CA2708722A1

CA2708722A1 - Mobile drawer storage system

Info

Publication number: CA2708722A1
Application number: CA 2708722
Authority: CA
Inventors: Randal Cowie
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-07-06
Filing date: 2010-07-06
Publication date: 2012-01-06

Abstract

A storage system for small parts and tools, comprised of vertically stackable drawer units which interlock so as to form a stack of drawers, or individually detach so as to be portable. This system is suitable for use with a motor vehicle, where the individual drawer units would be vertically stacked on to a base plate in an interlocking manner, said base plate being securely mounted to the vehicle for stability while the vehicle is in motion. The operator may detach individual drawers from the top of the drawer stack and vertically stack them in the same interlocking mariner onto a means of conveyance such as a hand truck or cart specialty modified for the purpose, thereby providing a mobile drawer stack.

Claims

1. A mobile- drawer storage system comprising: one or more individual drawer units comprised of a drawer tray contained within an outer drawer shell, and being identically equipped with latching devices so as to allow said drawer units to be latched to each other when said drawer units are superimposed upon each other, said drawer units being positionally interchangeable; one or more base plates to which said drawer units may be latched after the same manner to which said drawer units are latched to each other, said base plate(s) being intended to be mounted to a motor vehicle; a manual means of conveyance equipped with a similar base plate, to which said drawer units may also be latched.

2. A latching device as defined in claim 1, in which the drawer shell of individual drawer units is pivotably coupled to a handle which serves a dual purpose of restraining the drawer tray contained within the drawer unit, and of latching one drawer unit on top of another drawer unit, or of latching said drawer unit on top of a base plate.

3. A handle as defined in claim 2, in which said handle is comprised of a plane surface traversing the front of a drawer shell and possessing latitudinally opposed flanges, said flanges being pivotably coupled to the inside surfaces of the opposing sides of a drawer shell.

4. A handle as defined in claims 2 and 3, in which said handle may be rotated in a downward direction to the point at which said handle's plane surface traversing the front of the drawer shell is flush with the opposed inside returned surfaces of the drawer shell, allowing the drawer tray contained within the drawer shell to be drawn out over top of said plane surface of drawer handle.

5. A handle as defined in claims 2,3, and 4, in which spring steel strips are horizontally attached to handle flanges so as to extend lengthwise within the drawer shell, perpendicular to the forward facing outer edge of said handle.

6. A handle as defined in claims, 2, 3, 4, and 5, in which spring steel strips extend rearwards from handle flanges to which they are attached, the bottom extreme rearward surface of said strips being in contact with the opposed inside returned surfaces of the drawer shell; the upper rearward surface of said strips being in contact with a horizontal stud protruding inwards from, and perpendicular to, the inside surface of both sides of said drawer shell,

7 Mobile Drawer Storage System 7. A handle as defined in claims 2,3,4,5, and 6, which incorporates a latching device as defined in claims I and 2, comprised of studs horizontally mounted to the opposing outside perpendicular faces of the sides of said handle, said studs protruding through vertical slots in the opposed vertical side faces of the drawer shell so as tot interfere with the forward angled edges of striker plates mounted vertically to the extreme forward upper portion of each side of another drawer shell, should drawer units so equipped be surimposed upon each other; said studs interfering with said striker plates so as to restrain upper drawer unit from forward movement.

8. A latching device as defined in claims 1, 2, and 7, in which a stud protrudes horizontally from the extreme forward lower portion of each side of a drawer shell, said studs being perpendicular to said side of drawer unit so as to be received by a notch in the forward facing edge of a striker plate as defined in claim 7 should one drawer unit be surimposed upon another, thereby restraining the upper drawer unit from upward or rearward movement.

9. A striker plate as defined in claims 7 and 8, in which said striker plate is mounted vertically to the extreme forward upper portion of each side of a drawer shell and incorporates a notch in its forward facing edge so as to receive stud as defined in claim 8; said striker plate also having an angled upper portion of its forward facing edge so as to interfere with a stud as defined in claim 7.

10.A latching device as defined in claim 1, in which all drawer units are identically equipped with shoulder bolts protruding vertically from the opposite sides of the rear top surface of the drawer shell, as well as having rearward facing bird's mouth slots in the opposed rear returned inside surface of the drawer shell, said shoulder bolts of a first drawer unit being positioned so as to receive said bird's mouth slots of a second drawer unit, should a first drawer unit be imposed upon a second drawer unit by means of a horizontal rearward sliding motion, all drawer units being postionally interchangeable.

11.A base plate as defined in claim 1, in which said base plate may be fixedly mounted to a motor vehicle or detachably mounted to a manual conveyance, and is equipped so as to be compatible with the drawer unit latching system as defined in claims 1,2,7,8, and 10, thereby allowing drawer units to be latched to, or unlatched from, said base plate.