The present patent application relates to a method and system to divide a space, in particular the inside of a drawer.

In order to divide the inner space of a drawer, it is known to use a tray having a plurality of housings with sizes and shapes that are predetermined based on the products to be housed.

For example, a common cutlery tray to be used in a drawer of a kitchen cabinet comprises a tray made of a stiff material, which has a plurality of housings that are different from one another (in terms of shape and/or size and/or orientation), each of them being designed to house a respective type of product among: knives, forks, spoons, etc.

Alternatively, it is known to use a framework to be fixed on the inside of the drawer, which has a plurality squares with a predetermined size, each designed to house a respective product.

The systems described above have the drawback that they are fixed. In other words, the drawback of the known systems described above is that they have a number of housings that cannot be changed and, in addition, each housing has a shape and/or orientation and/or size that cannot be changed.

Therefore, in known systems, the number and/or the shape and/or the orientation of the housings cannot be changed based on the needs of the user. Hence, once a user has decided to use one of the systems described above, he/she must accept the pre-existing division of the spaces.

The object of the present invention is to provide a method and a system to divide a space, in particular the inside of a drawer, which are able to overcome the drawback described above. In other words, the object of the present invention is to provide a dividing system that allows the number and/or the shape and/or the size and/or the orientation of the housings to be changed in a simple and quick fashion. Furthermore, a further object of the present invention is to provide a dividing system that is simple and cheap to be produced.

According to the present invention, there is provided a method and a system to divide spaces according to the appended claims.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show non-limiting embodiments thereof, wherein:

• figure 1 shows an axonometric projection of a dividing system according to the present invention; and
• figure 2 is similar to figure 1 and shows a variant of the dividing system of figure 1.

In figure 1, number 1 indicates, as a whole, a system to divide a space, for example a drawer, comprising a plate 2 having an upper surface 3 and a lower surface 4. The plate 2 has, furthermore, a plurality of housings 5, which are uniformly distributed along lines and columns, so as to form a matrix of housings 5. The plate 2 comprises, furthermore, support bars 6, which project from the lower surface 4 of the plate 2.

According to figure 1, the system 1 comprises: a plurality of pins 7, each of which engages (as we will explain more in detail below) a respective housing 5 and projects from the upper surface 3 of the plate 2; and a plurality of dividing elements 8, each of which is fitted around two or more pins 7.

Each pin 7 has the shape of a cylinder with a longitudinal axis A and comprises a separation ring 9, which radially projects from the pin 7 and longitudinally divides the pin 7 itself into an upper portion 10 and a lower portion 11. In use, the lower portion 11 is interposed between the upper portion 10 and the plate 2.

Each pin 7 comprises, furthermore, a coupling element (known and not shown), which is designed to fix the pin 7 itself to the plate 2 by being inserted into a housing 5. Each pin 7 is connected to the plate 2 in a releasable manner. Each pin 7 can engage any housing 5 of the plate 2 without distinctions.

Each pin 7 comprises, furthermore, a base abutment 12, which radially projects from the pin 7 and is interposed between the coupling element (in figure 1 it is inserted into the respective housing 5) and the lower portion 11. In use, the base abutment 12 is in contact with the plate 2.

Each dividing element 8 is closed in a ring shape and comprises at least one portion made of an elastic material. Preferably, each dividing element 8 is made of a flexible material. According to the figures, each dividing element 8 is an elastic material band closed in a ring shape. The width of each dividing element 8 corresponds to the longitudinal extension of an upper portion 10 and/or of a lower portion 11.

According to a variant that is not shown herein, the dividing element 8 can have a width that is substantially equal to the longitudinal extension of a pin 7 and, therefore, simultaneously cover both the upper portion 10 and the lower portion 11.

According to figure 1, the system 1 comprises a dividing element 8I fitted around the lower portions 11 of a group GI of four pins 7I, 7II, 7III, 7IV. Therefore, the dividing element 8I delimits, on the inside, an area SI with the shape of a rectangle, whose vertices are defined by the pins 7I, 7II, 7III, 7IV.

The system 1 comprises a dividing element 8II fitted around the upper portions 10 of a group GII consisting of four pins 7II, 7V, 7VI, 7VII. We would like to point out that the pin 7II is engaged both by the dividing element 8I and by the dividing element 8II. The dividing element 8II delimits an area SII with the shape of a rectangle, whose vertices are defined by the pins 7II, 7V, 7VI, 7VII. We would like to point out that the area SII has an extension that is smaller that the extension of the area SI delimited by the dividing element 8I.

The system 1 comprises, furthermore, a dividing element 8III fitted around the lower portions 11 of a group GIII consisting of two pins 7VII and 7VIII. We would like to point out that the pin 7VII is engaged both by the dividing element 8II and by the dividing element 8III. The dividing element 8III delimits an area SIII with a substantially linear shape, whose ends are defined by the pins 7VII and 7VIII.

