Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The inventi~n relate~ t~ c~rnpon~nts for use in the
construction of c~ wers.
Drawer constructioni are kn~wn in ;~hich at Least th~-
si~ nd back ~alls of the d~aw~r ore formed from extruded
pl~lstic ~ nels of hollow prof.ile int~r~onnecte~ t ri~ht
~n(lles to one ~nother ~y c~rner pi.e~:~s h~vinl~ sF).i(3ot portions
wtlich project theref~orn i.n two dil~ctiorls ~It r:i(3ht ang.l~s ond
enl~agt within the hollow open ~nds o~ the p~:~n~ls. The
sF)igots rnay l~e r~tained ;.n position in the ~n~s of the panels
by menrls of c~dhesive or by pro,jectin~ detents ~/h.ich sn~p into
holes formed acljacent to the ends of the pa~els
In drawer constructi.ons of this kind it frequently
h~ perls that the corr~r pieces ~lre capable of bein~ inserted
or partially inserted in-l;o the encls of the panels in arl
incorlect position resull:in~ in incorrect asse~nbly of the
drclwer, and it is an obj~ct of the present :i.nv~ntion to
provicle means whereby inc,orrect ass~mbly. of this ki,nd rnay
be avoided,
The invention provides a drawer including at least a
back wall and side walls which comprise wall panels having
cavities in their ends and connected to adjacent wall panels
by connecting members ha~ring projecting spigots for engagement
in said cavities, the cor,necting members being provided with
interference proj~ctions positioned and ~imensioned to prevent
complete engagement of the connecting members with the panels
othe.r than in the correct. position~
~ t least one of saic. interference projections may be
located on said corner pi.ece in a position to in-terfere with
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one or more internal webs ex-tending across the panels at
intervals to strengthen same.
At least one of said interference projections may extend
laterally from vne of sa;id spigots at OI' adjacent the free
end thereof whereby to lncrease the width of the spigo-t and
prevent it from being inserted into the end of the associateà
panel in an invertecl position. Such interference projection
may be provided at or adjacent the ou-ter end of the spigot
only, but preferably extencls alona the full length of the
spigot.
An embodiment of the invention will now be described,
by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which:-
Fia. I is a perspective view of a drawer side wallpanel with e~ corner connector adjacent -thereto; and
Figs. 2 and 3 are perspective views of a front connector
for use in connecting the drawer side wall panel to a clrawer
front.
The drawer components shown in the drawings form drawers
of so called "knock-down" construction, the sides and back
comprising identical extruclecl hollow panels interconnected-
at right angles to one another by corner pieces~ The forward
ends of the side panels are connected to th~ drawer front
by means of front connectors, and inwardly directed slots
are provided adjacent the lower edges of the panels to
receive the eclges o~ a drawer bot.tom.
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.
Referring to Fig. l there :is shown a coçner connector
which comprises a~corner post 5 of square shape in plan
From which two series of ~hree spigots ~A, 6B, bC and 7A,
7B, 7C project at ~rlght Qn9les to one anothe~. Each spigot
is of generally U-form in cross~secti~on ancl the outer surface
of the base 8 oF the U carries~an outwardly projectina
detent 10. The post comprises upper~and lower portions 5A,
SB intercannected by CJ li~nk member~SC of reduced section,
the position of the link mem~er coinciding with the posit.ions
in the drawer back ancd sides o~ longltudinal re-cesses whlch,
in the case of the drawer sides receive. the runners on wh.ich
the drawer isrnounted in use.
