US3890024A

US3890024A - Molded plastic drawer

Info

Publication number: US3890024A
Application number: US393944A
Authority: US
Inventors: Thomas S Noneman; Thomas R Smith; John B Stokes
Original assignee: TOMCO PLASTIC Inc
Current assignee: TOMCO PLASTIC Inc
Priority date: 1972-05-12
Filing date: 1973-09-04
Publication date: 1975-06-17
Anticipated expiration: 1992-06-17

Abstract

A molded plastic drawer for use in cabinets having central guide rails comprises a normally horizontally disposed bottom wall and front, side, and back walls extending upwardly from the bottom wall. The bottom wall is provided with reinforcing ribs including guiding portions which engage the lower guide rail of the cabinet to guide the drawer during movement between opened and closed conditions. The reinforcing ribs also include retaining portions which engage structure of the cabinet to normally retain the drawer in the closed condition. The side and back walls of the cabinet extend to horizontal lips and are provided with ribs which reinforce the walls and the lips. The horizontal lip of the back wall is positioned above the lips of the side wall and extends across the full width of the drawer to define an elongate shoulder positioned for engagement with structure of the cabinet when the drawer is in the opened condition to prevent the drawer from falling out of the cabinet. The upper portion of the back wall further comprises a groove which receives the upper guide rail of the cabinet and thereby cooperates with guiding portions of the reinforcing ribs on the bottom wall to guide the drawer during inward and outward movement relative to the cabinet.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 Noneman et al.

[ MOLDED PLASTIC DRAWER [75] Inventors: Thomas S. Noneman; Thomas R.

Smith; John B. Stokes, all of Bryan,

Ohio

[73] Assignee: Tomco Plastic Inc., Bryan, Ohio [22] Filed: Sept. 4, 1973 [2l] Appl. No.: 393,944

Related U.S. Application Data [63] Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 252,847, May 12,

l972, Pat. No. 3,796,474.

[52] US. Cl. 312/330; 206/507; 220/DIG. l2;

220/DlG. l4; 312/345; 312/348 [5l] Int. Cl A47b 88/04 [58] Field of Search 312/330, 294, 345, 347,

312/348, 349; 206/509, 512, 503, 505, 519, 5l5, 507; 220/DIG. l2, DIG. l4

[ June 17, 1975 6,7l6.343 6/l969 Netherlands 206/507 Primary Examiner-James T. McCall Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Richards, Harris 815 Medlock [57] ABSTRACT A molded plastic drawer for use in cabinets having central guide rails comprises a normally horizontally disposed bottom wall and front, side, and back walls extending upwardly from the bottom wall. The bottom wall is provided with reinforcing ribs including guiding portions which engage the lower guide rail of the cabinet to guide the drawer during movement between opened and closed conditions. The reinforcing ribs also include retaining portions which engage structure of the cabinet to normally retain the drawer in the closed condition. The side and back walls of the cabinet extend to horizontal lips and are provided with ribs which reinforce the walls and the lips. The horizontal lip of the back wall is positioned above the lips [56] References Cited f h l d UNITED STATES PATENTS o t e side wal and exten s across the full w dth of the drawer to define an elongate shoulder positioned 328915 2 3 2 for engagement with structure of the cabinet when the l'946'789 H 3 I l I drawer is in the opened condition to prevent the 2,668,746 2/1954 Werskopf 3l2/347 X d rawer from falling out of the cabmet. The upper por- 3,l47,882 9/1964 Waters r 206/507 3447715 6/1969 Bency I I I 206,507 tron of the back wall further comprises a groove which 3,490,602 7 wemzel I n 21 receives the upper guide rail of the cabinet and 3,582,174 6/1971 Riley 312/330 thereby cooperates with guiding portions of the rein- 3,784,274 1/1974 Holmes et a1 312/330 forcing ribs on the bottom wall to guide the drawer FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS gugiirggtinward and outward movement relative to the l,467,l65 12/1966 France 206/507 a 446,172 3/1968 Switzerland 206/507 23 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures 10c 20c 226 we PATENTEIJJUN 17 I975 IGbV FIG.

55b 46b 34b FIG. 8

SHEET PATENTEDJUN 17 ms FIG. 9

HOT

FIG. IO

JUIHYIHYS 350,024 PATENTED H 6 1 MOLDED PLASTIC DRAWER CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation-in-part of copending application Ser. No. 252,847 filed May 12, l972, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,796,474.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to molded plastic drawers, and more particularly to a drawer for use in recreational vehicles which is characterized by superior strength and retention characteristics.

Recreational vehicles and similar apparatus are frequently equipped with cabinets having central guide rails. In such instances it is necessary to provide drawers having structure which receives the guide rails and thereby guides the drawers during inward and outward movement. It has also been found to be advantageous to equip the drawers with rentention structure. This is both to prevent the drawers from accidentally falling out of the cabinet during transportion of a recreational vehicle and for preventing the drawers from moving entirely out of the cabinet when the drawers are intentionally opened.

It is well known that drawers fabricated by the injection molding process are well suited for use in cabinets having central guide rails. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,582,l72 granted to Riley on June I, 1971, is illustrative of the prior art. However, notwithstanding the relatively widespread use of molded plastic doors in such applications, a number of problems have remained unsolved. Thus, molded plastic drawers of the type used in recreational vehicles and similar application often do not have sufficient strength to receive and support relatively heavy contents. In such cases the drawers bend and flex in an unsatisfactory manner when heavily loaded, and in some instances crack to such an extent as to no longer be usable. Also, drawers of this type often do not exhibit adequate drawer retention structure. That is, even though the drawers are equipped with locking lugs which are designed to retain the drawers in the closed condition during transportation of a recreational vehicle, the drawers often become dislodged and fall out of their cabinets. Similarly, the provisions of some prior art drawers for preventing the drawers from moving fully out of their cabinets when they are intentionally opened have been found to be less than wholly satisfactory.

The present invention comprises a molded plastic drawer which overcomes the foregoing and other disadvantageous characteristics that have long since been associated with the prior art. In accordance with the broader aspects of the invention, a molded plastic drawer includes a bottom wall having reinforcing ribs on its underside which extend the full length of the drawer and which are spaced to receive the lower central guide rail of a cabinet. At the front end of a drawer the reinforcing ribs extend outwardly to provide structure extending entirely across the drawer for retaining the drawer in the closed condition.

The drawer further comprises front, side and back walls extending upwardly from the bottom wall. The side walls and the back walls are provided with horizontal lips. However, the lip of the back wall is positioned substantially above the lips of the side walls and is equipped with a groove for receiving the upper guide rail of the cabinet. By this means there is provided a shoulder extending entirely across the drawer which retains the drawer in the opened condition.

