GB2061705A

GB2061705A - A pull-out drawer guide assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2061705A
Application number: GB8032749A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Paul Hettich GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Paul Hettich GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 1979-10-18
Filing date: 1980-10-10
Publication date: 1981-05-20
Also published as: FR2467570B3; SE8007271L; DE2942161A1; ATA490180A; FR2467570A1; GB2061705B; SE449162B; AT387317B

Abstract

A drawer slide assembly locatable at least partially between a base of the drawer and a side walls of the drawer projecting below the base, which assembly includes an outer rail and an inner rail, one of which rails is attachable to the drawer and the other of which rails is attachable to the body of a piece of furniture in which the drawer is to be movably supported, and a cage 12 provided with three ball races for location between the two rails, the inner rail 5, 17, 20, 25 being provided with two parallel spaced tracks 8 extending longitudinally of the rail on one side thereof and with a further track 9 extending longitudinally of the rail on the other side thereof and midway between the spaced tracks 8, for guiding the balls 10, 11 of the ball races. Four embodiments are shown which all differ in detail. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A pull-out drawer guide assembly This invention relates to a pull-out drawer guide assembly. Conventionally two such assemblies each including a pair of rails are arranged below the base, in the corner region between the base and the side walls projecting below it of a drawer. Each pair of rails comprises an outer and an inner rail, with a cage provided with balls arranged between them; one rail being fixed to the drawer and the other to the body of the piece of furniture.

In a known pull-out drawer guide assembly of this type, an outer rail at one longitudinal side of the drawer is fixed to the inner surface of the side wall below the bottom of the drawer. This outer rail has two superimposed tracks for rollers, which are also mounted in tracks on an inner rail. The inner rail is fixed to the body of the piece of furniture by a steel angle member. The load carrying capacity and lateral stability of this known guide assembly are poor.

There is thus a need for a generally improved pull-out drawer guide assembly with good lateral stability, and preferably for an assembly in which the gap between the side walls of the drawer and the body of the piece of furniture can be kept small.

According to the present invention there is provided a pull-out drawer guide assembly, including a pair of guide rails locatable at a back region of a drawer, at least partially in a corner region between a base of the drawer and side walls of the drawer projecting below the base, which guide rails comprise an outer rail and an inner rail, one of which rails is attachable to a drawer and the other of which rails is attachable to a body of a piece of furniture in which the drawer is to be movably supported, and a cage provided with three ball races for location between the two rails, the inner rail being provided with two parallel spaced tracks extending longitudinally of the rail on one side thereof and with a further track extending longitudinally of the rail on the other side thereof and midway between the spaced tracks, for guiding the balls of the ball races.

The balls are guided exactly in the region of the tracks, and guiding groove and tracks are provided for the balls. This ensures that when the pair of rails of the pull-out guide assembly is impinged on or loaded in a transverse direction, there are many guiding surfaces through which the loading forces can be transferred from the drawer to the body of the piece of furniture. The large number of guiding surfaces gives the pull-out guide assembly good lateral stability, so that the distance between the side walls of the drawer and the body of the furniture can be kept small.

For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure lisa part sectional view through a pair of rails belonging to a first embodiment of a pull-out drawer guide assembly of the invention, with an inner rail fixed to the body of a piece of furniture and an outer rail fixed to the bottom of a drawer, Figure 2 shows a modified form of the Figure 1 construction, with a different ball arrangement, Figure 3 is a part sectional view through a pair of rails belonging to a pull-out guide assembly accord ing to a further embodiment of the invention, with the outer rail fixed to the body of the piece of furniture and with the inner rail fixed to the drawer, and Figure 4 is a part sectional view through another embodiment of the invention.

As shown in the accompanying drawings, a drawer 1 of a piece of furniture has side walls 2 and a base 3. The side walls 2 project downwardly beyond the base 3 and each form a corner region with it, for containing at least partially a pair of guide rails forming a pull-out drawer guide assembly on which the drawer is movably supported. The rails extend longitudinally of the drawer 1, and two assemblies are preferably provided, one pair at each side of the drawer.

In the Figure 1 construction the pull-out drawer guide assembly of the invention includes an outer rail 4, which is fixed to the base 3 of the drawer by screws (not shown), and an inner rail 5 which is fixed to the body 7 of the piece of furniture by a flange 6.

