EP1574645B1

EP1574645B1 - Selective blocking device for drawers with improved anti-overturning system

Info

Publication number: EP1574645B1
Application number: EP04381005A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Francesc C/o Industrias Ragi S.A. Roca; Albert C/o Industrias Ragi S.A. Carbo Bech
Original assignee: Industrias Ragi SA
Current assignee: Industrias Ragi SA
Priority date: 2004-03-10
Filing date: 2004-03-10
Publication date: 2008-05-07
Anticipated expiration: 2024-03-10
Also published as: EP1574645A1; DE602004013532D1; ES2304594T3; ATE394570T1

Abstract

The present invention of selective blocking device for drawers with improved anti-overturning system, is intended to prevent the moveable flange from adopting a position which impedes the closing of said drawer and allows the opening of any other drawer, for which it the moveable flange is provided with an additional arm which is a backward extension of the boss receiving arm of the interior guide, additionally the turning radius of the upper corner of the pulling flange has been enlarged, there being a window on the lower rail of the interior guide, moreover with the object of improving the braking and blocking of the drawer on its closure, an additional piece is fitted on the side of the small fixture, in which piece an additional boss fits mounted also on the interior guide. <IMAGE>

Description

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION.

The present invention relates to a selective blocking device for drawers with improved anti-overturning system of among the blocking systems which allow the opening of a drawer inhibiting at the same time the opening of the rest of the drawers and which therefore reduces the possibility of the complete drawer cabinet overturning.
The present invention is characterised in the use of a small fixture internal to the guide which includes the main device based on two butts and an axle and which performs the selective blocking.
It is characterised in the reduced number of elements which constitute the small fixture, as well as the simplicity of assembly which allows the incorporation of the small fixture on the inside of the guide.
It is an object of the present invention to carry out a number of improvements in the practical operation of the drawer cabinet, avoiding situations in which it is not possible to close a d rawer already open and the opening of some other drawer is allowed.
Therefore the present invention falls within the ambit of the closing and opening systems for drawers of a drawer cabinet and particularly of among those which as means of avoiding the overturning of the drawer cabinet impedes the opening of more than one drawer at a time.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION.

The improvements carried out in the selective blocking device for drawers with anti-overturning system are based on the European patent EP 1340874
In the device disclosed in this patent a number of drawbacks have been observed which c an happen in a sporadic way a nd a s the result of incorrect use, although not frequent in the event of occurring they imply a serious inconvenience.
In short, on one hand it has been observed that situations can arise wherein if the moveable flange is wrongly used, the latter can adopt a position in which it is not possible to close the open drawer, and however the extraction of any other drawer of the drawer cabinet is not impeded.
Moreover the pulling flange of the moveable flange assembly has a very pronounced radius, which facilitates its movement and its incorrect positioning.
It is also observed that the drawer when completely inserted lacks adequate means to improve its final braking, as well as favouring the sufficient insertion thereof.
Therefore, an objective of the present invention is to improve the selective blocking device for drawers with anti-overturning system already disclosed in the patent EP 134087 or in US 5 702 167 A . The improvements carried out in the present invention as defined by the independent claim 1 being, i n short, reforms such that they prevent the moveable flange from being in a position in which the closing of the open drawer is impeded, and the opening of any other drawer is allowed, wherein as well as avoiding said situation, in the event that it should occur it permits the position of the moveable flange to be corrected, without having to dismantle the whole drawer cabinet. It is also sought to provide the assembly with some means of braking and final engagement of the drawer in its final closing stretch.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION.