In accordance with more specific aspects of the invention, the side and back walls of the drawer are each provided with a plurality of downwardly extending reinforcing ribs. Each rib includes a downwardly facing edge positioned in alignment with and spaced a predetermined distance from the upper surface of the corresponding portion of the horizontal lips of the drawer. By this means there is provided a series of stacking lugs spaced around the periphery of the drawer which serve to prevent excessive nesting of stacked drawers. The stacking lugs on the side walls may also be used to slidably support the drawer, if desired.

In accordance with still other specific aspects of the invention, the bottom wall of the drawer may be provided with two sets of spaced, parallel reinforcing portions and the back wall may include spaced apart grooves. These ribs and grooves engage spaced, parallel guide rails which serve both to guide the drawer and to prevent tipping. For certain applications the lip of the back wall may taper upwardly and inwardly to provide a deeper groove and the reinforcing ribs on the underside of the bottom wall may include depending lugs at the rear ends thereof. This prevents disengagement of the guiding apparatus of the drawer from the guide rails of the cabinet. Also, the lugs limit movement of the drawer as it is opened. In stationary applications, the guide rail or rails may be provided with an upper surface positioned above the remaining structure at the front of the cabinet, thereby preventing the reinforcing ribs on the underside of the drawer from engaging the cabinet.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A more complete understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following Detailed Description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying Drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the drawer incorporating a first embodiment of the invention and showing the drawer in use;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the drawer shown in FIG. 1',

FIG. 3 is a back view showing the drawer in use;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the drawer shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a back view of the drawer incorporating a second embodiment of the invention and showing the drawer in use;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the drawer shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a back view of a drawer incorporating a third embodiment of the invention and showing the drawer in use;

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the drawer shown in FIG.

FIG. 9 is a back view of a drawer incorporating a fourth embodiment of the invention and showing the drawer in use;

FIG. 10 is a side view further illustrating the drawer of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is an illustration of an alternative use of the drawer shown in FIGS. 5 and 6; and

FIG. 12 is a back view illustrating an alternative use of drawers incorporating the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to the Drawings and particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown a pair of drawers l incorporating a first embodiment of the present invention. The drawers are normally housed in u cabinet 12 of the type utilized in recreational vehicles and in similar applications. The cabinet 12 comprises one or more spaces 14 each of which receives one of the drawers 10.

More specifically, the cabinet 12 comprises vertical framing members 16 and horizontal framing members 18 extending between and connected to the vertical framing members 16. The framing

members

16 and 18 of the cabinet 12 are typically so arranged as to define the outline of each drawer receiving space 14 in the cabinet 12. Guide rails 20 extend between the horizontal framing members 18 and are centrally disposed relative to the vertical framing members 16. It will be understood that in the case of a cabinet 12 having vertically stacked drawer receiving spaces 14, certain of the guide rails 20 serve both as the upper guide rail for one drawer receiving space 14 and as the lower guide rail for the next adjacent drawer receiving space 14. In many applications the cabinet 12 further includes an upper panel 22 which serves both to enclose the cabinet and as a shelf or countertop.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the drawer 10 comprises a normally horizontally disposed bottom wall 24 having a rear edge 26, opposed side edges 28 and a front edge 30. A back wall 32 and opposed side walls 34 extend vertically and slightly outwardly from the back and side edges 26 and 28 of the bottom wall 24, respectively. A front wall 36 extends vertically from the front edge 30 of the bottom wall 24. As is best shown in FIG. 1, the front wall 36 is adapted to receive a decorative face plate 38 which is secured to the front wall 36 of the drawer 10 by threaded fasteners 40 or other suitable means. The face plate 38 may be formed from wood, plastic, or other materials as desired, and may include a drawer pull 42 and/or other hardware.

The side walls 34 of the drawer 10 extend upwardly from the bottom wall 24 to upper horizontal lips 44. Each side wall 34 is further provided with a plurality of wedge-shaped ribs 46 which serve to reinforce both the side walls 34 and the lips 44. As is best shown in FIG. 3, the back wall 32 is similarly constructed in that it extends to an upper horizontal lip 48 and is provided with a plurality of wedge-shaped ribs 50 which serve to reinforce both the lip 48 and the back wall 32. It will be noted that the lip 48 of the back wall 32 is positioned substantially above the lips 44 of the side walls 34 and is provided with a groove 52. The groove 52 of the back wall 32 receives the upper guide rail 20 of its respective drawer receiving space 14 and therefore serves to guide the drawer 10 during inward and outward movement relative to the cabinet 12.

The positioning of the horizontal lip 48 of the rear wall 32 substantially above the horizontal lips 44 of the side walls 34 comprises an important advantage to the use of the present invention. Referring both to FIG. 1 and to FIG. 3, the raised positioning of the lip 48 provides a shoulder 54 at the upper edge of the back wall 32 which extends across substantially the entire width of the drawer 10. When the drawer 10 is moved to its fully opened position relative to the cabinet 12, the shoulder 54 engages the upper forward horizontal framing member 18 of its respective drawer receiving space 14 and thereby serves to prevent the drawer l0 from falling out of the cabinet 12. Since the shoulder 54 extends entirely across the back wall 32, this important function is accomplished notwithstanding the fact that the drawer 10 may become skewed in the cabinet 12 due to unbalanced loading. etc.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the underside of the bottom wall 24 ofthe drawer I0 is provided with two sets of oppositely disposed reinforcing

ribs

56 and 58 which serve to prevent undue deformation of the drawer 10 when it is heavily loaded. In the practice of the invention it has been found that the reinforcing ribs 56 can be dispensed with in the case of smaller drawers. On the other hand, the reinforcing ribs 58 are utilized both in small drawers and in large drawers.

The reinforcing ribs 58 each comprise a guide portion 60 and a retaining portion 62. The guide portions 60 of the ribs 58 extend generally parallel to the side edges 28 of the bottom wall 24 from points adjacent the rear edge 26 to points adjacent the front edge 30. The retaining portions 62 of the ribs 58 in turn extend parallel to the front edge 30 between the front ends of the guiding portions 60 and points adjacent the side edges 28 of the bottom wall 24.

As is best shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the guiding portions 60 of the reinforcing ribs 58 of each drawer 10 engage the lower guide rail 20 of its respective drawer receiving space 14. By this means the guiding portions 60 cooperate with the groove 52 of the back wall 32 to guide the drawer 10 during inward and outward movement of the drawer relative to the cabinet 12. The retaining portions 62 of the reinforcing ribs 58 of each drawer 10 are positioned for engagement with the lower forward horizontal framing member 18 of its respective drawer receiving space 14. The retaining portions 62 therefore serve to lock the drawer 10 in the closed condition even though the cabinet 12 may be severely vibrated due to transportation of a recreational vehicle incorporating the cabinet 12, etc.

