Extendable and retractable drawer divider

Abstract

An extendable and retractable drawer divider comprising: a first partition (1) and a second partition (2); wherein one end of the first partition (1) and one end of the second partition (2) are slidably connected to each other; characterized in that a locking structure (3) is arranged between the first partition (1) and the second partition (2); wherein the locking structure (3) has a locking state and an unlocking state; the first partition wall (1) and the second partition wall (2) are fixed relative to each other in the locking state, and the first partition wall (1) and the second partition wall (2) can be displaced relative to each other in the unlocking state; wherein an elastic structure is arranged on at least one of the other end of the first partition (1) and the other end of the second partition (2), and the elastic structure serves to come into contact with a side of a drawer.

Description

Technical area

[0001] The present application relates to the field of separating devices, in particular an extendable and retractable drawer separator. State of the art

[0002] Currently, products such as cabinets, furniture, and household appliances predominantly incorporate drawers or drawer-like components specifically designed for storing items. However, in everyday use, different objects are often placed in the same drawer, resulting in cluttered storage. This makes it difficult to retrieve individual items and prevents rational use of space. Furthermore, the increasing and disorganized accumulation of stored items leads to chaotic conditions, which is why an auxiliary tool for efficiently dividing drawer space—referred to as a drawer divider—is required.

[0003] In response to end-user demand, various drawer dividers are currently available on the market, with adjustable lengths that can be adapted to drawer dimensions. However, these devices generally have complex structures that not only incur high manufacturing costs, but also, due to their multi-component design, result in inefficient assembly processes with high training costs. Furthermore, functional failures can occur due to component defects or malfunctions, as exemplified in Chinese patent document CN108968450A "Telescopic Drawer Divider": This telescopic drawer divider comprises a main divider body and a secondary divider body that is slidably connected to the main divider body. The main divider body has a cavity along its longitudinal direction, into which one end of the secondary divider body projects slidably.A stop device is arranged between the main separating body and the secondary separating body, limiting the relative movement of the two parts as they move toward each other. Because the stop device is located in the cavity and consists of many parts, its assembly, manufacture, and maintenance are associated with certain difficulties.

[0004] Thus, the structural optimization of drawer dividers – ensuring functional reliability while increasing ease of use, assembly efficiency, and adaptation flexibility – represents a research field with relevant practical significance. Contents of this application

[0005] Against this background, the aim of the present application is to propose an extendable and retractable drawer separator with a simple construction, reliable fitting accuracy, and convenient handling.

[0006] An extendable and retractable drawer partition device comprising: a first partition and a second partition; wherein one end of the first partition and one end of the second partition are slidably connected to each other; wherein a locking structure is disposed between the first partition and the second partition; wherein the locking structure has a locking state and an unlocking state; the first partition and the second partition are fixed relative to each other in the locking state, and the first partition and the second partition can be moved relative to each other in the unlocking state; wherein an elastic structure is disposed on at least one of the other end of the first partition and the other end of the second partition, and the elastic structure is for coming into contact with a side of a drawer.

[0007] In some embodiments, a gap is formed between the other end of the first partition wall or the other end of the second partition wall and the arcuate part, or a gap is formed between each of the other end of the first partition wall and the other end of the second partition wall and the arcuate part; and the arcuate part is provided on a side facing the gap with a spring element extending in a direction away from the arcuate part.

[0008] In some embodiments, the elastic arcuate portion is disposed at each of the other end of the first partition wall and the other end of the second partition wall.

[0009] In some embodiments, an outer side of the arcuate part is provided with an anti-slip layer.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first partition wall is provided with a U-shaped first limiting part on each of both sides at one end of the first partition wall; wherein a limiting region is formed between the two first limiting parts, and the limiting region serves to displace the first partition wall and the second partition wall relative to each other in the longitudinal direction; one end of the second partition wall penetrates the limiting region.

