WO2006040301A1

WO2006040301A1 - Cabinet drawer

Info

Publication number: WO2006040301A1
Application number: PCT/EP2005/055093
Authority: WO
Inventors: Fabio Giaretta
Original assignee: Dental Art Spa
Priority date: 2004-10-12
Filing date: 2005-10-07
Publication date: 2006-04-20
Also published as: ITVI20040242A1

Abstract

A drawer (1) for a cabinet (M) consisting of a bottom (2) slidingly coupled to the inside of a space (V) created in the cabinet (M), a front (3) connected to the bottom (2) and maneuverable by a user, placed so as to cover the space (V), and a tray (4) removably associated with the bottom (2), suitable for containing objects destined for a given use. The bottom (2) consists of a recess (5) in the upper surface (2A) of the bottom (2), wherein the tray (4) exactly fits and spontaneously engages.

Description

CABINET DRAWER.

The present invention relates to a drawer in a cabinet and, more specifically - but not exclusively, in the type of cabinet installed in dental surgeries.

It is common knowledge that the furnishing and spatial organization of any dental surgery involves the use of furniture, which is available in various shapes and sizes, for the storage of the instruments, tools and equipment used by dentists and their assistants in the performance of their professional activities.

Such types of furniture contain spaces of various shape and size that enable the storage of equipment and medical instruments of various kinds, e.g. tweezers, pliers, probes, boxes of medication, electronic apparatus, and any other instruments generally used in dental surgeries.

Dental surgery furniture is therefore provided with spaces suitable for containing a variety of objects, in much the same way as in the case of furniture designed specifically for other environments, as in the rooms of a house or in business offices.

The spaces are opened and closed by the user by taking action on front panels, provided with grips on the outside, usually in the form of handles.

Said fronts are either hinged to the unit or connected to a horizontal panel that slides within the space to form a drawer.

In this latter case, the horizontal panel is coupled slidingly to linear guides attached to the inside of the side panels of the cabinet containing said space.

As shown in fig. 1 below, there are side panels around the perimeter of the drawer bottom R, two of which (S-i, S₂) are permanently connected to the inside of the front A belonging to the drawer C installed in the unit L.

Each side panel S-i, S₂, S₃ is placed substantially at right angles to the bottom

R and extends therefrom to a greater or lesser extent, depending on the height of the drawer C.

Inside the drawer C, there is a tray T for containing the objects needed for the activities of dentists and their assistants.

The space in the tray T is preferably divided into a series of compartments identifying a number of cavities G destined to contain a variety of medical objects in a tidy and functional manner in said drawer C.

In this situation, the bottom of the tray T rests on the bottom R of the drawer C, and solutions are also possible (not illustrated here), wherein the sides of the tray rest on the sides of the drawer's bottom panel.

This makes it quick and easy to place the tray inside the drawer, while ensuring that it can also be removed quickly and easily for cleaning, replacement and so on. The removability of the tray is a fundamental feature, especially when it comes to cleaning and sterilizing it in a practical and effective manner in order to guarantee the conditions of hygiene essential to this type of unit in a dental surgery.

However, the cabinet drawers used in dental surgeries of the known type, as described above, have certain acknowledged drawbacks.

The first drawback lies in that positioning the tray on the bottom of the drawer does not prevent impurities from penetrating underneath it, through the gaps between the tray and the sides of the drawer bottom, thus collecting inside the drawer. This may mean that, when the tray is removed from the drawer in order to clean it, action must also be taken to clean the bottom of the drawer as well, in order to complete the cleaning procedure properly.

Clearly, this means that the operations involved in the cleaning of the drawer are duplicated. A second drawback lies in that, to ensure a really thorough and accurate cleaning procedure, the drawer has to be completely withdrawn and consequently detached from the cabinet.

If this were not done, it would be difficult to ensure a proper, adequate cleaning procedure, especially in the innermost parts of the drawer that are the most difficult to access.

Another drawback lies in that the complete detachment of the drawer from the cabinet is an operation that is not always easy to achieve, especially if it is done by personnel with scarce expertise in such maneuvers.

