EP4622502A1

EP4622502A1 - Drawer sliding system

Info

Publication number: EP4622502A1
Application number: EP23809188.8A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Johan NORTHFELL
Original assignee: Inter Ikea Systems BV
Current assignee: Inter Ikea Systems BV
Priority date: 2022-11-21
Filing date: 2023-11-17
Publication date: 2025-10-01
Also published as: CN120225092A; WO2024110336A1

Abstract

A sliding system (100) is provided. The sliding system (100) comprises a guiding rail (110) and a sliding member (120) extending longitudinally and configured to together form a connection between a drawer (200) and an associated cabinet (300). The guiding rail (110) is provided with two sliding surfaces (111a, 111b), and the sliding member (120) is provided with two engagement surfaces (121a, 121b), each comprising a first protrusion (122a) configured for sliding engagement with the respective sliding surface (111a, b). The guiding rail (110) and the sliding member (120) are longitudinally moveable relative each other between what corresponds to a closed position of the drawer (200) relative to the cabinet (300) and what corresponds to a maximum extended position of the drawer (200) relative to the cabinet (300), wherein in the maximum extended position a front part (123) of the sliding member (120) is fully accommodated by the guiding rail (110), wherein each of the first protrusions (122a) extend along at least 75% of the length of the front part (123) of the sliding member (120).

Description

DRAWER SLIDING SYSTEM

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates in general to a drawer sliding system, particularly a sliding system adapted for use with a drawer and an associated cabinet.

BACKGROUND

The main function of a drawer sliding system is to allow a drawer to be pulled out horizontally from a piece of furniture such that its contents can be accessed. Various types of techniques are available for providing sliding systems that are robust, yet easily manoeuvrable.

A basic example of such a technique is to attach horizontal bars to inner walls of the furniture, the bars protruding into mating recesses in each sidewall of the drawer.

For a more smooth movement, it has been suggested to provide low friction guiding system in which one guide rail is fixedly mounted to the cabinet, while guiding means are fixedly mounted to the drawer. The guiding means, e.g. realized by one or more rollers, are moveable relative the guiding rail, whereby not only a very low friction is ensured, but also it is possible to add stop members such that the drawer does not fall out from the cabinet. Such solutions are well known within the technical area, but they all share the same drawback that rather expensive components, i.e. metal rails, bearings, and low friction rollers, are required to provide the desired functionality.

From the above, it is understood that there is a need for an improved drawer sliding system for a drawer which allows for a simple and cost effective structure and manufacturing, while still allowing for easy and robust operation.

SUMMARY

An object of the present invention is to solve or at least mitigate the problems related to prior art. This object is achieved by means of the technique set forth in the appended independent claims; preferred embodiments being defined in the related dependent claims. In an aspect, a sliding system is provided. The sliding system comprises a guiding rail and a sliding member extending longitudinally and configured to together form a connection between a drawer and an associated cabinet. The guiding rail is provided with two sliding surfaces, and the sliding member is provided with two engagement surfaces. Each engagement surface comprises a first protrusion configured for sliding engagement with the respective sliding surface. The guiding rail and the sliding member are longitudinally moveable relative each other between what corresponds to a closed position of the drawer relative to the cabinet, and what corresponds to a maximum extended position of the drawer relative to the cabinet, wherein in the maximum extended position a front part of the sliding member is fully accommodated by the guiding rail. The first protrusions extend along at least 75% of the length of the front part of the sliding member.

By the first protrusion being in sliding engagement with the sliding surface, a low friction connection of the sliding member and the guiding rail is facilitated. The low friction is ensured at least partly due to the contact area between the sliding surfaces and the engagement surfaces being small, especially in the transversal direction. Furthermore, the extension of the first protrusions along the front part of the sliding member allows for a simple and robust structure that is easy and cost effective to manufacture and also provides a very smooth transition along the entire opening/closing action.

The “front part” of the sliding member may be defined as the part of the sliding member being received by the guiding rail when the sliding system is arranged in the maximum extended position.

That the front part is “fully accommodated” refers to accommodation of the length LF of the front part in full by the guiding rail. In other words, the entire length LF of the front part is accommodated by the guiding rail. The front part having the length LF is fully accommodated by the guiding rail along the length LF extending in the longitudinal direction.

Phrased in other words, a sliding system comprises a guiding rail and a sliding member extending longitudinally and configured to together form a connection between a drawer and an associated cabinet. The guiding rail is provided with two sliding surfaces and the sliding member is provided with two engagement surfaces, each comprising a first protrusion configured for sliding engagement with the respective sliding surface. The guiding rail and the sliding member are longitudinally moveable relative each other between what corresponds to a closed position of the drawer relative to the cabinet and what corresponds to a maximum extended position of the drawer relative to the cabinet, and wherein in the maximum extended position each of the first protrusions extend along at least 75% of that length LF of the sliding member being, in the maximum extended position, accommodated by the guiding rail.

