Patent Publication Number: US-2012037533-A1

Title: Suspended Utensil Storage System and Method

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATE APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. nonprovisional patent application No. 12/772,876 filed May 3, 2010, which claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/177,185, filed May 11, 2009. The applications are incorporated herein in their entirety by this reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The field of the invention relates to kitchen utensil storage systems. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Standard utensil storage trays that sit in kitchen drawers collect kitchen food particles and other debris within the very compartments intended to store cleaned eating utensils allowing for potentially soiling and infecting the eating tools. Cleaning these standard trays involves removing all of the many utensils and scrubbing the many corners and curves where particles and scum may accumulate. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     To overcome the above problems and others, an aspect of the invention involves a suspended utensil storage system that maintains debris separated from utensils while allowing for easy occasional clean up of a debris collector without having to remove dozens of separate flatware and other kitchen tools. 
     A two-piece storage system includes a utensil tray made of sturdy wide mesh material that nests suspended in a debris collector tray allowing counter crumbs and other kitchen debris to pass through the utensil compartments to the debris collector tray below. This suspension system prevents clean utensils from being soiled from food particles and other kitchen debris as well as assists in preventing potential health risks from utensils coming in consistent contact with unsanitary food particles and other debris. 
     Wide grid plastic or metal material forms utensil tray, allowing support of utensils while gravity pulls crumbs, dust, and other debris through open spaces to debris collector carrier below in which the utensil tray is nested. 
     Sturdy formed utensil tray lifts easily out with utensils remaining in the upper mesh tray thereby allowing for easy exposure, extraction, and cleaning of the debris collector. 
     Sturdy solid debris collector tray is easily separated from the porous utensil tray for hand or dishwashing machine-safe cleansing. 
     In one or more embodiments, the mesh carrier/utensil tray nests in the lower crumb collector/ debris collector tray, is supported by a “ledge” in the upper and/or lower parts of the debris collector tray, and/or the utensil tray includes a “lip” that fits on the debris collector tray like a well-fitted pot cover. 
     Fewer edges and angles in the collector are preferred to make fewer surfaces for easier cleaning. 
     The utensil tray needs to support the weight of the utensils and not bend or lose form over time. 
     Another aspect of the invention involves a suspended utensil storage system including a utensil tray having a plurality of utensil compartments having a mesh material therein; and a debris collector tray underlying the utensil tray and receiving the utensil tray. The mesh material of the utensil compartments of the utensil tray supports utensils and includes holes sized to allow debris to fall there through into the debris collector tray for collecting the debris. 
     Further objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art after a review of the drawings and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments set forth below. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The details of the present invention, both as to its structure and operation, may be gleaned in part by study of the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a bottom perspective view of an embodiment of a suspended utensil storage system; 
         FIG. 2  is a top perspective view of an embodiment of a debris collector tray of the suspended utensil storage system; 
         FIG. 3  is another top perspective view of the debris collector tray of the suspended utensil storage system; 
         FIG. 4  is a further top perspective view of the debris collector tray of the suspended utensil storage system; 
         FIG. 5  is a top perspective view of an embodiment of a utensil tray of the suspended utensil storage system; 
         FIG. 6  is another top perspective view of the utensil tray of the suspended utensil storage system; 
         FIG. 7  is a top plan view of the utensil tray of the suspended utensil storage system; and 
         FIG. 8  is a bottom perspective view of the utensil tray of the suspended utensil storage system. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1-4 , embodiment(s) of a suspended utensil storage system (“suspension system”)  100  that maintains debris separated from utensils while allowing for easy occasional clean up of a debris collector without having to remove dozens of separate flatware and other kitchen tools will be described. 
     The suspension system  100  is a two-piece storage system including a utensil tray  110  made of sturdy wide mesh material  115  that nests suspended in a debris collector tray  120  allowing counter crumbs and other kitchen debris to pass through utensil compartments  125 ,  127  to the debris collector tray  120  below. This suspension system  100  prevents clean utensils from being soiled from food particles and other kitchen debris as well as assists in preventing potential health risks from utensils coming in consistent contact with unsanitary food particles and other debris. 
