Supports: cabinet structure – With movable components – Horizontally movable
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-17
2001-06-26
Hansen, James O. (Department: 3636)
Supports: cabinet structure
With movable components
Horizontally movable
C312S334440
Reexamination Certificate
active
06250730
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THIS INVENTION
The present invention is in the field of safety devices for drawer-like elements and in particular it is directed to devices for preventing injuries and hazardous situations to which children are typically exposed by drawers. The safety device with which the present invention is concerned is also directed to devices adapted for preventing spontaneous opening of drawer-like member upon tilting.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The terms “drawer” and “drawer-like member” as interchangeably used herein in this specification and claims denote a drawer, shelf, container, etc. which is slidably mounted within a housing and wherein sliding is effected by rails, telescopic rails, rollers or other means, as known per se.
Drawers are common articles in daily life, e.g. in kitchens, children's rooms, office desks, chests of drawers, etc. and in use, they constitute a hazardous situation for user's fingers, and at times may cause unpleasant injuries, in particular when children are involved. Even more so, a child may attempt to climb or enter into an open drawer which may cause overturning of the chest of drawers or the like, which might be a fatal accident.
A variety of safety devices have been provided for drawers in order to obviate the above-mentioned dangers. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,505,526, 4,632,438, 5,626,372, 5,645,307, 5,709,517 and 5,795,044, are all directed to safety devices suitable for preventing opening of a drawer prior to manipulating a locking latch. However, disengaging the locking latch requires at times some high performance manipulation. In addition, these devices do not provide any safety in closing of a drawer.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,717,184 and 5,344,002 do provide safety both in opening and closing of a drawer and manipulating a locking latch is required. However, the safety means disclosed in these patents are of considerable sophistication and are thus expensive, less reliable owing to possible failure of mechanical components and are also expensive.
A different aspect involved with drawer-like elements is concerned with utility vehicles and the like, e.g. different types of military or terrain vehicles wherein equipment is at times stored in slidable drawer-like containers. However, such containers are likely to spontaneously open or close each time the vehicle tuns. Such spontaneous displacement may be both hazardous to personnel and may cause damage to equipment. For that purpose, some special latches and locking means are provided which, under tough conditions may be difficult to handle.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel safety device for drawer-like elements in which the above-referred to disadvantages are significantly reduced or overcome.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention there is provided a safety device for a assembly comprising a housing and one or more drawer-like members mounted within said housing and slidable between open and closed positions;
where said drawer-like member also having some vertical tolerance within the housing;
the safety device comprising a stopping member for fixing to a side wall of the housing adjacent a front edge thereof; and an obstructing member for fixing to a corresponding side of the drawer-like member adjacent a front edge thereof;
the stopping member being formed with a stopper wall, and the obstructing member being formed with corresponding a obstruction wall;
the arrangement being such that in the closed position, the bottom edge of the obstruction wall extends bellow a top edge of the stopping wall and there exists a vertical distance between a bottom edge of the obstruction wall and a top edge of the stopper wall; said distance being less than the vertical tolerance; whereby the sliding the drawer-like element is obstructed.
Preferably, each drawer-like member is fitted at each side thereof with a safety device according to the invention.
The device in accordance with the present invention is directed to avoid finger injury, in particular for young users, i.e. children. Accordingly, at the closed position of the drawer-like member, the top edge of the stopper wall is nearer a front edge of the drawer-like member than the bottom edge of the obstruction wall. In accordance with this arrangement, the front panel of the drawer has to be slightly lifted and only then it may be pulled outwardly, so that the obstructing member overrides the stopping member.
By a preferred application, the stopper wall and the obstruction wall are essentially parallel and are preferably essentially vertical.
By a still a preferred embodiment the stopping member is formed with an auxiliary stopper wall and the obstructing member is formed with a corresponding auxiliary obstruction wall; where at the closed position, the bottom edge of the auxiliary obstruction wall extends bellow a top edge of the auxiliary stopping wall and there exists a vertical distance between a bottom edge of the auxiliary obstruction wall and a top edge of the auxiliary stopper wall; said distance being less than the vertical tolerance.
According to this arrangement, closing a drawer is obstructed as well whereby upon sliding the drawer into a closed position is obstructed near to its closed position and it is necessary to slightly lift the drawer in order to overcome the obstruction.
In accordance with one application, the safety device is fitted for installation within an interstice formed within a side wall of the drawer-like member and the side wall of the housing, in particular when the drawer-like member is slidable over rails or telescopic rails.
By another application, where side walls of the drawer-like member are essentially flush with side walls of the housing, the obstructing member is fixed at a bottom side edge of the drawer-like member.
By another embodiment of the invention, the safety device enables free displacing of the drawer-like member into either the closed or open position whereby displacing in the other one of the closed or open position is restricted. For that purpose at least one of the stopper wall and the corresponding obstruction wall and a corresponding one or both of the auxiliary stopper wall and the auxiliary obstruction wall are sloped.
In accordance with still a specific embodiment of the present invention the safety device is designed so as to allow the components to remain attached within the respective side walls without constituting an obstacle. This situation is desirable in order to avoid losing the components of the locking when the device is not in use. Accordingly, rotating one or both of the stopping member and the obstructing member by 180° about a fastener fixing them to the side wall of the respective housing and the drawer-like member, results in that the drawer-like element is freely slidable within the housing.
Preferably, in order to facilitate easy assembly of the safety device to the side walls of the respective housing or drawer-like member, one or both of the stopping member and the obstructing member are formed with one or both of vertical and horizontal slots so as to allow accurate positioning by a fastener extending therethrough.
In accordance with one specific embodiment, the horizontal distance between the bottom edge of the obstruction wall and the top edge of the stopping wall is at least similar to the thickness of a front wall of the drawer like member.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is provided a safety kit for a sliding assembly comprising a housing and one or more drawer-like members mounted within said housing and slidable between open and closed positions; said drawer-like member also having some vertical clearance;
the safety kit comprising a stopping member for fixing to a side wall of the housing adjacent a front edge thereof; and an obstructing member for fixing to a corresponding side of the drawer-like member adjacent a front edge thereof;
the stopping member being formed with a stopper wall and the obstructing member being formed with corresponding a obstruction wall.
In ac
Oren Isaac
Roth Jonathan
Hansen James O.
Kenyon & Kenyon
Shilav
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