame mechanism for rollout drawers according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 2  is a fragmentary perspective view on an enlarged scale of a bottom corner portion of the drawer of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 3  is a fragmentary perspective view on an enlarged scale of a portion of the glide frame of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 4  is a fragmentary perspective view on an enlarged scale of a corner portion of the drawer and glide frame mechanism for rollout drawers of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0023]      FIGS. 5A &amp; 5B  show a shoulder screw fastener according to an embodiment of the present invention in top and side elevational views, respectively; 
           [0024]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the fastener of  FIGS. 5A &amp; 5B ; 
           [0025]      FIG. 7  is a side elevational view of a glide frame and drawer according to an embodiment of the present invention, with the broken lines showing how the glide frame can be attached inside of the drawer for packaging; 
           [0026]      FIG. 8  is a top plan view of the glide frame and drawer connected for packaging; 
           [0027]      FIG. 9  is a bottom perspective view of the glide frame and drawer connected for packaging; 
           [0028]      FIG. 10  is a top plan view of the glide frame of  FIG. 1  without the drawer attached; 
           [0029]      FIG. 11  is a side elevational view of the glide frame of  FIG. 10 ; 
           [0030]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the glide frame of  FIG. 10 ; 
           [0031]      FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the glide frame of FIGS.  1  and  10 - 12  installed inside of a cabinet, with the glide runner partially extended; 
           [0032]      FIG. 14  is a perspective view of a drawer attached to the glide frame of  FIG. 13 ; 
           [0033]      FIG. 15  is a perspective view of a two compartment drawer divider according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0034]      FIG. 16  is a bottom plan view of the two compartment drawer divider of  FIG. 15 ; 
           [0035]      FIG. 17  is a side elevational view of the two compartment drawer divider of  FIG. 15 ; 
           [0036]      FIG. 18  is a perspective view of a two compartment drawer divider attached in accordance with one embodiment of the invention to a drawer shown in broken lines; and 
           [0037]      FIG. 19  is a fragmentary perspective view on an enlarged scale showing the manner in which the two compartment drawer divider may be attached to a drawer. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0038]    The invention will now be described with reference to the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout. For purposes of clarity in illustrating the characteristics of the present invention, proportional relationships of the elements have not necessarily been maintained in the Figures. Instead, the sizes of certain small components have been exaggerated for illustration. 
         [0039]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a drawer and glide frame mechanism for a rollout drawer  100  according to one embodiment of the present invention. A glide frame  10  includes one or more vertically oriented glides  12  connected to one or more cross-bars  14 . Each glide  12  includes a track  16  which houses a runner  18  that is slideably connected to the track  16  and can extend out of and retract into the track using a ball-bearing system (not shown) of the type commonly used for drawer glides. The tracks  16  of the glides  12  are rigidly attached to one or more of the cross-bars  14  in a generally perpendicular arrangement to the cross-bars  14  which gives the glide frame  10  a generally rectangular arrangement. The cross-bars  14  keep the glides  12  generally parallel to each other. The glide frame  10  may be connected to a drawer  20 . It will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that while the glide frame  10  is illustrated with a drawer  20 , the glide frame  10  may be used with any number of accessories or other objects including but not limited to bins, shelving, racks, platforms, containers, and the like. 
         [0040]    The drawer  20  may have a wire construction including a bottom formed by lateral wires  20   a  and larger longitudinal wires  20   b . Wires  20   a  extend across and are connected to opposite sides of a bottom rim  20   c . Wires  20   b  extend between and are connected to front and back parts of the bottom rim  20   c . The drawer  20  includes upright posts  20   d  which extend upwardly from the front and back parts of bottom rim  20   c . A wire top rim  20   e  is connected with the upper ends of upright posts  20   d  and extends around the top edge of the drawer  20  to provide an open top. The front portion of the top rim  20   e  is curved downwardly as indicated at  20   f  with a short post  20   g  connecting to the center of the portion  20   f . A center wire  20   h  is connected with the posts  20   d  between the bottom rim  20   c  and the top rim  20   e  and extends horizontally along the sides and back of the drawer  20  and partially along the front of the drawer on the drawer periphery to help retain items placed on the bottom of the drawer  20 . 