The sliding surfaces may be longitudinally extended along at least 80% of the length of the guiding rail.

In the closed position, the sliding member may be fully accommodated by the guiding rail.

In the maximum extended position, the sliding member may be partially protruding beyond the guiding rail.

The two sliding surfaces may be located at a vertical distance from each other. The guiding rail, provided with the sliding surfaces, may be formed as a C-shaped groove, and the sliding surfaces may be an upper and a lower surface of the groove. The sliding member may be configured to be fully or partly received inside the guiding rail.

The first protrusions, or some of the first protrusions, may be vertical protrusions of the engagement surfaces. This may be especially suitable if the sliding surfaces are an upper and a lower surface, and the first protrusions are protruding vertically upwards and vertically downwards, respectively.

At least one sliding surface may comprise a longitudinally extending ridge configured to impede movement of the sliding member in a transversal direction. By the ridge protruding somewhat from the sliding surface in the normal direction and extending longitudinally, the first protrusion of the engagement surface being in contact with the sliding surface while the guiding rail and sliding member are in connection, will be prohibited to move in the transversal direction, i.e. across the ridge. Preferably, at least one of said first protrusions may be arranged on an inner side of said longitudinally extending ridge counteracting transversal removal of the sliding member from the guiding rail. An inner side is herein meant to define a side facing inwards, i.e. towards the center of the cabinet. The ridge(s) may preferably extend along at least 75% of the length of said first protrusions. These features are advantageous, alone or in combination, as it allows for a more robust sliding system and lowers the risk of a drawer falling out from a cabinet. Compared to other attempts to solve such a problem, the ridge is a simple and cost effective solution.

At least one engagement surface may comprise a second protrusion, configured to be arranged opposite the ridge of the sliding surface with regard to the first protrusion when the guiding rail and sliding member are in connection. By this, the robustness increases even more as the ridge limits lateral movement in two directions. Further, multiple parallel protrusions provide an efficient load distribution of the weight of the drawer, thereby ensuring the low friction interface. Each engagement surface may of course comprise even more protrusions, and each sliding surface may comprise more than one ridge. The protrusions and ridges may be alternatingly arranged while the guiding rail and sliding member are in connection, or there may be two or more protrusions and/or ridges alongside each other.

The guiding rail and sliding member may together form a left connection between the drawer and the associated cabinet. The sliding system may further comprise a further guiding rail and a further sliding member extending longitudinally and configured to together form a right connection between the drawer and the associated cabinet. At least one sliding surface of each guiding rail may comprise a longitudinally extending ridge configured to impede movement of the associated sliding member in a transversal direction, preferably each of the sliding surfaces of each guiding rail comprises said longitudinally extending ridge. At least one of said first protrusions of each sliding member may be arranged on an inner side of said longitudinally extending ridge counteracting transversal removal of each sliding member from the associated guiding rail. The ridge(s) of each guiding rail may extend along at least 75% of the length of said first protrusions of the associated sliding member.

A distance between the first and second protrusions of one guiding rail may be larger than a distance between the first and second protrusions of the other guiding rail.

The at least one second protrusion may extend along at least 75% of the length of the front part of the sliding member. Additionally or alternatively, the ridges may extend along at least 75% of the length of the sliding surfaces. By this, an easier and more cost effective manufacturing process is facilitated.

The horizontal distance between the first and second protrusion, which preferably is a horizontal distance, may exceed the width of the ridge by 0.1-1.5 mm. Preferably, the distance exceeds the width of the ridge by 0.3-0.9 mm.

At least a portion of the sliding member may be made of a plastic, preferably at least the two engagement surfaces may be made from a plastic. The guiding rail may be made of metal, provided with a coating. By the coating, the friction of the guiding rail may be lowered. In other embodiments the guiding rail may be made of a plastic.

At least a portion of the guiding rail may be made of a plastic. Preferably at least the two sliding surfaces of the guiding rail may be made of from a plastic. The two sliding surfaces of the guiding rail may be made of a plastic that is different from the plastic from which the at least the two engagement surfaces of the sliding member are made. The coating may be a lacquer. The thickness of the lacquer may be 100 pm or less, preferably 50 pm or less, more preferably 15 to 40 pm. The lacquer may in turn at least partly be coated with a lipophilic composition.

Preferably the sliding surface has been lacquered by electrocoating in a bath containing the lacquer or by electrostatic coating with a powder lacquer. These methods provide for even and thin layers of lacquers.

The longitudinal length of the sliding member may be between 50% and 90%, preferably between 60% and 80%, preferably around 65% to 72%, of the longitudinal length of the guiding rail. By this, friction related problems, such as the so called sticky drawer effect may be avoided.

