WO2003047987A1 - Mesh container, system using mesh containers, and method for making mesh containers - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a container (14B) formed from a first piece of mesh material and at least one separate second piece of mesh material. The first piece of mesh is bent to form a bottom wall (56) and a first pair of sidewalls (58, 60). The second piece of material forms a second pair of sidewalls (62). When the pieces are joined together, a basket portion with an upwardly extending opening is formed. The basket portion may further include a runner portion that may be a separate rail (54) connected to the basket portion, thus forming a drawer.

Description

fippiicfiTion ΓOR ιnτERnnτιonnι

(POT) UTIIITY PflTEflT

Title of Invention: MESH CONTAINER, SYSTEM USING MESH

CONTAINERS, AND METHOD FOR MAKING MESH CONTAINERS

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELA TED APPLICA TIONS

This application claims priority from the prior ROC (Taiwan) Patent

Application No. 090220946, filed December 3, 2001; ROC (Taiwan) Patent

Application No. 091202306, filed April 16, 2002; and ROC (Taiwan) Patent

Application No. 091214244, filed September 11, 2002. These applications are

incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of The Invention

The present invention relates to containers, a system using such

containers, and a method of making such containers. More particularly, the

present invention relates to drawers made of mesh material.

Description of Related Art

Forming containers out of sheet metal is well known. United States

Patent No. 903,848 to Donnelly and 1,107,014 to Avery disclose such containers. In order to make these containers, a single blank of flat material is cut out and

folded with overlapping sections. Sheet metal does not provide desirable

characteristics such as drainage and ventilation.

In an effort to make a well-ventilated container, United States Patent No.

645,344 to White discloses a container formed of perforated sheet metal, wire-

netting or another open-work material. The White container is intended to have

a folded state and a flat state. This container is designed to be readily knocked

down from its folded state to its flat state and to be easily constructed without

tools.

Other patents attempt to make lightweight, drainable and/or ventilated

containers. United States Patent No. 1,994,553 to Wolcott discloses one such

container of finely woven wire screening. United States Patent No. 2,825,481 to

Glenny discloses another such container of finely woven wire screening. In order

to make the White, Wolcott and Glenny containers, a single blank of flat woven

wire is cut out and folded with overlapping sections.

Another wire container that is commercially available under the brand

name Elfa^® is formed of a wire grid with a plurality of separately formed wires

welded together. The Elfa^® container includes a basket portion and a flat rail

around the top edge of the basket portion. The Elfa^® baskets are designed for

use in a frame having a plurality of pairs of runners. When the baskets are inserted in the frame, the flat rail is supported by a pair of runners and is

movable between retracted and extended positions. The wire grid used for the

Elfa^® basket has large holes measuring about 1 inch by 1 inch. The Elfa^® basket

also has openings at its corners. If a user desires to store small objects in these

baskets, a plastic liner can be used. The liner has a bottom wall and upwardly

bendable sidewalls, with slits between the sidewalls to allow for such bending.

The open corners of the basket and the slits between the sidewalls of the liner

may allow small objects to fall out of the basket, which is undesirable.

Mesh material is typically formed by perforating or slitting a piece of sheet

metal and stretching it. A sheet of mesh material requires less raw sheet metal

than a non-mesh piece of sheet metal and a perforated piece of sheet metal.

United States Patent No. 1,408,026 to Ochiltree discloses a desk tray or basket

formed of "expanded metal" or mesh material. Similar to the previous

containers, the Ochiltree container is formed by a single blank of flat material

that is cut out and folded.

ROC (Taiwan) Patent Application No. 086202709 to Chih-Ming, Ko (in

transliteration), filed February 21, 1997, discloses a system of containers

supported by a frame. The containers are formed of a single piece of mesh with

a rim connected thereto. Additionally, the containers do not move with respect

to the frame so that the contents of the lower container are not easily accessible. A number of mesh containers are made by Design Ideas, Ltd. One of

these containers is the "Mesh Storage Nest." This container is formed using a

first piece of mesh that has the ends welded together to form a loop. A second

piece of mesh is welded to the lower edge of the loop so that the first piece of

mesh forms sidewalls and the second piece of mesh forms a bottom wall. The

seam at the bottom of the container is covered by a bottom rail. A top rail is

connected to the upper edge of the container. The sidewalls can be shaped to

include a plurality of corners.

A need exists for a lightweight container that can be incorporated into a

system for storing objects. It is also desirable that the contents of such a

container be made easily accessible and be prevented from accidentally falling

through holes in the container. Furthermore, it is desirable that the container be

formed by an economical method in unlimited sizes. The present invention was

developed with the above-noted general objects in mind.

SUM MAR Y OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a container or drawer comprising first

and second pieces of mesh material. The first piece of mesh forms a bottom wall

and two spaced apart first and second sidewalls that extend upwardly from the bottom wall. The second piece of mesh material is formed separate from the

first piece of mesh material. The second piece of mesh material includes third

and fourth sidewalls. The second piece of mesh material is joined to the first

piece of mesh material to form a basket portion. The basket portion may further

include a runner portion that may be a rail separately formed from the basket

portion.

