US20230225507A1 - Extension limiter, reinforced stopper and spacer for drawer glides - Google Patents
Extension limiter, reinforced stopper and spacer for drawer glides Download PDFInfo
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- US20230225507A1 US20230225507A1 US17/577,363 US202217577363A US2023225507A1 US 20230225507 A1 US20230225507 A1 US 20230225507A1 US 202217577363 A US202217577363 A US 202217577363A US 2023225507 A1 US2023225507 A1 US 2023225507A1
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- Prior art keywords
- track
- drawer
- fixed
- drawer glide
- glide
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- 125000006850 spacer group Chemical group 0.000 title claims abstract description 35
- 230000002787 reinforcement Effects 0.000 claims description 11
- 238000005452 bending Methods 0.000 description 3
- 230000007547 defect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000009434 installation Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000003014 reinforcing effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000000717 retained effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000002023 wood Substances 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47B—TABLES; DESKS; OFFICE FURNITURE; CABINETS; DRAWERS; GENERAL DETAILS OF FURNITURE
- A47B88/00—Drawers for tables, cabinets or like furniture; Guides for drawers
- A47B88/40—Sliding drawers; Slides or guides therefor
- A47B88/473—Braking devices, e.g. linear or rotational dampers or friction brakes; Buffers; End stops
- A47B88/477—Buffers; End stops
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47B—TABLES; DESKS; OFFICE FURNITURE; CABINETS; DRAWERS; GENERAL DETAILS OF FURNITURE
- A47B88/00—Drawers for tables, cabinets or like furniture; Guides for drawers
- A47B88/40—Sliding drawers; Slides or guides therefor
- A47B88/473—Braking devices, e.g. linear or rotational dampers or friction brakes; Buffers; End stops
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47B—TABLES; DESKS; OFFICE FURNITURE; CABINETS; DRAWERS; GENERAL DETAILS OF FURNITURE
- A47B88/00—Drawers for tables, cabinets or like furniture; Guides for drawers
- A47B88/40—Sliding drawers; Slides or guides therefor
- A47B88/49—Sliding drawers; Slides or guides therefor with double extensible guides or parts
Definitions
- the disclosure of the present patent application relates to glides for drawers, and particularly to an extension limiter, reinforced stopper and spacer for drawer glides that provide an extension limiter for drawer glides, as well as a reinforced stopper for drawer glides, and also a spacer for drawer glides.
- Drawer glides are telescoping supports for mounting a drawer to an inner wall of a filing cabinet, desk or the like.
- a typical drawer has one drawer glide on either side.
- FIG. 2 illustrates a conventional prior art drawer glide 100 .
- Drawer glide 100 includes a mobile track 102 (drawer part), a middle track 104 , and a fixed track 106 (cabinet part). When installed, the fixed track 106 is attached or affixed to the inner wall of a filing cabinet or the like, and the mobile track 102 is attached or affixed to one side of the drawer.
- the middle track 104 is slidably mounted on the fixed track 106 using an axially sliding part 108 , which typically contains ball bearings held within a bearing retainer.
- the mobile track 102 and the middle track 104 are slidably connected by a similar axially sliding part 110 .
- the mobile track 102 has a retainer 112 that engages a block 114 of the middle track 104 , stopping movement of the mobile track 102 at a fixed place to prevent the mobile track 102 (and the drawer) from becoming disengaged from the fixed track 106 (and the filing cabinet).
- the retainer 112 has a protuberance 126
- the block 114 has a block plate 128 that engages the protuberance 126 when the mobile track 102 moves forward to its point of maximum extension. This engagement prevents the mobile track 102 from detaching from the middle track 104 and, by extension, from the fixed track 106 .
- the retainer 112 prevents the mobile track 102 from becoming fully disengaged and is positioned such that the mobile track 102 may reach its point of maximum extension, resulting in the drawer being fully open.
- filing cabinets for example, when an upper drawer is fully open, there is a risk of accidental tipping of the filing cabinet. Since the drawer carries weight, the extension of the drawer out of the cabinet is an increase in lever arm of this weight, which is unsupported by a base, resulting in an ever-increasing torque as the drawer slides out. At maximum extension, the weight of the drawer may be such that there is insufficient counter-torque, resulting in accidental tipping of the cabinet.
- Present safety standards require the addition of ballast to the base of the cabinet in order to prevent such accidental tipping.
- ballast is not only costly, but can cause damage to the cabinet during transportation, as well as structural damage to the cabinet during installation.
- the retainer 112 is designed to limit forward movement of the mobile track 102 , it only stops such movement once the drawer has reached a fully open position.
- Conventional drawer glides do not include any way to allow, for example, only partial opening of the drawer in order to prevent accidental tipping.
- a stopper 122 is formed at the rear end of the fixed track 106 .