[0011] In some embodiments, the second partition wall is provided with a U-shaped second limiting part on each of both sides at one end of the second partition wall; wherein the two second limiting parts are connected to the two sides of the first partition wall in cooperation to displace the first partition wall and the second partition wall longitudinally relative to each other.

[0012] In some embodiments, the main bodies of the first partition wall and the second partition wall are formed as concave housing structures; wherein an inner wall of the first partition wall is provided with a rack structure along its longitudinal direction; an elastic extension part is arranged on a side opposite the rack structure at one end of the second partition wall; wherein the extension part has limiting teeth engaging with the rack, which together with the rack structure form the locking structure; an escape gap is arranged between the main body of the second partition wall and the extension part, and the extension part is provided with a pressure block on one side; wherein the limiting teeth engage with the rack structure when the locking structure is in the locking state so that the first partition wall and the second partition wall are held relative to each other; wherein the pressure block is acted upon by a force and moves the extension part along the escape gap when the locking structure is in the unlocking state, so that the limit teeth detach from the rack structure and the first partition wall and the second partition wall can be displaced relative to each other.

[0013] In some embodiments, a side of the first partition wall opposite the second partition wall is provided with a first guide groove; wherein a first guide block is arranged on a side at an end of the second partition wall opposite the first guide groove, and the first guide block slidably engages the first guide groove.

[0014] In some embodiments, a limit block is disposed at one end of the first guide groove near the other end of the first partition wall, and the limit block serves to limit the sliding distance of the first guide block along the other end of the first partition wall.

[0015] In some embodiments, a side of the second partition wall opposite the first partition wall is provided with a second guide groove; wherein a second guide block is arranged on a side at an end of the first partition wall opposite the second guide groove, and the second guide block slidably engages the second guide groove.

[0016] By applying the above-mentioned technical solution, the present application achieves the following advantageous effects: The present application relates to an extendable and retractable drawer divider, wherein an elastic arcuate part is arranged at at least one of the other end of the first partition and the other end of the second partition, and the arcuate part is arranged to contact with a side of the drawer, thereby improving the contact reliability of the device in use. Furthermore, an EVA layer may be additionally applied to the arcuate part. Due to the lightweight and elastic material properties of the EVA material, this layer ensures better fit and relative fixation upon contact with the side of the drawer, preventing the divider from easily shifting due to impact after being installed in the drawer.By forming the substructure of the locking structure on the first partition and the second partition, and by assembling the first and second partitions, all components of the locking structure can be installed simultaneously. This design not only simplifies the structure, but also eliminates loose, independent components, ensuring high assembly efficiency, easy maintenance, and good reliability in use. Short description of the drawings

[0017] To better illustrate the technical solutions of the present application or the prior art, the drawings required in the embodiments or description of the prior art are briefly presented below. It is understood that the following drawings represent only some embodiments of the present application, and that those skilled in the art can create additional drawings based on these drawings without creative effort. Fig. 1 is a perspective structural schematic diagram of a drawer separator according to some embodiments of the present application. Fig. 2 is a perspective structural schematic diagram of a drawer separator according to some embodiments of the present application. Fig. 3 is a perspective structural schematic of a drawer divider according to some embodiments of the present application, with the EVA layer not shown. Fig. 4 is a perspective structural schematic drawing of a drawer divider according to some embodiments of the present application, with the EVA layer not shown. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a drawer separator according to some embodiments of the present application, as well as an enlarged view of its partial structure and a schematic view of changes in the partial structure. Fig. 6 is a perspective structural schematic drawing of a drawer separator according to some embodiments of the present application, which differs from that shown in Fig. 1 or Fig. 2 shown structure is extended. Fig. 7 is a perspective structural schematic drawing of a drawer separator according to some embodiments of the present application, which differs from that shown in Fig. 1 or Fig. 2 shown structure is extended. Fig. 8 shows a schematic representation of the partial sliding fit between a first partition and a second partition of a drawer separator according to some embodiments of the present application. Fig. 9 shows a diagram of the state change during assembly of a first partition wall and a second partition wall of a drawer separator according to some embodiments of the present application. Detailed description of the embodiments

[0018] The present application is described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It is expressly pointed out that the following embodiments serve merely to illustrate the present application and do not limit the scope of the present application. Likewise, the following embodiments are only some embodiments of the present application and not all embodiments. All other embodiments that can be achieved by a person skilled in the art without creative effort are also within the scope of the present application.

