EP2183996B1 - Storage item with drawer(s) - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to the field of storage elements, such as those commonly used in a private or professional field.

It is more particularly storage elements of the type comprising a parallelepiped shaped box, in which slides at least one drawer in a common direction.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

For a very long time there have been storage elements of the aforementioned type, which are of metal structure, wood, or plastic.

The box of the storage element has an open front face, a rear face, and four side faces. In general, the inner surfaces of the lateral faces are provided with support angles on which the drawers or the rolling elements of said drawers rest. These support angles are either fixed permanently to the body, for example by welding, or fixed in a removable manner using means such as screwing means.

We can refer, for the technological background, to the documents DE-1 404 679 A1 , U.S. 4,433,882 A , and DE-9 310 844 U1 .

However, this traditional type of storage element remains totally unsuited to a modular arrangement of the interior of the body.

At the most, one predicts successions of support angles on the inner surface of two associated vertical lateral faces, so as to be able to choose the installation height of a drawer, in the manner of a tray of a wardrobe. Nevertheless, the possibilities or possible combinations remain extremely limited.

There is therefore a need for a multi-modular storage element for its internal subdivision.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention aims to design a storage element whose structure allows a significant modulability of its internal layout, and a flexibility of use as to its orientation.

The invention also aims to design a storage element whose structure with internal modulability remains simple, and compatible with industrial manufacturing means using plastic molding or injection techniques.

GENERAL DEFINITION OF THE INVENTION

The aforementioned problem is solved according to the invention by means of a storage element comprising a box of parallelepiped shape, in which slides at least one drawer in a common direction, said box having an open front face, a rear face, and four faces lateral, said box being equipped, on the inner surface of its four lateral faces, with bar receiving sites, each site being arranged to receive a bar extending in a direction parallel to the common direction so as to form pairs of bars facing each other, each forming an internal slide, each bar providing a support function and / or guiding for the drawer or drawers concerned according to the horizontal or vertical position of the box and the number of drawers used.

There are thus multiple possibilities of arrangement of drawers for the same box, in particular to one or two drawers.

According to a first embodiment, all the reception sites of bars are equipped with bars, said bars providing as appropriate a support function, a guide function, or a support function and guidance, for the or drawers concerned.

It may be provided in a variant that only part of the reception sites of bars are equipped with bars, said equipped sites corresponding to the bars providing a support function, or a function of support and guidance.

Advantageously, each of the reception sites of bars is arranged to receive a bar removably. The removable character allows a great flexibility of arrangement of the bars according to the type of arrangement desired.

Preferably then, each of the bar receiving sites is constituted by a pair of parallel ribs for receiving and maintaining the associated bar.

Advantageously, the bars are all identical to each other. In particular, each bar is constituted by a one-piece profile having on its edge a U-shaped configuration.

Advantageously, the body is equipped, on the inner surface of its rear face, of end of reception sites of bars associated with each of the reception sites of bars present on the lateral faces of said body.

More preferably, the bars present in the associated strip receiving sites are trapped by a front frame attached to the box at the open front face thereof. In particular, the front frame has, on the side facing the interior of the body, locking sites of the ends of bars associated with each of the reception sites of bars present on the lateral faces of said body.

Advantageously then, the front frame has, on the side facing the outside of the body, a border reentrant device for facilitating the gripping of the drawer or drawers at the front of said body.

According to a particularly interesting embodiment, the box is of rectangular section, and it is equipped on the inner surface of a central site for receiving strips on each of its small side faces, and two reception sites of strips on each of its large lateral faces. In particular, the rectangular section of the box has a length twice its width, and each bar receiving site of its large lateral faces is at the center of the corresponding half-length.

More preferably, the or each drawer has recesses or notches associated with the passage of the bars.

Advantageously also, the or each drawer is constituted by a drawer case open top, whose front face is covered by a front cover fixed removably by clipping.

It will then be possible for the storage element according to the invention to be associated in kit form with a set of internal equipment of the box comprising six bars, four drawers, and three front coverings, so as to allow three different arrangements in position. horizontal and two different arrangements in vertical position.

