Abstract:
A multi-compartment container such as a chest or cabinet with multiple drawers, a multi-compartment tool chest or a multi-compartment fishing tackle box which is designed to contain magnetically attracted objects has one or more of the sides, ends and/or bottom lined with a magnetic material whereby the magnetically attracted objects are held thereagainst.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    This invention relates to the container art and more particularly to a multiple storage compartment container such as a multi-drawer cabinet and a multi-segmented container in which the compartments are magnetized to retain magnetically attracted material therein.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art  
           [0004]    In many applications it is desired to store or retain a plurality of similar or dissimilar items in a compartment of a container. Often, such items are not retained in a particular orientation in the compartment. Such applications are often encountered in storing small hardware items such as screws, bolts, washers, nuts or the like. These, and similar items are often just placed into a compartment of a multi-compartment container, such as a compartment in a multi-compartmented tool chest, with no preferred orientation. Should such a container be inadvertently overturned or placed into an orientation which allows the items to spill out of the compartment by gravity, the items spill out of the compartment and require wasted time and energy to pick them up and replace them into the compartment.  
           [0005]    In other applications the compartments may be multi-drawers in a container such as a chest or the like. Such drawers are often utilized for the same type of storage of miscellaneous items as the hardware items described above and can often suffer the same inadvertant spilling of the items.  
           [0006]    In those applications where the items are magnetizable material, the use of magnets may prevent the inadvertant spilling of the items. One example of such a use of magnets is in the conventional paperclip dispenser where a storage compartment is provided for the clips and the top of the storage compartment has an aperture therethrough to allow removal of a paper clip. Surrounding the aperture there is provided an annular shaped magnet which attracts the steel paper clips and retains them thereagainst to allow convenient removal of the paper clips.  
           [0007]    However, such considerations have not been given to other types of storage containers or for other types of magnetizable items. Accordingly, there has long been a need for a magnetic type retraining arrangement for a multi-compartment container to retain magnetizable materials therein.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a secure retaining arrangement for magnetizable materials  
           [0009]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a container compartment for securing magnetizable items in a secure relationship to the walls defining the compartment.  
           [0010]    It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a magnetic liner sized to fit in a container compartment for retaining magnetizable items therein in a secure relationship.  
           [0011]    The above and other objects are achieved, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention by providing, in a multi-compartment container, a magnetic liner sized to fit the compartment, in one or more of the compartments of the container. The liner may be fabricated of a flexible or a rigid magnetic material and have a plurality of wall members. Each of the wall members of the liner are adapted to lie in close proximity to one of the walls defining the storage compartment. In one embodiment, the liner has three wall members in a “U” shape and is sized so that each of the legs lies adjacent the side walls of the compartment and the base of the liner lies against the bottom wall of the container. The liner may be held in place in the container by glue, adhesive, mechanical attachment such as screws, nuts and bolts, rivets or the like.  
           [0012]    In other embodiments, the liner may have four wall members for placement closely adjacent to the side walls, bottom wall and back wall of the container.  
           [0013]    In yet other embodiments of the present invention, the liner may have five wall members for placing adjacent the side walls, bottom wall, front wall and back wall of the container. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0014]    The above, and other objects of the present invention may be more fully understood from the following detailed description taken together with the accompanying drawing wherein similar reference characters refer to similar elements throughout and in which:  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 illustrates a multi-compartment container such as often included in a fishing tackle box for containing various items useful in fishing including some magnetically attracted items;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 illustrates a magnetic liner which may be utilized to line one or more of the compartments of the container illustrated in FIG. 1;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 3 illustrates a multi-drawer chest of the like which may be utilized to store at least some magnetically attracted items; and,  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 4 illustrates a magnetic liner which may be utilized to line one or more of the drawers in the chest illustrated in FIG. 3. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0019]    Referring now to the Drawing, there is illustrated in FIG. 1 a preferred embodiment generally designated  10  of the present invention. As shown on FIG. 1, there is illustrated a multi-compartment container  12  such as often utilized in a fishing tackle box (not shown) to store various items and implements (not shown) useful in fishing therein. The multi-compartment container  12  is divided into a plurality of separate compartments designated  14   a ,  14   b ,  14   c ,  14   d ,  14   e  and  14   f . At least some of the items to be stored in the compartments  14   a - 14   f  may be magnetically attracted items such as steel fish hooks, steel leaders, etc. The compartments are divided by dividers  16   a ,  6   b ,  16   c ,  16   d  and  16   e  which provide the side walls of the containers. A a pair of end walls a  18   a  and  18   b  at opposite ends of the container  12  provide the closure to compartments  14   a  and  14   f . A back wall  20  provides a backing to the container  12  and a bottom wall  22  provides a base or bottom wall to the container  12  thereby defining the storage volume therebetween for the containing of the desired items. A lid  24  is hingedly connected to the backwall  20  along the top edge  20 ′ thereof to allow closure to the top of the multi-compartments in the container  12 . The lid  24  may be provided with a clip  26  for engagement with the bottom wall  22  in the closed position. to allow retention of there lid in such closed position.  
