GB2129482A

GB2129482A - Securing lock for drawer cabinets

Info

Publication number: GB2129482A
Application number: GB08322943A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gerd Meier; Gerhard Liss; Oskar Bibrich
Original assignee: ZOLLIG PAUL AG
Current assignee: ZOLLIG PAUL AG
Priority date: 1982-08-27
Filing date: 1983-08-26
Publication date: 1984-05-16
Also published as: AT378227B; FR2532356B1; ATA257683A; DE8230675U1; GB2129482B; DE3240429A1; FR2532356A1; GB8322943D0; CH636160A5

Abstract

Each drawer (26, 27) in a drawer cabinet is provided with a locking member (7) and a lifting member (5) for raising and locking the locking member (7). When a drawer (26) is pulled out lifting member (5) is displaced thereby by means of a finger or cam (9) which engages the lifting member (5). The lifting member (5) in turn displaces the locking member (7) upwards and locks this in the raised position. When the locking member (7) fixed to the opened drawer is raised the other locking members (7) are also raised by the connecting pieces (8) and lock the drawers (27) which have not been opened. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Securing lock for drawer cabinets This invention relates to a method of locking drawers and a securing lock for drawer cabinets.

In the case of drawer cabinets which are used for the storage of documents or the storage of tools or machine parts there is a danger that the unit may tip forward when more than one drawer is pulled out if the unit is not made fast to the ground or the wall.

Such tipping can be prevented if only one drawer can be opened while the others remain locked.

A number of locking devices which automatically lock the drawers when one is pulled out are already known. For example, U.S. patent 2,719,770 discloses a securing lock in which locking units which can be moved from a drawer securing position to a drawer releasing position by means of a pin welded to the backs of the drawers are secured to a vertically displaceable bar which is provided on the rear wall of the cabinet. The locking units are provided with an engaging and a release profile which produces vertical movement of the locking unit in association with the pin on the drawer. When a drawer is pulled out the corresponding locking unit and all the other locking units secured to the bar are pushed downwards. A projection provided on the locking units is then lowered in front of the pins on the other drawers and secures them in the closed position.When the open drawer is pushed back the pin striking the engaging profile returns the locking unit to the starting position and thus releases the other drawers.

This known device has the disadvantage that if the locking unit should accidentally fall downwards from the free starting position through its own weight or the weight of the bar attached to it when all the drawers are closed the drawers can no longer be opened except by dismantling and/or damaging the cabinet. This danger quite frequently arises before the cabinet is ever used and as a result of prolonged carriage by road or over uneven floors.

In order to avoid this disadvantage U.S. patent 3,874,755 proposes that the closing movement should be brought about by lifting the locking unit. For this purpose the unit containing the engaging and release profiles is secured by the drawer; the pins and the locking projections are secured to the vertically movable bar.

This arrangement avoids the danger of accidental locking of all the drawers as the result of the downward slippage of a locking unit.

Vibration, such as occurs frequently in working areas, can release the locks on the closed drawers in this known device if, for example, the bar with the locking projections slips downwards under its own weight.

Friction brakes can only hold the bar in either position to a limited extent in both arrangements, because if the braking force or retaining force is too great the bars can no longer be moved by the profiles with the necessary ease. Both known arrangements are also affected by a further disadvantage, namely that the locking unit or the projection on the drawer and the pin on the cabinet must be located relatively accurately with respect to each other. This is difficult to achieve with steel cabinets because of tolerances.

Furthermore, if the cabinet is placed on an uneven floor, or is loaded on one side, or if wide drawers are pulled out from one side, a not insignificant force is set up between the locking unit and the pin. This can result in complete failure of the device.

German patent No. 21 33213 describes another drawer lock. Two-pronged stirrups projecting into the vicinity of the drawers are attached at the level of each drawer to a vertically movable bar located at the side of the drawers.

