US20080067139A1

US20080067139A1 - Over the Door Storage Assembly

Info

Publication number: US20080067139A1
Application number: US11/858,272
Authority: US
Inventors: Christopher J. Claypool; Roddy Burgess; William F. Croft; Michael A. Zarkis; Albert G. Canton
Original assignee: Rubbermaid Inc
Current assignee: Rubbermaid Inc
Priority date: 2006-09-20
Filing date: 2007-09-20
Publication date: 2008-03-20

Abstract

A storage container capable of holding one or more removable bins is attached to a mounting bracket which is, in turn, removably mounted to a support member, such as a spine or riser. The spine can be mounted onto a pantry door or other support structure. A lock is provided that is operable in a locked position to prevent the mounting bracket from being removed from the spine.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION DATA

This application claims the benefit of provisional application No. 60/845,978 filed Sep. 20, 2006 and provisional application No. 60/866,990 filed Nov. 22, 2006, the disclosure of each of which is hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in its entirety herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure is generally directed to kitchen storage assemblies, and more particularly to an over the door storage assembly that hangs from a top edge of a door and extends along a surface of the door.
2. Description of Related Art
For years individuals have relied on kitchen counter space, cabinet space, and drawer space for storing various items related to food preparation and food storage. Certain items, such as dishes, plates, glasses, and the like, are typically stored in cabinets. Appliances are often stored on the kitchen counter while still other items, such as cooking and eating utensils, are kept in kitchen drawers. Yet other items, such as food product, containers for bags, wraps, and * 1 aluminum foil, as well as canisters, jars, plastic containers and the like contribute to the appearance of a cluttered kitchen if stored on the kitchen counter.
Unfortunately, kitchen cabinets often have insufficient space for storing miscellaneous food storage products and certain other items. Storage of such items on the kitchen counter reduces the amount of usable counter space and creates the unsightly appearance of clutter. Efforts have thus been made to create alternative storage space within kitchens. Unfortunately, such storage systems general are located in areas that are not easily or conveniently accessible, and access to the stored items can be limited given the configuration of the storage space.
Conventional over the door storage assemblies mount or hook onto the backside of the kitchen pantry door and present one or more baskets that are sized and shaped to store various kitchen-related items. In some instances, the baskets are fixed to the storage assembly, thereby increasing the labor required on the part of the user when retrieving and replacing multiple stored items. Still other systems provide removable baskets that can facilitate transportation of the kitchen items from one storage location to another. Unfortunately, the removal mechanisms are complex and are either difficult to operate or dissuade the user from removing the baskets altogether, which again increases the labor on the part of the user and contributes to kitchen clutter.
A need therefore exists to provide a more user-friendly and reliable storage assembly that uses available kitchen space for storing items in a conveniently accessible location that can be hidden from view to avoid the perception of clutter.

SUMMARY

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a kitchen storage system includes a support structure defining at least one mounting location, and a mounting bracket removably attachable to the support structure at the at least one mounting location. A storage container is mounted to the support structure via the mounting bracket. A lock is operable in a locked position to prevent the mounting bracket from being removed from the support structure.
It should be appreciated that the foregoing and other aspects of the invention will appear from the following description. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part thereof, and in which there is shown by way of illustration, and not limitation, preferred embodiments of the invention. Such embodiments do not necessarily represent the full scope of the invention, and reference must therefore be made to the claims herein for interpreting the full scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following description in conjunction with the drawing figures, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a kitchen storage assembly constructed in accordance with one aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the kitchen storage assembly illustrated in FIG. 1 as assembled;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the kitchen storage assembly illustrated in FIG. 2, showing a bin removed from a storage container;

FIG. 4A is a sectional side elevation view illustrating a storage container attached being mounted onto a spine in an inserted position;

FIG. 4B is a sectional side elevation view similar to FIG. 4A, but illustrating the storage container engaged with the spine;

FIG. 4C is a sectional side elevation view similar to FIG. 4B, but illustrating the storage container fully mounted onto the spine;

FIG. 5A is an exploded perspective view of a bracket used to mount the storage container onto the spine and a lock configured to be installed in the bracket;