The system 1 comprises, furthermore, a dividing element 8IV fitted around the upper portions 10 of a group GIV consisting of two pins 7III and 7IX. We would like to point out that the pin 7III is engaged both by the dividing element 8I and by the dividing element 8IV. The dividing element 8IV delimits an area SIV with a substantially linear shape, whose ends are defined by the pins 7III and 7IX.

Figure 2 shows a variant 101 of the system to divide a space, for example a drawer, in which the elements shared with figure 1 keep the same numbers, but in the order of hundreds.

According to figure 2, each pin 107 consists of a longitudinal body with an axis B and a substantially rectangular base shape with wounded corners. Each pin 107 comprises a separation element 109, which radially projects from the pin 107 and longitudinally divides the pin 107 itself into an upper portion 110 and a lower portion 111. In use, the lower portion 111 is interposed between the upper portion 110 and the plate 102.

Each pin 107 comprises, furthermore, a coupling element (known and not shown), which is designed to couple the pin 107 itself to the plate 102 by being inserted into a housing 105. Each pin 107 comprises, furthermore, a base abutment 112, which radially projects from the pin 107 and is interposed between the coupling element (in figure 2 it is already inserted into the housing 105) and the lower portion 111. In use, the base abutment 112 is in contact with the plate 102.

According to figure 2, the system 101 comprises a dividing element 108I fitted around the lower portions 111 of a group PI of four pins 107I, 107II, 107III, 107IV. Therefore, the dividing element 108I delimits, on the inside, an area HI with the shape of a rectangle, whose vertices are defined by the pins 107I, 107II, 107III, 107IV.

The system 101 comprises, furthermore, a dividing element 108II fitted around the upper portions 110 of a group PII consisting of four pins 107IV, 107V, 107VI, 107VII. We would like to point out that the pin 107IV is engaged both by the dividing element 108I and by the dividing element 108II. The dividing element 108II delimits an area HII with the shape of a rectangle, whose vertices are defined by the pins 107IV, 107V, 107VI, 107VII. We would like to point out that the area HII has an extension that is smaller that the extension of the area HI delimited by the dividing element 108I.

The system 101 comprises, furthermore, a dividing element 108III fitted around the upper portions 110 of a group PIII comprising two pins 107I and 107VIII The pin 107I is engaged both by the dividing element 108II and by the dividing element 108III. The dividing element 108III delimits an area HIII with the shape of a slit, whose ends are defined by the pins 107I and 107VIII.

According to variants that are not shown herein, the pins can have different shapes; furthermore, the pin can be divided into two longitudinal portions. The pins 7 or 107 can be arranged so as to delimit areas with shapes that are different from the ones shown herein, for example they can have the shape of a triangle, a pentagon or a rhombus. Te matrix of housings 5 or 105 allows users to create a large number of housings that are different in terms of shape and size.

In use, the plate 2 or 102 is inserted into the space to be divided, for example it is caused to rest with the bases 6 or 106 on the inside of a drawer. Then, each pin 7 or 107 of a group G or P is fixed to the plate 2 or 102 by inserting it into respective housings 5 or 105, which are chosen among all the housings 5 or 105 of the plate 2 or 102 based on the shape and size of the area S or H to be delimited with the dividing element 8 or 108.

Subsequently, a dividing element 8 or 108 is stretched and fitted around all the pins 7 or 107 of the respective group G or P, so that the pins 7 or 107 substantially define the vertices of the geometrical figure delimited by the dividing element 8 or 108.

The dividing element 8 or 108 can be fitted around the upper portion 10 or 110 or around the lower portion 11 or 111 based on the desired height of the area S to be delimited. A single pin 7 (107) can simultaneously be part of two groups G (P) by engaging the upper portion 10 (110) with a dividing element 8 (108) and the lower portion 11 (111) with another dividing element 8 (108).

The procedure described above can be repeated many times in order to create a plurality of different areas according to the needs. Should a housing created with the aforesaid method not be needed by the user any longer, it is sufficient to disengage the dividing element 8 (108) from the respective pins 7 (107) and, similarly, disengage the pins 7 (107) from the plate 2 (102). Then, other housings G (H) can be made with same pins 7 (107) used before.

The method and the system described above allow users to divide different areas G (H) based on their needs. In other words, the number, the shape and the size of the areas G (H) of each system described above can change according to the actual needs of the person using it.

A space dividing system and method of the type described above find advantageous application in drawers/chest of drawers used to hold packages of different types, such as, for example, bags, bottles, boxes or loose products. By way of example, a system and method of the type described above are suited to be applied on the inside of drawers/chest of drawers for kitchen cabinets, bathroom cabinets, living furniture and other furniture.

The system described above is simple and cheap to be produced; furthermore, the method described above can easily be applied, since end users can very easily change the arrangement of the pins 7 or 107 and of the dividing elements 8 or 108 based on their actual needs.