Suspended Utensil Storage System and Method

Abstract

A suspended utensil storage system includes a utensil tray including 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.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A suspended utensil storage system, comprising:
 a utensil tray including a plurality of utensil compartments having a mesh material therein;   a debris collector tray underlying the utensil tray and receiving the utensil tray,   wherein 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.   
     
     
         2 . The suspended utensil storage system of  claim 1 , wherein the utensil tray nests substantially completely within the debris collector tray. 
     
     
         3 . The suspended utensil storage system of  claim 1 , wherein the utensil compartments include a bottom surface and the debris collector tray includes a floor, and the distance between the bottom surface of the utensil compartments and the floor is at least 0.05 in. 
     
     
         4 . The suspended utensil storage system of  claim 1 , wherein the debris collector tray includes a ledge and the utensil tray is supported in the debris collector tray by the ledge. 
     
     
         5 . The suspended utensil storage system of  claim 1 , wherein the debris collector tray includes a ledge and the utensil tray includes a lip that is supported in the debris collector tray on the ledge. 
     
     
         6 . The suspended utensil storage system of  claim 1 , wherein the holes sized to allow debris to fall there through include an area of at least 0.0025 in. 2  and an area no more than 1.0 in. 
     
     
         7 . The suspended utensil storage system of  claim 1 , wherein the debris collector tray includes opposite side walls with supports having alignment posts protruding upwardly, and the utensil tray includes receiving holes that receive the alignment posts of the debris collector tray. 
     
     
         8 . The suspended utensil storage system of  claim 1 , wherein the supports are half-cylindrical members that extend laterally inward from the opposite side walls, and the alignment posts protrude upwardly from the half-cylindrical members, and the utensil tray includes recessed receiving holes that receive the alignment posts of the debris collector tray. 
     
     
         9 . A method of using the suspended utensil storage system of  claim 1 , comprising:
 nesting the utensil tray of the suspended utensil storage system into the debris collector tray;   inserting utensils into the plurality of utensil compartments of the utensil tray;   dropping debris into the utensil tray whereby the debris falls through the holes of the mesh material of the utensil compartments into the debris collector tray.   
     
     
         10 . The method of using the suspended utensil storage system of  claim 9 , further including inserting at least one of the debris collector tray and the suspended utensil storage system into a utensil drawer. 
     
     
         11 . The method of using the suspended utensil storage system of  claim 9 , further including
 removing the utensil tray from the debris collector tray;   disposing of the debris in the debris collector tray.   
     
     
         12 . The method of using the suspended utensil storage system of  claim 11 , further including cleaning the debris collector tray. 
     
     
         13 . The method of using the suspended utensil storage system of  claim 11 , further including cleaning the utensil tray. 
     
     
         14 . A method of using the suspended utensil storage system of  claim 8 , comprising:
 nesting the utensil tray of the suspended utensil storage system into the debris collector tray whereby the receiving holes of the utensil tray receive the alignment posts of the debris collector tray;   inserting utensils into the plurality of utensil compartments of the utensil tray;   dropping debris into the utensil tray whereby the debris falls through the holes of the mesh material of the utensil compartments into the debris collector tray.   
     
     
         15 . The method of using the suspended utensil storage system of  claim 14 , further including
 removing the utensil tray from the debris collector tray by using the alignment posts as leverage points to push the debris collector tray away from the utensil tray with one's respective thumbs while lifting the utensil tray away from the debris collector tray;   disposing of the debris in the debris collector tray.