FIG. 5B is an exploded perspective view similar to FIG. 5A, but showing the lock installed in the bracket in an unlocked position;

FIG. 5C is an exploded perspective view similar to FIG. 5B, but showing the lock in a locked position;

FIG. 6A is a perspective view of a kitchen storage assembly including a storage container mounted onto a spine, illustrating the lock an unlocked position;

FIG. 6B is a sectional side elevation view of the kitchen storage assembly illustrated in FIG. 6A;

FIG. 6C is a sectional side elevation view of the kitchen storage assembly illustrated in FIG. 6B, but showing the lock in a locked position;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a lock constructed in accordance with an alternative embodiment;

FIG. 8A is a perspective view of a kitchen storage assembly including a canister mounted onto a spine, illustrating the lock shown in FIG. 7 in an unlocked position;

FIG. 8B is a sectional side elevation view of the kitchen storage assembly illustrated in FIG. 5A; and

FIG. 8C is a sectional side elevation view of the kitchen storage assembly illustrated in FIG. 8B, but showing the lock in a locked position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

Various aspects of the present invention provide a storage assembly that includes easily removable, transportable, reconfigurable, and replaceable storage baskets. More narrow aspects of the present invention increase the usable space in the normal household kitchen by utilizing empty space behind kitchen pantry doors while minimizing the inconvenience to the user as compared to conventional over the door storage assemblies. The disclosed storage assembly includes an elongate bracket that supports one or more baskets, and a plurality of bins that can be supported inside the baskets. The bins are easily removable from the baskets and replaceable as desired and, depending on their size relative to the basket, can be placed at a desired location in the basket.
Referring to FIGS. 1-2, a storage assembly 20 includes a support member 22 that can be in the form of a vertically elongate spine or riser that is mounted onto the backside of a door 24 (for instance a pantry door). The spine 22 can be formed from steel or any suitable alternative metal or material, and has a body 26 that presents a front wall 28 and connected between a pair of side walls 30 to define a “U shaped” body when viewed in cross section. The side walls 30 extend rearward from the front wall 28 toward the door 24 to which the storage assembly 20 is mounted, such that the body 26 is convex to the user when mounted.
The spine 22 can be conveniently hung on the top of the door 24 such that the spine 22 hangs vertically alongside the door 24. Specifically, a clip 32 that can be mounted onto the door 24 is configured for attachment to the upper end of the spine 22. As illustrated, the clip 32 includes a substantially L-shaped body having an upper wall 34, and opposing front and rear vertical walls 36 and 38, respectively, extending down from the upper wall 34. A gap 40 is thus disposed between the vertical walls 36 and 38 that is sized to receive the upper end of the door 34. The clip 32 is thus mounted to the door 34 by fitting the upper end of the door into the gap 40 until the upper wall 34 of the clip 32 rests on top of the door 34. The front and rear walls 36 and 38 serve to catch the door 34 and prevent the clip 32 from inadvertently sliding off.
The clip 32 further includes a pair of vertically elongate apertures 42 extending through the front wall 36. The apertures 42 are vertically aligned and spaced horizontally so as to be aligned with the side walls 30 of the spine 22. A flange 44 projects out from the bottom of the front wall 36 at a location below the apertures 42, and a lower end wall 46 extends down from the outer edge of the flange 44. A corresponding notch 48 is formed into each of the side walls 30 of the spine 22. The notches 48 are horizontally aligned to provide a pocket sized to receive the lower end wall 44 of the clip 32, and to define upper side walls 30A that are spaced * from the remainder of the side walls 30 via the notches 46. The upper side walls 30A are vertically elongate and sized to be received into the apertures 40. The notches 46 farther extends up into the upper side walls 30A adjacent the front wall 28 such that a gap is disposed between the upper side walls 30A and the front wall 28.
Accordingly, the spine 22 is attached to the clip 32 by inserting the upper side walls 30A into the apertures 42, and sliding the spine 22 downward so that the front wall 36 of the clip 32 slips into the gap 48. The spine 22 thus hangs vertically down from the clip 32 along a front or rear surface of the door 24. It should be appreciated, of course, that the attachment of the spine 22 to the door 24 has been illustrated and described in accordance with one embodiment of the invention and that the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiment * illustrated and described herein. Any suitable method and apparatus that attaches a support member such as the spine 22 to a support structure (for instance the door 24) is contemplated by the present invention.
