Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02666194 2009-05-01
= Agent Ref: 68849/00062
1 Wall-Mounted Organizer
2 FIELD OF THE INVENTION
3 [0001] The invention broadly relates to devices for organizing items, such
as eyeglasses,
4 envelopes, electronic devices, and the like, more particularly to such
devices adapted to be
mounted upon a wall, and even more particularly to such devices having
retractable hooks for
6 hanging clothing thereon.
7 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
8 [0002] Organizers are well known devices used for storing and organizing
items, such as
9 keys, mail, eyeglasses, handheld electronic devices, etc. Generally an
organizer comprises an
open or closed top compartment, which is subdivided into a plurality of sub-
compartments, in
11 which a user stores and organizes items. One problem with prior organizers
is that they are
12 generally designed only for tabletop use, and thus require another
structure, such as a table,
13 desk, or shelf, to operate, which is not always feasible in the location
desired for the organizer.
14 For example, if a user desires to have an organizer in a hallway next to
the entrance of his
house for holding sunglasses, keys, and other items generally used while
traveling, having a
16 table in the hallway may not be feasible in many circumstances.
17 [0003] Coat hooks are well known articles of manufacture used for hanging
coats,
18 jackets, scarves, umbrellas, and the like on walls, often proximate to the
entrance to a house or
19 dwelling. Generally, a coat hook comprises a hook portion coupled to a
means for securely
mounting the hook portion to a wall. One problem with prior coat hooks is that
the hook portion
21 permanently extends out from the wall, where it has a tendency to snag the
clothes or skin of
22 passers by.
23 [0004] Thus, there is a longfelt need for an organizer which does not
require a tabletop
24 to operate effectively. There is also a longfelt need for a coat hook which
does not snag passers
by.
26 BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
27 [0005] Broadly, the present invention is an organizer comprising: a front
wall including a
28 first recess and a first hook arranged to pivot into and out of the first
recess; a back wall having a
29 means for mounting the organizer to a substantially vertical surface; a
left wall; a right wall, and,
a bottom wall, wherein the front wall, the back wall, the left wall, the right
wall, and the bottom
31 wall define an inner chamber adapted to hold items therein.
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1 [0006] In a preferred embodiment, the organizer includes a first groove
arranged in the
2 inner chamber, a second groove arranged in the inner, and a divider wall,
wherein the divider
3 wall is adapted to be slidingly received in the first groove and the second
groove, and the divider
4 wall divides the inner chamber into a first compartment and a second
compartment when
slidingly received within the first groove and the second groove.
6 [0007] A general object of the present invention is to provide an organizer
which can be
7 mounted on a substantially vertical surface.
8 [0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide such a wall-
mounted
9 organizer having at least one retractable coat hook.
[0009] These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be
readily
11 appreciable from the following description of preferred embodiments of the
invention and from
12 the accompanying drawings and claims.
13 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
14 [0010] The nature and mode of operation of the present invention will now
be more fully
described in the following detailed description of the invention taken with
the accompanying
16 drawing figures of an exemplary embodiment thereof, in which:
17 Figure 1 is a perspective view of the present invention organizer, shown
holding a
18 plurality of items;
19 Figure 2 is a back perspective view of the organizer;
Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the organizer;
21 Figure 4 is a top plan view of the organizer;
22 Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the organizer;
23 Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along line 6-6 in Figure
1;
24 Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view similar to Figure 6, but showing a first
hook
pivoted open; and,
26 Figure 8 is a bottom plan view of the organizer.
27 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
28 [0011] At the outset, it should be appreciated that like drawing numbers on
different
29 drawing views identify identical, or functionally similar, structural
elements of the invention.
While the present invention is described with respect to what is presently
considered to be the
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1 preferred aspects, it is to be understood that the invention as claimed is
not limited to the
2 disclosed aspects.
3 [0012] Furthermore, it is understood that this invention is not limited to
the particular
4 methodology, materials and modifications described and as such may, of
course, vary. It is also
understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing
particular aspects
6 only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, which
is limited only by the
7 appended claims.
