GB2336394A

GB2336394A - Locking device

Info

Publication number: GB2336394A
Application number: GB9807635A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Arrizabalaga Pedro Arriola
Original assignee: Ojmar SA
Current assignee: Ojmar SA
Priority date: 1998-04-03
Filing date: 1998-04-14
Publication date: 1999-10-20
Anticipated expiration: 2018-04-14
Also published as: FR2776902B1; DE19816091A1; FR2776902A1; GB9807635D0; GB2336394B

Abstract

A locking device for furniture drawers C consists of guide strips (21 ...) For each drawer sliding in a fixed guide 1, one strip carrying a seat 22 and another a cam assembly 23. When a drawer is pulled out, a bolt B pushes the seat and assembly apart, so closing a gap in the arrangement of strips. As it moves the bolt pivots a rocker on the assembly such that an arm 237 is supported on the seat. Opening of another drawer is thus prevented.

Description

2336394 1 LOCKING DEVICE The present invention involves a drawer locking

device which prevents ftirniture from toppling over, particularly in drawers designed for office furniture and the like.

Furniture units containing drawers or the like are widely used at present to store all kinds of documents (cards, files, etc.) and a vast array of devices has been developed to stop them from toppling over by preventing several drawers from staying open, while the number of patents filed in this respect is enormous.

The applicant wished to focus on certain problems which had not been solved by the aforementioned mechanisms:

a) the elements of the devices are manufactured based on the size of the furniture or of the drawers, which means that elements of different sizes must be produced for each manufacturer and each piece of flu-niture, preventing standardisation and raising the price; b) excessive limitation imposed by the mechanism manufacturer on the furniture manufacturer; c) actuating (spring) and locking devices arranged in opposite directions or inappropriately positioned; d) lack of security against manipulation; e) inability to open in the event of accidental closure.

These problems have been solved by the invention contained in this application.

To provide a better understanding of the object of the present invention, the drawings 2 illustrate a preferred version of the practical design, liable to additional modifications which do not detract from its fundamental principles.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the locking device which is the object of the invention.

Figures 2a, 2b, 2c are three successive representations of the closed to the open drawer, of 5 the drawer bolt union with the sliding elements of the device depicted in Figure 1.

Figure 2d is a representation of a drawer which has been accidentally closed with the bolt (B) in the open position.

The anti-toppling and locking device for drawers in office furniture and the like, according to the invention, is fitted with a guide strip (1) or equivalent guiding elements, in correlation with the total number of drawers in the furniture, in which interrelated mechanisms (2) are liable to move linearly in the manner described below.

There is one of these mechanisms (2) for each drawer unit in the furniture.

The device according to the invention is completed by placing above the mechanisms (2): a spring that tends to keep the mechanisms (2) automatically positioned relative to one another and elements (4) to lock the assembly in the closed position.

In accordance with the invention and based on the design represented - see Figure 1 - each mechanism (2) is made up of several secondary guide strips (21 a), (2 1 b), (21 c)..., in such a way that one of the outermost secondary guide strips (2 1 a) which carries a cam assembly (23) and the other outermost secondary guide strip (2 1 c) which carries a seat (22) can be used with any type and size of drawer, so that the manufacturing and distribution costs are reduced by using the intermediate secondary guide strip (21b) to adapt the device to the size or requirements of the user.

The cam assembly (23) has a cam (231) which may have a partially curved profile (P), 3 preferably cylindrical, a rocker (232) which rotates around the shaft (233) and which has an inner arm (234) and an outer arm (235) which may or may not be the same size (those depicted here are not).

The objective is to separate vertically the can assembly (23) from the seat (22) by means of 5 a bolt (B) fixed to each drawer in the piece of ftirniture.

The union (236) between the inner and outer arms (234), (235) should preferably be partially cylindrical, so that the cylindrical bolt (B) can engage in it.

The end of the inner arm (234) has a rear projection (237), the surface of which is at least partially combined with the profile (P) of the cam (23 1) and has similar dimensions to those of the bolt (B).

The method of operation is as follows:

When the user pulls out the drawer (C), the bolt (B) comes into contact with the outer arm (235) which it pulls along with its movement. The bolt (B), positioned at a tangent to the plane of the outer surface (S) of the seat (22), is inserted between the outer surface of the cam (23 1) (which may be curved) and the upper surface of the seat (22), causing the cam assembly (23) to move vertically.