When a drawer is pulled out the bar is raised together with the other stirrups by the engaged stirrup as a result of the lifting profile which is part of the drawer. As a result of the upward movement the second arm of the stirrups comes to engage a cam fixed to the bottoms of the drawers above and thus prevents them from being pulled out.

A disadvantage of this known lock is that parts of the locking device must be fitted to both the bottom and the top of the drawers. In particular, in the case of drawers for suspended lateral files the upper guide profile can only lie outside the side wall. Subsequent incorporation into existing cabinets is impossible.

The object of this invention is thus to avoid the disadvantages of these known arrangements.

In particular it is an object of the invention to provide a securing lock which can be incorporated subsequently in existing cabinets and the components of which can if necessary be readily replaced.

Another object of the invention is to provide a securing lock the components of which remain in a stable position in both the locked and the unlocked condition.

Another object of the invention is that the large tolerances occurring in sheet metal work can be taken up by the lock.

According to the present invention there is provided a method for the locking of drawers arranged one above the other to prevent more than one drawer from being pulled out, with interconnected locking members which lock the other drawers in the closed position when one of the drawers is pulled out, wherein the locking member (7), of a drawer (26) which is pulled out, is raised by a lifting member (5) activated by the drawer (26) and is then secured by the lifting member (5) in the raised position against accidental unlocking.

Also according to the present invention there is provided a securing lock for drawers in cabinets with several drawers arranged one above the other, in which each drawer is provided with a locking member connected to a bar which can be displaced in a vertical direction, which locking member can be moved in a vertical direction when a drawer is pulled out by means of a cam attached thereto and the other locking members can be displaced by means of the bar in such a way that the closed drawers are locked, wherein each locking member (7) is provided with a lifting member (5) to displace the locking member (7), this lifting member (5) being moved by means of a cam (9) on the drawer (26, 27) acting in association therewith.

In comparison with known securing locks the lock according to the invention has a number of advantages: A particular advantage of the invention is that the lock is divided up into a moving member and a locking member. In particular, it is then advantageous that the locking member should lie on a fixed e.g. horizontal surface in the locked position; release of the lock as the result of vibration or due to the loosening of a retaining unit is thus ruled out.

Other advantages of the invention are that only small weights have to be moved; drawers can be opened and closed without additional force, and that the requirements for accuracy of the components or the assembly are low in both manufacture and installation.

Further, all inaccuracies in the cabinet and the lock can be taken up by means of a correspondingly wide funnel-shaped opening of the hole and no erroneous movements resulting in the breakage of a component e.g. the breaking of a finger, can occur.

Further advantages are that the lock can be used as a central lock by replacing the lifting unit, that the loosely fitting connecting units cannot bind, and that the securing lock can be mounted as a unit outside the cabinet.

Another advantage of the invention is that the securing lock is of very slim construction and can be fitted to almost any cabinet.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 a perspective view of the individual components of a lock; Figure 2 a perspective view of the lock in the unlocked position; Figure 3 a perspective view of the lock with the lock member raised; Figure 4 a perspective view of the lock as a member activating a central lock; Figure 5 a plan view of the lock (locked); Figure 6 a plan view of the lock (unlocked); Figure 7 a cross-section through a drawer cabinet; and Figure 8 a view of plane VIlI-VIlI in Figure 7.

A securing lock consists mainly of a baseplate 1 with two T-shaped or dovetailed grooves 2, 3 substantially at right angles to each other, a lifting member 5 having an inclined plane 4 as a lifting surface and a locking member 7 with a turned-up end 6, connecting pieces 8 and an activating member 11 with a control finger 9 and a retaining member 10 (Figure 1).

Both lifting member 5 and locking member 7 have T-shaped or dovetailed guide members 12, 13 which fit into grooves 2, 3 and slidable guide members 5, 7 in baseplate 1. An end piece 14 prevents lifting member 5 from sliding out of the end of guide groove 2 (Figure 2).

The T-shaped end of the connecting piece 8 engages the T-shaped slot 3 in guide member 1 3.

