GB2030847A

GB2030847A - Drawer slide arrangements

Info

Publication number: GB2030847A
Application number: GB7918359A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: LB Ltd
Current assignee: LB Ltd
Priority date: 1978-05-30
Filing date: 1979-05-25
Publication date: 1980-04-16
Also published as: SE7904623L; AU4733579A; GB2030847B; FR2427073A1; DE2920879A1

Abstract

A component 30 for mounting on a drawer runner comprising a one piece moulding in plastics material incorporating bearing means adapted to support the drawer during opening and closing movements and resilient means serving to take up lateral clearance between the drawer and the runner arising from variations in manufacturing tolerances. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Drawers and drawer runners The invention relates to drawers and drawer runners and to components for use in the construction thereof. The invention is especially concerned with so-called "knock-down" drawers of plastic construction comprising hollow extruded wall panels having slots therein for accommodation of the drawer floor, the drawer back and side panels being adapted to be interconnected at right angles to one another by corner pieces having projecting spigots engageable in the ends of the panels. The invention is however also applicableto other forms of drawer.

One of the problems in relation to drawers is that a clearance requires to be left between the respective runner grooves in the opposite sides of the drawer and the runners on which the drawer is mounted in use. The clearance is necessary both to enablethe drawer to slide easily between open and closed positions and to allow for manufacturing tolerances and this can result in excessive slide movement giving the drawer a "sloppy" feel during sliding movement.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate this difficulty.

The invention provides a component for mounting on a drawer runner comprising a one-piece moulding in plastics material incorporating bearing means adapted to support the drawer during opening and closing movements thereof and resilient means serving to take up lateral clearance between the drawer and the runner arising from variations in manufacturing tolerances.

In one embodiment for use in association with a runner having a horizontal flange slidably engaged with a guide and bearing member at the rear end of the drawer to support same during sliding movement of the drawer, the component is adapted to be mounted on said horizontal flange of the runner so as to extend into the runner recess in the drawer, and incorporates at least one upwardly-directed bearing member for engagement with the runner recess to support the drawer during opening and closing movements and at least one resilient projection adapted for engagement with a portion of the runner recess and so disposed as to apply lateral pressure to the drawer and hence take up lateral clearance between the drawer and the runner.

One preferred embodiment is adapted for use in association with a drawer in which the runner recess is provided with opposed longitudinally-extending lips projecting across the mouth thereof, said resilient projection being so directed asto act against the inner face of at least one of said longitudinal lips.

Alternatively the resilient projection may act against the vertical wall which constitutes the back of the runner recess.

Preferably said resilient projection is carried by said bearing member. Advantageously a pair of opposed resilient projections are provided which are disposed side-by-side in the same horizontal plane the projections being carried by opposed upwardlyinclined arms on the upper surfaces of which constitute portions of said bearing member.

The component is preferably located towards the forward end of the runner and may be detachably mounted thereon.

The invention also provides a drawer runner fitted with a bearing and compensating component according to the preceding paragraphs and a drawer assembly consisting of a drawer and two such runners.

The invention also provides a drawer runner having a roller or skid at its forward end for engagement in the runner recess of a drawer, a horizontal flange slidably engageable with a guide and bearing member at the rear end of the drawer to support same during sliding movement of the drawer relative to the runner, and a bearing member disposed rearwardly of the roller or skid and having an upwardly directed resilient bearing surface which is disposed at a level slightly below that of the top of the roller.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. lisa fragmentary perspective view of a drawer and drawer runner of a kind to which the device may be fitted; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a drawer runner and a device for taking up lateral tolerance positioned adjacent thereto; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the device mounted on the runner; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the device; Fig. 5 is an end view of the device; Fig. 6 is a plan view of the device; Fig. 7 is a vertical cross-section through a side wall panel of a drawer and associated drawer runner showing the device in position; and Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a drawer and runners showing a modification.