Referring specifically to FIG. 1, the drawer 10 may further include secondary retaining members 64 which project downwardly from the guiding portions 60 of the reinforcing ribs 58. The secondary retaining members 64 do not normally engage any portion of the cabinet 12. However, should the cabinet 12 be vibrated sufficiently to dislodge the retaining portions 62 of the reinforcing rib 58 from the lower forward horizontal framing member 18, the secondary retaining members 64 engage the lower forward horizontal framing member 18 to prevent the drawer 10 from falling completely out of its respective drawer receiving spacer 14 in the cabinet 12. In actual practice it has been found that the secondary retaining members 64 are not necessary in most instances.

In use, the drawer 10 is normally enclosed by the cabinet 12 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 1. Whenever it is desired to open the drawer 10, the front end of the drawer is raised slightly to clear the retaining portions 62 of the reinforcing ribs 58 and the secondary retaining members 64 over the adjacent horizontal framing member 18. The drawer 10 is then slid outwardly to whatever extent may be desired. During this movement the drawer 10 is guided by cooperation of the groove 52 in the rear wall 32 and by cooperation of the guiding portions 60 of the reinforcing ribs 58 with the upper and lower guide rails 20 of the drawer receiving space 14 which encloses the drawer l0.

If the drawer 10 is moved to the fully opened position the shoulder 54 of the rear wall 32 of the drawer 10 engages the upper forward horizontal framing member 18 to prevent the drawer 10 from falling completely out of the cabinet 12. However, the drawer 10 is easily disengaged from the cabinet 12 by simply tilting the front end of the drawer upwardly. The drawer I is returned to the closed position illustrated in FIG. I by simply sliding the drawer l0 rearwardly in the cabinet 12. As the drawer 10 reaches the closed position the retaining portions 62 of the reinforcing ribs 58 drop behind the lower forward horizontal framing member 18 and thereafter serve to retain the drawer 10 in the closed condition.

As will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art, the entire drawer 10, except for the face plate 38 and the fasteners 40, comprises an integral structure. The drawer I0 is specifically designed for economical manufacture by means of conventional injection molding techniques. It is further contemplated that conventional materials, for example, high impact polystyrene, will be utilized in the manufacture of drawers incorporating the invention.

Referring now to FIGS. and 6, there is shown a molded plastic drawer a incorporating a second embodiment of the invention. The drawer 10a comprises a normally horizontally disposed bottom wall 24a having a rear edge 26a, opposed side edges 28a and a front edge 300. A back wall 32a and opposed side walls 340 extend vertically and slightly outwardly from the back and

side edges

26a and 28a of the bottom wall 240 respectively. A front wall 360 extends vertically from the front edge 30a and hence substantially perpendicularly with respect to the bottom wall 24a. The front wall 36a is adapted to receive a decorative face plate and a drawer pull or other drawer hardware similar to the face plate 38 and the drawer pull 42 illustrated in FIG. 1.

The outer edges of the side walls 340 of the drawer 100 each define an outwardly and downwardly turned lip 44a, and the upper edge of the back wall 320 defines an outwardly and downwardly turned lip 48a. The back wall 320 further comprises a guide rail receiving groove 52a. The lip 48a is positioned substantially above the lips 44a to define a shoulder 54:: extending substantially the full width of the drawer 10a and adapted to retain the drawer in the opened condition by means of engagement with the upper framing members of a cabinet receving the drawer. In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, the lip defining the upper edges of the side and back Walls of the drawer extends continuously first parallel to the bottom wall 240 along the upper edge of one side wall and around the adjacent rear corner, then upwardly to define one end of the shoulder 540, then along the top of the shoulder 54a, then downwardly to define one side of the groove 51a, then parallel to the bottom wall 24a to define the bottom of the groove 520, then upwardly to define the opposite edge of the groove 520, then along the top of the shoulder 54a, then downwardly to define the opposite end of the shoulder, and then parallel to the bottom wall 24a around the opposite rear corner and along the upper edge of the opposite side wall.

A plurality of ribs 46a extend outwardly from each side wall 34a, and a plurality of ribs 50a extend outwardly from the back wall 32a. These ribs serve to reinforce the side and

back walls

34a and 32a and the lips 44a and 48a of the drawer 100, respectively. The reinforcing ribs of the drawer 10a differ from the corresponding ribs of the drawer 10 illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4 primarily in that each rib of the drawer l0a extends first vertically downwardly from its corre sponding lip, and then inwardly to define a stacking lug 55a. The stacking lugs 55a are positioned in alignment with and are spaced a predetermined distance from the upper surfaces of the corresponding lips, so that the stacking lugs 55a serve to prevent excessive nesting of drawers stacked for shipment, etc. As is best shown in FIG. 5, the lugs 55a of the various ribs are positioned at varying heights relative to the bottom wall 24a of the drawer 100, but are uniformly spaced relative to the upper surfaces of the outwardly and downwardly turned lips extending along the side and back walls of the drawer. The lugs 55a therefore cooperate with the lips 44a and 48a to maintain the desired spacing between all portions of two stacked drawers.

The underside of the bottom wall 24a is provided with a plurality of reinforcing ribs 58a which may be identical to the corresponding reinforcing ribs of the drawer 10 illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4. It will therefore be understood that the drawer 10a is adapted for use in exactly the same type of cabinet as is the drawer 10. In fact, the drawers l0 and 10a are substantially identical in construction and use, with the primary difference therebetween comprising the addition of the stacking lugs 55a to the drawers 10a. This eliminates the use of cardboard or other materials between the drawers [0 which has been found to be highly desirable in preventing excessive nesting of the drawers during shipping, etc.

An alternative use of the drawer 10a is illustrated in FIG. 11. A cabinet 12a comprises one or more spaces 14a each adapted to receive a drawer 100. More specifically, the cabinet 12a comprises vertical framing members 16a and horizontal framing members 180 extending between and connected to the horizontal framing members 180. A pair of support rails 210 are secured to the vertical framing members 160 and extend longitudinally relative to the drawer receiving space 140. The cabinet 12a may also include an upper panel22a comprising a shelf or countertop.

The drawer 10a is supported in the cabinet by means of sliding engagement between the stacking lugs 55a of the drawer and the support rails 21a of the cabinet. It will be noted that by means of the support rails 21a, the guide rails 20 of the cabinet 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 are dispensed with. Nevertheless, the drawer 10a functions in the cabinet 12a in substantially the same manner as does the drawer 10 in the cabinet 12. Thus, the reinforcing ribs 580 on the underside of the bottom wall 240 of the drawer 10a function in conjunction with the lower horizontal framing members 18a of the cabinet 12a to normally retain the drawer 10a in the closed position, and the shoulder 54a functions in conjunction with the upper horizontal framing members 18a to retain the drawer 10a in the opened condition.

A drawer 10b incorporating a third embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8. The drawers 10b are normally received in a cabinet 12b of the kind particularly adapted for use in recreational vehicles and similar applications. The cabinet 12b comprises one or more spaces 14b each of which receives one of the drawers 10b.