Once they have been inserted into guide groove 3 the connection between locking member 7 and member 8 is ensured, but they are not joined tightly so that inaccuracies in both the individual components and those resulting from assembly will not cause the system to bind. A hold 1 6 is provided in lifting member 5, this hole preferably having a funnel-shaped opening, its central axis in a horizontal plane, and being at an angle a of some 450+100, preferably 450, to guide groove 2.

In activating member 11 the control finger or cam 9 which engages lifting member 5 via hole 1 6 and is capable of moving the latter is likewise made at an angle a. The opposing position of lifting member 5 and locking member 7 illustrated in Figure 2 corresponds to the unlocked position, activating member 11 being omitted for a better view. In this position control finger 9 is fully inserted into hole 16, lifting member 5 is consequently in contact on the left with end piece 14 and the turned up end 6 of locking member 7 lies below the opening in retaining member 10.

In Figure 3, the securing lock is shown in the locking position. Lifting member 5 is displaced to the right and has lifted locking member 7. This now lies on the surface which incorporates inclined plane 4. Control finger 9 (not shown) of activating member 11 is completely outside hole 1 6.

Baseplate 1 is preferably secured to a profiled bracket 1 8 by known securing means (screws, etc.). A bracket 1 8 may be provided, with slots or holes to which baseplate 1 may be screwed or attached. (Figure 4).

Figure 4 illustrates a securing lock with a lifting member 20 which is provided with a toothed bar 21 which can be made to engage a cogwheel 22.

Free end 23 is inserted into hole 24 in bracket 18, a locking bar preferably of other than round crosssection connects cogwheel 22 with a locked barrel (not shown). Rotation of cogwheel 22 by means of a key has the same effect as lifting control finger 9 into hole 16; locking unit 7 is thus moved upwards and locked.

In the plans of the securing lock shown in Figures 5 and 6 the interaction between the individual components 5 and 11 is shown in more detail. In Figure 5 drawer 26 (indicated by its rear side) can be seen partly open. Finger 9 of activating member 11 secured to the base of the drawer 26 lies outside inclined hole 1 6. Likewise retaining member 1 0 lies outside the engaging region of end 6 of the corresponding locking member 7. Lifting member 5 is displaced fully to the right by finger 9 and has thus lifted locking member 7 up inclined plane 4.

Figure 6 shows the lock in the case of a shut drawer 27. Lifting member 5 is displaced to the left by finger 9, so that locking member 7 is no longer raised by lifting member 5. Consequently end 6 of locking member 7 is also not engaged with retaining member 10. This applies when all drawers 26, 27 are closed.

These drawers 26, 27 are shown in the crosssection through a drawer cabinet 28 in Figure 7.

The middle drawer 26 is pulled out and the securing lock is therefore in the position shown in Figure 5, the securing locks of the other drawers 27 being in the position according to Figure 6, i.e.

in the locked position, in which end 6 engages retaining member 10.

The view in Figure 8 also shows the positions of the individual parts of the lock as present in Figure 7. Locking member 7 of middle drawer 26 has likewise lifted all the other locking members 7 by means of connecting pieces 2 and ends 6 engage retaining members 10, all of the drawers with the exception of the one pulled out being locked in the closed position.

In order to ensure the locked in the closed position.

In order to ensure the locked position according to Figure 3, a surface 1 7 which is horizontal or slightly inclined in the opposite direction to inclined plane 4 and connected thereto, which prevents locking member 7 from slipping downwards from the raised position, is provided in lifting member 5. Locking unit 7 can thus only enter the locked position through the deliberate movement of lifting member 5 by means of drawers 26, 27 or by means of a key.

When open drawer 26 is closed, finger 9 displaces lifting member 5 to the left again as it is inserted into inclined hole 16, so that locking members 7, which are connected together by connecting pieces 8, return to the lower starting position under their own weight.