         [0041]    The bottom of the drawer  20  includes a drawer tab  22  (see  FIG. 2 ) which is connected to one or more wires on the bottom of the drawer  20 . According to one embodiment of the present invention, the drawer tab  22  is attached to the bottom of the drawer  20  by welding the drawer tab  22  to a pair of adjacent lateral wires  20   a  at a location adjacent to one of the longitudinal wires  20   b . The tab  22  is preferably secured to the lower surfaces of the wires  20   a  so that it is on the underside of the drawer bottom where it does not interfere with items held in the drawer. 
         [0042]    The drawer tab  22  includes an aperture  24 . The drawer tab aperture  24  may be elongated such that it is longer in its side-to-side dimension than in its front-to-back dimension. A pad  26  may be attached to drawer tab  22  so that the pad  26  is located on the underside of the drawer  20  and tab  22  when the drawer is upright. The pad  26  includes an aperture  28  that may be elongated side-to-side and is generally aligned with the drawer tab aperture  24 . The pad  26  may be attached to the drawer tab  22  using conventional techniques such as those making use of adhesive, or the pad may be loose and attached by various means, including a fastener as will be explained. The pad  26  is preferably compressible and may be comprised of foam, cork, sponge, rubber or other compressible or semi-compressible material. 
         [0043]    As best shown in  FIG. 3 , the runner  18  is provided with a glide mount  30  which may take the form of an angle bracket. The upper plate  30   a  of the glide mount  30  projects inwardly from the glide  12 . The glide mount  30  may be attached to the runner  18  in any number of ways including screws, bolts, rivets, welding, or other means. As shown in  FIG. 3 , screws  31  may be used to connect the lower plate  30   b  of the glide mount  30  to the inside face of runner  18 . The upper plate  30   a  of the glide mount  30  is positioned slightly above the track  16  and is generally parallel to the top face of the cross-bar  14 . The glide mount  30  is provided with an aperture  32  in plate  30   a  that may be threaded. Each cross-bar  14  includes one or more apertures  34  which may be used to secure the glide frame  10  in a desired location, such as the interior of a cabinet. 
         [0044]    As best shown in  FIG. 4 , the drawer  20  is preferably connected to the glide frame  10  using a special fastener such as a shoulder screw  36  that connects the drawer tab  22  to the glide mount  30 . The pad  26  may be positioned between the drawer tab  22  and the glide mount plate  30   a  so the drawer tab  22  is physically separated from the glide mount  30  when connected by the screw  36 . The pad  26  between the drawer tab  22  and the glide mount  30 , being compressible, provides a floating suspension between the drawer  20  and the glide frame  10 . The benefit of a glide frame mechanism with a floating suspension is that the pad  26  has enough “give” or “play” that it prevents binding of the glides when the drawer  20  is moved along the glides  12 . In this way, the pad  26  compensates for any slight misalignments or other imperfections that might otherwise cause binding. 
         [0045]    Problems causing binding of the glides can arise from at least five different sources. First, if the fasteners such as screws which fasten the glide frame to the cabinet or other support are tightened unevenly, installed at a slight angle, or otherwise applied incorrectly, the glides are misaligned enough to cause binding. Second, there is inevitably misalignment of the glide frame in one or more directions no matter how carefully or skillfully the glide frame is installed to a cabinet or other mounting surface, due to factors such as a warped or otherwise uneven mounting surface, swelling of the mounting surface due to humidity changes, or a wide variety of additional imperfections that are inevitably present. Third, the drawer or other accessory can be connected improperly to the glides, causing the glides to be skewed, bent, curved or otherwise displaced from a precisely aligned arrangement. Fourth, manufacturing tolerances can vary enough that they create binding. Fifth, the weight and location of stored items in the drawer or other accessory can create binding. By using the pad  26  to provide a floating suspension, any binding that might otherwise occur for any of these reasons is avoided due to the “play” or “give” in the floating suspension. 