While the support structure or spine 22 is mounted onto the door 24 as illustrated, the present invention contemplates that the support structure can instead be mounted to any suitable support structure in any manner known to one having ordinary skill in the art.
The spine 32 includes one or more mounting locations 50 that are configured for attachment to one or more objects, for instance storage containers 52 (or baskets). As illustrated, the mounting locations 50 are in the form of vertically elongate apertures that extend through the front wall 28 of the spine 32. While the apertures 50 are arranged in a pair of aligned vertical columns extending through the front wall 28 as illustrated, it should be appreciated that the mounting locations 50 could assume any suitable alternative arrangement that facilitates attachment to the storage containers 52 without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
As illustrated, each storage container 52 can be formed from bent wire or any alternative suitable material. As best shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 8A, each container 52 presents a base 54, opposing laterally elongate (e.g., front-to-back) side walls 56 extending upward from the base 54, and opposing longitudinally elongate front and rear walls 58 and 60, respectively, that extend upward from the base 54 and further extend between the opposing side walls 56. In the illustrated embodiment, the base 54 and walls 56-60 are formed from a first and second plurality of intersecting bent wires 62 and 64, respectively. Wires 62 extend laterally (or front-to-back), while wires 64 extend longitudinally (or side-to-side).
Wires 62 include respective middle portions 66 that define the laterally extending component of the base 54. Each wire 62 further includes a pair of outer portions 68 that are bent upward from the outer ends of the middle portion 66 and define the substantially vertical sidewalls 58. Wires 64 include respective middle portions 70 that define the longitudinal component of the base 54. Each wire further includes a pair of outer portions 72 that are bent upward from the outer ends of the middle portion 70 and define the substantially end walls front F and rear walls 58 and 60. The upper ends of the outer portions of wires 62 and 64 (and thus the side walls 56 and front and rear walls 58 and 60) can flare outwardly if desired. Wires 62 and 64 can be bonded or otherwise connected using any known attachment method at their locations of intersection.
Each storage container 52 further includes a rim 74 that provides defines the upper periphery of the storage container. The rim 74 is formed from a perimeter wire that is connected to the outer ends of the wires 62 and 64. One or more pockets 76 can be formed by one or more shortened wires 62 and 64 that terminate at their upper end at a location below the upper end of the adjacent wires at one of the side walls 58, front wall 58, and/or rear walls 60, thereby causing the rim 68 to dip down at the location of the shortened wire. As illustrated, a downwardly extending pocket 76 is centrally disposed in the front wall 58. As will be described in more detail below, the storage container 52 is mounted to the spine 22 such that a gap (see FIG. 4C) separates the spine 22 from the portion of the rim 74 extending along the rear wall 60.
Referring now to FIGS. 1-3, a plurality of canisters or bins 77 is provided and sized to be received in the storage containers 52. The bins 77 can each be formed from one-piece injection molded plastic, such as general purpose ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), HIPS (high impact styrene), or polypropylene, or can be formed from any alternative suitable material and/or process as will be appreciated by one having ordinary skill in the art. The bins can be transparent or translucent (or in some circumstances opaque).
As best shown in FIG. 1, each bin 77 includes a base 78, opposing elongate side walls 80 extending upward from the base 78, and opposing front and rear walls 82 and 84, respectively, that extend upward from the base 78 and further extend between the opposing side walls 80. The walls 80-84 can be solid to facilitate easy storage and transportation of individual loose items, powders, and the like. The walls 80-84 can be opaque, transparent, or semi-transparent.