Referring firstly to Fig. 1 there is shown a drawer of so-called "knock-down" construction, comprising identical hollow extruded side and back wall panels 5 interconnected at right angles to one another by corner pieces 6. The forward ends of the side panels 5 are connected to a drawer front 7 by means of end connectors (not shown). As shown in Fig. 7, the side panel 5 comprises upper, intermediate and lower hollow sections 6A, 6B and 6C separated by internal webs 7. The lower hollow section 6C of the panel incorporates an inwardly directed recess 8 adjacent the lower longitudinal edge of the panel to accommodate an edge of a drawer bottom (not shown).

The section 6C also incorporates an outwardlydirected longitudinal recess or channel 9 the entrance to which is partially closed by upper and lower longitudinal lips 11A, 11B extending across the channel 9 towards one another. The channel 9 constitutes an integral runner track designed to accommodate a drawer runner.

Fig. 1 also shows a drawer runner of angle form and L-shaped cross-section having a vertical mounting flange 16 by means of which the runner may be mounted in a suitable position in a cabinet or like housing in which the drawer is to be slidably located.

The runner also has a drawer-engaging flange 17 which projects at right angles from the mounting flange and is adapted to extend into the channel 9. At its forward end the mounting flange 16 is extended and carries a roller 18 rotatable about a horizontal pin 19. The mounting flange 16 is provided with holes 20 at spaced intervals enabling the runner to be secured in position in the cabinet or like housing in which it is to be mounted in use.

A rear guide and bearing member 25 is mounted atthe rear end of the channel 9 and projects rearwardly from the drawer. The member 25 comprises an insert having a locking part 26 which engages with the drawer and a body part 27 which projects to the rear of the drawer. The locking part 26 is provided with a detent (not shown) which engages with a hole in the inner wall of the channel 9 and when the insert is in position the body part 27 projects to the rear of the drawer. The body part incorporates a pair of opposed curved bearing surfaces 28 which are spaced apart sufficiently to accommodate the flange 17 of the drawer runner and provide opposed bearing surfaces therefor. The body or bearing part 27 thus provides a guide and bearing member for supporting the rear end of the drawer on the runner during relative sliding movement thereof.When the guide and bearing member is in position a downwardly directed opening 29 is left between the bearing surfaces 28 and the rear wall of the drawer, this opening forming an entrance to the channel 9. In this way the drawer may be mounted on the runners by engaging the rollers 18 on the runners at opposite sides of the cabinet or the like in the respective openings 29 and pushing the drawer into the cabinet to engage the rollers in the runner recesses 9. The diameter of the rollers is greater than the spacing between the lips 11A and 11 B so that the rollers can only be engaged with and removed from the recesses 9 by way of the gaps 29. The rollers are also capable of limited movement axially of the pins 19.

In orderto compensateforvariations in lateral tolerance between the drawer and the runners a device 30 is mounted on the flange 17 of each runner adjacent to its forward end. Each device 30 is a onepiece moulding of plastics material and comprises a body portion 31 provided with forked portions 32 adapted to embrace the flange 17 of the runner, the forked portions being separated by a downwardly depending lug 33 (Fig. 4) which engages in a hole 34 formed in the flange 17. The lug is a loose fit in the hole to enable limited twisting movement of the device 30 relative to the runner to compensate for any misalignment of the drawer and the runner, especially during opening and closing movements.

The flange 17 is also cut away at 35 to accommodate the forked portions 32 and is provided with an upstanding stop member 36 which, together with the lug 33 prevents axial movement of the device along the runner during use.

Mounted above the forked portions 32 are a pair of upwardly diverging flexible arms 37 each of which carries a laterally projecting resilient tongue 38.

