EP2476341B1 - Drawer or drawer insert - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a drawer or a drawer insert for storing knives, forks, spoons and other household items, having a plurality of compartments bounded by side walls, wherein at least one of the compartments has a grid in which at least one transverse divider element is to be inserted. Thus, a compartment that has a given length due to the dimensions of a drawer can be subdivided according to customer requirements, so that a plurality of partial compartments can be generated from such a compartment, which may well have different sizes. Such a drawer insert is for example from the US 5,553,710 A known.

Correspondingly designed drawers or drawer inserts have proven to be an order system within the kitchen. In the DE 202 06 779 U1 a drawer insert is described, which is adaptable to different drawer sizes and to have a resiliently compressible compartment as a dimension compensation. Often there is also the desire, in addition to pieces of cutlery, so knives, forks and spoons of different sizes, other kitchen helpers to keep, for example, trowels, scissors, can openers, pliers and other auxiliary equipment. These find in known drawers or drawer inserts due to the size of the subject only insufficient space, or it is - in larger subjects - wasted space, the parts also disordered yet disordered. A particular challenge in grading systems is spices, which are commonly housed in non-standard jars or cans. Such cans or glasses pollution-proof yet easy to find stored, does not succeed with today's possibilities. When storing in free-hanging shelving systems, there is a risk that they are contaminated by fat splashes, the storage options in closed cabinets are very limited, since the subsequent attachment of shelves within the cabinets is often unsatisfactory.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a drawer or a drawer insert available in the / the cutlery and kitchen tools as well as spice jars are to save space and at the request of the user.

This object is achieved in a drawer or in a drawer insert, as defined in claim 1, solved in that adjacent compartments are divided by at least one transverse divider element, which is designed as a fan spanning strap. The idea here is to create an investment location for items that is at the same height for several adjacent trays. Such split compartments can then conveniently absorb spice jars or spice jars. The screening has to several mounted in the region of the side walls holes into which engages the bracket or engage the brackets, so that an adaptation to different sizes of spice jars or doses can be made in a very simple manner.

According to a variant, the grid has a plurality of slots provided in the side walls for receiving a respective cross-divider element formed as a wall. The wall can be solid and, for example, made of colored plastic, with a contrasting color to the side walls provides an optical effect. The wall can also have openings, for example elongate oval openings which run parallel to one another. Since the walls are not exposed to strong mechanical stress, there is a great freedom of design, which can be exploited to create an aesthetic impression.

It is expedient that the slots provided in the compartment-limiting side walls are arranged opposite each other, so that a wall transverse to the side walls can be inserted into a pair of opposing slots.

It can be provided that the slots mounted in each side wall are equally spaced. This is not mandatory. Since in use only a few slots of the grid are regularly exploited, some always remain freely visible, which should of course be arranged aesthetically. For example, it may be provided that slots in the region of one third of the length of a compartment are spaced closer than at other areas of the compartment, so that there is a decorative effect.

It is advantageous if the side walls of a compartment are rounded towards the center of the field, since then the cutlery or kitchen helpers can be easily removed.

It is particularly preferred that the side walls of a compartment are integrally formed from a rounded strip of material. As a material, for example, linoleum comes into question, Not only is it easy to clean, it is also fungicidal and bacteriostatic, so it can handle increased hygiene requirements. But also suitable plastics can be used.

Adjacent compartments can be combined into units, the number of compartments per unit being basically arbitrary. However, it has proved to be advantageous to combine three, four or five adjacent compartments into a single unit. For this purpose, a body made of a carrier material, for example made of medium-density fiberboard, is advantageously provided, in which the actual compartments, formed, for example, of semicircular curved linoleum, are used. Thus, the subjects are held securely and beautifully together. In addition, it is possible to make the subjects in different colors, since the side walls are to be inserted independently of each other in the body.

The drawer or the drawer insert may still have specially designed areas, which serve for example for receiving knives.

Since the design of such a drawer or a drawer insert can be made very variable, so that it is adaptable to a wide variety of needs, with the invention is not only a functional, but also a shapely organizing system available in the frequently needed kitchen helpers appropriate and protected against pollution.

