Abstract:
A system for organizing a closet which comprises one or more pairs of slide rail assemblies and an appropriate number of baskets for mounting therebetween. Each rail assembly having an elongate mounting rail having at least one surface constructed and arranged to engage a partition, and an elongate slide rail, the elongate slide rail having at least one inner surface constructed and arranged to slidingly engage the elongate mounting rail. The elongate slide rail has an outer surface with a plurality of basket engaging hooks extending therefrom. The baskets have a double rim construction with one rim constructed and arranged to allows the baskets to be removingly secured to the hooks. A second rim being compatible with a U-channel slide. The basket may also be equipped with a pair of cross members which could be used to allows the basket to be received onto a roller slide. The hooks being flexibly adjustable so as to provide greater ability in securing a basket between the slide rails despite a lack of precise slide rail installation.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH 
     Not Applicable 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to organizing a closet or other storage space with a unique sliding basket system. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a system of sliding rails and supported baskets. The sliding rails are unique in that they have a plurality of hooks which engage portions of the readily removable baskets. Once the baskets are engaged to the hooks the baskets may be slid on the sliding rails in a similar manner to a dresser drawer. The baskets may be freely lifted off of the hooks and be replaced as desired. In addition, the sliding rails may be fixed to any wall, support member or partition as desired, thereby allowing the rails to support a wide variety of basket shapes and sizes as well as providing for numerous configurations of slidable baskets within a storage space. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     As indicated above, the present invention is directed to storage space organization such as organizing closets. There are presently many products and services offered which claim to provide a consumer with a closet that is both organized and esthetically pleasing. Such closet organizer systems often have very specific partition widths and must be erected with great precision to provide for proper functioning of the system. As a result, many organizers require installation by professional designers and/or installers at significant expense to the consumer. These closet systems are often made of wood and/or laminate modules which partition the closet into compartments, with the various compartments corresponding to different types of items to be stored. The use of baskets in such systems is known. However, the present invention improves upon prior art systems by providing a sliding basket system which may be installed in a variety of configurations within a storage space. The present invention provides a system which is functional, esthetically pleasing, and which may be installed without a great degree of precision required. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a system for organizing a storage space which includes a unique type of storage basket. An additional element of the present system may also include a new slide assembly which may be used with the aforementioned basket. The basket has an inventive double rim which enables a user to use the basket with known, notched, single or full, extension slides and roller slides, or the basket may be mounted onto the unique slide assembly described in greater detail below. The present slide assembly has several mounting hooks which are constructed and arranged to receive portions of the basket rims. 
     The present double rimmed basket and rail assembly provides for an organizational system wherein the spacing provided for the basket between slide assemblies does not have to be as precise as is required by many prior art systems. In at least one embodiment of the present invention the respective rims of the double rim basket have different spacings, with at least one rim being wider than the remaining portions of the basket. By providing a basket which has more than one size of mounting surface, the present basket may be placed onto and between slide assemblies having a variety of spacings. Additionally, in at least one embodiment of the invention, the hooks of the slide assembly may be flexible or otherwise adjustable, thereby providing the slide assemblies themselves with at least a limited ability to vary the basket mounting space provided. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A detailed description of the invention is hereafter described with specific reference being made to the drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present sliding basket system; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the basket; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the basket; 
     FIGS. 4A and 4B are a close-up perspective view of a portion of an embodiment of the rail assembly; 
     FIGS. 5A and 5B are a close up perspective view of a portion of an embodiment of the rail assembly; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 wherein the basket and rails are separated; 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a second type of rail assembly which may be used with the present basket shown in FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present sliding basket system which utilizes the basket shown in FIG.  2  and rail assembly shown in FIG. 7; and 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a known roller slide assembly which may be used with the basket shown in FIG.  2 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of the present sliding basket system, indicated generally at  10 . As previously stated the present system  10  includes a unique type of basket  12 , and a pair of sliding rail assemblies  14 . As will be discussed in greater detail below, both the basket  12  and rail assemblies  14  have unique features which allow the present system  10  to have a much greater tolerance for imprecise rail mounting and spacing. 
     FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a basket  12  which may be utilized in the system  10  shown in FIG.  1 . As may be seen, the present basket  12 , has multiple rims or frames  16  and  22 . The first, or top rim  16  has two rim members  18  and  20  which are substantially parallel to one another and have a spacing wider than the spacing of the second or middle rim  22 . Like, the top rim  16 , the middle rim  22  has two substantially parallel rim members  24  and  26  which define the general width of the substantially U-shaped members  28  which make up the basket base  30 . The rims  16  and  22  may form a continuous border around the basket, such as first rim  16 , or the rims may be configured to have two unconnected rim members such as  24  and  26  of the second rim  22 . The rims  16  and  22  have rim members which are spaced apart by different distances. As a result the present invention may be used with at least two different slide bar widths as mentioned above. 