     The suspension system  100 , the utensil tray  110 , and the debris collector tray  120  all have substantially the same overall length, width, and height. Further, during normal use, the utensil tray  110  is disposed substantially completely within the debris collector tray  120 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , wide grid plastic or metal material forms utensil tray  110  allowing support of utensils while gravity pulls crumbs, dust and other debris through open spaces/holes  130  to debris collector tray  120  below in which the utensil tray  110  is nested. Each open space/hole  130  is defined by lateral support rib  132  and longitudinal support rib  134  and has a width, a length, and height. In one embodiment, for each open space, where the width and the length are not the same, the smallest of the width and the height (i.e., smallest dimension in the plane of the mesh material  115 ) has a distance/dimension of at least 0.05 inches. In another embodiment, for each open space, where the width and the length are not the same, the greater of the width and the height (i.e., maximum dimension in the plane of the mesh material  115 ) has a distance/dimension of 1 inch). In further embodiment, the area of each open space/hole  130  (in the plane of the mesh material  115 ) is at least 0.0025 in. 2  In a still further embodiment, the area of each open space/hole  130  (in the plane of the mesh material  115 ) is no greater than 1 in. 2  The sizing of the open spaces/holes  130  and thickness/dimensions of the mesh material  115  is designed to support the weight of the utensils so that the mesh material  115  does not bend or lose form over time while allowing crumbs and other debris to pass through the open spaces/holes  130 . In alternative embodiments, the open spaces/holes  130  may have dimensions and/or areas other than those indicated above and herein. 
     The utensil compartments include a bottom surface  136  ( FIG. 1 ) and the debris collector tray includes a floor  138 , and the distance between the bottom surface  136  of the utensil compartments and the floor  138  is at least 0.05 in. 
     Sturdy formed utensil tray  110  lifts easily out with utensils remaining in the utensil tray  110  thereby allowing for easy exposure, extraction and cleaning of the debris collector tray  120 . 
     Sturdy solid debris collector tray  120  is easily separated from the porous utensil tray  110  for hand or dishwashing machine-safe cleansing. 
     In one or more embodiments, the utensil tray  110  nests in the debris collector tray  120 , is supported by a ledge  140  of the debris collector tray  120 , and/or the utensil tray  110  includes a lip  150  that fits on the debris collector tray  120  like a well fitted pot cover. 
     In the embodiment shown, the utensil tray  110  includes outer peripheral lip  150  that surrounds the utensil compartments  125 . The lip  150  includes recessed hole-receiving portions  152  along opposite sides  154  of the utensil tray  110 , where left and right outermost longitudinally oriented utensil compartments  125  join with laterally oriented large utensil compartment  127 . The recessed hole-receiving portions  152  include receiving holes  156 . 
     The debris collector tray  120  includes half-cylindrical members  158  that extend laterally inward from side walls  162  (creating outer incurved recesses  164 ). Alignment posts/nubs  166  protrude upwardly from a top of the half-cylindrical members  158 . 
     When the utensil tray  110  is lowered onto and nested into the debris collector tray  120 , the peripheral lip  150  of the utensil tray  110  rests on peripheral ledge  140  of the debris collector tray  120  and the pair of receiving holes  156  of the recessed hole-receiving portions  152  receive the alignment posts/nubs  166  of the half-cylindrical members  158 . With the alignment posts/nubs  166  disposed in the recessed hole-receiving portions  152 , the utensil tray  110  is secured relative to the debris collector tray  120  so that the only relative movement allowed is upward relative movement so that the utensil tray  110  and the debris collector tray  120  do not move relative to each other than upward movement of the utensil tray  110  for removing the nested utensil tray  110  from the debris collector tray  120  (e.g., during cleaning, dishwashing). 
     The debris collector tray  120  includes very few edges and angles to make fewer surfaces for easier cleaning 
     In alternative embodiments, the utensil tray  110  and/or the debris collector tray  120  include different configurations/constructions to allow the utensil tray  110  to nest in the debris collector tray  120 , prevent relative movement of the utensil tray  110  relative to the debris collector tray  120 , and allow the utensil tray  110  to be easily handled and added/removed relative to the debris collector tray  120 . For example, in an alternative embodiment, in locations such as where the debris collector tray  120  includes half-cylindrical members  158 , the side walls  162  may have slots (i.e., no material) so that the user can get a hold of the peripheral lip  150  of the utensil tray  110  in these areas for handling the utensil tray  110 . 