- the stopper 122 is a rectangular piece made by cutting a U-shaped slit in the web 120 of the fixed track 106 and bending the rectangular piece up until the piece is perpendicular to the web 120 .
- a cushioned bumper 124 typically made from rubber or the like, covers the stopper 122 .
- the rear end of the mobile track 102 has a reduced opening 116
- the front end of the mobile track 102 has a bending plate 118 .
- the bending plate 118 contacts and pushes the block 114 of the middle track 104 until the mobile track 102 aligns with the fixed track 106 , while the reduced opening 116 engages the stopper 122 and cushioned bumper 124 to stop the mobile track 102 from moving any further inward.
- stoppers 122 are typically in the form of a small piece of metal bent up from the web 120 , they often bend backwards due to the continual striking force from the rear of mobile track 102 . Although this defect in design is well recognized, solutions are often in the form of after-market modifications, such as the addition of a block of a wood glued behind the stopper 122 . Since such additional elements are added only after the assembly of the filing cabinet, it is extremely difficult to properly place any additional reinforcing element behind the stopper 122 . At present, there is no reinforcement added to stoppers prior to the full assembly of the drawer glide and its corresponding furniture.
- drawer glides are often manufactured separately from the article of furniture, so that a particular drawer glide design can be used with a wide variety of furniture, there is often a slight mismatch in contours or dimensions between the two. This often results in gaps between the fixed track and the inner wall to which the fixed track is secured. It is common in such situations to use “spacers”, which are typically pieces of plastic that are attached to the furniture side walls via screws or nails. Since the spacers are added only after manufacture, when the presence of the gap is apparent, the addition of the spacers can be a difficult and time-consuming process. Commercially available spacers are also of various sizes to accommodate drawer boxes and drawer glides of various dimensions, requiring the furniture manufacturer or retailer to select the appropriate spacer for each drawer type. Thus, an extension limiter, a reinforced stopper, and a spacer for drawer glides solving the aforementioned problems are desired.
- the extension limiter for drawer glides prevents a mobile track of a drawer glide from being fully extended with respect to the middle track of the drawer glide until a user takes a specific action to release the mobile track.
- the extension limiter for drawer glides is a safety measure to prevent accidental tipping of filing cabinets and the like.
- a drawer glide with the extension limiter includes a fixed track, a middle track slidably mounted to the fixed track, a mobile track slidably mounted to the middle track, and a user-actuated retainer mounted on the mobile track.
- the user-actuated retainer releasably engages an engaging member fixed to the middle track to releasably limit slidable movement of the mobile track with respect to the middle track.
- the user-actuated retainer may be substantially U-shaped, having a first leg with opposed fixed and free ends and a second leg with opposed fixed and free ends.
- the user-actuated retainer in this example also includes an engaging portion adjacent the fixed end of the second leg.
- the engaging portion is adapted for releasably engaging the engaging member.
- a central portion is located adjacent the respective fixed ends of the first and second legs.
- the central portion is pivotally secured to the web of the mobile track.
- the free end of the first leg is adapted for contacting an outer flange of the mobile track.
- the first leg provides resilient tension between the user-actuated retainer and the outer flange of the mobile track when the second leg of the user-actuated retainer is pivoted to disengage the engaging portion from the engaging member.
- the user-actuated retainer may include a housing and a lever, the lever having opposed first and second ends and a central portion.
- the central portion of the lever is pivotally attached within the housing, and the first and second ends each project out of the housing.
- the first end of the lever is adapted for releasably engaging the engaging member.
- the user pivots the second end of the lever to releasably disengage the first end from the engaging member.
- the lever may be resiliently biased with respect to the housing.
- a fixed track for a drawer glide is provided with a reinforced stopper.
- the reinforced stopper is positioned adjacent a rear end of the fixed track to prevent a rear end of the middle track from moving rearward beyond the rear end of the fixed track.
- the fixed track Similar to a conventional fixed track of a drawer glide, the fixed track includes a web and a pair of opposed flanges. A stopper tab extends from the web perpendicular thereto. The stopper tab is positioned adjacent the rear end of the fixed track. At least one reinforcement rib is secured to the stopper tab and extends toward the rear end of the fixed track. A pair of the reinforcement ribs may be provided. The pair of reinforcement ribs may be respectively secured to opposed ends of the stopper tab.
- a drawer glide may be provided with one more spacers.
- Each spacer has a head portion and a peg. The peg is secured to the head portion and projects outwardly therefrom. The peg is adapted for removable attachment to a screw hole of the drawer glide.
- the head portion may have a planar configuration.
- the head portion may have, for example, a thickness of approximately 1.5 mm.
