GB2087714A

GB2087714A - Guiding drawers

Info

Publication number: GB2087714A
Application number: GB8129767A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: LB Plastics Ltd
Current assignee: LB Plastics Ltd
Priority date: 1980-10-03
Filing date: 1981-10-02
Publication date: 1982-06-03
Also published as: GB2087714B

Abstract

A drawer construction has laterally extending projections (35 Fig 1) disposed towards its rear corners and projecting beyond the sides of the drawer towards adjacent portions of a structure in which the drawer is supported in use whereby to limit lateral movement of the drawer during opening and closing. The projections are preferably carried by detachable components mounted on the drawer and which may serve to interconnect the rear and side walls of the drawer. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Drawer systems This invention relates to drawer systems.

Drawers are conventionally mounted in cabinets or the like in which they are located in use by means of either fixed runners or roller runner assemblies.

Fixed runners have the advantage of simplicity but as the runners are in frictional contact with runner recesses in the drawer sides throughout their lengths there is substantial frictional resistance to sliding movement of the drawer and both the runner and drawer are subjected to wear. It is also difficult with fixed runner systems to produce a smooth runner action. Roller runner assemblies as hitherto proposed have suffered from the disadvantage that they are of relatively complex construction and generally require components to be mounted both on the drawer and on the cabinet or the like in which it is supported in use. Such assemblies have required the production of complex moulded components and are therefore relatively expensive.In some cases problems also arise in adequately supporting the drawer when heavily loaded and in preventing sideplay during opening and closing movement.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate at least some of these disadvantages.

The invention provides a drawer construction having laterally extending projections disposed towards its rear corners and projecting beyond the sides of the drawer towards adjacent portions of a structure in which the drawer is supported in use whereby to limit lateral movement of the drawer during opening and closing.

Preferably the projections are carried by detachable components mounted on the drawer. Advantageously the components may comprise connecting members interconnecting the rear and side walls of the drawer.

The drawer may advantageously be of knockdown construction including side and rear wall panels of hollow extruded construction interconnected by corner pieces having spigot portions engageable in the open ends of the wall panels, said projections being carried by portions of the corner pieces which remain exposed when the panels are interconnected.

The drawer may advantageously be used in conjunction with runners comprising mounting plates adapted to be secured to the cabinet in which the drawer is to be supported in use and a pair of spaced bearing members mounted on the mounting plate for engagement in runner recesses formed in the drawer sides.

The invention also provides a component for use in interconnecting the rear and side walls of a drawer, the component incorporating means for engaging with the drawer walls and retaining same in assembled condition at right angles to one another, and a projection adapted to extend beyond the associated side wall of the assembled drawer towards adjacent portions of a structure in which the drawer is supported in use, whereby to limit lateral movement of the drawer during opening and closing.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. is a perspective view of a drawer system according to the invention; and Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view showing one of the rear corners of the drawer system shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the drawer system comprises a drawer 10 mounted at each side on a runner 11 adapted to be supported in a cabinet or other supporting structure, part of which is indicated at 9 in Fig. 2, in which the drawer is slidably mounted in use. The drawer is of knock-down construction comprising a backwall 12 and side walls 13 of extruded plastic construction interconnected at the rear of the drawer by corner pieces 14. These corner pieces are provided with projecting spigots, one of which is shown at 14A in Fig. 2, which project from the corner pieces at right angles and which engage in the open ends of the wall panels 12, 13. The spigots have upstanding detents 15 which engage in apertures 16 formed adjacent the ends of the wall panels.Atthe front of the drawer a facia panel 17 is connected to the front ends of the side wall panels 13 by connecting pieces (not shown) which have spigots similar to the spigots 14A engaging in the open ends of the wall panels 13 and retained by detents 15 on the spigots locating in apertures 16 in the wall panels in a manner similarto that at the rear of the drawer. The wall panels 12, 13 and the facia panel 17 are provided with inwardly opening slots 18 which receive edges of a base board or drawer bottom 19. The side and rear wall panels 12, 13 are formed by cutting suitable lengths from a common extrusion and are provided with longitudinally extending outwardly opening recesses or tracks 20.

The recesses 20 in the side wall panel 13 are adapted for engagement with the drawer runners 11 to slidably support the drawer in its cabinet or like supporting structure.

A runner 11 is provided at each side of the drawer, only one such runner being shown in the drawings for purposes of simplicity. The runner comprises a mounting plate 21 formed with a central longitudinally extending channel 22 which serves to rigidify the plate and incorporates apertures to receive pins 23 on which front and rear rollers 24 are freely rotatably mounted. The mounting plate is provided with apertures 25 enabling it to be screwed or otherwise secured directly to the side wall 9 of the cabinet.

The portion of the mounting plate 21 rearwardly of the rear roller 24 incorporates a pair of flanges 26A, 26B which are formed integrally with the plate and are bent at right angles to it. In the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings the flange 26A constitutes the upper flange and is positioned slightly below the level of the upper surfaces of the rollers 24. During normal opening and closing movements, the drawer does not contact the flange 26A, but when the drawer is closed it tends to drop slightly into contact with the flange 26A which thus supports the weight of the drawer, especially when heavily loaded.The flange 26B does not serve any function when the runner is in the position shown in Fig. 1 but the construction of the runner is such that by inverting it it may be used at the opposite side of the drawer and the flange 26B then becomes the upper flange and acts in the same manner as the flange 26A in the drawings.