The present invention of improvements of a selective blocking device for drawers with anti-overturning system integrated in the guides of each of the drawers consists in preventing the moveable flange from being positioned so that it impedes the closing of the drawer which is open and therefore the withdrawal of the rest.
As has already been indicated in invention EP 1340874 , the blocking device consisted of a small fixture housed on the end of an external guide. In said small fixture some pieces are fixed, specifically an upper butt and a lower butt, this piece having a hollow cylindrical projection on which a moveable flange is coupled which rotates with respect to the coupling on the cylindrical projection of the lower butt piece. The latter also has a lower butt recess.
It can happen that the moveable flange, specifically the part which acts as pulling flange lodges in said recess, without the drawer having been closed completely, for which reason the drawer cannot be closed, it being possible to open any other drawer.
To this end, the moveable flange is provided with an additional arm which is practically a continuation of the receiving arm of the boss. This arm will permit that on closing the drawer by the action of the lower end of the interior guide the moveable flange is raised and subsequently ends up housing said mobile arm in a window made in the lower rail of the interior guide.
Said window made in the lower rail of the interior guide will have a size such that it allows both the restoring of the moveable flange to its correct position, and the operation of the drawer cabinet assembly, since on opening another of the drawers, the elevation of the butts is produced and the rotation of the moveable flange, whereby the additional arm of the moveable flange is extracted from the window of the interior guide.
Another of the modifications carried out, consists in some means of braking and blocking the drawer in its closure once the end position is reached, for which the lower rail is provided with an additional boss of greater size than the first, and located in a such way that in the moment of closure said boss is inserted in an additional piece abutting on the small fixture mounted on the end of the external guide. These braking means, besides fulfilling the actual purpose of braking the receptacle as it closes, provides an additional effect of preventing the drawer from rebounding on closing producing an incorrect positioning of the moveable flange or of the locking flange.
The additional piece has a U-shaped geometry between the outer legs of which is inserted the additional boss with which the interior rail has been provided.
The purpose of this additional piece, together with the added boss is to achieve a braking of the drawer when closing, as well as a blocking of the drawer once closed, improving drawer closure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.

The present descriptive specification is completed with a set of drawings which illustrate but in no way restrict the example of preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 shows the small fixture together with the two butts and the moveable flange located in the correct position.
Figure 2 shows the same preceding elements in which the moveable flange has been positioned incorrectly impeding the correct operation of the assembly.
Figure 3 is a representation in perspective of the improved moveable flange.
Figures 4a, 4b, 4c and 4d show the sequence followed when the flange is restored to a position of correct operation.
Figure 5 shows the arrangement of all the elements object of improvement in the present invention.
Figure 6 shows the displacement that the different pieces have when any other drawer is opened.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION.

In the light of the foregoing, the present invention relates to a selective blocking device for drawers with improved anti-overturning system.
In figure 1 it is observed that among the pieces which form the anti-overturn device object of the invention, the most important are, a small fixture (1) which is housed on the end of the external guide of the drawer. In said small fixture (1) are housed an upper butt (2) and a lower butt (3) vertically displaceable, the ends of said butts being connected to the ends the lower and upper drawer butts.
The upper butt (2) has an upper frontal projection (4) on its lower part, while the lower butt (3) has a lower frontal projection (5), in which is lodged the hinge pin of the moveable flange (6) which by means of the pulling flange (8) makes the upper butt (2) rise.
The upper butt (2) has on its lower edge a step (19) which impedes the displacement of the pulling flange (8) of the moveable flange (6). Said step (19) works in collaboration with the lesser turning radius (12) (figure 3) of the pulling flange (8), achieving a better securing of said pulling flange in said position when the drawer is open.
The lower butt (3) has a recess (7) in which the pulling flange (8) is allowed to lodge. In figure 2, an undesired positioning is observed, in which the pulling flange (8) is lodged in the recess (7) without the boss of the interior guide being positioned in the space between the butts, that is, without the drawer having closed, allowing the opening of any other drawer.
To remedy this incorrect operation the moveable flange (6), among other elements, is modified, which flange being shown in figure 3. The moveable flange has a boss (9) which is lodged in the lower frontal projection (5) of the lower butt (3), said boss (9) being the axle of rotation of the moveable flange (6).
The moveable flange (6) has a receiving arm (10) of the boss (16) (figures 4, 5 and 6) which defines a concave area. It also has the actual pulling flange (8) which on turning serves to displace the upper butt (2).
For a correct operation of the assembly, on the upper corner (12) of the pulling flange (8) the turning radius of the corner has been decreased, which facilitates/hinders release from the lower recess (19) which shows the upper butt (2).
As an added element, the moveable flange (6) has an additional arm (11), a rear extension of the boss receiving arm (10).
The boss (9) which the moveable flange (6) has and which is lodged in the lower frontal projection (5), has a grooved part (20) practiced transversally and has a thickening or projection (21) on the end of the boss so that they impede the extraction of the moveable flange (6) once housed in the lower frontal projection (5).
In figure 4a the situation is shown in which the moveable flange is found with the pulling arm (8) housed in the recess (7) of the lower butt without the drawer being closed.
The closing of the drawer is not possible since the interior guide (13) with its boss (16) cannot make the upper butt (2) move and lodge in the space between the two butts.
To remedy this situation the moveable flange (6) has now been modified and a window (15) opened on the lower rail of the interior guide (13).
In figure 4b it is observed that the interior guide (13) in its forward motion toward the closing of the drawer sliding on the external guide (14), causes the lower end of the lower rail of the interior guide (13) to come up against the additional arm (11), causing the assembly of the moveable flange (6) to rotate about its axle joining with the lower butt.
In figure 4c, it is shown that in the advance of the interior guide the additional arm (11) now rests on the part of the lower rail of the interior guide just before the window (15).
In figure 4d, the final and corrected position is shown in which the additional arm (11) in the face of the advancing interior guide (13) finishes by passing through the window (15) and emerging therefrom, and where also the boss (16) is finally housed in the concave space defined by the receiving arm (10) of the boss of the interior guide.
Figures 5 and 6 show the entirety of the improvements carried out with the object of a voiding inappropriate positioning of the moveable flange which prevents a drawer being closed and which permits the opening of any additional drawer.
In figure 5 is shown, on the interior side of the small fixture (1), an additional piece (18) fitted for the braking and blocking of the drawer in its closure, there also being on the interior rail (13) an additional boss (17).
Said additional boss (17) is of greater width than boss (16) and is mounted on the interior rail (13) at a distance such that in the closing of the drawer (18) it engages in the additional piece.
The additional piece (18) has a U-shaped geometry and has a size such that it allows the housing of the boss (17) so that it impedes, brakes and blocks the drawer in its closure.
In figure 6 it is observed how in the event of opening any other drawer the elevation of the assembly of butts (2) and (3) takes place and given the impossibility of displacement of the boss (16) the rotation takes place of the moveable flange (6), the assembly of boss (16) and moveable flange (6) being lodged in the recess (7) of lower butt (3).