Fig. 1~also shows a drawel panel IS o-~ extruded plastlcs
construction comprising two hollow sections, the larger one
15A of ~hich receives the twc, spigots 7~, 7B carried by the
upper portion 5A of the corner pos-t 5 and .i5 divlded interrlal].y
by a transverse web 16. The small~er hollow section 15B
receives the third spigot 7C ancl is separated from the larger
section hy~a web member 17 defining a longitudlnal rece~ss
18A in the panel which, in the case of the~drawer side pane.Ls,
engages wlth~the drawer runner. The~smaller sec~ion 1~5B
also incorporates an inwardly dlrected 10ngit~lclinal recess
or slot 18B which receîves and retains an edge. o~ the drawsr
bottom (not shQwn). Three holes 1~ are provided adjacent the
end of the panel ~5 and receive the detents lO car~ied on the
respective spigots to retain the spicJots in posi-tion in the
ends of the panels. By depressing these deterlts after assembly
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it is possible to separate the eomponen-ts and this is assisted,
particularly in the case of the spigots carried on the lower
portion of the corner post, by charnfering the outer corners of
the side walls of each spigot as shown at 20~
; In order to prevent the corner piece from being fitted
t.o the panel in an inverted positiGn, in which event the link
member 5C would not be positioned in alignment with the runr1er
recesses 18A in the panel, the base 8 of each of the upper
spigots 6A and 7A is extended beyond the lower side wall 8A
to form a projecting flange 21 which renders I:he overall width
of the spigot greater than that of the cavity 15B in which the
lower spi~ot 7C is intended to fit. Thus, if the corner piece
is presented to the panel in an inverted cond.ition it cannot
be inserted since neither ~t` the upper spigots 6A or 7A (whi.ch
are then in the lo~ermost position) will fit .into the lower
cavity 15B of the panel. The user must therefore invert the
corner piece and, since the spi(3ot 6C will not fit into the
: cavity 15B due to interrerence wi.th the sJ.ot 18B, .is thus
preven-ted from fitting the corner piece :incorrectly.
It will. be appreciated that in order to uch.;eve its
~unction the pro3ection 21 need only be present at or adjacent
the outer end of the spi~30t, but it is preferred For reasons
of strength and simplicity in moulding tha-t the projection
should extend along the entire len(3th oF the spiaot.
In order to prevent the wrong series oF spigots 6A, 6B,
6C or 7A, 7B, 7C being inserted in the ends of the wall panels
when the corner piece is in its correct upright pos.ition~
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flan~3e-like extensions 23 ure providecl at the upper and
central spi~ot ~ernbers of the corner pieces 3. These
extensions interfere with the lnternal webs 7 of the wall panels
S if the corner piec~s are offered -to the waLl panels in a
reversed but not inverted position. Incorrect assembly is
also prevented in appropriate cases by interferer1ce bet~Jeen
the spigot ~embers and the recesses 1~3 in -the panels.
The side wall panels are connected to the drawer front
by front connectina members 4 one of which is shown in Figs.
2 and 3. Each of the front connect.ing members comprises a
face plate 40 provided with spigot members 41, similar to
the spic~ots or projections 31 forMed on the corner connectors
5, and adapted for engagement in the hollow end of -the associated
side wall panel 15. Prior to insertion of the front connectors
into the respec-tive side wall panels the front connectors are
securecJ to a suitable front panel by screws passed throu~h
holes 42 in the face plates 40, whereupon the assel~bly
comprisin~ the front panel and the two front connectors
is engaged with the open fo;rward ends of -the sLde wall
panels, the drawer bottom havin~ been inserted in the
meantime.
A raised rim 40A is providec! round the peripheral edge
o-f the face plate 40. This provicles a slicJht clearance between
the surface of the face plate and the surface o-f the draweI
front to which it is attached so that the face plale contacts
the drawer front at all pOil1ts on its per:iphery clespite any
slight surface irregulc~ities on the cdrawer fron-t. The
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clearance provicied at the central region of the face pla-te also
accornmodates material displaced from the drawer front in -the
region of the screw holes when the front connecting member
is secured in position.
Various modifica tîons moy be made wi thout departing from
the inventionO For example the number and construction of the
spigots may vary considerably as may the cavities in -the
wall panels into wllich they require to fit. The nature
and number of projections requlred to prevent incorrect fitting
will therefore vary dependent on the na-ture of the component.
Moreover while in the embocliment described the spigots are
retained in the ends of the panel members by means of deten.ts
engaging in holes in the panels, -the spi~Jots could be retained
in sorrle other manner, fo.r example by means of adhesive.