[0019] As in the Fig. 1 to 7, an extendable and retractable drawer divider comprises: a first partition 1 and a second partition 2; wherein one end of the first partition 1 and one end of the second partition 2 are slidably connected to each other; a locking structure 3 is arranged between the first partition 1 and the second partition 2. The locking structure 3 has a locking state and an unlocking state. In the locking state, the first partition 1 and the second partition 2 are fixed relative to each other, and in the unlocking state, the first partition 1 and the second partition 2 can be moved relative to each other.

[0020] In the present embodiment, an elastic arcuate portion 4 is disposed at each of the other end of the first partition 1 and the other end of the second partition 2. The arcuate portion 4 is designed to contact one side of a drawer. However, this solution is not limited to this; an elastic arcuate portion 4 may also be disposed at the other end of the first partition 1 or the other end of the second partition 2.

[0021] The first partition wall 1 and the second partition wall 2 of the present embodiments can be formed from elastic plastic or from an elastic metal plate.

[0022] As one embodiment, a gap 41 is formed between the other end of the first partition 1 and / or the second partition 2 and the arcuate part 4, wherein the arcuate part 4 is provided, on a side facing the gap 41, with a spring element 42 extending in a direction away from the arcuate part 4. With this construction, the arcuate part 4 on the first partition 1 or the second partition 2 is deformed into the gap 41 by the acting force when it abuts the side of the drawer. The spring plates 42 serve as support springs which, when the arcuate part 4 is deformed beyond a certain amount, abut the ends of the first partition 1 or the second partition 2, thus supporting the arcuate part 4 to prevent excessive deformation and thus breakage or other abnormal deformations of the arcuate part 4.

[0023] As an embodiment, it is preferable that an outer side of the arcuate part 4 is provided with an EVA layer 43, which has a higher fitting accuracy and relative fixability when it comes into contact with the side of the drawer due to the light and elastic material properties of the EVA material, thereby preventing the drawer separator from easily shifting due to impacts after being installed in the drawer.

[0024] In this solution, the first partition 1 and the second partition 2 are slidably connected to one another. To improve guidance stability during sliding and to prevent displacement in the width direction, it is advantageous if the first partition 1 is provided with a U-shaped first limiting part 11 on each of its two sides at one end of the first partition 1. A limiting region is formed between the two first limiting parts 11, which serves to longitudinally displace the first partition 1 and the second partition 2 relative to one another. One end of the second partition 2 penetrates the limiting region.

[0025] As an additional embodiment, the second partition wall 2 is provided with a U-shaped second limiting part 21 on each of both sides at one end of the second partition wall 2; wherein the two second limiting parts 21 are connected to the two sides of the first partition wall 1 in cooperation to displace the first partition wall 1 and the second partition wall 2 longitudinally relative to each other.

[0026] In the embodiment of the partition wall, as a preferred embodiment option, the main bodies of the first partition wall 1 and the second partition wall 2 are formed as concave housing structures; wherein an inner wall of the first partition wall 1 is provided with a rack structure 31 along its longitudinal direction; an elastic extension part 32 is arranged on a side opposite the rack structure 31 at one end of the second partition wall 2; wherein the extension part 32 has limiting teeth 33 engaging with the rack, which together with the rack structure 31 form the locking structure 3. On this basis, an escape gap 35 is arranged between the main body of the second partition wall 1 and the extension part 32, and the extension part 32 is also provided on one side with a pressure block 34, i.e.The locking structure 3 includes the rack structure 31 attached to the first partition 1, the extension part 32 and the limit teeth 33 attached to the second partition 2, and the push block 34 connected to the extension part 32. By pressing the push block 34, the state of the locking structure 3 can be switched.