     Each of the U-shaped members  28  have a middle or base portion  32 , as well as upturned end portions  34  and  36 . The U-shaped members  28 , like the other components of the basket  12  referred to in the present embodiment, may be constructed from a variety of materials such as metal, wood, wicker, plastic or other suitable material for making baskets. 
     In the embodiment shown, the ends  34  and  36  of the U-shaped members  28  are angled in an upward direction relative to the base  30 . The ends  34  and  36  are connected to middle rim members  24  and  26  in the manner shown. The ends may be connected to the rim members in a variety of manners including but not limited to welding, adhesively bonded, fastening, etc. In the embodiment shown, the ends  34  and  36 , as well as the base portions  32  are spaced evenly apart. While such spacing is not required, the spacing between each of the ends  34  and  36  must be sufficient to allow a hook or tab  60  to be inserted into the space  62  therebetween to supportingly engage the rim members  24  and  26  such as is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. In an alternative embodiment, the U-shaped members  28  may be substituted with a sheet of material having properly sized holes to allow the passage of the hooks  60 . In yet another alternative embodiment the entire basket  12  may be pre-molded plastic having adequately sized holes or spaces  62  to allow the passage of the hooks  60  therethrough. 
     In addition to the elements described above, the basket  12  may have additional supports and members to reinforce the base  30  or provide extra structural support for those embodiments intended to be used for heavier loads. For example, basket  12  may be equipped with one or more cross-members such as cross-members  40 ,  42  and  44 . Cross-members  40 ,  42  and  44  may be fastened or otherwise engaged to the U-shaped members  28  to provide additional base support. As may be seen, the cross-members  40 ,  42 , and  44  may also be substantially U-shaped and have ends which extend toward portions of the first and second rims  16  and  22  and are engaged thereto. 
     To provide uniform support of the base  30 , the cross-members will typically be positioned in a manner perpendicular to the U-shaped members  28  as well as to the rim members  18 ,  20 ,  24  and  26 . However, other configuration could be used such as providing. the base with one or more X-shaped, S-shaped or other types of support(s). 
     In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 the cross-members  42  and  44  may also be used to engage an open top slide such as are known in the art. The cross-members  42  and  44  may be spaced a part a distance which is different than either of the first or second rims  16  and  22 . As a result cross-members  42  and  44  may provide the basket  12  with yet another manner in which to engage a pair of slide rails, wherein the slide rails may have a spacing less than that of the first or second rims  16  and  22 . 
     FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment of the basket  12 , wherein the first rim  16  has rim members  18  and  20  which may be adjusted so as to vary the distance therebetween, thus allowing the first rim to be adjusted to the corresponding spacing of channel rails  90  such as may be seen in FIG.  8 . 
     In the present embodiment the rim members  18  and  20  have end portions  50  and  52  which are slidingly received into hollow receiving portions  54  and  56  of the first rim  16 . The end portions  50  and  52  have a predetermined length which is at least half the length of the hollow receiving portions  54  and  56 , as a result the end portions may be adjusted by being pushed further into the respective hollow receiving portions or being pulled outward from the hollow receiving portions, without removing the ends  50  and  52  completely. The ends  50  and  52  may be receivably engaged by the hollow receiving portions  54  and  56  through a variety of mechanisms such a may be know in the art. In the embodiment shown, the ends and hollow receiving portions are frictionally engaged. 
     As stated above, the basket  12  may be used with a variety of sliding rail assemblies. However, it is believed that the basket  12  will be most fully appreciated by a consumer when it is used in conjunction with the unique sliding rail assemblies  14  such as those shown in FIG.  1  and depicted in partial detail in FIG.  4 B. 
     Extension slides are known in the art and typically comprise a mounting rail  64  which is screwed or otherwise attached to a wall, partition or other structure; and a slide  66  which is partially disposed about the rail  64  and which may be constructed and arranged to have a drawer, basket or other storage device affixed thereto. Unlike, prior slide rail assemblies, each of the present sliding rail assemblies  14 , as depicted in FIGS.  1  and  4 - 6  are equipped with at least two tabs or hooks  60  which are sized appropriately to removably receive portions of the middle rim  22  of the basket  12  such as previously described. 
     In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4B, the hooks  60  are provided for by cutting out three sides of a rectangular tab of material from the slide  66 . The tab has a width which is less than that of the spacing between the ends  34  and  36  of the U-shaped support members  28 . The cut tab or hook  60  is then bent or tooled into a position appropriate to receive a portion of the rim  22  as shown. The use of hooks  60  allows a user to freely engage a basket  12  into place between the rail assemblies  14  in the manner depicted in FIG.  6 . The basket is merely pushed downward between the slides  66  and the rim  22  placed onto the hooks  60 . The hooks  60  may be configured with one or more bends  68  to provide for a predetermined radius  70 . The radius portion  70  is constructed to allow the rim  22  to be “snapped” into place, thereby ensuring proper placement of the basket  12 . The radius  70  may be constructed to provide a rim  22  with up to approximately 0.125 inches of give space between the hook  60  and the slide  66 , thereby allowing the basket  12  to be adjustably positioned within the radius  70  of the hooks  60  by up to approximately 0.25 inches. 