When the drawer is located on the runners the arms 37 contact the upper surface of the runner recesses 9 and form a bearing member supplementing the rear guide and bearing member 25. The tongues 38 flex outwardly into contact with the inner surfaces of the upper longitudinal lip 1 1A of the runner recess and in association with the similar tongues on the device at the opposite side of the drawer and the axial movement of the rollers 18 on their pins 19, provide a resilient self-centring effect which takes up lateral play due to variation in tolerance of the drawer and runner components. The tongues 38 taper towards their free ends, thereby producing increased force with increased deflection.

The arms 37 are of tapered cross-section, becoming narrower towards their upper ends so that as they are deflected their resistance to further deflection increases, thereby providing increased support with increased load. By virtue of the spacing of the arms 37 in the longitudinal direction of the runner the load applied by the weight of the drawer is spread along the runner. Moreover the upper bearing surfaces of the arms 37 are substantially flat so that the load is supported over the flat surfaces and is not concentrated at a line of contact as in the case ofthe roller 18.

The use of the device 30 in conjunction with the roller 18 has been found to produce a substantial reduction in wear and increase in the life of the drawer itself. The arrangement is such that the upper surfaces of the arms 37 are disposed at a level slightly below the top of the roller so that when the drawer is empty it is supported on the roller at the front and by the drawer guide at the rear. However when the drawer is loaded it flexes slightly under the load and the upper surface of the runner groove comes into contact with the bearing surfaces of the arms 37. The load is therefore spread between the roller and these surfaces both during sliding movement of the drawer relative to the runners and when the drawer is closed.This reduces the load at the line of contact between the roller 18 and the runner groove and hence reduces deformation of the material of the runner groove and increases the life of the drawer. Tests have established that in the case of plastics drawers the drawer life is more than doubled by incorporation of the bearing and compensating component 30.

Referring now to Fig. 8 there is shown a drawer similar to that shown in Fig. 1 and comprising extruded side and back wall panels 5 interconnected by corner pieces 6 having spigot members (not shown) projecting therefrom in two directions at right angles and provided with detents 6Awhich engage in holes adjacent the ends of the associated wall panels to connect them to one another at right angles. The wall panels are provided with inwardly directed slots (not shown) adapted to receive and support the edges of a drawer base 8, and a drawer front 7 is connected to the sides by means of front connectors 7A which are screwed to the rear face of the drawer front and have spigots projecting therefrom which engage in the open ends of the extruded side wall panels 5 and are provided with detents 7B which engage in holes in the side wall panels to sec ure the drawer front thereto. The drawer front is also provided with a slot to receive and support the for ward edge of the drawer base 8.

A longitudinal track or channel 9 is provided in the outer face of each of the side wall panels 5 and has upper and lower lips 11A, 11B which project across the mouth of the track 9 towards one another so as to define a relatively narrow entrance to the track. A similar track or channel 9A is formed in the back wall panel 5, and rear guide members 40 are slidably received in the opposite ends of the channel 9A.

Each guide member includes a body portion 41 which is retained and guided in the channel 9A by the lips 1 lA, 11 B and incorporates an outwardly directed slot 42 adapted to engage with an associated drawer runner. The body portion 41 is connected by means of a slot 43 formed in the rear wall of the channel 9A to an actuating member or latch (not shown) disposed on the inside of the drawer. The latch may be moved towards the centre of the back wall of the drawer to move the guide member 40 from the extended position shown to a retracted position in which it is clear of the rear ends of the channel 9 in the associated side wall.

The drawer is mounted in a cabinet or like supporting structure in which it is to be located in use by means of a pair of runners 45 each of which is of angle section and comprises a mounting flange 46 provided with holes 47 at intervals therealong enabling the runner to be screwed or otherwise secured in a suitable position in the drawer cabinet. The runner also includes a drawer engaging flange 48 projecting at right angles from the mounting flange 46 and adapted to extend into the track 9 in the associated side of the drawer through the narrow entrance thereto. A device 30 similar two that shown in Figs. 2 to 6 is mounted at the forward end of the drawerengaging flange 48 and the latter is provided with a stop member 49 comprising a projection on the upper surface of the flange towards its forward end.