The sliding system may further comprise a drawer stopper, preferably in the form of a plug, and a stopping member configured to receive the drawer stopper when in the maximum extended position and prevent further movement of the guiding rail relative the sliding member. The sliding member may be arranged on a bracket, and the stopping member may be provided on the same bracket.

According to another aspect, a chest of drawers is provided. The chest of drawers comprises a cabinet, at least one drawer and at least two sliding systems according to any of the preceding claims, wherein two of the at least two sliding systems are arranged on opposite sides of each drawer.

The distance between the first and second protrusions may be larger on one side of each drawer than on the other side. If there are more than one drawer in the chest of drawers, all sliding systems on one side may have a larger distance between the first and second protrusions than the distance of the sliding system on the other side. By this, manufacturing is facilitated since tolerances are accommodated by one side only.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be obvious to a person skilled in the art when reading the detailed description below of different embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

By way of example, embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. la is an exploded view of a side panel of a drawer and a sliding system according to an embodiment;

Fig. lb is an isometric view of a side panel of a drawer and a sliding system to an embodiment;

Fig. 2a is an isometric view of a sliding member according to an embodiment;

Fig. 2b is a front view of a guiding rail according to an embodiment;

Fig. 2c is a front view of a sliding member according to an embodiment;

Fig. 3a is an isometric view of a sliding member according to an embodiment;

Fig. 3b is a side view of a sliding member according to an embodiment;

Fig. 4 is a front view of a side panel of a drawer and a sliding system according to an embodiment;

Fig. 5a is a side view of a drawer and a sliding system according to an embodiment, shown in a fully closed position;

Fig. 5b is a side view of a drawer and a sliding system according to an embodiment, shown in maximum extended position; Fig 5c is an isometric view of a drawer and a sliding system according to an embodiment;

Fig 6 is an isometric view of a chest of drawers according to an embodiment; and

Figs. 7a-b are front views of a sliding member according to different embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

In the following, a sliding system will be described, as well as a chest of drawers comprising such a sliding system.

The term “front”, or “front end”, is referring to the part of the drawer pointing outwards from the cabinet. The front end of the guiding rail for example, is the end of the guiding rail pointing in the same direction as the front of the drawer when the guiding rail is attached to the drawer. Consequently, “rear” refers to the rear end of the drawer pointing inwards towards the back of the cabinet.

As used in this description the expression “longitudinal direction” refers to the rear-to-front direction, or the depth, of the drawer. In normal use, the longitudinal direction is often synonymous with a substantially horizontal direction. For example, drawers in a chest of drawers are often mounted above each other in a vertical direction and extendable in a horizontal, or longitudinal, direction. By the guiding rail and sliding member extending longitudinally is thereby meant that they have a length in the longitudinal direction, the longitudinal length preferably and normally being longer than a width in another direction. Similarly, the sliding surfaces and engagement surfaces, as well as the protrusions and ridges, mentioned in the description as being longitudinally extending should be interpreted as being longer in the longitudinal direction than in any other direction.

As used in the description, the expression “fully accommodated” refers to accommodation in full of a part in relation to its longitudinal direction. A first part may be fully accommodated by a second part along a length in the longitudinal direction of the first part, while being only partly accommodated by the second part along a circumference of a cross-section of the first part. Although the sliding system described in the following specification is especially suited for connecting a drawer to a cabinet, it should be understood that the benefits described below are also applicable to other kinds of furniture or mechanical arrangements requiring a sliding interface between two interconnected parts.

Starting in Fig. la and lb, a side panel 201 of a drawer 200 (only partially illustrated in Figs, la and lb) and a sliding system 100 are shown. The sliding system comprises a guiding rail 110 and a sliding member 120. The guiding rail 110 may be attached to the drawer 200 side panel 201 by means of screws, bolts, nails, rivets or other fastening means through spaced apart through holes. The attachment of the guiding rail 110 to the drawer 200 side panel 201 may also be facilitated by adhesive or mechanical tension built into the shape of the guiding rail 110.