The bolt (B) continues along its path pulling the outer arm (235) and the rocker (232) continues to rotate unti 1 the bolt (B) cc to be in contact with the outer arm (2 3 5) whi ch coincides with the vertical position of the inner arm (234), with the rear projection (237) occupying the space left by the bolt (B) and keeping the cam assembly (23) displaced vertically, which causes the bolts (B) and seats (22) in the rest of the drawers to be braked, preventing them from coming out. In the position shown in Figure 2c, in order to try to avoid accidental closure, the inner arm (234) fonns an obtuse angle relative to the surface (S) of the seat (22), with the aforementioned surface (S) and the end of the inner arm (234) remaining end to end.

4 The seat (22) should preferably be bevelled (238a) to enable the bolt (B) to enter in the event of an accident (Figure 2d).

Given that the guide strip assembly only has empty space (A) at the top, the vertical movement (A) (Figure 2c) of one of the strips locks all the others, since, although the range (A) is liable to be reached by activating any mechamism (2), once reached when one of them is activated, the remaining mechanisms (2) cannot be activated.

In order to avoid outside manipulation of this mechanism, the cam body (23 1) is extended by means of a protective shield (239) and in order to avoid unwanted movement of the rocker (232) during closure, there is a stop (5) on the outer surface for the inner arm (234) and there 10 may be another stop for opening.

The outermost secondary guide strips (21 a), (2 1 c) may be plastic, so that the secondary guide strip (2 1 c) forms a single piece with the seat (22) and the secondary guide strip (21 a) with the cam (231).

Once the open position has been reached (Figure 2c), the drawer closing operation can begin and the drawer can return to the closed position (Figure 2a).

If the drawer is accidentally banged or there is some other unforeseen circumstance while it is in the open position (Figure 2c), the inner arm (234) may rotate into its closed position, leaving the bolt (B) in the open position (Figure 2d). If the outer arm (235) had the same dimensions as the inner arm (234), the user would encounter a serious problem.

To avoid this, the outer arm (235) is designed so that it can flex and for this, the aforementioned outer arm (235) may be an additional flexible strip or, as in Figures (2a), (2b), (2c), (2d), there is created in the rocker (232) a weakerning or pivoting zone (Z), so that the outer arm (235), which is far thinner than the inner arm (234), can flex.

With this design and in the event of an accident (Figure 2d), when the bolt (B) reaches the position of the outer arm (235) and presses against it, it causes it to flex (direction of the clock hands in Figure 2d), which enables the bolt to protrude and reach the closed position (Figs. 2a).

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Claims

A locking device for furniture drawers which have an actuating bolt attached to the drawer and a sliding guide strip for each drawer, all the guide strips being vertically correlated relative to one another, characterised by the fact that:

a) each guide strip consists of at least C> a,) one outer secondary guide strip carrying a cam assembly made up of a cam and a rocker which rotates in it with an outer arm and an inner arm designed with a projection with similar section dimensions to those of the bolt, a2) another outer secondary guide strip carrying a seat; b) the actuating bolt is positioned at a tangent to the outer horizontal surface of the seat, connecting during its movement with the rocker between its inner and outer arm.
7 A locking device for firniture drawers according to the previous claim, characterised by the fact that the outer arm is flexible.
3. A locking device for furniture drawers according. to the previous claims, characterised by the fact that the rocker has a weakening zone between the inner and outer arm which enables the outer arm to flex under pressure.
4. A locking device for furniture drawers according to the first claim, characterised by the fact that the secondary guide strip carrying a scat is bevelled on the outside, enabling the 20 bolt to enter.
5. A locking device for flirniture drawers according to the first claim, characterised by the fact that the connection between the inner arm and the secondary guide strip carrying the seat is end to end between two planes.

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6. A locking device for furniture drawers according to the previous claims, characterised by the fact that it has stops for the rocker movement during its opening and closing action.
7. A locking device for furniture drawers according to the previous claims, characterised by the fact that from the body of the cam a protective shield projects outwards to prevent it from being manipulated.
8. A locking device for furniture drawers according to the previous claims, characterised by the fact that it has on top an actuating spring and elements to lock it.
9. A locking device for furniture drawers according to the first claim, characterised by the fact that the sectional dimensions of the ends of the inner and outer arms, of the 10 interconnection of the aforementioned arms and of the bolt are similar.