         [0046]      FIGS. 5A ,  5 B and  6  shows a shoulder screw  36  that may be used according to one embodiment of the present invention. The screw  36  may have a (Phillips) cross drive head  38 , but it will be appreciated by those of skill in the art that the fastener may include other drive configuration interfaces. As best shown in  FIG. 5B , the screw  36  is preferably only partially threaded on its shank  41 . A substantially flat screw head  40  sits above a shoulder  42  which is not threaded and is of a greater diameter than the portion of the screw with threads  44 . 
         [0047]    Applying the shoulder screws  36  involves extending the shanks  41  through the aperture  24  and  28  and threading the threaded tips of the screws into the threaded apertures  32  of the glide mounts  30 , with the pads  26  sandwiched between tab  22  at the top and plate  30   a  at the bottom. The travel of the screws  36  is limited by the shoulders  42  bottoming out on the plate  30   a . Consequently, the pads  26  may be compressed no more than they are when the shoulders  42  bottom out, and the compression of each pad is controlled and limited in this way. The length of the bare screw shank  41  is selected to effect the desired compression of the pads. Fasteners and other means that differ from the shoulder screws, yet limit the compression of pads  26 , can also be used. 
         [0048]    As best shown in  FIG. 4 , the screw heads  36  are recessed such that they do not project or protrude above the upper surfaces of the wires  20   a  on which items rest when stored in the drawer  20 . By attaching the tabs  22  to the lower surfaces of wires  20   a  and providing a flat, low-profile screw head  36 , the entirety of the fastening system is recessed below the upper surfaces of wires  20   a  so that items stored in the drawer are not scratched, marred or otherwise damaged or impeded by the fastening system, and fingers cannot be gouged by protruding fasteners or sharp edges. 
         [0049]    In addition to the floating connection provided by the pad  26 , the drawer or other accessory is also mounted in a manner allowing it to move to a limited extent relative to the glide frame in a generally horizontal plane. This can be accomplished in various ways. For example, the aperture  24  can be elongated or otherwise oversized relative to the shank  41  of screw  36 . Preferably, aperture  24  is elongated in a side-to-side direction as best shown in  FIG. 2 . This allows tab  22  and the drawer or other accessory to move from side to side relative to the glide mount  30  and the glide frame, limited by the travel of the screw shank  41  between the ends of the elongated aperture  24 . The front-to-back dimension of aperture  24  is also preferably oversized relative to the screw shank so that tab  22  and the drawer or other accessory can move in the front to back direction relative to the glide mount  30  and the glide frame. 
         [0050]    While aperture  24  may be elongated in its side-to-side dimension and oversized in its front-to-back dimension as described, other means and techniques can be used to allow the drawer or other accessory to move in a generally horizontal plane relative to the runner  18  on which it is mounted. By allowing limited relative vertical movement of the accessory as a result of the spacing between the tab  22  and glide mount  30  (with or without pad  26  interposed therebetween), and limited relative horizontal movement of the accessory as a result of the loose fit of screw  36  in aperture  24 , the accessory can move relative to the glide frame in any direction (along two horizontal axes and one vertical axes and at any angle between any of these axes), thereby accommodating for misalignment of the glide which inevitably occurs. The three dimensional “play” provided by this invention avoids a rigid connection and overcomes all of the binding problems previously mentioned. At the same time, the “play” is limited in all directions and the pad preferably provides a floating suspension that prevents rattling or other noise and gives the assembly a smooth feel as well as a smooth sliding action as the accessory is moved in and out. 
         [0051]    As best shown in  FIG. 9 , there may be four of the tabs  22  located generally near the four corner areas of the bottom of drawer  20 . Likewise, as  FIG. 12  best shows, the glide frame has four glide mounts  30 , located near the front and back ends of each of the runners  18  and situated such that the tabs  22  align with the glide mounts  30 . As will be described, the arrangement is symmetrical so that the glide mounts  30  align with the tabs  22  when the drawer is assembled, and also if the glide frame is inverted and placed in the drawer  20  for packaging. 