         [0020]    According to the principles of the present invention, a magnetized liner may be provided in one or more of the compartments  12   a - 12   f  to provide secure retention of the magnetic attractive items to be stored in the compartments. FIG. 2 illustrates a three wall member magnetic liner generally designated  28  having side wall members  28   a  and  28   b  and a bottom wall member  28   c . The liner  28  is fabricated of a magnetic material which may be flexible or rigid and may be sized as to length, width and height to fit into one of the compartments such as compartment  14   e  closely adjacent to the side walls and bottom walls of the compartment. If desired, the liner  28  may be secured into the compartment by glue, adhesive, mechanical fastening by screws, nuts and bolts, or the like. The liner  28  may, in other embodiments, be four or five sided sized to fit into one of the compartments  12   a - 12   f . against the side walls, bottom wall and back wall. A liner  28  may be utilized in one or more of the compartments  12   a - 12   f  as desired for particular applications.  
         [0021]    Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown an embodiment generally designated  50  of a container  52  which may be in the configuration of a chest or cabinet having a plurality of drawer members  54   a  to  54   f  which are designed to slide in and out of the container  52  in the directions indicated by the arrow  56 . Each of the drawers defines a compartment in the container  52  and has five walls defining them storage volume in the drawer: two side walls as indicted for example at  58  and  60  for drawer  54   h , a front wall  62  and a back wall  64  as well as a bottom wall  66 . The container  52  is also provided with end walls  68  and  70  and a top wall  72 .  
         [0022]    In accordance with the principles of the present invention, a liner  74  fabricated from a flexible or rigid magnetic material and sized in length, width and height to fit in the drawer  54   h  closely adjacent to the walls thereof. The liner  74  has side wall members  76  and  78 , front wall member  80 , back wall member  82  and bottom wall  84 . The liner  74  may be fixed into the drawer  54   h  by glue, adhesive or by mechanical means such as screws, rivets, nuts and bolts or the like. Liners  74  may be provided for one or more of the drawers  54   a - 54   h . Any magnetizable items placed in a drawer will adhere to one of the wall members of the liner  74  in a secure manner to prevent the inadvertent spilling thereof from the drawer.  
         [0023]    The degree of magnetic strength in each of the magnetic materials used for fabricating the liners  28  or  74  as installed in each compartment such as the compartments  14   a - 14   f  or drawers  54   a - 54   h  would depend on the compartmentalized containers original intended usage. The material used may be labeled in such a manner so as to reference the magnetic strength of the magnetic material of the liner against the intended magnetically attracted object rendering a user-friendly compartmentalized container. Thus, smaller magnetizable material items would require a lower strength of magnet in the liner and, conversely, larger magnetizable material items would require a stronger magnet strength.  
         [0024]    For example, should the original compartmentalized container be intended for comparatively smaller fishing items, the strength of the magnetic material used in the liner for the the individual compartments would be in accordance of keeping fishing hooks, lures and intended tackle from falling free of the box should the tackle box be overturned while the lid is in an unsecured position.  
         [0025]    Should the original compartmentalized container be intended for (but not limited to) larger items such a larger nails, screws, nuts, bolts or washers, the strength of the magnetic material used to fabricate the liner for the compartments would have a greater magnetic strength to retain the items therein in a secure position. The individual compartments would, therefore, be in accordance of keeping such items more secure.  
         [0026]    The application of the invention would remain consistent with any such compartmentalized container and its original intended use, should any of such compartmentalized containers be intended to carry materials and or objects that would be considered magnetically compatible.  
         [0027]    From the above it can be seen that the present invention provides a structure for holding magnetizable items in a compartment to prevent the inadvertent spilling of the items therefrom. Those skilled in the art may find many variations and adaptations of the present invention and the appended claims are intended to cover all such variations and adaptations falling within the true scope and spirit of the invention.