The sliding member 120 may be attached to an inner wall of a cabinet 300 (not illustrated) by first being fastened to a bracket 124, the bracket 124 then being fastened to cabinet 300 inner wall, for example by fastening means, such as the ones described above, e.g., screws, bolts, nails, rivets, or by means of an adhesive. The part of the bracket 124 where the sliding member 120 is attached may be protruding in a horizontal direction and be provided with gripping ripples or other parts suitable for attachment, in particular for snap action attachment. The sliding member 120 may be attached by snapping the sliding member 120 onto the bracket 124, and letting the gripping ripples keep it in place by means of friction. The bracket 124 provided with the sliding member 120 is further illustrated in Figs. 3a and 3b. The bracket 124 may comprise metal, for instance aluminum and/or steel. Some areas of the bracket 124, such as for instance an area close to a front end of the bracket 124 and/or an area surrounding a rear end of a front part 123 of the sliding member 120, may as illustrated in Figs. 3a and 3b be provided with reinforcement grooves 126 or by other means be strengthened. By this, the sliding system 100 is reinforced in a front end when the drawer 200 is in closed position, and reinforced in a point corresponding to the rear end of the drawer 200 when in a maximum extended position, as illustrated in Figs. 5b and 5c. This increases the load capacity of the drawer 200 and facilities an even more robust arrangement. As shown in Fig. 5b, the front part 123 is the portion of the sliding member 120 facing the drawer front DF of the drawer 200. The front part 123 is that portion of the length of the sliding member 120 which is accommodated by the guiding rail 110, such as the sliding member 120 being located inside the C-shape of the guiding rail 110 as illustrated in Fig. 4, when the drawer 200 is in a maximum extended position, as illustrated in Figs. 5b and 5c.

Turning back to Figs, la and lb, the illustrated embodiment of the sliding system further comprises a drawer stopper 130 configured to be attached to the drawer 200, for instance by penetrating it, and a stopping member 125, preferably forming part of the bracket 124, configured to receive the drawer stopper 130 when in the maximum extended position. The drawer stopper 130 may comprise a plastic material, and the stopping member 125 may be made of the same material as the bracket 124. The shape of the drawer stopper 130 may correspond to the stopping member 125 such that they for instance are tapered at substantially the same angle. The drawer stopper 130 and the stopping member 125 are configured to prevent further movement of the guiding rail 110 relative the sliding member 120 than what is required to reach a completely pulled- out position, corresponding to the maximum extended position. In other words, the drawer stopper 130 and the stopping member 125 are configured to ensure that the front part 123 of the sliding member 120 is always accommodated by the guiding rail 110 when the guiding rail 110 and the sliding member 120 are in connection.

The sliding member 120 may be made of a plastic, preferably a plastic comprising a polymer with polar groups, more preferably the polar groups are selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl groups, carboxylic acid groups, amide groups, halide groups, sulfide groups, cyano groups (nitrile groups), carbamate groups, aldehyde groups, and/or ketone groups. More specifically, the sliding member 120 may be made of a plastic comprising a polymer selected from the group of polymers consisting of polyoxymethylenes (POM), polyesters (e.g. thermoplastic polyesters, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), and polylactic acid (PLA), as well as bio-based thermoplastic polyesters, such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), and polyethylene furanoate (PEF)), polyamides (PA), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyaryletherketone (PAEK; e.g. Polyether ether ketone (PEEK)), and Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). The guiding rail 110 may be made of metal, preferably provided with a coating. The guiding rail may for example comprise aluminum and/or steel. The coating may be provided by means of electrocoating, autodeposition in a bath containing the coating, powder coating, electrostatic coating with a powder coating, wet spraying, a Honny process or a derivate thereof, or other suitable processes. The coating may be a lacquer. In other embodiments the guiding rail 110 may be made of a plastic, such as polyamide or polyester.

Turning now to Figs. 2a and 2b, the guiding rail 110 is shown in more detail. The guiding rail 110 may be formed as a C-shaped groove, configured to fully or partly enclose the sliding member 120. The C-shaped groove can accommodate, i.e. house, the sliding member 120. The sliding surfaces I l la, 11 lb of the guiding rail 110 may be an upper surface I l la and a lower surface 11 lb of the groove, located at a vertical distance from each other. Preferably, such upper and lower sliding surfaces 11 la, b are arranged in parallel. In such embodiment the two sliding surfaces I l la, 111b are arranged on opposite sides of a guiding rail 110 having a generally cross-sectional C-shape.

The guiding rail 110 may also be provided with more sliding surfaces, such as a distal sliding surface 111c extending in a vertical direction between the upper and lower sliding surfaces I l la, 11 lb. Similarly, referring to Fig. 2c the sliding member 120 may be provided with engagement surfaces 121a, 121b designed to be arranged in parallel and aligned with the sliding surfaces I l la, 11 lb. As shown in Fig. 2c, and as will further be described with reference to Fig. 4, the engagement surfaces I l la, 111b are provided with protrusions 122a, 122b. Each sliding surface I l la, 111b may be provided with two protrusions, i.e. a first protrusion 122a and a second protrusion 122b. The upper engagement surface 121a is shown to have a first and a second protrusion 122a, 122b extending vertically upwards to form a sliding engagement with the upper sliding surface 11 la of the guiding rail 110. The lower engagement surface 121b is shown to have a first and a second protrusion 122a, 122b extending vertically downwards to form a sliding engagement with the bottom sliding surface 11 lb of the guiding rail 110. The sliding member 120 may further be provided with optional engagement surfaces, such as a distal engagement surface 121c for sliding engagement with the distal sliding surface 111c. The flanges of the guiding rail 110 facing the drawer 200 when in connection, may be bent to avoid sharp edges and to provide guidance for the sliding member 120 when inserted into the guiding rail 110.