In one embodiment, the basket portion includes open corners between

the sidewalls. In another embodiment, the third and fourth sidewalls include

extensions for overlapping the first and second sidewalls so that closed corners

are formed between the sidewalls. In such an embodiment, the corners may be

curved.

Preferably, one drawer and more preferably, a plurality of drawers are

useful with a frame in a storage system. Each drawer is moveable with respect

to the frame between retracted and extended positions. In such an

embodiment, the frame may further include a pair of runners with a gap therein

for slidably receiving the runner portion of each drawer.

The present invention is also directed to a container comprising first,

second, and third pieces of mesh material. The first piece of mesh forms a

bottom wall and first and second spaced apart sidewalls that extend upwardly

from the bottom wall. The second piece of mesh material is formed separate from the first piece of mesh material. The third piece of mesh material is formed

separate from the first and second pieces of mesh material. The second and

third pieces of mesh material are joined to the bottom wall by a pair of bottom

seams. Additionally, the second and third pieces of mesh material are joined to

the end walls by a plurality of generally vertically extending side seams that all

combine to form a basket portion.

The basket portion may further include runner portion. In such an

embodiment, the runner portion may be a rail that may be separately formed

from the basket portion.

In one embodiment, the rail is preferably a flat piece of material and can include a curved portion. In the latter rail embodiment, the curved portion

defines an opening in an uncompressed state for receiving the upper section of

the basket portion, and in a compressed state the opening is minimized.

The present invention is also directed to a method for forming a container

comprising the steps of: forming a first piece of mesh material; bending the

first piece of mesh material into a bottom wall and first and second spaced apart

sidewalls extending upwardly from the bottom wall; forming at least one second

piece of mesh material separate from the first piece of mesh material including

forming the second piece of material to include third and fourth sidewalls; and connecting the first piece of mesh material to the second piece of mesh material

to form a basket portion with an upwardly-extending opening.

The method can include the step of forming second and third separate

pieces of mesh that will form the third and fourth sidewalls.

According to one aspect of the inventive method, the connecting steps

may be performed by welding.

The method may further include the step of forming a runner portion on

the top of the basket portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRA WINGS

The present invention will be more fully appreciated as the same becomes

understood from the following detailed description of the best mode presently

contemplated for carrying out the present invention when viewed in conjunction

with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is front, perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of a

system of drawers of the present invention, where the drawers are in a retracted position; FIG. 2A is an enlarged, perspective view of an L-connector for use with

the system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2B is an enlarged, end view of the L-connector shown in FIG. 2A;

FIG. 2C is an enlarged, perspective view of a T-connector for use with the

system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2D is an enlarged, end view of the T-connector shown in FIG. 2C;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, rear, perspective view of a first preferred

embodiment of a drawer shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3A is an enlarged, perspective view of a portion of the drawer shown

in FIG. 3;

FIG. 4 is an exploded, rear, perspective view of the drawer shown in FIG,

3;

FIG. 5 is an exploded, rear, perspective view of a portion of the drawer

shown in FIG. 3, wherein all of the mesh pieces have been bent;

FIG. 5A is a partially-exploded, rear, perspective view of the drawer

shown in FIG. 4, wherein three pieces of mesh material have been joined

together;

FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of some of the mesh pieces of FIG. 5

and a portion of a welding machine for joining such pieces; FIG. 7 is a schematic representation of some of the mesh pieces of FIG. 5

and another portion of the welding machine of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a partial, elevational view of a first embodiment of an upper rail

joined to one of the mesh pieces shown in FIG. 5, wherein an upper portion of

the mesh piece is uncropped;

FIG. 9 is a partial, elevational view of the upper rail joined to the mesh

piece of FIG. 8, wherein the upper portion of the mesh piece is cropped;

FIG. 10 is a partial, elevational view of a second embodiment of an upper

rail separated from a mesh piece;

FIG. 11 is a partial, elevational view of the upper rail joined to the mesh

piece of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is an exploded, rear, perspective view of a second embodiment of

a basket using the upper rail and mesh piece shown in FIGS. 10 and 11;

FIG. 13 is an exploded, rear, perspective view of a third embodiment of a

drawer for use in the system of FIG. 1, wherein an alternative embodiment of

two side pieces of mesh material are used;

FIG. 14 is a partially-exploded, rear, perspective view of the drawer shown

in FIG. 13, wherein three pieces of mesh material have been joined together;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged, rear, perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a

drawer useful in the system of FIG. 1; FIG. 16 is an exploded, rear, perspective view of the drawer shown in FIG.