[0027] In combination with the representation in Fig. 5, in the present embodiment, the limit teeth 33 are engaged with the rack structure 31 when the locking structure 3 is in the locking state, so that the first partition wall 1 and the second partition wall 2 are held relative to each other.

[0028] When the locking structure 3 is in the unlocking state, the pressure block 34 is acted upon by the force and moves the extension part 32 along the escape gap 35, whereby the limit teeth 33 are released from the rack structure 31 and the first partition wall 1 and the second partition wall 2 can be displaced relative to each other.

[0029] With a focus on the Fig. 6 or Fig. 7 As in some embodiments, it is advantageous if one side of the first partition wall 1, which is arranged opposite the second partition wall 2, is provided with a first guide groove 12. In these embodiments, the first guide grooves 12 are arranged in pairs, but they can also be formed as a single guide groove. On one side at one end of the second partition wall 2, opposite the first guide groove 12, a first guide block 23 is arranged, which slidably engages the first guide groove 12.

[0030] Combined with Fig. 8, as an optional embodiment, a limiting block 14 is arranged at one end of the first guide groove 12 near the other end of the first partition wall 1, which serves to limit the sliding distance of the first guide block 23 along the other end of the first partition wall 1.

[0031] In the construction described above, to facilitate assembly, first escape grooves 15 are arranged on both sides of the other end of the first partition wall 1 corresponding to the second limiting parts 21 on the second partition wall 2, and second escape grooves 24 are arranged on both sides of the other end of the second partition wall corresponding to the first limiting parts 11 on the first partition wall 1. In conjunction with Fig. 9 In this construction, when assembling the first partition 1 and the second partition 2, first, the first partition 1 and the second partition 2 are placed with their end surfaces against each other so that the first limiting parts 11 are opposed to the first escape grooves 15 and the second limiting parts 21 are opposed to the second escape grooves 24. Then, the end surfaces of the first partition 1 and the second partition 2 are placed against each other in a direction toward each other, and the first partition 1 is fixed. By manually pressing the pressure block 34 on the second partition 2, the limiting teeth 33 of the locking structure 3 are displaced from the rack structure 31 on the first partition 1, and then the second partition 2 is pulled to move it away from the first partition 1, at the same time, the first limiting part 11 engages with both sides of the second partition 2 and the second limiting part 21 engages with both sides of the first partition 1.

[0032] In connection with the Fig. 8, it can be seen that when the first guide groove 12 is provided with the limit block 14, a side of the limit block remote from the second partition wall 2 has an inclined surface 141. The height of the limit block 14 is slightly higher than the fitting clearance between the first guide block 23 and the first partition wall 1, and the first guide block 23 may have a thin plate structure, so that when the first partition wall 1 and the second partition wall 2 are assembled by pulling the second partition wall 2, the first guide block 23 undergoes some deformation under the action of force to overcome the limit block 14 and thus enable assembly. This is a frequently used assembly method when assembling plastic parts or elastic metal parts and will not be explained further here.

[0033] Apart from that, the first guide groove 12 of the present solution can be provided without additional limiting blocks 14, wherein the relative position between the first partition 2 and the second partition 3 is directly controlled by the fit of the locking structure 3 in order to change the extended position of the separating device.

[0034] However, the present embodiment is not limited to this. In conjunction with Fig. 6, it is advantageous as a preferred embodiment that one side of the second partition 2, which is arranged opposite the first partition 1, is provided with a second guide groove 22. On one side at one end of the first partition 1, opposite the second guide groove 22, a second guide block 13 is arranged, which slidably engages in the second guide groove 22.

