Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
DRAWER PANELS
The present invention is concerned with a set of drawer panels which can
be readily assembled and disassembled. The panels can be manufactured ln a
varlety of lengths, widths and heights, which can then be assembled to provide
a wide assortment of drawer si~es. The drawer panels once assembled together
with a suitable bottom panel provide a drawer, to an end panel of which can be
attached a decorative panel. This facility greatly increases the versatility
of the panels. Thus the drawers can be used in a variety of storage enclosures
by simply attaching a suitable decorative panel, although the drawer panels of
this invention have particular applicatlon in the field of office furniture.
,~ Frequently, drawers are made to order, usually by a carpenter using wood
; cut to the desired dimensions. The panels are then assembled using adhesi~es
and screw fastening means. Currently, there is a very large market in
assemble-yourself-furniture, which furniture can be assem~led by individuals
with or without experience in the field of furniture construction. 3ecause of
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this, and also because space requirements are critical in the operation of a
commercial business~ the concept of belng able to provide drawers of a variety
of heights, wldths, and lengths, without having to store assembled drawers is
most attracti~e to both the wholesaler and the retailer.
Certainly, it has already been proposed to provide assemble-yourself-
drawers which are rormed from conventional materials, such as wood, ~hich
require a relatively large number of screws and/or nails as well as adhesive
for assen~ly, not to mention some skill in the use of tools and the like.
In addition, in U.S. Pat~nt number 4,120,551, there is described a fit-
together drawer comprising a bottom panel, two side panels, a front panel and a
back panel, which elements are adapted to snap together and which are prefer-
ably formed of synthetic material, for example, polystyrene.
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The present invention offers an alternative and superior set of panels
which are also adapted to snap and lock together by means of cooperating
engagement means. The mechanism for engaging the panels to form a drawer
structure is quite simple and sturdy, providing at the same time a strong
butt joint between the end and side panels. The panels of the present
invention are also preferably made of svnthetic material, ~or example rigid
polystyrene.
Thus, the present invention provides a set of cooperating drawer panels
comprising an end panel and a side panel, the end panel having at least one
male engagement means and at least one male locking means and the side panel
having at least one cooperating female engagement means and at least one
cooperating locking means, which means permit ready assembly and di.sassembly
of the panels: the assembled panels forming a rigid, perpendicular joint
strùcture, with only the cooperating engagement means bearing load ~uring
use.
In one aspect the invention provides a set of cooperating drawer panels
comprising an end panel and a side panel, at least one tongue and detent
~eans provided at one corner of the end panel and adapted to engage and snap
over at least one correspondingly shaped cut-out in a corresponding corner
of the side panel, and wherein there is provided an inwardly projecting
vertical flange along the end of the side panel which forms the end surface
of the panel, the cut-out and the slot; such that the assembled panels form
a rigid, perpendicular joint structure with only the flange and tongue
portion of the tongue and detent means bearing load in use.
In another aspect, this disclosure covers, a set of panels comprising a
pair of end panels and a pair of side panels, the four panels having
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cooperating engagement and locking means which permit ready assembly and
disassembly of the panels, wherein there is provided at both of the top or
both of the bottom corners of each end panel, tongue and detent means
adapted to engage and snap over correspondingly shaped cut-outs in the
corresponding corners of each of the side panels, and an inwardly projecting
vertical flange along each end of each side panel which forms the end
surfaces of the panels, the cut-outs and the slots, such that the assembled
panels form a rigid, rectangular structure wherein the detent portions of
each of the tongue and detent means do not bear load in use.
In another aspect, the invention includes a set of panels comprising a
pair of end panels and a pair of side panels, the four panels having
cooperating engagement means and locking means which permit ready assembly
and disassembly of the panels, wherein there is provided at both of the top
or both of the bottom corners of each end panel, first tongue and detent
means adapted to engage and snap over correspondingly shaped cut-outs in the
correspondin~ corll~rs of each of the side panels, second tongue and detent
means are provided at the other corners of the end panels, each of which is
adapted to engage and snap over a correspondingly shaped slot in the
corresponding corners of each of the side panels, and an inwardly projecting
vertical flange along each end of each side panel forms the end surfaces of
the panels, the cut-outs and the slots, such that the assembled panels form
a rigid, rectangular structure wherein the detent portions of each of the
tongue and detent means do not bear load in use.