So it is hardly surprising that said maneuver often causes far from negligible damage to the cabinet, such as breakages involving the parts that enable the drawer to slide within the space inside the cabinet.

The present invention proposes to overcome the above stated drawbacks.

In particular, the principal object of the present invention is to provide a cabinet drawer for installing in dental surgeries of more straightforward structural design than the equivalent drawers of known type. A second object of the invention is to make it easier to clean the dental surgery cabinet drawers than with the known state of the art.

A further object is to achieve a more thorough level of cleanliness, and consequently of hygiene, in the drawers installed in dental surgery cabinets than can be achieved with the known state of the art.

The aforementioned objects are achieved by a cabinet drawer that, in accordance with the content of the main claim, consists of:

- a bottom si id ing Iy coupled inside a space obtained in said cabinet;

- a front, connected to said bottom and maneuverable by a user, suitable for occupying a position so as to cover said space;

- a removable tray associated with said bottom and suitable for containing objects intended for a given use, and is characterized in that said drawer bottom includes a recess with respect to the upper side of said bottom, coming within the perimeter of said bottom so as to define a perimeter frame, wherein said tray exactly fits and remains spontaneously engaged.

The drawer of the invention is advantageously easier to manufacture than a drawer based on the known state of the art, since it is composed of a single bottom panel whereon a tray is rested, already complete with suitable sides that substitute the side panels that normally need to be attached to the bottom of the drawers of known type.

A further advantage lies in that the invention facilitates the cleaning of the drawers installed in dental surgery cabinets by comparison with the drawers of known type. In fact, the tray occupies a precise position, completely covering the recess in the drawer bottom, which has no side panels projecting from its upper surface. Thanks to this structural solution, no impurities or dust can collect in any narrow gaps; at worst, it can rest on the upper surface of the drawer bottom, which is readily accessible and easy to clean. Thus, once the tray has been cleaned, the user can reasonably assume that no other cleaning operations are needed on the drawer, unlike the case of the known state of the art, wherein it is often necessary to remove the whole drawer from the cabinet. In the case of the invention, this only needs to be done on the rare occasions when general maintenance is required on the furniture. Moreover, the tray for containing the dental instruments is very easy to remove from the drawer, thus retaining the advantages typical of the trays of known type.

Another advantage lies in that, in absolute terms, the above-described solution assures better conditions of cleanliness in the drawers than in the corresponding drawers of known type.

The aforementioned objects and advantages will be better clarified by the description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, given merely as an example, with reference to the attached drawings wherein: - fig. 1 is an axonometric view of a cabinet for use in dental surgeries, containing a drawer of known type;

- fig. 2 is an axonometric view of a cabinet for use in dental surgeries containing the drawer of the invention;

- fig. 3 is an axonometric view of an enlarged detail drawn from fig. 2; - fig. 4 is an axonometric view of another enlarged detail drawn from fig. 2;

- fig. 5 is an axonometric view of an enlarged detail drawn from fig. 4;

- fig. 6 is an axonometric exploded view of another detail drawn from fig. 2. The drawer of the invention is illustrated in fig. 2, globally indicated by the numeral 1 , installed in a cabinet M. As shown in said figure, and more specifically in fig. 3, the drawer 1 consists of:

- a bottom 2, slidingly coupled within a space V inside the cabinet M;

- a front 3, connected to the bottom 2 and maneuverable by a user, designed so as to cover the space V; - a removable tray 4, associated with the bottom 2 and suitable for containing objects (not shown) destined for a given use and consisting, for instance, of the instruments and tools used in a dental surgery by dentists and their assistants.

According to the invention, the bottom 2 contains a recess 5, with respect to the upper surface 2a of the bottom 2, that comes within the perimeter of said bottom 2, the latter thus defining a perimeter frame 2b, wherein the tray 4 exactly fits and spontaneously engages.

Fig. 3 shows that the tray 4 includes a partition 9 dividing the space defined by the sides 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d of the tray 4, which thus provides two cavities 13 that can be used to contain different objects. In further embodiments of the invention, the partitions inserted in the space created by the sides of the tray may be of any number, thus enabling a greater variety of objects to be contained in the same drawer.