The bins 77 are sized so as to be received by a given storage container 52. The walls 80-84 are sized such that at least one bin 77 or a plurality of bins 77 can be placed inside a single storage container 52. Specifically, the bins 77 can be constructed such that their outer periphery is slightly smaller than the inner periphery of the corresponding storage container 52 if only one bin 77 is to be stored in a given container 52. Alternatively, bins 77 can be provided having substantially smaller dimensions that those of the storage containers 52 such that a given bin 77 can be stored at one of a number of locations within the container, or such that a plurality of bins 77 can be stored simultaneously in a given container. For instance, as shown in FIG. 2, the length of the front and rear walls 82 and 84 of bin 77′ is less than half the length of that of the corresponding storage container 52 such that two such bins can fit inside the container 52.
Each bin 77 includes a handles 83 which are illustrated as being defined by a horizontally elongate aperture extending through the upper ends of each of the opposing sidewalls 80. The user can grip the handles 83 to lift and remove the bin from a given storage container 82 when it is desired to transport the bin 77 to a remote location, for instance in the kitchen.
Because the storage assembly 52 can reside on the backside of door 24 which can be, for instance, a pantry door, the system can advantageously be hidden from view when the pantry door is closed. When a user wishes to transport a stored item to another location in the kitchen, for instance the kitchen counter, he/she may either move the individual item from the bin 77 as desired or use the handles 83 disposed on the sidewalls 80 of the bin 77 to transport the entire bin 77 to the desired location. The present invention further recognizes that, in certain situations, the user may desire to store a bin 77 and its content at a location remote from the storage containers 52 (for instance, in a refrigerator). Advantageously, in such situations, additional kitchen items can be placed directly into the storage containers 52.
As will be apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art, the overall size, shape, and configuration of the storage containers 52 and bins 77, and the remaining components of the storage assembly can vary considerably from that disclosed herein and yet fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention. For instance, while the storage containers 52 and bins 77 have a generally rectangular configuration as disclosed, one having ordinary skill in the art will recognize that their shape and contour can vary considerably to accommodate different sized and shaped kitchen items as desired.
The attachment of the storage containers 52 to the spine 22 will now be described. Specifically, referring to FIGS. 4-5, each storage container 52 is connected to the spine 22 via a mounting device, such as a mounting bracket 86. The mounting bracket 86 can be attached to the storage container 52 using any known attachment mechanism, or can be integrally formed with the storage container 52. As illustrated, the mounting bracket 86 is welded to the rear wall 60 of the storage container 52. As best shown in FIG. 5A, the bracket 86 is centrally disposed with respect to the longitudinal dimension of the storage container 52.
The bracket 86 has a body 88 that includes a pair of spaced side walls 90 extending vertically from the longitudinally outer ends of a base 91. A pair of aligned vertically elongate grooves 93 extends through the corresponding pair of side walls 90.
One or more tabs extending from the front end of the bracket body 88 are configured to attach to the storage container 52. As illustrated, a pair of longitudinally spaced upper tabs 92 projects longitudinally out from the corresponding pair of side walls 90 at the upper end of the body 88. The tabs 92 are disposed at the front of the body 88, and define a flat upper horizontal mounting surface 94 configured to engage the bottom surface of the portion of the rim 74 extending along the rear wall 60 of the storage container 52. A lower tab 95 projects forward from the base 91, and is connected to a longitudinally elongate seat 96 having a flat upper horizontal mounting surface 98 that is configured to engage the bottom portion of at least one of the longitudinally extending wires 64. The mounting surfaces 94 and 98 can be attached to the respective locations on the storage container 52 via any known fastening system, including welding, mechanical fasteners, and the like.
The bracket body 88 further includes one or more tabs extending from its rear end that are configured to attach to one or more of the mounting apertures 50 of the spine 22, thereby removably connecting the container 52 to the spine 22 at a desired vertical location. As illustrated, an upper vertically elongate tab 100 extends rearward from the upper end of each side wall 90. The tabs are spaced apart a distance equal to the distance between the columns of mounting apertures 50 such that each tab can be brought into vertical alignment with a corresponding pair of apertures at a desired height.