15;

FIG. 17 is a partially-exploded, rear, perspective view of the drawer shown

in FIG. 15, wherein three pieces of mesh material have been joined together;

and

FIG. 18 is front, perspective view of a second preferred embodiment of a

system of drawers of the present invention, where the drawers are shown in a

retracted position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1, a preferred, first embodiment of a drawer system 10

is shown. This drawer system 10 may be used to store a variety of housewares,

such as kitchen items, clothing, accessories, sports equipment, shoes, bathroom

supplies, tools, appliances, and the like. Additionally, the system 10 can be used

to store a variety of other items, for example food, office supplies, office

equipment, file folders, papers/documents, bags, boxes, cans, bottles, etc.

The drawer system 10 includes a frame 12 and a plurality of containers or

drawers 14a-d. The drawer 14a is smaller than the drawers 14b-c so drawer 14a

can hold a smaller volume than the other drawers 14b-d. The drawers 14a-d are

π movable with respect to the frame 12 between a retracted position (shown in

FIG. 1) and an extended position. In the retracted position, the contents of the

lower drawers 14b-d is difficult to access. In the extended position, the contents

of the extended drawer are easily accessible; the extended drawer may be fully

withdrawn from frame 12 if desired.

With reference to FIG. 1, frame 12 includes two side frame members or

ladders 16 that are spaced apart and joined by pairs of upper and lower cross

members 18a,b, respectively. The side frame members 16 and the pairs of

upper and lower cross members 18a,b are formed to give the frame 12 a

rectangular shape. The present invention is not limited to this frame shape.

The frame 12 further includes L-connectors 20 (as best seen in FIG. 2A)

and T-connectors 22 (as best seen in FIG. 2B) for joining the side frame

members 16 to the cross frame members 18a,b. Preferably, L- connectors 20

connect upper cross member 18a to the side frame members 16, if no additional

frames are to be added above the one illustrated in FIG. 1. If an additional

frame is to be added above the frame 12 shown in FIG. 1, T-connectors 22 are

used to join upper cross members 18a to frame members 16. Preferably, T-

connectors 22 also connect lower cross members 18b to the side frame members

16. Alternatively, the T-connectors 22 joined to the lower cross members 18b can be replaced with plugs with casters (not shown) thereon to make the system

10 movable, as is apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art.

Referring again to FIG. 1, each side frame member 16 includes a pair of

spaced apart vertical rods 24 coupled by vertically spaced apart horizontally-

extending runners 26a-g. Each side frame member 16 is formed so that the

runners 26a-g of each side frame member 16 are aligned with the runners 26a-g

of the other side frame member 16 to form a plurality of pairs of runners. Each

runner 26a-g is a generally U-shaped member with an inwardly extending gap 28

defined therein. The runners 26a-g may include a bore (not shown) in the rear

end for receiving a pin (not shown) for preventing rearward movement of the

drawers 14a-d out of the frame 12. To make the frame independent of direction

the bore (not shown) may be formed at both ends of each runner and the pin

(not shown) disposed in the desired end for use.

The frame 12 is preferably formed of any metal with sufficient rigidity and

formability, for example mild sheet steel, stainless steel, aluminum, copper or the

like can be used. The vertical rods 24 and the runners 26a-g are preferably

welded together using conventional welding techniques. The frame 12 may be

subjected to a powder painting treatment, similar to that discussed below for the

drawers 14a-d. Referring to FIGS. 1, 2A and 2B, the L-connector 20 includes a central

body 30 and first and second generally perpendicular legs 32 and 34 extending

therefrom. Preferably, the pairs of cross members 18a,b and vertical rods 24 are

hollow so that the legs 32 and 34 are received therein to join these components

together. Referring to FIGS. 1, 2C and 2D, the T-connector 22 includes a central

body 36 and first, second, and third legs 38, 40, and 42, respectively, extending

therefrom. First and second legs 38 and 40 are generally perpendicular to one

another similar to L-connector 20. Third and second legs 40 and 42 are also

generally perpendicular to one another. Preferably, the first leg 38 and the third

leg 42 may be inserted into the hollow vertical rods 24, and the second leg 40 is

inserted in the hollow associated cross members 18a,b.

The L-connectors 20 and T-connectors 22 are preferably formed of any

metal with sufficient rigidity and formability. For example, the connectors 20 and

22 can be cast of die-cast aluminum or any alloy, using conventional techniques

known to those of ordinary skill in the art. These connectors 20 and 22,

however, can also be formed of another material like injection molded plastic.

Now, with reference to FIGS. 1, 3, and 3A, the details of the drawer 14b

will be discussed. The drawer 14b includes a runner portion that comprises

upper rail 54 and a basket portion 55. The basket portion 55 is coupled to the

upper rail 54. In the present embodiment, the basket portion 55 is formed of expanded metal plate (i.e., sheet metal) or "mesh" and has small openings 55a

therein. In the present specification and appended claims "mesh" means flat

metal that is pierced and stretched so that no material is separated from the

original raw material, as known by those of ordinary skill in the art. On the other

hand, unlike mesh, punching portions of waste material out of sheet metal

material forms perforated metal. Preferably, the openings 55a (see FIG. 3) in

the mesh have an area less than 25.4 mm by 25.4 mm, more preferably less

than 20 mm by 10 mm, and most preferably, less than 6 mm by 3 mm.

