EP1340874A1

EP1340874A1 - Selective blocking device for drawers with overturning protection

Info

Publication number: EP1340874A1
Application number: EP02380046A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jaime Planellas Muntada
Original assignee: Industrias Ragi SA
Current assignee: Industrias Ragi SA
Priority date: 2002-02-27
Filing date: 2002-02-27
Publication date: 2003-09-03
Anticipated expiration: 2022-02-27
Also published as: DE60210038T2; DE60210038D1; EP1340874B1; PT1340874E; ES2258607T3; ATE321180T1

Abstract

The present invention refers to a device for selective blocking of drawers with overturning protection from among the blocking systems that allow the opening of a drawer and at the same time make it impossible to open the remainder of the drawers and therefore reduce the possibility of the cabinet of drawers overturning. The blocking assembly makes use of a small housing (3) internal and integrated in the guide (2) fixed to the drawer, that includes two vertically sliding stops (4, 5) plus a swivel (6) in the shape of a "C" prepared to receive the nipple (2.1) joined to the profile of the guide (2) of the drawer. A special design of the stops (4, 5) and of the swivel (6) allow the selective blocking of the drawers that there are above and below the open drawer.

Description

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention refers to a device for selective blocking of drawers with overturning protection from among the blocking systems that allow the opening of a drawer and at the same time make it impossible to open the rest of the drawers and that therefore reduce the possibility of overturning the cabinet of drawers.
The present invention is characterised in the use of an small housing inside the guide that includes the main device based on two stops and a swivel and that performs the selective blocking.
It is characterised in the reduced number of elements that constitute the small housing, as well as the simplicity of assembly that allows the incorporation of the small housing inside the guide.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