A retractable stop member 30 is provided at each rear corner of the drawer and is slidably mounted on the rear wall panel 13 atthe level of the recesses 20.

The stop member 30 is moveable by means of finger pieces 31 disposed within the drawer, between a retracted position in which it is clear of the runner recess 20 in the associated drawer side, and an operative position in which it projects across the runner recess and engages with the rear roller 24 when the drawer is fully opened. In this way complete withdrawal of the drawer from the cabinet during normal opening and closing movements is prevented.

In order two prevent lateral movementofthe drawer during opening and closing which produces a "sloppy" feel, the corner pieces 14 are provided with projections 35 which extend outwardly towards the sides of the cabinet. During opening and closing movements of the drawer these projections contact the sides of the cabinet if the drawer tends to move from side to side. In this way sideways movement is limited to an acceptable level which improves the sliding action of the drawer during opening and clos ing. The projections 35 could take various forms but it is preferred that they should have flat outer su r- faces as shown in the illustrated embodiment in order to minimise wear. Projections of domed or other form could be used but are less satisfactory since they wear more rapidly and then permit excessive sideways play of the drawer.

Thus in use of the assembly the drawer runners are mounted on the side walls of a cabinet or the like in which the drawer is to be supported in use and extend horizontally rearwardly from the front of the cabinet. The drawer may then be inserted into the cabinet by engaging the tracks 20 in the side walls with the rollers 24. When the rear of the drawer has been moved into the cabinet beyond the rear roller 24 the finger pieces 31 are manipulated to move the stop members 30 to their operative positions. During normal opening and closing movement of the drawer it is supported wholly by the rollers 24 and engagement of the stop members 30 with the rear rollers 24 prevents complete withdrawal of the drawer from the cabinet. When the drawer is closed, and especially if it is heavily loaded, its rear end drops and is supported on the load bearing flanges 26A.If it is desired subsequently to remove the drawer from the cabinet the finger pieces 31 are manipulated to move the stop members to their inoperative retracted positions and the drawer may then be drawn clear of the runners.

After a prolonged period of use the projections 35 may become worn to such an extent that unacceptable lateral movement of the drawer occurs during opening and closing movement. By providing the projections on the corner pieces which interconnect the side and rear walls of the drawer, replacement may be readily effected by substituting new corner pieces without requiring other modification to the drawer or the runners. Since the drawer is of "knock-down" construction the rear wall may be readily detached from the remainder of the drawer, new corner pieces provided and the drawer reassembled.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the invention. For example the projections may take various forms and need not form part of corner pieces interconnecting the back and sides of the drawer but could be formed on the side walls themselves or on detachable components for mounting towards the rear of the drawer. Alternativelythe projections may comprise separate elements in the nature of studs adapted to be screwed into or otherwise mounted on the corner pieces or other portions of the drawer and which may be formed from wear-resistant material. In this way the projections may be replaced without dismantling the drawer. The invention may also be applied to drawers of other construction which need not necessarily be of knock-down form.

Claims

11. A drawer construction having laterally extend- ing projections disposed towards its rear corners and projecting beyond the sides of the drawer towards adjacent portions of a structure in which the drawer is supported in use whereby to limit lateral movement of the drawer ef during opening and clos- ing.

2. A drawer construction according to claim 1 wherein said projections are disposed on the side walls of the drawer.

3. A drawer construction according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said projections are carried by detachable components mounted on the drawer.

4. A drawer construction according to claim 3 wherein said components comprise connecting members interconnecting the rear and side walls of the drawer.

5. A drawer construction according to claim 4 which is of knock-down construction including side and rear wall panels of hollow extruded construction interconnected by corner pieces having spigot portions engageable in the open ends of the wall panels, said projections being carried by portions of the corner pieces which remain exposed when the panels are interconnected.

6. A drawer construction according to any preceding claim wherein two such projections are provided in vertically spaced relation adjacent each rear corner of the drawer.

7. A drawer construction according to any preceding claim wherein said projections have flat outer surfaces.

8. A drawer construction according to any preceding claim in combination with a pair of drawer runners each comprising a mounting plate adapted to be secured to the cabinet in which the drawer is to be supported in use and a pair of spaced bearing members mounted on the mounting plate for engagement in runner recesses formed in the drawer side.

9. A drawer construction according to claim 8 wherein said bearing members comprise rollers.

10. Adrawerconstruction according to claim 9 wherein each of said mounting plates incorporates fixed bearing means disposed rearwardly of said rollers and adapted to assist in supporting the weight of the rear end of the drawer in its closed position.

11. A drawer construction substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

12. A component for use in interconnecting the rear and side walls of a drawer, the component incorporating means for engaging with the drawer walls and retaining same in assembled condition at right angles to one another, and a projection adapted to extend beyond the associated side wall of the assembled drawer towards adjacent portions of a structre in which the drawer is supported in use, whereby to limit lateral movement of the drawer during opening and closing.

13. A component according to claim 12 wherein said means for engaging with the drawer walls comprises spigots projecting from the component and engageable in apertures in the ends of the drawer walls, and detents carried by said spigots and engageable in apertures formed adjacent the ends of the walls.

14. A component according to claim 13 wherein said projection is carried by a portion of said component which remains exposed when the drawer is assembled.

15. A component according to any of claims 12 to 14 wherein said projection has a flat outer surface.

16. A component for use in interconnecting the rear and side walls of a drawer substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.