Other features and advantages of the invention will emerge more clearly in the light of the description which follows and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

• la figure 1 illustre en perspective un élément de rangement conforme à l'invention, mais dont le tiroir ne permet pas de distinguer l'agencement interne qui permet la modularité intérieure de celui-ci ;
• la figure 2 illustre le même élément sans son tiroir, ce qui permet de distinguer des sites de réception de barrettes ici tous équipés de barrettes ;
• la figure 3 illustre la caisse de l'élément de rangement, sans son cadre frontal de maintien des barrettes ;
• la figure 4 illustre la même caisse sans les barrettes au niveau des sites de réception de barrettes, et subsidiairement sans les barrettes d'angle en quart de cercle ;
• la figure 5 est une coupe selon V-V de la figure 3, permettant de distinguer les sites de réception de barrettes, qui sont ici tous munis de barrettes ;
• les figures 6 et 7 illustrent en perspective une de ces barrettes, lesquelles sont ici toutes identiques entre elles ;
• les figures 8 et 9 sont des vues en perspective du cadre frontal rapporté en face avant de la caisse, et servant à emprisonner les barrettes précitées ;
• la figure 10 est une vue en perspective de la caisse de tiroir ;
• les figures 11 et 12 illustrent en perspective le capotage de façade associé à la caisse de tiroir, et qui est enlevé sur la figure 10 ;
• la figure 13 illustre en vue frontale l'élément de rangement avec le tiroir, sans le cadre frontal de façon à distinguer les sites de réception des barrettes et les barrettes associées ;
• les figures 14, 15 et 16 sont analogues aux figures 10 à 13 et illustrent un agencement à tiroir unique avec une caisse en position verticale ;
• les figures 17 à 19 sont des vues analogues illustrant un agencement horizontal à deux tiroirs superposés, lesdits tiroirs étant toujours insérés dans la même caisse ;
• les figures 20 à 23 illustrent encore une autre variante à deux tiroirs, les mêmes tiroirs pouvant servir indifféremment à un agencement dans une direction verticale comme illustré en figure 22 ou dans une direction horizontale comme illustré en figure 23, et ce toujours avec la même caisse.

Reference will be made to the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which:

• the figure 1 illustrates in perspective a storage element according to the invention, but whose drawer does not distinguish the internal arrangement that allows the interior modularity of it;
• the figure 2 illustrates the same element without its drawer, which makes it possible to distinguish reception sites of bars here all equipped with bars;
• the figure 3 illustrates the case of the storage element, without its front frame for holding the bars;
• the figure 4 illustrates the same box without the bars at the reception sites of bars, and alternatively without the quadrant bars of quarter circle;
• the figure 5 is a section according to VV of the figure 3 , to distinguish the reception sites of bars, which are here all provided with bars;
• the Figures 6 and 7 illustrate in perspective one of these bars, which are all identical here;
• the Figures 8 and 9 are perspective views of the front frame attached to the front of the box, and serving to imprison the aforementioned bars;
• the figure 10 is a perspective view of the drawer case;
• the Figures 11 and 12 illustrate in perspective the facade cowling associated with the drawer box, which is removed on the figure 10 ;
• the figure 13 illustrates in front view the storage element with the drawer, without the front frame so as to distinguish the reception sites of the bars and the associated bars;
• the Figures 14, 15 and 16 are similar to Figures 10 to 13 and illustrate a single drawer arrangement with a box in an upright position;
• the Figures 17 to 19 are similar views illustrating a horizontal arrangement with two superposed drawers, said drawers always being inserted in the same box;
• the Figures 20 to 23 illustrate yet another variant with two drawers, the same drawers can be used indifferently to an arrangement in a vertical direction as illustrated in figure 22 or in a horizontal direction as illustrated in figure 23 always with the same box.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

The figure 1 illustrates a storage element 1 according to the invention, of the type comprising a box 2 of parallelepiped shape, in which slides at least one drawer 3 in a common direction D. The box 2 has an open front face 4, a rear face 5 , and four lateral faces 6, 7, 8, 9. The position of the body 2 represented on the figure 1 is considered a horizontal position. However, it will be seen later that it is possible to arrange a drawer system, with one or more drawers, with a box 2 arranged in a vertical direction.