One of the most important problems in designing cabinets of drawers is the stability.
The cabinets of drawers can be fixed or mobile, being displaced by means of wheels.
In both cases, the supporting base is smaller or at most the same as the vertical projection of the cabinet of drawers since otherwise the use of feet that project beyond the cabinet of drawers can lead to tripping accidents when passing, as well as inconveniencing or impeding integration with the rest of the furniture.
The content of a drawer, and the drawer proper, exercises a downward force that can be considered to be applied at the centre of gravity of the assembly.
The opening of the drawer supposes a horizontal displacement of the centre of gravity that positions it outside the vertical projection of its base.
This force, in this situation, determines a moment that tends to overturn the cabinet of drawers unless the weight of the rest of the set of drawers is enough to balance the moment that favours overturning.
In most cases the rest of the drawers is sufficient to prevent overturning, but if the number of drawers open is greater, the probability that overturning takes place is also greater.
This effect happens most frequently with the use of filing cabinets since the weight that they habitually support is greater.
This problem has been tackled previously by means of mechanisms that allow the opening of a single drawer and block the opening of the rest of the drawers.
The mechanisms known make use of diverse devices that impede opening, for example by means of pincer systems with actuators external to the guide and that have to be installed as an element additional to the mechanism for guiding the drawer.
This type of blocking system incorporates a high number of piece parts that have to be adequately calibrated before their installation in the drawers, so that, if this adjustment is not carried out the resulting mechanism offers serious difficulties in its normal operation.
Furthermore, these mechanisms, are for the most part based on pincers which, if they do adequately admit the nipples on which they act, do not assure the blocking effect and thereby the opening of only one drawer.
The present invention makes use of a mechanism that is clearly simpler than those known in the state of the art that gives rise to a device incorporated in the guide and not external, which reduces the installation time, the adjustments necessary for their operation, and provides a guaranteed performance.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a selective blocking device for drawers with overturning protection incorporated in the guides of each of the drawers.
This device consists in the combined use of the blocking mechanism that is incorporated in the guide, and of the connecting bars between these blocking systems.
The incorporated device is already included in the device at the time of installation in such a manner that only the additional incorporation of is required of the bars situated between devices for their mutual operation coordinating the opening of a single device at a given time.
These bars connect with the blocking assemblies through the existence of cuts, one upper and another lower, in the profile that they make accessible.
The blocking device consists of a small housing formed by two lateral guides that are mounted transversal to the guide joined to the cabinet and connected by two irregular bars at their ends the external face of which has the same profile as the guide of the cabinet, leaving the small housing being fitted and secure.
Optionally, this small housing can make use of additional means of fastening, or some rear nipples that enter into recesses of the drawer guide, or, taking advantage of the existence of the upper and lower cuts of the guide that allow the passage of the connecting bars between devices, fastening is assured by projections that rest on the walls of the cut.
In the definitive position, the guides of the small housing are vertical and they allow the sliding of the two main pieces that are lodged in its interior.
These two pieces are those which are hereafter termed the upper stop and the lower stop, in accordance always with the orientation and position they adopt after assembly.
The two stops have an irregular form but both are a base plate with the edges coincident with the guides of the small housing in which they are held and slide, and on the opposite ends they have a support to secure the bar that serves as pusher for blocking the devices that are either above or below, depending on whether it is the upper or lower piece respectively.
The bar that is fixed in the upper stop is joined to the lower stop of the device that is in the guide that corresponds to the drawer immediately above; and, the bar that is fixed in the lower stop is joined to the upper stop of the device that is in the guide that corresponds to the drawer immediately below.
The drawer has its guide to allow it to go in and come out.
The end of this guide has a centred nipple oriented toward the guide fixed to the cabinet (the larger one) in such a way that when entering completely it has to be held in the blocking device.