Figur 1

eine Schublade bzw. einen Schubladeneinsatz gemäß einer Ausführungsform der vorliegenden Erfindung in einer perspektivischen Ansicht; und

Figur 2

eine Schnittdarstellung einer beispielhaften Einheit mit drei Fächern;

Figur 3

eine perspektivische Explosionsansicht eines beispielhaften Besteckfaches;

Figur 4

eine Detailansicht des Bereiches A aus Figur 2;

Figur 5

eine Veranschaulichung der Ausbildung einer Ablagefläche mit der Möglichkeit des Maßausgleichs; und

Figur 6

eine Detailansicht aus Figur 1.

In the following, the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It shows

FIG. 1

a drawer or a drawer insert according to an embodiment of the present invention in a perspective view; and

FIG. 2

a sectional view of an exemplary unit with three subjects;

FIG. 3

an exploded perspective view of an exemplary cutlery tray;

FIG. 4

a detailed view of the area A from FIG. 2 ;

FIG. 5

an illustration of the formation of a shelf with the possibility of Maßgleichgleichs; and

FIG. 6

a detailed view FIG. 1 ,

FIG. 1 shows a drawer or a drawer insert according to an embodiment of the present invention. The frame frame 10 is preferably made of solid wood or medium-density fiberboard (MDF boards), but may also be made of metal or plastic. The frame frame 10 is usually provided with a handle 12 attached to the front. The drawer or the drawer insert has a first set 20 of compartments 22, 24, 26, which may have the same or different internal dimensions. An appropriate internal dimension, ie the distance from side wall to side wall, could be 8.5 cm. Each of the compartments is formed of a rounded strip of material, such as linoleum, which forms a trough of U-shaped cross-section. The compartments 22, 24, 26 sit, combined into a unit, in a carcass 30, as hereafter in connection with the FIGS. 2 to 4 is explained in more detail. Each of the compartments 22, 24, 26 also has a grid formed by a plurality of opposing slots 34, 34 ', here 7, formed in the side walls of the compartments 22, 24 and 24, 26, respectively. The distance of the slots 34, 34 'to the adjacent pair of slots in the direction of the length of the compartment may, for example, be 4.0 cm. In the present embodiment, the screening is selected so that from the first end of a compartment and the second end of a compartment forth a distance is maintained, which is greater than the distance of the slots from each other. In each pair of slots 34, 34 ', a wall 36 may be used as desired to divide the compartments 22, 24, 26 into desired sub-compartments. Although only one wall 36 is shown here for each compartment 22, 24, 26, other divisions with multiple walls or completely without walls are possible. A second set of 40 trays is intended for the inclusion of spice jars or spice jars. Here, adjacent compartments 42, 44 and 46, 48 are spanned by at least one transverse divider element 50, which is formed as a bracket, for example made of aluminum. In the illustrated embodiment, each bracket 50 spans two compartments 42, 44 and 46, 48, but it may also be provided that a bracket spans three or more compartments. The screening comprises in this second set 40 of subjects a plurality of holes 52 mounted in the region of the side walls, into which the brackets 50 engage. Depending on the height of the spice jars or spice jars then the bracket 50 on different locations in the holes 52 are used so that a maximum number of containers can be sorted and arranged easily accessible. Although not shown in the drawing, a space may be provided in which the spice jars or glasses can be stored vertically. In the drawer or in the drawer insert a knife block 60 is further provided. The free space is used by a receptacle 62 for a short-term clock. Adjacent to the knife block 60 is another pocket 70 which is similar in construction to the pockets 22, 24, 26 of the first set 20 and differs therefrom substantially by the larger internal dimension. Here kitchen helpers, such as can opener, soup ladle and the like can be accommodated. This compartment is adjoined as a side compensation a shelf 80 on which flat objects, such as meat forks or pasta sauce and other bulky Good, can be stored. A similar shelf 82 is provided adjacent the compartment 22. The storage surfaces 80, 82 may be formed by a base plate, for example made of linoleum. The depth compensation, if necessary, can be done via compensation spring pins.

FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of an exemplary unit with three compartments that can serve for example to receive cutlery. The three compartments 22, 24, 26, which are designed for example as Linoleummulde are inserted into a body 30 having a bottom wall 32 and four upstanding, equally spaced partitions 32 '. End walls for the end faces are also provided, which are not shown here, in the FIG. 1 however, designated by the reference numeral 28.

FIG. 3 shows the example of a single compartment 22, as this is to be inserted into the body 30. It becomes clear that additional compartments, as in a carcase 30 according to FIG. 2 , can be used independently. This creates expanded design options, for example, the color of the subjects 22, 24, 26 can be done differently, if desired. It can also be seen that the opposing slots 34, 34 'only in the actual compartment 22, so for example, a linoleum trough, are formed.

FIG. 4 shows how a tray 22 is to be mounted in the body 30. For this purpose, in the upright dividing wall 32 'on one or both sides, depending on the position of the dividing wall 32' as outer wall or inner wall, there is a groove 32 "extending over the entire length of the dividing wall 32 ' the groove bounding upper surface, wherein the dimensions are selected so that the compartment is under slight bias in the body 30 and in the groove 32 "is to be inserted.

FIG. 5 shows an illustration of the formation of a shelf, z. B. the shelf 80 from FIG. 1 , with the possibility of dimensional compensation. The shelf 80 is formed of a bottom plate, for example linoleum with a thickness of 2 mm. The bottom plate 80 is first placed under the adjacent compartment 70 and then pushed as a balance in the direction of arrow B until it meets the edge of the drawer.

FIG. 6 shows a detailed view FIG. 1 that illustrates the construction of the second set of subjects more. The compartments 42, 44, 46, 48 are U-shaped in cross-section and have a radius which is adapted to the radius of the male containers. Each two compartments, 42, 44 and 46, 48, are combined into a fan block. In order to be able to compensate for differences in the diameter of the containers to be accommodated in the compartments 42, 44, 46, 48, for example 90, 92, the compartments are spaced apart by a strip-like region 54, 54 '. Each two adjacent compartments 42, 44, and 46, 48 are spanned by a number of brackets 50, which form contact surfaces for the containers to be accommodated in the subjects. These brackets 50 are seated in bores 52 which are mounted opposite one another in lateral strips 56, 58, 56 ', 58' of the fan blocks, wherein the brackets 50 are inserted loosely or with a small pretension in the bores 52, so that they are easily removed may be necessary to change the breakdown if necessary.

The arrangement of the various units, compartments and other components is largely arbitrary and customizable to the customer. Thus, the invention provides a highly flexible and also shapely system with which a drawer or a drawer insert can be designed as needed.

The features of the invention disclosed in the foregoing description, in the drawing and in the claims may be essential for the realization of the invention both individually and in any desired combination.

Claims (7)

1. A drawer or drawer insert for storing knives, forks, spoons and other household effects, comprising a number of compartments (22, 24, 26; 42, 44, 46, 48; 70) which are confined by side walls, wherein at least one of the compartments (22, 24, 26; 42, 44, 46, 48; 70) comprises a pattern (34, 34', 52) into which at least one lateral divider element can be inserted,
   characterized in that adjacent compartments (42, 44 or 46, 48, respectively) are divided by a straddling lateral divider element (50) designed as a bow, and that the pattern includes a number of holes (52) in the region of the side walls to be engaged by the bow (50)/the bows.
2. The drawer or drawer insert of claim 1, characterized in that the pattern comprises a number of slots (34, 34') formed in the side walls to receive a respective lateral divider element (36) designed as a wall.
3. The drawer or drawer insert of claim 2, characterized in that the slots (34, 34') formed in the side walls confining a compartment are arranged opposite to one another.
4. The drawer or drawer insert of claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the slots (34, 34') are equally spaced from one another in each side wall.
5. The drawer or drawer insert of claim 1, characterized in that the side walls of a compartment are rounded towards the compartment center.
6. The drawer or drawer insert of claim 5, characterized in that the side walls of a compartment as a whole are formed in one piece from a rounded material strip.
7. The drawer or drawer insert of claim 1, characterized in that adjacent compartments (22, 24, 26) are inserted into a common body.

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