- one or more spacers may engage the screw hole(s) of one side of the drawer glide, thus securing the drawer glide when there is a gap of approximately 1.5 mm (in this particular example). If a gap still exists, one or more spacers may also engage the screw hole(s) on the other side of the drawer glide, thus increasing coverage to approximately 3.0 mm.
- one or more spacers may also be used with the other drawer glide on the opposite side of the drawer, increasing coverage to approximately 4.5 mm (when applied to only one side of the other drawer glide), and up to 6.0 mm (when applied to both sides of the other drawer glide).
- FIG. 1 A is a side view of an exemplary drawer glide with an extension limiter, shown in a retained configuration, the middle part partially broken away to show details thereof.
- FIG. 1 B is a plan view of the drawer glide of FIG. 1 A , shown with the mobile or drawer attachment part in a fully extended configuration.
- FIG. 2 is a partially exploded, perspective view of a drawer glide of the prior art.
- FIG. 3 is a perspective attachment view of a fixed track of the prior art drawer glide of FIG. 2 .
- FIG. 4 A is a side view of an alternative embodiment of a drawer glide with an extension limiter.
- FIG. 4 B is a side view of a user-actuated retainer of the drawer glide of FIG. 4 A , shown with the housing partially broken away to show details thereof.
- FIG. 5 A is a perspective view of a fixed track (or cabinet attachment part) of an exemplary drawer glide with a reinforced stopper.
- FIG. 5 B is a partial side view of the fixed track of FIG. 5 A .
- FIG. 6 A is a perspective view of an exemplary drawer glide and spacer kit.
- FIG. 6 B is a top view of a spacer of the drawer glide and spacer kit of FIG. 6 A .
- FIG. 6 C is a side view of the spacer of FIG. 6 B .
- an extension limiter for drawer glides prevents a mobile track 12 (the part of the glide usually attached to the side of a drawer box) of a drawer glide from being fully extended with respect to the middle track 14 of the drawer glide until a user takes a specific action to release the mobile track 12 .
- the extension limiter for drawer glides is a safety measure to prevent accidental tipping of filing cabinets and the like.
- the drawer glide with the extension limiter (designated generally as 10 in the drawings) includes a fixed track 16 (usually attached to the furniture case or cabinet), a middle track 14 slidably mounted to the fixed track 12 , and a mobile track 12 slidably mounted to the middle track 14 , similar to a conventional drawer glide.
- a user-actuated retainer 18 is mounted on the mobile track 12 .
- the user-actuated retainer 18 releasably engages an engaging member 20 fixed to the middle track 14 to releasably limit slidable movement of the mobile track 12 with respect to the middle track 14 .
- the engaging member 20 is shown as relatively small rectangular block mounted adjacent the front end 50 of middle track 14 .
- the engaging member 20 is shown for exemplary purposes only, and may have any suitable shape, positioning, and relative size and dimensions.
- the user-actuated retainer 18 has a substantially U-shaped or V-shaped configuration, including a first leg 22 having opposed fixed and free ends 30 , 32 , respectively, and a second leg 24 having opposed fixed and free ends 34 , 36 , respectively.
- the user-actuated retainer 18 in this example also includes an engaging portion 26 adjacent the fixed end 34 of the second leg 24 .
- the engaging portion 26 is dimensioned and configured to releasably engage the engaging member 20 .
- a central portion 28 is located adjacent the respective fixed ends 30 , 34 of the first and second legs 22 , 24 .
- the central portion 28 is pivotally attached to the web 40 of the mobile track 12 .
- the free end 32 of the first leg 22 is adapted for contacting an outer flange 38 of the mobile track 12 .
- the first leg 22 provides resilient or spring tension between the user-actuated retainer 18 and the outer flange 38 of the mobile track 12 when the second leg 24 of the user-actuated retainer 18 is pivoted to disengage the engaging portion 26 from the engaging member 20 .
- the mobile track 12 can only be partially extended because the engaging portion 26 of the user-actuated retainer 18 is engaging the engaging member 20 .
- the user pivots the second leg 24 upward (in the orientation of FIGS. 1 A and 1 B ) against the resilient bias, releasing the engaging portion 26 from the engaging member 20 .
- a handle or grasping member 42 may be mounted on the free end 36 of the second leg 24 , as shown. With the second leg 24 pivoted upward, the user may pull the drawer out, thus pulling mobile track 12 outward with respect to the middle track 14 and the fixed track 16 . When released, the second leg 24 returns to its original position due to the spring-biasing of the first leg 22 with respect to the outer flange 38 .
- FIGS. 4 A and 4 B Another example of an extension limiter is shown in FIGS. 4 A and 4 B .
- the drawer glide with an extension limiter designated generally as 400 in the drawings, includes a fixed track 416 , a middle track 414 slidably mounted to the fixed track 416 , and a mobile track 412 slidably mounted to the middle track 414 , similar to a conventional drawer glide and the previous embodiment.
