Abstract:
A rectangular expandible container has lateral compartments each of which being composed of inner and outer panels which slide relative to each other for lengthening and shortening the effective length of the compartments. The container also has front and back compartments defined by sliding panels for lengthening the effective width of the front and back compartments. A middle compartment is surrounded by the lateral compartments and the front and back compartments. The walls of the middle compartment are all slidable for lengthening both the width and the length of the latter compartment. The front and back compartment may contain partitions which separate the interior of those compartments into a number of sub-compartment of differing sizes for accommodating articles of varying sizes both in length and in width.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates to expandible containers and more particularly to an expandible container containing one or more compartments. Where the container contains more than one compartment, the compartments can be of differing sizes. As a result, the container is particularly suitable as a drawer organizer for accommodating articles of varying sizes both in length and in width. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    When the expandible container is used as a drawer organizer, the container expands to fit into most conventional drawers found in kitchens and bathrooms. The components of the container can be interlocked to immobilize them so that the container remains firmly in position in the drawer. The container can be provided with a bottom wall or floor which confines any food particles or other undesirable particles within the container. Cleaning of the container can be accomplished simply by removing it from the drawer and washing it under a tap. 
         [0003]    A drawer organizer which lacks a bottom wall usually cannot so easily be cleaned. The organizer must first be removed from the drawer, then the particles which remain in the drawer must be removed by wiping the inside walls of the drawer with a cloth. However in wiping the walls, some of the particles will be pushed into the cracks and into the corners between the floors and walls and between adjacent walls of the drawer organizer and remain there. It may be impossible to remove those particles without taking the drawer apart and in doing so the drawer may be damaged. 
         [0004]    The expandible container when used as a drawer organizer can be provided with compartments some of which expand in width, some in length and one in both width and length. The container accordingly accommodates various shaped articles some of which are relatively long such as knives, some of which are relatively wide such as forks and some which are both long and wide such as serving spoons. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The adjustable container when used as a drawer organizer includes an outer perimeter enclosed at its sides by a pair of first lateral walls and at its front and back by substantially parallel first front and first back walls each being adjustable in effective length. A pair of lateral rectangular compartments is disposed within the perimeter and each is of adjustable length. Front and back rectangular compartments are disposed within the perimeter and each has an adjustable width. A middle rectangular compartment is disposed adjacent to the lateral compartments and the front and back compartments and it has both an adjustable length and an adjustable width. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    The adjustable container of the invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is a schematic representation of the upstanding walls of the container; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the container; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the interior of the container; 
           [0010]      FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b  are perspective views of the container when the effective lengths of its adjustable components are at a minimum ( FIG. 4   a ) and at a maximum ( FIG. 4   b ); 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a schematic representation of the floor or basal panels of the container; 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a corner of the container in which its outer walls have rounded upper edges; 
           [0013]      FIG. 7  is a section on line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 6   
           [0014]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the portion of the corner illustrated in  FIG. 6 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of an entire drawer organizer in which its outer walls have rounded upper edges&#39; 
           [0016]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a container which lacks internal compartments in an open position; and 
           [0017]      FIG. 11  is the container of  FIG. 10  is a closed position. 
       
    
    
       [0018]    Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the description of the drawings. 
       DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0019]    With reference to  FIG. 1 , the adjustable container of the invention consists of a perimeter generally “O” within which are a pair of lateral compartments “L1” and “L2” on opposite sides of the perimeter, front and back compartments “F” and “B”, respectively and a middle compartment “M” around which compartments L1, L2, F and B are arrayed. 
         [0020]    The perimeter O is rectangular in shape and is enclosed at its sides by a pair of so-called “first” lateral walls  12 ,  14  and at its front and back by “first” front and “first” back walls  16 ,  18 , respectively. Each lateral wall is composed of a pair of “first” outside lateral panels  12   a,b  and  14   a,b  which slide relative to each other for lengthening and shortening the effective length of the lateral walls. The front and back walls each is provided with a pair of outside “first” front panels  16   a,b  and outside “first” back panels  18   a, b,  respectively but these panels do not comprise the entire front and back walls unless the components of the adjustable container are fully retracted as is explained below. 