The basket portion 55, preferably, is formed of any metal such as copper, steel, stainless steel or aluminum, and the like. The basket portion 55 includes a

bottom wall 56, a pair of spaced apart sidewalls 58 and 60, and another pair of

sidewalls 62. Preferably, the sidewalls 58, 60 and 62 are joined together to form

closed curved corners 64. The sidewalls 58, 60 and 62 extend upwardly from

the bottom wall 56 to form an upwardly-facing opening 66.

As shown in FIG. 3, the corners 64 are curved so that they deviate from

straightness in a smooth, continuous fashion. The present invention, however, is

not limited to drawers with curved corners and drawers with more angular

corners are also considered inventive. The present invention is also not limited

to drawers with a radius of curvature greater at the top of the drawer (adjacent the rail 54) than at the bottom. Thus, drawers with, for example, a constant

radius of curvature are also considered inventive.

In this embodiment, the sidewall 58 forms a front end wall that includes a

curved cutout 68 bordered by a handle rail 70. The cutout 68 forms a place

where a user can easily grasp the drawer 14b to move it between the retracted

and extended positions. In an alternative embodiment, the cutout 68 can be

replaced with other methods to aid the user in moving the drawer 14b, such as a

protruding handle connected to wall 58. The handle rail 70 may have a circular

cross-sectional shape and be cut and formed to extend along the edge of cutout

68. Preferably, the rail 70 is of the same material as upper rail 54 and is spot-

welded to the basket portion 55. In this embodiment, the sidewall 60 forms a

rear end wall.

Referring to FIG. 4, the drawer 14b is shown in a disassembled state. The

basket portion 55 is formed by a first piece of mesh 72, a second piece of mesh

74 and a third piece of mesh 76. The first, second, and third pieces of mesh are

formed separately from one another. The first piece of mesh 72 is bent along

lines 72a,b to form edges as shown in FIG. 5 to define bottom wall 56 and

sidewalls 62. The angle between the bottom wall 56 and sidewalls 62 is greater

than about 90°, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The second piece of mesh 74 includes an outer edge 74a, an inner edge

74b, a central portion 74c, side extensions 74d, and a lower extension 74e. The

central portion 74c is between the outer edge 74a and the lower extension 74e

and between the side extensions 74d. The side extensions 74d have a

trapezoidal shape so that they taper downward from the outer edge 74a to the

lower edge 74b. The second piece of mesh 74 is bent to form front end wall 58,

curved corners 64, and lower extension 74e that is generally perpendicular to

front end wall 58 (see FIGS. 3 and 5). Third piece of mesh 76 is formed

similarly to second piece of mesh 74 to include an upper edge 76a, a lower edge

76b, a central portion 76c, side extensions 76d, and a lower extension 76e.

In an alternative embodiment, the pieces of mesh 74 and 76 can be

formed of a single piece of material separate from the first piece of mesh 72. In

such event, the two pieces of mesh 74 and 76 would be joined by another mesh

segment (not shown) that would be shaped similar to bottom wall portion 56.

As a result, the bottom wall of basket 55 would be formed of two layers of mesh

material that overlap.

Referring to FIG. 5A, the first, second, and third pieces of mesh 72, 74,

and 76 have been joined together so that bottom seams 78 are formed. Seams

78 are where the material of bottom wall 56 of the first piece of mesh 72

overlaps with lower extension 74e of the second and third pieces of mesh 74 and 76 (see FIG. 4). When the corners 64 are formed, side seams 80 (as shown in

FIG. 3) are formed adjacent each corner 64. Seams 80 are where the material

of sidewalls 62 of the first piece of mesh 72 overlaps with side extensions 74d

and 76d of second and third pieces of mesh 74 and 76, respectively. Seams 80

are generally vertically extending side seams.

The method of making drawer 14b will now be discussed. Referring to

FIGS. 4 and 5, the first piece of mesh 72 is formed shaped as shown. This

involves cutting a piece of mesh 72 with the desired dimensions from a roll of

mesh using a conventional press machine. Then, the first piece of mesh 72 is

bent into a U-shape that includes the bottom wall 56 and end walls 62 (as

shown in FIG. 5). A conventional hydraulic press machine is used to bend the

mesh piece 72. The hydraulic press machine includes a mold for achieving the

desired bent shape, as is known by those of ordinary skill in the art.

The second and third pieces of mesh 74 and 76 are formed and shaped as

shown in FIG. 4. This involves cutting the pieces of mesh 74 and 76 with the

desired dimensions and shape from a roll of mesh using a conventional press

machine. Then, the piece 74 is bent using a conventional hydraulic press

machine so that side extensions 74d are curved and lower extension 74e is

angularly offset from center section 74c. The hydraulic press machine includes a

mold, as is known by those of ordinary skill in the art. The third piece of mesh 76 is bent similarly to second piece 74 (as shown in FIG. 5). The handle rail 70

may be welded to mesh piece 74 at this point or later, when the upper rail 54 is

joined to basket portion 55.

