GB2169491A

GB2169491A - Improvements in drawers

Info

Publication number: GB2169491A
Application number: GB08527873A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alfred Grass
Original assignee: GRASS ALFRED METALLWAREN; Alfred Grass GmbH
Current assignee: GRASS ALFRED METALLWAREN; Alfred Grass GmbH
Priority date: 1984-12-07
Filing date: 1985-11-12
Publication date: 1986-07-16
Also published as: GB2169491B; HK52288A; IT8406759V0; GB8527873D0

Abstract

A drawer includes sheet metal side walls (3) provided with rails (9) forming tracks which are supported on rollers carried by the drawer cabinet. The rails are formed by bending over outwardly the upper edge regions of the side walls. The lower edge regions of the side walls are bent over inwardly to form flanges (10) for supporting the bottom (1) of the drawer and securing the latter to the side walls (3). Claws (11) are struck up from the flanges (10) which engage in the underside of the bottom (1). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in drawers The invention relates to a drawer comprising a bottom, two mutually opposed sidewalls, a frontfacing wall or board and a rearwall.

Manyforms of drawers are known, which are provided with guide rollers running on contoured rails. In this connection, the sidewalls are commonly formed by wood or wood-based material, for example chipboard panels, and contoured rails forming the tracks forthe guide rollers ofthe drawer are then screwedtotheoutersurfaces of the sidewalls.

However, this renders production and assembly comparatively complex. The sidewall actually has to be produced in each case from wood orwood-based material, and the guide rail subsequently has to be installed on the sidewall. To this end, care is necessary to assure that the guide rail is correctly positioned on the sidewall.

Moreover, sidewalls of plastics material are also known, the guide rails of metal or plastics material similarly having to be secure separately to the side-walls, sothatthe previously mentioned disadvantages also arise in this case.

The object ofthe invention isto reduce or overcome these disadvantages, and to provide a drawer ofthe kind previously referred to, which gives rise to an appreciable reduction in the assembling and production costs, combined with high precision running qualities.

To resolve these disadvantages, the invention provides a drawerwherein the sidewalls comprise sheet-like elements, each of which is bent outwardly at its top sidetoform an edge rail for rollers, unitarily with the body ofthe sidewall, and which is inwardly bent at its underside to form a bearing for the bottom ofthe drawer, having claws or other projections engaging in the bottom from below.

The essence ofthe invention consequently consists in producing the sidewalls of a drawer of this type in one piece from the sheet metal plates or panels, which then simultaneously form the guide railsforthe track rollers and, and attheirunderside have securing meansforthe bottom ofthe drawer, which are also produced and formed in one piece with the sheet metal plates or panels. The plates or panels may be formed of metal, although they may alternatively be formed of an appropriate plastics material. The essence ofthe invention resides in the integrality of the sidewalls with their rails and theirsecuring means for the drawer bottom.

Preferably, securing means are also bent out of the plane ofthe sheet metal plates on thefront and rear sides thereof, for rntainingthefrontwall or facing board and the rear wall or side, respectively.

Inthis connection,it is preferableforflanges to be provided, which form the securing means forthe facing board, elongate holes being provided in the flanges. Appropriate adjustment ofthe facing board relative to the sidewalls ofthe drawer may be performed byvirtueofthe elongate holes.

In orderthatthe invention may be more readily understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which :- Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view, partially in section, ofthefront right-hand portion of a drawer embodying the invention, as seen from behind; Figure 2 is a vertical,transverse cross-section through the left-hand portion ofthe drawer and associated cabinet body portion, as seen from the front; and Figure 3 is an un-sectioned view similarto Figure 2, of which the right-hand portion ofthe drawer, with the frontfacing board omitted for clarity.

The drawings show essential components of a drawer embodying the invention, namely a bottom 1, a right-hand side sidewall 2 (Fig. 3), a left-hand side sidewall (Figs. 1 and 2) and a front-facing wall or board 4 (Fig. 1). The rearside orwall, which is not shown, is of conventional construction.

The drawer shown slides in a cabinet bodycomprising sidewalls 5 and a top panel 6. The bottom ofthe body (not shown) may be omitted if appropriate. The rearwall ofthe body (not shown) may likewise be omitted.

Guide rails 7,on which track rollers 8 are rotatably journalled, are secured to the inner sides of the sidewalls 5 ofthe cabinet body. Furthermore, a limit stop arrangement (not shown) is provided which prevents the drawer from being accidently pulled forwardly out ofthe cabinet body and offthe rollers 8.

In accordance with this embodiment ofthe invention, each ofthe sidewalls 2,3 ofthe drawer comprises a sheet metal portion or panel and a longitudinally extending, generally horizontal edge rail 9, which runs on the track rollers 8, and is formed on the actual sidewalls atthetopthereof.

A longitudinally extending, generally horizontal bearing or supporting angle orflange 10forthe bottom 1 ofthe drawer is formed at the underside of each ofthe sidewalls 2,3, which terminates in upwardly directed claws 11 which engage in a corresponding groove 12 in the underside of the bottom 1 and are anchored therein. At least two such claws 11 are provided on each sidewall, namely in the front and rear regions thereof.

An outwardly directed flange 13 which serves to secure the front-facing board 4to each sidewall is formed unitarily with, and atthe front of, the associated sidewall. Slots or elongate holes 14 are provided in the flange 13 (see also Fig. 3)through which the sheet metal section of each of the sidewalls 2,3 is screwed to the facing board 4 by screws 15 (Fig.

1).

It is apparent that a drawer, provided with side-walls 2,3 as previously described, may be produced and assembled in an uncomplicated manner.