The sliding surfaces I l la, 11 lb are longitudinally extending along at least 80% of the length of the guiding rail 110. Preferably, the sliding surfaces I l la, 11 lb are longitudinally extending along the entire length of the guiding rail 110

A cross-section of the sliding system 100, when mounted, is shown in Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 4, the C-shaped groove of the guiding rail 110 at least partly encloses the sliding member 120. Hence, the C-shaped groove of the guiding rail 110 accommodates the sliding member 120. A low friction sliding interface is realized by the sliding engagement between the engagement surfaces 121a, 121b of the sliding member 120 and the sliding surfaces I l la, 111b of the guiding rail 110 through the first and second protrusions 122a, 122b. It should be noted that although the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 4 (see also Fig. 2c) is provided with two protrusions 122a, 122b on each engagement surface 121a, 121b, the sliding interface may also be realized by other embodiments, such as only a first protrusion 122a on each engagement surface 121a, 121b, or more than two protrusions on each engagement surface 121a, 121b, or protrusions on more than two engagement surfaces 121a, 121b. More than one protrusion 122a, 122b on each engagement surface 121a, 121b may contribute to a more durable sliding system which is less sensitive to strain and long term wear and tear. The protrusions 122a, 122b may as illustrated in Fig. 4 be vertical protrusions. This may be especially suitable if the sliding surfaces I l la, 11 lb are upper and lower surfaces, and the protrusions are protruding in an upper and lower vertical direction. It should be understood that the protrusions 122a, 122b may very well protrude in other directions as well, such as a horizontal direction, an angled direction in between the vertical and horizontal direction, or a combination thereof. A horizontal protrusion (not illustrated) may be suitable to be provided on a distal engagement surface for sliding engagement with a distal sliding surface 111c as described above.

The protrusions 122a, 122b as shown in Figs 2c, 4, and 7a have a triangular cross-sectional shape. Preferably, the protrusions 122a, 122b have a pointed outer tip as shown in Figs 2c, 4 and 7. This provides a small contact surface between the protrusions 122a, 122b and the sliding surfaces I l la, 11 lb, which reduces friction during sliding. Further, the first and/or second protrusions 122a, 122b may be arranged as blades, extending in the longitudinal direction.

In other embodiments, the first protrusions 122a, and/or the second protrusion 122b may be tapered in the vertical direction, having a more narrow outer end in contact with the sliding surfaces I l la, 11 lb, and a less narrow end adjacent to the engagement surfaces 121a, 121b. For instance, the protrusions 122a, 122b may, as alternative to a triangular cross-section, have the cross-section of a truncated cone, a rounded cone, a curved cone, a truncated pyramid, a curved or rounded pyramid, a tapered cuboid, a tapered cylinder or a hemisphere.

Although not explicitly shown in Fig. 4, but for instance in Figs. 3a and 3b, the first protrusions 122a and/or the second protrusions 122b preferably extend along at least 75% of the length of the front part 123 of the sliding member 120. The front part 123 is herein defined as the part of the sliding member 120 being received by the guiding rail 110 when the sliding system 100 is arranged in the maximum extended position. In other words, in the maximum extended position, each of the first protrusions 122a and/or the second protrusions 122b preferably extend along at least 75% of that length LF of the sliding member 120 being, in the maximum extended position, accommodated by the guiding rail 110.

In the maximum extended position, a portion of the length of the sliding member 120 is fully accommodated, i.e. enclosed, by the guiding rail 110. That portion of the length of the sliding member 120 enclosed by the guiding rail 110 in the maximum extended position is referred to as the front part 123 of the sliding member 120. Hence, the portion of the sliding member 120 being accommodated by the guiding rail 110 when the drawer 200 is arranged in the maximum extended position is the front part 123.

Further, each of the first protrusions 122a and/or second protrusions 122b may extend along at least 75% of a length LF of the front part 123 of the sliding member 120. In other words, each of the first protrusions 122a and/or second protrusions 122b may extend along at least 75% of a length of a portion, i.e. the front part 123, of the sliding member 120 being accommodated by the guiding rail 110 in the maximum extended position. Preferably, each of the first protrusions 122a and/or second protrusions 122b extends along the entire length LF of the front part 123 of the sliding member 120. The protrusions 122a, 122b may even extend along further, such as along the entire length of the sliding member 120. A continuous extending sliding interface between the protrusions 122a, 122b and the corresponding sliding surface I l la, 111b is advantageous in many ways. Compared to having a plurality of non-continuous interfaces, the maneuvering of the drawer 200 will be smoother and more robust, as there are no joints sensitive to misalignment, and no change in friction. The manufacturing process is also less complex and more cost effective, as fewer parts are required to form the continuous interface.