A slot 102 projects upward into the lower end of each tab 100, and is disposed adjacent the corresponding side wall 90. The slots 102 extend only partially into the tabs 100, and have a thickness sufficient to receive the front wall 28 of the spine 22 that defines the mounting apertures 50. The rear edge of each slot 102 is angled outward relative to the vertical such that the slots 102 can receive the front wall 28 even when the bracket 86 has an angled orientation as illustrated in FIGS. 4A-B. The tabs 100 have a height sufficient to fit within the mounting apertures 50 while providing sufficient structural rigidity to provide a reliable connection between the bracket 86 and the spine 22. The bracket 86 can thus be mounted to any pair of apertures 50 disposed along the length of the spine, thus providing flexibility to the vertical positioning of the attached storage container 52.
A lower tab 104 extends rearward from each side wall 90 at a location spaced below the corresponding upper tab 100. The lower tabs 104 have a height sufficient to fit within at least one (and in certain aspects of the invention, all) of the mounting apertures 50 while providing sufficient structural rigidity to provide a reliable connection between the bracket 86 and the spine 22. The lower tab 104 is vertically spaced from the corresponding upper tab 100 of a given side wall 90 such that when the upper tab 100 is attached to a mounting aperture 50, the lower tab 104 fits inside one of the mounting apertures 50 disposed below the mounting aperture to which the upper tab 100 is attached. The lower tabs 104 have a height only slightly smaller than the height of the corresponding apertures 50 such that once the bracket 86 is mounted to the spine 22, the lower tabs 104 prevent the bracket from moving substantially vertically relative to the spine. The lower tab 104 defines a rear edge 105 that is angled such that the lower end of the rear edge 105 extends out from the side wall 90 a greater distance than the upper end of the rear edge. Accordingly, the rear edge 105 of the lower tab 104 extends substantially parallel with the spine 22 when the bracket 86 is in the engaged configuration illustrated in FIG. 4B, which is described in more detail below.
The bracket body 88 further includes a pair of ears 106 (one shown in FIGS. 5A-5C) extending longitudinally out from the corresponding pair of side walls 90. Each ear 106 is positioned below the lower tab 104, is vertically elongate, and defines a flat forward-facing surface that defines a stop configured to sit against the front wall 28 of the spine 22 when the bracket 86 is mounted to the spine 22.
Accordingly, referring now to FIGS. 4A-4C, the storage container 52 is mounted to the spine 22 by coupling the bracket 86 to a selected pair of mounting apertures 50 that defines a mounting location on the spine 22. The bracket 86 is first inserted into the spine 22 by first rotating the bracket 86 upwards so that the front end of the bracket 86 is disposed above the rear end of the bracket to allow the upper tabs 100 to extend into corresponding selected mounting apertures 50 while maintaining the lower tabs 102 clear from the mounting apertures 50. In accordance with certain aspects of the invention, the lower tabs 102 are not aligned with the mounting apertures 50 and are thus prevented from being inserted into the apertures 50 when the bracket 86 is in the inserted position. The tabs 100 are then inserted into the selected apertures 50 along the direction of Arrow A, such that the slots 102 are substantially aligned with the front wall 28 of the spine 22. In this position, the lower tabs 102 do not extend into the mounting apertures 50 and, in accordance with one aspect of the invention, the lower tabs 102 are not fully aligned with corresponding mounting apertures 50 when the bracket is in the inserted positioned illustrated in FIG. 5A.
Next, as illustrated in FIG. 5B, the bracket 86 is lowered along the direction of Arrow B to an engaged position whereby that the slots 102 receive the portion of the front wall 28 that defines the selected mounting aperture 50. Each of the lower tabs 104 is brought into vertical alignment with a corresponding mounting aperture 50 when the bracket is in the engaged position. Accordingly, the bracket 86 can then be rotated downward along the direction of Arrow C illustrated in FIG. 4C to a mounted position whereby the lower tabs 102 are inserted into the aligned 50 mounting apertures.
Once the bracket 86 is mounted to the spine 22, movement in the horizontal and vertical directions that could be due to, for instance, applied forces, is prevented due to the engagement between the bracket tabs 100 and 104 and the front wall 28 of the spine 22.