- the user-actuated retainer 418 includes a housing 402 and a lever 404 , the lever 404 having opposed first and second ends 406 , 408 , respectively, and a central portion 410 .
- the central portion 410 of the lever 404 is pivotally attached to the housing 402 , and the first and second ends 406 , 408 , respectively, each extend out of the housing 402 . It should be understood that the configuration and relative dimensions of the housing 402 are shown for exemplary purposes only. It should be further understood that the housing 402 may be replaced by, for example, a plate.
- the first end 406 of the lever 404 is adapted for releasably engaging the engaging member 420 , which is attached to the middle track 414 , as shown in FIG. 4 A .
- the user pivots the second end 408 of the lever 404 downward (in the orientation of FIGS. 4 A and 4 B ) to releasably disengage the first end 406 from the engaging member 120 .
- the lever 404 may be resiliently biased with respect to the housing 402 by a spring 419 or the like.
- a fixed track for a drawer glide with a reinforced stopper 200 is shown.
- a reinforced stopper is positioned adjacent the rear end 210 of a fixed track 216 to prevent the rear end of the middle track of the drawer glide from moving rearward beyond the rear end 210 of the fixed track 216 when the drawer is slid into a closed position inside the cabinet, table, or other article of furniture.
- the fixed track 216 includes a web 202 and a pair of opposed flanges 204 , 206 defining opposing channels.
- a stopper tab 208 is extends perpendicular to the web 202 .
- the stopper tab 208 is positioned adjacent the rear end 210 of the fixed track 216 . At least one reinforcement rib is secured to the stopper tab 208 and extends toward the rear end 210 of the fixed track 216 .
- a pair of reinforcement ribs 212 , 214 are shown, the pair of reinforcement ribs 212 , 214 extending from opposed ends 218 , 220 of the stopper tab 208 . It will be understood, however, that the reinforcement ribs 212 , 214 need not extend from the ends 218 , 220 of the stopper tab 208 , but may be placed more medially to brace the rear face of the stopper tab 208 .
- FIGS. 6 A, 6 B and 6 C show a kit 300 , which includes a drawer glide 308 provided with one more spacers.
- a kit 300 which includes a drawer glide 308 provided with one more spacers.
- three such spacers 302 , 304 and 306 are shown, although it should be understood that the kit 300 may include any desired number of spacers. It should further be understood that each spacer is substantially identical.
- FIGS. 6 B and 6 C show one of the spacers 302 .
- Spacer 302 has a head portion 316 and a substantially cylindrical peg 318 . The peg 318 is secured to the head portion 316 and extends outwardly therefrom.
- the peg 318 is dimensioned and configured for snapping into a screw hole of the drawer glide 308 , such as the exemplary screw holes 310 , 312 and 314 shown in FIG. 6 A .
- the head portion 316 may have a planar configuration. It should be understood that the substantially square shape of the head portion 316 is shown for exemplary purposes only.
- the head portion 316 is preferably thin and may have, for example, a thickness of approximately 1.5 mm. In use, one or more spacers may engage the screw hole(s) of one side of the drawer glide 308 , thus securing the drawer glide 308 when there is a gap of approximately 1.5 mm, for example.
- one or more spacers may also engage the screw hole(s) of the other side of the drawer glide 308 , thus increasing coverage to approximately 3.0 mm. If a gap still exists for the drawer, then one or more spacers may also be used with the other drawer glide on the opposite side of the drawer, increasing coverage to approximately 4.5 mm (when applied to only one side of the other drawer glide), and up to 6.0 mm (when applied to both sides of the other drawer glide).
- extension limiter, reinforced stopper and spacer for drawer glides are not limited to the specific embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the generic language of the following claims enabled by the embodiments described herein, or otherwise shown in the drawings or described above in terms sufficient to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the claimed subject matter.
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Abstract
Description
- The disclosure of the present patent application relates to glides for drawers, and particularly to an extension limiter, reinforced stopper and spacer for drawer glides that provide an extension limiter for drawer glides, as well as a reinforced stopper for drawer glides, and also a spacer for drawer glides.
- Drawer glides (also sometimes referred to as “drawer slides”) are telescoping supports for mounting a drawer to an inner wall of a filing cabinet, desk or the like. A typical drawer has one drawer glide on either side.