More specifically, the cabinet 12b comprises vertical framing members 16b and horizontal framing members I8b extending between and connected to the vertical framing members 16b. The framing

members

16b and 18b of the cabinet 12b are typically so arranged as to define the outline of each drawer receiving space 14b of the cabinet 12b. Spaced, parallel guide rails 20b extend between the horizontal framing members 18b and are disposed at spaced intervals relative to the vertical framing members 16b. It will be understood that in the case of a cabinet 12b having vertically stacked drawer receiving spaces 14b, certain of the guide rails 20b serve as upper guide rails for one drawer receiving spacer 14b and as lower guide rails for the next adjacent drawer receiving space I4b. In many applications the cabinet 12b further includes an upper panel 22b which serves both to enclose the cabinet and as a shelf or countertop.

The drawer b comprises a normally horizontally disposed bottom wall 24b having a rear edge 26b, opposed side edges 28b and a front edge 30b. A back wall 32b and opposed side walls 24b extend vertically and slightly outwardly from the back and side edges 26b and 28b of the bottom wall 24b, respectively. A front wall 36b extends vertically from the front edge of the bottom wall 24b. The front wall 36b is adapted to receive a decorative face plate and suitable drawer hardware which may be similar to the face plate and the drawer hardware illustrated in FIG. 1 in conjunction with the drawer 10.

The side walls 34b of the drawer 10b extend upwardly from the bottom wall 24b to upper horizontal lips 44b. Each side wall 34b is further provided with a plurality of ribs 46b serving to reinforce both the side wall 34b and the lip 44b. Each rib 46b extends first downwardly from the corresponding lip 44b and then inwardly to define a stacking lug 55b. The back wall 321: is similarly constructed in that it extends to an upper horizontal lip 48b and is provided with a plurality of outwardly extending ribs 50b serving to reinforce both the back wall 32!; and the lip 48b. Like the ribs 46b, the ribs 50b each extend first downwardly from the lip 48b and then inwardly to define a stacking lug 55b.

The lip 48b of the back wall 32b is positioned substantially above the lips 44b of the side walls 34b and is provided with a pair of spaced apart grooves 52b. The grooves 52b of the back wall 32b are adapted to receive the upper guide rails b of one of the drawer receiving spaces 14b, and therefore serve to guide the drawer 10b during inward and outward movement thereof relative to the cabinet 12b. The positioning of the lip 48b of the rear wall 32b substantially above the horizontal lips 44b of the side wall 34b provides a shoulder 54b at the upper edge of the back wall 32b which extends substantially the entire width of the drawer 10b. The shoulder 54b therefore serves to retain the drawer 10b in the opened condition by means of substantially full width engagement with the upper horizontal framing member 18b comprising the particular space 14b of the cabinet 12b.

As is best shown in FIG. 8, the underside of the bottom wall 24b of the drawer 10b is provided with a plurality of reinforcing ribs 56b which serve to prevent undue deformation of the drawer 10b when it is heavily loaded. The ribs 56b define spaced apart guide portions 60b and retaining portions 62b. The guide portions 60b extend generally parallel to the side edges of 28b of the bottom wall 24b from points adjacent to the rear edge 26b to points adjacent to front edge 30b. The retaining portions 62b in turn extend parallel to the front edge 30b between the front edges of the guiding portions 60b and outwardly therefrom to points adjacent to the side edges of the bottom wall 24b.

As is best shown in FIG. 7, the guiding portions of 60b of the reinforcing ribs 56b of the drawer 10b engage the lower guide rails 20b of the space 14b which receives the drawer 10b. By this means the guiding portions of 60b cooperate with the grooves 52b of the back wall 32b to guide the drawer 10b during inward and outward movement of the drawer relative to the cabinet 12b. The retaining portions 62b of the reinforcing ribs 56b are positioned for engagement with the lower forward horizontal framing member 18b of the drawer receiving space 14b, and therefore serves to retain the drawer 10b in a closed condition.

The primary distinction between the drawer 10b illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 and the drawer 10 shown in FIGS. I through 4 comprises the use of spaced, parallel guide rails 20b in the cabinet 12b, spaced apart grooves 52b in the back wall 32b of the drawer 10b, and spaced, parallel guide portions 60b comprising part of the reinforcing ribs 56b on the underside of the bottom wall 24b of the drawer 10b. This construction has been found to be useful in at least two respects. First, by means of the spaced, parallel guide rails 20b, the drawer 10b was prevented from tipping even though it may be unevenly loaded. It should be noted in this regard that in certain instances it is possible to accomplish the same advantage even though the reinforcing ribs 56b on the underside of the drawer are dispensed with. In these applications of the invention, the drawer is guided solely by means of the grooves 52b. A second advantage deriving from the use of the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 involves the fact that by means of the spaced parallel guide rails 20b, the cabinet 12b is substantially reinforced and the drawer 10b is more uniformly supported across the bottom thereof. This permits a substantial increase in the amount of weight which may be loaded into each drawer without danger of damage either to the drawer or to the cabinet.

Referring now to FIGS. 9 and 10, there is illustrated a molded plastic drawer 10c incorporating a fourth embodiment of the invention. The drawer is normally housed in a cabinet 12c of the type utilized in recreational vehicles and similar applications. The cabinet 12c comprises one or more spaces each of which receives one of the drawers 10c.

More specifically, the cabinet 12c comprises vertical framing members 16c and horizontal framing members extending between and connected to the vertical framing members 160. The framing

members

16c and 18c of the cabinet 12c are typically so arranged as to define the outline of each drawer receiving space 14c in the cabinet. Guide rails 20c extend between the horizontal framing members 180 and are centrally disposed relative to the vertical framing members 160. It will be understood that in the case of a cabinet 12c having vertically stacked drawer receiving spaces 14c, certain of the guide rails 20c serve both as the upper guide rail for one drawer receiving space 14c and as the lower guide rail for the next adjacent drawer receiving space Me. In many applications the cabinet 12c further includes an upper panel 22c which serves to enclose the cabinet and as a shelf or countertop.

The drawer 10c comprises a normally horizontally disposed bottom wall 240 having a rear edge 26c, opposed side edges 28c, and a front edge 30c. A back wall 320 and opposed side walls 34c extend vertically and slightly outwardly from the rear and

side edges

26c and 28c of the bottom wall 24c, respectively. A front wall 36c extends vertically from the front edge 30c of the bottom wall 240. As is best shown in FIG. 10, the front wall 36c is adapted to receive a decorative face plate 38c which may be secured to the front wall 361: of the drawer 10c by means of threaded fasteners 40c or other suitable means. The face plate 38c may be formed from wood, plastic or other materials, as desired, and may include a drawer pull 32c and/or other hardware.

