GB1562352A

GB1562352A - Front removable drawer slide

Info

Publication number: GB1562352A
Application number: GB37032/77A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Hardware Designers Inc
Current assignee: Hardware Designers Inc
Priority date: 1976-11-03
Filing date: 1977-09-05
Publication date: 1980-03-12
Also published as: CA1044742A

Description

(54) FRONT REMOVABLE DRAWER SLIDE (71) We, HARDWARE DESIGNERS, INC., a corporation of the State of New York, United States of America, of P.O. Box 667, Kisco Avenue, Mt. Kisco, New York, U.S.A., do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- The present invention is in the field of drawer suspensions and relates more particularly to a drawer suspension which enables the drawer to be removed when the same is in the fully extended position but which, in addition, locks the drawer against inadvertent removal, and facilitates replacement of the drawer.

In United States Patent No. 3995,927, there is disclosed a drawer suspension which includes first and second channel members interconnected by anti-friction means, such as rollers. As is conventional, a said channel member is secured to each side of the drawer and a complemental channel is secured to opposed parallel faces of a cabinet adjacent the drawer, whereby the drawer may slide in and out freely.

As noted in the above referenced patent, means may be provided to block the drawer from being inadvertently pulled clear of the cabinet, with resultant spilling of the contents. Such latching means may include a gravity pawl which, when the drawer channels reach a predetermined relatively extended position, falls into place between the channels and precludes further sliding movement, removal of the drawer requiring manual tripping of the pawls.

Such latch mechanism possess certain inherent disadvantages. Specifically, since spring or gravitational forces are relied upon as the means for urging the pawl into latching engagement with a stop, accumulations of dirt, or corrosion, or deformation of the parts mav create sufficient friction to prevent the pawl from moving into the desired stop position. Should this condition occur, or should the drawer be pulled forward so quickly that the pawl has insufficient time to fall into locking position, the drawer may be pulled entirely clear of the cabinet and the contents spilled.

A further drawback of certain pawl latching units resides in the fact that their operation is dependent upon a stop tooth of the pawl scanning or rubbing against a sliding component of the cabinet channel in the course of normal longitudinal movements of the drawer, a condition which creates chatter or noise during normal extending and retracting movements of the drawer.

According to the present invention there is provided a front removable drawer slide assembly comprising in combination, a drawer channel and a cabinet channel, said channels being elongate and generally Ushaped in transverse section, said channels each including a central web of said U and a pair of spaced parallel track portions extending from the extremities of said web and defining the legs of said U, said channels being disposed in vertically stacked parallel relation, with said webs being in lateral offset vertical planes and said legs extending in opposite directions, with the lower leg of the upper channel being in proximate spaced relation to the upper leg of the lower channel, an anti-friction roller mounted adjacent an extremity of each said channel, said rollers extending into the other said channels for slidably supporting said channels for translatory movement relative to each other, a latch member movably mounted on one said channel, said latch member being shiftable between locking and unlocking positions, a stop member on the other said channel positioned to engage said latch member in the locking position thereof and limit translatory separating movements of said channels, and means on said other channel in the path of said latch member for shifting said latch member from said unlocking to said locking position responsive to predetermined relative longitudinal movement of said channels. Preferably said means on said other channel in the path of said latch member comprises said roller of said other channel and the latch member comprises a pawl pivotally mounted on said one channel.

In a preferred construction of the assembly the positions of the pawl and the noted roller are co-ordinated in such manner that a latching tooth or portion of the pawl is positively projected into engagement with a stop portion on the cabinet channel as the drawer approaches its fully withdrawn position, whereby the drawer may not be inadvertently pulled clear of the cabinet even if the means with the movable connection between the pawl and the drawer channel becomes fouled or corroded, increasing the forces required to effect such movements.

The pawl, in its normal operative position, is clear of any scanning or wiping contact with the cabinet channel, whereby relatively noiseless suspension is achieved.

The invention will be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view of a drawer slide assembly, with associated drawer shown in phantom, embodying the invention; FIGURE 2 is a vertical elevational view of part of one side of the slide assembly showing the components at a partially withdrawn position of the drawer; FIGURE 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, showing the position of the parts as the drawer approaches the fully extended position; FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3; FIGURE 5 is a view similar to Figure 2, showing the position of the parts in the fully extended position of the drawer; FIGURE 6 is an enlarged view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5;; FIGURE 7 is a view similar to Figures 2 and 5, showing the position of the parts following removal of the drawer.

Turning now to the drawings, there is shown in Figure 1 a drawer assembly including a drawer 10, depicted in broken lines, having side panels 11 and 12. Each said side panel has fixed thereto an elongate movable channel 13 of a suspension system, the other components of the suspension system being elongate channels 14, 14 intended to be fixed to the wall portions of the cabinet adjacent the sides 11, 12.