         [0021]    With reference to  FIGS. 1-3 , outside lateral panel  12   a  is composed of two sections a back section  12   a - r  and a front section  12   a - f.  The two sections are parallel but offset from one another and are interconnected at a junction, generally  13 . At the junction, back section  12   a - r  terminates at an edge or shoulder  12   a ′ which extends inwardly from the front section  12   a - f.  The shoulder extends vertically from the bottom to the top edges of the section and curls over its top edge at  12   a″.    
         [0022]    Outside lateral panel  12   b  is aligned with back section  12   a - r  and slides toward and away from the latter section in the direction of the arrow in  FIG. 3 . Shoulders  12   a ′ and  12   a ″ define a stop point for the outside lateral panel  12   b  while the front section  12   a - f  serves as a guide for the latter panel. To that end, the upper edge of the outside lateral panel  12   b  is curled over at  12   b ′ within which the upper edge of the front section  12   a - f  is slidingly accommodated. 
         [0023]    First lateral wall  14  has the same construction as the first lateral wall  12 . Accordingly outside lateral panels  14   a, b  slide relative to each other in the same manner as do outside panels  12   a,b  of the first lateral wall  12 . 
         [0024]    The outside front panels  16   a,b  each have the same construction as outside lateral panel  12   a  as do outside back panels  18   a,b.  As illustrated in  FIG. 4   a , the forward edges of the outside the front panels contact each other when the adjustable container is in its fully contracted position and separate from each as illustrated in  FIG. 4   b  as the container is expanded laterally. Likewise the forward edges (not illustrated) of the outside back panels  18   a,b  contact each other when the container is fully contracted and separate from each other when the container is expanded, 
         [0025]    Compartments L1 and L2 are disposed within the perimeter adjacent to each of its lateral walls  12 ,  14  and both compartments L1, L2 are of the same construction. As previously mentioned, compartment L1 is bounded at its outer side by outside panels  12   a,b  of the first lateral wall  12  while its inner side is bounded by a so-called “second” lateral wall  34 . The latter wall is composed of a pair of inside lateral panels  34   a,b  and slide relative to each other while second lateral wall  36  is composed of a pair of inside lateral panels  36   a,b.  The effective length of lateral compartments L1 and L2 accordingly expands and contracts by adjustment of the effective length of first and second lateral walls  12 ,  34  and  14 ,  36 , respectively. 
         [0026]    Middle compartment, generally M, is disposed roughly centrally within the perimeter. The middle compartment is bounded at its sides by portions of the second lateral walls generally  34 ,  36 . As the effective length of the latter walls varies so too does the effective length of the middle compartment. 
         [0027]    The front and back walls of the middle compartment are bounded by so-called “third” front and “third” back walls, generally  46 ,  48  respectively. Both walls are of the same construction. Wall  46  is composed of a pair of “third” front panels  46   a,b  which are attached, at their back edges, to inside lateral panels  34   b,    36   b  respectively. Their forward edges contact each other when the container is fully retracted as illustrated in  FIG. 4   a.    
         [0028]    As the subject container expands, the forward edges of the front panels separate from one another and the expanding gap between them is closed by a front sliding divider, generally SD-F. The slider includes a parallel upstanding forward and back so-called “fourth” panels  56 ,  58  respectively. The forward panel  56  is adjacent to the first front panels  16   a,b  of the container and functions to close the gap between the front panels while the back panel  58  of the slider functions to close the gap between the third front panels  46   a,b.    
         [0029]    The back panel  58  of slider SF-F is connected for sliding to the third front panels  46   a,b  by pins (not illustrated) which are affixed to the back panel and travel along slots  60  in the third front panels  46   a,b.    