It is by means of the securing of this nipple that the opening of the drawer is prevented when there is another open, and it is also this nipple that activates the blocking of all the other drawers when its drawer is pulled out.
The nipple, by being centred, when the drawer is closed, can only be held between the upper and lower stop.
The contact line between the upper and lower stop coincides with the lower horizontal tangent of the nipple.
For this reason, so that the nipple can be held, the upper stop should rise establishing a distance of sufficiently wide spacing so that the nipple mentioned enters completely.
This vertical displacement of the upper stop raises the bar to which it is joined so that all the upper and lower stops that are held in blocking devices installed above, are lifted.
With this elevation the nipples of the drawers that are above and blocked are held inside a swivel that has its front part C-shaped for this purpose, that of engaging the nipple.
The horizontal displacement of the nipple due to the ingress of the drawer forces the rotation of the swivel with the C-shaped front in direction.
The innermost wing of the front "C" of the swivel is prolonged to the base plane of the upper and lower stops, and in its anticlockwise rotation this rear prolongation is held inside an arc-shaped recess of mainly oblique sides with an occasional straight sector.
The mechanical interference of the nipple with the lower stop impedes the escape of the nipple so that all the drawers located above are blocked.
The C-shaped swivel is capable of holding the nipple; and, in its rear part has a thickening that can either be lodged in the arc-shaped recess of the same lower stop or act as support for the upper stop merely by rotating through the action of the nipple and becoming vertical.
The pulling out of the drawer therefore blocks the withdrawal of the drawers that are above, as well as those that are below.
The escape of the nipple has only been possible by the rotation of the C-shaped swivel in the clockwise direction in such a way that the rear prolongation rests on the upper stop.
This support impedes the approximation between stops and defines a spacing, and in particular, the lower stop cannot be raised.
That the lower stop cannot be raised means that none of the upper stops that are underneath can rise either, so that the withdrawal of the drawers below is also blocked.
It is sufficient for the drawer pulled out to be pushed in once more for the C-shaped swivel to rotate in the anticlockwise direction removing the supporting rear prolongation to where it is held in the arc-shaped recess and the approximation is allowed between stops.
Thus, any drawer can be open and therefore become that which now blocks the remainder.
The upper stop, in the outer or frontal area, has a pawl that interferes with the ingress of the nipple offering an oblique surface both for ingress and for egress.
This oblique surface is that which makes the nipple slide forcing the elevation of the upper stop both on ingress and on egress.
On the other hand, the lower stop also has a small rounding that eliminates the edge that there would be in its place in the ingress area of this same nipple to allow an ingress of the drawer as smooth as possible.
Lastly it remains to establish a means for recovering the position of the stops.
For this purpose, in the upper stop there is a back recess that contains a spring.
The spring works at all times in compression, and the walls of the recess prevent it from buckling.
The lower end of the spring rests on the lower base of the recess that holds it, and its upper end fits in a hole made in the upper part of the small housing in the transversal bar that serves to secure the small housing to the profile of the guide in which it is installed.
The compressive strength in this spring is at all times forcing the upper stop downwards, and when it is in contact with the lower stop it also pulls on it.
The device so conceived, is not only held inside the large guide joined to the cabinet, but also does not increase the width between the profiles that constitute the fixed and slidable part of the drawer guide.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present descriptive specification is completed with a set of drawings which illustrate a preferred exemplary embodiment, in no way restrictive, of the invention.
Figure 1 is the small housing that holds the upper and lower stops, represented in elevation, plan and profile.
Figure 2 represents, separately, the lower stop in elevation and plan, and the swivel with its C-shaped housing in elevation, plan and profile.
Figure 3 represents the upper stop in elevation and plan.
Figure 4 is an elevation and profile of the assembly formed by the drawer guide and its incorporated blocking device with the position resulting from having its drawer open.
Figure 5 is an elevation and profile of the assembly formed by the drawer guide and its blocking device activated when it is a drawer that is above the open one.
Figure 6 is an elevation and profile of the assembly with the blocking device activated when it is a drawer that is below the open one.
Figure 7 is an elevation and profile of three assemblies that correspond to three consecutive drawers with the intermediate drawer open and that above and below blocked.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