FIG. 2 illustrates a conventional priorart drawer glide 100.Drawer glide 100 includes a mobile track 102 (drawer part), amiddle track 104, and a fixed track 106 (cabinet part). When installed, thefixed track 106 is attached or affixed to the inner wall of a filing cabinet or the like, and themobile track 102 is attached or affixed to one side of the drawer. Themiddle track 104 is slidably mounted on thefixed track 106 using an axially slidingpart 108, which typically contains ball bearings held within a bearing retainer. Similarly, themobile track 102 and themiddle track 104 are slidably connected by a similar axially slidingpart 110. - The
mobile track 102 has aretainer 112 that engages ablock 114 of themiddle track 104, stopping movement of themobile track 102 at a fixed place to prevent the mobile track 102 (and the drawer) from becoming disengaged from the fixed track 106 (and the filing cabinet). Theretainer 112 has aprotuberance 126, and theblock 114 has ablock plate 128 that engages theprotuberance 126 when themobile track 102 moves forward to its point of maximum extension. This engagement prevents themobile track 102 from detaching from themiddle track 104 and, by extension, from thefixed track 106. - The
retainer 112 prevents themobile track 102 from becoming fully disengaged and is positioned such that themobile track 102 may reach its point of maximum extension, resulting in the drawer being fully open. In filing cabinets, for example, when an upper drawer is fully open, there is a risk of accidental tipping of the filing cabinet. Since the drawer carries weight, the extension of the drawer out of the cabinet is an increase in lever arm of this weight, which is unsupported by a base, resulting in an ever-increasing torque as the drawer slides out. At maximum extension, the weight of the drawer may be such that there is insufficient counter-torque, resulting in accidental tipping of the cabinet. Present safety standards require the addition of ballast to the base of the cabinet in order to prevent such accidental tipping. However, the addition of this ballast is not only costly, but can cause damage to the cabinet during transportation, as well as structural damage to the cabinet during installation. Although theretainer 112 is designed to limit forward movement of themobile track 102, it only stops such movement once the drawer has reached a fully open position. Conventional drawer glides do not include any way to allow, for example, only partial opening of the drawer in order to prevent accidental tipping. - Additionally, as shown in
FIG. 3 , astopper 122 is formed at the rear end of thefixed track 106. Typically, thestopper 122 is a rectangular piece made by cutting a U-shaped slit in theweb 120 of thefixed track 106 and bending the rectangular piece up until the piece is perpendicular to theweb 120. A cushionedbumper 124, typically made from rubber or the like, covers thestopper 122. Additionally, the rear end of themobile track 102 has a reducedopening 116, and the front end of themobile track 102 has abending plate 118. When themobile track 102 is pushed inward, thebending plate 118 contacts and pushes theblock 114 of themiddle track 104 until themobile track 102 aligns with thefixed track 106, while the reducedopening 116 engages thestopper 122 and cushionedbumper 124 to stop themobile track 102 from moving any further inward. - Since
conventional stoppers 122 are typically in the form of a small piece of metal bent up from theweb 120, they often bend backwards due to the continual striking force from the rear ofmobile track 102. Although this defect in design is well recognized, solutions are often in the form of after-market modifications, such as the addition of a block of a wood glued behind thestopper 122. Since such additional elements are added only after the assembly of the filing cabinet, it is extremely difficult to properly place any additional reinforcing element behind thestopper 122. At present, there is no reinforcement added to stoppers prior to the full assembly of the drawer glide and its corresponding furniture. - Further, since drawer glides are often manufactured separately from the article of furniture, so that a particular drawer glide design can be used with a wide variety of furniture, there is often a slight mismatch in contours or dimensions between the two. This often results in gaps between the fixed track and the inner wall to which the fixed track is secured. It is common in such situations to use “spacers”, which are typically pieces of plastic that are attached to the furniture side walls via screws or nails. Since the spacers are added only after manufacture, when the presence of the gap is apparent, the addition of the spacers can be a difficult and time-consuming process. Commercially available spacers are also of various sizes to accommodate drawer boxes and drawer glides of various dimensions, requiring the furniture manufacturer or retailer to select the appropriate spacer for each drawer type. Thus, an extension limiter, a reinforced stopper, and a spacer for drawer glides solving the aforementioned problems are desired.
- The extension limiter for drawer glides prevents a mobile track of a drawer glide from being fully extended with respect to the middle track of the drawer glide until a user takes a specific action to release the mobile track. The extension limiter for drawer glides is a safety measure to prevent accidental tipping of filing cabinets and the like. A drawer glide with the extension limiter includes a fixed track, a middle track slidably mounted to the fixed track, a mobile track slidably mounted to the middle track, and a user-actuated retainer mounted on the mobile track. The user-actuated retainer releasably engages an engaging member fixed to the middle track to releasably limit slidable movement of the mobile track with respect to the middle track.
- For example, the user-actuated retainer may be substantially U-shaped, having a first leg with opposed fixed and free ends and a second leg with opposed fixed and free ends. The user-actuated retainer in this example also includes an engaging portion adjacent the fixed end of the second leg. The engaging portion is adapted for releasably engaging the engaging member. Further, a central portion is located adjacent the respective fixed ends of the first and second legs. The central portion is pivotally secured to the web of the mobile track. In this example, the free end of the first leg is adapted for contacting an outer flange of the mobile track. The first leg provides resilient tension between the user-actuated retainer and the outer flange of the mobile track when the second leg of the user-actuated retainer is pivoted to disengage the engaging portion from the engaging member.