8 [0013] Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used
herein have the
9 same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to
which this invention
belongs. It should be appreciated the terms "front", "back", "left", and
"right", when used herein,
11 are relative terms meant to refer to the viewing perspective shown in the
figures.
12 [0014] Although many methods, devices or materials similar or equivalent to
those
13 described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the invention,
the preferred methods,
14 devices, and materials are now described.
[0015] Adverting now to the figures, Figure 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of
the
16 present invention wall-mounted organizer, hereinafter referred to as
organizer 100. Organizer
17 100 generally comprises left wall 110, right wall 120, back wall 130, front
wall 140, and bottom
18 wall 190, which together define inner chamber 160. As shown in this figure,
organizer 100 is
19 adapted to hold items within inner chamber 160, for example, eyeglasses 40
and electronic
device 50.
21 [0016] The present invention organizer includes a means for mounting it on
a
22 substantially vertical surface, such as a wall. For example, as shown in
Figures 2, 6, and 7, back
23 wall 130 includes first mounting bracket 132 and second mounting bracket
134, which are
24 arranged to secure organizer 100 to wall 20. It should be appreciated that
first and second
mounting brackets, 132 and 134, which are keyhole type mounting brackets, are
merely
26 exemplary, and mounting organizer 100 may include any suitable means for
mounting it to a
27 substantially vertical surface.
28 [0017] In a preferred embodiment, as shown most clearly in Figures 6 and 7,
top edge
29 141 of front wall 140 is arranged elevationally lower than the upper edge
of back wall 130, and
the upper edges of left wall 110 and right wall 120 each slope downwardly from
the upper edge
31 of back wall 130 to upper edge 141. This particular arrangement, wherein
the top of the front
32 wall is elevationally lower than the back wall, is particularly
advantageous in that it provides a
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1 user with easy visual and manual access to the inner chamber, in order to
identify and retrieve
2 items held therein.
3 [0018] While the inner chamber of the present invention is well-adapted for
holding a
4 plurality of items therein, in a preferred embodiment, the organizer
includes at least one dividing
wall arranged to divide the inner chamber into compartments, in order to
facilitate the
6 organization of such items. For example, as shown in the figures, organizer
100 includes
7 dividing wall 170 arranged to divide inner chamber 160 into front
compartment 160a and back
8 compartment 160b. Dividing wall 170 is secured within inner chamber 160 by
sliding it into first
9 groove 111, provided in left wall 110, and second groove 121, provided in
right wall 120, as
illustrated with the double-headed arrows proximate dividing wall 170 in
Figure 7. In a preferred
11 embodiment, as shown in the figures, top edge 171 of dividing wall 170 is
substantially flush with
12 the upper edges of left and right walls, 110 and 120, when it is fully
inserted in inner chamber
13 160, in order to provide the user with visual and manual access to back
compartment 160b.
14 [0019] This particular arrangement, wherein the dividing wall is removably
insertable into
the inner chamber, is particularly advantageous as a user may, at times, not
wish to
16 compartmentalize the inner chamber. For example, if the size of the items
he wishes to hold
17 within the organizer requires the entirety of the inner chamber, it is
advantageous to be able to
18 remove the dividing wall. It should be appreciated that the particular
arrangement of the dividing
19 wall shown in the figures is meant to be exemplary, and that the organizer
may be designed
such that the dividing wall is arranged to divide the inner chamber into
compartments of different
21 shapes, sizes and/or positions.
22 [0020] For example, the dividing wall may be arranged to divide the inner
chamber into
23 left and right compartments, which may easily be accomplished by providing
grooves
24 comparable to the first and second grooves, 111 and 121, in front and back
walls, 140 and 130.
