EP2172132A1

EP2172132A1 - Guide rail assembly

Info

Publication number: EP2172132A1
Application number: EP08017455A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Arne Madsen
Original assignee: Flex Home System AS
Current assignee: Flex Home System AS
Priority date: 2008-10-03
Filing date: 2008-10-03
Publication date: 2010-04-07
Also published as: EP2172133A3; EP2172133A2

Abstract

Guide rail assembly comprising at least two rails (1,2) arranged along each other guiding a first structure relative to a second structure e.g. a wire basket and a cabinet, respectively a first rail (1) being connected to the first structure, a second rail (2) being connected to the second structure; further comprising coupling means for coupling the rails (1,2) to each other, said coupling means being comprised of at least one opening (3) in said first rail (1) adapted to receive a stud (4) and formed as a cutout (3) in an upper or lower edge of said rail (1), wherein said cutout (3) is designed with an entrance area (5) and a locking area (6), such that by locking the stud (4) in the locking area (6) of the cutout (3) a removable structure, in a mounted position, cannot unintentionally be released from an opposite structure.

Description

The invention relates to guide rail assemblies as known from applications such as e.g. drawers, shelves or wire baskets in cabinets or recesses, wherein a guide rail assembly comprises at least two rails arranged along each other guiding a first structure e.g. a drawer and a cabinet relative to a second structure, a first rail being connected to the first structure, a second rail being connected to the second structure; further comprising coupling means for coupling the rails to each other.
In this technical field rails are seen with coupling means comprising a number of studs in the one rail and stud-receiving keyhole openings in the second rail, wherein the mounting procedure necessitates the studs entering the openings remote from the final position as mounted.
There is a need for guide rail assemblies whereby a drawer or shelf can be mounted directly between side panels of a cabinet or a recess, and wherein the rails of such assembly engage in an interlocking manner preventing a drawer or shelf from unintentionally releasing itself from a mounted position.
Moreover, the first structure will sometimes have to be mounted in a second structure presenting a width in the front that differs from the width in the rear. Such difference could be difficult or impossible to adapt to, where rails on a drawer, shelf or basket do not easily reach the rails on the side panels as well in the front as in the rear; and a possible sliding or rolling movement of the rails along each other would be impossible.
One object of the invention is to provide a guide rail assembly having coupling means allowing a first rail connected to a first structure to be coupled and locked with a second rail on a second structure, whereby the first structure has initially been positioned between walls of the second structure.
The invention solves the object of avoiding unintentional release, in that said coupling means comprise at least one opening in a first rail adapted to receive a stud of a second rail and formed as a cutout in an upper or lower edge of the first rail, wherein said cutout is designed with an entrance area and a locking area, so that by locking the stud in the locking area of the cutout, a removable structure, in a mounted position, cannot unintentionally be released from the opposite structure.
The cutout has the entrance area essentially defined by two cut-lines extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal edge of the one guide rail, and has the locking area of the cutout essentially defined by two cut-lines oriented in an angle to the entrance area.
Moreover, the dimensions of the cutout correspond to a supporting part of a stud, where the stud comprises fixing means and a stem; said fixing means serves the purpose of fixing the stud in a side panel of a guide rail, e.g. by screwing, welding moulding or gluing the stud to the panel, and the stem has a dimension allowing the stud to move in the cutout into the locking area.
Another object of the invention is to provide a distance-tolerant guide rail assembly allowing the assembly to be mounted between side panels of a structure with a different width in the front than in the rear.
The invention provides a distance-tolerant guide rail assembly satisfying this object, whereby the supporting length of the stem equals at least half of the difference in distance between side panels on each side of the movable structure as measured between front ends and rear ends, respectively, of the rails attached to said side panels.
The studs according to the invention may have any cross-sectional form being e.g. rounded or faceted.
In a preferred variation of the embodiment, said stud is provided with stop means at the free end thereof in order to maintain the coupling engagement despite lateral movement of the movable structure. Such lateral stops may take the form of an enlarged free end of the stem, e.g. a head, an angled tip etc.
In an advantageous embodiment, the stud, as mounted, is kept in position by blocking means blocking it from returning out of the cutout, whereby said blocking means could be a plug member with a protrusion entering the cutout between the stud and the entrance of the cutout.
One embodiment of said blocking means takes the form of a cover of e.g. a metal or plastic material fitting over the stud end and having a protruding leg blocking the cutout passage.
In a another embodiment of the blocking means, a shield of metal or plastic material resting against abutments is connected to the rail facing the stud, preventing the stud from moving in the longitudinal direction of the rail.
The guide rail assembly can be applied to many different applications a few of which being drawers, shelves or baskets in many types of cabinets, dressers, closets, cupboards, desks and refrigerators.
Guiding rails are often understood as sliding or rolling rails comprising two or more sliding and/or telescopic rails. However, the rails may also simply be two separate rails that, as assembled, mount two structures in a non-moving position and secure against disengagement.
Hereinafter the invention will be explained in further details based on a preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawings, which show

Fig. 1 a guide rail assembly according to the invention, mounted on a structure A
Fig. 2 a detail of a guide rail assembly engaged by a coupling stud, and
Fig. 3 a first rail part having a cutout through which a stud is inserted and locked by means of a shield mounted astride the stud and clamped down on the first rail part.