Thus in use of the drawer assembly, the runners 45 are mounted in suitable positions in the cabinet or other supporting structure and the latches are moved inwardly so as to move the guide members 40 to their retracted positions in which they are clear of the rear ends of the tracks 9 in the sides of the drawer. The drawer may then be engaged in the cabinet, the devices 30 entering the tracks 9 from the rear and being retained therein by the upper lips 1 1A. Once the devices 30 have been introduced into the tracks, the latches are moved outwardly, thereby moving the guide members 40 into their operative positions in which they project across the rear ends of the associated tracks 9 and prevent disengagement of the drawer from the runners.The slots 42 in the guide members 40 engage the drawer-engaging flanges 48 of the associated runners and slidably guide and support the rear end of the drawer on the runners. The resilient fingers 38 engage the inner surfaces of the upper lips 1 A of the tracks 9 and take up lateral clearance between the drawer and the runners. The forward end of the drawer is also supported on the devices 30 which thus act as bearing members supporting the weight of the drawer during opening and closing movement. When the latches are moved to their outer positions locking members (not shown) retain the guide members against inward movement. The drawer may then be moved between open and closed positions at will with the rear end supported on the flanges 48 of the associated runners and the drawer being supported forwardly of the guide members 40 by the devices 30.

The arrangements described above provide simple and effective means for compensating forvariations in tolerance of the components of the drawer and runner assembly thereby preventing sloppy movement of the drawer despite manufacturing tolerances. In addition the bearing and compensating component acts as a bearing member which supports the weight of the drawer during opening and closing movements. Moreover since the component is of integral moulded construction it does not incorporate any separable parts which could become detached and lost nor any metal parts which would deteriorate in damp environments and be liable to malfunction. A further advantage is that the same moulding apparatus could be used to produce components adapted to support greater or lesser loads by use of different grades of plastics material.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the invention. For example the flex ible tongues could project in the opposite direction so as to act on the inner or back wall of the drawer runner groove. The device could also extend beneath the supporting flange of the runner to engage with the lower longitudinal lip instead of or in addition to the upper lip. If desired projecting tongues or other resilient members may be arranged at one or more points with the inner or back wall of the runner groove in addition to one or more of the longitudinal lips.

In a further modification a plurality of devices for accommodating lateral tolerance may be provided at spaced locations along each runner if required.

Where a roller is mounted at the forward end of the runner the roller could be replaced by a skid or other member having sliding or rolling contact with the runner recess. The runner of Figs. 2 and 3 could be used in association with a drawer of the kind shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings and the runner of Fig. 8 could be used in association with a drawer of the kind shown in Fig. 1.

It should also be noted that a device similar to the device 30 could be used in association with the roller 18 but without the inclusion of the resilient tongues or other means to compensate for lateral clearance between the drawer and the runner. In this case the use of the roller and the bearing block 30 would result in an improved sliding action arising from the presence of the roller and improved drawer life due to spreading of the load between the bearing block and the roller.

Claims

1. A bearing and compensating arrangement for mounting on a drawer runner, comprising a onepiece moulding in plastics material incorporating a bearing member adapted to support the drawer during opening and closing movements thereof and resilient means serving to take up lateral clearance between the drawer and the runner arising from variations in manufacturing tolerances.

2. A component according to claim 1 which is adapted to be mounted on a runner having a horizontal flange slidably engageable with a guide and bearing member at the rear end of the drawerto support same during sliding movement of the drawer, wherein the component is adapted to be mounted on said horizontal flange of the runner so as to extend into the runner recess in the drawer, and incorporates at least one upwardly-directed bearing member for engagement with the runner recess to support the drawer during opening and closing movements and at least one resilient projection adapted for engagement with a portion of the runner recess and so disposed as to apply lateral pressure to the drawer and hence take up lateral clearance between the drawer and the runner.