- As another example, the user-actuated retainer may include a housing and a lever, the lever having opposed first and second ends and a central portion. The central portion of the lever is pivotally attached within the housing, and the first and second ends each project out of the housing. In this example, the first end of the lever is adapted for releasably engaging the engaging member. In use, the user pivots the second end of the lever to releasably disengage the first end from the engaging member. The lever may be resiliently biased with respect to the housing.
- In a further embodiment, a fixed track for a drawer glide is provided with a reinforced stopper. The reinforced stopper is positioned adjacent a rear end of the fixed track to prevent a rear end of the middle track from moving rearward beyond the rear end of the fixed track. Similar to a conventional fixed track of a drawer glide, the fixed track includes a web and a pair of opposed flanges. A stopper tab extends from the web perpendicular thereto. The stopper tab is positioned adjacent the rear end of the fixed track. At least one reinforcement rib is secured to the stopper tab and extends toward the rear end of the fixed track. A pair of the reinforcement ribs may be provided. The pair of reinforcement ribs may be respectively secured to opposed ends of the stopper tab.
- In an additional embodiment, a drawer glide may be provided with one more spacers. Each spacer has a head portion and a peg. The peg is secured to the head portion and projects outwardly therefrom. The peg is adapted for removable attachment to a screw hole of the drawer glide. The head portion may have a planar configuration. The head portion may have, for example, a thickness of approximately 1.5 mm. In use, one or more spacers may engage the screw hole(s) of one side of the drawer glide, thus securing the drawer glide when there is a gap of approximately 1.5 mm (in this particular example). If a gap still exists, one or more spacers may also engage the screw hole(s) on the other side of the drawer glide, thus increasing coverage to approximately 3.0 mm. If a gap still exists for the drawer, then one or more spacers may also be used with the other drawer glide on the opposite side of the drawer, increasing coverage to approximately 4.5 mm (when applied to only one side of the other drawer glide), and up to 6.0 mm (when applied to both sides of the other drawer glide).
- These and other features of the present subject matter will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.
-
FIG. 1A is a side view of an exemplary drawer glide with an extension limiter, shown in a retained configuration, the middle part partially broken away to show details thereof. -
FIG. 1B is a plan view of the drawer glide ofFIG. 1A , shown with the mobile or drawer attachment part in a fully extended configuration. -
FIG. 2 is a partially exploded, perspective view of a drawer glide of the prior art. -
FIG. 3 is a perspective attachment view of a fixed track of the prior art drawer glide ofFIG. 2 . -
FIG. 4A is a side view of an alternative embodiment of a drawer glide with an extension limiter. -
FIG. 4B is a side view of a user-actuated retainer of the drawer glide ofFIG. 4A , shown with the housing partially broken away to show details thereof. -
FIG. 5A is a perspective view of a fixed track (or cabinet attachment part) of an exemplary drawer glide with a reinforced stopper. -
FIG. 5B is a partial side view of the fixed track ofFIG. 5A . -
FIG. 6A is a perspective view of an exemplary drawer glide and spacer kit. -
FIG. 6B is a top view of a spacer of the drawer glide and spacer kit ofFIG. 6A . -
FIG. 6C is a side view of the spacer ofFIG. 6B . - Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.
