System for dividing drawers

Abstract

The system for dividing drawers provides a partitioning system for dividing a conventional drawer into a plurality of compartments for separating pairs of shoes or the like. The system includes front and rear sets of upper and lower ribs adapted for mounting on interior faces of front and rear walls of a drawer. Each rib has a plurality of vertically extending slots formed in an interior surface thereof, the plurality of vertically extending slots of the upper ribs being aligned with the plurality of vertically extending slots of the lower ribs. At least one divider panel having opposed front and rear edges slides into a selected pair of vertically extending slots of the front set of ribs, and a corresponding pair of vertically extending slots of the rear set of ribs. Additionally, the divider panel is releasably secured to the front and rear walls of the drawer.

1 . A system for dividing a drawer, comprising:
 a front set of ribs adapted for mounting on an interior face of a front wall of a drawer, the front set of ribs including an upper front rib and a lower front rib, the upper front rib being adapted for mounting adjacent an upper end of the front wall of the drawer, and the lower front rib being adapted for mounting adjacent a lower end of the front wall of the drawer, each of the front ribs having a plurality of vertically extending slots formed in an interior surface thereof, the plurality of vertically extending slots of the upper front rib being aligned with the plurality of vertically extending slots of the lower front rib;   a rear set of ribs adapted for mounting on an interior face of a rear wall of the drawer, the rear set of ribs including an upper rear rib and a lower rear rib, the upper rear rib being adapted for mounting adjacent an upper end of the rear wall of the drawer, and the lower rear rib being adapted for mounting adjacent a lower end of the rear wall of the drawer, each of the rear ribs having a plurality of vertically extending slots formed in an interior surface thereof, the plurality of vertically extending slots of the upper rear rib being aligned with the plurality of vertically extending slots of the lower rear rib;   at least one divider panel having longitudinally opposed front and rear edges, the front edge thereof slidably engaging a selected pair of the vertically extending slots of the front set of ribs, the pair of the vertically extending slots of the front set of ribs including one of the vertically extending slots defined in the upper front rib and an aligned one of the vertically extending slots defined in the lower front rib, the rear edge thereof slidably engaging a selected pair of the vertically extending slots of the rear set of ribs, the pair of the vertically extending slots of the rear set of ribs including one of the vertically extending slots defined in the upper rear rib and an aligned one of the vertically extending slots defined in the lower rear rib, the selected pair of the vertically extending slots of the front set of ribs being spaced apart by a distance substantially equal to a height of the at least one divider panel, the selected pair of the vertically extending slots of the rear set of ribs also being spaced apart by a distance substantially equal to the height of the at least one divider panel, wherein the at least one divider panel is adapted for partitioning the drawer into a plurality of compartments, the front edge of the at least one divider panel extending continuously between the selected pair of the vertically extending slots of the front set of ribs and the rear edge of the at least one divider panel extending continuously between the selected pair of the vertically extending slots of the rear set of ribs when said at least one divider panel engages therewith; and   means for releasably securing the front and rear edges of the at least one divider panel to the front and rear walls of the drawer, respectively.   
     
     
         2 . The system for dividing a drawer as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said means for releasably securing the front and rear edges of the at least one divider panel to the front and rear walls of the drawer comprises front and rear frictional engaging members secured to the at least one divider panel respectively adjacent the front and rear edges thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The system for dividing a drawer as recited in  claim 2 , wherein each of said front and rear frictional engaging members comprises a spring-biased detent pin, the pin being biased to extend from the edge of the panel and retractable against the bias to the edge of the panel. 
     
     
         4 . The system for dividing a drawer as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said means for releasably securing the front and rear edges of the at least one divider panel to the front and rear walls of the drawer comprises front and rear hooks secured to upper edges of the front and rear edges of the at least one divider panel, respectively, the hooks being adapted for releasable attachment to upper edges of the front and rear walls of the drawer. 
     
     
         5 . A drawer with removable dividers, comprising:
 a drawer having opposed front and rear walls, a lower wall and an open upper end;   a front set of ribs adapted for mounting on an interior face of the front wall of the drawer, the front set of ribs including an upper front rib and a lower front rib, the upper front rib being mounted adjacent an upper end of the front wall of the drawer, and the lower front rib being mounted adjacent a lower end of the front wall of the drawer, each of the front ribs having a plurality of vertically extending slots formed in an interior surface thereof, the plurality of vertically extending slots of the upper front rib being aligned with the plurality of vertically extending slots of the lower front rib;   a rear set of ribs adapted for mounting on an interior face of the rear wall of the drawer, the rear set of ribs including an upper rear rib and a lower rear rib, the upper rear rib being mounted adjacent an upper end of the rear wall of the drawer, and the lower rear rib being mounted adjacent a lower end of the rear wall of the drawer, each of the rear ribs having a plurality of vertically extending slots formed in an interior surface thereof, the plurality of vertically extending slots of the upper rear rib being aligned with the plurality of vertically extending slots of the lower rear rib;   at least one divider panel having longitudinally opposed front and rear edges, the front edge slidably engaging a selected pair of vertically extending slots of the front set of ribs, the pair of the vertically extending slots of the front set of ribs including one of the vertically extending slots defined in the upper front rib and an aligned one of the vertically extending slots defined in the lower front rib, the rear edge slidably engaging a selected pair of vertically extending slots of the rear set of ribs, the pair of the vertically extending slots of the rear set of ribs including one of the vertically extending slots defined in the upper rear rib and an aligned one of the vertically extending slots defined in the lower rear rib, the selected pair of the vertically extending slots of the front set of ribs being spaced apart by a distance substantially equal to a height of the at least one divider panel, the selected pair of the vertically extending slots of the rear set of ribs also being spaced apart by a distance substantially equal to the height of the at least one divider panel., wherein the at least one divider panel is adapted for partitioning the drawer into a plurality of compartments, the front edge of the at least one divider panel extending continuously between the selected pair of the vertically extending slots of the front set of ribs and the rear edge of the at least one divider panel extending continuously between the selected pair of the vertically extending slots of the rear set of ribs when said at least one divider panel engages therewith; and   means for releasably securing the front and rear edges of the at least one divider panel to the front and rear walls of the drawer, respectively.   
     
     
         6 . The system for dividing a drawer as recited in  claim 5 , wherein said means for releasably securing the front and rear edges of the at least one divider panel to the front and rear walls of the drawer comprises front and rear frictional engaging members secured to the at least one divider panel adjacent the front and rear edges thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The system for dividing a drawer as recited in  claim 6 , wherein each of said front and rear frictional engaging members comprises a spring-biased detent pin, the pin being biased to extend from the edge of the panel and retractable against the bias to the edge of the panel. 
     
     
         8 . The system for dividing a drawer as recited in  claim 5 , wherein said means for releasably securing the front and rear edges of the at least one divider panel to the front and rear walls of the drawer comprises front and rear hooks secured to upper edges of the front and rear edges of the at least one divider panel, respectively, the hooks being releasably attached to upper edges of the front and rear walls of the drawer.