     In addition, the flexible nature of the hooks  60  is such that the hooks may be reoriented to allow the basket even greater position adjustability than is provided only by the radius  70 , allowing the basket to be readily removed and replaced as may be desired by the user. The flexibility of the hooks  60 , allows the hooks to be adjusted or “re-bent” to increase or decrease the distance the hook protrudes away from the slide  66  thereby allowing improperly spaced slide rail assemblies  14  to still be able to accept a basket therebetween. Depending on the size of the slide  66  and the hooks  60  the increase (or decrease) in distance for each hook  60  will be approximately 0.25 inches or less. Therefore the spacing of hooks on opposing slide rail assemblies  14  may be adjusted by approximately 0.5 inches or less. 
     In the embodiment shown, the material of the slide rail assembly  14  is substantially metal, however the various components of the slide rail assembly may be constructed from other materials such as plastic. Where the slide  66  is constructed from molded plastic, the slide rail  66  may be molded to include hooks  60  rather than require the hooks to be cut from the slide material as described. Regardless of the material the slide  66  is constructed from, in alternative embodiments the slide  66  may have separate hooks of various construction attached to the slide to provide for the basket  12  to be mounted thereto. 
     The slide rail assemblies  14 , may additionally include wheels, ball-bearings or other features which are known in the slide rail art to assist in the sliding action between the rail  64  and slide  66 . 
     The hooks  60  are constructed and arranged to be capable of engaging any of the first or second rims  16  and  22 , as well as members  42  and  44  depending on the spacing provided for between the slide rail assemblies  14 . 
     In FIGS. 5A and 5B, an alternative embodiment of the slide rail assembly  14  is shown. In the present embodiment the slide  66  has more than one pre-cut hook  60 . In the embodiment shown, each pre-cut hook  60  is a different length. Alternatively the pre-cut hooks could all be the same size if desired. The pre-cut hooks  60  are constructed by outlining a hook  60  of desired size with a perforated border  80 . The use of a perforated border  80  allows a hook of a desired size to be pushed out of the slide material  66  as desired by the user. By providing a variety of hooks of different lengths, the spacing between slide rail assemblies  14  may be adjusted up to a full inch without requiring the hooks to be distorted or other wise re-bent in the manner discussed above. It should be noted that in the present embodiment, the only limitation on the length of the hook  60  is the size of the slide  66  from which the hooks  60  are formed. 
     As shown in FIG. 5B, the pre-cut hooks  60  may have labels  82  indicating their respective lengths. In addition, the hooks  60  may also include indentations or bend lines  84  to indicate the manner in which the hook  60  should be bent to provide for ideal rim engagement, such as previously discussed. 
     As was mentioned previously the basket  12  may be used with the unique slide rail assembly  14  discussed above as well as other types of rail assemblies. In FIG. 7, a pair of prior art U-channel slides  90  are shown. As depicted in FIG. 8, the basket  12  of the present invention, may be used with this type of slide. As previously stated, the basket  12  has a double rim construction. The first or top rim  16  is made up of rim members  18  and  20 , the rim members extend beyond the width of the base  30  of the basket  12  and are not interfered with by other components of the basket  12 . As a result the rim members  18  and  20  may be slidingly engaged within the U-channel  92  of the U-channel slide  90  in the manner shown in FIG.  8 . 
     It is clear from the inventive features shown of the various embodiments shown herein that the present inventive basket  12  may be used with a variety of different slide and slide rail assemblies, include the unique slide rail assembly  14  described herein. Furthermore, the combination of basket  12  and slide rails  14  provides a unique basket and slide rail system  10  which is very useful in organizing a space such as a closet. The system  10  may be installed by nearly any consumer, even those of limited skill because the various features described above allow for the spacing of the slide rail assemblies to be readily adjusted. In addition, the various engagement rims of the basket allow for a wide variety of spacing and placement options. 
     The use of multiple systems  10 , of one or more sizes provides a user with the ability to organize any size storage space without the need for a professional installer or organizer service. 
     In addition to being directed to the embodiments described above and claimed below, the present invention is further directed to embodiments having different combinations of the features described above and claimed below. As such, the invention is also directed to other embodiments having any other possible combination of the dependent features claimed below. 
     The above examples and disclosure are intended to be illustrative and not exhaustive. These examples and description will suggest many variations and alternatives to one of ordinary skill in this art. All these alternatives and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the attached claims. Those familiar with the art may recognize other equivalents to the specific embodiments described herein which equivalents are also intended to be encompassed by the claims attached hereto.