The locking process can be initiated from the outside, e.g. by means of a key, using the lifting member 20 provided with a toothed bar 21 illustrated in Figure 4. Lifting member 20 is now displaced to the right by cogwheel 22 instead of by finger 9 and raises the locking members 7 of all drawers 26, 27 up the inclined plane 4. In this way the locks act as a central lock for the entire cabinet; an additional locking device is then superfluous.

The individual locks can be mounted in advance on bracket 18 at distances governed by the height of drawers 26, 27 and be installed in both new and existing cabinets. Cogwheel 22 and locking bar 25 are fitted subsequently, it being only necessary to insert shaft end 23 into hole 24 in bracket 18 and fit it into a lock on the front of the cabinet.

Activating member 11 is fitted to the bottom of a drawer or to its back. Obviously, member 11 can also be a part of the drawer itself.

All the components of the securing lock may be manufactured from a plastics material having good sliding properties or from metal. The entire length of bracket 1 8 can be provided in advance with pressed holes 1 9, 24 to take the securing means for socket 1 or shaft 23 orforuse in securing bracket 18 to the rear wall of the cabinet.

Claims

1. A method for the locking of drawers arranged one above the other to prevent more than one drawer from being pulled out, with interconnected locking members which lock the other drawers in the closed position when one of the drawers is pulled out, wherein the locking member (7), of a drawer (26) which is pulled out, is raised by a lifting member (5) activated by the drawer (26)-and is then secured by the lifting member (5) in the raised position against accidental unlocking.

2. A method according to claim 1, in which the lifting member (5) which activates the locking member (7) is operated by means of a cam (9) on the drawer (26).

3. A method according to claim 2, in which the cam (9) engages a recess which is enclosed on all sides within the lifting member (5).

4. A method according to claim 2, in which the lifting member (5) is displaced by the cam (9) along a track at right angles to the track of the cam (9) when the drawer (26) is pulled out.

5. A securing lock for drawers in cabinets with several drawers arranged one above the other, in which each drawer is provided with a locking member connected to a bar which can be displaced in a vertical direction, which locking member can be moved in a vertical direction when a drawer is pulled out by means of a cam attached thereto and the other locking members can be displaced by means of the bar in such a way that the closed drawers are locked, wherein each locking member (7) is provided with a lifting member (5) to displace the locking member (7), this lifting member (5) being moved by means of a cam (9) on the drawer (26, 27) acting in association therewith.

6. A securing-lock according to claim 5, in which the locking member (7) and the lifting member (5) are slidably mounted in tracks (2, 3) running at right angles to each other in a socket (1).

7. A securing lock according to claim 5, in which the lifting member (5) has a hole (16) which is inclined to the track (2).

8. A securing lock according to claim 5, in which the cam (9) on the drawer (26, 27) is constructed in the form of a finger-like projection which is made parallel to the axis of the hole (16) and can be inserted therein.

9. A securing lock according to claim 7, in which said hole (16) is made at an angle a of 45"+10" to the track (2).

1 0. A securing lock according to claim 5, in which the locking member (7) can be lifted and locked by the lifting member (5).

11. A securing lock according to claim 10, in which the lifting member (5) has an inclined lifting surface (4) for lifting and a locking profile (17) running substantially at right angles to the track (3) of the locking member (7) in order to lock the locking member (7).

12. A securing lock according to claim 5, in which the locking member (7) is provided with a turned up end (6) which acts in association with a retaining member (10) on the drawer (26, 27).

13. A securing lock according to claim 5, in which the bars connecting the locking members (7) consist of connecting pieces (8) which can be inserted between each pair of locking members (7) lying one above the other.

14. A securing lock according to claim 13, in which the lengths of the connecting pieces (8) correspond to the heights of the associated drawers (26, 27).

1 5. A securing lock according to claim 5, in which the locking member (7) is associated with a lifting member (20) having a toothed bar (21) by means of which bar (21) the lifting member (20) may be displaced from the exterior by means of a key.

1 6. A securing lock substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.