In yet another aspect, the invention provides a set of drawer panels
comprising a pair of end panels and a pair of side panels, the four panels
having cooperating engagement means and locking means which permit ready
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assembly and disassembly of the panels, each end panel having at each end,
at least one male engagement means and at least one male locking means, and
each side panel having at each end, at least one cooperating female
engagement means and at least one cooperating female locking means, such
that the assembled panels form a rigid, rectangular structure with only the
cooperating engagement means bearing load during use.
More particularly, the invention provides a set of cooperating drawer
panels comprising an end panel and a side panel, at least one tongue and
detent means provided at one corner of the end panel and adapted to engage
and snap over at least one correspondingly shaped cut-out in a corresponding
corner of the side panel, and wherein there is provided an inwardly
projecting vertical flange along the end of the side panel which forms the
end surface of the panel, the cùt-out and the slot: such that the assembled
panels form a rigid, perpendicular joint structure with only the flange and
tongue portion of the tongue and detent means bearing load in use.
In another aspect, the invention provides a knock~down rectangular
drawer comprising:
a) identical front and back panels;
b) identical side panels;
c) each of the front and back panels having at both ends a top
projection having a downwardly extending lip and a bottom projection having
an upwardly extending lip, both lips adapted to demountably engage the side
panels in rectilinear relationship;
d) the side panels having means for receiving the top projections and
bottom projections of the front and back panels for engaging the side panels
in recti].inear relationship with the front and back panels;
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e) all the panels having a groove extending longitudinally along one
face of each panel of the bottom:
f) ~ drawer bottom adapted to slide into the groove before assembly of
the panels.
Preferably the end panels are adapted to receive a decorative front
panel face. The end panels are formed identically and thus until the
decorative front panel is attached, usually with screws, or afterwards, the
drawer can easily be reversed, end for end.
A drawer bottom, usually of masonite or similar material can be used in
conjunction with the set of drawer panels. Each of the drawer panels is
provided with a groove along its lower inner edge which is adapted to
receive edges of the drawer bottom panel and which is put in place on
assembly of the panels.
The side panels are preferably formed on the inside surface, with a
plurality of slots adapted to receive a vertically
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disposed drawer divider which may also be adapted to receive a wire file frame.
The end panels are also preferably formed with notches adapted to receive
a camlock for securing the drawer within a storage enclosure.
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" In the accompanying drawings wnich are meant to illustrate the present
invention:
Fig. 1 is a partly exploded perspective view of a set of assembled drawer
panels;
Flg. 2 is an exploded sectional view of a cooperating engagement and
loc~ing ~eans for the panels;
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Fig. 3 is a side view of an outer facc of an end panel;
`~ Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the end panel of Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 is a side view of the inner face of the end panel of Fig. 3;
` Fig. 6 is a side view of an outer face of a side panel;
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- Fig. 7 is a side view of the inner face of the side panel of ~ig. 6;
Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the side panel of Fig. 6;
: Fig. 9 is a front perspective view of a drawer divider, and
~ Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a drawer stop for use wLth the side
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~~ ` panels.
Referring now to the drawlngs, a set of drawer panels is designated
generally at 10 in Fig. 1 which includes a pair of side panels 11 and a pair of
end panels 12. Along the bottom edge of each panel ~here is provided a
groove 14 which receives edges of bottom panel 13. As stated before, this
bottom panel is preferably of masonite or simllar material and preferably has a
depth of about 1/8" (0.3 c~) and thus the groove 14 is sized to receive a panel
of this depth measurement. When panels 11 and 12 are assembled, the groove 14
is continoous throughout the perimeter of the interior of the drawer. End
panels 12 are formed with a smooth interior finished surface 15 and an outer
surface 16 which includes a number of vertically disposed reinforcing ribs 17.
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These ribs 17 give ex~ra rigidity to the panel 12 and ~ermits a mlnimum of
plastics material to be used in its manufacture. ~our slots 18 are provided in
each end panel to receive screws for securing a decorative front face 19 to the
panel. It will be appreciated that either panel 1' may function as a front end
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panel and may receive the decorative face 19. The top end 20 of each end panel
is provided with a slot or cut-oùt 21 for receiving a camlock (not shown) to
lock the drawer within an enclosure, for example a desk (also not shown).