It will be appreciated that the function of the suspension system is to permit the drawer to be extended and returned to its position within the cabinet quietly and with a minimum of friction. It is also intended to prevent the drawer from being inadvertently pulled outwardly from the cabinet to a completely disengaged position, yet to permit facile removal of the drawer by an appropriate manipulation.

The drawer supported channel 13 is Ushaped in transverse section and, as best seen in Figures 1 and 4, includes a central web 15 and an upper and a lower track 16, 17, respectively. The channel 13, adjacent its rearward end 18 includes a depending bracket 19 carrying a laterally off-set roller member 20.

The channel 14, which is likewise UX shaped in transverse section, includes a central web 21 and upper and lower tracks 22, 23, and has at its forward end 24 an upwardly directed bracket 25. A roller 26 extends laterally inwardly from the bracket.

It will be understood that upon assembly of the channels, the roller 20 of the drawer channel 13 will enter the channel 14 and ride upon the lower track 23 thereof, and roller 26 of the cabinet channel 14 will enter channel 13 and ride upon the track 17 thereof, to provide relatively frictionless forward and rearward translatory movement of the drawer within its supporting cabinet.

The suspension assembly as thus far described is essentially conventional.

The principal advance of the present construction resides in the latching mechanism which prevents inadvertent outward removal of the drawer and ensures that the components which control such removal are positively set to their latched position as the drawer approaches its outward limiting position.

The latch mechanism includes a pawl member 27 supported on the drawer slide 13 at a rearward position therealong, the pawl being pivotally mounted on a stud member 28 extending into the channel. The pawl includes a throughgoing aperture 29 which surrounds the stud 28, enabling a limited rocking movement of the pawl. The pawl includes a horizontally directed latch portion 30 at a rearward end and a hori- zontal activator portion 31 adjacent its for ward or outward end. The pawl, in addition, includes a trip or release portion 32 adjacent the activator portion 31.

The upper track 16 of the drawer channel 13 includes rear clearance slot 33 in alignment with latch portion 30 and a forward clearance slot 34, through which extends an upwardly directed connector portion 35 of the pawl, the connector portion linking the trip or release portion 32 with activator portion 31.

As best seen in Figures 2 and 4, the release portion 32 overlies the top rail 16, limiting clockwise movement of the pawl.

In similar fashion, since the body of the pawl underlies the track 16, anti-clockwise pivotal movement of the pawl is limited by engagement of the body of the pawl against portions of the track 16. It will thus be seen that the pawl is provided with a limited range of pivotal movement about the stud 28, the anti-clockwise and clockwise limiting positions of the pawl being illustrated, respectively, in Figures 3 and 7.

The bracket 25 of the cabinet channel 14 includes a stop tab member 36 which extends into the drawer channel 13 in leading position relative to the roller 26. It will be observed from Figure 2 that the upper peripheral edge 26' of the roller 26 extends to a height slightly above the height of the uppermost edge 37 of the stop tab member 36.

When the pawl 27 is pivoted in such manner that the latch portion 30 is downwardly disposed, Figure 3, the outwardly extending latch portion 30 will be positioned in the path of the inwardly bent stop tab 36 of bracket 25.

This position of the parts is shown in Figure 5 wherein it can be clearly perceived that further outward movements of the drawer carried channel 13 are prevented by engagement of the portions 30 of the pawl and stop tab member 36 of the bracket 25 carried by the cabinet channel.

It will be further recognized that to complete removal of the drawer, it will be necessary to depress the release portion 32 of the pawl so as to lift the pawl in a clockwise direction, lifting the latch 30 of the pawl to a level above the stop 36 of the bracket (see Figure 5), whereupon the drawer may be manually removed.

Preferably, the pawl 27 is weighted in such manner as to be maintained under gravitational influences in the anti-clockwise position shown in Figures 3 and 5. So long as the pawl is thus positioned, the latch portion will lie in the path of the stop 36 and an outward pulling force exerted on the drawer will be ineffective to pull the drawer clear of the cabinet without manual activation of the pawl 27 in the manner indicated.

A problem exists, however, where, as a result of the accumulation of detritus, corrosion, or deformation of the parts, the pawl 27 does not freely pivot about the stud 28.

Should such condition or some other condition which precludes free pivoting movement of the pawl develop, and the pawl resist gravitational forces tending to move the same to the position of Figure 3 it is possible that the drawer could inadvertently be withdrawn completely from the cabinet.

Since pulling forces on the drawer are typically exerted at the lead or outermost end of the drawer, it would be obvious that, should the drawer be pulled free, the contents of the drawer would be spilled.

The principal advance of the present construction resides in the provision of means for ensuring that the pawl will be disposed in the position shown in Figure 3, i.e.

counterclockwise rotated. This function is provided by a disposition of activator portion 31 in the path of the upper peripheral portion 26' of the roller 26.