The side walls 34c of the drawer 10c extend upwardly from the bottom wall 24c to upper horizontal lips 44c. Each side wall 34c is further provided with a plurality of ribs 460 serving to reinforce the side wall 34c and the lip 44c. Each rib 46c extends first downwardly from the corresponding lip 44c and then inwardly to define a stacking lug 550. In accordance with the fourth embodiment of the invention, ribs similar to the ribs 46c of the side walls are not provided on the back wall 32c. In the practice of the invention it has been found that such ribs on the back wall are not necessary in all instances.

The lip 48c of the back wall 320 is positioned substantially above the lips 44c of the side walls 34c and is provided with a groove 52c. The groove 52c of the back wall 32c is adapted to receive the upper guide rail 20c of one of the drawer receiving spaces 14c of the cabinet 12c, and therefore serves to guide the drawer 100 during inward and outward movement thereof relative to the cabinet 120. An important distinction between the drawer lc comprising the fourth embodiment of the invention and the drawer comprising the first embodiment of the invention involves the fact that the opposed portions of the lip 48c of the back wall 32c of the drawer 10c taper upwardly and inwardly to provide a groove 52c which is substantially deeper than the groove 52 of the drawer 10. The groove 52c therefore engages the upper guide rail c to a considerably great extent with respect to the engagement of the groove 52 of the guide rail 20. This is highly advantageous in preventing disengagement of the groove 52c from the upper guide rail 20c during opening and closing movements of the drawer 10c.

The positioning of the lips 48c of the rear wall 32c substantially above the lips 440 of the side walls 34c provides a shoulder 54c at the upper edge of the back wall 320 which extends substantially the entire width of the drawer 10c. The shoulder 54c therefore serves to retain the drawer in the fully opened condition by means of substantially full width engagement with the upper horizontal framing member 18c comprising the particular space 14c of the cabinet 12c.

As best shown in FIG. 10, the underside of the bottom wall 240 of the drawer 100 is provided with a plurality of reinforcing ribs 56c which serve to prevent undue deformation of the drawer 10c when it is heavily loaded. The ribs 560 define spaced apart guide portions 60c and retaining portions 62c. The guide portions 60c extend generally parallel to the side edges 28c of the bottom wall 24c from points adjacent the rear edge 26c to points adjacent the front edge 30c. The retaining portions 62c in turn extend parallel to the front edge 30c from the front ends of the guiding portions 60c outwardly to points adjacent the side edges 280 of the bottom wall 24c.

The guiding portions 60c of the reinforcing ribs 56c of the drawer 10c engage the lower guide rail 200 of the space 14c which receives the drawer 10c. By this means the guiding portions 60c cooperates with the groove 52c of the back wall 32c to guide the drawer 10c during inward and outward movement of the drawer relative to the cabinet 12c. The retaining portions 620 of the reinforcing ribs 560 are positioned for engagement with the lower horizontal framing members 18c of the drawer receiving space 14c and therefore serve to retain the drawer [Be in the closed condition.

A second important distinction between the molded plastic drawer comprising the fourth embodiment of the invention and the molded plastic drawer 10 comprising the first embodiment of the invention involves the fact that the guiding portions 60c of the reinforcing ribs 560 of the drawer 100 are provided with lugs 61c depending from the rear ends thereof. It will be noted that as the drawer 10c is moved from the closed condition toward the opened condition, the guiding portions 60c ride on the lower horizontal framing member 180 of the drawer receiving space 140 enclosing the drawer. The lugs 610 have therefore been found to be highly useful in preventing disengagement of the guiding apparatus of the drawer 10c from the guide rails 200 of the cabinet 120. Moreover, it will be understood that a drawer is typically not moved to the fully opened condition. The front edges of the lugs 61c therefore engage the lower horizontal framing member 18c of the drawer receiving space 14c to limit outward movement of the drawer 10c. In the event that movement of the drawer 10c to the fully opened condition is desired, the lugs 610 are simply disengaged from the lower horizontal framing member 18c, whereupon the drawer 10c may be moved outwardly until the shoulder 54c engages the upper horizontal framing members 180.

An important alternative use of drawers incorporating the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 12. A cabinet 100 defines a series of drawer receiving openings 102 each receiving a drawer 104 which may be constructed either as shown in FIGS. 1 through 4, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, or as shown in FIGS. 9 and 11, in accordance with the requirements of a particular application. The cabinet 100 includes a plurality of horizontal framing members 106 and a plurality of vertical framing members 108. It will therefore be appreciated that each drawer receiving space 102 of the cabinet 100 may be considered as comprising an upper horizontal framing member 106U and a lower horizontal framing member 106L.

A series of guide rails 110 extend rearwardly from the horizontal framing members 106 and are disposed between the vertical framing members 108. Each space 102 of the cabinet 100 may therefore be considered as comprising a top guide rail 110T and a bottom guide rail 1108. The bottom guide rails 110B are each provided with an upper surface 112 positioned a predetermined distance above the upper surface 1 14 of the corresponding lower horizontal framing member I06L.

The drawer 104 is of the type having a series of reinforcing ribs 116 projecting from the underside of its bottom wall. These include guide portions which cooperate with the bottom guide rail 1108 to guide the drawer 104 during movement thereof between opened and closed positions. The reinforcing ribs 116 depend from the underside of the drawer less than the prede' termined distance separating the upper surface 112 of the bottom guide rail 1108 from the upper surface 114 of the lower framing member l06L. Therefore, there is no interference with the movement of the drawer 104 to the opened position due to contact between the reinforcing ribs 116 and lower framing member l06L. On the other hand, all of the remaining functions of the drawer and the cabinet which have been described hereinbefore in conjunction with FIGS. 1 through ll are retained, including guiding the drawer during movement between opened and closed positions retaining the drawer in the opened condition, etc.

From the foregoing, it will be understood that the present invention comprises a molded plastic drawer incorporating numerous advantages over the prior art. Thus, drawers constructed in accordance with the present invention are provided with an elongate shoulder at the upper edge of the back wall which functions to prevent the drawer from moving fully out of the cabinet when the drawer is in the fully opened position. The bottom and side walls of the drawer are provided with reinforcing ribs so that the drawer is not unduly deformed when it is heavily loaded. The reinforcing ribs of the bottom wall further serve to retain the drawer in the closed position and to cooperate with a groove formed in the back wall to guide the drawer during inward and outward movement relative to the cabinet.

The use of the second, third and fourth embodiments of the invention also provide unique advantages. Thus, in accordance with the second embodiment of the invention, drawers incorporating the invention are provided with stacking lugs functioning to prevent excessive nesting of stacked drawers. The use of the third embodiment provides increased stability and prevention of tipping due to unequal weight distribution by means of spaced parallel guide rails in the cabinet and cooperating structure in the drawers to receive the spaced, parallel guide rails. In accordance with the fourth embodiment, structure is provided for preventing disengagement between the guiding apparatus of the drawer and the guide rails of the cabinet, and also for limiting outward movement of the drawer. Finally, the particular uses of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1] and 12 demonstrate the fact that drawers incorporating the invention are adapted to a variety of uses in addition to the conventional center guide rail cabinet configuration.

Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated in the accompanying Drawings and described in the foregoing Detailed Description, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed, but is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications, and substitutions of parts and elements without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A molded plastic drawer for a cabinet having upper and lower guide rails which comprises a normally horizontal bottom wall including front, side and back edges; reinforcing ribs formed integrally with and disposed on the underside of the bottom wall and extending continuously from points adjacent the back edge parallel to the side edges to points adjacent the front edge and then parallel to the front edge to points adjacent the side edges, the portions of the reinforcing ribs extending parallel to the side edges being spaced apart to receive the lower guide rail of the cabinet, the portions of the reinforcing ribs extending parallel to the front edge being positioned for cooperation with the cabinet to restrain the drawer in the closed condition; back and side walls formed integrally with and rising upwardly and slightly outwardly from the back and side edges of the bottom wall; a front wall integrally formed with and rising upwardly from the front edge of the bottom wall; an outwardly extending lip on the back and side walls and formed integrally therewith, the lip of the back wall being positioned above the lips of the side walls to provide an elongate shoulder for restraining the drawer in the opened condition and including a groove for receiving the upper guide rail of the cabinet, at least the side walls each having a plurality of ribs formed integrally therewith and extending outwardly therefrom, each of said ribs extending first downwardly from the outer edge of the lip and then inwardly to define a stacking lug aligned with and spaced a predetermined distance from the corresponding portion of the lip for preventing excessive nesting of stacked drawers.

2. The molded plastic drawer according to claim 1 wherein the front wall extends substantially perpendicularly to the bottom wall and is adapted to receive drawer hardware.

3. The molded plastic drawer according to claim 1 wherein the reinforcing ribs on the bottom wall further include portions extending angularly relative to the edges of the bottom wall for cooperation with the por tions extending parallel to the front and side edges to further reinforce the bottom wall.

4. The molded plastic drawer according to claim 1 wherein the lip on the back wall comprises opposed portions each tapering upwardly from the side walls of the drawer to provide an upper guide rail receiving groove having substantial depth.

5. The molded plastic drawer according to claim 4 further characterized by lugs depending from the lower guide rail receiving portions of the reinforcing ribs of the bottom wall at the rear ends thereof for cooperation with the upper guide rail receiving groove to prevent disengagement of the guiding apparatus of the drawer form the guide rails of the cabinet.

6. A molded plastic drawer for use in a space defined by a from frame having at least parallel top and bottom transversely extending members, a top rail extending rearwardly from said top frame member, and at least one bottom rail extending rearwardly from said bottom frame member, said drawer comprising:

a generally horizontal bottom wall extending to normally substantially vertical front, side and back walls formed integrally with the bottom wall;

said drawer being adapted for support by engage ment of the bottom wall with the front frame member and the bottom rail;

said back wall having a shoulder formed integrally therewith and extending substantially across the width of said back wall, said shoulder projecting vertically to a height greater than the spacing between said top and bottom frame members whereby said shoulder will retain the drawer in an opened condition by substantially full width engagement with said top frame member;

guide means comprising a groove in said shoulder for receiving said top rail whereby said drawer is 13 guided during its entire opening and closing travel so as to prevent skewing of the drawer;

said side and back walls having integrally formed therewith an upper outwardly turned lip extending first parallel to the bottom wall along one side wall and around the adjacent rear corner, then upwardly to define one end of the shoulder of the back wall, then along the top of the shoulder. then downwardly to define one side of the groove, then parallel to the bottom wall to define the bottom of the groove, then upwardly to define the opposite side of the groove, then along the top of the shoulder, then downwardly to define the opposite end of the shoulder, then parallel to the bottom wall around the opposite rear corner and along the opposite side wall;

each of said side walls having formed integrally therewith a plurality of ribs extending outwardly therefrom for reinforcing the wall and the lip; and

each of said ribs extending first downwardly from the lip then inwardly to define a stacking lug aligned with and positioned a predetermined distance from the corresponding portion of the lip for preventing excessive nesting of stacked drawers. I

7. The molded plastic drawer according to claim 6 further characterized by a pair of spaced, substantially parallel reinforcing ribs formed on the underside of the bottom wall and extending substantially the entire length of the drawer for receiving the bottom rail and thereby further guiding the drawer during its opening and closing travel.

8. The molded plastic drawer according to claim 7 further including additional reinforcing ribs extending transversely outwardly from the front ends of the parallel ribs for engagement with thebottom frame member to retain the drawer in the closed condition.

9. The molded plastic drawer according to claim 8 wherein the reinforcing ribs on the underside of the bottom wall further include diagonally extending portions for cooperation with the parallel and transversely extending portions to further reinforce the bottom wall.

10. The molded plastic drawer according to claim 6 wherein the shoulder of the back wall comprises portions disposed on the opposite sides of the groove which taper upwardly from the side walls to provide a top rail receiving groove housing substantial depth.

11. The molded plastic drawer according to claim 10 further including lugs depending from the rear portion of the bottom wall and spaced apart to receive the bottom rail, rail lugs for cooperation with the top rail receivin g groove to prevent disengagement of the guiding apparatus of the drawer from the top and bottom rails and also for engagement with the bottom transversely extending member to limit outward movement of the drawer.

12. In a recreational vehicle, the improvement comprising:

a cabinet including a front frame having at least parallel top and bottom transversely extending framin g members and a pair of longitudinally extending support rails positioned between the top and bottom framing members;

a molded plastic drawer mounted in the cabinet for movement between opened and closed positions;

said drawer comprising a generally horizontal bottom wall extending to substantially vertical front, said and back walls;

said back and side walls having outwardly extending lips disposed along their upper edges;

said back wall having a shoulder extending substantially across the width thereof and projecting vertically to a height greater than the spacing between said top and bottom framing members whereby said shoulder functions to retain the drawer in an open condition by substantially full width engagement with the top frame member;

said bottom wall having a transversely extending rib projecting downwardly from its underside for engagement with the bottom framing member of the cabinet to normally retain the floor in the closed condition;

each of said side walls having a plurality of ribs extending outwardly therefrom for reinforcing the wall and the outwardly extending lip;

each of said ribs extending downwardly from the lip and then inwardly to define a shoulder positioned in alignment with and spaced a predetermined distance from the upper surface of the outwardly extending lip;

said shoulders of the ribs on the side walls engaging the longitudinally extending support rails of the cabinet to slidably support the drawer in the cabinet.

13. The improvement according to claim 12 wherein the back and side walls extend generally upwardly and slightly outwardly relative to the bottom wall, and wherein the front wall extends substantially vertically relative to the bottom wall and is adapted to receive drawer hardware.

14. The improvement according to claim 12 further characterized by a plurality of reinforcing ribs extending both longitudinally and angularly across the underside of the bottom wall.