After the drawer 14b is completely formed, optionally but preferably a

process of powder painting may be used to coat the drawer 14b, as is known by

those of ordinary skill in the art. One preferable paint is an epoxy coat. The

painting may provide a decorative (colored and/or metallic) finish to the drawer

14b, if desired, and will also provide some protection for the drawer 14b from

water and other corrosive elements.

Next, the lower extensions 74e,76e of each piece 74,76 are connected by

welding to the side edge of the bottom wall 56 of first piece 72 (as shown in

FIG. 5A) to form seams 78. Then, the curved side extensions 74d,76d of pieces

74,76 are connected by welding to sidewalls 62 of first piece 72 to form seams

80 (as shown in FIG. 3).

Referring to FIGS. 5, 6, and 7, the equipment used to connect the first,

second and third pieces of mesh 72, 74, and 76 together will now be discussed.

The equipment preferably comprises a spot-welding machine 84 including a base

86, a clamp 88 supported on the base 86, a movable elongated member 90

movable by the clamp 88 to provide a clamping force F, and a pair of anode

electrodes 92a and a pair of cathode electrodes 92b. The base 86, clamp 88, member 90, and cathode electrodes 92b form a fixture for supporting the mesh

pieces 72, 74, and 76 during welding. As shown, preferably, the cathode

electrodes 92b are preferably bar-like and parallel to one another to properly

support and clamp mesh pieces 72, 74, and 76. In an alternative embodiment,

the spot-welder can be used without the clamp 88 and elongated member 90,

where the pieces may be manually held during welding.

In order to join lower extension 74e of second piece 74 to bottom wall 56

of first piece 72, the already-bent first piece 72 is disposed on cathode electrodes

92b so that the sidewalls 62 extend downward (as shown in FIG. 6) toward the

floor. Bent second piece 74 is disposed between member 90 and cathode

electrode 92b, as shown in FIG. 7. Next, the clamp 88 is actuated so that the

clamping force F moves the member 90 from a retracted position (shown in FIG.

6) into a clamping position (shown in FIG. 7). In the clamping position, the

mesh piece 74 is compressed between member 90 and cathode electrode 92b.

The clamping force F must be sufficient to hold mesh piece 74 into contact with

mesh piece 72 for the welding operation.

Then, the anode electrode 92a moves in direction Dl into contact with

pieces 72,74 adjacent extension 74e. These pieces 72,74 are tightly compressed

between the electrodes 92a and 92b. The electrodes 92a,b then discharge

electric welding current through the place to be welded and seam 78 (see FIG. 5A) is formed. The third piece 76, as shown in FIG. 5, is similarly joined to first

piece 72. Preferably, the welding machine 84 is properly configured so that the

fixture includes two clamps, two elongated members 90 and two pairs of

electrodes 92a,b. As a result, the second and third pieces 74 and 76 can

preferably be simultaneously welded to first piece 72.

Another spot-welding machine similar to machine 84 is used to weld

pieces 74 and 76 to piece 72 adjacent the corners 64 to form seams 80. This

spot-welding machine for forming seams 80 has an appropriately sized fixture

including clamp(s), elongated member(s) and cathode electrode(s) for smaller

pieces 74 and 76. For example, the cathode electrode(s) may be tapered to

match trapezoidal extensions 74d,76d so that pieces 74 and 76 are suitably

clamped to end walls 58 and 60 during welding.

With reference to FIG. 3, the upper rail 54 is subsequently connected to the

upper section of the end walls 58 and 60 and sidewalls 62 by spot-welding.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 8-9, the step of connecting the upper rail 54 to the

basket portion 55 further preferably includes the steps of forming a generally flat

upper rail 54; contacting rail 54 to basket portion 55 on a contact surface 54a so

that an upper section 55a of the basket portion 55 extends above the rail 54;

and spot-welding the contact surface 54a to the outer surface of basket portion

55. The upper rail 54 is preferably formed of the same material as the basket

portion 55 so that these components can be welded together. Thus, preferably,

the rail 54 is formed of any metal such as copper, steel, stainless steel, mild

sheet steel or aluminum, and the like. In a preferred embodiment using sheet

steel, a roll of sheet steel strip material with a circular cross-section is used. This

material is passed through a conventional roll forming machine with a number of

pairs of rollers using a predetermined compression pressure to continuously and

gradually change the circular cross-section into a generally flat rectangular cross-

section, as is known by those of ordinary skill in the art.

The material with the flat rectangular cross-section is then fed into a

bending machine that includes spaced apart pairs of guide rollers for guiding the

material through the machine and bending the material into four spaced apart

right angles to form a rectangular ring. Hydraulic power can be used to provide

the bending force to the associated pairs of guide rollers. Where the bending

pairs of guide rollers are located, the machine further includes rollers for

preventing vertical expansion of the material. Once the rectangular ring is

formed, the free ends of the ring are joined by welding to form the upper rail 54.