It should be appreciated that the rim 74 is spaced forward from the spine 22 when the bracket 86 is mounted onto the spine 22 such that a gap exists between the rim 74 (or storage container 52) and the spine 22. Accordingly, the bracket 86 (and attached storage container 52) can be removed from the spine 22 by rotating the bracket 86 upward in the direction of Arrow D in FIG. 4C. This rotation is referred to as “upward rotation” because the front (or free) end of the storage container 52 is rotated upward with respect to the rear (or fixed) end of the storage container. Upwardly rotating the bracket 86 causes the bracket 86 to assume the engaged configuration illustrated in FIG. 4B. Accordingly, the bracket 86 can be translated vertically up along the direction of Arrow E to remove the front wall 28 from the slots 102 such that the bracket is in the inserted position illustrated in FIG. 4A. Finally, the bracket 86 can be removed from the spine 22 along a forward direction indicated by Arrow F.
It should be appreciated, however, that the spacing between the spine 22 and the storage container 52 that allows the bracket 86 to be removed from the spine 22 also could subject the bracket 86 to inadvertent upward rotation from the mounted position illustrated in FIG. 4C to the engaged position illustrated in FIG. 4B. Once in the position illustrated in FIG. 4B, the bracket 86 would be subject to potential inadvertent removal from the spine 22.
Accordingly, referring now to FIGS. 5-6, the storage assembly 20 includes a lock 108 operably coupled to the bracket 68 to enhance the integrity of the connection between the bracket 86 and the spine 22 when in the locked position, the lock 108 prevents the bracket 86 from undergoing upward rotation an amount that would remove the lower tabs 104 from the mounting apertures 50. Stated another way, the bracket 86 is capable of upwardly rotating an amount less than the amount which the bracket 86 is able to upwardly rotate when the lock 108 is in the unlocked position or removed altogether. Accordingly, the bracket 86 is unable to slide along the direction of Arrow E from the engaged position to the inserted position.
The lock 108 includes a body 110 having a width (longitudinal dimension) slightly less than the distance between the side walls 90 of the bracket 86. The body 110 includes a front wall 112, a rear wall 114, and a pair of opposing side walls 116 connected between the front and rear walls. The rear wall 114 and side walls 116 extend substantially vertically. The front wall 112 provides a grip that is configured to be engaged by, for instance, the thumb of a user when moving the lock 108 between a locked and an unlocked position. Specifically, the front wall 112 includes a first upward and rearward facing beveled gripping surface 120. The lower end of first beveled surface is connected to a downward and rearward facing beveled gripping surface 122. The lower beveled surface 122 can be engaged by a user's thumb to push the lock 108 vertically upward along the direction of Arrow G (see FIG. 6C) toward the locked position, and the upper beveled surface 120 can be engaged to push the lock 108 down toward the unlocked position.
A longitudinally elongate neck 124 extends vertically up from the rear wall 114 of the lock body 110. The neck 124 has a substantially flat rear surface that faces the front wall 28 of the spine 22. The neck 124 has a distal end 126 having a depth (or lateral thickness) greater than the depth of the gap disposed between the rim 74 and the spine 22 when the bracket 86 is in the mounted position illustrated in FIG. 4C. The depth of the neck 114 between the lock body 110 and the distal end 116 is less than or equal to the depth of the gap between the rim 74 and the spine 22 when the bracket 86 is in the mounted position.
A pair of guides 125 projects horizontally outward from the corresponding pair of side walls 116. The guides 125 are vertically elongate, have a depth slightly less than or equal to the depth of the grooves 93, and have a height less than the height of the grooves 93. The lock 108 is thus installed between the side walls 90 of the bracket 86 such that the guides 125 are disposed in the grooves 93, the rear wall 114 faces the spine 22, and the neck 124 projects upward.
The lock 108 is movable between the lower unlocked position illustrated in FIG. 5B and the upper locked position illustrated in SC as the guides 125 ride along the grooves 93. In the unlocked position, the neck 124 is disposed below the rim 74 as illustrated in FIG. 6B, and the neck therefore does not interfere with the ability of the bracket to upwardly rotate when one desires to remove the bracket 86 from the spine 22. When moving the lock 100 to the locked position, the distal end 126 of the neck 124 slides between the rim 74 and the spine 22 such that the neck 124 remains disposed between the rim 74 and spine 22, thereby preventing upward rotation of the bracket 86, as illustrated in FIG. 6C. Because the distal end of the neck 124 has a thickness greater than that of the gap disposed between the rim 74 and the spine 22, interference between the distal end 126 and the rim 74 prevents gravity from biasing the lock 86 to its unlocked position. Alternatively or additionally to having a thickness greater than the remainder of the neck 124, the distal end of the neck 124 can flare forward so as to interfere with the rim 74. The interference of between the distal end of the neck 124 and the rim 74 can be overcome by applying a sufficient upward force to the appropriate gripping surface 120 or 122, advantageously providing the user with tactile feedback as the lock is moved to the locked and unlocked positions.
