File drawer and assembly for supporting differently sized hanging file folders

Abstract

According to the present invention, there are provided a convertible bottomless file drawer and a file folder support assembly adapted to the bottomless file drawer for storing hanging file folders of different predetermined sizes. The bottomless file drawer includes a rectangular frame that includes a plurality of outside walls and a middle wall that includes a u-shaped channel having a bottom, and a first wall and a second wall dividing the frame into a plurality of compartments of a first predetermined dimension for supporting hanging file folders of a first predetermined size. The file folder support assembly including an inverse u-shaped channel having an inner tubular member disposed centrally therein, the tubular member of the inverse channel being adapted to seat in the u-shaped channel of the middle wall and the u-shaped channel of the middle wall being adapted to seat in the inverse channel, and a first projection extending horizontally from a first lower edge of the inverse channel, the projection having an outer wall, the top of which is coplanar with the plurality of outside walls of the frame, the outer wall reducing the first predetermined dimension of a first compartment to a second smaller predetermined dimension for supporting hanging file folders of a second predetermined size.

1 . A file folder support assembly, the file support assembly adapted to a bottomless file drawer having a rectangular frame that includes a plurality of outside walls and a middle wall that includes a u-shaped channel having a bottom, a first wall and a second wall, dividing the frame into a plurality of compartments of a first predetermined dimension for supporting hanging file folders of a first predetermined size, the file folder support assembly comprising: 
 an inverse u-shaped channel having an inner tubular member disposed centrally therein, the tubular member of the inverse channel being adapted to seat in the u-shaped channel of the middle wall and the inverse u-shaped channel being adapted to receive the u-shaped channel of the middle wall bounded by walls of the inverse u-shaped channel and the tubular member; and    a first projection extending horizontally from a first lower edge of the inverse channel, the first projection having an outer wall, the top edge of of the outer wall being adapted to be coplanar with the top edges of the plurality of outside walls of the frame when the u-shaped channel of the middle wall is received by inverse u-shaped channel, the outer wall being adapted to reduce the first predetermined dimension of a first compartment of the file drawer to a second smaller predetermined dimension for supporting hanging file folders of a second predetermined size.    
   
   
       2 . The file folder support assembly according to  claim 1 , further comprising a second projection extending horizontally from a second lower edge of the inverse channel, the projection having an outer wall, the top edge of of the outer wall being adapted to be coplanar with the top edges of the plurality of outside walls of the frame when the u-shaped channel of the middle wall is received by inverse u-shaped channel, the outer wall being adapted to reduce the first predetermined dimension of a second compartment to a second smaller predetermined dimension for supporting hanging file folders of a second predetermined size.  
   
   
       3 . The file folder support assembly according to  claim 1 , further comprising an attachment means for securely attaching the file folder support assembly to the middle wall of the file drawer.  
   
   
       4 . The file folder support assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the inverse channel, including the inner tubular member, is provided with at least one through hole and a respective at least one screw is adapted to secure receipt by the inverse channel of the u-shaped channel of the middle wall via the at least one through hole.  
   
   
       5 . The file folder support assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the top edge of the outer wall of the file folder support assembly includes a hem flange adapted to support hanging file folders.  
   
   
       6 . A convertible bottomless file drawer for storing hanging file folders of different predetermined sizes, the file drawer comprising: 
 rectangular frame that includes a plurality of outside walls and a middle wall that includes a u-shaped channel having a bottom, a first wall and a second wall, dividing the frame into a plurality of compartments of a first predetermined dimension for supporting hanging file folders of a first predetermined size; and    a file folder support assembly including: 
 an inverse u-shaped channel having an inner tubular member disposed centrally therein, the tubular member of the inverse channel being adapted to seat in the u-shaped channel of the middle wall and the u-shaped channel of the middle wall being adapted to seat in the inverse channel, the u-shaped channel of the middle wall being bounded by walls of the inverse u-shaped channel and the tubular member; and  
   a first projection extending horizontally from a first lower edge of the inverse channel, the first projection having an outer wall, the top of of the outer wall being adapted to be coplanar with the top edges of the plurality of outside walls of the frame when inverse channel is seated in the u-shaped channel of the middle wall, the outer wall being adapted to reduce the first predetermined dimension of a first compartment to a second smaller predetermined dimension for supporting hanging file folders of a second predetermined size.    
   
   
       7 . The convertible bottomless file drawer according to  claim 6 , wherein the file folder support assembly further comprises a second projection extending horizontally from a second lower edge of the inverse channel, the second projection having an outer wall, the top edge of the outer wall being coplanar with the top edges of the plurality of outside walls of the frame, the outer wall being adapted to reduce the predetermined dimension of a second compartment to a second smaller predetermined dimension for supporting hanging file folders of a second predetermined size.  
   
   
       8 . The convertible bottomless file drawer according to  claim 1 , wherein the file folder support assembly further comprises an attachment means for securely attaching the file folder support assembly to the middle wall of the file drawer.  
   
   
       9 . The convertible bottomless file drawer according to  claim 1 , wherein the inverse channel, including the inner tubular member, of the file folder support assembly is provided with at least one through hole and a respective at least one screw is adapted to securely attach the inverse channel to the u-shaped channel of the middle wall via the through hole.  
   
   
       10 . The convertible bottomless file drawer according to  claim 1 , wherein top edges of the walls of the frame and the file folder support assembly include hem flanges for supporting hanging file folders.