         [0030]    A back sliding divider SD-B of the same construction as sliding divider SD-F is mounted for sliding within back compartment B between first back panels  18   a,b  and the panels of third back wall  48 . Slider SD-B functions to close the gap between the first and third back panels. 
         [0031]    The front sliding divider SF-f has a single upright partition  72  while the back sliding divider SD-B has three upright partitions  74 . The number of partitions and their spacing is a matter of choice. It should be noted however that the space between the outermost partition  74  of the back slider SD-B and panels  34   a,    36   a,  is adjustable while the space between the partitions themselves is not. The space between partitions  72  of slider SD-F and the side limits of the front compartment F is of course adjustable. 
         [0032]    With reference to  FIG. 5 , lying at the bottom of compartment L1, L2 and M is a bottom wall or floor composed of two basal segments which slide over or under adjacent basal segments as the length or width of the compartments is adjusted. In each lateral compartments L1 or L2 there are only two basal segments  100 ,  102 , the former of which extends between outside and inside lateral panels  12   a,    34   a  and the latter between outside and inside lateral panels  12   b,    34   b.  In the middle compartment M, there are two basal segments  104 , 106 . As the effective length of the lateral compartments is shortened, and the effective width of the middle compartment is shortened, one basal segment in each lateral compartment and in the middle compartment slides over the other. 
         [0033]    In compartments F and B, there are three “third” basal segments,  102  (counting both lateral compartment) and  114 , the latter constituting the floor of sliders SF-F and SD-B. 
         [0034]    Once the effective length and width of the outer walls which define the perimeter of the drawer organizer have been adjusted to fit into a drawer, the walls can be interlocked to immobilize them as well as all the internal walls of the device. To this end, a number of threaded locking pins  130  are received in openings formed in the basal panels. Elongated grooves  132  are formed in basal panels adjacent to the panels in which the pins are received. As the basal panels slide relative to each other the pins travel in the grooves and can be immobilized by means of conventional locking nuts. 
         [0035]    With reference to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , perimeter  200  of the drawer organizer is composed of inner and outer panels  202 ,  204  which lie in separate parallel planes and which slide relative to each other. The panels have rounded upper portions or shoulders  202   a  and  204   a  respectively, which extend outwardly of the planes. The two rounded shoulders accordingly extend on a curve which projects outwardly of the drawer organizer itself. Shoulders portion  202   a  is above shoulders  204   a  and the two shoulders remain adjacent to each other as the panels slide relative to each other. Shoulders  202   a  of the inner panel terminates at an inwardly extending wall  206  which is located beneath the downwardly facing edge  208  of shoulder  204   a,  The latter shoulders is accordingly surrounded by shoulders  202   a,    206 . 
         [0036]    With reference to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the outer corners, generally  220  of the drawer organizer are each composed of a curved wall  222  having a rounded shoulder  224 . In  FIG. 9 , the rounded upper portions  230  have openings  232  spaced apart along their lengths to facilitate moulding of the panels. 
         [0037]    In  FIG. 10 , a container, generally  240  composed of a single compartment has lateral walls, generally  242  each composed of an outer or first panels  244  and an inner or second panels  246  which, like the drawer organizers described above, lie in separate parallel planes and which slide relative to each other for lengthening and shortening the effective length of the lateral walls of the container. By the same means previously described with reference to the drawer organizer of  FIGS. 6 to 9 , the shoulders of panels  244 ,  246  and the corners  248  are rounded. 
         [0038]    In  FIG. 11 , the effective length of the lateral walls of the container is extended by sliding one panel relative to the other on each side the container. The front and back walls  260 ,  262  of the container can be provided with sliding panels so that both its width and its length can be expanded or contracted. 
         [0039]    The container of  FIGS. 10 and 11  is suitable for use not only as a drawer organizer but for other purposes where an expandible container would be useful. 
         [0040]    It will be understood, of course, that modifications can be made in the structure of the expandible container of the subject invention without departing from the scope and purview of the invention as defined in the appended claims.