In accordance with certain aspects of the invention, the lock body 110 can be made from an injected molded plastic, such as a polypropylene or acetal, though the present invention includes alternative suitable plastic materials as appreciated by one having ordinary skill in the art. The material can be compliant to allow the distal end to easily move between the rim 74 and the spine 22 in response to an adequate upward and downward force applied to the lock 108.
While the neck 124 is completely removed from a position between the rim 74 and the spine 22 when the lock 108 is in the unlocked position as illustrated, the present invention contemplates alternative embodiments whereby a portion of the lock body 110 having, for instance, a reduced thickness is disposed between the rim 74 and the spine 22 so that the storage container 52 is still able to rotate with respect to the spine 22 when the lock 108 is in the unlocked position.
It should be appreciated that the lock 108 is just one example of a variety of structural implementations of a lock that prevents the bracket 86 from being inadvertently disengaged from the spine 22, and that numerous alternative configurations are contemplated by the present inventors and are intended to fall within the scope of the present invention.
One example of a lock 130 constructed in accordance with an alternative embodiment is illustrated in FIGS. 7-8. Specifically, the lock 130 is mounted onto the spine 22 and is configured to extend into the gap between the rim 74 and the spine 22 to prevent upward rotation of the bracket 86 as desired. The lock 130 includes a vertically elongate body 132 having a depth substantially equal or slightly less than the thickness of the gap disposed between the basket rim 74 and the spine 22, and a width less than the longitudinal distance between the side walls 90 of the bracket 86. A pair of longitudinally spaced tabs 134 extends rearward from the upper end of the lock body 132. The tabs 134 are configured for insertion into the mounting apertures 50. A slot 136 projects partially up into the lower end of each tab 134, and has a thickness sufficient to receive the front wall 28 of the spine 22 that defines the mounting apertures 50.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the lock body 132 can be formed from a metal and can be made from stamped sheet metal, or can be formed from any suitable alternative material.
The lock 130 is mounted onto the spine 22 by first inserting the tabs 134 into a selected pair of mounting apertures 50 as illustrated in FIG. 8B. The selected apertures 50 are disposed above the apertures 50 attached to the tabs 100 of bracket 86, and sufficiently above the rim 74 of the mounted storage container 52 such that the lower end of the lock body 132 clears the upper end of rim 74. The lock 130 is in an unlocked position when the distal end of the lock body 132 is disposed above the rim 74. To move the lock 130 into a locked position, the lock body 132 is lowered along the direction of arrow H (FIG. 8C) as the slots 136 receive the selected mounting apertures 50 and the lower end of the lock body 132 becomes disposed between the rim 74 and the spine 22, thereby preventing upward rotation of the storage container, or at least prevents the bracket 86 from undergoing upward rotation an amount that would remove the lower tabs 104 from the mounting apertures 50. Accordingly, the bracket 86 is unable to slide along the direction of Arrow E (see FIG. 4B) from the engaged position to the inserted position.
The lock 130 is advantageously maintained in the locked position under gravitational forces. Alternatively, the lower end of the lock body 132 could have an increased depth (similar to lock 108) to prevent inadvertently raising the lock to the unlocked position. The lock 130 can be moved from the locked position to the unlocked position by raising the lock body 132 in a direction opposite that of Arrow H. When the lock 130 is either in the unlocked position or removed from the spine 22, the bracket and storage container 52 are free to rotate upwardly as described above with reference to FIGS. 4A-C.
Although certain food storage assemblies and related components have been described herein in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure, the scope of coverage of this patent is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers all embodiments of the teachings of the disclosure that fairly fall within the scope of permissible equivalents.

