AU769252B2

AU769252B2 - Drawer guide

Info

Publication number: AU769252B2
Application number: AU23909/99A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Eyyahi Dincdemir; Oliver Schael
Original assignee: Paul Hettich GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Paul Hettich GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 1998-04-29
Filing date: 1999-04-22
Publication date: 2004-01-22
Anticipated expiration: 2019-04-22
Also published as: DE29807536U1; JPH11332675A; CA2270317C; JP4523090B2; EP0958760A2; EP0958760A3; DE59912540D1; ATE304303T1; AU2390999A; ES2245056T3; EP0958760B1; CA2270317A1

Abstract

A guide rail (11) is fixed into the body of the furniture (12) for receiving a runner (15) mounted in one side of the drawer (16). The runner is moved on rollers (17) along a track in a profiled rail (13) at one or both ends of the guide arrangement (10). The area of the profiled rail engaging with the runner has at least one region displaced from the vertical so that it extends in the direction of the lateral forces that occur in the arrangement when the runner is placed under load.

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Applicant(s): PAUL HETTICH GMBH CO.

V

V.

V

V.

V

Invention Title: DRAWER GUIDE

V

V V

V.

V. V V V

V.

The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: la Drawer guide This present invention concerns a drawer guide with a guide rail which can be fastened to the frame of the furniture and a sliding rail which can be attached to the drawer and is guided by means of rolling bodies, and with a profiled rail having tracks at one end region or both end regions for the rolling bodies. Drawer guides which may be used are known with various designs.

Provided the drawer guide is designed as a partial guide, the guide rail is integral with the profiled rail. In this case the sliding rail is fastened to the drawer. In the case of these executions the drawer can be pulled out only partially from the frame of the furniture. When it needs to be pulled out fully, the drawer guide is fitted with sliding rails, one of which is fastened to the drawer and the other to the guide rail. However, executions are known, wherein the fixed sliding rail is made integral with the guide rail.

o--In these executions the profiled rails have tracks for the rolling bodies at both ends. When the drawer is pulled out, the profiled rail also travels. In the case of 25 executions known to date, the region adjacent to the tracks is parallel to the side wall of the frame of the furniture to which the guide rail is fastened, both when partially and fully pulled out. Therefore, in a normal case the adjacent region is perpendicular. When pulling out the drawer lateral forces are also acting on the guide. In the case of the executions described above the *0 lateral stability of the guide is not very great. For this reason there are disadvantages when the drawer is o. pilled out or pushed in, since in particular the region of 0. i 35 the profiled rail situated outside the tracks is elastically deformed.

H \flanagan\keep\SPECIFICATIONS\23909-99.doc 12/03/03 -2- SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention there is provided a drawer guide having: a guide rail which can be fastened to the frame of the furniture; a sliding rail which can be attached to the drawer and is guided by means of rolling bodies; and a profiled rail having three tracks for the rolling bodies at each of one or both end regions; wherein a portion of the profiled rail adjacent to the tracks is offset at least partly relative to the vertical, and a second portion of the profiled rail formed by the three tracks has an outward open groove into which an end web of the profiled rail is introduced by bending.

Preferably, the portion of the profiled rail adjacent to the tracks is offset relative to the vertical generally towards the guide rail.

Preferably, the profiled rail is offset relative to the vertical by an amount corresponding to lateral forces expected to be encountered in use.

S 25 The angle of inclination relative to the vertical depends on the design of the guide. By virtue of an appropriate inclination one can assume that the lateral forces acting will not cause an elastic deformation of the said portion.

Preferably, the portion of the profiled rail which is adjacent to the tracks is essentially straight, but is ***inclined relative to the vertical.

Alternatively, the portion of the profiled rail which is oooo° S 35 adjacent to the tracks is essentially curved.

Preferably, the region of the profiled rail which is adjacent to the tracks is bent once or several times in the same or opposite directions or has a zigzag shape.

H:\lauraw\Keep\Speci\2390 9 -00 doc 31/10/03 3 Preferably, including a further sliding rail attached to or integral with said guide rail.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order that the invention can be more easily understood, embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig.l is an end view of a drawer guide according to the invention in the form of a partial guide.

Fig.2 is an end view of a drawer guide according to the invention in the form of a full guide.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The drawer guide 10 illustrated in Figs.l and 2 has a guide rail 11, which has an angular shape and is fastened to a side wall 12 of a frame of a furniture not otherwise shown. In the execution according to Fig.l the profiled rail 13 forms an integral rail with the guide rail 11.

In the case of the execution according to Fig.2 this single-piece rail is formed from the guide rail 11 and a fixed sliding rail 14. A sliding rail 15, which has a similar cross-section, is fastened to the drawer 16, which is illustrated indicatively only. Therefore in the execution according to Fig.l the sliding rail 14 is omitted. In the execution according to Fig.l the profiled rail 13 has three tracks. In the execution according to Fig.2 both ends have the same construction, so that once again three tracks are present. To each track of the profiled rail 13 several rolling bodies 17 are allocated behind each other in the shape of ball bearings. In oe particular Fig.2 shows that the region, or "portion", of ooo ~35 the profiled rail 13 is situated between the tracks at the ends is inclined relative to the vertical. This is also valid for the execution according to Fig.l, but the included angle of the region adjacent to the tracks or situated between the tracks is so designed, that it extends in the H:\lauraw\Keep\Speci\23909-00Odoc 31/10/03 4 direction of the resultant of the lateral forces acting on the drawer guide 10. This said region does not have to be straight or curved, but can be bent, preferably several times.

It is also conceivable to provide a zig-zag like shape, so that depending on the design of this region certain parts are offset relative to the vertical or are inclined relative to it. At the same time remaining parts can extend also vertically.

In the embodiments illustrated, the three tracks allocated to a sliding rail 14 and 15 have been produced by multiple angular bendings. This will form a groove 18, into which the end web 19 is introduced by bending.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments illustrated. Essential is that the region adjacent to the tracks or situated between the tracks may deviate from the vertical and may be constructed in various manners, so that the elasticity caused by the lateral forces can be reduced.

In the claims which following and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word "comprising" is used in the sense of "including", i.e. the features specified may be associated with further features in various embodiments of the invention.

0* It is to be understood. that, if any prior art publication is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms a part of the 35 common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country.

\\melbfiles\home$\flanagan\keep\SPECIFICATIONS\23909-99.doc 12/03/03

Claims

2. A drawer guide as claimed in claim i, wherein the portion of the profiled rail adjacent to the tracks is offset relative to the vertical generally towards the guide rail.
3. A drawer guide as claimed in either preceding claims 1 or 2, wherein the profiled rail is offset oo. relative to the vertical by an amount corresponding to lateral forces expected to be encountered in use.
4. A drawer guide as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the portion of the profiled rail which is adjacent to the tracks is essentially straight, but is inclined relative to the vertical. A drawer guide as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the portion of the profiled rail which is adjacent to the tracks is essentially curved. S 35 6. A drawer guide as claimed in any one of the Spreceding claims, wherein the portion of the profiled rail which is adjacent to the tracks is bent once or several times in the same or opposite directions or has a zigzag shape. H:\1auraw\Keep\Speci\23909-OO.doC 31/10/03 6
7. A drawer guide as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, including a further sliding rail attached to or integral with said guide rail.
8. A drawer guide substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 1 or to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings. Dated this 3 1 s t day of October 2003 PAUL HETTICH GMBH CO By their Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK Fellows Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys of Australia a e e* *e*e e H:\lauraw\Keep\Speci\23909-00.doc 31/10/03