The rail is not limited to the above configuration, shape and materials. For

example, it can be hollow with various shapes, such as a circular cross-section.

The rail can also be solid with various shapes, such as a circular cross-section. The rail can also be formed of a plastic that is connected to the basket portion 55

by glue or adhesive, for example.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, the step of contacting rail 54 to basket portion

55 on a contact surface 54a may preferably further include the step of using a

spot-welding machine with a fixture F for supporting the rail 54 at a sufficient

elevation above a table (not shown) so that the upper section 55a of the basket

portion 55 extends above the rail 54. The fixture F may also provide a clamping

force for assuring the surface 54a is in solid contact with the basket portion 55 or

this force may be provided by movable anode and cathode electrodes AE and CE,

respectively. Preferably, electrodes AE and CE are circular welding wheels. The

anode electrode AE contacts the outer surface of the rail 54 and the cathode

electrode CE contacts the inner surface of the basket portion 55 adjacent surface

54a, as shown in FIG. 9. An electric current is discharged through the electrodes

AE and CE, rail 54 and basket portion 55 to spot-weld the rail 54 to the basket

portion 55. Preferably, sufficient electrodes AE and CE are provided to make the

welding of rail 54 to basket portion 55 efficient. Since the electrodes AE and CE

are movable vertically in directions V and horizontally in directions H, the spot-

welder can be used to weld variously size rails and baskets together.

The step of connecting the upper rail 54 may further include cutting and

grinding steps. In the cutting step, the upper section 55a (as shown in FIG. 8) of basket portion 55 is severed using a conventional severing apparatus, such as

one including a reciprocating saw blade. In the grinding step, the exposed upper

edge 55b (FIG. 9) of basket portion 55 is worked using a conventional grinding

machine so that a smooth upper edge 55b is formed. The rail 54 aids in

providing structural rigidity to the basket portion 55 and is the only rail

circumscribing each drawer's perimeter.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, in use the drawer 14b is inserted into the

system 10 by disposing upper rail 54 within gap 28 of opposed, aligned pair of

runners 26b. The rail 54 and gap 28 are sized to allow free sliding movement of

the drawer 14b with respect to the frame 12 between the retracted and

extended positions.

Since the drawer 14b is formed of mesh with very small openings 55a (see

FIG. 3), small objects, such as pens, paper clips, and the like, can be stored in

the drawer without a liner and will not fall through the openings 55a. In

addition, since the drawer 14b has closed corners 64, small objects also cannot

fall out of this area of the drawer.

As shown in FIG. 1, drawers 14b-14d are of medium size and vertically

extend across two sets of vertically spaced runners. Drawer 14a is a small size

and consequently extends across only one set of vertically spaced runners. The

drawers may be sized differently, see FIG. 4, particularly by changing the length L of the first piece of mesh 72 and the height H of the second and third pieces of

mesh 74 and 76. This allows containers of a variety of sizes to be formed

without excess machinery costs, particularly large containers having a depth D

from bottom wall 56 to top surface of top rail 54 (see FIG. 3) equal to or greater

than about 11 inches. If larger baskets are desired, the basket material may

need to be changed and/or thickened to provide more rigidity thereto. The width

W of the mesh (FIG. 4) can be set by the machine forming the raw material so

that the edges of piece 72 that will be connected to pieces 74 and 76 are smooth

and require no cutting or grinding.

FIGS. 10-12 illustrate an alternative embodiment of the upper rail 54' for

use with an alternative embodiment of basket portion 55'. To form the upper

rail 54' raw material is bent to include a curved portion 54a' with an opening 54b'

and an extension 54c' angularly offset from curved portion 54a' using a roll

forming machine. The material is bent into a closed rectangular loop and welded

together, similar to rail 54.

The basket portion 55' is formed similarly to basket portion 55 except the

end walls 58, 60 and sidewalls 62 all have an outwardly bent upper section 55a'

formed by a conventional hydraulic press machine with a mold at the same time

other bends are formed in pieces 72, 74, 76 (see FIG. 5). The bent upper section 55a' is inserted into the opening 54b' of the upper

rail 54' (as shown in FIG. 11). The curved portion 54a' is then compressed by a

conventional press machine so that the opening 54b' is minimized and curved

portion 54a' tightly engages the basket portion 55a'. This step also results in

the front curved tip 54d' of the rail 54' engaging the angled corner 55b' of the

basket portion 55'. Then, the vertically-extending extension 54c' is welded to the

basket using a spot-welding machine and fixture similar to the method used for

rail 54 (shown in FIGS. 8 and 9). Once the upper rail 54' is joined to basket

portion 55' in this manner, it provides additional structural rigidity to the basket

portion 55'. Using the rail 54' eliminates the need to cut the upper section 55a

of basket portion 55 as when using rail 54, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9.

Consequently, rail 54' eliminates the need to deburr the basket portion 55'.

