GB2349067A

GB2349067A - Mounting runners on plastic drawers

Info

Publication number: GB2349067A
Application number: GB9909443A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Sydenham Butler Webster
Original assignee: SPELPRO Ltd
Current assignee: SPELPRO Ltd
Priority date: 1999-04-23
Filing date: 1999-04-23
Publication date: 2000-10-25
Anticipated expiration: 2019-04-23
Also published as: GB9909443D0; GB2349067B

Abstract

A drawer comprises a moulded plastics liner 6 with a peripheral recess 8 into which stiffening reinforcement (eg a strip of MDF) is press-fitted or glued. The runners 4 are attached using conventional mounting screws which pass through the plastic wall of the recess and are screwed into the reinforcement. The corners of then liner may have steps 7 for supporting a removable compartmentalised tray insert. In Figures 8-10 (not shown) the liner itself is provided with compartments and the reinforcements are glued to the inside surfaces of its peripheral walls.

Description

Improvements in and relating to drawers The present invention relates to a drawer particularly, although not exclusively, for dental/medical use.

Conventionally, drawers have been constructed of a material or materials suited to their particular application. Thus drawers forming part of a domestic kitchen have, in the main, been constructed of timber or timber derivatives such as particle board, fibreboard and the like. In the case of drawers forming part of a storage solution for heavy items such as tools, the drawers may be manufactured from metal to provide the necessary strength and resistance to damage.

However, particularly in the case of drawers for domestic use, these are generally produced in standard sizes. In all cases, a wide variety of runner arrangements are known.

It has been found that where drawers of different sizes are required for fitting into a bespoke range of cabinets, present methods of drawer fabrication are inflexible or prohibitively expensive, particularly for large scale production. Furthermore, drawers produced using known methods and materials are also unsuitable for use in hygienic or sterile environments such as dental and medical surgeries.

Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a drawer which is simple to manufacture inexpensively. It is a still further object of the invention to provide a drawer which is hygienic and easy to clean. It is a still further object of the invention to provide a drawer which is suitable for use with a range of drawer runners.

According to the present invention there is provided a drawer comprising a preformed plastics material liner having a pair of peripheral recesses each of which receives a stiff reinforcing member and a pair of runners whose fixing pass through said liner and are anchored in a respective member.

Preferably, the recess is incorporated in side walls of the liner. Still preferably, each reinforcing member is produced from a moisture and bacteria resistant material which is capable of forming a solid anchor for the runner fixings.

Additional members may be provided to add stiffness to the drawer.

Conveniently, the liner may be adapted to receive separate removable tray inserts. These inserts may be compartmentalised to provide storage for articles.

In order to aid in understanding the invention an embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a drawer according to the invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of the drawer of Figure 1; Figure 3 is an underside view of the drawer of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a front elevation of the drawer of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a rear elevation of the drawer of Figure 1; Figure 6 is a side view of the drawer of Figure 1; Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view on the line VII-VII of Figure 2; Figure 8 is a perspective view of a variant of the drawer of Figure 1; Figure 9 is an underside view of the variant of Figure 8; and Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view on the line X-X of Figure 9.

With reference to Figures 1 to 7, there is shown a drawer 1 which is intended for use with a cabinet (not shown). The drawer 1 is assembled from a vacuum moulded high impact polystyrene (HIPS) material liner 2, a set of four moisture resistant medium density fibreboard (MDF) battens 3 and a pair of enamelled steel runners 4 intended to cooperate with fittings (not shown) mounted on the cabinet.

The liner 2 has a peripheral wall 5 which encloses a substantially rectangular flat central portion 6. At each corner of the central portion 6, a step 7 provides a support for an optional removable tray insert (not shown) for instruments or the like. To provide some rigidity to the drawer 1, the wall 5 is double skinned to define a recess 8 having an inverted'U'cross-section as is shown more clearly in Figure 7. The liner 2 is further provided with a set of apertures 9 along a front face 10 of the wall 5 to facilitate the fixing of a decorative fascia panel and/or handle to the drawer (not shown).

In order to further reinforce the rigidity of the liner 2 and also to provide a firm foundation for securing the runners 4 to the drawer 1, four battens 3 are inserted into the wall recess 8. The battens 3 are an interference fit in the recess 8 although they may be coated with a contact adhesive to secure them more permanently. The runners 4 are then attached to each side face 11 of the liner 2 using conventional wood screws 12 which pass through apertures drilled in the liner 2 to embed themselves in the corresponding MDF batten 3.

A variant of the drawer 1 is shown in Figures 8 to 10 in which the same reference numerals are used to indicate corresponding parts of the drawer 1. In the variant, the battens 3 are secured using a contact adhesive to the inner face 13 of the single skin wall 5 surrounding the periphery of the liner 2.

The liner 2 further incorporates a number of pockets 14 for dental instruments or the like (not shown). The runners 4 are secured to the battens 3 via apertures (not shown) by conventional wood screws 12.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the above embodiment is only one example of the application of the invention. For example, rather than provide removable tray inserts, the liner 2 might be formed with additional features within the central portion such as compartments for instruments and the like. Furthermore, the battens 3 may be formed of any material having the desired properties of stiffness, moisture and bacterial resistance such as polypropylene. In some cases, it may be possible to dispense with one or more of the battens 3 not forming an anchor for the runner fixings 12 if the liner 2 itself has sufficient inherent stiffness.

Claims

Claims:

1. A drawer comprising a preformed plastics material liner having a pair of peripheral recesses each of which receives a stiff reinforcing member and a pair of runners whose fixing pass through said liner and are anchored in a respective member.

2. A drawer as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the recesses are incorporated in side walls of the liner.

3. A drawer as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein each reinforcing member is produced from a moisture and bacteria resistant material which is capable of forming a solid anchor from the runner fixings.

4. A drawer as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein additional members are provided to add stiffness to the drawer.

5. A drawer as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the liner is adapted to receive separate removable tray inserts.

6. A drawer as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the tray inserts are compartmentalised to provide storage for articles.

7. A drawer as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the liner is formed with compartments to provide storage for articles.

8. A drawer as claimed in Claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described.

9. A drawer substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.