     A method of using the suspension system  100  will now be described. The utensil tray  110  is lowered onto and nested into the debris collector tray  120 . When nested, the peripheral lip  150  of the utensil tray  110  rests on peripheral ledge  140  of the debris collector tray  120  and the pair of receiving holes  156  of the recessed hole-receiving portions  152  receive the alignment posts/nubs  166  of the half-cylindrical members  158 . Utensils are inserted into the plurality of utensil compartments  125 ,  127  of the utensil tray  110 . Debris that is accidentally dropped into the utensil tray  110  falls through the holes  130  of the mesh material  115  of the utensil compartments  125 ,  127  into the debris collector tray  120 . 
     A utensil drawer may be opened and the suspension system  100  filled with utensils may be inserted into a utensil drawer; the suspension system  100  may be inserted into a utensil drawer and then filled with utensils; the debris collector tray  120  may be inserted into a utensil drawer and then the utensil tray  110 , which is already filled with utensils, may be nested into the debris collector tray  120 ; and/or the debris collector tray  120  may be inserted into a utensil drawer, then the utensil tray  110  may be nested into the debris collector tray  120 , and then, finally, the utensils may be inserted into the utensil tray  110  of the suspension system  100 . 
     To clean the suspension system  100 , the utensil tray  110  is removed upwardly from the debris collector tray  120 . Alignment posts/nubs  166  serve as leverage points to push the debris collector tray  120  away from the utensil tray  110  with one&#39;s respective thumbs while lifting the utensil tray  140  away from/out of the debris collector tray  120  at peripheral ledge  140  using one&#39;s respective sets of fingers. The debris in the debris collector tray  120  is disposed of (e.g., debris collector tray  120  is removed from utensil drawer and debris collected in the debris collector tray  120  is dumped into a trash can). The debris collector tray  120  and the utensil tray  110  are cleaned (e.g., hand washed, dishwasher washed). 
     Once cleaned, the utensil drawer is opened, the debris collector tray  120 , the utensil tray  110 , and utensils are inserted into the utensil drawer, and the utensil drawer is closed. 
     The above figures may depict exemplary configurations for the invention, which is done to aid in understanding the features and functionality that can be included in the invention. The invention is not restricted to the illustrated architectures or configurations, but can be implemented using a variety of alternative architectures and configurations. Additionally, although the invention is described above in terms of various exemplary embodiments and implementations, it should be understood that the various features and functionality described in one or more of the individual embodiments with which they are described, but instead can be applied, alone or in some combination, to one or more of the other embodiments of the invention, whether or not such embodiments are described and whether or not such features are presented as being a part of a described embodiment. Thus the breadth and scope of the present invention, especially in any following claims, should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments. 
     Terms and phrases used in this document, and variations thereof, unless otherwise expressly stated, should be construed as open ended as opposed to limiting. As examples of the foregoing: the term “including” should be read as mean “including, without limitation” or the like; the term “example” is used to provide exemplary instances of the item in discussion, not an exhaustive or limiting list thereof; and adjectives such as “conventional,” “traditional,” “standard,” “known” and terms of similar meaning should not be construed as limiting the item described to a given time period or to an item available as of a given time, but instead should be read to encompass conventional, traditional, normal, or standard technologies that may be available or known now or at any time in the future. Likewise, a group of items linked with the conjunction “and” should not be read as requiring that each and every one of those items be present in the grouping, but rather should be read as “and/or” unless expressly stated otherwise. Similarly, a group of items linked with the conjunction “or” should not be read as requiring mutual exclusivity among that group, but rather should also be read as “and/or” unless expressly stated otherwise. Furthermore, although item, elements or components of the disclosure may be described or claimed in the singular, the plural is contemplated to be within the scope thereof unless limitation to the singular is explicitly stated. The presence of broadening words and phrases such as “one or more,” “at least,” “but not limited to” or other like phrases in some instances shall not be read to mean that the narrower case is intended or required in instances where such broadening phrases may be absent.