As will be observed from a comparison of Figures 2 and 3 if the pawl should be jammed in the clockwise rotated position shown in Figure 2, the activator portion 31, although at a level above the stop portion 36, will be engaged by the peripheral portion 26' of the roller 26 and positively tilted to the desired anti-clockwise position whereat the latch portion 30 is depressed into the path of the stop 36 (the Figure 3 position.) In Figure 3, the activator portion is shown in engagement with a peripheral portion of the roller 26.

Complete removal of the drawer, as previously noted, is effected by manually depressing the portions 32 of the respective suspension assemblies to the position shown in Figure 7, whereat the latches 30 are raised to a position above the stops 36. Return of the drawer following removal may be effected by placing roller 26 in the rear end of channel 13 and sliding the drawer inwardly. Replacement of the drawer is facilitated since the pawl 27 need not be manually activated, the roller, upon inward movement, serving to lift and cam the latch 30 of the pawl over the roller and stop tab 36. The lengthwise or horizontal extent of the latch 30 is greater than the spacing of tab 36 from the roller periphery so that the latch 30 cannot fall into the path of the stop tab 36 until the latch 30 has passed inwardly over tab 36.

In view of the positive interaction of the roller and pawl whereby the latter is automatically set upon withdrawal of the drawer and returned to latching position upon reinsertion of the drawer due to the roller 26 again lifting activator 31, the use of a gravity pawl is not mandatory.

Indeed, there are instances in which it may be preferred that the pawl not freely rotate about the stud, e.g. that a friction clutch be interposed between the noted parts.

It will be further observed that no portion of the pawl structure carried by the drawer engages against any portion of the cabinet structure during normal translatory movement of the drawer within the cabinet.

It will be readily recognized in the light of the above disclosure that variations may be made in details of the construction without departing from the invention. Thus it will be appreciated that certain of the ad vantages of the invention may be retained by reversing the position of elements to be mounted to the respective channels.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A front removable drawer slide assembly comprising, in combination, a drawer channel and a cabinet channel, said channels being elongate and generally Ushaped in transverse section, said channels each including a central web of said U and a pair of spaced parallel track portions extending from the extremities of said web and defining the legs of said U, said channels being disposed in vertically stacked parallel relation, with said webs being in lateral offset vertical planes and said legs extending in opposite directions, with the lower leg of the upper channel being in proximate spaced relation to the upper leg of the lower channel, an anti-friction roller mounted adjacent an extremity of each said channel, said rollers extending into the other said channels for slidably supporting said channels for translatory movement relative to each other, a latch member movably mounted on one said channel, said latch member being shiftable between locking and unlocking positions, a stop member on the other said channel positioned to engage said latch member in the locking position thereof and limit translating separating movements of said channels, and means on said other channel in the path of said latch member for shifting said latch member from said unlocking to said locking position responsive to predetermined relative longitudinal movement of said channels.

2. A drawer slide assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein said means on said other channel in the path of said latch member comprises said roller of said other channel.

3. A drawer slide assembly in accordance with claim 2, wherein said latch member comprises a pawl pivotally mounted on said one channel.

4. A drawer slide assembly in accordance with claim 3, wherein said pawl includes a latch portion adapted to engage said stop member, and an activator portion disposed in the path of said roller.

5. A drawer slide assembly in accordance with claim 4, wherein said pawl includes a release portion extending outwardly of said one channel whereby said pawl may be shifted from said locking to said unlocking positions by manipulation of said release portion.

6. A drawer slide assembly in accordance with claim 3, 4 or 5, wherein said pawl is gravitationally urged toward its locking position.

7. A drawer slide assembly in accordance with claim 5, wherein said one channel is said drawer channel.

8. A drawer slide assembly in accordance with claim 5, wherein said roller member of said other channel is positioned to engage said latch portion of said pawl and shift said pawl to said unlatching position responsive to longitudinal relative movements of said channels from the disassembled to the assembled condition.

9. A front removable drawer slide assembly constructed and arranged to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. vantages of the invention may be retained by reversing the position of elements to be mounted to the respective channels. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A front removable drawer slide assembly comprising, in combination, a drawer channel and a cabinet channel, said channels being elongate and generally Ushaped in transverse section, said channels each including a central web of said U and a pair of spaced parallel track portions extending from the extremities of said web and defining the legs of said U, said channels being disposed in vertically stacked parallel relation, with said webs being in lateral offset vertical planes and said legs extending in opposite directions, with the lower leg of the upper channel being in proximate spaced relation to the upper leg of the lower channel, an anti-friction roller mounted adjacent an extremity of each said channel, said rollers extending into the other said channels for slidably supporting said channels for translatory movement relative to each other, a latch member movably mounted on one said channel, said latch member being shiftable between locking and unlocking positions, a stop member on the other said channel positioned to engage said latch member in the locking position thereof and limit translating separating movements of said channels, and means on said other channel in the path of said latch member for shifting said latch member from said unlocking to said locking position responsive to predetermined relative longitudinal movement of said channels.