15. A molded plastic drawer adapted for use in a space defined by a front frame having at least parallel top and bottom transversely extending members, spaced parallel guide rails extending rearwardly from said top frame member, and spaced parallel guide rails extending rearwardly from said bottom frame member, said drawer comprising:

a normally horizontal bottom wall extending to normally substantially vertical front, side and back walls each formed integrally with the bottom wall;

said back wall having a shoulder formed integrally therewith and extending substantially across the width thereof and projecting vertically to a height greater than the spacing between said top and bottom frame members whereby the shoulder functions to retain the drawer in an opened condition by substantially full width engagement with the top frame member; and

guide means comprising a pair of spaced apart grooves formed in the shoulder for receiving the top guide rails and spaced apart sets of longitudinally disposed, substantially parallel reinforcing ribs formed integrally with and extending along the underside of the bottom wall substantially the full length of the drawer for receiving the bottom guide rails, whereby the drawer is guided during its entire opening and closing travel so as to prevent skewing of the drawer.

16. in combination:

a cabinet including a front frame having at least parallel top and bottom transversely extending frame members, a top guide rail extending rearwardly from the top frame member, and a bottom guide rail extending rearwardly from the bottom frame member and having an upper surface positioned a predetermined distance above the upper surface positioned a predetermined distance above the upper surface of the bottom frame member; a molded plastic drawer mounted in the cabinet for movement between opened and closed positions;

said drawer comprising a normally horizontal bottom wall extending to normally substantially vertical front, side and back walls; said back wall having a shoulder extending substantially across the entire wdith thereof and projecting vertically to the height greater than the spacing between the bottom guide rail and the top frame member so that the shoulder functions to retain the drawer in the opened condition by substantially full width engagement with the top frame member;

guide means comprising a groove in the shoulder for receiving the top guide rail and longitudinally disposed, substantially parallel reinforcing ribs formed on the underside of the bottom wall and extending substantially the full length of the drawer for receiving the bottom guide rail, whereby the drawer is guided during its entire opening and closing travel so as to prevent skewing of the drawer;

said reinforcing ribs projecting downwardly from the underside of the bottom wall of the drawer less than said predetermined distance between the upper surface of the bottom guide rail and the upper surface of the bottom framing member so that the reinforcing ribs do not engage said bottom frame member during movement of the drawer between the closed and opened positions.

17. The combination according to claim 16 wherein the molded plastic drawer is further characterized by an outwardly turned lip formed along the upper edges of the side and back walls and extending first parallel to the bottom wall along the upper edge of one side wall and around the adjacent rear corner, then upwardly to define one end of the shoulder, then parallel to the bottom wall along the top of the shoulder, then downwardly to define one side of the groove, then parallel to the bottom wall to define the bottom of the groove, then upwardly to define the opposite side of the groove, then parallel to the bottom wall along the top of the shoulder, then downwardly to define the opposite end of the shoulder, then parallel to the bottom wall around the opposite rear corner and along the opposite side wall.

18. The combination according to claim 17 wherein each of the side walls is further provided with a plurality of outwardly extending ribs serving to reinforce the walls and the lip, each of said ribs extending first donwardly from the lip and then inwardly to define a stacking lug positioned in alignment with and spaced a predetermined distance from the corresponding portion of the lip and thereby serving to prevent excessive nesting of stacked drawers.

19. In combination:

a cabinet including a front frame comprising at least a bottom transversely extending frame member having an upper surface and a bottom guide rail extending rearwardly from the bottom frame member and having an upper surface positioned a predetermined distance above the upper surface of the bottom frame member; a molded plastic drawer mounted in the cabinet for movement between opened and closed positions;

said drawer comprising a normally horizontal bottom wall extending to normally substantially vertical front, side and back walls; said bottom wall of the drawer having a plurality of reinforcing ribs formed on its underside for substantially strengthening and stiffening the drawer;

to of said reinforcing ribs on the underside of the drawer comprising spaced, substantially parallel. longitudinally disposed ribs positioned to receive the bottom guide rail of the cabinet for cooperation therewith to guide the drawer during movement thereof between the opened and closed positions;

said reinforcing ribs projecting downwardly from the underside of the bottom wall of the drawer less than the predetermined distance so that the reinforcing ribs do not engage the frame member of the cabinet during movement of the drawer from the closed position to the opened position.

20. The combination according to claim 19 wherein the cabinet further includes a transversely extending top frame member and a top guide rail extending rearwardly from the top frame member, and wherein the back wall of the drawer is further characterized by a shoulder projecting vertically to a height greater than the spacing between the top and bottom frame members so that the shoulder functions to retain the drawer in the opened position by substantially full width engagement with the top frame member, said shoulder having a groove formed therein for receiving a top guide rail and thereby further guiding the drawer during movement thereof between the opened and closed positions.

21. The combination according to claim 20 wherein the molded plastic drawer is further characterized by an outwardly and downwardly turned lip extending continuously along the upper edge of both side walls, around both rear corners, along the top of the shoulder of the back wall, and through the groove formed in the shoulder to receive the top guide rail.

22. The combination according to claim 21 wherein each side wall of the molded plastic drawer is provided with a plurality of outwardly extending reinforcing ribs, each of said ribs extending first downwardly from the lip and then inwardly to define a stacking lug positioned in alignment with and spaced a predetermined distance from the upper surface of the corresponding portion of the lip for preventing excessive nesting of stacked drawers.

23. The combination according to claim 22 wherein the drawer is further characterized by diagonally extending reinforcing ribs on the underside of the bottom wall for further strengthening the drawer, said ribs also extending downwardly less than the predetermined distance, and wherein the front wall extends vertically and is adapted to receive drawer hardware.

Claims

1. A molded plastic drawer for a cabinet having upper and lower guide rails which comprises a normally horizontal bottom wall including front, side and back edges; reinforcing ribs formed integrally with and disposed on the underside of the bottom wall and extending continuously from points adjacent the back edge parallel to the side edges to points adjacent the front edge and then parallel to the front edge to points adjacent the side edges, the portions of the reinforcing ribs extending parallel to the side edges being spaced apart to receive the lower guide rail of the cabinet, the portions of the reinforcing ribs extending parallel to the front edge being positioned for cooperation with the cabinet to restrain the drawer in the closed condition; back and side walls formed integrally with and rising upwardly and slightly outwardly from the back and side edges of the bottom wall; a front wall integrally formed with and rising upwardly from the front edge of the bottom wall; an outwardly extending lip on the back and side walls and formed integrally therewith, the lip of the back wall being positioned above the lips of the side walls to provide an elongate shoulder for restraining the drawer in the opened condition and including a groove for receiving the upper guide rail of the cabinet, at least the side walls each having a plurality of ribs formed integrally therewith and extending outwardly therefrom, each of said ribs extending first downwardly from the outer edge of the lip and then inwardly to define a stacking lug aligned with and spaced a predetermined distance from the corresponding portion of the lip for preventing excessive nesting of stacked drawers.