Fig. 1 illustrates a guide rail assembly 1, 2 mounted on the side wall A of a structure or cabinet whereby a first rail 1 of the assembly is connected to a removable structure e.g. a basket (not shown) and a second rail 2 is connected to an adjacent side wall A of a cabinet. The first rail 1 is usually fixed on the side or bottom of the basket. The second rail 2 will usually constitute one of several guide rails, which can slide or roll relative to each other bringing the basket in and out of the cabinet.
Fig. 2 is a detailed view of the stud-cutout engagement, wherein the stud 4 comprises a stem with a suitable supporting length 8 and a fixing part 7, which in the example is a flat end buttwelded to a second rail part 2, but it could be attached in any other suitable way including by the use of screw threads, glue, blind rivets etc. Moreover, the free end of the stud 4 is preferably provided with an enlarged head 9 or angled tip in order to counteract cases with possible flexing of the rails in an extended position, thereby momentarily presenting a larger width than foreseen for the cabinet.
In the example, the first rail 1 (see fig. 1) is provided with two cutouts 3 each comprising an entrance area 5 and a locking area 6, adapted to receive a stud 4 (see fig. 2) extending laterally from the side of the second rail 2 for coupling said rails in an interlocking engagement.
When a stud 4 is received in the locking area 6 of a cutout 3, a basket, as mounted, cannot become disengaged because the profile of the locking area has a first side 6a prohibiting longitudinal movement of the stud 4, and a second side 6b limiting a vertical movement of the stud.
A basket is usually mounted by means of first rails 1 on its lateral sides and is slid over second rails 2 presenting studs 4 pointing towards the basket and engaging cutouts 3 in the first rails 1. The steps in the mounting procedure comprises moving the basket into the cabinet and down over the studs 4, so that the studs 4 enter the entrance area 5 of the cutouts 3, and then pushing forward, so the studs 4 move into the locking area 6. Thereafter the basket cannot disengage itself unintentionally from the mounting position, e.g. by a push from beneath.
In a simple embodiment, the second rails 2 are neither sliding nor rolling but remain fixed to the cabinet.
The opening of some cabinets may for different reasons be wider in the front than in the rear. In order to tolerate such difference, the studs 4 have an effective supporting length 8 larger than half of said difference.
Depending on the nature of the removable structure to be mounted, the rails 1 can be connected to the top, bottom or side panel of said structure.
Fig. 3 shows a preferred solution to blocking the stud 4 in position by means of a shield 10 of metal or plastic material having a notch 11 so that a sliding movement can bring the shield 10 into a position astride the stud 4, said shield resting against abutments 12 on the corresponding rail 1, whereby no movement in the longitudinal direction of the rail 1 is possible.
Another solution to blocking the stud is to use a plug member (not shown) in the form of a cover or cap of e.g. a metal or plastic material, fitting over the stud end and having a leg blocking the cutout 3 passage.

Claims

Guide rail assembly comprising at least two rails arranged along each other guiding a first structure relative to a second structure, e.g. a wire basket and a cabinet, a first rail being connected to the first structure, a second rail being connected to the second structure; further comprising coupling means for coupling the rails to each other, characterized in that said coupling means being comprised of at least one opening in said first rail adapted to receive a stud and formed as a cutout in an upper or lower edge of said rail, wherein said cutout is designed with an entrance area and a locking area, so that by locking the stud in the locking area of the cutout, a removable structure, in a mounted position, cannot unintentionally be released from an opposite structure.
Guide rail assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the cutout has the entrance area substantially defined by two cut-lines extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal edge of the one guide rail, and has the locking area of the cutout essentially defined by two cut-lines oriented in an angle to the entrance area.
Guide rail assembly according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the dimensions of the cutout correspond to a supporting part of a stud, wherein the stud comprises fixing means and a supporting stem; said fixing means serves the purpose of fixing the stud to a side panel of a guide rail, e.g. by screwing, welding, moulding or gluing the stud to the panel, and the stem has a dimension allowing the stud to move in the cutout into the locking area.
Guide rail assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that the length of the stem equals at least half of the difference in distance between side panels on each side of the removable structure as measured between front ends and rear ends, respectively, of the rails attached to said side panels.
Guide rail assembly according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that said stud is provided with stop means at the free end thereof maintaining the coupling engagement despite lateral movement of the removable structure.
Guide rail assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that said stop means on the stud is an enlarged free end of the stud, e.g. a head or an angled tip.
Guide rail assembly according any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the stud, as mounted, is kept in position by blocking means blocking it from returning out of the cutout.
Guide rail assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that said blocking means is a plug member with a protrusion entering the cutout between the stud and the entrance of the cutout.
Guide rail assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that said plug member is formed as a cover of e.g. a metal or plastic material, and fitting over the stud end and having a leg blocking the cutout passage.
Guide rail assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that said blocking means is a shield of metal or plastic material connected to the rail facing the stud resting against abutments and preventing movement of the stud in the longitudinal direction.