In the light of the foregoing explanation, the present invention refers to a selective blocking device for drawers with overturning protection.
The drawers can be withdrawn thanks to two lateral guides, one on each side, with three profiles, a wide profile (1) fixed to the drawer cabinet, another of smaller dimensions (2) joined to the drawer, plus an intermediate one that allows the total extension and that is not numbered as it does not intervene in the blocking system.
The smaller profile (2) can slide with respect to the wide profile (1) to allow the linear movement of extracting the drawer.
The smaller profile (2) has close to its innermost end a nipple (2.1) on its face opposite to the wide profile (1) that serves as a means of retention and as actuator to make the blocking devices work appropriately.
The end of the profile of the wider guide (1) holds a small housing (3) that is constituted mainly by two lateral vertical guides (3.1) connected by two irregular horizontal bars (3.2) the external profile of which adapts to the form of the internal face of the profile of the wide guide (1) for their fastening.
Optionally, it can also have other ways that increases the fastening of the small housing (3) to the profile (1) of the guide, either by means of some rear nipples (3.3) or by means of some projections in the irregular transversal bars (3.2) intended to be lodged in the cuts in the profile (1) that allow the passage of the connecting bars (7) between blocking devices.
In the guides (3.1) of the small housing (3), two stops are held, a lower one (5) and an upper one (4).
These are the guides (3.1) that endow the upper stops (4) and the lower stops (5) with the capacity to slide vertically.
The small housing (3), in its upper transversal bar (3.2) includes a hole directed downwards that holds the upper end of a spring that is lodged inside a recess (4.3) that prevents it from buckling.
The compressive strength in this spring forces the upper stop (4) downwards, and when this (4) comes into contact with the lower stop (5) it is also pushed downwards.
The lower stop (5) in turn includes a swivel (6) with its front part C-shaped intended to admit the nipple (2.1) of the narrow profile (2).
In turn, the upper wing (6.1) of the "C" of this same swivel (6), is prolonged to the rear face in such a way that it ends up resting on the base plate of the upper stop (4) after rotating in a clockwise direction.
When the rotation of the wing (6.1) is in the anticlockwise direction, the rear prolongation lodges in a recess (5.1) of the stop (5) that supports the swivel (6).
Both the lower stop (4) and the upper stop (5) fit tightly against the rear face so that they would not come into contact with the nipple (2.1) of the narrow profile (2) if it was not for the presence of two frontal projections in these stops (4, 5).
The frontal projection (4.2) of the upper stop (4) has an arc-shaped lower profile so that both the ingress of the nipple (2.1) from the right and from the left force a vertical displacement of the upper stop (4).
Both stops have a connection to a bar (7) that link adjacent devices.
Each lower stop (5) has a connection (5.2) downwards that connects by means of a bar (7) with the upper connection (4.1) of the upper stop (4) that is in the device immediately below.
On the other hand, the lower stop (5) also comes with a frontal projection (5.3) which is that which comes into contact with the nipple (2.1); and, on this frontal projection (5.3), on its left side, is where the perforation (5.4) is found in which the swivel (6) is lodged and pivots.
Although figures 1, 2 and 3 show the pieces of the blocking device separately, figure 4 shows all the described pieces in assembled form.
In this last figure and in those following, the narrow profile (2) will not hide the elements that there are behind it in order to allow the different positions of the pieces that intervene in the blocking to be observed.
Figure 4 corresponds with the position of the blocking system when the drawer has been pulled out.
In the egress of the nipple (2.1), the swivel has been pulled (6) and forced to rotate in a clockwise direction until the wing (6.1) that has a rear prolongation is vertical.
During the egress of the nipple (2.1), the thickening (4.2) of the upper stop (4) has forced its elevation.
The stop (4) does not descend since the prolongation of the wing (6.1) of the swivel (6), that which has been made vertical, retains it maintaining the separation with the lower stop (5).
On one hand, the lower stop (5) cannot be raised given the mandatory distance between stops close to the maximum movement that the length of the small housing (3) allows, and the upper stop (4) cannot descend either for the same reason.
It will suffice to wait for the ingress of the drawer, for the nipple (2.1) to mandate the anticlockwise rotation of the swivel (6), remove the support of the wing (6.1) of the swivel (6), and the latter (6.1) with its rear prolongation be lodged in the recess (5.1) intended to hold it.
Figure 5 shows the device that corresponds to the blocking device with the drawer closed, and the drawer above open.
In this case, the nipple. (2.1) of the narrow profile (2) is behind the projection (4.2) with the curved lower profile.
If it is attempted to open the drawer, the nipple would come up against this projection (4,2) of the upper stop (4) tending to raise it; however, it is not possible because the bar (7) that connects with the upper device prevents it from rising.
As the upper stop (4) and lower stop (5) both of this device, that represented in figure 5, and all those that are underneath are in contact, none of them can raise their upper stop (4) so that all have the drawer blocked regarding its extraction.
As soon as the upper drawer is closed, the lower stop (5) of this blocking device of the upper drawer is no longer separated from its upper stop (4) so that the necessary movement is again allowed for rising together and in this way open any of the drawers below.
Figure (6) shows how blocking is established in the drawers that are fitted above the open drawer.
In this case, the elevation of both stops (4, 5), forced by the elevation of the lower stop (5), produces an alignment between the nipple (2.1) and the swivel (6) on its support (5.4) by way of a frontal projection.
When facing each other, the withdrawal is not possible of any of the drawers that are located above the open drawer.
As soon as the open drawer is closed, all the stops that there are above descend, making it possible for any one of them to be opened.
Figure 7 shows the three assemblies represented in figures 5, 6 and 7 together, to establish a better relationship between the relative displacements of each one of the stops when the intermediate drawer is opened, reproducing the three cases that have been commented separately and based on more detailed figures.
As for the outermost drawers, since it is not necessary to block anything below the lowest one nor anything above the uppermost, it will be sufficient not to install the connecting bar (7).
It is also very simple to incorporate a safety key for blocking all the drawers.
It is sufficient to prevent the elevation of the upper stop (4} of the uppermost device so that none of the blocking devices allows the withdrawal of its drawer.
With this objective, a key is included that positions an interfering element on the last stop in order that closure be maintained.
Variation in materials, form, size and arrangement of the component elements does not alter the essential nature of this invention, described in a non-restrictive manner, this being sufficient for an expert to proceed to its reproduction.