Turning back to Fig. 4, each sliding surface I l la, 11 lb is illustrated to comprise a longitudinally extending ridge 112. The ridge 112 is positioned outside the first protrusion 122a, the latter thereby being positioned and locked at the inside of the ridge 112, such that the sliding member 120 is prohibited from moving outwards from the guiding rail 110, thereby impeding disconnection of the sliding system 100 when in use. The ridge 112 may have a rounded shape such that a smooth insertion of the sliding member 120 into the guiding rail 110 is facilitated, such insertion normally occurring by sliding the guiding rail 110 onto the sliding member 120 in the longitudinal direction. Although the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 4 shows two protrusions 122a, 122b and one ridge 112 on each interface between a respective engagement surface 121a, 121b and a corresponding sliding surface I l la, 11 lb, it should be noted that many more combinations are possible. There may for instance be more ridges 112 on each sliding surface I l la, 111b such that some or all protrusions 122a, 122b in the interface is surrounded by ridges 112 on both sides. As mentioned above, each engagement surface 121a, 121b may also comprise more protrusions, and there may be more than two engagement surfaces 121a, 121b and sliding surfaces I l la, 11 lb. More than one ridge 112 may contribute to a higher tolerance for load and stress.

A sliding system 100 comprising a ridge 112 such as the one shown in Fig. 4 is especially advantageous for use with a cabinet 300 or similar piece of furniture that has a tendency to bulge out. The relationship between the distance D (i.e. the preferable horizontal c-c distance between two adjacent protrusions 122a, 122b) and the width of the ridge 112 is corresponding to the tolerance for lateral movement of the sliding member 120 relative the guiding rail 110, and thereby the lateral movement of the drawer 200 relative the cabinet 300. Another determining factor is the dimensions of the sliding member 120 and the horizontal depth of the guiding rail 110. The distance D may for instance exceed the width of the ridge 112 by 0,3 mm or 0,9 mm. The tolerance for horizontal movement may for instance be +/- 0.3 mm or +0.9/-0.8 mm. If a drawer 200 is provided with one sliding system 100 on each side, the distance D between the first and second protrusions 122a, b may be larger on one side of the drawer 200. By this, easier design is accomplished.

Fig. 5a shows the sliding system 100 in a fully closed position. The sliding member 120 is preferably entirely accommodated by the guiding rail 110. However, in some embodiments the guiding rail 110 may be slightly shorter than the sliding member 120 at a front section FS of the drawer 200 when the glide system is in the fully closed position whereby the front most part of the sliding member 120 will not be accommodated by the guiding rail 110. Such configuration would mean that the guiding rail 110 does not extend along the entire front section FS, i.e. it terminates at a distance from the drawer front DF.

As shown in Fig. 5b, the front part 123 of the sliding member 120 faces the drawer front DF. Therefore, the front part 123 is referred to as the front part of the sliding member 120. Fig. 5b shows how the length LF of the front part 123 is still accommodated within the guiding rail 110, while the remaining portion of the sliding member 120 extends outside the drawer 200 and the guiding rail 110, and is thus not accommodated in the guiding rail 110. Hence, the front part 123, having the length LF, of the sliding member 120 is fully accommodated by the guiding rail 110 along the length LF extending in the longitudinal direction when the drawer 200 is in the maximum extended position relative to the cabinet 300.

In Fig. 5b and 5c the sliding system 100 is shown in a maximum extended position. Here, the sliding member 120 preferably protrudes to some extent beyond the guiding rail 110, at the rear of the drawer 200, however the protrusions 122a, 122b of the sliding member 120 may in some embodiments be fully accommodated by the guiding rail 110 as they extend across the entire front section 123. In other embodiments the protrusions 122a, 122b of the sliding member 120 may extend beyond the drawer 200, such as they extend also along the part of the sliding member protruding beyond the guiding rail 110.

The front section 123 of the sliding member 120 has the length LF (see Fig. 5b) which defines the part of the sliding member 120 which is enclosed, or accommodated, by the guiding rail 110 when the drawer 200 is opened to a maximum extent corresponding to a maximum extended position. Hence, the guiding rail 110 fully accommodates the front part 123 of the sliding member 120 along its length in the maximum extended position.