On the figure 1 , there is also a front frame 20 which is fixed on the body 2 at the open front face 4 thereof. In the view of the figure 1 , which has a closed drawer 3, it can be seen that the front frame 20 has, on the side facing the outside of the box 2, a reentrant peripheral edge 20.1 intended to facilitate the gripping of the drawer at the front face 4 of the checkout. The figure 1 also makes it possible to distinguish quarter-circle bars 10 arranged at the four edges of the box 2 of the storage element 1.

The figure 2 makes it possible to better distinguish the internal arrangement of the box 2, which comprises, in accordance with an essential characteristic of the invention, sites noted 30 receiving strips, each site 30 being arranged to receive a bar 31 extending in a direction parallel to the common direction D.

Thus, the body 2 is equipped, on the inner surface of its four lateral faces 6, 7, 8, 9, with bar receiving sites 30, each site 30 being arranged to receive a bar 31 so as to form pairs of bars facing each other, each forming an internal slide.

As will be better understood later, each bar 31 provides a support function and / or guide for the drawer or drawers concerned, according to the horizontal or vertical position of the box 2 and the number of drawers used.

The figure 3 makes it possible to better distinguish the end of the bars 31 which are arranged at the level of the reception sites 30 of bars.

As is best seen on the figure 4 each of the bar receiving sites 30 is constituted by a pair of parallel ribs 32 for receiving and maintaining the associated bar 31. Thus, each of the bar receiving sites 30 is arranged to receive a bar 31 of removable way.

It could of course be expected that the bars 31 are integral with the side walls of the box 2, but it is more advantageous to provide a removable mounting of the bars 31 at all or some of the bar receiving sites 30, this for to have optimal flexibility in the context of the desired internal modularity, and also for easier manufacture.

On the figure 4 alternatively, the means used for the implantation of quadrant angle bars 10, these means being constituted by a plurality of notches 10.1 separated from each other by means of half-thickness webs 10.2, said notches serving to receive ratchet tabs integrally formed with the constituent section of the quarter-circle corner bars 10.

The cup of the figure 5 makes it possible to better distinguish all the reception sites 30 of bars, here all equipped with bars 31.

The number and the disposition of these reception sites of bars will naturally vary, as will be explained later.

The Figures 6 and 7 allow to better distinguish the structure of the bars 31, which are, as indicated above, all identical to each other. Each strip 31 is thus constituted by a monobloc profile, preferably made of plastic, having on its edge 31.1 a U-shaped configuration. This configuration makes it possible, for the bars 31 serving as a direct support at the level of the lower face of the body 2, to have a support along two parallel lines, which is preferable to a support on a wide track.

The figure 5 also makes it possible to distinguish reception sites 32 of the ends of bars which are provided on the inner surface of the rear face 5 of the body 2, these sites 32 being associated with each of the reception sites of bars 30 present on the lateral faces 6, 7, 8, 9 of said box. Preferably, these reception sites 32 will be constituted by a parallelepipedal housing whose hollow space corresponds to the section of the bar 31, these members being integral with the wall constituting the rear face 5.

In addition, a front frame 20 is provided, the structure of which is better visible on the Figures 8 and 9 . As shown in figure 8 , the front frame 20 has, on the side facing the inside of the body 2, sites 33, 34 for locking the ends of the bars. associated with each of the reception sites of bars 30 present on the lateral faces 6, 7, 8, 9 of said box. In the present case, the aforementioned blocking sites comprise, for each reception site of bars, a receiving housing 33, and an end stop slot 34. Thus, the bars 31 present in the associated strip receiving sites 30 are all trapped by the front frame 20 which is fixed on the body 2 at the open front face 4 thereof by means of detent tabs 21. The figure 9 also makes it possible to better distinguish the fact that the front frame 20 has, on the side facing the outside of the box 2, a reentrant peripheral edge 30.1, which edge is intended to facilitate the gripping of the drawers or at the front face of said box.