The flange may engage in the gap between the side wall 2 of the drawer and the body 7 of the furniture, as shown in continuous lines. However, it is also possible for the flange 6 to be taken downwards and fixed to the body 7 of the furniture below, as indicated in dash-and-dot lines.

The inner rail 5 is provided on one side of an edge margin thereof with two parallel spaced tracks 8 extending longitudinally of the rail and, on the other side and mid-way between them, with a track 9, extending longitudinally ofthe rail, for balls 10 and 11 respectively of races which are held in a cage 12.

The ball or balls 11 is/are larger in diameterthan the balls 10. Since the tracks 8,9,8 on the inner rail 5 immediately adjoin one another, the rail is corrugated in the region of the tracks.

The outer rail is formed in an edge margin thereof with a groove 13 to act as a guide for the ball or balls 11, and is provided with a broad track or groove 14 at or adjacent the other edge margin, for guiding the two adjacent spaced rows of balls 10. The broad track 14 has, in the corner regions 15 thereof, a contour corresponding to that of the balls 10. An exact guide is thus provided in that region for the balls 10, and force can be transferred from the drawer 1, through the outer rail 4 to the balls 10, and from the balls 10 to the inner rail 5.

The track 14 in the outer rail 4 has a flat base. In the region of this base the balls 10 can rotate freely in pockets 16 of the cage 12 in accordance with the amount of clearance between pockets and balls.

Figure 2 shows a further example of an assembly of the invention in which the inner rail 17 has the track 9 at the top and the tracks 8 at the underside.

The outer rail 18 is fixed to the base 3 of the drawer and has the guiding groove 13 at the top to accommodate the balls 11 and the broad track 14 at the bottom to accommodate the balls 10.

The inner rail 17 is fixed to the body 7 of the furniture by a flange 19. The three dimensional shapes of the tracks 8,9 14 and of the guiding groove 13 cor responding to those shown in Figure 1.

In the Figure 3 construction of an assembly accord ing to the invention, an inner rail 20 is fixed by a flange 21 to a surface at the bottom end of the side wall 2 of the drawer 1. The fastening screws are indi cated by reference 22. An outer rail 23 is fixed to the body 7 of the furniture by a flange 24. The arrange ment of the balls and construction of the tracks and guiding groove otherwise correspond to the con struction shown in Figure 1.

In the example of an assembly according to the invention illustrated in Figure 4 an inner rail 25 is fixed to the body 7 of the furniture by a flange 26. An outer rail 27 is fixed to a surface at the bottom end of the side wall 2 of the drawer by screws 28. The balls are arranged as in the Figure 2 construction.

Claims

1. A pull-out drawer guide assembly, including a pair of guide rails locatable at a back region of a drawer at least partially in a corner region between a base of the drawer and side walls of the drawer projecting below the base, which guide rails comprise an outer rail and an inner rail, one ofwhich rails is attachable to a drawer and the other of which rails is attachable to a body of a piece of furniture in which the drawer is to be movably supported, and a cage provided with three ball races for location between the two rails, the inner rail being provided with two parallel spaced tracks extending longitudinally of the rail on one side thereof and with a furthertrack extending longitudinally of the rail on the other side thereof and midway between the spaced tracks, for guiding the balls of the ball races.

2. Aguide assembly according to claim 1, wherein the ball or balls associated with the further track have a larger diameter than the balls associated with the spaced tracks on the opposite side.

3. A guide assembly according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the inner rail is attachable to a body of a piece of furniture and the outer rail is attachable to the base of a drawer, and wherein the outer rail is provided with a broad track extending longitudinally of the outer rail at or adjacent one edge region thereof, which broad track matches the contours of the balls associated with the spaced tracks, only in corner regions of the broad track and has a level bottom surface, the other edge region of the outer rail being provided with a groove to guide the ball or balls associated with the furthertrack.

4. A guide assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the spaced tracks on the inner rail immediately adjoin one another, and the inner rail is corrugated in the region of these tracks

5. A pull-out drawer guide assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3 or Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.

6. A piece offurniture having a drawer and a pair of drawer guide assemblies according to any one of claims 1 to 5.