         [0052]      FIGS. 7-9  best illustrate how the glide frame  10  fits inside of the drawer  20  for packaging and shipping. When configured for packaging, the glide frame  10  is inverted and positioned inside of the drawer  20  with the glide mount plates  30   a  of mounts  30  immediately overlying tabs  22 , and the glide frame is secured to the drawer by connecting the glide mounts  30  to the drawer tabs  22  using screws  36 . The pads  26  may be sandwiched between the tabs  22  and glide mounts  30 . The major benefit of this shipping configuration is that packaging the glide frame  10  in the drawer  20  provides a more compact arrangement than would be the case if the drawer  20  were attached to the top of the glide frame  10  in the final installed configuration or packaged separately. An advantage of the compact arrangement is reduced shipping costs. Another advantage is that the compact arrangement makes efficient use of limited shelf space that is available in the case of retail sales and/or storage of the product. 
         [0053]    With particular reference to  FIGS. 11 and 12 , the rigidity of the cross-bars  14  and their connections to tracks  16  is enhanced by upturned flanges  14   a  on the ends of cross-bars  14  which extend upwardly along the outer surfaces of tracks  16  and are secured to the tracks by rivets  14   b  ( FIG. 11 ) or any other suitable manner. The glide frame  10  is installed by extending screws  48  through apertures  34  (see  FIG. 13 ) in the cross-bars  14  and threading the screws  48  into the base  46  of a cabinet or other mounting surface. The cross-bars  14  may be ribbed for enhanced rigidity, and the apertures  34  may be provided in any suitable number and configuration. 
         [0054]    The cross-bars  14  may be marked to indicate which way the glide frame  10  should be oriented in a cabinet. An advantage of providing a fully assembled glide frame  10  in accordance with the present invention is that the fully assembled glide frame can be pre-aligned and set at the factory which eliminates the need for installation templates of the type commonly required to install other glide mechanisms. Another advantage is that the fully assembled glide frame  10  allows the end user to handle and install one glide assembly as opposed to having to navigate the installation and alignment of two separate glides. Also, the glide frame is installed independently before installation of the drawer. This eliminates the problem of the drawer hindering access to the limited space typically available for installation inside a cabinet. 
         [0055]    While it is preferable for the pads  26  to be located between the drawer and glides as shown and described, an installation wherein the pads are located and compressed between the glides and the cabinet or other mounting support is also advantageous, in that the floating suspension of the glides on the support provides similar “give” or “play” allowing the assembly to overcome any tendency for the glides to bind. In such an installation, the drawer or other accessory may be rigidly connected, may be connected using a floating-type suspension, or another type of connection may be employed. 
         [0056]    Another embodiment of the invention is identical to what has been previously described, except that the pads  26  are eliminated. The tabs  22  can move up and down relative to the glide mounts  30  due to the use of the shoulder screws  36 . In this embodiment, the universal relative movement described previously for the accessory is provided, compensating for the inevitable misalignment problems that have been mentioned. Although this embodiment is satisfactory in some applications, the inclusion of the pads is generally preferred to provide a better “feel” in most applications and prevent rattling and other noise. 
         [0057]      FIG. 15  depicts a two compartment drawer divider  50  which is exemplary of another aspect of the present invention. The divider  50  has a generally rectangular shaped wire frame which may be made from one continuous piece of wire. This frame may be comprised of two parallel lateral sections  52  having on their ends curved corners or hooks  54  that are bent downwardly to provide saddle configurations. Extending downwardly from and merged with each curved corner or hook is a short vertical leg  55 . The bottoms of the legs  55  are bent approximately 90 degrees to form outer saddle wires  56  extending longitudinally and generally parallel to one another at both ends of the lateral sections  52 . 
         [0058]    The lateral sections  52  are of a length that the divider  50  may span the top opening of drawer  20  (side-to-side or front-to-back) with the hooks  54  hooking onto the sides of the top rim  20   e , as shown in  FIG. 18  (or the front and back of the top rim  20   e ). Adjacently inward of each hook  54 , an inner saddle wire  58  spans the lateral sections  52 . The inner saddle wires  58  are generally parallel to the outer wires  56  and fit against the inner edge of drawer rim  20   e  when the divider  50  is applied to the drawer. 