The layout of the partitions in the tray thus enables a tidy and functional, logical arrangement of the objects or instruments, which are generally used in combination by dentists and their assistants in the course of a given procedure.

The tray 4 is made of a plastic material, preferably but not necessarily expanded polystyrene (PST), since this ensures that the tray is lightweight, transparent and extremely economical to manufacture.

This is a feature that distinguishes the drawer of the invention from the drawers of known type, which cater for the use of plastic trays, but not in a version with a comparable esthetic effect.

Fig. 3 also shows that the front 3 is connected to the bottom 2 by connection media (not shown) consisting, for instance, of adhesive substances or screws of known type, placed on the outside of the side 2c of the drawer bottom 2 and on the inside 3a of the front 3.

It also shows guides 17, of the type known to a person skilled in the art, consisting of rails attached to the side panels F-i, F₂ that laterally enclose the space V in the cabinet M, and corresponding shaped surfaces on the underside of the bottom 2, that enable the drawer 1 to slide in and out of the space V.

Merely as an example of a preferred embodiment, the bottom 2 may be made of a metal material, e.g. aluminium, although in other structural solutions, it may be made of other materials conventionally used to make such parts.

Figure 3 shows that the bottom 2 has a side wall 2c forming a single body with the upper surface 2a.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention described herein, the recess 5 consists of a lower surface 6 attached, by connection means globally indicated by the numeral 7, to the side wall 2c of the drawer bottom 2.

In accordance with other embodiments of the invention, the recess may consist of a lower surface forming a single body with the upper surface of the drawer bottom, from which it is separated by the previously-mentioned side wall.

Seen from above, the recess 5 has a polygonal profile 51 , consisting substantially, in the specific case illustrated in fig. 4, of a rectangle with rounded corners, identified as 51a, 51b, 51c and 51 d.

As a consequence, the tray 4 which fits exactly and engages spontaneously in the recess 5 also has a comparable polygonal profile.

As for the previously-mentioned connection means 7, shown in detail in fig. 5, these consist of a plurality of spot weldings.

It goes without saying, however, that the connection means in other embodiments may differ from those described above and illustrated in the attached figures, and may be of any type known to a person skilled in the art, such as adhesives, for instance, or screws or the like, Fig. 6 shows that the drawer 1 also comprises two reinforcement brackets 10,

11 , inserted in corresponding through holes 14, 15 in the side wall 2c of the drawer bottom 2 and engaging in the perimeter cavity 16 created by the lower surface 6, the side wall 2c and the perimeter frame 2b of the drawer bottom 2.

The brackets 10, 11 are also inserted in corresponding slots 17, 18 provided on the inside 3a of the front 3.

The brackets 10, 11 are connected to the drawer bottom 2 by fixing means, generically indicated by the numeral 19, of substantially known type (e.g. screws), and to the front 3 by assembly means (not shown), which may, for instance, be in the form of a bead of welding. The fixing means and assembly means that ensure the stability of the connection between the bottom 2 and the front 3 are not visible from the outside when the drawer 1 covers the space V.

In practical use, the personnel responsible for cleaning the cabinets in the room, e.g. in a dental surgery, can pull the drawer 1 outwards with the aid of the handle 12, remove the objects from the cavities 13 and then remove the tray 4 by disengaging it from the drawer bottom 2.

The tray 4 exactly fits into the recess 5 and consequently occupies the whole area of the latter, so cleaning the tray 4 is tantamount to cleaning the whole of the drawer 1. At most, any additional cleaning action will only be necessary to remove any impurities that collect on the perimeter frame 2b of the drawer bottom 2.

After completing these procedures, the operator puts the tray 4 back in the recess 5 in the drawer bottom 2 and then puts the instruments back in the cavities 13. The greater structural simplicity of the drawer of the invention with respect to the drawers of known type is self-evident.

This makes it easier to clean than drawers based on the known state of the art.

In fact, in addition to the tray, cleaning the drawer according to the invention involves, at most, the perimeter frame around the drawer bottom, which - being flat - is accessible without needing to remove the drawer completely from the cabinet, as is often the case with drawers based on the known state of the art.

