Adjustable dish caddy

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10321778-B2
Application number	US-201715612757-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 2, 2017
Priority date	Jun 2, 2017
Publication date	Jun 18, 2019
Grant date	Jun 18, 2019

Abstract

An adjustable dish caddy comprising a plurality of partitions that are removably coupled to a base. The relative position of each partition within the caddy is adjusted by the user rotating a cam lever disposed in the top portion of each partition. Rotating the cam lever in turn pushes a cam shaft downwards through the partition which moves a spacer away from and off of the bottom surface of the base. With the spacer moved off of the bottom surface of the base, the user then moves or slides the partition to a new desired position along a pathway it is disposed in. The cam lever is then rotated back downward against the partition which reestablishes contact between the base and the partition, thereby locking the partition into its new position.

First claim

We claim:

1. An apparatus for accommodating a plurality of dish ware items comprising:
a base;
a first plurality of pathways defined in the base;
a second plurality of pathways defined in the base, the second plurality of pathways being defined at an orientation that is different than the first plurality of pathways; and
a plurality of partitions removably inserted into either the first or second plurality of pathways,
wherein each of the plurality of partitions comprises means for adjusting the relative position of the partition within its respective pathway disposed in a top portion of the partition.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 where the means for adjusting the relative position of the partition within its respective pathway disposed in a top portion of the partition comprises:
a cam lever;
a cam shaft coupled to the cam lever and disposed throughout the height of the partition, wherein the cam shaft comprises a distal threaded end and a proximal end located at a top portion of the partition, the proximal end of the cam shaft being coupled to the cam lever;
a spacer disposed on the distal threaded portion of the cam shaft; and
an adjustable knob threadably coupled to the distal threaded portion of the cam shaft.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 where the plurality of partitions removably inserted into either the first or second plurality of pathways each comprise a peg disposed on a bottom surface of the partition, the peg configured to be inserted into any of the first or second plurality of pathways.

4. The apparatus of the claim 3 where the distal threaded end of the cam shaft protrudes from the peg while the bottom surface of the partition rests on a top surface of the base when the partition is inserted to one of the plurality of first or second pathways.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 where the spacer and adjustable knob are coupled to the portion of the distal threaded end of the cam shaft which protrudes from the peg, thereby disposing the base between the bottom surface of the partition and the spacer.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 where each of the plurality of partitions comprises a body, the body comprising a curved frontal surface.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 where the cam lever is disposed in a finger recess defined within the curved frontal surface of the body of each of the plurality of partitions.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a pair of end walls and a pair of mid-walls coupled to the base, wherein the pair of end walls and the pair of mid-walls are each disposed on a separate edge of the base.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 where each of the end walls comprises a pair of corner posts and a center post disposed between the corner posts.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 where the first plurality of pathways are defined between a center of the base and each of the corner posts of each of the end walls, and where the second plurality of pathways are defined between the center of the base and each of the pair of mid-walls and each of the pair of center posts of each of the end walls.

11. The apparatus of claim 2 where the adjustable knob threadably coupled to the distal threaded portion of the cam shaft comprises a plurality of weights.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 where the means for adjusting the relative position of the partition within its respective pathway disposed in a top portion of the partition comprises:
a latch rotatably coupled with respect to an inner seat within the partition; and
a cam shaft disposed throughout the height of the partition, wherein the cam shaft comprises a distal threaded end and a proximal end located at a top portion of the partition, the proximal end of the cam shaft comprising a pull handle,
wherein the cam shaft comprises a notch defined in its surface, the notch configured to accommodate a wedge portion of the latch.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 where the means for adjusting the relative position of the partition within its respective pathway disposed in a top portion of the partition comprises:
a release knob coupled to a handle seat within the partition, the release knob comprising a pin; and
a cam shaft disposed throughout the height of the partition, wherein the cam shaft comprises a distal threaded end and a proximal end located at a top portion of the partition, the proximal end of the cam shaft comprising a handle,
wherein the cam shaft comprises a notch defined in its surface, the notch configured to accommodate the pin of the release knob.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 where the release knob comprises:
a release knob body;
a pin cylinder disposed concentrically within the release knob body and coupled to the handle seat; and
a spring disposed between at least one surface of the release knob body and at least one surface of the pin cylinder,
wherein the pin is disposed within the pin cylinder and coupled to at least surface of the release knob body, and
wherein the release knob body is slidably engaged with the pin cylinder.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 where the handle seat comprises a pin aperture defined through at least a portion of its cross sectional thickness.

16. A method for adjusting a dish caddy comprising:
removably coupling a partition to the base;
actuating a cam lever disposed in a top portion of the partition inserted into a pathway defined within the base, the base comprising a top surface and a bottom surface;
releasing the partition from a first position within the pathway;
sliding the partition along the length of the pathway from the first position to a second position; and
fixing the partition to the base at the second position within the pathway,
where coupling the partition to the base comprises:
inserting a peg disposed on a bottom surface of the partition into one of a plurality of pathways defined within the base;
exposing a distal portion of a cam shaft disposed through the height of the partition through the bottom surface of the base;
threading the distal portion of the cam shaft through a spacer; and
coupling an adjustable knob to the distal portion of the cam shaft and rotating the adjustable knob until the spacer is pressed against the bottom surface of the base.

17. The method of claim 16 where releasing the partition from a first position within the pathway comprises lowering a cam shaft through a body of the partition and backing a spacer disposed on a distal end of the cam shaft off of the bottom surface of the base.

18. The method of claim 16 where actuating a cam lever disposed in a top portion of the removable partition moves a cam shaft disposed throughout a height of a body of the partition in the downward direction relative to the body of the partition.

19. The method of claim 16 where fixing the partition to the base at the second position within the pathway comprises raising a cam shaft through a body of the partition and bringing a spacer disposed on a distal end of the cam shaft into contact with the bottom surface of the base.

20. The method of claim 16 where sliding the partition along the length of the pathway from the first position to a second position comprises sliding a peg disposed on a bottom surface of the partition within the pathway until reaching the second position.

21. The method of claim 16 further comprising removing the partition from the base, where removing the partition from the base comprises:
rotating the adjustable knob until the spacer backs off from the bottom surface of the base and removing the adjustab

Assignees

• Cambro Mfg
• Cambro Mfg Company

Inventors

• Freeman Ernest F
• Ruiz Abraham

Classifications

• B62B3/02 Primary

  involving parts being adjustable, collapsible, attachable, detachable or convertible · CPC title

• A47G19/08 Primary

  Plate-holders (holders for kitchen pots A47J45/10) · CPC title

• B65D25/06

  adapted to be fitted in two or more alternative positions · CPC title

• B62B2206/04

  only the load support being adjustable · CPC title

• B62B3/10

  characterised by supports specially adapted to objects of definite shape · CPC title