         [0059]    The divider  50  further includes an interior central partition  60  which spans the lateral sections  52  in an orientation that is substantially parallel to the inner saddle wires  58  and the outer saddle wires  56  at the approximate centers of the lateral sections  52 . The partition  60  compartmentalizes the divider  50  into two areas located between the inner saddle wires  58 . The divider may be provided with a plurality of interior partitions which compartmentalize the divider into several smaller areas. The divider  50  may lack a partition and form a single compartment that is bounded by the inner saddle wires  58  and the lateral sections  52 . 
         [0060]    The divider  50  can be installed at any position to extend crossways or lengthwise (or another direction) on a drawer to provide one or more separate compartments and to prevent items from tipping or moving. The divider also serves as an organizer to separate different items. Another advantage of the dividers of the present invention is that they can be installed at any position fore and aft along a drawer or similar roll out accessory (or side-to-side if the divider is installed to extend front-to-back on the drawer). One or more dividers can be installed on a drawer at any desired location, and each divider can have one or more compartments. 
         [0061]      FIG. 18  shows the two compartment drawer divider  50  installed on a drawer  20  (shown in broken lines). When the divider is installed on the drawer, the curved hooks  54  fit closely on the opposite sides of the upper drawer rim  20   e  to secure the divider in place. The inner saddle wires  58  and the vertical legs  55  are positioned on either side of the top rim  20   e  of the drawer to assist in holding the divider on the drawer. 
         [0062]    As shown best in  FIG. 19 , any or all of the inner saddle wires  58 , the hooks  54 , the legs  55  and the outer saddle wires  56  may be covered with a coating  64 . The wires may be coated with a frictional coating (such as a rubbery vinyl plastic, for example) to enhance the frictional holding power and the grip of the saddle structure on the sides of the rim  20   e  (or other portion of the drawer). The combination of the saddle configuration provided by the hooks  54 , the legs  55  and the inner and outer saddle wires  58  and  56 , together with the friction coating  64 , provides a secure connection of the divider  50  on the drawer while accommodating easy re-positioning of the dividers, all without the need for fasteners or tools. 
         [0063]    The coating  64  may be a material that is tacky, such as vinyl, where the material has a high coefficient of friction, or it may be any other suitable friction-enhancing material. It will also be appreciated that it is possible to vary the degree of friction which is used to hold the divider in place along the top edge or another portion of a drawer by adjusting the degree to which the hooks are bent downward, by adjusting the distance between the inner saddle wires and the legs  55 , by adjusting the lengths of the wires, or by varying the thickness and type of coating. 
         [0064]    An advantage of the saddle or hook design of the present invention, in conjunction with the grip-like coating, is that a divider can capture and hold its position on a roll-out drawer  100  or other accessory without any need for clamps, fasteners or tools. At the same time, the divider can be quickly and easily removed and/or repositioned. The dividers may be used to secure/organize dish soap bottles, kitchen cleaning containers, narrow food containers, cooking containers, spice containers, and many other items. Additionally, one or more dividers can be used per drawer or other roll-out accessory. Use of the dividers of the present invention provides the advantage of being easily repositioned at will into an infinite number of positions to allow for changing storage needs. 
         [0065]    While the divider  50  shown and described functions well, other configurations are possible. For example, the inner saddle wires  58  can be eliminated, as can the outer saddle wires  56 . Such an arrangement relies on the hooks  54  and the integral legs  55  to hold the dividers in place, with or without a friction coating. In some applications, a divider formed by a single lateral wire section  52  with hooks  54  and legs  55  on its opposite ends (with or without a friction coating) may be used to form separate compartments on opposite sides of the lateral section. 
         [0066]    Likewise, in some application there is no need for curved hooks, and the divider can take the form of one or more lateral sections  52  with legs turned downwardly at a right angle or other angle from the opposite ends of the lateral section such that the legs apply an inward force against the outside surfaces of the wires of rim  20   e  to hold the divider in place on the drawer, with or without a friction coating. In this arrangement, the legs may be equipped with short cross members (not shown) fitting partly beneath the rim  20   e , or with other means for assisting in holding the divider in place on the drawer, again with or without a friction coating. Instead of engaging the rim  20   e , the divider may be attached to wire  20   h  or another part of the drawer  20  or other accessory. 
         [0067]    The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the detailed specification, and thus, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the invention which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.