3. A component according to claim 2 which is adapted for use in association with a drawer in which the runner recess is provided with opposed longitudinally-extending lips projecting across the mouth thereof, said resilient projection being so directed as to act against the inner face of at least one of said longitudinal lips.

4. A component according to claim 2 wherein the resilient projection is arranged to act against the vertical wall which constitutes the back of the runner recess.

5. A component according to claim 2,3 or4 wherein said projection tapers towards its free end whereby to produce increased force with increased deflection.

6. A component according to claim 3,4 or 5 wherein a pair of opposed resilient projections are provided which are disposed side-by-side in the same horizontal plane.

7. A component according to any preceding claim wherein said bearing member comprises an upwardly directed resilient portion which also carries said resilient means for taking up lateral clearance.

8. A component according to claim 7 wherein said resilient portion tapers towards its upper end whereby to provide increased support with increased load.

9. A component according to claim 7 or8 wherein the bearing surface of said resilient portion is substantially flat.

10. A component according to any of claims 7 to 9 wherein two upwardly directed resilient portions are provided spaced apart in the axial direction of the runner.

11. A component according to any preceding claim including locking means to prevent movement of the component longitudinally of the runner.

12. A component according to claim 11 wherein said locking means includes a downwardly directed projection adapted in use to engage in a complementary recess in the runner.

13. A component according to claim 12 wherein said projection is a loose fit in said recess to enable limited movement of the component relative to the runner to compensate for any misalignment between the runner and the drawer.

14. A component according to claim 11, 12 or 13 wherein said locking means includes an abutment on the component adapted for engagement with a stop member on the runner.

15. A bearing and compensating component for mounting on a drawer runner substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 4 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.

16. A drawer runner having a bearing and compensating component according to any preceding claim mounted towards the end of the runner which is forwardmost in use.

17. A drawer runner having a roller or skid at its forward end for engagement in the runner recess of a drawer, a horizontal flange slidably engageable with a guide and bearing member at the rear end of the drawer to support same during sliding movement of the drawer relative to the runner, and a bearing and compensating component according to any of claims 1 to 15 mounted on said horizontal flange rearwardly of said roller or skid.

18. A drawer runner according to claim 17 wherein the bearing surface of the bearing member of the component is disposed slightly below the level of the top of the roller or skid.

19. A drawer runner according to claim 17 or 18 wherein said roller is mounted for limited movement in the direction of its axis of rotation.

20. A drawer runner fitted with a bearing and compensating component substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings.

21. A drawer assembly comprising a drawer having runner recesses in the opposed side walls thereof, each runner recess being provided with opposed longitudinally-extending lips projecting across the mouth thereof, and a pair of drawer runners according to any of claims 16 to 20.

22. A drawer runner having a roller mounted at its forward end for engagement in the runner recess of a drawer, a horizontal flange slidably engageable with a guide and bearing member at the rear end of the drawer to support same during sliding movement of the drawer relative to the runner, and a bearing and compensating component mounted on said horizontal flange rearwardly of said roller, said component comprising a one-piece moulding in plastics material incorporating a pair of upwardly directed resilient portions providing substantially flat bearing surfaces spaced apart in the axial direction of the runner and of tapering cross-section toward their upper ends, and resilient members projecting laterally from said resilient portions and so disposed as to apply lateral pressure to the drawer to take up lateral clearance between the drawer and the runner.

23. A drawer assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.

24. A drawer assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 8 of the accompanying drawings.

25. A drawer runner having a roller or skid at its forward end for engagement in the runner recess of a drawer, a horizontal flange slidably engageable with a guide and bearing member at the rear end of the drawer to support same during sliding movement of the drawer relative to the runner, and a bearing member disposed rearwardly of the roller or skid and having an upwardly directed resilient bearing surface which is disposed at a level slightly below that of the top of the roller.

26. A drawer runner according to claim 25 wherein said bearing member incorporates two resi lient bearing surfaces spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the runner.

27. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter herein disclosed, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.