One of the long-standing problems with storing items on shelves and in cabinets, etc., is that it often is hard to see what is on the shelf because the objects in front block the view of the objects in the rear. This is especially true where the shelves or cabinets are well above the normal line of sight of a person using them. Stairstep-shaped storage platforms have been proposed in the past. In such devices, a rear platform is higher than one or more platforms in front of it, so that objects placed on the rear platform are raised above the others and can be more easily seen. One of the problems with such devices has been recognized by the inventors herein to be that it wastes space and is unwieldy to use.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a storage device and method which overcome or alleviate the foregoing problems.

In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a storage device for storing objects on shelves, or other flat surfaces, with a maximum utilization of space and with a variety of types of storage space.

It is also an object of the invention to provide such a device which is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, sturdy, and easy to disassemble and clean. In accordance with the present invention, the foregoing objects are met by the provision of a storage device and method utilizing a platform having a stairstep-shaped upper surface with a support structure for supporting the platform at an elevation above a horizontal surface to form a space between the platform

and a horizontal surface, and utilizing a drawer shaped to fit into the space.

Thus, objects can be stored not only on the stairstep-shaped surface, but also in the drawer. The drawer preferably can be removed and used as a movable container or "caddy".

It is preferred that the drawer has ridges extending from the bottom wall to facilitate sliding the drawer on a horizontal surface. Furthermore, the drawer preferably has a plurality of internal grooves into which dividers are fitted, with the grooves being aligned with the external ridges so that the ridges strengthen the material of the drawer in the vicinity of the grooves. It also is preferred that clips be provided to attach separate units together side-by-side to cover a greater length of shelf than one unit covers.

Preferably, the clips serve double duty as anti-slip feet to hold the units in place. The device is used preferably by storing shorter objects on the taller platforms, and thus elevating them above the others so they can be more easily seen. Other objects can be stored in the drawer underneath the platform. Thus, the invention not only enhances the shelf and cabinet space, but it adds drawer space to the kitchen, workshop, refrigerator or other area in which it is used.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be described in or apparent from the following description and drawings. IN THE DRAWINGS: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the storage device of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation view, partially schematic and partially broken away, showing the storage device of the present invention in use;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the drawer of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the drawer shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a rear elevation view of the drawer shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a rear elevation view of the device shown in Fig. 1, with dashed lines illustrating features of the embodiment shown in Fig. 8; Fig. 7 is a front elevation view of the device shown in Fig. 1, with the drawer removed;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view, partially broken away, of the device shown in Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is an elevation view of a clip used in the device of Fig. 8;

Figs. 11 and 12 are cross-sectional, broken- away views taken along line 11, 12 - 11, 12 of Fig. 8; and

Fig. 13 is a side-elevation view of the clips of Fig. 10 in place on the device of Fig. 8.

Fig. 1 shows and embodiment 10 of the storage device of the present invention. The device 10 includes a platform having a stairstep shape, including an upper portion or step 12, an intermediate portion or step 14, and a bottom portion or step 16.

A support structure supports the platform above a horizontal surface such as the surface of a counter- top, table, workbench, or a shelf on a wall or in a cabinet or refrigerator. The support structure includes a pair of front legs 18 and 20 (see Figs, l and 7) and a pair of rear legs 22 and 24 (see Figs, l and 6) .

The support structure and the platform preferably comprise a single plastic molding with a cut¬ out at 26 (Fig. 1) on both sides of the structure, and

another cut-out 28 (Fig. 6) in the rear wall to form the legs.

As it is shown in Figs. 1 and 7, the platform 16 has an upstanding front ridge 30 which keeps objects from sliding off of the platform portion 16.

As it is shown in Fig. 7, the legs 18 and 20 have vertical ridges at the edges 34 and 36, respectively, and a ridge 32 extending downwardly from the bottom surface of the platform 16. The ridge 32 serves as a stop for the drawer of the device, as it will be explained in greater detail below.

In the space underneath the platform and between the legs supporting the platform is inserted a drawer 38. As it is shown more clearly in Figs. 3 through 5, the drawer 38 has a front wall 40, two side walls 42 and 44, a rear wall 46, and a bottom wall 48. The front wall 40 actually is a false front wall, as it is evident from Fig. 4. The true front wall 50 is behind the wall 40. Mounted inside of the drawer 38 is a pair of vertical dividers 52 and 54 which are inserted into vertical grooves 56 in the rear wall 46, and matching vertical grooves 60 in the front wall of the drawer, as well as longitudinal grooves 58 in the inner surface of the bottom wall 48. These dividers can be moved or removed to customize the interior of the drawer to the user's needs.

As it will be apparent from Figs. 4 and 5, there is an elongated ridge directly opposite each of the grooves 56, 58 and 60. The ridges on the bottom wall 48 are indicated by reference numerals 70, 72 and 74. Additional ridges 68 and 76 also are provided. All of these ridges reduce the friction between the bottom and the surface on which the drawer rests so as to make it easier to slide the drawer in and out of its storage space. The ridges on the rear wall 46 of the drawer are shown at 78, 80 and 82.