3. The molded plastic drawer according to claim 1 wherein the reinforcing ribs on the bottom wall further include portions extending angularly relative to the edges of the bottom wall for cooperation with the portions extending parallel to the front and side edges to further reinforce the bottom wall.

6. A molded plastic drawer for use in a space defined by a front frame having at least parallel top and bottom transversely extending members, a top rail extending rearwardly from said top frame member, and at least one bottom rail extending rearwardly from said bottom frame member, said drawer comprising: a generally horizontal bottom wall extending to normally substantially vertical front, side and back walls formed integrally with the bottom wall; said drawer being adapted for support by engagement of the bottom wall with the front frame member and the bottom rail; said back wall having a shoulder formed integrally therewith and extending substantially across the width of said back wall, said shoulder projecting vertically to a height greater than the spacing between said top and bottom frame members whereby said shoulder will retain the drawer in an opened condition by substantially full width engagement with said top frame member; guide means comprising a groove in said shoulder for receiving said top rail whereby said drawer is guided during its entire opening and closing travel so as to prevent skewing of the drawer; said side and back walls having integrally formed therewith an upper outwardly turned lip extending first parallel to the bottom wall along one side wall and around the adjacent rear corner, then upwardly to define one end of the shoulder of the back wall, then along the top of the shoulder, then downwardly to define one side of the groove, then parallel to the bottom wall to define the bottom of the groove, then upwardly to define the opposite side of the groove, then along the top of the shoulder, then downwardly to define the opposite end of the shoulder, then parallel to the bottom wall around the opposite rear corner and along the opposite side wall; each of said side walls having formed integrally therewith a plurality of ribs extending outwardly therefrom for reinforcing the wall and the lip; and each of said ribs extending first downwardly from the lip then inwardly to define a stacking lug aligned with and positioned a predetermined distance from the corresponding portion of the lip for preventing excessive nesting of stacked drawers.

8. The molded plastic drawer according to claim 7 further including additional reinforcing ribs extending transversely outwardly from the front ends of the parallel ribs for engagement with the bottom frame member to retain the drawer in the closed condition.

11. The molded plastic drawer according to claim 10 further including lugs depending from the rear portion of the bottom wall and spaced apart to receive the bottom rail, rail lugs for cooperation with the top rail reCeiving groove to prevent disengagement of the guiding apparatus of the drawer from the top and bottom rails and also for engagement with the bottom transversely extending member to limit outward movement of the drawer.

12. In a recreational vehicle, the improvement comprising: a cabinet including a front frame having at least parallel top and bottom transversely extending framing members and a pair of longitudinally extending support rails positioned between the top and bottom framing members; a molded plastic drawer mounted in the cabinet for movement between opened and closed positions; said drawer comprising a generally horizontal bottom wall extending to substantially vertical front, said and back walls; said back and side walls having outwardly extending lips disposed along their upper edges; said back wall having a shoulder extending substantially across the width thereof and projecting vertically to a height greater than the spacing between said top and bottom framing members whereby said shoulder functions to retain the drawer in an open condition by substantially full width engagement with the top frame member; said bottom wall having a transversely extending rib projecting downwardly from its underside for engagement with the bottom framing member of the cabinet to normally retain the floor in the closed condition; each of said side walls having a plurality of ribs extending outwardly therefrom for reinforcing the wall and the outwardly extending lip; each of said ribs extending downwardly from the lip and then inwardly to define a shoulder positioned in alignment with and spaced a predetermined distance from the upper surface of the outwardly extending lip; said shoulders of the ribs on the side walls engaging the longitudinally extending support rails of the cabinet to slidably support the drawer in the cabinet.

15. A molded plastic drawer adapted for use in a space defined by a front frame having at least parallel top and bottom transversely extending members, spaced parallel guide rails extending rearwardly from said top frame member, and spaced parallel guide rails extending rearwardly from said bottom frame member, said drawer comprising: a normally horizontal bottom wall extending to normally substantially vertical front, side and back walls each formed integrally with the bottom wall; said back wall having a shoulder formed integrally therewith and extending substantially across the width thereof and projecting vertically to a height greater than the spacing between said top and bottom frame members whereby the shoulder functions to retain the drawer in an opened condition by substantially full width engagement with the top frame member; and guide means comprising a pair of spaced apart grooves formed in the shoulder for receiving the top guide rails and spaced apart sets of longitudinally disposed, substantially parallel reinforcing ribs formed integrally with and extending along the underside of the bottom wall substantially the full length of the drawer for receiving the bottom guide rails, whereby the drawer is guided during its entire opening and closing travel so as to prevent skewing of the drawer.

16. In combination: a cabinet including a front frame having at least parallel top and bottom transversely extending frame members, a top guide rail extending rearwardly from the top frame member, and a bottom guide rail extending rearwardly from the bottom frame member and having an upper surface positioNed a predetermined distance above the upper surface positioned a predetermined distance above the upper surface of the bottom frame member; a molded plastic drawer mounted in the cabinet for movement between opened and closed positions; said drawer comprising a normally horizontal bottom wall extending to normally substantially vertical front, side and back walls; said back wall having a shoulder extending substantially across the entire wdith thereof and projecting vertically to the height greater than the spacing between the bottom guide rail and the top frame member so that the shoulder functions to retain the drawer in the opened condition by substantially full width engagement with the top frame member; guide means comprising a groove in the shoulder for receiving the top guide rail and longitudinally disposed, substantially parallel reinforcing ribs formed on the underside of the bottom wall and extending substantially the full length of the drawer for receiving the bottom guide rail, whereby the drawer is guided during its entire opening and closing travel so as to prevent skewing of the drawer; said reinforcing ribs projecting downwardly from the underside of the bottom wall of the drawer less than said predetermined distance between the upper surface of the bottom guide rail and the upper surface of the bottom framing member so that the reinforcing ribs do not engage said bottom frame member during movement of the drawer between the closed and opened positions.

19. In combination: a cabinet including a front frame comprising at least a bottom transversely extending frame member having an upper surface and a bottom guide rail extending rearwardly from the bottom frame member and having an upper surface positioned a predetermined distance above the upper surface of the bottom frame member; a molded plastic drawer mounted in the cabinet for movement between opened and closed positions; said drawer comprising a normally horizontal bottom wall extending to normally substantially vertical front, side and back walls; said bottom wall of the drawer having a plurality of reinforcing ribs formed on its underside for substantially strengthening and stiffening the drawer; to of said reinforcing ribs on the underside of the drawer comprising spaced, substantially parallel, longitudinally disposed ribs positioned to receive the bottom guide rail of the cabinet for cooperation therewith to guide the drawer during movement thereof between the opened and closed positions; said reinforcing ribs projecting downwardly from the underside of the bottom wall of the drawer less than the predetermined distance so that the reinforcing ribs do not engage the frame member of thE cabinet during movement of the drawer from the closed position to the opened position.