As is best seen on the cut of the figure 5 , the box 2 is in this case rectangular section, and it is equipped on the inner surface of a central location of bars 30 on each of its small side faces 8, 9, and two receiving sites of bars 30 on each of its large lateral faces 6, 7. In addition, the rectangular section of the body 2 has a length twice its width, and each bar receiving site 30 of its large lateral faces 6, 7 is at the center of the half-length corresponding.

As will be seen, this arrangement of the reception sites of strips 30, in this case six in number, allows several combinations of internal arrangement with one or more drawers, and with a horizontal or vertical arrangement of the box.

The Figures 10 to 13 illustrate a single drawer arrangement, as illustrated in figure 1 , with a box in a horizontal position.

The drawer 3 is constituted by a drawer case 3.1 open top, the front face of which is covered by a front cover 3.4. As is best seen on the figure 11 , the front cowling 3.4 has snap lugs 3.5 which are received in associated slots 3.6 formed on the front face of the drawer case 3.1.

More importantly, it is noted that the drawer 3 has recesses or notches which are associated with the passage of the bars 31. There are thus two lower grooves 3.2 at the bottom of the drawer 3, and two lateral bearing faces 3.3, and finally two upper notches 3.7 provided in the bottom wall of the drawer.

If we refer now to the figure 13 , we find the same drawer, without its front cover, arranged inside the box. The aforesaid recesses or notches 3.2, 3.3, 3.7 are thus found at each of the bar receiving sites 30 provided on the inner surface of the four lateral faces 6, 7, 8, 9 of the box 2 of the storage element. 1.

If one is interested now in the function provided by the bars 31 present at the reception sites of bars 30, it is found that the bars 31 associated with the upper face 6 only provide a guiding function. The bars 31 associated with the lateral faces 8, 9 can provide a guiding function, or a double function of support and guidance. The bars 31 associated with the lower face 7 also provide a guide function or a support function and guidance. To avoid a hyperstatic support, provision will be made either a direct support at the level of the bars 31 of the side faces 8, 9, in which case the bars 31 associated with the lower face 7 provide only a simple guide, or alternatively it will be provided that the associated bars 31 at the lower face 7 provide a double function of support and guidance, in which case the bars 31 associated with the side faces 8, 9 only provide a guiding function.

Thus, although there has been shown a case where each of the bar reception sites 30 is equipped with a bar 31, it may be possible to provide that only part of these bar reception sites 30 is equipped with bars, said sites corresponding to the fitted bars providing a support function, or a support function and guidance.

We also planned on the figure 10 a 3.9 implantation of a lock element associated with the drawer 3. In the case of a lock element, the front cover 3.4 will then have an access opening here represented by a dotted line. We also distinguish on the figure 10 resilient tabs 3.8 which conventionally serve to ensure a stop lock in the extreme output position of the drawer, to prevent it from coming out of the box unexpectedly. When it is desired to extract the drawer 3 from its box 2, it is then sufficient to exert pressure on the two tabs 3.8, in order to achieve the desired operation.

The figures that follow will allow to better understand the multiple possibilities of modularity that are allowed thanks to the internal arrangement of the box, which thus confers a highly interesting internal modularity.

On the Figures 14 to 16 , there is a drawer 3 'whose components have the same references as for the drawer 3 with the addition of a'.

As is visible on the figure 16 this drawer 3 'is used in the context of a box 2 which is now arranged vertically. This figure shows that the arrangement of the reception sites of the bars 30 and associated bars 31 is unchanged from that shown on the figure 13 . The change of orientation of the body naturally induces a change of the support functions and / or guidance provided by the bars 31 concerned. Thus, for example, the bar 31 associated with the face 8, which has become the upper face of the storage element, intervenes only for a guiding function. The bars 31 associated with the vertical faces 6 and 7 provide, for the upper bars, a guide function or a support function and guide, and for the lower bars, a single guide function. The bar 31 associated with the wall, which has become the bottom wall 9, provides in the same way either a guiding function or a support and guiding function. In this case, it would be possible, if desired, to remove certain bars 31 whose function is reduced to a guiding function, which would make it possible to use only half of the bars.