Claims

Selective blocking device for drawers with improved anti-overturning system, in which after allowing the opening of a drawer, the rest of the drawers in the same drawer cabinet are blocked to reduce the possibility of overturning, comprising a small fixture secured in use on the end of an external guide which holds butts (2,3) of the selective blocking device one lower and another upper, the upper butt (2) having an upper frontal projection (4), whilst on the lower butt (3) there is a lower frontal projection (5) in which is lodged a boss (9) of a moveable flange (6) of the selective blocking device about which the latter rotates, said lower butt (3) having a recess (7) comprising an interior guide (13) with a boss (16), wherein to avoid situations in which the drawer cannot be closed due to improper positioning of the moveable flange (6), additionally to a receiving arm (10) of the boss and to a pulling flange (8), the moveable flange (6) is also provided with an additional arm (11) which is prolonged backwards with respect to the receiving arm (10) of the boss wherein the selective blocking device further comprises on the corner (12) of the pulling flange (8) a bend with less turning radius which impedes an easier release of the pulling flange (8) from a recess (19) made on the lower part of the upper butt (2), wherein a window (15) is equipping the lower rail of the interior guide (13) in the vicinity of its end, so that during closing of the drawer the lower rail of the interior guide (13) firstly comes up against the additional arm (11) causing the rotation of the moveable flange (6) about its axle" or boss (9) joining with the lower butt (3), further the additional arm (11) rest on a part of the lower rail just before the window (15) and finally it passes through the window and emerges therefrom wherein the selective blocking device also has a a mean (18) of braking and blocking the drawer in its closure, which as well as braking manages to prevent rebounding on closure which can give rise to unwanted positioning of the moveable flange (16).
Selective blocking device for drawers with improved anti-overturning system, according to claim 1, characterised in that the braking and blocking means (18) of the drawer in its closure comprises fitting on the interior side of the small fixture (1) an additional piece (18), and on the interior guide (13) an additional boss (17).
Selective blocking device for drawers with improved anti-overturning system, according to claim 2, characterised in that the additional boss (17) is located on the interior guide (13) at a distance such that it lodges in the additional piece on closure of the drawer (18).
Selective blocking device for drawers with improved anti-overturning system, according to claim 2, characterised in that the additional piece (18) fitted on the interior side of the small fixture (1) has a U-shaped geometry with a distance between its raised ends such that it corresponds to the width of the boss (17), blocking and braking the drawer in its closure.
Selective blocking device for drawers with improved anti-overturning system, according to claim 1, characterised in that the boss (9) which the moveable flange (6) has, has a grooved part (20) implemented transversally and a thickening or projection (21) on the end of the boss so that they impede the withdrawal of the moveable flange (6) once this boss (9) is housed in the lower frontal projection (5).