[0035] The above description is only a partial embodiment of the present application and does not limit the scope of the present application. Any equivalent devices or equivalent process modifications made using the description and accompanying drawings of the present application, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are also within the scope of the present application. QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] CN 108968450A

[0003]

Claims

[1] An extendable and retractable drawer separator comprising: a first partition (1) and a second partition (2); one end of the first partition (1) and one end of the second partition (2) being slidably connected to each other; characterized by that a locking structure (3) is arranged between the first partition wall (1) and the second partition wall (2); wherein the locking structure (3) has a locking state and an unlocking state; the first partition wall (1) and the second partition wall (2) are fixed relative to each other in the locking state, and the first partition wall (1) and the second partition wall (2) can be displaced relative to each other in the unlocking state; wherein an elastic structure is arranged on at least one of the other end of the first partition (1) and the other end of the second partition (2), and the elastic structure serves to come into contact with a side of a drawer. [2] A drawer separator according to claim 1, wherein a gap (41) is formed between the other end of the first partition wall (1) or the other end of the second partition wall (2) and the arcuate part (4), or a gap (41) is formed between each of the other end of the first partition wall (1) and the other end of the second partition wall (2) and the arcuate part (4); and the arcuate part (4) is provided on a side facing the gap (41) with a spring member (42) extending in a direction away from the arcuate part (4). [3] A drawer separator according to claim 1, wherein the elastic arcuate part (4) is arranged at each of the other end of the first partition wall (1) and the other end of the second partition wall (2). [4] Drawer separator according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an outer side of the arcuate part (4) is provided with an anti-slip layer. [5] A drawer separator according to claim 4, wherein the first partition wall (1) is provided with a U-shaped first limiting part (11) on each of both sides at one end of the first partition wall (1); wherein a limiting region is formed between the two first limiting parts (11), and the limiting region serves to displace the first partition wall (1) and the second partition wall (2) relative to each other in the longitudinal direction; one end of the second partition wall (2) penetrates the limiting region. [6] A drawer separator according to claim 5, wherein the second partition (2) is provided with a U-shaped second limiting part (21) on each of both sides at one end of the second partition (2); wherein the two second limiting parts (21) are connected to the two sides of the first partition (1) in cooperation to slide the first partition (1) and the second partition (2) longitudinally relative to each other. [7] A drawer separator according to claim 5, wherein the main bodies of the first partition (1) and the second partition (2) are formed as concave housing structures; an inner wall of the first partition (1) is provided with a rack structure (31) along its longitudinal direction; an elastic extension part (32) is arranged on a side opposite to the rack structure (31) at one end of the second partition (2); wherein the extension part (32) has limiting teeth (33) engaging with the rack, which together with the rack structure (31) form the locking structure (3); an escape gap (35) is arranged between the main body of the second partition (2) and the extension part (32), and the extension part (32) is provided with a pressure block (34) on one side; wherein the limiting teeth (33) engage with the rack structure (31) when the locking structure (3) is in the locking state, so that the first partition wall (1) and the second partition wall (2) are held relative to each other; wherein the pressure block (34) is acted upon by a force and moves the extension part (32) along the escape gap (35) when the locking structure (3) is in the unlocking state, so that the limiting teeth (33) detach from the rack structure (31) and the first partition wall (1) and the second partition wall (2) can be displaced relative to each other. [8] A drawer separator according to claim 7, wherein a side of the first partition wall (1) disposed opposite to the second partition wall (2) is provided with a first guide groove (12); a first guide block (23) is disposed on a side at one end of the second partition wall (2) opposite to the first guide groove (12), and the first guide block (23) slidably engages the first guide groove (12). [9] A drawer separator according to claim 8, wherein a limiting block (14) is arranged at one end of the first guide groove (12) near the other end of the first partition wall (1), and the limiting block (14) serves to limit the sliding distance of the first guide block (23) along the other end of the first partition wall (1). [10] A drawer separator according to claim 7, wherein one side of the second partition wall (2) disposed opposite to the first partition wall (1) is provided with a second guide groove (22); a second guide block (13) is disposed on one side at one end of the first partition wall (1) opposite to the second guide groove (22), and the second guide block (13) slidably engages the second guide groove (22).

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