Each of the ridges provides additional thickness of material of the walls of the drawer so as to strengthen the walls in the areas of the grooves without reguiring the walls to be made thicker, thus saving considerable plastic material.

The upper edges 62 and 64 of the side walls 42 and 44 are semicircular in cross-section, and are located somewhat below the upper edges of the drawer. The edges 62 and 64 are spaced apart by a distance slightly smaller than the distance between the legs 18 and 20 (see Fig. 7). The rear wall 46 is beveled at 88 and 90, and the upper edge of the rear wall 46 is higher than the ridge 32 (Fig. 7) on the platform. Thus, the ridge 32 serves as a stop which prevents the drawer from being pulled outwardly too far. To remove the drawer, then, the front edge of the drawer needs to be lifted so as to rotate the. top edge of the back wall 46 downwardly to allow it to pass under the ridge 32.

An opening 92 (Figs. 3 and 1) is provided in the front wall 40 so as to allow a user to easily grasp the drawer to pull it out or push it in.

Fig. 2 illustrates the storage device 10 in use in a cabinet 94 having hinged doors 96 and 98. This cabinet can be a kitchen cabinet, a bathroom cabinet, a workshop cabinet, a refrigerator, etc.

The storage device 10 sits in the cabinet next to a number of relatively large bottles 110 and 112. Relatively short objects, such as the short jars 100, 102, are placed on the upper platform 12. Somewhat taller objects 104 and 106 are placed on the intermediate shelf 114, and objects of other sizes are placed on the platform 16. Thus, the labels on each of the jars or bottles can be seen readily, so that it is easy to find things. Also, several round objects 114, 116, 118 are stored in the drawer 38 in the cabinet shown in Fig. 2. To remove those items, the drawer merely need be pulled

out. If desired, the drawer can be removed from the structure and used as a handy container or "caddy". Fig. 8 shows storage unit 119 which is a preferred embodiment of the invention. It is very similar to the embodiment shown in Figs. 1-7, and the same reference numbers are used for corresponding parts. As in the first-described embodiment, the principal components of the storage unit 119 are formed from two one-piece plastic moldings; one for the platform and its support structure, and one for the drawer.

The storage unit 119 shown in Fig. 8 differs from the unit 10 shown in Figs. 1-7 in that the side walls of the support structure are solid, each comprising a lower portion 120 and an upper portion 121 which tapers slightly inwardly as shown by the dashed line 121 in Fig. 6.

The front wall of the drawer 38 does not extend all the way across the front of the unit, but fits into a hole in the front wall of the support structure. Each of the lower right and left-hand corners of the front wall of the drawer is cut away to accommodate a projection 126 or 128. As it is shown in Fig. 9, each of the projections 126 and 128 has a hole in it through which a screw 136 can be inserted and threaded into the surface on which the unit sits, so as to securely anchor the unit to the surface.

Each of the platform portions or steps 12, 14 and 16 has an upstanding ridge 140, 142, or 144 at its front edge to impede objects from slipping forwardly off of the step. Also, the surface of each step is

"textured" (roughened) to reduce slippage of objects off of the steps.

Four rubber-coated spring clips 130 are provided. The clips serve two purposes; one is to serve as feet to keep the unit 199 from slipping on the surface upon which it rests, if the unit is not fastened down with screws, and the other is to clip separate ones of

the units 199 together side-by-side to form an integral unit of greater width than a single unit.

Each clip 130 can be pushed into one of four hollow recesses 132 in the lower edge of the support structure. The side wall of the unit has a beveled edge in the recess, as shown in Figs. 11 and 12.

Each clip has the shape shown in Fig. 10 when removed from the unit 119. The spring tends to urge the upper edges of the clip together. The upper edges of the clip are beveled to form a groove 131 into which the beveled edge 132 of the side wall can be inserted. The clip 130 is shown in Fig. 11 with the edge 132 of the wall inserted into the clip, with the clip serving as an anti-slip foot. Fig. 13 is a side elevation view showing the clip 130 in place and showing how the bottom of the clip extends slightly below the lower edge of the side wall of the unit 119.

When it is desired to fasten two units 119 together side-by-side, the beveled edge 134 (Fig. 12) of the second unit 119 is inserted into the groove 133 (Fig. 11) between the wall of the first unit and one vertical arm of the clip 130, thus causing the clip to expand to the position shown in Fig. 12 and hold the edges of the two units together. Referring again to Fig. 8, a rectangular recess

136 is provided across the lower back edge of the unit 119. The upper wall of this recess is shown at 138 in Fig. 8, and in dashed lines in Fig. 6. This recess is provided to give clearance for the rectangular member which often is featured along the lower rear inside edge of cabinets. This helps to minimize wasted space.

The above description of the invention is intended to be illustrative and not limiting. Various changes or modifications in the embodiments described may occur to those skilled in the art. These can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.