Claims

Device for selective blocking of drawers with overturning protection, from among those devices that after allowing the opening of a drawer, the rest of the drawers of the same cabinet is blocked to reduce the possibility of overturning characterised in that it is formed constituted by a blocking assembly for each guide (1, 2) of the drawer, wherein each one of these assemblies is formed by:

a small housing (3) located on and in the inside of the end of the wide profile (1) of the guide that is fixed to the cabinet,

two stops (4, 5) held inside the small housing (3), one upper (4) and another lower (5) fitting tightly against the rear face of the small housing (3) and guided vertically,

a swivel (6) that pivots in a perforation (5.4) of the projection (5.3) of the lower stop (5), with the front part of this swivel (6) in a "C" shape intended to admit when it turns, the ingress and displacement of a nipple (2.1) fixed in the internal face of the narrow profile (2) of the drawer guide,

an internally mounted spring in a rear recess (4.3) of the upper stop (4) that rests on its rear face in a hole (3.5) of the irregular upper bar (3.2) of the small housing (3) that pushes the upper stop (4) downwards and by pulling also the lower stop (5) for the recovery of both,

the bars (7) that link the stops (4, 5) opposite consecutively mounted blocking assemblies.

Where only the blocking assemblies corresponding to a same drawer can allow the opening of the drawer by releasing the nipples (2.1) maintaining the remainder in retention.
Device for selective blocking of drawers with overturning protection in accordance with claim 1 characterised in that the small housing (3) has some vertical guides (3.1) that allow the lodging and vertical sliding of the upper stops (4) and lower stops (5) and are connected above and below by means of some irregular horizontal bars (3.2) that adapt to the internal face of the wide profile (1) of the guide for their fastening when optionally other means are incorporated of securing or by means of rear nipples (3.3) or by means of projections that rest on the faces of the cuts in the wide profile (1) intended to allow the passage of the connecting bars (7) between blocking devices.
Device for selective blocking of drawers with overturning protection in accordance with claim 2 characterised in that the lower stop (5) reveals an arc-shaped recess (5.1) that admits the housing of the rear prolongation of the internal wing (6.1) of the swivel (6) when it rotates in the anticlockwise direction; and the upper projection (5.3) on which is located the C-shaped swivel (6) likewise includes a rounding of its upper right edge for the better ingress of the blocking nipple (2.1), where also, in its lower part it incorporates the means. (5.2) of connection with the bar (7) linking with the device below.
Device for selective blocking of drawers with overturning protection in accordance with claim 3 characterised in that upper stop (4), has a frontal projection (4.2) that allows its elevation both in the ingress and in the egress of the nipple (2.1) of the narrow profile (2) of the drawer having its under face arched to facilitate the sliding action; and in its upper part it incorporates the means (4.1) of connecting with the bar (7) linking with the device above; and in the rear face it also includes a mainly vertical and centred recess (4.3) to house the position recovery spring.
Device for selective blocking of drawers with overturning protection in accordance with claim 4 characterised in that the nipple (2.1) has a length such that it can only come into contact with the frontal projections of the stops (4, 5), that is, with the arc-shaped projection (4.2) of the upper stop (4), with the upper projection (5.3) of the lower stop (5) and with the swivel (6) located in this projection (5.3).
Device for selective blocking of drawers with overturning protection in accordance with claim 5 characterised in that with the egress of the drawer, the nipple (2.1) raises the upper stop (4) by means of its projection (4.2), and during the egress, the swivel (6) rotates in a clockwise direction until its wing (6.1) prolonged rearward is in a vertical position for securing the upper stop (4) that has been raised; the stops (4, 5) resulting at the maximum separation from each other except for the necessary movement in such a way that the elevation of the lower stop is impeded and also the descent of the upper stop (4).
Device for selective blocking of drawers with overturning protection in accordance with claim 5 characterised in that the ingress of the nipple (2.1) forces the turning of the swivel (6) in an anticlockwise direction by pressure on its wing (5.1) prolonged rearward, in such a way that this wing (6.1) ceases to rest on the upper stop (4), and therefore, its descent takes place for lack of support, or the elevation of the lower stop (5) is allowed.
Device for selective blocking of drawers with overturning protection in accordance with claim 6 characterised in that the elevation of the stop (4) by the egress of the drawer, raises all the lower stops (5) and upper stops (4) facing each blocking assembly mounted above the drawer that is open in such a way that their nipples (2.1) are aligned with the swivel (6) that corresponds to it so that the latter (5) impedes their egress.
Device for selective blocking of drawers with overturning protection in accordance with claim 7 characterised in that when the stop (4) cannot be raised because a drawer above is open and its stops are at the maximum separation, the projection (4.2) impedes the egress of the nipple (2.1) and therefore the extraction of this drawer, and for the same reason, its lower stop (5) cannot be raised either thereby establishing the blocking of all the drawers fitted below.
Device for selective blocking of drawers with overturning protection in accordance with claim 9 characterised in that by means of a key the elevation is impeded of the upper stop (4) of the uppermost blocking assembly, so that extraction of all the drawers is prevented.