The expression fully accommodated herein refers to accommodation in relation to the length LF of the front part 123. As shown in Fig. 5b, the length LF of the front part 123 is fully accommodated, i.e. the entire length LF of the front part 123 is enclosed/accommodated, by the guiding rail 110 when the drawer 200 is opened to a maximum extent corresponding to a maximum extended position. Hence, the expression “fully accommodated” does not refer to the accommodation of a circumference of the cross-section of the front part 123, but full accommodation in the longitudinal direction, i.e. of the portion of the sliding member 120 forming the length LF of the front part 123. As shown in Fig. 4, the guiding rail 110 only partly encloses a circumference of the cross-section of the sliding member 120. In fig. 4, three of four sides of the sliding member 120 as shown in the cross-sectional view are accommodated by the guiding rail 110.

Further, the front part 123, along its length LF, is able to be in contact with the guiding rail 110 in the maximum extended position of the drawer 200, the exact extent of such contact depending on the load and load distribution of the drawer.

Hence, the sliding system 100 comprises the guiding rail 110 and the sliding member 120 extending longitudinally and configured to together form a connection between the drawer 200 and the associated cabinet 300. The guiding rail 110 is provided with two sliding surfaces I l la, 11 lb, and the sliding member 120 is provided with two engagement surfaces 121a, 121b, each comprising a first protrusion 122a configured for sliding engagement with the respective sliding surface 11 la, b. The guiding rail 110 and the sliding member 120 are longitudinally moveable relative each other between what corresponds to a closed position of the drawer 200 relative to the cabinet 300 and what corresponds to a maximum extended position of the drawer 200 relative to the cabinet 300, and wherein in the maximum extended position each of the first protrusions 122a extend along at least 75% of that length LF of the sliding member 120 being, in the maximum extended position, accommodated by the guiding rail 110.

Turning to Fig. 6, a chest of drawers 1000 is shown. The chest of drawers 1000 is illustrated to comprise a cabinet 300, forming a fixed frame, and three drawers 200, each drawer 200 being in sliding connection with the cabinet 300 through one sliding system 100 on each side, such that each drawer may be drawn out from the cabinet 300 in a horizontal direction. In Fig. 6, the bottom drawers 200 are shown in a closed position, and the top drawer 200 has been pulled out to a maximum extended position.

In Figs. 7a-c possible modifications of the sliding member 120 are shown. In Fig. 7a the sliding member 120 is provided with five protrusions 122 on upper and lower engagement surfaces 121a, 121b. A further protrusion 122c is arranged at a distal engagement surface 121c.

In Fig. 7b the upper and lower engagement surfaces 121a, 121b are provided with a single protrusion 122 only. A further protrusion 122c is arranged at a distal engagement surface 121c.

In an alternative embodiment, not illustrated in the drawings, the sliding member 120 is fully accommodated by the guiding rail 110 in the maximum extended position of the drawer 200, which would mean that the front part 123 of the sliding member 120 in fact constitutes the entire length of the sliding member 120, in other words the length LF of the front part 123 is in this alternative embodiment equal to the length of the entire sliding member 120. Hence, in such an alternative embodiment, the entire length of the sliding member 120 is fully accommodated by the guiding rail 110 in the maximum extended position.

It should be mentioned that the inventive concept is by no means limited to the embodiments described herein, and several modifications are feasible without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, the term “comprises/comprising” does not exclude the presence of other elements or steps. Additionally, although individual features may be included in different claims, these may possibly advantageously be combined, and the inclusion in different claims does not imply that a combination of features is not feasible and/or advantageous. In addition, singular references do not exclude a plurality. The terms “a”, “an”, “first”, “second” etc. do not preclude a plurality. Reference signs in the claims are provided merely as a clarifying example and shall not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims in any way.

Claims

1. A sliding system (100) comprising a guiding rail (110) and a sliding member (120) extending longitudinally and configured to together form a connection between a drawer (200) and an associated cabinet (300), wherein the guiding rail (110) is provided with two sliding surfaces (11 la, H lb), wherein the sliding member (120) is provided with two engagement surfaces (121a, 121b), each comprising a first protrusion (122a) configured for sliding engagement with the respective sliding surface (11 la, b), wherein the guiding rail (110) and the sliding member (120) are longitudinally moveable relative each other between what corresponds to a closed position of the drawer (200) relative to the cabinet (300) and what corresponds to a maximum extended position of the drawer (200) relative to the cabinet (300), wherein in the maximum extended position a front part (123) of the sliding member (120) is fully accommodated by the guiding rail (110), wherein each of the first protrusions (122a) extend along at least 75% of the length (LF) of the front part (123) of the sliding member (120).

2. The sliding system (100) according to claim 1, wherein the sliding surfaces (I l la, 11 lb) are longitudinally extended along at least 80% of the length of the guiding rail (110).

3. The sliding system (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in the closed position the sliding member (120) is fully accommodated by the guiding rail (110).