- As shown in
FIGS. 1A and 1B , an extension limiter for drawer glides prevents a mobile track 12 (the part of the glide usually attached to the side of a drawer box) of a drawer glide from being fully extended with respect to themiddle track 14 of the drawer glide until a user takes a specific action to release themobile track 12. The extension limiter for drawer glides is a safety measure to prevent accidental tipping of filing cabinets and the like. As shown, the drawer glide with the extension limiter (designated generally as 10 in the drawings) includes a fixed track 16 (usually attached to the furniture case or cabinet), amiddle track 14 slidably mounted to the fixedtrack 12, and amobile track 12 slidably mounted to themiddle track 14, similar to a conventional drawer glide. However, a user-actuatedretainer 18 is mounted on themobile track 12. The user-actuatedretainer 18 releasably engages an engagingmember 20 fixed to themiddle track 14 to releasably limit slidable movement of themobile track 12 with respect to themiddle track 14. InFIG. 1A , the engagingmember 20 is shown as relatively small rectangular block mounted adjacent thefront end 50 ofmiddle track 14. However, it should be understood that the engagingmember 20 is shown for exemplary purposes only, and may have any suitable shape, positioning, and relative size and dimensions. - In the example of
FIGS. 1A and 1B , the user-actuatedretainer 18 has a substantially U-shaped or V-shaped configuration, including afirst leg 22 having opposed fixed and free ends 30, 32, respectively, and asecond leg 24 having opposed fixed and free ends 34, 36, respectively. The user-actuatedretainer 18 in this example also includes an engagingportion 26 adjacent thefixed end 34 of thesecond leg 24. The engagingportion 26 is dimensioned and configured to releasably engage the engagingmember 20. - Further, a
central portion 28 is located adjacent the respective fixed ends 30, 34 of the first andsecond legs central portion 28 is pivotally attached to theweb 40 of themobile track 12. In this example, thefree end 32 of thefirst leg 22 is adapted for contacting anouter flange 38 of themobile track 12. Thefirst leg 22 provides resilient or spring tension between the user-actuatedretainer 18 and theouter flange 38 of themobile track 12 when thesecond leg 24 of the user-actuatedretainer 18 is pivoted to disengage the engagingportion 26 from the engagingmember 20. InFIG. 1A , themobile track 12 can only be partially extended because the engagingportion 26 of the user-actuatedretainer 18 is engaging the engagingmember 20. When the user wishes to fully extend themobile track 12, the user pivots thesecond leg 24 upward (in the orientation ofFIGS. 1A and 1B ) against the resilient bias, releasing the engagingportion 26 from the engagingmember 20. A handle or graspingmember 42 may be mounted on thefree end 36 of thesecond leg 24, as shown. With thesecond leg 24 pivoted upward, the user may pull the drawer out, thus pullingmobile track 12 outward with respect to themiddle track 14 and the fixedtrack 16. When released, thesecond leg 24 returns to its original position due to the spring-biasing of thefirst leg 22 with respect to theouter flange 38. - Another example of an extension limiter is shown in
FIGS. 4A and 4B . In this embodiment, the drawer glide with an extension limiter, designated generally as 400 in the drawings, includes a fixedtrack 416, amiddle track 414 slidably mounted to the fixedtrack 416, and amobile track 412 slidably mounted to themiddle track 414, similar to a conventional drawer glide and the previous embodiment. In this embodiment, however, the user-actuatedretainer 418 includes ahousing 402 and alever 404, thelever 404 having opposed first and second ends 406, 408, respectively, and acentral portion 410. Thecentral portion 410 of thelever 404 is pivotally attached to thehousing 402, and the first and second ends 406, 408, respectively, each extend out of thehousing 402. It should be understood that the configuration and relative dimensions of thehousing 402 are shown for exemplary purposes only. It should be further understood that thehousing 402 may be replaced by, for example, a plate. - In this example, the
first end 406 of thelever 404 is adapted for releasably engaging the engagingmember 420, which is attached to themiddle track 414, as shown inFIG. 4A . In use, the user pivots thesecond end 408 of thelever 404 downward (in the orientation ofFIGS. 4A and 4B ) to releasably disengage thefirst end 406 from the engagingmember 120. Thelever 404 may be resiliently biased with respect to thehousing 402 by aspring 419 or the like. - In the further embodiment of
FIGS. 5A and 5B , a fixed track for a drawer glide with a reinforcedstopper 200 is shown. In this embodiment, a reinforced stopper is positioned adjacent therear end 210 of a fixedtrack 216 to prevent the rear end of the middle track of the drawer glide from moving rearward beyond therear end 210 of the fixedtrack 216 when the drawer is slid into a closed position inside the cabinet, table, or other article of furniture. Similar to a conventional fixed track of a drawer glide, the fixedtrack 216 includes aweb 202 and a pair ofopposed flanges stopper tab 208 is extends perpendicular to theweb 202. Thestopper tab 208 is positioned adjacent therear end 210 of the fixedtrack 216. At least one reinforcement rib is secured to thestopper tab 208 and extends toward therear end 210 of the fixedtrack 216. In the non-limiting example ofFIGS. 6A and 6B , a pair ofreinforcement ribs reinforcement ribs stopper tab 208. It will be understood, however, that thereinforcement ribs ends stopper tab 208, but may be placed more medially to brace the rear face of thestopper tab 208. -
FIGS. 6A, 6B and 6C show akit 300, which includes adrawer glide 308 provided with one more spacers. InFIG. 6A , threesuch spacers kit 300 may include any desired number of spacers. It should further be understood that each spacer is substantially identical.FIGS. 6B and 6C show one of thespacers 302.Spacer 302 has ahead portion 316 and a substantiallycylindrical peg 318. Thepeg 318 is secured to thehead portion 316 and extends outwardly therefrom. Thepeg 318 is dimensioned and configured for snapping into a screw hole of thedrawer glide 308, such as the exemplary screw holes 310, 312 and 314 shown inFIG. 6A . Thehead portion 316 may have a planar configuration. It should be understood that the substantially square shape of thehead portion 316 is shown for exemplary purposes only. Thehead portion 316 is preferably thin and may have, for example, a thickness of approximately 1.5 mm. In use, one or more spacers may engage the screw hole(s) of one side of thedrawer glide 308, thus securing thedrawer glide 308 when there is a gap of approximately 1.5 mm, for example. If a gap still exists, one or more spacers may also engage the screw hole(s) of the other side of thedrawer glide 308, thus increasing coverage to approximately 3.0 mm. If a gap still exists for the drawer, then one or more spacers may also be used with the other drawer glide on the opposite side of the drawer, increasing coverage to approximately 4.5 mm (when applied to only one side of the other drawer glide), and up to 6.0 mm (when applied to both sides of the other drawer glide). - It is to be understood that the extension limiter, reinforced stopper and spacer for drawer glides are not limited to the specific embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the generic language of the following claims enabled by the embodiments described herein, or otherwise shown in the drawings or described above in terms sufficient to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the claimed subject matter.