1. A drawer, comprising a bottom,two mutually opposed sidewalls, a front-facing wall or board and a rearwall or side, wherein the sidewalls each comprise a sheet-like plate or panel which is outwardly formed at its top to form an edge rail, serving as a trackfor rollers, unitarilywith its body, and which is inwardly formed at its bottom to form a bearing angleforthe bottom of the drawer, having claws or other projec tionsengaging in the bottom from below.

2. A drawer according to claim 1, wherein each

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Improvements in drawers The invention relates to a drawer comprising a bottom, two mutually opposed sidewalls, a frontfacing wall or board and a rearwall. Manyforms of drawers are known, which are provided with guide rollers running on contoured rails. In this connection, the sidewalls are commonly formed by wood or wood-based material, for example chipboard panels, and contoured rails forming the tracks forthe guide rollers ofthe drawer are then screwedtotheoutersurfaces of the sidewalls. However, this renders production and assembly comparatively complex. The sidewall actually has to be produced in each case from wood orwood-based material, and the guide rail subsequently has to be installed on the sidewall. To this end, care is necessary to assure that the guide rail is correctly positioned on the sidewall. Moreover, sidewalls of plastics material are also known, the guide rails of metal or plastics material similarly having to be secure separately to the side-walls, sothatthe previously mentioned disadvantages also arise in this case. The object ofthe invention isto reduce or overcome these disadvantages, and to provide a drawer ofthe kind previously referred to, which gives rise to an appreciable reduction in the assembling and production costs, combined with high precision running qualities. To resolve these disadvantages, the invention provides a drawerwherein the sidewalls comprise sheet-like elements, each of which is bent outwardly at its top sidetoform an edge rail for rollers, unitarily with the body ofthe sidewall, and which is inwardly bent at its underside to form a bearing for the bottom ofthe drawer, having claws or other projections engaging in the bottom from below. The essence ofthe invention consequently consists in producing the sidewalls of a drawer of this type in one piece from the sheet metal plates or panels, which then simultaneously form the guide railsforthe track rollers and, and attheirunderside have securing meansforthe bottom ofthe drawer, which are also produced and formed in one piece with the sheet metal plates or panels. The plates or panels may be formed of metal, although they may alternatively be formed of an appropriate plastics material. The essence ofthe invention resides in the integrality of the sidewalls with their rails and theirsecuring means for the drawer bottom. Preferably, securing means are also bent out of the plane ofthe sheet metal plates on thefront and rear sides thereof, for rntainingthefrontwall or facing board and the rear wall or side, respectively. Inthis connection,it is preferableforflanges to be provided, which form the securing means forthe facing board, elongate holes being provided in the flanges. Appropriate adjustment ofthe facing board relative to the sidewalls ofthe drawer may be performed byvirtueofthe elongate holes. In orderthatthe invention may be more readily understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which :- Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view, partially in section, ofthefront right-hand portion of a drawer embodying the invention, as seen from behind; Figure 2 is a vertical,transverse cross-section through the left-hand portion ofthe drawer and associated cabinet body portion, as seen from the front; and Figure 3 is an un-sectioned view similarto Figure 2, of which the right-hand portion ofthe drawer, with the frontfacing board omitted for clarity. The drawings show essential components of a drawer embodying the invention, namely a bottom 1, a right-hand side sidewall 2 (Fig. 3), a left-hand side sidewall (Figs. 1 and 2) and a front-facing wall or board 4 (Fig. 1). The rearside orwall, which is not shown, is of conventional construction. The drawer shown slides in a cabinet bodycomprising sidewalls 5 and a top panel 6. The bottom ofthe body (not shown) may be omitted if appropriate. The rearwall ofthe body (not shown) may likewise be omitted. Guide rails 7,on which track rollers 8 are rotatably journalled, are secured to the inner sides of the sidewalls 5 ofthe cabinet body. Furthermore, a limit stop arrangement (not shown) is provided which prevents the drawer from being accidently pulled forwardly out ofthe cabinet body and offthe rollers 8. In accordance with this embodiment ofthe invention, each ofthe sidewalls 2,3 ofthe drawer comprises a sheet metal portion or panel and a longitudinally extending, generally horizontal edge rail 9, which runs on the track rollers 8, and is formed on the actual sidewalls atthetopthereof. A longitudinally extending, generally horizontal bearing or supporting angle orflange 10forthe bottom 1 ofthe drawer is formed at the underside of each ofthe sidewalls 2,3, which terminates in upwardly directed claws 11 which engage in a corresponding groove 12 in the underside of the bottom 1 and are anchored therein. At least two such claws 11 are provided on each sidewall, namely in the front and rear regions thereof. An outwardly directed flange 13 which serves to secure the front-facing board 4to each sidewall is formed unitarily with, and atthe front of, the associated sidewall. Slots or elongate holes 14 are provided in the flange 13 (see also Fig. 3)through which the sheet metal section of each of the sidewalls 2,3 is screwed to the facing board 4 by screws 15 (Fig. 1). It is apparent that a drawer, provided with side-walls 2,3 as previously described, may be produced and assembled in an uncomplicated manner. CLAIMS

2. A drawer according to claim 1, wherein each side-wall comprises a sheet metal plate or panel which is bentto form the upper rail and lower bearing

3. A drawer according to claim 1 or2,wherein securing means, for retention ofthefront-facing wall or board and/orthe rearwall,are formed unitarily with the sidewalls to project out of the plane ofthe plates or panelsatthefrontand/orrearthereof.

4. Adraweraccordingto claim 3,whereinthe securing means at least forthe facing board comprise flanges provided with elongate holes.

5. A drawer substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

6. A drawer unit comprising a cabinet in combination with one or more drawers as claimed in any preceding claim.