4. The sliding system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein in the maximum extended position the sliding member (120) is partially protruding beyond the guiding rail (110).

5. The sliding system (100) according to any preceding claim, wherein the two sliding surfaces (11 la, b) are located at a vertical distance from each other, preferably the two sliding surfaces (1 I la, 11 lb) are arranged on opposite sides of a guiding rail (110) having a generally cross-sectional C-shape.

6. The sliding system (100) according to any preceding claim, wherein the first protrusions (122a) are vertical protrusions of the engagement surfaces (121a, b).

7. The sliding system (100) according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one of the sliding surfaces (1 I la, 11 lb) comprises a longitudinally extending ridge (112) configured to impede movement of the sliding member (120) in a transversal direction, preferably each of the sliding surfaces (I l la, 11 lb) comprises said longitudinally extending ridge (112) and/or wherein at least one of said first protrusions (122a) is arranged on an inner side of said longitudinally extending ridge (112) counteracting transversal removal of the sliding member (120) from the guiding rail (110), and/or the ridge(s) (112) extends along at least 75% of the length of said first protrusions (122a).

8. The sliding system (100) according to claim 7, wherein at least one of the engagement surfaces (121a, b) comprises a second protrusion (122b), configured to be arranged opposite the ridge (112) of the sliding surface (1 I la, b) with regard to the first protrusion (122a) when the guiding rail (110) and the sliding member (120) are in connection, preferably both of the engagement surfaces (121a, b) comprises a second protrusion (122b).

9. The sliding system (100) according to claim 7 or 8, said guiding rail (110) and sliding member (120) together forming a left connection between the drawer (200) and the associated cabinet (300), wherein the sliding system (100) further comprises a further guiding rail (110) and a further sliding member (120) extending longitudinally and configured to together form a right connection between the drawer (200) and the associated cabinet (300), wherein at least one sliding surface (1 I la, 11 lb) of each guiding rail (110) comprises a longitudinally extending ridge (112) configured to impede movement of the associated sliding member (120) in a transversal direction, preferably each of the sliding surfaces (1 I la, 11 lb) of each guiding rail (110) comprises said longitudinally extending ridge (112) and/or wherein at least one of said first protrusions (122a) of each sliding member (120) is arranged on an inner side of said longitudinally extending ridge (112) counteracting transversal removal of each sliding member (120) from the associated guiding rail (110), and/or the ridge(s) (112) of each guiding rail (110) extends along at least 75% of the length of said first protrusions (122a) of the associated sliding member (120).

10. The sliding system (100) according to claim 8 and 9, wherein a distance (D) between the first and second protrusions (122a, b) of one guiding rail (110) is larger than a distance (D) between the first and second protrusions (122a, b) of the other guiding rail (110).

11. The sliding system (100) according to any of claims 8-10, wherein the at least one second protrusion (122b) extend along at least 75% of the length of the front part (123) of the sliding member (120), and/or the ridges (112) extend along at least 75% of the length of the sliding surfaces (1 I la, b).

12. The sliding system (100) according to any of claims 8-911, wherein the horizontal distance (D) between the first and second protrusion (122a, b) exceeds the width of the ridge (112) by 0.1-1.5 mm.

13. The sliding system (100) according to any preceding claim, wherein at least a portion of the sliding member (120) is made of a plastic, preferably at least the two engagement surfaces (121a, 121b) are made from a plastic.

14. The sliding system (100) according to any preceding claim, wherein the guiding rail (110) is made of metal, provided with a coating.

15. The sliding system according to claim 13, wherein at least a portion of the guiding rail (110) is made of a plastic, preferably at least the two sliding surfaces (1 I la, 11 lb) of the guiding rail (110) are made of from a plastic, more preferably the two sliding surfaces (1 I la, 11 lb) of the guiding rail (110) are made of a plastic that is different from the plastic from which the at least the two engagement surfaces (121a, 121b) of the sliding member (120) are made.

16. The sliding system (100) according to claim 14, wherein the coating is a lacquer.

17. The sliding system (100) according to any preceding claim, wherein the longitudinal length of the sliding member (120) is between 50% and 90%, preferably between 60% and 80%, of the longitudinal length of the guiding rail (110).

18. The sliding system (100) according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a drawer stopper (130) and a stopping member (125) configured to receive the drawer stopper (130) when in the maximum extended position and prevent further movement of the guiding rail (110) relative the sliding member (120).

19. A chest of drawers (1000) comprising a cabinet (300), at least one drawer (200) and at least two sliding systems (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein two of the at least two sliding systems (100) are arranged on opposite sides of each drawer (200).

20. The chest of drawers according to claim 19 when dependent on any of claims 8 to 11, wherein the distance (D) between the first and second protrusions (122a, b) is larger on one side of each drawer (200) than on the other.