Patent Publication Number: US-6220465-B1

Title: Freezer organizer system

Description:
I BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention concerns that of a new and improved organizer for a freezer. 
     II. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,788,094, issued to Kim et al., discloses a shelf construction in a refrigerator which includes a pair of guide rails provided on opposite sidewalls of a refrigerator compartment. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,584,405, issued to Tunzi, discloses an adjustable shelf for a refrigerator compartment which has two parts, a platform and a support member and provides adjustment of both the length and the height of the shelf. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,362,145, issued to Bird et al., discloses a molded refrigerator shelf useful for containment of spills on the shelf. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,764, issued to Cherry et al., discloses a household refrigerator shelf assembly which includes a unitary support structure having a rear and spaced apart side wall with a horizontally-oriented channel extending around the periphery of the structure. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,221,013, issued to Santucci, discloses an add-on shelf for athletic or school lockers having hinged first and second planar shelf members. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,928, issued to Arnold, discloses a shelf system having a wire shelf and end brackets. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,279, issued to Cobb et al., discloses a storage rack comprising a pair of brackets, each of which preferably and advantageously is of a two piece construction so that they can be easily packaged for storage and shipping. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,460,096, issued to Ricci, discloses a variable shelf organizer adapted to be assembled to provide shelf organizers of various sizes. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,174,486, issued to Winkler, discloses an adjustable shelving system comprising two or more upright standards each having a forwardly projecting shelf support member pivotly depending therefrom which is infinitely vertically adjustable. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,138,175, issued to Tattershall, discloses a space saving and organizing means particularly designed and constructed for use with refrigeration, freezers, freezer compartments and the like. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,998,170, issued to Gordon, discloses an adjustable wire shelf for frozen foods and the like. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,757,958, issued to Kirkemo, discloses a device described for preventing food and other items stored on the shelves of refrigerators and the like from slipping from the shelves after the refrigerator or other storage device has been subject to jostling and the door thereof is subsequently opened. 
     III. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention would be fabricated from a plurality of rectangular boxes having several external slots along their outer surface. The rectangular boxes would be placed against one another, and would have a plurality of female tracks running lengthwise along each outer surface. Female tracks from adjoining boxes would join up, allowing a male track to be inserted through both female tracks, locking them in place. The present invention would include a center-mounted rectangular box which would include a hinged door. Additional rectangular boxes could be made available for use if desired, depending on the size of that particular freezer unit. The present invention would be sold as a kit, and would come in configurations to fit top-mounted, side-mounted, and full freezers. 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved freezer organizer. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved freezer organizer that will provide better organization for freezer contents. 
     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved freezer organizer that is easy and inexpensive to manufacture. 
     It is still another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved freezer organizer that will save time and effort. 
     It is still another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved freezer organizer that will provide ease of use. 
     Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment when considered with the attached drawings and appended claims. 
    
    
     IV. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 shows a front view of a single rectangular box of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 shows an isometric view of a male connection track. 
     FIG. 3 shows a plurality of rectangular boxes of the present invention removably attached to one another. 
     FIG. 4 shows a front view of the present invention as it would appear in a freezer unit. 
     FIG. 5 shows an isometric view of the present invention as it would appear in a freezer unit. 
     FIG. 6 shows an isometric view of two adjoining rectangular boxes. 
     FIG. 7 shows an isometric closeup view of the hinged door of the present invention. 
     FIG. 8 shows a face view of the bottom edge of a hinged door with the piano-type hinge attached. 
     FIG. 9 shows an optional male connection track and optional female connection track, which can be used in place of said male connection track and said female partition track respectively. 
    
    
     V. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1 shows a front view of a single unit  3  of the present invention. Each unit  3  is in the shape of a rectangular box, with four side walls of equal dimensions. Each side wall would be in the shape of a rectangle. Each unit  3  would also have a square back face, but would not have a front face, which would be open to a user. 
     Each side wall of a unit  3  of the present invention would have an inner surface and an outer surface. The outer surface of each side wall of each unit  3  of the present invention would include a pair of female partition tracks  14 . Each outer surface of each unit  3  would have the pair of female partition tracks  14  in the same location to allow female partition tracks  14  from an adjacent unit  3  to properly match up with each other. 
     Each female partition track  14  would be shaped as an inverted “T” and would comprise a running cutout track along an outer surface of a unit  3 . The base of the “T”-shaped track would be placed against the outer surface of a particular unit  3 , with the upper branch of the “T” extending along the same plane as the side wall to which the female partition track  14  would be attached. Each female partition track  14  would not necessarily extend the entire length from the front face to the back face, but would travel back several inches to ensure that adjoining unit  3 &#39;s could be effectively attached to one another. 
     FIG. 2 shows an isometric view of a male connection track  16 . Male connection  16  is designed to be inserted into two adjoining two female partition track  14 &#39;s which have been pushed together. The two adjoining female partition tracks  14  would be located on adjacent unit  3 &#39;s, with male connection track  16  serving to hold the adjacent female partition track  14 &#39;s together. 
     FIG. 3 shows a plurality of unit  3 &#39;s removably attached to one another before placement into a partition frame  4  located in a freezer unit  6  of a standard refrigerator/freezer unit. Designed as a 3×3 unit in the drawings to illustrate the invention, the dimensions of the plurality of unit  3 &#39;s attached to one another can vary significantly, depending on a particular freezer unit  6 . 
     FIG. 4 shows a front view of the present invention as it would appear in a freezer unit  6 . Freezer unit  6  would include a standard ice-maker  2  and corresponding ice trays  12  in a portion not occupied by the plurality of unit  3 &#39;s. One or more of the unit  3 &#39;s would have a front-mounted hinged door  8  which would include a handle  9 . Each hinged door  8  would open downward. 
     FIG. 5 shows an isometric view of the present invention as it would appear in a freezer unit  6  of a typical refrigerator/freezer combination. 
     FIG. 6 shows an isometric view of two adjoining unit  3 &#39;s, along with their adjoining female partition track  14 &#39;s and the male connection track  16  used to connect the two adjoining female partition track  14 &#39;s. 
     FIG. 7 shows an isometric closeup view of the hinged door  8 , which includes a front mounted handle  9 . Hinged door  8  is attached to a unit  3  by piano-type hinge  18 , which is attached by inserting attachment screws  23 ,  24 , and  25  through holes  20 ,  21 , and  22 . Piano-type hinge  18  is attached to hinged door  8  along the bottom edge of a particular unit  3 . 
     FIG. 8 shows a face view of the bottom edge of a hinged door  8  with piano-type hinge  18  attached. Hinge pin  26  is inserted alternatively through portions of hinged door  8  and piano-type hinge  18  in order to pivotly attach piano-type hinge  18  to hinged door  8 . 
     FIG. 9 shows optional male connection track  28  and optional female connection track  30 , which are alternative shapes for male connection track  16  and female partition track  14 , respectively. The extension for optional male connection track  28  is in the shape of a dove tail, while the indentation or optional female connection track  30  has a shape of a mortise.