US-20260123746-A1 - LOCKING MECHANISM FOR ORGANIZER

US20260123746A1US 20260123746 A1US20260123746 A1US 20260123746A1US-20260123746-A1

Abstract

An organizer includes a support body and organizing member mounted to the support body. The organizing member is slidable relative to the support body. A locking mechanism locks a position of the organizing member relative to the base. The locking mechanism includes a first locking member and a second locking member. The first locking member is secured by the support body and is rotatable about an axis defined by the first locking member. The first locking member includes a first engaging feature. The second locking member is provided on the organizing member and includes a second engaging feature. The first locking member is rotatable about the axis between an unlocked position where the first and second engaging features are separated and a locked position where the first and second engaging features are engaged.

Inventors

William Jack Merrill
Jeffrey Kalinoski
Ronald Ondrey

Assignees

HELEN OF TROY LIMITED

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20241107

Claims (20)

1 . An organizer comprising: a support body; an organizing member mounted to the support body and slidable relative to the support body; and a locking mechanism operable to lock a position of the organizing member relative to the support body, the locking mechanism including a first locking member secured by the support body and rotatable about an axis defined by the first locking member, the first locking member including a first engaging feature, and a second locking member provided on the organizing member and including a second engaging feature, wherein the first locking member is rotatable about the axis between an unlocked position where the first and second engaging features are separated from one another and a locked position where the first and second engaging features are directly engaged to one another, wherein the support body includes a track, and the organizing member is slidable within the track when the first locking member is in the unlocked position.
2 . (canceled)
3 . The organizer of claim 1 , wherein the organizing member includes a support wall having an end portion received in the track.
4 . The organizer of claim 1 , wherein the first locking member includes an elongated bar having first and second end portions rotatably connected to the support body, and the axis is defined by the elongated bar.
5 . The organizer of claim 4 , wherein the first engaging feature includes spaced apart first teeth provided on the bar and the second engaging feature includes spaced apart second teeth adapted to meshingly interlock with the first teeth.
6 . The organizer of claim 5 , wherein the organizing member includes a support wall having an end portion, and the second teeth are integrally formed in the end portion.
7 . The organizer of claim 5 , wherein the second teeth include lead-ins configured to direct the first teeth into engagement with the second teeth.
8 . The organizer of claim 7 , wherein the lead-ins of the second teeth are configured such that contact with the first teeth shifts the organizing member to align the first teeth and second teeth and allow the first teeth to interlock with the second teeth.
9 . The organizer of claim 7 , wherein leading edges of the first teeth are substantially triangular shaped in plan view.
10 . The organizer of claim 5 , wherein the first locking member includes a lock tab connected to the bar for rotating the first locking member between the unlocked position and locked position.
11 . The organizer of claim 10 , wherein the first teeth are further provided on an underside of the lock tab.
12 . The organizer of claim 1 , wherein the organizer is a cookware organizer and the organizing member is a divider.
13 . A locking mechanism for an organizer, the organizer including a support body and an organizing member slidably mounted to the support body, the locking mechanism comprising: a first locking member rotatably secured by the support body, the first locking member including first teeth; and a second locking member provided on the organizing member, the second locking member including second teeth configured to meshingly interlock with the first teeth, wherein the first locking member is rotatable between an unlocked position where the first teeth and the second teeth are separated from one another and the organizing member is slidable on the support body and a locked position where the first teeth are rotated into engagement with the second teeth and a position of the organizing member is locked relative to the support body, wherein the first locking member includes an elongated bar having first and second end portions rotatably connected to the support body, the elongated bar defining an axis and the first locking member is rotatable about the axis, and the first teeth are provided on the bar.
14 . The locking mechanism of claim 13 , wherein the second teeth include lead-ins that direct the first teeth into engagement with the second teeth, and the lead-ins of the second teeth are configured such that contact with the first teeth shifts the organizing member to align the first teeth and second teeth and allow the first teeth to interlock with the second teeth.
15 . The locking mechanism of claim 13 , wherein the first locking member includes an elongated bar having first and second end portions rotatably connected to the support body, the first teeth provided on the bar, and a lock tab connected to the bar for rotating the first locking member between the unlocked position and locked position.
16 . The locking mechanism of claim 13 , wherein second teeth are integrally formed in an end portion of a support wall of the organizing member.
17 . An organizer comprising: a support body; an organizing member mounted to the support body and slidable relative to the support body; and a locking mechanism operable to lock a position of the organizing member relative to the support body, the locking mechanism including a first locking member secured by the support body and rotatable about an axis defined by the first locking member, the first locking member including a first engaging feature, and a second locking member provided on the organizing member and including a second engaging feature, wherein the first locking member is rotatable about the axis between an unlocked position where the first and second engaging features are separated from one another and a locked position where the first and second engaging features are directly engaged to one another, wherein the first locking member includes an elongated bar having first and second end portions rotatably connected to the support body, and the axis is defined by the elongated bar, wherein the first engaging feature includes spaced apart first teeth provided on the bar and the second engaging feature includes spaced apart second teeth adapted to meshingly interlock with the first teeth.
18 . The organizer of claim 17 , wherein the first locking member includes a lock tab connected to the bar for rotating the first locking member between the unlocked position and locked position.
19 . The organizer of claim 17 , wherein the support body includes a track, and the organizing member is slidable within the track when the first locking member is in the unlocked position.
20 . The organizer of claim 17 , wherein the organizer is a cookware organizer and the organizing member is a divider.