The Figures 17 to 19 illustrate another arrangement with two superposed drawers. The two drawers 3 "concerned are identical, and one distinguishes the structure of one of them on the Figures 17 and 18 , the drawer 3 "having components similar to those of previous drawers, so that one will keep the same references assigned a".

The figure 19 thus makes it possible to distinguish an internal arrangement with two superimposed drawers, with a box 2 arranged horizontally, the aforementioned internal implantation of the bars remaining as for it integrally preserved. As previously, the bars 31 of the face, which has become the upper face 6, provide only a guiding function for the upper drawer 3. The bars 31 of the lateral walls 8, 9 provide on the one hand a support function for the upper drawer 3 ", and a guiding function for the lower drawer 3". strips 31 of the face, which has become the lower face 7, provide a support and guiding function for the lower drawer 3 ".

The Figures 20 to 23 illustrate another embodiment of internal arrangement of drawers, still maintaining the same reception sites of strips 30, in this case six in number. Drawers of substantially square section are now used, so that two such drawers 3 "'can be arranged in the above-mentioned box 2. Each drawer 3"' has components homologous to those of the preceding drawers 3, 3 ', 3 ", and we will keep the same references as previously assigned a"".

Unlike previous arrangements with one or two drawers, the present arrangement allows to have two drawers with two different facial positions. Indeed, on the figure 22 it can be seen that two drawers 3 "'are superposed, the box 2 then being in the vertical position, in this case the strip 31 associated with the upper face 8 only provides a guiding function for the drawer. 3 "', and the upper bars 31 associated with the side faces 6 and 7 provide a support and guiding function for this upper drawer 3". As for the lower drawer 3 "', the lower bars 31 associated with the side faces 6,7 provide a guiding function, or support and guidance. Likewise, the central bar 31 associated with the face that has become the lower face 9 assures a bearing and guiding position, or a guide only position, for the lower drawer 3 ", unlike the upper drawer 3"'for which the support is provided by a pair of bars forming a single slide, it will be chosen for the lower drawer if the support is provided on the bars 31 of the side walls 6, 7, or on the central bar 31 of the bottom wall 9.

As is best seen on the figure 23 one can have another arrangement by using the same box 2 and the same two drawers 3 "'Indeed, the box 2 is now in a horizontal position, and the two drawers 3"' are no longer stacked as in the figure 22 but juxtaposed in a horizontal direction. For the left drawer 3 "', there is a guiding function, for the upper bar 31, a guide function, or support and guidance for the single lateral bar 31, and a support function and guidance or simple guidance for the lower bar 31. The same is true for the right drawer 3 "'.

It can be seen that it is possible to provide a kit arrangement for the storage element of the invention, with a set of internal equipment of the box 2 having six bars 31, four drawers 3, 3 ', 3 " , 3 "', and three facing hoods 3.4, 3'.4, 3" .4 or 3 "' 4. These components make it possible to achieve three different arrangements in the horizontal position of the body, and two different arrangements in the vertical position of said body. It will have been noted in this respect that the facade cowling 3'.4 may be identical to the cowling frontage 3.4, to the possible location of the lock mechanism. Likewise, the rollovers 3 "4 of the two drawers 3", and 3 "', 4 two drawers 3"' are identical, which favors the realization in kit with a maximum of rationality and a minimum of components.

The structure that has just been described is of course only one example, and other variants that have not been shown here can be provided.

Thus, for example, it will be possible to provide an internal box arrangement comprising a greater number of strip receiving sites, for example a number of eight, with a three-site distribution for the large lateral faces and a central site for the small faces. lateral, or alternatively to two sites for each of the lateral faces. This then allows to consider further combinations of internal arrangement, for example using three drawers juxtaposed or superimposed.

It has thus been possible to produce a structure of storage elements that allows an internal multi-modularity with many combinations of arrangement and spatial arrangements, both in horizontal position and in vertical position of the body of the element. , with a very variable number of drawers.