Each side panel 11 is also formed with a smooth interior finished
surface 22. The interior surface 22 of each panel 11 is preferably provided
with a plurality of vertical slots 23 formed at its upper edge which are
adapted to receive a drawer divider 24. Drawer divider 24 is provided at each
top end with a guiding rib or guiding tongue or guiding web 25 and supporting
stop 26 for removably locating, securing and suspending drawer divider 24
within vertical slots 23 at each side panel 11. Circular siots 27 (as seen in
Figure 9) in drawer divider 24 are the result of the lding process a~d do not
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: serve any functional purpose. As seen in ~igure 9, the divider is preferably
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; formed so that its interior is hollow, outer walls 24a being quite thin ard
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' hence requiring less material in manufacture. Vertical circular holes 29 are
provided from the top through to the bottom of divider 24 and similar vertical
circular holes 28 are provided in each end panel, which holes are adapted to
receive a wire fra~e (not shown) for suspending hanging files (not shown) ir~
the assembled drawer.
The outer face designated generally at 30 of panel 11 is provided with a
plurality of intersecting horizontal 31 and vertical 32, parallel ribs which
reinforce the panel and which provide a rigid structure with a minimum of
plastics material required to manufacture it. A pair of circular slots 33 are
provided at each end of the drawer panel 11 on outer face 30 which are adapted
to frictionally engage a stopper 34 which comprises a pin 35 which works in
conjunction wlth a nylon glide (not shown) when the set of drawers is used in
a desk structure. The stopper 34 is provided on each side panel 11, with
pins 35 pointing forward when the drawer is inserted in a des~. To release
: the drawer, the pins 35 on each side are pushed simultaneously inwardly and
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the drawer can readily be removed from the des~. The pair of slots 33
permit the drawer to be reversed end for end, also.
The cooperating engagement and locking means comprises a tongue 36 and
- detent 37 at the top co~ner of each paneI 12. The tongue 36 comprises a
~irst rectangular cross-section piece having matlng surfaces 40b and 41b
and a second thin rectangular cross-section piece ha~ing mating surface 39b,
~"r' joined to the outer edge of the first piece by a sloped section having mating
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surface 42b. The detent means 44 comprises a short, downwardly e~tending
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rectangular cross-section piece extending from the second piece. The
adjacent end of panel 11 is formed with a slot designated generally at 38.
The slot 38 includes an-upper horizontal flat surface 39a and a lower
horizontal flat surface 40a conr.ected to each other by a vertical flat
surface 41a and a sloping surface 42a. Surface 42a mates with a sloped
surface 42b beneath tongue 36. Detent 37 when engaged, rests against
the outer edge of surface 39a which lies against surface 39b of the end
panel 12. Surface 41a rests against a corresponding surface 41b of the end
panel 12 and surface 40b of the end panel rests against surface 40a of the
side panel 11.
At the bottom corner of each end panel 12, above the level of slot 14
there is a second tongue 43 (thin rectangular cross-section) and detent
means 44 (short, upwardly extending rectangular cross-section piece) which
engages a slot 46, the upper edge 45 of which slopes downwardly and away
from the inner surface 22 of panel 11. In the upper edge 45 of slot 46
there is a cut-out portion best seen in Figure 6 which provides a slot when
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the panels are assembled into which a flat-headed screw driver or similar
tool (not shown) can be inserted and which facilitates dis-assembly of the
panels 11 and 12.
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Thus, to assemble the panels, detent 37 of panel 12 is placed over and
at surface 39a of panel 11, then pivoted downwardly so that the corresponding
surfaces 39a and 39b, 42a and 42b, 41a and 41b and 40a and 40b rest against
each other and then detent 44 and tongue 43 move into slot 46 sliding down
edge 45 to engage and loc~ the panels ll and 12 in place. The result is
a firm and secure butt joint between panels ll and 120
!''~" 10 The end panels 12 are mounted to one side panel ll, and dra~er bottom 13
,-~ is slid into groove 14 before the other side panel 1l is unted in place. A
suitable drawer face 19 can then be attached by screws or another fastening
means and the drawer 10 is complete. Divider 24 is then inserted in a
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corresponding pair of slots 23 as required.
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To dis-asse~ble the drawer, a flat-headed screw driver or similar tool is
-~ inserted into the slot provided by cut-out portion 47 and pressure is applied
downwardly against detent 44, tongue 43 and hence the panel 11 move out and
upwardly and the panels ll, 12 are released. It should be noted that tongue 43
and detent 44 are located above the level of slot 14 to facilitate dis-assembly
of the drawer when bottom panel 13 is in place~
It will be appreciated that accessories can readily be used in con~unction
with Che drawer assembly, for example pencil trays, card trays, file bins and
stamp holders.
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