Claims (11)
Priority Applications (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US17/577,363 US20230225507A1 (en) | 2022-01-17 | 2022-01-17 | Extension limiter, reinforced stopper and spacer for drawer glides |
PCT/US2023/010763 WO2023137152A2 (en) | 2022-01-17 | 2023-01-13 | Extension limiter, reinforced stopper and spacer for drawer glides |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US17/577,363 US20230225507A1 (en) | 2022-01-17 | 2022-01-17 | Extension limiter, reinforced stopper and spacer for drawer glides |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US20230225507A1 true US20230225507A1 (en) | 2023-07-20 |
Family
ID=87162861
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US17/577,363 Pending US20230225507A1 (en) | 2022-01-17 | 2022-01-17 | Extension limiter, reinforced stopper and spacer for drawer glides |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
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US (1) | US20230225507A1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2023137152A2 (en) |
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TWM413401U (en) * | 2011-05-27 | 2011-10-11 | Nan Juen Int Co Ltd | Adjustable wedging device of sliding rail |
PL3284369T3 (en) * | 2015-04-13 | 2020-06-15 | Segos Co., Ltd. | Slide unit for drawer |
KR102596001B1 (en) * | 2017-01-05 | 2023-11-01 | 엘지전자 주식회사 | drawer rail and a home appliance having the same |
WO2020242393A1 (en) * | 2019-05-27 | 2020-12-03 | Samet Kalip Ve Madeni̇ Eşya San Ti̇c. A.Ş | Ball rail system for drawers |
CN110326913A (en) * | 2019-07-25 | 2019-10-15 | 佛山市顺德区澳德里金属制品有限公司 | A kind of three section interlock slide rail devices of drawer |
-
2022
- 2022-01-17 US US17/577,363 patent/US20230225507A1/en active Pending
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- 2023-01-13 WO PCT/US2023/010763 patent/WO2023137152A2/en unknown
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US6502910B2 (en) * | 2000-06-12 | 2003-01-07 | Weng Kuo-Chan | Stopper device of drawer slide rail |
US6220683B1 (en) * | 2000-06-13 | 2001-04-24 | Yin Da Slide Co., Ltd. | Sliding track assembley for drawer |
US20020117948A1 (en) * | 2001-02-28 | 2002-08-29 | Baoloc Le | Snap-in latch |
US6367899B1 (en) * | 2001-09-28 | 2002-04-09 | King Slide Works Co., Ltd. | Forward pull type bolt lock structure of a slide |
US6705689B2 (en) * | 2002-03-22 | 2004-03-16 | King Slide Works Co., Ltd. | Track device allowing sequential inward movement |
US6824233B2 (en) * | 2003-03-06 | 2004-11-30 | King Slide Works Co., Ltd. | Track device for drawers |
US7101081B2 (en) * | 2004-10-12 | 2006-09-05 | King Slide Works Co., Ltd. | Positioning device for a ball bearing slide |
US8485616B2 (en) * | 2011-02-09 | 2013-07-16 | King Slide Works Co., Ltd. | Slide assembly with buffering member for reducing impact and noise |
US8733864B2 (en) * | 2012-08-08 | 2014-05-27 | E-Make Co., Ltd. | Two way drawer slide |
US10362870B1 (en) * | 2018-01-30 | 2019-07-30 | Austin Hardware And Supply, Inc. | Universal drawer slide |
US20200077795A1 (en) * | 2018-09-12 | 2020-03-12 | Actron Manufacturing, Inc. | Drawer slide |
US11583078B2 (en) * | 2020-08-04 | 2023-02-21 | Accuride International, Inc. | Extendable drawer slide |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
WO2023137152A2 (en) | 2023-07-20 |
WO2023137152A3 (en) | 2023-08-24 |
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