It should also be appreciated that the present invention organizer may include
a plurality of
26 dividing walls to further compartmentalize the inner chamber. Additionally,
it should be
27 appreciated that the dividing wall may be secured within the inner chamber
may any suitable
28 means other than the aforementioned grooves, for example, by means of
clasps, or
29 compression fit.
[0021] In a preferred embodiment, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the upper
surface of
31 bottom wall 190 is pitched downwardly as it extends from back wall 130 to
front wall 140. By
32 having such a pitched upper surface, items held within inner chamber 160
will tend to slide
33 toward the front wall. This arrangement is particularly advantageous as
small items, such as
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1 keys, held within the inner chamber may be easily retrieved even when the
user cannot see
2 them, since the user need only manually check the bottom of the inner
chamber near the front
3 wall for such items. Moreover, if such small items are located in back
compartment 160b, the
4 user need only remove dividing wall 170, as described above, and allow the
items to slide
toward front wall to retrieve them.
6 [0022] The front wall of the present invention includes at least a first
hook adapted to
7 hang items, such as clothes, jackets, scarves, umbrellas, and the like
thereon. However, while
8 hooks are generally well-suited for such purposes, a user may not always
need one, and having
9 a hook permanently sticking out of the organizer can lead to passers by
snagging their clothes or
skin on it. Thus, the at least first of the present invention is arranged to
pivot into and out of a
11 first recess provided in the front surface of the front wall, so that the
hook may be closed when
12 not in use. Additionally, the front surface of each of the hooks is
preferably substantially flush
13 with the front surface of the front wall, thereby reducing the likelihood
of the aforementioned
14 snagging.
[0023] For example, as shown in Figures 1, 6, and 7, front wall 140 includes
first recess
16 143, first hook 153, second recess 145, and second hook 155, wherein first
hook 153 is
17 arranged to pivot into and out of first recess 143, and second hook 155 is
arranged to pivot into
18 and out of second recess 145. Preferably, as shown in Figures 3, 6, and 7,
top edge 153a of first
19 hook 153 and top edge 155a of second hook 155 are each arranged
substantially flush with top
edge 141 of front wall 140. This arrangement is advantageous in that a user
may simply pluck at
21 the tope edge of the hook in order to pivot it open. Additionally, as shown
most clearly in Figure
22 6, front surface 153b of first hook 153 is substantially flush with the
front surface of front wall
23 140.
24 [0024] The present invention hooks may be pivotably coupled to front wall
140 by any
suitable means known in the art. For example, as shown in Figures 5-7, first
hook 153 includes
26 bore 154, second hook 155 includes bore 156, and organizer 100 includes rod
159 fixedly
27 secured relative to front wall 140, wherein rod 159 extends through bores
154 and 155 such that
28 first and second hooks, 153 and 155, can rotate thereon. Rod 159 is fixed
relative to front wall
29 140 by securing it between lip 192 of bottom wall 190 and a lower edge of
front wall 140. As
shown in theses figures, bottom wall 190 also includes first gap 193 and
second gap 195, each
31 of which provides the space necessary to allow first and second hooks, 153
and 155, to pivot
32 within first and second recess, 143 and 145, respectively. For example, as
shown in Figures 6
33 and 7, the lower portion of first hook 153 is arranged within first gap
193. As first hook 153 pivots
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1 on rod 159 out of first recess 143, as illustrated with the double-headed
arcuate arrow proximate
2 first hook 153, the lower portion of first hook 153 is pushed up against
bottom wall 190 within
3 first gap 193, thereby preventing first hook 140 from pivoting further and
providing so that it can
4 support the weight of an item hung thereon.
[0025] Thus, it is seen that the objects of the present invention are
efficiently obtained,
6 although modifications and changes to the invention should be readily
apparent to those having
7 ordinary skill in the art, which modifications are intended to be within the
spirit and scope of the
8 invention as claimed. It also is understood that the foregoing description
is illustrative of the
9 present invention and should not be considered as limiting. Therefore, other
embodiments of
the present invention are possible without departing from the spirit and scope
of the present
11 invention.
12
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