The structure of such an arrangement also remains compatible with manufacturing means of industrial type, and the use of molded or injected plastic material.

Finally, the aforementioned structure is perfectly compatible with a kit embodiment, which facilitates the transport, and the installation in situ.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments that have just been described, but on the contrary covers any variant using, with equivalent means, the essential characteristics mentioned above.

Claims (16)

1. Storage element (1) comprising a box (2) of parallelepiped shape, wherein at least one drawer (3) slides in a common direction (D), said box having an open front face (4), a rear face (5), and four side faces (6, 7, 8, 9), characterized in that the box (2) is equipped, on the internal surface of its four side faces (6, 7, 8, 9), with sites (30) for receiving rails, each site (30) being adapted to receive a rail (31) extending in a direction parallel to the common direction (D) so as to constitute pairs of face-to-face rails each forming an internal slide, each rail (31) having a support and/or guide function for the drawer or drawers (3, 3', 3", 3"') concerned according to the horizontal or vertical position of the box (2) and the number of drawers used.
2. Storage element according to claim 1, characterized in that all the sites (30) receiving rails are equipped with rails (31), said rails providing, as appropriate, a support function, a guide function or a support and guide function for the drawer or drawers (3, 3', 3", 3"') concerned.
3. Storage element according to claim 1, characterized in that only some of the sites (30) receiving rails are equipped with rails, said equipped sites corresponding to the rails providing a support function or a support and guide function.
4. Storage element according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each of the sites (30) receiving rails is adapted to receive a rail (31) detachably.
5. Storage element according to claim 4, characterized in that each of the sites (30) receiving rails is constituted by a pair of parallel ribs (32) for receiving and retaining the associated rail (31).
6. Storage element according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the rails (31) are all identical.
7. Storage element according to claim 6, characterized in that each rail (31) is formed by a one-piece structural section having on its edge (31.1) a U-shaped configuration.
8. Storage element according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the box (2) is equipped on the internal surface of its rear face (5) with rail end receiving sites (32) associated with each of the sites (30) receiving rails present on the side faces (6, 7, 8, 9) of said box.
9. Storage element according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the rails (31) present in the associated sites (30) receiving rails are trapped by a front frame (20) fixed to the box (2) at the level of the open front face (4) thereof.
10. Storage element according to claim 9, characterized in that the front frame (20) has on the side facing the inside of the box (2) sites (33, 34) for locking the ends of rails associated with each of the sites (30) receiving rails present on the side faces (6, 7, 8, 9) of said box.
11. Storage element according to claim 9 or claim 10, characterized in that the front frame (20) has on the side facing out of the box (2) a re-entrant peripheral rim (20.1) intended to facilitate gripping the drawer or drawers (3, 3', 3", 3"') at the level of the front face (4) of said box.
12. Storage element according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the box (2) is rectangular in section and is equipped on an internal surface with a central site (30) receiving rails on each of its smaller side faces (8, 9) and two sites (30) receiving rails on each of its larger side faces (6, 7).
13. Storage element according to claim 12, characterized in that the rectangular section of the box (2) has a length double its width and each site (30) receiving rails of its larger side faces (6, 7) is at the centre of the corresponding half-length.
14. Storage element according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the or each drawer (3, 3', 3", 3"') has recesses or notches (3.2, 3.3, 3.7; 3'.2, 3'.3, 3'.7; 3".2, 3".3, 3".7; 3"'.2, 3"'.3, 3"'.7) associated with the passage of the rails (31).
15. Storage element according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the or each drawer (3, 3', 3", 3"') is constituted by a drawer box (3.1, 3'.1, 3".1, 3"'.1) open at the top the front face of which is covered by a front panel (3.4, 3'.4, 3".4, 3"'.4) detachably secured by clipping.
16. Storage element according to claims 12 to 15, characterized in that it is associated in a kit with a set of internal equipment of the box (2) comprising six rails (31), four drawers (3, 3', 3", 3"') and three front panels (3.4, 3'.4, 3".4 or 3"'.4), so as to allow three different arrangements in a horizontal position and two different arrangements in a vertical position.

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