Claims

1. A kitchen storage system comprising:

an over-the-door support structure defining at least one mounting location;

a mounting bracket removably attachable to the support structure at the at least one mounting location;

a storage container mounted to the support structure via the mounting bracket; and

a lock operable in a locked position to prevent the mounting bracket from being removed from the support structure.

2. The storage system as recited in claim 1, wherein the mounting location comprises an aperture extending through the support structure, and the bracket comprises a protrusion extending into the aperture to removably mount the storage container to the spine.

3. The storage system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a gap defined between the storage container and the support structure, wherein the gap is decreased as the mounting bracket is removed from the support structure.

4. The storage system as recited in claim 3, wherein the lock is movable between a locked position whereby the lock is disposed within the gap to prevent the gap from being reduced to a size that permits removable of the bracket, and an unlocked position whereby the lock does not interfere with the reduction of the gap to a size that permits removal of the bracket.

5. The storage system as recited in claim 4, wherein the gap is disposed between an upper rim of the storage container and the spine and the lock is removed from the gap when the lock is in the unlocked position.

6. The storage system as recited in claim 3, wherein the mounting bracket is rotated with respect to the support structure to remove the mounting bracket from the support structure, and the lock prevents the rotation of the mounting bracket when in the locked position.

7. The storage system as recited in claim 6, wherein the lock is disposed in the gap when in the locked position to prevent the rotation of the mounting bracket.

8. The storage system as recited in claim 1, wherein the lock is carried by the mounting bracket and movable within the bracket to the locked position.

9. The storage system as recited in claim 1, wherein the lock moves in a direction parallel to the support member between an unlocked position that does not prevent removal of the bracket from the support member and the locked position.

10. The storage system as recited in claim 1, wherein the lock is carried by the support member.

11. The storage system as recited in claim 1, wherein the support member comprises a vertically elongate spine and the mounting location comprises an aperture extending through the spine.

12. The storage system as recited in claim 10, wherein the lock is mounted to the bracket and slidable along the bracket between the locked and unlocked positions.

13. A storage system comprising:

a spine defining at least one mounting location;

a storage container coupled to a mounting bracket that is, in turn, removably attached to the mounting location to define a gap between the storage container and the spine, the gap allowing the container to rotate relative to the spine to remove the bracket from the spine; and

a lock configured to be placed in a locked position wherein the lock is disposed between the spine and the container in the gap to prevent rotation of the container relative to the spine.

14. The storage system as recited in claim 13, wherein the at least mounting location comprises an aperture and the mounting bracket comprises a protrusion configured to extend into the aperture to couple the storage container to the spine.

15. The storage system as recited in claim 13, wherein the lock is carried by the mounting bracket and movable between an unlocked position whereby the lock does not interfere with rotation of the container relative to the spine, and the locked position.

16. The storage system as recited in claim 13, wherein the lock comprises a neck having a distal end, and the distal end has a thickness at least equal to that of the gap, and wherein the distal end slides through the gap such that the neck is disposed in the gap when the lock is in the locked position.

17. The storage system as recited in claim 13, wherein the lock is mounted to the spine.

18. The storage system as recited in claim 13, wherein the spine is vertically elongate and comprises a plurality of vertically spaced mounting locations.

19. A storage system comprising:

a support member defining at least one mounting location;

a storage container removably mounted to the support member at the mounting location, wherein the storage container can be moved in a predetermined direction when removing the storage container from the support member; and

a lock configured in a locked position to prevent movement of the storage container in the predetermine direction, thereby preventing the storage container from being removed from the support member.

20. The storage system as recited in claim 19, further comprising a mounting bracket removably mounted to the support member, and the storage container is attached to the mounting bracket, wherein the mounting bracket moves in the predetermined direction to remove the storage container, and the lock is configured in the locked position to prevent movement of the bracket in the predetermined direction, thereby preventing the storage container from being removed from the support member.