Description

BACKGROUND Certain cookware items such as skillets, lids for pots, pans, and cutting boards, can be challenging to store in a cabinet. Cutting boards can be stacked one atop the other, but removal of a board placed on the bottom can be tricky and may require removal of all of those on top. Similarly, skillets or frying pans can be stacked, but removing a lower pan from the stack can be an awkward exercise. Lids may not be stackable at all, or at least not feasibly when trying to stack more than two. Ideally such items could be stored in a horizontal position, held in place against falling over, thereby allowing for both efficient storage and easy removal. Existing devices provide insufficient structural support for heavy objects, or provide a complicated structure for reconfiguring and repositioning supporting dividers. SUMMARY According to one aspect, an organizer comprises a support body and an organizing member. The organizing member is mounted to the support body and is slidable relative to the support body. A locking mechanism is operable to lock a position of the organizing member relative to the base. The locking mechanism includes a first locking member and a second locking member. The first locking member is secured by the support body and is rotatable about an axis defined by the first locking member. The first locking member includes a first engaging feature. The second locking member is provided on the organizing member and includes a second engaging feature. The first locking member is rotatable about the axis between an unlocked position where the first and second engaging features are separated from one another and a locked position where the first and second engaging features are directly engaged to one another. According to another aspect, a locking mechanism for an organizer is disclosed. The organizer includes a support body and an organizing member slidably mounted to the support body. The locking mechanism comprises a first locking member and a second locking member. The first locking member is rotatably secured by the support body. The first locking member includes first teeth. The second locking member is provided on the organizing member. The second locking member includes second teeth configured to meshingly interlock with the first teeth. The first locking member is rotatable between an unlocked position where the first teeth and the second teeth are separated from one another and the organizing member is slidable on the support body and a locked position where the first teeth are rotated into engagement with the second teeth and a position of the organizing member is locked relative to the support body. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an organizer according to the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of FIG. 1 with a sidewall removed to depict a locking mechanism. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an organizing member of the organizer of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the locking mechanism. FIG. 6 is an enlarged partial perspective view of FIG. 3. FIG. 7 is an enlarged partial perspective view of FIG. 5. FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view of FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawings herein are merely illustrative and that various modifications and changes can be made in the structures disclosed without departing from the present disclosure. Spatially relative terms may be used to describe an element and/or feature's relationship to another element(s) and/or feature(s) as, for example, illustrated in the figures. Further, any term of degree used herein, such as “substantially”, means a reasonable amount of deviation of the modified word is contemplated such that the end result is not significantly changed. For example, such terms can be construed as allowing a deviation of at least 5% of the modified word if this deviation would not negate the meaning of the word the term of degree modifies. Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, FIGS. 1-3 illustrate an organizer 100 according to one aspect of the present disclosure. The organizer 100 generally includes a support body 102 and at least one organizing member 104 mounted to the support body 102 and slidable relative to the support body. In the depicted embodiment, the support body 102 is substantially rectangular shaped and includes a base 110, a first sidewall 112, a second sidewall 114 spaced from and facing the first sidewall, a first end wall 116, and a second end wall 118 spaced from and facing the first end wall. A distance between the first and second sidewalls 112, 114 define a width dimension of the support body 102, and a distance between the first and second end walls 116, 118 define a length dimension of the support body 102. The base 110 includes a first side edge portion 126 extended along the first s