Inevitably and advantageously, it takes less time to clean the drawers and, in the long run, cleaner conditions are assured than in equivalent drawers of known type, Moreover, any damage to the parts involved in the sliding action of the drawer within the space in the cabinet due to frequent, inexpert attempts to completely detach the drawer from the cabinet is reduced by comparison with drawers based on the known state of the art.

On the strength of all the above considerations, it is consequently clear that the cabinet drawer according to the invention achieves all the objects and offers all the advantages previously stated.

In the executive stages, the invention may undergo modifications consisting, for instance, in a different shaping of the recess in the bottom of the drawer.

In addition, the tray may be made in any height, depending on the dimensions of the drawer destined to contain certain instruments, devices or equipment generally used in professional dental surgeries, without departing from the advantages offered by the invention as protected by the present patent.

All variants described and mentioned herein coming within the context of the following claims, but not illustrated in the attached drawings, shall be covered by the present patent.

Claims

1 ) Drawer (1 ) for a cabinet (M) consisting of:

- a drawer bottom (2) slidingly coupled within a space (V) contained in said cabinet (M); - a front (3), attached to said bottom (2) and maneuverable by a user, suitable for being arranged so as to cover said space (V);

- a removable tray (4), associated with said bottom (2), and suitable for containing objects destined for a given use, characterized in that said bottom (2) includes a recess (5) in the upper surface (2a) of said drawer bottom (2), coming within the perimeter of said bottom (2), which thus defines a perimeter frame (2b), wherein said tray (4) fits exactly and spontaneously engages.

2) Drawer (1 ) according to claim 1), characterized in that said drawer bottom (2) is complete with a side wall (2c) forming a single body with said upper surface (2a).

3) Drawer according to claim 2), characterized in that said recess consists of a lower surface forming a single body with said upper surface of said drawer bottom, from which it is separated by said side wall.

4) Drawer (1 ) according to claim 2), characterized in that said recess (5) consists of a lower surface (6) attached by connection means (7) to said side wall (2c) of said drawer bottom (2).

5) Drawer (1 ) according to claim 4), characterized in that said connection means (7) are in the form of a plurality of spot weldings.

6) Drawer (1 ) according to claim 1), characterized in that, seen from above, said recess (5) has a polygonal profile (51 ).

7) Drawer (1 ) according to claim 6), characterized in that said polygonal profile (51) consists substantially of a rectangle with rounded corners (51a, 51 b, 51c, 51d).

8) Drawer (1 ) according to claim 6), characterized in that, seen from above, said tray (4) has a polygonal profile suitable for fitting exactly into said polygonal profile (51) of said recess (5).

9) Drawer (1 ) according to claim 1), characterized in that said tray (4) includes at least one partition (9) for dividing the space contained between the sides (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) of said tray (4), so as to create two or more cavities (13) for containing said objects. 10) Drawer (1) according to claim 1), characterized in that said tray (4) is made of a plastic material.

11 ) Drawer (1 ) according to claim 10), characterized in that said plastic material is expanded polystyrene (PST). 12) Drawer (1 ) according to claim 3) or 4), characterized in that said front (3) is attached to said bottom (2) by assembly means placed on the outer side of said side wall (2c) of said drawer bottom (2) and on the inside (3a) of said front (3).

13) Drawer (1 ) according to claim 12), characterized in that it includes at least one reinforcement bracket (10, 11 ), inserted in a through hole

(14, 15) in said side wall (2c) of said drawer bottom (2) and engaging in the perimeter cavity (16) created by said lower surface (6), said side wall (2c) and said perimeter frame (2b) of said drawer bottom (2), and in a slot (17, 18) on said inside (3a) of said front (3), said bracket (10, 11 ) being designed so as to ensure the stability of the connection between said bottom (2) and said front (3).

14) Drawer (1 ) according to claim 13), characterized in that said reinforcement bracket (10, 11 ) is connected to said bottom (2) by fixing means (19) and to said front (3) by assembly means. 15) Drawer (1) according to claim 1), characterized in that said bottom (2) is made of a metallic material.