Versatile Rail for Supporting Objects in Kitchen

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a versatile rail for supporting objects in a kitchen, e.g., hooks and trays.

2. Related Prior Art

There are often a sink, a preparation table and a cabinet in a kitchen. Preparation utensils are disposed on the preparation table and in the cabinet. However, it is inconvenient to take preparation utensils from the cabinet which is closed by a door. It is easy to take preparation utensils from the preparation table, but such preparation utensils occupy too much space of the preparation table, thereby causing troubles for the preparation of food. Therefore, there is a long unfulfilled need to provide a device for supporting objects in a kitchen.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a rail for supporting hooks for hooking preparation utensils.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a rail for supporting trays for supporting objects.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a rail for supporting various options for supporting various objects.

The above-mentioned objects and other objects of the present invention are achieved by providing a rail including a number of slots longitudinally formed therein and a number of options each including a guide being slidably engageable in the slots. Each slot consists of a wide portion and a narrow portion. The wide portion of each slot is proximate to the axis of the rail while the narrow portion of the same is distal from the axis of the rail. Each guide has a form being compensative to that of each slot. Thus, each option will not be radially disengaged from the rail when the guide of the option is engaged in a corresponding slot formed in the rail.

For a better understanding of the present invention and objects thereof, a study of the detailed description of the embodiments described hereinafter should be made in relation to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front-right-top perspective view of a rail supporting a soap tray, a number of hooks and a number of trays in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a right side view of the rail to which a soap tray, a number of hooks and a number of trays are attached in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a right side view of the rail in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of engagement between the rail and two brackets in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of engagement between the rail and the soap tray in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of engagement between the rail and a hook in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of engagement between the rail and a tray in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a slot-plugging member being engageable in four slots being longitudinally formed in the rail in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of four plugs being engageable in the slots being longitudinally formed in the rail in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 10 is a right side view of a rail in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a rail 10 is attached by means of two brackets 60 to a wall in a kitchen. The rail 10 is about 45 centimeters above a preparation table so that objects being supported by options being attached to the rail 10 is steadily available for users. As shown for example, a soap tray 20, a number of hooks 30 and a number of trays 40 are attached to the rail 10.

Referring to FIG. 3, four slots 11 are longitudinally formed throughout the rail 10. Each slot 11 is 90.degree. from the next slot 11. For the convenience of description, the four slots are referred to as front, rear, upper and lower slots. Each slot 11 has a circular portion being in communication with a rectilinear portion.

Referring to FIG. 4, a guide 61 is formed on an end of each bracket 60 and a base 62 is formed on an opposite end of the bracket 60. Each guide 61 has a form being compensatory to that of each slot 11. Thus, the guides 61 are slidably engageable in the rear slot 11, i.e. the rail 10 is attached to the brackets 60. Furthermore, the brackets 60 will cannot radially detached from the rail 10 because of the mutually compensatory configurations of the slots 11 and the guides 61. Several holes are formed through the base Of each bracket 60. Several screws or nails (not shown) are inserted through the holes formed through the base 62 of each bracket and are secured to the wall. Thus, the rail 10 is attached by means of the brackets 60 to the wall.

Referring to FIG. 5, two guides 21 are formed on an edge of the soap tray 20. Referring to FIG. 6, a guide. 31 is formed on each hook 30. Referring to FIG. 7, two guides 41 are formed on the underside of each tray 40. The guides 21, 31 and 41 has a configuration being identical to that of each guide 60 so that they are slidably engageable in the slots 11.

The guides 21 are engaged in the front slot 11, i.e., the soap tray 20 is attached to the front side of the rail 10. Obviously, a bending moment is exerted on each guide 21 as a load is exerted on the soap tray 20. The moment might break the guides 21. Therefore, such an arrangement of the soap tray 20 is not durable for a heavy load.

The guides 31 are engaged in the lower slot 11. Thus, the hooks 30 are attached to the underside of the rail 10 in order to retain preparation utensils or other objects in position to the rail 10.

The guides 41 are engaged in the upper slot 11, i.e., the trays 40 are attached to the upperside of the rail 10. Obviously, there will not be any bending moment exerted on each guide 41 if a load is exerted on each tray 40. Thus, the tray 40 is suitable for taking a heavy load.

Referring to FIG. 8, a slot-plugging member 50 has a flat portion from a side of which four plugs 51 project. The plugs 51 are fitted in the circular portions of the slots 11. Thus, the guides 21, 31 and 41 are kept from sliding out of the slots 11, i.e., the soap tray 20, the hooks 30 and the trays 40 are retained attached to the rail 10. Furthermore, the guide 61 is kept from sliding out of the rear slot 11, i.e., the rail 10 is retained mounted on the brackets 60.

Referring to FIG. 9, four plugs 52 are each fitted in the circular portion of a corresponding slot 11 so that the soap tray 20, the hooks 30 and the trays 40 are retained attached to the rail 10 and that the rail 10 is retained mounted on the brackets 60.

Referring to FIG. 10, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a rail 10' is tubular. Four slots 11a, 11b, 11c and 11d are longitudinally formed throughout the rail 10'. The slots 11a, 11b, 11c and 11d are made with different sizes. Obviously, the guides must be dimensioned to match the slots.

While the present invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that variations thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this specification. Therefore, the present invention is intended to cover all such variations as shall fall within the scope of the appended claims.