Referring back to FIG. 1, basket 14a includes a rectangular cutout 68' on

the front of wall 58'. A metal handle rail 70' covers the free end of the mesh

within the cutout 68'. The handle rail 70' is preferably formed similar to rail 54'

with an opening that is compressed about the mesh, once the mesh is inserted

therein. Preferably, the handle rail 70' also includes an extension, similar to

extension 54c' of rail 54', that can be spot-welded to securely attach the rail 70'

to the mesh. In such an embodiment, the opening in the rail 70' extends vertically along with the extension. In an embodiment of the handle rail 70'

without such an extension, the rail 70' may still be spot-welded to the mesh.

Referring to FIGS. 13-14, a third preferred drawer embodiment 114b is

shown. Drawer 114b comprises a runner portion or upper rail 154 and a basket

portion 155. The upper rail 154 may be formed like rail 54 or rail 54' previously

discussed. The basket portion 155 includes a bottom wall 156, end walls 158

and 160, and sidewalls 162. The bottom and end walls 156 and 158 are also

sidewalls. A first piece of mesh 172 is bent to form the bottom wall 156 and end

walls 158 and 160. The sidewalls 162 are formed of separate second and third

pieces of mesh 174 and 176, respectively. The end wall 158 includes a first

piece of mesh 172 with a cutout 168 similar to end wall 58.

For drawer 114b, different from drawer 14b, the second piece of mesh 174

includes a central portion 174c, rectangular side extensions 174d and a lower

extension 174e. The third piece of mesh 176 has a similar configuration. When

the pieces 172, 174 and 176 are connected using a method similar to that used

in forming drawer 14b, the drawer 114b has closed smoothly curved corners

similar to corners 64 (as shown in FIG. 3), but the corners of drawer 114b will

have a substantially constant radius. Drawer 114b also includes four side seams

80 at each corner and two bottom seams 178. Referring to FIGS. 15-17, a fourth preferred drawer embodiment 214b is

shown. Drawer 214b comprises a runner portion or upper rail 254 and a basket

portion 255. The upper rail 254 may be formed like rail 54 or rail 54' discussed

above. The basket portion 255 includes a bottom wall 256, end walls 258 and

260, and sidewalls 262. The end walls 258 and 260 are also sidewalls. A first

piece of mesh 272 is bent to form the bottom wall 256 and end walls 258 and

260. The sidewalls 262 are formed of separate second and third pieces of mesh

274 and 276. The end wall 258 includes a cutout 268 similar to end wall 58.

In drawer 214b, different from drawers 14b and 114b, the second and third

pieces of mesh 274 and 276 do not include extensions. When the pieces 272,

274 and 276 are connected using the method of forming drawer 14b, pieces 274

and 276 only overlap piece 272 on the bottom not on the sides. As a result, the

drawer 214b has open corners 264 (as shown in FIG. 15) and two bottom

seams 278. Drawers configured like drawer 214b can be used in systems like

system 10 (shown in FIG. 1) and move between extended and retracted

positions. Drawers similar to drawer 214b can come in a number of sizes. The

drawer 214b is formed similarly to drawer 14b by bending and spot-welding the

mesh pieces.

Referring to FIG. 18, a second preferred embodiment of a drawer system

310 is shown. Drawer system 310 includes a frame 312 and a plurality of drawers 314a and 314b. The frame 312 includes four pairs of runners 326a-d.

This embodiment illustrates that any number of pairs of runners can be used

depending on how large a system is desired. The frame 312 is otherwise

configured and formed similarly to frame 12 (shown in FIG. 1). The system 310

further may include a solid table top or shelf 327 that is securely connected to

the top of frame 312 by a press fit so that objects can be stored or displayed

thereon. Alternatively, the shelf 327 may be sized differently (larger or smaller

than) the frame 312 and connected to the frame 312 with conventional

fasteners such as screws and L-brackets. Drawer 314a is small and extends

across one pair of runners 326a. Drawer 314b is large and extends vertically

across three pairs of runners 326b-d. Drawers 314a and 314b are configured

and manufactured similar to drawer 14b (see FIG. 1), but drawers configured like

drawers 114b and 214b can also be used with system 310.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which

this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for designing other

products for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is

important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent

constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the

present invention as defined in the appended claims. Therefore, this invention is

not to be limited to the specifically preferred embodiments depicted therein. For example, the features of one embodiment disclosed above can be used with the

features of another embodiment. Furthermore, the two different runner portions

or upper rail embodiments 54 and 54' can be used exclusively in different

systems of drawers to provide systems that cost different amounts, e.g., a high-

priced system and a lower priced system. Alternatively, one system can have

drawers with both types of rails 54 and 54'. Additionally, a system can use all

closed-corner drawers or combine closed-corner drawers with open-corner

drawers in one system. The system may be used with sliding drawers and/or

stationary and sliding shelves each supported by a pair of runners. The system

frame may also include a section for holding hanging file folders and one or more

of the inventive drawers. The drawers of the present invention may be used

without a frame. In yet another alternative embodiment, the containers/drawers

of the present invention may be retained within a frame formed of wood, plastic,

metal, or material with a wood finish, where the frame has components such as

runners and rollers thereon. The frame would cooperate with a stationary holder

with runners and rollers thereon so that the container does not move with

respect to the holder, but when the holder moves between an extended and

retracted position by moving with respect to the stationary component, the

container likewise moves. In such an embodiment, the runner portion serves to

connect the container to the holder without a sliding engagement therebetween. In addition, the container can be formed without upper rail 54 (see FIG. 3) by

forming the runner portion in another way, such as by folding the upper edge of

the basket portion upon itself to form a sufficiently-rigid integral runner portion.

Alternatively, the runner portion need not extend around the entire basket and

may extend only on the sides to work with the runners 26a-g (See FIG. 1). In

such an embodiment, the end walls without the runner portions may have upper

edges finished with portions of metal, wood, plastic or some other suitable

material. Thus, the details of the present invention as set forth in the above-

described preferred embodiments should not limit the scope of the present

invention.

Further, the purpose of the Abstract is to enable the U. S. Patent and

Trademark Office, and the public generally, and especially the designers and

practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or

phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and

essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The Abstract is neither

intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured solely by

the claims, nor is intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any

way.

Claims

WE CLAIM AS OUR INVENTION:

1. A container comprising:

a first piece of mesh material forming a bottom wall and first and second

spaced apart sidewalls extending upwardly from said bottom wall; and

a second piece of mesh material formed separate from said first piece of

mesh material, said second piece of mesh material including third and fourth

sidewalls, said second piece of mesh material being joined to said first piece of

mesh material to form a basket portion.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein said basket portion includes open

corners between said first and second sidewalls and said third and fourth

sidewalls.

3. The container of claim 1, wherein said third and fourth sidewalls each

include extensions for overlapping said first and second sidewalls and for forming

closed corners between said third and fourth sidewalls and said first and second

sidewalls.

4. The container of claim 3, wherein said closed corners are curved.

5. The container of claim 1, wherein said basket portion further includes a

runner portion at the top thereof.

6. The container of claim 5, for use with a frame, said container being

moveable with respect to said frame between retracted and extended positions.

7. The container of claim 6, wherein said frame further includes a pair of

runners each having a gap therein for slidably receiving said runner portion.

8. The container of claim 5, wherein said runner portion is a rail separately

formed from said basket portion and welded thereto.

9. The container of claim 5, wherein said runner portion extends about the

entire perimeter of said basket portion.

10. A container comprising:

a first piece of mesh material forming a bottom wall and first and second

spaced apart sidewalls extending upwardly from said bottom wall;

a second piece of mesh material formed separate from said first piece of

mesh material; and a third piece of mesh material formed separate from said first piece of

mesh material; said second and third pieces of mesh material being joined to

said bottom wall to form a pair of bottom seams and said second and third

pieces of mesh material being joined to said first and second sidewalls to form a

plurality of generally vertically-extending side seams, said first, second and third

pieces of mesh material being joined to form a basket portion.

11. The container of claim 10, wherein said basket portion further includes a

runner portion.

12. The container of claim 11, wherein said basket portion further includes an

upper section bent to extend outwardly from the remainder of said basket

portion, said runner portion comprising a rail having a curved portion defining an

opening for receiving said upper section of said basket portion.

13. The container of claim 12, wherein said rail further includes a rail

extension angularly offset from said curved portion, said rail extension being

welded to said basket portion after said curved portion is compressed.

14. A method of forming a container comprising the following steps:

forming a first piece of mesh material;

bending said first piece of mesh material into a bottom wall and first and

second spaced apart sidewalls extending upwardly from said bottom wall;

forming a second piece of mesh material, separate from said first piece of

mesh material, to include third and fourth sidewalls; and

connecting said first piece of mesh material to said second piece of mesh

material to form a basket portion with an upwardly-extending opening.

15. The method of claim 14, furthering including the steps of forming a third

piece of mesh material separate from said first and second pieces of mesh

material, wherein said steps of forming said second and third pieces of mesh

material include the steps of forming each of said second and third pieces of

mesh material with a central portion and a pair of mesh extensions on both sides

of said central portion and bending said extensions to be angularly offset from

said central portion.

16. The method of claim 15, furthering including the steps of overlapping said

mesh extensions with said first and second sidewalls and connecting said mesh

extensions to said first and second sidewalls.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of connecting said first piece of

mesh material to said second piece of mesh material further includes the step of

welding.

18. The method of claim 14, further including forming a runner portion on the

top of said basket portion.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of forming said runner portion

further includes the step of forming a rail separate from said basket portion and

connecting said rail to said basket portion.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of connecting said rail to said

basket portion further includes the step of welding.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of connecting said mesh

extensions to said first and second sidewalls further includes the step of welding.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of connecting said first piece of

mesh material to said second piece of mesh material further includes the step of using a fixture to support said first and second pieces of mesh material, said

fixture including an electrode for supporting said first and second pieces of mesh

material.